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Three Western Culinary Institute Grads BBQ It Big William Vaughan, Peter McCormick, and Thomas Nellen, all November 2005 graduates, have recently opened Willie V's Catering which specializes in authentic pit-smoked barbeque. While still students, the three had an opportunity to host an impromptu barbeque at the St. Helens (OR) Chamber of Commerce. One of the attendees was the son-in-law of Oregon Hill Farms, who, after tasting the barbeque without and then with sauce, was sold on the products he had tasted: huckleberry BBQ and honey ginger wild mushroom BBQ sauce. The students were introduced to Tom McMahon, owner of Oregon Hill Farms, and spent the next two weekends providing barbeque for the farms' annual Pumpkin Festival. A faithful fan base began. Working with newly made connections, especially with assistance from the McMahons, Willie V's continues to grow. They have already made a name for themselves in St. Helens and around, as William related a story from his wife: she was shopping in a local grocery store and mentioned Willie V's new barbeque catering business to the checker. Another shopper stopped her and said "They'll never make it here! We have the Four Dudes (Willie V's) - I've eaten their food twice, and you guys can't possibly beat that barbeque!" Of course, William's wife laughed and responded, "I'm glad to hear that - we are Willie V's." Willie V's Catering currently offers hand chosen USDA certified meat rubbed with their special blend of 17 herbs and spices. Catering options run from The Feather Weight (one meat, two sides, and bread) to The Heavy Weight (three meats, two sides, and bread) as well as meat by the pound and classic barbeque sides such as cole slaw, macaroni and cheese, and baked beans. They hope to begin bottling their six different sauces this spring.
For the Love of Biscotti But too many times in the United States, the twice-baked cookies are "break-a-tooth" hard and unappetizing no matter the amount of soaking. For the Love of Biscotti is changing that. Pastry chef and owner Shane Hamilton makes crispy-on-the-outside but soft inside biscotti that are sold at coffee shops around Salt Lake County. Hamilton, a graduate of the Western Culinary Institute, said he has been making the biscotti for more than 20 years from a recipe he learned while traveling in Europe as a teen. "I went to visit a friend who had been a foreign exchange student and his mother made this biscotti with all these fruit and nuts," he said. "When I came back, I spent months perfecting it." From that one base recipe, Hamilton has developed 84 different flavor combinations from apple-cinnamon-pecan to white chocolate-raspberry. An avid traveler—he works part time doing airline reservations—Hamilton gets many of his flavor combinations from the foreign countries he visits. "I especially like to copy flavors from Danish pastries," said Hamilton, who has a commercial kitchen in his Provo home to make his cookies. Among the most popular biscotti are toasted coconut almond and a mint, made with bits of dark chocolate Andes mints. Rimini coffee, which sells its roasted beans as well as fresh baked goods to several area stores, switched to Hamilton's biscotti about two years ago. "It's the very nicest and freshest," said Rimini manager Charleen Brown, adding that the individually packaged cookies are popular with the coffee house customers. The stores sell about 50 dozen each month. Recently, Hamilton has developed several unique flavors sold specifically at Rico Mexican Market, including "tres leche," churros and Mexican hot chocolate. Available at the following Salt Lake City locations: Rico Mexican Market, 779 S. 500 East; Sugar House Coffee, 2106 S. 1100 East; and Casa Bella, in Trolley Square, 602 E. 500 South. Telephone orders can be made at 801-787-0874. Cost from $1.50 to $2.50.
Cinnamon Roll Biscotti Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Combine the butter, sugar, nutmeg and vanilla in a bowl. Mix thoroughly by hand. Add the eggs, raisins and cinnamon. Set aside. In a separate bowl, add the flour, baking powder and salt. Combine with a wire whisk. Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix thoroughly, but do not over mix. The dough should be slightly crumbly. Pour the dough onto an ungreased baking sheet and pat into a wide loaf about 2 inches high, 6 inches wide and 13 inches long. Bake 25 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool at least 15 minutes. Starting at the short end, cut the loaf into 1-inch-thick slices. Turn the cookies onto their sides and bake 12 minutes. Turn the cookies over and bake 8 minutes longer. Remove from the oven and let cool. Drizzle with melted chocolate, if desired. Makes 13 biscotti.
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