Boilermaker Kitchen

I Have Moved!

2010-08-25T13:31:00.000-04:00

My new blog, Cooking With Wolfes, is up and ready to go! I will no longer be updating this blog and have moved all of my Food Buzz and related operations to the new one. You can find the blog at cookingwithwolfes.blogspot.com and you can email me at cookingwithwolfes@gmail.com.

You can also access me via Foodbuzz

The new blog focuses on seasonal and on-sale items to create budget-friendly and tasty meals. Enjoy!

Retooling

2010-06-15T22:56:00.000-04:00

Recently I have been thinking about how to move this forward. To me, food blogging is my hobby, but it's also a passion and something that I truly have a lot of interest in. So I'm changing. My blog, perhaps my approach, websites, probably a lot! I want to expand and hopefully brand my unique perspective of cooking in a way that people can find it approachable and fun. So give me a few weeks and look forward to some big new things!

Garden Update- Rabbit Food

2010-06-08T21:45:00.002-04:00

I'm about 2 months into my garden and things are progressing. "Progressing nicely" might be a stretch, mainly because I'm not really getting the total yields I want, but I think that has a lot do with a) this is my first garden and b) the weather can't make up its mind. But I'm actually harvesting veggies, so I really shouldn’t be complaining.

I have two separate gardens going, one a raised bed, and one a converted flower bed (I think that's what it was) that I have most of my herbs and viney things in. The raised bed recently yielded all the radishes it was going to give me, fewer than I expected though. I may have not thinned them enough, understandably, because I hate thinning things, it's like killing a bunch of plants! But they have finished and now I have planted beans in their wake. I'm up to my ears in lettuce now as well. If you have not ever grown your own lettuce, I highly recommend it. It just tastes so much more…lettucy. There is no other way to describe it, really.

I have tomatoes in now, I believe 10 plants. Yes, I do realize that's a lot, but we really like tomatoes. I can't wait for those. And I have a pretty sound herb rotation going as well, something I'm also fond of because having them on hand is easier and cheaper than buying them.

So why write all this? Well, it's nice to show off what I've been doing, sure, but it's also lessons people can use to either avoid or do what I did to better their own garden. I will update again in July, hopefully I can keep the birds and rabbits out until then.

Frying the Turkey

2010-06-03T19:46:00.000-04:00

Over Memorial Day we decided to have a cook out (as is tradition). I decided to do something a little bit different this year, though. I received a frying/boil kit for Christmas last year, so I decided to give turkey frying a go. I have deep fried one other turkey in my life, at Em's house for Thanksgiving one year. And it was awesome. So why not?

After watching Good Eats for many years, I have pulled a lot of knowledge from the show, especially when it comes to safety. I bought all the supplies for Alton Brown's Turkey Derrick, which was a great idea. Not only did it make frying much easier, it gave myself and guests a bit of piece of mind when dealing with 4 gallons of 350°F oil and an open flame. Why go to all the trouble? Well, by doing the pulley system, it was much easier to remove the bird, check its temperature, and eventually let it rest. I bought all of the supplies at a hardware store for around $8. Because I figured out how to winch it though, I only needed the rope, cable ties, pulleys, and the D-ring. And I own a ladder. Seriously, so easy! And I can reuse that stuff, so I consider it a wise investment.

So after a brine in the morning, I followed AB's recipe and fried to my heart's content. And oh, it was so good. I love how juicy the meat is, especially how well the white meat holds up. The leftovers make great sandwiches.

Now, I realize as a country we are quite unhealthy. And deep frying is one of those reasons. On this subject though, I disagree. Upon recovery of the oil I found we had only lost 1/2 cup in the entire frying process. And we spilled a little, so I imagine that's a generous amount. Spread over 14 pounds of turkey, that's the same you would use in marinating something for grilling. That's it! Because of its large mass and pretty good frying time, you will not absorb that much oil. So while I don’t plan on doing this every week, deep frying a turkey was quite an experience, and one I hope to continue when the opportunity arises.

Deep Fried Turkey (from Alton Brown)

~24 cups (6 quarts) hot water
1 pound kosher salt
1 pound dark brown sugar
1 13-14 pound turkey with giblets removed
~ 5 pounds ice
4 1/2 gallons peanut or frying oil

Please, please, please make sure your turkey is thawed before frying it. If you brine it while partially frozen, that's alright, just make sure it is completely thawed when you cook it. If you do not, chaos will ensue and you will more than likely visit the hospital.

To brine the turkey, combine the water, salt, and sugar in a large bucket/cooler/pot and stir to dissolve. Add the ice to cool. Add the turkey, making sure it is covered almost completely with water. If you need to, weigh down the turkey. Cover and store in a cool dry place (I used a partially frozen turkey and left it in a kitchen corner as well as added a few sealed bags of ice to maintain a cold temperature. I recommend this or using a cooler). Brine for 8-12 hours before frying. Remove turkey and let stand to drain and come to room temperature 30 minutes before frying.

To determine how much oil you will need, place turkey in the frying vessel (empty) and fill with water. Remove bird and mark where the water level is. That's how much oil you need.

Assemble turkey setup, light burner and place pot over the burner (follow instructions of your burner here). Add oil and heat until 250°F. Gently lower the bird into the oil and increase the oil temperature to 350°F (this may take quite some time, don't worry about it). After 35-40 minutes, check the temperature of the turkey using a probe thermometer. Once the breast reaches 151°F (don't worry, it will hit 165°F by the time it's done resting), remove from the oil and let rest for 30 minutes (you may want to just let it hang for 15 minutes and then transfer to a cutting board for the remainder). Don't forget to turn the gas off!

Slice turkey and enjoy!

Burritos with Tomatillo Sauce

2010-05-26T07:45:00.000-04:00

A burrito is something of a perfect storm. A tortilla wrapped around loads of meat, veggies, beans, or even rice, it just makes sense. I would even call it better than a sandwich (but hey, I'm biased). The one thing we are lacking though, are burritos we eat with forks and knives. I'm referring to burritos served enchilada style, something fairly common in the Southwest, but not so much in other places. In fact, only one place I know of serves them this way in my area. Why? It's such an enticing concept, take a burrito, smother it in sauce and cheese, and bake it. I drifted away for a few seconds thinking about that last sentence. Seriously.

As with most burritos, you can fill them with almost anything and in this case, top them with what you please. I'm partial to green sauce, so I made a verde sauce to go on top of mine. As for the stuffing, well, I recommend the leftover pork from tingas or maybe some lightly spiced grilled chicken. Or even fajita steaks. I keep large flour tortillas in my freezer just for this purpose, they are a great way to utilize leftovers and make an easy meal. If you are in a hurry and don’t want to make your own sauce, I recommend using a salsa instead of an enchilada sauce over the top. Or spice up an enchilada sauce for your own use. Whatever you do, be creative!

If you are going for the more healthful approach, skip the cheese on top and instead add a little bit of sour cream after baking.

Burritos Enchilada Style

For the Sauce

1.5 pounds tomatillos, hulled

2 jalapenos

2 tablespoons cilantro

2 teaspoons sugar

Salt and pepper

For the Burritos
1 pound shredded pork, chicken, or whatever else you like
2 cups cooked white rice
2 tablespoons sour cream
1 tablespoon cilantro
8 ounces cheese
4 large flour tortillas
Salsa, shredded lettuce, and sour cream to top

Preheat your broiler to low, spread the tomatillos and jalapenos on a sheet pan, douse with a small amount of canola oil, and place under broiler. Broil for 5 minutes or until starting to blacken, flip, and broil until slightly charred. Transfer the tomatillos to a food processor after they have cooled a bit. Peel and seed the jalapenos, add them to the food processor along with the cilantro, sugar, salt and pepper. Blend until combined and mostly smooth. Season to taste.

Preheat oven to 375°F. Combine the white rice, cilantro, and sour cream in a small pot, add the meat and place over medium heat until heated (alternatively you can do this in a bowl and microwave under medium power). Lay a tortilla on a flat surface, place 1/4 of the meat and rice mixture near one side of the burrito. Top with about 2 tablespoons of the sauce, roll up the burrito tightly and place in a baking dish. Repeat with remaining tortillas. Pour sauce over top of the burritos, top with cheese, and bake for 15 minutes or until cheese is melted and hot. Top with sour cream, salsa, and lettuce. Serve and enjoy.

Fajitas

2010-05-20T10:22:00.000-04:00

I remember a time about 10 years ago when I was eating fajitas once a week. I worked in a Mexican restaurant as a busboy, and as is the norm for family restaurants, staff got to eat whatever was leftover at the end of the night. Wednesday night was fajita night and one of my shifts, so I often got at least a little bit of the leftover grilled steak or chicken. I honestly never tired of it. Now I think I make fajitas every few weeks, especially during the summer months, it's a meal that is just so tasty, simple, and downright fun to eat.

I made these the other night, opting for steak (as is the norm). People eat them in many varieties, but I like to keep it simple. A piece of grilled meat, some peppers and onions, maybe a bit of sour cream, and a nice salsa to top it off. Assemble as wanted in flour or corn tortillas, fold, and consume. Repeat as necessary. I love making this for groups, because you can set out all of the components on the table, crack open a few beers, and enjoy this sitting at a table or standing around outside (due to the juiciness of the meat, I would not recommend standing over your carpet eating one of these).

Fajitas (Adapted from Alton Brown)
Serves 4

1/2 cup olive oil
6 tablespoons soy sauce
4 scallions, washed and cut in thirds
2 large cloves garlic
1/4 cup lime juice
2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 pounds flank steak, cut into four pieces (with the grain)
2 onions, sliced into rings
2 bell peppers
8-10 flour tortillas
Sour cream and salsa for passing

Combine first 8 ingredients in a food processor or blender, blend until smooth. Pour marinade over steak in a zip-top bag or pan and marinate for 1 hour. Preheat grill to high. Grill onions and pepper (you can lightly oil them first if you wish) until soft and slightly blackened. Slice onion rings in half for strips, and peel and slice the pepper.

Place steak on grill, cooking on each side for 6-7 minutes or until temperature reaches 125°F (for medium rare) or 140°F (for medium). Let rest for 5-10 minutes, and then slice thin. Warm flour tortillas on grill (in foil) or in a low oven. Assemble and serve.

Real Men Eat Quiche

2010-05-13T11:46:00.001-04:00

I love quiche, and I think I know why. It's an egg and cheese pie in a crust. How could you not like that? Well, ok, my wife doesn’t care for it, or at least, she didn’t before. It's hopefully another dish I have converted her on (see cake, carrot). I made it the other night and did a little fiddling with the recipe I usually use and what do you know, she liked it! And so did I.

Quiche can be a finicky beast because of introducing such a wet filling into a delicate crust. I pre-bake my crust, which I believe is the standard. But I tried baking it a little longer this time so the bottom would crisp up and not get too soggy. On a tangent for a moment, I don’t use pie weights. I think they are a waste of money. I mean, you have to use aluminum foil anyways to line your pie and then add weights, so why not use something cheap? Like beans! I keep a bag of dried pinto beans that I use for pie weights. I like it.

Back to the subject at hand, my other issue with quiche is how much cream it takes. I like cream, but it can be a bit overkill. Doing a little rooting around on the net, I found people have started to use evaporated milk in place of cream to get richness without a ton of fat. I added that to my eggs and some salt and pepper for the custard. Last step was the actual filling, and I went traditional with spinach. Uncooked spinach has a lot of water, so I opted for the frozen stuff. I also on a whim added kielbasa, which turned out to be a great idea (ham would also work well). It looks like I get to keep quiche on the dinner menu from now on.

Spinach and Sausage Quiche

Serves 4

Crust

6 ounces (about 1 ¼ cups) flour

1 teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons butter, chilled and cut into small pieces

3 tablespoons lard, chilled and cut into small pieces

2 tablespoons vodka, cold

2 tablespoons water, cold

Filling

1 cup evaporated milk (2% or fat free)

4 eggs

1 egg white

8 ounces kielbasa, chopped

1 teaspoon olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 package frozen spinach, thawed and squeezed of excess moisture

4 ounces Monterey jack or Swiss cheese, shredded

1 ounce parmesan cheese, shredded

Combine the flour and salt in a bowl, using a fork or pastry blender (or you can even use your food processor) cut in the cold butter and lard until evenly distributed. Working slowly, sprinkle the vodka and water to the dough and fold with a spatula, being careful not to over mix. Once combined, use your hands to press the dough into a rough disc, wrap with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes (or up to 2 days).

Preheat your oven to 375°F. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface until about 1/8-1/4 inch thick. The main goal here is to ensure you have enough to cover a 9" pie pan (I used a deep dish pie pan for this) so just place the pie pan over the rolled out dough to make sure you have enough (and with some overhang). Transfer the crust to the pie plate and trim the edges to a ½-1" overhang. Using your fingers fold the edges under and crimp. Place aluminum foil over the pie crust and fill with your pie weights (or beans). Bake for 10 minutes, remove the foil and beans, and bake for another 10 minutes.

While the crust is baking, assemble the filling. In a large skillet over medium heat add the kielbasa and cook until brown, about 6-10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, remove the kielbasa. Add the olive oil and the onions and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds. Add the spinach and cook until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper.

Add the eggs, evaporated milk, and egg white to a bowl, whisk well. Season with salt and pepper.

Once the pie crust is out of the oven, decrease the oven to 350°F. Add 1/2 of the cheese followed by the kielbasa mixture and the rest of the cheese on top of that. Pour the egg mixture over the top, making sure you have even custard coverage. Sprinkle the parmesan cheese over the top and place the quiche in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes or until a knife in the center comes out clean and the quiche appears set. Remove from the oven, poke a few holes in the top of the quiche to let steam escape, and let cool for 20 minutes before serving.

Grilled Fish with Pineapple Salsa

2010-04-29T16:18:00.000-04:00

Growing up I ate a decent amount of fish. Most of it was in the form of canned tuna, but we also fished during the summer and I had trout or various other wild caught fish. But living in Arizona, we really did not see a lot of things like Mahi-Mahi, snapper, or tuna steaks, the only exception being when someone brought back fish from a deep sea fishing trip. That's how I came across the original recipe for this (from Emeril), one of my first external recipes I tried outside of my parents cooking. Over the years I have scaled back the overkill of the preparation for this dish, and I am really quite happy with it now. It's perfect for a warm evening to grill outside. It's also wonderfully healthy.

Now I can often find decent fish in the local grocery store or at North Shore (which has much better fish if you are willing to pay a little extra). This can be made with most whitefish fillets such as Mahi, flounder, or snapper. If you can, try to avoid getting fish from outside the US (namely China). They are usually raised in a pretty poor environment, are not sustainable, and are just somewhat all around icky. A few dollars goes a long way in terms of fish quality, trust me.

Grilled Fish with Pineapple Salsa
Serves 4

For the Fish
2 tablespoons cilantro
2 tablespoons orange juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
½ red (or white) onion, sliced
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cumin
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pound fish filets

For the Salsa
1 pineapple, cut into ½ inch cubes (about 2-3 cups)
1 avocado, cut into ½ inch cubes
½ red onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
¼ cup cilantro, chopped fine
1 tablespoon lime juice
1 jalapeno, seeded and diced

Cooked white rice

To marinate the fish, add the first seven ingredients to a zip-top bag, mix well, and then drop in the fish. Marinate for about 45 minutes.

To make the salsa, combine all the ingredients into a bowl, mix well, and season to taste with a little salt. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

Preheat your grill to high. Scrape down the grates and oil them with a paper towel and a little bit of canola oil (don’t skip this or the fish can stick). Reduce grill heat to medium-high, remove fish from marinade, and place fish directly on heat. Cover and grill for 3 minutes or until crisp on one side (will depend on the thickness of your filets), flip and repeat. You will know when the fish is done by it being lightly flaky but firm to the touch. Remove from grill and let rest about 3 minutes. Serve with salsa on top or on the side. Serve with rice. Enjoy.

Garden Me

2010-04-26T10:21:00.008-04:00

It's spring time here at Boilermaker Kitchen, which can only mean one thing. A garden! Yep, it's my first spring in an actual house since I left the desert air of Arizona behind. I had some summer gardens in Connecticut while I was there, but this will be my first all season plot. I'm a little excited, and a lot freaked out. I joined the Lafayette gardening online community to get some tips and hints with this part of the country. My main goal is to not over water my plants (this is because in Arizona you water your garden twice a day thanks to the blistering heat).

So what am I growing? Well, I plan on having two gardens going at the same time, each with a different purpose. My little patch near the house I am growing most of herbs such as thyme, basil, oregano, chives, parsley, cilantro, and I may even put in a rosemary bush if I feel plucky. Fresh herbs are, I believe, essential to a kitchen, they add a lot of flair to dishes, and it's much easier (and cheaper) to have them on hand at all times. Plus a good amount of them are perennials, so they just keep coming back for more. I also planted some squash and cucumbers up here.

My lower garden at the moment is my ambitious part. I started radishes a few weeks ago, which will be replaced by green beans once they are harvested. I also have lettuce, spinach, and peas growing as well. Tomatoes are hopefully going in this weekend followed by a fence to keep the rabbits out.
Hopefully I will keep my progress updated as the growing season continues. I'm also trying to get hold of a potato pot to try and grow some of those.

Things I have learned so far-

Raised beds are awesome and make the clay-like dirt around here manageable

Start your peas like you would sprouts (that's a future post for sure). Add seeds to a jar and cover with water. Let sit for about 8 hours, then drain, rinse, and drain the water, letting the peas stay slightly moist (water level can vary). Continue rinsing and draining twice a day until peas have sprouted and are starting to grow roots. Plant these in the ground; it will increase your germination rate

Spinach and lettuce CAN be transplanted if done with care (then again, check in a couple weeks and see if I stick to that statement)

Sheepdogs are good squirrel deterrent.

Any other ideas you have from gardening experience?

Beef Stroganoff

2010-04-23T12:30:00.009-04:00

Stroganoff is one of those dishes that I grew up making one way, only to find out you can make it an entirely different way only a short time ago. Beef tenderloin as the meat source? That still boggles my mind, as I would never use such an expensive cut of meat in a dish that I consider old fashioned home cooking. But maybe that's just me being cheap. I also tried the revamped recipe from Cook's Illustrated, which used sirloin tip (a somewhat cheaper cut), but surprisingly I did not like their recipe at all. Odd, I thought to myself, rarely do I not enjoy a recipe from ATK. Well, as it turns out, it just was not for me.

So I decided to go back to my dad's recipe, which I took, molded to my own liking (only slightly, I promise, his recipe is delicious), and made that instead. I use stew meat (or sliced chuck), which is a bit more tough but braises very well. Here's the result.

Beef Stroganoff

1 pound lean beef stew meat (you can use chuck roast as well cut into 1 inch cubes)
1 onion, half sliced and half minced
2 whole garlic cloves
1 bay leaf
2 sprigs fresh thyme
1 can low sodium beef stock or consume
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons butter
¼ cup flour
12 ounces mushrooms, sliced
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
Pinch cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon tomato paste
12 ounces cooked egg noodles
Sour cream
Parsley, chopped (optional)

In a crock-pot add beef, onion, garlic thyme, bay leaf, beef stock, and water. Cover and cook on low for 5-6 hours. Remove beef and set aside. Strain liquid, reserving in a large bowl.

Heat a pot or Dutch oven over medium heat and add the butter. Add onions, cooking for about 2 minutes or until soft. Add mushrooms and cook for 8-10 minutes or until the mushrooms have released most of their liquid and start to brown. Add flour and stir to coat. Add cooking liquid and stir constantly, bringing the liquid to a simmer, then season with salt and pepper. Once it starts to thicken add the Worcestershire, cayenne, and the beef. Cover, turn heat to low and cook for 20-30 minutes. Add tomato paste and season with salt and pepper. Serve over egg noodles with a dollop of sour cream on top and some chopped parsley.

Note- if the sauce is too thick, add a bit of water or beef stock to thin it out (this will vary depending on cooking time). If too thin, mix a small amount of corn starch with water and add to thicken.

A Reason to Eat Pears

2010-04-20T08:56:00.004-04:00

I like pears, but only on occasion. They are a fruit that have about a 2 hour window of perfection, beyond that they become a bit mushy for me. Maybe I'm being picky, but it's a strange fruit to me. I enjoy the flavor, I even had pear ice cream when I was in Sweden (let me tell you, that was crazy). Due to this hesitation, I have very infrequently cooked with pears. But no more! I decided to give it a go with poaching pears, based off a recipe I saw in Bon Apetit. I made this salad for Christmas dinner, then made it again a week later for company, and then made it once more for Valentine's Day. Success! Not only was it fairly simple, but it could also be made way ahead of time, easing my preparation for a dinner.

The great thing about wine poaching pears is not only their retention of whatever you put in the wine, but you are essentially mulling the wine while you cook it. You can easily serve it with soda water as a spritzer or warm. I tried it, and with just a little bit of tinkering (it needed a little more sugar) it was really tasty as a before dinner drink.

A few final notes that deal with the budget of this dish. I buy my cinnamon sticks in a Mexican market, as they are often higher quality and much cheaper. This wine is being cooked, so don’t use a $20 bottle, buy something cheap but drinkable. As for the crystallized ginger, well, if you buy the kind in the bottle found in the spice aisle you will literally be shooting yourself in the foot. Look around your produce section for the same thing in a baggie or plastic container, it's easily 3 times cheaper.

Poached Pear Salad with Toasted Walnuts and Gorgonzola
Makes 6-8 salads

4 firm pears, halved and cored
1 bottle dry red wine
1 cup orange juice
1 cup sugar
2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half
5 pieces crystallized ginger, sliced
1 shallot, minced fine
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 cup extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 cup gorgonzola, crumbled

1 cup walnuts
12 cups(10 ounce package) salad greens

You can easily make most of this dish a day in advance.

To toast the walnuts, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add nuts, toss occasionally until slightly brown. Let cool to room temperature.

To poach pears, add wine, orange juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks, and ginger to sauce pot over medium heat until simmering. Add pears, reduce heat to low, and keep at a simmer for ~30 minutes, turning pears occasionally. Pears should have a little give but still be firm. Cool pears in liquid to room temperature, then move to container and keep in refrigerator until ready to use.

To make dressing, add shallot, mustard, vinegar, and some salt and pepper to a small bowl. Whisk in olive oil slowly. Season to taste, can store in refrigerator overnight. Better yet, add all of the ingredients to a small container, cap with a lid, and shake well. This is enough to emulsify the dressing without whisking.

To assemble salads, toss greens with enough dressing to coat. Slice pears and fan half of a pear on top of greens, add some walnuts (crumble them slightly with your hand) and some gorgonzola cheese. Enjoy.

To use the leftover poaching liquid, rewarm and add sugar to taste, or serve chilled with sparkling water.

The Chile Relleño Omelet

2010-04-12T08:35:00.004-04:00

During my recent trip to Vegas, I discovered a restaurant serving what I consider to be one of the better breakfasts I have eaten, a chile relleño omelet. Never one to simply have something once, I decided to give them a go at home.
There are some obvious differences when cooking at home compared to what you are served at a restaurant. For example, I never cook omelets with four eggs, but that (or three) is pretty much the standard at a restaurant. Big deal? Not usually, but I was planning on stuffing a pretty good amount of stuff into this omelet. I'll be honest, my first one completely fell apart (I ate that one and gave the nice one to my wife). I believe this is more about patience than anything, having the omelet set up really helps you manipulate it as needed.

No matter, I figured it out, piled them with salsa and some sour cream, and they were extremely tasty.

Chile Relleño Omelets
Makes 1

2 eggs
1 green chile
1 T milk or water
3 ounces Colby-jack cheese (or more depending on your taste)
3 tablespoons salsa
2 tablespoons sour cream
Chopped cilantro (optional)

To roast the chile you can grill it until black and blistered, broiler it (on high) until blistered, or do it over a gas stove. Make sure to turn often. Once roasted, let cool slightly and then peel off skin and remove stem and seeds. Stuff with one ounce of the cheese and set aside.

Mix eggs, milk, and some salt and pepper well in a small bowl. Heat a 10 inch non-stick skillet over medium heat and preheat your broiler to high. Add a small dollop of butter to the pan to coat. Pour eggs in, moving pan around to coat bottom. Using a spatula or chopsticks, whisk the eggs around for a count of ten. Once finished, swirl the egg to coat the bottom of the pan. Lay the chile down the center of the omelet; it should reach end to end. Sprinkle some more cheese if desired. Cook until almost set. Fold omelet in half or in thirds. Top with salsa and the rest of the cheese. Place pan under broiler until cheese is melted. Transfer to plate, top with sour cream and cilantro. Enjoy!

My Time in Vegas (or That Time I Got Married) Part 2

2010-03-29T10:20:00.017-04:00

More on the Vegas trip-

Freed's Bakery

Vegas seems to be all about deception. Go on the strip, see the glitz, and be overwhelmed. Go off the strip and see another simple desert city. But while the strip is hiding price gouging and mediocre food, the area off the strip is hiding some just plain amazing restaurants (like The Egg and I or Donna Maria's). Well, we went for the wedding cake off the strip for this occasion. Rachel Ray had visited Freed's a long time ago for wedding cake by the slice, and I figured it was worth a shot. What a deceptive décor though! Located in a strip mall, the sign is simply a banner hung from screws flapping in the wind. No fanfare, nothing. But this place has been Zagat rated and mentioned in all kinds of publications all over the world. Their pastry counter looked amazing, and the éclair my mom tried was outstanding. The wedding cake, as you can see in the picture, was just stunning. A "Mad Hatter" cake with angled layers, beautiful decorating, and so much detail I cannot even begin to explain it all. It was quite tasty too, if a bit heavy on the filling. If you ever have a sweet tooth, I strongly recommend stopping by.

Pastry case and cookies!

Rosemary's Restaurant

We chose Rosemary's as the site for our wedding dinner. It's an off the strip restaurant that was setup by a husband and wife (he opened the original Emeril's in Las Vegas), and it constantly wins awards and praises for food service, and the fact that the owner actually cooks in the kitchen. Case in point, when we arrived he was out front ordering some fresh produce, chef's whites on and looking like he had been hard at work.

This is probably going to sound a bit gushy, but this was hands down one of the best meals I have ever eaten at a restaurant. The food was gorgeous and delicious, the service was absolutely impeccable, and the whole experience was amazing. To start off our fantastic waiter detailed the menu, the specials, some nice wine pairings (they also do beer pairings), and picked some of his recommendations. Having been a server, I appreciate a waiter giving us a detailed description of the dish from a tasting point of view, not just a carbon copy of the menu description. The menu is set up in a very nice way, with everything ala carte or the option of ordering 3 courses for $55. Stop right there, $55? The whole menu? Remember, I complained about Switch having a very limited menu for $60. Amazing value here folks. Not to mention that Sundays are half price wine bottle nights.
To start we were served an amuse bouche, a tasty cracker with a fish salad and light miso glaze on top. For the first course I was very adventurous, having sweetbreads served on a light sauce with duck confit. They (to quote Stephanie Izard from Top Chef) taste a bit like chicken nuggets, with an earthiness to them. They were outstanding, well cooked and balanced, and the sauce was incredible. Em had the crab boulettes, almost a Cajun like crab cake. Also sampled were the some barbecue shrimp (nice) and some wonderful seared foie gras.

Sweetbreads (left) Crab boulettes (right)

For the second course I had the twice baked parmesan soufflé, which was served over wild mushrooms and in a cream sauce. Again, beautiful execution with the dish. The soufflé was pillow-like in texture, had a very nice flavor, and went along really well with the mushrooms and sauce. We also had a ham and crawfish risotto, which was wonderfully smoky and rich, tried some of the salads, and the winner really goes to my mom for the special scallop dish they had. It was really good.

Twice baked Parmesan soufflé

Main course for me was beef, I actually strayed from my normal "order lamb" procedure, and I was rewarded with a perfectly cooked filet on asparagus with a nice red wine sauce and horseradish potatoes, which were more like small fried soufflé potatoes. It was amazing. Em had the panko and bacon crusted butterfish, and I do believe it was even better than mine. The texture of the fish was, well, like butter! I think a few had veal and also said it was really quite good.

The beef (left) and the butterfish (right)
For desert we had cake, they brought it out to be set on the table during dinner, a nice centerpiece, and then nicely sliced it for us. They even boxed the top. If I am ever back in Vegas I will be making at least one stop here. Not only was the experience amazing, but the food was so refined and well prepared, it truly was a wonderful evening.

You can find the rest of the pictures of food here

My Time in Vegas (or That Time I Got Married) Part I

2010-03-24T11:05:00.009-04:00

I finally did it. Em and I got hitched last weekend (on Pi Day!) in Las Vegas. I highly recommend it. We even took our parents with us and they had a great time. And of course, as with all of my travels, there was a lot of emphasis placed on food. This is my second trip to Vegas in about 4 years, and I am very happy to say I fared much better this time around. Word of advice, next time you travel, take some time and do a little bit of research. I plowed through a lot of sites, including Frommers and TripAdvisor, and I found a lot of useful information, not to mention ways to save money.

But before I get to talking about food, a wedding picture :)

Yes, we had a lot of fun. It's so easy to get married in Vegas. Now on to the food!

Wynn Buffet
This is my third trip to Vegas, and it's not complete without a trip to a buffet. We splurged a bit this time, deciding to try the Wynn Buffet (also, this was the hotel we were staying at). Let me just say this was a great decision. Of all the buffets I have been to on the strip, this one easily took the cake. Carving stations of turkey, beef, chicken, pork, and lamb that were surprisingly well cooked. Pasta, ceviche, lots of fish dishes, and scrumptious dumplings were also very welcome. And the staple of any Vegas buffet is of course, the cold bar seafood, where I was not disappointed. The fact that they made an effort to decrease the amount of work for me really made me happy. The shrimp were peeled and the crab legs were already split. And everything tasted really good. For dessert, they were a bit all over the map. However, they always have a fresh station where they make Belgian waffles and crepes. The waffles were traditional yeasty waffles, with fruit and homemade whip cream and a whole lot of tastiness piled on top. They were probably the best thing on the entire buffet.

Donna Maria's Tamales
I'm sure I have made it clear already, but just to recap, I LOVE Mexican food. I will search it out wherever I go. Donna Maria's, well, it’s a really special place. Located off the strip (that's a theme here for really good restaurants), we stopped here for breakfast. First of all, how awesome is it to have chips and salsa with your morning coffee? Pretty sweet, I think. And the food was equally as good. I had carne machaca with eggs, a shredded beef and egg dish served with rice, beans, and tortillas to make nice little breakfast burritos. They were so tasty. However, I defer to my new wife's dish, the chilequiles, which were out of this world good. A spicy tomatillos sauce on top of fresh tortilla chips with cheese? They were great. We even got some tamales, and while the cheese one was just ok, the chicken and green chile tamale reminded me of green corn tamales, a fresher, more moist tamale. Overall, I give this place an A+.

The Egg and I
In my dream world I open a breakfast restaurant. It's small, quaint, and serves really good food. It's pretty much what I walked into with the Egg and I. An off-the-strip joint that serves awesome breakfast, so good there's pretty much always a wait. They had great service, good coffee (which is so hard to find these days in a restaurant), and the food was both great and enormous. I went with my family and we left stuffed for the rest of the day. Good thing too, since we missed lunch due to the wedding =) My mom had blueberry pancakes which could be mounted as tires on a car, my brother had a huge omelet with I believe a whole avocado, and I once again found myself sucked into green chiles by ordering a chile relleño omelet. Four eggs stuffed with chiles and cheese, covered in salsa, cheese, sour cream, and cilantro, and baked. Yes please. Between this and Donna Maria's, I say don’t choose, go to both.

Mesa GrillAs much as I love Bobby Flay, this meal did not quite live up to my expectations. Maybe it's because we went for brunch, where the menu was a bit limited, but I just was not totally thrilled by the meal. The place feels a bit cavernous thanks to sharing the same ceiling as the casino, and the service was meh. The drinks were really good, and I strongly recommend a margarita. The food was just ok though. I had a fish dish with green chile rice. The rice I could have eaten for days, and the fish was well cooked, but the flavors did not mesh with me. I was also a bit peeved that I got a pretty small portion for $23. C'mon Bobby, if you like big flavors, give me a big plate. Everyone else at the table had somewhat of the same opinion, the food was pretty good, but not "oh my gosh" great.

Jodi Maroni's Sausage Kingdom
My second weakness next to Mexican food? Hot dogs. I love hot dogs, and I get one wherever I travel. I read about this place in Frommer's, and tracked it down in a small corner of the New York New York food court. One quick side note here. I think the NYNY has the best ala-carte food in Vegas. They really stick to tradition with pizza, delis, and seafood, and it's all really tasty. Ok, end tangent, back to hot dogs. They sell Italian sausages and really good beef franks, the latter of which we all got, mine Chicago style and the others with just mustard. They were so good, nice and plump and juicy, with a little bit of crisp on the skin. And the fries were great. They double fry! Good for them, and even more so, their cheese fries have actual cheddar baked onto them. If you need a quick lunch or a snack, check this place out.

Switch
We ate here our last night in Vegas. If I'm being honest, I would have rather spent the $40 and gone back to the Wynn Buffet and eaten. This restaurant was all about the theme. The décor "switched" every 15 minutes by moving the walls, the wall hangings, and the ceiling to create a new environment, which was pretty neat. We opted to go with the "Taste of the Wynn" menu, something the Wynn has been promoting as a cheaper alternative to fine dining. $60 for a three course meal is a pretty good deal considering that you could easily triple that in other restaurants. However, I was a bit disappointed at not only the limitation of this menu (3 oysters with a cucumber-water "dipping sauce"), but also somewhat with the portions. I feel that by ordering this menu they were purposefully trying to give us the least amount of simple food possible. My main course was a scallop and lobster pastry dish, mildly pleasant if lacking in a robust flavor profile. Em's steak was much better, cooked nicely and satisfying. The dessert was pleasant as well, and kudos for them for the personalized writing on our dishes. However, I still was bit under whelmed by the food, especially compared to the theatrics the restaurant was based on.

I will post the rest (Rosemary's and cake) later this week.

Egg Tostadas with Black Beans and Salsa

2010-03-19T07:52:00.002-04:00

Again with the leftovers! Well, when you buy tostadas, you usually have some leftover. If you don’t want to make chips with them, I would suggest breakfast. Yep, pick up and eat breakfast tostadas. It reminds me of the days I used to eat huge breakfast burritos at Viva Burrito in Tucson, a warm, spicy breakfast that kept me full well into the day.

As with my previous enchiladas, this is recipe that you can mix and match to your liking. Want bacon instead of beans? Go for it. Add some sauce or some greens to complete anything. Use what you have on hand, and improvise. Trust me, its fun.

Egg Tostadas with Black Beans and SalsaServes 2

5 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
½ teaspoon cumin
6 oz black beans (~1/2 can), drained and rinsed
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 red pepper or tomato, diced
Salt and pepper
Shredded cheese
Salsa
4 tostadas

In a small pot, place pepper or tomato, beans, chili powder, and some salt and pepper over medium heat. Add just a splash of water and cook until just warmed through, about 4 minutes, and remove from heat. Beat eggs, milk, salt, pepper, and cumin in a bowl. In a non-stick skillet over medium add a small amount of butter to coat the pan. Add the eggs, stirring occasionally until scrambled. Spoon eggs evenly onto tostadas, add black beans, cheese, and salsa. Serve warm.

Enchiladas from Leftovers

2010-03-11T09:34:00.005-05:00

With the pork tostadas I made the other night, I certainly had leftovers. And I was feeling something a bit different. Emily suggested enchiladas. Now, I have to give a small amount of background here. I always have ingredients for enchiladas at hand (the same goes for a chocolate cake, you can never be too careful). Why? Because enchiladas offer a lot of versatility and can easily be made into dinner. Take some tortillas, wrap it around a nice warm filling, place it in a pan, pour sauce and/or cheese over it, and bake until bubbly. Boom, dinner. And you can put so much into an enchilada, that's why I like them so much. I put leftover shredded meats, rice, beans, whatever I can find that sounds good together. You could even make them for breakfast.

For this I used the leftover shredded pork and some cooked rice. They got the thumbs up from Emily, so I'm keeping it on my list of "things I make the next night". Enjoy
Pork Enchiladas
Serves 4

1/2 pound shredded pork or smiliar filling
2 cups ooked white rice
3 cup sour cream
1 teaspoon chili powder
10 flour tortillas
1 12 ounce can red enchilada sauce
Shredded cheese (Colby jack is good here)

In a small sauce pot combine the pork and rice over medium heat. Put it into whatever ratio you want, I used about ½ pound pork to 1 ½ cups of rice. Cook until warm, add sour cream, chile powder, and salt and pepper to taste.

Preheat your oven to 375°F. On a flat surface spoon a bit of the filling evenly into the tortillas. Roll them up and place them with the edge down in a baking dish. Cover with sauce and cheese. Bake until the cheese is bubbly and the enchiladas are hot, about 20 minutes.

Tamale Pie Redux

2010-03-05T07:57:00.006-05:00

I had some interesting comments on my aforementioned post. So while I was making this dish last night for dinner, I did alter a few things as well as clarify. Plus, this gives me a great oppurtunity to put another picture of Molly (almost a year!) on my blog. A few points.

-at least add one of the jalapenos, even if you are not a heat person. Cut out the seeds and stems, but at least have it there for flavor.

-Do not skimp on the spices. They make the dish.

-I increased the amount of cornmeal in mine last night to give a better crust. A great idea.

Tamale Pie

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos, minced
2 1/2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
4 ounces cheddar cheese, shredded
1 cup coarse corn meal
3 1/4 cups water
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add beef, breaking up and cooking until browned. Add the onion, jalapeno, and some salt, cooking until the onion is softened. Add the chile powder, oregano, cumin, and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the beans, corn, and tomatoes into the skillet. Cook until most of the juices from the tomatoes have evaporated and the mixture is slightly thickened. (about 10 minutes). Season with salt and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat water in a pot until boiling. Stir in cornmeal, reduce heat to medium-low, and whisk until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in oil and paprika, season with salt and pepper.
Stir cheese into meat mixture. Transfer to a 9x13 (3 quart) baking pan or similar vessel. Top with cornmeal mixture, spreading to the edges to seal. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and turn on broiler to high. Continue cooking until cornmeal is set and slightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Tinga Tinga

2010-03-01T07:55:00.010-05:00

I'm certainly on a Mexican kick at the moment. Between discovering Rick Bayless' fantastic show on PBS and a Mexican market down the road, I have been all over this. Tacos, enchiladas, meats, beans, you name it, I'm into it. And I plan to continue that path. It's the food I truly miss from Arizona, the pure, unadulterated foods of Mexico. I'm not saying that the Midwest does not have some good food, because they do, but there is so much culture and passion behind Mexican food that I just love.

Such is the case with this recipe for pork tostadas. It's inspired from a recent recipe in Cook's Illustrated, who also seem to be on a Mexican kick lately. It's a pretty simple recipe, it makes a ton, and you can do amazing things with the leftovers (next post). I will say that I did not fry my own tostadas, I instead bought them to save time and oil. Mission seems to be the favorite in the grocery stores, but I recommend getting them from a Mexican market if you can. Just make sure to look at the ingredients. It should read something like "corn, water, salt" or be less than five ingredients. If it's more, walk away. Just walk away. Quality is everything here people.

There is a lot more I can talk about with these, but I just hope you give them a try for dinner one night next week, you will not be disappointed. I halved it when I made it, but this is double my recipe for a family.

Shredded Pork Tostadas
Serves 4-6

2 pounds pork butt, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
2 onions, 1 roughly quartered and 1 chopped
6 garlic cloves, 3 peeled and smashed and 3 minced
6 sprigs fresh thyme

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 (15oz) can tomato sauce

1 tablespoon ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon cumin

2 bay leaves
1 cup water

For the tostadas
tostadas
shredded cheese (queso fresco, cojita, or mild feta)
cilantro

sliced avocado

sour cream
salsa

In a large pot, bring pork, quartered onion, smashed garlic, thyme, 1 teaspoon salt, and 6 cups water to a simmer over medium-high heat, skimming off any foam that comes to the surface. Once simmering, reduce heat to medium low, partially cover, and cook until pork is fork tender, 60-80 minutes. Drain pork, reserving 1 cup of the liquid. Discard the onion, garlic, and thyme. Return pork to pot (no heat) and smash with a potato masher until roughly shredded. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add onion, cook for about 30 seconds, then add pork and dried oregano, mixing and then pressing the pork down into the pan. Cook, stirring occasionally (flip the pork over) until the pork is well browned and slightly crisp, about 10 minutes. Add the minced garlic and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomato sauce, reserved cooking liquid, chile powder, cumin, and bay leaves; simmer until thick and most of the liquid has evaporated, 8-10 minutes. Discard bay leaves, season with salt.

To serve, spoon pork onto tostadas, top with avocado (or guacamole), cheese, cilantro, and any other fresh toppings you desire. Enjoy.

Back in the Kitchen Again

2010-02-28T09:48:00.002-05:00

Writing is difficult. There, I said it. Finding time to write in addition to the job, planning a pseudo-wedding (more on that later), working, taking care of a puppy, and the holidays is just not easy. And I know, some people work 3 jobs, have kids, and read this and go "you sir, are weak". Well, its not just about time with this, its about motivation. Have I been cooking? Of course, but writing about it just kind of took a back seat. I needed to ask myself what my goals where for writing a food blog and if I really wanted to keep jotting everything down I did and having people stare at me when I took pictures of my food in restaurants. But I digress, I have found my voice, and while sometimes I may be more inspired than others, I hope you enjoy the collection of rambling and recipes to come. Back tomorrow with some fun stuff.

Back soon...

2010-02-08T12:05:00.001-05:00

I realize I have taken quite the hiatus from blogging lately. With holidays, sickness, and getting married happening right now, I just have not felt the urge to write about food. My motivation will return, and I will be back with lots of new recipes, posts and thoughts. Thanks for your support. Stay tuned

The Apple of My Pie

2009-11-20T13:40:00.004-05:00

I have not been making apple pie very long, but I have learned a lot in the time I have been baking it. In fact, next week will probably break my record of "most pie made in one time" by a long shot. Em and I are traveling back to Connecticut to have Thanksgiving with her parents, a somewhat annual tradition. This means a lot of pie. Apple, first and foremost. John (Em's dad) makes some of the best apple pie this world has ever seen, and I'm willing to put money on that. He makes pie for pretty much any occasion, because, hey, who doesn’t like pie?

Apple pie is really to separate entities, the crust and the filling. For the crust, I have become a huge fan of the Cook's Illustrated "add vodka" pie crust. As a scientist this greatly appeals to me. Water in crust causes gluten formation, which leads to a chewy and not pleasant crust. Well, vodka is only 40% water, so by adding this in addition to water you are under-hydrating the dough, allowing for an easier roll out. When the pie bakes (for quite some time), about 95-98% of the alcohol will burn off, leaving you with a wonderfully flaky crust. Also, as I previously stated in a post, using lard or shortening is important. Its fat structure allows for a better crust, where butter brings mostly flavor. Don't be afraid! I did back down a little on the fat because I feel it makes the pie slightly greasy, but not much.

For the filling, make sure to acquire a good type of apple. Granny Smith, Northern Spy, or Golden Delicious are all very good pie apples. Try to cut them into uniform slices to allow for even baking. And eat some of it. This will tell you how much sugar you will need to add (I have learned that making apple pie is really more of an art than a recipe). John and I differ slightly in our method of preparing the filling. I like to mix the apples with the sugar mixture before placing them in the crust (I feel it makes the pie more evenly distributed), he prefers to layer the apples and sprinkle the sugar mixture as he goes. Either way is good.

Crust

2 1/2 cups (12 1/2 ounces) unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
½ cup (1 stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch slices
2/3 cup cold lard or vegetable shortening, cut into 4 pieces
1/4 cup cold vodka
1/4 cup cold water

Add 1 1/2 cups flour, salt, and sugar in food processor until combined, about 2 one-second pulses. Add butter and shortening and process until homogeneous dough just starts to collect in uneven clumps, 15 seconds. Scrape bowl with rubber spatula and redistribute dough evenly around processor blade. Add remaining cup flour and pulse until mixture is evenly distributed around bowl and mass of dough has been broken up, 4 to 6 quick pulses. Empty mixture into medium bowl.

Sprinkle vodka and water over mixture. Using a spatula to mix, fold dough by pressing down on dough until slightly tacky and sticks together. Divide dough into two roughly even balls and flatten each into 4-inch disk. Wrap each in plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 45 minutes or up to 2 days.

Filling

6-8 apples (Northern Spy, Golden Delicious, Granny Smith, or a mix), approximately 3-4 pounds
2/3-2/4 cup sugar (depending on sweetness of apples)
Pinch of salt
2 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon allspice
2 tablespoons butter, cut into small pieces
2 tablespoons cream or milk
Additional sugar or cinnamon sugar for sprinkling

Preheat oven to 425°F and arrange rack to lower part of the oven.

Peel and core apples. Slice into even slices approximately ¼ inch thick. Place apples in a large bowl with enough water to cover and about 2 tablespoons lemon juice (prevents browning). In a small bowl, mix together the sugar, salt, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg, and allspice. Drain apples well (I recommend patting them dry with a kitchen towel) and transfer to a large bowl. Add sugar mixture and coat apples well.

Roll out one pie crust disk on a lightly floured surface and arrange in a 9 inch pie dish. Arrange apples in circular layers, mounding slightly more in the middle. (Alternatively, layer apples with the sugar mixture if you don’t want to mix it ahead of time.)

Dot the butter on the top of the apples. Roll out the other crust, making it slightly larger than the first (you want a little bit of overhang). Brush the edges of the bottom crust with milk (helps adhesion). Fold the top crust in half and make two small cuts for vents. Arrange top crust over pie. Using a paring knife, cut the excess crust so that about ½-1 inch is left hanging below the lip of the pie. Using your thumb, pinch together the edges of the dough, sealing the bottom and top crust. Tuck the crimped edges back underneath the crust (essentially rolling it into itself so it is even with the pan edge) and flute with fingers or fork. This gives you that pretty pie crust look.

Brush the top with milk or cream (I find egg causes too much browning, but you can use egg white). Sprinkle sugar or cinnamon sugar over top

Bake for 50 minutes or until the pie is deep golden brown and the apples are bubbling (might have to go a few extra minutes). Let cool for 3-4 hours before slicing.

Ta-Molly Pie

2009-11-18T07:55:00.002-05:00

Did I alter the title of a dish just to put another picture of my dog on my blog? You betcha. This has become Em's new favorite dish, causing me to refine the recipe rather quickly as well as get my cooking time for an hour total. Tamale's are something I have a deep, deep fondness for. I remember getting from people selling out of their car on the weekends. I would bring home tamales, tortillas, make some beans, and that would be dinner. For anyone who would find this odd, I never got sick, and they were always delicious. Think of it this way, if the guy who sold me that food did make people sick, no one would buy his wares and he would not be selling (word travels fast). I miss food opportunities like this, I feel our society frowns upon the homemade and homegrown unless strictly regulated. Back to tamales. I do not have time to make tamales themselves, but I can make a pie. With tamale ingredients. I tested out the Cook's Illustrated version, and made some improvements (in my eyes). It’s a great dish to feed a crowd, and works nicely with turkey or vegetarian (just add rice or more beans).

Tamale Pie

1 pound lean ground beef
1 onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 jalapenos, minced
2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 teaspoon dried oregano
½ teaspoon cumin
1 15oz can black beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn, frozen or fresh
1 15oz can diced tomatoes, with juice
4 ounces cheese (Colby jack or Monterey jack)
¾ cup coarse corn meal
2 1/2 cups water
1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon smoked paprika
Salt
Pepper

Preheat oven to 375°F.

In a large skillet over medium heat, add beef, breaking up and cooking until browned. Add the onion and some salt, cooking until the onion is softened. Add the jalapeno and garlic, cook for 1 minute. Add the chile powder, oregano, cumin, beans, corn, and tomatoes into the skillet. Cook until most of the juices from the tomatoes have evaporated and the mixture is slightly thickened. Season and remove from heat.

Meanwhile, heat water in a pot until boiling. Stir in cornmeal, reduce heat to low, and whisk until thickened, about 1 minute. Stir in oil and paprika, season with salt and pepper.
Stir cheese into meat mixture. Transfer to a 9x13 baking pan or similar vessel. Top with cornmeal mixture, spreading to the edges to seal. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil and turn on broiler to high. Continue cooking until cornmeal is set and slightly browned. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve.

Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes

2009-11-12T12:30:00.004-05:00

After the success of my banana pancakes, I decided to twist it a little bit by incorporating my favorite banana accompaniment, peanut butter. Honestly, if scientists could make a banana with a slight peanut butter flavor, I'm thinking it would solve 95% of potassium deficiency in the world. Well, I can dream, right? Same process pretty much as before. Since I was adding peanut butter, I removed some of the butter to compensate for that. I also found out I could probably eat my weight in these.
Peanut Butter Banana Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1 tablespoon butter, melted and cooled slightly
3 tablespoons creamy peanut butter
1 cup buttermilk
1 banana, mashed
2 bananas, sliced thin

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir until combined. In a separate bowl combine the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, mashed banana, peanut butter, and butter. Slowly add the wet to the dry and fold using a spatula. Once most of the batter is combined and a few lumps remain, set bowl aside and let rest for 5-10 minutes. If the batter is too thick, add a bit more buttermilk. Batter should be slightly thin but not pourable.

Preheat your griddle or pan to medium-high. Spray with a small amount of cooking spray or butter. Using a scoop or ladle, add small amount of batter to pan. Place sliced bananas in a single layer on the top of each pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes until bottoms are browned. Flip pancakes over and continue to cook until bottom is browned and pancake is firm, about 2 more minutes. Serve with syrup.

The Great Chili Cookoff Part II: The Showdown

2009-11-04T15:19:00.002-05:00

The showdown is upon me! Or rather, it was. The chili cookoff went down at work today. It was lots of fun and I ate way too much.

My chili recipe went through a few more iterations before I settled on a final version. I now have both a quick and easy version, as well as a deep delicious flavor version. For whatever reason, the grocery stores have apparently heard my plea and now carry Anaheim/Hatch chiles in the produce section. Nice!
When shopping for a lot of the ingredients in this dish, I paid a bit of attention to the price when shopping. I bought most of this stuff at a Mexican grocer, and then compared that to what my local meg-mart had to offer. As I thought, a grocer that specializes in a region is WAY cheaper than what the big store are offering, and the quality is much better. Case in point: tomatillos are 99 cents a pound at a Mexican grocery, they are usually $3 per pound at the store. So shop smart (shop S-Mart!!)
In the end, my chili came out much to my (and my coworkers) liking. I placed second, raising $84 in my jar for charity. Which is awesome! The organizer of the event placed first, so yeah, maybe I'm a little competative. That's ok. I hope you enjoy the recipe.
Southwestern White Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey (at least 90/10, I like 95/5)
1 onion, diced fine
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce, diced
8 oz green chiles, stems removed
1-2 jalapeno's, stems removed
1 10oz can green enchilada sauce
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks and stems removed
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup dry pearled barley
4 cups chicken stock
1 15oz. can cannellini bean beans, rinsed
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder (go for the Ancho kind, its smokey)
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Sour cream

Heat broiler to high. Toss tomatillos, jalapenos, and green chiles in 1 tablespoon olive oil. Arrange tomatillos (stem side down) on a foil lined baking sheet along with jalapeno and green chiles. Place in middle of oven, roast for 5-8 minutes or until slightly charred. Flip and continue to roast until charred on other side. Remove from oven can cool slightly. Peel and seed jalapeno and chiles, remove stem part from tomatillo. Place tomatillos, chiles, jalapeno, cilantro, sugar, green enchilada sauce, and some salt in pepper in a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth.

Heat about olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion and cook until slightly wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Add turkey, breaking it apart and cooking until it has lost its pink color. Add the chipotles, cumin, chili powder, and some salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomatillo mixture, cook for 5 minutes, then add the pearled barley, followed by chicken stock. Stir, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add beans and cook 10 more minutes, or until barley becomes only slightly chewy. Remove lid, stir in cornmeal and tomato paste, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve topped with a bit of sour cream.

-To simplify the recipe, replace the tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro, sugar, and green chiles with-

2 4 oz. cans diced green chiles
1 can tomatillos, drained and chopped

Add these ingredients, along with the enchilada sauce, directly to the chili. The depth of flavor will lessen, but it really speeds up the prep time.

Chicken Provencal (In a slow cooker)

2009-10-25T18:16:00.008-04:00

A combination of writer's block, an FDA inspection, and my lack of inspiration at the moment (thanks crazy weather) has decreased my output on the blog lately. Sorry about that. But apologies get me nowhere if I cannot produce some food!

I enjoy my slow cooker. I love beef stroganoff and slow cooked beans are consistently a favorite. However, leaving something to heat all day is not always a good idea in the summer months. Thanks to a dip in the temperature lately, I can pack up the ice cream machine and unpack the slow cooker. The first thing I decided to make was chicken Provencal, a fantastic recipe I adapted from the Cook's Illustrated cookbook.

Starting with the chicken, I am very pleased that boneless, skinless chicken thighs have percolated into my super market. They are stupendous and almost more flexible than chicken breasts. They also stew very well.

I discovered this recipe while searching for a good putanesca recipe. I'm not extremely versed in French cooking, but this preparation is actually pretty simple. You can mix and match certain parts (like more olives) to match your tastes.

Chicken Provencal (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

8 boneless, skinless chicken thighs or 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 onions, chopped medium
14 cloves garlic, chopped
1 1/2 cups white wine
28-oz crushed tomatoes
1 3/4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh)
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons corn starch
4 oz. Kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 tablespoon grated lemon zest.

Heat 2 teaspoon of the oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium high heat until smoking. Season chicken thighs with salt and pepper and place in hot skillet. Brown on both sides, about 10 minutes, and transfer to slow cooker. If the pan is too crowded brown in batches. Add remaining teaspoon oil and onions and a bit of salt, cooking until the onions are wilted, about 5-8 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for another minute. Add wine, scraping up bits from the bottom of the pan, and cook until reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the onion mixture to the slow cooker, followed by the bay leaves, thyme, oregano, tomatoes, and 1 1/2 cups of the chicken stock. Cover and cook for about 4 hours or until the chicken is very tender.

Remove chicken from cooker and transfer to plate, covering with foil. Turn slow cooker to high, whisk remaining 1/4 cup chicken stock with cornstarch and add to the mix. Cover and cook until thickened, about 15-30 minutes. Stir in the olives, parsley, and lemon zest. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve sauce over chicken, passing additional sauce at the table.

Serve over rice, egg noodles, or soft polenta. Serves 6. Enjoy!

The Great Chili Cook-Off- Part 1

2009-10-19T14:28:00.006-04:00

My workplace decided this week to have a chili cook-off. We had a pie baking contest a few months ago and I was a judge, a fantastic honor that ended with a lot of good pie and a serious sugar rush. Thankfully our chili cook-off will include complementary Tums. Now, competition cooking is not something I usually do, mainly because as a home cook I still have a somewhat fragile ego (as I'm sure we all do when it comes to cooking new things). But the only way to grow is to try new things, right? I'm giving this a shot, hopefully with good results.

I have been making a white chili since before I started this blog, and I'm pretty proud of it. I'm going to put it up against the others in hopes of actually placing, which is hard since most people prefer a traditional red chili. My biggest problem though is my love of spice. I eat fiery food. I used to eat habanero salsa when I worked a Mexican restaurant, if that says anything. Needless to say, a lot of people do not really share my "slow burn on the lips" philosophy. Which just means I get to make test batches.

The first batch was made pretty much following my original recipe. I swapped out fresh tomatillos for the canned ones (I found a great local Mexican market for them) as well as added a fresh jalapeno. However, WHY ARE THERE NO FRESH GREEN CHILES? I know, I know, I'm spoiled growing up in the Southwest. But I recently watched a travel show talking about how the Hatch chile supply is decreasing due to lack of sales. I guarantee if they put some fresh ones next to the poblanos in the store this would help the problem. In fact, they can replace the poblanos if that makes it better. With the surge of Mexican food going on in the States, it makes sense to stock something that is very unique to us. But back to the chili.

I brought my batch into work for some taste testing on calm and unbiased tongues. Mostly positive reviews, though some thought it was a bit thick and maybe the fresh tomatillos were a bit tart. It does need a bit of tweaking, so I think I'm going to make another batch next week. I'm a bachelor this weekend, so I'm thinking a nice pumpkin beer and a pot of chili will make this horrible Indiana weather a bit more bearable.

What about the food world out there, do you make white chili?

I apologize for no pictures with this post. The camera is in California at the moment :)

White Chili

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 pound ground turkey (at least 90/10, I like 95/5)
1 onion, diced fine
4 cloves garlic, diced
2 chipotle peppers in their adobo sauce, diced
2 4 oz. cans diced green chiles
1 10oz can green enchilada sauce
1 pound fresh tomatillos, husks and stems removed
1 jalapeno
1/4 cup cilantro
1 teaspoon sugar
1 cup dry pearled barley
32oz . cans chicken stock
1 15oz. can cannellini bean beans, rinsed
1/2 tablespoon cumin
1 tablespoon chili powder (go for the Ancho kind, its smokey)
Salt
Pepper
1 tablespoon cornmeal
1 tablespoon tomato paste
Sour cream

Heat broiler to high. Arrange tomatillos (stem side down) on a foil lined baking sheet along with jalapeno. Place in middle of oven, roast for 5 minutes or until slightly charred. Flip and continue to roast until charred on other side. Remove from oven can cool slightly. Peel and seed jalapeno, remove stem part from tomatillo. Place tomatillos, jalapeno, cilantro, sugar, green enchilada sauce, and some salt in pepper in a food processor. Pulse until mostly smooth.

Heat about olive oil over medium heat in a large pot. Add onion and cook until slightly wilted, about 3-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook one minute longer. Add turkey, breaking it apart and cooking until it has lost its pink color. Add the chipotles, cumin, chili powder, and some salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add the tomatillo mixture and pearled barley, followed by chicken stock. Stir, bring to a boil and lower heat to a simmer. Cover and simmer for about 30 minutes. Add beans and cook 10 more minutes, or until barley becomes only slightly chewy. Remove lid, stir in cornmeal and tomato paste, and cook for about 5 more minutes. Serve topped with a bit of sour cream.

Gage

2009-10-14T11:11:00.002-04:00

There are few places I enjoy more than a pub. Beer and I are on quite good terms, and I love the food that accompanies it. Thankfully, beer and food pairings are becoming more and more popular thanks to the emergence of good quality beer in the states (but that's another post). I recently ate lunch at Gage, a Chicago gastro-pub that offered a higher end spin on traditional brunch, lunch, and dinner pub fare.

Even at an off lunch hour, the place was downright packed. Not to mention the place is quite large (there is another bar in the basement that they open up for weekend nights). We sat in the bar (no wait), and were greeted with friendly and knowledgeable service. Gage runs specials every day including a fish, sandwich, soup, and entrée of the day. Em had fish and chips (made with the fish of the day, fresh cod) that probably rank as top 5 in best fried fish ever. Guinness batter and perfectly cooked, they were great. I had the sandwich of the day, roasted pork leg served with a cilantro aioli. Man was it good. Tender pork, a homemade sauce, and really good bread. I love pub food, and this hit the spot. The beer they have on tap is also quite nice, with a featured local beer on tap for each season. Nice.

The best part might have come with desert. Deconstructed coffee and doughnuts are something you do not usually see. Well, ok, I have never seen. A fresh drop doughnut rolled cinnamon sugar, a fried chocolate gonache (which was unsweetened), and a sweet coffee sauce poured over the top. Yes, it tasted as good as it sounds. We both decided to go back the next time we were in Chicago, and maybe even twice.

http://www.thegagechicago.com/

Making Banana Pancakes on the Weekend

2009-10-09T15:31:00.002-04:00

The first time I heard of banana pancakes was from a Jack Johnson song. But he only makes them when he wants to pretends it’s the weekend. What about when it's really the weekend? Well, I decided to break the mold and make them last week. I am now a true believer of the putting the banana in the pancake.

The main problem I found was how to add them to not just get the banana flavor but also get some contrasting textures. Most banana pancake recipes I found incorporated banana into the batter by mashing, but that was it. Flavor is great, but only mashed banana and I don't really see eye to eye. I think it's my aversion to banana flavoring. When I worked at a bakery we had this glop called Fruit-O that we added to our banana nut bagels. They tasted alright, but that stuff made my stomach churn it smelled so strange. Not exactly a great food memory, which has in the past caused me to shy away from flavoring anything with banana (and don't even get me started on orange cake).

Turns out by adding banana two ways I was able to get the perfect combination of flavor and texture in my pancakes. I mashed up one banana to put in the batter, but I also sliced a few and placed them on the top of the pancake, pushing it in to the batter. When flipped, the bananas caramelized on the bottom. Em gave it two thumbs up.

The only better thing than a banana pancake is a leftover one smeared with peanut butter, rolled up, and consumed quickly. I don’t know why I did not think of that earlier, I feel like I was really missing out. I think I might just throw peanut butter in the batter next time.

Banana Pancakes

1 cup flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons sugar
½ teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter, melted and cooled slightly
1 cup buttermilk
1 banana, mashed
2 bananas, sliced thin

Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, sugar, salt, and cinnamon in a large bowl. Stir until combined. In a separate bowl combine the egg, buttermilk, vanilla, mashed banana, and butter. Slowly add the wet to the dry and fold using a spatula. Once most of the batter is combined and a few lumps remain, set bowl aside and let rest for 5-10 minutes. If the batter is too thick, add a bit more buttermilk. Batter should be slightly thin but not pourable.

Preheat your griddle or pan to medium-high. Spray with a small amount of cooking spray or butter. Using a scoop or ladle, add small amount of batter to pan. Place sliced bananas in a single layer on the top of each pancake. Cook for 3-4 minutes until bottoms are browned. Flip pancakes over and continue to cook until bottom is browned and pancake is firm, about 2 more minutes. Serve with syrup.

Note- this recipe feeds 2-3 people, so if you have a larger family, you should probably double it.

Barbecued Redemption

2009-10-05T08:04:00.007-04:00

As much as I love to grill, barbecue has not always been a strong point for me. Notice that barbecue and grilled are used in two separate contexts, as they are NOT the same thing (if you tell a barbecue person they are the same, prepare to be punched). Barbecue is more about the low and slow, something I have had a hard time getting my head around due to my lack of patience. This is especially true when it comes to ribs. I have made ribs three times in my life. The first, I was 14 or 15 and had no business being near a rack of pork. The second was a few summers ago, when I made them in the oven using an Alton Brown recipe. They were ok, but the whole house smelled for days and they were a bit sweet for anyone's taste. This is my third attempt. I often turn to Cook's Illustrated for some inspiration of cooking methods and flavor bases. We do not always see eye to eye on the simplicity of applications, but for the most part they can guide me in the right direction with all of their research and testing. Being a scientist myself, I truly respect what they do. In fact, I would work for them in a heartbeat, something of a dream job for me by combining the two things I love the most. But I am getting off topic, this is about ribs. If you want to make truly good ribs, you need to give yourself an afternoon to make them. Again, low and slow. The directions that follow mainly detail a gas grill. If you have a charcoal or wood grill, I put a little blurb at the end to cover it.

Barbecued Ribs (adapted from Cook's Illustrated)

2 full racks pork ribs (spare or baby back), about 2-3 pounds each
1/4 cup chili powder
1 teaspoon garlic powder
4 teaspoons salt
1 tablespoon pepper
1 teaspoon cayenne
2 cups wood chips
Barbecue sauce (I cheated and used bottled from a rib festival)

Combine chili powder, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a small bowl. Rub a copious amount onto the ribs on all sides. Wrap the ribs tightly in plastic wrap and place in refrigerator for at least one hour or up to overnight. Let come to room temperature before placing on grill.

Soak woodchips in water for 30-45 minutes. Drain and place in a disposable aluminum pan (like a cake pan). Remove one of your grill grates and place the pan directly on the bottom of the grill, placed on top of the primary burner (a lot of grills have those V shaped bars above the burners, that's what I'm talking about, on top of those). Turn all burners to high and cover grill. Heat until the chips are smoking, 10-15 minutes. Turn all burners off except the primary burner, and adjust that to medium. Place ribs on the non-heated end of the grill and cover. The goal is to maintain an internal grill temperature of 275-300°F while keeping the ribs off of direct heat. Cook ribs, flipping and rotating about every 30 minutes, until the meat starts to pull away from the bone, about 3-4 hours. If desired, brush with sauce on both sides the last 15 minutes of cooking. Wrap tightly in aluminum foil and let rest for 30 minutes- 1 hour. Enjoy.

Note- For a charcoal grill, apply the same principal of a two side fire. Pile coals on one side of the grill and heat until ashed over. Place wood chips directly on the coals. Place ribs on the other (cooler) side of the grill and cover when grilling. Every hour add a few more briquettes to maintain heat.

Spicy Beef

2009-09-29T22:32:00.005-04:00

This recipe has special meaning, not for me, but for Em, as spicy beef was her first solid food. Yes, that's what her parents gave her. Screw carrots or bananas, they wanted their daughter to get a full on treatment of real food at an early age. Needless to say, while I do appreciate their efforts, I sometimes wish they would have fed her squash so she would like a little more.This recipe is an adaptation from John, who adapted it from the Chinese Takeout Cookbook, a treasure trove of dishes that he (and I) often use. It also makes a fantastic addition to fried rice as a leftover.
Spicy Beef

1 egg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon peanut oil
1 pound flank steak thinly sliced across the grain then shredded. (It’s easier to slice the meat if it’s slightly frozen.)

1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic

2 carrots and 2 celery ribs, cut into 2 inch julienne
Or 2 cups broccoli

For the sauce
1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons chili paste with garlic
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water

1 or 2 whole scallions, cut into 1 inch pieces
1 tablespoon sesame oil or hot sesame oil (optional)

Combine first four ingredients for marinade and mix until smooth. Add shredded beef and set aside for 30 minutes. Combine sherry, sugar, chili paste, hoisin sauce, soy sauce and water for sauce.

To a heated wok add 1/2 cup peanut oil. When hot, add the beef and stir-fry about 2 minutes until it loses its pink color. Remove with slotted spoon and set aside. Pour off all but 2 tablespoons of oil. Add garlic and ginger, stir-fry 30 seconds. Add vegetables and stir-fry 2 minutes. Add sauce and scallions and stir. Return beef to wok and heat thoroughly, about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in sesame oil if desired. Serve immediately.

Chicken Noodle Soup

2009-09-22T13:02:00.007-04:00

I know I wrote about chicken noodle soup before, but it recently came up again when Emily came down with something awful (thankfully not H1N1). Few things elicit a response that soup brings from people, especially when ill. It still remains one of my fondest food-related memories, and I am more than happy to make a pot of soup in hopes that it will lift one's spirit.

As far as the soup goes, the application is simple enough. Cook chicken while making stock, shred chicken, drain stock, add vegetables and other wanted ingredients, and consume. There is much debate as to the actual stock making process, and I approach this one of two ways. The first is a more time consuming process, actually separating the breast meat, thighs, and drumsticks from the rest of the chicken. Use the remaining bones to make the stock. This allows you to have perfectly poached meat by adding the rest at a later time. Good fun, but it does take a lot longer. The second, more time-friendly approach is to just plop the whole chicken in and slowly extract flavor from the bones, making a stock and cooking the chicken all at once. Since I usually do not get a heads up on when someone is going to be sick, I prefer this way.

Variations are, of course, pretty much open to interpretation. I enjoy the classic application of a mirepoix along with some mixed veggies. But feel free to add whatever you like to this tasty concoction. In the end, it's all about hearty comfort.

Chicken Noodle Soup

1 whole chicken, 4-5 pounds
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon peppercorns
4 sprigs thyme
4 sprigs fresh parsley
1 onion, quartered
1 carrot, chopped into 4 pieces
1 celery stalk, chopped into 4 pieces
2 garlic cloves, smashed
1 T olive oil
1 chicken bullion cube

3 carrots, large dice
2 celery stalks, large dice
1 large onion, large dice
3 cloves garlic, minced fine
1 16oz bag frozen mixed vegetables
3 tablespoons butter
1 16oz bag egg noodles
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, chopped (or 1 t dried)
Salt and pepper to taste

Heat a large pot with oil over medium high heat and add chicken, letting brown for about four minutes on each side. Add the single carrot, celery, garlic, and onion, as well as any trimmings from the other vegetables. Add water to cover by two inches. Place the bay leaves, peppercorns, and thyme sprigs in either a tea ball or a piece of cheesecloth wrapped in string. Add to the pot along with the bullion cube. Bring the water to a simmer and reduce heat to medium-low so it just continues to bubble. Cook until chicken is cooked through, about 1 and a half hours. If the water level drops below the chicken, add a bit more to cover (it helps if the water is warm).

Remove chicken from stock and transfer to a plate. Let cool for about 20 minutes before shredding chicken into bite sized chunks. Drain the stock into a large bowl and wipe pot clean.

Return pot to medium heat and add butter. Add carrot, celery, and onion, sauté for about 3 minutes until the onions just start to wilt. Add garlic, stir and cook for about 1 minute. Add the chicken to heat it through, and then add stock. You do not need to add all of the stock if you prefer a more chunky soup, just save the rest for a later application. Let the soup come to a boil and reduce heat to low so it just barely simmers. Cook for about 30 minutes or until veggies are tender.

Meanwhile, bring another large pot of water to a boil, salt it, and add your egg noodles. Boil them until still pretty al-dente (this helps prevent them from turning to mush later). Drain the noodles and rinse to stop the cooking. Add frozen veggies to the soup, return to a simmer, then add the noodles and thyme. Let cook for about 15 more minutes and then season with salt, pepper, and more thyme if you desire. This recipe makes a lot, but chicken noodle soup freezes quite well and keeps for about 3 months.

Coffee Cake Muffins

2009-09-19T11:43:00.004-04:00

It's no secret that I love breakfast. If I ever open a restaurant, its going to serve breakfast. And that's it. Breakfast is probably my favorite time of the weekend, a time when I have some peace in the kitchen to just whip up something tasty. The dog lies at my feet, coffee brews, and life is wonderful. I don’t know if everyone else enjoys this time of the morning like I do, but it sure helps me recharge during the weekend.

One of my favorite things to do for breakfast is bake. Cinnamon rolls, biscuits, you name it, I do it. However, with the recent trend of us eating a bit more healthy, I have been banned from some of my normal concoctions. So I did what all (read: one) cooks do in this situation, I subscribed to Cooking Light. Of the healthy magazines, I find it probably the best at the moment (every other one seems obsessed with using at least one box o'junk in a recipe). I found their coffee cake which had some praises, and also some glaring flaws. I made them according to the recipe/rewrites the first time, and they were pretty darn good (I decided to make them into muffins). For a light muffin. But I wanted fireworks in your mouth good. So I adjusted the recipe to what I knew about muffins, keeping in mind that making light muffins is a delicate process, one false step and you either get bricks or saw dust. Not on the menu.

These muffins came out great, and I am happy to say they will join my regimen of normal breakfast baking. I also managed to make them slightly lighter than Cooking Light made them, bringing them in at 200 calories per muffin (batch makes 12).

Coffee Cake Muffins

1/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
2/3 cup white sugar
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 egg whites
1 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
Cooking spray

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl; set aside.

Place white sugar and butter in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until well-blended, about 5 minutes. Add egg whites, beating well after addition. Beat in the sour cream and vanilla. Combine the dry ingredients (flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt) in a bowl, slowly add to mixer and beat well.

Lightly coat a 12-muffin tin with cooking spray. Spread half of batter evenly into each muffin tin. Sprinkle half of cinnamon streusel over batter. Spread remaining batter over the streusel. Top with remaining streusel.

Bake for 35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. let cool about 5 minutes before removing from tin. Enjoy!

Spicy Corn Salsa (and I mean spicy)

2009-09-14T09:56:00.002-04:00

Cooking is a process of trial and error. Sometimes your dish is great, and sometimes you try to return it from certain doom. When I worked in a bakery, we made a tomato/pizza soup. It was pretty straightforward except for the seasoning. I (and my coworkers) found it to be a little bland. Now, this is an instance of me not really having control of the situation, yet I managed to make it even worse. I went to season the soup with pepper and plop, the lid was not on and a bunch went right into the soup. Fishing out what I could, I still had an extremely peppery pizza soup that was not going to be served. So what did I do? Well, I could add salt because it would cause an entirely different problem. I instead took the idea from someone that sugar would counter it. Yes, certainly did, but I missed the fact that acidity would have countered the sugar. So the soup turned out sweet, peppery, and I still could not serve it.

Point is, repairing dishes is something that either works or fails miserably, but no matter, you have to try. I think what makes people hesitant to get in the kitchen is the possibility of failure. That should not deter you from trying things, learning, and growing as a cook. Some of the dishes I make go down in symbolic and literal flames. It just happens.

The other night during one of my leftover kicks, I decided to use the previous nights leftover grilled corn to make a salsa for the tacos I was making. I would go with black bean and corn, but I had no black beans. So, roasted jalapeno (got some from a friend), corn, and onion salsa. Warmed and served over tacos. I roasted and peeled my jalapenos, and then did what I normally do, I tasted one. It was not that hot, so I left the membrane in and chopped up two for the salsa. Heh. This stuff turned out great, but it threatened to burn a hole in my mouth after a few bites. I added some sour cream to it and loved it even more. But I might take out the membranes next time, just in case.

Spicy Corn Salsa

1 tablespoon butter
4 ears leftover grilled or boiled corn, kernels cut off cob (or 2 cups cooked corn kernels)
2 jalapenos, roasted, seeded, peeled, and diced
1 red onion, chopped
1 red pepper, roasted, peeled and chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons cilantro
1 t lime juice
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 teaspoon cumin
Salt and pepper

In a medium skillet over medium heat, add butter until foaming. Add onion and cook until just soft, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds, followed by corn. Cook until corn is cooked through, about 2 minutes. Add jalapeno and red pepper, stirring frequently. Add lime juice, cumin, salt, and pepper to season. Turn off heat and add cilantro and sour cream. Serve as a side relish or over tacos. Enjoy.

Risotto with Olives, Capers, and Oven Roasted Tomatoes

2009-09-08T11:34:00.007-04:00

When I made my oven dried tomatoes, I all along had an idea to pair them with something salty. I have made puttanesca a few times with chicken or even tuna, but this was my first "deconstructed" attempt using some of the similar flavors. Ok, that sounds like I planned this huge meal weeks ahead. Actually, I looked into what I had in my fridge and used what was available.

I like to make things into risotto, it's such a good dish and once you make it a few times it's like riding a bike. I was petrified of it when I first made it, but after making it I found it to be fantastically simple and delicious. The other thing that really kicks it off in my household is how downright good it is for you. When something tastes like you made it with cream but offers very little in terms of fat, it goes over well. I paired it with some easy grilled chicken for a great meal.

Mediterranean Risotto

2 tablespoons butter
2 cups Aborio rice
½ cup white wine
4 cups chicken stock
4 cups water
1 onion, chopped fine
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
8 ounces kalamata olives, pitted and roughly chopped
2 tablespoons capers, drained
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 tablespoon lemon juice
¼ cup parsley
½ teaspoon red pepper flake
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
Oven Roasted Tomatoes

Place the stock in a medium pot over medium heat to have it hot to add to the risotto. Heat butter over medium heat in a large heavy bottomed pot or Dutch oven. Add onion and cook until translucent, about 4-5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add rice and coat with the butter, cooking the rice until lightly browned and the pot smells slightly nutty, about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir until evaporated.

Add two ladles of hot stock into rice, stirring constantly. Let cook, stirring often, until most of the liquid has been absorbed. If the mixture is bubbling like crazy, turn the heat down a bit. When the liquid has been absorbed repeat with 1-2 ladles more of stock. Repeat this process until about 7 cups of the liquid has been used. Taste the risotto for doneness; it should be slightly al dente. If it's too crunchy, add another ladle of stock and repeat. When the risotto is still slightly crunchy and loose (remember, it will continue to thicken and cook after this), turn off the heat. Add the olives, capers, lemon zest, lemon juice, parsley, and red pepper flake and stir to combine. Add the cheese and stir until just melted. Taste the risotto and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve, topped with oven roasted tomatoes. Enjoy.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes

2009-08-30T09:24:00.010-04:00

Even though it's over, I'm sure Bravo will re-air "Top Chef Masters" a million times between now and tomorrow. If you did not get a chance to watch it, I strongly recommend it. It's everything I loved about Top Chef without the drama and egos of young chefs. And I was so thrilled (spoiler alert) with the winner, not only because he cooks Mexican, but because he has a restaurant in Chicago. Alas, currently getting a reservation at a Rick Bayless restaurant is more difficult to do than the Red Sox actually winning their division (sigh). So I will wait patiently.

In the meantime, I got some great recipe ideas from the show. One was from Michael Chiarello, oven roasted tomatoes. I picked up some tomatoes at the farmer's market and thought this would be a great way to serve them. Not only were they delicious, but they made my house smell SO good! This is actually the topping to the dish in my next post, Risotto with olives and lemon. It's a great sweet contrast to add to pretty much anything, not to mention it's super simple.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes (adapted from Michael Chiarello)

2 pints heirloom cherry tomatoes cut in half
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
12 garlic cloves, sliced thin
1/2 cup basil leaves (optional)
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes

Combine gently in a bowl and spread cut on cookie sheet. Put in 275 degree oven and roast for 2 hours. Applications are endless.

Pesto Madness

2009-08-25T15:27:00.010-04:00

As shown by the picture above, my basil has gotten out of control. That's namely my fault because I have not used that much this summer (except for salads mostly). But I finally broke down and made pesto.
I have made pesto before a few times, and while I liked it, I was never in love with my recipe. The first time I followed a prep that was extremely oily. Next I thought there was too much garlic. I figured I should do some research before I attempt a third.
Whatever pesto recipe I look at, I tend to cut the oil in about half. I just think it’s a bit much, and it's much easier to add oil than it is to take it out. I mean, who has a centrifuge in their house? I don't (anymore). I also looked into the garlic in my recipe. I usually just peel a few cloves and add them into the pesto, but raw garlic has quite the bite. After some digging, I came across what Cook's Illustrated does, which is to toast the garlic cloves (in their skins) in a pan for a few minutes. This lessens the harshness of the garlic flavor and allows for a better texture. I also found I did not have enough pine nuts to make all the pesto I wanted, so I simply added some almonds to the mix and found that I really liked the nutty mixture.With my research done, I headed to the kitchen and proceeded to make about 4 cups of pesto. Yes, I had that much basil. The great thing about it is that pesto freezes really well, so I had it for dinner and then froze the rest for future applications. Pesto can be used in a variety of ways, but I think my favorite is simply tossed with pasta, sprinkled with Parmesan cheese, and topped with fresh tomatoes.

Basil Pesto Pasta with Tomatoes
For the Pesto-

~2 cups packed basil leaves, washed
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, unpeeled
1/4 cup pine nuts or almonds, toasted slightly
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
Salt
Pepper

In a skillet over medium heat (probably the same one you used to toast the nuts), add in the garlic cloves, unpeeled, and toast while moving often until a few brown spots appear on the skins, about 5 minutes. Cool the garlic cloves to room temperature and peel. Add the nuts to your food processor or blender and pulse for 3 seconds. Add the garlic, basil, Parmesan, half the oil, salt, and pepper and chop until smooth. With the pesto chopping, drizzle in the remaining oil. Season to taste. You can freeze the pesto by pressing some plastic wrap over top of it and sealing in an air-tight container for up to 6 months. Makes enough for 1 pound pasta.

For the dish-

~3/4 cup Pesto
1 pound pasta
1/2 pound cherry tomatoes, sliced in half
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

Boil pasta until al dente, drain (reserving some of the water) and move to a large bowl. Immediately add the pesto and toss to combine. Add a bit of the pasta water to loosen the sauce. Serve, topping with some cheese and sliced tomatoes. Enjoy!

100 Posts! and The Black Sparrow

2009-08-18T11:43:00.004-04:00

Wow, 100 posts! When I first started writing this blog, it was mainly to have some place to put my thoughts and recipes down in a media that was shareable for all to see. Now it has evolved into more of my inspiration to try out new dishes and improve myself as a cook. I have some ideas as for the evolution of this project, and I hope they come to fruition before 200 posts. So thanks to all of you who have stuck with me. I hope you have enjoyed my writing and my recipes!

In light of my 100th post, I present to you not a recipe, but a restaurant experience of my favorite place to eat in Lafayette.

I went to The Black Sparrow for lunch the other day and was appalled that my coworkers who went had never been there. Really? Shoot, I must be slacking on talking up good places to eat in town. It's what I do! So without further ado, here are a few reasons you should go down the Black Sparrow pub for lunch, dinner, or a drink.

First, the atmosphere. The bar is located in downtown and is I believe a refurbished law office. Most of the décor is old 40's and 50's, giving the place a great feel. The bar is really no nonsense. A few meals, some drinks, that's all they do. They have bands on the weekends and have a non-smoking dining room until 10pm.

Next, the drinks. I am a huge fan of beer, and you can get nothing better than the selection at The Black Sparrow. Their theme is "no crap on tap". It's always different, it's always good, and everyone who works there knows all about the beers. I discovered a few of my all time favorites at this place. Their cocktails are also great. They do a lot of throwback cocktails, such as the dark n' stormy, or a New York Sour, made with egg whites. Match that with a great selection of pretty much whatever else you desire and no one should feel left out.

Last, the food. The menu is simple and refined. The vegetables are local, the meats are fresh, and the flavors are modern American meets international flare. Romesco sauce with goat cheese for an appetizer, or a BLTE (the E is a fried egg) with pesto mayo, and delicious pizzas are the highlight. I always try something new and I am never disappointed. Recently they have started dinner specials that showcase steaks or fresh fruits and vegetables.

Now that you have three great reasons to go here, why are you still reading?

Hot Potato

2009-08-13T08:58:00.002-04:00

This is one of the secret weapons I have in my kitchen. And I owe it all to Emily's aunt Carol. She makes this fantastic roasted potatoes, which when I had them the first time they literally blew my mind. When I found out how easy they were to make, it blew my mind again (my mind has since recovered). I actually prefer these to regular baked potatoes (unless I am really in the mood for sour cream).

As far as potato variety goes, you can really use whatever you feel like. The last time I made them I used red potatoes, but russet or Yukon gold will work just as well. Just make sure you do not eat the bay leaf. It won't taste very good.

Bay Leaf Roasted Potatoes

6 potatoes, cut in half lengthwise
12 bay leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Preheat oven to 375°F. In a glass baking dish, spread olive oil over bottom. Sprinkle half of the salt over the oil. Wash the potatoes, place a bay leaf on each cut side of a potato and place it cut-side down in the dish. Sprinkle remaining salt on top of potatoes. Cover with foil and bake for about 45 minutes or until potatoes are fork tender. Let rest for a few minutes before removing bay leaf and eating.

Corn, Basil, and a Puppy

2009-08-11T08:47:00.005-04:00

I usually put a picture of the dish I am writing about on top of my posts, but this time is a little different. How could I pass up putting a puppy at the top? This is the newest member to our home and kitchen, Molly, a 5 month Old English Sheepdog. She enjoys chewing her toys, eating way too fast, and sleeping on the kitchen floor when I cook. Who could ask for more? On to cooking, this dish is a result from one of the many times I am faced with leftovers. This time it was grilled corn as well as a red pepper I had in the fridge and decided to roast. I enjoy eating leftovers as is, but I have found creativity can really bring out a greater dish. Combined with some basil (more on the massive basil plant I have growing out back next week) I made a pretty simple salad and was quite happy with it.

This recipe calls for two minor "technique" cuts, if you want to call them that. The first is cutting the corn. I prefer to stand the cob up and cut straight down on all sides with a serrated knife. It gets most of the kernel and does not make a huge mess. For basil, I am employing a chiffonade. It's a fancy French word that sounds more complicated than it is. Stack your basil leaves in a nice pile, about 6 high, roll them into a bunch, and cut small strips of the roll. Boom, that's it. Grilled Corn and Basil Salad

3-4 ears sweet corn, kernels separated from cob
½ red onion, diced fine
1 red pepper, roasted and chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
½ cup basil, cut into ribbons.
2 tablespoons lemon juice or cider vinegar
2 tablespoons olive oil
½ teaspoon red pepper flake
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients except basil in a bowl. Mix to combine. Once mixed, add basil (this will prevent bruising). Chill for about 10 minutes, enjoy!

Grilled Corn

2009-08-07T08:46:00.003-04:00

Of all the things I enjoy during the summer, I cannot think of one single food I enjoy eating more than grilled corn on the cob. Last week I made it with steak teriyaki and consumed three ears with dinner. I average at least two per meal, it's that good. Everyone does it a bit differently. Some shuck the corn and parboil it, finishing it on the grill. I'm too lazy to want to do that, so I have started grilling mine, silk, husk, and all. It turns out that grilling corn this way allows for some easy husk removal and no leftover silk on the cob (I'm going to put those corn silk brush manufacturers out of business). So go down the street to your market or stand and get some fresh corn. It embodies summertime.

Grilled Corn

Corn, still in husk

Preheat grill to medium-high. Make sure to leave a space that has no coals or flame to avoid charring. Remove very outer layer of corn husk, mainly lose bits (see picture). With a knife, cut off the tip of the silk (you don’t need to this, but it will avoid it blackening or burning on the grill). Rinse off corn and place on grill. Cover and cook, turning often, for about 20 minutes. Outer husks should brown or blacken slightly. After 20 minutes, remove one ear and check for doneness by pulling back part of the husk and checking the tenderness of the corn (use tongs, it's hot). When corn is done, remove and let cool on sheet pan for about 5 minutes. Shuck corn and remove silk, it should fall off easily. Serve with salt, butter, or nothing. If you enjoy more char on your corn, return the peeled ears to the grill and cook an extra 3-5 minutes, turning often.

Fiesta Mexican Grill

2009-08-04T13:34:00.004-04:00

Once again it's time for the Search for Good Mexican Food in Lafayette (SFGMFIL). While I enjoy my meal every time I step into El Meson, occasionally I am simply looking for a quick burrito filled with whatever I desire. This leaves me a few choices, all within 2 blocks of each other. First, I have Chipotle, which is decent, but really suffers from the fact that they were once owned by McDonalds and therefore subject to the same quality standards as their gourmet burgers. Moving on. Qdoba is right up the street, and provides you with practically the same service, albeit with better rice and a few more menu options (Mexican gumbo is good). But again, it's owned by a burger chain (Jack in the Box) and sometimes the quality is really hit or miss. I also refuse to discuss Moe's, as the two times I have eaten there have resulted in dissatisfaction of both my mind and my stomach.

But wait, there is hope yet! Right across from my favorite sushi restaurant sits a newer establishment known as Fiesta Mexican Grill. To be honest, if I had not been eating sushi I never would have known about the place. They really need to advertise (then again, that's hopefully what I'm doing by writing about them). That place is really good. First, as I am usually pretty critical about Mexican food, they make their own tortillas, which immediately makes them worthwhile. Second, they serve burritos enchilada style. Coming from the southwest, this was something I find severely lacking in the area. Burritos are good, but smothering a burrito in enchilada sauce and baking it is even better.

The first time I went in, I tried the shredded chicken burrito, and I have since tried the shredded beef and grilled chicken. All are very good, but the grilled chicken is awesome. They give you a choice of sauce to put in and on your burrito (the medium green chile sauce is dynamite), and top it with whatever you want. Their pico de gallo is homemade and wonderfully spicy. Since I discovered this place I have not ventured back to any of the other burrito places. Why would I when I found something so great at Fiesta?

102 N. Chauncey, West Lafayette, 765-838-0988

Steak Teriyaki

2009-07-30T09:04:00.007-04:00

Having my grill back has been wonderful. I cooked steak the other night and used the leftovers today for a very tasty steak sandwich.

This is a recipe I got from Em's dad, and there is not much to it. Marinate, grill, slice, and consume. You cannot go wrong. I do recommend you use good soy sauce for this recipe as it is the main component in the marinade. I use flank steak because it's darn tasty, lean, and is a great grilling steak. Being slightly lean helps avoid any flare ups and helps aid in slicing the meat extremely thin for serving. To avoid the meat sticking to the grill I lightly oil a paper towel and wipe down the grill grates after preheating.

A few things I have learned from grilling. First, get a thermometer. It's one of the most useful tools you can imagine when grilling. Second, avoid flipping meats over and over, you will only be disrupting cooking time and letting juices out. Last, if the meat is not cooking to your desired temperature but the bottom is starting to char, move it to a cold part of the grill. I usually have a direct and indirect heat section on my grill, and it truly helps avoid disaster.

Steak Teriyaki

½ cup soy sauce
½ cup sugar (white or brown)
6 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, chopped
¼ cup olive oil
2 pounds flank steak

Combine ingredients for marinade and place in large zip-top baggie with steak. If the steak is two large cut with the grain into two pieces. Marinate overnight (you need to give it at least 12 hours).
Preheat your grill. Scrape down grates and grease slightly with a paper towel and canola oil. Remove steak from bag, letting excess marinade drip off, and place on grill. Cover and grill for about 8 minutes or until bottom side has nice grill marks. Flip steak and continue cooking until done, 125°F for medium rare (135°F for medium), about 8-10 more minutes. Remove from grill, let rest for 5 minutes, and slice thinly against the grain. Enjoy!

The Return of the Grill

2009-07-27T14:32:00.007-04:00

After 5 long months, my grill has returned. I was forced to relinquish it for a time due to the constraints and "rules" of apartment living. But that is past and now I can thankfully put large quantities of meats and vegetables over an open flame.

I currently have a gas grill, which I enjoy because of its ease of use and enormous surface area. I have cooked on all types of grills (gas, charcoal, and wood), and though I do miss grilling over mesquite, I realize that any of the three will lead you to a good meal. The first thing that went on the grill was chicken. I love grilled chicken, but it can easily taste and feel like rubber. I turn to my friends at Cook's Illustrated for some tips with this, and now grill all of my poultry this way. Not only does it lead to great flavor, but it helps keep the meat moist and avoid most flare-ups.

This recipe uses a similar sauce and marinade, mostly because reusing marinade is NOT safe. I prep the two side by side, cutting down considerably on time.

Lemon-Garlic Grilled Chicken

Marinade
5 tablespoons lemon juice (about 1 lemon)
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon pepper
2 teaspoons salt
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Sauce
3 tablespoons lemon juice (about ½ lemon)
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon pepper

In a small bowl, combine ingredients for marinade. If chicken breasts are thick, pound to about 1 inch thickness. Place marinade and chicken in zip-top baggie, combine, and let marinade for about 1 hour. Combine ingredients for sauce in a small bowl and set aside.

If using gas, turn on 2 of the three burners (or just leave about 1/3 of your grill without direct heat) to high (you will want to reduce the heat of the burners to medium-high when you place the chicken on the grill). If using charcoal, place your coals on one side of the grill and heat until ashed over. Remove chicken from marinade and place on hot side of grill. Cover and cook for about 3-4 minutes or until the chicken gets browned on one side. Flip chicken over sear on grill for about 1 minute more. Move to side of grill with no direct heat. Cover and cook until interior of chicken registers about 160°F on a thermometer, about 10 minutes. Chicken should spring back and not be mushy when you poke it with a finger. Remove from grill, let rest for about 5 minutes, and cut into slices. Serve with sauce over top or to dip in. Enjoy!

North Shore Seafoods

2009-07-21T14:36:00.003-04:00

I cannot believe I am talking about fish in Lafayette, Indiana. If it's not shrimp, I will admit, I am usually a fish snob. Why? Unless you find some from Chicago (which D&R gets sometimes), most seafood sold around here is farm raised, overpriced, and borderline gross. Scoff at me all you want, but even I have standards. But it also puts me at somewhat of a disadvantage because cooking fish is my weak spot due to my lack of experience with it.

Enter this precarious new shop on 4th street, North Shore Seafoods. A few weeks ago while perusing the farmer's market, I smelled salmon cooking. And it certainly smelled good. I investigated and found a small booth cooking up fresh, wild salmon. And it was good! I mean, really good. I got some more information from the shop and found out how they operate. They only sell more sturdy fishes, such as salmon, tuna, swordfish, and halibut. The reason for this is because all of the fish they sell is frozen. Not bagged and frozen but rather Individually Quick Frozen (IQF), this is done on the boat and is becoming more and more common in seafood operations. This process freezes fish as well as sealing it, preventing ice crystals and cell destruction. Chefs and cooks across the globe are big fans of this if local and fresh are not available. North Shore is also able to keep their prices pretty low (actually lower than the grocery store) because the fish has a longer shelf life in the freezer than the slimy case.

I bought some salmon for dinner to accompany the vegetable risotto I was making for dinner. I, at the recommendation of the proprietor, baked the fish frozen. I have heard of this before and figured it was worth a shot. I baked it at 350°F for about 30 minutes until the salmon reached an internal temperature of 130°F. Well, the results were alright. The middle was quite delicious, but the outside was a tad overdone by the time the fish cooked on the inside. Not a huge deal, but I will thaw the fish next time I cook it and experiment some with the cooking methods (for another post). The quality, however, was very good. The fish was firm and had a great flavor. At least I know that I have a local source of high quality fish any time I like. That's something I take great comfort in. Now if I could only find a good source for lobster…..

Stuffed Chicken

2009-07-16T08:13:00.004-04:00

I currently reside in an apartment (for about another day, yay!) so I am limited with the amount of green I am able to grow. My current large garden consists of two tomato plants in pots and a small herb box. I know, high society there. I just have to comment, one of my tomato plants is a giant. The thing is totally massive, if it was a kid at school, it would be the 7 foot center of the basketball team. I have NO idea what I did to it.

My herb box was planted for budget reasons, mainly because grocery stores like to charge crazy amounts of money for herbs that are extremely perishable. No thank you. So I currently grow chives, basil, thyme, and oregano. I did parsley last year which was also nice, but I have since found a good source for it. However, sometimes the box likes to do its own thing, such as grow crazy amounts of basil. Pesto is always an option, but since I'm moving next week I am trying to avoid making containers of things. Instead I opted for a stuffed chicken breast.

The idea of stuffed chicken breasts (French style) I got from Cook's Illustrated, with their neat approach to using pieces of the chicken for the stuffing instead of bread, adding to the texture but not drying the whole roll out. Swap out some ingredients for what I have on hand; make the preparation a bit easier for time, and boom, dinner. I paired it with some really awesome fresh tomatoes and green beans that I just drizzled with balsamic vinegar and some salt, pepper, and sugar.

Stuffed Chicken Breasts

2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts (3-4 breasts depending on where you get them)
1 shallot, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
½ cup white wine
½ cup basil leaves
4 ounces mozzarella cheese, shredded
½ tablespoon + 1 ½ tablespoons vegetable oil
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon butter
1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper

If the chicken breasts have tenders (the loose piece on the back the size of your finger), cut it off and reserve for the stuffing. Using a very sharp knife, butterfly the chicken breasts. Open up the breast so it is flat on the counter (still one piece), cover with plastic wrap, and pound to about ¼ inch thickness. It should be slightly larger than 6"x8". Trim the outside to make a 6"x8" rectangle, and add the trimmings to bowl of your food processor. You should get about 2 ounces of trimmed meat from each breast. Repeat with the other breasts and then set aside.

In the bowl of your food processor chop all of the breast trimmings in pulses, about 10 seconds. Transfer to bowl. Over medium heat place a large skillet and ½ tablespoon vegetable oil. Add the garlic and shallot and cook until soft. Transfer to the food processor. Return pan to heat and add wine, scraping up any stuck bits. Reduce wine to about 2 tablespoons and pour into a small bowl. Set aside.

To the food processor with the shallot and garlic, add the basil leaves and salt and pepper. Process to chop the basil. Add to the bowl with chicken and mix to combine. Next, lay out the chicken breasts. Spread the filling even over all of the breasts, leaving about ½ inch room on one long end of the breast. Sprinkle the cheese evenly over the breasts. Using the long side, roll the chicken into a tight roll, using the side without filling as somewhat of a seal. Tie each breast with 3-4 pieces of kitchen twine.

Heat the remaining oil in the skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the rolled breasts and brown on all four sides, about 2 minutes per side. Make sure to redistribute the oil in the pan to prevent sticking. When browned, add the chicken broth to the pan and cover, reducing heat to medium and cooking until the middle reads 160°F, about 10 minutes. Remove chicken breasts and cover to rest. Return pan to heat and add the remaining wine. Reduce the sauce to about ¼- ½ cup. Turn off heat and whisk in butter and lemon juice. Slice chicken breasts and serve sauce over top. Enjoy.

Visiting Sweden- Part II

2009-07-13T23:52:00.019-04:00

So to continue my stories, here are some more places I checked out while overseas. The above picture is the the greatest tasting wedding cake ever, a princess cake, a recipe I have asked for in hopes I can recreate the great cake that is hidden underneath the decor.

Nationalmuseum- Cafeteria or museum are two words that do not usually inspire hunger, yet Sweden throws our sad concept of mass produced food out the window. This was such a great lunch, with smoked salmon or the great chicken Caesar salad that Em had. I would say it's better than the art :)

Grill Ruby- Don't go, don't even bother. Horrible service and overpriced food. We didn't even make it to the water on the table before we left and went to seek food elsewhere.

Restaurant Stortorgskallaren- where we sought food elsewhere. Nice little place in the square, I had some really good fried sole in a butter sauce.

Vette Katten- Pastry shop that will blow you away with its looks and tastes. This was a stop-off for some really good snacking.

Ice cream- According to our Swedish friends, Swedes consume more ice cream per capita than anywhere else in the world. There is an ice cream stand or store about every 20 feet, and it's all really good.

Backfika and Restaurangen- Two of the places I really wanted to visit, but unfortunately both were closed. A lot of restaurants are closed during the summer for vacation, so if you travel there during the warmer months this is something you might run into.

Grace Tea House- Yummy tea and dumplings, they offer a three-course "healthy lunch" every day that is quite nice and refreshing.

Hot dogs- almost as common as ice cream.
The picture below should say it all. I love hot dogs. They are my weak spot. Also common are really good sandwiches.

Places that I recommend you see if you visit Stockholm- The Vassa Ship, Skansen, Sergels Torg, the Hoterget Market, and the Ice Bar are just a few of the many great things about Stockholm. I'm sure I missed so many, but then again, I may return.

Visiting Sweden- Part I

2009-07-10T08:31:00.011-04:00

After recently returning from Stockholm on a fantastic trip (and my first to Europe), I wanted to share my food related experiences for anyone who enjoys that kind of thing but also for future travelers to the area. I found doing some research when picking out places to eat was the best thing to do, so I hope this aids others who go searching for a good meal. I will try not to ramble too much, as I did a lot of eating while I was there. But before I get into specifics, I want to touch on a few general bits I came across while there.

First, I ate a huge breakfast. Breakfast is big there, and our hotel (Nordic Sea) provided us with an extravaganza. Yogurts, granola, oatmeal, eggs, sausages, bacon, potatoes, meats, cheeses, fresh baked breads, and tons of fruit were available everyday that we ate. Oh my gosh, I have never had options like that. Fantastic. The cheese and bread in Sweden (and probably in most of Europe) is delicious, mainly because it's fresh and not processed. No pre-sliced loaves or small blocks of cheddar. Bread came in large nutty mounds and cheese came in huge wedges. Be still my heart.

I also enjoyed the abundance of markets (shown above is the Omstermalm Saluhall) with fresh meats, cheeses, breads, fish, and produce. How great is it that you can easily walk down the street and get fantastic fresh fish any day you like? Or for that matter, that you can find great food in department stores or fresh pastries in 7-11? It's such a stark contrast to the drive through context of our food culture, which I find is years behind what the Europeans enjoy on a daily basis. Delivery? I think the only thing you can have delivered is pizza (and that's only a few places).

On to a few specifics.
Cattelin's Restaurant, Gamla Stan- If you are looking for authentic Swedish cuisine, I recommend a stop here. The herring is fantastic, and the Swedish meatballs are mighty yummy.

Erik's Bakfickan- A famous chef by the name of Erik has a few restaurants in Stockholm, I guess this would be classified as his moderate restaurant. Em had "the best cheeseburger of her life", which I know is high praise, but it was seriously good. I had seafood casserole, which is actually more of a seafood stew. My favorite dish of the entire trip. A great place, though sadly my camera ran out of battery so there is not a picture of my dish.

Lisa Elmquist- In the Omstermalm Saluhall (the greatest food market ever, go if you get the chance). A bit overpriced for what I found to be just an alright meal. I think there are other restaurants in the food hall that offer better value.

Bla Porten- Our first real Swedish meal did not disappoint. A no-nonsense place, their quiche is good as well as their poached salmon with dill sauce. Lunch here is something you don't want to miss.

Greetings From Sweden

2009-07-03T18:54:00.008-04:00

As I write this, there are boats passing by in the nearby sea. The sun has not quite set and really never will in the summer, and I am experiencing great things in Sweden. The wonderful thing about their food is how much they care about it. Breakfast is an ordeal, lunch is often outside and with friends, and dinner is wonderful. I love their food and how much they put into making it an experience. I feel it is something that is sometimes lacking in everyday life, that people need to just stop and enjoy some food with friends while taking a break. I will be sure to write more when I return, but I hope these pictures convey some of what I am loving about Swedish cuisine.

You can follow some of my travels here

Strawberry Goodness

2009-06-26T20:36:00.005-04:00

This will be the last post for probably two weeks, I am headed to Sweden for some much needed vacation. I will certainly take notes of what I eat and experience and share them soon :)

This sauce was the result of some late night ice cream hunger, strawberries on sale, and some extra bananas. It takes about 5-10 minutes to make and is great. I think next I'm going to try it on pancakes. I like spontaneous cooking.

Strawberry Sauce

1 pound strawberries, sliced
1/4-1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon amaretto
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon cornstarch

In a sauce pot over medium heat whisk together the cornstarch and water until no lumps remain. Add the strawberries, 1/4 cup sugar, and lemon juice. Bring to a simmer and let simmer for about 5 minutes or until the sauce is slightly thick. Add the vanilla and amaretto. Taste and add remaining sugar if necessary. Remove from heat and let cool to room temperature before serving. Try over ice cream, fruit, pancakes, or even yogurt.

Herb Frittata

2009-06-21T11:25:00.008-04:00

Yesterday I stopped off at the farmer's market for my weekend haul of fruits and veggies. In addition to some yummy potatoes, snap peas, and free milk(which is so good I am now second guessing my purchase of all other milk), I picked up some spring onions. These are onions resemble large scallions but are actually just a white onion picked early. Or, if you refuse to let go of the whole scallion thing, really big bulbous scallions. I returned home and went about making breakfast with them. Onion pancakes don't sound good, so left was the incredible edible egg. I had leftover goat cheese and some fresh basil as well, so I decided to go with a frittata.

Eggs take very well to multiple vehicles, so this is by no means the limitation of a frittata. Ham and Swiss, tomato and Parmesan and sausage, the combinations are endless. I use this as a template for adding whatever you want into your tasty breakfast.

Fresh Herb and Goat Cheese Frittata

4 eggs
4 egg whites
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-3 spring onions, diced
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 ounces goat cheese
1 teaspoon salt
pepper
pinch cayenne pepper

Whisk the eggs, egg whites, salt, pepper, and cayenne in a bowl. Add the parsley and basil and set aside. Preheat broiler to low

In a 12-inch non stick skillet over medium heat, add the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and a pinch of salt, stirring constantly. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the onions become wilted and start to caramelize. If you have a lid for the pan, clamp this on, it will speed up the process. Reduce the heat to medium low and add the eggs, stirring lightly with a spatula. Once the eggs start to set up, use the spatula to pull the eggs away from the edge of the pan and allow the runny part to run underneath the frittata. Continue doing this until most of the runny part has been removed from the center. Sprinkle the goat cheese over the top and place the pan in the oven. Broil until the top is just set, about 2-3 minutes. Slice into wedges and serve.

Lentils

2009-06-17T17:18:00.010-04:00

I sometimes wonder if these had a better name if people would eat them more. What if we called them "little orbs of deliciousness" or LOOD for short. Would you eat lood or lentils? Well, as my fiancée will testify, she does not like lentils. Or rather, did not (I think it was the name aversion). I made them for myself in a "fine, but I'm still making what I want" moment, and she ended up eating half of them. That will show her. Well, this time at least.

I read a lot, and I enjoy reading cookbooks. I came across a recipe in Tom Collichio's book for lentils and it piqued my interest, mainly because it contained under 10 ingredients. Sign me up. However, cooking them with only a little bit of stock made them pretty crunchy. I have optimized the recipe and it has not failed me yet. Do not feel like you have to use all of the stock, it varies by lentil variety. I like green lentils, but other varieties will work quite nice.

Lentils

1 1/2 cups lentils, rinsed and picked through for stones.
1 tablespoon peanut oil
1 onion, roughly chopped
1 carrot, peeled and roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, roughly chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 cups chicken stock
Salt and Pepper

Heat oil in saucepan over medium heat until quite hot. Add the onion, carrot, celery, garlic, and some salt to the pan, cook until the veggies begin to soften, about 10-15 minutes. Add the lentils to the pot followed by enough stock to cover them (it helps to use a more narrow pot here). Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer the lentils until a good amount of the stock has been absorbed, about 10-15 minutes. Repeat with more stock and some salt, cooking the lentils until they are tender, about 20 minutes more. You may have to repeat the stock adding process a few times (hence 3 cups of stock, it depends on your lentils). Discard the vegetables and serve.

What E-Scapes Me

2009-06-14T17:49:00.009-04:00

I never get tired of making horrible puns in the titles of my blog posts. And today is no exception! I was at the farmers market a few days ago (yummy) and was perusing through a booth when I was informed of these lovely little green strings called garlic scapes. Garlic, but green and long? Say what? Well, since I'm a sucker for pretty much anything that has the word garlic in it, away I went with my little bag of them.

When I got home I figured I should probably do something with them. But what? A trip to Mr. Google revealed that scapes (the green shoot that comes up from garlic in the late spring) are a relatively new addition to most people's kitchens. They make great pesto (note to self for the future), steam well with other veggies, and are nice in stir fry. I figured they would go well with the snap peas I got at the market, so stir fry was decided, dinner was changed (from chicken with almonds) and into the pan they went.

The result? Well, first I tried them raw. Not so good. Great flavor, but really tough. So I sauteed them in my wok and gave them a bit of a quick pan roasting. I might have gone a bit too long on the flavor (they actually cook pretty quickly) and from now on Im treating them like green beans. But the flavor, oh the flavor was awesome. It's all the garlicky goodness without the big bite at the end. Even though the season is short, I plan on picking up some more of these tasty tendrils.

Spicy Chicken Stir-fry with Scapes and Snap Peas

1 pound chicken sliced thin
1 egg
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon dry sherry
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon chili paste with garlic
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons water

1/2 cup peanut oil
1 teaspoon minced ginger
1/2 pound snap peas, ends trimmed
1/3 pound garlic scapes or scallions, cut into 2 inch pieces
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil or hot sesame oil (optional)

Combine the egg, cornstarch, and salt until smooth. Add to chicken in bowl or bag, marinate for 30 minutes. Combine the sugar, sherry, soy sauce, chili paste, hoisin, and water in a small bowl or cup and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Oil should be shimmering, or about 375°F. Add the chicken, stir frying until just cooked through, about 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain. Pour off all but about 1 1/2 tablespoons oil (you can pour out the oil and refrigerate for another later use). Add the ginger and stir fry for about 30 seconds. Add the scapes and peas, stir frying for about 2 minutes or until just starting to soften (I actually like to cover them for about 30 seconds of this process). Add the sauce followed by the chicken and stir fry until the chicken is warmed through. Add the sesame oil if desired. Serve over rice. Serves 4

Romesco Sauce

2009-06-10T21:14:00.025-04:00

There is a pub here in Lafayette called the Black Sparrow. They serve a delicious romesco and goat cheese dip that I have had quite a few times. However, during this past weekend the pub was not an option, so I went about making my own. I started with a recent recipe from Bon Apetit magazine that dealt with a good paring sauce for pork. I made the pork (delicious) but the romesco sauce was a little heavy on ingredients that I do not usually have around in the kitchen, such as Spanish salted almonds or fresh marjoram.

This posed a problem, but nevertheless, I was determined to make something (and if that failed, there was always take-out). Thanks to a few substitutions, some alterations, and the labors of my food processor I was soon rewarded with a thick sauce that was really really good. And not only does it keep well, but I have started putting it on all kinds of things. Burgers, crackers, rice (oh yeah, that makes a good lunch), stuffed in pita bread, all kinds of things. This sauce will now probably take a place next to fresh salsa as something I always try to keep on hand.

The sauce itself is a bit non traditional (as I do not live near a supermarket that carries some of the more exotic ingredients). But I find it fully rewarding and pretty easy to make.

Romesco Sauce

15-16oz jar roasted red peppers (about 4 peppers)
6 garlic cloves, sliced
1 ripe plum tomato, chopped or 1/2 can diced tomatoes drained
2 T olive oil
2/3 cup roasted almonds (see below)
1/4 cup breadcrumbs
2 T sherry or red wine vinegar
pinch dried oregano
salt and pepper

Heat oven to 425°F. Place red peppers in pie dish, sprinkle garlic and chopped tomato over. Drizzle with olive oil. In a seperate pie dish add the almonds and a bit of salt (you can use peeled or unpeel almonds, it does not really matter). Place both dishes in the oven. Roast the almonds for about 20 minutes, the peppers for about 30-40. Remove and let cool slightly.

Combine the now roasted almonds and the breadcrumbs in a food processor, chop until fine. Add the contents of the pie plate with peppers, the vinegar, the oregano, and some salt and pepper. Blend until smooth, season with salt and pepper.

Alternatively, if you make this dish with roasted meat, put the pan you roasted the meat in over a burner over medium heat. Add 1 cup sherry to the pan and reduce down to 2 tablespoons, scraping up the bottom bits. This will replace the vinegar.

Foodbuzz

2009-06-09T23:29:00.003-04:00

Woo, exciting times! I am now a featured publisher on Foodbuzz (see the big banner to the right). It's a great community for online foodies where I have managed to find some great recipes and ideas. This leads me one step closer to my goal of world domination. Ok, not so much, but I'm still really happy about this :)

You might notice some changes to the site over the next week, the layout and such is a bit dark so I might be messing around with it some.

Oh, and on the food end of things, I have a great recipe for romesco sauce to share tomorrow.

Bolognese (that has nothing to do with bologna)

2009-06-04T17:33:00.004-04:00

Pasta has, and always will be a great comfort food to me. I love eating it, and I love having an easy sauce to throw together (along with carbonara) to smother it in. This recipe is one I have adapted over the past few years and is my primary red sauce. I prefer the turkey simply because it lets the tomatoes and the body of the sauce shine through more. So beef is totally an option for you if you prefer. The sauce also freezes very well for a rainy day.

Turkey Bolognese (Inspired by Emeril Lagasse)

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 ½ cups finely chopped onions
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped carrots
3 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 pound ground turkey (at least 90% lean)
1 tablespoon fresh thyme or 1 teaspoon dried
2 teaspoons fresh oregano or 1 teaspoon dried
½ teaspoon red pepper flake
2 teaspoons salt
2 bay leaves
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes
1 15oz can tomato sauce
1 (6-ounce) can tomato paste
2 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup dry red wine
1/2 cup milk

In a large pot, heat the oil over medium high heat. Add the onions to the pot and sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Stir the celery, carrots and garlic into the pot and cook until the vegetables are slightly wilted, about 3 minutes. Next add the ground turkey to the vegetables, breaking up the meat, and cook until starting to brown and no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Add thyme, oregano, red pepper, and salt, to taste. Add all remaining ingredients except the milk, lower the heat and simmer uncovered until thickened, about 2 to 2 1/2 hours, stirring from time to time. If the sauce reduces quickly add a bit more stock and continue to reduce

About 10 minutes prior to serving, add the milk to the sauce and stir well to incorporate. Season to taste.

Serve over cooked pasta, such as spaghetti or rigatoni. Serves four.

Chocolate Cookies

2009-05-30T14:56:00.006-04:00

Per the request of numerous friends who devoured my last batch, here is the recipe for the greatest chocolate cookie ever. Ok, so that's a tall order, but Cook's Illustrated has made quite an amazing recipe (see, science can be fun!).

I will keep my normal preamble short. The chocolate that is used in this recipe is bittersweet, which translates to 62% cocoa. Since its chopped up pretty small I get the chips (since those are easy to find) and chop them up myself. You can go higher or lower on the % if you wish, but I would avoid straying too far. Two other sources of chocolate flavor are espresso powder and the cocoa powder. Espresso powder can be ordered online (more info here) and so can Dutch process cocoa (Valrhona is a good brand). Do not use regular cocoa! Your kitchen will explode (ok, maybe not, but they will not taste the same). I have a box of Dutch process at all times now because I actually use it much more than regular powder.

As far as the baking time goes for these cookies, I fell into the trap of "they look way too moist, I will leave them in" and the first batch got crunchy. Not bad, but these things should be super moist, so when you see them start to crack on the top (the cracks will be gooey), get them out.

Chewy Chocolate Cookies

1/3 cup granulated sugar plus 1/2 cup for coating
1 1/2 C all purpose flour (7 1/2 counces)
3/4 C Dutch process cocoa powder
1/2 t baking soda
1/4 plus 1/8 t table salt
1/2 C dark corn syrup
1 large egg white
1 t vanilla extract
12 T unsalted butter, softened
1/3 C dark brown sugar (2 1/2 ounces), packed
4 ounces good quality bittersweet chocolate, chopped into 1/2 inch pieces

Preheat oven to 375°F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper. Put 1/2 cup granulated sugar onto a plate and set aside. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, salt and baking soda together in a small bowl and set aside. In another small bowl whisk together the corn syrup, egg white and vanilla and set aside.

Beat the butter, brown sugar and remaining 1/3 cup of white sugar together until light and fluffy (about 2 minutes). Add the corn syrup mixture and beat until combined (20 seconds). Add the flour mixture and chopped chocolate and mix on low until just combined (30 seconds), making sure there isn't any unmixed flour pockets. Chill dough for 30 minutes (they say no longer than this).

Roll dough into small balls (recipe says 16 but I have been able to make 24) and then roll the balls in the sugar to coat. Put on baking sheets, 2 inches apart and bake 6-8 minutes, spinning sheets halfway during baking (watch them, they cook fast). Cookies are ready when they have cracked and still look raw in between the cracks. Allow the cookies to cool 5 minutes on the cookie sheets and then cool fully on a wire rack.

Maru Sushi

2009-05-26T16:13:00.003-04:00

Here in the Lafayette area we have the highest number of chain restaurants per capita (so says Guinness). Trust me, not flaunting that fact. It limits the number of smaller restaurants and drives a good amount of them out of business. So when I find a local restaurant that is really good, I get up on a soap box and shout it. Today I want to introduce you to Maru Sushi.

Hands down the best sushi in town. They are reasonably priced and have a great selection. Rainbow rolls, Playboy (and girl) rolls, and the Thai chili roll are currently my favorites. They also have noodle dishes and ridiculously cheap and tasty lunch specials (bulgogi rocks my world). I have been all over the menu and have been satisfied each time.

The place is usually packed so be prepared to wait for about 20 minutes. All the meals come with water or tea (who knew barley tea was so good) as well as appetizers. Yes, that's right; you get miso soup, some marinated veggies and pickled cucumbers as small snacks before your meal. I cannot believe I'm saying this, but I think it even beats chips and salsa.

I strongly urge everyone who enjoys sushi or Japanese cuisine to go have lunch or dinner here, it’s a great restaurant that has become my most frequented for dining or carrying out.

111 N Chauncey Ave
West Lafayette, IN 47906
(765) 743-2646

Mocha Angel Food Cake

2009-05-20T16:53:00.009-04:00

In my previous post, "Cake or Death", I wrote about the ups and downs of making an angel food cake. At the moment it's my favorite cake because, as one of my friends described, "It's like a freaking pillow". Now I have discovered a new twist on the cake that pretty much makes it irresistible.

Instead of the original vanilla, lemon juice, and almond extract combination, this time its coffee and chocolate added to the mix. Instant espresso powder and Kahlua to be more specific. Instant espresso powder is something that I find very intriguing and is showing up in more and more chocolate deserts. Next time you make brownies add some in and see how you like it. The problem is currently the inability to purchase it at most super markets. I'm pretty sure Whole Foods carries it, but other than that I'm at a loss. I bought mine off the internet here. If you cannot find espresso powder instant coffee will do in a pinch. Quick side note, check out the King Arthur Flour blog for wicked baked goods.

Mocha Angel Food Cake

12 egg whites, room temperature
1 1/2 C sugar, divided evenly
1 1/2 t cream of tartar
1/4 C warm water
1/4 t salt
1 C cake flour
1 1/2 t vanilla
1 T instant espresso powder
1 T Kahlua
2 oz bittersweet chocolate finely chopped or grated

Preheat oven to 350°F. Sift half of the sugar with the salt the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside. In a large bowl or stand mixer, add egg whites and water, beating until foamy. Add the cream of tartar and salt, mix on high speed. After about 3 minutes slowly add the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium-high speed. Meanwhile mix together the Kahlua and espresso powder into a paste. Once you have achieved near-medium peaks (the ones that sort of fall down from the whisk), add the espresso-Kahlua mixture and the vanilla and mix to combine. Sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture gently. Continue adding small amounts and folding until all of the flour mixture is incorporated. Incorporate the chocolate, careful not to overmix

Carefully add mixture into an ungreased tube pan (I like the one with the removable bottom). Tap the pan against the counter to even out the batter and remove any bubbles. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

Cool on rack for about ten minutes, and then flip pan upside down. Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least two hours before removing from pan. If your pan does not have legs (like mine) invert it on a funnel and support it with shot glasses (genius idea, Em).

Lafayette Farmers Market

2009-05-14T18:09:00.012-04:00

I write a lot on this blog about fresh ingredients and how great they can make food taste. Now that spring is well under way, it brings with it the Farmers Market. Or rather, three. There is one in Lafayette, one in West Lafayette, and one will be arriving in June at Purdue.

I consider these one of the greatest parts of residing in the Midwest. Fresh fruits and veggies, homemade goods such as soap and pastries, fresh meats, flowers, and above all, a chance to sample and purchase the beginnings of a great meal.

More info can be found at http://www.lafayettefarmersmarket.com/. And thanks to my great friend Gracia for the nice pictures

Hollandaise Again

2009-05-10T10:18:00.004-04:00

After adjusting the recipe slightly (way too much butter), and in honor of Mother's Day, here is the post for Hollandaise once again. So be nice and make eggs Benedict for your mom :)

Hollandaise sauce is the bane of my existence. There is no other way to put it. I love it, I love putting it on food, but I hate making it. No, it's not that hard or time intensive, but it breaks. All the time. And I get so frustrated! Probably not a good thing that I mostly make it at breakfast (I'm probably cranky). I tried clarified butter, cold butter, warm yolks, and ancient rain dancing, but nothing worked. But alas, I think I have finally figured it out. Water! Yes, as I was flipping through all of my cookbooks, I found that the Joy of Cooking calls for some water to be added. This thins out the sauce a little bit and relaxes the strain on the egg proteins. And it was amazing. The sauce held quite nicely and even stayed together on the stove for when people came asking for seconds. Success! Now something else can be my bane.

Hollandaise Sauce (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

3 egg yolks
1 1/2 T lemon juice
salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 stick butter, melted
4 T warm water

First step, make a double boiler. Take a glass or stainless steel bowl and find a pot that the bottom just fits into. Fill the pot about half full with water and place it over medium high heat until it is just simmering. If you do this sauce over direct heat I can almost guarantee you it will be a disaster.

In the bowl whisk the egg yolks until slightly light and frothy. Whisk over heat and add 1 T water until the eggs just start to thicken, 3-5 minutes. Add the rest of the water 1 T at a time letting the eggs thicken in between. If you feel the eggs are getting too hot, pull the bowl out of the heat. Add the lemon juice. Remove the bowl from the heat and very slowly add the butter, stirring constantly until all the butter is incorporated (if you need to warm up the sauce while doing this place over the boiler for a few seconds). Leave the white solids from the butter (milk solids) out if possible. Whisk in the cayenne, season with salt. If the sauce is too thick, add a few drops of water. Serve immediately. To keep the sauce warm, place your mixing bowl in a larger bowl with some warm water and cover.

Note- If you want to boost the flavor even more, reduce ½ cup white wine to about 2 T and mix with the lemon juice before adding to the sauce.

New Years Revelations Part III: Risotto

2009-05-06T17:52:00.015-04:00

This is much less of a revelation then previous posts. I consider it more fine tuning (and inclusion of pictures). Risotto, which remains one of my favorite dishes, is not near as hard as I originally

was made to believe. Though somehow at least 50% of restaurants manage to make it into a big deal or a big mess. I'm not saying I'm super accomplished or anything of the sort, but I'm pretty

sure 95% of people who know how to turn on a stove can make risotto with a pretty good degree of success. But I will stop talking and start including a recipe. You can find the original here.

This is a good spring time recipe as asparagus is currently in its peak season (more on that later this week). But do not let it limit your ingredient list. I have made risotto with squash, peas, chicken, saffron, and even goat cheese. Yummy.

Shrimp and Asparagus Risotto

1 1/2 cups arborio rice
1 onion, diced
2 T butter
1 oz Parmesan cheese, grated

1/4 cup white wine
3 cups chicken stock

4 cups water
1 pound of shrimp, peeled and deveined
1/2 bunch asparagus, trimmed of woody ends
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut asparagus into 1-2 inch pieces. Quickly steam for about 1 minute so just turn bright green but have all their crunch. Remove from steamer and rinse under cold water. Reserve cooking water and use as part of water for risotto.

In a small pot over medium low heat add the water and chicken stock until warm. In a heavy bottomed pan (I like a dutch oven, but any heavy pot will do), melt 2 T butter over medium heat until foaming, add the onion and some salt and sweat for about 3-5 minutes. Add the rice and stir constantly until the rice is slightly colored and smells toasted. This will take about 5 minutes. Add the wine and stir until absorbed. Reduce the heat slightly and add about 1 cup of the stock, stirring constantly until all of the stock has been absorbed. Repeat until about 20 minutes have passed and taste rice (note: you may not have to use all the stock/water). When slightly al dente add the shrimp and cook for about 2 minutes until shrimp are pink. Add the asparagus and cheese. Season with salt and lots of pepper. Serve hot or at room temperature.

Crepes

2009-05-01T15:55:00.004-04:00

Breakfast is a big deal in my house. Especially on the weekends. If I ever open a restaurant, its going to serve only breakfast. That's how much I like it.

Crepes are second to pancakes in terms of frequency of menu. I like them filled with strawberries that have been sliced and lightly tossed in sugar. Yum. They are pretty simple to make, in fact, the batter is the easy part. The more difficult is the actual pan process. I do not use a special crepe pan, just my 12 inch nonstick skillet. The first one does usually come out funny, but do not be discouraged. Just swirl the batter, flip gently and in no time you will be making crepes like nobody's business.

If you prefer the savory way, leave out the sugar. I have filled them with ricotta and made a tomato sauce to cover, it was pretty good.

Crepes

1 C flour
2 t baking powder
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 1/2 C milk
6 eggs

In a medium bowl mix together the dry ingredients and milk, whisk until no more lumps are present. Whisk in the eggs two at a time. Refrigerate the batter for at least 15 minutes to rest. Place a skillet over medium heat, let it come to temperature. Coat pan with cooking spray (light) or with a small amount of butter (flavor). Pour some of the batter (a little less than 1/3 C) into the center of the pan, swirling the pan to slowly coat the bottom. Once coated, let cook for about 2 minutes. Flip and let cook on other side until just starting to brown. If the batter bubbles turn the stove down just a bit. Fill with desired filling and top with whipped cream or syrup.

Few Days

2009-04-27T16:27:00.001-04:00

Due to a current bout with some sort of bug (hopefully not of the Swine Flu Variety) it will be a few days until the next post

Shrimp and Grits

2009-04-18T22:53:00.007-04:00

My adventure into the previously unknown continued last week with my first shot at grits. The first time I had grits I thought they were nasty (and in retrospect, whoever made them made them taste like paste). The second time my friend Catherine made them (with shrimp) and I loved them. So I had a 50/50 chance with this meal succeeding. Why not?

Grits are a pretty simple concept, just like polenta. Coarse ground corn and water makes yummy food. Well, at least that’s where you start. In the interest of time/my first time I used quick grits instead of the fancy stone ground ones. Next time I think I will try the latter, mainly for their texture and more than likely better flavor. But for anyone making this dish in a pinch quick grits work just fine. Time investment in this meal clocks in at less than 30 minutes.

This recipe is open to interpretation, it really is. That is the beauty of southern food, everyone makes it differently. I like that about some dishes because they really take on a life of their own. For example, instead of water for the grits, I added the intended amount of water into a pot, added the shrimp shells, a bay leaf, some fresh thyme, and salt and then let it simmer for about 15 minutes to make a quick shrimp stock. Nifty.

Shrimp and Grits

1 pound shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 T paprika
½ t cayenne
½ t dried thyme
½ t dried oregano
¼ t cumin
2 t salt
½ t pepper
1 T flour
¼ cup chicken (or shrimp) stock
2 T parsley
2 T lemon juice
1 onion, chopped
1 green or red bell pepper, coarsely chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices bacon, chopped

Grits

½ cup quick grits
2 C water
3 oz cheddar cheese
½ t garlic powder
1 t salt
1 t pepper

For the shrimp, combine the first 8 ingredients in a bowl and mix well, coating shrimp with spice mixture. Let sit for about 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat a skillet or pot over medium heat and add bacon, cooking until browned. Remove bacon and set aside on paper towels to drain. Add the onion and pepper, cooking them both in the bacon drippings about 2 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add shrimp and cook until the shrimp are pink and cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Sprinkle with flour and mix until absorbed. Add the chicken stock and cook until a thick sauce has formed, about 2 minutes. Add the parsley and lemon juice, season with salt, pepper, and cayenne for spice. Add the bacon back into the mix in the end.

For the grits, heat the water (or stock) over medium heat until boiling. Add grits and salt, whisk, cover, reduce heat to medium low, and cook, stirring occasionally until grits are creamy and plump, about 5-7 minutes. Taste the grits to check their consistency, they should be smooth. If gritty, add a bit more water or stock and whisk in. Add the garlic powder, pepper, and cheese, whisking until the cheese is melted.

Hashing it Out

2009-04-10T17:31:00.006-04:00

As promised in my previous post, the roast chicken will more than likely yield some leftovers. This is a happy thing. The idea was given to me (once again by my fiancée's father) to make a hash out of whatever I had leftover. Genius! Potatoes and chicken in a cast iron pan married with some veggies sounded like an idea I wish I had thought of 5 years ago.

The concept is pretty simple. Chop up your leftovers (I had about a pound of chicken and a pound of potatoes left over), add some veggies, season to your liking, and cook. I added a lightly poached egg over the top for some richness, not to mention the runny yolk is great for mixing it all together.

Chicken Hash

~ 1 pound chicken meat, shredded
~1 pound roasted potatoes, roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
Salt
Pepper
garlic powder
1 T butter

Preheat your cast iron skillet over medium heat for about 5 minutes, the goal being to get the pan seriously hot. Add the butter followed by the onion, carrot, and celery. Cook for about 3 minutes or until slightly softened. Add the chicken and potatoes, stirring to combine. Using the back of a wood spoon or other kitchen tool, flatten the hash into the pan so you have a nice even layer. Let this cook for about 3 minutes, then stir it up and press again, cooking for another 3 minutes. This will give the hash and nice crust. Season with salt, garlic powder and pepper. Serve by itself or with a few pouched or fried eggs on top.

Roast Chicken

2009-04-05T13:25:00.004-04:00

Oddly enough, roast chicken was my favorite dish growing up. It beat out lasagna, macaroni and cheese, and whatever else a kid normally goes for. To this day I love nothing more than a roasted bird with some starch and a vegetable, maybe accompanied by a nice gravy. John, my fiancées father and close cooking counterpart (say that five times fast) passed this recipe along to me last week and I decided to give it a whirl. Delicious is the first thing that comes to mind. Juicy on the inside, crisp skin on the outside, this bird pretty much has it all.

Placing a chicken in a baking dish, seasoning it and roasting it for about an hour will give you pretty good results by itself. Add maybe 4 more steps though, and you can make the penultimate bird. First, start with the bird itself. No stuffing, ever. It will only dry out your chicken. But you also do not want all of the fat and goodness to sit inside of your bird and make it soggy. So before you cook it, flip the chicken on its back and cut a few shallow ridges in the fatty underside, this will allow any rendered fat to be released and drain out (don’t worry, we will not waste it). After you cut some channels, take a thin knife or skewer and poke the chicken in its skin and fat layer all over. This will promote more fat release from the bird, giving the end goal of crispy skin.

The seasoning is pretty straight forward with the added benefit of cornstarch, which gives crispiness but no strange flavor. Roasting the bird in a rotational manner gives even browning and equal doneness. As for all that rendered goodness that we let escape? Potatoes underneath the chicken allow for an easy side dish.

Come back next time and see what to do with the leftovers.

Roast Chicken

1 4-5 pound chicken
2 t salt
1 t pepper
2 t cornstarch
1 ½ -2 pounds small red potatoes, quartered
2 tsp vegetable oil

Preheat oven to 475°F. Prep chicken by cutting channels in the bottom and poking some holes in the skin all over (see above). Tuck the wings and legs in to prevent them from drying out. Combine the salt, pepper, and cornstarch and rub all over chicken. Line a roasting pan with aluminum foil. Place chicken left wing side up (it will be lying on the side) on a roasting rack and set over the pan. Roast in the oven for 15 minutes and flip over to other wing side. Roast for 15 more minutes.

Meanwhile, toss the potatoes in the oil and season with salt and pepper. When the chicken is done with its wing side roasting, remove the rack and add the potatoes to the pan, tossing them in any accumulated juices. Replace rack with chicken, now set breast side up, and put back in oven. Roast until the thigh registers 170°F on an instant-read thermometer (about 20 minutes). Remove chicken and let rest on rack (make sure to put a pan underneath to catch any juices). Roast potatoes for about 10-15 minutes more or until browned. Toss with any remaining chicken juices. Enjoy.

Hollandaise Sauce

2009-04-01T21:11:00.009-04:00

Hollandaise sauce is the bane of my existence. There is no other way to put it. I love it, I love putting it on food, but I hate making it. No, it's not that hard or time intensive, but it breaks. All the time. And I get so frustrated! Probably not a good thing that I mostly make it at breakfast (I'm probably cranky). I tried clarified butter, cold butter, warm yolks, and ancient rain dancing, but nothing worked. But alas, I think I have finally figured it out. Water! Yes, as I was flipping through all of my cookbooks, I found that the Joy of Cooking calls for some water to be added. This thins out the sauce a little bit and relaxes the strain on the egg proteins. And it was amazing. The sauce held quite nicely and even stayed together on the stove for when people came asking for seconds. Success! Now something else can be my bane.

Hollandaise Sauce (adapted from the Joy of Cooking)

3 egg yolks
1 1/2 T lemon juice
pepper
salt
pinch cayenne pepper
1 stick butter, melted
4 T warm water

First step, make a double boiler. Take a glass or stainless steel bowl and find a pot that the bottom just fits into. Fill the pot about half full with water and place it over medium high heat until it is just simmering. If you do this sauce over direct heat I can almost guarantee you it will be a disaster.

In the bowl whisk the egg yolks until slightly light and frothy. Whisk over heat and add 1 T water until the eggs just start to thicken, 3-5 minutes. Add the rest of the water 1 T at a time letting the eggs thicken in between. If you feel the eggs are getting too hot, pull the bowl out of the heat. Add the lemon juice. Remove the bowl from the heat and very slowly add the butter, stirring constantly until all the butter is incorporated (if you need to warm up the sauce while doing this place over the boiler for a few seconds). Leave the white solids from the butter (milk solids) out if possible. Whisk in the cayenne, season with salt and pepper. If the sauce is too thick, add a few drops of water. Serve immediately. To keep the sauce warm, place your mixing bowl in a larger bowl with some warm water and cover.

Note- If you want to boost the flavor even more, reduce ½ cup white wine to about 2 T and mix with the lemon juice before adding to the sauce.

Pan Seared Pork Chops

2009-03-26T15:49:00.006-04:00

I had a blog post written about hollandaise sauce until I made dinner last night. Then things changed. As I have written before, I make pork chops on a frequent basis because of their ease and consistency in the taste category, but I do not usually venture outside of that recipe. However, in this month's Cooks Illustrated, there is a curious recipe about pan seared pork chops that intrigued me. Intrigue turned out to be a great thing, because these chops were better than Lost last night (and that's saying something).

The key with these chops is the salting. I have spoken before on brining meat, and pork is probably the biggest in need of a good salt water soak. But if you try this with a pan seared chop, the meat does not really develop a crust. So instead it was suggested to salt the meat, leave it sitting on a rack for about an hour, baking it shortly, and then finishing the pork in a hot pan which also yields a pan sauce. Too many steps says you? Suck it up, say I. You can make this dish (and sides) pretty easily as most of the steps involve the meat lying prone on a rack or in an oven.

I altered the recipe very little, because frankly there is no need to. Since I am trying to eat butter in moderation at the moment, instead of using 3T of butter in the pan sauce, I used 1T and instead saved a few tablespoons of the chicken broth and mixed them with 1t cornstarch. I am listing this method in the recipe, but if you would rather the butter, scratch the cornstarch and reduce the sauce a bit further before adding the butter.

Pan Seared Pork Chops

4 1 ½ inch thick pork loin chops (bone in or bone out)
Salt
Pepper
1T vegetable oil

Sauce

1 shallot minced (or ¼ cup finely minced onion)
2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed
1 t chopped fresh thyme (or ¼ t dry chopped)
½ cup white wine
¾ cup chicken stock
¼ t white wine or rice wine vinegar
1 T cold butter
1 t cornstarch
Salt
Pepper

Pat chops dry with paper towel. Salt each chop all over with 1 t kosher salt (or ½ t table salt). Place on wire rack over a baking sheet and leave at room temperature for 45 minutes (no less!). Heat oven to 275°F. Season chops with pepper and place in oven to bake, 35-40 minutes or until the middle of the chops reads 120°F on an instant read thermometer. Remove from oven.

Heat 1 T vegetable oil in large skillet over medium high heat until almost smoking. Place 2 chops in pan and sear on each side until browned, about 2 minutes each side. You might have to lift chops once to redistribute oil and prevent burning. Remove chops to plate and repeat with other 2 chops. Reduce pan heat to medium low. Using your tongs (see the picture), sear the chops on their ends until golden brown and the interior of the chops is 140-145°F. Place on plate, cover with foil, and let rest for about 10 minutes while you make the sauce.

Drain off all but 1 t of remaining oil. Return heat to medium. Add shallot and garlic, stirring often until softened, about 1 minute. Reserving 3T chicken stock, add the stock and wine to the pan to deglaze, scraping up any bits on the bottom. Cook until reduced to about ¾ cup remains, abut 5 minutes. Mix corn starch and chicken stock and add to pan. Stir until thickened. If too thin, reduce sauce slightly, and if too thick add a few more tablespoons chicken stock. Turn off heat and add thyme and vinegar. Stir in butter, season with salt and pepper. Serve with chops.

El Meson

2009-03-18T19:22:00.003-04:00

I'm a huge sucker for Mexican food (surprise). Being from Arizona, I am also extremely spoiled. There are more good Mexican restaurants in every town or city than grocery stores. Not doubt.

So I have been somewhat underwhelemed since relocating to the Midwest. Sure, Taco Rico (http://lafayette-eats.com/2008/11/15/taco-rico/) is good, and was my go to place for somewhat authentic cuisine. But it is sometimes hit or miss, and I like consistency. I also like good salsa. And they lack there.

So now we have a new Mexican joint called El Meson (it means big table). Located in the old Burger King/ fish place/ other random restaurants on 52, this place will hopefully be its last tenant and stay there forever. I love it. First off, you can get a darn good lunch for 5 bucks or under. Second, their menu is huge (as all Mexican menus should be) and the food is fantastic. Third, the décor is so loud and colorful it reminds me of actually being in Mexico (I honestly do not understand the American obsession with brown right now, what is wrong with teal and orange?)

The first time I dined there, it was with a large group of coworkers. The service was good, the chips were warm, and the salsa (which is like mine so I'm biased) was fantastic. Making your own salsa in a Mexican restaurant really goes a long way and is akin to a nice steakhouse making their own bread. As far as the food goes, I have never been disappointed. They usually have a lunch burrito for $5 as well as a really good lunch menu. The fajitas can feed two and their enchiladas are quite good (you can get a plate with bean, chicken, beef, and cheese). It is hands down my favorite Mexican food in the city.

Tuna Puttanesca

2009-03-11T17:24:00.003-04:00

I have somewhat of a love-hate relationship with Rachel Ray. When she was Ms. Sunshine-yelling-face, I was not a fan. When she toned it down and stopped using so many damn acronyms and quips, I was a fan. When she told me to roast my pork tenderloin until it tasted like shoe leather, I was not a fan. But when she brought tuna puttanesca to my table, I sat up and listened. And I am happy to say that we are on good terms again.

Let's be honest, what else do you use canned tuna for other than slathering it with mayo and sticking it between bread? Slathering it in mayo and stuffing it in an avocado (which is very, very delicious). Seeing a common theme? Well, thankfully Rachel has provided me with a delicious pasta dish that everyone should try at least once. You can make the sauce in the time it takes to cook the pasta (for some quips on that see here)

Tuna Puttenesca

1 pound penne pasta

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

2 cans (about 5.5 to 6 ounces each) tuna in water, drained well

6 large cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

A generous handful black olives (kalamata work well), pitted and chopped

3 tablespoons capers, drained

1/2 cup dry white wine

1 (28-ounce) diced tomatoes

1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

2 teaspoons lemon zest

Fresh ground black pepper

Salt

Place a large pot of water over high heat and bring up to a boil. Salt the water and cook penne to al dente.

Meanwhile, heat a large skillet with about 2T extra-virgin olive oil over medium heat. Add the garlic and red pepper flakes, cook a minute or 2, then add tuna and break it up with your spoon. Add olives and capers, cook a minute or 2 more, then add white wine; stir and cook down a minute. Stir in diced tomatoes and juice. Add parsley, zest and black pepper, then simmer the sauce a couple of minutes more.

Add a couple of ladles of starchy pasta-cooking water to the sauce. Reduce slightly until just barely thickened. Drain pasta, add to the skillet and toss to coat.

New Years Revelations Part II: Chicken Pot Pie

2009-03-04T21:00:00.007-05:00

Previously on Boilermaker Kitchen. Chicken Three Ways was quite a success for both me and my kitchen methods, yet the pot pie was by far the most complicated (and heavy) of the dishes. So I was looking for a dish that is hearty, comforting, and somewhat healthy.

The following dish takes place between work time and dinner time.

No crazy tricks with this recipe. It's more or less ripped straight from my new favorite practical cookbook, "The America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook". It's easy, fun to make, delicious, and it only has 380 calories per serving. I am so there. The only thing I forgot was to take some pictures (smack), but I imagine this dish will be making the rounds again in the near future, so expect an update to this update. This recipe is slightly modified to work easier as well as serve 4 people.

Chicken Pot Pie

Filling

3 carrots, peeled and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 rib celery, sliced 1/4 inch thick
1 onion, chopped fine
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 t dried thyme (or 1 t fresh)
1 t vegetable oil
salt
pepper
1/8 c dry sherry
2 C low sodium chicken broth
1 bay leaf
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast
1/8 C cornstarch
1/8 C half and half
1/2 cup frozen peas
1 T minced fresh parsley

Biscuits

2 C flour
1 t baking powder
1/4 t baking soda
1/4 t salt
2 T butter, melted and cooled
1/3 C buttermilk

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large pot or dutch oven add the carrots, celery, onion, garlic, thyme, oil, and ~1/2 t salt. Cover and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables soften, about 12 minutes (this is a great way to cook vegetables with less oil). Once soft, stir in sherry, broth and bay leaves and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken breasts into the broth, cover, and reduce heat to low. Cook the chicken until done (160°F), about 10-12 minutes. You will probably need to flip the chicken half way through.

Transfer chicken to a plate to cool. Return sauce to a simmer. Whisk cornstarch and half and half together and add to sauce, stirring until thickened, about 1 minute. If you find the sauce not thick enough, add 1T cornstarch to 2T water and add that. Once thick, remove from heat, remove bay leaf, and season with salt and pepper to taste. Shred chicken and add to sauce. Pour the sauce into 4 ramekins or an 8x8 inch baking dish.

For the biscuits, whisk the dry ingredients in a bowl to combine. In a separate bowl combine the melted butter and buttermilk. Stir into the flour mixture until just combined and wet. If still dry add a bit more buttermilk. Divide dough into four parts and place over filling, spreading the dough out slightly. Bake until biscuits are golden brown, about 20 minutes. Let cool 5 minutes before serving.

Dear Pay-Less (and Kroger, and Frys)

2009-02-26T17:06:00.001-05:00

The time has come for us to part ways for now. I think you have gotten a little too big-headed for me to hang around in this relationship. I will be honest; I went to Marsh the other day. And I loved it. I enjoyed the better vegetable selection (they actually carry Italian parsley and dried mushrooms), I liked their friendly meat counter which sold more than hamburger and kabobs, and I thought their sushi was great. Fair Pay-Less, I will always remember your fantastic lunch meat and good deals. But the horrible service, the dirty stores, and the dingy fresh food were just too much. I turned a blind eye when I watched you start importing bakery goods from a central hub, and though I was sad, I let it go when you stopped selling good cheese and started providing spreads.

So Pay-Less, it's been a good run, and we had some memories. As I sit here eating this tasty organic apple from Marsh, I am happy of my decision to pursue higher quality and better service, and I hope that some day you can understand.

Cooking Pasta

2009-02-23T16:17:00.001-05:00

Ee all use boxed pasta. It's just a way of life. But what comes with that is an overcooked, mushy mess. Yep, whoever thought up the current pasta directions for cooking that is labeled on the boxes was either asleep or had no teeth. Pasta is meant to be al dente, which means "to the tooth". This does not mean stick to your teeth, it means the pasta should have some firmness, some bite to it. So enough with the "if it sticks to the wall it's done", that only leads to mushy pasta and bad wall décor. Here are a few tips to help your pasta become the mainstay in your dish once more.

- Use a lot of water. For a pound of pasta, you should be using about a gallon of water. This will help in even cooking.

- Salt the water. Use a lot of salt. It has nothing to do with the boiling point and everything to do with taste. Do you not salt the rest of your food? So why should pasta be different. Use about 3 T for a gallon of water.

- Add some oil. 1 T is plenty, and this actually has nothing to do with flavor. It prevents the pasta from sticking and the water from boiling over (really, it works). Most of the oil will be kept in the water and not make it into your dish.

- Don't rinse your pasta. It washes away starch and prevents the sauce from sticking. Unless you need to shock it for later use (cold water will stop the cooking), rinsing your pasta will only cause it to be watery and your sauce to remain on the plate.

- Whatever cooking time the box tells you, decrease it by 2-3 minutes. When that time comes up, taste the pasta. If it is way too firm (and has a dry center), cook it for a minute more. Remember when you toss the pasta with sauce it will absorb a little bit more of the liquid, so undercooking it slightly is not a bad thing.

Pancakes

2009-02-18T20:34:00.002-05:00

I sometimes have a trend of starting a post out with something negative and then turning it on a positive. This is no different :) I'm not a fan of Bisquick. In fact, I have only had it once, and I thought it was pointless. Sure, it's great for the family in a pinch who needs a quick breakfast. Just take said powder, add eggs and milk, and cook. Wait a second...that's not easy, it's just 2 steps more than actually making pancakes. And what else do you get when you use a mix? Chemicals, preservatives, and nasty bits that make pancakes taste like ground up spoons. No thank you.

I love these pancakes, based on the Fanny Farmer version from 50 years ago. They are still that good. I alter them a bit for some more fluff and cook then at a much higher temperature for a crusty outside. You can make these in no more than 20 minutes and I'm certain you have all the ingredients for them. Hopefully this will lead to you wowing the pants off your significant other this weekend when you surprise them with homemade pancakes (extra points if you make them look like hearts).

Buttermilk Pancakes

1 c. flour
2 T butter, melted and slightly cooled
1 egg
1/2 t baking soda
1/2 t salt
2 T sugar
3/4 c buttermilk

Sift flour, sugar, salt, and soda into medium bowl. In separate bowl, combine the egg and buttermilk. Add the butter and stir (it will clump, don't worry). Pour the wet into the dry ingredients and fold in with a spatula until no flour remains. Do not over mix! Heat a griddle or nonstick skillet over medium or medium high heat (depending on how crispy you want them) and lightly coat with cooking spray. Spoon out batter onto hot surface, cook for about 3-4 minutes per side or until each side is golden brown. Serve immediately with warmed syrup.

Alterations
If you want to make these fruit pancakes, fold in ¾ cup of your favorite fruit (I like blueberries) after mixing.

No buttermilk? No problem. Instead, use milk and swap the baking soda with 2 t baking powder.

Craftsteak

2009-02-10T19:27:00.002-05:00

As I have stated before, I'm a big fan of Top Chef. And the head judge, Tom Collichio. I have his cookbook (extremely tasty) and I identify with his simple approach to food. So OF COURSE I was going to give his new Craftsteak (located at the MGM grand in Connecticut) while on a trip to see Em's parents (side note, Connecticut continues to amaze me with good food and gorgeous weather, I love the place). We showed up for what was about to become quite an experience.

First, something that happened after the meal. While Em's father and I were walking through the bar, we saw some beer taps that we did not recognize. We asked the bar tender about them and he happily explained what they had (Harpoon and some nice local brands) and told us about a coffee stout that a local guy was making and they carried it. He then proceeded to pour us some and we talked about and how it was different and such. All this after the guy knew we had already finished our meal and were on the way out. What great service.

Now, back to the food. It's (obviously) a steak house, and it's pretty much what they do. They do have some pasta, chicken, and fish which I am sure is all tasty, but I came for meat. They provide a nice selection of grass-fed, corn-fed, and wagyu beef. Wait, what? Feedings differ? Oh, yes, dear reader, as we found out they do. The stuff you more than likely are getting in the market is corn fed. Simple as that. Craftsteak ages theirs (28 or 40 days are the options, I think) which gives a lot of beefy flavor. Grass-fed is very lean and pure in flavor. Wagyu is crazy, hand-massaged, beer fed beef. I stayed away from that (it's really good, I know, but one of them was $26/oz). I got a New York corn-fed and was extremely pleased. Others sampled were the grass fed beef, filet, and a hanger steak (a much underappreciated cut). All were delicious and cooked perfectly. I also enjoyed all of the sides we tried, such as piquillo pepper risotto, Brussels sprouts with bacon, and sautéed wild mushrooms. Without risk of talking too much, I will also say that the chocolate soufflé I had for desert was nothing short of divine.

Overall the dinner was fantastic. I appreciate the simplistic, almost rustic approach to the food, all the while maintaining meticulous detail with how everything was prepared. Nothing was too fancy, and everything tasted and melded well together. If you are in the area of one of these restaurants, I can think of very few better ways than to spend an evening meal.

Cake or Death!

2009-02-05T19:23:00.003-05:00

Two cakes enter, only one will leave! Ironically, this is about angel food cake. I was quite conflicted on a recipe to go with. On one hand, I had a tried and true recipe from Alton Brown that my mom has made and was quite good. On the other, I had a recipe from Cook's Illustrated that seemed to go together quite well. What to do? Why make both, of course.

Angel food cake is pretty similar no matter how you make it. Beat egg whites, add flour and sugar and various other components, bake, let rest, and eat. It has two main attributes going for it, one being its pretty easy (if you have an electric stand or handheld mixer, if not, good luck beating those white to medium peaks before your arm falls off), and the other being that it is ridiculously healthy. The one aspect of this cake that might set people off is the need for a special pan. An angel food cake pan is a unitasker and that kind of stinks. However, I have started making this cake pretty often and that makes it worth it. When you do purchase one, get one with the feet on it or you will play heck trying to get it to balance upside down.

First up was the Cook's Illustrated cake. Calling for a dozen egg whites, some sugar, some cake flour, almond and vanilla extract, and cream of tarter, the cake had some pros and cons. The pros were it tasted delicious, hands down the better of the two. The cons were the texture, it was a bit rubbery, and the fact that they had me line the pan with parchment paper was a bit silly. Next through our gauntlet is the AB cake. Fantastic in texture, this recipe called for super fine sugar and less extract then the other. The results were quite different. It was much lighter and fluffier but the taste was not quite there. Hmmm, a difficult choice.

In the end, I choose both. Yep, a cop out after all of this. But my reasoning is good. For the most part, I prefer the Cook's taste but AB's texture. Therefore I decided to go with the first recipe’s flavor, but use superfine sugar and forget about fussing with parchment paper.

Angel Food Cake

12 egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar (see note below to make it superfine)
1 ½ t cream of tartar
¼ t salt
1 ½ t vanilla extract
½ t almond extract
1 ½ t lemon juice
¼ cup warm water
1 cup cake flour

Preheat oven to 350°F. To make superfine sugar, place the desired amount of sugar in your food processor and buzz for about 2 minutes. Sift half of the sugar with the salt and the cake flour, setting the remaining sugar aside (sifting is important; it will help avoid pockets of flour). In a large bowl or stand mixer, add egg whites, water, extracts, and cream of tartar. Beat for about 3 minutes or until eggs are foamy. Slowly sift iun the reserved sugar, beating continuously at medium speed. Once you have achieved medium peaks, add the lemon juice, and then sift enough of the flour mixture in to dust the top of the foam. Using a spatula, fold in the flour mixture gently. Continue until all of the flour mixture is incorporated.

Carefully add mixture into an ungreased tube pan. Bake for 35 minutes before checking for doneness with a wooden skewer. (When inserted halfway between the inner and outer wall, the skewer should come out dry).

Cool upside down on cooling rack for at least 2 hours before removing from pan. Remove the cake from the pan by slicing around the outside to loosen the cake from the pan. Serve with berries or whipped cream (or both).

An Interesting Read

2009-01-28T22:34:00.003-05:00

t's been a slow few weeks in my kitchen. With the weather pretty pitiful and the quality of products pretty steady at my local supermarket, I have been hesitant to make a lot of new dishes. Which makes for some blasé reading on a blog. Never fear, I'm making lasagna tonight, and when I make another angel food cake this weekend it can be "cake or death" time. In the meantime, here is an article I read yesterday that gave me some pause.

http://news.cincinnati.com/article/20090126/BIZ/901260305

It's about a push by restaurateurs and chefs for more funding and control for smaller farms. Now, having experienced my first true year with a farmers market (and the fact that I am suffering through the winter months not having one), this is extremely exciting. While big farms are great for supermarkets, we all know the quality of their product is bunk next to Farmer Joe who owns 50 acres. I for one would love to see more locally grown, small farm food in my stores. Certain markets have already started this, but I'm hoping the foodie like nature of our current President will work to improve the food policy.

Russian Tea Time

2009-01-21T17:01:00.002-05:00

While in Chicago, it was recommended that I have afternoon tea. After perusing through the art museum, I could think of nothing better to do (plus the restaurant is literally 100 feet away) and headed over with Em. We walked into a warm, bright place with fantastic eastern European music playing over the speakers. While the place offers a full menu, they also offer tea service every day from 2-4:30 pm. Which is what we opted for on a cold afternoon.

First and foremost, the tea. They serve a Russian house blend (which is sadly the only one they do not sell as loose leaf) which is fantastic. If you get a meal you get unlimited tea refills, which is nice considering how good it is. The food comes out in three tiers, bread, savory, and sweet. The top tier was scones with jam and whipped cream. Tasty. The savory consisted of quiches, sandwiches (of salmon or corned beef), a crepe, and a veggie finger sandwich. The sweets were numerous, from cookies and cakes to a brownie and an apple tart. They also included fresh cheese blintzes to go with the meal. So imagine yourself as they put this tower of good in front of you. It was incredible. The food was delicious (I now want to eat blintzes all the time) and there was just so much of it, there was no way we were going to finish it. Excellent meal, and really great service.

Speaking of great service, this being a Russian place, of course they have vodka. And not just any. They make their own. I got a flight (don’t judge, it was almost 4) called the "Molotov cocktail". It consisted of three shots: pepper, honey pepper, and horseradish. I was unaware that the custom is to smell a piece of pumpernickel bread, take the shot, and then eat a pickle (after savoring the vodka). But my waiter was more than happy to teach me some Russian and explain the custom. Awesome. And really good vodka! I never would have thought, but horseradish vodka is great.

Overall this was a fantastic place to eat, and I would happily dine there again. Next time you are in Chicago, I suggest this place for a great experience and really good food.

Rice, Rice Baby

2009-01-16T21:01:00.006-05:00

This was either going to be about pasta or rice. And seeing that I am currently staying away from pasta (I blame Christmas), I figured I would go with rice. Now, what is interesting about rice? Well, it's one of the most important foods on this planet, yet the inhabitants of America are 15th in the world of consumption. Really?

It’s a more wholesome grain for you than most anything you can get in bread, it’s simple to digest, and it tastes good! So why do we fill our bellies with pasta and breads and other complex carbs rather than rice? Well, for starters (in my opinion), most of us have no idea how to cook it. I'm sure there are a bevy of other reasons (it does not go with our style of cuisine, its plain, you cannot put sour cream or mayo on it) that people will claim, most of which are a complete hunk. But I'm going to stay with the first topic, that people cannot cook rice, and focus on helping this along.

Rice, in its pure form, does not usually come in a box. It cannot be done in 5 minutes, and it should never say instant. Believe me, I ate a lot of that growing up, and that stuff is NOT rice. Rice, as I know it, comes in primarily two main forms, brown and white (yes, there are loads other, but I'm keeping to the most common ones to cook on an everyday basis). The only difference is that the white has had the outer hull removed. So that means brown is better for you, but also has a different taste (more nutty). White rice comes in many different sub-types that depend on grain size. For the purpose of this exercise, let's stick with long grain, which is mostly what you find in the big bags.

Brand or specific type? It's personal preference. I like sushi rice because it’s a bit stickier, but I know plenty of people who enjoy jasmine because it’s a bit fluffier. Try some out and see what you like.

Cooking, well, there comes the fun part. Cooking white and brown rice are two separate undertakings, so I have included below a method for each. I really hope once you get the (easy) process down it will allow you include more rice in your diet, which is healthy and inexpensive.

White Rice

This recipe has no measurements. Simply make as much as you want. In a small pot, put in rice. Rinse under cold water for about 3 minutes. You want the water to run clear to rid it of excess starch. Pour out most of the water. Place your index finger straight down into the pot and mark where the rice comes up to. You need to add enough water to cover the rice plus this length you just marked off. Strange? Yes. But it works. You can do this by placing your finger (keeping the mark noted) on top of the rice and then filling to the mark. Place on stove over medium heat. Stir once after about 5 minutes. The water will start to simmer and form fish eyes. When this happens (there should be a bit of water still on top of the rice), place a lid on the pot, reduce heat to low, and cook for 20 minutes. Turn off heat and let sit in pot for another 10 minutes.

Brown Rice

1 ½ cups brown rice
2 ½ cups water
1 t. salt
½ T butter

Brown rice can be a bit tricky, so I have opted to go with the oven (its seriously foolproof) in my prep method. Thank Alton Brown for the inspiration on this. Preheat oven to 375°F. Boil water in kettle or pot (with the salt and butter). Add rice (do not rinse) to a 9x9 baking dish. Pour boiling water over it and cover tightly with foil. Place in oven and bake for one hour.

Trattoria No. 10

2009-01-11T16:13:00.004-05:00

In addition to my New Year's Revelations, I have spent a good amount of time traveling over the past month. This has resulted in a good amount of restaurant experiences, which I am more than happy to put up on the blog.

First up, Trattoria No. 10, a Chicago fine eatery specializing in Italian cuisine. I think. Thing is, I never tasted the food. I walked in at about 6pm and was promptly turned away. There was a light buffet in the bar which I figured would be a great meal before heading out on the town. The bar was mostly full, and the hostess so kindly said to us "the bar is full and so is the dining room, sorry". Wow. Score points for hospitality! I was dressed nice, but apparently did not fit the stuffy, rich type that they are looking for.

This leads me to a slight rant. I am so over stuffy food. I have no problem wearing a collar to dinner (I was that evening), but in our food-appreciating society, there is no place for crap like turning away a customer with such disdain. I'm pretty sure I was higher educated than either of the people I spoke to there, but I did not ramble on about the polymorphic complexities of amorphous dispersions to them. Food is good and should be kept simple and available to everyone. Treating someone like they are unworthy to eat their food only says to me that the food is not worth eating.

New Years Revelations Part I: Biscuits

2009-01-06T16:05:00.003-05:00

This is the first in what I hope is an ongoing series. Over the holiday I was perusing my recipes on this blog and found a few that have undergone some changes since I wrote them up. This often happens to me as I adjust seasonings or learn new things to make a dish better. I spent a good amount of time cooking with Em's (my fiancée) father over this holiday, and we often pass back and forth information on what we like and do in the kitchen.

This instance, we were making biscuits for breakfast (original post found here). I have altered my recipe to pretty much where I like it, at least I thought, and was mostly concerned about fat ratio (like with pie dough). But in my oversight, I forgot something extremely important, which was leading my biscuits to be fluffy, but not flaky. Hydration! My dough was way too wet. The dough was almost goopy, which led me to not knead them (which prevents gluten formation but also prevents the flakiness I was looking for) and just bake them as is. Silly me. While observing John (the dad) rolling out his biscuits, I was amazed at how dry the dough was. I was even more amazed when they came out so good. While enjoying one of these smothered in gravy, I figured out a recipe that is somewhat of a hybrid between his and mine (mine still get more puff than his, muahaha). Take out a little milk, stick with butter, knead a little more, and boom! Biscuits that would make a mother proud.

Buttermilk Biscuits

2 cups flour
4 t baking powder
½ t salt
½ t baking soda
1 t sugar
5 T butter, cut into chunks
¾ cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450°F. Sift dry ingredients into bowl. Work butter into flour with fork or fingers until evenly distributed. Slowly add buttermilk until incorporated, mixture should be slightly crumbly but sticks to itself when pressed together. Turn out onto lightly floured surface; knead together for about 30 seconds. Roll out the dough until it is slightly thicker than ½ inch, cut with biscuit cutter or small glass. Place on a lightly greased sheet pan and bake 10-12 minutes or until tops are golden.

Peanut Butter Balls

2008-12-21T11:50:00.005-05:00

To me, Christmas cookies are some of the best sweet items I eat all year. Everyone has a different method, recipe, or family tradition that they enjoy sharing with everyone else. I have had German cookies, Mexican candies, Chinese pastries, and many others. I love them all. My dentist hates them.

My personal favorite has to be peanut butter balls. I wont spend a lot of time on words, just enjoy the recipe (I know I'm making some this week).

A few notes on the recipe. First, the chocolate coating can be whatever chocolate you like. I prefer semi sweet (i just use semi sweet chips), but i have also made them with dark. The wax can be found in the baking aisle (I believe) and is used to help thin out the chocolate. I usually put in about 5 oz wax to each package of chocolate. The goal is to have a decently thin liquid to dip into. Also, this recipe probably makes 24-30 and can easily be doubled or tripled to accommodate a crowd

Peanut Butter Balls
1 C butter, melted
2 C peanut butter
2 C graham crackers, crushed
16 oz powdered sugar
12 oz semi sweet chocolate
paraffin wax

In a double boiler melt chocolate, add some wax to thin it out (melts faster if you use smaller pieces). In a large bowl combine the butter, peanut butter, powdered sugar, and graham crackers, mix well. Roll into small balls (smaller than ping pong balls), making sure to keep them packed tight. If you are not going to be dipping immediately, refrigerate them to help them set up. Dip each ball into the melted chocolate (use toothpicks or tongs) and lay out on wax paper to dry.

Crusty Love

2008-12-14T22:52:00.007-05:00

To this day, one of the most temperamental items in the kitchen to most cooks is nothing more than four ingredients that make up pie crust. It makes most people who have not baked pies for 40 years shudder. Now, let me talk you down off that stool before you go grab your frozen crust. You can do better than that.

Pie crust is nothing more than four ingredients in its purest form. Flour, salt, fat, and water come together to give flaky goodness and make the entire room happy. However, it's often the ratio and prep technique that causes pie crust to decorate walls of the frustrated chef. If I pour in flour, add some water and butter followed by a sprinkle of salt, I am not going to get happy results. So let's break it down bit by bit, shall we?

First the flour. Using good flour is helpful in getting a good product. Use an all purpose, hopefully an unbleached and un-enriched type for a clean flavor (I like King Arthur). Salt? Well, its salt, but use table and not kosher, it helps meld better into the dough. As for the fat, there are many options. Butter is nice, and brings great flavor to the dough. Lard is also nice (yes, I said lard, its perfectly fine in small amounts, just ask Europe) and brings a lot of flakiness. Shortening (Crisco) is a bit of a blend of both worlds. So which one to use? Well, don't use pure butter or pure lard. You will not be happy. If you want to use one source of fat, use Crisco. I have used it to amazingly successful results. Since they got rid of the trans fat in it though, it has diminished in quality a bit (side note: trans fat is bad for you if you eat a gallon a day, just like anything else. It's simply a different structure of lipid that your body processes in an altered way. If you use 4T of Crisco in a whole pie and then eat 1/8 of that pie, you have better things to do than worry about trans fat). I will say though, that the generic brands of shortening have yet to follow suit, which makes me happy when I make pie. My favorite though, is a split between butter and lard, which provides great flavor and flakiness.

Lastly, it's the water. Ice cold please. I don't even give a measurement because its not worth it. Depending on so many factors, you never know how much your crust will take. Make sure its icy cold (just add some ice cubes to it) because this will help prevent gluten formation, thus keeping your crust from becoming too chewy. Another way to help this is to rest your dough. Pie dough needs to be rested for at least 30 minutes (and can keep up to 2 days) before rolling.

There are many different recipes for pie dough, its almost like biscuits, everyone has a way of doing it. This is an adaptation of the classic Fanny Farmer recipe, though I have been playing around with some others recently (that's another post). For now, I stand by this one as having produced some fantastic pies. Using this recipe will make your crust much easier to work with, taste great, and give you good texture.

Pie Crust
for a 9" double crust pie or a 12" single crust pie

2 cups flour
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1/3 cup lard or shortening
1/2 cup butter
1/4-1/3 cup ice water

In a medium bowl sift flour, salt, and sugar. Cut the fat into cubes and add to the flour. Mix with your hands (or pastry blender) and break up the pieces of fat, coating them in flour until you have small clumps left and most flour is collected in the fat. Slowly add the water a few tablespoons at a time, mixing in between. The amount will vary, but the main goal is to just get the pie dough to come together. if you can reach your hand in and press the dough, forming a loose ball, then you are set. Once you reach this stage, form a loose ball and wrap in saran wrap. Place dough in fridge to rest. Make pie.

One last note. In a recent issue of Cooks Illustrated, they used vodka as a tenderizer (don't worry, at a high temperature the alcohol bakes out). I have only tried it once so I have no real conclusion at this point. I will address it at some point. If you choose to use this method, use 1/2 vodka and 1/2 water. Let me know how it turns out.

Thai Essence

2008-12-05T14:59:00.001-05:00

With the holidays in full swing, I will be posting probably once a week until I head for vacation the last week of December. Anything I post after today will be geared towards the holidays and some great recipes I love to make.

As promised, another restaurant review. This time of Thai Essence, the new restaurant that opened near where I work. I went in a few weeks after it opened, and I think since then I have been back 5 or 6 times. It's that good.

First, as seems to be a requirement, I have to talk about the setting. Simple, nice art, quiet place (It is considered upscale, though kid friendly), and they have comfy chairs. I do not like the new trend of uncomfortable seating in places to eat, so this was a welcome change. The staff is also super friendly and service is great. They also do takeout (usually in less than 10 minutes).

I have sampled various dishes in my visits to Thai Essence, and I cannot quite pick a favorite. They have the usual fare of noodles, satay, and curries (side note: I love that Thai restaurants have curries that are different than their Indian dish cousins. Yet funny enough, curries are English because of the availability of dried spices from English colonies. Cool!) Their pad Thai is excellent with a good simple sauce and lots of veggies and peanuts. My fiancée gets it every time, and raves about it just as much. Their pad see ew is freaking awesome, and I tend to get that almost every time I go there. A thicker noodle that is cooked in a pan almost to a crust, I could eat it three times a day. I have also tried their soup, which is a ridiculous amount of food and broth goodness. Any time I have gone to eat here, everyone in my party has loved their dish. The food is always fresh and hot (and spicy if you want it) and they have a great variety of dishes. It is also really good bargain, with lunch being an absolute steal.

So the end point here? Go eat there. Now. You will not find better Thai food within 50 miles.

Thai Essence

1534 Win Hentschel Blvd
West Lafayette, IN 47906

Turkey Day

2008-11-24T17:11:00.003-05:00

With Thanksgiving coming up and the holidays steamrolling themselves into retail stores everywhere, I feel this is a good time to talk turkey. For years we were all exposed to the same thing, dried out turkey with a lot of stuffing and not a lot of flavor. I admit it, my family admits it, and my friends admit it. We tried all sorts of things. Big needles, lots of butter, and aluminum foil could not help us. But I have learned a few things since then, and I hope that sharing them will result in better turkeys on dinner tables around the globe.

First off, go get a thermometer. I wrote an early post about them, and this is one of their prime applications. Ovens vary, birds vary, and people vary. Thermometers do not lie. It will single handily improve your bird two fold.

Third, all must rest. All meats, when cook, continue to cook after being removed from the heat. This is called carry over, and a turkey can go from5-10 degrees further once removed from the oven.

Third, stop stuffing it. My mother disagrees with me, but fact is, stuffing ruins turkeys. It causes the turkey to take a lot longer to cook (this is because the stuffing needs to reach the same temperature as the turkey to make it safe) and the turkey is usually 15-20 degrees over what it needs to be when you pull it out. So skip the stuffing and make something on the side. Im sorry, I know stuffing is awesome, but there are plenty of good alternatives out there that will let you keep the turkey moist. But since my mom does not listen to me, I have learned to work around this. Stuffing a turkey will lead to great stuffing and can lead to a good bird if you follow the other steps (especially the next one).

Lastly, and maybe the most revolutionary, is the brine. By brining the turkey overnight you can keep it moist, add flavor, and bullet proof it from your oven. Just like with pork, a turkey can take on a whole new life if brined.

I have included the Good Eats turkey below (my favorite), but a simple brine of sugar, salt, and water will also do in a pinch. I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving.

The Good Eats Turkey

1 (14 to 16 pound) frozen young turkey

For the brine:

1 cup kosher salt
1/2 cup light brown sugar
1 gallon vegetable stock
1 tablespoon black peppercorns
1/2 tablespoon allspice berries
1/2 tablespoon candied ginger
1 gallon iced water

For the aromatics:

1 red apple, sliced
1/2 onion, sliced
1 cinnamon stick
1 cup water
4 sprigs rosemary
6 leaves sage
Canola oil

Directions

Combine all brine ingredients, except ice water, in a stockpot, and bring to a boil. Stir to dissolve solids, then remove from heat, cool to room temperature, and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

Early on the day of cooking, (or late the night before) combine the brine and ice water in a clean 5-gallon bucket. Place thawed turkey breast side down in brine, cover, and refrigerate or set in cool area (like a basement) for 6 hours. Turn turkey over once, half way through brining.

A few minutes before roasting, heat oven to 500 degrees. Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick, and cup of water in a microwave safe dish and microwave on high for 5 minutes.

Remove bird from brine and rinse inside and out with cold water. Discard brine.

Place bird on roasting rack inside wide, low pan and pat dry with paper towels. Add steeped aromatics to cavity along with rosemary and sage. Tuck back wings and coat whole bird liberally with canola (or other neutral) oil.

Roast on lowest level of the oven at 500 degrees F. for 30 minutes. Remove from oven and cover breast with double layer of aluminum foil, insert probe thermometer into thickest part of the breast and return to oven, reducing temperature to 350 degrees F. Set thermometer alarm (if available) to 161 degrees. A 14 to 16 pound bird should require a total of 2 to 2 1/2 hours of roasting. Let turkey rest, loosely covered for 15 minutes before carving.

Nuts to You

2008-11-19T20:13:00.009-05:00

This is another adaptation of a recipe I received from my fiancee's father, who is my go-to guy for anything and everything stir-fry. Chicken with almonds is a mighty tasty and mighty healthy dish.

First thing is first, and that's the almonds. If you are like me and cannot find peeled almonds, you need to do it yourself. Don’t skip this step and leave the skins on, they get rubbery and gross when stir fried. Bring a small pot of water to a near boil and dump in your almonds. Simmer for about 3 minutes, drain, and run under cold water to shock them. The skins should now easily peel off, leaving you with nice, naked almonds.

Chicken With Almonds

1 pound chicken breast, trimmed of fat and sliced into bite size chunks
1 egg white
1 T cornstarch
½ t sugar
1 t salt
½ cup peanut oil
1 cup almonds, blanched and peeled
4-6 garlic cloves, smashed
4-6 thin slices of fresh ginger
6-12 small dried chiles
1 T dry sherry
1 T soy sauce

Combine the egg white, corn starch, sugar, and salt, add to a small zip-top baggie. Add the chicken (I use a baggie to maximize contact with marinade), seal and marinate for 30 minutes- 1 hour.

Heat a wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. When nice and hot add chicken and stir-fry until just cooked through. Remove the chicken and set aside on a rack or paper towels to drain. Add the almonds to the oil and cook until starting to brown. Remove and drain. Drain off all of the oil but about 1-2T and reduce heat to medium. To this add the chiles, ginger and garlic, cooking until browned (this flavors the oil). Remove the seasonings and discard. Add the chicken back to the wok, reheat for about 1 minute, then add the sherry and soy sauce, which should quickly bubble and thicken to form a sauce. Serve with almonds on the side and rice.

It's Not a Party Without a Cheeseball

2008-11-05T18:31:00.003-05:00

Ever been to a rocking party? Sure you have. How many of those parties did not involve in some manner a cheese ball? Very few, I guess. Because nothing says fun like a ball of cheese. If one is absent, it becomes a "gathering".

And since this recipe pretty much makes itself, I will add only two quick notes. First, once you add the remaining ingredients to the cream cheese, mix slowly so you keep the textures of the pimentos and cheddar intact. Second, chopped nuts. Do yourself a favor and do not buy these at the grocery store. Buy whole ones and chop them yourselves. A food processor or a baggie/rolling pin work just fine. I keep a big bag in the freezer for all sorts of uses.

Now, onto the balling.

Cheeseball

1 8-oz package reduced fat cream cheese
3 T shredded sharp cheddar cheese
3 dashes Worcestershire sauce
4 t diced pimentos
1/2 t each salt, pepper, garlic powder
walnuts or pecans, chopped (about 1 cup)

In a stand mixer or bowl, add cream cheese and beat until soft (it helps to take it out of the refrigerator for about 20 minutes before making). Add cheddar, seasonings, pimentos, and Worcestershire, mix slowly, scraping down sides of bowl. When it looks uniform, scrape down sides and scoop out mixture into hands. Form a semi-tight ball and roll in nuts to evenly coat. Wrap in plastic wrap and store in refrigerator for at least 1 hour before serving (will keep for up to 4 days in plastic wrap). Enjoy with veggies and crackers.

The Devil's Eggs

2008-10-28T19:20:00.003-04:00

In the spirit of Halloween, I thought I would do a post on eggs. Deviled eggs, that is. One of most popular snacks at parties, deviled eggs are what I like to call "addicting". I cannot explain it, there is just something so great about an egg that has been boiled and filled with creamy goodness. But then again, why worry about the reason when I know I love them?

First things first. How to boil an egg. Hrmm. I can think of thousands of ways. But how to boil an egg and make it edible? That's the question. The way I have adapted is that of the Brown (as in Alton). It produces a creamy, done yolk while preventing the graying and rubbery texture that accompany harsh cooking. How? An electric kettle. If you don't have one of these, I strongly recommend one. Its how I boil eggs, make tea, keep stock hot for rissoto (don't worry, I wash it) among other things. Great multitasker (the really good ones dont have the heating element in the kettle, giving more room and more even heating). But back to the eggs. I simply add as many eggs as I want to boil into the pot, cover with about one inch of water, turn the kettle on until it boils, switch it off and set a timer for 10 minutes. Drain, shock in cold water (this prevents the membrane from sticking to the shell and makes peeling easier), and peel soon after. For those of you without one, do the same thing on the stove top, just cover your pot when you put it on the heat (boils faster) and try to avoid super high heat. Easy enough, and the results are consistant.

So with egg prep out of the way, let's move on to the recipe.

Deviled Eggs

Eggs
Mayonaise
Dried mustard
Salt
Paprika

Wait, no quantities? Nope, I honestly cannot quantify this recipe. Depends on the size and amount of eggs every time. Here is what I do. Split eggs in half, remove yolks to small bowl, mash with fork. Add just enough mayo for the yolks to come together and mash into a smooth paste. Add about 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard (do NOT use the liquid kind) and 1/2 teaspoon salt per 6 eggs. Taste. Adjust mustard, salt, and mayo levels (just remember these are egg filled, not mayo filled) to your liking. You can spoon into the whites or empty your mixture into a baggie. If using the baggie, seal is, snip one corner off, and use as a pastry bag. Top with a sprinkle of paprika. Have a party.

Cinnamon Rolls

2008-10-24T21:00:00.007-04:00

Let me be upfront about this recipe. I did not create it. It's Alton Brown's, and he (and his team of crack researchers) get all the credit. I changed a few words and ingredients of the recipe to make it easier to relate, but all in all its his.

So why post someone's recipe on a blog where I share my own cooking experiences with people? Well, have you ever had one of these cinnamon rolls? They are fantastic, and are horded among those in my family and household. Yes, they take a little bit of work, but so do most breads. And it beats Pillsbury to the ground. I will not waste space by adding extra words here, I hope you enjoy these as much as I do.

Cinnamon Rolls

Dough:
4 large egg yolks, room temperature
1 large whole egg, room temperature
2 ounces sugar, approximately 1/4 cup
3 ounces unsalted butter, melted, approximately 6 tablespoons
6 ounces buttermilk, room temperature
20 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 cups, plus additional for dusting
1 package instant dry yeast, approximately 2 1/4 teaspoons
1 1/4 teaspoons kosher salt
Vegetable oil or cooking spray

Filling:
8 ounces light brown sugar, approximately 1 cup packed
1 1/2 T ground cinnamon
Pinch salt
3/4-ounce unsalted butter, melted, approximately 1 1/2 tablespoons

Icing:
2 1/2 ounces cream cheese, softened, approximately 1/4 cup
3 T milk
5 1/2 ounces powdered sugar, approximately 1 1/2 cups

For the dough: in the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg yolks, whole egg, sugar, butter, and buttermilk. Add approximately 2 cups of the flour along with the yeast and salt; whisk until moistened and combined. Remove the whisk attachment and replace with a dough hook. Add all but 3/4 cup of the remaining flour and knead on low speed for 5 minutes. Check the consistency of the dough, add more flour if necessary; the dough should feel soft and moist but not sticky. Knead on low speed 5 minutes more or until the dough clears the sides of the bowl. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface; knead by hand about 30 seconds. Lightly oil a large bowl. Transfer the dough to the bowl, lightly oil the top of the dough, cover and let double in volume, 2 to 2 1/2 hours (place in a warm area to help this along).

Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Mix until well incorporated. Set aside until ready to use.

Butter a 9 by 13-inch glass baking dish. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured work surface. Gently shape the dough into a rectangle with the long side nearest you. Roll into an 18 by 12-inch rectangle. Brush the dough with the 3/4-ounce of melted butter, leaving 1/2-inch border along the top edge. Sprinkle the filling mixture over the dough, leaving a 3/4-inch border along the top edge; gently press the filling into the dough. Beginning with the long edge nearest you, roll the dough into a tight cylinder. Firmly pinch the seam to seal and roll the cylinder seam side down. Very gently squeeze the cylinder to create even thickness. Using a serrated knife, slice the cylinder into 1 1/2-inch rolls; yielding 12 rolls. Arrange rolls cut side down in the baking dish; cover tightly with plastic wrap and store in the refrigerator overnight or up to 16 hours.

Remove the rolls from the refrigerator and place in an oven that is turned off. Fill a shallow pan 2/3-full of boiling water and set on the rack below the rolls. Close the oven door and let the rolls rise until they look slightly puffy; approximately 30 minutes. Remove the rolls and the shallow pan of water from the oven.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the oven is ready, place the rolls on the middle rack and bake until golden brown, or until the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer, approximately 30-35 minutes.

While the rolls are cooling slightly, make the icing by whisking the cream cheese in the bowl of a stand mixer until creamy. Add the milk and whisk until combined. Sift in the powdered sugar, and whisk until smooth. Spread over the rolls and serve immediately.

Increase Your Kitchen Carbonara Emissions

2008-10-19T17:46:00.009-04:00

I am usually good at planning out my meals before I head to the store. However, from time to time I manage to screw something up, forget that I need to make dinner on a certain night, or I am just plain lazy. In these instances I turn to my pasta carbonara. Or the phone for pizza. But this is not about pizza, this is about pasta.

This recipe has a thousand variations. I started with Rachel Ray's because it literally helped to start the relationship with her husband. I mean, it must be good, right? And it is. Garlic, bacon, cheese and eggs not only make a great breakfast, they make a good pasta dish as well. And you can more than likely make the sauce in the time it takes to boil the pasta.

I prepare my carbonara in a pretty simple manor. Chop ingredients, cook bacon, mix remaining ingredients in bowl, toss pasta with bacon, add bowl ingredients to pasta, toss, and eat. More or less that is the recipe you will find below. I like mine pretty spicy, so I held back on the included red pepper flake. Same goes for the garlic. Adjust as you see fit. I also include a tempering step (adding a small amount of liquid to the eggs before adding to the rest of the ingredients). This will prevent the eggs from scrambling and giving you a nice, thick sauce.

Carbonara

1 pound spaghetti pasta

1/3-1/2 pound bacon, chopped
3 T olive oil
5 cloves garlic, peeled and diced
1 t red pepper flake
1/2 c white wine
1 egg + 1 egg yolk
1/2 c Romano or Parmesan cheese, shredded + extra for topping
1/4 c chopped parsley
salt and pepper

In a large pot, bring water to boil with copiuous amounts of salt and about 1 T oil. Boil pasta until slightly al dente. In the meantime, heat a skillet over medium high heat and add the oil. When hot, add the bacon and cook until slighlty crispy, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic and red pepper flake and cook for one more minute. Add white wine to pan to deglaze and let evaporate almost all the way down. Reduce heat to medium.

While bacon is cooking, in a medium bowl whisk the eggs, cheese, parsley, salt, and pepper. Add 1 ladleful of pasta water while stirring to temper the eggs. When the pasta is done, drain (don't rinse!) and add to skillet, tossing with the bacon until coated. Add the contents of the bowl to the skillet, stirring and tossing the pasta quickly until the eggs start to thicken and a sauce forms that will coat the pasta. Serve, using extra cheese to sprinkle on top.

Amendments

2008-10-16T18:34:00.003-04:00

After making the chocolate cream pie for a blog post, I was not entirely satisfied with the texture and consistency of my pie. Time for tinkering, which just meant that I needed to make another one. This rarely raises objections in my house.

First thing to tackle was the crust. It was a bit too crumbly for my liking, so I decided to let it set up a bit more. After making the crust, I popped it in the fridge for 15 minutes before baking it slightly longer in the oven. This allowed the crust to become a bit more uniform in texture and cut easier.

Next I needed to fix the darn thickness of my filling. Not happy with it, as it was slightly runny. I added an egg yolk to the mixture, which would lend itself to helping the "custard" set more as well as adding a bit of richness to the pie. I also swapped out cornstarch for flour. This has a two fold effect. First, you don’t have to stir as long to get the filling to thicken, and cornstarch has a more stable structure over time, so it is less likely to go all runny on you. While I believe the egg did little for the mixture (It already has three), the cornstarch did wonders. I sliced a piece last night and it came out just like I wanted it to, thick and pie like while still tasting delicious. To make the pie come together faster, I now recommend almost simmering the milk before adding the chocolate and other ingredients. This is because cornstarch's thickening ability is improved over a certain temperature, so the quicker you get there the faster it works (and fewer lumps are formed).

I have amended the original recipe and put a link at the bottom of this post.

Chocolate Cream Pie

Next up- Pasta Carbonara

Dinner at the Blue Fin

2008-10-12T09:33:00.000-04:00

I dined at the newly minted (well, it's been open since July) Blue Fin Bistro last Friday evening and wanted to present my thoughts below. The place had a lot of buzz about it and I was truly looking forward to dinner.

The ambiance is nice enough; I guess you would call it fine-modern or something like that. Blue Fin spins itself as an upscale joint, offering fresh fish, sushi, and a pan-Asian take on dishes. This was countered by the nice woman singing Alanis Morissette and the "pick a song" request lists on the table. Kind of a contradiction if you ask me. But you didn't, so I should continue.

Service? Terrible. After the meal I tried to give them the benefit of the doubt, but I was quickly (and properly) corrected that it stunk. When it takes 20 minutes to get a bottle of wine, you have to ask for bread even when you bring it to other tables, and there is little flow in your approach, it just comes back as bad service. Not a good start to the night.

The wine and drink list was nice enough, and I give major complements to a place that has a page of blue drinks to compliment its name (not enough places do things like this). The wine list, albeit a bit pricy, was nice, and the Argentinean white we selected was good. The food, not so much. The menu was expansive and expensive. Very expensive. They offer a large variety of seafood, sushi, steaks, and other Asian inspired dishes. I chose a spicy seafood noodle dish, while my other half chose a lobster and mushroom ravioli (let's face it, the fish dishes and crazy sushi were a little out of our budget range). We were then given the gift of no bread on the table and a 45 minute wait for our food. When it arrived, it was pretty tasty, but I have to main beefs with the meal. First, don’t call something on your menu "spicy" and then have it be as tame as a piece of chicken. I want some heat in the back of my throat. Second, overcooking your shrimp, slicing a scallop with some onions and peppers, adding chile paste with garlic, and tossing it all with noodles does not constitute an interesting or inspiring dish. If I can pick out exactly what went into it, why wouldn’t I just make it at home?

All in all, I cannot say I recommend this place. Because the experience was pretty shoddy (company was good). I really expected a bit more out of a hyped up, fine dining restaurant, but what I got was instead a poorly serviced mediocre experience. To top it off, the coffee they served me post meal (they proudly brew Starbuck's) was lukewarm. Not Han Solo-hot, but lukewarm. Bah.

Now that I have been a negative Nancy, I promise to post some positive thoughts next restaurant writing (I have a good one).