IDEAS IN FOOD

Smoked and Dried Roe

We spent the past few days working with lobster. The roe is always a battle ground for idea development. Since we had the smoker going it went there first. After 45 minutes we put it into the dehydrator. We felt the moderate heat of the dehydrator would cook and dry the roe. The roe became vibrantly red. It was a color red we had not witnessed in lobster roe before. It has us thinking that like chicken eggs, the temperature we cook roe at is essential to the end result. The roe is moderately smoky with an ocean air flavor. As a base seasoning it has transformed gnocchi. As an ice breaker for ideas it has cleared a new path. Time to taste and explore the possibilites.

Years Past

March 24, 2012

Posted on March 24, 2013 at 11:59 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tom Ford

This video is longer than what we usually put on the website. You need a little time to curl up with it. It's totally worth it because it's the story of a man who knew what he wanted, wasn't afraid to go after it on his own terms and succeeded. That is something I think we all aspire to regardless of our particular muse.

Tom Ford is an icon for a reason.

Years Past

March 23, 2012

March 23, 2010

March 23, 2005

Posted on March 23, 2013 at 04:56 PM in Beyond the Kitchen Doors, Not Food Related | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lime Pickle Lime

We seasoned a fresh lime with powdered lime pickle from Cultured Pickle Shop. It made sense. The combination became the most complex lime we have ever experienced.

Years Past

March 22, 2012

March 22, 2005

Posted on March 22, 2013 at 08:52 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Smoked Bragg

Another delicious development from our smoker.

Years Past

March 21, 2012

Posted on March 21, 2013 at 06:15 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

Instead of an Egg

What does an egg do in baked goods? It provides liquid, fat and protien. It helps emulsify ingredients. It adds structure. It contributes to tenderness. And it has a great flavor. We were asked about useful egg substitutes for baking. Since we did not have a good answer, we dove into the project head first. Our recent work with gluten free cooking had flaxseeds front and center. We knew they were good viscosifiers. A quick search on thickening with flaxseeds led to a video on making hair gel. The resulting product looked like thick egg whites. So we made some, omiting the aromatics. For ours we boiled 50 grams of flax seed with 450 grams of water. When the mixture was thick and viscous we strained it through a fine mesh strainer. Cheesecloth will work. With this egg substitute we started baking. We use it as a gram for gram substitute for eggs in baked goods. Chocolate chip cookies were the first experiment. The results, served at a dinner party, left us with nothing but a plate with a few crumbs. We will continue to share results through the testing phase of this vegan egg substitute. Feel free to do the same.

Years past

March 20, 2012

Posted on March 20, 2013 at 04:45 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (8)

Old Walls

Walls are obstacles. They are support structures. They define a space. I see texture. Texture allows for traction. We can climb walls. We can push off of walls. We can build on top of them. A wall tells a story about the past. It shows what has come before. It provides the platform for growth. Don't just knock it down. Look closely and explore.

Years Past

Posted on March 19, 2013 at 07:52 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Wee Bit Salty

We left the fennel in our pickle pot for 4 days. When we pulled it out it was visibly pickled. It had shrunken in size. It had a firm texture. After we rinsed the fennel off we tasted. It was salty. It had a delicious pickle tang. And it was incredibly inedible. The fennel was a salt lick. We soaked it in cold water for a few hours to leach out some salt. The fennel was less salty. It was still inedible. Our starting point of 15% salt for our pickle pot was too high. So we are adding more sorghum and flaxseed to the pot. The salted fennel will find a home curing another ingredient.

Years Past

March 18, 2012

March 18, 2005

Posted on March 18, 2013 at 09:26 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Crackling Crust

The problem with many quick breads and cakes is the lack of contrasting textures. Fruits, vegetables and nuts add body. There is certain pleasure in sinking your teeth through the different layers within a bite of cake. The inclusions add bursts of flavor. But quick breads can become boring quickly. To combat this we like to add a sugar crust. A mixture of sugar, vanilla, salt and water is stirred together to form a sandy paste and brushed on top of the cake for the last 10-15 minutes of the baking time. It forms a delicate lacey crust. Looks can be deceiving. When you bite into the cake it is crisp and flavorful, sugary and crunchy. Its texture and sweetness varies with each bite making it perfect for slowly savoring.

Generally speaking we stir together 1 tablespoon of sugar, a teaspoon of vanilla, a few grains of salt and 3 tablespoons of water to make about ¼ cup of paste. Then we use a pastry brush to coat the entire surface of the cake about 10 minutes before the cake is done and return it to the oven to finish baking.

Years Past

March 17, 2013

Posted on March 17, 2013 at 10:05 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Concentrated Carrots

We started again with the idea behind the tastiest beet ever. We peeled gigantic horse carrots. They were sweet, crisp and juicy. We put them into hotel pans in a CVap set at 185°F. We cooked the carrots for 2 hours until they were cake tester tender. When the carrots were cooked we noticed a carrot water in the hotel pans with them. It was carroty. We poured the carrot water into a pot and reduced it by 7/8. When it was done we reserved it. We cut the carrots in half and put them into a dehydrator set at 150°F. We dried them for 10 hours. When the carrots developed a thick exterior skin and felt soft on the inside they were done drying. We put them into a bowl with the carrot water reduction and glazed them. To balance the carrots sweetness we added yogurt whey. The lactic tang brought the carrots into balance. To serve them we tempered the carrots. Then we roasted them briefly in a wood fired oven. They shared equal billing with the whey monte poached scallops.

Years Past

March 16, 2012

March 16, 2011

March 16, 2011 (2)

March 16, 2011 (3)

March 16, 2010

March 16, 2009

March 16, 2009 (2)

Posted on March 16, 2013 at 10:11 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Slow Roasting

The pork shoulder was rubbed with a smoked Mexican chile paste. We put the meat on a rack on a sheet pan and refrigerated it overnight. The exterior dried and the flavors of the chile paste penetrated the meat. We set the oven to 250°F and put the shoulder in a pan. Then we put it in the heating oven and roasted it for 5 hours. As the fat rendered out of the pork we used it to baste the shoulder. The meat was done when it started falling off the bone. We let it rest as long as we could and then tore into it. We dragged the meat through the flavored fat. The crispy outside bits were savored first. The meat on the bottom of the shoulder turned out to be the real treasure. It was crispy and drenched in the flavored fat. This may not be not our prettiest work, it is some of our tastiest.

Years Past

March 15, 2013

March 15, 2011

March 15, 2005

March 15, 2005 (2)

March 15, 2005 (3)

Posted on March 15, 2013 at 08:06 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Not Just For Tomatoes

We were doing a book signing at the Stockton Market. We wanted to show off our no-knead pizza dough. Making pizzas in the space did not make sense. We adapted. We prepared the dough and baked it like focaccia. Except we made it sweet. We learned this from Laura Sbrana. She used to make a breakfast focaccia with fresh grapes for her guests at The Tuscany Inn. The leftovers used to fuel our harried mornings in the kitchen preparing for dinner. It has become a go to staple in our repetoire. Since grapes were not abundant we went to the cupboard. We sprinkled the olive oil slathered dough with raw sugar, cinnamon and vanilla powder. We baked it at 400°F for 35 minutes. Aromas filled the kitchen. The sugar caramelized on top. The olive oil sizzled underneath. The foccacia was chewy and springy in between. Our preparation was not traditional. It was delicious.

Years Past

March 14, 2012

Posted on March 14, 2013 at 12:45 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Corned Beef and Cabbage

We started with a beef shank. We seasoned it with salt. We put it on a baking rack set in a sheet pan in the refrigerator. The air dried the surface of the shank and the time allowed the salt to penetrate the meat. After 3 days we nestled the shank in a bed of kimchi. We roasted the shank for 7 hours at 250°F. We occasionally basted and rotated the meat. Mostly we waited. When the shank was browned and falling off the bone we pulled the pan from the oven. We let then meat rest for 30 minutes. We carved the shank and served it with the roasted kimchi on a bed of mashed potatoes.

Years Past

March 13, 2012

March 13, 2011

March 13, 2011 (2)

March 13, 2009

March 13, 2005

March 13, 2005 (2)

Posted on March 13, 2013 at 02:00 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ron Finley

A thought provoking discussion of how our urban food systems are broken, from the viewpoint of LA's South Central neighborhood, and how incredibly easy and surprisingly hard it is to fix them.

Years Past

March 12, 2012

March 12, 2011

March 12, 2010

March 12, 2009

March 12, 2008

March 12, 2008 (2)

March 12,2007

March 12, 2007 (2)

March 12, 2006

March 12, 2005

March 12, 2005 (2)

Posted on March 12, 2013 at 03:00 PM | Permalink | Comments (3)

Capturing Flavor

We learned this technique from Kevin Nashan of Sydney Street Cafe and his saute cook, Ming. They barely cook shellfish and then cut them into slices. To finish the preparations they sear them on one side on a hot plancha, drizzle them with flavored fat and put them into a container with a lid to steam and rest. The confined steaming and resting allow the shellfish to relax. The browned bits on the shellfish mingle with their natural juices and the fat to create a luxurious sauce. The drippings which are often lost are captured in the deli container and delivered to the diner.

Years Past

March 11, 2012

March 11, 2006

March 11, 2005

Posted on March 11, 2013 at 07:08 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Eggplant Cheeks

We developed this recipe during the inspiring workshop at Niche. It started as a beef cheek. That was the plan. Unfortunately there were no beef cheeks. So we looked at what we had and the idea came together. There were plenty of beef trimmings around because we were working on pressure cooked sauces. We made the broth using the sauteed ground trim from filet mignon and a pressure cooker. We added red wine, onions, garlic, and soy sauce. The broth was intensely beefy. Thinking through the idea of what a beef cheek is to me the aesthetic and texture of eggplant was pretty darn close. We cut the bottoms and rounded ends of the eggplants off. We seasoned them with salt and froze them. Then we deep fried the eggplant to evenly brown the exterior without turning the inside to mush. We put the eggplant cheeks into a hotel pan and covered them with the intense beef broth. We cooked the eggplant in a 300°F oven for 1 hour. Then we cooled the eggplant in the braising liquid. The following day we rewarmed the eggplant, removed it and cut each "cheek" in half. We strained and de-fatted the sauce one more time. Then we thickened the sauce with 0.15% gelatin. We poured half of the sauce over the cheeks to glaze them in the oven. The remaining sauce we reserved in a pot to lacquer the cheeks on the plate. The finished eggplant combined its flavor with rich beef. The texture resembled a rich and tender beef cheek. We paired them with our black radish "elvers" and "aligote" potatoes. The potatoes and their quotes are another dish for another day.

Years Past

March 10, 2012

March 10, 2005

Posted on March 10, 2013 at 03:50 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

From Frozen

It is exciting to experience how the results change. This time we cooked our gluten free potato gnocchi from frozen. We heated a pot with meat sauce and added the frozen dumplings. The gnocchi had a tendency to sink to the bottom of the sauce and stick. When we lowered the heat they were able to simmer gently in the sauce. The gnocchi cooked this way were extremely tender. They were potato pillows coated in meaty tomato sauce.

Years Past

March 9, 2012

March 9, 2009

March 9, 2006 (2)

March 9, 2005

Posted on March 09, 2013 at 08:30 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

The Dinner At Suna, A Video

An Evening at Suna from Clubhill Media on Vimeo.

Years Past

March 8, 2012

March 8, 2011

March 8, 2005

Posted on March 08, 2013 at 05:31 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

Book Signing at Stockton Market

What are you doing this Sunday? We'll be hanging out at Stockton Market in Stockton, New Jersey. It's just across the rive from PA. It's one of our favorite places, you can find us there almost every weekend, especially in the winter. We go for Amaya's favorite cookies,the macaron from Sciasa Confections. We're always excited to see what new things Bret Cavanaugh has on display. He makes beautiful and functional wood carved items like the candle holder pictured below. If we're there around lunchtime it's the perfect place for barbecue at > than Q, formerly named Mighty Quinn's Barbecue. Or if we've already had lunch we can often be found savoring a scoop of ice cream from Half Pint Kitchen. Last weekend we bought a Calamansi lime tree, from the flower guy inside the front door, that we're doing our best not to kill. Hopefully buying an established potted tree will work in out favor. There's lots to do and plenty of other food and farm stands to check out. So come join us on Sunday March 10, 2013. We'll be there all day, from 10am-3pm, selling and signing copies of our book Ideas in Food, Great Recpes and Why They Work and enjoying the market. We'd love to meet you there.

Years Past

March 7, 2012

March 7, 2005

Posted on March 07, 2013 at 05:00 PM in Beyond the Kitchen Doors, Books | Permalink | Comments (0)

Black Radish "Elvers"

Years ago we paired buffalo hangar steak with eggplant puree, julienned black radish and eel sauce. The filaments of black radish resembled the baby eels known as elvers. Using the eel sauce was a simple connection. For the dinner at Niche we revisited this visual connection. This time we cooked the black radish in a blend of butter and olive oil infused with garlic and chile flakes. We seasoned the "elvers" with lemon zest, juice and chopped parsley. Pictured is a test run of the cooked black radish without the final addition of parsley.

Years Past

March 6, 2012

March 6, 2005

Posted on March 06, 2013 at 05:36 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Apple Brûlé

It is remarkable what happens when you switch up the ingredient used in a technique. While working over the French flat top the topic of onion brûlé came up. What if we were not interested in charring the surface of onions. What if we made apple brûlé instead? The aroma that permeated the kitchen would make David Bouley rethink his famous apple entryway. Heck, we may do this daily with seasonal fruits just to perfume our kitchen and dining room. Of course we were not only looking for aroma. We took the charred, though still mostly raw, apples and juiced them. The flavor bridging the burnt sugars and the bright acidic fruit was incredible. As the weather changes we will look at what other flavors we can exploit in this manner.

Years Past

March 5, 2012

March 5, 2005

Posted on March 05, 2013 at 10:01 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pickle Pot

Tradition dictates that toasted rice bran, salt and water are mixed together. This mixture is stirred daily and fed vegetables to introduce and cultivate lactic acid bacteria. These sacrificial vegetables are removed daily and eaten or composted. The pot is stirred and another sacrifice is made. It takes time to culture a pot. We appreciate the process. It is a stepping stone for an evolution. We took our gluten free sourdough starter and added 15% salt. We mixed the two together. We buried a head of fennel in it and will check it in a few days. Our starter is rich with tang and life. And if this works as planned it will be the foundation for further custom flavored pickle pots.

Years Past

March 4, 2006

Posted on March 04, 2013 at 08:56 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (4)

KitCam

I have a new favorite app for my phone. It's KitCam. I'm always looking for ways to improve the pictures I can take with my iphone and my biggest gripe has always been lack of white balance. In my search for adjustable white balance I also stumbled across an app that can increase and decrease the level of exposure, which is a beautiful thing. The photograph below was taken in dim lighting at a restaurant and you'd never know it. It can be a little slow to load and the white balance settings aren't perfect but the pros far outweigh the cons and I can honestly say that KitCam is one of the best apps on my phone. So if you like to take pictures with your ipad or phone definitely go check it out. Totally worth the $2 investment.

Years Past

March 3, 2012

Posted on March 03, 2013 at 06:50 PM in At the Table | Permalink | Comments (2)

Bulletproof Beurre Monte

Beurre monte, butter emulsified in water, has been a staple in many kitchens. Thomas Keller and David Bouley made them famous. Beurre blanc has been around for centuries. The faster more basic beurre monte is utilitarian. It can be seasoned and flavored in an instant. It may be used to enrich a sauce or as medium to butter poach lobster. It can and should be used to rest meat.

As a young cook I broke many a monte. And the emulsion separated at the most dreadful of times. At the end of a night of service we used to have left over beurre monte. This sauce would be discarded. Depending on how busy we were would depend on how much really good butter was wasted. These two issues have stuck with me for years. They were the guiding forces for creating our bulletproof beurre monte. The added benefit of our sauce is it uses less butter and allows more flavor to be percieved. The lactic notes of the butter are carried through the water. Think about how a splash of water added to single malt scotch enhances the experience. What makes the sauce bulletproof? It can be simmered. iIt can be cooled. It can be reheated. Occasionally we put it back into the blender to shear everything together. We have made this sauce with brown butter and assorted nut oils. The flavorings depend on what we are cooking. The model remains the same.

Bulletproof Beurre Monte

250 grams water

0.375 grams (.15%) xanthan gum

1.25 grams (.5%) gum Arabic

450 grams butter cut into medium dice

50 grams extra virgin olive oil or other flavored oil

2.25 grams (.3%) salt

Put the water in a blender and turn it on low. Increase the speed until a vortex forms in the water. Sprinkle the xanthan gum and gum arabic into the blender and increase the speed to medium high. Blend for 30 seconds to disperse and hydrate the hydrocolloids. Pour the thickened water into a pot set over medium high heat. When water comes to a simmer start whisking in the cold butter. Whisk the butter in in small amounts until it is fully emulsified. Put the hot butter mixture back into the blender and turn the speed on low. Increase the speed to medium and pour in the olive oil and the salt. Increase the speed to medium high and blend to fully emulsify the mixture. Pour the mixture back into a pot or bain marie and keep in a warm spot if using immediately. Otherwise cool the mixture down and reheat when ready to use.

Years Past

March 2, 2005

Posted on March 02, 2013 at 07:18 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (4)

All Together Now

We continued cooking gnocchi without blanching. This time we heated a shallow pool of a slightly liquid bolognese sauce. Once it began to bubble we added the gnocchi. The sauce came about halfway up the sides of the dumplings. When the mixture came back to a gentle boil we swirled the pan a few times, covered it and lowered the heat. We let the gnocchi cook for about five minutes. They swelled and poached in the moist environment. We spooned the plumped dumplings onto a plate, showered them with freshly grated cheese and dug in. They were light and delicate, seeming to melt in our mouths. Amaya adored them and so did we. Best of all there was only one pot to clean.

Years Past

March 1, 2012

March 1, 2011

March 1, 2010

March 1, 2009

March 1, 2008

March 1, 2008 (2)

March 1, 2007

March 1, 2006

March 1, 2005

Posted on March 01, 2013 at 06:31 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Why Blanch?

We have reformulated our gluten free potato gnocchi. We added some egg yolk and parmesan. We also wanted to see what would happen if we used our What IiF flour in the mix. All three adjustments made a difference. The first time we made GF gnocchi we formed them and refrigerated them until we were ready to cook. At that point we boiled them in salted water and finished them in sauce. In our latest version we were going to follow a similar path, except we wondered why we blanch the gnocchi. Is it a necessary step? It turns out there is no need. We took the gnocchi and sauteed them in brown butter. The outside became crisp and caramelized. The interior was soft and steamy. Nothing was lost to a vat of boiling water. These gnocchi cooked up differently, smaller and slightly more toothsome, and they were just as delicious.

Gluten Free Potato Gnocchi

1150 grams peeled russet potatoes

9 grams fine sea salt

36 grams/ 2 large egg yolks

160 grams What IiF flour

60 grams grated parmesan

Put the potatoes in a bowl that fits inside a pressure cooker. Season the potatoes with the salt. Put 1 inch of water in the bottom of the pressure cooker and put the bowl inside. Cook the potatoes on high pressure for 20 minutes. Let the pressure dissipate naturally. Remove the potatoes from the pressure cooker and press them through a food mill or potato ricer. Chop the egg yolk into the potatoes. Sprinkle the flour over the potatoes and fold it into the mixture. Sprinkle the parmesan over the potato mixture. Knead the flour and cheese into the potatoes until a homogeneous dough forms. Cut the dough into 4 pieces and roll each piece into logs. Cut the logs into 1 inch pieces. Roll the pieces of dough on a gnocchi board. Put the dumplings onto a parchment paper lined pan. Refrigerate the gnocchi until they are cold. Saute the gnocchi in brown butter and finish with cheese, pepper and herbs, if available.

Years Past

February 28, 2012

February 28, 2011

February 28, 2010

February 28, 2009

February 28, 2008

Febraury 28, 2007

February 28, 2006

February 28, 2005

Posted on February 28, 2013 at 04:24 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Outside Influences

Is it the end of the month already? This year is flying by. The trick is making the most of each day as it happens. Seems like a good night to share the love with a few interesting links:

GIrls Scouts are everywhere around these parts, hawking their cookies. As a kid my family didn't buy many but in season there was usually a box of Samoas in the freezer just waiting to be enjoyed. Gesine, one of our favorite cookbook authors, created a Samoa Tart that spawned all sorts of ideas that you may find here soon.

Alex is quoted in this article on home carbonation by Julia Moskin. As regular readers know we're cultivating our own ginger bug and various homemade sodas and fermentations in general are a particular passion of ours that we are happy to discuss and explore given any opportunity. And in case you missed it we were both mentioned in the January issue of Bon Appetit talking about some of our favorite things, the Thermapen and the Baking Steel.

A very cool looking Japanese book on Architecture and Macaroni.

A piece on our upcoming dinner and workshop in St. Louis with Gerard Craft by Barbara E. Stefano for Feast.

A great lesson on how to use a pastry bag by The Brave Tart.

An interesting piece on black garlic by the Nordic Food Lab.

Sister Corita Kent’s Timeless Rules for Learning and Life, Hand-Lettered by Lisa Congdon via Brain Pickings.

Years Past

February 27, 2012

February 27, 2011

February 27, 2010

February 27, 2009

February 27, 2008

February 27, 2007

February 27, 2006

February 27, 2005

Posted on February 27, 2013 at 07:41 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ira Glass

Found via Patrick Rothfuss' blog and true for chefs and any creatives as well as writers:

Ira Glass on Storytelling from David Shiyang Liu on Vimeo.

Years Past

February 26, 2012

February 26, 2011

February 26, 2010

February 26, 2009

February 26, 2008

February 26, 2007

February 26, 2006

February 26, 2005

Posted on February 26, 2013 at 07:27 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Twisted

Gemelli is simply elegant. The twists and turns of the noodle provide a variety of textures. They allow sauces to penetrate. The bends allow flavors to cling. It is amazing to think about the design ideas behind pasta.

Years Past

February 25, 2012

February 25, 2011

February 25, 2011 (2)

February 25, 2010

February 25, 2009

February 25, 2008

February 25, 2007

February 25, 2006

February 25, 2005

Posted on February 25, 2013 at 07:38 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sprouting

The corn converts itself from starch to sugars. It becomes sweet again. Questions sprout. Can we make sweet corn grits? Can we make our own corn syrup? What about bourbon? Is the corn now easier to digest? Are there more available nutrients? It's a good idea to let ingredients grow. Observing the process changes our own.

Years Past

February 24, 2012

February 24, 2011

February 24, 2010

February 24, 2009

February 24, 2008

February 24, 2007

February 24, 2006

February 24, 2005

Posted on February 24, 2013 at 07:31 PM in Approach to Cooking, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

How Do You Define Success?

"I don't believe in perfection, I believe in evolution."

-Dominique Crenn

Years Past

February 23, 2012

February 23, 2011

February 23, 2010

February 23, 2009

February 23, 2008

February 23, 2007

February 23, 2006

February 23, 2005

Posted on February 23, 2013 at 01:37 PM in Beyond the Kitchen Doors | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Starting Point

Is chicken noodle soup ramen?

Observations inform us. Opinions distract us.

We begin with what we think we know.

We get to where the questions take us.

Years Past

February 22, 2012

February 22, 2011

February 22, 2010

February 22, 2009

February 22, 2008

February 22, 2007

February 22, 2006

February 22, 2005

Posted on February 22, 2013 at 09:38 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cavatelli and Fettuccine

Both happen to be gluten free. Both are made with What IiF flour. Gram for gram.

Years Past

February 21, 2012

February 21, 2011

February 21, 2010

February 21, 2009

February 21, 2008

February 21, 2007

February 21, 2006

February 21, 2006 (2)

February 21, 2005

Posted on February 22, 2013 at 01:43 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Our Ginger Bug

Our copy of Sandor Katz's book The Art of Fermentation is becoming well worn, underlined and post-it littered. The conversational language is engaging. Sandor draws you into the world of fermentation. Once inside he feeds your brain like a starter. The book is full of information, ratios and suggestions. To make our ginger bug we ran with his suggestions. We combined 300 grams of water, 150 grams of light brown sugar and 150 grams grated organic skin on ginger in a bowl and stirred it. We covered the bowl with cheesecloth to deter any unwanted visitors. We followed Sandor's instructions to stir the mixture often to incorporate the gingers surface yeasts and lactic acid bacteria. The technique allows them to eat more often. We ignored his suggestion to add additional grated ginger and sugar to the mix. After 2 days our bug was bubbling and active. It is ready to make ginger beer.

Years Past

February 20, 2012

February 20, 2011

February 20, 2010

February 20, 2009

February 20, 2008

February 20, 2007

February 20, 2006

February 20, 2006 (2)

February 20, 2005

Posted on February 20, 2013 at 08:06 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gluten Free Yeasted Chocolate Cake

We continue to put our What IiF flour through its paces. Today we used it in our yeasted chocolate cake. In a gram for gram substitution the flour worked wonderfully. Eating the cake there was no talk of gluten free. The conversation revolved around the complex flavor of the cake.

Years Past

February 19, 2012

February 19, 2011

February 19, 2010

February 19, 2009

February 19, 2008

February 19, 2007

February 19, 2006

February 19, 2005

Posted on February 19, 2013 at 07:32 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Popcorn Hominy

We tried to follow a traditional path. We made one alteration. Our results at nixtamalization with baking soda did not go the right way. We still ended up with delicious grits. We combined 1000 grams of water, 10 grams of baking soda and 150 grams of un-popped popcorn in a pot. We brought the mixture to a boil. The popcorn turned orange in color. We simmered the popcorn for 15 minutes. We removed the pot from the heat and covered it. We let the popcorn soak overnight. The following morning we rinsed the popcorn. The hulls did not come off easily as we expected. We put the kernels in the pressure cooker and cooked them for 45 minutes. When they were cooked the hulls had split. We could tediously peel the popcorn. In frustration I put the warm popcorn into our food mill. I was able to separate the corn from the hull. The corn was starchy and rich. We added some of the cooking water to the flesh. The modified nixtamalization elevated the flavor of the corn. We had wonderfully full flavored popcorn grits.

Years Past

February 18, 2012

February 18, 2011

February 18, 2010

February 18, 2009

February 18, 2008

February 18, 2007

February 18, 2006

February 18, 2005

Posted on February 18, 2013 at 06:05 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Gluten Free Gochujang

I am a gochujang addict. We have a number of people in our lives who are gluten intolerant. Gochujang contains wheat. I have a problem. So we took our gluten free sourdough starter and added Korean red chile, brown sugar, salt and water. We mixed everything together and packed it into a glass jar. The initial flavor is delicious. We are looking forward to what some time and lactic fermentation will do to the mix.

Gluten Free Gochujang

200 grams gluten free sourdough starter

200 grams Korean red chile flakes

200 grams water

100 grams light brown sugar

35 grams salt

This is what we blended together. We don't have the finished results. As is, unfermented, it is a tasty condiment.

Years Past

February 17, 2012

February 17, 2011

February 17, 2010

February 17, 2009

February 17, 2008

February 17, 2007

February 17, 2007 (2)

February 17, 2006

February 17, 2005

Posted on February 17, 2013 at 08:13 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Smoked Coriander

Coriander has taken on a new personality in our kitchen. The smoking highlights the citrus in the coriander. It tames its funky aroma. The results are delicious. The applications endless. Maybe next time we will smoke the coriander with coriander. Now we cook.

Years Past

February 16, 2012

February 16, 2011

February 16, 2010

February 16, 2009

February 16, 2008

February 16, 2007

February 16, 2006

February 16, 2005

Posted on February 16, 2013 at 07:58 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (6)

All the Way

The pork chops were thin. The saute pans were thinner. The chops were end cuts and richly marbled. I did not have time to actively cook. Braised pork chops to the rescue. I seasoned the chops with salt and covered them in New Castle Brown Ale. I added healthy doses of Heinz: ketchup, mustard and relish. I topped the condiment covered chops with onions dressed in Bragg's liquid amino acids. The onions were my flavored cartouche. I put the chops in a 325°F oven and let them cook for 2 and a half hours. (mind you I was cooking at 7500 feet) I looked in the oven occasionally. I basted the meat and pushed the onions down. When the chops were tender I pulled them out to rest. The meat was fork tender. They were succulent. The delicious sauce created was a rich sweet and sour. Thankfully it was plentiful. I see all the way seasoned and cooked chops becoming an all the time addition to our table.

Years Past

February 15, 2012

February 15, 2011

February 15, 2010

February 15, 2009

February 15, 2008

February 15, 2007

February 15, 2006

February 15, 2005

Posted on February 15, 2013 at 08:18 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Last Minute

It is amazing how crazy the last minute can be. And we love it. The frenetic pace. The challenge of success or failure. Sure, smooth and planned is wonderful. But there is something special about the last minute. Now what if we could take the drive and persistence of the last minute and apply it to everything. We'd think a bit faster. Decisions would be made quickly. Results would be registered. Every minute can be a last. It's a frame of mind.

Please don't confuse last minutes with prolonged procrastination. That is laziness.

Years Past

February 14, 2012

February 14, 2011

February 14, 2010

February 14, 2009

February 14, 2008

February 14, 2007

February 14, 2007 (2)

February 14, 2006

February 14, 2005

Posted on February 14, 2013 at 10:15 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

In Texture We Trust

What is perfectly cooked? Achieving a desired texture and flavor. These eggs were stacked on top of each other on one side of the pan. This allowed the yolks to be perched higher up. The eggs were liberally seasoned with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. The whites sizzled and popped in the residual sausage fat. The pan was covered. For sure I would have overcooked hard and charred eggs. I was wrong. The yolks were sunny side up. The whites were crispy and caramelized. I inverted my eggs on whole grain toast. I did not make a sandwich. The texture of the whites eliminated the need for a top. I savored each bite. The sausage had its own incredible texture. It was cooked in the pan and allowed to render on high heat. It was evenly crispy on the outside. The inside was tender and juicy/fatty. I slathered the second slice of toast with marmalade. It was a sweet and sour indulgence to the end of breakfast. This was a meal I could not have planned. I will now be replicating it often.

Years Past

February 13, 2012

February 13, 2011

February 13, 2010

February 13, 2009

February 13, 2008

February 13, 2008 (2)

February 13, 2007

February 13, 2006

February 13, 2005

February 13, 2005 (2)

Posted on February 13, 2013 at 11:17 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Smoked Crushed Red Pepper Flakes

A simple idea. Delicious results. An essential new addition to our kitchen.

Years Past

February 12, 2012

February 12, 2011

February 12, 2010

February 12, 2009

February 12, 2008

February 12, 2007

February 12, 2006

February 12, 2005

Posted on February 12, 2013 at 08:22 PM in Approach to Cooking, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Alexander's Steakhouse San Francisco

We are looking forward to having a lot of fun playing with meat. We have dialed in the menu for the upcoming dinner at Alexander's Steakhouse. If you can't make the dinner on February 22, 2013 there are spaces available for the all day beef workshop on February 23, $250 per person.

Alexander's Steakhouse

Ideas in Food

heart-beet tartare: cured beef heart, beets, puffed tendon

bone marrow tots: uni thousand island, mendocino uni

36hr veal tongue: pepperoni broth, italian kimchi, korean rice cakes

Miyazaki bms 9 ribeye in three services: “dry aged”, smoked, salad

boneless beef short rib: crispy dungeness crab rice, spring garlic

beef carpaccio: shaved triple cream cheese, pickles

tallow doughnuts: cinnamon, lime, lemon curd

nine courses
$230 per person
tax and gratuity excluded wine pairings available

2.22.13

448 Brannan Street

San Francisco, CA 94107

415.495.1111

Years Past

February 11, 2012

February 11, 2011

February 11, 2010

February 11, 2009

February 11, 2008

February 11, 2007

February 11, 2007 (2)

February 11, 2006

Posted on February 11, 2013 at 06:48 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (3)

Yeasted Chocolate Cake 4.0

You can't have chocolate without vanilla. We started this whole process with yeasted chocolate cakes. The original results were good and tasty. They were not delicious and push-worthy. The success of the vanilla cake allowed us to quickly fine tune our chocolate version. The chocolate recipe is very similar to the Vanilla Model. There are changes. Pay attention to them in the recipe.

Yeasted Chocolate Cake

Makes 1 large bundt cake

350 grams AP flour

100 grams dark cocoa

50 grams non-fat milk powder

400 grams light brown sugar

6 grams instant yeast

5.7 grams fine sea salt

212 grams (4 large) eggs

300 grams whole milk

40 grams vanilla paste or extract

450 grams melted and cooled unsalted butter

Put the flour, cocoa, milk powder, brown sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl and use a whisk to blend together. Put the eggs, milk, vanilla paste and melted butter in a separate bowl and whisk them together until fully blended. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until a smooth batter is formed. Transfer the batter to a large container with a lid or cover the bowl with plastic wap. Leave the batter at room temperature. After 4 hours, remove the lid and use a rubber spatula to mix the batter together again. Cover the container or bowl and let sit at room temperature for 18 hours. The batter will rise and nearly double in volume.

Preheat an oven to 325°F / 163°C.

Use a rubber spatula to fold/ stir the batter upon itself and then pour it into a bundt pan sprayed with pan release or coated with butter. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the batter rise for 30 minutes. Discard the plastic wrap and bake the cake for 1 hour and 15-20 minutes, depending on your oven. A cake tester inserted in the center will come out clean and the cake will feel firm to the touch. To be sure, use a thermometer to check the cake's temperature. It should read between 98-99°C/ 208-210°F. Put the cake in its pan on a cooling rack. After 15 minutes invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan. Let the cake cool. Slice and devour.

Years Past

February 10, 2012

February 10, 2011

February 10, 2010

February 10, 2009

February 10, 2008

February 10, 2008 (2)

February 10, 2007

February 10, 2006

February10, 2005

Posted on February 10, 2013 at 05:15 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (4)

Props

They help tell a story. They accent food. They can get in the way. They should be functional. Too many pull focus from the food. They are more difficult to use than you would think. Less is more.

Years Past

February 9, 2008 (2)

February 9, 2007

February 9, 2006

February 9, 2005

Posted on February 09, 2013 at 07:44 PM in Approach to Cooking, Beyond the Kitchen Doors, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Biscuit and Bacon Crumbs

We love biscuits with bacon. Unfortunately we cannot crush a single batch of them. For too long we have not bothered turning day old biscuits into something useful. Instead, they often die the death of forgotten foodstuffs. Recently Aki was smart enough to take the day old biscuits and grind them up with some bacon. They became the tastiest bread crumbs. They are delicious broiled on top of our Mac and Cheese. We look forward to using them baked on fish and finishing pressure cooked cassoulet.

Years Past

February 8, 2005

Posted on February 08, 2013 at 03:44 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

A Ramen Equation

The video and the idea behind the series is interesting. What are the elements of a dish which are instrumental to its success?

A Culinary Equation :: Episode 1 - Ramen from Christian Remde on Vimeo.

Years Past

Posted on February 07, 2013 at 05:22 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yeasted Vanilla Cake

This cake is rich, moist and buttery. The time it takes to leaven allows for both flour hydration and flavor development. Of course the proof is in the eating and truthfully no one will care how you made it because they will enjoy it so much.

Yeasted Vanilla Cake

Makes 1 large bundt cake

450 grams AP flour

50 grams non-fat milk powder

400 grams sugar

6 grams instant yeast

5.7 grams fine sea salt

212 grams (4 large) eggs

300 grams whole milk

40 grams vanilla paste or extract

450 grams melted and cooled unsalted butter

Put the flour, milk powder, sugar, yeast and salt in a large bowl and use a whisk to blend together. Put the eggs, milk, vanilla paste and melted butter in a separate bowl and whisk them together until fully blended. Pour the wet mixture into the dry and whisk until a smooth batter is formed. Transfer the batter to a large container with a lid or cover the bowl with plastic wap. Leave the batter at room temperature. After 4 hours, remove the lid and use a rubber spatula to mix the batter together again. Cover the container or bowl and let sit at room temperature for 18 hours. The batter will rise and nearly double in volume.

Preheat an oven to 350°F / 176°C.

Use a rubber spatula to fold/ stir the batter upon itself and then pour it into a bundt pan sprayed with pan release or coated with butter. Cover the pan loosely with plastic wrap and let the batter rise for 30 minutes. Discard the plastic wrap and bake the cake for 1 hour and 5-8 minutes, depending on your oven. A cake tester inserted in the center will come out clean and the cake will feel firm to the touch. To be sure, use a thermometer to check the cake's temperature. It should read between 98-99°C/ 208-210°F. Put the cake in its pan on a cooling rack. After 15 minutes invert the cake onto the rack and remove the pan. Let the cake cool. Slice and devour.

Years Past

Posted on February 06, 2013 at 11:55 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Recipes | Permalink | Comments (20)

Lacto Lemons

We took the the lemons from starting our lemon vinegar and added minced onions, salt and red pepper flakes. We mixed everything together and weighted the mixture down with a water filled zip top bag. In less than a week the sweet lemon flavor has transitioned into a lactic sourness. Small C02 bubbles started to surface. The lemons are maturing. The bitterness from the pith is subsiding. We will jar these lemons up in the morning and let them continue to mature.

This process was eye opening to the possibilities for restaurants with bar programs where peels are discarded by the bushel. And on a larger scale take a look at the citrus industry. The supply of peels may be endless. With an endless supply is endless potential.

Years Past

Posted on February 05, 2013 at 05:27 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Alexander's Steakhouse

Dinner and a Workshop in San Francisco

February 22-23, 2013

Alexander’s Steakhouse and Ideas in Food

are collaborating in February for a workshop and a very special meal.

The beef-centric dinner, prepared by H. Alexander Talbot and Marc Zimmerman is on
Friday February 22, 2013 at 7:00 pm. Seats are limited and priced at $230 per person.

The 6-hour workshop will be held in the Alexander’s Steakhouse kitchen on Saturday, February 23, 2013 from10:00 am to 4:00 pm.

In this class we will be exploring unusual and overlooked cuts of beef and the different techniques used to make them delicious. The price for the class is $250 per person.

Please contact the restaurant for reservations.

448 Brannan Street San Francisco, CA 94107 (415) 495-1111

Years Past

February 4, 2006 (2)

February 4, 2005

Posted on February 04, 2013 at 04:06 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kimchi-Blue Cheese Goodness

The wings are oven roasted. Fried are also delicious. When they are cooked we dust them with our kimchi flour. We serve them with our kimchi-blue cheese dressing. Reward yourself and make the kimchi-blue cheese goodness. Wings not required. Let the game begin.

Kimchi-Blue Cheese Goodness

200 grams kimchi

100 grams St. Agur blue cheese

150 grams Crème Fraiche

Put the kimchi on a cutting board and finely mince it. Break apart the blue cheese and put it in a bowl. Stir in the crème fraiche and the chopped kimchi. Make sure the mixture is evenly combined and still chunky. Reserve the goodness in the refrigerator until ready to use. Dust the kimchi-blue cheese with powdered kimchi before serving.

Years Past

February 3, 2008 (2)

February 3, 2007

February 3, 2007 (2)

February 3, 2006

February 3, 2005

Posted on February 03, 2013 at 02:32 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)