Daily Loaf

Pedigree:
Created in the 1930’s, this cheese is named after the famed violinist, capital punishment advocate, magistrate, food writer and wanted man Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin. It’s de rigeur at this point to quote one of Brillat-Savarin’s famed culinary one-liners, so let’s go with: “A meal without some cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye.” He loved his cheese, so it makes sense that a versatile triple-creme, Brie-ish cheese like this — which is easily worked into a variety of dishes and serving styles — should bear the man’s name.Brillat-Savarin is made from cow’s milk and comes in fresh versions and slightly aged styles that develop a natural, soft rind.

Taste:
If brie, Philly cream cheese, fresh chevre, and farmhouse butter engaged in unholy procreation, they would spawn a cheese like Brillat-Savarin. It is intensely rich, but with just enough zing to fool you into forgetting that you’re ingesting a massive amount of fat. Think Boursin, but refined, without all those fussy herbs and seasonings.

Uses:
Fresh Brillat-Savarin is one Read the rest of this entry »

Pedigree:
Ubriaco — Italian for drunken — originated in the Veneto, when wine and must (the crushed grape leavings after juice has been drained out for wine) from local wineries was an easier and cheaper way to preserve cheeses. This particular version of the cow’s milk cheese is soaked in must and wine from local moscato production for few days and then aged for around 8 months, giving the previously soft cheese a firmer texture and a golden rind flecked with dried grape skins.

Taste:
This ubriaco starts with a surprisingly sharp bite that immediately mellows into a tropical sweetness that tastes markedly of pineapple. Near the rind, the intensity of that fragrant fruit is almost overwhelming, while the center of slices from a wheel of Ubriaco al Moscato Read the rest of this entry »

(This is the third installment of our week-long Smorgasbord IKEA series.)

After a week eating out of IKEA’s grocery store, I was impressed by the amount of food I tried that I’d actually make a trip to buy again, whether or not I’m picking up an area rug or cartload of picture frames.

Here are my picks for must-haves, must-nots and must-experience for yourself:

The Good

Frozen desserts: Across the board, these Swedish versions of Mrs. Smith’s were tasty enough to justify the purchase, although perhaps not enough to make Ikea a weekly stop. Standouts were Tarta Mork Choklad — a dark chocolate-covered thin cake with hints of espresso, reminiscent of tiramisu — and balls of fluff and chocolate that are essentially gigantic mallomars the size of your fist.

Candy: Read the rest of this entry »

Fondue is a great method of cooking, especially if your goal is to entertain your guests! There are several ways to make fondue, and there are many different ingredients that one could use. I will be giving you a basic recipe utilizing colby jack cheese and dark beer. However, you can experiment with many different cheeses, and many different bases (wine, beer, stock, etc). It’s important to note that different cheeses will give you different tastes and textures. Some may even split, ball-up, or become really stringy.

To fix a fondue that is too stringy, you can add a few squirts of lemon or lime. Although this may not eliminate the stringiness altogether, it may cut it down. If your cheese splits or balls up (there is liquid and cheese separately) you can sprinkle in some corn starch a little at a time while mixing, until your mixture comes together again. I actually make a habit of coating the cheese in a bit of corn starch before starting the cooking process.

Recipe after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Who doesn’t like pasta? It’s almost universal in its appeal and it seems that every culture has taken its hand at some adaptation. And while it’s true that the Chinese are probably the inventors, it was the Italians who exploited this simple staple.

Just try to imagine for a moment a planet without pasta. What would accompany our luscious, buttery garlic bread? Have you ever heard of “green beans with clam sauce”? Of course not, you need linguini. Would we even have all of the scrumptious and wonderful sauces that we have today if there were no magnificent vessel to carry the load? I shudder at the thought.

Fortunately though, we don’t have to consider these possibilities, because there are about a million different kinds of pasta within a mile of every urban setting in America. Often, when we think of pasta, noodles come to mind. Long strands of dried varieties that boil until just done, complimented by an almost endless array of sauces and condiments. As a child, I remember my desire for just a plate of pasta with butter and parmesan. Perfection. Today, my palate is a bit more mature and I enjoy every variation I try.

One of my favorite types of pasta is made from potatoes. Gnocchi are like little clouds of heaven that, by design, soak up the flavors that you surround them with. Read the rest of this entry »

Epoisses – photo courtesy of artisanalcheese.com

Still to this day, one of my most memorable dining experiences revolves around cheese. It occurred in Tuscany, where my local friends Giulio and Pierre-the-herb-shepherd prepared an ultra-simple, 6-course dinner made only of local, rustic cheese, Super Tuscan wine, along with Pierre’s spices and a drizzle of olive oil. Absolutely nothing else. No other ingredients. A minimalist culinary tour-de-force.

I was born, raised, and trained as a chef in a country that General De Gaulle once described as an ungovernable nation because of its 246 varieties of cheese. Vive la France!

But really, cheese is not a French invention, nor is it any more French than wine. In fact, some of my favorite cheeses come from Spain, Italy, and yes, the US. We’ll see that in a minute.

Note that I’m quite an oddity. I hated cheese as a kid. My mom can’t help herself to remind me that every time I hummer over Munster or St Marcellin. But what saved me from missing out on what I call the “heavenly trilogy” (wine, bread and cheese) is artisanal cheese. Note the emphasis on “artisanal”, because that, and that only, is what we’re talking about here. Forget about supermarket dairies, stupid factory-produced Camembert and other condom-looking, odorless rubber-tasting cheese that looks dead tired and plain boring.

There is a huge difference between cheese and artisan cheese. An artisan cheese has been hand-crafted in small batches according to time-honored techniques, recipes, and traditions. In other words, farm- (or micro-factory-) produced cheese made by locals. Why is that a good thing? Read the rest of this entry »

Tomorrow (Saturday the 11th) at Datz Deli — All Hail the Ale — a celebration of the world’s best beers matched with fine cheeses. $25 per person includes 5 ounce pours and commemorative glassware. 4 pm- 7pm. 2616 MacDill Ave. Call (813) 831-7000 or email dixon@datzdeli to reserve your spot. Here’s the pairing lineup :

Westmalle Trappist Tripel : Belgium : 9.5%
This Belgian offering hails from one of the world’s seven Trappist monasteries, where brewing is conducted or overseen by monks. The cloudy, golden brew sports fruity, floral aromas. A strong malt component results in toasty flavors; the slight honey citrus sweetness is balanced by a mild alcohol warmth and a dry finish. The sharp, smoky flavors of Grafton Village Smoked Cheddar compliment the maltiness of Westmalle Tripel.

Many more beers after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

Wednesday, Mar. 25: Whole Foods Market
Every Wednesday in March, stop by Whole Foods for the Wine Down Wednesday tasting. Free. 4-6 p.m., 1548 N Dale Mabry Rd, Tampa (813-874-9435)

Wednesday, Mar. 25: Whole Foods Market
Join Elaine Robert for a lecture on Gaia herbs. Free. 6:30-7:30 p.m., 1548 N Dale Mabry Rd, Tampa (813-874-9435)

Wednesday, Mar. 25: Belleair Grill and Wine Bar
At the Northern Italian Wine Dinner, enjoy a five-course meal and wines from the Piedmont and Lombardy regions of Italy. $69. 6:30 p.m., 1575 S Ft. Harrison, Clearwater (727-449-2988)

Wednesday, Mar. 25: Tampa Club Young Member Wine Dinner
Members of the club part of the under 40 crowd are invited to this wine dinner, at which Chardonnay and Pinot Noir will be paired with a filet mignon meal. $29. 6:30 p.m., 101 E Kennedy Blvd, Tampa (813-229-6028)

Many more upcoming events after the break:

Read the rest of this entry »

The weather here in the Tampa Bay area has been absolutely gorgeous lately, an has put me in the mood for some grilling action. I’ve had a hankering for a big juicy burger for ages, but I wanted to try something different than a plain old patty with American cheese on a boring bun.

I was at the book store and noticed the Sutter Home Build a Better Burger cook-off cookbook in the bargain section. It inspired me to create a gourmet burger of my own (and also reminded me that I had forgotten to enter last year, again). I didn’t find any one particular recipe that I wanted to use, but it got my creative juices flowing. Fortunately, being a foodie, I usually have all sorts of fancy cheeses, condiments, etc. in my fridge and pantry, so I decided to throw together a “bistro burger” (I thought that name sounded better than: “fancy-schmancy burger”).

Recipe after the break: Read the rest of this entry »

What’s your idea of a fantastic pizza? I’m on a mission to find one. Hopefully, close to home.

In my humble opinion, this was a perfect pizza. It comes from Prato’s in Montreal (that’s right, Canada). I can tell you with confidence that I have not had great pizza in north Pinellas County and I am just beside myself over it. I’m trying not to be overly critical about this, either.

We do have GOOD pizza here and I frequent several establishments. It’s just that I’ve had fantastic pizza in other places and I’m sure that SOMEWHERE in Tampa Bay it exists but I am struggling in my little neighborhood.

It all started when I tasted over-the-top, wow-this-is-good, I-could-eat-this-every-day pizza in a couple of other cities. Of course New York has great pizza everywhere, but when I tasted pies from Montreal and Westerly, Rhode Island that were just exquisite, I knew we were missing something here.

Let me explain MY idea of perfect and see if it matches yours: Read the rest of this entry »

Mexican and Tex-Mex definitely top my list of favorite cuisines. Their use of spices elevate and enhance simple ingredients to create delicious, comforting dishes. One of my favorite Tex-Mex dishes is Tamale Pie, which is a casserole that is supposed to mimic the flavors of a traditional Mexican tamale: shredded or ground meat encased in a masa (cornmeal) mixture, wrapped in corn husks and then steamed.  Tamales are very time consuming to prepare, so I decided to take the easy road and make tamale pie.

The following is a recipe for tamale pie I “Katie-fied” from one I saw on “Simply Delicioso with Ingrid Hoffman” on Food Network. Most tamale pie recipes I’ve seen use ground beef, but you can use ground pork, chicken, turkey, boar, ostrich, whatever your heart desires. I don’t usually use canned items but I decided to in this one, just to make it easier for those of you at home to save time. Read the rest of this entry »

I’m not typically a fan of Italian food per se and pasta isn’t anywhere near the top of my “must have foods” list (mac and cheese being the only exception). But last night I came home wanting something out of my usual dinner routine- usually salad or a can of soup (exciting, I know). I was feeling too lazy to venture to the grocery store, and I didn’t want to spend more than half of my weekly grocery bill on take out. I also feel guilty sometimes for not cooking at home more often after spending forty grand on culinary school. I’m not giving excuses, but it’s hard to be self-motivated to produce culinary masterpieces every other night when you’re: A. living by yourself in a small studio apartment, and B. a recent college grad who can’t afford a huge grocery bill for one stinkin’ meal. This is when I decide to just make due and find inspiration in the cupboard and fridge.

Here are the main ingredients I scrounged up to feature in my improvised dinner: whole wheat penne (that’s been in there for who knows how long), dry Spanish chorizo, gorgonzola cheese, fresh spinach, and a tomato. I also threw in a few other things I always keep on hand: garlic, onion, red pepper flakes, and herbs. Alright, pasta it is.   Read the rest of this entry »

The rice cooker was a lifesaver when making sushi in culinary school (and that’s about the only time we were allowed to use a household appliance). I found it to be useful because cooking rice perfectly on the stove is not as easy as one would think (and I’m not talking about the boil-in-bag kind). Outside of class, those cookers are convenient if you eat rice frequently, but never suited my personal cooking needs, or piqued my interest. Until I was shown the way, at least.

I was scrolling through my Google feed — packed with various food blog posts — and stumbled upon an article about rice cookers from the New York Times. What’s this?! Not only can it cook perfect rice, but it can steam, bake, saute, braise, simmer, poach and more? Read the rest of this entry »

This is the way a neighborhood wine shop should look: full of bottles of all types and price ranges but uncluttered, with a hint of dark-wood old-world charm. Three decades in South Florida have brought this indie a loyal following even in the face of the big-box wine purveyors that hit town in the past year. Here’s the great thing about a wine shop like this: Just go in and tell David, Jimmy and Michael what you want to eat with your wine, explain the occasion and how much you want to spend, and the perfect bottle will be in your hands within minutes. Plus, they have one of the best cheese selections around — rich stilton, double Gloucester, Applegate smoked cheddar, Appenzeller Swiss (above) and Morbier, for starters, many in nice big wheels that they will cut right in front of you — and stemware that ranges from the high-end Riedel (a killer Chardonnay glass for $22.99) to Wineland crystal that is just $5 a stem.

Gift this: A bottle of port (below) is “so appropriate and substantial,” as Michael Roberts puts it, perfect for cold weather, smoking cigars or just after dinner, starting at $20.

3629 Henderson Blvd., Tampa, 813-879-2931.

For more stops on the Indie Holiday Shopping Spree, click here.

Photos by Wayne Garcia

Visited Monteillet Fromagerie, an organically farmed 30-acre dairy in Walla Walla, Washington (eastern part of the state) - a haven for goats, sheep, dogs, a family of pigs, a flock of free range fancy-looking chickens and lambs. Although this carnivore admits to getting as hungry as Wile E. Coyote, petting them was almost as satisfying. Almost.

Then I tasted the cheese. Fresh goat and sheep’s milk blended cheeses as well as aged, including the best one, a tasty grapeleaf, ash-covered Le Roi (”the king”).

Joan and Pierre-Louis Monteillet, a warm and inviting hippie couple, founded the dairy in 2002, after many years in the wheat farming business. Although they admit they don’t have “two nickels to rub together,” they survive with the tireless help of young and inspired cheesemaker interns from all over the world, seeking to live the good life on a farm. It’s tempting but I ain’t that young anymore. But great cheese.

Their production is a super small right now, so it’s not here yet… until those interns get crackin’ and make more.