Real Men Bake

I Want You for a Real Men Bake Experiment

2011-03-09T13:41:00.000-08:00

Friends, Foodies, and Gourmets, lend me your ears (or eyes in this case)!

I want you to help me in a little experiment that shouldn't be too hard but might take some courage on your part.

Background

So over the years, I have learned to be willing to try any food, no matter how much I may or may not like it. Because of that, I have had many things that I would have never experienced had I not stepped outside of my comfort zone. I have recently developed a new habit that I have learned from my Dad at restaurants when I am not sure what I am in the mood for or what I want to order.

I let the server surprise me.

Unless there is something on the menu I know I wouldn't eat, I pretty much let them pick. The results can be interesting, not just in the food you get, but in observing how the server reacts in the situation.

Sometimes observing the server is better than the food you get (no matter how tasty). Why? Because you are putting them out of their comfort zone. But why not have them choose? They know the menu and if you know you'd eat pretty much everything, what is there to lose, especially when you don't have a preference one way or another? Also, I find it interesting to see their choice, do they go safe and pick something everyone would eat or go with their own personal favorite or something radical that may be shocking.

By doing this I have had some things I would have never thought to order but were absolutely wonderful.

The Task

Next time you go to a restaurant, try it. Give it a shot and see the results. See how the server reacts, what food you get and your thoughts on it.

Afterwards, post in the comments your experience. If you have done it before then tell me about that.

I know it takes some courage but I'd be interesting to see what happens! If you are unsure if your server would pick something you'd like, ask for their opinion first before you leave the ultimate decision up to them, it gives you a little insight to their tastes and how they might relate to yours.

Good luck!

Dutch Apple Pie Cheesecake

2011-02-18T08:00:00.000-08:00

The cheesecake.

It is one of my favorite desserts to make and it's kind of funny that it took me so long to post one on this blog.

All of my cheesecake flavors are based from one base recipe that I originally got from an old friend, Dante, and have modified and improved it over the years.

This recipe is a Dutch Apple Pie Cheesecake. It is basically a mash-up of apple pie and a New York style cheesecake. The bottom layer is traditional apple pie filling covered with the cheesecake filling and topped with a streusel.

I brought this cheesecake to a tailgate at the 2010 Big Game and got some good reviews. Anyways, on to the recipe after the jump.

Process

For those of you who have not made cheesecakes before, they are not hard. They are actually quite easy but they make a great impact for any potluck or gift because of their perceived difficulty. The real challenge is how to bake it properly as almost any filling works and tastes wonderful.

This cheesecake recipe is split into several parts: crust, apple filling, cheesecake filling, streusel and finally, baking. Make sure you make this at least a day before you plan on serving and plan out about six hours to make the darn thing. Most of that is bake time.

Crust

The crust is pretty easy and straightforward. You want two cups of graham cracker crumbs, one stick of butter and a couple teaspoons of cinnamon. You can go about getting your crumbs for the crust in several ways: buying pre-made crumbs or making your own from graham crackers. I prefer both. I use mostly pre-made crumbs that you can buy as they are of a nice fine texture and perfect for crusts, but I like mixing in a few whole crackers for some added texture. There really is no need for exact measurements, you just want to fill the bottom of the pan when you are finished.

After the crust is combined, melt some butter in the microwave and pour it into dry mixture so that it clumps and forms a nice concrete like consistency. Pour into the bottom of a spring-form pan and using your fists, compact it down into a nice even layer. Set aside until you are ready with the fillings.

Apple Pie Filling

This is a standard apple pie filling, you can use mine or your favorite.

I started with seven fresh apples, a mix of Granny Smith and Fuji. I am not a huge fan of all granny smith apples because of the tart, so Ashley picked me up a good mix of sweet Fuji apples. I left the skin on and sliced up all the apples into fairly thin slices. Because these will cook with the cheesecake filling and the temperature will not be too high, I wanted them to reach a nice tenderness during baking. Squeeze the juice of one lemon onto the apples to prevent oxidation and browning.

Prepare the rest of the apple filling by mixing the brown sugar, flour, and nutmeg together and mix in with the apples. Once it is ready, you can pour the filling into the prepared spring-form pan on top of the crust. This should fill the pan up about half-way. Set aside while you prepare the cheesecake filling.

Cheesecake Filling

As I mentioned above, cheesecakes are easy and you can almost put anything into the filling without ruining them. The filling I used for this was just a classic New York style to pair with the tart of the apples.

Make sure all the ingredients are room temperature before beginning. Combine the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and lemon zest together in a stand-up mixer. Mix until fluffy. You cannot over mix this, in fact, mix more than you think you should. Until you add the eggs, you cannot over mix a cheesecake. Once you are satisfied, add in the eggs and mix in slowly. Over mixing at this point will add air into the batter and cause cracks and bubbles during baking. Fold in the milk by hand until just combined.

Pour on top of the apples.

Streusel

This is super easy to make. Mix the brown sugar, flour, and cinnamon together in a small bowl. Take some room temperature butter and fold it into the cinnamon mixture. The paste that forms can then be added to the top of the cheesecake filling. I used the Jackson Pollock method to apply the streusel.

Baking

Up until now, a cheesecake has been easy right? As long as you didn't over mix earlier you should be fine. The baking bit is what makes a good cheesecake good.

Heat up the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. During this time, put an oven proof dish with water in the oven. This will create a humid environment during baking and help prevent cracking.

Plop the cheesecake in and let bake at this temperature for about 25 minutes. After the 25 minutes, lower the oven temperature to 250 degrees. Let the cake bake at this temperature for about an hour. Finally, turn off the oven and let sit for two to three hours. This process will prevent cracks from forming and give a smooth and creamy texture to the cheesecake.

Remove the cheesecake from the oven and let sit for another 30 minutes to come to room temperature. Cover loosely with foil and refrigerate over night before serving.

Dutch Apple Pie Cheesecake

Ingredients

2 cups graham cracker crumbs, finely crushed
1 stick butter, unsalted
2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1/4 tsp nutmeg
7 apples, mix of Granny Smith and Fuji
1 lemon, juiced

24 ounces cream cheese
1 cup granulated sugar
2 tbs flour
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
1 egg yolk
1/4 cup milk

1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, unsalted

Directions

Prepare the crust first. Combine graham cracker crumbs, butter, and cinnamon until well-mixed. Pack into the bottom of a spring-form pan and set aside.
Prep the apple filling. Mix together the brown sugar, flour, and nutmeg together in a small bowl and set aside. Cut the apples into small slices. You can either take off the skin or not, it's your choice. Combine the apples with the juice of 1 lemon and then mix with the brown sugar mixture. Pour into the spring-form pan.
Before you prepare the cheesecake filling, make sure the ingredients are at room temperature. Combine the cheese, sugar, flour, lemon zest and vanilla in a stand-up mixer. Mix until fluffy. You cannot over mix at this point. Mix the eggs in by hand until just combined. If you over mix at this point, you will get bubbles and breaks in the cheesecake after baking. Fold in the milk until combined. Pour the filling into the pan on top of the apples.
In another bowl, mix the brown sugar, flour and cinnamon together. Fold in the butter until you get a good paste and spread evenly over the cheesecake.
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. During this time, place a oven safe cup of water in the oven, this helps prevent cracking. Bake the cheesecake for 25 minutes at 325 degrees. At 25 minutes, lower the temperature to 250 degrees Fahrenheit and bake for another hour. Turn off the oven and let the cake sit in the oven for 2-3 hours. Afterwards you can remove from the oven and let fully cool. At this point, loosen the spring-form so the edge of the cake does not stick to the pan. Let sit overnight in the fridge before serving.

Foodie Adventures: Mission Gastroclub - Japan

2011-02-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

This post is way late, but oh well.

A few months ago, Mike asked me if I wanted to join him in the underground restaurant scene. I had heard of these before but really had no idea what they were. For those of you who do not know, the underground restaurant scene in San Francisco is basically gatherings of food and beverage people to enjoy a not-so-normal meal and socialize. The people can range from professional chefs, owners of restaurants, brewers, foodies, people who sell at farmer's markets etc. You get a whole walk of personalities and backgrounds that all enjoy eating and trying different things.

That brings us to the Mission Gastroclub. It is run by two gentlemen (Neil and Eric) who brew their own beer and do have culinary backgrounds. The dinners usually seat around fourteen people and is centered around a theme: Pork, Japan, Southern, Wine Country for Beer Men, etc. The invite list is long and it's a first come first served to get a spot. They now have two dinners each session because it has become increasingly popular. In the past, they have also had all day events where they got a whole pig or goat and break those down. There are several courses and each is paired with a beer, usually one of their own brews.

Neil and Eric do an amazing job. If you need any reassurance, ask any of the others that have attended the events with us: Shannon, Bryon, or K-Dogg.

This evening's dinner was Japan.

Mission Gastroclub - Japan

As I mentioned above, these are generally fourteen person dinners, served out of an apartment in San Francisco. The people who attend these can range from random food lovers (like Mike and I) to professionals to everyone in between. What is interesting, is that it appears most people have some link to some sort of the food industry, be it their own restaurant or farmer's markets. Regardless, everyone is super friendly and just in it for a good time.

If you want to see what it's like, here is a time-lapse of this evenings meal, you can see me roll into the bottom of the screen about 15 seconds in. Now that the background is laid, let us get to the good bit, the food!

First Course

yellowtail, sea urchin, oyster, rice, scallion, nori

paired with golden ale (regular beer)

What's a Japanese meal without sushi? The first course brought us an array of some fresh seafood.

I'll be honest, up until this point in my life, I had never tried oysters. I never wanted to brave the cold and weird texture. Tonight I figured, might as well suck it up, peer pressure does wonders. Needless to say, I'll never not eat oysters when presented to me again.

The oysters were from two different locations: Drake's Bay, local and freshly caught and Taylor's Oysters from Washington.

The sea urchin came from Santa Barbara and again, was another first for me. It was the best thing on this plate in my opinion and I would gladly eat it again.

The yellowtail was wild and locally caught, and Neil even prepared it in the form of a fish that you can sort of see above.

Overall, the sushi was quite good and amazingly fresh. The beer was a golden ale, brewed by another participant of the dinner. It was smooth and refreshing, a perfect opening to a great meal.

Second Course

chicken skin, pork meatball, soba noodle, pickle

paired with an english ale (moonlight: death and taxes)

The second course brought us a few finger foods. The meatballs (all the pork this evening was from the pig they broke down the weekend before from Devil's Gulch Ranch) was wonderful.

The fried chicken skin was probably the tastiest thing on the plate and paired well with the soba noodles. The chicken was Fulton Valley Organic Air-Dried Chicken.

There were two types of pickle, persimmon and something I am not too sure what it was. Needless to say, they were tasty, especially the pickled persimmon.

The beer was brewed by Moonlight, of which I believe the owner was here at this dinner. It pours pitch black with a nice tan head and you can smell the roasted malt. It had a bit more hops than I expected but was very balanced and delicious.

Third Course

ramen: pork belly, poached egg, listener, scallion in a pork headcheese broth

paired with smoked porter

This was my favorite dish of the night. The broth was rish, the pork belly succulent and noodles cooked perfectly. I could have eaten several bowls of this, in fact I did have seconds on this one.

The broth is what made the dish. It is a pork headcheese. If you do not know what that is, as I didn't, then you might want to check this out. However, I warn you, it might be better to now know the origin and just eat it.

The pork belly was perfectly cooked and gave some hearty substance to the already amazing dish. This is definitely one of those things I would love to have on a nice cold day to warm you from head to toe.

The beer was porter brewed by Eric, one of our hosts.

Fourth Course

custard, persimmon, rice cookie with soy sauce glaze

paired with stout (hitachino nest: espresso stout)

This dessert was amazing. The rice cookie was freshly fried and paired well with the persimmon and custard.

The only thing I was not a fan of was the soy sauce glaze. It was a bit too salty and cut into the flavors a bit too much for my tastes.

The stout was great and paired well with the dessert, with the espresso flavors. Seeing that I am not a coffee fan, that is saying a lot for me to give it praise.

Conclusion

Overall, the night was a success. I tried some things I had not had before and I was totally sold on coming back for another dinner by Neil and Eric. They are great hosts and do an amazing job.

Lemon Raspberry Sticky Buns

2011-02-14T08:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's Day!

-or-

Happy Single's Awareness Day!

Lemon Raspberry Sticky Buns with a Cream Cheese Lemon Glaze.

That just sounds good to me, what about you? What about your sweetheart? Here's a little dessert that might get you out of the doghouse.

This recipe is a modification of my cinnamon roll recipe, which can be found here. I actually got the idea from Natalie who made these. I had never actually thought to swap out the brown sugar and cinnamon for something with a more tart flavor but it just seems to work. While the lemon rolls themselves looked tasty, I decided to add my own touch and throw in my go-to fruit: raspberries.

I ended up taking these to Bear's Lair and Kevin's Tailgate before a Cal game. Based on the way the dish was cleaned out I figured the raspberry add-in was a success. These are totally doable as a nice little treat for your Valentine. And if your single, well, these are a bit better than chalky conversation hearts.

The recipe awaits after the jump.

Process

This recipe is fairly straightforward and very easy if you have a stand-up mixer. You can still make it if you do not have a mixer, but it'll take some more elbow grease.

Begin by warming up some milk to about 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Make sure the other ingredients are at room temperature and not right out of the fridge. Exact temperature is not needed, but make sure it's in the ballpark of one hundred. Gently add in the yeast and let it sit for a few minutes. After about 5 minutes, the yeast should be bubbling. Mix in the softened butter, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Mix until combined and then add the salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Fold in the eggs slowly and then add the remaining flour.

With the dough hook, knead for about 5 minutes on a medium setting, until the dough is elastic and does not stick to the hook or sides of the bowl. Remove the dough and roll into a ball. Then place the ball in a bowl and cover with a few drops of olive oil. Cover with saran wrap and let sit in a warm place for about an hour. The dough should double in size.

In a separate bowl mix the sugar with the ginger, zest, lemon juice and fresh raspberries. Mix the filling thoroughly. Lightly grease a baking dish (13x9 inches). After the dough has risen, spread out onto a floured surface into the shape of a rectangle. Spread some butter over the entire surface of the dough.

Take the lemon-raspberry filling and spread it over the top of the dough rectangle. Roll the dough up tightly, making sure that the filling does not get squeezed out. This is where I made a mistake and too much filling came out, leaving to a less raspberry filled sticky bun.

Cut the sticky buns into one inch thick slices and place into the greased baking dish. Up to this point, the rolls can be prepared a day in advance. If you are ready to bake, cover the rolls with saran wrap and let sit for one hour for the second rise. After that, you can move onto the next step. If you would like to prepare these ahead of time, stop here and placed the covered rolls into the refrigerator overnight. When ready to bake, remove and let sit for at least thirty minutes to come to room temperature.

When ready to bake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake for thirty to thirty-five minutes. During this time, you can prepare the lemon glaze. In the stand-up mixer, whip the cream cheese until fluffy with the whisk attachment. Afterwards, switch to the paddle and add the lemon juice and zest. Finally, mix in the confectioners sugar and blend until creamy. I added some red dye to give a pink color.

After the sticky buns finish baking and cool for a few minutes, spread the lemon glaze heavily on top of the rolls. Serve the buns immediately.

Lemon Raspberry Sticky Buns with Lemon Cream Cheese Glaze

Ingredients

1 packet yeast

3/4 cup milk

1 stick butter, unsalted and softened

1/4 cup sugar

2 tsp vanilla

4 1/2 cups flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

2 lemons, zested

2 eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 tsp ginger, powdered

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 cup raspberries, fresh

3 tbs butter, unsalted

4 ounces cream cheese

1 lemon, zested and juiced

1 cup confectioners sugar

Directions

Warm up the milk to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. Mix the yeast in with the milk and let it sit for a few minutes until it bubbles. Stir in the buffer, sugar, vanilla, and one cup of the flour. Add in the salt, nutmeg, and lemon zest. Fold in the eggs until just combined. Slowly add in the remaining flour. Using your electric mixer and a dough hook, knead until the dough is elastic and does not stick to the hook anymore, about 5-7 minutes.
Take the dough and form it into a ball and cover with a few drops of olive oil. Place into a bowl and cover in a warm place for about an hour.
In another bowl, mix the sugar, ginger and zest with your hands until the sugar has a slight moist consistency, then add in the juice of one lemon and fold in the fresh raspberries.
Grease a 13x9 inch baking dish. On a lightly floured countertop, pat the dough into a large rectangle. Cover the top with butter and spread the lemon-raspberry mixture on top. Roll the dough up. Be careful to make sure the raspberry filling does not leak out. Cut the roll into inch thick slices and place into the baking dish. Cover the rolls.
Up until this point, you can prepare these the day before you plan on cooking them. If you are baking same day, heat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and let the covered rolls rise for about an hour. They should double in size. If you are preparing these a day in advance, placed the covered rolls in the refrigerator for the second rise over night. Make sure you let them sit out to warm up to room temperature before you bake.
Bake the rolls at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for 30-35 minutes.
While the rolls for baking, prepare the topping. In a standup mixer and the whisk, whip the cream cheese until fluffy. Switch to the paddle and add the lemon juice, zest and confectioners sugar. Blend until smooth and creamy. I added some red food dye to give a pink look.
After the sticky buns are finished, smear the glaze over the top and serve immediately.

Commentary on the International Service Industry (aka America has a lot to learn)

2011-02-08T20:07:00.000-08:00

Yes, Tedford does like to travel too.

Again, life got in the way of this blog and it's been awhile since I have posted. However, I have some free time and a lot of posts to catch up on.

Over my nearing a quarter century of life, I have been able to travel internationally quite a bit. To my count, seventeen countries covering most of Western Europe, North America and a handful of Asia. I have yet to make it to the southern hemisphere but I'm working on it. In those travels I have made it a point to not just be a tourist and see the sites - I much prefer being immersed in the culture, with the locals, ideally not speaking any English and experiencing all the country has to offer.

Especially the food.*

*Note: see that nice transition to related this post to the blog. Clever eh? No? Well, moving on then...

During those travels I have begun to notice something fairly significant: America, to put it frankly, sucks when it comes to the service industry. There's a reason people think American travelers are rude and pig-heated...

After the jump I will continue on how America has a lot to learn.

Background

In that time I have been to a lot of places that have served food and I do my best to actually eat something culturally significant rather than one of the 31,000+ McDonald's worldwide. Think along the lines of Bourdain's "No Reservations" but without the financial backing of a production company. I go where I can and will pretty much try anything at least once.

My close friends and family will know this hasn't always been true. There was a time when I wouldn't eat anything but pizza and ice cream but hey, I've grown up and have now developed a pretty open-minded approach to food: if someone else is eating it, it probably wont kill me, so why not?

This approach has paid off. I have tried some pretty amazing things that I wouldn't have had otherwise. Keep in mind, there are also those things I'd never touch again but the tasty far outweigh the nasty.

The Comparison

This brings me to my commentary at hand. America sucks compared to the rest of the world when it comes to service. In America, you have to pay for good service. You have to pay a lot. And you have to add a tip on top of that.

For those that haven't had a chance to travel, you don't really notice how that standard is not the norm. Tipping is a very American thing to do. It's expected in the ballpark of 15%. And it's seen as an insult if you do not tip. But let's think about what exactly a tip is for...

According to Webster's definition a tip (or gratuity) is "something given voluntarily or beyond obligation usually for some service."

Hmm. Voluntary. Have you ever not left a tip and have been followed to your car by the server to inquire where the tip was? I have. That doesn't sound so voluntary to me.*

A tip is meant to be a sign of a good job done. If you do a crappy job, then you shouldn't deserve one. If you do a great job then you do. It's as simple as that. It should not be expected.

Tipping has started to spread to Europe but it's still not as common practice as the United States. As you go more and more away from a Western culture, tipping can almost be insulting to some.

Why? Because a good job should be performed regardless of the potential for financial reward. Pride to do a job well done. It's that simple.

That is what leads me into my broader comparison commentary. The service in the Asian countries I have been to has been extraordinary. I truly mean it. The hospitality in countries like Japan, Taiwan, and Korea (places I have been and can make a comment on) is just unbelievable. For example, I stayed at a hotel where the staff was given your picture (they scan your passport when you check in) and learned your face and name so as you recognize you when you are milling about in the hotel. For those of us who are not filthy rich and famous, it's pretty shocking to have hotel staff calling you by name when you know you haven't seen them before. How much would that cost in the US? I'm thinking at least a record deal with royalties.

The service is not just isolated to Asia. I have been to restaurants in Europe very obviously not frequented by tourists. No English spoken, just very entertaining pantomimes but the service is exquisite. Dining like this can be fun and a lifelong memory. You meat local people, hear their stories, learn how they live life.

For example, here is a story about this restaurant in Corfu, Greece: Cafe Kritikos. While the rest of the tour group went to an over-the-top touristy "traditional Greek dinner and dancing" that cost somewhere in the ballpark of 100 euros (as later explained by those who went), Nikki and I went here and paid about a third of that. We didn't even know if it was open at first. Upstairs was a family of three: mom, dad and daughter playing Jenga. Turned out, they were the proprietors of the restaurant. It also turned out that they made one of the best racks of lamb I have ever eaten. We were the only people there the entire three hour meal. It was one of the better experiences of the trip. For those of you traveling on those group tours, don't buy into the excursion packages for all the gimmicky tourist crap, just explore and you'll get a better experience regardless of what happens. It's worth it.

In summation, America you offer a lot but you also have a lot to learn. Take a cue from everyone else in the world and take a little pride in providing excellent service unconditionally, not just because you are in it for the payoff.

*Note: I am aware that servers are assumed to make a substantial portion of their income in tips and therefore can actually get paid sub-minimum wage. That's bogus and I understand the expectations for tips, it's their livelihood. This post was meant as a culture comparison rather than a criticism of those hardworking people who I do reward with good tips for good service.

Thanksgiving Turkey

2011-01-12T08:00:00.000-08:00

Finally.

A turkey.

The ultimate tradition in a traditional Thanksgiving dinner.

I hope it's not much of a surprise that the last post in this five part Thanksgiving series would be a turkey. Come on, what were you expecting? Lasagna?

Parts one, two, three and four of my own personal Thanksgiving dinner can be found clicking the links.

The turkey.

Almost proud symbol of this great nation.

Now relegated to being an overweight, domesticated consumer product that tastes decidedly delicious drowning in gravy and mashed potatoes.

While I have made a couple of turkeys before, I definitely changed up my preparation a bit, utilizing the brining technique, courtesy Alton Brown. Check it out after the jump.

Process

This was my first time making a brined turkey. It came out lovely. I will definitely do it again, but next time I'll experiment with the aromatics. I feel that they could have added more apple-spice flavor to the final product. Cider instead of water perhaps?

Seeing that I have never done this before, I decided to go to a trusted source, Alton Brown. If you don't know who he is, check out his shows, cookbooks or website. Chef Brown is good at what he does, plus he's quirky and entertaining. I enjoy his style as he explains the technique and science behind cooking, history behind dishes, and how you can prepare different things, different ways. His recipes relate well to the engineer in me. The recipe used below is his Good Eats Roast Turkey.

First get your turkey. A smaller turkey works a little better with this recipe (about 14-16 lbs). I used a 14 pound turkey. It doesn't matter whether it is frozen or thawed as long as it is thawed by the time you begin brining. Do not overlook this little detail, otherwise you will be eating your turkey on Black Friday.

Once the bird has been selected, you can prepare your brine as early as three days prior to the long soak. Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice and ginger together in a large pot. Bring this to a boil and then remove from the heat. Let the brine cool to room temperature and then place in the refrigerator until it is needed.

On the night before you are ready to serve your turkey, you can begin the soak in the salty bath. Plan for eight to sixteen hours of immersion before you begin cooking. Ideally, let the bird sit the entire night before but you can begin the soak early in the morning the day of. Combine the brine and ice water together in a five gallon bucket or large cooler. I preferred the cooler as my fridge would not handle a five gallon bucket. Prepare the turkey by washing it in cold water and removing the innards. Place it breast side down in the brine and ensure it is fully immersed. You can weigh it down if needed.

Let it soak.

And soak.

And soak some more.

During the process, ensure it stays cold by adding more ice if needed. Return sixteen hours later and you can begin to actually cook the darn thing. Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit. Remove the bird from the brine and wash it in cold water. You can dump the brine at this point. Dry off the turkey with paper-towels.

Now it is time to prepare the aromatics. Like I said, I might try replacing the water with cider and throw in some more cinnamon for a bit more spice. Beer might also be a good alternative. Slice up an apple and onion. Combine with one cup water and the cinnamon stick in a microwavable dish. Nuke the aromatics on high for about five minutes.

Add the steeped aromatics to the turkey's cavity along with the rosemary and sage. I tied up sprigs and leaves together in a little herb bundle. This allowed for easier handling and preparation of the turkey. Tuck the wings under the bird in the roasting pan. Finally, lather the bird's skin with enough canola oil to shame the eighty-year-old tanner you see poolside in Las Vegas. Think this.

Roast the bird at 500 degrees for 30 minutes. The oil and this high temperature will create the lovely crisp brown skin. Afterwards, cool the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and cook for two to two and a half hours. This will fully depend on the size of the bird. Use a meat thermometer and the turkey is ready when the internal temperature has reached 161 degrees Fahrenheit. Let the turkey rest for fifteen minutes before carving. It is a good idea to loosely cover it in foil to prevent any drafts from cooling it. Carve and enjoy!

On a side note, I did not cook one of these wild turkeys that are found throughout my complex. The picture below has three adults and a dozen poults and was taken during the summer. The current count in my complex has upwards of twenty-plus adult turkeys gobbling about. It's actually becoming a problem.

Thanksgiving Turkey

Ingredients

1 14-16 lbs turkey, frozen or thawed

1 cup Kosher salt

1 gal vegetable stock

1/2 cup brown sugar

1 tbs black peppercorns

1 1/2 tsp allspice

1 1/2 tsp ginger

1 gal ice water

1 red apple, sliced

1/2 onion, sliced

1 stick cinnamon

1 cup water

4 sprigs rosemary

6 sage leaves

Canola oil

Directions

Begin thawing the turkey 2 to 3 days before you intend to cook it. Ideally, you want it thawed by the time you start the brining process.
To prepare the brine, complete the following. Combine the vegetable stock, salt, brown sugar, peppercorns, allspice, and ginger in a large pot over medium heat. Stir occasionally and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature. Once cool, refrigerate until needed.
The night before (or early day of) combine the brine and ice water in a 5-gallon bucket or large cooler. Prep the turkey by washing and removing the innards. Place breast side down, making sure the entire bird is immersed in the brine. Cover and let it sit in the brine for at least 8 hours, but try to let it be for upwards of 16 hours.
After the brining has taken place, preheat the oven to 500°F. Remove from the brine and rinse the entire bird (inside and out) with cold water. You can dump the brine as it is no longer needed.
Place the bird on a roasting rack or baking pan and pat dry with a paper-towel.
Combine the apple, onion, cinnamon stick and 1 cup of water in a microwave safe dish and nuke for 5 minutes on high. Add this mixture into the turkey's cavity, along with the rosemary and sage leaves. Tying the herbs together can be helpful when handling. Coat the skin with canola oil.
Roast the turkey at 500°F for 30 minutes. Afterwards, turn the oven down to 350°F and insert a probe thermometer into the thickest part of the breast. Cook the turkey for 2 to 2 1/2 hours depending on the initial weight. The turkey is ready when the internal temperature reaches 161°F.
Remove from oven and let rest for 15 minutes, loosely covered, prior to carving.

Green Bean Casserole

2011-01-11T16:14:00.000-08:00

It's getting close to the end, which means better dishes right?

Perhaps.

Well, I think this is a better dish and that is all that matters. This is part four of a five part series on my personal favorite Thanksgiving dishes. Parts one, two and three are a quick click away.

Part four of this little series covers one of my favorite holiday recipes: the green bean casserole.

Now for those of you that know me well, you should notice one thing that just doesn't make sense with this dish...

...I cannot stand mushrooms. I just don't like them. Period. With one exception.

The traditional green bean casserole made with Campbell's Cream of Mushroom Soup is one of my all time favorites. There is a mix of creamy sauce, savory vegetables and crunchy onions that come together in a wonderful way.

While the cranberry sauce demonstrated my purest ways when it comes to holiday traditional dinners, I am hoping to experiment with mushroomless cream sauces in the future. For now, it's all about tried and true. Follow after the jump for the recipe.

History

My version of the green bean casserole has had some revisions over the past few years since I began experimenting in the kitchen. For a tried and true recipe that is consumed by a good chunk of the American population during the holidays, go read the recipe off the back of either the French's French Fried Onions or Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup. I have made those before and they are easy and good. For my modified recipe continue below.

I have an interesting little fact about the French's French Fried Onions. My vast connections and networking have led me to an employee of French's parent company: Reckitt Benckiser. There is only one machine in existence that manufactures French's French Fried Onions and it is over 100 years old. It runs in batches once per year and makes the entire year's supply of French Fried Onions for the United States. If I recall correctly, about 90% of the supply is consumed in the month from Thanksgiving to Christmas. Looks like they are trying to expand their market with their new marketing campaign of adding "crunch" to any of your favorite dishes. I would, wouldn't you?

Anyways, back to the recipe at hand. This dish is not for your cholesterol conscious consumer. You can substitute low sodium or fat free soup or anything else that might make it more healthy. I did not.

Process

In this recipe, I use fresh green beans. You can use frozen or canned, you'll just have to prepare them a different way. Canned can just be drained and mixed with the soup right away. For frozen, follow the directions on the bag in lieu of the chicken broth step.

Begin by preheating your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a large skillet, melt the butter over medium heat and sauté the onions until tender and almost caramelized.

During this time, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a large pot. Boil the green beans for about ten minutes. Once the green beans are done cooking, remove from the heat and drain. At this time you can mix the onions with the cooked green beans and the cream of mushroom soup. Season to your particular tastes. I prefer quite a bit of pepper so I threw in a good amount while I only used a pinch of salt and garlic powder.

The next step is to mix in the French fried onions. The traditional recipes calls for mixing all of the onions into the sauce. I prefer having more crunchy and crispy in my casserole so I split the fried onions in half and put half in the sauce and half on top. Mix in half of the French fried onions and pour the casserole into a baking dish. Spread the remainder onions on top and bake in the oven for twenty minutes. Don't worry too much about over-cooking or under-cooking casseroles, they are very robust and twenty minutes should be fine regardless of oven type.

Remove the casserole from the oven and spread the grated cheddar cheese on top. Plop the dish back into the oven until the cheese has melted. This should take about ten more minutes.

Green Bean Casserole

Ingredients

3/4 cup onions, diced
1/3 stick butter, unsalted
2 cups green beans, sliced
3 cups chicken broth
1 can Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup
1 can French's French Fried Onions
1 cup sharp Cheddar, grated
pinch of Kosher salt
pinch of pepper
pinch of garlic powder

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Melt the butter in a large skillet and sauté the onions until almost caramelized. During this time, boil the green beans in the chicken broth for 10 minutes until tender. Drain the green beans.
Add the green beans and mushroom soup to the onions. Season with the salt, pepper and garlic powder to taste. Mix in half of the French fried onions.
Pour into a greased baking dish and cover the top with the remaining French fried onions. Bake for 20 minutes.
Top casserole with the grated cheddar and bake until the cheese has melted (about 10 minutes).

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

2011-01-07T08:00:00.000-08:00

Happy Belated Thanksgiving!

As you hopefully know by now, this is the third part of a five part Thanksgiving series. Here are parts one and two.

The post today is a Thanksgiving classic. Almost everyone loves mashed potatoes. I prefer mine with garlic. A good amount of garlic. If you do not like garlic, I would not recommend coming over to my house for most meals served.

While it's a fairly easy dish with basic ingredients that most of you already know how to prepare, maybe my recipe will offer you something different to try, check it out after the jump.

Process

Mashed potatoes. A Thanksgiving staple. Don't screw up or you will have some angry guests. Luckily it's not too hard to screw up.

This recipe can be scaled as needed. This makes enough mashed potatoes to serve four to six people. In addition, I was making several other dishes at the same time and forgot to take as many photos as I normally do, deal with it.

Begin by peeling and dicing the potatoes. Size doesn't matter as long as ultimately each piece is roughly the same. Place into a large saucepan with the salt and cover with water. Bring up to a vigorous boil and let the potatoes cook until they fall apart when poked with a fork.

In another saucepan, mix the crushed garlic and half-and-half together and bring to a nice simmer. Cook slightly until a good garlic aroma develops. During this time, you can drain the potatoes and begin mashing. Each person has their own preference for chunkiness, mash to your hearts content.

Following the mashing, combine the garlic and cream mixture with the potatoes. During this time, you can add the Parmesan. Stir until combined and then let the potatoes sit for a few minutes. This will let the potatoes thicken. If you want, you can fluff them with a fork.

Some of you might be thinking that I should add butter. It is not needed, the Parmesan and half-and-half do just fine on their own and it even has a little bit of a buttery flavor.

Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

4 lbs russet potatoes
2 Tbs Kosher salt
2 cups half-and-half
8 cloves garlic, crushed
8 oz Parmesan, grated

Directions

Peel and dice the potatoes. Try to get the pieces roughly the same size (for even cooking). Place into a large saucepan, add the salt and cover with water. Bring to a boil. Keep the burner hot enough to maintain a vigorous boil. Keep cooking until the potatoes fail apart when prodded with a utensil (i.e. a fork).
In a medium saucepan, heat the half-and-half and garlic until simmering. During this time, remove the potatoes from the heat and drain out the remaining water. Mash the potatoes to a desired chunkiness and add in the cream/garlic mixture and the Parmesan until combined. Let sit for a few minutes to thicken and fluff with a fork if desired. Serve.

Sweet Butter Rolls

2011-01-06T08:00:00.000-08:00

As I mentioned in my first post, I am in the middle of a Thanksgiving dinner recap with some of my favorite dishes of the season. This is dish two in a five part series. The first began with cranberry sauce done two ways.

If anyone who has gotten close to me can attest (and as I have mentioned in previous posts), I love bread. I love bread in all forms. It definitely is a type of food I will select meals around. I also do not discriminate. All bread is welcome.

Enter the dinner roll. Every Thanksgiving dinner needs some sort of roll. And I'm not talking about these (although they are quite tasty).

I romped around the good ol' interweb and found this little recipe that had excellent reviews. The rolls did come out quite good although I had one little complaint. In the linked recipe, it is stated that the rolls are a bit more dense than crescents but not as much as dinner rolls. I would disagree. They were quite dense in my opinion. I do not want to write-off this recipe as the density might have been my own doing due to over-kneading so I will make these again and update the post with the results.

Process

As always when making bread from scratch (and without a machine), prepare your dough the day before or early in the morning to allow for all the downtime during the rising process. Otherwise your rolls might be ready for dessert if you're lucky.

Begin by prepping the yeast. Mix the two packages of active yeast in a small amount of warm sugar water, usually 100 to 115 degrees is suitable. Let the yeast begin to foam up before you add in the other ingredients. Once a good froth has formed, whisk in the milk, remaining sugar, one egg and salt. Make sure the milk is warm or at least room temperature. The egg should also be room temperature for optimum dough rising performance.

Slowly mix in half of the flour. As you add flour, make sure the dough is well combined and smooth with no clumps. After three cups of flour have been added, switch to your dough hook and beat in the butter, following up with the last three cups of flour. Again, add the flour slowly. The last cup of flour should be used at your best discretion based on the consistency of the dough. You will want the dough to be slightly sticky but not sticking to your fingers or dough hook. Once ready, roll the dough into a ball, cover slightly with oil and place into a bowl. Do not knead the dough. This is where I believe I went a bit overboard. Cover and place into the refrigerator overnight.

Once it has risen overnight in the fridge, remove and punch down the dough to remove some of the trapped air. Divide into two sections and knead each a few times. Set the dough aside and let rise for about ten minutes. During this time, prep the baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll out the dough into a circle and cut into twelve equal sections. Roll up each section starting with the large end into a crescent shape. Place onto a baking sheet and set aside to rise for about one hour.

At this time you can make the egg glaze. Take one egg and some milk and beat the egg until you cant tell the difference between the milk and egg anymore. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and brush on the glaze onto the top of the rolls. Bake for fifteen to twenty minutes or until a nice golden color appears.

Sweet Butter Rolls

Ingredients

2 packages active dry yeast
1/4 cup water, warm
2 cups milk, warm
1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp Kosher salt
6 1/2 flour
1 cup unsalted butter

Directions

In a large mixing bowl dissolve the yeast and 2 tablespoons sugar in warm water. Leave alone until foamy. Add in the milk, remaining sugar, 1 egg and salt. Mix well.
Slowly add in half of the flour and beat until smooth. Beat in the butter and then the remaining flour. Once a well-combined dough forms, form into a ball and rub a small amount of oil all over the surface. Cover and place into the fridge overnight.
The next day, remove the dough and punch it down, removing most of the trapped air. Divide into 2 sections and knead each a few times. Set aside to rise again for about 10 minutes. During this time, prepare the baking trays, lined with parchment paper.
Using a rolling pin, flatten the dough into a circle and cut into 12 equal sections. Roll them up like you do with crescents. Cover loosely with saran wrap and place into a warm area to rise for about an hour.
During this last rise, preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix 1 egg and 1 T of milk for a glaze. Brush the rolls with the glaze and bake for 15 to 20 minutes.

Cranberry Sauce Two Ways

2011-01-05T09:00:00.000-08:00

Better late than never, right?

So the next series of posts are based off the standard Thanksgiving dinner menu. In fact, I made these dishes a week before Turkey Day just because I knew I wouldn't be doing any of the cooking during the holiday weekend. What's funny is that I am the only one to have enjoyed this meal.

The following posts will cover what I believe are five of the more common Thanksgiving dinner options. They also are my top must haves at a holiday dinner. I will begin with cranberry sauce.

I love cranberry sauce. I use it instead of gravy on potatoes, I smother it over turkey and I drown my bread in it.

Normally I use the out-of-the-can stuff but as this is a cooking blog, it had to be from scratch. As I researched recipes and checked out possible options, one underlying theme came into light...

Making this stuff from scratch is ridiculously easy.

For that reason, I have below two recipes for cranberry sauce. One is a standard traditional recipe. The other has a bit of a twist. To find out about the twist, check out after the jump.

Process

As I mentioned, there are two recipes below. The first one is the standard cranberry sauce and it turned out perfect. As a self-proclaimed cranberry connoisseur, it came out exactly how I wanted it.

The second sauce, while good and definitely a twist on the standard, was not something a Thanksgiving purest would care for. It would go much better scooped over yogurt or vanilla ice cream. Think more on the dessert side of things.

Traditional Cranberry Sauce

While I would like to credit a single source on this recipe, I cannot. I read my normal food blogs, checked on Food Network and really just came up with a recipe based on what I read and absorbed. If I were to credit one single source, I'd say smitten kitchen gets top billing.

Begin by washing and sorting out the bad cranberries. This is easy and can be done in one simple step. Fill a container with water and drop the berries in. The good cranberries will float, the bad cranberries will not. Easy.

In a small saucepan, mix the water and sugar together and bring this solution to a vigorous boil. Now pour in the cranberries and half an orange's worth of zest. Bring the sauce back up to a slight boil. During this time the cranberries will give a noticeable pop. I imagine it to be similar to the screams of a boiling lobster, with less moral afterthought.

Let the sauce boil gently for about 10 minutes until it thickens. If you want it to be very thick, add in some cornstarch but it is fine without it. Remove the pan from the heat and squeeze in some juice from the orange. This adds some flavor and works as a preservative. Once the sauce has cooled enough, transfer it to a container and place into the fridge until ready to serve. The sauce keeps for about four days.

Cranberry Sauce with a Twist

Again, as mentioned above this works much better as a dessert but still tastes great. It just lacks the same succinct tart of tried and true cranberry sauce (if you cannot tell, I am a purest).

Begin as before by washing and sorting the cranberries. Good berries float, bad berries do not.

In a small saucepan bring the sugar and water to a boil. Add in the cranberries and frozen mixed berries (or fresh berries of your choice). I prefer frozen berries as they last nearly forever and can always be on hand when needed. Ashley will affirm our freezer currently has upwards of 10-plus pounds of various frozen fruit, 50% of which are raspberries. I love raspberries.

In addition, I would recommend adding in a dash of cornstarch. Unlike the previous recipe, I noticed the mixed berries don't form a nice gel consistency on their own and need some help.

Boil for about eight minutes and remove from the heat. Again squeeze in the citrus for it's wonderful preserving qualities. Let cool down for a little bit and then transfer to the fridge. This sauce keeps for about three days.

Cranberry Sauce Two Ways

Traditional Cranberry Sauce

Ingredients

2/3 cup sugar
1 cup water
1 bag of fresh cranberries (usually 10 or 12 oz.)
1/2 orange (for zest and juice)

Directions

Wash the cranberries and sort out any bad ones. This is super easy to do, just put them into a container of water and just don't use the ones that do not float.
Mix the water and sugar together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cranberries and orange zest and boil gently for about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat and squeeze in 1/2 of the orange. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Sauce stays good for up to four days.

Cranberry Sauce with a Twist

Ingredients

1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1 bag of fresh cranberries (usually 10 or 12 oz.)
1 bag of frozen mixed berries usually 10 or 12 oz.)
1/2 orange (for juice)
cornstarch

Directions

Wash the cranberries and sort out any bad ones. This is super easy to do, just put them into a container of water and just don't use the ones that do not float.
Mix the water and sugar together in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Add the cranberries, frozen berries and cornstarch and bring to a boil. Boil for about 8 minutes.
Remove from the heat and squeeze in 1/2 of the orange. Refrigerate until ready to serve. Sauce stays good for up to three days.

Cinnamon Rolls

2011-01-04T15:20:00.000-08:00

Hello there loyal readers (all six of you)!

It has been a long time since I have posted. A very long time and I apologize for that. This past month has been pretty hectic: holidays, traveling, and being just plain busy. While that is no excuse, I hope to offer some entertainment and assistance with procrastination (of which I am more than happy to help with, especially as I have noticed that the peak traffic on this site occurs during normal business hours).

With that aside, I bring you a post on cinnamon rolls. Made by scratch. With cream cheese frosting that bears a slight resemblance to Cinnabon. Yum.

I actually made these for the UC Cannoneers during a pre-bonfire meeting. It was a rather entertaining opening conversation. They rolled in hungover to my place (Golf Party occurred the evening before and most of you know how that goes), and were about to ask if we could move the meeting to IHOP for some greasy goodness. I preempted their request with a query of my own: "Would you guys like cinnamon rolls?" Needless to say that was all she wrote.

Process

This recipe is easy and delicious. First decide if you are planning on baking them right now or in a couple days. If you decide you have to have them right now, set aside about 2 hours to allow for the bread to rise. The dough is good for a couple of days if you want to pop them in the fridge or freezer for a later date.

Begin by preparing your yeast. Take one cup of milk and heat it up to about 100 degrees. Dissolve the yeast in the milk. Dissolve well. The better dissolved, the better the dough. While it's inevitable there will be clumps, do you best to get rid of them. Let the yeast and milk mixture sit for a few minutes and then check for bubbles. If the bubbles exist, then the yeast is alive and well.

In a large bowl, mix together the flour, sugar, salt, butter, and eggs. If you are using a stand mixer, use the paddle initially and switch to the dough hook once the mixture begins to set. After the running the dough hook for about three minutes, remove the dough and finish the kneading by hand.

Knead the dough until it has reached the point where it is "doughy" but no longer sticks to your hands. You are ready to begin the first rise. Roll up the dough into a ball and coat it in a small amount of oil (a couple drops is enough) and place into a covered bowl. Let the dough rise in a warm spot until it doubles in size. This should take about an hour.

Remove the dough from the bowl and using a rolling pin (or your hands), shape it into the form of a rectangle. Once rolled out, let the dough rest for about ten minutes. This allows the gluten to relax and will make for a more flaky roll. During this time, you can prep the brown sugar and cinnamon filling.

Mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together. Once the rectangle shaped dough has rested, generously spread the softened butter all over the top of the dough. Slather the cinnamon and brown sugar mixture over the top of the dough.

Now begins the fun part (and somewhat challenging if you don't pay attention). Begin at one side of the rectangle and roll up the dough. Make sure the ends are even or you will lose the filling. To seal up the end of the roll, use some water and a brush to ensure the roll stays in roll form during baking.

At this point you can either stop and leave until ready for a later baking or continue. Wrap the roll in saran wrap. If saving for a later date, place in the fridge for up to 48 hours until needed. The second rise will occur slowly in the fridge. In fact, leaving the dough overnight in the refrigerator will produce optimum rolls the next day. If you are the more impatient type, let the rolls sit in the plastic for about 30 minutes in a warm place.

Once ready to bake, make sure the oven is preheated to 400 degrees. Cut the rolls in 1/2 to 3/4 inch sections and place onto some baking implement. These can be made in round cake pans, on a cookie sheet, or in a Pyrex container. Any will suffice, but cooking time might vary slightly so be watchful.

Bake the rolls in the oven for 13 to 16 minutes. As I mentioned previously, this will vary on oven and baking pan. During this time, you can prepare the cream cheese frosting. I highly recommend a stand mixer for this as it will save you an incredible amount of time. Also, if the ingredients are at room temperature, the frosting will come together easier. Beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioner sugar, vanilla and salt until a nice gooey mixture is formed. Once the rolls are done baking, let sit for two minutes prior to spreading on the frosting. This ensures proper melted yummy goodness. Serve immediately.

Cinnamon Rolls

Ingredients

1 cup milk, warm
2 eggs
1/3 cup butter, unsalted
4 1/2 cups flour
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cups sugar
2 1/2 tsp yeast (one packet should suffice)

1 cup brown sugar
2 1/2 tbs cinnamon
1/4 cup butter, unsalted

3 oz cream cheese
1 1/2 cups confectioner sugar
1/4 cup butter, unsalted
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/8 tsp Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 400°F. Take 1 cup of the milk and heat it to 100°F. Dissolve the yeast in the milk and make sure it is well-combined and no clumps remain(should be bubbling after a few minutes).
In a large bowl, mix the flour, sugar, salt, butter and eggs. After the dough forms, remove and knead by hand. Knead for a few minutes and then place the dough into a bowl with a few drops of oil. Cover the dough with the oil and then cover to let the dough rise. Allow it to double in size.
About an hour later remove and roll out into a square sheet and let it rest for 10 minutes. During this time, mix the brown sugar and cinnamon together to form what will become the gooey cinnamon stuff.
Coat the dough square with an even layer of butter and sprinkle the cinnamon/sugar mixture over the entire square. Roll up the dough and seal with some water. At this point you can place in the fridge overnight for a second rise (makes for a more flaky roll).
Cut the roll into 1/2 inch pieces and place in a pan. If you did not already allow it to undergo a second rise, leave these pieces in the pan for about 30 minutes.
Bake the cinnamon rolls for 13-16 minutes. During this time, prepare the cream cheese frosting.
Beat together the cream cheese, confectioner sugar, butter, vanilla, and salt until a good consistency is reached.
Once the rolls have completed baking, let cool for 2 minutes before spreading the frosting on and enjoy!

Greetings from Korea!

2010-12-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

This post coming to you from Seoul!

I know I haven't been posting lately but due to the holiday season and work travels (this website definitely does not pay the bills) I am very far behind with recipes and several foodie adventures.

But for those of my friends that follow this blog, I have posts coming soon including Thanksgiving dinner, some Gastroclub updates and a special commentary on airline food (very exciting, I know).

Hope everyone is having a safe and holiday season!

-pat

Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Part 2 of 2 - Gruyère, Pancetta & Pear

2010-11-17T10:07:00.000-08:00

This is the second in a two part series about the grilled cheese sandwich. Click here if you want to read about the classic grilled cheese sandwich.

As I mentioned, today's grilled cheese adds some pizazz to the classic sandwich. I came up with this combination after trying to find something to pair with the tomato bisque that wasn't processed American cheese. I did some quick recipe searching and came across this little melt from Simply Recipes.

I improvised a bit based on what I had and while at first it might sound like a weird combination, it turned out to be a great mix of salty and sweet. Just ask Ashley, the grilled cheese expert and top critic.

Process

As with the classic grilled cheese, you can have some leeway with what you use in your sandwich stack. You can mix and match based on what you might think will be a good combo.

Here are some suggestions:

bacon will work just as well instead of the pancetta (I just had some leftover from my Godfather's Favorite pasta)
ham
apple
cranberry
persimmon
peach
white cheddar
Swiss
Comte

Whatever you choose, try to find components that don't over power the others. For my stack, the pancetta provided an extra kick of salt which went very well with the strong flavors from the Gruyère. The pear cut the intenseness just enough for the sweet and savory to blend well.

Begin by heating a skillet on the stove. After it has heated up, cook the pancetta to a desired crispiness. I prefer mine crisp and well-done but not burned. Remove from the skillet and wipe out anything leftover from cooking the pancetta.

Prep the rest of your ingredients: slice the cheese and pear. I would recommend to build your sandwich in the following order: cheese, fruit, meat and top off with the second slice of bread. Butter the top-side of the sandwich and place butter-side down and grill for three to four minutes. While this is happening, spread butter on the other side of the sandwich.

After the cheese is nice and gooey, flip the sandwich to toast the other side. Let this side cook for a few more minutes and then remove from the skillet. Cut the sandwich in half and serve immediately.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Gruyère, Pancetta & Pear

Ingredients

1 slice Gruyère
2 slices pancetta
1/2 pear, sliced
2 slices Sourdough Bread
butter

Directions

Heat up a skillet on the stove.
Prep your ingredients: slice the cheese and the pear. In the skillet, cook the pancetta to a desired crispiness.
Once the pancetta is ready, prepare the sandwich stack. Build your stack in the following order: Gruyère, pear, then the pancetta. Top with the second slice of bread and spread with butter.
In hot skillet, place the sandwich butter-side down and cook to a desired degree of toasty (anywhere from 3 to 4 minutes). While the sandwich is cooking, spread butter on the other side of the sandwich.
Flip and toast the other side. Remove from the skillet, cut in half and serve immediately.

Grilled Cheese Sandwich - Part 1 of 2

2010-11-16T08:00:00.000-08:00

This is the first of a two part series about the grilled cheese sandwich.

This series is actually inspired as an accompaniment to my recent tomato bisque. What else goes better on a cold, brisk November morning (unless you are in the Bay Area in 2010, I mean really, 85 degrees in mid-November?) than a steaming bowl of tomato soup paired with a fresh grilled cheese sandwich.

Part 1 will just go over the classic ol' American comfort food, while Part 2 will broaden your horizons of what can be considered a "grilled cheese sandwich." In addition, this will be a great lead-in to the upcoming round table by the Men of Real Men Bake and their recent Foodie Adventure at the Street Fixe: The "Wiches."

Background

I know you are probably thinking, classic grilled cheese, really? Everyone knows how to do that. Well, that may be so, but I do it my way and it's a good tie to the recipe in Part 2 (a version that I doubt you've thought of) and a good warm-up for the round table.

Deal with it.

Plus, I actually have changed my recipe over time based on experimentation with the few variables you do have to work with. And lastly, I'd love to hear your comments on what you do to make a grilled cheese, I think you'd be surprised at how diverse this rather simple food can be.

Process

While the basic concept of the grilled cheese sandwich is simple: bread and cheese, it is amazing at how much variation you can have. White, wheat, whole-grain are just a few of the bread choices and there are infinitely more cheeses. This recipe calls for the grilled cheese in it's most basic form (at least from my perspective).

Pick your bread, I use sourdough. In the past, I always used wheat as I wanted to feel like I was eating healthier food. I have found in my many iterations, that sourdough just tastes better.

Pick your cheese. For the longest time I used extra sharp cheddar and though it was the best thing, well, since sliced bread. I was wrong. If you desire that oh so gooey cheese dripping out of the hot sandwich that you get from those wonderful Mom & Pop Diners, then you need to use American cheese. Nothing beats the ability of American cheese to melt just perfectly in the way you want it.

Now onto the easy part, making the darn thing. Begin by heating up a skillet on the stove. Take the bread, place the cheese onto it and top off with the second slice. Butter the top piece of the sandwich and then place the whole thing buttered-side down into the skillet.

Let it toast for three to four minutes, it really depends on how you like your grilled cheese, very light or extra carbon ash. While it is toasting, butter the bottom-side of the sandwich. Flip it and let the other side have a go. Remove from the heat and enjoy!

Classic Grilled Cheese Sandwich

Ingredients

2 slices Sourdough Bread
2 slice American cheese
butter

Directions

Heat up a skillet on the stove to a good temperature.
Take a slice of bread and place two slices of American cheese onto it (2 if you like cheesy). Cover with the second slice of bread.
Using the butter, spread onto the top piece of bread. Transfer the sandwich to the skillet and place butter side down for 3 to 4 minutes (to desired toastiness). While the buttered side is cooking spread more butter onto the top piece of bread.
Flip the sandwich and toast the other side for another few minutes. Remove from skillet, cut in half and enjoy.

Sloppy Joes

2010-11-15T20:56:00.000-08:00

When I hear someone talk about sloppy joes, this is what comes to mind.

This recipe is what actually called for the chili sauce so if you have made that recently, then here's a great lead-in to something you can use it for: sloppy joes.

The Sloppy Joe - a very American dish known by many names across the country: Loosemeat, wimpies, sloppy janes are just a few. While there are some variations, one concept is the same, sloppy. These things do not stay together but that is just part of the charm. Just think the Carl's Jr. phrase.

Process

This recipe was inspired by the Sloppy Joe recipe from the 1997 edition of The Joy of Cooking.

Begin by heating some oil in a large skillet. While the oil is heating up, take the time to prep the rest of your ingredients, as it will speed up everything. Toss in the onion, along with the bell pepper, celery, thyme, salt and pepper. Let the onion cook until softened, but make sure it doesn't caramelize, about eight to ten minutes.

Transfer the onion-celery mixture to a bowl and set aside for now.

In the now empty skillet, increase the burner heat and add in the meat. Cook until the meat is nice and brown. This will take about 4 minutes.

At this point, take the onion-celery mixture and toss back into the skillet, along with the chili sauce, beer, Worcestershire, and Tabasco.

Once the ingredients are well-blended, cover the skillet and lower the heat to a simmer. At this point your own personal preference comes in. If you let the meat simmer for a short period of time (~10 minutes), you will have runny Joes, if you let the meat simmer for a longer time (20 minutes), the result will be more viscous Joes.

After the meat has simmered to your desired consistency, toast some hamburger buns and slop on the Sloppy Joes.

Sloppy Joes

Ingredients

1 1/4 lbs ground beef
1/2 cup Chili Sauce
1/2 cup beer (I used Blue Moon)
3 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, diced
1 red bell pepper, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 ~~celery stalk, finely diced~~ 1/2 celery stalk, finely diced
1 tsp thyme
ground pepper
Kosher salt
hamburger buns
Tabasco

Directions

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add in the onion, bell pepper, garlic, celery, thyme, and some pepper and salt. Cook until the onion has softened (do not caramelize), 8 to 10 minutes. Transfer mixture to a bowl and set aside for now.
In the same skillet, increase the heat and cook the ground beef until it browns, about 4 minutes. Toss in the onion mixture along with the Chili Sauce, beer, Worcestershire, and Tabasco.
Cover the mixture, lower the heat slightly and let simmer for 10-20 minutes. The time is really up to you, depending on how thick you want it.
Toast the hamburger buns and spoon on the Sloppy Joe mixture.

Tomato Bisque

2010-11-09T11:24:00.000-08:00

Soup. I have always thought that soups were relatively difficult to make from scratch, complex things with many flavors. As a result, I avoided them like the plague.

However, as the weather has been turning to cold (finally!), I have been looking for more seasonal influences to what I want to cook up. While I am not a fan of tomato soup of any kind, I had a request from Ashley to make her favorite soup: tomato bisque.

For those of you who do not know the difference between a tomato soup and a bisque, the answer is simply cream. The cream cuts the tomato flavor while making the soup thicker. I put a little too much cream into mine so the recipe below cuts the amount in half from what I actually used. It still tasted great but a smidgen too much of the tomato flavor was masked.

Process

I decided that I did not want to use store-bought, out of the can tomatoes. What's the fun with working by scratch if it's not all by scratch? I picked up four pounds of off the vine ripe tomatoes to use for this soup. Before you start, preheat your oven to 350°F.

First I began by seeding and chopping the tomatoes in half. Some recipes call to take off the skin, I decided not too and it made little difference in the end result. Place the tomatoes into a foil-covered pan with walls (so the juices don't leak). For seasoning, I drizzled olive oil, followed by generous amounts of ground pepper, oregano, and thyme. I then popped them into the oven for about 30 minutes. The time will vary, mainly you want them to look shriveled but yummy (very objective and precise criteria as you can see).

As the tomatoes are cooking (about half-way), you can start on the broth. Begin by melting the butter in a large sauce pan. Chop the onion and toss it into the butter. Let it cook until tender but not caramelized! This should take about five to seven minutes. Afterwards, sprinkle in the flour and stir until a foamy mixture forms.

To the pan, add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Make sure the broth has a vigorous boil before you move on. During this entire process, make sure you pay attention to the tomatoes as you want them roasted enough, but not charred.

Once the tomatoes are done, take them out of the oven and place into the boiling chicken broth. Make sure you include everything, juices and all. Add in the brown sugar and cloves and stir until dissolved. Reduce the heat and let simmer for about 30 minutes uncovered.

Once the soup has simmered it is time to puree it. As you know by now, I do not have a food processor, so I pulled out my handy-dandy blender. To ensure that there was still some gusto to my soup, I only put the tomatoes in at first and pulsed until fine. Only then did I add the broth and blended slowly to ensure thorough mixing.

I had to do this in two batches to accommodate the amount of soup I had. It makes no difference, just make sure you stir at the end to ensure similar consistency in the bisque.

Lastly, I added the cream and increased the temperature slightly below boiling and let it thicken for about 10 minutes. At this point, salt and pepper to taste. The soup didn't need any salt but did need a significant amount of pepper.

Tomato Bisque

Ingredients

4 lbs vine-ripened tomatoes, seeded
3 T butter, unsalted
1 onion, chopped
2 T flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 T brown sugar
~~1 cup~~ ~~heavy cream~~ 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 T cloves, ground
1 T oregano
1 T thyme
3 T pepper
1 T olive oil
salt to taste

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Seed and halve the tomatoes and place into a high-walled pan. Drizzle with olive oil, pepper, oregano, and thyme and roast for about 30 minutes.
While the tomatoes are roasting, melt the butter in a large saucepan. Chop the onions and cook in the butter until tender (5 to 7 minutes). Add in the flour until a foamy paste forms.
Add in chicken stock and bring to a boil. Mix in tomatoes, cloves, and brown sugar. Lower the heat and let the soup simmer for 30 minutes, uncovered.
Using a food processor, puree the tomatoes separately (batches are okay) and then blend with the broth.
Transfer back to the saucepan and add the cream. Heat up to slightly less than boiling and let the soup thicken for ~10 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Gypsy's Trattoria Italiana Godfather's Favorite Pasta

2010-11-02T08:00:00.000-07:00

This one is for my Cal people and anyone who has been to Gypsy's Trattoria Italiano in the Asian Ghetto.

For those of you who have no clue about the Ghetto, it is a food court of low cost college food that caters to the students of South side. While the quality isn't the best, it's open late, has a wide variety of food and is just part of the Cal college experience.

At Gypsy's, I only ever get one thing: the Godfather's Favorite. Now that I am out of school, I cant just pop over to Gypsy's when the craving happens. Well last week I was in the mood and decided to recreate my favorite dish.

While the recipe was not an exact copy-cat, it worked out well and definitely hit the spot.

Process

I began by checking the menu at Gypsy's which states I need chicken, pancetta, egg, Parmigiano cheese and penne pasta. I pretty much stuck to this outline sans the egg and used wheat penne. I also used Parmesan cheese rather than Parmigiano-Reggiano mainly due to cost (see $10+/lb).

I first started to heat up some water to for the pasta and then started cooking the pancetta in a skillet. While the pasta was cooking (if you do not know how to cook pasta, read the back of the box), I set the cooked pancetta aside and began cooking the chicken in the same skillet. I only used a little olive oil and pepper to season the chicken. In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat.

After the butter is melted, add in the heavy cream. Let the cream simmer until thick. This takes about five minutes. The cream is ready when it coats the back of the spoon without dripping. Slowly add the Parmesan cheese so it melts evenly. Bring the sauce to a boil and add in the rest of the spices.

About at the same time, the chicken and pasta should be done. The chicken can be cut into strips and added into the sauce. I crumbled the pancetta in at the same time as the chicken. Finally, I mixed in the pasta and tossed to coat. Shaved Parmesan and freshly ground pepper were used to garnish.

Gypsy's Trattoria Italiana Godfather's Favorite Pasta

Ingredients

8 oz pancetta
2 chicken breasts
1 lb penne pasta, wheat
2 cups Parmesan cheese, shaved
5 T butter, unsalted
1 1/2 cup heavy cream
1 T pepper
1 tsp nutmeg
Kosher salt

Directions

Heat up water to a boil and cook pasta according to package. Cook pancetta in skillet and set aside. Place a little oil in the skillet and begin to pan-fry th chicken, adding pepper to taste.
In a separate saucepan melt the butter over medium heat. Add in cream and simmer until thick (should coat back of spoon).
Slowly add in cheese to melt evenly and bring the sauce to a boil. Add in the pepper, nutmeg and a pinch of salt.
When the chicken is ready, cut in strips and add to the sauce. Crumble in the pancetta. Toss the pasta with the sauce and serve immediately. Garnish with Parmesan cheese and pepper.

Homemade Chili Sauce

2010-11-01T08:00:00.000-07:00

In my effort to increase my cooking repertoire, I am trying to learn how to make my own sauces rather than buy them commercially. Enter The Joy of Cooking.

The Joy of Cooking needs no introduction. It is a great reference not only for dish recipes, but sauces and other things of the like. In preparation of another dish coming soon, here is my take on The Joy of Cooking's Chili Sauce.

While chili sauce is very similar to tomato ketchup, there are a few differences that define the sauce. Chili sauce has a lot of texture and is zesty. There is a nice mix of spices ranging from cinnamon to ginger, and flavors from vinegar to brown sugar.

Process

This recipe can be scaled easily, so feel free to make any adjustments you need. Plus, chili sauce is really just a hodgepodge of spices so feel free to mix things up a bit.

Begin by chopping the onions and bell peppers and putting them into a food processor (or as in my case, a blender). Process the onion and bell peppers until they reach a fine consistency and then pour into a large saucepan.

Add in all the remaining ingredients. For the tomatoes, make sure they are peeled, seeded and chopped. Mix thoroughly and bring the sauce to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for three hours. Make sure to stir often to avoid burning. Feel free to adjust seasonings as it cooks to your tastes. Let it cool and place in the fridge where it will keep for about a month.

Homemade Chili Sauce

Ingredients

3 red bell peppers, chopped

3 onions, chopped

7 lbs tomatoes, peeled, seeded, & chopped

1 1/2 cups cider vinegar

1 cup light brown sugar

1 T Kosher salt

1 T black pepper, ground

1/2 T allspice, ground

1/2 tsp cloves

1/2 tsp ginger, ground

1/2 tsp cinnamon, ground

1/2 tsp nutmeg, ground

Directions

Combined chopped onion and red peppers into a food processor until fine. Place into a large sauce pan (3 quart).
Peel, seed and chop tomatoes. Add into saucepan. Add remaining ingredients and stir thoroughly.
Bring mixture to a boil and lower heat to simmer. Let cook for ~3 hours (the longer the thicker the sauce). Make sure to stir often to prevent burning.
Store in refrigerator for up to 1 month.

Dexter's Candied Blood Slides

2010-10-31T19:01:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!

I absolutely adore this holiday and in honor of this spooky evening, I decided to do something that is creepy all by itself: Dexter's Candied Blood Slides.

Those of you that follow Dexter Morgan know exactly what these are. If you are not familiar with the show then the following might help.

Dexter is about a serial killer, Dexter Morgan, who works as a blood-spatter analyst for the Miami Police Department by day, and kills deserving criminals by night. As with most serial killers, Dexter keeps a memento of each killing: a blood sample of each victim stored on glass microscope slides.

In honor of Dexter and Halloween, I have decided to recreate a candied version of Dexter's blood slides. I cannot take credit for this idea as I found it perusing Forkable.

Process

These were actually really easy to make, although I did not cook the sugar enough, resulting in the slides warping at room temperature. Oh well, you live and learn and they still satisfied my sweet tooth.

Begin by bringing the corn syrup, sugar, and water to a boil. Stir the mixture until the sugar dissolves. After it has dissolved, stop stirring the sugar and let it cook. If you stir it too much, sugar crystals will form at the edges and will disrupt the final product.

Let the mixture turn a nice golden color (the picture to the left is an example of NOT golden enough). If you have a candy thermometer, let it come to hard crack. This is where I botched and didn't let the sugar cook long enough. As I mentioned this has the effect of not forming as solid and warped at room temperature.

Pour the melted sugar onto the parchment paper and push out to make a large "glass" plate, as thin as possible. Let it sit for about fifteen minutes to cool. Afterwards, heat a large flat edge or crummy knife (as heating a blade over a flame is not ideal for nice knives) to cut out the slides. Between cuts, clean off the knife with water so the sugar doesn't accumulate.

If there are sharp edges, you can use your finger dipped in water to smooth them out. Once you have cut all your slides, put them into the fridge to harden. Once ready, using a toothpick drop some red dye onto the center of each slide and let dry.

Dexter's Candied Blood Slides

Ingredients

1 cup sugar
1/3 cup light corn syrup
red food dye
kabob skewer/toothpick
2 T water

Directions

Line cookie sheets with parchment paper. Bring the sugar, corn syrup, and water to a boil. Stir until the sugar dissolves. After the sugar dissolves, leave alone until the sugar turns golden, 7 to 10 minutes (this is where I didn't let the sugar golden enough).
Pour the melted sugar onto the parchment paper and use a kabob skewer to flatten out. Try to make the slides as thin as possible for realism and ease of cutting. Let cool for 15 minutes.
Using a large flat edge (knife works, but use a crummy one), heat up the edge over a burner. After the blade is hot, use it to cut slides out. Wash off the blade after each cut as the sugar will start accumulating on the edge. You can use water to smooth the edges.
Let the slides harden in the fridge for 15 minutes. Using a toothpick place a drop of red dye in the center of the slide to mimic the blood. Let the dye dry and serve.

Foodie Adventures: Whisky and Cheese Tasting

2010-10-29T13:10:00.000-07:00

This post we are leaving the kitchen and doing some field research: Whisky and Cheese Pairing & Tasting at The Cheese School of San Francisco.

I know what you might be thinking, cheese and ...whisky?

Yes. Wine is not the only thing that can be paired with cheese.

In fact, that is the point of this place: to share and expand one's knowledge of cheese. They have classes ranging from Cheese 101 to wine and beer pairings to cheese tasting from specific regions of the globe.

Before I get any further, I definitely recommend anyone taking any of the classes they offer. Check the upcoming classes and find one that interests you. Grab a few friends too. I promise you wont be disappointed.

Both Mike and I went on this little excursion and greatly enjoyed the learning experience.

The Cheese School of San Francisco

Some time ago, Mike found out about this place and asked a bunch of our friends if anyone had any interest in going. Well, being fans of whisky, we decided to attend the whisky and cheese class. Whisky is my liquor of choice and I like to take any opportunity to learn more about it.

The School itself is tucked away upstairs on a quiet stretch of Powel St. (a few blocks from Pier 39) and right as we entered we were greeted by Sara (the owner), Sarah (the assistant) and a nice cocktail: Black Maple Hill Kentucky Bourbon*, Bundaberg Ginger Beer, and Regan's Orange Bitters No. 6 combined in one-third parts each garnished with a lime.

*Black Maple Hill Kentucky Bourbon is made from bulk whisky from Heaven Hill Distilleries but not bottled by them (as I found when I went searching for their website, of which there is none).

Mike and I then spent some time questioning Sara and Sarah, learning about their backgrounds, the history of the Cheese School, and some of their cheese preferences and suggestions (all the while getting a nice refresher on the cocktail). Sarah also works at Cowgirl Creamery in the Ferry Building and said to check them out as well.

After a nice chat, it was time to start the tasting.

Class Begins: Whisky and Cheese

Moving into the tasting room, everything was already setup with designated spaces per person. We were then introduced to our instructor for the evening: Wil Edwards.

Wil, a NYC native (as was made quite obvious), is a professional photographer and has been trained by master cheese makers worldwide. He did a great job of not only selecting the whisky and cheese for the evening, but did a great job of explaining professional cheese jargon into a more colloquial form. In addition, he paired some good accompaniments to help with the flavors of both the whisky and the cheese.

While there are numerous types of whisky, Wil decided to focus on Single Malt Scotch Whisky from a good mix of regions in Scotland. His main goal was to "do no harm" to either the whisky or the cheese flavors.

The Whisky

Whiskies listed left to right

Glen Grant 10-Year, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Speyside)

Grade: A

This whisky was very approachable and smooth to the palate. Vanilla and oak flavors are prevalent in the nose. Palate begins with cinnamon and vanilla and ends with a little kick of pepper. Very delicate whisky. Recommended neat as diluting with water destroyed the flavor. Very easy to drink for those new to scotch whisky. This was my favorite of the batch neat before the pairings began.

Bowmore 12-Year, Single Malt Scotch Wishky (Islay)

Grade: B

Very smokey aroma. Taste begins peaty (as common with Islay distilleries) but ends with honey and smoke, salty. The whisky was very smooth, even with the peat flavors. Diluting with water enhances flavors. Good representation of Islay malt whisky, not for those new to whisky.

Glen Garioch Founder's Reserve, Single Match Scotch Whisky (Highland)

Grade: C

Oak and vanilla nose. Palate begins sweet but is overcome by maltiness. The finish lingers at the back of your throat, finally ending with peat. Not a smooth whisky in any sense of the words. This was my least favorite of the selection.

The Glenrothes Vintage 1985, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Speyside)

Grade: A-

The aroma begins with a nutty sweet smell but gives way to a hint of chocolate. The palate with smooth beginning with a honey and vanilla taste. The Glenrothes ends hard but is warming. Very good whisky.

Auchentoshan Three Wood, Single Malt Scotch Whisky (Lowland)

Grade: A-

Triple distilled and super smooth, three different barrels are used beginning with American oak bourbon, then Spanish oloroso and ends with a sherry cask. You can really taste the influences of the three barrels. This whisky is sweet and warm and has numerous flavors that come through. The palate begins with a buttery almond flavor, moving to a dark liqueur fruit flavors, ending with oak. Good whisky and recommended for those who enjoy a fusion of flavors and influences from other regions. You'll notice that this whisky was the toughest to pair as the flavors have to mesh just right.

The Cheese

Start at 12o'clock and work clockwise.

Capriole, O'Banon

Provenance: Greenville, Indiana

Type: Pasteurized goat's milk

This cheese is wrapped in a chestnut leaf and soaked in bourbon. Very strong and pungent odor. Smooth without a lingering taste on the palate.

Grade: A-

Best Pairing: Glenrothes, hands down. The nutty, roasted flavor really goes well with the cheese.

Worst Pairing: Bowmore. The cheese cuts the peat flavor but overall the tastes just don't pair well.

Honorable Mention: This also goes well with the Glen Grant. The citrus flavors match well and enchance the flavors of the whisky.

Brillat Savarin

Provenance: Île-de-France, France

Type: Pasteurized cow's milk

This is a triple creamed cheese with 75% butterfat. That enough should give you an understanding of the flavors of this cheese. Light, creamy and almost spreadable.

Grade: B+

Best Pairing: This pairs best with the Bowmore. The peaty flavors mesh with the creaminess is a very good harmony. The cheese becomes smokey and cuts the harshness of the peat.

Worst Pairing: Auchentoshan.

Comte

Provenance: Jura/Franche-Comte, France

Type: Pasteurized cow's milk

This cheese is made in a specific region on the west side of the Alps in France. You can think of it as a better Gruyère. Tasty and not overwhelming. My favorite cheese of the bunch.

Grade: A+
Best Pairing: Glen Garioch. While this whisky was not my favorite neat, pairing it with the Comte changed the flavor completely.

Worst Pairing: Bowmore.

Abbaye de Belloc

Provenance: Pyrenees, France

Type: Pasteurized sheep's milk

Very light cheese, high in butter fat. Creamy.

Grade: B
Best Pairing: This did not really pair well with anything. If anything the Glen Grant, Bowmore and Glenrothes were mediocre.

Worst Pairing: Glen Garioch and Auchentoshan

Jasper Hill Farm, Moses Sleeper

Provenance: Greensboro, Vermont
Type: Pasteurized cow's milk

Kind of harsh taste.

Grade: C+

Best Pairing: Glen Garioch. The sweet and butterscotch taste takes a slight backseat to the cheese but then finishes well.

Worst Pairing: Auchentoshan

Honorable Mention: The Glenrothes Vintage pairs well but the cheese overpowers the whisky at the end.

Montgomery's Cheddar

Provenance: Somerset, England

Type: Raw cow's milk

This is a bandage wrapped cheddar. Strong aroma and taste. A very good cheddar.

Grade: A
Best Pairing: Glen Garioch. The tastes blend well together and give a very interesting finish (I'll let you try that one yourself).
Worst Pairing: Auchentoshan
Honorable Mention: The Glen Grant gives a good foundation by starting strong and then giving way to the cheese.

L'Amuse Gouda

Provenance: Holland

Type: Pasteurized cow's milk

Very hard to pair. This is a classic Gouda is texture and taste.

Grade: B
Best Pairing: The Glenrothes Vintage pairs well with this Gouda and neither over powers the other's flavors.
Worst Pairing: Auchentoshan. Alcohol destroyed the cheese flavor.
Honorable Mention: Glen Grant

Jasper Hill Farm, Bayley Hazen Blue

Provenance: Greensboro, Vermont

Type: Raw cow's milk

Just what you would expect from a blue cheese, intense with flavor.

Grade: B
Best Pairing: This is the only cheese that paired with the Auchentoshan and the two went very well together. You need an intense cheese to mix with the several flavors coming from the three casks the Auchentoshan sits in.
Worst Pairing: Bowmore.
Honorable Mention: The Glenrothes Vintage went nicely with the Hazen Blue.

The Accompaniments

Acme walnut levain & sweet baguette

June Taylor spiced pear butter

Marcona almonds

Dried apples & pears

Fresh Gala apples

With whisky you simply want to avoid salty foods. Sweet food and fruits compliment the liquor well.

Final Thoughts

This was quite an interesting experience. I was quite shocked at how some of the flavors palates changed when combined with a good (or bad) cheese pairing. As this was my first experience in the realm of artisan cheese, it was a very informative session as well. Like I said earlier, go to the Cheese School and try it out, I know I'll be back. Oh and if you needed visual proof this evening was a huge success, see below.

El Torito's Sweet Corn Cake

2010-10-26T10:00:00.000-07:00

At first glance you might be wondering what the hell this is...

Well, it is El Torito's Sweet Corn Cake.

Still confused? If you have ever been to El Torito, it is that little ice cream scoop of corn goodness that they give with just about every hot dish on the menu. I am fanatic over it and I figured that I should learn how to make it.

What makes this even better is that this is the actual recipe for their sweet corn cake. I got it from a chef at a near-by El Torito. While I know you are hoping for a really cool story about how I obtained the recipe James Bond style, I just simply went in and asked for it.

Process

Start by preheating your oven to 350°F. Put your butter in your mixer and whip. A lot.. This is really where the stand-up mixer will greatly help as whipping butter by hand is just plain irritating. Continue to whip until the butter is very fluffy. Yes, that kind of fluffy. Add in the masa harina (corn flour) and water gradually until blended.

Prepare your corn. Either use fresh cobs or frozen stuff, either one will work. I used fresh corn (mainly because I had these in my fridge and needed to use them). Place them into a food processor and pulse a few times until it is coarsely chopped (again I used my handy-dandy blender). Stir into the masa harina.

Take the cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder, and salt and combine in a large mixing bowl. This will make a corn paste that you will want to mix in with the masa harina mixture relatively quickly. The cake mix has an interesting texture as it really isn't a batter or a dough.

Pour the corn cake mix into a greased 8-inch dish and cover with aluminum foil. Take this pan and place it into a larger dish. I used my small and large Pyrex dishes for this as they fit easily into each other. Fill the larger dish with hot water and place into the oven. Let it bake for about fifty minutes. Check on the water in the large pan every so often and make sure it stays full. Be careful though as this water gets to be boiling and can hurt.

After it is done, take it out of the larger dish and let sit for fifteen minutes before you serve.

El Torito's Sweet Corn Cake

Ingredients

2/3 cups butter, unsalted
1/3 cup masa harina (corn flour)
4 T water
10 ounces frozen corn kernels or 2 fresh cobs worth of kernels
3 T cornmeal
1/3 cup sugar
2 T whipping cream
1/4 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp Kosher salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whip butter in mixer until fluffy. Gradually add in masa harina and water until well-combined. Coarsely chop corn in food processor and add to the mix.
Combine cornmeal, sugar, whipping cream, baking powder, and salt together in a separate bowl. Mix in with masa harina mix.
Place into a greased 8-inch pan and cover with aluminum foil. Take this dish and place it into a larger dish and fill with hot water. Bake for 50 minutes, ensuring the water bath maintains a good level of water. If needed, add hot water.
Remove from water bath and let sit for 15 minutes being serving.

Homemade Churros

2010-10-25T19:27:00.000-07:00

The churro.

An amazing combination of fried dough, sugar and cinnamon goodness; especially scrumptious when hot and freshly rolled in cinnamon sugar. Based on my extensive research, everybody loves them.

In continuing with the Mexican theme these past few days and at Ashley's suggestion, I decided to make Homemade Churros.

After that choice was made, I went on a fact-finding mission to see just what it would take to make your own churros. What amazed me was that I had everything I needed already in my pantry. How awesome is that? I can guarantee that if you ever do anything baking related, you do as well.

Process

I spent some time searching online for what appeared to be a good, easy, at-home recipe and I finally landed here. The instructions were pretty clear and the results, well, I will let those speak for themselves.

Begin by heating some oil in a large frying pan. A good depth of the oil is about two inches. As with all frying, the temperature is crucial. If you have a frying/candy thermometer you want to be at 375°F or at the doughnut marker. Any hotter and you'll burn, any cooler and the churros will be soggy. If you do not have a thermometer, there is a quick little test you can do (which I will explain later).

If you have cinnamon sugar already, great. If not, you can easily make some by combining a teaspoon of cinnamon to a quarter cup of sugar. Depending on your preferences, you can change this ratio easily.

Using a three-quart saucepan, combine the water, brown sugar, salt and butter together and bring to a boil over medium heat. After it has reached a vigorous boil, remove from the burner and add the flour. Mix thoroughly (can be done by hand or a mixer). In a separate bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla together and then add to the flour mixture. Mix by hand until the dough is well combined.

To get the signature star-shape that churros have, you can use a cake decorating tool with the largest star-shape. If you do not this equipment, that's okay, you can fry the dough without it, just make sure none of the churros are too big or it wont cook throughout.

You can test to see if the oil is ready by dropping some dough in it and observing. If the churro bubbles and sizzles immediately, it is ready. Let each side of the churro cook for about 1 minute each. You can do a few test runs (and tastings) to get a good feel for how long the dough should stay in the oil. I also played with some funky shapes (as you can see in the title picture), feel free to mess around and have fun.

After the churros are done cooking, remove from the oil and place onto a paper towel. This will absorb any excess oil. Roll the churros into the cinnamon sugar mixture and serve immediately. As you can see below, I also served the smaller churros with vanilla ice cream and they proved to be a great accompaniment.

Homemade Churros

Ingredients

1 cup water
2 T brown sugar
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/3 cup butter, unsalted
1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat 2 inches worth of oil to 375°F in a large frying pan. On a plate, mix the 1/4 cup sugar with the 1 tsp cinnamon and set aside.
In a 3 quart saucepan add the water, brown sugar, salt, and butter mixture together. Heat until a vigorous boil. Remove from heat and add the flour. Mix thoroughly.
In a bowl, beat the eggs and vanilla together and then add into the flour mixture until well-combined.
Using a frosting decorating tool with a large star attachment, proceed to squeeze dough into the oil. You can test if the oil is ready with a frying/candy thermometer or dropping a test piece of dough in. If ready, the dough will bubble and sizzle right away.
Let each side of the dough cook for about 1 minute each. Remove from the oil and place on paper towel to absorb excess oil.
Roll into cinnamon sugar and serve immediately.

Turkey Soft Tacos with Mexican Rice

2010-10-24T10:44:00.000-07:00

Mexican food is the one type of food I could eat over and over and still always be in the mood for it. In fact, I actudally had tacos for lunch before I came home and made my own.

In addition, it goes with my mini Mexican food series of posts that began with Natalie's salsa. Just wait until the desserts are posted, they were a ton of fun to make.

Back to the dish at hand: tacos and Mexican rice. I couldn't find any ripe avocado's so the guac in the picture is store bought, but I promise to throw up my chunky guacamole soon.

I know what you're thinking, tacos? Tacos are easy, why make a post about tacos. Well, this post is mainly about the Mexican rice rather than the tacos but both are included. Think of it as a two-for-one.

Background

Since I was in college, I used to make Mexican rice with most of my meals inspired from south of the border. However they all consisted of this. Fancy, eh?

Well since I began to get more into cooking, I really have been trying to use whole foods fresh rather than things from a pre-packaged box that almost cooks itself. Out goes the Rice-A-Roni and in comes doing it by scratch.

The amazing part is that it pretty much is the same recipe in terms of procedure and ingredients, the key difference being the use of fresh ingredients and your own seasoning.

The result? A Mexican rice that is far superior to any San Francisco treat!

Process

Both of these dishes can be prepared simultaneously if you have enough bandwidth to do it. Begin with the rice by heating olive oil in a large skillet. I used an electric skillet that my Mom gave me and I love it. It works great, controls the temperature well and adds a lot of extra cooking space. Brown the rice on a high heat. Chop up the onion and garlic and add into the skillet. Leave this on high heat for three to five minutes until the garlic is fragrant and the onions have softened.

In a separate sauce pan heat up the chicken stock to a simmer. Add the tomatoes, oregano, and salt. After two minutes, pour the stock into the rice. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce the heat and then cover. Leave the rice for twenty to twenty-five minutes to cook. Make sure you stir every so often so the rice doesn't burn while you prepare the tacos.

In another skillet, cook the turkey meat. This will take about eight to ten minutes. Drain the fat and then mix in the taco seasoning and water and let simmer until the flavors are soaked in and the sauce is thick. This will take about five to eight minutes.

Prep some sides and toppings. I used lettuce, sour cream, guacamole, cheddar cheese, and Natalie's salsa. It's tacos, you know the drill. If you timed it right, the rice will be ready at the same time.

Turkey Soft Tacos with Mexican Rice

Ingredients

Mexican rice
2 T olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups rice
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup tomatoes, diced
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt, Kosher

Turkey tacos
1 lb ground turkey
3/4 cup taco seasoning
1 cup water
hard or soft taco shells (flour or corn)
salsa
cheese
sour cream
lettuce
guacamole

Directions

Heat up oil in skillet and brown rice. Add in onions and garlic. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes.
In a saucepan, bring the chicken broth to a simmer. Add in the tomatoes, oregano and salt. Pour the broth into the rice and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and cover. Let simmer for 20 to 25 minutes.
In a skillet, cook the meat. Drain the fat and then add in the taco seasoning and water. Cook for 5 to 8 minutes until the sauce thickens.
Fill up the taco and top off with your favorite toppings.

Natalie's Salsa

2010-10-22T07:00:00.000-07:00

My all-time favorite salsa.

Period.

I am totally in love with this salsa. It is smokey and spicy and can be easily modified for preferences.

As the title might suggest, this recipe is not my own. I have shamelessly stolen it and made it countless times over. This recipe came from a good friend of mine, Natalie. She also blogs (though not about food) and has a road less traveled ("deviant" in her own words) take on scrapbooking.

Recipes like this are part of my new thing in making all my own sauces instead of buying commercial. In some cases it's easy and even cheaper, in other instances not so much. Either way, the accomplishment in making your own sauce is satisfying.

Background

Way back in the before time of 2007, I began to attend the annual Labor Day party that Natalie and her husband throw. The food is Mexican and it is good. It was after this first appearance that I then begged the recipe from Natalie, of which she gladly gave it to me.

Process

As you will see, this salsa is easy. I have learned and discovered that when things are this easy and good, why not make your own? Forget the store bought stuff and use fresh veggies and simple ingredients.

Begin by preheating your oven to 400°F and taking the Roma tomatoes, onion, garlic, Serrano peppers and place them on a sided baking tray. It is easier to cut the onions in quarters to prevent rolling and help roast more evenly. Let them sit in the oven for 12 to 15 minutes. It is the roasting that gives this salsa it's unique flavor.

Once the veggies are roasted, remove them from the oven (and any juices that leaked) and transfer them into a food processor. This is one thing in the kitchen I do not have and I am now really starting to feel it with my increased cooking. I use a blender which works fine for the salsa but has hurt me in other dishes. All this teaches me is that I need a food processor soon.

Into the food processor goes the cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice. Pulse the salsa until chunky but combined. You can serve immediately (though it will be warm from the oven) or cool in the fridge until you need it.

A few notes about the recipe:

Feel free to change the pepper type or quantity based on your preferences. The Serrano works well but two of them might be a bit hot for some people (I prefer hot).
I used a Habanero chili in lieu of one of the Serrano peppers once. It was spicy. Very spicy, but good, if you like spicy.
Depending on consistency you can go for chunky or liquid, but I think a good medium is best for these particular flavors.

Natalie's Salsa

Ingredients

1 lb Roma tomatoes

1 white onion, quartered

4 garlic cloves, peeled

2 Serrano chilies

2 tsp cumin

1 tsp salt

1/2 cup cilantro, chopped

1/2 lime, juiced

Directions

Preheat your oven to 400°F. Place Roma tomatoes, onion, garlic, and Serrano peppers on sided baking tray. Let roast for 12 to 15 minutes.
Transfer roasted vegetables and any juices into a food processor. Add cumin, salt, cilantro, and lime juice and pulse until well-combined but still chunky.

Red-Wine Spaghetti with Broccoli

2010-10-21T07:00:00.000-07:00

Sometimes you just have to try it...

This recipe first crossed my eyes as "purple pasta." Once I read the ingredients, I was definitely skeptical. Who soaks pasta in wine? I quickly dismissed the recipe as a joke. But as the days passed I thought, "You've never tried something like this [and no one I spoke to had either]. Who knows?" Curiosity started to do its thing. The tipping point finally occurred when one of my roommates proclaimed "This Thursday is Thirsty Thursday. We should eat and drink lots of wine!" Little did she know that we really were going to "eat" lots of wine.

Process

The recipe I started from was Michael Chiarello's, however his recipe calls for using tips of Broccoli Rabe. My Safeway had none, so I opted for just broccoli heads. That, and I couldn't recall what broccoli rabe tastes like.

This is definitely one of those recipes where you want your ingredients all prepped and ready to go before the real cooking begins. Start by boiling a pot of water. The pot should be large enough for all your broccoli, as well as cooking your pasta.While the water is heating up, start removing the stems off the broccoli. How much of the stems you leave on is your preference, but I chopped most of mine off. The result should be bite-sized.

Finely chop your garlic, I used my handy slap-chop. Add salt to the boiling water (add the amount recommended by your pasta, or to your personal tastes). Blanch the broccoli but save the water. Blanching will bring out the flavor (and color) which is important to balance out the wine. With your broccoli draining and cooled, start boiling the pasta in the same water. You won't be cooking it all the way, so keep your eyes on it. Remove the pasta, and keep about a cup of the water.

Next, put the wine and sugar in the pot and get that to a boil. While thats going, start warming up a large deep skillet in prep for your olive oil. Once the wine has boiled for 2 minutes, add the pasta back in. For about 6 minutes the pasta will absorb the wine and complete being cooked. Meanwhile, add the oil, garlic and red pepper to the skillet and cook over medium heat until the garlic is golden. At that point, add the broccoli, salt and pepper and let that fuse for a minute or two. Then transfer the pasta-wine to the skillet (it should all fit) and add that saved cup of water. Toss in the skillet for a few more minutes then remove from the heat.

Drizzle with some more olive oil to prevent sticking, and mix in your cheese and you're ready to eat! I finished my dish with a side of grilled chicken, and I must say, I was rather pleased with the results. My roomie even "volunteered" to eat the leftovers for lunch the next day! The wine was not overpowering at all, and blended well with the cheese and broccoli. I even had a glass (or three) of white wine to go with it. ;)

Red-Wine Spaghetti with Brocolli

Ingredients

2 pounds broccoli, stems removed
1 pound spaghetti
1 bottle Zinfandel (750 ml)
1 teaspoon sugar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, finely chopped (2 tablespoons)
1 teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 cup grated Parmigiano-Reggiano Cheese

Directions

Blanch Broccoli in salted water. Keep water.
Cook spaghetti in same water for 5 minutes (will be undercooked). Keep a cup of the water.
Bring sugar and wine to a rigorous boil, and boil for 2 minutes.
Add spaghetti and continue to boil for 6 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Meanwhile, add olive oil, garlic, and red peppers to a large deep skillet and cook over medium heat until garlic is golden.
Add broccoli, salt, and pepper to the skillet and stir for 1 minute.
Add spaghetti, wine, and the reserved water to the skillet. Continue to cook for a few more minutes.
Remove from the heat, drizzle with olive oil, mix in the cheese.