Add Spike Mendelsohn's Special Touch to Meals
Ever since his appearance on Bravo's "Top Chef" made him famous, Spike Mendelsohn's taken the culinary world by storm.
He has a wildly successful hamburger joint in Washington, D.C. called "Good Stuff Eatery," a best-selling cookbook, "The Good Stuff Cookbook," filled with recipes from that restaurant, and he's set to open his second D.C. eatery, "We, The Pizza" which, as its name suggests, will be serving up all sorts of delicious variations on pizzas.
On "The Early Show" Thursday, Spike offered a little taste of everything he's doing.
His menu included Farm Fresh Caesar Wedge Salad, Grilled Watermelon & Feta Salad, Mac 'N' Cheese, Blazin' Barn Burger and Mozzarella & Tomato Pizza.
RECIPES
Farm-Fresh Caesar Wedge
(Serves 4)
Caesar Dressing
2 large egg yolks
3 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 salt-packed anchovy fillets
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Croutons
4 potato rolls
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Salad
1 pound applewood-smoked bacon
1 head iceberg lettuce
1/2 pound mixed greens
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
To make the dressing, add the yolks, garlic, vinegar, salt, Worcestershire, mustard, pepper, and anchovies to a good processor or blender and blend to combine. With the motor running drizzle in the oil slowly at first, then add in a thin, steady stream until all the oil is added. Once thick, add the Parmesan and pulse once. Refrigerate until ready to use.
To make the croutons, preheat the oven to 350°F. Cut the rolls into 1/4-inch-thick cubes. In a mixing bowl, combine the cubes with the oil , garlic, garlic salt, Parmesan, oregano, and pepper and toss. Spread on baking sheet. Bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden brown.
To make the salad, heat the skillet over medium and heat and cook the bacon until crisp. Line a metal tray with paper towels. Drain the bacon. Cool, crumble, and set aside.
Remove the root end from the lettuce and cut the head into 4 wedges. Place one edge each on the four individual serving dishes. Scatter the mixed greens around each wedge. Dress each wedge with 2 tablespoons of dressing and season with the salt and pepper. Garnish each with the crumbled bacon, Parmesan, and croutons.
Grilled Watermelon, Yuzu, and Feta Salad
(Serves 4)
1/4 of a large watermelon
1/2 cup of yuzu juice
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Preheat the broiler or grill to high heat. If grilling, brush the grill surface with vegetable oil to prevent sticking.
Cut the watermelon into large squares, remove the rind and broil or grill each piece for about 1 minute on each side. Remove from the heat and chill for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine the yazu juice and oil and add salt and pepper to taste. Add the watermelon feta, onion, and cilantro. Toss to combine. Serve immediately.
To see more of Spike's recipes, go to Page 2.
Mac 'N' Cheese
(Serves 4)
Butter for the baking dish
1 pound elbow macaroni
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
1 cup Cheddar Cheese Sauce*
10 slices bacon
2 cups freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup minced fresh parsley
1 tablespoon minced fresh thyme
1 tablespoon minced fresh rosemary
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage
2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Grease a 2-quart ovenproof baking dish with butter, and set aside.
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan over high heat. Add the macaroni and salt. Reduce to medium heat, and stir to prevent ticking. Cook for 7 minutes, or until al dente. Drain and toss with the oil.
Heat the cheese sauce in a sauce pan over medium heat. In skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp. Line a metal tray with paper towels. Drain the bacon. Chop the bacon into bits.
In a bowl, combine the bacon, Parmesan, 1 cup of the breadcrumbs mixture. Spread evenly into the prepared baking dish, and sprinkle with the remaining 1/2 cup breadcrumbs.
Place baking dish on top of baking pan to catch spills if the cheese bubbles over. Bake for 40 minutes, or until crispy and brown on top.
Cheddar Cheese Sauce
2 cups whole milk
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cayenne
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
Heat the milk in a large saucepan over medium heat until you see bubbles forming on top. Meanwhile, melt the butter in another saucepan and stir in the flour to make a roux. Add the warm milk whisking constantly to combine. Season with the cayenne, salt and pepper to taste. Strain through a sieve to remove any lumps before serving
Blazin' Barn
(Serves 6)
Picked Carrots and Daikon
2 large carrots, peeled and julienned
1 large daikon, peeled and julienned
2 cups white vinegar
2 cups sugar
Burgers
30 ounces ground sirloin
6 potato buns, cut in half
Canola oil
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup Sriracha Mayonnaise*
1/2 cup sriracha hot sauce
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
To pickle the carrots and daikon, put each of them into two separate bowls. Add the vinegar, sugar and 1.2 cup water to a large saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a boil. Pour evenly over the carrots and daikon and cool to room temperature for 30 minutes. Refrigerate until ready to use, up to 1 week if covered-they will become more flavorful over time.
To make the patties, roll six 5 ounce sirloin balls and form each ball into a patty. Arrange on a tray, cover, and refrigerate.
Toast the patties, roll six 5 ounce sirloin balls and form each ball into a patty. Arrange on a tray, cover, and refrigerate.
Toast the buns
Heat a large skillet over medium-high heat and add just enough oil to cover the entire bottom. When the oil begins to smoke, reduce the heat to medium and place the patties into the skillet. Season the patties with salt and pepper, and cook for 3 minutes. Flip, and cook on the other side 3 minutes more for medium-rare doneness.
To assemble the burgers, mix together the basil and cilantro. Place 1 patty on 1 toasted bun bottom. Top the patty with some of each of the picked carrots, daikon, and the basil-cilantro mix.
Spread some of the mayonnaise on the bun top and cover. Repeat with the remaining ingredients. Don't forget to wrap the sandwiches in wax paper. Let rest for 2 to 3 minutes.
* Sriracha Mayonnaise
2 cups Homemade Basic Mayonnaise (recipe below)
1/2 cup sriarcha hot sauce
2 tablespoons sweetened condensed milk
Add the mayonnaise, sriracha, and condensed milk to a food processor or blender. Puree until smooth. The mayonnaise can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.
Homemade Basic Mayonnaise
2 large eggs
4 teaspoons Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 cups grapeseed oil
Add the eggs, mustard, vinegar, and salt to a food processor or blender. Process for 30 seconds in the food processor, or for 10 seconds in the blender. With the motor running, drizzle in the oil slowly at first then add in a thin, steady stream until all the oil is added and the mixture is smooth. Stop the motor and taste. If the sauce is too thick, thin it with a little hot water. If too thin, process a little longer. The mayonnaise can be refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week.