Chef Dan Points out Menu Highlights!

Hello fellow idol worshipers!

Though the menu has not yet been planned I felt an enticement was necessary to push the fence straddlers into the committed category. So here are a few of the items expected to be on this year’s menu:

Korean Honey Sesame Marinated Skirt Steaks – a Huckleberry mainstay having been enjoyed on the island beginning the year prior to the inaugural year of the Gentlemen’s Club and has been required by founding member Larry on all trips since! He also bugs me about it at least once in every conversation we have – there were some discussions with his wedding’s caterer, however, the royalty fees they offered were grossly inadequate (sorry Larry)

Susur Lee's Chinese BBQ Pork Loin – for this recipe I scoured Chinatown (hey not all of us get to travel the world like Rick) and found this delicacy – though I switched the meat choice from cat to pork loin because, well, you know...

Crab Artichoke Dip – Added to the trip in 2006 after the concept of dips for camping was introduced to me at a Giants tailgate this dip is a succulent delicacy - I import Scaruvian crabs and painstakingly extract the meat (for those who don’t know, the Scaruvian crabs have an exquisitely delicate flavor and are found only off the coast of Norway, the one drawback is that their exoskeleton are by far the hardest of any crustacean and almost as hard as turtles making meat extraction extremely difficult) – the flavor is worth it! When combined with artichoke the results are sublime. Best of all, this dish is not at all fattening, however, those with cholesterol issues may want to steer clear.

Chef Dan’s Burgers – an ancient family recipe was used as the base for my burgers – after numerous adaptations I believe I make the world’s greatest burgers, I must make a special acknowledgment to Todd who suggested adding Dijon which brought the recipe in a new direction and led to its current state; for unknown reasons they are particularly tasty @ 2am; interesting fact: though not on Huckelberry, Gus is the only known man to awake from a dead sleep in his tent at 2am to eat a burger before returning to his slumber. A patent is pending on the recipe.

Bobby Flay Shrimp – though Bobby thinks he can cook, I have adapted his recipe and raised the dish to a new level; my tailgate buddies felt so strongly that unbeknown to me, they challenged Bobby to a Throwdown. To my surprise while preparing for the Giants – Philly tailgate this past season Bobby and his television crew appeared and accepted the challenge – dressed in Philly garb no less! In front a raucous crowd the Throwdown was filled with trash talking both football and food. In the end I was crowned the unanimous winner by the 3 judges provided by the Bobby Flay show. In defeat, Bobby graciously relinquished his Philly Jersey and adorned the Giants Blue. The show is set to air this summer, check your local listings.

El Nino Dip – Mexican food is sadly not well represented on the trip so this mouth watering dip with its spicy kick is provided in deference to the idols whose wood, as legend has it, is of partial Mexican decent.

Maple Chipotle Wings – a new creation added for this upcoming trip – your mouth with water for this combination of sweet and spice; quantity planning is an issue for me as I have yet to make enough of these for any crowd; side note: I will not abandon some of the other wings that have been present on previous trips so there will be a variety of wing selections.

Bacon Wrapped Scallops – Added in 2007 this crowd pleaser will return – for this year’s rendition I am currently slow curing the bacon using a combination of Hickory, Apple and Cinnamon; the scallops will be picked up from the docks on Thursday morning right before we leave to insure freshness and the dish will be put together on the island. I am picking Larry up from the airport on my way back from the docks.

Black Worms over Sea Slugs – These worms are being delivered straight from China by Rick himself and will be served on cured Sea Slugs accompanied by an exquisite Veloute with lemongrass, lime, shallots, scallions and habanero’s. I had considered serving them with raw snails, however the rubbery snails and chewy worms did not complement each other. Quail eggs were also considered, unfortunately the flavors of the eggs and worms together left a vile film on the tongue that did not go away easily, my tasting group is still not talking to me.

My friends, this is just a sample – I will spend the remaining time tinkering with the menu to create a gastronomical experience befitting of our return to Huckleberry.

As Larry’s Mom has been quoted – this is not camping it’s a gentlemen’s picnic.

Regards,

Chef Dan