Habañero HOT Sauce

We’ve been (well, Sean’s been) buying habañeros from Two R’s Farm at the Boulder Farmers’ Market every week since they opened for the season in April. They’re a buck a piece and, though I don’t reach for them while cooking, Sean can’t get enough of them and uses little slivers in almost everything.

After my hiccup reflex from über-spicy, I do agree that they’re great peppers. Sean describes them as an intensely hot pepper with a tropical mango/pineapple undertone that, when coaxed out, make for a very flavorful HOT sauce.

So, we picked up six.

Sean cooked five carrots, four cloves of garlic, and one large onion (all from the market) in olive until they were soft.

Next, he added the six habañeros, two medium sized tomatoes, 1/2 cup lime juice (freshly squeezed, of course), 1/4  cup white distilled vinegar, 1/4 cup water (or more as needed while blending), and honey to taste (he used approximately 1/4 cup of local Uncle Pete’s Honey).

And then… wait for it…

The Vitamix. The. Vitamix. The best decision I’ve ever made, besides dating Sean, was buying a Vitamix.

Sean pureed everything- peppers, tomatoes, lime juice, vinegar, honey, carrots, onion, and garlic until it was smooth and then poured it back into a pot to simmer for another five minutes.

He let it cool as we ate the dinner he had been preparing for us while making the hot sauce. Then, he filled some small jars and preserved them in a hot water bath.

There was a little left over, so we put it in the fridge, and I must say- by the next day I found this sauce to be really good. Don’t get me wrong- it’s hot as hell. But, as Sean says, it has an earthy sweetness from the carrots and a nicely balanced flavor you get from the sautéed veggies. It exudes a touch of tropical flavor in an incredibly hot sauce that’s toned down by the other ingredients, including a touch of local honey.

A little goes a long way, so, I think we’re all set on hot sauce here for a while.

Grilling on the Stove Top with a Himalayan Salt Brick

I bought a Himalayan Salt Brick from Savory Spice Shop to explore something new in my kitchen. Lucky for me, I’m dating a chef, so it turns out he took on the opportunity to try something new and let me drink wine and take photos. Not such a bad arrangement.

A Himalayan salt brick is a large slab of Himalayan crystal salt that you can heat up to high temps to bake, sauté, or grill; chill to serve cold foods; use to cure meats; and present as a serving platter. It’s a gorgeous slab of light pink marbled “stone,” and I’d wanted one ever since they were first for sale at Savory.

Sean and I used our brick once before in the oven, and I never got around to a blog post… been busy guiding food tours, you know.

Baking on the brick was similar to baking on a pizza stone. The stove top, however, was a new frontier.

Sean spent some time researching this one. If you have a gas range you can set the flame in a way that the stone isn’t directly in contact with fire, but heats up. An electric range, however, requires something to be positioned between the stove top and the brick.  We used a tart shell, but a cake ring or wok ring would work also.

After a trip to the Boulder Farmers’ Market, we had carrots, onions, and squash for grilling.

Sean sliced them and threw them on the hot salt brick while marinating some extra firm tofu that had been frozen, pressed, thawed, and marinated in a little peanut oil and Harissa Spice Mix from nowhere other than Savory Spice Shop.

Our meal was simple, yet took quite some time to execute since we spent forty minutes or so heating up the brick, which crackled and poped in ways that concerned us it was going to crack on the stove. The brick did impart a slightly salty taste to the veggies, which were grilled plain, but didn’t give off a flavor that stood up to the Harissa blend. In the end, the food was great and our dinner was fun, but it was a very long process to prepare what could have been a quick meal on the grill outside or the stovetop.  But then, we wouldn’t have been able to say we grilled on a salt brick, now, would we?

Cheers!

Restaurant Kevin Taylor Spring Tasting Menu

I was recently invited to attend a tasting of the spring tasting menu at Restaurant Kevin Taylor. Basically, all I’d like to say right now is- It was phenomenal. Go. Now. It will be a PERFECT date night. Trust me.

But, I’ll tell you a bit more…

A number of Boulder food bloggers were invited to taste their six course May menu paired with cocktails. Kevin Taylor offers wine pairing or cocktail pairing tasting menus, and this recent one is certainly not to be missed.

Our courses were a lot smaller than you’ll enjoy as a restaurant patron, so disregard the bite-sized portions in my photos.

We started with a Foie Gras Mousse on an Amaretti Socca Cracker with Turnip Marmalade and a miso Gastrique paired with a cocktail of Van Gogh Apple Vodka, Disaronno, and Lucien Albright Rose.

That was soon followed by a Lamb and Eucalyptus Soup Shooter with Lime, Pine Nuts, and EVOO paired with a tail of Hendrick’s gin (one of my all time favorites!), Mint, Limoncello, and Lemon Verbena.

Next, we enjoyed Lobster Tartar on Endive, with Mustard Seed, Blood Orange, Basil, and Horseradish, which we washed down with a Bloody Mary Martini with pepper Vodka, Orange Juice, and Micro Basil. I’d like to go on the record and say not only was this my first Bloody Mary of the season, but it was one of the best I’d ever had. I actually grabbed two… (guilty confessions…)

Our fourth course was Scottish Salmon Rillettes on a Sweet Potato Cake with Buckwheat Granola, and an Apple Earl Grey Compote paired with a Stranahan’s Whiskey cocktail with Grapefruit Juice and Muddled Cucumber.

Our last savory dish was a Braised Bison Short Rib with Cumin, Olive Beet Relish, and Prune Puree paired with a Rye Whiskey, Campari, Bitters, and Root Beer Cocktail. Practically a perfect bite. I unfortunately didn’t snap a photo of this cocktail. Hmmmmm… Guess that’s what happens after a number of tails.

Our last course was really cool- It was a “Snickers” according to Kevin Taylor, made with Peanut Butter Powder, Burnt Caramel, and Nougat, and it was the best “snickers” I’d ever had. We enjoyed our glorified cany bar with a Chocolate Martini of Godiva Liqueur, Frangelico, and Baileys.

Restaurant Kevin Taylor is Denver’s only four star, four diamond restaurant. Their $60 tasting menu is an exceptional price for such a prestigious establishment. The optional wine or cocktail pairing will add another $50 on to that, but, as a “connoisseur” of dining experiences, I’d say it’s well worth it.

Restaurant Kevin Taylor

1106 14th St, Denver

303.820.2600

An Irish Whiskey Dinner with Bushmills at Q’s

As a big fan of whiskey, I had some pretty negative thoughts of Irish Whiskey. I’m not completely sure why, but I was under the impression that Irish Whiskey, unlike American Bourbons or Scotch Whiskies, were like the wild wild west of whiskies and you weren’t going to be certain what they were made of (barley, rye, corn, wheat, potato…). After an evening at Q’s with Robert Sickler, Master of Whiskey, I’ve completely changed my mind.

On Saturday, March 16th, I had the privilege of attending an Irish Whiskey dinner with an expert in whiskey who guided us through a whiskey sample and a play on a classic cocktail for every whiskey-inspired dish. Beverage Director of both Q’s and The Corner Bar Adrian Sutevski used the Bushmills family of whiskies in a number of updated classic cocktails, and Chef Shawn Murrell married each whiskey’s unique flavors with five courses of finely prepared food. At $65 per person, this was clearly one of the best deals (and meals) in town.

We started the evening with a Sazerac made with Bushmills 21 year.

It just so happens that I’m a Sazerac fan. Not just a fan- a super-fan. So, I was very curious to take my first sip, and, I declare: I really enjoyed this Sazerac with Bushmills 21 yr. After the first sip or so, esteemed Mr. Sickler explained to us that the 21 yr is made of a blend of whiskey that aged for 19 years in bourbon casks, 19 years in sherry casks, and then two years in Madeira casks. That essentially means the Bushmills 21 year whiskey is an incredibly flavorful whiskey and happens to work well in a Sazerac, which is traditionally made with Rye or Cognac.

Our first course was Black Bush Cured Salmon and Orange Fennel Slaw on a Soda Bread Crostini.

I had never had soda bread as a crisp crostini, and now I want to see this presentation on menus. The Salmon and slaw were light, delicious, and went well with our next take on a classic cocktail: A Mint Julep with Black Bush.

The Salmon was followed by Whiskey Seared Shrimp on Organic Seared Greens with Potato Frites and and Irish Sausage Vinaigrette.

Everyone at the community table commented that the shrimp was cooked perfectly, which it was. We also wanted to have a bowl full of those potato frites to nibble on with our next cocktail- an updated Negroni.

There was definitely no shortage of great food and drinks, as we moved on to Whiskey Molasses Glazed Pork Belly on a Parsnip Apple Hash with Arugula and Dried Cherries paired with a Manhattan made with Bushmills Single Malt 16 year.

Robert Sickler explained to us that the Bushmills Single Malt 16 year is made of barley, water, and yeast that is distilled and aged for sixteen years in Bourbon casks, sixteen years in Sherry casks, and then married in Port barrels. It definitely made a nice Manhattan…

Our final savory dish was Smoked Angus Beef on a Gold Potato Cake with Caraway Braised Cabbage, Crispy Leeks, and a Guinness Reduction.

This was served with a Sidecar made with Bushmills Single Malt 10 year.

I could hardly eat anymore by the time our final course, dessert, arrived. But, as we all know, there’s always room for dessert.

We finished with Honey Bread Pudding with Creme Fraiche Ice Cream, Candied Orange Zest, Whiskey Caramel Sauce, and a Bushmills Irish Honey Coffee.

This was the first dinner like this I had attended at Q’s and I’m looking forward to enjoying another. Sampling each whiskey on its own and then in a cocktail while being guided through each whiskey’s unique flavor by a whiskey master brought a great understanding and appreciation to Irish Whiskey. The entire meal was well orchestrated and I’d suggest signing up to the Q’s newsletter so you have a chance to attend their next event.

Cheers!