Category Archives: Glamour Food

Enjoy Some Of Our Unique Perspectives On The World Of Food.

Most Expensive Thanksgiving Dinner

Ever thought about hosting an “expensive” Thanksgiving dinner, costing… say about $181,000? The last time it was offered was in 2019 at the Old Homestead Steak House in New York City.  

The most expensive Thanksgiving dinner is evidently representative of the decadent side of human nature…or is it?

It’s safe to say that, most likely, it will not be offered during this pandemic year.  

But one never knows…does one…

Well, what does an expensive Thanksgiving dinner look like in the first place?

Old Homestead Steak House Shopping List

Let’s take a peek at some of the ingredients on Homestead’s grocery list, so to speak:

IngredientsCost
20 lb Free Range Turkey$5,800
Edible Gold Flakes$2,000
Exotic Middle Easter Spices$4,000
Louis XIII Cognac$3,650/bottle
12 Loaves of Bread$125/ea
Caspian Sea Caviar$1,800/oz
Taylor Fladgale 40 yr. Tawny Port$460/bottle
Spanish Bacon$1,200/lb
Imported Truffles$1,050/oz
United Kingdom White Cheddar$300/lb
Japanese Wagyu Beef Bacon$480/lb
Pappy Van Winkle Bourbon$3,800/bottle
Cristal Champagne$300 – $18,800/bottle
Dom Perignon$292 – $49,000

The menu also included a seafood stuffing consisting primarily of Maine Lobster, Alaska King Crab, and Otoro Tuna.  

A panoply of veggies – whipped potatoes, candied sweet potatoes, roasted butternut squash and white asparagus- rounded out this dining extravaganza.

And this super elegant dinner came with its own special perks:

  • Seven day SeaDream Yacht Club Cruise for 2 – $50,000
  • A Hudson Yards luxury shopping spree – $20,000
  • Four Super Bowl tickets, first class flights, and 5 star accommodations – $30,000
  • His and Her iPhones – latest version
  • Bottle of Special Reserve Cristal
  • Tickets to The Voice and Macy’s Day Parade
  • And finally, a Bentley Bentayga SUV Guided Tour of New York City

Whew, That’s An Expensive Turkey Dinner!

Well, once you review the menu and laugh hysterically at your empty bank account, then, ideally, it does sound like a delicious, romantic adventure.

If given the assignment, how would you put together an expensive, delectable Thanksgiving dinner to be enjoyed by close family and friends?

And while you’re thinking about that, I wonder what a poor man’s turkey dinner would really look like today?

The Most Exotic Spice Saffron

First cultivated in Greece, the spice saffron originates from the Saffron Crocus flower. Lovers of the Spanish dish paella know that saffron is a key ingredient in this delectable dish. Its bitter taste and hay-like fragrance contains the carotenoid dye, crocin, that gives food a rich golden-yellow hue.

The Price of Saffron

Saffron whole and retail prices can range from US $500/pound to US $5,000/pound. 

In Western countries, the average retail price is $1,000/pound. 

And between 70,000 and 200,000 saffron threads comprise a pound!

As expected, saffron cultivators grow a variety of threads ranging in flavors from Spain’s mellow, Italy’s robust, to the intense quality grown in Macedonian Greek, Iranian, and Kashmiri Indian regions.

Currently, the U.S. bans saffron from Iran and India bans the export of saffron from Kashmir, both highly desired and, clearly, hard to get.

So, all you paella lovers can order 2 grams (.07oz) of Spanish saffron on Amazon at $11.95 ($169.50 / Ounce). 

In India and China, saffron is also used as a fabric dye.

A Little About Saffron’s Past

An exotic spice, saffron has a long ancient multicultural history dating back to the Stone Age. 

Over the course of time, the value of saffron cooking and medicinal properties spread throughout the Mediterranean, moving slowly into Eurasia, North African and North America.

Saffron cultivation was introduced to Spain, France and Italy by the Moorish civilization.

And the Europeans eventually brought saffron to the Americas. 

Once in America, the Pennsylvania Dutch became the prime curators of the saffron spice.

Its medicinal qualities and subsequent trading history, like so many other rare spices, accounts for the popularity of saffron. Saffron has prices reaching levels analogous to that of the price of gold.

Today, saffron’s unusual taste and food coloring properties contribute to its wide and diverse use in Arab, Central Asian, European, Indian, Iranian, Moroccan and Cornish cuisines including sweets and liquors.

The saffron crocus thrives in Mediterrean like climates, growing best in strong direct sunlight.

The harvest window for saffron can be very short – lasting anywhere from 2 to 29 days a year, depending on the climate of the growth region.

Like many other ancient spices, saffron was also used as a medicinal, treating approximately 90 illnesses. 
As a powerful antioxidant, saffron research is on-going today on the influence of its medicinal properties. Illnesses like cancer, MS, and Alzheimers and the primary focus.

Isn’t the Truffle Just Another Mushroom?

Once considered as having aphrodisiacal properties, almost anything truffle is usually held in high esteem throughout the culinary world. Particularly if it originates from France or Italy. Truffles are used primarily to flavor a dish and/or you can use a derivative such as – truffle oil, truffle salt, and truffle butter to accomplish a similar goal.

But isn’t a truffle just an expensive mushroom?

In culinary speak, a truffle is an edible genus tuber – a member of the fungi family.

So does that mean that it’s just a mushroom?  

It’s a mushroom species of sorts – an edible, expensive one, usually costing thousands of dollars per pound.  

What is the exact distinct difference between a mushroom and a truffle. Truffles grow underground near the roots of specific trees.

Whereas mushrooms usually grow above ground, anywhere and everywhere, depending on the environmental conditions.

Like mushrooms, not all truffles are edible.

Edible truffles, for the most part, resemble lumpy potatoes, with a unique appearance, smell, and taste. 

The truffle has a singular taste profile described as earthy, ranging from mild to pungent. 

Rich in a wide range of nutrients, they’re also a good source of carbs, protein, fiber. Truffle are high in antioxidants and contain both unsaturated and saturated fatty acids.

The most common truffles are black and white.  The black truffle aka Perigord thrives in the Perigord region in France.

The white truffle aka tuber magnatum pico are found in southern European. In particular the Piedmont and Tuscany regions of Italy.

Although truffles are grown around the world including the U.S., the actual cultivation process for authentic truffles is extremely sensitive to climate and soil conditions.

From planting to harvesting truffles and securing a good crop generally takes anywhere from  5-10 years.

The search and find techniques involving the use of trained dogs to find these precious commodities as well as the cultivation process itself contributes enormously to their status as a very expensive delicacy.

So who actually discovered the truffle?

Like most everything else in the culinary world, truffle discovery can be traced back to ancient, ancient times.

Inscriptions of the Neo-Sumerians in the 4th century B.C. describe the eating habits of their enemy, the Amorites which, of course, included truffles.

Scientific analysis has traced truffle origins back more than 280 million years.

Once a secret ingredient used only by peasants to flavor food during the Middle Ages. Truffles eventually began to grace the tables of the European elite and rulers including the Papacy.

Today, France and Italy remain the world’s truffle kingdoms.  

Successful production of truffles also has been achieved in parts of Australia, New Zealand, and Croatia. 

In the United States, there are truffles farms in Oregon, North Carolina, California, Arizona, and Tennessee.
Although ever popular around the world, truffle reproduction is still a very challenging agricultural process subject to the vicissitudes of climate change, harvest experience, and the commodities market.

Would you try Billion Dollar Popcorn?

Calling All Popcorn Lovers: In the mood for a bucket of rich, buttery golden popcorn? Also feel like celebrating National Popcorn Popping Month? Then hop over to Berco’s Popcorn and try their Billion Dollar Popcorn.

So what’s inside this Billion Dollar Popcorn?

Berco’s is made of the finest ingredients from around the world. Included in this tasty treat is organic sugar, butter from Vermont Creamery and, of course, Nielsen Massey Bourbon Vanilla. Topped off with 23-karat edible gold flakes and you really have something special.

A kernel of 23k editable gold flack popcorn cost- $5.

A 1 gallon tin of 23K edible gold flake popcorn cost- $250.

A 2 gallon tin of 23K edible gold flake popcorn cost – $500.

A 6.5 gallon tin of 23K edible gold flake popcorn cost- $2,500.

History of America’s love of popcorn

After all, October is National Popcorn Popping Month. 

Did you know that the popcorn we all love does not come from the same seedlings as corn on the cob?

Evidently, we love the popping zea mays everta variety of maize.

Food Factoid: According to National Geographic, in 1903, we had 307 varieties of corn.  However, today, we have approximately 12 varieties.

Initially discovered in the Americas, history documents the use of popcorn by indigenous people such as the Aztecs and Native Americans, not only for eating but ceremonial activities as well.

As a matter of fact in 1948, Herbert Dick and Earle Smith discovered, while exploring a bat cave in New Mexico, popped kernels carbon dating back to approximately 4000 years old.

Popcorn began mesmerizing American taste buds in the early 1820’s.

Sold throughout the eastern United States under the names Pearl or Nonpareil, its popularity spread throughout the South.

Gaining a foothold in America, by 1848, the word “popcorn” was included in John Russell Bartlett’s Dictionary of Americanisms. 

In 1885, Charles Cretors invented the first commercial popcorn machine.

The Rise of Cracker Jacks

In 1893, Cracker Jack made its first appearance at the Chicago World’s Fair. Louis Ruckheim developed a recipe that combined popcorn, peanuts, and molasses.  

Needless to say, it was a hit, messy to eat, but a hit nonetheless.

However, the actual commercialization of Cracker Jack did not begin until 1896. 

Ruckheim eventually designed a method that would eliminate the messy eating experience and keep the popcorn, peanuts and molasses from clumping together.

“Take Me Out to the Ball Game”, an American baseball anthem written by lyricist Jack Norworth and composer Albert Von Tilzer in 1908, helped to popularize Cracker Jack by including in the song the line: 

“Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack!”.

During the late 19th to the early 20th centuries, popcorn continued to evolve in its popularity, from being a breakfast food to becoming a movie house related thriving business option during the Great Depression.  

During World War II, Americans ate 3 times as much popcorn primarily because of the limited availability of sugar to make candy.

In the mid 20th century, television was soaring in popularity. Movie theaters, however, were experiencing low attendance along with limited popcorn consumption.

Microwave popcorn to the rescue!

In the early 1980’s, microwaves and microwave popcorn began appearing in American homes.

And popcorn experienced a popularity resurgence.

As a non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, sugar-free and naturally low in fat and calories, this wholesome, whole grain snack is great for the diet and budget friendly.

Today, Americans eat, according to the Popcorn Board, approximately 13 billion quarts of popcorn per year or 42 quarts per person.

So, if you’re in the mood for golden buttery popcorn? Feel like celebrating National Popcorn Popping Month? Have a couple of extra bucks to spend?

Then hop over to Berco’s Popcorn and try there Billion Dollar Popcorn.

Bird’s Nest Soup $100 a Bowl?

Are you in the mood for soup? Most likely you won’t find a can of bird’s nest soup at your local grocery store. In fact, bird’s nest soup is an exotic Asian delicacy. Very popular in Southeast Asia and available at some Asian restaurants in the U.S.

It’s mystical charm is that it’s purported to have medicinal benefits.

Advocates proclaim that a steady diet of bird’s nest soup can strengthen your immune system. Also aid your digestion, and, most importantly, enhance your libido.

By now, you’re envisioning a cute little nest made of twigs and leaves. Boiling in a pot of chicken broth along with loads of vegetables.

Aha…not quite. 

In fact, bird’s nest soup, a 400 year old Southeast Asian delicacy. This soup is made of dried and hardened bird saliva, harvested from a cave/cliff dwelling bird called a swiftlet. 

Once cooked, you can just imagine the texture.

How much does birds nest soup cost?

Today, a “pound” of bird’s nests can cost as much as $4500 or more. 

So, what would a small bowl bird’s nest soup actually cost?! 

In Hong Kong, for example. A bowl of bird’s nest soup can cost you anywhere from $30 to $100 a bowl!  

Same price range exists at Asian restaurants in the U.S.

Yikes!!  Where’s the Campbell soup people when you need them!

So why does a bowl of gelatinous bird’s nest soup cost an arm and a leg?

How is birds nest soup made?

Well, dating back to the 1500’s, swiftlets’ nests were originally used by the Chinese elite as an expensive healing tonic.

In those days, hunting for swiftlet bird nests was considered a dangerous and costly enterprise.  

The swiftlet bird is a cave/cliff dwelling animal. 

And because of that fact, most nest collectors, in search of this delicacy. Had to climb steep cliffs and traverse challenging mountainous regions in Southeast Asia, the South Pacific islands, and Northeast Australia to harvest the goods of their prey.

The popularity of this unique soup

The popularity of this unique soup and the challenges associated with securing its specific ingredients. Fostered the development of swiftlet breeding house farms.

The swiftlet house farm industry in Malaysia alone has grown from 900 in 1998 to about 60,000 in 2013. 

Continued growth of the swiftlet farm industry over the last two decades has materialized profits for farmers in the range of $5 billion a year.

For those of you who are curious about swiftlet bird nest producers. Indonesia is the largest producer of bird’s nests, followed by Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines.

And Hong Kong and the U.S. are the largest importers of swiftlet bird nests.

Your curiosity stimulated yet?  Want to know more? 

As an animal product, access and use is regulated by the U.S.D.A.

To get the best advice on the where, what, and how of this Asian delicacy. Visit your local Asian community and seek out their recommendations.

Enjoy!

Has Caviar Lost Some of Its Royal Luster?

Once reserved strictly for the pleasure of royalty, caviar is now accessible to anyone who enjoys eating fish eggs. Yup, that’s what the regal sounding word caviar means – fish eggs. In other words, salt-cured roe extracted primarily from fish sources such as sturgeon, salmon, white fish, to name a few.

History of Caviar

Caviar’s birthplace originated in the belly of the sturgeon fish. The sturgeon fish, itself, has a long ancient history dating back some 250 million years. 

The word ‘caviar’ first appeared in print in 1591. Eventually, caviar became a delicacy for Middle Eastern and Eastern European diets, in particular Russia.

The first caviar plant was founded in the 14th century in Russia by a lake full of sturgeon. Until the early 1900’s, Russia and Iran were the primary producers of high quality/high priced sturgeon caviar. 

Once abundant in the rivers and neighboring seas of Russia and Iran, the overfishing of sturgeon in those countries began to limit the availability of sturgeon roe. 

Caviar in the US

Enter the U.S.A. and caviar production. Established in 1873 by a German immigrant, American sturgeon caviar was eventually distributed throughout the world.

A 1900 Pennsylvania report estimated that 90% of Russian caviar was produced by the U.S.

Yes, you read that right – at one point, the majority of Russian caviar was produced in and internationally distributed by the U.S. and then re-imported back into the U.S. as Russian caviar!

The end of Sturgeon Caviar

Eventually, the depletion of sturgeon resources became a worldwide issue for the producers of caviar. And, as a result, by the 1960’s, caviar prices had skyrocketed, requiring other Caviar producing countries to search for new sources of roe like salmon, white fish, and lumpfish.

The replacements were not the same caliber as sturgeon roe, the primary source of the infamous Beluga caviar, but served as adequate substitutes.

For the caviar lover, sturgeon is the premier source of high quality caviar although other roe delicacies are gaining popularity.

True enjoyment of diverse food delicacies such as caviar often requires having an acquired taste for said delicacy. Caviar is graded on the basis of size, texture, and flavor of the eggs.

Two main grades dominate the caviar market:

Grade 1: Firm, large eggs that are intact (more expensive).

Grade 2: Less delicate and less perfectly formed eggs (less expensive).taste.  

So, for you lovers of caviar who cannot necessarily afford the very best, the availability and quality of alternative sources are proving to be a more than adequate reminder of the “black gold” once treasured by the royalty of Europe.

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