Fabulously Fierce Friends, Matthew

I am a 32 year old Louisiana native living in Oakland after 10 years in the Bay Area. I have a cat named Minou, bake a King Cake from scratch annually, and am an avid yogi.

1. Who are your role models - food related or otherwise?

Foodwise I have always enjoyed Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. Tim Gunn is also a role model for me. He is a sage with sass.

2. What is your drink of choice?

Lately I have enjoyed a cocktail called The Picard. It is Hendrick's Gin, Prosecco and Elderflower liqueur. It tastes like grapefruit juice and I love it.

Fabulously Fierce Friends, Rolf

Rolf writes: Rolf is the bassist half of the pioneering, award winning Vecchione/Erdahl Duo, with his wife, oboist Carrie Vecchione. They perform recitals around the country, mostly featuring repertoire written for them. As "Pages of Music with Rolf and Carrie," they present educational programs for schools and libraries. They are proud parents of daughters Ada, and Ella, and herd cats, Bear and Minnie, in Apple Valley, MN.

Rolf teaches bass at Gustavus Adolphus College, Luther College, and Lutheran Summer Music. He substitutes with the SPCO, Minnesota Orchestra, and Minnesota Opera. Previously he held bass positions in the Honolulu Symphony, Bergen Filharmoniske Orkester (Norway), and New World Symphony. Studies in Norway as a Fulbright Scholar culminated in his doctoral dissertation on Edvard Grieg. He's an alum of Peabody Conservatory, the Univ. of MN, and St. Olaf College, and studied bass with Eugene Levinson, Peter Lloyd, Bruce Bransby, Paul Ellison, Hal Robinson, and James Clute. 

1. Who are your role models - food related or otherwise?

Jesse Owens. I met him when I was in Jr. High. He asked what events I ran in track, and I said the 880 and the mile (somewhat dating myself!) He said, "Whew, I could never run that far!" What impressed me was a world-class, legendary athlete having the uncommon "common touch" to make an average-at-best Jr. High athlete feel that, in some way, he compared favorably with a quadruple gold medal winner.

Ming Tsai's my favorite food guy from the cool, creative mixes of style and culture he pulled off in his "East Meets West" TV show.

2. What is your drink of choice?

Cappuccino is my absolute favorite drink. I like it so much, I allow myself to only have it on special occasions, even though I work part-time as a Caribou Coffee barista.

3. What is your favorite cookbook or other food related book?

Better Homes and gardens -- it covers some good basics, handy when an unfamiliar ingredient crops up, or there's a need to crank out an old reliable (their overnight waffles and egg white waffles are great!) and gives you license to expand on their scaffolding.

4. What was your most memorable meal and why?

Eating out: Years ago – I believe it was called “5th Ave. Grill” in NYC – had an amazing family gathering in their private in-kitchen dining room. The food was great as was the spectacle of immaculate preparation and presentation. We shared a sampler of 12 different, amazing desserts at the end. It was a family gathering dedicated to enjoying good eating that surpassed any other experience I’ve had along those lines. It was special, unique, different, good food and fellowship, and memorable.

Eating in: Christmas Eve Italian fish dinner at Aunt Ann’s. Everything done with love and to excess. Incredible variety of fresh seafoods, amazing antipasti, breads, pastas and gravies, desserts, tastes, smells, and a great family vibe.

5. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

Hmmm, kind of hard to pick.
I love the salad hands that were the first implement my wife and I bought together (just used them again tonight, 12 + years later).
I also am fond of the very basic, but durable and versatile pocket wine bottle opener we got from a tasting of Dr. Frank's Wines in upstate New York (again, a practical and sentimental favorite).
For sheer durability, reliability and practicality, the swing-away manual can opener is indispensable.

6. If you had to make dinner with ingredients at your home right now, what would you make?

Breakfast is my favorite meal to fix, and as the morning person and way-outclassed chef in the house, it’s the meal I most often get to make. I like my “Apple-Jack omelets” Granny Smith, Haralson, or Honeycrisp apples and Monteray Jack cheese in the middle, and a dusting of cinnamon on top when done.
If it is to be dinner -- Pasta with home-made gravy, broccoli’s in the house now, but asparagus would be my accompanying veggie of druthers.

7. What kind of music do you like to listen to while you cook?

Generally the tunes in my head that I'm working on. If there's something seasonal or topical, I sometimes load 6 CDs in and randomize them. My favorite recent CD was the Crash Test Dummies Christmas album.

8. What is your philosophy on cooking and eating?

Anything done with love tastes better. When the cook/baker foresees the outcome of their efforts being enjoyed and enhancing life, it becomes a self-fulfilling (and, for others, filling and fulfilling) prophesy. It doesn't have to be fancy. My wife can make a store-bought brownie mix taste like the best dessert you've ever had. It's attitude that makes the food.

9. Are there any foods you can not stand to eat?

I have problems with Brussels sprouts. Kim Chee is also too much for me, though I like lots of other Korean foods.

10. If you could use any super power in the kitchen, what would it be and why?

Having the psychic ability to custom fit the dish to the tastes of the person the dish is prepared for, and the same time as stretching their culinary boundaries. Like the rodent star of Pixar’s Ratatouille!

Fabulously Fierce Friends, Ebonee

Ebonee writes: Ebonee is a flutist residing in Miami who in her spare time enjoys travel and capoeira.

CQ writes: I met Ebonee in graduate school.  She speaks French, has fantastic taste in foot apparel, and is a delightful travel partner.  Her musicianship is amazing, and she inspires me to be courageous in trying new things and seeing new places.  She didn't feel comfortable answering the standard 10, so I adapted them to music because she is so fabulous that deserves at least a spot on CQ, and probably her own internet fan club!

1. Who are your role models - food related or otherwise?

My Mother and Grandmother, Nelson Mandela, and Igor Stravinsky


2. What is your drink of choice?

Slightly chilled water with a slice of lime, Cuban coffee is a close second

3. What is your favorite book?

Life of Pi by Yann Martel

4. What was your most memorable musical experience and why?

An All Shostakovich program in Carnegie Hall with Yo-Yo Ma, Michael Tilson Thomas and the New World Symphony. It was my first orchestral performance at Carnegie Hall. There were some amazing musical moments and scary ones as well but I got to have this great experience with some of the best musicians in the world and the audience was fantastic as well.


5. What is your musical gadget or tool?

My Korg Tuner/Metronome. I even have 2 so one can always stay on my stand at home.


6. If you had to play a recital right now, what would you play?

I would play the Jet Whistle by Villa Lobos, Carter's Scrivo in Vento, East Wind by Shulamit Ran, Trois Piece by Pierre Ferroud, An Idyll for the Misbegotten by George Crumb and probably some Bach to give everyone's ears a break ha!


7. What kind of music do you listen to for fun?

It's usually not classical. Stevie Wonder, Ella Fitzgerald, Edith Piaf and B. B. King never get old to me. But I also really enjoy listening to my uncle Arch Hooks' music too!

8. What is your philosophy on practicing and performing?

A colleague of mine used to tell me practice as though you are the worst and perform as though you are the best! I love it.


9. Are there any composer's works that you can't stand?

Anton Bruckner, sorry!


10. If you could use any super power to help you be a better musician, what would it be and why?

Superhuman breathing for sure. That's self-explanatory!

OK, so I'm gonna try and answer your food ones...


4. What was your most memorable meal and why?

Any meal I had during a six week chamber music/photo tour of Umbria during the summer of 2006. They were never less than 4 courses. The meals almost always came from "hole in the wall" places in small towns. They were always delicious and beautiful to look at. Everything was fresh and amazing. I'm an Italian food snob now hahaha!


5. What is your favorite kitchen gadget or tool?

My cuisinart mini food processor

9. Are there any foods you can not stand to eat?

If I had to choose between eating a beet or a root canal I would choose the root canal.

Castelmagno

A new cheese arrived today at work.  No matter how busy things get or how hectic the preliminary setup for service becomes, I always get excited when it's time for a cheese "briefing".  The cheese in question today is one that has been in production for centuries, but is new to me.  It's called Castelmagno and it is delicious.
Castelmagno is from Piedmont in the Northern part of Italy.  The region is known for many culinary delights, especially its fantastic wines Barolo and Barbaresco.  The earliest recorded mention of this cheese was in 1277 when it was used for trade.  It is also reported that it frequently appeared at Charlemagne's dinner table.  Likely, the cheese existed much before the thirteenth century to have been considered a commodity at the time, and its popularity and reputation had to have been widespread for it became a mainstay of a world leader's diet.
Castelmagno comes in a large drum and looks a bit like a giant blue cheese with a natural rind on the outside.  In fact, Castelmagno can develop blue mold under the right circumstances, though it is rare.  If it does, it is considered a delicacy, but Charlemagne reputedly cut the blue parts off when he ate it - I guess there is no accounting for taste!  Without the blue mold, it remains a lovely subtle and tangy cheese with an appealing crumbly texture and layers of cascading flavors.  It reminds me a lot of the wines from the region - intensely mineral and with a rough-hewn and somewhat rustic beauty that needs a seasoned palate to fully appreciate its virtues.  I can't say that this is a cheese that everyone will love the first time they try it, but it is one that deserves consideration for its truly unique personality.
I couldn't help but think how delicious Castelmagno would be with a bit of quince paste or honey, the traditional accompaniment.  I have also read that it is popular in Piedmont for cooking and is sometimes melted into risotto or served simply grated on top of fresh egg noodles.   The crumbly texture leads me to believe that it would melt nicely, just as an aged cheddar would.  I'm looking forward to seeing if it turns up on our menu anywhere, or maybe I'll pick some up myself and see if I can use it in my own kitchen.
Castelmagno has DOP status, which means that the Italian government, to some degree, controls its production.  It is currently made with pasteurized cow's milk, but can also have smaller amounts of goat's and sheep's milk added.  The Italians classify it as a blue cheese even if it doesn't have blue veins.  It is usually aged from two to five months, and some affineurs age it for longer.
If you can find Castelmagno, it's a cheese worth checking out.  Keep an eye out for it at your local cheese shop and you're in for a unique Italian experience that is fit for an emperor.

Buttermilk Channel, Brooklyn

We entered the clean crisp space of Buttermilk Channel in Brooklyn at around 5:30 in the evening for an early supper before returning to Boston. The sun was just beginning to set and it cast a lovely light on the sparely decorated but welcoming space. It was beautiful. The tables were set and service was just beginning. My friend, Patrick, commented that this is the first time he has ever been here without at least a brief wait at the bar for a table. The meal that we were to be served is a testament to its popularity with Brooklyn locals and visitors from across the bridge.

Owner, Doug Cromwell, and chef, Ryan Angulo, have formed a winning partnership here in Carroll Gardens. The food overall had a light feel to it despite the use of ingredients that might otherwise produce heavy dishes. Reading their bio’s online, they both seemed to have worked at New York’s Picholine near Lincoln Center and both have culinary educations from top notch schools. I have had the pleasure of dining at Picholine, and I see the practiced hand of a great chef and the spirit of hospitality echoed in Buttermilk Channel.

Dan, Patrick, and myself were seated at a lovely table with more of that beautiful steely afternoon early spring sunlight streaming in. The wine list and menu were beautifully printed and the wording was clear describing the dishes in just enough appetizing detail. Though the wine list is completely American I found that it had plenty to choose from. It featured mostly stars of the California club such as Joel Gott, Edmunds St. John, Robert Sinskey, and Qupé, but there were also local producers such as Dr. Konstantin Frank, Wolffer, and Millbrook. I got really excited when I saw a bottle of Scholium Project Verdelho from California and ordered it immediately. It met with approval amongst our merry company and the staff that was attending us. Owner, Doug, even came over to chat with us a bit about the wine once he saw that we had ordered it later in the evening.

The maker of Scholium Project believes in letting the wine completely make itself. If fermentation stops, it is allowed to continue on its own when it’s ready. There is minimal handling of fruit and wines are made according to “Old World” customs. Our bottle of Verdelho was powerful, crisp, dry, and full of succulent stone fruit flavors. I couldn’t believe that the alcohol was over 16˚, something I usually have a hard time with. In truth, I may not have ordered it had I known this, but I was so pleased with the wine that the relatively high alcohol was a non-issue. It tasted like drinking dry peach nectar with a little kick and it was perfect with Buttermilk Channel’s simple but sophisticated fare.

While we perused the appealing menu, we ordered a round of small bites to start, which ended up not being so small. The house pork terrine was a generous slice of country style pate flavored with herbs and Bourbon accompanied by grilled sourdough toast, turnip greens and pickles. We also tried the house-cured bacon, adorned with honey and grain mustard, and a panzanella salad with parsley, raisins, and celery leaves. Both charcuterie offerings were well crafted and delicious. They may have been the stars of the meal for me. We had some of their delicious homemade pickles, both sweet and dill. They were a perfect counterpoint to the rich meaty flavors we enjoyed so much. Hopefully I will get to go back soon and make a meal just out of charcuterie and wine from their fabulous list.

For first courses, I had a delicious salad of seared kale and endive with a soft-boiled egg and buttermilk and anchovy vinaigrette. It was a really clever end-of-winter version of the classic Caesar riffing on the classic theme using wintry greens. Dan’s barbecued pork ribs were falling off of the bone and had a mild but complex flavor. Patrick ordered a nice little tart with delicata squash, goat cheese, and a lovely flakey piecrust. The portions were generous for first courses and we could have easily stopped the meal there, but we had two more courses to go. Undertaking completion of the meal was a yoke that we happily bore.

Main courses, or “second courses” as they are called here, were refreshingly smaller in size. In fact, I thought they were pretty much the same size as the first courses only more focused on protein. I guess this is why they are called second courses rather than mains on their menu. My bacon-wrapped trout was filled with more goat cheese and leeks and served with plum jam and roasted turnips. I wouldn’t have ever put all of these elements together in my own kitchen, but the dish worked quite nicely. Dan tried their crispy fried chicken, which was just as good as many I’ve had down South. I really liked the maple-balsamic syrup that accompanied the waffles with the chicken. I will try and duplicate the tart, tangy, and sweet syrup in my own kitchen sometime soon. Patrick’s duck meat loaf was tasty too – tender, rich, and nicely sauced with a light duck jus, and ornamented with mashed potatoes and a couple of perfectly crispy fried mammoth onion rings.

Desserts were equally satisfying. I was over the moon about the pecan pie sundae, which has also received lavish praise from Frank Bruni of the New York Times. Buttermilk Channel’s pie rivals my own mother’s exceptional pie. It tasted as though they used a whole stick of butter in each pie and the dark Karo syrup just like mom’s. Making a sundae with two pieces of pie and two scoops of ice cream is pure genius. I felt as though I had died, gone to heaven, and landed on a buttery pecan cloud.

The other desserts were also very good, but somewhat eclipsed by the fabulous sundae. The peanut butter chocolate bread pudding was topped with a lovely bittersweet chocolate sauce and had a nice velvety texture. Our pear and ricotta tart had the subtlest flavor of anything of the desserts with a touch of ginger and that same delicious piecrust that we had experience in the first course winter squash tart.

Service in general was kind, efficient, and thoughtful. We were impressively served our four courses in an hour and twenty minutes due to our time constraints without ever feeling rushed. Our plates were cleared at appropriate times and silverware was always in place in time for the next course. The waiters were well informed about the menu and were sure to get answers from the chef when they didn’t have all of the information to my more detailed questions. They were a more polished bunch than the typical bistro crew and had a professional demeanor that I often observe in many finer restaurants.

The word “clean” comes to mind most when I think back on the food. I aspire to cook this kind of food at home. I am constantly amazed at how much work it takes to turn out a dish of simple ingredients that is balanced without masking any flavor with too much of something else. I greatly admired Chef Angulo’s light touch turning out dishes that easily could have been cloying or too heavy given the ingredients. To say that we enjoyed ourselves would be an understatement and I will greatly anticipate a return in April on our next Brooklyn/New York excursion.