By Jim Hammond

Chef Jason

When I looked for Chez Bob on the Internet, I wondered, would this place be “faux” French or “fun” French? The helpful map from their Web site provided a satellite view of the building and entrance off Wyoming and Paseo del Norte. As I zoomed in closer I almost expected to see an apron-clad waiter waving me inside. The detailed lunch and dinner menus were also on the site, informing me that I’d have plenty of entrées to choose from.

Fun French

On arrival I noted that there was no maître d’ in sight, and not a hint of haughty waiters pretending they didn’t understand my high school French. Instead, there were a number of tables and booths simply but tastefully dressed with linen spiraled inside wine glasses and a welcoming atmosphere. Our waitress, Cat, added her own charm and enthusiasm as she covered the specials. I sighed; it was going to be fun French.

Chef Jason came to our table to chat and make dinner suggestions. Looking every inch the chef, he introduced us to Chez Bob’s philosophy of food. Everything is made on demand, with fresh ingredients and inspired choices. The favorite recipe this month is one of Jason’s personal concoctions off the menu, but on request. I photographed him in action the following day before opening as he whipped up a chicken and mushroom crêpe for the lunch crowd. His love of cooking was obvious, and in less time than it’d take me to get the ingredients out of the fridge a luscious crêpe was ready.

Choices abound

The menu is extensive, as if to belie the modest size of the restaurant. Scanning the menu under the subhead of “On the Hoof,” my eyes came to a screeching halt when I saw the Beef Wellington. My wife selected the salmon en croûte putting us in a delectable puff pastry paradise. We started with the Shrimp Bruno, a wonderful presentation, with each jumbo shrimp poised with curved tail held high like an aquatic scorpion in a sea of Dijonaise.

The wine list was on one of those diminutive foldouts that usually have Almaden house wines on one side and six uninspiring choices on the other side. I held my breath. There were actually several good choices and each could be had by half glass, glass, or bottle. We took advantage of that by having a half glass of a good French white with the shrimp. I then had a glass of a super Tuscan red that complimented my Beef Wellington, while Barbara had a French Burgundy (Pinot Noir) with her salmon. Chez Bob proved you don’t always need a 20-pound wine list.

Crêpes are one of Chez Bob’s specialties so I was thinking Crêpe Suzette, but on Chef Jason’s recommendation chose the award-winning Nutella Crêpe. I recommend sharing it as we did, with some left to take home. For inspired French food for considerably less than upscale pretenders, and a warm and friendly atmosphere that induces one to return soon, Chez Bob is the place.

Chez Bob is located at:
7610 Carmel NE , Albuquerque NM 87122
NE Corner of Paseo and Wyoming
505-872-9097

Recipe:  Zucchini gratin

Ingredients:
5–6 medium zucchini
½ cup shredded Parmesan
1 cup panko bread crumbs
1 cup heavy cream
2 cloves crushed garlic
3–4 sprigs fresh thyme
Salt and pepper to taste
Olive oil

Heat cream in small saucepan with garlic and thyme just until it begins to boil; remove and set aside.

Slice zucchini 1/8 inch thick and then place in buttered baking dish; add salt and pepper.

Sprinkle Parmesan, bread crumbs and a drizzle of cream.

Repeat layers and finish the top with bread crumbs, cheese and a drizzle of olive oil.

Bake at 350 degrees for 20–25 minutes until golden brown and bubbly.

Serves 4 to 6.

Jim Hammond, the Wine Guy

Jim Hammond–

the Southwestern Wine Guy

Chef Bob Peterson at Savoy

(Yields 12–16 Cannelloni)

Cannelloni, or rolled stuffed pasta, can be easily made with fresh pasta dough or store bought (usually frozen) sheets of pasta dough.

First prepare the pasta dough (recipe follows) and set aside while the filling is being made.

If you’re using store bought sheets of pasta dough, skip right to making the filling.

Second, make the winter squash filling.

While the filling is cooling, roll and cut the pasta dough into 4″x4″ sheets and cook for 2-3 minutes in boiling salted water.

Immediately plunge the sheets into ice water to stop the cooking.

Next, lay the sheets of cooked pasta on clean, dry dishtowels.

Place about 1/2 cup of the filling onto the bottom third of the pasta sheet and roll it up.  The stickiness of the pasta should seal itself together.

Finally, place the cannelloni in a baking dish drizzled with olive oil.

Bake in a 400 F oven for 10-12 minutes or until the edges are crisp and the filling is hot.

Top the cannelloni with marinara, mushroom, or béchamel sauce before serving.

Pasta dough
(Yields 1 pound or four 4-ounce servings)

3 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

2 tablespoons Olive oil

3 Whole eggs

4–7 Egg yolks

Machine method:

1.     Combine all ingredients in a stand mixer with dough hook on low speed until it forms a ball around the hook.  If the mixer is powerful (500 watts or more), continue to step 2, otherwise go to step 2 in the hand method.

2.     Increase speed to medium-low and continue to knead for 5–6 minutes. Adjust the consistency with more flour or egg yolks as needed.  The dough should feel elastic and smooth and not be sticky.  There should be no visible cracks or chunks of flour.  The moisture depends upon the moisture content of the flour and the size of the egg yolks.  The measurements are guidelines (and a good place to start), but modifications may be necessary to get the perfect moisture content.  Try the recipe several times to become an expert.

3.     Wrap the dough ball in plastic and refrigerate for 15–20 minutes to allow the gluten to relax (this will make it much easier to roll out).

4.     Process the dough through a pasta machine, decreasing the thickness with every pass.

5.     Roll to desired thickness for cannelloni, fettuccine, lasagna, or pappardelle.

Hand method:

1.     Place the flour and salt on a work table.  Create a well in the center large enough to hold the remaining ingredients.

2.     Add all of the yolks, whole eggs, and oil to the well.  Mix the yolks, eggs, and oil together with a fork, pulling in some of the flour as you mix.  As more of the flour gets incorporated the dough will start to form a ball around the fork.  When there is no more liquid left, start mixing the dough by hand.  Push the flour into the egg mix until a ball forms.  Add more yolks as necessary to get the dough to come together.  The dough should be smooth, not too sticky.  Add more flour to achieve correct moisture level.  Knead the dough by hand for 7–10 minutes, folding the dough over itself and pushing the folded portion down towards the table.

3.     Proceed to step 3, above.

Winter squash cannelloni filling

(Yields 12-16 cannelloni)

3 pounds Winter squash

1/4 cup Shallots, minced

4 ounces Spinach

1/4 cup Minced herb mix: parsley, sage, rosemary, thyme

1 cup Ricotta cheese

1/4 cup Grated Parmesan

1 teaspoon Pumpkin seed oil (optional)

1 cup Roasted chicken meat, pulled from the bone

Salt and pepper  to taste

1.     Halve, seed, and roast the squash until soft. Remove the meat and squeeze out the excess liquid in a cheesecloth or a clean dishtowel.

2.     Sweat the shallots until soft, add the spinach and wilt.

3.     Mix all ingredients together and season to taste.

The Savoy Bar & Grill
10601 Montgomery Boulevard Northeast
Albuquerque, NM 87111-3848
(505) 224-9135

Jim Hammond, the Wine Guy

Enjoy!

by Jim Hammond–the Southwestern wine guy

By Jim Hammond

Fiery Foods ~ Dave DeWitt

New Mexico is as famous for its chile pepper as Idaho is for the potato, and our peppers are more flavorful and much healthier.

Fans of the chile, or chili, will want to head to the Sandia Resort and Casino
for the 22nd annual
Fiery Foods and Barbeque Show
March 5 to 7, 2010

The Pope of Peppers

The show was created by Dave DeWitt and Mary Jane Wilan. Dave is a prolific author of cookbooks on chile peppers and fiery foods. Nationally known from numerous TV appearances and the well-attended show he began, Dave extols the virtues and health benefits of chile in all its manifestations. One would conclude he is a proselytizer of peppers.

Samples galore

The show has sold out its trade exhibitor space, which accepts trade members during the business day, and invites consumers to enjoy the products of 200 vendors each afternoon and evening. This is the largest show of its kind and unique as both a trade and consumer show. Think about how many specialty shops and food markets one would have to attend to duplicate the quantity and quality of this show, and attendees get to sample the food products before buying.

Sour cream-infused wine—Not!

When visiting the Web site above don’t be frightened off by Dave’s faux-Sports Illustrated cover. After all, if Burt Reynolds could get away with it, why not Dave? The recipe he provided registers medium on the heat scale, so wine pairing is possible. While spicy foods can be reasonably paired with wine, true fire-producing chile peppers like habanero are best served with sour cream to moderate the heat. Keep in mind it’s hard to appreciate the nuances of fine wine when flames are coming out of your mouth. If only I could find a sour cream-infused wine, there might be a chance of pairing with habaneros, but I hope I’m not giving our local wineries any ideas.

This recipe uses smoked chicken, smoked bacon, roasted ancho chiles and lots of tomatoes, a rich base that will pair with many wines. These are elements of Southern Italian and Spanish dishes, so it’s not surprising these form part of my recommendations. A Chianti reserva is a better choice than regular Chianti, which typically doesn’t have the mouth-feel and robustness to stand up to this dish. The same can be said for the Spanish Rioja, choose a Rioja reserva or gran reserva, which are aged much longer in oak and in bottle.

Many domestics made with the Tempranillo (Rioja) and Sangiovese (Chianti) grape also work. New Mexico is blessed with many wines using these grapes, sourced from New Mexico Vineyards in Deming and managed by Paolo D’Andrea. His own label, Luna Rossa, offers big, earthy, Italian-styled wines from these grapes. Medium-bodied, peppery Zinfandel wines also complement, such as Harmony Cellars from the California Central Coast, but watch the alcohol level as some Paso Robles wines climb above 16%, adding their heat to the fire.

For more information and Recipes go here to the Fiery Foods Website!

Recipe: Blue Corn Fettuccine with Chorizo and Smoked Chicken in Ancho Chile Sauce

This recipe was served at the Spoon River Charcuterie in Charlotte, North Carolina.

At Spoon River, John Wysor, says, “We smoke our own bacon and chicken, and we make about five kinds of chorizo, including a chorizo borracho made with Jose Cuervo Tequila that we use in this dish. Any flavorful Mexican-style sausage will be wonderful, however, and smoked turkey can be used in place of the chicken.”

Ingredients:

• 10 ancho chiles, stems and seeds removed
• ¼ pound smoked slab bacon
• 1  12-ounce package blue corn fettuccine
• 1 ½ cups chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
• 1 teaspoon ground cumin seeds
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1/4 cup tequila
• 3 cups chicken stock or water
• 1 pound ripe tomatoes
• ½ pound Mexican-style chorizo, in links
• ½ pound smoked chicken meat, chopped or shredded
• 1 or 2 cups grated queso blanco or Monterey Jack cheese

Place the anchos on a baking sheet in a 200-degree oven for about five minutes until you can smell them roasting.
Take care that they do not burn.

Sauté the bacon in a saucepan over medium heat until it renders some of its fat.
Add the onions and garlic and cook until the onions are soft.
Add the cumin and oregano and cook for three minutes, stirring.
Add the tequila and the stock or water and bring to a simmer.
Add the roasted ancho chiles, remove from the heat, and steep for five or 10 minutes.
Cut the tomatoes in half and roast them in a heavy skillet, cut side down, over medium heat, until blackened.

Puree the ancho mixture with the tomatoes in a blender or food processor until quite smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides of the blender and adding more liquid as needed.
Return to the saucepan and simmer for about 30 minutes.
The sauce should be smooth but not too thick.
Add more liquid as needed.

Add the chorizo, taking care not to boil the sauce at this point, lest the sausage burst.
Simmer about 12 to 15 minutes, remove the sausage, slice it, and return it to the sauce, along with the smoked chicken, and simmer 5 to 10 minutes more.

Cook the pasta according to the instructions, drain it, and divide it between four plates.
Ladle the sauce on top and garnish with the grated cheese.

Yield: 6 servings

Heat scale: medium

And for tickets….

The Sandia Resort has been host for this event since it outgrew its previous venue at the Albuquerque Convention Center.

The Sandia Casino and Resort is located east of I-25 at the Tramway exit.
Rainbow Rd
Albuquerque, NM 87122
(505) 796-7500

Tickets are $10 through Ticketmaster or $15 at the door.

—Jim Hammond is a contributing editor for albuquerqueARTS.