Food, Recipes

Ribeye with Ramp Butter

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A sweet hunk of ribeye with a dollop of decedent ramp butter

A sweet hunk of ribeye with a dollop of decedent ramp butter

Well kids, spring is here and I have marked my return back to food blogging with a giant hunk of meat. When one comes into the possession of a sweet little ribeye like this, one must remember that simplicity is key. Salt, pepper, perhaps some butter and nothing more. Given that it is spring and that my local Whole Foods had ramps on their racks, I picked up a few bushels for a round of lively experimentation.

First test; ramp compound butter. I’m not about to enter into the great overutilization and glamifaction of the ramp argument here. The main point is that they’re in season and they’re delicious. Call them cliche if you want, but that’s not going to make them taste any less awesome.

Not sure what ramps are? Click here.

Now I still find that some people freak out when you use a phrase like ‘compound butter’, but honestly, there is no easier sauce, spread or whatever it is you’d like to use it for (perhaps a water substitute for bathing?!). It’s so simple in fact that I’m having a really difficult time coming up with an analogy. I’m stumped.

To make a compound butter, soften unsalted butter until it’s pliable. The next step is to add in whatever flavoring agents you want. I used diced ramp leaves, but you could use thyme, basil, chives, shallots, garlic, onions, honey, worchestire sauce, sun dried tomatoes, ect… seriously, you can use whatever you want. Just add it to the softened butter – adding some salt is typically a good idea, but is not required – and beat it all together until smooth. It makes a perfect topping for steaks, chicken, pork, fish, vegetables or bread. Smear it on a cracker, that’d probably be good too.

And for the steaks…

I seared both sides in a pan with hot olive oil and butter and then I put it in a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes. Yeah, it came out a perfect mid-rare, but I’m not really looking to brag – okay, I am a little.

I also roasted some peeled carrots in a pan with a little olive oil and red chili flake. As they neared their completion I sprinkled a little bit of sherry vinegar on them. Finish off with a little sea salt and you’re in carroty heaven my friends!

So yeah, springtime.

Food, Interviews, People

One on One with Michael Pollan

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Welcome back folks! Recently I had an amazing opportunity to sit down with New York Times best selling author and one of the countries leading food journalists, Michael Pollan. For those that may not know, Mr. Pollan is the best selling author of several books about food and food related topics which include such modern literally staples as The Omnivores Dilemma, In Defense of Food and Food Rules. He recently just published his newest critically acclaimed book entitled Cooked; A History of Transformation, in which Pollan steps outside his usual role of strict observer and gets hands on in the kitchen.

Originally this interview appeared in part on CityPages.com, but due to the wealth of information that Mr. Pollan had to share, I decided to post the whole thing here. Enjoy!

 

City Pages, Food, Interviews, Publications

Signature Dish: The Left Handed Cook’s Thomas Kim

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Courtesy of http://hilaryrobertsphoto.com
The Notorious P.I.G. is Kim’s Asian take on a Mexican tostada

Few people in this world have the ability to move into an entirely new town and not only acclimate to their surroundings but have an immediate impact on their communities. When Thomas Kim and his significant other/business partner Kat Melgaard came to Minnesota from L.A. 14 months ago and opened Midtown Global Market’s hit food stand, the Left Handed Cook, people took notice, and they took notice in a big way. The food stall has won some of the highest praises from Minneapolis’s most critical eaters.

The Left Handed Cook features Asian-fusion renditions of traditional comfort foods that come heartily accented with the flair of street food and sport expertly crafted flavor profiles that could rival many of the city’s top fine-dining establishments. Behind the counter, chef Kim and crew work tirelessly to redefine what fast food can be.

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City Pages, Food, Interviews, Publications

Signature Dish: Barbette’s chef Sarah Master

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Chef Sarah Master presents her lamb chops with fingerling potato confit, mache, truffle lavender vinaigrette, celeriac puree

Barbette is the epitome of French bistro-style dining in the Twin Cities, and for the past year or so, chef Sarah Master has been the woman at the helm. Preparing classic renditions on bistro fare that is deeply steeped in French technique, Master continues the traditions that have made Barbette a favorite spot for droves of hungry Uptown diners.

Master’s focus is on locally sourced, sustainable, and seasonal ingredients, which she uses to create dishes that are not overly complicated but are tremendously bold in flavor and are executed with the highest degree of culinary prowess. She has not only worked with some of the biggest names in the Twin Cities food scene, she has also spent time working with some of the nation’s top chefs.

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City Pages, Food, Interviews, Publications

Signature Dish: Sanctuary’s Chef Patrick Atanalian

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Cobia with chocolate hazelnut spread, star fruit salsa, and sweet torta by chef Patrick Atanalian

Chef Patrick Atanalian is the man behind the menu at arguably one of the Twin Cities most underrated restaurants, Sanctuary. The restaurant features an eclectic blend of flavor and ingredient combinations that are bound together using a combination of classic French and modern culinary technique. The idea is to deliver to diners recognizable ingredients while introducing them to new and often eccentric flavors.

French-born chef Atanalian has received high praise from many of the city’s top critics, and he continues to dazzle his downtown diners with a variety of unorthodox compositions. He features a rotating menu of seasonally based dishes, but he’s not one to shy away from things that run to the exotic for the typical Minnesota palate. That can include Asian, Latin, and sometimes tropical ingredients. In 2001 he was given City Pages’ “Best Mad Genius” award.

 

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City Pages, Food, Interviews, Publications

Signature Dish: Lucia’s chef Lucia Watson

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Lucia Watson’s roasted chicken with wild rice-leek pudding, sugar snaps, & thyme-mushroom demi

These days, the Uptown area of Minneapolis plays host to a cadre of new restaurants owned and operated by young entrepreneurs trying to make their mark on Minnesota’s dining scene, but just around the corner from Calhoun Square lies an establishment that helped to set the bar for the way Twin Cities restaurants operate as we know them to today. Since 1985, Lucia’s has been a leader in the Minnesota farm-to-table movement, and head chef and owner Lucia Watson has been paving the way for high-quality, sustainable eating ever since.

Watson has spent the majority of her career growing the Lucia’s empire to the point that her three businesses now take up the majority of the block. There’s the main dining room known as Lucia’s Restaurant, next door to that is Lucia’s Wine Bar, and in a small little room next to that lies Lucia’s to Go, a small deli serving fresh food for hungry Minneapolitans on the go.

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