Joy and Feast

Name: Braised Pork Jowl with Persimmon Gravy
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 3 h
Total time: 3 h 30 min
Yield: 4 servings

Braised Pork Jowl with Persimmon Gravy

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 18 Jan 2016 23:13:00 +0000

Pork jowl, also known as pork cheek is one of my favorite cuts of pork. When jowl is braised over a long period the meat becomes "melt in your mouth" tender. Pork cheek is both chock full of fat and collagen, so it needs to be cooked low and slow for best results. Think of past experiences with cuts of meat like oxtail, ham hock, and shoulder.

Pork cheek is popular across the world, I have seen it atop a bowl of ramen as Chashu, cooked in a Sichuan style, and cured as the Italian Guanciale. Pork cheek shares many similarities with pork belly, and I have found that it is a wonderful substitution in many cases. One of the best arguments I can make about using pork cheek is the comparable cost per pound. As pork belly has risen in popularity, so has its price. Pork cheek is less expensive than pork belly, I bought mine from a higher priced butcher store and still paid under 5 dollars for a pound.

This dish may appear somewhat exotic, but it was meant to be a homey dish to enjoy during the cold winter months. Stews, soups, and other braises are perfect for this time of year and perfume homes with their irresistible scents. Like many braises, this dish will take over three hours to prepare, so I suggest planning ahead, embracing the smells, and enjoy the lengthy process.

Braised Pork Jowl with Persimmon Gravy

Ingredients

2 Fuya persimmons

2 c White wine

1 pound Pork cheek

4 Garlic cloves

2 Red shallots

1 Stalk of celery

1 T sugar

Cooking Directions

Trim the fat off of 1/2 to 1 pound of pork cheek until the majority of its fat is removed, then salt.
Heat up an enamel coated dutch oven or another pan with plenty of high heat oil.
Brown all sides of the pork cheek and set aside discard leftover oil.
Add roughly 1 T of butter into the Dutch oven or whatever pan you are using and over medium heat brown shallots, celery, and garlic.
Once browned, deglaze with 2 c of dry white wine, scrape the residual fond.
Place the browned pork cheek back in with the wine mixture, and add two skinless Fuyu persimmons.
Cover Dutch oven with a tight-fitting lid and cook in a 250F oven for 3 hours, if you are not using a Dutch oven, transfer everything to a lidded oven safe pot or other braising cookware.
Once again remove the pork cheeks from the Dutch oven and set aside.
Transfer the braising liquid into a blender and blend until smooth, transfer back to the Dutch oven. Add 1 T of sugar and adjust seasonings if necessary, and reduce on the stove top over medium-high heat.
Once thickened to a gravy-like consistency remove from the heat.
Serve pork cheek with a side dish(es), and top with persimmon gravy.

Total Time: 3 Hours 30 min

Preserved Lemons

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 11 Jan 2016 23:46:00 +0000

Having a well-stocked pantry and fridge can make or break the home cooking experience. Staple condiments provide comfort, and may bring sweetness, saltiness, sourness, brightness, or spiciness to an otherwise bland meal. Today's recipe is a pantry staple all over the world, and for good reason. Preserved lemons are easy to make and stretch the beloved lemon throughout the months which they are out of season.

The origins of preserved lemons date back to at least Roman times, but likely much earlier (Soyer, 110). They can be found in cuisines in the geographic span of Morocco to India. (Sonneman, 34) I most commonly associate the pickled citrus with North African stews and Moroccan tagine. North African food is vibrant with bold spices and colors; that is why ingredients like preserved lemons should be in every self-respecting home cook's repertoire.

So today we start preserving lemons! The unique fragrance of preserved lemons will add a distinct brightness to home cooked North African, Middle Eastern, or South East Asian dishes. Besides lemons, another citrus may be used in this pickling method. Limes, Grapefruit, and even oranges can be salted, cured, and allowed to ferment in their juices to extend their lifespan. Just like other pickles, spices may be added to preserved citrus to alter the flavor.

Preserved Lemons

Ingredients

Your preference Lemons
Box Coarse Kosher salt
Your preference Mason Jars

Cooking Directions

Clean Mason jar(s), and allow to dry.
Pour roughly 1 T of salt, or enough to create a layer into the bottom of the dry jar(s).
Cut the tops off of all lemons, and quarter without cutting all the way through.
Add a large pinch of salt in the center of the cut lemon and rub.
Press down and allow some juice to come out. Give the jar a good shake and place in a dark area like a cupboard or drawer away from direct sunlight.
After three days, remove and with a wooden spoon or other long-handled tool press the lemons to release the rest of their juices. If the leftover juice does not fully submerge, the lemons add fresh lemon juice on top.
Place back in the same spot and allow the preserved lemons to ferment for one month.
The preserved lemon rind also known as peel will be good to use indefinitely. Refrigerate and enjoy as needed.

Total Time: 1 month+

Citations and Further Readings:

Sonneman, Toby. Lemon: A Global History. London: Reaktion Books Ltd, 2012. Print.
Soyer, Alexis. The pantropheon, or, History of food, and it's preparation: From the Earliest Ages of the World. Boston: Ticknor, Reed, and Fields, 1853. Print.

Beer Cheese Gnocchi Gratin

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 Jan 2016 05:16:00 +0000

Welcome back to Joy and Feast. As you may have noticed the website and format, have changed, and I believe it is even better! I am extremely excited to be back and working on new content which includes videos for each post. I wanted to kick off the first post of 2016 with a recipe influenced by a friend I met two years ago around this time.

My friend in Berlin let me stay at his apartment for about a week over new years in 2013-2014. He knew that because I was a cook, I would be able to prepare one of his favorite dishes, which happened to be anything cooked Au gratin. Au gratin is a French term which essentially refers to a browned crust left behind by a sharp cheese or bread crumbs. (cookthink.com) Most commonly an Au gratin dish refers to potatoes, pasta, or vegetables that are mixed in a bechamel sauce, topped with breadcrumbs, and then baked in the oven or placed under a broiler.

Gratin dishes might be more common than one would think. Many Americans love gratin dishes like macaroni and cheese, perhaps thanks to the common boxed versions with powdered cheese. Gratin can be much, much better than a blue box of mac n cheese, and this Beer and Cheese Gnocchi Gratin proves it. I would imagine that my friend in Berlin would approve.

Beer and Cheese Gnocchi Gratin

Ingredients

2 c Precooked gnocchi (or substitute fresh)
2 T Unsalted butter
2 T All-purpose flour
4 c Whole milk
1 c Amber Ale(or substitute a wheat ale)
2 c Shredded cheese(I used Cheddar and Swiss)
2 t Kosher salt
2 t Black pepper
2 t Nutmeg

Cooking Directions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil. Cook 2 c packaged gnocchi until they float to the surface of the boiling water, strain and set aside.
Melt 2 T of butter over medium heat, once melted slowly add 2 T of all-purpose flour while continuously whisking.
When the roux is a thick consistency add 4 c of Whole milk and continue to whisk.
Once the roux is incorporated into the milk, add 1 c of amber ale to sauce, whisk continuously.
Add 2 c of shredded cheese in several batches. Whisk the whole time until the sauce is smooth.
Add 2 t of Kosher salt, black pepper, and nutmeg to the beer and cheese bechamel sauce, when fully mixed take off of heat and reserve.
Heat up a skillet, take the reserved gnocchi and lightly saute in butter. Once browned add to an oven proof dish and combine with beer and cheese bechamel sauce.
Add freshly grated Parmesan cheese and bread crumbs over the top of your gnocchi and sauce mixture. Cook in the oven for roughly 30 minutes. To achieve a very brown crust, place the baking dish under the broiler for a few moments. Watch until you are satisfied with the color.

Total Time: 1 Hour

Citations and Further Readings:

"What is gratin?." Cookthink. N.p., n.d. <http://www.cookthink.com/reference/926/What_is_a_gratin >.

Fried Green Tomatoes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 26 Oct 2015 17:00:00 +0000

Winter is undeniably approaching. Southern Indiana has already seen one night in which temperatures dipped below 32F. The frost destroyed a large variety of plants including my precious tomato vines. Instead of dreading the inevitable barren season to come, I wanted to write an article about how we can still get great food in our post-frost world.

Throughout the United States, one of the most common garden plants grown for food is the tomato. Tomatoes sugar content, acidity, and size all depend on the breed and growing conditions of the plant. A grape tomato and beefsteak tomato have considerably different usages. Tomatoes do share a common development cycle. All varieties of tomatoes start off as immature, hard, tart green fruits and only after maturating, they change color and develop unique flavors.

However, if a tomato plant is unprotected in a below freezing environment, its vines will wilt and die. This seasonal event leaves many gardeners with a lot of unripened tomatoes. There are techniques to ripen green tomatoes such as; sun ripening, by storing green tomatoes on a window sill in direct sunlight, or ethylene ripening, this is done by storing green tomatoes in a closed bag with an ethylene producing fruit. However, green tomatoes have culinary validity in their own right!

Fried green tomatoes are a common usage of the unripened fruit. When cooked, they become tender yet remain flavorful. You may beer batter, tempura batter, use bread crumbs, crackers, or any other variation of breading or battering food that you prefer.

Many of us think of fried green tomatoes as a recipe developed in the Southern United States, and this is primarily due to the novel and film Fried Green Tomatoes which takes place in Alabama. Lisa Bramen from Smithsonian.com has found that fried green tomatoes started to appear in the United States in the North and Midwest, and were most likely the contribution of Jewish immigrants from the mid 19th to early 20th century. Regardless of who can claim ownership of fried green tomatoes, they only seem to be gaining in popularity. Fried green tomatoes are another instance of practicality becoming a valued American food tradition.

Fried Green Tomatoes

Ingredients

6 Large green tomatoes
1/4 c Buttermilk
2 Eggs, whisked
1 c All-purpose flour
2 c Panko bread crumbs
5 T Old Bay seasoning

Cooking Directions

Slice green tomatoes, about 1/4-1/2 inch thick.
In a bowl beat eggs and buttermilk together.
On a separate plate mix flour and Old Bay seasoning together.
On yet another plate spread Panko.
Take a slice of tomato and dredge in flour, then coat it in the egg mixture, and finally coat with Panko crumbs. Carefully set breaded tomato on a sheet pan lined with wax paper.
Repeat the process until all tomatoes are breaded, then stick in the freezer.
One hour to indefinite, remove the frozen tomato and prepare oil to fry. You want to make sure and use a high heat oil and get it near its smoking point. The frozen tomatoes will instantly drop the temperature of the oil, so this part is crucial.
Fry the tomatoes until golden brown and remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Make sure to absorb as much oil as possible and serve immediately to avoid soggy tomatoes.

Total Time: 2 Hours

Citations and Further Readings:

Braman, Lisa. "The Surprising Origins of Fried Green Tomatoes." Smithsonian. Smithsonian, 6 Aug. 2010. Web.

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noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 25 Oct 2015 21:00:00 +0000

When you find any Joy and Feast recipe delicious and interesting, please hit the Yum button in the top left corner of the page.

Cheddar and Herb Corn Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 12 Oct 2015 16:35:00 +0000

In the United States, there is a term to refer to something that is inherently a foundation in American culture. The phrase goes "____ is as American as apple pie". After a recent enlightening trip to a Native American history museum in Phoenix, Arizona I discovered there are things more American than apple pie, corn, for instance, has been an integral crop in culinary traditions throughout the Americas for millennia. I am going to start thinking of things which are distinctly American, "as American as corn bread."

Corn also known as maize has been one of the key crops throughout North and South American history. The Incas, Mayas, Aztecs, Pueblo builders and even the native tribes that had first contact with Europeans relied on corn as a staple food. (McGee 477) In addition to fresh corn, it was also ground down into corn meal and used as the basis for flatbreads, raised breads, and made into grits. Essentially the cultivation of corn and development of corn recipes is as quintessentially American as any other food source imaginable.

The cornbread in today's recipe is based on the Southern style cornbread, which is popular throughout the South Eastern United States. Southern Cornbread has roots in Native American, European, and African culinary traditions. Native Americans, settlers, and slaves all were known to cook corn cakes due to the low cost and ease of production. Early European settlers called cornbread "hoe cake" because they would dollop batter on the end of a hoe and leave it out in the sun to cook against the metal end of their hoe. (White)

I call this recipe a corn cake because of the moisture content of the finished product. The vegetable oil in this recipe keeps the cornbread soft and moist, more than other corn bread recipes. Cornbread is a hearty side dish which can easily feed a small group. It only takes about 30 minutes, and the aroma of anything freshly baked fills up a room and whets appetites.

Cheddar and Herb Corn Cake

Ingredients

1 & 3/4 c All-purpose flour, sifted.
1 c Cornmeal
1 c Previously cooked corn kernels
1/2 c Shredded cheddar cheese
2 t Baking Powder
1/4 t Baking soda
3/4 t Kosher salt
1 & 1/4 c Buttermilk
1/4 c Melted & cooled butter
1/4 c Vegetable oil
1 Large egg
Several sprigs of rosemary, thyme, and sage. Minced

Special Equipment: Cast iron skillet

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 375F, keep cast iron in the oven to heat up as well.
While preheating mix flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, salt, corn kernels, cheddar cheese, and herbs into one bowl.
In a separate bowl whisk your wet ingredients together, the buttermilk, liquefied butter, vegetable oil, and egg.
When the oven is preheated take out your cast iron and add a small amount of butter, enough to coat the entire pan. Be careful not to burn yourself.
Pour the liquid bowl into the dry bowl and mix with a wooden spoon until incorporated, do not overmix.
Pour the batter into the cast iron skillet and transfer back into the oven.
Let cook for 25 minutes, or until a toothpick can be inserted and removed from the center without removing any batter.
Let rest for one minute then flip and transfer to a wire rack to cool.
Serve as either wedges or squares with a dollop of butter.

Total Time: 35 min

Citations and Further Readings:

McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
White, Joyce. "Cornbread: The Evolution of a Recipe." A Taste of History. N.p., 2011. Web.

Fish Stock with Red Wine or Fumet de Poisson au Vin Rouge

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 21 Sep 2015 17:00:00 +0000

I rarely discuss a particular individual in the context of any particular Joy and Feast recipe. I am not opposed to it, in fact I believe that if one person has made a historical impact on cooking, they deserve discussion. Few individuals have made as large of an impact on haute cuisine (French high cuisine) as Auguste Escoffier. Escoffier was a master chef and a writer, having penned nine books including the venerated Le Guide Culinare and Ma Cuisine. Escoffier wrote about the practical and excessive elements of French haute cuisine, and many of his contributions are still implemented in kitchens across the world.

The English version of Le Guide Culinaire(1903) is called The Escoffier Cookbook: A Guide to the Fine Art of Cookery.(1907) This is a book which has remained relevant for over one hundred years. In this book, Escoffier states that stocks are the foundation of great cooking, not only do they impart flavor, umami, and richness into food but they are also a wonderful way to utilize both meat and vegetable scraps.

Fish stock with red wine is found in The Escoffier Cookbook, essentially the French culinary bible, but fish stock is also a basic element in many Eastern cuisines and those countries with abundant costal fisheries. There are many variants on fish stock, but they have one commonality. Fish stock should only cook for around 20 minutes and no longer than one hour, and always at below boiling temperatures, whereas other meat stocks cook for significantly longer and usually at a soft boil.

Harold McGee explains that like mammals and birds, fish also have connective tissue such as collagen, which when broken down in liquid become the essence of a stock. Because fish exist in lower temperature environments their bodies are effected by temperature differently than other animals used in stocks. Collagen in warm water fish like Tilapia break down at 77F, cold- water fish like cod break down at 50F and mollusks like squid and octopus are around 180F. (602-603) With this knowledge applied practically we know that not even a simmer is required for many fish stocks.

There is leeway when choosing what fish to use for a stock. I used a small whole Red Snapper for a few practical reasons. Red Snapper are pretty affordable, and when you buy a fish whole you can better gauge its freshness. The shimmer of the scales, and lack of fishy smell are telltale signs of a fresh fish. The largest benefit of buying a whole fish is that you are able to examine the eyes. As a fish decays the eyes become cloudy and sunken. A whole Snapper will leave you with two fillets for another usage and everything else except for the scales and gills can be used to make fumet.

Fumet

Ingredients

1 pound White fish bones, head, and tail. Snapper, trout, bass, ect...
1 White onion
1 Leek
1 Carrot, peeled
3 Garlic cloves
5-8 Peppercorns
2 Bay Leaves
1/4 c Red wine
1 sprig Parsley
1 sprig Thyme
Butter to cook

Cooking Directions

Rinse fish under water, gut, remove the gills, and remove scales. Rinse once again.
Fillet fish, reserve fillets for another use.
Heat up a 6 quart enamel coated dutch oven and add butter. (A small stock pot is also fine)
Brown onion, leek, carrot and garlic in butter.
Deglaze dutch oven with red wine. Scrape off all the brown leftovers in your pot.
Add peppercorns, bay leaf, parsley and thyme. Either use a sachet or directly add to the pot.
Fill the pot up with cold water.
Over medium heat bring pot to a simmer. Add all the leftover fish bones to the stock and let simmer for 20 minutes.
After 20 minutes has elapsed, strain and allow to come to room temperature, then you may store in the refrigerator for 3-5 days or in the freezer indefinitely.

Total Time: 35 min

Citations and Further Readings:

Escoffier, Auguste. The Escoffier cook book: a guide to the fine art of cookery. Clarkson Potter, 1941.
McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.

Gimbap with Various Fillings

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 07 Sep 2015 23:27:00 +0000

I love sushi. Most of my friends also love sushi, it is amazing that uncooked fish and vinegared rice have become such an important part of the modern culinary landscape of America. However, if you are like me, making quality sushi at home is a fairly unobtainable prospect, still I still want what I want. I am not a master sushi chef, nor do I have an expansive Japanese pantry or access to the highest quality fresh fish. That being said, not all is lost, Korea's gimbap also called kimbap is an evolution of maki sushi, and it is much friendlier to the home cook. In fact, I consider gimbap incredibly valuable as an option to break from the monotony of packed lunch sandwiches. Gimbap has its own practiced traditions and serving establishments, for all practical purposes you can fill gimbap with pretty much anything you have on hand.

Essentially, gimbap is a Korean cross between omaki(sushi rolls) and a sandwich. While maki is generally filled with raw fish and served with soy sauce, pickled ginger, and wasabi. Gimbap can be filled with either raw or cooked ingredients. Bulgogi and sauteed spinach gimbap, Why not? Hot dog and American cheese gimbap, probably shouldn't, but you could! The filling combinations are endless, just make sure to remove excess moisture so gimbap stay's dry. (Ha, 25)

If you apply a local and seasonal philosophy to what you stuff in your gimbap, you are most likely going to be successful. The rice in gimbap can either be seasoned or left plain, and if you choose the latter, the ingredients will really speak for themselves. If you want to create the classic gimbap, the standard dollar gimbap known as Wonjo Kimbap is filled with spam( Mary Eats).

*Today's post is a little different in that I provide the instructions on cooking and rolling the rice, yet I do not instruct on what filling you should use. You may follow my lead, but I suggest making your own gimbap creations with you have available.

Gimbap with Various Fillings

Ingredients

2 c Sushi (short grained) rice
2 & 1/4 c Water
Nori (dried seaweed)
Rice Seasoning
2 T Rice wine vinegar
1 t Mirin
3/4 t Sugar
1/2 t Kosher Salt

Additional Equipment:
Electric rice cooker
Bamboo rolling mat

Cooking Directions

Wash rice of any dust until water runs clear, then add to rice cooker.
Add 2 1/4 c water and cook in the rice cooker until finished.
Add rice wine vinegar, mirin, sugar, and salt. Fluff gently and let cool down until just warm.
On top of a bamboo rolling mat add nori, cooked rice, and then your fillings.
Roll, cut into segments (I do segments of 6), and store in a refrigerator until ready to use.
Remember to remove excess moisture so that the gimbap stays dry.

Fillings:

Total Time: 30 min
Citations and Further Readings:

Ha, Christine. Recipes From my Home Kitchen. N.p.: Rodale, 2013. 25. Print.
Kang, Grace. "How to Make Kimbap." Serious Eats. Serious Eats, 23 July 2009. Web.
"Kimbap Nara Menu." Mary Eats. N.p., 16 Nov. 2006. Web.

Faloodeh Cocktail

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 31 Aug 2015 17:00:00 +0000

Today's post will be short and sweet. I have been getting a lot of use out of my ice cream maker this summer, and the results have been great. Check out these Matcha Pecan and Chocolate Shiso ice creams for pictures and recipes. I wanted to demonstrate that there were even more fun uses for your home ice cream maker. Ice cream makers can be used to make slushies for the family, or adult frozen beverages.

Americans love frozen Margaritas and frozen Pina Coladas. These sugary slushie cocktails are served in Mexican restaurants, hotel pools, and really anywhere that depends on 'spring break' to fuel its economy. I actually do enjoy all of these things, but a giant fishbowl filled with an alcoholic slushie is too sugary for my personal taste. That is why I would suggest making a frozen Margarita, Pina Colada, or Faloodeh cocktail at home. Homemade beverages allow for monitoring the quality and quantity of sugar and alcohol consumed, your body will thank you the next morning.

For the unacquainted, Faloodeh is a Persian frozen dessert, flavored with rose water and mixed with rice vermicelli noodles. The combination sounds somewhat odd, but the texture is addictive and the frozen rose water is unbelievably refreshing. Faloodeh is considered by many to be one of several proto-iced dessert's which eventually led to the creation of ice cream and sorbets. Faloodeh has been documented as early as 400 B.C.E. (Iran Gazette).

*If you wish to make a non-alcoholic version, simply omit the alcohol and add cooked then cooled rice vermicelli noodles, or omit the noodles as well and enjoy as a rose water sorbet.

Faloodeh Cocktail

Ingredients

1 T Rose water
2 c Water
1/2 c Sugar
1/2 Lime, squeezed
1/2 Lemon, squeezed & zested
1/2 c Premium vodka

Cooking Directions

Create simple syrup by combining water and sugar, bring to a boil in a heavy bottomed pan until the sugar dissolves. (I made a 4:1 water to sugar ratio for health reasons, it is more than adequate, but feel free to adjust to 2:1 or 1:1)
Let thoroughly cool.
Combine the rose water, simple syrup, citrus juice, zest, and vodka into a bowl.
Mix in an ice cream maker until slushie consistency.
Additional tip: To keep the slushie consistency longer chill your serving glass in the freezer for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Total Time: 30 min

Citations and Further Readings:

Han, Emily. " Recipe: Faloodeh (Persian Rose Water Ice)." The Kitchn. N.p., 28 Aug. 2009. Web.
Nate, Barksdale. "Snow in Summer: A Global History of Frozen Treats." Hungry History. History, 20 June 2014. Web.
"Shiraz Shirazi Faloodeh." Iran Gazette. N.p., n.d. Web.

Potato and Carrot Latkes with Indian Spiced Apple Sauce

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 24 Aug 2015 21:44:00 +0000

The total freedom of experimentation while writing Joy and Feast articles is extremely gratifying. Sometimes my experiments come from what produce I can source fresh, other times I find inspiration from a myriad of books or articles that cross my table. Sometimes I am able to explore food which has a significant meaning to me. Latkes or potato pancakes are a food that I have been acquainted with my entire life, I have wanted to write an article about them since I began this blog.

Potato pancakes are consumed during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah, this is actually a fairly recent tradition. Jews, particularly in Western Europe have been consuming fried cheese pancakes for Hanukkah since the late middle ages. It was not until the mid-1800's when a series of crop failures in Ukraine and Poland forced farmers to plant potatoes, a nightshade crop from the new world. Perhaps this abundance of potatoes influenced the adoption of potatoes in place of cheese pancakes during this period. Potato latkes have remained prominent ever since. (Avey) Fried potato pancakes span well beyond Jewish culture, potato pancakes are regularly enjoyed throughout Central and Eastern Europe, as well as in the Middle East.

Often "traditions" or in this case traditional foods are confined to a dogmatic perception of culture, when in reality culture is fluid. Culture reacts to influences both internally and externally. Modernity has allowed cooks access to more information, ingredients, and communication than at any other point in human history. Lines have always been blurred, and we will continue down this path. Therefore, I believe that looking at one cultures "traditional food" through the lens of another culture can inspire some pretty creative and delicious meals.

The lens that I envisioned today's recipe through took influence from India's great culinary tradition. Firstly, it is worth noting that the nation of 1.2 billion people (World Bank) has different cultural and food traditions depending on region within the country. India has influenced and been influenced by far flung cultures and empires for millenniums. The silk road encouraged the trade of spices in which eastern and western cultures passed through India and left their mark. In addition, India contains tropical (wet and dry), sub-tropical, and mountain climates allowing for a diverse spectrum of agrarian potential.

What I love about Indian flavors is how the cuisine embraces pungency, spiciness, and boldness. A basic fresh apple puree, can become addictive with the right use of Indian spices. Garlic, ginger, and chili is a common trinity throughout tropical latitudes. Bold Indian flavors with Potato latkes make an unforgettable dish.

Potato and Carrot Latkes with Indian Spiced Apple Sauce

Potato and Carrot Latkes

Ingredients

6 Russet potatoes, peeled
2 Large carrots, peeled
1 White medium onion, diced
2 Large eggs
1 c All-purpose flour
to taste salt & pepper

Cooking Directions

Shred potatoes and carrots, I stored mine in acidulated water. That is water with about 1 t of lemon juice or vinegar. Omit this step if cooking latkes right away
If stored in water make sure to thoroughly dry, extra moisture is bad for latkes
Combine diced onion, shredded potatoes & carrots, eggs, and 1 c of flour into a mixing bowl. Season to taste.
Heat up a pan over medium high heat with enough oil to cover the bottom.
Patty out latkes and add them to pan once the oil sizzles when droplets of water touch, or over 350F. The thinner the latke, the easier it will be to cook through the center. Take care not to crowd the pan.
When the latke starts to brown around the side, flip and cook until browned on the other side.
When finished quickly pat dry with a paper towel to absorb excess oil, then place into a pan with a rack in a low temp oven while the rest of the batches of latkes finish.

Indian Spiced Apple Sauce

Ingredients

4 Medium sized sweet apples, peeled and cored
2 t Ginger, minced
1 t Garlic, minced
1-3 Chilies, sliced
1/2 Lemon, juiced & zested
1 Star anise
1 Green cardamom pod
5-8 Peppercorns
1/4 t Brown mustard seed
1/8 t Cumin seed
salt to taste

Cooking Directions

Start with 4 medium sized ripe and sweet apples. Peel, core, then puree and set aside.
Toast star anise, cardamom pod, peppercorns, brown mustard seed, and cumin in a dry skillet over medium high heat, constantly toss. Once the mustard seeds start to pop take off heat.
Make a sachet with the toasted spice mix.
Add vegetable or coconut oil to a pan and brown ginger and garlic for about a minute over medium high heat. Add the chilies and cook for another minute, constantly tossing or stirring.
Add the apple puree into the garlic, ginger, chili mixture, and add about 2 T of water. Reduce heat to medium low. Add satchet of spices and cook for roughly 15 minutes.
If to much water evaporates add more until a proper consistency and the spices meld with the sauce.
Zest lemon and squeeze juice directly into the mixture. Add salt to taste and let cool to room temperature. Toss sachet when finished.

Total Time: 1 hour

Citations and Further Readings:

Avey, Tori. "Discover the History of Latkes During Hanukkah." Food. PBS, 12 Dec. 2011. Web.
"The Commonly Used Indian Spices." eCurry. N.p., 24 Aug. 2008. Web. 24 Aug. 2015.
"Total Population (in number of people)." The World Bank. World Bank, n.d. Web.

Chocolate Shiso Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 17 Aug 2015 18:00:00 +0000

I have been interested in Japanese cuisine for a very long time. I find the exotic ingredients and techniques fascinating. I try to incorporate Japanese ingredients into my cooking at every opportunity. This eagerness to experiment with Japanese ingredients led me to discover how chocolate and shiso pair as a brilliant flavor combination.

Shiso also known as red perilla is actually a herb native to China. This member of the mint family was brought over to Japan around 700 or 800 AD, where it then acquired its Japanese name "shiso". (McGee 404-405) Shiso is used with sushi, sashimi, grilled meats and fish, and as garnish in Japan. In Korean cuisine green perilla is often used as a lettuce wrap. In China shiso is used as a medicinal ingredient to cure a slew of health issues. So perilla is popular in Asia, but why is it so common in North America?

Despite shiso being more prevalent in Asian cuisine, shiso can be found all over the United States. In fact earlier this year I spotted shiso growing in a public park in Louisville, Kentucky among other local plants and weeds. If you are having trouble finding shiso, check out your local Asian market, they are usually sold in the fresh produce section.

Chocolate Shiso Ice Cream

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 c Whole milk

1 & 1/2 c Heavy cream

6 Large egg yolks

1/3 c Unsweetened cocoa powder

1 c Sugar

1/4 c Corn syrup

2 c Shiso, packed and processed

Cooking Directions

Combine milk, cream, 3/4 c sugar, chopped shiso, and cocoa powder in a heavy bottom sauce pan.

Bring to a simmer and let the sugar dissolve then turn off the heat.

Let rest for 30 minutes.

Combine 1/4 c sugar, corn syrup, and egg yolks in a bowl and mix thoroughly.

Temper the eggs with milk mixture.

Transfer the eggs back into the pan and heat up until an instant read themometer reads 180F. Turn off the heat immediately, pour through a fine strain into a new metal container and transfer to an ice bath.

Let the ice cream base sit in the refrigerator over night.

Follow your ice cream maker's directions and spin the base until thick. Freeze and then serve as desired.

Total Time: 1 hour + Rest Overnight

Citations and Further Readings:

Behr, Edward. " Labiatae: Herbs of the Mint Family." The Art of Eating. The Art of Eating, 12 May 2015. Web.

Kawasaki, MIki. "Do You Know Your Tsukemono? A Guide to Japanese Pickles." Serious Eats. Serious Eats, 6 June 2014. Web.

McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.

Mouritsen, Ole G. "Preparation of Sushi." SUSHI Food for the eye, the body & the soul. Springer US, 2009. 152-189.

Pancake and Blackberry Bread Pudding

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 10 Aug 2015 21:24:00 +0000

Unsustainable practices found in large scale food production, distribution, and commercialization are not primarily focused on nutrition, profit margins dictate our large scale food production and agriculture practices. There are many issues that I hope to address in future posts, but today I wanted to focus on food waste. Food waste is both a humanitarian and ecological issue, which neither mainstream journalism or politics has adequately addressed, yet almost every one of us is guilty of wasting food to varying scales. In fact, the USDA states that in 2010, 30-40% of the US food supply (about 133 billion pounds of food) were thrown out and never consumed. These numbers included retail food suppliers, restaurants, and home kitchens.

133 billion pounds of food per year is an incredible amount of food to sit in a landfill for the rest of eternity, considering that a large portion of it could go to feeding hungry people or be used in agriculture to feed animals or compost. I do not have a cure-all solution for our food waste problem, but I do think that through better management, storage methods, and creativity our nation can reduce food waste especially in the home sector. That is why I want you to take a moment and think about what food you have thrown out in the past week. What steps could you have taken to preserve and utilize that food?

This recipe came about after a Sunday pancake breakfast where I was faced with a wasteful dilemma of my own. There were plenty of leftover pancakes and despite a desire to trash the leftovers and be done with it, I started to brainstorm ways to re-purpose, and the result was a winning dessert. Bread pudding is a perfect way to save and re-purpose bread, or other dough/batter products, and it generally only requires staple pantry and refrigerator items.

Pancake and Blackberry Bread Pudding

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 c Whole milk
3 c Pancake scraps, torn
2 Large eggs
1 c Sugar
1 T Vanilla extract
2 Blackberries per pudding
1/2 t Cinnamon
1/4 t Ground sage
Butter to coat tin

Cooking Directions

Coat cupcake tin with butter and preheat oven to 350 .
Add milk and pancake scraps into a bowl and combine with hands.
Mix eggs, sugar, vanilla extract, and spices in a separate bowl.
Combine both bowl's contents and mix.
Pour batter into cupcake tin.
Stick 2 blackberries in each cupcake.
Bake for 40 minutes or until set.
Let sit for 10 minutes then remove and transfer to a wire rack.

Total Time: 1 hour

Citations and Further Readings:

"USDA and EPA Launch U.S. Food Waste Challenge Calls on both Public Sector and Private Industry to reduce food waste." www.USDA.gov. USDA, 4 June 2013. Web.

Sweet Potato Bun

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 17:00:00 +0000

I lead a pretty hectic life. Work takes up a considerable amount of time, so much time that I often can not schedule in special projects like smoking a brisket or pork shoulder, which happens to be an all-day affair. Luckily, a month ago I had the day off and somehow managed to divert all extraneous responsibilities so that I could give my pork shoulder the love it needed. If I commit to a whole day of fire, smoke, and meat then why would I settle for anything less than a great sandwich bun? A pulled pork sandwich does not need to be complicated, great meat, great sauce, and a great bun, enough said.

But what actually makes a great bun recipe? First, it is important to understand what a bun is. Buns, like all bread are actually a solidified foam. The active yeast in these potato buns feed on sugar, and as a byproduct create alcohol and carbon dioxide. The carbon dioxide gas expands in the gluten networks of the sweet potato bun which raises the dough. This gives a distinctly light and fluffy texture. When the bread reaches an internal temperature of 140 F the starch from the flour, and in this case the additional sweet potato puree, begins to gelatinize(Gisslen) creating an even chewier soft bun than usual. After the gelatinzation process, the foam will remain stable until consumption or disposal(Fresh bread spoils at a much faster rate than commercial breads full of preservatives).

Potato buns are not an uncommon baked good, they are actually found in various cuisines throughout the world. Some potato breads are denser and pancake-esque like the Potato Farls from Ireland(Dimbleby). The American version is fluffy and chewy, which makes a desirable white bread. I was texturally interested in the American version of potato bread, but I thought it would be fun to experiment to try and coax out a subtle sweet potato flavor.

Chemically there are some variances between potatoes and sweet potatoes. Potatoes contain more potassium which makes yeast rise faster (Gordon) but sweet potatoes contain more sugar, which yeast consume as food. I did not find the chemical differences between the two tubers substantial. The result of this recipes was a successful potato bun, which was perfect for my smoked pork sandwich. I would also suggest trying these buns with either burgers or a marinated and grilled Portobello mushroom sandwich.

Sweet Potato Bun

Ingredients

3 c All-purpose flour
1/3 c Sweet potato puree
1 t Kosher salt
2 t Yeast
1 c Water, lukewarm
2 t Caraway seed

Cooking Directions

Set a pot of water to boil on high, afterwards peel sweet potato.
Measure out 1 cup of lukewarm water and add the yeast. This process is called blooming.
Cube and add to pot of water once boiling, cook until mash-able.
Puree sweet potato.
Add bloomed yeast water, 1/3 cup sweet potato puree, 3 cups of AP flour, sugar, caraway seed, and salt to a stand mixer or alternatively a stainless steel bowl and mix by hand.
Once thoroughly integrated cover with a damp cloth or plastic and let proof for 1 hour.
Separate into 6 individual buns and let proof for an additional 30 minutes.
Add oil on top or an egg wash with a sprinkle of caraway seeds to top.
Cook for roughly 20 minutes or until done at 350F

Total Time: 2 hours

Citations and Further Readings:

Dimbleby, Henery. " The easy way to make potato farls ." The Guardian. The Guardian, 14 Mar. 2014. Web.
Gisslen, Wayne. Professional baking. John Wiley & Sons, 2012.
Gordon, Megan. "Four Reasons Why Potato Buns Rule." The Kitchn. N.p., 19 July 2012. Web

Early Summer Cocktail

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 25 Jun 2015 02:30:00 +0000

In the midwest, sometimes winter feels endless. The long spans of subzero temperatures and endless grey skies are depressing enough to make the idea of picking a fresh tomato or a spicy chili out of the front yard far from reality. Despite any temporary doubts, summer always manages to come and renew my faith as well as offer a bounty of delicious and fresh ingredients to not only cook with, but also drink.

While I would never consider myself a learned mixologist, I do know that the base of a great cocktail is great ingredients, and by utilizing the summer's ripest fruits, the results tend to border on magical. It just so happened that I had gallons upon gallons of beautiful strawberries in my garden at the time of photographing this recipe, so that is what I built the rest of beverage around.

I would suggest growing or foraging for berries, rather than relying on supermarkets. Berry seasons are generally fairly short and only span several weeks at a time throughout the summer, depending on when you are harvesting fresh berry options may include strawberries, mulberries, blueberries, blackberries, raspberries, gooseberries, grapes, huckleberry, currants, and service berries just to list some of the more popular wild and cultivated berries. If you plan on utilizing a berry other than strawberry for this recipe I would suggest fresh raspberries, mulberries, blackberries, or serviceberries, make sure to puree and then pass through a mesh strainer or cheesecloth to catch seeds and berry skins.

In a cocktail meant to embody summer a diverse spirit is required in order to pair with the fresh berry puree and the intensity of the mint oil. I believe that whether spring, summer, autumn, or winter, Bourbon is always an appropriate choice. I've developed a healthy appreciation for Bourbon, both as an ingredient in recipes and poured directly into a shot glass. Bourbon must be aged in charred oak barrels, and this process actually enhances the oaks natural chemical compound vanillin, the same distinct compound found in vanilla beans. (320, Guymon & Crowell). Bourbon is not a direct substitution for vanilla bean or vanilla extract, however for this purpose it works beautifully.

The star of this cocktail and what I would consider the most unique ingredient is the dandelion wine. Dandelion wine is made from the fermented pedals of the common dandelion. I could not think of a better way to utilize the aggressive weed than turning it into a a delicious wine which wine master Jack Keller describes as "light and invigorating". Dandelion wine is sweet with a honey-like flavor, I often serve homemade dandelion wine as a dessert wine, and guests often ask for a second glass.

The primary issue with dandelion wine is that the window in which to actually pick the dandelion pedals is fairly small, in addition the physical collection of dandelion pedals is labor intensive and time consuming. Although, this could be a fun family activity, but for those without the patience or time I have provided links to two commercial dandelion wines. You might want to check out Breitenbach Winery's Dandy Wine or Maple River Winery's Dandy Wine.

Let me know if you have any favorite summer cocktails through e-mail or the comment section below.

Early Summer Cocktail

Ingredients

1 & 1/2 oz Bourbon
1 & 1/2 oz Dandelion wine
1 & 1/2 oz Strawberry Puree
6 Mint leaves, muddled
(Optional) Club soda

Cooking Directions

Puree a small portion of strawberries, either freshly picked or store bought.
Add mint into a small glass, and muddle with the end of a wooden spoon.
Pour one shot of good quality Bourbon, dandelion wine, and strawberry puree over the muddled mint.
Add 2-3 ounces of club soda and stir. Finish with several ice cubes.

Total Time: 5 min

Citations and Further Readings:

Brown, Jared. "The surprising history of the cocktail." The Telegraph. The Telegraph, 13 Dec. 2012. Web.
Guymon, James F., and Edward A. Crowell. "Separation of vanillin, syringal—Dehyde, and other aromatic compounds in the extracts of French and American oak woods by brandy and aqueous alcohol solutions." Qualitas Plantarum et Materiae Vegetabiles 16.1-4 (1968): 320-333.
Keller, Jack. "Dandelions." Winemaking. N.p., 2 Nov. 2000. Web.

Ramp and Miso Sausage

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 26 May 2015 00:57:00 +0000

*Served in a fresh shrimp and scallion pancake with pickled daikon/carrot, Hoisin sauce.

After some time of tinkering around with fresh sausages I finally came up with a recipe that I believe is both unique and delicious enough to warrant a Joy and Feast post. I have become extremely interested in the sausage making process and I wanted to show that it's fairly simple to make out of this world sausages on your own, which are designed suite your own tastes or dietary needs.

I might be an overly enthusiastic advocate of the sausage making process, but the moment you are able to serve your own sausages to friends and family is an incredibly gratifying experience. In addition, after reading the listed ingredients on the back of most inexpensive sausages should turn anyone away from accepting anything but the best quality sausages. Mass produced commercial sausages are filled with preservatives and additives which I believe no one needs in their diet.

What defines a sausage? Sausages have been an important aspect in the human diet for a very long time. Sausage Obsession cited the earliest sausage usage can be traced back to 50,000 B.C.E. Traditionally sausages were scraps of meat or other ingredients stuffed into the offal, generally the intestine or stomach of a recent kill in order to preserve and use as much of the animal as possible. Practicing sausage making allows modern women and men to have the opportunity to practice a tradition that dates back tens of thousands of years.

The concept of the sausage has spread all across the world in which a huge variety of traditions and practices have arisen. Some of the regional variations have very interesting ingredients and processing techniques to transform the sausage into an edible treat. By this I mean that sausages can be raw and stuffed into a casing then cooked, pressed into patties and cooked, fermented, smoked, and even air-dried(McGee 170) until enough moisture leaves the sausage that it becomes a hardened and edible. Sausage can be the fillings of potstickers and raviolis, crumbled onto pizza, and even a delicate emulsified mixture of meat, egg, and cream. The bottom line is sausage making is important, so why not make fresh stuffed sausages at home?

As varied as the techniques and ingredients are in the realm of sausage making, one of the sage pieces of advice Michael Ruhlman offers is keep a 3 to 1 ratio of meat to fat. or keep a sausage at least 25% fat by weight(p 130), ignore this advice, and the result is a dry sausage, and there is no point in investing several hours on homemade sausages if the result is destined to be inadequate. The addition of liquid's and fruits or vegetables with a high moisture content may add to the succulence of the final product.

The ingredients which sets this particular sausage apart are the miso and ramp. Miso is a fermented soybean paste exalted in Japanese cooking, miso is considered one of Japan's most important staples (Tsuji, 76). There are several varieties of miso, but for the this sausage we need to use a stronger and saltier variety like most red misos. The other unique ingredient in this sausage is the ramp. Ramp's are wild onions which grow throughout the Appalachian chain in the early spring, The greens and stems both have wonderful and separate uses. However, for practicalities sake feel free to substitute fresh ramps with scallions if you are making this in any other season. For another Joy and Feast recipe using ramps check out one my earliest recipes for Pickled Ramps.

If you have any unique sausage recipes or enlighten sausage techniques of your own, please let me hear back!

Ramp and Miso Sausage

Ingredients

4 pounds Boneless pork shoulder
1 pound Boneless & skinless chicken breast
8 Ramps, minced, substitute scallions if ramps are out of season
2 Large eggs
3 T Red miso
3 T Ginger, minced
2 T Garlic, minced
2 T Dried chili flakes
2 T Kosher salt
6 T Soy sauce
2 t Sugar (preferably Dextrose)
1 & 1/2 t Sesame seeds
10 feet Hog casings(can substitute lamb casings, or use as dumpling filling).

Cooking Directions

Make sure all equipment is sterilized and chilled before starting the sausage making process.
Trim any sinew, tough cartilage, skin, or bones, and then dice meat into medium chunks.
Feed all of the meat into your stand mixer with the meat grinder attachment.
Feed directly into stand mixer's mixing bowl. Add all ingredients and quickly mix thoroughly with stand mixer's paddle attachment.
Heat up a portion of the meat mixture in a skillet and ensure that the seasoning is correct, if not adjust at this point until satisfied.
Attach sausage stuffer onto the stand mixer. Feed the whole casing onto the sausage stuffer and tie the end.
Feed mixture through the stand mixer until sausage is stuffed.
Make individual links by twisting the sausages towards oneself, then away in an alternating pattern.
Let the sausages sit in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
Fire up your grill or skillet and cook through to an internal temperature of 165F. I also vacuum seal and freeze unused sausages, they last for months and maintain their quality.

Total Time: 4 hours

Further Readings and Citations:

McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
Ruhlman, Michael. Ratio: The Simple Codes Behind the Craft of Everyday Cooking. Simon and Schuster, 2009.
"The History of Sausage." Sausageobsession.com
Tsuji, Shizuo. Japanese cooking: a simple art. Kodansha International, 2006.

Honey Duck Liver Pate

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 12 May 2015 21:33:00 +0000

Don't fear it! Liver and other undesired parts of meat animals can be tasty, nutritious, and affordable. I consider one of the largest shames of the the modern food industry is the total disconnect consumers have with their meat. Why is a breast an acceptable muscle to eat with no regard, and a heart is repulsive? If you have an answer to this let me know, because I do not.

Modern-day conveniences of giant grocers provide meat which comes cleaned and packaged to such a degree one might forget that the meat once belonged to living and breathing animals. So in respect to food sources I urge you to look into the 'other meat' known as offal. Kidney's, heart, neck, and of course liver may have a bad reputation in the United States, but these are important culinary elements in other areas of the world, and in respect to using whole animals provide their own set of challenges and delights.

One of the easiest ways I can think of to transform offal is by making a pate. Pate literally translates to paste in French, and this paste-like texture is really the only thing pate's across the world have in common. It's true, despite the misconception that the French foie gras pate is the epitome of gourmet snacks, pate exists in many different forms across the world. In Charcuterie Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn describe pates generally as an emulsion of meat(not always though) and fat, however a pate does not technically need to be an emulsion. (202) There is no steadfast rule to pates, and in my opinion this freedom to explore is incredibly exciting.

Liver is actually a heavily nutritious organ. Duck liver alone is high in the minerals iron, copper, and selenium as well proteins and beneficial vitamins. This is due to the liver's function in the body, livers help with digestion, metabolism, detoxification, and stores many of the bodies reserve of minerals(Taylor). The reserves of minerals in the liver makes it a nutrition powerhouse for humans, however if cooked incorrectly it may contain an unpleasant metallic taste.

There are several ways to reduce the metallic taste liver may have, but the easiest for this pate's purpose is to not overcook the liver. Don't be scared by a little pink in your meat or offal! The honey, white wine, and thyme are subtle but bring the paste to life. Please share other food recipes for liver with me via my e-mail or in the comments below.

Honey Duck Liver Pate

Ingredients

1/2 pound Duck livers
2 T Dry white wine
2 T Duck fat, and extra to cook livers with
1 T High quality honey
1 Shallot
1 T Whole milk
1/4 t Thyme, minced
1/4 t Orange zest
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

Remove the sinew from all livers.
Dry liver with a paper towel, while drying heat a pan with duck fat over medium high heat.
Once hot, add the livers and brown on both sides, cook the livers to medium doneness.
Remove the livers from the pan and let rest, add minced shallot and let them brown in the same pan which cooked the liver.
Once browned, deglaze the pan with white wine and quickly scrape any residual fond.
Combine livers and the shallot wine mixture to a food processor, add 2 T of duck fat, 1 T of milk and 1 T of honey and combine.
place the mixture in a strainer and press on the back with a ladle or serving spoon.
Add the thyme and zest and seasonings and spoon into ramekin's, once at room temperature transfer to a refrigerator and enjoy cool with bread. Consume within 7 days.

Total Time: 15 minutes

Citations and Further Readings:

Ruhlman, Michael, and Brian Polcyn. Charcuterie: The craft of salting, smoking, and curing. WW Norton & Company, 2005.
Taylor, Tim. "Liver." Inner Body. N.p., n.d. Web.

Baked Asparagus and Avocado Mousse Stuffed Morels

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 05 May 2015 14:43:00 +0000

Spring can be a very profitable time for the professional forager. Seasonal favorites like morel mushrooms fetch a high price, these professionals are lining their pockets with money and stomachs with the coveted mushrooms. But what about the rest of us? Sometimes amateurs such as myself only manage to get a handful of morels, why not turn the morels into single yet delicious bites like an amuse bouche and get more distance out of a limited amount of an ingredient? Taking inspiration from the asparagus shooting out of my garden bed, I wanted to create a bite size representation of the Spring, which I generally associate with savory, grassy, citrusy, and sweet flavors and luckily morels make interesting and delicious vehicle for the mousse.

Granted amuse-bouche, which is simply a single bite hors d'oeuvre, is significantly more common in fine dining restaurants than the average home party, these stuffed mushrooms also work well as an appetizer if that is more stylistically appealing.

The filling in this dish is a mousse, which is most commonly associated as a cold dessert, but can be either sweet or savory, cold or warm. The defining feature of a mousse is that it is a foam, which means by mechanical, chemical, or biological means gas is incorporated into the food, which ends up giving it a lighter texture. Yeast bread, whipped cream, or meringues are all foams.

Today's article is formatted slightly differently than usual, the reason for this is that acquiring the morels is by far the most difficult part of this recipe, you might be able to buy morels at your farmers market or a whole food grocery store, but I wanted to provide a few resources to encourage getting out into the woods and looking yourself. The techniques involved in mushroom huntings cannot be given justice by a paragraph summary.

Morel Hunting Information
A Morel Sighting Map

Mother Earth New's Morel Hunting Guide

MO Department of Conservation False Morels

Baked Asparagus and Avocado Mousse Stuffed Morels

Ingredients

1/4 pound Asparagus
1/2 Avocado
10 Morels
3/4 c Heavy cream
1 Large egg
1 Egg yolk
1/2 Shallot
pinch of salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

In a pan with butter saute asparagus and shallot over medium heat.
Add pan contents to a food processor and puree with avocado and cream.
Add egg, egg yolk, and seasoning to the food processor,
Cut morels in half and fill with mousse.
Bake for 15 minutes at 375 F.

Total Time: 30 min

Gulf Gumbo

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 27 Apr 2015 17:39:00 +0000

The Gulf of Mexico is a beautiful and delicate region of the new world that shares its waters with a large variety of cultures, flora, and fauna. The Gulf has been giving its bounty to humans long before European explores colonized North America. However, as of recent, man has drastically abused the Gulf. Oil pluming from the Gulf's depths, large trawling nets that destroy the ocean floor and trap rare and endangered species of sea turtles and fish, and pollution runoff from the Mississippi river and other tributaries causing significant algae blooms have greatly damaged this region within the past 50 years. The ecological injustices of modern man was the source of inspiration for today's post by raising awareness about some of the environmental issues of the Gulf
while honoring its unique cultures.

I wanted to pick and choose elements from different unique cultures in the region and combine them into one dish. I felt that the perfect dish to meld cultures was a stew, gumbo from Louisiana is a melting pot stew of various traditions and food sources, with no fast and steady rules. Furthermore I want encourage readers to continue researching the ecological issues surrounding Gulf today by looking into the challenges that each of these cultures face.

The oxtail in this dish, which has been an ingredient used by the lower class all over the world, is a prized food source in much of the Caribbean. Oxtail is a tough, flavorful, collagen-packed cut of beef tail, which after patient cooking the collagen becomes a rich gelatin. This gelatin renders the flavorful meat tender, and surrounding broth or braising liquid luscious.

Okra, which is a native plant from Africa, and in the Hibiscus family(Kochhar), became an important food crop in the Southern United States. Okra is fast growing and fast producing in subtropic climates, and this plant pod found its way into the famous gumbos of Louisiana. Okra contains a slimy mucilage substance which also helps contribute to thickening the gumbo.

This gumbo substitutes the traditional Andoullie sausage, with Mexican Chorizo. Both sausages serve a similar function, yet the Chorizo adds a little more heat to the dish. For the most part Mexican Chorizo is sold in ground form, but you can also find Chorizo in a casing or making your own like I did.

If a recipe could tell a story this story would be about the diversity of cultures which owe some aspect of its being to the Gulf. If you have ever questioned your role within an unbalanced ecosystem please take the time to do a little further research. The Gulf of Mexico Alliance is an organization currently dedicated to the preservation of a sustainable Gulf and is a great source of information.

Gulf Gumbo

Ingredients

2 pounds Oxtail
1 pound High quality Mexican chorizo in a casing
1 pound 16-20 count shrimp (look for Oregon or British Columbia for best sustainable choices)
1 quart Chicken stock (homemade preferred)
6 ribs Celery, large dice
1 Red bell pepper, large dice
1 Red onion, diced
6 Cloves of garlic, medium dice
4 scallions
2 c Okra, chopped
2 T Tomato paste
3 Bird's eye chilies (or jalapeno for a mild spice level)
1/2 c Red wine
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T Ancho powder(dried poblano pepper)
2 t Smoked paprika
1 t Garlic powder
1 t Dried thyme
1/2 t Dried basil
1/2 t Dried Oregano
1 bunch Flat leaf parsley, minced
2-3 T Peanut oil for browning
salt and pepper to taste

Dark Roux

1/2 c Butter
1/2 c All-purpose flour + 1 T extra to compensate for leftover peanut oil

Special Equipment:

6-8 quart dutch oven

Cooking Directions

Add peanut oil to dutch oven and increase to medium heat. Remove any excess moisture from the oxtail with a dry paper towel and salt all sides of the meat, once the oil is hot enough brown all sides of the oxtail, roughly 15 minutes.
Remove oxtail and transfer to another plate, add the chorizo and brown on all sides, roughly 10 minutes
Transfer chorizo to the resting plate and reduce the heat of the dutch oven to medium low. Add 1/2 cup butter and allow to melt. Once melted add 1/2 cup all purpose flour + another tablespoon or two to compensate for the leftover peanut oil and rendered fat from the chorizo and oxtail. Cook for about 10 minutes to create a dark roux.
When roux darkens add ancho, smoked paprika, garlic powder, thyme, basil, and oregano to the dutch oven. Stir in with the roux
Add chopped celery, bell pepper, red onion, scallion, garlic, tomato paste, and bird's eye chilies to the dutch oven, cook on medium low for roughly 5-10 minutes.
Pour 1 quart of chicken stock, 1/2 cup of wine and 3 T of Worcestershire sauce and stir.
Add Oxtail, sliced chorizo, and chopped okra back to the dutch oven.
Cover dutch oven with a tight fitting lid and put in the oven at 225F for 5 hours.
After 5 hours the oxtail will be fall apart tender, transfer back to stove top on medium low, add shrimp and cook until they turn pink. 2-5 minutes
Add fresh parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

Total Time: 7 Hours

Citations and Further Readings:

Dry, Stanley. "A Short History of Gumbo." Southern Foodway Alliance. N.p., n.d. Web. <https://www.southernfoodways.org/interview/a-short-history-of-gumbo/>.
Kochhar, Ravi. "All About Okra." neurophys. wisc.edu, n.d. Web. <http://www.neurophys.wisc.edu/ravi/okra/>.

Matcha Green Tea Pecan Ice Cream

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 20 Apr 2015 16:24:00 +0000

Whether spring, summer, or early autumn, the warmer seasons would not be as memorable if they did not include the occasional ice cream cone or sundae. While my lactose intolerant friends might strongly disagree, I believe that ice cream is a fundamental bonding tradition. By the way lactose intolerance does not exclude anyone from warm weather bonding over frozen treats, there is a world of beautiful dairy-free sorbets and other frozen treats such as My Award Winning Roasted Garlic Sorbet or a Faloodeh Cocktail.

Our story today begins with me acquiring a used ice cream maker off of the local classifieds for a ridiculously good price. Sorbet, gelato, ice cream, and frozen yogurt all require an ice cream maker for a proper texture, so getting your hands on one is the first step to unlocking personal frozen dessert freedom. Investing in an ice cream maker may seem like a large obstacle at first, but once you start making ice cream at home, the quality of ice cream made surpasses almost anything you can buy in the supermarket and even most ice cream stands.

While homemade ice cream may be a new concept, Ice cream and sorbets are hardly a new innovation. In the 13th century Arabs discovered that by adding salt to flavored waters and sugared creams and then freezing, slushes would be created instead of becoming frozen blocks of ice or cream. (McGee, 39). Even before the modern origins of ice cream, frozen desserts such as Faloodeh, iced vermicelli noodles flavored with rose water, honey, saffron, ect existed in the Persian empire dating back some 2,500 years(Marks).

The ice cream in today's recipe is based on a custard due to the percentage of egg yolk and the fat content of the cream. Ice cream can be made with less egg yolk, or even by omitting the yolks all together, however I would not recommend omitting the yolks. The egg yolks provide stability, a longer shelf-life, smoother texture(Falkowitz), and a richer mouth feel, which are all qualities that I believe make a great ice cream.

In addition to the egg yolks in this recipe the addition of honey serves a very interesting function. Honey is known as an invert sugar, this is a sugar composed of fructose and glucose with a viscous texture. Such invert sugars include honey, maple syrup, and corn syrup to name a few. Invert sugars have a lower freezing point and help with reducing ice crystals that may otherwise form in homemade ice cream. The result is a creamy smooth texture with a hint of honey, which of course is wonderful with green tea.

The green tea used in this ice cream recipe is a very special powdered green tea known as matcha. Matcha is a pulverized green tea from Japan, highly regarded for its use in the Japanese tea ceremonies. (Tsuji, 334) Matcha's intense flavor and powdered texture also makes it ideal for cooking applications including ice cream bases. Matcha may be somewhat difficult to find at the average super market, but Japanese supermarkets, specialty tea stores, and of course the internet should provide reasonable options.

Matcha Green Tea Pecan Ice Cream

Ingredients

2 c Heavy cream
1 c Whole milk
1/2 c Cultured buttermilk
8 Egg yolks
3/4 c Sugar
1/4 c Honey
2 T Matcha (powdered green tea, no substitutes will work)
1/8 t Kosher salt
1/2 c Crushed pecans
1 Vanilla bean, scraped

Cooking Directions

Separate 8 egg yolks from egg whites. Reserve the egg whites for another use.
Scrape all the innards of the vanilla bean and set aside.
Add about 1/4 c of sugar to the egg yolks and whisk until combined.
Combine cream, whole milk, buttermilk, the remaining 1/2 c of sugar, honey, matcha, vanilla bean scrapings, and salt into a sauce pan.
Bring the liquid mixture up to a simmer and shut off the heat. Whisk thoroughly with a clean whisk while the liquid is heating up.
Temper the egg yolks with the warm liquid. This technique is done by slowly introducing hot liquid to egg yolks and quickly whisking. If the egg yolk is introduced too quickly the egg yolks will solidify and not incorporate. For more information Watch this Tempering Video.
Once tempered, add the egg mixture back to the remaining liquid and turn the heat on medium high. The goal is to thicken up the mixture so that it coats the back of a spoon, cook it to far and it will curdle.
Quickly transfer to the ice bath you previously set up, stir to cool down if necessary.
Once completely cool add to your ice cream maker, follow the ice cream machines instructions.
After pouring the liquid mixture add the pecans and let the ice cream maker work it's magic.
Once solidified transfer to a container and store in the freezer over night, the next day this beautiful ice cream will be set and ready to enjoy.

Total Time: 1 Hour + Rest overnight

Citations and Further Readings:

Falkowitz, Max. "Do I Need to Use Eggs in Ice Cream (and How Many?)." Serious Eats. N.p., 2 Aug. 2013. Web. Path: http://sweets.seriouseats.com/2013/08/how-many-eggs-should-i-use-to-make-ice-cream.html.
Marks, Gil. Encyclopedia of Jewish food. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2010.
McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
Tsuji, Shizuo. Japanese cooking: a simple art. Kodansha International, 2006.

Stuffed Peppers with Baked Goose Egg, Spanish Chorizo, and Chilies

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 13 Apr 2015 17:00:00 +0000

This week's recipe was such a blast to develop and photograph. I was gifted three beautiful geese eggs from my friend. As a proponent of actual free range chicken eggs, these three geese eggs made the quality control cut. These geese have lived a happy life feeding on what nature provides, as well as produce scraps, a healthy diet generates richer and uniquely satisfying eggs. Eggs are marvels of nature, they are essentially maternal gifts of protection and nutrition to their offspring. Eggs provide birds, reptiles, amphibians, and fish with fats and proteins as well as other nutrients in order to develop into larger animals. With such a huge variety of eggs to take advantage of why do American's primarily only invest in chicken eggs, when there are delicious alternatives like geese eggs available? I believe that is a complex question with a variety of economic, agricultural, cultural, and environmental factors. However, if more Americans opened their minds to geese eggs as a food source, they would be in for a treat.

Geese, like chickens chickens will lay eggs regardless of fertilization. This means by not eating unfertilized geese eggs we are doing a disservice to ourselves, unfertilized geese eggs will eventually rot and completely go to waste if unused. Geese eggs are primarily considered a spring delicacy, there is only a fairly short window to enjoy the large eggs. In North America, geese primarily lay eggs from as early as mid-February to late May.(USDA, 1) In addition to the limited window for egg production, mother geese are notoriously aggressive for protecting their eggs, both fertilized and unfertilized. (Shoot) This is another big turnoff to potential egg producers, also known as farmers.

There are many wonderful applications for geese eggs including baking, poaching, cooking in a precise water bath, frying, pretty much any way you would use a chicken egg. There were countless options for recipe development, but I thought it would be fun to go in a mostly Spanish route. The inclusion of the the Spanish chorizo really helps elevate the dish and set it apart from your regular old bell pepper baked goose egg.

Spanish chorizo should not be replaced in this recipe with Mexican chorizo. Spanish chorizo is a hog casing stuffed, cured, fermented, and dried style of sausage, similar to pepperoni in technique. Mexican chorizo has different spices and is either free-formed ground pork or stuffed into a casing, but must be cooked. I will demonstrate different styles of sausages and techniques in future Joy and Feast posts, but for now I will only suggest to try finding the best Spanish chorizo available in your area. Pretty much any American charcuterie practitioner worth buying from will offers a Spanish style chorizo.

Stuffed Bell Pepper with Baked Goose Egg, Spanish Chorizo, and Chilies

Ingredients

1 Goose egg
1 Large red bell pepper
Slices Premium Spanish chorizo
1 Jalapeno, thinly sliced
Parsley, minced fine
Romano cheese (Parmesan), grated
Tabasco sauce
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

Preheat oven to 350F
Cut open the bell pepper and remove the seed pod, any remaining seeds, and the leftover white membrane.
Rub the outside skin of the bell pepper with olive oil or organic canola oil.
Gently crack the goose egg and fill the bell pepper cavity.
Place the egg-filled pepper in a cast iron pan or an oven proof dish, then bake between 35-50 minutes. The duration of cooking will depend on several factors including egg size and elevation, check at 35 minutes and remove when it is done. Remove the pan when the egg white and yolk are completely set.
Slice the egg filled pepper in half with a very sharp knife.
Plate the pepper and dress with chorizo, jalapeno, parsley, Tabasco, salt, pepper, and Romano cheese on top. The quantities should suite your needs, an omission of chorizo makes this dish vegetarian.

Total Time: 1 hour

Citations and Further Readings:

"Canada Goose." Wildlife Services. USDA, Aug. 2009. Web. <http://www.aphis.usda.gov/wildlife_damage/downloads/canada_goose.pdf>.
McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
Shoot, Brittany. "Farmers Take a Gander at Goose Eggs." Modern Farmer. N.p., 17 Apr. 2014. Web. <http://modernfarmer.com/2014/04/farmers-take-gander-goose-eggs/>.

Spring Fennel Salad with Tangelo, Radish, Carrots, and Parsley

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 06 Apr 2015 17:00:00 +0000

It is undeniably Spring, the sunshine is brighter, the birds are more cheerful, and plants are starting to blossom. This is a time of year to breathe a sigh of relief and let the natural beauty of our surroundings overtake our dreary winter minds. Spring is when the nature cycle focuses on birth and renewal, in terms of food sources this generally means plentiful young greens. These greens include popular salad greens such as arugula, lettuces, baby chard, and more exotic options like dandelion greens and ramps. Salad's are an excellent way to highlight the freshness of what is available in spring.

Exploiting seasonal food sources is one thing, but capturing a season's flavor and its emotion is a whole other game. In my opinion a dish which tries to encapsulate Spring should reflect the internal feelings of warmth, brightness, freshness, and crispness. A diner should not feel weighed down after a meal, rather light and content. To try to achieve this I simply wished to compose a light salad of fennel, citrus, and radish to reinforce the crisp freshness of the fennel.

Fennel is what I believe to be an under-appreciated produce item and garden vegetable in the United States. Fennel also known as anise, is a bulbed vegetable with a stalk and fronds. The stalk is fibrous like a celery stalk, and the fronds are similar to that of dill. Chemically, fennel bulbs contains two organic compounds which make them a perfect spring vegetable, if the goal is brightness and warmth. The first is anethole which is the anise flavor known in star anise, liquorish, ouzo, some varieties of basil. Fennel also contains the chemical compound limonene (Mcgee 316) which gives off the bright citrus aroma found in oranges, lemons, ect.

Continuing to build on top of the base of the fennel, the humble radish adds a dash of crisp pepper to this salad. The crisp pungent flavor comes from sulfur and nitrogen compounds(McGee 321), that the radish and other members of the mustard family/cabbage family use as chemical defenses against predators. Common red radishes are the most widely used in North America, generally raw and in salads. Radishes are not only easy to plant home gardens, but they're also easy to seed save and plant throughout a considerably lengthy growing seasons, throughout Spring and Autumn.

Finally, the brightness of the Tangelo dressing enhances both the fennel and radish by adding a bright acidity and a slight degree of sweetness. Tangelos are curious citrus fruits because they are a fairly modern hybrid, a mix of tangerines also called "Mandrin oranges" and Grapefruits. Because Tangelo's are so different they have their own class specification in the citrus family, known as Citrus X tangelo (Morton, J 158-160)

This spring salad can be enjoyed alone or as a side dish. As with most Joy and Feast recipes the components are explained to better understand their individual purpose in the dish. Once an ingredient is understood they can easily be substituted, so if Tangelo or one of the other ingredients are not available, try a similar replacement and let me know how it turns out!

Spring Fennel Salad with Tangelo and Radish

Ingredients

1 Fennel bulb, shaved, fronds reserved
2-4 Radish, thin sliced
1 bunch Parsley, remove stems
1 Carrot, peeled & julienned

Cooking Directions

Soak the radishes in ice water for one hour prior to serving, this will increase the crispness of the radish. Thin slice right before serving.
Thin slice the fennel bulb on a mandolin or with a sharp knife. Cut the fronds and reserve for salad garnish.
Toss the sliced fennel with the finish salad dressing.
Either compose dressed fennel, fennel fronds, radish slices, parsley, and carrot or toss all ingredients together and serve

Tangelo Dressing

Ingredients

1 Tangelo, 2 t zested, 4 T juiced and strained
2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 t Sugar
1/2 t Kosher salt
1/2 t Black pepper

Cooking Directions

Combine all ingredients in a small lidded container.
Shake with the lid tightly secured, until dressing is formed.

Total Time: 15 minutes

Citations and Further Readings:

McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
Morton, Julia Frances. Fruits of warm climates. JF Morton, 1987.

Sous Vide Lamb Chop with Pickled Garlic

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 16 Mar 2015 17:00:00 +0000

I've recently received several requests to demonstrate usages and techniques of the immersion circulator. Precise water baths and sous vide cooking is not yet common in most home kitchens but it has many practical applications, I use sous vide in my home kitchen when I want to precisely cook a tender and lean peice of meat, as a replacement of steaming vegetables because the nutrients are retained, and to cook food when I know I'll be busy; cooking sous vide allows for a large margin of time for food to spend in the water bath without overcooking or changing the texture of the cooked item. For some of my earlier posts on sous vide check out Sous Vide Venison Loin with Hazelnut Maple Coffee Butter and the Hot Spring Egg (Onsen Tamago).

I decided to take a more classic approach on this dish by focusing on the beloved flavor trinity of lamb, garlic, and rosemary. This dish demonstrates that by embracing new technologies and approaches to a craft, exciting and successful innovations are to be found at every turn. This dish is also very easy to recreate with similar consistency time after time, this is thanks to the precision of sous vide cooking.

Lamb is both environmentally and culturally an interesting source of nutrition. Lamb is an important source of protein throughout Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and the Middle East, and has been for a very long time in many of these regions. Lamb is largely consumed in countries which are heavily populated by Muslims(Manyfold Farms), this is due to the religious laws of halal which allow for lamb and beef consumption but not pork. I also believe lamb are historically important to Europe and the Middle east due to the fact they were domesticated in the region around 10,000 BC(Claeys), which would date the animal being an important food source in the region for roughly 12,000 years.

Interestingly, lamb consumption only accounts for about 1% of the meat consumption in the United States(EWG). Despite lamb's lack of popularity in the United States, lamb production is an important issue to have awareness of, per pound lamb production is the largest agricultural product contributing to releasing greenhouse emissions. Take a look at This Meat Eaters Guide for a better understanding of what and how these agriculture products add to greenhouse emissions. Awareness is the first step to more responsible consumer actions.

I am not making the argument that lamb should totally be eliminated from ones diet due to the high release of greenhouse emissions, but spreading awareness may help with the future supply and demand of lamb. That being said, lamb is a rare treat and should be thoroughly enjoyed when acquired. Local lambs are generally quite expensive per pound and can be found at farmers markets throughout the country. Considering the price and environmental issues with producing lamb, reserving this meat as a rare treat makes this dish all the more special.

Sous Vide Lamb Chops with Pickled Garlic

Ingredients

2 Thick lamb chops
2 T Butter, and more to sear the lamb chops
Rosemary, reserve enough rosemary to finely mince
Pickled garlic, purchased or home-made
salt and pepper

Cooking Directions

Lightly salt both sides of the lamb chops.
Vacuum seal lamb chops, butter, and one sprig of rosemary together. Ensure that the seal is complete.
Preheat your immersion circulator or other water bath option to 140 F for a medium cooked lamb chop. 115 for rare, 130 for medium-rare, 145 for medium-well, or 150 F for well done. (This recipe is timed for a medium cooked lamb chop)
Let the lamb sit in the water bath for 1 hour and 30 minutes.
Remove the bag from the water bath and thoroughly dry with a paper towel so the surface moisture is gone.
On a stovetop melt butter or oil of choice in a cast iron skillet. (Any pan is fine)
Sear the exterior of the lamb chop until a brown crust forms, roughly 30 seconds per side, but may vary depending on cooking set-up.
Once the meat is browned plate by sprinkling over finely minced rosemary, sliced pickled garlic, and salt and pepper to taste.

Total Time: 2 hours

Citations and Further Readings:

Claeys, Matthew C. " Sheep Facts." Department of Animal Science. Ed. Lori McBryde. NCSU, n.d. Web. 24 Mar. 2003.

"Climate and Environmental Impacts." Meat Eater's Guide. EWG, n.d. Web. 15 Mar. 2015. <http://www.ewg.org/meateatersguide/a-meat-eaters-guide-to-climate-change-health-what-you-eat-matters/climate-and-environmental-impacts/>.

"How To Eat Lamb." Manyfeld Farms, 1 Sept. 2012. Web. <https://www.manyfoldfarm.com/blog/2012/09/how-to-eat-lamb/>.

Sweet Potato and Plantain Hash

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 17:00:00 +0000

I love Sundays, they are the one day a week I know that I'll be able to sleep in until well after the sun rises. In the spirit of Sunday laziness I usually prepare a large breakfast and drink coffee and tea at a leisurely pace until I realize that it is already past noon. As far as I am concerned Sunday morning is an opportunity to refresh from a busy work week, and possibly busier weekend. I personally celebrate by indulging in the little things that make me happy to be alive. Comforting and hearty breakfasts like a mighty pancake stack or greasy corned beef hash have always been one of the little joys, so I developed a sweet and savory sweet potato hash with that emotional connection in mind.

Sweet potatoes are common across the world. Sweet potatoes are deep fried in the United States as an alternative to french fries and baked with butter and cinnamon sugar, dipped in tempura batter and fried in Japan, and used in curries and stews in between(among many other uses and traditions). In addition to international popularity, they are also used to combat malnutrition in certain countries whose poor populations have inadequate funds to afford nutrient rich foods. The sweet potato is an incredible source of vitamin A, in particular the orange variety of sweet potatoes, which contain beta carotene, have been used to help the poor populations of Mozambique and Uganda achieve a more balanced diet. (Charles)
Besides sweet potatoes, another starchy ingredient in this dish is the plantain, a peculiar cousin to the common banana. Plantains originated in south east Asia, but today are primarily grown and used in west and central Africa, however as far as imports and exports go, The United States is the worlds largest plantain importer while Ecuador primarily produces the plantain for export. (Robinson, 7) Plantains are a real treat if prepared well, the plantain raw is not as soft and enjoyable as a banana, so they are cooked or altered in almost every preparation. Plantains can be fried, steamed, poached, baked, roasted, or cooked sous vide, all for different purposes but delicious results.

This dish is easy to throw together, and easy to procure all the ingredients. So give this recipe a try next time you're looking to diverge from your traditional Sunday breakfast.

Sweet Potato and Plantain Hash

Ingredients

1 Medium sized sweet potato, large dice
1/2 Red onion
5 strips High quality bacon
1 Ripe plantain
6 Dates, pitted
4-5 Whole cardamom pods
1 T Worcestershire sauce
2 t High quality maple syrup
1 sprig Rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Cooking Directions

Cook bacon strips (preferably in a cast iron skillet) over medium heat until the bacon is crisp and has rendered out a significant amount of fat.
Remove the bacon and set aside in a plate lined with paper towels.
Pour some of the rendered bacon fat into a 2nd pan and turn heat onto medium.
Add cubed sweet potatoes to the cast iron skillet, cook over medium heat
In the second pan cook onions for 4 minutes, then add dates and cardamom pods.
When onions are browned, remove from heat and pick out cardamom pods.
Lower the skillet containing sweet potatoes to medium low and add onion mixture to the cast iron.
Sprinkle sugar over sliced plantains, then caramelize on both sides in the 2nd pan, little fat should remain, if no fat remains add a teaspoons worth of butter.
Once the plantains are caramelized add water to the 2nd pan and cover with a lid. This will cook the plantain through with steam and keep the slices from burning.
Return the cast iron skillet to medium heat and add maple syrup, Worcestershire sauce, and a sprig of rosemary to the potato onion mixture, cook for roughly 3 minutes.
Chop bacon into bite sizes bits, add to the cast iron skillet.
Add cooked plantains to the cast iron skillet mixture.
Salt and pepper to taste.

Total Time: 30 minutes

Citations and Further Readings:

Charles, Dan. "Saving Lives In Africa With The Humble Sweet Potato." NPR. NPR, 15 Aug. 2012. Web.
Robinson, John Charles, and Víctor Galán Saúco. Bananas and plantains. Vol. 19. Cabi, 2010.

Buddha's Hand Citron Infused Water

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 18:00:00 +0000

I'll be the first to admit this "recipe" is not much of a recipe at all. Adding fruit to water is a pretty "been there, done that" recipe scenario, but flavoring water with Buddha's Hand citron really is muti-purposeful. This particular citrus is fairly uncommon and unbelievably fragrant, I'm talking stop you in your tracks wonderful, therefore I wanted to help encourage public awareness because they have recently started showing up in more super markets across the United States. The second purpose of using an infused water recipe is to encourage substituting more processed beverage options. I am a huge proponent of making refreshing beverages at home, which are always customizable unlike mass produced soft drinks, which are often much more harmful to the human body than homemade alternatives. Check out my recipe for Pecan Lemonade for more information on this.

Buddha's Hand citron is a an odd looking cultivated variety of the citron that appears to resemble a hand. The fruit was cultivated in the Yangzte valley in China, and modern day Chinese farmers grow up to 6 different varieties of the Buddha's Hand citron. (Smith) The fruit is popular in both China and Japan, and given as gifts around new year to bring good fortune upon a home. (Karp)

Citrons of various varieties have long been valued throughout the Mediterranean, Middle East, and East Asia for both traditional and culinary purposes. The citron came to the Middle East from the Himalayan foot hills around 700 BCE and the Mediterranean around 300 BCE, The peels of citrons have long been candied, pickled, and used to perfume rooms in Asian and Jewish religious ceremonies (McGee, 373).

I would highly suggest picking up one of these citrons if you happen to see them in your super market, the seasons in which they may appear are late autumn to early spring. If you don't wish to use this citron for a culinary purpose, just cut it open, and leave it to fill the room with its essence, it is one of those simple pleasures everyone should experience.

Buddha's Hand Citron Infused Water

Ingredients

1 Buddha's Hand citron
1 Pitcher of filtered water

Cooking Directions

Slice the citron into 1/4" circles, place in the pitcher of water, and place the pitcher of water in the refrigerator overnight.

Total Time: 12 hours

Citations and Further Readings:

Karp, David. "Buddha's Hand Citron." Flavor & Fortune 1998: 5-6. Print.
McGee, Harold. On food and cooking: the science and lore of the kitchen. Simon and Schuster, 2007.
Smith, K. A. "What the Heck Do I Do With a Buddha's Hand? Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-heck-do-i-do-buddhas-hand-citron-180949871/#GOYYMtt6RUop4cU6.99 Give the gift of Smithsonian ma." Smithsonian.com. Smithsonian, 24 Feb. 2014. Web. 1 Mar. 2015. <http://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/what-heck-do-i-do-buddhas-hand-citron-180949871/?no-ist>.

Raw Romanesco Salad AKA Fractal Salad

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 23 Feb 2015 18:24:00 +0000

I am a firm believer that occasionally people should push themselves, jump off the high dive, try something new. Picking up a strange new ingredient at the supermarket may not be as drastic as starting a new career, none the less it expands ones universe. In the past year I have been noticing a gorgeous item in the produce section at my local grocery stores, this item which is beautiful in design is the Romanesco or Romanesque cauliflower. A plant which is closely related to both cauliflower and broccoli, Romanesco is strikingly unique in its almost fractal-like appearance.

A fractal is a geometric design which is is rooted in the principle of self-symmetry, or in other words a shape is made of smaller versions of itself (Frame), The Sierpinski Triangle is a great example of a fractal if the concept is still a little fuzzy. While Romanesco is fractal-like to the naked eye, it is not considered an actual fractal, once examined under a microscope its unique geometric similarity dissipates.

At this point you may be saying to yourself, "well it looks cool, but why should I eat it?" Romanesco is both a delicious alternative to veggies in the brassica family (Mustard, Cabbage, Broccoli, ect) and a food relic of the old Roman marketplaces, dating back to the days of Julius Ceaser (DePalama). Besides holding the admiration of the Italian people for thousands of years, it's really quite tasty. Romanesco has a more mild taste than common broccoli, and I find that it's delicious in both cooked and raw forms.

Other cherished elements of Italian culinary traditions, balsamic vinegar and red wine are the majority components of this salad's sweet and tart salad dressing. Because I used conventional and there for much affordable balsamic vinegar, I used a technique called reduction in order to achieve a denser consistency. Reduction is simply when a liquid with a high sugar content is boiled until enough water evaporates leaving the rest of the liquid as a syrup. Conventional balsamic vinegar is now common in all supermarkets, which is excellent for a variety of purposes. However, if you are unfamiliar with real balsamic vinegar, this excerpt from Versitile Vinegar does an excellent job explaining what actually makes a balsamic vinegar.

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena must be produced within the town of Modena in Italy. It was granted a protected designation of origin (PDO) by the European Union in 2000 (Council Regulation (EC) No 813/2000, April 17, 2000).

“Aceto Balsamico Tradizionale di Modena” is made from white and sugary Trebbiano grapes grown on the hills around Modena. Custom demands that the grapes are harvested as late as possible to take advantage of the warmth that nature provides there. This traditional vinegar is made from the cooked grape "must" and is aged for a minimum of 12 years or 25 years (denoted by the label claim “extra aged”). The aging process occurs inside barrels of successively smaller size of different kinds of wood, such as juniper, chesnut, mulberry and oak.
All of the product that is bottled must pass a sensory examination run by a panel of five tasting judges. The Italian Ministry of Agriculture in 2009 designated Consorzio Tutela ABTM (Consortium for Protection of Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena) to run controls and to supervise manufacturing, as well as to promote the product at the institutional level. The Consortium has over 300 members.

Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is only bottled in the distinct bulb-shaped glass bottle of 100 ml (3.4 ounces). Traditional Balsamic Vinegar of Modena is dark brown, but full of warm light. It is exceptionally sweet and thick, with a rich, complex aroma with light acidity. It is generally found in specialty stores.

*This salad is meant to be vibrant and fresh. In order to maintain the vibrancy of the salad it is paramount to use the freshest produce you can acquire. Feel free to substitute any of the ingredients for another which you know are fresher and look beautiful.

Fractal Salad

Ingredients

1 Head of romanesco
1 Red onion
1 Ripe tomato
1 Large carrot
1/4 c walnuts, toasted
1/2 c Dried cherries (raisins are an acceptable substitution)
Lemon zest
Parsley, picked

Cooking Directions

Construct a salad with all these components, play around with shapes, colors, and layering.

Red Wine Balsamic Reduction

Ingredients

1/2 c Dry red wine
1/2 c Balsamic vinegar
2 t Sugar
1 t Ginger, grated

Cooking Directions

Add all ingredients to a small pot and put heat on medium high
Reduce until reduction can coat the back of a spoon and stick. Refrigerate and serve ontop of salad once cool.

Total Time: 30 minutes

Citations and Further Readings:

Frame, Michael, Benoit Mandelbrot, and Nial Neger. "Fractal Geometry." Yale, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://classes.yale.edu/fractals/>.
DePalma, Gina. "Seriously Italian: Broccoli Romanesco." Serious Eats. N.p., n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/10/seriously-italian-broccoli-romanesco-recipes.html>.
"Today's Vinegar." versitilevinegar. The Vinegar Institute, n.d. Web. 23 Feb. 2015. <http://www.versatilevinegar.org/todaysvinegar.html>.