Beer isn’t just a satisfying beverage—it works well in recipes, too. Over the years, Pepper’s has crafted many dishes using Guinness. Guinness has a unique smokiness that many of us particularly enjoy, making it great for marinades and as a base in many other dishes.

Among the offerings on our winter 2012 menu is a Guinness Beer Braised Short Rib of Beef, a dish that often garners much acclaim. Provided below is a variation on that recipe for you to try out at home. The recipe calls for marinating flank steak in Guinness and serving as a sandwich. The marinade will impart those flavor nuances that makes beer a great addition to any meat recipe.

In this recipe, the depth of flavor from the Guinness marinade is enhanced by a touch of rich herb and garlic cheese that is melted on top of the hot steak and topped with onions.

We recommend using this recipe as an alternative to the traditional Corned Beef & Cabbage in celebration of St. Patrick’s Day!

Guinness Marinade Steak Sandwich, on Herb Boursin Sour Dough.

Onions are easier to grill without falling apart if you skewer them before cooking. Cut an onion into 1/2-inch thick slices. Thread the center of each onion with a bamboo skewer that has been soaked in water. Place the onion skewers (they look like lollipops) on the cooking grates and turn once halfway through cooking.

Start to finish: 30 minutes active (plus 1 to 2 hours marinating)
Servings: 4

2-pound flank steak or London Broil, at least 1-inch thick
14.9-ounce can Guinness beer
2 large red onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1 small container Boursin cheese or make your own, its easy.
Olive oil
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
8 thick slices sourdough or country bread

Use paper towels to pat dry the steak, then set it in a glass or stainless steel container with a tight cover. Pour the Guinness over the steak and set aside. Cut the onion into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Set the slices on top of the steak, then cover the container and refrigerate for 2-3 hours.

Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium. Remove the meat and onions from the marinade and pat dry. Brush everything with a thin coat of olive oil, then season with salt and pepper.

Place steak and onions on the cooking grate over direct heat and sear for 6 to 8 minutes. Turn the steak and onions and sear on the second side for another 6 to 8 minutes.

(Alternatively, you also can sear the steak and onions on a stovetop grill or grill pan for several minutes per side, then finish cooking in a 350 F oven set on a rack over a sheet pan.)

Transfer the steak and onions to a platter. Remove the cheese from the freezer and use a vegetable peeler or paring knife to shave Boursin on top of the steak and onions. Cover with foil and set aside.

Brush each slice of bread with oil, then grill them until lightly toasted, about 1 to 2 minutes. Thinly slice the steak, then assemble sandwiches with the bread, steak and onions.

Our passion for cooking is driven and inspired by many influences, not the least of which are the seasonal changes and growing plethora of locally available vegetables and cheeses. Beets are one such vegetable currently in season.  

We were recently awarded the wonderful opportunity to cater an elegant gala event for a prestigious Boston-based organization for which we prepared our fresh roasted beet salad with local Chevre cheese from Crystal Brook Farm in Sterling. The finished product was as satisfying to the palate as it looked on the plate.

It seemed to be a beet themed night, as we also prepared roasted red and golden beets for their invited guests. This dish we presented stacked Napoleon style, drizzled with blood orange vinaigrette and served with toasted pistachio dust and a micro sprout salad.

Today, we offer a simpler version of that recipe for you to try with your friends and family. This version, while slightly pared down and easier for a novice cook to manage, still incorporates the tastes, textures and visual appeal as the original and we assure you will elicit rave reviews.

I can personally attest to the popularity of this particular salad, as I had prepared a platter for a ski patrol pot luck dinner (not your likely beet lovers) and they couldn’t believe that they not only loved the salad, but that they loved something with beets in it.

Beet & Radicchio Salad, Goat Cheese & Pistachio

Yield 6-8 portions

2 lbs.                         Beets. Peeled, cut into ¾”pieces

½ cup                        EVOO

2.5 tblsp                     Red wine vinegar

½ teas.                      Kosher salt

To Taste                     Fresh ground Black Pepper         

1 ea                           Garlic clove, lrg. ( smashed)

2  tblsp                       Tarragon, fresh chopped

1 head                        Radicchio, chopped 1’ pieces

½ cup                         Parsley, chopped coarse

4oz.                            Fresh Goat Cheese

2/3 cup                       Pistachios, Toasted & coarse chopped

This is easy.

Marry the beets, ½ of the olive oil & kosher salt in a bowl and toss until beets are coated and roast in a 375 degree oven until done. Could be 20-30 minutes. Let cool when done.

Dressing:  Add garlic, herbs & vinegar to the bowl you used for the beets and slowly whisk in the remaining EVOO and adjust seasoning of salt & pepper. You might add a pinch or two of sugar if you’d like to take some of the end off of the vinegar.

Marry all of you prepped ingredients with the dressing, give it a toss and plate up and enjoy, with perhaps a chilled glass of Sancerre.  This salad is quite attractive when presented in a Bibb Lettuce cup as a base.

Photo Credit: Wright Reading

By Chef John

Pepper’s is often called upon for creative & cost effective solutions to celebration catering. In fact, nearly every client has this on their mind, regardless of whether they’re calling about a bridal shower, surprise birthday party or a black tie gala.

This past weekend we hosted our family for New Year’s Day Brunch.  What better time than the new year for extended family to get together and partake in delicious food?

Now, having been raised by a chef (dad) and a dietician (mom), you might think that everyone in our family is a foodie. In reality, when it comes to palate, we’re not so different than most families. We have family members with predilection for meat dishes, a vegetarian and a couple of fussy eaters.

Our goal was to accommodate everyone’s tastes without over-blowing our budget. To hit the mark, we decide to serve several smaller dishes, at least one of which would be sure to appeal to even the pickiest family members. Sure enough, once the family saw our smoked salmon platter, display of roasted vegetables, potato & smoked garlic sausage strata, fruit platter, and honey glazed ham they were tantalized into trying it all—and enjoying it too!

But the big hit of the celebration was by far our pumpkin waffles. We served them with crushed hazelnut maple syrup. Even those who passed on the syrup said hands down, these were great waffles.

If you’re looking for a menu idea for a cost effective brunch, our pumpkin waffle recipe (included below) is sure to fit the bill and please your guests. Even if you don’t have an event coming up, go ahead and treat yourself and your family members on a weekend morning—you’ll be glad you did!

Pumpkin Waffles                            yield 12 each, 4 in. waffles

2.5 cups all purpose flour

1/3 cup  light brown sugar

2 & ¼ teas. baking powder

1 teas. baking soda

½ teas. salt (my preference is Kosher in nearly all cooking)

2 teas. cinnamon (love Vietnamese cinnamon)

1.5 teas. ground ginger

½ teas. ground star anise or nutmeg ( both provide different nuances, but either are fun )

¼ teas.  ground cloves

4 eggs, large

2 cups half & half cream

½ each lemon juice (optional)

1 cup pumpkin puree, canned & solid pack

1/3 cup butter, melted

Whisk together all of your wet ingredients (eggs, cream, pumpkin & butter). Whisk in the dry ingredients until smooth.

Spray your pre-heated waffle iron with pan release spray (Pam) and follow the directions of the waffle maker.

Serve with warm maple syrup, whipped butter and Enjoy.

Fresh caught Fish for dinner?

Grow my own vegetables? 

Not so much ?  Not a problem.

Thankfully here in Massachusetts, we have a number of terrific options for shopping locally available foodstuffs produced, grown or caught that couldn’t be fresher. For Peppers Chefs, it doesn't get any better than bringing in the bounty that is available from local farms during our brief growing season. As an added bonus, procuring these enticing offerings have a very low carbon footprint, are more nutritious & tasteful than products trucked in a week from harvest out West and participating, supports our growing local farmers who grow sustainable food.

Farmers markets are available on a daily basis seemingly within 10-15 minutes drive of nearly everyone and the offerings vary from vegetables, locally produced jams, farmstead cheeses, salsas, artisan breads, honey, beeswax, soaps, chutneys and so much more, depending on the popularity of the location.

Finding a local farmers market is easily available from a simple Google search or visiting the www.massfarmersmarkets.org website. 

One other idea that is catching interest on in the world of special events is choosing a local farm for the location of a Green Wedding or a Garden Wedding.

Our sources for local chevre cheese has expressed that her pasture would be available to host a catered affair. If you love the idea of viewing playful goats

during the cocktail hour, this may be perfect and unique.

A great way to get the freshest produce to your family table and support local farmers is to buy shares in a Community Supported Agriculture ( CSA ) program that allows a participant buys shares in a farm and receives a certain amount of fresh, locally grown food every week. There are over 60 farms in Massachusetts that are offering such an enticing program, helping sustain local farmers with a guaranteed income to sustain their expenses and bridging the gap from producer to your table.

A most exciting &  innovative CSA program that has been started by the Gloucester Fishermen’s Wives Association is the Cape Ann Fresh Catch. Now this is cool.

Were talking about the fresh & locally sustainable seafood available from our north shore. Starting on Sept. 6, and running for 10 weeks, you can purchase shares and receive fresh caught local fish, delivered to a local drop. It’s the catch of the day.

Currently nearly 18 stops are in the plans and an area could put together 80 members, a weekly new site may be established (40 members for a bi-weekly delivery.

10 Minutes from Peppers Catering’ kitchen is Heirloom Harvest Community Farm where we’ll be seen picking up our fish for personal use. While from week to week we’ll not be sure what the catch will bring, for those with a knife skill challenge, they offer a filet of fish option. Whole fish has the advantage of giving you the frame (skeleton) in which to make a delicious broth to be used in your favorite fish sauce or stew.

See the www.capeannfreshcatch.org for addition information and a location for pick up near you.

Another AHA recipe prepared by Peppers Fine Foods' Chef John Lawrence at the American Heart Association's "Go Red" Event at St. Vincent's Hospital in Worcester, Friday night, Feb. 24, 2011:

Ingredients for Eggplant Caviar

• 1 medium eggplant (about 1 1/2 pounds)
• 1 medium yellow, green, or red bell pepper
• 1 small red onion
• 3 medium Italian plum tomatoes 
• 1/2 cup snipped fresh parsley
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon olive oil (extra-virgin preferred)
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the eggplant on a baking sheet. Pierce the eggplant with a fork in two or three spots. Bake for 45 minutes, or until tender (it will wrinkle and collapse). Set aside to cool.

Meanwhile, finely chop the bell pepper and onion. Put in a medium bowl. Cut the tomatoes in half. Using a spoon, scoop out and discard the seeds and juice. Finely chop the tomato flesh. Add to the bell pepper mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients except the eggplant. Set aside.

Peel and quarter the cooled eggplant. Using a spoon, scoop out the seeds. Squeeze the liquid from the eggplant quarters. Finely chop the eggplant. Stir into the bell pepper mixture. Serve at room temperature or refrigerate in a covered container and serve chilled.

Nutrients per Serving: Calories 19, Total Fat 1.0 g, Saturated Fat 0.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g, Cholesterol 0 mg, Sodium 31 mg, Carbohydrates 3 g, Sugars 2 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 1 g

Dietary Exchanges: Free

EGGPLANT CAVIAR NACHOS

For one serving, put 1 cup unsalted baked tortilla chips on a microwaveable or oven-safe plate. Spoon 1/4 cup Eggplant Caviar over the chips. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons shredded low-fat Cheddar or Monterey Jack cheese. Microwave on 100% power (high) for 1 to 2 minutes or bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, or until the cheese has melted.
Nutrients per Serving: Calories 173, Total Fat 3.0 g, Saturated Fat 1.0 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 0.0 g, Monounsaturated Fat 1.0 g, Cholesterol 3 mg, Sodium 148 mg, Carbohydrates 31 g, Sugars 3 g, Fiber 5 g, Protein 7 g

Dietary Exchanges: 1 1/2 starch, 1 vegetable, 'h fat

Recipe prepared by Peppers Fine Foods' Chef John Lawrence at the American Heart Association's "Go Red" Event at St. Vincent's Hospital in Worcester, Friday night, Feb. 24, 2011:

Chicken Breasts with Tomato Kalamata Sauce Recipe

Ingredients

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano, crumbled
• 1 teaspoon paprika
• 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
• 4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves {about 4 ounces each), all visible fat discarded
• 1 teaspoon olive or canola oil
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 medium tomato, seeded if desired and chopped
• 12 kalamata olives, coarsely chopped medium garlic clove, minced
• 1/4 teaspoon pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 1/2 ounces reduced-fat feta cheese, crumbled

Directions for Chicken Breasts with Tomato Kalamata Sauce

In a small bowl, stir together the oregano, paprika, and chili powder. Sprinkle over the chicken. Using your fingertips, press the mixture firmly onto the chicken so the mixture adheres.

In a large nonstick skillet, heat the oil over medium heat, swirling to coat the bottom. Cook the chicken with the smooth side down for 5 minutes. Turn and cook for 4 minutes, or until the chicken is no longer pink in the center. Transfer to a serving plate.

Put the remaining ingredients except the feta in the skillet. Stir. Increase the heat to medium high and bring to a boil, scraping the bottom and side of the skillet to dislodge any browned bits. Boil for 2 1/2 to 3 minutes, or until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring frequently. Spoon over the chicken. Sprinkle with the feta.

Serves 4; 3 ounces chicken and 2 tablespoons sauce per serving

Nutrients per Serving: Calories 196, Total Fat 7.0 g, Saturated Fat 1 .5 g, Polyunsaturated Fat 1 ..0 g, Monounsaturated Fat 3.5 g, Cholesterol 70 mg, Sodium 476 mg, Carbohydrates 4 g, Sugars 1 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 29 g

Dietary Exchanges: 1 vegetable, 3 1/2 lean meat

A few months ago Chef John Lawrence took on the challenge of beekeeping.

Peppers is thrilled to announce that their two hives have survived their "newbee" beginning to official beekeeping! Now that the cooler weather is here the hives are partially wrapped to protect them from harsh winter winds from the north.

Success!

Despite barely knowing what they were doing, the Peppers hives produced over 28 pounds of the most wonderful and dark honey any of them had ever put to their lips. The honey had a very low moisture count of under 11% which is excellent. No doubt Chef Paul Wilson and Linda LaBarge will come up with a creative catering use for this liquid gold!

Another great surprise was a visit from The Massachusetts Bee Inspector, Ken Warchol, who gave Chef John a “thumbs up” for the health of the hive and their production. Ken was a wealth of information and helpful tips, very informed and passionate when the talk is about bees.

Did you know…

• Bees fly at about 20 miles per hour
• Bees have been around for 30 million years
  
• Bees have 5 eyes
  
• The average bee makes 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in a lifetime
  
• Bees can be used to detect land mines with tiny radio devices attached (who thinks of these things?)
  
• A queen bee lays up to 1500 eggs a day
  
• 30% of all plant pollination is done by bees

All of Chef John's bee training comes from the local Worcester County Beekeepers Association

Butternut Squash Lasagna: Ingredients

• 8 cups organic butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• ¼ cup + 2 tablespoons canola oil
• 1-pound box of lasagna noodles
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon pepper
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• ¼ teaspoon cinnamon
• 2 cups Béchamel Sauce (See recipe below)
• ¾ teaspoon fresh rosemary
• 16 ounces organic grated provolone cheese
• 12 ounces organic grated mozzarella cheese
• 8 ounces organic grated parmesan cheese
• 2 bunches fresh organic sage

Béchamel Sauce

• 1 stick (¼ pound) organic clarified butter
• ¾ cup unbleached white flour, sifted
• 1 quart organic milk, scalded
• 1 medium onion, finely diced

Heat clarified butter in a heavy saucepan; add onion and sauté until translucent. Add flour and stir over moderate heat for 5-6 minutes. Add scalded milk and stir until thickened; stir in salt, pepper and rosemary.

Butternut Squash Lasagna: Preparation

Preheat oven to 365 degrees.

In a large bowl, toss squash with kosher salt and oil until coated well and spread onto a shallow baking pan. Roast squash in oven for 25-35 minutes , or until tender. Remove from oven and season with salt, pepper, nutmeg and cinnamon. (If roasting in a convection oven, lower temperature to 350 degrees and roast for 15-20 minutes.)

Cook lasagna noodles as directed until al dente; drain and rinse with cold water. Increase temperature to 375 degrees.

Spread a thin layer of the béchamel sauce in the bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish and cover with a layer of lasagna noodles. Sprinkle noodles with grated cheeses; add a layer of roasted squash and top with béchamel sauce. Make two more layers in the same manner, beginning and ending with pasta. Top the final layer with the remaining béchamel sauce and grated cheese. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

Reduce temperature to 325 degrees and bake for an additional 45 minutes or until bubbling and golden. (If top browns too quickly, cover lightly with foil) Let your butternut squash lasagna stand for 15-20 minutes before serving.

Susan and I have just returned from 3 days of eating and culture in NYC and we are all jazzed up again. Nothing like the stimulation of the city and especially the food scene. We did sit next to Andrew Zimmerman of “Weird Food” fame on the Travel Channel, and more on that later.http://www.andrewzimmern.com/blog/andrew Our very first item on our itinerary was a food tasting and cultural tour on Chinatown offered by www.foodsofny.com and this experience far exceeded our expectations. Rasheem our english speaking guide had unsurpassed passion for Chinatown, spoke fluent Mandarin, had been to China 3 times and was unbelievable. A dream guide. We hit the authentic Peking Duck House, a temple of the classic dish, Chinese bakeries ( Fay Da akery, dim sum houses, tea emporiums (Ten Ren ) but the true highlight was our first stop, Dim Sum Go Go at 5 East Broadway. This is where a few days later on a return visit, we sat next to Andrew Zimmerman who was dining with a family of friends. We had a brief chat and he had reccomended we try the Duck Dim Sum. We smiled and fessed up that we had just finished 2 orders and had moved on to the Vegetarian Platter with a trilogy on wonderful condiments. Later we decided to shoot over to Chinatown Ice Cream Factory on a reccomendation for wasabi ice cream and again we run into Andrew. He suggested we try the Tangerine Lime. While they didn’t offer the wasabi as their menu changes due to the fact that they have nearly 150 flavors that they rotate in and out. Susan enjoyed the ginger and I had a mango lime. both were delicious. I didn’t know that the Chinese invented ice cream but can attest to the very satisfying experience at this wonderful spot at 65 Bayard St. Other NYC eating tips from this trip are Chelsea Market for a dozen or so restaurants, bakeries, and assorted food shops.Planet Donut @ 379 Grand Street for the best donut in the country. Zetinz Market for eye candy as well as enticing gourmet shop experience, located at 24 West 40th Street. You can’r beat Katz Delicatessen on Canal Street for the best corned beef & reubin experience.

We also took in two plays that were both terrific. We highly reccomend Bily Elliott and Impressionism with Joan Allen and Jeremey Irons along with Marth Mason. Strong acting performance and great use of visual technology. Get to the big apple soon and especially if you could view the apple blossoms at the Brooklyn Botanical Gardens. Check out the museum next door and both are easily accessed via the subway for a 4.00 round trip.

Spring always bring a number of tasting opportunities for area residents and supporters of non-profit organizations and venues. Last evening our Culinary Team blew away the diners with an over the top menu of crispy braised pork served over preserved lemon sweet potato puree, seared citrus diver scallops infused with vanilla bean and served with a lemon beuree blanc and our Pastry Chef got into the action with some creative spoon dessert concoctions. We served 160 diners in the first 90 minutes with lines out the door and made my wife and I along with our event planner team quite proud.

Next week on April will bring us to the Corridor 9 Business Expo and Chef will rock with Asian braised short ribs with jasmine rice and then the event that we are most excited about id monday April 6, at the Worcester County Food Bank and a special fundraising event to honor Barbara Houle the food editor of the Worcester Telegram & Gazette for over 30 years. No one has done more for area Chef, Restauranteurs, Food Producers and Farmers than Barbara and Central Mass would not nearly have progressed as far as it has culinary wise if not for Barbara’s support. We know that the 11 participating restaurants, bakeries and caterers will really step up with their creativity for this one and for the price of 25.00, this will be one memorable evening of small plate dining. Oh, and did I mention the martini luge along with local brew, live music and a tribut to Barbara. Stop by and say hello to the Chef’s and especialy Pepper’s Fine Foods Catering.