Every drink made with vodka is not a Martini, every drink made with Tequila is not a Margarita. Yet, each week we are sent a mis-named recipe that only serves to misinform.

Capricious cooks and mixologists, professionals and amateurs alike, give names to their recipes through ignorance or selfishness; for example, “We need a cocktail for St. Patrick’s Day. Let’s call this drink an Irish Kir.”

An omelet is not a frittata. Both are beaten eggs with mix-ins. But for an omelet, the egg is cooked and then folded over the filling, while a frittata blends the mix-ins with the egg and cooks it like a crustless quiche, on the stove top or in the oven.

Since much of our mission is education that you can imagine the consternation this causes.

Here’s that “Irish Kir” story. Why didn’t we publish it around St. Patrick’s Day? We wanted to take a moment to note that regular or “royale,” it’s a delightful summer drink.

So, let’s start at the beginning:

A Kir is a combination of blackcurrant liqueur and white wine or sparkling white wine. The color is red. Photo courtesy Wikimedia.

Kir is a drink that was created by a major of Dijon, in France’s Burgundy region. For an apéritif, Félix Kir (1876-1968) added a splash of cassis (blackcurrant liqueur, a specialty of Burgundy) to Aligote, a local white wine.

The “Kir,” as it was known, became very popular and led to eight different variations, the best known of which, the Kir Royale, substitutes Champagne for the still wine.

We received a pitch from Benjamin Steakhouse Westchester for a St. Patrick’s Day cocktail called the “Shamrock Kir,” made of Champagne and Apple Pucker. Huh?

It’s a recipe for a Champagne cocktail, but has nothing to do with Kir, the distinguishing feature of which is blackcurrant liqueur.

Not to mention, a kir made with Champagne is a Kir Royale—so mis-name your cocktail an Irish Kir Royale, at least! Would any responsible person argue the facts otherwise?

Said the email:

“Add ½ oz of Apple Pucker or other apple schnapps to a Champagne flute and top of with Champagne or another sparkling wine. Those of you going to Benjamin Steakhouse Westchester and ordering the drink should be sure you’re getting authentic Champagne and not a less expensive sparkling wine.”

Those of you going to Benjamin Steakhouse Westchester should ask why they call this drink a Kir of any kind, instead of a “Sparkling Shamrock,” for example.

The teaching moment:

The publicist who sent this pitch, her client, and all supervisors involved, clearly don’t fully grasp what they’re writing about. Would they call a yellow cake with chocolate frosting a chocolate cake?

Ignorance isn’t bliss: It’s aggravating! To all those involved: You have the Internet at your fingertips. There’s no excuse not to do your research.

If Dad is the king on Father’s Day, how about a box of these chocolate heraldic shields, filled with salted caramel?

Any celebrant who appreciates fine chocolate will roar when he receives a box of such luscious chocolates, embossed with kingly lions.

The heraldic shields are crafted in extra dark chocolate by El Rey and filled with vanilla bean cream caramel and sea salt. As a finishing touch, the chocolate is brushed with edible gold.

We’re fans of Maggie Louise, who combines design flare with terrific taste and beautiful packaging.
A 6-piece gift box is $13.50.

Get yours at MaggieLouiseConfections.com.

And browse the website for more wonderful chocolate creations.

On the brunch menu at Ruschmeyer’s Hotel in Montauk, New York, is an egg sandwich.

It’s not a humble egg sandwich, but a variation of Eggs Benedict.

One side of the toasted English muffin contains a sunnyside-up egg over melted Emmental cheese; the other side has lightly dressed baby arugula topped with poached lobster.

We’ll have two, please.

Or more likely, we’ll be heading out to buy some lobster, making be making our own version for Father’s Day, along with a garnish of salmon caviar.

The menu also features another seaside version of Eggs Benedict: poached egg, hollandaise, and chives, but replacing the Canadian bacon with blue-claw crab.

If you’re nowhere near the hotel, consider making a special brunch by whipping up your own version of both dishes.

June 4th is National Frozen Yogurt Day. Treat yourself to a pint of Oikos Greek frozen yogurt. You can print a $1.00 coupon online.

The brand recently launched a frozen yogurt line in:

 
We received pints of chocolate, strawberry and vanilla to taste. The strawberry and vanilla didn’t do much for us. There are other brands with better strawberry and vanilla flavor.

But the chocolate was most satisfactory, especially given that it’s 150 calories per four-ounce serving—a nice break from, say, Häagen-Dazs chocolate ice cream at 260 calories. It may be an apples-and-oranges comparison, but we’d go for the lower calorie option.

And the lower fat option: Frozen yogurt also has more than half the fat of regular ice cream: 2.5g versus 7g per half-cup serving, according to Dannon. Since much of that fat is saturated (cholesterol), that’s a good thing.

Finally, if you’re lactose-sensitive, the Oikos frozen yogurt line is made from lactose-reduced nonfat milk.

The line is certified kosher by OU.
  

[1] Lamb and a scallop at Blue The Restaurant | Beachwood, Ohio (photo © Blu).

[2] Surf and turf can combine any foods from the two realms: land and sea. Above, grilled salmon and a poached egg from Cafe SFA in New York City (photo © Cafe SFA—now closed).

[3] Lobster ravioli with meat sauce (photo © Chesapeake Bay Foods).

[4] Classic Surf & Turf (photo © Ruth’s Chris Steak House).

[5] Salmon sushi topped with pork tenderloin at Sushi Seki in New York City (photo © Sushi Seki).

[6] Pork chop with smoked trout roe in beurre blanc, an elegant surf and turf concept (photo © Regalis Foods).

National Surf & Turf Day is only celebrated once every four years, on leap day. That’s not a great date selection for a dish that should be celebrated regularly. So on the intervening three years, we slip it in on February 28th, the last day of the month.

We love surf and turf in all forms, and recently added this tasty dish from Chef Alex Reyes at Cafe SFA to our list of unusual surf and turf combinations: a salmon fillet from the surf, and a poached egg from the turf.
 
 

[7] Grilled asparagus topped with a salmon fillet (surf) and a soft poached egg (turf), garnished with asparagus purée. Chef Alex topped the egg with sesame-infused hollandaise and also scattered nori powder on the plate, for a Japanese fusion surf and turf (Abacus Photo).

Create your own version of surf and turf, a concept from the 1960s that pairs proteins from the land and sea on the same plate.

Although it started with a lobster and steak, any items from the realms of the earth and the sea can be combined into surf and turf.

 
Let’s get started on your own surf and turf adventure. Below:

> The history of surf and turf.

> Modern surf and turf ideas, inspiring you to create your own combinations.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> More surf and turf combinations.
 
 
SURF & TURF HISTORY

While meat and seafood have been served at the same meal since since the dawn of plenty, and Diamond Jim Brady (1856-1917) famously consumed platters heaped with steaks and lobsters, the pairing known as surf and turf originated in 1960s America.

Some sources noted in FoodTimeline.org claim that the concept originated on the East Coast, based on a 1966 print article in the Miami News.

The columnist says that the restaurant La Hasta has created the best thing since lox and bagels—surf and turf; and that on some weekends the management had to take the dish off the menu, since demand exceeded supply.

Others say the West Coast has the honors: Food writers Jane and Michael Stern claim, without printed proof, that the same dish by the same name was served at the Sky City restaurant in the Seattle Space Needle, at the 1962 World’s Fair.

That may be, but documentation is required. If anybody remembers it from the World’s Fair, please raise your hand. There’s a bonus if you have the menu.
 
The earliest earliest print reference found by Food Timeline, our favorite reference source on the history of all things food, was published in the Eureka [California] Humboldt Standard of August 14, 1964:

“An entrée in restaurants in Portland [Oregon] is called surf and turf—a combination of lobster and steak.”

Sorry, East Coasters: 1964 beats 1966.

And regardless, surf and turf became the darling of American steakhouse menus, combining the two most expensive items on the menu: lobster (surf) and steak or filet mignon (turf). It has its own food holiday, February 29th, National Surf & Turf Day.

Regardless of origin, consider serving a modern surf and turf variation for Father’s Day or other special occasion.

Some versions don’t even require a special occasion—last night we had steak and tuna skewers.
 
 

[8] Sushi surf and turf: wagyu topped with uni and caviar, garnished with a touch of scallion (photo © Victor Tam).

Each week we try to “invent” a different combination for dinner. Recent pairings follow. Note that:

 
In the past year we’ve created these, and liked them all:

 
Try your hand at the new surf and turf and let us know your favorites.
 

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