Just a few more words about soup, it doesn't always get the respect it deserves. Soup is many great things. ( That's almost like a Hemingway sentence) Here are a few guidelines: if your soup is of a western variety start from the bottom and work your way up. This means that you'll saute the mire poix, build roux, add stock, add vegetables and proteins, simmer and then season. If your soup is of an eastern variety ( maybe Tom Kha), you'll work your way down. The only saute will be some garlic, green onions, ginger and maybe some galangal and chilies, then add stock and simmer. You will place all of your veg in at the very end ( allowing for different cooking times-carrots need a little more time than onions). The vegetables will cook for only a very short time, they should retain their color and their crunch. There's nothing quite like a bowl of homemade soup. I like the fact that once it's done, you can walk in and reheat it in a matter of minutes, grab a little bread and butter and dinner is served.I really enjoy cooking winter foods-hearty soups, braises, casseroles, root vegetables and all the other great things that come with cold weather. Here is a nice soup for those chilly days-I guess I should say "these" chilly days, it's currently 32*f in Portland.
Potatoes(large dice)-2#, Celery(medium dice)-.5#, Onion(medium dice)-.5#, Cabbage(strips,1")-.75#, Jowl Bacon(large dice)-.5#, Flour-3oz., Stock-1.5qt., Half and Half-.25 cup.
Cook potatoes in boiling water until just tender, remove from water ( save the water you cook the potatoes in-this will be your potato stock). Saute the bacon on medium to medium high heat until it is mostly rendered( meaning the fat from the bacon is melted)add the onion and celery, cook until onion begins to become translucent. Add the cabbage and cook for 3-4 minutes ( you should be stirring throughout the entire procedure). Slowly incorporate the flour, add a little at a time while stirring, there shouldn't be any lumps! Slowly add the stock using the same method as the flour. Cook at a simmer for twenty minutes( this allows the flour to cook), add the potatoes and the dairy, simmer for a few minutes and season with salt and either white or black pepper. I want to apologize for the gap between the last posts, I'll work on updating at least every three days. Eat well, drink well and share your table with your friends. And stay warm!
stickers!
Saturday, December 12, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
Let's Talk About Soup
Hello my friends,
Where to begin..I suppose it would be helpful to first give a description of the four types of soup. Broth based-think chicken noodle, consomme and passatelli. Puree-usually not thickened with a roux...roast, boil or blanch the main flavor ingredient then puree, loosen to the desired consistency with an appropriate stock.( These soups have vibrant colors and always look good in a nice bowl.)Cream-similar to puree but more refined, roux is used as a thickening agent( sometimes in the form of veloute). This soup is finished with a scant amount of cream and usually is passed through a fine mesh strainer called a chinois. Finally there are Specialty soups-things such as clam chowder, bisque and chili. A couple of notes, when making cream soups, for example: cream of broccoli, one need not use a large amount of dairy. The "cream" doesn't refer to the dairy so much as it does to the mouthfeel. I worked with a cook a few years back that didn't understand this and would frantically search for any type of dairy to put in his cream soups. I was shocked to come in and find that he had put cream cheese into his cream of asparagus soup..no, really. Of course it had not melted and was floating in the soup in large chunks. I share this with you in the hopes that you will not repeat these mistakes. I also had the eye opening chance to work with someone who asked me to make potato soup and then instructed me to take some left-over cooked potatoes ( nothing wrong so far) and add milk and water! While this may have rendered something like soup ( U.N. relief mission food comes to mind)it could have been so much better...and in fact it was. I stammered "Uh...um..I..uh", then he said "Make it the way you want to". I sauteed some white mire poix( celery, onion, leek and garlic)built a roux( butter and flour), added veg stock, simmered for 20 minutes to cook the flour then added the potatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper and some heavy cream. I really am confused and disappointed when people look at soup as either an afterthought or as a dumping ground for all leftovers in the walk-in. Soup is a beautiful thing that can span the spectrum from humble, hearty minestrone to Michelin starred duck consomme. I was fortunate enough to attend a cooking school that recognized this. In every class, from American regional cuisine to classic French cuisine to Asian cuisine, we made soup. That's right, every culture has some form of soup..and have had for thousands of years. If only my two hapless co-workers had known this maybe they would have treated their soup duties with more respect. Soup is a wonderful thing to make for yourself or for guests and is perfect for the soon approaching winter months.It's great for those on a budget, you will have leftovers that lend themselves to freezing. In fact, I worked for a chef that would make soups three to four times a week in bulk and then freeze them in one gallon containers. Depending on the day of the week he would thaw either one or two pouches for service and always rested assured knowing that he had at least two or three days worth of two or three varieties. With this in mind I would like to share my recipe for split pea soup.
Carrot-2 cups, Onion-1 cup, Celery-1 cup ( note: this is mire poix, however the proper ratio is 50% onion, 25% carrot, 25% celery-just so you know)Garlic-4 cloves, Dried split peas-1.5#, Canola oil-.25 cup, Ham hock-1#, Water-14-16 cups. Saute the mire poix until golden, add the ham hock, garlic and the peas, stir and add water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cook for 40-60 minutes stirring occasionally. The peas should be completely broken down before removing from heat. Add salt and pepper. Remember, you can always add more salt but it's difficult to take it away! So start with a tablespoon or two at a time, stir and taste.I will be talking more about soup in the next post and will include another recipe, until then, eat well, drink well and share your table with your friends. P.S-I find it hard to believe no one wants an awesome Flashpoint I Love Brunch sticker!
Where to begin..I suppose it would be helpful to first give a description of the four types of soup. Broth based-think chicken noodle, consomme and passatelli. Puree-usually not thickened with a roux...roast, boil or blanch the main flavor ingredient then puree, loosen to the desired consistency with an appropriate stock.( These soups have vibrant colors and always look good in a nice bowl.)Cream-similar to puree but more refined, roux is used as a thickening agent( sometimes in the form of veloute). This soup is finished with a scant amount of cream and usually is passed through a fine mesh strainer called a chinois. Finally there are Specialty soups-things such as clam chowder, bisque and chili. A couple of notes, when making cream soups, for example: cream of broccoli, one need not use a large amount of dairy. The "cream" doesn't refer to the dairy so much as it does to the mouthfeel. I worked with a cook a few years back that didn't understand this and would frantically search for any type of dairy to put in his cream soups. I was shocked to come in and find that he had put cream cheese into his cream of asparagus soup..no, really. Of course it had not melted and was floating in the soup in large chunks. I share this with you in the hopes that you will not repeat these mistakes. I also had the eye opening chance to work with someone who asked me to make potato soup and then instructed me to take some left-over cooked potatoes ( nothing wrong so far) and add milk and water! While this may have rendered something like soup ( U.N. relief mission food comes to mind)it could have been so much better...and in fact it was. I stammered "Uh...um..I..uh", then he said "Make it the way you want to". I sauteed some white mire poix( celery, onion, leek and garlic)built a roux( butter and flour), added veg stock, simmered for 20 minutes to cook the flour then added the potatoes, a pinch of salt and pepper and some heavy cream. I really am confused and disappointed when people look at soup as either an afterthought or as a dumping ground for all leftovers in the walk-in. Soup is a beautiful thing that can span the spectrum from humble, hearty minestrone to Michelin starred duck consomme. I was fortunate enough to attend a cooking school that recognized this. In every class, from American regional cuisine to classic French cuisine to Asian cuisine, we made soup. That's right, every culture has some form of soup..and have had for thousands of years. If only my two hapless co-workers had known this maybe they would have treated their soup duties with more respect. Soup is a wonderful thing to make for yourself or for guests and is perfect for the soon approaching winter months.It's great for those on a budget, you will have leftovers that lend themselves to freezing. In fact, I worked for a chef that would make soups three to four times a week in bulk and then freeze them in one gallon containers. Depending on the day of the week he would thaw either one or two pouches for service and always rested assured knowing that he had at least two or three days worth of two or three varieties. With this in mind I would like to share my recipe for split pea soup.
Carrot-2 cups, Onion-1 cup, Celery-1 cup ( note: this is mire poix, however the proper ratio is 50% onion, 25% carrot, 25% celery-just so you know)Garlic-4 cloves, Dried split peas-1.5#, Canola oil-.25 cup, Ham hock-1#, Water-14-16 cups. Saute the mire poix until golden, add the ham hock, garlic and the peas, stir and add water. Bring to a boil then reduce to a simmer, cook for 40-60 minutes stirring occasionally. The peas should be completely broken down before removing from heat. Add salt and pepper. Remember, you can always add more salt but it's difficult to take it away! So start with a tablespoon or two at a time, stir and taste.I will be talking more about soup in the next post and will include another recipe, until then, eat well, drink well and share your table with your friends. P.S-I find it hard to believe no one wants an awesome Flashpoint I Love Brunch sticker!
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thoughts On Brunch
Now that another weekend has passed us by, I'm reminded of one of it's rituals..no, not church, though that too has it's place, the event I speak of is far more painful-brunch. Yes, that particular meal period adored by some and despised by others. Whenever someone invites me to brunch( or breakfast for that matter) I refuse if it's on any days besides Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday...even then it's a begrudging acceptance. I say this because I have no desire to wait and wait...and wait for fare that I could make at home that's twice as good and half the price. I look at it this way, for the money you save preparing brunch at home, you can use that surplus on ingredients for mimosas, bellinis or bloody maries. I'm not a cheapskate, I just have a problem wasting money. With that said I would like to share my thoughts on brunch from the perspective of someone who has cooked it.
For the longest time I always equated brunch with breakfast items that were more sweet than savory and accompanied with a slice of melon. Done. However, as I began to expand my culinary horizons I realized that some really tasteful ( both in palate and presentation) meals could be created without a piece of cantaloupe. Over the years I’ve seen nice brunch menus coming out of boutique German and French restaurants, 18 schafer Juggernaut brunches coming out of hotel kitchens with food that was just a step above what could be called institutional food and something in between at corporate chain restaurants. These places had highly processed and pre-packaged foods that were served on nice plates with a degree of attention for presentation. I feel it takes a certain mentality to execute this somewhat dreaded meal time fare. There’s so much mise en place and the early starting hour, not to mention the 125- 400 covers that happen in the small space between10am and 1pm, or worse, 9am and 2pm. I’ve found that it can also be a baited trap for cooks who need or want a part time job. You tell yourself “Hey..it’s only two days a week..and I can get out in time to go cook the dinner shift at my real job. Really, how bad can it be ..right?” Then, there you are at ten minutes ‘til opening, seemingly all ready to go and to your horror you realize that the jack leg prep cook has left the back burner of the range on. The burner directly below the shelf that you like to keep your hollandaise on..and now it’s scrambled eggs, and you can’t yell at him and curse his existence and have him/her make more on the fly because he/she doesn’t know how to. Or, the sous chef tells you he “forgot” to inform you about the 25 top that sits down at 9:00am and lo and behold here they are and you only fired enough potatoes for your usual first wave of 60 people during the first hour, NOT eighty-five. So..now you’ll probably run out before you have time to fire your second batch. Oh yeah, then there’s Mother’s Day and Easter..days that as a child would create pleasant thoughts of family, faith and oneness..but now as an adult they only bring dread and thoughts of pain numbing intoxication after your hellish brunch shift. And on and on…I love brunch.
With that said and with early morning fare in mind, I would like to share with you my recipe for breakfast sausage. ( this can be scaled down to 1# and it still works fine)
Pork-5#, Kosher Salt-.25 Cup, Rubbed Sage-1.25 T, Ground Ginger-2.5 t, Cayenne-1.25 t, Allspice-.6 t. Mix all dry ingredients together until homogeneous then add to ground pork. Cook off a small portion to taste seasoning level, it's possible that you might might prefer more salt, allspice, etc. I developed this while testing a few of Chef John Kinsella's recipes. I took what I thought were the best elements from each and experimented to come up with what I have here. I weigh the patties to 3 ounces, press flat and cook at 325* f for 15-18 minutes. If there is a little pinkness after cooking, it most likely is from the salt acting as a cure-the sausage is NOT raw.
If you like this recipe and you tell your friends and they like it, let me know and if you send me your address with an S.A.S.E I will send you a genuine Flashpoint I Love Brunch sticker( maybe two or three!).
Eat well, drink well and share your table with your friends.
For the longest time I always equated brunch with breakfast items that were more sweet than savory and accompanied with a slice of melon. Done. However, as I began to expand my culinary horizons I realized that some really tasteful ( both in palate and presentation) meals could be created without a piece of cantaloupe. Over the years I’ve seen nice brunch menus coming out of boutique German and French restaurants, 18 schafer Juggernaut brunches coming out of hotel kitchens with food that was just a step above what could be called institutional food and something in between at corporate chain restaurants. These places had highly processed and pre-packaged foods that were served on nice plates with a degree of attention for presentation. I feel it takes a certain mentality to execute this somewhat dreaded meal time fare. There’s so much mise en place and the early starting hour, not to mention the 125- 400 covers that happen in the small space between10am and 1pm, or worse, 9am and 2pm. I’ve found that it can also be a baited trap for cooks who need or want a part time job. You tell yourself “Hey..it’s only two days a week..and I can get out in time to go cook the dinner shift at my real job. Really, how bad can it be ..right?” Then, there you are at ten minutes ‘til opening, seemingly all ready to go and to your horror you realize that the jack leg prep cook has left the back burner of the range on. The burner directly below the shelf that you like to keep your hollandaise on..and now it’s scrambled eggs, and you can’t yell at him and curse his existence and have him/her make more on the fly because he/she doesn’t know how to. Or, the sous chef tells you he “forgot” to inform you about the 25 top that sits down at 9:00am and lo and behold here they are and you only fired enough potatoes for your usual first wave of 60 people during the first hour, NOT eighty-five. So..now you’ll probably run out before you have time to fire your second batch. Oh yeah, then there’s Mother’s Day and Easter..days that as a child would create pleasant thoughts of family, faith and oneness..but now as an adult they only bring dread and thoughts of pain numbing intoxication after your hellish brunch shift. And on and on…I love brunch.
With that said and with early morning fare in mind, I would like to share with you my recipe for breakfast sausage. ( this can be scaled down to 1# and it still works fine)
Pork-5#, Kosher Salt-.25 Cup, Rubbed Sage-1.25 T, Ground Ginger-2.5 t, Cayenne-1.25 t, Allspice-.6 t. Mix all dry ingredients together until homogeneous then add to ground pork. Cook off a small portion to taste seasoning level, it's possible that you might might prefer more salt, allspice, etc. I developed this while testing a few of Chef John Kinsella's recipes. I took what I thought were the best elements from each and experimented to come up with what I have here. I weigh the patties to 3 ounces, press flat and cook at 325* f for 15-18 minutes. If there is a little pinkness after cooking, it most likely is from the salt acting as a cure-the sausage is NOT raw.
If you like this recipe and you tell your friends and they like it, let me know and if you send me your address with an S.A.S.E I will send you a genuine Flashpoint I Love Brunch sticker( maybe two or three!).
Eat well, drink well and share your table with your friends.
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