Food and Life on the Grand Strand

Farm to Chef

2010-07-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

meeting with a group to facilitate farm to chef produce and other foods, I will keep you posted!

Chocolate Sourdough

2010-03-10T15:51:00.000-08:00

I experimented and by adding 2 T. cocoa powder and 1/2 cup dark chocolate chips to each loaf of sourdough, you get chocolate sourdough! It is pretty amazing. I cook for 30 minutes at 400F to keep the chocolate from burning. Try it and let me know what you think.

Sourdough

2010-02-24T17:29:00.000-08:00

I have it down pretty well now. Because I only need a few loaves a week, here is what I do.

One day before I bake, I take the starter out of the fridge and feed with about 1 cup flour and ¾ cup water. I stir well to get some good air into the starter, cover, and leave out at room temperature.
The next day I make the dough.
1 cup starter
1 cup water
3 ½ cups flour (I use hi gluten)
½ T. salt.
This makes 1 large boule. I knead in the kitchen aid with the dough hook for 10 minutes on low. Transfer to bowl, cover, and let rise for about two hours. Knead briefly, shape into boule, place on wood board spread with cornmeal, cover and let rise for another two hours. It should double in size.
Preheat oven to 425 F. Use a baking stone and have a pan in the oven for water. Right before baking, pour a cup of water into the pan. Slash criss cross pattern in top of loaf with razor blade, going no more than ¼” deep. Use a peel to slide loaf on stone. Bake for 30 minutes or until hollow sounding when tapped.
Meanwhile, feed the starter again and leave out while dough is rising.
Cool baked sourdough on rack and enjoy. Put starter in fridge until next week.

Have fun with it, try whole wheat, add rosemary, roasted garlic, or olives, maybe lemon zest, etc. Hope this works for you.

Ps. I have a healthy starter if anyone wants it locally, send me an email.

Ciao,
Chef Kurt

Blue Crab

2010-02-02T16:45:00.000-08:00

I am working right now on opening two new restaurants. They will be the same concept, menu, etc. in two different locations. The name is Blue Crab and they will be rustic, comfortable family friendly seafood restaurants.

Blue Crab’s menu features full raw bar, steamed oysters, blue crabs, fried seafood, appetizers, and more great seafood from our bountiful area. We will buy primarily local seafood.

The first location is in Pawley’s Island, in the old Gator Crawls restaurant. The second will be in the old Latitude 22 space above River City Café in Surfside. Both are scheduled to open in March.

Wish us luck and come see us, I guarantee you will like the food!

Ciao,
Chef Kurt

Ham Hocks

2010-02-02T16:41:00.001-08:00

At Roy and Sid’s, we use ham hocks in our collards and green beans. To simplify and standardize, we cook the hocks in water until they are falling off the bone, then pick meat, strain stock, combine, and freeze in pint containers. When we make a batch of beans we simply pull a pint and throw it in, instant flavor!

New 2 me

2010-02-02T06:07:00.000-08:00

I am getting ready to cook a whole lamb for my church's retreat this weekend. I have never cooked a whole one before so I will let you know how it goes!

On another note, I get busy and sometimes don't blog for awhile. If anyone wants to know anything on any culinary subject, let me know and I will write about it. Thanks for checking in.

Chef Kurt

Coastal Uncorked 2010

2009-10-08T17:40:00.001-07:00

Coastal Uncorked 2010

A little over four months ago, while battling biker traffic but looking at an empty restaurant, I came up with the idea for a food and wine festival in May. Several great people have joined with me and I am very excited to say that this May will be the first year for Coastal Uncorked!

Coastal Uncorked will be a weeklong celebration of Coastal Cuisine and wine. It will feature a restaurant week with participating restaurants offering a three course menu for only $20.10. This is a great way to try out restaurants that you have wanted to visit. CU will also feature an Iron Chef style chef competition, beer and wine tastings at area hotels, beach music and concerts at area attractions, a gourmet food and wine golf tournament, a cake decorating competition, and a charity Gala dinner to end the week.

The dates for 2010 are May 16-23rd. Mark your calendars and watch for more information soon. A poster contest will kick off in November, so you artists get your Coastal food and wine ideas ready and you could be the featured artist on the inaugural poster!

I encourage you all to buy local food, eat at local restaurants, and as always cook well, eat well, and live well!

Ciao,
Chef Kurt

The Cure

2009-10-06T11:48:00.001-07:00

The Cure

I just finished curing a bunch of stuff and thought I would share my successes with you.

Curing is one of the oldest ways to flavor and preserve meats and seafood. Along with smoking, salt (and sugar) cures have been used for hundreds of years, back to ancient Roman times. Salt cures are pretty easy, using a mix of salt, sugar and spices all you need is quality meats and time.

I made some cured and smoked beef brisket. To do this, I rubbed and rested the briskets overnight. The rub recipe is below. Then I hot smoked at 200 F for 12 hours. It had a wonderful smoke flavor and “bark” or outer crust, and a nice smoke ring. Really delicious.

Next, I corned the rest of the brisket. This soaks for five days in the corning brine, and then is simmered until fork tender. We had fun with this, sandwiches, corned beef and cabbage, and corned beef hash to name a few.

Finally, I cured some pork belly using the basic cure recipe below. It cured for two weeks and is hanging in the cooler for another two weeks. If I cold smoked this, it would be bacon, but we use it un-smoked in a number of recipes.

All I can say is, if you love to cook, try a cure. They are easy, deeply satisfying ways to work a little culinary magic!

Ciao,
Chef Kurt

BASIC CURE
1 pound kosher salt
½ pound sugar
3 ounces pink salt (for color and preserving qualities)

CORNED BEEF BRINE
1 gallon water
1 3/4 cups kosher salt
½ cup sugar
1 ounce pink salt
3 garlic cloves
2 Tablespoons pickling spice

For one beef brisket, about 5 lbs.

Bring all to a boil, cool completely, brine beef for five days covered in liquid. Drain, cover with cold water and simmer until fork tender.

BBQ RUB
4 Tablespoons paprika
3 Tablespoons kosher salt
2 Tablespoons chili powder
1 Tablespoon each ground black pepper, cayenne pepper, ground coriander, brown sugar, oregano, ground white pepper, dried thyme

Beware Bennett, Cave, and James

2009-09-01T18:33:00.000-07:00

Well, I hate to say it, but I guess it is buyer beware when it comes to dealing with small farms.

I struck up a conversation with Mike James from Bennett, Cave, and James Organic Farming Systems in February through Local Harvest and thought he was our man for fresh, local produce. We met and toured the farm (before anything was growing), and he promised fresh veggies all summer long. I personally paid $230 for a CSA share.

I called, and called, and called, and it was one excuse after another. Too hot, too wet, too dry, got out of the field late. Finally in June I got one delivery of unripe corn and field peas (which I had to throw away). I never saw another thing from him.

Mike refuses to refund my CSA, but left me an angry slurred message on my cell phone. I guess I write that money off. I reported him to the SC Department of Agriculture, Better Business Bureau, and Local Harvest hoping that no one else would be duped.

My advice to you, support your local farmers but do your homework before you write the check. Ask for references and call them. Deal only with reputable sources.

Good luck, eat local and eat well!

Chef Kurt

Myrtle Beach Food and Wine Festival, May 2010?

2009-05-25T13:02:00.001-07:00

Alright, we just might be onto something here. I met last week with Kara-Anne Serradimigni who is producing the Taste Gourmet Expo May 21-23, 2010 at the Myrtle beach Convention Center. We think that there is room to expand on the weekend, make it a destination for culinary tourists. Here are some ideas that I had
Events outside of the Taste show (to not compete but to take place before, after, or on evenings during Taste show)
I am thinking from the perspective of a tourist, what will engage them for a long weekend or week. What will they want to do in Myrtle Beach in addition to the Taste show?
restaurant promotions
winemaker dinners
progressive dinners
nightly after party at different bars
concert at Broadway, market commons, or myrtle square mall
"happy hour" wine tastings in select hotels
beach party
culinary tours to oyster beds, clam beds, farms, shrimp docks, etc.
complimentary food and wine at select golf courses

I am also meeting with James Clark and a few others later this week to discuss. I’ll keep you informed!

Good-Bye Bike Rallies

2009-05-20T15:39:00.001-07:00

OK, what’s done is done. We can not rewind the clock and make everything nice with the bikers. I think that we, as a community, need to move on and plan to attract business to our area in May (and other times of the year).

We need to attract people, people who don’t have kids in school in May. I would love to see us have a PGA tournament but have no idea how that would happen. I could see a sand sculpture competition or other beach centric attraction. Not enough surf for that unfortunately. Maybe Freestyle Park could do a mini X Games in May?

What I do think could work is a Myrtle Beach Food and Wine Festival, to rival Charleston, Miami, or Aspen. There is already a gourmet food and wine show planned for the convention center in may 2010 called Taste. The ACF is going to hold a culinary competition in conjunction and I have heard talk of a BBQ competition as well. I think that the restaurant community could join in; offering promotions for a 7-10 day period in participating restaurants and possibly do winemaker dinners as well. There could also be gala charity dinners with celebrity chefs, similar to the one at the High Museum Wine Auction that I catered for four years.

I, for one, am going to look forward and figure this out. The bikers are not coming back. I think the rallies will get smaller and smaller and die out. I saw the same thing happen with Freak-nik in Atlanta. Let’s embrace the future and plan for it so we can all succeed.

culinary magic

2009-05-13T11:50:00.000-07:00

I put together bacon, beets, and balsamic the other day and it was amazing. The bacon was house cured from a Caw Caw Creek pig, true aged balsamic, and roasted beets. Just thought I would share!

Something’s Happening Here

2009-04-25T14:52:00.001-07:00

It has been an interesting spring here in Myrtle Beach. Of course, we are just settling down from the terrible wild fires that burned almost 20,000 acres. But food wise, it seems like momentum is growing in a way that I have not seen before.

I have been looking for six years to establish relationships with local farmers, cheese makers, and boutique food producers. I have found some great ones, Caw Caw Creek and Carolina Rice Plantation to name a few, but the produce never seemed to work out. Well, it appears that I will be buying a bunch of stuff from Mike James of Bennett, Cave, and James Organic Farms in Andrews, SC. We met a few weeks back and are on track to start buying produce next week. I even got to tell him some stuff that I wanted planted, very exciting!

Today I went out picking strawberries at Thompson Farms in Conway. They are on Bucksville Drive and this is the first year of U-Pick berries. I talked with Scott Thompson, the owner, and he explained that his grandparents farmed the land many years ago. He had to run off to plant tomatoes and peppers, but said he would be selling to locals, tourists, and restaurants as well.

Then I got to work and Mike Zemke, VP of DDG, told me about two gentlemen from a company called Green Stream that want to talk about picking up recyclables at the restaurants. I have been carting glass, plastic, and metals to the recycling center in my truck since we opened here, so I was especially excited to hear about that. The amount of recyclable waste that just one busy restaurant produces is astounding.

So, after years of looking and trying, it seems like the tide is turning for Myrtle Beach. We apparently will be able to have fresh local produce delivered to the restaurants this summer. We may soon be able to have all of our recyclable waste put back into the system. These are wonderful things and make me very hopeful.

Take care and eat something fresh and local today!

Easter at Roy and Sid's

2009-03-28T07:38:00.000-07:00

Here is our Easter offerings, family style dinner was a great hit at Thanksgiving and we look forward to doing it agian. It is a great value.

Easter Menus 2009

Easter Sunday from 11 am to 9 pm in our restaurant

Family Style Easter Dinner
Rotisserie turkey breast, leg of lamb, brown sugar glazed ham, fresh peas and baby carrots, southern style green beans, macaroni and cheese, corn soufflé, mashed potatoes, fresh baked rolls, deviled eggs, tossed green salad, and fresh baked pies
$49.95 for a family of four $11.95 each additional adult, Kids 12-6 $6.95, kids under 5 free

Easter Dinner
Choice of rotisserie turkey breast, roasted leg of lamb, brown sugar glazed ham, or any combination and two side dishes $13.95 Adults $7.95 Kids

Easter desserts
Apple Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, Warm Bread Pudding, or Chocolate Mousse Pie $4.95

Easter pick up menu

Rotisserie Roasted Fresh Bone In Turkey Breast $3.95 per pound
With gravy 11 pound average

Dijon and Brown Sugar Glazed Spiral Sliced Ham $5.95 per pound
8 pound average

Rotisserie Roasted Fresh Boneless Leg of Lamb $9.95 per pound
With herb au jus 8 pound average (half legs available)

Sides (1 quart) $7.95
Macaroni and cheese . Collard greens . Southern green beans . Fresh peas and baby carrots
Cornbread dressing . Mashed potatoes . Corn succotash . Sweet potato hash . Sautéed julienne vegetables

One Dozen Sweet Yeast Rolls $3.95

Fresh Baked Desserts $19.95
Apple Pie, Strawberry Shortcake, Warm Bread Pudding, or Chocolate Mousse Pie

Orders must be placed by 10 pm on Thursday, April 9
Available to pick up between 10 am and 4 pm on Easter Day, heating instructions will be included

Call 843-839-9770 to order

Mustard

2009-03-19T15:00:00.000-07:00

I made a chocolate espresso mustard the other day that I thought was great, not sure what I am going to do with it but it is a cool flavor combination so I thought I would pass that along.

Ciao,

pasta thoughts

2009-03-17T09:44:00.001-07:00

Growing up with Italian grandparents instilled an appreciation, knowledge, and familiarity with many different pasta and their uses. That love of such a simple food is reflected in my dishes.

At Roy and Sid’s American Kitchen, I use Orecchiette pasta. Orecchiette means “little ear” in Italian. It is small, round, and cupped, perfect for holding a medium body sauce. A broth would roll off, and a thick tomato sauce would smother the pasta. We use it on our shrimp scampi pasta, which consists of wild American shrimp, garlic, white wine, lemon juice, fresh herbs, and a little butter whisked in at the end. He dish is one of our most popular.

Divine Prime features two pastas on the menu. The first is imported fresh pasta called Trofie. Trofie is Ligurian pasta made with flour and water, no eggs. It is rolled by hand into little squiggly shapes, and we use it for our lobster macaroni and cheese. The fresh pasta absorbs the flavors of the smoked cheddar cheese sauce better than dried pasta would.

I also use Fregola Sarda, pasta created by rubbing wet semolina wheat into little balls, then drying and toasting. Each little ball is bigger than a grain of Moroccan couscous. This specialty from Sardinia has a toasty, rustic flavor. I use this on our Hawaiian Blue Snapper with English peas, roasted tomato butter, and pistachio mint emulsion, a dish new to our menu this spring.

Pasta is a wonderful addition to the menu. With so many shapes and varieties to choose from, you are sure to never get bored.

Divine Prime offers new Prix Fixe Menu

2009-02-28T07:25:00.001-08:00

Starting Monday, March 2nd, Divine Prime will begin offering a five course menu for $35 per person. This will be for a limited time only, a great chance to try our award winning, four diamond cuisine at a great price. The menu will be accompanied by a wine list of 30 bottles at $30 or under.

The phone number for reservations is 843-839-9790. Here is the menu;

$35 Prix Fixe Menu

Amuse Bouche
A simple taste to start the meal

~~~

First Course

Lobster Bisque
Brie cheese crostini, concassé and chives

Or

Divine Prime Chop Salad
Chopped artisan lettuces tossed with tomatoes, cucumber, applewood bacon, farmstead cheddar, pistachios, crispy fried onions, and Shiraz vinaigrette

~~~

Intermezzo
Sorbet

~~~

Entree

Six Ounce USDA Prime Filet
Seared and broiled and served with whipped potatoes, asparagus, and veal demiglace

Or

Poulet Rouge
Roasted breast of gourmet chicken with Italian cous cous, baby spinach, sweet corn, tarragon jus

~~~

Dessert

Crème Brûlée
Petit Chocolates

Ciao!

Valentine’s Dinner

2009-02-25T11:03:00.001-08:00

A dear friend of ours cooked dinner on Sunday, 2/15 at our house. It was such a great meal, especially considering that Caitlin is 21 and has no formal culinary training. This is what she cooked;

Crab and scallion hushpuppies with sweet mustard sauce

Thai red curry soup with roasted sweet potatoes and cilantro

Sautéed bay scallops with spinach and garlic

Ruby red grapefruit tart with black sesame seeds (to cleanse the palette)

Marinated Grilled Lamb with steamed rice, Mango chutney and herb sauce

Whipped ricotta with pistachio and chocolate bark and dried cherries

She even set the table with candles, fresh flowers, and rose petals. It really was a wonderful dinner and a reminder to me how powerful sharing food with others can be. It is a wonderful way to show your love, connect, and share of yourself.

Cook dinner for someone special soon!

Ciao!

Whole Hog Project

2009-02-11T15:04:00.001-08:00

What a great project! Last week we bought a whole pig from Conway Fresh Meats. It was about 125 pounds dressed (head and feet on). I picked it up on Thursday and on Friday Blake Faries and I broke it down.

I used what I know from over the years in purchasing and preparing pork as well as experience breaking down other whole animals like deer, rabbit, fowl, etc. We also had a small diagram. It took us about an hour of knife work with each of us working on half of the pig. Another 30 minutes to sort and wrap the pieces, it was no small feat.

We immediately started a wet cured ham with one of the hind legs. It will be ready Friday and we will serve it this weekend in Roy and Sid’s. Blake also took all of the meat off of the head and it is curing of a rolled pancetta like cut of meat.

I also cured some of the belly. The next day, I ground some and made a fresh chorizo sausage that we are serving with McClellanville clams.

In addition to that, we got the following;

• Pork Rillette for Divine Prime
• Fresh pork ribs
• Cutlets for Roy and Sid’s (from the loin – sold as a sandwich special)
• Pork tenderloin sold in Roy and Sid’s
• Pork rinds from the skin
• Boston butt – will be chopped tonight for lunch tomorrow
• Braised pork shanks
• Stuffed pig’s feet
• Pancetta (rolled unsmoked bacon)
• Pork belly confit
• Country pate for Divine Prime

I highly recommend Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn; it was indispensible for techniques and recipes.

The only special ingredient we used was curing salt, which I procured through one of my purveyors. I am sure Bass Pro Shop or William Sonoma would carry it.

That’s it for now; I need to get back in the kitchen. Stop in Roy and Sid’s or Divine Prime and try some of our fresh pork delicacies.

Ciao!

Whole Hog

2009-02-04T08:15:00.000-08:00

We are buying a whole hog from Conway Fresh Meat tomorrow. I am looking forward to breaking it down and being creative with all of the product. I will let y'all know what we come up with!

Ciao,
Chef Kurt

Inauguration Celebration

2009-01-19T10:55:00.001-08:00

A little late on the notice, but I wanted to let everyone know that Roy and Sid’s American Kitchen is having an all day Inauguration Celebration in honor of our new president, Barrack Obama

We will be showing the Inauguration coverage all day on the two wide screen TV’s in our bar area and featuring half priced appetizers all day in our bar area as well. Of course, we have some of Barrack’s favorite foods including chili (ours is a white chicken and bean chili), Cheeseburgers (USDA Prime ground beef, the best in town), and BBQ Ribs.

Roy and Sid’s American Kitchen is in the Market Common, next to P.F. Chang’s, and always features reasonably priced, honest, fresh American cuisine. Our address is 1160 Farrow Parkway; phone is 843-839-9770.

Ciao!

Chillin’ with Seafood

2009-01-17T20:47:00.001-08:00

The cold weather has made me uncomfortable, the heater is running (which means a higher bill), but it also means that local shellfish are at their peak. If you live anywhere on either coast, I highly recommend looking for specials featuring or buying and cooking some clams, mussels, or oysters.

I just bought two different clams for the restaurants. One was a cherrystone from Snead’s Ferry, NC. Cherrystone are the bigger ones, great for eating raw (they taste like the ocean) or steaming and chopping for tossing with pasta. The other was a littleneck from McClellanville. I love these raw or simply steamed in the pan with garlic, white wine, butter, parsley, and lemon. Really amazing stuff. Email me of you would like a source, I always love to share what I have learned.

I also bought some oysters from McClellanville. Amazing flavor. I mean salty and briny, firm, with a hint of acidity, wonderful. I had a bushel down in Beaufort, SC a few weeks back and these were as good or better.

Point is, no produce other than sweet potatoes and collards to be found ( now I love sweet potatoes and collards, don’t; get me wrong), but the seafood is amazing this time of year.

Take care, Cook well, Eat well, Live well.

Chef Kurt

Sunday

2009-01-12T10:13:00.000-08:00

Divine Prime is closed on Sunday, here is Roy and Sid's

Soup: Carolina Chowder

Entree: Fried Pork Chops with mushroom gravy and choice of two sides $13.95

Catch: NC Brook Trout $19.95

Dessert: Banana Frozen Custard

Saturday

2009-01-12T10:09:00.000-08:00

DIVINE PRIME
Oysters: McClellanville

Amuse Bouche: Dry aged Wagyu Ribeye with scallion and sweet soy

Specials: Snead's ferry, N.C. Cherrystone Clams Casino $12

DESSERT: Cabernet and spice infused warm chocolate cake

ROY AND SID'S AMERICAN KITCHEN
Appetizer: Fried colossal potato wedges, buffalo style or BBQ with choice of ranch or blue cheese $4.95

Soup: Carolina Chowder - grouper, shrimp, crab, coutry ham, sweet corn, potatoes, and cream

Entree: Fresh mussels sauteed with tomato, garlic, basil, white wine, and a hint of Pernod

Catch: North Carolina Brook Trout $19.95

Dessert: Banana frozen custard, Blackberry Ice Cream, Peppermint Ice Cream

Friday

2009-01-09T12:51:00.000-08:00

THURSDAY

DIVINE PRIME
Oysters: Rappahannock, VA

Amuse Bouche: Dry aged Wagyu Ribeye with scallion and sweet soy

Specials: Snead's ferry, N.C. Cherrystone Clams Casino $12
Double Berkshire Pork Chop (16 ounce) $35
8 ounce dry Aged Wagyu Ribeye $49

DESSERT: Chocolate dipped cannolis with orange zest and currants

ROY AND SID'S AMERICAN KITCHEN
Appetizer: Fried colossal potato wedges, buffalo style or BBQ with choice of ranch or blue cheese $4.95

Soup: Pulled pork, tomato, and white bean

Entree: Fresh mussels sauteed with tomato, garlic, basil, white wine, and a hint of Pernod

Catch: North Carolina Redfish $18.95

Dessert: Banana frozen custard, Blackberry Ice Cream, Peppermint Ice Cream

2009-01-08T06:22:00.000-08:00

THURSDAY

DIVINE PRIME
Oysters: Rappahannock, VA

Amuse Bouche: Seared Scallop with wasabi and sweet corn foam

Specials: Double Berkshire Pork Chop (16 ounce) $35

APPETIZER: Dry aged Wagyu Ribeye, seared and sliced, served with
daikon radish, tempura mushrooms, and sweet soy sauce $18

DESSERT: Molten chocolate cake infused with cabernet and spice, served with chevre ice cream

ROY AND SID'S AMERICAN KITCHEN
Appetizer: Fried colossal potato wedges, buffalo style or BBQ with choice of ranch or blue cheese $4.95

Soup: Pulled pork, tomato, and white bean

Sandwich: Pulled pork sandwich with slaw and one side $7.95

Catch: North Carolina Redfish $18.95

Dessert: Peanut butter and banana frozen custard

2009-01-08T06:18:00.000-08:00

Wednesday

DIVINE PRIME
Oysters: Rappahannock, VA

Amuse Bouche: Tuna Tartar with sunchoke chip

Specials: Double Berkshire Pork Chop (16 ounce) $35

APPETIZER: Dry aged Wagyu Ribeye, seared and sliced, served with
daikon radish, tempura mushrooms, and sweet soy sauce $18

ROY AND SID'S AMERICAN KITCHEN
Appetizer: Fried colossal potato wedges, buffalo style or BBQ with choice of ranch or blue cheese $4.95

Soup: Pulled pork, tomato, and white bean

Sandwich: Fried pork chop with mushroom gravy on toasted bun, choice of one side $7.95

Catch: North Carolina Redfish $18.95

Dessert: Peanut butter and banana frozen custard

Ciao for now, see you tomorrow!

Tuesday

2009-01-07T06:58:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to post my nightly specials for a week. Currently I am spending most of my time at Roy and Sid's American Kitchen and Divine Prime, so these specials are form those two locations.

Tuesday

DIVINE PRIME
Oysters: Rappahannock, VA

Amuse Bouche: Alaskan King crab with sweet corn foam and pepper glaze

Specials: Double Berkshire Pork Chop (16 ounce) $35

APPETIZER: Dry aged Wagyu Ribeye, seared and sliced, served with
daikon radish, tempura mushrooms, and sweet soy sauce $18

ROY AND SID'S AMERICAN KITCHEN
Appetizer: Fried colossal potato wedges, buffalo style or BBQ with choice of ranch or blue cheese $4.95

Soup: Pulled pork, tomato, and white bean

Entree: Seared beef tenderloin tips with mushroom gravy over potato puree $19.95

Catch: Catfish, grilled, blackened, or fried with rémoulade $14.95

Dessert: Peanut butter and banana frozen custard

Ciao for now, see you tomorrow!

Specials

2009-01-05T12:26:00.000-08:00

I thought it would be fun to post my nightly specials for a week. Currently I am spending most of my time at Roy and Sid's American Kitchen and Divine Prime, so these specials are form those two locations.

Monday

DIVINE PRIME
Oysters: Rappahannock, VA

Amuse Bouche: Roaring forties blue cheese with peach compote

Specials: Double Berkshire Pork Chop (16 ounce) $35
APPETIZER: Dry aged Wagyu Ribeye, seared and sliced, served with
daikon radish, tempura mushrooms, and sweet soy sauce $18

ROY AND SID'S AMERICAN KITCHEN
Soup: Pulled pork, tomato, and white bean

Entree: Fried pork chops with mushroom gravy

Catch: Catfish, grilled, blackened, or fried with remoulade

Dessert: Peanut butter and banana frozen custard

Ciao for now, see you tomorrow!

Running a Restaurant in a Recession;

2008-12-15T12:47:00.001-08:00

One of the hardest things to do is to run a viable restaurant when everyone is cutting back on spending. There are many things out of a manager’s control (such as rent, advertising in some companies, salaries, etc.). Here are a few things that chefs or managers can focus on;

1.) Watch what you buy. Just like everything else, we need to watch what we are spending money on. Shop around between purveyors to see who has the best prices each week. Often, it will change on a weekly basis. If you pay too much for something, that comes right off the bottom line. We keep inventory as low as possible, meaning we keep just enough food in house for service for that day and the next.
2.) Receive well. Check prices and weights when the food comes in the back door. You could loose big time if you do not pay attention to this. Check quality as well; send back anything that is not up to standards. Caesar salads will cost you twice as much if you have to throw away half of the case of romaine because it is wilted.
3.) Control costs. Keep hourly staff to a minimum. Managers work the line and expedite, open and close. Put off equipment purchases, unnecessary repairs. Watch water use, electric, heat. Utilities can sneak up on you very quickly.
4.) Analyze. What are your most profitable segments? Least profitable? Does that late night menu actually cost you money to produce because you need to keep a cook around for two extra hours? Right now, the restaurant needs to be working well whenever the doors are open. Cut or stall extra hours and menus that will cost you money.
5.) Motivate. Staff is under a lot of stress too. Run contests, assure people that their jobs are safe (unless they are in danger of being terminated), tell staff that you appreciate them. One thing that we are doing is baking and giving the staff goodies to take home and enjoy over the holiday break.
6.) Get out there. Keep your restaurant on people’s minds, advertise, have events, do PR, stay connected. Now, more than ever, you need people thinking of you and your restaurant when making a dining decision.

These are not fun times to be in the restaurant business, that is for sure. Anyone not in the business may not understand how slim the margins are in good years. In bad years, it is hard just to stay afloat. Streamlining operations and running an efficient property will help get you through and be more profitable when times are better.

Cook well, eat well, live well and Happy Holidays everyone!

Rumors of our demise have been greatly exaggerated

2008-11-14T14:41:00.000-08:00

Wow, has it been busy lately. I hope to get back to the blog more often, but I felt compelled to confront the rumors of Divine Dining Group troubles, store closings, and bankruptcy.

Rumors have been going around for weeks that Divine Dining Group was filing bankruptcy and closing stores. At first, I ignored it and thought it would go away. Well, it seems like rumors of bad news are fun to share, because I continue to hear it on a daily basis.

The first week in October, Divine Dining Group laid off a group of managers. This was a difficult and unpleasant decision, but was a response to the business climate here. Layoffs continue in the Grand Strand, my wife was laid off, I have a friend who was laid off from Brandon Advertising, the Sun News had laid people off, car dealerships, restaurants, lawyers offices, oil change places, everyone is laying off. This is because no one is spending money, no money equals less employees.

DDG also decided to close Latitude 22 for the winter. We have discussed it for the past three years (I have always been in favor of closing for the winter), and this year they decided to close. It will reopen in March.

DDG is running a tight ship, I can tell you that. That is what any company would do right now, specifically to make ends meet and be around when the economy rebounds.

I think what bothers me most is that the rumors can have a negative impact on business, I believe that they have had a substantial negative impact actually. This means customers not coming in, staff not getting tips, cooks not getting hours, etc. When someone repeats this untrue rumor, they hurt the employees and their families. Right now we need to support our friends, neighbors, businesses, and their families. Please, go out to eat shop locally, get your oil changed, and help our community weather these tough times. If not, it will get worse for all of us.

I found one post that ranted about Jack Divine, Jr.. If someone has an ax to grind with Jack, take it out on him, not the restaurants and all of the individuals and families that rely on them for their livelihood.

So, no, we are not bankrupt, we are not closing stores, we are not only open some of the time. Roy and Sid’s is open for business for lunch and dinner seven days a week, Divine Prime is open for business six nights a week (closed Sunday), City Bar, Divine Fish House, Umi Pacific Grille are all open for business. If anyone wants to contact me, please email me at kurtd@divinedininggroup.com. I will answer any questions that I can. Thank you!

What a summer!

2008-09-22T13:36:00.000-07:00

Wow, what a summer it has been. I apologize for such a long absence, but those of you who know me know what I have been up to. Let me catch you up.

On June 26th, Roy and Sid’s American Kitchen opened. It was a very smooth opening, thanks to the great team we have in place over there. Initial reviews were good and keep getting better. Here’s one http://twitter.com/cfccsm/statuses/861436219

Opening a new restaurant is always a hard thing though. Basically, I am creating a culture and living organization that will go on for many years (hopefully). The culture can and will change slowly over the years, but the beginning is the most important time to be there. So, I have spent a lot of time in the restaurant for the past few months.

Roy and Sid’s is a casual American restaurant, affordable, fun, fresh, quality food. Somewhere that I could go a few times a week and not break the bank or get bored. American favorites and a few new twists. White chicken chili, salads including a great Cobb and Spinach Salad, interesting sandwiches, the Prime Rib and Smoked Turkey being my favorite, entrees including a Coastal Carolina version of shrimp and grits, prime rib, rotisserie chicken (which I love), shrimp scampi pasta. Just great food really. I am very proud of that restaurant and the team that we have there.

Then on September 9, we opened Divine Prime. Divine Prime is a prime steakhouse, with an ingredient driven menu that draws inspiration from the great cuisines of Europe. The best of the best. We get the highest quality fish available, properly aged prime beef, live lobsters, organic chicken, “A” grade everything. Our butter is a European style with 86% butterfat; our salts are a variety of sea salts including Brittany grey and Fleur de Sel. Our potatoes are 40 count Idaho russet potatoes that are aged (or cured as they say); they are over 1 pound each.

Again, initial reviews have been great and the traffic has exceeded our expectations.

So, you can see why I have been busy. I will get back to writing a few blog entries a month, thank you for your interest. If you want to see any subject covered, or just have a question or comment, feel free to email me from my website www.chefkurt.com. Thanks and Ciao!

Sea Islands Getaway

2008-07-06T19:28:00.001-07:00

A few weeks back, my wife and I took the opportunity to get away for a few days and headed for the southern coast of South Carolina. We went back to Fripp Island, just north of Hilton Head, for a few days of beach, relaxation, and of course eating!

Here are my tips / observations / options on the places we visited.

Gullah Grub on Sea Island Highway, St. Helena Island.
This place is small, looks like it’s been there for awhile, casual, cash only, limited menu, my kind of place. I went in on the way back to the condo for some food to go. The friendly lady greeted me, told me about their specials (BBQ goat!), and took my order, then we chatted a little while the one cook got our food ready. We had the She Crab Soup, which was creamy and rich, loaded with what looked like hand picked crab meat. The Gumbo was full of shrimp and crab, thickened with a dark roux and served with red rice. Lima beans were buttery and salted with pork, and the cornbread was fresh and delicious. Total tab was about $21. Needless to say, I highly recommend and will stop back next time we are in the area.

Fuji Sushi on Sea Island Highway.
We had a very good meal here last time we were in the area, so we stopped in to get some food one of the days. It was just 2:00 pm (their afternoon closing time – we did not know this ahead of time), and the surly sushi chef refused to even allow us a few things to go. We won’t be back there; no food is good enough to put up with bad customer service.

Bateaux, Port Royal
I wanted to go hear last time we were in the area, but they were not open yet. A chef friend of mine was partner, but he is not involved anymore. We were there early, 6:00 pm, and enjoyed a lovely meal of small plates.
We started out with Fried Avocado with Housemade Chorizo, a nicely composed, if a little bland, three bite taste.
The Kobe Slider with fried shitake mushrooms and cocktail sauce was good but not great. The mushrooms were my favorite part, with the cocktail sauce being an unlikely and interesting accompaniment.
The Chicken Livers with caramelized onions in a rum sauce were delicious, nicely crusted and accompanied by a rich sauce. The cornbread accompaniment was stale though.
Shrimp ceviche potato tulle, yuck. The shrimp were mushy and tasted like they were on the way out. The only thing I didn’t like.
Smoked fried chicken orzo mac, ham, salty but good. Imagine fried chicken that taste like bacon.
Corn chowder with stone crab, nice thought but bland. Generous portion though.
The Cheese plate was goat cheese with olives, Bleu cheese with honey, and camembert with marinated apricots. Very nice cheeses and accompaniments
White chocolate cheesecake tart was a little sloppy but delicious. Service was friendly, and a warm greeting from the general manager was nice. The dinner for two set us back $86 before tip.

Saltus River Grill, Beaufort
The wife and I ate outside on a balmy evening. Another very good dinner.
Blue Crab Cocktail, sticky rice, fresh avocado, wasabi aioli was good, the rice would have been better warmed, the wasabi aioli delicious.
Bibb Lettuce, goat cheese crouton, spiced pecans, red onion, julienne tomato, and balsamic dressing, very nice salad, good balance and sweetness for the wife.
Local Shrimp Sautéed with Country Ham, scallions, shiitakes and garlic
on creamy stone ground grits, I was so looking forward to this but, alas, it was bland. Would have been great with a little salt and pepper
“Blackened” Dorado, ragout of fennel and leeks, sauce beurre blanc,
smashed fingerling potato and crab gratin was very good, our favorite thing of the evening.
All together the tab was $96 before tip. My wife had a glass of wine as well. Service was attentive if a little stiff. Be careful, the palmetto bugs come out after dark!

Magnolia Bakery, Beaufort
Counter service was very slow but the cakes were good. We took some to go.

The Chocolate tree, Beaufort
Very good handmade chocolates, chocolate dipped ginger, bark, nice stuff, well worth a drop it!

Driftwood Farms, Sea Island Highway near Gullah Grub
Pick your own tomatoes, fun and cheap!

Gay Shrimp Dock, Sea Island Highway, near Fripp
Great local shrimp in season, a truly local place. Across the street is The Shrimp Shack, I will stop next time!

White shrimp company, Sea Island Highway
Also a local shrimp counter, very clean, sells their signature shrimp pie.
Dobson shrimp dock

We stopped in a little bagel place in Beaufort for a snack, had a great bagel sandwich named after the writer pat Conroy, very tasty!

Nippy’s is a little fish shack and taco stand in Beaufort owned by the same people as Saltus River Grill and a more casual place called Plums. It is very cool, tasty, and cheap. Fried shrimp tacos, fried fish, slaw, eat outside on wooden tables, just a great quick meal.

Georgia Pig BBQ, Exit 29 off of I95 in Georgia
We stumbled upon this place and I will definitely be back. Little A-frame by the side of the road, the pit is inside so it permanently smells of hardwood smoke. The pork is chopped to order, two plates with slaw, mac and cheese, beans, and Brunswick stew set us back less than $15. Plus I am still trying to replicate their jalapeño relish.

Overall, a great place to visit and explore. I love finding new restaurants and food place, meeting the people who make them run, and enjoying the fruits of their labor. Get out there, explore, enjoy, eat local, and have fun!

Eat Carolina Food Challenge

2008-06-11T08:08:00.000-07:00

I was excited when I heard about CFSA’s Eat Carolina Challenge. Basically, the challenge is to eat only food that is grown or produced in North or South Carolina for one week. I have read about similar quests, sometimes for much longer time periods and closer to home (within 100 miles). I appreciate the exploration of these resources for several reasons; reduction of gas use obviously, supporting our local growers, food artisans, and fishermen, potential for fresher, healthier, and better tasting food, and especially the thrill of discovering a new country ham, farmer, or fish monger that I didn’t know about.

In that vein, I have put together a list of Carolina sources that I know about for everything from produce to grass fed beef. If you know of someone else, please let me know.

Oaklyn Plantation http://www.freerangechicken.com/
Free range chicken, beef, and some pet food products as well

Caw Caw Creek http://cawcawcreek.com/
Wonderful pork products from Emile, a talented and passionate producer

Local Harvest http://www.localharvest.org/
Searchable data base of growers, producers, artisans, and restaurants

Myrtle Beach Restaurant News http://myrtlebeachrestaurantnews.com/
Has a page with local farmer’s phone numbers and addresses

Carolina Plantation Rice http://www.carolinaplantationrice.com/
Wonderful rice!

Adluh Flour http://www.adluh.com/index.php
Stone ground grits, flours, and other local products

Indigo Farms http://www.ncagr.com/NCproducts/ShowSite.asp?ID=1909
Great local farm stand direct marketer, just over the border in NC

Carolina Seafood Shops http://agriculture.sc.gov/content.aspx?ContentID=734

Myrtle Market http://www.cityofmyrtlebeach.com/market.html
Every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday here in Myrtle Beach, SC.

Carolina Harvest http://www.carolinaharvest.com/carolinaharvest/ch_products.cfm
Just found this one, sells my favorite country ham from Foothills Country Ham and Fresh Meats.

Lots of farm stands too. Just a tip, though, I always ask if the product was Carolina grown before buying.
Take care, stay cool, and Eat Carolina!

getting the goods

2008-05-20T13:28:00.000-07:00

What a great day!

I spent the day with Peter Sinish of Flavors Catering driving around to local farms looking to make some contacts. A little background might be in order;

When I moved here almost five years ago from Atlanta, I immediately started looking around for the local farmers, fishermen, producers, etcetera to buy from for the restaurants. It was very difficult, surprisingly difficult, to get local stuff in the doors of my restaurants. Looking back, I think that Myrtle Beach doesn’t have a long history of supporting those relationships, so the processes were not in place. Basically, no demand, no supply.

My chefs and I have worked hard to move towards buying from the Carolinas and locally whenever possible, basically whenever there are products available to us. We have fostered relationships with seafood wholesalers that buy from local boats, Carolina shrimpers, soft shell crab producers, Carolina Plantation rice, Caw Caw Creek pork, and other Carolina producers. It is really a reversal of years of purchasing trends.

I started going to the farmers market last year, and met some good folks there. Sam and Sarah from Indigo farms are growing more organic produce; Howard and Anita from Black Creek Farm produce wonderful goat cheese. I still couldn’t get anyone to come to the restaurants, though.

A month or so ago, Peter emailed the Chef’s Collaborative, which I am active with, and they gave him my name. Well, I have known Peter for some time, he is very active locally and an all around great guy. So, we decided to hit the road today and try and make some contacts.

Our first stop was Indigo farms. They are interested but short on time. Sarah was harvesting honey today, which will show up at the farmers market this week! They also have some new goats and will be getting milk next year, can’t wait. Then we went to Tyler Farms on 378. J.D. Tyler spoke to us for about an hour, we shared some fried chicken, and talked bout all of the wonderful produce he grows right there on his farm. He said he could get a truck to us once or twice a week and has produce almost year round. We are in business!

So, a long process, but a very fruitful day and I am excited about the possibilities. Fresh produce tastes better, is higher quality, and has less of an environmental impact when it is grown closer to home. It is, I believe, simply the right thing to do.

Now to talk to some other chefs and get the ball rolling. Buy local, cook with passion, and enjoy all that we have been blessed with.

Ciao,

Carolina Coastal food continued

2008-05-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

A few things from my trip to the Myrtle beach Farmer’s market on Saturday;

Green peanuts; they are great simmered for sixty to ninety minutes in salted water. I took some out of the shell and added to a sautéed shrimp dish for an earthy salty flavor.

The dish was Sautéed shrimp with green peanuts, ginger, brown butter, and rainbow Swiss chard, served with steamed rice and a lemon wedge, it was delicious!

Tiny, tiny asparagus from Indigo Run Farms just over the border in North Carolina; Steam in a pan with salted water, as soon as water comes to a boil remove from heat, top with butter.

Fresh greens; hearty and delicate at the same time, obviously not big farm grown.

Strawberries; eat them just as is, pistachio shortcake recipe is under the recipe tab, drizzle with balsamic and fresh black pepper, toss in a spinach salad, make some jam, freeze some for later!

Sugar snap peas; steam, salt and butter, or julienne and quickly sauté with shallots and thyme and serve under a piece of fresh fish. Steam, puree, run through a food mill, and then whisk in butter for a silky accompaniment to roast chicken or fish.

Sweet potatoes; add 50 next time you make mashed potatoes for a different and flavorful potato puree. Dice and sauté with thyme and country ham for a delicious hash. Slice and layer with cream, butter, and cheese for a silky gratin. Prick with a fork and roast whole, then they can be peeled and eaten or the soft flesh can be used for a bunch of different things.

Baby onions; Slice and add to sautéed vegetables. Grill with salt, pepper, and olive oil. Roast in foil with poultry or pork.

I consider myself blessed to live somewhere that has such an abundance of great ingredients to cook and eat. I am also proud of the emerging food culture of the Carolina Coastal region and will continue to cook it, think about it, blog it, and promote it. Maybe a Carolina Coastal cookbook soon? Watch for it!

Ciao!

What makes Myrtle Beach special?

2008-04-27T18:46:00.000-07:00

What makes Myrtle Beach special?

Culinarily, the great seafood. Go to C&C Seafood in Murrells Inlet and try a whole fish or soft-shell crabs. They come from the boats behind Divine Fish House, the crabs from a guy in McClellanville who hand picks them out of a holding talk as soon as they molt. Fresh shrimp, oysters, how could you beat that?

The fresh produce, honey, and other cool stuff at the farmers market every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. The goat cheese from Black Creek Farm. The farmers market on 10th and Oak is every Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm.

Country ham from Lee’s Produce in Murrells Inlet. I bought a slab of side meat that was amazing, used it for cooking demos in NYC and Atlanta.

Shrimp season is May through the end of the year, almost all year round! White roes shrimp in the spring, browns in the summer, then whites in the fall, getting bigger as the end of the year approaches. There are numerous shrimp hawkers, just look closely and make sure they look and smell fresh.

All of the great restaurants and chefs. We have world class dining and people who believe in this area passionately. Watch for a cookbook from the Myrtle Beach ACF soon!

The beach, 60 miles of beautiful beach, much of it uncrowded even in the height of summer season. I just bought a beach Hobie, can’t wait for this summer!

A short list, of course we have world class golf, shopping, amusements parks, and lots of other great stuff. I am glad to live here if you have never been, come see what we have to offer.

Ciao!

New places, new faces

2008-04-11T18:45:00.000-07:00

We welcome Chef Bryan Bodle to Divine Dining Group as the Executive Chef at City Bar. Bryan was Executive Chef of Seablue in North Myrtle Beach for four years before joining us. We are very proud to have him as a member of our team.

I stopped by Habibi's Lebanese Market today, which just opened near Ron Jon's Beer and Burgers just over the bridge off 501. I bought some Halvah, olives, curd cheese, sea salt (I lost my usual one on my trip to NYC and needed to replace), and a meat that looked a lot like tasso ham called Basturma. It is covered with spices and the store owner said to slice thin and enjoy like prosciutto. I will let you know how it is.

Ben Tench is our new Executive Chef of Roy and Sid's and Divine Prime. He is most recently from a restaurant that he owned and successfully ran for ten years, called Tango Seafood and Steakhouse in Vero Beach, FL. He is a talented and visionary chef and I look forward to opening these restaurants with him.

More to come on our other chefs. Ciao,
Chef Kurt

Carolina Coastal food

2008-04-06T12:49:00.000-07:00

What is Carolina Coastal Cuisine?

I am traveling to NYC next week to culinarily represent the Grand Strand in a brief promotional tour of sorts. To prepare for this, I have had to think about and define what I am already doing, cooking a style of cuisine that in born of the coast and the Carolinas. It is a great thing; it has brought clarity and vision in my mind to a style of cuisine that has not been clearly defined. I recently talked to Becky Billingsley of http://www.myrtlebeachrestraurantnews.com/ and she is going through the same process, together I think we got further than either of us was separately.

What is Carolina Coastal food? Well, first of all, like all great regional cuisines, it is ingredient driven. We enjoy a wide array of locally and regionally fished, grown, and produced foods.

Seafood if paramount, of course. Arguabley shrimp would be king, the local shrimp are amazingly firm and briny when freshly harvested, and are superior to imported frozen in my opinion. Oysters and blue crab, especially soft shell blues, are predominant and wonderful. We also buy fresh gag and scamp grouper, vermillion snapper (or B liners as they are called around here), dolphin or mahi mahi, ahi tuna, flounder, and wahoo from local fishermen.

Pork is big in the Carolinas, and is used generously in our cooking. Bacon, fatback, country ham, and locally cured cuts are favorite ingredients. Chops are seen on many menus, and of course barbeque is a pillar of our culinary heritage.

We also enjoy many locally and regionally grown and produced fruits, vegetables, and grains, including sweet potatoes, mustard, turnip, and collard greens, peanuts, pecans, peaches, tomatoes, berries, melons, onions, field peas, and fresh corn. Rice is seeing a comeback, with locally grown varieties that made the Carolinas a wealthy place 150 years ago. Stone ground grits are a backbone of the area and cuisine, lending a versatile and flavorful component to many dishes.

In addition to our bountiful ingredients, I think that Carolina Coastal cuisine is rooted in our rich culinary history. Methods and traditions, such as smoking meats, cooking greens, mustard, vinegar, and tomato sauces, oyster roasts, chicken bog, and other traditions influence what and how we cook. The last component to Carolina Coastal food is a sense of recreation, fun, enjoyment, and leisure. I think all great food is meant to be enjoyable, of course, but we live in an area that is built around vacations and I think that comes through in our food.

Here are a few dishes that I think best represent Carolina Coastal cooking from my repertoire.

Cracker Crusted Scamp Grouper, Carolina Gold risotto timbale, fresh oyster stew, butter poached onions and leeks and parsley froth

Caw caw Creek pastured pork chop, stone ground grit soufflé, field asparagus, brandy demiglace

Carolina Shrimp with Country Ham and Sweet Potato Hash and
Mustard Verjus Sauce
Dredged in stone ground grits batter and pan fried

Shrimp and Grits
Carolina Shrimp with tasso ham, tomato, scallion, and bourbon cream over stone ground Adluh mills parmesan thyme grits
(On the menu at our newest restaurant called Roy and Sid’s American kitchen – in the market Common development)

Carolina Steamed Bun
Pulled pork and baby mustard greens, seasoned and wrapped in sweet dough, steamed, and served with two barbeque sauces

Cornmeal fried Carolina oysters with Piccalilli relish
(Very quick app, on the menu at Roy and Sid’s)

Carolina Coastal food is reflected in all of my restaurants, not intentionally but it is a natural way for me to cook. I think that, as this concept and understanding develops, we will see a greater definition, statement, vision, and promotion of Carolina Coastal cuisine, and I think that that is a great thing. Ciao!

Try Something New Today

2008-02-24T12:14:00.001-08:00

I love to try new food!

Today I took my family to a small Mexican restaurant in the “downtown” are near the old Pavilion. It is called City Café and I had met the chef at a fundraiser function awhile back. It was a great lunch, ceviche, fresh fruit, gazpacho, marinated cactus salad, braised pork shoulder, pozole, menudo, slow cooked beans with pork, roasted potatoes with chorizo and cheese. Really great stuff

I am also watching for a new Lebanese market to open near my home and the Hard Rock Park, called Habibi’s Market. I will let you know when they open!

I love walking through one of the Asian markets here, the Hong Kong on 8th avenue or the Socastee Market, both have exotic and unfamiliar ingredients to try, as well as things that have become staples in my house.

My point to all this is, get out there, seek out the little places in your town or neighborhood, try new stuff, enjoy food! And when you find something great, pass it along so others can discover it!

Take care and Ciao,

Chef Kurt

Cooking Wild game

2008-01-26T13:44:00.000-08:00

Below if a ramble about my experience with wild game from ask the chefs at Myrtle Beach 911 page. Hope it helps some frustrated hunter!

BigEd,
I was an avid hunter in a former life (or really former location), and hosted annual game dinners where all of my hunting friends cleaned out their freezers and we did a 10 course dinner. I have been trying to get into it more but have trouble finding somewhere to hunt. Anyway, here are my thoughts.

The quality of the game is greatly impacted by how it is handled in the field. This means field dressing game ASAP and cooling down the mat. Bags of ice can be placed in the body cavity of animals to cool down quicker.

Venison works well with marinades, spices and sweet fruit components. I like spice rubs and crusts, sometimes I will buy a pre made or mix one from spices in my cabinet. Chili pepper, onion powder, cumin, garlic, ground mustard (just a little), ground cloves, paprika, cayenne, etc. work well. Marinade can be as simple as balsamic vinegar, red wine, and soy sauce. I also use prepared marinades if in a hurry. Fruit works well, cherry, blueberries, plum, peach, and apricot. I use prepared jams and jellies, to make a sauce, you can add pan juices, wine, or a little vinegar gives a nice acidic kick.

Turkey needs brine in my opinion. You can find a recipe on my web site, www.chefkurt.com. I like to roast with butter and fresh herbs rubbed into the skin or tucked under, and the cavity stuffed with aromatics cut into large chunks, onion, celery, oranges, bay leaves, peppercorns, cloves, apples, etc.

Duck is one of the tougher ones because it tastes like what it eats. I have cooked ducks that actually taste la little like fish! I like to brine or soak in milk or buttermilk, both of which will take some of the gaminess out. Roast or grill, braise, or confit the legs for a beautiful duck.

Some other random thoughts;
Bear meat I braised in a spicy tomato broth and served with whit beans
Elk I grilled and served with a blueberry sauce
Caribou I grilled and sliced
Conch I sliced thin, dipped in egg and sautéed very quickly, served with a piccata type sauce
Goose I cut into cutlets, breaded, and pan fried, with served with sauce Robert (veal stock with chopped cornichon, vinegar, and mustard)Squirrel stew!
Quail I stir fried recently with great success, soy peanut sauce. I also braised and picked the meat from the bones and made a creole rice dish with it.
Wild boar can be tricky; I brined then smoked for 8 hours, served with homemade BBQ sauce
Ground meat is always good for chili, burgers, meatballs (try soaking the crumbs in milk for a moister meatball), lasagna, etc.

Hope this helps, and I would take any meat you want to pass along, even squirrel! Or any hunting location or club tips.
Ciao,Chef Kurt

Happy New Year!

2008-01-07T07:23:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year everybody. A few of my resolutions;

Learn – I resolve to learn as much as I can about new products and techniques that I come across this year. The more knowledge, the better we can use what we have learned.

Think – I resolve to think about my actions in an environmentally friendly realm. I will strive to recycle, buy locally, support sustainability, control use of water and gas as much as possible

Smile – I resolve to celebrate the joy that life brings daily and to keep things in perspective.

Be Healthy – I resolve to eat well, which to me does not mean no fat or butter, but does mean cooking fresh, honest food and eating a variety of foods including lots of fresh local vegetables and fruits. I resolve to exercise, take walks, and live well.

Cook Well – I resolve to be thoughtful and exact in everything I cook and teach others to cook, striving to be the best I can be every day.

Hope all your resolutions help you to be a better person, and that you achieve everything you set out to achieve. Have a great year!

Latke tips

2007-11-29T13:44:00.000-08:00

This is from the Arizona Republic, good info, it's how I make them (except I shape by hand)

Avoid discoloration
This is one dish where doing the prep work the night before can ruin the meal. When peeled potatoes are exposed to air, "oxidation turns the potatoes gray," says Don Odiorne, vice president of food service at the Idaho Potato Commission.So get everything else ready (line up your equipment and prep your other ingredients) before you start peeling, slicing and shredding the potatoes.Onions can help block oxidation by coating some of the potato cells, Odiorne said. That's why some cooks alternate adding potatoes and onion to the mixture rather than doing all the potatoes first.

Get the water out
"Potatoes are typically 80 percent water and 20 percent solids or starch," according to Odiorne.To avoid soggy latkes, take the potato-onion mixture a handful at a time and literally squeeze the water out, the way you would wring out a wet washcloth. Sure, you could get fancy with a strainer and a cheesecloth. But squeezing them in your fist works just fine.Then add the eggs, flour and salt.

Shape your patties right
To shape the latkes and keep them from falling apart, use a large, long-handled oval metal spoon to shape your patties, cupping each patty with the top of your hand. They will have a slightly rounded dome.Then gently slide the patty off the spoon into the pan of sizzling oil, and gently pat down with the back of the spoon to flatten the oval pancakes into circles. Each latke will be about the size of your palm.Don't crowd them. This cools the oil (resulting in oily latkes) and makes it hard to get the spatula in the pan.

Go golden, not greasy
There's nothing more disgusting than a grease sponge pretending to be a latke. But if you cook them right, latkes come out golden-brown without being oily.Before you put the patties in the pan, the oil should be hot enough so that a drop of water bounces or a shred of potato sizzles. If the oil is smoking, it's too hot.Cooks differ on how much oil to use. Some say a few tablespoons; others say the oil should be 3/4-inch deep in the pan. If you use too little oil, the latkes will stick. Use too much and the latkes will soak up the oil.Bottom line: There should be enough oil to reach the halfway point up the side of each latke - between 1/4-inch and 1/3-inch deep in the pan.Opinions also vary on the type of oil. Odiorne says canola is a popular choice because of its heart-healthy properties. It also is less expensive than peanut or olive oil, and it can handle higher temperatures than olive.

Knowing when to flip
Latkes need about four minutes per side (sometimes less on the second side). You'll see them browning at the edges, and when the bottom crust is formed, the spatula should slide under them easily. If you peek and they're not golden, leave them another minute or two before flipping.But keeping latkes crispy also depends on what happens after they leave the pan.Of course, you'll set them on paper towels to drain the oil. But if you put a layer of newspaper underneath the paper towels, the oil has somewhere to go when it seeps through the paper towel.And if you're expecting a crowd for your Hanukkah party, you may not want to serve the latkes until you have a dozen or two ready, or until most of the guests arrive. But how do you make sure the early batches don't get cold and soggy?Easy. After blotting the latkes on paper towels for a minute or two, transfer them to baking sheets in a 300-degree oven. The oven time will crisp the edges even more while keeping the insides soft and hot. And that's the ultimate in latke perfection.

Thanksgiving Turkey Tips

2007-11-14T13:15:00.001-08:00

Turkey time! Of course, roasting a turkey, especially a fresh or heritage breed, is a wonderful thing any time of year. That being said, next week is definitely the big week!

A few tips, no rocket science here, just good cooking principles for a great bird.

Thaw properly. This is a safety as well as quality issue. Thaw in refrigerator whenever possible but plan ahead, this may take up to three days for a large bird. If you need to do it quicker, you can thaw under running cold water but the turkey needs to be covered with water. A sink or large bucket works.

Brine. Brining imparts flavor and results in a juicier finished product. Brining should happen overnight for a turkey, absolutely keep it cold. If you have a refrigerator large enough, perfect. Otherwise, a cooler will work if you can put in ice packs wrapped in plastic, or use ice as part of the brine. Add to the brine whatever flavors you want to impart to the bird. Herbs, citrus, fruit, chipotle peppers, garlic, etc. can be added to the brine and punch up that flavor. Here is a basic recipe

For the brine: 1 cup kosher salt 1/2 cup light brown sugar 1 gallon water1 tablespoon black peppercorns 1/2 tablespoon allspice berries 1 gallon iced water

Bring 1 gallon water to a boil, add sugar, salt, and spices, stir to dissolve. Remove from heat and stir in ice water to cool down. Brine turkey overnight (8-12 hours). Rinse and pat dry before roasting.

Stuffing. I like to keep the dressing on the side. To flavor the turkey and keep moist, I stuff the body cavity with aromatics, usually fresh herbs from the garden, apples cut up, onion, garlic cloves, bay leaves, black peppercorns all mixed together. This will not be eaten, so no peeling and it doesn’t have to be pretty. Big chunks are OK.

Cooking. You can cover the wing and leg tips if you like with foil, I usually don’t bother. I do baste, though. Every 20 minutes or so, use a spoon and spoon the pan drippings over the turkey. Sometimes early on there is not enough fat to do this, I throw in a chunk of butter to get it started.

Rest. Let it rest for 20-30 minutes before carving, on the stovetop or counter is fine, just tent with foil to keep warm. This will allow the juices to equalize in the meat, so they don’t all flow out when you cut into it.

That’s the basics, I hope everyone has a great and safe Thanksgiving.

Ciao,
Kurt

Ah, the pleasures of Fall!

2007-11-13T12:42:00.001-08:00

One of my favorite times of year to cook, the flavors are bold and earthy, the textures silky and smooth. Stop by your favorite farmers market and try a few of these.

Exotic or wild mushrooms. Trumpet Royal, Hon Shimeji, Maitake, Shiitake, Porcini, Matsutake, or Chanterelles are wonderful. Sauté, roast, mix in a pasta, make a duxelle, or how about a savory bread pudding?

Braised meats. Lamb shank is a favorite, veal shank (or osso bucco), or any tough cut of meat.

Fruit cobblers or crisps. Wonderful apples are available this time of year, and I have been seeing some great local pears as well. They lend well to savory applications too, braised pork shanks with apple sage demiglace anyone?

Hard squashes. Roast a butternut or acorn squash with butter, bacon, and brown sugar for a simple treat. Squash soup is great, apples and curry make a great addition.

A pot of soup or chili is always a beautiful thing as well.

We'll talk turkey next time, I have to go, the kitchen is calling!

Ciao,
Kurt

Cooking Heritage Breeds

2007-11-05T11:47:00.000-08:00

Hey all, just got back from Celebrity Dairy in Silar City, NC where I was cooking for a Slow Food USA picnic.

I met lots of great people, including Jenny from Slow Food USA, Shane from the area, Brit and Fleming from Celebrity Dairy (the hosts), Angelique from ALBC, and many others. This is a group of very passionate and dedicated folks, and I was honored to work with them.

We cooked some things that I had not worked with before. Buckeye Chicken was a wonderful fowl, reminiscent of fresh pheasant, it had long lean legs, flat breast, and rich color and flavor. We did a simple braise in rich chicken stock to accentuate it's natural flavor profile.

Pineywoods beef was wonderful, grass fed and very full flavored. We made a simple meat loaf from that, and it was marvelous.

Tennessee fainting goat was turned into meatballs with a cream sauce. The meatballs had goats milk and curd mixed in, which produced a tender and very flavorful product.

Black turkey was brined and roasted. the meat was nutty and juicy, much more flavor that supermarket birds.

Finally, we did a crisp with staymen apples, accompanied by goats milk ice cream, simply amazing.

Seek out and try some different meats in your area. Local harvest is a good source, or go to my web site for more links http://www.chefkurt.com/, you will be glad you did! Ciao for now, Kurt

Stocks and Bonds

2007-09-27T07:35:00.000-07:00

Stocks and bonds

Alright folks, a great stock is not hard to make. The base of soups, sauces, sautéed or braised dishes, having stock in the freezer will make you a better cook! Bonds you ask? I will talk about what makes a great co-worker at the end of this dialogue.

Here are the basics on the three most useful stocks.

Beef stock. Buy beef bones and, if possible, some oxtail. You want to roast these to deep brown, 400 F for 45 -60 minutes. I like to season with salt and pepper, it is better to season at each step when making something because it will taste more fully seasoned when finished. Once well browned, “paint” on tomato paste with a pastry brush, then return to oven for 15-20 minutes. Meanwhile, chop your mire piox, 2 parts onion, 1 part celery, 1 part carrot. Throw them in a large pot and caramelize. Add a good amount of red wine, a few bay leaves, black peppercorns, garlic cloves, and fresh herbs (thyme works especially well). Add bones and cover with COLD water. Slowly bring to a simmer, stove on medium. Simmer for four hours or more, skim and discard fat and scum while simmering. Strain and remove all fat from the top. Freeze in pints.

Chicken stock. Restaurants use chicken “shells”; basically the bones after the breast and legs are removed. Lots of cartilage (good) and plenty of small pieces of meat. If you buy whole chickens and bone them yourself, this is what you will get. Otherwise, you can use bone in thighs and wings. Do the same thing as above, but use white wine and skip the tomato paste. This is a roasted chicken stock, which I prefer

For a blond chicken stock, skip the roasting step.

Shrimp or fish stock. If you live anywhere near the coast in the south, you should be buying wild caught American shrimp because they are AWESOME and we need to support our shrimpers. I have a pound I bought today for dinner tomorrow can’t wait, but I digress. When you peel those shrimp, save the shells. When you have enough, make a stock with spices, mire poix, white wine, and tomatoes if you like. Simmer 30 -45 minutes. Strain and freeze. It’s that simple. Fish stock? Use fish bones and heads if you like, but remove the gills because they give the stock a strong flavor.

Alright, you are a stock master, what to do with all this stuff? Well, homemade soup is great, beef barley, chicken noodle, seafood bisque… What will you do with that chicken breast you pulled out for dinner? Dredge in flour, sauté, add garlic, chicken stock, capers, wine, butter, fresh lemon juice, viola - chicken piccata. Or sauté, then remove chicken and add shrimp stock, reduce to a glaze, put chicken back in, whisk in butter and fresh herbs, magnifique!

Now the bonds part. Why? Well it has been on my mind lately, as I hire for several new restaurants, and it sounded good with stocks. In this business, this is what makes a great number 2. It may be the same in your business.

Challenge, not in a pushing to see how far you can go, but in a collaborative way. Create, bring things to the table. Listen, hear and know what is happening and what the focus areas are. Anticipate, don’t wait to be told to do everything, be proactive. Ask, know your boss. You should be of one mind, know what they would say without having to ask.
Know your place, don’t argue, especially in the heat of battle. Be trustworthy, immensely important as a boss, employee, or human being. Have your bosses back, what can you do to help him succeed? If you have a good boss, it will come back to you!

Well, that’s it. Ciao for now, more soon. If you enjoy this entry, please let me know.

Chef Kurt

Umi wins award

2007-09-07T17:53:00.000-07:00

Umi Pacific Grille has just found out that it won most innovative restaurant, Southeast region from Sante' Magazine 2007 Restaurant Awards. This is a great honor, this region includes Charleston, Atlanta, Charlotte, and many other great food cities. We are very proud!

Website is up!

2007-09-07T17:51:00.000-07:00

The website is up, much more to do on it. It is at www.chefkurt.com. I will be adding more recipes, pictures, and cooking tips in the days to come.

work in progress

2007-08-29T05:31:00.000-07:00

apologize for the lack of posts, I am working on a website to be open soon. I will move this over when I get it running, hopefully by the end of this week. It will be www.chefkurt.com. Ciao and eat well!

Crabs, Italian meats, and life in the restaurant

2007-08-18T16:31:00.000-07:00

Just a few random thoughts.

I was reading about blue crabs in Edible Low Country, great magazine by the way, I wish we had an Edible Grand Strand. I think the Grand Strand does not get the culinary respect that it deserves, which is understandable because we have been home to the dreaded Calabash seafood buffet, but that is changing, We have some great restaurants and chefs working here. I think some of these places, including City bar, Umi Pacific Grille, Sea Blue, and a few others are ahead of their time, but the clientele are coming and more eclectic, fine dining restaurants are sure to follow. But I digress. I was reading about blue crabs, peelers, holding tanks, and soft shells. Looks like work but fun work. The "peelers" are held until the shed their shell, then 3 hours later are pulled and shipped. A large number go to New York City or other metropolitan areas. The ones I buy may come from down the coast a little ways, but go to Atlanta and back more often than not. I would love to see a coastal delivery system that could get fish, shellfish, produce, locally grown products, dairy, cheeses, grass fed beef, etc. to the restaurants. I know an infrastructure exists in Charleston, but not here. We will keep working on it.

Italian wine dinner at City Bar this upcoming Tuesday. As a former Yankee, I know a good bit about Italian style salumi, or cured meats. They can be difficult to find around here, though. I ordered a few through Lee's Farm Market down in Murrell's Inlet, they usually come through for me.

I am a firm believer in local and sustainable foods. If you are too, I would recommend joining Slow Foods http://www.slowfoodusa.org/. For the professional, there is also the Chef's Collaborative https://www.chefscollaborative.org/ and the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/. I encourage you to buy local whenever possible, find and visit your local farm market, food shops, and producers. The food will be better, fresher, and you will be supporting your neighbors.

Eat well!

Summer seafood

2007-08-13T17:48:00.000-07:00

I am at City Bar tonight, one of our restaurants. Thought I would add some thoughts / observations on seafood, being at the coast

First of all, surprisingly little seafood served in area restaurants comes from area waters. A lot of it is flown in from Russia, Canada, and Asia. Summer, however, is the best time for local seafood. I have been working hard to make headway and find sources for the truly local stuff

Shrimp- right now they are catching brown shrimp, which are a great shrimp! many people prefer whites, which they will start catching in the fall, but the brown are great in sautes, pasta dishes, jambalaya, and other spiced up dishes. They have a fuller flavor, which stands up to sauces and spices well. Look for clear, clean looking shrimp, little to no smell, no black spots on tail. Use within 48 hours.

Mahi- we are seeing some amazing local fresh mahi which lends to grilling or sauteing, with your favorite spice blend and maybe some grilled peaches and sliced avocado. Look for clear flesh, no odor.

Wahoo - we are seeing fresh wahoo from local waters right now. It is firm, somewhat dark colored flesh, great grilled, seared, or lightly smoked.

Triple Tail - great firm white fleshed fish, from Florida waters. We do a piccata with it at city bar, but tempura or sauteed would be nice as well.

Wreckfish or Stone Bass- GREAT fish out of Beaufort, SC, sustainable, fatty white big flaky flesh, like a cross between grouper and sea bass (both of which are over fished). If you can find some of this, TRY IT. Great sauteed or grilled.

Here in the Grand Strand, you can find local seafood at C&C Seafood in Murrell's Inlet, the fish counter at Phillips, and Berry's in Little River. Or call me at the restaurant and I will do what I can!

Have a great day and eat local!

Welcome to my blog

2007-08-13T17:23:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone,
welcome to the initial entry in my blog. Let me introduce myself. I am Kurt D'Aurizio, Corporate Chef for the Divine Dining Group in Myrtle Beach, SC. I live and work in the north coastal region of South Carolina, and love the food and way of life here. I started this blog to share sometimes developed, sometimes random thoughts and observations of food and life. I hope you enjoy and visit here often.
Please let me know if you have or know of a food related blog.

Thanks,

Chef Kurt