A fascinating look at how we eat and why it's not a good sign if your date asks for seconds....
The Social Side of Eating
Friday, February 5, 2010
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Wine'ing Wednesday: The Tale of Tapas
How could we discuss Spanish wines without mentioning tapas? The tapas trend started way back when Spanish bartenders were loosing their battle against flies. One day a frustrated bartender decided he would cover* his customer's drink with a slice of bread to act as an edible fly shield. This simple yet innovated idea caught on and soon the slice of bread morphed into bread + cheese and then bread + cheese + olives and then bread + cheese olives + cured meat…. and so on and so on …. until there was a need for ‘small plates’ to accompany drinks.
*The word Tapas is a conjugated form of the Spanish word Tapar meaning ‘to close or cover’
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Punxsutawney Chuck Roast (Pot roast on any other day)
And just incase you haven't heard...... we have 6 more weeks of winter to look forward to
2 ½ Pound Chuck Roast
1 Bay leaf
2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme or 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
4 Ribs Celery, cut into large pieces
4 Carrots, pealed and cut into large pieces
(1) 12 Ounce Can of Beef Broth
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1 Dutch Oven or large pot that has a tight fitting lid. The sides of the roast should not touch the sides of the pan
Serves 4 people
Let roast rest at room temperature for 3 hours (if you skip this step allot for an additional 30-45 minutes cooking time). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Liberally coat the roast with salt and pepper. Heat Dutch oven on the stove and add olive oil to coat the bottom. Sear all sides of the roast (3-5 minutes each side).
Add red wine to deglaze the pan. Once all the brown bits are loose on the bottom add beer, vegetable, herbs and enough broth to cover ¾ of the roast. Bring to boil. Cover with lid and place in oven.
The roast will cook for about 2 hours or 30 minutes per pound. The roast is done with the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees.
Recipe Tips:
*If you don’t have a tight fitting lid, use a layer of foil between the pan and the lid to create a tighter seal.
*I like my pot roast with mashed potatoes but feel free to throw a couple of potatoes (quartered) into the pan with the roast.
1 Bottle Beer – a dark seasonal larger is best
6-8 Cloves of Garlic, pealed and smashed
1 Large Onion, quartered 1 Bay leaf
2 Sprigs of Fresh Thyme or 1 Tsp Dried Thyme
4 Ribs Celery, cut into large pieces
4 Carrots, pealed and cut into large pieces
(1) 12 Ounce Can of Beef Broth
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
1 Dutch Oven or large pot that has a tight fitting lid. The sides of the roast should not touch the sides of the pan
Serves 4 people
Let roast rest at room temperature for 3 hours (if you skip this step allot for an additional 30-45 minutes cooking time). Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.
Liberally coat the roast with salt and pepper. Heat Dutch oven on the stove and add olive oil to coat the bottom. Sear all sides of the roast (3-5 minutes each side).
Add red wine to deglaze the pan. Once all the brown bits are loose on the bottom add beer, vegetable, herbs and enough broth to cover ¾ of the roast. Bring to boil. Cover with lid and place in oven.
The roast will cook for about 2 hours or 30 minutes per pound. The roast is done with the internal temperature reaches 190 degrees.
Recipe Tips:
*If you don’t have a tight fitting lid, use a layer of foil between the pan and the lid to create a tighter seal.
*I like my pot roast with mashed potatoes but feel free to throw a couple of potatoes (quartered) into the pan with the roast.
Culinary Q&A: London Broil
Culinary Q: I need a good marinade for London Broil... one especially flavorful because I'm putting it over mixed greens. Any recipes?
Culinary A: There is no specific cut of beef that claims the name ‘Long Broil.’ The term was coined by Keen's Chophouse in New York City in the 1930’s and was used to describe large cuts of meat that were either not suitable or recognizable as steaks.*
Historically butchers would turn to a Flank Steaks when asked for a London broil but today the demand (and price) for Flanks steaks has increased. For a more economical London Broil try a Chuck Shoulder (good flavor but does not slice well), a Top Round (very beefy flavor and very tough) or a Bottom Round (more uniformed shape and better for grilling)
Margarita “London Broil” Marinade
2lb London Broil (i.e. flank steak, chuck shoulder, top round, bottom round)
½ Cup Olive Oil
4 Limes, juiced
4 Garlic Cloves, crushes
1 Large Shallot, minced
½ Cup Fresh Cilantro, stems removed
1 Tbs Coriander Seeds
½ Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Chili Powder
½ Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbs Salt
1 ½ Tsp Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a Zip Lock bag. Marinate the meat for 2-24 hours, occasionally rotating the bag.
Pre-head broiler. Place meet on a broiling pan and broil on high for 8-10 minutes per side. Rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Cut in thin slices on the biased.
*Cook's Illustrated, Published May 1, 2006.
Culinary A: There is no specific cut of beef that claims the name ‘Long Broil.’ The term was coined by Keen's Chophouse in New York City in the 1930’s and was used to describe large cuts of meat that were either not suitable or recognizable as steaks.*
Historically butchers would turn to a Flank Steaks when asked for a London broil but today the demand (and price) for Flanks steaks has increased. For a more economical London Broil try a Chuck Shoulder (good flavor but does not slice well), a Top Round (very beefy flavor and very tough) or a Bottom Round (more uniformed shape and better for grilling)
Margarita “London Broil” Marinade
2lb London Broil (i.e. flank steak, chuck shoulder, top round, bottom round)
½ Cup Olive Oil
4 Limes, juiced
4 Garlic Cloves, crushes
1 Large Shallot, minced
½ Cup Fresh Cilantro, stems removed
1 Tbs Coriander Seeds
½ Tsp Ground Cumin
1 Tsp Chili Powder
½ Tsp Crushed Red Pepper Flakes
1 Tbs Salt
1 ½ Tsp Black Pepper
Combine all ingredients in a Zip Lock bag. Marinate the meat for 2-24 hours, occasionally rotating the bag.
Pre-head broiler. Place meet on a broiling pan and broil on high for 8-10 minutes per side. Rest for at least 5 minutes before serving. Cut in thin slices on the biased.
*Cook's Illustrated, Published May 1, 2006.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Passive Aggressive Vegetables Beef Soup
Not everything that comes out of my kitchen is a contender for a James Beard award [Gasp!]. As much as I enjoy sharing my culinary successes, today I’d take a moment to share my latest foodie flop. I call it – Passive Aggressive Vegetable Beef Soup.
*Recipe Tip*: Making the effort to go the grocery store and purchase fresh ingredients or follow the proper soup making procedure, the same bitter, snarky, and spiteful aftertaste may not be achieved
~~~~~~~~
1) Enter kitchen a bit sleep deprived and still recovering from a night of cheap red wine (or tequila) over indulgence.
2) Trim overpriced specialty stew meat into bite size pieces.
3) Brown meat in an overcrowded large saucepan. Once you begin to feel impatient adjust the heat to high and check Facebook updates until the bottom of your pan is nicely burnt. Ignore and proceed.
4) Add haphazardly chopped onions, garlic, carrots and celery
5) Deglaze pan with remaining cheep wine from last weekend’s party. Do not measure.
6) Overly reduce wine to ensure the unpleasant taste is adequately concentrated.
7) Add canned tomatoes and stock
8) Season with non-complimentary dried herbs purchased over a year ago.
9) Taste. Consider all the ingredients that could improve the soup then remember none of them are on the ‘allergy approved’ list.
10) Overcompensate with salt and 1 can of “veggie-all” that miraculously made the move from your last apartment.
11) Cool and refrigerate or discard and order take out.
*Recipe Tip*: Making the effort to go the grocery store and purchase fresh ingredients or follow the proper soup making procedure, the same bitter, snarky, and spiteful aftertaste may not be achieved
~~~~~~~~
1) Enter kitchen a bit sleep deprived and still recovering from a night of cheap red wine (or tequila) over indulgence.
2) Trim overpriced specialty stew meat into bite size pieces.
3) Brown meat in an overcrowded large saucepan. Once you begin to feel impatient adjust the heat to high and check Facebook updates until the bottom of your pan is nicely burnt. Ignore and proceed.
4) Add haphazardly chopped onions, garlic, carrots and celery
5) Deglaze pan with remaining cheep wine from last weekend’s party. Do not measure.
6) Overly reduce wine to ensure the unpleasant taste is adequately concentrated.
7) Add canned tomatoes and stock
8) Season with non-complimentary dried herbs purchased over a year ago.
9) Taste. Consider all the ingredients that could improve the soup then remember none of them are on the ‘allergy approved’ list.
10) Overcompensate with salt and 1 can of “veggie-all” that miraculously made the move from your last apartment.
11) Cool and refrigerate or discard and order take out.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wine'ing Wednesday: Italian Wine Trivia
The word ‘Superiore’ is use to indicate wine with an alcohol content higher then the typical wines made in the region or by the specified grape.
How they do it: The grapes are dried before crushing to concentrate the sugars. More Sugar = More Alcohol!
How they do it: The grapes are dried before crushing to concentrate the sugars. More Sugar = More Alcohol!
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
How the Hushpuppy got it's Name
Hushpuppies are a southern tradition that started when people would feed their dogs pieces of the fried cornmeal batter when they begged for food. After the scraps were given to the dogs, the owner would say "Now hush, puppy."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
