Steve's Food Art Laboratory

Saturday I had the distinct pleasure of helping my friend Steve host a dinner party in his home. He and his guests "labored" in the kitchen all evening turning out various different delicacies.

Menu:
 
Fruit and Cheese platter with Marcona almonds and Spanish Chocolates

Foie Gras with Mustard Miso and Butternut Squash Chips

Pan Fried Scallops with Two Sauces

Chicken Liver Pate with Lingonberry Preserves

Pan Seared Duck Breast with Cranberry Sauce and Fresh Figs

Macadamia Nut Chocolate Cake with Coconut Emulsion and Dulce de Leche Ice Cream

It was a great crew and a fun menu. Featured in the picture is the chicken liver pate which I really loved. We served it in mini phyllo dough cups, with lingonberry preserves and dried rosemary as a garnish.


Chicken Liver Pate with Lingonberry Preserves

2 tablespoons finely chopped shallot
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
1/3 cup Cognac or other brandy
6 oz chicken livers, trimmed (3/4 cup)
5 large egg yolks
1 cup whole milk
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Special equipment: a 2 1/2- to 3-cup ovenproof crock or terrine

1. Place oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 350°F.

Cook shallot in oil in a 10-inch heavy skillet over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Remove from heat and carefully add Cognac (use caution; if Cognac ignites, shake skillet), then boil until reduced to about 2 tablespoons, 1 to 2 minutes.

2. Transfer to a blender and add livers and yolks, then purée until smooth. Add milk, flour, salt, pepper, nutmeg, and allspice and blend until combined. Pour into crock, skimming off any foam.

3. Put crock in a larger baking pan and bake in a water bath until mousse is just set and a small sharp knife inserted in center comes out clean, about 55 minutes.

Melt butter in a small saucepan over low heat, then remove from heat and let stand 3 minutes.

4. Chill mousse completely, uncovered, about 4 hours. Bring to room temperature about 1 hour before serving.

Good News for Heavy Coffee Drinkers

For a recent food article, I put together some tips on coffee drinking. How much is too much? Check out these facts from Harvard School of Public Health

A study conducted at Harved tested how 130,000 people responded to coffee (sometimes with milk and sugar) over 18 to 24 years. What did they find?

- For the general population, the evidence suggests that coffee drinking doesn't have any serious detrimental health effects.

- On the contrary, in terms of effects on mortality or other health factors, no negative effects were found in people consuming 1 or up to six cups of coffee a day. (!!!!)

- Research over the past few years suggests that coffee consumption may protect against type 2 diabetes, Parkinson's disease, liver cancer, and liver cirrhosis.

- Those with high blood pressure or diabetes should monitor their reaction to caffeine and possibly switch to decaf if they find they are reacting poorly to the caffeine in coffee.

- As coffee does pass through the placenta, it is recommended pregnant women reduce coffee consumption to a low level, for example one cup a day.

- People who have high cholesterol levels or who want to prevent having high cholesterol levels should consider using paper filtered coffee or instant coffee, as it reduces levels of cafestol (a stimulator of LDL cholesterol levels).

What My Wedding Bouquet Should Have Been

One of the things I love about living in our very small townhome association is our neighbors. There are 8 homes wrapping the corner of a historic Saint Paul neighborhood block. This year many of us grew herbs outside and it was fun to share or trade bits of this and that. Nothing makes me feel more like part of a community than having someone knock on my door for an egg, some bourbon or a tablespoon of curry (to name some of our recent transactions).

When one of us needs a ride to the airport or a dog walked or a cat fed, we ask each other first. In a city where we have no family, Joel and I have learned how blessed we are to have kind-hearted neighbors keeping an eye out for us. Especially on days like today when I receive my annual bouquet of rosemary. Thanks Ken and Kevin!

My kitchen smells so lovely! So what will I do with it? Roasted potatoes with rosemary, rosemary ice cream, rosemary roasted squash soup, stuff it in my Thanksgiving turkey...rub it on my hands and inhale!

What would you do with a bouquet of rosemary?

Egg on the Face

Two weeks ago on Lynne Rossetto Casper's The Splendid Table radio program I heard the fantastic story of a young gentleman who fooled the Wine Spectator into giving his fake Italian restaurant an award for its' excellent wine list. Each year the Wine Spectator pulls in thousands of applications at $250 a pop, adding up to over a million in revenue. The awards were believed to be chosen based on merit, until this year.

I spoke with my uncle on the phone last week and learned that this hoaxter is a close friend of the family and someone I knew growing up. I'm so proud!

For the entire story, I direct you to his post or the Chicago Tribune. Way to go Robin! This fearless critic has a few titles under his belt as well, with his most recent: The Wine Trials: 100 Everyday Wines Under $15 that Beat $50 to $150 wines in Brown Bag Blind Tastings. I haven't read this one yet, but if it's anything like his others, I expect it to be very witty.

What to have on hand

There are two ways I like to cook. One is to go absolutely nuts and scour every cookbook in the house to create a dinner party menu that is both overly ambitious and somewhat impossible to execute. I talk myself down from there. The second is to throw together miscellaneous ingredients. So what do I like to have on hand for these last minute creations?

Breakfast and late night snacks - I would have to say, a chunk of the time eggs are my favorite ingredient. Omelets and frittata are hands down the best way to use up all veggies in your fridge. And once you get the hang of them, there is no end to the creativity. I like to top my omelets with a veggie chutney of some kind, like an avocado/lime/cilantro mix. For a cook who likes to stick to recipes, I recommend finding an omelet or frittata recipe you like and then exploring different flavor combinations in the very safe environment of eggs and a pan. For tips on flavor combos, check out my favorite book Culinary Artistry.

Lunch - Grilled cheese is super super easy. I always have cheese on hand...and usually bread. The picture above is of a three cheese quesadilla topped with sour cream and salsa. I had three random cheeses in my fridge...cream cheese, ricotta and something else.

My husband's favorite lunch is a black bean salad (black beans, cilantro, tomato, avocado, balsamic vinegar, and olive oil with maybe tuna or chicken on top). I literally have a case of black beans in my dining-room-closet-turned-pantry. This is an easy throw together lunch and stores really well if you make it a day in advance.

Cooked chicken is extremely versatile. I used to buy a rotisserie chicken every week, but now I roast my own chicken thighs. With cold chicken meat you can make chicken salad, chicken sandwiches, or throw bits into a pasta or bean salad. Chicken omelet anyone?


Dinner - My hands-down favorite dinner item is salmon. It is easy to dress up or dress down. I serve it with a side of whatever veggie I have in the kitchen. At an event on Wednesday I had some great salmon questions, so plan to devote a whole blog to this the loveliest of all fishes. For dinner sides, I love quick roasted or sauted veggies. My roasted potato dish has filled in on more than one occasion, I absolutely always have small red potatoes in a bowl somewhere...along with broccoli to steam or lettuce for a salad to go with the aforementioned veggies.


Dessert - Chocolate. Always have really really good chocolate on hand. In a pinch I will carve up a bar of my calebout chocolate or a nice bar of bacon chocolate (don't knock it till you try it) and serve it with coffee. Brownie mixes are also key. And ice cream in the freezer doesn't hurt. Fastest dessert I know how to make is bananas foster which really only needs bananas and some rum. :) I'm not a big dessert girl, rarely eat it, but my guests do, so I try to be prepared.

Martha Stewart says you should always have a bag of pistachios around for the occasional drop by guest. I figure if anyone feels like dropping by then they get the privilege of whatever may or may not be in my kitchen. But if you are so inclined, nuts are great to have on hand...they freeze well too.

Looks like I need a list. My typical pantry/fridge ensemble:

- 1-2 dozen eggs
- cilantro
- lettuce
- tomato
- avocado
- red potatoes
- lots of garlic and onion
- cheeses
- bread
- black beans or rice
- cans of tuna
- cooked chicken
- bacon or smoked salmon
- chocolate
- horseradish (mixed with sour cream and you have a salmon dip or something to serve with roasted potatoes or asparagus)
- flour or corn tortillas) last minute quesadillas or burritos
- bowl of fruit (and bananas)
- chicken stock
- large bowl of onions and garlic

Recipes:

Goat Cheese Herbed Frittata (or...whatever is lying around your kitchen Frittata)

INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil
some veggies....suggestions are
1/4 medium onion chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
any other veggies you feel like adding (tomatoes-technically a fruit, bar squash, cooked potato bits, bacon...)
1 tablespoon thyme, chopped

6 eggs
2 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons heavy cream

8 ounce herbed goat cheese or any melty cheese (fresh mozz, cheddar grated)

Salt and pepper to taste

DIRECTIONS Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).

Heat olive oil in an 8 inch oven-safe skillet (or cast iron pan) over medium heat. Add onion, and season with a little salt and pepper. Cook, stirring until translucent. Add the garlic and thyme and stir briefly to release the flavors.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk and cream. Pour over the onion mixture, and stir gently. Scatter lumps of goat cheese over the top. Cook over medium heat without stirring, until the edges appear firm.

Place the skillet in the preheated oven, and bake for 20 minutes, or until nicely browned and puffed. Flip onto a serving plate, and cut into wedges to serve. Serves 4

Roasted Red Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

Makes 4 servings

3 tablespoons olive oil
12 red new potatoes, quarter lengthwise to form wedges
12 unpeeled garlic cloves or not
Salt and pepper
2 sprigs fresh rosemary or thyme or sage or nothing

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place a roasting pan or cast iron pan on medium-high heat. Add oil and the potoates, season with salt and pepper. Cook for 10 minutes or until bottom of potatoes is carmelized brown color. Toss the postoates so a different side has a chance to cook. Throw in the garlic and herbs, cover with tin foil and place in hot over for another 15 minutes or until the potatoes are cooked through and are crisp and brown.

Bananas Foster

4 tablespoons unsalted butter (1/2 stick)
1/2 cup packed dark brown sugar (3 1/2 ounces)
2 large, firm, ripe bananas sliced on the bias into 1/2-inch pieces
1/4 cup dark rum
1 pint vanilla ice cream

1. Melt the butter in a heavy-bottomed 12-inch skillet over medium heat. Add the brown sugar, and stir to dissolve the sugar, about 1 minute. (If the heat is too high, the butter and sugar will separate instead of combining to form a sauce.)

2. Add the bananas and spoon some sauce over each piece. Cook until the bananas are glossy and golden on the bottom, about 1 1/2 minutes. Turn the bananas and continue cooking until very soft but not mushy or falling apart, about 1 1/2 minutes longer.

3. Remove the skillet from the heat. Add the rum and wait until the rum has warmed slightly, about 5 seconds. Wave a lit match over the pan until the rum ignites, shaking the pan to distribute the flame over the entire pan. When the flames subside (this will take 15 to 30 seconds), divide the bananas and sauce among the four bowls of ice cream and serve.

Equipment Do's and Don'ts

Last night I was at Cooks of Crocus Hill working with an excellent bunch of foodies. One gentleman in particular had some inspired questions about what equipment I recommend for basic cooking, what basic ingredients I keep in my pantry for last minute meals, and how I time my meals so everything finishes brilliantly at the same time. So let's dig in, I will try to answer each question in it's own blog, so you don't get bleary eyed with all the scrolling.


Equipment Essentials:

1 ½ to 2 ½ quart saucepan with lid
3 ½ to 4 ½ quart saucepan with lid
8 to 10 quart stockpot
8 or 12 inch frying pans
3 or 6 inch sauté pan
1 Dutch Oven
6 or 8 inch Cook’s knife
8 or 10 inch serrated knife
3 ½ inch paring knife
Sharpening steel
Instant read thermometer
Cutting boards, preferably wood
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Liquid measuring cups
Set of mixing bowls
9x13 inch baking pan
Cookie sheets
Colander, hand-held strainer, or something with which to separate water from food
Rubber spatulas
Bread pan/muffin pans (if you plan to bake)
Pepper grinder
4 sided grater or cheese plane
Juice squeezer of any type
Mixing spoons
Stainless steel whisk
Tongs
Peeler
Zester
Metal and plastic spatulas
Can opener
Kitchen towels
Really good kitchen shears
Food processor
BlenderGrill or grill pans
Kitchen Aid or hand mixer
Ramekins
Scale
Skewers

Equipment Niceties:

Salad spinner
Salt container
Cooling rack
Roasting pan
Japanese mandolin
Torch
Mini processor
Emerson blender
Wok
Springform pan

Don't Buys:

Entire knife sets
Pots and pan sets
Double boiler

You can never have too many:

Whisks Spatulas (scrapers)
Stirring spoons
Towels
Cutting boards
Utility Knives
Beautiful Serving Dishes

In my research I stumbled across Mark Bittman's article on equipping your kitchen. Mark thinks you can do it for $300. If you are looking for a restaurant supply store that is open to the public and you live in Minnesota, I recommend Hockenburg's.

So this article is really hard for me to write as I have more kitchen gadgets than anyone I know. I started with a very basic set of tools, but what with working at Cooks of Crocus Hill for several years and being an intern at America's Test Kitchen, I have amassed a huge assortment of items (most of them free) that I haven't even used yet. I am the queen of using whatever is around, so most of the time I completely forget I have exactly the right tool for something, and I end up using a jerry-rigged something or other instead.

A list of random things that barely see the light of day in my house:

Ice cream maker (rarely use)
Bamboo steamer baskets too large for any pan I own
Popsicle maker
Double decker steamer
Apple corer/peeler
Flour mill (yes, I have a flour mill)And many other things in my basement that I can no longer recal

Things I wash the most:

My cuisinart…favorite tool
My knives (all except the sandwich knife that came with a set...)
My way too fancy ergonomically correct pans
My 6 qt. Stoube Dutch Oven
My Asian Spider Skimmer
My Tongs

I know it is a bit crazy, but when I buy items I tend to go top of the line. A lot of people will skimp on good kitchen items, but for me, preparing food is an art and my tools are things I use everyday, so I like them to look pretty but to also hold up. Everyone has a different buying philosophy, but that is mine.

You don't have to run out and buy everything all at once, I recommend using what you have and when you are cooking and realize you really need something, make a list. Buy things one at a time and slowly build your collection. How much you spend and how it looks is a matter of personal preference. So that is me, how about you? Did I forget one of your favorite gadgets or something you consider indispensable?

Eat, Share, Freeze

Now that I have an excellent supply of chicken stock I have been making new soups weekly. Last week I made a spicy lentil bean soup and this week my brother and I made a fabulous beef stew.

I like to make a double or triple batch for eating, sharing and freezing. I would share my lentil soup recipe but it was a bit off the cuff.

Beef Stew (Cook's Illustrated)

Makes 6-8 servings

3 lb. Beef chuck, cut into ½ inch cubes

1 ½ teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

2 medium-large onions, chopped coarse (about 2 pounds)

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons flour

1 cup full-bodied red wine

2 cups chicken stock or low-sodium chicken-flavored broth

2 bay leaves

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

6 small boiling potatoes, peeled and halved

4 large carrots, peeled and sliced ¼ inch thick

1 cup frozen peas (6 ounces), thawed

¼ cup minced fresh parsley leaves

1. Heat oven to 200 degrees. Place beef cubes in large bowl. Sprinkle with sale and pepper; toss to coat. Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat in large nonreactive soup kettle; add beef to kettle in two separate batches. Brown meat on all sides, about 5 minutes per batch, adding remaining tablespoon of oil if needed. Remove meat and set aside.

2. Add onions to now empty kettle; sauté until almost softened, 4 to 5 minutes. Reduce heat to medium and add garlic; continue to sauté about 30 seconds longer. Stir in flour; cook until lightly colored, 1 to 2 minutes. Add wine, scarping up any browned bits that may have stuck to kettle. Add stock, bay leaves, and thyme; bring to simmer. Add meat; return to simmer.

3. Cover and place in over; simmer about 1 hour. Remove kettle from oven, add potatoes and carrots, cover and return to oven. Simmer until meat is just tender, 1 ½ to 2 hours. Remove stew from oven. (Can be cooled, covered, and refrigerated up to 3 days.) Add peas and allow to stand 5 minutes. Stir in parsley, adjust seasonings, and serve.

Tip: I find the stew sometimes needs a dash of red wine vinegar to make the flavors really dance.