Watermelon - 1" cubes
Pineapple - 1" trapezoids
Honeydew - 1" cubes
Cantaloupe - 1" cubes
Strawberries - quartered
Blueberries - washed or right out of the box (your call)
Don't toss the watermelon pieces or they will disintegrate. If this happens, however, you can harvest the juice that results and use it to make the best margaritas in the world. Also, sprinkle the blueberries and strawberries on at the last minute (if you are so moved, make an American flag pattern with them).
Monday, July 7, 2008
Friday, July 4, 2008
Chocolate Chip Oopsies
It turns out that a more pleasing cookie texture results from minimally beating the butter. Independence!
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Mediterranean Dinner Menu
Greek Salad
Kalamata Olives, Roma Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Onion, Feta Cheese on Romaine
Red Wine Oregano Vinaigrette
Wild Rice
Cranberries and Slivered Almonds
Grilled Balsamic and Basil Glazed Vegetables
Eggplant, Portobella Mushroom, Asparagus, Yellow Pepper
Fillet of Sole
Lemon-Caper-Chardonnay Sauce
Rosemary Crusted Lamb
Wild Berry Cabernet Sauce
$50.00
Kalamata Olives, Roma Tomatoes, Cucumber, Red Onion, Feta Cheese on Romaine
Red Wine Oregano Vinaigrette
Wild Rice
Cranberries and Slivered Almonds
Grilled Balsamic and Basil Glazed Vegetables
Eggplant, Portobella Mushroom, Asparagus, Yellow Pepper
Fillet of Sole
Lemon-Caper-Chardonnay Sauce
Rosemary Crusted Lamb
Wild Berry Cabernet Sauce
$50.00
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Chocolate Chip Cookies
This recipe is burned into my mind and forearms (sheet pan burns. For some brilliant reason, our good convection oven is under our flattop griddle in between the 4-burner range and the big wok. So when I carry the pans of cookies to the baking rack to cool, I have to bounce up against up to 3 of my coworkers who are trying to make the rest of the food and do not care about the cookies. This means that if I do not want to drop the pans, I have to occasionally support them with the tender flesh of my inner arm. We used to have a full-time baker who would come in at 5am so she was out of the ovens by the time everyone else got there, but I don't care how interesting the programming on NPR is at 5am, I'm not doing it). It makes exactly 16 dozen cookies. We buy 72oz. bags of Nestle chocolate chips, and one recipe uses the whole bag. This recipe is actually based on the original Nestle Toll House Chocolate Chip Cookie Recipe, scaled up by 6. Here is how you do it to make 32 cookies (a good amount to have in your home).
1/2 lb unsalted butter, left out for a while
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1 t vanilla extract
Put all of those in the mixer and crank it up to maximum and go and do something else*. This takes a little while, like 5 minutes, but it whips up to a really pale brown, spongy looking mass. After a while scrape down the bowl and mix by hand to make sure everything is incorporated, and mix on low again for a few minutes.
2 eggs, cracked into a bowl, left out for a while
Add one egg to the butter mix still on low in the mixer, and when it disappears, add the other one.
*While the mixer is going to town on the butter et al.:
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t kosher salt
Sift these. The way you do it is to put 1 C of flour into a sieve over a bowl, add the baking soda and salt, and add the other 1 1/4 C and shake the sieve so that everything trickles into the bowl. Then stir the powder well with a whisk to evenly distribute the two wee ingredients.
Now that you have added the eggs and the mixer is on low, turn it off and add about half of the flour mixture and quickly alternate ON/OFF on the mixer so that you don't have flour shooting up the sides and getting everywhere. The biggest deal here is to NOT over-mix. Once most of the first half of flour is mixed in, add the rest, and continue with the ol' ON/OFF-ON/OFF. Add the chips. ON-OFF, ON-OFF. At this point you might as well take the bowl off the mixer and stir everything with a big spatula. When it is homogeneous, cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Use a small ice cream scoop to make golf-ball sized dough balls. Place these 3" apart on a heavy baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press them down to a height of half their original diameter. Make absolutely sure your oven is at 325 (convection) or 350 (not convection). Set a timer for 8 minutes (9 minutes if it is one of those timers that goes off with 1 minute left on the timer--seriously this is how most non-digital kitchen timers work, and if you are using one of these, make sure you crank the knob past 30min and then adjust backwards or it will not ring strong and long. Basically, it is a good idea to get a digital kitchen timer). After 8 minutes, rotate the baking sheets without smudging the cookies with your oven mitt- or bar mop-clad hand. The dough will be spread out and several of the cookies will be browning on their perimeters. Set the timer for 2 real minutes more. Evaluate: the cookies should come out of the oven when their circumferences are golden brown and their centers are moist-ish and golden. They will continue to cook when out of the oven, so don't be fooled. Let them cool for however long you can stand it.
If you follow these directions exactly, you will have 32 perfect chocolate chip cookies. There is a big difference in taste and texture if you do it right. There is also a big difference in time if you are unfamiliar with this procedure. Really the most important things to get right are the creaming of the butter, sifting of the flour and the removing of the cookies from the oven at the right time. I forgot to take pictures today but I will put them up soon.
1/2 lb unsalted butter, left out for a while
1 C brown sugar
1/2 C white sugar
1 t vanilla extract
Put all of those in the mixer and crank it up to maximum and go and do something else*. This takes a little while, like 5 minutes, but it whips up to a really pale brown, spongy looking mass. After a while scrape down the bowl and mix by hand to make sure everything is incorporated, and mix on low again for a few minutes.
2 eggs, cracked into a bowl, left out for a while
Add one egg to the butter mix still on low in the mixer, and when it disappears, add the other one.
*While the mixer is going to town on the butter et al.:
2 1/4 C all-purpose flour
1 t baking soda
1 t kosher salt
Sift these. The way you do it is to put 1 C of flour into a sieve over a bowl, add the baking soda and salt, and add the other 1 1/4 C and shake the sieve so that everything trickles into the bowl. Then stir the powder well with a whisk to evenly distribute the two wee ingredients.
Now that you have added the eggs and the mixer is on low, turn it off and add about half of the flour mixture and quickly alternate ON/OFF on the mixer so that you don't have flour shooting up the sides and getting everywhere. The biggest deal here is to NOT over-mix. Once most of the first half of flour is mixed in, add the rest, and continue with the ol' ON/OFF-ON/OFF. Add the chips. ON-OFF, ON-OFF. At this point you might as well take the bowl off the mixer and stir everything with a big spatula. When it is homogeneous, cover the bowl and put it in the refrigerator for at least an hour.
Use a small ice cream scoop to make golf-ball sized dough balls. Place these 3" apart on a heavy baking sheet lined with parchment paper and press them down to a height of half their original diameter. Make absolutely sure your oven is at 325 (convection) or 350 (not convection). Set a timer for 8 minutes (9 minutes if it is one of those timers that goes off with 1 minute left on the timer--seriously this is how most non-digital kitchen timers work, and if you are using one of these, make sure you crank the knob past 30min and then adjust backwards or it will not ring strong and long. Basically, it is a good idea to get a digital kitchen timer). After 8 minutes, rotate the baking sheets without smudging the cookies with your oven mitt- or bar mop-clad hand. The dough will be spread out and several of the cookies will be browning on their perimeters. Set the timer for 2 real minutes more. Evaluate: the cookies should come out of the oven when their circumferences are golden brown and their centers are moist-ish and golden. They will continue to cook when out of the oven, so don't be fooled. Let them cool for however long you can stand it.
If you follow these directions exactly, you will have 32 perfect chocolate chip cookies. There is a big difference in taste and texture if you do it right. There is also a big difference in time if you are unfamiliar with this procedure. Really the most important things to get right are the creaming of the butter, sifting of the flour and the removing of the cookies from the oven at the right time. I forgot to take pictures today but I will put them up soon.
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
SPRINTER NATION
1. Sprinter Nation.
*****
Ingredient List and Correction to:
"Tarragon Mustard Chicken"
Ingredients:
Things you already have:
Oil
Kosher Salt
FRESH Ground Black Pepper (These two preceding ingredients are extremely important. Sea salt is even better, but at least use a pepper mill)
All-Purpose Flour
Unsalted Butter
Garlic
Shallot
Chicken Stock
White Wine
Dijon
Things you need:
Butternut Squash
Carrots
Yellow Crookneck Squash
Zucchini
Little Red Potatoes
Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts (<1 lb.) Fresh Tarragon Asparagus (optional)
The Correction: Add the Tarragon at the last minute, when the sauce tastes good and is a pleasing consistency.
Bonus Pictures:
2. Nice fruit plate.
3. Eric sautés portobello mushrooms.
4. Fresh Dungeness crab plays DEFENSE.
Monday, June 30, 2008
HOW TO DO IT
Tarragon Mustard Chicken
Roasted Red Potatoes
Seasonal Vegetables
aka
Roasted Vegetables
aka
Grilled Vegetables
aka
Farmer’s Market Vegetable Medley (butternut squash, crookneck squash, zucchini, carrot)
1. Oven somewhere between 325 and 500+, depending on how considerate your coworkers are regarding your need to bake chocolate chip cookies at some point in the morning. Most likely 500+.
2. Hopefully you have already cut the butternut squash into 1” cubes and made the carrots into little angular polygons of approximately 1.5 cubic inch (I use “quick tourne” to describe the shape. You peel a carrot and make diagonal slices along the length of the carrot, doing a ¼ -roll of the carrot after each slice). The crookneck and zucchini should be halved giraffe-ways. Toss all of these separately in oil and salt and pepper (more salt than pepper, and not too much oil, and a generous amount of salt and pepper, honestly. So that they look appetizing: speckled and shiny). Put the carrots on a baking sheet with parchment and the butternut on a different baking sheet with parchment and either set a timer or remember that they are in the oven. Grill the other two on grill pans or on a griddle. Or you could blanch them. In that case, toss with oil and s&p AFTER blanching.
3. Wash the potatoes (dry them if you can). Toss with oil, s&p and put on a baking sheet with parchment and put them in the oven (do not forget about them).
4. Fillet the boneless chicken breasts into thin cutlets and pound them between two sheets of plastic wrap with a mallet, not too aggressively. Get a piece of nicotine gum* going before you start this step or you will end up with chicken jelly (*if necessary).
5. Mix some salt and pepper with some all-purpose flour and dip the chicken pieces in the mix. They will look velvety with no excess flour pooled in the crevices of the chicken.
6. Melt butter in a sauté pan and when it is hot enough, add enough chickens to fill but not crowd the pan. This will look like a map of the earth a little after Pangaea began to split up.
7. Golden-brown the chickens on both sides and put on a baking sheet. If they are cooked through, let them cool a bit and then slice each in half. If they are underdone, put in the oven for a while. You should have oven space because you have not forgotten about the vegetables.
8. Melt some more butter with chopped garlic or shallots and rip up the tarragon with your hands. Add chicken stock, tarragon, white wine and Dijon. Stir a bit and season. Adjust everything until it tastes awesome.
9. Pour the sauce over the chicken on the plate and arrange some potatoes and vegetables (mixed) and garnish with a tarragon sprig. At the last minute add three pieces of raw asparagus (only for photographic purposes—DO NOT EAT).
1. Here is the completed dish. To the top right is my knife, an 8” Wusthof Hollow-Edge Chef’s. I love it. To the top left is Danny’s cleaver.
Roasted Red Potatoes
Seasonal Vegetables
aka
Roasted Vegetables
aka
Grilled Vegetables
aka
Farmer’s Market Vegetable Medley (butternut squash, crookneck squash, zucchini, carrot)
1. Oven somewhere between 325 and 500+, depending on how considerate your coworkers are regarding your need to bake chocolate chip cookies at some point in the morning. Most likely 500+.
2. Hopefully you have already cut the butternut squash into 1” cubes and made the carrots into little angular polygons of approximately 1.5 cubic inch (I use “quick tourne” to describe the shape. You peel a carrot and make diagonal slices along the length of the carrot, doing a ¼ -roll of the carrot after each slice). The crookneck and zucchini should be halved giraffe-ways. Toss all of these separately in oil and salt and pepper (more salt than pepper, and not too much oil, and a generous amount of salt and pepper, honestly. So that they look appetizing: speckled and shiny). Put the carrots on a baking sheet with parchment and the butternut on a different baking sheet with parchment and either set a timer or remember that they are in the oven. Grill the other two on grill pans or on a griddle. Or you could blanch them. In that case, toss with oil and s&p AFTER blanching.
3. Wash the potatoes (dry them if you can). Toss with oil, s&p and put on a baking sheet with parchment and put them in the oven (do not forget about them).
4. Fillet the boneless chicken breasts into thin cutlets and pound them between two sheets of plastic wrap with a mallet, not too aggressively. Get a piece of nicotine gum* going before you start this step or you will end up with chicken jelly (*if necessary).
5. Mix some salt and pepper with some all-purpose flour and dip the chicken pieces in the mix. They will look velvety with no excess flour pooled in the crevices of the chicken.
6. Melt butter in a sauté pan and when it is hot enough, add enough chickens to fill but not crowd the pan. This will look like a map of the earth a little after Pangaea began to split up.
7. Golden-brown the chickens on both sides and put on a baking sheet. If they are cooked through, let them cool a bit and then slice each in half. If they are underdone, put in the oven for a while. You should have oven space because you have not forgotten about the vegetables.
8. Melt some more butter with chopped garlic or shallots and rip up the tarragon with your hands. Add chicken stock, tarragon, white wine and Dijon. Stir a bit and season. Adjust everything until it tastes awesome.
9. Pour the sauce over the chicken on the plate and arrange some potatoes and vegetables (mixed) and garnish with a tarragon sprig. At the last minute add three pieces of raw asparagus (only for photographic purposes—DO NOT EAT).
1. Here is the completed dish. To the top right is my knife, an 8” Wusthof Hollow-Edge Chef’s. I love it. To the top left is Danny’s cleaver.
Sunday, June 29, 2008
Tarragon Mustard Chicken.
Friday’s menu was chicken in tarragon-mustard sauce with roasted potatoes, seasonal vegetables and salad with beets and roasted garlic vinaigrette (vegetarians, as a special treat, got hummus, pita and falafels from Aladdin’s. Angela and I wondered if vegetarians consider hummus, pita and falafels to be a treat in spite of their most likely eating it disproportionately more often than non-vegetarians). Danny, Eric and Tony handled entrée and vegetable while Angela did salad and dressing and I took care of the little company who ordered a delicatessen menu. The day was easy (the big MWF company cancelled) except for some forgotten chocolate chip cookies that had to be baked poorly in a too-hot oven, so I was able to focus on photojournalism and not my Negroni hangover (Thursday night bar night at MJ’s).
DANNY
Is the boss. He loves golfing and sports and has a new baby.
ERIC
Is a professional. He works at a very nice restaurant at night.
TONY
Is a professional. He works at the very nice restaurant at night with Eric.
ANGELA
Is a professional. She works with us MWF as long as Charlie has a babysitter.
MICHAEL (not pictured)
Runs the company. He has impeccable flair for party execution and hates commuting.
FRANCISCO
Is our dishwasher/handyman. He keeps us tight with the health inspector.
JOHN
Is our meat man. He and Danny shout at each other constantly.
KELLY (not pictured)
Is on sabbatical in Europe. She is very pretty and smart.
ADAM (not pictured)
Is the author.
1. Danny and Eric evaluate the doneness of the butternut squash.
2. Eric, Danny and Tony work in a kitchen.
3. Angela portions the dressing.
4. Francisco and John evaluate the friskiness of the lobster.
***More on Tarragon Mustard Chicken soon.***
DANNY
Is the boss. He loves golfing and sports and has a new baby.
ERIC
Is a professional. He works at a very nice restaurant at night.
TONY
Is a professional. He works at the very nice restaurant at night with Eric.
ANGELA
Is a professional. She works with us MWF as long as Charlie has a babysitter.
MICHAEL (not pictured)
Runs the company. He has impeccable flair for party execution and hates commuting.
FRANCISCO
Is our dishwasher/handyman. He keeps us tight with the health inspector.
JOHN
Is our meat man. He and Danny shout at each other constantly.
KELLY (not pictured)
Is on sabbatical in Europe. She is very pretty and smart.
ADAM (not pictured)
Is the author.
1. Danny and Eric evaluate the doneness of the butternut squash.
2. Eric, Danny and Tony work in a kitchen.
3. Angela portions the dressing.
4. Francisco and John evaluate the friskiness of the lobster.
***More on Tarragon Mustard Chicken soon.***
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
