New Italian Renaissance

Italian is the go to American food.  Think about it, every day people are ordering pizza, pasta salads and lasagnas without even thinking they are dabbling in another countries history.  American Italian has seen some dark days but the sun is on the horizon and a new renaissance is blooming.  Chefs are concentrating on regional specialties showcasing their interpretation of the history and culture of individual areas.  We decided to try our hand at re-inventing some true Italian classics with modern twists and exciting ingredients.

Pasta salad has always been my go to during the hot summer months.  It’s very easy to make, its filling, completely customizable, and won’t wilt at a picnic.  But being my go-to for so long has made this dish stagnant, sometimes boring.  Not anymore, a recent personal discovery of a fun and exciting pasta shape has reinvigorated my love of this dish.  Presenting our newest summer salad, trotolle pasta salad with grilled eggplant, diced tomatoes, spinach, shredded asiago and finished with a light and refreshing roasted garlic vinaigrette.  These funky little pasta shapes trap and hold bits bright dressing that bursts with every bite.  The grilled eggplant adds a deep slightly smoky flavor creating a deep flavor to compliment all the light and fresh ingredients.  The pasta salad has been reborn, and trotolle is its savior. 

Lasagna is a true classic.  A perfect example of Italian home-style comfort in a pan, with each layer a symphony of flavors and textures, yielding effortlessly to the next.  So what can we do to put a new spin on history? What possible changes could we make to tradition that could make this dish better… take away the noodles!  Introducing our newest, and gluten free, comfort creation; Italian Grilled chicken and vegetable spoon bread layered with orange scented polenta.  We started with a layer of diced grilled vegetables, then poured on a thin layer of polenta enhanced with orange zest and shaved parmesan cheese.  We followed this with alternating layers of grilled chicken mixed with mozzarella, more polenta and a traditional mixture of sautéed spinach with ricotta, eggs and a dash of nutmeg.  With one final layer of polenta our newest classic was ready for the oven.  The result was light and fluffy “lasagna” with a bright orange bouquet invigorating your senses before diving through each flavorful layer. 

Many people view Italian food as heavy, rich sauce laden, cheesy pasta dishes that sit heavy in your stomach and are only balanced out by an even more powerful wine.  This is simply not the case.  The coasts of Italy are renowned for some of the best seafood in the world, creating the most amazingly flavorful yet light dishes around.  In the spirit of the Amalfi coast fishermen we present our grilled pino grigio brined sword fish on a bed of parleyed orzo highlighted by bright lemon zest drizzled with lemon infused olive oil.  The brine kept the fish moist and juicy, while the wine provided a perfect acidity and crispness to enhance the delicate flavors of the swordfish.  The lemon and parsley orzo perfectly complimented the sword fish by enhancing the citrus notes of the brine while adding an herbal touch to balance each flavor.   A true taste of the lighter side of Italy.

 Now let’s talk cobbler.  No matter what the season I love a warm and sweet cobbler topped with a big scoop of rich ice cream.  So why not end our Italian adventure with a taste from the great explorers of Italy.  Presenting a dish with worldly origins, our apricot and bing cherry cobbler with polenta biscuit topping and crystalized ginger ice cream.  This creation was truly a treat, combining the juiciest ripe apricots with plump sweet and tart cherries that exploded with flavor all topped with a crisp and sweet polenta topping.  The crust was a great discovery itself, with a flavor and texture reminiscent of a sugar cookie but with a beautiful grit and chew from the corn meal.  This flavor bomb was then topped with a crystalized ginger ice cream with added a sweet and spicy bite to the rich fruit. 

America is waking up to the true joy that is traditional Italian dishes, rich in flavor and steeped in tradition.  It is now our job to take these classics and bring them into the modern age by adding our own personal touches and creating something new and exciting.  Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

The Lighter Side of the Street.

Is there anything better than street food?  Hot and comforting, street foods are a direct connection to the society that created them.  Each bite is a tribute to someone’s home land, a taste of history dancing from fork to tongue.  But these dishes are designed for comfort, not waistlines, so they tend to be rich and heavy.  Why not take these classics over to the lighter side with some fun twists and delicious adaptations!

Pizza is as iconic to the American street food scene as hot dogs and meat on sticks, yet we have traveled too far from this classic dish’s noble roots.  Pizza used to be an art, from the perfect dough to the exact manipulation of the wood fired ovens to produce the perfect pie.  We decided to take this classic for a spin by using a whole wheat crust topped with grilled marinated artichokes, shaved red onions, baby kale, and tarragon rubbed smoked goat cheese, drizzled with extra virgin olive oil and sprinkled with preserved lemons.  The dough is rolled out thin then introduced to a screaming hot grill, adding beautiful crispness, flavor and a slight char that once was only achieved in the heat of a wood fired oven.  The flavors melt into each other as the flames licks the crust, providing you with a bright and fresh taste of the garden with every bite.

 

While pizza may reign king for now, another challenger from south of the border has quickly made a name for itself on the street food market.  With fillings ranging from deep traditional, to Korean fusion, the taco is a perfect vessel for today’s curb consumer.  Let’s take this south of the boarder treat for a trip through the garden with our new Grilled Charmoula Vegetable taco topped with fresh cilantro and Cilantro yogurt crema.  The veggies (zucchini, squash and red onions) are rubbed with a spicy combination of cayenne, paprika and cumin, grilled to perfection then splashed with an herbal concoction of parsley, cilantro, extra virgin olive oil, and lime and lemon juice finished with smashed garlic.  The vegetables take on a smoky spice from the rub while keeping a crisp tender texture that pops with a drizzle of the cilantro crema.  As one of our diners said, “I usually go out of my way to avoid things that don’t have meat, and I would fight someone to get that!”

Since the birth of the food truck movement a change has occurred in the way people view what is acceptable street food.  Along with the pizza, hot dog and taco scene, newcomers like grilled cheese, donuts and pies are carving out their spot on the culinary landscape.  But the gooiest and richest player in the game has to be my personal favorite, Macaroni and Cheese!  So let’s take this decedent classic for a bit of a twist and introduce our newest evolution in cheese, the Grilled Cauliflower mac with whole wheat noodles, crisp manchego and sharp cheddar cheese sauce topped with fried shallot rings and a red and golden pepadew relish.  Each bite is a flavor bomb of sharp cheese, smoky bits of cauliflower, the vinegary hit from the pepadews and the final crunch of the fried shallot rings.  A dark and light combination of flavors titillating your palate. 

Now while we in America have some rock star curbside cuisine, our neighbors to the north have a dish so rich and flavorful that one bowl could keep a burly grizzly warm through the winter.  I am talking of course about poutine.    Poutine is the classic dish made from thick cut French fries, cheese curds and rich thick gravy.  To turn this cholesterol bomb around we substituted the French fried for sautéed zucchini and squash batons, the sprinkled on seared brussel sprouts and grilled radishes then spooned over a light but flavorful vegetarian stock gravy then garnished with shaved parmesan.  Each bite was warm and comforting yet somehow summery and light.  A fun and festive tribute to our neighbors up north.

With our new curbside culinary culture growing faster and faster our dining options are radically changing and expanding.  It is our job to take these new classics for a spin and develop our own take on the take out cuisine. Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

Down Home Goodness!!

The band Alabama once famously said, “Down home, where they know you by name and treat you like family.”  I believe that this statement applies not only to a geographic location but to an experience.  An experience we can only get from food that is unpretentious, inviting, familiar, and nostalgic.  While the “Comfort Food” trend has started to fade into the sunset lets welcome a new revival of grandmother’s classics with fun and exciting twists.

What can be more down home and welcoming on a warm spring day then a refreshing glass of fresh lemonade?  An iced glass of sweet and tart lemonade slowing beading condensation down a glass while grills are blazing and kids are playing in the yard is as Americana as you can get!  What could make this any better?  How about infusing the lemonade with fresh herbs from the garden like rosemary, basil and mint, then spiking the drink with citron vodka and topping each glass with a bubbly splash of spicy ginger beer.  The herbs enhanced the sweetness with a fresh herbal bouquet while the citron intensified the tart lemon flavor with the sparkling ginger beer contributing a surprising and refreshing bite.  Pour me a glass and let’s cook!

Growing up one of my favorite salads was my grandmother’s spinach salad with warm bacon vinaigrette.  She grew, among other things, the most amazing crisp spinach I have ever had, and every day over the spring and summer my brother and I would go to the farm with her and pick a big basket of dark green foliage.  She created a salad using fresh mushrooms, onions and warm bacon vinaigrette all topped with a perfectly poached egg from those little cups you set in simmering water.  For our adaptation we used grilled Portobello mushrooms, shaved red onion, corn bread croutons, oven poached eggs and a warm sweet and sour red wine vinaigrette.  The succulent mushrooms touched by the char of the grill added a body and meatiness to the salad while the shaved onion and vinaigrette provided an acidic bite.  The cornbread croutons lent a sweetness and crunch to balance the silky texture of the runny oven poached egg.

When I imagine a down home meal potatoes always come to mind.  Mashed, roasted, baked or glazed potatoes are the go to starch for down home celebrations.  My absolute favorite has to be scalloped potatoes, thinly sliced potatoes layered with caramelized onions, cheese and a rich sauce then baked until soft and golden.  How can you make this any more comforting, make a soup!  Introducing New York white cheddar scalloped potato soup with cavolo nero and a sweet balsamic glaze.  We pureed the scalloped potatoes with a hearty splash of cream and chicken stock and barely simmered till a rich and smooth soup was achieved, then we added handfuls of torn cavolo nero ( Italian black Kale) and covered till the greens were wilted but kept a slight snap.  Right before service we topped with a swirl of sweet balsamic vinegar glaze to balance the slight bitter bite of the greens.  Everything you need in one small bowl!

Meatloaf, it has every connotation these days from the horrors of the school cafeteria to the Kobe beef stuffed with foie gras of New York City!  But while the meatloaf slider has come and gone, why not change up the format once more by changing the loaf to a cake, a cup cake!  Presenting our trio of mini meatloaf cupcakes “Iced” with 3 different mashed potatoes icings.   Each little loaf was a bust of flavor between sweet and savory, with the juices from the meat being soaked up by the creamy potato toppings.  A perfect single bite of nostalgia every time!
Meatloaf with caramelized apples and roasted poblano peppers with a chili sweet potato icing, followed by the lamb meatloaf mixed with cherry vermouth chutney topped with preserved lemon and feta whipped potatoes, and lastly our traditional home-style veal with sautéed sweet peppers, onion and garlic then topped with rosemary and Parmesan mashed potatoes.

Now let’s talk ice cream; home-style, rich and velvety, the perfect end to any down home dinner.  But why stick with vanilla; chocolate or strawberry let’s branch out with something bold and crazy!  Let me introduce you to our newest summer sensation, sweet tea ice cream topped with a warm preserved lemon and honey syrup.  The rich tea flavor is infused into the cream then mixed with a touch of pure honey to create a sweet symphony of summer.  The saltiness of the preserved lemon mixes with the sweetness of the honey creates a triumph of flavors reminiscent of your first cold glass of sweet tea.

We can never forget our roots, our culinary traditions that made us who we are today.  Each bite or sip of some down home goodness brings us back to the people and places we love, and that is what comfort food is all about!  Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

Black Strapped!!

Rum, the drink that built America, the drink that “inspired” our fore fathers to take up arms and start a revolution has been dethroned.  This historical spirit has been relegated to the super sweet frozen cocktails of spring breakers in Miami, Mexico or the Carribbean,or the first drink of 21 year olds mixed with a coke.  This is a sad state my friends and we here at Inspired Occasions have found the new champion of Rum, the bad boy in black that will bring rum back to the forefront of your mind and your palate.

Black Strap Rum is the darkest cousin in the rum family, made from black strap molasses. It is a deep in color and it’s complex nature takes your taste buds on a cruise not soon forgotten.  We jumped on that cruise and now we present you with the souvenirs of our journey.

First settle in with our newest Island Cocktail, “The Left Lane”, a bright and refreshing drink made with Inspired Occasions famous gingered orange juice, Meyers Rum, and then a float of Black Strap bringing the contrasting rums shoulder to shoulder.  Each sip is preceded by the powerful bouquet of dark molasses, coffee, chocolate, and spice but then followed by the bright bite of the gingered orange juice and the sweetness of the Meyers.  Served chilled over ice this cocktail transports you to your favorite beach, lying in a hammock caressed by the gentle fingers of a soft tropical breeze.

Cocktails are only part of the “rum” story; the real winner here came from a simple amalgam of salt, sugar, water and rum.  This brine is the flavorful elixir that made chicken juicy and plump, swordfish moist and tender… but I am getting ahead of myself, let me introduce our first creation blackstrap brined and grilled chicken sliders with black strap rum BBQ sauce and seasoned tomatoes.  The brine added a dark and complex flavor to the chicken which was accentuated by the spicy and rich BBQ sauce, while the tomato added a perfect sweetness, acidity and freshness to every bite. 

Now I must preface our next discovery with a bit of a disclosure, culinary research is all about mixing flavors that are harmonious and balanced.  Some days you play with the classics, but other days you dive headfirst into the deep end of the crazy pool!  Introducing the newest addition to the grilled chicken slider, caramelized banana butter and sliced scallions!  This sweet and buttery spread tamed the spice in the sauce, enhanced the “Hint of rum” in the chicken while the scallions added an extra crunch and fresh onion bite.  I am still in disbelief over how amazingly well this combination worked; you never know what you will discover.

The grill may be a great medium for a brined breast of chicken chicken but the fryer is where a brined bird sings, and wow did this bird have some golden pipes!  Introducing the Pan fried black strap brined chicken slider with a fresh grilled mango salsa and a dollop of Rum BBQ sauce.  This cocktail sandwich soars to a  whole new level: The crispy fried chicken yields to the bright sweetness and smokiness of the grilled fresh mango and dances with the diced jalapenos, cilantro and lime juice thereby boosting the dark rum taste. and all the while toning tone down the spice of the BBQ.  A moist and tender cut of white meat, exploding with the spice and flavor of the rum. 

It is common knowledge that brining is the way to keep lean pork and juicy and succulent but why can’t other meats play in the salty solutions?  Take a look at our new summer .  The Cous Cous is dressed with a roasted garlic vinaigrette accentuated by caramelized black strap rum onions and blistered sweet peppers.  The swordfish was quickly brined then introduced to the grill resulting in a beautiful lightly smoked and chared serving of fish bursting with all of the rich dark flavors of the rum.  The warm cous cous provided a perfect a balance to the fish.  The sweet rum bite from the onions rounded out the profile while the sweet blistered peppers added a final note of sweet, heat and savoryness.  This dish will heat up any event with a “Hot and Trendy” taste of the tropics!

For something on the lighter side take taste test our newest creation, a fresh spinach salad topped with shaved red onion, toasted pepitas, green chili cornbread croutons, fresh strawberries, whipped herbed goat cheese; Dressed with a sweet, spicy and sassy mango and black strap rum vinaigrette.  The contrast of flavors, textures, sweet and spice are perfectly balanced while dancing delicately on the bed of crisp and flavorful spinach.  The whipped goat cheese crowns the salad heralding a creaminess to contrast the crunch of the pepitas and the crispiness of the cornbread croutons.  The black strap rum and mango vinaigrette was finished with finely diced fresh mango providing an added texture.and touch of tropical sweet. A perfect salad for a night on the beach with a mojito or at home with friends and a good bottle of wine!

Enough about the savory side lets dive taste buds first into my favorite course, dessert!  The Black   Presenting our new classic, Black strap rum Ice cream topped with caramel corn, homemade caramel sauce, and a sprinkling of grey sea salt.  This creation is over the top, the ice cream tastes of the best butter pecan ice cream you have ever had but with a rich complexity behind the scenes making it so much more.  The crunch and sweetness of the caramel corn intensifies the experience while the salt and the velvety caramel coat every bite in sweet warmth like the tropical sun on a morning beach.

Strap Rum just screamed ice cream from the very first sip. I was not going to say no to such a persuasive taste.

Black Strap Rum may be new to us, but the dishes developed taste like pure classics.  Stay tuned for more inspired dishes from Lon Lane's Inspired Occasions Research and Development Department!

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!