Black Pepper

After a two-year hiatus, the Hideaway is back. The well-known Cherry Hill restaurant has had an up-and-down existence in recent years and has been closed the last two years; it reopened July 10 with a splendor few places can match. The Hideaway is now owned by the three children of Gloria and Andy Bryen, former owners who are now the general managers. The place is blessed with an incredibly beautiful decor and the spectacular culinary accomplishments of Chef Mirko R. Loeffler.

Reading about matters culinary these days, it sometimes seems as though the chefs of the '80s had invented hot food, as if nobody else besides Mexicans had ever put chilies in anything before. Equally conspicuous by its absence is any mention of food made hot with black pepper, the original. Yet it was the demand for black pepper, Piper nigrum, an Asian spice taken to Europe via India, that sent Columbus sailing to the New World, where chili peppers grew. And it was because their heat recalled that of the spice that chili peppers got their common name.

Try this Carne Asada with a punchy marinade of lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Carne Asada With Salsa Makes 6 servings For the meat: 2 pounds sirloin tips 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, smashed For the salsa: 1 yellow bell pepper, cored...

A lot of chips come across a food writer's desk, but it's the rare bag we can't keep our hands out of. Don't let the fact that they are made from organic brown rice and full of protein fool you. These black-pepper chips are crunchy, satisfying, and, thanks to a good dose of white and black pepper, the perfect partner for mild dips or boring turkey sandwiches. Lundberg Family Farms Organic Cracked Black Pepper Rice Chips, $3.29 at Whole Foods Market, lundberg.com. - Ashley Primis Frigid fruit Local health food markets, such as Essene in Queen Village, have long served up a frozen banana custard that is literally just that: a soft serve-like sweet with one ingredient, frozen bananas.

Christopher Columbus wasn't looking for the New World when he stumbled into the Caribbean; he was looking for India. Actually, what he was looking for was black pepper. I've felt that way myself - as a dinner guest in households where black pepper is never used (a pretty reliable indicator of just how bland and boring the meal will be). Even though the Spanish sent Columbus off in search of pepper, the spice is not universally loved in Spain. On a recent tour through the north of Spain, black pepper was nowhere to be seen on most restaurant tables.

Black pepper has carried an enormous burden over the centuries. When extorting the Romans, the Huns demanded pepper as ransom. Christopher Columbus and other European explorers spent treasure and risked lives just for the taste (and profit) of the spice. When pepper literally commanded its weight in gold, people used it as a form of currency to pay their taxes and as a prop for entire economies. Now chefs and cooks require pepper to stand in for the delicious flavors formerly provided by fat and salt, which have fallen out of favor in the quest for better health.

At an event in Napa Valley, I tasted an unusual coating of fennel, coriander seed, and cracked black pepper on swordfish. It was just the right combination of flavor and spice. Serve it with this fennel salad: the secret is to make sure the fennel is sliced paper-thin.   Marinated Fennel Salad 1. Remove fennel stalks; cut off feathery leaves. Discard stalks, save leaves. Very thinly slice fennel bulb in a food processor or grate it by hand. Toss with lemon juice in a glass bowl.

SICK OF hearing about brines and frying and smoking? Had your fill of sage and thyme and rosemary? Tradition dictates the food groups - bird, stuffing, 'taters of various sorts and pie, pie and more pie for dessert. But within those confines there's plenty of room to get creative. We offer here some new takes on sides and pie, as well as a by-the-numbers outline of how much food you'll need to satisfy the hungry family, and a comparison of gravy mixes. But first let's talk turkey.

Here are some of Aaron McCargo's winning recipes, comfort food that's served with big flavor in big portions. Find more of his recipes online at food network. com (search "Big Daddy's House"). NEW YORK STRIP AU POIVRE 1/2 cup green peppercorns in brine 2 tablespoons coarse black pepper 4 tablespoons olive oil, for frying 6 (16-ounce) center-cut New York strip steaks 1/4 cup finely diced shallots 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 1/2 cups brandy 2 cups strong beef stock 1/4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons fresh, chopped parsley leaves Smash green peppercorns on a cutting board with the side of a knife.

No matter how delicious a Caesar salad is, chilly temperatures tend to be a turnoff for things leafy and green. So I decided to tinker with the basics of this classic, bulking it up with roasted cubes of butternut squash. Add some freshly made croutons and it's a perfect vegetarian dinner.   Butternut Caesar Salad Makes 4 servings For the squash: 20-ounces peeled and cubed butternut squash 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and ground black pepper For the croutons: 10 ounces rustic bread, cut into croutons (about 4 cups)

Try this Carne Asada with a punchy marinade of lime juice, Worcestershire sauce, and garlic. Carne Asada With Salsa Makes 6 servings For the meat: 2 pounds sirloin tips 2 tablespoons lime juice 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 2 cloves garlic, smashed For the salsa: 1 yellow bell pepper, cored...

A lot of chips come across a food writer's desk, but it's the rare bag we can't keep our hands out of. Don't let the fact that they are made from organic brown rice and full of protein fool you. These black-pepper chips are crunchy, satisfying, and, thanks to a good dose of white and black pepper, the perfect partner for mild dips or boring turkey sandwiches. Lundberg Family Farms Organic Cracked Black Pepper Rice Chips, $3.29 at Whole Foods Market, lundberg.com. - Ashley Primis Frigid fruit Local health food markets, such as Essene in Queen Village, have long served up a frozen banana custard that is literally just that: a soft serve-like sweet with one ingredient, frozen bananas.

No matter how delicious a Caesar salad is, chilly temperatures tend to be a turnoff for things leafy and green. So I decided to tinker with the basics of this classic, bulking it up with roasted cubes of butternut squash. Add some freshly made croutons and it's a perfect vegetarian dinner.   Butternut Caesar Salad Makes 4 servings For the squash: 20-ounces peeled and cubed butternut squash 1 tablespoon olive oil Salt and ground black pepper For the croutons: 10 ounces rustic bread, cut into croutons (about 4 cups)

DARK CHOCOLATE, CLOVE AND CINNAMON BROWNIES 9 ounces (2 sticks plus 1 ounce) butter, plus extra for greasing 10 ounces chocolate (70 to 80 percent cocoa) 1/2 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup light brown sugar 3 eggs and 1 egg yolk, beaten 1 cup pecans, crushed 1/2 cup all-purpose flour 1 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon sea salt 2/3 cup unsweetened cocoa powder, plus extra to serve 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon, plus extra to serve Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

In this era of farm-to-table mania, few cheeses capture the green-snacking spirit quite like Full Nettle Jack, a seasonal from Cherry Grove Farm in Lawrenceville, N.J. There's little more than salt and minced wild nettles (previously frozen to remove their sting) added to the curds of raw morning milk from Cherry Grove's Jersey cows, which graze on 200-plus acres of organic grass. But the flavor is vividly herbaceous, with an almost garlicky zing backed by shades of dill, marbled into the crumbly-yet-toothsome Monterey Jack.

A Yahoo headline today makes quite a claim: "How to Make the Perfect Steak Sandwich. " With mayo, arugula and cheddar? And open-faced? No, it's not from the Washington-addled brain of Sen. John Kerry, who once tried to order a cheesesteak hoagie with Swiss here in Philly. It's from a Left Coast gourmet place, with its own ideas. To be fair, the billing doesn't say "Philly cheesesteak," so nobody's arguing authenticity. Still, "perfect" invites comparisons.

Is there a more exciting place right now than Spain for wines that are both compelling and affordable? ¡Claro que no! And this fantastically drinkable 2007 El Molinet is only further proof. I discovered this tempranillo-cab blend from the Valencia region at La Tienda, a well-known Spanish import store in Virginia, where it was the perfect red to wash down nibbles of cuminy chorizo, peppery olives, and Spanish cheese. So I was pleasantly surprised to find this gem at the PLCB's handsomely revamped store on Columbus Boulevard.

This recipe for stout-braised chicken thighs is perfect for St. Patrick's Day.   Stout-Braised Chicken Thighs Makes 4 servings 1/4 cup plus 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, divided 1/2 teaspoon salt, more to taste 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper, plus more to taste 11/4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of ...

SICK OF hearing about brines and frying and smoking? Had your fill of sage and thyme and rosemary? Tradition dictates the food groups - bird, stuffing, 'taters of various sorts and pie, pie and more pie for dessert. But within those confines there's plenty of room to get creative. We offer here some new takes on sides and pie, as well as a by-the-numbers outline of how much food you'll need to satisfy the hungry family, and a comparison of gravy mixes. But first let's talk turkey.

At an event in Napa Valley, I tasted an unusual coating of fennel, coriander seed, and cracked black pepper on swordfish. It was just the right combination of flavor and spice. Serve it with this fennel salad: the secret is to make sure the fennel is sliced paper-thin.   Marinated Fennel Salad 1. Remove fennel stalks; cut off feathery leaves. Discard stalks, save leaves. Very thinly slice fennel bulb in a food processor or grate it by hand. Toss with lemon juice in a glass bowl.