Category: Miscellaneous

Desserts/Pastries · Miscellaneous

Spiced Maple Pecan Cupcakes (Guest Blogger)

The Culinary Chronicles14 Comments

**This entry has been submitted to The Culinary Chronicles through our Guest Blogger Contest. **

Submitted by: Carol L.

It’s a poorly-kept secret that I don’t have very much of a sweet tooth, despite the amount of baking that I do.  I much prefer more spiced or lighter desserts like carrot cake, apple cobbler, and tiramisu.  That is why I LOVE the fall and winter season — that’s when the spiced desserts come out to play!  From pumpkin pie to gingerbread, these are the desserts that I especially enjoy making and devouring!

I took the opportunity during this season to concoct a recipe for a Spiced Maple Pecan Cupcake with Maple Cream Cheese Frosting.  I started with my normal vanilla cupcake recipe, and substituted the white sugar with brown sugar instead, being sure to check the internet that this wouldn’t ruin the texture or form of my cupcake.  Baking is such a chemical science, that you risk an imploded or exploded result if you substitute ingredients incorrectly!  I then added some of my favorite fall and winter spices for baking: cinnamon, nutmeg, clove, ginger, and allspice… similar to what you would put into a pumpkin recipe.

All right, we’ve taken care of the “spiced” part of Spiced Maple Pecan, now for the “maple” part!  Instead of vanilla, I wanted to use a maple flavoring.  Googling around, I found that most maple recipes required a few cups of pure Grade B maple syrup.  I was a little concerned as to what 1-3 cups of liquid would do to my cupcakes, and I had heard anecdotes that when you use the syrup, you don’t even get that familiar maple flavor that most people are used to.  I contemplated a bit, but then decided I didn’t feel like dealing with failed cupcakes that day.  Therefore, I opted to use the imitation maple flavoring by McCormick’s for my cupcakes and frosting.  Amusingly enough, I later had a conversation with Nam herself, and she also prefers the imitation maple flavoring over the maple syrup!

Now for the best part… candied pecans!  Making candied pecans is pretty easy, and it makes a HUGE difference when using candied pecans instead of regular pecans.  It is everyone’s favorite part!  The hardest thing about making candied pecans is trying not to eat them all yourself, and running out before they even make it into the cupcakes.  I incorporated these babies into the cupcakes themselves and also sprinkled them on top of the maple cream cheese frosting.

The resulting cupcake was a hit!  Everyone loved them, and I even got a comment that, “He normally hates cupcakes, but he loves these!”  And I thought, “That’s because they’re not too sweet, and spiced instead!”  I hope you try this recipe out and love them too!

Spiced Maple Pecan Cupcakes by Carol L.
Spiced Maple Pecan Cupcakes by Carol L.

Spiced Maple Pecan Cupcakes
Ingredients:
• 1 cup cake flour
• 1/2 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 3 tsp baking powder
• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
• 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
• 1/4 teaspoon ground clove
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup (1 stick) butter
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup whole milk
• 2 teaspoons imitation maple flavoring
• 3/4 cup candied pecans (recipe below)

1. Combine flours, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices; stir with a whisk until combined. Add butter and mix with an eletric mixer.
2. In a large glass measuring cup, whisk together eggs, milk, and maple flavoring.
3. With mixer on medium speed, add wet ingredients in 3 parts. Mix until combined, but do not overbeat.
4. Dust the candied pecans with some flour (this keeps them from sinking to the bottom of the cupcakes).  Mix in the candied pecans.
5. Divide among cupcake liners. Bake at 325° until toothpick comes out clean.

Maple Cream Cheese Frosting
Ingredients:
• 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
• 8 ounces cream cheese, softened
• Approximately 2-4 cups powdered sugar, sifted
• 1 teaspoon imitation maple flavoring

1. Beat butter vigorously with an electric mixer. Scrape the bowl and add the cream cheese. Beat until combined.
2. Add 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat until smooth.
3. Add the maple flavoring and mix.
4. Continue to add powdered sugar until desired consistency for piping.

Candied Pecans
Ingredients:
• 1 cup chopped pecans
• 1 cup sugar

1.  In a pan, mix white sugar and pecan pieces.  Turn on the heat to medium, and slowly stir with wooden chopsticks or spoon until the sugar starts to melt.
2.  When the mixture becomes a nice brown color, remove from heat, and continue to stir until cooled. Careful, it can go from golden brown to burnt surprisingly quickly!  If you don’t continue to stir until cool, it will all harden together in one big clump.
3. Once cooled, crumble and break apart any pecans that are stuck together.

*Reminder: You, too, can be a Guest Blogger of The Culinary Chronicles! Submit all entries to theculinarychronicles@gmail.com and be eligible to win an AWESOME Foodie Prize!

Miscellaneous

Oyakodon: Basic Recipe (Guest Blogger)

The Culinary Chronicles5 Comments

**This entry has been submitted to The Culinary Chronicles through our Guest Blogger Contest. **

Oyakodon: Basic Recipe

Submitted by: Shizouka Gourmet

Oyakodon must count as one of the top 5 as far as poplular food comes in Japan. It is easy to prepare and improvise with. Bear in mind that depending upon the region you are in Japan, the ingredients are totally different. For example, in Hokkaido you will be served salmon sashimi and salmon roe!

After all, “oyakodon” means “parent and child bowl” (ingredients!)!

Being asked about a recipe, I decided to introduce the main lines of a basic one here made with chicken and eggs, not bothering about quantities but concentrating on the method.

-Rice
Steam rice beforehand. Oyakodon prepared with freshly steamed rice is miles ahead of reheated rice as far as taste is concerned!

-Chicken
Choose breast or thigh chicken. It is up to you to use or discard the skin. I prefer to discard it, unless I deep-fry the chicken first.

-Eggs
Choose the freshest ones as possible with large deep-coloured yolks.

-Vegetables:

Thinly sliced onion to be cooked together with the oyakodon. A lot of people feel like adding other vegetables. Keep in mind they have to be cut thin and need to be fried.

Fresh leaved greens for the final and important touch. My favourite is fresh trefoil. If not available, I use flat parsley or chopped leeks.

In many regions they also add chopped dry seaweed for the final touch.

-Stock soup/sauce:
You may use water, but dashi is a lot better. I pesonally use seaweed dashi. One might use chicken stock, too. I add a little soy sauce, sugar, Japanese sake and sweet Japanese sake/mirin. That is where improvisation and personal taste come in!
You may season with salt and pepper, but bear in mind that soy sauce already contains salt, so easy on that one!

METHOD:

-Cut chicken in small enough pieces. Fry or deep-fry them first. If you fry/sautee them, just season chicken with a little salt and pepper. If you dep-fry them, season them with salt and pepper and cover them with plenty of cornstarch, unless you prefer the flour, egg and breadcrumbs method. Once the chicken has been fried to 90%, take out and leave in another plate or on a metallic grill to get rid of excess oil.

-Using only a little oil (that left by the chicken is fine), fry the onion (and other vegetables) until almost properly cooked.
Add soup/stock. bring slowly to boil on a small fire. Add chicken and boil for a minute just to let the taste penetrate the chicken.

During that time, beat eggs (quantity is up to you!) with chopsticks to leave some parts white (some people like well beaten).

As soon as the chicken has completely cooked, dicard some soup if too much of it, and add the eggs.

Point 1: the chicken should be tender, not overcooked.
Point 2: Too much soup/stock will prevent the eggs from cooking fast, or you might end up with scrambled eggs
Point 3: the “real” (debatable) recipe calls for the eggs to be only half cooked before transferring the lot onto the rice. In Kyoto, for example the eggs are most of the time well cooked and topped with a raw egg yolk.

-As soon as you are satisfied with the eggs, transfer the lot on top of a bowl filled with steamed rice. Decorate with trefoil and serve.

*Reminder: You, too, can be a Guest Blogger of The Culinary Chronicles! Submit all entries to theculinarychronicles@gmail.com and be eligible to win an AWESOME Foodie Prize! 🙂

Miscellaneous

BIGGER + NEWER+ PRICIER= BETTER? (Guest Blogger)

The Culinary Chronicles9 Comments

**This entry has been submitted to The Culinary Chronicles as our First Guest Blogger.

Submitted by: Anonymous Blogger

At what point do you give in to the pressure that “BIGGER, newer, more expensive” is better?  I have been able to resist the temptation to cave in especially for items that I already have and work just fine.  Now, this is a completely different question if you were to ask me what would I purchase if I didn’t already have it?  Of course, I have my own version of Cook’s Illustrated Equipment Review and know exactly what I would buy if I could.  I’m the lone browser roaming around cooking stores coveting their merchandise and continually keeping an eye out for sales.

There are several items in my kitchen that I have received as gifts and have served me for many years.  At the top of this list is my Classic Series KitchenAid Stand Mixer which is probably 10 years old but works fine and still shines like new.  The only time that it has caused me any problem is when I am making large batches of a recipe, mixing sturdy dough (like gingerbread), or kneading dough.  Unfortunately, this model only has a 250-watt motor and a small 4-1/2 quart stainless steel bowl.  When subjected to those conditions, my stand mixer will rock all over my counter in distress.  I usually have to anchor it down with my hands, than it’s no problem at all!  Well, that is if you don’t mind flour flying all over the place because of the smaller bowl.  So for years I convinced myself that it was just too indulgent to upgrade and that I should be saving my money to buy a place one day.

My Sturdy Old Classic Series

Well, that was until several weeks ago when I was roaming through Williams-Sonoma hoping that they will have their rare Friends and Family 20% off discount that happened last year just before Christmas.  I think I must have checked online and at the store everyday for a month before the holidays, but sadly no discount.  Then one day just the week before Christmas, I received an email about a special 3 day in-store only promotion: for every $50 that you spend, they would give you a $10 credit voucher to be used in their store during the next month.  For the price of an upgrade to their Professional 6 quart Series, this would give me a voucher worth $80 in addition to the $50 rebate from the manufacture!

Needless to say, I went straight to their store the very next day feeling excited about my potential new purchase.  However once I got there, my conservative “self” resurfaced a long with all of my doubts.  For the next hour, I paced the store then left the store in order to “think” without the added pressure of having to see the coveted mixer with its big yellow bow ready to go.  After much anxiety, I finally went back to purchase it but decided to ask them to hold it for me in the store until the following weekend when I would return from my brief holiday trip.  My reasoning was to take advantage of the promotion before it expired, but with the condition that I could always change my mind and return it.  I thought this strategy brilliant since it would also save me from having to carry it back and forth in case I did change my mind.  I walked away feeling triumphant after overcoming an additional small hurdle.  The mixer was $399.99. Technically, this would only give me a $70 voucher.  So I had to go and search for something small that I would need anyway to bump me over $400 to be eligible for the $80 voucher– like a tube of black icing for 2.99.

During my trip that week, I attempted to find holes in my argument by soliciting advice from other members of my family.  Unfortunately, they are too supportive of me in general and I was not able to find too many objections.  When the time came for me to pick up my pre-paid merchandise, I was no where closer to making a decision.  I stood staring at my current stand mixer which would have probably lasted me for another 10+ years; then went online to reconcile my credit card charges to see how much damage I already had done that month for Christmas.  By the time that I got to the store, I was in even more distress as I passed the many homeless individuals on my journey. I had resigned then to the belief that bigger, newer, more expensive was possibly better.  But do I always need BETTER?  The answer is NO.

There are many things in my apartment that are hodge-podge that I have picked up from someone else’s discard on the sidewalk, or that have been handed down to me that I sentimentally cannot give away.  I am fine living like this.  That is, unless the stars are aligned just so, and the forces so magnetic that it would be way too difficult to ignore.  Okay, okay, where am I going with this?  Well, sometimes you have to play Zeus and recreate the constellation to get what you want.  I ended up selling my old mixer on Craigslist.  The money that I made, added to the value of my voucher and rebate was used to whittle away from the original price of the machine. When this was done and with my new mixer on my countertop, a thought came to me “Geez, the extent you would go to get what you really want”.  Now, if only I can be as successful in other aspects of my life.  :)

MY NEW PROFESSIONAL 610 SERIES (610 is exclusive to Williams-Sonoma with just some additional small bonuses)

*Reminder: You, too, can be a Guest Blogger of The Culinary Chronicles! Submit all entries to theculinarychronicles@gmail.com and be eligible to win an AWESOME Foodie Prize! :)

Miscellaneous

Here’s to Good Eatin’ in 2010!

The Culinary Chronicles14 Comments

Happy New Year Friends! :)

Alas, the whirlwind of holiday festivities, coupled with a long bout of the flu, has kept me away from blogging. But, I’m baaaaacccckkkkk and ready to kick in 2010!

At the close of 2009, I experienced an “Out-of-Body-Baking-Frenzy”. I kid you not….I was a baking machine and I was sure my better-half was going to have to hide the butter and sugar to keep me out of the kitchen!

Below are a few snapshots of evidence from my craze:

Caramel Cupcakes with Caramel Cream Cheese Frosting © Photo rights reserved.
Fixing up some Caramel © Photo rights reserved.
Pumpkin Cupcakes with Spiced Cream Cheese Frosting © Photo rights reserved.
White Chocolate Peppermint Bark...Somehow I ended up making over 5lbs. of it! © Photo rights reserved.
Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies dipped in Ghirardelli Chocolate © Photo rights reserved.
Grinding up the Macadamia Nuts © Photo rights reserved.
Prepping a Raspberry Coulis © Photo rights reserved.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake with Chocolate Cookie Crust © Photo rights reserved.

Luna's Dessert Platter: Macadamia Nut Shortbread Cookies with Toffee Chips, Milk Chocolate Brownies, and Molasses Cookies © Photo rights reserved.

I needed an intervention. Seriously. :)

Unfortunately (or fortunately), I caught the “ickies” quickly after Christmas which put a pause on my culinary experiments. However, the recoup time gave me the perfect excuse to plop on the couch and catch up on some serious Food TV.

One of my most anticipated shows during the holidays was the Super Chef Battle of Iron Chef America that first screened on January 3rd.

Iron Chef America Mario Batali & Emeril Lagasse took on Iron Chef America Bobby Flay & White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford for this 2 hour battle. The Secret Ingredient? ANYTHING from the White House Garden. As charged by First Lady Michelle Obama, these duo teams were asked to create 5 dishes that featured healthy meals to inspire America.

Upon their return to Kitchen Stadium, the chefs were shown various ingredients displayed on the altar– all grown/harvested within 100 miles of the Stadium. Local, fresh ingredients—-my kind of battle. Unfortunately, that’s when things kind of took a turn.

First off, where was the Chairman??? He was MIA from such an important “Super Chef Battle”? And although the beloved Alton Brown filled in and got to sit and taste the dishes with the judges, it seemed quite odd that Mark Dacascos (yes, the Chairman’s true name) would not be present. Perhaps some R&R was needed after his stint on “Dancing with the Stars“?

Speaking of the judges……this leads me to the next “whhaaat???” moment of the show. The panel consisted of Nigella Lawson, Jane Seymour, and Natalie Coughlin. With the exception of Nigella, seriously—Jane Seymour and Natalie Coughlin? Don’t get me wrong, this is no disrespect to Actresses-turned-Jewelry-Designers or Olympians but this is a Super Chef Battle! I was hoping for a Hubert Keller or better yet, a panel consisting of the old school Iron Chefs! That would be A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. Nope….no such thing.

As for the rest of the battle….it turned out to be pretty “meh”. Perhaps my expectations were set high since the word “super” was in the title (hey, I’m impressionable like that) but overall, it was a “C+” television experience for me.

But—-No Fear, as 2010 is shaping up to become an epic year for “good eats”. With San Francisco’s Dine-About-Town just around the corner, coupled with several new recipes and cooking gadgets I have yet to try—-my kitchen and tummy will be quite busy.

So with that, dear friends, I hope your holidays and New Year’s Festivities were joyful and delicious! :)

Giveaways · Miscellaneous

Sharing is Caring: Calling Out for Guest Bloggers!

The Culinary Chronicles11 Comments

Just like our parents/guardians and teachers have taught us at an early age, I believe that ‘Sharing is Caring!’

With that belief in mind, this is my official call out for GUEST BLOGGERS! Yup, I’m talking about you! 🙂

– Have a recipe that you are darn proud of?
– Got food photos you’d like to share?
– Care to review your favorite local restaurant or watering hole?
– Want to dish about the latest culinary gossip?
– Have a ton to say but can’t commit the time to blog on your own?
– Have your own site but want to spread your wings to other cyber spots?

Then be the next foodie Guest Blogger on The Culinary Chronicles! I’d love to hear your foodie point of view and help shoot it out to all our cyber buddies.

Leave me a message on the comment section and YOU CAN BE MY NEXT GUEST BLOGGER! 🙂

And for a little EXTRA incentive—the Guest Blogger with the highest comments submitted to their foodie posts by March 1, 2010 will receive an awesome FOODIE PRIZE! 🙂 Woo Hoo–who doesn’t love surprise prizes?

So hit the pen & paper and get writing today!

Submit a Blog Entry Today!

Miscellaneous

Top Chef Season 6: SPOILER ALERT!

The Culinary Chronicles5 Comments

It’s no secret that I’m a food show junkie…..cooking shows, cooking competitions, chef bios, restaurant features—you name it, I pretty much watch it all (Thank goodness my better half doesn’t mind too much!). Afterall, I kind of see it as my culinary education without the crazy culinary school tuition costs.

Among my favs over the past few years— Top Chef . Love, love, love it—and have been a faithful viewer all 6 seasons (in addition to the Top Chef Masters season). Sure, I agree with many who kind of liked it better in the earlier seasons when they had relatively unknown, less experienced chefs. They, after all, had more to gain. But with more seasoned chefs comes more interesting dishes which made this past Season 6 a crowd pleaser.

Before I go on, I must warn you all who haven’t seen the finale yet and say SPOILER ALERT! SPOILER ALERT! Watch the finale and come back to read my rants :) But if you have seen it, let’s continue on…..

All season, the bf and I have been Team Jennifer Carroll, Chef de Cuisine  of 10 Arts by Eric Ripert. Why? Because she was a darn great cook, funny as heck, and she was Eric Ripert’s gal. That is a winning combo right there!

Jennifer Carroll, Top Chef Season 6 Contestant

Imagine our disappointment when she got eliminated in part 1 of the finale….BUMMER!!! Who will give snarky comments now? :) But at least we still had my bf’s fav left in the final 3– Kevin Gillespie.

Kevin Gillespie is the Executive Chef & Partner of Woodfire Grill in Atlanta, Georgia. We loved him for being the “pork guy”….so much so that he had a tattoo of a pig! Quite funny. I particularly admired his stance of using only local & sustainable goods at his restaurant.

Kevin Gillespie, Top Chef Season 6 Contestant

Unfortunately Kevin didn’t perform his best with the final challenge. His 1st course was quite a favorite among the judges but the other dishes just didn’t cut it—with the worst being his pork dish….IRONY! Alas, Padma informs him that he is not Top Chef. Bummer Kev, we really liked you—and your sassy southern mom too! :)

Which finally leaves us with the remaining two….The Voltaggio Brothers. The culinary sibling powerhouse who were favored since the beginning of the season.

Voltaggio Brothers: Top Chef Season 6 Contestants

I must admit that I, too, was in awe of the dishes that these two whipped out. Beautiful,  refined, innovative, and just darn impressive.

I favored the elder brother, Bryan Voltaggio , who is the Executive Chef and Co-owner of VOLT Restaurant, in Maryland. His dishes looked amazing and of the two brothers, he appeared more down to earth and humble.

Bryan Voltaggio, Top Chef Season 6 Contestant
Bryan Voltaggio, Top Chef Season 6 Contestant

He pulled out a few great dishes in the finale with the assistance of two Sous Chefs, Jennifer Carroll and Ashley Merriman. Unfortunately, the judges felt his dishes were somewhat safe. I don’t know about you, but I don’t think “safe” is a bad thing when it comes to dishes as long as it tastes darn good. But then again, I don’t get paid the big bucks to be a judge….  :)

Which leaves us to the Top Chef Winner of Season 6, Michael Voltaggio.

Michael Voltaggio: Top Chef Season 6 Contestant
Michael Voltaggio, Top Chef Season 6 Winner

Michael is the Chef de Cuisine at The Dining Room in Pasadena, California. Was I always impressed with his dishes? Yes. Did he push the envelope and think outside of the box? Yes. Did the bf and I secretly make up this fictitious story that he and Jennifer Carroll would end up hooking up? HECK YES! But what totally turned me off was the fact that he portrayed himself to be so cocky and arrogant. Two things that are NMF (not my fav). Bleh!

To be fair, I did think he was absolutely qualified to win and his track record throughout the season with Quick Fire and Elimination Challenge wins proved it (not to mention the 2010 Prius he scored and tons of cash with High Stakes challenges). But in the humble opinion of this food show junkie, I would have liked to have seen Jennifer or Kevin take it home. :)

I do need to also comment that the finale show this season was a tad lackluster. Gone are the days when the finale only consisted of 2 finalists or when we had to wait an entire week to see the winner after viewing the judging. C’mon now, Season 2 in the Big Island of Hawai’i was not only beautifully placed with the location but the finale meals were well spread out to give due credit to the finalists. I’m hoping that the producers of the show will rethink this new finale format and spend more air time featuring the food and judges commentary. HINT, HINT!

But when all is said and done, I can’t wait to see what next season will unfold.  :)

For now, Food Show Junkie signing off.

Miscellaneous

Prepare to Be Green with Envy….

The Culinary Chronicles8 Comments

My sister Phooey is pretty amazing. Actually, all of my sisters are quite extraordinary, but Phooey in particular is downright ridiculous in the kitchen. Other than tricks from experience passed down from the family, Phooey is self-taught through her copious amounts of research, books, and watching endless cooking shows.

People are typically in awe by her creations, wondering why this pharmacist doesn’t go pro. Heck, I wish she would too so I could play in her bakery kitchen. However, she insists it would lose the fun of it all and prefers to “experiment in the lab” (as she refers to it) without pressures. She produces dishes that are downright cookbook-picture-perfect and follows the same philosophy that our mom passed down to each of us—–use the freshest and best ingredients you can get a hold of.

It goes without saying that this Foodie-Wanna-Be attributes a lot of her interest and drive to her sis who first introduced me to the San Francisco Ferry Building Farmer’s Market, Hog Island Oyster Company, Frog Hollow Peaches, Bonny Doon Wines, AG Ferrari’s Caesar Dressing, Rigolo’s Almond Croissants, Mama’s in North Beach—and so much more. Each, holding a significant love in my culinary heart. I will also only briefly mention how she quasi-tortured the bf and I last Turkey Day by making us peel fresh chestnuts. O-M-G. Did I have the cuts and shell shanks to prove that battle!!! And why? Because she said we HAD to try to do it at least once. 🙂 She, of course, was right.

And because my kitchen tools were pretty junk back in the day, Phooey has also outfitted me over the years with the best kitchen gadgets–a 14 cup Cuisinart being the latest (Hey–I’m the baby of the family!).

So, in honor of my sister Phooey who would never show off her culinary skills, please allow her little sis to brag to the cyber world with a sample of her delish experiments.  Please note that all items are hand made from scratch—she takes no store “short cuts” that I would have no problem doing 🙂

Ricotta Pancakes with Blueberry Compote, Chicken Rosemary Hash, and Egg Over Easy © Photo rights reserved.
Poached Pear Tart with Caramelized Pistachios (Adapted from Dorie Greenspan) © Photo rights reserved.

Boeuf Bourguignon with Fingerling Potatoes (Adapted from Julia Child) © Photo rights reserved.
Profiteroles filled with homemade Mocha Coffee Ice Cream, drizzled with warmed Valrhona Chocolate Sauce © Photo rights reserved.
White Chocolate Raspberry Cheesecake © Photo rights reserved.
Coq au Vin over Egg Noodles © Photo rights reserved.
Homemade Preserves: Strawberry, Olallieberry, Bing Cherry, and Apricot. She picked the strawberries and olallieberries and hand-pit all the cherries. © Photo rights reserved.

Homemade Vietnamese Coffee Ice Cream with Double Chocolate Sable Cookies © Photo rights reserved.
Fresh Baked Cinnamon Rolls © Photo rights reserved.
Valrhona Chocolate Mousse © Photo rights reserved.
NY Times World's Best Chocolate Chip Cookies © Photo rights reserved.
Excessively Expressive Espresso Ecstasy Cake (Adapted from Marcel Delsaunier) © Photo rights reserved.
Ice Cream Sammies: Raspberry Ice Cream with Chocolate Cookie © Photo rights reserved.
Braised Short Rib Ragu with Fresh Papparedelle Pasta (Adapted from Bobby Flay) © Photo rights reserved.

Needless to say, the family (and her co-workers) are a good extra pounds heavier as a result to her yummy care packages she sends every so now and then. But trust me, it’s worth the calories. 🙂

And if you would like to have some of Phooey’s delish creations, leave a comment to this post. Through mass persuasion, maybe we can all coerce her into a side catering career. 🙂

Miscellaneous

A Whole Lot of Thanks…..

The Culinary Chronicles6 Comments

Thanksgiving is a great holiday….it’s a reminder to give thanks for all aspects of your life while gorging on good eats.  🙂  It was one of my favorite holidays growing up–waking up to the delicious aromas of my mom’s cooking in the kitchen. With all of our extended families congregating at my folks’ house with all of their dishes, Turkey Day was an epic eat-fest from morning to late night.

This year, Turkey Day consisted of a small party of three: me, the bf, and older sis (and our pup Bella!). And although we were only cooking dinner for 3–it was no excuse for us not to GO BIG to truly celebrate our Thanks and loved ones.

Here was our delicious–and ambitious–menu 🙂

Pomegranate Lime Mojitos © Photo rights reserved.

Pomegranate Lime Mojitos. Sure, the colors reflect more of the December Holidays but the sis brought down some freshly “shucked” pomegranates and I wanted to incorporate them somehow in the meal. 🙂

Pacific Oysters © Photo rights reserved.

Freshly shucked Pacific Oysters on the half shell. (Sorry for the bright flash–I was having issues!) Since my sister’s dressing called for oysters, she opted to get a few more than the recipe listed so we could enjoy them fresh. Earlier this year, I threw a surprise birthday party for the bf at Tomales Bay Oyster Company. After shucking over 80 or so oysters, we sure got the technique down. 🙂 We enjoyed these simply with diced shallots, fresh Italian parsley, a squeeze of lemon, and a ton of Tabasco sauce.

Decadence Tower © Photo rights reserved.

This appetizer was purely my sister’s brainchild–and it totally exemplifies everything she loves and believes in. This “Decadence Tower” (that I affectionately dubbed) contains:

  • Brentwood Sweet Corn (she shucked & froze herself when it was at the peak of the season)
  • Blanched Fava Beans (same deal as the sweet corn)
  • Thinly Sliced Haas Avocados
  • Dungeness Crab (1st of the season that she steamed and peeled–thank Buddha, I hate peeling crab!)

After we assembled the tower, we drizzled it with some olive oil and a touch of lime juice. Seriously, this was TO DIE FOR and exemplified how simple ingredients used in season can be amazing. 🙂

Boccalone's Oyster-Sausage Dressing © Photo rights reserved.

The sis found a recipe for Boccalone‘s Oyster-Sausage Dressing. Omitting the lard, this recipe was fairly easy and does not contain eggs or any dairy. We think that perhaps the oysters (freshly shucked) added moisture to this yummy side dish.

Potato Crimini Gratin © Photo rights reserved.

We’re in charge of bringing our Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes to an upcoming Friends Thanksgiving Dinner. To change things up, I wanted to make a different potato side dish. I found Chef Bruce Aidells recipe of the Potato Mushroom Gratin. The recipe is super easy and the gratin turned out yummy! I made it the night before and warmed it up prior to dinner. The parmesan added such a delicious earthy and “nutty” flavor to the creamy gratin. YUM!

Herb-Butter Turkey © Photo rights reserved.

After much research, we decided to use Tom Colicchio’s Herb-Butter Turkey recipe. It was pretty simple to prepare the turkey but the gravy base was a bit laborious. The turkey turned out beautiful–golden, SUPER juicy, and the gravy was delish. That Tom Colicchio, no wonder why he’s on Top Chef. 🙂

Poached Bosc Pears with Zabaglione Sauce © Photo rights reserved.

I wanted something “Autumnal” for dessert and the sis suggested Poached Pears with Zabaglione. We “winged” the poaching liquid, throwing a bit of this and a bit of that into the pot……cinnamon sticks, cloves, etc. The lightness of the pear matched the rich, creamy Zabaglione sauce so well! It was a perfect “lighter” dessert to end our decadent Thanksgiving dinner.

Needless to say, we thorougly enjoyed our day cooking together and feasting on our dishes. In my opinion, there are few better ways to enjoy time with loved ones than in the kitchen. Truly, I have a lot to be thankful for. So to you all–HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Miscellaneous

“Allez Cuisine!” with First Lady Michelle Obama

The Culinary Chronicles2 Comments

Anyone catch the season finale of the Next Iron Chef America with Chef Mehta versus Chef Garces ?

Well, if you are anything like me, I wasn’t SUPER stoked on either of the finalists. Yes, both are quite talented and had some high points in the season but in my book, they were no Iron Chef Sakai or Iron Chef Morimoto. Though, let’s be honest, that didn’t stop me from watching the competition every week. 🙂

However, what really peaked my interest was a commercial they showed during the finale for an upcoming 2-hour special of Iron Chef America that will be shown on January 3, 2010. A chef duo battle with Iron Chef America Mario Batali & Emeril Lagasse versus Iron Chef America Bobby Flay & White House Executive Chef Cristeta Comerford is scheduled to take place. The commercial not only promised that the secret ingredient would be amazing but a guest would also be of “national security”.

Of course, that peaked this gal’s interest……and after a little snooping around, I found that First Lady Michelle Obama will challenge the Chefs to use the White House Kitchen Garden’s to create 5 courses to showcase ULTIMATE American meals. I LOVE ME SOME MICHELLE OBAMA!


First Lady Michelle Obama (Vogue March 2009)

I’m equally excited to see more of the White House Kitchen Garden’s as it falls directly in line with President Obama’s charge to Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack to combat child hunger and improve the health and nutrition of children across the country.

According to Emerils.com:

“Installed in the spring of 2009 under the Obama Administration, The White House Kitchen Garden measures approximately 1100 square feet and is located on the west side of the South Lawn. The four-season herb, fruit and vegetable garden features 75 varieties of seeds planted in slightly raised beds using succession planting methods. Cultivated by White House staff and volunteers, produce from the garden and honey from the adjacent beehives are available to the White House Chefs for preparing meals for the First Family and for official functions, and all extra food is donated to Miriam’s Kitchen, a soup kitchen near the White House.”

EXCITING!!! You know what this gal will be doing January 3rd at 8pm. 🙂

Miscellaneous

It Ain’t Going In THIS Mouth!

The Culinary Chronicles8 Comments

In all honesty, I think I may be a Foodie-Poser. Through media accounts and various forms of information, “foodies” are depicted as individuals with a high acceptance of all types of gastronomy. And although they may not have a certain affinity towards a particular dish, they will still appreciate its beauty, consume it, and discuss its finer points.

And that’s where this Foodie-Wanna-Be draws the line.

There are certain foods I just can’t get down with. Ironically enough, many of them are items that “Foodies” wholly praise and can be found on acclaimed eateries around the world. Just goes to show that this gal can’t be swayed by peer pressure. 🙂

In my defense, other than how something tastes, I have narrowed the rationale down to two factors. The first is that I have a real problem with texture.  If something possesses a consistency that is unappetizing to me, it’s over. No matter how “tasty” it may be, I can never get over the feeling of it in my mouth. The second issue is purely psychological. If I visually see something that my mind registers as “BLEH!”, there is no way that I can get over the hurdle no matter how hard I try. As soon as I put it in my mouth, my gag reflexes instantly kick in and it’s all over from there.

So in light of this, I’ve created my Top 10 “It Ain’t Going In THIS Mouth” List. Sure, maybe in 50 years I may change my mind. But until then, I stand firm in my food-discriminations. And yes, many items on this list are quite ingrained into the food culture of my Vietnamese Heritage. Eh, it’s not a self hate thing….just a Gastronomy Preference. Hey-at least I’m being honest. 🙂

In no discerning order, they are:

1. Cottage Cheese

Cottage Cheese

This is COMPLETELY a texture thing because if memory serves me correct, Cottage Cheese doesn’t really have a taste. But it’s the LUMPS that trigger a sense of curdled milk. And not in a good way.

2. Blood Sausage

Blood Sausage

All kinds of meat, mixed with blood (pork or beef) and shaped into a sausage link. The spongy consistency, and yes, the images of blood are “no bueno” for me. Incidentally, I can’t eat coagulated blood cubes (we call it “huyet” in Vietnamese) either.

3. Bitter Melon

Bitter Melon

The name says it all. It’s VERY bitter. Vietnamese use it often in stir-frys but my Mom used to stuff them with ground meat to make a soup. Needless to say, I never acquired a taste for it.

4. Head Cheese

Head Cheese

Nope, not the yummy dairy stuff. But instead, you’ll find parts of meat pieces from the head of a calf or pig that has been flavored with spices and shaped into a loaf or sausage form. Often times, it will have a gelatinous layer to hold the items together. Gelatinous. Even the word is unappealing.

5. Durian

Durian

A spiny fruit found in the tropics of Asia, Durian can be smelled MILES away! They often won’t even let you bring Durian into hotels in Asia. That speaks volume in itself.

6. Squash

Squash

Yes, some think this is somewhat odd that I don’t like squash—particularly since there are so many varieties and flavors. I blame this on being traumatized as a kid when we used to have to eat kubocha squash that had been pureed and scooped over a bowl of rice. For a 5 year old, it was like a death sentence and I haven’t been able to recover since.

7. Fetal Duck Egg

Fetal Duck Egg

This is COMPETELY psychological because I haven’t even tried a Fetal Duck Egg before. In Vietnamese, we refer to it as Hot Vit Lon and the Filipinos call it Balut. And although it’s served with all different types of aromatics, there is still a little baby duck inside with a partially formed skeleton that maybe crunchy when I bite into it. Then it’s not only a psychological thing but also a texture thing. Either way, I can’t do it 😦

8. Oatmeal

Oatmeal

I call it “goatmeal”. Yes, the gloopy texture is the turn off point for me. But I can enjoy it as an ingredient such as in an Oatmeal Raisin Cookie. Now those are tasty.

9. Offal

Offal

From my understanding, there is no EXACT definition of what Offal is. Depending on where in the world you may be and who you are, this can change.  But for all intense purposes (and for my tastes), Offal are all the parts of an animal that are often called “innards”. They can include the sweet breads, lungs, intestines, heart, and all other types of entrails and internal organs. The closest this gal can get to Offal is Foie Gras or Pate in my Banh Mi.

And lastly…

10. Brussel Sprouts

Brussel Sprouts

I join millions of kids across the country in a united BLEH to Brussel Sprouts. Bitter, bitter, bitter.

I hope I haven’t offended you if you like any of the aforementioned items. And if you do enjoy them, don’t worry, I’ll still like you 🙂   I can only imagine how many refined palettes must turn in disgust when I exclaim that I love McDonald’s “Chicken” Nuggets and Mexican Pizzas from Taco Bell. 🙂