PEPPER: It DOES matter if it's black or white

Until recently, I was under the impression that black pepper was stronger than white pepper.  I was once told that black pepper is simply aged black pepper.  I asked my chef instructor if I had my facts straight and it turns out I was completely wrong!

It turns out a white peppercorn is actually a black peppercorn with the hull removed - therefore a white peppercorn is stronger.  I was still confused so I pressed on and he encouraged me to think about it from a yield standpoint.  When a black peppercorn is ground - think about all the extra matter that comes along with the hull.  Including the hull in this grind dilutes the strength of the pepper.  When a white peppercorn is ground there is no hull to decrease the strength, therefore what you get is 100% spice. 

Therefore, you should always keep in mind that white pepper is much stronger than black pepper.  When should you choose between the two?  A good rule of thumb is to use a smaller amount of white pepper in dishes that are lighter in color, such as mashed potatoes and clam chowder, so your finished product remains uniformly light in color.  You will impress your guests with a perfectly seasoned dish that lacks visible evidence of the spices you used in its preparation.

Look at me, peppering you with knowledge on this otherwise ordinary Thursday afternoon!

Dinner at Jaleo

A few weeks ago my family and I flew to Vegas for the weekend.  We ate, saw some great shows (Cirque du Soliel's LOVE!!!), toured the strip, spent some time by the pool - but mostly we just ATE.  My favorite dining experience was at Jaleo which is at The Cosmopolitan.  It's a José Andrés (who studied under Ferran Adria of El Bulli) restaurant, and the food is as purely Spanish as it gets.  We shared a number of incredible tapas style dishes and I was fortunate enough to be able to get a tour of the back of the house kitchen by the chef who studies under José  (I was too shy to take my camera).  

He shared with me that José insists upon using the most high quality ingredients in his kitchens.  This is why he flies the majority of his ingredients in from Spain (I'm not too hot on the carbon footprint that that's producing, but man did those ingredients make a difference).  All items are fried in extra virgin Spanish olive oil, not vegetable oil, for instance.

One of of the things for which José is most famous and respected is that he was the first chef to bring Jamón Ibérico, which is cured ham from the legendary, acorn-fed, black-footed Ibérico pigs of Spain, to the United States.  Jamón Ibérico is the most prized pork product on the market.  He pulled a leg out of the walk-in refrigerator and informed me that that leg alone cost about $2,000!

He also told me that they had recently installed a computer system in the kitchen which allowed orders to pop up on a screen for all chefs to read in the (absolutely tiny, esp. for Las Vegas!) kitchen.  He said he was not a fan, and missed the days of everyone yelling out orders within the kitchen.  I loved his attitude of resistance toward technology!

Here are some pics from our meal.  I wholeheartedly recommend this restaurant to any Las Vegas visitors!

the ladies

the dining room

the front of the house kitchen

pan con tomate

mas sal por favor

Gambas al ajillo, pulpo a la Gallega ‘Maestro Alfonso’, vieiras con romesco y mojo verde

salpicón de cangrejo, endibias con queso de cabra y naranjas

ostras

lomo Ibérico de bellota con pan con tomate, selecciónes de embutidos

lomo Ibérico, mejillones a la ‘marinera’

(caviar cones)

pimientos del piquillo

flan al estilo tradicional de mamá Marisa con espuma de crema catalana,

helado de aceite de oliva con cítricos texturados

espuma de chocolate negro con bizcocho de cacao y helado de avellana

Orzo with Roasted Cauliflower and Summer Squash

Ingredients:

• 1 head yellow, purple or white cauliflower
• 6 assorted mini summer squash
• 2 tablespoons kosher salt
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper, freshly ground if possible
• Extra virgin olive oil, as needed
• Non-stick cooking spray, preferably Olive Oil
• 1 box orzo
• 2 lemons, both zest and juice
• 1 cup Cotija cheese, crumbled
• 1 bunch mint, short chiffonade cut

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Cut cauliflower and squash into small bite sized pieces. Remember you will be incorporating these vegetables into your orzo, so you want them to be fairly small. Also be sure to cut all of the vegetables the same size so they cook uniformly. Combine all in a large bowl
3. Toss the vegetables with the salt and lemon pepper. Sprinkle olive oil over the vegetables and toss to coat
4. Spray a roasting pan with non-stick cooking spray, pour in all of the vegetables and place into the preheated oven
5. Roast the vegetables until they have softened and browned slightly, about 30 minutes. Be sure to gently stir your vegetables every 10 minutes so all sides are evenly roasted
6. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil and follow the instructions on the back of the box to cook the orzo
7. Finish roasting your vegetables and remove them from the roasting pan so they do not continue to cook
8. Cook and drain the orzo, then return the orzo to the pot and drizzle with olive oil
9. Pour all of the vegetables into the orzo and mix in the lemon juice, zest and Cotija cheese
10. Distribute the orzo among plates and finish each portion with the mint. Do not cut your mint too early or fold it into the entire pot of orzo, as it will darken and lose its bright green color. Bon Appétit!

Wicked Game versus Infinity

I am currently obsessed with The XX's song Infinity. I think one of the reasons I love it so much is because it reminds me of Chris Issak's classic song Wicked Game. The lazy electric guitar, the sad/sexy riffs... I just can't stop listening to it! Check out both songs below:



This video is definitely one of the sexiest music videos ever created...





How addicting is this song?

Enjoy!