Dinner in the Dark: A Benefit for VeggieU

I don't have time to do a full post on this awesome event, but I wanted to make sure you all heard about the latest great idea from the great chefs in Cleveland.

Dinner in the Dark will be a once-a-month dining event in which local chefs will cook a no holds barred, anything goes, "open mic, jam session for chefs" that will benefit the chef's charities of choice. For the first Dinner in the Dark, Chef Jeff Jarrett (North End, Hudson), Chef Brian Okin (Verve Restaurant, Cleveland), and Chef Ellis Cooley (AMP150, Cleveland) will prepare you a 'mystery' dining experience and all proceeds will support VeggieU.

What: Dinner in the Dark
Where: Verve Restaurant, 1332 Carnegie Ave
When: October 11th at 7pm
How: Tickets $50 call 216-664-5500

I am really bummed that work will prevent me from being able to attend the first Dinner in the Dark but I definitely hope to attend one soon. If you go, please let me know all the details and feel free to rub in how good it was!

GIVEAWAY: 13th Annual L’AMOUR DU VIN, A Premier Wine and Food Event

You might remember back in April I gave away tickets to the annual Silver Spoon awards in support of the Arthritis Foundation. More than 40 million people in the US have some form of arthritis, and many have chronic pain that limits daily activity. Rheumatoid arthritis, the most disabling form of arthritis, affects more than 2 million people in the US. Multiple people in my family are severely affected by arthritis so this is a cause that hits close to my heart, and my joints!

With that being said, I'm happy to tell you about the latest fundraising effort by the NE Ohio chapter of the Arthritis Foundation. On Thursday, October 7, 2010 they are hosting the 13th Annual L’Amour du Vin, a Premier Wine and Food Event at the Avon Oaks Country Club. The event with feature a sampling of fine wines and cuisine provided by 14 westside eateries.

There are three ways to get tickets:

1. Order them online
2. Call (800) 245-2275, ext 100 
3. Enter to win a free pair of tickets on my blog! See how to enter at the end of this post

The highlight of the event is definitely the VIP Lounge featuring martini pairings by Chef Ellis Cooley from AMP 150. If you haven't tried Chef Cooley's food yet, you are missing out. He is doing huge things in the Cleveland culinary scene and this will be an amazing opportunity to meet him and sample his delicious food. The event also includes a unique silent auction, live music and the opportunity to win fabulous prizes.

In addition to AMP 150, other restaurants participating include:

    * 87 West at Crocker Park (Nice wine bar)
    * Avon Oaks Country Club
    * Cabot Cheese
    * Catherine's Chocolates (AMAZING CHOCOLATES!!!)
    * Flavor the Town
    * The Good Fork (I've heard great things)
    * Jake's on the Lake/Savannah Bar & Grill
    * Kiedrowski's Simply Delicious Bakery
    * Legacy Restaurant & Grille
    * Red Gables Mesquite Grill (Check out their website - looks like a great plac)
    * Moosehead Grill
    * Oberlin Inn
    * Whistlestop Restaurant


Event proceeds will support the mission of the Arthritis Foundation:  to improve lives through leadership in the prevention, control and cure of arthritis and related diseases.


Blocks of tickets and sponsorship packages are also available. Business/cocktail attire suggested.

There are four ways to enter to win tickets here on my blog:

1. Leave a comment telling me about your favorite local farm or farmers market
2. Become a "fan" of Live to Cook at Home on Facebook and post the giveaway on your wall
3. Follow me on Twitter and Tweet about this giveaway
4. Sign up to receive new posts via email using the form on the top right of this page

Be sure to leave a comment for each entry and leave your email address in the comment so I know how to get a hold of you. Good luck and thanks for supporting the Arthritis Foundation!

Iron Chef Michael Symon News

Michael Symon's newest TV show, Cook Like an Iron Chef, debuts tonight at 10pm on the Cooking Channel, a new station from the creators of the Food Network. From the Cooking Channel's Website:

Iron Chef Mike Symon is breaking out of Kitchen Stadium to share his creative process and techniques for turning your favorite secret ingredients into unique, daring and delicious food. Chef Symon arms you with an arsenal of dishes that deliver perfect 10's for taste, presentation and creativity to help you do battle for the discerning judges at your own kitchen table.

According to Symon, "It's essentially a show for the people who've watched Food Network forever and are ready to learn something more advanced or more creative."

He sees the show being for serious foodies who are ready to take the next step as a home cook. Of course the only way to take that next step is to get in the kitchen and cook, so after you watch the show, be sure to pick your favorite recipe from Live to Cook, head to your local farmers market for some fresh, local ingredients, and get in the kitchen and cook.

The Cooking Channel is 158 with Time Warner Cable in Avon Lake - no HD available yet - check with your provider to find out what station it is in your area. Unfortunately this station does not come with the standard service that we have with Time Warner so I won't be able to see the show. Hopefully it will show up on Hulu.

Update I: The Cooking Channel is 456 with AT&T Uverse - Thanks Sarah! Can you pull any strings to get Uverse to serve Avon Lake?

Update II: The Cooking Channel is 232 with Direct TV. Thanks Shawnee's Girl! 

Update III: The Cooking Channel is 127 with Cox Communications. Thanks DaniP! 

I also wanted to mention a charity event Michael Symon is hosting at his flagship restaurant, Lola Bistro, Sunday, August 1st from 6-9 p.m. Food for Life will benefit three charities that are near and dear to Symon - Autism Speaks, Share Our Strength and Urban Community School. Symon will be hosting a long list of culinary all-stars from Cleveland and across the country including:

• Michael Schwartz - Michael's Genuine, Miami, FL
• Vinnie Dotolo & Jon Shook - Animal, Los Angeles, CA
• Jonathan Waxman - Barbuto, New York, NY
• Koren Grieveson - Avec, Chicago, IL
• Michael Sheerin - Blackbird,Chicago, IL
• Mary Sue Milliken - Border Grill, Santa Monica, CA and Las Vegas, NV
• Marc Vetri and Jeff Michaud - Vetri, Osteria and Amis, Philadelphia, PA
• Anne Burrell - Food Network, New York, NY
• Joey Campanaro - The Little Owl, New York, NY
• Jonathan Sawyer - The Greenhouse Tavern, Cleveland, OH
• Rocco Whalen - Fahrenheit, Cleveland, OH
• Paul Minillo - The Baricelli Inn, Cleveland, OH
• Nate Appleman - Pulino's Bar & Pizzeria, New York, NY
• Eric Williams - Momocho, Cleveland, OH
• Scot Jones - Vegiterranean, Cleveland, OH

In addition to amazing food and mingling with some of the countries best chefs, the event will also feature music, entertainment, and auctions. It's sure to be a great event and I'm disappointed that I will be out of town that day.

Tickets are $200, with VIP tickets, full tables and special sponsorship opportunities available. A $1,000 VIP ticket includes an invitation to a private dinner at Symon's home on Saturday, July 31, and a party at the Greenhouse Tavern after the benefit. For more information and to buy tickets online, go to join.strength.org/foodforlife or call 1-888-273-6141.

2010 Veggie U Food & Wine Celebration

My beautiful wife on the grounds of the beautiful Culinary Vegetable Institute

My wife was the lucky winner of a pair of tickets  to the 2010 Veggie U Food & Wine Festival on the grounds of the Culinary Vegetable Institute. (Thanks again Cleveland Foodie!!!)

It was HOT under the main tasting tent. Fortunately they had fans misting water and Jeni's Ice Cream to cool us down.

The Food & Wine benefit is an annual benefit featuring gourmet cuisine prepared by chefs from all over the country, wines from top vineyards, cooking demos, and an exclusive auction, all benefiting Veggie U. Veggie U's mission is to promote the well-being of children through a healthy lifestyle.  Veggie U is dedicated to the creation and distribution of curricula nationally, with a focus on making wise food choices, combating adolescent and juvenile disease, and attaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture.

 Some of the beautiful produce on display courtesy of the Culinary Vegetable Institute (sorry, the photo doesn't even begin to give it justice)

Tickets weren't cheap at $175, but considering the great cause and number of renowned chefs, serving great food with pristine ingredients from the Culinary Vegetable Institute, this event was worth the cost of admission.

We took a lot of pictures as we made our way through the stations and I thought I'd share some of our favorite dishes with you.There was obviously lots of great food but one dish was our runaway favorite - Chef Michael Deligatta's squash blossom stuffed with fire roasted heirloom sweet corn and Silver Lake chevre with spicy peach chutney.

Easily the best dish of the festival - Chef Michael Deligatta's Squash Blossom Stuffed with Fire Roasted Heirloom Sweet Corn and Silver Lake Chevre with Spicy Peach Chutney

 

The blossoms were lightly fried and stuffed with a delicious, creamy filling. This is the only station we went back to for seconds thirds. The chef said these are on his summer menu so if you want to try them head down to the Inn at Versailles.

My second favorite came at the hands of Chef Jamie McFadden of Cuisiniers in Winter Park, FL and was the most unlikely candidate - A Study of Peas.

Peas three different ways

Anyone care for a champagne cocktail featuring peas? Bring it on! Skeptical at first, I could have drank this light, refreshing drink all day. It was the perfect compliment to the heat. They also served a cold spring pea soup and a sweet pea and fava bean bruschetta. All three dishes were executed perfectly, letting the quality of the Chef's Garden peas shine through. If Chef Jamie ever goes on Iron Chef, he should hope for peas as the secret ingredient!

There were lots of other great dishes, but these two really stood out from the crowd, in my opinion. Here are some shots of our other favorite dishes:

 

Dumpling of Braised Grass-Fed Beef, Maytag Bleu Cheese, Heirloom Tomoato Confit by Chef Leo Bushey of Perfect Production Fine Catering

Short Ribs with Radish and Turnip Salad by Chef Tony Dee of Barton G in Miami Beach

Roasted Summer Corn Salad with Smokey Rubbed Hanger Steak by Chef Dave Martin from Top Chef Season 1

Beautiful artwork carved out of fruits and veggies

It was amazing how quickly he was able to create these!

 Chilled Watermelon & Cucumber Salad by Chef Rachel Spieth from Three Birds in Lakewood

Porcini Mushroom Dusted Lambchops over Heirloom Tomato & Shaved Fennel Salad with 12 yr aged Balsamic by Chef Ray Comisky of Capital Grille

 

 Beet-i-ful Terrine, Mascarpone Cream Beet Cherry Puree, Mache by Chef Tim Maxim

Gunpowder Bison Flank Steak "Bahn Mi" with Fois Gras Butter and Chef's Garden Produce Fixin's Bar by Chefs Beej Flamholz and Erica Wides

"Fixin's Bar"

Unfortunately my camera battery died half way through the evening so I didn't capture the rest of the food we sampled. Needless to say, we didn't go home hungry. The event also featured wine tasting demos with master sommeliers - we missed these, wish they started a little later as we were too busy eating to make it to these sessions, live music, food demos with Martha Foose, Jonathon Sawyer from The Greenhouse Tavern, and Dave Martin & Lee Ann Wong from Top Chef.

If you are interested in supporting the mission of Veggie U, please consider making a tax-deductible donation.

Did you attend the 2010 Veggie U Food & Wine Celebration? What was your favorite dish???

Providence Church BBQ Rib Burn Off

I'm sorry, I know it's been quite a while since I've posted anything. The real world has been keeping me very busy lately and I haven't been able to spend much time in the kitchen. All the time I have spent in the kitchen has been devoted to one thing, my first cooking contest! I go to Providence Church in Avon and a couple months ago they announced they were going to host a rib burn off to raise money to support the student ministry summer mission trips.  

Sunday, June 6, 12-4pm

Providence Church

35295 Detroit Road

Avon, OH  44011

 A minimum donation of $15 is requested

I've been looking for ways to become more active at Providence and felt God was calling me to this opportunity as soon as I heard about it. So I talked to the guy organizing the competition and the next thing you know I was signed up, to cook 20 racks of St. Louis Style ribs! Did I mention that before signing up I had only cooked one 1/2 rack of ribs in my entire life? Heck, I'd probably even eaten less than 10 racks in my life prior to signing up! What can I say, pulled pork is more my style but I like a good challenge.

So for the past month or so I've been making a lot of ribs. Like with all my cooking, I've tried my best to make everything from scratch and treat the food with the respect it deserves. In my opinion, the only way to properly make ribs is low and slow, on a smoker (a Weber Kettle in my case) with a big kiss of smoke from apple wood. Ribs don't belong in the oven and they should never be boiled. I wanna see the smoke ring!

No, those aren't rare, the pink is caused by the smoking process

I've created numerous different handmade rubs that started with me grinding down dried chilies and mixing them with a variety of herbs and spices; I've applied the rub directly to the ribs as well as with a couple of different handmade mustard slathers; and who could forget the sauce? While I am still in the process of finding the right BBQ sauce, I think I came pretty close tonight. Of course it's my sauce has also been completely made from scratch, even down to the ketchup and worcestershire sauce that went into the various sauces I've made.

I haven't even mentioned the biggest challenge - cooking 20 racks of ribs and having them all ready at once! I can squeeze 5 racks on my Weber at one time using a rib rack and they take close to 5 hours to cook. That means 20 hours of cooking time! Fortunately a friend has the same Weber as me and he's going to let me borrow it, so that will cut the time in half. Guess what I'll be doing all day Saturday? Let me give you a clue, it's going to smell really good in Avon Lake.

Honestly, I am still not very confident in my ability to pull this off, much less compete for the title against the other competitors. But at the end of the day, we will raise a lot of money for a really good cause, so I am happy that I decided to participate. If you are a fan of ribs, I hope you'll consider coming out this Sunday to support a great cause.

So tell me, how do you like your ribs?

• Falling off the bone or a little bite to it? 
• Covered in sauce or let the meat and dry rub shine through? 
• Smokey or baked in an oven?
• Spicy, sweet, a little of both?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and hope to see you on Sunday!

Silver Spoon Awards Winner

I will have a couple of new posts next week including Olive Oil-Poached Halibut and Potatoes & Arugula. Heinen's is also sponsoring another giveaway, so be sure to check in Monday morning to enter!

Thank you to everyone who entered the ticket giveaway to the The 16th Annual Cleveland Magazine Silver Spoon Awards Party I wish I could give everyone tickets, but I only had one pair and the winner was.....Jyll. Congratulations!!!

To everyone else, I encourage you to head over to the Silver Spoon website and order tickets today. The VIP tickets are sold out but there are still plenty of general admission tickets. Not sure it's worth the money even thought it's tax deductible and benefits the Arthritis Foundation, Northeastern Ohio Chapter? Maybe some of the auction items will change your mind. If you are a big fan of Iron Chef Michael Symon, you'll definitely want to bid on the Iron Chef package that includes attendance to a live taping of Iron Chef in New York City!

If the auction items don't get you excited, maybe the menu for the evening will. Check out the highlights below courtesy of Poise in Parma:

• Aladdin’s Eatery: Mujadara and hummus with pita
• Angelo’s Pizza: Pizza
• Bar Cento/Bier Market:  Potato & wild ramp soup, paired with Belgium bier
• Bubba’s-Q World Famous Bar-B-Q & Catering: Smoked TurQey and ribs
• Chinato: VIP: Seafood Supplí with Tomato Sauce; Main room: Raddichio Pasticcio
• Corky & Lenny’s: Rugellach
• Downtown 140: Assortment of cheeses & house made crackers; filled salted chocolated almond cookies
• Eat’n Park: Strawberry pie and smiley cookies
• fire food & drink: Bhuna gosht served over Jeera rice with Kakdi,Tamafan Raita.
• Great Lakes Brewing Co.: Signature bread pudding and samples of a variety of GLBC beer
• Hot Sauce Williams: Ribs, pork shoulder, cherry cobbler, cabbage, coleslaw & baked beans
• Hyde Park Prime Steaks: Roasted tenderloin with au gratin potatoes, port wine reduction and truffle froth
• L’Albatros: VIP: Shrimp Mousseline wrapped in Savoy Cabbage with herb Butter; Main room: Pied de cochon, pickled vegetables and Bearnaise Aioli
• Lola: VIP: Cirtus donuts, artisnal Ohio cheese custard with sweet onion, “ham & egg” bisquits, milk chocolate & Ohio honey truffle
• Mint Café: Chicken & vegetable pad thai, chicken & vegetable red curry
• Pacific East Coventry: Sushi
• Paladar Latin Kitchen and Rum Bar: Rum glazed pork cubano; slow roasted pork shoulder served with bacon black bean and coconut rice topped with fresh pico de gallo
• Parallax: VIP: Almond Gaspacho with Seared Sea Scallops; Main room: Parallax Sushi Sampler
• Pearl of the Orient: Grilled prawns pad Thai on skewer
• Pier W: Basil grilled petit lobster tail; Hollandaise Mousseline
• Red, The Steakhouse: Thyme and fennel roasted Certified Angus Beef Filet, soft falls mills polenta, shaved fennel salad
• Saffron Patch: Chicken tikka masala, shrimp tikka, samosa, saffron rice, chenna masala
• Sans Souci: Twelve hour duck confit, ravioli tomato gastric
• Shuhei Japanese Cuisine and Sushi Bar: Sushi
• Sweet Melissa’s: Assorted desserts: triple chocolate tarte, red velvet, carrot, casatta, tiramisu, etc…
• Table 45: VIP: Braised Phillipino Pork and jasmine rice; Main room: Laughing Bird Shrimp Salad
• The Greenhouse Tavern: VIP: House made ravioli and steamed clams
• Tucky’s: Hot dogs with specialty toppings
• Ty Fun Thai Bistro: Kai kra pow; Vegetable tofu green curry; steamed rice
• VegiTerranean: Bruschetta bar & mini vegan pastries

 It is sure to be a great event so buy your tickets today!

Giveaway: 16th Annual Cleveland Magazine Silver Spoon Awards Party

Cleveland is blessed with some of the best chefs and independent restaurants in the country. On Thursday, May 13th, the best of the best (as voted by the readers of Cleveland Magazine) will be recognized at the 16th Annual Cleveland Magazine Silver Spoon Awards Party. Presented by the Cleveland Clinic Orthopaedic and Rheumatologic Institute, the strolling food and wine tasting event will allow guests to sample delicious signature dishes from more than 20 of Northeast Ohio's best restaurants and seven international wineries.

All participating restaurants are 2010 Cleveland Magazine Silver Spoon Award Winners. Some of my favorites include Fire, Flying Fig, The Greenhouse Tavern, L'Albatros, Lola, Parallax, and Ty Fun Thai Bistro. I also look forward to trying Chianto, Downtown 140, Hot Sauce Williams, and Pier W for the first time. View the full list of participating restaurants here.

There will also be a VIP lounge for those that want to sip on some bubbles and sample food from 2010 James Beard semi-finalists Cory Barrett, Zack Bruell and Jonathon Sawyer. VIP Lounge pass holders will enjoy sparkling wine pairings with exclusive cuisine by Chefs Barrett, Bruell and Sawyer.

 

Two of the VIP chef's. Sorry Cory, I couldn't find one of you.

A portion of the event is tax deductible as the proceeds will support the Arthritis Foundation, Northeastern Ohio Chapter and its local programs and services for the nearly one million Northeast Ohioans with arthritis and fund critical arthritis research conducted at local institutions in the region. My Mom and Grandma are both affected by arthritis so I am aware of the pain it can cause. Hopefully through events like this the Arthritis Foundation will have come up with better ways to treat it by the time it starts affecting me!

For more information and to purchase tickets for this fabulous event, go to the event website. You can also read more about the NE Ohio Arthritis Foundation on their blog.

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

I was given two tickets to this year's Cleveland Magazine Silver Spoon Awards Party (valued at $160). To enter to win, simply leave me a comment telling me the dish I've written about from Michael Symon's cookbook that has been your favorite to read about so far. To make it easy on you, I listed all the dishes at the end of this post, click each dish to read about it.

As usual, I will also give bonus entries for mentioning the giveaway via Twitter and Facebook. Leave another comment with a link to your mention to be entered.  Make sure to leave an email address in your comment so I can contact you if you win.  I will pick the lucky winner Tuesday, May 4, via www.random.org/. Good luck!

Which dish would you like to try the most?

Balsamic Vinegar (p. 65)

Beef Cheek Pierogies with Wildmushroom and Horseradish (p. 45)

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Walnuts and Capers (p. 155)

Grilled Red Snapper with Grape Leaves and Avgolemono (p. 185)

Lizzie's Roasted Chicken with Salsa Verde (p. 238)

Mac and Cheese with Roasted Chicken, Goat Cheese, and Rosemary (p. 89)

Roasted Dates with Pancetta, Almonds, and Chile (p. 31)

Roasted Leg of Lamb with Tzatziki (p. 231)

Seared Wild Mushrooms (p. 158)

Shaved Fennel Salad with Oranges, Lemon, Dill, and Watercress (p. 73)

Shrimp with Dill Vinaigrette (p. 189)

Slash-And-Burn Grouper (p. 175)

Spicy Tomato and Blue Cheese Soup (p. 56)

Tzatziki (p. 141)

Yia Yia's Sunday Sauce (p. 229)

Twitter & a Chance to Win $1,400 in Restaurant Gift Cards

First of all, I just signed up for Twitter, follow me! My name is "live2cookathome". Follow me here: http://twitter.com/live2cookathome

I also wanted to mention an amazing giveaway & fundraiser organized by Cleveland Foodie.  Veggie U is a national program headquartered here in NE Ohio that promotes the well-being of children through a healthy lifestyle with a focus on making wise food choices, combating adolescent and juvenile disease, and attaining an understanding of sustainable agriculture. The program is embraced and loved by teachers and students alike.

Locally, 150 schools in the Cleveland Metro School District have been using the 4th grade Veggie U science program. Unfortunately, they don’t have any funding to continue as $200 per classroom is needed to fund the kits. For every $5 you donate to Veggie U, you will automatically be entered to win more than $1,400 worth of gift cards to all your favorite eateries and shops. The more you donate, the greater your chance of winning. You have until February 13 to donate and be entered. It’s easy – just call 419.499.7500 ext 119; you must reference Cleveland Foodie.

I know money is tight right now, but I urge you to make a donation today, no matter how big or small. Of course there's also something in it for you too. One incredibly lucky diner will spend the year eating and drinking their way throughout Cleveland:

Western Reserve Wine / $50 gift card
Tartine / $50 gift card
Momocho / $50 gift card (Eric Williams also generously donated an additional $200 to fund one classroom)
Lola / $50 gift card
The Greenhouse Tavern / $50 gift card
Heinen’s / $100 gift card
Blue Canyon / $50 gift card
The Flying Fig / $100 gift card
Fire / $50 gift card
Erie Island Coffee / $50 gift card
Fahrenheit / $50 gift card
Miles Farmers Market / $50 gift card
Jekyll’s Kitchen / $50 gift card
Moxie / $200 gift card!!
Touch Supper Club / $50 gift card
Parallax / $50 gift card
L’Albatros / $50 gift card
Chinato / $50 gift card (opening very soon!)
Crop Bistro / $50 gift card
North End / $50 gift card
Hyde Park / $50 gift card
AMP 150 / $100 gift card

And to top it all off, the winner will receive one ticket to their choice of upcoming dinners at The Culinary Vegetable Institute (you’re in for a real treat here) and The Chefs Garden will send you one of their e-commerce family boxes.

Remember, the more you donate, the better your chance of winning. Read all the details about it here.