This week we learned about our own country, The good old United States of America. I cannot believe we are already on country #44! My mother and father's family both came to America for a better life. They wanted the opportunity to work hard and become successful regardless of their background. That is what the United States means to me. A place where you can find success as long as you are willing to put in the hard work. A country where you have the freedom to practice whatever religion or none at all, speak your mind, and live freely. I will always be grateful to the United States for giving my parents a new home to make a better life for their children. And that is exactly what we did.
This was by far the heaviest challenge food wise for me to date. Not because the food is complicated. Rather the pressure to best represent my country is what made this week difficult. With the help of some great friends I comprised a 3 part menu for the United States based on 9 dishes that truly represent every corner of our great country. We started day 1 with the West Coast. Nothing says California more than a great California wine from Napa Valley.
We paired this wine with Northern California Herb Goat Cheese Toasts. We made these by toasting Garlic Ciabatta Bread then spreading the goat cheese on top. We placed fresh California figs on top and drizzled with honey. So delicious!!
We served this delicious appetizer with a wonderful Apple Rutabaga Sweet Potato Soup using delicious Granny Smith Apples from the Pacific Northwestern State of Washington. Not only was this soup incredibly healthy and hearty, but boy was it delicious! Especially after dunking our Goat Cheese toasts in and devouring. We boiled all the veggies in Chicken Stock, blended in a blender then returned to stove. Instead of heavy cream, which is what the recipe called for, I substituted Fat Free Greek Yogurt and a little Skim Milk. The last touch was a drizzle of Vermont Maple Syrup. Yummers!
Golden Gate Bridge San Francisco, California
Next stop on our culinary tour of the US- New England. Known for its rustic beauty, incredible seafood, and gorgeous shores, this was my favorite day of cooking the US. We made a New England favorite, Maine Lobster Rolls with Kettle Chips. We took 4 Lobster Tails, steamed them and pulled out all meat. Mixed with fresh Tarragon Leaves, Mayo, Mustard, Hot Sauce, and Lemon juice and voila! Served on top of an open face bun and Kettle Potato Chips, this meal was divine!
Autumn In New England
We could not cook the US without including the state that I grew up in, Maryland! Nothing says Maryland more than some delicious Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes. The smell of these cooking took me right back to my office at Merrill Lynch overlooking the Baltimore Harbor on Pratt Street. We took fresh Lump Crab, Mayo, Mustard, Saltine Crackers, and a ton of Old Bay to make these beauties. Served with fresh Lemon and a bit of parsley and these bad boys were gone in seconds.
Steamed Maryland Blue Crabs with Tons of Old Bay Seasoning!
We finished our meal off with a sweet ending of Key Lime Pie! This dessert gets its name from the Limes that are so plentiful and tart from the Florida Keys, a group of Islands of the Coast of Florida. This is one of the few desserts I love. It is tart, not sweet. Creamy and Crunchy at the same time, and the fresh limes are citrus heaven. This was my first attempt at baking Key Lime Pie, but I felt it should not be that difficult given it is just 5 ingredients: Key Limes, Condensed Milk, Egg Yolks, Graham Cracker Crust and Whipped Cream. I knew it was too good to be true, when I pulled it out of the oven and thought to myself "Victory!" As usual I did not wait for the pie to properly cool down before adding the whipped cream. So it melted promptly just as I snapped this photo. It did taste darn good though! After cooling down in the fridge overnight it should be even more delicious by tomorrow!
One of my favorite memories of the Florida Keys is vacationing with my girlfriend Christine in Key West after graduation from College in 1997. We snorkeled in the beautiful Coral Reefs. It was the most colorful underwater experience imaginable.
Our Final Stop on our US Tour is the Midwest, South, and Southwest. What one dish truly covers all three of these regions? Well Barbecue Baby Back Pork Ribs of course! Americans do love their barbecue, and what is so interesting is the diversity of how we prepare our barbecue depending on the region. The difference lies in the sauce.
We cooked 4 different sauces for our Ribs today. North Carolina Sauce which is Vinegar and Mustard Based. Kentucky Bourbon Sauce which has Bourbon, Molasses, and Brown Sugar. Memphis Sauce which is Hickory Smoke based and finally Texas BBQ Sauce which is spicy and hearty. They were all lip smacking good! I must say my favorites were the North Carolina and Memphis.
As side dishes we cooked fresh sweet Corn on the Cob and Idaho Mashed Potatoes. With a touch of sour cream added and a generous dollop of butter, they were creamy and delicious!
Views from the Pacific Northwest
California Dreamin'
United States Capitol
Here are the recipes we used for this week's Feast!
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