Winter 2009 - Oser Communications Group

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MEALS OF THE SEASON Escape to Italy Proprietor Chef Steve Schultz of Luna Bella Italian Cuisine & Catering introduces Tucson to a new kind of Italian fare—traditional, yet innovative. BY JENNA CRISOSTOMO | PHOTO BY YVONNE MANGLONA During the fall of last year, Schultz yet again dazzled Tucson’s culinary scene with his newest concept, or “Signature Italian Restaurant,” Luna Bella Italian Cuisine & Catering. With $10,000 stoves and a kitchen five times the size of Schultz’s other restaurant, Red Sky Café, Luna Bella fuses “Northern and modern Italian, with an emphasis on Northern Italian and Central Italian foods,” he says. Located in the Plaza Palomino on the Southeast corner of Swan and Ft. Lowell roads, just doors down from Red Sky Café, Luna Bella’s quaint Italianesque atmosphere will make you feel as though you are not in Tucson, but abroad. Walking into what seems like a hidden archway in the heart of Italy, Luna Bella’s entrance is as inviting as the food one will find behind the see-through doors. With a gorgeous patio off to the side of the entrance overlooking the middle of the plaza’s running water fountain, Luna Bella is definitely the prettiest moon in the plaza. In our Meal of the Season, Schultz showcases not one, but two special entrées that give your palate only a touch of the extensive taste assortments offered at Luna Bella—grilled scallops with red and yellow pepper spinach risotto, an olive artichoke tapenade, and a pesto butter sauce; and grilled white sea bass with red and yellow pepper spinach risotto, an olive artichoke tapenade, and a basil pinot grigio butter sauce. Walking past the specialty drink and martini bar–a red inspired room with roses, deep-colored booths and high tables, and ornate art on the walls–Schultz makes his way into the restaurant’s new exhibition kitchen to begin our meal. After reaching for pans, Schultz fervently chops red and yellow bell peppers, garlic, onions, leeks, and carrots that later give the risotto color and flavor. Throwing the mix of vegetables in an 14 ARIZONA GOURMET LIVING WINTER <strong>2009</strong>
oversized pot, Schultz then sweats the combination, “don’t brown it,” he says, with a large paddle. As the mixture gathered flavor and steam, Chef de Cuisine Chris Prier, who’s been with Luna Bella since its opening, began the beurre blanc reduction for the pesto butter sauce and basil pinot grigio butter sauce. With Prier in the front of the kitchen and Schultz in the back, the pair teams to prepare our Meal of the Season. Back to Schultz’s mixture, he then adds chicken stock and white pepper, stirs again, and then stops to taste his creation. Bringing the mixture to a boil, Schultz chops fresh parsley, adds it to the mix, then readies the spinach and risotto. Folding the risotto into the hot, boiling vegetables, Schultz then moves to the front of the kitchen, and pulls from an under-counter refrigerator a thick, hearty portion of white sea bass and a handful of scallops. Always making sure to sanitize his prepping station and hands in between handling different foods, Schultz makes sure to wear gloves when gathering the sea bass and scallops. Walking to the opposite end of the front kitchen, Schultz seasons the sea bass and scallops with salt, freshly cracked black pepper, olive oil, parsley, and freshly chopped basil, each piece only on one side. Grabbing the sea bass and scallops with tongs, Schultz places the pieces seasoned-side down on a grill, then seasons the other sides. “That’s how you get the best flavor,” he says smiling, “doing it that way.” As the sea bass and scallops sizzle on the grill, Schultz begins preparing a colorful batch of vegetables to garnish the outer edges of our two different entrées. Moving back and forth from sautéing the vegetables and flipping the sea bass and scallops on the grill, Schultz again takes time to wash his hands. Making sure one last time that the sea bass and scallops aren’t burning, Schultz makes his way to the back of the kitchen to add the spinach to the risotto. Just as he did the risotto, Schultz folds in the spinach leaves for a consistent and creamy risotto batch. Stopping to think aloud “what next,” Schultz springs to the front of the kitchen once again to prepare the olive artichoke tapenade, after which he removes the sea bass and scallops from the grill. Confirming that the risotto is indeed ready, Schultz then places all of our Meal of the Season parts in front of him on a long cutting board like scattered puzzle pieces that he’s ready to put together. First, he wipes two different dishes clean—an uneven, oversized white bowl and a large, white round plate—and then offers each dish a generous scoop of risotto. He then places the scallops in the bowl atop the risotto, and the sea bass on the adjacent dish. Paying careful attention to his plates’ surroundings, Schultz begins to garnish each dish with vivid vegetables bordering their rims and mounds of risotto with scallops, sea bass. To top off each entrée, Schultz carefully spoons a medium portion of the olive artichoke tapenade on the sea bass and scallops, and then drizzles their respective basil pinot grigio butter sauce and pesto butter sauce over each dish. Abundant in color, volume, aroma, and taste, Schultz’s finished works-of-arts aren’t complete without a few touches of sage sprigs. Suggested pairing with the grilled sea bass is Franciacorta Bellavista Cuvee Brut, while the grilled scallops go great with Laura Zahtila Vineyards Napa Valley Chardonnay 2006. Don’t miss out! Dining at Luna Bella definitely takes you away to another country filled with traditional, lavish cuisine. Luna Bella Italian Cuisine & Catering 2990 N. Swan Rd., Suite 145 | Tucson 520.325.3895 | www.lunabellarestaurant.com RED & YELLOW PEPPER SPINACH RISOTTO 1 quart rich chicken stock 1 Tbsp garlic, chopped 2 sweet onions, diced 1 red pepper, diced 1 yellow pepper, diced 2 Tbsp fresh parsley ½ pound fresh spinach leaves, washed 4 cups Arborio rice ½ pound unsalted butter Salt and pepper to taste Parmesan to taste Mix the sweet onions and garlic in half of the butter. Add half of the chicken stock, and bring to boil. Add rice and simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon as necessary. When rice is al dente, add the rest of the butter (note: risotto should be creamy, not too thick and not too thin; like the consistency of Cream of Wheat). Add salt, pepper, and parmesan to taste. Serves 4. SEA BASS FILET 4 to 7 ounce portion of sea bass 1 tsp fresh basil 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Kosher salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste Rub fish with olive oil and herb seasonings. Grill or sauté for 3 to 5 minutes per side (depends on thickness), or until cooked to your satisfaction. Serves 1. OLIVE ARTICHOKE TAPENADE 1 cup quartered marinated artichoke hearts 1 tomato, diced ½ cup kalamata olives, sliced ½ red onion, diced ½ red pepper, roasted ½ yellow pepper, roasted 1 tsp fresh basil 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil Juice of 1 lemon Salt and pepper to taste Mix all ingredients and serve over sea bass filet, red and yellow pepper spinach risotto. Serves 4. BEURRE BLANC ½ pound butter ¼ cup heavy cream 2 cups white wine Juice of 1 lemon 1 Tbsp fresh basil, chopped 1 tsp fresh parsley, chopped 1 shallot, chopped 1 Tbsp white wine vinegar Reduce white wine, white wine vinegar, and shallots until almost dry. Add cream. Reduce by half, whisk in butter until creamy, and add herbs and lemon. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serves 4. WINTER <strong>2009</strong> ARIZONA GOURMET LIVING 15
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Page 4 and 5: Contents Winter 2009 6 14 20 24 28
Page 6 and 7: 4 ARIZONA GOURMET LIVING WINTER 200
Page 8 and 9: NEWS & NOTES Enjoy Pizza Eclectical
Page 10 and 11: NEWS & NOTES My Big Fat Greek Resta
Page 12 and 13: NEWS & NOTES Dine in the Dark Choos
Page 14 and 15: NEWS & NOTES French Cuisine at its
Page 18 and 19: MEALS OF THE SEASON Savor Tradition
Page 20 and 21: MEALS OF THE SEASON “Before Amere
Page 22 and 23: PROFILES Los Portales: Your Doorway
Page 24 and 25: PROFILES A New Harvest Full of Fres
Page 26 and 27: CHEFS SPEAK Cooking with a Cause No
Page 28 and 29: CHEFS SPEAK Authentic, Fresh, and L
Page 30 and 31: ON THE VINE ROAD TRIP! BY JEANNE CH
Page 32 and 33: ON THE VINE After leaving Blackjack
Page 34 and 35: BODY BEAUTIFUL Let Jensencook Cater
Page 36 and 37: BODY BEAUTIFUL Indigenous Citrus Tr
Page 38 and 39: THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX BY LORI CARRO
Page 40 and 41: YOU CAN BET ON IT! The All-Inclusiv
Page 42 and 43: Wild Horse Pass Hotel The 241-room
Page 44 and 45: BETTER & CLOSER T H A N V E G A S W
Page 46 and 47: BEST BETS ARTECNICA DESIGN WITH CON
Page 48 and 49: GREAT RECIPES OF ARIZONA GINGER POR
Page 52: C4 ARIZONA GOURMET LIVING FALL 2008

Winter 2009 - Oser Communications Group

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