dean and deluca

The New American Sushi

Chef Tracy Griffith (right -- and yes, she's the half sister of Melanie Grifftith) has created a whole new kind of sushi, Americana style. Think BLT and Cowboy rolls, and a vegetarian option served with fresh Green Goddess dressing.

Griffith, who has the distinction of being the first female graduate of the California Sushi Academy and one of the few female certified sushi chefs in the world, has compiled her creative new sushi recipes into a book called Sushi American Style. The delicious, raw fish-free fare is also available (as of Monday) in NYC Dean & Deluca stores, and is coming to the rest of the country in 2010.

So, what's it all about? We had a quick chat with Tracy at the New York Times building store and sampled all the sushi in the gallery below.

Luxist: So, Tracy, you developed all these rolls yourself, right?

Tracy Griffith: Yes, for my cookbook, Sushi American Style.

L: What was your inspiration?

TG: My inspiration was sushi customers in LA. I worked in a sushi bar and they always ordered California rolls, and I was like "Why?"

L: Why indeed!

TG: They said "I don't like raw fish." So many people are afraid of, or don't like, raw fish. So, being a chef, I had to start making something else besides California rolls. I started thinking, "What's good with white rice?" It's a very neutral base, like pasta or bread, so [I made the] BLT roll after my favorite sandwich, and Green Goddess, because it's so great with asparagus. Chicken Run has chili-garlic peanuts on it because I was in Bali, and in Bali they put chili-garlic peanuts on everything, and I thought, "Wouldn't that be good?" So, that's how it all started; it was for customers who don't eat raw fish.

L: What are people saying so far?

TG: Oh, they love it! Actually, it's kind of funny, because they walk in and look at me like "What?" and then they taste it and go "Oh, wow! That's great!"

Click through the gallery to see our tasting notes on all the new American sushi that you'll find at Dean & Deluca.

Gallery: American Sushi by Tracy Griffith

Tags: dean and deluca, Dean Deluca, DeanAndDeluca, DeanDeluca, sushi, Tracy Griffith, TracyGriffith

How to Select and Cook The Perfect Holiday Rib Roast

by Deb West (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

There are many elements that contribute to the perfect holiday meal. A beautifully set table, good wine, the guests and for many families, the beef rib roast has become part of the tradition. It can be daunting to figure out how to select, and cook a good roast.

Really the first step to a good meal is to start with the best ingredients. This is just as important with meat as it is with fresh fruits and vegetables. Lobel's of New York is an old fashioned family owned butcher shop that has been serving the city with the finest meat for over 50 years. They along with other purveyors such as Dean and Deluca, recently winning the Luxist Reader's Choice Award for Best Online Gourmet Food, have made it easy to have quality meat delivered to your doorstep.

Not only will Lobel's send you the perfect piece of meat but they have many suggestions on their web-site to help you pick and prepare the perfect roast. Their tips include:

To estimate the size of roast you will need by weight, rather than number of ribs, as the size of the eye varies and will affect the final size of your roast. They suggest 1 -1 1/4lbs per person. (see Lobel's chart here)
To think ahead about the size of your roasting pan. An average dry-aged beef rib bone is approximately 2 inches in length. Do the math ahead of time to make sure your roast will fit in your pan.
Bring the roast to room temperature before roasting.
To use an instant read thermometer to test for doneness but to not poke your roast full of holes! You want to keep the juices in the meat. Wait until you are close to the estimated cooking time before you start to test. (see Lobel's chart here)
Let your roast sit for at least 20 minutes before serving.

Lobel's offers several types of rib roasts, including Dry-Aged Waygu bone-in roasts which range in price from $359.98 for a 4lb roast to $1259.98 for a 14lb roast that comes with complementary horseradish and cream sauce. The USDA Prime Dry-Aged roasts run from $115.98 to $405.98 for the same sizes.

Dean and Deluca will ship you either a frozen or fresh 5 bone 9.9lb rib roast for $275.00 from their exclusive supplier Brandt Beef. A perfectly cooked version is pictured above.

Tags: beef, Dean and Deluca, DeanAndDeluca, holiday dining, HolidayDining, Lobels, Rib Roast, RibRoast, roasting tips, RoastingTips

Dean & Deluca Lobster Rolls Only A Day Away

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

This summer, Dean & Deluca is sending its customers Maine-caught lobster in one of two rolls: light mayo, lemon and celery or mayo and tarragon. This lobster is prime to eat right now, weeks before shedder season when lobsters molt, meaning soft shells and wimpy meat. As far as fresh lobster goes, it's reasonably priced at $135 for eight rolls (plus $35 for mandatory next day shipping). If no decadent picnics are in your future, at least get on the Dean & Deluca mailing list. Because a full-page spread of plump lobster is kind of like foodie Playboy.

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Tags: dean and deluca, DeanAndDeluca, lobster, lobster roll, LobsterRoll, maine, picnic

Sub-Zero Dream Kitchen Up For Grabs

by Tracy Chait (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining, Wine

While the phrase "Enter to win!" is often accompanied by eyerolling and a lesson in probability, when it comes to the 2008 Sub-Zero Dream Kitchen -- and dreamy it is, complete with sleek sub-zero fridge, freeze and wine storage alongside $2,000 worth of gourmet goodies from Dean & Deluca, Wolf dual range, Kohler kitchen gear ... the list goes on -- the words just may inspire a foodie frenzy. Until July 31, enter here if you aspire to cook and entertain in this kitchen-for-the-gods (did we mention ambrosia flows freely from those Kohler products? And there is a subscription to the Windsor Sonoma Wine Club?). Winners of the $50,000 in kitchen booty will be notified August 3. I hope I'm invited to your first dinner party.

Gallery: Sub-Zero Dream Kitchen Up For Grabs

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Tags: cooking, dean and deluca, DeanAndDeluca, dream kitchen, DreamKitchen, foodies, Girard Winery, GirardWinery, kitchen, kohler, McGuire Furniture, McguireFurniture, sub-zero, sweepstakes, Windsor Sonoma, WindsorSonoma, wine, Wolf range, WolfRange

Dean & DeLuca Apple Crate Cake

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

Nothing says fall like warm cake and a crate full of apples, and this is both treats wrapped into one. This Apple Crate Cake, created especially for Dean & Deluca, features carefully crafted marzipan apples nestled into a bed of white chocolate "straw," all sitting in a "crate" of chocolate cake. And it's not only decorate but every bit is edible, although it must be hard to take the first slice and ruin the illusion! Perfect for fall entertaining, the cake measures 6"x5.5" and usually ships within 48 hours, $185.

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Tags: cake, chocolate, dean and deluca, DeanAndDeluca, dessert, edible, food, marzipan, sweet, sweets

Dean & Deluca Caramel Apples

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

If you don't go for the miniature candy bars that are so incredibly prevalent this time of year, but want to get into the Halloween spirit, an acceptably grown-up treat would be something like a luscious caramel apple from Dean & Deluca. The tart Granny Smith apples are coated in a thick layer of smooth, buttery caramel before being dipped into either milk or dark chocolate and decorated with a light white-chocolate drizzle. A set of four apples is $45 plus next-day shipping to ensure that they arrive in pristine condition.

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Tags: apple, apples, caramel apples, dean and deluca, DeanAndDeluca, halloween

Black and Whites from Dean and Deluca

by Nicole Weston (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

High on the list of things missed most by New Yorkers when they take up residence in another state is the Black and White Cookie. The cake-like consistency of the cookie and the smooth, sweet chocolate and vanilla icing combine to make one of the ultimate treats. As a gift for your favorite ex-New Yorker, or perhaps for yourself, consider getting a box of Dean & DeLuca's Black and Whites. Black and Whites tend to be huge, since New Yorker's like things big, but the Dean and Deluca cookies are normal sized and packed in a box that fits two dozen. The cookies are a perfect version of the New York classic - tasty as well as beautiful to look at. If you can't eat them all at once, they freeze beautifully, but if you invite a friend over to share them, you might not have any leftover. Price: $30.

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Tags: black and white, BlackAndWhite, cake, chocolate, cookie, cookies, dean and deluca, dessert, gourmet, snack, treat, vanilla

Joseph Schmidt Heart Chocolate Bowl

by Deidre Woollard (RSS feed) —

Filed under: Dining

We've mentioned Joseph Schmidt chocolates before but I have never seen their chocolate bowls before. The bowls are sold only through Dean and Deluca and have a dark chocolate exterior and a white chocolate interior that is decorated with a hand-painted heart. The bowl comes wrapped in a navy blue and apple green fabric box and sells for $34. It would make a lovely Valentine's Day gift.

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Tags: chocolate, dean and deluca, DeanAndDeluca, gifts, heart, joseph schmidt, romance, valentine's day