Anyone who’s ever worked in a restaurant — whether as a chef, server, dishwasher, hostess, prep cook or any of the other vital positions that keep a restaurant running — would relate to the hit FX show, “The Bear.”
After hearing so many people talking about the show and how good it is, my husband and I finally watched it.
“The Bear” is set in Chicago and centers around Carmen Berzatto, a young chef who was working in New York City’s fine dining world, but after the death of one of his brothers, Mike, Carmen (or “Carmy”) moves home to run his family’s sandwich shop, The Beef.
Carmy’s experience transforming the sandwich shop into an upscale establishment takes viewers on a journey into the behind-the-scenes world of running a restaurant and all the challenges that come along with it.
Of course, one of my favorite parts of the show is seeing the food they come up with, including an omelet garnished with sour cream and onion potato chips. It looked amazing when it was cut open and the Boursin cheese slowly oozed out, so I recreated it.
I was also inspired by a recent episode to create a cannoli chip and dip platter, which is easy to put together and takes less time to prepare than piping cannoli filling into shells.
In several episodes, the kitchen team puts together a family dinner (which some restaurants call a crew meal). The staff sits down to eat together before the restaurant gets busy.
Mike had a homemade marinara sauce he would make for family dinner. Calling it “family dinner” really emphasizes the closeness so many restaurant industry workers experience — the staff feels like a second family.
So to honor Mike’s family dinner, I made my own marinara sauce and served it over bucatini pasta, an excellent dish we enjoyed while watching the next episode.
Bucatini with Marinara Sauce
28-ounce can whole San Marzano tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
5 garlic cloves, peeled and chopped
1 1/4 teaspoon sea salt
Pinch of chili flakes
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1 sprig of fresh basil, plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil for garnish
16-ounce package of bucatini pasta, prepared according to package directions
3/4 cup grape tomatoes, quartered, for garnish (optional)
Add the can of tomatoes, including the juice, to a food processor and pulse several times until the tomatoes are broken up into smaller pieces. Set aside.
Add the olive oil to a deep sauté pan and set it over medium heat. When the olive oil is warmed, add the garlic. Cook the garlic for about one minute, then add the tomato, salt, chili flakes, oregano and basil sprig.
Simmer the sauce for about 15 minutes or until the sauce has thickened slightly. Adjust seasonings to suit your taste and serve over bucatini noodles. Garnish with chopped basil and tomatoes.
Cheese and Chive Omelet
4 eggs
2 ounces Boursin cheese (chive and basil)
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 tablespoon chives, chopped
1/2 cup sour cream and onion potato chips, crushed
Salt and pepper to taste
Bring the eggs to room temperature (to speed the process, you can submerge them in warm water for a few minutes), then crack the eggs into a bowl and add about a tablespoon of water. Whisk the eggs and water together or use a fork to beat the eggs until they well blended.
Add the butter to a nonstick skillet and set it over medium-high heat. When the butter is melted, add the egg mixture.
Use a spatula to gently pull the edges of the egg slightly inward while allowing the egg to cook in a disc shape. When the egg is set, add the cheese to the center, then gently fold the right side of the egg disc to the center and repeat with the left side.
Slide the omelet onto a serving dish. Garnish with chives and crushed chips and season with salt and pepper before serving.
Cannoli Chips and Dip
15 ounces ricotta cheese, drained
8 ounces mascarpone cheese
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
1/2 cup honey roasted (or plain) pistachios, chopped
Cannoli chips for serving
Add the cheeses to a medium bowl and beat with an electric mixer for one minute to combine.
Add about a third of the powdered sugar to the mixture and beat on low for several seconds, then increase to medium high.
Repeat with remaining powdered sugar until the mixture is smooth and creamy. Transfer to a serving bowl and set in the refrigerator for about an hour before serving.
Add the chopped pistachios to the top of the cheese mixture before serving. Serve with cannoli chips.