Welcome to DavazNet

Steak is all about celebrating the good things in life

Rick Tramonto’s latest book doesn’t hold back from splurging on ingredients for special occasions

By Kim Davaz

Steak is, of course, the main focus of Chicago chef Rick Tramonto’s seventh cookbook, “Steak With Friends” written with Mary Goodbody, but this cookbook is not only about steak. It’s about what steak represents, which is a celebratory meal. Steak means good times, a bit of a splurge, and good friends and family to share it with. It’s a happy food.

This attitude of largesse spills over onto the other foods in “Steak With Friends.” From the beginning cold appetizers to the final chapter on desserts, portions are generous and ingredients, while not always the most expensive, can be pricy: king crab legs in a corn bisque, a pumpkin soup with foie gras, a shaving of truffles on macaroni and cheese.

Because a steak responds well to a little bit of fancy, there are two chapters on embellishments: Steak Toppers, Rubs and Glazes; then Sauces, Stocks, Dressings, Marinades and Syrups.

Not only does Tramonto give drink and serving suggestions, he throws in his music picks (high-energy rock for steaks, jazz for other meats and poultry, gospel for side dishes.) He’d like you to set the tone with some music, say grace and pass the plates.

In case steak isn’t your favorite, in addition to other cuts of beef, Tramonto offers plenty of seafood and “Other Meat and Poultry.”

Speaking of other cuts of beef, Tramonto’s burger was named “Best Burger of the Year” in 1999 by Gourmet magazine. I mention this because in the index, there is no listing of the burger under burger or beef. I remembered the introduction to the recipe had mentioned the Gourmet award, so I found “Gourmet” in the index, which led to the recipe in the “Soups and Sandwiches” chapter. The burger hides in the index under both Sandwiches and Tramonto Burgers.

In the same vein, you must look for the macaroni and cheese with truffles by its proper name, Truffled Mac and Cheese. The onion rings can be found only as “Waffle-Battered Onion Rings.” The index can be a bit of a challenge.

If there is any day of the year that one is almost duty-bound to fire up the grill, it’s the Fourth of July. “Steak With Friends” could be the perfect cookbook for that meal, with selections for every course.

The Wedge is a great dish to take to a party. It is wedges of iceberg lettuce (Tramonto says you can substitute what he calls trendier lettuces, but iceberg is traditional) topped with blue cheese dressing, bacon and chopped vegetables. Use the best possible cheese, preferably Stilton, and assemble the dish at the party.

The Wedge

Serves 4.

• 8 slices thick-cut bacon
• 1 cup mayonnaise
• 2 cups crumbled Stilton or another blue cheese
• 1/4 cup buttermilk
• 1/4 cup sour cream
• 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
• 4 small, densely packed heads of baby iceberg lettuce, outer leaves removed, inner core quartered; or 1 large head iceberg lettuce, quartered, each quarter cut into 4 pieces
• 1 carrot, peeled and julienned
• 3 scallions, white and green parts, thinly sliced on the diagonal
• 2 cups diced cucumber
• 8 to 10 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
• 4 radishes, thinly sliced
• Salt and freshly cracked black pepper

In a large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until just crispy. Drain on paper towels. When cool, break into small pieces.

In the bowl of a food processor fitted with the metal blade, mix together the mayonnaise, cheese, buttermilk, sour cream, lemon juice and Worcestershire. Pulse until blended but with some chunks of cheese remaining.

Divide the wedges of lettuce among 4 chilled plates. Dress each wedge with the dressing and top with generous scatterings of the bacon, carrot and scallions. Sprinkle the cucumbers, tomatoes and radishes around the lettuce and season to taste with salt and cracked black pepper.

Kim Davaz writes a biweekly cookbook review column for The Register-Guard.