Sam's Wrap

 I’ve always wondered how much time I spent on my feet for the past 2 decades preparing food. I even tried once wearing a pedometer just to see how many steps I took in a normal day of running up and down the hot line. Running around the prep counter too the fridge and back, and running sauté pans back and forth to the dishwasher. At the end of the night (1 AM) when I sat down for my typical shift drink of Makers Mark and Coke with my good friend Michelle while she was counting the nightly tips, I looked at my pedometer, and to my shock I walked 12 miles. That made perfect since seeing how my feet felt. I suppose a chef can gauge his time in kitchen by his feet, at lest I can. Mine are shot after so many years on them. Of course it doesn’t help with my ankles being a complete mess from playing hockey during high school with sprain after sprain. I think to myself, Good Times!

I recall a span of years on my feet, that are my fondest and dearest memories, but also, the most physically hardest I ever had. Those years were spent flipping burgers and spinning pizza and moving freight up and down from the root cellar of this 200 year old building. Those years were packed with laughter and being around genuinely great people and customers. That time resulted in a lasting friendship with my best friend. I would have liked to think that those times would have lasted forever, but like all things in life, people move on to chase after there goals and dreams. I would love to name off the people I came to call my friends for life, but that would probably be embarrassing for them.



This isnt the original photo, but many
will recall the underwear tree!
Many good memories!

Those days in that kitchen and the hours upon hours in it on my feet, were spent trying to create new things to eat. We all just loved to experiment. Even though it was short order Bar and Grill food, it never stopped us. The Hamburgers that we made up, would pretty much kill, or seriously injure anyone with the slightest heart condition. The thousands of Wraps we experimented on our customers, most of them not leaning on the healthy side of life. Many have been forgotten but a few still stand out in my mind. And of course we won’t forget the deep fryer! I don’t think there was one item in that kitchen we didn’t try to deep fry at some point in our experiments. I even attempted to batter and deep fry one of the staple hamburgers that this place was known for. I’m sad to report it was not a success and I spent a good part of one afternoon draining and filtering and cleaning the fryer.

An amazing thing about reflecting on this time is that a lot of those people I worked side by side with moved on in the culinary field. Those friends now work to this day, in kitchens around the world. One of them even opened his own successful restaurant here were I live, which I might add, is a local favorite. I’m proud that I stood next to these people through the 100 plus degree kitchens in the dead of summer slinging out great food and many colorful phrases and nicknames.

Of the many thousand upon thousands of things that came across that kitchen grill, none stand out in my memory more so than a wrap called the “Sam’s Wrap”. It kind of had a local cult following, but those who had it could never get enough of it. It popped back into my mind because several weeks ago I was asked to recall how it was put together for one of the former Prep Cooks who couldn’t remember all the steps. So they called my best friend and then he tracked me down so we could conference call and I could refresh the steps. Once this was done and we did a little reminiscing and laughing I couldn’t get the damned wrap out of my head. So, instead of making it and blowing the diet that I’m slowly day after day failing at, I will post it so maybe one of you can enjoy it. I’ll just think about it and let drool drip down my chin.

Sam’s Wrap

Large flour tortillas (Herb flavored if you can find them)

1 lb Honey Smoked thick Bacon

Vinaigrette Marinated Chicken (grilled)

Swiss cheese

1 container of Button Mushrooms

¼ head of Iceberg lettuce Shredded

Ranch dressing (not store bought, use homemade, it just tastes better)
¼ cup Clarified butter

Prep:

Marinate your Chicken for 24 hours in Vinaigrette.

Make your Ranch dressing and refrigerate 24 hours.

Grill Chicken, after chicken is done, let cool, then cut into ¼ inch thick long ways. Should look kind of like chicken French fries once done. Set aside in bowl.

Cook bacon on a cookie sheet so you can drain off excess bacon fat. Once done set aside bacon to cool. Once cooled rough cut bacon and set aside in bowl.

Wash Mushrooms then drain and dry. Remove all steams. Slice mushrooms into ¼ inch. Set aside in bowl.

With a food processor, if you have one, finely shred your Iceberg lettuce.; Set aside in bowl.

Getting HOT:

Place sauté pan on med high heat. Once Pan is up to heat apply ½ of your clarified butter in pan, then add 1 handful of your mushrooms. Sauté mushrooms for about 1 min adding more butter if needed. After 1 min add bacon and chicken, and finish off sautéing. Keep in mind that the bacon will add more grease as it reheats so be sparingly with the butter. After another minute, place Swiss cheese on top of your mushrooms , chicken and bacon in the sauté pan. Removed pan from heat and place a cover over the pan to melt the Swiss cheese

Finishing:

At this point you will want to warm your flour tortilla up either on another large sauté pan or a flat top grill if you have one. This should only take a few moments to warm each side.

Place your tortilla on a flat surfaced counter. Put a small handful of shredded lettuce in center of tortilla. Pour a little ranch dressing over the lettuce to coat it as if you’re prepping a salad to eat. Slide your mushroom, chicken, bacon, and Melted Swiss onto the top of your shredded lettuce and ranch. Top off with just a little bit more ranch.

Folding:

Now fold the bottom lip of the tortilla forward over the mound of goodness. Then fold over both left and right ends of your tortilla. Now roll the rest of the tortilla away from you keeping the roll tight but not to tight so the tortilla ruptures, which happens a lot till you get use to the feel for it.

If you have some parchment paper, you can roll the Wrap into that after you finish rolling the tortilla. This will help keep the wrap together and so you can cut it in half to serve and also to keep it from exploding in your hands.

***Makes 1 to 4 Warps depending on portion sizes***

Even thought this restaurant and Bar/ Grill wasn’t haute cuisine by any standard and was never expected too be, the food was always good quality. I think of those times often every morning I drive by the place on my way to work. Over time the food and atmosphere have changed and it has lost its appeal to me so I don’t eat there but maybe once a year. A lot of blood, sweat, and tears were poured into those building and those of us that spend many hours on our poor hurting feet have a lasting love and friendship.

Finito!

Tapas

 

Are you planning your super bowl party yet? Same here, I have been thinking hard what to prepare. Chicken wings, chili, chips and dip, Stuffed peppers, and BBQ ribs. Those are just a few staples that we have had in the past. This year however, I’m planning something a little different. Tapas! Of course I’ll do a few staples, but my main theme will be Tapas. I will admit for the longest time, for some odd reason I thought Tapas were like pita bread stuffed with goodies, kind of like a vegetarian version of a gyro. I have no explanation why I thought this.

A little background via Wikipedia: Tapas (Spanish pronunciation: [ˈtapas] is the name of a wide variety of appetizers, or snacks, in Spanish cuisine. They may be cold (such as mixed olives and cheese) or warm (such as chopitos, which are battered, fried baby squid). In select bars in Spain, as well as some parts of North America and the United Kingdom, tapas has evolved into an entire, and sometimes sophisticated, cuisine. In Spain, patrons of tapas can order many different tapas and combine them to make a full meal. In some Central American countries such snacks are known as bocas. The serving of tapas is designed to encourage conversation because people are not so focused upon eating an entire meal that is set before them. Also, in some countries it is customary for diners to stand and move about while eating tapas.

I can’t think of anything more appropriate for a Super Bowl Party. Even though my poor wife is brooding over the fact that her beloved Chicago Bears didn’t make it this year, she still is a good sport and looking forward to our party with friends. I will be having my own Super Bowl of tapas in the kitchen along with other staples I’ve made in the past like, New Zealand Green Mussels in a Butter and Bourbon sauce, one of my personal favorites.

I have prepared Tapas a few dozen times for some private caters and a few big events. Thought they require a lot of forethought and preparation, they are fun to make and even more fun to eat. I often incorporate different ethnic themes into the Tapas depending on the people I’m cooking for. Most often the traditional Tapas are chosen because many people have not tried them. These are a few of the choice that people enjoyed and tend to be popular: Chickpeas and Spinach, Clams in Sherry Sauce, Octopus & Paprika, Meatballs in Almond Sauce, Fried Cheese, Quail and Onions, Dried Cod & potatoes, Sole with Raisins & Pine Nuts and Grilled Pork. I picked these because I’m most familiar with them.

You may be thinking that this seems like more than you can handle, but I assure you, once you get started you will be pleasantly surprised how easy they are to prepare. The intimidation factor will be all the ingredients you will have to shop for, but I’ve never met a person who didn’t enjoy shopping to some degree.

Chickpeas, Bacon and Spinach Tapas

3 slices thick-cut bacon, or pancetta

Olive oil

15-ounce can chick peas, drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
½ teaspoon (smoked Spanish paprika) or regular paprika if not available
8 ounces spinach
1-2 garlic cloves, minced

Preparation:

Render bacon for about a minute, to get rid of excess fat. Then chop and sauté over medium heat in a heavy skillet until bacon begins to brown. Add chick peas, pepper flakes, and a couple tablespoons oil, and sauté until chick peas begin to brown, (about 4 minutes). If dish seems dry, drizzle a little more oil. Add spinach, paprika, and garlic and sauté until spinach sweats down, 1-2 minutes.

Salt and pepper to taste.

Octopus & Paprika Tapas

1-2 pounds octopus

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

3 chopped garlic cloves

1 tablespoon sweet paprika

1/2 cup olive oil
2-3 lemons

Preparation:

Braise your octopus, meanwhile, put the salt, pepper, paprika and garlic in a mortar and pound it until it is a paste. Slowly add the olive oil, stirring and mashing all the while. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, you could use a food processor, but the texture will be different.

When the octopus is tender and still warm, cut into chunks, put into a large bowl and toss with the sauce. Squeeze the juice of 1 lemon into the bowl and toss to combine.

Serve warm or at room temperature with slices of lemon.

Meatballs in Almond Sauce Tapas

3/4 cup panko bread crumbs

3/4 cup dry white wine

1/2 cup dry sherry

13 cloves garlic, peeled

3/4 lb. ground beef

3/4 lb. ground pork
3/4 lb. ground veal

2 eggs

5 tablespoon minced parsley
2 1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
2 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 carrot, peeled and finely chopped
1 c. slivered blanched almonds
1 14 1/2 oz. can beef broth
1/2 cup fresh or frozen peas
1 bay leaf
2 scallions, chopped

Preparation:

Soak the bread crumbs in 1/4 cup of the white wine. Finely chop 3 cloves of garlic and combine with the bread crumbs, meat, eggs, 3 tablespoon of parsley and the salt and pepper. Form into ping-pong sized balls.

Place the meatballs on a baking sheet and cook through in a hot (ideally convection) 350 degree oven for 20 minutes. Meanwhile, in a 14" paella pan, sauté the onion and carrots in the olive oil until soft. Stir in the remaining white wine, the sherry and the other 10 cloves of garlic thinly sliced. Boil until most of the liquid has evaporated.

In a food processor grind the almonds as finely as possible. With the blade running, pour in the beef broth in a thin stream. When well mixed, pour into the paella pan, bring to a boil and add the remaining parsley, peas, bay leaf, scallions and more salt and pepper as needed. Slip in the meatballs, gently mixing them around so they are coated with the sauce. Lower the oven to 300 degrees, cover the pan with foil and bake for 45 minutes.

Serve hot.

Grilled Pork Loin, Pancetta and Mushroom Tapas

Bamboo skewers (12)

4 slices (1/2-inch thick) boneless pork loin

1 slice of pancetta

4 whole small white mushrooms

4 slices rustic baguette

Preparation:

Soak the bamboo skewers for approximately 30 minutes in water, so that when placed on grill they do not burn.

Cut the slice of pancetta into quarters.
Rinse the mushrooms thoroughly.
Lightly salt both sides of each pork loin. Slide each onto the bamboo skewers. Carefully slide on the quarter slice of pancetta and the whole mushroom.
Place skewers over a medium hot grill and cook the loin for approximately 5 minutes on each side, until cooked.
Remove the skewers from the grill and place on top of bread slices. Serve hot.


I hope one of these might inspire you and possibly show up on your super bowl table. I do like the fact that they are meant as appetizers but can totally be transformed into an entree. Enjoy your super bowl and drive safe.



Finito!