Cooking Corner by Various Authors

When chef Jason Maitland cooked at New York City's prestigious James Beard House last summer, he dazzled the sold-out dining room with Foie Gras and Duck Rillette Lollipops With Strawberry Gelee and Pistachio Dust.

At his restaurant in the San Diego Marriott Del Mar, where the menu changes every week or so, Maitland, 29, similarly impresses with farm-to-fork creations such as Pan-seared Blue Crab Cakes With Butternut Squash, and Roasted Chestnut Hash With Melted Cippolini Onions and Sage Butter.

But when the Young Turk entertains at home or enjoys a rare day off with his girlfriend, Patricia Lee, the menu takes on a decidedly different tone.

"At home it's always rustic, homestyle stuff," said Maitland, in the small but utilitarian kitchen in his condo. "I still want to impress people, but I'm doing it with just the flavor, not dressing anything up at all like we do at the restaurant.

"At home, I pile everything on a round plate. It tastes just as good. People love it."

For the opening game of the '08 NFL season, Maitland and Lee invited in 25 friends — mostly fellow chefs and other restaurant types — to help tackle two suckling pigs, homemade corned beef hash, vats of eggs and grits, and biscuits and gravy. The libation of choice for Maitland on game day — or really any day he is home and cooking - is Gentleman Jack bourbon.

On a recent morning, Maitland rustled up Biscuits and Sausage Gravy for friends and co-workers who were coming to brunch.

Chris Davies, Arterra's pastry chef and Maitland's buddy, was bringing bottles of old-fashioned root beer, elderflower orange soda and cream soda that he brewed himself. Heidi Strugazow, another Arterra pastry chef, and beau Ernesto Arbanil, an Arterra cook, also came by to help Maitland bake biscuits and tuck into the repast.

Without consulting a cookbook or bothering with measuring cups or spoons, Maitland plunked Italian sausage into a smoking hot pan. He flung in chopped onions, poured in milk straight from a gallon jug, and sprinkled flour right out of the bag, all the while whisking like a mad man.

Not a fan of sweet breakfast foods, Maitland said he is known for his biscuits and gravy. Watching the ballet as he cooked furiously and Lee nimbly maneuvered around him to whisk away dirty dishes to wash, it was easy to see this is a well-honed routine.

Maitland was named executive chef at Arterra in April 2008. The native of Boston has cooked at the sophisticated restaurant — under the tutelage of chef Carl Schroeder until he left in 2006 — since its doors opened Jan. 14, 2002.

Maitland got his love of hearty cooking from his father, David, who had his own reputation for making big batches of spaghetti and meatballs. Before moving to San Diego, Maitland worked in a butcher shop breaking down large cuts of meat, fried up seafood in a fish house, and worked the line at a bar and grill and a prime-rib restaurant.

Even though cooking is his job, Maitland loves to relax by cooking at home. The only hindrance, he says, is not having a crew of dishwashers to clean up in his wake.

Oh, "and not having enough side towels," he said.

Biscuits With Sausage Gravy

Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 tablespoons sugar

1/4 cup chopped chives

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

3/4 cup ( 1 1/2 sticks) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

6 ounces cream cheese, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1 1/4 cups buttermilk

Sausage Gravy:

1 1/2 pounds spicy or sweet Italian sausage, casings removed, crumbled

1/2 medium yellow onion, diced

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

4 tablespoons white wine

1 1/2 quarts whole milk

3 green onions, chopped

1/2 bunch parsley, finely chopped

Salt and pepper, to taste

Yields 8 servings.

To make biscuits: Preheat oven to 375 F.

In a large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, chives and salt. Mix by hand until distributed evenly. Add butter and cream cheese. Mix by hand, breaking butter and cream cheese into smaller pieces. Add buttermilk. Mix by hand until dough just comes together. It should appear slightly chunky.

Divide dough into 8 biscuits. Arrange on cookie sheet sprayed with nonstick cooking spray. Bake for 20 minutes, or until golden brown.

To make gravy: Preheat a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook sausage, stirring occasionally, for 7 to 8 minutes, or until almost completely cooked. Add onion and garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are translucent, about 5 to 6 minutes. Add cumin and Old Bay Seasoning. Stir in flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for about 5 minutes, long enough to cook flour.

Add white wine to pan and stir aggressively to scrape up all of the browned bits in the pan. Add milk, stirring constantly until milk has been completely absorbed and mixture begins to thicken. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low and simmer for about 15 minutes, stirring every few minutes. Stir in green onions and parsley. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

To assemble: Place a biscuit in the center of each plate, generously ladle gravy over biscuits and serve.

MOM'S SWEET AND SOUR BRISKET

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 teaspoon ground coriander

1 envelope Lipton Onion Recipe Soup & Dip Mix

1 cup apple cider vinegar

2 cups ketchup

3/4 cup dark brown sugar

1/2 cup diced pineapple

4 tablespoons soy sauce

1 tablespoon hoisin sauce (see note)

1 gallon unsalted beef broth or stock

1 (3-pound) beef brisket, trimmed of silver skin

1 bunch green onions, cut into thin rounds

Yields 8 servings.

Preheat oven to 250 F. Preheat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Pour oil into pot and allow to heat; add onion and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes, until onions are soft and slightly caramelized. Add coriander and soup mix, stirring constantly for about 1 minute. Add vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, pineapple, soy sauce and hoisin sauce. Stir and allow to reduce to 3/4 its original volume. This may take 15 to 20 minutes. Add beef broth. Bring to a boil and reduce to 1/2 of its original volume. This can take 45 minutes to 1 hour. Remove from heat. Reserve.

Line bottom of a 3-inch-deep baking pan with 2 pieces of aluminum foil (side by side). Fold foil pieces together along the sides that overlap in the middle of baking pan. This should result in a piece of foil twice as wide as the original pieces. Place raw brisket in center of foil; fold edges of foil up on all sides to create a "bowl" effect surrounding brisket. Pour reserved liquid over brisket. Adjust foil so brisket is completely submerged in liquid. Seal top of foil "bowl" with a 3rd piece of aluminum foil. Place baking pan in oven and cook for 2 1/2 hours.

To serve: Slice brisket against the grain as thinly as possible. Arrange slices on a serving platter. Ladle a generous amount of cooking liquid over sliced meat. Garnish with chopped green onions.

Caroline Dipping writes about food for The San Diego Union-Tribune. Contact her at caroline.dipping@uniontrib.com.

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