Friday, March 20, 2009
Raw food eh?
Monday, February 16, 2009
Cater me this....
Think of the challenge caterers encounter at every event: use high end products, simple cooking techniques, and at least a 30 minute hold in a warmer to produce something worthy of the $100+ price tag that the host is paying -- oh and one last thing...do it 100 - 200 dishes at a time. Sounds like a challenge from the Top Chef line-up doesn't it!
Every now and then though, a dish is created in these instances that is just brilliant. Take for example the one featured in this post's headline picture produced by Max Ultimate Food of Boston, MA. The dish is simple: Pan Roasted Chilean Sea Bass with Glazed Baby Root Vegetables and Meyer Lemon Sauce. All of the elements here work because the person who created the menu thought through the production and execution of the dish. I'm sure it went something like this: a fatty fish will be able to hold up in a warming box better than a lean and flakey one...Sea Bass is that lucious fish...root veggies won't fall apart after being heated, then cooled, then heated again.....and a meyer lemon butter sauce will be able to be made and held at about 140 without losing it's character and freshness. Brilliant.
Now if only crudite could be outlawed!
Nauset Steamers
The cold of winter here in New England has me craving a warm summer day when a dozen fresh shucked oysters and a couple of pounds of steamers or mussels are just a short drive away. Until then, I've got some time to perfect my recipes and techniques for making the perfect batch of steamers...and to do so, I'll refer to some tips given to me recently while at Mac's Shack and the Beachcomber in Wellfleet, MA.
There are a couple of big points to consider when making steamers: 1)No sand! -- simple as it sounds it's really difficult to clean these suckers, so the guys at Mac's actually built their own holding tanks for mussels, lobsters, and steamers that filters in Wellfleet Bay water 24 hours a day. This provides the steamers a chance to spew all the sand they ate while in the wild, without losing any of that natural flavor. To simulate this at home, soak the steamers in cold salt water for 24 hours in the refigerator. 2)No broken shells! --this one can be taken care of during the selection and storage process. Keep steamers in a collander in the refrigerator in a single to double layer covered with a damp cloth. Steamers are called soft-shell clams for a reason so be gentle! 3)Perfectly cooked without being overdone! -- This is tougher than it sounds. When cooking littlenecks or mussels, the opening of the shell is the best indication of being done, however with steamers, that is not the case. The name "steamer" comes from the traditional cooking method where 1-2 inches of water or broth was brought to a boil in the bottom of a pot, then the steamers would be added and allowed to steam for several minutes. This creates a good finished product, however after much snooping at some of the best seafood shacks on Cape Cod, I noticed that they actually boil the steamers and mussels in giant pots containing slightly salted water! I recommend the following when cooking 2#'s of steamers:
8 qts water
3 cloves garlic, smashed
1/2 lemon
6 peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon sea salt
Bring all of the ingredients to a boil and then drop in the steamers for 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon. Strain the broth through cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer and reserve for dipping or drinking. Serve steamers with broth and drawn butter.
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Half Chicken Braised with Tomatoes, Lemon, and Fennel
For this simple, mediterenean inspired dish, a simple tomato sauce, scented with fennel is the vehicle for a great balance of acidity and sweetness. To make this dish: onions, fennel, garlic, bay leaves, and olive oil are gently heated to create an infusion of flavors. Once the vegetables are softened (about 5 - 10 minutes) but not browned, crushed peeled tomatoes and tomato juice are added to create the broth that the chicken will gently braise in. Be sure to add the chicken to the pan skin-side-up to insure a crispy flavorful final product. Right before serving, dust with salt and zest a lemon over the chicken. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1/2 Chicken, seasoned lightly with salt
1/2 onion, sliced
1 bulb fennel, tops removed, bulb sliced
2 whole cloves garlic, crushed
3 bay leaves
1 lemon, zested
1 cup canned, crushed tomatoes
2 cups tomato juice
Tuesday, February 10, 2009
Cheap Eats
Pork Cachupa di Cabo Verde:
serves 6
1 bunch collard greens or swiss chard, ribs removed and chopped
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded, and diced into 2 inch chunks
Monday, February 2, 2009
Marky - Mark
Some topics covered are things like outlining the benefits of eating a partially vegan diet (he uses something he calls the before 6pm rule)....and using the production method of food, rather than an organic label, to decide whether or not it is produced in a sustainable, healthy manor.
He also attempts to bring the restaurant mindset of "food cost" to the home kitchen by explaining recipes that cost virtually nothing to prepare. One example he uses is making beans and rice from scratch -- a meal that is nutritious, vegan, sustainable, easy to prepare, and costs less than $1 per person to serve.
He outlines another great reason to try to change 3 meals a week from meat-centric to vegan. Animal (as do people) produce greenhouse gasses. At last check, we raise 40 Billion - yes Billion -- animals for consumption in the US alone. If each of us dropped three meat items a week from our diet, we would be able to reduce the amount of animals raised and consumed to a level that would environmentally speaking, be equivalent to taking all of the SUVS driven in America off the road. Additionally, to raise this many animals to produce things like steaks and cheeses, etc, we use extremly efficient (yet not very nice for the animals) farming methods that are currently operating at 70% the capicity of the world's farmlands. With the world population rising, and our consumption levels increasing daily, we soon will hit a maximum level of production.
One last thing, Bittman has been eating a more plant based diet for the past 3 years, and with no increase in exercise, has lost 40 pounds. Think about it.
Sunday, February 1, 2009
Dani-boy!
Any who is even a little interested in food/wine/restaurants...owes it to themselves to follow the above link and watch an episode of Daniel's After Hours show.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Winter Citrus
Sunday, January 25, 2009
simple pleasures
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
candy candy candy candy...
sweetheart...
surprise for all you food lovers as well...you ready for it---drum role please....oops..sorry...can't yet divulge this one...apparently there's a threat amongst the candy conglomerates that deems info about new releases of hardened, colorful candy top-secret. Don't fret though...there will be plenty of news coverage of the unveiling tomorrow...1/14...and you just might catch a glimpse of yours truly in the crowd...check back for more info...
Monday, January 12, 2009
what am I supposed to do with this?
ok...so we're all fans of new ways to wow with lobster. this particular dish is just one of those attempts from michael mina at seablue. here he tries....and fails...to create a "pot-pie" that warrants having a $62 price tag. now, i'll be the first to admit that cooking's end result sometimes doesn't seem to measure up to all the work that goes into a dish. From what I was told, the sauce alone took 2 days to prepare. Add to that the sweat and toil that some underpaid culinary intern put into making a fresh puff pastry....steaming and shelling the lobster...and assembling ingredients into the copper casket it arrives to your table in and you've got almost half a week's work to make this one pot pie. But, that's not it...as if the lobster wasn't already dead at this point...they manage to continue to cook it until it tastes like a shoe. Ok that's giving it more credit than it deserves---when I buy a pair of $62 dollar shoes...i expect the leather to be softer than this was. so...once again...a haute gaff....making a dish that looks perfect...takes years worth of knowlege of technique to create....but prepared with too little salt...too much heat....and not enough attention to what is really being put on the plate....boo
Sunday, January 11, 2009
gimme some of that down home cookin...
Developing the crisp and golden brown crust while making sure the patties are cooked through is something that requires patience, and careful tending of the heat. Resisting the temptation to eat them as quickly as they come out of the pan requires a healthy dash of willpower. The recipe is as follows:
Ingredients:
1# ground beef or substitute turkey for a more health conscious version
2 medium-large chef’s potatoes, cooked and peeled, and grated
1 small white onion, grated or minced finely
½ bunch parsley, leaves only - washed and chopped
½ cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
1 extra large egg
¼ cup milk
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons black pepper
Canola oil for frying
Directions:
1. Mix the egg, milk, salt, pepper, and parsley together in a bowl.
2. Mix the meat, potato, onion, and bread crumbs together in a separate bowl.
3. Fold the egg mixture into the meat mixture and mix just until evenly combined.
4. Heat ¼ inch of oil in a large frying pan over medium-low heat. With your hands, form 4” oblong patties with the mixture and gently place patties, one at a time into the pan. The oil should gently sizzle when the patties are added. Adjust the heat accordingly to achieve this. Without over-crowding the pan, continue to add patties and cook until golden brown and crisp, then flip and repeat this on the other side. Once both sides are browned, remove the patties to a plate lined with paper towels to catch the excess oil. Lightly salt the patties and let cool slightly before serving.
and on...
We would all agree about the importance of preserving a family and bringing together our communities…but do we realize that our modern foodscape is limiting the ability to do that through cooking and enjoying food together? Our modern meals still fill us up, but are they nourishing? Do we remember that those who make the food that we eat have an active role in influencing and sustaining the people who eat it…they can create and change moods…they can comfort us in rough times…they are truly connected to us. Think about the simple example of how comforting it is to smell a pumpkin pie baking in the oven. Traditionally, cooking and enjoying food has been a means of relaxation, a form of celebration, a coping mechanism for mourning families. When we think of food in this way, we realize that learning a recipe is one thing, but having respect for the culture and history behind the cuisine responsible for that recipe is another equally important thing. When we acknowledge that food has a soul, we are able to bring dishes alive and create feelings within those who consume it. A part of that is realizing where ingredients come from and why they are used in particularity. Consuming locally also helps to create a modern food heritage that supports our thought that food is more than just instant gratification. Just because products are globally accessible, doesn’t mean we should throw out our concept of embracing indigenous foods or meals. A burger frozen in Idaho, a piece of lettuce from Peru, ketchup from Pennsylvania, and a week old bun from New York shouldn’t represent lunch for a middle school student in Boston, MA almost every day of the week…but more often than not, it does. In our ever-evolving societies…urban…suburban…and rural alike, we must not forget how empowered we are to influence our bodies, our moods, our families, and our communities through all of the food choices that we make. Those choices can affect a lot more than our growling bellies.