Ariba! Ole! and Amigos!

The season 3 finally of REEL TASTY went off better than we could have ever expected. Again we bit off a little more than we could chew. In the end the Mexican fiesta, with our favorite three amigos, was a pinata smash hit.  Although we didn’t have an actual pinata we did have everything else very well represented form pork to beans to tequila.

For those who are unfamiliar with our dinners, Reel Tasty is Forking Tasty’s summer supper club where Aimee, my co-chef/host, and I screen a movie on a 2 story building while our guests sample some of our latest and tastiest gourmet creations. As many of you who follow know, we had a few run in’s with the weather this season. For our final dinner on the deck, mother nature gave us a treat. A 78 degree day with a cloudless sky in October blessed our deck. This set the scene for a lovely, unusually warm evening to unfold.

As our guests arrived  they were greated with a pitcher of pomegranate margarita to ease them into the mood and begin snacking and mingling. The wines for a Mexican dinner were tough to choose. Lily, of Dandelion Wines, decided to go the Latin route from two prominent Latin wine regions. Chile and Spain are much more known than Mexico for their vino. Although we looked for some Mexican wines, we just kept coming up tequila. She settled on a Spanish white rioja and a Chilean carmenere to pair with our quinticenssial snacks. Guacamole & tortilla chips along with mini corn muffins with bacon-jalapenos started off the snacking and gave the tequila some place to land.

photo credit: Kun Kim

The big hero of the night had already been in the oven for 3 hours when our final guests arrived. As the slow and low continued we started with our first appetizer, a short rib taquitos with crema & tomatillo-poblano salsa. These little gems were succulent, crispy double bites of Mexican heaven and our guests snapped them up with crema smeared smiles.

photo credit: Kun Kim

Next out was the sweet potato-chipotle soup topped with creme fraiche and chorizo. That was followed quickly by a super fresh shrimp & scallop ceviche served in bibb lettuce. We always try to choose a menu that encapsulates all regions of the country we’ve focused on. With this myriad of appetizers we were able to travel from the mountain towns to the sea villages while still getting in traditional favorites.

photo credit: Kun Kim

The food and beverages seemed to spark some great conversation and our guests started to cozy up rather well. Watching the transformation from strangers to eating friends is one that never gets old for us. It always remains a huge reason we produce our suppers.

photo credit: Kun Kim

While our guests continued to get acquainted the kitchen was coming close to finishing up the entrees. A mind boggling 8 dishes were about to hit the table. The tough part about cooking Mexican is that it’s very difficult to edit down a menu. How could we not have rice? Or pork? Or beans? We couldn’t. But, we also had to twist up the traditional preparations a bit which only added to the complexity. It just wouldn’t be as fun if we didn’t challenge ourselves.

By now our hero had been removed from the oven and was being handled by the business end of my 9 inch Wusthof for several different dishes. There was a cast iron pan with sizzling contents on the stove top with a bubbling, giant crock pot behind it. In the oven was a 12” stainless saute pan chirping with goodness. Simultaneously, a fork was fluffing a hotel pan of rice which awaited it’s final ingredient and some beautifully glazed legs, thighs and breasts were being pulled from the grill.

All of that finally culminated into a presentation that rivaled some Mexican parades. In a very particular order, here is the food fiesta rundown.

1. Jicama cucumber salad

2. Citrus rice

3. Slow cooked chipotle heirloom beans

4. Flame kissed garlic chicken with tequila glaze

5-8. Roasted suckling pig four ways

The vision was to reconstruct a pig with pork in various ways. To do this we started with the head and the feet. We pulled the pork from the butt and thighs which filled in the pigs rear. We then pulled the pork from the ribs, shoulders and belly and simmered it in a home made adobo sauce. That filled in behind the head creating our shoulders and the top part of the body. The last two dishes were smoked danish bacon and chorizo sausage. The thick cut bacon filled the gap between the adobo and pulled roast pork. The chorizo flanked the entire length of our reconstructed body. The presentation was grand as we paraded the pork board out to our guests and placed it on it’s own serving table. This is the first time we asked our guests to stand up in order to serve a dish. Although a bit against our family-style-serving-grain, the drama of the presentation and the picking from the pig board proved a smart decision.

photo credit: Kun Kim

As entrees were being finished up and the pig was reduced to a head (minus the cheeks) and feet our three other heros lit up our make shift screen. This movie is one of our favorites and being able to craft a meal with it as inspiration was lots of fun. We kept the food coming by providing our guests with a hot chipotle buttered popcorn snack while the people of Santa Poco greeted the Amigos on screen.

photo credit: Kun Kim

As the Amigos attempted to defeat El Guapo we cooled and cleansed our guests palettes with a scoop of homemade margarita ice cream.

photo credit: Kun Kim

That prepped them for our final treat of the evening, a chile-spiked chocolate pudding with fresh churros.

photo credit: Kun Kim

Of course no recap is complete with out recipes and a shout out to the crew. They are the backbone of our whole operation and a huge thank you is as due them as you’d give us. The biggest thanks always goes to our guests. You guys are the best. Our next dinner will be annouced shortly make sure you are on the list to get the update.

Recipes:

Whole Roast Suckling Pig

Ingredients:

10 15 pound dressed, oven ready suckling pig (see Note)
1 1/2 cups orange juice
3/4 cup fresh lime juice
3/4 cup fresh grapefruit juice
2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 grapefruit, quartered
2 oranges, halved
2 limes, halved
1 head garlic, halved
Lemon, lime, or apple for the mouth
Salt and pepper

Directions:

In a bowl, combine the orange, lime, and grapefruit juice and whisk together with some salt and pepper. Place pig in a large garbage bag and combine with marinade. Turn pig every 3 hours. Marinate for 12 hours minimum.

Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

Remove from bag and pat the pig dry with paper towels. Sprinkle inside and out with salt and pepper and place it in a large roasting pan, belly side up.

Place the grapefruit, oranges, limes and garlic inside the cavity and skewer it closed. Turn belly side down and place a rolled up piece of aluminum foil about the size of a lemon in the pigs mouth. Skewer the legs into position by pulling the forelegs forward and bending the hind legs into a crouching position (if the pig will not fit, lay it on it’s side curling the rear legs up and between the front legs. Tie the legs into place).

Cover the tail, snout and ears with small pieces of foil to prevent them from burning. NOTE: spray teh foil with cooking spray before wrapping so it does not stick to the pig skin. Place the pig in the oven and baste with the citrus juice mixture. After the pig has roasted for 15 minutes, baste it again with the citrus juice mixture and reduce the heat to 325 degrees. Roast for 20 minutes per pound longer, basting generously every 15 or 20 minutes with the juice mixture and then the pan juices. To test for doneness, prick the thigh with the tip of a sharp knife to see if the juices run clear. The internal temperature should read 165 degrees on a meat thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the leg.

Remove from the oven and allow to rest for 10 minutes, loosely tented with a large piece of aluminum foil. Remove the foil from the tail and ears and replace the foil from the mouth with a lemon. Carve at the table.

Churros

 Ingredients:

Canola oil for frying
1/2 cup plus 1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup or 1 stick butter
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour
3 eggs

Directions:

Add enough oil to a large saucepan or deep skillet to come to a depth of at least 2 inches; heat to about 350 degrees. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and the cinnamon together on a large plate.

Combine remaining sugar, butter, salt and 1 cup water in a saucepan over high heat, and bring to a boil. Turn heat to low, and add flour, all at once. Stir constantly until mixture forms a ball, about 30 seconds. Remove from heat, and beat eggs one at a time into mixture, stirring until smooth after each addition.

Spoon dough into a pastry bag with a large star tip (or simply drop spoons full of batter into oil). Press strips of dough about 4 inches long into hot oil. Cook as many as will fit comfortably at once, turning as they brown, 5 to 10 minutes each.

Remove churros from oil, and drain on paper towels, then immediately roll them in cinnamon-sugar mixture. Serve hot or warm.

Get on our list for upcoming dinners dinners@forkingtasty.com

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Saturday, May 15th at 7:00pm
The Opener. Our FIRST dinner on the deck for the season. Here’s the skinny on the fat.

Starts: 7:00pm (cocktails and appetizers)
Ends: 11pm (really, when the film is over)
Donation: $60 (make a reservation below)
Movie: Ghostbusters

Menu

Aimee and I have not finalized it yet. We are starting the season the same way we finished it. Hooray for consistency. We promise, as always, it will not disappoint. We are thinking Ghostbusters equals New York but we realize it also means marshmallows. That’s all for the hints right now. We will post more as it develops.

Reservations

Reservations are required. Space is limited to 16 people. When booking please make sure to change the quantity field to the number of people in your party. In the note section let us know if there are any food restrictions anyone in your party has. Your movie ticket is your pay pal receipt, when you arrive please just let us know your name so we can keep track of you.

TABLE FULL

Get on our list for upcoming dinners dinners@forkingtasty.com

IF IT RAINS: If it rains dinner is off. All donations will be refunded at the time we make this decision.

More on Reel Tasty:

Jason and Aimee pair a 5 course gourmet meal for 16 friends, some new and some old on a HUGE deck in Brooklyn. As the name implies, we will be screening a movie during the meal. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of time pre-entree to mingle, catchup and meet some new friends. Once the sun goes down we will role the film in all its two story high glory. This is an experiment, so we are not sure how much silence or chatting will go on. That’s for you to decide. We hope you will come out and enjoy yourselves with us this summer. See you on the deck.

You can check out pics from our last dinner here.

If you can’t make this dinner but want us to send you an invite to the next one send us an email at dinners@forkingtasty.com and we will put you on out special list. Or join the facebook fan page and get announcement updates that way.

Last Saturday was the official opening of the REEL TASTY Supper club deck. What better way to open than with 12 giggling girls sending off one of their own into that bliss we call marriage. Although this season’s first dinner was “private” it still brought a bunch of new friends to the table. As bachelorette parties go, this one didn’t disappoint (Sans penis party hats and the like of course.) That sort of pre-wedding fun doesn’t really mix well with our food not to mention these ladies had much more class than those antics allow.

For those who are a little lost, Reel Tasty is our summer supper club where Aimee, my co-chef/host, and I screen a movie on a 2 story building while feeding our guests some of our latest gastronomic creations. The creations that evening were driven heavily by the likes of the bacherlorette. Luckily she he is a carnivore so, we liked that.

We started off with the remnants of a beautiful day and some delicious snacks. The highlight being Aimee’s homemade beet chips

photo credit: Kun Kim

From there, things got a bit more serious as the famous tort’s came out. They were followed by asparagus bruchetta smeared with fresh ricotta cheese.

photo credit: Kun Kim

Our guests were eating and drinking up in true “bacherlorette party” style while we prepped the entrees in the kitchen.

photo credit: Kun Kim

The sun said it’s goodbyes and the air quickly chilled. A new addition to the evening this season is a fire pit strategically positioned to heat the dinner table. With the fire sparked, the guests sat and the entrees were ready to be served. Although we try and show our calm side, the entree rush is always a bit chaotic. Last Saturday that could not have been more true. The below pic represents the speed round of cheese grating after we realized the pasta was done and needed it’s final dairy touch which still sat wrapped and whole in the refirgerator.

photo credit: Kun Kim

With the crisis averted a delicious and piping hot bowl of fresh pappardelle with roasted cauliflower and leeks made its way out to the guests.

photo credit: Kun Kim

We followed that quickly with a beet and apple salad sitting on a bed of endive.

photo credit: Kun Kim

To fill our carnivorous bride-to-be’s craving, we served our incredibly thick and properly rested hanger steak which lounged on top of a balsamic vinegar pond with roasted red onion lili pads.

photo credit: Kun Kim

This satiated the ladies for a bit as they dug in and snuggled up with the hot fire and steamy entrees. Soon enough Sarah Jessica Parker and Helen Hunt arrived on scene and the boisterous bunch perked up again to relive their 1980′s.

photo credit: Kun Kim

By the time dessert hit the table the girls were sufficiently full and deep into the dream of winning a dance contest. Aimee’s chocolate truffle tart was insane, rich and sinful and turned many of the heads glued to the giant screen out back.

photo credit: Kun Kim

As he night came to a close the bachelorette told me she had a fantastic time and I took that as the sign of another successful REEL TASTY. The girls trickled home. Many of them jumped into cars that took them back to the far reaches of Manhattan. I was impressed to have pulled guests all the way out to Greenpoint for such a monumental occasion. I am glad that everyone enjoyed.

Of course no recap is complete with out recipes and a shout out to the crew. This dinner MVP went to the rookie, Jeremy. In from NOLA for one night only. (by default because his wife organized the guest list) Jeremy was fierce. Whether he was slicing, washing or drying you couldn’t drag this kid from his task with anything including a mound of grilled hanger steak with balsamic sweet sauce all over it.

photo credit: Kun Kim

Thanks as always to everyone who attended. You guys are the best. Our next dinner will be announced very soon. So stay tuned or expect an email. If you are not on the list yet. GET ON IT NOW. This season is sure to be packed with tasty surprises.
Get on our list for upcoming dinners dinners@forkingtasty.com

Recipes:

Fresh Pappardelle With Cauliflower and Leeks

Ingredients
2 heads garlic (if roasting, or 1-2 minced cloves if just sauteeing)
2 sticks. butter
2  head cauliflower, cut into florets
2 lb fresh pappardelle noodles
salt and pepper
pecorino romano, cut thin with a vegetable peeler or grated
1 cup chicken stock
5 leeks
fresh parsley

Directions
1. boil water in a large pot
2. roast the garlic and cauliflower at 400 F for about 40 minutes
3. In a large saute pan over medium-high heat, melt 3 T of the butter. take off heat. scoop off foam. pour off butter into seperate container leaving the white curd at the bottom of the pan
4. Slice leeks thina nd add to saute pan with some of the butter
5. add the roasted garlic and cauliflower
6. add the chicken stock. bring to a boil
7. Add pasta to teh boiling water. When al dente quickly move it to teh saute pan and finish the cooking
8. add more butter until pasta seems to be coated properly
9. transfer into a large bowl and add pecorino cheese and parsley

Beet and Apple Salad

Ingredients
2 apples-thinly sliced
4 celery stalks-thinly-sliced
1 minced shallot
1 lemon-juiced
1 beet-sliced into matchsticks
sugar
chopped walnuts
salt and pepper
endive

Directions
Toss 2 thinly sliced apples, 4 thinly sliced celery stalks (with leaves) and 1 minced shallot in a bowl with the juice of 1 lemon. Peel 1 beet, then slice into matchsticks and add to the bowl. Toss in 1 teaspoon sugar, 3 tablespoons chopped walnuts, 3 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper. Let stand 10 minutes, then serve on a bed of sliced endive.

Get on our list for upcoming dinners dinners@forkingtasty.com

x

Saturday, October 10th at 6:00pm
The FINALLY. Our LAST dinner on the deck for the season. Here’s the skinny on the fat.

Starts: 6:00pm (cocktails and appetizers)
Ends: 11pm (really, when the film is over)
Donation: $40 (make a reservation below)
Movie: Goodfellas

Menu

Once again, Aimee and I have not finalized it yet. We have been waiting for this one all summer. Just like Mama Scorsese‘s meal we will be cooking up some Italian classics with a bit of our usual twist. We promise by the time you leave you will feel as full as Tony Soprano looks. We will update it as soon as we have the savory details.

Reservations

Reservations are required. Space is limited to 16 people. When booking please make sure to change the quantity field to the number of people in your party. In the note section let us know if there are any food restrictions anyone in your party has. Your movie ticket is your pay pal receipt, when you arrive please just let us know your name so we can keep track of you.

IF IT RAINS: If it rains dinner is still on. Although we will not have the giant outdoor screen, we will move the festivities inside and continue with the feast and the film.

More on Reel Tasty:

Reel Tasty Brooklyn is an expansion of the dinner’s we hosted on my back deck in Greenpoint last summer. This summer, we are adding a twist to the delicious food and great company. As the name implies, we will be screening a movie during the meal. Don’t worry, there will still be plenty of time pre-entree to mingle, catchup and meet some new friends. Once the sun goes down we will role the film in all its two story high glory. This is an experiment, so we are not sure how much silence or chatting will go on. That’s for you to decide.

As for the cooking, I have some help this year. My friend Aimee has jumped at the chance to cook for all of you and has not wasted anytime creating some delicious menu items. Aimee’s passion for food goes way back. You can check out her culinary exploits here. She has already taught me a thing or two about how to spice up a recipe and tone down a dessert. Trust me you are going to love Aimee and her cooking as much as I do. We hope you will come out and enjoy yourselves with us this summer. See you on the deck.

You can check out pics from our last dinner here.

If you can’t make this dinner but want us to send you an invite to the next one send us an email at dinners@forkingtasty.com and we will put you on out special list.