IDEAS IN FOOD: 31 entries from January 2018

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31 entries from January 2018

Stuffed Naan

We decided to revisit our explorations of Indian cooking. We had some pretty bad Indian food from a restaurant the other evening. It reminded us how much we missed the deep flavors, bright sauces and condiments, and various cooking techniques needed to develop delicious Indian dishes.

We set about making a simple representation of the dinner that fell short. The star of our meal was our naan. Specifically the slightly non-traditional cheese stuffed naan. We didn't have any paneer or herbs because Aki wasn't planning to stuff her naan, so I used mozzarella. The bread was soft, pillowy and tender thanks to the addition of yogurt and milk. We stretched two pieces of the dough, laid cheese some cheese over it, topped it with the second piece, and then gently rolled them together. We baked the naan on a sheet pan on a baking steel for two minutes on each side at 500°F. Then we transferred the pan to an oven rack and baked the stuffed naan for an additional 4 minutes, again flipping the bread after 2 minutes. The cheese stayed contained. The bread crisped and browned. When we cut the naan open it oozed cheese. It was exceptional. The stuffed bread also sparked a series of thoughts. What else could we stuff in the naan? What about meat sauce and mozzarella stuffed naan? Would it then be a calzone? The versatility and richness of the naan elevated the experience. It improved the original idea.

Years Past

January 31, 2007 (2)

January 31, 2006

January 31, 2005

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Posted on January 31, 2018 at 05:05 PM in Approach to Cooking, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cross Cultural Nachos

Lately we've been obsessed with this Calabrese Salami that we get from the local Italian market. We get it thinly sliced in the deli department and it is seriously addictive. It has a definite burn from the chiles, a sweetness from the pork, a tang from the fermentation and wonderful chewy texture that allows the fat to melt against your tongue and the flavors to blossom in your mouth. We were making nachos for dinner the other night and Alex reached for the salami. It's flavor has a lot in common with Mexican chorizo, although the texture added something entirely different. Imagine the warm, crispy chips, the gooey cheese, and the creamy guacamole coming together against the chewy, spicy salami. It was pretty awesome. Sometimes you have to cross borders to discover something new and delicious.

Years Past

January 30, 2005 (2)

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Posted on January 30, 2018 at 06:02 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Whatever Happened to Ketchup?

I have a confession to make. I am not a fan of "special sauce." It seems as though every restaurant has a secret burger sauce that is supposed to make them better than anything else out there. I can respect that, Alex loves special sauce and he is always happy to try new ones. He much prefers them to ketchup. But I have never been a fan of mayo with my burger and the one ingredient that all special sauces seem to have in common is mayo. It's not a big deal to get your burger without the sauce but when I say that i would like ketchup on my burger, I generally get a dismissive wave of the hand and am told that there is ketchup on the table/with the condiments.

This is especially vexing at more casual places that serve their burgers partially wrapped in paper. That paper serves two purposes, it helps the ingredients of the hot sandwich meld together and become a better burger--and it makes it easier to eat. If I want to add ketchup to my sandwich I have to take the whole thing apart to make it happen. I lose all the benefits of the wrap and my burger cools off and starts to fall apart. Is it really that hard to add the ketchup when they make the sandwich? Most of the special sauces also have ketchup as one of their ingredients, so I know they have some in the kitchen. It feels like discrimination by the condiment cognoscenti. You can have it your way, but we'll make sure it isn't as good. A great burger place should make great burgers for every customer. And that's all I have to say about that.

Years Past

January 29, 2006

January 29, 2005

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Posted on January 29, 2018 at 05:06 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Beef Stew and Microgreens

We added a handful of micro kale to our bowls of stew the other night. It was a great addition to the dish. The raw kale added a freshness to the braised meat and was the perfect counterpoint to all of the softly cooked vegetables within. Sometimes I hesitate at the price, and then I remember that when they are used properly, microgreens can take any dish up to the next level of flavor.

Years Past

January 28, 2005

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Posted on January 28, 2018 at 04:27 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gochujang Mozzarella and Meat Sauce Pizza

Years Past

January 27, 2007 (2)

January 27, 2006

January 27, 2005

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Posted on January 27, 2018 at 06:56 PM in Approach to Cooking, Impromptu Pizza | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pizza Toppings

Have you ever noticed how many pizza books and pizza makers tell you that too many toppings will ruin a pizza? Seriously, how is that even possible? From a restaurant standpoint, fewer toppings means lower food cost. We can talk "balance" all we want, but high quality ingredients are expensive and restaurants are in business to make money. A good dough can stand up to heavy toppings. A good dough benefits from great toppings. They have a symbiotic relationship. It just goes to show you that some things are better made at home, at least, some of the time.

Years Past

January 26, 2005

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Posted on January 26, 2018 at 06:51 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

Quick Pickles

I am a sucker for pickles. I love them in all shapes and sizes. As a kid, one of my favorite things about eating dinner at the local diner was the pickle plate. Half sours were my favorite. At the Jewih delis I always got a pickle with my sandwiches. At home, Mom would bring home an array of mysterious pickled vegetables from the Japanese markets to be eaten with hot steamed rice. The first time I ate at a Korean restaurant I was amazed and enthralled by the variety of pickled vegetables that appeared on my table. It was a symphony of pickles. So it's no wonder that one of my favorite quick pickles is inspired by cucumber kimchi. I simply take fresh cucumbers and split them in half lengthwise. Then I add sliced scallions, minced ginger and garlic, salt, and a healthy spoonful of gochujang. A quick mix and a couple hours in the fridge later, I am in pickle heaven. These pickles are salty and spicy with the fresh flavor of half sours and a serious kick from the ginger and garlic. I adore them. They only last for a few days but that's okay, because I can eat a whole batch all by myself in a day or two. They are especially good in the wintertime because the heat and crunch are exactly what this cold winter weather demands.

Years Past

January 25, 2009

January 25, 2008 (2)

January 25, 2007

January 25, 2006

January 25, 2005

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Posted on January 25, 2018 at 05:16 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (2)

Hand Pulled Noodles in Meat Sauce

We started pulling noodles. And we pulled a few more. I struggled with the noodles and the saucing. I was enamored with the idea and texture of the noodles but mine were not amazing. That was a function of learning something new. I also didn't do well with the saucing. I relied, at first, on a pantry that was weak. I tried to make do rather than make. We took time away from noodle making.

I revisited hand pulled noodles the other night. This time I had a sauce I wanted to make, a spicy version of ground meat in tomato sauce. It was not fancy. It was familiar and tasty. I made the sauce with relative ease. I made the noodle dough and was prepared to pull and stretch. But, being still unfamiliar with the pulling, stretching and tearing of the noodles along with tinkering with the actual dough recipe I set myself up for not-great. Thankfully the sauce held its own and carried the noodles to the finish line.

But this third poor performance led me to hunker down, refine and improve what I was doing. I made a new batch of dough, adjusting the salt to enhance the noodles texture. I pulled the noodles in smaller sections and omitted the tearing step. The noodles cooked up into beautiful chewy strands. They absorbed my sauce and were the match I was looking for. It took time, persistence and humility to get a delicious bowl of noodles.

Years Past

January 24, 2007 (2)

January 24, 2006

January 24, 2005

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Posted on January 24, 2018 at 07:19 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Gochujang Mozzarella

Pepperoni and mozzarella are perfect partners. How different is the funky spice of gochujang? I sliced a ball of fresh mozzarella in half and coated it with gochujang. I refrigerated the cheese on a rack to allow the flavor to infuse and adhere to the cheese. Do we eat it as is? Do we smoke it? Do we make bulgogi meatball parmigiana? Perhaps all three and many more.

Years Past

January 23, 2005

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Posted on January 23, 2018 at 05:48 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Multi-Taskers

Sometimes a fish spatula is more than a fish spatula, especially when you don't have a clip-on thermometer for candy making. Ingenuity is always an important tool in the kitchen.

Years Past

January 22, 2005

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Posted on January 22, 2018 at 04:53 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

Slow Roasted Chuck Shoulder

I am one of those people who stands there in the meat aisle examining each pack of bacon or each piece of chuck shoulder in order to find the one that best meets my taste. When it comes to bacon I am looking for the ones that are mostly meat and when it comes to a chuck should I am looking for something that is nicely marbled. The slow roasted chuck shoulder is an old favorite. I give in a hard sear in bacon fat, on both sides, cover it, and slide it in a 250°F oven. Depending on the size of the piece it cooks anywhere from 4-6 hours, which is fine if I'm at home puttering. When it's done I pull it out of the oven and leave it covered on the stove, resting in its own juices, until I'm ready to carve it up. I like to season it at least 8 hours and up to three days in advance. I give it a heavy dusting of salt and leave it on a rack set over a sheet pan in the refrigerator. If it's in there on the longer side, I may cover it loosely with plastic wrap to keep it from drying out too much. This roast is so easy and versatile that I always end up coming back to it. The juices you see here are all from the meat. You can slice it and serve it with potatoes or grits. You can shred it, mix it with salsa, and turn it into tacos. You can use almost any regional seasoning before searing and turn it into a delicious dinner of almost any ethnicity. It's my favorite all purpose technique, only requiring a nice piece of meat, preferably on sale, and delivered with a clear conscience. What could be easier and more delicious than that?

Years Past

January 21, 2008 (2)

January 21, 2007

January 21, 2006

January 21, 2006 (2)

January 21, 2005

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Posted on January 21, 2018 at 05:28 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

Spicy Steamed Broccoli

There are always bags of broccoli in our freezer. I'm partial to the Whole Foods 365 Organic. It's usually in good shape and the florets are a nice size. When we get tired of salad or can't find any interesting vegetables in the market, we reach for the broccoli. Our favorite preparation is a steamed spicy broccoli that is inspired by one my Aunt Lucy used to make when I was growing up. I add a generous amount of olive oil to a pot with sliced garlic and whole anchovies. Once the garlic has browned and the anchovies have disintegrated we add a healthy spoonful of bottled "bomba" sauce or a good shake of crushed red pepper. Then we add the still frozen broccoli, season with salt, give it a good stir, and let it steam in the pot over medium heat until it is tender. I stir it every so often as it softens, and add more salt as needed. It takes about 20 minutes and the resulting broccoli is earthy and spicy and delicious. The crushed red pepper is what Aunt Lucy used and adds a nice heat. The bomba sauce adds an extra layer of flavor with spice and tang, that rounds out the sweet broccoli flavor, the nutty garlic, and the salty anchovies to perfection. Of course now that we have Italian XO, I'll have to see how that works in the next batch.

Years Past

January 20, 2006 (2)

January 20, 2005

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Posted on January 20, 2018 at 05:08 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Italian XO

The idea was XO sauce, interpreted with Italian-inspired ingredients.I combined smoked olives, oil packed anchovies, oil packed Calabrian chilis, hot soppressata and olive oil in a pot. I cooked the mixture on medium heat for five minutes to break down the anchovies and begin to fry the soppressata. I let it cool for a bit in the pan. When it was just warm, I pulverized the mixture in a food processor. Now we have a new condiment and a new model to use to explore other flavors of XO.

Years Past

January 18, 2009

January 18, 2007 (2)

January 18, 2006

January 18, 2005

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Posted on January 19, 2018 at 06:25 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chocolate "Cool Whip"

As many of you know, Brave Tart: Iconic American Desserts was one of my favorite books of 2017. In it, Stella has a recipe for Vanilla Marshmallow Creme that can be modified to make Homemade Cool Whip. I took her recipe and added cocoa to the sugar syrup and then folded melted bittersweet chocolate into the cream to make chocolate cool whip to frost a cake. It's pretty awesome stuff. It takes one great recipe to make another. Thanks Stella! If you want to make your own homemade cool whip be sure to pick up one of her books. That recipe is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to her amazing ideas.

Years Past

January 18, 2009

January 18, 2007 (2)

January 18, 2006

January 18, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on January 18, 2018 at 04:25 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

Chocolate Marshmallows

What would you do with them?

Years Past

January 17, 2008 (2)

January 17, 2007

January 17, 2006

January 17, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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

Posted on January 17, 2018 at 06:32 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Chili and Garlic Noodles

Noodle making is its own creative ecosystem. Extruding noodles allows for limitless explorations. On the left are thick spaghetti, die number 13, made with roasted garlic. On the right the thick spaghetti are flavored with yuzu kosho and concentrated red pepper juice. Separately they are both intensely flavorful and delicious. Together they become an incredibly memorable bite.

Years Past

January 16, 2005

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Posted on January 16, 2018 at 07:14 PM in American Noodles, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

What If, Then What

Exploring a process.

Years Past

January 15, 2005

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Posted on January 15, 2018 at 07:10 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Snickerdoodling

Misreading a recipe can lead to new results. I was trying out a new snickerdoodle recipe and I read the amount of flour wrong, seeing 1/4 instead of 3/4. The result was an unusually tender and delicate version of the cookie. What I saw as a flaw, Alex saw as a benefit. A few small adjustments led to a cookie we could both love, that was distinctly different from the snickerdoodle that we we were used to. Sometimes checking out new recipes leads us to something new and different, that may not be what the writer intended, but is exactly what we didn't know we were looking for.

Years Past

January 14, 2007 (2)

January 14, 2006

January 14, 2005

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Posted on January 14, 2018 at 06:12 PM in Approach to Cooking, Bakers Dozen, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

An Easy Way To Be Creative

This is a five minute Ted Talk from Marily Oppezzo that will give you an easy technique to become a more creative problem solver. Who doesn't have five minutes for that?

Years Past

January 13, 2005

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Posted on January 13, 2018 at 02:51 PM in Food For Thoughts, INSPIRATIONS, Videos | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kimchi and (Smoked) Olives

The proximity of kimchi and our smoked salt cured olives in our refrigerator catalyzed a series of ideas. The substitution of ingredients in classic preparations moved our thoughts forward. Olives dressed with a kimchi puree. Pulverized kimchi and smoked olives in puttanesca sauce. A combination of minced kimchi and olives to make a tapenade. Folding olives into a traditional kimchi. Kimchi salt for curing olives. Olives marinated in kimchi juice. Kimchi made with olive brine. More ideas will emerge as we let the combination cook in our thoughts.

Years Past

January 12, 2005

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Posted on January 12, 2018 at 04:00 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Family Pies

We started with our no-knead pizza dough. We let it rise, knocked it down and refrigerated it overnight. The following day we let the dough continue to rise. We knocked the dough down a few more times until we were ready to put it into our Detroit Style Pizza pans. We oiled the pans and stretched the dough to fill the pans. We applied a thin layer of extra virgin olive oil to the top of the dough and then let it proof at room temperature. When it was ready, about 20-230 minutes later, we layered the first pie with hand crushed sauce, provolone, fresh mozzarella and a top layer of sauce. The second pie got sauce, cheddar cheese, calabrese salumi, fresh mozzarella and more sauce on top. We cooked the pizzas at 450°F on our baking steel for 15 minutes, then transferred the pies a rack up, turned on the convection, and cooked them for 10 more minutes. The crust was crisp. The dough light and fluffy. The toppings were molten and browned. We carved the pizzas, as we always do, with a pair of scissors and tucked in.

Years Past

January 11, 2011

January 11, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on January 11, 2018 at 06:05 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Smoked Kimchi

The smoke mellows the funkiness of the fermented vegetables. It adds a rounded savoriness to balance the spicy tang. A little bit of smoke increases the savoriness. It brings a fullness to the eating experience. Smoked kimchi is delicious all by itself. It is a complex building block in our pantry to use in everything, from sauces to meatballs and from soffritos to noodles.

Years Past

January 10, 2007

January 10, 2006 (2)

January 10, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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

Posted on January 10, 2018 at 04:03 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Honeycomb in White Chocolate

Aki made a light, airy, crisp honeycomb. I stole it. I broke it into pieces. I folded it into melted white chocolate. I set it into a block. I chopped it up roughly into addictive little shards that crunch and then melt in your mouth. I was rewarded with a delicious new treat, that will soon grace the top of some doughnuts and frozen custard.

Years Past

January 9, 2017

January 9, 2016

January 9, 2015

January 9, 2012

January 9, 2008

January 9, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on January 09, 2018 at 04:49 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cutting Udon

After tackling udon I realized I needed to gain some efficiency in the production. I reached out to our friends at Arcobaleno to see if there was a thick noodle cutter for our sheeter. It turns out they had exactly what I was looking for, a 4mm cutter. I made a larger batch of dough and put the sheeter and cutter to work. It took a bit of practice to get the noodles right. I learned I needed to dust a bit of extra flour on the dough before running it through the cutter. Once I made that adjustment I was able to roll and cut handfuls of chewy udon. Amaya is my happy noodle junkie, encouraging the creation of v3 of American Noodles to keep her well-supplied.

Years Past

January 8, 2017

January 8, 2016

January 8, 2015

January 8, 2012

January 8, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on January 08, 2018 at 04:52 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Strawberry Glazed Chocolate Doughnuts

Amaya wanted to explore chocolate covered strawberries on a doughnut. We discussed topping a doughnut with sliced strawberries dipped in chocolate. We discussed using "those freeze dried strawberries you use in your glazes daddy." We talked about our vanilla and chocolate dough. As we explored the ideas she asked about glazing our chocolate doughnut with our strawberry glaze. (Now made with strawberry puree.) I loved the idea and tried a few test doughnuts today. They sold extremely quickly. Amaya's curiosity allowed her to cleverly combine ingredients inspired by her own previous pleasurable eating experiences. Creativity at its best.

Years Past

January 7, 2017

January 7, 2016

January 7, 2015

January 7, 2012

January 7, 2009

January 7, 2007

January 7, 2006 (2)

January 7, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on January 07, 2018 at 07:25 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lobster and Pepperoni Chow Fun

I started by cooking the pepperoni in olive oil, rendering some of the pepperoni fat and flavoring the oil. When the pepperoni began to form inverted cups I added thickly sliced onions. I cooked the pepperoni and onions together until the onions were lightly browned and semi-tender. I added sliced ho fun noodles and cooked them until they slightly softened. I added sliced chunks of lobster that I had marinated in chili-garlic sauce. I folded the lobster into the mixture. It took a few tosses and turns in the pan to bring the dish together and our platter of lobster and pepperoni chow fun was ready.

Years Past

January 6, 2017

January 6, 2016

January 6, 2015

January 6, 2012

January 6, 2006 (2)

January 6, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on January 06, 2018 at 06:59 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chow Fun

I took the cold ho fun noodles out of the refrigerator and cut them into strips. I set a non-stick pan onto medium high heat and added a thin layer of oil. I added the stiff, board-like, noodles to the pan. They sizzled, popped and softened. They transformed into tender ho fun noodles. I even achieved some crispy caramelized bits for added texture. I added a splash of soy sauce to the pan to season these testers. The noodles were supple, crunchy, tender, chewy and crush-worthy. Our chow fun game has been fundamentally changed. The microphone dropped.

Years Past

January 5, 2017

January 5, 2016

January 5, 2015

January 5, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on January 05, 2018 at 06:44 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Exploring The Rice Cooker

It's kind of embarrassing to admit that I've only ever used my rice cooker to make rice. After all we are supposed to be super creative chefs and we've used our pressure cookers to make almost anything you can think of. The rice cooker has occupied it's own little corner of the kitchen. I use it at least a couple of times a month for rice and not for anything else. Not only that, but I only use it for sticky rice. Occasionally I may mix some grains in for variety. In case you were wondering, we're partial to Tamaki Haiga. Other than that I've never even cooked any other variety of rice in my rice cooker. It finally occurred to me that this was insanity.

This week I decided to try out the porridge setting on my rice cooker with some Castle Valley grits. I used 1 cup of grits, 4.5 cups of water, and just under a teaspoon of fine sea salt. The grits were not done when the porridge setting came to an end so we took advantage of the keep warm setting to continue to cook the grits. Four hours later we were ready for dinner and the grits were silky smooth and just about perfect. All they needed were some butter and cheese to finish them off. We tested the temperature and it ranged from 157°F-159°F, well outside the danger zone through out the final cooking process. The first test was a success and I am ready to start exploring the possibilities of our trusty rice cooker. Any suggestions are welcome.

Years Past

January 4, 2017

January 4, 2016

January 4, 2015

January 4, 2012

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on January 04, 2018 at 05:48 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (3)

Tackling Udon

My biggest challenge in working with udon was to create the unique, chewy texture without using the insane amounts of salt that are traditionally added to the dough. I decided to look at hydration and texture as separate techniques. Then I utilized our method of adding salt and baking soda to a dough in order to add chew and snap to the noodles. We explored a similar approach in the making of steamed buns, where baking soda is kneaded into a leavened yeast dough to add additional springiness and chew.

For our udon noodles we made a basic dough with flour and water. We kneaded it and let it rest several times until the dough appeared silky and soft. Then we added less than 1% salt and 1% baking soda to the dough and kneaded it in. We let the dough rest overnight wrapped in plastic in the refrigerator. In the morning, we rolled it into udon noodles and dropped them into boiling water.

The noodles cooked in about 7 minutes. When they first hit the water, they puffed and looked enormous. As they continued to cook, they shrank down into a more traditional udon size, a generous 1/8 inch thickness. We finished our noodles in a ham broth with some grated parmigano reggiano, black pepper and a nest of arugula on top. They were toothsome, springy, and delicious. The noodles had a soft, silky texture that made it very satisfying to chew on them and savor the rich broth coating the noodles.

Years Past

January 3, 2015

January 3, 2012

January 3, 2006 (2)

January 3, 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 January 03, 2018 at 02:03 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (3)

Ho Fun

We are very fortunate to have friends who know way more than us. As I was talking chow fun with our good friend Doron Wong, of Lotus and Cleaver (home of bacon and eggs chow fun) and Northern Tiger a dumpling-centric noodle shop, he offered up his recipe and new to us technique, cooking the noodles like crepes. The technique is as simple as making crepes. I No longer need to juggle a steamer and sliding plates and a hot mess. I cooked the ho fun as crepes and stacked them between cut sheets of parchment paper. Tomorrow we will begin exploring traditional and not traditional ideas with them.

Years Past

January 2, 2017

January 2 2016

January 2, 2015

January 2, 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 January 02, 2018 at 07:31 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (3)

Mozzarella Oysters

I was eating baby buffalo mozzarella straight from the container. As I ate one it reminded me in texture, size and flavor of oysters. I began thinking about dish variations, whether we should treat oysters like mozzarella or mozzarella like oysters. I wondered about soaking or dressing these cheesy orbs in oyster liquor. I wondered about dressing oysters with mozzarella brine. The small connections we make allow for unique combinations.

Years Past

January 1, 2016

January 1, 2012