Food Montage

Date: 08/28/11

At the beginning of this year, I set a goal for myself. I wanted to write about all the good stuff I was going to cook and bake this year. Unfortunately, as will many things, I am completely and totally invested for a couple months and then lose my ambition. The work becomes too time consuming and other things begin to take priority. Ironically, because of my initial enthusiasm, I am pretty close to my goal of 1 post per week. However, there are some other "projects" included in this mix and not just recipe reviews.

I admit that I have been neglecting my duties of maintaining this log. However, I have neglected my goal of eating much less. New recipes continue to make it into my kitchen and onto the plate but just not onto these pages. As a result, I do have a couple of pictures to share with my comments. However, this post will dilute the formality even further.

Most recently, these are the dishes that have found a temporary residence on my table:

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/355292/chile-sauce

Chili Barbeque Sauce

This sauce was a recipe I found early in the summer. The weather was nice and it just sounded good. I am not much of a fan of spicy foods but it just sounded that good. Like most barbecue sauces this one is a combination of a lot of different flavors with sweet and sour and some heat and depth from Jalapenos, dried chilies, and molasses. It was a nice change to bottled sauce. Some of the sauce was used to marinate steaks and some to flavor grilled chicken. Good stuff. Definitely want to try it one some of my brother-in-law's ribs!

Source: http://www.marthastewart.com/340853/mediterranean-chickpea-burgers

Mediterranean Chickpea Burgers

I like burgers. It doesn't have to be a beef burger and, in fact, bean or veggie burgers are often my preference. However, new recipes for burgers always peak my interest. It seems that the word burger allows for so much creative license, there are very few burger recipes that are the exact same.

I've not cooked with chickpeas too often and -beyond hummus- am not a big fan. They typically seem more mealy or grainy than other beans, granted they are probably different family or species or whatever. I'll have to look into this. In any case, my inexperience with this ingredient led me to try this preparation.

The concept is good, but the delivery is a bit odd. Even after pureeing the chickpeas thoroughly, the texture of the burger is slightly dry and coarse. The fresh veggies and sauce do provide some moisture but not much in the way of flavor. Not my favorite burger but an interesting dish nonetheless.


Source: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/giada-de-laurentiis/linguine-with-avocado-and-arugula-pesto-recipe/index.html

Avocado and Arugula Pesto with Toasted Almonds

 A good friend and foodie sent me the recipe for the Avocado and Arugula Pesto. It is a very nice summer dish. The absence of olive oil is fabulous. I'm am not a big fan of pesto because they always seem to be dripping in oil for me. Granted, I've not made my own pesto before, so I get what I pay for.

This preparation combined avocado, arugula, and a lot of basil (I had to buy my own plant!), and lime juice to make a bright and light pesto. The flavor was interesting and refreshing for me.

The "difficult" part of the dish is figuring out the temperatures. The pesto is more or less cold but the pasta is hot (or warm anyway). Personally, I didn't have much of a problem with lukewarm pasta and the cool pesto but my lady likes things to be one way or the other...understandable. The flavor seemed to change drastically when the pesto was reheated and not altogether enjoyable.

There were reviews of this recipe online where other cooks didn't feel the pesto held up well for leftovers. I must have put extra lime in because my sauce was as bright and green as it started. It was still pretty good the second day, but the lime was pretty strong. It bordered on being too acidic to unenjoyable.

Toasted nuts are always a good addition and the toasted almonds were no exception. The crunch was important to provide some contrast to an otherwise soft dish.

I'd make this again, but perhaps as a cold dish with short pasta noodles (Rigatoni or Penne).

Source: http://www.thaikitchen.com/Recipes/Rice-and-Noodles/Easy-Chicken-Pad-Thai.aspx

Semi-homemade Chicken Pad Thai

There is nothing too remarkable about this recipe at all. In fact, I included it more just because I thought it was a pretty good picture more than an endorsement for the dish. At the time I had been wanting Pad Thai from work for a few weeks. At a loss for something to make for dinner, I decided to take the easy road and buy Pad Thai sauce and rice noodles. Not a particularly cost effective choice in the long run but convenient, anyway. The recipe was right on the label for the sauce. Scrambled eggs, peanuts, cilantro, and some added chilies for heat.

I like noodles, so this was fine. The sauce lacked something and the meal seemed a little "one-note." It was food in my stomach but probably won't make it onto my table again soon. I found it -ironically- boring. I put some heat in the dish which was unwelcome the second time around as leftovers.

But my purpose was fulfilled in my dish, expanding my culinary horizon to different flavors. Next time, however, I will make Pad Thai with fresh sauce and skip the canned sauce.

Source: http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2011/07/blackberry-buttermilk-cake

Magazines have a way of making things look particularly appetizing. I have never been much of a blackberry fan but couldn't convince myself to substitute other berries...this time. In hindsight I would have absolutely substituted blueberries or raspberries. I did get to use the 10" spring form pan that has been sitting in my cupboard for years, which made this even more exciting.

The finished product had a nice golden top (which ends up being the bottom) but the middle was slightly underdone. I wasn't sure if the softness was due to not enough baking time or because of the berries. The sponge was nice and moist, but blackberries have such hard seeds (for me) and it really kept me from fully enjoying this dessert. I'd make it again but with a different selection of fruit: strawberries and rhubarb, thinly sliced lemon or raspberries. Good concept but the execution didn't stand up for me.

Tuna California Pizza

Date Prepared: 07/15/11

Source:  Whole Living [magazine]. August 2011, p66
Also available at http://www.tunathewonderfish.com/cookbook/recipe.php?id=50

Tuna California Pizza with Feta, Red Pepper, Artichoke, Onion, Basil

 *Recipe:

1 can (5 oz) drained or 1 pouch (2.5 oz) tuna
1 large prepared pizza crust
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1 jar (6 oz) marinated artichoke hearts
1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
1/2 red onion, sliced
1 cup Feta cheese, crumbled
1/4 cup fresh basil chopped

To Serve:

Preheat oven to 450° F. Place pizza crust on baking sheet. Heat olive oil in small skillet over medium heat. Add garlic and sauté 30 seconds (do not burn). Spread sautéed garlic oil over pizza crust. Spread flaked tuna over crust evenly. Top with red peppers, artichokes, red onion and feta cheese. Sprinkle with basil. Bake 8 to 10 minutes. Serves 4.

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Difficulty: Easy - This recipe is a prep-and-serve and requires very little culinary expertise.

Accessibility: Common - There are very few ingredients required for this preparation, all of which can be obtained at a typical grocery store.

Visual Appeal:  There are several colorful components in this preparation which provide contrast and improve the look of a plain pizza crust and the dull color of cooked tuna. If cooked long enough or under a broiler, the feta gets a nice caramelization.

Overall Taste: I had mixed feelings about the taste of this dish. Generally, it was light and fresh. However, the taste of canned tuna is quite distinct and not always particularly appealing to me. In fact, as far as the taste goes, I would prefer it without the tuna, if made it again. A vegitarian version of this might have been more enjoyable.

Overall Experience: This was a fun, easy dish to make. Homemade pizza is always exciting to make, and this is a different combination of ingredients than I would typically use. I was pleased with the overall product made even though it seemed so simple. I suppose it was appropriate after having not logged too many dishes as of late.

Additional Notes: I decided that a prepared pizza crust was too much bread for this type of pizza with very little sauce. As an alternative, I chose to use naan bread. Naan is an unleavened flatbread which seems like a perfect vessel for individual sized pizzas. Ashamedly, I purchased the naan and did not make it. (I'm not really that ashamed. In fact, I hadn't even considered it).

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.

Food as Art - A Friendly [Reflective] {Pie Making} Challenge

I mentioned at some point in my previous posts that although the original intention of this blog was to review recipes, I am unable to prevent myself from, at times, "free writing." I like to write. It is -arguably- the best way to extract the most honest answers from me. As such is this post: a subjective uttering of my inner contemplations.

Recently, a good friend of mine sent me a message, which suggested I take a look at a website called Pietopiacontest.com. The tag line for the blog is "What does your life taste like, in a pie." The concept seems pretty self explanatory, but continue reading to understand how I perceived the task or check out the actual website for a more complete answer.

As I interpreted the instructions, the author of the blog has offered a contest where individuals submit a recipe and a story to accompany it. The story links the pie to your present status/condition in this life. After looking over some of the past submissions and winners, it seems the assignment has very loose parameters allowing for true reflection. As you would expect with personal reflection, there is no right or wrong.

The idea was presented to me on May 22nd. My initial reaction was of dismissal. I don't remember the last time I baked a pie from scratch -or if I even have, for that matter. Frequently, I shy away from challenges where I am convinced I will not succeed. In itself, the idea has already has demonstrated something about my character that plays a big part in my life: lack of self-confidence. On occasion, I do rise to meet the challenge. I do not necessarily succeed in defeating the challenge but do give myself kudos for at least facing my fear. I respect my friend greatly and she has always encouraged my enthusiasm for cooking and was really the one that brought it to the forefront of my life. So, I felt a bit of obligation -of challenge, more so- to at least consider the Pietopia (TM) question, "What does [my] life taste like, in a pie?"

Up until the day of this post, I had signed no contract and had not even verbally committed to considering the aforementioned question. I still had an out. There was no reason for me to waste time and money on this project. There was no benefit to me. I will concede, however, that periodic reflection is a very health exercise. It can help to refocus our attention and direction on the things we want, or at least where we are right now.

For me, making the decision to complete this small project was relatively hard. However, deciding what to make was almost as difficult. The recipe developed as I began to answer the question and the answer to the question actually developed more as the recipe took shape.

When I really committed to figuring out how I could explain my life as a piece of pie I admitted to myself again that I am very indecisive. I have a passion for cooking, the mind of an analytical, and a heart for teaching. Currently, I am working in a laboratory using my mind for science 40 hours a week. However, I am also work in food service and do what I can to be close to good food. I cannot decide between my heart, my mind, and my passion. Ingredient #1: Indecision.

Even in my daily contemplations of my indecisiveness, I have to admit that I am blessed. I have a job, a home, and don't want for too much. Ingredient #2: Blessing/Sweetness.

But at the same time I can't help recognizing that there are things that are going on in my life that make things a little bit sour. A recent death in our family, legal troubles, problems at work. These are things that happen but are not typically welcomed. Ingredient #3: Sourness.

With these first three things in mind, I mulled over the idea mixing and matching flavors, textures, and preparations. I wasn't completely convinced that the combination I came up with would be profound or even turn out successfully, but it was somewhere to start...

The pie I put together was a blueberry lemon pie in a pecan graham crust. The flavor combination seemed reasonably complimentary and the crust simple enough. The pie I baked is shown below:

Blueberry Lemon Pie with Pecan Graham Crust with Soft Meringue

From the outside, everything looked perfect. The meringue was nicely browned. Had I left it at that, I would have been able to claim ignorance on how the pie looked and tasted. Yet, I couldn't help but be curious and cut into the pie anyway. The result was as follows...

The pie that I made really demonstrates how my life tastes right now. It is complete with indecision; this pie couldn't decide on one flavor profile so it compromised with being two different kinds with very little overlap. In my life, I can't seem to take the risk to be one thing or the other so I try to be more than one. There is not necessarily any particularly failings in flavor balance in this pie, but there are some questions about proportionality. Do I spend too much time working more than one job trying to figure out where to go and what to be? Is there too much meringue on this pie?

The texture and flavor are not great but they are not bad. Frequently I struggle with feeling that I am mediocre at a bunch of things and not really great at one thing. This was one of the attributes I gleaned from the finished pie rather than one of the ingredients used from the start.

Meringue was not especially necessary for this pie, just another example of making things harder or more complex than they need to be.

The graham cracker crust was somewhat of a cop out. Although I can justify that it is the traditional crust used for key lime pie, it was really only used because I was too scared to make pie dough from scratch. I've tried doing this with pot pie before an manage a tough, dry crust. Ironically, even though the graham cracker crust with ground pecans was supposed to represent my hearty foundation, it ended up soggy from all the indecision.

At the end of the day, I have a pie that I'm not crazy about but can live with and will enjoy well enough. I enjoy my life but am still searching for something more. I can't complain because the pie that might as well be my life is sweeter than many other peoples' pies. With tenacity, diligence, and help I might someday have a better balanced pie to share. The beauty of pie is that it takes so many different forms and we can try and try again until it tastes just the way we want it to.

I will concede that this reflection is, perhaps, a bit narcissistic in that I really am not considering the larger world that I live in but assert that it is difficult to understand the world and our place in it if we don't understand who we are first.

All that said, the toughest part of the Pietopia (TM) assignment is reducing my entire monologue to a 300 word abstract...

Graham Cracker Crust:

8-9 whole graham crackers, finely ground

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/2 cup sugar, granulated

1/3 cup pecans, finely ground

9-inch pie plate

In a food processor, grind graham crackers, pecans, and sugar until a fine consistency is obtained. Slowly add the melted butter until graham cracker mixture is moistened. Press firmly and evenly into pie plate. Blind bake crust at 350F for 10 minutes, or until golden. Cool completely.

Blueberry Filling: 

1.5 pints of fresh blueberries

1/2 cup sugar, granulated

1 Tbsp. lemon juice

3 Tbsp. cornstarch

Rinse the blueberries and remove any stems. Place the blueberries, sugar, lemon juice, and cornstarch in a medium sauce pot. Cook over medium heat until thickened. Cool completely.

Lemon Filling*:

4 large eggs, separated

1 - 14oz. can Sweetened Condensed Milk

1/2 cup fresh lemon juice

3/4 cup heavy cream

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel  

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/2 cup sugar

Beat the egg whites until smooth and light in color. Slowly mix in the sweetened condensed milk, lemon juice, and cream until smooth. Add lemon zest, if desired. In a separate clean, metal bowl whip the egg whites and cream of tartar until the volume increases significantly. Slowly add the sugar and beat until soft peaks are formed.

The pie is easily assembled. In the baked graham cracker crust, spread the blueberry filling evenly in the bottom. Cover the blueberry with the lemon and cream mixture. Bake the pie at 350F for about 25 minutes. Remove the pie and cover with soft meringue. Bake an additional 15 minutes until the meringue is lightly browned.

My life in a pie. Flavored with indecision with notes of sweet and sour and topped with imbalance. All-in-all a decent slice of pie.

In summary, just like most things in life, the beauty (or tastiness, as it were) of a pie is in the eye of the beholder. Our lives are what we bake of them...or not.

My reflection probably won't make me anymore decisive or view life much differently. But if I keep challenging myself to understand who I am and what I want, I might eventually make a change that is worthwhile. Just something to think about today.

*The lemon filling was based on the Key Lime Pie recipe from Eagle Brand(R). The original recipe can be located at the following link: http://www.eaglebrand.com/recipes/details/?RecipeId=3969&categoryIndex=7

Asian Chicken Salad

Date Prepared: 05/21/11

Source: Everday Food. March 2011, pp. 98.
Also available online: http://www.marthastewart.com/340687/asian-chicken-salad


Asian Chicken Salad

 *Recipe:

1/4 cup fresh lime juice (from 3 limes)

2 teaspoons soy sauce

1 jalapeno, minced

2 teaspoons vegetable oil

1/2 teaspoon sugar

4 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1/2 medium head)

1 cup shredded carrots (about 2 large)

1 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves

1 cup lightly packed fresh mint leaves

2 cups shredded cooked chicken

To Serve:

In a large bowl, whisk together lime juice, soy sauce, jalapeno, oil, and sugar until combined. Add cabbage, carrots, cilantro, mint, and chicken, and toss well to combine. Serve immediately. 

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Difficulty: Easy - This recipe is a prep-and-serve and requires very little culinary expertise. The most difficult part of this recipe is preparation of the cooked chicken. Rotisserie chicken could be used as a quick and easy substitute.

Accessibility: Common - There are very few ingredients required for this preparation, all of which can be obtained at a typical grocery store.

Visual Appeal:  Visually, the dish offers vibrant colors as well as different textures. The deep red of the cabbage is contrasted with brightness of the shredded carrot carrot and cilantro.

Overall Taste: The flavor is equally as important as the visual appeal. The dressing is the star in this dish. Fresh lime juice really brightens the dish. An additional jalapeno was added on a whim. The heat was a welcomed experience but was by no means overwhelming. The dressing was neither too sweet nor too salty and seemed well balanced (as best I know).

Overall Experience: The decision to prepare this recipe was based on the day's weather conditions and my afternoon plans. It was overcast, soggy, and humid. After a planned workout, I didn't want something too heavy. This salad was a great choice. It was light and bright with citrus. Not to mention, light in calories. The dish was good but not particularly exciting. I wanted to add something. Ironically, I wanted to add cheese. If I needed something quick and fresh, I might turn to this recipe.

I realize this dish doesn't showcase much technique or even very deep flavors. But sometimes simply is good enough.

Additional Notes: The recipe calls for shredded carrots and cabbage. I managed to shred about half of the cabbage and was concerned that it would not have enough variety in texture. I finely sliced the remaining half of cabbage. This technique provided some variety in texture but made the dish somewhat clunky to eat.

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.

Dark Chocolate Cardamon Ice Cream

Date Prepared: 05/15/11

Source: Epicurious.com

 *Recipe:

4 1/2 oz dark (70% cocoa solids) chocolate

Seeds from 1/2 vanilla bean

2 cardamom pods

3/4 cup whole milk

1/3 cup superfine sugar

3/4 cup heavy cream

To Serve:

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a pan of barely simmering water, making sure the bowl doesn't touch the water.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds with the back of a knife. Then crush the cardamom pods with the flat of the blade of the knife.

Place the milk in a separate pan and heat to just under boiling point, then add the sugar, vanilla seeds, and cardamom pods. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

Using a strainer to catch the crushed cardamom pods, pour the milk into the melted chocolate and stir. Add the cream, stir well, and leave to cool at room temperature.

Once cool, pour into an ice-cream maker and churn following the manufacturer's instructions. Keep in the freezer until required.

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Difficulty: Easy - There are no advanced techniques required for this preparation. However, an ice cream maker is required for easy preparation.

Accessibility: Common to Limited Specialty - Generally, the ingredients in this preparation can be located at a grocery store. However, whole cardamon pods and vanilla beans and 70% chocolate might need to be procured from a specialty store.

The Ghirardeli brand chocolate used for this preparation was available at the grocery store in the baking aisle.

Visual Appeal:  There is nothing especially appealing about the look of this dish. It looks like chocolate ice cream. For some people, I'm sure, just the sight of chocolate ice cream makes them drool. It looked creamy enough, which was all I really cared about for this dish.

Overall Taste: The final dessert is not cloyingly sweet and is borderline bitter. With respect to taste, the chocolate flavor was pleasing. Unfortunately, neither the cardamon nor the vanilla is particularly pronounced. Three white cardamon pods were used in the recipe, which was more than required for the dish. Unfortunately, neither the aroma or the taste really came through in the final sorbet.

Overall Experience: Ice cream is not my favorite dessert. Cakes, cookies, and pastries are my sweets of choice. However, my girl friend really likes ice cream, especially chocolate. Unfortunately, we were both disappointed by this ice cream. The texture was almost gritty and the flavor ordinary.

I will concede that the disappointment might be my own fault. I tried to freeze the ice cream before the bowl for the ice cream maker was completely frozen. As a result, the ice cream only partially frozen. Realizing that the ice cream was still soupy, the ice cream base was removed from the bowl and placed back in the refrigerator overnight while the bowl was freezing completely. Crystals could have formed undermining any creaminess that might have been achieved if done correctly.

Additional Notes: If you know anything about ice cream making, please let me know.

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.

Spicy Lamb Stew

Date Prepared: 05/14/11

Source: http://simplyrecipes.com/recipes/spicy_lamb_stew/ 

Spicy Lamb Stew with Thyme over Couscous

*Recipe:

2-3 lbs of lamb shoulder stew meat, cut into 1½-inch cubes

Olive oil

2 yellow onions, chopped

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 red bell peppers, chopped

2 dry pasilla chiles, chopped, stems and most seeds removed

1 Tbsp hot Hungarian paprika*

1½ teaspoon ground cumin

Pinch of ground cardamon

1½ cups chicken stock (use gluten-free stock for gluten-free version)

14 oz of canned whole tomatoes, put through a food mill, or puréed

8-10 sprigs fresh flat leaf parsley

4-5 sprigs of thyme

1 bay leaf

2/3 cup raisins

Salt and pepper

To Serve:

Pat the lamb dry with a paper towel. Drying the lamb this way first will help the lamb pieces brown. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a large, heavy, high-sided pot, such as a Dutch oven, over medium high heat. When the pot is hot, add the lamb pieces in batches, being careful not to crowd them. Cook, turning as needed so that the lamb pieces brown evenly on all sides, for 6-8 minutes. Transfer to a bowl.

Return the pot to medium-high heat. Add the onions, dried peppers and red bell peppers and stir to coat with the oil in the pot. Cook, stirring occasionally, for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and cook 1 more minute.
Make a bouquet garni by placing the parley, thyme and bay leaf in the center of a doubled over cheesecloth square. Gather the ends and secure with kitchen string.

Stir in the paprika, cumin, and cardamom and cook for a minute. Add the puréed (or cooked tomatoes put through a food mill) tomatoes, lamb, chicken stock, raisins and bouquet garni. Bring to a boil over high heat, decrease heat to low. Cook, partially covered, for about 3 hours, or until lamb is tender.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Serve over couscous or rice (gluten-free option).

Yield: Serves 4-6.

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Difficulty: Easy - The techniques used in this preparation are not complicated and should be able to be accomplished by even the novice cook without much difficulty. In fact, the lamb that was purchased at the grocery store was already cut into pieces that were 1-1 1/2in. in size.

Accessibility: Common to Limited Specialty - Most of the ingredients for this recipe can be found in a typical grocery store. The pasilla peppers were the only ingredient that took some searching and were found at a Latin American grocery store. In addition, I was unable to locate hot Hungarian paprika. The original recipe offered a substitution for this ingredient, which was much more accessible than the hot paprika.

Visual Appeal:  Visual appeal is a subjective criteria by which to judge a dish. Beef stew is not all that aesthetically pleasing, however soulfully pleasing it might be. In a similar fashion, this preparation does not result in the most dynamic looking meal. In defensive of the Spicy Lamb Stew, the colors are deep and rich. If a dish were to look like you spent a lot of time developing flavors, this would be the quintessential example. The slow cooking of the tomato, peppers, onions, and raisins yield a hearty sauce, almost chutney like. In summary, this dish does hold some visual appeal for me because of the deep earthy richness that is offered.

Overall Taste: This preparation did not include much additional salt, which allows the natural sweetness of the cooked vegetables and raisins to be prominently displayed. The recipe calls for hot Hungarian paprika. Unfortunately, I was unable find this ingredient and followed the recipe author's suggestion,

"* Hot Hungarian paprika is not the regular Hungarian paprika which is sweet and mild. It is even hotter than cayenne. If you don't have access to hot paprika, I would substitute 1/2 with sweet paprika and 1/2 with chili powder."

Spicy food, ironically, is not my favorite. Cayenne is a spice I use very sparingly. I read the suggested substitution and questioned what was missing. I don't agree that a 1:1 mix of chili powder and paprika is hotter than cayenne! The taste of this dish was enjoyable but not particularly exciting or unique. In fact, I wouldn't have minded it to actually have more heat.

On the topic of heat, I didn't find the pasilla chiles to provide much in the way of heat, compounding my disappointment over the expected amount of heat.

I don't cook with lamb meat much but have really been in the mood for some nice juicy, flavorful lamb. Unfortunately, this dish did not deliver all I was hoping for. The lamb meat I purchased was quite lean with very little marbling. After stewing in the tomato mixture for a few hours, the lamb was certainly tenderized and was easy to cut apart with just a fork. However, the meat was somewhat dry and lacked the succulence I have been looking for lately. But again, not altogether unenjoyable.

Overall Experience: Unfortunately, I didn't have the luxury of time on this occasion and couldn't let the dish simmer all day. However, I always enjoy spending all day slowly cooking a dish. I was pleased to find the pasilla peppers but slightly disappointed that I failed to find the hot paprika. It was good to cook again, even if it was for myself.

Additional Notes: Don't take the aforementioned critiques too seriously. If the dish sounds interesting or looks good, I would encourage you to try it. Although it was not my favorite dish as of late, I am always an advocate of trying new things. Read more about Pasilla chiles:

• http://www.tasteoftx.com/recipes/chiles/pasilla.html
• http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pasilla
• http://www.gourmetsleuth.com/Dictionary/P/Pasilla-negro-chile-5609.aspx

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.

A Semi-Homemade Reflection

There is a show on the Food Network called Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. It has been on-air for at least a few years. The first time I saw the show I'm not sure which bothered me more, the personality of the host or the concept: take something that is boxed or halfway-prepared and present it as a unique dish. In reflecting on this concept, I'm not sure why it is so bothersome. In fact, I frequently turn to Hamburger Helper and jars of pasta sauce for dinner and manipulate cake mix into cheap cookies.

I suppose the pretentious culinary in me abhors the thought of not making everything from scratch, but it is not always practical for me to soak dry beans or prepare my own cake mix. The truth is that I really have no problem with using canned or pre-packaged ingredients...or at least not nearly the qualms that chefs on shows like Chopped or Top Chef display.

My monologue really has no purpose other than to serve as a preface to my latest culinary "adventure."

Once a year I try to enjoy the flavor of a stereotypical Irish dish commonly referred to as "Corned Beef." I'm not particularly interested in expounding on the history or flavor of this dish but only to state that I like beef brisket and enjoy the unique cured flavor that the Irish have contributed.  However, I don't particularly like the aroma from preparing this dish. So...I opted to just make the brisket.

Barbecue-Glazed Beef Brisket with Orzo Macaroni and Cheese

I took a packaged, pre-seasoned brisket from the grocery store and braised it for a few hours in the oven. I removed the deckle and grilled half of the meat with some Famous Dave's brand Sweet & Zesty barbecue sauce. The meat was tender enough and didn't have the texture of shoe leather like I've experienced brisket to be. The barbecue sauce is relatively sweet and provided some balance to the saltiness of the beef.

On this occasion I had leftover orzo pasta from the Tuscan Salmon dish I made the middle of last week. I made a quick cheese sauce and baked a basic macaroni and cheese with a little black pepper and chili powder. The dish was a hybrid of macaroni and risotto. The texture was relatively creamy and smooth but the cheese sauce was somewhat grainy. I took care to slowly melt the sharp cheddar to prevent the sauce from breaking; unfortunately the texture was not exactly what I hoped for. That said, my judgement might be somewhat impaired after so many years of eating creamy boxed macaroni and cheese.

The cheese sauce was a basic bechamel comprised of the following ingredients:

1 Tbsp. Butter

1 Tbsp. Flour

1 Cup Milk, warmed

1 Cup Cheddar cheese, shredded

1/2 tsp. Black pepper

I didn't take the time to check on the proportions for this recipe as it was a spontaneous preparation. The butter was melted in a small sauce pot and the flour was mixed in. The mixture was "cooked" for a while before the warm milk was slowly whisked in. On low heat, the cheddar cheese was added 1/4 cup at a time as the cheese melted. Black pepper was added to taste. The cooked orzo pasta was added and the mixture was transferred to a baking dish and cooked for about 20 minutes at 350 degrees. The taste was a 2.5 out of 5. Not particularly interesting but enjoyable enough.

Baked Orzo Macaroni and Cheese

I understand the merit in cooking with fresh ingredients all the time but being able to successfully manipulate pre-made ingredients in a pinch or for convenience is an equally valuable skill, in my opinion. So, as my conflicting opinions on using semi-homemade preparations continue to war within me, I will concede to the boxes, cans, and jars in my pantry to prepare something to appease my curiosity and imagination.

Remove your mental boundaries and you will open yourself up to unlimited possibilities... cook something new and tell people about it.

Tuscan Salmon with Rosemary Orzo

Date Prepared: 04/13/11

Source: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Tuscan-Salmon-with-Rosemary-Orzo-364531



Tuscan Salmon with Rosemary Orzo and Tomato and Olive Saute

 *Recipe:

6 ounces orzo

2 teaspoon olive oil

1 1/2 cups chopped onion, divided

1 tablespoon chopped fresh rosemary

4 salmon fillets (5 ounces each), skin on

1/4 cup plus 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon black pepper

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 pint grape tomatoes, halved

1/4 cup pitted kalamata olives, sliced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley 

To Serve:

Cook orzo as directed on package until al dente.

Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Cook 1/2 cup onion and rosemary until onion softens, 9 minutes. Combine with orzo in a bowl.

Season salmon with 1 tablespoon basil, salt and pepper. Heat same skillet over medium-high heat. Cook salmon until golden, 5 minutes per side, flesh side down first; set aside.

Add garlic and remaining 1 cup onion to skillet; cook until soft, 2 minutes. Add tomatoes and olives; cook until tomatoes break up, 3 minutes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in parsley and remaining 1/4 cup basil. Season with salt and pepper.

Serve fish over orzo and top with tomato mixture.  

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Difficulty: Easy - The techniques required for this preparation are relatively basic. The preparation of the fish is the most difficult task to complete. Even so, the fish is difficult to ruin. Salmon can be cooked medium or more done as desired. The worst case scenario is that the salmon is flaky and well done, which is how I prefer salmon (for now).

Accessibility: Common to Limited Specialty - The ingredients in this preparation should be available at a basic grocery store. It seems most grocery stores I've been to lately offer fresh Atlantic Salmon. Many larger grocery stores have an olive bar but kalamata olives can be purchased in a jar, too.

Visual Appeal:  The salmon was the most enticing part of this dish. As the fillets were cooked in the non-stick skillet with a little olive oil, they developed a nice golden color flecked with the green of the basil. The Cooked tomatoes, olive, and onion mixture does darken the dish some; the tomatoes would have provided some "crispness" is left in the raw form. The orzo was sparsely seasoned with the rosemary but offered some effect in the way of contrast to the golden color of the fish and olive/tomato mixture.

Overall Taste: Care was taken not to overseason the fish, orzo, or garnish. For my preference, the seasoning was well balanced. I rarely use fresh herbs due to the cost but splurged on this recipe. The aroma and flavor from the basil and rosemary are subtle and not overwhelming. The onion and olives do almost overwhelm the salmon but the moderate flavor of the fish is still distinguishable. Overall the lack of "crunchy" elements was noted but does not necessarily detract from the overall taste of the element.

Overall Experience: This was one of my first experiences cooking orzo and salmon and was concerned with not cooking them to the appropriate temperature and texture. Fortunately, the pasta was cooked al dente, as desired, and the salmon was cooked all the way through. This preparation was an exciting alternative to my typical palette of proteins and was agreed to be a recipe that deserves a repeat performance.

Additional Notes: 5oz. fillets of Atlantic salmon were used as recommended by the recipe. This recipe required a few different fresh herbs. Fortuitously, whole herb plants were virtually the same price as packaged fresh parsley, basil, and rosemary. As a result, I purchased potted plants of each herb variety and  now have the opportunity to use fresh herbs for a few additional recipes, or until I manage to kill my small new herb garden.

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.

Armchair Chopped - Dessert All-Star

As of late, it seems that I have not had much time to entertain my culinary imagination. Work and sleep have gotten in the way (the former more than the latter). Consequently, I have had a couple of mystery ingredient "baskets" in my que waiting to be manipulated. 

To refresh, Arm Chair Chopped is a creative exercise I submit myself to now and again. I watch the Food Network program Chopped and submit myself to the same requirements as the contestants: create a dish using a collection of random, unusual ingredients in a specified period of time. The following list of ingredients was sent to me via text message before I had a chance to watch the actual episode. That said, I did actually watch the episode before concocting this "dessert." In the fourth episode of Chopped All-Stars, two of the distinguished Chopped judges (Aaron Sanchez and Geoffery Zakarian) faced off in the last round of the competition to make it into the championship round. These two chefs were tasked with making a dessert using the following ingredients:

Green Plantains: A relative of the banana, green plantains contain much more starch than a banana most people in the U.S. are used to and are typically boiled or fried.

Peanut Butter Puff Cereal: Depending on the brand, a corn-based cereal which are made with peanut butter or peanut flavor.

Chinese Bacon: Smoked pork belly cured with a mixture of spices and intended as a seasoning for stir-fry and other dishes. The spice mixture can include salt, sugar, 5-spice, pepper and other spices.  

 

 

Frozen Lemonade*: A mixture of lemon juice, sugar, water and additional flavorings or ingredients which can be reconstituted with the addition of water to prepare a lemonade drink.

The chefs both opted to make souffles, so I knew that I couldn't use this idea. Frankly, however, I know I wouldn't have even considered making a souffle, if I were in their shoes. So, after contemplating the list carefully for some time, I came up with the following dish:  

Peanut Butter Puff Ice Cream with Candied Chinese Bacon, Frozen Lemonade Caramel
and Crispy Plantain "Spoon"

Given the time restraints, I would have a hard time completing all these elements. The ice cream base would need to be made, bacon rendered until crispy and then candied in simple syrup, green plantain peeled and sliced through a mandolin, and finally a frozen lemonade caramel sauce made.

My idea for the peanut butter puff cereal would be to finely grind it into a powder. Some of the powder and the whole puffs would be incorporated into the ice cream as it begins to set up, hopefully allowing the whole puffs to stay somewhat crisp.

The frozen lemonade was the difficult component for me. After much contemplation, I decided that melting the frozen lemonade, the additional sugar could be added and made into a caramel sauce with a fresh lemon accent.

The crispy Chinese bacon would be candied and the cure would provide some salt to counter all the sweetness. Slices of plantain would be fried until crispy and then dusted with additional peanut butter puff cereal powder and white sugar.

After all of the components were completed the presentation would be just as shown. A single, generous scoop of the ice cream would be placed in a square bowls topped with a drizzle of the frozen lemonade caramel sauce, pieces of the candied Chinese bacon, some finely chopped salted peanuts and garnished with a dusted plantain "spoon."

This one sounds so good, I might actually try to make it someday.

*The ingredient used in the original preparations was generic and not associated with a particular brand. The use of the image in this post was not intended to promote this brand of product. 

Moroccan Cubanos

Date Prepared: 03/27/11

Source: Top Chef: The Cookbook. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 2008. 106. Recipe originated from Dave Martin and Tiffani Faison.

Pulled Spice Rubbed Pork with Pickled Carrots, Red Onion, and Jalapeno

 *Recipe:

Pork

One 4- to 5-pound bone-in pork butt, trimmed

Salt

2 Tablespoons ras al-hanout

1 cup low-sodium veal stock

1 cup low-sodium chicken stock

Pickled Vegetables

3 cups red wine vinegar
1 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
4 carrots, cut into julienne
1 red onion, cut into julienne
3 fresh jaleapeno chiles, thinly sliced

To Serve

4 fresh flatbread pieces ir fresh corn tortillas

For Ras Al-Hanout seasoning, mix 2 teaspoons each of ground cumin, ground ginger, and salt and 1 teaspoon each freshly ground black pepper, ground cayenne, ground coriander, and ground cinnamon, and 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves.

For the pork, Preheat the oven to 275F. Season the pork generously with salt and ras al-hanout. Heat a large cast-iron skillet over high heat. Add the pork and cook until well browned on all sides, about 12 minutes total. Put the pork in a large roasting pan and pour in the stock and 1/2 cup water. Roast for 4 to 5 hours, until the pork is tender enough to pull apart with a fork. Remove the pork to a cutting board and pour the cooking juices into a small sauce pan. Cook the juices over high heat until reduced to about 3/4 cup; shred the pork into bite-size pieces, discarding the bones. In a large bowl, toss the pork with the reduced juices.

For the pickled vegetables, combine the vinegar, sugar, fennel, and 3 cups water and bring to a boil in a non-reactive pot. Put carrots, onion, and chilies in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the hot vinegar mixture into the bowl. Cover tightly with plastic wrap and let the vegetables steam for 20 minutes. Pour out all but about 1 cup of the liquid. Keep the vegetables, covered, in the refrigerator; bring to room temperature when ready to serve.

To serve, warm pitas one at a time in a skillet over medium-high heat. Serve pork on pitas with pickled vegetables.

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Difficulty: Easy - This recipe was of the bake-and-bail variety. The most difficult part of the recipe is getting a good julienne on the vegetables used for the pickling. There are no advanced techniques required in this preparation.

Accessibility: Common to Limited Specialty - The ingredients used for this recipe should be available at most grocery stores. Ras Al-Hanout can likely be found in Middle Eastern markets otherwise it can be prepared with the spice mixture described in the recipe above. I was unable to locate veal stock at the basic grocery store but could likely find it at a natural or specialty store.

Visual Appeal: If you consider all the elements of this sandwich, there is a significant visual appeal to entice the appetite. Beginning with the flatbread. Briefly toasted in a dry pan, the bread has a touch of crispiness but is still soft and foldable. Stuffed in the soft and crispy pita, the pork tender and moist; the juices give the meat a succulent sheen and drip of the end of the sandwich. Topping the juicy pork is a pile of pickled vegetables. The carrots are bright orange and the red wine vinegar enhances the vibrant pink of the red onion enhancing the presentation of this otherwise dull pork sandwich.



Red Onion, Carrot, and Jalapeno pickled in a mixture of Red Wine Vinegar, Sugar, and Fennel Seed

Overall Taste: The taste of this preparation was a pleasant deviation from my typical meat and bread combinations. First the pork is juicy and has the right amount of jus and salt. To my surprise the pork alone was not particularly spicy (as expected from the cayenne and black pepper). The aroma of the cinnamon and clove were the most prevalent. After a day or so in the refrigerator, the julienne carrot and onion and sliced jalapeno has a nice mellow but bright acidic flavor. The heat was not overwhelming and was enjoyable for my taste. I suspect the vinegar cut the flame from the pepper. Fennel seed provides a familiar flavor to me and makes me think of Italian sausage. The complete combination is rich and acidic and spicy all at once. Even recalling the flavor and aroma has made my mouth begin to water again!

Overall Experience: This recipe has been on my list to make for better than a year. Having just been in New York, I suppose I was inspired to try something new and exciting. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to enjoy this preparation the same day it was made. However, I would hazard to say that it was better a day or two after -the pickled vegetables at least. The payoff for some relatively brief preparation work and patience is well worth the wait and effort.

Additional Notes: I was unable to easily find veal stock and substituted beef stock instead.

*The recipe and instructions for this recipe have been reported to maintain the original instruction and is not an original recipe and belongs to the source indicated. This post has been prepared as a review only and with no intention to take credit for this recipe. This recipe has been reviewed without instruction or influence by the parties or companies mentioned therein.