IDEAS IN FOOD

Tomatoes...and Mozzarella

This dish is a tried and true combination presented with some not so traditional components.  The tomatoes are peeled and seasoned with cayenne and salt. The twist comes with the roasted tomato ice cream and a liquid fresh mozzarella encased in tomato skin. The classic accents of basil and balsamic are used to great effect. The key was to weave together the expected and the unusual. The ice cream has a velvety richness and the flavor of dark roasted tomatoes. The mozzarella, which is warm, is a creamy mouthful of sweet dairy balanced by the acidic tang of the tomato. From afar, the dish just looks like a pile of tomatoes garnished with basil and balsamic vinegar. The fun is in the eating when we discover delicious surprises hidden in plain sight.

Smoked Phyllo in Action

Our first application of smoked phyllo was on artichokes. We poached the artichokes sous vide at 85 degrees C for two hours, chilled them down and cut them into wedges. The slight moisture on the chokes provided enough sticktoittiveness to adhere the smoked phyllo. We paired the crusted artichokes with maple yogurt, baby fennel and maple-maldon. The results were delicious, the elements simple, the extrapolations are endless.

What is?

There is an assumption that dashi must be made from kombu and bonito. Research reveals that shiitake dashi is not uncommon and is part of the Japanese cooking arsenal. In looking at the traditional Italian gnudi we wondered about the way they are cooked. Gnudi, the delicate filling of a ravioli without the pasta, can be a chef's Achilles heel. Getting gnudi right, delicate, full flavored, and with enough structure to hold their shape is difficult. Finally, it dawned on us, why not use a form or a support to shape gnudi during the traumatic cooking process.? The first question led to the second, why should we boil delicate gnudi in water if there was a way to keep the flavor in the dumpling itself. So, as with all questions, we tried something different. We wrapped our swiss chard-ricotta gnudi in plastic wrap and poached them to hold the shape and keep all the flavor in the dumplings. We chilled the gnudi once they were cooked and then gently warmed them to serve the dish. We paired our newly shaped gnudi with sun dried tomato and porcini dashi. The final dish added roasted king trumpet mushrooms and small leaves of swiss chard to create a satisfying and elegant vegetarian dish.

Leeks Vinaigrette

The hidden gem in this dish is the quinoa butter which we just happened upon. We have a fair number of ideas which we will explore. Its role as a the base for leeks vinaigrette, holding nasturtium flowers in place ranks up there in both taste and aesthetic. A batter and soup are in the works as are streusel and yes, cookies.

The dish is composed of leeks vinaigrette with tart cherries, quinoa, nasturtim and dijonaise.

Smoked Phyllo

It's about time we put this idea into action.

Frito Misto

Fried food is good!

 

grilled ratatouille stuffed squash blossoms with basil puree and assorted herbs

Corn Bread and Collard Greens

 

Corn Bread Soup
collard green stem barigoule, crispy and sauteed leaves

Grilled Beer Can Chicken

We were in WIlliams and Sonoma shopping for my sister in law's bridal showers. I was working the registry and Alex was wandering with Amaya. I conferred with the sales person, made my purchases (with a little input from the hubby) and arranged for giftwrapping. When I met up with my husband he was in the outdoor cooking section. "What do you think of that? It's a beer can chicken cooker for the grill." Actually they market it as a vertical chicken roaster. Needless to say I was equally enthusiastic about the purchase since we brought it home. Roasting chickens in the summertime is pure martyrdom and doing them on the grill seemed like a no-brainer. We filled the the center section with leftover chardonnay, Planeta 2005, and a few pieces of cut lemon. The chicken was seasoned with salt and cayenne. The results were amazing. A moist juicy chicken with a beautiful au jus. Clearly this is one piece of grilling equipment that will not go to waste. As for the jalapeno roaster, only time will tell.

Watermelon Ribbons

The internet is a tool. It allows information to move quickly, for ideas to evolve, and for techniques to be shared. I can remember hearing, well reading, about an ingenious technique of Andoni Luis Aduriz of restaurant Mugaritz. He was freezing and thawing watermelon in order to dehydrate it while keeping the flesh moist. The idea bounced around our minds for some time and we never thought to try it, until we did. Andoni's execution created a carpaccio which looked like meat, had a unique texture and was playful in that it was nothing like meat save for it's appearance.

We were revisting a watermelon salad and figured why not try freezing and thawing the watermelon. We cut relatively thick slices of watermelon, seasoned them with salt and cayenne, vacuum sealed to compress the fruit, and then froze and thawed the slabs of fruit. The first freezing and thawing produced a ton of syneresis. The cell walls of the watermelon were ruptured and the water leaked out in generous amounts. We repeated the process several more times and the fruit soon took on the appearance of sliced slabs of tuna. We had cut the watermelon too thick for carpaccio and stumbled into an exciting variation based on the process. We sliced the slabs into strips and the watermelon now looked like the tuna ribbons served at Jean Georges. If we were going to borrow, we might as well tap more than one source. The technique of one, the aesthetic of another, together they allowed for something we find original. We dressed the watermelon ribbons with celery leaves, olive oil and grapefruit juice. We complement the toothsome ribbons with watermelon poached shallots, a celery sheet, and honey infused grapefruit. Inspirations come from everywhere and meld to form something new in our kitchen.

Crispy Collards

Crispy is important, classic is important, monotony needs to be examined occasionally because we can often find something exciting buried in the debris of what we have already dismissed. It has been a long time since we fried a chiffonade of anything and even longer since we thought it was a good idea. It was a surprise to both of us when I suggested we revisit this classic, if not dated, garnish. We are putting the finishing touches on a summer soup and we were looking for a bit of texture. The soup pairs cornbread and collard greens. The soup itself is flavored by the cornbread, the garnish is collard greens: stems cooked as barigoule, leaves lightly sauteed, and crispy filaments as the final touch. It was a great technique to remember and revisit.

Beets in Cocoa

Beets, usually a deep and brilliant color red, are often used in cakes for a particular effect. They create color. Red cake is not something often thought of, unless you are a red velvet cake aficionado, and yet it is part of the American baking vernacular. Since we have seen so many cakes made with the essence of beets we decided to switch things around and serve red velvet ice cream or sorbet with cake. We have been working on an accompaniment to cheese cake, goat cheese cake. We made a cocoa syrup with Swiss cocoa and Steen's cane syrup. Once the cocoa syrup was made, we pressure cooked beets in the base. After the beets were cooked, they were cooled in the syrup and then the syrup was strained off and frozen into sorbet. The beets, dripping in glaze, are sliced and served on the side. The goat cheese cake is the final piece that brings it all together. The combination is earthy, decadent, and utterly beguiling.

Mozzarella in Tomato

Gumbo Tales

Last September we went to New Orleans for the WCR conference. It was an amazing trip, our last getaway before Amaya was born. We weren't sure what to expect post-Katrina. The French Quarter was as we both remembered it, full of ambiance and good food and none the worse for wear, at least from a tourist's point of view.  We were sorry to leave and I would welcome the chnace to return for any occasion.

One of the first books I purchsed for my iphone kindle app was Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table by Sara Roahen. I eased into it, reading pages at odd moments when Amaya was napping in my lap. I have to admit that for me it was a slow starter, which seems apropo, since New Orleans is all about leisurely pleasures at the table. It is a wonderful book, evocative and insightful. It makes you want to eat in that city, to visit the myriad restaurants described, and to start a pot of collard greens in your own kitchen and try to capture those flavors at home. It's part history, part fantasy, and all things culinary on several different levels. We readers can never hope to experience the city that Sara describes. She makes me want to book the next flight out for an afternoon and evening at Galatoires to try and experience that world for my own. It's a romance of epic proportions and I recommend it to anyone who has ever loved a city for it's food.

Ayu

What a sweet fish.

 

ideas in the studio

The dates have been selected. With them being etched in stone the process begins again. We are now in the creative planning stages for the second installment of creativity in the kitchen with Shola, on July 10 and 11. The details are eloquently described here. As the ingredients continue to flourish in the farms and gardens around us, the ideas are being tested and tweaked.

Stalks, Stems and Collard Greens Barigoule

How many stems have you thrown in the garbage? How many leaves have you tenderly separated from a stalk in order to use the leaf and forget the appendage it grew upon? Why are stems discarded and leaves loved? Today we used the whole green: stem and leaf. The leaves were cleaned, sliced and the secret to collards with clam sauce. The stems were peeled, yes peeling is ok, and prepared in the style of artichokes barigoule. Tomorrow we will be working on dishes with them. One on the top of the list and inspired by this evenings dinner is with marinated razor clams. Time and taste will tell.

Blown Up Brie

 

Texture is important. Particularly with high fat and decadent ingredients. We have explored the process of powdering: lardo, olives, foie gras. The use of liquid nitrogen helped the cause. In order to lighten ingredients like chocolate, avocados, and brie cheese we have taken another approach. Initially we used the combination of a whip cream canister and a vacuum sealer to draw a large vacuum on these ingredients in conjunction with a few hydrocolloids to stabilze the delicate structure of bubbles. Recently we have eliminated the vacuum sealer step. Now we are just putting our mixture, warm, into an insulated whip cream canister and extruding it into mason jars. We seal the jars while the mixture is warm and as it cools it draws a vacuum in the jar, increasing bubble variance and allowing the mixture to set and stabilize. Once the mixture is cooled, we open the jar and pull out the lighter decadent ingredients. Today we were working with brie and berries. A few mustard greens and stems and a bit of juniper aged balsamic balanced the dish.

White Anchovies

A bit of trimming and we end up with beautiful rectangles and squares of white anchovies, a great base for a dish and a star in its own right.

Collard Greens

Braised
Fried
Crisps
Kimchee
Creamed
Prepared as Nori
Barigoule Stems
Smoked Stems
Cornichon infused Stems
Collard Green Gribiche
Soup
Consomme
Lasagna
Noodles
Pasta Dough
Powdered
Shaved
Roulade
BBQ Brined
Beer Battered
Ice Cream

The Real Thing

One of the benefits of moving to PA is the availability of raw milk. I have to admit that I approach this subject with some trepidation. People talk about how wonderful raw milk is, how good it tastes. To be honest I wonder. I've had milk from organic grass fed cows that was rather unpalatable. Not that it tasted bad exactly. It simply tasted like cheese. It's flavor was grassy and well, of the barnyard, in a pretty intense way. Now these tastes are admirable, even coveted, in my cheese, but in my glass or my pudding, not so much. Nevertheless we picked up some raw milk to taste and play with. We're hoping for something wonderful.

Lamination

Potato Chip and Cheddar Cheese Noodles

The Little Things

How do you treat your ingredients? Cleaning fruits and vegetables are often viewed as menial tasks. Watching someone who loves food delicately clean berries and peel asparagus demonstrates the passion and detailed awareness needed to cook well. Ask Aki to make strawberry pie. After the dough is made and chilling she cleans the strawberries. It is the small details which make someone great and food delicious.

Fava Bean Leaves

In looking at vegetables and fruits we often go after the seed. There is a ton of effort put into growing the plant with its leaves and stems which we often overlook. What have we missed? What can we enjoy which we have taken for granted? Is it edible, is it tasty and can we make it delicious?

Let Them Eat Cake

We've talked about ice cream cakes here before. As a fan of the classic Carvel cake, yes I know all the reasons why I shouldn't love them but I still do, I have to admit that the first time someone offered me an ice cream cake with cake in it I was confused. What was cake doing in my ice cream? So I really felt for Will Goldfarb when I watched the Ice Cream Challenge on tv the other night. I would have been standing in the same shoes, that is if I was anywhere near as talented a pastry chef, wondering who actually puts cake in an ice cream cake? Seriously, frozen cake is not fun to eat, cookie crumbs are so much better with ice cream.

As we settle into our new home we're slowly exploring the area. We used to live near a wonderful old fashioned ice cream parlor, just the place for the occasional sundae fix. Some things are just better when somebody else makes them. I asked around and when the Zebra Striped Whale was recommended I put it on my short list. It's near the Newtown Farmer's Market, one of our new favorite places to shop so I knew it was only a matter of time until I could lure Alex through its doors. We finally made it this weekend and savored a quick sundae before shopping. What can I say, they have cookie crumbs as a topping. Chocolate cookie crumbs. The Banana Smash is a wonderful blend of sliced bananas, ice cream, hot fudge, caramel and one topping. In my case it was with sweet cream ice cream and cookie crumbs. Who needs Carvel when you've got the Zebra Striped Whale?

Aero Avo

Aerated avocado, really guacamole, is a work in progress. Several trials continue to show promising results. What is interesting is that recipes do not always easily adapt when main ingredients change. Sure, you think it should work and then in application not so much. Of course it would help if we did not alter the initial recipe before changing ingredients. It is important to keep a constant. We know this and still I do not listen to what I know. I hope to make monumental improvements when in actuality all I need is small ones.

Back to work, back to the tested, time to refine.

Graham Cracker Grits

Just a few shelves over from the polenta was a bag of graham cracker crumbs. Their visual similarities sparked an immediate inspiration. We could make graham cracker grits. We purchased the bag and soon after we returned home we toasted up the crumbs in the oven to intensify their flavor. After the crumbs were toasted we proceeded to make grits using water and the graham crumbs. We enriched the cooked and hydrated crumbs with butter and cream cheese. The graham cracker polenta was a hit. We are still in debate as to its role in our kitchen: savory or sweet. In a sweet dish we were noodling with we added spruce infused strawberries, tarragon and fresh ricotta. The graham cracker polenta mixed with the cool ricotta and the piney strawberries was delicious. As for savory applications, we discussed game. Upon further reflection, seafood may be a more exciting match.

Cool Stuff

The folks over at PolyScience have some cool new toys and accessories for today's kitchen. Cambro lids which have the perfect cut out for a circulator insert, a carrying case/storage unit for circulators not in use and the apple of my eye, a rotary evaporator. Great to see these useful and indulgent tools now readily available.

The Day We Both Forgot

June third, we had something to do. Our calendar has been a bit of a mess and we are juggling a number of projects. Juggling is good as long as nothing hits the floor. Our day started early, water leak and all. Something important loomed, Amaya's sixth month birthday, no that would be the sixth. We carried on with the day and finally simultaneously asked each other about what the heck was important today. Then it hit, it's our ninth wedding anniversary and we both plum forgot it. To be honest, I do not remember many of our anniversaries. I remember days and events by what we did together, what we experienced, how we laughed and cried, screamed and smiled. Days are days. Experiences are what defines them. So now, when we look back and even look forward we can always tell the story of the anniversary we both forgot and how it will be with us forever. It's funny because it's true.

Control

Today I had the pleasure of attending a luncheon focused on microwaves. Who knew? The venue, wd-50, the sponsor Panasonic. The ideas sparked, too many to count. The need for understanding technology, huge. The questions now answered, enough to fill my new wheel barrow. Now if only I could fix the damn leak under my sink at nine thirty at night. Oh well, at least we have a microwave to work with and try and understand. Possible is what you may think of. Control is the result of the understanding of a process.

Lettuce

To taste fresh picked lettuce is something I thought I knew. We've eaten greens fresh from the farm before. It turns out that where the farm is and who is growing it is also important. Blue Moon Acres has started growing on a slightly larger scale and there is no comparison to the lettuces we've eaten in the past. These were tender and flavorful as well as incredibly beautiful. They only required a hint of dressing, a squeeze of lime and the pan juices from seared shrimp deglazed with a few tablespoons of wine, to make them spectacular.

*A quick tip that I learned from Peg. Lettuces can be washed in the salad spinner using the basket to drain them before whirling them dry. Perhaps everyone else already knows this although I've always used a separate bowl in the past. I learn something new every day...