IDEAS IN FOOD: Approach to Cooking

Change Of Plans

We were planning on mashed potatoes the other night when we were overcome by a sudden desire for chili and nachos. That happens to everyone, right? So instead of mashing the boiled potatoes, we dried them in the pot and chilled them on a sheet pan. The next day we pulled out some steaks and paired them with spicy spinach and cream fried potatoes with bacon. We took some leftover bacon and cut it into matchsticks. Then we set it in a pan with some butter, just until they started to crisp up. We added the cold potatoes and let them brown lightly on one side. We gave them a quick toss and tipped in some heavy cream and a good sprinkling of salt. We cooked them until all the cream had been absorbed and the potatoes had browned. They were crispy and velvety, creamy and rich. Sometimes leftovers make the best parts of a new meal.

Years Past

November 13, 2017

November 13, 2016

November 13, 2015

November 13, 2014

November 13, 2013

November 13, 2012

November 13, 2011

November 13, 2009

November 13, 2008

November 13, 2007

November 13, 2006

November 13, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on November 13, 2018 at 06:19 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stand Up Searing

We cooked the (pre-salted) steaks sous vide, from frozen, for 3 hours. I pulled them from the bags and stood them up, fat side down in a medium hot cast iron skillet. The fat slowly rendered and the fat caramelized. When the edge was richly browned I flipped the steaks in the rendered fat to quickly brown the surfaces. The steaks provide the fat and become more flavorfully cooked in the process.

Years Past

November 12, 2017

November 12, 2016

November 12, 2015

November 12, 2014

November 12, 2013

November 12, 2012

November 12, 2011

November 12, 2010

November 12, 2009

November 12, 2008

November 12, 2007

November 12, 2006

November 12, 2005

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Posted on November 12, 2018 at 05:46 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Sake and Cream Burgers

I took the idea of spraying yakitori with sake, to increase umami, from Chicken and Charcoal and applied it to our burger making. I reduced the amount of cream from our cream burger and used an equal amount of sake and cream. I mixed in salt and formed patties. The burgers browned well and were extremely juicy. The flaw was the raw sake became too much in the finished burger. The alcohol overpowered the meat. Perhaps I would have been better off brushing the cream burgers with sake. Perhaps I can cook out the alcohol in the sake. The first run was delicious and has me wanting to improve and explore the use of sake in meat cookery well beyond the burger.

Years Past

November 10, 2017

November 10, 2016

November 10, 2015

November 10, 2014

November 10, 2013

November 10, 2012

November 10, 2011

November 10, 2010

November 10, 2009

November 10, 2008

November 10, 2007

November 10, 2006

November 10, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on November 10, 2018 at 04:36 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (2)

Yakitori Chef Shigetoshi Narita

While we're thinking about yakitori, there's some interesting stuff in this video of Chef Shigetoshi Narita in Mexico via Eater.

Years Past

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Posted on November 09, 2018 at 03:46 PM in Approach to Cooking, Videos | Permalink | Comments (0)

Blueberry, Maple, Cotton Candy Doughnuts

Years ago we came across maple cotton candy. I loved the idea of it. Recently I came across maple cotton candy for sale in the aisles of our local Whole Foods. I couldn't pass it up. I bought it and cracked open the lid. The candy was light and airy with a delicate maple flavor. I knew we needed to use it on a doughnut.

I am a blueberry pancake junky. It made sense to make a blueberry and maple doughnut and top it with the cotton candy. We used our super cakes as the base. We added maple glaze and blueberry crumbs. We nestled a tuft of cotton candy in the middle.

Years Past

November 8, 2009 (triple crust pie)

November 8, 2008

November 8, 2007

November 8, 2006

November 8, 2006 (2)

November 8, 2005

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on November 08, 2018 at 06:30 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Calabrian Kosho

The idea of Calabrian kosho has been in the notebook, really the passion project cookbook file, for years. The idea was to combine cultural icons into a delicious condiment. Yuzu kosho is currently quite fashionable. It has been for a while now. We created a quick version recipe of it in our second book Maximum Flavor. The concept of American Noodles is another fetish of mine. It is the passion project that I cannot let go of and cannot get going in the real world. The idea is a multi-influenced pasta-land where anything goes, as long as we can make a smart and delicious connection. Today I'm playing with Calabrian kosho as a foundation ingredient for pasta, meatballs, dressings, noodles and sauces. To create this hybrid I blended preserved lemons, white miso and a jar of calabrian chiles packed in oil. The result is bracing bright, funky, spicy and rich. It is an amplfied, rock star version of the classic yuzu kosho. It illustrates where I want to take American Noodles and all of our cooking.

Years Past

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Posted on November 07, 2018 at 04:01 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, The 10 Condiments | Permalink | Comments (0)

Where There's Smoke

...there's flavor. We didn't grill much this summer, it was just too hot out there. So we're dubbing fall the new grilling season. Now if it would just stop raining...

Years Past

November 6, 2010

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on November 06, 2018 at 01:47 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

Melting Pork Shoulder

We cut deep cross hatches into a pork shoulder and seasoned it liberally with salt. We let it sit uncovered in the refrigerator for 2 days, allowing the salt to penetrate the meat. We cooked the shoulder on a bed of miripoix with a bit of chicken broth in a covered pot for 6 hours at 250°F. The fat became meltingly tender and the meat softened into an almost spoon-cutting texture. The meat is now a blank canvas to be dressed in a variety of forms: from yuzu kosho to tomatoes with onions sweated in butter. By cooking the shoulder on its own we can now explore many paths.

Years Past

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on November 03, 2018 at 05:56 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Quick Fix

Some days you cook the crisp for an hour and there are thick dribbles of juice bubbling out of the pan. You let it rest during dinner and go to scoop it and the juices under the crust are thin and watery. Then your husband and daughter start taunting you about serving a raw crisp. So what do you do? You wrap the pie pan in foil and set it over a burner. Fifteen minutes later and the juices are bubbling and thick. You have a perfectly cooked crisp.

Years Past

November 2, 2013

November 2, 2009

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on November 02, 2018 at 04:22 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chicken and Charcoal

The pleasure of books can be summed up in the random discovery of joy. We picked up Chicken and Charcoal: Yakitori, Yardbird, Hong Kong by Matt Abergel. The super clean pictures of butchering and the assembling of skewers is complimented by an instinctual and inviting prose describing insights on the cooking process. The obsession with the process is apparent from the first flip and I am certainly eager to dive into the process of yakitori as well as stealing the techniques for other preparations.

Years Past

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 November 01, 2018 at 05:50 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Fried Egg Salad

I have eaten plenty of salads topped with poached eggs. Aki often makes fried eggs with sauteed greens. Last week at Star Chefs ICC I tried and was smitten with a fried egg salad. It was spicy, funky, and bright with acid. It has been haunting me ever since. I made a dressing with grapefruit, mustard, fish sauce, soy sauce and cider vinegar. I sauteed the eggs in sunflower oil and deglazed the pan with a spoonful of dressing to steam and cook the top of the eggs. I dressed the greens with the vinaigrette and topped them with the hot eggs. I used scissors to cut up the eggs and tossed everything together. The salad was bright, funky, spicy, bitter and rich. It satisfied my craving and has me wanting more.

Years Past

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 October 31, 2018 at 03:52 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

If You Want Answers

Years Past

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Posted on October 29, 2018 at 05:07 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Momofuku's Roast Duck Ssam

This video seems very appropriate as we head towards Thanksgiving. I've often pondered the wisdom of duck over turkey, less meat but so much more flavor. Sausage stuffed duck could be just the thing to get the ball rolling.

Years Past

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Posted on October 28, 2018 at 05:43 PM in Approach to Cooking, Videos | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chicken Skin Tacos

We've taken to roasting chicken thighs every couple of weeks. Sometimes we roast them on vegetables and sometimes we make different salads. Occasionally there is rice or potatoes to go alongside. We take the leftover chicken and pull it, to use in other dishes. We save the leftover skin and bones for stock. On the night we roast up the thighs, Alex and Amaya harvest the crispy skins to make tacos. They stuff them with meat and vegetables and whatever else is on the table. Then they dip or drizzle them in hot sauce and savor the deep crunch and salty flavor of each delicious bite.

Years Past

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on October 27, 2018 at 04:08 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table | Permalink | Comments (0)

Quarter Pan Pizzas

The quarter sheet pan takes the half and half option out of the equation and allows for everyone to create a custom pie.

Years Past

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Posted on October 26, 2018 at 05:04 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Impromptu Pizza | Permalink | Comments (0)

Going Green

We have not been using herbs enough in our cooking. I crave the brightness and the crisp refreshing flavor that herbs bring to our dishes. We have not been using enough jalapenos lately either. I set about solving my own problems. I made a green sauce with parsley, cilantro, jalapenos, anchovies, salt and olive in our Vitamix. I pureed the herbs, stems and all. The only stem I removed was from the jalapeno. I spread the sauce into a miniature muffin pan and put it in the blast chiller. When the sauce is frozen I will pop them out of the pan and vacuum seal the individual portions for preservation and easy access. It takes an effort to go green. But the payoff is delicious.

Years Past

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook

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Posted on October 25, 2018 at 05:27 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Look Up and Discover

We think we know the answer and we go around with that belief. When we take the time to look up the answer we discover paths we had no idea existed.

Years Past

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 October 24, 2018 at 03:46 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Hot and Cold

I was brought a couple of slices of pizza from L'industrie Pizzeria. What I felt was exceptional was the post cooking addition of burrata and basil. The pepperoni was cupped and caramelized. The burrata was cool, creamy and elastic. The basil was bright and refreshing. The pizza itself was crisp, foldable, airy and cheese crusted. The balance in flavors, textures and temperatures showed me fresh insight into the combination and addition of ingredients.

Years Past

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 October 23, 2018 at 05:01 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Possibilities

One of the tricks to being a good cook is being able to see the possibilities in your ingredients. There was time when I would look at these bananas and think I'd better eat them quickly. Now I look at them and think about what I could make. Roasted bananas or Bananas Foster? Banana bread with peanut butter or banana layer cake with chocolate frosting. They're on the smaller side, so maybe some scones with cashew butter or some muffins with apples and oatmeal streusel. There's enough there for banana cream pie or even a simple pudding. The possibilities are endless.

Years Past

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on October 22, 2018 at 04:43 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pumpkin Muffins With Chocolate Chips

Sundays are a great day to make muffins because you can eat them that day and have them on hand for lunches and after school snacks in the beginning of the week. Amaya made her first batch of pumpkin muffins today and they were a smashing success. Muffins are very forgiving and therefore perfect for beginner bakers. We fill the muffin tins slightly above the top using a blue ice cream scoop. We find that the smaller muffins are not quite big enough for a snack and leave us a little hungry, so we go for a slightly larger size that satisfies with one muffin per person. These muffins are moist and light. We use a blend of milk and dark chocolate chips (Guittard) to finish them off and make them feel just a little bit indulgent. You can easily leave them out if you don't have any on hand or add some diced apple instead.

Pumpkin Muffins with Chocolate CHips

Makes 10 larger or twelve smaller muffins

1½ cups all purpose flour

1¼ cups sugar (any blend of light and dark)

1 teaspoon baking powder

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon salt

½ teaspoon cinnamon

One 15-ounce can organic pumpkin puree

⅓ cup neutral oil (we use sunflower seed)

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla paste or extract

½ cup chocolate chips (we used half milk, half bittersweet Guittard)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Line a standard muffin tin with papers and spray them with pan spray or simply spray the tin with pan spray.

Put the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon in a medium mixing bowl and whisk to blend. Put the pumpkin, oil, eggs and vanilla in a smaller bowl and whisk to blend. Add the pumpkin mixture to the flour mixture and stir to combine. Once the mixture has come together, add the chocolate chips and stir briefly to combine. Divide the batter among your muffin tins, filling them slightly below the top for twelve muffins and slightly above the top for ten muffins. Bake for 25-30 minutes until the muffins are golden brown, just firm to the touch, and a cake tester inserted into the center of the largest muffins comes out clean. DO not over bake the muffins, you want them to be soft and moist.

Remove from oven and let cool for at least 15 minutes before eating.

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Posted on October 21, 2018 at 03:05 PM in Approach to Cooking, Recipes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tandoori Linguini with Butternut Squash and Kielbasa Bolognese

The dish is a combination of our tandoori linguini and a butternut squash bolognese sauce made with our kielbasa sausage. We topped the dish with a generous dollop of ricotta and sprinking of Parmigiano Reggiano. The kielbasa sausage is the secret to the bolognese and the tandoori spice adds a pointed focus to a tangle of noodles. The dish was an impromptu creation fashioned from a pantry of interchangeable parts.

Years Past

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Posted on October 20, 2018 at 05:41 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (1)

Tandoori Spiced Noodles

There's a definite chill in the air, spurring us to embrace the use of warming spices. Today we added 2% tandoori spices to our base extruded pasta recipe. It was enough to give us a clear flavor of the spices to work with as we play with sauce ideas.

Years Past

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Posted on October 17, 2018 at 04:37 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Butternut and Black Lime

In Maximum Flavor we made butternut squash capponata. The squash is bright, sweet, crispy and juicy. It is a melon with structure. Since then we have looked at other ways of serving it raw and marinated. Today we started playing with the squash seasoned with salt and powdered fermented black lime. It is sweet, sour, salty, bitter and refreshing. It is a simple combination creating a delicious salad.

Years Past

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Posted on October 16, 2018 at 02:09 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pistachio Stock

Pistachio stock was the revelation that brought our mortadella, cabbage and pistachio ragout together. I blended salt roasted pistachios, water and soy sauce together. I strained the mixture and the result was a rich and creamy stock. It had an intense pistachio flavor and was the liquid I needed for our sauce. It carried the element of pistachios throughout the ingredients with a saucy fullness.

Years Past

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Posted on October 15, 2018 at 06:31 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Fall Favorites

The weather has finally turned and there is a welcome chill in the air. This afternoon there was football on tv and chili simmering in the pot. I had planned for baked potatoes and forgotten about rock climbing practice. So, the baked potatoes became twice baked potatoes, seasoned with generous amounts of butter, salt and cheddar cheese. After practice, we spooned the chili over the baked potatoes and everybody was happy.

Years Past

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Posted on October 14, 2018 at 06:27 PM in Approach to Cooking | Permalink | Comments (0)

Lay It Down

I love the flavor of prosciutto and speck in cooked dishes. What I do not love is the way the ham dehydrates and gets super salty during the cooking process. In order to eliminate this problem, tonight I laid slices of speck on the bottom of the roasting pan and then added my artichokes and chick peas over the meat. Finally I arranged the chicken thighs in the center and roasted the whole thing. The speck gave a gentle seasoning to all of the other ingredients and remained soft and supple enough to be scooped up with the vegetables. We'll definitely be using this approach again.

Years Past

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Posted on October 13, 2018 at 06:41 PM in Approach to Cooking, Food For Thoughts, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Season Your Shells

By seasoning the shells we have the opportunity to let flavors mingle. The seasoning concentrates and changes as we grill the oysters. When we pick up the oysters and slurp them the seasoning compliments and does not overpower the shellfish.

Years Past

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Posted on October 11, 2018 at 07:07 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Cross Cut and Thick Cut

I have been searching for thick cut and cross cut short ribs for many years. I was too lazy to make them myself. And I never remembered I was looking for them when I was in the butcher shop. Every time I saw cross cut ribs for sale I lamented the fact that they were always so thin. Finally I found the short ribs I was looking for. My vision for the ribs was to treat them in some way like chicken wings. I wanted to salt them, cook them sous vide, chill them, dredge them in cornstarch, fry them and glaze them in spicy sauce. But when I finally found them I was running around and not prepared with the time to follow through with my vision. Instead, I salted them and refrigerated them overnight. The following day I cooked them for 20 minutes in the pressure cooker.

The ribs were good. I was disappointed. I had a vision and when the opportunity arrived I was only able to bunt. I became distracted by my vision and did not adapt to the situation in front of me. It was an important reminder to have several plans ready because the situation will not always be how you planned it.

Years Past

October 9, 2015

October 9, 2011

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 October 09, 2018 at 04:05 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Frank's and Bolognese

I made another round of Frank's Red Hot flavored noodles. I dressed the noodles with our buttermilk bolognese. I finished the pasta with a spoonful of our Frank's bulletproof beurre monte. The noodle flavor stood up to the rich sauce. The beurre monte added a final richness to the bowl of pasta.

Years Past

October 8, 2012

October 8, 2011

October 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 October 08, 2018 at 05:13 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jalapeno Noodles with Pistachio, Cabbage and Mortadella Sauce

I made jalapeno noodles. They have become a regular addition to my noodle making repertoire. The intensity of the jalapenos acts as a flavorful foil for rich sauces. I started the sauce with cabbage, soffrito and minced mortadella. I made a pistachio stock with salt roasted pistachios, water and soy sauce. I pureed them together and strained the mixture. The result was an intense pistachio stock. I added it to the soffrito and cooked the ingredients together until the cabbage was tender. I finished the sauce with a spoonful of prepared horseradish. I cooked the noodles and glazed them in the sauce. I finished the bowls of noodles with grated salt roasted pistachios.

Years Past

October 7, 2015

October 7, 2012

October 7, 2011

October 7, 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 October 07, 2018 at 04:05 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Flavoring Noodles

We recently made 4 flavored pastas: jalapeno, yellow mustard, Frank's hot sauce and horseradish. The flavor must be at least three times as intense as the desired end result. The flavor is diluted three times in the noodle process: in the making, the cooking, and the saucing. By making sure the initial flavor is overly assertive the final flavor becomes a delicious element in the final dish.

Years Past

October 6, 2015

October 6, 2012

October 6, 2011

Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work

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Posted on October 06, 2018 at 05:10 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pizza Dough Dumplings

I spent yesterday making and sharing noodles. At one point I borrowed a pizza dough, cut it up and put it in the pasta boiler. The dough cooked up into a tender, plump dumplings. Are pizza dough dumplings necessary? Probably not. But they show potential worth exploring in texture, flavor and as a creative canvas.

Years Past

October 4, 2015

October 4, 2012

October 4, 2008

October 4, 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 October 04, 2018 at 08:09 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (1)

Buttermilk Bolognese With Burrata

Our latest obsession is burrata on top of pasta. We've found these smaller balls of cheese that are perfect for single servings. When you break it open over a hot bowl of rigatoni with buttermilk bolognese, you get this wonderful melding of textures and flavors: creamy and chewy, hot and cold, soft and firm. It's the perfect opportunity to play with your food.

Years Past

October 3, 2015

October 3, 2012

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Posted on October 03, 2018 at 12:40 PM in Approach to Cooking, At the Table | Permalink | Comments (0)

Monte Madness

I prepared 4 bulletproof beurre montes for pasta-fest tomorrow at the Pizza and Pasta Expo. I am fortunate to be making and cooking in the Arcobaleno booth. I will be serving an array of noodles in the style of those we have made for American Noodles. The monte flavors are: original, Frank's Hot Sauce, jalapeno-soy, and farro-miso. They bring flavor, fat and function to a la minute pasta making. Stay tuned for the rest of the dishes.

Years Past

October 2, 2015

October 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 October 02, 2018 at 04:04 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Kielbasa Sausage

Salumi soffritos have been an essential element in our pasta preparations. Over the years we have used salumi as an ingredient. I finally integrated the cured meat into a fresh sausage. I am working on a few varieties. The first is kielbasa sausage. The cured, smoked and cooked sausage is a flavorful inclusion to the pork shoulder. The end result is the best of both ideas: fresh and cured.

Years Past

October 1, 2015

October 1, 2012

October 1, 2011

October 1, 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 October 01, 2018 at 06:56 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Pumpkin Seed Crumble v2

I've updated our pumpkin seed crumble. I now make it with a blend of salt roasted pumpkin seeds, white chocolate and vanilla sandwich cookies. The crumble is salty, sweet, rich, and very much like crumbled peanut butter but with pumpkin seeds. We have used it on maple glazed cider sticks as well as on top of our pumpkin pie glazed clusters (pictured.)

Years Past

September 28, 2017

September 28, 2016

September 28, 2015

September 28, 2014

September 28, 2013

September 28, 2012

September 28, 2011

September 28, 2010

September 28, 2009

September 28, 2008

September 28, 2007

September 28, 2006

September 28, 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 September 28, 2018 at 06:39 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Celery Root, Apples and Hot Oil

I made the salted stingers, actually jalapenos, for pizza night. The benefit of cooking them in garlic oil is the leftover hot oil. Today I cut up a celery root and pre-salted it. I let the celery root season and marinate in its own celery flavored brine. I cut up a few apples and added them to the bowl. I dressed the two with a blend of cider and rice vinegar. I added sliced scallions and a heavy dose of hot oil. The salad is crisp, bright, bitter, and spicy. It is delicious as it is and will be tremendous topped with burrata later this evening.

Years Past

September 27, 2017

September 27, 2016

September 27, 2015

September 27, 2014

September 27, 2013

September 27, 2012

September 27, 2011

September 27, 2010

September 27, 2009

September 27, 2008

September 27, 2007

September 27, 2006

September 27, 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 September 27, 2018 at 06:01 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes | Permalink | Comments (0)

Salting Stingers

I am not sure why it never crossed my mind to season the jalapenos before cooking with them, specifically in oil. I wonder why we don't pre-salt a lot of vegetables before cooking? It makes plenty of sense now that I'm thinking about it.

Years Past

September 26, 2017

September 26, 2016

September 26, 2015

September 26, 2014

September 26, 2013

September 26, 2012

September 26, 2011

September 26, 2010

September 26, 2009

September 26, 2008

September 26, 2007

September 26, 2006

September 26, 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 September 26, 2018 at 03:55 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Impromptu Pizza, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Yeasted, Gluten Free, Vegan, and, Yes, Delicious Doughnuts

The path of our gluten free doughnuts has been rocky. When we first opened Curiosity Doughnuts I set out to make an exact replica of our yeasted doughnut. I made the doughnut but was not able to juggle the logistics to make it happen consistently. I adjusted to my circumstances and created a chemically leavened baked doughnut. I changed flavors from apple cider to pumpkin to devils food cake. The doughnuts were delicious, though technically they were doughnut shaped cakes. I played around with making a gluten free cruller. It was delicious but not functionally repeatable. I returned to the baked doughnut.

When we moved our shop into its new location I quietly shelved the gluten free doughnut, much to the dissatisfaction of some of our core doughnut fans. I knew that I wanted to return to making the gluten free doughnut--I just didn't have time to give it my full attention. In the meantime I've tweaked and fine tuned our other doughs. I made a vegan doughnut. At the shop it is "not quite vegan" because we have to fry it in the same oil as our other doughnuts. Once that was settled, I started mulling gluten free doughnuts once more. I reasoned that it might as well be vegan too, because many of our gluten free customers have other food sensitivities. And I like a challenge.

I set about tinkering. I created a new flour blend for the doughnuts. I integrated it into our existing vegan recipe. It behaved differently than I expected. I adjusted the dough and set about frying. The doughnuts are crisp and crackly on the outside. The crumb is moist, tender and chewy. The doughnuts are a success. I still need to figure out how to integrate these doughnuts into our high gluten environment. My biggest obstacle was creating a doughnut that was so good no one would guess it was vegan and gluten free. Now I have an incredible motivation to get it into our customers hands.

Years Past

September 25, 2017

September 25, 2016

September 25, 2015

September 25, 2014

September 25, 2013

September 25, 2012

September 25, 2011

September 25, 2010

September 25, 2009

September 25, 2008

September 25, 2007

September 25, 2006

September 25, 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 September 25, 2018 at 06:28 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Revisiting Shrimp Salumi

We have used shrimp as base for salumi style preparations from sausage to chorizo. Recently we circled back on the idea. In this revisit we adjusted the flavors to replicate pepperoni. I'm not sure why it took so long for us to do this, but I am sure glad we did.

Years Past

September 23, 2017

September 23, 2016

September 23, 2015

September 23, 2014

September 23, 2013

September 23, 2012

September 23, 2011

September 23, 2010

September 23, 2009

September 23, 2008

September 23, 2007

September 23, 2006

September 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 September 23, 2018 at 07:30 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Dole Whipped

There is heat. There is humidity. There is lots and lots of walking. There is a need for cool and comforting refreshments. Insert Dole Whip, the must have pineapple soft serve sorbet featured in Disney World. Bon Appetit has a solid recap of Dole Whip and its popularity growth from cult following to must consume thanks largely in part to social media. We consumed Dole Whip strait up, swirled and as a float. Like many experiences, our first was amazing and the second was good but not otherworldly. That could be a function of the heat, the humidity and the miles walked. It could also be related to the mind and how we sort of knew what was coming. When you know the surprise, it's no longer surprising.

Of course when we get back to reality I have plans for visiting with soft serve sorbet, (you will see its uprising) and particularly swirled and included in combination with ice cream as ripples, swirls and shattered pieces.

Years Past

September 22, 2017

September 22, 2016

September 22, 2015

September 22, 2014

September 22, 2013

September 22, 2012

September 22, 2011

September 22, 2010

September 22, 2009

September 22, 2008

September 22, 2007

September 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 September 22, 2018 at 07:16 AM in Approach to Cooking, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

An Obsession with Stems

Stems, the often discarded pieces of vegetables, are culinary diamonds in the rough. Over the years we have tinkered with and highlighted the use of stems.

There is our stem salad.

There is our water spinach salad.

There are the parts of the hosta plant.

And there is the simplicity in cilantro.

There is our collard green stem barigoule.

There is the cauliflower stem slices.

And there is the beet stem stew.

There are many more stem-centric ideas within the posts of Ideas in Food. These few are an in your face reminder to not let the discard pile be discarded.

As for the bowl above, we pickled collard green stems with preserved lemons and cherry peppers. The finished preparation has yet to find a permanent home, but it certainly wants to be folded into mayonnaise and be served with fish and chips.

Years Past

September 21, 2017

September 21, 2016

September 21, 2015

September 21, 2014

September 21, 2013

September 21, 2012

September 21, 2011

September 21, 2010

September 21, 2009

September 21, 2008

September 21, 2007

September 21, 2006

September 21, 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 September 21, 2018 at 07:34 AM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Stay Silly

I searched for the origin of the Stay Silly quote in the poster. I stumbled across a collection of Dr. Seuss Quotes. They brightened up my day. They made me wonder and want to explore. They put gas in my creative think tank.

Years Past

September 18, 2017

September 18, 2016

September 18, 2015

September 18, 2014

September 18, 2013

September 18, 2012

September 18, 2011

September 18, 2010

September 18, 2009

September 18, 2008

September 18, 2007

September 18, 2006

September 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 September 18, 2018 at 07:44 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Maniacal Milkshakes

The milkshake is the canvas. The obsession is in the details. In the case of our simple chocolate milk shake the decadent chocolate whipped cream and chocolate sauce made it crushworthy. The whip cream was as flavorful, rich and thick as the shake. The shake was thick and still sippable. But it was the whip cream that caught my attention. It was chocolaty, super thick and not really meltable. It was dream cream. It raised the bar for what whip cream can and should be.

Years Past

September 16, 2017

September 16, 2016

September 16, 2015

September 16, 2014

September 16, 2013

September 16, 2012

September 16, 2011

September 16, 2010

September 16, 2009

September 16, 2008

September 16, 2007

September 16, 2006

September 16, 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 September 16, 2018 at 05:59 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, INSPIRATIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

The Allure of Aroma: Pumpkin Pie

Marketing mavens have pushed the envelope of when fall is and thus when pumpkin season begins. Despite my frustration with jumping seasons and forcing ideas I too brought pumpkin back to Curiosity Doughnuts. I have a thing for pie. Almost all pies. But when summer ends I know I can begin to play with the darker flavors and aromas of cold weather pies. We are currently making a pumpkin pie flavored glaze and using doughnut crumb streusel to top doughnuts. We have played with the combination on our cider sticks and our yeasted clusters. The combination dates back to our streusel crusted pumpkin pie. I have reworked it into a doughnut.

Years Past

September 15, 2017

September 15, 2016

September 15, 2015

September 15, 2014

September 15, 2013

September 15, 2012

September 15, 2011

September 15, 2010

September 15, 2009

September 15, 2008

September 15, 2007

September 15, 2006

September 15, 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 September 15, 2018 at 04:06 AM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Beet Casarecce

I have had a note on my to do list to revisit beet pasta for some time. Yesterday I was able to make the noodles using a beet powder. Beet powder is red sugar. It has some flavor but is mostly sweet. I substituted 5% beet powder for semolina in our basic formulation, 100 grams. As I began mixing the dough I noticed the pasta seemed to be hydrating faster than normal. I held back some water. The amount of water was equal to 80 grams, which was equal to 80% of the weight of the beet powder. In baking sugar is considered a liquid. In pasta making high sugar ingredients behave in a similar way. I didn't make the connection until I did.

September 13, 2017

September 13, 2016

September 13, 2015

September 13, 2014

September 13, 2013

September 13, 2012

September 13, 2011

September 13, 2010

September 13, 2009

September 13, 2008

September 13, 2007

September 13, 2006

September 13, 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 September 13, 2018 at 07:20 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Jalapeno and Pepperoni

I spent the day making pasta and pizza. One impromptu creation emerged based on my fetishes. It was jalapeno noodles in a pepperoni sauce. It was another why did it take this long to do this moments. The jalapeno amped up the pepperoni. The pepperoni filled in a richness to the jalapeno. I'm thankful and you're welcome.

Years Past

September 12, 2017

September 12, 2016

September 12, 2015

September 12, 2014

September 12, 2013

September 12, 2012

September 12, 2011

September 12, 2010

September 12, 2009

September 12, 2008

September 12, 2007

September 12, 2006

September 12, 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 September 12, 2018 at 05:50 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Potato Flake and Starch Crusted Pork Chops

I made a dredge with equal parts potato starch and potato flakes. I coated our brined pork chops in the mixture and pressed the coating onto the wet meat. I had planned to let the crust sit and hydrate in the refrigerator overnight. My plans and timing did not coincide. I let the crust hydrate for a few hours and then shallow fried the chops. The crust browned and toasted. The chops were moist and flavorful. The shorter hydration still produced an amazing crust. The shallow frying allowed for adequate browning but not nearly the effect of deep frying. As usual I made too much. Thankfully I was happy to save the leftovers. I didn't have a plan at the time. But this morning I woke with a new craving. The chops sparked the biggest pleasure, pork chop parmigiana.

Years Past

September 10, 2017

September 10, 2016

September 10, 2015

September 10, 2014

September 10, 2013

September 10, 2012

September 10, 2011

September 10, 2010

September 10, 2009

September 10, 2008

September 10, 2007

September 10, 2006

September 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 September 10, 2018 at 04:32 PM in American Noodles, Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tis the Season

Which came first, the pumpkin or the spice?

Years Past

September 9, 2017

September 9, 2016

September 9, 2015

September 9, 2014

September 9, 2013

September 9, 2012

September 9, 2011

September 9, 2010

September 9, 2009

September 9, 2008

September 9, 2007

September 9, 2006

September 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 September 09, 2018 at 06:01 PM in Approach to Cooking, Balancing Tastes, CULINARY EVOLUTIONS, Curiosity Doughnuts | Permalink | Comments (0)

Chicken Fried Pork Chops Part 1

I started with our fried chicken model. I butterflied pork chops and scored the inside. I pounded them to thin them further. I made a brine with buttermilk, hot sauce, liquid smoke, soy sauce, and salt. I slid the chops into the brine to let them season overnight. It also gives me enough time to figure out what kind of breading we can crust them with.

Years Past

September 7, 2017

September 7, 2016

September 7, 2015

September 7, 2014

September 7, 2013

September 7, 2012

September 7, 2011

September 7, 2010

September 7, 2009

September 7, 2008

September 7, 2007