Last term was my last term working in the Renaissance Room, our student-run restaurant. The class that covered this was Restaurant Supervision, and it was pretty much self-explanatory -- we were the supervisors, the first years were our workers. Aside from the seasonal dinner events, it was our main contact with the first years, and overall, they were a great bunch to work with. Even though I'm nowhere near as close to them as to my classmates, I enjoyed getting to know them.
Which all leads me to a really cool thing that happened today. Last term, I was bragging to them about The Lad's enthusiasm for cooking. Today, I bumped into two of them in the library at school, and one of them said, "Oh, I have something for you". She left, and returned a few mihutes later with The Lad's first cookbook.
It's awesome, since he loves Disney almost as much as cooking. Remy from Ratatouille is the guide, and the recipes are all themed after various characterts, TV Shows and movies. It's not Haute Cuisine, to be sure, but it's easy, and fun, and they DO teach things like nutrition, safety, and even Mise en Place. He insisted on it being his bedtime story tonight, and he's already eying a couple of recipes he wants to try.
Me? Proud? What makes you say that?
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Spud Stud
As I mentioned, during the height of the lunacy I refer to as "Winter Term", I was tagged with a food meme. The basic requirements were that the food be "peasant" food (or the American equivalent), that it be delicious, simple, cheap to make, and not too healthy.
I think the ideal dish would be my mother's fried potatoes. I was blessed with a heritage of poor working class folks on both sides of my family -- my maternal grandmother was a Dustbowl Arkie, her husband a working rancher, sailor, and plant supervisor. My father was a pastor, a sailor, a firefighter, a ranch hand, and grew up the poor son of an alcoholic carpenter/singer/migrant farmer. So I grew up with cooks who new how to really stretch a food dollar, and make very little go very far and taste very good. The following recipe is a reflection of my mother's southern roots and my northwest childhood:
Pan Fried Potato Rounds
2 lb. russet potatoes (here in Ore-Ida country, that can be as 2 or 3 potatoes)
Salt TT (To Taste)
Pepper TT
Onion Powder TT
Garlic Powder TT
Scrub and rinse the potatoes, but do not peel. Slice crossways into 1/4" thick rounds, rinse again.
Fill a 10" cast iron skillet to 1/4" deep with oil, this recipe tastes best if at least some of the oil is replaced with bacon fat. Heat over high heat. Once the oil is hot, lay the potatoes in the oil and cook on high heat, turning occasionally so that all sides get browned and crispy. If you turn them too often, they'll turn mushy. Too seldom and they'll burn. Once the potatoes are golden brown and crispy, reduce the heat to low and cover, cooking 10-15 minutes or until the centers are fork tender. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder, serve hot.
To this day my mouth waters just THINKING about these potatoes.
In the spirit of this being a meme, I'm tagging Ken at It Comes in Pints, Maximum Leader at Naked Villainy, and Ted at Rocket Jones.
I think the ideal dish would be my mother's fried potatoes. I was blessed with a heritage of poor working class folks on both sides of my family -- my maternal grandmother was a Dustbowl Arkie, her husband a working rancher, sailor, and plant supervisor. My father was a pastor, a sailor, a firefighter, a ranch hand, and grew up the poor son of an alcoholic carpenter/singer/migrant farmer. So I grew up with cooks who new how to really stretch a food dollar, and make very little go very far and taste very good. The following recipe is a reflection of my mother's southern roots and my northwest childhood:
Pan Fried Potato Rounds
2 lb. russet potatoes (here in Ore-Ida country, that can be as 2 or 3 potatoes)
Salt TT (To Taste)
Pepper TT
Onion Powder TT
Garlic Powder TT
Scrub and rinse the potatoes, but do not peel. Slice crossways into 1/4" thick rounds, rinse again.
Fill a 10" cast iron skillet to 1/4" deep with oil, this recipe tastes best if at least some of the oil is replaced with bacon fat. Heat over high heat. Once the oil is hot, lay the potatoes in the oil and cook on high heat, turning occasionally so that all sides get browned and crispy. If you turn them too often, they'll turn mushy. Too seldom and they'll burn. Once the potatoes are golden brown and crispy, reduce the heat to low and cover, cooking 10-15 minutes or until the centers are fork tender. Season to taste with the salt, pepper, onion powder and garlic powder, serve hot.
To this day my mouth waters just THINKING about these potatoes.
In the spirit of this being a meme, I'm tagging Ken at It Comes in Pints, Maximum Leader at Naked Villainy, and Ted at Rocket Jones.
Monday, March 24, 2008
That Figures
I managed to clear the financial hold and register for classes today, and one of the general requirement classes needed to graduate, First Aid (covers our PE/Health requirement as well as being specifically required for the program) is full. In addition, the Math class I need won't let me register because it says I don't meet the prereq's (I DO TOO!), and I'll bet you anything by the time I clear that up tomorrow, it will be full. I also got a Prereq block on Culinary Leadership (our capstone class), so tomorrow will be spent, like today, at the college -- while on Spring Break.
Oh, and even if I DO get into those classes, my schedule (not 21 credits but only by 3 -- yup, 18 credits) once again precludes any work this term.
Whee.
UPDATE 03/25/08:
Yup, spent all morning and part of the early afternoon on campus getting as much of this mess straightened out as possible. Things went from bad to worse to better....
I managed to get the holds lifted from my Culinary Leadership class and Math class -- they were related, and had to do with the math. I took the placement tests more than a year ago, and usually in that case the school requires a retesting. I git that waived, and added the classes -- though I still have to crash First Aid. At that point I was barely keeping my promise to myself -- I was up to 20 credits. Hey, 20 isn't 21, to be fair. In addition, that meant I had to drop a culinary class to squeeze the general classes in under the maximum, then get clearance next week to re-add the culinary class. Like I said, bad to worse.
Then I went to talk to my academic counselor to double-check on my academic progress, I'd hate to finish this term and find out that I had missed a requirement. Unfortunately, she didn't have my records with her, so I'm going to have to go back to see her. But she did clear me to take 20 credits. Woot, I think, is the term. In the meantime, I also brought up the fact that I attended school at a community college in San Diego in the 1990's, but was under the impression that it was too long ago for the credits to transfer. Not so, said my counselor -- they should indeed. And since I took Geometry, Trig, and Statistics in San Diego, as opposed to the remedial math rewuired for the program, all I had to do was traipse over to testing to take an extra level of the math placement tests, and I was able to drop the Math class I'd just registered for. Furthermore, the 155 and 200 level English classes, as well as that astronomy class, all can be used in lieu of the scinece class I was registered for. DRopping those two classes were a relief on several levels: they accounted for 7 of those 20 credits, which translates into roughly 7 hours less busy stress, $511 of tuition, and Lord only knows how much in books. Overall, things are looking up. I've got my application for graduation filled out and turned in, and am sending off a transcript request to San Diego Community College District tomorrow. Now all I have to do is get the cooperative education paperwork from my boss from last summer, contact the farmers I plan to use for our spring dinner, clean the house, crash First Aid, and I'll be all set next week.
Such a relaxing Spring Break....
Oh, and even if I DO get into those classes, my schedule (not 21 credits but only by 3 -- yup, 18 credits) once again precludes any work this term.
Whee.
UPDATE 03/25/08:
Yup, spent all morning and part of the early afternoon on campus getting as much of this mess straightened out as possible. Things went from bad to worse to better....
I managed to get the holds lifted from my Culinary Leadership class and Math class -- they were related, and had to do with the math. I took the placement tests more than a year ago, and usually in that case the school requires a retesting. I git that waived, and added the classes -- though I still have to crash First Aid. At that point I was barely keeping my promise to myself -- I was up to 20 credits. Hey, 20 isn't 21, to be fair. In addition, that meant I had to drop a culinary class to squeeze the general classes in under the maximum, then get clearance next week to re-add the culinary class. Like I said, bad to worse.
Then I went to talk to my academic counselor to double-check on my academic progress, I'd hate to finish this term and find out that I had missed a requirement. Unfortunately, she didn't have my records with her, so I'm going to have to go back to see her. But she did clear me to take 20 credits. Woot, I think, is the term. In the meantime, I also brought up the fact that I attended school at a community college in San Diego in the 1990's, but was under the impression that it was too long ago for the credits to transfer. Not so, said my counselor -- they should indeed. And since I took Geometry, Trig, and Statistics in San Diego, as opposed to the remedial math rewuired for the program, all I had to do was traipse over to testing to take an extra level of the math placement tests, and I was able to drop the Math class I'd just registered for. Furthermore, the 155 and 200 level English classes, as well as that astronomy class, all can be used in lieu of the scinece class I was registered for. DRopping those two classes were a relief on several levels: they accounted for 7 of those 20 credits, which translates into roughly 7 hours less busy stress, $511 of tuition, and Lord only knows how much in books. Overall, things are looking up. I've got my application for graduation filled out and turned in, and am sending off a transcript request to San Diego Community College District tomorrow. Now all I have to do is get the cooperative education paperwork from my boss from last summer, contact the farmers I plan to use for our spring dinner, clean the house, crash First Aid, and I'll be all set next week.
Such a relaxing Spring Break....
Friday, March 21, 2008
So Far, So Good
Today's the day by which the professors are supposed to post our grades. I've checked online, and so far, 5 of my 7 classes have been posted, and they're all A's.
Update 03/24/08:
Final tally: 6 A's, and a B+. Missed it by that much.
Update 03/24/08:
Final tally: 6 A's, and a B+. Missed it by that much.
Wednesday, March 19, 2008
Five Down, One to Go
Note to self: NO MORE TWENTY-ONE CREDIT TERMS!!!!!
Today I finished off the last of two major projects and five, count them five, final exams. Spring Break officially starts this weekend, but for me, it begins tonight -- such as it is. I'll be spending the week looking for a job for next term, trying to wrangle up the $400 I need to pay off this term before I register for next, and make sure I register for the right classes to graduate in June.
I know I've been really neglectful of my blog this term, and I feel badly -- my readers and the fellow bloggers who link to me have become something like family to me -- it's amazing how close one can feel to people one's never met in person. But between a winter dinner that had me pulling my hair out (the terrine kicked ASS, thank you), a business plan for a fictional restaurant, a menu and prep list and firing schedule for a fake catering event, and countless quizzes, tests, and a field trip all term, I was a bit... swamped.
I'm also aware that I've neglected at least one tag, and at some point I plan to do something about that, though I'd rather take a few days off before doing anything food-related that's also an assignment.
Next term will be interesting. So far I only have 9 credits of required culinary classes, but the general ed requirements I have brings me up to 15, so we'll see. I definitely won't be attending 21 hours -- I may have that many credits, though, but about 6 of those will be Co-op credits for work done in industry.
I hope to blog a bit this break, but next term, no promises.
Today I finished off the last of two major projects and five, count them five, final exams. Spring Break officially starts this weekend, but for me, it begins tonight -- such as it is. I'll be spending the week looking for a job for next term, trying to wrangle up the $400 I need to pay off this term before I register for next, and make sure I register for the right classes to graduate in June.
I know I've been really neglectful of my blog this term, and I feel badly -- my readers and the fellow bloggers who link to me have become something like family to me -- it's amazing how close one can feel to people one's never met in person. But between a winter dinner that had me pulling my hair out (the terrine kicked ASS, thank you), a business plan for a fictional restaurant, a menu and prep list and firing schedule for a fake catering event, and countless quizzes, tests, and a field trip all term, I was a bit... swamped.
I'm also aware that I've neglected at least one tag, and at some point I plan to do something about that, though I'd rather take a few days off before doing anything food-related that's also an assignment.
Next term will be interesting. So far I only have 9 credits of required culinary classes, but the general ed requirements I have brings me up to 15, so we'll see. I definitely won't be attending 21 hours -- I may have that many credits, though, but about 6 of those will be Co-op credits for work done in industry.
I hope to blog a bit this break, but next term, no promises.
Friday, March 07, 2008
Something About Oxen and Goring
A tip of theToque to Tree Hugging Sister at Coalition of the Swilling.
Nancy Pelosi takes her job as Speaker of the House so seriously, she's taken to speaking out of both sides of her mouth.
Well, yes, Ms. Pelosi, Senator McCain WAS instrumental in stopping the Boeing deal. but what you seem to be... forgetting(?)... is that the reason he opposedthe deal was because it was dirty:
Sounds like just the kind of Washington Insider dirt Pelosi wants to reform:
But why is she attacking McCain for doing just what she advocates on her own website? It couldn't be because he's running for president on the ticket of the party she opposes, could it? It couldn't be, as one commenter at the coalition points out, that Boeing's plant is in a region represented by members of her own party, could it?
What a hypocrite.
Nancy Pelosi takes her job as Speaker of the House so seriously, she's taken to speaking out of both sides of her mouth.
The controversy over the Pentagon decision to award a $35bn refuelling tanker
contract to EADS spilled into the presidential race yesterday, when a senior
Democrat suggested that John McCain, the Republican nominee, was responsible for
the deal being "outsourced" to a European company.Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic House speaker, said Boeing had been on course to supply the US Air Force with tankers until Mr McCain "intervened".
"My understanding is that it was on course for Boeing before. I mean, the thought was that it would be a domestic supplier for it," Ms Pelosi told reporters."Senator McCain intervened, and now we have a situation where the contract may be - this work may be outsourced."
Well, yes, Ms. Pelosi, Senator McCain WAS instrumental in stopping the Boeing deal. but what you seem to be... forgetting(?)... is that the reason he opposedthe deal was because it was dirty:
The air force originally chose Boeing to supply it with 100 tankers. But
Congress cancelled the deal after it emerged that Darleen Druyun, a former top
air force acquisitions official, had held illegal job discussions with Boeing
while still negotiating the deal. Ms Druyun admitted boosting the value of the
deal to help Boeing.
Mr McCain has pointed to his aggressive investigation into the Boeing
deal as evidence that he is willing to stand up to powerful corporate
interests.
The tanker scandal claimed the career of former Boeing chief executive
Phil Condit. Ms Druyun and Mike Sears, Boeing's former chief financial officer,
were sent to jail.
Sounds like just the kind of Washington Insider dirt Pelosi wants to reform:
Break the link between legislation and lobbyists by passing lobby reform.
But why is she attacking McCain for doing just what she advocates on her own website? It couldn't be because he's running for president on the ticket of the party she opposes, could it? It couldn't be, as one commenter at the coalition points out, that Boeing's plant is in a region represented by members of her own party, could it?
What a hypocrite.
Quote of the Day
A Tip of the Toque to Salena Zito.
"We have already seen the first campaign ad that John McCain is going to run this year. It just so happens that Hillary Clinton is the one that ran it."
- Dan Schnur, Professor, Political Science, UC Berkeley
Monday, February 25, 2008
Smug Alert
After my last post on the passing of a humble servant of God like Larry Norman, I feel bad bragging, so I'll preface it:
The Pate is still kicking my butt. I'm thoroughly exhausted. I'm having to create an appetizer with over 300 servings, and I'm doing it from the ground up, with very little assistance. I startedf at 11:30 AM, and by 6:30 still had only managged to cook down the apples and puree them and the meat (albeit, around 20 lbs total of the stuff) -- no slicing of the backfat, lining of the molds, no baking runs. Argh. I love charcuterie, but after this I'm sticking to sausage and cured meats. I'm sick of Pate.
And to top it off, that 6:30 finish (including dishes) put me 30 minutes late for my marine biology class, where we had our second of two tests, this one over cnidarians, the various phyla of worms, and mollusks. Here comes the moment of self-congratulation: I still finished faster than half the class.
The Pate is still kicking my butt. I'm thoroughly exhausted. I'm having to create an appetizer with over 300 servings, and I'm doing it from the ground up, with very little assistance. I startedf at 11:30 AM, and by 6:30 still had only managged to cook down the apples and puree them and the meat (albeit, around 20 lbs total of the stuff) -- no slicing of the backfat, lining of the molds, no baking runs. Argh. I love charcuterie, but after this I'm sticking to sausage and cured meats. I'm sick of Pate.
And to top it off, that 6:30 finish (including dishes) put me 30 minutes late for my marine biology class, where we had our second of two tests, this one over cnidarians, the various phyla of worms, and mollusks. Here comes the moment of self-congratulation: I still finished faster than half the class.
Roll Away His Stone
A tip of the toque to my Good Friend the Reverend Doctor:
Resquiat Im Pacem, brother. Thanks to you, the Devil DIDN'T have all the good music.
UPDATE:
Friend (at least that's what I consider him), reader, and commenter Joel eulogizes him better than I could, and there's a great observation by WordGirl in his comments.
The thing about Larry was that he didn't start out to be a "Christian Rocker" -- he was a rock star who found Jesus. His music wasn't "CCM", it was Jesus Rock -- a guy who had found the Lord using the medium he knew best to express his newfound faith. There were a lot of musicians like that in the early days, it wasn't until my generation (the kids wedged between the Boomers and the X'ers) -- raised in the church but still wanting our rock and pop -- came along that we started seeing it go the other way and see church kids make modern music. Unfortunately, something got lost along the way. But if you want to hear some music -- albeit dated, but still good -- that really changed the modern Church, I'd recommend listening to some of the artists from that earlier wave. And the four I would most recommend, with our now passed brother leading the list, would be Larry Norman, Keith Green, Randy Stonehill, and Phil Keaggy.
Larry Norman, 'The Father Of Christian Rock' Passes Away
Monday, February 25, 2008
Source: CMSpin
Larry Norman 4/8/47 - 2/24/08
Larry's amazing amount of dedication and work throughout his life is a
testiment to his love for his Maker. He will be missed but a celebration
of his life can live on through the vast collection of his music. For
those new to Christian music, you owe it to yourself to discover what is the
Larry Norman legacy.Here is a letter posted on http://www.larrynorman.com/ by his brother
Charles detailing the events:
Our friend and my wonderful brother Larry passed away at 2:45 Sunday
morning. Kristin and I were with him, holding his hands and sitting in bed with
him when his heart finally slowed to a stop. We spent this past week laughing,
singing, and praying with him, and all the while he had us taking notes on new
song ideas and instructions on how to continue his ministry and art. Several of
his friends got to come and visit with him in the last couple of weeks and were
a great source of help and friendship to Larry. Ray Sievers, Derek Robertson,
Mike Makinster, Tim and Christine Gilman, Matt and Becky Simmons, Kerry Hopkins,
Allen Fleming and a few more. Thank you guys. Larry appreciated your visits very
much. And he greatly appreciated the thoughts, wishes, support and prayers that
came from all of you Solid Rock friends on a daily basis. Thank you for being
part of his small circle of friends over the years. Yesterday afternoon he knew
he was going to go home to God very soon and he dictated the following message
to you while his friend Allen Fleming typed these words into Larry's
computer:
I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching
down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are
getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home.My brother
Charles is right, I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My
heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have
generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need
financial help.My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers
inside. But still it will be costly because of funeral arrangement,
transportation to the gravesite, entombment, coordination, legal papers etc.
However money is not really what I need, I want to say I love you. I'd like to
push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be a funeral posted
here on the website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the
date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.Thank you to all of you who were so nice to my brother over the years.Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye.Larry
Kristin and I will post funeral information in the next day or two. Right now
we're not able to function very well, but the whole family is here... our mother
Margaret, our sisters Nancy and Kristy, Mike Norman and his new wife Tiffany,
and Silver.We miss him beyond words. Thank you for everything.
Peace to you all in Christ,
Charles Norman
Resquiat Im Pacem, brother. Thanks to you, the Devil DIDN'T have all the good music.
UPDATE:
Friend (at least that's what I consider him), reader, and commenter Joel eulogizes him better than I could, and there's a great observation by WordGirl in his comments.
The thing about Larry was that he didn't start out to be a "Christian Rocker" -- he was a rock star who found Jesus. His music wasn't "CCM", it was Jesus Rock -- a guy who had found the Lord using the medium he knew best to express his newfound faith. There were a lot of musicians like that in the early days, it wasn't until my generation (the kids wedged between the Boomers and the X'ers) -- raised in the church but still wanting our rock and pop -- came along that we started seeing it go the other way and see church kids make modern music. Unfortunately, something got lost along the way. But if you want to hear some music -- albeit dated, but still good -- that really changed the modern Church, I'd recommend listening to some of the artists from that earlier wave. And the four I would most recommend, with our now passed brother leading the list, would be Larry Norman, Keith Green, Randy Stonehill, and Phil Keaggy.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
If You Pray...
We got an email from one of TFR's oldest and best friends. I can't go into details, but her husband took a big career-related blow this week. It's a shame, because they're both really good people -- she's definitely a better friend to TFR than I am a husband, and they deserve better news than this.
I know she reads my blog, so to her I say, we're thinking of you, hon, and you're in our prayers.
I'd appreciate prayers and good thoughts for them from the rest of my readers.
I know she reads my blog, so to her I say, we're thinking of you, hon, and you're in our prayers.
I'd appreciate prayers and good thoughts for them from the rest of my readers.
Up For Air
Sorry for the even-worse-than-normal lack of posts lately -- I've wanted to, but we're in the run up to our winter fundraiser (The Classic Cuisine Dinner), and I've been working on developing and fine tuning the dish assigned to me. I'm on the appetizer team, and our dinner is highlighting regions of France. My dish represents Normandy -- it's a Terrine Pate de Canard aux Pommes et Champignons. It's been a frustrating experience -- all three of my dry runs have produced less than satisfactory results. The recipe we started with was for a cold mousseline, not a terrine, and I've had to adapt it -- because my Chef de Parti (and classmate) decided that the actual terrine recipe we had was too complicated and expensive. So we've taken a chicken liver recipe, switched it to a duck liver recipe, converted it to a different cooking style, and added new ingredients, including Calvados and chanterelles -- so much cheaper and simpler than just following a purpose-specific recipe in the first place. Grrrr....
Admittedly, I have made mistakes in the execution of the recipe and its permutations since then, but that just adds to my frustration. The dinner is Thursday, and I start prep work on the final run on Monday. I'll let you know how it goes.
Admittedly, I have made mistakes in the execution of the recipe and its permutations since then, but that just adds to my frustration. The dinner is Thursday, and I start prep work on the final run on Monday. I'll let you know how it goes.
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Pun Fun
Recently in our Restaurant Supervision class, we studied the topic of sexual harassment, and the two main forms of harassment were covered: Quid Pro Quo harassment, which is the offering of employment or advancement in exchange for sexual favors, and Hostile Workplace harassment. But in the professional kitchen, there is a THIRD kind: offering food in exchange for sexual favors. In seafood restaurants, this is known as Squid Pro Quo.
Sunday, January 27, 2008
New Quote of a Lifetime
"I be chef like da-da."
- The Lad
(after three years to the day, at that. No, dammit, I just got some onion in my eyes from cooking. Shut up.)
- The Lad
(after three years to the day, at that. No, dammit, I just got some onion in my eyes from cooking. Shut up.)
Saturday, January 26, 2008
Quote of the Day
A Tip of the Toque to Princess Haiku.
"Everyone is a visionary if you scratch him deep enough. But a Celt is a visionary without scratching."
W.B. Yeats
"Everyone is a visionary if you scratch him deep enough. But a Celt is a visionary without scratching."
W.B. Yeats
Sous What?
Once again, blogging buddy Professor Chaos writes:
doubt I can word this in such a way that you can respond directly in a post (like the last one), but my new cast-iron fetish has led me to a new appreciation of marinades and how they flavor meat/fish/fowl.
So could you do a post about water, oil, vinegar, tomato, etc. based marinades and how they flavor what you cook?
I ask because for beef and pork I usually use (with great results) a half and half mix of A1 and worcestershire, and with chicken I mostly use water-based hot sauce. But tonight I used balsamic dressing on chicken and it worked amazingly well, and the other day I soaked a beef filet in ranch dressing and it came out quite tasty too.
Now I'm marinading an ahi steak in balsamic dressing and a salmon steak in A1 (because it's tomato based -- usually I poach them in a tomato-based soup). My options are many, and these are just guesses at this point as to how they'll ultimately taste.
I guess what I'm asking you to do is give us a metric about the various cuts of beef, pork, chicken, and fish and advice as to which base and herbs/spices/etc. marinades will flavor each variety and cut and how. As with my original challenge in this regard, the more simple the better.
A tall order for sure, but isn't this what you're an expert in? Not an easy post to write, so take your time, and keep it to what a normal person has in the fridge.
Actually, I think YOU worded it fairly well, and I'd be happy to tackle this one.
But first, let me address your gracious but misguided sentiment at the end. I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert. I'm a trained novice, an initiate, if you well, and while brines and cures and marinades are an integral part of two of my passions -- charcuterie and barbecue -- I still have much to learn.
Having said that, I think I can address a few of the good professor's questions:
So could you do a post about water, oil, vinegar, tomato, etc. based marinades and how they flavor what you cook?
I've partially addressed this before, and really dropped the ball on it. So let's ignore that first attempt of mine at explaining brines and marinades. Let's start with a quick course on what is a cure, what is a brine, and what is a marinade?
A cure is a form of dry rub, usually made up mostly of salt and some source of sweeness -- sugar, etc. -- that is applied directly to the meat. Originally, cures, like brines, were intended to help preserve the meat. They're still used for thast purpose in specialty applications, but nowadays their main purpose is to impart flavor.
Now, if instead of rubbing the cure onto the meat being prepared, you mix it with water, you have a brine -- a highly salty liquid in which the meat is submerged for a period of time in order to accomplish the same goals as a cure -- preservation and/or flavoring.
A marinade is closely related to a brine. The main difference is that brines rely mostly on salt and sweet to impart flavor, and marinades rely on acids. The most common acids used are citric acid (from citrus fruit, duh), acetic acid (from vinegars), and wine (the acids present in wine are varied, two of the most common being tannic and tartaric). As the professor mentions, tomato-based liquids can also be used, they have quite a bit of ascorbic acid (vitamin c).
Acids can o a lot of things to the meat when marinating. They impart... wait for it... acidity, which translates to the taste sour. They can also be useful for unlocking flavors in the other ingredients in the marinade. They do NOT, despite popular belief, do much in the way of tenderizing the meat. Maybe a little, because they will denature some of the proteins, but not enough to make tough meat tender -- slow cooking is key for that to happen. But the denaturing will alter the taste and flavor of the meat and how it reacts to cooking.
In fact, the acid can actually cook the meat -- that's what ceviche is -- and can easily overpower it. That's why it's important to regulate how acidic your marinade is. The best way to do this is to dilute it with another, preferrably neutral, liquid -- water and oil being the most common choices.
So which to use?
Well, a general rule of thumb is to use oil-based marinades with lean, easily dried-out cuts of meat, such as white fishes and lean beef like filet mignon. Be careful using them on already fatty meats such as cap-on brisket, salmon, etc., which are best with water-based marinades. Pork and chicken tend to be versatile, and can take either.
As for what flavors to use, the same rules apply to marinades as do to any other methods of flavoring, like sauces and even rubs -- it all depends on how flavorful the meat is to begin with. If it has a delicate flavor, like most fish, go with subtle flavorings. More flavorful, stronger-tasting meat like game or lanb or mutton, go with stronger, bolder-flavored herbs and spices. With beef, it depends on the cut and what your goal is. Remember that the more tender the meat, the less flavorful, and the tougher the meat, the more flavorful. If you have a filet mignon, for instance, you're not going to want to overpower it -- rub it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill it -- let Mallard do his stuff. Brisket? Go to town -- it's very flavorful, and it lends itself well to lots of spices. Once again, pork and chicken are your workhorses -- they lend themselves well to either approach, depending on what you want to showcase. This is especially true of chicken, which has little flavor on its own, and makes a great "blank canvas". If you want to get fancier, go find some good ethnic cookbooks, and experiment with some spices. The other day I made a great Spanish dish called Pinchitos Morunos, cubed meat marinated in paprika, cumin, coriander, lemon juice and olive oil -- simple, delicious.
I hope that was simple enough without being too vague.
doubt I can word this in such a way that you can respond directly in a post (like the last one), but my new cast-iron fetish has led me to a new appreciation of marinades and how they flavor meat/fish/fowl.
So could you do a post about water, oil, vinegar, tomato, etc. based marinades and how they flavor what you cook?
I ask because for beef and pork I usually use (with great results) a half and half mix of A1 and worcestershire, and with chicken I mostly use water-based hot sauce. But tonight I used balsamic dressing on chicken and it worked amazingly well, and the other day I soaked a beef filet in ranch dressing and it came out quite tasty too.
Now I'm marinading an ahi steak in balsamic dressing and a salmon steak in A1 (because it's tomato based -- usually I poach them in a tomato-based soup). My options are many, and these are just guesses at this point as to how they'll ultimately taste.
I guess what I'm asking you to do is give us a metric about the various cuts of beef, pork, chicken, and fish and advice as to which base and herbs/spices/etc. marinades will flavor each variety and cut and how. As with my original challenge in this regard, the more simple the better.
A tall order for sure, but isn't this what you're an expert in? Not an easy post to write, so take your time, and keep it to what a normal person has in the fridge.
Actually, I think YOU worded it fairly well, and I'd be happy to tackle this one.
But first, let me address your gracious but misguided sentiment at the end. I am by no stretch of the imagination an expert. I'm a trained novice, an initiate, if you well, and while brines and cures and marinades are an integral part of two of my passions -- charcuterie and barbecue -- I still have much to learn.
Having said that, I think I can address a few of the good professor's questions:
So could you do a post about water, oil, vinegar, tomato, etc. based marinades and how they flavor what you cook?
I've partially addressed this before, and really dropped the ball on it. So let's ignore that first attempt of mine at explaining brines and marinades. Let's start with a quick course on what is a cure, what is a brine, and what is a marinade?
A cure is a form of dry rub, usually made up mostly of salt and some source of sweeness -- sugar, etc. -- that is applied directly to the meat. Originally, cures, like brines, were intended to help preserve the meat. They're still used for thast purpose in specialty applications, but nowadays their main purpose is to impart flavor.
Now, if instead of rubbing the cure onto the meat being prepared, you mix it with water, you have a brine -- a highly salty liquid in which the meat is submerged for a period of time in order to accomplish the same goals as a cure -- preservation and/or flavoring.
A marinade is closely related to a brine. The main difference is that brines rely mostly on salt and sweet to impart flavor, and marinades rely on acids. The most common acids used are citric acid (from citrus fruit, duh), acetic acid (from vinegars), and wine (the acids present in wine are varied, two of the most common being tannic and tartaric). As the professor mentions, tomato-based liquids can also be used, they have quite a bit of ascorbic acid (vitamin c).
Acids can o a lot of things to the meat when marinating. They impart... wait for it... acidity, which translates to the taste sour. They can also be useful for unlocking flavors in the other ingredients in the marinade. They do NOT, despite popular belief, do much in the way of tenderizing the meat. Maybe a little, because they will denature some of the proteins, but not enough to make tough meat tender -- slow cooking is key for that to happen. But the denaturing will alter the taste and flavor of the meat and how it reacts to cooking.
In fact, the acid can actually cook the meat -- that's what ceviche is -- and can easily overpower it. That's why it's important to regulate how acidic your marinade is. The best way to do this is to dilute it with another, preferrably neutral, liquid -- water and oil being the most common choices.
So which to use?
Well, a general rule of thumb is to use oil-based marinades with lean, easily dried-out cuts of meat, such as white fishes and lean beef like filet mignon. Be careful using them on already fatty meats such as cap-on brisket, salmon, etc., which are best with water-based marinades. Pork and chicken tend to be versatile, and can take either.
As for what flavors to use, the same rules apply to marinades as do to any other methods of flavoring, like sauces and even rubs -- it all depends on how flavorful the meat is to begin with. If it has a delicate flavor, like most fish, go with subtle flavorings. More flavorful, stronger-tasting meat like game or lanb or mutton, go with stronger, bolder-flavored herbs and spices. With beef, it depends on the cut and what your goal is. Remember that the more tender the meat, the less flavorful, and the tougher the meat, the more flavorful. If you have a filet mignon, for instance, you're not going to want to overpower it -- rub it with olive oil, salt and pepper, and grill it -- let Mallard do his stuff. Brisket? Go to town -- it's very flavorful, and it lends itself well to lots of spices. Once again, pork and chicken are your workhorses -- they lend themselves well to either approach, depending on what you want to showcase. This is especially true of chicken, which has little flavor on its own, and makes a great "blank canvas". If you want to get fancier, go find some good ethnic cookbooks, and experiment with some spices. The other day I made a great Spanish dish called Pinchitos Morunos, cubed meat marinated in paprika, cumin, coriander, lemon juice and olive oil -- simple, delicious.
I hope that was simple enough without being too vague.
Friday, January 25, 2008
Storytellers
My recent post linking to a Townes Van Zandt video got me thinking. I've always been a big fan of not just singer-songwriters, but what I call Storyteller-Songwriters -- people whose songs tell stories -- be they epic or small, they're always human stories.
So who are my favorites? I thought I'd take a shot at listing the ones I've grown to appreciate the most, based on how many of their songs I know, how many of those songs tell stories, and how much ompact those stories have on me. I've come up with a top 7:
7. Townes Van Zandt -- He's new to me, sbut I'm already taking an interest in him, and his song Pancho and Lefty alone puts him on my list. I look forward to getting to know him better.
6. Loretta Lynn -- It's the autobiographical nature of her work that impresses me. Coal Miner's Daughter, by itself, gets her on this list, but it's by no means her only success in this regard.
5. Willie Nelson -- More a Singer-storyteller-songwriter, since as many times as he's written a good story, and as many times as he's composed for others, he's also taken many another musician's work and made it his own.
4. Kris Kristofferson -- another songwriter who can thank others for helping establish his creds, this time in that those others have taken HIS songs and made them famous -- Sunday Morning Coming Down and Me and Bobby McGee come to mind.
3. Johnny Cash -- He'd be higher on the list, but a lot of his best songs were written by others. However, he still has enough of an impact to merit 3rd place.
2 Gordon Lightfoot -- If each person on this list was allowed only one song to be presented for their resume for membership in this list, Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald would be enough to ensconce him in first place. But that honor, based on the weight of his body of work as well as the quality of each song in question, goes inarguably in my mind to...
1. John Denver -- Country Roads; Grandma's Feather Bed; Rocky Mountain High; Two Ducks... the list goes on and on. Hands down my favorite storyteller-songwriter.
So who are yours?
So who are my favorites? I thought I'd take a shot at listing the ones I've grown to appreciate the most, based on how many of their songs I know, how many of those songs tell stories, and how much ompact those stories have on me. I've come up with a top 7:
7. Townes Van Zandt -- He's new to me, sbut I'm already taking an interest in him, and his song Pancho and Lefty alone puts him on my list. I look forward to getting to know him better.
6. Loretta Lynn -- It's the autobiographical nature of her work that impresses me. Coal Miner's Daughter, by itself, gets her on this list, but it's by no means her only success in this regard.
5. Willie Nelson -- More a Singer-storyteller-songwriter, since as many times as he's written a good story, and as many times as he's composed for others, he's also taken many another musician's work and made it his own.
4. Kris Kristofferson -- another songwriter who can thank others for helping establish his creds, this time in that those others have taken HIS songs and made them famous -- Sunday Morning Coming Down and Me and Bobby McGee come to mind.
3. Johnny Cash -- He'd be higher on the list, but a lot of his best songs were written by others. However, he still has enough of an impact to merit 3rd place.
2 Gordon Lightfoot -- If each person on this list was allowed only one song to be presented for their resume for membership in this list, Lightfoot's The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald would be enough to ensconce him in first place. But that honor, based on the weight of his body of work as well as the quality of each song in question, goes inarguably in my mind to...
1. John Denver -- Country Roads; Grandma's Feather Bed; Rocky Mountain High; Two Ducks... the list goes on and on. Hands down my favorite storyteller-songwriter.
So who are yours?
Monday, January 21, 2008
...And Your Breath's as Hard as Kerosene
Bob over at Eugene Rant has a link to a You Tube video of Townes Van Zandt singing Pancho and Lefty. If it doesn't give you chills, you don't know good storytelling music.
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Friday, January 18, 2008
Since You Asked
Blogging Buddy... well, we've never met, so I'll say Highly Regarded Fellow Blogger Leopold Stotch writes with a culinary-type question. Following is his query and my response in italics:
A question that you might post on if you think it's relevant:
What the hell, I need some material, and this comes in handy.
I retired my George Foreman in favor of a pre-seasoned cast iron grill pan (which I seasoned several additional times just to be sure), and I'm loving it. The Foreman dries out the meat and usually burns one or both sides, but the cast iron with a grill press has completely changed the flavor and texture of everything I've cooked.
Good man. Cast iron is untouchable for meat cookery dry cooking methods. Its density gives it great heat retention, that and its heat conductivity means even heat with relatively little "spot heat", where some parts of the surface are significantly higher than others.
When I've been to places with open kitchens, they rub down their grills with a towel and I'd like to clean mine with one instead of paper towels or a brush (the former tears up while the latter scrapes off the seasoning).
Actually, when they rub down a big commercial grill like that, they're not cleaning it, theyre re-seasoning it. They've already cleaned it with a brush. I'll make some cleaning and care recommendations in a minute, but since you asked:
What kind of towel is appropriate for this? Does it matter? At the places I've been it's looked like a chamois, but maybe it's just a normal cotton towel worn with usage.
Bingo. It's a cheap terry side towel that's been rolled up in a... well, roll, and soaked in vegetable oil. Reoeated use wears off the piling.
Here's how I would recommend caring for your new grill pan: After you're done using it, while it's very hot, run it under HOT water. You're essentially deglazing the pan, but not to make a sauce -- you're just lifting off the residue. Use a long-handled brush or handled scrubbing pad to clean it off, then immediately wipe it drywith a clean, dry dish towel. If it looks like you've lost any of the cure, heat it back up, rub it with a bit of oil and re-cure. A thorough and indepth cure shouldn't be necessary -- get it hot, rub in the oil, and wipe off the excess. For curing, a paper towel should be ok for this, but if you insist, see my earlier comments about the type of towel they use. From your comments on curing, I'm going to assume you're aware of the evils of strong chemical detergents on cast iron.
A question that you might post on if you think it's relevant:
What the hell, I need some material, and this comes in handy.
I retired my George Foreman in favor of a pre-seasoned cast iron grill pan (which I seasoned several additional times just to be sure), and I'm loving it. The Foreman dries out the meat and usually burns one or both sides, but the cast iron with a grill press has completely changed the flavor and texture of everything I've cooked.
Good man. Cast iron is untouchable for meat cookery dry cooking methods. Its density gives it great heat retention, that and its heat conductivity means even heat with relatively little "spot heat", where some parts of the surface are significantly higher than others.
When I've been to places with open kitchens, they rub down their grills with a towel and I'd like to clean mine with one instead of paper towels or a brush (the former tears up while the latter scrapes off the seasoning).
Actually, when they rub down a big commercial grill like that, they're not cleaning it, theyre re-seasoning it. They've already cleaned it with a brush. I'll make some cleaning and care recommendations in a minute, but since you asked:
What kind of towel is appropriate for this? Does it matter? At the places I've been it's looked like a chamois, but maybe it's just a normal cotton towel worn with usage.
Bingo. It's a cheap terry side towel that's been rolled up in a... well, roll, and soaked in vegetable oil. Reoeated use wears off the piling.
Here's how I would recommend caring for your new grill pan: After you're done using it, while it's very hot, run it under HOT water. You're essentially deglazing the pan, but not to make a sauce -- you're just lifting off the residue. Use a long-handled brush or handled scrubbing pad to clean it off, then immediately wipe it drywith a clean, dry dish towel. If it looks like you've lost any of the cure, heat it back up, rub it with a bit of oil and re-cure. A thorough and indepth cure shouldn't be necessary -- get it hot, rub in the oil, and wipe off the excess. For curing, a paper towel should be ok for this, but if you insist, see my earlier comments about the type of towel they use. From your comments on curing, I'm going to assume you're aware of the evils of strong chemical detergents on cast iron.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)