For more than 30 years, South Florida foodies, wine aficionados, and in-the-know visitors have made the pilgrimage to Two Chefs (305-663-2100) 8287 S. Dixie Hwy. (U.S. 1), a fine dining destination in South Miami. Owner and chef Jan Jorgensen has become iconic as one of Miami’s most successful chef/owners, wowing diners for decades with his contemporary American fare incorporating Danish, Italian, French, and German influences, as well as his expertise in wines.
Popular with gourmands in South Miami, Two Chefs has also been worth the drive for many coming from Miami's northern areas. In fact, part of the restaurant’s longtime appeal has been the element of surprise at its location in an unassuming strip mall that you speed by on your way to Dadeland Mall. Disgruntled drivers who brave U.S. 1 traffic are surprised and delighted to find a sophisticated fine dining mecca, with one of the best wine and spirits lists in Miami, in such an unexpected place.
Now Jorgensen is about to capture the attention of a much wider audience than Miami's epicureans, collecting even more devoted followers. He just released his first cookbook, “A Cook’s Table: Food and Wine Together,” targeted to home cooks who relish the opportunity to use their kitchen skills. These are cooks who want to go beyond a “dinner in minutes” mindset and prepare meals for family and friends – to put something on the table on a Tuesday night that would also be suitable for Saturday dinner. And none of the recipes are out of reach for cooks who have at least a modest level of comfort in the kitchen.
(Photo courtesy Two Chefs Restaurant)
"A Cook's Table - Food and Wine Together, A Cookbook by chef Jan Jorgensen and Todd Wernstrom
Co-authored with former South Floridian journalist and wine expert Todd Wernstrom, “A Cook’s Table: Food and Wine Together” is a compendium of more than 125 recipes from Jorgensen’s storied career, stretching back past Two Chefs restaurant's lifespan to stints in restaurants in Denmark, Greenland, and Switzerland. The recipes range from simple, such as Two Chefs’ famous meatloaf, to sublime, with more advanced dishes ranging from biksemad (Scandinavian hash) to boeuf sauté Stroganoff to escargot pot pie.
“This book is truly a celebration of my life as cook, beginning with dishes from my childhood in Denmark along with Two Chefs classics that have stood the test of time,” said Jorgensen, who calls the creation of “A Cook’s Table: Food and Wine Together” one of his greatest achievements and biggest challenges.
“I have dreamed of collecting my favorite recipes into a book for years and it took time to make it a reality,” said Jorgensen. “A huge part of that was Todd’s vision of simultaneously celebrating wine and food.”
(Photo courtesy of Two Chefs Restaurant)
White water clams with tomato, basil and garlic - pairs with Chardonnay
Longtime friend Todd Wernstrom, the former executive editor of Wine News, which ceased publication in 2010, encouraged Jorgensen to embrace Two Chef’s reputation as a wine lover’s paradise. They organized the recipes according to their suggested wine pairings, including cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay, and zinfandel.
“Diehard wine folks might start with a particular bottle or wine style and then find a recipe to go with it,” said Wernstrom, “Or a home chef who is interested in a special dish – Beef Wellington, for example – will know that it pairs best with a cabernet or cab-based blend, because it hails from that section of the book.”
(Photo courtesy of Two Chefs Restaurant)
Boeuf sauté stroganoff - pairs with Pinot Noir
Each section begins with a Wine 101-style introduction, providing insight to the styles of wine without trying to be what it is not: a wine encyclopedia.
“The harmony between wine and food has been instrumental to Two Chefs’ and Jan’s success, so it was important to have that element at play in “A Cook’s Table,” said Wernstrom. “While we have all come a long way from ‘white with fish and red with meat,’ we both continue to see plenty of doubt among consumers when it comes to choosing wines and pairing wines with food."
(Photo courtesy of Two Chefs Restaurant)
Grilled veal chop with sweetbread stew - pairs with Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, or Merlot
EXCERPT FROM “A COOK’S TABLE: FOOD AND WINE TOGETHER”
Unlike the origin stories of many famous old recipes, this one may actually be true. Because of a shortage of snails, Jules Alciatore, chef at New Orleans’ legendary – even at that time – Antoine’s (founded in 1840 by his father, Antoine) in 1889 (or 1899 depending on your sources) substituted the readily available local oysters. He christened the dish Oysters Rockefeller in honor of the Standard Oil tycoon – would-be monopolist if you prefer! – John D., then said to be the richest man in the world. The dish, while not complicated, has been part of the standard repertoire, particularly in steak houses, for generations. But the recipe has been bastardized over the years and is now largely made with creamed spinach and breadcrumbs. According to my research, spinach came into use primarily to save prep time while still retaining the bright green color presentation. When choosing your oyster, try to find a large variety, like the French Belon. Whichever variety you go with, you’re looking for a very plump and briny one, which will work extremely well with the green topping and licorice flavor of the Pernod. The parallels to oysters done in the Burgundian fashion are obvious and would have most likely been the inspiration for the dish.
OYSTERS ROCKEFELLER
(Photo Courtesy of Two Chefs Restaurant )
Oysters Rockefeller, named in honor of the Standard Oil tycoon, John D. Rockefeller - pairs with Champagne
Serves 6
INGREDIENTS
• 18 large oysters, shucked
• 1/4 lb. butter
• 1/2 cup chopped shallots
• 3 garlic cloves, chopped
• 3 large bunches of Italian flat-leaf parsley twisted and torn from the stems
• 3 large celery stalks
• 1 small to medium leek, rinsed
• 1 bunch scallions
• Finely grated zest from 1 lemon
• Generous splash of Pernod
• Black pepper
• 2 cups panko or other breadcrumbs
PREPARATION
• Finely chop parsley by hand, starting with a chiffonade, then continue to chop until a rough, chunky consistency is achieved.
• Transfer to a mixing bowl.
• Slice the leek and scallion thinly by hand, then chop them the same way the parsley was done. Transfer to the bowl.
• Slice celery stalks thinly, then chop similarly to the way the parsley, leek and scallion were done. Transfer to the bowl. (If this seems like a lot of chopping by hand, it is best done this way so as not to crush the fibers of the ingredients, which would then release any of their bitter qualities. Yes, you could use a blender, but you’d risk making the mixture into mush rather than a textured topping for the oysters. After all, I can’t imagine Chef Jules shouting for a blender in 1889!)
• Next, melt the butter in a small pot, but do not let it color.
• Then add shallots and garlic and cook until tender for 2–3 minutes.
• Add the Pernod and let the butter mixture temper for a few minutes, then pour it over the green mixture.
• With your hand, mix gently, squeezing the ingredients together to form a chunky paste. If you feel the mixture needs more moisture in order to keep together, then melt a little butter and add-in.
• Place the opened oysters on a thick bed of salt so they don’t tip over and lose their precious juices.
• Place a dollop of the green mixture on top of each oyster, covering the whole animal. Sprinkle a generous and even layer of breadcrumbs on top of this. Place the oysters underneath a medium-hot broiler until browned. Serve with lemon wedges.
WHAT TO DRINK
Give in to your inner John D. and splurge on a vintage Blanc de Blancs here. The dish is obviously rich, so the wine’s great acidity will be welcome, and the complexity of an aged Champagne in this category would be as well. If you’re not feeling quite so flush, really any style (except rosé) would do, as long as the wine doesn’t have an extreme amount of bottle age.