IDEAS IN FOOD: 31 entries from March 2017

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31 entries from March 2017

Smoked Cream Cheese

We put several blocks of cream cheese into a pan. Because it was a cool day we did not put the pan of cream cheese on another pan of ice. We put the cream cheese into a smoking cabinet and fired up our smoking tube. We cold smoked the cream cheese for two hours. The rich lactic fatty cream cheese absorbed the heavy and smooth hickory smoke.

The uses for the smoked cream cheese are as far reaching as cream cheeses customary uses: from topping a bagel to smoked cream cheese frosting for carrot cake to smoked cheesecake or smoked dips (think artichoke and spinach or hot clam) or cream cheese glaze for doughnuts.

Years Past

March 31, 2016

March 31, 2015

March 31, 2012

March 31, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 31, 2017 at 10:56 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Smoked Soy Sauce Beurre Monte

We rely heavily on our bulletproof beurre monte. It is a foundation and sparks extrapolations like our bean monte and it sparked the evolution into our boilable buttermilk.

Yesterday we built upon our base and flavored the monte with smoked sauce. The base became a heady sauce ready for glazing noodles or poaching morels.

Bulletproof Beurre Monte

250 grams water

0.375 grams (.15%) xanthan gum

1.25 grams (.5%) gum Arabic

450 grams butter cut into medium dice

50 grams extra virgin olive oil or other flavored oil

2.25 grams (.3%) salt

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

Years Past

March 30 2016

March 30, 2015

March 30, 2012

March 30, 2009

March 30, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 30, 2017 at 11:42 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Einkorn and Bolted Hard Wheat Loaf

We've been working with the flours from Castle Valley Mill, which happens to be right in our neck of the woods. We've been enjoying the different grains and the flavors of their flour. Lately we've been playing with einkorn and the bolted hard wheat. Bolted wheat flour has the coarsest grains sifted out, traditionally done by passing the flour through cloth or a screen, so that it is lighter than whole wheat and more flavorful than white flour. The einkorn flour is fast becoming one of our favorites, it has a great flavor and a nice light texture. There are few brands available in the supermarket so don't feel bad if you can't get Castle Valley's. You do occasionally have to make some liquid adjustments when using einkorn because it absorbs less water than regular wheat flour, but sometimes we play around with the ratios just to explore the results. Here we used the no-knead pizza dough recipe from Ideas in Food to make the dough for this bread. I used 500 grams bolted hard wheat and 400 grams einkorn flour. The dough was wet but I decided to run with it to see what would happen. Sometimes a wet dough leads to a lighter crumb, think ciabatta. In this case it led to a more cake-like crumb, which turned out to be perfect for sandwiches. The bread had a nice crust and slightly nutty, sweet flavor. It's already a favorite.

Years Past

March 29, 2016

March 29, 2015

March 29, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 29, 2017 at 09:23 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Smoked Everything Salt

We have used everything seasoning in many applications. In Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work we created everything cured salmon and, subsequently, everything cream cheese. What we didn't specifically do, even though we did by curing the salmon, was make everything salt. We didn't see the opportunity in our hands those many years ago. Today we looked at the idea with fresh eyes. We made an everything blend, using onion and garlic powders for ease of use and distribution. We blended the everything mix with salt. To increase its overall flavor potential we smoked the seasoning salt for two hours. Now its up to me to use some restraint and not put everything on everything.

Years Past

March 28 2016

March 28, 2015

March 28, 2012

March 28, 2009

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 28, 2017 at 11:23 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Ingredients | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pizza Practice

Pepperoni

Cheeseburger

Artichoke and Bacon

When we want pizza on the fly and don't plan ahead for my impulse we rely on the "It's Saturday and I Slept in Recipe" from Ken Forkish and the heat exchange from our baking steels to deliver. What I have found is the more I work with the recipe and the more I cook on the steels the better my results are. It is important to begin with a great recipe and equipment. It is as important to practice with the two in order to get comfortable and work through any kinks. Then we can begin to improve.

Years Past

March 27, 2016

March 27, 2015

March 27, 2014

March 27, 2013

March 27, 2012

March 27, 2010

March 27, 2006

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 27, 2017 at 09:58 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

More Delicous Meat Sauce

The leftover and undercooked meat from our shio koji burger explorations did not go to waste. It became the starting point for seeing how shio koji treated/seasoned/enhanced meat works in a pasta sauce. We crumbled the remaining burger meat into crushed tomatoes that were seasoned with 1% salt. We added some red wine to the pan and slowly cooked these three ingredients together on the stove. The umami rich burger meat seasoned and enhanced the tomatoes. The wine added acidity and structure. The mushroom notes of the meat toned down in the slow simmering. The overall meatiness and savoriness of the sauce was more intense than my go to burger and meat sauce. (Yes, I have a tendency to cook to many burgers and use the leftovers in pasta sauce.) The meat sauce was a fuller, more developed sauce. The improvement on flavor has me more excited about treating meats in advance with shio koji before making pasta sauces. An extrapolation on the advance treatment of meat with shio koji has me looking at treating meat trim for sauce making and meaty bones and trimmings for broth and soup making. I believe the enzymes in the shio koji will allow for more and greater flavor extraction.

As for our bowl of pasta, we used the meat sauce to dress our bolted hard wheat noodles. We topped the pasta with a dollop of ricotta cheese and a healthy sprinkling of Pecorino Romano cheese.

Years Past

March 26, 2016

March 26, 2015

March 26, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 26, 2017 at 10:47 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Bolted Hard Wheat Noodles

For this run of noodles we were inspired to run 100% bolted hard wheat from Castle Valley Mill. Mark's confidence in his grain was contagious. In the past we have cut most of his grains with a base semolina to deliver functionality while capturing the flavor of specific grains. By following his direction we were introduced to a delicious and functionally sturdy noodle. The noodles have a full flavored grassyness without the bitterness I associate with traditional whole wheat.

Years Past

March 25, 2016

March 25, 2015

March 25, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 25, 2017 at 10:14 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Shio Koji Burger Explorations

In a recent workshop with our friend, Rich, we explored not only shio koji in burgers but grain varietal shio koji's in burgers. We were looking to see what the flavor impact would be. We seasoned one burger with a 10% salt brine. The other burgers were seasoned with shio kojis that were all made with 10 percent salt: jasmine rice, brown rice, and barley. We seasoned each burger with 10 percent seasoning so that each burger would end up with 1% final seasoning, before cooking.

We mixed the seasoning into the burgers and put them onto a rack in the refrigerator overnight. The idea was to allow the enzymes in the shio koji to work on the meat and develop amino acids. A secondary benefit we observed was an air dried exterior to the meat. When we cooked the burgers on the grill they did not want to stick to the grates.

As we cooked the meat we observed the burgers with shio koji browned more rapidly and generated a darker coloring than the baseline brined burger. We used the old finger test to judge the burgers done-ness. This was flawed. The addition of the seasonings and the overnight air drying firmed the meat and created a denser meat ring around the interior meat. The burgers felt done, medium rare, but were substantially rarer when we cut into them. (Right here is where I see a great benefit to cooking meats uniformly first in a CVap or even a low oven and then applying the final browning and crusting.)

How did the burgers taste? Really what was unique was the wide range of flavors. The brine burger was seasoned, meaty and juicy. The jasmine shio koji created a sweet flavor to the meat. The brown rice shio koji produced notes of blue cheese. The barley shio koji had intense porcini mushroom flavors. What we also noticed was the meat that was treated with shio koji had a tighter bind to it and was less juicy than the brined burger.

Adding shio koji to a burger, and in that same sense, to any ground meat product, has unique possibilities for flavor development. What also has me just as excited is the use of liquid salt--brines, in burgers and their derivatives.

Years Past

March 24, 2016

March 24, 2015

March 24, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 24, 2017 at 09:19 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Pressure Steamed Beans

We have been exploring the cooking of beans in the basket of a pressure cooker. They are pressure steamed. The results appear to allow the beans to cook uniformly and without breaking. We have also noticed that the beans can be cooked longer in while steaming, producing creamy interiors and keeping the skins intact. To prepare the beans we soak them for a minimum of 24 hours. The pre-hydration appears to allow the steam heat to penetrate and consistently cook the legumes. To pressure cook our beans we ranged in time from 7-13 minutes, increasing time with the increasing size of the beans.

Years Past

March 23, 2016

March 23, 2015

March 23, 2012

March 23, 2010

March 23, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 23, 2017 at 09:06 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Ricing Mozzarella

I put a large chunk of fresh mozzarella into our potato ricer. I pulled the handles together and the result was fine strands of mozzarella. I was able to put them easily over the top or our pasta. It allows for the ease and application of fresh mozzarella beyond the customary cubes. It presents mozzarella in a unique form such that pizza, tartines and semi-modern outlooks on a mozzarella dish come into a playful arena.

Years Past

March 22, 2016

March 22, 2015

March 22, 2012

March 22, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 22, 2017 at 05:56 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hand Written Menus

There is a delightful aesthetic to a menu written by hand and crafted with precision. The hand writing is not a marketing ploy. It is an expression of the creative process. Hand writing is our personalized font, one that is not easily copied, a fingerprint of our personality.

Years Past

March 21, 2016

March 21, 2015

March 21, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 21, 2017 at 08:06 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

C is for The Catbird Seat

Fried Calamari with black lime aioli

"E-Z Bake" Cornbread with fermented pepper butter

Kombu-Cured Boston Fluke with miso, yuzu, parsley and garlic chips

Cured "KY Farm" Hen Yolk with wilted Bloomberry farm greens, sweet onion puree, and Iberico Ham

Sunflower Seed Risotto with fermented green garlic and black truffles

Wakame Seaweed Pasta with yuzu kosho and Sue Buxton's scallop "bottarga"

Grilled Cauliflower marinated in sake with poached turnip, cashew butter, and beef fat

Bearcreek Farm Beef with smoked tofu puree, spring onion, and morel mushrooms

Hatcher Dairy Buttermilk Panna cotta with Lemony olive oil

Butterscotch Custard and Burnt Caramel Ice Cream with vanilla, Luxardo cherries, and chocolate soil

The Cookie Jar

Years Past

March 20, 2016

March 20, 2015

March 20, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 20, 2017 at 09:49 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pickled Beets on Crushed Ice

I think of a lot of ideas. I think of beets, and pickled beets and even beets and orange. What I have not done is thought about building a delicious cocktail around beets. Thankfully Matt, the beverage director at The Catbird Seat did. He simmered beets in red wine vinegar. He took the liquid and blended it with an Italian orange sparkling soda. He combined the ingredients and poured them over crushed ice, a fabulous necessity in my book. He topped it with an orange peel. The drink was bright, acidic, earthy, floral and crisp. It was a drink I never knew I needed, and now crave.

Years Past

March 19, 2016

March 19, 2015

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 19, 2017 at 10:37 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lemon Verbena Lemonade

I had dinner at The Catbird Seat the other evening. The opening beverage, for me, was a sparkling lemonade accented with an intense lemon verbena oil. The addition of the oil provided body and structure to the beverage. It added the floral aromatics of the verbena. The bubbles carried aroma and the entire drink was a refreshing opening to a fantastic dinner. I am now looking at beverages with a fresh set of eyes and an expanded arsenal of ideas.

Years Past

March 18, 2016

March 18, 2015

March 18, 2012

March 18, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 18, 2017 at 10:22 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Magnificent Morels

When a fantastical seasonal ingredient becomes available it is imperative to be generous with its usage while respecting its natural qualities.

Years Past

March 17, 2016

March 17, 2015

March 17, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 17, 2017 at 11:42 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Black Pepper Pappardelle

In order for flavors to transfer from idea to noodle to dish, they must begin by being overpowering. In order to make black pepper noodles we started with 50 grams of whole peppercorns that were then ground and sifted to yield 40 grams of pepper powder. We integrated the pepper into our base noodle formula: 2000 grams semolina, 6 grams salt, 6 grams baking soda, and 600 grams water. The pepper stained and intensely flavored the noodles. In tasting the raw noodle I thought we might have added to much. When we cooked the noodles and dressed them, they were bold though not overpowering. It was pushing the limit of what we thought was possible that enabled us to create an extremely flavorful noodle.

Years Past

March 16, 2016

March 16, 2015

March 16, 2014

March 16, 2013

March 16, 2012

March 16, 2011

March 16, 2011 (2)

March 16, 2011 (3)

March 16, 2010

March 16, 2009

March 16, 2009 (2)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 16, 2017 at 09:18 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Smoked Cured Duck Egg Yolks

Duck eggs are more decadent than chicken eggs. They have a richer flavor and smoother mouthfeel. When they are salt and sugar cured they become dense, grate-able, cheese-like orbs. By themselves they are good. I would say better than good and way better than the over popularized cured chicken eggs. Today, with our friend Ryan Poli, I was able to smoke them. The world turned differently on its axis. Applying smoke to the already cured yolks, think smoking salmon with a pellicle in place, was brilliantly delicious. A small alteration to an existing idea created transformative results.

Years Past

March 15, 2016

March 15, 2015

March 15, 2014

March 15, 2013

March 15, 2012

March 15, 2011

March 15, 2005

March 15, 2005 (2)

March 15, 2005 (3)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 15, 2017 at 09:53 AM in American Noodles, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Charred Long Hots and Smoked Olive Oil

Charred long hots are a staple in our kitchen. I cannot leave well enough alone. I am in constant search of amplifying flavors. The charred notes combined with our current marinade: soy sauce, sherry vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and olive oil, on the long hots is delicious. Today I substituted smoked olive oil in the marinade. This addition elevated the charred notes and brought a savory harmony to my go-to kitchen condiment.

Years Past

March 14, 2016

March 14, 2015

March 14, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 14, 2017 at 09:16 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

BBQ Spice Rubbed Shrimp

When we make a spice rub there is usually more than is needed for a particular application. That is when I proceed with BBQ spice rubbing everything in sight. Tonight shrimp got that treatment. The rub with the rub is the inclusion of sugar. If there is sugar in the mix it can throw the balance off, particularly in seafood and crustaceans. I learned this through experience, making a slightly too sweet BBQ shrimp preparation, that was enjoyed but not necessarily loved. I will certainly return to blending BBQ spices and coating them on shrimp. Next time I will refrain from the inclusion of sugar so that the rub is a little more universal in its applications.

Years Past

March 13, 2016

March 13, 2015

March 13, 2014

March 13, 2013

March 13, 2012

March 13, 2011

March 13, 2011 (2)

March 13, 2009

March 13, 2005

March 13, 2005 (2)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 13, 2017 at 12:16 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lessons From SingleThread

I just returned from the CIA Flavor Summit where I was able to present on Doughnuts as a creative catalyst. I was lucky to be able to attend most of the presentations. I was inspired by our friend Kyle Connaughton's presentation on his new boutique restaurant, farm, and inn: Single Thread. Their focus on all the details throughout the process from idea to actuality was amazing. His outlook on the long game of creation and hospitality was contagious. I was inspired by his Timeless Lessons in Hospitality:

Guests do not come to experience us--they come to experience themselves.
What we do or choose not to do is most genuine when it's not revealed.
Be true to your uncompromising vision while maximizing flexibility for the guests.

Years Past

March 12, 2016

March 12, 2015

March 12, 2014

March 12, 2013

March 12, 2012

March 12, 2011

March 12, 2010

March 12, 2009

March 12, 2008

March 12, 2008 (2)

March 12,2007

March 12, 2007 (2)

March 12, 2006

March 12, 2005

March 12, 2005 (2)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 12, 2017 at 07:32 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

How To Speak Up For Yourself

It's been a while since we've put an inspirational TED talk up here. Adam Galinsky has a life lesson that we can always use a refresher on, how to be assertive and likable.

Years Past

March 11, 2016

March 11, 2015

March 11, 2012

March 11, 2006

March 11, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 11, 2017 at 09:29 AM in Videos | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yuzu Cruller

This week we took Curiosity Doughnuts on the road to do a presentation at the CIA at Greystone.

By creating the entire doughnut spread, well most of it, I was able to try a few new doughnut combinations. At home base we do a yuzu glazed yeasted doughnut. It sells moderately well. For our presentation we made our crullers and glazed a few dozen with our yuzu glaze. They were a smash hit. Perhaps it was because we were in California where yuzu is more well known. But I believe it had to do with the synergy of the soft custardy cruller in combination with the bright, creamy, buttery glaze. The two came together creating the effect of a yuzu curd filled doughnut. Getting to the right, most delicious, combination takes time and dumb luck. I'm looking forward to bringing these doughnuts back to the shop.

Years Past

March 10, 2016

March 10, 2015

March 10, 2012

March 10, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 10, 2017 at 09:26 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Time To Make The Doughnuts

Photo by Anne McBride

This week Curiosity Doughnuts is in CA. Alex is out at the Greystone Flavor Summit, sharing his doughnuts and learning a few new things from people who are smarter than we are. I'm sure he'll be back with lots of ideas for new doughnut flavors to explore. We are closed this weekend, but never fear, we'll be back at the market next week.

Years Past

March 9, 2015

March 9, 2012

March 9, 2009

March 9, 2006 (2)

March 9, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 09, 2017 at 02:49 PM in Beyond the Kitchen Doors | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pork on Cabbage

We seasoned our ribs with salt and refrigerated them on a wire rack overnight. The following day we coated the ribs with Meathead's Memphis Dust and refrigerated them on the rack again, overnight. On the third day we placed the ribs on a bed of red cabbage dressed with salt and cider vinegar. We put the ribs in a 325°F oven and roasted them for one hour. At this point we poured half a bottle of white wine into the bottom of the pan and continued to roast the ribs for 2 more hours. We turned the oven off and let them hot rest for 30 more minutes. We pulled the ribs from the pan and carved them on a cutting board. We dressed the cabbage with all the pan juices and served it alongside. Flavor concentration and maximization at its finest.

Years Past

March 8, 2016

March 8, 2015

March 8, 2014

March 8, 2013

March 8, 2012

March 8, 2011

March 8, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 08, 2017 at 12:41 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Herve This' Chocolate Mousse

If chocolate mousse may be made with two ingredients, it is a simple step to explore the new range of flavors when you ask yourself: What can be chocolate and what can be the water?

Years Past

March 7, 2016

March 7, 2015

March 7, 2012

March 7, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 07, 2017 at 10:22 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lovage 2017

The flavor of lovage, amplified celery with a bracing menthol-like clarity, has been a touchstone in our kitchen. It's always an inspiration to see the new sprouts appearing in the spring. They act like a key unlocking a diary of thoughts sparked by freshness a clear eyes.

Years Past

March 6, 2016

March 6, 2015

March 6, 2012

March 6, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 06, 2017 at 09:48 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Loafing Around

White Loaf

Bolted Spelt Loaf

When your hands and mind become idle, start baking bread. The process focuses thoughts and inspires new questions.

Years Past

March 5, 2016

March 5, 2015

March 5, 2012

March 5, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 05, 2017 at 01:26 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Steak and Smoked Tallow

Smoked tallow is a staple in our pantry. We salted these rib eyes steaks with salt and refrigerated them on a rack for 2 days, allowing the salt to penetrate and flavor the meat. Then we put them into a shallow pan and added a fine layer of smoked tallow on top of them. We slid the meat into the CVap and cooked them for 2 hours at 52°C. Halfway through the CVap process, we flipped the steaks and made sure they were evenly coated with the smoked tallow. After they finished cooking in the CVap, which allowed the meat to cook, tenderize and set up as a meat gel, we grilled them. The grilling accentuated the smokey notes of the tallow and created a wood fired flavor that was nuanced and robust. The meat was not smoked, but it tasted of fire, smoke, char, and roasted meat. The flesh was tender and succulent. It was the best of all worlds in each juicy bite.

Years Past

March 4, 2016

March 4, 2015

March 4, 2006

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 04, 2017 at 04:46 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (3)

Italian Microwave

Years Past

March 3, 2016

March 3, 2015

March 3, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 03, 2017 at 10:36 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cookie Reservations

When the cookies come out of the oven we all inevitably eye a specific one to take that first bite of. Amaya secured her reservation by making it clear which one she wanted. It's not enough to know what you want, you have to take action to make sure that you get it.

Years Past

March 2, 2016

March 2, 2015

March 2, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table

Posted on March 02, 2017 at 01:03 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes And Why They Work: Pizza

We went back to our own book, Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work. We followed the recipe. As constant explorers it is not until we return home again that we realize what we were searching for was in our own kitchen. We cooked these pizzas on a Baking Steel, using the broiler/500°F oven technique from The Elements of Pizza. The sauce is hand crushed tomatoes seasoned with1% salt. The cheese is torn pieces of buffalo mozzarella. The pepperoni is Hormel. We finished the pizza with a generous grating of our smoked Parmigiano Reggiano.