February 2011 FEAST Magazine by Feast Magazine

crafting a better bar

sweet and sophisticated

gracing the table

patric chocolate

ice wines

etched glassware

Inspired Food Culture / Saint Louis

LOVINâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; FROM THE OVEN

feastSTL.com / FEB 2011 / FR EE

Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2011

PHOTOGRAPHY BY CARMEN TROESSER

icy beauty of winter

Toast the with these elaborate and sophisticated glasses. 4

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Inspired Food Culture / Saint Louis

dreaming in

36 FEBRUARY 2011

from the staff

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feaststl.com

Check out this month’s online content.

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from the PUBLISHER

Celebrate the folks behind good food.

This month’s inspired ideas for tasteful living in St. Louis.

COLUMNS

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my stuff

Knock one back with O’Fallon Brewing’s Brian Owens .

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gadget a-go-go

We put five handheld mandolines to the test.

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nd the Wo u o r A rld

| 12 | FEAST FAVES

New and notable in beer, wine and spirits.

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mystery shopper

Buy it and try it: purple mustard.

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the cheat

Incredible make-ahead chocolate soufflés.

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deconstructed dishes

Chicken mole offers a savory chocolate alternative.

| 66 | pull up a chair

48 h s i eD n O n i

ice, ice baby

Fall head over heels for the Flipt Chaise.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY of soufflÉ (PAGE 32) BY

Jennifer Silverberg Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2011

Magazine Volume 2 / Issue 2 / February 2011 Publisher and Editor Catherine Neville Managing Editor Brandi Wills Online Editor Kristin Brashares Art Director Lisa Triefenbach Vice President of Advertising Donna Bischoff Copy Editor Andrea Mongler Proofreader Erin Callier Contributing Writers Erin Callier, Pat Eby, Chad Michael George, Erik Jacobs Jennifer Johnson, Liz O’Connor, Angela Ortmann Michael Sweeney, Matt Sorrell, Cassandra Vires Contributing Photographers Geoff Cardin, Ashley Gieseking, Rob Grimm, Tuan Lee Laura Miller, Jonathan Pollack, Greg Rannells Jennifer Silverberg, Carmen Trosser Contact Us Feast Media, 14522 S. Outer Forty Road Town & Country, MO 63017 Fax: 314.657.3347 feastSTL.com Advertising Inquiries Donna Bischoff, 314.340.8529 ads@feastSTL.com Courtney Barczewski, 314.340.8525 Rich Shelton, 314.340.8514 Editorial Comments editor@feastSTL.com Distribution To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Tom Livingston at tlivingston@stldist.com. Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned. All contents are copyright © 2010-2011 by Feast Magazine™. All rights reserved. Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited. A publication of Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC A Lee Enterprises Company 6

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ONLINE CONTENT

STL .CO M ONLINE EXCLUSives > THIS MONTH’S FEAST > WATCH & LISTEN

> BLOG > feast events > RECIPES

VIDEOS slideshows podcasts

YOU PICK IT: Where will our Quite the Pair columnist STLwinegirl Angela Ortmann head for her next dinner and wine pairing? It’s up to you. Email your favorite dish at your favorite restaurant to kbrashares@ feaststl.com with the subject line Quite the Pair, and you’ll have a chance to guide Angela’s next expert pairing adventure.

Hang out at the Golden Globes with Kaldi’s Coffee as the St. Louis-based roaster serves a special blend to the stars. FEAST photographer Tuan Lee’s Travelogue captures all the glitz and glamour in GBK’s celebrity lounge at The London Hotel in West Hollywood.

SPECIAL COVERAGE:

Interact with FEAST Connect with us at facebook.com/ feastSTL for daily recipes, cooking demo videos, culinary news and behind-the-scenes photos.

On the Go

Photography by J. Pollack Photography

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: What makes O’Fallon Brewery’s craft beers so popular? Head brewer Brian Owens talks recipe development, brewing chemistry, grains and even some in-the-works brews in a three-part behind-the-scenes tour. 8

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Access FEAST anywhere you go with our mobile site, m.feaststl. com. Our recipes link makes it convenient to shop for ingredients from your smart phone.

Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2011

FROM THE PUBLISHER

it’s no surprise that we hunger for culinary products that are unique and connect us with the creative passion of

FEAST EVENTS

2011 Midwest Grape & Wine Conference

another human being. One of the biggest movements in

Feb. 4 to 7, St. Charles Convention Center

the culinary world right now is that of the “craft.”

The conference – the third largest wine and grape industry trade show in North America – will feature two days of trade-show exhibits and four days of concurrent sessions on viticulture, oenology and wine marketing that are of interest to industry professionals and oenophiles alike. Speakers, special events and tastings will round out the event.

This term is somewhat interchangeable with “artisan,” another buzz word that’s gaining traction. But what do those terms actually mean? That the product you’re tasting has been created by hand, with great ingredients and an educated approach. Take, for example, O’Fallon Brewing’s Brian Owens. For about a decade, he’s been brewing O’Fallon’s (incredibly good) beer in small batches. And when he wants to introduce a new flavor or style, he does more than blindly follow someone else’s recipe. He brews test batches, tastes and tries again until he reaches the exact result he was seeking. When you take a sip of one of his beers, like the Hemp Hop Rye or the Smoked Porter, you’re tasting what Brian thinks that particular beer can and should be, and that’s what distinguishes a craft beer from one that’s produced on a massive scale. (To find out what mass-produced beer Brian likes best, turn to page 24.)

midwestgrapeandwineconference.com

Cooking Class Wed., Feb. 23, 6pm, Schnucks Cooks Cooking School $40/person, schnuckscooks.com or 314.909.1704

Love Mexican food? Love chocolate? Get hands-on with chefs Nate and Lucy this month. Join us in the kitchen and satisfy your hunger with a south-of-the-border feast featuring the rich chicken mole on page 34.

Wine Tasting Thu., Feb. 17, 6pm, Ricardo’s Italian Café Complimentary, rsvp@stlwinegirl.com

Join columnist Angela Ortmann for a wine tasting at Ricardo’s Italian Café.

One of the newest products to enter into the craft movement is chocolate. Missouri boasts two craft chocolate makers and this month we bring you an in-depth profile of Patric Chocolate’s founder, Alan McClure. What makes Patric Chocolate so insanely good is that, like Brian, Alan relies on his palate to guide him to the best cacao, his education to steer him to the right machinery and his instinct to help him introduce new types of chocolate bars. In fact, Alan’s chocolate is so good, it was awarded the 2011 Good Food Award for Chocolate last month in San Francisco. It’s exciting to see our local craft products get national recognition. It’s certainly well deserved.

Cooking Demo

Until next time,

Cat’s Picks

Tue., Feb. 22, 6:30pm, L’Ecole Culinaire $40/person, 314.587.2433

Explore the savory side of chocolate with chef Matt Borchardt and Patric Chocolate’s Alan McClure. Learn to make a chile-cocoa steak rub and an authentic Tuscan dish enjoyed by Catherine de Medici that consists of nothing but vinegar, salt, sugar, chocolate and wild boar. McClure will lead a tasting of his chocolates and be on hand to talk cacao throughout the class.

Julia Child’s Paris May 28 to 31, altairtravelinc.com

Join FEAST publisher Catherine Neville in Paris and explore the landmarks of Julia Child’s culinary adventures. Then you can continue the journey (through June 7) with Catherine and KTRS’s McGraw Milhaven as they travel up the Siene to Normandy.

Wednesdays, 8:35am, The BIG 550 KTRS

Tune in as FEAST publisher Catherine Neville chats with host McGraw Milhaven and gives her weekly picks for the best places to eat and drink in the St. Louis area.

Catherine Neville

feedback?

catherine@feaststl.com

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PHOTOGRAPHy by Tuan Lee

n an age of mass production and cultural homogenization,

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FEAST FAVES / where we’re dining

The Grill

at The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis 314.863.6300 Clayton

Pull up to The Ritz-Carlton, have your car valet parked and let the rest of the night flow. A sophisticated evening of sumptuous dining awaits at The Grill. Executive chef Azhar Mohammad’s new steakhouse menu offers a well-edited selection of high-quality American classics. Scallops are seared with lemon and plated with fava beans; a silky cauliflower purée; and sweet, tangy pineapple chutney. A New Orleans expat, Mohammad has a take on barbecued shrimp and stone-ground grits that delivers a depth of flavor rarely experienced in that Southern classic. Steaks are perfectly cooked, tender and flavorful, with a range of sauces such as bone marrow demi-glace and traditional béarnaise. Turf needs a bit of surf, and we suggest you try the barramundi with lime-caper beurre blanc or tomato-basil sauce. Executive pastry chef Simone Faure finishes the feast with an array of goodies, but we say stay classic: Order the Grand Marnier soufflé with a vanilla bean crème anglaise. 100 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton ritzcarlton.com/en/Properties/StLouis

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at Th e R i t z - Car lton, St. Louis

PHOTOGRAPHy by Geoff Cardin

The Grill

FEAST FAVES / secret ingredient FEAST FAVES / secret ingredient

Apple Fin Japanese Cuisine

PHOTOGRAPHy by Geoff Cardin

Tuna with spicy mayo, scallions, masago … these are tucked into sushi rolls regularly 636.536.4228 and to delicious Chesterfield effect. But take a closer look at Fin’s shogun roll. Nestled inside the nori and rice and mingled with the tuna, scallions and crunchy roe is a length of crisp, sweet apple. The fresh-fruit texture and flavor that apple lends are a refreshing surprise, one that heightens the rest of the ingredients by playing a contrarian role. Crisp where tuna is soft. Sweet where scallion is spicy. We suspect you’ll see apple making its way into more maki in this sushi-mad city. 1682 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield finstl.com shogun roll

FEAST FAVES / At home

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APPLE GADGETS | 1 | Progressive pit and split, $10.49; Whole Foods Market, multiple locations, wholefoodsmarket.com | 2 | Cuisipro apple corer, $10; Williams-Sonoma, multiple locations, williams-sonoma.com | 3 | Apple slicer, $40; momastore.org Inspired Food Culture

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FEAST FAVES / where we’re dining

DeMun Oyster Bar 314.725.0322

PHOTOGRAPHy by Geoff Cardin

DeMun

DeMun Oyster Bar Tucked into a charming corner of Clayton, DeMun Oyster Bar is the kind of place that lets you forget about the rest of the world. The intimate, wellappointed space sets the stage for a parade of fresher-than-fresh oysters ranging from the sweet, deeply cupped Kusshi to the Shigoku variety that tastes of salted cucumber to firm, briney Sister Points. Steamed mussels and clams mingle in your choice of broths – we like the classic garlicshallot-tomato or the creamy garlic-beurre blanc. Pommes frites, Caesar salads, oyster chowder 14

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… everything offered adds up to a haven for the seafood-obsessed. And while DOB has a good wine selection, try one of its well-crafted cocktails such as the Blackthorne Revisited (Bitter Truth sloe gin, green chartreuse, sweet vermouth and a range of bitters) or the Silver and Sand (lemontea- and ginger-infused scotch, Lillet Rouge, Cherry Heering, lemon, egg white and lemon bitters). 740 DeMun Ave., DeMun 314.725.0322

FEAST FAVES / FOOD STUFF

ALLNATURAL COOKIES Burnt out on baking but still looking to feed your sweet tooth? Check out these yummy packaged cookies that boast all-natural ingredients.

NIBBLE WITH: SPICED HOT COCOA

NIBBLE WITH: CALIFORNIA ZINFANDEL

NIBBLE WITH: ICE COLD MILK

| 1 | Olde Colony Bakery Razzberry Sassy’s, $3.89; Provisions Gourmet Market, 11615 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, provisionsmarket. com | 2 | Grace’s Best sunflower seed cookies, $4.99; Whole Foods Market, 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, wholefoodsmarket. com | 3 | Late July organic sandwich cookies, $4.19; Local Harvest Grocery, 3148 Morgan Ford Road, Tower Grove South, localharvestgrocery.com PHOTOGRAPHy by Laura Miller Inspired Food Culture

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FEAST FAVES / whAT we’re drinking

Bartender’s Choice Pick your poison and let the stellar bartenders at Pi’s Central West End location do the rest. For just six bucks, they’ll whip up a wild-card cocktail with whatever base spirit you like – gin, bourbon, tequila, whatever. You may be asked whether you’d prefer a hot cocktail or one that’s cold, but that’s all the information they need to craft a cocktail that will certainly please your palate. The fun is in the anticipation and taking that first surprising sip. When we recently stopped by on a wintry evening after work, we picked whiskey and let bartender Melody Raccagno take it from there. 400 N. Euclid Ave., Central West End restaurantpi.com

Sazerac By Melody Raccagno, Pi in the Central West End

Serves | 1 | ¼ oz 2½ oz ½ oz 3 dashes

Pernod or absinthe rye whiskey (Raccagno chose Old Overholt Straight Rye Whiskey) simple syrup Peychaud’s Bitters lemon twist

PHOTOGRAPHy by J. Pollack Photography

| Preparation | Fill a rocks glass with ice. Add Pernod and fill the

Pi in the Central West End

glass with water. In a separate ice-filled glass, mix whiskey, simple syrup and bitters. Stir. Dump the ice and water out of the rocks glass and strain the cocktail into the Pernod-washed glass. Garnish with lemon twist.

314.367.4300 Central West End

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Cocktail napkins

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| 1 | Party Art beverage napkins in Condiments, and Hot! Plate Designs beverage napkins in Jalapeños, $5 per pkg; Vellum, 120 West Monroe Ave., Kirkwood, velluminc.com | 2 | Design Design beverage napkins, $4.50 per pkg; Great Frame Up & Relish Cards + Gifts, 22 N. Euclid Ave., Central West End, 314.367.9333 | 3 | Creative Converting beverage napkins, $2.25 per pkg; Target, multiple locations, target.com Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2011

FEAST FAVES / design trends we love

KITCHEN BRIGHTS Designers are brightening up dreary winter months by giving kitchen accessories a vivid pop of color. These eye-catching kitchen essentials can be seen all over stores right now and bring a little added fun to your culinary endeavors.

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| 1 | Bodum BISTRO kitchen electrics, clockwise from top: electric burr grinder, $79.95; blade grinder, $29.95; electric juicer, $69.95; handheld blender, $79.95; electric water kettle, $29.95-$49.95; hand mixer, $59.95; and ETTORE electric water kettle, $49.95; bodumusa.com | 2 | Frying pans, $24.95 each; Pier 1 Imports, multiple locations, pier1.com | 3 | Preserve colanders, $12.99; mixing bowls, $24.99; cutting boards, $14.99; and measuring cups, $7.99; Whole Foods Market, multiple locations, wholefoodsmarket.com | 4 | Elevate utensil set, $45; momastore.org | 5 | Sparrow clips, $15; momastore.org

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FEAST FAVES / secret ingredient FEAST FAVES / THE DISH

PHOTOGRAPHy by J. Pollack Photography

Gnocco Fritto

This dish is such a surprise. Hot, crisp, right-fromthe-fryer beignet-style bread is topped with thinly shaved prosciutto di Parma and gilded with a bit of olive oil and sea salt. The prosciutto’s fragrant fat melts a bit into the fried dough, which collapses upon first bite. When manager Sam Foley was questioned about this striking dish, he said it’s something that the restaurant’s chef, Adam Gnau, and owner, Jim Fiala, found on a breakfast table during a trip to Italy. So simple, yet its incredibly deep, complex flavor makes the gnocco fritto at Acero truly memorable.

Acero 314.644.1790 Maplewood

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7266 Manchester Road, Maplewood fialafood.com

FEAST FAVES / shop-o-matic

The Vino Gallery

PHOTOGRAPHy by Ashley Gieseking

The Vino Gallery

314.932.5665 Central West End

This fun, bright, art-filled wine shop is a must-stop on a block chock-full of art and antique galleries in the Central West End. Featuring small-production wines, with most bottles priced under $30, it’s a great place to find a unique gift or cultivate a few new favorites for yourself. The selection is creatively displayed and organized by country of origin. Connoisseurs can peruse a reserved section of rare or specialty bottles. And if you’re intrigued by the current mixology craze, check out the shop’s well-edited selection of obscure, seasonal and high-end spirits.

show, “STLPaints,” starts Feb. 5 and features new work from a handful of local abstractionist artists. If you’re new to the world of wine, The Vino Gallery’s Wine 101 class is a great place to start. You’ll learn about wine production and how to decode the exclusive vocabulary of oenophiles and, of course, get to sample a number of great wines.

The west half of the shop contains a gallery exhibiting works by local artists, curated by Vino Gallery staff. The upcoming

4701 McPherson Ave., Central West End thevinogallery.com

Get a little taste for yourself: Stop in for free wine tastings after 5pm on weekdays or any time on Saturday to imbibe a little vino and a lot of great local art.

FEAST FAVES / what we’re dRinking

written by Jennifer Johnson

If you consider Riesling a sweet wine for amateurs, allow Germany to reintroduce you to this intriguing grape, considered one of the greatest varieties because of its unmatched style, ageability and expression of vineyard site. Germany’s northerly climate is perfectly suited for coldhardy Riesling and nurtures its essence – a fine balance of acidity, sugar and extract – so it can slowly ripen on steep slopes along sun-reflected rivers and warming slate soils. Particularly when somewhat sweet, German Riesling’s highly aromatic flavor profile, often exhibiting honey, mineral notes, peaches and citrus fruits, is tremendous with food, complementing fowl, fish, shellfish, fruit desserts and Asian fare.

2009 Leitz Rüdesheimer

Riesling Kabinett

Drachenstein

Mosel, Germany

“Dragonstone” Riesling

Rheingau, Germany

When selecting a German Riesling, consider the Mosel, Rheingau and Nahe regions and great producers such as J.J. Prüm. This slightly sweet yet racy wine delights with delicate flavors of white peaches, honey, orange blossoms and ginger. Pair with a BLT sandwich or a pork loin with apricot compote.

Pineapple, kiwi and pink grapefruit mingle with subtle wet stone, cinnamon and waxy notes followed by a pleasing piquant honeyed sweetness that dances on the palate. Pair with baked ham, Asian glazed duck, charcuterie and triplecream cheeses.

$22.99; The Wine and Cheese Place, 14748 Clayton Road, Ballwin, wineandcheeseplace.com

$17.99; Whole Foods Market, 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, wholefoodsmarket.com Inspired Food Culture

PHOTOGRAPHy by Laura Miller

German Rieslings

2009 Joh. Jos. Prüm

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FEAST FAVES / what we’re buying

Casserole Dishes

Nothing warms the belly and the soul like a hot, bubbly casserole on your dinner table. Cook up some of the one-dish wonders on page 48 in these stylish and

PRODUCT PHOTOGRAPHy by Laura Miller Environment shot by ©iStockphoto.com/HultonArchive/brebca

functional wares.

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| 1 | Red casserole by artist Paul Eshelman, $125; Craft Alliance, 6640 Delmar Blvd., The Loop, craftalliance.org | 2 | Blue triangular casserole by artist John Minkler, $100; Craft Alliance

| 3 | Vietri rectangular casserole, $115, and square casserole, $110; Ware Flowers and Gifts, 137 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton,

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314.727.2500 | 4 | B.I.A. casseroles, $15.99-$25.99; Terra’s Kitchen (inside Ace Hardware), 221 Lamp and Lantern Village, Town & Country, 636.386.7733 | 5 | Juliska Berry and Thread collection ramekin, $14, small oval casserole, $58, and rectangular casserole, $74; Juliska Pewter Stoneware collection ramekin, $12, and square casserole, $52; Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine, 1722 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield, veritasgateway.com

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MY STUFF

O’Fallon Gold, Smoked Porter, 5-Day IPA, Wheach, Hemp Hop Rye … Brian Owens brews some of the St. Louis region’s best-loved and best-made beers. As the head brewer at O’Fallon Brewery, Owens has, for the past decade or so, helped to push St. Louis into the craft-brewing spotlight. He’s surrounded by beer all day, every day, so does he actually enjoy suds during his downtime? “I am one of those people who believe that a couple of drinks a day can be healthy,” he laughs, “so I try not to miss the opportunity to be healthy every day.” When did you start brewing beer? I was 21 when my parents bought me a homebrew kit from St. Louis Wine & Beermaking and I started brewing right away. What was the first style of beer you brewed? It was an amber ale. At the time I thought it was the best beer ever ’cause it was mine. What beer’s in your fridge right now? A fresh growler of O’Fallon Black Hemp, Schlafly Coffee Stout and a 750mL of Boulevard’s Tripel. I have a bomber of Avery Hog Heaven Barleywine and Belgian Quad that I bought almost three years ago, the day my daughter Avery was born. Those will stay in the fridge until she and I can share them together. What do you serve guests? It could be a twoyear-old bourbon-barrel-aged beer or a nice clean pilsner. I usually always have something new or experimental from O’Fallon to serve my guinea pigs. I mean, guests. What if you don’t feel like drinking beer? A heavily oaked, fruity Chardonnay, though I enjoy a hearty red or maybe a nice tawny port. I am also a big whiskey fan, usually bourbon, like the Pappy Van Winkle 20-year, though the price tag doesn’t allow me to drink it that often. What beer do you think is underrated? Stag! It is a drier beer than other commercial examples, so it has a nice crisp finish. Do you cook with beer? I always cook with beer. My favorite is pork tenderloin wrapped in foil with a Smoked Porter reduction. What type of glassware do you use at home? I’m not real particular about glassware, but if I’m having a beer such as a 10 percent abv bourbon-barrel-aged stout, I’ll pour it into a snifter for sure. Any beer “stuff” at home? I do have a kegerator at home in the garage. It’s been empty for a while, but I’ll fire it back up as the weather starts to warm up. I’m sure that my neighbors will remind me. What do you see as the next trend in beer? It seems like Belgian-style beers, outside of the already popular wits, are growing in popularity, especially barrel-aged Belgians and sour beers.

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written by Catherine Neville

VIDEO TOUR!

Go on a rare tour of the O’Fallon Brewery with head brewer Brian Owens. Scan the Microsoft Tag from your smart phone (get the free app at gettag.mobi), or watch the video in the Watch & Listen section at feastSTL.com.

O’Fallon Brewery 636.474.2337 ofallonbrewery.com

PHOTOGRAPHy By Greg Rannells

Brian Owens O’Fallon Brewing

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gadget a-go-go

CUCUMBERS BY ©iStockphoto.com/MentalArt

Put to the test

MANDOLINE PHOTOS by Laura Miller

handheld Mandolines written by Pat Eby

Chef’n SleekSlice Mandoline PROS

Good design runs wild in this superslicer. The handle rotates and locks to stand or adjusts to use straight-out over a bowl. Easy dial control gives four slicing thicknesses and a blade lock too. The collapsible guard pops up for round produce. You’ll see as you slice with the extrawide, clear platform. Handle and guard stow away for compact storage. Kindest cut: small zucchinis cut lengthwise in gloriously thin ribbons. CONS

Thicker-cut potatoes with skins tended to jag on the edges, possibly from the serrated blade. Watery winter tomatoes jammed in the blade and juiced to pulp on every setting. $19.99; Dillard’s, multiple locations, dillards.com

Kyocera Adjustable Ceramic Slicer PROS

Thin, thinner and thinnest slices ever from Kyocera. The ceramic blade is finger-mangling sharp; plus it won’t rust, ever. Two additional settings cut medium and thick slices with the quick tumble of an easy-to-read stabilizing bar under the platform. Slice fennel nearly sheer, cut sleek cucumbers to pave salmon effortlessly and shave whisper-weight red onions to sparkle salads. Have fun. CONS

Be careful. Even with the stabilizing bar underneath, the platform wiggles during setup and cutting. It fits over large bowls, but the bowl rests aren’t nonskid. The most anxiety-producing slicer of the bunch because of its mean, keen blade. Forget tomatoes though. $24.99; Bertarelli Cutlery, 1927 Marconi Ave., The Hill, bertarellicutlery.com

Michael Graves Speed Prep Hand Mandoline PROS

Three interchangeable blades and the name Michael Graves on the product looked interesting. CONS

Not a mandoline despite the title on the packaging. Vegetables and fruits must be cut to fit and packed tightly into the miniscule spring-loaded chamber for the slicing blades to work. Finding two potatoes that would fit tightly and whole in the chamber took a lot of time. One potato sliced, unevenly. The other julienned, with effort. Carrots, potatoes and apples would not grate past the first click of the handles. Forget tomato slices. $17.99; Target, multiple locations, target.com

OXO Good Grips HandHeld Mandoline Slicer PROS

The top-set, squat black knob on the guard provides easy, safe handling. Plus it snaps over the blade for safe drawer storage. Cleaning’s too easy and very safe; throw this mandoline in the dishwasher. OXO offers satisfaction guaranteed too. Hands down, the best mandoline for slicing cabbage for slaw. American fries cut to perfect three-sixteenths of an inch size consistently too. CONS

With only three settings, the mandoline doesn’t shave anything, even on the thinnest setting. The platform’s a bit small and the handle is short, so it doesn’t work with bowls wider than 8 inches in diameter. Another tomato waster, alas. $17.09; Di Gregorio’s Market, 2232 Marconi Ave., The Hill, digregoriofoods.com

W hat to l ook for : Blades: Ceramic or stainless steel blades keep mandolines slicing cleanly with no rust and no oil-the-blade hoo-ha. Most hand-held mandoline blades can’t be removed for sharpening, so keenness counts. Look for strong blades to cut safely without abrupt stops or dangerous jerks through hard vegetables such as carrots and potatoes. Eyeball the thickness settings too, so your mandoline matches your cooking style. Guards: Avoid making blood sacrifices to the cooking gods. Use extreme caution, good sense and the guards that come with each

Progressive Adjust-ASlice Mandoline PROS

Simple, straightforward and solid, this mandoline delivered even, smooth slices and felt safest to use. With its excellent platform stability, an easyto-push thumb switch for changing thicknesses, and the no-slip coatings on the handle and the bowl rest, pushing food against its sharp blade didn’t seem so scary. The big platform fits over most bowls and handles larger produce easily. Never have red onion slices, thick or thin, looked better. CONS

The thicker settings produced a few crooked tomato slices, albeit inconsistently. $17.99; Bed Bath & Beyond, multiple locations, bedbathandbeyond.com

Chec

k out

mandoline. Consider guards that extend over the edges of the slicing platform for maximum safety. Higher, easy-to-grab knobs felt a bit safer than lower-profile models. Platforms: Check for strong stabilizing bars and supports under the platform. If the board dips in the middle as you slide your hand across, cuts will be thinner at the edge and thicker in the center. Make sure the surface is ridged to keep foods from slipping midslice. Wider platforms accommodate big slicing jobs such as cabbage wedges, red onions, potatoes and apples.

Put these stylin’ slicers 50! to use when making the Easy Greek Moussaka from our global casseroles feature. Inspired Food Culture

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page

ON the shelf

BEER written by Michael Sweeney

When not using his spare time to make fun of people who write blogs, Michael Sweeney writes the beer blog STLHops.com. The irony is lost on him.

Boulevard Brewing Co.’s Tank 7 STYLE: Saison/Farmhouse Ale (8% abv) AVAILABLE AT: Provisions Gourmet Market, 11615 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, provisionsmarket.com; $8.49 (750-ml bottle) PAIRINGS: Herb-roasted pork chops • Fontina

I’ll admit it: I’m not usually a fan of beer that combines Belgian yeast and American hops. However, Boulevard has not only figured out a way to make it work but also made one of my favorite beers of all time. This spicy Belgian yeast strain is artfully blended with citrusy American hops. When a beer is this good, I don’t mind eating my words.

Brewery Ommegang’s Three Philosophers STYLE: Belgian Dark Strong (9.8% abv) AVAILABLE AT: International Tap House, multiple locations, internationaltaphouse. com; $6.72 (750-ml bottle), carry-out PAIRINGS: Rack of lamb • Triple-cream Brie

Ever had a beer you loved at one time but for whatever reason has fallen out of your rotation? For me, it was Three Philosophers. Having it again recently was a revelation. The aroma provided a blast of raisins and prunes. This beer is certainly malt-forward but stays dry and dangerously drinkable at 9.8% abv.

Lagunitas Brewing Co.’s IPA STYLE: American IPA (5.7% abv) AVAILABLE AT: Whole Foods Market, multiple locations, wholefoodsmarket.com; $8.99 (six-pack, 12-oz bottles) PAIRINGS: Chips and salsa • Sharp Cheddar cheese

There’s no doubt about it: Californians love their hops. Lagunitas, based in Petaluma, Calif., brews up an IPA that provides a big amount of hop bitterness and an aroma that is piney, citrusy and resinous. Lagunitas seemingly keeps the malt profile simple to showcase the hops. This IPA provides big flavor that will have you longing for the West Coast.

SPIRITS

GET CHAD’S RECIPES ON THE WEB feastSTL.com

written by Chad Michael George

Award-winning sommelier and mixologist Chad Michael George is founder of Proof Academy, which covers everything from wine and cocktail list consulting to spirits and mixology education.

Moon Mountain Wild Raspberry Vodka Provenace: Norwalk, Conn. (35% abv) Available at: Gabi’s Liquor, 710 S. New Florissant Road, Florissant, 314.972.8500; $20

Flavored vodkas that truly taste as the label conveys are rare. This organic, small-batch, pot-still offering is a true representation of macerated raspberries. Flavors of raspberry and pomegranate dominate the palate without the cough syrup-esque sweetness that is customary with other raspberry vodkas on the market.

Aperol Provenance: Italy (11% abv) Available at: Randall’s Wines and Spirits, multiple locations, shoprandalls.com; $24.99

An Italian favorite for almost 100 years, this bitter orange liqueur flavored with dozens of herbs and spices is making a splash in the St. Louis mixology scene and is worthy of a place in your home bar. Not as bitter as its fellow Italian spirit Campari, Aperol is more approachable and cocktail-friendly. It is not too sweet or bitter, just balanced. Pour a splash in a glass of bubbly and relax!

St. George Absinthe Verte Provenance: Alameda, Calif. (60% abv) Available at: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $69.99

Absinthe has been back on the market for three years now, and this California distillery is giving overseas competitors a run for their money. St. George is my pick for the most well-balanced option on the shelves. Use it as a wash for your Sazerac cocktail (like the one on page 17), or try the traditional cold-water drip presentation. Skip the sugar, please.

OUR TOP PICKS FOR FEBRUARY Pouring wine photography by ©iStockphoto.com/Lauri Patterson

WINE written by Angela Ortmann

STLwinegirl Angela Ortmann shares her passion for all things epicurean through her event and consultation business, which is dedicated to enhancing your food and wine experience.

2008 Jax Y3 Taureau Provenance: Napa Valley, Calif. Available at: Bottle Cellars, 6039 Telegraph Road, Oakville, bottlecellars.com; $20.99 Food Pairings: Aged cheeses • Braised meats • Dark chocolate

A rich and silky proprietary blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Sirah, Syrah and Cabernet Franc. Named Taureau after the ranch's bull, famous for his feisty nature, the wine is an adamant expression of its components. A balance of structured tannins and soft femininity with dark fruit and chocolate tones.

2009 Hestia Chenin Blanc Provenance: Columbia Valley, Wash. Available at: Robust, 227 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, robustwinebar.com; $14 Food Pairings: Feta • Baked seafood • Chicken pot pie

Chenin Blanc is most often enjoyed as a Vouvray from the Loire Valley of France. Domestically, it has seen success in multiple states, including California, Washington and Texas. While many styles can lean to the sweeter side, this mediumbodied wine is crisp and dry with both citrus and stone fruit nuances. Serve very cold with a variety of seafood and spicy dishes.

2007 Raventos i Blanc de Nit Rosado Brut Cava Provenance: Spain Available at: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $26.99 Food Pairings: Huevos rancheros • Grilled salmon • Goat-cheese tarts

Aromas of freshly baked brioche and strawberry jam immediately take hold when a glass of this Spanish sparkler is poured. Made from a blend of three traditional Cava varietals with a splash of the red-wine grape Monastrell, this pale pink rosé is ideal for sipping and toasting and also has the body and structure to pair well with an array of dishes.

Join Angela Ortmann and FEAST publisher Catherine Neville for a happy hour wine tasting at 6pm on Thu., Feb. 17 at Ricardo’s Italian Café. RSVP by emailing rsvp@stlwinegirl.com. Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2011

mystery shopper

Burgers! By Amy Zupanci, Fond

Serves | 6 | Burgers 1 lb 1 lb 1 tsp 1 tsp 5 Tbsp 6 2 Tbsp 3 Tbsp 6 leaves 6

ground beef ground lamb minced garlic chopped rosemary purple mustard, divided salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste onion slices vegetable oil mayo romaine lettuce Kaiser rolls Feta cheese

| Preparation | Combine ground beef through

Toss onion slices in oil, salt and pepper and grill until softened and slightly charred. Set aside. In a small bowl, combine mayo and remaining purple mustard. Smear mayo-mustard mixture on bottom bun and top with lettuce. Place burger, followed by Feta, onions and top bun.

MEET: PURPLE MUSTARD Purple mustard, aka grape must mustard, is a go-to in many restaurant kitchens. Now the home cook can get in on the sweet and sophisticated flavor enhancer as it finds its way onto market shelves.

Stop by 30

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written by Liz O’Connor

WHAT IS IT?

HOW DO I USE IT?

Grape must is a byproduct of wine making. The grapes are pressed. The juice is drained off. And what’s left behind is a pulp of seeds, skins, stems and more juice that can be utilized in many ways. One such way is to mix it with mustard seeds, vinegar and spices and then jar it up for a sweet and tangy take on one of America’s favorite condiments. But don’t go looking for a bright yellow bottle. Purple mustard could be mistaken for caviar, with shiny black/brown grape juice coating each individual mustard seed. And, like caviar, this mustard isn’t likely to suit every palate. I don’t recommend using it in place of yellow mustard at your kids’ next birthday party.

While purple mustard is sweeter and more nuanced than other varieties, it can be used in much the same way. Spread some on your next mortadella and arugula sandwich. Serve it alongside pickles and crusty bread with charcuterie. Whisk a teaspoon into your vinaigrettes instead of Dijon. Make a marinade for chicken thighs with purple mustard and oil, or add a tablespoon to finish a pan sauce. There’s even room for this specialty condiment in the baker’s realm. Make a sweet and savory shortbread for guests to nibble while they sip a glass of wine. In any recipe that calls for mustard, it’s likely that purple mustard will be a fine substitute and a sweet and spicy enhancement.

to pick up more delicious recipes featuring purple mustard. Visit straubs.com for information on its four locations. FEBRUARY 2011

PHOTOGRAPHy by Carmen Troesser

rosemary with 2 Tbsp purple mustard in mixing bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Shape mixture into six individual patties. Grill or broil patties to medium doneness.

check it out!

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the cheat

Chocolate Soufflé STORY AND RECIPE BY Cassandra Vires

You’ve seen it in the old sitcoms and Saturday morning cartoons: A housewife painstakingly watches her soufflé rise in the oven, only to have a door slam or the baby cry and – whoosh – the soufflé collapses. In addition to its finicky nature, a traditional soufflé must be made to order, making it nearly impossible for the home cook to serve at dinner. With everything stacked against the soufflé, it’s no wonder it has become “restaurant-only.” So I gave a shout of triumph the day I finally found the perfect solution to create a make-ahead chocolate soufflé.

A chemist might be more suited to create a soufflé than a chef, but this recipe is easy if you follow these guidelines: Keep it cold, keep it dry and keep it clean. During prep, heat is a soufflé’s enemy. Heat prohibits the egg whites from reaching proper peaks. So much so that I even chill the whisk and bowl. One key to this cheat is to freeze the ramekins lined with butter and sugar. Not only do they keep colder longer, but since the sugar is frozen to the side, it doesn’t melt into the batter, allowing the soufflé to rise properly. Water can also ruin this dish. Make sure to thoroughly dry all cooking utensils, bowls and pans before using. If you don’t, the results could be lumpy chocolate or deflated egg whites. And last, the No. 1 reason for failed soufflés is pieces of egg yolk in the white. Yolks are fatty, and fat prevents the bubbles of air from being coated with egg white, causing all the air you whip into the whites to just float away. With these simple steps, this scrumptious soufflé can be made ahead and kept in the fridge for a Valentine’s Day surprise.

Chef Cassandra Vires received her culinary training in Houston, Texas, and has a knack for reimagining classic dishes.

COOKING VIDEO! Watch chef Cassy Vires make these sinfully rich soufflés step by step. Scan the Microsoft Tag from your smart phone (get the free app at gettag.mobi), or watch the video in the Watch & Listen section at feastSTL.com.

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Chocolate Soufflé This recipe not only makes the soufflé more stable but also reduces the proportions to serve two people, making it the perfect dessert for date night!

Serves | 2 | 3 Tbsp 4 Tbsp 4 oz ½ tsp 2 1 pinch 1 pinch

unsalted butter, divided sugar, divided semisweet chocolate, finely chopped vanilla extract eggs, separated fine salt cream of tartar

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 375°F. Liberally grease two 4-oz ramekins with 1 Tbsp butter. Coat ramekins with 2 Tbsp sugar, tapping out the excess. Place ramekins in the freezer until ready to use.

Using a double boiler, melt chocolate and remaining 2 Tbsp butter. Whisk together until smooth and shiny. | 1 | Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla extract and egg yolks. In the bowl of a stand mixer, combine egg whites with fine salt, cream of tartar and remaining 2 Tbsp sugar. | 2 | Whip on medium-high speed until stiff peaks form.

| 3 | Using a rubber spatula, gently fold the egg whites into the chocolate mixture until no white can be seen. Spoon evenly

into ramekins, taking care to wipe away any mixture from the rim. Note: If making ahead, cover ramekins with plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for up to 24 hours. Bake for 25 minutes or until soufflé has risen and is crusty on top but still jiggles slightly. If baked directly from the fridge, add 5 to 7 minutes to cook time. Serve immediately with Champagne crème anglaise poured on top.

Get chef Cassy’s recipe for Champagne crème anglaise at feastSTL.com.

check it out!

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deconstructed dishes

Poblano Chiles

Chicken Mole written by Erik Jacobs

Recipe by Gabrielle DeMichele, Nate Bonner and Lucy Schnuck

While there are hundreds of variations of this richly complex dish, none is more representative of what we consider “authentic” than this version, called mole poblano. Largely because it involves a labor-intensive process, mole poblano is most often served during holidays and celebrations. However, the complex and amazing intensity of flavor offered by well-prepared mole is worth the extra effort, especially on a gray, cold February weekend that cries out for some culinary drama. Gabrielle DeMichele, Nate Bonner and Lucy Schnuck work together to formulate original recipes, brainstorming the best ingredients, methods and techniques to employ when teaching classes at the Schnucks Cooks Cooking School in Des Peres.

Chicken Mole Serves | 6 to 8 | 2 Tbsp 1 3 2 ¼ tsp ¼ tsp 2 tsp 1 2 cups 1 cup 3 oz 12 4 2 2 2 cups 4 Tbsp 1 2 cloves

sesame seeds cinnamon stick, broken whole coriander seeds whole allspice berries black peppercorns whole cloves dried marjoram 6- to 7-lb roasting chicken, cut into 8 pieces chopped canned tomatoes croutons Mexican chocolate (such as Ibarra) or milk chocolate, chopped dried mulato chiles, stemmed, seeded, deveined and cut into 1-inch pieces poblano chiles, stemmed, seeded, deveined and cut into 1-inch pieces ancho chiles, stemmed, seeded, deveined and cut into 1-inch pieces canned chipotle chiles turkey stock, divided vegetable oil, divided small onion, roughly chopped garlic, sliced

JOIN US! rsvp: schnuckscooks.com OR 314.909.1704

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3 Tbsp 1 Tbsp 1¼ tsp

almond butter or peanut butter dark brown sugar (packed) kosher salt

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350ºF. Place sesame seeds, cinnamon stick, coriander seeds, allspice, peppercorns and cloves in a large dry skillet and toast over moderate heat for 2 to 3 minutes, until fragrant. Do not burn. Add marjoram, stir for another minute and set aside. When cooled, place in spice grinder and process to a fine powder. Rub spice mixture all over chicken and set aside for 1 hour. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine tomatoes, croutons and chocolate. Set aside. Place mulato, poblano, ancho and chipotle chiles in food processor with ½ cup stock. Purée until smooth.

Strain processed chiles into a large bowl and process the tomato mixture. Combine tomato and chile mixtures with 1 cup stock. In same skillet used to toast spices, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium heat and add onion and garlic. Sauté until softened, about 5 minutes. Mix in almond butter and stir to incorporate. Add tomato-chile mixture and stir until fully incorporated. Add remaining ½ cup stock, brown sugar and salt. Cook for 5 minutes. Set aside to cool. In a large sauté pan, heat 2 Tbsp oil over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté chicken in batches on all sides until nicely browned. Once all chicken is browned, return to pan and cover with sauce. Simmer until sauce is heated through. Cover and bake until tender, about 1 hour.

Love Mexican food? Love chocolate? Get handson with chefs Nate and Lucy on Wed., Feb. 23. Join us in the kitchen and satisfy your hunger with a south-of-the-border feast featuring the rich chicken mole pictured here.

This fresh green chile is one of the most widely used peppers in Mexico. With a relatively low, but unpredictable, “spice factor,” this versatile fruit is often used in dishes such as chiles relleno and when roasted and peeled takes on a mellow, smoky undertone.

Ancho Chiles An ancho (ahn-cho) chile is the dried version of the fresh poblano. As the chile ages on the vine, the color turns from a dark green to shades of deep rust and chocolate brown. Often ground to powder form, the ancho chile serves as the base for a great many Mexican sauces, recados (Mexican spice rubs) and marinades.

Mulato Chiles A close cousin to the ancho, the mulato (moolah-to) chile has a much darker appearance with more of a wrinkled, raisin-y texture. It is sweeter than the ancho, with some dark cherry and licorice notes.

Chipotle Chiles This is the chile that has conquered the American culinary landscape. Nothing more than a ripe, red jalapeño that is smoke-dried over a period of several days, the chipotle (chi-poht-lay) chile offers complex, spicy and smoky flavor notes. Often canned in adobo sauce, chipotles can be puréed and added to sauces, marinades, or spreads and dips.

Mexican Chocolate Much grainier in texture than Europeanstyle chocolates, Mexican chocolate is primarily used in the preparation of moles and hot chocolate, not eaten as one would eat a Hersheyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s bar. The inclusion of cinnamon, cacao nibs and sometimes allspice or chiles enhances the exotic nature of the confection.

Almond Butter Just as ground peanuts serve as the base for peanut butter, ground almonds are the base for almond butter. Used in both sweet and savory applications, almond butter adds thickening properties as well as richness to mole poblano, with a subtler flavor profile than peanut butter. PHOTOGRAPHY by Rob Grimm

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dreaming in

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FEBRUARY 2011

Patric Chocolate owner Alan McClure turned a consuming hobby into one of the first craft chocolate companies in the United States. Written by Brandi Wills

Photography by Greg Rannells

If you close your eyes and picture where hand-crafted chocolate is made, what do you see? “Everyone who comes to the factory is expecting Wonka,” Alan McClure, founder and owner of Patric Chocolate, says while standing in the office of his four-room, no-frills space in an industrial park on the outskirts of Columbia, Mo. “Their disappointment when they get here is pretty apparent. You can see it on their faces.” The factory’s bare white walls and abundant stainless steel equipment may not leave visitors oohing and ahing, but the chocolate produced there sure does. Relying almost solely on the innate flavor characteristics of the beans used in Patric Chocolate’s bean-to-bar process, McClure adds little more than pure cane sugar when making his artisan chocolate bars. “When I first started [learning to make chocolate], I was doing the things that a lot of the lower-quality chocolate companies do, and that is add a lot of vanilla or artificial vanilla and a lot of sugar. It’s hard for it to taste terrible because it’s so strongly vanilla-scented and sweet that even the bad flavors are covered up. So I said, ‘I’m not using vanilla, I’m using minimal sugar, and I’m going to try to avoid cocoa butter if I can.’ I wanted to make something that truly tastes good.” Anyone who has tasted a Patric Chocolate bar would say he’s been successful in that goal. McClure founded the company in 2006, releasing just one type of bar in 2007, a micro-batch 70 percent Madagascar chocolate made with aromatic single-estate cacao. The Patric lineup currently consists of eight bars, with its In-NIB-itable Bar winning the 2011 Good Food Award for Chocolate last month at a ceremony hosted by Alice Waters in San Francisco.

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How a Bean Becomes a Bar 1. Fermenting and drying. On the farm, cacao is harvested and the beans (technically seeds) are removed from their pod fruits. The beans are packed into crates along with the fruit’s sweet pulp, and the environment’s naturally occurring yeasts begin to ferment the pulp. Once fermentation is complete, about four to eight days, the beans are dried in the sun. 2. Roasting. Next, the chocolate maker receives the cacao, hand-sorts it to remove items such as twigs, stones or double- or triple-beans (fused beans that can cause a negative affect on the flavor of the finished product) and roasts it. Unlike coffee, cacao beans are roasted at lower temperatures, around 200ºF to 275ºF for longer times, approximately 30 minutes per batch. 3. Winnowing. After the beans are roasted, they are placed in a machine called a winnower, which removes the shell and leaves behind the nib. Nibs are 100 percent unground chocolate. It has a nutty texture and does not yet melt in your mouth. 4. Grinding. The nibs are then stone-ground. Frictional heat melts the cocoa butter in the nibs and they become a liquid called chocolate liquor (although there is no alcohol present). 5. Refining and conching. The chocolate liquor is then placed in a machine, along with sweetening agents, and is mixed and blended into a smoother texture. It is these steps that ultimately inform the flavor profiles and texture of the finished product. 6. Tempering. This process combines time, temperature and agitation to coerce the cocoa butter into a crystalline state. More simply stated, this step makes the chocolate a shiny bar that snaps when you break it apart and melts in your mouth. 8. Molding, cooling and packaging. The tempered chocolate is poured into molds and vibrated to release air bubbles and create perfectly molded bars. Once cooled, the individual bars are then packaged. The packaged bars must be refrigerated for two more days to ensure stability.

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But the road to great chocolate is long and winding. Before McClure could become one of the country’s first craft chocolate makers, he had to travel the world, learn the inner workings of turn-of-the-century chocolate-making machinery and, unfortunately, taste a lot of terrible chocolate.

THE MADAGASCAR CONNECTION As opposed to a confectioner, who creates sweet treats out of chocolate, McClure is a chocolate maker, creating the chocolate itself from scratch. In order to make chocolate, you have to source cacao (pronounced kuh-cow), the dried and fermented beans from which cocoa butter is extracted. And if you want to make really good chocolate, you need really good specialty cacao. Since very few people in the United States were sourcing specialty cacao before McClure started Patric, it wasn’t easy to come by. “All the large companies buy cacao from very large cacao brokers who do all the transactions,” explains McClure. “So the large companies just say, ‘Here’s what I need,’ and they don’t have to go to the source. The problem with doing it on a small scale is that all the cacao being purchased by these brokers is very lowquality because that’s all large companies really need. What we needed was specialty cacao. And because it’s so good, tastes so amazing and there’s such a small quantity of it, finding [the right] farm in the first place was so incredibly hard. I went to Mexico, Belize and Venezuela and asked around in New York City and San Francisco – places where there were people who I thought might know about chocolate or who have experience with chocolate.”

After returning from his fruitless expeditions, McClure finally found some excellent specialty cacao in, of all places, the United States. This cacao, from a family-owned farm in Madagascar, was initially brought to the U.S. by an arm of a large commodities company considering supplying the growing specialty cacao market here. McClure was able to procure a small amount but didn’t have a way to contact the producer to purchase more. In the meantime, he hired a cacao sourcing consultant with many more contacts in the industry and pushed him to broker a deal with the cacao farm back in Madagascar but met a lot of resistance. McClure soon learned that his consultant had been hired by TCHO, a startup dark chocolate manufacturer in San Francisco (CEO Louis Rossetto is co-founder of Wired magazine). “So he got hired away before I ever got anything out of it,” says McClure. “I thought all was lost.” But finally, the consultant, out of what McClure speculates was a bit of guilt for taking his consulting fees without ever providing him with sources of more cacao, decided at the last minute to hand over all the contact information for the farm in Madagascar. “And that’s how it happened for the Madagascar cacao. It wasn’t a trip that I made, and all those other trips didn’t lead to anything. I spent so much money on traveling that never turned into anything. But I didn’t know that. I couldn’t have known that.”

IT’S A TOUGH JOB… While sourcing good-quality cacao is a key to making good chocolate, it wasn’t McClure’s only quest. His personal education consisted of three components:

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tasting every kind of chocolate he could get his hands on; researching all facets of chocolate making, from technique to machinery; and creating his own recipe through mass experimentation. “I tasted as much chocolate as I could,” says McClure. “I looked at what was being done here, by Scharffen Berger and Guittard and other companies, but then I looked outside the United States, to France and Italy mainly. I bought anything I could find. I kept a database and did tastings every night. I would taste and take notes on texture and try to figure out, from the little that I knew about processing at that time, what the different chocolate makers were doing. I was training my palate, and so, over time, I was at least able to say, ‘I know what I’m tasting, even if I’m still not sure why I’m tasting it.’ Which led me to learning more about how chocolate is made.” In the factory office, which is really just a small section of the entry defined by McClure’s computer, some filing cabinets and a cordless phone, are a handful of books. Half are travel guides to the countries and cities he visited in search of cacao, and the rest are old, nondescript tomes from the late 1800s and early 1900s on the chemistry and manufacture of chocolate. “I was intrigued by the amazing machinery being used at the turn of the century. A lot of the machinery available today is very large-scale. It’s also been designed to do things faster and not necessarily better. And so I went back [to these books] and said, ‘I’m not going to be able to find these machines ... but I can learn from the way they function how to choose machinery that uses similar principles to make chocolate.’” With his turn-of-the-century guidebooks in hand, McClure started the long process of formulating his own chocolate recipe.

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Explore the savory side of chocolate in this month’s class with chef Matt Borchardt and Alan McClure. Learn to make a chile-cocoa steak rub and an authentic Tuscan dish enjoyed by Catherine de Medici that consists of nothing but vinegar, salt, sugar, chocolate and wild boar. McClure will lead a tasting of his chocolates and be on hand to talk cacao throughout the class. Call 314.587.2433 to RVSP for the Feb. 22 event.

“I made a lot of chocolate that I threw away. People would say, ‘Why don’t you give it to me?’ but it really tasted bad.” Even after procuring specialty cacao, McClure did hundreds of test batches. “I wanted to release it and have everyone say, ‘I’ve never tasted chocolate before. This is incredible.’”

WHEN DREAMS BECOME REALITY Unbeknownst to McClure was that the pending launch of his craft chocolate company coincided with the birth of four other companies – Amano Artisan Chocolate, Askinosie Chocolate (in Springfiled, Mo.), De Vries Chocolate and Taza Chocolate – all headed by likeminded, passionate entrepreneurs in pursuit of better chocolate. Together, they formed a coalition called the Craft Chocolate Makers of America and started a greater movement toward fine American chocolate. McClure’s inclination that Americans were craving a better chocolate was spot-on. Just a year after he released his first bar, Gourmet magazine took note of Patric Chocolate, and over the next nine months so did the L.A. Times, The New Yorker and Food & Wine magazine. In the spring of 2010, Food & Wine named Patric Chocolate a Best New American Chocolate. “I made my one bar, put it online and sold it to a few local stores because I knew the owners. That first month, when I actually saw sales, I was so excited that people wanted my chocolate. That excitement lasted all the way through Christmas, when December became our best month yet. I thought, ‘The sky’s the limit. It’s just going to keep growing.’ But then January came. January’s not such a great month for chocolate.” Currently in its fourth year, Patric Chocolate has seen a lot of growth since its first bar. “[As a business owner] you eventually realize that no matter how passionate you are about something, you need to do a lot of hard work you didn’t expect to have to do,” says McClure. The challenge to make a profit at what he loves has pushed him beyond his dream of simply creating a better chocolate bar to creating a line of craft chocolate products that will elevate the U.S.’s status in the international chocolate industry and challenge the palates of American chocolate lovers. A task that, for McClure and the few like him, has become all-consuming. The chocolate business, it seems, can at times be bittersweet.

Patric Chocolate is sold all over the country, primarily on the West Coast and in New York City; Columbia, Mo.; and St. Louis, and also through a Swedish distributor. You can purchase Patric Chocolate bars at patric-chocolate.com and locally at The Garden Gate Shop at the Missouri Botanical Garden, Sappington Farmers’ Market, Local Harvest Grocery, The Wine & Cheese Place, Whole Foods Market on Brentwood Boulevard and Northwest Coffee Roasting Co. 44

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a wintry mix Etched and frosted glassware evoke the intricate patterns and delicate details of the icy environment outside, making it perfect for sophisticated wintertime sipping. WRITTEN by Brandi Wills

| Photography by Carmen Troesser

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FROM LEFT: | 1 | Saint-Louis Tommy sherry glass, $235; Neiman Marcus, Plaza Frontenac, Frontenac, neimanmarcus.com | 2 | Julia Knight Argento champagne flute in platinum, $68; Saks Fifth Avenue, Plaza Frontenac, Frontenac, saksfifthavenue.com | 3 | William Yeoward Crystal Fern wine glass, $247; Neiman Marcus | 4 | Kate Spade Library Stripe 10-oz goblet, $40; Dillardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s, Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, dillards.com | 5 | Vera Wang Leaf wine glass, $40; Dillardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s 46

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| 6 | Nambé Motus champagne flute, $79 for pair; Dillard’s | 7 | Waterford Colleen Encore iced beverage glass, $70; Dillard’s | 8 | Varga Imperial champagne flute, $325; Neiman Marcus | 9 | Moser Pebbles Double Old Fashioned glass, $145 for pair; Neiman Marcus | 10 | Waterford Wishes Happy Celebrations crystal flute, $135 for pair; Dillard’s | 11 | Vera Wang Duchesse 12-oz highball, $99 for set of four; Dillard’s SNOWFLAKE ILLUSTRATIONS BY ©iStockphoto.com/Electric_Crayon Inspired Food Culture

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from ITALY...

Caserola Milanese By Ellen Piazza, St. Louis Community College

Serves | 4 to 6 | Polenta

6 cups 2 cups 2 oz 2 oz

water yellow cornmeal butter salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste grated Parmesan

Filling

3 cloves 4 cups 3 Tbsp 2 3 1/3 cup 2 tsp 3 cups 1½ cups 1 1½ cups 3 Tbsp ½ cup ½ cup 3 cups

garlic, minced chopped onion olive oil carrots, diced celery ribs, diced fresh basil dried oregano salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste diced eggplant diced zucchini bell pepper, diced canned plum tomatoes tomato paste red wine grated Parmesan fresh mozzarella, shredded

| Preparation – Polenta | Bring water to a boil and gradually add cornmeal in a thin stream, stirring rapidly. While continuing to stir, add butter, salt and pepper. Reduce heat to low and simmer for 20 minutes, stirring often. When the polenta mixture has thickened, add Parmesan. Pour mixture into a buttered 12inch casserole dish and let cool. Refrigerate. | Preparation – Filling | Preheat Written by Matt Sorrell Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

Contrary to popular thought, the oft-maligned casserole is more than just a way to use up some of those leftovers that keep hanging around. It’s also a great way to incorporate a variety of international flavors in a single dish. Think of it as a one-stop culinary world tour!

oven to 350ºF. Sauté garlic and onion in oil until translucent. Add carrots, celery, basil, oregano, salt and pepper and continue to cook for 3 to 5 minutes, until carrots are bright orange. Add eggplant and sauté for 5 minutes. Add zucchini and bell pepper, cooking until tender. Add tomatoes, tomato paste and red wine. Simmer for 5 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Parmesan.

| To Assemble | Spoon filling evenly over cooled polenta, top with mozzarella and bake 45 minutes to 1 hour, until cheese begins to brown. Cool for 15 minutes before serving.

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G o ...t

. . . E C REE Easy Greek Moussaka By Joan Long, Patty Long Catering

Serves | 8 | 3 1 3 cloves 1 2 handfuls 1 handful 2½ lbs 4 Tbsp 1 8 oz 1½ cups 1 cup

large eggplants, skinned, stems removed salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste olive oil large onion, chopped garlic, chopped lemon, peeled and thinly sliced fresh parsley, chopped fresh oregano leaves, chopped ground lamb or ground beef ground cinnamon, to taste tomato paste 16-oz can crushed tomatoes, drained crumbled Feta, divided grated Parmesan, divided bread crumbs

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350ºF. Slice eggplant lengthwise into ½-inch slices. Season eggplant on both sides with salt and pepper. Coat large skillet with oil. Over medium heat, fry eggplant slices, turning once, until brown on both sides. Drain on paper towel. Add more oil to skillet and add onion, garlic, lemon slices, parsley and oregano. Stir for approximately 3 minutes. Add ground meat and season with salt, pepper and cinnamon. Stir in tomato paste and crushed tomatoes. Simmer until thickened. Line 9x13-inch glass or ceramic baking pan with a third of the eggplant slices. Spread half of the meat sauce over eggplant. Add half of the Feta and Parmesan cheeses. Add another layer of eggplant, and the rest of the meat sauce and cheeses. End with a final layer of eggplant. Top with bread crumbs. Bake 30 to 40 minutes. Cool for 10 minutes before serving.

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FEBRUARY 2011

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FEBRUARY 2011

E W o ...t

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. . . A C I R ST AF

FEBRUARY 2011

Jollof Casserole By Ellen Piazza, St. Louis Community College

This casserole is based on the West African meat and vegetable dish. Serves | 4 to 6 | ¼ cup 1 2 1 ½ lb ½ tsp 1 cup 6 6 oz 3 cups ½ lb

olive oil whole chicken, cut into pieces onions, chopped red or green bell pepper, chopped ham, diced ground allspice salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste long-grain rice tomatoes, peeled tomato paste chicken broth green beans, halved

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 375ºF. Heat oil in flameproof casserole dish. Add chicken pieces and brown evenly over medium heat. Add onion, bell pepper, ham and allspice. Season with salt and pepper. Cook over moderate heat until onions are translucent and bell pepper is soft. Add rice and mix well to coat the grains. Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste and broth. Top with green beans. Cover and bake for 20 minutes, or until rice is done. Add additional broth or water if necessary.

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FEBRUARY 2011

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FEAST EXTRA

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Check out the Letâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Eat section of the Post-Dispatch every Wednesday for more casserole recipes from FEAST!

FEBRUARY 2011

Chicken and Corn Casserole By Ellen Piazza, St. Louis Community College

Serves | 4 to 6 | 3 3 Tbsp ½ cup 1 cup 1 Tbsp ½ tsp 1 tsp 2 Tbsp 2 cups 1 pinch 1 lb 2 cups 1 1 1 cup 2 Tbsp

eggs all-purpose flour cream milk honey freshly ground black pepper dried dill fresh parsley, chopped corn kernels, divided salt ground chicken olive oil diced onion carrot, diced red bell pepper, diced grated sharp Cheddar cheese butter, for greasing pan salsa cruda or your favorite store-bought salsa

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350ºF. Combine eggs and flour in a blender or large bowl. Add cream, milk, honey, pepper, dill, parsley, 1 cup corn kernels and salt. Blend until just incorporated. In a large skillet over medium heat, sauté ground chicken in olive oil until cooked through. Drain and add onion, carrot and bell pepper. Cook until onions are translucent. Stir in remaining corn, blended ingredients and cheese. Pour mixture into a buttered 9x13inch casserole pan. Bake uncovered for 30 to 35 minutes, or until golden-brown and set in the middle. Pour salsa onto individual plates and serve with a square of casserole on top.

Salsa Cruda 3 to 4 2 4 to 7 1 bunch 1/3 cup ½ cup 6 oz ½ tsp 2 to 3 ¼ tsp ½ tsp ¼ tsp 2

large tomatoes, very finely diced medium Spanish onions, very finely diced fresh green chiles (jalapeño or serrano), seeded and finely minced fresh cilantro, chopped finely fresh lime or lemon juice white vinegar tomato paste garlic powder tomatillos, chopped (optional) Mexican oregano, crushed* freshly ground black pepper ground cumin 10- to 12-oz cans Herdez salsa casera or tomato sauce

| Preparation | Mix all ingredients together in a bowl and serve. *Standard variety can be substituted.

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FEBRUARY 2011

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FEBRUARY 2011

Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2011