Swiss Cheese

When I lived in Lhasa, cooking was challenging. Quite often, I had to find alternative foods to replace things I was familiar with.

One of my all time favorite dishes is macaroni and cheese, and I could not envision a holiday without it. To this end, I went on a search for cheese. One of my dorm mates heard about a cheese factory in Lhasa, so several of us went on a mini field trip to find it. What an amazing discovery! Not only was it a cheese factory, but the proprietor had studied cheese making in Switzerland! He produced a lovely swiss cheese, not too strong, not too bland. It melted beautifully, and lasted quite a while without refrigeration. Needless to say, this became a staple for the many European students that were there, as well as us Americans. They also produced butter, yogurt and ice cream. The challenge we later found was that they were closed from October until March or April.... That meant stocking up and finding a freezer to store our cheese in, but it was worth it. I recall quite fondly that delicious cheese and how much it meant to find something so familiar, so very far from home. Little things make the difference.

Cookie Dough Love

Aside from the natural enjoyment of baked cookies, there is a great affinity, particularly among women, for cookie dough, in its sweet, unmodified, unbaked, original state. It doesn't matter what kind of dough, peanut butter, chocolate chip, or my most recent favorite, oatmeal raisin. The sweetness, the spices, they smell like Christmas all year long. The combination of textures is delightful. It is chewy, even in its raw form, interspersed with silky dough and soft raisins.

Yes, cookie dough.... Eat it by the spoonful, mix it into ice cream. I often wonder if it could be breaded in graham cracker crumbs and deep fried....Perhaps that's an avenue to explore. (I tried frying the dough alone in a pan....let's just say it didn't work so well, ha.)

By the way, I would like to say that I in no way advise anyone to eat raw cookie dough as it contains raw eggs. However, I sometimes indulge in that risk for my own, purely selfish pleasure. I think we all need to have those  once in a while. Don't you?

Chorizo, Near and Dear

I'm not Mexican, nor am I particularly good at Spanish, even though I spent 4 years studying the language in high school. What I absolutely adore, however, is Mexican food.

After graduate school, I went to live in Tibet. Prior to that time, I had Mexican food perhaps twice a year. Practically the minute I got there, I started craving Mexican food, perhaps because there was nothing further from the food I had every day to eat. I missed it so much I constantly dreamed about tacos and salsa and refried beans.

I remember, at the end of April in 2007, my friends and I planned a spectacular Mexican feast. We had burritos, guacamole, salsa, patatas bravas, sopapillas and tres leches cake. It was amazing that we were able to find the ingredients to make everything, and even more amazing to our Tibetan friends who had never tasted Mexican food before. Surprisingly, the were wary of the dinner foods, but adored the desserts and could not seem to eat enough of them.

Nowadays, living in Kansas, with a large Mexican population, I eat Mexican food on a regular basis. Tamales are heaven, as are chile rellenos, fresh pico. I love everything about it, the freshness of the food, the savoriness of the meats. The flavors of lime and onion and jalapenos dance across your tongue, perking up the taste buds, making them awake to everything that follows.

Tonight, I brought home dinner from probably my favorite Mexican restaurant. It is a small, family owned establishment, around for nearly 20 years, with simple, delicious food. Soft tacos, stuffed with shredded beef and chorizo. Chorizo is the food of the gods; spicy and spice, flavorful, potentially greasy, always close to my heart. Eating chorizo makes me happy on many, many levels. I wouldn't hesitate at all to say that chorizo holds a special place in my kitchen. A world without it would be a poorer world, indeed.

Potato Salad Goodness

Potato salad is a summertime staple. Made with white potatoes, red potatoes, gold potatoes, mayo, mustard, vinegar, egg, no egg, the varieties are near to endless, and each type is delicious in its own right. Potato salad brings to mind picnics, family gatherings, parties. All of my memories associated with the dish are happy ones.

A couple of months ago, I came across what has become my favorite recipe -- Roasted Potato Salad with Balsamic-Bacon Vinaigrette.

Photographer: pelicangal, allrecipes.com

It calls for red potatoes, and a good bit of bacon grease. I've found it works really very well with regular russets, peeled and roasted until they are crispy on the outside, and no bacon grease. The bacon grease makes it difficult to reheat and can make for an unpleasant texture in the mouth if not served quite warm. Instead, I use a combination of olive and salad oil, with regular, not white balsamic vinegar. It lends a lovely warm color to the salad. I do think, however, that there can never been too much hard boiled egg or bacon pieces in this salad. While it is served warm, leaving out the bacon grease means you can serve this recipe room temperature and it will reheat well in a flash if you have leftovers.

It will delight your senses, with a complete change of pace from the usual mayo and relish potato salad, not to mention fewer calories.

Cupcakes Part One

Every so often, I get in the mood for a cupcake. Cupcakes are a wonderful thing. For a brief history of the cupcake, go ahead and visit this site, "The Rise of the Cupcakes".

Now, I haven't gotten into the cupcake frenzy that so many have been experiencing. I don't actually bake cakes or cupcakes much but I had such a wonderful cupcake the other night that I decided to look up a few recipes and possibly try some out.

This is one of my favorite cupcakes. It is pure strawberry, incredibly delicious. Try it-- I know you will love it as much as I do.

 

 

 

(Photo: Annie's Eats-- click for source)

Working a Double

Tonight, my blog is more about the work in food service rather than the food.

I started my work day at 6:00 AM. It was doughnut day at work, so a little extra work needed to be done before breakfast could be up and running. However, I've done it quite a while now and it is routine. Decent work through lunch prep, into lunch, and then, the big push for dinner.

This evening was a private party, a sold out restaurant, food and drinks for all. There is nothing more satisfying than knowing someone has chosen your place to celebrate. Of all the restaurants, all the bars, all the event venues, yours is at the top of their list. And why not? Our restaurant is a great little place. During the day, we are a haven for State and City employees and any number of Downtown workers. At night, we transform into a dinner theater, stage, lights, sound, the whole thing. We've done musicals, plays, magic shows, you name it. It is a place for family, fun, perhaps a drink or two, a few laughs. We strive to make it a wonderful place the people remember and want to come back to.

So, tonight, the party broke up, and after cleaning and dishes, it was after 10 PM. A long day, yes, but worth it, to know that we worked hard and it paid off. The customers were happy when they walked out the door.

Vitamix Rocks!

Blenders are awesome. Anyone who has one knows this. In the matter of a few seconds, whatever you have put inside, is pulverized, reduced to a puree, crushed. What could be better in the summertime than a delicious blended drink? Lemonade or strawberries added to ice are instantly transformed into a frothy, decadent beverage that will cut through the heat like nothing else. And, what's a great blender? A Vitamix.



I use a Vitamix every day at work. It is a miraculous piece of machinery. I love it. Every time I turn it on, I feel the start up rumble, and hear the roar of its power. It takes ordinary things and makes them special, and not just drinks. It is great for sauces and soups as well.

Don't have one? It's never too late to add to your kitchen tools.

Starter and Kraut Update

Sooo.....my starter did not turn out particularly well. I attempted it with rye flour and lets just say it didn't go. However, I am proposing an experiment for myself. I am going to set up a variety of starters on the weekend. I will work with three flours, white, wheat and rye. I will also work with tap water, distilled water and water that I boil in my own kitchen.

As for the sauerkraut, again, something I will need to work on. Unlike my initial attempt a year ago, the salted cabbage did not create its own brine. I hope I caught it soon enough, but I'm not sure. I added enough brine to cover the cabbage in the bucket. Another couple of days will tell.

Oh, and a super exciting recipe I found yesterday is a 19th century recipe for yeast water! That's right, naturally produced yeast water. I know, I know, that's basically what a starter is for, but I plan on giving it a try and seeing if the bread made from the yeast water will be different than from either a starter or a regular packaged yeast.

Hmmm....seems like a bit of bread making is in my future....and that means yours as well. Are you excited?

Gettin' in the Groove

When I cook, there is one thing that happens no where else in my life-- I get in a groove. I know what I need to do, how to do it, and I know how much time I have to get it done, and nothing can stand in my way. I see, in my head, when things have to happen to be ready on time, and what tasks I can delegate, and then I get down to work.

Sometimes, I listen to music, put my Pandora radio on shuffle, and dig into my work. Sometimes, I prefer the silence in the kitchen, so my mind can do the shuffling. As I make headway into my tasks, the hours fly by, and before I know it, we are ready for dinner service, and my kitchen is tidied, the plates are warm and customers are being seated for their dinner theater experience.

Of course, when I have a lot going on emotionally, I bake. Cookies, cake, breads, new recipes, old favorites, anything to work out the stress. My friends benefit from the results, as do I, but in different ways. They get to eat lots of delicious things, and I have some significant relaxation.

Old School Cooking

Since I was young, I've always been fascinated by old school styles of cooking. By that I mean open fire cooking, or wood burning stoves, you know, old school. There's something inherently attractive to me about being able to cook without modern conveniences, without a huge variety of pots and pans, handy-dandy kitchen gadgets, every ingredient known to man. There's something special in creating things from scratch, putting in the elbow grease, the brain work, and the time.

There's nothing like a loaf of fresh bread, a high quality product, made for less than the cost of a moderately priced grocery store loaf. Smear it with a bit of freshly made butter, or some fresh cheese. Toasted, it is perfection. Add a touch of homemade jam and there is little that is more satisfying to either the mouth or the soul. Knowing that it was made with love and your own hard work makes it taste that much better.

Several years ago, I lived in Tibet, the Roof of the World. Little did I realize how much living there would shape my future. I was there as a student, studying at Tibet University in Lhasa. How did that shape my future with food, you ask? Well, this was my kitchen:  

I had a single gas burner, no hot water in the kitchen except what I boiled myself, no refrigerator, no microwave and no oven. The first year I was there, we managed a full out Thanksgiving feast in the dorm thanks to a massive wok borrowed from the restaurant downstairs. Yes, I deep fried a turkey in a wok at 12,000 ft, but that's another story. My point is, I was able to create wonderful food with almost nothing to work with. There was no garlic press, no blender, no four-burner range. It was just me and my creativity. And I loved it. Food was special because it was hand made, and reminded us all of home. It was in this little kitchen that I rediscovered a love for cooking that I had pushed to the back of my mind and heart, and decided to go for a culinary degree instead of a Ph.d.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

In American food culture, there are few things as treasured as the chocolate chip cookie. From the time we are children, we are conditioned to respond to the smell of them in the oven, to the sight of them on a plate on the dining room table. They represent mom, grandma, home, family, holidays, late night parties with the girls, trips home from college; basically everything that is good and right in the world.

What is it we find so special about the combination of sugar cookie and chocolate? Most people don't even use a premium chocolate, just good ol' semi-sweet chocolate chips- name brand, generic, doesn't matter. There is a flavor profile to a chocolate chip cookie that is integral to American taste.

The perfect cookie--is it chewy? Is it crunchy? I think it's a combination of both. There should be a crunchy ridge of cookie around the edge, followed by the soft and chewy goodness in the center. Not too cakey. There should be an even and generous distribution of chocolate chips.

As for a recipe...I have one for the perfect chocolate chip cookie....but, sssshhhhhh... it's a secret.

Making Things Happen

I work for a small, locally owned, family run business. I've been there for almost three years, and I've gotten to be an adopted member of the family. There's a lot to be said for this type of business. When the economy tanks, local restaurants and shops are not the ones laying people off. Their small structures often stay in tact, providing a solid base from which the economy can rebound.

There's more, too. Because of the size of the business, we all know each other very well. From the owners on down the line through the crew, to the occasional additional staff we bring in for special occasions, we might as well all be family. We celebrate birthdays, special anniversaries, we all get joy from each others successes.

What makes it even more special is the way small business can get things done and make a significant impact on the surrounding community. Right now, we are in the midst of a struggle for the future of our community. Different groups are pulling in different directions. It is one of the challenges of being in this particular city. The people here find it hard to get together behind a cause and just make it happen. Everyone wants his or her own voice heard, but are uncertain on compromising.

I am lucky enough to be certain of where I stand and of what I can do to help.

For Love of Sourdough

There are few things that evoke more comforting memories than homemade bread. The warmth of the house, the smell of the golden crust, rubbed with butter as it cools on the counter, and finally, that first beautiful bite, almost too hot to eat, drenched in more sweet butter, soft and tender. That yeasty goodness is incomparable. Toasted, it's heaven in your hand.

Possibly the easiest yeast bread recipe is Amish white bread. I've made this recipe many, many times. I actually started making this recipe when I lived in Tibet. I was looking for a simple recipe with limited ingredients. Wonder of wonder, it worked, even at 12,000 feet. If it will work on the roof of the world, it will probably work anywhere, for anyone.

What does this have to do with sourdough? Starters. A starter is a combination of flour and water, basically allowed to ferment until it is a living thing. The gases and the alcohols and the bacteria all add to the flavor of the finished product. Making one is a time consuming process. It must be fed and cared for before it is mature enough to use. It's all worth it though. It just so happens I have a brand new starter sitting on my kitchen counter. Let's see how it turns out, shall we?

Sauerkraut Part Two

Ok, so, yesterday, I posted that I was going to make sauerkraut. Well, I couldn't wait! Darn, I should have taken pictures! I'll get the hang of this yet, folks.

It really is a simple process. First, I sliced cabbage into thin strips, separated them into a large bowl, and tossed it all with some kosher salt. Then, in a smallish (think 2 gallon) bucket that I scalded with boiling water, I packed down all the cabbage. Since I don't have a big rock to put on top, I used  a pan that fit perfectly into the bucket, and inside of the pan, I put a jug of water, to put pressure on the cabbage and force out the juice. Now, the way it works is, the juice will become brine, as it mixes with the salt I put on the cabbage. Combine that with the natural bacteria in the air, and it will start to ferment.

In a couple of days, I will check in on it and see if there is enough brine to cover the cabbage. If not, I will have to make some and add it to the bucket.

Until then, signing off on the Sauerkraut Project.

Sauerkraut Part One

Sauerkraut-- love and hate in one dish. It seems people are divided on this stinky, but delicious condiment. Historically, fermented cabbage has its roots in Asia. China, Japan, Korea, all have versions of pickled cabbage, dating back 2,000 years before it made its way to Europe to become a fantastic topping, and bed, for sausages, brats, and hot dogs. Honestly, who doesn't love pickled things? You can add anything to it. You can make it plain old vinegary, sweet or spicy. You can add other vegetables to it, spices, whatever, and totally change the finished product.

While this dish may be a bit on the odorous side, it is fairly simple to make. Slice a bunch of cabbage, salt it liberally, put it in a bucket with a weight on top (I've used a plate with a jug of water placed on it), cover with a clean cloth and leave it alone. The natural bacteria in the air will kick start the fermentation process, no special starters or enzymes to purchase. Here's a great, illustrated page that shows the process and gives easy-peasy instructions for making this wonderful pickle.

Making sauerkraut is easy!

I'm seriously considering giving this another shot. Perhaps this week....

Coffee

It's morning. I'm sitting here, drinking a delicious cup of coffee, espresso made with my Italian style coffee maker. For anyone who doesn't know, it's similar to an American percolator, but in reverse. The bottom canister holds the water, a small amount, perhaps a cup. Directly above it is the basket containing the coffee, and at the top is where your coffee emerges. The coffee is strong, but full of flavor. Whatever your favorite roast is, the flavor will be magnified. It will burst forth in your mouth, confirming everything you love about it, or showing you flavor characteristics you never expected.

When I lived in Tibet, a young man living down the hall from me, taught a few of us how this delightful little machine works, and what miraculous liquid emerges from it. There is nothing like it, in terms of flavor, and it is simplicity to make. If you enjoy coffee, then you will love owning an Italian coffee maker. And you will get to know your favorite coffee that much better.

Pantry Soup

What shall I write about today?

While I love food, I spend the day in a kitchen, serving State employees the comforting, familiar foods they crave. However, when I get home, quite often, I find myself unwilling to even think about food. And, lately, with my own personal economy in flux, I spend a great deal of time figuring out things to make from the remnants of prior shopping trips that remain in my pantry and fridge.

As most of you have guessed already, the answer is usually Pantry Soup. Most recently, it comprised a basic chicken stock, with a touch of Chinese chili paste, a can of diced tomatoes, some frozen green beans and broccoli, spiced up with a variety of things from my spice cupboard. I threw in some white rice, and at the end, thickened it and added protein with several eggs, scrambled, and slowly added to the soup. I stirred in a touch of butter to my portion and it was delicious. Not at all fancy or gourmet, but hearty, filling, fairly low calorie, and containing all the important food groups. I would have loved to eat it over a thick slice of baguette, toasted to buttery perfection with a touch of garlic. What a wonderful meal that would have been.

Finding a Niche

I would like to digress from food for a moment. As I begin this blog, I am going to be finding my niche, my little corner of the internet that has not been covered a hundred times. This niche will be not only there to provide information and hopefully, discussion, about food, but it will also be helping me explore myself, what makes me tick and how it is connected to the food that I create.

I think food, in its essence as a conduit of social interaction, speaks to us, to our needs, to our desires; it tells others how we see ourselves, our culture, our relationships. Who we are, where we come from and where we are now, as people, is contained in our cuisine. Where will we be tomorrow?

Tomatoes

There are all types of tomatoes and people prefer to eat them in different ways, but one thing I think everyone has in common is they all agree that grocery store tomatoes might as well be styrofoam.

The last time I bought tomatoes, it was an early crop from a grower in Manhattan, KS.There is little to compare to a fully ripened tomato. I remember clearly, living in Tibet and finding the most amazing tomatoes. One of the benefits of living there, was that if it wasn't in season, we couldn't buy it. Thus, I never had a bad tomato in nearly two years. There was one tomato, in particular, that I recall. It was rather on the small side (compared to our jumbo, face-sized tomatoes), perfectly red, barely soft to the touch, but firm enough my thumb did not sink into it as I pressed. When I sliced it open, it smelled like pure tomato-ness. That first bite was heaven. It was sweet, juicy, and the fragrance filled my nose and mouth. That tomato was the best possible version of itself that it could be. It was what we all strive to be in life--perfect. There are lessons to be learned from tomatoes. If we take our time, ripen to maturity, we come out as perfect as we can be.

Anthony Bourdain

Of all the cooking/food shows on TV, probably my favorite is "No Reservations". I appreciate Mr. Bourdain's great sense of humor, the willingness with which he jumps into each new adventure, and, dare I say it, his sexiness. He has a great mix of culture, food, and fun.

It is appealing to see someone who is willing to try something because it is important to someone else. He made a great observation in his episode on Namibia, as he consumed an egg cooked directly in ash and sand and the rectum of a freshly killed animal, poop recently removed. Mr. Bourdain said, basically, that because of the importance of food to the connection between people, the necessity of society, it is imperative to share the food that is offered, even if it is uncommon to us, or strange.

I could not agree more. Furthermore, he made the observation that as a chef, one cannot close oneself off to tasting and trying. Instead, one should go looking for new, different, exciting. A chef should not forgo trying something simply because he or she might dislike it. The mind should not be allowed to overcome the necessity of growth. True words, that have encouraged me to challenge myself.

A Little Bit of Magic

As someone who has been cooking nearly her entire life, there are a few tricks that I've found over time, through colleagues, by researching.

One of the coolest tricks (and this is gonna sound silly to some) is the raisin trick. Now, most of the time, raisins are kinda nasty in baked goods. They are hard and dry and tough to chew, have a bitter taste, and this is all because they have over cooked in the oven. An easy way to fix this is to soak your raisins before adding them to whatever you are making. If you have the time, soak them in room temperature water. However, if you are impatient to get things rocking and rolling like me, then you want to soak them in hot water. They will be re-hydrated in a flash and look almost like their former incarnation, the grape. They will add additional moisture to your finished product, as well as refusing to give up their sweet deliciousness to the oven's heat.

Giving it a go

So, I'm going to be trying my hand at food blogging. I am not entirely sure what I will be writing about...except...food.

A little about me: I'm a chef, not so much because I have years and years of experience, but because that is the role I fill where I work. I love what I do, I love working with food. Nothing makes me happier than preparing something delicious for others to eat and enjoy.

I have a history with food. Growing up, it provided comfort in an unstable household. As I got older, I learned to appreciate it more and more. However, some of my earliest memories are of cooking. At 4, I clearly recall being proud as punch at being allowed to use a "sharp" knife for the first time. I have a lot of great food memories, as well as a pure love of all things gastronomic.

I have always made it a priority in my life to bring comfort and pleasure with food. I figured I would share that out here on the internet.