SHOW & RECIPE FOR OCT. 6

DINNER WITH TEQUILA
When wine dinners started opening the door to “cognac dinners” and then Scotch or bourbon dinners, we knew the door would not be closing again. It was only a matter of time before the finer Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurants in our area started experimenting with tequila dinners. While hardly the first event of its kind, the upcoming dinner at Sylvia’s Enchilada Kitchen does allow us to taste tequilas again with our friend Carlos Camarena of El Tesoro. Sylvia should join us in the studio as well, to talk about pairing foods with top-shelf tequilas.

A HEALTHY FALL
With the start of autumn, we might actually get some cooler weather one of these days. But we’ve already seen the debut of another cultural and social season, and that means more dining out. We’ll be checking in, therefore, with our favorite healthy chef, Marcela Perez, to see what she’s got on the stove as an alternative to the buttery-creamy dishes our nights out tend to provide. And we’ll hear too, from fellow radio host Cleverley Stone and our friends at End Hunger Network, about Houston Restaurant Week. It’s a welcome reminder of the many who can’t even get enough to eat, even when we are eating too much.

CLASSIC FROM THE CELLAR
There’s a new food and wine event in town, this one pairing up not only some interesting wines but a colorful collection of local and national celebrity chefs, sommelier competitions, a farmers market and live music. We’ll hear all about the Houston Cellar Classic from chef Jonathan Jones of Max’s Wine Dive, who’s been known to serve us very large portions when the mood strikes him. We’re always happy to welcome another chance for Houstonians to eat and drink.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
CRAWFISH KACAL
Brennan’s of Houston

Sauce:
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
½ pound andouille or other spicy smoked sausage, sliced ¼-inch thick and cut into half-moons
2 pounds crawfish tail meat
1 tablespoon Creole seasoning
2 tablespoons hot pepper sauce
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
¼ cup brandy
½ cup whipping cream
1 cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

6 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup chopped tomato
1 pound angel hair pasta, cooked
Salt and black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons thinly sliced green onion
Boiled whole crawfish for garnish

Prepare the sauce by heating the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, adding sausage and cooking until fat is rendered. Add crawfish rails and sauté 2-3 minutes, then add Creole seasoning and hot sauce, Worcestershire and brandy. Reduce heat to medium and cook until liquid is reduced by half. Add cream and reduce until liquid is reduced by half. Reduce heat to medium-low and add butter a cube ot two at a time, stirring each addition to incorporate. Heat half the 6 tablespoons of butter in another large skillet. Saute the tomato, then stir in the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the remaining butter. To serve, spiral the pasta (using a fork or tongs) into the center on individual bowls. Spoon the sauce around the pasta. Garnish with green onion and whole crawfish. Serves 6.

SHOW & RECIPE FOR SEPT. 29

OF COURSE IT’S GREEK TO ME
One of our favorite weekends of this or any other year, the first one in October, is right around the corner. For today’s show, we go into the kitchen with Houston’s own Greek community, perhaps even lending a hand in their Herculean effort to feed the multitudes during the annual Greek Festival. There is this notion going around that if you attend the wonderful fest filled with food, wine, music and art, you too can be Greek for the day. That sounds good, naturally, but we think it’s even better that our own very real Greek-Americans work hard all year to make this festival their gift to the community.

WINES FROM THE ANCIENTS
In honor of this year’s Greek Festival, we sit down for a tasting with Greek wine importer Konstantine Drougos. Most people who like wine can guess the ancient Greeks pioneered a lot of techniques for making the stuff 2,000 or even 3,000 years ago. On the other hand, says Konstantine, in recent years the reputation of wines from Greece has suffered from cheap imports and a lot of confusion with things like retsina and ouzo. Our guy is a man with a mission: share some of the best wines now being produced in Greece with a world unlikely to know they exist.

THE ROOM THAT FRED BUILT
Our friend Kevin Simon, who teaches courses in wine at the University of Houston’s hotel and restaurant management program, takes us into his building’s brand-new boardroom filled with wines you just don’t see very often. Thanks to the bequest of Houston attorney (and wine lover) Fred Parks, there’s a new meeting space available to the public, blending wines 50, 75 or even 100 years old with all the latest audio and video technology. We‘ll make it clear to Kevin, however, that lifting a glass may be about as technical as we are likely to get.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
COUSCOUS MARRAKESH

1 pound uncooked couscous
1 cup cold water
1 tablespoon salt
1 cup coarsely chopped onions
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
½ teaspoon ground saffron
1 teaspoon ground cumin
¼ cup peanut oil
2 ½ pounds boneless lamb, cut in 2-inch cubes
2 quarts water
1 (3-pound) chicken, cut into 8 pieces
1 pound carrots, peeled and cut in 1-inch pieces
2 green bell peppers, cut in ½-inch strips
1 pound tomatoes, cut in 1-inch wedges
1 pound yellow squash, peeled and cut in 2-inch slices
12 ounces frozen string beans (regular cut)
1 cup chickpeas (garbanzos)
½ pound black raisins
Salt and black pepper
Parsley sprigs

Moisten the couscous in a 3-quart bowl with the 1 cup of water, to which 1 tablespoon of salt has been added. Stir up with a fork and allow to stand 10 minutes to swell. Spread the couscous out in a colander lined with cheese cloth (or in the top of a couscousiere). Place the colander over a pan that fits it and is half filled with water. Cover with aluminum foil and allow to steam for 10 minutes. In a 6-quart kettle (or bottom of couscousiere), sauté the onions, coriander, salt, crushed red pepper, saffron and cumin in the oil until soft but not brown. Add the lamb and 2 quarts water. Fit the colander (or top of couscousiere) with the steamed couscous over the meat, cover it with foil, and allow mixture to simmer gently for 30 minutes.

Add the chicken to the stew and continue cooking for 30 minutes longer. Stir the couscous from time to time to make sure the grains are separated. Add the carrots, green peppers, tomatoes, squash, string beans, chickpeas and raisins. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Cook for about 15 minutes, or until vegetables are soft but still slightly crisp. Pour the couscous into a large (15- to 18-inch) round serving platter. Make a large hole in the center, pushing the couscous to the edge of platter. Arrange meat and vegetables attractively in center, pouring the sauce over all. Garnish with the parsley sprigs. Serves 8.

Note: A couscousiere is a large double boiler with holes in the bottom of the upper pot that allow its contents to steam. A couscousiere may be improvised by lining a metal colander with cheese cloth and placing the colander in a 6- or 8-quart pot so that the handles rest on the rim. A piece of heavy-duty foil can serve as a lid.

SHOW & RECIPE FOR SEPT. 22

A GROOVY KIND OF SUSHI
Lovers of sushi bars often feel quite at home in places they’ve never been – such is the traditional, almost classical nature of the sushi chef’s art. Still, and happily for those a little less sold on the whole idea, some sushi places go gunning for hip by creating new tastes and textures within the basic genre. RA Sushi in Highland Village would be one of Houston’s most likely sushi places to find something new – and Chef Jerry Jan joins us in studio to show exactly what intriguing creations he and his mates in the kitchen have recently added to the menu.

FROM HOUSTON TO BURGUNDY
Melba Allen was born in Galveston and grew up in Houston, neither place particularly likely to ever produce some of the world’s finest wines. That certainly can’t be said of the place she lives and works now, the legendary French wine region of Burgundy. During a visit to see her family and friends in Houston, Melba (now Melba Allen-Buillard) talks about the changes in life that have taken her from a modeling career to teaching “wine science” at a French university. She also shares details of a product she and her “oenologue” husband are marketing.

MIXING AND MATCHING ASIA
We have to admit an ongoing fascination with the very idea of “pan Asian” cuisine. Several restaurants talk about it, but a new place called Rattan actually puts the words in its name. Thank goodness, they’re not touting “fusion” as well, since there’s an idea who’s marketing moment has come and gone. The fusion of many cuisines goes on around the world, of course; it’s just not a saleable gimmick anymore. We speak with the owners of Rattan about exactly what they have in mind and in the kitchen.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
RAINBOW TOWER SALAD
Randy Chou, Café le Jadeite

Dressing:
2 tablespoons prepared apricot glaze
2 teaspoons hot mustard
2 teaspoons sugar
1 teaspoon honey
1 teaspoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

½ cup finely chopped mango
½ cup finely chopped avocado
½ cup finely chopped tomato

Prepare the dressing by whisking together all ingredients. Prepare the tower by setting a small cylinder mold on a plate and creating a bottom layer with about half the mango, followed by half the avocado and half the tomato. Gently press the layers down using the bottom of a cordial glass. Invert the tower onto a salad plate and generously spoon the dressing over the top and around the sides. Repeat for an additional salad. Serves 2.

SHOW & RECIPE FOR SEPT. 15

WHAT AM I BID FOR…?
There are wine dinners nearly every week around Houston, and some blessed weeks indulge in more than one. Still, it is a rarity when one of the city’s most innovative chefs teams up with the tradition-laden auction house called Sotheby’s to produce a great menu and a wine collection worthy of it. That’s what Chef Ryan Pera of 17 at the Hotel Alden joins us in the studio to talk about, both the wines that will be poured and the creative dishes he has come up with to showcase them.

RUNNING WITH WINE BOTTLES
The fact that Washington State produces some of America’s best wines shouldn’t be “new news” to anyone who’s been paying attention, but like every other wine region, Washington has its ups and downs – starting with the fact that everybody not there thinks only of Seattle and imagines the place rains all the time. Not so, says winemaker Kerry Norton of Covey Run: the main producing area is east of the mountains, away from the ocean, and likely as not to be dry. In today’s Grape & Grain segment, we taste our way through the wines Norton makes, learning every sip of the way.

WEEKEND OF CONTEMPORARY DANCE
Those listeners who enjoy both traditional ballet and contemporary “modern dance” must be aware we live in a city with much to offer. Between the big productions staged by Houston Ballet and the dozen or so smaller groups worthy of our attention, dance lovers are seldom all dressed up (or not) with no place to go. We chat with the principals involved in the upcoming Weekend of Contemporary Dance, a gathering place for creativity that culminates with free performances at Miller Outdoor Theater. The interview, like dance itself, should be lively.

This Week’s Delicious Mischief Recipe…
OPEN-FACED HOT MUFFALETTA

Olive Salad:
1 cup coarsely chopped, pitted, large green Greek olives
1 cup coarsely chopped queen size Manzanilla olives with pimentos
1 (15.5 ounce) jar Italian giardiniera vegetables, chopped
1 tablespoon minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon Roasted Garlic Puree
2 teaspoons capers, drained and rinsed
½ teaspoon dried oregano
½ cup plus 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 teaspoon white pepper
1/8 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1 15-inch loaf French bread
¼ pound sliced Genoa salami
¾ pound sliced provolone cheese
¼ pound sliced baked ham
¼ pound sliced mortadella

Prepare the Olive Salad by combining all ingredients in a large bowl. Cover and let marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours before using. Slice French bread in half lengthwise. Lay open halves on a baking sheet and spread the tops with olive salad, using about 1 cup and reserving the remainder in the refrigerator. Divide the salami over the sandwiches, followed by half the cheese, the ham and the mortadella. Top with the remaining provolone. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil from the Olive Salad, if desired. Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 10 minutes, until the cheese is melted, then broil for 2-3 minutes to turn the top golden brown. Slice each open-faced sandwich into 8 pieces and serve. Makes 16 pieces.

OUR REVIEW OF POLO'S SIGNATURE

Strategically positioned between River Oaks and Tanglewood, Post Oak Grill turned out to be quite the home run for Chef Polo Becerra. The Mexico City native poured ample flair into the mostly traditional cuisine there, but also never lost sight of his restaurant’s true mission as upscale watering hole and really classy pickup bar. When Post Oak Grill was having a good night, you could probably spot the decrease in recently and soon-to-be divorced traffic at the Palm.

Still, when Becerra decided to open a restaurant more devoted to food – and a newer, more youthful version of food at that – he was smart enough to gather the best help money could buy. To run the kitchen at what he called Polo’s Signature, he raided the kitchen at Mark’s and came away with Adam Puskorius as his executive chef. And to run the dining room, he lucked into the near-legendary Jon Paul, a household word among the well-heeled for his years at Brennan’s of Houston and especially at tony’s. The fact that Paul had recently extricated himself from an ill-fated entrepreneurial venture called Sabor on Montrose nailed the biblical adage that all things work for the good. Doing a bit of prospecting himself, Paul brought along his right-hand guy from tony’s, Cesar Ebora, to serve as wine manager.

It goes without saying that the phrase “New American Cuisine” is as meaningless as can be. Initially, it probably meant something – like when Jeremiah Tower was cooking it for Alice Waters at Chez Panisse. In the decades since then, however, the vague grasp the phrase exerted on meaning has been pressed aside by the service of almost anything alongside almost anything else. And since “American cuisine” can arguably include anything our nation can include, no one had quite the clout to make a useful definition stick. At Polo’s Signature, New American Cuisine apparently refers to the melting-pot bag of tricks that a chef can draw from. At their best, we’re totally happy to let chefs Polo and Adam keep drawing, based on their own inclinations, and totally ready to forget those chefs who didn’t draw so well or so wisely.

Among the appetizers at Polo’s Signature, you might follow your normal Texas inclinations to anything that sounds the least bit Tex-Mex. The shrimp empanadas with roasted avocado salsa are extraordinary, as are the beef tenderloin tostadas with smoked jalapeno avocado sauce and even the weirder goat cheese lamb enchiladas with roasted pacilla sauce and toasted pumpkin seeds. Starters shine, however, even removed from Tex-Mex. Check out the light but satisfying Tuscan soup with pulled chicken, cous cous (more Sicilian than Tuscan, honestly) and spinach, or any from the dazzling collection of salads. Best bet from these is probably the fried oyster in warm pancetta vinaigrette, our beloved Italian bacon working its sweet-smoky magic on spinach, frisee and arugula. If it’s offered as a special, be sure to order the lobster salad with fresh tropical fruits, candied pecans and tequila-lime vinaigrette.

From a practical standpoint, the list of entrees is ambitious – 13 selections of seafood and meat, plus six more items described as Steaks and Chops. Our favorite seafoods here are the pan-seared sushi-grade Hawaiian tuna, paired with jasmine fried rice and ginger sake sauce plus those slices of pickled ginger we all love from sushi bars, and the hyper-fresh roasted Chilean sea bass with braised fennel, saffron sauce and some deliriously good whipped potatoes. Among the meats, we love the tender grilled lamb loin with roasted garlic rosemary sauce. Of course, we might love anything that came with the confusingly described but dead-on comfort food “Gouhda cured Ham Mac and Cheese.” Whatever language that’s attempting to be, we intend to become fluent.

Desserts change day to day, with no “menu” except a tray that shows up when appropriate. Still, in the months Polo’s Signature has been open, a certain sizzle has attached itself to the three-layer chocolate mousse cake, the carrot cake with coconut-cream cheese icing, and the banana-pineapple bread pudding with chocolate-cognac sauce. Best of all, if you ask, Cesar Ebora might splash the bread pudding with some extra Pierre Ferrand cognac – one more example, if one more were needed, of Polo’s Signature getting it right.