Farms, Dairys, and Wines, Oh My

Friday, in the morning I'm heading down to Fruition farm to speak to Chef Seidel about the new addition of a goat dairy and talk a bit about the farm and restaurant. Then that evening we're going down to Infinite Monkey Theorem Winery in Denver to talk about their wines and what it is like to have a winery here in Colorado. If you have any questions you would like to ask let us know before Friday.

Interview with Chef Rahm Fama

I had the unique opportunity to talk with Chef Rahm Fama, the host of the new Food Network show “Meat & Potatoes”. He was fun to talk to, and the passion you see on his show also came through on the phone.

Here’s our conversation:

Where did the concept come for "Meat & Potatoes"?

It’s what people understand and what they know and what they love. Everybody wants to feel comfortable with that they’re eating and cooking. I love that fact that something that sounds so easy, meat and potatoes, are really something so beautiful and its art. What can we do with meat? It’s endless.

With a lot of chefs going towards more lighter meals, why meat?

I really generally love the history aspect, it’s been around forever and in other cuisines from French and Italian to Mexican, and it’s all based around meat (protein). I think it has a lot of history, a lot of technique; you’ve got to get that pastrami right. You have to get it just right or it’s going to be rubber. It takes a lot of talent and dedication to understand and love meat. The concept for cooking meat is another. I’ve been doing it for years, I’ve been a chef for 20 years and I still don’t think I have it right.

For example: all the different burgers, it’s ground beef, it’s a patty, and every burger is remarkably and amazingly different. If a burger can evolve, image how the other meat can change. No end to it, and that’s what I like. No end to meat, it’s on and on and on. It’s a constant type of education for me. I keep wanting to find more. And every show I find something new.

You can tell you have a passion for meat, what is your favorite meat and where did your passion come from?

My mom was a horrible cook (please forgive me mom). With having been a rancher and raising cattle, to putting it on the plate, I think I have a lot of appreciation for the meat then other chefs. I’ve seen it up close. Ranch life is hard. I want to take it to the next level and make sure it is created with the respect with which it deserves.

Out of all the episodes recorded, what was the weirdest thing you tried?

Each episode has a different segment. BBQ –there’s nothing weird about BBQ. There’s Steakhouse Wars and there’s Late Night Meat in LA. Beautiful steakhouse looks like a train. You can get a great steak at anytime (24 hours a day). Every place has been a great experience. I’m not eating bugs or testicles. The strangest thing I tried to conquer was the 10 pound burrito. I thought I could do it, but ended up sharing it with the crew.

The hot dog place really was a gourmet place, it was unbelievable. The Foss Hog!
Every restaurant has been incredible.

What one restaurant would you visit again as soon as possible?

I’d like to spend a little more time at David Burke’s in Chicago. They dry age steaks (rib eye) 75 days. Here’s an example of one of his meals. You get a rib eye, a waffle, with cheese, bacon, and scallions. You spread butter and sour cream on top. It comes to you as a warm waffle with a side potato.


What makes your show different from the variety of “let’s visit restaurants” shows out there?

Because my show is fun, energetic and educational. I’m trying to capture those people who have had that or haven’t had that. I show people different stuff. We’ve all had a pastrami sandwich, but maybe you haven’t had a Montreal influenced pastrami sandwich.

It’s a steak but different. It’s BBQ, but different. It has great endings and fun factoids.

Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Absolutely.

Coffee and Red Chile Rubbed Flank Steak Recipe
Courtesy Rahm Fama

1 teaspoon smoked paprika
1 teaspoon powdered mustard
1/3 cup New Mexico red chili
1/4 cup ground coffee
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt
2 pounds flank steak
Score the surface of the steak with 1/4 inch deep knife cuts, about an inch apart, across the grain of the meat.
Combine the dry rub ingredients and the steak in a large freezer bag and shake. Chill and marinate for at least 2 hours and up to overnight.
Using olive oil soaked onto a paper towel, coat the grill thoroughly.
Preheat the grill with high, direct heat.
Remove the steak from the bag and shake off excess rub.
Place steak on the hot grill. If you are using a gas grill, cover the grill.
Grill for 4-6 minutes on each side. Half way through grilling on each side, turn the steak 90° so that you get more grill marks.

Flank steak is best-eaten medium rare, well done will make it too tough. When the steak has cooked to your preferred level of doneness, remove from the grill and place on a cutting board.
Cover with aluminum foil to hold in the heat and to keep the steak from drying out, and let rest for 10 minutes.


Will any of the shows take place in CO?

Hopefully in the next season we can visit Colorado, “Hi Colorado!” There is lots of great meat in Colorado. We’ve only filmed 6 episodes, so we had to narrow it down. I don’t have a lot of decisions on where I go. It’s a combination of a lot of things where we decide to go.

What do you eat in the middle of the night?

Being a chef, I graze, I’m never full. Last night I went to a dinner in LA and couldn’t eat it all. I graze all day.

What I have in my kitchen I have a lot of deli meats, sliced capocollo, prosciuttos. I’ve been doing my own duck prosciutto at home.

I’m not cooking as much as I want, but when I’m in my kitchen, I just do my thing.


Chef Rahm says:

Stay tuned for the show and watch it. Have as much fun watching it as I did making it. You can see the fun and energy that’s coming through me and I’m just as surprised to see this stuff like everyone else. I appreciate the opportunity. I’m super excited about it. I get to do what I love and be on TV, it’s awesome!

Thank you to Chef Fama for his time and to Michelle Betrock from the Food Network Channel for setting up the interview.

Thanks for stopping by our blog. If you have any questions you can leave a comment here or email us at jonathan@milehigheater.com or barbara@milehigheater.com

Questions and a Recipe from Jenna Johansen @ Dish Restaurant

Hi all,

After our wonderful meal at Dish we had a chance to ask Chef Jenna a few questions

1. What attracted you to cooking?

I have always been enamored with what happens over a dinner table. It brings me much pleasure to create a meal that brings people together, nourishing the body, feeding the soul and the relationships of those dining together.

2. What is the philosophy behind your cooking, or in your kitchen?

Simplicity in everything. I have never been one to "dress up" a plate with tricked out garnishes and sauces that weigh down the flavors and take minutes to plate. I love fresh food and am heavily influenced by vegetables. I am proud of the fact that I make lots of great vegetarian dishes in which you won't even miss the meat.

In the kitchen... happy,passionate chefs make great food. We listen to good music when we prep and allow our individual personalities to shine through in the dishes. The best time to eat at dish is when someone in the kitchen is falling in love...

3. What is the biggest influence on the way you cook?

The seasons. Our menu changes all the time, and the biggest influence is what is fresh and in season. The only time you'll see corn at dish is when ears from Olathe are fresh, and you'll see it on a at least a few dishes. As it gets colder, my body craves braised meats and richer flavors. When it heats up, the crab is chilled and the watermelon comes out... I like the ingredients to drive the menu, not the other way around.

4. Is there a chef living today you would like to work with?

I have always, always been a huge fan of Alice Waters, and even after all these years would be so honored to spend time with her in the garden and the kitchen.
I'd also love to hang out over the stove with David Chang.

5. Is there a particular ingredient you like to cook with more than others?

Bacon. I am a total whore for the pig.

6. If stuck on a desert isle and could have one meal from then on out what would it be?

Gnocchi. I could eat it every single day of my life.

7. Is someone asked you for two Colorado restaurants to try other than your own what would you suggest?

Fruition is my absolute favorite. The food created by the hands of those men behind the line makes me very happy...

I'd be lying if I said I didn't eat at least one (rare, no cheese) Larkburger a week, so I guess it is another one of my favorites that I just can't live without.

8. How about one restaurant anywhere in the world?

Any hole in the wall in Italy. The smaller and more out of the way, the better. I have had some of my best meals of my life in small trattorias that I could never find again...

9. Would you be willing to share a recipe with us?

Absolutely. I always share recipes, food is meant to be shared and enjoyed by everyone. I consider it a huge compliment when a guest enjoys a meal so much that they would like to re-create a dish again.

Jenna's Recipe
Warm Autumn Kamut Salad
2 cups kamut, uncooked
5 cups water, boiling (season with 1 tsp. kosher salt)
1/2 ea yellow onion, diced
3 ea garlic cloves, peeled and minced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 ea small butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced 1/4"
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pinenuts, lightly toasted
1 ea fresh lemon, zested to taste
kosher salt and black pepper


Directions:
Rinse kamut and place in pot with boiling water, reduce to simmer.
Cover and cook until tender, but slightly chewy (1- 1 1/2 hours), add more water as necessary, meanwhile lightly toss squash in 1 tbsp olive oil, sprinkle with salt and pepper, place on sheetpan.
Roast squash in 350* oven until soft (about 15 minutes).
Saute onions and garlic over meduim heat in 1 tbsp of olive oil until translucent, about 5 minutes
Mix all ingredients (kamut, squash, onion mixture, 1 tbsp olive oil, remaining ingredients). together while warm.
Season to taste with kosher salt and pepper, serve.


Chef/ Owner dish restaurant
Jenna Johansen
http://www.eatdrinkdish.com/

Thanks for stopping by our Colorado based restaruant and food review blog. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them here or email us at jonathan@milehigheater.com or barbara@milehigheater.com.

New Food Network Show featuring Colorado Chef

Beginning Friday, September 24th, the Food Network Channel will be debuting a new show featuring Colorado chef Rahm Fama. The show is called "Meat and Potatoes" and features Chef Fama where he travels the country devouring delicious meats and their complementary side dishes dishing out the details to viewers along the way.

Chef Fama has culinary roots in Vail and Colorado Springs.

We'll be checking it out and Chef Fama will be answering a few of our questions at a later date.

Barb & Jonathan

Restaurant Events and Food Festivals Sept 13-Oct 10, 2010

Sept 13-Oct 10 Food Happenings

Hi all,
Summer is just about over and the food and wine festivals are slowing down, but below we have listed what’s going on in Colorado from September 13th to October 10th.

Restaurant events:

Terroir in Longmont www.terroir-restaurant.com
Terroir "Uprooted" Farm Dinner
at Sol y Sombra Farm
in Hygiene, Colorado
Celebrating the Arrival of Fall with Breadbasket Italian Wines
Sunday, September 19 at 5 p.m.

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres (paired with the Pederzano Lambrusco):
- Grilled flatbread pizzas with anchovy
- Crostini with house-made duck prosciutto and aged gouda
- Bear Mountain bison carpaccio and herb pesto bruschetta

Course 1:
Salad of grilled mushrooms with roasted carrots, greens, truffle oil, and lemon paired with the Cataldi Madonna Cerasuolo

Course 2:
Roasted Jodar Farm cornish game hen served over ratatouille with green tomato chutney paired with the La Salette Valpolicella

Course 3:
Braised Fox Fire Farm lamb shank with crispy polenta, caponata, and gremolata paired with the Terredora Aglianico

Course 4:
Sweet potato tart with coconut streusel and cinnamon creme anglaise paired with the Marenco Moscato d'Asti

After Dinner:
Amaro Montenegro digestive

Join Allison Edwards at her picturesque two acre farm as we celebrate the arrival of fall and the bounty of this past summer. This will be our last Terroir "Uprooted" Farm Dinner of the season. Tickets for this rain or shine, al fresco, event are $65 excluding tax and gratuity.

Community Beer Social
featuring the beers of Lagunitas Brewing Company
of Petaluma, California
Wednesday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m.

MENU TBD

Tickets for the dinner are $25 excluding tax and gratuity. Community beer dinners are offered monthly at Terroir on the third Wednesday of the month. Seating is community style and is limited to 15 guests.

"Meet the Winemaker" Dinner
featuring the winemaker of Altocedro Wines
Tuesday, September 21 at 6:30 p.m.

MENU TBD

"Meet the Winemaker" Dinners are offered once monthly at Terroir and provide the unique and intimate experience of having dinner with a visiting winemaker. Dinners are always five courses with four wine pairings and the cost is $45 per person excluding tax and gratuity. Seating is community style and is limited to 15 guests.

Cooking classes are offered at Terroir each Saturday morning from 9 a.m. until noon. Classes are taught by Executive Chef Tim Payne and are limited to four students, thereby providing a hands-on experience for all. Classes cost $65 including all supplies, lunch, and a $10 gift certificate to Terroir. For a complete listing of scheduled classes, please call Melissa at 303.651.0630

Also at Terroir a new happy hour.

New Happy Hour Menu

When: Monday through Saturday at the bar from 4:00-6:30 p.m.

Where: 246 Main Street, Longmont, Colorado, 80501

Cost: $3-$7 with all wines by the glass and beers on draft at ½ price.



Menu:





Bar Menu



Stuffed New Potatoes. Haystack goat cheese stuffed new potatoes served with poblano pepper romesco sauce 5



Ahi Poke. Marinated yellowfin tuna served on crispy wonton chips 7



Lamb Meatballs. Fox Fire Farm lamb meatballs served in spicy tomato sauce 7



Tostones with Black Bean Dip. Plaintain chips served with bean dip 3



Baked Gnocchi. House-made gnocchi served baked with garlic and Parmigiano Reggiano 5



Falafel. Black bean falafel served with tomato vinaigrette 3






Restaurant Kelly Liken events: http://www.kellyliken.com/events






September 16-18, 2010 Great American Beer FestivalDenver, ColoradoAmerica's greatest beer celebration: 46,000 + attendees, 1,900 beers, in days.
September 16-19, 2010 Annual Colorado Mountain WinefestPalisade, ColoradoThis is Colorado's oldest and largest wine festival. Offering four days of fun, it features more than four dozen wineries, great music, food, chef demos, bike rides and golf amid fall colors in scenic wine country.
Irish Single Malt TastingFriday, September 17: 6:30 p.m.

“Half-way to St. Patty’s Day Irish Whiskey Tasting”Raise your glass with Professional Celtic Entertainer Scott Beach as he delves into the hidden Single Malt Whiskeys of Ireland– the country that invented whiskey! Find out the difference between Irish and Scotch Whiskeys, enjoy Irish tunes on the different styles of bagpipes, and celebrate your love of the Emerald Isle with rare and unique Irish Single Malt – not your typically Jamison or Bushmills! Reservations: $65.00 includes Castle Tour, Irish Supper Buffet, Cash Bar, Whiskey Presentation, Dessert & Coffee Reception with the Presenter.
http://www.cherokeeranch.org/index.html?lsm=1_1

September 17-19, 2010 17th Annual Telluride Blues & Brews FestivalTelluride, ColoradoThe festival is a three-day celebration of music and microbrews, held in Telluride Town Park, an outdoor music venue with breathtaking mountains for a backdrop.
2010 Great American Dine Outis September 19-25, 2010
http://strength.org/apps/dineout/index.php/Google/DisplayMap
09/17 - 09/26, 2010 - Oktoberfest DenverDenver, ColoradoLocation: Ballpark NeighborhoodContact Phone: (720) 255‑5475Website: www.oktoberfestdenver.com

September 18, 2010 Lake City Uncorked Wine & Music FestivalLake City, ColoradoGood food, good wine, good music under the fall aspen leaves in historic Lake City, Colorado -- featuring six regional bands. Variety of wines for tasting; SKA Brewing beer booth; unique food & artisan vendors.


Date
Start
End
Location

Event Registration
21 Sep 2010
6:00 PM
9:00 PM
The Broadmoor - Charles Court Restaurant 1 Lake Avenue Colorado Springs, CO 80906


The BROADMOOR's culinary team is proud to announce the Fifth Annual "Taste of the BROADMOOR" Benefit Dinner to be held September 21, 2010, at Charles Court restaurant.
Benefiting The Broadmoor's Culinary Apprenticeship Program and the Colorado Restaurant Association's ProStart Program, the five-course dinner is a celebration of the culinary industry and the next generation of great chefs. The evening will feature epicurean creations by star-studded line-up that includes The Broadmoor's Executive Chef Siegfried "Sigi" Eisenberger, Summit's Chef Bertrand Bouquin, Penrose Room's Chef Justin Miller, Charles Court's Chef Greg Barnhill, and Executive Restaurant Pastry Chef Rémy Fünfrock. Wine Director Tim Baldwin will pair all courses exquisitely with Old and New World wines.
Cost for the dinner is $150.00 per person and includes the welcome reception and wine pairings. Tickets can be purchased by calling Dining Reservations at 719.577.5733. The evening begins with a reception at 6:00 p.m. Dinner to follow at 6:30 p.m

September 22nd Westwords Dish
http://microapp.westword.com/dish/2010/


Taste of Greenwood Village
October 1st Hush’s adventures in dining go on sale.(http://www.hushdenver.com/)

10/02 - 10/03, 2010 - Cider Days Harvest Festival Lakewood, ColoradoLocation: Lakewood's Heritage CenterContact Phone: (303) 987‑7859Website: http://www.lakewood.org/
10/02 - 10/03, 2010 - Applefest Cedaredge, ColoradoLocation: Cedaredge Town ParkContact Phone: (970) 856‑6961Website: n/a

Local Flavors: Cooking and Eating from America’s Farmers Markets with Deborah Madison When: Thursday October 7 2010, 6:00 (tasting), 7:00 (speaker)Where: Denver Botanic Gardens, 1005 York Street Denver 80205Cost: $20 (Slow Food and DBG members), $25 (non-members), $10 (students, with valid id)
This is the seventh and final lecture in the 2010 Bonfils-Stanton series: The Feast in the Garden, Edible Landscapes and Regional Food Traditions. Slow Food will host a tasting prior to each lecture, highlighting tastes related to the speaker's work and featuring Colorado products.
Deborah Madison, founding chef of Greens Restaurant in San Francisco, is a cook, writer and cooking teacher with an emphasis on seasonal produce, and heritage fruit and vegetable varieties. She has authored many award-winning cookbooks, including “The Greens Cook- book” and “Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone.” Her writing reveals the deeper culture of food through recipes and profiles of farmers, ranchers, producers and cooks. She writes for magazines such as Gourmet, Saveur, Orion and the blog Culinate.com, is on the board of the Seed Savers Exchange and has been involved with Slow Food for more than a decade. She is currently co-director of the Monte del Sol Edible Kitchen Garden in Santa Fe.
Slow Food members and students, please call DBG to reserve with a special rate: 720.865.3580. To learn more about the entire series or reserve online (DBG members and non-members), click here.


Tickets go on sale October 7th for the celebrity chef tour http://www.celebritycheftour.com/

Thanks for stopping by our restaurant and food review and blog. If you have any questions or comments feel free to leave them here or email us at jonathan or barbara @milehigheater.com

Hushs adventures in dining

This was just sent our way from the people at hush ( www.hushdenver.com) and thought we would pass it along to you sounds very exciting.

We are getting excited,are you?Hush would like to warmly welcome you to our new series "Adventures in Dining". We have received an overwhelming response to this new experience and could not help but share our excitement with you, our future guests. The team at Hush is busy furnishing our new digs, lining up top culinary talent, and truthfully...getting giddy as school children envisioning the look on your faces when you see what's in store. Think of this as a remote restaurant with rooms, a gourmet adventure, an intimate experience that you will never forget. Dates will be announced October 1 and available on a first come first served basis. In case you missed it, overview of experience is outlined below.Saturday, 8:00am- You awake like a ten year old on Christmas morning (only more hungry) bags packed and ready to go. But where?11:00am- You drop kids/pets/jealous friends off at the babysitter/friends house/nearby bar and make your way to the meeting location.2:00pm- You arrive at pre-disclosed meeting spot somewhere in the front range. You agree never to disclose the location you are headed to anyone, only stories.3:00pm- You arrive at breathtaking Hush mountain retreat and check into your private room complete with Egyptian cotton linens and jacuzzi tub.4:00pm- You join other guests in great room for wine and hors d' oeuvres.5:00pm- The cooking begins in our open kitchen where you participate along side our featured chef (or not) in the preparation of your 5-6 course dinner event.10:00pm- You stumble back to your room in a food coma for a night cap and bubble bath...Sunday 9:00am- You awake to the smell of french press coffee and jaw dropping views outside your private deck.9:30am- You join guests in our upstairs breakfast area for a gourmet breakfast.11:00am- You join featured chef in our open kitchen for a cooking class/demo on topic of chef's choice. Lite lunch included.1:00pm- You depart with changed mind, body, and belly telling only stories about your experience.Home in time to watch Sunday night HBO/Football.
Tickets on sale October 1 2010An email will be sent to this list only for first 48 hours, then opened up to entire Hush list.Each experience limited to 6 rooms based on double occupancy (price the same if room is only occupied by one guest) Dates beginning the last weekend in October.

Kelly Liken on Top Chef

We just wanted to say "Great Job" to Kelly Liken on Top Chef. Although Kelly was eliminated last night, she did a phenomenal job on the show by showing her skills as a chef. We were saddened to see her go, but know that many great things will be coming her way because of the experience of being on Top Chef.

If you get a chance, go to her restaurant in Vail and taste for yourself. Check out the website here: http://www.kellyliken.com/

Barb & Jonathan