West Palm Beach’s Kona Grill in CityPlace is hosting a foursquare Swarm Badge Party.
You can try their Stinger sushi roll, meet fellow foursquare and Twitter users, and be part of the swarm Wednesday, August 18th.
The Swarm party will take place from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. local time at each of the 24 Kona Grills nationwide. Guests are encouraged to visit the restaurant and check-in on foursquare, in hopes of earning their “Swarm Badge”. The coveted Swarm Badge is awarded to users who check in at a location where more than 50 other users are checked in at the same time.
At each Kona Grill, the current foursquare Mayor will receive a free Stinger Roll. In the future, each active Mayor will earn a free sushi roll or appetizer with purchase anytime they visit their Kona Grill.
For more information: www.konagrill.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/konagrill
Facebook: www.facebook.com/konagrill
A couple of weeks ago, I happened upon Food Network’s Throwdown With Bobby Flay, where the celebrity chef challenged a Belgian waffle maker to waffle-off. This made me crave the crispy-chewy goodness of browned batter, covered with some fruit or maybe just a little syrup, along with a side of something jaunty, like, say, cheese grits. And this made me think of Boynton Beach’s Village Tavern, where they serve both. I admit — the service wasn’t perky the Sunday morning we were there. But the waffles and grits? Worth more than a little throw-down.
Village Tavern, 1880 N. Congress Ave., Boynton Beach. (561) 853-0280.
The Watermelon Crush, back at Legal Sea Foods. (Photo courtesy Legal Sea Foods)
The sizzle
LEGAL SEA FOODS’ NEW SIGNATURE COCKTAIL MENU features cool refreshments to combat the South Florida heat this summer.
The mixologists at Legal have concocted cocktails including the Strawberry Sparkler — a mixture of St. Germain, strawberry puree, fresh lemon juice and Spanish Cava; “Old Fashioned” Old Fashion — made with Kentucky Straight Bourbon; and The John Daly — Firefly Sweet Tea Vodka paired with Louisiana sugar cane and lemonade.
Back by popular demand is the Fresh Watermelon Crush. This cocktail, served in a martini glass with a cube of watermelon, is made from fresh watermelon, simple syrup and Rain Organic Vodka. Prices range from $7.95 to $9.95.
Legal Sea Foods is at 6000 Glades Road at Town Center in Boca Raton. Call (561) 447-2112 for reservations.
BURGER-PALOOZA is officially under way at Breeze at The Ritz-Carlton Palm Beach. In honor of National Burger Month, the menu will switch daily to feature a new burger each day in May. Today’s special is the Jamaican Me Crazy burger, a jerk beef patty, red pepper aioli and pickled cherry hot peppers on a jerk molasses roll.
Other gourmet burger selections include The Firecracker, The Meatloaf Burger, the Greek Burger, the Asian Burger, Turkey Cranberry Delight Burger, Fried Buffalo Chicken Burger and more. The celebration runs through the end of May. Breeze is at 100 South Ocean Blvd. in Manalapan. The burger specials, which include one side dish, are priced at $15.
Call (561) 533-6000 for reservations and additional information.
BROTHERLY LOVE PRODUCTIONS KICKS OFF SUNDAY NIGHT COOKOUTS at Hurricane Bar and Lounge in Delray Beach this Sunday at 6 p.m. The weekly event will feature free barbecue with mesquite chicken sandwiches, cheeseburgers and hotdogs with the purchase of a drink. Live entertainment will be provided by a different regional talent each week. The group slated for this week is Fort Lauderdale’s Sosos. Admission is free.
Hurricane Bar and Grill is at 640-7 E. Atlantic Ave. in Delray. Call (561) 278-0282 or visit www.hurricanelounge. com for additional information.
— Katie McBroom
MEET DELRAY BEACH’S RESIDENT GELATO ROCK STAR: Author F.W. Pearce, founder of gelato giant Ciao Bella, will sign copies of his newly released cookbook, The Ciao Bella Book of Gelato and Sorbetto ($24.99/ Clarkson Potter), next week. Meet Pearce on May 27 at Periwinkle, 14 N.E. Fourth Ave., Delray Beach, from 5 to 8 p.m. The book, co-authored by Danilo Zecchin, shows gelato lovers how to recreate some of the company’s award-winning frozen desserts using just one base (vanilla or chocolate).
Gelato recipes include:
• Basics — Madagascar Bourbon Vanilla, Cacao Nib, White Chocolate
• Italian Classics — Pistachio, Mocha Chip, Cinnamon, Fig and Port
• American Favorites — Peach, Blueberry, Key Lime with Graham Cracker, Pumpkin and Spice, Butter Pecan
• Fun Flavors for Kids — Chocolate S’Mores, Malted Milk Ball, Maple Gingersnap, Peppermint Stick, Coconut-Almond
• Uniquely Ciao Bella — Crème Fraîche, Rosemary and Olive Oil, Rose Petal
• Global Inspirations — Green Tea, Chocolate Chai, Greek Yogurt
• Adults Only — Rum Raisin, Irish Cream, Caramel Cognac
Sorbetto recipes include:
• Blood Orange, Cantaloupe, Coconut Lemongrass, Champagne, Blackberry Cabernet
There’s more info at www.ciaobellagelato.com
— Tory Malmer
Brio's Tuscan Taster includes a 'shrimptini' and a Margherita pizza. (Courtesy Brio)
A MOST AFFORDABLE NIBBLE OF TUSCANY: What does $2.95 buy you at The Gardens Mall? It buys you a de-lish dish at the BRIO bar. The popular Italian eatery and bar now boasts a weekday “Tuscan Taster” bar menu featuring nine items priced at $2.95 each.
Choose from mini BRIO burgers, ravioli caprese, a “Shrimptini” cocktail served with roasted tomato sauce and our personal favorite: BRIO’s delectable beef carpaccio served with field greens, mustard aioli and shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano.
The Tuscan Taster menu is available Monday to Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. to closing in the bar area. BRIO Tuscan Grille is at 3101 PGA Blvd., at The Gardens Mall in Palm Beach Gardens. For reservations, call (561) 622-0491.
— Katie McBroom
By HOWIE RUMBERG
Baseball season is here. Which means it’s also beer and buffalo wings season.
Yet despite the popularity of buffalo wings — the Buffalo, N.Y., bar that is their reputed birthplace goes through a ton of wings a day — it’s a food few people are inclined to make at home.
Mostly that’s because we know little about the spicy snack. Contrary to Jessica Simpson’s belief, buffalo wings are not made of Buffalo. But to her credit, they don’t look much like chicken, either.
A Buffalo-style wing is simply a fried chicken wing cut into two pieces then slathered in a spicy sauce. It became a favorite bar food not long after its supposed invention in 1964 at the Anchor Bar by Teressa Bellissimo, who owned the restaurant with her husband, Frank.
They’re easy to make at home, and as any fan of fried foods knows, just-out-of-the-oil fried foods can be one of the most succulent and flavorful — if messy — dining experiences.
Start by getting the freshest, largest wings you can find. Skip frozen wings. Freezing causes tiny ice particles to form. These ice crystals become water when the wings thaw, and we all know how oil and water get along.
For easy-to-hold bar food authenticity, the cutting of the wings also is important. Using kitchen shears or a chef’s knife, cut off the tip: the pointy part with little meat. You can discard or save for making stock.
Next, spread and straighten the wing, which helps create space in the joint. That’s where you cut the wing in two.
If you prefer to buy your wings already separated, look for packages marked “party wings” to simplify prep.
An excellent wing should be crispy and juicy, factors determined by how well you fry. For great wings, that means keeping the oil temperature between 350° and 375°. An instant read thermometer makes monitoring this easy.
And be sure to bring the chicken to about room temperature before frying. Adding cold chicken to hot oil will have a cooling effect, making it more difficult to maintain the best temperature.
In experimenting with flavor and crispness, I fried the wings dredged in flour, without flour (Buffalo style) and without skin, and found that Buffalo style was best.
Skinless, while healthier, was not crisp or succulent enough. And the flour had little effect on the flavor, but it did dirty the oil, which altered the flavor of later batches.
Of course, a great buffalo wing needs a great sauce.
Ivano Toscani, general manager of the Anchor Bar, wouldn’t share the bar’s secret recipe. But he did say margarine and Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce were essential. The key to the heat is the ratio of the two because the fat cuts the heat of hot sauce.
Hoping to avoid the trans fats in margarine, I used butter, which worked nicely.
I found a 3-to-1 ratio of hot sauce to butter — the magic proportion to achieve a tingly heat without being overwhelming. For extra spark, add a couple tablespoons of white vinegar.
Of course, wings aren’t complete without blue cheese dip, celery stalks and a cold beer.
Buffalo-Style Wings
Start to finish: 1 hour
Makes 40 to 45 wings
5 pounds chicken wings
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 stick unsalted butter
12-ounce bottle Frank’s Red Hot Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce
2 tablespoons white vinegar
10 to 12 cups canola oil (or other high-heat vegetable oil)
Blue cheese dip and celery sticks, for serving
Pat the wings dry with a paper towel, then arrange the wings in a single layer on a baking sheet and allow to sit at room temperature, uncovered, for 1 hour.
If the wings are not already separated, use a heavy knife or cleaver to cut off the tip of the wing at the joint. Spread the wing open, slice through the skin and cut at the joint separating the wing into two pieces.
Season the wings with pepper.
In small saucepan over low heat, melt the butter. Stir in the hot sauce and vinegar. Set aside.
Preheat the oven to 225º. Line a large plate with a thick layer of paper towels.
If you don’t have a deep fryer, use a very large, deep skillet or a Dutch oven. Fill with oil to a depth of 2 to 3 inches. Heat over medium until the oil reaches 375º.
Add wings without crowding pot (about 10 to 15 at a time) and stir once to keep from sticking together.
Cook for 10 to 12 minutes, or until golden brown. Transfer the cooked wings to the paper towel-lined plate to drain, then transfer them to a large bowl.
Drizzle the wings with some of the sauce and toss to coat evenly. Transfer the coated wings to a clean baking sheet or large baking dish and place in the oven to keep warm.
Return the oil to 375º, then repeat with remaining wings. If the sauce thickens between batches, reheat on stove.
Serve with blue cheese dip and celery sticks.
It’s time to put down your fork and slowly back away from the recent high-calorie holidays.
And while some of us can abandon the butter and never look back, others need a little richness to get through January.
This classic country-style pâté has just enough — pumped up with spices and less fat than the classic version.
Inexpensive and easy to make, pâté makes a light bite with bread or crackers, grainy mustard and cornichons.
Though it can be eaten the day it’s made, we love the earthy flavor more a day or two later.
Sip a German Riesling and call it dinner.
‘Live and Let Liver’ Pâté
Serves 10 to 12 as an appetizer
1 pound chicken livers, rinsed, tough parts removed
1 onion, thinly sliced
2 cups chicken stock
Coarse salt, freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1 bay leaf
3 slices turkey bacon
1/2 to 1 cup shelled pistachios
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons sherry
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf parsley, minced
1/2 stick unsalted butter, softened
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
Combine the livers, onion, chicken stock and bay leaf in a medium saucepan. Season with salt and pepper. Simmer until the livers are tender and no longer pink in the center.
Cook the bacon until crisp, drain on paper towels and crumble.
Discard the onion and the bay leaf and drain the livers. In a food processor or blender, combine the livers, bacon, pistachios, mustard, sherry, tarragon, parsley, butter and lemon juice. Pulse until smooth.
Taste and adjust seasoning if necessary. Add additional herbs and sherry if desired.
Lightly grease your hands and form the liver mixture into a mound. Chill for at least 2 hours.
The Breakers is throwing itself a 114th birthday bash.
The Breakers Hotel in Palm Beach. (Uma Sanghvi / The Palm Beach Post)
The famed Palm Beach resort, which opened its doors on this very day in 1896, is offering an $18.96 appetizer special per couple tonight at three of its eateries: The Seafood Bar, Italian Restaurant and The Flagler Steakhouse. The special includes fish cocktail shrimp, fish dip, conch fritters and salad.
Looking for something to sip with it? There’s a Key lime daiquiri and Key lime martini, available at all the resort’s bars and restaurants, for a birthday price of $11.40.
This afternoon, the resort is also hosting a birthday party, replete with cake, for its guests and club members.
The Breakers is throwing itself a 114th birthday bash.
The famed Palm Beach resort, which opened its doors on this very day in 1896, is offering an $18.96 appetizer special per couple tonight at three of its eateries: The Seafood Bar, Italian Restaurant and The Flagler Steakhouse. The special includes fish cocktail shrimp, fish dip, conch fritters and salad.
Looking for something to sip with it? There’s a Key lime daiquiri and Key lime martini, available at all the resort’s bars and restaurants, for a birthday price of $11.40.
This afternoon, the resort is also hosting a birthday party, replete with cake, for its guests and club members.
Events
Classes
CAKES ETC., 2800 N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach. (561) 615-4431
WILLIAMS-SONOMA, The Gardens Mall, 3101 PGA Blvd. Palm Beach Gardens. (561) 799-2425
IN THE KITCHEN, Gallery Square North, 389 Tequesta Drive, Tequesta. (561) 747-7117 or www. inthekitchennow.com
WHOLE FOODS MARKET, 1400 Glades Road, Boca Raton. (561) 447-0000
PUBLIX APRON’S COOKING SCHOOL, Polo Club Shoppes, 5030 Champion Blvd., Suite D2, Boca Raton. (561) 994-4461 or (561) 994-4883
By FRANCINE SEGAN
Most of us think of chocolate as something just for dessert, but the Italians have been adding it to pasta, risotto, polenta and meat dishes for centuries.
“Chocolate, the ‘food of the gods,’ conquered not just the candy shop but also the kitchen,” says Riccardo Magni of ICAM, one of Italy’s premier chocolate makers, based in the city of Lecco in the northern region of Lombardy.
This is not so surprising if you reflect that the cacao bean, from which chocolate is made, is not itself sweet. In fact, the ancient dwellers of Mesoamerica mixed ground roasted cacao seeds, chile peppers, cornmeal, spices and water into a spicy, sacred brew.
As G.B. Mantelli, marketing director at Venchi, an artisanal chocolate company based in Turin, defines it, “Like so many other seeds — pepper, fennel, cardamom and caraway — cacao beans are a spice.”
Robust food. Glorious wine. Outstanding company. Fabulous weather.
Thanksgiving in South Florida promises a bounty of gifts made even more special when enjoyed among the flowers and foliage of our local settings.
The Palm Beach Post’s sirens of the celebrated sip gather at the home of Swirl Girl Earthy to share their favorite Thanksgiving dishes and wine pairings. It is a feast as eclectic as the girls themselves.
Read the full story
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