Springloaf Prawns with mango salsa Photo courtesy SpringLoaf Catering
Whether or not you have an extravagant outdoor kitchen (see article page OH1), "summertime" and "barbecue" go together like "hand" and "glove." Darius and Caroline Somary, of Lafayette's own SpringLoaf Catering and Event Planning, offered to share with us a couple of their favorite outdoor grill recipes for summer party fare.
Formerly in the research department of a San Francisco graphic design firm, Chef Darius Somary tired of validating other people's creativity and decided to enroll in culinary school.
"I was always taking other people's creativity out into the marketplace for feedback and I knew something was missing," Somary reflected. "I needed my own creative outlet."
Having grown up in a food-centric family, culinary art was a natural place to express his artistic leanings.
"Cooking has always been in my blood," he said. "We always held lots of big family events at our house. My mom was Irish and never wanted anyone to leave hungry!"
When I prompted him to tell me what his mom's specialty was, he said it was a whole oven-roasted salmon, head and all!
"She was ahead of her time with the notion of slow-cooking," he mused. "She seasoned the fish with dill, garlic, parsley, lemon, salt and pepper, then baked it at a very low temperature for 4-6 hours."
As for Somary, who was raised in Zurich, Switzerland, his favorite cuisine is a fusion of Mediterranean and Latin, with special emphasis on Mediterranean.
"It's not just the Mediterranean cuisine that I enjoy, but also the way it is prepared and served," he said. "The whole ambiance of Mediterranean dining is delightful."
I could not agree more! Mediterranean is hands-down my favorite, and being a sea bordered by many nations, the food possibilities are endless from Spanish, French, Italian, Greek, Turkish, Syrian, Israeli, Egyptian, Tunisian, Algerian, and so on!
The SpringLoaf recipes featured here reflect the addition of Asian elements as well. These dishes offer a culinary world tour from Thailand and China to the Mediterranean, Latin America and even a touch of the Hawaiian Islands. The Sweet Chili Lime-Grilled Prawns with Mango-Passion Fruit Salsa and the Grilled Skirt Steak with Hoisin Barbecue Glaze, served on a bed of Caramelized Onions and Bell Peppers, are delightful combinations of different, but complementary culinary heritages.
"We pulled the recipes for three very popular items from our summer grill menu," Somary noted.
In catering, no two events are ever the same, which is one reason why Somary elected to start a catering business rather than a restaurant after attending the San Francisco California Culinary Academy and then working at Olivetto in Rockridge.
"It's fun working with clients," said Caroline, formerly a graphic artist who now runs the office end of the business. "We can spend a year working with a bride, so we really get to know her and her tastes, but the next client could be entirely different."
This is one of the most fun aspects of catering, according to both husband and wife.
"I cannot stand monotony," said Darius Somary. "In catering we are always thrown into a new and different situation, which is challenging and enjoyable!"
SpringLoaf Catering and Event Planning has been in operation for seven years. The company caters any type of event from weddings and other life celebrations to corporate meetings and fundraisers. They recently featured delicious raspberry mousse-filled, chocolate-dipped mini ice cream cones at The Taste of Lafayette event. I tried one and it was delicious!
Grilled Skirt Steak with Hoisin Barbecue Glaze, served on a bed of Caramelized Onions and Bell Peppers
Springloaf Hoisin Glaze Skirt Steak
Entree for 3-4 people
Ingredients
1 skirt steak (about 1 1/2 pounds) cut into 2-3 equally long pieces
Substitute: flank, butcher or hanger steak (use whole)
Marinade/
barbecue glaze
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon brown sugar, honey or agave syrup
1 tablespoon Hoisin sauce
1 teaspoon of fresh garlic, finely minced (alternatively use prepared minced garlic)
1 teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon ground bay leaf (optional)
2 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
Mix all ingredients together until smooth, rub skirt steak with half the marinade, while reserving the other half for later. (Note: this doesn't make a lot, but you only need to rub the steak with half the marinade, not soak it, and the remainder is used just to drizzle a little bit over the cooked steak.) Let skirt steak marinate for at least 30 minutes, up to 12 hours.
Caramelized Onion and Bell Peppers
1 red onion
1 red bell pepper
1 yellow bell pepper
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon white sugar, honey or agave syrup
2 teaspoons canola or vegetable oil
3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme
1 pinch of salt
Directions
Heat grill to medium-high. While waiting for grill to get hot peel the onion, cut it in half and then each lengthwise half into 1/4" strips (julienne). Wash and cut bell pepper in half, remove the core and seeds and cut the peppers in 1/4" strips, just like the onions. Heat oil in saute pan at medium heat, add onion and cook until onion turns translucent (about 2-3 minutes). Add vinegar and sugar, stir well and reduce heat to medium-low. Add bell peppers and thyme, continue cooking until moisture has evaporated and onions just start caramelizing. Remove from heat, season with a pinch or two of salt and set aside in a warm oven or close to the grill.
Now that your grill is hot, carefully lay all 3 pieces of skirt steak on the grill. After 3-4 minutes (once you have nice grill marks on the steak) turn the steak over and immediately baste it with some of the reserved marinade. Repeat as necessary until you've reached the desired doneness (or at least 125 degrees Fahrenheit internal temperature).
Remove steak from grill, let it rest for 5 minutes covered with aluminum foil, then slice into 2" pieces using a sharp knife. Serve over onions and peppers and drizzle with remaining barbecue glaze. Garnish with a few pinches freshly chopped cilantro, chives, green onion or parsley, if you have any. Serve with fresh bread or oven-roasted potatoes and leafy green salad.
Sweet Chili Lime Grilled Prawns with mango and passion fruit salsa
Springloaf prawns on plate Photo Susie Iventosch
Appetizer for 3-4 people
All ingredients available in any larger grocery store, such as Safeway, Diablo Foods, Whole Foods etc.
Ingredients 12-16 uncooked prawns, thawed, peeled, deveined and tail on (size 21/25 or 16/20). You can scale up to larger prawns for an entree.
Marinade (recipe below)
Mango-Passion Fruit Salsa (recipe below)
Directions
Rinse prawns under cold running water and pat dry using paper towels. Pour marinade over prawns and mix well; store in cool location, or refrigerate, until ready to grill. (I marinated them for several hours.) In the meanwhile heat your grill to medium-high. Carefully lay prawns onto hot grill rack, avoiding flare-ups from dripping marinade. After 1-2 minutes flip the prawns over and continue cooking for another minute or two until they are evenly pink with nice grill marks. Allow a little extra time for larger size prawns but be careful not to overcook. Quickly remove prawns from grill, arrange on a platter and top with the mango passion fruit salsa, and some Fresno peppers or hot sauce to your liking. Garnish with a squeeze of fresh lime and fresh chopped cilantro and serve immediately. Enjoy!
Marinade
2 tablespoons Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce
Zest of 1/2 fresh lime, finely minced or grated
1 teaspoon Thai or Vietnamese fish sauce (optional)
2 cloves garlic, peeled and finely minced or pressed
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
Whisk all ingredients until smooth (or use a stick blender)
Salsa
1 tablespoon Mae Ploy sweet chili sauce
Juice of 1/2 fresh lime
1 cup passion fruit juice
1 small mango (not too ripe)
1/2 small red onion, small diced
1 teaspoon seasoned rice vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh chopped cilantro
1/2 Fresno or red jalapeno pepper, small diced, alternatively a few drops of your favorite hot sauce (for example Sriracha)
In a sauce pan simmer 1 cup passion fruit juice on medium heat until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, then set aside to cool. Peel mango and cut from seed, cut into small dice. Mix the diced mango with the onion, sweet chili sauce, passion fruit reduction, rice vinegar, cover and store in refrigerator until prawns are ready.
Formerly in the research department of a San Francisco graphic design firm, Chef Darius Somary tired of validating other people's creativity and decided to enroll in culinary school. 
Lamorinda Weekly, Moraga CA