Summer Barbecue

June 29, 2006

Whew, finally getting this second blog out the door -- or off my machine! I had another crazy week working on my cookbook, setting up meetings with catering clients and cooking for the LA Philharmonic. So my apologies for the delay!

Enough about me, let’s hit the grill or bar -- whichever is closest. And I am not here to preach or tell anyone to cook at home, so I’m just gonna throw out a few ingredients that fit the season with 4th of July right around the corner.

What follows is a list of the super summer products available now, so help spark your own ideas about what to cook for friends and family on the big day. I’ll list an ingredient and what you might do with it, and then you can work with it at home and put your own spin on it.

Apricot. Cobbler…okay, easy, wash and slice them up, roll in a deep bowl with some sugar, cinnamon, pinch of kosher salt, nutmeg (if you dig it), add some fresh clean blueberries and then lay in a buttered Pyrex dish. Make a simple streusel by blending butter, cinnamon, flour and brown sugar (make a clumpy blend of the above). Put the streusel over the apricots and bake at 350 degrees until bubbly -- and let cool a bit before you serve it up with your homemade vanilla bean or honey ice cream.

Blueberries. Pop ‘em in your mouth or roll them into the apricot cobbler.

Cherries: See Ice Cream, below.

Cucumbers: Make some tzatziki (recipe below) and serve with some grilled lamb or beef -- or even use it as a dip for crudite.

Honeydew melon & Watermelon. Skewer me, here… just cut your melon in chunks and top off on the end with a yummy strawberry. No, it’s not fancy but it’s more than just dropping the fruit in a bowl, right? Serve with some yogurt mixed with honey and cinnamon.

Ice cream. Buy only the good stuff, or if you have the time make a batch with fresh cherries and chunks of dark chocolate. Or, buy the good stuff and mix your own ingredients into your favorite flavor using a kitchen aid or food processor.

Lobster. Don’t fuss with it! Throw it briefly on the grill and serve with some drawn butter and fresh-squeezed lemon juice.

New potatoes. How about a yummy roasted potato salad with no mayo? Instead, make a roasted garlic vinaigrette or use your favorite store brand and break the mayo mold.

Salmon. Try my Ginger Rub if you choose to grill it -- please be careful not to overcook it and bum everyone out. Even though it has a high fat content (good fat: Omega 3s) it can get really dried-out on the grill if not attended too properly.

Gingered Salmon Rub
By Dave Martin

½ cup dry ginger
½ cup sugar
½ cup brown sugar
2 tsp nutmeg
1 Tbls kosher salt
1 Tbls black pepper

Method….
Mix all ingredients together and rub on your fish before grilling or pan-searing with a touch of canola oil. You can finish on the stove-top or throw into the oven for a few minutes at 400 degrees. I like to finish mine on the stove-top and keep it a solid medium rare. The rub will caramelize so be careful not to let it burn -- watch your heat level. Serve with an apple juice and brandy and unsalted butter mixture (that you reduce on the stovetop for a bit) for added moisture and flavor at service.

Soft-shell crabs. Dip them in wondra flour (other options: Japanese rice flour, or sift regular all-purpose flour three times if you can’t find the other two) mixed with kosher salt and black pepper and then dip in an egg that has been whisked. Then, pan-fry in a touch of peanut oil and remove and set on paper towel (soak up some grease). Serve with a simple mix of fresh corn, chopped tomatoes, a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a pinch of salt and pepper…this is from my good friend Lee Anne Wong from Top Chef Season One. (I asked her favorite preparation as she headed out via train to speak at her former grade schools graduation.)

Tomatoes. Of course! Some heirloom tomatoes if you have access to them. There are a thousand ways to work with these guys. Try a smoked tomato gazpacho or a simple caprese with Buffalo mozzarella. Then throw in some Thai basil and finish it with some chunks of bleu cheese and crumbled apple wood bacon around the plate, drizzle with some extra virgin olive oil or basil oil. Your guests are sure to clammer for more

Tzatziki (Yogurt And Cucumber Sauce)
By Dave Martin

3 cups plain yogurt (goat or cow’s milk)
1 lemon, juiced
¼ cup fire roasted garlic, chopped up fine or blended in a mini food processor
one seedless English cucumber (peeled, halved, and diced small) or regular cucumbers, if you can’t find the seedless ones
2 tablespoon finely chopped fresh mint leaves
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
pinch of sugar

Place regular cucumbers in a sieve or colander for 15-20 minutes and allow the water to drain out of them (seedless: you are good to go, no need to drain). Then place all of the ingredients in a mixing bowl and combine with a fork. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour to allow the flavors to marry. Then chow down with your favorite protein from the grill or with a platter of fresh veggies.

There are oodles of other fresh items in your local produce markets and grocery stores -- so get seasonal! There are great goods available to everyone, no matter what the budget. Go crazy with all of the fresh berries and don’t neglect a nice piece of halibut or a platter of oven-roasted summer squash. Summer is here and it’s time to enjoy and spend time with those around you that matter. Keep on cooking!

If you have questions, story ideas, or info about events, send an email to chefdavemartin@yahoo.com. For more on what’s happening with me, check out chefdavemartin.com.

All About Food and More!

June 07, 2006

Hello, everyone -- and welcome to my “all about food” blog on OUTzone. I would really like to thank everyone for their support during Top Chef (Season One). There were so many people watching and rooting for me and I really and truly appreciate it. This is the first installment in a weekly series of information about what’s happening in the world of food -- from special events and restaurant openings, to talks about seasonality of ingredients, cooking tips and recipes.

I would also love to hear from you about things that you may like to learn about -- or if you have something cool going on that we should know about. The focus of this blog is going to be on all of the positive things going on out there. There is enough negative energy at work, so this will not be a place for that type of energy. So please, if you don’t have something positive, informational or exciting to share then keep it to yourself. That being said, I’d like to just share what’s been happening with me the last few weeks.

Tuesday, May 9

My life has been such a whirlwind these few weeks. I flew into NY to watch the Reunion show with my Top Chef friends Lee Anne, Harold, Andrea, Cynthia and Miguel. We had a great time together at City Bar, which hosted several shows for us.

I spent the following week drinking and dining all over NY and then had the incredible opportunity to be on The Today Show on May 18. Then, later that same day, I headed off on my fantastic journey with food in France and St. Tropez with Jeffrey Chodorow, part of his family (Linda and Zach) and some of his dreamteam from China Grill Management and his new venture Social (Hollywood and Miami).

The Carlton Hotel in Cannes

Friday, May 19

I went from Paris to Cannes and then headed out to the luxury yacht to work with Chef Michelle Bernstein (of Michy's in Miami and both Social restaurants) to make a variety of items for the parties scheduled for Jimmy Choo executives and also a private event for Hugh Jackman and Halle Barry. Michelle’s food is full of wonderful flavors and she put together a marriage of the freshest ingredients available from the Mediterranean -- fresh baby octopus, scallops, foie gras, shrimp and much more. All of the dishes had a beautiful blend of color and a great balance of flavors and textures. She is very talented and fun to work with in the kitchen. She has a great energy and sensibility.

I prepped out several pounds of baby octopus in the galley and just about lost it because of the rough seas we had that day! I was wearing seasickness wristbands and boxers, taking Dramamine and trying to keep my eye on the water and feet on the ground. Yikes, I was yellow.

Saturday, May 20

Unfortunately, the boat parties got cancelled due to bad weather in Cannes so we moved one of them on land and proceeded to focus on our next meal. Chef Michelle offered to prepare dinner for everyone on the boat since we had so many items already prepped that we hadn’t used for the day’s events. The meal was one of the best I had during my entire time in France.

We started with ahi tartare topped with plenty of caviar, a warm baby octopus salad and the most incredible seafood risotto that I have ever tasted. I am still craving it, the depth of flavor, the creaminess of the risotto and the freshness of the seafood was sooo awesome. Three thumbs up! Dessert was a blend of fresh berries and cream, clean and simple.

A produce market in Cannes.

Sunday, May 21

Back in the kitchen with Michelle and getting prepared for the Jimmy Choo event, with special guest Brett Ratner (director of X-Men 3). We had several tray pass items, along with a buffet that had everything from a beet, orange and gorgonzola salad to a fresh batch of the killer seafood risotto served on Japanese spoons. We passed brioche with seared foie gras and berry compote and chimichurri skewers of beef.

I ate so much foie gras and seafood risotto that my heart almost stopped beating. My cholesterol is through the roof and I’m still in France. After a successful event, I headed back to the hotel to get ready for one of the most incredible meals to date. Jeffrey took me and some of his dreamteam -- Gina, Melissa, Terry and J.T. -- plus family and friends to the exclusive restaurant Le Moulin de Mougins, where the kitchen is spearheaded by famed Chef Alain Llorca.

Michelin Star Chef Alain Ducasse of Essex House and many other wonderful restaurants actually helped us with our reservation and had a magnum of Champagne waiting for us upon arrival. The chef put together a private tasting menu for us -- the highlights included foie gras bonbons wrapped in spun sugar and an incredible melting chocolate dome with homemade pop rocks, raspberry sorbet and alpine strawberries. Dinner lasted almost five hours -- talk about relaxing.

Monday, May 22

We headed out of the yacht early in the morning for St. Tropez.

Again, another delicious meal at Tahiti Beach on the water. We had everything from grilled lobster, Sole, an awesome caprese style salad and a myriad of handmade desserts including tarte tatin with fresh melon and pineapple. This relaxing lunch on the beach was complete with great food and wine along with models strutting through the restaurant showing off the latest fashions from the local boutiques.

We made our way back to the boat and headed into town for some shopping and -- yes, you guessed it -- another wonderful meal at a cozy Italian restaurant on the seafront. We shared pizzas and freshly made pastas and enjoyed the end of another beautiful day in paradise.

A shop in St. Tropez.

Tuesday, May 23

I headed back to Paris for some quick solo sightseeing. I stayed in a quaint little hotel on the Left Bank and did some shopping for friends and family -- and then had a tasty quiche Lorraine, some French Sauvignon Blanc and a small green salad for five bucks. Who said Paris was expensive?

After a catnap, it was time to figure out dinner. I went out for another beautiful stroll through the streets of Paris and checked out the local produce markets, cheese and wine shops, bakeries and butcher shops. Talk about incredible products -- Paris is the place to be. If you have never been, there really is a way to do it on a budget -- the airfare is the only big expense. I then spent over an hour trying to find the right bistro for my prix fixe dinner. I had three courses for $20 including tip, crazy deal. I had traditional French Onion soup with Gruyere, Duck Confit with roasted potatoes and a creamy chocolate mousse to finish things off. I managed to polish off a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc during my nice little dinner by myself. After a final evening stroll, I was off to bed for an early flight back to NY to join my Top Chef crew for the finale.

Wednesday, May, 24

I flew back into NYC to meet up with my Top Chef friends Andrea, Lee Anne, Miguel, Harold, Cynthia -- and a surprise guest, Candice from LA. We ended up having a huge celebration party at Dempsey’s Bar with as much alcohol as you could drink. We all really enjoyed watching Harold take the official title of Top Chef. Congratulations, Harold. What a great way to end a crazy couple of weeks in both NY and France.

Until next week, keep on eating and enjoying life.

If you have questions, story ideas, or info about events, send an email to chefdavemartin@yahoo.com. For more on what’s happening with me, check out chefdavemartin.com.