Slow Food East End's Snail Supper brings out the Mardi Gras in all of Us

How does a Potluck style themed dinner sound with like-minded food enthusiasts: a diverse group of friends and strangers who are passionate about good, clean and fair food for all? And what if I told you that the ingredients for each dish is locally sourced or perhaps in someone's own backyard? If I have piqued your interest these communal dinners on the East End of Long Island are called Snail Suppers, by Slow Food East End. This local chapter of Slow Food USA created these dinners to help fund ($15 members, $20 non-members) their Edible School Garden program while celebrating food as a cornerstone of pleasure, culture and community. “We currently have 27 schools on the East End that have applied for and received funding to develop a school garden program,” says Linda Slezak, Events Chair of Slow Food East End. The money provides the schools with garden equipment as well as a master gardener to teach and oversee the gardens and greenhouses all year round. For those of you not familiar with Slow Food, it is a global network of over 150,000 members in more than 150 countries whose mission is good, clean and fair food for all. Through a vast volunteer network of local chapters, youth and food communities, they link the pleasures of the table with a commitment to protect the community, culture, knowledge and environment.

Snail Suppers are themed and each dish tells a story about our food and beverage producers, and home cooks from the North and South Forks of Long Island. I think it is one of the most affordable and charitable ways to enjoy a locally inspired meal amongst interesting company.

Mardi Gras was the theme for this Snail Supper and with over thirty people in attendance there was plenty of Fat Tuesday to go around. 

Kim Dyla of Southold, New York is a woman after my own heart. She made a Jalapeño cornbread with Cherokee white eagle corn that she grows on her property. She dries the corn on the cob, shucks, and then grinds into a cornmeal. Kim grows a variety of items on her property such as holy basil and kaffir lime because they are hard to find. “I’ve always been obsessed with food, cooking from scratch and getting as close to the source as I can with everything I eat,” says Kim. “When I told a Slow Food member that I made a cake from flour that I had ground from my own acorns, they thought that was cool." It does not get more local than that.

Photographs by Courtesy of Kim Dyla

Jeri Woodhouse, founder of A Taste of the North Fork made a cranberry-horseradish chutney for yam biscuits and a creamy shrimp risotto.

Earl Fultz, one of the founders of cHarrisa, a Moroccan-influenced condiment, made a muffin popover that encased a spicy cHarrisa meatball. Was a hot and tasty surprise.

Linda Slezak made a Browder's Bird chicken with preserved lemons. I was fortunate enough to get a jar of Linda's preserved lemons around the holidays and I cannot wait to try her recipe. She brines the chicken in salt for an hour and then air dries in the refrigerator. She then adds garlic, thyme sprigs, half a lemon squeezed and a generous amount of cracked pepper and convection bakes at 375 degrees for 1.5 hours. Once done, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before cutting into pieces and top with the preserved lemon. This dish was so yummy and was one of my favorites. The preserved lemons were so good; lemony and briny, you just eat them whole.

I was so thrilled to see that someone made a Mardi Gras King Cake. This cake is similar to a coffee cake, ring-shaped with sugars in the royal colors of gold (power), green (faith) and purple (justice); this honors the three kings who visited Christ the child on the 6th of January. Traditionally, the King Cake is baked with a small plastic baby hidden inside (our version was a horseshoe), the person who gets the slice with the baby in it has to host the next party. To play it safe the person who made the Kings Cake pulled the trinket out. I guess she hosts the next Mardi Gras Snail Supper in 2015? 

Eileen Duffy, Deputy Editor at Edible East End Magazine, hosted the Snail Supper and made two round loaves of her infamous sourdough bread that paired with my egg salad, made with Browder's Birds eggs and a Mecox Bay Dairy London broil, sigit cheddar and caramelized onion Muffuletta sandwich. Eileen’s sourdough bread is something to savor and this combined effort really made our dish something special.

I also made jalapeño cheddar corn muffins with homemade Cajun pork sausage. The cheddar cheese is from Mecox Bay Dairy and the pork sausage is from the meat and fat trimmings from the butcher class I attended at Mosner Family Brands.

There is something to be said for slowing down and discovering the simple pleasures of a shared meal amongst folks who care about what we put on our plates and how those daily choices shape the future of our environment and society. If you are interested in attending or hosting a Snail Supper, be sure to make your reservations at a cheetahs pace—these dinners book fast. 

Recipe: Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Muffins with Homemade Cajun Pork Sausage

ingredients

Cajun Pork Sausage

• 2 pounds boneless pork cut in 1/2 inch pieces (any lean pork would work)
• 1/2 pound pork fat, cut into pieces
• 2 tablespoons paprika
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 small onion, minced
• 1 tablespoon cracked black pepper
• 1 tablespoon sea salt
• 1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper
• 2 tablespoons of paprika
• 1 teaspoon cumin
• 1 tablespoon dried thyme
• 1/3 cup of white wine

note: Store bought sausage is perfectly fine. 1 pound of ground sausage would work for 14 muffins. The recipe above is for 2.5 pounds and you can freeze half for later use.

Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Muffins

• 1 cup onion, finely chopped
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 cup yellow corn meal
• 1 tablespoon baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup whole milk
• 3 tablespoons butter, melted
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 cups cheddar cheese, grated
• 4 jalapeño peppers, finely chopped
• 2 tablespoons of olive oil
• Pinch of nutmeg

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directions

Cajun Pork Sausage

1. You will need a meat grinder with a coarse or fine die (I used the fine for this recipe). KitchenAid is my tool with a grinder attachment, however an old fashioned hand-crank meat grinder will work.
2. Cut the pork (fat and lean meat) into 1.2 inch pieces. Place cut meat and fat in freezer for an hour. It is important that the meat is very cold before grinding.
3.  In the meantime prepare your spice bowl. Mince the garlic and onion. Then add all the spices and seasoning.
4. Take meat out of freezer and grind using the fine die. Once in bowl add the spices and the wine. Fold the ingredients together until incorporated. Do not over mix. Then place the meat in the refrigerator to sit for up to 3 days. You can use the day after; however, I like to let the spices and wine marinade.
5. When you are ready to make the muffins you want to do the sausage balls ahead of time. Simply roll on the palm of your hand a 1/2 teaspoon size ball and fry in a pan with a little olive oil, about 3-5 minutes until lightly brown. You will be making approximately 42 little sausage balls, three for each muffin.

Jalapeño Cheddar Corn Muffins

1. Preheat oven to 400. Prepare a muffin pan with butter.  Sauté the chopped onions in olive oil until translucent about five minutes.
2. Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, nutmeg and salt in a large mixing bowl.
3. Together In another bowl beat the eggs, milk, honey and melted butter.
4. Add the liquid mixture to the dry ingredients and fold until just moistened. Stir in the onions, 1.5 cups of the cheddar cheese, and the jalapeños.
5. Pour the batter half way into each buttered muffin tin. Then place two sausage balls into each . Then top will a tablespoon of batter and one more sausage ball right in the middle. Sprinkle the top with the remaining cheese and Bake for 20 minutes or until crusty brown.

Mosner Family Brands is Taking the Mystery out of the Meat

It was about time that I attended my first Introductory class to the Art of Butchery at Mosner Family Brands; I am the granddaughter of a butcher after all. My dear friend Chad invited me to be his right hand carver at this enlightening course that would to take the mystery out of the meat. Chad is a reformed vegetarian who turned into a voracious meat eater, so it is no surprise that he was enthusiastic about this butchery class. “After 6 years as a vegetarian and having fallen victim to the brutal cold and flu season that we had last winter, I was having a terrible time kicking the bug, says Chad. “I went weeks suffering with symptoms and one weekend found myself well enough to venture out of my apartment. I stumbled through the Greenpoint Farmer's Market in McCarren Park. Like a beacon in the darkness I was drawn to a vendor selling organic humane lamb. And so after 6 years of meatless misery, I bought 4 different cuts of lamb: sausage, chops, roast and steaks; I went home and cooked them all—rare. Within 24 hours I was right as rain and never looked back. From there I re-oriented my diet around high-quality animal proteins, fats and cruciferous vegetables, eating seasonally and restricting refined sugars and carbohydrates. I am the healthiest and happiest I have ever been in my entire life.” What better way to kick-off Chad’s new found health and love for meat than with a butcher class.

Mosner Family Brands, located in Hunts Point Market in Bronx, New York supplies wholesale high-quality and humanely-raised: veal, beef, lamb and specialty meat products to premium food service distributors, restaurants and high-end retail stores. Founded in 1957 by David Mosner, the company is family managed and remains passionately committed to the principles of its creator: honesty, innovation, unparalleled service and uncompromised quality.

On arrival we were greeted by the third generation Mosner family members: Benjamin Mosner, Vice President of Sales; Jessica Mosner, Director of Sales and Marketing; and Seth Mosner, Director of Operations. This sibling team is on a mission to educate the masses. They explained labeling, the truth about veal, the age at which meat is slaughtered and a 100% hands-on butchering demonstration given by master butcher resident, Chris Bauso.

Our three hour class was held in Mosner’s USDA-inspected and refrigerated: processing, packaging, and distribution facility. The polar vortex that we are experiencing this winter prepared us for the 27-36 degree temperatures we were about to endure. I was dressed for a ski-trip minus the goggles; however, they would have come in handy during the butchering segment. On top of our pedestrian clothing we were given: white over coats, a set of butcher gloves; fabric and plastic, and hair nets—if necessary—to adhere to strict food safety guidelines by the USDA.

Benjamin Mosner focuses on strategy and stays on the cutting edge with their product offerings. He is like any good coach and business person I have known, striving to set the benchmark for excellence in the meat industry. He cultivates meaningful relationships with farmers locally and around the world to expand Mosner’s finest meat.

To kick-off the class, he gathered us around in coach fashion; all 18 of us meat lovers huddled for a warm embrace and cheered his Meat Chant.

“What time is it? MEAT Time! What time is it? MEAT Time!
Cut the MEAT! Eat the MEAT! Cut the MEAT!
Eat the MEAT! MEAT! MEAT!”

My toes were frozen and we had not even started, but I was determined to Cut the MEAT.

Before we sharpened our knives, Seth Mosner who focuses on plant processes, food safety practices and quality control throughout the production facility opened up a dialogue around the importance of Mosner's butcher classes.

“We are very sincere when we say that it is humbling to have the opportunity to teach, share our family history and introduce people to our trade,” says Seth. “Our goal is that Mosner Family Brands students should leave our building feeling informed and ready to make conscious buying decisions whether it be at the supermarket or a restaurant.”

Just over two years ago, Seth had the idea to offer butcher classes after a lunch conversation he had with his father. “Here we are 1,000+ students later. I never could have expected it to grow into the type of experience that it has become and to have connected with so many wonderful students (turned friends) along the way.”

The mission of the butcher classes is to widen the knowledge gap and loss of connection by the average person who purchases and consumes meat.

One of Mosner’s products is veal and Seth asked us to shout out our pros and cons about such. Here is my ugly story—calves are slaughtered at birth. Their veal is locally-raised and supplied directly from Elba, New York. The calves move around freely, engage in natural behavior and are slaughtered at four months. This might seem alarming—four months—but after this enlightening conversation it dawned on me that most animals we consume are slaughtered at a fairly young age.

Beef Cattle: 1-2 years, Sheep: 3-10 months, Pigs: 3-6 months, Chickens and Ducks: 6 weeks, Turkeys: 12-26 weeks, Rabbits: 6-8 Weeks.

“We want to be a company known for doing things the right way and with care; conscious of the customers and families we serve, the animals under our care and the health of our environment,” says Seth.

Benjamin and Seth described the anatomy of a cow and pointed out the primal cuts: chuck, brisket, shank, rib, plate, short loin, sirloin, tenderloin, top sirloin, bottom sirloin, round and flank. A tag was pinned to each carcass to track the entire history of the: who, what, when, where, and why of that animal.

Jessica Mosner was ready to talk about labeling in an adjacent room. Her marketing efforts have been vital in creating a strong business model for Mosner Family Brands. We discussed trendy catch phrases that are found on today's meat packages: free range, pasture-raised, 100% grass-fed, grass-fed/grain finished, organic, no animal by-products, local, natural, all-natural, antibiotic-free, no antibiotics ever or never administered antibiotics and certified humane. What was eye-opening was the skinny on antibiotics. “Antibiotic-free means the animal has no antibiotic residue in its system at the time of harvest. This phrase, while commonly used, is actually not considered good labeling practices by the USDA. No antibiotics ever or never administered antibiotics means the animal did not receive any type of antibiotics (preventative or otherwise) in its lifetime,” says Jessica.

“Even for the epicurean, claims and labels that you might find on a package of meat can be confusing and often have illogical USDA definitions. One of the most important tasks in the class is to illuminate some of the enormous animal raising and handling differences between proteins that have been labeled in a seemingly identical manner in stores,” says Seth. “We try to shed light on this fact and empower our students to ask the important questions before the time of purchase, which begins with understanding and establishing one’s own standards. If we bring students to that point, we have succeeded.”  

Jessica and Ben also touched upon the different USDA grades: prime, is produced from young, well-fed beef cattle that has abundant marbling and is generally sold at high end restaurants; choice, a high-quality cut with less marbling than prime; and select, has a uniform quality that is the most lean grade.

Mosner Family Brands has a Local NY Program for heritage pigs. Together with a cooperative of 10 local independent family farmers their mission is to bring local heritage breed proteins to market and connecting chefs with heritage pork from New York State farmers that embrace natural pasture-raised methods that are supplemented with only a vegetarian feed. Animals are never issued hormones or antibiotics.

At this point we were offered the option to buy meat wholesale. Chad and I looked at each other with eyes much bigger than our stomachs. We bought and shared: grass fed beef from Australia, lamb chops from Colorado and prime beef from the Midwest. Chad had to hold himself back from buying the rabbit. We almost needed an intervention between the both of us. Chad has been storing his meat affair in his sister’s freezer because his New York City icebox is just that—a shoe box—to accommodate a popcicle or two. I on the other hand held myself back from purchasing duck sausages; I have a thing for duck and knew I would be making sausages with the pork fat and stew cuts from the straight loin we were about to butcher. Chris Bauso the master butcher showed us quickly how to cut the straight loin of a pork; a true craftsman as his knife was a natural extension of his hands.

Now it was our turn to be a butcher and my hands and feet were absolutely frozen. I had flashbacks of my grandfather and in that moment I leaned over to Chad and whispered, “I finally understand why my grandfather’s nose was always running; he lived in a cooler his entire life.”

We were split into teams of two and broke down the straight loin; Chad got the roast end and I got the rib end. We butchered all the primals: tenderloin, loin roast, bone-in and boneless chops, rib roast and pork chops. We also did side work for stew meat and fat trimmings. We then vacuum packed our pork and waited in the chilly lobby for our own personalized meat box to appear from packaging with our certificate of training. While we were waiting another group was coming in for the class.

Once we saw our boxes and paid our tally we rushed outside to thaw in a sunny 38 degrees—it felt like spring. I can hear the echoes of Benjamin’s Meat Chant as we jumped into Chad’s truck and cranked the heat.

There is an Advanced Art of Butchery class that I am thinking of attending and think it would be best to go when it is 105 degrees and humid in New York City.

The butcher classes given by Mosner Family Brands is a must for anyone who wants to understand primal cuts and how meat is labeled and processed. This family affair is dedicated to educating the masses through an open and honest dialogue. Thank you Mosner Family Brands for putting a stake in the ground—no pun intended.

Recipe: Bone-In Pork Chop Milanese with a Cabbage Compote

ingredients

Bone-In Pork Chop Milanese

• 2 bone-in pork chops, pounded but not to thin.
• 1 cup of panko bread crumbs
• 1 cup of shredded pecorino Romano
• 1/3 cup of chopped parsley
• ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg
• 2 eggs, scrambled
• 1 cup of flour for dredging
• Salt and pepper for seasoning pork
• Olive Oil

Cabbage Compote

• 1 small head of green cabbage, sliced 1-inch strips
• 1 medium onion sliced
• ¼ fennel, chopped roughly
• 1 green apple cut into 1-inch chunks
• 1 cup of red grapes cut in half
• ¼ cup olive oil
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 teaspoon of pepper
• 1 tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar.

directions

Bone-In Pork Chop Milanese

1. Pre-heat oven to 400° F and in a large bowl combine the panko, cheese, parsley, and nutmeg. Place the eggs in one large bowl and the flour in another.
2. Dry Pork off with a towel and then pound the pork in a large zip-lock freezer bag. Once pounded season with salt and pepper.
3. Dredge in flour, then egg, then finally the panko bread crumbs. Be sure to press the coating firmly into the pork.
4. Place the chops on a baking sheet and drizzle with olive oil on both sides of the pork.
5. Place on the middle rack in the oven and bake covered with tinfoil for 20 minutes on one side and an additional 20 on the other.
   
   note: I did not pound out the pork to thin so the amount of time needed was necessary. If you pound the meat out to ¼ inch size it should take half the time. You may want to occasionally check your pork to make sure it is browning nicely and not burning.
   
   Cabbage Compote
    
6. In a large pan add the olive oil and sauté the onions and fennel until translucent, about 10 minutes.
7. Add the cabbage and cook until wilted, about 10 minutes.
8. Then add the apples, grapes and vinegar and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the salt and pepper and let sit for 5 minutes. 

Riverhead Farmers Market Inspires My Lemon Curd Chocolate Tart

Trending topics that have kicked off the month of February on the East End of Long Island are the arctic blasts and the Riverhead Farmers Market—polar opposites: an oppressive freeze and a nourishing thaw. On Groundhog Day opposing predictions from Punxsutawney Phil was for six more weeks of winter and Long Island’s very own Malverne Mel and Holtsville Hal for an early spring. Unfortunately, I think Punxsutawney Phil is right. But one thing is certain (I predicted this one); the Riverhead Farmers Market is a huge success. Hundreds of eager attendees piled in from the front and back entrances of the 8,000-square-foot old Swezey’s Department store downtown. It took me 15 minutes to find a parking spot, and a few moments shy of purchasing some of my favorite edibles. 

The theme of the day? Sold out.

Miss Lady Root Beer was dry of their small batch root beer by noon. I was bummed. I had plans to make poached pears and a marinade for tasty short ribs; next week I need to get there super early. I snatched a growler of Moustache Brewing Company’s Everyman's Porter, as they eventually became tapped. Browder’s Birds ran out of their eggs twice after going back to the farm to replenish; thankfully I grabbed a dozen.

And the theme continued: Tend Coffee, Kalypso Greek Yogurt, Blue Duck Bakery, Merkin Fisheries, Goodale Farms, Race Rock Oysters and Moustache Brewing Company – all sold out.

I made my way to Chef Lia Fallon of The Riverhead Project where I sampled Moroccan egg salad with green mango and a snow pudding, both made with Browder’s Birds eggs. The snow pudding was a meringue with lemon curd and a currant that resembled a cracked egg.

After indulging, I scurried over to the North Fork Chocolate Company which makes artisanal chocolates and desserts from products of the local farmers. I bought the espresso chip bark crafted using LiV Vodka. 

Fallon’s snow pudding and the handcrafted bark of the North Fork Chocolate Company inspired my lemon curd chocolate tart. How can the chefs, artisans and farmers of the East End not inspire anyone to create a meal or treat? And what better way to your sweethearts stomach this Valentines Day than with a lemon curd chocolate tart.

During these winter months a farmers market will surely keep you busy in the kitchen or happily stuffed. It is my way to ward away the winter blues and to be supportive of the East End Community. 

Bring on the next six weeks of winter as I will surely be creating a feast. 

The Riverhead Farmers Market is at 117 East Main Street, Saturdays, February 1 through May 17 from 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Lemon Curd Chocolate Tart

ingredients

Lemon Curd

• 4 large egg yolks from Browder's Birds eggs
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• Zest and juice of 2 large lemons
• 6 tablespoons of unsalted butter cut into 6 pieces; room temperature
• 1/8 teaspoon salt

Melted Chocolate

• 1/4 pound of espresso chip bark from the North Fork Chocolate Company, chopped (you can use any good dark chocolate)
• 2 tablespoons of heavy cream

Dough

• 1 egg yolk
• 2 tablespoons of very cold water
• 1 teaspoon of vanilla extract
• 1 1⁄2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
• 1⁄3 cup sugar
• 1⁄4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 stick of cold unsalted butter, cut into 1⁄4-inch cubes

directions

Lemon Curd

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer.

2. Place all of the ingredients except the butter in a large heatproof bowl or sauce pan and set the bowl over the simmering water, but not touching, and whisk constantly until the yolks thicken; about 10 minutes. You do not want the eggs to curdle.

3. Remove the bowl from the simmering water and whisk in the butter one piece at a time; wait until each piece is completely melted before adding another.

4. Set a fine-mesh strainer over a medium bowl and strain the curd; discard the solids left in the strainer.

5. Cover the lemon curd with plastic wrap and cool in the refrigerator completely, about 2 hours. The curd can be stored in the refrigerator for one week.
    

Dough

1. Place the flour, salt and sugar in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine.
2. Cut up the cold butter into 1/2 inch cubes and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about the size of garbanzo beans. Pulse about 10 seconds.
3. Mix in a small bowl the egg yolk, water and vanilla extract.  Slowly add this liquid through the feed tube, just until the dough holds together. The dough should be visibly crumbly where you can pinch the dough between your fingers and should hold. You are not looking for a ball state here.
4. Remove the crumbly mixture from the processor and place on a smooth surface. Work the dough only enough to just bring the dough together.  Do not over-knead or your crust will end up tough.
5. Flatten each portion into a disk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour before using. This will chill the butter and allow the gluten in the flour to relax. At this point you can also freeze the dough for later use.  
6. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the pastry to fit into (6) 4-inch tart pans or (1) 9-inch tart. To prevent the pastry from sticking to the counter and to ensure uniform thickness, keep lifting up and turning the pastry a quarter turn as you roll. To make sure it is the right size, take your tart pan and place it on the rolled out pastry. The pastry should be about an inch larger than your pan.
7. Lightly roll pastry around your rolling pin and unroll onto the top of your tart pan. Gently lay in pan and lightly press pastry into bottom and up sides of pan. Roll your rolling pin over top of pan to get rid of excess pastry dough.
8. With the tines of a fork, prick the bottom of the dough (this will prevent the dough from puffing up as it bakes). Cover and freeze 30 minutes to chill the butter and rest the gluten.
9. Preheat oven to 375° and place rack in center of oven. 
10. Bake for approximately 20 – 25 minutes; until golden brown. If the dough puffs up use a spoon to press down lightly and continue cooking. 
11. Once done let the tarts cool completely.

Melted Chocolate

1. Fill a medium saucepan with 2 inches of water and bring it to a simmer.

2. Place the chocolate bark and heavy cream in a sauce pan over a simmering pot of water and stir until melted. (you can also microwave the chocolate and heavy cream in a bowl for 30 seconds, stir and repeat again for 30 seconds, until fully melted)

Assembly

Place a generous dollop of the melted chocolate into the pie tarts. Cover the bottom completely about ¼-inch high. Once all tarts are filled with the chocolate place in the refrigerator to cool completely for 1 hour.

Once tarts with chocolate are cooled completely place 2 generous tablespoons of lemon curd on top of the chocolate. Sprinkle with a zest of lemon and shaved chocolate.

Makes: (6) 4-inch tart pans or (1) 9-inch tart.