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Cheesommelier?

Congratulations to Matt Caputo and Troy Peterson of Caputo’s Deli.

They passed a rigorous certification test by the American Cheese Society and are now recognized as Certified Cheese Professionals (think sommeliers of cheese). This is the first year this certification has been offered, and only 121 people in the nation received the designation–Caputo and Peterson being the only two in Utah.

Matt mentioned that he has a few new cheese projects on the horizon. Can’t wait to hear what he has planned.

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Taste of Utah by Utah’s Own

Utah’s Own, one of my favorite organizations, is putting on their annual Taste of Utah event at the Utah State Fairpark on September 6th.

Over 50 of Utah food producers will be in attendance, passing out samples of their delicious creations. Last year I was particularly impressed with Cheese Bread Mania, and they’ll be back this year.

Also, if you haven’t had a chance to try the Honey Wine Vinegar from Slide Ridge Honey, now’s your chance. They’ll be passing out samples of the delicious vinegar.

The event will take place on September 6th and run from 12-8pm. You get admission with the purchase of a regular all-day fair pass, which is $5.

Find more info here.

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8th Annual Feast of Five Senses

Slow Food Utah is an organization dedicated to promoting local, slow food as a counterpoint to our busy, fast-paced (and often fast-food-filled) lives. It is a nonprofit that extends grants to people interested in building their own small farms or urban gardens.

Every year they put on the Feast of Five Senses, which is their annual fundraiser. This year, they have quite the all-star cast providing delicious bites at the event:

Greg Neville of Lugano
Brian Edwards of Alta Club
Nathan Powers of Bambara
Kassie Little of Liberty Heights Fresh
Amber Billingsley of Vinto
Phelix Gardner of Finca
Romina Rasmussen of Les Madeleines
Ethan Lappe of Caffe Niche
 
Wine by Frances Fecteau of Libation LLC
Beer by Uinta Brewing

The event will be held on Sunday, September 16th at 5:30pm, located at the Alta Club, 100 E South Temple. Cost is $120/person, or if you opt for the food-only option without wine it’s $85.

You can find more info on their website.

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Finca

Finca has been garnering a lot of attention lately, and with good reason. It is the second venture of Scott Evans, the creator of the wildly successful restaurant, Pago.

Scott decided to open a Spanish tapas restaurant, and recruited the help of executive chef Phelix Gardner, who spent his childhood in Spain and went on to work at The Grand America and Wild Grape.

Tapas are gaining popularity in SLC, helped along by tapas pioneers Cafe Madrid, Pipa, Meditrina, and Eva (oh, and I forgot about Martine! Thanks for the reminder, Zach). These little three-bite dishes are perfectly tailored for a group of adventurous individuals to try a bunch of different flavors.

Finca is located in a brand-new building located on the corner of 1300 S 1100 E, directly to the east of Liberty Heights Fresh. The space is bright and cheery, with huge southwest-facing windows that bring in tons of natural light. Initially Finca got a bad rap for being extremely loud. They’ve managed to solve some of that issue by adding acoustic panels throughout the cieling. But during our visit we still found it to be a bit too loud to carry on a comfortable conversation. Decoration is minimal, and it’s a shame that they had to hide the bar behind a Zion curtain. Although well-designed, the Zion curtain still looks odd.

We had a large group (9 of us), and one of our more daring dining companions decided to order the entire tapas menu. There were some definite hits.

My favorites

Boquerones-crostada topped with chevre and anchovy
Tortilla Espanola-wonderfully eggy with a lovely romesco sauce
Croquettas-creamy and fried to perfection
Albondigas-really nice, unique flavor to these meatballs
Mejillones-perfectly tender mussels in a deliciously salty broth
Pork Belly-this was our last plate, and it was the perfect way to finish off. Tender, rich, and topped with a nice BBQ-like sauce
Papas y Aioli-perfectly cooked and crispy, these aoili-topped morsels hit the spot for a hearty dish

The shishito peppers dish was simply prepared and presented, and had just the slightest amount of kick
There was also a flatbread/pizza-style dish that I really liked
The olive plate was a hit as well, providing us with a selection of three different olives
We had a cheese plate, which gave us a small, but varied selection of local cheeses (Snowy Mountain), blue cheese that I can’t remember the name of, champagne grapes, and membrillo. Do yourself a favor and put a slice of the membrillo on a crostada and top it will some blue cheese. It was amazing. But for the $13 or $15 that we paid for it, I would probably suggest passing this one up.

There were a number of salads–none of them too memorable except the strawberry and beet salad that everyone seemed to enjoy.

I apologize for the lack of photos. It was dark in there, and I dislike posting blurry, grainy photos of food as much as you dislike looking at them. I guess that means I have a good excuse to go back during the day.

Finca is delicious. I’m glad I finally had a chance to check it out. While it will definitely fall into my “special occasion” restaurant category (with water to drink, plus tip I paid $30 for myself), I can’t wait to find an occasion to celebrate.

Friday night counts as an occasion, right?

Finca on Urbanspoon

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Coho Salmon Fish Tacos

I’m a recipe guy, which if you have ever met me for more than two minutes, you would know that about my personality. By the book. Follow the directions. Play it safe. In more areas of my life than just cooking.

As I continue to push myself culinarily, I feel one major thing that’s holding me back is my insistence on sticking to recipes. I think it comes back to my thought that until I develop a solid foundation based on the wisdom and experience of others, I shouldn’t try to branch out and do my own thing. I’m currently trying to break that thought process, slowly but surely.

Today I made Coho Salmon fish tacos, and didn’t follow a recipe. I know, big deal, right? But for me it’s a big step. Time to play around with some things.

I bought the salmon on special at Harmon’s (great deal at $6.99/lb). I figured the salmon would need a bit of a kick. So I decided to marinate it in some olive oil, lemon juice, cayenne, chili powder, cumin, and a bit of oregano. The marinade was a success.

I thought I’d experiment with various slaws. I made a “fake-oli” by mixing Mirin with some Mayo. Turned out ok. I made another simple fake-oli by mixing some cumin, lemon juice, and mayo. That one turned out pretty good. I probably should have added some cayenne for a bit more kick. Mixed both of those with cabbage to top the tacos.

I also did a light pickling of some red onion in some apple cider vinegar. I would have preferred using red wine vinegar, but didn’t have any, so plan B. These turned out really good. I pickled some cabbage in a mixture of rice vinegar, soy sauce, and some sugar for a tangy/sweet taste. 

Salmon was cooked in my cast iron skillet in the oven (cooked it for a bit too long so it dried out). I made a guacamole with cut up avocado, some finely diced red onion, tomatoes, salt, and lime juice. 

All-in-all, it turned out to be a tasty dish, and I’ll continue to push myself to make my own creations rather than just follow others’. Maybe one day I’ll even graduate from the color-by-number coloring books. Here’s hoping.

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Cooking Class at ZY

If you asked me to list my five favorite dishes in Salt Lake, ZY Restaurant’s scallops dish would certainly be on the list. Chef Matt said today that he strives to make dishes that diners regularly crave, and this dish fits the bill. Perfectly cooked scallops resting on a bed of almond romesco and drizzled with a red wine reduction and curry-infused oil. I haven’t forgotten this dish since I first had it last year.

Craving would be an apt description.

I was thrilled to hear that ZY was putting on a lunchtime class where Chef Matt would demonstrate how to make their signature dishes. Matt explained that there are only two dishes that have remained on the menu throughout their entire first year of being open: the scallops and tender pecan pork. When he first opened he had a lot of people ask him what his signature dishes are. He said he couldn’t answer that–the customers decide what the signature dishes are–and these two have remained extremely popular.

Attend a class that unlocks the secret to these dishes, and then be treated to lunch afterwards? Sign me up!

General Manager Miles Broadhead and Chef Matt Lake

I’ll share some tips that Chef Matt shared with us.

-Whenever possible, get “dry” scallops instead of “wet” scallops. Wet scallops have been treated with a chemical (sodium tripolyphosphate) to help them retain their moisture. Wet scallops are extremely difficult to sear due to the high water content–and a good sear is key with this dish. Talk to your local fish guy and ask them if they sell dry scallops. Chef Matt said that Whole Foods and Harmon’s does, but they might not be found in other grocery stores. Of course, Aquarius downtown would be an excellent source as well.

-Don’t overcook your scallops. They should be warmed throughout, but not overcooked. Put them in a very hot pan and by the time the scallops have a good sear on both sides, they’re ready to go.

-Whenever possible, use Kosher salt in your cooking. Sea salt is a great finishing salt, but doesn’t dissolve well, and iodized salt is, well, iodized salt. Matt uses Kosher mainly because it dissolves so well during the cooking process.

-Never, ever use bottled lemon juice. Lemons are cheap and plentiful, and fresh juice makes a huge difference in the overall taste of your dish.

-For the red wine reduction, use a red wine that you would drink (meaning not too crummy), but it doesn’t have to be top-shelf, either.

-You can make the red wine reduction ahead of time and then seal it in an airtight container and keep in the fridge. It can last up to a month if sealed properly and makes for a great finishing sauce.

-You can use a high-quality curry powder from the store, but Matt also likes to go to the Indian markets where you can make your own special curry powder blend. Don’t be afraid to experiment and play around with the ingredients.

-Chef Matt also shared a unique way to make infused oils. Fill a sterilized mason jar with oil, and then put whatever spices you want to infuse the oil with in with it (curry, rosemary, thyme, etc). Seal, and place outside in direct sunlight. On a hot day the sun will gently heat the oil to around 120 degrees and will begin to be infused with the spices. Once infused (taste to know when), filter the oil through cheesecloth and store the oil in a cool, dry place. It’s the fancy-pants take on sun tea.

Matt was a great instructor and even sent us home with the recipes! The scallops recipe is posted below, with permission.

Oh, also, Miles, the general manager, said that they plan to hold these classes quarterly, with the next class on December 1st. If you want to be put on their newsletter to be sure you don’t miss a class, call the restaurant at (801) 779-4730. You can also find ZY on Facebook and Twitter.

Scallops with Almond Romesco, Curry Oil, and Red Wine Reduction

Tender Pecan Pork (I’ll be posting this recipe later)

ZY Scallops

Scallops with almond, curry, and red wine reduction.
Yield 4 portions

Scallops

12 ea. U12 dry sea scallops
Kosher salt
Fresh black pepper, ground

Almond Romesco

2 cups blanched, slivered almonds (don’t use roasted)
1 bunch flat leaf parsley
1 clove peeled garlic
Juice of one lemon
¾ cup extra virgin olive oil
Bread crumbs (approx 1 cup–don’t use panko)

In a food processor combine the nuts, garlic, and parsley. Blend till coarse ground and add the lemon juice. Slowly add in the olive oil and puree to a loose pesto consistency. Remove the mixture from the bowl and place in a clean mixing bowl. Slowly stir in the bread crumbs to lightly bind the mixture. Season with salt and set aside. May be made up to two days in advance and stored in the refrigerator. Bring up to room temperature before serving.

Red Wine Reduction

3 cups red wine of medium body
¼ cup raw sugar

Place the wine and sugar in a small sauce pan. Reduce until light syrup consistency (when reduced about 2/3 of initial volume).

Curry Oil

1 tbsp yellow curry powder
2 cups grape seed oil

Combine the curry powder and oil in a small sauce pan. Heat on low heat until aroma from the curry develops (or use the “sun tea” method above)

To Assemble

Sear the scallops in a hot pan with a little oil until golden brown. Season with salt and pepper, flip, and repeat. When the scallops are just warmed through, remove from heat. Place the almond romesco in the middle of the plate, top with the scallops, drizzle a little of the curry oil and red wine reduction around the scallops. Serve.

ZY Restaurant on Urbanspoon

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New Restaurants in City Creek

Johnny Rockets and BRIO Tuscan Grille will be coming to City Creek shortly. Johnny Rockets plans to open in November and BRIO plans to open early next year. It sure would be nice to have some more local restaurants added to City Creek outside of the food court, but I’m guessing that the high lease prices and large store footprints make it cost-prohibitive for the smaller, local guys to get in.

Press Release below.

SALT LAKE CITY, July 25, 2012 – City Creek Center, the regional shopping and dining destination that opened in March in downtown Salt Lake City, will soon welcome several more stores and restaurants:  West Elm, The Art of Shaving and Sprint, along with Johnny Rockets and BRIO Tuscan Grille, will join the center’s premium tenant lineup in the coming months.

Debuting its first location in Utah is West Elm.  Since it launched in 2002, West Elm has been helping people express their personal style at home with authentic, affordable and approachable products.  Each season, West Elm’s talented in-house team of designers creates a collection that can’t be found anywhere else, and works with artists and independent designers globally and locally to develop collaborations that are exclusive to the brand.  West Elm also offers handmade and one-of-a-kind discoveries from around the world, working closely with organizations that support the development of global craft communities and artisan skills.  The City Creek Center store opens in the fall and offers a broad range of products for the home including furniture, bedding, decorative accessories, lighting, kitchenware and gifts. 

Opening by October is The Art of Shaving.  Created in 1996, The Art of Shaving shops are the first of their kind – masculine establishments providing men with the finest shaving products and barber services. Operated by a team of shaving specialists and expertly trained master barbers, the shop’s Barber Spa offers traditional barber services, including the brand’s signature Royal Shave, along with advice on proper grooming techniques.  A full range of natural shaving products formulated from high-quality botanical ingredients and pure essential oils enable customers to experience “the perfect shave” and the best in men’s skin care.

Also coming to City Creek Center this fall is Sprint, a leading name in wireless technology and mobile phones.  Featuring all the latest devices and major brands along with a wide selection of plans, Sprint is the only national carrier offering unlimited data plans on the iPhone, the just-released EVO 4G LTE and Samsung Galaxy S3, and all other smartphones.  Staffed by knowledgeable employees, the Sprint retail location also features a full line of accessories.  The store opens in September.

Serving up all-American fare with a big dose of fun is Johnny Rockets, coming in November.  An international restaurant chain offering the food, fun and friendliness of feel-good Americana since 1986, Johnny Rockets is the place to go for a flavorful meal and a good time, too.  Classic burgers and sandwiches, hand-spun shakes and American fries served with the trademarked “ketchup smiley face,” along with a Rocket Kids menu, the chain’s friendly service, timeless music and upbeat dance routines make Johnny Rockets a favorite destination for shoppers and visitors to the area.

And bringing the flavors of Tuscany to City Creek Center’s dining lineup is BRIO Tuscan Grille.  Meaning “lively” or “full of life,” BRIO is an upscale yet affordable restaurant serving authentic, northern Italian cuisine in a Tuscan villa atmosphere.  A perfect choice for family gatherings, intimate dinners or business lunches, the menu features wood-grilled and oven-roasted steaks, chops and seafood as well as made-to-order pastas, inspired appetizers, pizza, salads and more. BRIO’s philosophy is “to eat well is to live well,” which is why it uses only the finest and freshest ingredients.  Opening next year at City Creek Center, BRIO will also offer creative seasonal specials, an extensive wine list, online ordering, carryout service and event catering.  

“We’re excited to be the first Utah location for West Elm and dozens of other retailers, and we look forward to welcoming all these great stores and restaurants to our outstanding collection,” says Dee Brewer, City Creek Center marketing and sponsorship director.

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Pizzeria 712/La Nay Ferme Dinner

I have heard great things about La Nay Ferme and was elated to receive an invite to come down to tour the farm and participate in their first farm dinner of the year.

They partnered with Pizzeria 712 for the food. Pizzeria 712 is owned by the Heirloom Restaurant Group, which also owns Communal, Mountain West Burrito, as well as their own catering company. One of Heirloom’s guiding principles is sourcing as many ingredients as close to home as possible. And La Nay Ferme provides them with that ability. Heirloom sources a large amount of their fresh produce from La Nay.

It was a bit drizzly during appetizers, so they scrambled to move all of the tables and place settings to dry shelter.

It was such a unique experience to be able to eat dinner surrounded by the sights and smells of the farm (our table was plopped right over some beautiful basil plants). Taylor Mason, the head chef at 712, went to the farm the day before and picked all of the ingredients for the dinner. We had a beautiful strawberry basil drink, sugary sweet peas, farro and cucumber, a wonderful salad of arugula, feta, zucchini and squash, tasty chicken and quinoa, and topped it off with a surprisingly rich corn cake dressed with a corn puree (which they said was simply made by pureeing corn, milk, cream, and a bit of sugar).

Melissa (my wife) and I both agreed that this was one of our most favorite and memorable dates we’ve had. If you’re interested in more info on the dinners you can check out La Nay’s website. You can also visit their Facebook page.

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Tillamook Burger Week

Between Burger Week, Shark Week, and Chicken Week, it’s a tough decision which week is my favorite. Actually, who am I kidding. Burger always wins. In every decision in your life, go with the burger and you’ll always be happy.

Anywho.

Tillamook is making a weeklong stop in Salt Lake City during their annual Loaf Love Tour. And they’re celebrating SLC’s affection for burgers by teaming up with two of the city’s top burger stops: The Wild Grape and Squatters. Each restaurant has created a burger special just for Burger Week.

Wild Grape has developed the Tillamook Triple Cheese Burger. Three of Tillamook’s cheeses (sharp cheddar, Monterey Jack, and Pepper Jack) top the sustainable beef burger, along with spinach and tomato, all between two pieces of artisan bread buns. This burger will be served alongside Wild Grape’s house-cut fries (which may just be my favorite fries in Salt Lake) for $11.

Squatters has also put together an incredible burger. Niman Ranch ground chuck, topped with Tillamook Pepper Jack, roasted green chilies, fresh avocado, and house-made chipotle aioli. The burger comes with your choice of fries or salad for $10.

The burger specials will run at each restaurant from July 21st through July 28th.

To stay up to date with the Loaf Love tour’s whereabouts, follow them on Twitter. You can also get more info by going to the Loaf Love’s website.

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Wasatch Mountain Table Dinner Series

Solitude has re-envisioned what outdoor dining should be with the introduction of their Wasatch Mountain Table dinner series. Set just outside the St Bernard’s restaurant along the bank of the Big Cottonwood creek, it is the perfect spot for getting together with friends to enjoy each others’ company, as well as Chef Michael Richey’s creations. Chef Richey was formerly the chef at Pago and The Tree Room at Sundance Resort. I was lucky to be invited to take part in the dinner and share my thoughts on the experience.

Forty guests are seated at a long communal table, which provides ample opportunity to get to know new people and better get to know old friends. To my right sat an auto parts salesman who also happened to be a CIA graduate from New York. Across from me was one of Salt Lake’s leading interior designers. Needless to say, while our conversation bounced around from hospitals to car parts to motorcycles and cooking, there was never a lack of interesting topics.

Anyone familiar with Chef Michael Richey’s style knows that he focuses on sourcing as many of his ingredients as close to the kitchen as possible. Many of the ingredients from tonight’s dinner, such as honey vinegar, tomatoes, eggs, and apricots, are sourced along the Wasatch Front. For other ingredients where sourcing locally isn’t an option (i.e. wild King salmon), ingredients are sourced regionally. Tonight’s dinner featured products from M&M Farm (in Richey’s opinion the best produce in Salt Lake City), Slide Ridge Honey, Sandhill Farms, Clifford Farm, and Mystic Salmon. Kelli Bess, from Slide Ridge, took a moment to tell us the Slide Ridge story. They are family-owned, produce a variety of honeys, honey wine vinegar, mead, and are now producing honey wine (they are a federally licensed winery). It was fun to put a face and story to one of the products we were going to enjoy that evening.

Our evening began with some delicious appetizers. 

The first were the M&M Farm Yukon Gold potato pillows topped with American Sturgeon Caviar. For those of you who may be caviar novices (like me), let me calm your fears: If you’ve ever had tobiko at a sushi place, you pretty much know what you’re getting into with caviar. This was my second favorite dish of the evening.

The next dish was a bruschetta topped with romesco, grilled green onions, and black garlic. Rich, crunchy, and delicious.

Next up were the Utah pork rillettes with grilled bread. Think chicken or tuna salad, except taken to the next level with pork as the protein.

Our final appetizer was deviled Clifford Farms eggs topped with icicle radish, black truffles, and chives.

Now, on to the dinner.

Arugula salad with cherries, roasted yellow beets, and the most deliciously smooth house-made ricotta cheese that I’ve ever had. The salad was dressed with a Slide Ridge Honey vinaigrette. 

Maple Torta with braising greens, chevre, caramelized onions, and a balsamic reduction.

Wild King Salmon with snap peas, roasted eggplant, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, basil nage, and corn pone. This dish stole the show with an absolutely killer variety of flavors and textures. Everything about this dish was perfection, from the deeply roasted eggplant to the wonderfully herby nage to the amazingly deep and rich corn pone. And of course don’t forget the tastiest piece of salmon I’ve ever had. Somebody get cracking on legalizing marrying food, because I just found my soulmate. Definitely my favorite dish of the evening.

Stone fruit tart with apricot ice cream and bourbon caramel. Anybody who knows me knows I’m not much of a cooked fruit guy, especially in desserts. Something about the texture that gets me. But I put that aside and I’m glad I did because the tart was wonderful. The tart featured a nice crust and a delicious house-made apricot ice cream.

For those who missed out on this dinner, you’re in luck. Solitude is hosting three more of these dinners throughout the Summer, on July 28th, August 18th, and September 15th. Be sure to bring a jacket, as the temperature drops noticeably the second the sun disappears behind the mountains.

Click here to go over to Solitude’s site to get more info on the Wasatch Mountain Table.

Chef Michael Richey