Steakhouse Steaks

Over the last several years, I have developed a love affair with thick, juicy, 'Steakhouse' style steaks served with a fluffy, salt crusted baked russet potato and a crisp, chilled wedge of lettuce tipped with creamy blue cheese dressing. Forget those wimpy little strips of beef that butchers call ‘steak’ and bring on the beef! Lightly seasoned with a brush of olive oil and a sprinkle of peppered salt, a 1-1/2 inch thick, bone-in New York Strip can be grilled to perfection on a gas grill in less than 30 minutes.

Let the steak be the center of attention. Simple seasoning allows the elegance of the meat to shine through. Additional seasonings can be added, by the diner, at the table. Little dipping dishes with Worcestershire or steak sauce are a nice touch, as are herb butters, and dry seasonings.

About 30 – 40 minutes before grilling, remove the steaks from the refrigerator and dab with a damp paper towel to remove any residual blood. Brush both sides with a whisper of olive oil and season with peppered salt. Allow the meat to reach room temperature before grilling.

Preheat the grill (we like a our gas BBQ with a lid) to 375° to 400°F. Grill steaks, with the lid closed, for about 10 minutes, or until a nice, brown crust forms. Turn the steaks over and continue cooking, covered, until cooked to your preference. If prefer, you can grill your steaks on an open grill.

Remove the cooked steaks from the grill, cover with foil, and allow the meat to rest for 5 minutes before cutting or serving. This resting period allows the meat juice to congeal, so that the juices do not run out of the meat when it is cut.

Cooks Notes:
Room temperature meat browns better and cooks more evenly than cold meat.

Dry meat browns better than meat that is dripping with marinade.

Prevent steaks with an edge of fat from curling up by slashing the fat, at one inch intervals, to just where the fat is connected to the meat.

Test meat for doneness by inserting an instant read thermometer about 1 inch into the SIDE of the meat.
Rare is 120° to 130°F
Medium is 140° to 150°F
Well Done is 165° to 175°F

Dibs and Dabs

I normally cook for just the two of us, so I often have dibs and dabs of sauces, pestos, and other tasty ingredients leftover. I hate throwing away those few last spoonfuls of deliciousness. If you feel the same, then checkout my new blog: http://dibsanddabs.blogspot.com/. It is dedicated to using up all those dibs and dabs of ingredients to create scrumptious appetizers, sandwiches, dressings, and more!

Classic Basil Pesto

Any minute now, my basil plant will be begging me to pluck its bright green foliage and turn it magically into a tangy, delicious pesto. Although you can buy fresh basil in the produce section of most grocery stores, its freshness is usually disappointing and it is almost always expensive. Early in the summer, some farmer’s markets sell nice big bunches at a bargain. When I don’t have really fresh basil available, I will grab my favorite basil pesto off the pantry shelf. It is delicious and less expensive than making it from scratch.

Basil Pesto Recipe
Yield: ?

This classic Pesto is full bodied. Use it on lightly toasted bread as an appetizer or toss lightly with your favorite pasta. Enjoy! We like it best with Serena Cheese from Three Sisters but if you can’t find it in your area, a good Parmesan may be substituted.

Ingredients
2 Cups (2 oz) firmly packed fresh Basil Leaves
2 Teaspoons minced Garlic
2-3 Tablespoons Pine Nuts or Walnuts
½ - 1 Teaspoon Salt
Black Pepper – course, freshly ground
1 Cup extra virgin olive oil
½ Cup freshly grated Three Sisters Serena Cheese or Parmesan Cheese

Method
Combine all ingredients EXCEPT the salt in food processor bowl and process until mixture has a course texture. Please do not over process! Add salt to taste, don’t over salt – the cheese can be very salty. Process for 1 or 2 whirls. It is easy to double or triple to serve more. Make a few hours ahead and store in the refrigerator until ready to serve or toss with hot pasta and serve immediately.

Dinner and a Movie

My niece, Kaitlyn, and I enjoy cooking together. She is just learning – and I love being her teacher. We recently decided to welcome in the glorious warmth of Spring with an Italian inspired dinner and an Italian movie. We created this recipe on the fly, so the directions are a bit sketchy.It would be equally good by substituting cooked chicken for the shrimp.

The Dinner
Springtime Pasta
Makes 4 - 6 servings

Ingredients:
1 pound penne pasta
Shrimp (we used about 1 pound raw jumbo shrimp, peeled and deveined)
1 red bell pepper, chopped (seeds and ribs removed)
1 small onion, chopped
1 - 2 cloves garlic, minced
Meyer Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Lemon Sea Salt,to taste
3-Lemon Pepper, to taste
1 - 2 tablespoons white wine (or stock or even water) to deglaze the pan
1 jar Artichoke Pesto or Artichoke Tapenade
6 – 10 ounces prepared Alfredo sauce
Grated Parmesan cheese
3 tablespoons minced Italian parsley (fresh)

Method:
Sauté bell pepper and onion in Lemon Olive Oil until just translucent. Add garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Add the raw shrimp, a pinch of Lemon Sea Salt, and a pinch of 3-Lemon Pepper. Sauté until the shrimp just begin to turn pink. Deglaze the pan with a tablespoon or 2 of white wine. Simmer, reducing the liquid. Add Artichoke Pesto. Add 2/3 cup Alfredo sauce and cook over low heat until hot. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

Meanwhile, cook the pasta according to package directions. Drain and return to pan and cover until sauce is done.

To serve, add sauce and 1/2 of the parsley to the pasta and toss to coat. Top with remaining parsley & parmesan cheese. If the pasta is too dry for your taste, simply add more Alfredo sauce.

Serve With:
Lemon Caesar dressing & crisp romaine lettuce (a
basic Caesar style vinaigrette made with Lemon Infused Olive Oil)
Thick slices of sour dough bread rubbed with Provencal Grapeseed Oil and grilled until medium brown
Sterling Vineyards 2005
Malvasia Bianca

The Movie and Accompaniments:
Franco Zeffirelli’s “Tea with Mussolini”
Kaitlyn’s homemade Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl Gelato (she refuses to give up her secret recipe)
Espresso with a dollop of Coffee Merlot Chocolate Sauce

Buon Appetito!

(If you have any questions regarding the directions or products used, please drop me an email at: GourmetGirl@poshgourmet.com)

Tropical Paradise - The Quest for Real Caribbean Cuisine

Breeze by Bahama Breeze

As part of my profession, I travel around the country searching for unique and delicious, specialty foods for The Posh Gourmet. On a recent business trip to Orlando, Florida, Roy and I enjoyed a variety of food every single day. Aside from all the nibbles available at the trade show, we tried to dine out at least once a day. One night, while heading down International Drive, we spotted a restaurant called Bahama Breeze. The tropical breezy tropical feel twas just what we were looking for, especially after spending 5 hours cooped up in a convention center.

Live island style music pulled us into the lush tropical waiting area. This large, multi-level restaurant was packed – standing room only. We left our name with the hostess, for restaurant seating, but after 45 minutes, we finally located an empty table in the spacious outdoor bar area and opted for a meal of appetizers instead.

Our friendly waitress brought us our beverages; a Cadillac Margarita for me and a Bahamarita with a Mango Schnapps side car for Roy. Sadly, my Cadillac was more like a Chevy. Roy’s drink wasn’t much better. Not a good sign. We ordered a forgettable House Salad, Jerk Wings that must have flown the coup because they never arrived, and a plate of delicious Spicy Jerk Shrimp with green onions and Cuban bread. We took bits of the Cuban bread and dipped it into the spicy shrimp sauce – very yummy.

Although Bahama Breeze fell short of our expectations, it seemed like a great place for an after business party or meeting place for a group of friends. Not ideal, however, for a romantic dinner or to experience the real Caribbean ambiance. Does tourist trap ring any bells?

Undaunted, we were confident that somewhere between Orlando and Key West, our quest for true Caribbean food would be successful.

Tango Anyone?

Since Roy and I are almost always up for a challenge, we couldn’t wait to plan our next gastronomic pursuit. Although International Drive is a tourist haven, it was close to our hotel and had a huge selection of interesting dining venues. Our hotel booklet suggested Tu Tu Tango.

I immediately fell in love with the Bohemian atmosphere of this eclectic café. Hot, tired and sticky from the steamy, Florida climate, an ice cold glass of the White (Barcelona) Sangria sounded perfect. This absolutely luscious concoction of fruit juices, Spanish brandy, triple sec, gin, fresh fruit and sparkling wine was the untimate refresher. Roy decided to give the traditional red Sangria a try. Although our charming waiter convinced him that it was cheaper by the pitcher ($19), it turns out that the small ‘pitcher only holds three glasses. Therefore, it would have been far cheaper at $4.75 per glass!

To ease our hunger pangs, we started with a Potato Quesadilla. Good but hardly memorable. Next we ordered the Cuban Grilled Steak Skewers with Lime Steak Sauce. At $7, it was a delectable bargain. The peppery steak sauce was tangy, with just the right touch of smoky cumin. Although our tummies were beginning to fill up, there was no way I was going to leave until I had a taste of the Alligator Bites. For just $8, this plate full of crunchy, fried to perfection Alligator bits was served with a delicious spicy Pick-a-Peppa and a nice Cream and Fruit Chutney.

Although TuTu Tango specializes in Tapas, the server and kitchen had a hard time with the concept of ordering one dish at a time. As is the traditional way to order Tapas, we enjoy ordering one dish, having it arrive and then savoring it while we ponder our next ‘small plate.’

Color me TuTu Roja – as it turns out, TuTu Tango is part of a small restaurant chain with a restaurant less than 30 minutes from our home! Especially while on vacation, we try to avoid nationwide chain restaurants. None the less, we had a tasty meal, with a nice selection of medium priced, tasty Tapas to choose from. We will definitely pay a visit to the TuTu Tango Café in our area very soon.

Visit TuTu Tango online photos, locations, and menus.

And so our quest continues on…

Hello! Welcome to my Gourmet Food Blog.

As Posh Gourmet's CFO (Chief Food Officer) I am privileged to have the task of tasting and selecting the foods we sell at our online gourmet food store. I am by no means a gourmet food purist or food snob but rather someone with an appreciation of high quality food, expertly prepared, with exceptional taste, and with an interesting presentation.

I hope that you will join me as I continue my quest for fabulous food and fun places.