Food Republic

Kickstart This: Streit’s Matzo Factory Documentary

Food Republic — Mon, 20 May 2013 21:16:04 +0000

Documenting some serious matzo, matzo men

It’s kind of insane to think that 40% of the nation’s matzo is made on the Lower East Side, a neighborhood that once sat at the heart of New York’s Jewish community — but today is one of the city’s most transitioning (gentrified) and spendy nabes in all the five boroughs. In 1925 Aron Streit opened Streit’s Matzo Factory and to this day much of the operation has remained unchanged. Despite the fact that matzo is most associated with the Jewish holiday of Passover, the fact of the matter is that the unleavened bread business is a year-round business. In this Kickstarter project, filmmaker Michael Levine and producer Michael Green are seeking funds to finish their feature-length documentary, Streits: Matzo and the American Dream.

They are more than halfway to the goal, with 10 days to go. It's going to be close but this can happen people. Click here to fun.

Photos: Opening Night Gala Of The 2013 Manhattan Cocktail Classic

George Embiricos — Mon, 20 May 2013 20:01:42 +0000

Over 200 cocktails at the New York Public Library

The Manhattan Cocktail Classic is a five-day celebration of the global spirits industry — running from May 17-21 this year. Part trade show, part bacchanalia, MCC organizers host intimate workshops and large-scale throwdowns throughout the entire city. Nearly 100 events are spread across five days and four boroughs, with a multi-day trade conference to boot. Most tickets sell out within days (and even hours), and one of the hottest events each year is the Opening Night Gala.

The Gala took place once again this year at The New York Public Library, and featured some 200+ drinks being served to roughly 3,000 attendees. As usual, the glitzy (and debaucherous) event went crazy late. Scroll through for some of the phots from the evening below. And check out the festival website for remaining tickets. There are still some very cool events going down.

View the full gallery on Food Republic »

Tickets Are Now On Sale For Feast Portland, One Of Our Favorite Food Festivals

Food Republic — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:31:04 +0000

Hit the best of the great Northwest, Sept. 19-22

If you don't already have plans for the weekend of September 21, now you do. You're going to Feast Portland. Or at least you should be. We had one hell of a crazy weekend at last year's debut and we've come to the conclusion that Portland is the best town to host a food festival. Why? We once concluded that PDX destroys Brooklyn's restaurant scene. There are just a lot of really excellent, passionate, food people living there. So it's nice when they do it up for out of towners.

The Feast weekend of events include cooking demos, panel discussions, and meet and greets with some of the nation's best-known and most innovative chefs (see the list below). We're particularly looking forward to Face Meat with Olympic Provisions' Elias Cairo, Baby Got Beer-Back (whiskey shots!), Pok Pok at Home with Andy Ricker and of course, The Sandwich Invitational.

So, brush up on your Portlandian before you go, hit up our five favorite spots while you're there and buy your tickets before they're sold out.

Here is a list of participating chefs and food personalities:

Hugh Acheson (The National), 2013 JBF award winner Danny Bowien (Mission Chinese Food), 2013 JBF award winners Stuart Brioza and Nicole Krasinski (State Bird Provisions), Sean Brock (McCrady's), Floyd Cardoz (North End Grill), Tom Douglas (Tom Douglas Restaurants, Lola), Renee Erickson (The Walrus and the Carpenter), Jason Franey (Canlis), Aaron Franklin (Franklin BBQ), Duff Goldman (Charm City Cakes), 2013 JBF award winner Stephanie Izard (The Girl and the Goat), 2013 JBF award winner Christopher Kostow (Meadowood), Matt and Ted Lee, Matt Lightner (Atera), David McMillan and Frédéric Morin (Joe Beef), Thomas McNaughton (Flour + Water), Sarah Simmons (CITY GRIT), Christina Tosi (Momofuku Milk Bar), Michael Voltaggio (ink.) and Kris Yenbamroong (Night + Market). Aaron Barnett (St. Jack), Jason Barwikowski (The Woodsman Tavern), Greg Denton (Ox), Patrick Fleming (Boke Bowl), Jason French (Nedd Ludd), Rick Gencarelli (Lardo), Benjamin Gonzales (Nuestra Cocina), Gregory Gourdet (Departure), Christopher Israel (Grüner), Jenn Louis (Lincoln), Vitaly Paley (Paley's Place), Naomi Pomeroy (Beast), Andy Ricker (Pok Pok), newly minted 2013 James Beard Foundation (JBF) award winner Gabriel Rucker (Le Pigeon), Adam Sappington (The Country Cat), Scott Snyder (Levant), Erik Van Kley (Little Bird), Johanna Ware (Smallwares), Cathy Whims (Nostrana).

More Portland coverage on Food Republic:

Grilling God: Sang Yoon

George Embiricos — Mon, 20 May 2013 19:01:05 +0000

Los Angeles chef serves one of world's top burgers

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Coconut Marinated Pork Tenderloin Recipe

Bobby Flay — Mon, 20 May 2013 18:01:12 +0000

Bobby Flay checks in with a Grilling Month recipe

It just wouldn't be Grilling Month without a few recipes from Bobby Flay's new grilling cookbook, Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction. Well what do you know? We too have barbecue addictions! And like Flay, we're always keeping our eyes open for the next great thing to throw on the grill. In this case, a coconut-tenderized pork loin with a fiery habanero twist.

A savory coconut bath infuses lean pork tenderloin with rich flavor while it tenderizes the meat. With blazing akin to that of a Mexican habanero chile, the fruity Scotch bonnet chile is a quintessential Jamaican ingredient that drives home the Caribbean influence of this dish. The green onion-peanut relish adds an herbaceous crunch to the silky texture of the pork. Sometimes I pulse part of the relish in the food processor to make a chunky purée and leave the rest for sprinkling on top.

Reprinted with permission from Bobby Flay's Barbecue Addiction

Read the full recipe on Food Republic »

How Do You Toast Bread Without A Toaster?

Food Republic — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:31:59 +0000

No toaster? No problem. One less appliance for you.

Sometimes you need toast and you don't have a toaster: it's one of those simple facts of life. Why would you need toast? Uh, eggs? All the other stuff that's just better on and/or with toast? No more questions, let's get down to business.

Not everyone has a toaster, whether it's a lack of space (those really do take up space for a one-trick pony) a lack of interest in spending $30 on an appliance (come on) or just sheer laziness. Here are three ways to make your toast and eat it too:

Invest in a camp stove toaster, a $5 piece of equipment that folds into nothing and toasts not two but FOUR slices at once! Pre-sliced bread is the way to go here — anything more rustic will toast unevenly (but that really never bothers us). Load the gadget with bread and place over a very low flame on the stove for a few minutes. Note: If you only have an electric stove, try options 2 or 3.
Place bread directly on oven grates and broil on low for about a minute to a minute and a half on each side, more if you like your toast crunchy.
Heat a heavy pan with no oil or butter over medium high heat. Drop bread in, allow to crisp for 1-2 minutes, then flip and repeat.

Here are a few recipes to celebrate your fabulous new kitchen skill:

More Whatchamacallit on Food Republic:

Legendary Hoops Coach Phil Jackson Is Serious About Roasting Root Vegetables

Matt Rodbard — Mon, 20 May 2013 17:01:41 +0000

Because, obviously, Phil Jackson is serious

Read the full post on Food Republic »

What We're Reading: Give SPAM A Chance, Scientifically Perfect Space Meal

Food Republic — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:31:08 +0000

A survey of food and drink stories from the Web

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Blueberry-Watermelon Gazpacho Recipe

Ingrid Hoffmann — Mon, 20 May 2013 16:03:51 +0000

Summer flavors in a cooling app (or dessert)

If you're going to eat light, make sure it packs tons of flavor so you don't get to the end of your meal wearing a sad face. Miami-based chef and TV personality Ingrid Hoffman's Latin D'Lite is full of recipes with bold vibrant flavors that won't weigh you down. Her gazpacho packs a hefty serving of cool fruit with just enough acid to make it a truly refreshing appetizer or dessert.

Reprinted with permission from Latin d'Lite

Read the full recipe on Food Republic »

The Art Of Pairing Potato Chips With Sandwiches

Jess Kapadia — Mon, 20 May 2013 15:31:23 +0000

Which chips lie beside and inside your sandwich?

Just in case you think all we do is sit here typing and talking about which potato chips pair best with certain sandwiches, you are correct. And sometimes we go on boats for rum contests which begin in seasickness, then predictably enough, end in cocktails, mini lobster rolls and THEN, inexplicably, Shake Shack. We do have our adventures. But when we're focusing our energies at the vast and expansive in-house Food Republic What To Eat For Lunch laboratories, the topic of potato chips with regards to sandwiches is valid, always timely and never ends in tears.

We all agree that it is permissible — and even encouraged in many circles — to add a layer of potato chips to your sandwich before digging in. This became especially relevant having received a shipment of Lays' new flavors they let America choose (lazy bastards), because sriracha chips, like their crazy-famous namesake sauce, go on more or less everything — even if they could be significantly more infused with sriracha goodness. Seriously Lays, go nuts. Lay it on us. People actually truly really do like sriracha, in case you good folks have never been to a food truck.

Potato Chip/Sandwich Pairing Ideas:

Sriracha chips in a banh mi
Sweet onion chips in a grilled cheese
Salt and vinegar chips in a fried fish sandwich
Barbecue chips in a turkey sandwich (preferably a turkey club)
Sour cream and onion in a roast beef sandwich with a lot of horseradish sauce
Magic Masala in a naanwich (a lot of Indian grocery stores have these Lays cracktastic variations)
Dill pickle in a Reuben
Honey mustard in a fried chicken sandwich

So next time you're in the snack aisle staring down 50 flavors of chips, take a moment to think about your future sandwiches and whether you can add one more layer of flavor — remember, there are no insignificant flavor layers — and definitely try the new sriracha Lays because you support democracy. Did I get that right?

More potatoes in your lunch on Food Republic:

14 Things You Didn't Know About Strawberries

Chantal Martineau — Mon, 20 May 2013 14:02:07 +0000

They're tough, wear their seeds on the outside

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Gift Pack from Sur La Table Giveaway

Food Republic — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:17:06 +0000

Win this great assortment of 11 grilling items

This giveaway is part of Food Republic's Great Grilling Month Giveaway, during which we are giving away amazing products every day in May.

Read the full post on Food Republic »

I Survived The Great Googamooga And Manhattan Cocktail Classic

Matt Rodbard — Mon, 20 May 2013 13:01:53 +0000

Two major food and drink festivals went down in NYC

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Italian Grilled Pork Sandwiches Recipe

Troy Black — Sun, 19 May 2013 18:02:42 +0000

Broccoli rabe and provolone-topped porky heaven

Pro pit master Troy Black, a regular on the Kansas City Barbeque Society circuit, teamed up with the editors of Southern Living magazine to pen All Fired Up, a cookbook that'll keep you busy at the grill all summer long. We presume you know of the Italian pork sandwich, a meaty bomb packed with spicy, garlicky sautéed broccoli rabe and sharp smoked provolone. Here's how to make a great one.

Reprinted with permission from All Fired Up

Read the full recipe on Food Republic »

Cinnamon Brioche French Toast Skewers Recipe

Richard Blais — Sun, 19 May 2013 14:31:29 +0000

Top Chef's Richard Blais serves up a sweet brunch

This recipe for French toast from Top Chef's Richard Blais uses buttery brioche for an extra-rich brunch experience. Use long cinnamon sticks to skewer them and infuse with extra cinnamon flavor. Following the food on a stick theory, these are better than any kind of regular French toast we can think of.

I made this French toast for a very sophisticated audience when I did a cooking segment on the PBS Sprout kids’ program The Sunny Side Up Show, where I appeared with the resident star, a squawking chicken puppet named Chica. The recipe is standard egg-dipped French toast, but I cut slices of day-old brioche into long rectangles and use cinnamon sticks to skewer them, so the overall effect is of French-toast-on-a-stick.

Reprinted with permission from Try This At Home

Read the full recipe on Food Republic »

Our 15 Favorite Lobster Stories Ever

Food Republic — Sat, 18 May 2013 18:31:45 +0000

Lobster tips, videos... cologne and motocycles?!

Warm weather never fails to incite a lobster craving. Soft, buttery lobster rolls are a given, but catching, storing and cooking them ourselves never gets old, either. There's a recipe in there for lobster steak, an actual steak made from actual lobster, reasons why and why not to buy and spritz on lobster cologne and maybe most importantly, a pretty awesome motorcycle made from a whole lobster shell. We may not know art, but we know what we want to eat.

View the full gallery on Food Republic »

Smashed Potato Bomb With Fried Eggs

Jess Kapadia — Sat, 18 May 2013 14:01:05 +0000

Sharp cheddar, spicy Frank's makes awesome brunch

I'm particularly proud of the Smashed Potato Bomb, as I am with Quesadillas Benedict, because I made it up on the spot and it took exactly 10 minutes to cook. Well, that's not entirely true, I had a leftover baked potato from the night before, so that shaved off about half an hour. After you bake the potato (or if you use leftovers), it takes 10 minutes.

Bring the eggs to room temperature by immersing them in lukewarm water for a few minutes — frying cold eggs makes them cook unevenly. And use Frank's Red Hot Sauce and Frank's alone — the perfect spicy tanginess makes the yolk's flavor pop and complements the sharp cheddar. Using clarified butter lets you cook at a higher heat, making the potato crisper and adding a stronger butter flavor for a Buffalo effect.

Read the full recipe on Food Republic »

Our 12 Most Popular Stories This Week

Food Republic — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:31:46 +0000

Branson in drag, pork belly, May bocks, bananas

We answered a lot of important questions this week. How do you define 'the best' in today's restaurant world? Are U.S. restaurants shifting away from 'the customer is always right'? What's the difference between shrimp and prawns? What could one Arrested Development-themed banana cost? And probably most importantly, why was Richard Branson wearing a dress and lipstick on a plane to Malaysia?

In case you're asking yourself which grill to buy (spring training will be over before you know it), we have 10 excellent suggestions. We also have the secret to keeping your grillside beer icy-cold down to the last drop and

View the full gallery on Food Republic »

New Recipes This Week: Spiced Pork Belly, Lobster Cocktail, Persimmon Cheesecake

Jess Kapadia — Fri, 17 May 2013 20:01:19 +0000

Cook your way through our newest recipe additions

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Just In Time For Cookout Season: Oscar Meyer Bacon Dogs

Jess Kapadia — Fri, 17 May 2013 19:01:54 +0000

Hmm. Avoid altogether...or wrap in more bacon?

There are so many parts of so many animals in this hot dog! I say that with equal parts of excitement and fear, excitement because I know and accept what makes hot dogs delicious — many parts of many animals, just recognize it and move on — and fear because I imagine a fight to the death between a chicken, a turkey and a pig...and an animated slab of bacon, I guess, resulting in Oscar Meyer's brand-new bacon dog. Is the media going hog-wild? You bet your chicken-ham.

“We know Americans love bacon, and we know they love hot dogs, so it seemed like the perfect time for us to introduce our first hot dog made with bacon,” the company said in a statement. The logic is watertight, it's very hard to argue with those facts.

Following this formula, we expect them to roll out Cupcakewurst in time for Oktoberfest.

More strange things we'll eat on Food Republic:

Festival Alert! Music City Eats: Nashville Tickets On Sale Today

Food Republic — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:32:10 +0000

Nashville's first food & music festival, Sept 21-22

We had an awesome time at the Austin Food & Wine Festival last month, in case you couldn't tell by all the coverage. Our festival-throwing friends at C3 are at it again, this time bringing the party to the Music City: Nashville. Tickets go on sale today for a packed weekend (September 21-22) of chefs including Tom Colicchio and John Besh taking on the vibrant and diverse culinary culture Nashville has rapidly become famous for, with hot spots like Catbird Seat (among many others). Prepare for cooking demos, panels, live performances and yes, noshing with the chefs.

It wouldn't be a food and music festival without a band or two, so enjoy your food with a side of the Music City's native Kings of Leon, hosting Petty Fest Nashville, a tribute to all things Tom Petty. Oh and the festival is sponsored by Jameson, so you're covered there. If you're overdue for a serious food-and-enjoyment weekend, click here and make it happen.

More Nashville coverage on Food Republic:

No-Bake Persimmon And Goat Cheese Cheesecake Recipe

Louisa Shafia — Fri, 17 May 2013 18:02:26 +0000

Persian cookbook changes up a rich dessert classic

Chef and cookbook author Louisa Shafia's The New Persian Kitchen is filled with traditional and modern takes on Persian cuisine. You've seen cheesecake in every flavor and variation — except persimmon, right? Tangy, creamy goat cheese pairs perfectly with sweet, earthy persimmons for a truly impressive dessert.

Reprinted with permission from The New Persian Kitchen

Read the full recipe on Food Republic »

How Do You Soften Butter?

Food Republic — Fri, 17 May 2013 17:31:07 +0000

While we're at it, why do you soften butter?

Sometimes a recipe will call for softened butter. How soft is soft, why does it need to be soft and how do you soften it properly? Grab a slice of bread and a dull knife and meet us in the kitchen.

As we all know from this crazy Japanese butter contraption, cold, stiff butter won't spread. If you have the time, half an hour outside of the fridge or an hour outside of the freezer will soften butter to the point of malleability — important if you're going to evenly distribute it under a chicken before roasting or combine it with other ingredients to make a compound butter or cake or cookie batter.

If you don't have half an hour, maybe learn to read the recipe before you go in head-first, because the microwave isn't the best way to take the chill off your butter. Keep the whole stick wrapped (individual tablespoon pats will melt immediately), place it on a microwave-safe plate, knock the power down to 50% and zap in increments of 30 seconds until soft but not pooling melted butter at the bottom. The middle may still be a little cold, just give it a few minutes to even out.

Once soft, you needn't fear chunks of cold butter flying out of the stand mixer, tearing holes in your pastries or wreaking any other sort of havoc on your food.

More Whatchamacallit on Food Republic:

What We're Reading: Neurogastronomy, Insect Gastronomy, Cheap Beer

Food Republic — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:31:19 +0000

A survey of food and drink stories from the Web

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Grilling God: Chad Newton

George Embiricos — Fri, 17 May 2013 16:02:32 +0000

Bay Area chef talks surefire tips, Giants baseball

May is Grilling Month at Food Republic, where we are offering pro tips from chefs and other well-known grilling gods.

Chad Newton — along with his wife Grace Nguyen — are the culinary forces behind Asian Box, located in Palo Alto and Mountain View, California. At the Vietnamese fast casual mini-chain, Newton uses housemade sauces, rubs and marinades to add vibrant flavors to charred proteins such as lemongrass-marinated pork and lime-basil tossed shrimp, all cooked over an open flame. Over the past decade, Newton has held executive and consulting chef positions at some of the Bay Area’s most acclaimed restaurants, including Postrio and Fish & Farm. We caught up with the chef to talk about his grilling expertise, which includes a surprising must-have piece of equipment.

Do you prefer working with gas or charcoal?
I prefer charcoal because of the great flavor and intense heat, but sometimes you have to go with a gas grill because it’s what you have, so you make it work.

What is the biggest mistake the home griller can make?
The biggest mistake that a home cook can make when grilling is to play with the item being grilled too much. Let it sear! Don’t try to turn it too much and don’t constantly play with it. Also, make sure you season your food, and taste, taste, taste! People often do not season meat as aggressively as they should. If you start with good meat and season it well, you do not even need a sauce sometimes, especially if you are cooking over wood or charcoal.

What is your favorite cut of meat to grill?
I love to grill a big steak. I change between hanger, ribeye and New York cuts based off of my mood. I simply season them well with black pepper and salt and then at the end brush them with a little soy sauce and wasabi slurry. I also love to grill sausages, in particular a good Louisiana hot link or another spicy sausage.

What are the best vegetables on the grill?
Onions, mushrooms and asparagus. I also love to grill shishito or padrón peppers, simply served with a good coarse sea salt, lemon and some aioli.

What’s the best way to cook vegetables on the grill?
Just a little olive oil and good seasoning. Sometimes, you need to skewer items like peppers and onions.

What do you like to drink with your grilled meat?
It totally depends on what I am making, but there is nothing better than an ice-cold can of beer while grilling. I typically like a good Syrah with beef.

What’s the most epic barbecue you have ever thrown, or been to?
Hands down, the bachelor/bachelorette party that my wife Gracie and I shared. We rented a house in San Francisco, got a large wood-burning grill and invited a large group of friends. Our good friends at Tacolicious brought over a frozen drink machine fully loaded with perfect margaritas and a watermelon, mint and Rye drink that took the party to the next level. For food we had oysters, banh mi sandwiches, and we grilled 4,505 sausages and giant bone-in ribeyes. It was monumental.

What bands are on your grilling soundtrack?
Instead of music, I like to listen to the Giants baseball game on the radio. It is very calming. It makes it feel like I am at the park tailgating.

What is the worst food item you have seen thrown on the grill?
Any food that has not been seasoned or marinated! Love your food and season it well — you don’t have to be an amazing chef to do this.

Most useful piece of grilling gear you have purchased or used?
A miner’s helmet for the perfect light and to free up your hands when dark out!

Any burger secrets to share?
Start with good meat, season it well and you have to have a good bun, plenty of good mayo or aioli, crispy shallots or caramelized onion and super sour and crunchy pickles. Cook the burgers medium rare and you are all set. Remember, burgers are subjective. It’s what you like on them. But keep it simple and use good product.

More Grilling God advice on Food Republic:

Frozen In Time: Behind The Rise Of Kelvin Natural Slush Co.

Laila Gohar — Fri, 17 May 2013 15:01:04 +0000

A childhood memory reborn as an adult treat

Welcome to What's Your Story?, a new feature about innovative entrepreneurs in the food industry. What goes into the launch of a new food brand, how is the product made, who designs the packaging? All these questions, answered...

What do you get when you cross two lawyer friends with a troubled economy? After a bit of career-change brainstorming, you get a very refreshing icy drink that's made for adults. Zack Silverman and Alex Rein worked at a Manhattan law firm before calling it quits and trying to create healthy, natural versions of one of their favorite childhood treats. The two friends developed a few recipes and launched Kelvin the Kelvin Natural Slush Co. in 2010. It started out, like so many food and drink businesses these days, as a mobile truck. Now, the slushes can be found at Madison Square Garden — where they're used as a base for frozen cocktails — at Whole Foods and at a number of retailers across the country (in addition to a NYC-based food truck and cart). Here, Rein tells us more about the genesis of the company, what it's like seeing their product at one of the most iconic sports arenas in the country, and what it takes to make an all-natural slush.

How did you go about launching a company that makes slushes?
Zack and I were officemates at a large Midtown law firm, and we would kick around different ideas of companies we could start. At one point we realized that we both grew up drinking slushies and slurpees and that we loved them. Then you get to a certain age, and you stop drinking them, but we thought that in the summer they’re really refreshing treats. There is no reason adults shouldn’t be able to drink them. So we thought that we should reinvent the slushie and make it all-natural.

In 2009, I got laid off when the economy started to tank, and I figured it was as good of a time as any to give it a shot. I haven’t stopped since! Zack quit his job and came on full-time this past summer.

Why slush?
One day we were talking in the office, and Zack had just gotten back from a vacation. He was telling me about a slushie he had and how much he’d missed them. So we decided to start making slushies for adults. It's just a product we love.

Did you have any experience in food manufacturing?
No, not really. I had worked as a busboy and waiter for about a year in college, but I had very little experience in the food industry.

How did you create your first flavor?
After we decided we wanted to start the company, we were testing recipes in my apartment. We bought a little slush machine and played around with it. Our first flavor was the spicy ginger, which is a ginger-citurs tea that we still carry. It's one of our three base flavors. We started brewing ginger root and adding sugar and different spices, and came to that. Our two other flavors are tangy citrus and green and black tea. We also mix the citrus and tea to make an Arnold Palmer.

We have mix-ins which can be added in with those base flavors. We have fruit purées, chopped basil or mint, pomegranate seeds. Even though we only have the three base flavors, you can have a lot of different combinations, like raspberry-ginger or white peach tea. The white peach tea was actually named one of New York magazine's Top 100 Drinks! That’s one of the awards we're pretty excited about.

What goes into the base flavors?
It's all-natural, so just citrus, tea, ginger and cane sugar.

What has been your proudest moment?
In the first year we were opened, we got nominated for a Vendy Award, which are the awards for food trucks. We were pretty new and didn’t really think we had a shot, but we ended up winning Best Dessert Truck.

With wholesale, the proudest moment was opening at Madison Square Garden. That was huge for us. Madison Square Garden now has slush machines in three of their bars around the arena. We work with them to make their frozen cocktails. They do a frozen sangria, a dark 'n stormy, an Arnold Palmer and a ginger-citrus strawberry vodka drink. We also have our own stand down there. That’s been really exciting.

Now we’re also working with Whole Foods. It’s another one of these things that we always wanted to do, and when it happened it was kind of surreal. Currently we’re in five stores in NYC, Connecticut and New Jersey. There are plans for more in locations in the South soon.

What do you during the winter?
During winter we shut down retail operation because the truck is tough to run when it’s cold. Not too many people want slush. This year we did a lot of business development. The goal is to branch out and go to Florida, California or Las Vegas, places where the season is not limited.

What is your biggest challenge?
Probably the seasonality of the product.

What about the logo for Kelvin Natural Slush Co.? Who designed it?
We have a designer, who is also a friend, who has worked on all of our branding. His name is Aaron Harowitz. We’re very brand focused. We wanted our aesthetic to be sleek, clean and minimal. He is very involved with everything that we do from coming up with the name to the cups. The design process has been very collaborative.

What's behind the name?
We named the company after the temperature scale. Kelvin is absolute zero, where all matter stops moving.

What advice would you give a food-centric small business that's just starting out?
Be prepared for a lot of very long hours, lots of hard work. You learn as you go. Maybe work in the industry before you jump in.

When we went into this we had no idea that anyone would pay for a slushie. We liked the idea, but had no idea [if it would work]. Then suddenly we set up this company and there is a line for an hour outside the truck, so we thought, alright, this may have some legs!

What's your favorite slush combination?
Virgin — it's ginger and blueberry. And then the Arnold Palmer, white peach and bourbon.

Do you know of a company with an intriguing, original history? Let us know at editorial@foodrepublic.com and we'll consider your suggestions for future installments of What's Your Story?

Previously in What's Your Story?
What Goes Into McClure's Pickles?

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Here Is A French Press Made From A Mason Jar

Laura Neilson — Fri, 17 May 2013 14:02:28 +0000

Hold the Portlandia jokes—this thing is pretty rad

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Boos Chopping Block Giveaway

Food Republic — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:17:14 +0000

A chopping block from renowned manufacturer Boos

This giveaway is part of Food Republic's Great Grilling Month Giveaway, during which we are giving away amazing products every day in May.

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Food News: Eat Bugs, Await A Farm Bill

Eleanor West — Fri, 17 May 2013 13:01:35 +0000

Also, a new study says you can now eat more salt

This week in food politics, the United Nations told us to eat insects, progress was finally made on the never-ending piece of legislation known as the farm bill and a new study says makes us feel less guilty about our salt cravings (but sadly, another study delivers unwelcome news for chicken-eaters).

In what reads as a rather doom and gloom sort of study, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) — part of the United Nations — suggests we all need to get over our bug disgust and start embracing insects as the new protein. Why? Because diminishing arable land and an ever increasing population could mean bad news for our future meat supply. Tim Worstall of Forbes argues that the UN was a little hasty with its bugs-are-the-future prediction, but in case you’re ready to leap headfirst into insect cuisine, here are 10 cicada recipes courtesy of the Huffington Post.

Along with the UN report, the farm bill made major headlines this week, as the Senate and House have finished voting on two versions of the bill and have scheduled floor debates for next week and June, respectively.

The bill, which was up for debate last summer, never made it past a squabbling Congress that couldn’t compromise on key issues like cuts to food stamps (known as SNAP). For a refresher and a look at what’s to come, see Dr. Marion Nestle’s post on the subject. And for insight into the two versions of the farm bill currently on the table — both of which do include billions of dollars in cuts to supplemental nutrition programs — see Politico’s analysis of the week’s votes in the House and Senate.

In addition, this also happened during a busy week in food politics:

The Supreme Court unanimously voted in favor of Monsanto in the seed-manufacturer’s patent case against Indiana farmer Vernon Bowman.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University say inorganic arsenic from feed found in chicken may increase consumers’ risk of cancer over a lifetime.
Tropical fish are swimming North as oceans warm, which could prove problematic for our seafood supply.
Scientists in the Netherlands are preparing to taste test the first in-vitro "meat" burger, which cost a whopping $325,000 to manufacture.
Finally, for all of those salt fiends out there, a new study suggests that restricting sodium too much could prove as harmful to one’s health as overindulging in it. In which case, may we suggest salt-grilled fish for dinner tonight?

Grilled Shrimp With Lime Powder Recipe

Louisa Shafia — Thu, 16 May 2013 20:02:14 +0000

Tangy jumbo shrimp hit the grill Persian-style

Chef and cookbook author Louisa Shafia's The New Persian Kitchen is filled with traditional and modern takes on Persian cuisine. If you've never used dried lime powder before, you may find yourself incorporating the sweet, tangy spice more and more. It does wonders to simple grilled shrimp.

This rustic Turkish-style parsley sauce unlocks not only the flavor of seafood but of grains, vegetables and chicken, too. The shrimp get a dose of intense citrus flavor from bittersweet dried lime powder. If you have dried limes, you can grind them in an electric spice grinder. You can also substitute the zest and juice of 2 to 3 fresh limes, if necessary. Use a good-quality extra-virgin olive oil in the sauce and serve with rice or another grain.

Reprinted with permission from The New Persian Kitchen

Read the full recipe on Food Republic »

The Opening Of Husk Nashville: The Final Push, With A Bowl Of Nerves On The Side

Chris Chamberlain — Thu, 16 May 2013 19:02:26 +0000

Husk plans to open on Monday, which is far away

Read the full post on Food Republic »

What To Drink At Your Backyard Barbecue All Summer Long

Simon Ford — Thu, 16 May 2013 18:01:22 +0000

Booze suggestions, plus a killer punch recipe

Barbecue at its best is simple — quality meat and fish (but mostly meat) cooked on flames, perhaps with some seasoning. Sure, you will have a few side dishes — a potato salad, some coleslaw and maybe a bowl of baked beans. You’ll also probably have some cheap buns for the burgers and hot dogs, but let’s be honest here: no one really cares about the sides. They act as mere distractions while you wait for the cooking to be done, your mouth watering with the primal smell of cooked red meats wafting in the air.

Your appetite is so alive that if the barbecue is not ready soon, cannibalism may become an appealing option. After all, all we want at our backyard grilling party is the meat, right? Wrong! There is one other component that is just as important, and even though it is not engulfed in the meaning of “barbecue,” it is just as essential to have at a barbecue as the meat and the grill. Yes, I am talking about the alcohol. [Editor’s Note: Simon originally capitalized the word “alcohol” here. Clearly, the man has his priorities in order.]

It is a given that those who do not undertake the manly duty of wearing an apron and holding a spatula to occasionally turn the meats on the grill will be quick to give their (unsolicited) manly critique on the techniques and skill of their friend actually doing all the work. But what if these people did not have a cold beer in hand? They would leave, of course!

Just as the food at a barbecue is best when simple, so too is the booze. No one really wants to go through too much effort as the sun beats down on you, and shaking up cocktails would be somewhat of a workout. After all, the idea of a warm martini is not appealing to anyone. What you really want is something cold and refreshing that you can grab from an ice-filled cooler.

What you will need:
Beer — Get a good selection in. You need everything from cheap watered down American standards (they are refreshing and sessionable) to some rich full-bodied brews for the beer snobs out there. These will taste better with the food anyway. (Here's the ever-helpful Basic Guide To Pairing Beer With Barbecue.)

Red sparkling wine — The Australians make some great sparkling Shiraz, which can be the perfect pairing for eating red meats in the sun. You chill the wines down but they have rich spicy character associated with the grape. The St. Hallett sparkling Shiraz, "The Black Syrah," is a good place to start if you have never tried these bold Australian sparkling reds.

Cheap rosé — It is a scientific fact that cheap rosés taste better than expensive rosés when outside and in the sun.

Bourbon — Where does American barbecue come from? The South, of course! Where does bourbon come from? You know it. It’s a cultural pairing.

Other spirits — At a BBQ, you always have to be careful to not pass out too many spirits or your guests may pass out. I recommend making a punch that could be slightly watered down, so as to make it more sessionable. The other very simple option is to make highballs....

Highballs — Highballs are a basic mix of spirit with a mixer — either juice or a soda, with an option of adding bitters. They have been around since the 1870s and within this mixed drinks family are some of the most famous cocktails in the world — Gin & Tonic, Cuba Libre, Scotch & Soda and Moscow Mule are just a few drinks in the Highball category. All of these drinks are perfect for outdoor barbecue drinking.

Here's a punch recipe that'll last you all summer:

Jersey City Fish House Punch Recipe
by Jason Kosmas

Makes 5 1/2 liters

2 bottles Cana Brava Rum
1 liter Laird’s Applejack
1 liter freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 liters water
6 ounces Massenez Crème de Peche
6 Fuji apples diced, for garnish
6 large Bartlett pears diced, for garnish
6 lemons cut in half wheels, for garnish
6 limes cut in half wheels, for garnish

Build into a big bowl and add lots of ice.

More Drink Ford Tough columns on Food Republic:

What's The Difference Between Shrimp and Prawns?

Food Republic — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:31:07 +0000

Solve the fish mystery and toss both on the barbie

It's a prawn, it's a shrimp, it's a delicious crustacean! We're happy when either lands on our plate, but if you truly need to know the difference, we can point you in the right direction. For the record: you'd be hard-pressed to tell them apart by taste-test alone.

Inspect a specimen with its shell intact (otherwise you may never know). Does it have claws on two or three of its five pairs of legs? Two means shrimp, three means prawn. And no legs means you bought your prawns or shrimp pre-shelled and have much less prep work to do. Other ways to tell, keeping in mind that in many parts of the world, especially in the Commonwealth, "prawn" and "shrimp" are interchangable: prawns are typically harvested from fresh water and shrimp from salt, and prawns will usually be larger than shrimp — think tiger prawns, although both shrimp and prawns come in a huge variety of sizes and shapes.

If you find yourself caring way too much whether the fishmonger is trying to pull a fast one on you, remember: it literally doesn't matter whether you have shrimp or prawns, as long as you don't overcook either. Maybe re-focus your energies on finding really great olive oil or the perfect skewer for a shrimp/prawn kebab.

Got a bottle of Grand Marnier handy? Here's a Grand Marnier Prawns Recipe to try.

More Whatchamacallit on Food Republic:

Grilling God: Jason Dady

Matt Rodbard — Thu, 16 May 2013 17:01:15 +0000

Texas chef on the joys of grilling with rosé

Read the full post on Food Republic »

7 Ideas For Dinner Tonight: Out-Of-The-Ordinary Chicken

Food Republic — Thu, 16 May 2013 16:02:53 +0000

Chicken recipes from around the world for dinner

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Chicken For Lunch? Go For The Thigh.

Jess Kapadia — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:31:37 +0000

When you reheat it, it gets better. Period.

I've decided that contrary to popular opinion, when it comes to lunch, the breast is not the best part of the chicken. Served chilled, it's stringy, dry and flavorless. Served warm — or worse, reheated — it's gummy and stiff and you'll still have to saw it apart with what will likely be a plastic fork and knife. So if you eat at your desk, I hope it's a big one with plenty of elbow room, not surrounded by three 2-foot stacks of cookbooks.

A thigh, on the other hand, tenderizes quickly and stays moist and juicy, owing entirely to the bone and greatly supported by a thin layer of fat under the skin. That is how thighs should be cooked: bone-in, skin on (at least while browning). Thighs also have more chicken flavor, if that's what you're going for, are vastly more cost-effective and are at least three times more fun to cook.

I get no gratification out of cooking a chicken breast, even though I know very well how to keep it juicy. But building a flavorful base for a thigh to leisurely cook in is immensely satisfying. When I reheat it, it gets better! When I take the meat off the bones to use in soup, salads, curry, sandwiches, pasta or even to eat by itself, it comes off with a fork in perfect shreds, the way it was always meant to shred, because thighs are made for shredding.

Here are some ideas for your newfound favorite protein.

So get intimate with what I firmly believe to be the best part of the chicken (aside from deep-fried skin, obviously), don't hesitate to go to the dark side and find your perfect use for this juicy meat.

More chicken for lunch on Food Republic:

2013 New York City Wine And Food Festival Schedule Has Dropped, With Big Names

Matt Rodbard — Thu, 16 May 2013 15:01:13 +0000

Former TV chef party invites some serious dudes

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Cooking Class: $800 Will Buy You A Comprehensive Gluten-Free Education

Jess Kapadia — Thu, 16 May 2013 14:01:16 +0000

Pony up. Also, the facilities are rife with wheat.

Unless you don't have access to the Internet, in which case you're not reading this, you know there are few bigger food trends than gluten freedom. That's not to say the diet's trendy — it isn't, because it doesn't involve a new form of cured, smoked, heirloom or otherwise awesome pig and it's also no fun — but there's no denying that it's here, no beer, and the market topped $4 billion last year. Thomas Keller himself invented the first flaw-free gluten-free flour.

If you're a buyer of gluten-free pretzels, misshapen loaves of hole-riddled bread, frozen pizza crusts, baguettes made of mozzarella and the like, way to dedicate all your money to still being able to eat pretzels. That stuff is very expensive, so NYC's Natural Gourmet Institute is obviously about to make bank on their $795/weekend Spectacular Gluten-Free Intensive, where they'll teach you to make your own.

Gluten-sensitive cooking enthusiasts can plain old forget about that extra few days of vacation and instead embark on a journey to get friendly with alternative flours, guided by gluten-free chef, baker and cookbook author Rebecca Reilly. Unless of course they have actual Celiac disease, because the facilities themselves aren't gluten-free. Or you can stick to the humongous and minimally restrictive world of naturally gluten-free foods, like all fruits, all vegetables, corn, potatoes, rice, ice cream, most candy, most booze, all meat, all dairy, all chocolate and as many taco truck tacos as you can hoover down, and save your entire tax return for an epic fancy meal somewhere they'll make extra-sure to hold the wheat.

More dispatches from Planet Gluten-Free on Food Republic:

Interview With Hamburger God Josh Capon

Matt Rodbard — Thu, 16 May 2013 13:01:07 +0000

Meet the man who invented the world’s best burger

Read the full post on Food Republic »

We're halfway through The Great Grilling Month Giveaway!

Food Republic — Wed, 15 May 2013 21:10:27 +0000

Grills, meats and more: Enter for a chance to win!

We're halfway through Food Republic's Grilling Month where we've been firing up the grills, marinating the meats and mixing up batches of cocktails. All month long we've been featuring recipes, interviews with Grilling Gods, practical tips and more. Whether you're a charcoal purist, a convert to wood, a smoke aficionado or a gas guy, we've got something for you.

What else have we got? In celebration of Grilling Month, we've been giving away an astonishing lineup of grilling-related items, courtesy of Food Republic and some of the best brands in the biz. Come back every few days to enter and win through the end of May.

Enter the contest here »

NYC: Here's A Bar That'll Have You Dizzy Before Your First Drink

Laura Neilson — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:31:12 +0000

Missed Frieze? Get your art fix at Bar Oppenheimer

Frieze Art Fair may have rolled in and out of NYC last weekend, but for the next three months you can take in some crazy visuals at Bar Oppenheimer, Tobias Rehberger's temporary installation in west Chelsea's Hôtel Americano.

Rehberger's large-scale exhibition, a dizzying spectacle cast in warped black and white stripes, actually doubles as a fully functioning bar. It's a "second edition" to the original Bar Oppenheimer in Rehberger's hometown of Frankfurt, Germany.

Although his vision is faithful to the original bar, artistic license (most notably in the form of those trippy stripes) was taken to reimagine the space and its objects in a way that's familiar and unfamiliar to both newcomers and anyone who's patronized the Frankfurt location. Whether or not you've already been to the original, here's one more reason to make NYC's Chelsea a destination this summer.

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Barbecue Monkfish On The Bone Recipe

Nathan Outlaw — Wed, 15 May 2013 20:02:24 +0000

Here's a grill-friendly fish for early summer

Two Michelin-starred Chef Nathan Outlaw is one of England's most celebrated chefs. His recent book, Modern Seafood, is a culinary homage to sustainable fish. Ready to discover your favorite new grilled fish recipe? It's monkfish with homemade orange-rosemary barbecue sauce.

Firm-textured monkfish stands up well to the heat of the barbecue, but you can broil it instead if you like. The predominant flavors in the barbecue sauce — orange and rosemary — work so well here, though I tweak the flavorings according to what I have to hand and which fish I happen to be cooking. I like to serve this with a medley of barbecued vegetables, which I cook just before the monkfish.

Reprinted with permission from Modern Seafood

Read the full recipe on Food Republic »

Did You Know There's A Helpful Search Engine To Find The Nearest Farmer's Market?

Richard Martin — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:16:54 +0000

The USDA has a search by ZIP code with awesome info

I can't believe there was ever a time when I didn't buy most of my produce at farmer's markets, not to mention fish, meats, bread, juice and more. Just this past weekend, I visited a Brooklyn market, where I bought spinach, in-season asparagus and a package of lamb merguez sausage, which went into a delicious couscous.

Last month, we also started Food Republic's #FRMarketWatch campaign on Instagram — and I urge you to keep adding to our stockpile of farmer's market and greenmarket shots from around the world.

Need inspiration to go to your nearest market? Today, I caught a Food + Tech Connect tweet about a USDA site which features a search engine. You just type in a ZIP code, and the data site offers up the nearest markets within a selected radius, with information on the types of purveyors, the opening dates and times and contact details. It's brilliant. Now, no matter where you in the U.S., you can find a place to buy fresh, farmed veggies, fruits and more.

Check out the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service site for the search engine. And remember, tag your photos on Instagram with #FRMarketWatch.

Our 10 Favorite Bocks To Drink In May

Jon Katz — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:02:33 +0000

Strong German lager is brewed seasonally for spring

It’s Food Republic Grilling Month, it’s American Craft Beer Week and it’s May. If you’re looking for a beer to celebrate all three, we’ve got you covered. We’re talking about Heller Bock, strong German lager brewed seasonally for spring.

There are two kinds of traditional spring bocks, Maibock (May Bock) and Helles Bock, so before we tell you what to look out for, a little on the style itself. The styles vary based on malt and hop content. Maibock boasts a much heavier malt content, usually from Vienna or Munich malt, and has very little hop presence. Helles Bock is often made using lighter malts like pilsner malt and has a decent amount of hops. Whether amber or pale, there’s one thing to note across the board: bocks are strong — typically between 6-8% ABV.

While neither Maibock or Helles Bock are common styles in American brewing, they're experiencing a major boost by newer breweries that focus on preserving German brewing traditionas in America. Thanks to these breweries, bock is becoming a beer we can enjoy just about anywhere in America. Here are our 10 favorites:

1. The Olde Mecklenburg Brewery: Früh Bock
This Charlotte, NC brewery makes some of the best German-style lagers outside of Deutschland. It’s one of the lighter bocks on the list both in malt and in ABV, at just 6.1%, but it’s also one of the most flavorful and refreshing. It's available at the brewery, so if you’re nearby, bring growlers; if you’re not, look for it in 22-ounce 3-packs.

2. High Point Brewing Company: Ramstein Maibock
Another brewery that specializes in German-style beer and another draft-only release worth the trip to (let the jokes ensue) New Jersey. This is an incredibly good beer. At 7.5% it’s also a strong one, though it’s hidden well in the toasty malt and noble hops.

3. Sprecher Brewing Company: Mai Bock
For a lighter drinking experience, try this blonde bock from Sprecher in Wisconsin. A two-time bronze medal winner in the Great American Beer Festival's Bock category, it lacks the heat of traditional bocks at 6% but retains a ton of sweet, yeasty bread and caramel malt flavor.

4. Berkshire Brewing Company: Maibock Lager
Another lighter lager, this one is made with German hops and yeast from Berkshire Brewing Company in Massachusetts. Lager isn’t Berkshire’s specialty, but they’ve made a habit out of making excellent German seasonals. Sweet pale malt is upfront, with quite a bit of citrus, banana and grape fruitiness.

5. Jack’s Abby Brewing: Maibock Hurts Like Helles
Almost exclusively a lager brewery, Jack’s Abby produces some of the finest German style lagers in the country. Here’s a fine example of an extremely malty golden bock — it's probably fair to call this a Helles, the hops really are powerful! Lots of fruitiness, especially grape, which balances extremely well with the heavy malt. At just 6.5%, it’s another easy-drinking example of the style.

6. Victory Brewing Company: St. Boisterous Helles Bock
This is one of the more powerful bocks on the list, but you’d never know it if we didn’t tell you. This golden Helles Bock from Downington, PA’s Victory clocks in at 7.5%, but is extremely smooth. It’s got a hint of German hop bitterness, a little citrus flavor and sweet bready malt flavor that really shines.

7. New Glarus Brewing Company: Cabin Fever Bock
As we noted earlier this year in our piece on craft beer's success in 2012, New Glarus had one, um, Helles of a year. This hoppy little bock is only 6%, and it’s a bit sweeter than you might expect. The Wisconsin-style honey bock has clover honey added to the brew kettle and balances well with the malt. Sure it’s different, but that’s what makes New Glarus so great.

8. New Belgium Brewing: Hoppy Bock Lager
New Belgium made our 10 beers you must drink during grilling season piece with their Shift pale lager, but here’s another great New Belgium brew that would be perfect for your next grilling party. Hoppy Bock Lager is part of their Hop Kitchen series, and definitely holds true to its name. It has copious amounts of hops that work well with the sweet caramel malt.

9. Rogue Ales: Dead Guy Ale
This Newport, OR brewery broke the mold when it came to Maibocks, which are almost always lagered. Though different, they might be onto something, as the original Maibocks were probably ales. Rogue’s Dead Guy uses PacMan yeast and both American and German hops resulting in an amber ale with a great balance of sweet malt and spicy hops. It’s also available year-round, which is rare for the style.

10. Abita Brewing Company: Andygator
Louisiana knows how to party, and this great brewery knows how to make a perfect beer for a celebration. At the strong end of spring bocks, this one clocks in at 8%, though it drinks much lighter and falls under the unique Helles Dopplebock tag. German lager yeast and hops give it a ton of malt. Quite peppery but light fruity notes and a dry finish makes this a good sipper for the early days of sunshine.

More craft beer stories on Food Republic:

Texas Oven Co. Makes The Most Baller Outdoor Grills And Ovens

George Embiricos — Wed, 15 May 2013 17:01:12 +0000

Interested in a fire-breathing work of art?

Are you obsessed with wood-oven thin crust pizza? Do you have a cool 10 grand lying around that you’ve just been dying to spend to make thin crust pizza? If you find yourself nodding along, consider this your lucky day. And for what it’s worth, we’re with you on (at least?) one of those.

The Texas Oven Co. specializes in handcrafted firebrick pizza ovens and grills, equally as aesthetically impressive as the pizzas they create. The company consults with prospective buyers to plan fully customizable products, perfect for any awe-inspiring backyard. We reached out to Oven Master — yes, that's a real title — Dave Eberhardt to discuss the process behind building the “fire-breathing works of art.”

What are customers most interested in building? What style?
Often we hear from people who have had amazing food from a wood-burning oven. They ate the best pizza of their lives from an old oven in Italy, or had a phenomenal meal at a friend's house where everything came out of a wood-burning oven. Most people are interested in a wood-burning oven made from firebrick with a style reminiscent of the ruins-of-Pompeii, something you'd see on a Tuscan hillside. Customers today want the cooking efficiency of modern materials and the quality and experience you get from working with a master craftsman.

What is the starting price? How baller can you go?
The oven core is only part of any project. Our finished ovens weigh thousands of pounds. Big projects like these involve a support structure. Then we cut the firebrick right on site and handcraft the oven. Finally, the customer chooses a finish-out style. Using local materials for people in our area, we can do an entire project for $10-$15,000. Ovens finished in imported materials, or with lots of steel, cost more. For clients out of state, ovens can be twice the cost of a basic Texas Oven. We also build various combo-units — wood-burning ovens on top of a fireplace, wood-burning ovens with a smoker. It all depends on what our customer wants.

How much kitchen skill do you need to use your grills/ovens?
It's surprisingly easy to use our ovens. It's the way people have cooked for thousands of years. Light the fire, build up the heat, move the fire over and put in the food — any kind of food. Pizzas when the oven is really hot. Then as the oven cools, artisan breads, meats and vegetables, braises, beans and stocks. Getting started is exciting, but some people have never built a fire before. And even if you've wanted to bake pizza at 1,000 degrees, it takes a little know-how. That's why we enjoy throwing our first-fire parties. When the oven is done, our customers invite their friends and family for the party. We bring dough for pizza and pick up all kinds of interesting things to put in the oven, like sausage, fish, brussels sprouts, figs, whatever looks good or is in season locally. We bring pre-cut wood, build the fire and show customers how to manage the cooking zones. It's a great way to get started and have fun with a new oven.

Do you have any celebrity clients?
Yes, we have celebrity clients including locally and nationally known chefs. We develop friendships with our clients and don't name names or share personal information.

How long is the process for having one built?
It depends on what the customer wants and where the oven will be built. With good weather, we build a stand-alone oven with local stone finish-out in two weeks.

More Grilling Month coverage on Food Republic:

What We're Reading: U.K. Chipotles Are Struggling, Pot Smokers Are Skinnier

Food Republic — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:31:30 +0000

A survey of food and drink stories from the Web

Read the full post on Food Republic »

Boulud Sud's Aaron Chambers On How To Make Lamb Kebabs

Jess Kapadia — Wed, 15 May 2013 16:01:37 +0000

Middle Eastern–style grilled lamb skewers at home

"I was a vegetarian for 19 years," says Aaron Chambers, Executive Chef at Boulud Sud across from NYC's Lincoln Center. Of course, things have changed now that he heads the kitchen at Daniel Boulud's Mediterranean-influenced restaurant, where spice-marinated, flame-grilled Colorado lamb kebabs are not to be missed. We followed him around the kitchen to learn the recipe.

"Normally a kebab is not a first cut of meat, it's a second cut of meat like leg, shoulder or belly. You'll want to cut it into small pieces," Chambers says. Small pieces cook fast, which means less time until you're eating some of the juiciest, most flavorful lamb you've ever had.

Where are the veggies interspersed with the lamb? None to be found here, and for good reason.

"I'm not opposed to it," says Chambers, "but I feel like the vegetables never cook through. Your meat will be perfect and rested to a nice medium-rare, and the onions and peppers will still be raw and crunchy."

By gosh, he's right.

Here's what you'll need for six hearty skewers (plan on two to three per person):

1 1/2 pounds lamb leg or shoulder, trimmed
1 cup harissa powder
1 1/2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoons dried parsley
1 teaspoon each dried mint and cilantro
Grapeseed oil as needed
Lemon wedges, for serving
Tzatziki sauce, for serving

All photos by Gabi Porter. Click on any photo to launch a slideshow.

Read the full How-To on Food Republic »

Seriously, Cook Your Lunch On A Grill Pan

Jess Kapadia — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:31:47 +0000

Whip up a grill-pan lunch. Here are some ideas.

We're at the Grilling Month halfway point, which means training season is over and it's time to step up your game. Dinner is not enough — it's time to grill for lunch. My estimations indicate that most of us do not have appropriate grilling facilities at our offices. If you do, where do you even work and are you hiring lunch-based columnists? And if you don't, break out the grill pan, bring a lunch you grilled yourself and finish up the month strong. Memorial Day is around the corner, and grillmaster = you.

With a nice hot grill pan, any of the following lunches can pass the Grilling Month lunch test. Tomorrow, we're boarding a boat. More on that Friday, unless I drown. But yes, grill these lunches:

Become the best of friends with this crucial piece of kitchen equipment. Don't wait until your barbecue gets rained out, treat the grill pan nicely and show it you care by grilling things that don't even need grilling, like bacon. Or romaine wedges. Or jalapeños before they go in your guacamole. Catching my drift here?

More bright ideas for lunch on Food Republic:

Video: A 3-Minute Jamón ibérico Mega Mix From The Insatiable Perennial Plate

Matt Rodbard — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:16:27 +0000

Traveling Basque Country to Barcelona

The Perennial Plate is a highly ambitious documentary series founded by chef and activist Daniel Klein — before traveling the world to produce his films, the NYU graduate worked in some of the world’s top kitchens including The Fat Duck, Craft and Mugaritz. Klein is back with a new season where he will be traveling to 12 countries — filing 2-3 documentary shorts from each. His latest travels take him to Spain, where he travels to Basque Country, Galicia, Andalucía and Barcelona. We love Spain here at Food Republic and have no doubt that Klein will represent in capturing the country’s rich culinary history. And will provide us with some crucial jamón porn.

For additional Spain reading, you can check out these stories:

How Do You Define 'The Best' In Today's Restaurant World?

Tony Maws — Wed, 15 May 2013 15:02:40 +0000

Tony Maws puts excellence in perspective