Menu 6: A Five Course Dinner with Beer Pairings on 10-19-10

MENU 6. 12718 LARCHMERE BLVD., CLEVELAND,OH 44120 PHONE 216.791-6649

      On October 19, 2010, I had the unique pleasure of covering a Five Course Dinner with UNIBROUE Beer pairings at the new, and very hip urban Larchmere neighborhood eatery and Lounge called Menu 6, located at 127th and Larchmere. What Makes Menu 6 so very special is that this is a "Market Fresh", "Seasonal" restaurant that uses local ingredients as frequently as possible. With Chef Michael J. Herschman at the helm, whom would expect anything less.
        Chef Herschman and myself have similar paths, in that we both trained and practiced our creative wears in my native state of California, in some of the same restaurants, and in Cleveland, Ohio, as well. However, while I stepped off the Chef line for 10 years, after becoming an Attorney and practicing law, Chef Michael Herschman has continued to dazzle Cleveland with his amalgamation of distinct flavors, while practicing seasonality.
    Now, for those of you whom do not reside in a seasonal state, such as my California friends and family, you may not recognize nor respect the challenge that exists in creating and maintaining a seasonal menu using predominantly local ingredients. Here in Cleveland, we thrive on local, sustainability to help support our local inner city neighborhoods with green spaces to feed our hungry and support our neighborhood economies, and help our local farmers get their organic micro farm and cottage industry foods out there to our urbanites and suburbanites. It is wonderful that a trendy spot such as Menu 6 has opened in an up and coming Cleveland neighborhood, instead of playing it safe, and that they have made a strong commitment to sustainability; saying yes to local micro farmers; saying yes to local neighborhood economics; and saying yes to Cleveland, Ohio!
            I was enthusiastic about covering this beer dinner on TV-20.  "ITS A TOUGH JOB, BUT SOMEONE HAD TO DO IT".
        AIRING SOON, WILL BE THE Menu 6 BEER DINNER,  HELD ON OCTOBER 19, 2010 DURING CLEVELAND'S BEER WEEK, WHICH WAS AN AFFAIR TO REMEMBER.  MENU 6 FEATURED "UNIBROUE" BEERS, WHICH WAS TRULY THE BEST RANGE OF BEERS I HAVE EVER SAMPLED. THESE ELEGANT AND SOPHISTICATED BEERS WERE PAIRED EXQUISITELY, AS I DESCRIBE HEREINAFTER, WITH THE FOLLOWING MENU:

COURSE ONE:

• Fennel & Chili seared hamachi with sea salt, horseradish & crispy parsnips- paired with Blanche de Chambly.

     This beer was as light and crisp as champagne, and it went brilliantly with the hamachi, the bite of horseradish and the light flavors of fennel and sea salt, contrasted with the crunch of parsnips, enhanced the delicate hamachi, which was complimented by Unibroue's "Chambly", a very pale, smooth on the palate beer.
COURSE TWO:

• Warm arugula with duck breast, smoked gouda & oranges- paired with Don de Dieu

     This was a heartier beer that stood up to the Duck breast that had the nutty arugula intertwined with melted smoked gouda with a bit of orange. This was one of my favorite pairings, it went together like clockwork. The beer was significantly stronger than the first course, a bit on the amber side, and it was a bold beer, but not bitter. Being a Belgian beer, Unibroue beers do not have a lot of hops, and bitterness was not an issue in any of their beers, even the darker ones were smooth and creamy! I loved this beer, and the duck breast was cooked PERFECTLY!
COURSE THREE:

•   Roasted mussels, sweet potato ginger fries, mango & candied garlic- paired with Maudite

         My favorite part of this pairing, food wise, was the Candied garlic, bits of mango and the sweet potato fries because they offset this unique and strong beer, bringing out sweet notes, otherwise not necessarily recognizable. This beer needed sweet notes to accent its boldness and strength.  One of the stronger beers, as far as alcohol content. The Candied Garlic as simple as it is, was SUBLIME!!!!
COURSE FOUR

•  Caraway dusted pork rack, wild mushroom ragout & pancetta- paired with Trois pistoles

        This Course was by far the darkest of the dark beer for the evening, and who knew pork could stand up to a pairing which would normally require something hearty like a beef filet with a rich demi glace. NOPE, Michael Herschman made an amazing pork with just a hint of caraway and added pancetta to the reduced jus, adding a rich and deep flavor, hearty enough to carry this dark, delicious beer. The wild mushroom ragout had deep notes as well, not just earthy, but a substantial foundation of flavors bouncing off your tongue with that mouth-watering pork and explosion of pancetta. Between the beer and this course, the interplay of the two flavors melded together like marshmallows in hot chocolate. Before I interviewed Chef Herschman, I knew that this was one of his favorite courses, and HE NAILED IT! Besides dessert, which is not typically my favorite course, this was my favorite pairing of the night! 

COURSE FIVE

• Carmelized apple upside down cake, sharp cheddar gelato & black pepper almond brittle - Paired with Ephemere

           Okay, now this dessert was not at all like it sounds. First, the black pepper almond brittle was not pronounced, it was only there in tiny increments and was not the least bit interfering. It was meant to be a concerto of flavors, and it was, indeed. 3 WORDS: SHARP CHEDDAR GELATO. this little bit of heaven, a tiny scoop, could have eaten far more, was delectable, and as predicted as I ate it, this was Chef Herschman's favorite part of his favorite course. Yes, the cake was good, and the idea, was a deconstructed version of a classic, which is apples and cheese, and a slice of cheese on apple pie, only far better! The beer "Ephemere" has a clear taste of tart apples, and contains fresh mashed granny smith apples. Although fruity and floral notes are contained herein, there is no doubt that this is an easy drinking beer and was not too sweet at all. It went perfectly with that cheddar gelato I cannot stop thinking about!!!
              Besides the Chambly and the Maudite, this was may favorite beer. All of the UNIBROUE beers are wonderful, and they are out of Quebec Canada. I look forward to cooking with all of these beers, as I found each of them to be wonderful, and as I was drinking them, I began to conjure dishes of my own to pair with and use the beer directly as an ingredient in, many dishes. Look for UNIBROUE to make an appearance in future episodes and recipes from the Saucy Gourmet.
          AS FOR BEER WEEK IN CLEVELAND, I DID MINE IN STYLE, BY ATTENDING A UNIQUE BEER DINNER AT A FINE RESTAURANT, MENU 6, IN THE UP AND COMING LARCHMERE NEIGHBORHOOD. I HIGHLY SUGGEST YOU GET YOURSELF SOME UNIBROUE BEER IMMEDIATELY, AND THAT YOU GO TO MENU 6 AND CHECK OUT THE SEASONAL CUISINE OF ONE OF CLEVELAND'S FINEST CHEFS, MICHAEL HERSCHMAN.
STAY TUNED, FUTURE POSTINGS WILL INDICATE AIR TIMES FOR THIS EPISODE. REMEMBER, IF YOU MISS THE POSTED AIRING TIMES, IT WILL EVENTUALLY BE ARCHIVED. CHECK OUT UNIBROUE BEERS ON MY FAVORITE LINKS PAGE. CLICK ON MENU 6 AT THE TOP OF THIS POST FOR THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION AND UPCOMING EVENTS.
CHEERS,
CHEF DENISE DEMMITT, AKA
THE SAUCY GOURMET


     

CLEVELAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY FIRST ANNUAL RIPE FESTIVAL

NOW AIRING  ON TV20 IS THE EPISODE SHOT AT THE FIRST ANNUAL CLEVELAND BOTANICAL SOCIETY RIPE FESTIVAL, CELEBRATING THE HARVEST AND ALL THINGS LOCAL FOOD!!! JUST CLICK ON WATCH TV 20 NOW ON LEFT SIDE OF SCREEN, AFTER CLICKING ON TV-2O (CITY OF CLEVELAND WEBSITE) ON MY FAVORITE LINKS! ENJOY THE SHOW AND ALL THE INFORMATION PROVIDED ON ALL THINGS LOCAL. AS ALWAYS, I AM AVAILABLE TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS TO ANY SOURCING OF PRODUCTS, INFORMATION AND RECIPES. EMAIL ANY AND ALL QUESTIONS RELATIVE TO FOOD, COOKING, AND/OR ANYTHING YOU HAVE SEEN ON THE SAUCY GOURMET, TO ME, CHEF DENISE DEMMITT AT thesaucygourmet@hotmail.com 

 THIS WAS A GREAT FESTIVAL AND I HOPE YOU ENJOY THE SHOW. YOU MAY VIEW THE SHOW FROM THURSDAY OCTOBER 7, 2010 THROUGH OCTOBER 14, 2010. SHOWTIMES ARE DAILY AT 11:00 A.M. EST, 4:00 PM EST, AND 9:30 P.M. EST. ALL OTHER PREVIOUSLY AIRED EPISODES WILL ULTIMATELY BE ARCHIVED, AND LISTED UNDER SHOWS, JUST SCROLL DOWN TO THE SAUCY GOURMET AND CLICK!!!!

DON'T FORGET, MANY OF THE COTTAGE INDUSTRIES AND DAIRYS SEEN IN THIS EPISODE ARE AVAILABLE AT HEINEN'S GROCERY AND SPECIALTY STORES. THE LISTED LOCAL ORGANIC FOOD PROVIDERS CAN BE AVAILABLE TO A STORE CLOSE TO YOU, IF YOU CONTACT BOTH THE FARM THAT PRODUCES THE PRODUCT, AND YOUR LOCAL STORE, AND LET THEM KNOW THE PRODUCTS YOUR INTERESTED IN YOUR LOCAL STORE(S) CARRYING.  MAKE SURE YOU TELL THE FARMER WHERE YOU SHOP, HOW YOU HEARD OF THEM (ON TV-20, FROM THE SAUCY GOURMET)AND THAT YOU WOULD LIKE THEM TO CONTACT YOUR LOCAL GROCER TO SUPPLY YOUR NEIGHBORHOOD, LOCALLY. IT NEVER HURTS TO ASK!!!  BELIEVE ME, THESE MICRO ORGANIC FARMS WOULD LOVE TO HAVE THE SOURCING OPPORTUNITY TO BRING THEIR PRODUCTS TO YOU. DON'T BE SHY.  IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS WHATSOEVER, PLEASE CONTACT CHEF DENISE DEMMITT, THE SAUCY GOURMET, AT thesaucygourmet@hotmail.com I WOULD BE PLEASED TO HEAR FROM YOU.

HERE ARE A LIST OF THOSE LOCAL FOOD SOURCES INTERVIEWED AND SHOWN AT THE RIPE FESTIVAL AND THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION BELOW:

SNOWVILLE CREAMERY, Proprietor Warren Taylor.
http://www.snowvillecreamery.com/   THIS IS WHOLE MILK, 2 PERCENT, AND NON-FAT MILK FROM GRASS FED COWS, MILKED FAR LESS FREQUENTLY, RESULTING IN A FAR SUPERIOR PRODUCT TO ANYTHING YOU HAVE EVER TASTED, I PROMISE YOU THIS!!! CHECK IT OUT FOR YOURSELF. THIS IS THE BEST MILK I EVER TASTED, AND I AM A MILK DRINKER, BIG TIME!!!
ROBERT ROTHSCHILD FARMS, GOURMET JAMS, SAUCES, DIPS, FOR GENERATIONS, ALL LOCALLY PRODUCED. http://www.robertrothschildfarms.com/  THIS PRODUCT IS FOR THE DISCERNING PALATE, WHO DOESN'T HAVE THE TIME TO MAKE IT THEMSELVES, BUT WANTS A GOURMET ITEM THAT IS NATURAL, AND LOCALLY PRODUCED.

MAMA JOE'S PIES, LOCALLY MADE IN AMHERST AND MEDINA, OHIO. THERE ARE MORE THAN 33 VARIETIES. THE CRUST IS TO DIE FOR, MMM  MMM  GOOD!!!!! MY FAVORITES ARE THEIR PECAN PIE, CHERRY PIE, BANANA CREAM, AND THEIR PUMPKIN CHEESE  PIE AT THANKSGIVING. THE CREAM CHEESE IS BAKED INTO THE CRUST AND IT IS SIMPLY AMAZING!!

MACKENZIE CREAMERY ( LUXURIOUS LOCAL ARTISAN GOAT CHEESE, BY CHEESEMAKER JEAN MACKENZIE) ALL GOAT MILK IS FRESH FROM TWO LOCAL  AMISH FARMS. THIS CHEESE IS CRAFTED WITH LOVE AND PASSION, AND MIXED WITH INGREDIENTS THAT GO SO WELL TOGETHER. THE FIG AND CONGAC WAS PURE HEAVEN. THE WARMTH OF THE INGREDIENTS AND THE SMOOTHNESS OF THE CHEESE WAS A PERFECT MATCH. THIS CHEESE, WITH MY FAVORITE CRACKER, WILL BE ON MY HOLIDAY TABLE, TO BE CERTAIN. MANY OTHER NATURAL FLAVOR VARIETIES, SUCH AS HERBS DE PROVENCE, ARE AVAILABLE AS WELL. THIS PRODUCT IS CURRENTLY BEING SOLD AT HEINENS, AND HAS WON SEVERAL NATIONAL AWARDS, AND HAS ONLY BEEN IN BUSINESS FOR TWO YEARS. THIS PRODUCT WAS MY TOP PICK OF THE DAY.  phone 440-226-0772  email jeanniegoat@yahoo.com

TOTALLY COOKED FOODS AND EVENT PLANNING, CHEF DANTE D'AVELLO. CATERING, CHUCKWAGON STYLE, SAUCY, FULL-SERVICE, KNOWLEDGEABLE, AND READY TO PROVIDE FOR ANY AND ALL OF YOUR CULINARY NEEDS. THEY BRING THE WAGON RIGHT TO YOU, from low and slow local meats, to fresh ESPRESSO CART, AND FINE PASTERIES. Whatever your needs, custom menus are their specialty.
PHONE 330-923-9924  FOR CALL AHEAD ORDERS AND INFORMATION.
http://www.totallycooked.com/ totallycooked.com

MY FAVORITE URBAN GREEN SPACE PROJECT AT THE RIPE FESTIVAL GOES TO:
GARDENHOOD ENTERPRISES. GARDENHOOD ENTERPRISES FOCUSES ON
LOCAL GREENSPACE FARMING IN URBAN INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS
 gardening for seniors, raised bed gardening for disabled and/or seniors, community urban gardening, working with at risk youth gardening projects, and hoop house gardening. THIS ORGANIZATION IS LOOKING TO EXPAND UNUSED, BLIGHTED AND ABANDONED LANDS IN URBAN NEIGHBORHOODS AND CREATE NEW URBAN DEVELOPMENT THROUGH GREEN SPACE PROJECTS, FEEDING OUR COMMUNITY AND INNER CITY NEIGHBORHOODS' BODIES, MINDS, AND SPIRITS THROUGH GARDENING. THIS AMBITIOUS PROGRAM SEEKS TO TEACH OTHERS OF ALL AGES HOW TO FARM, FEED THEMSELVES AND THEIR COMMUNITY, AND DEVELOP OCCUPATIONAL AND AGRICULTURAL SKILLS THROUGH PROGRAMS FOR AT RISK YOUTH. 
      THE SAUCY GOURMET ENDORSES THIS ENTERPRISE AND IS DETERMINED TO ASSIST IN ITS FRUITION FOR THE PURPOSE OF HELPING URBAN CLEVELANDERS TO GROW AND COOK THEIR OWN WHOLE, HEALTHY, AND DELICIOUS FOODS. COMMUNITIES CAN FEED EACH OTHER IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE.
     BY DEVELOPING GREEN SPACES IN THE INNER-CITY NEIGHBORHOODS,  COMMUNITY BONDS IN THE NEIGHBORHOODS CAN BE STRENGTHENED, AT RISK YOUTH CAN RECEIVE HANDS ON TRAINING, MENTORING,  AND EXPERIENCE THE TRUE FRUITS OF THEIR LABOR, PROVIDING OUR AT RISK YOUTH WITH AN OUTLET AND A PURPOSE THAT PRESENTS A NEW APPROACH TO THEIR INDIVIDUAL CHOICES  THEY MAKEABOUT THEIR FUTURE.  
         REMEMBER  CLEVELAND, WE NEED TO FEED OUR COMMUNITIES, TOGETHER,  IN MIND, BODY, AND SPIRIT. AS FOUNDER MARVETTA RUTHERFORD SAYS, "ITS ALL GOOD AT GARDENHOOD".
TO GET INVOLVED, OR FOR MORE INFORMATION ON GARDENHOOD ENTERPRISES . CONTACT MARVETTA RUTHERFORD , email vette1266@yahoo.com  addresses: 139 KINSMAN, AND 8003 BROADWAY, phone 216-538-6630 and 216-235-8609. MS. RUTHERFORD IS STILL GROWING SOME BEAUTIFUL MIXED BABY LETTUCES AND WILL BE STARTING HER HOOP HOUSES, FOR WINTER GREENHOUSE GARDENING.

THE REFUGEE RESPONSE ORGANIZATION Director James Hamilton. EMAIL james@refugeeresponse.org   1832 West 25th Street, Cleveland, OH 44113.  Phone 440-231-1637
Farming 6 ACRES IN OHIO CITY, AND TEACHING REFUGEES SKILLS TO ULTIMATELY FARM THEIR OWN URBAN GREEN SPACES TO FEED THEIR FAMILIES AND TO PROLIFERATE THEIR LIVELIHOOD AND OUR LOCAL ECONOMY.

*SPECIAL MENTION TO THE KIDS AND EDUCATORS AT LUTHERAN MEMORIAL SCHOOL AND ERICH HOOPER, FROM HOOPER FARM IN TREMONT, OHIO. ERICH HAS DEDICATED HIS LIFE TO TAKING AT RISK YOUTH FROM THE STREET AND PROVIDING THEM WITH SKILLS AND GREEN JOBS. BIG PROPS TO ERICH HOOPER AND HOOPER FARMS!!! PHONE 216-861-5224/ 2835 W. 11TH STREET, CLEVELAND, OH 44113 (TREMONT, OHIO)