Robert's Food & Wine

ROBERT'S RENOWNED POTATO SALAD

3/8/2017

Robert tells folks at the Dog Park he makes a world-famous potato salad, that is if your world is the small town of Rexville. Jen tells him it's one of his best dishes. Fellow dog owners scoff. What's so complex about potatoes and mayo, they ask? I can pick up a tub at the grocery on the way home.

Read his recipe, make it, try it and walk right past the deli counter

But first. Robert's session with Jen the psychologist turns to questions about how he cares for his beloved Jet:

“OK. I think I understand. Let me ask a few analytical questions. How many sneezes before he goes to the vet?”

“Four in a row.”

“Do you take him on errands, and, if so, at what temperature do you leave him in the car?”

“It has to be 65 or cooler for multiple stops, back windows halfway down. Over 65, I do one stop, quickly. At 80 degrees, he stays home.”

“When you leave him in the car, do you fear some one might be stealing him?”

“Yes.”

FROM THE STORY, "DOG PARK"

Now Robert's world famous potato salad. He describes it this way: ingredients are simple, almost minimalist. It is the process that must be followed to deliver the best taste.

Ingredients:
large red potatoes
scallions
mustard
mayo
white vinegar
salt/pepper

The Process. The day before:

The choice of red potatoes is a must. Baking potatoes absorb the dressing, creating a mushy salad. Red potatoes accept the mayo as a friend. Find large ones, not the golf-ball size.
Fill a large stock pot halfway with cold water. Keep off burner. You want potatoes to start cooking at same time.
Peel and wash each potato then cut into even sizes, maybe two or three per potato and plop into pot.
(Instant watering prevents discolor.) Make sure water line just enough to cover potatoes.
Place pot on high burner; add salt. When it nears a boil turn down to a simmer. Leave lid ajar.
Cook until potatoes are al dente. Firm enough to hold their integrity.
Drain. Place the pot back on burner to steam off excess water. You don’t want a watery taste
Remove pot and let potatoes cool. An hour or so
Now the marinade. Very simple. Spritz with white vinegar. Maybe a cup. Gives it some tartness.
Replace lid and shake the pot to blend.
Place pot in refrigerator, lid off. This is so moisture does not form.
After two hours, add the lid. Leave overnight.

The Process: The day of:

Dump some of the cooked potatoes on a cutting board. Blot any excess moisture
Cut each potato into bite size, but not small, pieces, and move to a large bowl.
The bowl filled, add chopped scallions, Dijon mustard, Hellman’s mayo, salt and pepper.
Blend. Taste for the right combination of mayo and potato.
Done.
Back in frig. Let sit at room temperature an hour before serving.
Not that you would, but do not freeze. It will keep in frig. for a week.

One serving idea. Grilled kielbasa and homegrown tomatoes. Stands up to a rich cabernet such as Columbia Crest Grand Estate.

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Bistro Dishes, easy.

5/14/2016

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The word "bistro" can scare off some otherwise terrific home cooks because of that trip to Paris a number of summers ago and those family restaurants where every dish was homey and delicious. How can I possibly replicate that, state-side? Well, you can come close enough. Robert and Jen often turn to bistro fare for a quick elegant dinner after a long day. Here are three goodies.

But first, from the novel "Dog Park." Robert is on the couch, telling Jen of his separation anxiety.

Jen: “OK. I think I understand. Let me ask a few analytical questions. How many sneezes before he goes to the vet?”

“Four in a row.”

“Do you take him on errands, and, if so, at what temperature do you leave him in the car?”

“It has to be 65 or cooler for multiple stops, back windows halfway down. Over 65, I do one stop, quickly. At 80 degrees, he says home.”

“When you leave him in the car, do you fear some one might be stealing him?”

“Yes.”

“Every time?”

“Yes. I think there is a dog-napping in progress.”

“How do you cope?”

“I shop as quickly as possible. Fifteen items or less. No line at the dry cleaners or I don’t go in. Hardware store. I plot each item’s location. Self-service checkout.”

“When he’s home alone, do you watch him on video?”

“Thanks for the idea.”–––

from the story "Dog Park"

Now, Bistro, thousands of miles from Paris. Asparagus is featured. It's spring.

Dish 1: Tuna and Pasta.

Boil three-quarters pound of bow tie pasta. Lightly fry asparagus in olive oil. Add crushed garlic. Drain the cooked pasta. Add to big bowl. Drain a 12 oz. can of albacore tuna. Squeeze tuna in your clean hands to extract as much liquid as possible. Fold in all ingredients with fresh chopped scallions. A few tablespoons of mayo and grated Romano. Toss. Done.

Dish 2: Strip steak and asparagus.

Break off a pound of asparagus at border between tough and tender. Chop ripe plum tomatoes. Crushed garlic. Fricassee in olive oil until the tomatoes make a rich sauce and the asparagus is al dente.

Salt and pepper one-pound strips, prime if you got 'em. Sear two minutes a side and then into a 270-degree oven for 5 minutes for medium-rare. Let rest 10 minutes, slice and plate. Done.

Dish 3: Salmon, hollandaise, succotash, beans.

Everyone should find a good fish monger. It makes a difference. Robert and Jen go to a family-owned joint which gets fresh stuff delivered every day. The blue crab there smells of the sea; the salmon: of Alaska.

Sear a one-pound filet in olive oil on flesh side, flip and then into a 300-degree oven for 10 minutes. Saute fresh corn, onion and asparagus until all are al dente, not mushy. Or, as a hearty alternative, sauté cannellini beans in olive oil with sliced kielbasa sausage.

For hollandaise: Place a heat-proof glass bowl on top of a pot of simmering, not boiling, water. Whisk two egg yolks in the bowl. Next, add a stick of soften butter, a bit at a time, whisking to emulsify. Salt and lemon juice to finish. Don't leave on heat or the luscious cream will curdle.

After the wine dinner, Robert and Jen sometimes pour a whiskey and savor it. On this night, an aged rye.

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Beef and Rice Soup

2/6/2016

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But first. Andy Kershaw wins the job as Rexville's animal control chief:

Andy’s resume included an honorable stint as an Army MP despite inheriting his daddy’s blurry eyesight. But it was Andy’s interview that snared the job. Mayor Osgood told Andy he was looking for a “seasoned” law-and-order guy. “I’m not only seasoned,” replied the candidate, “I’m smoked and cured.” The mayor so enjoyed that earthy reply he wrote it down and hired the man right then. He later informed the town administrator and ignored his lecture on personnel procedures. “Just make it work,” he said––from the novel, "Dog Park."

When the first snow arrives, Robert and Jen start thinking homemade soup. A hearty one. Not a light broth. A dense swirling one. Hot, hefty meat and veggies, married with stubby rice kernels.The mistake-proof process starts with the broth, simmered for hours to warm you and the kitchen. A good rich left-bank Bordeaux kicks the body temperature up even higher. Put a small antipasto on the side as a foil.

Ingredients:

A pound of beef
Two pounds of beef bones
Three carrots; one onion; rib of celery; garlic clove, smashed
Two sprigs of fresh rosemary
A large jug of spring water
Cup of raw rice
Salt and pepper
Olive oil. flour

In a large stock pot, on medium heat, add oil, chopped veggies and the garlic
Take the rosemary leaves off the stems, chop and add.
Cut the beef in a few pieces and brown them
Toss in a few table spoons of flour and make a roux.
Cook for 5 minutes then add beef bones, salt and pepper
Empty the water jug, shake the cauldron to mix, and simmer for four hours
Use a slotted spoon to take out the bones and beef
Shred beef and reintroduce
Let the soup cool. Place in frig. for an hour.
Remove the pot and skim off some fat.
Back on the heat. Stir in a cup of rice. In 30 minutes, you've got soup.

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Spaghetti Carbonara

11/21/2015

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BUT FIRST

FROM THE NOVEL "DOG PARK"

On this morning in June, a ruby Cadillac sedan navigates up and then down a lane. It turns slowly, like a luxury yacht, then floats with precision into a berth at the Rexville dog park. The latest arrivals are a couple and their Collie, Greta. The three dismount. Harry Damson drops his chain glasses and exchanges them for polished binoculars. He scans the park.

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Robert and Jen have a trick when they want to put out a luxurious dish in a near instant. Spaghetti Carbonara is linked to the U.S. Army and World War II. Battle rations have never been confused with fine dinning. But in this case, a marriage between Italian foodies (aren't they all?) and food shipments to feed a starving nation produced a marvelous dish served in Roman restaurants to this day.

A believable legend says the Americans flew in lots of bacon and eggs, likely in canned and powdered form. Romans took this available chow, matched it with another emerging food item, dried pasta, and, presto: Carbonara. A noted food historian nearly vouches for this story. He writes that his research showed that the dish did not exist until the Germans were vanquished and, presumedly, Mussolini hung. So, U.S. Army, take credit for one of the great modern pasta recipes.

Robert and Jen keep it simple.

Two servings:

Six egg yolks
One cup Romano cheese, grated
Half pound pancetta, cubed
Two tbsp. olive oil
Black pepper
White wine
Dry spaghetti

Sautee the bacon, short of crisp, in oil
whisk the yolks, pepper and cheese in a bowl
Cook pasta in salted boiling water al dente
Two minute warning: add some pasta water
and wine to the bacon. reduce.
Drain pasta and add to bacon. toss to combine
Transfer to two pasta bowls. Add the yolk-cheese mixture and
immediately blend to create a creamy sauce.
(Don't add the yolk mixture to a hot pan)
Top with more grated cheese

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There, soldiers. You've got yourself the best Army ration ever made. The beauty of such a rich dish as Carbonara is that it couples well with a lush cabernet or a bright Chianti Classico. On this night, Robert went into the basement and came back up with a St. Supery cab. Jen executed a hand salute.

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Maryland Crab Cakes

7/8/2015

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But First
From the story, "Dog Park"

Left un-chaperoned, Robert and Jet are alone with the store. He takes in its smells and gazes at studded straps and plastic balls and 40 different kibbles. Sweet potato, he surmises, and apples. A deep breath.
“Jet, how did this happen?” Robert asks as he stands at the self-service check out, his arms controlling a gift for Gracie, a bag of organic turkey jerky, a black leather collar, a black leather leash, a comb and a bottle of joint supplements. “We came for one thing.”
He slips Jet’s loop onto his wrist and begins scanning.
“The ping is too weak. Hard to hear,” he says. “Did it take? Oh, yeah. There it is on the screen. One leash, $29.99. Jerky, $14.99. One more and we’re heading home.”
A line has formed behind him. He checks it out and there’s Peggy, whispering on a headset.”
“They say you didn’t scan the collar, Mr. Benjamin.”
“I think I did. Who says I didn’t?”
“It comes from security.”
“Security? I don’t appreciate being accused of shoplifting.”
“We’re not accusing you. Just suggesting you may have missed it.”
“Where are they watching me from? Are they monitoring the computer? Or is one of these customers undercover? Or is it a camera? I’d just like to know who says I’m a thief.”
A beefy uniformed security guard appears. He too is whispering into a headset.
“It’s OK, Ralph,” Peggy says. “We’re just rechecking Mr. Benjamin’s bag.”
“Peggy, I confess. I’m a notorious dog collar thief. East coast is my territory. Wait until you put my name into the computer. Everything is going to light up. No-fly list. INTERPOL. FBI Most Wanted. Ralph over there is going to have one hell of a notch on his belt.”–– "Dog Park."

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Robert and Jen live in crab country. Rather than hammer away at hard-shell blue crabs, they prefer to buy the jumbo-lump meat already steamed and ready to be turned into cakes so pure there doesn't seem to be any filler. But there is. There has to be. The way Robert does it produces a rich crab taste, with a silent binder, that holds together from fork-fill to taste buds.

One rule that may sound like crab-country blasphemy: no Old Bay seasoning. He believes it crowds out the dish's star. Also, find crab from Chesapeake Bay, Maryland or Virigina, or off the Atlantic Coast. No offense, but Asian crab meat is misplaced in a Maryland crab cake.

Ingredients:

One pound jumbo-lump crab meat
2 Tbsp. mayo
2 slices white bread, pulsed into crumbs in food processor
Splash Worcestershire sauce
One egg
Splash hot sauce
Peanut oil
Salt/pepper

Drain the crab in a colander. Transfer to bowl. With hot-water-soaped-and-rinsed hands, toss to detect any shells. Add the ingredients. Gently mix. All hands on deck. At this point, you can cover mixture and refrigerate to let the flavors jell. Over night is fine. Be sure to hold the salt until next day.

For uniform cakes, Robert uses a big ice cream scoop. Heat oil in sauté pan. Brown cakes on each side, then move to a baking sheet. Place in 350-degree oven for 10 minutes. This final step turns them into classic Maryland crab cakes. A tartar sauce of mayo, chopped scallions, sweet pickle relish and lemon juice is a great complement. Try one cake with; one without.

The food gods decree that a white wine, especially chardonnay, is to be drunk with crab. I find they go well with a medium-body pinot noir or a Chianti, or, of course, beer.

Robert plans to blog next on cole slaw, potato salad and homemade BBQ sauce.
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Before Dinner, Crostini Are Perfect

4/18/2015

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Harry drove them home after handing Robert $15 for the bet and downing a two-shot martini and gobbling up a tuna melt—on the winner’s bar tab. The former Marine finished his 20-year career as a war planner. He learned to anticipate, such as, he requires all fellow diners to know the Heimlich maneuver. He taught Robert in the back yard during a play date.

“You can do that on Jet if a chew toy gets stuck,” he said–from the story "Dog Park"

Watching a "Food Network" super chef one day, Robert was knocked out. The host said that, in planning a dinner party, the best way to accomplish the first course is by putting out some nuts and olives. What? Robert thought. Who wants peanuts at a grand dinner party. This isn't a ball game, after all, or "movie night." Robert and Jen would never scrimp like that. They and their guests expect a special tasting experience from the first course to the dessert. For wine, they start with a crisp white and move on to a medium body red, such as a Pinot Noir. The main course selection often requires a rich cabernet and its black fruit lushness.

Their requirements make crostini a perfect first course. A slice of toasted French bread is a blank canvas for a million different toppings. Just make sure your combinations taste good. Robert and Jen like to put out three or four different ones on separate plates. On another plate is a small antipasto of salami, cheese and, yes, those olives. The presentation from kitchen to dining room brings instant acclaim. The couple takes pleasure in watching and listening as their friends sample and sip. In an hour, every one is a bit buzzed and smiling.

Just warn your guest. This dinner party won't be rushed.

Here are a few of Robert's favs.

SMOKED SALMON

Place a slice on each crostino (find good quality fish). Top with a compound mayo of capers, scallions, white wine vinegar and sea salt.

COTTAGE CHEESE ALSACE

Robert came across this at an expensive French place in the city. He summoned the chef for the recipe, then experimented to make it even better. Take rich small curd cottage cheese and stir in mayo, chopped scallions, smashed garlic, fresh grated ginger, splash of white wine vinegar and sea salt.

PISTACHIO PESTO

Robert finds the classic pine nut recipe a bit bitter. He replaces the nuts with pistachios and adds basil, olive oil, Romano, garlic and sea salt. Pulse in a small food processor.

SALAMI

Put some grated cheese on a crostino and top with sliced up salami, finely chopped fresh tomato and thyme (the world's greatest herb). Expose to broiler until cheese melts. Don't get distracted. It happens fast.

SHRIMP

Sautee some large shrimp in olive oil, salt and pepper. Let cool. Carve each in half, long way. Both pieces go on one crostino. Top with a mayo of olive oil, garlic and scallions, all pureed in small food processor.

Have all ingredients ready to assemble 15 minutes before guests arrive. Assemble and display just as the door bell rings. Robert guarantees your noshers will be impressed at the glorious, colorful sight.

Robert usually starts with a sav. blanc or Champagne. Find crusty French baguettes. A number of shops carry the real thing. If you find a good one, it's as if you have stopped at a bakery on the Left Bank.

Accordion music please.

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Italian pot roast. Perfect for the Winter of '15

2/27/2015

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"An hour later, after Robert’s spaghetti and sauce and Jen’s brownies—beds for ice cream and hot chocolate sauce—the group is sufficiently mellow to move to the pillowy living room.

Robert changes out foggy stems––memorials for once-vibrant juice––for translucent crystal, etched microscopically to aid the breathing.

“There’s more wine. Channel 9 news in five minutes,” says Robert, passing the sixth Lagrange, under a hovering 60-inch HD set. “My modern-art,” he calls the big rectangle, an endlessly alluring black hole."–––From the story "Dog Park"

Robert's fav winter dish is a hearty chuck roast, simmered for four hours or more with vegetables and stock. The braising liquid is then pureed into a thick substantial sauce. The meat is carved up and added back. The dish is so rich it can be ladled alone. Or, cook some tubed pasta such as rigatoni, portion out the beef in a sauce pan and add the carbs. No need for cheese with this rich steamy concoction. Leftovers mature in the fridge.

Rexville has suffered through an especially cold winter which makes this dish doubly good. "Comfort food" does not do it justice. Robert opened one of his 2005 Lagrange's, a bordeaux so much at its peak right now that the liberated aroma permeated the entire dinner party of Robert and Jen.

One, three-pound chuck roast
Four cups chicken stock
One can Italian plum tomatoes
One cup white wine
Tomato paste
A few carrots
Medium onion
A few ribs of celery
Smashed garlic clove

In a stock pot, sear the meat on both sides in olive oil. Rescue to a plate and add the chopped vegetables. After 5 minutes, a few dollops of tomato paste. Fry the collection for another five minutes, then add the liquids and tomatoes, which you break up with a potato masher. Or squeeze in your hand one at a time. Salt and pepper the beef and the liquid. Then add the chuck and its juice. Move it around until most submerges like an amphibian. Now, the lid, slightly ajar. The work is done––for now. After four hours, use two big spoons to move the meat to a plate. Let the liquid cool. Then attack it with a stick blender until it surrenders into a silky sauce. Taste for more seasoning. Cut up the beef, reintroduce the two and simmer for an hour. At that point, if you like herbs, Thyme and oregano will inject another layer of flavor. Not a summer dish. But man, does it hit the spot when the temperature plummets in Rexville.

Watch It Come Together Live (Almost)

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Robert Benjamin's Winter Steak

12/29/2014

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Robert can always uncover the grill on a cold January night and cook a New York strip. But he figures why not stay inside and let Jet watch him sear the same marbled beauty stove-top, then finish it in the oven. He buys the best prime beef available in the Rexville area. All he needs after that is heat, salt and pepper.

A vegetable gratin is more time consuming. But it's a great frosty-weather side dish that has Robert thinking––steak house in the big city. His creation is a layer of potato and broccoli, bubbling away in a rich cheddar sauce. Robert makes that dish first, then the steak. And he brings the heartiness up one rung with a ripe cabernet.

The side dish

Broccoli florets
One baking potato
Two tablespoons flour
Two tablespoons butter
Two cups, or so, half and half
One pound sharp cheddar

Par boil thick slices of potato for five minutes; boil the florets for three minutes. Let cool.

In a sauce pan, melt the butter, whisk in flour to make a thick roux, then add the half and half.

Make sure the dairy is not no-fat ultra pasteurized. No taste. Use the real stuff. Once the béchamel is thickened on low heat, add salt, pepper and fresh nutmeg. Off the heat, whisk in most of the grated cheese. Whisk until it becomes a glossy smooth sauce. Don't put back on heat. That can lead to fractured cheese. Add a little dairy if too thick.

Slice the potatoes thinly. Oil a big ramekin. Layer with potato and broccoli, then some sauce, then one more layer and all the sauce. Top with the remaining cheese. Middle rack of 350 oven for 50 minutes. Test for potato doneness with a fork. Robert has found that potatoes can be finicky.

The Steak

One one-pound prime New York strip
Salt and pepper. A litte olive oil.

Robert lets the steak sit at room temp. for at least two hours. When the veggie is done and resting, liberally salt and pepper the strip. Sear it in oil in a hot pan for two minutes a side. Then, into a 280 degree oven for seven minutes. The low temp serves to both finish the steak and let it rest. Out of the oven, the steak can go on some type of rack for eight minutes. Very important step. Let the juices stop boiling and begin redistributing so you don't have a runny plate. Robert preaches this at the dog park. "Make sure to rest your steak," he says to any grille master who will listen.

Slice the slightly crusty medium rare beef. Plate with a few scoops of cheesy vegetables.

This supper demands a cabernet. While Robert stocks a number of expensive Bordeaux, on this night he opened an American bargain: Columbia Crest Grand Estate––dark fruit. herbs, coffee hints. lasting finish. He always decants reds.

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Robert Benjamin's Baked Pasta

12/12/2014

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Robert's go-to dishes often begin with a marinara sauce. Why not? It's one of Italy's greatest gifts, surpassing Leonardo da Vinci. (As the "Sopranos'" Junior said: "We taught the world how to cook.") Marinara is a "mother" sauce from which you can make a zillion entrees. In "Dog Park," Robert simmers a marinara to seduce, entertain or just for dinner alone. Jet sticks to his Tuscan risotto dog feed. Robert eschews the "Godfather" recipe by skipping sugar and red wine. Tomatoes are sweet enough. And white wine, not red, adds a slight tartness.

This time Robert makes a baked pasta. It's a perfect family-style dish that warms up the house––and you. It's so simple. Some sauce, meat, pasta, cheese–– that all come together in the oven. Better the next day out of the fridge. Robert says you have to shop around for the best cheeses and beef. Even something seemingly as mundane as cottage cheese can be subpar if the wrong brand.

Ingredients:

1-1/2 pound ground beef
2 cans Italian plum tomatoes
2 cups uncooked macaroni or.....
1/2 lb. mozzarella
1/2 lb. provolone
2 cups cottage cheese
2 eggs
onion, celery chopped
garlic smashed.
small can tomato paste
thyme; oregano. salt pepper
olive oil
cup white wine

Here goes:

Beforehand, cooked down the two cans of tomatoes. Robert breaks up
the skinned red ovals with a potato masher. He adds wine and salt.
Boil pasta in salted water short of al dente. drain. coat in a little olive oil.
Meanwhile, brown the beef in oil in large skillet. Add onion, celery, garlic.
When meat is done, continue frying after adding tomato paste.
Season to taste.
Now the onions, celery, garlic.
Add the marinara and let simmer for 30 minutes or so. Make sure it's
saucy. Oven heat has a drying effect.
Fold in the cooked pasta.
In a bowl, mix cottage cheese with two eggs; herbs.
Layer an oiled baking dish with some sauce.
Smear the cottage cheese mix on top.
Put grated provolone on top of that.
Add rest of sauce.
Seal the deal with grated moz.
Bake in 350 oven for 30 to 40 minutes.

Let the bubbling cool for 15 minutes to "rest" like a good steak and then present to table like a conquering beneficent king.

This classic cries out for a Chianti Classico and its sharp crushed cherry and herbal hints, taking you to a Tuscan hill overlooking vineyards and olive trees. But Robert at a recent dinner party opted for one of his pricy Bordeaux –a Lagrange from St. Julien. Its dark fruit-tobacco combination stands up well to a rich baked pasta.

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Robert Benjamin is the star of Dog Park, a tale about a small town and its crazy, but lovable, dog owners. Robert is also a good cook. And his basement is brimming with American, French and Italian wines. In his new blog, Robert will share some of his simple, but damn good, recipes and suggest a wine—all as conveyed to the book's author.

ROBERT'S RENOWNED POTATO SALAD

Bistro Dishes, easy.

Beef and Rice Soup

Spaghetti Carbonara

Maryland Crab Cakes

Before Dinner, Crostini Are Perfect

Italian pot roast. Perfect for the Winter of '15

Robert Benjamin's Winter Steak

Robert Benjamin's Baked Pasta

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