You can go home again. Two years ago Waldy Malouf returned, as Director of Special Projects, to the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. Waldy graduated in 1975 and began a whirl wind career: entry restaurant jobs, time on cruise ships, European travels, opening the wonderful Hudson River Club in Battery Park City, reviving the Rainbow Room and then creating the fabulous Beacon Restaurant in mid-town.
Beacon was "a chef steakhouse" according to Waldy where his love of grilling and roasting was applied to everything that appeared on your table. With his Sicilian and Lebanese heritage, Waldy was raised on food close to fire and farm. He remains fascinated by what flame and heat can do to food, and believes it rivals the impact of rubs, sauces, and spices.
High Heat: Grilling and Roasting Year-Round is an assembly of recipes that reflect Waldy's philosophy and the wonders of Beacon. It's one of those out of print wonders that you can find at Amazon at $0.01 and up. It's worth the penny and the three bucks for shipping. Worth all that and far more.
There are main courses, of course, with separate chapters for Poultry, Fish & Seafood, and for Beef, Pork & Other Meats. Here you'll find dishes that reflect the Beacon trademark: a basic component adorned with just enough complements to forge dish a dish of exceptional flavor and visual appeal. Dishes like:
Flank Steak with Rosemary and Roasted Garlic
Herb Crusted Salmon Horseradish bead Sauce
Mustard Shrimp with Capers
Turkey Breast Paillardes with Black Pepper, Sage and Garlic
Quail with Bacon, Sag, and Camembert
But I think the highlights of the book fall more with the Appetizers, Soups, and Desserts. Here the stars include:
Caramelized Onion and Roquefort Gratin
Charred Onion Soup
Roasted Carrots with Honey and Black Pepper
Smoky Corn and Cod Chowder
Grilled or Roasted Asparagus with Scallions and Fried Eggs
Charred Yellow Tomato Soup with Cilantro Onion Relish
Caramelized Apple Bread Pudding
Caramelized Bananas with Blood Oranges, Rum and Spices
Gingerbread Cake with Balsamic Roasted Pears
Grilled Pineapple with Gin, Juniper and Lime
As you can see from these recipe titles, High Heat really is heat based. The descriptions of charred, caramelized, grilled, roasted, and smoky tell you that, if you try these recipes, you'll have your burners on high.
Sometimes a recipe here will use heat as that main technique to generate flavor, like the Roasted Carrots. Sometimes, besides the heat, Waldy adds some side component that truly polishes the dish, like the Cilantro Onion Relish or his technique for the Caramelized Bananas which elevates bananas foster to new intensity. His recipe for Ten Herb Butter is here, too, an adornment for anything on your plate.
The students at the CIA are fortunate to have Waldy return there, ready to share his experience and expertise. You would be fortunate to track down a copy of High Heat and enjoy the power of the flame.