Greetings lovers of good food!
Let me jump right into it: I hate Summer. That's right, I said it! 100+ degree days aren't my idea of fun. But ever since I have lived in the State Capital, each Summer hits and I beef about about it until about September, then I let it go. Until the next Summer hits, then I do it all over again. The reason it annoys me this time is that I spent a morning down in the Bay Area and the climate was so cool, there was a nice gentle breeze, reminded me of growing up there. I loved it and miss it. I get back here and the minute I stepped off the Amtrak train...POW! Like a punch in the face! It was 22 degrees hotter here with ZERO breeze! Yuck! Couldn't wait for the serenity of my air conditioned Expedition... I cranked it up to "freeze" and I was ok.
But onto other things.
Recently some of the ladies at the office mentioned that they were doing an Italian themed lunch time Pot Luck, and asked if I wanted to be included, and I of course jumped at the opportunity! But what could it be?
Fettuccine Alfredo? Too simple. Spaghetti with Bolognese sauce? Been there and done that. No, I wanted to try something new, something that I had never done before. I had seen an episode of Tyler Florence's show where he created the "Ultimate Lasagna", and he used this cavernous lasagna pan to do it. It was layers upon layers of grub, and I thought "Well that looks tasty", and at some point I was going to try it. So the Italian Pot Luck would be the unveiling of the "Mack Daddy" Lasagna.
The only hurdle I had was also the biggest one: where to get a pan deep enough to do what I want to do? That took some doing but I finally located a pan that was 16 x 10, but was also 5 inches deep. Now we're talkin! 5 inches of depth would allow for many layers of creation!
Let's go to work.
First things first, let's do the sauce. In a deep Dutch Oven, I poured a little Olive Oil in and let it get hot. I wanted to see the oil smoke before I added 2 pounds of beef and 2 pounds of pork. The heat of the oil would really act to sear the meats, really bringing out the flavors. After I put the meats in I seasoned them with a little Kosher salt and Fresh Ground pepper. As the meat started to come together, I started a big pot of water boiling for the noodles, and I also gathered my vegetables for the sauce. I took 2 big red onions, one yellow onion, a half a head of garlic, two stalks of celery and a carrot, gave them all a rough chop, then put it all in my Cuisinart. Before I start to process I added some parsley, basil and oregano to it then I processed it until it was a thick puree'. At that point I poured it on top of the beef and stirred it all together letting it all cook together. Then I added two teaspoons of flour to help it thicken up and added two cups of red wine, and let it cook. Once the wine has reduced down I then added two large cans of tomatoes, one diced and one whole, and two tablespoons of chili powder for a little POW, and three tablespoons of heavy cream to add in the thickening process.
As the sauce came together it was time to prep the noodles and ready the cheese. I first drained the noodles before they were fully done, because they were going to cook again while they were in the baking stage. So after draining the noodles, I placed them in a wide baking dish and drizzled them with olive oil as they cooled, that was so they wouldn't stick together when it was time to assemble. From there I prepped the cheese. I got two quarts of ricotta cheese and put it in a big bowl, added two eggs, and some Parmeseano-Reggiano that I bought in a block but used my Cuisinart to process it into a fine powder. I took half a cup of the ground cheese and added it to the ricotta and eggs and mixed it together with a wooded spoon. Now I was ready to assemble.
First I took my big deep Mack Daddy pan and coated it with olive oil, the bottom and the sides. Tyler Florence said that if you use a small dinky lasagna pan you get a small dinky lasagna. We never do dinky in the Big Sexy kitchen. Then I laid out a row of noodles, making sure they overlapped so there would be a nice seal there, then I spread the ricotta on top of the noodles with a plastic spatula, then I took a ladle of and spread sauce over the ricotta, and from there I sprinkled some mozzarella on the sauce. Then do it all again, noodles, ricotta, sauce, mozzarella, and since I had the big pan I got one more rotation through. When it was don it must have weighed 25 pounds when I put it in the oven! The oven should be pre-heated at 350 and let it cook for 60-70 minutes and then....yes! Layers of rich Italian goodness. After rem,moving it from the oven, let it sit for 30 minutes to cool and firm up, then dig in!
Everyone at the lunch loved it! I was very satisfied with the outcome and glad that it was well received. It was a bit of work, but well worth it in the end. I made so much that I froze bout a third of it, so on the days I'm not feeling like cooking anything new I can pull some out of the freezer and I'm good to go!
As a variation, a friend (Whats up Diana!) asked me about a Vegetarian version so upon some thought I tinkered with my sauce to see if I could figure something out. What I came up with was removing the meat, adding two more onions, another big can of diced tomatoes and two baskets of mushrooms to the sauce and ad the pureed sauce to that was definitely on point! I added half a small can of tomato paste to thicken it up....yeah baby...that's whats goin on!
For the ricotta, take the two eggs out, and add another 1/2 cup to a full cup of the parmeseano-reggiano, that will still allow the layer to firm up while baking, and with those subtle modifications, we have the Mack Daddy Mark II!
I definitely encourage you to try either or both game plans, you will not be disappointed!
One more thing. The ladies at the office tell me there is a Chili cook-off planned for July, and one of my co-workers Rachel, says her man Jerry has been callin out my name. Say What?! You never pull on Superman's cape, so Jerry gear up your BEST chili, because Big Sexy is coming for you!
Until next time!
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Friday, June 3, 2011
Meatloaf Showdown, Part 1 ...and other stuff
What is up lovers of all things culinary!
It is I, the Big one, the Sexy one, The Big Sexy! Back with some tidbits of food experiences and sharing things along the way. But first I must humbly apologize for the large gap, a combination of work, and a lack of seeing trying new things lately in my kitchen and out and about. But that is done. Seen a few things recently and enjoyed some other things as well, and revisited an old haunt which is now "Back in Rotation".
To kick things off with the search for some truly exceptional Meatloaf. Last year I experienced the truly magnificent meatloaf from the gang over at Selland's Market and Cafe, (http://www.sellands.com/ ) (Hi Pippi! No I haven't forgotten you...) and I later obtained the recipe and attempted to duplicate the genius in my kitchen. While I got close, it wasn't quite the same. So, I thought "Who else out there can produce a seriously satisfying meatloaf?". Only one way to find out: let's take it outside. I came up with a seriously un-scientific formula to see who out there can deliver the goods when it comes to meatloaf. So after much debate and research, I've narrowed it down to a list of 5 very lucky finalists. But who will it be? Which of the 5 will be the lucky 1? (Yes, I stole that from a movie...)
First up: Dad's Kitchen (http://www.ilovedadskitchen.com/ )
A couple of weeks ago I got a call from Jessica and she mentioned that she had seen something called the "Hot Blonde" sandwich at Dad's Kitchen and since they serve meatloaf, why not start there with the showdown. So we made our merry way over there and once we entered the facility several of the servers and wait staff said hello to me, nothing unusual about that, people just being polite. Jessica pointed out they were a little familiar with me like they had knew me, she asked if I had been there before and I said that I hadn't. One of the managers came by the table and mentioned that he had me before when he was working at The Kitchen Restaurant, (http://www.thekitchenrestaurant.com/) so that was why they were so familiar. That was cool, and so I told him of my search for some exceptional meatloaf, and that the search was starting at Dad's. Perusing the menu there was the meatloaf entree' or there was the meatloaf sandwich. Since I was feeling a little tired from a long workout I opted for the sandwich. Jessica decided on the Hot Blonde sandwich, but wanted Cheddar instead of Swiss on it. They flubbed it. It came out with Swiss. She was not pleased. Also not a good start... However when my sandwich arrived it was flawless! The meatloaf was a combination of beef, pork and veal with a ketchup glaze and severed on foccacia bread, with crispy onions and jack cheese, served open-faced style. The meatloaf was moist and tender, the combination of the veal and pork brought something new to the flavor, something familiar yet new at the same time. But the ketchup glaze was tad...blah. Not bad by any means, just boring and ....blah. That could be because I went for the sandwich and not the entree', but I'm not certain. But the sandwich was very tasty! A good start...
Next up: Evan's Kitchen (http://www.chefevan.com/)
This week I heard from Jessica again and she wanted to try out Evan's kitchen, so we met up over in the Antiques District and took a seat in Evan's Kitchen. We were greeted by our server for the evening, and his name coincidentally enough was Evan as well, but we avoided the easy jokes at his expense. I'm sure he's heard them all, and is probably no longer amused by them. I started off with an appetizer of the Parmesan Prawns. And according tor the menu they are "Prawns breaded with seasoned bread crumbs, fresh garlic and Parmesan cheese baked and served over Parmesan cream sauce." And I have got to give it up! They were magnificent! The prawns were delicate and nicely breaded and the sauce was perfection. Not too thick or thin, just right for coating the shrimp, it was great! When I next visit Evan's I will be seeking the recipe for this, it was that good. Next up was the meatloaf, and this time I went for the entree' and not any sandwich. This one came with Mushroom gravy and Sour Cream Mashed potatoes. This was what I was talkin about! Now I must confess that I am a sucker for Mushroom Gravy, and this one was outstanding! Nice and rich and creamy, and just all over the meatloaf and around the potatoes, it was incredible! As for the taste, because we all know the presentation is nothing without the taste to back it up, and I am happy say that Evan backed it up with a rich and tender meatloaf. This was great, and dare I say, in the class where the Selland's meatloaf is running around. It's that good. And I paired it with some wine from the Coppola vineyards, their Director's Cut Zinfandel. I'm not a big red wine fan, regardless of the meal, but this one? I might have to pay a visit to the winery for a case, it was excellent! And I'm not claiming to be any kind of wine expert at all. Once several years ago my buddy Erich and I were out having a guy's night out over some dinner, and when the choice for wine was presented to me I said "Ripple?" I of course got the look from Erich and the Wine Steward that said "Peasant..", and Erich selected a 1997 Silver Oak Cabernet. That was the best wine I ever tasted. Expensive too.. But now I know the differences in good wines and not-so-good wines, and this offering from Coppola is definitely one of the better wines I've had lately. But the meatloaf was clearly the star of the night. It was a generous slice, expertly prepared, moist and rich and probably would have been great on a sandwich the next day, but none of it made it to the next day...it was truly delicious. I have say that Evan's Kitchen is in the rotation of favorite places to dine out. If you're in the are, and you haven't already done so, give them a look, you will not be disappointed.
And as for places "back in the rotation", last Thursday Nicole and I met up after work and went over to Kru (http://www.krurestaurant.com/index.html) for the first time in several months..For those unfamiliar with them, Kru is one of the preeminent sushi places in the area. Chef-Owner Billy Ngo has always been creative in his presentation as well as his selection of fish that he serves. Anyone who thinks fish is fish is sorely mistaken. And Billy has one of the best suppliers in the region judging solely by the taste, because each bite simply melted in our mouths. We started with a couple pieces of Unagi (Eel), and Hamachi (Yellowtail Tuna). I always say that you can judge a sushi restaurant by their Unagi, if they get the Unagi right then everything will usually fall into place. And they got the Unagi right. Nicole and I looked at each other after that first bite, both of us just stunned at good it was. This was going to be a fun night! Nicole then order us the Tesla Roll, it was something neither of us had tried previously so she wanted to take a chance on something new. The roll featured soft-shelled crab, topped with avocado, Albacore tuna and Salmon, it also had a Garlic cream sauce and chives sprinkled over it. Then we went for the Panko-crusted Salmon served with Crab Remoulade, again something neither of us had tried previously, and again another winner! For the life of me I can't recall enjoying sushi this much, it was great! And before we left I pooped in to tell Billy how much we enjoyed dinner, we ate outside, and the first thing I hear was "Where you been man?" I had that coming, I hadn't been there in several months, but after this effort? Back in the rotation! In fact Billy also owns Red Lotus, but I haven't tried it yet, but if it's anything like what we experienced at Kru...Billy will have another winner on his hands.
One last thing, on facebook i recently mentioned that I was learning to grill. Well tomorrow morning I'm taking a cooking class at Waterboy Restaurant (thttp://www.waterboyrestaurant.com/ ) where the subject matter is all about cooking fish! Can't wait! I've always wanted to try and prepare lobster, but was afraid that if I goof then I'm out a nice chunk of money. Lobster is not cheap, thus I need training before I take it on. The class sounds like fun, so I'll try get some photos and post them with the results in the next installment. Plus my thoughts on what I learned about grilling as well.
Until then troops...
Big Sexy
It is I, the Big one, the Sexy one, The Big Sexy! Back with some tidbits of food experiences and sharing things along the way. But first I must humbly apologize for the large gap, a combination of work, and a lack of seeing trying new things lately in my kitchen and out and about. But that is done. Seen a few things recently and enjoyed some other things as well, and revisited an old haunt which is now "Back in Rotation".
To kick things off with the search for some truly exceptional Meatloaf. Last year I experienced the truly magnificent meatloaf from the gang over at Selland's Market and Cafe, (http://www.sellands.com/ ) (Hi Pippi! No I haven't forgotten you...) and I later obtained the recipe and attempted to duplicate the genius in my kitchen. While I got close, it wasn't quite the same. So, I thought "Who else out there can produce a seriously satisfying meatloaf?". Only one way to find out: let's take it outside. I came up with a seriously un-scientific formula to see who out there can deliver the goods when it comes to meatloaf. So after much debate and research, I've narrowed it down to a list of 5 very lucky finalists. But who will it be? Which of the 5 will be the lucky 1? (Yes, I stole that from a movie...)
First up: Dad's Kitchen (http://www.ilovedadskitchen.com/ )
A couple of weeks ago I got a call from Jessica and she mentioned that she had seen something called the "Hot Blonde" sandwich at Dad's Kitchen and since they serve meatloaf, why not start there with the showdown. So we made our merry way over there and once we entered the facility several of the servers and wait staff said hello to me, nothing unusual about that, people just being polite. Jessica pointed out they were a little familiar with me like they had knew me, she asked if I had been there before and I said that I hadn't. One of the managers came by the table and mentioned that he had me before when he was working at The Kitchen Restaurant, (http://www.thekitchenrestaurant.com/) so that was why they were so familiar. That was cool, and so I told him of my search for some exceptional meatloaf, and that the search was starting at Dad's. Perusing the menu there was the meatloaf entree' or there was the meatloaf sandwich. Since I was feeling a little tired from a long workout I opted for the sandwich. Jessica decided on the Hot Blonde sandwich, but wanted Cheddar instead of Swiss on it. They flubbed it. It came out with Swiss. She was not pleased. Also not a good start... However when my sandwich arrived it was flawless! The meatloaf was a combination of beef, pork and veal with a ketchup glaze and severed on foccacia bread, with crispy onions and jack cheese, served open-faced style. The meatloaf was moist and tender, the combination of the veal and pork brought something new to the flavor, something familiar yet new at the same time. But the ketchup glaze was tad...blah. Not bad by any means, just boring and ....blah. That could be because I went for the sandwich and not the entree', but I'm not certain. But the sandwich was very tasty! A good start...
Next up: Evan's Kitchen (http://www.chefevan.com/)
This week I heard from Jessica again and she wanted to try out Evan's kitchen, so we met up over in the Antiques District and took a seat in Evan's Kitchen. We were greeted by our server for the evening, and his name coincidentally enough was Evan as well, but we avoided the easy jokes at his expense. I'm sure he's heard them all, and is probably no longer amused by them. I started off with an appetizer of the Parmesan Prawns. And according tor the menu they are "Prawns breaded with seasoned bread crumbs, fresh garlic and Parmesan cheese baked and served over Parmesan cream sauce." And I have got to give it up! They were magnificent! The prawns were delicate and nicely breaded and the sauce was perfection. Not too thick or thin, just right for coating the shrimp, it was great! When I next visit Evan's I will be seeking the recipe for this, it was that good. Next up was the meatloaf, and this time I went for the entree' and not any sandwich. This one came with Mushroom gravy and Sour Cream Mashed potatoes. This was what I was talkin about! Now I must confess that I am a sucker for Mushroom Gravy, and this one was outstanding! Nice and rich and creamy, and just all over the meatloaf and around the potatoes, it was incredible! As for the taste, because we all know the presentation is nothing without the taste to back it up, and I am happy say that Evan backed it up with a rich and tender meatloaf. This was great, and dare I say, in the class where the Selland's meatloaf is running around. It's that good. And I paired it with some wine from the Coppola vineyards, their Director's Cut Zinfandel. I'm not a big red wine fan, regardless of the meal, but this one? I might have to pay a visit to the winery for a case, it was excellent! And I'm not claiming to be any kind of wine expert at all. Once several years ago my buddy Erich and I were out having a guy's night out over some dinner, and when the choice for wine was presented to me I said "Ripple?" I of course got the look from Erich and the Wine Steward that said "Peasant..", and Erich selected a 1997 Silver Oak Cabernet. That was the best wine I ever tasted. Expensive too.. But now I know the differences in good wines and not-so-good wines, and this offering from Coppola is definitely one of the better wines I've had lately. But the meatloaf was clearly the star of the night. It was a generous slice, expertly prepared, moist and rich and probably would have been great on a sandwich the next day, but none of it made it to the next day...it was truly delicious. I have say that Evan's Kitchen is in the rotation of favorite places to dine out. If you're in the are, and you haven't already done so, give them a look, you will not be disappointed.
And as for places "back in the rotation", last Thursday Nicole and I met up after work and went over to Kru (http://www.krurestaurant.com/index.html) for the first time in several months..For those unfamiliar with them, Kru is one of the preeminent sushi places in the area. Chef-Owner Billy Ngo has always been creative in his presentation as well as his selection of fish that he serves. Anyone who thinks fish is fish is sorely mistaken. And Billy has one of the best suppliers in the region judging solely by the taste, because each bite simply melted in our mouths. We started with a couple pieces of Unagi (Eel), and Hamachi (Yellowtail Tuna). I always say that you can judge a sushi restaurant by their Unagi, if they get the Unagi right then everything will usually fall into place. And they got the Unagi right. Nicole and I looked at each other after that first bite, both of us just stunned at good it was. This was going to be a fun night! Nicole then order us the Tesla Roll, it was something neither of us had tried previously so she wanted to take a chance on something new. The roll featured soft-shelled crab, topped with avocado, Albacore tuna and Salmon, it also had a Garlic cream sauce and chives sprinkled over it. Then we went for the Panko-crusted Salmon served with Crab Remoulade, again something neither of us had tried previously, and again another winner! For the life of me I can't recall enjoying sushi this much, it was great! And before we left I pooped in to tell Billy how much we enjoyed dinner, we ate outside, and the first thing I hear was "Where you been man?" I had that coming, I hadn't been there in several months, but after this effort? Back in the rotation! In fact Billy also owns Red Lotus, but I haven't tried it yet, but if it's anything like what we experienced at Kru...Billy will have another winner on his hands.
One last thing, on facebook i recently mentioned that I was learning to grill. Well tomorrow morning I'm taking a cooking class at Waterboy Restaurant (thttp://www.waterboyrestaurant.com/ ) where the subject matter is all about cooking fish! Can't wait! I've always wanted to try and prepare lobster, but was afraid that if I goof then I'm out a nice chunk of money. Lobster is not cheap, thus I need training before I take it on. The class sounds like fun, so I'll try get some photos and post them with the results in the next installment. Plus my thoughts on what I learned about grilling as well.
Until then troops...
Big Sexy
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)