Around the Fire - Recipes for Inspired Grilling and Seasonal Feasting from Ox Restaurant

It's Spring time and the weather is starting to warm up, at least for those of us living on the west coast. Soon the air around your neighborhood will be filled with tantalizing flavors of grilled meat and vegetables, as backyard BBQ's and gas-fired grills are resurrected. To accompany this year's open-fire cooking schedule, I picked up a copy of Around the Fire cookbook hoping for new recipes and twists on old favorites alike. I have heard great things about the author's restaurant, Ox, which is located in Portland, Oregon. After reading this book, visiting the restaurant has earned a place on my bucket-list. 

Thumbing through the text, I knew almost immediately that this book would make a solid addition to my library. There are books that you just know are going to be worth your hard-earned cash when you see them. My first stop landed on the clam chowder with smoked beef marrow bones, green onions and jalapeno. My taste buds perked right up when I saw that recipe. I think I will save that recipe for the Fall when the leaves have turned and the weather is a bit cooler. Dishes more appropriate for the warm months include grilled maple-brined pork chops and grilled spot prawns with garlic and sumac. Saddle those with a side of grilled sweet onions or portobello mushrooms and get ready for smiles all around your table. For a dazzling ending to an amazing backyard feast, try the cool, clean sweetness of pineapple-cucumber sorbet. The bright flavors of the pineapple coupled with the palette-cleansing abilities of cucumber do not disappoint.

The book has about 100 recipes, so definitely something for everyone, and there is also recipes included for several cocktails and desserts. Even if you do not cook over and open fire often, there is knowledge to be found in this text that will elevate your meals. The recipes are straightforward and focus on execution and preparation. This is one of those books that makes you hungry even though you just finished eating. The included photographs are spectacular, imbibing the reader with colorful images of open-fire cooking from various locales. This is more than a simplistic text about grilling chicken or steak. This is for the next-level home cook that wants to combine the simple and often times humble ingredients into amazing dishes.  

I received a copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for my review.

Olympia Provisions

Growing up in a German family, we were always eating charcuterie, well before it became a trendy, hurry-and-post-it-on-Instagram item on so many restaurant menus today. Olympia Provisions by Elias Castro provides a glimpse of the work it takes to run not one, but two restaurants that pride themselves on classic and modern charcuterie methods incorporating beautiful, local ingredients. The classy photography is beautifully executed on thick paper, with dazzling full page images. It is written in a clear and professional manner, and I feel it would be appealing to a wide variety of audiences.



The book explores the craft of curing and smoking meats, and provides excellent recipe examples. There are also recipes included from each of their two restaurants, which serve to compliment the accompanied charcuterie products. The recipes do include ingredients that are not often found in the pantries of today. However they are easily sourced via the internet. There are also several pieces of equipment that are necessary when making sausage, such as a grinder and sausage stuffer. Sometimes all that you will need is salt and a string to hang the meat. Yes, most of the recipes take an extended (by today's definition) amount of time. But that is where the patience and passion comes out of those that  are dedicated to the craft. You may have to wait months, up to years, to reap the rewards of your hard work. Using a mix of old World techniques with modern ingredients, the book is an excellent source for beginners to seasoned experts. 

I also appreciated the discussions regarding proper handling of ingredients, and the necessary handling precautions that are inherent with safely producing cured meats. Additionally, the book provides a factual argument regarding the usage of nitrates and nitrites in preservation of meats. This is a hot topic in the realm of charcuterie, with parties on both sides in disagreement and a lot of misinformation floating around internet forums. The book does a nice job explaining the topic in a concise manner, while not losing sight of the bigger picture.
  
Almost at birth my parents exposed me to a myriad of tastes and textures that the world of charcuterie offers. From the chunky-jelly texture of head cheese, to the ultra-smooth silkiness of boudin blanc. Smoked sausages, emulsified sausages, boiled, braised, and grilled sausages were common fare throughout the year, but the especially delicious and memorable items always came around the Holidays. I can attest that Olympia Provisions has captured the spirit of the craft, and has collected a smorgasbord of recipes to entertain even the most discerning charcuterie palate. And I understand the idea of drying raw meat in your garage may seem crazy, but armed with the information in this book, it becomes almost fool-proof and will fascinate with results. I highly recommend this book if you are at all interested in the world of charcuterie.     

Disclaimer: I received this book from Blogging for Books in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own. Thank you.

Rogue Public House Review

A few months back, the planets and stars aligned and I was able to travel to Portland, Oregon for a few days of visiting breweries, famed donut shops, and comfy coffee houses. I was especially excited to go to the Rogue Brewing Public House, as it is one of my favorite breweries. Unfortunately, we had less than an amazing time. It was so disappointing that I decided to take the time to send some feedback to Rogue, as I was certain they would be interested in learning about the experience we had, as well as make an attempt to offer a correction. The following is the brief letter I penned on Rogue's website.

I was EXTREMELY excited to have the chance to visit a real, live, Oregon location! I'm a chef myself, as well as a food blogger, and as I read the online version of the dinner menu to my wife, we were both salivating over the Kobe burgers. She was also happy to learn of the activities available for our 2 year old son while we made the hard decisions about which brews to enjoy. Unfortunately, our experience was less than anticipated.

We were seated quickly, which was nice - even if it was the table right next to the server's station where food is coming off of the line. We quickly asked our server for some some crayons and paper to color, to give our kid something to occupy himself. While our server went off to retrieve our beers and crayons, we were treated to one of the cooks lambasting a server about their order, to the point of using profanity. Now, I've worked in commercial kitchens before and I know some cooks get a little hot under the collar and need to express themselves, but they shouldn't be doing it within earshot of the restaurant patrons. Minutes passed and our beers arrived, sans crayons. Our server said he'd go get them again. They finally did arrive, upon our second-round of beers, and again having to ask the server. The beer was as anticipated - FANTASTIC. I was now eagerly awaiting my $14 Kobe burger, ordered med-rare. I watched as a cook opened a bag of potato chips and dumped them on a plate - probably not what you want customers to observe. Then our burgers arrived, and I was ravenous. Much to our dismay, BOTH of our hamburgers were VERY well-done. If there was any Kobe beef in them, it was charred and cooked out. By now, the wife was not happy and wanted to leave, unwilling to even send the meals back to be redone, given the time that it took our server to simply get crayons. We paid, tipped, and left a little let-down. We both agreed that the beers were fantastic, fresh and delicious, but we definitely won't be coming back for food.

This is not meant to be a rant and rave, simply some constructive feedback from an experienced diner and chef. I will continue to be a proud Rogue Nation member, and I look forward to enjoying what comes out of your fermenters, but I'll pass on what comes out of your kitchen.

***
About 24 hours later, I had a response in my inbox. It was from none other than Jack Joyce, the founder and creator of Rogue. He's been a dominant force in the craft brew industry for several decades, and prides himself and the company on being "different" from every other commercial and micro-brewery. I was shocked to received a reply from the CEO of the company!

His response to my letter was simple and succinct. He offered a quick "Thank you" to open, then cut right to the chase by asking if I had a description of the server, cook, and if I could tell him the date and time I visited? Sure, Mr. Joyce, no problem. I kept my receipt as a painful reminder of what happens when you set your expectations to high. I quickly responded with the requested information, and then waited. And waited. Waited some more. Days passed. Weeks even. Still, no additional response. I decided to again e-mail the CEO to see if I should be expecting any further conversation, but alas, that message apparently fell upon deaf ears.

This experience could happen to anyone, and it likely will if you eat out often enough and take notice of the service you receive, as well as the quality of the meal. The thing that bothers me is that I LOVED this company and it's message it tries to convey to it's customers. It looks like that might just be a solid marketing concept and a bunch of hot air. Maybe the CEO is too busy opening additional breweries and should not be responding to customer complaints. Then again, maybe the CEO is the EXACT person who should be going out of their way to ensure that this doesn't happen again, and that the "Rogue" brand is not tarnished by an indifferent approach to customer service.