Hungry for More

An assortment of area food trucks cater to customers in this 2012 file photo. (Charles Lewis / Buffalo News)

BY ANDREW Z. GALARNEAU

Sightseers to the Canalside area along Buffalo’s waterfront can expect to see an unusual sight indeed tomorrow: food trucks selling their wares to customers.

The city’s licensed food trucks, barred from the Canalside area in most times, will be allowed to park and sell food tomorrow for the opening date of Canalside Food Fight, a season-long cooking competition, said organizer Matt Carlucci.

From noon to 4 p.m., seven trucks will be serving paying customers, Carlucci said.

At 12:15 p.m., a “secret inspiration,” described as “anything from snow to steel,” will be revealed to the audience. The five food truck crews competing will have two hours to fashion a dish, working in their limited truck kitchens, that best reflects the inspiration. (Fans of Food Network’s “Sweet Genius” will find the inspiration part familiar.)

At 2:15, the competing food trucks will submit their work to a panel of judges, who will pick a winner. Food trucks will be allowed to serve until 4 p.m., as part of the Canalside Open House event.

It’ll be the first of four contest days where food trucks can gather and sell food at Canalside, Carlucci said. The others will be in July, September, and finale in December, when points that the food truck competitors earn during the four events will be added up to determine a winner, he said.

There’s more information at Carlucci’s website, http://www.buffalosoupfest.com/foodfight.html

email: agalarneau@buffnews.com

BY ANDREW Z. GALARNEAU

After two years of saying no, I finally sat down with Donnie Burtless, who with his wife Alli Suriani runs BuffaloEats.org, Western New York's premier restaurant blog.

Donnie started as a guy who liked french fries, and had something to say about that. Since then Alli and he have eaten in more than 400 restaurants, and offered readers original reports on 387 of them. Usually there are lovely color photographs too. Alli's a better writer, but Donnie can eat more, so it's a team effort. His brother Tom runs the soundboard for recording sessions.

They added recorded interviews - podcasts - with people in Western New York with something to say about food. The show, called "Eat it Up," recorded 68 episodes before mine, including a who's who of the Buffalo food world. And me.

On listening I sound a touch whiny, but that's the way it goes. I sat down with Mr. Burtless because the Buffalo Eats staff is offering hungry readers flavorful, unique intelligence on how to feed their appetites in Western New York. They are working for free, so this is straight-up payback.

Check it out.

BY ANDREW Z. GALARNEAU

Here's a relatively simple recipe from "Have You Eaten?," featured in today's Buffalo News. Billy Law grew up in Malaysia, a home cooking recipe straight out of his mother's kitchen. Law, an Australian food blogger at A Table for Two and contestant on "MasterChef: Australia," calls it "my favorite dish of all time," one he asks for every time he comes home.

Mum’s Vinegar-Braised Pork Belly and Eggs

 2 litres (68 fl oz/8 cups) water

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork spare ribs, chopped into 2.5–5 cm (1–2 inch) pieces (see note)

500 g (1 lb 2 oz) pork belly, skin off, cut into 3 cm (1¼ inch) cubes

5 cm (2 inch) piece ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

1 garlic bulb

10 star anise

5 dried chillies (optional)

3 tablespoons white vinegar

3 tablespoons dark soy caramel, or dark soy sauce

100 ml (3½ fl oz) light soy sauce

220 g (7¾ oz/1 cup) sugar

6 hard-boiled eggs, peeled

(extra for the egg lovers)

Serves 4

1. Pour the water into a large non-stainless steel pot (such as a large Chinese claypot or enamelled cast-iron casserole dish), and bring to the boil over medium–high heat.

2. Add the pork ribs and pork belly to the boiling water, then add the ginger slices, the whole garlic bulb, star anise and chillies (if using), and bring back to the boil. Scoop out all the impurities floating on the surface.

3. Turn the heat down to a simmer, then add the vinegar, dark soy caramel, light soy sauce and sugar. Give it all a stir until the sugar has dissolved, then add the hard-boiled eggs. Braise the pork for at least 2 hours, or until the pork is meltingly tender, stirring occasionally.

4. When the sauce starts to thicken, have a taste and adjust the seasoning accordingly. If it is too sour or too salty, add a little more sugar. If it is too sweet, add more light soy sauce. Do not add more water unless it dries out too quickly. Serve hot with a bowl of steamed jasmine rice.

Note: You can usually buy pork spare ribs in major supermarkets. You might have to call a few butcher shops to find pork belly, and it's available in Asian markets. If possible, ask your butcher to cut up a whole piece of pork belly with bones left in.

Source: (c) Have You Eaten? By Billy Law, Hardie Grant, 2013.

BY ANDREW Z. GALARNEAU

If you're hungry to see what Western New York's heritage pork ninjas can conjure up with fine swine, check your dinner calendar for May 19.

The price tag is $150 a seat, and there aren't many at Bistro Europa (484 Elmwood Ave., 884-1100). That doesn't include tax or tip, but it does include beer and wine, supporting at least nine courses of "porcine perfection."

Europa's Steven Gedra, with Carmelo Raimondi and Bruce Wieszala of Carmelo's in Lewiston, have been fine-tuning their pork chops for a couple of years now. If you're a carnivore who's discovered the pleasures of dishes made from pigs that weren't factory farmed, it's a chance at a peak experience, not unlike the 1988 Monsters of Rock tour was for metalheads. Unlike Van Halen, Scorpions and Metallica, these guys are playing pigs.

email: agalarneau@buffnews.com

Chefs Steven Gedra, 

If the Monsters of Rock tour was about 

Fans of Bistro Europa and Carmelo's already have 

Here's a couple of recipes from ramp hunter David Grabowski, featured in an article about foraging in today's Buffalo News.

GRILLED RAMP & BACON DIP

24 whole ramps, trimmed, rinsed, and patted dry

2 teaspoons canola oil

16 ounces sour cream

8 ounces bacon, cooked and finely diced

8 ounces cream cheese, room temperature

2 teaspoons Frank’s RED HOT Original Cayenne Pepper Sauce

1 teaspoon iodized sea salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Cut leaves from ramps. Set aside. Toss ramp bulbs with oil and a pinch of salt and pepper. In a grill pan, cook over medium heat for 6-8 minutes, turning every 2 minutes until the bulbs begin to brown and caramelize. Add the ramp leaves to the bulbs and grill until leaves are wilted. Cool until ramps are room temperature. Chop finely.

In a large glass bowl, whisk the cream cheese, sour cream, Frank’s RED HOT sauce and sea salt. Add chopped ramps and bacon. Stir to combine. Season with fresh cracked pepper.

Grilling mellows the bite of raw ramps and develops natural sugars. If more of an oniony bite is preferred, finely chop 2 to 4 whole raw ramps and fold a tablespoon at a time into the mixture. Put mixture in medium glass or ceramic bowl. Cover with Saran Wrap and refrigerate to allow flavors to develop. Adjust seasoning to taste before serving.

Serve with tortilla chips or crackers.

RAMP, PANCETTA & PECORINO FRITTATA

8 ounces pancetta

12 whole ramps, trimmed, rinsed, and patted dry

1 tablespoon fat, reserved from rendering pancetta

9 extra large eggs, room temperature

1 cup Pecorino Romano, medium grated

½ cup Pecorino Romano, finely grated

1 teaspoon iodized sea salt

Fresh cracked black pepper

Heat oven to 325 degrees. Dice pancetta and cook in a large non-stick skillet 8 to 10 minutes over medium heat. Stir often. While pancetta is cooking, crack and whisk eggs, salt and pepper in a large glass bowl. When eggs are thoroughly mixed, add the cup of medium grated Pecorino Romano and whisk to combine. Set egg mixture aside. When pancetta is cooked, drain on paper towels. Pour most of reserved fat into small bowl. Wipe skillet clean with paper towel.

Chop ramps. Heat tablespoon reserved fat in skillet. Add chopped ramps. Season with pepper. Sauté over medium heat 5 to 6 minutes until leaves are wilted and bulbs are translucent but not yet browned. Add cooked pancetta to cooked ramps in skillet. Whisk egg mixture a second time. Pour egg mixture over ramps and pancetta. Use spatula to evenly distribute ramps and pancetta. Cook over medium-low heat for 3-5 minutes until eggs are set around outer third.

Place skillet in oven. Bake 20 minutes or until egg mixture in middle is just set. Remove skillet from oven. Turn on broiler. Sprinkle finely grated Pecorino Romano over top of frittata. Broil on rack in top position with oven door ajar for 2 minutes. Rotate skillet 90 degrees and broil for 1 to 2 more minutes or until cheese begins to brown. Serve warm or at room temperature with chevre spread on slices of crusty bread. Serves 6 to 8.

In case you got inspired by today's Buffalo News story on foraging, here’s a tried and true recipe from Amy Bartlett, whose husband Chuck was digging ramps recently. Amy has lots more recipes with ramps, wild mushrooms and other foraged wonders, at her Savory Moments food blog.

She doesn;t have this recipe up yet, but it'll be there soon. Chuck said: “I say up the amount of ramps to at least 2 ½ cups, but this is an ongoing debate we have each year - she prefers less, and I always want more.” 

Creamy Potato and Ramp Soup

1 tablespoon olive oil or butter

2 cups ramp bulbs, roughly chopped

4 cups low-sodium chicken (or vegetable) stock

2 teaspoons minced fresh thyme leaves

About 2 ½ pounds diced unpeeled russet potatoes

Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper, to taste 

3 ounces cream cheese at room temperature, cut into cubes

In a large pot, warm the olive oil or butter over medium-low heat. Add ramps and stir. Cook until softened. You don't want to brown them, just sweat them out. Add thyme leaves and stir. 

Add stock and stir well to deglaze the bottom of the pot. Then add all of the potatoes. Turn the heat to medium, cover, and bring to a boil. Stir, reduce to a simmer, and cook, covered, until potatoes are soft, 25-35 minutes.

Using a hand blender, puree the soup to your desired consistency. Alternatively, you can puree about half in a regular blender (in batches) and return to pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

Stir in cream cheese until melted. If the soup is too thick for your taste, add a bit of water or milk to thin it out a little.

Serve hot topped with minced parsley, minced ramp greens, and crumbled cooked bacon, if you like. Serve with crusty bread and a green salad.

By ANDREW Z. GALARNEAU

Maybe you're already sick of Anthony Bourdain, the dark prince of food television, who's bringing his road show to Shea's on April 22. If not, though, here's the uncut version of my conversation with him.

I could only fit so much in the paper-and-ink edition, so I had to leave out his thoughts on marijuana menus in restaurants, and how his daughter keeps him grounded: "You’re not allowed to be vain about anything when you have a little girl that will tell you the truth, unhesitatingly: 'Dad, you look ugly today.' ”

email: agalarneau@buffnews.com

A (Bigger) Taste of Toronto

By Lauren Newkirk Maynard

Last week I attended Terroir, Toronto’s seventh annual hospitality industry symposium. A full day of presentations and workshops on April 8 kicked off a week of hedonistic food and wine tours, cooking demos, book signings, late nights and shared kitchen experiences for some of the world’s top culinary professionals.

Those kind Canadians let me cross the border to hear chefs recall their childhood food memories and to nibble tasty, weird things like trout skin and maple syrup taffy. I was also lucky enough to hang with some of Buffalo’s most talented chefs over really strong cocktails.

Afterward, the local crew had much to say about Terroir 7 and what it means for the future of the profession. They chimed in about the best oysters in Toronto, why cooking meat matters, and how the “little private club” that is Western New York’s dining scene could someday grow into a world-class destination for foodies and farmers.

 A few of their longer responses are posted here for your reading pleasure. Cheers!

 Buffalo News: Why did you attend Terroir this year? 

 James D. Roberts, executive chef, Park Country Club of Buffalo: I always want to attend the event for the people and the networking (and they are great every time), but there is always one big hook that I end up leaving with. This year’s was the affirmation that our efforts here in Western New York are the same as the efforts on the global stage.

Continue reading "Thoughts of Terroir: Buffalo chefs reflect on food conference" »

Friends have set a benefit to raise money for the family of David Setzer, the local food advocate, baker and co-owner of Farmers & Artisans, who died last month.

Set for 5:30 p.m. April 10, the event will include pulled barbecued beef from Plato Dale Farm, beer and beverages from Flying Bison, wine from Premier, mac and cheese from The Irishman, and bread and cookies from Farmers & Artisans.

There will also be music, a 50/50 split, and auctions both Chinese, and live. Participants can bid on items including a picnic basket stuffed with goodies and 12-person llama trek at Hemstreet Farm Llamas in East Aurora.

The site is Calvary Episcopal Church in Williamsville, 20 Milton St. (at Cayuga Road). Tickets are $30. For more information, call organizer Michael Starks at 553-2570.

BY ANDREW Z. GALARNEAU

Don't miss Manakeesh and More, or you'll falafel.

Here's some of the dishes we enjoyed at this little Palestinian bakery and sandwich shop (1150 Hertel Ave., 348-7184).

That's the chicken kebab plate ($6), a lamb kebab plate ($7) and the feta manakeesh ($3). But we should mention that vegans and vegetarians will find plenty of reasons to return, including the smokiest baba ganouj (roasted eggplant dip with tahini) in town.

Read the full review in today's Gusto section of the Buffalo News.