SHOW & RECIPE FOR APRIL 7

Note: On Saturday March 31, Delicious Mischief had the unexpected pleasure of broadcasting live from the Spec’s Warehouse store on Smith St., talking about food and wine for an hour from the center of all things food and wine in Houston. The show described originally for March 31 will now be broadcast on Saturday April. 7.

THE GREAT GADSBY
Chef Robert Gadsby, who came to Houston from his native Cockney London by way of Los Angeles, has learned a thing or two about local tastes since opening Noe at the Omni Riverway. He still loves to create personalized tasting menus of 5, 7, 12 or maybe, if you like, 1,413 courses. But he recently started offering an a la carte menu as well, for diners who might want just a salad and a nice steak. It’s all part of the journey for Gadsby, one of the smartest chefs we know – even if he does sometimes sound like Dick Van Dyke in “Mary Poppins.”

WORK DU SOLEIL
It’s back! The magnificent entertainment juggernaut known as Cirque du Soleil has taken time off from its Vegas extravaganzas to create a big new traveling show called “Corteo” – and, as always, Houston is lucky enough to get it here for about a month. This time, the troupe is setting up its signature Grand Chapiteau in northwest Houston, at Sam Houston Race Park, and counting on us to beat a freeway to its door. We chat with Corteo artistic coordinator Richard (that’s Ree-SHARD!) Dagenais about what it takes to coax magic from 55 artists from 16 countries up to 10 shows a week.

BUBBLES FROM CHAMPAGNE
We don’t buy into every “trademark” claim food and wine people aim in our general direction, including complaints we’ve heard about Parmesan cheese or prosciutto that isn’t from Parma or even about “Alfredo sauce” not made by people who bought the rights from Alfredo himself in Rome. Still, we have always accepted that the only actual champagne comes from the Champagne region of France. In today’s Grape & Grain segment, we sit down for a tasting of some of the best and brightest “real French champagnes” with the “real French people” who make them.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
BRAISED PORK BELLY AND BREADFRUIT ESCABECHE

1 pork belly (5 pounds, preferably karabuta)
4 cups Chicken Stock (recipe on page 00)
3 pounds breadfruit, peeled and cubed
4 cups boiling water
8 small additional breadfruit
1 yellow onion, finely chopped
1 teaspoon minced garlic
¼ teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 teaspoon allspice berries
1/2 cup white vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Smothered Callaloo
1 cup unsalted butter
2 cups chopped onion
1 cup chopped celery
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 Scotch bonnet pepper, finely chopped
2 bunches fresh callaloo or kale
1 tablespoon salt
½ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 225°. Place whole pork belly in a roasting pan; add stock. Braise in the oven until tender, about 1½ hours. In a large saucepan, partially cook breadfruit cubes in boiling water for 6 minutes; drain and set aside. Hollow out additional breadfruit to serve as “bowls;” set aside. Remove pork belly from braising liquid; set liquid aside. Cut pork into 1-inch squares. In a sauté pan, sear the squares on all sides to render the fat. Add the onion, garlic, ginger, curry powder and allspice, stirring for about 1 minute. Then add the vinegar. Reduce heat and simmer pork in this “escabeche” for 15 minutes Add the breadfruit cubes; simmer 10 minutes longer. Season to taste with salt and black pepper. Remove from the heat; keep warm.
Meanwhile, melt the butter in a large saucepan; sauté the onion, celery, garlic and Scotch bonnet until lightly caramelized. Add callaloo; sauté until lightly browned, 15-20 minutes. Add salt, pepper and reserved braising liquid. Simmer until callaloo is tender and liquid is almost gone, about 30 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent sticking. Spoon pork and breadfruit mixture into breadfruit bowls. Serve smothered callaloo on the side. Serves 8.

SHOW & RECIPE FOR MARCH 31

THE GREAT GADSBY
Chef Robert Gadsby, who came to Houston from his native Cockney London by way of Los Angeles, has learned a thing or two about local tastes since opening Noe at the Omni Riverway. He still loves to create personalized tasting menus of 5, 7, 12 or maybe, if you like, 1,413 courses. But he recently started offering an a la carte menu as well, for diners who might want just a salad and a nice steak. It’s all part of the journey for Gadsby, one of the smartest chefs we know – even if he does sometimes sound like Dick Van Dyke in “Mary Poppins.”

WORK DU SOLEIL
It’s back! The magnificent entertainment juggernaut known as Cirque du Soleil has taken time off from its Vegas extravaganzas to create a big new traveling show called “Corteo” – and, as always, Houston is lucky enough to get it here for about a month. This time, the troupe is setting up its signature Grand Chapiteau in northwest Houston, at Sam Houston Race Park, and counting on us to beat a freeway to its door. We chat with Corteo artistic coordinator Richard (that’s Ree-SHARD!) Dagenais about what it takes to coax magic out of 55 artists from 16 countries up to 10 shows a week.

BUBBLES FROM CHAMPAGNE
We don’t buy into every “trademark” claim food and wine people aim in our general direction, including complaints we’ve heard about Parmesan cheese or prosciutto that isn’t from Parma or even about “Alfredo sauce” not made by people who bought the rights from Alfredo himself in Rome. Still, we have always accepted that the only actual champagne comes from the Champagne region of France. In today’s Grape & Grain segment, we sit down for a tasting of some of the best and brightest “real French champagnes” with the “real French people” who make them.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
GULF COAST CHOUCROUTE GARNI

If you’ve still got a head of cabbage (or two) left from St. Patrick’s Day but can’t face another watery New England-style “boiled dinner,” you should try combining the rustic goodness of Alsatian choucroute garni with the robust flavors of the Gulf Coast. Trust us: this won’t feel like famine at all!

1-2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 pound smoked sausage, cut into 2-inch lengths
3 small yellow onions, roughly chopped
Creole seasoning to taste
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon minced garlic
3-4 large carrots, chopped into 2-inch lengths
2 large baking potatoes, cut into 2-inch cubes
½ cup dry white wine
1 head cabbage, core removed, roughly chopped
1 (14.5-ounce) can chicken broth

Heat the oil in a large pot or Dutch oven and brown the lengths of sausage until flecks of char appear, then stir in the onions and cook until golden and deeply caramelized. Season to taste with Creole seasoning and black pepper. Add the garlic, carrots and potatoes and stir over high heat until browned, 6-8 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the white wine, letting it start to steam the vegetables. Scrape up browned bits from the bottom of the pan. Add chopped cabbage and stir to combine with the other vegetables. Let cabbage sauté briefly, then pour in the chicken broth. Thoroughly incorporate. Season again with Creole seasoning and black pepper. Cover pot, reduce heat and let steam until vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Serve sausage and vegetables in bowls with broth. Serves 6.

SHOW & RECIPE FOR MARCH 24

TAKING THE OCEAN AIRE
Living along the Gulf Coast, most Houstonians know their way around a seafood menu. But our new kid on the block comes to us all the way from Minneapolis – not, we’ll admit, the most likely place. But with a bold assist from Chef Trevor White, the restaurant called Oceanaire in the Galleria’s new Restaurant Row is showing us things we’ve never quite seen before. The menu takes a “something old, something new” tack in terms of recipes, all made with some of the freshest seafood from around the world that overnight delivery can arrange.

OUR TEXAS WINERS – WE MEAN, WINNERS
As has become a kind of tradition, some of the top honors at the recent Houston Rodeo Uncorked Wine Competition were carried home not to France or California or Australia, but to Bryan, Texas. On today’s Grape & Grain segment, we settle in for a chat (and tasting, of course) with Paul and Merrill Bonarrigo, two of the true pioneers of Texas’ increasingly respected and simply accepted wine industry. Not only have the Bonarrigos helped us come a long way from Chateau Bubba: they’re helping us envision the long road still ahead.

A SHARPER IMAGE, PLEASE
We’re almost afraid to do this, but we’ll finally talk on live radio with Helen Perry, one of the region’s best-known “image consultants.” Happily, Helen also spends a considerable amount of her time as a humorist, so hopefully we’ll all be laughing as she tells me what’s wrong with everything I wear, do and think. Helen presumably is one of those few people out there who understand just how casual “casual Fridays” in a corporate office are supposed to be. And she might even be able to explain “casual chic.”

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
PERI-PERI GRILLED CHICKEN CAESAR SALAD

1 cup Peri-Peri Sauce (see recipe below)
3 chicken breast halves
½ loaf rustic Italian bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt
4 tablespoons mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
1 large head romaine lettuce, cleaned and roughly chopped

In a mixing bowl, combine the Peri-Peri with the chicken and let marinate for 30 minutes. Heat the oil in a sauté pan and fry the bread cubes until golden on all sides, about 2-3 minutes, in batches if necessary. Drain the croutons on paper towels and sprinkle with salt. Grill the chicken on a pre-heated grill until done, about 3 minutes per side. Slice the chicken. Prepare the dressing by combining the mayonnaise, pepper, lemon juice and Parmesan in a bowl. Toss the chopped romaine with the dressing and divide over 4 salad plates. Top each with chicken and croutons. Sprinkle with additional Parmesan and black pepper. Serves 4.

Peri Peri Sauce:
2 yellow onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic
¼ cup vegetable or olive oil
2 preserved lemons
1 cup ground African peri-peri (or chimayo) pepper
1 tablespoon freshly ground cumin
1 tablespoon freshly ground coriander seeds
3 cayenne peppers, seeded
½ teaspoon sea salt
3 cups olive oil

Saute the onion and garlic in the oil until lightly browned. Cool and add all remaining ingredients. Puree in a food processor.

SHOW & RECIPES FOR MARCH 17

GREETINGS FROM LATIGO CAFÉ
If as a chef, you are who you’ve cooked with, then fifth-generation Texan Doug Atkinson has to be one of the most impressive guys we’ve met. He joins us in the studio to talk about his latest endeavor, Latigo Café in Bellville west of Houston – as well as about his adventures cooking with Stephen Pyles, Bruce Molzan, Herve Glin (okay, so not everybody’s a Texan!), Robert Del Grande and Robert McGrath.

MUSIC OF THE VINES
We always love it when we get to combine several of our passions, in the case of “Vineland” both wine (of course) and musical theater. The show about the legends behind the Chilean wine Castillera del Diablo is coming to the Hobby Center this month, with Spec’s holding a special block of tickets. We’ll be chatting with a principal of the touring production about just what to expect – other than a nice glass of Chilean wine.

NOVA MEANS NEW, YES?
In Houston, a city blessed with many innovative theater companies, one of the most innovative of all goes by the name Nova Arts Project. On the eve of a tour of Eastern Europe for a recent show called “Interior,” we speak with the founders of Nova Arts about what their vision is and is not.

PILATES WITH A GREAT MELODY
Our friend Melody Morton of The Good Space Pilates and Yoga Studio pays one of her regular visits to Delicious Mischief, as ever addressing the problems we share with everyone else who eats and drinks too much for a living. And if one of the hardest parts about living a healthier and more active life is feeling motivated to do so, then Melody is at her best in that department.

This week's Delicious Mischief recipe...
CHIMICHURRI PORK SKEWERS WITH SAFFRON RICE

On Tuesday March 13, John DeMers of Delicious Mischief will serve as guest chef for a four-course dinner tasting at The Tasting Room’s Midtown location. You can stop by and meet John, and for $20 taste his quartet of dishes. He'll also be signing copies of his new book "Big Easy Cocktails." Here’s the evening's main course.

Chimichurri:
2 cups finely chopped parsley
8 garlic cloves, chopped)
1½ cup olive oil, preferably Spanish
Juice of 2 lemons
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon black pepper

1 (2-3 pound) pork loin, cut into bite-sized cubes
1 yellow onion, cut into 1-inch pieces
1 green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces
Saffron Rice (see recipe below)

In food processor, combine the parsley and garlic, add remaining chimichurri ingredients. Let sit for 2 hours before using. Combine about half the chimichurri with the pork cubes and marinate about 1 hour in the refrigerator. Skewer the pork on bamboo that’s been soaked in water for 10 minutes, alternating pork with onion and pepper. Grill the pork skewers until done, a total of 4-5 minutes, turning occasionally. Brush with chimichurri marinade during cooking. Serve skewers with saffron rice and remaining chimichurri on the side. Serves 8-10.

Saffron Rice:
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
¼ cup finely chopped onion
2 cups water
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup long grain rice
½ teaspoon powered saffron

Melt the butter in a pot with a tight-fitting lid and sauté the onion until transparent. Add the water and salt. Bring to a boil and stir in rice and saffron. Cover and simmer 15 minutes, then uncover and continue cooking until rice is tender and fluffy. Serves 8-10.

SHOW & RECIPE FOR MARCH 10

A HEALTHY PERSONAL CHEF
Chef Marcela Perez is being praised all over town for her healthy, flavorful dishes. Still, for the time being anyway, you can’t go to Marcela’s restaurant – it has to come to you. Marcela is one of a growing number of “personal chefs,” professionals who cook specifically for clients. In her case, the food really is as healthy as it is wonderful. Marcela will join us and tell us how she does it.

SOUTH BY SOUTHWEST
Yes, we know, that’s the name of a music seminar and festival in Austin. But in this case, it’s also the theme of a wonderful wine dinner. Jean-Philippe Guy of Bistro Provence brings us a selection of wines to taste from southwest France, along with his considerable knowledge of that ancient region near where the Pyrenees mark the beginnings of Spain.

FOODS TO TIE THE KNOT BY
If you go to a lot of weddings in and around Houston (which we make a general point of not), you know that the food served is almost on the level of the bride’s dress when it comes to postgame analysis. We chat with Radhika Day, publisher of Weddings in Houston magazine, about the latest trends and their upcoming bridal event.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
LEMON-ROSEMARY CORNISH HEN

1 ½ cup olive oil
½ cup finely chopped fresh rosemary
¼ cup finely chopped fresh thyme
3 tablespoons minced garlic
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
4 Cornish game hens, butterflied and pressed open
1 onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, finely chopped
2 stalks celery, finely chopped
2 tablespoons finely chopped lemon zest
2 tablespoons kosher salt

Prepare a marinade by mixing 1 cup of the oil, rosemary, thyme, garlic and black pepper in a bowl, then spreading this all over the hens. Let the hens marinate for 1 hour. Saute the hens skin side down in ¼ cup olive oil for 5 minutes, then turn them and sauté 3 minutes more. Remove the hens, add the remaining oil and sauté the onion, carrot and celery. Cover the bottom of a roasting pan with the sautéed vegetables, then spread the hens on top. Sprinkle hens with lemon zest and roast for 20 minutes in a preheated 350-degree oven. Transfer the hens to a serving platter and strain the pan drippings over the top, discarding the vegetables. Sprinkle with salt and serve. Serves 4.