A couple of weeks ago I decided to take my wife on a romantic dinner for two at the historical Bob’s Steak & Chop House. Nestled in the whimsical shops at legacy town center, Bob’s Steak & Chop house is located a few minutes north of Dallas. I was hoping to indulge in a quite dinner for two with my wife that was representative of a $150 dollar meal. As we entered the establishment, Bob’s Steak & Chop house resembled that of most Texas steak houses, which is mainly comprised of dark brownish colors and Texas décor look. I personally love this look especially when it is paired with low lighting as it can create the perfect ambiance. However, the noise level completely destroys that. We made our visit on a Tuesday evening as we know that any restaurant on the weekend can be noisy. The noise level that night was a bit noisy but not overwhelmingly bad. With that said we did visit there on weekday and wouldn’t want to know what it sounded like if we were there on the weekend. However, noise to me is not a deal breaker as I am more interested in the food and service then the people around me.

The staff however, needs some work. Our waitress, who will remain nameless as she didn’t even present it to us, pretty much assumed that we were a young couple who were not worthy of conversation. The menus were presented and questions were hardly answered to completion. I am a bit of a wine novice and have been working to perfect my pairings as I begin to explore the wonderful world of wine. When asked what wine she would suggest to compliment our meal we were presented with the simple answer cabernet and left with that. Now at an Olive Garden type of restaurant this would have passed as run of the mill service however, I was hoping at an establishment such as this she could narrow down the selection to one or two of the 8 different types of cabernet on the menu. I would also have understood the brief and un welcoming responses if the restaurant was busy and she was in the weeds because as a former waiter I know that sometimes you are not able to provide the 5 star service you would like to because you have 10 tables all of which are running behind but the place was pretty dead and she seemed more interested in flirting with the other waiters then guiding us through our meal.

The food on the other hand was delicious! As an appetizer we ordered the Maryland – Style Crab Cake. Initially there was a hint of sticker shock as a single crab cake ran $15. However, the crab cake which as far as I can tell because the waitress didn’t really know contained crab as well as red peppers and other tasty tidbits and was served with a decadent honey mustard sauce that eliminated any initial sticker shock. I have enjoyed many a crab cakes over the past few years and this by far was the best “one” pun intended I have had yet! For my entree I ordered the COTE de BOEUF a 22 oz bone in ribeye steak that was cooked to perfection. I devoured every bite! The melding of the seasoning with the flavor of the meat couldn’t have been better. My wife enjoyed the rack of lamb as well which came with a fantastic mint sauce. The mint sauce complimented the flavor of the meat perfectly creating a delicious combination.

In my final thoughts I will say this, the food is fantastic. So much so that I will one day again visit Bob’s Steak & Chop house. However, will I be making this trip for a special occasion in which we are seeking a quiet and enjoyable meal? No.

One of my all time favorite cook books is Ruth Reichl’s The Gourmet Cookbook. Filled with over 1,000 gourmet recipes the gourmet cookbook is any aspiring gourmet chefs must have. One of my favorite recipes of all times was pulled from this book. Combining the great flavors of prosciutto and mushrooms gives these quick and easy appetizers a flavor that is both sophisticated and delicious. Not only are they full of flavor they are quick and easy to make. You can put together all of the ingredients together and refrigerate them until you need to put them in the oven just before your event. This way they come out hot and mouth-watering just in time for your guests. I make these little gems at every party we have and they seem to disappear faster then we can make them.

Prosciutto and Parmesan Stuffed Mushrooms

Makes 24 Hors D’oeuvres

Ingredients:

• 24 Large (1 1/2 to 2 inch wide) mushrooms
• 4 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 large garlic clove, minced
• 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
• 1/2 cup finely chopped prosciutto (3 oz)
• 1/4 cup fine dry bread crumbs
• 3 tablespoons minced fresh flat-leaf parsley
• 3/4 cup finely grated parmigiano- reggiano
• 1 large egg, lightly beaten
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

Put a rack in the middle oven and preheat oven to 400F. Lightly grease a shallow baking dish large enough to hold mushroom caps in one layer.
To remove stems from mushrooms, hold each mushroom stem side up in palm of one hand and use other hand to push stem gently sideways until it pops out. If any stem remains in cap, gently scoop it out with a small spoon. Trim off and discard bottoms of stems and finely chop stems.
Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 10 to 12 inch heavy skillet over moderate heat. Add mushroom stems, garlic, and onion and cook, stirring, until stems are very tender, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl , add prosciutto, bread crumbs parsley, 1/2 cup parmesan, egg, salt, and pepper, and stir to combine well.
Divide filling among mushroom caps, mounding it slightly, and arrange in one layer in greased baking dish. Sprinkle mushrooms with remaining 1/4 cup parmesan and drizzle with remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Bake until mushroom caps are tender, about 20 minutes.

With the Super Bowl quickly approaching I thought I would post my favorite vegetarian nachos recipe. I would have to say that my favorite part of the Super Bowl is definitely all of the great tasting hors d’oeuvres. While the game can be fun to watch all in itself or the commercials at least; it is definitely nothing without great food! With the exception of Thanksgiving and Christmas, this is one of my favorite times of the year. It seems that every chef comes out to posting their new and tasty recipe ideas. I know that most people would scoff at the idea of nachos without meat, but these are thick and hearty nachos that will fill you up!

Vegetarian Super Bowl Nachos

Serves: 6

Ingredients:

Directions

Set oven to 350 degrees F

In an oven safe platter layer harvest tortilla chips

Top with shredded Colby, Jack and Cheddar cheese

Add your favorite sliced or diced veggies

Heat until the cheese is melted

Top heated nachos with salsa and sour cream.

The guys over at Bacon Today are seriously obsessed with bacon. As a fellow bacon lover I fully support and endorse this sites concept. Not only does it contain tons of great recipes such as Turbaconducken – which is an ingenious recipe where chicken is wrapped in bacon then stuffed in a duck which is wrapped in bacon and then stuffed in a turkey which is also wrapped in bacon! (I would love to see the nutrition facts on that one, but hey, when you’re dealing with bacon who really cares?) It also has a bacon themed throw pillow! I believe no bacon lover’s home is complete until they have a bacon throw pillow on top of their sofa. I think it screams delicious!

I finally got an opportunity to clear out my DVR last night after having a week long hiatus. I definitely have a love hate relationship with that piece of equipment as I can not express the joy I get from having complete narcissistic control over what and when I watch. However, lately I feel like I have become a slave to the shows that I have recorded. I feel obligated to watch the 50 episodes of Food Network programming that have gone unwatched despite the fact that I really don’t have time. However, every once and a while forcing yourself to sit through the hours of programming you brought upon yourself pays off. I was watching Giada at Home and she made a recipe that made me crave a quick and easy late night snack! I must admit that I am not a huge fan of Gorgonzola (too much like blue cheese to me) but what’s great about this recipe is you can really choose to substitute any cheese you want! Me personally, I believe that mozzarella is the way to go here. It is definitely a little messy as the tomatoes cook down a little bit with the addition of the olive oil but if you eat them with a fork it’s definitely worth the mess! This recipe is a cinch to make and would make a great party appetizer!

Ingredients

• 12 Roma tomatoes, sliced in 1/2 lengthwise
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 3/4 cup plain bread crumbs
• 3/4 cup finely crumbled Gorgonzola or grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.

Using a teaspoon or grapefruit spoon, remove the seeds from the tomatoes. Place the tomato halves, cut side down, on paper towels to drain, about 5 minutes.

In a large bowl, mix together 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, garlic, salt, and pepper. Using clean hands, gently toss the drained tomato halves in the oil mixture until coated. Marinate the tomatoes for 10 minutes.

In a small bowl mix together the bread crumbs and Gorgonzola cheese.

Place the marinated tomato halves, cut side up, on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Fill each tomato half with the bread crumb filling. Drizzle with the remaining olive oil. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes until slightly softened and the underside of the tomatoes are brown.

Arrange the cooked tomatoes on a serving platter. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley and serve immediately.

Aged Italian balsamic vinegar can be an extraordinary dinning experience. Like a fine wine that has been aged for years aged Italian balsamic vinegars can be complex in flavor and difficult to understand.

Unfortunately, like most high quality food products what’s on the supermarkets shelves isn’t necessarily the authentic thing. This can make choosing a quality product as difficult as buying caviar, and like caviar you should know a little bit before you purchase a product that can cost any where from $50 to $1,000 dollars! It is our belief that everyone should have the pleasure of experiencing a truly authentic aged Italian balsamic vinegar in their lifetime. Not for salads, these vinegars are sparingly used to enhance the flavor of steaks, grilled fish or to top deserts with a few drops paired with strawberries, ice cream or even parmesan cheese. Fine balsamic vinegar is a connoisseur product but can be appreciated by almost anyone. Its sweet tart taste can be dense and complex. It is estimated that 1.75 million liters of balsamic vinegar are sold each year with less then 1% of that being truly authentic balsamic produced in the Modena and Reggio Regions.

The manufacturing of balsamic vinegar is similar to that of a well aged wine. The first step to making balsamic vinegar is the boiling of white grapes anywhere from 36 to 48 hours into a “must”. The “must” is then fermented with a slow aging process to create the robust flavors that are typically experienced with well aged balsamic vinegars. The must is traditionally derived from the trebbiano grapes and is reduced in the boiling process to 50% of its original volume. The grape “must” is then stored in fine wooden casks and a small amount of older balsamic vinegar will be added to assist in the acidification process. As time passes the flavor intensifies becoming sweet and viscous as it begins to reduce in volume. As the vinegar gradually evaporates reducing its volume it is transferred into successively smaller barrels made of varying types of wood. During the aging process the vinegar will begin to absorb some of the flavors from the woods in which it has been stored. This is why the only consortium approved woods for storing balsamic vinegar are cherry, oak, acacia, juniper, ash, chestnut and mulberry, The aged vinegar will then be divided into three categories, the young, which have been aged from 3 to 5 years. The middle, which has been aged from 6 to 12 years and the highly prized which are anywhere from 12 to 150 years old!

Types of Balsamic vinegar.

While there is really only one “True” balsamic vinegar, we feel there are three types of balsamic vinegars that you will encounter on your next shopping experience.

Balsamico Tradizionale

Known as the only authentic form of balsamic vinegar, only tow consortia produce true balsamic vinegar, Modena and Reggio Emilia. (Aceto Balsmico Tradizionale di Modena) and (Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale de Reggio Emila) use artisan methods established during the renaissance period. The Consortium of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Reggio Emilia Producers oversees and regulates the production of these magnificent products. The ages are designated by the color on the label, red and white labels indicate vinegars that have been aged for a least 12 years and gold for those that have been aged for 25 years or more.

Condimento Balsamic Vinegar

Condimentos have been created through the same methods as the tradizionale but are either located outside of the Modena or Reggio provences of Italy or do not have the consortium approval. Some produces of tradizionale also produce condimento grade vinegars as well.

Commercial or Idustriale Balsamic vinegars

Typically these brands of balsamic vinegars still employ the cooking of grape must and are aged at least 3 years and can be considerably more affordable. However, many of these brands are also cheap imitations which implore the use of cider vinegar that has been colored and flavored with caramel to mimic the flavor of true balsamic vinegars. These vinegars are typically very inexpensive and will have varying ranges in flavor.

Acetaia Leonardi or (The Vinegar House of Leonardi) is one of the better producers among the 120 members of the Consorzio Produttori Aceto Balsamico di Modena. The consortium tightly-regulates this select group of producers and even dictates how much vinegar each member can make. Through blind tastings of every barrel produced it will grade and reject half of them. The batches that are approved are kept at the headquarters of the Consorzio and bottled by the Consorzio, so there can be no approve-and-switch. Each bottle is numbered and logged into a book. When you do buy a tradizionale, you know its quality (and at these prices, should be). The vinegars of Acetaia Leonardi are consistently rated outstanding within the consortium. These authentic balsamics, made in the artisanal style but aged for shorter periods, simply can’t be compared to any factory-made balsamics. They cost more but they’re worth it. Saba is a sweetener extracted from grapes, an unusual product every cook and gourmet should get to know. Use it as a sweet dressing instead of adding a dessert sauce, honey, or whipped cream.

USES

Commercial grade balsamic vinegars can be used in salad dressings, marinades, reductions and sauces. Due to the high cost and rich flavor Tradizionale vinegars are most often used sparingly to enhance steaks, eggs or grilled fish, as well as on fresh fruit such as strawberries and pears or ice cream. Tradizionale vinegar has excellent digestive properties and it may even be drunk from a tiny glass to conclude a meal.
Contemporary chefs use both tradizionale and condimento vinegars sparingly in simple dishes where the balsamic vinegar’s complex tastes are highlighted, using it to enhance dishes like scallops or shrimp, or on simple pastas and risottos.

You can find some of these great blasamic vinegars at fine online retailers.

As the dead of winter sets in many meat loving foodies find themselves deprived of what they crave the most, a great tasting thick steak! With grilling a non-existent option (unless you truly want to risk burning your house down or contracting frost bite on you toes and fingers) and broilers being one of the most useless kitchen items around, stove top cooking becomes the only option. However, many people find that cooking a steak on the stove is extremely challenging and will never yield the steakhouse quality steak they want and crave. I believe the biggest cause of this problem is because a vast majority of home chefs use way too much high heat! One of the greatest articles I found for producing some of the greatest steakhouse steaks was written a few years ago by Alain Ducasse (here). In this article he explains one of the greatest steak cooking methods that he uses at his restaurants. It allows for a little versatility and can be done at home with little to no special equipment. I have taken some time and put together my interpretation of this method as well as a photographic demonstration of this process. One of the greatest advantages of this method is that it is a very simple process to follow and yields perfect results almost every time!

The first step in the process is selecting the steak. I personally prefer a well aged rib steak as I believe that it a far superior flavor and contains the perfect amount of marbling!

To begin the cooking process (which should take approximately 45 to 50 minutes) heat your pan to a medium heat. Place the steak on its edge to begin the cooking process. The reason we place the steak on its edge is to render the fat which will help to reinforce the flavor! It may be difficult to get a thinner piece of meat to stand on its edge by itself. If this is a problem it can quickly be solved with a pair of tongs or two spoons. Cooking the sides of the steak should take approximately 10 minutes.

When the edges have achieved perfection it is now time to cook the steak faces. Before you place the steak face down smash two cloves of garlic and melt a quarter stick of butter into the pan. The fat will help two factors of flavor; first it will carry the flavor of the garlic into the meat and second it will help with enhancing the Maillard reaction. The Maillard reaction is responsible for roasted flavor, but be careful if you use heat that is too high this can quickly turn into a carbonized flavor which to me ruins the overall flavor of the meat.

After about 10 minutes, the first side should be reaching the perfect temperature. However, the butter has started to brown and needs to be replaced to prevent an infusion of the burnt butter flavor.

Finally, after another 10 minutes of cooking the meat should be reaching perfection. Resist checking the meats roasting by cutting into it, the more the meat gets poked the more juice runs out drying out the meat. I suggest using a meat thermometer to read the temperature to ensure the desired finish.

Once the meat has finished cooking on the stove it needs to rest. This allows the juices to settle back into the meat after they rushed to the surface from the cooking process. This should take approximately 15 minutes or half of the time the meat was on the stove. I use a warm plate or you can place it in a oven at approximately 150 degrees to ensure that the meat does not cool too much while you wait.

It’s not often that I find a chocolate that I really get excited about. However, I recently had the pleasure of receiving a gift of NewTree chocolate over the weekend. I have to admit I really hadn’t heard that much about the Belgian chocolate maker and now I feel as though I have been deprived! The Belgian’s have been holding out on us for years!

NewTree has created a line of chocolates that follow-through on their promise of a mind altering chocolate experience. Each chocolate bar has a unique name meant to inspire the effects of the ingredients. Their Vigor chocolate bar will leave you on a caffeine high for hours. One ounce of chocolate contains the same amount of caffeine as a cup of coffee; making this a great alternative to your morning cup! Unaltered coffee and chocolate has been a great match for years, just ask Barefoot Contessa. My favorite thing about this chocolate bar is the fact that the coffee does not overwhelm the flavor of the 73% cocoa making for a smooth and energetic feel during consumption.

Pleasantly pleased with my new finding, I raced to find more of these delicious chocolate bars, and found that NewTree has created a chocolate bar for each and every mood you could be hoping to experience! There moods (flavors) are as follows: Pleasure, Forgiveness, Rejoice, Blush, Renew, Tranquility and yes even Sexy!

Had a long day at work and want to feel renewed? Just open a Renew chocolate bar and let the sweet flavors of blackcurrant and dark Belgian chocolate erase the worries of work away. Want to feel sexy? Spice up your day with the taste of dark chocolate and the soft hint of ginger. Need Forgiveness? Lemon and cocoa make a great start! I mean honestly how can you stay mad at someone when they bring you chocolate for forgiveness?

I highly suggest you get your hands on some of these as the world would be a better place if we all just altered our state of mind with the taste of great chocolate! You can get these chocolates directly from NewTree Here or if you want to save a little bit you could also get them Here.

If you plan on having guests over this weekend you need to rush home and put this recipe together right now! I mean now! Okay, Okay, I will let you slide and allow you to do this during your lunch break! It is a snap to make and is a great way to impress anyone who has an affinity for olives. I personally love olives, so much so,  if an olive tree would have even the slightest chance of survival in my back yard I would plant it tomorrow. However, I don’t think I am quite as olive obsessed as the ancient Greeks who were known to smear olive oil all over their bodies in an effort for good hygiene and health (although the thought has crossed my mind before). Ever since I was young I have always piled on extra olives in my salads and on top of my sandwiches; so this is definitely the perfect appetizer for me. The most difficult step in making this recipe is keeping your fingers out of the container as they marinate! I personally did not have the will power to keep from tasting my work but isn’t that the best part of being the chef?

Ingredients:

• 4 cups mixed olives of your choice
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
• 6 sprigs fresh rosemary
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 4 cloves garlic (peeled and cut into slivers)
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
• Zest of 1/2 Lemon
• Freshly ground pepper (to taste)

Directions:

Combine olives, thyme, rosemary, lemon juice, lemon zest, garlic, oil and pepper in a bowl that has a top. Mix well and cover. Put in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days, stirrings several times throughout the process. Serve with pita bread or other flat-bread. To make the pita bread slice a round pita into wedges and brush with olive oil. Then sprinkle with salt and pepper. Simply bake in a 350 degree oven for 10 minutes turning half way through. Finally, share with your friends and family, if you can….

Each month we here at The Gourmet Foodie Blog will be brining you information on what we feel to be some of the industry’s leading companies. We do this in hopes to bring to light a company you may not know that much about and to bask them in the glory they so richly deserve. If you have any great companies that you feel should get the nod please email them to us at The Gourmet Foodie Blog.

As one of the year’s most chocolate obsessed holidays fast approaches (February) we felt it would be just to entice you with one of the nation’s premier artisan chocolatiers, Torn Ranch.

The beginnings of Torn Ranch are similar to that of many purveyors of gourmet specialty foods. Torn Ranch began as a small retail store located in Marin County. As a warm welcome, the store owner (whose name really was Torn) would place a jumbo cashew in each customers hand as they entered his store. Eventually as the demand for his products increased rapidly, Torn closed his retail store to focus on the wholesale gourmet specialty market. 

Today, appropriately nestled between San Francisco and Napa Valley, with the leadership of Dean and Sue Morrow, they boast over 100 employees and have become well known as leading innovators in the gourmet industry. Their unparalleled commitments to the highest standard for product quality and gift design, Torn Ranch chocolatiers have quickly become known for their artisan chocolate.

Torn Ranch took the food world by storm with the creation of their tea infused truffles. They appeared in the Wall Street Journal among other publications, which helped them create national reorganization. For the past 30 years Torn Ranch has hand crafted their artisanal truffles which now feature such delicacies as wine infused and fruit ganache. It has long been known that the pairing of wine and chocolate is a perfect match.  Torn Ranch has taken it one step further by infusing rare vintage port wine, sparkling champagne, buttery chardonnay and a full bodied cabernet together with their signature milk chocolate; a wine connoisseurs dream!

Their artisan fruit ganache truffles are equally delectable with the addition of succulent passion fruit, guava, tangelo, pear, pineapple, coconut and other exotic fruits! Each artisan truffle is then hand-painted with their signature milk chocolate. Torn Ranch didn’t just stop there. They went on to create many other delectable confections such as snappy ginger cookies, chocolate dipped glaced apricots and chocolate glaced orange slices! Drooling yet? I know I am! I had an opportunity to get my hands on some of these delectable treats but I will save that for another post! Torn Ranch can only be found at high end retailers and is well worth the search!