7:00PM Rush

A Bone

2008-09-06T18:33:00.001-07:00

Sorry for the lack of updates. But here's some ice cream I recently made!

Ice Cream:

Ingredients:
5 Egg Yolks
1 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup plain white sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 stick butter

Place a sauce pan over medium heat. Add butter. Let butter melt and continue to cook until the butter browns a bit.

Once butter is brown add cream, milk, honey, and salt. Stir to incorporate. Some of the butter might separate and float to the top, but that's ok; the world's an imperfect place.

Let mixture cook (stirring occasionally) until the milk and cream scald just a bit.

Meanwhile beat eggs and sugar together at a medium speed until the mixture has turned pale in color and forms ribbons. (If you pull the mixing blade away from the mixture it should ribbon a bit).

Place the egg/sugar mixture on a medium-low speed. SLOWLY pour the hot milk mixture into the eggs.

Place mixture back into the pan and place over medium low heat. Stir CONSTANTLY. The mixture should begin to thicken. Once the mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon remove it from the heat.

Pour mixture into a container and let chill. You can speed this up by placing the mixture into an ice-bath.

The mixture is ready to be churned in your ice-cream maker.

TOFFEE

1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup heavy cream

Combine all ingredients in a saucepan over medium high heat. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches the soft crack stage (290 degrees) with a candy thermometer. If you don't have one use the ice bath method to check. (place a bit of the soon to be toffee into a bowl of ice water. if it immediately hardens and is not chewy at all, its ready). This will take 7-10 minutes.

Pour the mixture onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and spread evenly. Let sit and cool.

Once the ice cream is done churning break small pieces of the toffee into the icecream. Place in a large container in your freezer and let set for at least 30 minutes before consumption.

Exploration

2008-05-20T20:10:00.000-07:00

Probably the hardest thing about being new to a city is not knowing where anything is. In the week and a half that I've been here I haven't really ventured out that much. Today however I went out on a mission. I was determined to find some good mexican food. I ended up at this really cool place called Guero's Taco Diner. It's cheap, greasy, and delicious. They're at Huebner and Stone Oak if you live in the city.

Check it out sometime.

Sublime Simplicity

2008-05-17T22:13:00.000-07:00

When I was younger a friend of my family would have us over once a year for a holiday meal. Sometimes it was Thanksgiving, or Christmas, or Easter. But each year she would make Yorkshire Puddings. I had always loved them, although I didn't quite know what they were.

Ten years had passed and I had nearly forgotten all about the wonderfulness that is a Yorkshire pudding. It's a traditional British bread, that is baked with beef fat, and baked under roasting beef so to catch the drippings. The best part about it is it's simplicity.

Ingredients:

2 Eggs

1 1/4 cups flour

1 cup whole milk

1 tsp salt

2 tbs beef fat drippings (if you're not making roast beef and don't have the fat drippings, use lard)

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. In a bowl whisk the eggs with the salt until frothy. Add milk and flour and beat until smooth. Add 1 tsp. cold water and beat again. Heat the drippings up until they start to sizzle, and pour evenly into a muffin pan (or into one large cake pan). Pour the batter evenly on top of the fat. Bake for fifteen minutes. At this point reduce the heat to 400. If you are roasting a beef, place the beef directly on the rack, and the puddings underneath so that they can catch the drippings.

If you did it right, you should have something like this.

Conflicted Feelings

2008-05-16T18:46:00.000-07:00

Earlier today at work I was given an unexpected surprise. A dear friend of mine whom I had worked with for two years at Bonterra showed up at my work. It's surprising because where I work is a good hour and a half from where she lives. I hadn't seen her in about three months. Which to begin with makes me sad because we had worked so closely for so long. I the sous chef, and she the waitress.

I gave her a big hug, asked her what she was doing in San Antonio, and so forth. She told me she had come to San Antonio to visit some friends. Her and I both quit Bonterra around the same time; roughly a year ago in June (god, has it been that long already?). I asked her how her new job was. She is now a waitress at a restaurant where I was originally offered the position of Chef de Cuisine. She told me it was fine but had some somber news.

But before we get to that, a brief history for you readers who don't know me that well.

For two years I slaved in the kitchen of Bonterra Restaurant as Sous Chef (not a sous chef, the sous chef). My boss (and to some degree mentor) was the ever eccentric Chef Steve Howard. His claim to fame was that he used to be Emeril Lagasse's sous chef in New Orleans, and prior to that Paul Pruddhomme's.

Before my stint as sous chef, I had done catering work for him. He taught me the proper way to chop an onion at the age of 16, and I worked various events for him off and on for the better part of four years. After I had worked in other restaurants and honed my skills a bit more, he offered me a position at his recently opened restaurant. Within two months I was the sous chef.

Now to say that he was a troubled man, is to say that The Pope may be a slight bit religious. The man was insane. Obsessive, compulsive, and overly emotional. And not just about food... but about everything. He was also a drunk. His unstable relationship with his fourth (and alcoholic) wife did not help one bit. Still, I saw him as a friend, and to some degree, a teacher.

I worked with him nearly every day for two years, save Christmas, as his Sous Chef. It's safe to say that I learned a lot there. Some of it from him, and some from my own accord. His problems with his drinking, temper, and wife, cause a lot of strain between the two of us. So much so that when I quit, we left on poor terms.

Back to the heart of things. My friend who I saw yesterday told me that he's dying. Quite frankly I'm not surprised, a lifetime of drug and alcohol abuse will do that to you. While inside I'm still quite angry with him, I can't quite help but feel sad about the whole thing.

His wife in the past month stole all the money in the restaurant, took all of the artwork, cleared out their bank account, and maxed out every single credit card they had for cash... basically leaving him with absolutely nothing. The restaurant is now up for sale.

The point in all of this, aside from a slight glimpse into my life, is to show you the reader just how complicated life inside the restaurant business is. Drugs and alcohol are rampant. It tears apart marriages, and can literally kill you. Steve is not an old man by today's. He's only 57. And he will die alone; no wife, no children, and no restaurant. His only legacy will be that he was the meanest son of a bitch to work for, and that he and his wife were raging drunks. No, not all chefs end up like this. But this story is a warning to all who dream of a career of cooking.

Mortons: A Review

2008-05-14T17:10:00.000-07:00

Last night my wife and I went to the chain steakhouse Mortons. By and large I think that the idea of an upscale chain restaurant is self defeating. If a restaurant is a chain, it has a set menu. If it has a set menu there is no creativity, and thusly can never be truly unique. However I must say that Mortons does a fine job.

We entered late on a Tuesday night. The restaurant is dimly lit, and teaming with a staff dressed to impressed. The Maitre'D, dressed in a tuxedo, knew us by name before we entered. He showed us to our table quickly, and pulled out the table from the booth so that we could sit. We were given not one, but two waiters. The first gave us the extensive (yet still exceedingly overpriced) wine list. The second waiter came about and recited the extent of their nicely sized menu from top to bottom. As well as showed us a tray of all of their cuts of prime dry aged beef. The tray includes a double cut porterhouse that is carved table side by the Maitre'D.

Despite my best efforts, I decided to order the tuna tar tar for an appetizer. I think that a tuna tar tar on a menu is redundant and over done, everyone has one. However it is still a dish that I cannot help but enjoy.

The tuna tar tar was excellent. It was nicely ring molded stack of layers of tomato, avocado, and yellow fin tuna. Each piece was cut precisely the same size as the last. The tuna was tossed in just the right amount of sesame oil. There were two sauces on the plate; one an ever so cliche balsamic vinegar reduction, and the other a creamy curry sauce of sorts. Despite the dish's obviousness, it was wonderful. The only thing I did not enjoy was that the stack of avocado, tomato, and tuna was sitting on a bed of alfalfa sprouts; which served no purpose other than to be there.

Our entrees came next. It being a steakhouse I ordered a porterhouse, my wife a filet. The beef was cooked exactly as we had asked it to be. The sides at Mortons come family style. We ordered asparagus with hollandaise and the pomme frites (again nothing of a stretch on the menu). Despite the averageness of the choices, the food was wonderful. The beef truly was prime and dry aged. And while french fries are a far cry from unique, theirs were nothing shy of perfect.

We finished the meal with a chocolate souffle which came with a "sabayon sauce". The souffle was textbook perfect. It was rich, light, and airy. And while the sauce was wonderful, it was not a sabayon as they had said.

Overall I would definitely go back. The food is outstanding, the atmosphere relaxing, and the staff superb. Their attention to detail is something most other restaurants lack. My only complaint is that it is overpriced, and there is nothing on the menu that makes it truly unique. Fortunately for you there's probably one in your city. This is not the type of place to bring children. So if you've got the cash, then you should definitely go. Expect to pay around $220 for two people (tax and tip in there too). That's including one appetizer, two entree's, a shared dessert, and a couple of cocktails. Fortunately enough; even while sharing the appetizer and dessert, you'll still walk out of there feeling like you ate way too much.

Mortons Steakhouse 8.5 out of 10

Be Right Back

2008-05-08T18:55:00.000-07:00

I'm moving to San Antonio. The last couple of weeks has been hectic, hence the lack of posting. I move in tomorrow. I'll be back in full force with some new recipes in a few days.

Tapas!!!

2008-05-03T19:19:00.000-07:00

Little known fact about me... I.LOVE.TAPAS. Here's a recipe for one of my favorites. Gambas al Pil Pil - spicy garlic shrimp. No, the recipe is not my own, a friend of mine taught it to me years ago, but I absolutely love it.

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 pound medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
3 tablespoons olive oil, virgin - I really like Tuscan for this one
4 whole garlic cloves plus 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
2 limes
2 tablespoons butter
½ teaspoon ground smoked sweet paprika
½ teaspoon crushed chile piquin

How it's done:

Preheat oven to 450. Season the shrimp with the salt. In a large bowl combine oil, garlic, butter, paprika, and chile piquin. Pour into a sauce pan and place in oven. Leave the pan in there for five minutes - you want this thing smoking hot.

Remove pan from oven and immediately add shrimp. Let set for thirty seconds and turn.
The shrimp is cooked from the residual heat. Pour into a serving dish, squeeze fresh lime juice on top.

The best part of this isn't actually the shrimp itself, more so the oil, so serve with some nice crusty bread to sop it all up.

Blue Cheese Bread Pudding with Chocolate Port Sauce

2008-04-25T19:32:00.001-07:00

When I first came up with this recipe people looked at me like I was insane. Perhaps I am, I'm not a doctor, so I can't really know for sure. But what I do know is that this recipe is delicious, and super simple.

Ingredients:

6 cups challa bread - torn into inch sized pieces
6 eggs
4 cups milk
1 tsp. each - nutmeg cinnamon
1 tbs. vanilla extract (I like Madagascar bourbon for this recipe)
4 oz. blue cheese - if you're feeling adventurous I like Maytag, if still a bit squeamish go mild and use Gorgonzola
12 oz. bittersweet chocolate chips
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1/4 cup port wine

Preheat oven to 375. In a large bowl combine eggs, milk, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla and sugar. Mix together, but don't over mix (you don't want it to be an even color, you still want to see some bits of egg floating about). Add bread and blue cheese and let soak for twenty minutes. Place in a greased casserole dish (9x13 works well). Bake for 40 -45 minutes.

Meanwhile combine chocolate, cream, and port together over a double boiler. Stir constantly until chocolate melts and sauce is hot. Pour a small amount of the sauce over the cooked bread pudding. You don't want to use too much sauce as it can overpower the bread pudding.

Green Chili Chowder

2008-04-23T16:55:00.000-07:00

I really love the New Mexican flavors. Especially green chili's. They're not too spicy in their roasted form, and impart a magnificent flavor. Not too much unlike most of you, I'm not fortunate enough to have access to fresh green chili's all year round. Unless you live in New Mexico, you probably won't have the pleasure of getting fresh hatch green chili's. But that's ok, because there's canned ones all year round. Here is a recipe for my favorite use for green chili's.

Green Chili Chowder

Ingredients:

2 small cans green chili's
12 oz. can hominy
5 pieces bacon - chopped
2 cloves garlic - minced
1 sweet yellow onion - diced
2 red potatoes - chopped
2 tsp. flour
1 cup heavy whipping cream
3 cups chicken stock
1 cup cheddar cheese
salt and pepper

Procedure:

Place a large pot over medium high heat. Once heated add bacon and let cook for about five minutes, so that the bacon starts to render off some of it's fat. Next add the onions and garlic and saute with the bacon for another five minutes, or until the onions start to turn color and the bacon starts to get crispy, and season with pepper (no salt, the bacon has a good deal of salt). Add the flour to the bacon and onion and stir to make a roux, this will help thicken the chowder later.

Immediately add the hominy, green chili's, and chicken stock. Stir together and place a lid on the pot. In about five minutes the mixture should come to a low boil. Once boiling add potatoes and cover again. Let cook for about five more minutes, or until the potatoes are fork tender. Follow that with the cream. Make sure the chowder is good and hot, and add in the cheese. Stir continuously until the cheese melts. At this point the soup will probably need a pinch of salt.

The chowder won't be particularly spicy. If you prefer more heat, saute a diced serrano chili with the onions and bacon, or finish the chowder with a few dashes of Tabasco sauce.

Bake With a Vengeance

2008-04-20T21:52:00.000-07:00

Over the past three months I've drowned myself in all things baking. I know the sentiment of the average chef is that baking is "a woman's sport". But truth be told baking, in several ways, is just as complex as traditional cooking.

I've always loved pizza, and like most things, prefer to make it myself. However I soon found that the hardest part of making a pizza is making a good dough for the crust. A few weeks ago I stumbled across an old sponge dough recipe that was my grandmothers. I decided to see if I could adapt it into a pizza crust. Sure enough, it worked beautifully. Sometimes the oldest and simplest recipes are the best.

Sponge Dough

This dough is made in two parts: The Madre, and the Second Dough

Madre:

1/2 tbs. active dry yeast
3/4 cup warm water (119 degree-ish)
1 cup unbleached all purpose four.

In a medium bowl, dissolve the yeast in the water and let it proof for five minutes; chalky looking bubble should appear on the surface. Stir in the flour and mix well. The madre should be something like a pancake batter. Cover and let rest for a minimum of three hours; overnight is preferable.

When the madre is ready, it should smell very yeasty, and have a lot of bubbles.

Second Dough:

4 cups unbleached all-purpose flour
2 tsp. kosher salt
1 1/4 cups warm water (110 degree-ish)
1/2 tbs active dry yeast
1 tsp olive oil

- I usually do this part in a stand mixer -
In a large bowl dissolve the yeast into the water and let proof for five minutes. Pour in the madre and mix thoroughly, until even consistency. Add the olive oil, and flour one cup at a time. At this point the dough should be thick and tough. Knead dough for five minute intervals and let rest for five minutes. Repeat this three more times.

You will now have dough for about four large pizzas. Cut the dough into four equal sized pieces and wrap with plastic wrap, let rise for one more hour in your refrigerator.

On a well floured surface roll out the dough thinly. The dough will be tough, and have a tendency to spring back onto itself. This when dough tossing is helpful. Get the dough as thin as possible without tearing.

No matter what the toppings, bake your pizza at the highest temperature your oven can produce. My oven goes to 500, so that's what I bake it at. It will take a very short amount of time, usually only five to seven minutes.

It's better homemade...

2008-04-19T19:43:00.000-07:00

As I stated before, making things from scratch is just plain better. No two ways about it. Even if you're not the most prolific or endowed cook that has held a frying pan since Auguste Escoffier, making things yourself and from scratch is infinitely more satisfying than tearing it out of a package our pouring it out of a jar.

So if you have a similar sentiment, or perhaps just want to impress a girl so that you can get laid... here's how to make pasta... from scratch.

Believe it or not, this is painfully simple.

1 3/4 cups Semolina Flour (you can use plain white flour if you don't have access to semolina)
2 eggs
water

Place the flour on a large work surface in a mound, and create a well in the center. Crack the eggs into the well. Using a fork, slowly bring the flour in from the sides and incorporate into the eggs, until one large mass. If some of the flour won't incorporate, gently wet your fingers and sprinkle small amounts of water into the dough.

With well floured hands, knead the dough for at least 10 minutes, or until feels smooth and almost silky. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

If you're like most people (myself included) you don't own a pasta roller; that's ok. You can roll the pasta out by hand. Yes it's a little more difficult... but the extra work makes the pasta more rewarding.

Flour a large work surface very well, as well a rolling pin and your hands. Roll the pasta out until it is very thin, about 1/16th of an inch. I find that it's actually easier to break the pasta up into two or three smaller, and more manageable batches.

At this point, the pasta is ready to be cut into whatever shape you most prefer. You can stuff it into raviolis or make large sheets for lasagna. Whatever the shape, the pasta will need to be boiled before consumption (duh!).

Cook the pasta in well salted boiling water for two to three minutes, or until the pasta floats. I know it doesn't sound like much time, but fresh pasta takes a lot less time to cook than dried pasta.

Lack of Posts/Inspiration

2008-04-18T08:25:00.000-07:00

I apologize for not updating in a while (to those of you who actually read this blog). Between a seven month old son, and a job that I commute an hour each way for, but time is thin. More than that there has just been an overall lack of inspiration on my part. My job these days has me feeling a lot less like a chef, and more like a salesman; which I suppose is what I really am.

Nonetheless I feel that there is some small amount of culinary expertise left in me that I could still impart to the masses. As of late I have instated a rule of 100% scratch cooking in my home. I don't cook anything that comes out of a box, package, container, etc... This rule wasn't so much for me to try to make myself seem superior; only that, to me anyways, it had to be a way to save money.

The three things that I make the most often in my home are pasta, pizza, and cheese. Not only does it taste better by leaps and bounds, but it's inexpensive, and a lot of fun.

The first of these that I'll share with you is how to make ricotta, as it is the simplest of cheeses to make.

What you'll need:
1 large stainless steel pot - cleaned and sanitized
1 colander
1 large piece of cheese cloth
1/2 gallon whole milk - the freshest you can find - or at least organic
1 pint cultured buttermilk
salt

Place the milk and the buttermilk in the large pot and place on the stove over medium low heat. Gradually (every few minutes) raise the temperature until you have reached medium high heat (this should take 15 minutes). Stir the mixture lightly. Once the temperature reaches 178 degrees the curds will begin to separate from the whey.

Line the colander with the cheese cloth and fold over five or six times. Gently ladle the curds into the lined colander, and season with salt. Bring up the sides and tie together the corners of the cheese cloth. The cheese will need to drip for at least thirty minutes at this point. I like to tie the cheese cloth to my faucet, and let it hang that way. At this point the cheese will need to be refrigerated and should be consumed within the next few days.

Tomorrow I'll be posting how to make fresh pasta.

Sorries and Foods

2007-11-14T17:54:00.000-08:00

I apologize for the lack of activity as of late. With the recent birth of my son, and a new job, my time has been somewhat divided and unavailable.

With Thanksgiving just a few days away, I figured something of a holiday blog was in order. No, I'm not going to tell you how to cook a turkey and make some stuffing. I have always been somewhat bored with the traditional Thanksgiving meal. So instead, I'll be sharing some great recipes for Thanksgiving that reflect more of what I would rather eat.

Regardless of what you have on Thanksgiving, there's one element that I believe to be vital to all holiday meals... abundance... more more more more and more.

Smoked Prime Rib

Ingredients

1. 12lb prime rib

2. Garlic - minced

3. Salt

4. Pepper

5. Olive Oil

Preparation

Combine the salt and pepper and garlic together and mix in oil until the mixture is wet. Rub the prime rib with the mixture, and place in a smoker at 125 degrees for 1 hour. Then place in a 350 degree oven for two hours, or until the internal temperature reaches 140 degrees. Let rest for ten minutes before slicing.

Ancho Cucumber Dill Sauce (for the prime rib)

Ingredients

1 cucumber - pealed and seeded

Juice of 1/2 lemon

2 cups sour cream

2 tsp ancho chili powder

salt and pepper

Preparation

Puree the cucumber in a food processor. Mix the other ingredients in a bowl, then fold in the cucumber.

Horseradish Whipped Potatoes with Bleu Cheese

Ingredients

2lbs New Potatoes - wash and cut into 1 inch cubes - skin on

2 cups heavy whipping cream

1.5 tbs prepared horseradish

1 cup bleu cheese (danish or Gorgonzola)

1 cup butter

salt and pepper to taste

Preparation

Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with salted water. Place on stove over high heat and bring to a boil. Once boiling reduce heat to medium high and let boil until potatoes are done (they will fall apart when stuck with a fork. Meanwhile put the butter and cream in a sauce pan and place over medium heat until the butter is melted and the cream is hot. Put the potatoes in a mixer and mix at medium speed. Slowly add cream and butter. Then add the rest of the ingredients and bring the mixer up to high speed until the potatoes are smooth and fluffy.

Haricot Verts with Pomegranate and Jicama

Ingredients

1 lb Haricot Verts

Juice of 1/2 pomegranate

seeds of 1 pomegranate

1 lb jicama - peeled and julienned

salt and pepper

Preparation

Tear the ends of the haricot verts just like you would green beans, and lightly blanch in boiling, salted water (until the haricot is bright green). Immediately cool in an ice bath. Toss together with other ingredients. Serve chilled.

Sweet Potato Gratin

Ingredients

2 lbs sweet potatoes - peeled and very thinly sliced (use a mandolin for this)

1/2 cup heavy whipping cream

1/4 cup marscapone cheese

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp sugar

salt to taste

Preparation

Put all of the ingredients (save the potatoes) in a sauce pan over low heat for five minutes. In a casserole dish put a small amount of the mixture on the bottom of the pan (just enough to cover it) next layer potatoes on top. Repeat this until you're out of ingredients, ending with the cream mixture on top. Place in a 350 degree oven for one hour. Serve hot.

Chocolate Lemon Curd Cream Puffs

Ingredients

For the Puffs

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter

1 cup flour - sifted

4 eggs

For the lemon curd

3 eggs

1/3 cup fresh lemon zest

1tbs lemon zest

3/4 cup sugar

4 tbs butter - softened

For the chocolate topping

2 squares unsweetened chocolate

2tbs butter

2.5 cups sifted powdered sugar

Preparation for the puffs

Bring the cup of water and butter to a rolling boil, then stir in all at once the 1 cup of sifted flour. Stir vigorously until the mixture leaves the pan and forms a ball. Remove from heat and beat in with a mixture the 4 eggs (one at a time). Beat until smooth and velvety. Drop from spoon onto ungreased baking sheet, and bake until dry at 400 degrees for thirty to forty minutes. Allow to cool slowly.

Preparation for the lemon curd

In a stainless steel bowl placed over a saucepan of simmering water, whisk together the eggs, sugar, and lemon juice until blended. Cook, stirring constantly (to prevent it from curdling), until the mixture becomes thick . This will take around 10 minutes. Remove from heat and immediately pour through a fine strainer to remove any lumps. Cut the butter into small pieces and whisk into the mixture until the butter has melted. Add the lemon zest and let cool. The lemon curd will continue to thicken as it cools.

Preparation for the chocolate

Melt the chocolate and butter over a double boiler. Remove from heat and blend in 4-8tbs of the hot water from your double boiler. Then beat in 2-3 cups of the powdered sugar. Beat until smooth, not stiff. If the mixture becomes too stiff add more hot water. If too runny, add more powdered sugar.

Assembly

Cut off the top third of the cooled puffs and spoon in the lemon curd. Drizzle the chocolate over top. Serve cold.

Standing Corrected

2007-10-04T08:48:00.001-07:00

Now, I suppose, would be the appropriate time for me to put my proverbial foot in my mouth. I was absolutely shocked, and completely stunned, with Hung's performance during the finale of Top Chef Season 3. He showed a side of himself, as cook, that he had never really shown before.

But more on Hung later. Let's move onto the show as a whole. The one thing that I really hated about this last episode were all of the seemingly ridiculous variables they threw into the mix. The ridiculously high altitude made it impossible to boil water on a stove. I also was really shocked when I first heard that they were only going to be cooking three courses. I really don't think it's possible for a chef to summarize who they are in three dishes.... well in four actually. Which brings me to my next problem. Asking the chefs to create a fourth item on the fly, with one hour left in their time, was absolutely absurd.

The format used to be seven courses, more than enough time, and two extra sets of hands. I suppose that producers think that the show will be better if they throw enough stumbling blocks at the contestants feet.

Onto the food. While it seemed like a landslide victory, the last challenge was actually quite close to the scrutinizing eye. Casey could have won if not for a few mistakes. The biggest being trying to cook a pork belly on those time constraints... and then trying to make up for it by over cooking the pork belly. I also believe that her first dish would have won next to the other two if she hadn't made the mistake of putting the salmon roe on the plate. While it was pretty, the flavors just didn't seem to add up.

Dale played it very smart. I was so blown away when he poached the lamb rack in duck fat. Doing that was probably the smartest thing anyone has done with lamb in the show's three season history. And I honestly believe he would have won, were it not for that abortion of a lobster dish. I have a hard time comprehending how he actually let that dish come to fruition. The simple delicateness and sweetness of lobster should never be over powered by something like curry. Especially when it's in the form of a broth, and encompassing the whole of the dish.

Hung won from a cocktail of luck and talent. On some of the dishes he only won by comparison to the others they were being served with. But I will say that the duck sous vide he prepared seemed like a complete stroke of genius, and I am quite jealous that I wasn't there to taste it.

Ultimately Hung won because he showed a side of himself as a chef that I never thought to exist... and because Casey just couldn't quite pull the trigger. He originally seemed like a well oiled culinary machine. But now it's obvious that he can put himself into his food.

So while, like most other Casey fans, I did not have the most confidence in Hung from the beginning, I can't help but to say "Congratulations and good luck". He did an outstanding job.

It's All About the Beer

2007-09-24T21:21:00.000-07:00

Mostly as a function of working at a wine bar, and working in restaurants, I soon came to loving wine. I would drink wine daily. Champagne in the morning, a light red in the afternoon, and a big Cabernet in the evening. I used to delight in planning menus for vintners dinners. Finding the perfect food pairing for a wonderful Cabernet, Merlot, and Syrah blend was so much fun.

But like so many other people, who had the same inclinations as I do, I soon came to be tired of wine. In fact I've gotten to the point where I really can't even drink wine with a smile on my face anymore. Perhaps it's the reminder of wine hangovers (which as we all know are the WORST) or maybe it's just that after a while, all wines start to taste the same. Or even more so, it reminds me of a restaurant manager I used to work with, who was constantly drunk off wine (morning noon or night) and a bitch to boot.

Then one day I had a beer that changed my whole world view. The spring seasonal by Samuel Adams: Samuel Adams White Ale. Before that I really could never imagine the complexities that a beer could have. From that point on, I was obsessed.

My Cabernets were replaced with Stouts. My Rieslings were replaced with Indian Pale Ales. And my Merlots with fully hopped Amber Ales. Before too long I discovered how well you could pair beer with food. As a matter of fact, I would go toe to toe with any somelier on the ability to pair my beer with food, as opposed to wine.

Those little crawfish rangoons I posted before go amazingly well with the Widmer Brother's Broken Halo IPA. An extra cold Guinness Stout goes down so wonderfully with a New York Strip served with a Bearnaise and creamy whipped potatoes (and that's a fact, I had it the other night). The next time you're out and order the lobster, drink it with a nice Bohemian style Pilsner.

Below is a list of some of my favorite Indian Pale Ales.

BU = Bitterness Units

OG = Original Gravity

AbV = Alcohol by Volume

Indian Pale Ales - IPA

Broken Halo IPA - Strong and obvious citrus notes like grapefruit in the nose and on the front of the palate, with a strong bitter finish.

BU - 45

OG - 14.25

AbV - 6.0%

Blue Heron IPA - Exceptionally clean mouth feel but with strong hoppy finish.

AbV - 6.1%

Snake Dog IPA - Not nearly as strong of a citrus nose or taste as other IPAs. As with most Colorado Style IPAs, this beer has more of a rich hop taste that is associated with darker ales, and a slightly lower AbV. Despite that it does have a very nice bitter finish.

BU - 48

Abv - 5.8%

OG - 1.058

Blanco Real Ale Lost Gold IPA - I recently had the pleasure of drinking this beer on tap at a local store. The floral and citrus notes are more profound in this beer than in any other IPA I have tasted so far. This beer has a bitterness that surpasses most other IPAs. So it's definitely not a beer for the faint of heart.

BU - 55

AbV - 6.6%

OG - 15.0°

Dogfish Head 90 Minute IPA - This beer is continually hopped, and it shows. The hops lend a strong malty flavor that is unseen in any other IPA I've had to date. The bitterness and AbV are higher than just about any other on the market.

BU - 90

AbV - 9.0%

OG - 1.088

My Pantry

2007-09-24T09:51:00.000-07:00

I find, more often than not, that when cooking for a friend or relative at their house, they generally do not have some of the most basic things needed to cook a good meal. So here is a comprehensive list of what I think all people should have in their pantry/refrigerator.

Dry

Canned Chicken Stock
Kosher Salt
Sea Salt
Whole Black Pepper
Dry Pasta
Chinese Rice Noodles
Canned Crushed Tomato
Coconut Milk
Active Dry Yeast
Sugar
Flour
Olive Oil
Various Dried Herbs
White Wine - dry
Red Wine - medium bodied
Gelatin

Produce

Whole Garlic
Yellow Onion
White Onion
Red Onion
Shallots
Cucumber
Jalapeno
Russet Potatoes
Red Potatoes
Fresh Herbs
Carrots
Celery
Tomatoes
Lemons
Oranges

Cold

Various tough cuts of beef and pork for braising or roasting (pork butt, back ribs, short ribs, brisket, etc)
Whole Chicken
Meat for grilling
Ground meat
Eggs
Heavy whipping cream
Whole Milk
Soy Sauce
Ketchup
Stone Ground Mustard
Horse Radish

Embrace the Fat

2007-09-17T22:58:00.000-07:00

A lot of times when I tell people how to make dishes they've had at the restaurant, they always come back to me with the inevitable response "It doesn't taste as good as when you cook it". While I would like to chalk it up all to myself just being that good, I cannot... at least not entirely.

A lot of times what separates decent dishes from outstanding dishes are a few key things. Usually the biggest mistake people make is not properly using salt, or even worse using iodized salt. But that's not the point of this blog, I will post something about proper salt usage and the types of salt to use in the future. So then, what makes my food so much better than yours? Fat. Fat, oil, grease, butter, lard... it's all wonderful stuff. Fat represents all that is good about food. If I'm making something with rendered bacon in it, you can bet that I'm not draining off the fat. You can guarantee yourself that I am searing steaks in rendered duck fat. And if that's not available, then in high-quality butter that's been imported from Ireland.

So here are a few key rules on using fat.

1. When buying ground meat, never go for the 93/7 "super-lean". I usually never settle for anything less than 80/20. And if I'm making a hamburger, then it's clog your arteries John Candy style, because I'm using 73/27.

2. If for whatever reason you might have margarine, or some other butter substitute in your refrigerator... throw it out right now. There is no substitute for butter.

3. Do not buy salted butter. This always leads to things being overly salted. You can add salt yourself.

4. If you ever find yourself roasting a duck, save the fat drippings to cook with in the future. You can freeze it if you must. Duck fat is great for a lot of things from searing beef to making roux. The best turtle soup I ever made was with using a duck fat roux.

5. Never use canola oil for a saute'. Always use olive oil.

6. I do not care what the recipe you're using says. DO NOT STRAIN THE GROUND BEEF. There are only two things that contribute to the flavor of ground beef. One of them is the blood (which you've undoubtedly cooked out because no one ever taught you better) and the other is the fat. If you loose that, then your dish is probably going to be D.O.A.

7. Never ever EVER trim off the excess fat of a steak or a chop, of any sorts, before you cook it. Fat and marbling are what impart all the flavor to a steak. The higher the marbling, and more fat around the meat, the more flavorful the meat will be.

8. When making something that calls for olive oil to be used raw, meaning that it's a part of the dish itself and not just something to cook with, use high quality olive oils. Especially in things like gazpacho and salad dressings. I prefer Spanish and Australian olive oils.

9. In the same light, when you're baking, you would be amazed at the difference between using cheap butter, and great butter.

10. Learn how to properly use butter. Learn the difference between melted butter, clarified butter, and brown butter.

Everybody Wang-Hung Tonight

2007-09-17T20:17:00.000-07:00

As promised before I am giving my thoughts on Hung from Bravo's hit reality show "Top Chef" Season 3.

First let me start off by saying that I don't think that Hung is a bad cook. He seems like a well trained culinary school machine... and not like much else. He has the technique, he has the food science knowledge, and he obviously has the knife skills. I really don't think that anyone would argue that last part. In fact if I were ever in need of a great prep cook, he'd be the first person I would call.

Of course, to be honest, I don't see him as much else than that. His culinary training has truly served him well. He can dispatch a whole chicken in under thirty seconds. Something to be proud of. But his disingenuous food, undeserved arrogance, and lack of anything that remotely resembles a spine, leave him doomed for failure.

Perhaps not in Top Chef, he just might shock me and win, but in his professional career I don't see him going very far without a few serious corrections.

My first warning signs of Hung were when Marcel referred to him as a friend in the excruciatingly underwhelming "Top Chef Four Star All Star Showdown". I genuinely believe that anyone who calls that snivelling weasel a friend, is more than likely a snivelling weasel them self.

But on to the crux of the matter. Hung suffers from one serious flaw. He lacks one crucial trait that all great chefs have to have. He has no soul. I don't mean soul in the theological sense of the term, but in the world of cooking. All truly great chefs have one thing in common (besides talent) a true and pure love of food. A desire to make food that means something to them. Hung does not have that.

Hung seems to be more caught up in trying to be different, showy, and brazenly obnoxious. Yes I truly believe that he knows that he is the single most annoying Asian that has ever lived. His single excuse for unsuccessful dishes "He obviously didn't understand the dish" not only comes off as obnoxious, but also with an undeserved sense of self-satisfaction. One minute he acclaims Alfred Portale as "Master Chef to the World" (or something to that effect) and the next basically calling him the culinary equivalent of Corky from "Life Goes On".

Back to the point I was trying to make, Hung seems more caught up in trying to be the avant garde "ar-teest" than he is about making great food. Why else would he have thought that pistachio ice-cream with panko and cauliflower espuma would taste good? But of course, he simply shrugged it off by putting other people down for making "simple" dishes.

One thing that I will say for Hung is that he knows what he is there for. He is there to win. He's not looking for friends. He knows that eventually there will only be one. And he has no problem with letting everyone know that he is OK with stabbing them in the back, quartering, and butterflying them all..... in just under two minutes.

Recipe 2: Crawfish Rangoon Bugaloo

2007-09-16T21:14:00.000-07:00

I received a couple of emails containing the question "Hey Matt. What's that dish you have as your profile picture?". Ah... you mean this one?

That's now a staple at a restaurant I used to work at. It's a Crawfish Rangoon with Cheyote and Cactus Escabeche with Bacon Creole Mustard Vinaigrette.

Mise en Place:

1 Fryer heated to 350 degrees.
1 Saute' Pan
Olive Oil for saute
Table Mixer

1 Egg - Beaten
Wanton Wrappers
1lb Crawfish - Boiled
1/2 Red Onion - Diced
1lb Cream Cheese - Softened
3tbs Fresh Dill - Chopped

Honey
Bacon - Diced
Creole Mustard (Horseradish Mustard)
Apple Cider Vinegar
1 Yellow Onion - Diced
Olive Oil

1 Cheyote - Halved and sliced
Red Cabbage - Finely sliced
1 Nopales Segment
Juice of 1 Blood Orange
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
1tsp sugar

Prep:

Saute the red onion in olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Add crawfish to heat through. At the end at the dill.

In the table mixer mix the cream cheese until light and fluffy. Add the saute mixture being careful not to spill in excess oil. Fold in gently.

Place approximately 1 tablespoon of mixture on wanton wrapper. With a pastry brush, brush the eggwash onto the edges of the wrapper. Fold up ends into a little purse, just like shown above.

*If you are not ready to fry immediately, dust in corn starch, cover with wet towel and refridgerate.

Sauce:

In a saute pan render 4 pieces of bacon. When bacon is halfway cooked add the diced yellow onion. Next add 2 tablespoons of the mustard, followed by 3 tablespoons of honey, and 1/2 tablespoon vinegar. Mix thuroughly until all ingredients are emulsified. You can adjust the sweetness or acidity levels by adding more honey or vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Escabeche:

In a non-reactive bowl mix together the orange juice, red wine vinegar, and sugar. Pour over the sliced cheyote, nopales, and cabbage. Let set over night.

Execution: Fry the stuff wantons in 350 oil for approximately two minutes or until golden brown. Serve with warm vinaigrette and escabeche.

So You Want to be a Chef...

2007-09-13T20:18:00.000-07:00

So you want to be a chef? I really cannot say that I blame you. Based on societies portrayal as chefs, you probably think of us all as tidy, well groomed, polite, avant garde "artists". You probably think of working in a restaurant as a nice job, where you stand over a stove, precisely making sauces, and maintaining a nice, pleasant, and calm demeanor.

You're probably thinking to yourself right now "Hey! I'll just go to culinary school, and then I'll be a real chef!" . Or maybe you're thinking to yourself "I just love to cook. Everyone tells me I'm so great at it, maybe I'll be the chef at my own restaurant! It can't be that hard can it?"

Well hike up your skirt, and put on a fresh pair of panties, Sally, because that's not the life of a real chef. Real, honest, hard-working chefs are the toughest, meanest, and down-right craziest people you'll ever meet. They're not the TV pretty boys you see on your favorite cooking show. They're not worrying about being well groomed and polite. And most of them really don't give a damn about what culinary school you went to.

But before we get into all that (and by "all that" I mean the life of a chef) let me tell you what it takes to be one. And what it takes to get to where I am today.

First off I want to make one thing clear, I am not putting down culinary school. I think that it can be a good place to learn basic cooking skills, if you don't have any. Some employers do care about culinary degrees, especially if you want to be in the hotel business. But the honest truth is that most employers don't give two shits about whether or not you went to culinary school. Most of them care about experience. They care about how hard you will work, how well you can get your mise en place together before service, and foremost how well you can keep up your station when that 7:00PM dinner rush hits.

"Well jeez Matt, I don't have any culinary experience. How do I get my foot in the door?" The same way a lot of us did... at the bottom. You want to cook? Be prepared to do a lot of crappy work before you even think of dicing your first onion. I got my first job in a restaurant washing dishes for $6.00 an hour. And trust me, that ain't bad shakes for being a dishwasher. I worked my way up from dishwasher, to bus-boy. From bus-boy, to prep cook. It took me about four months before I even got to set foot in the kitchen and start peeling potatoes.

But I did it anyways. Why? Because I love food, and I love to cook that much. When all is said and done, that's what it really means to be a chef. Being a chef means loving to cook so much, and wanting it so badly, that you're willing to do anything for it.

After a couple of months as prep cook I finally got thrown in on the line. Your first time on the line is a lot like you're first time having sex. You're all sweaty, you have no idea what's going on, and chances are you really suck at it. Tables are filling up, orders are flooding in, and you can't remember how many chicken artichokes and eggplant pirouges you're supposed to be cooking to save your life. The sous chef, or head chef (whomever is running the line that night) is getting sick and tired of you asking for your "all-days", and all you really want to do is go out back and grab a smoke.

Oh, did I not mention that? Plan on picking up smoking if you want to be a chef. You may not get it now, but after your first week in a kitchen... you will.

And at this point... you're still not a chef... you're a lowly line cook. So where to from there? Well for most it's over a year as a line cook. If you're lucky you'll land a job as a sous chef. And while you're doing that, be prepared for what is probably the hardest "hat" to wear in the culinary world.

And in my time I have had dozens of know-it-all, fresh out of culinary punks step into my kitchen. And I very rarely found one that was worth a damn on that busy Saturday night where all the tickets are special orders. Sure, most of them can execute a beautiful beurre blanc or a rendered foie grass and veal stock emulsion. But very few possess the skill to do four of them at once with about seven other things going at the same time.

And at the end of the night, all chefs just want one thing... and no it's not sleep. It's a stiff drink in a smoky bar. So if you think you want to be a chef, then be honest with yourself. If you have a few screws loose, a pure love of food and cooking, and the ability to smoke like a chimney... then maybe you might have what it takes.

Top Chef 3: Where They Went Wrong

2007-09-12T21:13:00.000-07:00

I've become more and more distress over the past few weeks with Top Chef. In the past three weeks my three favorite chefs (Tre, Howie, and now CJ) have gone home. I was really sad to see Tre go. I honestly thought that he could have gone all the way. So where did these guys go so wrong? And why in the blue hell is Sara M. still in the running?

For Tre I think that it was mostly just a lack of vision and focus. The idea of eating salmon with Gruyere cheese is enough to make my stomach curdle. Top that with what even at a glance looked like a dry brioche bread pudding... and you've got a disaster on the plate. Tre should have known better than to make that salmon dish. And he should have known not to say he could make a bread pudding when he obviously cannot.

Howie was a long time coming in elimination. I think that while he started off strong, his desire to stand out from the group, and be independent, is ultimately what got him kicked off of the show. He spent more time concerning himself with making sure nobody liked him, than he did thinking about his food. All good chefs know better than to serve something grey.

CJ I was truly sad to see leave. He showed talent and character through out the entire competition. I think that in the end his nerves just got the best of him. While I can tell you that the contest (from a chef's point of view) seemed to be exceptionally tough, and that there were factors that could not be accounted for, CJ should have known better than to serve that horribly overdone broccolini. For those of you who do not know, broccolini is a hybrid of broccoli and kale.

Sara M. is still there for reasons I just simply cannot understand. She has shown no high degree of skill. Nor does she seem to have any real passion for food. That's what really separates her from the three names above. Say what you will about Howie, yes he was an asshole, but you could tell that he really had a drive for food and the fine art of cookery. Which is something that you just do not see in the likes of Sara M. or Hung... I'll save remarks about Hung for another blog.

So who will it come down to? My guy instinct originally told me Tre and CJ. Now it's seeming more like Casey and Dale will be there for the end.

Hands Down, the Best Cookies Ever.

2007-09-08T21:21:00.000-07:00

I think it's suffice to say that everyone loves cookies. If you don't then you're probably a liar... or a communist. This is a recipe that I came across not too long ago for Double Chocolate Chunk Cookies, and trust me... they're to die for.

1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup unsweetened dutch cocoa
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
9 ounces milk chocolate - Hersheys for some reason works the best.
8 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract - The better quality vanilla you use, the better. I like to use mexican, or madagascar bourbon

Preheat oven to 325*

Coarsley chop 4 oz. of the chocolate.

Cut 5 oz. of the chocolate into chunks.

Whisk together flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, and salt in a medium bowl, set aside.

Melt coarsely chopped milk chocolate with the butter in a small heatproof bowl, set over a pan of simmering water.

Transfer chocolate mixture to the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment add sugar, eggs and vanilla -- mix on medium speed until combined

Reduce speed to low, gradually mix in flour mixture fold in chocolate chunks.

Scoop onto pan. place 2" apart on parchment lined baking sheetsbake until cookies are flat and surfaces begin to crack. about 15 minutestransfer parchment paper to wire racks.

Chinese Barbeque Duck: The best meal you've never had.

2007-09-07T21:33:00.000-07:00

I usually won't go into a restaurant if I don't think the food is genuine. By that I mean that because food is so personal, it should be made personally. The food should be made by someone who truly loves his food, and loves cooking it.

Most of the chinese food we eat today is all the same 'ol same 'ol ... it's crap. Most of it comes out of bags and has probably been prepared by a white guy. But if you want real chinese food... life changing, soul touching chinese food... then you need to get yourself to a real chinese barbeque restaurant. And make sure to order the duck.

Chinese barbeque peking duck is a true thing of beauty... and a real labor of love. You probably wouldn't even believe me if I told you what kind of work goes into making it. And that's why I love it so much. Great chinese peking duck isn't something that can be made in a factory and thawed out by a guy named "Rod" . It's made by craftsmen.

So what makes it so great? Everything. It's tender and moist and falls apart in your mouth... but with a perfectly slightly sweet and crispy outside. And you know you're in a good place if they also bring you the head... that's the best part.

So do yourselves a favor. Ditch the shopping mall food court, prefabricated, chinese food. And find yourself a chinese barbeque.

My favorite place to get it is at the First Chinese Barbeque on North Lamar in Austin, Texas. While you're over there, I suggest going to the asian supermarket.

A Man Obsessed

2007-09-07T21:18:00.000-07:00

I love food. That's probably the single most honest thing I, or anyone, can say about myself. I am here to share with you my life as a culinarian. From recipes to menus, from kitchen tales to restaurant horrors... I'm here to share them all.

Food connects all people. Think of some of your fondest memories. Ten to one they involve food. Whether it's your mom's beef stew, or the first time you had a hotdog at the stadium, I can guarantee you that most of your fond memories involve eating. I know for myself that the thing I remember most about my honeymoon is the meal we had our first night. Buffalo filet with grilled foie gras, served over miropoix and red new potatoes roasted in a rich veal stock. For the life of me I can't remember the name of the hotel we stayed in, or how much money I lost gambling... but I remember that meal.

I remember my first night running the line of a kitchen. I remember the first time one of my specials sold out an hour into service. I even remember when I first realized I had made the perfect lamb osso bucco.

I am a man obsessed. I love all things food. And I want to share it.