tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10955372599817012462024-03-12T20:23:35.996-07:00COOKING POOR, EATING RICHrecover the American culinary heritageNick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-32320222274206513912014-01-09T19:33:00.001-08:002014-01-09T21:54:37.523-08:002014 Red Beans and Ricely yours.<p> </p>
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<p> We made it. One for the books. Wave goodbye to the last spin around the sun and get ready for the next. </p>
<p>To mark this occasion there is a delicious tradition of serving beans in the new year. Beans represent luck and hope and I being a lover of all culinary traditions decided to go with that traditional southern dish. Red beans and rice. It's a simple dish but with some thought and basic cooking techniques it can be so much more. Get out your Tobasco!!!</p>
<p> I've got a leftover hambone from the holidays, a big pot and some other stuff. Let's do this. </p>
<p><strong>MISE-EN-PLACE</strong></p>
<p>one hambone, ham hock..whatever</p>
<p>1 pound dried small red beans or kidney beans</p>
<p>3 cups ham stock (I'll show ya later)</p>
<p>Holy trinity. 2 parts onion, 1 part each celery, green bell pepper</p>
<p>One clove garlic, minced</p>
<p>A couple bay leaves</p>
<p>2TB Paprika</p>
<p>Salt-pepper</p>
<p>A big deep pot</p>
<p> </p>
<p>The prep goes fast, the actual cooking a bit longer</p>
<p>Dried beans. Start the night before. Rinse under water. Remove any stones, broken or shriveled beans. Anything that looks like this.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Place in large pot and cover with cold water over 3 inches and let soak overnight. Drain. </p>
<p>NOW first thing, regarding that hambone. It really does add the essential guts to this dish. If you don't have one you could maybe use a hamhock, ask your butcher. </p>
<p>The first this to do is to take a knife to the bone. Remove as much fat and flesh as you can and separate them into two piles. Yes really. </p>
<p>If you don't have any ham stock stashed around well then lucky you, make some. We've made stock before.</p>
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<p>Start with this-add water. Simmer for an hour, strain out. Done. RIGHT</p>
<p> Ok I'll be nice. Scraps of onions, celery and carrot. One hambone, bay leaf, whole black pepper corns. Enough water to cover by 2 inches. Also, unless you have 2 hambones, you'll want to remove and reserve that one. Continuing. </p>
<p>Chop up that holy trinity. </p>
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<p>Grab your reserved ham fat, if you don't have enough, just use some veg oil.</p>
<p> If you DO have enough, heat up your pot to medium and start rendering (melting) that will be our sauté medium. We're getting triple use from that leftover bone ain't we. Turn up the heat to high.</p>
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<p> Dump in the trinity. Sweat around, add salt, pepper. Keep tossing. </p>
<p> Add paprika, bay leaves. </p>
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<p> Doing good right? </p>
<p>Lower heat and add beans.</p>
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<p> And just nestle that bone in there, looks all comfy doesn't it</p>
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<p> Add the stock. You need enough liquid to cook those beans. About 4 cups. If you're short then add a bit of water, you'll be ok.</p>
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<p> Bring it to a boil and you'll notice a foamy-scummy thing gathering on the surface. It's called a raft and yeah it needs to go away. Just reduce your heat to simmer and grab a spoon or ladle. Gently drag across the surface to remove, dump it. </p>
<p>Cover the nicely simmering pot and walk away. Takes about 2 1/2 hours. Check on it, stir around, let's not burn the beans. During the last 30 minutes, tip the lid and let it reduce a bit. It should be creamy, not watery. Any ham bits liberated way back at the beginning, go ahead and add now. </p>
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<p> Like this.</p>
<p> Remove from heat and cook up some white rice. Whatever method you like. Chop up some green onions for garnish. This isn't spicy at all but it's terrific with some Tobasco. </p>
<p>There you go. Good and dense, filling and comforting and it wasn't even that hard. Save that bone, you'll get a couple more stock batches depending on the size. </p>
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<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">I hope you all have a wonderful 2014!</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Cooking poor, eating rich</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Get your grub on</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Ciao </p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-41730742322401905962013-12-30T09:09:00.001-08:002013-12-30T09:16:24.493-08:00A Christmas Carol. God bless us, everyone.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JVLG8odSwCo/UsGoeK--tLI/AAAAAAAACeY/tKw8erI3lNk/s1024/Photo%252520Dec%25252020%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A43%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-JVLG8odSwCo/UsGoeK--tLI/AAAAAAAACeY/tKw8erI3lNk/s500/Photo%252520Dec%25252020%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525207%25253A43%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1388423650328.6643" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="373"></a></div>
<p> </p>
<p> My friend Mary is the kind of person that many aspire to be. Compassionate, caring and darn pretty. </p>
<p> She keeps her eye on an army of kids aging out of the Foster Care system. Once a year at this time she struggles to throw them a gigantic party. For one night they experience the things we take for granted everyday. Home cooked meal, family at the table, the warmth and light of the season. The other 364 days? Some of these kids are homeless, most are severely lacking of security, support and guidance. </p>
<p> Mary is also a Washington High RAM. </p>
<p> She calls for help, we answer. This is my second year serving as a volunteer. I wasn't alone. </p>
<p> I reached out to my friends at Atlasta Catering again, they came through in a big way. Cambro full of Turkey, I headed out to the church hall, hoping to make some Christmas magic.</p>
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<p> I headed right for the kitchen, my buddy Kevin followed. Lots of work ahead. Luckily we had a big professional kitchen this year. Convection ovens, grill top. All waited to heat and hold all the food the rest of the volunteers would bring. Re-heat, slice and carve. Kevin who was just getting over a cold gave up his Birthday to be there. He got a crash course of slicing Ham and Turkey. Champ. </p>
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<p> Our friend Jeff appointed himself as expo, ran food back and forth like a BOSS. </p>
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<p> Jamie and her lovely daughter helped keep things from getting out of hand.</p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p> People given the chance are magnificent. We had a gigamountain of food this year. Kids ate until bursting and we were able to pack to-go containers for anyone who wanted. Grateful they would have food for the Holiday weekend. There was even enough Mary was able to drop some off at a homeless shelter. </p>
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<p> The kids are tremendous. All night long they would thank us, hang out with us. Such a tight group. </p>
<p> I know that I'll be back next year. I hope this continues to grow. With the support of our WHS RAMS we can continue to show the kids with the least that they matter. </p>
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<p> I still wish we could have more. Next year?</p>
<p> Here's some pics of my friends being RAMS</p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Another RAM Chef, Patti.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>
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<p> </p>
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<p> Cindy hugs! </p>
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</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">All it takes is two hands and a willingness to help. Thank you RAMS! Tom, Jeff, Mary, Mary G. Jennifer (hi!), Jamie, Kevin, Susie, Patti, Cindy and John, and all who volunteered either their time, food, gift-cards..etc. Happiest of Holiday seasons. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Cooking poor, feeling rich</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Get your grub on</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Ciao</div>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-37189433079806032992013-12-28T15:39:00.001-08:002013-12-28T15:42:50.999-08:00Jerk. Keep your hands off. Caribbean style.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z2Su-NY5o_o/Ur9gspPVzsI/AAAAAAAACcw/VP9gOxOVl5w/s1024/Photo%252520Dec%25252028%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A20%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Z2Su-NY5o_o/Ur9gspPVzsI/AAAAAAAACcw/VP9gOxOVl5w/s500/Photo%252520Dec%25252028%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A20%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1388273964079.7488" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div>
<p> I love jerk. Truly. Sweet, spicy, peppery and smokey. Easy way to transform a basic protein into something unforgettable. A close friend brought me a jar for Christmas. Good thing too, I was almost out. </p>
<p> I'm also getting tired of Holiday leftovers. Seems like a good day to fire up the grill. Along the way I'll show ya some Sweet Potato Pudding and Collard Greens. Ja man. </p>
<p> First a little history (you knew this was coming) Jamaican Jerk is a miracle. It's a blend of Allspice, Scallions, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, Scotch Bonnet Peppers, Vinegar, Black Peppercorns and Sugar. That's just the basic formula, there are many variations. It can be a dry-rub or a wet marinade. It's applied to meat and grilled. Today I'm using Chicken thighs but it's also really great with pork, goat, lamb..etc. </p>
<p> It came about after the British invaded the Spanish colony of Jamaica. The African slaves; rather than be recaptured, fled into the mountains and joined the native tribes. Surrounded by deep forests where game was plentiful they used whatever they could gather and their own heritage to transform humble meals into something wonderful. Truly cooking poor, eating rich.</p>
<p><strong>Mise-en-Place</strong></p>
<p> Today I used Chicken thighs, 'cus it's good. I took the skin off and the bone out</p>
<p>Jar of Jerk (this can be tricky to find) look for one that is more paste like than sauce. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>4-5 White Sweet Potatoes, peeled</p>
<p>Jar of Pineapple chunks</p>
<p>Four large eggs</p>
<p>1/2 cup milk</p>
<p>Pinch of ground Nutmeg</p>
<p>Salt and Pepper</p>
<p> </p>
<p>2 big bunches Collard Greens, stems removed and rough chopped</p>
<p>4 pieces Salt Pork, cubed</p>
<p>1-2 Jalapeño chopped, seeds and all</p>
<p>One whole Clove</p>
<p>Salt-Pepper</p>
<p>2 cups water</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It's so easy</p>
<p>Smear a good heap of Jerk onto Chicken. Wear gloves, you do NOT want to touch anything with Scotch-Bonnet pepper in it. Turns your hands bright red and burns. </p>
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<p>Set aside for at least an hour.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Onto the Collard Greens. It's a relative of Kale, has smooth leaves and a mustardy, spinach kinda thing going on. Very fibrous so it takes time to make it tender. </p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Heat up a deep pot.</p>
<p>Plop in the chunks of Salt Pork. Render the fat out. That'll be our Sauté medium. </p>
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<p> Mmmmm pork fat</p>
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<p> Add those Peppers, season. Wilt for a bit, it will shrink some. Add your water, whole clove and bring to simmer, cover and wait. Takes about an hour, I'm not kidding. </p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Next let's tackle Sweet Potato pudding. </p>
<p>pre-heat the oven to 375F</p>
<p>Peel spuds and chop into equal chunks. Place in deep pot and barely cover with salted water. Add some ground pepper in there too. Bring to boil and simmer until soft all the way through. </p>
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<p> Once done, drain all water and put the pot back on the stove and shake it until all steam stops. Water equals lumps. Neat trick right?</p>
<p> Think of regular mashed 'taters. </p>
<p> Now, off heat add butter, Nutmeg. Use a fork and mash around, should be real easy. Add the milk. Still beating? Good, switch to a sturdy spoon. Add the eggs, mix, now empty the entire contents of the can of Pineapple chunks. Mix. </p>
<p>Dump the whole thing into a Casserole pan, sprinkle with a little Paprika if you like. Throw it into the oven. Bake for 40 minutes, check it. It will puff up some. Done? Good, remove from oven. </p>
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<p> </p>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div>
<p>Check those greens ok? Maybe pull one out and bite it. Tender? Yes! Good, remove and drain. Done.</p>
<p> </p>
<p> Heat up that grill, 500. Fast and smokey. </p>
<p> </p>
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<p> Keep your heat consistent. Flip once. Remove to plate and let it rest. </p>
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<p> It's great just the way it is but I always like to hand chop it first. Simple right? </p>
<p>Knife and cutting board...done</p>
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<p> Doesn't need any garnish. It's great, trust me. Scoop of pudding for sweet, greens for bitter and jerk for heat. Try it.</p>
<p> </p>
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<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Cooking poor, eating rich.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Get your grub on</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Ciao </p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-18059073566858334362013-11-22T15:32:00.001-08:002013-11-22T15:34:02.353-08:00What the dickens is "left-over wine?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kIuamhsdR7s/Uo_pR1gxOdI/AAAAAAAACZ0/3T3dODYlngw/s1024/Photo%252520Nov%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525208%25253A35%252520AM.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-kIuamhsdR7s/Uo_pR1gxOdI/AAAAAAAACZ0/3T3dODYlngw/s500/Photo%252520Nov%25252022%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525208%25253A35%252520AM.jpg" id="blogsy-1385163121918.8208" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> My favorite kind of project. Making something for the people I love. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> My dear friend Becky Sue Cook gave me this idea. She can bake me under a table and is a terrific example of someone who cooks poor, eats rich. Plus she's a fellow WHS RAM. Kudos love!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> Most of you know that I make a little jar of something for gifts at Christmas. The brilliance of this project is it combines two of my favorite things. Hockey and Doctor Who...no, wait I meant COOKING and WINE. Yeah, those two. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">Great use of any leftover wine. Simple stuff. Nothing you haven't seen before, I've done at least one jar project every year. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> <strong>Wine jelly</strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><strong><em>MISE-EN-PLACE</em></strong></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">3 cups dry wine. Red or white. I picked a nice fruity Merlot from Washington. Just about one 750ml bottle.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">4 cups sugar</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">1 3.78 ounce package of Pectin. They used to be labeled straight 4 ounces...bastards. It's ok, it works.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">One big pot for sterilizing jars and lids</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">One pot for jelly process.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">Pair of tongs</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">Ladle.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">And yes, they do sell special equipment just for processing jars. Do you need it? Well, no. I'm a professional and I don't. I'm not the kind of person who spends money on stuff I'll only use once a year. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">Anyway....</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">Put all jars, lids and rings into your large pot and cover with water. Bring to boil. Sterilization. Just let it go. Make sure your tongs and ladle are in there too.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> </div>
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<p> In your other pot over high heat dump in the wine and pectin. Stir gently until it comes to a boil.</p>
<p>Dump in all the sugar. Stir until dissolves. Keep stirring and boil hard for one minute. Lower to simmer.</p>
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<p>Now you're going to notice a wacky, foamy scum gathering on the surface. You'll want to remove that. Just use a small spoon and dump it. </p>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;">If you want to test your batch, easy. Grab a small plate or bowl. Dribble some onto it and count to 10. Turn it upside down. If it's perfect it will set and not drip.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> </div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> </div>
<p> Ok? All good? Time to process. </p>
<p>Using the tongs, grab one jar and fill where the ring screws on. Wipe rim with a paper towel dipped in the hot water, this will insure a tight seal. Grab one lid (that's the flat one) place on top, grab one ring and screw it on tight. I use a clean cloth towel.</p>
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<p> <strong>ONE</strong></p>
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<p> <strong>TWO</strong></p>
<p>As each jar is filled, put them on a towel out of the way. </p>
<p>Once all jars are filled and lidded. GENTLY lower them standing back into the hot water and let it come back to boil for 5 minutes. </p>
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<p>Remove, dry and let stand until cool. Out of any cold drafts, we don't want anything to crack.</p>
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<p> I know! Easy right? You'll get 6-8 oz jars of yield. That's a pretty fair return for little effort. </p>
<p> Wine jelly is a terrific condiment for savory cheeses, goes terrific with bagels and cream cheese, rye crackers...etc. Be your family's gourmet this holiday! </p>
<p>If you are so inclined, if you'd like to help out this poor man's blog. On the top of the site you'll see a PayPal button, any amount is greatly appreciated. Also, if you are considering buying anything off Amazon. On the right is a link. Anything you purchase, a small amount is given to support this blog. Thank you.</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Have a joyful season y'all</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Cooking poor, eating rich</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Ciao</p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20">Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-8831059384446847642013-11-13T11:27:00.000-08:002013-11-13T11:58:46.232-08:00It's November, it's 85F. Squash.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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And again. I took a long time away from the blog. My RWJ finally went full time and has taken up most of my focus sorry. I got bills. So do you. <br>
Dad did it again, grew some great produce that I must share. What you're looking at is "Buttercup" squash. Sorta punkiny kinda butternutty. Green on the outside and rich orange inside with an earthy and sweet character. Now sure I coulda done all kinds of crazy things, made gnocchi, filling for ravioli but my focus here is to think about what YOU might do with it. So quick bread is easy. Another master recipe you can use with any golden gourd-like squash, including pumpkin, turban, butternut etc...<br>
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<strong>Mise-en-place</strong><br>
Master formula<br>
PREHEAT OVEN TO 350F<br>
2 cups AP Flour<br>
2 tsp baking powder<br>
1/4 tsp baking soda<br>
1/2 tsp fine salt<br>
1/2 tsp ground ginger<br>
1/4 tsp ground cloves<br>
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg<br>
1 tsp ground cinnamon<br>
1 cup squash, puréed <br>
1 cup brown sugar<br>
2 large eggs<br>
1/3 cup cooking oil <br>
*optional<br>
1/2 cup chopped nuts ( I'm allergic so I didn't) <br>
1/2 cup dried fruit ( I used cranberry)<br>
The first order of business is to render our squash. Easy. Quarter, scoop out seeds and that gushy, thready gunk. Put the quarters into a large plastic bag with a splash of water. Pop it into the Microwave for about 10 minutes or until completely soft. Scoop out (don't burn yourself) and measure out one solid cup. Any left overs just freeze.<br>
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Sift together the flour, spices, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Set aside.<br>
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In a separate bowl. Combine squash, brown sugar and oil. Whisk together thoroughly. Add eggs and whisk until absorbed. <br>
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Add the dry ingredients in two additions. Mix thoroughly. Easy right? If using any or both optional ingredients add them NOW. I said NOW. <br>
Grease up one 9x5x3 inch loaf pan.<br>
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<br>
Dump the batter into the pan and bake for 50 to 60 minutes. Test with a knife or skewer, anything clings to it, let it go for a little more. <br>
Remove from oven and let it cool until no longer dangerous to handle, remove from pan. Let it sit until completely cool. Wrap and chill overnight before slicing up. I know it's hard to wait and sure you could eat this right away but this formula renders a really fluffy, crumbly product. If you do it my way it gets much more dense and moist.<span style="line-height: 1.3em;"> </span><br>
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<br>
Quick breads are a great way to send love without breaking the bank. Using a master formula gives you the foundation to experiment with your own ideas. There are no wrong answers. <br>
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Happy Autumn</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ciao</div>
<br>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-51349106713293901552013-07-08T17:59:00.000-07:002013-07-08T23:03:37.212-07:00Soft Shell Blue Crab and local beer. It's a fry heat.<p> </p>
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<p> I'm having a great summer. Yeah it's hot but you come to expect that here in Phoenix. Coyotes are staying put for now, they backed off the mass-transit strike and I spent the 4th with my folks so all-in-all can't complain. Now I got crabs....not those kind, yeesh. </p>
<p> Once a year the good Lord sees fit to make available one of the yummiest treats known to man. Soft shell crab. Immature freshly molted crustaceans. Usually something this pricey I would back away from for this blog but some jerk-wad ordered a bunch from my local butcher and then refused them. His loss my gain, usually they sell anywhere from 8 to 10 each but these needed to sell quick so I got them by weight at 9 a pound. See how having a good relationship with a supplier comes into play? Right. </p>
<p> What should I do? Maybe go Asian with a light tempura batter and Thai Curry? Maybe classic Cioppino? </p>
<p>OR...wait for it. We have a terrific local brewer called San-Tan that has a new seasonal. A light wheat Ale with Pineapple. Do some Midwest style corn on the cob and a Cajon style slaw? Sounds good right? </p>
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<p> Here's what we need.</p>
<p><strong>Soft Shell Blue Crab Sandwich with Cajon Cole Slaw</strong></p>
<p><strong>Mise-en-place</strong></p>
<p>8 or so soft shell crabs</p>
<p>2 1/4 cup flour</p>
<p>1 tsp Baking Powder</p>
<p>Salt and Pepper</p>
<p>2 12oz Beers</p>
<p>A quantity of Cajon Blackening Powder ( I make my own, we've covered this before) We're using it a lot today</p>
<p>Oil and a deep pot for frying</p>
<p>smallish head of Cabbage</p>
<p>1 red Bell Pepper, small dice</p>
<p>3 Green Onions, same</p>
<p>A jar of Mayonnaise, sure I could make my own but I'm not gonna</p>
<p>1 whole Lemon</p>
<p>Fresh Corn with husk, let's be real, it's everywhere this time of year</p>
<p>Corn's easy. I'm keeping it Midwestern style so once the shucks are removed put it in a pot with Milk, Water, salt, pepper, sugar and butter. Just do it. Bring it to a boil, drop the heat and just forget about it. </p>
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<p> The longer you let it sit, the better.</p>
<p><strong>Cajon Cole Slaw</strong></p>
<p>Basically it's a chopped salad isn't it?</p>
<p>Remove the core, cus yuck</p>
<p>Add your Pepper and Green Onion</p>
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<p> Stupid easy I know</p>
<p>Take about a Cup of the Mayo. Add 1TB of Blackening Powder, a few good splashes of Tobasco, some more of the same of Cider Vinegar, pinch of Salt and Pepper, pinch of Celery Seed some chopped Dill and combine.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p> Dump it over the chopped stuff and toss to coat. Let that sit for a spell, longer is better. </p>
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<p> See? It doesn't have to be fancy. </p>
<p> </p>
<p> Now we set up our fry station</p>
<p>We're using seasoned flour first so in a wide bowl add one cup flour with a good pinch of Salt and Pepper, to that add tsp of Cajon Blackening Powder, toss , set aside</p>
<p>For the batter, measure out 2 1/4 cups flour. One tsp Baking Powder. Good pinch of Salt. Combine. </p>
<p>Dump in both Beers, whisk thoroughly. </p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Let sit for about 60 minutes.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p> Get those crabs ready. Dry as much as you can with clean paper towel. We're frying, hot oil and water don't like each other. </p>
<p>For frying stuff like this I like a combination of oil and shortening. Any vegetable oil will do, just add an equal amount of Crisco. Sure, if you want to drag out your deep-fryer go ahead. I'm just gonna use this pot, so there. Betcha my clean up will be easier. Test the oil temp by dropping a speck of batter in. If it bubbles and floats immediately you are ready to go. </p>
<p>Frying is done in steps. Use your hands and be careful. </p>
<p>First coat the item in the seasoned flour, shake off any excess.</p>
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<p> Now dunk it into the batter</p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> let it drip for a second and lower low and slow into the oil.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p> It only takes a minute or so, then flip it over for another 30 seconds, remove to a plate lined with paper towels. Repeat. Don't rush and don't panic. Golden brown or nuthin'.</p>
<p> As an added bonus let's do an Aioli. Basically a special Mayonnaise. </p>
<p>A cup of Mayo</p>
<p>1 tsp grated Lemon peel</p>
<p>Juice of half a Lemon</p>
<p>Scant pinch salt</p>
<p>Big-ass pinch of Black Pepper</p>
<p>That'll be the spread for the sandwich. Cool.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p> </p>
<p> Done? Let's plate up. Grill your bun if ya wanna, or not, your call.</p>
<p> </p>
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<p> Now that's summer right there</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Cooking poor, eating rich</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Get your grub on </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Ciao</p>
<p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-81655483117979691432013-06-25T14:15:00.001-07:002013-06-26T14:46:23.240-07:00Girl Kryptonite. Chocolate.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Hi friends, been a while hasn't it.? Don't worry everything is just dandy. I've had a busy spring with my RWJ, a high school reunion, birthday, vacation but now it's summer and things have slowed down. <br />
Today I'm going to share a secret, ready? Chicks dig chocolate. Seriously, like even more than horses, shoes and unicorns. They should rename it "chickolate" Need a ticket out of the doghouse? Here ya go. <br />
It's also my Sister-in-law's birthday and this is her present from me. <br />
<strong>Almost Flourless Chocolate Torte:</strong><br />
<strong> </strong>Warning, while the prep for this is actually easy, the techniques used are fairly advanced. Read through the instructions a few times before you start and if I lose you, I'd be happy to provide clarification. I'm here to help. <br />
<strong>Mise-en-place</strong><br />
<strong>1 pound dark chocolate </strong><br />
<strong>4 whole eggs</strong><br />
<strong>1 TB sugar</strong><br />
<strong>1 TB flour</strong><br />
<strong>10 TB unsalted butter</strong><br />
<strong>10 oz's raspberries, frozen are just fine</strong><br />
<strong>One small pot for melting the chocolate and butter</strong><br />
<strong>One large pot with an inch or two of boiling water</strong><br />
<strong>One medium bowl for the eggs and sugar</strong><br />
<strong>Good large wire whisk</strong><br />
<strong>Rubber spatula</strong><br />
<strong>Spoon</strong><br />
<strong>9 inch cake pan, floured and buttered.</strong><br />
<strong>9 inch round of wax paper, butter one side and place it on the bottom, butter side up please.</strong><br />
<strong>Preheat oven to 425f</strong><br />
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A few tips. Chocolate hates water. Wash all your equipment the night before and let air-dry so there isn't even a trace of water on anything. <br />
When buying chocolate splurge a little, best you can afford. The chocolate we are using today is easy to find. It's labeled simply as "dark chocolate" or as 40% depending on where it's from. Do not use cookie chips, they spray those with food wax which is ok for Tollhouse but not for today ok?<br />
Last one, let your eggs come to room temperature and you'll get better results.<br />
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Ready? Here we go.<br />
Start heating up the large pot of water<br />
In your small pot combine your chocolate and butter and place over medium heat. Stir gently as it melts. Once smooth remove from heat completely.<br />
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In the large bowl whisk together the eggs and sugar over the boiling water. Just until warm. <br />
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And we're whisking....and whisking. Keep going, the eggs will start getting foamy, you'll have to keep checking the temperature, use your finger. If it gets too hot the eggs will curdle. It's better to go slow and warm. It's ok to remove it from the hot water, just keep whisking, do not stop. It will quadruple in volume and get fairly thick. Then you can stop. <br />
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Gently fold in the flour.<br />
Now we temper, we've done this before. Add 1/4 of the egg stuff into the chocolate off heat please, fold in gently.<br />
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Once completely stirred in, add the chocolate compound to the remaining egg mixture. Gently fold until completely incorporated. <br />
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And we're folding... 'Cus stirring would cause you to lose all that volume you just whisked into the eggs and that would be dumb.<br />
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Mmmmmm folding....<br />
Alrighty, is that oven ready? Better be. Pour the batter into the cake pan and gently smooth out the top. No tapping to remove air bubbles, 'cus like duhhhh.<br />
Put it into the oven and go wash stuff for 15 minutes. Remove from oven. It will still be fairly liquid. It's ok.<br />
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Let it cool just enough to be safe and wrap it tight in plastic. Put it in the freezer overnight.<br />
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Get some rest. I'll see you in the morning. <br />
First thing, take it out of the freezer. Just put it somewhere out of the way while you get your morning coffee. Let it come to room temperature. Remove the plastic and invert it onto a flat plate. If it fights coming out, use some hot water on the bottom of the pan, it should pop right out. <br />
It's kinda ugly looking right? We can fix that. If ya like go ahead and cover it with whipped cream. Today I am lucky enough to have a bit of imported cinnamon-infused chocolate. <br />
Same procedure as we did with the other chocolate. 4oz chocolate with 1 TB of butter. Melt slowly over lower heat. Once smooth just spread it on the top and sides. Easy right?<br />
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Off-set palette knives are our friends<br />
<br />
We need a sauce for this don't we? In a small pot heat up the raspberries with a scant pinch of salt, 2TB sugar and just a splash of water. If using frozen you might need less sugar, some come sweetened. Stir on simmer until all the fruit is broken down and press it through a fine wire mesh strainer. Done<br />
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To slice this, use a sharp, wet knife. Just wet the knife in cold water. Gently slice and plate. Keep in mind this is a very dense and rich cake so one serving is fairly thin. <br />
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Rich, uncious, dark chocolate. Guys, you got this. Happy Birthday Yvette!<br />
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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Get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-91428873980067647312013-03-29T11:54:00.000-07:002013-03-29T14:33:52.939-07:00Easter. Shhh It's Wabbit season.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iEPaqxpJd9k/UVYHMF59g0I/AAAAAAAACOc/3gNh5dHCf3E/s420/Photo%252520Mar%25252027%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A45%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iEPaqxpJd9k/UVYHMF59g0I/AAAAAAAACOc/3gNh5dHCf3E/s420/Photo%252520Mar%25252027%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525206%25253A45%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488105.0083" class="alignnone" alt="" width="420" height="316"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"> </div><p> </p><p>Here's the deal. I have a slightly evil sense of humor. I also really like pushing buttons. Put that together with my culinary sense of adventure and you end up with me doing the kid-hate inducing thing you should never <strong>EVER </strong>serve at Easter. Unless you're me. <br />
Rabbit used to be common. It still is in the mid-west but just mention it to most Americans and they'll make the ookie face. It's a good lean meat, try it. My version is Italian in origin and uses shallots, dry white wine and lovely fresh herbs. Really easy to do, you'll see. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: none;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7OGoB8rBMHY/UVYHND8cQbI/AAAAAAAACOk/ZxuNe9itXXI/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525208%25253A54%252520AM.jpg" target="_blank" style=""><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-7OGoB8rBMHY/UVYHND8cQbI/AAAAAAAACOk/ZxuNe9itXXI/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525208%25253A54%252520AM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488094.593" class="alignnone" alt="" width="500" height="373"></a></div><p> </p><p> First up, buy a rabbit. I have a source with our butcher at my real job so he brought some in for me. Have him ( or her ) divide it up for you. Point is, rabbit bones are murder on knife edges. I learned that the hard way years ago. Better the butcher's knives get the notches than yours. </p><p> </p><p><strong><em>Mise en Place</em></strong></p><p>One rabbit, divide all pieces into as many smaller pieces as possible. Bone in. </p><p><br />
Seasoned flour, salt, black pepper, pinch of Paprika</p><p><br />
Finely grated Parmesan</p><p> <br />
6 large Shallots, quartered</p><p>A piece or two of bacon or salt pork, no wrong answers</p><p>1 bottle dry white wine. Chardonnay, Fume Blanc...whatever ya got</p><p>Bunch of fresh Marjoram</p><p>Some Rosemary</p><p>Same with Oregano</p><p>Also Thyme</p><p>Remove leaves but save those stems, tie them together and add those to the pot later. Big fancy Chef word for today is <em>Bouquet garni. </em></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xov9uaDFD6Y/UVYHOnmEE6I/AAAAAAAACOs/aV3kkiov0oA/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A19%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xov9uaDFD6Y/UVYHOnmEE6I/AAAAAAAACOs/aV3kkiov0oA/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A19%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488121.0867" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div><p><em><br />
</em></p><p><em><br />
</em></p><p>Splash of Olive Oil<br />
Wide ribbon Pasta, pick one. </p><p>Start heating up your pan and add your pieces of pork belly, cook those alone for a couple minutes and add a splash of oil</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OqSt2HBe_y0/UVYHP0nxuoI/AAAAAAAACO0/3uouTny7rLk/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A50%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-OqSt2HBe_y0/UVYHP0nxuoI/AAAAAAAACO0/3uouTny7rLk/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A50%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488134.4297" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div><p> </p><p><br />
Combine the cheese with the seasoned flour. Dredge all pieces 'o' Peter Rabbit and shake off excess. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GEO_5ClrcGc/UVYHQ3tSMVI/AAAAAAAACO8/qpyLrJWEJsk/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A47%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-GEO_5ClrcGc/UVYHQ3tSMVI/AAAAAAAACO8/qpyLrJWEJsk/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A47%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488162.281" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-19eia6YtNCY/UVYHSFmOe5I/AAAAAAAACPE/0XC9b2EqmZo/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A50%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-19eia6YtNCY/UVYHSFmOe5I/AAAAAAAACPE/0XC9b2EqmZo/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%25252012%25253A50%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488173.2542" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div><p>Start browning off the bunny pieces. Light gold brown</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0P9ConqIeD0/UVYHTQA0wKI/AAAAAAAACPM/np6SVvT4_e8/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525201%25253A09%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0P9ConqIeD0/UVYHTQA0wKI/AAAAAAAACPM/np6SVvT4_e8/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525201%25253A09%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488132.3994" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div><p> </p><p>For now remove to the side. </p><p> </p><p>In the same pan dump in the shallots and start browning those off. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RDugWs2dTok/UVYHUU7Sg2I/AAAAAAAACPU/DZMJNirmKec/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525201%25253A23%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-RDugWs2dTok/UVYHUU7Sg2I/AAAAAAAACPU/DZMJNirmKec/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525201%25253A23%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488096.7031" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="374"></a></div><p>Put the rabbit pieces back add the herbs and dump in the wine to cover. We're braising aren't we? Make sure to scrape up the yummy brown stuff on the bottom of the pan. Check your seasoning ok?</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lSt3Q4Uk47M/UVYHV6QLYnI/AAAAAAAACPc/A1pBpn0y1Rg/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525201%25253A24%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lSt3Q4Uk47M/UVYHV6QLYnI/AAAAAAAACPc/A1pBpn0y1Rg/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525201%25253A24%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488086.387" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="374"></a></div><p> </p><p> </p><p>Thing is rabbit has some tough leg muscle as you might imagine and to make it edible a long cooking time is the order for the day. Bring to a good simmer, cover, and braise until tender. Depending on the size of your egg and jellybean shilling hasenpfeffer this can go anywhere from 45 minutes to an hour.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zUXi_RJn7H0/UVYHXT0a4aI/AAAAAAAACPk/Rs0cHJ7778M/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525201%25253A28%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-zUXi_RJn7H0/UVYHXT0a4aI/AAAAAAAACPk/Rs0cHJ7778M/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525201%25253A28%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488140.894" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="373"></a></div><p> That's ok, gives us time to par-cook the pasta. Boil, drain..blah blah. Gently add the pasta to the pan. Toss lightly.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h3zEmqaRwlI/UVYHYpSiGpI/AAAAAAAACPs/Ft7BW6EH-6s/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525202%25253A09%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-h3zEmqaRwlI/UVYHYpSiGpI/AAAAAAAACPs/Ft7BW6EH-6s/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525202%25253A09%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488125.4106" class="aligncenter" alt="" width="500" height="669"></a></div><p> </p><p> Plate up and garnish with any herbs you have left over. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yinkQZJwS7I/UVYHZ9DJwZI/AAAAAAAACP0/HXBo4HRsSFM/s1024/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525202%25253A15%252520PM.jpg" target="_blank" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-yinkQZJwS7I/UVYHZ9DJwZI/AAAAAAAACP0/HXBo4HRsSFM/s500/Photo%252520Mar%25252029%25252C%2525202013%25252C%2525202%25253A15%252520PM.jpg" id="blogsy-1364592488183.887" class="aligncenter" width="500" height="669" alt=""></a></div><p><br />
Let the kids know what they're eating maybe AFTER they hunt for eggs.</p><p style="text-align: center;">Have a blessed and peaceful Easter</p><p style="text-align: center;">Cooking poor, eating rich</p><p style="text-align: center;">Get your grub on</p><p style="text-align: center;">Ciao </p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p style="text-align: left;"> </p><p> </p><div style="text-align: right; font-size: small; clear: both;" id="blogsy_footer"><a href="http://blogsyapp.com" target="_blank"><img src="http://blogsyapp.com/images/blogsy_footer_icon.png" alt="Posted with Blogsy" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-right: 5px;" width="20" height="20" />Posted with Blogsy</a></div>Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-961796702100797212013-03-04T12:57:00.000-08:002013-03-04T12:57:31.762-08:00Surviving Lent with prostitutes and anchovies. Puttanesca<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Who said dinner during Lent has to be boring? </div>
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This dish is one of my all-time favorites. It's got a great story behind it. In Italian <i>Puttanesca</i> means "whore" isn't that a scream? The story is that this was prepared afterwards to fortify the "customer" before his journey home to the wife. It's a simple, salty, peppery dish of easy to find items in any Italian kitchen. So easy it takes less than an hour to make. Time is money, for prostitutes and Chefs alike. </div>
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If you don't like Anchovies you're in big trouble. </div>
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<b>Chef Nick does Pasta alla Puttanesca</b></div>
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<b>Mise-en-place</b></div>
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1 pound of pasta, any shape you like but I prefer Linguine or another strand type</div>
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about 8 or so fresh Tomatoes</div>
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3 cloves garlic, smooshed</div>
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4 Anchovy fillets </div>
some chopped up Kalamata Olives<br />
1-2 TB of Capers, chopped.<br />
big pinch of red chili flakes<br />
any appropriate fresh herbs, I like Oregano<br />
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First step, de-seeding the Tomatoes. Most recipes don't have this step but I just don't like the look of all those seeds floating around in my sauce, if it doesn't bother you then skip ahead. All you need is to core first then cut in half. Squeeze gently over a wire-mesh strainer to remove seeds. This sounds wacky but it's a trick I learned from my old boss Paul Poblate. The flavor of Tomato is actually in the gel that surrounds the seeds, so whenever you remove seeds, strain out the liquid and add it back in at some point. Brightens the whole dish.<br />
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and just assemble the rest of your ingredients. </div>
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Now some friendly words about Anchovies. </div>
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I grew up on Anchovies. It's an Italian thing. The salty-fishy-hairy stuff was always a big treat whenever the family got together. I'll just never-ever understand why it generates so much hate. It's a small fish from the Mediterranean that is then dried in salt and packed in oil. It's terrific and such a big part of this dish you just can't make it without. I eat them right out of the can. I also refuse to order pizza from a place that doesn't have this as an option. Seriously. Please, give them a chance. Sing with me. <i>Anchovies Anchovies, they're so delicious, I loves 'em better than all the other fishes. </i><br />
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Yes, please cook off the pasta before-hand. This sauce is so quick you'll need it fast.<br />
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Next to your stove you have something that looks like this...<br />
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Heat up a large pan. HOT if you can't touch it, it's ready. Add a splash of Olive Oil, then the garlic. </div>
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Toss it around and add the Chili Pepper flakes. Be careful not to burn, just take it the point you start to see some color on the garlic. Then add the Anchovy. It will start to dissolve almost instantly. </div>
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Add all the Tomatoes with a good pinch of Black Pepper and a scant pinch of Salt (you don't need much 'cus, yeah Capers and Anchovy have a ton of salt already)</div>
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We are still on high heat, the Tomatoes will start to break down (if you saved your tomato gel, add it now) </div>
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Just watch now, once the Tomato stops looking like just chopped Tomato, add the Capers and Olives and any fresh herbs, again, I used Oregano. Still on high heat. Let that all cook down to remove as much water as you can, turn down heat to low. </div>
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Here's why it's smart to pre-cook the pasta. Unlike Americans, Italians know that you add the pasta to the sauce, all that carry-over heat will force the sauce into the pasta and Italian cooking is all about getting the most out of everything. Another good tip, add a splash of the pasta water into your pan. </div>
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That's it friends. Plate that up. Italians always-always-always have bread on hand. Garnish with some chopped herbs if ya like. Admit it, you'd visit a prostitute if you knew you'd get served this after. </div>
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-27079822979352283902013-02-22T13:51:00.000-08:002013-02-22T14:08:42.138-08:00It's Lent. Meatless Fridays. Welsh Rarebit. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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I go old-school. I'm a good Catholic boy so on Ash Wednesday I turn my thoughts and heart to a quiet and deep contemplation of what it is to be one of God's creations. That, and I have many-many fond memories of my Dad making this cheesy, savory dish for our meatless Fridays.<br />
A true gem among all the rubbish that is English cuisine. GOD that hurt to type. I mean really, English??? Yes really. Here's a story.<br />
The legend is that this dish originated among the servants of the English manor-houses during the 16th and 17th centuries. Day-old bread and dry, sharp English Cheddar were combined with beer, mustard and herbs and here we are today with this lovely plate of scrumptiousness. There is no reason or rhyme to the word "rarebit" it seems to be a dig against the Welsh servants but as to it's meaning I gather nobody knows.<br />
It's an open-faced grilled-cheese sandwich with a whisk of beer and mustard. I dare you to hate it. I double-dog dare you. I triple-dog....heck, never mind. Here we go.<br />
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Chef Nick Does Welsh Rarebit. <i>No this isn't the promised rabbit dish, that's next month</i><br />
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<i><b>Mise-en-place</b></i><br />
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A loaf of good and crusty day-old bread. Sliced thick on the bias.<br />
1 English beer, 12 oz. The bulk produced American crap just won't do as they are made from gnat piss. Use a micro-brewed Ale or a good English Ale like Newcastle.<br />
1 TB dry mustard<br />
1 1/2 cup of good sharp Cheddar, shredded (<i>for 2 NTYC points, tell me where Cheddar gets it's color from, no google)</i><br />
3 TB butter<br />
1 TB flour<br />
1/2 cup warm milk<br />
1 splash of Worcestershire (I'm going to abbreviate this as WS for the rest of the day, it's too hard to spell ok?)<br />
1 good pinch of dried ground Paprika<br />
1 good pinch Cayenne Pepper<br />
fresh ground Black-Pepper<br />
1 egg yolk, fresh and lightly whisked<br />
some chopped Parsley about a TB or so<br />
fresh Chives, snipped. That's our garnish<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">snipped? yessir</td></tr>
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and just for us Catholics maybe some smoked Salmon.<br />
To make this more a non-Lenten dish maybe some smoked Ham.<br />
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Equipment.<br />
grill pan<br />
sauce pan<br />
brush<br />
whisk<br />
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Alongside any cruciferous vegetable like Broccoli, Cauliflower, or just a cold salad of baby-greens or Watercress. Prepare anyway you like. I'm roasting mine in butter. Yes, butter. <br />
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This is old territory, we've seen this sauce sorta before. It's a lot like <i>Bechamel </i>but it's beer based. Isn't that wonderful? Also pay attention to the ratio for the <i>Roux</i>.<br />
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Melt the butter in a largish deep pot<br />
once all melted whisk in the flour to make a Roux<br />
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add the spices<br />
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Whisk in the milk.<br />
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Drop down to medium heat. Add the beer.<br />
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Keep whisking and you will notice a gentle thickening. Drop your heat to lower-medium. Take up a small amount of the sauce and whisk it gently into your egg-yolk. This is called <i>tempering</i>. Whisk that back into the rest, this will make a nice shiny and thick base.<br />
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Add your cheese and a dash of WS. Once all the cheese is melted add the Parsley.<br />
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That's it really.<br />
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You got that bread sliced thick right?<br />
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Brush both sides with melted butter and place on a hot grill-pan. Flip over and toast the other side and set aside. For a little bit extra I added a small piece of smoked Salmon on top the bread. Eating fish on Fridays during Lent is an old tradition. If you want to hear how that came about just send me a message.<br />
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Cover the bread slices with the sauce<br />
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and garnish with a sprinkle of Chives. This is a wonderfully satisfying and savory dish wether you're celebrating Lent or not. From prep to plate the whole thing takes maybe an hour. You got that kinda time, I know you do.<br />
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cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-22871670086343836362013-02-08T14:47:00.000-08:002013-02-08T20:07:01.252-08:00Lactose Intolerance be danged. Mac-n-cheese. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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There's a pill for that anyway.<br />
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Here's the thing. I was chattin' away with an old buddy of mine when he let slip that he still likes the instant-crappy evil blue box version of mac-n-cheese. Full of orangey (new word?) toxic death. After some mocking it occurred to me that HECK I make a pretty good mac-n-cheese. Perfect dish for this time of year. On the other hand, I am really really really lactose intolerant. That's a new thing for me, time was I could eat my weight in dairy and then I hit 40 and it all went to heck. I don't care, it hasn't stopped me. The bloating is totally worth it.<br />
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I also got some terrific looking Brussels Sprouts from the market. That's the side for the day.<br />
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Sure, this may sound like the fussy-chef version but heck if you want the best, use the best. The cool thing about Mac-n-cheese is how easy and variable it is. You can add or subtract any number of ingredients. As long as the basic formula is met, everything else is fair game.<br />
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Today I've got some Tomatoes from the garden, some Chipotle, one Shallot and a head of Roasted Garlic. I'll be using my favorite combination of cheeses, Gruyere and aged White Cheddar. If you've got a favorite combo, then by all means.<br />
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First things first though. I trimmed up the Sprouts, tossed with oil, salted and peppered added some fresh Rosemary and garlic powder. Wrapped loosely in foil and threw them on the grill.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">the only way to make Brussels Sprouts</td></tr>
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Also, sliced the tops off the head of garlic, drizzled with a little oil,<br />
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wrapped that up and it joined the Sprouts.<br />
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In a little bit (40 minutes or so at 400) pulled 'em off. Done.<br />
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Let the garlic head cool before squeezing out all the love. I didn't and now I've burnt my fingers. I used about 1 TB and reserved the rest for another day.<br />
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CHEF NICK'S MAC-N-CHEESE: geesh finally<br />
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<u>mise-en-place</u><br />
1/2 pound large pasta (I used Cellentani) Par-cooked<br />
2 cups whole milk, heated<br />
1/2 stick butter (yes, butter)<br />
equal amount White Flour<br />
1 cup of shredded cheese. Again I use Gruyere and aged White Cheddar so half-half<br />
big pinch of Black Pepper<br />
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in addition<br />
1 minced Shallot<br />
1 chopped up Chipotle<br />
some large diced fresh Tomato<br />
1 TB roasted Garlic<br />
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For the top<br />
1 cup bread-crumbs<br />
some grated either Parmesan or Romano cheese<br />
melted butter<br />
mix those together, easy<br />
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Of course we cook the noodles before-hand. I like the ones that look like piggy tails. They hold the sauce beautifully. Drain and set aside.<br />
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Here's a thing. The sauce we are about to make is classic <b>Mornay. </b>It's French. Remember that the next time you make fun of France. It starts as <b>Bechamel</b>, we add cheese. <i>Voila</i>. </div>
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Is there anything better than melted Butter? No, not really. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFxqxfW6ZYY/URVwH_5nP2I/AAAAAAAACF4/gChTJNjDQuM/s1600/IMG_0635.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tFxqxfW6ZYY/URVwH_5nP2I/AAAAAAAACF4/gChTJNjDQuM/s320/IMG_0635.JPG" width="239" /></a>In a big deep pot, melt the butter over high heat. Drop to medium and add the minced Shallot. </div>
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Toss for a bit and add the Flour. Stir around until it stops smelling starchy. </div>
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That's called a <b>ROUX</b>. Add the milk a little at a time. If you heat the milk like say, in the micro-wave you get less lumps. Use a whisk and keep going. </div>
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If you can drag across the back of the spoon with your finger it's good. We call that NAPE. </div>
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Season with salt and pepper. Add the Chipotle and Garlic. Stir. </div>
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Turn off the heat. Keep whisking until everything comes together into a cheesy smooth pot of goodness. Add the noodles.</div>
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Using a spatula toss them together, next add the Tomatoes. let them get to know each other. </div>
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Whisper sweet words into the pot. Say "I love you." and "My Momma loves you." </div>
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<i>"You know who doesn't love you??? All the jack-hats who think that the crap in that blue box is edible" </i>Sean? </div>
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Put the cover on the pot and put into a 400 degree oven for 30 minutes. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlgDjOXLjpg/URV0yxO5rnI/AAAAAAAACGw/WZDj6W3-l7c/s1600/IMG_0647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="244" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PlgDjOXLjpg/URV0yxO5rnI/AAAAAAAACGw/WZDj6W3-l7c/s320/IMG_0647.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Take out and un-cover. Top with the bread-crumb stuff and put it back in the oven to brown on top (uncovered). This took maybe another 10-15 minutes for me. Keep an eye on it. Pull it out. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">glows like the sun</td></tr>
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YOU let the people behind the blue box tell you that their orange crap was the real deal.</div>
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I'm here to tell you that you can do better. Yes you can. Today we win. </div>
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Here's the thing. Macaroni and Cheese starts with maybe five ingredients. The blue box folks added 20 on top of that. I call bullshit. </div>
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-61178849306130076432013-01-28T16:22:00.001-08:002013-01-28T16:22:03.059-08:00HOCKEY IS BACK !!...and oh yeah, the Super Bowl. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XB8Gpnvu6_U/UQXe036t9FI/AAAAAAAAB9g/nqbX3KGEz0c/s1600/Phoenix_Coyotes3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XB8Gpnvu6_U/UQXe036t9FI/AAAAAAAAB9g/nqbX3KGEz0c/s640/Phoenix_Coyotes3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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I have to admit, I'm not an NFL fan. I know, something is very wrong with me. All I see are 2 minutes of action followed by 10 minutes of talk and commercials. Hockey on the other hand, now that's a sport. Speed, power, blood and sweat. GO COYOTES !!! ahem. Yes this coming Sunday is the greatest and most American of holidays. Super-Bowl Sunday. This week's post is about my version of the greatest sports-snack ever created. The Chicken Wing. Except; and oh yes, we're going to make it just a bit more fantastic AND learn a new trick or two. Here we go.<br />
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NICK'S STUFFED RED WINGS !!! Didja see how I slipped a hockey reference in there? So clever.<br />
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These don't suck. Unlike Detroit.<br />
<i>(2 "Nick Thinks You're Cool Points" if you know where I got this formula from) </i><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_76Q1UXoAJk/UQbOxGJvcXI/AAAAAAAAB-M/IfB9mcIznMo/s1600/IMG_0564.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_76Q1UXoAJk/UQbOxGJvcXI/AAAAAAAAB-M/IfB9mcIznMo/s200/IMG_0564.JPG" width="149" /></a><b>For the sauce</b><br />
Mise-en-place (hey that rhymes)<br />
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2 TB Sesame Oil<br />
1/4 cup Chili Oil<br />
3/4 cup Vegetable Oil<br />
1 cup Ketchup<br />
1 cup Powdered Sugar<br />
1-2 hot peppers, minced up<br />
2 cloves crushed garlic<br />
2 Green Onions minced<br />
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Combine all in a medium pot, bring to a simmer and reduce by half.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a shimmering pot of love</td></tr>
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1 Green Onion sliced neatly* for garnish<br />
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<b>For the filling</b><br />
Mise-en-place<br />
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chunk of Cream Cheese, beaten until lightened. Let it come to room temp and just whack it with a spoon in a bowl a whole bunch of times<br />
minced green onions<br />
Just mix these two together and set aside<br />
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<b>For the Wings</b><br />
Mise-en-place<br />
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If you have a good relationship with your butcher, get him to reserve the entire wing-joint. The tip I would usually tell you to trim off and reserve for the stock-pot but with our method today we need the tip as a handy handle. Hey, if you can't, then the winglets will still work they just won't be as dramatic.<br />
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Beaten Egg Whites, just until a little past foamy<br />
a quantity of Corn Starch in a wide container<br />
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a deep pot full of oil for frying, 400 degrees<br />
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Garlic Salt<br />
Black Pepper<br />
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Take the bones out.....whistles a little bit...Oh what? Well sure I'll show you how that works<br />
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XxSpEN9Fp68/UQbbdrX2O1I/AAAAAAAAB_I/1UAgeCUEl-g/s1600/IMG_0567.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XxSpEN9Fp68/UQbbdrX2O1I/AAAAAAAAB_I/1UAgeCUEl-g/s200/IMG_0567.JPG" width="198" /></a>grab a clean, dry towel and a sharp knife. Let's go nuts. On the end, make a smooth but firm cut all the way around the joint. There are two bones with a strong tendon between them, slice that first. Stick your fingers under the skin GENTLY and slowly wriggle down. It's actually really easy just don't rush.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">chicken wing finger puppet</td></tr>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JGrE0EwRDnI/UQbcdaUC0-I/AAAAAAAAB_Y/m4aURArtis8/s1600/IMG_0569.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-JGrE0EwRDnI/UQbcdaUC0-I/AAAAAAAAB_Y/m4aURArtis8/s200/IMG_0569.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
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Yep, you CAN do the same with the drummettes but I'm not gonna, it's a bitch.<br />
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Now stuff the cavity you just made and gather a portion of the end to cover and set aside. Use a piping bag if you got one, otherwise, fingers work.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DUIOmChiVL8/UQb_EfdLyuI/AAAAAAAACAE/8MDCU2nq8nw/s1600/IMG_0570.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DUIOmChiVL8/UQb_EfdLyuI/AAAAAAAACAE/8MDCU2nq8nw/s200/IMG_0570.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
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Season the outside with the black pepper and garlic salt.<br />
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Refrigerate for a bit before the fry part, that will help prevent "flashing"...that's when the stuff inside leaks outside and we don't want that.<br />
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Heat up your frying oil. Dip the wing in the egg-whites and then dredge with the corn-starch<br />
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and immediately drop into the hot oil.<br />
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They won't take long, the wings will cook fast, the drummetts a little longer. Don't crowd the pot. Take them out and let them drain on a plate lined with paper towels.<br />
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Here's the cool part. Heat up the sauce. Dump into a wide bowl and toss those chicken wangs around.<br />
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Garnish with sliced Green Onions. Serve. Big bite of bird with the cream-cheese and onion. Next with a succulent mouthful of bird flesh off the bone. Doesn't get better than that.<br />
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LET'S GO COYOTES</div>
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-75936758210206995722013-01-18T22:33:00.000-08:002013-01-18T22:33:54.119-08:00The 50th article. Gratitude. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Yes, that's right, it's my 50th time reaching out to you. As it so happens I have a story to tell.<br />
Something happened to me this week, something wonderful. I'm struggling with words to tell you because nothing I can say will convey how overwhelmed I'm feeling today.<br />
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As I was leaving for work this morning I spied a package sitting by the side-gate. I took it inside and opened it. The contents are the subject of the picture above, a purple Chef Coat. There's a letter, here it is in it's entirety.<br />
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<i> Dear Nick</i><br />
<i> We're sorry this didn't make it for Christmas but the embroidery took longer than we thought. We just wanted to send you something that would let you know how much we love you. You never forget our birthdays, you check up on us when we're down, you call us out of the blue to make us smile. You are always so positive and encouraging even in the worst times and we just wanted to say thank you. We know this last year was tough on you but please, keep smiling. </i><br />
<i> A bunch of us</i><br />
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No names, but if I know anything I know it was the WHS RAMS. Purple Pride!!<br />
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Now a few words of my own. You came to me during one of the worst times of my life. Each one of you is a treasure beyond price. You raise me up and give me joy everyday. I wouldn't have made it through without your friendship. Truly. I owe you all so much. Yes, the last few years have been hard for so many of us but I truly believe that if we stick together we will yet see our best days.<br />
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I'm going to wear this jacket with great pride. I'm a WHS RAM class of '84 and I'm feeling darn well blessed and magnificent today. A thousand times THANK YOU!! GO RAMS GO !!<br />
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-13574729807440707822013-01-12T15:22:00.001-08:002013-02-08T19:54:30.246-08:00A little Thai, a little 1950's era American diner...sure<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Holiday leftovers. No no no, don't close the page, stick around, it's ok really. </div>
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Just like you I have a freezer full of turkey carcass and stuffing. Yes, I could make turkey soup, I love turkey soup. I could make turkey tetrazzini (also called turkey spaghetti) except I'm not going to.<br />
What I'm going to do is grab some coconut milk, lemon grass and ginger and make something new; and I hope, wonderful.<br />
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I like Thai, I like everything about it. Complex and contrasting flavors with exotic spices. I also truly love classic American grub. Born out of necessity with roots in all the diverse cultures and places our immigrant ancestors came from.<br />
I was contemplating a traditional Thai coconut curry soup with turkey instead of the usual shrimp and blah-blah. I was also thinking of using some of the recipes from my collection of old cookbooks dating back to early and middle 20th century. Then it hit me. Use both, why not? <i>WELL??? </i>Right.<br />
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<b>Turkey Croquette islands in a Thai Curry ocean.</b><br />
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Yes, you'll need to make turkey-broth. Just get as much of the flesh off before-hand and reserve (2 cups), we'll need that later. All those cooked bones, throw in a pot with mirepoix and water. Won't take long. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer. Got some herb stems lying around? Super, use those to.<br />
<i>OH BUT NICK WHAT'S THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THIS AND STOCK</i>? Simply, stock is made from raw bones, broth is made from cooked.<br />
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Once all the mirepoix is translucent, strain out with the bones and reserve the liquid part of the program. <br />
Hey look, if you don't have any bones but just left-over turkey flesh, just use some chicken or vegetable stock, it's fine really. I hope you have as much as I have, it came to about 6 cups. Anything you don't use, freeze.<br />
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Now some words about the Thai stuff.<br />
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<b>Curry</b>. Yes you think India invented curry. Here's the truth. The word <b>Curry</b> comes from an ancient, south-eastern Asian language, it literally means <i>"A blend of some shit we made because all the blue-eyed barbarians said they wanted something spicy but they didn't really mean it so now we're stuck with this crap." </i>Or something close to it. I might have translated wrong.<br />
It contains Turmeric, Cardamom, Cumin, Coriander, Chili-powder. Use whatever ratio works best for you. Because I'm doing Thai I'd use more of the Coriander and Cardamom than I usually do. If you have access to Thai red-curry where you are then sure, use it. I did.<br />
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Lemon-Grass. WTF is this? It's an Asian herb that contains a terrific amount of <i>citronella</i>. Looks like a small stalk of bamboo and is getting pretty easy to find in most grocery stores. Smells and tastes more lemony than lemons. Also it repels mosquitoes. That's important somehow. Anyway....<br />
Look for firm and fresh green stalks. If the outer sheathes are brown and wrinkled then it just sucks. We're only using the big white ends but save the greener parts, still lots of flavor there and while inedible you can throw those in the soup and retrieve later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thai soup mise-en-place</td></tr>
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Coconut milk. Not really milk, no cows involved but it's easy to find in the canned form. You'll need two. Cans, not cows.<br />
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1 large onion, julienne<br />
2 peeled carrots, cut on the bias<br />
2 stalks celery, same<br />
1 red Bell pepper cut into thin strips<br />
1 green-onion, sliced thin<br />
The diced peel and juice of 1 Lime<br />
1-2 small hot peppers, if you can find Thai peppers great, if you can't just use Serrano or Jalapeno ok? Just chop those up, seeds and all. I WANT NOSES TO RUN!! If you don't, please omit.<br />
I also used some Snow-Peas but a handful of baby spinach is good too<br />
some chopped up fresh Cilantro<br />
about 1 TB grated fresh ginger<br />
same for minced Lemon-Grass<br />
1 TB Red Curry paste (or more if you're completely nuts) I'm completely and totally nuts.<br />
some Kosher salt<br />
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First up, heat up a big pot. Add some oil and all at once dump in the vegetables, except for the snow-peas. A pinch of salt would be a good thing to add here.<br />
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We want to leave some texture and crunch for later. Sweat those around for just a bit, add the red curry paste, lemon-grass and ginger. Add in the lime peel and juice. Next add the stock, let that come up to a near boil.<br />
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Add the coconut milk and maybe a whole stalk of lemon-grass.<br />
Let simmer for maybe 20 minutes. Again, Thai is a cuisine of contrasts so we don't want mushy vegetables.<br />
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Add the chopped hot pepper.<br />
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Let it go for another five and add the snow-peas. You got any fresh cilantro? Add it now.<br />
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Take off heat, our carry-over heat is going to do the work for us. We move on.<br />
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<b>CROQUETTES </b>didn't see that coming did you?<br />
Time was mid-20th century there wasn't an American diner that didn't have croquettes. What are they? Well they are a great way to use up left-overs. They utilize chopped up meats and starches and can include almost anything. Usually meat and old mashed potato. Today of course I've got Turkey and Stuffing. I KNOW, RIGHT??? Who doesn't love stuffing. It's then egged, breaded and fried. For some wacky reason my Chef brain kept putting the flavors of the traditional Holiday Turkey dinner together with Thai. No, I don't know why.<br />
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2 cups finely-chopped up left over Turkey<br />
2 cups left over stuffing<br />
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salt and pepper<br />
1 egg for the mix, 2 eggs beaten for coating<br />
a wide shallow bowl of bread-crumbs<br />
a pot for frying and some oil<br />
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Easy stuff, think of these as meatballs 'cus they kinda are. Or maybe they're meat donut-holes. Finely chop up the meat part, the finer the better. Stir together with the Stuffing, if you got any fresh Parsley around chop it up and add it, check seasoning. Mix around with one egg. That's our binding agent.<br />
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Heat up a pot of frying fat, either oil, shortening....whatever<br />
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Roll up into balls, doesn't have to be perfect. Roll in bread-crumbs, dip in egg and roll in bread-crumbs again. Fry up until dark brown. Set aside. did you get that? We roll in crumbs, then egg, then crumbs again. THEN fry.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">look how pretty</td></tr>
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Grab a bowl. Add a ladle of Thai, introduce some of our American croquettes. Let them say "howdy."<br />
I just can't get over how well the curry-coconut thing works with the American turkey-and-stuffing thing.<br />
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Eat up.<br />
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here we are with just some left-overs and our imagination.<br />
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-55262161174977517652013-01-03T16:14:00.000-08:002013-01-04T07:42:14.886-08:00Beans for luck in 2013. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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We made it through 2012 my friends. Another year done and in the books. There is an old tradition to serve beans early in the new year. Beans symbolize potential growth and luck for the new year. Great way to use up that Christmas ham-bone, grab a tug of herbs from your winter garden, some aromatics and go nuts. You <i>DID</i> save that ham-bone didn't you?<br />
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<b>HAPPY NEW YEAR WHITE BEAN AND HAM SOUP.</b><br />
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Mise-en-place<br />
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1 ham-bone. Trim as much flesh off as you can. Reserve until later. If it's not perfectly bare, that's just fine.<br />
Mirepoix. Carrots, celery, onion.<br />
fresh clove garlic<br />
handfuls of whatever fresh herbs you have lying around, today I have some Cilantro, Rosemary and Basil but Sage, Thyme, Parsley, all work. No wrong answers.<br />
2-3 dry Bay-leaf<br />
2 pounds of rinsed, dried great northern beans.<br />
maybe some spicy sausage, I did today but you don't have to. I had some Cajon Andouille.<br />
Dry Sherry (hey, if you don't have Sherry, use a touch of dry Vermouth or nothing at all, it's ok)<br />
One big pot<br />
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If you have time, soak the beans overnight in water. If you don't (and I don't) you can cheat.<br />
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Rinse off the beans in a colander, pick out anything that looks weird.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Can I just say how much I love my French enameled colander? </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">check out the long-handled wooden spoon I got for Christmas</td></tr>
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Dump all beans into your pot and fill with 3 times the volume with water (1 pound is 16 oz, three times the volume is..?) . Put in 1/2 Onion, skin on. Some Carrot ends, Celery ends. Some of the Herb stems. Bring it up to boiling. Add that ham-bone and immediately take off heat and let it sit for 3 hours. Yes, three hours, it's a lot shorter than over-night isn't it?<br />
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FUN FACTS about beans. All Legumes contain complex carbohydrates and simple proteins. If you combine them with another complex carb' they make a complete protein. That's why Mom gave us whole wheat bread with our peanut-butter. That's why, down-south they do beans and rice. That's why in Asia, it's soybeans and rice. Neat huh?<br />
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While your beans are soaking, medium dice up the mirepoix. Also smoosh up that garlic clove. Mince up those herbs. Get some Black Pepper ready. This is really just a chop and dump.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">herbs and mirepoix</td></tr>
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Dig out the vegetable scraps and herb stems from the pot, discard. Reserve the ham-bone. Turn the heat on high. What that soaking did was create a big pot of ham-and-bean stock. It also allowed those beans to soften and that reduces our cooking time by like a million years. Seriously, a million. Dinosaurs would evolve into pigeons in the amount of time it would take otherwise.<br />
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If you're adding some spicy sausage to stretch this out, just chop it up and brown off in a large, wide pan. Remove to paper towels and let drain. Reserve until later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Browned Andouille</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qOSaviHwPAo/UOYXOsq3McI/AAAAAAAAB04/oSK-hpA2l00/s1600/IMG_0475.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qOSaviHwPAo/UOYXOsq3McI/AAAAAAAAB04/oSK-hpA2l00/s320/IMG_0475.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">did I mention the long-handled wooden spoon I got for Christmas? </td></tr>
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Your pot is getting hot now isn't it? Add those dried Bay-leaves now. Once you reach boiling, check the surface, if you see any brown scum gathering on the surface, remove with a sharp-sided spoon and make it go away. Add all the vegetables. Take back down to a long, slow simmer. Add the herbs and a big pinch of cracked black pepper.<br />
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Notice I haven't said anything about salt yet? Ham is our salt today. Didn't see that coming did you?<br />
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Simmer until beans are done, maybe 2 hours. Grab one or two and smear between your fingers (hands are the best tools)<br />
If they smear with no resistance they're done. If you have any scraps of Ham from the bone, add now. Add the sausage and turn off heat. Stir. Shhh add a scant handful of rice while still simmering to maximize the protein. It'll be our secret. Let it cook for another 20 minutes or so.<br />
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HEY Nick !! What about the Sherry? I didn't forget. Add a glug to the pot just before serving. Stir some more.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RynuA-zJjg/UOYYM4RpsII/AAAAAAAAB1E/gfk2D98sWnM/s1600/IMG_0477.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-5RynuA-zJjg/UOYYM4RpsII/AAAAAAAAB1E/gfk2D98sWnM/s320/IMG_0477.JPG" width="271" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">add the Sherry</td></tr>
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Maybe a bit right on top the bowl. Garnish with a sprig of fresh herb. Serve with some good crusty bread. It's my hug to you across the miles.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">it's good now, even better the next day</td></tr>
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My friends, I bid you much joy and prosperity for 2013. Whatever comes next, at the very least we are...<br />
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..Cooking poor, eating rich </div>
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Get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-4843385628444058362012-12-22T22:55:00.000-08:002012-12-24T21:38:42.272-08:00 How the WHS RAMS saved Christmas. It's a wonderful life. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Before I begin, let me say that this post contains no recipes, cooking advice or food science. What it does contain are my feeble efforts to communicate a wonderful thing that I experienced. Also, I'm not a photographer so some of the pictures are blurry. I hope they convey some of the wonder of a very special night.<br />
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Like a lot of people on Facebook I have become re-acquainted with many of the people I went to High School with and luckily I still live in the same city so I get to see them frequently. They have been a great blessing to me in the tough times we have all experienced in this last handful of years.<br />
About a month ago one of our alumni; Mary, posted a plea for help. She works with foster kids that are approaching the age when they will be let out of the system, she helps them get food, clothing and above all, she gives them love. I wish I was half the human she is.<br />
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<b>The Following are her words. </b><br />
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px;">My dear WHS peeps. Thank you for taking a moment to read this, it will give you an idea what I am up against. I run a program for teenagers who are in or aging out of the foster care system. Our Holiday party is December 20 at 5:30. We have 300 kids in our program, we will hopefully get at least 1/2 of them there for a home cooked meal. It is the one time of year that I try to go all out, to have fresh baked goods, because they always get day old out of a box in their groups homes etc. We have several kiddos that are homeless or couch surfing, so we pack as many to go containers as there is food left to be sure that they get through the weekend. We qualify for the working poor tax credit, so a married couple can donate 400.00 to us that goes directly to gift cards for the kiddos and you ge<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline;">t it ALL back in your AZ tax refund, as this is a dollar for dollar tax credit. You also get the deduction on the federal return, so you actually make money by donating. A single person can donate 200 and get it ALL back. We need gift cards to fast food places, target, wal mart and ross, places that we can stretch the dollars, what we come up with is the only gifts that these kiddos get. The clothing allowance for a young person in foster care is 150. a YEAR!! This includes shoes, socks, bras etc...When you think about that for a moment you cant help but know that there is something you can do to make a difference in the life of a child.... we have to try to get them gifts that help fill in the gaps. We would be so grateful for anything and everything that you would like to do! The meal and gift giving is December 20 at 5:30 on Tatum and Paradise and it will be a very fun and crazy night!!</span></span> </b><br />
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All I did, really, was to say I would be there. I have loads of catering experience so I hoped I could at least be useful. That, and I "shared" her message on some of out local alumni pages. I then sent an E-mail to my old boss, Steve Short at Atlasta Catering where I used to work to ask his advice on what to do. </div>
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He sent back a reply that I truly was not expecting. "You can count on us for anything you need. Turkey, stuffing, vegetables, just let me know." More about that later.</div>
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As the date approached I called again, it's his busiest time of year so I knew it was a lot to ask to just give away a bunch of food. I was really only asking for maybe a Cambro (for those who don't know that's an insulated container that caterers use to keep food hot.) of product. At least it would be something. As a side note, Steve once said to me "Accept the challenge first, then figure out how to make it happen." Good words. </div>
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In the meantime, Mary kept posting to remind people how much any help would be appreciated. Times are tough. Imagine how tough they are for these kids. We got some encouraging responses. Mostly though, all we got was silence. Or so I thought. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">WHS Alum, Susie</td></tr>
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On the day of the event I packed a duffel bag full of anything I thought I could use, a chef coat, some dish-outs, extra hand towels. I had to work at my real job that morning but one of my dear WHS friends was picking me up at 3pm to go help me pick up the food from Atlasta. That's when things started to get amazing. </div>
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Steve had ready for us, FOUR Cambros. I was stunned. It gets better, trust me. Even with that amount we were expecting maybe up to 300 teenagers. Barely a dent. I should have more faith. I really really should but I didn't know or had forgotten how magnificent humans can be. </div>
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Forgive me again. I'm an idiot. I have spent so much time wondering why people couldn't just stop being a sack of dicks to each other and realize that everyone is just as scared and fragile as themselves. Didn't someone come by once to tell us that? Isn't this season about that? I keep hoping. </div>
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Now I have proof. Wait for it. </div>
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We pulled up to the church hall where we would be serving. There were already a fair amount of volunteers wandering around. We introduced ourselves and drug what we had into the kitchen area. Small oven, some tables and chairs in the hall. A Christmas tree in the corner, looked pretty challenging. Someone had some Au Gratin Potatoes and Green-Bean casserole warming in the tiny oven. OK, well.....OK</div>
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Loaves and Fishes, I kept saying to myself. It'll be ok. We'll make it work. I didn't know how, truly. God, I've become so cynical. I didn't used to be. </div>
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Mary is amazing, she knew the whole time. She does the Lord's work. </div>
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Another Alum showed up, I knew she would. Ricki had Ham and Pasta Salad and Cookies. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">me and Ricki</td></tr>
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Then more WHS RAMS arrived bringing more. I got them organized and we got a two-sided buffet set up. </div>
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An army of volunteers plus RAMS. I began to see it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">loaves and fishes</td></tr>
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The kids started to arrive. St Nicholas pray for us. More and more people arrived to help. Heaps of stuffing, ham and turkey, macaroni and cheese, more and more. As soon as we worried we wouldn't have enough the door would open and more would come. Rolls, salads, piles of turkeys, mounds of cupcakes, brownies, cookies. It was crazy trying to rotate one dish into the oven and back out again. I lost my voice just trying to keep it organized. Our good Lord was in attendance. I have no other explanation. </div>
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I kept seeing WHS alum arrive. Asking what they could do. Tom and his family. Patti brought cupcakes, best ever. Jamie and her lovely little girl Tatum who just helped in anyway they could. I still didn't know how much the RAMS had made it possible. </div>
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My friends, all I can do is to serve. I'm not smart, I'm not strong. In the face of something like this I can only keep up. </div>
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Then Santa Claus showed up, of course. </div>
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I danced. </div>
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The dessert table GROANED under the weight. We had stacks more under the table. </div>
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It kept coming. Music, laughter, food. Tonight, we all knew wealth and riches of how amazing people can be. I became friends with a leather and jean clad biker dude who volunteered as dish-washer. His name is Mongo, he and his wife, Cat are now some of my best friends. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">MONGO !!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">giving out to-go boxes</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">packing up boxes</td></tr>
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We had more help then I knew what to do with. There was one dude, he was a great Sous-Chef. His wife's name was Mary. I hope to see you next time. </div>
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Someone brought us 1000 (YES) take-out containers. We set up an assembly line and sent ALL the kids home with loads of food. They will eat well for this week-end. Loaves and fishes.<br />
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We cleaned up. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our Alum Mary. She carries the heart of what it means to be a WHS RAM</td></tr>
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It wasn't until the following morning that I learned how much the WHS RAMS had made that night possible. Jeff, Kevin, Julie, Lisa, Cindy, Tom, Debbie, Heidi and many others sent funds and gift cards. </div>
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Again, I only serve. I am not smart or strong. What I can do, I do. I bid you all a Merry Christmas. </div>
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Here's some images from that night. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I believe in Santa</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">proud to be a WHS RAM</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love my Ricki</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">our lovely Jamie and Tatum. </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">DRAMA GEEKS !!</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ricki, Tatum and me</td></tr>
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Merry Christmas. Remember what that means.</div>
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-50064809635949015712012-12-18T12:54:00.002-08:002012-12-18T13:07:57.251-08:00Christmas means Ketchup..Catsup? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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My friends. You all know how I like to give something jarred for Christmas. This has been a lost art among most Americans but recently has seen a revival. As terrible as the economical situation has been for most of us the last handful of years it has triggered a resurgence is canning and jarring. I myself learned this skill to make the most of what the garden produced.<br />
There was a time; it wasn't that long ago, when Moms, Grandmas and Aunties among others would give with pride something they jarred themselves to friends and family at this time of year. Since I'm a poor Chef I have replaced stressing about how to afford presents and now look forward to giving of myself from the kitchen where my heart and soul live. This year I have a mind to make Ketchup...'cus who doesn't like Ketchup? Or is it Catsup? Isn't it just like me to do months of research to find out?<br />
Yeah it is...<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The first commercially produced Ketchup</td></tr>
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Many, many years ago (mid 1600's) the Chinese had a pickled fish and soybean sauce (<i>koe-chiap</i>) that bares no resemblance to the tomato condiment we use today but it was salty and vinegary, Yankee sailors encountered it and loved it so... Skip ahead, some lady in the 1700's named Sandy Addison penned a recipe in <i>The Sugar House Book </i>for Catsup using Tomatoes and Salt. The spelling depends on where in the States you live, that's all. Formerly it was made with vinegar, salt and a weird selection of anything including Mushrooms, Anchovies and unripe Chestnuts. Skip ahead again and we find someone adding sugar and spices. Ahead again, Onions and more Tomato. Simply, Salt is a preservative, so is Vinegar, so is Sugar. Get it now? I've made Ketchup before on this blog as a way to save a whole grip of unripe Tomatoes. (<i><b>6-1-11</b></i>) See? Save what can be saved. I dived into my pile of antique cook-books and emerged with....<br />
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<b>Chef Nick's Christmas Spicy Ketchup</b>: I used an old original recipe from the 1800's but I wanted something with more guts so I adjusted and added some assorted spices and Chipotle, 'cus I live in the southwest and that's just how we roll. </div>
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<b>Mise-en-Place</b></div>
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A big bunch of Roma Tomatoes (pictured above)<br />
1 large onion, peeled and chopped<br />
1 clove Garlic (no, the original recipe didn't call for it but how could I not add it?)<br />
1 TB of Cumin<br />
scant pinch of ground Allspice<br />
good pinch fresh ground Black Pepper<br />
4 Chipotle peppers in Adobo (the canned kind)<br />
2 cups of white vinegar<br />
1 cup sugar<br />
1 cup Kosher Salt<br />
1 TB of pickling spice tied up in cheesecloth<br />
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A big-ass pot with lid<br />
and a fine wire-mesh strainer<br />
either a food-processor or hand blender<br />
Kerr mason jars. Later ok?<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and a big pot of this</td></tr>
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First up, rinse Tomatoes under cold water and then chop off the core end. Slice Tomatoes length-wise.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">small bowl of potential compost</td></tr>
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You can just dump the tomatoes right into the pot you're using<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one of my favorite smells</td></tr>
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Pickling spice is actually a blend of different things including Dill Seed, Bay Leaf, Pepper-Corns, Allspice Berries..etc. It's easy to find. What we need to do here is to take a Tablespoon and tie it into a small sack of cheese-cloth. This will make it easy to fish out later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">four whole Chipotle, the smear is the Adobo</td></tr>
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I could have followed the original recipe, but I'm a Chef so I didn't. I wanted to make something more my style so after some consideration I thought a spicy Arizona version was more my speed. I adjusted the spice ratios a bit and added cumin and Chipotle in Adobo. Most of my readers are from this area but a good amount of you aren't so here's some words about what this is. Chipotle is made by dry-smoking Jalepeno chili peppers with Mesquite wood. Smoky-sweet and very very hot. It is then either sold in a dry form OR canned in a chili puree known as Adobo. It's one of the best ingredients to have on hand. After some testing I added four from the can. If you don't want spicy then by all means just leave it out and continue.<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7g14pV9L3o/UM-VVGnKbeI/AAAAAAAABms/5fWMSvwzbDs/s1600/IMG_0368.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-j7g14pV9L3o/UM-VVGnKbeI/AAAAAAAABms/5fWMSvwzbDs/s320/IMG_0368.JPG" width="239" /></a><br />
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In the pot of Tomatoes just dump all the other ingredients in.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1nhwHnq7jLE/UM-WNiC_wkI/AAAAAAAABm0/fsEwn84tsQY/s1600/IMG_0369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1nhwHnq7jLE/UM-WNiC_wkI/AAAAAAAABm0/fsEwn84tsQY/s200/IMG_0369.JPG" width="165" /></a>Set over high heat and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Lower heat and simmer until the Tomatoes are dissolved and the Onion is completely translucent. Fish out the sack of Pickling Spice and toss it out.<br />
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All we have to do now is <i>puree</i>. Remove the pot from heat and let cool for a bit. If you're using a hand-blender just stick it in this mess and go nuts. If you're using a food-processor then by ladle-full process until liquid.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wUTNmMoifVM/UNDRLtxdJmI/AAAAAAAABnY/ygT0cFadCYk/s1600/IMG_0374.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wUTNmMoifVM/UNDRLtxdJmI/AAAAAAAABnY/ygT0cFadCYk/s200/IMG_0374.JPG" width="149" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">thunder stick</td></tr>
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Either way we move on to the next step which is a real bitch. We need to remove all traces of seeds and skins. the only way to do that is to send it through a wire mesh strainer. I know, fun right?<br />
By ladle-full, strain this and with a flexible spatula <i>PRESS</i> through to remove all that stuff. Use a large bowl to catch what we need to catch. It takes a while. Take your time. Aaaannnnddd done now? Right on!!<br />
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Dump all that back into another clean pot and bring back to a boil and then keep on simmer until reduced by half (approximately) This is a slow process, tomatoes contain a grip of water. The only way to thicken this stuff is by evaporation. Taste some and add maybe salt, more vinegar or sugar. Or not.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">what you start with</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">reduced by half</td></tr>
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Now we jar. Don't be scared. We've done this before. If our Grandmothers can do it then so can we.<br />
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Put the jars and lids in a big pot, fill with water and over high heat bring to a boil. Sterilize. Also any tools you might need like tongs should go in the water as well. Keep on hand some clean towels and some paper towels. The process is actually really easy. Keep everything sterile. Lift one jar at a time from the boiling water. Hold it with a towel and fill. Use a paper towel to wipe the top of the jar if you spill, it needs to stay clean or you won't get a good seal. Place the seal part of the lid on the top and then twist the ring part firmly but gently. Move on to the next jar. See? Easy right? Before you go to the last step, turn the heat off under your big pot of water.<br />
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Now, last step. Once you have filled all your jars put them back in the hot water making sure the entire jar is covered.<br />
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Let them sit in the water for a few minutes and remove to a clean flat surface. Keep them out of drafts and before too long you'll hear a soft "plink" as the jars seal. Let them cool completely and attach bitchin' labels. Mine are purple.<br />
I'm really excited to give these away this year. It took some work but it's all me and it was completely worth it. Merry Christmas all!!<br />
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Happy Holidays </div>
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cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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Get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-13576459358961227792012-12-02T18:15:00.002-08:002012-12-02T18:15:34.352-08:00Fruitcake. It's beginning to smell a lot like Christmas. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">two of the best Christmas presents I ever got, my Nutcracker and my Mom's recipes</td></tr>
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I love my Mom's fruitcake. Rich and dark and loaded with exotic spices. The smell of it takes me right back to being a kid. Two years ago; after many years of prodding, my Mom gave me a little tin box with all her Christmas recipes. It is one of my prized possessions. In that box is everything I loved as a kid about the season. Sugar cookies in tree and star shapes, her date pinwheels, her rich and decadent chocolate lebkuechen. If you would ask me today what I would want Santa to bring me, it would always be a loaf of my Mom's fruitcake and a Lionel train around my tree and all would be right with the world. That and Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker Suite as the back-round music. My Mom; bless her, doesn't make fruitcake anymore so it falls to me.<br />
Did I mention it's LOADED with booze?<br />
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<b>My Mom's Spicy Dark Fruitcake. </b>I think this originally came out of one of her old Betty Crocker or Better Homes and Gardens books but I don't really know<br />
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<b>Mise-en-place</b><br />
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3 1/2 cups mixed, diced fruits and peels, usually labeled as "fruitcake mix"<br />
1 1/4 cup dark raisins<br />
1 1/4 cup golden raisins<br />
1 cup chopped walnuts<br />
3 cups sifted flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1 tsp salt<br />
(all spices ground)<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
1 tsp allspice<br />
1/2 tsp nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp cloves<br />
1 cup shortening<br />
2 cups dark brown sugar<br />
4 large eggs, let these come to room temperature, it's easier that way, trust me<br />
3/4 cup grape juice<br />
Dark Rum. Myers's is a good brand.<br />
cheesecloth<br />
wax-paper<br />
aluminum foil<br />
loaf pans, lined with wax paper<br />
three bowls...seriously<br />
one large pan full of hot water but not until you put them in the oven<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><i>Since we're baking we measure out everything first and then follow the steps, right? </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><br /></span>The night before, mix your fruit stuff, raisins and nuts, add about 1/4 cup of the Rum, cover and set aside. The longer you let it sit, the better.<br />
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Sift together the flour, spices, baking powder and salt, SIFT DARN YOU we need to incorporate air into the dry ingredients. The easiest way to do this is to measure and mix <i>first</i> then sift it over wax paper, you can then pick up the paper and dump it back into the bowl.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">measure out first, then sift</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">and just dump back</td></tr>
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In a separate bowl cream together the shortening and brown sugar, just use your man-muscles and beat the crap out of it<br />
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Now when we say <i>cream</i> what we're actually doing is distributing the fat all around each grain of sugar, this will ensure a consistent product. Add one egg at a time and beat until smooth.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">one.at.a.time. I mean it</td></tr>
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Here's the science. The eggs are one of our leveners and so we need to break it down as much as possible to combine it with the fat and sugar. </div>
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Add about 1/4 cup of the sifted dry ingredients to the fruits. Toss to combine. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ukf4aJJZX0A/ULpr8MoTkzI/AAAAAAAABgU/FV_B_2bj_8s/s1600/get-attachment-6.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ukf4aJJZX0A/ULpr8MoTkzI/AAAAAAAABgU/FV_B_2bj_8s/s200/get-attachment-6.aspx.jpeg" width="200" /> </a><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O4jBiEVIS0I/ULpscvOXU5I/AAAAAAAABgc/Wzv2VVefIlE/s1600/get-attachment-7.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="149" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-O4jBiEVIS0I/ULpscvOXU5I/AAAAAAAABgc/Wzv2VVefIlE/s200/get-attachment-7.aspx.jpeg" width="200" /></a></div>
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What that does is surround the fruit with the flour which grips the residual water in the eggs and sugar and keeps it from sinking to the bottom of our batter, isn't food science neat? </div>
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Didn't I say that you'd need three bowls for this? You should have three right in front of you. </div>
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Pre-heat your oven to 275F. By spoonful, add your dry stuff to your wet stuff. Hey remember that grape juice? Alternate with the dry, beating to combine each time. </div>
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eew9tDkDxJk/ULp8V63CQuI/AAAAAAAABhc/pCDhgZxe_q0/s1600/get-attachment-13.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Eew9tDkDxJk/ULp8V63CQuI/AAAAAAAABhc/pCDhgZxe_q0/s320/get-attachment-13.aspx.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bqk3RjejEU/ULp8qrY_HTI/AAAAAAAABhk/oun5J-DS6fI/s1600/get-attachment-11.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><br /></span></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bqk3RjejEU/ULp8qrY_HTI/AAAAAAAABhk/oun5J-DS6fI/s1600/get-attachment-11.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></a><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-_Bqk3RjejEU/ULp8qrY_HTI/AAAAAAAABhk/oun5J-DS6fI/s1600/get-attachment-11.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;">You'll end up with a big bowl of goop</span></span></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4BCzhMagRo0/ULrFi7BfcQI/AAAAAAAABi8/w1xbJKPk1b4/s1600/get-attachment-9.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBdmWU2FuOw/ULp9ZxPO2JI/AAAAAAAABhs/xbw-OtAnaUw/s1600/get-attachment-10.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vBdmWU2FuOw/ULp9ZxPO2JI/AAAAAAAABhs/xbw-OtAnaUw/s320/get-attachment-10.aspx.jpeg" width="238" /></a><br />
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Dump it onto your fruit stuff and fold until completely combined. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bNIuHtG_8Zg/ULp-1Z9kw0I/AAAAAAAABh0/CgBWsuFSM5M/s1600/get-attachment-8.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bNIuHtG_8Zg/ULp-1Z9kw0I/AAAAAAAABh0/CgBWsuFSM5M/s320/get-attachment-8.aspx.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p58qhj8pc_c/ULqAgiUodOI/AAAAAAAABh8/kHH_p91KMFU/s1600/get-attachment-14.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-p58qhj8pc_c/ULqAgiUodOI/AAAAAAAABh8/kHH_p91KMFU/s200/get-attachment-14.aspx.jpeg" width="194" /></a>So you have your loaf pans covered with wax paper, right? Fill each pan with the batter. Slam them onto the counter to remove any air bubbles. Your oven should be pre-heated by now. Put a wide pan of very hot water on the bottom rack and place your loaf pans above. "Your fruitcake will have greater volume, moist texture and a shiny glaze." My Mom's own words. </div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-skzuQC19MTk/ULqyES9469I/AAAAAAAABic/iIkRCuvos0o/s1600/get-attachment-15.aspx.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-skzuQC19MTk/ULqyES9469I/AAAAAAAABic/iIkRCuvos0o/s200/get-attachment-15.aspx.jpeg" width="149" /></a>This has a really long baking time. 3 and 1/2 hours. Seriously, three and a half hours. Now I get why Mom doesn't make these anymore. Test by poking with a knife, when it comes out clean, they're done. place on a rack for 'bout an hour, remove from wax-paper carefully. </div>
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Let them cool completely. DO NOT HANDLE THEM FOR ANY REASON UNTIL THEN. </div>
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Wrap in cheesecloth and then sprinkle a generous amount of rum onto the loaves. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and again in foil. Let sit somewhere dark and cool for at least 2 weeks or so. </div>
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It only seems right that after making these for 40 plus years my Mom and Dad should get one from their son, namely me. Merry Christmas Mom and Dad. Thank you for the Nutcracker. Dad reading us "A Christmas Carol." The Castle-Blocks. Lights in the snow. Christmas trees with trains underneath. Midnight Mass. Roast Turkey with stuffing inside. Sunday Lasagna. Mom's Mince-Meat Pie. I really-really lucked out. God Bless us all, EVERYONE!! </div>
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From our family to yours, Merry Christmas!!</td></tr>
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p.s. I'm the guy in the back in the purple tie-die shirt<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Saint Nicholas, wonder-worker. Pray for us. </td></tr>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-63367906277248342062012-11-19T18:47:00.004-08:002012-12-15T20:56:08.468-08:00Thanksgiving is YAMtastic. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Here's how this all started. My cousin Marc and his wife Shayna decided that it is long overdue that our generation take over the family's Thanksgiving Feast. They sent out evites ('cus, hello, 21st Century) everyone is supposed to check off something they will make and bring. Like most American families we are an eclectic mix of ethnicities. Mostly Italian but with notable members of Latino, Portuguese, and Korean. On our Thanksgiving table it's not unusual to find Tamales, Civeche, Antipasto, Sardines, Rolled Anchovies, Olives and of course all the usual American stuff. God help me but I love stuffing wrapped in turkey skin with cranberry jelly.<br />
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Also my Dad's Old-Fashioned's. It's a Cocktail friends, look it up.<br />
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And sweet-potatoes. Yams are a tuber, Sweet Potatoes are a rhizome. If you say "rhizome" a whole bunch of times it sounds really funny. One is New World, one is Old World. The confusion comes from where you live. You might call a Yam a Sweet Potato, you might call it a Yam. In the stores they are both labeled as Sweet Potato. To add to the confusion canned sweet potato is usually labeled as "yam"<br />
One is red and one is white.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">See? </td></tr>
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Someone always makes the Southern-American mess with marshmallows and brown-sugar. Fine. No problem really. More of a dessert than a side-dish at that point. It's not my favorite thing, more of a chore to eat. One dimensional and doesn't really show off the flavor of the main ingredient. Sorry Mom.<br />
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Yes, I'm show-boating. Deal. I wanted to make something special that reflected more of an Italian style.<br />
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My family deserves my best efforts, I don't cook for them enough but I really wish I did.<br />
Here goes nothing.<br />
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<b>Chef Nick does Sweet-Potato Lasagna</b>. Shhh they think I'm doing a side-dish.<br />
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Mise-en-place<br />
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3 large but regularly shaped red ones<br />
1 large white ones...ya know, or not<br />
2 eggs<br />
pinch of cinnamon<br />
4 shallots<br />
Lasagna Noodles, 1 pound, cooked just under <i>al dente</i><br />
Ricotta Cheese<br />
some frozen Spinach<br />
2 whole eggs<br />
fresh Parsley<br />
fresh Sage<br />
and Rosemary<br />
and Thyme chopped roughly (it's just like that song isn't it?)<br />
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Béchamel Sauce (For all you professionals, we're doing a Mornay)<br />
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Goat Cheese (about 3 TB)<br />
flour<br />
butter<br />
Whole Milk (1 qt)<br />
1 egg<br />
pinch of ground Nutmeg<br />
pinch of Chili Powder<br />
1 large clove of Garlic, smooshed<br />
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For the top<br />
Some Bread-Crumbs<br />
Butter<br />
Asiago Cheese, shredded<br />
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and of course, Kosher Salt and Fresh Ground Black Pepper<br />
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I'm going to break this down into steps.<br />
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Peel the Shallots and slice across to make sticks. Melt some butter in a pan and cook the Shallots until nice deep brown.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">deeper brown than this</td></tr>
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Peel your YAMS and cut into large pieces, try for uniformity. Cover with water, add a pinch of salt and a pinch of sugar and any herb stems you might have left.<br />
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Bring to a boil until soft. Drain and TIP put them back in the pot over low heat until dry. Remove to bowl.<br />
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Add half your chopped Herbs, good pinch of Salt and Pepper and a scant pinch of Cinnamon. Add the eggs. Mix well and add the Shallots. Set aside.<br />
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Cook your noodles. Because we're going to finish by baking we don't need them perfectly done, just a little under. Once done remove from cooking water and deposit them into ice water, remove and put on a plate for later.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ice ice baby</td></tr>
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Thaw out the spinach. Place between two dry and clean towels TWIST and SQUEEZE. We need to remove as much water as possible. Combine with Ricotta, some of the Herbs, pinch of Nutmeg and a healthy pinch of Salt and Pepper. Set aside.<br />
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And now we make our Béchamel.<br />
I've made it before on this Blog but there seems to be a curse. Every single time, none of my pictures come out so keep your fingers crossed.<br />
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Basic stuff<br />
whisk one whole egg in a bowl, set aside<br />
Warm up the Whole Milk. This is why we have microwave ovens. Not boiling for God's sake, just hot. This prevents lumps from forming.<br />
Melt about 2 TB butter over high heat<br />
before it burns, lower heat and<br />
add an equal amount of white flour<br />
Add the pinch of Nutmeg and Chili Powder<br />
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stir around until it stops smelling starchy, use your nose, trust me that you'll know<br />
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Continue over low heat and add the milk, keep whisking You think it won't matter, yes it does. Raise heat to medium. You'll notice a gradual thickening.<br />
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Take off heat and with a ladle, add a bit to your beaten egg and stir around until combined. This is called <i>tempering. </i>It<i> </i>allows you to raise the temperature of the egg without cooking it.<i> </i>You'll need the egg's protein to add body and sheen but we do not want scrambled eggs in our sauce.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">tempering</td></tr>
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Add your egg mixture back to the pot, off heat and whisk. Put back on medium heat and keep whisking. It will thicken beautifully. Remove from heat. The "carry-over" heat will work for us. Add remaining Herbs.<br />
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Add the Goat Cheese and Garlic. Whisk until smooth, set aside. The remaining warmth will release all the love from your herbs.<br />
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Layering.<br />
Simple.<br />
Coat the bottom of an open baking pan with cold Butter. Yes Mom I used your old baking pan, what else?<br />
Lay down a thin layer of the sauce<br />
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Put down one layer of the noodles and carefully cover with half the YAM mixture<br />
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Cover with another layer of noodles and half of your Ricotta and Spinach mixture. Dump half of your Béchamel on top, press down deep.<br />
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Cover with another layer of noodles. Got it? SAUCE-NOODLE-YAM-NOODLE-RICOTTA-NOODLE-SAUCE-NOODLE-YAM-NOODLE-SAUCE-TOPPING<br />
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Here's the top.<br />
One layer of the cheese.<br />
Mix together by hand 2 TB of cold butter with 1/2 cup of Bread-Crumbs (or so) sprinkle across top.<br />
Cover with shreds of the cheese.<br />
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In a 375F oven, bake covered with aluminum foil for 45 Minutes.<br />
Remove foil and bake uncovered for another 20 minutes until it browns lightly.<br />
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Remove from oven and let it rest for 20 minutes or so.<br />
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I'm thankful that I still have my Mom and Dad. I'm thankful for my brother Pat and his family. I'm thankful for my Aunts and Uncles and cousins. I'm also very thankful that so many of you are still reading this blog, I couldn't do it without you. Happy Thanksgiving one and all.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
I'm thankful that I am, as always</div>
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cooking poor, eating rich</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Get your grub on</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-18499230547504788052012-11-10T13:54:00.001-08:002012-11-11T16:20:34.922-08:00Celebrating Autumn. Split Pea Soup.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V6v6cbmlZpE/UJ6r07QveyI/AAAAAAAABZQ/RuMB9BsFf8Q/s1600/IMG_0206.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V6v6cbmlZpE/UJ6r07QveyI/AAAAAAAABZQ/RuMB9BsFf8Q/s400/IMG_0206.JPG" width="297" /></a></div><br />
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Even here in my Sonoran Desert the temperatures have dropped. OK sure we aren't expecting snow or anything. It's 65F today with puffy white clouds, crystal blue sky and a nice breeze. Mom would make soup on days like this. One of my all-time favorites is Split-Pea. Creamy without cream. Hearty without a bunch of meat. Slightly sweet and earthy with flavors of vegetables and fresh herbs. Easy Peasy...HAH see what I did there? Grab a bottle of dry sherry, let's do this.<br />
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Mise-en-Place<br />
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I used about 2 pounds dried split-peas. I'm making a grip of soup but if you don't need to, divide in half.<br />
1 large Onion<br />
2-3 Carrots, peeled<br />
2-3 stalks Celery<br />
1 clove of Garlic, smooshed<br />
Salt Pork. As much or as little you want. Chop it up fine. Hey look, if you're a vegetarian then just use some Olive Oil for the first step.<br />
8 cups either Chicken or Vegetable Stock<br />
1 bottle dry sherry<br />
Pinch of ground Nutmeg<br />
Pinch or so or Chili Powder<br />
2 dried Bay Leaves<br />
Fresh Herbs. Parsley, Rosemary, Sage, Mint. Yes, I said Mint, a much under-used herb, brilliant with peas.<br />
and of course. Kosher Salt and fresh ground Black Pepper<br />
In case ya'll didn't know, Peas are in fact Legumes but you won't need to soak them overnight or anything. The British do but I have no idea why.<br />
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Dump all the Peas in a Colander and rinse under cold water. Remove any little pebbles or anything that looks wacky.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u0B-Uhn8nmk/UJ7aFcq2AUI/AAAAAAAABb4/4RxNCWVCwh0/s1600/IMG_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-u0B-Uhn8nmk/UJ7aFcq2AUI/AAAAAAAABb4/4RxNCWVCwh0/s320/IMG_0207.JPG" width="259" /></a></div>Grab your vegetables and small dice.<br />
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mince up all the Herbs<br />
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and small dice up your Salt Pork.<br />
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I bet you can see where this is going. Peas as legumes contain a bunch of Starch that will render out and give us that wonderful creamy mouth feel.<br />
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Heat up your deep pot and throw in the salt pork.<br />
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Toss that around for a bit and add the vegetables with a big pinch of Kosher Salt and Pepper also the pinch of Nutmeg and Chili Powder. Stir that around a bit, we're just sweating. Add all the herbs.<br />
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Add all Peas, toss it<br />
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dump in half the bottle of Sherry and all Stock. Bring to a simmer, cover and relax.<br />
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Let it go until everything is soft. Stir once in a while, you'll notice that the Peas will just dissolve. You can stop there if you want but if you have a Thunder-Stick (hand blender) use that to puree a little, not a lot. Leave some whole, adds to the texture and character.<br />
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I have always believed in that old adage that soups are always better the next day. I'm hungry NOW so I'm not waiting. Once you have it in your bowl, sprinkle a little bit of Sherry on top.<br />
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That wasn't so hard was it? Allowing for prep-time the whole thing takes about an hour and thirty. I remember my Mom would give us bowls of this with piles of Saltines and we would just go nuts.<br />
I made some of my Sausage and Cheese bread because soup without bread is sad. I'll happily share the recipe if you ask.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">To all of you I wish a cozy and snuggly Autumn. </div><div style="text-align: center;">Cooking poor, eating rich</div><div style="text-align: center;">get your grub on</div><div style="text-align: center;"> Ciao</div><br />
</div>Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-41513808009264341222012-11-02T11:29:00.000-07:002013-01-20T20:20:27.539-08:00I love Louisiana. Shoulders to New Orleans.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Nobody loves food more than me. Except maybe the city of New Orleans. Laissez les bons temps rouler. Friends, let the good times roll on.<br />
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I do love me some Cajun. Petite bit of French, little bit of Spanish and a fair helping from Africa and Native American. Today I'm doing Meat-loaf. Yeah ok I said it, Meat-loaf.<br />
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The Cajun. Once of Acadia, now of the swamps of Louisiana. French speaking people of the backwaters. This is what a cooking poor but eating rich people can do. Je t'aime.<br />
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Chef Nick's Cajun style Meat-loaf. Roasted Fall vegetables besides with Red Gravy.<br />
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Mise-en-place<br />
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Meat-Loaf<br />
Some ground beef, 'bout 3 pounds<br />
The holy trinity. One part green bell pepper, one part celery, two parts onion, picture below<br />
one clove garlic, minced<br />
1/3 cup blackening powder*<br />
1 egg<br />
1/2 cup bread crumbs<br />
Kosher salt<br />
Fresh cracked black pepper<br />
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Red Gravy<br />
3-4 slices bacon<br />
1-2 TB flour<br />
chopped Basil<br />
1 dried Bay-Leaf<br />
1 cup brewed coffee<br />
1 can 16z tomato puree<br />
1 TB blackening powder*<br />
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Roasted Fall Vegetables<br />
some large chopped root vegetables to include<br />
Potato<br />
Rutabaga<br />
and whatever, parsnip, carrot, I'm a root-vegetable chop me up and add me<br />
today I got some Brussels's Sprouts, trim and split<br />
Onion, peel and slice large<br />
I got me some peeled Garlic cloves<br />
some bacon slices, chopped<br />
tossed with any oil and add<br />
fresh Thyme, Rosemary, salt and pepper<br />
Place in large roasting pan<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">mmmm Bacon</td></tr>
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SOME WORDS ABOUT CAJUN BLACKENING POWDER.<br />
I make my own so you can too.<br />
Paprika<br />
Chili Powder<br />
Cayenne Pepper<br />
Ground Thyme<br />
Ground Oregano<br />
Garlic Powder<br />
Combine with Salt and Black Pepper<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rSF-S8JnD8w/UItFaD0k5UI/AAAAAAAABSg/bEts32etn-U/s1600/IMG_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rSF-S8JnD8w/UItFaD0k5UI/AAAAAAAABSg/bEts32etn-U/s320/IMG_0152.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">looks like 'dis</td></tr>
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Here we go wit' some Meat-Loaf<br />
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Take your Holy Trinity and sweat in a large pan, add salt and pepper<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_8nmhhaXBc/UItLApa4DPI/AAAAAAAABTA/GEgYifLbcb8/s1600/IMG_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4_8nmhhaXBc/UItLApa4DPI/AAAAAAAABTA/GEgYifLbcb8/s320/IMG_0153.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Holy Trinity</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_ZU7ZJxRwA/UItLeUyN4fI/AAAAAAAABTM/3T5vn-S8c-M/s1600/IMG_0157.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4_ZU7ZJxRwA/UItLeUyN4fI/AAAAAAAABTM/3T5vn-S8c-M/s320/IMG_0157.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">sweat</td></tr>
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Remove from heat and add to your ground beef.<br />
Add egg , bread-crumbs and Blackening-Powder.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mthtl1oU2c/UItMdOv0vAI/AAAAAAAABTU/vf8ha1JwD0Y/s1600/IMG_0158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3mthtl1oU2c/UItMdOv0vAI/AAAAAAAABTU/vf8ha1JwD0Y/s320/IMG_0158.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Don't forget salt</td></tr>
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Mix that all together by hand. The warmth of your hands will activate the proteins and give your product some body. Shape into a loaf on a large open pan.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tomAZrxYgjc/UItPV3xcKBI/AAAAAAAABTs/YTnrIm43wXs/s1600/IMG_0159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tomAZrxYgjc/UItPV3xcKBI/AAAAAAAABTs/YTnrIm43wXs/s320/IMG_0159.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I said Meat-loaf didn't I</td></tr>
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Place your pan of vegetables and your loaf in an oven set at 400 degrees. Leave it for now. Gonna take at least an hour. </div>
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Let's move on to Red Gravy. This is basically a Roux finished with Black Coffee and Tomato Puree. Easy.</div>
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In a wide pan, render your bacon until brown, all fat pooled in the pan. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AbAovXPstkM/UItQw5-wpcI/AAAAAAAABT0/mRckvOtcgVA/s1600/IMG_0160.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AbAovXPstkM/UItQw5-wpcI/AAAAAAAABT0/mRckvOtcgVA/s320/IMG_0160.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">rendering bacon</td></tr>
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Once all the bacon is browned, add your flour and stir around until it stops smelling starchy. You'll know, trust me. Toss in the TB of Blackening Powder, toss around, it will all stick together. Add in one big splash all the coffee. Stir around.<br />
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You'll end up quickly with a big pile of yuck. Don't worry. Once you add the Tomato it all makes sense.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0qEyeovj95E/UItS5ItopyI/AAAAAAAABUI/T8BMN_HZCv4/s1600/IMG_0164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-0qEyeovj95E/UItS5ItopyI/AAAAAAAABUI/T8BMN_HZCv4/s320/IMG_0164.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Now add your Tomato Puree. Stir around on medium heat.</div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bB8d8p_w9xk/UItTkgw5oCI/AAAAAAAABUQ/Rm8IME9SiKM/s1600/IMG_0166.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bB8d8p_w9xk/UItTkgw5oCI/AAAAAAAABUQ/Rm8IME9SiKM/s320/IMG_0166.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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Add Basil and dried Bay-Leaf, Simmer for a bit. Check seasonings. </div>
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See? I said it would all make sense. </div>
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Your loaf and veggies should be done by now, let the loaf rest. The vegetables may benefit from more time under heat. Turn 'em over and let those go for another while. Look for some brown. </div>
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Plate up, use as much of the gravy as you want. </div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sk7pOCaVuS0/UItVJJfk2iI/AAAAAAAABUY/tDSotZ36GbM/s1600/IMG_0167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sk7pOCaVuS0/UItVJJfk2iI/AAAAAAAABUY/tDSotZ36GbM/s400/IMG_0167.JPG" width="298" /></a></div>
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This is</div>
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Cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-56937089234567280052012-10-26T13:30:00.000-07:002012-10-27T08:02:47.201-07:00Imagination flies on the wings of basics. Part 2<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ey741uJg0LA/UIrKK3ZMXbI/AAAAAAAABPY/UEVJBRRB7Mk/s1600/title+.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="298" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Ey741uJg0LA/UIrKK3ZMXbI/AAAAAAAABPY/UEVJBRRB7Mk/s400/title+.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
We got the Moist cooking methods down right? Let's move on to the dry.<br />
Here's something to know. Burnt tastes good. Well ok, not BURNED but <i>caramelized</i>. Sit down kids I have a story to tell.<br />
Once upon a time a very long time ago when we all ate raw Mastodons and Saber-Tooth Tigers ate us. Some unknown proto-chef dropped his cold haunch of yuck into the fire. Once he dug it out and pawed off all the ashes he (or maybe she) discovered something wonderful. Cooked food is better than raw.<br />
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There's some science here. See the thing is this, we don't digest raw food well, despite what the left-coast food-fascists tell us. We lack the enzymes to break down the cell walls of most proteins and vegetables. Although uncooked food contains more nutrients, we can't digest them if they are still inside those cells. Plus and YAY!! heat adds savoriness and color and also breaks down connective tissue which we can't digest without it. Take a bite of a raw Rib-eye if you don't believe me.<br />
Here's another fun fact. Our palettes are geared towards complex flavors. Nature steers us towards what's best. Trust your guts. Fire makes everything better.<br />
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<i>we DO however need a certain amount of raw fruits and vegetables in our diet, so don't be stupid and refuse yourself the pleasure of a fresh apple, leafy greens etc. </i><br />
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Roasting: <i>DRY</i><br />
<i> </i>This involves surrounding the item with intense heat. It's terrific for most proteins with surface fat and all vegetables. Renders fat and produces a succulent finished product.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pUUt_OGGvIk/UIrX5ycCHQI/AAAAAAAABQo/shTiUeRsMDw/s1600/roast.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pUUt_OGGvIk/UIrX5ycCHQI/AAAAAAAABQo/shTiUeRsMDw/s1600/roast.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">roasting both chicken and vegetables</td></tr>
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Grilling: <i>DRY</i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">I'm from Arizona. Grilling is our State sport. A friendly argument exists between the charcoal vs gas crowds but that's a different article. It's food placed over heat suspended by a grill. This works wonderfully for anything. I've grilled meat, vegetables and fruit. You cannot deny the loveliness of grilled peach halves then filled with a mixture of Ricotta and honey. </span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R5epoPShSBI/UIrcN6hk5_I/AAAAAAAABRA/pyeju83Z-hM/s1600/grill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R5epoPShSBI/UIrcN6hk5_I/AAAAAAAABRA/pyeju83Z-hM/s1600/grill.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lisa K's Cumin and Lemon chicken</td></tr>
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Bake: <i>DRY</i><br />
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><br /></span></i>Done by surrounding food with heat. This applies to any layered meat or vegetable. Bake you say? Isn't that what we do to cakes, muffins and bread? Well sure, same process. What did you think Mom was doing to that casserole? Stick it in an oven and go nuts.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DowzoLXyEcY/UIrdtrYoZ3I/AAAAAAAABRI/Ajl-O5StSXY/s1600/bake.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DowzoLXyEcY/UIrdtrYoZ3I/AAAAAAAABRI/Ajl-O5StSXY/s320/bake.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who remembers Arthur the giant Zucchini?</td></tr>
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Cooking with fat. NO, NO, COME BACK HERE. Sit back down, fat loves you. </div>
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Saute: <i>DRY</i> but with fat. See? It's ok</div>
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A tremendously useful cooking method. It involves cooking in a large hot surface with a small amount of fat. Absolutely my favorite cooking method. It can be applied to meats, vegetables and fruits. Heat up your widest pan. Add a splash of oil, butter, whatever and add SMALL amounts of your item. This creates <i>caramelization</i> and <i>fond</i> which can be used to create a sauce. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lRq7dXkrHps/UIrh4CzwCsI/AAAAAAAABRg/Xru15kCNus4/s1600/saute.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lRq7dXkrHps/UIrh4CzwCsI/AAAAAAAABRg/Xru15kCNus4/s1600/saute.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">do not crowd your pan</td></tr>
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When sauteing, always add a pinch of salt, it helps pull out water which in turn pulls out natural sugars and creates a lovely brown color and rich flavors. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hLyTfax6dM4/UIri7q3tRYI/AAAAAAAABRo/nNSLPAsivwM/s1600/IMG_0106.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-hLyTfax6dM4/UIri7q3tRYI/AAAAAAAABRo/nNSLPAsivwM/s320/IMG_0106.JPG" width="278" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">using fond and a splash of wine adds intense flavors</td></tr>
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Pan-frying: <i>DRY</i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"> A layer of fat is used to brown an item that has been coated in batter or breading. Or not. Depends on the item. Flip. The only difference between this and saute is the amount of fat. Use a wide pan. If I'm doing fish I use batter, if I'm not then I don't. If I'm doing chicken-fried steak then I do, If I'm making my Pollo-Cacciatora then I don't. So is this a moist or dry cooking method? Ask me. </span></i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yvJG40SoTPA/UIrkyVh5JyI/AAAAAAAABRw/JJ5FQoH3e7s/s1600/fry.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-yvJG40SoTPA/UIrkyVh5JyI/AAAAAAAABRw/JJ5FQoH3e7s/s1600/fry.JPG" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">pan-fried Catfish</td></tr>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Deep-frying. </span></i></div>
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<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">Submerged into fat, either a batter itself (donuts) or batter-covered item. I don't do this much, 'nuff said. Go to the Arizona State Fair and knock yourself out. This important thing to know is to keep an even hot temperature. 400 degrees usually does it. Keep it dry. Change your oil if it starts to stink. </span></i></div>
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TODAY'S QUIZ. Again just one question. What did you cook today and what cooking method did you use and why? </div>
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This is cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-34385822971777636962012-10-22T13:37:00.000-07:002012-10-23T07:36:17.035-07:00Imagination flies on the wings of basics. Part 1<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xnY102ZXUIo/UIWOvTZXb2I/AAAAAAAABMs/AsDsfiBNAHQ/s1600/IMG_0114.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="262" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xnY102ZXUIo/UIWOvTZXb2I/AAAAAAAABMs/AsDsfiBNAHQ/s400/IMG_0114.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
"Oh no", you are saying to yourself. "Nick is getting on his soapbox again." Well yes, and no.<br />
The real secret to knowing how to cook is simple. Learn the basic cooking methods and what to apply them to. That's what we learn in Chef School and yes we pick-up a lot of recipes too.<br />
Let me ask you this. What's easier, memorizing a book of recipes or learning some basic cooking methods and some simple facts about ingredients and applying them. Right.<br />
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Now then, there are two groups of cooking methods. MOIST and DRY. There's a quiz later so pay attention.<br />
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The factor in deciding which to use is the consistency of our main ingredient. High fat and connective tissue? Or delicate, low in fat? Is it a fibrous vegetable? Is it a starch? Is it a protein? Fish? Beef? Whatever, there is a cooking method appropriate for it.<br />
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<i>There are only a few cultures in the world that have codified this and they are often referred to as the "super-cuisines" what are they? </i><br />
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<i></i>To demonstrate, I'm going to be posting some photos from past articles, we've used just about all methods in the last three years. See? You were learning stuff and you didn't even know it.<br />
You're welcome.<br />
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Poaching: <i>MOIST</i><br />
Done in hot but not boiling liquid. It's used for things like flakey white fish, eggs out of the shell or meats to remove any unwanted flavors or to par-cook it for finishing later. Sure, water is fine but think of the possibilities when you use fish, chicken or vegetable stock. Use white wine for shellfish or chicken. Add herbs, aromatics and spices to make your own mark.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EVL9RqboOGU/UIWaHjJkAnI/AAAAAAAABNQ/ntQ5LdtJMVo/s1600/poach.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EVL9RqboOGU/UIWaHjJkAnI/AAAAAAAABNQ/ntQ5LdtJMVo/s320/poach.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poaching the chicken for Mariam's Assyrian Chicken</td></tr>
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Simmer: <i>MOIST</i><br />
Bring to a boil and let simmer. Standard instruction on countless recipes but what exactly does that mean? Simmering is still kinda boiling but is JUST under a rolling boil. Boiling is a violent agitation of liquid and while useful in some recipes is absolute death to most proteins. Simmering is much gentler and gets you a better finished product. Keeping a lid on once you reach boiling and turning the heat down drastically gets you there. Check it often. Related to Braise which we'll talk about next.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jxASiSKgjVU/UIWdFFfv_CI/AAAAAAAABNo/JhkcdBqATrs/s1600/DCP01082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jxASiSKgjVU/UIWdFFfv_CI/AAAAAAAABNo/JhkcdBqATrs/s320/DCP01082.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">bring chicken stock up to a boil, remove scum and lower to simmer</td></tr>
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Braise: <i>MOIST</i><br />
Braising is done by cooking in a smallish amount of liquid, usually stock, wine or whatever. It's great for large pieces of protein with lots of connective tissue. Meats are usually browned first and the liquid added after. Pot-Roast is a great example of this. It's also useful for fibrous vegetables like cabbage. Braising breaks down tough parts and slowly infuses the finished product with any flavoring agents incorporated in the liquid. If you've been following this blog you'll see it a lot. It can make even the cheapest cuts world-class.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">wine makes a terrific Braising medium<br />
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Blanch: <i>MOIST</i><br />
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Simply, used to par-cook or partially cook an item. If you've ever cooked professionally you know what this is. Blanch your green-beans and finish later. Great if you're in a position where you want to get as much cooking out of the way now. It's done quickly in full on boiling liquid, the item is put in, cooked partially and either held warm or chilled in ice-water. I use this method to remove peels from fruits or vegetables. The other useful trick is to Blanch pasta and set aside in ice-water, then remove and hold dry until added to a pan-sauce. The method that uses Blanching to remove peels is called "<i>concasse</i>" </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blanching part one<br />
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Steam: <i>MOIST</i><br />
Used like poaching for delicate foods or in cooking foods where you want to feature the natural flavors. Great for vegetables, chicken breast and fish. Adds moisture but leaves foods fresh tasting without adding any fat.<br />
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Here's the answer to the question "what are the "super-cuisines?" They are of course The Italians, The French and The Chinese. Although there is a friendly argument that The Moroccans belong on the list. What they did instead of just handing down recipes is to examine and scientifically record WHAT method worked with WHAT ingredient. While there are some truly remarkable cultural cuisines out there, it is generally thought that the "supers" and their cooking methods are the basis for all of it.<br />
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OK the QUIZ.<br />
There's only one question. What did YOU cook this week and what cooking methods did you use?<br />
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I did Classic Chicken and Dumplings which uses Simmer, Braise and Steam. </div>
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Next time...DRY COOKING METHODS</div>
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For now this is cooking poor, eating rich</div>
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get your grub on</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-3844196851908406682012-09-28T13:05:00.003-07:002012-09-28T13:05:46.049-07:00I don't care that it's 95F today. I say it's FALL. Big pot of red. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Ragu. Not the crud in a jar. Real Ragu. Feeds an army. Empties out the fridge. Bottle of red wine, lots of tomato, lots of herbs.<br />
This is my take on the classic Italian-American version which uses three different proteins. Today I got a Beef Chuck steak, a Pork-chop with bone, some salt pork and some chicken gizzards, livers and such. A tug of Basil, Rosemary and Parsley from the back-yard. This is a rich and complex-flavored dish but is actually really easy to make (shhh it will be our secret.)<br />
Takes a while but easy to put together. Grab your biggest pots and let's get started.<br />
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CHEF NICK DOES RAGU:<br />
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Mise-en-place<br />
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2 carrots<br />
2 stalks celery<br />
1 large yellow onion<br />
3 cloves garlic<br />
3 pieces Salt Pork<br />
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Pork<br />
Beef<br />
Chicken livers, gizzards<br />
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Bottle of dry red wine<br />
Chopped fresh herbs. Parsley, Rosemary, Oregano, Basil.<br />
A couple dry Bay Leaves<br />
and my secret ingredient, one piece of Orange Peel. I don't remember where I picked that up from but thank-you whomever.<br />
Olive Oil<br />
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Any special vegetables you have lying around. Today I used a Red Pepper and some Patapan Squash. I like Eggplant in this but sad me, no got.<br />
Don't be afraid to add stuff.<br />
Mushrooms are awesome in this but my little niece is allergic so no go.<br />
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1 large can Tomato Puree, best you can afford<br />
same of Crushed Tomato.<br />
OK sure if you have a junk-load of fresh than use that but you'll need to peel and de-seed<br />
(un-seed?, I dunno) and crush by hand.<br />
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Black Pepper, Kosher salt.<br />
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The thing to remember is that this is going to cook for a while so large pieces are the order for the day.<br />
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I've mentioned in other articles that Italian cooking uses something called a <i>Battuto. </i>This uses the same aromatics as the French <i>Mirepoix </i>with the addition of Garlic and Salt Pork. The idea being that all of it gets sweated together and forms the base of whatever you're making, soup or sauce, which when you think about it are really the same thing.<br />
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Start your <i>Battuto</i> with the carrot, onion, celery and garlic. Again, today we're looking for a medium dice. In other dishes you'd take this down into almost a paste.<br />
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Chunk up the Salt-Pork and toss all that together. Set aside.<br />
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Any special Vegetables you want to use, chop up large and keep on a separate plate.<br />
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Gather up your animal parts. Large dice please. Save any bones. Keep the chicken parts separate. We'll use those last. Wash your board.<br />
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Grab all your fresh herbs and rough chop. That's all your prep, really it is. Unless you count opening up 2 cans and a bottle of wine and I never do. You're ready to go.<br />
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Heat up a large pan, add some Olive Oil. Add a handful of your meats. Season a bit and let them sit on high heat until they give, we only want a light sear. Once they give, turn the pieces over and do the other side. Remove to a plate and do the rest. EXCEPT FOR THE CHICKEN PARTS. We'll do those last. Once all your meat is done, put the pan back on medium heat for the last part. </div>
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Now, on the bottom you've got all this golden-brown stuff. Put the pan back on heat and add just a splash of your wine. Instantly it will boil. Use a wooden spoon, scrape up quickly and set aside. </div>
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All that stuff is what we Chefs call <i>"flavor" </i>Ok<i> </i>yeah I'm a smart-ass. It's actually called <i>"Fond" </i>and is a result of caramelized sugars naturally occurring in meats and vegetables. </div>
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Done with the meat for now. Start heating up a deep pot. Add a tiny splash of Olive Oil and all the Battuto with a large pinch of both salt and pepper. We just need to sweat here, no browning. Add the Bay-Leaf and piece of Orange Peel. Toss around for a minute. <a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V3ka0z6kIgk/UGXtcfxjM8I/AAAAAAAABJ4/Z6SBAenFH6k/s1600/IMG_0109.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-V3ka0z6kIgk/UGXtcfxjM8I/AAAAAAAABJ4/Z6SBAenFH6k/s320/IMG_0109.JPG" width="310" /></a></div>
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Add any bones, toss again. Add all fresh herbs and any special Vegetables you'd like to add. Toss around again. Add all your cooked meats. AND guess what? Toss around again. </div>
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THEN, my favorite part. Add the rest of the wine, all at once. Bring to a simmer and stirring, let the alcohol cook off (you'll know, use your nose)</div>
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Turn down your heat just a little and add both cans of Tomato stuff. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I want to marry you</td></tr>
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Check seasoning. Bring to a gentle simmer, put the lid on and let it go for, oh say....at least a couple hours. Stir occasionally, no sticking. This can go on all day. Once everything has cooked together you'll want to crack the lid a little and let it reduce slowly. We're aiming for sauce, not soup.</div>
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It's even better if after the cooking you let it sit in the 'fridge overnight and re-heat the next day. Make a big grip of large type Pasta. You can even, if you're so inclined to just dump a mess of al dente pasta into the pot and just let people serve themselves, that's ok with me. Also, you'll want to fish around and pull out your Bay-Leaf, bones and Orange Peel. </div>
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Serve up with some grated Parmesan. Maybe garnish with some more fresh Basil. Your call. </div>
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This is cooking poor. eating rich</div>
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Go get your grub on</div>
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CIAO</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1095537259981701246.post-92186197177794374692012-09-07T18:44:00.000-07:002012-09-07T19:15:21.684-07:00I got dibs on the stale bread. Puddin'. <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">stale bread and day-old muffins<br />
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What do we do with stale, dried out bread? Sure, throw it out. Ass-hats. NO!! Save it, who cares if it's dried out.<br />
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Got some three-day-old muffins from the local box-store? I got plans. This is cooking poor, eating rich. Get some milk, any dried fruit, raisins, cranberries, cherries are just dandy. Get 3 hen-berries please. I grabbed a nectarine and a bag of frozen cherries. Get some ground cinnamon and sugar. Butter. Yes, butter. </div>
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Here we go. Can you hear me? Am I shouting? We throw away more food than we consume. I can make a dessert from what most would call waste. You can too. </div>
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Mise-en-place</div>
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I got some sliced, stale, french bread, 'bout 6 slices</div>
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3-day old banana-chocolate muffins, broken into pieces</div>
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Dried fruit. 'bout 1/4 cup, use any, raisins, cherries, cranberries, prunes</div>
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softened butter</div>
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cinnamon-sugar ( 1/4 cup sugar tossed with 1 TB cinnamon)</div>
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Gotta get your bread into big cubes. Smear with butter, place in a big bowl, toss with cinnamon-sugar</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">smear with butter, toss in cinnamon-sugar</td></tr>
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Anybody else got some stale muffins? Break those up with your hands. Add to the bowl. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">got it?</td></tr>
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in a measuring cup, dump your milk, break open those 3 eggs, whisk together, add vanilla extract<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fEWv1HPa3xc/UEqQ2BZ3JCI/AAAAAAAABEs/7mIsLnA67QM/s1600/IMG_0048.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fEWv1HPa3xc/UEqQ2BZ3JCI/AAAAAAAABEs/7mIsLnA67QM/s320/IMG_0048.JPG" width="239" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best vanilla comes from Mexico</td></tr>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qrz-RL2jIO4/UEqRgxMfcdI/AAAAAAAABE0/MSlLmHGn_6M/s1600/IMG_0049.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Qrz-RL2jIO4/UEqRgxMfcdI/AAAAAAAABE0/MSlLmHGn_6M/s200/IMG_0049.JPG" width="149" /></a></div>
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Whisk away. Dump into your bowl of scrap bready pieces. Add a hand of dried fruit and walk away. Watch some Downton Abbey for like 2 hours. Let it all soak together. </div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OJRkYFJBn5g/UEqTGoeAMsI/AAAAAAAABFE/PSqb8A7hsbU/s1600/IMG_0051.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OJRkYFJBn5g/UEqTGoeAMsI/AAAAAAAABFE/PSqb8A7hsbU/s320/IMG_0051.JPG" width="239" /></a></div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">soakedy soak soak...laddity la</td></tr>
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Grab your widest casserole dish, smear the sides with butter, yes butter</div>
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Put all that stuff in it, bake off at 325 degrees until puffy, 'bout 45 minutes. </div>
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Sauce: </div>
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grab a bag of IQF cherries</div>
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add 1/4 cup of sugar</div>
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nectarine peel</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">slice, mince..<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 13px;"><br /></span></span></span></td></tr>
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juice of same</div>
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pinch of cinnamon</div>
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in a small pot, bring to boil, stir and remove from heat.</div>
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Puree, THUNDER-STICK</div>
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Strain it all through. What? You don't have a wire-mesh strainer? </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A one</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">a two</td></tr>
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The pudding should be ready by now. Puffy. Let's plate up. Serve with a bit of the sauce. </div>
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I used a ring-form. </div>
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Or maybe</div>
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Cooking poor, eating rich.</div>
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Get your grub on.</div>
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Ciao</div>
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Nick Atonnahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10054249439320474067noreply@blogger.com0