Food Links

A few food links -

An excellent food blog to add to the list - Bourrez Votre Visage, which means "stuff your face"

On Bourrez a found a link to fat guy who has some good articles including guides to New York's Old-School Italian Restaurants and New York's Steakhouses, with a good explanation of what makes a steak great.

On Fat Guy is a link to eGullet, which I am suprised to have missed. Fat guy describes it as "the most civil, literate, intelligent message board site in the history of the Internet bar none" Thats quite a claim, but this site contains many years of reading worth of food knowledge and stories. From a Tony Bourdain article - "The episodes then go to Food Net, who usually ask for very few revisions: a few beeps, cut out the sodomy jokes, the direct drug references, the offensive to major religion stuff, the McDonalds as center of all evil type of thing. 'They're sponsors, for Chrissakes! You can't say they cause rectal tumors in lab rats! This isnít 60 Minutes!' You know, reasonable." From Dispatches from a First Kitchen Job - "I got rather animated and talked about how fun it has been for me to eat out during Restaurant Week in the past and how I've eaten at a lot of places during Restaurant Week that I might not have visited otherwise. Matias overheard me and said ominously, 'So you mean you've only experienced it from the other side?' 'Yeah, only as a diner,' I replied. Chef Scott said, 'Better get used to grabbing your ankles now.'"

eGullet describes itself as "the leading online food discussion forum in the world, with message traffic of approximately 1,000 messages per day and a user base of approximately 5,000 registered users plus in excess of 50,000 guest users with read-only privileges." It's like metafilter for food.

Of course there is chowhound for valuable local info wherever you may be, but it's unweildly to read. The forum pages can reach 3-4 MBs!

Chili Contest

I didn't win :(

I don't usually expect to win these things, since the winner is usually the most unique tasting chili more than anything else. All three winners were extremely sweet versions.

I asked one of the judges, a friend who is a chef at another restaurant, if there was any entry that really stood out. He answered " Honestly? My professional opinion? None of them." I asked him what he looked for in a chili and he said sirloin, and proper use of salt and pepper. At least I had the sirlion.

I'll post my pic of my chili, and the recipe soon. I think my entry wasn't very unique, and I kind of went conservative when I should made a batch of a very thick mole based chili that I thought succeeded when I made it earlier in the week. I had made it with anchos and chiplotles, like my entry, but with a heavier hand on the mole and Raz el Hanout, and much more of a smokier background provided by some Kolozsvari Hungarian bacon drippings.

When making 2 gallons of chili it's quite hard to judge just how much stuff you need to change its taste without going overboard. I think I stopped short with some of the ingredients that would have made it unique.

Chili

I'm training for a chili contest on Super Bowl Sunday. I've been trying out a few variations on what I want to do.

I should mention that this contest at Nevin's Pub benefits the North Shore Ulster Project and is a good opportunity for pub patrons to try a few dozen free chilis. While I'm giving them a plug, I might as well mention the $25 all you can eat & drink game package deal

I've only been involved in one of these before, and if it had been judged by whose chafing dish of chili was finshed first I would have won. The winner that year was a variation of Cincinnatti Chili. The Cincinnati style has a ton of ingredients, and the winner also used peanut butter is his recipe. I'm not giving awy my recipe just yet, due to the highly competitive nature of these things, but mine will have quite a few ingredients, with my own grind of ancho and chipolte peppers, and a better cut of meat. Unlike some very strict Chili competitions, I have a feeling that a unique chili, that can stand out among 15 or more entries, has a better chance. In a competition, you have to make the chili keeping in mind the judges only get a few ounces of it, so it has to be very bold (not necessarily hot), thick and maybe a bit over-seasoned. When you cook 2 gallons of the stuff I tend to prepare it for the way I like to eat it - with lots of different veggies, meat and beans floating around in a sauce thats going to flow over rice or macaroni and will get sopped up by bread, and coated with cheese, sour cream, etc. I'll have to keep in mind the difference between Competition Chili vs. Eatin' Chili

The Pantry

Sahr, from the Cotton Tree asked a good question in my comments - What should a novice chef have in their pantry?

The simple answer is - the ingredients you need to make the base of the type of food you like. Tomato paste if you like Italian, coconut milk if you like Thai etc. However as your repertiore grows, and your skills increase, so does your pantry. I've got stuff in my pantry that I bought in asian markets, that I don't even know what it is.

A pantry is more than just a place to keep staple ingredients on hand, it also should serve as an emergency food cache. Not so much in the hard-core survivalist sense, but in cases where you may be slightly sort on cash, or some circumstance prevents you from being able to shop. or more likely, for those times when you just don't feel like cooking or prepping food, you'll have what you need to throw something together. For more sophisticated meals, having an armoury of varied foodstuff that can be used when a dish 'needs something extra' really helps.

But here's a simple list of things any chef needs on hand to be able to make the basis of most meals. These are ingredients that, for the most part, have long enough shelf life that you won't need to worry about planning when you're going to use them.

Essentials (stuff you can't cook without)

Oil, you can't cook without oil or butter, no matter how good your non-stick pans might be. I prefer peanut oil for general cooking and pan lubrication, olive oil and sesame oil for flavoring and dressings. Once you start getting fancy you can either buy or make flavored/herbed oils.

Salt and Pepper, every cook will tell you that food most be seasoned properly. While I don't believe in the overuse of salt (some TV chefs will tell you to salt lettuce for God's sake!), you really can't do without it. Kosher salt is preferred for taste over iodized table salt. Black pepper from some sort of grinder is essential as well. White pepper is essential for subtler dishes.

All-purpose flour, while I don't bake much, flour is essential for roux and gravies, and batters. I've been using rice flour lately with good results. I'll include cornstarch here, since it's vital for thickening some sauces. Also I know some people would consider bisquick, and some sort of pancake mix important to have on hand.

Spices, an entire category, and I could cover this with several posts. But for basic cooking you should have oregano, basil, paprika, tarragon, sage, rosemary and thyme. If you like hot stuff, you should have some cayenne. The simple cook or novice should have things like onion flakes and garlic powder until they learn that there's no substitute for having those two ingredients fresh. I shy away from spiced-salt mixes (with the exception of celery salt) but if you only have one or two things or your spice rack, you may need some of this stuff. Other spices realy depend on preferences. For instance, I couldn't do without ginger, although most of the time it's fresh or ginger juice.

Canned soup, for quick or emergency meals, and for novice cooking. Cream of chicken, cream of mushroom etc. have been used for generations to make tasty meals. And often the can iteslf comes with a recipe printed right on it. Put some chicken in a pan, plop some soup on top of it, and put it in the oven until it's cooked. Thats the basic traditional home-cooked American meal. Here's some Campbell's recipes if you really need them. Also I should include the dry soup/gravy mix envelopes in this category. While I'd prefer to make my own, having something on hand that make a sauce with some water in a few minutes definitely would help the novice. Also you never know when you need to make an emergency chip dip.

Vinegar, for flavoring chili, sweet and sour sauces and dressings. Simple white vinegar will do, but I always have rice wine, cider and some balsamic on hand.

Tomato paste, for pasta sauces and chilis. Novice cooks or those who are really in a rush should stock up on pre-made pasta sauces and canned chili.

Stock items

Rice, buy big bags of it, and wait the 10-20 minutes it takes for the real stuff to cook. It'll give you time to make the rest of the meal. I'll make exceptions for the true novice cook, but don't by the instant unless you really only have a minute and like stuff that tastes like styrofoam-lite. I prefer jasmine rice, but always try to have some brown rice around.

Pasta, another topic for an entire post. I like big shaped pasta, twirls, ziti, rigatoni etc. Not just for italian type sauces, use them topped with chili or in all kinds of creative salads and casseroles. Pasta is something every novice can handle.

Noodles, oriental types - udon, soba etc. Vital for asian cooking. Novices or college students should have plenty of Ramen, but know when its time to graduate from that stuff.

Couscous, a little exotic for the novice, but boxed couscous takes only a few minutes to cook and makes a great change of pace if you have a limited cooking repertoire.

Dried beans and grains, a little more work but these will be vital for the vegetarian meals. Dirt cheap and very filling, beans can be used in anything from stew to salads and grains like millet make great casserole pies.

Potatoes, slightly out of the pantry category because of the shelf life, but for the price, ease of cooking and variety of meals you can use them with, everyone should keep a bag of 'em around.

Not Quite Essential, but Important

Stock, while you can get away without using stock while making sauces and soups, stews or for braising, a few cans on hand come in handy for many dishes.

Cooking wine, while not essential for basic cooking, they bring sauces to another level of sophistication. Ignore the salty 'made for cooking' wine and stock up on cheap port and sherry (both dry and sweet). I always have some sake around, both the cheap drinking type, and the asian cooking sake. I'm also never out of Marsala and Madeira, both vital for my pasta sauces and some chicken dishes. I'll also include mirin in this category.

Canned fish, namely tuna, salmon or mackeral. Some of this, a can or two of something else in your pantry, some rice or pasta and voila, a meal. Also sandwiches, salads and countless other things can be whipped up with this cheap staple. Some cooks swear anchovies are an essential staple, but I prefer mine in a jar, in the frig, since I can't see myself ever using an entire can of them at once.

Canned and dried mushrooms, most of my dishes benefit from mushrooms, whether its a chicken Marsala, or a hot curry. They're cheap and they add bulk to the meal, without adding more meat.

Canned veggies, I will always endorse fresh veggies over canned, but a few cans of peas or green beans, not only serve as side dishes, but can be used creatively in things like pasta salads and casseroles.

Canned fruit, for me, I always keep some pineapples and mandarin oranges for sweet and sour dishes, dressing up hams, etc. Also recommended in case the bomb hits, and your pantry serves as a fallout shelter since you'll need to fight off scurvy.

Condiments, mustards make great sauces and mayo is vital for the potato, tuna, chicken or pasta salad. Soy sauce, teriyaki, tabasco if you cook dishes that require them. You can build from there especially with hot sauces, BBQ sauces etc. But if you really need to stock up on ketchup, I'll bet you don't need anything else on this entire list.

I haven't covered anything you'll need for baking, since that's another science entirely, but even if you venture into things like pancakes, or packaged muffin/cookie mixes you should have some vanilla, cinnamon, nutmeg etc to spice thing up once in awhile.

Sometime I'll try to post some more of the stranger items I have in my pantry, including some 'banana sauce', canned lychees etc.

More links

Some more food links I found:

Yes - in 10 years we may have no bananas

Two fungal diseases, Panama disease and black Sigatoka, are cutting a swath through banana plantations, just as blight once devastated potato crops. But unlike the potato, and other crops where disease-resistant strains can be bred by conventional means, making a fungus-free variety of the banana is extraordinarily difficult.

I learned from reading this article on thePros and cons of the Subway diet, that Subway has more stores than McDonalds. While I admit Subway is the only fast food I've eaten in years (with the occasionly relapse into KFC or Popeye's) I hate to think that it might have caused the demise of the Wells Street Deli, a River North greasy grill. Wells street was the only truely great gyro/gigantic burger place in an area full of fancy-chic dining, tourist food and Lettuce-Entertain You restaurants. A Subway opened across the street from the Deli late last year and soon after the Deli locked its doors.

Some great articles on spices.

Raz el Hanout

I got some Raz El Hanout spice for Christams (thanks Mom!) and used it on some chicken the other night. It's a Morrocan mix of ginger, anise, cinnamon, nutmeg, peppercorns, and cloves. Like curry, the mix can vary, but my brand is heavy on the cinnamon and ginger. I took 4 lbs. of chicken thighs that I got for 6 bucks, threw them in a bowl with a few tablespoons of the spice and some rice flour, tossed it about, browned it in a pan, and finished them in the oven.

Also I made a pork loin sirloin roast (redundant I know, but thats how its was sold) with this morroccan spice last weekend. Sorry no photo. You'd think I'd have time over an entire weekend to photograph a slice or two of a 5 lb. roast before I ate it all. The sirloin was a little over 5 lbs, and cost $7, along with some 39 biscuits in a can, and some potatoes, this was a cheap meal for a few days.

And last night I used the raz el hanout again on a ham, this time mixed with some honey to coat it. The 10 lb ham was 9 bucks. Notice a trend here? I'm trying to save a few bucks, and I'm finding it rather easy to find food, especially meat, that cost around a buck a pound. These are mostly supermarket sale specials, but I'm going to see how long I can keep it up.

Food links

It's been awhile, but finally I have some money to go shopping, and a car to go shopping with, so I should be doing some interesting things again soon. Until then here are some food links:

The Poor Get Stuffed "Within as little as ten years, the world will be faced with a simple choice: arable farming either continues to feed the world's animals or it continues to feed the world's people. It cannot do both. "

The Museum of Burnt Food

Le livret de temprature des viandes, "or The Little Book of Meat Temperatures, was created to provide a more complete explanation than is usually presented in other information sources as to what internal temperature meat should reach during cooking in order to destroy any harmful bacteria." This is a very valuable resource from Peter Hertzmann's à la carte which includes tons of recipes (he even provides a measurements convertor!) and I love his soup recipe interface

20 things you must eat before you die veal marow in ossobuco, wild boar prosciutto, Scrambled eggs finished with butter, sea urchins and sliced white truffle... this list makes me drool. I aggree with Nick Nairn and a few of the other contributers - "...everyone should have tasted something really, really fresh. Freshly picked, fresh out of the ocean or fresh out of the ground, there is nothing like it." My most sublime food memories have always been about fresh food - picked blueberries from an Appalachian mountain top, an oyster pried from the rocks of an island of the coast of New Zealand, a freshly killed BBQ'ed chicken...

via looka

Food blogs

How did I miss this one? Murrayhill5, a NY food blog also includes a food news blog and a food book blog. Added bonus is that she's a photgrapher, so the images are beautiful. Also she has a a very complete food blog list with several I've never seen:

an obsession with food and the companion site eating well cheaply

frog-gras

below 14th, another NY food blog, focusing on food, drink and entertainment in Downtown Manhattan

gastronome, the gossip of a gaggle of gourmands

chef's blog

rites of passages recipes

butterpig a log of cooking activity

Food links

A few food links while i compose my NY restaurant reviews:

Explaining Brain Freeze The Science Behind The 'Ice Cream Headache' via diamondblog

Tips on how to rescue food disasters via nothing new to eat

A new slant on leeks Cooking with the Seasons January column

The Trouble with Chicago School Lunches

Not by Bread Alone America's Culinary Heritage "Food and eating habits are a compelling tool for examining culture. Culinary histories illuminate national and ethnic identities and evolving gender roles, thereby shedding light on shifting social boundaries, changing patterns of family life, and national aspirations and values."

And of course, I love linking to any good news about drinking. "Among men, consumption of alcohol at least three to four days per week was inversely associated with the risk of myocardial infarction."

Roast Pheasant Christmas Dinner

For Christmas, we had a meal at home, an appetizer of New Zealand prawns and cockles, with some lime and ginger, followed by roast pheasant, stuffed with wild rice and glazed with lingonberries.

The pheasant turned out perfect, but I would have added an extra ingredient to reduce the limey-ness of the appetizer. Something still citric, but not so acidic, like pureed mango, or I could have stuck with the New Zealand theme and used kiwifruit.

The pheasant and the seafood for the appetizers were bought at McCaffrey's in Princeton. McCaffrey's is a huge place with tons of specialty items and an amazing selection of meat and seafood. I haven't seen anywhere else that has big hunks of foie gras in the case. Other ingredients like the lingonberries, the bread, and the rice were bought at the nearby Bon Appetit, who had a couple of white truffles on display, with no price (if you have to ask...) and the Princeton Wild Oats store.

Click on "more" to see the recipes.

New Zealand Prawns and cockles, with lime ginger butter over snow peas

I'm not really sure what a New Zealand Prawn is. It might be another name for the Malaysian fresh water prawn, or it could be a marine variety. Whatever they are they have big and tasty tail meat. It looks like a langoustine, but I'm not sure how it compares in taste. Cockles are small clams.

Ingredients

NZ Prawns, 1 for each serving

1/2 a lime

butter

ginger

snow peas

heavy cream

I didn't have a plan for presentation of these prawns, if I was serving more I might have displayed the whole thing (impressive, but not for the faint of heart, this are big mean looking shrimp). Ever see the scene in Apocalypse Now where they're telling Martin Sheen to 'terminate with extreme prejudice'? They're having a lunch of gaint prawns, claws, antennae and all. For a fancier preesentation I might have cooked and displayed the long thin claws.

In any case, I butterflied the tail meat over the tail shell for broiling, like you might do with a lobster. Although the meat came out fine, the shell wasn't very attractive, staying a fleshy white, rather than turning red, like a lobster might do.

The rest of the appetizer was fairly simple - boil the cockles for about a minute, boil or steam the snow peas for about a minute or less to mantain some crispness, melt some butter in a pan, maybe 3-4 tablespoons worth, ream half a lime and add to the butter and add in some grated ginger. I use just a bit, not wanting to overpower anything. Add a couple of tablespoons of cream and whisk a bit.

I shelled the cockles and removed the prawn tail meat from the shell, and threw them in the pan for about 30 seconds and plated equal portions over the pea pods.

This dish comes out very limey. I kinda liked it, but I think I would reduced the amount of lime and added something to tone it down next time. Some pureed kiwi fruit would have added some sweetness, or if I was making more, I might have used coconut milk.

Roast Pheasant, wild rice stuffing and lingonberry glaze

Most recipes I've seen for pheasant assume a very gamey, dry bird. But farm raised pheasants aren't like the wild ones. Some recipes call for brining, barding (covering the bird with bacon during cooking) or braising. The method we used made a very tender, juicy, tasty bird. It's the method i use with all my roasted birds, from game hen to giant turkeys. Truss the bird, put it into a very hot oven to start (450° F), until the skin just starts to brown, then cover loosely woith foil for the rest of the roasting. Some prefer to finish the bird in a hot oven, rather than start it but I think that overcooks the leg meat and I stick to the theory that browning the skin to start with helps to keep the moisture from leaving the bird during roasting.

Stuffing

1 cup of wild rice (will make 3 cups)

2 cups of seasoned, toasted bread cubes (toast your own from sourdough or something season to your liking with olive oil, tarragon or sage, don't use the over-salted packaged stuff for a fancy meal like this)

butter

2-3 large shallots

wild mushrooms (most supermarkets sell a small package of mixed 'wild' varieties)

1 or 2 big portabellos, cut into vegas-dice sized cubes

Cook the wild rice (simmer covered in 2 1/2 cups of water and 2 T of butter for 45 minutes), then add in another 3 T of butter, add the mushrooms and shallots you sauteed in butter while the rice was cooking. Stir in the bread cubes and allow to cool.

Take the bird out of the frig, if you haven't already. The idea is that the inside of the bird won't be cold when you put it in the oven. Let it come to room temperature so it cooks evenly. Stuff the bird with the rice-stuffing. I like to put a layer of stuffing under the skin of the breast meat, as insulation. Truss up the bird and coat liberally with the lingonberries.

Again start the bird in a hot oven (450° F) until the skin is just brown, maybe 15 minutes, then cover loosely with foil and roast at 350° F until the thigh temperature reaches 130-135° F. Ours took about 1 1/2 hours. Give it another coat of lingonberries right before its done. Some recipes will tell you to go as high as 160°, but this is a bird that is best to be served just a bit more than rare. this article on The Art of Cooking Game is right - "Over 150° internal temperature all game birds begin to get tough and flavorless and are a loss, except as the base for some fancy sauce". Let the bird rest for ten minutes or so, and the temperature will rise a bit more. You could also make a sauce with some pan drippings, and more lingonberries