Food for Thought

John-Paul, a friend of ours, was eating at The Melting Pot the other day and had to e-mail me a great idea."How about and Asian inspired fondue?" Well we got to thinking and I hope, came up with some interesting things to try. First, John-Paul suggested a tempura batter for shrimp, shiitake mushrooms and vegetables and cooked in oil. Maybe add a little chili or sesame oil? Second, a lemon grass broth, with kafir lime leaves, fresh ginger, lime juice, scallions, and fresh coriander, and maybe a hint of fish sauce to add a bit of umami. Finally, a cheese based fondue, maybe a mild cheddar or Gouda, (I know cheese isn't really Asian, but this is inspired) five-spice powder, and either a little sake or Kirin beer. Still working on what we could dip in the cheese though. Anyway, had to get this down on the blog to keep it fresh in my head, Thanks John-Paul for the wonderful ideas.
Robert

The Cucumber Shark: Part II

Ok, can we all boil water? Water, over heat until 212F (100C). Not too difficult since we have discovered fire. True? Then why, oh why do we need microwave egg cookers?

Are we truly that lazy that we can't get up a few minutes earlier for a non-nuclear option? They have even made an inside the egg scrambler so you do not have to raise a fork and spend 20 seconds to whip an egg.

Now the Chop-O-Matic is a great idea to have children use to help in a kitchen (safety factor). But what adult cannot get a certain joy (stress release) from whacking up some veggies on a piece of wood with a sharp knife. It really does not have to be pretty, just chopped.
What has happened to the artisans? The Amish still make some of the best cheese. There are some truly talented bread makers. They don't compromise. I grew up on Wonderbread like most of you, but have you ever smelled a truly artisan sourdough loaf coming out of the oven? Ever heard the crackling sound it makes as it sits on the countertop cooling for at least an hour tormenting you with that Heavenly aroma?

I do understand time issues and the work force of today, but should we not, at least for our younger generation, once a week put forth the effort to pass on Grandma's recipes and skills? Once a week or even once a month, we do need to get back to these things as Americans. Our country was founded on making things from scratch. That is why we survived. I have made bread from a starter that I cultivated for 2 weeks. I have made cheese from whole milk. I do work a full time job. No, I do not have children yet, but with these things I have taught my nieces and nephews as well as other young people the benefits of the REAL DEAL. We can do this. Convenience should be an option, if need be, not a crutch. What's next, canned bacon and canburgers?

'Nuff Said,
Robert

The Cucumber Shark: Part I

Okay, okay, I feel I need to explain this a little. First lets go to the Wikipedia for a definition.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jumping the shark is a colloquialism used by U.S. TV critics and fans to denote the point in a TV or movie series at which the characters or plot veer into a ridiculous, out-of-the-ordinary storyline. Shows that have "jumped the shark" are typically deemed to have passed their peak, since they have undergone too many changes to retain their original appeal, and after this point critical fans often sense a noticeable decline in the show's quality.

The term is an allusion to a scene in a 1977 episode of the TV series Happy Days when the popular character Arthur "Fonzie" Fonzarelli literally jumps over a shark while water skiing. The scene was considered so preposterous that many believed it to be an attempt at reviving the declining ratings of the flagging show. Ironically, not only was Happy Days reflecting the superstardom of real-life shark-jumper Evel Knievel in the episode, but the series was wildly successful in 1977. Happy Days was the second most popular show on television in that year, behind its spin-off, Laverne & Shirley.

Jump-the-shark moments may be scenes like the one described above that finally convince viewers that the show has fundamentally and permanently strayed from its original premise. In those cases they are viewed as a desperate and futile attempt to keep a series fresh in the face of declining ratings. In other cases the departure or replacement of a main cast member or character or a significant change in setting changes a critical dynamic of the show. These changes are often attempts to attract their fans' waning attention with over-the-top statements or increasingly overt appeals to sex or violence.

The term has also evolved to describe other areas of pop culture including movie series, musicians, actors or authors for whom a drastic change was seen as the beginning of the end or marking the moment the subject is "past its peak." When referring to celebrities, the related term jumping the couch is often used if the moment is a personal act of "going off the deep end".^[1][2]

That said, what about the cucumber?
Well when culinary skills get to the point where cucumber sharks and carrot palm trees are exciting, what has happened?

Have we as Americans "Jumped The Shark"? Does everything have to be fast food? What about ready-made or even pre-made? Does every restaurant have to be part of a national chain? Do we all sit as a family at dinner? Does the television have to be on while we eat? How about having a large Sunday dinner with the whole family? Did Ronald McDonald kill Betty Crocker!!? I truly want to explore these things as best I can.. I am done ranting and raving for now so in Part II I will start, hopefully with all your input, the things we do and take for granted.
Thanks for bearing with me,
Robert

Book in the Works?

Well for quite some time, through the hustle and bustle of a real job, I have been working off and on, on my cookbook. But today, talking to one of my "partners in crime", the mention of an old coffee table book came up. Funny thing was I have been contemplating it also. Not gonna say too much about it now, but it should prove strangely entertaining. Now my other book idea, "Jumping the Cucumber Shark: What's Happened to America's Culinary Skills?!" (Working title) is still a possibility. I was just so re-energized by the thought of doing this unique and satirical look at food. I don't know why this idea cracks us up soo much. We just hope everyone else sees it as funny. Anyway, time to call it a night and I will keep you all updated. Perhaps a hint?


Thanks,
Robert

Multi Tasking with Grits

Ok, this was fun. For my Shrimp & Grits project, I found these grits from a local source. I was blown away by the look alone. They come from a local man in Plant City. Click Here for a great article about him. In all my reading I came across this neat idea on the IDEAS IN FOOD website. Great place for some different approaches and techniques. There was a great article on "10 Minute Grits and Whey". This was inspired! I had to try cooking these amazing grits in whey. Unfortunately, you just can't go to the store and pick some up. Or can you? Now it's time to multi task, I bought a gallon of milk and decided to learn to make my own mozzarella. (Cheese is one of my guilty pleasures). Amazing thing, out of a gallon of milk I got 3 quarts of whey as a by-product of the cheese making process. Now I am in business. I broke out the grits and measured out the whey and the kosher salt. I wanted to keep this simple.Cooking very slowly on the stove for about 45 minutes, the smell started permeating the house. I was getting excited! I have to say when the grits were done, they were the absolutely most phenomenal plate of grits I have ever had. Needless to say I started loading up the freezer with containers of my whey. Shannon's gonna love that. Just kidding, she's great about all this stuff. I am hoping to get in touch with Mr. Morrill (Morrill Grist Mill Speckled Grits) as I would love to go out and see the whole process. Hopefully by the end of this weekend, I will have made the Blue cheese grits recipe with the few changes I am making. When everything gets put together from my mangled pile of notes, I will post the new grits recipe and the mozzarella recipe for all of you.

P.S. What am I gonna do with over a pound of cheese now? Fresh homemade mozzarella? Pizzas?

Flavor Bases Part IV: Tuscan

Tuscan

Three Methods of Creating Tuscan Flavor Bases

• Odori - A blend of vegetables and herbs that are sautéed in extra-virgin olive oil. The most common combinations are celery, carrots, garlic, onion, parsley and other herbs, such as rosemary, bay or thyme. This serves as a flavor base for ninety percent of Tuscan recipes.

• Soffritto - The result of sautéing the vegetables and herbs that comprise the Odori.

• Insaporire - An infusion of flavor. The Tuscan cook takes the Soffrito and uses it as an infusion of flavor into many recipes that inspire them.

All of this was gathered and collected from books and websites. I would just cut and paste into a word document for my notes. If anyone recognizes their work please let me know so I can credit you.

Hope this inspires you,

Robert

Flavor Bases Part III: Mirepoix

Mirepoix

Mirepoix is the French name for a combination of onions, carrots and celery (either common Pascal celery or celeriac). Mirepoix, either raw, roasted or sautéed with butter, is the flavor base for a wide number of dishes, such as stocks, soups, stews and sauces. Mirepoix is known as the holy trinity of French cooking.

These three ingredients are commonly referred to as aromatics. Similar such combinations, both in and out of the French culinary repertoire, may include leeks, parsnips, garlic, tomatoes, shallots, mushrooms, bell peppers, chilis, and ginger. For the combination mirepoix au gras, or a Matignon, ham and/or pork belly are used as additional ingredients.

They may be used in various combinations, as dictated by the cuisine and the dish itself.

Traditionally, the ratio for mirepoix is 2:1:1 of onions, celery, and carrots. The ratio for bones to mirepoix for stock is 10:1. When making a white stock, or fond blanc, parsnips are used instead of carrots to maintain the pale color.

Mirepoix derives its name, as many other elements of French cuisine do,[1] from the patron of the chef who established it, in this case one of the house of Lévis, seigneurs of Mirepoix since the eleventh century, a famous name in Languedoc.[2] The particular member of the house of Lévis whose chef is credited by the Dictionnaire de l'Académie française with giving a name to an old technique is Charles-Pierre-Gaston François de Lévis, duc de Lévis-Mirepoix (1699-1757), maréchal de France and ambassador of Louis XV.[3]

All of this was gathered and collected from books and websites. I would just cut and paste into a word document for my notes. If anyone recognizes their work please let me know so I can credit you.

Hope this inspires you,

Robert

Flavor Bases Part II: Sofrito

Sofrito

Sofrito is a Spanish word for a well cooked and fragrant sauce. (The word is connected with Italian soffritto, which means "sautéed".) It can refer to any of the following.

• In Spanish cuisine, it contains garlic, onions, and tomatoes cooked in olive oil and are used as the base for many dishes. In Haiti it is referred to as Epis. The sauce is similar to the mirepoix in French cuisine and the soffritto of Italian cuisine.

• In Caribbean and Latin American cuisine, it is a sauce of tomatoes, roasted peppers, garlic, onions and herbs.

• In Cuban cuisine, it is a base for beans, stews, rices, and other dishes, including ropa vieja and picadillo. The main components for sofrito are onions, garlic, tomatoes and peppers. Chorizo, tocino (bacon), and ham are added for specific recipes, like beans. Other secondary components includes, but not limited to, cumin, oregano, bay leaf, cilantro, and culantro.

• In Puerto Rico it is a combination of ingredients used as seasoning to give a distinctive flavor to many dishes. It is mostly used when cooking legumes, rice dishes, sauces, soups and stews. The two main ingredients that give sofrito its characteristic flavor are: recao (also known as culantro) and ají dulce. Bell peppers may be substituted for ají dulce. Sofrito is also traditionally made with salted pork, cured ham, and lard. When pork is used the sofrito is cooked before storing.

• In the Sephardic cuisine of the eastern Mediterranean, it is a sauce of water or stock with lemon juice, flavored with turmeric, garlic and cardamom. It can be used in cooking chicken, veal, calves' brains or fish.

• In Greek cuisine it is a dish native to, and almost exclusively to be found on, the island of Corfu. Sofrito is a veal steak slow cooked in a white wine, garlic and herb sauce and is usually served with rice.
  

• In Italian cuisine soffritto is a sautéed mixture of chopped onions, celery, carrots, seasonings, etc. It is the Italian equivalent of mirepoix.

All of this was gathered and collected from books and websites. I would just cut and paste into a word document for my notes. If anyone recognizes their work please let me know so I can credit you.

Hope this inspires you,

Robert

Flavor Bases Part I: Trinities and Bases

I just thought I would share some of the information I have learned from cooking many different ethnic dishes. Most countries have a base to which most of their recipes start out.I will be posting this in several parts to make it easier. Here are just some notes on some of the many variations.

Trinities and Bases

• Indian: garlic, ginger and onion

• Chinese: scallions, ginger and garlic

• Szechuan: green garlic, ginger and chili peppers

• Thai: galangal, kaffir lime and lemon grass

• French Mirepoix: celery, onion and carrot

• Lebanese: garlic, lemon juice and olive oil

• Italian Soffritto: tomato, garlic and onion

• German: potato, cheese and pork

• Spanish Sofrito: garlic, onion and tomato cooked in olive oil

• Creole/Cajun: celery, bell peppers, and onions

• Mexican: corn, beans and chilies

• Tuscan Odori: red onion, celery, and carrot

• Cuban Sofrito: bell pepper, onion, and tomato

• Portuguese Refogado: sautéed onion and any or all of the following: garlic, bay leaf, paprika or tomato

All of this was gathered and collected from books and websites. I would just cut and paste into a word document for my notes. If anyone recognizes their work please let me know so I can credit you.

If anyone would like to add more please feel free to leave it in the comments and I will add them.

Hope this inspires you,

Robert

v

A New Project

Last year for a friend's B-Day, we went to this really neat place here in Tampa, Stump's Supper Club. Their Shrimp and Grits, were totally amazing. Here is the description from their menu.

"A favorite in Lowcountry kitchens throughout South Carolina. Fresh gulf shrimp are sautéed with Tasso sausage, smothered in red-eye gravy and served over stone ground cheese grits."

OK, I have to attempt to make this. Then I found a recipe by Jason Scholtz of High Cotton, in Charleston, SC., for blue cheese grits.

Click on the recipe for a larger image

Now the Stump's version did not use a blue cheese for the grits, so I was thinking of creating something inspired by both of these dishes. For the shrimp I have been debating on butterflying and blackening them, or sautéing them with the Tasso or better yet Andouille sausage. I still need to select the right type of blue cheese to get the creaminess I am looking for to compliment the heat of the shrimp. I may use the red-eye gravy as a dipping sauce on the side. Also, maybe something like the sweet heat sauce from Lee Roy Selmon's, here in Tampa.

As we working on this any suggestions or ideas would be great, and of course, as we progress I will post the recipes and changes.

Thanks, Robert

Vinha D'alhos for Beef

Excerpt from the Provincetown Seafood Cookbook by Howard Mitcham. 1975

Their most famous marinade is the vinha d’alhos, pronounced “vinyer thyles”; it literally means “wine of garlic.” It’s the beautiful spicy garlicky marinade which makes Portuguese food seem like witchcraft or black magic. The stew Macbeth’s witches brewed would have been a gourmet’s pot au feu if the ingredients had been subjected to this Portuguese marination process. One could almost concede that an old dish rag could be made palatable by “galvanizing,” which is what the Yankees call the spicy soak, and it’s as good a name as any.

In the days before refrigeration vinha d’alhos was used to keep fish and meats from spoiling; you could keep a fish fresh in it for several days, likewise pork chops or beefsteaks. And the spices and garlic make the foods taste so good that the system has persisted in spite of the whole refrigerator. What a beautiful term is “wine of garlic”! To me garlic is the happiest member of the whole vegetable family. I love its flavor and its fragrance. It has many ancient mythical and mystical significances; it’s a cure-all for illness and disease, a preserver of good health, a tonic and a thickener of blood, and the Egyptians four thousand years ago knew of its aphrodisiacal qualities.

The simplest vinha d’alhos is two cups of water to one cup of vinegar (pure vinegar would be too sharp) plus salt, crushed black peppercorns, a few crumbled bay leaves, a good many cloves of garlic, a chopped onion and a wide variety of spices and herbs of your own choice, but especially a half teaspoon of crushed cumin seeds. Many cooks would use a ten-cent package of commercial crab and shrimp boil spices, plus the cominos (ground cumin seeds), make a beautiful vinha d’alhos.

A more elegant marinade would use a good bottle of white wine instead of water, one cup of vinegar, a package of mixed spices, cominos, a dozen cloves of garlic crushed, a chopped onion, thyme, basil or any other herbs except oregano, which is too strong for this business. Soak your fish fillets or steaks in this mixture for thirty minutes, which is long enough to make them zoom. You can’t marinate fresh mackerel or it will become soft and mushy, but you can marinate cooked mackerel. Marinate pork chops in vinha d’alhos for two or three days and when you cook and serve them you can call it “transcendental pork chops” because they’ll be on a higher plane than ordinary pork chops.

End Excerpt

Inspired by both Mitcham and Ana Petuleia Ortins (Portuguese Homestyle Cooking, 2001, see the link to the left for her website), This is my fourth variation on that theme but with beef in mind. I have used burgundy before but feel free to try any red wine you enjoy with beef. Also, if you feel the marinade may be too vinegary, just add less vinegar and more wine. Almost forgot, Tarragon vinegar would also be a good substitute for the red wine vinegar.

Click on the recipe for a larger image

Enjoy, Robert

Cuban Black Beans

These beans have been a small project over the last year, and I must say they have been pretty successful. I know there are a lot simpler recipes for black beans, but of course my mantra is, "Anything worth cooking should take 2 days." Just kidding. The recipe has a lot of visual appeal, especially if you use yellow, orange and other colored pepper in the sofrito. Also, if you have not noticed, I (fortunately or unfortunately) love to cook the chorizo/chourico. Again, the pic is just filler until a better pic is taken.

Click on the recipe for a larger image

Enjoy, Robert

Portuguese Mussels

This is one of my absolute favorite recipes. I have been working on this one for about 2 years now and it just keeps getting better. I was inspired by one of Tony Bourdain's recipes in his Les Halles Cookbook and then ran with it. The actual image of the recipe is an excerpt from the cookbook I am working on so any comments would be appreciated. The picture above the recipe is just a place filler until I get a good shot of my dish. Enjoy, Robert

Click on the recipe for a larger image

My First Attempts at Breadmaking

In The Beginning...

I decided to start this blog as a way to keep track of the things I am currently working on and researching in the food world. I also would like to have a place for all my foodie friends to share their stories and recipes as well.

So that aside, I love to cook. I do some personal chef work and cater some events. I love exploring different cuisine and ethnic foods as well. I usually will spend a couple months on one thing ( i.e. Italian, Portuguese, Thai) until I get the basics down. Everything is a learning experience, and you can never learn it all, but what fun. The past month I have been baking bread or all sorts, artisan loaves, sourdough, beer bread and such. I do have my own living starter that is now 1 month old and doing very well, and makes amazing loaves. Today was Cuban bread. Traditional all the way including the palmetto leaf to get that wonderful split down the middle. Once I get it fully tweaked I will post the recipe.

Then there was the sandwich. To make the bread and then use that to make the true Cuban sandwich was such a amazing thing. Well, I hope you all like the photos and if anyone ever has any questions about any posts, please let me know.
Robert