Bob Blumer has New Idiom for 2022: ‘When Pigs Swim Upstream’
As we wish all of our friends and family a Happy New Year, we also thought we’d wrap Bob Blumer’s ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ Recipe Series by committing the wonderful sin of adding bacon into the mix. It’s been seven weeks of this series – inspired by the Feast of the Seven Fishes and Winemaker Rob Lloyd’s pescatarian ways – so it’s only fair to our meat-eating fans to feed their need for some fatty goodness. Right?
This is the seventh and final installment of Blumer’s ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ 2021 recipes series with Lloyd Cellars. If you’d like to see all of his ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ recipes, we invite you to scroll through our Online Recipes section. Shop our Online Store or utilize our Store Locatorfor local shopping!
Rinse and pat dry fish inside and out. Drizzle cavity of trout with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Stuff cavity with 4 lemon slices and 2 sprigs of thyme.
Wrap trout with bacon like a mummy, using toothpicks to hold bacon in place. Each trout will require approximately 6 strips of bacon.
Grill for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until bacon is crispy and trout is cooked throughout. Resist moving fish around, but peek underneath to ensure that bacon isn’t burning. If necessary, modulate the heat so that the bacon doesn’t burn before the fish is cooked.
Notes
Level of difficulty: As easy as wrapping a gift, then putting it on the BBQActive prep/cooking time: 20 minutes Grilling time: 10 minutesPan version: Trout can be pan-seared in a dry pan over medium-high heat for approximately 5 minutes per side, or until cooked throughout.Advance work: Trout can be wrapped in bacon and refrigerated earlier in the day.
Tired of eating Holiday Leftovers? We recommend Bob Blumer’s Lobster Tacos to reset fatigued palates
Please, no more turkey and gravy and tryptophan crashes. Give me some energizing south-of-the-boarder zing to brighten a winter day – and pair it with the hedonistic pleasure of eating lobster. Now that’s a reset! The other bonus is that tacos are finger food, so how nice is a meal that doesn’t create another pile of dishes in the sink.
This is the sixth installment of Blumer’s ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ 2021 recipes series with Lloyd Cellars. If you’d like to see all of his ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ recipes, we invite you to scroll through our Online Recipes section. Shop our Online Store or utilize our Store Locatorfor local shopping!
3ouncesbest-available butter(about 3/4 of a stick)
1clovegarlicminced
½cupcilantrominced, divided
½jalapeno chiliideally red for color, stemmed, seeded and minced
zest of 1 lemon + 3 tablespoons juicedivided
zest of 1 orange
4medium sizeroughly 6-inches flour or corn tortillas
2ripe avocados
2green onionssliced finely
Your favorite salsa or hot sauce
1limequartered for serving
Instructions
Use a heavy sharp knife to cut the lobster tails in half. (Place your knife on the end where the flesh is exposed and cut down through to the tail.)
Brush the exposed flesh with oil and season with salt and pepper. Reserve.
In a small pan, over medium heat, melt butter. When it starts to bubble, add garlic, half of the cilantro, jalapeno, citrus zest and 1 tablespoon lemon juice. Stir for 1 minute, then remove from heat and reserve.
Half and pit avocados. In a medium bowl, mash avocado with 2 tablespoons lemon juice, the remaining cilantro and the green onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Reserve.
Preheat grill to medium/medium-high direct heat, or heat a heavy skillet to medium-high.
Place lobster tails cut-side down on grill or pan and cook for 4 minutes. Flip, and baste generously with butter mixture. Cook for 2 more minutes, or until tails are cooked throughout.
As the tails are cooking, burnish the tortillas on the grill or stovetop until toasted.
Spread avocado mixture and salsa over each of the tortillas, then place lobster tails, in their shells, overtop. Instruct the diners to pull their own lobster meat.
Notes
Either or: Serve 4 as an appetizer or 2 as a main
Shopping tip: Frozen lobster tails are not as expensive as you might imagine, and are available in the fish section of many large grocery stores.
Celeb Chef & Cookbook Author Bob Blumer is also an artist who fills his world with surreal works of visual deliciousness, like his Candy Cane Shrimp illustration above!
Bob Blumer and Ms. Claus got together recently to plot out a menu for St. Nick’s return from his annual worldwide gifting tour. We can only imagine how hungry he is on Christmas Day, right? Early on in the appetizer planning, the two decided they could do some gift giving themselves by sharing, in advance, Blumer’s famous ‘Shrimp on the Barbie’ recipe, with a holiday twist. The recipe comes with the option to grill or pan sear.
This is the fifth installment of Blumer’s ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ 2021 recipes series with Lloyd Cellars. If you’d like to see all of his ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ recipes, we invite you to scroll through our Online Recipes section. Shop our Online Store or utilize our Store Locatorfor local shopping!
1½poundsuncooked 16/20 count shrimpideally wild, or whatever size shrimp you prefer
2tablespoonsneutral oil + extra if pan searing
Shell and devein shrimp.
Ina medium bowlmix all dry seasonings. Add shrimp and oil and toss to thoroughly cover shrimp. Reserve.
Blistered Jalapeno Salsa Verde
1tablespoonnatural oil
2jalapeno chilisstemmed and halved length-wise
1/4white onionlayers separated
2garlic clovespeeled
1cupfresh cilantrolightly packed
½teaspooncumin
½teaspoonsalt
1tablespoonwhite vinegar
Ina large sauté pan over highadd oil. When oil is hot, add jalapenos, onion and garlic. Sauté for 5 minutes, tossing frequently, or until blistered and toasted on the outside. Let cool.
Transfer pan contents to a blender. Add cilantrocumin, salt, vinegar and 1/3 cup of water. Puree until very smooth. Reserve.
Instructions
Grilled Version
Preheat grill to direct high heat.
Grill shrimp for 1-2 minutes per side, or until shrimp are marked and no longer translucent. Serve with dipping sauce.
Pan Version
Open a window to avoid setting off your smoke alarm.
Heat a large sauté pan over high heat. When it is smoking hot, add 1 – 2 tablespoons oil. Wait a beat, then add as many shrimp as pan will accommodate without overlapping. Cook for about one minute per side, or until no longer translucent.
Serve with dipping sauce.
Notes
Advance Work: The dry rub can be made ahead and stored in a sealed jar. Make extra—it lasts almost indefinitely. Shrimp can be peeled and deveined up to a day in advance.
Growing up should never mean loosing your sense of whimsy or adventure – especially in the kitchen!
In our fourth installment of Celeb Chef and Cookbook Author Bob Blumer’s seven-part ‘Pescatarian Holiday’ series for Lloyd Cellars, he delivers his crazy-delicious ‘Ahi Sno-Cone’ recipe while evoking fond childhood memories. Oh, the joy of childhood when your parents would give in to ‘Please, please, please, can we get a sno-cone!’ They’d fane reluctance as they slipped you change and allowed you to make the purchase on your own. It was part of growing up, learning to negotiate, and managing a transaction. Blumer constantly reminds us to revel in the joy and memories of eating our favorite things by flavor bombing nostalgic bites for the here and now of our adult lives!
12, 4 or 6-ounce paper cones (available in office water coolers and at restaurant supply stores)
Ingredients
1cuppeanut oil for brushing wonton wrappers
16 3½-inchsquare wonton wrappers4 are back-ups
10ouncessushi-quality ahi tunadiced finely
1fragrant peachpapaya or mango peeled, pitted and diced into ¼-inch cubes
2green onionssliced finely
10mint leaveschopped finely
zest of 1 lime
2tablespoonssesame seedstoasted
1teaspoonwasabi paste
2teaspoonstoasted sesame oil
2tablespoonssoy sauce
1tablespoonhoney
1teaspoonfreshly grated ginger
1tablespoonlime juice
1ripe avocadopeeled and pitted
2tablespoonslemon juice
salt and pepper
Pinchof ground cayenne pepper
12teeny weenie cherry tomatoesor cranberries, or pomegranate seeds
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350°F.
In a small bowl, set out 1 cup peanut oil along with a small pastry brush. On a baking sheet, set out 12 paper cones.
Trim 12 wonton wrappers according to diagram (see below). Generously brush both sides of each wrapper with peanut oil. Wrap 1 wrapper around each cone and press seam together. Twist the bottom around itself and pinch to seal. Bake for 5 – 7 minutes, or until golden brown and crispy. When cones cool, twist them off the cups. Reserve.
In a medium bowl, combine tuna, peach, green onion, mint, zest and sesame seeds. Reserve.
In a small bowl, combine wasabi, sesame oil, soy, honey, ginger and lime juice. Taste and adjust if necessary. Reserve.
In a mini food processor, or in a bowl with a whisk, puree avocado and lemon juice until it is super smooth. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Transfer to a small piping bag or a small resealable bag with the corner clipped. Reserve.
To Finish & Serve
Add dressing to tuna, starting with half. Toss and add more as required to dress, but not drench. Taste and add a pinch of salt if necessary. Spoon tuna into cones. Top with a dollop of avocado puree and a cherry tomato. Serve cones in shot glasses, or your own cone holder.
Notes
Uncommon Goods: Cone-shaped paper cups (available in office water coolers, at restaurant supply stores like Smart & Final, or on Amazon.com); sushi quality tuna is available at most groceries with a fresh fish counter. Have the fishmonger sign off on you consuming it raw before purchasing.Level of Difficulty: Wonton cones require the pattern-making skills and dexterity of an amateur seamstress.Shortcuts: Skip the wonton cups and serve tartare in paper cones or mini paper cups.Advance Work: Wonton cones, dressing, and the slicing and dicing of tartare ingredients can be done earlier in the day. Toss just before serving.
Blumer is an Ambassador to Second Harvest in Toronto and a supporter of Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry. He’s pictured here with Chef Mary Sue Milliken, Share Our Strength Emeritus Board Member
Lloyd Cellars is recommending that you embrace and fight being crabby this holiday season. First, by supporting Blumer’s efforts in fighting hunger through Chefs Cycle for No Kid Hungry. You’ll feel so good knowing you’re helping feed hungry children. Second, by embracing Blumer’s savory Crab (Cup)cakes recipe below to share with friends and family this holiday season. This magical recipe, which pairs beautifully with both our Carneros Chardonnay and Sta. Rita Hills Pinot Noir is guaranteed to lift the spirits of even the most committed Grinch in your social circle.
About No Kid Hungry
No child should go hungry in America. But 1 in 6 kids will face hunger this year. No Kid Hungry is ending childhood hunger through effective programs that provide kids with the food they need. This is a problem we know how to solve. No Kid Hungry is a campaign of Share Our Strength, an organization working to end hunger and poverty.
This December, Blumer launched his 12 Drops of Christmas campaign on Instagram @BobBlumer. Every day he is offering an item from his art archives or cookbooks. Where noted, 100% of the selling price will be in the form of a direct, tax-deductible donation to @NoKidHungry, as part of his fundraising for the upcoming 2-day, 200-mile Chefscycle.
Other items—which will be noted—are conventional sales. His first drop was a signed, limited-edition lithograph he illustrated for his book Surreal Gourmet Entertains. It is 22” x 32” on fine art paper. The price is a $200usd, tax-deductible donation to NoKidHungry. He’s covering the postage and is happy to personalize it. There are a few available. DM him on Instagram @BobBlumer to order and arrange for the direct donation.
cupcake liners; muffin tin (not uncommon, but crucial); piping bag with a startip (ideal, but not necessary)
Ingredients
Crab Cupcake
1small beet
2medium russet potatoespeeled and quartered
2tablespoonsheavy creamat room temperature
2tablespoonsbutterat room temperature
Salt and pepper
1egg
1green onionfinely sliced
2tablespoonsred bell pepperfinely chopped
2tablespoonsbread crumbs or panko
1tablespoonsour cream
zest of 1 lemon + 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
2tablespoonsfinely chopped Italian parsley leaves
1garlic clovefinely chopped
¼jalapeño pepperseeds discarded, minced
8ouncesfreshfrozen or tinned crab meat (your choices will vary depending on your shopping options. But fear not, all versions will be tasty in this recipe)
Instructions
To Finish & Serve
Preheat oven to 400°F.
Spray interior of muffin tin with spray oil. Line the tin with 4 paper liners. Generously spray interior of liners. Spoon crab mixture into liners. Gently press crab mixture down and flatten level with the top of the tin.
Just before putting cupcakes in the oven, reheat potatoes by covering the bowl with aluminum foil and placing it over a pot of boiling water for 5 – 10 minutes. When potatoes are steaming hot, finely grate approximately 1 tablespoon of beet and add it to potatoes. Blend thoroughly with a fork. Add more beet for a deeper color if desired.
Bake cupcakes for 8 minutes, or until cakes are fully set, yet still moist. Remove cakes from tin immediately so that they do not continue to cook.
Use a piping bag with a star tip, or a table knife to ice the cupcakes.
Notes
Level of difficulty: About the same as making cupcakes from scratchAdvance work: The crab mixture can be prepared earlier in the day, to the point that the cakes are ready to be baked. Bake and ice just before serving; Mashed potatoes can be made earlier in the day then reheated over a double boiler just before serving (add grated beet after reheating)
Keyword Bob Blumer, Crab Appetizer, Lloyd Cellars, Recipe
Our Balancing Act: Chardonnay at its best. Webinar examined how style manifests in the glass.
It was fitting to commence the webinar with a tasting of Lloyd Cellars Carneros Chardonnay, as winemaker/ proprietor Rob Lloyd has been focused on the grape for most of his career, having worked at not one but two Chardonnay powerhouses, Rombauer and La Crema. But in 2008, with a little encouragement from his wife, Bonnie, Lloyd took a risk and opened his own winery, the Napa-based Lloyd Cellars, as well as a consulting firm.