frontburner

California Country Magazine

please enjoy these helpful tips for pairing wines with some tasty dishes! featured in; California Country Magazine.

Author & Forager Langdon Cook comes to Grange

Experience one man’s journey from Amazon.com editor to foraging expert, as author Langdon Cook signs his new book Fat of the Land at Grange Restaurant & Bar. As part of Grange’s ongoing book signing series, Cook discusses his new book Fat of the Land in celebration of Grange’s one-year anniversary. Inspired by his blog Fat of the Land, the book is structured around the seasons of the year. Each chapter focuses on a specific food type and concludes with a recipe featuring the author’s hard-won bounty, a savory stop to each adventure-filled morsel.

 

Cook left his role as senior book editor at Amazon.com in 2004, to pursue life in a cabin off the grid with his wife and son.  Now a freelance writer and editor, Lang has written for the San Francisco Bay Guardian, Outside, Gray’s Sporting Journal, Fly Fisherman, the Stranger, Seattle Metropolitan, and Conservation Magazine.  His expertise in all matters of foraging has been profiled in Bon Appétit and the Wall Street Journal.  He lives in Seattle, Wash.

 

 

 

WHO:               Langdon Cook

 

 

WHAT:             Book signing event to give patrons the opportunity to speak with Langdon Cook. A three-course prix-fixe menu, inspired by Fat of the Land and prepared by Executive Chef Michael Tuohy, is offered during the entire dinner hour as well. Autographed books are $25 sold during dinner hours.

 

 

WHEN:             Wednesday, November 4 from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m.

 

 

WHERE:           Grange Restaurant & Bar

                        926 J Street

                        Sacramento, CA 95814

 

 

new from California Olive Ranch

This is from the folks at California Olive Ranch after a little dinner that I did for them last night!

California Olive Ranch Website | Browse Our EVOO Products Online | Sign Up for California Olive Ranch eNews

Chef Michael Tuohy’s Menu for California Olive Ranch Retreat More Recent Articles Search California Olive Ranch EVOO – Chef news, info and recipes Chef Michael Tuohy’s Menu for California Olive Ranch Retreat  Chef Michael Tuohy’s Menu for California Olive Ranch Retreat I got into Sacramento early this afternoon to attend our annual Harvest Retreat. It’s a big event. We take a large group of chefs and wholesalers on a tour to see firsthand how we harvest and crush the olives into olive oil at one of our northern California mills. The weather in Sacramento is pleasantly mild. After I arrived, one of the first things I did was park myself at a table at the Grange Restaurant & Bar, a great farm-to-table restaurant at the Citizen Hotel in Sacramento. I met a few colleagues and went over the events of the next two days, which I’ll be writing about in coming blogs. I also got a chance to say hi to Grange chef Michael Tuohy, who was busy preparing a special menu for our group of about 100. The menu features our California Olive Ranch extra virgin olive oils in every course — from the olive oil marinated goat cheese to the Alaskan halibut crudo and orange-almond olive oil cake. The cake is topped with a crème anglaise made from our Miller’s Blend EVOO. Chef Tuohy was clearly pumped about tonight’s olive oil meal. “It’s one of my favorite ingredients to work with,” he said. He also kindly offered to take us on a tour of his kitchen a little later in the afternoon. When we caught up with him there, Chef Tuohy was chopping a beautiful pile of fresh lavender for our meal. He next mixed it in a big mixing bowl with our Arbequina EVOO and some fig balsamic vinegar. Chef Tuohy then proceeded to slather the mixture on several beautiful, locally sourced racks of lamb. “It’s going to permeate, especially during the cooking and after it’s cooked,” he said of the lavender, olive oil, vinegar combination. Chef Tuohy also showed us the crème anglaise he’d prepared for the olive oil cake. There’s funny story behind the crème anglaise. It started off as an olive oil ice cream made from our Miller’s Blend. But that was before the guest list for the dinner mushroomed to some 100 people from 40. Chef Tuohy realized he didn’t have an ice cream maker big enough for that many people. So he did some quick improvisation. He’d make the olive oil ice cream recipe, but not freeze the mixture. And the result: a delicious olive oil crème anglaise. “It works as a sauce,” he explained. “Sometimes you just have to adjust.” It’s now hours later. I’ve had a chance to enjoy Chef Tuohy’s dinner. It was exquisite. I now plan to catch a little shut-eye before Tuesday’s events. Bon appétit, Claude S. Weiller  Vice President of Sales & Marketing  California Olive Ranch • Email to a friend • Article Search • Related • View comments • Track comments •  • More Recent Articles Cannellini Beans with Sautéed Pumpkin and Olio Nuovo EVOO Chef Jason Wright's Ahi Tuna Salad with Meyer Lemon Aoli Health: Longer Life Tied to Olive Oil, Key Foods in Med. Diet Olive Oil Primer: Pairing EVOO with Food - Part III Chef Ray Garcia's Pumpkin Gnocchi with Parmesan & Sage

---

Click here to safely unsubscribe now from "California Olive Ranch EVOO – Chef news, info and recipes" or change your subscription or subscribe 

---

---

Your requested content delivery powered by FeedBlitz, LLC, 9 Thoreau Way, Sudbury, MA 01776, USA. +1.978.776.9498

 

Fall is Braising Season!

as the weather continues to cool, leaves turn, major league baseball playoffs are well underway, football season is almost midway through, i want to cook rich lusty hearty meat dishes that require long slow simmering. this type of cooking technique is called "braising." braising usually starts with a cut of meat that is comprised of stronger muscular & connective tissue like legs, shanks, shoulders, tails or necks. these particular cuts tend to have more collagen, gelatin & tendons. they require patience and attention to detail, but after 3 or 4 hours if handled correctly, there is a reward that is usually nothing short of sublime.

here is an overview of methodology without giving exacting quantities of ingredients, known as a recipe. first, select the cut of meat that you want to work with, here i will choose beef shortribs, one of my favorites. trim the backside around the bones of any connective tissue. then turn it over and do the same with topside leaving only fat but removing any tendons attached. season liberally with kosher salt and black pepper. i actually like to let the shortribs rest over night in the refrigerator, uncovered. this resting time allows the seasoning to completely penetrate the meat while drawing moisture inward. by leaving uncovered, the beef also air dries and a slight pelicle will form. this will enable you to get a nice even sear, or caramelization on the meat, a very important step. this is done by preheating your braising pan, i love to use a cast iron dutch oven at home, with olive oil or grapeseed oil, just before it begins to smoke, add your ribs, topside down first. after a couple of moments turn. you want to see a nice even browning on the top side, if not, turn again until nice and browned. remove the short ribs from the pan. add chopped mirepoix of celery, carrots, onion & garlic. you want to stir them around to ensure even browning and caramelization. after several minutes, deglaze with a rich red wine like an amador county zinfandel or syrah, scraping loose any fond or residue from the meat and vegetables. i then add some tomato paste and stir to coat the vegetables. i then add some canned san marzano or plum tomatoes, more red wine, add the ribs back to the pan, a couple of bay leaves, some fresh thyme, a little more liquid so that only the tops of the ribs remain exposed. bring this to a boil on top of the stove, remove and cover and i recommend finishing in a 300 degree oven. you can finish on top of the stove if you'd like but be sure that your heat is very low. resist the temptation to lift the lid before 3 1/2 hours. 

at Grange Restaurant, zinfandel braised shortribs became one of our signature dishes when we opened last december. we started the season this past weekend by reintroducing this wonderful dish again to our menu. we cook ours slowly for at least 15hours, at 185 degrees in a low temp holding oven. we usually will serve them with some sort of decadent creamy potato or vegetable puree underneath and a generous helping of the braising liquid for the sauce. i had to kick off the season the other evening by opening a delicious rich rhone style blend of grenache, mourvedre, syrah, called "Noir" from the 2000 vintage of Domaine de la Terra Rouge Winery in the nearby sierra foothils. this was a perfect match for a perfect cool fall night dish.

The Cheap Hamburger and it's path of destruction

yesterday's sunday new york times front page article is a good look at the trail of e. coli and exposes flaws found in the inspection system of ground beef. it also gives a disturbing look at a young women who is paralyzed after being stricken by e. coli in 2007. i think if you take the time to read the entire article, you will hopefully begin to understand how people put themselves and their families at risk when buying food products such as ground beef from unknown sources. there is risk on many levels in our food system, particularly the large mass producers and processors in the beef industry. while my intention here is not to get on a soap box and chastise the industry, i do however encourage you to really think before making that next food purchase whether it be at your local supermarket, big box retailer or local restaurant or farmers market. you have the right to choose by voting with your dollars. ask where they get their beef (product) from, how it was raised, what it was fed. if they can't tell you, you probably shouldn't buy it. even if they can tell you, you should consider the source. the beef industry is particularly deft at marketing, coming up with catchy phrases as "american chefs selection angus beef." as if this is approved by chefs that have made this their choice. it couldn't be further from the truth. they also add confusion by making you believe that if it is "certified Angus," that it is the best quality. this only refers to the breed, it has nothing to do with the conditions it was raised in or processed in. cheaper is not always better, more expensive is not always better. however, shouldn't what we buy to put into our bodies be a priority? beef shouldn't be so cheap that anyone and everyone can afford it. 

Grange on LA.com

check out this great article on LA.com! It's always nice when our efforts are welcomed with

great enthusiasm! 

Is it Fall Yet?

for those of you that live in or near Sacramento and the San Joaquin valley, you know that we still have a ways to go. even as the official first day of fall was this past tuesday, temperatures have been around 100 degrees all week. at Grange Restaurant, expect to see the bright, light and refreshing chilled soups give way to hearty, silky and sumptuous concoctions. as the flavors of summer fade into memory, we say good by to tomatoes, corn, melons & berries and we start looking forward to cooking with the hearty kind of gusto that the fall season inspires. delicious apples & pears are already making an appearance, along with quince, parsnips, fall/winter squash. lettuces are again looking and tasting like,....lettuce! we continue to get delicious hogs from Riverdog Farm, duck from Liberty, Goat from Copeland family farm and we are about to introduce an absolutely fantastic 100% Grassfed Beef from Novy Ranch, we will be the only restaurant in the area to get this beef! fall also signals many harvest festivals in the area as well as olive harvest. we have just recently introduced a Northern California Artisan Olive Oil Tasting on our menu. I hope you will give it a try the next time you are in.

 

Iron Horse Vineyards Rediscovered

 This past Labor Day, I had the pleasure of visiting a favorite winery of mine called Iron Horse. I was trying to remember, but I believe it had been 18 years since my last visit there. Back then, I was fortunate to attend what was called, “Harvest Luncheons.” This was relived as I reconnected with Joy, Audrey & Barry Sterling, proprietors.

The sparkling wines produced at Iron Horse have always been among my favorite. Especially a blend called “Wedding Cuvee.”  As time never ceases to stand still, new and different wines come and go and it is very easy to just remember what you most recently had.

Iron Horse Sparkling wine, is one of those rare wines that you never forget. When you go to open a bottle, there is a certain excitement that builds. It’s hard to put my finger on specifically, except the anticipation is met with this sense of excitement and moment of satisfaction! That first sip encourages you to quickly take another because you want it again. Then, you remind yourself to slow down, taste & savor every sip.

The still wines that iron horse produces, chardonnay, pinot noir & cabernet sauvignon are among the best in California. The distinctive style of the “Green Valley” appellation is evident. Very warm days, and cool nights are evident in the perfect balance of fruit & acid. Iron Horse has quite a focus on sustainable production and preserving the land. It is reassuring, to know that Iron Horse is one of those treasures of Northern California that gives it a timeless sense of place.

 

Slow Food Sacramento Celebrates Tomatoes at Grange!

slow food sacramento, del rio botanicals & grange combine efforts and enthusiasm to celebrate

the tomato! what a fantastic way to enjoy a late august sunday afternoon. here is a nice recap

from the Sacramento Press 

Great Heritage Breed Pork from Riverdog Farm

being located in Sacramento, I am very fortunate to have access to several really good farms that raise exceptional hogs. yesterday, I begun the breakdown of a 290 pound hog from a nearby farm aptly named Riverdog. riverdog farm produces exceptional produce as well which we use regularly at grange restaurant. tonight, and over the weekend, we'll be serving some nice pork preparations from this heritage cross breed of tamworth-duroc. the intra-muscular fat on this animal is exceptional. i had the pleasure of bringing one of my regular customers and two of his guests into the kitchen yesterday to see first hand. being that one of them was a hog farmer from the midwest, i got the sense based on our conversation, he was in awe at the quality of the fatback. he used to raise hogs in  a totally different or shall i say, conventional method. the hogs from riverdog are purely "wooded" and "pastured," allowed to run free on the property through the woods and pasture foraging on acorns, buckwheat, and other goodies. i feel so fortunate to be able to work with animals like this and to be able to serve them with very good conscience to my guests. check out the riverdog hog blog. enjoy!