Category: Chef

Mediterranean Summer Part 1

With lake season starting in just a few short weeks, its time to start dusting off the grill and planning your summer kick-off weekend! Of all of Europe, the Mediterranean coast is my favorite place to spend the last month of spring. The food is fresh, the water is warm, and the people treat you like family. Barcelona, Nice, Monaco, Sorrento, Malta, Santorini, Dubrovnik, you name it, and it has something unique and different to offer. Now, I’m not suggesting that we all hop on a plane, but wouldn’t that be fantastic? I am suggesting we bring a little bit of the Mediterranean to our home. Join me for a Mediterranean summer, as we travel back through some of our favorite places along the Mediterranean coast. To kick it off, we’ll start with Sorrento.

Sorrento Coastline

Sorrento is a charming cliffside village situated on the south-east coast of Italy, located under Naples, just a few miles from Mt. Vesuvius and around the corner from Almafi. It’s origins date back to around 90 B.C. and has been owned, occupied, or controlled by several countries and influential families. It is a special little place where time stands still, and for a moment, you can get lost in the centuries past. Don’t get me wrong; there are plenty of modern conveniences. Cars, running water, 5-star Hotels, even an elevator that will take you from the top of the cliff down to the beach below. There are tight winding alleys packed with shops and buildings painted in a melody of light colors. A Perfect spot to sit, enjoy an espresso and gaze out across the open ocean. One of the things they are most known for is Limoncello. Limoncello being sold by the same families in the same shops, using the same recipes their families have used for over a hundred years. A sweet, refreshing liquor, it is something that can easily be made at home and is great for sipping while relaxing around the lake. While traditional recipes require several months of
aging, I will share with you a recipe I learned while in Sorrento that can be completed in a day, and while it will mellow with time, it is ready to drink from day 1!

Caprese Salad

Directly off the coast of Sorrento is the island of Capri. While there are many worthwhile things about the island; the blue grotto, upscale hotels, handmade leather product, beautiful landscape, and designer fashion, we are interested in their namesake salad, the Caprese Salad. A menu item I’m sure you have
seen before, its origins are a little vague and by best account came to the dining seen in the early 1900s. Rumor says it might have been created to honor the colors of the Italian flag and showcase some of the nations best ingredients. This salad is comprised of fresh buffalo mozzarella, vine-ripened tomatoes, vibrant and aromatic basil, olive oil and balsamic vinegar, this salad easily makes my list of a seasonal must for the summer.

Join me next week for another Mediterranean Adventure. I will have a few recipes up for you all shortly as well.

Have a Great Day,

Chef Ryan Grimm

Follow me on Instagram and Twitter for all your #Foodie favorites.

Coq au Vin

Made famous in the U.S. by Julia Childs both in her cookbook Mastering the Art of French Cooking and the cooking demonstrations she did on PBS, Coq au Vin is a perfect dish to try as summer comes to an end and the weather begins to cool. This classic French dish has its origins in rustic peasant cooking. Peasants could generally only afford the cheapest meats that their ‘betters’ had no desire for. This meant that instead of fresh young chicken or ‘poulet’ they were forced to buy rooster or ‘coq’, which was generally tough and stringy. Given the toughness of the rooster, the peasants needed to find a way of tenderizing the bird, the preferred method for this was braising. At its heart, Coq au Vin is a stew and often includes onions, carrots, celery, and mushrooms and usually served with potatoes or pasta.

Coq au Vin
By Chef Ryan Grimm

Coq au Vin

  • 1 Whole Chicken, cut into 8 pieces
  • ¼ cup all-purpose flour for dusting
  • 4 slice smoked bacon – Cut into short strips or ‘lardons’
  • 6 ounces button mushroom, washed and medium diced
  • 1 cup pear onions – peeled
  • 1 cup diced – medium carrot
  • 1 cup celery – medium diced
  • 4 garlic clove – chopped
  • 4 oz brandy
  • 1 bottle dry red wine
  • 1 tablespoons tomato paste
  • 4 sprig fresh thyme
  • sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

Directions

  • Dust the chicken with salt, pepper, and flour. Set to side.
  • In a heavy cast iron pot, render the bacon until crisp, remove the bacon and set aside to use later. Slowly add the chicken and cook over medium heat until the skin is golden brown and crispy. Turn chicken and continue cooking until golden brown.
  • Remove chicken from the pan and add the celery, carrot, onion, garlic and mushroom; cook until lightly caramelized.
  • Deglaze the pan with the red wine and brandy and add the tomato paste, chicken, bacon and thyme. Bring to a boil than turn down to a simmer on very low heat and cover for 2 to 3 hours, until the chicken is tender and begins falling off the bone.
  • Gently remove the chicken and allow the sauce to reduce by half. Once the sauce has thickened, return the chicken and serve with your favorite pasta or potatoes!

The Charm of Dijon

On my Travels in Europe I had the opportunity to visit many beautiful places, all of which had their own regional specialties. One such place was Dijon France. Located in the heart of Burgundy, Dijon is the capital of the famed wine region. Previously the home of Louis II de la Trémoille and the Dukes of Burgundy from the 11th to 15th centuries, Dijon was a place of substantial wealth and power and one of the great European centers of art, learning, science, and food.

Place François Rude
Dijon, France
Who Knew There Where So Many
Kinds of Mustard?

Known for its mustard, Dijon also offers fabulous wine, spectacular French cuisine, museums, shops, gardens, and breathtaking views of the Burgundy hills. The palace of the Dukes now houses the Musée des Beaux-Arts de Dijon. The museum is one of the largest in France and is known for its paintings, sculptures, armor, and various artifacts dating back to the period of Antiquity; one such relic is a pair of intricately carved coffins, of all things. Should you ever find yourself in France, this museum is definitely worth the visit.

Down the street from the Dukes Palace is the Church of Notre-Dame of Dijon. Once a simple chapel, construction on the gothic masterpiece that sits there now began in 1220. Adorned with gargoyles, stained glass, an automaton and an owl, this church is a must see. When visiting the church is tradition to rub the owl with your left hand while making a wish, with any luck, the wish will come true and good luck will follow. Sadly, in 2001, a vandal smashed the owl several time with a hammer. Fortunately, a specialist from the Louvre was able to restore the owl to its former glory.

Wine Aging in the cellar at
Château de Marsannay

One of my favorite exploits in Dijon was visiting wineries. My favorite was Château de Marsannay. During a private tour, they presented us eight wines to taste, including two Grand Cru.  The 2013 Chambertin Grand Cru was extraordinary. Hardy, well-structured and tasting of vanilla, smoke, blackberries and cherries, this wine will always have a place at my table. Walking down the stairs to the cellar felt like walking back in time. The dim-lit vault smelt of earth and oak and just a hint of the beautiful wine that it stored. There were hundreds of barrels, row after row waiting to reach their full potential. In another were thousands of bottles of wine simply waiting for their moment.

As for the city’s namesake mustard, it was delightful and surprising. In the U.S. we are accustomed to only a single flavor of Dijon mustard but upon arriving in the city, I learned that Dijon mustard comes in a variety of flavors. I counted at least 20, some of which included: mushroom, berry, beet, basil, chili and saffron. I even found a couple mustard ‘Bars’ that had it on tap.It is impossible to visit this city without enjoying a spectacular meal. Every restaurant you walk past has a blend of sweet and savory aromas wafting out the front door. 

  • Steak & Frites
  • Frozen Crème brûlée
  • Château de Marsannay

Hope You Enjoyed Our Little Journey Through Dijon. Check Back Tomorrow For A Fantastic Coq au Vin recipe.

-Chef Ryan Grimm

Our Journey Begins

A little something about me:⁣
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I discovered my love of cooking at a young age; I have always been in the kitchen tinkering around and playing with new ways to make food. I attended culinary school at the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco and went on to win the school’s master chef competition (#goals). In 2015 I went a small culinary journey across the southern part of the U.S, I spent a month cooking as a guest chef at some more notable Southern restaurants, including S.N.O.B and Magnolias in Charleston and Commander’s Palace and Broussard’s in New Orleans. That little culinary adventure inspired a more global exploration, and I decided I was going to quit my job and my wife and I were going to explore the vast culinary world of Europe (More to come on that later).⁣
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Personal Belief about Food⁣
I truly believe that food is so much more than just a necessity; food can alter a person’s attitude and affect their entire day. I feel that if a guest comes in and is having a rough day, I can turn it around for them with great food and fantastic service. That’s my goal every time I have a guest walk through my door; everyone leaves with a smile on their face. He believes that food should be fresh and local whenever possible, but can’t help playing with items such as saffron and truffles from time to time. ⁣
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Connect With Me⁣
Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram⁣
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Talk with you all soon,⁣
Chef Ryan Grimm

Tell Next Time ⁣
Loch Ness, Scotland 2017