BBQ Venison Pie w Fresh Corn and Goat Cheese Tamales

Makes 4 serving

Ingredients:
1 lb Venison Leg, diced # 3314003
5 T Seasoning (see recipe below)
12 oz Potato, diced and peeled # 6190508
12 oz Turnip, diced and peeled # 6384853
2 ea Carrot, peeled and diced # 3107265
¾ c Olive Oil # 9357591
1 c Flour AP # 4341632
1 ea Onion, peeled and diced # 8331399
3 ea Garlic Clove # 3618741
1 c Beef Broth # 8006702
1 c BBQ Sauce (see recipe below)
8 ea 5 in puff pastry squares # 6681209
1 ea Egg Beaten # 823013

Seasoning
2 ½ T Paprika # 760405
2 T Salt # 773473
2 T Garlic # 760264
1 T Black Pepper # 2339174
1 T Onion Powder # 6353280
1 T Cayenne # 760611
1 T Oregano # 760397
1 T Thyme # 760694


Base
10 ea Lemons, peeled and cut in ½ # 2349330
2 oz Ground Black Pepper # 2339174
4 oz Cracked Black Pepper # 4353314
4 oz Seasoning (see recipe below)
1 qt Worcestershire Sauce # 7406622
1 qt Clam Stock (Base mixed w water) # 3333457
2 oz Garlic, minced # 3618741

Smokey Sauce
30 ea Roma Tomatoes, cut in half # 3333036
2 ea Celery Stalks, chopped # 5006564
2 ea Carrot, peeled # 3419660
3 ea Onion, peeled # 3096963
1 ½ qt Chicken Broth # 5422548
2 T Seasoning (see recipe below)
2 ea Bay leaf # 760066
4 ea Garlic Cloves, chopped # 3618741
4 oz Butter (for finishing the sauce) # 4681433

Corn Tamale
4 oz Lard # 5171798
2 c Fresh Corn, pureed # 8208308
1 t Salt # 773473
½ t Chile flakes # 8594392
½ t Black pepper # 2339174
1 ½ t Baking Powder # 761999
4 oz Goat Cheese Crumble # 8985137
8 ea Anaheim chili's, roasted peeled seeded and finely julienned # 6025183
16 ea Corn Husks, soaked # 9043209


Method:
Base
Combine all ingredients in a sauce pan, reduce by ½ till thick over medium heat. Set
aside and cool down.

Smokey Sauce
Smoke the tomatoes, celery, onion and carrot over low heat for about 30 minutes.
Bring all ingredients to a simmer then lower the heat and cook 20 minutes. Purée
and strain.

Finish Sauce
Combine ½ c of base with 1 cup of Smokey sauce and melt the butter in slowly.

Pie
Preheat the oven to 450 degrees.
In a bowl combine the venison and two tablespoons of the seasoning. In a sauté pan heat two tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat, add the potato, turnip and carrots and sauté till tender about 10 min. Season
and set aside to cool.

In a bowl combine the flour with the remaining seasoning add the venison and toss to coat.

In a sauté pan heat the remaining olive oil over med high heat and add the venison browning on all sides. Add the onion and garlic and sauté until translucent. Add the beef broth and sauce and simmer for five minutes. Remove from heat and allow to cool.

Lay out four of the puff pastry rounds and spoon some of the venison and veg mixtures into the center of the
circle. Cover w the remaining rounds and press the edges together to seal. Brush w the egg and bake until golden brown. About 10 min. serve warm.

Tamale
Beat the lard in the mixer till light and fluffy, 1min. Add corn puree, salt, spices and the
baking powder and beat till smooth and light. Fold in the goat cheese and Chile.

Lay out the corn husks and place 2-3 oz of mixture into the center of each husk.
Steam about 30-40 minutes or until the filling has pulled slightly away from the
husk.


Recipes By: US Foods – San Francisco Culinary Team

Olive Oil Poached Black Cod and Crispy Pork Belly w/ Parsnip Puree and Fennel Arugula Salad

Ingredients:
10 lbs Black Cod, Pin Bones Removed (4660379)
1 gallon Bellagio Pure Olive Oil (9357591)
2 Lemons
6 sprigs Fresh Thyme (7326325)
½ cup Garlic Cloves, sliced (3618741)
½ cup Shallots, sliced (3620341)
4 pieces Chef’s Line Pork Belly, sliced and portioned into 1” pieces (2771384)
1 gallon Parsnip Puree (see recipe below)
2 pounds Arugula
6 bulbs Fennel
1 qt Blood Orange Vinaigrette (see recipe below)
Cheese Cloth
Thermometer

Method:
Start by slicing lemons, garlic, and shallots. Wrap them in cheese cloth and place in a tall
pot along with 1 gallon of olive oil. Add cleaned black cod fillets, and place pot on the
stove on medium low heat. Heat oil to 155 degrees, checking with a thermometer, then
allow to cook for 10 minutes before turning off heat. Allow oil and fish to cool, then remove
fillets using a slotted spatula and transfer to a parchment lined sheet pan and season
lightly with kosher salt.

Line up pork belly on sheet pans, and cook in a 350 degree oven for 6 minutes to render
some of the pork fat. Crisp in a non-stick pan for 3 minutes to serve.

Plating:
On the bottom of the plate, spoon ¼ cup of parsnip puree (recipe below). Gently place
one fillet of poached black cod over the puree, and place 3 pieces of pork belly around the
fillet. Mix sliced fennel, arugula salad to order with blood orange vinaigrette (recipe below).
Top the cod and pork belly with ½ cup of composed salad and serve.


Parsnip Puree
Ingredients:
5 lbs Parsnips, peeled and cubed
½ cup Kosher Salt (4999470)
1 lb Glenview Farms Unsalted Butter (4681433)
½ gallon Whole Milk

Method:
In a large pot, add cubed parsnips and salt. Cover with water (water should taste like sea
water), and slowly bring to a boil. In another pot, heat milk and butter and keep warm. Parsnips
should be fork tender. Strain parsnips then process with a food mill to remove fibrous solids.
Add two thirds of the milk and butter mixture and mix together. Transfer the parsnip mix to a
blender and puree until smooth. Use the remaining milk and butter while blending to achieve the
desired consistency. The puree should be very smooth and light, but able to cling to a spoon.
Warm puree to order for service.


Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Ingredients:
2 cups Bellagio Pure Olive Oil (9357591)
1 tsp Garlic Cloves, minced (3618741)
1 tsp Shallots, minced (3620341)
1 cup Rykoff Sexton Champagne Vinegar (4336327)
3 cups Blood Orange Juice From Whole Oranges (2044303)
1 T Kosher Salt (4999470)
½ T Ground Black Pepper (760843)

Method:
Combine all ingredients except olive oil in a large bowl then whisk in olive oil. Store
refrigerated and stir before serving





Recipes By: US Foods – San Francisco Culinary Team

Popcorn Is Popping Up As The Snack Of 2013

Warning: Explosion Ahead… 

With 16 billion quarts of popcorn munched in America each year, you wouldn’t think the market could get any more heated, but watch out; there are mega-explosions of the crazy popular kernel ahead.  Just in time to celebrate National Popcorn Day on January 19, we bring you Popcorn, THE snack of 2013.

Popcorn topped just about every list of food trends, including a “Good Morning America” shout-out for the Campari-laced caramel popcorn at uber trendy Perbacco Ristorante in San Francisco. "Popcorn lends itself to carrying flavors -- it's more neutral than potato chips, tortilla chips or nuts," says chef Staffan Terje. And that’s why we’re just getting started with popcorn, equally delicious with sweet or savory flavors, and a welcome addition to ice cream, salads, desserts, or as a granola-replacement for breakfast. Food & Wine magazine predicts popcorn will appear on dressy restaurant plates to add a texture jolt, while Catersource magazine says the trend toward ‘popcorn bars,’ featuring elaborately spiced and flavored offerings at high-end events, will become even more widespread in 2013.

Creative retailers and food manufacturers are blowing the lid off with offerings of chocolate covered, curry seasoned and multi-colored popcorn. At Popcornopolis in Los Angeles, flavors include strawberries and cream, chili, lime, dill pickle seasons and kernels of ruby red or indigo blue; the Kandied Kernel in Syracuse, NY opened last spring with orange and blueberry colors; chocolate, peanut butter or nut drizzles; and flavors like coffee-coated, loaded baked potato, hot cinnamon, peanut butter and jelly, and the very popular Skittles. According to urbangrocer.com, the British are equally popcorn prone, and their newest--Joe & Seph’s curry with lime and black onion seed, and Auvergne blue cheese with walnut and celery—will ultimately cross the pond to American gourmet stores.

Chefs are putting it all on the plate as well. At Denver’s Linger restaurant, complimentary popcorn with Oaxacan Mole and Madras Curry and Dill seasonings is offered in lieu of a bread basket, and at Halycon in Charlotte, salted caramel popcorn croutons adorn its winter greens salad. At Alobar’s, chef Ian Kapitan brings it home with bacon, along with maple syrup and black pepper, tossed with popcorn and baked to a crispy finish. Others are experimenting with Blazing Buffalo Popcorn for, yes, popcorn that tastes like buffalo wings: mix ranch dressing or dip mix, celery seed, garlic powder, sugar, cayenne pepper and vegetable oil into six quarts of popped popcorn.

It’s also popping with health benefits: University of Scranton researchers found in 2012 that one serving one of popcorn has twice the cancer-preventing antioxidants contained in fruits or vegetables. Even the kernels, the bits that get caught in your teeth, are packed with polyphenols, “nutritional gold nuggets,” according to the study. LA Times food writer suggests that the ‘world’s perfect snack food’ might well be Aztec Chocolate Caramel Popcorn, mixing super foods like roasted pumpkin seeds, semisweet chocolate pieces, ground ancho chile pepper, espresso coffee powder and cinnamon into a big bowl of air-popped popcorn.

Finally, a quick look back at one of the world’s oldest snack foods, on the scene for more than 5,600 years. In the U.S., Native Americans popped their corn on hot stones over a fire, and flavored it with dried herbs and spices. It was thought that a spirit lived inside each kernel of popcorn, and if their home was heated, they would jump around angrily, eventually bursting out with a pop. Colonists took immediately to it when the Wampanoag tribe introduced popcorn at the first Thanksgiving in Plymouth. Popcorn’s big break came during the Great Depression when cash-strapped movie theaters brought concessions inside; WWII sugar rations sent popcorn sales even higher when candy was scarce; and the advent of microwave popcorn in the 1980s continued its winning streak…all the way into the 21^st century.

Fresh Fun for Foodies: 2013 Forecast Front and Center!

What’s hot, what’s not, what’s bubbling up to the top of the food world this year? One thing is for certain, with more than 17,537 food blogs at last count, you’ll be able to read about it in copious detail!  We’ve reviewed the leading industry predictions,* and culled it down to a lucky 13…as with any futurecasting, take it with a grain of (still trendy low sodium) salt.

Restaurateurs will find the emphasis on health and wellness remains strong, with fresh fruits and vegetables predominating, along with smaller portions and better-for-you offerings. Chefs who can do it all, from baking their own bread to curing their own pastrami, will be in demand this year. And our fascination with global cuisine continues unabated, so stock up on Asian, South American and Indian spices and flavors.

1.                  Corn for dessert, such as corn panna cotta, corn ice cream, corn cupcakes.

2.                  Restaurants baking breads in house to save costs, and "ramp up distinctiveness."

3.                  Greens taking more of a center-plate role; for example, kale, beet greens, chard, turnip greens and mustard greens.

4.                  Restaurant as community hub: providing free WiFi, offering cooking classes and hosting social benefits will bring new customers in and show appreciation to loyal diners.

5.                  Nose-to-tail concept continues, with chefs skillfully using the whole animal from pig snout to pork butt; more artistry from chefs will be in vogue with in-house canning, curing, cutting and pickling.

6.                  Chefs will exchange butter and bacon for broth and beets to create better-for-you food that tastes good.

7.                  Asian cuisine will be in the spotlight behind the spicy and fresh flavors of Thailand, Vietnam and Korea; also South American and Indian.

8.                  Kids' menus will evolve with kid-friendly versions of adult dining options; healthful kids meals will dominate.

9.                  Small plates for sharing will be replaced with smaller, singular servings of meat, veggies or starches.

10.             Fruit will be used with savory flavors, incorporated as appetizers, soups and alongside meat dishes.

11.             From gluten-free to vegan, more menus and services to accommodate all consumers.

12.             Popcorn will be the snack of the year, and will be served sweet or savory, in ice cream, as croutons.

13.             Breakfast all day—pancakes, eggs and toast 24/7 will prove economical and very popular.

14.              

For an even more farsighted vision, consider this look at food in 2050, courtesy of the Center for Science in the Public Interest and food movement leaders who recently gathered in our nation’s capitol for the second annual Food Day:

1. Healthier processed foods, with a variety of newly developed tasty salt substitutes added to soups, baked goods, and condiments, as well as safe sugar substitutes.

2. Plant-proteins in artificial meat, seafood, and milk will replace three-quarters of the animal products we consume today.

            3. Health planners/coaches who will help consumers plan daily menus.

4. A computerized device that juices, cools, cooks, and freezes our food.

5. Computerized shopping carts that automatically fetch what’s needed.

6. Small gardens predominate, using aeroponic technologies (plants grown without the use of much soil), enabling folks to have refrigerator-sized box gardens that can produce more than one-fifth of the vegetables and legumes required. 

            7. Financial incentives to purchase more nutritious foods.

*SOURCES: QSR Web, National Restaurant Association, Sterling-Rice, Culinary Visions, Independent Restaurateur