Recipe: D-Rock's Award-Winning Judge's Choice Chili

(Note: This recipe took home 1st place in a chili competition hosted by Chef Central in Hartsdale, NY.  Enjoy!)

7 lbs tri-tip roast, cut into 1/4" cubes

1 1/2 yellow onions, minced

Grapeseed oil

16 oz beef stock

16 oz chicken stock

15 oz can of tomato sauce

8 oz can of tomato paste

2 1/4 tsp ground cumin

1 1/2 Tbsp oregano

1 1/2 Tbsp Mexene chili powder

1/2 tsp ground black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

2 1/4 Tbsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1 1/4 Tbsp chipotle powder

2 Tbsp cajun powder

- Add grapeseed oil to a large skillet and heat.  When hot, saute a handful of onions and brown the diced meat in batches.  Strain fat and transfer cooked meat to a Dutch oven (or your favorite chili making device of your choosing), and repeat the process until all meat and onions are cooked.

- Add tomato sauce, tomato paste, and both broths (chicken and beef), and bring to a boil.  

- Add the remaining dry ingredients, stir and mix well, and reduce to a simmer.

After one (1) hour, return to a boil, and add:

1 tsp kosher salt

1/2 tsp ground black pepper 

1 1/2 tsp light brown sugar

1 Tbsp Mexene chili powder

2 tsp ground cumin

3/4 Tbsp onion powder

2 tsp garlic powder

1/2 Tbsp ancho chili powder

1/2 Tbsp chipotle powder

- Return to a simmer.

- Roughly chop 1 large portabella mushroom cap and fill 2 cheesecloth sacks with them, tie them up, and fold into the chili.

- Seed and halve 2 italian sweet peppers and 2 jalapeno peppers, and float on top of chili.

- In a skillet, cook 4 pieces of uncured, appelwood smoked bacon.  After cooking, halve the pieces and float on top of the chili.

After one (1) hour, return to a boil, and add:

1 Tbsp ground cumin

1 1/2 Tbsp hickory bacon salt

1/2 Tbsp onion powder

2 tsp light brown sugar

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

- Return to a simmer.

Simmer for 15-20 minutes, add:

16 oz. Delerium Tremens Ale (or your own favorite craft beer)

2 Tbsp hot sauce (of your choice)

- Simmer for an additional 15-20 minutes.

Quick Update

It's been a while since my last entry, so I just wanted to post a quick update.  I've been working on a few ideas and researching (read: eating at) a few places, so expect a bunch of entries to be posted in the near future.  Just as a 'teaser', my next Down Low Dining spot will be The Bayou, located in Mt. Vernon, NY.  Yum!  Until next time, my fellow foodies....

Signature Dish: Candlelight Inn Wings

The Candlelight Inn is a well-known, local Westchester "dive" spot located on Central Avenue in Scarsdale. Small and relatively non-descript, aside from the homey "Inn feel", this local pub has been making their mark with patrons for their signature buffalo wings for over 50 years. Opened in 1955 and family-run, this place is everything one would expect from a dive - small, 'intimate' (read: 'crowded'), and slammin' food. Candlelight serves up your typical American pub food (burgers, fries, sandwiches, etc.), however their crown jewel - their 'signature dish' - is their buffalo wings. They're so known for their wings that you're best advised to make order reservations for Super Bowl a couple of days beforehand.

They have your traditional flavors - mild, hot, barbecue, teriyaki - as well as the option to make your own combo (I recommend hot teriyaki), however the sauce that keeps 'em coming back is their Chernobyl sauce. Many have attempted it, many have fallen short, and some have conquered it. As a hot sauce lover myself, I can vouch for it and say that it's pretty darn hot! I've had wings from many a places, including the famous Anchor Bar itself, and this sauce ranks up there. As with all signature dishes, the sauce recipe is a highly-guarded secret but I will say that it's definitely muuuuch hotter than your mama's habanero.

What's also appealing about this place is how traditional and old-fashioned the place is, yet has a very loyal and rabid following. This is a place that doesn't take reservations, doesn't take credit cards (cash only!), doesn't have an ATM, and until about 2 years ago did not offer delivery. If you've been living under a rock or you don't get out much, I highly advise you to go and check out this gem....I guarantee you'll like it!

Candlelight Inn

519 Central Park Avenue

Scarsdale, NY 10583

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Candle-Light-Inn/261967016185

Yelp: http://www.yelp.com/biz/candlelight-inn-scarsdale

Review - Banzai Japanese Steakhouse

Banzai is a newly-opened Japanese steakhouse that is situated on Central Avenue in Hartsdale, and for those who are local history buffs, it is located on the old site of the very first Carvel. And after much anticipation, I went there for dinner this past weekend. The first thing you'll notice when you walk inside the place is that it looks BIG. The ceilings are high and the place itself has a very open feel to it. One minor complaint, although it's more of a layout issue, is that I felt that the space was divided in half for bar and for dining rather than have more emphasis on the dining part of it. It's a big place regardless, but that was just more of an aesthetic issue.

Since we had gone on a busy Saturday night (yes, reservations are taken and recommended), there was a slight delay before being seated. Walking to our seats and taking a look around, I noticed that the decor has more of a modern American/Asian fusion feel but nothing too gaudy. The menu is your standard Japanese steakhouse fare, with hibachi, sushi, and other Japanese dishes being offered. In terms of pricing, the menu was moderately priced with appetizers ranging from $5-$10 for most items and entree items in the $15-$25 range. Hibachi items were moderately priced in comparison to other local, similar eateries such as Edo's and Nagoya.

As for myself, I started off with a spicy tuna roll as an appetizer, as my basis for any Japanese place starts with that roll. Theirs was good and their wasabi that they served was very fresh, which is always a plus in my book. I'm not the biggest fan of fresh peeled ginger, but I will note that they use 'real ginger' and not the artificially-colorful pink ginger most places use. I opted for the filet mignon and shrimp hibachi, and to say the least it was fantastic. The meat(s) and fish used were definitely quality stuff and fresh, and everything was cooked perfectly. Also, part of the whole hibachi experience is your chef and his interaction, and I have to say that the gentleman whom we got was amazing. Very personable and very entertaining, he had our whole table laughing and having a good time the whole night. The portions that they serve you are nicely-sized and they definitely don't skimp in that area. The service of the staff was timely and prompt, and very courteous to boot.

Granted it may have just opened this month and are still working out all their kinks and whatnot, but this place for the initial time-being gets a thumbs-up from me. I really enjoyed my experience there and am looking forward to going back there again.

Rating: 8 out of 10

(Note - This may be revised in the future being that this is a newly-opened place and subject to changes in dining experience)

Gastronomical Genesis

Hi, and welcome to the next biggest thing on the internet....okay, maybe not, but one could dream, right? I'll spare a long-winded, self-aggrandizing autobiography and simply introduce myself as a 32-year old sports-loving "closet foodie" whose legal name is Derek but is more commonly known to most as D-Rock. I'm somewhat of a late bloomer in the cooking department in that I never really took an interest into properly knowing how to cook until 2-3 years ago, combined with the fact that my father is quite the good cook and that specific gene was a little late to emerge. Like most, my culinary talents had mostly consisted of choosing the right menu and dialing the right take-out place number. But after enough delivery orders and money spent, the proverbial light bulb went off in my head and said to myself, "Why am I paying $10 for something that probably costs $3 to make myself?" From that moment on, I took an interest in learning my way around the kitchen and after a few years of good and botched attempts alike, I've finally grown comfortable enough to make an attempt at a food blog.

So what will this blog be about? Good question, I have no clue. Just kidding. It will be an ever-changing, ever-evolving blog but primarily will be in the vein of "Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives" in the sense that my goal is to find undiscovered or low-key culinary gems of places around the Westchester and surrounding areas. Whether it be a "signature dish", a food "challenge", or just a restaurant review, I hope to provide people who enjoy good food and good times with an informative resource. I will also feature personal creations and recipes eventually because there has to be some level of narcissism involved. (Sarcasm is a strong point of mine)

One last thing before putting my stamp on the internet -- a big thank-you goes out to the people who have pushed me to pursue and explore my culinary endeavors, and a special thank-you to one person in particular for making this blog a reality, they know who they are :)