Lock onto French Wedding Trends Old and New

While weddings used to be a seasonal event, now they are joyfully celebrated year round. Spring bridal traditions often seem out of place at a golden autumn vineyard wedding. But have no fear – there are two elegant French wedding traditions, one classic and one more contemporary, that can easily bridge the gap from June to October.

Nothing but nothing says “wedding” like a towering wedding cake, embossed with frills and flowers all crafted in sweet sugar frosting. When made by professionals, the effect is light and bright – perfect for a spring or summer wedding.

But come a fall or winter wedding, the traditional tiered wedding cake can seem slightly out of place – far too delicate a taste or image to serve when cold winds blow. 

For these seasons of falling leaves or drifting snow, the traditional French wedding cake, the croquembouche, is a rediscovered perfect choice.

French chefs create this stunning cake by stacking caramelized cream puffs into a pyramid that is as visually beautiful as it is tasty. 

Made popular by the famed French Chef Antonin Careme (1783-1833), these towering wedding cakes with their stunning appearance were an inpressive treat for the waiting guests. Then as France’s empire and culinary influence increased, elaborate decorations, such as flowers crafted from royal icing and spun sugar drapes, were added.

Today’s creative French chefs often offer their clients croquembouche crafted from chocolate truffles or macaroons in addition to the classic rounded cream puffs. As a result, croquembouche are also suitable for birthdays, anniversaries and other special celebrations throughout the year.

A newer romantic French tradition centers around "Love Locks." After finding one’s true Love, the fortunate couple writes their names on a lock, attached it firmly to the famed Pont de l’Archeveche bridge and then toss the lock key into the river with the promise to Love each other forever.

Now, though the imagery is touching, you can easily imagine that the administrative staff of Paris is less than charmed at having to remove hundreds and hundreds of love locks from the city’s bridge railings (any more than a hotel would be).

So why not  convert the concept into a champagne cocktail (what could be more French or romantic) called perhaps the “Love Lock” that the wedding couple can share together at their reception, with possibly an actual key given them by the well-wishing hotel staff to toss or treasure after their wedding dinner reception?  

In either case, as Humphrey Bogart said to Ingrid Bergman in the movie Casa Blanca, “we’ll always have Paris.”

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Move Over Shirley Temple, Today’s Kids Want Harry Potter’s Butterbeer

With the release of Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows Part 2, the epic tale of young wizard and his friends comes to a close, at least for now. 

 But have no fear – the fun (and profits) will continue through creative theme park destinations, official interactive websites and a popular new drink, now replacing the tried and true but rather dated Shirley Temple mocktail. 

First seen in Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince, Butterbeer is the beverage enjoyed by Harry, Ron and Hermione at the student popular Three Broomsticks Tavern in Hogsmeade near the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. 

When Universal Parks & Resorts created the Wizarding World of Harry Potter in Orlando, Florida, they asked Vice President and Corporate Executive Chef Steven Jayson to create the beverage which had, to that point, only been described by J.K. Rowling in her beloved magical mystery series. 

Yet, even for a culinary magician such as Chef Jayson, there are always restrictions, the boundaries of reality (and copyright). And this time they were set by none other than J.K. Rowling herself.

Rowling (in agreement with Universal Studio) required that the chef’s future creation contain no butter or other dairy product. And though this might seem a contradiction, the decision was based on a concern for any children with a lactose intolerance. In addition, Butterbeer was to be made using only real sugar, not corn syrup.

Beginning in 2008, Chef Jayson and his culinary team spent four plus months creating Universal Orlando’s version of Butterbeer. It took over 15 tries before the chef and his team stepped back and smiled knowing they had achieved the exact feel and flavor described by Rowling.

The resulting beverage has a butterscotch flavor base with a foaming head.  And though the brew served within Orlando’s Three Broomsticks Tavern is a carefully guarded corporate secret, here is an absolutely nonofficial mockup of the final flavor:

Blend and heat together only very briefly ¼ cup butterscotch syrup and ¼ teaspoon butter. Cool slightly and add 1 cup cream soda or club soda. Stir carefully. Add a dash of salt and vinegar to taste. Top with a head of frothed whipped cream.  Can be enjoyed hot or cold as well as a flavor base for ice cream or icing.

Simply magical! Children love it as will adults, especially with a bit of rum added, but only if Dumbledore, Hogwarts’ Headmaster, approves!

May magic continue forever - especially in the kitchen! 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

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Post Note: If you doubt the influence of the "Harry Potter Effect", just consider that the film brought in over $169 Million USA dollars during the first stateside weekend showings alone! (The previous top revenue holder, The Dark Knight, ranked in at a mere $150 million USA dollars).

And that's not counting what the DVD sets of the complete Harry Potter series will bring in as 25% of the audience are purchasers between the ages of 18 and 34! They must be happy at Hogwarts! That's going to buy a lot of Butterbeer for everyone!

Be Sure to See Wine Enthusiast's New Top Wine Restaurant List

Hurray, hurray, hurray – the Wine Enthusiast Magazine’s August 2011 issue will present America’s 100 Best Wine Restaurants.

Not just wines, but the restaurants in which they are perfectly matched with cuisine. At last, a wine list set in the context of enjoyment!

A single glass of wine is always a pleasure, but when served with the appropriate cuisine, dining can become a memorable experience. This is because terroir, unless interpreted in the strictest soil-only sense, is expansive and inclusive.

What makes a wine great is not merely the liquid in the bottle nor the ground in which it grew. It includes the skills of the blender, the cellar master, the marketers, the sommelier and finally, the chef and the supportive restaurant staff.

Each of these talented individuals adds to the clarification of experience that is the essence of meaningful terroir.

Using the creative lists in Wine Enthusiast’s August issue, it’s now easy (and a lot of fun) to locate the stateside restaurants that embrace this more contemporary concept of terroir. Just take a look at their innovative destination titles: 

• Emerging Stars
• Best Blow Your Mind Bottle Collection
• Bragging Rights for Wine Buffs
• Best Dinner and a Show
• Sexy Sips
• Old School Made Cool - Wine Lists with History
• Best Blow Your Mind Bottle Collection
• Superb Saké Programs
• Outstanding Cocktail Programs
• Beer Trailblazers
• Trend Watch: Pop-Ups to Temp
• Restaurant Radar: New & Notable
• Best Bets for BYOB

With topics such as these, is it any wonder that the Wine Enthusiast Magazine has over 700,000 monthly readers.

And this month they have produced another not-to-be-missed issue.

Don't wait to get your copy as this is sure to be a sellout issue. Just be sure to write your name on your office copy as everyone will want to borrow it – the issue is that good. 

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

A Cool Sake Sangria Is this Year's Hottest Summer Cocktail

The ancient Romans may have cultivated the vine and wine in Spain but it was the Spanish who gave the world its favorite cool summer drink – Sangria. Traditionally made with muddled fruit and rich red wine, most non-Spaniards first tasted this historic wine punch at the 1964 World's Fair in New York when the Spanish World Pavilion served this refreshing beverage to the ever-increasing number of center visitors.

Soon an array of seemingly endless sangria variations appeared, some made with the addition of rum, vodka and now sake. Spain, a lover of both tradition and innovation, just smiles at such novel adaptations and hopes that the world will celebrate life as much as they do with food and wine, no matter the ingredients chosen.

Here are the latest sangria creations from Asia, all featuring the legendary rice ‘wine’ of Japan – Sake: (Enjoy! They are 'summer perfect'!)

Peach and Plum Sake Sangria 

• 2 Fresh Peaches, sliced
• 2 Fresh Plums, sliced
• 28 oz Gekkikan Sake
• 14 oz Kobai Plum Wine
• Ice
• 2 oz Soda Water 

Muddle the fruit, add the sake and plum wine and let infuse. Add ice and stir well. Top with soda water.

Summer Sake Sangria

• ¾ cup fresh watermelon, cubed
• 1¼ cups fresh honeydew melon, cubed
• 24 oz Gekkeikan Sake
• 12 oz Gekkeikan Plum Wine 

Muddle ½ cup watermelon with 1 cup honeydew melon. Add the sake and plum wine and let infuse. Add the remainder of the melon, ice and stir well. Top with ginger ale.

Ginger Plum Punch

• 28 oz Kobai Plum Wine 
• 4 oz Domaine de Canton liqueur
• 2 cups fresh honeydew melon, cubed
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
• 7oz Zipang Sparking Sake 

Combine the plum wine, ginger liqueur, melon and mint in a pitcher. Muddle lightly and let infuse. Add ice, stir and top with Zipang Sparkling Sake.   

Sake Berry Punch

• ½ cup fresh blueberries
• ½ cup fresh raspberries
• 1 bunch fresh mint leaves
• 4oz simple syrup
• 32 oz Gekkeikan Sake
• 1oz ginger ale

Lightly muddle the berries, mint and simple syrup. Add the sake and let infuse. Add ice, stir and top with ginger ale.

Cool Sparkle

•  1 cup cucumber, thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
• 4oz honey
• 24 oz Gekkeikan Plum Wine
• 7oz Zipang Sparking Sake

Muddle the cucumber, strawberries and honey. Add the sake and let it infuse. Then add ice, stir and top with Zipang Sparkling Sake.   

Fruity Sake Sangria 

• 1 green apple, sliced
• 1 cup fresh honeydew melon, cubed
• 1 orange, sliced
• 28 oz Gekkeikan Sake
• 4 oz Kobai Plum Wine
• 1oz soda water 

Lightly muddle the fruit, add the sake and plum wine, and let infuse. Add ice, stir well and top with soda water.

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011

Great Dad Day Gifts for Chef Dads

Father's Day is fast approaching and that makes it time to ask "What the best gift for a Chef Dad?"

Well have no fear - here are fifteen great gifts for that busy professional whose also a devoted dad who needs to be honored and appreciated on Father's Day (and all year long). 

Handpresso Portable Expresso Machine: An incredible new device that lets the lucky Dad make expresso anywhere at anytime at work or at play.

PolyScience's Smoking Gun: A great new kitchen tool that enables the Chef Dad to smoke meats as well as cheese and salad greens inside without the use of an outdoor grill.  Way to go Super Dad!

Ceiva Digital Picture Frame: This is the perfect oh-so modern updated version of the framed family picture that every loving Dad has on his desk - but with a great twist. Thanks to digital technology the loving Dad can now easily transfer pictures from his iphone or computer to this frame. The images can be viewed in a still or slideshow format.      

Taylor Digital Measuring Cup & Scale: European or Stateside measurements? Weight or ounces? Measuring cup or scale? Now the Chef Dad can easily have both with the very useful Taylor combination cup-scale. Any recipe can now easily be used AND enjoyed! 

Vacu Vin Instant Marinator: This is an ideal time and flavor saver for the Chef Dad whose days involve long hours. Simply put the meat and marinade in the container and remove the air with the attachable vacuum pump. The resulting effect is one that opens the meat's pores deeper, quicker and so enables the marinate to enter faster and deeper. The flavor (and ease) is something Dad will enjoy all year long.  

Niki Segnit's The Flavor Theasurus: Subtitled "A Compendium of Pairings, Recipes and Ideas for the Creative Cook", this remarkable book is a great idea-generator for the Chef Dad who enjoys the new and the creative. It's a must-have for any Chef Dad's library.

Joseph Joseph Index Chopping Boards: As they say, safe is better then sorry. And that's as true at home as in the professional kitchen. Joseph Joseph (yes, that is the real design firm's name) has crafted the solution to the problem of cross-contamination while preparing food - just use the correct index cutting board. What a great idea AND gift! 

The Big Green Egg: Nothing cooks like the Big Green Egg. Originally imported from Japan, it now sports a space age finish and wealth of amazing accessories that will enable the Chef Dad to do just about any form of cooking outside. And the flavor - unmatchable. (P.S. - be sure to check out the public Egg cookouts in your area.  They're 'egg-citing' events for the whole family! 

Berti Knives with Individualized Magnetized Insieme Wooden Blocks: Technology is great, but let's not forget the value (and resulting skill) that tradition honors. Berti Knives, crafted by Italian masters for over a hundred years, are a perfect example of why the best often comes with a legacy of craft and tradition. These are elegant knives, beloved by many major chefs. and each has an individual wooden holder that easily snaps to the next holder's magnetized side. Now that's a great design that works!    

Teroforma Whiskey Rocks: Many a Chef Dad enjoys a glass of premiere whiskey or scotch on the rocks at the end of a long day. But as the beverage chills, the ice melts and that expensive whiskey is slow but surely getting deluted. Now there's an answer - whiskey rocks!  Just chill, add and enjoy - now that's a great idea (and gift)!   

Aeropress Coffee Maker: A traditional cup of joe can be a mess to make what with a hot pot, messy coffee grounds and lots of leftover wasted brew. But have no fear, science (or rather a thoughtful scientist) has an answer: the easy to use Aeropress Cofee Maker. Simply measure the small amount of coffee neede for a single cup, add water and press the plunger down. The result is a cup of gourmet coffee that any Chef Dad will cheer. 

Cuisipro Ice Cream Scoop & Stack Scoop: There are those Chef Dads who love a dessert but were not, well, ever cut out to be a pastry chef. Yet they love a sweet at the end of the day (or evening). Ice cream's a perfect solution but why not make it more than a melting mess in a bowl. With Cuisipro's Scoop and Stack, it's easy to cut picture-perfect circles. Just drizzle with syrup and life's great no matter the hour or the day.      

Bamboo Bowls from MOMA: Tableware has become a statement of style these days as evidenced by the fact that many museum gift shops sell it as a kitchen collectable. Some of the loveliest bowls are those available from the Museum of Modern Art (MOMA) in New York City. Their bowls are stunning, support sustainablity and make an unforgettable Dad's Day Gift.  

SodaStream Soda Maker: Want a soda at the end of the day but suddenly find that you're out? No Chef Dad will ever have that problem if he has a Soda Stream.  Just add water to the bottle, charge the liquid, remove and then add a favorite soda syrup (or leave plain). The flavor's outstanding and resulting beverage costs only pennies to make. Fantastic bargain all year long and there're no endless supply of empty soda bottles for the busy Chef Dad to drag out to the recycling bend! Hurray for easier days!

Fire Wire Flexible Grilling Skewers: Cooking on skewers is great fun but often a tiesome task if the rods are too long or stiff to comfortably fit on the grill or in the pan. Fire Wire solves this problem for any Chef Dad who enjoys this cooking method. Just load the flexible wires with meats and vegetables then loop and bend to easily fit the cooking surface. This a gift that will get appreciate all year long - just as every Chef Dad should be!

Your Culinary World copyright Ana Kinkaid/Peter Schlagel 2011