A Culinary Oasis

To say that the food in Jordan and Egypt was disappointing would be an understatement. While reviews on the Internet had readied me for a less than fabulous culinary experience, I was nonetheless surprised. Maybe we didn't venture out to the right places but when you begin your trip by getting some type of food bug at a five star hotel, you become wildly concerned about the quality of food and liquids your putting into your body. Seeing a butchered lamb being transported uncovered in the back of a pickup truck didn't help to boost our confidence.

On the left are some souvenirs we picked up in our travels.





Particularly disappointing was a lunch buffet in a restaurant in Alexandria which looked like a dated wedding facility. I wish I would have taken the time to even look at the name of the restaurant so I could warn people about it, but all I wanted to do was to quickly get as far away from it as possible. We had eaten in some pretty bad tourist trap facilities while in China but this place reset the bar to a height I can't imagine being topped. For 50 pounds (~10 bucks) you could have your fill of white rice, pasta tossed in ketchup, various meats grilled beyond identification, steamed cabbage, bread, salad and some pastries, hum hum (Egyptian for yum yum).

While indulging in my penne ketchup dish, I am rudely interrupted by a now persistent drip from a soon to fall ceiling air conditioner. This is the Egyptian version of torture.

Also disappointing were the a la carte dinners aboard the Sonesta St. Georges. It was as though the chef was reading a poorly translated European cookbook and trying out a recipe for the first time. Criticism aside, the ship was beautiful, buffets were palatable, service was topnotch and the staff were very friendly. Despite the a la carte dinners, I would still highly recommend this cruise line.

On the plus side, the pitas were typically fresh and well made with some amazing dips in some restaurants notably the Fish Market in Alexandria. Kebobs and koftas were generally reliable. Indian food at the Mena House in Cairo was very well executed. Meze was more fun than tasty in the Movenpick in Petra. The culinary highlight for my mom was a white bread sandwich (crust removed) with butter and sliced cucumbers.

You can lead a Camel to Water but.....

it won't drink Egyptian wine.

In the bizillion years Egypt has had to perfect wine, what happened? I thought maybe my memory had failed me but wasn't Egypt an original pioneer in wine making?

I googled wine and Egypt and low and behold Osiris is in fact (?) a pioneer either in wine making and/or consumption.

"It is in Egypt where we must go for our fullest knowledge of man's early and deliberate growing of wine." Plutarch said that he was told that Osiris was the first to drink wine and to teach men how to plant the vine.

After drinking Egypt's modern day wines, I don't know what to make of this proverb. Maybe you don't want to see the garden.

"In water you see your own face, but in wine the heart of its garden"
ancient Egyptian proverb

If you see these wines in your travels be well advised to stay away!!!!

Drink the beer, Stella or Sakkara. If you don't like beer, drink the beer , Stella or Sakkara.

Vermont Maple Cheesecake, West View style

(you probably don't get this unless you have a small child but this is from a cartoon and the character is named Cheese.)

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cheesecake (our photo is coming)



We have had a lot of requests for this recipe in the last few weeks. I typically don't mind giving out recipes but scaling it for home use often presents problems. So if this doesn't come out right my math either stinks or I left a key ingredient out (only kidding on the latter). We make these in single serving sizes but making a single large one should be okay as long as the cooking time is adjusted. If anyone makes a big one, let me know.



Vermont Maple Cheesecake
Yield: 10-12 in 4 ounce ramekins

2 cups medium amber maple syrup
½ cup heavy cream

Simmer and reduce by half. Cool to room temperature.

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
3 eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
454 grams mascarpone

Whip cream cheese and sugar until smooth and creamy. Add eggs until combined. Scrape sides and whip until smooth. Add vanilla and mascarpone, beat until smooth. Do not over beat mascarpone will break. Add ½ cup of maple syrup/heavy cream reduction and beat until combined.
Butter and sugar molds. Bake at 325 in a hot water bath, covered. Bake for 25 minutes and remove cover to allow steam to dissipate. Recover and bake for an additional 25 minutes. Cheesecake should be slightly “jiggly” in the center when finished. Chill uncovered in refrigerator. Cover when completely cooled


Maple Pecan Cookies
Makes about 2 dozen

2 sticks (8 ounces) unsalted butter, softened
½ cup granulated sugar
1 large egg yolk
2 tablespoons pure maple syrup
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
¼ cups (4 ½ ounces) pecans, coarsely chopped

1. In a medium bowl, beat the butter with an electric mixer until pale and creamy, about 3 minutes. Gradually beat in the sugar until well blended.
2. In a small bowl, whisk the egg yolk with the maple syrup and vanilla. Drizzle the egg-yolk mixture into the butter, beating at low speed until incorporated.
3. Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour and pecans. Divide the dough in half and shape into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or overnight. Let the dough stand at room temperature for 10 minutes before rolling it out.
4. Preheat the oven to 325° F. Roll out each disk of dough ¼ inch thick between 2 sheets of wax paper. Cut the dough into 2 ½ inch rounds and transfer to baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden (the tiny cookies we use only take 5 minutes in a convection oven).

Funny, while I am posting this How It's Made (a program on Discovery) is showing how production cheesecakes are made. Coincidence or ???.

It takes an expert village to make a tai chi video.

This weekend I was fortunate enough to work with Rich Marantz on his project to create tai chi instructional videos for expertvillage.com. A filmmaker, Joseph, was sent to Manchester to film this 8 part series, each with 16 segments.

The filming was done over two days. In it Rich covered many of the Yang style postures, corresponding exercises, tai chi for seniors, martial applications and two-man drills. Rich's ability to do all these segments in a largely unscripted format and with limited retakes is a tribute to both his devotion to tai chi and his expertise in this art. I participated mainly as a partner in the two-man drills and as the crash test dummy in the martial applications.

These videos, hopefully, will prove to be useful to current students as a reference and also to prospective tai chi students.

Expert village's turnaround time is about two months from the time the videos are filmed. So stay tuned...

How Hydrocolloids Saved My Easter and the Life of a Poached Egg

Joyeux Paques!!!

Frank has forever altered the picture in my head of the Easter Bunny!

So I'm making Bearnaise for our Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict and what happens in the middle of service, you guessed it, the Bearnaise breaks. However, thanks to molecular gastronomy's popularity in haute cuisine, I too have a hydrocolloid in my kitchen. A little xanthan gum and voila my Bearnaise is back together. If I only had that back in the day when I was working brunches for 400 every Sunday in NYC.

The following is our Easter menu for 2008:

Easter Sunday Brunch

Tri Color Beet Salad with Goat Cheese, Walnuts, Mesclun and Aged Balsamic

House Salad with Mesclun, Tomatoes and Soy-Citrus Vinaigrette

Crab-Tarragon Wontons with Ponzu

Grilled Shrimp with Avocado Puree, Portabella and Baby Greens

Truffle Infused Vermont Cheddar Quiche with Spinach and Bacon

Smoked Salmon Eggs Benedict with Sauce Bernaise

Steamed Mushroom & Chicken Dumplings
with Ginger Dipping Sauce

Cheddar Croque Monsieur with Sauce Mornay

Char Siu Bao (Chinese Roast Pork Buns)

Baby Back Ribs with Hickory Hoisin Barbecue Sauce

Duck Confit with Warm Dijon, Spinach and Fingerling Salad

Duck Liver and Foie Gras Pate with Baby Arugula and Croutons

Beer Battered Bass with Sauce Tartare and French Fries

Fellen Pollen Grilled Quail with Fingerlings, Goat Cheese & Aged Balsamic

Roasted Lamb with Couscous Salad and Tapenade

Choose two from above, $35.00 per person prix fixe including dessert
(Beverages, tax and gratuity additional)

Char Siu Bao (3 and last)

Dough recipe (finally)

This is it! After much struggling, I finally have a consistent recipe, although the tackiness of the dough is something you have to develop a feel for.

Everytime, I thought I nailed a recipe, I would make it again and it would be a failure. Until this one!

Yield: 18 @ 35 grams each

1 1/2 cups cake flour
1 cup all purpose
1 tsp SAF yeast
2 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 cup sugar
2/3 cup milk
Water (this is a variable, may not need any)
2 tbsps canola oil

Everything into a mixing bowl fitted with hook. Speed 4 for ten minutes. Proof, covered for 1 hour. Portion into 35 gram balls. Roll flat to either make baotzi or mantou. If you truly want to know how to form baotzi, email me. Dough needs to be steamed for 8 minutes.

Welcome to the Stone Valley Byway (formerly known as Route 30)

Our beloved Route 30 from Manchester to Poultney has been given the name the Stone Valley Byway. Sounds good and seems apppropriate given our resources in marble and slate. If you send me snail mail to 2928 Stone Valley Byway, Dorset, VT 05251, will I get it?

Stone Valley Byway: "The Stone Valley Scenic Byway features a rich background in slate and marble production, as well as incredible scenic, recreational, and cultural amenities. This segment of Vermont Route 30, spanning from Manchester to Poultney, is highlighted by mountain slopes that provide a dramatic backdrop to the rural landscape and provide access to a host of recreational opportunities. Historic, picturesque towns dot the valley floors, and rich agricultural soils have accumulated alongside the free-flowing Mettawee and Poultney Rivers. Lake St. Catherine, the State Park, golf course and many smaller water bodies along the byway corridor are exceptional natural, scenic, and recreational resources."