03.10.08

My Very Own “Big Night” Moment

Posted in 1. The Story, 2. Greatest Hits, 3. Recipes, 4. Teaching Classes at 11:28 am by Chef Matt

A fabulous film, and of course it doesn’t hurt that it’s about Italians…

For those of you who don’t understand, “Big Night” is simply the best film ever made about what it is to be a chef. (Yes, even better than “Ratatouille”) Perhaps I am slightly biased in that it has to deal with Italian chefs, but regardless, it is still amazing. (Definitely better than “No Reservations”.) If you haven’t seen it yet, and have any interest in the culinary world, you must go rent it now. It is exactly what all chefs have to go through several times in their career.

To briefly explain for the poor souls out there who have not seen this film, it is about two brothers, one who is a fantastic chef who is unwilling to alter his cooking styles to match public tastes, and the other who wants to be a success with the public - even if it means making compromises on the food to sell people what they want. Simply put, it is about artistic integrity vs. selling out - from a culinary point of view.

At least I had been presented with the reality that this dichotomy existed before I was recently presented with it. I guess it helped me prepare for it on some level, but still it was amazing how it tore me in two directions so strongly.

Another cooking class up in Bedford, PA was coming up at LifeStyle and I knew exactly what I wanted to do. With the approach of spring, I wanted to teach a class on “Springtime in Tuscany”. It was going to feature lamb chops and grilled asparagus and a whole host of wonderful dishes prepared with the simple, straightforward style of Tuscan cooking. But the owners wrote back to me saying that while the class sounded great, they didn’t like how it used so few products from their store. Simply put, if they were going to pay me to teach a class in their store, I had to involve (read: “sell”) more of their merchandise.

So here it was, the integrity of my recipes and vision versus the need to follow the requests of those footing the bill. I was torn. On the one hand, it hurts to have a menu rejected like that. On the other hand, they had every right to make such a reasonable request of me since it is, after all, their store. I was not sure what I was going to do. Give up and tell them to find some trained monkey to hock their wares? Or maybe I should be more flexible in my menu seeing as how this is a great gig, and I don’t want to lose it just for the sake of my stubborn pride.

Cooking in the class with generous amounts of vinegar. As you can see, it makes me happy. Photo by Ken Sepeda

Suddenly it hit me. I have always been a big fan of their selection of olive oils and vinegars, so I decided to alter my menu just a little bit, and turn the class into a lesson on how to cook with different vinegars. My menu was changed only slightly in the long run (lamb chops and asparagus remained) but now the owners were very happy that I was showing the class how to use so many of their products. Compromise wins again!

The class was an enormous success as the food was awesome and my students loved it all. It was such a hit, we have decided to re-run the class again later next month. Here is the menu of dishes I presented (and the vinegars I used):

• Marinated Artichoke Hearts with Hazelnut Gastrique (white wine vinegar with cinnamon and nutmeg)
  
• Italian Bean and Tuna Salad with White Balsamic Vinegar (white balsamic vinegar obviously)
  
• Asparagus Vinaigrette (orange balsamic)
  
• Candied Cranberries (red wine vinegar) (These were placed on the asparagus vinaigrette)
  
• Lamb Chops Aceto (marinated in white wine vinegar with mint and lime, drizzled with fig balsamic after cooking)
  
• Strawberries in Balsamic (chocolate balsamic vinegar)

It all turned out fabulously, and every dish had at least one person decree as the best on the list, which to me is the sign of a successful class. (And to tell the truth, I was more than a bit worried about the first one since it was my most avant-garde attempt by a long shot.) But because it turned out so well, I will share the recipe with you here:

Click for larger image. Photo by Ken Sepeda

Artichokes with Hazelnut Gastrique
What may at first seem like an odd combination, this dish works well as an appetizer to surprise your friends and family with. The sweetness of the gastrique plays well with the tartness of the artichokes and the vinegar flavors blend in with the naturally good flavor pairing of hazelnut and artichokes.

• 2 Tbsp water
  
• 2 Tbsp sugar
  
• ½ cup sherry
  
• ½ cup sherry or flavored wine vinegar
  
• ½ cup halved hazelnuts
  
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 can marinated artichoke hearts - drained
  
• 1 loaf Italian bread - optional

1. Combine water and sugar, and boil until sugar begins to take on an amber hue.
   
2. Add sherry, reduce until almost all liquid has evaporated.
   
3. Add vinegar, reduce by a little more than half
   
4. Pour mixture over hazelnuts, stir to cool.
   
5. Whisk in olive oil to form emulsion with liquid in bowl.
   
6. Pour mixture over artichoke hearts, serve on thinly sliced bread if you like.

Chef Matt

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