• 3 tablespoons of local clarified butter or canola oil
• 3 large local eggs, beaten
• Kosher salt, to taste
• 1/4 cup local sharp cheddar, grated
• 4 thin spears of local asparagus, cleaned and blanched
• 1/2 cup shiitake mushrooms, sautéed golden brown and lightly seasoned

Heat an 8 inch nonstick skillet over high heat. Add butter or oil to the pan and heat until the oil shimmers. Add the eggs and season to taste with salt. Working quickly and using a heat resistant rubber spatula, stir the eggs constantly and vigorously over the heat until they are 80 percent cooked. Remove from heat and continue stirring until 95 percent cooked (about 15 seconds). Use your spatula to spread the eggs evenly over the bottom of the pan. Sprinkle the cheese over the entire egg surface. Place the asparagus off center (close to the pan handle). Sprinkle mushrooms over asparagus. Using the spatula to help you, roll the omelette away from you to form a roll and continue to roll directly onto a warm 10 inch or 12 inch plate. Serve with crispy potatoes or a simple salad.

This post was sponsored by Heinen’s. Laurie, one of the Heinen’s wine specialists, suggests Grunüer Veltliner (nicknamed GruVe) with this recipe.  She says the dry, medium bodied Austrian grape is perfect with the eggs, mushrooms and the hard-to-pair asparagus. She adds that it has acidity, minerality and would be beautiful with this lighter dish.

I’m a fan of Fire for dinner and really like chef Doug Katz’s commitment to local and overall approach to his menu. But I’ve never been for brunch and in fact, my husband has never been period.

So the three of us headed there around 10:30 a.m. and snagged a great table right near the open kitchen, which is ideal because our toddler likes to pretend she’s cooking alongside the chefs (she’s even been known to shout some tips from her highchair – mix it, flip it, yea chef!).  While she studied the kitchen, we people watched everyone alongside the square walking, mingling and checking out their recent market purchases. What a great view.

For brunch, Natalie had the lemon soufflé pancakes with blueberry compote; egg sandwich in clay bread, with local egg, bacon, lettuce and tomato with homefries for Jamie; and house-cured smoked salmon, Bialy’s bagel (the best bagels in town!) and egg salad for me.

Smiles all around. For his inaugural visit, Jamie was quite impressed and I think somewhat confused why I haven’t suggested Fire for brunch sooner (no good reason, I just tend to forget… but not anymore). He even declared these as the best homefries in town. Natalie, a pancake aficionado, was so smitten with her fluffy goodness that she was on her best dining behavior in hopes that she could come back soon. As for me, smoked salmon in general is my breakfast of choice, and Fire’s house-cured version was simply perfect – and pairing it with a Bialy’s will always win me over.

Fire is open both Saturday and Sunday for brunch. They also offer free valet parking – another plus, especially on market days.

And if you’re like us and excited for the opening of all the farmers’ markets, here’s a list to get you going: North Union, Tremont, Kamm’s Corners, Peninsula.

And yet, for how much joy food brings us and how central it is to our very existence, many of us either abuse it or don’t fully grasp just what that piece of cheese or scoop of ice cream does to our bodies. Now I am in the camp that believes everything in moderation. I have a weakness for cheese and realistically, can’t imagine the day when I’d pass on Brandon’s never-ending cheese selection at L’Albatros anytime soon. Though I am the first to admit that I can be healthier and could easily stand to lose a good 15 pounds (I guess I can no longer say I just had a baby since she’s a few weeks shy of turning 2…).

I try to eat smart when dining out as well as cooking in. I’m a regular at area farmers’ markets. I tend to just shop the parameter of my local Heinen’s, stocking up on fruits and veggies, whole grains like quinoa, beans, chicken and fish (they have a wonderful seafood department where I get most of my fish). But I am far from perfect and there is so much I need to learn.

And one person I’d gladly listen to at anytime and trust all that he shares is Dr. Michael Roizen, chief wellness officer for the Cleveland Clinic (or Dr. Mike as his staff affectionately calls him). Dr. Roizen, who is in his early 60s, but real age is an impressive 42, is an incredibly impressive figure and Cleveland is truly lucky that he calls our city home. I’ve read a few of his books, watched him on Oprah and Dr. Oz and was recently fortunate enough to have a quick chat with him.

Where do you eat out? Since I live near Shaker Square, we tend to stick around there. I like Fire, Anatolia Café, and Sarava. Near work, I like Table 45. He acknowledges just how privileged we are to be surrounded by such great restaurants, and also shares that he is looking forward to the new Crop and enjoys Flying Fig, too. Finally, Roizen admits to favoring Subway for lunch (veggie sub, no cheese – because cheese is a saturated fat and slowly kills us, he shares – on wheat).

Roizen adds that he likes Fire because he can look into the kitchen and see what they are adding and trusts the chefs there. If a restaurant is adding fat to a dish, he says, that’s killing you. For 3 – 21 days, that added fat is killing you, he says, clearly passionate about this fact.

What do you order out and always avoid? I tend to be fairly careful and not overdo it. I mostly get two appetizers and a glass of wine. I immediately try to get rid of the bread. I ask for cut up veggies instead. And that should be the first thing everyone does, and good restaurants will accommodate. That would actually be my plea for Cleveland restaurants, get rid of the bread and substitute fresh cut veggies. And to avoid – anything white, fried or that has cream sauce he says. The exception, he explains, is cauliflower, white fish.

Do you ever cheat? Food is not, let’s make a deal. It changes us. The joy you get from ice cream may last two hours, but the pain from that scoop will last 180 days. It causes inflammation in the body. Cheating isn’t cheating, it’s killing you. Though Roizen does share that once in a blue moon, he enjoys molten chocolate cake, but other than that, doesn’t sway from healthy noshing.

Tips to not over eat when dining out? Eat six almonds 30 minutes before eating and have a glass of water as soon as you sit down. The almonds he says help slow the stomach and can take 30 minutes.

5 things we should be eating more of? I can think of six: salmon, spinach, kale, walnuts, chocolate and wine.

What does typical day look like for you, in terms of food and exercise? I take 10,000 steps a day; three days a week I do 45 minutes of cardio, and another three days 10 – 20 minutes of strength training. For breakfast, a green smoothie, a veggie omelet – no cheese – or banana and coffee. Lunch usually consists of a salmon burger, healthy soup, or foot long, all-veggie sub from Subway, no cheese, no oil. Dinner is usually fish and a salad.

Roizen’s green smoothie:

• 1 Cup              Cleaned spinach leaves
• 1 Cup              Cleaned Kale, rough chop
• 1 Cup              Green seedless grapes
• 1 ½ Cups        Bartlett pear, core and seeds removed
• 1 cup               Orange, seedless and peeled
• 1 cup               Banana, peeled
• 1 tsp                Ground Chia seed
• ½ Cup             Water
• 1 Cups             Ice

Here’s more information on why Dr, Roizen is so adamant again cheese, ice cream and other everyday weaknesses from one of his books, You: The Owner’s Manual, which he co-wrote with Dr. Oz:

Page 55: “Avoiding more than 20 grams of saturated and trans fats every day has another benefit – it keeps your arteries able to dilate, providing you with more energy. Meals laden with saturated and trans fats lead to block laden with saturated and trans fats, which in turn paralyzes that muscle middle wall of your arteries. And you want that artery muscle to be functional, so when you ask a leg muscle to move, it gets enough energy to do so. So to be energetic, keep your saturated and trans fats to fewer than 20 grams a day.”

Page 60: “…limit your saturated and trans fat (a mostly artificial form of aging fat) to less than 20 grams a day. No food has been more closely linked to arterial aging than these kinds of fats, found mostly in meats, luncheon meats, full-fat dairy products, baked goods, fried fast foods, and palm and coconut oils. They increase arterial inflammation, which promotes plaque build-up, and they also turn on the mechanism that increases LDL cholesterol in the bloodstream – yet another way to slap more plaque onto your arteries. They’re truly the four letter words of heart disease.”

This is just a small snapshot into the wealth of information and knowledge we can learn from this great mind. If you have the opportunity to hear him speak or read his books, I highly recommend it. A special thank you to Dr. Roizen for taking a few minutes to chat, and to Stephanie Jansky for setting this up and providing me with some additional information for this post.

local mushroom risotto (yield: 8 portions)

• 3 ounces, olive oil
• 1 cup,  fennel, fine dice
• 1 cup, yellow onion, fine dice
• 1 cup, mixed local mushrooms (oysters, shiitakes) cut into large pieces
• 2 cups, arborio rice
• 6-7 cups, chicken or vegetable stock, seasoned and hot (bay leaf and thyme)
• to taste, kosher salt
• to taste, cayenne pepper
• 1/4 c, white wine
• 2 tbs, Parmesan
  
• 1 tbs, whole butter
• 2 tbs, fine herbs, chopped (tarragon, parsley and chive)

In a rondeau, heat oil to ripple. Add the mushrooms and sauté for 3 minutes or until lightly golden, season with salt and pepper. Add onion and fennel  and continue sautéing until translucent, about 3 minutes. Season again with salt and pepper, to taste. Add arborio stirring to coat with oil. Allow arborio to become toasted – mixture should smell nutty without browning.

Add stock in thirds stirring to absorb. Stir only to combine the stock and prevent sticking, taste for seasoning and adjust if necessary. Add the wine and allow to absorb. Finish with stock as needed, Parmesan, butter and fine herbs.

This post was sponsored by Heinen’s. When making this dish at home, Laurie, the wine expert at the Avon Heinen’s, suggests you try Damilano Barbera d’ Asti from the Piedmonte region of Italy. She says it’s a red wine that pairs with a variety of foods.  The earthiness and dried red fruits of this wine would pair with the earthiness and dried herbs of the food.  It is a light-medium wine, old world style, and just a delicious, fun wine, she adds.

Also, be sure to check out Heinen’s site for a series of new cooking videos and recipes they have created with chef Billy Paris. They are quick but informative and several of the dishes look tempting.

If you can’t make it to the wineries this summer, the wineries will come to you. The Ohio Grape Industries in conjunction with many local eateries throughout Cleveland, Columbus and Cincinnati are working to  showcase Ohio wines June through November, both by the glass or bottle. Additionally, many restaurants will offer special five-course dinners as well as winemaker dinners. Locally, participating restaurants include Fire Food & Drink, Grovewood Tavern, Light Bistro, Molinari’s, Sara’s Place and Vine & Bean Café.

One of the winemakers featured at Fire is Ferrante. Chef Doug Katz and his staff sampled several Ferrante wines before selecting the 2008 Ferrante Signature Series Riesling and the 2008 Ferrante Signature Series Cabernet Franc to share at his restaurant. Below the chef shares a recipe for one of the dishes he’s pairing with the wine.

According to Jim Arbaczewski of Ferrante, these two wines are great examples of the wines Ferrante grows and produces. “Both of these wines are found in our Signature Series,” he says. “The Riesling has aromas and flavors of apple, peach and lime lending to a honeyed finish; the Cabernet Franc has aromas and flavors of fresh blackberry and raspberry with a hint of spice leading to a harmonious finish. Both of these wines are quite food-friendly and after tasting for yourself, you can see why they were chosen by Doug and his staff. Also, these wines carry the Quality Wine Label given out by the Department of Agriculture.”

Chef Doug Katz: Fried green tomatoes w/ sautéed sweet corn, lucky penny goat cheese & jalapeno jelly

Fried Green Tomatoes (serves 2)

Submerge tomato slices in buttermilk and allow to rest 10-15 mins. Using a pie plate or shallow baking dish, combine the cornmeal with cayenne and salt to taste. Heat the canola oil to 325 degrees in a 10 inch skillet (the oil should fill the skillet by about 1/2 inch). Shake off excess buttermilk from the tomatoes. Dredge the tomatoes in the cornmeal mixture to coat completely, shaking off excess cornmeal. When all tomatoes are dredged, place in the skillet, making sure to drop the tomatoes away from you so you do not get burned. Cook for about 2-3 minutes or until golden brown. Flip the tomatoes and continue cooking until golden. remove the tomatoes and drain on paper towels

Sautéed Sweet Corn (serves 2)

Heat the canola oil until it shimmers or ripples. Using a 10 inch skillet, sauté the onion and garlic for 30 seconds, stirring or shaking the pan; season with salt and pepper. Add the corn and continue cooking for 2-3 minutes (turn down heat to medium to avoid browning). Remove the pan from the heat and add the whole butter and basil. Stir to combine and set aside

Jalapeno Jelly (can be made 1 week ahead; makes 2 cups)

In a small saucepot, combine all ingredients and bring to a simmer. Allow to cook for 1 minute more. Transfer and allow to cool completely before using.

To assemble: Shingle the tomatoes on a square or rectangle plate; top with the corn sauté. Sprinkle large chunks of Lucky Penny Farm goat cheese on the tomatoes and drizzle with jalapeno jelly. Serve with a knife and fork and enjoy!

This post was sponsored by the Ohio Grape Industries Committee.

After meeting Farmer Lee Jones and learning about the Veggie U initiative, plus the fact that program was in jeopardy  locally due to lack of awareness and funds, I knew this was something we could try to help and something that would resonate well with you – my readers. Truthfully, I was hoping we’d be able to support a few classrooms (each classroom requires $200). But that didn’t happen. Instead, according to my contact at Veggie U, you guys saved the entire program in Cleveland, raising a total of $3,820 – with 100% of the donations going towards the kids! More importantly, that’s 84 Cleveland schools, 171 classrooms and 3,840 students that will participate and learn about eating healthy, sustainable agriculture and combating adolescent disease and juvenile diabetes starting March 1. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.

I cannot thank you all enough for your incredible generosity and taking the time to donate. It is greatly appreciated by so many, especially those 4^th graders and their teachers. You guys simply rock and have truly made a difference. Hopefully, this is something we can continue each year and impact future students.

I also realize we were able to raise more because so many helped to spread the word – via good ol’ fashioned word-of-mouth, tweets and Facebook. Thank you – just look at the difference it made. I especially want to thank many of our bloggers and media. We have a wonderful blogging community here and it’s one I’m very proud to be part of. It’s one that’s incredibly supportive, both of each other and of our city. A special thank you to I Heart Cleveland, Live to Cook at Home, Heidi Robb, Confessions of a Cohabitant, Chef’s Widow, Cleveland’s a Plum, A Girl About Cleveland, Local Food Service, Bite Buff, Cleveland at Heart, Great Lakes Design Collaborative, Garden, Grocery, Gadget Girl , Cooker Girl, Metromix and Michael Ruhlman.  And our local food reporters/editors Joe Crea and Debbi Snook at the Plain Dealer. They took an immediate interest in this effort and shared with readers.

Finally, we would not be having this conversation if it wasn’t for our chefs, restaurant and store owners. I shared the idea and almost everyone got on board and offered their support to make it even better. We all know this group is responsible for making us some seriously good eats. But they also have some seriously big hearts and are an incredibly supportive group. They made it interesting and because of their generosity, people donated even more (let’s face it – that was some prize any foodie would covet!). We started out with roughly $1,400 in restaurant gift cards, and after the initial post, additional restaurants contacted me wanting to participate for a total of nearly $2,000 in restaurant gift certificates! These awesome establishments include: Western Reserve Wine Tartine Momocho Lola The Greenhouse Tavern Heinen’s Blue Canyon The Flying Fig Fire Erie Island Coffee Fahrenheit Miles Farmers Market Jekyll’s Kitchen Moxie Touch Supper Club Parallax L’Albatros Chinato Crop Bistro North End Hyde Park AMP 150 Muse (The Ritz-Carlton) The Chocolate Bar Michaelangelo’s John Q’s Steakhouse Melange Bistro on Lincoln Park.

So who was the lucky winner? Congratulations to Suzie Martens. She was chosen via Random.org. You are going to be eating very, very well for quite some time and are the envy of a lot of Clevelanders (including me!).

But then something changed. I got pregnant and actually started to crave (and enjoy) spicy food. And meat – I wanted all sorts of meat and poultry. I was a never a vegetarian (veal and short ribs are two long-time favorites), but just never liked chicken, steak and really only occasionally would want a burger. I thought this would surely pass once my daughter was born but it didn’t. Now I find myself ordering and cooking spicy food (nothing along the 911 lines, but spicy enough) as well as steak and burgers – on a regular basis. Before this, I can honestly say I can’t ever recall ordering steak out. I knew I was in for a lot of changes when I found out I was first pregnant, but wasn’t expecting this. But, along with Natalie, this is one change I’m happy about. I still don’t like pepper, though.

Here are a couple dishes I recently tried that I never would have thunk to order two years ago. On Groundhog’s Day, we headed to The Greenhouse Tavern to celebrate the release of their new beer with the Buckeye Brewing Co.: Saison de Maison (it’s brewed exclusively for GHT). I’m not a beer drinker, but I easily enjoyed two glasses and almost went for a third (and I love the logo, too – based on Amelia). What I really enjoyed was our dinner: we shared the wings (almost went for the super spicy but our server scared us!), braised lamb shank ravioli, devils on horseback (dates wrapped with bacon, almonds, bitter chocolate) and the Groundhog burger with sausage, fresno chilis, onions, aged cheddar and a spicy mustard.

I loved the ravioli and would want two dishes next time, but the burger was most impressive. And again – not something I would normally like. It was different – but in a good, unexpected way. I liked the sausage and chilis and how everything worked together. I hope it shows up on the menu more than once a year.

Another perfect example of my post-pregnancy eating was at Fire. I met my friend Heidi for dinner one night and was so happy she suggested Fire. I just love this place – the location, décor, chef, but admittedly don’t go nearly as often as I’d like (and really need to make a point to go for brunch). They even offer free valet, too – how great is that?

I ordered a half portion of the tandoor roasted hanger steak with Killbuck mushroom ragout atop truffled French toast. What a surprise this dish was. It was even better than it sounded and even as a half order (which I think is just great that it’s offered this way), was more than enough food for me. I’m planning to go back soon because this is a dish Jamie has to try, too. It’s something I know he’d thoroughly enjoy. And if I would have tried this pre pregnancy, I probably would have sampled a bite and thought it was nice – but never would have actually ordered it and enjoyed as much as I did

Funny story about Fire – and meeting friends in general. If you’re meeting someone out, be sure to describe them to the hostess or make a point to walk the restaurant if you believe someone is really late. We both arrived within 10 minutes of each other, but didn’t sit together for over an hour. I came in, didn’t see Heidi and got a table at the window; Heidi arrived first and sat at the bar (she was in the restroom when I came in). We were separated by a wall and after an hour, realized we were both there (thank you, Twitter). Luckily for me, I had great wine and cheese to keep me company!

Doug Katz’s Thanksgiving Turkey // This is a favorite family method that keeps the dark meat fall-off-the-bone tender and the white meat moist and juicy. It also allows the host to enjoy their meal as there is no last minute carving. Enjoy!

First, you will brine the turkey. In a large tote, plastic container (one that will fit in your refrigerator) or cooler, combine the kosher salt, granulated sugar, apple juice and water and stir until salt and sugar is dissolved.

Add turkey to container and make sure you have enough liquid to cover the turkey.  You can use a napkin to keep the turkey moistened with liquid. Allow the turkey to brine for 12-24 hours.

Cook the turkey. Remove the turkey from the brine (discard) and allow to drain in a clean sink for 15 minutes.  Place the turkey on a cookie sheet and pat dry.  Allow to drain for 15 more minutes as this helps to create a crispy skin. Preheat oven to 325 degrees

In a large heavy bottomed roasting pan or pot (large enough to hold the turkey and all of the liquid-but small enough to fit in your oven), add canola oil and heat to smoke point. Add the onions, celery, parsnips, rutabagas and carrots and allow to brown over high heat (about 10 minutes).  After 5 minutes, add the garlic.  Only stir occasionally as you want the vegetables to brown evenly. Add tomato paste and stir to coat all vegetables.  Continue to cook for 3 minutes or until the paste looks oily and browned.  Add the grapes, thyme, bay leaf and peppercorn and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add the red wine and allow to reduce by 3/4′s (about 5 or 10 minutes). Add the chicken stock, bring to a simmer and cook for an additional 5 minutes.

Season the turkey with salt and pepper to taste (inside and outside) and coat evenly with olive oil. Place the turkey in the roasting pan (breast side up) and carefully place the turkey into the oven. Roast the turkey, evenly basting every 1/2 hour.  Cook the turkey until the center of the breast reaches 165 degrees. (about 2 1/2 to 3 hours).

Carve the turkey. Carefully remove the turkey from the oven and allow to rest for 15-20 minutes.

Place the turkey onto a large cutting board (preferably one designed for meat and poultry). All of the meat will be placed in one or two casseroles that can be served at the dinner table or on your buffet.  Place the white meat and dark meat in separate casseroles to make it easier for your guests. Start by cutting away the two legs using a kitchen shears to cut through the leg/thigh joint.  Next, carve the breast meat to desired thickness (try to slice across the grain). Turn the turkey on one side and cut away the thigh meat and do the same to the other side.  When all meat is removed, save the carcass for a great turkey rice soup. Strain all of the cooking liquid into a sauce pot and reduce to sauce consistency.  If preferred, you can dissolve 2-3 tbs of cornstarch in 1/2 cup of cold water and add to the liquid to create a pan gravy (creamier texture). When sauce is reduced to desired consistency, ladle over the sliced turkey.  Reserve enough gravy to serve in a sauce-boat at your holiday table.

Serve the turkey. Cover the casseroles with aluminum foil and heat the turkey until steaming hot.  Garnish the turkey with freshly chopped herbs.  My favorite accompaniments include my mom’s challah stuffing, sweet potatoes with toasted meringue, sautéed Brussels sprouts, shallots and bacon and cranberry-orange compote.  Happy Holidays!

Note: The turkey can be prepared the day before or in the morning and then reheated.

_______________________________________________________

This post was sponsored by Heinen’s. What are you contributing this Thanksgiving? Share your favorite recipe for a chance to win a $50 gift card to Heinen’s (the winning recipe will also be features on  Heinens.com). You have until November 16 to enter.

Now that you have a wonderfully impressive and delicious Thanksgiving feast, how about serving your guests the right wine to compliment the meal? Ed Thompkins, the wine expert for Heinen’s, suggests two new Vin Hunter releases, a pinot noir and a chardonnay to accompany Doug’s dish. According to Heinen’s, you won’t find this pinot noir with this pedigree and deliciousness at this price again ($14.99 a bottle/$161.89 a case). Complex flavors of dried cherry, earth and spice are packed on a juicy and lingering frame. As for the chardonnay, they say what’s most impressive about this vibrant white is that while there was fermentation and aging of a portion of the wine in oak, the wine still retains zippy acidity. The oak contributes flavor, not heaviness, and marries perfectly with ripe apple and tropical notes. This wine is $12.99 per bottle/$140.29 a case.