I'm still on an Alexi Murdoch kick!
The lyrics of this song reminded me of something that a friend said to me once, and it was something like 'a person will come along who will love you so much that it's impossible for you to do anything that will make them give up on you (besides cheating on them). There will be no more game playing, no more hiding of feelings, just an acknowledgment that we are only human and that we have flaws - but we are just as loveable in recognition of those flaws.'
This notion is still out of my realm of understanding, but I remain hopeful that this type of love exists.
Perfect for: reminding you of why you love your significant other after a fight, reminding yourself that you're worth it, journaling.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Mario Batali's Duck Ragu
People went nuts yesterday over the picture I posted of the Duck Ragu I made in class. The dish is so rich and full of flavor - I think it might just be my favorite recipe of the quarter!
This is a great meal to cook when you are aiming to impress your family and friends. We made fresh pappardelle pasta in class, which is relatively easy and simple if you have the proper space, time and tools for the task. If you don't, try to find fresh pasta at your grocery store. If all else fails, dried pappardelle pasta will suffice. (Apparently culinary school is turning me into a food snob. You know what? I am just fine with that!)
Before I started attending culinary school, I always tossed my noodles in olive oil as soon as they were cooked al dente in order to prevent them from sticking together. I've since learned that doing so actually prevents the pasta sauce from adhering to the noodles. A better way to keep them from sticking is to either add the noodles into the sauce pot after they have been drained, or immediately toss the noodles in a small amount of sauce. This way your noodles will serve as the perfect vehicle for your sauce.
The recipe comes from Mario Batali's collection.
Ingredients:
-3 duck legs and thighs, skin removed
-Olive oil
-1 medium onion, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
-1 medium carrot, peeled and finely chopped
-2 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
-1 stalk celery, chopped into 1/4-inch dice
-8 ounces red wine (Chianti preferred)
-1 pound canned tomatoes, peeled whole
-1 cup chicken stock
-1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms
-1 lb. fresh pasta
fresh, uncooked pappardelle noodles
Directions:
1. Pat duck legs dry and season well with salt and pepper.
2. In a thick bottomed casserole or Dutch oven, heat olive oil until about to smoke.
3. Add duck legs and cook until brown on all sides and remove, about 10 to 12 minutes.
4. Add onion, carrot, garlic and celery and cook until softened, about 7 to 9 minutes.
5. Add wine, tomatoes, chicken stock and dried mushrooms and bring to a boil.
6. Add duck legs and return to boil, lower heat, cover and allow to simmer for 1 hour.
7. Remove duck legs and allow to cool.
8. Pull all meat off the bones and return to pot, without the bones.
9. Simmer uncovered for 30 minutes, or until quite thick. Season with salt and pepper and set aside.
In a large pot, bring 6 quarts of salted water to boil and add 2 tablespoons salt. Boil pappardelle until cooked, and drain well. IMPORTANT: Put hot pappardelle into pan with duck ragu and toss well. Pour into serving bowl and serve immediately.
il padrone
Monday, March 14, 2011
can't stop listening to: Alexi Murdoch - Crinan Wood
I am absolutely in love with this song, and have had it on repeat all weekend. The melody is so beautiful and the lyrics couldn't be more lovely:
It was cold, you hid your hands inside your sleeves
As we walked I heard the laughter in the leaves
See the shadows lying now where once we stood
And I would lie down right there if I only could
The music came to me, it came across the sound
And you laughed and shown and danced a circle around
As we walked away, I saw a shadow on the ground
There were stones inside my pockets that I found
When I was younger I heard angels on the roof
Thousand voices singing, each one was the truth
Well a wise young lad, I left them in my youth
And I have only just my memory for proof
See a doorway open on a darker road
Out in the garden, thread lies broken on the loom
See a face that's smiling, flick around the wall
And in the distance, mountains waiting for the fall
See these knots around my hands, around my feet
They would take me down my end for me to meet
I grow weary of this struggle and this fight
The morning's so far off from out here in the night
The night is cold and you must leave me, this I know
And empty all the places where we used to go
Before I knew you I went climbing in the snow
Called your name out to the darkness down below
Perfect (soundtrack) for: falling in love, home videos, painting and baking on a rainy day.
It was cold, you hid your hands inside your sleeves
As we walked I heard the laughter in the leaves
See the shadows lying now where once we stood
And I would lie down right there if I only could
The music came to me, it came across the sound
And you laughed and shown and danced a circle around
As we walked away, I saw a shadow on the ground
There were stones inside my pockets that I found
When I was younger I heard angels on the roof
Thousand voices singing, each one was the truth
Well a wise young lad, I left them in my youth
And I have only just my memory for proof
See a doorway open on a darker road
Out in the garden, thread lies broken on the loom
See a face that's smiling, flick around the wall
And in the distance, mountains waiting for the fall
See these knots around my hands, around my feet
They would take me down my end for me to meet
I grow weary of this struggle and this fight
The morning's so far off from out here in the night
The night is cold and you must leave me, this I know
And empty all the places where we used to go
Before I knew you I went climbing in the snow
Called your name out to the darkness down below
Perfect (soundtrack) for: falling in love, home videos, painting and baking on a rainy day.
vocab quiz: day 5
Today's the big day! Here's the final list:
61. Reduction: cooking a liquid such as a sauce until its quantity decreases through evaporation.
• To reduce au sec means that the liquid is cooked until nearly dry
62. Remouillage: a stock produced by reusing the bones left from making another stock. After draining the original stock from the pot, add fresh mirepoix, a new sachet and enough water to cover the bones and mirepoix, and a second stock can be made.
63. Risotto: cooking technique for rice – start by cooking flavorings and rice in fat, deglazing the pot, and then gradually adding stock in stages until it’s fully absorbed
64. Roux: a cooked mixture of equal parts flour and fat, by weight, used as a thickener for sauces and other dishes. Cooking the flour in fat coats the starch granules with the fat and prevents them from lumping together or forming lumps when introduced into a liquid
65. Sachet d’epices: ‘purse’ of a bayleaf, whole peppercorns and parsley stems. Used to flavor stocks
66. Semolina: flour ground from hard durum wheat and available from specialty purveyors, has a rich cream color and produces very smooth durable dough.
67. Slurry: a mixture of raw starch and cold liquid used for thickening
68. Smoke point: the temperature at which a fat begins to break down and smoke
69. Solanine: green coloring on potatoes – is poisonous and needs to be cut away
70. Starch: (1) complex carbohydrates from plants that are edible and either digestible or indigestible (fiber); (2) a rice, grain,
71. Stock: a clear, unthickened liquid flavored by soluble substances extracted from meat, poultry or fish and their bones as well as mirepoix, other vegetables and seasonings.
72. Thick Soups: Soups that have been pureed, cream has been added, a roux has been added
73. Tomato Concassee: peeled seeded and diced tomato
74. Truss: to tie poultry with butchers twine into a compact shape for cooking
Some definitions supplied by the text: On Cooking, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky Hause and Martel
61. Reduction: cooking a liquid such as a sauce until its quantity decreases through evaporation.
• To reduce au sec means that the liquid is cooked until nearly dry
62. Remouillage: a stock produced by reusing the bones left from making another stock. After draining the original stock from the pot, add fresh mirepoix, a new sachet and enough water to cover the bones and mirepoix, and a second stock can be made.
63. Risotto: cooking technique for rice – start by cooking flavorings and rice in fat, deglazing the pot, and then gradually adding stock in stages until it’s fully absorbed
64. Roux: a cooked mixture of equal parts flour and fat, by weight, used as a thickener for sauces and other dishes. Cooking the flour in fat coats the starch granules with the fat and prevents them from lumping together or forming lumps when introduced into a liquid
65. Sachet d’epices: ‘purse’ of a bayleaf, whole peppercorns and parsley stems. Used to flavor stocks
66. Semolina: flour ground from hard durum wheat and available from specialty purveyors, has a rich cream color and produces very smooth durable dough.
67. Slurry: a mixture of raw starch and cold liquid used for thickening
68. Smoke point: the temperature at which a fat begins to break down and smoke
69. Solanine: green coloring on potatoes – is poisonous and needs to be cut away
70. Starch: (1) complex carbohydrates from plants that are edible and either digestible or indigestible (fiber); (2) a rice, grain,
71. Stock: a clear, unthickened liquid flavored by soluble substances extracted from meat, poultry or fish and their bones as well as mirepoix, other vegetables and seasonings.
72. Thick Soups: Soups that have been pureed, cream has been added, a roux has been added
73. Tomato Concassee: peeled seeded and diced tomato
74. Truss: to tie poultry with butchers twine into a compact shape for cooking
Some definitions supplied by the text: On Cooking, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky Hause and Martel
Saturday, March 12, 2011
vocab quiz: day 4
Checking up on your vocabulary on a Saturday?!? If so, I am impressed!
46. Long-Grained Rice: most versatile and popular worldwide. Grains remain firm, fluffy and separate when cooked.
47. Marbling: fat distributed through the tissues of meat
48. Mirepoix: 50% onions, 25% carrots, 25% celery
49: Monter au beurre: to ‘mount with butter’, Technique for finishing a dish - adds additional moisture and flavor - often compound butter is used
50. Mise en place: everything in it’s place; pulling and arranging everything you will need for your dish in front of you
51. Onion brulee: French for ‘burnt onion’ made by charring onion halves; used to flavor and color stocks and sauces
52. Onion pique: French for ‘pricked onion’a bay leaf is tacked with a clove to a peeled onion; used to flavor sauces and soups
53. Pan Gravy: a sauce made by deglazing pan drippings from roast meat or poultry and combining them
54. Parboiled rice: partially cooked rice; shorter cooking time than blanching
55. Pasteurization: the process of heating something to a certain temperature for a specific period in order to destroy pathogenic bacteria
56. Pilaf: cooking technique for rice – starts on the stove-top and finishes in the oven
57: Primal cuts: the primary divisions of muscle, bone and connective tissue produced by the initial butchering of the carcass
58. Pureed Soup: a soup usually made from starchy vegetables or legumes; after the main ingredient is simmered in a liquid, the mixture, or a portion of it, is pureed
59. Raft: a crust formed during the process of clarifying consommé. It is composed of the clearmeat and impurities from the stock, which rise to the top of the simmering stock and release additional flavors.
60. Recovery time: the length of time it takes a cooking medium such as far or water to return to the desired cooking temperature after food is submerged in it.
46. Long-Grained Rice: most versatile and popular worldwide. Grains remain firm, fluffy and separate when cooked.
47. Marbling: fat distributed through the tissues of meat
48. Mirepoix: 50% onions, 25% carrots, 25% celery
49: Monter au beurre: to ‘mount with butter’, Technique for finishing a dish - adds additional moisture and flavor - often compound butter is used
50. Mise en place: everything in it’s place; pulling and arranging everything you will need for your dish in front of you
51. Onion brulee: French for ‘burnt onion’ made by charring onion halves; used to flavor and color stocks and sauces
52. Onion pique: French for ‘pricked onion’a bay leaf is tacked with a clove to a peeled onion; used to flavor sauces and soups
53. Pan Gravy: a sauce made by deglazing pan drippings from roast meat or poultry and combining them
54. Parboiled rice: partially cooked rice; shorter cooking time than blanching
55. Pasteurization: the process of heating something to a certain temperature for a specific period in order to destroy pathogenic bacteria
56. Pilaf: cooking technique for rice – starts on the stove-top and finishes in the oven
57: Primal cuts: the primary divisions of muscle, bone and connective tissue produced by the initial butchering of the carcass
58. Pureed Soup: a soup usually made from starchy vegetables or legumes; after the main ingredient is simmered in a liquid, the mixture, or a portion of it, is pureed
59. Raft: a crust formed during the process of clarifying consommé. It is composed of the clearmeat and impurities from the stock, which rise to the top of the simmering stock and release additional flavors.
60. Recovery time: the length of time it takes a cooking medium such as far or water to return to the desired cooking temperature after food is submerged in it.
Friday, March 11, 2011
vocab quiz: day 3
Day number 3 - let's do this!
31. Emulsion: a uniform mixture of two unmixable liquids; it is often temporary
32. Enriched rice: some of the nutrients which were stripped during the milling process are added back to the rice
33. Fabricated cuts:(1) individual portions cut from a subprimal (2) to fabricate is to cut a larger portion of raw meat, poultry or fish into smaller portions
34. Fond: (1) French for 'stock' or 'base' (2) the concentrated juices, drippings and bits of food left in pans after foods are roasted or sauteed; it is used to flavor sauces made directly in the pans in which foods were cooked
35. Fond lie: aka 'jus lie' a sauce made by thickening brown stock with cornstarch or similar starch; often used like a demi-glace, especially to produce small sauces
36. Fumet: a stock made from fish bones or shellfish shells and vegetables simmered in a liquid with flavorings
37. Garde manger: (1) also known as the pantry chef, the cook in charge of cold food production, including salads and salad dressings, charcuterie items, cold appetizers and buffet items (2)the work area where these foods are prepared
38. Glace de viande: a dark syrupy meat glaze made by reducing a brown stock
39. Glaze: (1) any shiny coating applied to food or created by browning; (2) the dramatic reduction and concentration of a stock; (3) a thin, flavored coating poured or dripped onto a cake or pastry
40. Grading: a series of voluntary programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to designate a food's overall quality
41. Gratin: (via wikipedia.com) is a widely used culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. A gratin is baked or cooked under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish
42. Inspection: process conducted by the US Department of Agriculture to ensure that products are processed under strict sanitary guidelines and are wholesome and fit for human consumption.
43. Jus: french for Juice, unthickened pan drippings from roasted meats
44. Jus lie': aka 'fond lie' a sauce made by thickening brown stock with cornstarch or similar starch; often used like a demi-glace, especially to produce small sauces
45. Liaison: a mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream used to thicken and enrich sauces
Some definitions supplied by the text: On Cooking, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky Hause and Martel
31. Emulsion: a uniform mixture of two unmixable liquids; it is often temporary
32. Enriched rice: some of the nutrients which were stripped during the milling process are added back to the rice
33. Fabricated cuts:(1) individual portions cut from a subprimal (2) to fabricate is to cut a larger portion of raw meat, poultry or fish into smaller portions
34. Fond: (1) French for 'stock' or 'base' (2) the concentrated juices, drippings and bits of food left in pans after foods are roasted or sauteed; it is used to flavor sauces made directly in the pans in which foods were cooked
35. Fond lie: aka 'jus lie' a sauce made by thickening brown stock with cornstarch or similar starch; often used like a demi-glace, especially to produce small sauces
36. Fumet: a stock made from fish bones or shellfish shells and vegetables simmered in a liquid with flavorings
37. Garde manger: (1) also known as the pantry chef, the cook in charge of cold food production, including salads and salad dressings, charcuterie items, cold appetizers and buffet items (2)the work area where these foods are prepared
38. Glace de viande: a dark syrupy meat glaze made by reducing a brown stock
39. Glaze: (1) any shiny coating applied to food or created by browning; (2) the dramatic reduction and concentration of a stock; (3) a thin, flavored coating poured or dripped onto a cake or pastry
40. Grading: a series of voluntary programs offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture to designate a food's overall quality
41. Gratin: (via wikipedia.com) is a widely used culinary technique in food preparation in which an ingredient is topped with a browned crust, often using breadcrumbs, grated cheese, egg and/or butter. A gratin is baked or cooked under an overhead grill or broiler to form a golden crust on top and is traditionally served in its baking dish
42. Inspection: process conducted by the US Department of Agriculture to ensure that products are processed under strict sanitary guidelines and are wholesome and fit for human consumption.
43. Jus: french for Juice, unthickened pan drippings from roasted meats
44. Jus lie': aka 'fond lie' a sauce made by thickening brown stock with cornstarch or similar starch; often used like a demi-glace, especially to produce small sauces
45. Liaison: a mixture of egg yolks and heavy cream used to thicken and enrich sauces
Some definitions supplied by the text: On Cooking, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky Hause and Martel
office baby shower
A colleague of mine is almost due to give birth to a baby girl! Two weeks ago I organized a little baby shower luncheon for Monja, which included a cupcake bar. Molly made blondies, Eric made his famous cream cheese frosting, and I made lemon curd and chocolate buttercream frosting, which we placed on the table for people to decorate their own mini-cupcakes.
Here are some pictures from the event, which was a lot of fun for our office. Monja is going to be a wonderful mother, and we can't wait to meet her little bundle of joy!
Here are some pictures from the event, which was a lot of fun for our office. Monja is going to be a wonderful mother, and we can't wait to meet her little bundle of joy!
Thursday, March 10, 2011
vocab quiz: day 2
Day two of vocab words! How many do you know?
16. Clear Meat: used to clarify a broth; through clarification, the clearmeat transforms a broth into a a clear consomme by trapping impurities with a clearmeat consisting of the egg white protein albumen, ground meat, an acidic product, mirepoix and other ingredients.
17. Clear Soups:unthickened soups, including broths, consommes, and broth based soups
18. Coagulation: the irreversible transformation of proteins from a liquid or semiliquid state to a solid state
19. Compound Butter: also known as a 'beurre compose', a mixture of softened whole butter and flavorings used as a sauce or to flavor and color other sauces
20. Connective Tissue: tissues found throughout an animal's body that binds together and supports other tissues, such as muscles
21: Consomme: a rich stock or broth that has been clarified with clearmeat to remove impurities
22: Converted Rice: is parboiled to remove surface starch, which forces nutrients from the bran into the grain's endosperm. Therefore, converted rice retains more nutrients than regular milled white rice, although the flavor is the same. It is neither precooked nor instant; in fact, it cooks more slowly than regular milled white rice
23: Court Bouillon: water simmered with vegetables, seasonings, and an acidic product such as vinegar or wine; used for simmering or poaching fish, shellfish or vegetables
24: Cream Soups: soups made from vegetables cooked in a liquid that is thickened with a starch and pureed; cream is then incorporated to add richness and flavor
25: Cryovac: airless sealed plastic packaging used for transporting foods - esp. meat
26: Cuisson:the liquid used for shallow poaching
27: Custard: any liquid thickened by the coagulation of egg proteins; its consistency depends on the ratio of eggs to liquid and the type of liquid used
28: Deglaze: to swirl or stir a liquid (usually wine or stock) in a pan to dissolve cooked food particles remaining on the bottom; the resulting mixture often becomes a base for a sauce
29: Demi-glace: French for "half-glaze"; a mixture of half brown stock and half brown sauce reduced in half
30: Duchesse Potatoes: a puree of cooked potatoes, butter and egg yolks, seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg; can be eaten as is or used to prepare several classic potato dishes
Some definitions supplied by the text: On Cooking, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky Hause and Martel
16. Clear Meat: used to clarify a broth; through clarification, the clearmeat transforms a broth into a a clear consomme by trapping impurities with a clearmeat consisting of the egg white protein albumen, ground meat, an acidic product, mirepoix and other ingredients.
17. Clear Soups:unthickened soups, including broths, consommes, and broth based soups
18. Coagulation: the irreversible transformation of proteins from a liquid or semiliquid state to a solid state
19. Compound Butter: also known as a 'beurre compose', a mixture of softened whole butter and flavorings used as a sauce or to flavor and color other sauces
20. Connective Tissue: tissues found throughout an animal's body that binds together and supports other tissues, such as muscles
21: Consomme: a rich stock or broth that has been clarified with clearmeat to remove impurities
22: Converted Rice: is parboiled to remove surface starch, which forces nutrients from the bran into the grain's endosperm. Therefore, converted rice retains more nutrients than regular milled white rice, although the flavor is the same. It is neither precooked nor instant; in fact, it cooks more slowly than regular milled white rice
23: Court Bouillon: water simmered with vegetables, seasonings, and an acidic product such as vinegar or wine; used for simmering or poaching fish, shellfish or vegetables
24: Cream Soups: soups made from vegetables cooked in a liquid that is thickened with a starch and pureed; cream is then incorporated to add richness and flavor
25: Cryovac: airless sealed plastic packaging used for transporting foods - esp. meat
26: Cuisson:the liquid used for shallow poaching
27: Custard: any liquid thickened by the coagulation of egg proteins; its consistency depends on the ratio of eggs to liquid and the type of liquid used
28: Deglaze: to swirl or stir a liquid (usually wine or stock) in a pan to dissolve cooked food particles remaining on the bottom; the resulting mixture often becomes a base for a sauce
29: Demi-glace: French for "half-glaze"; a mixture of half brown stock and half brown sauce reduced in half
30: Duchesse Potatoes: a puree of cooked potatoes, butter and egg yolks, seasoned with salt, pepper and nutmeg; can be eaten as is or used to prepare several classic potato dishes
Some definitions supplied by the text: On Cooking, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky Hause and Martel
vocab quiz: day 1
I have a vocabulary quiz for my Concepts and Theories class next week and I thought it would be helpful if I got you guys involved was well! I have 74 words to review by this Sunday, so that gives me... hold on...74/5=15 about words per day. I will post the words in the beginning of the day and the definitions towards the end of the day or the next morning. Test your own culinary knowledge and see how many of these words/terms you know!
1. A la minute - denotes that something should be cooked or finished at the last minute
2. A point - (1) French term for cooking to the ideal degree of doneness (2) when applied to meat, refers to cooking it medium rare
3. Aging - (1) the period during which freshly killed meat is allowed to rest so that the effects of rigor mortis dissipate; (2) the period during which freshly milled flour is allowed to rest so that it will whiten and produce less sticky doughs
4. Al dente - literally, 'to the tooth', the point to which pasta is cooked when there is still a bite, not fully cooked
5. Aromatics - a food added to enhance the natural aromas of another food; aromatics include most flavorings, such as herbs and spices, as well as some vegetables
6. Au Jus: roasted meats, poultry or game served with their natural, unthickened juices
7. Au Sec: cooked until nearly dry
8. Beurre Manie: a combination of equal amounts by weight of flour and soft, whole butter; it is whisked into a simmering sauce at the end of the cooking process for quick thickening and added sheen and flavor
9. Beurre Noisette: French for 'brown butter'; used to describe butter cooked until it is a light brown color; it is flavored and used in much the same manner as beurre noir
10. Bouquet Garni: fresh herbs and vegetables tied into a bundle with twine and used to flavor stocks, sauces, soups and stews
11. Brigade System: a system of staffing a kitchen so that each worker is assigned a set of specific tasks; these tasks are often related by cooking method, equipment or the types of food being produced
12. Broth: a flavorful liquid obtained from the long simmering of meats and or vegetables
13. Brown Rice: all rice is originally brown; the grains can be left whole with the bran attached, which is brown rice
14. Carry-over Cooking: the cooking that occurs after a food is removed from a heat source; it is accomplished by the residual heat remaining in the food
15. Clarified Butter: butter which has had all of the milk solids removed, usually by skimming them off over very low heat
Some definitions supplied by the text: On Cooking, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky Hause and Martel
1. A la minute - denotes that something should be cooked or finished at the last minute
2. A point - (1) French term for cooking to the ideal degree of doneness (2) when applied to meat, refers to cooking it medium rare
3. Aging - (1) the period during which freshly killed meat is allowed to rest so that the effects of rigor mortis dissipate; (2) the period during which freshly milled flour is allowed to rest so that it will whiten and produce less sticky doughs
4. Al dente - literally, 'to the tooth', the point to which pasta is cooked when there is still a bite, not fully cooked
5. Aromatics - a food added to enhance the natural aromas of another food; aromatics include most flavorings, such as herbs and spices, as well as some vegetables
6. Au Jus: roasted meats, poultry or game served with their natural, unthickened juices
7. Au Sec: cooked until nearly dry
8. Beurre Manie: a combination of equal amounts by weight of flour and soft, whole butter; it is whisked into a simmering sauce at the end of the cooking process for quick thickening and added sheen and flavor
9. Beurre Noisette: French for 'brown butter'; used to describe butter cooked until it is a light brown color; it is flavored and used in much the same manner as beurre noir
10. Bouquet Garni: fresh herbs and vegetables tied into a bundle with twine and used to flavor stocks, sauces, soups and stews
11. Brigade System: a system of staffing a kitchen so that each worker is assigned a set of specific tasks; these tasks are often related by cooking method, equipment or the types of food being produced
12. Broth: a flavorful liquid obtained from the long simmering of meats and or vegetables
13. Brown Rice: all rice is originally brown; the grains can be left whole with the bran attached, which is brown rice
14. Carry-over Cooking: the cooking that occurs after a food is removed from a heat source; it is accomplished by the residual heat remaining in the food
15. Clarified Butter: butter which has had all of the milk solids removed, usually by skimming them off over very low heat
Some definitions supplied by the text: On Cooking, A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals by Labensky Hause and Martel
thursday jam: People Under The Stairs - Acid Raindrops
Last night I made Cream of Mushroom Soup for my colleagues, and I put on a mix that my friend Mike made for me that was mostly Jurassic Five and People Under The Stairs.
This is my favorite P.U.T.S. song - Acid Raindrops. I first heard this song when I visited my brother at USD. It reminds me of driving with the top down with the sunshine blaring through the sunroof - I LOVE me some so cal weather.
Perfect for: sunny roadtripping, feel-good vibing, free-styling, and rooftop party mixes.
This is my favorite P.U.T.S. song - Acid Raindrops. I first heard this song when I visited my brother at USD. It reminds me of driving with the top down with the sunshine blaring through the sunroof - I LOVE me some so cal weather.
Perfect for: sunny roadtripping, feel-good vibing, free-styling, and rooftop party mixes.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
consommé: an education
As promised, here is my tribute to the art form that is the production of a consommé. Upon being presented with a consommé, most people would think to themselves "Well, it's just a broth, what's the big deal?" In actuality, it really is a big deal. A lot of time and effort goes into the production of this traditional french dish that is often served at the beginning of a long multi-course meal as a way of whetting the diner's appetite.
I'd like to break this down into two sections; first is the recipe and procedure for Chicken Stock, and the second is the recipe for Consommé. Both of these recipes are adapted from my textbook, called On Cooking: A Textbook of Culinary Fundamentals, 6th Edition.
Before you go through the following recipe, here are a few terms and facts you should know:
MIREPOIX is a combination of onions, celery and carrots that is added to chicken stock while it's simmering as an aromatic. It's easiest to remember the ratio of Mirepoix when preparing a stock (who knows, you could be making stock from one carcass or 30). 50% Onions, 25% Celery, 25% Carrots. The carrots can also be substituted with Parsnips - which will impart less color if you were aiming for more of a blond stock.
The ratio of the STOCK should be:
8 pounds of bones : 1 pound of Mirepoix : 1 sachet d'epices : 6 quarts of water.
The best parts of the chicken to be included in stocks are the carcasses and necks. The richness and body of a stock/Consommé is attributable to the collagen in the cartilage/bones and connective tissues gelatinizing during the cooking process.
Younger animals are ideal candidates for stocks, as they have more connective tissues which makes for a richer, full-bodied stock.
It's super important to wash your bones in COLD WATER. As soon as warm/hot water hits the bones, the collagen begins to gelatinize, and you could be washing away vital ingredients to your stock.
a SACHET D'EPICES is made up of 1 bay leaf, 8 peppercorns, and 3 parsley stems, which are all bunched together and tied up within a piece of cheesecloth - resembling a small purse! The reason that parsley STEMS are used is because the leaves of parsley would break down over time in the simmering water and bitter the stock. The stems are much more durable.
Minimum cooking times for stocks:
Vegetable: 3-45 minutes
Fish: 45-60 minutes
Chicken: 3-4 hours
Beef/Veal: 6-8 hours
In part two for the comsommé, the recipe calls for 3 tomatoes concassé (pronounced CON-KA-SAY). Here is the procedure for concasséing a tomato:
1. Bring a pot of water to a simmer, and prepare an ice bath
2. Score (cut a small, shallow x) at the point of a Roma tomato
3. Drop the tomato into the water, blanching it for 8 seconds
4. Plunge tomato into ice bath
5. After the tomato has cooled, peel off the skin
6. Slice the tomato in half, remove seeds
7. Slice tomato into slivers, and then dice
The recipe also calls for an onion brulé. Did you know, by the way, that brulé simply means burnt?
An onion brulé is prepared by peeling an onion, slicing it in half, and then placing the half onion directly on an stovetop burner so that it chars and blackens. The blackened onion helps the consommé develop its rich color.
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PART ONE:
Chicken Stock
Yield: 1 Gallon
Ingredients
8 lbs. chicken bones
6 qts. water -- cold
1 lb. mirepoix -- prepared
1 ea. sachet d'epices -- small
Procedure:
1. Rinse the chicken bones under cold running water, drain and place them in a stock pot.
2. Add the cold water and bring the stock to a simmer over moderate heat, skim the surface, removing the fatty foam that accumulates as it is simmering.
3. Simmer the chicken stock for approximately 3 hours, degrease the stock periodically.
4. Add the mirepoix and sachet d'epice in the last hour of simmering.
5. Strain, cool, wrap and label
6. Refrigerate
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PART TWO:
Consommé (Chicken)
Yield: 1 Gallon
*The best way to understand the 'raft' to which this recipe refers is to go ahead and make it! The raft is formed when the acid from the tomato concassé and egg whites causes the proteins to coagulate and pull together any impurities that remain in the stock.
For the clarification aka 'clearmeat'
1 lb. mirepoix -- prepared
3 lbs. chicken meat, lean -- ground
10 egg whites
3 ea. Roma tomatoes -- concassé
1 ea. onion brulé
5 qts. chicken stock -- cold
1 ea. sachet d'epices -- prepared
1 tsp. Kosher salt -- to taste
Procedure
1. Prepare all the ingredients for the clearmeat and blend well.
2. Place the cold chicken stock into a stockpot, add the clearmeat and blend well.
3. Place the stockpot on a moderate flame and bring the mixture to a slow simmer, stirring frequently until it reaches 110°F to 120°F, stop stirring and let the raft form, "Do not let the raft boil over", turn down the flame, so only small bubbles are visible on the surface of the liquid.
4. Cut a window at the hotspot and baste the raft once it has formed. Add the sachet d'epice and onion brulé and simmer the consommé for approximately 1 hour.
5. Remove the consommé from the heat and let it stand for two minutes, slowly strain the consommé through a coffee filter, degrease with paper towels and adjust the seasonings with salt to taste.
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Traditionally, consommé is served with tiny cuts (called bruniose, measuring 1/8 x 1/8 x 1/8in which have been flash cooked to remove the bite) of the the vegetables that were used to flavor it such as carrot or celery. The attached picture is from my friend and fellow chef Alex Jaeger, who learned to make consommé at Le Cordon Bleu in Paris.
My hope is that this entry has provided you with an appreciation for all of the work that goes into the production of a consommé. If you ever come across this dish on the menu of a restaurant, you can rest assured that you are a) about to enjoy a very fine meal and b) the restaurant is doing well because they can spend the money to pay their staff to cook such a labor-intensive menu item!
Hump Day Jingle: The Dandy Warhols - (You Come In) Burned
I became obsessed with this song senior year of college, and I'm pretty sure my roommate wanted to strangle me for the number of times I blared it on repeat. It's kindof a dark and creepy song, and definitely not for everyone, but the intro is one of my favorite intros of all time (make sure you have your volume turned up or you'll miss it) and I still have music cravings for this song.
Perfect for: driving with purpose, when you're feeling moody, zoning out on a rainy day.
Perfect for: driving with purpose, when you're feeling moody, zoning out on a rainy day.
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