Arizona Foothills Magazine

Timely Recipe

wood-grilled toca squash soup

Our hat’s off to Kai of Sheraton Wild Horse Pass Resort
& Spa! This unmatched establishment, under the direction of Executive Chef Michael O’Dowd and Chef de Cuisine Jack Strong, was awarded the AAA Five Diamond Award—for the second time. (Kai also happens to be the only Arizona dining destination to hold this honor.) To
celebrate, we bring you one of Kai’s yummiest spring soups.

5 pounds     Toca or butternut squash, peeled
3 1/2 quarts    Chicken stock
6     Shallots, sliced
2     Mojo Rojo chilies
    Salt and pepper to taste
3     Carrots, chopped
1 pound     Rio Zape beans, soaked overnight
    Mineral water
1 bunch     Fresh thyme
1 head     Garlic, sliced in half
1 C     Wild boar bacon, diced
1     Yellow onion, sliced
3 stalks     Celery, chopped
14 cloves     Garlic, peeled
2 pints     Heavy cream
4 C     Mesquite chips, soaked in water
    Juice of 1 lime
1/2 C     Piquillo peppers, grilled and diced
1/4 C     Chiffonade of opal basil
    Cotton candy
1 T     Aji Amarillo chili spice

Place wet mesquite chips on the grill. Cut and peel the squash into one-inch-thick slices. Grill and cover the squash to achieve marks and smoky flavor. In a large pot, sauté the onions, celery, carrots, garlic cloves and shallots. De-seed one of the Mojo Rojo chilies and leave the other whole, and add both to the pot along with the grilled squash. Add the chicken stock, and simmer until the squash is cooked through. Purée in a blender, pass through a chinois cap, and finish with heavy cream and lime juice. Salt and pepper to taste. For the bean mixture, cook the beans in salted mineral water with fresh thyme and one head of garlic (sliced in half) until done. Strain and blend half the beans with water to a purée; fold in the whole beans and set aside. To assemble, sauté the bacon and add the bean purée, chiffonade of opal basil and diced piquillos. Spoon the mixture into the middle of your bowl, top with cotton candy and generously sprinkle your ground Aji Amarillo chili spice on top of the cotton candy. Pour your warmed soup into the bowl and enjoy. Yield: Eight servings.

High Spirits
“Treat it with respect, and it will respect you.” That’s what the Scotch whiskey ambassador, Evan Cattanach, often tells his audience when teaching them about the spirit. This master distiller emeritus shares his insight on the beverage.What is your favorite Scotch whiskey? The stark answer is the one I happen to be drinking at the moment. But I love Cragganmore 12 Year Old. It is my favorite drink when it comes to single-malt whiskey. After dinner, I love the Cragganmore Distiller’s Edition, which has been finished in a port cask. It goes well with chocolate cake. What makes a good Scotch whiskey? Every Scotch is a good Scotch. It’s just some are different than others. They have their own conversation with you, their own impressions and their own feeling you get from them—whether they slap you across the face or they caress you. There’s no such thing as a bad whiskey because nobody would put out a bad whiskey.

How should you taste Scotch? You taste it like wine. What you’re looking for is color, lengths and aroma, then taste. The only
difference is that you taste something that is very strong. I tell people to take a tiny sip and let it meander—don’t take a mouthful. With wine you have to take a mouthful, chew it and spit it out. I tell people [Scotches are] too expensive to spit out. I’m from Scotland, and it’s a waste to spit it out. Which foods pair well with Scotch?
I drink whiskey with everything, even desserts. The smokiness of single malts goes well with smoked meats, brisket and salmon. Lowland whiskeys go well with different types of cheeses. You can drink whiskey with anything [you eat].
—Interview by Kasey Bowser

Sin City