Oh and by the way...

I am changing the name of my blog. "taste life" was nice and all, but it soooo didn't suit me. I think that those of you who know me will agree that this is more like it!

Glaze it up, flip it, and rub it down

SO... I am still waiting on my new computer ( don't hate a sister- I'm broke!) but it should be here this weekend. I have been asked to give my maple soy glaze recipe. As I am always one to oblige, (teehee) here it is.

4 tbsp tamari ( soy if you can't find tamari)
1/4 c maple syrup ( the real stuff- not log cabin. Honey is a substitute if you won't buy real maple syrup)
2 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbsp fresh ginger, minced
1 tbsp yellow onion, minced
1 tbsp scallion ( green onion) thin sliced
1/4 tsp brown sesame oil
wisk together and let sit for at least an hour. glaze on your favorite meat while roasting. I choose pork- but really, when don't I?

*photos to follow*

Connection....failed-ish

Ok- while I'm not officially back online ( come on new computer next week!) I wanted to drop in and inform you that I have lots of great recipes to share and fun things floating around my brain... stay tuned dudes!

Lord these computer are a pain...So I'll drink some beer.

I wish I could do my blog by hand, or even smoke signal! My lovely 2005 cheapo dell has gone kaputz on me. She has crashed her hard drive. Insert sad face here. I am working on purchasing a new hard drve nd installing it myself... wish me luck.
I will try to be on here as much as I can. I'll write my thoughts and recipes down and copy them from work when I can.

Today's entry is quick. I am currently on vacation (wow!) and my dear husband and I took a day and ventured up to Fort Bragg, CA. We went to the North Coast Brewing company, and had a lovely time! We were supposed to meet my contact, Doug for a tour of the brewery, but we got there early and had lunch at the brew pub. Oh. My God. I had the crispiest, most perfctly fried mushrooms dipped in a beer batter based on their Scrimshaw pale ale. These weren't just good, they were knock my sock off good.
we decided that we should do the right thing and have some beer, so we each got a 4 beer tasting. I tried a few that we don't get at the store- The Merle Saison, The Acme IPA, the Old # 38 Stout, and the Cask Aged Red Seal. Jon had most of my favorites: the Old Rasputin stout, Brother Thelonious Abbey ale, Pranqster Belgian Golden and The Old Stock Ale.

I have to say- North Coast is quickly becoming my favorite brewery. Every one of these beers has finesse, balance and you can taste the care put into their crafting. I highly suggest you try one or many when you find them.

Doug never did show for the tour, but his assistant was a very kind woman who set us up with a ton of swag for the boys and girls back home at the store, and I got my hands on a 20th Anniversary Golden sweetened with agave, a 12th anniversary Old Rasputin aged n bourbon barrels and a large bottle of Merle just for us. I almost don't want to drink them because then they will be gone.

Pop, Lock and Brunch it!

 A girlfriend e-mailed me yesterday and was in dire need of good recipes. She was having her daughter's friend's family over for brunch and was worried that she needed to impress them. I gave her my favorite quintessential brunch food recipes, including the ever famous "Church Lady Punch".

Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Herbed Cream Cheese Quiche:

Make your basic flaky dough, or buy some pie dough at the store.

Par bake @ 350 degrees F until lightly golden. (Poke with a fork or use pie beans for baking to avoid bubbles in your crust.)

Make your quiche batter.

Cut lox style salmon into shreds (chiffonade).

Line your par-baked pie dough with smoked salmon. This recipe can use either lox style or hot smoked salmon. Lox style is preferred.

Gently pour in the batter.

Using 2 spoons, place small chunks of herbed cream cheese throughout the quiche.

Bake the quiche at 325 for about an hour and a half… or until the center of the quiche is just barely jiggling.

Cool and serve with a simple mixed green salad with toasted almond slivers and Dijon vinaigrette.

This can be made up to 3 days ahead. One day is optimal.

3:2:1 pie dough:

12 ounces flour
8 ounces butter, cut into small pieces, cold or even frozen
2 to 4 ounce ice water (quantity depends on the fat — whole butter has water in it so you only need a couple ounces; shortening and lard do not contain water) t
three-finger pinch of salt (about 1/2 teaspoon)

1. Combine flour and fat in a mixing bowl, rubbing the butter between your hands until you have mostly pea sized bits.
2. Add the ice water gradually, add a pinch of salt and mix gently, just until combined — if you work the dough too hard it will become tough
3. Shape into two pieces and chill for 15 minutes or until ready to roll.
4. Shape into two equal discs and refrigerate for 15 minutes or until ready to roll

Quiche Batter:

 2 cups milk

1 cup cream

6 eggs

2 teaspoons kosher salt

nutmeg to taste

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

 8 oz smoked salmon

4 oz cream cheese ( blended with salt, pepper and chopped fines herbs*)

Dijon Vinaigrette:

1 heaping tablespoon of Dijon mustard

¼ c apple cider vinegar

½ c olive oil

1 tablespoon of honey

¼  shallot minced

½ clove garlic, minced

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a blender ( this can be done by hand if you are an excellent “whisker”) combine dijon, honey, garlic, shallot salt and pepper. Pulse until frothy.
2. slowly drizzle olive oil into the running blender, being careful not to go too fast.
3. taste the vinaigrette and adjust salt, pepper, honey or oil. If you like it more tangy, add more vinegar or citrus juice. If you need to cut the acid, add a little more honey, and a little more oil ( don’t use more than ¾ c oil. You will loose balance)

*Fines Herbs is a classic herb blend usually containing: Parsley, Chives, Chervil and Tarragon. Any combination of these herbs is delicious with fish, egg and poultry dishes.

Easy Summer Tomato Salad:

½ Shaved sweet onion

½ shaved fennel bulb ( optional)

1 English cucumber, washed, quartered and sliced

4 large fresh tomatoes ( heirlooms if you can, on the vine if you can’t) cut into small wedges

1 tsp garlic powder

A moderate splash ( 1/8 cup) of red wine vinegar

A moderate splash of olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

¼ bunch fresh oregano

1. cut all the fruits and veggies
2. mince the herbs
3. put them in a bowl
4. sprinkle the dry ingredients over the salad ( garlic too if fresh used)
5. toss thoroughly, but lightly
6. serve very cold

Coffee cake:

1 cup butter
2 cups white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
1 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
The zest of 2 oranges ( zested over the batter/bowl to capture the orange oil)

Topping

1/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons melted butter
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1         Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Grease a 9x13 inch baking pan.

2         In a large bowl, cream together 1 cup butter and white sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in the eggs one at a time, then stir in the sour cream and vanilla. Mix in 2 cups flour, baking powder, and salt. Spread 1/2 of batter in the prepared pan.

3         Prepare the filling: In a medium bowl mix 1/3 cup flour, brown sugar, 2 tablespoons melted butter, and cinnamon. Sprinkle cake batter with 1/2 the filling. Spread second half of batter over the filling, and top with remaining filling.

4         Bake 35 to 40 minutes in the preheated oven, or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.

Strawberry Honeydew Salad with Basil

1 pt strawberries (preferably local)
1 honeydew Melon
1 bunch Basil, Chiffonade ( stack the leaves, roll them into a burrito, and thin slice with a sharp knife)
2 tbsp powdered sugar

1         Core and quarter the strawberries

2         Cleaned and small cube the honeydew melon

3         Chiff the basil

4         Toss all of these in a bowl with the powdered sugar (this will add to the sweetness and draw the juices out of the fruit)

Peanut Butter Banana “Croque Monsieur”

If  Peanuts are an issue, then soy butter is an option. This can also be done with orange marmalade and cream cheese filling)

1 large loaf of Challah or other rich egg bread, sliced

Bananas, sliced
 peanut butter

( if the orange is what you want : mix 1 cup orange marmalade with one package of Philly cream cheese. Blend well)

Dipping batter

4 eggs
¾  c milk
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp sugar

1         Make peanut butter and banana sandwiches. Push toothpicks through the corners to hold together

2         Dip them into the batter

3         In a pan over medium-high heat, cook the sandwiches like you would French toast.

4         Cut into diagonal halves, dust with powdered sugar

5         Serve warm.

This is a favorite of adults too- not just kiddos!

For drinks I suggest a simple Bellini- champagne ( or sparkling brut) with peach puree. This can be served virgin with a dry sparkling apple cider, or a flavored sparkling water.

I also have this great recipe for “church lady punch”:

2 (750 ml) bottles sparkling apple cider
1 liter carbonated water
3 large oranges
2 lemons
1 (6 ounce) can frozen lemonade concentrate
1 tablespoon white sugar
2 trays ice cubes

1. Thinly slice the lemons and the oranges and place in a large punch bowl.
2. Pour in the thawed lemonade.
3. Gently stir in the seltzer water and the sparkling apple cider.
4. Add sugar to taste.

Panang lady! You lookin' fine!

I posted on my facebook page that I would share my coconut curry recipe here, so here it is! This can be used for chicken, beef, pork, fish, tofu and seafood.

• 1 tablespoon Peanut oil ( veggie can be subbed)
• 1 teaspoon curry paste ( thai kitchen is the easiest to find... use the red curry paste)
• 1 1/4 pounds meat - cut into strips
• 1 onion, coarsely chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 green bell pepper, cut into strips
• 1 large carrot, thinly sliced
• 1 kaffir lime leaf, thinly sliced ( the zest of 1 lime can be substituted here)
• 2 cans coconut milk
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 2 stalks lemongrass, cleaned and quartered ( to steep in the sauce while cooking the meat.)
• 1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro 
• 1/2 bunch thai basil ( regular basil is fine) torn

1. Heat the oil in a large skillet over high heat; heat the curry paste in the oil about 30 seconds. Add the meat and cook another 3 minutes. Stir in the onion, bell pepper, lime leaf, carrot, coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice; bring to a boil;lower to a simmer, and slowly cook until meat is cooked through. Sprinkle cilantro and basil over the dish; stir. Serve hot over rice.

*If using fish or shrimp, sear in a separate pan and add to the sauce after all the ingredients are combined. cook lightly until the shrimp is pink and opaque, or the fish is flaky. 

Ever get a hankering for pork?

I know I've been on a bit of a bread trip lately... and will continue to be for some time, but I feel the need to come back to my first love, pork.
There have been many times that I found it suiting to tell people that "Pork is my tummy's boyfriend". I stand by that statement. Wholeheartedly. 100%.
I like the ribs, I like the butt, I like hams and shoulder and belly. I LOVE bacon- and really who doesn't. Even veggie heads say that they miss real bacon. Perhaps it's time for a few of my favorite pork recipes. Braised Shoulder ( we know I love a braise), Pancetta  Wrapped Trout and Bacon Mayo. Yep I said it. Bacon Mayo- and not this crap you buy where they add liquid smoke and call it bacon. I'm talking make your own mayo  using the bacon fat.




Braised Shoulder

• 2 pounds pork shoulder roast-trussed ( tied- ask your meat cutter to do it if you don't know how)
• 1 teaspoon rosemary, chopped
• 1 teaspoon thyme, chopped
• 2 tablespoons oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 carrot, peeled and small diced
• 2 stalk celery, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup pinot noir or any other light bodied red.
• 1 large can diced tomatoes
• 1 cup chicken stock
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Season pork with the salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large large Dutch oven or soup pot over medium-high heat. Sear pork in the hot oil until well browned on all sides.
2. remove pork. 
3. saute onion, celery and carrot; cook until onion is soft, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. De-glaze with wine, scraping all the fond ( that crunchy browned goodness on the bottom of the pan) up into the sauce. Add chicken stock and bring to a simmer.
4. put the pork back into the pot. 
5. simmer for several hours, either stovetop or in a 325 degree oven. 
6. enjoy once the meat is tender. this is great on a parm polenta or a fresh papredelle.

 

 

Pancetta Wrapped Trout

• 4 whole (12 ounce) trout, cleaned with tails and heads on
• 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 lb pancetta, sliced ( bacon or prosciutto may be subbed for pancetta)
• pinch cayenne pepper
• 3 tablespoons oil
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Remove gills from fish and discard. Rinse fish under cold water. 
2. Season the inside of the fish with a pinch of salt
3. In a large skillet heat oil over medium heat. 
4. In shallow dish, combine the flour, salt and pepper and cayenne. wrap trout in pancetta. Raise heat to high. Dredge fish in flour mixture, fry in hot oil for about 4 to 6 minutes on each side or until meat flakes with a fork. Serve over a green salad, white bean salad, or a potato cake.

 Bacon Mayo

• 1 large egg yolk
• 3/4 tsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1/4 C. canola oil
• 1/4 tsp dijon mustard
• l1/4 c warmed bacon fat...not hot fat warm fat. Just warm enough to move it from solid to liquid stage.
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Place egg yok in a wide mouthed bowl
2. add dijon and vinegar and whisk like the wind. 
3. slowly SLOWLY!!! dribble in the canola oil, whisking as continuously and strongly as you can ( this will hurt your arm- that's how you know you're doing it right!)
4. once the oil is gone, continue with the warm fat, whisking like all get out. 
5. add salt and pepper to taste 
6.  serve with that leftover trout on a sammie!

Note: if your mayo starts beading and looking curdled, it's "breaking". Fear not!  add 1 /2 tsp of very warm almost hot water to it and whisk harder than you thought you ever could. that should save it.

Ahh, pork. you are magic in any shape.

 

Bread you say? We'll see about that.

I have been elbows deep in dough for the last week, and I think that I can do this bread thing. I just have to remember that I am learning, and that I will not be discouraged by a few flat baguettes.
For the record, the James Beard Baguette recipe turns out more like a yeasty bread stick than a crunchy baguette. Any bakers out there have a suggestion for a better recipe?


please?

Mmmm yeasty part deaux...

Success! I have had a bread victory. It was a little touch and go there for a minute, but the final product was so delicious that the whole loaf was finished by breakfast this morning! Yeah baby- fresh baked bread+ farm fresh eggs ( thank you Clair-baby!)= french toast breakfast party!
Awesome!


So here's the recipe, and I'm telling you- it's easy.

• 1 1/2 pkg or 1 1/2 tbsp dry active yeast ( I prefer Red Star)
• 1 1/2 tbsp salt 
• 3 cups water ( luke warm- about 100 degrees)
• 6 cups all purpose, unsifted flour, measured using the scoop and sweep method

1. put yeast and salt into water, stir until mostly dissolved. 
2. using a wooden spoon, add flour and stir. when it gets too hard to stir, use your hands to pat the flour in. this should be a very wet dough. DO NOT KNEAD!
3. cover with plastic wrap ( loosely) or a non-airtight lid. Let rise for 3-5 hours at room temp. if it is hot, 3 hours, if it is cooler, 5 hours. 
4. at this point you can either cut off a 1 lb chunk, boule it ( pull the sides down until you have a ball)  scour and bake.  You can also put this into the refrigerator over night and portion the next day.
   
   
   
   
   

Baking instructions- this bread can be baked free form or in a loaf pan. if you are free- forming it, I suggest using a bit of cornmeal to discourage sticking to your pan or bread stone.

1. preheat your oven to 450 degrees for at least 20 minutes. 
2. place a sturd pan on the lowest rack during the preheat. ( if using a bread stone, please place it into the oven during preheat.)
3. put loaf into oven, and pour 1 c water into the lower rack pan, creating steam. Shut the oven door quickly to capture steam. this will make a nice shiny crust!
4. Bake for 35-45 minutes. it is done when you thump it and it sounds hollow. 
5. put to cool on a wire rack and enjoy!

oh- that's the tuna melt I made with my new bread. It was a very satisfying tuna melt. I think I will make my own bread from now on. Next?  Baguette! Batard! Broche!
En avant au prochain projet de pain !

Mmmm...yeasty.

Ha! That caught your attention huh?
 For as many years as I have been a rockin' line jockey, I have been a terrible baker. I have found myself becoming domesticated in the last few years (begrudgingly) and have now accepted it with open arms. I have decided that it is time for me to tackle the thing that strikes fear in my little cook's heart...BREAD!

A little back story first:
I went to the Art Institute many moons ago to get my degree in Culinary Arts. It was a wonderful program, and I enjoyed every moment of learning I did there...except for bread time in baking and pastry class. Now I can make a mean custard, a killer pie and even some body jerking amazing brownies. I have even been told that my cheesecake is "so sexy".  Those are all in my mind's cook book and I can pull them out at a moment's notice. But not bread. Bread is my kryptonite. Bread is my Achilles heel. Me and bread? Not great friends. My pastry chef, one Miss Heidi Satterlee, referred to me as "the bread killer" and refused to let me touch unbaked dough, as I somehow made all of the yeast die.
I am not someone who likes to be bad at something. I am taking on my baking phobias as of today. Bread- Here I come.

I am, going to start off with an easy-peasy recipe ( and no this is not a bread machine project, as I don't own a bread machine) and hope that my efforts to not reinforce my shortcomings as a Chef. I will be updating throughout the process today to show the stages and results.

Wish me luck!!!!!!

You want some summer time Cake, Love?

A friend asked me for my lemon spice cake recipe the other day, and it got me thinking- I need to put more recipes up here so you all can try them out. She had great success with this one, and I am also posting the suggested cream cheese bourbon frosting too...

Lemon Cardamom Cake

• 2 1/2 cups bleached all-purpose flour
• 1/4 cup cornstarch
• 4 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
• 1 teaspoons ground ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
• 1 cup milk
• 3 large eggs
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 cup unsalted butter softened to room temp
• 2 cups dark brown sugar
• the zest of 2 lemons ( preferably Meyer)- zest the lemons over the milk/egg mix to catch some of the lemon oil.

1. preheat to 350 with rack in middle.
2.grease and four a 9/13 pan
3.whisk all dry ingredients together
4. mix wet ingredients in a second container, including lemon zest, but leaving out the softened butter.
5. gently blend softened butter into dry ingredients until you have pea sized crumb
6. add milk mix in 3 stages careful- don't over mix!
7. pour batter into cake pan and bake until toothpick comes out clean from the center.
8. cool on a rack for 5 minutes, run a knife around the side, turn out onto the rack and cool further before frosting.

Cream Cheese Bourbon Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 5 cups confectioners' sugar
• 1 tbsp vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean pod ( slices 1/2 lengthwise and the pods scrapped out. only use the pods)
• 5 tablespoons bourbon ( teehee) you can flame it if the alcohol concerns you, but I really like the cooling effect it has on the rich frosting.

1.whip softened butter and cream cheese together until well blended
2.add vanilla (bean), bourbon and sugar. blend well.

delicious!

Oil me up baby!

One of the things I get asked quite frequently is" why is there sometimes a funny taste after I fry something?"
My fist response is a question as well: What kind of oil are you using?

Oil has a smoke point. The smoke point is the temperature at which the oil actually starts to degrade, and releases free fatty acids ( a.k.a. free radicals) into the food it is being used to cook. This is a bad thing, not only for the flavor, but for your body as well. These free fatty acids can potentially become carcinogenic.

The most basic chemistry of veggie oil is that there is a glycerol backbone, and 3 fatty acids connected to it ( there are a few other already existing free fatty acids, less than 1% is acceptable) Once you begin to heat the oil, it oxidizes, and begins to break those bonds, degrading the oil. The result of this process is rancid oil. Very unhealthy, and very un-tasty!

So don't saute your chicken in extra virgin olive oil... use something that can stand up better.
For reference- here's a chart for smoke points ( thanks to http://www.thenibble.com/reviews/main/oils/smoke-point2.asp):

200s: Low Smoke Point
225°F: Canola Oil

(Unrefined)
Flaxseed Oil (Unrefined)
Safflower Oil (Unrefined)
Sunflower Oil (Unrefined)

300s: Medium Smoke Point
320°F: Corn Oil (Unrefined)
High-Oleic Sunflower Oil,
Unrefined
Olive Oil, Unrefined
Peanut Oil, Unrefined
Safflower Oil, Semi-Refined
Soybean Oil, Unrefined
Walnut Oil, Unrefined
325°F: Shortening, Emulsified
Vegetable
330°F: Hemp Seed Oil
350°F: Butter
Canola Oil, Semi-Refined
Coconut Oil
Sesame Oil (Unrefined)
Soy Oil, Semi-Refined
360°-370°F: Vegetable Shortening
(Emulsified)
370°F: Lard
375°F: Olive Oil

400s: High Smoke Point
400°F : Canola Oil (Refined)
Walnut Oil (Semi-Refined)
406°F: Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
410°F: Corn Oil
Sesame Oil
413°F: Macadamia Nut Oil
420 F: Cottonseed Oil
Grapeseed Oil
Olive Oil, Extra Virgin
430°F: Almond Oil
Hazelnut Oil
435°F: Canola Oil
438°F: Olive Oil
Rapeseed Oil
440°F: Peanut Oil
Sunflower Oil
450°F : Corn Oil (Refined)
High-Oleic Sunflower Oil (Refined)
Palm Oil
Peanut Oil (Refined)
Safflower Oil (Refined)
Sesame Oil (Semi-Refined)
Soybean Oil (Refined)
Sunflower Oil (Semi-refined, Refined, High Oleic, Refined)
Vegetable Shortening
460°F : Olive Pomace Oil
468°F: Olive Oil, Extra Light

485+: Very High Smoke Point
485°F: Grapeseed Oil
485°F: Tea Seed Oil
490°F: Rice Bran Oil
495°F: Soybean Oil
510°F: Safflower Oil
520°F: Avocado Oil (Refined)

You aren't in Season, baby!

We are all watching our pocketbooks and our waistlines, right? Well, at least I know I am. So how can we have the finest food without breaking the budget or our belts?
Get to know your local farmers! I know, I know, a lot of us live in very urban areas with no farms for miles, but there is an easy answer for this: The farmers market. Every city has one ( or many). The key is to avoid the big tourist-y places, and find the small, neighborhood places.

I live in Seattle, so what's the first thing that pops into your mind? Pike Place. I used to Sous a restaurant in the Corner Market Building, and I shopped the market for my evening's fare. Boy oh boy were those prices inflated! Of course, I got the "market discount" which was 10% off, but even with that the prices were ridiculous.
One Sunday ( organic farmer day) I spoke with one of the smaller farmers and asked her where they did the best business, and she told me that she got the most money here, but they sold their best product to the locals over at the Ballard farmer's market. I moved on from that restaurant, and learned more and more about the smaller farmers markets in town.
Now- several years later, the Ballard and Fremont farmers markets are much bigger than they were before ( I used to go to an empty lot on Ballard ave. and buy a flat of cascade truffles for 20$!!) and the University market stays relatively food focused. It is still the best product around. Fresh and in season is the cheapest way to eat!

So for those of you who are trying to buy strawberries and nectarines in the dead of winter, asparagus in February, and butternut squash in July- why do you think your grocery bill is so high? Because the out of season food has to be shipped to you from another hemisphere.
Yes, I know " if we only eat local then we won't really ever get papaya or bananas!"
Sure- I think it's fine to buy things that need to be shipped. We sure as heck don't get enough heat up here in the PacNW to grow very good Carambola or Chirimoya, but I love them. I just understand that they will not be cheap, and they will not be a delicious as they would be if I went and ate a starfruit in India, or a pudding fruit in southern Spain.

So what is in season in February? Well, that depends on where you live. For us here in the great PacNW:

Cabbage, Carrots, Chard, Greens, Leeks, Nettles, Winter squash, Sweet Potatoes, Tangerines, Pears, Turnips, Oranges, Some varieties of apples ( so sad that Honeycrisp season is over!)... I could go on and on...

For meats- I find that if you find a really good local butcher, and befriend him/her they will likely start to give you a "regulars" discount. Their meat will be better than that of the supermarket and you can have you steaks cut any way you like them. Get to know your fish mongers and your butchers...PLEASE know where your meat comes from.
I love to go down to the fisherman's wharf and buy fresh caught whole salmon from the fishermen, butcher it at home and freeze it. I will have spent maybe 20$ on a whole pacific salmon, provide the labor myself, and have the equivalent of hundreds of dollars worth of salmon in my freezer. Many stores will charge between 11.99 per lb for chum salmon- 42.99 per lb of copper river salmon at it's peak.
I pay $20-$40 for a whole fish that was alive yesterday. Can your supermarket do that? No.
On to beef...
If you can, find a few friends, and chip in for a whole cow. Yes. A whole cow.
Find a farmer that will sell you one of his/her Beef steer ( make sure that the steer is at least no hormone/ no antibiotic... or go all out-try grass fed- it's a little tougher, but boy is it delicious when a ruminant eats what it is meant to!), have his butcher cut and vacu seal and each take a quarter cow. My sister's family gets 1/2 cow every year- 700 dollars and it keeps her family of 4 in beef for A YEAR! (and she throws a roast and some soup bones my way from time to time say thankya!)

So just some tips and thoughts, it's time for a change people. Let's do ourselves a favor and taste our food the way ( and the when) we were meant to. It'll not only save us money, but if prepared wisely, it can be beneficial to our health.

www.bunchgrassbeef.com

Oooooh! She didn't finish her paper!

Ok- I apologize for my mini-disappearing act. I had to work for my sister for several weeks, so I was swamped and tired.
That is no excuse! I must trek on.
I am posting to let you know that I have not forgotten my blog... what will I post next?
you will only know if you come back and read...

:)

Yeah girl...put some beer on it!

Ah, yet another week gone by.  There were some beautiful cuts of beef on sale this week, so I thought I might give my recipe for Beef Short ribs braised in Young's Double Chocolate Stout. It is one of my favorite dishes to serve. Total comfort food.

Most of California is being hit by back to back storms, here in Washington, it's still chilly, but much calmer ( thankfully). The temperature is still low in most of the country, and I am still stuck on hearty, rich meals to keep me warmed on the insides.
Let's talk about beef short ribs.
The beef short rib is the end cut of the rib. It has a very meaty and well fatted texture. It is a versatile cut and can be grilled, roasted, butterflied ( in Korean Galbi) and quick seared. Beef short ribs are an excellent cut for braising. When done right, they will literally melt in your mouth. I love it when meat melts in my mouth. Yeah. I said it.

A quick word on why I like this particular stout for this recipe. Young's Double chocolate stout is classified as a milk/sweet stout. It's scent is chocolaty, toasty and warm. The flavor is slightly chocolaty ( not quite as tootsie roll-like as Southern tier's "Choklat"...I like that) with hints of coco nib and a deep milk flavor and texture. It has low carbination so I like it for cooking. Oh who am I kidding... I love to drink it. That's really why you only have to use half of the pint. I highly suggest that the cook should drink the other half while cooking.
Other stouts can absolutely be substituted in this recipe, but try to keep it in the milk or oat stout family, as to curb the bitterness. If you can't find stout, a dark ale or porter can be used, though you won't have quite the same result.

Braised Beef Short ribs in Chocolate Stout

4 good sized short ribs (preferably grass fed beef-support your local farmer!)

1 ½ yellow onion- small dice

2 strips pepper bacon, diced

2 med carrots- small dice

2 stalks celery- small dice

½ pt Young’s Double Chocolate Stout (or any available stout)

¼ cup red wine vinegar

¼ cup beef stock

3 tbsp canola oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Season Short ribs, set aside
2. Heat oil in a heavy frying pan
3. Sear all sides of ribs until nice and brown. Remove from heat. Set the ribs aside on a plate.
4. in a heavy bottomed pot, sauté bacon, rendering out the fat on medium heat
5. Add miripoix* to hot pot, salt and sauté until caramelized… take your time.
6. Deglaze with red wine vinegar and scrape up all that good fond from the bottom of the pan.
7. Add short ribs, beer and stock and bring up to a boil.
8. Simmer for 3-5 hours.
9. Taste and salt.

Serve over basic mashed potatoes for a very hearty meal.

*miripoix is the term for a mixture of Carrots, Onions and Celery. These are basic aromatics that make your food very flavorful.

Oh. My .Goulash. Becky....

The first entry is, upon request, about goulash. I oddly find myself thinking of soup lines and Oliver Twist when I hear the word. I say oddly because this is a surprisingly fresh and brightly flavored stew. It is one of 3 national dishes of Hungary- along with Porklot and Paprikas.

A quick history…

The word “Goulash” is derived from the Hungarian Gulyas which means “cattlemen” or “herdsmen”. It has several variations, so no one recipe is “correct”. The main ingredients, however, remain relatively constant. They are Onion, Peppers, Vegetables, Caraway and Paprika. Beef, pork, lamb and mutton are all acceptable meats for Gulyas. It is traditionally made very thick as a stew, sometimes served over rice or pasta (to feed hungry Hungarian cowboys!) but is also seen as a soup (gulyasleves).

This stew should never be thickened with flour or roux, but with the cuts of meat used. A shank or shoulder would be the best, as the touch muscles are high in collagen and create a thick, velvety texture.

Some recipes call for garlic or tomato for added flavor and color.

A tried and true recipe for Goulash:

lbs beef shoulder, cubed
2 tablespoons oil

2 medium onions, chopped

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1-2 carrots, diced

1 parsnip, diced

1-2 celery leaves, chopped

2 medium tomatoes, peeled and chopped

2 fresh green peppers, pith removed and diced

2-3 medium potatoes, diced

1 tablespoon Hungarian paprika powder

1 teaspoon ground caraway seed

1 bay leaf

ground black pepper and salt to taste

1.5 cups beef stock (not broth, stock. No added salt)

1. Caramelize the onions
2. Pour the paprika on the onions, stirring constantly to avoid burning
3. Sauté beef cubes. You want them browned. The crust seals in the juices.
4. Add the garlic, the ground caraway seed, some salt and ground black pepper, the bay leaf, pour enough stock to cover the contents of the pan and let simmer on low heat for a while.
5. After about an hour, add the diced carrots, parsnip, potatoes, celery leaf and a bit more salt*, let simmer for 30 more minutes.
6. Add peppers, tomatoes and simmer for 15 more minutes.
7. Serve alone as a stew with crusty bread, or over egg noodles.

Enjoy!!!

*Professional tip: salting in stages creates a more round flavor, as each ingredient accepts flavor at different times in the cooking process. It also makes it less likely to over salt at the end.

Tell me what you eat....

Blogging...hmmm. A new world to me. I suppose the best way to start is with an introduction.

I'm Katie. Nice to meet you. I have been in every different facet of food service imaginable. I have loved food for as long as I can remember. I have worked in catering, weddings, fine dining, bistro, retail etc... I am currently a beer and wine specialist but I am a cook through and through.
If you are reading this, I imagine you also love food :)
I'm going to go with the spirits for awhile...let them guide me on how I should do this blogging thing. Some days I may post recipes, some days tasting notes on food, wine and beer. Other days I may review a restaurant if it strikes me.

If anyone has any suggestions, questions, or comments- please feel free to let me know. I love a challenge, and I like to keep things fresh.
Awesome!