|
|
AinÕt That
Weird? Something Different from
Something Different By Dan Gill We
admittedly do strange and unexpected things with food at Something Different.
In fact, we are rather proud that we cook for those who understand and
appreciate subtle flavor nuances. We have created and now prepare many things
not found elsewhere, such as Jalape–o Hoecakes and The Virginia Sandwich.
I delight in seeing the somewhat incredulous reactions of most people when I
describe some obscure or anachronistic technique or ingredient such as
buttermilk brine for chicken, beef tallow for deep fat fryers (actually
healthier than vegetable fats when heated) or whey to enhance texture in
breads. I love to watch customerÕs faces as I describe the pairing of apple
butter with hot dogs or talk about including Balsamic vinegar in strawberry
ice cream or our use of kelp and fish sauce in soups, sauces and seasonings.
As incongruous as these things may sound, one taste is all it takes to
convince customers that these combinations may sound weird but are
actually compatible and harmonious. The Applechain I
have no idea what inspired me to put apple butter on a hot dog way back when I
was a child. My older sisters plead innocence and decline any credit. I have
found no references to this particular combination in the literature or on
the Internet. When left to fend for myself, I would often split a hot dog and
sandwich it between two pieces of squishy white bread slathered with apple
butter. Somewhere along the line I added some ordinary yellow mustard. A
little mustard is the catalyst that makes the marriage work between the cool
sweetness of apple butter and the juicy meatiness of a hot dog.
When
the hot dog halves are alternated up and down on bread and then cut across,
the result resembles a chain and thus suggests the name ÒApplechainÓ. This
deliberate corruption of Appalachian is apropos since most commercial apple
orchards are in the hills and mountains of the Eastern states. The name is
not original – I pilfered it from the Smothers Brothers first album, Live
at the Purple Onion, released in 1961. In the introduction to Dance,
Boatman, Dance,
Tom referred to our hearty forefathers, with "pioneer blood coursing
through their veins", who came over the "Applechain MountainsÓ to
settle the frontier. In those days, freight was moved up and down rivers on
barges powered by boatmen with long poles. Sometimes the water was deep and the
boatmen wanted to row their boats, but they were just issued longer poles.
Whenever they got the chance they would "go into town to pick up their
oars.Ó At
the store we use quarter-pound Kosher all-beef hot dogs served in a
Òsnuggle-bunÓ (half of a partially hollowed homemade sub roll) nestled on a
bed of apple butter and topped with squiggles of mustard. It has become so
popular that loyal customers have even created the ÒI Love Apple Chains!Ó fan
club on Facebook. All apple butters are not created equal, so we use an
artisanal version made without High Fructose Corn Syrup and boiled down in
copper kettles like it is supposed to be. Unique Ice
Creams We
make our own Òsuper premiumÓ French-style ice creams with all-natural dairy
products from cows that do not receive antibiotics or hormones. Ice cream
quality is classified by butterfat content and by how much air is
incorporated during churning. Legally, ice cream must contain at least 10%
butterfat and no more than 50% air. Super premium is over 15% butterfat and
less than 25% air; thus more ice cream per scoop. We make the standards
(Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, White Peach and Cappalottachinamocha) and
have recently added some new flavors – Mint Chocolate Chocolate Chip,
Buttered Pecan and HOT Chocolate with chili
peppers. The pairing of chocolate with hot peppers is not new – Spanish
Conquistadors learned of it from the Aztecs and it is a key characteristic of
many authentic mole sauces. Chocolate is a secret ingredient often included
in award-winning chili recipes, but spicy ice cream comes as a surprise to
many. It is really interesting to watch peopleÕs reaction when offered a
sample. It does not taste hot or spicy in the mouth, but then a gentle warmth
starts to build in the back of the throat and soon there is a nice glow on
the face followed by a glistening on the forehead. When I give samples, I am
always standing by with the antidote – a spoonful of real Buttered Pecan (no
artificial flavors; we caramelize the pecans with butter and organic sugar). Only
one customer has ever guessed the unexpected ingredient in our strawberry ice
cream. Strawberries with balsamic vinegar is not a new idea, nor is balsamic
vinegar on vanilla ice cream, so it seemed only natural to combine the three.
You canÕt taste the vinegar unless you really concentrate, but it enhances
the strawberry flavor. A little kelp powder is included to round everything
out. Natural Flavor
Enhancers There
is now a whole industry dedicated to developing artificial flavors and flavor
enhancers for food manufacturers, fast-food chains and consumers. It all
started over a century ago when a Japanese biochemist analyzed his wifeÕs
kelp soup and discovered that the ÒsavoryÓ qualities were due to free
glutamates, a natural by-product of protein metabolism. This discovery led to
the industrial production of MSG and eventually to the recognition of umami
as the fifth taste. The problem is that MSG is not a natural substance and
many individuals are sensitive to it. We use kelp powder and fish sauce (Nuok
Mam) to naturally enhance the flavors of our soups, sauces and many other
things that we prepare. They both taste pretty disgusting or even revolting
by themselves, but used judiciously they work magic. When
the weather cools, we make a lot of gumbo and, if we remember, serve it with
a shaker of filŽ powder (ground sassafras leaves). FilŽ thickens gumbo and
enhances the flavor. Cajuns and Creoles in Louisiana learned about filŽ from
the Choctaw Indians, but the use of sassafras leaves for flavor, sustenance
and healing goes back much further. Explorers sent by Sir Walter Raleigh to
what is now North Carolina reported that Indians boiled their meat in clay
pots and seasoned it with sassafras leaves, herbs and vegetables. Further Reading All
of my writings previously published in Pleasant Living are available on our
website: www.pine3.info under the heading
of ÒBlurbsÓ. Referenced in this article are Praise the Lard and Pass the
Scrapple, How © Dan Gill - Published
in Pleasant Living July – Aug. Õ09 Something Different Country Store and Deli More Blurbs from a
Country Store Previous: Off to the Races Next: Brown Beans |
