Vino Tinto and BBQ

Finally, it feels like summer's arrived, the sunshine is more than welcome. With Memorial Day here, there are bound to be many backyard grills sizzling. Need idea beyond the burger? Try my delicious Grilled Pork Tenderloin.

What beverages should you serve with BBQ?

A good local microbrew may do just fine. But what wines go best with BBQ? Well, there really is no real rule, just drink what you enjoy. But, to keep it festive and refreshing, why not mix a light Rioja from Spain with a little fruit, fruit juice and sugar or simple syrup. This is aka Sangria. 

I was first courted by Rioja back in my college days. It's an inexpensive wine, it suited my palate and culinary school budget - but yet provided a great compliment to highly seasoned and flavorful foods. Maybe it wasn’t my budget at all... perhaps I just like to say Rioja. Go ahead say it, Ree-OH-ha. Again, Ree-OH-ha. Now say - would you like some Sangria made with Ree-OH-ha? See how much fun that was to say! But, it's even more fun to drink!

Always use a good dry red wine like Rioja, naturally sweet fresh fruit and flavorful juice. Feel free to use any variety of fresh fruits. You may have to adjust the sweetness according to your own preference and the sweetness of the fruit you use. A must is to macerate the fruit in the wine for 24 hours in the refrigerator and serve ice-cold.

Sangria
recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes 8 glasses

1 bottle Rioja dry red wine
1/3 cup brandy
1/3 cup Cointreau or Grand Marnier
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh orange juice
1 sweet apple, diced
1 pear, diced
1 lemon, sliced into rounds
1 orange, sliced into rounds
1 lime, sliced into rounds
2 peaches, peeled, pitted and diced
2-4 Tablespoons Turbinado sugar, Sugar in the Raw

Just before serving add: 
2 cups Strawberries, sliced
2 cups club soda; or lemon-lime soda

In a large glass container or sangria pitcher, combine all ingredients except strawberries and soda. Chill in the refrigerator overnight. Immediately before serving, stir the strawberries and club soda. Ladle or pour into chilled glasses and serve.

Get My Grilled Pork Tenderloin Recipe

I'm Not Yoking, Caesar Dressing

I have been asked this question many times over the years regarding raw eggs as an ingredient in Caesar Dressing recipe. I say when in doubt, leave it out. So here are the facts..

The risk of an egg being contaminated with Salmonella bacteria is very low, about 1 in 20,000 eggs. But there’s no reason to take the risk of contracting foodborne illness. Proper handling of eggs can reduce, and even entirely eliminate, the risk. Source

That being said, there are still state laws that forbid the use of raw eggs in restaurants, because of health risks, including higher risk to pregnant mothers. 

There is an actual man named Caesar behind the legendary dressing name. Caesar Cardini was of Italian-Mexican decent. Talk about a melding of culinary and rich cultures. His recipe was destined for success.

It was in the 1920's when Caesar dreamed up the magic recipe that eventually took Hollywood by storm and linked his name forever to this popular salad combination. Basically, the chef made a salad and dressing with the only ingredients he had left on hand during a busy holiday.

Caesar's family carried on his recipe by bottling it as Cardini's for nearly fifty years before passing on the torch to larger manufacturer.

Here is my no yolk dressing that may even fool the authentic Caesar Dressing diehard with a discriminating palate. With grilling season upon us, top that salad with grilled steak, chicken or charred shrimp!

 No Yolk Caesar Dressing | recipe by George Hirsch | serving for 2

With the backside of a tablespoon, combine 1 Tablespoon balsamic vinegar, 2 cloves fresh garlic (or I really prefer 4 cloves of caramelized garlic) and a Tablespoon of Dijon mustard together, into the bottom of a wooden bowl. Add lemon juice from half a freshly squeezed lemon. Finally, whisk in 4 Tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil, until emulsified. 2 Tablespoons freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano. Set aside. Note, dressing can be refrigerated for up to one week.

Wash and dry Romaine lettuce leaves. Add Romaine lettuce leaves to wooden bowl. Add dressing, and toss. Add fresh made croutons and top with freshly shaved Parmigiano Reggiano and freshly ground pepper.

The Bread Crumb

Meeting Manuela Goeb at her Bakery and Pastry Shop in Kenmare was one of the highlights filming for my TV series in Ireland. The food she produces is with a living well approach, using only all natural ingredients and made in the same authentic German bakery traditions she was raised with in Franconia. Keep in mind, the finest Kerry Butter is one of the key ingredients in her baked goods.

We had so much in common; with my early days as a chef being trained by some of the finest German bakers. Manuela knows her dough. I look forward to seeing Manuela again and enjoying her delicious sour dough bread. If traveling to Ireland and you make your way to Kenmare, be sure to tell Manuela hello for me.

The Bread Crumb, New Road
O'Shea's House
Kenmare
Co. Kerry Ireland

images, Hirsch Media

Official American Cookie

According to MIT, America's most famous cookie was invented by accident by Ruth Wakefield. Ruth, a dietician and food lecturer, who along with her husband Kenneth, bought a tourist lodge named the Toll House Inn in Massachusetts, where she prepared home-cooked meals for her guests. 

In 1930, using a butter cookie dough, Wakefield was mixing a batch of cookies for her inn guests and was out of baker's chocolate. She substituted broken pieces of semi-sweet chocolate that was given to her personally by Andrew Nestle. She had expected the chocolate to melt and absorb into the dough to create chocolate cookies. But as you can imagine, what she was left with was a butter cookie with bits of chocolate. She called her new treat "Toll House Crunch Cookies."

The 'chocolate chip cookies' were an instant hit with her customers and word of their popularity reached back to Andrew Nestle. Nestle then went on to buy the rights to the Toll House name and to Ruth Wakefield's 'chocolate chip cookie'. For her name and recipe, Wakefield's compensation would be a lifetime supply of Nestle chocolate. I guess that's not so bad if you are a chocaholic.

Nestle printed the Toll House Cookie recipe on its package of bar chocolate that was scored for easy breaking. By 1939 Nestle began selling, small chocolate morsels (aka - chips) in a yellow bag. Of course you know by now that the chocolate chip cookie has become the most popular cookie in America!

Here's my recipe + rendition of America's cookie. My cookie is a bit chewier and less cakey than the Tollhouse recipe. It is also bakes a darker shade due to the dark brown sugar. Share with friends. Enjoy with a talk glass of ice cold milk.

George's Chocolate Chip Cookies
Recipe by Chef George Hirsch | Makes about 40 cookies

2 cups unbleached, all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup (2 sticks) lightly sweet butter, at room temperature
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 large eggs, beaten
2 cups good quality semisweet chocolate chopped, or mini chips 

Optional: 1/2 cup pecans, chopped

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Whisk the flour, soda and salt together in a bowl. In another large bowl, cream the butter on low speed to lighten it a bit and then mix in the sugars, cream for two minutes.. Add the water, vanilla and eggs to the butter mixture. Stir in the flour mixture until just combined and then fold in the chocolate chips and nuts. 

Using two soup spoons, drop the cookies 2" apart onto two parchment lined, nonstick or greased cookie sheets. Bake for eight-nine minutes, rotating the sheets after four minutes. 

Remove the cookies to a wire rack to cool, and repeat the process with the rest of the dough.

Best Blueberry Nut Muffins

Baking Spring and Summer seasonal muffins are ideal this time of year, especially since blueberries are so plentiful right now and muffins bake fairly quickly with not much prep. 

Oh, you say that you don’t have fresh blueberries on hand, but your bananas are ripening faster than you can say "Good Night, Mrs. Calabash - wherever you are!"? Well then, here's my banana muffin recipe, blueberries are optional. 

Tip: Did you know? Tossing blueberries with flour before adding them to the batter will keep them from sinking to the bottom of the muffin during baking. 

Blueberry Nut Muffins

recipe by George Hirsch | Makes 10-12 muffins

For the topping:

1/3 cup lite brown sugar

2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

2 Tablespoons nuts, walnuts or pecans, chopped into 1/4 inch pieces

1 Tablespoon sweet butter

In a small bowl, mix together brown sugar, flour, cinnamon, and nuts. Blend butter in with a fork until mixture is crumb like.

For the muffin mix:

1/2 cup sweet butter, room temperature

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tablespoon flour for coating blueberries, plus greasing muffin cups

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups fresh blueberries

1 cup pure cane granulated sugar

2 large eggs, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1/2 teaspoon grated orange zest

1/2 cup milk

Grease a regular size 12-cup muffin pan with butter and dust with flour, banging out excess flour; or use muffin cups liners.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. 

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

In a separate bowl use a mixer to cream butter and sugar on medium-high speed until light and fluffy, about 2-3 minutes. Add vanilla and orange zest to beaten eggs, then add eggs one at a time, mixing until eggs are absorbed. 

With the mixer on low speed, add flour mixture and milk in three stages, mixing until all are incorporated.  Do not over mix. 

Toss blueberries in a fine strainer with about one Tablespoon of flour to lightly coat. Using a rubber spatula, fold in 1 1/2 cups of the blueberries. With an ice cream scoop or large spoon, place batter into muffin cups filling each cup to three quarters full. Add remaining 1/2 cup of blueberries on top of the muffins and divide crumb topping over muffins. 

Bake about 25-30 minutes, until muffins are golden brown. Check muffins half way through and rotate if oven temperature is uneven. Test with a toothpick inserted into the center of a muffin and it should come out clean; or when touched lightly the muffin should have a slight resistance to finger pressure.  

Remove from oven and allow muffins to cool in pan for 10 minutes, then remove muffins from pan.

Know Your Fire Fridays: Ancient Grilling

One of the oldest cooking techniques in existence, the art of grilling meat on a skewer was derived from medieval Turkish soldiers who used their swords to cook meat over open fires. An Adana kebabi from the south of Turkey is a savory mixture of minced lamb, cumin, cayenne, black pepper, dried oregano and mint. The meat is shaped into a long cylindrical shape like a long hot dog or sausage, then pierced onto a long metal skewer and grilled in one piece. It is served removed from the skewer and cut up.

Adana is named after the 5th largest city in Turkey, Adana. There are very strict guidelines and inspections that must be passed by The Adana Chamber of Commerce in order to be an authentic Adana kebabi vendor.

Adana kebabi has to be made from the meat of a male lamb. The skewered meat, must be roasted on fireless, charcoal embers exclusively from oak wood. The skewers are frequently turned during grilling using caution so the melting fat is not dripped on the embers causing a flair up. The Adana is served on flat bread by pressing the meat off the skewers after cooking; when wrapped and served in a flat bread, it's called a Dürüm. Authentic accompaniments served with adana include; charred tomatoes, green or red peppers, onions and parsley seasoned with sumac or lemon pepper seasoning, and warm hummus.

Adana or Kiyma Kebabi

Makes 4 servings | recipe by Chef George Hirsch
1 pound ground lamb or ground beef 
1/4 teaspoon ground red (cayenne) pepper
1/2 teaspoon each; ground cumin, dried oregano
1 Tablespoon each: fresh parsley and fresh mint
1 egg white
Fresh ground black pepper, to taste
Pinch Sea salt
Olive oil
2 fresh lemons, quartered
Fresh Mint 
1 cup plain Greek yogurt, optional

Mix the meat with the cayenne, cumin, oregano, parsley, mint, black pepper, and salt in a bowl. Add the egg white and continue to combine until the mixture is well blended.

Grease skewers with cooking spray or oil. If possible, use long, flat metal skewers. Divide the meat mixture into 2-4 (depending on the length of skewer), 2 inch wide thick sausage shapes. Push the skewer through the middle, lengthwise, and squeeze the mixture up and down the skewer, spreading it evenly. Repeat with the other skewer. 

Cover and place in refrigerator to chill for 30 minutes. This will help the meat hold together. When ready to grill, brush the outside of meat with olive oil.

Preheat the grill to high. 

Place skewers on very hot grill. Grill 5 minutes, turning frequently, or until cooked through. Serve immediately with sides of yogurt, fresh lemon, fresh chopped mint, and an onion & parsley salad.

Brought To You By The Color Red

Color plays an important part in the appeal of creating recipes, menu planning and presentation. I taught my students years ago the importance of visual appeal in cooking - it can be the first impression encountered with a plate, if you don't catch its aroma first. This is kind of like food prepared on TV; since there's no smell-a-vision, that dish better look like tasty with just your eyes. 

Just how exciting would an all-white menu like - poached fillet of sole, cauliflower, and steamed rice - be? You get the drift here. A much more eye pleasing and appealing combo would be grilled tomato, steamed asparagus, grilled charred steak, served with colorful mixed berries with a golden marsala sabayon. Don't you agree?

Which brings me to summer foods - a very exciting time to liven-up a menu with the bounty of colors from the garden. Today let's look at the color red in foods. I am not talking about artificial coloring. 

Red fruits and vegetables are colored by natural plant pigments called "lycopene" or "anthocyanins." Lycopene in tomatoes, watermelon and pink grapefruit, for example, may help reduce risk of several types of cancer, especially prostate cancer. Lycopene in foods containing cooked tomatoes, such as spaghetti sauce, and a small amount of fat are absorbed better than lycopene from raw tomatoes.

Anthocyanins in strawberries, raspberries, red grapes and other fruits and vegetables act as powerful antioxidants that protect cells from damage. Antioxidants are linked with keeping our hearts healthy, too.

Tomato and Chickpea Salad

Strawberry Ice Cream

Rhubarb Crisp

Bruschetta

(health ref; ndsu.edu)