Jan Norris: Food and Florida Online

Bell

There are certain chefs who have enough self-confidence they don’t need to be jerks with the legtimate food writers out there – or with diners or anyone else, for that matter.

The ones with ego problems, who are on the defensive about their food or restaurant from the start, are the ones I no longer bother with. Life is too short to deal with these twits – there are a handful around who need to grow up or get out of the business, or learn common decency.

Boulud and Bell - class acts

Funny, but the bigger the name, typically, the more gracious. Having interviewed hundreds of chefs, restaurant owners and those in the biz over the years, I can tell within the first couple of questions how it’s going to go. By then, I decide if it’s someone I’d like to sit and have a glass of wine or a beer with – if not, it’s usually my last interview with the person unless an editor holds my keyboard fingers to the fire.

 Chef Zach Bell of Cafe Boulud in Palm Beach is one who is a great guy to talk to: smart, funny and I always learn something from him. He follows in the footsteps of his boss, Daniel Boulud – a household name among food cognoscenti. Boulud always returns my calls, has time for my questions, is intelligent and likes the challenging bits.

Read my New Times Verbal Nosh with Bell, a James Beard Award nominee, here.

In my column today in the Sun Sentinel, I share the recipe for Brisket from Brooks Restaurant in Deerfield Beach with readers. The brisket and gravy recipe is perfect for a Passover meal.

One tip: You’re going to want mashed potatoes with this, but if you use butter – it’s no longer kosher (no meat and dairy during the same meal).

Use a rich chicken broth instead to flavor the potatoes. Margarines (non-dairy certified kosher) also work, but I found that they’re too “fake” for my taste. Adding chopped chives or roasted garlic or roasted shallots to the potatoes also boost their flavor with no dairy.

Friend and fellow food writer Bill Citara tells us on the New Times blog that finally, a commercial kitchen is soon to be available for food entrepreneurs who want to jar their own salsa, make their own barbecue sauce, start a line of salad dressings 0r – whatever.

Finding a licensed, professional kitchen to work from that’s not going to put you in red ink the minute you hit the stove has been a stumbling block for so many cooks who dream of a better biscuit dough, the spiciest spice blend, and more. While the kitchen can’t improve a basic product, it can afford you the chance of seeing your food get to market.

Planned is a full facility where pros will offer tips on the business end of things, while others teach production and sanitation know-how and offer help on licensing, labeling, or even catering  – if you want to go that direction.

The Production Kitchen (1253 Old Okeechobee Road, Suites B8 & 9, West Palm Beach; 561-833-3585), is set to open by March 30 – courtesy of Chrissy Benoit, of Lake Worth’s Havana Hideout, a bar and restaurant on Lake Avenue.

To get the details, go to www.theproductionkitchenwp.com.

Oscar Dinner at Bogart’s

Matt Damon, up for Best Supporting Actor for Invictus /photo by Nicolas Gemin, Paris

Get your Oscar ballots ready and head to Bogart’s in Boca – they’re hosting an Oscar night dinner Sunday night, with a 3-course special dinner and a group party to watch the awards show on their big-screen TVs.

• 3200 Airport Road, Boca Raton
• Hours: 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m., Monday-Thursday; till midnight Friday and Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday
• For reservations and info: (561) 395-4695; www.bogartsofboca.com

Green Gourmet Now Open for Dinner, and Greenmarket

• 16950 Jog Road (in Shoppes of Addison Place), Delray Beach
• Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., Monday-Saturday; 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.
• More info: 561-455-2466; www.thegreengourmetdelray.com

March 19-21 – Boca Bacchanal 2010: The huge food and wine event  features noted chefs (Paula Desilva of 3030 Ocean, this year) and boatloads of great wines. The tony vitners’ dinner is sold out months ahead (plan ahead next year) but there are still tickets to the Bacchanal and the amazing Auction ($225) at the Boca Raton Resort & Club Saturday night; Sunday’s Grand Tasting at the Mizner Park Amphitheatre ($85 in advance; $100 at the gate) and at the Wine Seminar, Therapy of Aromas, at the Boca Museum of Art on Sunday ($25). For tickets and information, go here, or call (561) 395-6766, ext. 101.

The biggest recipe sensation to hit the net is the Crack Pie  – a buttery, creamy, sinfully rich affair that costs $44 at its origin: Momofuku’s Milk Bar in New York City.

What’s worth $44 in this pie? Nothing that you can’t replicate for at last a fourth of the cost at home – if you’re any kind of baker.

Here’s the tweaked recipe – “adapted” from several now out there. Let the pies bake and “set up” - don’t open the door to check them until 5 minutes before final baking time. Two 9-inch pie pans are, I think, better than the 10-inchers originally called for.

Homemade Crack Pie

For 2 9-inch or 10-inch pies:

For the crust:

• Crumbled cookie mixture (recipe below)
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
• 1-1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
• Pinch of salt

For the filling:

• 1-1/2 cups sugar
• 1 cup minus 1 tablespoon light brown sugar, lightly packed
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon non-fat powdered milk
• 2 teaspoons corn starch
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, melted
• 1 cup minus 1-1/2 tablespoons heavy cream
• 1-1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
• 8 egg yolks
• Confectioner’s sugar, for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare crusts: combine the cookie crumbles, butter, brown sugar and salt in the bowl of a food processor. (Or, use an electric mixer on high speed to combine well.) Process or blend until the mixture holds together when squeezed.

Divide the mixture into two greased 9- or 10-inch pie plates. Press mixture evenly into bottom and up sides of pans. Set aside.

Make filling: Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a large mixing bowl with wire whisk, combine sugar, brown sugar, salt, powdered milk and corn starch. Use an electric mixer on low speed with whisk attachment to add melted buter;  add heavy cream and vanilla and mix.

Use a wire whisk to add egg yolks, one at a time, until just incorporated. Scrape sides of bowl well. Do not beat.

Divide mixture into two prepared pans and put into oven on rack set at center position. (If  using small oven, bake them separately so enough air circulates around pie to set filling evenly.)

 Bake at 375 degrees for 15 minutes; lower heat to 325 degrees and bake about 12 to 15 minutes more, or until the filling is set, but still shakes lightly. Pies should be golden brown when done.

Note: 9-inch pies may take up to 20 minutes’  baking time to set.

Cool on racks for 30 minutes; refrigerate until well chilled. Dust pies well with powdered sugar before serving.

Makes 2 9-inch or 10-inch pies.

Note: These pies freeze very well, wrapped tightly. (Do not dust with sugar till just before serving.)

Baker’s note: Individual ovens vary widely and yield different results. You may want to bake a test pie before baking the full recipe; adjust as needed both time and temperature.

Oatmeal Cookie for Crust

This oatmeal cookie to crumble for crust can be made ahead.

• 2/3 cup plus 1 tablespoon (3 ounces) flour
  1/8 teaspoon baking powder
  1/8 teaspoon baking soda
  1/4 teaspoon salt
  1/2 cup (1 stick) butter, softened, but not melted
  1/3 cup light brown sugar
  3 tablespoons sugar
  1 egg
  1 cup rolled oats, lightly spooned into measuring cup

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Using an electric mixer in a medium bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar and white sugar until light and fluffy and sugars are incorporated.

On slow speed, beat in egg.

Add flour mixture, a little at a time, scraping down the bowl after each addition and beating well to incorporate. On low speed, add the oats and beat till well mixed.

Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking sheet. Spread the mixture onto the sheet with a rubber spatula.

 Bake about 18 minutes, or until golden brown and cookie mixture is done. Do not underbake. Remove and cool. Crumble the mixture finely to use for crust.

Makes 2 9-inch or 10-inch pie crusts.