An Evening of Honey
Honey Tasting Notes
Bee Raw Honey sources raw and unfiltered honeys from artisanal beekeepers
around the United States. Each honey was selected and paired according to its
flavor profile.
Sweet Yellow Clover Honey, Colorado
Delicate and sweet with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg
Orange Blossom Honey, Florida
Citrus flavors with an amber hue and a tangy finish
Basswood Honey, New York
Warm and mild with herbal notes
Sage Honey, California
Mild with Mediterranean bouquette of herbs and light peppery finish
Buckwheat Honey, Washington State
Stout and complex with notes of moss and malt
Twim Spruce Apiaries Honey Comb, Climax, New York
The Mezedes
In Greece, meals often begin or are completely comprised of small appetizers called mezedes. They are served both hot and cold and enjoyed with a glass of Greek ouzo or wine. The purpose of the mezedes course is much like a cocktail hour, allowing guests to socialize and warm up for the meal to come.
Lamb Meatballs, Cumin, Cucumber Yogurt, and Mint
Sardines, Lemon, Garlic, Olive Oil, and Thyme
Feta, Sweet Yellow Clover Honey, and Cracked Peppercorns
Mediterranean Olives
First Course
Eggplant Tart with Honey Goat Cheese, Kalamata Tapenade, Sorrel Pesto, and Bee Pollen
Sweet Yellow Clover Honey, Micro Dandelion, and Balsalmic
Domaine du Grand Moulin Sauvignon Blanc
Touraine, France, 2009
Second Course
Seared Sea Scallop with Citrus Orzo, Lemon Buerre Blanc, and Fennel-Mint Salad
Basswood Honey, Blood Orange, and Citrus Zest
Sigalas Asirtiko Athiri
Satorini, Greece, 2009
Third Course
Roasted Chicken with Wild Mushroom Ragout and Tarragon Honey Mustard Sauce
Sage Honey, Rosemary, and Pancetta
Vital Vineyard Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley, Oregon, 2009
Fourth Course
Braised Lamb Shank with Sunchoke Puree and Red Wine Honey Reduction
Buckwheat Honey, Thyme, and Garlic
K Vintners Milbrandt Syrah
Wahluke Slope, Washington, 2008
Fifth Course
Sheep’s Cheese, Honey Comb, and Calimyrna Figs
Cacio De Roma, Istora A.O.C., Fiore Sardo
Le Dauphin de Guiraud Sauternes 2004
...So why honey?
It was my first visit to Kalustyan’s in Flatiron that really nailed the theme of my project. I had heard chefs from school mention the place and I fully expected to find a variety of spices, but let’s just say my expectations were well exceeded. As I browsed the aisles, awe-struck by the variety of everything from rare grains to European mustards, I eventually found myself in front of the honey shelf. Never in my life had I seen so many honey varieties. I actually never considered the existence of various kinds of honeys from all over the world. I thought I was a well-informed culinarian by buying local honey, nevermind true artisanal honey.
As I stood before the honey mecca, I studied each bottle, noticing that each brand and flavor came from a specific location. Truffle honey, raspberry honey, clover honey, star thistle honey, blueberry honey, sage honey — these were all new honeys to me, and I all I wanted to do was open a box of crackers and try all of them.
I began to think about the variety of ways I had enjoyed honey in the past, whether it was drizzled on a warm crepe, smeared on a thick slab of cornbread with sweet cream butter, stirred into sweet and tangy barbeque sauce, layered between delicate sheets of phyllo dough to create baklava, or poured over feta cheese with cracked pepper. My mind began to consider other possibilities with honey, and within a matter of minutes, I knew I had the theme for my menu project —honey.
I wanted to narrow my focus more by selecting a region of the world to gather inspiration. Greece was the first country that came to mind, so I began researching Greek meals and took notes on the common ingredients found in Greek dishes. I never had the intention of finding a Greek cookbook or attempting to mimic a Greek restaurant here in the city. I didn’t expect to write a menu that was even fit for a Greek restaurant. I only wanted inspiration, and that’s just what I found during my research.
In Greek cuisine, and Mediterranean cuisine in general, the idea is to let the quality of the ingredients shine. Joyce Goldstein, food writer and authority, really conveyed this to me in her cookbook The Mediterranean Kitchen. “In the Mediterranean,” she states, “food is tied to nature, to season, to ripeness. Simple food, simply prepared, with the best fresh ingredients, food that reflects the environment of the sun-earth-sea, a regional cuisine and not overly refined.”
Furthermore, cultures of the Mediterranean value time around the table with friends and family. Diane Kochilas, author of MEZE, a cookbook devoted to Greek appetizers, presents a variety of small plates meant to be enjoyed family style before the meal or as a meal. In Greece, the beginning of the meal is often enjoyed with ouzo or wine and a variety of mezedes. The Greek people never drink on an empty stomach, so drinks and food always come together. Meals are savored and enjoyed over a series of courses, moving cold to hot.
During my research I observed that most recipes utilize the vegetables, herbs, and seafood that are readily available in the region. Meats like beef and lamb are generally reserved for special occasions. I knew I wanted to implement common Mediterranean ingredients like lemon, olive oil, olives, fennel, thyme, figs, and cheese in my menu, and I knew I wanted to craft a menu for a special occasion. As I began to craft my recipes, I imagined an audience of friends gathering to enjoy company and a meal reminiscent of the Mediterranean.
In order to successfully complete this project I needed a firm understanding of honey. I read an article published in The New York Times on April of 2006 written by Dana Bowen titled, “Blossom to Table: Honey Grows Up.” Bowen interviewed chefs using honey in their menus like Gabrielle Hamilton of Prune and Bobby Flay of Mesa Grill. She also interviewed Zeke Freeman, former chef and founder of Bee Raw Honey in New York City, which is a national distributor of artisanal honeys produced by private beekeepers in the U.S.
Freeman explains that U.S.D.A. Grade A honeys are based on the quality of the honey’s hue rather than the actual flavor. He says that commercial honey is heat-treated and filtered, which can rob a honey of its natural flavor profile and nutrients. This fact alone made me decide that I was only going to use raw, unfiltered honey for my project. I also decided that I wanted to explore the flavors of Be Raw Honey, so I decided to further narrow my project’s focus by using that line of honey.
In Bowen’s article I also learned that each beekeeper cultivates honey from different flowers specific to certain regions. My menu features honey from different flower varietals found in Colorado, Florida, New York, California, and Washington. I also found several other honey-related products during my shopping. In my recipe for roasted chicken I rubbed the chicken with a honey powder I found at Savory spice market in Denver, Colorado. In my recipe for the eggplant tarts, I sprinkled local bee pollen that I found at The Union Square Green Market from Tremblay Apiaries in Van Etten, New York. My cheese plate for the dessert course also features real honey comb from Twin Spruce Apiaries in Climax, New York.
Bees have been cultivating honey for a long, long time. Long before chefs like Hamilton decided to pair chestnut honey with Berkshire country ribs and Greek beans. According to beeduction.com, the first record of people keeping bees dates back to around 3000 BC in Egypt. Bees were not brought to America until somewhere between 800-900 AD. While the dates are arguable between sources, it’s agreed that ancient cultures used honey as a natural sweetener and healing tool.
Another source I consulted was Eric Ripert’s latest cookbook Avec Eric. In his cookbook he devotes an entire chapter to honey, which features his own research and recipes. One of the more compelling quotes from this chapter identifies the real importance of bees as pollinators. “It’s important to recognize that, while the bees are flying from flower to flower collecting pollen, they are at the same time fertilizing the plants that will continue to grow and create fruit and vegetables. Without pollinators, like honeybees, vegetation would die, including all the fruits and vegetables that we eat” (Ripert 104). Along with Ripert’s research, I noticed his recipes included notes of citrus, tarragon, cumin, mustard, and figs. I, too, used these ingredients in my project.
Hopefully my menu accurately communicates the versatility of honey. It pairs well with soft feta and olives, tart lemons, sunkissed oranges, fennel with a delicate taste of anise, earthy mushrooms blended with herbs, succulent wine-braised lamb with mossy buckwheat, and salty sheep’s cheese with sweet figs. It can exist in the background of a dish, giving wonder to sweet undertones, or it can elevate a rich sauce, making it sing with light perfume. Honey is a natural, uncomplicated, and valuable tool in the kitchen.
Bon Appétit!
