Viva Las Vegas!!

Vegas claims, “What happens here stays here.”  But time and time again this line has been proven false!  This was especially true after the Catersource Conference and Tradeshow we at LLIO recently attended.  The nights were wild, the food was amazing, and I am here to spill my guts on all of it and tell you a tale or two of things we learned.  So sit back, relax and remember, Viva Las Vegas!

Beets have quickly become one of my favorite vegetables; bursting with colors, full of deep rich flavor, and being so versatile what’s not to love?  After a few meals in the city of sin we started to see beets coming back and being presented much more prominently and proudly on the menus.  So with this in mind lets us present our version of the roasted beet napoleon; roasted golden and bulls blood beets layered between herbed smoked goat cheese and ricotta accented with fresh thyme and lemon zest, then drizzle with a lemon and cracked black pepper vinaigrette.  We topped the beets with springs of fresh thyme and lemon zest, then finished off the plate with fresh arugula and shaved red onion.  The beets were meaty and deep accented by the sweet peppery bite of the vinaigrette while using the goat cheese and ricotta to bind and enhance all the flavors.  The bite of the fresh thyme and lemon zest took this dish over the top, a perfect dish to welcome any season!

While we are talking about beets, let’s discuss another often overlooked vegetable or vegetable category, leafy greens.  These dark dinosaurs are the ancestors of all modern cabbages, broccolis and sprouts, yet are not shown the love and attention they deserve.  Considering most people associate greens with long slow simmers with pork shanks as a side dish to fried chicken, and there is nothing wrong with this, I say it’s time to take a trip on the fresh side of greens.  Let me introduce you to a new leaf of green innovation, our rainbow chard and cavolo nero salad with roasted butternut squash, dried cranberries, seasoned roasted walnuts, green onions and a blood orange vinaigrette.  This is a mouthful of textures, flavors and smells, each more intense and inviting than the last.  The greens have a wonderful hearty texture compared to the soft roasted squash, the crunch of the walnuts and the chew of the dried cranberries.  What ties this all together is the sweet yet tangy blood orange vinaigrette made with fresh blood orange juice, balsamic vinegar, honey, and extra virgin olive oil.  A true taste sensation.

Speaking of leafy greens why not delve into one of my favorite yet least used herbs in my garden, Thai basil.  Its sweet anise flavor can be intense and sweet, but its depth of flavor and complexity come to life with the application of heat.  With that direction lets dive into a bowl of our newest development, Thai basil fried rice with julienned radishes and grilled baby bok choy.  Once again grilled bok choy comes into play, both for the depth of flavor it provides and the texture it adds to rice dishes.  The Thai basil pops this dish, adding a slight anise flavor but a very big and deep almost curry note perfuming the rice.  This would be a perfect dish on its own or with grilled chicken, or beef, or shrimp, or fish…. really just about anything would be a perfect companion for this dish.

Second to the light bulb, fennel is my favorite bulb.  This is the original home of anise and licorice flavor but the texture, and sweetness is hard to find anywhere else.  I have loved fennel in every incarnation I can, caramelized in brown butter, shaved and mixed in with French potato salad, and now apple cider braised with seared Brussels sprouts.  We cubed the fennel and sautéed the chunks to a nice golden brown, added some granny smith apples, then a dash of cider vin and fresh apple cider, this braised away on the stove top till the fennel was soft with a touch of texture left and the apples yielded away to your fork.  This mixture was then added to Brussels sprouts hot seared then tossed with crispy homemade pancetta.  A taste and texture explosion like you wouldn’t believe!!  Bright hits from the vinegar mix with the sweetness of the apple and fennel, offset by the herbal saltiness of the crispy pancetta, then rounded out by the seared sprouts. 

With all this green talk we almost overlooked the most crucial part of any meal, dessert!  But what would be a fun an exciting new twist on dessert, what was new and exciting, what would be perfect for spring…. Eureka!  A good friend of ours at Catersource led us to this perfect cocktail,  introducing our line of beer floats perfect to beat the heat of the summer.  We used a classic combination of blue moon and orange, except we replace the orange slice with orange sherbet.  The sweetness of the beer paired perfectly with the sorbet melding the two together into a sweet beer treat!  Our next addition to the line, which I never got a chance to photograph before it was so rudely eaten, was a dark modelo topped with our signature chocolate habanera and lime ice cream.  The sweet dark chocolate mixed with the cold heat and the tang of lime made for a perfect taste sensation taking you back to a hot day in Mexico, or your favorite pool side lounger.

They claim what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, but you can’t stop inspiration and ideas have no geographic limitation.  So let’s raise a toast to the city of sin, may she always inspire us to keep creating and stay on our toes.

Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

Southern Smokehouse

I love the smoker.  No joke, no punch line or caveats, I just love our smoker with a pure unadulterated passion.  Over the years we have smoked everything from house corned beef shanks, heirloom tomatoes and tenderloins to fresh goat cheese, leeks and eggplants.  Almost nothing is off limits when it comes to the wonder that is smoke.  So this week I kicked around some of our classic dishes and took them for a spin through our house of hickory.

I must warn you now this next section contains nuts!  Bar nuts are a perfect snack food.  Weather they are roasted, toasted, seasoned sweet or spicy; they are always the perfect choice for munching and cocktailing.  At Inspired Occasions we have developed a few different recipes to satisfy every pallet but two recipes stood out leaving me wanting something more! 

Introducing our new Chinese five spice smoked cashews with a dusting of cayenne!  The cashews were tossed in lightly whipped egg whites, five spice, cayenne, kosher salt and cracked black pepper before being placed in the smoker to cure.  The result is a shiny and crunchy shell around a rich and meaty cashew highlighted by the brightness of anise, cloves and pepper.  But the real player was the smoke which brought out and changed the flavor of the five spice into a sweeter more balanced flavor, without overwhelming the other ingredients.  

For some contrasting flavors try our newest smoked hot and spicy mixed nuts!  Cashews, macadamias, peanuts, pecans and brazil nuts sautéed with butter, Worcestershire, celery salt, Seasoning salt, cumin, cayenne, and granulated garlic.  These nuts alone are a flavor bomb of spicy, salty goodness but once they took a long slow nap in the smoke box the game changed.  After a 2 hour smoke, flavor was way too intense, bitter and almost acrid.  But, like most good things, a little patience and curing time was required.  We let them cure overnight; The next day we were greeted with a perfectly smoked, hot and spicy, mixed nut that was above and beyond our expectations.  The butter soaked up the smoke then coated each one of the nuts, soaking into every pore overnight, resulting in a perfect smoky bite.  The transformation was simply amazing.

But enough about snacks let’s talk about something really fun, dessert!  I know what you are thinking and let me tell you that this next taste sensation will shake your foundation.  Presenting our smoked banana pudding tart, with a crisp nilla wafer crust layered with fresh bananas then topped with whipped cream and chocolate shavings.  The pudding was prepared by “cold smoking” peeled bananas and mashing them with a little banana liqueur then incorporating them into a velvety smooth but thick pudding.  The smoke was once again took center stage at first, but given time, settled back to a more subtle supporting role enhancing the sweetness and banana flavor in the pudding.  The firm raw bananas on the bottom of the tart provided that perfect textural journey between the smooth pudding and the crisp wafer crust.  As my friend from Charleston once said, “There is no reason why this should exist, but I am so happy it does!” 

Here’s to a “Smokin Hot” Spring!

Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

An Inspired Valentine

Here we are again, another February 14^th has arrived and the time has come to shower our loved ones with gifts, flowers, chocolates and gastronomic delights.  But you can’t bestow upon your dearest beloved the same chocolate dipped strawberries and heart shaped box of chocolates every year!  There must be some variety and spice in your offerings, and that is where we here at Inspired Occasions come to your rescue.  This Valentine’s Day we venture away from the tried and true, while still staying true to the message of the holiday.  Love is in the air, but bliss is on the plate.

We start the evening off with a modern twist on the classic strawberry salad.  Fresh plump strawberries decorate a mound of tender spring mix greens, topped with toasted pumpkin seeds, shaved red onion and dressed with a warm balsamic glaze vinaigrette.  The twist that takes this salad over the top is the addition of a warm Tri color peppercorn and goat cheese mousse.  Crushed pink, black and white peppercorns gently folded into the warm goat cheese mousse that drapes over the greens adding a creamy and light textural contrast to the crunch of the peppercorns and pumpkin seeds.  The black pepper and strawberries are a natural combination and, this is the next evolution.

What would a day all about love be without some pork, roast rack of pork to be precise, but a bit of backtracking to a historical dessert before we continue.  Cherries jubilee is one of mine, and my father’s, favorite desserts.  The flavors are so intense and bold we decided not to keep them a prisoner of the dessert plate.  Introducing our new roast rack of pork with cherries jubilee glaze, wild rice pilaf and steamed broccolini.  The glaze is prepared with all the classic flavors with fun twists, cherry preserves and orange marmalade provided the base, black peppercorns brought a spice and bite, rich chicken stock added body, brandy and triple sec added fresh and bright aromas and flavors.  After the sauce had simmered for the proper amount of time, we mounted it with a few dabs of butter and ladled it over lovely porky goodness.  Savory wild rice pilaf accented with thyme was the perfect companion for the sweet and juicy pork chops. 

Now for dessert, who says it always has to be chocolate?  Every Valentine’s Day sweethearts give chocolate as gifts, eat chocolate at dinner, and sometimes even drink chocolate beer or wine.  Enough already!  Let’s break this tradition of chocohaulism America, and here is where you can start!  Presenting our newest, and one of my recent favorites, grilled caramelized peach with vanilla Greek yogurt ice cream, toasted pistachios drizzled with chocolate (It’s a 12 step program getting over chocolate), and finished with warm dried blueberries reconstituted in honey, triple sec, lemon juice and fresh orange zest.  I can’t even begin to describe the flavor here; each bite is like happiness incarnate.  The grilled peach is sweet and juicy with a touch of char from the grill, paired with the velvety smooth vanilla Greek yogurt is a match made in heaven.  The salty crunch of the pistachios drizzled with just a touch of rich chocolate, (we cannot go cold turkey here), pair perfectly with the pop of the marinated blue berries, warm and dripping with honey and triple sec.  The only way to make this better would be to pair it with an ice cold glass of blueberry limoncello…. which we just so happen to have.

Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

Weird Inspiration, Austin Style

I recently embarked on a culinary road trip to the great southern city of Austin Texas, a land best described as the last bastion of the counter culture movement in the South.  It is my belief that where ever people are pushing the boundaries of cultural norms there will be pools of talented chefs following suit.I was not disappointed, by the people or the food.  And so after gorging my way across the city I came home and set about creating dishes inspired by my travels. 

My first spot of inspiration came from the BBQ scene, specifically the emphasis on “smoke” as a flavor component.  Smoke as a flavoring is added to everything; root vegetable chips, bourbon for old fashions, even the desserts get in on the action with vanilla ice cream hit with a dusting of smoked sea salt.  While smoke is an amazing additive that brings forth complex and unique flavors, it can become very overwhelming for me, balance is a must!  So, I present our first creation:  a crisp herb crostini with whipped ricotta and fresh lemon thyme accented with crispy house cured pancetta and cold smoked honey.  The lemon bouquet from the thyme permeates the soft and airy cheese and balances the crisp and herbal pancetta bits and the sweet smoky honey.  The smoke, acid and sweet is in perfect balance.  Just enough smoke to perfume each bite, but not enough to overpower the delicate flavors in the cheese and pancetta. 

This next dish just screams fall, but has the versatility to adapt to any season.  Brussels sprouts were a hot commodity down south, appearing in everything from Thai to Italian.  But my favorite use of any cabbage comes from the Irish and their classic peasant dish Colcannon (a traditional dish made with layers of potatoes, cabbage and bacon).  While on my early morning walks I found a little Irish restaurant offering an upscale Colcannon with Brussels sprouts which kindled some creative thoughts.  After thinking and tinkering I was inspired to create our new grilled sweet potatoes and pan seared Brussels sprout salad, highlighted with whole grain mustard and white wine, and garnished with crispy bacon bits.  A huge flavor emerged!  The caramelized pan seared sprouts added a depth and complexity that paired beautifully with lightly smoky taste of the grilled sweet potatoes.  The crisp white wine was a perfect match for the spicy stone ground mustard, yielding a bright and light glaze.  Salad down, time for some lamb!

Lamb is one of my favorite meats, rich in flavor and body; it’s a comfort food no matter how you prepare it.  But I wanted to bring some new direction to the lamb experience. A different application of the classic flavor profiles was in order.  Just imagine this flavor profile:  Grilled rack of lamb lightly seasoned with Chinese five spice, topped with an orange, red onion and fresh mint relish, accented with honey, red chili flake, and fresh orange juice.  Bright, spicy and refreshing flavors abound with the hint of mint lingering as a cooling aftertaste.   The orange relish enhanced the rich, intense flavors of the five spice seasoned lamb while drawing out the sweetness of the meat.

Now I saved my favorite for last. The inspiration for this dish came to me from the very last thing I ate before leaving in Austin.  In the early morning hours of a beautiful Saturday night/Sunday morning, some new friends took me to their favorite breakfast place, a lovely dive called Magnolias.  Here, with great gusto, I enjoyed an amazing late night/breakfast treat.  This was my muse to create our newest hors d’oeuvres, green chili corn bread pancakes topped with BBQ beef shank tossed in our Signature Bourbon BBQ Sauce. A green onion garnish completes the flavor profile and adds a spot of color.    While the pancakes are very light, the cornmeal provides great texture and the green chilies add the right amount of spice. The tender smoked beef shank brings it all home and the bold flavor of the sauce provides the desired balance.  A perfect BBQ bite!

Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

Channeling some Spring

Admit it, if it wasn’t for the holidays and snowball fights winter is a boring season.  This winter has just been a cold and mostly snowless void, and with the holidays over winter has no reason to still be here.  In my quest to cure myself of the wintertime blues I called on a few friends and channeled the spirits of springtime future and roused myself from this long winters nap.

Just as the approaching tide of fall and winter bring back classic dishes to my table, coq au vin and Cassoulet for example, spring screams for meals with the flame broiled taste of the grill.  With our coals glowing our team was ready to introduce the world to a seasonal sensation of “grilled flatbreads”;, grilled pita spread with a savory goat cheese Alfredo topped with balsamic caramelized onions, grilled pineapple, fire torched oranges and finished with wilted arugula.  The finishing touch of the wilted arugula provided a peppery bite to round out the party of flavors. 

While we were grilling the cold winds cut through our clothes, demanding that we abandon our quest for spring and send us back inside to hibernate.  We fought on, but required something warm and rich to enhance our strength! That’s when we created our new grilled cauliflower soup.  We grilled thick cut slabs of cauliflower seasoned with salt and cracked black pepper till they were just tender with hints of smoke and char from the flames.  To make the soup we used one of our greatest secret ingredients, smoked beef butter which adds a slight kick of smoke and body to our dish.  We sweated onions, thyme, and garlic till tender then added our cauliflower and stock.  A trip to the blender and we had a velvety smooth concoction with hints of smoke and BBQ, but there was something missing, something to add that element of spring to the dish.  Puttanesca sauce or charmoula grilled shrimp were the answer.  Both add a spice and texture so different from the soup, while the vinegar in the puttanesca and the lime/lemon juice in the shrimp cut through the richness and left the soup light and delicious.

With our grill dying down we still had the urge for something more, a dish that truly represented the essence of spring, but what could that be?  A fresh tomato tart!  But not just any tart, we changed up the rules and developed a hot bacon, lettuce and tomato tart with house cured pancetta, hot house tomatoes, wilted arugula, smoked herbed goat cheese and finished it with lemon zest.  We used a combination of extra virgin olive oil, balsamic vinegar, sherry vinegar, summer savory, basil and homemade red chili flakes.  This went into our skillet with the halved tomatoes and crispy pancetta then topped with a sheet of puff pastry and into the oven to work magic.  We watched as our pastry crust slowly rose becoming crispy and golden as the tomatoes beneath wilted into the crust.  When all was ready we flipped the tart onto a plate then topped with smoked herbed goat cheese, fresh lemon zest and wilted arugula.  Ripe and tender tomatoes, yielding like a rich sauce to your fork with crispy flavor bombs of pancetta draped with the light smoke from the goat cheese was finished off by the peppery bite of the arugula.  I can almost feel that spring time air with each and every bite. 

While we still have a couple more months of winter left to battle, at least I can rest assured knowing come springtime we will be ready with some of your new favorite inspired occasion’s creations. Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

Field Goal Festivities!

It’s that time of year again.  College football has just ended and the big showcase is looming around the corner.  The Feast of the Super Bowl is one of my favorite holidays every year, bringing together friends and family to eat way too much, drink ice cold beer and shout at a television for hours on a Sunday afternoon.  But like any great tradition, doing the same old same old every year can become dull and vapid.

So this year we here at Lon Lane’s Inspired Occasions decided to “Tackle the Challenge” “kick off” some game day dishes destined for the highlight reel. 

Buffalo wings.  Over the years we have seen the evolution of this incredible dish, from humble bar snacks to the fodder of the finest gastro pubs.  But at their heart they are a simplistic combination of tender chicken in a rich and powerful sauce.  So why then does the form matter?  Introducing a duo of Buffy chicken goodness, our new buffalo chicken torte layered with ranch cream cheese and diced celery and carrots.  We made a batch of deeply seasoned and marinated chicken strips; hand chopped them and then tossed with a homemade wing sauce.  The ranch cream cheese layer in the middle can be adapted to suit any situation; Blue cheese ranch, blue cheese mouse, chipotle ranch and the list continues.  We served the torte with fried spinach and sun dried tomato flour tortilla wedges.  They added color, flavor and a creative twist on the classic corn tortilla chips.  Speaking of twists….

Presenting our Buffalo Chicken Wrap with a ranch and blue cheese spread, buffalo chicken tenders, lettuce, carrot and celery.   The concept was simple, take every element that makes your buffalo wing experience and pack it all into one compact bite.  The moist chicken is the perfect vehicle for the spicy and tangy sauce, the celery and carrots provide a clean and crisp crunch while the ranch spread cools your mouth from the heat of the sauce.  A perfect buffalo wing experience and no small bones to fight over!

But wings are the standard, what is our new direction?  Well since you asked, we decided to keep with the wrap direction and create a pair of Asian wraps perfect for any occasions.  For your pleasure we offer our take on a Mexican rice and bean wrap and called it “south west sushi”!  We used a bright and flavorful jasmine rice salad mixed with fresh; healthy, edamame.  The secret to this amazing salad is in the dressing, we toss the rice with diced orange, shredded napa cabbage, mint, cilantro, chives, rice wine vinegar, sesame oil, orange juice and the secret kicker…. Pickled ginger.  Every bite is a burst of fresh and exciting flavors dancing on your tongue.   

While we are dabbling in Asia why not experience our new Grilled Sesame Chicken Wrap!  We marinated tender strips of chicken breast meat with chilies, garlic, sesame oil, toasted black and white sesame seeds, green onions, honey, and cilantro and lime juice.  After a few hour soak, the strips then hit the grill for some char and sweet caramelization from the marinade.  Our wrap was completed with fresh cucumbers, carrots, lettuce and a sweet and spicy Thai mayonnaise. The end result was a blast of fresh and bright flavors reminiscent of sweet and spicy lettuce wraps, without all the mess! 

So for your next game day, graduation or Thursday for that matter, step outside the wing and experience some Inspired creations!  Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!  Touchdown!