1/4 cup *Dou chi fermented black beans
1/3 cup Shaoxing rice wine
1/4 cup *Sichuan Gan Hai Jiao* dried Sichuanese chilies
2/3 cup *Hua Sheng Mi Cai You* peanut oil
1/2 cup *Dou Ban Jiang* Sichuanese chili bean paste
1/3 cup *Lao Zao* fermented glutinous rice wine
1 tsp *Hua Zhao* whole Sichuan pepper
6 qt *Xian Tang*everyday stock (recipe below) or Beef stock
2/3 cup Beef drippings or lard
3 inch *Sheng Jiang* piece of fresh ginger unpeeled
1Tbl Rock sugar

Feel free to add more *Sichuan Gan Hai Jiao* dried Sichuanese chilies and *Hua Zhao* whole Sichuan pepper as you like… Which I always do…

Mash black beans w/1Tblsp Shaoxing wine, with mortar and pestle until smooth.

Wash ginger and cut into slices about the thickness of a coin.

Snip all chilies into halves or 1 inch sections with scissors, discard seeds (seeds can be saved and planted for fresh chilies).

Heat 3 Tblsp of peanut oil in wok/pan over medium flame until hot but not smoking. Add all chilies and stir-fry briefly till they are crispy and fragrant, be careful not to burn the chilies as the process happens fast. Oil should sizzle gently around the chilies. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Pour oil in separate container and set aside, give the wok/pan a quick rinse and dry thoroughly.

Place the beef drippings and rest of peanut oil into wok/pan over medium-low heat. Until the drippings have melted completely. Then turn heat to medium. When oil just begins to smoke (200-300F), add all the chili bean paste and stir-fry for a minute or until the oil is a rich red and fragrant. The paste should sizzle gently take care not to burn. Remove from heat briefly if necessary so to avoid burning. When the oil has reddened, add the mashed black beans and ginger and continue to stir-fry till fragrant. Then pour 1 ½ quarts of the stock in and bring to boil. The rest out the stock will be used later to top off the Huo Guo (hotpot) as you eat.

When the liquid comes to a boil, add rock sugar and the rest of the Shaoxing rice wine, with the fermented rice wine and salt to taste.

Finally, add the prepared chilies and the Sichuan pepper according to taste and leave broth to simmer for about 15-20 minutes. This will bring all the flavors together and intensify the spiciness.

Xian Tang (*Everyday stock*) by Donte Allen

1-2lbs of pork bones
2-3lbs of chicken bones, necks, wings
2in piece of ginger peeled and crushed
2-4 spring onions
4 cloves of garlic

Add all large bones to a large stock pot. Cover with plenty of water so to submerge the bone and bring to a fast boil. Skim all scum from the top of the liquid. After the scum now longer forms reduce to low/medium heat. Then add ginger, spring onions, and garlic. Let simmer 2-3 hours… Strain liquid and allow stock to cool.

Stock maybe used immediately of refrigerated or frozen until ready to use. Refrigerated stock can be kept longer if you boil it up each day or two.

Sichuan Huo guo (Sichuan hot pot) by Donte Allen

Side dishes…You can have improvise, there is no rule to what you can have.

Here are some traditional dipping ingredients.

Meats:
Chinese wind dried sausage
Chicken breast, thinly sliced
Chicken thighs, skinless thinly sliced
Pork Tenderloin, thinly sliced
Lean beef or lamb, thinly sliced
Cooked meats of all kinds
Pork kidney, halved, cored and thinly sliced
Smoked bacon, thickly sliced
Firm bean curd, thickly sliced
Dry bean curd skin, soaked until soft
Lambs brains
Tripe
Intestines, or as my Sichuan friends directly translate it, “the sh*t pipe…”

Veggies:
Cabbage
Lotus, sliced and soaked in lightly salted water
Spinach
Bean sprouts, whole
Fresh coriander (cilantro)
Radishes, turnips
Potatoes, thickly sliced and soaked in lightly salted water

Fungus:
Shiitake
Oyster
Button
Enoki
Wood ear or cloud ear, pre-soaked in hot water for at least 30mins
Chinese dried mushrooms, pre-soaked in hot water for at least 30mins
Large flat mushrooms, cut into chunky slices

For the seasoning dips:
Sesame oil
Sea salt white or black pepper
Garlic, finely chopped, at least one head of garlic for every 4 people
Dou fu ru
Coriander( cilantro), chopped

Markets: Where to find what you need
There is nothing more frustrating that getting a new recipe(s) and then finding that your local Supermarket doesn’t have all that you need. Luckily, here in Slo-lumbus when have a menagerie of ethnic markets, if you can’t find everything you need at one then you may at a combination of 2 or 3. Also, you will find you save money shopping at ethnic groceries than your major supermarkets where prices are marked up dramatically on things you find at a specific ethnic market for a margin of the price. Also Ethnic groceries will have several options on every product giving you far more choices.

So, I made a list of market that is a great resource… for the Slo-umbus Foodie…

The North Market: meats, produce, specialty import foods, etc…

Mon: optional hours for merchants
Tues-Friday: 8am-7pm
Sat-Sun: 8am-5pm

Koyama Shoten: Japanese
5857 Sawmill Rd
Dublin, OH 43017
Get Directions
(614) 761-8118

Lotte: Korean
218 Graceland Blvd
Columbus, OH 43214
Get Directions
(614) 885-3232

Toul Bo: Korean
999 Bethel Rd
Columbus, OH 43214
Get Directions
(614) 459-8888

Mediterranean Foods Imports: Name says it all, also great to spices by the oz.
2647 N High St
Columbus, OH 43202
(614) 263-9400‎

New Asian Supermarket: Like a Warehouse
3635 W Dublin Granville Rd
Columbus, OH 43235
Get Directions
(614) 889-8899

Sunrise Asian Supermarket: Like a Warehouse, great for exotic meat.
1841 Henderson Rd
Columbus, OH 43220
Get Directions
(614) 326-1999

CAM: Columbus Asian market: Great for veggies and meats and assortment of everything else.

Olentangy Plaza
817 Bethel Road
Columbus, OH 43214
Mon-Sat: 10:00am-8:00pm
Sun: 10:00am-7:00pm

Tensuke Market: The best Japanese grocery in Slo-lumbus.
1167 Old Henderson Rd
Columbus, OH 43220-3607
(614) 451-6002

As Director of Marketing my job distills down pretty simply to: promote the North Market. When we’ve got major events like the Fiery Foods Festival going on, it just comes naturally, as I simply highlight the great things our merchants do daily that complement our theme. In promoting this great place and our events I get to interact with many of Columbus’ media “personalities”. Yesterday I got to “play” with one of Columbus’ most gregarious characters, WTTE/FOX 28’s Johnny DiLoretto. I’ve noticed that the mere mention of Johnny D evokes passionate responses from folks. From the exuberant, “He’s so funny, I just LOVE him!” to an eyeroll accompanied by a groan, “Ugh, he’s SUCH a goofball!” Having personally embraced my own goofball tendencies years ago, I have great appreciation for Johnny D. He’s consummately professional, helpful and sincere and while he certainly doesn’t take himself too seriously, he absolutely takes his responsibility to report on the events, organizations and venues that he covers in earnest. It’s evident that he loves his job, the experiences it affords him and the people he gets to meet.

I thought it would be fun to document a little of the goings-on yesterday from behind-the-scenes footage to the on-air action. I freely admit that part of my motivation was to keep myself focused. I am unquestionably a morning person and relish in my regular duty of opening the Market- usually a 7 a.m. task. To set up for the live television broadcast required me to be there at 6 a.m. and I’m amazed at what a difference that extra little hour of sleep makes. Nonetheless I was there at 5:50 a.m., bright-eyed (more or less) and ready for the shoot. While our cameraman Aaron fiddled with important gear in the station’s truck, Johnny unwound hundreds of yards of coaxial camera cable and distributed it up and down the aisles in front of the stalls of the various merchants we were scheduled to chat with about their particular spicy dishes.

Pam of Pam’s Market Popcorn had been in since the middle of the night preparing a big order to be shipped out. As she feverishly worked to adorn her stand with red garland, flame motifs and flashing lights we decided to do the opening hit there. Johnny donned one of our prop sombreros (which we’ll be giving out to kids this Saturday morning starting at 11 a.m.) and practiced a couple of introductory lines. Aaron prepped the camera while Johnny conversed with the producers back in the studio via the “magic of television” and his ear piece. It appeared that despite the enormous sombrero perched on his head, they couldn’t see him on the remote feed (uh-oh)…and he was supposed to broadcast in about 3 minutes. Aaron rushes outside and “jiggled that button” in the truck and all is well, they can see Johnny. I throw on a sombrero and we do the opening preview about what to expect at the North Market this weekend it’s only a 30 second or so hit and it’s over in a flash…

Now onto the real stars, our merchants. First up we hit up the expert on all things chile-related John Hard (more familiarly known as CaJohn). He’d brought a passle of peppers for consideration and sampling. From the milder jalapeno to the scorching habanero to the inferno that is the bhut jolokia. CaJohn is familiar with them all and what makes them distinctive. He gives Johnny a little tutorial about capsaicin (what makes the peppers hot) and Scoville units (how the heat of the peppers are measured) and busts the myth that it’s the seeds that make the peppers hot (the capsaicin resides in the white fleshy membranes). They top off the lesson with a nibble on one of the less tear-inducing peppers.

Between takes there’s downtime to set up the next shot. The equipment is hauled down to Firdous where Abdul has assembled the ingredients to make his notorious Tunisian Chicken. It’s one of Firdous signature dishes and the only one to warrant its own sign that reads: I.D. Required. Must be old enough to handle the heat. HOT! HOT! HOT! Tunisia is the northernmost country on the African continent and as it is 40% desert it’s somewhat ironic that one of its traditional dishes (served in its cities) is something so scorching. The ingredients sound innocuous enough: chicken breast, tomato, garlic and black olives…but it’s the “special sauce” that gets ya! Judging by the look on Johnny’s face I’d say he’s feeling the heat, but approves!

One of our recurring morning’s themes was spicy cuisine from around the world. The lovely Nida Perry came in and prepared Thai curry, a dish available at the North Market and her new Short North restaurant, Nida’s Thai on High. Nida was a trooper to make it in for the spot as 7 a.m. comes MUCH earlier when you’ve been up late tending to your new “baby” (especially when that baby is a fledgling restaurant). Red curry paste, coconut milk, fresh basil and shrimp were just a few of the ingredients that make this dish sing. Johnny liked it so much that Nida made up a “to-go” pack for him to take home for lunch (ah, the perks of stardom)!

At the North Market we’re fortunate to have some of the most creative minds in the city when it comes to dessert gathered under one roof. We assembled Dan Cooper of Pure Imagination Chocolatier, Pam Tylka of Pam’s Market Popcorn and Tom Bauer of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams to offer their unique takes on the Fiery Foods gig. Pam had a formidable duo with popcorn flavors “Mad Max” and “Painful Purgatory Pepper” popcorns. Daniel responded with chocolate-dipped jalapeno peppers and wasabi truffles. Tom simultaneously cooled things down with an ice cream finale while bringing the heat in the form of flavors Thai Chili (peanutt-y with a kick) and Queen City Cayenne (chocolate with a POW!). All samples were eagerly devoured the minute we called “cut” on that take!

On our continuing piquant culinary tour around the world we made a stop in Italy. Chef Rocco Valentino of Pastaria gave Johnny a sneak preview of his entry into the Chef Chili Challenge. It is an Italian-inspired chili with nice chunks of beef that’s been long simmered with Italian seasonings, tomatoes and peppers. (Lucky me, as a tagalong I got to sample too!) It certainly fit the bill for the Fiery Foods Festival. Meanwhile Steven “the best pizza pie thrower in Columbus” was at work rapidly and efficiently putting together an arrabiatta pizza pie.

If you are ever nostalgic for the old-style pizzerias where they hand toss the crust, feel free to stop by Sarefino’s in the morning and watch our pizza phenom, Steven, at work. A round of pizza dough is passed through a presser, then Steven masterfully stretches the dough by hand, tossing and spinning it in the air to achieve the perfect pizza pie shape. He drops the flawless dough disk onto the counter, slathers it in sauce, covers it in grated cheese and puts on a gazillion pepperoni in perfect concentric circles all at a rapid-fire pace (See! He’s even a blur in the photo he’s moving so fast!). Within a minute it’s been hoisted onto the pizza peel -the wooden contraption used for putting them into and pulling them out of the piping hot pizza ovens- and placed into the oven. Minutes later Steven proudly delivers the finished product for us to polish off. The cameraman, Aaron, will testify that Steven is quite the craftsman.

We wind up the segment back where we started, with the infamous CaJohn who will prepare his award-winning Texas-style CaBoom Chili. It’s such a simple recipe that it’s a cinch to prepare at home (provided you’ve made a stop by CaJohn’s Flavor & Fire stand at the Market). Brown a pound (or more) of ground beef (or ground turkey if that’s your thing). Drain off any liquid. Add a cup of water and three tablespoons of CaBoom Chili Fixins (CaJohns special spice mix) per pound of meat and simmer for 5 minutes. Add one jar of your favorite CaJohns salsa per pound of meat (picante sauce is recommended in your preferred heat level), simmer for at least another 10 minutes and it’s ready to serve! Of course, if you are too lazy or pressed for time you can also buy it by the pint/quart/gallon from CaJohns CaBoom Chili Co. at the North Market.

Ever the adventurous one, Johnny D decided to end his segment with a little teeny taste of the world’s hottest known pepper, the Bhut Jolokia (aka the ghost pepper). To give you perspective on how hot this is, a habanero pepper registers at about 250,000 Scoville units while the jolokia clocks in at more than 1,000,000 Scoville units. Yeah, that’s hot! And not in the trite Paris Hilton sense, but mouth-burning hot. Our intrepid reporter put about 1/8 teaspoon of the jolokia puree in his mouth and CaJohn talked him through the sensation. “It’s not going to feel very hot at first, and you’ll get the nice flavor of the pepper.” Johnny nodded his head and looked totally unfazed at this point. “But slowly, the heat is going to spread around your whole mouth and it’s going to build. And just when you think it’s done, it’s going to get hotter.” Johnny looks a little flushed and is beginning to “glow” a little bit. He finishes the segment, signs off and looks relieved that the camera is out of his face as he begins to perspire in earnest. Fortunately, the fine folks at Flavor and Fire keep an extra pint of milk around just for such emergency occasions. That and a bowl of Jeni’s vanilla ice cream seem to do the trick. It’s time to pack up the truck and head back to the station. Thanks for the publicity for our Fiery Foods Festival Johnny D! We sure had fun and hope you did too. You know you’re welcome at the North Market any time!

After a four course feast of indulging in many a Mardi Gras dish, one would think that dessert would be out of the question. But Chef Steve’s Bread Pudding with Caramel Sauce (spiked with bourbon) was simply irresistable! And all of us in attendace for that Chef Series Class learned the literal translation of Mardi Gras, “fat Tuesday”, though in our case it happened to be a Wednesday.

Bread Pudding with Caramel (and Bourbon) Sauce!

Bread Pudding

1 C. golden raisins

1/4 C. bourbon

16 C. cubed day old bread

4 oz. melted butter

1 1/2 C. sugar

2 tsp. ground cinnamon

4 1/2 C. heavy cream

1 Tbs. pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg

8 large eggs

In a small bowl soak the raisins in bourbon.

Place the bread cubes in a large bowl and drizzle with melted butter. Mix 1/2 cup sugar and 1 tsp. cinnamon together and sprinkle over the bread, tossing to distribute evenly. Heat the heavy cream, 1 cup sugar and remaining cinnamon over low heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. DO NOT let the mixture boil! Place eggs in a bowl and slowly whisk in the warm cream. Pour cream mixture over the bread, mix in the raisins and allow to stand 45 minutes to 1 hour, mixing a couple times during this period. You will know it is ready when the bread cubes are no longer dry in the center.

Preheat over to 350 degrees. Butter a 9×13 baking dish and pour in the bread mixture. Place the dish into a larger baking pan and place in the oven. Carefully pour hot water into the larger pan until it comes halfway up the side of the dish. Bake for 1 hour or until the center is set and a knife tip inserted into the center comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand until the inner pan can safely be removed from the outer pan. Serve with caramel sauce (below).

Caramel Sauce

3/4 C. heavy whipping cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

1 C. sugar

3 Tbs. dark corn syrup

4 Tbs. butter, chilled and cut into pieces

Bring the cream and the vanilla bean to a boil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and let steep for 10 minutes. Remove the bean, scrape out the tiny seeds with the tip of a sharp knife and add to the cream. Set aside.

Place the sugar and corn syrup in a 3 quart saucepan and use a wooden spoon to mix the sugar and syrup. Heat the pan over medium heat and the sugar will begin to break down after 3-4 minutes. Stir once or twice mixing the undissolved sugar into the warm liquid. It will become foamy after a bit, once it does stop stirring. Continue heating until the mixture turns medium brown. Whisk in the butter a little at a time and continue whisking until the mixture comes together. (I think an undisclosed amount of bourbon was added to the sauce at this step in our class too). Remove from heat and very slowly whisk in the cream a little at a time. The caramel is extremely hot and will bubble up as the cream is added. Return the pan to the burner over low heat and stir until the mixture is completely smooth. The sauce will thicken as it cools. Serve warm. This can be kept in a covered container in the refrigerator until you need to use it. Simply reheat slowly over low heat before serving.

Get great Mardi Gras decorations like these at Yankee Trader next to the North Market!

John Hard (aka CaJohn) and Chef Steve Lawrence of CaJohn’s Flavor & Fire created a spectacular Mardi Gras feast for the North Market Chef Series Class last week. Attendees were treated to colorful decorations, Mardi Gras trivia (with beads tossed as prizes), sumptous Cajun foods and the engaging banter of CaJohn and Steve. The menu featured a stunning five courses of traditional New Orleans favorites. Since Mardi Gras is a mere week away I’ve reprinted the recipes from the dinner for you to create your own Mardi Gras repast. I’d go with the BBQ Shrimp for sure and then pick from among the gumbo, jambalaya and etouffe for a main course as most of us were rolling out of the Dispatch Kitchen last week after sampling all three!

Course one: Barbeque Shrimp on Mardi Gras Rice

Barbeque Shrimp is an easy and delicious recipe!

1# Shrimp 20-25 ct.

1# butter

1 tsp. CaJohns Cajun Seasoning

1 Tbs. CaJohns Creole Seasoning

2 Tbs. minced garlic

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

1 Tbs. Lil’ Kick hot sauce

Peel shrimp, but leave the tail on and rinse in cold water. In a high wall skillet over medium-high heat melt the butter. Add the seasonings, garlic, Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce and stir until combined. Add the shrimp and shake until they are fully cooked, about 2 minutes. Lay on top of Mardi Gras Rice and drizzle with pan liquor.

Mardi Gras Rice: Prepare rice according to manufacturer’s instructions as to ratio of uncooked rice to water. Rule of thumb: 2 cups water per cup of rice. Add CaJohns Creole Seasoning to taste to water before cooking and stir (Chef Steve recommends 1-2 Tbs. per cup of rice). Cook rice, stirring occasionally. When rice is cooked stir once more to evenly distribute the seasoning.

Course two: Chicken & Sausage Gumbo

Chef Steve actually made this for the class with duck instead of chicken which made the dish even richer! Feel free to make up your own substitutes as well. It was also served with rice as were/are most of these recipes. It was all stick-to-your-ribs tasty!

1 C. vegetable oil

1 C. flour

1 1/2 C. onion, diced

1 C. celery, diced

1 C. bell pepper, diced

1# andouille sausage, 1/2″ slices

1 1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 bay leaves

6 C. chicken broth

1# boneless chicken, 1″ chunks

1 tsp. CaJohns Cajun Seasoning

1 tsp. CaJohns Creole Seasoning

1/2 c. green onion, chopped

1 Tbs. file powder

Combine the oil and flour in a large cast iron or enameled soup pot over medium heat. Slowly stir constantly for 20-25 minutes (Chef Steve recommends having a beer or two to keep you company) until the roux turns dark brown the color of chocolate (DON’T burn it, if you suspect you have, time to crack another beer and start over). Add the onions, celery and bell peppers and stir for 5 minutes or until the onions are opaque and the peppers and celery are wilted. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne and bay leaves. Continue to stir 3-4 minutes. Add the chicken broth. Stir until roux and broth are well combined. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium. Cook uncovered, stirring occasionally for 1 hour. Season the chicken with the Cajun blend, add to the pot and simmer for 2 hours. Skim off any fat that rises to the surface. remove from heat. Stir in Creole Seasoning, green onions and file powder. Remove bay leaves and serve in deep bowls.

Course three: CaJohns Chicken & Sausage Jambalaya

3 # boneless chicken breast & thighs, chopped

2 # smoked sausage/andouille sliced

1/2 C. olive oil

2 C. onion, chopped fine

1 C. bell pepper, chopped

1/2 C. fresh parsley, chopped

1 C. green onion, chopped fine

3 C. uncooked rice’

8 C. chicken broth

1 Tbs, garlic, chopped

Salt to taste, 2 Tbs. Hot Spots/ Lil’ Kick (more if you like it HOT)

In large stock post or high-walled chicken fryer, brown the chicken in olive oil, stirring frequently so the chicken doesn’t stick to the pot. After the chicken has browned, remove from hot, but leave oil. Add onions, bell pepper, green onions and parsley. Saute until the onions are transparent. Add sausage, broth, garlic, chicken , rice, salt and Hot Spots. Cook until broth level falls just beneath the level of the rice. Reduce heat and cover with tight fitting lid. Simmer for 1 hour until rice is fully cooked. DON’T PEEK FOR 1 HOUR! Serve with a bottle of Hot Spots- Spark Hot Sauce to turn up the heat!

Course Four: Chicken Etouffee

4 # (total) boneless chicken breast & thighs

Salt

Garlic powder

Cayenne pepper

1 1/4 C. flour

Vegetable oil for frying

1/2 C. onion, finely chopped

1/2 C. celery, finely chopped

1/2 C. bell pepper, finely chopped

4 C. chicken broth

3 tsp. CaJohns Cajun Seasoning

1/2# butter

3/4 C. green onion, very finely chopped

Rub all sides of chicken pieces with a generous amount of salt, garlic powder and cayenne making sure it is evenly covered. Refrigerate 30 minutes. In plastic bag combine flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. garlic powder and 1/2 tsp. cayenne. Add chicken pieces and shake until coated. Reserve excess flour.

Heat 1 1/2 inches of oil in a heavy high-walled skillet to 375 degrees. Fry the chicken pieces until browned and meat fully cooked (5-7 minutes per side). Drain on paper towels and set aside. Carefully pour oil into large glass measuring cup, leaving as much of the browned bits in the skillet as possible. Scrape bottom of skillet with spoon to dislodge stuck particles, and return 1/2 cup of oil to skillet.

Heat oil over high heat until it starts to smoke. Meanwhile, measure 3/4 cup of flour from chicken coating (add flour if needed to 3/4 cup). In a small bowl combine 1/4 cup of each of the “trinity”, onions, celery and bell peppers. When oil is hot, remove from heat and add flour. Use long handled metal whisk to stir until flour & oil are blended. Return to medium-high heat and whisk constantly until the roux is dark brown, being very careful not to burn the roux OR you! Immediately remove roux from heat and whisk in the trinity. Continue whisking until the roux stops turning darker, about 2-3 minutes.

Bring 3 1/2 cups of chicken broth to a rolling boil in a saucepan. Add the roux by spoonfuls, stirring until each spoonful is dissolved. Bring the finished mixture to a rolling boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring almost constantly. When it becomes the consistency of thick gravy, set aside.

Melt 1/4# butter in large skillet. Add remaining trinity and saute over very low heat until the veggies are completely wilted (10-12 minutes). Add the roux and the seasoning and simmer for 15 minutes, stirring frequently.

Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat, add the green onion and saute 2-3 minutes. Add the chicken and the roux mixture and bring to a boil over medium heat. Remove from heat and let rest 15 minutes. Skim off surface oil. Place back on medium burner and reheat. Place chicken on a bed of rice, cover with sauce and serve immediately.

There’s bread pudding for dessert, but you’ll have to wait until tomorrow for that recipe!

I made one of those WOW dinners last night. I got bison shanks from North Market Poultry and Game and had some leftover Calasparra rice (traditionally for paella) that I had purchased from Curds and Whey.

The menu ended up being Bison Osso Buco and mushroom risotto, since I had ample carrots, celery, and mushrooms from earlier foraging at Greener Grocer. I got recipes from Saveur Cooks Authentic Italian and used them as templates, as I often do. (When in the kitchen, I like to have a guideline, but I have enough years of experience to take a few detours.)

Everything turned out beautifully! Bison was deeper flavored than veal would’ve been, so the mushrooms in the risotto worked out really well.

And the kicker? No Italian Red in the house. Me. A wine shop owner. Not a single bottle of Italian red in the basement… Oh, well. I’m correcting that problem. I had a really deep older California Merlot that usually drinks like a Pomerol. It worked out really well, too.

Every year, Valentine’s Day falls on the 14^th of February. Here are 14 great ideas to make your Valentine’s Day, fresh, local and romantic.

1. Say it with flowers. Market Blooms has the finest and freshest in town. From roses by the dozen to creative bouquets, stop by to see Marty or Bob for a “consultation.” Pressed for time? Call 228-7760 and place an order.
2. Chocolate is always a sure bet, fine chocolates are even better! Dan Cooper at Pure Imagination is one of our city’s finest chocolatiers. Hand-dipped, hand- made…there is a difference.
3. Champagne and sparkling wine. Dave Bihn at Grapes of Mirth will fix you up with the right bottle at the right price.
4. Fresh seafood. Oysters and live lobster are especially festive and romantic. Let The Fish Guys set you up with the highest quality, freshest seafood in town.
5. A little bauble perhaps? Browse the shelves of Better Earth’s Beyond Beads for a special treasure that will be remembered long after Valentine’s Day.
6. Spice up your day with some fiery foods from CaJohn’s Flavor and Fire. Choose from a wide selection of hot sauces and salsas that make great gifts.
7. Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams has a bouquet of special handmade ice creams for you and your sweetheart. Check out their website at www.jenisicecreams.com to ship these great treats anywhere in the country.
8. Rich, chocolaty Omega Cakes are a favorite of mine. Amy Lozier at Omega Artisan Baking is crafting any number of handmade baked goods that are sure to please your Valentine’s Day sweetie.
9. Let Pastaria prepare your entire Valentine’s Day dinner. Chef Rocco Valentino has created an elegant take-home four course meal for two. Simply order your dinners, pick them up and you are ready for a truly romantic meal Chez Vous. Call 805-4976 to order. See the menu: http://www.northmarket.com/blog/?p=188
10. Don’t forget the kids. The Candy Shack has an enormous selection of old-fashioned candies to mix and match. Come in and create your own bag of goodies that will make your kids feel extra special.
11. Mozart’s has a wide selection of European pastries from which to choose. You can’t go wrong with a box of beautiful handmade petit ‘fours.
12. A loaf of bread, a jug of wine. You’ve got a great bottle of wine from Grapes of Mirth, and a loaf of crusty bread from Omega Artisan Baking. Now you’re off to see Mike Kast at Curds & Whey for a fantastic piece of cheese. He has nearly 400 to choose from. Don’t forget some of his great olives, also.
13. Looking for a gift for your foodie/sweetie? We have great cookware and serving ware at North Market Cookware and The Source.
14. Is this your idea of the perfect romantic evening? You procure the very finest ingredients to prepare an absolutely fabulous meal for your sweetheart. Here at North Market we have it all for you. Great produce, meats, seafood, poultry, baked goods…the very finest ingredients for the most romantic meal ever. All here at you community public market.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your sweetheart. Hope to see you at the Market. We’ll help you make this year’s day the most special ever.

Can you do without the hassle of attempting to get a reservation at a restaurant for Valentine’s Day, especially this year as it falls on a Saturday? Why not impress your true love with an intimate dinner for two Chez Vous? Our appropriately named Chef Rocco Valentino at Pastaria handcrafts a special menu each year for Valentine’s Day. You’ll get four fabulous courses (with a vegatarian option, even!) and a bottle of wine for a flat $100.

When you pick up your ready-to-impress meal on the 14th you can also collect some extra “trimmings” for the perfect at-home ambience: a bouquet of fragrant flowers for the table and rose petals for scattering at Market Blooms, a bottle of sparkling wine at Grapes of Mirth to set the mood and an assortment of truffles at Pure Imagination Chocolatier. We won’t tell if you ditch the carryout containers and take credit for your in-home feast.

Menu by: Pastaria

Certified Executive Chef Rocco G. Valentino

First course

Cream of spinach soup with horseradish crostini

Second course

Baby spinach with stone ground mustard vinaigrette, gorgonzola cheese and candied pecans

Entrée

Penne Rigate with white wine asparagus butter and sauté of baby squash, sun dried tomatoes, leeks and roasted red peppers

Or

Seared filet of beef with cabernet syrup, essence of basil whipped potatoes and sauté of baby squash

Finale

Chocolate Mousse

Dinner for two (without wine) $85.00

Dinner for two including a bottle of wine $100.00

Wine choices: Farnese Trebbiano D’Abruzzo or Montepulciano D’Abruzzo from Grapes of Mirth

Call (614)805-4976 to order.

Please order before 12 pm on Tuesday February 10

Orders will be available for pick up between 11am and 4:30pm on Saturday February 14^th