Wagyu Wednesday is under way at Red Primesteak.

Videographer Tanner Herriott and I recently visited Red Prime Steak, 504 N Broadway Ave., which recently was listed one of the top 10 steak houses in the United States by msn.com, to learn about Wagyu Wednesday.

Chef Robert Black who oversees all the kitchens in A Good Egg Dining Group, has a serious passion for food. When he talks about Wagyu beef, that passion spills forward like flavor spills from the beef in question. Chef Robert speaks about Wagyu like an instructor, and that’s a good thing when it comes to the confusion there is about Wagyu and Kobe beef. Robert explains Kobe is merely a place while Wagyu is a breed. The Japanese government protects Kobe the way French protect Champagne. But that doesn’t mean the uber-premium beef can’t be raised elsewhere. American and Australian Kobe are what premium California sparkling wine is to French champagne.

To learn more about it, check out Tanner’s video.

 

To taste it, head over to Red Prime any day, but specifically Wednesdays for a chance to sample multiple cuts. Guests can expect a special Wednesday menu featuring entrees made with a variety of cuts, grades and breeds of Wagyu beef. Each week, chefs will introduce an innovative preparation and will offer meals at different prices to accommodate customer budgets.

One bite, and cost will no longer matter. This is otherwordly stuff. Have you been to Wagyu Wednesday? Let me know how it went.

Is bringing the Jumbo Jack to the metro the first step in building a bigger, better culinary community? No. but together we can make it happen.

My term as friendly Oklahoma Food Dude is a little more than a year old. What fun it’s been. I’ve been with The Oklahoman since Dec. of 1990, working in Sports, Metro, City and State. I even did a stint as television columnist. In the nearly 19 years, I’ve never worked harder than I have the past year. At times, I’ve felt a little overwhelmed — so many story ideas, so little time.
But I’ve never been happier. It took almost two decades, my snoot a-spark from the grindstone, but I’m working to my passion.
In the past year, 105degrees has brought raw food to the city thanks to 105degrees, Ryan Parrott has grown from chef to restaurateur to social media entrepreneur, Chris Lower brought us Cool Greens and Big Truck Tacos — which has spawned copycats on the north side who might not be award that BTT is an inspired a copycat of what’s been going on down South for years – longtime Coach House owner Kurt ”The Big Kahuna” Fleischfresser partnered with Carl Milam and Western Concepts, OKC native Rick Bayless become the first Top Chef Master, “Food Inc.” changed the way people look at food, the Deep Fork Group gambled and won with Ian McDermid’s inspired Drunken Fry concept, the Rock Cafe reopened a year after a devastating fire thanks to the sheer will of owner Dawn Welch, La Baguette opened a second location, Peruvian food was introduced to the metro, Pioneer Woman Ree Drummond took the nation by storm, and I had the sincere privilege to make the acquaintance of  been introduced by the inspirational Kamala Gamble and a host of local producers around the state.

While all this was going on, I had a dark secret. I was moonlighting as editor of LOOKatOKC. That job had previously been held by a full-time employee, so I was essentially holding down two jobs. While food is my passion, music and entertainment aren’t far behind. Had that been my only job, I would’ve thoroughly enjoyed it. However, because of the time it took, I sometimes felt guilty that I wasn’t able to give either food coverage or LOOK, the attention they deserved.
Well, that’s changed now. Entertainment writer extraordinaire George Lang has taken over LOOK and I’m now a full-time Food Dude.
I’m spending this month assessing the past year’s coverage to formulate a plan for 2010.
That’s where I need your help.
How can I better serve you? Think big, be critical. It’s time to raise the bar, but I can’t lift it alone. Together, we can put Oklahoma City’s culinary scene on the national landscape. And no,  Jack in the Box coming to town isn’t the first step – but 4th meal just got some stiff competition.
Comment, call (405-475-3155) or email (dcathey@opubco.com) me your suggestions. I’d really appreciate it.

Don’t have time to cook your own Thanksgiving Dinner and didn’t call premium meat markets or restaurants on time? Buy 4 Less grocery stores also offer help with all your Thanksgiving dinner needs. This year’s heat and eat holiday offerings include:

Turkey

• Smoked Turkey
• Stuffed Turkeys
• Turducken
• Turducken Rolls (Boneless)

Hams

• Farmland ½ Hams
• Farmland Spiral Hams
• Farmland Ham Steaks (Bone-in)
• Farmland Whole Ham (Bone-in and Boneless)

Beef /Lamb

• Standing Rib Roast
• Large tied Boneless Beef Roast
• Grilling Steaks
• Leg of Lamb

Pork

• Crown Roast

For more information check their Web site or drop by one of their many Oklahoma City locations. A dry white wine is the perfect compliment to Thanksgiving dinner.

Local Homeland stores are offering Granny Dee’s Turkey Dinner. The meal Includes a 10-12 pound turkey, 2 pounds of Old-Fashioned Corn Bread Dressing, 2 pounds seasoned mashed potatoes, 1 pound giblet gravy, 16 ounces of cranberry-orange salad, 12 King’s Hawaiian Rolls, and an 8-inch Pumpkin Pie. The stores Traditional Turkey Dinner includes a 10-12 pound turkey, 2 pounds of Old-Fashioned Corn Bread Dressing and 1 pound of giblet gravy. They also offer version of these dinners with ham.  All meats and sides can be purchased individually as well. For more information, go to the deli section of the Homeland Web site.

A Good Egg Dining’s Market C also has a holiday feast to consider. Their offering includes: 

 For more information, go here.

Over at  Gourmet Gallery, with locations in Edmond and Northpark Mall, you can purchase Bear Creek Smokehouse turkeys and spiral-cut hams. Give them a call at 715-3663.

If you’re a guest bring a couple bottles of Rombauer to ensure next year’s invitation.

Chicken Scaloppini with Herbaceous Orzo

Italian Heritage Month is about over, and I’ve got a couple more Italian recipes up the sleeve. This one is similar to Chicken Parmigiana, but a little easier to make in my opinion.
That said, it’s not quite as kid-friendly as capers and olives are little piquant for young palates. Luke and Kate both ate it, but preferred the parm. For me, this was superior and healthier by a longshot.

The Herbaceous Orzo is super simple and open to interpretation. Make it one time, and you’ll be hooked. It works well both warm or cold, and is a real find for people like me who get annoyed by the unwieldy nature of pastas like linguine, fettuncini and spaghettini.

As always, this dish isn’t complete without crusty Italian bread for sopping, and a nice bottle of pinot gris will balance this piquant dish. Sauvignon Blanc will do in a pinch.

Chicken Scaloppini

• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded thin
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper
• 2 cloves garlic or 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon green olives, sliced and drained (pimientos are ok)
• 1 tablespoon capers, drained
• 6-8 sundried tomatoes, julienned
• 2 tablespoons dry white wine
• 1/2 cup chicken stock
• 2 tablespoons pure olive oil

Directions

1.  Between two sheets of wax paper, pound the chicken flat and even, about a 1/2-inch thick.
2. Crush the garlic and mix with salt to make a paste. A mortar and pestle works great. Or you can use the flat side of a knife or meat tenderizer. The garlic should be the consistency of apple sauce.
3. Smear the garlic paste on both sides of the chicken. If using powder season the breasts evenly with the salt, garlic powder and pepper.
4. Heat oil in a wide, heavy pan at medium high heat. You might need to cook them in batches, which is fine.
5. Spread the flour on a bowl or dish with a lip and lightly dredge chicken, dusting off.
6. Fry chicken on both sides, 60 to 90 seconds.
7. Deglaze pan with white wine, stir loosened bits from bottom of the pan.
8. Add stock, mix briefly then stir in capers, olives and sun-dried tomatoes.
9. Reduce heat and simmer another 2 to 4 minutes.
10. Serve over Herbaceous Orzo

Herbaceous Orzo

• One cup orzo pasta
• 1/2 cup frozen peas
• 1/4 cup olive oil
• Juice of half a lemon
• 4-6 green onions, sliced thin
• 2-4 tablespoons finely chopped Italian parsley leaves
• 3 tablespoons fresh basil leaves, julienned 
• Salt and pepper to taste 

Directions

1. Fill a medium-sized pot half way with water and add about a tablespoon of water then bring to a boil
2. Cook  7 to 8 minutes.
3. Add peas, and cook another 60 to 90 seconds.
4. Drain pasta and peas in a colander and rinse with cold water.
5. Transfer to a bowl and mix remaining ingredients thoroughly.

Source: Dave Cathey

Cathy Cummings, owner/chef of Vito's Ristorante.

While fate is thick in Italian folklore and family is the background of Italian culture, both had a hand in the story you’re about to read. I assigned our intern Cara Bailey to do a story on Vito’s Ristorante last winter. I thought the place was the most under-rated Italian restaurant in town. So forward Cara went, got the story done, but we had trouble getting photos lined up at the time.

Then I assigned the story to summer intern Daniel Puma. Daniel is Italian but grew up in Tulsa and lives in Norman, so I thought he’d love the assignment. He did. He even shot his own photographs, and took Cara’s story and added a few more details. Alas, we never found a good moment to run the story during the summer, and patiently awaited its turn in publication purgatory.

In September, I determined the time had come. I spiffed up Daniel and Cara’s work then ventured to put the photos where page designers could use them. Turns out the photos had been deleted. The story slumped its nonexistent head and dragged itself back to it’s home on the shelf.

Then October arrived — Italian Heritage Month. I assigned a photograph and made it a point to be there when the photos were taken to talk with owner Cathy Cummings to see if any further details needed addition. The story in my possession depicted how family served as the foundation of Cathy’s restaurant.

I went by to attend the long-awaited photo shoot, and in talking with her, it became apparent her story of growing up in a family that survived by serving food to others was accurate but not so much unique as cultural. So much so, that I decided to write my own story. Sorry Cara and Daniel. Them’s the breaks. You know I appreciate you both.

The Italian community in Kansas City where Cathy was reared is apparent on every plate at and permeates the air at Vito’s, a simple, traditional Italian cafe. She carries more than 100 wines, all of which are Italian. Sauces are made from scratch and breads are baked in house. The only thing she doesn’t do from scratch is the pasta, which would be a logistical nightmare for someone who sees her job as no different than having folks to her home for dinner each night.

I’ve eaten at Vito’s a dozen times and have never left within 10 blocks of dissatisfied. Cathy makes her sugo from a recipe she learned as a child. That explains why it exudes such confidence for such a simple sauce. I could go through a loaf of bread sopping it up. Wait, maybe I did. The “Italian butter” that comes with the bread is hard to resist even after the loaf disappears. The chicken marsala is rich, succulent and soul-soothing.

Vito’s has been around six years now, and the time has come for it to join the ranks with local Italian favorites like Papa Dio’s, Trattoria il Centro, Victoria’s, and Caffe Pranzo.

Have you been to Vito’s? Let me know what you thought.

Shrimp Diavolo

Seafood is common to Italian cuisine, which is no surprise considering its geographical relationship with the Mediterranean.

Cippollinis are small, flat onions. The flesh is more yellow than white and the flavor is sweet thanks to having more residual sugar than larger white and yellows but not as much as shallots. I found them at Crescent Market.

Be sure to use fresh shrimp. The frozen stuff will disappoint you. As always, serve with good, crusty bread. Pinot grigio pairs well.

Shrimp Diavolo

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Italian

Recipe by on.
Microformatting by hRecipe. ]]> http://blog.newsok.com/fooddude/2009/10/20/shrimp-diavolo/feed/ 0 http://blog.newsok.com/fooddude/2009/10/20/nonnys-italian-sausage-and-chicken-pot/ http://blog.newsok.com/fooddude/2009/10/20/nonnys-italian-sausage-and-chicken-pot/#comments Wed, 21 Oct 2009 02:47:38 +0000 David Cathey http://blog.newsok.com/fooddude/?p=777

Potatoes on bottom, sausage on top with onions, mushroom and chicken in between. Serve with good, crusty bread.

It’s no secret that food and family are synoymous with Italian cuisine. I was lucky enough to experience this first-hand thanks in great part to Anne Ferlo. Anne died Oct. 17 at age of 85.
She was great-grandmother, or Nonny, to my children Luke and Kate. Mother and grandmother to close friends I used to call family and always will in my heart.

Guido and Anne Ferlo.

Above all, Anne was a kindred Epicurean spirit. She lived a long life and didn’t waste a chance to celebrate: holidays, birthdays, Fridays…you name it. She and her surviving husband Guido came to work at Tinker Air Force Base from Rome, New York. They brought with them the true Italian spirit: family first, work hard, take care of what’s yours, celebrate like tomorrow isn’t promised.
Guido, her husband of 63 years, still works for the Oklahoma Blood Institute and can still play any musical instrument you put in front of him – a ditch-digger’s heart with music in his soul. Anne was no different.

When it came to food, she took it seriously since it wasn’t so easy to come by when she was a child and didn’t take it for granted. She was a fantastic cook, introducing me to Italian pork roast, cannoli, harvest loaf, noodles Romanoff, macaroni salad, and the greatness of a simple salad with homemade vinaigrette, a loaf of good bread and a bottle of wine. A member of the Greatest Generation, she danced to Glenn Miller and the James brothers for the USO in a burst of champagne bubbles. When she met Guido in 1944, the pace didn’t slow as he was one of the boys in the band.

When they lost their Midwest City home to the May 3, 1999, tornado Anne and Guido — who’s called Guielo on his birth certificate thanks to a paperwork error – didn’t let it slow them down. They rebuilt their lives in Edmond and never looked back.

Nothing Anne did was done without a sense of pride. Her home was elegant and spotless, everything she and Guido have ever owned is treated like a luminary. Relationships are no different. Anne’s boundless good humor and generosity will never be forgotten. And neither will the beautiful foods she prepared. I will carry her Christmas Eve tradition of making shrimp to my grave. Harvest Loaf will be a part of my Christmastime repertoire as well. One of my favorite things she made was this simple chicken and sausage bake.

Here’s to you, Anne. Let’s meet at that big nightclub in the sky some day. The band will be swingin’ while sequins sparkle against the champagne fountain. Save me a pousse cafe, already!

Recipe: Nonny’s Italian Hot Pot

Summary: A family favorite from back East.

Culinary tradition: Italian

Recipe by on.
Microformatting by hRecipe. ]]> http://blog.newsok.com/fooddude/2009/10/20/nonnys-italian-sausage-and-chicken-pot/feed/ 1 http://blog.newsok.com/fooddude/2009/10/13/bijoux-diners-win-whether-they-root-for-sooner-or-longhorns/ http://blog.newsok.com/fooddude/2009/10/13/bijoux-diners-win-whether-they-root-for-sooner-or-longhorns/#comments Wed, 14 Oct 2009 02:49:12 +0000 David Cathey http://blog.newsok.com/fooddude/?p=740 Good restaurants are an extension of the owner’s personality. Great restaurants are a piece of the collective soul.
Scott and Gina Gottlich don’t have the ego to presume that they’re producing some of Dallas’ finest food without the focus and commitment of an entire staff.
Scott told me that when people enter Bijoux, he wants them to feel like they’re in his home.
Scott’s home is a commune. A sophisticated, beautiful, unpretentious commune that celebrates great food and wine.
The former OU wrestler and his sommelier wife have achieved in a short time what some chefs and restaurateurs will work a lifetime to achieve and still fall short.
That’s a result of putting God-given talent together with the skills one has accrued, not taking people for granted and dropping the attitude.
This is a place where you’ll spend anywhere between $60 to $150 per person and feel lucky to have had the opportunity to do so.
I had the good fortune to eat at the Gottlich commune with my 12-year-old son, Luke.
The restaurant serves meals in either 3, 5 or 9 courses. The amount of food you will ingest doesn’t increase greatly with the number of courses chosen.
We opted for the 3-course. Luke ordered Sweet Corn Agnolotti, and I Pan-Seared Prawns.

Sweet Corn Agnolotti from Bijoux in Dallas.

Luke’s agnolotti was filled with sweet corn and kissed with hazelnut butter and danced with Parmigiann-Reggiano and truffle shavings. My prawns were intwined over caramelized onions, roasted mushrooms and Spanish chorizo. My prawns were rich and spicy, reaching deep into my diaphragm to draw up a slow, smooth, “mmmmm.”

Pan-seared prawns.

But Luke’s pasta was inspired. He’d never eaten anything remotely close to it, and didn’t stop talking about it for a week, despite the fact that he didn’t know how to pronounce. While his young palate perhaps wasn’t prepared for the wonder of shaved truffle, mine was thankful for it. Hard to imagine that such small morsels are capable of a thermonuclear event of flavor.
We also sampled the Crispy Pork Belly. It came with frisee, tomato fondue and stone ground mustard, but it didn’t really matter. Luke took one bite, and the look on his face was all that was necessary.
“It kind of squirted when I bit into it,” he tried to explain. “And it was sooo good.”

Crispy pork belly, or Flavorstralia.

Yeah, we’re talking about a really big hunk of bacon-ness. If flavor were a planet, this dish was one its continents. Australia, maybe.
For the second course, I chose Long Island Duck Breast, Luke chose Roasted Filet of Beef.

Long Island duck breast.

The duck was beautifully prepared with carrot, fingerling potato and raspberries. Being breast, it was lean and lacked the punch of the pork belly, so it might’ve been a mistake on my part to choose it to follow. Luke’s filet stood up to the pork belly and, in the manor of the great Calvin Ebby LaLoosh, announced its presence with authority.

Roasted filet of beef.

The haricots verts were crisp and fresh, the truffled potato puree rich but not as much as the veal jus that surrounded the island.
For dessert, Luke chose the Glazed Chocolate Tart, and I the Ice Cream Sandwich. Luke wasn’t talkative, so I was concerned he was disappointed. When I asked him about it, he told me it was the best chocolate he’d ever tasted.

Glazed chocolate tart.

 And it’s no wonder, considering the thick almost gelatinous layer of chocolate that formed a shell over the tart and the surrounding red berry coulis, pistachio and chocolate ice cream that accompanied it.
While Luke’s dessert might’ve been more decadent and delicious than my dessert, there’s no arguing that mine was more ingenious. A playful take on a kid’s favorite, white chocolate macadamia cookies served as buns for the ice cream and was served with a tiny mug of “root beer float” with amaretto syrup. While I like Luke’s better, I’m thankful I got to see a genius’s interpretation.
If you’re in Dallas for the Red River Rivalry this weekend, you can’t lose by choosing Bijoux for dinner.

Bijoux's ice cream sandwich with root beer float.

The menu changes daily, so you won’t be able to match this meal. However, the interpretation you are in for might just exceed it. Having gotten to know Scott and Gina, I’d be surprised if it didn’t.

Chicken Parmigiana is a great recipe for beginners to Italian cooking.

New to Italian cooking? This is the perfect dish to get you started: chicken, batter, sauce, cheese — everybody’s happy. Whether you call it sugo, ragu or marinara, simple Italian-style tomato sauce ensures moisture, panko gives it some crunch and two kinds of cheese make it that rich and creamy element that make it a mainstay on Italian menus worldwide.

Serve with steamed vegetables and either a tossed green salad or Caesar.

Don’t forget crusty Italian bread, sopping is a must.

Recipe: Chicken Parmigiana

Ingredients

• 4-6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, pounded flat.
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 2 cups flour
• 4-6 six eggs, beaten
• 1 to 1-1/2 cups Italian-style panko crumbs. (I like Ian’s)
• 1 to 2 cups mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 to 1 cups fresh grated parmesan cheese
• Salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste
• 3-4 tablespoons pure olive oil
• 1/2 cup Chopped Italian Parsley

Instructions

1. Pound the chicken flat between two sheets of wax paper.
2. Season both sides with salt, pepper and garlic powder.
3. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
4. Heat stove top griddle to medium high heat or two pans on separate burners. Heat the oil.
5. Dredge the chicken in flour and shake any excess loose.
6. Dip the chicken in beaten eggs and shake away excess.
7. Press the chicken into the panko and shake off excess.
8. Fry each breast 2 to 3 minutes on each sides until a golden crust is achieved.
9. Carefully transfer the chicken to an oven pan, coat with tomato sauce, top with cheeses.
10. Bake 7 to 8 minutes.
11. Serve over your favorite pasta, sprinkle with parsley.

Meal type: dinner

Culinary tradition: Italian

Microformatting by hRecipe.

The specialty is no-nonsense Italian food made from fresh ingredients and served with a higher level of precision than the majority of Italian eateries around the city.

On Monday, Lori and I started with Fried Calamari to be followed by a portobello sandwich for her and an Insalate Pesce for me.

All meals at Pranzo, though, begin with house bread and their take on vinegar and oil. Rather than pour you a 3 to 1 portion of balsamic and olive oil on a dish, they mix their dressing ahead and include sweet peppers and assorted herbs and spices. Whatever the assortment is, it’s working.

When the calamari arrived, our server, Joe whose friendliness and knowledge of the menu and the restaurant was only exceeded in intensity by the gray of his ponytail, said under his breath that we were about to eat the best version of this popular appetizer in the city. I’m not ready to make that proclamation, but I would certainly be happy to serve as judge in a competition on the matter. And I wouldn’t bet against the calamari we had, which was served with both marinara and acciughe sauce, that’s anchovies but don’t fear it. The influence is subtle and the result is a perky, piquant sauce that lights up the palate. The marinara is a welcomed balance. That said, the hand-breaded calamari worked just fine with neither condiment. I could’ve eaten it all day, and almost did.

As the calamari gradually disappeared, Lori and I discussed our past experiences with the restaurant and agreed that it was tragic that neither of us had been in so long. We agreed quiet, classy stops like Pranzo aren’t to be forgotten but lauded for their effort to keep flavor first and leave the hawking to those who aspire to be Colonel Sanders to an unborn generation. Nothing wrong with ambition or goals, but sometimes those things get in the way of the food. Not always, sometimes. Caffe Pranzo is an unpretentious attempt to connect with the community through pasta, pizza and wine.

It’s working.

Lori called her portobello sandwich the best she’d ever had. Ever. As I sat down to blog on our lunch, she reminded me that I needed to mention that. She told Joe the same thing, saying that it was a nice change to be able to taste the mushroom and not some heavy-handed marinade that masked the fungi-goodness but made the bread a soggy mess.

My Insalate Pesce included grilled shrimp and scallops over chilled linguni and mixed greens with  house dressing. It was the kind of lunch that reminded me how much I really do love entree salads. I used to be insane for the spicy lemon chicken salad at Pepperoni Grill. The shrimp was grilled and tasty, the pasta perfect and the greens fresh and leafy. The dressing made it all come together. The only misstep was the scallops, which were the pencil-eraser-sized variety. I initially thought they were corn nuts, and frankly I would’ve rather them been corn nuts. They were dry, bland and didn’t add any interesting texture. The scallops mediocrity, though, would not preclude me from making the same order again.

Bottom line: Caffe Pranzo is back in the rotation, my apologies for letting it fall out.

Have you been to Caffe Pranzo? Let me know what you thought.