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.

Eating NYC

The point of my amateur food blog was to expand my culinary horizons. To explore, think more creatively, and over all eat more "good" food. I would hazard to assert that it does not really matter what the means is if the end goal is achieved. So, I have decided to briefly abandon my typical style for something less rigid.

Recently, I had the profound opportunity to visit one of the most diverse cities in the world: New York City. I spent 4 eventful and tasty days in the Big Apple and wanted to reflect on the more exciting points.

Much of my time was spent walking around the city exploring various landmarks (e.g. the Brooklyn bridge, Time Square, Central Park, etc.). However, naturally, my focus was on each meal. Before coming to the city, I did some "research" and made a list of places I wanted to see and/or experience, most of which were restaurants or culinary-related sites. With that I present my recap of my New York City food experience:

Wednesday March 23, 2011

I took a mid-morning flight into the city to meet my girlfriend, Kendal. After settling in at the Hotel on 40th street near Time Square we took off for the day. Unfortunately, the weather was cold and rainy with a good bit of wind. We did what we could to stay dry and Kendal provided me with the best tour she could. We visited Time Square where street vendors sell hot dogs, grilled kabobs, and soft pretzels. We walked along Broadway and up to Central Park. On our way from the hotel, our route took us past a deli called Guy and Gallard. Having no particular plans for afternoon sustenance, it was our first meal together in NYC. The deli offer an eclectic "menu" of paninis (very prevalent in New York City), fresh salads, soups and desserts. We both had paninis, which were good. Personally, I had their "Alpine" panini, which was a Reuben with turkey and spinach. It was different and relatively healthy. The chicken and corn chowder I had with my sandwich was hot! It was not as thick as I might have otherwise liked but it provided some warmth for my already cold bones.

After trekking around in the cold and rain for a few hours, making stops at FAO Schwatz, Dylan's Candy Bar, and Pop Burger we headed back to Time Square to meet a friend for dinner at The Counter. It is a small restaurant featuring made-to-order burgers. Essentially, you choose a burger (veggie or one of several proteins) and add various toppings and condiments to make it however you like. It was a fun concept and the veggie burger with goat cheese spread, tomatoes, sprouts, grilled onions, and mixed greens was a welcomed deviation from the expected beef hamburger.

Dylan's Candy Bar - New York City

Pop Burger

On the recommendation of the same friend we shared dinner with, Kendal and I took the "Uptown" NRQ subway to a place called Serendipity. We waited a short period of time before sitting down to share a "Frozen Hot Chocolate." This dessert beverage is just what it sounds like: hot chocolate blended with ice and topped with whipped cream. It was somewhat ironic to order because of the cold outside but it was quite the enjoyable treat, providing the necessary chocolate fix without the heaviness of some more traditional chocolate desserts. Unable to resist the temptation, we left with a piece of acclaimed chocolate cake, which we ate back at the hotel. And so ended our first day together in the city and the first "chapter" in my food journal.

Thursday March 24, 2011

Breakfast is, undoubtedly, my favorite meal of the day. Ironically, we skipped my favorite meal on the second day in New York City. After a late start, we headed straight away to Little Italy. Kendal had visited earlier in the week and had good reviews about a place called Sofia's. Instead of cereal and croissants we enjoyed veal cannelloni and fresh lasagna. It was rich, hearty food that gave us good fuel for the day. After making stops in SoHo we wandered around lower Manhattan visiting the Brooklyn bridge and running into Wall Street and the New York Stock Exchange. We stopped into Starbucks for an obligatory hot beverage before reaching Battery Park and for my first, distant glances at the Statue of Liberty. I really thought it was a behemoth of a landmark and was disappointed at the small stature of this national symbol, however unreasonably skewed my expectation was. Our sightseeing was necessary but more-or-less a way to make the time pass before making our dinner reservation at Mesa Grill.



Mesa Grill - New York City

There are a lot of great restaurants in New York with a lot of highly acclaimed Chefs. It was the most difficult decision I had to make during my preparations for coming to New York City. After balancing the names and the actual food, I decided that Mesa Grill would be the most interesting. Craft and WD50 were on my list too but didn't make the cut for various reasons. The restaurant is rather quaint with a relatively small dinner room. The Menu offered a good variety of entree options with a lot of appeal. Look at the full menu; there are a lot of mouthwatering dishes. I was prepared to make this a memorable meal and indulged with all three courses.

We started with the Rough Cut Tuna Nachos and the Shrimp and Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale. These appetizers were much different flavors we were used but really enjoyed both. The nachos were fresh tortilla chips served with a tuna tartar and dressed with a avocado crema and habanero hot sauce. It was not too spicy and the avocado was rich and flavorful. I don't like raw fish much, but it quickly grew on me. The tamale was moist and the shrimp were perfectly cooked. The cream sauce was not too thick and combined nicely with the sweetness of the corn. 

Rough Cut Tuna Nachos

Shrimp and Roasted Garlic Corn Tamale

In addition to the starters we were served a unique basket of rolls: traditional white rolls, sweet potato and rosemary rolls, and fresh corn bread with chiles. The bread was a welcomed change from a traditional bread selection.

Mesa Grill Bread Basket

It was a difficult decision for each of us to choose only 1 entree, but we did exhibit some restraint and limit our selection to a single dish each. Kendal's entree was the Ancho Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon, which consisted of a good size filet of salmon served with a blackbean puree and tomatillo salsa, among other things. It had some heat and didn't last long on her plate. She also selected a wild rice tamale to accompany her fish. To me the tamale didn't have much special to offer, but she enjoyed it. In contrast, I chose a Spice Rubbed New York Strip Steak with a twice-baked potato with creme fraiche and horseradish. The steak was cook perfectly for me medium-rare to medium. The spice rub was subtle and really let the beef shine. The horseradish in the potato was an excellent accompaniment. In hindsight, I probably would have ordered something more interesting, but the homemade steak sauce was unique enough for that day. When I think of Bobby Flay I think of his grilling skills and use of sauces.

Ancho Chile-Honey Glazed Salmon

Spice Rubbed New York Strip Steak

We ended the meal with an Apple and Red Grape Pot Pie, which was just as it was described: baked apples and red grapes in a rich syrup covered with a flaky pastry dough and served with carmel apple ice cream and a simple sprig of mint. It was a clean dessert and had good flavor, however ununique.

Apple and Red Grape Pot Pie

We did catch a glimpse of the great Bobby Flay through the windows of the swinging kitchen doors but were not so lucky to meet the chef himself. I didn't even get a good opportunity to embarass myself by waving frantically at the food celebrity...

Our culinary adventure for the day ended with dinner but not our adventure for the day. We laughed and marveled at Blue Man Group at the Astor Place Theatre. The theatre was small which made our seats in the back row of the balcony bareable. It was an interesting experience to say the least.

Friday March 25, 2011

Late nights equal late mornings. Another late start took us rushing into another cafe near our hotel to grab bagels, muffins and yogurt parfaits for breakfast on the way to Grand Central Station to meet another friend and venture uptown to the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We at our modest fare on the subway and spent a few hours wandering around the museum and catching up with each other. We opted to leave the museum for lunch and stopped at an italian deli called Hot and Crusty. The atmosphere was rushed and my lunch selections were a bit on impulse. The stromboli with chicken and peppers was a bit dissapointing but only because I didn't understand what a stromboli was. I was expecting cheese and marinara sauce to accompany the other fillings but found none. The orange soda -though canned- was not as orange as I remember. The garlic bread "knots" were not as soft and enjoyable as I hoped. Oh well. We had a good time hanging out, even if the food was not up to my ambiguos standards.

We parted ways at Grand Central Station, Kendal and I heading back toward Time Square. Our tour took us to several shops to collect some obligatory souvenires before returning to the hotel to change and prepare for the evening festivities. We ate dinner at Bubba Gump Shrimp in Time Square - Kendal a fish and shrimp dish with mashed potatoes and a bourban sauce and me a shrimp and sausage dish with jasmine rice and the same bourbon cream sauce. A "hypothetical" suggestion to our server about a possible birthday got Kendal out of her chair and dancing for a scoop of ice cream but got me some icy glares too. Lesson learned.

The food and drink were good, but I had one major critique. Unfortunately, I have to suspect that MSG is used to some capacity in the seasoning of the dish. It wasn't long after our meal that the same tasty food did not sit well in my stomach. Unfortunately, it hit at the most inconvenient time, which was just after the first scene of Disney's The Lion King. I was stricken for almost half of the first act catching bits on a screen in the atrium of the theatre. Fortunately, my sickness was temporary, and I survived through the second half of the performance without any incident.

Although I liked the music of Wicked better, the costumes in The Lion King were ingenious and very intricately detailed. A couple of the characters were played superbly and really stood out for the show. The show was worth the money, if not just to say I went.

It seemed only right to spend as much time experiencing New York City as possible. Immediately after leaving Lion King we headed over to HA! Comedy Club just off Time Square for a dueling pianos performance. Generally, the music was good and we had a good time. Ironically, it was in the basement of a comedy club that we had our first piece of New York cheesecake. I wonder at the authenticity of the dessert as it did not have a layer of sour cream on top as I expected New York cheesecake to have, but it was creamy and just what we were looking for at midnight. We stayed until about 1am before walking back to the hotel a collapsing in bed.

Saturday March 26, 2011

Our last day in New York was pretty uneventful. The cleaning lady woke us up earlier than we had hoped even though we had scheduled a late check-out. Kendal opted to eat a blueberry muffin from the day before while I stepped out to visit the deli one more time for yogurt and a muffin of my own. Fearing I might be chastised for not experiencing pizza in New York, I gave into impulse and stopped at a pizza shop near the deli and picked up a floppy piece of pizza. It was actually exactly what I wanted right then and would have traded my yogurt and muffin for another slice if I hadn't paid for them already. Expecting a long commute we left the hotel early and ended up spending a few hours in the airport waiting for our plane back to Milwaukee. Having eating enough for a couple of meals just hours before, I did not pursue any meal opportunities at the airport.

Our plane took off in good weather and landed without incident. I came to New York without much fanfare and left in a similar style. I wish I could have eated more but there just was not enough time in our visit or room in my stomach.

Get out and eat...and then tell people about it!

Citrus Chardonnay Sauce

Date Prepared: 02/23/11

Source: This recipe was on the back of a package of Pasta Prima All Natural Lobster Ravioli purchased at Sam's Club

Lobster Ravioli with Citrus Chardonnay Sauce and Parmesan Cheese

*Recipe:

2 tablespoons shallot, minced
1 lemon, juiced
1 cup chardonnay wine
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 sticks unsalted butter, cubed
1 tablespoons fresh parsley leaves, chop fine
salt and white pepper to taste

Combine the shallots, lemon juice, and Chardonnay wine in a medium sauce pan over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer until liquid is reduced by half. Add the heavy cream and continue to simmer until liquid is reduced by half.

Remove the simmering cream from the heat and immediately whisk in the butter cubes one at a time until fully incorporated. Stir in the parsley then season with salt and white pepper to taste.
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Difficulty: Medium - I love sauces but I don't make them very often. In theory they should be easy - add some liquid, seasoning, and thickener to a pot and reduce. In practice, it is not so trivial. Temperature, rate of addition, proportions and other factors affect the final product. This recipe, in and of itself, is not terribly difficult, but it falls into the larger category. The difficulty for me was in determining whether the sauce was done (i.e. thickness) or if additional treatment was required after all the ingredients had been added.

Accessibility: Common - The ingredients used for this recipe should be available at most grocery stores. An open bottle of wine will suffice otherwise they have the miniature bottles of wine available too.

Visual Appeal: This sauce has a nice creaminess to it but at heat is very thin and barely coats a spoon. No roux or thickener is added and though I suspect the butter does help tighten the sauce, it doesn't serve so well at temperature. The added fresh parsley provides some contrast to the faint yellow cream sauce.


Overall Taste: The flavor was really quite nice. We are naturally inclined to pair lobster with butter and, perhaps, lemon, so the sauce goes well with the prepared lobster ravioli from Pasta Prima. The sauce has a nice silkiness to it (likely thanks to the butter) and the lemon helps cut the richness of the cream and butter. It is surprisingly light in texture and bright in flavor but not likely skimping on the calories.


Overall Experience: I must admit that this recipe had me slightly anxious. One area of culinary I would appreciate getting to know better would be sauce preparation. To break a cream sauce or improperly prepare a gastrique can ruin a dish or, at least, waste some precious time. However, sauces are so critical to tying together the components of a dish (in my opinion). In spite of my disappointment over the thickness of the sauce, I am happy that I took the little bit of time and afforded myself the extra calories to try this sauce. I would certainly make this sauce again - or some variation of it, anyway.

Additional Notes: The individual bottles of wine are only 6oz. each, which is the standard serving volume for wine. However, the recipe requires a full 8 ounces. If choosing this route, be sure to purchase multiple bottles.

*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

Whole Wheat-Carrot-Banana Bread

Date Prepared: 02/20/11

Source: Better Homes and Gardens (available on-line at bhg.com) 

Whole Wheat-Carrot-Banana Bread

*Recipe:

1/2  cup  butter, softened

1  cup  packed brown sugar

2    eggs

1  cup  all-purpose flour

1  cup  whole wheat flour

1  teaspoon  baking soda

1/2  teaspoon  baking powder

1/2  teaspoon  salt

1/2  teaspoon  ground cinnamon

1  cup  mashed ripe bananas (about 3)

1  cup  finely shredded carrot

1/2  cup  chopped pecans or walnuts

Grease bottoms and halfway up sides of two 7-1/2x3-1/2x2-inch loaf pans, one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan, or eighteen 2-1/2-inch muffin cups; set aside.

In large bowl, beat butter and brown sugar with electric mixer on low to medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs. In medium bowl, stir together the flours, soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add flour mixture and mashed bananas alternately to brown sugar mixture, mixing well after each addition. Stir in the carrot and nuts. Spoon into prepared pans.

Bake in a 350 degree F oven for 40 to 45 minutes for small loaf pans, about 50 minutes for large loaf pan, about 18 minutes for muffins, or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. If necessary to prevent overbrowning, cover loaves with foil after 30 minutes of baking. Cool loaves in pans for 10 minutes; cool muffins in pans for 5 minutes. Remove to wire rack and cool completely. Wrap loaves in foil; store overnight before slicing. Serve muffins warm or cool. Makes 12 to 18 servings.
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Difficulty: Easy - Like most "quick bread" recipes, this recipe is of the mix-and-bake variety. There is some additional work required to grate the carrots but nothing to be concerned about. Do make sure to grease and flour your pan to prevent a poor release after baking.

Accessibility: Common - The ingredients used for this recipe should be available at most grocery stores. Preparation for this recipe does require some planning, as the bananas should be well ripened (i.e. brown in color and soft but not mushy).

Visual Appeal: The final product is a deep golden-brown color specked with orange threads of carrot and nuts. The texture is dense and moist.

Overall Taste: The flavor of the banana is present and predominant. In contrast, the carrot is not specifically noticable but might provide some of the sweetness in this preparation. There is a dense hartiness to this bread and does not suffer from dryness like other recipes I've tasted.

Overall Experience: This recipe is very easy to make and well worth the overnight wait to cut the first slice. And, as always, baking makes the kitchen smell delicious.

Additional Notes: I've made this recipe many times and admit that it does not fit into my original goal of making new dishes. However, I enjoy this recipe and wanted to share it with the people who happen to look through this blog. I'm glad I found this recipe from Better Homes and Gardens and hope you can enjoy it like I do.

*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.