Hasta La Ideas

Eclectic flavors match stunning presentations from a NY-based design/chef duo

Taking catering in a new direction is Pinch Food Design, a NYC-based catering company specializing in both presentation and culinary innovation that’s guaranteed to surprise and delight. Founded by industry veterans Tj Girard (head designer) and Bob Spiegel (head chef), the two work together seamlessly to make Pinch’s creations both pleasing to the pallet and the eye. A short while ago some of the CH team was invited to their Chelsea HQ to see and taste what the creative team has been working on lately. The following are four of our favorite appetizers and an in-depth look at one of Chef Bob’s finest works of culinary art.

As a perfect example of Pinch’s focus on design, the serving dish has been cleverly created to use cabinet knobs to present the basil crusted filet mignon. Topped with shallot marmalade and tiny popover pastry, each bite sized piece is an absolute delight.

What may be the most interesting appetizer that we sampled, this falafel adaptation was fun and flavorful. The pressed pita chips act as the ultimate vessel for the red olive, hummus, cucumber pickle and of course falafel meat. Pleasantly surprised with its canny taste, the moist little towers won the team over instantly.

Drizzled in mustard oil and port, the chanterelle broccoli rabe sausage is literally balanced with a delicate piece of pequillo toast. Secured on both ends by Pinch’s custom toothpick design, the two sides to the appetizer play well off each other, allowing the holder to follow the savory sausage with a complimentary crunch.

For dessert Pinch keeps its patrons on their feet with their suspension pastry galettes. The copper structure holds light and flaky pastries by free swinging hooks, allowing each piece to be picked by hand. Adding to the seasonal selection of peach, fig, berry, pear and strawberry rhubarb pastries are copper bowls of cinnamon, chocolate and regular whipped cream for dipping. These were hands down our favorite and the most creative way to serve dessert that we’ve come across yet.

After a great deal of negotiations and bargaining we persuaded Chef Bob to give up the secret recipe for his amazing mini spaghetti and meatball appetizer. These were unlike any appetizers we’ve ever seen, and obviously worth a closer look. More on the recipe and his essential preparation techniques as told by the inventor himself after the jump.

Spaghetti Roll

3 Cloves Garlic, sliced thin

2 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 cups canned Plum Tomatoes, pureed with juices

1 cup tomato paste

Salt

Pepper

1/2 pound Angel hair pasta

Parmigiano-Reggiano, whole, not grated

Meatballs, rolled the size of a dime, recipe follows

Lightly brown garlic in oil, add the tomato puree, cook for 20 minutes until emulsified. Take out 2 tablespoons of the sauce and set aside for finishing later. Add the tomato paste and cook on a low flame. The key here is to cook this for a lot longer than you think, as the goal is to evaporate all the liquid, but not compromise the flavor. This is what makes the ‘glue’, the key to the whole dish. Meanwhile, cook the angel hair in salted water until al dente, strain—do not rinse off the starch—and add the sauce. Season with salt and pepper.

With tongs or rubber gloves, pull out some of the dressed angel hair pasta. Place it on some plastic wrap and roll tubes about 1 inch thick. Refrigerate these for an hour or two until the pasta is set. The angel hair will continue to absorb the sauce and not be as al dente, this creates the illusion in your mouth as when you cut the pasta it feels more al dente than it is.

To serve, cut the pasta rolls 3/4 inch thick, lay them next to each other and microwave for 15 seconds. On a separate cutting board, micro plane the parmigiano, stack back up the angel hair roll and liberally roll the round sides in the parmigiano.

Meatballs

1 cup extra virgin olive oil

2 garlic cloves, smashed

1 tablespoon flat parsley leaves, roughly chopped

1/2 cup, toasted breadcrumbs

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1 large egg

1/4 cup freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

salt

pepper

Combine the beef and pork in a large bowl. Then add all the rest of the ingredients and mix well until the olive oil is completely absorbed. It may seem like a lot of olive oil, but this is what give the hors d’oeuvres its moistness. Refrigerate and roll into dime sized balls.

Sear the little meatballs in olive oil and finish with the reserved tomato sauce, season with salt and pepper. Spoon the meatball and some sauce on top of the pasta roll, micro plane some more cheese on top. Serve while still warm.

We interview an award-winning chef on bringing his distinctive Peruvian cuisine to L.A.

In the summer of 2009 chef Ricardo Zarate found a daring way to share his bold Peruvian flavors with Los Angeles. After many years cooking in elegant restaurants in London and Southern California, he surprisingly opened Mo-Chica in Mercado La Paloma, a food court near USC. With a menu that honored his traditional Peruvian roots and showed off his immense creative talent, he amazed local food scene devotees and eventually won many culinary accolades including Food and Wine Magazine’s “Best New Chefs of 2011” award. Zarate was also at the helm of the most coveted kitchen space in L.A. for four months in 2010, when he coordinated the myriad chefs cooking special menus at the revered experimental Test Kitchen.

Now with his beautiful new Beverly Hills restaurant Picca and a new Mo-Chica location opening in downtown L.A. later this year, Zarate has not only taken the city by storm with his masterful cooking and dynamic flavors, but has also helped put Peruvian ingredients and flavors in the mainstream spotlight.

We recently caught up with Zarate at Picca and talked about his mission to bring Peruvian food to the world stage and his devotion to Aji Amrillo. Our interview and his recipe for ceviche follow.

Why did you decide to open Mo-Chica in the L.A. after cooking around the world?

I came to L.A. because I had already been here and really liked it, and there is so much Latin culture here. Los Angeles is a difficult city to open a new restaurant, it is very competitive but one of the main things that drives me is challenge. Since the year 2000 I knew I wanted to open up a Peruvian restaurant—I had a vision that it was going to happen. I hope that in 20 years Peruvian food will be recognized as Japanese food is now. That’s my goal. People used to think of Japanese food as exotic and rare, and now it is part of world cuisine.

When you opened Mo-Chica in the Mercado La Paloma food court, were you surprised by the reaction?

I was very surprised and happy. The reason I opened Mo-Chica there is because I am very stubborn. I opened the restaurant during the worst time in the economy. In 2009 it was hard to get anyone to invest even one dollar. For me, my vision was ‘this is my only opportunity.’ I had to jump into the storm and try to survive. Peruvian food has always been there and now people are starting to pay attention. It was the right moment to do it.

Why do you think that Peruvian food works so well here in California?

In California, people like Mexican and Latin food. In terms of flavors, people here also like the umami flavors in Japanese, Italian and Mediterranean food. Peruvian dishes have all of these flavors on one plate. That is why I think it is going to be popular. You go to a Japanese restaurant and have very clean, nice ingredients. You eat Mexican and the food is very spicy. Mediterranean has the freshness. With Peruvian you can play with all of that on one plate, since the cuisine has Chinese, Japanese, African, European and Peruvian influences.

Can you tell us a bit about pre-Incan cuisine and how those flavors and ingredients factor into the dishes you make?

In my family we have descendents from the Incan on my mother’s side. Many of the ingredients we are using are in there, like sun-dried potatoes and the many types of corn like cancha, mote and choclo. We also have the Aji amarillo and Aji Panca chiles and herbs like Huacatay. A few weeks ago I went to the Santa Monica Farmer’s Market and we found Huacatay. I was so excited!

You use Aji amarillo chiles in many of your dishes. Can you tell us about them?

Aji amarillo is my favorite ingredient. If somehow that ever disappeared, Peruvian food for me would disappear. That’s how much I love it. I use it in many different ways. You can take out the seeds and make it mild or keep them for a spicier effect. It marries so nicely and is so flavorful, we put it in the cheesecake here and also started mixing it with miso…Right now we are importing then from Peru. My goal is to grow them here. We are working on it with a local farm. It’s tough. We have been trying since last year. Some of the plants died. In others attempts, the flavor was not right. Finally I received a phone call three weeks ago that the plants are doing well. Hopefully we will have the locally grown ones soon.

Another ingredient I would like to bring here is the Peruvian lemon. The flavor of the lemon is different than those grown in California. The Peruvian ones look like limes, but the skin is very thin. The flavor has acidity, but it is not as strong as the lemons here. When I use local lemons, I have to play a lot to balance the flavor.

You are known for cooking beef heart, can you elaborate on that?

Yes, in my country anticuchos is traditionally a street food of grilled food on a skewer. Beef heart is the number one most popular ingredient for anticuchos that you will find in Peru. We also cook stomach, tripe and many other ingredients.

You are also known for your classic and creative ceviches. What is the secret to a great ceviche?

First of all, it is fresh ingredients. The second thing to consider is the balance of flavor. For me it needs to be balanced with a kick. All the ingredients need to marry together. The kick can be chile, spices or garlic. Ceviche is a dish that needs to have power.

Do you have a favorite ceviche?

The most simple one is my favorite—sea bass, lime, onions, garlic, cilantro and for chile I would use Aji amarillo or Rocoto.

Ricardo Zarate’s Ceviche

For the ceviche sauce:

1/3 cup pure honey

4 garlic cloves

1/4 red onion

4 sticks of clean celery

1/8 lb fresh seabass

1 cup lime juice

½ cup coconut milk

1 tbs Aji amarillo paste

For the ceviche:

1 lb fresh seabass, diced

½ red onion, sliced

1 tbs cilantro, sliced

Red serrano chili (to taste)

Salt and pepper (to taste)

Notes: Aji amarillo paste is a yellow Peruvian chili paste that you can find in different Latin markets. You can substitute the serrano chili for either jalapeño or habanero chilis to taste.

Four simple refreshing cocktails for warm weather sipping

After a great week in L.A. working with Gap’s 1969 denim design team last month, we decided to celebrate with the perfect topper to any hard day’s work with a round of delicious drinks. From Campari to Cachaça, below are four recipes sure to help you chill out during the warmer weather.

To cool down the right way, ice is an essential ingredient that usually gets overlooked We’ve been longtime fans of LA-based frozen water extraordinaire Michel Dozois, whose Névé Ice is made from twice-filtered water and put through a reverse osmosis system, then infused with minerals. The solid squares of ice fit into most glasses and melt at a leisurely summertime pace.

The Leblon Caipirinha

2 tablespoons superfine organic sugar

Muddled citrus (4 lime wedges mashed with sugar for 15 seconds)

Crushed ice

2 ounces Leblon Cachaça (Brazilian rum)

Shake well for 5-10 seconds and serve in a rocks glass and garnish with fresh lime.

The Honey Julep

2 ounces Macallan Fine Oak 10 Years Old (we used a bottle of Macallan 12)

1 barspoon of softened honey

6 fresh mint leaves

Churn with crushed ice and serve in an old fashioned glass, garnished with a large sprig of fresh mint.

Evan’s West Coast Negroni

1 ounce Beefeater Gin

1 ounce white vermouth

1 ounce Campari

A splash of fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice and a splash of soda
Garnish with an orange slice

Serve on the rocks.

The Santo Libre

1.5 ounce 10 Cane Rum (we also recommend Brugal Anejo Rum if available)

A squeeze of fresh lime juice

Serve in a tall glass and fill with lemon-lime soda.

Sprinkle culinary cred with a Sri Lankan chef’s enticing spices

Sri Lanka’s rich history as an important port and trading post in the ancient world has contributed to the mouth-watering cuisine—combining traditional ingredients with influences from merchants around the world—that the country is known for today.

Born in Sri Lanka, self-taught chef Dinesh Perera has vivid memories of growing up on the beautiful island and the scent of his grandmother’s cooking. After moving as a child to London, his family’s desire to eat food from their homeland inspired his father to learn how to mix spices and cook Sri Lankan food. Perera, now known as The Spicy Gourmet, continues the legacy. He searched the globe for the highest quality fair-trade spices, creating a spice box set with a custom-designed mill, sure to help even the novice home cook master a deliciously complex garam blend.

In addition to spices for Sri Lanka dishes, the Spice Blending Collection includes 16 flavors from India and Thailand and an illustrated recipe book with step-by-step instructions for roasting, blending, and cooking up fragrant dishes including Peppers and Cauliflower with Garam Masala, Lamb Skewers with Kashmiri Masala, and Beef Curry with Ceylon Roast Blend.

We asked Perera about his quest to offer the tastiest fair-trade spices, why he developed the Spicy Gourmet spice mill, and about how he became the man who loves to teach people around the world how to make the freshest most authentic garam masala warming blends.

What was your goal when you created this spice collection?

I just wanted to bring absolutely the best product possible to the marketplace. This package is a means to introduce something that you can really use. That was my goal, and part of that was to provide the best possible spices available. By nature I am an entrepreneur. Food and spices have been a passion of mine. This idea started as a cookbook. I wanted to incorporate a selection of spices with the book. That project evolved into this package.

The Spicy Gourmet Collection with the electric spice mill ($125), as well as several single spices for $8-13, sell online from The Spicy Gourmet. Read more of the interview with Perera after the jump.

You are a member of a collective of small organic farmers. Why is this designation by your peers important to you?

We have third-party verification. All of our spices come from small family farms, not from plantations. That is the way I wanted to build this business. We initially joined an organization called Trust. That is a group that consists of a combination of producers, suppliers, and manufactures. We all vouch for each other. The more commonly recognized organization in the United States is Fair Trade USA. We are applying to be accepted there too. That designation assures people who are looking for fair trade products that we are in fact fair trade.

Why is it important for the customer to look for fair trade?

All spices need to be processed. By that I mean, they are not fresh off of the plant. Spices have to be dried. Some of them need to be powdered like tumeric. There is a process involved. Many of these spices are sourced from tropical countries there are ways that historically these spices were preserved. Consumers don’t really know what is being sprayed on them to make sure that they do not get moldy. So to me it is important that they are organic. It is easy for spices to spoil, they get moisture and grow mold.

Why did you decide to develop a custom spice mill?

The mill is part of my mission is allowing people to experience the freshest possible spices. When spices are ground, the flavor and taste that are based in the essential oils start to dissipate. The difference between a fresh spice blend and one that has been sitting in a bottle is remarkable. When you make your own garam masala, it makes a huge difference. Traditionally people grind spices with coffee mills. I have too in the past before we created our own. I found the coffee mill that worked best for me in terms of ease of use. Milling spices is different than milling coffee. Coffee is a consistent in shape size and density. I designed a mill that is smaller, so that you could hold and operate it with one hand. While it is operating, you can shake it like a cocktail shaker. This technique allows the spices to better come in contact with the blade in a different way that if it was just sitting on the counter, so you get a better grind.

You live in Santa Barbara and also offer a dinner experience called Friday Feast.

I love socialized enjoy good food and friends and wine. Friday Feast started as a way of promoting the product at a grassroots level and exposing people to this type of cuisine. When we first started we had about four people and for the last one more than 30 joined us. We had to turn people away. It’s a fun thing. I also offer a Spicy Gourmet Culinary Experience. In the class a small group learns to blend spices, cook some dishes and enjoy them after words. The cooking experience helps people learn how to experience traditional flavors of Sri Lanka.

While a no-brainer with ice cream sundaes, the makers behind Izzybelle Chocolate Sauce intend for it to pair well with almost any type of food. Flavors like Orange, Chili Cinnamon or Raspberry perfectly enhance foods spanning nacho chips to chicken with its smooth consistency and subtly balanced taste.

Comprised of both healthier and fewer ingredients than the average chocolate syrup, the Colorado-based chocolatiers create Izzybelle in small batches, maintaining each jar’s high quality flavor.

For a full list of Izzybelle chocolate sauces and an array of toothsome recipes, see their online shop. Each jar runs $13.

Photos by Kristina Sacci