Happy 4th of July, my friends! Today marks the 235th anniversary of our nation's freedom, and reminds us as we look around how lucky we are to be Americans. It is also on this day that the holiest of summertime culinary traditions are observed from sea to shining sea in backyards across this great nation. For every American family, those culinary traditions are different, but they typically have one thing in common: The Grillmaster.
In addition to that apron-wearing, beer-drinking, tongs-weilding juggernaut at the helm of the grill, we also delve into the types of age-old questions posed at such culinary gatherings. Gas or charcoal? Mesquite or Hickory? Kansas City or Carolina? Pork ribs or beef? You picking up what I'm putting down, friends? That's right; for every backyard gathering from Alaska to the deep South, there's that one special family recipe that's better than the neighbor's, better than Uncle John's, and better than any cheap restaurant imitation. It's those special family traditions that bring us back to childhood, and remind us of where we came from and why those traditions are worth continuing.
In my humble opinion, the 4th of July brings out the best of backyard Americana. Aside from Super Bowl Sunday (which is another blog all its own, trust me), I would submit that you'll not find better culinary offerings from any comparable gathering. In fact, the 4th of July is one of what I like to call the Five Food Seasons. It's just my way of dividing up the year into the types of home-cooking that I love best, and that I look forward at certain times of the year. You've already gotten one blog about one of them, but here's my list: Super Bowl Sunday, St. Patrick's Day, Independence Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. Now, for my Jewish friends out there, I will also note Hannukah as a notable culinary holiday, but as I have little to no experience with Jewish food beyond Matzo Ball soup and Latke, I don't know enough about it to look forward to the food each year. Of course, I'm ALWAYS open to recipe ideas and new food adventures, so if any of you have any good Jewish recipes, I'd love to try them!
Now, this is the first installment of my blog where I'm not going to dole out a recipe of my own, but I have a good reason for that, which is the main reason I've written you all today. I've started up a new email address so that we can more easily share food, wine, and receipe conversations without having to comment directly on the blog. I would love to hear from you, and would also welcome the comments of any of your friends and family who would like to chime in. As always, all are welcome, and I would be happy to post your comments. And if you have recipes of your own to share, it's easier for me to give credit where credit is due. Photos of your food are always welcome, as are any glamour shots of the chef :)
My new email address for the blog is: fearnotyourkitchen@gmail.com
And with that, my friends, I will bid you adieu for this short but sweet installment. Shoot me a line on my email address, and feel free to share this with your friends. Since we're talking about backyard grilling adventures, let's have a discussion about some of the things I touched on earlier: pork or beef ribs, BBQ sauce, smoking techniques, etc. Share some of your grilling stories and favorite tricks, and maybe we can get a good discussion going.
Happy 4th of July, friends! I hope yours was full of family, friends, fun, and as always, good food. See you next time!
~Aaron
Monday, July 4, 2011
Saturday, June 18, 2011
French Dips a Go-Go!!
Hello again, my friends!! It's been quite a while since I've contributed to my blog, but I'm back now, and I've got a good one for you! True, I've been away for some time, but don't think for one second that I've forgotten about any of you :) The ol' day job gets in the way sometimes, you know. Anyway, let me share another wonderful meal idea with you that will be both easy and delicious. It doesn't matter if you're all by your lonesome or entertaining a whole house full of people, this recipe is sure to satisfy even the most discerning of palletes. Yes, my friends, we're talking about French Dips!!
Everyone loves a savory dish. Truly, you can't just have a perpetual sweet tooth, or be a slave to mundane culinary offerings. You've got to kick your tastebuds into high gear every once in awhile!
At their core, French Dips are nothing more than roast beef on bread dipped in Au Jus. Now, in all fairness to you culinary savantes out there, we all know that French Dips are much more than that pedestrian description. We're talking about a robust flavor profile here, people!! French Dips are more than mundane roast beef sandwiches dipped in basic brown gravy. We're talking about the king of savory flavors here: the best of earthy flavors bundled up into five minutes of the best lunch (or dinner) you've ever had. Ever heard of the Japanese term "Umami?" Well, if you have, this kicks Umami's butt!! If not, get ready for an education in awesomeness.
This is going to seem fairly simply, but trust me, it'll redefine the quality of your lunch selections.
Ingredients:
One package of lean roast beef (or leftovers if you've done a roast recently)
One small yellow onion
Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and pepper
Onion soup mix
Mayonnaise
Sliced Swiss cheese
Good rolls; preferably ciabatta or some sort of sourdough steak roll (I love anything made with rosemary)
Directions:
First of all, let's make our spread. Empty one packet of onion soup mix into a fine strainer and shake into a bowl until all the onion-flavored powder is separated from any chunks of dried onion/extras. Discard the chunks left in the strainer. Add 4-6 Tbs of mayonnaise to the powder and mix thoroughly until the spread is consistent.
Slice the onion thinly and set aside. Meanwhile, head a saute pan over medium heat and add about 2 Tbs of olive oil. Add the onions and saute the onions in the oil until translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste during the cooking process. As the onions begin to break down and become loose and translucent, add about 4 Tbs. of Worcestireshire sauce and reduce until the W. sauce is nearly gone. This will season the onions and give them a beautiful brown color. Once the onions are done to the desired level, remove to a clean bowl.
In the same pan, after the onions are removed, add your slices of roast beef. The goal here is not to re-cook the beef, but merely to heat it through. As the beef begins to heat up, add 4-6 Tbs. of W. Sauce and simmer the beef in the sauce until it's all heated through. Reduce the heat to medium to avoid burning the beef. Again, it's already cooked, so we're just trying to heat it in a flavorful sauce.
As this is happening, you can slice your bread and - if you prefer - toast it under a broiler or in a toaster oven. If you don't need it toasted, then just do what you gotta do to get it sliced and ready.
For the Au Jus - you guessed it: just prepare per the package instructions. Typically 2 cups of cold water with the sauce mix whisked in and boiled together.
To assemble the sandwiches, slice your bread lengthwise and apply a liberal spread of your onion mayo to each side. Then add an appropriately-sized slice of Swiss cheese and add your sauteed onions. Pile on your heated roast beef and close them up.
Finally, ladle your Au Jus into a separate bowl, dip your sammy into that steaming pool of goodness, and take your taste buds to happy town!!
That's it! It's really that simple. Of course, my friends, if you want a free lesson, just stop on by our casa at your convenience. For those of you who need a little more info, and can't just stop by, shoot me a comment and I'll make your day.
Enjoy, my friends!!
~Aaron
Everyone loves a savory dish. Truly, you can't just have a perpetual sweet tooth, or be a slave to mundane culinary offerings. You've got to kick your tastebuds into high gear every once in awhile!
At their core, French Dips are nothing more than roast beef on bread dipped in Au Jus. Now, in all fairness to you culinary savantes out there, we all know that French Dips are much more than that pedestrian description. We're talking about a robust flavor profile here, people!! French Dips are more than mundane roast beef sandwiches dipped in basic brown gravy. We're talking about the king of savory flavors here: the best of earthy flavors bundled up into five minutes of the best lunch (or dinner) you've ever had. Ever heard of the Japanese term "Umami?" Well, if you have, this kicks Umami's butt!! If not, get ready for an education in awesomeness.
This is going to seem fairly simply, but trust me, it'll redefine the quality of your lunch selections.
Ingredients:
One package of lean roast beef (or leftovers if you've done a roast recently)
One small yellow onion
Worcestershire Sauce
Salt and pepper
Onion soup mix
Mayonnaise
Sliced Swiss cheese
Good rolls; preferably ciabatta or some sort of sourdough steak roll (I love anything made with rosemary)
Directions:
First of all, let's make our spread. Empty one packet of onion soup mix into a fine strainer and shake into a bowl until all the onion-flavored powder is separated from any chunks of dried onion/extras. Discard the chunks left in the strainer. Add 4-6 Tbs of mayonnaise to the powder and mix thoroughly until the spread is consistent.
Slice the onion thinly and set aside. Meanwhile, head a saute pan over medium heat and add about 2 Tbs of olive oil. Add the onions and saute the onions in the oil until translucent. Add salt and pepper to taste during the cooking process. As the onions begin to break down and become loose and translucent, add about 4 Tbs. of Worcestireshire sauce and reduce until the W. sauce is nearly gone. This will season the onions and give them a beautiful brown color. Once the onions are done to the desired level, remove to a clean bowl.
In the same pan, after the onions are removed, add your slices of roast beef. The goal here is not to re-cook the beef, but merely to heat it through. As the beef begins to heat up, add 4-6 Tbs. of W. Sauce and simmer the beef in the sauce until it's all heated through. Reduce the heat to medium to avoid burning the beef. Again, it's already cooked, so we're just trying to heat it in a flavorful sauce.
As this is happening, you can slice your bread and - if you prefer - toast it under a broiler or in a toaster oven. If you don't need it toasted, then just do what you gotta do to get it sliced and ready.
For the Au Jus - you guessed it: just prepare per the package instructions. Typically 2 cups of cold water with the sauce mix whisked in and boiled together.
To assemble the sandwiches, slice your bread lengthwise and apply a liberal spread of your onion mayo to each side. Then add an appropriately-sized slice of Swiss cheese and add your sauteed onions. Pile on your heated roast beef and close them up.
Finally, ladle your Au Jus into a separate bowl, dip your sammy into that steaming pool of goodness, and take your taste buds to happy town!!
That's it! It's really that simple. Of course, my friends, if you want a free lesson, just stop on by our casa at your convenience. For those of you who need a little more info, and can't just stop by, shoot me a comment and I'll make your day.
Enjoy, my friends!!
~Aaron
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Opa!
Hello again, my friends! It's been a little longer than I wanted, but I'm here with another installment of my Blog that will surely make your stomach rumble. I've got a really good friend who's Greek, and he and his wife have periodically made some absolutely wonderful authentic Greek dishes for us, most notably when we and some other good friends had a Greek night at their house. One of the most addictive things that we had that night was called Tiropita, or Cheese Pie. If you're a cheese lover like me, then this is something that you absolutely have to try!
Tiropita is essentially a mixture of Feta cheese (another favorite!!) and herbs wrapped up in a nice little sleeping bag of Phyllo dough. My wife calls them Greek Hot Pockets, and absolutely loves them. I've not had a lot of experience with this particular dish, but because I want to pique your culinary curiosity I decided to find a good article on how to construct these little chunks of awesomeness and share it with you. Hopefully you'll find that it's easy to do, and will recommend it to a friend as I'm doing here. If you have any secrets or extras to share on this, I'd love to hear about it.
So, without further adieu, here's the article on Tiropita. Enjoy!!
~Aaron
Tiropita (τυρόπιτα) are Greek cheese pastries which come in different sizes but primarily are baked on large pans, made from phyllo dough filled with feta cheese. They're a delicious and unusual appetizer or side dish.
Tiropita is essentially a mixture of Feta cheese (another favorite!!) and herbs wrapped up in a nice little sleeping bag of Phyllo dough. My wife calls them Greek Hot Pockets, and absolutely loves them. I've not had a lot of experience with this particular dish, but because I want to pique your culinary curiosity I decided to find a good article on how to construct these little chunks of awesomeness and share it with you. Hopefully you'll find that it's easy to do, and will recommend it to a friend as I'm doing here. If you have any secrets or extras to share on this, I'd love to hear about it.
So, without further adieu, here's the article on Tiropita. Enjoy!!
~Aaron
How to Make Tiropita
from wikiHow - The How to Manual That You Can EditTiropita (τυρόπιτα) are Greek cheese pastries which come in different sizes but primarily are baked on large pans, made from phyllo dough filled with feta cheese. They're a delicious and unusual appetizer or side dish.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds of feta cheese, drained of any excess liquid and crumbled.
- Lemon zest
- Nutmeg (optional)
- Toasted walnuts (optional)
- Honey (optional)
- Spinach (optional. Adding spinach makes these spanakopita)
- 3 eggs, beaten
- 1 or more cubes of butter
- 1 pound of phyllo pastry sheets. Completely thaw the phyllo in the refrigerator and in its packaging if it was frozen.
Steps
- Crumble the feta cheese. A pair of forks works well. Beat the eggs.
- Mix the beaten eggs into the feta. Refrigerate this filling mixture for about 30 minutes. The refrigeration step is optional, but it gives you time to prepare everything else.
- Melt the butter over low heat and keep it warm. You can clarify the butter by skimming off the white solids.
- Keep the butter warm in a small crock pot, over a very low flame, or by storing it in a heavy, ceramic pot. You can microwave it for a few seconds now and then to reheat.
- Keep the butter warm in a small crock pot, over a very low flame, or by storing it in a heavy, ceramic pot. You can microwave it for a few seconds now and then to reheat.
- Unfold the phyllo and spread it on waxed paper. Measure the phyllo on the short side and decide if you will cut it into two, three, or four strips. It's better to have strips that are too wide than too narrow.
- Use clean scissors or a sharp knife to cut the phyllo sheets into strips about 4 inches (10cm) wide. You can cut a stack of several sheets at once.
- Folding the dough back along itself as you go can help to keep the cuts straight and parallel to the edge.
- Folding the dough back along itself as you go can help to keep the cuts straight and parallel to the edge.
- Work with a moderate number of sheets at a time, perhaps a dozen or so. Roll extra sheets tightly in waxed paper and store them in the refrigerator until you are ready to work with them. Phyllo that dries out tears much more easily.
- Spread a generous length of waxed paper onto a table and have the filling, melted butter, pastry brush, trays or baking sheets, and phyllo close at hand.
- Lay a strip of phyllo on waxed paper and brush it generously with warm, melted butter. The butter makes the phyllo bake to a flaky crisp. (In the photo, instead of waxed paper, there's a blue silicone baking sheet, for contrast.)
- Place one to two tablespoons of the feta mixture on one end of a strip of phyllo. You can eyeball the quantity according to the size of the strip.
- Fold the phyllo around the filling on a diagonal so that the corner meets the opposite edge.
- Fold the tiropita straight up, following the edge.
- Repeat the diagonal and straight folding until you reach the end. If there is a bit of extra, tuck it in or simply fold it around and stick it to the outside.
- This is the same fold used for the United States flag, after it has been folded in half twice.
- This is the same fold used for the United States flag, after it has been folded in half twice.
- Brush the entire outside surface with more melted butter.
- Lay the tiropita on a baking sheet in a single layer with a little space in between them. If you are making the tiropita before an event, you can stack them between sheets of waxed paper and freeze them until you are ready.
- Bake at 375ºF (190ºC) for 15-20 minutes, until golden brown and crispy. Frozen tiropita will take a little longer to bake than thawed ones. Serve hot.
Tips
- When folding tiropita, resist the temptation to press or squeeze, especially on the empty corners. Leave loosely wrapped, and let the phyllo at the corners be hollow and flaky.
- Phyllo is delicate but forgiving. If it rips, brush it with a little extra butter, patch it with an extra piece, and gently keep on working. The tears won't show after it's baked.
- If the strip is too wide, you can fold one side in a bit, as shown.
- Thicker phyllo is a bit easier to work, but thinner phyllo makes a flakier crust.
- It is possible to make this dish without all the folding. Place five buttered sheets of phyllo on the bottom of the pan. Spread the egg and cheese mixture in a layer about a half inch (1.5 cm) thick and place another five to ten layers of phyllo on top. Butter each sheet of phyllo. Cut the top layer with scissors in lines straight across, then again in a diagonal shape. This gives the traditional diamond shaped cut. Adjust the baking time as necessary.
- Purchase the phyllo. It takes a lot of skill and table space to make it and roll it that thin.
- To pronounce "phyllo" (sometimes spelled "filo"), say FEE-low. To pronounce tiropita say "tee-ROH-pee-ta")
- If you aren't eating these immediately or you want to make them in advance, freeze them unbaked. Place them in a container, not touching each other. Layer them with waxed paper in between and wrap or cover them thoroughly.
- Leftover tiropita that are already baked are still good to eat, but the phyllo does not stay as flaky. Reheat them for 2 minutes in a 350 degree F oven to restore the crispness.
- Eat tiropita with your fingers, but have napkins nearby and a plate underneath.
- Don't cheap out on cheese. The difference between amazing and mediocre tiropita is mostly the quality of the cheese.
- If the feta is too tangy, you can mix in a little bit of ricotta or cottage cheese to taste, with excess liquid drained through cheesecloth. Drain excess liquid through cheesecloth so the resulting mixture is not runny.
- Try adding coarsely chopped walnuts for variety.
Warnings
- Handle raw egg and things containing it appropriately.
- Allow plenty of time for preparation and cleanup, especially if you are new at handling phyllo. This recipe will take some practice and patience to master, but it is well worth it.
Things You'll Need
- A pastry brush
- A baking pan or cookie sheet
- Waxed paper
- Scissors or a sharp knife
- Mixing bowls
- A pot or bowl for the butter
- Trays for storing the tiropita if you will freeze them.
- Ample counter or table space. Clean your work surface thoroughly before and after making tiropita.
Related wikiHows
- How to Make a Traditional Greek Salad
- How to Make Feta Cheese
- How to Make Spanakopita
- How to Make Baklava
Sources and Citations
Article provided by wikiHow, a wiki how-to manual. Please edit this article and find author credits at the original wikiHow article on How to Make Tiropita. All content on wikiHow can be shared under a Creative Commons license.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Happy St. Patrick's Day!!
Hello again, my friends, and welcome to a special installment of my Blog. If you're wondering why everyone's in green, and you seem to be on the receiving end of pinches galore, then you may be unaware that today is St. Patrick's Day. Luckily for you, I've got the perfect culinary cure to get you in the right frame of mind: Shepherd's Pie!
Everyone knows someone who's Irish, at least in my experience. And even if you don't, there's a good chance that you've stumbled into an Irish pub at some point just to see what all the hype is about Guiness or Harp or any of a number of wonderful Irish offerings. And if you talk to these same people who've made Irish pubs a staple of any recreational outing, then you've probably heard at least one comment about Shepherd's Pie. Most people (and if you're not one of them, I sincerely apologize) can't rattle off more than one or two menu items typically enjoyed at Irish pubs and eateries, but in nearly all cases, Shepherd's Pie is among them. And if you're one of those people, like me, who make a point of finding the best Shepherd's Pie around, then you're certainly in the right place. This process has included a great number of disappointing experiences, but I've now eaten enough of the lovely stuff to know what pings my taste buds just right, and that's what I'm going to share with you today.
At its heart, Shepherd's Pie is lamb stew covered in mashed potatoes and then baked until golden brown. Doesn't sound too bad, right? The key in developing an amazing batch of this stuff for me was picking out which flavors resonated with me the most and accenting them. For me, this was the tanginess of Worcestershire sauce and the herby punch of fresh rosemary, both of which are among my favorite flavors. And when it comes to the potatoes, I prefer the pungent flavor of buttermilk over the sweeter style made with cream. Either way, you've got some lattitude in your own development of the flavors. The only drawback with this recipe is that lamb can get expensive, but you can certainly use good beef instead. Some people prefer it that way.
Ok, let's cut to the chase. Here's what you're going to need to get that green Irish blood pumping:
Ingredients:
-1.5 pounds of lamb or good beef - can be ground or cut by hand into a small dice. If choosing beef, I'd recommend sirloin.
-1.5 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes
-1 egg yolk
-1/4 cup unsalted butter
-1/4 cup half-and-half or buttermilk - this is where you decide if you want sweeter or more savory potatoes.
-1/4 cup sour cream - only if you decided to use buttermilk in the spuds.
-2 Tbs. olive or canola oil
-1 cup chicken or beef stock - use beef stock for an extra bold punch.
-1 cup chopped onion
-2 carrots
-2 cloves of garlic - more to taste but not to exceed 3 or 4 good-sized cloves.
-2 tsp. tomato paste
-1 to 2 Tbs. of flour
-Worcestershire sauce - at least 1 Tbs., more to taste. I always add more.
-Fresh rosemary - At least 1 Tbs. of finely chopped leaves, more to taste.
-Fresh thyme - 1 to 2 tsp of chopped leaves. Don't overdo this one or it's taste too earthy.
-1/2 each of frozen corn kernels and peas (English peas if you can find them).
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
First we'll start with the spuds. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Add them to an appropriately-sized saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a healthy pinch of kosher salt and bring to a boil, covered. When the water boils, reduce to medium-low heat and uncover, cooking the spuds until easily pierced with a fork or crushed with tongs. Remove from heat, drain, and either mash them in the pan or place into your favorite kitchen mixer (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer...love it!) and add your choice of half-and-half or buttermilk/sour cream, butter, yolk, and salt and pepper. Mix until smooth, taste, and adjust the seasonings so that you get exactly what you want. It would not do to have bland spuds on top of your pie, so do yourself a favor and knock this out of the park.
While the spuds rest, we'll get to the other part. First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it looks shiny. Add the onions and carrots and saute until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook until the whole mix is soft and fragrant. NOTE: IF THIS MIXTURE GETS DRY, REDUCE YOUR HEAT IMMEDIATELY. Now add the lamb or beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until all the meat is browned. You don't need to kill it again, just make sure it's uniformly brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour in the mixture now and toss to coat. Cook for a minute or two to eliminate the raw flour taste, and then add your stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire, rosemary, and thyme. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let the mixture cook for at least 10 to 12 minutes, or until the gravy looks to be the right consistency. Here's a tip: don't taste the mixture until after it's been brought up to a boil. This will do two things: maximize the thickening power of the flour, and also integrate the flavors. While it's simmering is the best time to taste and adjust seasonings.
Once you've got it where you want it, add the corn and peas to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Now take a glass baking dish or earthenware baking dish and fill it with the meat mixture. Top with the spuds, using a spatula to press the spuds in on the sides to seal the meat in. If you don't do this, it'll bubble out and look gross. Not where you want to be. Smooth out the spuds so that they're even and pretty and bake in the oven (right in the middle) for 20-30 minutes, or until the spuds get a nice golden-brown color on top. Remove to cool and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. The filling is going to be volcano-hot, so you want to give it a sec.
Now pour yourself a fitting beverage for the occasion and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
As always, let me know how this one worked out for you, and feel free to share whatever adjustments you may have made to make it perfect for your palate. I look forward to your comments.
Happy St. Patty's Day, my friends!
~Aaron
Everyone knows someone who's Irish, at least in my experience. And even if you don't, there's a good chance that you've stumbled into an Irish pub at some point just to see what all the hype is about Guiness or Harp or any of a number of wonderful Irish offerings. And if you talk to these same people who've made Irish pubs a staple of any recreational outing, then you've probably heard at least one comment about Shepherd's Pie. Most people (and if you're not one of them, I sincerely apologize) can't rattle off more than one or two menu items typically enjoyed at Irish pubs and eateries, but in nearly all cases, Shepherd's Pie is among them. And if you're one of those people, like me, who make a point of finding the best Shepherd's Pie around, then you're certainly in the right place. This process has included a great number of disappointing experiences, but I've now eaten enough of the lovely stuff to know what pings my taste buds just right, and that's what I'm going to share with you today.
At its heart, Shepherd's Pie is lamb stew covered in mashed potatoes and then baked until golden brown. Doesn't sound too bad, right? The key in developing an amazing batch of this stuff for me was picking out which flavors resonated with me the most and accenting them. For me, this was the tanginess of Worcestershire sauce and the herby punch of fresh rosemary, both of which are among my favorite flavors. And when it comes to the potatoes, I prefer the pungent flavor of buttermilk over the sweeter style made with cream. Either way, you've got some lattitude in your own development of the flavors. The only drawback with this recipe is that lamb can get expensive, but you can certainly use good beef instead. Some people prefer it that way.
Ok, let's cut to the chase. Here's what you're going to need to get that green Irish blood pumping:
Ingredients:
-1.5 pounds of lamb or good beef - can be ground or cut by hand into a small dice. If choosing beef, I'd recommend sirloin.
-1.5 pounds russet or yukon gold potatoes
-1 egg yolk
-1/4 cup unsalted butter
-1/4 cup half-and-half or buttermilk - this is where you decide if you want sweeter or more savory potatoes.
-1/4 cup sour cream - only if you decided to use buttermilk in the spuds.
-2 Tbs. olive or canola oil
-1 cup chicken or beef stock - use beef stock for an extra bold punch.
-1 cup chopped onion
-2 carrots
-2 cloves of garlic - more to taste but not to exceed 3 or 4 good-sized cloves.
-2 tsp. tomato paste
-1 to 2 Tbs. of flour
-Worcestershire sauce - at least 1 Tbs., more to taste. I always add more.
-Fresh rosemary - At least 1 Tbs. of finely chopped leaves, more to taste.
-Fresh thyme - 1 to 2 tsp of chopped leaves. Don't overdo this one or it's taste too earthy.
-1/2 each of frozen corn kernels and peas (English peas if you can find them).
-Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Directions:
First we'll start with the spuds. Peel the potatoes and cut into quarters. Add them to an appropriately-sized saucepan and cover with cold water. Add a healthy pinch of kosher salt and bring to a boil, covered. When the water boils, reduce to medium-low heat and uncover, cooking the spuds until easily pierced with a fork or crushed with tongs. Remove from heat, drain, and either mash them in the pan or place into your favorite kitchen mixer (I use my Kitchen Aid mixer...love it!) and add your choice of half-and-half or buttermilk/sour cream, butter, yolk, and salt and pepper. Mix until smooth, taste, and adjust the seasonings so that you get exactly what you want. It would not do to have bland spuds on top of your pie, so do yourself a favor and knock this out of the park.
While the spuds rest, we'll get to the other part. First, preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.
In a medium saute pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat until it looks shiny. Add the onions and carrots and saute until soft and pliable, about 5 minutes. Then add the garlic and cook until the whole mix is soft and fragrant. NOTE: IF THIS MIXTURE GETS DRY, REDUCE YOUR HEAT IMMEDIATELY. Now add the lamb or beef, season with salt and pepper, and cook until all the meat is browned. You don't need to kill it again, just make sure it's uniformly brown, about 3 or 4 minutes. Sprinkle the flour in the mixture now and toss to coat. Cook for a minute or two to eliminate the raw flour taste, and then add your stock, tomato paste, Worcestershire, rosemary, and thyme. Stir to combine and bring to a boil. Once at a boil, reduce heat to a simmer and let the mixture cook for at least 10 to 12 minutes, or until the gravy looks to be the right consistency. Here's a tip: don't taste the mixture until after it's been brought up to a boil. This will do two things: maximize the thickening power of the flour, and also integrate the flavors. While it's simmering is the best time to taste and adjust seasonings.
Once you've got it where you want it, add the corn and peas to the meat mixture and stir to combine. Now take a glass baking dish or earthenware baking dish and fill it with the meat mixture. Top with the spuds, using a spatula to press the spuds in on the sides to seal the meat in. If you don't do this, it'll bubble out and look gross. Not where you want to be. Smooth out the spuds so that they're even and pretty and bake in the oven (right in the middle) for 20-30 minutes, or until the spuds get a nice golden-brown color on top. Remove to cool and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes. The filling is going to be volcano-hot, so you want to give it a sec.
Now pour yourself a fitting beverage for the occasion and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
As always, let me know how this one worked out for you, and feel free to share whatever adjustments you may have made to make it perfect for your palate. I look forward to your comments.
Happy St. Patty's Day, my friends!
~Aaron
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Breakfast 2.0 - The Benedict Challenge
Hello again, my friends! It's been a few days since my last food tirade, but this one is well worth the wait. After a busy week at work, house projects, and getting ready for yet another busy week, I thought it was time to push the Pause button on life and settle down for a nice, warm, classic breakfast with my wife. Besides, it's cool and rainy today, so the timing was just perfect for one of my absolute favorite comfort breakfasts: Eggs Benedict.
Now, I'm well aware that some of you may be saying "wow, I love that, but it's gotta be a nightmare to make!" Not so, my friends, not so. If you break it down to the basics, Eggs Benedict is just a delicious combination of English muffins, ham or Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce. If it helps ease your mind further, Hollandaise is just egg yolks, lemon juice, butter, hot sauce, and salt & pepper...basically.
There's really something to be said about waking up to the smell of coffee and walking into the kitchen to see a heaping plate of Benedict waiting for you, and when you sink your fork into that first gooey bite of awesomeness, it's well worth the wait.
Ok, let's get to the good part. Now, about the Hollandaise. There are a lot of different variations, but we're going to be making the basic recipe. There are a few components that are up to your individual taste, but you can certainly use too much of them. I'll attempt to steer you clear of some of the mistakes I've had to endure. Also, successfully making Eggs Benedict is all about having everything laid out ahead of time so you aren't a hot mess while you're trying to cook.
You'll need the following for 2 servings of Eggs Benedict:
-7 eggs
-1 whole lemon
-2 English muffins, sliced into halves
-4 slices of smoked or honey ham (your choice) or Canadian bacon
-A bottle of Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
-One whole stick (1/2 cup) of butter plus an extra tablespoon or two
-Salt and white pepper
-Vinegar (white or cider; I use cider)
-A double-boiler or medium saucepan/glass bowl combo; I use a saucepan with an appropriately-sized glass bowl.
-A wide-shallow pan for poaching eggs
-A slotted spoon
Ok, that's the majority of what you need. Now, before you do anything, fill the wide, shallow pan with 2 to 3 inches of water and add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Set it over medium heat and just forget about it while you do other stuff. This is the water for poaching your eggs, and it should be just below a simmer when you put the eggs in (bubbles on the bottom, but barely any rising to the surface). The vinegar is to make sure that the egg whites tighten up quickly and don't spread througout your water. Again, just put it on the heat and forget about it for now.
Now take your saucpan and fill it with about 2 to 3 inches of water and place your glass bowl in it. The bowl should fit so that it does NOT touch the water. If you need a bigger bowl, get one. If the water touches the bowl, you're in for scrambled eggs instead of a velvety Hollandaise. Trust me. Place this pan over medium-high heat and bring to a light simmer.
While your pans with water are heating up, take the glass bowl and crack three egg yolks into it. Doesn't matter if there's a tiny bit of white, but keep as much of the white out as you can. Then add about a tablespoon and a half of cold water. Whisk this until it's nice and frothy, about a minute or two. After you've got a nice, frothy mix, set it aside for a moment. In a heatproof bowl or measuring cup, melt your butter in the microwave. Use 20 second increments to keep it from popping all over the inside. Once it's liquid, remove and let it cool to what you'd call "warm" but not "hot." With a spoon, remove the top layer of white-ish butter funk. You want the butter as clear as possible, but it doesn't need to be 100% perfect.
As the butter cools, take the bowl with the egg mixture and place it over the saucepan with the simmering water. You want to avoid a full-on boil or you'll have trouble with your eggs thickening too quickly. While over the heat, whisk your eggs quickly and continuously until they thicken up to almost the consistency of shaving cream, about 3 to 4 minutes. Don't let them get that firm...just a little looser than that. Once the eggs are there, remove from the heat and keep whisking to dissipate the heat. If you're not careful, the residual heat with just scramble the eggs anyway.
Now take your butter, hopefully it's "warm" by now, and very slowly add it while continuing to whisk. The mixture will begin to get smooth and creamy. You're almost there! Once all the butter is incorporated, cut your lemon and squeeze the juice into a bowl. DO NOT ADD THE JUICE TO THE MIX YET!!! Trust me, I've had to take too many mulligans because I put too much lemon juice in. This is one of the ingredients that can definitely be overdone. Start with one TEASPOON, and work up from there, tasting as you go. DON'T ADD MORE THAN 3 TEASPOONS TO THIS AMOUNT OF SAUCE (or you'll be sorry). Next, add about 5 to 7 shakes of your hot sauce (again, to taste). The whole point of the hot sauce is to add just a little saltiness, and have a touch of heat on the end of each bite. If the sauce is spicy, you've overdone it. Now, add salt and white pepper (about two shakes) to taste and stir it all together. That's your Hollandaise. It'll take you a little longer the first few times you do it, but once you get the hang of it, it'll go a lot faster.
Now to the poached eggs. Hopefully you have your water just below a simmer right now. What I like to do is crack the eggs individually into a custard cup and slide them into the water. Within a couple seconds, you should see the whites start to turn...you guessed it...white. If they sink to the bottom, just leave them alone. Not a big deal. Let them sit in their hot water bath for about 5 minutes, or until they are white and relatively firm all the way around. Give the pan a shake to test the firmness of the yolk. Once you're satisfied, use a slotted spoon to CAREFULLY remove them from the water and onto a plate lined with paper towels. If the yolk breaks, you can always do one over. This is definitely more of an art than a science. You'll probably wreck a few eggs before you get the hang of it. I did :)
Once you're ready to put together the breakfast of the century, toast your English muffins, add a folded slice of ham to each half, CAREFULLY place an egg on each, and top with Hollandaise sauce. Then pour yourself a hot cup of coffee, proudly strut around in front of your spouse or significant other to fish for compliments, and then dig in.
That's it! As with anything, this one gets better with practice. There are a lot of things to keep track of, but this one's well worth the effort. Enjoy your breakfast, my friends, and please feel free to share comments of your experience, or things you think make this gem better.
Until next time!
~Aaron
Now, I'm well aware that some of you may be saying "wow, I love that, but it's gotta be a nightmare to make!" Not so, my friends, not so. If you break it down to the basics, Eggs Benedict is just a delicious combination of English muffins, ham or Canadian bacon, poached eggs, and Hollandaise sauce. If it helps ease your mind further, Hollandaise is just egg yolks, lemon juice, butter, hot sauce, and salt & pepper...basically.
There's really something to be said about waking up to the smell of coffee and walking into the kitchen to see a heaping plate of Benedict waiting for you, and when you sink your fork into that first gooey bite of awesomeness, it's well worth the wait.
Ok, let's get to the good part. Now, about the Hollandaise. There are a lot of different variations, but we're going to be making the basic recipe. There are a few components that are up to your individual taste, but you can certainly use too much of them. I'll attempt to steer you clear of some of the mistakes I've had to endure. Also, successfully making Eggs Benedict is all about having everything laid out ahead of time so you aren't a hot mess while you're trying to cook.
You'll need the following for 2 servings of Eggs Benedict:
-7 eggs
-1 whole lemon
-2 English muffins, sliced into halves
-4 slices of smoked or honey ham (your choice) or Canadian bacon
-A bottle of Tabasco sauce or your favorite hot sauce
-One whole stick (1/2 cup) of butter plus an extra tablespoon or two
-Salt and white pepper
-Vinegar (white or cider; I use cider)
-A double-boiler or medium saucepan/glass bowl combo; I use a saucepan with an appropriately-sized glass bowl.
-A wide-shallow pan for poaching eggs
-A slotted spoon
Ok, that's the majority of what you need. Now, before you do anything, fill the wide, shallow pan with 2 to 3 inches of water and add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar. Set it over medium heat and just forget about it while you do other stuff. This is the water for poaching your eggs, and it should be just below a simmer when you put the eggs in (bubbles on the bottom, but barely any rising to the surface). The vinegar is to make sure that the egg whites tighten up quickly and don't spread througout your water. Again, just put it on the heat and forget about it for now.
Now take your saucpan and fill it with about 2 to 3 inches of water and place your glass bowl in it. The bowl should fit so that it does NOT touch the water. If you need a bigger bowl, get one. If the water touches the bowl, you're in for scrambled eggs instead of a velvety Hollandaise. Trust me. Place this pan over medium-high heat and bring to a light simmer.
While your pans with water are heating up, take the glass bowl and crack three egg yolks into it. Doesn't matter if there's a tiny bit of white, but keep as much of the white out as you can. Then add about a tablespoon and a half of cold water. Whisk this until it's nice and frothy, about a minute or two. After you've got a nice, frothy mix, set it aside for a moment. In a heatproof bowl or measuring cup, melt your butter in the microwave. Use 20 second increments to keep it from popping all over the inside. Once it's liquid, remove and let it cool to what you'd call "warm" but not "hot." With a spoon, remove the top layer of white-ish butter funk. You want the butter as clear as possible, but it doesn't need to be 100% perfect.
As the butter cools, take the bowl with the egg mixture and place it over the saucepan with the simmering water. You want to avoid a full-on boil or you'll have trouble with your eggs thickening too quickly. While over the heat, whisk your eggs quickly and continuously until they thicken up to almost the consistency of shaving cream, about 3 to 4 minutes. Don't let them get that firm...just a little looser than that. Once the eggs are there, remove from the heat and keep whisking to dissipate the heat. If you're not careful, the residual heat with just scramble the eggs anyway.
Now take your butter, hopefully it's "warm" by now, and very slowly add it while continuing to whisk. The mixture will begin to get smooth and creamy. You're almost there! Once all the butter is incorporated, cut your lemon and squeeze the juice into a bowl. DO NOT ADD THE JUICE TO THE MIX YET!!! Trust me, I've had to take too many mulligans because I put too much lemon juice in. This is one of the ingredients that can definitely be overdone. Start with one TEASPOON, and work up from there, tasting as you go. DON'T ADD MORE THAN 3 TEASPOONS TO THIS AMOUNT OF SAUCE (or you'll be sorry). Next, add about 5 to 7 shakes of your hot sauce (again, to taste). The whole point of the hot sauce is to add just a little saltiness, and have a touch of heat on the end of each bite. If the sauce is spicy, you've overdone it. Now, add salt and white pepper (about two shakes) to taste and stir it all together. That's your Hollandaise. It'll take you a little longer the first few times you do it, but once you get the hang of it, it'll go a lot faster.
Now to the poached eggs. Hopefully you have your water just below a simmer right now. What I like to do is crack the eggs individually into a custard cup and slide them into the water. Within a couple seconds, you should see the whites start to turn...you guessed it...white. If they sink to the bottom, just leave them alone. Not a big deal. Let them sit in their hot water bath for about 5 minutes, or until they are white and relatively firm all the way around. Give the pan a shake to test the firmness of the yolk. Once you're satisfied, use a slotted spoon to CAREFULLY remove them from the water and onto a plate lined with paper towels. If the yolk breaks, you can always do one over. This is definitely more of an art than a science. You'll probably wreck a few eggs before you get the hang of it. I did :)
Once you're ready to put together the breakfast of the century, toast your English muffins, add a folded slice of ham to each half, CAREFULLY place an egg on each, and top with Hollandaise sauce. Then pour yourself a hot cup of coffee, proudly strut around in front of your spouse or significant other to fish for compliments, and then dig in.
That's it! As with anything, this one gets better with practice. There are a lot of things to keep track of, but this one's well worth the effort. Enjoy your breakfast, my friends, and please feel free to share comments of your experience, or things you think make this gem better.
Until next time!
~Aaron
Monday, February 28, 2011
Tapas
Good evening, my friends!
Thanks to all of you who have given me feedback in one way or another about the Blog so far. I'm pretty happy with the response. I think we've got a good thing going here, and I think between my brother's curry experiments, a few Greek specialties from another good friend, and my own contributions, we'll have plenty of wonderful epicurean interludes to keep smiles on all our faces. Stay tuned for more on all of that.
Now to the topic of the evening:
My wife and I just finished a wonderful two-week trip to Key West, Florida. I was down there for work, and she came along to bask in the sun and experience a great piece of island living. From breathtaking sunsets to local fare, we pretty much hit all the high points. For such a small place, they certainly know how to dish up the four-star cuisine. You can get a little of everything there: wonderful local Cuban food, a plethora of delightful Gulf seafood (highly recommended!), and the subject of tonight's ramblings: Tapas.
I'm fairly new to this whole experience, but on the advice of my co-workers I took my wife to a small, cozy place called Santiago's Bodega. Talk about inspiring! In my opinion, this is a unique and very good way to dine. The food is all bite-sized and comes arranged on small plates. Everything is cooked/prepared to order, and brought directly to you. Combine that with a solid wine list and you've got a date night that anyone would be proud of.
Now, in my exploration of the subject I've certainly found many common themes to classic Spanish Tapas, but the beauty of this culinary style is that one can prepare literally anything they desire and serve it in Tapas fashion. I did, however, recently try something very simple in this vein and liked it very much, so I wanted to share it with all of you: the Spanish Tortilla.
I know what many of you may be thinking: how exactly does a burrito wrapper a) qualify as Tapas; and b) sound appetizing at all by itself? Well, friends, this is part of the learning game we're all playing here. This Tortilla is at its heart sauteed potatoes with aromatics (like onion, for example), and then folded together with beaten eggs and cooked much like a frittata. In fact, this could very easily be called a frittata but for its classic Spanish origins. Of course, with this baseline recipe in mind, one could very easily branch out and create any permutation of flavors. I'll include one here that's very simple, and that easily qualifies as part of a Tapas dinner, or even a quick bite of breakfast.
Ingredients:
1 pound peeled, thinly sliced potatoes.
6 eggs, beaten
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 cup of mixed bell peppers, diced small (red, yellow, green, etc.; make it fun)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Heat about 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large (10-12" should do) non-stick saute pan over medium high heat. Allow the oil to get hot enough that a piece of the potato sizzles when dipped, but not so hot that the oil smokes or makes the potato spit at you. While the oil is heating up, toss the sliced spuds and onions together in a large bowl with salt and pepper to taste. I prefer Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Once the oil is at temperature, carefully dump the potato and onion mixture into the saute pan and, using a wooden spoon, spread the mixture out and press into the bottom of the pan. Cook, sliding frequently to prevent sticking, for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost all the way cooked. You'll notice the onions carmelizing, which is fine as long as you keep them moving. It's not important to try and form a crust on the bottom at this point, so just keep everything moving and happy.
As the potato/onion mix is cooking, you can fix up the "extras." In this case, our peppers. You could mince garlic, chiles, or other herbs as well, but I wanted to keep it simple this time. In a separate saute pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil over medium heat and cook the peppers until soft and translucent. This can be done at any point, but if you're into multitasking, this is a good spot. Once the peppers are done, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Then, before the potatoes finish, add them to the eggs and whisk to incorporate.
Once the potato/onion mix is at this point, remove from the heat and pour into a separate bowl. Allow the mixture to cool slightly for about 5-10 minutes. This is important to prevent disaster with the next step. Once the potato/onion mix is no longer volcano hot, add the beaten eggs/peppers and stir to incorporate fully, making sure that any potatoes that have been stuck together are loosened. Let this mixture sit an additional 5 minutes or so. The reason you don't want to add the eggs to ripping hot spuds is to avoid scrambling your eggs. That would suck.
While the mix is sitting happily and the ingredients are getting familiar with one another, reheat the saute pan to medium heat and add a touch of oil if required. Making sure your creation doesn't stick in this next step is crucial. Add the whole mixture now and, using a wooden spoon, press the potatoes into a uniform layer across the bottom of the pan. As before, it's important to slide the pan frequently to make sure it's not sticking. Use a spatula around the edges as the eggs begin to firm up to keep the edges free from sticking as well.
Now, what I had to improvise on is that you're supposed to cook the mixture until the bottom sets and then flip it over and cook the other side. The only problem is that the top doesn't set up like the bottom does, and if you flip it too early, you're going to have a wet mess all over your cooktop. So, use the lid of the pan, or something similar, to cover the mix as it cooks which will let the steam from the cooking process gently firm up the top. DON'T COOK THE TOP THIS WAY!!
Once the top is reasonably firm (and the bottom isn't burnt to a crisp), remove the lid and cover with a plate or platter (I used a metal pizza platter) and flip the tortilla so that it falls directly into the plate. You may need to enlist some help here so you don't burn yourself. Again, that would suck. Then slide the mixture, cooked side up, back into the saute pan and cook the other side gently until set, about 3 minutes longer.
Now all you have to do is slide it out of the pan, onto your cutting board, and cut into pizza-style wedges and serve. There you have it, a classic Spanish Tortilla. Pair this with a lovely Rioja and you're in business (unless you're having it for breakfast, in which case drinking wine at 6am may be frowned upon, but who am I?).
Enjoy your first homespun Tapas experience, and if you've got other ideas or figured out how to do something better, let's have it. I look forward to your comments.
Enjoy, my friends!
Aaron
Thanks to all of you who have given me feedback in one way or another about the Blog so far. I'm pretty happy with the response. I think we've got a good thing going here, and I think between my brother's curry experiments, a few Greek specialties from another good friend, and my own contributions, we'll have plenty of wonderful epicurean interludes to keep smiles on all our faces. Stay tuned for more on all of that.
Now to the topic of the evening:
My wife and I just finished a wonderful two-week trip to Key West, Florida. I was down there for work, and she came along to bask in the sun and experience a great piece of island living. From breathtaking sunsets to local fare, we pretty much hit all the high points. For such a small place, they certainly know how to dish up the four-star cuisine. You can get a little of everything there: wonderful local Cuban food, a plethora of delightful Gulf seafood (highly recommended!), and the subject of tonight's ramblings: Tapas.
I'm fairly new to this whole experience, but on the advice of my co-workers I took my wife to a small, cozy place called Santiago's Bodega. Talk about inspiring! In my opinion, this is a unique and very good way to dine. The food is all bite-sized and comes arranged on small plates. Everything is cooked/prepared to order, and brought directly to you. Combine that with a solid wine list and you've got a date night that anyone would be proud of.
Now, in my exploration of the subject I've certainly found many common themes to classic Spanish Tapas, but the beauty of this culinary style is that one can prepare literally anything they desire and serve it in Tapas fashion. I did, however, recently try something very simple in this vein and liked it very much, so I wanted to share it with all of you: the Spanish Tortilla.
I know what many of you may be thinking: how exactly does a burrito wrapper a) qualify as Tapas; and b) sound appetizing at all by itself? Well, friends, this is part of the learning game we're all playing here. This Tortilla is at its heart sauteed potatoes with aromatics (like onion, for example), and then folded together with beaten eggs and cooked much like a frittata. In fact, this could very easily be called a frittata but for its classic Spanish origins. Of course, with this baseline recipe in mind, one could very easily branch out and create any permutation of flavors. I'll include one here that's very simple, and that easily qualifies as part of a Tapas dinner, or even a quick bite of breakfast.
Ingredients:
1 pound peeled, thinly sliced potatoes.
6 eggs, beaten
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1 cup of mixed bell peppers, diced small (red, yellow, green, etc.; make it fun)
Olive oil
Salt and pepper
Directions:
Heat about 1/2 cup of the olive oil in a large (10-12" should do) non-stick saute pan over medium high heat. Allow the oil to get hot enough that a piece of the potato sizzles when dipped, but not so hot that the oil smokes or makes the potato spit at you. While the oil is heating up, toss the sliced spuds and onions together in a large bowl with salt and pepper to taste. I prefer Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Once the oil is at temperature, carefully dump the potato and onion mixture into the saute pan and, using a wooden spoon, spread the mixture out and press into the bottom of the pan. Cook, sliding frequently to prevent sticking, for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are almost all the way cooked. You'll notice the onions carmelizing, which is fine as long as you keep them moving. It's not important to try and form a crust on the bottom at this point, so just keep everything moving and happy.
As the potato/onion mix is cooking, you can fix up the "extras." In this case, our peppers. You could mince garlic, chiles, or other herbs as well, but I wanted to keep it simple this time. In a separate saute pan, heat 1-2 tablespoons of butter or olive oil over medium heat and cook the peppers until soft and translucent. This can be done at any point, but if you're into multitasking, this is a good spot. Once the peppers are done, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Then, before the potatoes finish, add them to the eggs and whisk to incorporate.
Once the potato/onion mix is at this point, remove from the heat and pour into a separate bowl. Allow the mixture to cool slightly for about 5-10 minutes. This is important to prevent disaster with the next step. Once the potato/onion mix is no longer volcano hot, add the beaten eggs/peppers and stir to incorporate fully, making sure that any potatoes that have been stuck together are loosened. Let this mixture sit an additional 5 minutes or so. The reason you don't want to add the eggs to ripping hot spuds is to avoid scrambling your eggs. That would suck.
While the mix is sitting happily and the ingredients are getting familiar with one another, reheat the saute pan to medium heat and add a touch of oil if required. Making sure your creation doesn't stick in this next step is crucial. Add the whole mixture now and, using a wooden spoon, press the potatoes into a uniform layer across the bottom of the pan. As before, it's important to slide the pan frequently to make sure it's not sticking. Use a spatula around the edges as the eggs begin to firm up to keep the edges free from sticking as well.
Now, what I had to improvise on is that you're supposed to cook the mixture until the bottom sets and then flip it over and cook the other side. The only problem is that the top doesn't set up like the bottom does, and if you flip it too early, you're going to have a wet mess all over your cooktop. So, use the lid of the pan, or something similar, to cover the mix as it cooks which will let the steam from the cooking process gently firm up the top. DON'T COOK THE TOP THIS WAY!!
Once the top is reasonably firm (and the bottom isn't burnt to a crisp), remove the lid and cover with a plate or platter (I used a metal pizza platter) and flip the tortilla so that it falls directly into the plate. You may need to enlist some help here so you don't burn yourself. Again, that would suck. Then slide the mixture, cooked side up, back into the saute pan and cook the other side gently until set, about 3 minutes longer.
Now all you have to do is slide it out of the pan, onto your cutting board, and cut into pizza-style wedges and serve. There you have it, a classic Spanish Tortilla. Pair this with a lovely Rioja and you're in business (unless you're having it for breakfast, in which case drinking wine at 6am may be frowned upon, but who am I?).
Enjoy your first homespun Tapas experience, and if you've got other ideas or figured out how to do something better, let's have it. I look forward to your comments.
Enjoy, my friends!
Aaron
Sunday, February 27, 2011
Breakfast!!!
Ok folks, I figured that since this Blog is brand-new, maybe it'd be a good idea to throw something out there for the crowd. In the spirit of new beginnings, we start of course with breakfast. It is the most important meal of the day, after all.
Here's a quick recipe to get you started. It's very simple and doesn't involve anything more than some chopping, slicing, and then applying heat to what you've chopped and sliced. Besides, you should start honing your knife skills so that you spend more time cutting your ingredients rather than yourself. I have the scars to prove it, my friends.
The great thing about this recipe is that it's totally mix-and-match. You can add or subtract whatever ingredients you personally prefer to make a scramble that's right up your alley.
Aaron's Morning Scramble (serves 2 to 3):
Ingredients:
4 eggs, beaten
2-3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced
Half an onion, diced
Assorted peppers (green, yellow, red), diced
1-2 Jalapeno or serrano chiles, diced (optional to taste)
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, chopped (also optional, but I love rosemary!)
Half a cup of shredded cheese, dealer's choice
Salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
About the dicing part; just about a quarter-inch dice will do. Anything bigger and you risk not cooking the potatoes all the way. In a medium skillet, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. You can test how ready it is by putting one piece of potato in there and if it sizzles, it's ready. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the oil. Keep them moving or they'll stick, and that's no good. Season with salt and pepper as you're doing this. Once the potatoes get about halfway done, you can add your vegetables. Why not add them at the beginning, you might ask? Because they'll be mushy and gross if you cook them as long as the spuds. By the time the potatoes are cooked all the way, you should have soft but not disintegrating veggies in there. Of course, if you like a little more brownness on your spuds, wait longer to add the veggies. When you've got about a minute or two left, add the rosemary (if desired) and check the salt and pepper level by tasting. Add more if you want. Drop the heat a little now and add your beaten eggs. Let them set up a little initially, and then stir until the rest of them are set. You can tell they're ready when they don't look wet and shiny anymore. Then kill the heat and stir in your cheese. The residual heat will melt it just fine. Then all you have to do is serve it up and enjoy! I like to add some ketchup and Sriracha chili sauce to mine.
Of course, you can tweak the veggies and seasonings to your liking. Some things you may want to try are Italian seasoning blends (typically basil, oregano, and thyme) or kick it up with some cayenne pepper or habenero chiles. Sometimes if I'm feeling froggy, I'll just dump this whole mix into a flour tortilla and - Voila!! - Breakfast Burrito!! The sky is the limit!
If you've got questions or comments, I'd love to hear them. Enjoy your breakfast!
Aaron
Here's a quick recipe to get you started. It's very simple and doesn't involve anything more than some chopping, slicing, and then applying heat to what you've chopped and sliced. Besides, you should start honing your knife skills so that you spend more time cutting your ingredients rather than yourself. I have the scars to prove it, my friends.
The great thing about this recipe is that it's totally mix-and-match. You can add or subtract whatever ingredients you personally prefer to make a scramble that's right up your alley.
Aaron's Morning Scramble (serves 2 to 3):
Ingredients:
4 eggs, beaten
2-3 medium potatoes, scrubbed and diced
Half an onion, diced
Assorted peppers (green, yellow, red), diced
1-2 Jalapeno or serrano chiles, diced (optional to taste)
1 tablespoon of fresh rosemary, chopped (also optional, but I love rosemary!)
Half a cup of shredded cheese, dealer's choice
Salt and ground black pepper
Directions:
About the dicing part; just about a quarter-inch dice will do. Anything bigger and you risk not cooking the potatoes all the way. In a medium skillet, heat 2-3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat. You can test how ready it is by putting one piece of potato in there and if it sizzles, it's ready. Add the potatoes and stir to coat with the oil. Keep them moving or they'll stick, and that's no good. Season with salt and pepper as you're doing this. Once the potatoes get about halfway done, you can add your vegetables. Why not add them at the beginning, you might ask? Because they'll be mushy and gross if you cook them as long as the spuds. By the time the potatoes are cooked all the way, you should have soft but not disintegrating veggies in there. Of course, if you like a little more brownness on your spuds, wait longer to add the veggies. When you've got about a minute or two left, add the rosemary (if desired) and check the salt and pepper level by tasting. Add more if you want. Drop the heat a little now and add your beaten eggs. Let them set up a little initially, and then stir until the rest of them are set. You can tell they're ready when they don't look wet and shiny anymore. Then kill the heat and stir in your cheese. The residual heat will melt it just fine. Then all you have to do is serve it up and enjoy! I like to add some ketchup and Sriracha chili sauce to mine.
Of course, you can tweak the veggies and seasonings to your liking. Some things you may want to try are Italian seasoning blends (typically basil, oregano, and thyme) or kick it up with some cayenne pepper or habenero chiles. Sometimes if I'm feeling froggy, I'll just dump this whole mix into a flour tortilla and - Voila!! - Breakfast Burrito!! The sky is the limit!
If you've got questions or comments, I'd love to hear them. Enjoy your breakfast!
Aaron
Welcome!
Hi there, and welcome to my Blog! As you may have guessed from the title, there's a good chance we may be talking about food and cooking here. Just to get it out there, I'm not a chef, but I do love to cook and I love to learn about how to create awesome food at home. I'm a big fan of local ingredients, organic and sustainable products, and healthy living, but the #1 rule in my kitchen is that FOOD HAS TO TASTE GOOD. Am I a health food nut? Absolutely not. Do I freak out if I can't or don't use an organic or sustainable ingredient? No. I try to approach food from a practical standpoint. I use the best and freshest stuff I can, and then whip all that up into a tasty and memorable (or sometimes not...) meal.
This Blog is about trying new things and learning from your mistakes. Don't get discouraged if you screw up or end up having to order take-out because you massacred your masterpiece. If I had a nickel for every time I destroyed dinner, I'd be rich. Try to remember that cooking should be fun, and in my house it's a way to spend good quality time with my family. We talk about food and wine experiences that have been memorable to us, and there's just something about a warm, great smelling kitchen to really make one feel at home.
So, if you love to cook or just want to learn a few good recipes to impress your spouse or significant other, you've come to the right spot. If you see something you like, let me know. If you have suggestions for how to make or do something better, let's have it. And of course, if you have recipes to share, this is the place to do it. After all, I'm here to learn too, and I'm always open to constructive feedback. So with that, let's get to the good stuff. Fear not your kitchen, my friends!
Aaron
This Blog is about trying new things and learning from your mistakes. Don't get discouraged if you screw up or end up having to order take-out because you massacred your masterpiece. If I had a nickel for every time I destroyed dinner, I'd be rich. Try to remember that cooking should be fun, and in my house it's a way to spend good quality time with my family. We talk about food and wine experiences that have been memorable to us, and there's just something about a warm, great smelling kitchen to really make one feel at home.
So, if you love to cook or just want to learn a few good recipes to impress your spouse or significant other, you've come to the right spot. If you see something you like, let me know. If you have suggestions for how to make or do something better, let's have it. And of course, if you have recipes to share, this is the place to do it. After all, I'm here to learn too, and I'm always open to constructive feedback. So with that, let's get to the good stuff. Fear not your kitchen, my friends!
Aaron
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