At a recent dinner at Charlie Trotter’s restaurant, Norman Van Aken, chef/proprietor of Norman’s, his acclaimed new Miami restaurant, cooked a deliciously dynamic ethnic mix. This was my first taste of his New World Cuisine, a fusion of flavors and cultures that exploded on my palate.
Van Aken’s food, a blend of Latin, Caribbean, Asian and American flavors, makes a great transition into spring and summer entertaining.
NORMAN VAN AKEN’S EAST-WEST BARBECUED VEAL CHOPS
Preparation time: 20 minutes
Marinating time: 6-12 hours
Cooking time: 7-10 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
4 veal chops, 1-inch-thick, trimmed
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste
Barbecue marinade and sauce:
1/4 cup roasted Spanish peanuts
1 tablespoon plus 1 1/2 teaspoons hot chili oil
3 medium cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons each: soy sauce, Oriental sesame oil, plum sauce, honey
2 tablespoons each: hoisin sauce, Oriental hot chili sauce
1 tablespoon each: minced shallots, chopped cilantro leaves
2 teaspoons peeled, minced ginger
1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar
1. Salt and pepper chops; set aside. For marinade and sauce, puree peanuts and chili oil in food processor fitted with metal blade. Add remaining marinade ingredients; puree until smooth. (Can be made up to 3 days ahead and refrigerated, covered airtight.)
2. Place chops, single layer, in shallow baking dish. Reserve half of the marinade for sauce; pour remaining marinade over chops, turning to coat. Marinate, refrigerated, at least 6 hours and no more than 12 hours. Let come to room temperature before cooking.
3. Remove chops from marinade just before cooking, shake off excess and discard marinade.
4. For grilling, dip wad of rolled-up paper towels in oil. Rub oiled end over hot grate using long-handled tongs. Grill chops on both sides until seared, about 7 to 10 minutes for medium rare, depending on thickness of chops. Turn as necessary to avoid scorching. For broiling, place chops on oiled broiler rack about 8 inches from heat and broil until seared on both sides, about 8 minutes for medium rare. Insert point of sharp paring knife into thickest part to check for doneness. Let rest on warm platter for 5 minutes before serving.
5. Serve hot; pass reserved sauce separately.
Nutritional information per serving: 453 calories, 24 g carbohydrates, 33 g protein, 26 g fat, 120 mg cholesterol, 1,160 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 5 g saturated fat, 51% calories from fat.
Nutritional analysis by Jodie Shield
NORMAN VAN AKEN’S SHANGHAI NOODLE SALAD
Preparation time: 30 minutes
Cooking time: 4-5 minutes
Yield: 4 servings
For dressing:
2 tablespoons plus 1 1/2 teaspoons each: red wine vinegar, soy sauce, Oriental sesame oil
1 tablespoon chopped cilantro leaves
1 1/2 teaspoons hot chili oil
3/4 teaspoon each, finely minced: garlic, ginger
1/2 teaspoon sugar, optional
1/4 teaspoon each: salt, freshly ground pepper
For salad:
7 1/2 ounces Shanghai noodles, cooked al dente, drained, tossed with 1 tablespoon Oriental sesame oil (about 3 cups noodles), chilled
2 cups finely julienned mixed vegetables: such as napa or red cabbage, carrot, green onions, cucumber, daikon, blanched snow peas or asparagus, red bell pepper
1 cup each, diced: avocado, firm tofu
1/8 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground pepper to taste
1. Whisk together all dressing ingredients in small bowl. (Dressing may be made up to 2 days ahead and refrigerated. Let come to room temperature before serving.)
2. For salad, toss together vegetables (except avocado and tofu) and noodles in large bowl; keep chilled until serving time.
3. To serve, toss salad with dressing; mix in avocado and tofu. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Serve immediately on chilled plates.
Nutritional information per serving: 506 calories, 53 g carbohydrates, 19 g protein, 26 g fat, 0 mg cholesterol, 885 mg sodium, 9 g dietary fiber, 4 g saturated fat, 46% calories from fat.
Nutritional analysis by Jodie Shield
NORMAN VAN AKEN’S PASSION FRUIT CHEESECAKE
Preparation time: 25 minutes
Cooking time: 1 hour, 15 minutes
Chilling time: 8 hours or overnight
Yield: 12 servings
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
3/4 cup toasted ground almonds
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup melted butter
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Filling:
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese, softened
4 large eggs, separated, room temperature
1 cup sour cream, room temperature
1/4 cup unsweetened passion fruit juice, see note
1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1. Heat oven to 350 degrees. For crust, mix all ingredients in small bowl. Put mixture in greased 10-inch springform with base wrapped on outside with foil to prevent leakage.
2. Press mixture firmly and evenly over bottom and about 1 inch up sides.
3. For filling, combine 3/4 cup of the sugar and cream cheese in bowl of electric mixer on low speed, 1 minute. Add egg yolks; beat 5 minutes. Add sour cream and beat 1 minute. Add vanilla and passion fruit juice; beat about 15 seconds.
4. Beat egg whites in separate clean bowl with clean beaters until soft peaks form. Add remaining 2 tablespoons sugar; beat until just firm but still moist. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Pour filling into prepared pan; spread evenly. Place on baking sheet.
5. Bake until lightly browned, about 1 hour. Remove from oven. Use thin, flexible knife to loosen cheesecake from sides of pan. Let rest 10 minutes. Carefully release sides of springform; cool to room temperature. Cover and refrigerate until well-chilled, preferably overnight.
6. To serve, dip sharp knife into hot water to cut into wedges. Serve chilled.
Note: You do not taste the passion fruit juice in this recipe; it is added to lighten the flavor of the cake. You may substitute 2 tablespoons each of orange juice and lemon juice for the passion fruit juice.
Nutritional information per serving: 419 calories, 33 g carbohydrates, 8 g protein, 29 g fat, 135 mg cholesterol, 255 mg sodium, 1 g dietary fiber, 15 g saturated fat, 63% calories from fat.
Nutritional analysis by Jodie Shield
