7/31

Steve Goodman was the original composer of the folk song City of New Orleans.  The song was made famous through various interpretations by better known artists including Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Arlo Guthrie, and John Denver – but listening to a classic version by the person who created it first usually leaves the most meaningful impression.  The bittersweet lyrics describe a train ride starting out from Kankakee, passing through the Mississippi darkness, and rolling on to the sea...

We decided to feature a New Orleans theme for our August 11th Chef’s Dinner Series event as a result of the tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico (see our 6/19 post announcing the dinner for more).  After a lot of discussion about how to put the dinner together, i.e. classically or through our own seasonal interpretation of more modern Cajun-Creole cooking, we opted to go the authentic route.  This is a one night performance, intended to leave a meaningful impression, and there will be plenty of time later to stir up a twisty Étouffée.

Click here to view the menu - we hope you can join us for a special evening.

7/28

Some people pass on pickles as a sandwich or burger condiment because the vast majority of them are ordinary instituitional brands (as were ours up until now).  We recently purchased two hundred pounds of local pickling cucumbers from the Kern Farm in McMurray and our own homemade brand will be ready to go in a couple of weeks.  You’ll want these pickles (and some tickles)…

7/24

The saying “if you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen” was originally coined by President Truman in 1949.  The “real feel” temperature today is over one hundred degrees, and we’re still working (naturally) in front of the stoves.  But it’s too hot to think about writing anything new - click here to read a prior post that puts everything into perspective…

7/22

One nice thing about cooking is that it never gets boring – especially with exciting new recipes that continue to evolve.  Every now and then you can take a concept to the next level and come up with something really special.  Such is the case with our recently published Curried Garbanzo Beans (see post dated  7/11).

We are using the original recipe as a garnish for entrée plates – and the curry makes the beans addictive. So much so that you may want to eat them with bread or crackers.  Problem is, the round beans want to roll off those surfaces before they make it to your mouth.

Problem solved.  Make a batch of our Curried Garbanzo Beans.  Then place them in your food processor, and drizzle the beans with a little olive oil until the batch reaches a “hummus” like consistency.  You have now brought the best of two worlds (Thai and Middle Eastern cuisine) together in perfect harmony, and arrived with an awesome party spread that you will want to stick with (and to lots of different things) for a long time.

7/18

A Midsummer Night’s Dream - Pairings inspired by Puck (our favorite fairy)…

Email List Members:  Coupon #1
Email List Members:  Coupon #2
Email List Members:  Coupon #3
Email List Members:  Coupon #4

7/14

Click on the items below to view some of the new Chef's Specials - these pictures were taken just before the dishes were placed on service trays.  We do not stage food photographs...

Stuffed Banana Peppers Our Own Fennel Sausage, Fresh Apricot Chutney 
Grilled Veal Tongue Roasted Beets, Whole Grain Mustard Sauce 
Cajun Seafood Nachos Queso Chihuahua, Black Beans, Jalapeños, Corn Pico, Cilantro Sour Cream
Country Style French Pâté Pistachios, Cornichons, Cherry Onion Marmelade 
Yarnick Farms Heirloom Tomatoes Dark Irish Porter Cheese, Frisée, Fresh Raspberry Vinaigrette 
Duck Confit Quiche Cotswold Cheese, Fresh Homemade Blueberry and Strawberry Jams 
Naked Pork Riblets Magically Rubbed, Grilled Peaches, Mango Slaw
Rainbow Trout Squid, Smoked Gouda, Watermelon Infused Buerre Meunière   
Blackened Leg of Lamb Mission Figs, Cheesy Polenta, Fresh Rosemary Butter 
Poached Sole and Salmon Lightly Crumbed, Rooftop Basil Sauce 
Beef Briskett Slow Cooked, Poblano BBQ, Vermont Baked Beans, Garlic Toast 
Chicken Tikka Masala Indian Spices, Scallions, Ginger, Honey, Jasmine Rice, Red Yogurt Sauce 
Stuffed Tomato Salad Trio Deviled Ham, Curry Chicken, Pesto Egg, Greek Shrimp, Mediterranean Salmon, Squid Ceviche (Pick Any Three) 

7/11

Curry is not a single spice – as originally defined the word curry actually means a sauce.  In India, dishes are described as sukhi (dry) or tari (wet), and either can be a curry.  Everywhere you look (all over the world) there are different curries and a plethora of curry spice blends that produce distinctive flavors.

Yellow curry is a generic term associated with Thai cuisine.  Next time you’re in the supermarket, compare the spice ingredients listed for yellow curry among competing brands and you will see that none are exactly the same.  That’s fine, as long as you find one you like and stay with it.  Otherwise, if you change brands, whatever you are cooking won’t be completely consistent in taste.

We use our own spice blend (rather than a store bought yellow curry) for Thai inspired Curried Garbonzo Beans, which are currently served on entrée dishes as a summer garnish.  It’s exactly the same every time we make it – wonderfully amazing.  Enjoy this very special recipe…

Curried Garbonzo Beans

Ingredients

2 ½      Tablespoons Olive Oil
¼         Cup Diced Onion
¼         Cup Finely Chopped Scallions
¼         Cup Chopped Fresh Parsley
2          Tablespoons Chopped Fresh Cilantro
½         Teaspoon Minced Garlic
½         Teaspoon Turmeric
½         Teaspoon Cumin
½         Teaspoon Coriander
¼         Teaspoon  Cayenne Pepper
2          Tablespoons Fresh Lemon Juice
2          15-ounce Cans Garbonzo Beans, Drained and Rinsed
¼         Teaspoon Salt

Method

- Sauté Onions and Scallions in the Olive Oil for several minutes over medium heat
- Add the rest of the ingredients (except the Garbonzo Beans), and stir for several more minutes
   to "toast" the spices
- Add the Garbonzo Beans and toss for a final minute
- Cool and serve, no problem when prepared a day in advance...

7/07

New Chef's Specials starting tomorrow night!  The last piece of the puzzle, a case of fresh Veal Tongues,
arrived at our door this morning. We will be grilling the Tongue, and serving it with Roasted Organic Beets and Whole Grain Mustard Sauce...

7/06

Organic is big – but kosher is king.

7/05

We ran a short shift last night, opening at 5:00 and closing at 8:30.  Our smiling service staff dressed casually, so they could leave and find their friends on time for the fireworks without having to stop at home to change clothes.  The kitchen staff did a great Sunday cleaning, and kept our food inventory rotated, moving, and fresh.  They also got out on time to celebrate.  Most importantly, our regular customers that didn't want to cook at home appreciated the fact that we were open (and a complimentary “red, white, and blue” dessert cake with strawberries, blueberries, and whipped cream).  It was quick and easy.  We’re in the hospitality business, and closing down the restaurant on July 4th isn’t necessary or right for us…

7/04

Fourth of July – Asbury Park (Sandy)

7/02

We had a great time hosting an afternoon function for Tomorrow’s Future (the youth mentoring program run by our good friend and neighbor Grace Robinson) – you’re all wonderful kids.  As promised, here’s a picture of everyone on the Café Sam News Page.  You too, Grace!

6/30

We’re dressed and ready to grill this weekend!!!

Email List Members:  Fourth of July Weekend Coupon

6/29

For Easter Sunday this year Chef DJ wanted to offer a complimentary hors d’oeuvre that would be fun, festive, interesting, eye appealing, and tasty.  He hit all five of these things with pickled hard boiled eggs (which were served “deviled”).  The eggs were pickled with vinegar, onions, sugar, spices, and beet juice for color.  The yolks were deviled with mayonnaise, mustard, cayenne pepper, and a little paprika.  And then there was a black lumpfish caviar topping...

The hors d’oeuvre was a big hit with everyone, and our kitchen is still running with it.  We go through about five hundred hard boiled eggs a week - which naturally brings us to the story behind peeling them and the science of hard boiled eggs. 

Starting from the outside and going in, an egg includes a protective coat, a shell, a membrane, albumen (the white), and a yolk.  When an egg is very fresh (only a couple of days old), the shell sticks to the membrane, and the membrane sticks to the albumen, making a hard boiled egg nearly impossible for anyone to peel nicely. After a few days, an egg that is hard boiled starts to become easier to peel for three reasons.  First, the protective coat on the egg is washed away when it is laid, and the shell then becomes porous, absorbs air, and begins to separate from the outside of the membrane.  Second, the albumen loses some carbon dioxide and acidity, which lets it begin to separate from the inside of the membrane.  And finally, as an egg gets older it shrinks and the air space between the shell and the membrane gets even larger.

Here are a few more interesting notes about eggs.  A yolk starts in the center, and begins to move off center as an egg gets older because the albumen gets thinner and can’t hold the yolk in place.  When you see a greenish color (no problem – it’s fine) between the yolk and the white in a hard boiled egg, it simply means the egg was cooked too long and hot.  Eggs are best when stored up to ten days.  And if an egg floats in water instead of sinking, it's old and needs to be discarded.

That’s the story.  So next time you’re standing in the kitchen next to someone and wrestling with a hard boiled egg, have fun repeating it after hearing “you don’t know how to peel an egg.”  Cracking truth:  it’s not you – it’s the egg!

6/28

Additional issues and another conundrum at sea (oil drilling isn’t the only problem):  Tuna’s End

6/28

Thanks for the help Barney, but we’ll take it from here. 

6/24

I’m giving the house away – that’s what they get for leaving me behind.  Yabba Dabba Do!  Barney

Email List Members:  Barney Rubble Coupon

6/22

The Café Sam News Page has gone fishing (or something like that).  In the meantime, Barney Rubble will be looking after things, so check back anyway because you never know what he’s going to do…

Nothing but blue skies - we’re outta here.  See you next week!!!

6/19

We are constantly thinking about the incredibly tragic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the resulting impact on the environment all around that area.  Near and dear to us is the beautiful marine life that we work with every day, and we are also connected sentimentally because a good part of the culinary spirit at Café Sam was inspired by regional Louisiana cooking when the restaurant opened.

On the latter note, the alchemy of Cajun-Creole cooking was made possible by a giant (literally) named Paul Prudhomme in his cookbook entitled Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen.  The book was among the first to document regional American cooking, as it centered on recipes that captured the heart and soul of Louisiana with an emphasis on fresh and local ingredients.  Among our many favorites:  Dirty Rice, Fish with Pecan Butter Sauce, Red Beans with Andouille Smoked Sausage, Chicken Gumbo, and all the Jambalayas.  And then there’s the magical blackened seasoning mix, now mass produced, that actually became famous as a cooking method (the original recipe, little known to most, appeared in the book with Redfish and you can see it by clicking here).  We still use that recipe to this day...

Our next Chef’s Dinner Series event for Email List Members will feature a New Orleans theme and is set for Wednesday, August 11th.  The price for this five course dinner will be $29, and reservations can be made through Mary or Dan.  Hold the date!

6/12

Homemade Blueberry Pie or Blackberry Cobbler.  A la Mode on request…

Email List Members:  Complimentary Blueberry Pie
Email List Members:  Complimentary Blackberry Cobbler

6/04

June is busting out all over (click here!!!)…

Email List Members: Bar Coupon

Email List Members: Dining Room Coupon

Email List Members: Patio Coupon

6/02

Yarnick’s Farm (Indiana, PA) Heirloom Tomatoes for our Roasted Beet, Goat Cheese, and Arugula Salad…

5/31

We’ll happily bite at opportunities to promote local restaurants cooking with high quality ingredients over relatively expensive chain restaurants that serve junk.  A good one was presented to us on the front page of the New York Times yesterday in an article about the hazards of food processed and prepared with salt, which is notoriously found (usually well disquised) at corporate eateries.

Sodium is the element in salt that leads to hypertension – and too much of it is very bad for you.

Salt changes the way your mouth interprets food.  It can be a low cost way to enhance flavor and texture, but too much salt is used in order to mask the poor quality of food typically found at the chains.  For example, cheaper grades of beef are heavily injected with brine to make them taste better and seem more tender (whereas a well marbled steak speaks for itself).  And other proteins are treated with sodium as a preservative to increase shelf life (which essentially allows them to be served old).

That’s why a lot of corporate operations won’t cut back on the use of sodium in menu items – they want to maximize profit by putting a seemingly nice but deceptively inferior product on your plate.

There’s an argument in the article that the health issue could be resolved by consuming less calories, rather than using less salt in products.  But there aren’t less calories in menu items at some of the suburban mall area restaurants we’re thinking about!  There’s also an argument that salt and sugar play off of each other – reducing salt would result in an equally detrimental need to use more sugar in order to maintain flavor.  In our culinary opinion, that’s pretty lame, too.

We are currently using roasted jalapeños with squid, curry in chickpeas, a little fat from the duck confit in our cassoulet, and natural jus on pheasant, among many other things, to keep our dishes wonderfully flavorful and good for you. We are using salt carefully, for the right reasons, in appropriate proportions. 

Independent neighborhood restaurants that take pride in using high quality ingredients want and appreciate your business more than faceless chains – and in return they offer great tasting food and the health benefit of lower blood pressure from cooking with less salt.  Sleep better knowing you support the small independents (and without waking up in the middle of the night thirsty from sodium induced dehydration).

5/26

Email List Members:  Memorial Day Weekend Coupon

5/23

Click on the items below to view some of the new Chef’s Specials that came out of our kitchen last night – the pictures were all taken “live” in the middle of a rush…

Squid Ceviche Avocado, Jalapeños, Tomatillo Salsa Verde 
Vidalia Onion Pie Cave Aged Gruyère, Mango Chutney 
Roasted Beets, Goat Cheese, Heirloom Tomatoes, Arugula Salad Ruby Red Vinaigrette
Poached Buffalo Meatballs Melted Baby Swiss, House Red Sauce
Fried Green Tomatoes Crab Claw Meat, Warm Cilantro Vinaigrette
Cassoulet Homemade Sausage, Duck Confit, Pork Shoulder, White Beans and Cherries
Blackened Ribeye Steak and Firecracker Shrimp Green Goddess Dipping Sauce 
Stuffed Pheasant Straight Forcemeat, Jasmine Rice, Blackberries and Natural Jus 
Asian Catfish Filet Shiitakes, Daikon, Cucumber Slaw, Soy Glaze 
Grilled Soft Shell Crabs Ramps, Fusilli Noodles, Lumpfish Caviar Butter Sauce 
Roasted Sea Scallops Prosciutto Wrappers, Curried Chickpeas

5/21

Tomatillos are also known as Mexican Green Tomatoes, but don't confuse them with the early season unripe green tomatoes that also appear on our current Chef’s Specials card.  Tomatillos are covered by a thin husk, which is easy to peel off when the fruit is ripe.  We are currently using Tomatillos in a Latin American inspired fresh salsa that compliments the light and refreshing flavor of lime marinated Squid Ceviche.  Give the salsa a try on many different things this summer, in place of the “regular” tomato salsa you are already familiar with…

DJ’s Tomatillo Salsa Verde

Ingredients

3   Tomatillos (medium sized)
3   Tablespoons Olive Oil
1   Teaspoon Jalapeño Pepper, minced
¼  Cup Onion, chopped
1   Teaspoon Garlic, minced
1   Lime, peeled
3   Tablespoons Fresh Cilantro, packed
1   Teaspoon Kosher Salt
1   Teaspoon Black Pepper

Method

Combine ingredients in a food processor and run until nearly smooth

5/18

One of the choices on the new Chef’s Specials card starting tonight is Pheasant.  Our Pheasants are grown on a small farm and fed an all vegetable diet with no animal byproducts.  They are raised without antibiotics and growth stimulants.

We are boning out whole birds, reserving the carcasses to make a natural jus, and using the livers and legs in a straight forcemeat stuffing for the breasts and thighs.

Are you a wing lover?  We have a limited number of unbelievably great tasting Pheasant wings held off to the side for Email List Members only.  They will be brushed with a Thai Chili and Garlic Sauce - call Mary or Dan to reserve an order.

5/15

Click here to preview the new Chef’s Specials that will be coming out of our kitchen Tuesday night…

5/12

Vidalia, Georgia is home to the famously tasty Vidalia sweet onion.  About a half century ago, the state of Georgia built a farmer’s market near a busy highway intersection in Vidalia to help local growers sell their produce.  Word about the sweet onion spread quickly among people passing through the area.  The Piggly Wiggly supermarket chain (remember it here) got in on the action, and started sending Vidalia onions throughout the region when they were in season.  Acreage grew steadily, and it wasn’t long before small town Vidalia, Georgia took a legendary spot on the national map.

As the acreage grew, farmers became concerned about counterfeit onions being passed around in place of the true “Vidalias,” as they became known.  After talks between the Georgia Department of Agriculture and the US Department of Agriculture, the Vidalia Onion Act was passed in 1986 by the Georgia legislature.  It identified twenty counties in which Vilalias could be grown.  After that, federal protection was also given to the Vidalias, and oversight of their production was placed in the hands of the Vidalia Onion Committee.  The committee has a neat little website that you can visit by clicking here.

Vidalias are available from late April through most of the summer.  The unusual sweetness of the onion comes from the low quantity of sulfur in the soil where they are grown.  You can’t exactly eat them like an apple, but good Georgians are known to proudly enjoy them whole.  One popular cooking preparation in the south is to score a Vidalia, fill it with garlic and butter, wrap it in foil, and simply place it over charcoal for grilling.

We look forward to our first case of Vidalia onions every May for a couple of reasons. 

First, we love to cook different things with them.  For example, we make Vidalia Onion soup – the onions are sweated (there’s no need to caramelize them!) and the flavor of the soup is distinctly Georgia sweet and mild mannered.  We also make a sweet onion pie with eggs and cheese – you can use your imagination on that one!

Second, the arrival of the Vidalias is a signal that the heart of the summer produce is just ahead of us.  Thankfully, winter produce from Florida no longer has a hold on the market.  The growing season has finally begun to move north into Georgia.  After that, it will be on to Arkansas, and then Ohio, and before long the truly great produce will be picked in our own sweet state of Pennsylvania!

Email List Members:  Vidalia Onion Soup Coupon

5/09

Mother’s Day Recap:  We opened at 4:30 today and sat seventy-two people in the first thirty minutes.  The flow continued nonstop for three hours with an eye out for the final customer – the rule is that the last dinner has to be as good as the first dinner. 

It was Chef DJ in the back with two cooks (which basically equals a staff of five), and Mary out front leading the charge.  Mission accomplished.

Click here:  Prove It All Night

5/05

German Night Recap: It turned into the culinary extravaganza we had hoped for – and more!  After two days of intense preparation and cooking in the back of the house, and with the kitchen finally at the ready, Dan showed up for his shift in the front carrying a CD of tunes entitled “Bavarian Classics” and sporting a tuxedo. That set the stage for an evening brought together by authentic cuisine (thanks to Chef DJ) and complimentary atmosphere (assuming you dig canned Polka and appreciate a maître d’ dressed up with a kummerbund). Needless to say, everyone had a lot of fun...

Click on the menu items below to view pictures from an awesome night to remember…

Königsberger Klopse Poached  Meatballs in Lemon and Caper Sauce
Selleriesalat mit Birne Celery Root Salad with Pears
Sauerbraten Marinated  Pot Roast in Sweet and Sour Sauce
Katerfisch “Fish for a Hangover” with Tomato Sauce and Pickles
Hausgemachten Aplfestrudel Homemade Apple Strudel

5/03

We open at 4:00 this Sunday (an hour earlier than usual) to celebrate our favorite day of the year…

Email List Members: Mother’s Day Coupon

4/28

Wunderbar!  Click on the following link to view our wonderful menu for the Chef's Dinner Series event next Tuesday night (and call Mary or Dan for reservations):  Café Sam Menu Deutsch

Update:  We now have enough reservations to close Café Sam for German Night!!!

4/25

We're looking forward to a great patio season.  “Bertha” (our combination slushy Margarita/Strawberry Daiquiri machine) stands at the ready - she’s a double handled twin tank beauty that has it all.  What's on the inside counts the most – and Bertha puts out potent concoctions like there's no tomorrow.

Email List Members:  Red and Green Coupon

4/21

Back in the day, it wasn’t uncommon for hotels and fine restaurants to order whole animals and employ full time butchers to break them down into different cuts and single portions.  Sometime between then and now, the industry went through changes (in economic terms it’s know as a “cost of production adjustment”) and house butchers faded into the past.  Nowadays, it’s less expensive to bring in individual portions of meat, poultry, and fish than it is to break down big pieces on the premises.

We usually split the difference at Café Sam by purchasing “subprimal cuts” for butchering in our kitchen.  That way, we can still control the end product by custom trimming.  For example, we butcher whole strip loins into individual steaks by hand – and control the amount of outside fat and the “tail” that ends up on your plate.  We also work with whole beef tenderloins, pork loins, chicken, duck, and different kinds of fish (among many other things).

Likewise, the number of hotels and restaurants employing full time bakers has greatly declined.  Most hotels and restaurants find it’s less expensive to bring in quality desserts than it is to make them under their own roofs – especially when it comes to time consuming products like layered cakes.

We usually split the difference on baked goods, too, by making a lot of desserts inside our kitchen and employing a couple of quality bakers outside our kitchen.  For example, we make our own crepes, crème brulee, chocolate mousse, cobblers, strawberry pies, and brownies.  We currently buy cherry vanilla ice cream for banana splits and our crowd pleasing tartufo, and work with outside bakers who make our bread and peanut butter pie.

After all is said and done, it’s the quality of what ends up on your plate that counts more than anything else.  Rest assured, at the end of the day, our personal signature is on everything you’re eating at Café Sam.

4/18

Tartufo (a.k.a. the “frozen truffle”) is an ice cream dessert that is popular in Italy – and also at Café Sam.  We scoop White House Cherry Vanilla Ice Cream into balls, and roll the balls in toasted almonds.  After that, the crusted ice cream is dipped into melted bittersweet chocolate for a second coat.  The Tartufo is finally plated with a dollop of whipped cream - and a dab of raspberry sauce!

Email List Members: Complimentary Tartufo

4/15

Perfect notice (from the perfect storm).  Click here to read a sweet swan song…

4/13

Chef DJ just cooked up a five gallon batch of Potato, Celery Root, and Fennel Soup.  The three main ingredients came together like they were made for each other.  He’s garnishing it with Smoked Amish Bacon Bits.  Delicious…

4/11

Spring officially starts on a particular date – this year it was March 20th.  But when is spring truly sprung?  When your senses tell you it has arrived.  After a weekend ride through western Pennsylvania’s amazingly beautiful farmland, it is now evident that the new season is really here.  You can feel the sun as it warms fresh air, hear the tractors tilling fields, and smell the earthy aroma of turned soil as you see the land coming back to life. 

And it won’t be long before we can taste produce that comes from our own backyard again.

Meantime, things didn't go too badly this winter as far as fruits and vegetables are concerned (even if some of it came from far away).  Here’s a list of some nice items that passed through the kitchen:  yucca root, celery root, rutabaga, parsnips, sunchokes, black kale, rainbow chard, baby bok choy, vidalia onion bulbs, dates, apricots, figs, enoki mushrooms, key limes, currants, kumquats, persimmons, and papaya.

Questions about particular types of produce?  The following link goes to a comprehensive source that we use all the time for general information and menu planning: The Produce Guide

4/06

New at Café Sam – all natural Vodka infusions.  There are twelve different flavors to choose from, including everything from green Madagascar peppercorn to fresh tangerine.  Combine Frangelico with Vanilla Vodka or Sambuca with Pear Vodka (as examples) and enjoy great “Dessertinis”.  Try it neat, or have fun (as we sure did) mixing up your own original cocktails…

3/30

Here’s an offer that’s designed to get your feet stomping – half price wine bottles every Tuesday night (5:30 - 7:30) through May 1st.  We’ll have a few good table wines available at the piano bar for as little as $8/bottle, in addition to half price on our entire printed wine list.  Kick that around! 

Email List Members: Half Price Wine Bottle Coupon

3/28

Click here for a cataloged history (dating all the way back to 1983) that memorializes the local food movement through articles by wonderful journalists at the New York Times…

3/26

Our previous “Chef’s Table” events ended up taking over a whole dining room – as opposed to a couple of tables near the kitchen. So now were going to call them the “Chef’s Dinner Series” for the sake of accuracy.  Anyhow, our next Chef's Dinner Series event for Email List Members will feature a German theme and is set for Tuesday, May 4th.  The price for this five course dinner is $29, and reservations can be made through Mary or Dan. 

Wir freuen uns darauf mit Ihnen Deutsche Koestlichkeiten zu teilen. (We look forward to sharing some fine German cuisine with you)…

3/24

The - changes - to our Chef’s Specials (usually about every eight weeks) always come with some sense of
regret – it’s hard to leave behind all the hard work and energy that went into the prior dishes so soon after
creating them.  We quickly get past the regret, though, as the next round of ideas become a reality.

Click below to see some of the exciting new things we served last night… 

Petite Lobster Cake Sweet Pea Pistou, Classic Bearnaise
House Cured Pastrami Salmon Grav Lox Buckwheat Blinis, Crème Fraiche, Blueberry Sauce
Scotch Egg Homemade Fennel Sausage Wrapper, Choron Aoili
Seafood Platter Shellfish Terrine, Mussel Salad, Tuna Tartar, Lumpfish Caviar Russian Egg
Wild Caught Alligator Shish Kababs Creole Rissotto, Key Lime Meuniere Butter
Ribeye Roulade Smoked Local Pepper Jack, Celery Root Puree, Fresh Currant Sauce
Stuffed Chicken Thighs Santa Teresa Cheese, Dates, Himalayan Red Rice, Curry Sauce
Turkey Medallions Cacciatore Pennsylvania Button Mushrooms, Pearl Onions, Presque Isle Wine
Bouillabaisse Mahi-Mahi, Squid, Bay Scallops, Mussels, Parsnip Fish Fumet
Fresh Blackberry Cobbler Fresh Whipped Cream

3/22

Duck Confit.  Sounds too challenging for the home cook, huh?  The hardest part might be getting your hands on some nice duck legs – because the rest is really easy (and making this dish is a great way to impress your family and friends).  Give it a try…

DUCK CONFIT

Ingredients

2    Tablespoons, Kosher Salt
2    Cloves, Minced Garlic
½   Teaspoon, Thyme
½   Teaspoon, Rosemary
½   Teaspoon, Black Pepper
8    Duck Legs

Method

- Rub the skin of the duck legs with the other combined ingredients, and refrigerate twenty-four hours
- Place the rubbed duck legs skin side down in a steel or cast iron pan, and cook over medium heat until the   fat starts to render (use a pan sized for a tight fit so the rendered fat eventually builds up on the legs - the   idea is to cook the duck submerged in its own fat)
- Turn the legs over, cover the pan with foil, and place it in the oven
- Roast for two hours at 325º, then remove the foil and continue roasting until the skin is nicely browned - about   another hour
- Serve hot, warm, or cold
- Note:  Strain and save the rendered duck fat - it's great for roasting potatoes…

We are currently serving Duck Confit with Creamy Blue Cheese Polenta (also easy!), Apricots, and Raspberry Sauce.  It's very tasty with salads, too.

3/20

Some Chefs think classics are best left alone, but we are of a mindset that there is no such thing as perfection when it comes to cooking.  There’s always room to experiment, innovate, and improve on recipes - especially with today’s market placing so many wonderful products in front of us (that we didn’t see in the past).

Our current stab at the classic Caesar (for the prior one see post dated 10/27) uses Black Kale to replace “ordinary” Romaine.  The Black Kale adds a firmer texture and more pronounced flavor – so much so that some might now think the Romaine tastes like water (especially when it’s out of season).  Also gone are the airy garlic croutons – replaced with crispy herb scented Yucca Root chips.  And we’re tossing the new salad with a slim anchovy vinaigrette, since the blander Romaine that needs to be coated with the heavy classic dressing (made from a raw egg emulsion) is no longer an ingredient.

Old School vs. New School.  The traditional style Ceasar is still a staple on our regular menu.  Try both, and you decide!

3/12

Our previous revision of the Chef’s Specials came with a long-winded introduction that spoke about the thought process involved in creating imaginative culinary dishes (see post dated 1/12).  This time around we’ll keep it simple and take you straight to the end result.  Click here:  New Chef’s Specials

3/11

The idea is to use local ingredients whenever possible in menu items, so why aren’t we cooking with western Pennsylvania wines?  It's a good question.  In response, we are now incorporating wines from nearby vineyards into our recipes…

3/10

Looks like the kitchen is going to be on time for another complete change in the Chef’s Specials Friday night.  One of the things we were waiting on was the House Cured Pastrami Salmon Grav Lox (that will be served with Buckwheat Blinis, Crème Fraiche, and Blueberry Sauce).  It's finished!!!

3/03

We will be hosting an opening night reception for the musical genious Andres Cladera and his Chamber Opera Company – The Microscopic Opera Company – after the performance of two Pittsburgh premieres on Friday night.  Tickets are still available at the Grey Box Theatre, and the audience is invited to join us in welcoming the directors, cast members, and crew.  Click on the following link for more information about MOC and a complete show schedule: http://www.microscopicopera.org

3/02

Of course we attached tunes to the March Madness Coupon illustrations below – click on them and have a gay old time.  Yaba daba doo!!!

3/01

March Madness Coupons for Email List Members Only…

- Our perfectly marbled hand-cut 14 oz. New York Strip Steak will be on sale all through March for $19.95,
and we’re pairing it with a great wine offer…

Email List Members:  14oz. New York Strip Steak with Select Wine Offer

- We’re adding a new twist to things:  our classic burgers and sandwiches are now available on a kosher salted pretzel bun.  Naturally, you’ll want to wash one down with a complimentary draft beer…



Email List Members:  Pretzel Bun Burger or Sandwich with Complimentary Beer

- Ladies Night on Monday evenings continues, and in honor of March Madness we'll let the men in on the discount action this month, too.  Oh yeah, what a night!

Email List Members:  "Ladies Night" Chef’s Specials Discount

- Thought we only give focused, enthusiastic service in the dining rooms?  We’re at the ready and eagerly waiting for your “To Go” orders, also.  Come and get it while this offer lasts…

Email List Members:  To Go Order Discount Coupon

2/24

So here’s the low down on the effective demise of our short lived “Ladies Night” at Café Sam.  There was a food only coupon discounting the Chef’s Specials for a Ladies Night in January and February, and some really nice groups of women were taking advantage of the offer.  For March, we thought it might be nice to pair the Chef’s Specials discount with some kind of cocktail promotion. 

When thinking about doing anything involving liquor (and your liquor license), it’s always prudent to cross “t’s” and dot “i’s” before taking the plunge because it’s a swamp out there and navigating through all the rules and regulations isn’t easy.  Yes, you can run a happy hour as long as it doesn’t go on for more than two hours (and ends by midnight).  Sure, you can advertise a drink special each day (but for the purposes of beer there’s a difference between a draft beer and a can of beer).  No problem giving out a free drink, but make sure it’s only one (and size does matter).

Big problem when it comes to Ladies Night.  Turns out liquor promotions for women are discriminatory because gender is a “protected class.”  Yup, some men have a problem when the ladies skate for half price – they think ice time has to be equal.  Truth be told (and in defense of the PLCB), the issue isn’t limited to the liquor industry – it’s there when it comes to health clubs, spas, and even shirt laundering and cutting hair.  You simply can’t give one gender group a price break – or charge them more for the same thing.

The arguments are complicated and controversial.  Click here to read about a Ladies Night Bias Case in the New York Times.

We can probably avoid the problem next month by dropping the liquor promotion idea and extending the food discount for “Ladies Night” to men, also.  It’s March Madness and everyone’s distracted with gambling grids - so who’s paying attention to the details?  Beside that, were posting a neat little Ladies Night illustration with a catchy tune attached to it, and that’s reason enough to run with the promotion one more time. 

But we’ll have to think about something new to replace Ladies Night before April, in order to stay on the right (or left) side of the law.

2/15

It was a magical weekend - love was in the air!  In the front of the house lights were dimmed, soft music was playing, and candlelit tables were decorated with rose pedals.  Smartly dressed couples sat together hand in hand, exchanging adoring glances between themselves and whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears.  Sweet romance.  A very beautiful atmosphere… 

As for the working area behind that scene, in the back of the house our focused kitchen crew managed to put out over six hundred plates without a single return (a remarkable achievement for any restaurant).  Toques off to Chef DJ and his well trained team for designing, prepping, and cooking a special event menu with such an amazing touch.

Here are two pictures of plates that were served this weekend:

Click here:  General Tsao Salmon, Wild Caught, Enoki Mushrooms, Bok Choy, Edible Orchid
                     Roast Pork Loin, Herb Rubbed, Aspirations, Celery Root Purée, Natural Jus, Edible Orchid

And here are nine pictures of the people who served the plates – our wonderful service staff:

Click here:  Carly, Angel, Jess, Lisha, Mary Kate, Michelle, Leanna, Laura, and Brian

2/14

Happy Valentine's Day: TWO HEARTS

2/11

We stand corrected on our post dated 2/7, thanks to Dan.  In addition to Thanksgiving and Christmas every year, we also closed for three holy days since 1987.  Those were on 1/28/96, 2/5/06, and 2/1/09, when the Steelers were playing in the Super Bowl.

2/10

It’s snowing outside again today (of course we’re still open) – a real winter wonderland.  But inside Café Sam there’s a genuine taste of summer.  Last summer.  You see, sometime in September we picked about fifty green tomatoes, the farewell fruit, from our big boys on the upstairs deck.  Then we cored, pickled, and stashed them away to preserve fond memories and a tangible connection to our favorite season.

These pickled green tomatoes (pictured below) are now being used in the Pico we are serving with Antelope Tacos on the Chef’s Specials card, and will be appearing “au naturale” with a Paté and Galantine Platter on our Valentine’s Day Menu. After that, we'll be running them out as a garnish for lunch entrees. 

Need a little relief from the freezing weather?  Stop by soon and we'll put an authentic relic of last summer’s sunshine on part of your plate...

2/7

As professional restaurant people, we are conditioned to work when most of you are off, including nights, weekends, holidays, and really bad snow days.  We never even thought of shutting down yesterday.  It was just a matter of making some adjustments to get open – like spending time hanging out on a freezing front porch trying to wave down someone with a plow truck, lowering the heat on unattended sauce pots in order to stay outside shoveling, and running our own “shuttle bus” into Oakland to pick up a front of the house crew.

Sure, we could use a little extra time off.  But if it’s not Thanksgiving or Christmas, we’re not closing.  Period.  That’s the mindset that has pushed us through nearly 15,000 shifts (lunch and dinner) since 1987.  So many thanks to the sixty-eight of our friends who trudged through a record snowstorm last night to have dinner at Café Sam – because if you didn’t show up we would have simply been there cleaning.  And that gets boring.

BTW – our mail didn't get delivered…   

2/1

We will be celebrating Valentine’s Day this year with a special dinner on both Saturday and Sunday. 
Click here: Valentine’s Day Menu

And click here, too: LOVE, LOVE, LOVE

1/31

In order to provide a little bit more about Louis Saulnier’s Le Repertoire de la Cuisine (see post dated 1/12), we scanned the introduction insert written by Jacques Pépin.  (You can read it by clicking on the book pictured under the earlier post).  Chef Pépin notes:  “Mr. Saulnier warns the reader against using the same sauces, vegetables, etc., and recommends short menus composed of very fresh products used only when they are in season.”

It is quite remarkable that today’s “modern” culinary trend was in print nearly a century ago. 

If Mr. Saulnier was watching over Café Sam, he would nod approvingly at our endeavors to expand the use of fresh seasonal products, especially in the design of the Chef’s specials.  We are thankful that consumer demand and the marketplace has made this possible – a greater variety of seasonal products is more readily available today than ever before at reasonable prices.  And cost is important, because Café Sam has always been committed to cooking and serving high quality food that is fairly affordable to everyone. 

As for his short menu recommendation, Mr. Saulnier would surely frown down on us. Big time.

1/26

The last time we saw Billy Gunn was on 8/27, brandishing the real McCoy and staring down lightweight wanabes with his namesake: a massive 12 oz. Chargrilled Black Angus Beef Burger with tomato, pickle, onion, lettuce, and special sauce.  Now Billy Gunn is back, riding into town for a limited time only, slinging a new look for his legendary sensation. 

Hands up!!!  If you can lift it…

Email List Members: Billy Gunn Wrap Coupon

1/24

Attached are some pictures of the Chef’s specials that we served last night… 

Hors d’ Oeuvres French Pâté, Chicken Galantine, Tuna Tartar, Lumpfish Caviar Russian Egg
Pork Wing Ding Appetizer Braised Baby Bok Choy, Thai Chili Garlic Sauce
Hearts of Romaine Caesar Dressing, Flat Anchovy Fillets 
Roasted Pistachio Crusted Duck Mission Figs, Lentils with Curried Tarka 
Sizzling Shrimp Wilted Brussel Sprout Leaves and Garlic Sauté, Cashews
Grilled Teriyaki Quail Gorgonzola, Kumquats, Mesculin Greens, Warm Chipotle Ancho Vinaigrette 
Black Magic Swordfish Steak Papaya Chutney, Compound Tequila-Lime Butter
Panko Crusted Pork Schnitzel Crimini Mushrooms, English Pea Pesto
Three Meat Lasagna House Red Sauce 

1/14

Now our clientele can party, too!

Email List Members: Ladies Night Coupon

1/12

We have a culinary library with well over a hundred volumes.  More than half of the books are worthless, forgotten publications that might have been purchased on sale because they looked decent at first glance or came to us as gifts.  About a quarter of the books offer some interesting browsing material and get opened from time to time for an idea or a reference.  The last quarter of the collection is comprised of really great stuff divided into three sections – colossal textbooks, seminal Chef authored masterpieces that played important roles in establishing modern cooking trends, and beautiful cookbooks from some really intense restaurants (many of which have come and gone, but all having left a mark in writings that will never go away).

Among the teaching cookbooks is The Professional Chef, dubbed “a definitive textbook detailing the artistry of the Chef.”  That’s the book that comes in your welcome package (along with a nice set of kitchen knives) on the first day of school at the Culinary Institute of America.  Examples of the important trend setters include Paul Bocuse’s French Cooking, Michel Guerard’s Cuisine Minceur and Cuisine Gourmande, the Troisgros brothers’ Nouvelle Cuisine of Jean and Pierre Troisgros, Jerimiah Tower’s New American Classics, and Ferdinand Metz and the United States Culinary Olympic Team’s Culinary Olympics Cookbook.  And here are a few of our favorite restaurant cookbooks:  Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Louisiana Kitchen, Francine Schere and Madeline Poley’s The Soho Charcuterie Cookbook, Mark Miller’s Coyote Café, Wolfgang Puck’s The Wolfgang Puck Cookbook: Recipes from Spago, Chinois, and Points East and West, and Danny Meyer's
Union Square Café Cookbook.

After all of the above, however, there’s one monumental work that stands alone.  It’s the highly unique and unusual Le Répertoire de la Cuisine, by Louis Saulnier.  To us, in the profession, that book is akin to a bible.  It was written by a Chef (a former student of the famous master Auguste Escoffier) for Chefs, first appeared in 1914, and includes 6,000 classic dishes including hors d’oeuvres, soups, salads, entrees, pastas, vegetables, pastries, and more.  The Répertoire focuses on ingredients, without measurements, methods, techniques, or things like cooking times and temperatures.

In so doing, it teaches (forces) the reader to think about recipes and adjust ingredient combinations in order to arrive at a highly personalized final product.  The Répertoire isn’t a beginning to end mechanical guide.  To the contrary, this colossal directory of culinary art encourages the Chef to use inspiration and imagination throughout the cooking process. 

Those are the intangible parts of cooking, inspiration and imagination, that transcend time and trends.  Time and trends always pass into history.  We need to respect the classics (and continue to provide our comfort food), but also stay on a culinary path that constantly moves us forward.  So we don’t pass into history.

That’s what the Répertoire really teaches us. 

And in a round about manner, it is through this library story that we are proud to introduce Café Sam’s latest edition of Chef Specials.

Click here: Current Specials

1/05

The temperature will be hovering around the twenty degree mark all week.  Stop in for Portobella Turkey Meatloaf, Antelope Sheppard’s Pie, or Sausage Lasagna.  We’ll keep you warm…

Email List Members: Winter Weather Coupon

1/04

Have fun with this recipe for the wonderful cookies we served as an after dinner treat on New Year’s Eve.  It’s quick and easy – the perfect project for children stuck at home with you on a snowy day.  A baking party with the little ones is the first step in molding the next generation of great Chefs!

Italian Chocolate Raisin Cookies

Cookie Ingredients

4       Cups Flour
2       Cups Sugar
1       Cup Cocoa
1       Tablespoon Cinnamon
1       Teaspoon Ground Cloves
2       Teaspoons Baking Powder
1       Cup Water
¾      Cup Vegetable Oil
1½    Cups Raisins

Method

Mix the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, cocoa, cinnamon, cloves and baking powder).  Then add the wet ingredients (water and oil) and mix until the dough is well blended.  Add the raisins.  Roll by hand into one inch balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 degrees.  Cool.

Vanilla Icing Ingredients

2       Cups Confectioner’s Sugar
1       Tablespoon Butter, melted
¼      Teaspoon Salt
1       Teaspoon Vanilla
¼      Cup Milk
          Red Sugar (optional for decoration)

Method

Wisk the sugar, melted butter, salt, vanilla, and milk togther until a smooth paste forms.  Dunk the tops of the cookies into the icing.  Sprinkle the red sugar the on iced cookies immediately, before icing sets.

1/01

Here's a toast to the thousands of you that joined our Email List over the last nine months – we’re looking forward to a great New Year with best wishes for all!

Email List Members: New Year Coupon

12/27

A few of us at Café Sam were lucky enough to drag deer out of the woods this year. Speaking for the few, as Carnivores, we think Pennsylvania white-tails are the ultimate in organic eating. Our deer were harvested in a field filled with natural clover, where they had been grazing. We transported the meat (which was butchered the same day), and then packaged and froze it at home all by ourselves. But sometimes, depending on who you are talking to, it’s hard to share the inner feelings that make this beginning to end experience so wonderful.  A conversation about hunting beautiful animals can quickly turn into an exercise of moral confusion.

We don’t take it personally.  As a matter of fact, on the flip side of the coin, it turns out that even Vegetarians and Vegans aren’t completely immune to challenge when it comes to dietary choices. Plants want to survive, too, as explained in an article by a crafty journalist propounding legitimate biological science: “...we might consider that plants no more aspire to being stir-fried in a wok than a hog aspires to being peppercorn-studded in my Christmas clay pot. This is not meant as a trite argument or a chuckled aside.”

Well, we’re certainly getting a chuckle out of the preposterous notion that consuming plants should also cause an ethical dilemma. And to our well respected Vegetarian and Vegan friends out there, fear not: as proud primitive weapon deer hunters we’re still more than willing to shoulder all the moral confusion when it comes to dietary choices! 

Here’s the interesting article about plant life that was surely intended to provide some humor for all of us:
Sorry Vegans, Brussel Sprouts Like to Live, Too

12/20

New Lunch Special...

Vietnamese Banh Mi Sandwich
Sirloin Steak, Daikon, Pickled Cucumber, Poppyseed Cabbage Slaw, Soy

Email List Members click here: Banh Mi Sandwich Coupon

12/16

It was a year of challenges, as we report in a personal note to you: Café Sam Letter

12/15

We will be offering a four course dinner (complete with a champagne toast) this New Year’s Eve
for $38.95/person.  Click here to view the menu: HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010

12/13

Quite a few emails coming in about the gorilla post on 12/08.  Some are asking if there is really a gorilla taking over the city – others report having witnessed it scaling our iconic US Steel Tower and point to markings left at the top floors of the damaged building as proof.

One email suggests we're causing problems that may have upset a very disturbed animal, and need to back off before it attacks us.  It’s probably too late for that:  The Apology Scenario

12/10

Many thanks to the five hundred people who joined us for our pre-theatre "Candide" dinner last month.  We enjoyed having the Quantum Theatre next door for a three week run and made a lot of new friends.  One of those friends is Andres Cladera, artistic director of Renaissance City Choirs.  Renaissance City Choirs' 25th Anniversary Holiday Concert will be held on Saturday, December 19th at the Carnegie Music Hall in Oakland.

We will be hosting a celebration for the singers and providing complimentary hors d'oeuvres after the concert.  Come one, come all!  For information and tickets:  http://www.rccpittsburgh.org/

12/07

Gorillas are herbivores that love to feast where there is an abundance of fresh fruit, but they will quickly abandon an area if the fruit production is poor.  Gorillas control the local environment.  When there is a competitive threat to the supply of fruit, gorillas will roam around the territory and agressively pound their chests in order to intimidate.  The species of gorilla that is native to our area is obese from an insatiable appetite – eating up huge portions of what the land can generate and leaving behind scarce resources to share with other primates.

Throughout most of the world gorillas are being threatened by the destruction of their habitat.  However, here it is quite the opposite. Our habitat is being lost to a thriving gorilla.  

Anyhow, this would be a gourmet dessert for the eight hundred pound gorilla (and one you’re sure to like, too). So eat them fast, or keep them out of sight!

Bananas Foster Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients 

½     Pound Butter                               
1      Cup Sugar
2¼   Cups Flour             
1      Tablespoon Baking Powder
½     Teaspoon Baking Soda 
1      Teaspoon Cinnamon
¼     Teaspoon Salt
2      Eggs                                               
¼     Cup Milk
5      Ripe Bananas (Smashed)

Method

Cream butter and sugar with a mixer. Add the dry ingredients and then add the eggs, smashed bananas and milk. Place the batter into a cupcake lined muffin pan and bake at 350 degrees for about twenty minutes (pierce the cupcakes with a toothpick and it should come out clean). Cool completely.

Icing Ingredients        
                          
4    Teaspoons Rum Extract              
1    Cup Brown Sugar
1    Cup Powdered Sugar
¼   Pound Soft Butter
¼   Cup Hot Water

Icing Method

Cream with a mixer

Makes twelve cupcakes - currently available on our December Prix Fixe menu...

12/01

Let’s work together to end domestic violence during the holiday season.  Stop in between now and Christmas to purchase a gift certificate, along with the attached coupon, and Cafe Sam will donate fifteen percent of the dollar amount to the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh. 

Email List Members click here: Gift Certificate Donation Coupon

11/22

Cafe Sam made the Out-of-Towners section of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.  It doesn’t get any better than this, and we’re absolutely beaming with pride and joy: David and Colleen Vangelder’s Memories of Steel Town 

11/16

Great new culinary treats coming out of the kitchen.  Click here: Current Specials

11/08

It’s no secret that the restaurant business requires an incredible amount of dedication – and long hours.  So how do we pull it off?  One thing that keeps us going is pure love for the business.  Another is a little caffeine from time to time.  That means coffee, tea, soda, energy drinks, and sometimes even Excedrin.  But for many people, coffee means an upset stomach, tea means discolored teeth, soda means something even worse for teeth, energy drinks taste terrible, and Excedrin seems like a bad pill habit.  If you’re working long hours like us, and have a problem with side effects from these products, we figured out how you can enjoy a natural caffeine boost with this wonderfully simple and unique recipe.

Caffeinated Spring Water

Ingredients

24      16.9 ounce bottles of Spring Water
1320  Milligrams of Natural Caffeine (You can get it here)

Method

-Empty 23 of the 16.9 oz. bottles of spring water into a bucket and save the empty bottles and tops
-Empty the last 16.9 oz. bottle of spring water into a sauce pot and save the bottle and top
-Weigh out 1.32 grams of Caffeine (55 milligrams/bottle) on a milligram scale  (Available on EBAY)
-Add the Caffeine to the bottle of water in the sauce pot, and simmer for a minute to dissolve
-Pour the bottle of heavily Caffeinated simmered water into the bucket holding the 23 other bottles and stir
-Funnel the batch of  perfectly diluted Caffeinated water back into the 24 empty bottles

Note:  The amount of natural caffeine in our recipe can be adjusted upwards or downwards to suit your personal preference.  Our recipe calls for 55 milligrams of caffeine per bottle of water.  By way of comparison, Starbucks Grande Latte contains 150 milligrams, a brewed cup of coffee contains about 110 milligrams, and the typical 12 oz. soft drink contains between 40-55 milligrams of caffeine.  Simply take the number of milligrams you would like per bottle, and multiply it by 24 when making a case batch.

WARNING:  Consuming more than 1200 milligrams of caffeine each day is not healthy – please view this CLASSIC TUTORIAL for help in identifying signs that you may be getting too hopped up on caffeine.

10/31

Witching you a Happy Halloween...

Email List Members click here: Pumpkin Soup Coupon  

10/27

We decided to toss our classic Caesar dressing recipe, and invent a new one with a safe and modern twist.  The challenge was to eliminate the raw egg and increase the stability, while maintaining a unique ingredient combination that continues to produce the same savory sensation of unami.  Legend has it that the original Caesar Salad called for whole leaves of lettuce, so the stems could be lifted and the salad eaten by hand.  Truth is you’ll be wanting to use whole leaves for dunking in the dressing after making this recipe!

Sam’s Caesar Dressing

Ingredients
1    Cup Whole Buttermilk
1    Cup Regular Mayonnaise
½   Cup Natural Beef Broth
2    Tablespoons Red Wine Vinegar
¼   Cup Powdered Parmesan Cheese
2    oz. Anchovy Fillets (mashed well into a paste)
1½ Teaspoons Minced Garlic
½   Teaspoon Black Pepper
½   Teaspoon Dijon Mustard
1    Teaspoon Lea & Perrins Worcestershire Sauce (See Note Below!)

Method
- Wisk all ingredients together in a large bowl

Note:  Think an article about Worchestershire Sauce would be boring?  Think again – here’s a great read about Lea & Perrins (then and now), along with a little insight on how innovative Chefs think when looking at classic recipes:  Worchestershire Sauce, 1876

Email List Members click here: Sirloin Steak Caesar Salad Coupon

10/19

A very warm welcome to our old friend Karla Boos and her legendary Quantum Theatre, who are currently rehearsing and will be performing Candide next door to us on the Don Allen property November 5th - 22nd.  Based on Voltaire’s hilarious satire and music by Leonard Bernstein, this absolutely wonderful masterpiece sings a tale of both evil and enduring hope.  It’s an event you won’t want to miss!!!

For information and tickets: Quantum Theatre

We will be offering a special prix fixe dinner that follows Candide’s travels across the globe.  For more about the story click here: A Café Sam Report: Candide 101 (and the Theatre Menu)

10/15

While we’re talking fowl (see previous post), Chef DJ just added Sweet and Sour Duck Confit Soup
with Parsnips and Cabbage to our Specials Menu for $3.75 a bowl.  That’s quack, quack, quack, and
three quarters quack.

10/12

We won’t balk at a challenge after coming across an article in the New York Times (Fried Chicken: A Migratory Bird), so the previously announced “Braking for Chicken” campaign is already history.  Our newly invented Chipotle Adobo Fried Chicken recipe gets added flavor by mixing buttermilk, chipotle peppers, adobo, and a special blend of eight herbs and spices together into a great coating marinade.  We’re probably going to ruffle the feathers of traditionalists by using skinless parts and a shallow frying method, but that’s o.k. CUZ WE LUV U healthy!!!  The chicken will finally come to roost on a nest of fennel slaw, next to garlic mashed potatoes and natural gravy.  This is a limited time special offer with a new coop just for you!  

Email List Members click here: Fried Chicken Coopon

10/08

Click here to view our wonderful menu for the Chef's Table dinner next Tuesday night:
Café Sam Menu Italiano

10/01

For those of you with an adventurous palate, here’s the latest buzz from Café Sam.  We are now stocking Scorpion Mezcal Anejo 1 on our top shelf (that’s right, with real scorpions).  This award winning libation is made in small batches near Oaxaca, Mexico and spends a minimum of one year aging in small oak barrels.  Anejo 1 is described as dry and sweet at the same time, with a smokey flavor accented by lime and a suggestion of mint.  It is resinous to the tongue, and feels slightly oily with a delicate burn going down the throat.

For more about Mezcal (and its Tequila cousin) click here: A Café Sam Report: Mezcal vs. Tequila 101

9/31

For those of you with a preference for everyday bourbon, here's to D.H. Lawrence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ySgOds3bzcc

9/27

We were completely overwhelmed by a mad rush of people last Thursday, immediately after introducing three new Tacos to our menu (Sliced Sirloin with Chimichurri, Blackened Chicken with Chipotle Aioli, and Baja Fried Fish). It got really crazy and we had to call in the troops to keep a hungry crowd under control. Life is now back to normal again on Baum Boulevard – so stop by soon and give the Tacos a try!

Email List Members click here: Taco Coupon

             -View from our rooftop deck-


                -View from our front porch-

9/24

9/18

Shucks!  The local corn season is coming to an end.  Here’s a simply delicous recipe Chef DJ created to serve as a seasonal farewell.  Hurry up – there's not a lot of time left to try this one…

Farmhouse Corn Chowder

Ingredients
4    Cups Shucked Fresh Summer Corn (about six ears)
4    Cups Idaho Pototoes, Peeled and Small Dice
3    Cups Zucchini, Small Dice
2    Cups White Onions, Small Dice  (Note: They are slightly sweeter than Yellow Onions)
1½ Cups Celery, Small Dice
2    Quarts Natural Chicken Stock
¼   Cup Dry Sherry
2    Cloves Fresh Garlic, Minced
1    Tablespoon Fresh Chopped Basil
¼   Teaspoon White Pepper
¼   Teaspoon Chili Powder
3    Cups Milk
½   Cup Cornstarch

Method
- Add all ingredients (except the Milk and Flour) to the Chicken Stock and simmer for fifteen minutes
- Wisk the Milk and Cornstarch together, then pour into the soup and simmer an additional five minutes

9/14

The daily show at Café Sam includes behind the curtain scenes that are orchestrated by a bunch of pranksters.  Dan approaches his car in the dark after closing a busy Saturday night shift, grabs the door latch, and comes up with a fist full of freshly whipped cream.  He reportedly licks it off with a smile on his face while instantly plotting revenge.  Next morning, Bill can’t find his kitchen pants and shirt, shoes or hat.  They turn up later, neatly folded and stacked, rock solid on the second shelf of the walk-in freezer.  Louis (our “ceramic engineer”) arrives to work a busy lunch and hears his dish machine is down.  He prepares the sink to wash hundreds of plates, bowls, cups and saucers by hand (along with an equal number of expletives), and just before we open finds out the circuit breaker had been mysteriously thrown.  It’s working again!  Chef DJ’s favorite target, of course, is Mary.  He posts a recipe on the employee bulletin board for fresh Turtle Soup, complete with illustrated directions.  Mary’s beloved pet, naturally, is a Russian Tortoise given to her by Dan on a Christmas past.  The gift was supposed to be a joke at the time, meant as a subtle statement that one of them is faster (or slower) than the other at covering the dining rooms.

And it keeps going from there, as does the show.  Café Sam started her twenty third year in business when the curtain went up this morning - thanks to our Merry Pranksters.

                  - 23 -

Email List Members Click Here:  Celebration Coupon

9/10

Why did the Turkey cross the road?  To give the Chicken a little time off.  We have been working with
fresh Turkey Medallions for a few months, using a variety of preparations (Buffalo-style, Southern, and Mediterranean).  This is something different and rarely seen on restaurant menus.  Here’s a simple,
healthy 1-2-3 recipe from our “Prix Fixe” menu that everyone has been gobbling about!

Fresh Mediterranean-Style Turkey Medallions

Ingredients
¾   pound fresh boneless Turkey Breast (two portions)
1    cup very thinly sliced Crimini Mushrooms
1    tablespoon Capers
2    tablespoons sliced Pimento Stuffed Green Olives
¼   teaspoon minced Garlic
1    teaspoon fresh chopped Parsley
3    tablespoons freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
¾   tablespoon Butter
¾   tablespoon Olive Oil
      Flour for dredging

Method
-  Slice ¼ inch Medallions from the fresh boneless Turkey Breast
-  Dredge the Medallions in flour
-  Melt the Butter along with the Olive Oil over medium high heat in an appropriately sized frying pan
-  Place the Medallions in the pan once it is sufficiently hot, and cook until the first side turns white and then         begins to gain a little color
-  Turn the Medallions, and cook the second side until the pink color disappears from the middle
-  Add the Mushrooms, Capers, Olives, Garlic, Parsley and Lemon Juice and toss together for a final minute
-  Plate and serve

We’re braking for Chickens…

9/7

Our next Chef’s Table Dinner for Email List Members is set to go on Tuesday, October 13th and will feature regional Italian dishes.  The price for this five course dinner is $29, which includes several wine tastings.  Call Mary, Jess, or Dan for reservations. 

Seriamo dipassare una bella serrata con voi in Italia.  (We look forward to spending a wonderful evening in Italy with you)...

9/1

One of the things we’ll miss at the end of summer is waiting for Chef DJ’s buddies to turn into the Café Sam parking lot every Tuesday and Friday in their pickup truck.  They are the hippie looking guys from Naturally Grown Farms up the road in Sarver who have been growing and delivering our local organic produce since June.

There are a couple of simple reasons why we like doing business with them.  First, the product is beautiful: perfectly ripe and great tasting fruit/vegetables last week included yellow wax beans, white flesh watermelons, sweet corn, and amazing tomatoes.  Second, organic farming is friendly with the environment.  And we’re all for that!

For more about organic food click here: A Café Sam Report: Organic Food 101

8/27

Email List Members Special Bulletin:  The massive Billy Gunn Burger made its world wide debut right here on the Café Sam News Page (see post on 7/16).  Meticulously piled high over twelve ounces of fresh Chargrilled Black Angus Beef, it instantly turned into a storied sensation.  So let’s have a Whopper™ like celebration!

Click here: Billy Gunn Promotion

8/23

We got really mad after hearing Iron City Brewing was moving its landmark operation from Pittsburgh to greener pastures (and the free flowing water) in Latrobe.  So we looked over our existing inventory of Iron City Lager and decided to turn the rest of the beer into soup.  Next thing you know, everyone’s wanting to chug six bowls of the soup.  Fortunately everything has calmed down now, and it’s back to drinking beer in bottles and spooning bowls of soup. 

At least we got a tasty suds recipe out of the ordeal.  Sure, it sounds a little cheesy (just like the story of IC’s leaving) – but you should believe in us by now.  Give it a try!

Iron City Lager and Cheddar Cheese Soup

Ingredients

¾    pound butter
1     large onion, roughly chopped
2     stalks celery, roughly chopped
1     red bell pepper, seeded and roughly chopped
1½  cups all purpose flour
2     quarts natural chicken broth
2     12 ounce bottles Iron City Lager Beer
1     teaspoon dry mustard
1     teaspoon paprika
1     teaspoon ground thyme
2     tablespoons worcestershire sauce
2     cups half and half
1½  cups shredded cheddar cheese

Method

Melt butter, together with onions, celery, and pepper, and cook over medium heat in a soup pot until the vegetables are soft
Add the flour and stir constantly with a rubber spatula for three minutes
Then add the beer, chicken broth, spices, and worcestershire and simmer for twenty minutes
Remove from the heat and strain into a large bowl
Whisk in the half and half and cheddar cheese to finish

We are garnishing the soup with parmesean croutons…

8/16

Click here to view our wonderful menu for the Chef's Table dinner this Wednesday night:
Cafe Sam Menu Francais

Note: The dinner sold out - VIVA LA FRANCE!!!

8/12

WARNING:  You are what you eat – don’t settle for canned baked beans.

Here's our great recipe, made with Vermont Maple Syrup and Beer, that won't leave you feeling like Rodger.

Sam’s Burlington Baked Beans

Ingredients

2   Cups Great Northern Beans
1   Medium Onion, Chopped
4   Strips Thick Bacon, Chopped
1   Cup Vermont Maple Syrup
8   Ounces Magic Hat #9 Pale Ale Beer
1   Teaspoon Dry Mustard
2   Tablespoons Ketchup (please use Heinz so we don't get into even more trouble)
     Salt and Pepper

Method

Soak the beans overnight, discard the water, then simmer them in fresh water for about two hours and drain
(Yes, you can substitute 5 cups of pre-cooked beans if you’re in a rush)
Cook the bacon and onion together over medium heat until they gain a little color
Mix the bacon and onion with the cooked beans and other remaining ingredients in a baking dish
Cover the dish loosely with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about three hours
Enjoy the remaining four ounces of Burlington brewed Magic Hat as a treat while watching the beans cook (you will probably have to pace yourself)

Photo courtesy of “The Who” – for more click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DxLjUzKhdJM

8/05

Mary has always complained that nobody realizes how much ground she covers each day, circling the bar, dining rooms, and kitchen, keeping things moving and servicing our customers.  So we finally decided to monitor exactly how far she goes by hooking her up to a pedometer.  On Monday, she took 27,434 steps, for a total of 5.2 miles.  On Tuesday, she took 30,262 steps for a total of  5.7 miles.  On Wednesday, she took 22,404 steps for a total of 4.2 miles.  That averages out to 29.8 miles each week, or 1,490 miles each year.  So over the last twenty three years, we’re estimating Mary has put on about 35,000 miles racing around Cafe Sam.  Fact is, even though Mary passed just about everyone else and set longevity records years ago, she’s just now breaking in and hitting full stride, smiling more than ever and giving all the new kids a go for the money.  So here’s how we’ll describe her: original equipment, perfectly maintained classic, looks great,
high miles but still runs like a top.  She’s a Cream Puff!!!  

8/01

Legend has it that our building was home to a famous Pittsburgh bordello for many years during the first half of the last century.  (The competition was doing its thing on Ellsworth Avenue at what is now the Mendelson Gallery).  Puttanesca derives from the Italian word puttana.  Different tales about the origin of this famous sauce trace back to bordellos, and you can read about them on the Internet.  We know one thing for sure - it’s quick and easy!

Puttanesca Sauce     

3  Tablespoons Anchovy, Chopped
3  Tablespoons Capers, Chopped
1  Cup Artichokes, Chopped
½ Cup Black Olives, Chopped
¼ Cup Red Wine
1  Cup Clam Juice
4  Cups Your Favorite Marinara

Combine the ingredients and simmer for fifteen minutes
Serve over spaghetti (we also like it on veal, chicken, and seafood)

Note:  If you are one of our Email List Members, we have Your Favorite Marinara.  Stop by anytime this month with an empty quart container and get it filled up with Puttanesca Sauce – FREE!  Thanks for your support and friendship… 

7/30

There are a million Pesto recipes out there.  But our first generation Italian-American friend from Abruzzo (the barber's daughter) asked for this one – and that has to mean something.

PESTO

Ingredients
2   cups fresh basil leaves, packed
¼  cup grated parmesan cheese
3   tablespoons pine nuts  
3   garlic cloves, finely minced
½  cup olive oil
1   pinch salt

Method
- Place basil leaves in a food processor and run until well chopped (do about ½ cup at a time)
- Add about ½ of the nuts, garlic, and parmesan cheese and blend
- Then add about ½ of the olive oil, stopping to scrape down sides of container
- Then add the rest, and process until it forms a nice smooth paste
- Basil pesto keeps in the refrigerator one week, or you can freeze it for a few months

7/19

On Wednesday, August 19th  we will be hosting our first Chef’s Table(s) Dinner -  exclusively limited to our Email List Members.  The five course dinner will have a classical/nouvelle French theme, and includes several wine tastings.  Prix fixe:  Vingt Euros (That’s $29.95/person).  We’re even going to suit Dan up in his tuxedo, if it still fits.  Call Mary, Jess, or Dan for reservations.

7/16

Introducing the Billy Gunn Burger – a 12 oz. Chargrilled Black Angus Beef Burger with tomato, pickle, onion, lettuce, and special sauce.  It’s not your ordinary Whopper™.  Can we say that without getting in trouble?

7/12

In response to yesterday’s email from a regular customer, here’s the Lamb Pop recipe.  And a note to all our regulars.  In this harsh economic environment (it's been a tough time for everyone), it’s you that have kept us on course with wind at our back.  We appreciate the loyalty and the business – it doesn’t go unnoticed.

Chef DJ’s Lamb Pops

Pops

1½   Pounds, Ground Lamb
2      Tablespoons, Fresh Chopped Mint
1      Teaspoons, Cayenne Pepper
1½   Teaspoons, Black Pepper
1½   Teaspoons, Turmeric
1½   Teaspoons, Salt
½     Teaspoon, Curry
1      Teaspoon, Ground Cumin
1      Tablespoon, Oregano
1      Egg
½     Cup, Breadcrumbs 
2      Cloves, Minced Garlic 
½     Medium Sized, Grated Red Onion
½     Lemon, Juiced

- Mix the ingredients above until they are evenly distributed

Yogurt Sauce

6      Ounces, Plain Yogurt
1      Clove, Minced Garlic
1      Tablespoon, Fresh Chopped Mint
½     Tablespoon, Oregano
½     Lemon, Juiced

- Again, mix well

Method

Form lamb mixture into 2 ounce patties (recipe makes 12 pieces)
Grill to perfection
No grill – no problem!  Bake at 375 degrees for twenty minutes
Insert wood skewers into patties to finish making "lamb pops"
Place three pops on top of chopped iceberg lettuce and tomato wedges
Top with the yogurt sauce as pictured below

7/08

Although the dish itself is commonly associated with Spain, some etymologists believe the root of the word Gazpacho derives from the Hebrew word gazaz, meaning to break into pieces.  We wonder what Gus Portokalos (read about Gus below) would say about that...

Here’s a recipe for the Summer/Fall classic from our vault.  There’s everyday Gazpacho, and then there’s our Gazpacho.  Trust us on this one.

Sam’s Gazpacho

¾  Pound Green Peppers, Seeded
¾  Pound Red Peppers, Seeded
¾  Pound Cucumbers, Peeled and Seeded
¾  Pound Summer Tomatoes, Peeled  (See Note Below)
2   Tablespoons Chopped Garlic
2   Pasteurized Eggs, Whisked  (This will help stabilize the soup - if you're Vegan let it go)
2   Ounces Red Wine Vinegar
8   Ounces V8 Juice
1   Cup Chicken Broth
6   Ounces Olive Oil
½  Teaspoon Thyme
¼  Teaspoon Cayenne Pepper
¼  Teaspoon Ground Black Pepper

-  Mince all vegetables in a food processor and place them in a large bowl
-  Add the remaining ingredients and whisk together
-  Chill and serve
-  Optional: Top with a dollop of Sour Cream and a Fresh Basil Sprig as pictured below.

Note:  For instructions on peeling the skin off tomatoes, click on the following link...
How To Peel a Tomato

7/05

Talk about locally grown - check out the fresh basil supply on our rooftop garden. And yes, we have fresh mint for Mojitos, too.

6/29

Brand new specials will be coming out of our kitchen tonight – it’s a fun and challenging time for the entire staff. So what inspired the selections?  For starters, we fly a Culinary Institute of America banner.  Our free wheeling Chef first learned methods of cooking in the French tradition and was taught that modern cuisine got its structure from a master named Auguste Escoffier.  So if a new dish is Mediterranean, Indian, Northern Italian, Regional American, or even traditionally Continental in style, there is probably a French influence someplace.  (It’s kind of like one of the themes from the movie My Big Fat Greek Wedding, but in this case the root originates in France!)  Anyway, here at Café Sam the specials are all about going to different places - we love to cook everything.  And we love to eat everything, too.  Mon Dieu!

From My Big Fat Greek Wedding...

Gus Portokalos: You know, the root of the word Miller is a Greek word.  Miller come from the Greek word “milo” which is mean “apple.”  So there you go.  As many of you know, our name, Portokalos, is come from the Greek word “porokali,” which mean “orange.”  So, okay?  Here tonight, we have, ah, apple and orange.  We all different, but in the end we all fruit.

6/18

Our hero #43 Troy Polamalu stopped in for dinner - he's the real deal.

6/15

Chef DJ’s Aged Balsamic BBQ Sauce

1/3  Cup   Chili Sauce
1     Cup   Aged Balsamic Vinegar
1/2  Cup   Sugar
2     Tsp.   Dry Mustard
Salt and Pepper

Blend Ingredients and Simmer 12 Minutes
(We Have Been Brushing It On Fresh Atlantic Salmon and Pork Chops)

Have a Great Summer On the Grill  

6/12

Stanley Cup Champions

5/31

June Internet Special - Toast Yourself with a Slow Roasted Pulled Pork Sandwich on Garlic Bread in Our Bar for $5 after 5 PM.  Just Tell Us You Saw It Here.

5/19

In our business nights off are few and far between, so we have to make all of them count. This one with the Boss at Mellon Arena (amazing) should carry us for a while...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9mDxdSb5Tw

5/10

…Happy Mother’s Day.  Here’s something very special, originally from the Escoffier Room at the Culinary Institute of America.  And it’s our pleasure to fork (or spoon) it over to you!

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Ingredients
5 oz.      Dark Chocolate
5 ea.      Egg Yokes
5 ea.      Egg Whites
5 oz.      Sugar
¼ cup    Water
2 cups   Heavy Cream
¼ cup    Grand Marnier Orange Liqueur (Optional)
1 pint     Fresh Strawberries

Method
-  Separate eggs, placing whites and yokes in different bowls
-  Whip egg whites to soft peaks (preparing for use at the end)
-  Whip heavy cream to soft peaks in yet another bowl (also for use at the end)
-  Break chocolate into little pieces and melt in a stainless steel bowl over a pot of boiling water
-  Combine sugar and water and boil for four minutes in a small sauce pot
-  Pour the sugar mixture (now a hot syrup) into a bowl with the egg yokes and whip together
-  Switch from a whip to a rubber spatula and pour in the melted chocolate
   (don’t mix much – only slightly)  SEE PHOTO ONE
-  Fold in the egg whites (don’t mix much – only slightly)  SEE PHOTO TWO
-  Fold in the whipped cream to finish (you got it – only slightly)  SEE PHOTO THREE
-  Note:  For happy occasions, add the Grand Marnier to the heavy cream before whipping it.

Refrigerate overnight, and serve in martini glasses topped with fresh strawberry pieces.

5/01

We have something pretty sweet in mind for a Mother's Day recipe post...

4/25

The mission of the Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh is to end intimate partner violence in the lives of women and their children, and the organization needs our help.  Drop off a $25 check at Café Sam (made payable to the "Women’s Center and Shelter of Greater Pittsburgh") between now and April 31st  and we will give you a $25 gift certificate.  That’s right – your donation is basically free.

Go to www.wcspittsburgh.org for more information about WCS.

4/09

We salute you, with sadness. Click on the photo to remember...

4/04

Dan worked the day shift yesterday so he could take his wonderful wife Tammy, and two boys Caleb and Jacob on a cub scout trip to the Shrine Circus at Mellon Arena. On the way out he asked if anyone knew how to make an elephant float. And that inspires our very first Cafe Sam recipe post:

Elephant Float

400  Pounds Vanilla Ice Cream
  10  Gallons Chocolate Syrup
  60  Gallons Milk
  25  Gallons Root Beer
    1  Ton of Whipped Cream and Cherries

2/01

   Super Bowl XLIII Champions

Thanks for visiting Cafe Sam