FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Five-Spice Ahi Tuna
Pumpkin Cheesecake
Aroused Americana, 2nd Edition
icon and Zephyr's Chef Musser Revisits His Classics
SEATTLE, Wash.—(November 29, 2006)—Executive Chef Nick Musser, of icon Grill and Zephyr Grill & Bar, masterfully balances elegance and comfort, an art richly demonstrated in his menus. Many of Musser's signature recipes were compiled for Aroused Americana, a volume so popular that he added 20 new classics and additional chef's tips when creating the second edition, debuting on December 1.
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Beautifully laid out for ease of use, illustrated with mouth-watering color photos, and logically organized into categories (Appetizers; Salads and Soups; Pasta; Meat, Poultry and Seafood; Desserts; Holiday Recipes; Drinks), favorites such as Ultimate Macaroni and Cheese, Molasses Glazed Meatloaf and Potato-Wrapped Halibut are still included.
Some of the recipes new to the book are Tuscan Chicken, Chicken Fried Steak, Chocolate Scooter Pie, Dreamy Coconut Cake, Mushroom Barley Risotto, Oysters icon, Peppercorn Seared Duck, Fresh Spring Pea Soup and 5-Spice Ahi Tuna (full recipe below).
The new Aroused Americana ($19.99) will be available at both restaurants and online( Icon Grill Zephyr Grill & Bar).
Chef Musser will be signing copies at icon on Saturday, December 16 and at Zephyr on Sunday, December 17, coinciding with the popular weekend Santa Brunches at both locations — a tradition providing the perfect opportunity to combine holiday shopping, fine dining with family and friends, and a chance for youngsters (or the young at heart) to sit on Santa's lap.
The following recipes are included in the cookbook:
5-Spice Seared Ahi with Warm Fingerling Potato Salad and Wasabi Vinaigrette
4 6-oz. Ahi Tuna Steaks
¾ lb. Fingerling Potatoes
4 cups clean, stemmed spinach leaves
2 stalks celery, sliced 1/2 “ on a bias
2 tomatoes, quartered, meat removed, small dice
4 hard boiled eggs, diced into ¼ s
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin on a bias
¼ cup Olive Oil
1 Tbl. toasted sesame seeds
¼ cup fresh lime juice
¼ cup soy sauce
1 tsp. kosher salt
½ tsp. ground pepper
Place potatoes into a small pot and cover with cold water. Bring to a boil, then turn to medium-low heat. Simmer until potatoes are just soft. Cool completely. Slice each potato in half lengthwise. Place all but 1Tbl. of the canola oil into an oven-safe sauté pan and place over medium-high heat. When oil is hot, carefully lay potatoes, face down, into pan. Place into a 400-degree oven and roast for 10 minutes.
Combine the spinach, tomatoes, celery, green onions and eggs in a large mixing bowl. While potatoes cook, rub Ahi steaks with remaining tablespoon of oil and sprinkle with 5-spice seasoning. Use about 1 tsp. of seasoning per steak.
Heat another sauté pan over medium-high heat until hot. Gently lay Ahi steaks into pan and sear for 60 seconds per side. Deglaze pan with soy sauce and limejuice. Allow liquid to reduce to syrup and coat steaks in syrupy mixture. Set aside until salad is finished. Remove potatoes and carefully pour potatoes and hot oil into the waiting mixing bowl with the salad. The hot oil and potatoes will wilt the spinach slightly. Add half of the Wasabi Vinaigrette and toss. Place equal amounts of the salad in a tight mound in the center of each plate. Slice the Ahi into 6 thin slices per steak and fan over the top of the mound of salad. Drizzle with remaining vinaigrette and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Wasabi Vinaigrette
Aromatic 5-spice
1 Tbl. Szechuan Peppercorns
1 Tbl. Star Anise
1 Tbl. Fennel Seed
1 tsp. Whole Clove
1 Tbl. Ground Coriander
¼ cup Salt
Roast peppercorns, fennel, clove and star anise in a dry skillet until toasted and fragrant. Grind whole spices in a spice or coffee grinder and mix with coriander and salt. Store at room temperature in an airtight container.
1 egg
½ cup Olive Oil
2 Tbl. Wasabi Powder
1 Tbl. Sugar
½ tsp. Kosher Salt
1 Tbl. Lemon Juice
1 Tbl. White Wine Vinegar
3 cloves Garlic
1 Tbl. Soy Sauce
1 tsp. Sesame Oil
Place all ingredients except the oil into a food processor and puree until smooth. Slowly drizzle olive oil into running processor until mixture is thick and emulsified.
Pumpkin Cheesecake (Makes 1 cake)
Cheesecake Batter
1 lb. Cream Cheese
1 16-oz. Can Pumpkin Puree
4 eggs
1/2 cup Granulated Sugar
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1/8 tsp. ground Clove
1/4 tsp. ground Nutmeg
1 tsp. ground Cinnamon
1/3 cup Heavy Cream
Beat cream cheese in an electric mixer until fluffy, scraping the sides of the bowl to insure even whipping. Add sugars and beat until smooth. Scrape the bowl. Add eggs one at a time, allowing it to mix before adding the next. Scrape the bowl. Add all remaining ingredients and mix until smooth. Scrape the bowl. Mix for 10 more minutes.
For Crust
1 ½ cups Ground Gingersnap Cookies
3 Tbl. unsalted butter, melted
To grind cookies use a food processor and chop until the consistency of cracker crumbs. Mix the ground cookies and butter in a small bowl until mixed.
For Pecan Crunch Topping
1 cup Chopped Pecans
4 Tbl. unsalted butter
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
Beat butter and sugar in an electric mixer until soft. Add chopped pecans and mix only until incorporated. (Do not over-mix.)
Putting it all together: Take an assembled 9” spring-form pan and butter the bottom and sides. Press the crust mixture into just the bottom of the pan, leaving the sides free. Pour batter over the crust and spread evenly with a rubber spatula. Place the spring-form pan into a large roasting pan. Carefully pour boiling water around the spring-form pan, bringing the water level half way up the side of the spring-form. Carefully place the roasting pan into a preheated 350 degree oven and bake for 60 minutes or until the batter has set. Pull the oven rack out, leaving the roasting pan on the rack. Carefully crumble the Pecan Crumble mix randomly over the top of the cake. Try to spread it in a fashion that will allow for crumble on every slice. Don’t press it into the cake. Allow to just set on top, it will melt in. Carefully push the rack back into the oven and cook for 20 more minutes. Because ovens are all different, check the doneness of the cake by inserting a thin knife into the center and remove. If the knife is removed clean and without uncooked cake batter, the cake is done. Cool completely before serving. Serve with fresh whipped cream and plenty of Caramel Sauce.
Icon Grill, open since 1998, is located at 1933 Fifth Ave. in Seattle, Wash. Open Monday—Thursday 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m., bar until midnight; Friday 11:30 a.m. to midnight and Saturday 5 p.m. to midnight, bar until 1 a.m.; and Sunday 5 to 11 p.m., bar until midnight. Executive Chef Nick Musser’s cookbook, Aroused Americana, includes recipes for his highly regarded Ultimate Mac and Cheese and Texas Funeral Fudge Cake. In 2006, icon Grill’s sister restaurant, Zephyr Grill & Bar, opened in Kent, Wash. joining the Livermore, Calif., location, which opened in 2004. Call (206) 441-6330 or visit Icon Grill for more information.
Zephyr Grill & Bar, which opened this year, is located at 240 W. Kent Station St., Kent, Wash. Open for lunch everyday from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.; dinner Sunday – Thursday from 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 5 to 11 p.m.; lounge and bar menu served all day. Happy hour is from 3 to 6 p.m. Monday– Friday. Executive Chef Nick Musser’s cookbook, Aroused Americana, includes recipes for his highly regarded Ultimate Mac and Cheese and Texas Funeral Fudge Cake, both available at Zephyr Grill & Bar and sister restaurant icon Grill. Call (206) 441-6330 or visit http://www.zephyrgrill.com for more information.
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Media Contact: Lael Carlson
Randall PR
(206) 624-5757
Source: Laura Hackley
icon Grill and Zephyr Grill & Bar
(425) 827-4564
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