Category Archives: Appetizers
Bagels – Not Just For Breakfast Anymore
Who doesn’t love a good bagel? Maybe I should ask, who knows what a good bagel should taste like? The best way to answer this question is with a story.
When our daughter Jennifer was 10 years old, she would spend summers at her grandmother’s (Mom mom) beach house in Westhampton NY. One day when she was eating a bagel at home in Memphis she asked: Why don’t bagels taste the same at home as they do at Mom mom’s?
A good fresh New York bagel is just different. For me, a lot of the difference is texture. The crust is a perfect amount of crunchy. The inside is chewy. A fresh warm bagel in New York is heaven. A day-old bagel that has been perfectly toasted, is another version of heaven.
At this point, my guess is that some of you are thinking: Here he goes again, the elitist former New Yorker (I have lived in Memphis for 32 years and still stutter when saying I am from Memphis. Yes, I will always be a Yankee). Another story
When we first moved to Memphis we had dinner with my friend Jeff from Connecticut. Back in the early 1980’s we had moved from Bedford NY to California and Jeff and Terry had moved from Greenwich Connecticut to Australia. We were talking about the cultural difference between Sydney Australia and Memphis Tennessee. In mid-sentence Jeff says: In both places they call you a Yankee. The big difference is that in Australia, it is not an insult.
Getting back to bagels. The truth is that people tend to like the foods they grew up with. New Yorkers like New York Pizza. People from Chicago like Chicago Pizza. People from Memphis like BBQ on their pizza. This former New Yorker likes a good New York Bagel.
You can find some great bagels outside of the New York Metropolitan area. We used to be able get an excellent bagel in Memphis. Then my favorite bagel place went out of business. Someone bought the business and refurbished the building. We were very excited for the reopening, but when they refurbished, they changed their process. The new process made a lousy product. The bagel crust was not crunchy. The inside texture was like Wonder Bread White Bread.
Making bagels has been on the list for a long time. I once read an article that basically said, homemade bagels are ok, but you cannot compete with a good bagel shop bagel. Given the demise of my favorite Memphis bagel shop and the promise of a good winter ice storm, I decided to give homemade bagels a try.
Homemade bagels fresh out of the oven
Recipe modified from the NY Times article
SOMETIMES YOU WILL AMAZE YOURSELF HOW GOOD A PRODUCT YOU CAN MAKE.
Following is a youtube video demonstrating how to make bagels
My homemade bagels were pretty darn good. The crust, taste and texture were excellent. Was the bagel as good as Mom Mom’s bagel shop in Westhampton? Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, but these bagels are pretty good.
Toast up a section of bagel crust and you have a wonderful platform for an amazing array of appetizers: Bagel Crust with:
The toasted bagel wedge, a perfect base for a broad range of appetizers
- Salami, Cream Cheese, Onion, Capers
- Ham, Cream Cheese, Red Onion, Dill pickle
- Smoked Salmon Cream Cheese Spread with Horseradish and Dill
- Lox with Cream Cheese and Red Onion
- Steak with Boursin
One can go on and on. The truth is that a bagel crust is as good as any canape or crostini crust. Proving, Bagels are not just for breakfast anymore.
If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/wine group/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.
Like Bringing A Sandwich To A Smorgasbord
Bringing a bottle of wine to an event at certain people’s home is like bringing a sandwich to a smorgasbord. We just spent a few days with our friends Kathy and Scott Flora in Florida. Scott has been my wine muse for years. When Scott moved from our neighborhood the local wine store (affectionately referred to as Germantown Baptist Wine & Liquor – see below) flew flags at half-mast for a week. All kidding aside, the place was sold a short while after he left.
What is the old Joke: What is the difference between a Catholic and a Baptist? The Catholic will say hello when he sees you at the Liquor store.
The truth is that there was big controversy when a liquor store originally wanted to open close to the local Baptist church. Ever since the store did open, we have called it “Germantown Baptist Wine & Liquor”. Come to think of it, Kathy Flora was probably the first to use that handle.
Scott knows his wine and is very generous with his inventory. An excellent example of his generosity was at the kick-off party we had for our daughter’s wedding. We had a party at my mother’s house in Westhampton for about 75 people. The meal consisted of:
- Memphis Smoked Sausage Plate with real polish Kielbasa from the Polish town in Riverhead and dry seasoning rub from Rendezvous BBQ in Memphis
- Grilled Local Swordfish with a dill-based compound butter
- Grilled 2-Inch-Thick Steaks with an herb-based compound butter
- Mom Mom’s Potato Salad
- Grilled Eggplant
- Late Season Heirloom Tomato Salad
Clockwise Above: The Kick-off Dinner Spread, Mother of the Bride/Father of the Bride and Scott & Kathy Flora
Of course, we had plenty of wine and beer. Before the party, Scott asked me if I would mind if he brought some wine from his inventory since at the time, he was living in Connecticut which was a short ferry ride away. Very early on at the party I noticed that people were congregating around Scott’s table. Turned out, he had cases of his better wine under the table. I will confess, that I was among the many that enjoyed Scott’s wine that night and many other nights before and since.
This week was no exception. While I did bring a few bottles, what we brought was nothing compared to the cornucopia of wonderful wine that Scott served us. Fortunately, Scott and Kathy let me cook. True to theme of “Bring A Bottle And An Appetizer” we had two wonderful meals based on Appetizers. One night we enjoyed some Gougeres. We had a fun day of golf and came home in time to watch Kathy’s beloved Kansas City Chiefs beat the Buffalo Bills. Gougeres are easy to make and are always a hit. They bring the added benefit of smelling great as they bake in the oven. The smell alone is a reason to make this perfect appetizer which can also be a meal.
The next night, after a late lunch, we weren’t particularly hungry for a big dinner. Kathy offered that she had some cauliflower based pizza crusts that we could use to make a quick pizza. Originally, I was skeptical as I have tried a few times to make a cauliflower crust and the results were not good. It turns out that the Caulipower, Cauliflower based pizza crust (see Below) was excellent. Cauliflower is the main ingredient, but they use rice flour to give the crust a more traditional pizza taste and texture. The whole crust is only 510 calories. We made a few versions using mozzarella, parmesan, garlic, spinach, olive oil, shrimp, and pepperoni as toppings. The end product tasted great, and my bet is that in a blind panel, no one would know that cauliflower was the main ingredient in the crust…
Particularly, while enjoying a Smorgasbord of Scott’s wine.
If you enjoyed this blog and similar other stories/wine group/supper club lessons follow me on Facebook and Twitter and subscribe to get future blogs at www.impromptufridaynights.com/blog and check out my book Impromptu Friday Nights a Guide to Supper Clubs. Published by Morgan James Publishing and available through most channels where books are sold.