Good Afternoon dear Chefs...
Today, is the DIVA Disaster post and most fittingly, I want to address the whole Julie & Julia thing. Here's my take on it. Yes, Julie Powell transformed herself into a marketable entity. Through her story, we revisited the life of a very talented woman, Julia Child; that perhaps without such creativity on Julie's part, we would only know Julia Child as one of the notable cooks of all-time. Unless of course, you were schooled through her Alma Mater, studied French cooking or had other personal interest in this woman's life. It was through perserverance, that both women gained public and personal successes; but certainly not without having to face challenges that I, timidly confess, would have defeated me.
I, did, however, after seeing the movie, felt inspired to forge ahead in my kitchen; I gained respect for butter and stopped holding myself hostage to lack of skill or knowledge, in some areas. I walked away realizing that our cooking disasters are an integral part of our learning process. That it is only through failure that we find success. This was, for me, the lesson learned especially since I am super hard on myself. So for that, I am grateful.
This past Christmas, I was gifted the lastest edition of "Mastering the Art of French Cooking", by Julia Child, et. al. At first, I wondered who had it in for me. Then it became apparent that it was time for me to leave the confines of comfort and try something new. I wasn't at all familiar with any of the recipes in this book and to make matters worse, you guys already know how I view a cookbook. Thus, "COOKBOOK COMBAT". But I was going to give it a shot, following the rules as so elegantly set, by one of the world's most noted beloved.
Not knowing where to begin, I remembered that Boeuf Bourguignon gained notoriety in the film and it was there I would start. I figured it was simple enough and I've made beef stew before. "What was I thinking?" A recipe two and a half pages long was a bit intimidating, but I followed it to the letter and forged ahead making this amazing dish, that created mouth-watering aromas. But when the moment of truth arrived and we all stood around the stove anticipating, with spoons in hand, I was devastated!!
It was too salty. Way too salty. The saltiness over-powered the maginficent flavors that only I could detect were there hidden in salt. There was no fix for this. This was a disaster of major proportions. No amount of potato was going to soak up the salt content and if it did, it was no longer Boeuf Bourguignon. I didn't even bother trying. There was no way to justify it to my palate.
I don't know how the others ate it...out of pity, if anything. This is where I went wrong and I apply what I've learned to almost everything that calls for broth, bouillon, stock, bacon and even butter.
I have a refrigerated bouillon paste both chicken and beef flavored. After this horrific event, I tasted the beef paste and truly, it's a block of beef flavored salt. The proportions to achieve 3 cups of beef stock, were more than enough to kill my dish. Add bacon and salted butter to this and you've got an unedible meal.
I haven't tried to repeat this recipe, as of yet. When I do, I will be using homemade beef stock and unsalted butter. I'll post the recipe in the RECIPEVAULT; it's truly worth the effort, when done right.
No matter how much time, expense or even desire that goes into something we find important enough to put forth all this effort, there are no guarantees it will turn out as we expect. I would rather fail and say I've tried, then to live with the not-ever-knowing. But knowing me, I will fail and fail again and do it until I get it right or better yet, "master it"...in this case.
Showing posts with label how to season food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label how to season food. Show all posts
Friday, June 18, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
DIVA DISASTER - YOU CALL THAT A MEATBALL?
Good Morning Chefs...
Let's recap...As you probably already know, Friday's posts are dedicated to a series, known as D.I.V.A Disasters. They are short stories that talk about things that have gone wrong in my kitchen, whether it pertains to a specific dish or an food incident that occurred after the fact.
What is it with people? I've eaten over friends' houses countless times; same goes for family, extended family and so forth...Never once did I ever, no matter what was served, criticize or judge the food. I have to admit, there were a few times when I may have been a bit hesitant to dive right in, but regardless, I ate, with a very open mind. I guess I am one of those people who take into consideration the time and effort that goes into making a home cooked meal. The person who cooked it, was proud enough to serve it and if not for anything else, out of respect, I will eat it.
I wish I could say the same for many I know. I invited a couple who I was friends with and her parents over for dinner one night. Now, this is nothing new for me. I love to entertain, I usually go all out, but this time was a little different since I was forewarned that her parents had simple taste (when it came to food). I had asked what their favorite dish was and she said meatballs, with pasta or rice, whatever. Okay so simple enough, this was a no-brainer.
I spent the day making a home-made pasta sauce, beef based, using beef rib tips I had in the freezer. I went light on the garlic, just in case. I had 3 lbs of ground sirloin for my meatballs, made a huge salad and put out a tray of cheese and crackers, olives and the norm. I went shopping that morning and purchased some fresh pasta from this little Italian grocery store, a loaf of artisan semolina bread and a small wrapped block of Pecorino Romano cheese. Pecorino Romano cheese is my favorite. It's firm, a little salty, is perfect for grating and it doesn't melt into a stringy mess. It freezes nicely if cut up into smaller pieces...However, its pricey!
I spent the rest of the day preparing this meal, setting the table and seeing to every last detail. Everything was ready and my company arrived. All was going well, until I brought this beautiful platter to the table when the woman's mother blurted, "You call that a meatball?"...in an instant I could feel myself go pale. I didn't respond to her remark. I acted as though I didn't hear it.
As if that weren't enough, she plopped down, nearly clearing the entire table, as the tablecloth caught hold of her chair, bringing the meatball platter almost directly to her. Still mortified, though I remained without expression, I watched her take hold of the serving spoon, dig into my meatball platter, hold up a meatball and say to her husband, "look at this baseball!". "I've never seen meatballs this big in my entire life!" Ugh! I very politely, moved the platter back into the center of the table and said, "the meatballs aren't over sized, perhaps you're used to the frozen kind that come in a bag." She just looked at me and proceeded in conversation with the others.
My other guests couldn't stop raving, including her husband, who was "subtly" getting nudged by his wife, each time he complimented the food. She allowed herself the freedom to throw out little digs here and there, mostly directed at the others' enjoyment. Needless to say, she was never invited back.
Love and meatballs to you all.....
Visit the RecipeVault to view the Meatball and Spaghetti Recipe.
Let's recap...As you probably already know, Friday's posts are dedicated to a series, known as D.I.V.A Disasters. They are short stories that talk about things that have gone wrong in my kitchen, whether it pertains to a specific dish or an food incident that occurred after the fact.
What is it with people? I've eaten over friends' houses countless times; same goes for family, extended family and so forth...Never once did I ever, no matter what was served, criticize or judge the food. I have to admit, there were a few times when I may have been a bit hesitant to dive right in, but regardless, I ate, with a very open mind. I guess I am one of those people who take into consideration the time and effort that goes into making a home cooked meal. The person who cooked it, was proud enough to serve it and if not for anything else, out of respect, I will eat it.
I wish I could say the same for many I know. I invited a couple who I was friends with and her parents over for dinner one night. Now, this is nothing new for me. I love to entertain, I usually go all out, but this time was a little different since I was forewarned that her parents had simple taste (when it came to food). I had asked what their favorite dish was and she said meatballs, with pasta or rice, whatever. Okay so simple enough, this was a no-brainer.
I spent the day making a home-made pasta sauce, beef based, using beef rib tips I had in the freezer. I went light on the garlic, just in case. I had 3 lbs of ground sirloin for my meatballs, made a huge salad and put out a tray of cheese and crackers, olives and the norm. I went shopping that morning and purchased some fresh pasta from this little Italian grocery store, a loaf of artisan semolina bread and a small wrapped block of Pecorino Romano cheese. Pecorino Romano cheese is my favorite. It's firm, a little salty, is perfect for grating and it doesn't melt into a stringy mess. It freezes nicely if cut up into smaller pieces...However, its pricey!
I spent the rest of the day preparing this meal, setting the table and seeing to every last detail. Everything was ready and my company arrived. All was going well, until I brought this beautiful platter to the table when the woman's mother blurted, "You call that a meatball?"...in an instant I could feel myself go pale. I didn't respond to her remark. I acted as though I didn't hear it.
As if that weren't enough, she plopped down, nearly clearing the entire table, as the tablecloth caught hold of her chair, bringing the meatball platter almost directly to her. Still mortified, though I remained without expression, I watched her take hold of the serving spoon, dig into my meatball platter, hold up a meatball and say to her husband, "look at this baseball!". "I've never seen meatballs this big in my entire life!" Ugh! I very politely, moved the platter back into the center of the table and said, "the meatballs aren't over sized, perhaps you're used to the frozen kind that come in a bag." She just looked at me and proceeded in conversation with the others.
My other guests couldn't stop raving, including her husband, who was "subtly" getting nudged by his wife, each time he complimented the food. She allowed herself the freedom to throw out little digs here and there, mostly directed at the others' enjoyment. Needless to say, she was never invited back.
Love and meatballs to you all.....
Visit the RecipeVault to view the Meatball and Spaghetti Recipe.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
THE SPICE RACK
Happy Thursday Chefs....
Spices, which are different from herbs, when handled and added properly to food create aromatic and taste enhancing properties. Most of us are oblivious as to which ones to use for what dishes, how to get the most flavor out of spices and how to determine when spices are stale.
Let's begin with the difference between herbs and spices.
Herbs are the leaves of plants grown in either indoors or out, preferably in a controlled climate. Spices are the seeds, fruit, root or bark of the plant.
WHICH ONE DO I USE..and for WHAT?
There is no short cut in familiarizing yourself with each spices' flavor or aroma, or how it will effect the food, unless you experiment with spices and taste for yourself. For the most part, we are basically familiar with the common spices, which can be found in your cabinets. Parsley, Basil, Oregano, Cumin, Cayenne, Rosemary, Thyme, Cinnamon, Sage, Paprika, etc. Yes, you can scour the internet and find pages among pages of lists of spices and their common uses, but that knowledge doesn't guarantee you're going to like the flavor.
QUALITY/FRESHNESSIt's best to choose fresh quality spices, when available, the cost difference is slight and well worth it in the long run. Now that doesn't mean you have to spend $20 for a jar of cloves. It's possible you know!? I refer to quality, in this case, as fresh. I purchase most of my spices at The Fresh Market. A type of gourmet supermarket that specializes in the best produce, breads, meats, herbs and spices available. They more or less live up to their name and their spices are packaged by weight in little plastic ziplock bags, dated to ensure freshness. Again, this doesn't mean you cannot purchase jarred spices and achieve the same result.
Also, keep this in mind. When purchasing or receiving a spice rack with pre-filled jars of spices, be sure to check for freshness. You have no idea how long those things were sitting in a warehouse, then at the store. It could be years. Open each jar and smell them. If they have no fragrance, even after grinding a bit of it, ditch it! I don't even bother with checking if they're stale. I just purchase the spices I want and refill the jars with product I know is fresh. No different with jars of spices that have been sitting in your cabinets, from time to time, test them too. And always keep your spices in a cool, dry, dark place.
WHY ARE THERE so MANY TYPES of the SAME SPICE?
Many spices are available in a variety of types of the same spice. Whole, Crushed, Rubbed, Ground. Now, since it hasn't been confusing enough, which one do you choose? The easiest way to tackle this would be to only look at them in two categories..Whole and Ground. Anything other than whole can almost be considered a ground. And since spices are most often dried, this is pretty straightfoward.
Whole spices are great when creating little cheescloth spice sachets for flavoring liquids. They also take longer to release flavor during the cooking process. Ground spices cover the rest of our flavoring needs and usually pack a much bigger punch of the two types.
ENHANCING THE SPICE
OK, I'VE CHOSEN THE SPICES I WANT TO USE....WHEN do I ADD THEM?
There is no set period of time when you should add spices to your cooking, but, be sure to add them before the end of cooking time. I would suggest, no less than 40 minutes before the dish is done. I, personally add them when I begin the cooking process. Don't overdo it, you can always add more to taste, but you can't remove it once it's in the pot!
SUMMARY
This is definitely one of those topics that one could rant on and on about. I created this post hoping to show the lighter side of what could be a very complicated subject that doesn't really need that much over-thinking.
It's very true that the right spices can take something ordinary and make it extraordinary; And you already have what you need right in your cupboards to get started. If there is something you're not familiar with, test it out. I use this little trick that works for me everytime...toast a slice of white bread and lightly butter. Cut the bread into small cubes. Then take the spices you want to sample and sprinkle a bit of each on a bread cube and eat. The warmth of the bread will enhance the spice and the butter gives it something to stick to. The blandness of toasted bread is the perfect backdrop for distinguishing a new flavor. When you find ones you like, add them to your food when you deem appropriate. If you like cinnamon on fish, then go for it! Guidelines are so overrated! Enjoy!
COMING UP.
- DIVA DISASTER - YOU CALL THAT A MEATBALL?
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