Coronado Jubilee! A Southern-Style Seafood Boil at Spreckels Park

Our good friends, Jim and Carmen, enlightened us about Jubilee, a natural phenomenon that occurs from time to time, during the warm summer months, on the shores of Mobile Bay, Alabama. During Jubilee, blue crabs, shrimp and fish swim swarm toward the shore in a desperate search for more oxygen-rich water. People rush down to the water with washtubs, gigs and nets, and gather a bountiful harvest of seafood. Jubilees cannot be predicted with certainty, and remain a mysterious and welcome gift from nature. 

Although the Summer Concerts in the Park season just ended, we decided to return to the Park last night for a little After-Party, which we nicknamed Jubilee. The conditions were ideal: A warm summer evening, near-empty park, breeze blowing through the trees, a group of friends, and our own bountiful harvest of seafood and vegetables. It was an old-fashioned, eat-with-your-hands kind of dinner that we all enjoyed tremendously.

Everyone contributed some ingredients to John's big pot of boiling spices.  Alec & Nina brought corn, red-skinned potatoes, and clams for the pot, and fresh bread from Bread & Cie.

Nina whipped up these amazing compound butters...

AND Chocolate Mousse Pie, garnished with shaved chocolate and whipped cream, for dessert   Nina adapted Emeril's Chocolate Mousse Tart recipe and Gale Gand's 'Mmmmmud Pie' crust (Oreo cookie and unsalted cashews).

Kai & Hillari brought artichokes, crawfish and freshwater prawns.  Kai also whipped up Garlic Aioli and Chipolte Mayo for artichoke and seafood dipping. 

Hillari took a whirl in the kitchen with a pot of Jambalya Rice. Bravo, girl!

Jim and Carmen supplied a big bag full of mussels, and Banana Pudding for dessert (see recipe below)

Brad volunteered the sausage, and a few of his famous one-liners and Bradleyisms for the evening

John was head chef, in charge of all the cooking equipment, and the remaining ingredients:  Chicken, asparagus, broccoli, okra, boiler onions, heads of garlic, spices, and lemons.  He tended the boiling pot and made sure each ingredient was added in proper order

As each batch was cooked to perfection, he strained and dumped it all into a large pan to keep everything hot.

He then poured it all out, on our picnic tables covered with butcher paper. 

What a feast!

John also made his version of Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits.  Hot out of the oven, I ate three one of these on our way to the park.

We all sat on the grass, gathered around the table, and ate until we couldn't stuff another piece of food in our  mouths.  It was a feeding frenzy!  Within less than 30 minutes, all that remained were discarded piles of crawfish and shrimp heads and shells, clam and mussel shells, knawed on ears of corn, artichoke leaves, garlic and onion skins, and remnants of spice seeds rolling about the table.

No plates or utensils.  We just rolled up the butcher paper full of shells and such and threw it in the trash.

After a short break, we invaded the dessert table - Nina's Chocolate Mousse Pie, Carmen's Banana Pudding, and my Coffee-Toffee Pecan Tartlets.

Carmen brought back some pecans from her recent visit to Mississippi and I knew I wanted to make some sort of pecan pie with them.  In my new issue of Fine Cooking, #101, I found  Coffee-Toffee Pecan Pie.  I used the recipe and made tartlets.

The ingredients include espresso powder, bourbon and crushed chocolate-toffee candy pieces (such as Heath or Skor). Very rich, great in tartlet version, and perfect for our Jubilee!  

I divided the dough and blind-baked the tartlet shells, just as you would for the pie shell.  I had enough  leftover dough to make a slightly larger tart, using a 4" cheesecake pan.  That's the one shown in the photo above.  Unfortunately, the smaller tartlets didn't photograph well at the park.

There you have it - our Coronado Jubilee!  There was even talk of an Annual Jubilee....

 Here's a few more photos from the evening...

Hillari demonstrated a few yoga positions  - it's hard to see, but she has a glass of red wine in her hand!  Thank you again, Alec, for that incredible French wine!

Max & Olivia took over the gazebo, where the band usually plays, and lip-synced a few songs.

Carmen shared stories of her new play, and idea for a screenplay.  Carmen also shared the recipe for Organic Banana Pudding:

3 (3.8oz) packages of Dr. Oetker Organics Cooked Vanilla Pudding & Pie Filling Mix

6 cups of organic milk
2 tubs of Trader Joes Ultimate Vanilla Wafers
12 medium organic bananas (not too soft, not too firm - just right for slicing) Full yellow with a bit of green and no spots.
1 quart of organic whipping cream
1/2 cup Trader Joe's organic powdered sugar

Make the pudding according to the recipe on the box. Build your desert while the pudding is still warm.

1) Line the bottom of your serving dish with a layer of wafers.
2) Slice bananas as thin or as thick as you like (it's a preference, but I like mine thin) making a layer of bananas to cover the wafers.
3) Cover the layers with a thin coat of the pudding.
4) Repeat until you've used all the ingredients. I usually have about six layers of each ingredient
5) Chill in refrigerator for about two hours or until it doesn't feel warm on the outside.
5) Sweeten your whipping cream to taste with the powdered sugar, whip it up and pile on top of the chilled pudding.
6) Serve chilled.

You can have as much fun as you want with it. Some people put toasted coconut on the top and inside ... pickled cherries. The old fashioned version was always made with meringue on top and lady fingers or thin layers of vanilla cake.

Brad and Jim doing a little happy dance

Kai & Hill, all lovey-dovey after a delicious meal...

Chef John and yours truly, Miss Blogs-Alot. 

Thank you! It was a great Jubilee and a very memorable summer Concert in the Park culinary season!  See you all soon.

Cheers!

The Finale for Coronado Concerts in the Park: Last Supper

Our culinary challenges for the summer have been so extraordinary and diverse.  Shall we take a moment to review?  We kicked off this summer's Concert in the Park Season with Challenge Fill Me Up Until I'm Stuffed. Next was Challenge Cherries, followed by Challenge Spanish Tapas, Challenge Beer, Challenge Chile Peppers, and Challenge All-American. After the Fourth of July weekend, we embarked on culinary travel around the world:  Sailing the South Seas, Passage to India, Basque Country, and Journey to Russia.  We took a two week break from our travels with Challenge Citrus and Gourmazing Fast Food, and then set off to Greece and Peru.  If you are ever planning a theme party, this group has you covered with lots of ideas and recipes!  I wanted to highlight some of my favorite dishes from each chef, but it was absolutely impossible after looking back at all the incredible dishes everyone created throughout the summer.

This past Sunday, we put on quite a finale for the last Coronado Concert in the Park of the 2009 Season, with the theme of "Last Supper." 

I'll warn you now, this is a quite lengthy post.  Get comfy, pour yourself a glass of vino, and stay for a few minutes.  I found this bottle of Chianti, My Cousin Vino, and thought it was appropriate for my dish of the evening, Timpano!

Not too long ago, we rented the movie Big Night, after seeing a photo of Timpano.  I know, the movie came out in 1996 and I am over 10 years late jumping on the Timpano bandwagon.  However, after seeing the movie, and because I've never created such a pasta masterpiece, I promptly ordered a Timpano pan from Kolorful Kitchen.  It's a 6 quart, 14" enamel basin, that comes in a variety of colors.  At $17.00, plus shipping, it's a steal.  It's a necessity for Timpano, but also makes a beautiful and decorative accessory for the kitchen.  Ours hangs on the wall and adds a little character to kitchen. 

Here it is with the 2 lbs. of dried pasta (rigatoni or ziti) you will need for this recipe.

My beautiful, burgundy marbled, Timpano pan has been displayed for several months now, patiently waiting for me to try my hand at Timpano for my own "Big Night."  Our theme for the final Concert in the Park, Last Supper, provided all the inspiration I needed.  In Big Night, the Italian brothers are desperate to keep their restaurant afloat and plan a magnificent, extraordinary feast, starring Timpano.  Unfortunately, it was the restaurant's last supper, but the guests had a marvelous time.

Coronado Concert in the Park, Last Supper Timpano
Adapted from Mario Batali's Pasta, Old-Fashioned Style, to Cover: Pasta al'Antica Per Timpano
and Cucina & Famiglia: Two Italian Families Share Their Stories, Recipes, And Traditions

Ingredients
2 pounds rigatoni or ziti pasta
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Pasta Frolla, recipe follows
1 1/2 cups toasted bread crumbs
Ragu Napoletano (Neapolitan Meat Sauce), recipe follows
2 cups Provolone cheese, cut into 1/2 inch cubes  (about 12 oz.)
Besciamella, recipe follows
2 cups Genoa Salami, cut into 1/4-inch dice (about 12 oz.)
Neapolitan Meatballs, recipe follows
8 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 cup butter

I prepared this over two days and my recommendation is to prepare the Ragu Napoletano, Basic Tomato Sauce and Neapolitan Meatballs, in that order, on Day 1.   You can also cut up the salami and cheese and hard-boil your eggs.

On Day 2, or the day you plan to serve the Timpano, make the Pasta Frolla, Besciamella, boil the pasta, assemble the Timpano, and bake.

Ragu Napoletano (Neapolitan Meat Sauce):
Yields 4 cups

Ingredients
1/2 pound veal, cut into chunks (I mistakenly bought ground veal, but it worked out fine)
1/2 pound beef chuck, cut into chunks
1 onion, finely chopped
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3/4 cup red wine
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled San Marzano tomatoes and juices, passed through a food mill (I have yet to invest in a food mill, so I used an immersion blender)
1/2 pound sweet Italian sausages
1 teaspoon salt
Pinch hot chile flakes

In a large pasta pot or Dutch oven, combine the veal, beef, onion, and oil over high heat and cook until meat is seared on all sides and meat juices have evaporated, 10 to 12 minutes.

Add the wine and cook, stirring constantly, until wine evaporates and meat is darker brown, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the tomatoes, sausages, salt, and chile flakes.

Reduce heat to simmer and cook about 3 hours, stirring occasionally and skimming fat as necessary.  Remove from heat and remove meat from ragu. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper, and allow to cool.

This is a wonderful, rich, meat sauce.

Basic Tomato Sauce:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 Spanish onion, chopped in 1/4-inch dice
4 garlic cloves, peeled and thinly sliced
3 tablespoons chopped fresh thyme leaves, or 1 tablespoon dried
1/2 medium carrot, finely shredded
2 (28-ounce) cans peeled whole tomatoes, crushed by hand and juices reserved
Salt, to taste

Onions, garlic, carrot and thyme

In a 3-quart saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft and light golden brown, about 8 to 10 minutes. Add the thyme and carrot and cook 5 minutes more, until the carrot is quite soft.

Add the tomatoes and juice and bring to a boil, stirring often. Lower the heat and simmer for 30 minutes until as thick as hot cereal. Season with salt and serve. This sauce holds one week in the refrigerator or up to 6 months in the freezer. Yield: 4 cups.

Neapolitan Meatballs (Polpette alla Napoletana):

3 cups day-old bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 1/4 pounds ground beef, preferably chuck
3 eggs, beaten
3 cloves garlic, minced
3/4 cup pecorino, grated
1 bunch Italian parsley, finely chopped to yield 1/4 cup
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted for 2 minutes in a 400 degree oven
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 1/2 cups basic tomato sauce, recipe follows

In a shallow bowl, soak the bread cubes in enough water to cover. Remove the bread cubes and squeeze by hand to wring excess moisture.

In a large bowl, combine the bread, beef, eggs, garlic, pecorino, parsley, pine nuts, salt, and pepper, and mix by hand to incorporate bread into meat. With wet hands, form the mixture into 12 to 15 meatballs, each of a size somewhere between a golf ball and a tennis ball.

Some of the meatball ingredients (I love the addition of toasted pine nuts)

In a large, heavy-bottomed skillet, heat the oil until almost smoking. Add the meatballs, working in batches if necessary to avoid overcrowding the pan (I did half, or 8 at a time), and cook until deep golden brown on all sides, about 10 minutes.

Add the tomato sauce and reduce the heat to a simmer. Add all meatballs, cook for 10 minutes and allow to cool.

This are so good!

Besciamella Sauce:
5 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons flour
3 cups milk
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

In a medium saucepan, heat butter until melted. Add flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until light golden brown, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat milk in separate pan until just about to boil. Add milk to butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth and bring to a boil. Cook 30 seconds and remove from heat. Season with salt and nutmeg and set aside.

Pasta Frolla
4 cups flour
4 eggs, whisked
1 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup ice water

Place flour, salt and egss in food processor and pulse until blended.  Add ice water, slowly, until dough holds together.  Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 4 to 5 minutes. Wrap in plastic and set aside.

Cook the Pasta

Place 6 quarts water in large pot, bring to a boil, and add 2 tablespoons salt. Drop pasta in and cook 2 minutes less than the package instructions. Remove and refresh under cold running water until cool, 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from refreshing bath and toss with 2 tablespoons oil and set aside.

ASSEMBLING THE TIMPANO

Make sure all of your ingredients are ready to go.  Preheat oven to 375 degrees F

Roll out the pasta frolla to 1/4-inch thick. 

Butter the metal bowl and dust with the bread crumbs. Lay the pasta frolla in to completely line all of the bowl plus 2 inches over the edge and set aside.

Mix half of the cooked rigatoni with 3 cups Ragu Napoletano and 1 cup of the Provolone cubes and set aside. Mix the remaining half of the cooked rigatoni with the besciamella, the remaining cup of the Provolone cubes and the 2 cups of the salami, and set aside.

Place the white mixed pasta into the mold and press down lightly.

Place the meatballs (polpette) over the white pasta carefully in a consistent layer and press carefully down.

Place the 8 hard-boiled eggs over the meatball layer.

Place the red pasta over the meatballs and press down gently.

Stretch and fold the extra 2 inches of pasta frolla over the whole thing and press gently.

Cover the open top with foil and place in oven to bake for one hour. Check internal temperature. If it is not at 120 degrees F, place back in the oven for about 15 minutes.

Remove from oven and let rest in Timpano pan for at least 20 minutes.

Invert onto a large serving platter, and allow to rest another 10 minutes.

Cut wedges and serve immediately.

Granted, it does take some time to prepare all of the homemade sauces and meatballs, but none of it is difficult.  The sauces and meatballs are amazing on their own (next time I will make double batches and freeze the sauces for other pasta dishes), and very impressive when combined together in this dish.  Also, don't be afraid of the dough - it is very easy to work with and roll thin enough to cover the pan.  So, if you haven't jumped on the Timpano bandwagon, I encourage you to do so and try this for a dinner party.  It seves about 15 people.

Now, finally, I want to share the other delectable dishes we enjoyed for our Last Supper...

Kai & Hillary's Lamb Osso Buco and extra Marrow Bones, garnished with Gremolata.  Kai even supplied special marrow spoons for scooping out all of the tasty marrow.

Jim & Carmen's Beans, with Ham hocks and Sauage, and Buttermilk Cornbread

Brad's Stuffed Pizza, courtesy of Lefty's Chicago Pizzeria in Mission Hills...if this isn't your Last Supper, it may not be too far off with 3 lbs. of mozzarella and all that sausage! 

John's Pumpkin Roll

Alec & Nina's Communion Wafers aka Truffle Brownies.  Alec also shared his fabulous Chicken Picata, but most of it was gone one before I could get a nice photo

Mom's Chocolate-Covered Caramelized Matzoh Crunch, courtesy of David Lebovitz.  Mom made half with white chocolate and a sprinkling of sea salt.  You may recall, Nina made another delicious version, for Challenge Citrus, using saltine crackers and a hint of Grand Marnier in the chocolate.

One last photo, our male Chefs de Cuisine:  Brad, Alec, Kai, John and Jim

Although it was the last concert of the season, this group just can't seem to stop cooking and eating.  We're off to the Park again this Sunday, while the weather is still beautiful, for Jubilee!  We'll have the Park to ourselves, the kids can run free, and the adults will gather around John's gigantic boiling pot of shellfish, sausage, corn, potatoes, and whatever else gets thrown in, for yet another opportunity to eat, drink and socialize!