Green Options

Regarded as the premier purveyor of authentic Greek cuisine, Jim Botsacos, Executive Chef and Partner of New York City’s noted Molyvos Restaurant, creates the freshest, most inventive dishes this side of the Mediterranean Sea.

Recipient of one of the coveted 3-star reviews from the New York times shortly after the restaurant opened and named “Best in America,” by Esquire Magazine, Jim calls upon his rich cultural history and love of bold flavors to create unique dishes that pay homage to his Greek-Italian roots.

Always experimenting, Jim blends his classically trained expertise from Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island with his passion for good food to produce innovative combinations without diminishing centuries’ old Greek authenticity.  One of today’s hottest chefs with a background that’s as impressive as it is ecelectic, Jim Botsaco’s handiwork offers fork-fulls of paradise straight from the Greek Isles.

In the spirit of family and sharing, Jim bestows some of his best cooking secrets as a chef expert with with Behind the Burner, your source for tips and tricks from culinary masters, and I was fortunate enough to chat with him about everything from healthy eating to vegetarian specialties.

Question: What does organic olive oil, the environment, love songs, Tsunami relief and adventures on the high seas all have in common?

Answer: One extraordinary man.

And his name is Jeremy Meltzer, philanthropist-adventurer-musician turned entrepreneur-olive farmer who found passion, purpose and prosperity in a 100% recyclable cask of extra virgin olive oil.

So, when Divya Gugnani of Behind the Burner told me about Jeremy — and that I would have the amazing opportunity to follow media divas like Martha Stewart in interviewing him – I was beyond thrilled.  Before I even connected with him, I was already moved by his unique story and the countless ways in which his endeavors are helping women, orphans and the environment.  But I had no idea how far-reaching his efforts actually go and the life-changing experiences that have led him here.  For Jeremy, it’s not just about eating and drinking better — it’s about living better and his main goal is to help others do just that.  From small gestures to grand scale initiatives, Jeremy is a beacon of hope, bottled and direct shipped to you from Australia.

He also happens to be very easy on the eyes with a voice that has the smooth enchantment of Michael Buble mixed with the depth of Andrea Bocelli.  Needless to say, I’m kicking myself for conducting a phone interview instead of meeting him in person while he was in New York City meeting with The Food Network.  I am, however, listening to him croon love songs as I write this for added infatuation inspiration.

One of the toughest parts of the holidays is indulging in rich, high calorie desserts.  And you’ll be hard pressed to find a bakery with organic goodies on display.  But the most difficult, for me, is baking at home where the temptation to voraciously consume an entire bowl of gooey batter is too much to resist — but far too gluttonous a proposition to consider.

So, to satisfy my need for sinful sweets sans the fat and calories, I embarked on a journey to create a healthy yet decadent delight that is as easy to make as it is on the waistline.  It’s also no accident that it has a striking similarity in texture and taste to buttery cake batter.  You’re welcome.

I also managed to resuscitate the vastly under used flavor of butterscotch in the process, which interestingly, contains neither butter nor scotch. Does anyone else find that puzzling?

You can ponder quandries like that while shoveling heaping spoonfuls of butterscotch goodness into your mouth but given the endorphin overload that will likely result from this delectable dietary dessert, you may only be able to muster mono-syllabic “Mmmm”s.

When I was growing up, the silky sounds of Nat King Cole crooning, ‘chestnuts roasting on an open fire…’ was the hallmark of the holidays for me.  Every time I would hear it, I’d get that rush of childlike exuberance that encapsulates the magic of the season, and makes you feel like anything is possible.  

Yet, despite the fact that inordinate amounts of food were also synonymous with the holidays in my family (6 courses and 3 hours worth of dishes to be exact, by hand), we never had one dish with a chestnut in it.  Not a one.  For shame.

So, as I got older, and began to nurture my inner chef, I decided to remedy that travesty by starting a new tradition of savory chestnut soup to begin the descent into our annual colossal feast, much to my Grandmother’s chagrin who quite religiously served Italian Escarole soup.  (And by religiously, I mean had served Escarole for 30+ years prior to my first course usurping; or usouping, as it were. OK, bad joke.)

But my soup was a big hit, and each year I’d add or change the ingredients, perfecting my chestnut prowess with new and interesting pairings.  Needless to say, some years were better than others.  The addition of raisins, for example.  Disaster.  Cranberries, however.  Surprisingly delicious.  And those tart little buggers are still the perfect complement to the soup.  The cranberries, that is — not my family!

And now for the first time ever outside the hallowed halls of the Snowfield residence, I am sharing my coveted recipe for you to share, which now includes honey glazed grilled salmon, making it a hearty first — or even second — course for your own foray into holiday gorging and merriment.