akiandalex@ideasinfood.com
© 2005-2016 Ideas in Food
Writing and Photographs by Aki Kamozawa & H. Alexander Talbot
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Resilience
While we often have the best of intentions, for the last couple of years the weed patch has gone largely untended. We happily shell out money in the beginning of the season for a variety of herbs, briefly harvest and enjoy them, and then they languish. We forget to water and trim, heck we forget to use them at all. So this year we decided to let it go. There was a lot going on this summer and we would take a break. Apparently the weed patch decided otherwise. The basil (pictured above) and the chives came back on their own. They are an unexpected gift and just enough to keep us happy. Those herbs are resilient and we are working on being the same. If we can all learn to flourish when neglected or under duress, imagine what we could accomplish.
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
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Blooming Onion
It took me long enough to realized there is world beyond chive blossoms.
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
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Alaskan King Crab Legs
It's extremely hard to find reasonably priced, great seafood around here. So, we're trying out a monthly seafood subscription from a company in Alaska. It's only been a month so we're not ready to weigh in on them yet, but these Alaskan King crab legs were so beautiful that we had to share them. It's a rare day when you can find legs this big outside of a restaurant and they were the main reason why we signed up for this particular subscription. We're going to give it three months and if it's worth sharing, you'll read about it here. If you don't hear about it again, that means it wasn't worth the money. Only time will tell...
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
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Mezcal Cured Roe
The roe is firm with a tender pop. It has a delicate sweetness and a balanced salinity. The mezcal adds a touch of heat and a smokey peppery note to the roe. We have not worked with mezcal cured roe for years. It was wonderful to find out Steve at Blis was making it again. It looks like we may have to revisit our past and begin exploring fresh caviar and ice cream combinations. Although, if Aki has her way fresh noodles and roe are in her future. Special ingredients inspire delicious ideas.
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
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Barrel Aged Cider Vinegar
Our friends at Blis just came out with an apple cider vinegar aged in rye barrels. They sent us a bottle as a gift and it was so good we had to share the news. The vinegar is surprisingly light and delicate, well rounded with delicate floral notes from the apple and a nice roundness from the barrel aging. It's a fun ingredient and we can't wait to put it to good use in our kitchen.
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
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Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha
When I first arrived at culinary school many, many years ago, I discovered sriracha. There were giant bottles of it on every table in the cafeteria. The first time I tried it was a revelation. It was hot, yes, but also full of flavor. Garlicky and sweet and spicy, it was like no other hot sauce I had ever tried. Nowadays sriracha is everywhere but, since my husband has a distinct prejudice against it, I hadn't had any in years. On a whim I added this Yellowbird Blue Agave Sriracha to a recent hot sauce order. I wanted to see how the sauce had evolved through the years and I liked their logo and their philosophy. This sauce was only vaguely reminiscent of the sauce I remembered. It is bracing and bright and full of flavor. There's definite heat and sweet and garlic but this sauce has a bit more personality and finesse than the ubiquitous rooster brand. It's going to be a great addition to our pantry. Who knows, I may even get Alex to embrace sriracha for the very first time.
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
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Our New Favorite Bacon
We found this in the aisles of Whole Foods. Niman Ranch Steak House Bacon is an extra thick, extra tender, flavorful slab of pork belly. Its thickness provides a decadent eating pleasure. It also increases the cooking time, something which requires a bit more planning for bacon cravings.
The feature of the thick bacon is also its flaw. It remains rich, fatty and meaty, a plus for many though the extra thick fat causes a few grumbles at the table.
The bacon is tremendous in breakfast sandwiches and now seasonal BLT. It makes bacon a central theme rather than something served on the side.
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
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Concentrated Butter
I was reading the label on a loaf of brioche that I picked up at the market. I was struck by the label of concentrated butter. I'm just curious, anybody know what that is? The brioche is quite good for something mass-produced and better than my local bakery, so I'd love to have a better sense of what we're eating...
Years Past
May 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
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Frozen Crushed Garlic
Someone recommended this to me in the checkout line at Whole Foods. Frozen crushed garlic in individual portions. It's brilliant because it doesn't oxidize in the freezer. You simply pop out a portion, still frozen, and slide it into your pan. If I really want to, I can make my own with organic garlic. But for now, I'm going to enjoy the ease of this. It's the little things that make the difference in my day.
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
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Goat Cheese
Spring time always reminds me of goat cheese. There are always a few great ones that appear around this time of year. The bite above is from a Truffle Tremor from Cypress Grove. Goat cheese is an acquired taste. especially the ones with a little bit of age to them. In order to savor them properly, you have to lay them on your tongue and let them soften and bloom. There's a certain dryness and astringency that hits your palate first. Then as the cheese rests in your mouth, it becomes creamy and moist. You get notes of grass and green meadows, then sweetness, and finally that earthy goat tang that is like nothing else. Goat cheese tastes of the earth, of springtime and sunshine. It's best in small quantities, which is good because goat cheeses tend to be on the smaller side. Each small bite opens up a whole new world for your palate and there's nothing better than that.
Years Past
April 25, 2011
April 25, 2008
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
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Soaking Nuts
We have been cooking nuts in simple syrup in order to prepare them for roasting and remove their tannic undertones. Recently we have adjusted the approach. We soak the nuts for 12-24 hours, changing the water several times in the process. After the soaking we drain the nuts, coat them in a neutral oil and season them with salt. We roast the nuts in a 300°F oven for about an hour until they are amber, crunchy and aromatic. At this point the nuts are ready for other applications.
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
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Ghee is Clarified Butter with Character
We usually make our own ghee because we can't figure out why the stuff that's sold in markets is so expensive. It's a little bit nuts how much they charge you to cook your butter. It's easy to do at home. Simply dice up a couple of sticks of butter, put it in a small pot, and set it over medium low heat until it melts. Turn the heat up to medium and cook, stirring, until the butter solids turn golden brown. If you're going to strain your ghee, let it sit with the butter solids for a couple of hours first so that rich, toasty flavor infuses into the fat. Then strain off the butter solids and use them in bread or biscuits, or to baste some fish, vegetables, or meat. It's delicious stuff and should not be wasted. The ghee itself can go into a wide mouthed mason jar and live next to the stove. You can use it for almost all your cooking and you'll be amazed at how much more delicious everything you sear or saute will be.
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
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Ginger Sugar
As gingerbread season approaches, this is a great time to remember that processing your fresh ginger with the sugar in your recipe really helps spread the flavor throughout the cake and bring forward the ginger's sweet, spicy heat.
It's also an amazing jump start for making ginger simple syrup.
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
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Corn, From Ear To Ear
It's been a good year for corn. The season started in July and we are still enjoying bountiful quantities at our local markets. While we haven't had much luck with white corn, the bi-color corn has been delicious. At our favorite farm stand the kernels have been small, succulent, and slightly translucent. When cooked properly they burst like caviar beneath our teeth spreading their sweet, juicy goodness over our palates. We still haven't moved past savoring whole ears of corn to soups and salads and whatnot. It's been that good. Yesterday we were down in our old neighborhood in Lower Bucks and decided to get some corn at Shady Brook Farm. The ears and their kernels were large and well formed. At first bite I was stumped, the kernels were sweet and slightly starchy. We're not fans of starchy corn so I chewed cautiously, wondering what we had gotten ourselves into. As I evaluated the corn, I realized that this was a totally different breed from the corn we had been enjoying all summer. This corn was more substantial, toothsome, slightly chewy, and very good--in its own way. It took me a few bites to get used to it and then I slathered on some miso butter and happily consumed two whole ears. It was a learning moment for me because it took some time to realize that the corn was not bad, it was simply unexpected. After so many ears of one kind of corn, I was completely blindsided by this new experience. We often get set in our ways without realizing that it's happened and it's important to break out of our comfort zones every so often in order to experience something new and wonderful in a different way. This corn is perfect for corn salad and I've got a small bowl full to play with today. I'm thinking herbs, green onions, and feta cheese, something bright and fresh to savor while corn is still in season before it's time to move on to the fall.
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
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Japanese Kimchi
When I saw the Wild Brine label that read: Kimchi, Japanese, I had to put one in my shopping cart. Japanese Kimchi? There's no way that could be bad. As you can see from the empty bottle in the picture, it is tasty stuff. I should mention that the kimchi is not spicy. At first I was disappointed by the lack of heat, especially since it has both horseradish and chile pepper in the ingredient list. The fact that the kimchi was tangy rather hot ended up making it a much more functional ingredient in our house. Amaya's palate is getting spicier by the day, but moderate heat is still a smarter option at our table. The ingredient list also contains Napa cabbage, daikon radish, carrots, water, tamari soy sauce, red miso, sea salt, ginger, garlic, and orange peel. The Kimchi tasted very Japanese to me, with a deep earthy, umami flavor, and the fact that it wasn't spicy is completely in line with traditional Japanese pickles. It was delicious paired with simple steamed rice and nori, and a great addition to fried rice and ramen. It was also fabulous on top of hard boiled eggs--what can I say, I'm on an egg kick. That was pretty much the whole jar. I picked up another one today though and I've got lots of ideas...
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
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Cape Gooseberries
...have been rebranded as "Golden Berries." I saw these today and couldn't help but wonder if "a rose by any other name will smell as sweet" or if marketing will prove that Shakespeare is hopelessly out of date. I didn't buy any, more intrigued by the name change than by the berries themselves, but that doesn't mean that other people won't be drawn in by the new imagery. What would you buy: Gooseberries or Golden Berries?
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
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Bloody Butcher Red Grits
We were lucky enough to receive a gift package from Castle Valley Mill. One of the items in the box was Bloody Butcher Red Grits. They were something new to us, so of course they were the first thing I had to make. We don't make grits as often as we should. Everybody likes them and the leftovers always disappear within a day. Perhaps we enjoy them so much because we don't make them enough. It's an unconscious balance of things. Funnily enough I had seen these grits on their website and forgot to ask Alex to pick some up the last time he was at the mill. When I discovered them in the box I pounced on them. These speckled grits were simply irresistible.
I'll be the first to admit that I made that first batch a little thin. They were still delicious. They had a faintly pinkish hue and rich nutty texture that made them a pleasure to eat. Still creamy but with a bit of a chew, these grits had a heartiness to them that I appreciated. They were lovely with a nub of butter and a hint of Parmigiano cheese. They are my new favorite grits and I'm already contemplating some (slightly thicker) risotto-style preparations that I think would be delicious.
Years Past
April 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
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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, 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
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Honey Crisp
Apple season is in full swing and we are lucky to live in area where the fruits are plentiful. This time of year we don't buy them in supermarkets, we go out to the orchards and pick them. There's nothing quite like a truly fresh, juicy apple. They are wonderful straight off the tree, though I must say that we prefer after a few hours in the refrigerator. Icy cold, sweet, tart, crunchy, and delicious. There's nothing quite like a newly picked honey crisp apple that cracks under your teeth and spurts juices all over your tongue. They are messy and fun to eat. They bear no resemblance to the apples that have been cold storage for a year at the markets. Apple season is fleeting, so get out there and pick some. It takes less time than you think and the rewards are great.
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
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My Favorite Vinaigrette
Some days are about the small pleasures. It's feeling the sun against your face without the pressure of extreme humidity. It's the breeze that ripples through your hair and wakes up all your senses. It's watching your daughter tear through the monkey bars at alarming speed that she couldn't have conquered just a few months back. It's coming home from work and being able to dress a salad that hits every note from sweet to savory with nothing more than a fantastic, flavorful olive oil, a rich, sweet vinegar and some sea salt. A good pantry means never having a bad meal.
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
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Wood's Boiled Cider
We love Wood's Boiled Cider. We discovered it a few years ago and we use it to make our almost famous Cider-Scotch. It's sweet and tangy, full of rich apple flavor. The only issue we had with it was that it can be expensive when you order it online. Then we discovered a little secret. You can order it directly from Wood's Cider Mill. Not only that, but you can check out some of their other products, like cider syrup: a blend of boiled cider and maple syrup, and their cider jelly. The products are available at a significant discount from other online sources and you can buy the boiled syrup in quarts as well as pints. It's a great deal and if you have a taste for apples you should definitely check them out.
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
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Peach Season
...has officially begun here in Bucks County. Right now we are getting early peaches with romantic names like Sugar May, Sentry, and Glen Glo. They are vibrant and fuzzy, occasionally necessitating the use of a peeler. The peaches are incredibly fragrant, sitting on the counter, tempting us to break into them before they fully ripen. Patience is rewarded with tender juicy fruit that is delicate and delicious, the perfect refreshing treat on these extremely hot summer days. We're making an effort to stick to organic or local fruit this summer and our vigilance has been rewarded by many great eating experiences. Yes, it's more expensive, but this inspires us to buy only what we can eat and to make the most of every bite to be sure that none of our lovely fruit ends up in the bin. It's yet another way to be mindful about our eating habits and that can only lead to good things.
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
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Strawberry Lessons
Occasionally an ingredient is so good it asks politely to be left alone. The difficulty is listening. We have the ability to do almost anything with and to an ingredient. Implementing restraint, doing absolutely nothing except enjoying the sun warmed berries feels like cheating. It is amazing, how as a cook, we feel guiltly by doing nothing. In the case of these strawberries if we did anything but eat them we would have done them a disservice. Tomorrow, if there are any left, we can explore possibilities about the next steps. For now I need a napkin.
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
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Oat Flour
Anyone who's been around for a while knows that we are passionate about cookies. While we love all kinds of cookies, the house favorite is chocolate chip in all of its myriad combinations. We even wrote an essay about them for the book: The Kitchen as Laboratory: Reflections on the Science of Food and Cooking (Arts and Traditions of the Table: Perspectives on Culinary History). One of the perks of writing a gluten free cookbook was experimenting with different flours. We found that oat flour (we use Bob's Red Mill) is uniquely suited to certain cookies, brownies, and blondies because it helps deliver a great chewy texture, along with some fiber and whole grains, so it's a win-win. I love a chewy cookie, there's just something about sinking your teeth into one that is very satisfying to me. I add about 40% oat flour to any chocolate chip cookie recipe, being sure to chill the dough for a couple of hours before baking, to give the flour time to hydrate. This also gives your ingredients time to mesh and develop their flaovrs, so again, win-win. Try it yourself, while I won't say it makes the cookies guilt free, it does make me feel better about eating an extra one or two or three..
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
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BLiS Soy Sauce
Steve Stallard is a good friend of ours. We've bonded over our love of good food made possible by enhancing impeccable ingredients. Just yesterday he gifted us with these two bottles of his newest creations.
His latest offering begins with the incredible Yamamoto Soy Sauce. Then he applies innovation, experience and a deft hand of creativity. Steve has created BLiS barrel aged GMO free soy sauces. The sauce is first aged for one year in Japan (by Yamamoto). Then Steve got his hand on it aged some of the sauce another year, here in the States, in twenty year old maple syrup cured bourbon barrels. Pause for a second and wrap your brain around that. The second version, he smoked. It tastes smoke kissed and gently warmed.
He has crafted two distinguished soy sauces, one maple barrel aged and one smoked. They are both simply remarkable. You have no idea what you're missing. Heck, we had no idea what we were missing and we have smoked and barrel aged soy sauce before. Steve just does it way better. These soy sauces have an incredible richness and depth of flavor. When you taste a few drops, you can roll it around on your tongue, they are smooth and mellow, seasoned and full of mellow umami flavors. These are finishing soy sauces, if there is such a thing, meant to be added at the end of cooking so that their full flavors can shine through and complement the main ingredients.
Years Past
May 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
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Bar Keepers Friend
When you wash as many pots and pans as we do, you really value the tried and true tips and tricks for getting things clean. Like chilling the macaroni and cheese pot so that all that cheese easily scrapes off the bottom. Or using baking soda to clean a scorched stainless steel pot: sprinkle a generous layer of baking soda on the bottom, pour boiling water over, let sit for 10 minutes or so, and then clean as usual. To really polish up your stainless pots and pans you want to get your hands on some Bar Keepers Friend. With a little elbow grease, this stuff works like magic to clean off stains and those ugly brown oven marks that collect on the bottoms of your pans. It also works on range tops, sinks, tubs, and showers. A little caveat, it dries out my hands in a big way, although it doesn't seem to affect Alex at all. This is likely because the "secret ingredient" is oxalic acid and all acids should be treated with a little caution and common sense. Wearing gloves when scrubbing with cleanser makes it easy to avoid any ill effects on your skin. The benefits totally outweigh and minor side effect and we use it because it makes our pots shine.
Years Past
February 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
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Lawrenceville Jack
We were at the Blue Moon Acres' farm festival at their Pennigton, New Jersey farm. Amaya got a balloon heart and had her face painted while I was lured in by Cherry Grove Farm's cheese tent. In short order we were all sampling the cheeses. The soft, nutty Lawrenceville Jack captured our attention with its rich, slightly salty flavor. It lingered on the palate and made us crave another bite. We bought two pieces. We devoured the first piece as soon as we got home. The second we took a picture of this morning. The plan was to save it for a rainy day but once you put the cheese on a platter it has a way of disappearing. Good thing we know where to get more.
Years Past
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Shoulder Chops
Anyone who grew up in NYC probably remembers the breaded veal chops that you could order in diners and deli-style restaurants around the city. They were always relatively thick-cut shoulder chops, dredged in crumbs and pan fried. Each chop was cooked through and the meat was tender and rich. Every bite was varied due to all of the different muscles running through the chop. They were one of my favorite menu items and once I entered the world of fine dining they seemed to disappear. Loin chops were always on the menu at high end restaurants.
Pork Shoulder Chop
After we moved back to NYC we re-visited the shoulder chop. Instead of focusing on veal we branched out into lamb, pork, and beef. These were equally rewarding to cook and eat. Controlled temperature cooking methods like slow roasting, sous vide, and the CVAP made it easy to deal with the larger cuts of meat and break down the tough connective tissues into something moist and gelatinous. Shoulder chops are usually less expensive than loin chops, which is interesting, because when treated well they are both more tender and more flavorful.
Swordfish Shoulder Chop
As always, the potential is in how you look at an ingredient. Alex spent some time early in his career in David Burke's kitchen at the Park Avenue Cafe. It was there that he saw and cooked the now famous swordfish chop. A cut fashioned from the collar (shoulder) of the fish.
Years Past
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A Flat
...of blackberries gets the gears turning. When you have abundance the possibilities are endless.
Years Past
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Purple
Sometimes the ingredient is for the cook. It stands out. When you clean the asparagus a striking green peeks through. When you apply heat the color transforms. A show for only the cook to enjoy. This transformation has you focus on the cooking process. It has you pay attention. It demands attention. And it gets you to cook a little better.
Years Past
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Temper It
The cheese is Manchester, from Zingerman's. It arrived wonderfully ripe. We put it on a plate that we covered with a glass cloche. It allowed us to let it come to temperature and be protected from our prowling cats. When cocktail our rolled around it was tempered and shoulder-less. It took great restraint to pause and take a picture. Patience and restraint were the keys to allowing us to enjoy this cheese.
Years Past
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Approachable Activa
We have been working with Activa for years. The biggest issue has been the size of the package. It is traditionally used by larger companies. The kilogram bag it comes in illustrates this. The bag size becomes a hindrance in restaurant applications because we use much smaller quantities. Once the shelf stable bag is open it should be vacuum sealed and kept in the freezer. This keeps the enzyme alive and inactive. Unfortunately, the bags are not always sealed well. The bags are left out on shelves and counter tops. There is a greater chance of cross contamination because people are not scrupulous about taking Activa from bag and using it in smaller quanities for different proteins.
When we first started working with Activa we received sample sizes, 100-gram pouches to work with. These were the optimum size for most restaurants because they could use them up before the enzyme expired. To put this in perspective we use between 0.5-1% Activa by weight. So 100 grams of Activa is enough for 10,000 grams or roughly 22 pounds of protein. For years now, I have been trying to convince the good folks at Ajinomoto to sell these smaller, more functional bags for restaurant use. Yesterday I found out my badgering had not fallen on deaf ears. Restaurants can now by 10 packs of Activa RM and GS. The 100 gram bags are shelf stable until opened and then you vacuum seal them and put them in the freezer. No longer will $80 bags of Activa "go bad" due to user error. The catch is that the smaller bags are more expensive. The 10 packs cost $105 for the RM and $115 for the GS. The individual packaging, smaller footprint in the freezer, reduced product waste, and functionality make them worth the premium. To order the Activa, register on their website www.ajiusafood.com. It took 24 hours for our registration to process. Be more patient than we were. Hopefully if this goes well they will add the Ti and YG to the program.
Years Past
January 29, 2006
January 29, 2005
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Dabob Bay Oysters
It was a treat to be able to stand around shucking and eating. We had not tried Dabob Bay Oysters before. Looking at an oyster list they sounded interesting. We picked them. The shells are delicate. The lips tended to flake into the cup on shucking. Their flavor is rich. The finish is salty. The middle is reminiscent of cucumber-yogurt soup. Moving forward I would not order them again. There are many incredible oysters out there to try. If it is not mind blowingly delicious we like to lift other rocks.
Years Past
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Smoked Maple Flakes
We never leave ingredients alone. We smoked the delicate maple flakes from Tonewood. After an hour in our smoker the flakes take on a savory complexity. We call the flakes "Maple Maldon". They look and eat like Maldon salt flakes. And now we have smoked Maple Maldon in our pantry.
Years Past
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Boneless Short Ribs
These pieces of meat are coming from the chuck. Using the website Bovine Myology we
are able to narrow in on where the ribs come from. They have wonderful
marbling. The connective tissue in them allows for multiple cooking
methods. We have cooked them in the CVap
for 24 hours at 57°C. We braised them traditionally. We pressure cooked
them for 45 minutes on a bed of onions. Each cooking method produced
luxuriously rich hunks of meat. Take a look in your meat case. Talk to
your butcher. Harass your meat purveyors. These are an essential
addition to your kitchen.
Years Past
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Roe Season
Most chefs think of fall as doe season. We think of it as Roe Season. Golden brook trout roe is the first to be cured. It is in short supply. Thankfully we have known Steve long enough to secure a tin. This seasons batch satisfies with its buttery richness. From the taste came the idea of rye-raisin ice cream. A new caviar and ice cream dish is born.
Years Past
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Vanilla Rye
It is amazing how well vanilla and rye go together. We added 30 grams of rye to our vanilla ice cream base and it amped up the flavors of the vanilla and the sweet dairy. It added a richness and complexity to the base. Until we made it we did not know what we were missing. Since making this ice cream we have used rye as a seasoning in other applications from lobster stock to marinating steaks. Perhaps it is not the vanilla rye combination that just works. It may be the developed flavors of the rye which compliments and enhances many other ingredients.
Years Past
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Blueberry Pancakes
Ideas do not come from thin air. They are influenced and inspired by our experiences and memories. This bowl of whole wheat blueberry pancake batter, swirled and fluid was the spark for our blueberry pancake dessert that we prepared for the 5X5 dinner at Michael Voltaggio's restaurant ink. . We tried to capture the flavor and texture of pancakes, the messiness of syrup and melting butter and even the notes of smoke and varied textures. The dessert combined our microwave cornbread with a modified version of our cornflakes ice cream made with buttermilk. Blueberries were cooked in a maple-rye caramel to make the sauce for marinating and warming boba tapioca and the blueberries. And I have fond memories of pecans and pancakes so we wove them into the dish as well. We candied pecans and made pecan toffee which was lightened with tapioca maltodextrin. The goal was to capture the great experiences of eating pancakes and focusing the idea into the dish.
Years Past
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Huitlacoche
We were fortunate to get a case of corn infected with corn smut. We removed the huitlacoche from the cobs, rinsed it to remove fibers and other corn particles and then we stewed it with butter, sherry, soy sauce and salt. We cooked out most of the moisture keeping the kernels plump and whole and finished the mixture with charred jalapenos. We served the stewed smut on top of fresh corn polenta which we accented with corn cob smoked sea urchin.
Years Past
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Suhey Peppers
Photo from the Suhey Website
We picked up a bottle of these hot peppers at DiBruno Bros on a whim. We like to keep a few jars of hot pepper rings in the pantry for everything from sandwiches to marinades to pizza. The Suhey Peppers were beautiful, thinly sliced and colorful and they were from Pennsylvania. When we opend the jar up we realized they were packed in oil and upon reading the ingredeint list we discovered that they have: peppers, olive oil, vinegar, oregano, salt, spices and garlic. That garlic is in the form of whole cloves and these peppers are delicious. They aren't cheap, a 3-pack of 15.5 ounce jars sells for $22.35 on their website (there are two kinds: original and hot) but I can honestly say they are totally worth it. We put these peppers on everything and if you like heat and flavor you will too.
Years Past
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Cheese
I can't believe it's September already. The summer flew by. We were busier than expected and lots of things were changing and evolving. We finished book two, though most of you won't get to see it until next August. It was a great project that expanded and contracted over the course of several months. It took a lot of hard work from us and our editors to get it to where it is now and while we did have to cut a lot of recipes in order to fit into the allotted number of pages we are happy with the way it turned out. It's not entirely done yet but the basic structure is finished and any additional work is fine-tuning.
Of course as freelance artists we certainly had a few other projects going along the way. Our photography work is picking up again and we were excited to spend some time working with MouCo Cheese. They are a favorite of ours and cheeses like the one above just make us happy. Serving cheese is a process that evolves from the moment you choose your piece and bring it home. Hopefully you've already tasted it in the store but each time you unwrap a new piece it is a revelation. The aroma hits you first, slowly unfurling and gathering strength. On a good day it complex and earthy, slightly sweet with faint hints of musk and meadows. This particular cheese was soft and velvety to the touch with a gentle flexibility that hinted at the creamy center. We let it sit out for about half an hour before cutting it open and it didn't disappoint. Runny and slightly chewy at the same time, it melted on the tongue and washed over my palate leaving layers of sweet milk and ash balanced by a hint of acidity, a touch of soil and a slight bitterness from the edible rind. It's a seductive mouthful that leaves you wanting just a bit more. Apparently we aren't the only ones who think so because it just won a gold medal from the American Cheese Society last month.
One of the things I like about cheese is that a good cheese demands your complete attention. Much like a good wine, a great cheese involves all of your senses and makes the rest of the world disappear for a brief time. It can teach someone how to taste because it illustrates the difference between eating blindly and tasting thoughtfully. Eating great cheese makes me happy. Cheese isn't the only ingredient that can do this but it is one of the most easily accessible. Great ingredients treated with respect by the diner are all you need to appreciate why we aspire to become chefs in the first place. It's the total experience.
Years Past
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Summer Savory
Summer savory is the ingredient which allows us to savor summer. Its intense and powerful flavor is sharp and bracing. It helps keep the full flavored fragrant fruits and vegetables of summer in line: from the heady notes of ripe tomatoes, to the crisp and juicy sugary sweet kernels of corn. Summer savory, both blossoms and leaves, is the tour guide of summers bounty keeping us in line and focused in using the ingredients that cross our paths.
Years Past
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Watermelon Rind Riblets
We started with slabs of watermelon rind that were smoked and seasoned with a blend of brown sugar and tandoori spice. We vacuum sealed them, cooked them sous vide for 30 minutes at 85°C, and then chilled them down. Then we cut the bags open and trimmed the slabs into individual "ribs." We cooked them two different ways, seared on the grill, flipped and glazed in their juices and in the broiler, glazed in the cooking juices. The riblets cooked on the grill had a richer flavor from the charring and a slightly meatier texture but both versions are delicious.
Years Past:
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Watermelon Rind Salad
Driving along yesterday it dawned on me that watermelon rind is really similar in texture and taste to green papaya. From there it made sense to begin work on a watermelon rind salad. We peeled the watermelon and enjoyed the juicy red flesh. I seasoned the rinds with brown sugar and vacuum sealed them. I refrigerated them for several hours to marinate. Then I opened the bag and cut the rinds into batons for the salad. They are crisp and juicy, with a slight acidity and a floral fruity flavor. Now comes the fun part of seasoning them and playing with all the permutations.
Years Past
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The Greatest Cut of Meat
We have been fans of the first cut chuck shoulder for many years now. We first read about it in the iconic butchery book Cutting Up in the Kitchen by Merle Ellis. This piece of meat provides the chef with 3 distinct muscles in one large cut. We get flat iron, shoulder and rib eye. We also get bones and fat. This provides the chef with the ability to be creative on many levels. We can butcher the chuck and then extrapolate different preparations for each muscle or cut all the meat off the bone and grind it to make the ideal burger blend. Perhaps best of all, you can cook it whole for 24 hours in the Cvap and then deep fry it and serve it as a roast for a family style service. It's an inexpensive and flavorful cut of meat that will return any real effort you put into it with a delicious meal.
Years Past
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Michelle Tam: Ready or Not!: 150+ Make-Ahead, Make-Over, and Make-Now Recipes by Nom Nom Paleo
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Jacqueline An: An: To Eat: Recipes and Stories from a Vietnamese Family Kitchen
Carolyn Phillips: All Under Heaven: Recipes from the 35 Cuisines of China
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Tal Ronnen: Crossroads: Extraordinary Recipes from the Restaurant That Is Reinventing Vegan Cuisine
Jessamyn Waldman Rodriguez: The Hot Bread Kitchen Cookbook: Artisanal Baking from Around the World
Nancy Harmon Jenkins and Sara Jenkins: The Four Seasons of Pasta
Editors of Food52: Food52 Baking: 60 Sensational Treats You Can Pull Off in a Snap (Food52 Works)
Gena Hamshaw: Food52 Vegan: 60 Vegetable-Driven Recipes for Any Kitchen (Food52 Works)
Blaine Wetzel and Joe Ray: Sea and Smoke: Flavors from the Untamed Pacific Northwest
Eric Werner: Hartwood: Bright, Wild Flavors from the Edge of the Yucatán
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