This weekend marked the first of what I hope turns in to a long running tradition. The “Becker Annual Dinner” was the idea of my parents who have been holding this formal dinner for over 30 years. The night focuses around the gathering of friends and food, but not just any food…good food. For me, it gave the opportunity to work on new recipes that I have been working on and not hold back on the quality of the produce, which I generally do because I’m cheap.
One additional piece that I am hoping to add to this wonderful event is passing out the recipes I come up with so that others can recreate these dishes…should they not flop. So for this post, I thought I would share them with all of you.
I would highly encourage anyone to try these out as they are not complex; the goal was to make simple Italian themed cuisine, with a modern twist.
- Meat and Cheese Tray : Wine Pairing – Asti Champagne
I went with traditional Italian meats, prosciutto, capicola and salami. And for the cheese: Parmasean, Triple Cream , Port Salut, and an Italian truffle. The saltiness of the meats and cheese paired very well with the sweetness Champagne which also gave us a great toasting drink.
- Appetizer: Bruchetta : Wine Pairings – 2006 Conundrum California White
o Cherry & Yellow Plum tomatoes (2c, halved)
o Fresh Basil (handfull, rough chopped)
o Olive Oil (3 Tbsp)
o Green Onion (2Tbsp)
o Chive Vinegar (2 Tbsp)
o Balsamic Vinegar
o Salt / Pepper (season to taste)
o French bread (1 loaf)
o Fresh Mozzarella (1 ball)
o Goat Cheese (Chevre) (8oz.)
The first comment that I will make, is that while I put down measurements, these are just really rough guesses. I don’t measure things generally, for me its all about taste. And if I cant get the taste right, it just gives me a reason to try it again at a later time.
Combine the tomatoes, basil, olive oil, green onion, chive vinegar and salt / pepper in a bowl to let marinate for 20 – 30 minutes in the refrigerator. While that is marinating, slice the French bread into ½” thick pieces. Spoon the tomatoes onto each piece of bread, then top with the mozzarella and a sprinkle of goat cheese (note: most goat cheeses are very strong, so it doesn’t take much). Pop those bad boys in the oven set to a high broil and watch them carefully. You should be able to get the cheese to melt, while keeping the tomatoes cool, which gives good temperature contrast. After the cheese has begun to melt, take them out and drizzle with just a little balsamic vinegar and you are set!
- Salad Course: Simple Caesar : Wine Pairings – 2006 Crawford Winery Sauvignon Blanc
o Belgian Endive
o Sourdough croutons
§ Sourdough Bread
§ Olive Oil
§ Garlic Powder
§ Onion Powder
§ Salt / Pepper
o Anchovies
o Cesar Dressing
o Red Onion
o Cherry Tomatoes
This course is really more about assembly than any real cooking. I made my own croutons out of a loaf of sourdough bread that we cubed up and then tossed with olive oil, a little garlic and onion powder and salt / pepper. Then browned them in an oven set to broil, which gives a crunchy outside and a soft inside. I also attempted to make the Caesar dressing a week before, but came to the realization that some things are better purchased. The anchovies were fried then crumbled to sprinkle on top. I used endive to change up both the taste and the visual appeal from a more traditional romaine lettuce and it was a hit, everyone should try it. This dish really shows that we eat with our eyes first and a good looking plate tastes better than something thrown together.
- Palate Cleanser: Lemon Ice
o Italian Ice
o prosciutto ham
Ok this was a cheating course. I bought the Italian Ice, but at least scooped them into better looking bowls. If you didn’t know, a sweet, often citrusy dish will be served just before the main entrée to clear all other tastes from the palate, in my case I used it to clear the fishiness of the anchovies and Caesar dressing. I also threw in a bit of fried ham to set some saltiness with the sweet.
- Entrée: Braciole & Spaghetti : Wine Pairings -- 2006 Nipozzano Chianti & 2005 Medoc (Magnum)
o Flank Steak
o Italian Sausage
o Fresh Basil (1/2 c. chopped)
o Parmesan Cheese (2c. grated)
o Salt / Pepper
o Olive Oil (2Tbsp)
o Fresh Garlic (2 cloves)
o Mushrooms (1 box quartered)
o Onion (1/2 medium onion chopped)
o Good Wine (1/2 c. preferably the wine you will be drinking with the dinner)
o Cheap Sauce (1 jar: I love the Aldi brand spaghetti sauce)
o Diced Tomatoes (1 can)
Start by mixing together the basil, parmesan cheese, olive oil and 1 of the minced garlic cloves. Add Salt/pepper to taste and set aside for use later (this will be the schmear for the flank steak)
Take the flank steak and, and fillet it, so you have on very large thin piece.Spread the basil paste evenly across the steak. Roll it up and tie with kitchen twine, to make a Roulade.
Heat the sauce pan /pot that you will be using to make the sauce over a high setting. Add a little vegetable oil to the bottom of the pan and add the mushroom and onion and sauté until the onions begin to turn clear. Remove the mushroom and onion (you should see some brown pieces at the bottom of the pan, leave them, that will be used to add flavor.) Using the newly emptied, still hot pan, sear the flank steak on all sides to a nice golden brown. Once it is brown, add the wine and other clove of minced garlic to the pan, scraping the bottom to get all those delicious browned bits. Let the wine simmer for a minute or so to reduce and burn off some of the alcohol. Add back in the onion & mushrooms, Italian sausage, jar of tomato sauce and diced tomatoes. Now comes the tricky part: let simmer on the lowest temp you can FOREVER.I let mine go for about 4 hours…the longer the better. If you think it is getting too thick, add water or beef stock. I tend to fiddle with mine as well by adding salt, pepper and other spices I have laying around.
- Dessert: Deconstructed Spumoni: Wine Pairing -- Tawny Port (10yr)
o Chocolate Brownie
o Pistachio Iced Cream
o Heavy Whipping Cream (1qt)
o Maraschino Cherries
o Powdered Sugar
o Vanilla
o Almond Extract
This was a fun dish that I made up after a lunch at the Spaghetti Factory, where they always serve Spumoni iced cream after the meal. I wanted to mix it up a little, so made up a way to take apart the flavors of spumoni and lay them out separately on a plate. Hence a Chocolate Brownie, homemade pistachio iced cream and Cherry whipped cream. The only prep you need to do is making the box-o-brownies, and whipped cream. I found making my own whipped cream turned out a better tasting and better consistency than trying to mix the cherries with a prepared whipped cream. Simply take the whipping cream throw it in a mixing bowl with a mixer on high (or by hand if you are brave). Add a couple tablespoons of the cherry syrup to the cream, some drops of vanilla and almond extract. Slowly add powdered sugar until you get a desired sweetness. Once the whipped cream holds a stiff peak, fold in a dozen or so chopped cherries, and voila.
I hope you enjoyed this week’s installment of the cooking hour...If anyone wants a chef for the evening, I am a cheap date.
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