Supper's Ready

Turkey Idea

2009-11-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

Ok, so every thanks giving we are destined to have to watch the morning show bring on some local chef celeb who will explain how to roast a turkey and make gravy. People will swear up and down claiming the secret is some sort of crazy thing like putting it in a paper bag, roasting it upside down, deep frying it first.....well in reality they all work but the biggest trick of all is simply a hot oven, covered in the beginning then cover off to finish and brown. Button pops and ready to go. Some insist stuffing must be cooked separately then put inside the turkey at the very end. This is certainly a great idea in order to maintain even cooking of the bird and to avoid salmonella in the stuffing but every turkey I've ever had was stuffed at the start, cooked through, and it tasted good and no one got sick. I won't get too much into the gravy but lets just say you need to keep the pan dry at all times without burning. This means if and when you notice it burning add water otherwise let it get nice and brown and suck out any liquid.

My tip this year is for garlic lovers. Shove butter and garlic (fresh only please and by fresh I mean heads of garlic not jarred chopped garlic)....take several whole peeled cloves and shove it under the skin with the butter, fresh rosemary, thyme, Italian parsley (by this I mean flat leaf not the stuff you see as garnish at cheap diners-nothin against the diner). When done this way the garlic will infiltrate every aspect of the breast so this is definitely not for the garlic hater. De-glaze the pan with some good tomato sauce and red wine then finish with flour and stock or roux and stock. Enjoy-I would post a pic but I'm lucky enough to not be cooking a bird this year. Score one for me.

Suppers Ready Re-launch

2009-11-13T18:06:00.000-08:00

Ok, I'm gonna try and bring supper's ready back to life. I had put the page together, made a few posts and then couldn't figure out where to go next. I mean, I hate cooking. I was a failure at it. What could I possibly have to say. Those that have experienced dinner at my house (or me cooking at their house which is more the case) will say I'm great. I know better though. If I were chefin it at a restaurant and had ten tickets hanging in the window and I hadn't yet gotten some appetizers together for the first few tables, I would be sweatin and probably suffering post traumatic stress. -Maybe that's why a lot of chefs smoke a bone by the dumpster before the rush- I don't know, well anyway, here goes my rebirth of suppers ready. An attempt to laugh at food rather than take it as seriously as some of the assholes I had to work with all those years ago in culinary land. Listen, don't invite me over to your house and serve me pumpkin bisque with pumpkin bread crouton with some fancy soft cheese draped over the top....In all honesty, that just isn't something that impresses me anymore. Now on the other hand, take some fried chicken bits and make a weird chicken salad with it -pow boy style knock off- then I'm hangin around till desert comes. That's just the way I fly now a days.

The PBJ Bacon Sub

2009-01-28T13:50:00.000-08:00

Roaches, mold, and a leaking roof were among the many problems inspectors found at a Georgia peanut plant involved in a national salmonella outbreak. It was also reported that salmonella tainted peanut products may have been shipped over the past two years despite managements knowledge of internal test results. More than 500 people have gotten sick in the outbreak, which is continuing. So much for PBJ bacon subs every night. Good Appetite!

1 Sub Roll
generous amounts of peanut butter
Limp bacon (somewhat undercooked)
plenty of softened butter
jelly of your choosing

Accompany with a tall frosted glass of buttermilk.

Ya know, feel free to toast that sub roll if you wish. Don't worry, noone will accuse you of bastardizing an original. Go crazy!

Pork Loin

2009-01-20T15:19:00.000-08:00

"Butterflied, stuffed, tied pork loin ready for dinner"

Back in 1987 I attended culinary school with someone who would later become a long term friend. We still see each other occasionally and I met my wife through him. In light of the fact that I had two PBJ sandwiches for dinner tonight, I figured I should blog his dinner instead of my own. Thankfully he just so happened to have a handy photo of his final preparation. He says it's butterflied pork loin.....I'll just have to take his word for it. Pork lion can be an excellent Italian dish. Seared in a hot pan and finished in the oven....stuff it with a wonderfully soft cheese, mushrooms, seasoned with fresh garlic/rosemary, and served over a bed of white beans...... The garlic rosemary combo is a real favorite of the Tuscan style. I love Tuscany and one of my great memories of living in Seattle was going to a little Italian Bistro called Bizarro, located in Wallingford. Their stuffed pork loin was great and always served with either white beans or risotto. Each time I would go it would be slightly different...either the stuffing or the accompaniment....I know I'm in my element when pasta is hard to find on the Italian menu. Think more Mediterranean and less meatballs. And if you've never seen the movie "Big Night" then watch it and you will understand the despair of a great authentic Italian chef as he watches his native food bastardized by a new Americana.

I'm looking at that pork picture again and thinking how disturbing raw food can look sometimes.

Have a great time.

Creamery Goodness

2009-01-20T02:36:00.000-08:00

We love my daughter's day school. Her teachers are always thinking about her. I usually pick her up early. She misses the late afternoon snack time but they never forget her or leave her out. Very often I find a snack packed in her bag for her to eat at home. Today I picked her up and inside her school bag we found a plastic bag containing two saltine crackers and an old baby food jar filled with white stuff . It said, "afternoon snack, homemade butter and crackers". Apparently this was their latest classroom experiment and it was earmarked for snack time. My little A-girl couldn't wait to dig in once we got home. After tasting it I reluctantly allowed her to eat it. I'm not sure what I was feeding her but so far she's is still alive and craving more. As for me, I'll pass on curdled goat milk.

Paw

2009-01-15T12:51:00.001-08:00

A Recipe For Paw:

Your companionship will be missed but your succulence will be savored. Paw Paw was on a very special diet all his life. Although lean, his meat should prove to be tasty and tender.

When braising I would normally use my dutch oven which was purchased at a lovely estate sale in Greenwich, however, in memory of Paw Paw, today, we will braise his succulent shanks in his very own dog bowl and it will be a good thing.

*In the event you are unable to procure paw paw shank, you may substitute your own pet shank for each paw paw shank . Please see my recent publication: readying your pets for dinner. A "how to" book; raising and readying your pets for your dinner table.

Ingredients:

Serves 4
4 paw paw shanks
Coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup rendered salted paw paw fatback
From a garden tended with paw paw at my side:
2 medium celery stalks,
1 medium carrot, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
5 sprigs fresh thyme
1 dried bay leaf
1 whole head garlic, cut in half
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 cups red wine
1 cup white wine
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
3 anchovy fillets
1/3 cup white vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
2 cups fresh paw paw stock, or 1 cup paw-glace
Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. With a sharp knife, cut about 1 inch from the bottom (narrow end) of paw paw's shank down to the bone and all the way around; this will help expose the his bone while cooking.
Heat rendered paw paw fatback in a large heavy pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add paw paw meat, and sear until brown all over, about 2 minutes per side Then remove. In honor of paw paw I am sure not to over cook, paw paw despised dry grainy meat and besides, his meat will tenderize in his memory much better once fresh paw paw braising liquid is added.
Pour off all but 3 tablespoons of paw paw fat. Add luscious vegetable from paw paw's garden. What better way to celebrate his companionship. Paw Paw would romp in the garden for hours while I tended..... celery, carrot, and onion, and cook until soft and beginning to brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add tomato paste, and cook about 3 minutes more. Stir in red and white wine, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, garlic, vinegar, and sugar. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Cook for about 5 minutes to burn off some of the alcohol. Add paw paw's stock.
Add back paw paw and return to a boil. Cover and transfer to oven. Cook for 1 hour. Uncover and cook until meat is very tender, turning the paw paw shanks over every half hour, 2 1/2 to 3 hours more.
Remove paw paw from braising liquid; strain the liquid and discard the solids. Skim any fat that rises to the surface and use the liquid as a sauce. Fat should be minimal since paw paw was very lean and on a strict diet. Spoon some polenta onto a serving plate. Top with a paw paw shank. Spoon sauce around paw paw and serve him immediately because paw paw hated to wait.
In your memory Paw, it's a good thing.

The Simplicity Meatball

2009-01-13T13:40:00.000-08:00

An Italian American friend of mine from culinary school shared his grandmother’s meat ball recipe. It wasn’t really a recipe as much as a list of ingredients. I’ve never written a recipe but I use my “meatball third eye” for measuring. These meatballs are not browned in the oven, they are instead cooked by poaching or simmering the raw meat ball in homemade tomato sauce. This technique brings on a very unique character and texture which seems more palatable to kids. The sauce must be stirred occasionally to prevent scorching and you must be gentle as to not break any of the meatballs. I prefer huge meatballs, sized slightly smaller than a tennis ball and when served they become the main entrée. When mixing the raw ingredients (meat mixture) do not over mix. This may cause the mixture to become sticky, rendering the meatballs rubbery or tough.

A mixture of ground veal, pork and beef.

Finely diced onions sautéed till translucent (clear, not caramelized too much) and to a lesser degree fresh garlic added just as the onions are finishing (let cool).

Chop up fresh basil, fresh flat leaf parsley (must be flat leaf), and to a lesser degree, fresh oregano, fresh thyme (herbs are not cooked).

Grated fresh parmesan cheese, fresh cracked pepper, salt.

One or two whole eggs and plenty of Italian bread crumbs to serve as binding agent.

Mix all ingredients together with your hands in a big mixing bowl. This is where kids come into play, they will love cooking with their hands and don’t give me this, “that’s dirty thing”. Come to the kitchen with clean nails, fingers and hands and get involved. Trust me, your kids dirty little hands are infecting everything in the house anyway. You have no idea what they’re doing with your tooth brush when you’re not looking…do you? At least here you can supervise. Shape the balls into a size slightly smaller than a tennis ball. Bring a big pot of tomato sauce to very slight simmer on the stove. I’ve never done it but you probably could use a crock pot. Place raw meat balls one by one into the simmering sauce. It’s best if they don’t touch each other. Occasionally stir so the sauce does not scorch on the bottom of the pot. When stirring be very gentle so as to not break the meatballs.

Industry News Flash

2009-01-11T05:13:00.000-08:00

Something I've written in my journal got me to thinking......If you're someone who never worked in the food industry but fancies great restaurants -like they're a professional sports team -and you secretly consider yourself a well informed "foodie" (who asks the server ten million questions even a seasoned chef could never answer-- all in an effort to illustrate your hobbyist knowledge to the rest of the table) , here's one last tid-bit of information to fill the plate of your closeted snobby epicurean persona (yes I'm speaking to you Mr. Wine tasting power professional): your dishes were probably washed by virtual slave labor, 80% of the time there is something happening in the kitchen that potentially puts your life at risk but since the worst rarely happens you are simply unaware of it, 90% of the time there is something in the kitchen putting all the employees safety at risk, 100% of the time the employees are not enjoying the benefits of obvious labor laws the rest of the world gets without question, the possibility that your server is either having a tryst with a cook, just had sex in the walk-in, or is doing coke on the side is very probable. It is more than likely that the person who cooked your meal is stoned and if (s)he's not hung over (s)he will be tomorrow. Now that's what I call sophistication.

Oven Frying Tip

2009-01-10T05:08:00.000-08:00

Oven frying: a great lower fat alternative to pan frying. Bread the item per usual but include the use of panko bread crumbs in your dredging mixture. Use it liberally. Before putting the breaded item in a very very hot oven spray both sides of the food product with cooking spray (lots of spray is better but may not be as low in fat). Panko makes it crispy crunchy and the spray ensures browning. You may have to flip your item to ensure even browning on both sides so keep an eye on it. In case you were wondering what my idea of a very very hot oven is....that's about 500 degrees and no less than 450. I like my ovens really hot for most things I cook regardless of any recipe instruction......If you want meat brown without being dry inside you usually need it hot hot hot!

Sick Day Juice Pop Project

2009-01-06T06:40:00.000-08:00

Learning what the flu feels like is rough. Being stuck inside sick is a kid's Guantanamo. A five minute project that tastes great is exactly what doctor dad ordered.

With Pop sticks or tooth picks on hand, Pour juice in ice tray

Tightly wrap a few layers of plastic wrap around tray. Take note of Puke bowl and "sicky" cup which are optional items yet good to have on hand.

Poke tooth picks or pop sticks through wrap and place in freezer
Then spend the next two hours answering the question, "are they freezed yet, are they freezed yet, are they freezed yet?" You'll take comfort in knowing that the whole family can enjoy a special treat handled and touched by a three year old who threw-up mid project.

The PBJ Club Sandwich

2009-01-05T14:45:00.001-08:00

Today after work I had a new look at peanut butter and jelly. Considering it was going to be my dinner and only meal for the day, I figured I should put all my effort in. The plate is garnished with chocolate sauce and fruit loop cereal straws. Most would pair an ice cold glass of milk however I much prefer the sweet flavor of a tall mug of cocoa cola.

About This Site

2008-01-01T13:18:00.000-08:00

Since attending culinary school, I'm not inclined to put a lot of stock in formal culinary education. I really thought I would be learning creativity. After all they call it an art. Instead they drilled our head with rules, boundaries, order, and the never ending need to do it the same way and the right way. Essentially I joined the food army. I considered it a challenge but the reality is, it could never teach a person ‘talent’. Those with the gift and passion of cooking (and by passion I mean the relentless ability to stay motivated in an environment which demands consistency in product in an imperfectly timed system) may actually end up stifled by the formal learning environment-their talents would be better groomed out in the working world. I would say schooling made me `proficient’ in the sense that I can make nice meals in the comfort of my kitchen but just about anyone can figure that out and it wouldn't require $20,000.00. In the real world of culinary, real talent is proven working a line in a top restaurant with a full dining room and what you can do at home or on your own time is fairly meaningless. At the end of the day, much like McDonald's, what chefs and owners really want are cooks who are consistent not creative. I once asked a very accomplished chef at the Four Seasons if he had gone to school. He was from Italy and he gave me a truly Italian response, "No I didn’t go to school, cooking is who you are, something I shared with my mother, a way of life, not something to go to school for." It took me a long time to understand this response. I now believe that if there were any message an accomplished chef could give an educated hobbyist like me, it would be a message of food's connection to our everyday way of life.

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"What most people don't get about professional-level cooking is that it is not at all about the best recipe, the most innovative presentation, the most creative marriage of ingredients, flavors and textures; that, presumably, was all arranged long before you sat down to dinner. Line cooking — the real business of preparing the food you eat — is more about consistency, about mindless, unvarying repetition, the same series of tasks performed over and over and over again in exactly the same way. The last thing a chef wants in a line cook is an innovator .... Chefs require blind, near-fanatical loyalty, a strong back and an automaton-like consistency of execution under battlefield conditions."

-Anthony Bourdain