Bacon wrapped dates stuffed with Maytag Bleu cheese and finished with a Balsamic Reduction

It’s now early on a Monday morning and the week is finally over. I can hear the rain falling gently outside my open windows as the cool, damp breeze whisks through my bedroom while I sit wide awake. I should be exhausted but I’m not. This is my first chance to take a much-needed break, a chance to clear my head, reflect on the week that was and catch my breath. It has been an extraordinary week.

Above the general duties of my life as a chef, this week has presented challenges and opportunities that most weeks don’t offer. Tuesday, my lone day off, I spent teaching the wonderful kids at Clay Academy in Woodstock the values of eating a healthy and well balanced diet. All week long I’ve prepped my busy restaurant, made the proper decisions on food orders, slept for a few hours and staffed my kitchen accordingly so I could get away for a special event Saturday evening.

Saturday night was the initial voyage of my Bistro @ Home catering concept. This past November I offered my services for a charity where I would go to someone’s home and prepare a multi-course dining experience similar to one they would receive in a small and intimate bistro. The package was sold to a wonderful couple that invited me to their home to cook for their esteemed guests. The evening was magical. I prepared and demonstrated six individual courses featuring foods from around the world while they sipped on wine, laughed, listened to music and enjoyed the company of the ones they love.

The evening offered the guests a rare opportunity to ask me questions on food preparation, secrets, techniques and anything else they wanted. As the evening went along, questions were thrown my way about where I went to school, what types of food I most enjoy cooking and what I dream to do next.

One question in particular sticks out to me on this quiet and peaceful evening.

“Chef, what foods do you love?” was the question.

I remember answering, “Anything that someone cooks for me!” It was a line that I stole from Mario Batali but in so many ways it rings true to me.

As I sit alone in the comforts of my room with time to reflect, I think to myself, “What do I love?”

Are you ready? Here goes:

I love food. I love wine. I love pig. I love pig and wine. I love brussel sprouts sautéed with bacon and finished with a touch of sherry wine. I love gently seared foie gras. I love Maytag Bleu Cheese. I love toasted almonds. I love chocolate. I love chocolate with toasted almonds. I love chocolate with toasted almonds and chipotle. I love peanut butter and jelly toast. I love Whole Wheat Cheerios. I love grilled Cowboy Ribeye Chops. I love roasted fingerling potatoes. I love sautéed haricot verts. I love balsamic vinegar. I love sherry wine vinegar. I love butternut squash. I love risotto. I love strawberry risotto. I love ancho peppers. I love chipotle peppers. I love roasted asparagus. I love zucchini. I love yellow squash. I love tomato jalapeno salsa that's way too spicy. I love pommes frites. I love roasted garlic aioli. I love a Remoulade sauce. I love chipotle ketchup. I love tomato bisque with a sandwich of grilled cheeses like pepper jack and cheddar. I love arugula. I love frisee. I love spinach. I love mustard greens. I love braised Swiss chard. I love Manchego Cheese. I love cured meats. I love crusty breads. I love goat cheese. I love bold red wines from the Malbec region. I love steamed Mussels in a tomato jalapeno broth. I love steamed Mussels and baguette. I love roasted tomatoes. I love cow's tongue. I love sweetbreads. I love tripe. I love duck. I love duck confit. I love anything confit (tomatoes, garlic, whatever) I love pumpkin with chipotle. I love the sound of anything hitting a hot sauté pan. I love the chill of the kitchen in the morning. I love the punishing heat of the kitchen during dinner service. I love good music in the kitchen. I love the Dave Matthews Band in the kitchen. I love listening to Maxwell in the kitchen. I love cooking for my family. I love teaching and cooking with my little chef. I love sharing wine, talking food and cooking with my DL. I love teaching the kids at Clay Academy. I love cooking with the three Js, (Jason, Jimbo, and Jesse) I love avocado. I love chili in the fall. I love sirloin chili. I love corn bread. I love sirloin chili and corn bread. I love grilled shrimp. I love fish tacos. I love seared tuna. I love salmon. I love sea bass. I love roasted red snapper with charred tomato jalapeno vinaigrette. I love lamb. I love lamb chops. I love leg of lamb. I love elk. I love bison burgers cooked to a perfect med rare with Maytag bleu cheese crumbles. I love portabella, crimini, shiitake and oyster mushrooms too. I love caramelized onions. I love ancho crusted venison tenderloin. I love squab. I love Cornish game hens. I love roasted turkey. I love chicken. I love coq au vin. I love pollo en mole. I love enchiladas. I love fideo. I love chocolate chip cookies. I love pancakes. I love fresh tortillas with a touch of butter.

 I love this week’s appetizer, which was the first course to my dinner on Saturday night, a perfect way to begin a great night of food and friendship.

Dates stuffed with Maytag bleu cheese, wrapped in bacon, with a touch of reduced Balsamic vinegar.

 This recipe is more about the components than it is about the measurements. What you’ll need depends on the number of people you’re serving. On this evening, I served six people and I figured that four dates per person was sufficient. The dates and this application are rather rich so be careful of offering too many. You never want to spoil the following courses so it’s a good idea to tease your guests with these little nugget bombs of goodness.

• 1 pound of bacon, about 10 inch slabs cut in half, giving you approximately 5-inch strips. Place the 5-inch strips on a sheet pan and place in a preheated 350-degree oven for about five minutes. After the allotted time, remove the par-cooked bacon and allow to cool.
• 24 dates, precisely sliced on one half and open like a book. The dates must be kept in one whole piece so make a detailed incision by only cutting open one side of the date.
• 6 oz of crumble Maytag bleu cheese. You could also use goat cheese instead. It’s your call here chef, so I’m leaving it up to you!
• 2 cups of Balsamic Vinegar reduced. To reduce the balsamic vinegar, place the vinegar in a sauté pan and on medium high heat bring it to a slow simmer, reduce the heat to medium and allow the balsamic to reduce by half. When the vinegar has reduced by half, remove from the heat, let cool and transfer to a squeeze bottle with a fine tip.

To assemble, stuff the half opened dates with the bleu cheese and close the date.

Next, take the par cooked bacon strip and wrap around the stuffed date. Skewer the dates, two on each to ensure that the bacon won’t come unraveled.

Place the skewered stuffed dates back in the oven and cook until the bacon has achieved a nice crispy finish, which should be approximately five more minutes. At this point remove the skewers.

To plate. Arrange the skewered dates on your finest white rectangle plate. Place a small amount of greens on one end to give support and height to your skewers. Drizzle the reduced balsamic over the dates, the greens, and lastly at the foot of the dates.

Buen Provecho!