Tickets is a place like no other, with an energic arquitecture, incessant, relentlessly, in a constant movement that is consistent with the team’s energy. A team of many that are delighted with our delight. A team that is in charge of transmitting the knowledge and history of how that flavor was created, pointing out why, and what makes it special. Tickets has manys bars each with a purpose, showing some of Barcelona’s features and of the Mediterranean food dishes. All this accomplishes that the taste of that bite receives what it needs for our senses to get excited and for our brain to magnify and highlight what is meant to be magnified and highlighted.

That first time in Tickets I met for dinner with Daniel Patterson chef of Coi, his wife Alexandra and baby daughter, Harold McGee (McGee on Food and Cooking: An Encyclopedia of Kitchen Science, History and Culture), his son Harold (a scientist like me) my friend Diego and Me. Carles Tejedor chef from the Restaurante Via Veneto came by for coffee, Ferran Adrià came by to say hi. Albert with a dedication and complete attention to us, making sure we enjoyed and understood the whole essence of this great concept. What made this evening even more special to me was that my cousin is part of this great Tickets’ team, and was part of all this amazing energy that night.

Spherified olives, spiced tomato tartare, oysters, air baguette xuxis with Joselito’s ham, rabbit seeds with sparking garlic mayonnaise, avocado with mint mojo and sea urchins, and many many more tapas. I won’t say no more. A picture is worth more than 1000 words so I leave them here for your delight. If you’d like to see more pictures and read some more you are welcome to visit my blog Monitouille. I leave you the blog’s entry and more pictures here in my Flickr.

There’s a scene in this film where young Nigel Slater, (played with wonderful pathos by a young actor named Oscar Kennedy) is in his room under the covers moaning and breathing heavily, his father hearing the suspicious sounds, barges in to stop what we all assume is a prepubescent self-exploration. Turns out Nigel is pleasuring himself, but not with his hands, rather with his eyes. He’s actually devouring a food magazine, with a flash light, under the covers.  The sights of beautifully prepared dishes and desserts is what has him so excited.

This same excitement and enthusiasm for all things culinary would follow Nigel Slater into adulthood and into British celebrity.  The film Toast is the early biography of Slater’s life growing up in Wolverhampton, England with a very sweet, but sickly mother, who relied heavily on serving toast for meals when her meager attempts at preparing dinner would turn out unappetizing and often inedible.  It would seem his mother’s shortcoming became an endearing part of Slater’s childhood as even today he writes this about toast and cheese:

There’s nothing quite like cheese on toast – and the endless variations make for truly sumptuous snacks.

I can trace my need for some sort of toasty cheese fix to the day my mother cut up soldiers of toast for me and spread them with Dairylea. Talk about love at first bite. The recipe itself may have moved on more than a bit, but to this day there are few things I like to hear more than the sound of crunchy toast and oozing cheese. I still order Welsh rabbit in restaurants if it’s on the menu. (Still around if you know where to look.) Cheeses may change, and the bread moves on, but I suspect cheese on toast in some form or another will always be with us. No matter how simply or fancifully we interpret it. – The Guardian The Observer – Nigel Slater (Sept. 2011)

Unfortunately, his dear mum (Victoria Hamilton) passed away from asthma while Nigel was still a boy, leaving him to be raised by a distant and gruff father. (Ken Stott). Soon Nigel’s father hires a cleaning woman to help out around the house, played by Helena Bonham Carter, who must have put on 20lb to play the part, and boy does she have fun with it!  I read this description of the role and feel I must reprint it as it captures the character to a tee:

…the arrival of ‘Miss  Potter’ – a coarse but beguiling cleaner on the make, who bewitched Slater Sr with her saucy outfits and seductive home cooking. Dressed in crimplene housecoats and seamed stockings, a cigarette permanently dangling from her rouged lips, Miss Potter, becomes the second Mrs Slater, leaving a desolate Nigel out in the cold -By Elizabeth Sanderson and Christine Challand. (This article featured Nigel’s real-life stepsister, not mentioned in the film, who is livid over the making of Toast both the book and the movie, as she feels it’s a libelous depiction of her mother and her mother’s marriage to Nigel’s father).

But on a lighter note, who would think housework could be so suggestive? There is a very clever montage underscored by the song “The Look of Love”, where Nigel’s father can’t take his eyes off of Mrs. Potter’s ample behind, as she scrubs and polishes, then gets turned on when she runs the vacuum cleaner in and out between his legs.

As far as Nigel is concerned the only good thing about Mrs. Potter is the fact that she can cook. And cook she does, the film treats us to another montage, this time of fattening, artery clogging, caloric dishes popular in the late 60′s early 70′s. But as Nigel discovers his own talent for the culinary arts, Mrs Potter feels her place in the family is being threatened and a rivalry develops between Nigel and his step-mum, causing anguish for Nigel’s father.

While watching the film, I felt the tone was reminiscent of  Billy Elliot, and soon discovered the reason being, it was penned by the same screenwriter, Lee Hall.  I liked the movie, not just because it represents food in film; but rather because of its subtle humor mixed with melancholy; the nice handling of Slater’s sexual orientation; there’s some gems of wisdom by Nigel’s precocious boyhood friend, and yes, plenty of feasting for the eyes.

San Antonio, TX – Traditional latkes, the delicious fried potato pancakes that are eagerly anticipated by families celebrating Hanukkah, will be reappearing on the menu at Roaring Fork to commemorate the 2011 Hanukkah season.

These “latkelicious” treats will be offered again during the eight days of Hanukkah beginning the evening of December 20th (when the first Hanukkah candle is lit) and continuing through December 28th, the last day of Hanukkah.

Jewish people traditionally eat fried food during Hanukkah to commemorate the oil that was supposed to only last one night, yet miraculously burned for eight days when the Maccabees purified and rededicated the holy Temple in Jerusalem more than 2,000 years ago following their victory over the Greeks. Fried potato pancakes (Latkes in Yiddish or Levivot in Hebrew) are a Jewish culinary tradition that dates back at least 900 years.

“Growing up, I looked forward to latkes at the dinner table this time of year, so seeing them at Roaring Fork brings back a lot of memories,” said Barbra Hamil, General Manager of Roaring Fork. “This is the start of a great tradition at the restaurant.”

Served with red pepper jelly, Roaring Fork latkes promise to be a creamy, slightly crunchy delicacy that will pair well with many of the wood-fired Bold American Cuisine menu items.

“Latkes are going to be a perfect fit for just about anything on our menu,” said Matt Inouye, executive chef for Roaring Fork. “You don’t have to be Jewish to appreciate potato pancakes with entrees from our wood-fired oven, grill or rotisserie.”

Imaginative meals prepared over authentic wood-fired cooking are the trademark of Roaring Fork, a dining experience that deserves repeating. Roaring Fork at Plaza Las Campanas, Northwest Loop 1604 at Huebner Road; 1806 NW Loop 1604; San Antonio, TX 210.479.9700. RoaringFork.com.

Serving Lunch and Dinner Weekdays, Dinner Nightly ♦ Special Events ♦ Happy Hour ♦ Valet Parking ♦ Reservations Recommended

Roaring Fork Traditional Potato Latkes

with Red Pepper Jelly

LATKES

1 lb. Idaho potatoes, peeled

2 tbsp onion, peeled

1 egg

Salt and pepper to taste

Club soda as needed

Potato flour at needed

METHOD:

1. Grate potatoes on the large holes of a grated then place in club soda
2. Drain and squeeze dry the potatoes
3. Place potatoes, onions, egg and seasoning in a blender and pulse to make a chunky puree
4. In a fry pan, heat canola oil. When hot, make test latke by dropping about 2oz of mix and fry golden brown
5. Drain on paper towels. If too loose, add a little potato flour to bind

RED PEPPER JELLY

7 red peppers, seeded and chopped

1/2 c. shallots, chopped                               

1/3 c. garlic, chopped                                  

17 oz. raspberry vinegar                              

1 qt. cranberry juice                                       

3 pieces of jalapeños                                             

1/4 c. Sriracha sauce                                   

1.5 qt. sugar                                                  

METHOD:

1. Combine all ingredients, bring to boil 
2. Blend smooth 
3. Cook to syrup consistency 
4. Strain through china cap  
5. Chill 

http://www.roaringfork.com/Default.aspx

210.479.9700

If you want help getting exposure for your establishment,  please email me at johnnie@flicksandfood.com or give me a call at 210.617.3287. I have a large follower base. Looking forward to my next review!

Firehouses across San Antonio were invited to submit an original barbeque recipe to Q Executive Chef, David Wirebaugh by Friday, July 8.  Fifteen firehouses submitted recipes for a chance to be chosen for the competition, a very big turnout. Chef Wirebaugh reviewed all the recipes, and selected the three that “sparked” his interest to take part in the competition.

Each team chosen to compete then had to assemble a team of four firefighters who then had to prepare the recipe for the panel of judges. The teams also had to pick a lead chef to be in charge of cooking the recipe. The entries were judged on presentation, taste and uniqueness.

The entries in the competition were:

• Grilled Fish Tacos and Shrimp Quesadillas
• Schwenkbraten
• Pulled Pork Poblanos (or Triple P)

All three dishes were wonderful which made picking a favorite very difficult. I liked the Schwenkbraten for its German seasonings, grilled onions and creamy mustard sauce. The Pulled Pork Poblanos made a beautiful presentation with the moist pulled pork inside poblano cups with tomatillo sauce and queso fresco and cilantro for garnish. And the Fish Tacos were a little piece of seafood heaven with corn tortillas, sliced avocado, tomato, cabbage, cilantro and queso fresco. The Shrimp Quesadillas were a nice mix of spicy and cheesy in the same bite which complimented the shrimp perfectly. The chipotle mayo sauce for the taco and quesadilla dish was a nice touch of cool and spicy.

So now you can see how hard it was to judge this competition. But, it was a competition, so decisions had to be made. The Grilled Fish Tacos and Shrimp Quesadillas submitted by Communications/lead Chef Cresencio Silva III won the People’s Choice Award from the audience. The Schwenkbraten submitted by Ladder 41-A/with lead Chef Lt. Steve Torres received first runner up and the Pulled Pork Poblanos submitted by E21C with lead Chef Lt. Richard A. Barbosa took home first place.

Lt. Barbosa’s team received a grand prize consisting of:

• A lunch at their fire house catered by Q
• A free weekend stay for the team members at Hyatt Regency San Antonio
• A customized apron
• Q’s special barbeque rub

In addition, this recipe will be featured on Q Riverwalk’s menu for a month. So you need to get over to Q and try it for yourself. Then send me a comment and let me know what you think of the Triple P.

Cresencio Silva’s team won a lunch catered by Q at their firehouse for receiving the People’s Choice Award.

This event was a lot of fun and informative as well. Our city Fire Chief, Charles Hood, was on hand to give some pointers on grilling safety during our hot summer months. I really hope this becomes an annual or semi-annual event at Q Riverwalk.

Support our firefighters this season with Hyatt Regency San Antonio’s “Firefighter Q Off”. A public event drawing attention to fire prevention and safety. Watch our city’s firefighters trade in their helmets for chef hats in a friendly competition to see which house has the best BBQ this July 27 at 6pm at “Q” Restaurant. Come taste each team’s recipe and vote on your favorite!
This event is free and open to the public. Reservations encouraged visit Qriverwalk.com or call 210.362.6325.

About Q:

Q is in pursuit of the ultimate Barbeque. Their custom made Wall Of Fire is part smoker, part churrasco grill, part rotisserie grill and 100% unique. So if you want to try Argentinean churrasco, they’ve  got it. Tempted by European style rotisserie barbeque? Go for it. And as for smoked meats…well…one glance at the menu will tell you how serious they are about that. By the way, feel free to talk to their chefs while they cook in the interactive kitchen.

Q is located right on the Riverwalk in the Hyatt Regency Hotel.

FlicksandFood will be at the Fire Fighter Q Off. Hope to see you too!

http://www.hyatt.com/gallery/qriverwalk/#