fig® - Downtown Lancaster

A Feliz Navidad for Food-Love-Lancaster!

The city of Lancaster is bursting with festive activities at this time of year. From the moment the tree is lit on The Square, and the tubas sound the first note of the carol concert, there are a multitude of opportunities for making merry. I soon discovered that Facebook is one of the best ways for keeping track of all the possibilities. My attention was drawn, in early November, to the announcement of a cooking class at a popular local restaurant. The timing of December 18^th seemed ideal for a seasonal celebration and the downtown location was ideal for a gathering of local friends. The location was Character’s Pub, a restaurant in a quirky little patchwork city square, that had recently come under new ownership with young proprietors, Meghan Young and Jose Fuentes. Lately I have found myself present at a number of events around the city where all, or a good portion, of the refreshments were provided by this creative new team. At times it seemed I was planting roots in front of the colorful displays of Character’s gastro-fare. These tasty teasers left me longing for a more thorough exploration of their menu. The two new owners were something of a draw for me as well. To quote their Facebook bio – “Chef Meghan Young trained with top chefs in London and New York to bring culinary creativity & talent back to her hometown. Business partner Jose Fuentes runs the front of the house with just as much charisma & professionalism. Together they strive to combine big city flavors with a local perspective. They source ingredients locally whenever possible, partnering with local businesses & even artists to bring delight to both your palate & your point of view.” I also learned that the duo set a mutual date by which they both wanted to have their own restaurant and this is what brought Meghan home and Jose here from Los Angeles. The combination of Lancaster and Left Coast was indescribably intriguing to me.

Our Mexican Cooking Class was a day-long event that began with a light continental breakfast at 11 in the morning. My friends and I quickly found front row seats in the bright classroom space with a wall of windows that gave an aerie view down on North Queen Street. The owner-chef, Meghan Young, was positioned behind a banana-leaf-draped work station and had a colorful row of impressive mise en place vignettes artfully arranged as backdrop. Bowls of plum tomatoes, ramekins of fragrant spices, colorful bunches of cilantro competed for the students’ attention. Business partner and front of the house presence, Jose Fuentes, greeted guests and extolled the virtues of the Champurrado (Mexican hot chocolate) waiting in warming carafes. The pair made a effortless and thoroughly charming instructional pas de deux as they imparted culinary knowledge and provenance, as well as their own passions for a cuisine and culture. Meghan is a relaxed and natural chef, whose talent allows her to move seamlessly through a series of dishes and techniques without missing a beat, or losing what I assume to be a perpetual twinkle in her eyes.  She shared her preferred method of mixing guacamole in a Molcajete (traditional Mexican version of the mortar and pestle), extolled the virtues of the oft-maligned lard as the best way to create a flavorful home-made tamale, and demonstrated a truly extraordinary ability to remain impervious to pain as she casually flipped tortillas on a hot griddle with only bare hands and a steady smile. Jose mixed cocktails with polished flair and shared his recipes for a Classic Margarita and two versions of Sangria. He also offered a mini-tutorial on Tequila that was fascinating enough to prompt calls for a Tequila seminar in the near future. The demonstration also included Table Salsas, Tortillas, Tamales, and Enchiladas. Chef Meghan was eager to introduce her students to the textures and flavors of Mexico, but also added some North American ingredients to the mix. Her Pumpkin & Black Bean Tamales were garnished with a Cranberry-Jalapeno Salsita that was an inspired addition. The bitter-sweet tang of the cranberries is balanced by the surprising sweetness of honey and lime. It is a combination I am eager to add to my own table.

CRANBERRY SALSITA

12oz. package cranberries, washed

1 orange, cut in quarters

1 jalapeno, stem and seeds removed

1 cup honey

Juice of one lime

½ cup chopped walnuts

Salt to taste

1.      Coarsely chop the orange, jalapeno and cranberries in a food processor on “pulse.”

2.      Place in metal mixing bowl and add honey, lime juice and walnuts.

3.      Mix well and season with salt to taste.

When the cooking demo portion of the day was completed we all moved over to the casually cozy dining room of Character’s for a leisurely lunch. Our entrée was a savory dish of Zaraop Style Enchiladas Suizas con Pollo Tinga.  They tasted every bit as heavenly as the aroma promised during class and the garnish of locally sourced Watermelon Radish was yet another nod to Chef Young’s commitment to introducing the diner to an unexpected twist, often available in their own backyard. Classic Margaritas and Sangria flowed generously and the students had time to enjoy a shared meal, holiday chatter and frequent tableside visits from our hostess and host. As an introduction to the new faces that are Character’s Pub and to the Cooking Classes that are soon to be on a monthly schedule, the day left all of us clamoring for more. You can get the news on all future events, including the Wine Dinner slated for Wednesday, January 18^th, with Wine Merchant’s Todd Shenk, by following Character’s on Facebook .  Additional information and a full menu is available at their  website.  I feel certain that the creative team of Chef Meghan Young and partner Jose Fuentes will be stamping their own unique brand of Gastropub on the culinary scene of Lancaster!

This day of celebration over passionate Mexican cuisine was the perfect Feliz Navidad to share with dear friends and a delicious opportunity to make new ones. It could not have ended with a simpler or sweeter note than these Mexican Wedding Cookies.

MEXICAN WEDDING COOKIES

1 cup butter

1/2 cup white sugar

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 teaspoons water

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup pecan pieces

1 cup dried cranberries

1/2 cup confectioners’ sugar [powdered sugar]

• Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

• Cream the butter and sugar in a mixing bowl. Add in the vanilla and the water.

• Add in the flour and mix thoroughly.

• Fold in the pecans and dried cranberries.

• Shape the dough into small balls or crescents (about 1 oz) and place on an ungreased cookie sheet spaced about one inch apart.

• Bake in the oven for about 15-20 minutes, until golden. Allow to cool and then roll cookies in powdered sugar.

Our hope is that the holidays are filled with simple and sweet notes of your own. Wishes for a VERY Merry Christmas to all of the loyal Fig readers and hopes that the New Year brings an abundance of opportunities to explore Food-Love-Lancaster!