What is up fellow lovers of good grub!
Allow me to jump right in to it today, the weather is wet outside and that meant no Softball practice...rats! But that meant I could take the time to create a little something new for you for the Spring.
Last week I was asked to do a Guest Lecture at my Law School about passing the Bar and life as an Attorney, along for the ride were Patty, Nicole, Cass and his wife Bobbi, my normal crew. But this time we also had some friends with us that I hadn't seen in far too long, Kelly and Terry Gamble. Kelly and I met in Law School and were instant friends, I later met her husband Terry and to this day he remains the coolest guy on the planet! It was great having them all there when I did the lecture which was a lot of fun. So many people make noise about "giving back" and when called upon to do so make excuses not to do anything. So when I was invited to the school to speak to the students I agreed, and we had a lively discussion that was fun, and I hope entertaining for them, and while I was "Big Sexy" for most of the discussion, I also took time to address the more serious concerns the students had. It was truly rewarding for me and when a few of the students had some questions afterward I asked Kelly to address them with me, and it was great! The two of us hanging with the next generation of Barristers. And after that we all went out to Tahoe Joe's and got our dinner on! A great night was had by all.
I mention Kelly for a particular reason, while at dinner she and I were talking about the blog, and she flattered me by saying that she follows it, but... But?! But what? She said, and I'm quoting here, that my recipes are too "fru-fru". Oh Hell no...! She asked me about a Rib Rub or something in that vein, so I thought about and said "You got it!" But of course I had no clue how to do a rub, so I did what I needed to do, jumped into some research to get a grasp of what one was and how they differ. After reading from several different sources I was ready to begin the alchemy....
Since I prefer a little sweetness with my Bar-B-Que flavors, I started with one tablespoon of Brown Sugar, and one tablespoon of Granulated Sugar, those will caramelize at high cooking temperatures. Then I went with a tablespoon of Kosher Salt because that will help to bring out the flavors of the meat. Then a tablespoon of Paprika, and a tablespoon of Cumin which adds a flavor of Chili to it. Then for a little bit of flame I added a tablespoon of Cayenne Pepper, and two tablespoons of Chili Powder, and to round out the flavor a tablespoon of Onion Powder. Take all of the ingredients and place into a sealed jar or bowl, then shake well so they all mix and integrate and Pow! the rub is ready.
Now I'm ready to apply to the ribs, and since I love links as well I picked up some link sausages and Italian ones, let's try everything! I applied the rub to all of the meats and then wrapped them in plastic wrap and let them marinate in the refrigerator overnight, and at 2:00 today I was ready to do my thang!
I pre-heat the oven at 275, and took the meats from the refrigerator and let them rest for an hour then placed the meats onto a baking sheet and covered the top with Aluminum Foil. I let them rest for and hour because I have learned that will keep the meat from getting tough when its cooking. And I used a nice low heating setting to ensure a nice slow cooking process. Let the meat cook for 2 and 1/2 hours, then remove and using a baking brush or spoon, apply your Bar-B-Que sauce and let cook for an additional 20 minutes, then it's time for eats!
Last night I prepared some Potato Salad to accompany the meat, and I feel that Potato Salad should be prepared a day before so it can be nice and chilled and ready when the meat is done, and since that was the case here, I was full on ready!
The ribs were fantastic! And the Links...I'm having one as I type this! Yes, I have done it again! Summer is around the corner and this one is a winner for Bar-B-Que season...
Special thanks to Kelly for making the challenge! This was fun and not as easy as it may have sounded...
Until next time,
Big Sexy!
Sunday, March 13, 2011
Friday, February 18, 2011
Had a visit from....Cass! Big Bro in the house!
Greetings once again lovers of great grub!
Again I apologize for the space between postings, the demands on the professional front are both new and time consuming, and I'm still learning how to adjust. Having gotten that out of the way, I want to talk about a visit I got last week. Last Friday my best friend and Big Brother, Cass rolled through for a visit. I hadn't seen him in a while so it was great to catch up. As we chatted we got hungry, so as I like to do, took him out for some dinner at one of my preferred places. We rolled over to Selland's Market Cafe and the place was packed! So much so that I thought it was a private party, as we navigated our way through to see what looked appealing, I leaned next to him and said "You do know we are being stared at...?" he looked around and noticed that we were and said, "Well we do take up some space and are a couple of big muthas!" True. I guess its not everyday that a couple of guys who look like they belong on the defensive line for the Raiders roll in to the gourmet market on a Friday night, who knew?
The chef there, Chef Pedro Dipina, had a special the previous night that apparently went over like gangbusters, so they did again the next night, which explains the crowd that was cheek to cheek. The special that night was Smoked Salmon with Pappardelle pasta, with Beurre Blanc sauce. Had no idea what all that meant, but pasta and salmon are always a good thing so I ordered it and Cass followed suit. Once again, damn. They did it again! It was fantastic! I had never had that type of sauce before but wow! This is the new thing! Alfredo sauce has to step to the left now, I have a new favorite.
After we ate and hung out for a while, hes had to head out back to the Bay Area, he had an early Saturday planned and needed his beauty sleep...(Ha!). I, on the other hand, had the pasta on my mind...so much that it was time to try and replicate it in the Big Sexy Kitchen...
Ok, I did some shopping earlier in the day so I had some Salmon in the fridge, and I looked around for a Beurre Blanc sauce, and after locating one on the food network site, I had to hit the store for some shallots and unsalted butter, everything else I already had. The recipe I went with is from Alton Brown, and other than switching out Pappardelle for Extra Wide Egg noodles, it was all according to the book. I used the Egg Noodles because they are shorter than the Pappardelle ones thus less messy when sauced up. The sauce is very simple in its execution. The recipe is as follows:
First I started the water for my noodles, then I began to slice my shallots, and heated my saucepan and added the lemon juice, some white wine from Bogle vineyards, I used their chardonnay, its one of my favorites. And once it reduced to a couple of tablespoons, and then I added the heavy cream, and once it began to boil, reduce the heat to low then begin adding the butter cubed about 3 tablespoons a time. After the first one was added, as it melts remove the pan from the heat and s whisk it until melted, repeat with the remaining butter, and once its all thick and creamy. From there I placed it on low to keep it war while salted my water which was now at a nice rolling boil so I added some salt and a pinch of Olive Oil, so my noodles won't stick. After putting the noodles in the water, I then took my grill on put it on high heat, Johnny Storm-Human Torch hot, because I needed to sear the Salmon just to get it perfect for flaking, but still moist. After I got it seared, I then set it aside and drained my noodles, transferred them to a serving bowl, then I broke up the salmon and placed it on top and then added the sauce and gently mixed it together and added some salt and the white pepper for taste, and I just about had it. I was missing the peas and squash that they used at Selland's but mine was close, very close. I'll be trying this one again probably this weekend, it was pretty easy and tastes great! Try this one out and let me know what you think.
Until next time...
Again I apologize for the space between postings, the demands on the professional front are both new and time consuming, and I'm still learning how to adjust. Having gotten that out of the way, I want to talk about a visit I got last week. Last Friday my best friend and Big Brother, Cass rolled through for a visit. I hadn't seen him in a while so it was great to catch up. As we chatted we got hungry, so as I like to do, took him out for some dinner at one of my preferred places. We rolled over to Selland's Market Cafe and the place was packed! So much so that I thought it was a private party, as we navigated our way through to see what looked appealing, I leaned next to him and said "You do know we are being stared at...?" he looked around and noticed that we were and said, "Well we do take up some space and are a couple of big muthas!" True. I guess its not everyday that a couple of guys who look like they belong on the defensive line for the Raiders roll in to the gourmet market on a Friday night, who knew?
The chef there, Chef Pedro Dipina, had a special the previous night that apparently went over like gangbusters, so they did again the next night, which explains the crowd that was cheek to cheek. The special that night was Smoked Salmon with Pappardelle pasta, with Beurre Blanc sauce. Had no idea what all that meant, but pasta and salmon are always a good thing so I ordered it and Cass followed suit. Once again, damn. They did it again! It was fantastic! I had never had that type of sauce before but wow! This is the new thing! Alfredo sauce has to step to the left now, I have a new favorite.
After we ate and hung out for a while, hes had to head out back to the Bay Area, he had an early Saturday planned and needed his beauty sleep...(Ha!). I, on the other hand, had the pasta on my mind...so much that it was time to try and replicate it in the Big Sexy Kitchen...
Ok, I did some shopping earlier in the day so I had some Salmon in the fridge, and I looked around for a Beurre Blanc sauce, and after locating one on the food network site, I had to hit the store for some shallots and unsalted butter, everything else I already had. The recipe I went with is from Alton Brown, and other than switching out Pappardelle for Extra Wide Egg noodles, it was all according to the book. I used the Egg Noodles because they are shorter than the Pappardelle ones thus less messy when sauced up. The sauce is very simple in its execution. The recipe is as follows:
- 1 to 2 shallots, chopped fine
- 8 ounces white wine
- 2 ounces lemon juice
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
- 12 tablespoons cold unsalted butter, cubed
- Salt and white pepper, to taste
First I started the water for my noodles, then I began to slice my shallots, and heated my saucepan and added the lemon juice, some white wine from Bogle vineyards, I used their chardonnay, its one of my favorites. And once it reduced to a couple of tablespoons, and then I added the heavy cream, and once it began to boil, reduce the heat to low then begin adding the butter cubed about 3 tablespoons a time. After the first one was added, as it melts remove the pan from the heat and s whisk it until melted, repeat with the remaining butter, and once its all thick and creamy. From there I placed it on low to keep it war while salted my water which was now at a nice rolling boil so I added some salt and a pinch of Olive Oil, so my noodles won't stick. After putting the noodles in the water, I then took my grill on put it on high heat, Johnny Storm-Human Torch hot, because I needed to sear the Salmon just to get it perfect for flaking, but still moist. After I got it seared, I then set it aside and drained my noodles, transferred them to a serving bowl, then I broke up the salmon and placed it on top and then added the sauce and gently mixed it together and added some salt and the white pepper for taste, and I just about had it. I was missing the peas and squash that they used at Selland's but mine was close, very close. I'll be trying this one again probably this weekend, it was pretty easy and tastes great! Try this one out and let me know what you think.
Until next time...
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Big Sexy on the town, and the Big Throwdown
Greetings once again readers!
Ok this time around I'm not cooking, but I promise that next week I will share my Chicken Mushroom risotto with you...
But today is about the Big Throwdown! Today it got settled! A few weeks ago I mentioned how my best friend Nicole and I were in complete disagreement about who makes the best Red Velvet cake in town, she thinks its Sandra Dee's, and and I think its Selland's. So there was only one way to settle this difference of opinion, we had to take it outside...
Tonight for Patty's birthday she wanted a group of friends to get together over at Sandra Dee's for dinner, so once I was made aware of that I went by Selland's and picked some of their Red Velvet cake to bring with me to Sandra Dee's. This was going to be resolved tonight, one way or the other! Since Nicole and I were partial, we didn't get a vote, so we decided to leave it to Patty and four other friends to judge. At desert we ordered 4 of the Sandra Dee's cakes, and had I the ones from Selland's that I picked up earlier. Each judge had a bite of one, than the other. The result: While both cakes were delicious, the winner by a vote of three to zero with two calling it a draw is.....Selland's!! I knew it all the time... Both cakes were moist and rich, and there were style difference involved, the Selland's cake had tiny red sugar crystals on the frosting and the Sandra Dee's cake utilized a hint of Banana in the frosting. The judges felt while both were moist, the Selland's cake was also fluffy and lighter. And as much as I would like to rub it in, because anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about dining at any of the Selland group of restaurants, (Ella, Selland's, and of course my favorite, The Kitchen), the fact remains that the Sandra Dee's cake was good. Really good. And I was not that certain of the outcome. So congratulations to both restaurants and they both produce an excellent Red Velvet cake, worthy of trying if you're in the area.
The other portion of the "Big Sexy Tour" involves dinner out at Morton's Steakhouse.
Over the holidays my friend Nicole went to Hawaii for a yoga retreat thing, but what she wasn't aware of was that part of the retreat involved eating like a Vegan. And I am not in any way ripping on the Vegan or Vegetarian lifestyle, but Nicole is a Carnivore and that just wasn't working for her. So when she was on her way back here she contacted me and asked said that she needed some Steak...bad. And had we ever been to Morton's Steakhouse, I told her that we hadn't, so she asked me to set up some reservations for when she got back.
Once we arrived there and were seated, we had the Crab Cakes and Shrimp Cocktail, which were excellent! As you know if you've been reading some of my earlier entries, I tried my hand at Crab Cakes and the result was...not good. The ones from Morton's were ridiculous. I got discouraged just by eating them. They are truly on another level and I have miles to go before I'm in that ballpark. Truly excellent! The Shrimp Cocktail was just as good. Then we moved on to our entree's. Nicole had the Filet Mignon Single Cut, and since I'm not a big steak person I had the Broiled Salmon. And because I'm a big Seafood fan, and have prepared Salmon recently, I was expecting a lot form this. And I was not disappointed! The Salmon was juicy and tender and flavorful, it was all that one could ask for, and as previously stated, I am not a big steak guy, but I had bite of Nicole's filet and it was fantastic as well. And of course with dinner we had a couple of glasses Pinot Noir, I was having a pretty nice evening. I can't speak highly enough about Morton's, from the decor to the service to the food, they are now my go-to steakhouse in the area. It used to be Ruths-Chris, not anymore. Ruths-Chris is good, but Morton's is a little better. And while The Kitchen is the "King of the Mountain", Morton's is top 3 in my book. Don't believe me? Make a reservation and experience what I had the pleasure of enjoying, you will not be disappointed.
Next week: Chicken-Mushroom risotto. (Yes!) And we'll try a little something new as well...something to satisfy that sweet tooth...
Ok this time around I'm not cooking, but I promise that next week I will share my Chicken Mushroom risotto with you...
But today is about the Big Throwdown! Today it got settled! A few weeks ago I mentioned how my best friend Nicole and I were in complete disagreement about who makes the best Red Velvet cake in town, she thinks its Sandra Dee's, and and I think its Selland's. So there was only one way to settle this difference of opinion, we had to take it outside...
Tonight for Patty's birthday she wanted a group of friends to get together over at Sandra Dee's for dinner, so once I was made aware of that I went by Selland's and picked some of their Red Velvet cake to bring with me to Sandra Dee's. This was going to be resolved tonight, one way or the other! Since Nicole and I were partial, we didn't get a vote, so we decided to leave it to Patty and four other friends to judge. At desert we ordered 4 of the Sandra Dee's cakes, and had I the ones from Selland's that I picked up earlier. Each judge had a bite of one, than the other. The result: While both cakes were delicious, the winner by a vote of three to zero with two calling it a draw is.....Selland's!! I knew it all the time... Both cakes were moist and rich, and there were style difference involved, the Selland's cake had tiny red sugar crystals on the frosting and the Sandra Dee's cake utilized a hint of Banana in the frosting. The judges felt while both were moist, the Selland's cake was also fluffy and lighter. And as much as I would like to rub it in, because anyone who knows me knows that I'm all about dining at any of the Selland group of restaurants, (Ella, Selland's, and of course my favorite, The Kitchen), the fact remains that the Sandra Dee's cake was good. Really good. And I was not that certain of the outcome. So congratulations to both restaurants and they both produce an excellent Red Velvet cake, worthy of trying if you're in the area.
The other portion of the "Big Sexy Tour" involves dinner out at Morton's Steakhouse.
Over the holidays my friend Nicole went to Hawaii for a yoga retreat thing, but what she wasn't aware of was that part of the retreat involved eating like a Vegan. And I am not in any way ripping on the Vegan or Vegetarian lifestyle, but Nicole is a Carnivore and that just wasn't working for her. So when she was on her way back here she contacted me and asked said that she needed some Steak...bad. And had we ever been to Morton's Steakhouse, I told her that we hadn't, so she asked me to set up some reservations for when she got back.
Once we arrived there and were seated, we had the Crab Cakes and Shrimp Cocktail, which were excellent! As you know if you've been reading some of my earlier entries, I tried my hand at Crab Cakes and the result was...not good. The ones from Morton's were ridiculous. I got discouraged just by eating them. They are truly on another level and I have miles to go before I'm in that ballpark. Truly excellent! The Shrimp Cocktail was just as good. Then we moved on to our entree's. Nicole had the Filet Mignon Single Cut, and since I'm not a big steak person I had the Broiled Salmon. And because I'm a big Seafood fan, and have prepared Salmon recently, I was expecting a lot form this. And I was not disappointed! The Salmon was juicy and tender and flavorful, it was all that one could ask for, and as previously stated, I am not a big steak guy, but I had bite of Nicole's filet and it was fantastic as well. And of course with dinner we had a couple of glasses Pinot Noir, I was having a pretty nice evening. I can't speak highly enough about Morton's, from the decor to the service to the food, they are now my go-to steakhouse in the area. It used to be Ruths-Chris, not anymore. Ruths-Chris is good, but Morton's is a little better. And while The Kitchen is the "King of the Mountain", Morton's is top 3 in my book. Don't believe me? Make a reservation and experience what I had the pleasure of enjoying, you will not be disappointed.
Next week: Chicken-Mushroom risotto. (Yes!) And we'll try a little something new as well...something to satisfy that sweet tooth...
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Special Edition and Tuesday Night Relaxing...
Special edition time!
(Yes I know we just talked Sunday, but I wanted to share this one with you because it moved me because its so good!)
Today was productive and after the day was done I was feeling like preparing a little Asian inspired dinner to go with a stack of comic books. That's my thing, nice quiet house, some good food and a stack of comic books.
I had recently seen Nigella Lawson prepare a Salmon dish on her show on the Cooking Channel, and that was on my mind most of the day and was the goal for dinner tonight. First things first, I had to run up to A-1 Comics and get my fix of books, then on the way home I stopped by Whole Foods and got a pound of Salmon, and some fresh Spinach, everything else I needed I already had at the house. So the menu for tonight's reading is Seared Salmon over Soy and Wasabi infused rice, along with some sauteed Spinach. It's simple and quick to prepare, and fantastic for those times you just want to cool out and have some alone time to get some reading in or music or something creative.
The rice I was using called for preparation as you would Sushi rice, so first I needed to prepare the vinegar mixture. A vinegar mixture is used in Sushi rice to add a little flavor to it. I took a 1/4 cup of Sushi vinegar, 2 Teaspoons of Salt, and 1/4 cup of Sugar. Put them all in a small pot and heat so it's hot, and dissolves but not so it's boiling. After its hot set it aside or leave it on very low on the stove. Before cooking the rice, I make sure to rinse it first. What I do is put it in a glass bowl and fill the bowl full of cold water, the water will be cloudy at first, then rinse the rise, drain and repeat. Continue to do this until the water is clear, then let it sit for 15 minutes. From there, since i was using 2 cups of rice, I put 2 cups of water in a pot and added the rice and brought to a boil, once its boiling reduce heat and let it cook until the water is gone. Once its finished put the rice in a wide glass bowl and fan it out so it cools. As it cools, pour the vinegar mixture over it and continue to fan it out so it cools evenly.
Right before preparing the rice I took my Salmon in let it marinade a Teriyaki marinade I picked up from Whole Foods, let it soak for about 20-30 minutes. At that point pull out a wide pan or griddle if you have one, put a couple of drops of Olive Oil on it, and get it hot on medium-high heat and take your Salmon and lay it on the pan for about a minute, gets a nice sear on it. Then turn it over and give the other side a sear for a minute as well. From there place the Salmon on a cutting board and slice it into small strips and lay it over your rice. Then I prepared some Wasabi infused Soy Sauce and poured that over the Salmon and rice....yeah baby!
At that point I prepared my Spinach. Real simple, real quick, real tasty. Take a pan, heat it and add some Olive Oil to it, then add some finely chopped Garlic and let that cook until it releases its flavors. Then add your fresh Spinach and let that saute' slowly, stirring often, and as the Spinach gets tasty you will get that aromatic flavor in the air...yes! After about 5 minutes your Spinach will be done and ready to go!
Now the meal is complete. All I need is a big-ass mug of Iced Tea and my stack of comics and I'm set for the night! First on my stack of book..."Invincible" number 76.
And as a side note, my buddy Amir, the film director, stopped by to talk about details of the latest project and I told him he picked the right night because I was creating in the kitchen tonight! He had some of the Salmon over rice and the Spinach, and while he didn't make himself a TGP, he did hit up a second helping... And let me say publicly here and now, and this is for my girl Susan over at the Susan Can Cook blog, in January I'm planning another Seafood Skewer night, and baby you are on the guest list!
And with that, I take my leave and get my grub on and my reading in! Try this one, you will not be disappointed!
Marc (Big Sexy)
(Yes I know we just talked Sunday, but I wanted to share this one with you because it moved me because its so good!)
Today was productive and after the day was done I was feeling like preparing a little Asian inspired dinner to go with a stack of comic books. That's my thing, nice quiet house, some good food and a stack of comic books.
I had recently seen Nigella Lawson prepare a Salmon dish on her show on the Cooking Channel, and that was on my mind most of the day and was the goal for dinner tonight. First things first, I had to run up to A-1 Comics and get my fix of books, then on the way home I stopped by Whole Foods and got a pound of Salmon, and some fresh Spinach, everything else I needed I already had at the house. So the menu for tonight's reading is Seared Salmon over Soy and Wasabi infused rice, along with some sauteed Spinach. It's simple and quick to prepare, and fantastic for those times you just want to cool out and have some alone time to get some reading in or music or something creative.
The rice I was using called for preparation as you would Sushi rice, so first I needed to prepare the vinegar mixture. A vinegar mixture is used in Sushi rice to add a little flavor to it. I took a 1/4 cup of Sushi vinegar, 2 Teaspoons of Salt, and 1/4 cup of Sugar. Put them all in a small pot and heat so it's hot, and dissolves but not so it's boiling. After its hot set it aside or leave it on very low on the stove. Before cooking the rice, I make sure to rinse it first. What I do is put it in a glass bowl and fill the bowl full of cold water, the water will be cloudy at first, then rinse the rise, drain and repeat. Continue to do this until the water is clear, then let it sit for 15 minutes. From there, since i was using 2 cups of rice, I put 2 cups of water in a pot and added the rice and brought to a boil, once its boiling reduce heat and let it cook until the water is gone. Once its finished put the rice in a wide glass bowl and fan it out so it cools. As it cools, pour the vinegar mixture over it and continue to fan it out so it cools evenly.
Right before preparing the rice I took my Salmon in let it marinade a Teriyaki marinade I picked up from Whole Foods, let it soak for about 20-30 minutes. At that point pull out a wide pan or griddle if you have one, put a couple of drops of Olive Oil on it, and get it hot on medium-high heat and take your Salmon and lay it on the pan for about a minute, gets a nice sear on it. Then turn it over and give the other side a sear for a minute as well. From there place the Salmon on a cutting board and slice it into small strips and lay it over your rice. Then I prepared some Wasabi infused Soy Sauce and poured that over the Salmon and rice....yeah baby!
At that point I prepared my Spinach. Real simple, real quick, real tasty. Take a pan, heat it and add some Olive Oil to it, then add some finely chopped Garlic and let that cook until it releases its flavors. Then add your fresh Spinach and let that saute' slowly, stirring often, and as the Spinach gets tasty you will get that aromatic flavor in the air...yes! After about 5 minutes your Spinach will be done and ready to go!
Now the meal is complete. All I need is a big-ass mug of Iced Tea and my stack of comics and I'm set for the night! First on my stack of book..."Invincible" number 76.
And as a side note, my buddy Amir, the film director, stopped by to talk about details of the latest project and I told him he picked the right night because I was creating in the kitchen tonight! He had some of the Salmon over rice and the Spinach, and while he didn't make himself a TGP, he did hit up a second helping... And let me say publicly here and now, and this is for my girl Susan over at the Susan Can Cook blog, in January I'm planning another Seafood Skewer night, and baby you are on the guest list!
And with that, I take my leave and get my grub on and my reading in! Try this one, you will not be disappointed!
Marc (Big Sexy)
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Basking in the afterglow...
Happy Holidays Troops!
Recently I had the pleasure of having dinner at The Kitchen Restaurant, as a congratulations from my best friend Nicole, and I did promise that I would try a couple of things from their December menu. The evening was fantastic! I hadn't been there since July so it had been awhile since I had seen Chef De Cuisine Noah Zonca. And while other guests insisted on calling him "Chef Noah", not me. I had been there far too many times to fall into that trap. He's Noah, my buddy who happens to be an EXCELLENT Chef. Sometime during the night the conversation somehow got to my past brief stint as a Pro Wrestler. And when Noah was made aware of my ring name, he was like a puppy with a new toy. He told me that "You never should have let me hear that! That is your name from now on!" Nuts. Pretty soon people would stop by my table "Hi Sugar Bear!", or "Hey Sugar Bear, are you really a regular here?" It was all in fun though and Noah really is a good guy, so much so that he shared a couple of the recipes basics for a two of the courses that night. And as promised I did try them and I will share my results here.
The first thing I tried was their French Onion Soup. He made it sound easy, but in reality... The first thing I promised myself was that I would try and stay as close to the real thing as possible and would only deviate if absolutely necessary. So this morning Patty and I headed out to the Farmer's Market to collect the needed ingredients, first up I needed the onions. I needed some yellow onions, some Pearl onions, and some cippolinis. Not a problem. I also picked up some Swiss Gruyere over at Corti Brothers for the toasted topping. The recipe called for some Beef Stock, Duck Stock and Veal Stock. Beef was no problem. but locating some Duck and Veal stock was an issue. I had made my own Chicken stock in the past but wasn't quite ready to experiment withe making a duck and a veal stock. So I substituted with a Chicken stock instead. That was the only deviation from the recipe that I made.
So to get started I needed to carmelize my onions, and while that is a time intensive task it is one necessary to the soup. For the uninitiated, carmelizing onions is simple, Slice up the onions and then get a wide pan, heat that up on medium-high and put in a little olive oil, then place the onions in the pan and stir them so they are all coated and let simmer for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt on the onions and as they brown spread them around and let them all brown evenly, this will take 30 minutes or so. I can't stress that you must take your time, you don't want to fry them, just let them brown. Carmelizing onions is like spending time with a ladyfriend, you have to take your time and go nice and slow...
Once the onions are nice and brown, then add 1/4 cup of flour to the pan and then its time to add the liquor. 1/2 cup of Port. 1/2 cup of Madera, 1/4cup of Cognac. Once the alcohol cooks off, then add the stock and a 1/4 cup of whole grain mustard, stir often and after about 30 minutes or so it should have all integrated and thickened nicely. After its simmering take a piece of bread, I used wheat, and slice some of the Swiss Cheese and place the cheese on the bread and broil until melted and place the bread on the soup after its in a bowl and....there it is...French Onion Soup. With a HUGE assist from Noah at the Kitchen, this was all possible because of his help. The taste is exquisite, not quite the Kitchen, but really good. So good that I will be doing it again, and for guests. It was a lot of new flavors and took awhile, but the end result was definitely worth it!
The next task was the Lobster Mac & Cheese, the only instruction I got from Noah was Bechamel Sauce and the three cheeses involved, White Cheddar, Talleggio and Parmesean. From there I was on my own.
This time the journey began at Corti Brothers for the cheeses, all three were present and accounted for so that was not a problem. I chose not to add the Lobster because I wanted to get the basic down first before I tried to poach some Lobster. After picking up the proper pasta, Radiatore, I was ready to go. Once I got back to the "Big Sexy Kitchen" I began the bechamel sauce. For this I used 5 teaspoons of butter, melted slowly, in a wide pan, and as the butter is melting take another pot and add 4 cups of milk to it and get it hot, not boiling, but hot. At the same time I started to boil my pasta water. After the butter has melted stir in 4 tablespoons of flour and once that's all together, begin to add the milk one cup at a time, and whisk until its smooth, then bring to a boil and reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes whisking it periodically. As the sauce is simmering, add your pasta to boiling salted water, and the pasta should be done right as the sauce is finished. Let the pasta continue to cook in the hot water but reduce the heat from boiling, and turn the sauce to low. then take 1/3 cup of each of your cheeses and add them to the sauce, and they will melt in seamlessly, use the whisk to further smooth out the sauce. Drain your pasta and add it to the sauce, season with salt and a touch of nutmeg and serve hot. This one was ridiculous! I will NEVER make Mac & Cheese any other way again! This is the one! I can't stress enough how delicious this is, and once I do it again and add the poached lobster to it...
What's next? Don't know yet, but it will be tasty...
Thanks for reading and as always all comments are welcome!
Marc Wiggins Esq. (That sounds so nice...)
Recently I had the pleasure of having dinner at The Kitchen Restaurant, as a congratulations from my best friend Nicole, and I did promise that I would try a couple of things from their December menu. The evening was fantastic! I hadn't been there since July so it had been awhile since I had seen Chef De Cuisine Noah Zonca. And while other guests insisted on calling him "Chef Noah", not me. I had been there far too many times to fall into that trap. He's Noah, my buddy who happens to be an EXCELLENT Chef. Sometime during the night the conversation somehow got to my past brief stint as a Pro Wrestler. And when Noah was made aware of my ring name, he was like a puppy with a new toy. He told me that "You never should have let me hear that! That is your name from now on!" Nuts. Pretty soon people would stop by my table "Hi Sugar Bear!", or "Hey Sugar Bear, are you really a regular here?" It was all in fun though and Noah really is a good guy, so much so that he shared a couple of the recipes basics for a two of the courses that night. And as promised I did try them and I will share my results here.
The first thing I tried was their French Onion Soup. He made it sound easy, but in reality... The first thing I promised myself was that I would try and stay as close to the real thing as possible and would only deviate if absolutely necessary. So this morning Patty and I headed out to the Farmer's Market to collect the needed ingredients, first up I needed the onions. I needed some yellow onions, some Pearl onions, and some cippolinis. Not a problem. I also picked up some Swiss Gruyere over at Corti Brothers for the toasted topping. The recipe called for some Beef Stock, Duck Stock and Veal Stock. Beef was no problem. but locating some Duck and Veal stock was an issue. I had made my own Chicken stock in the past but wasn't quite ready to experiment withe making a duck and a veal stock. So I substituted with a Chicken stock instead. That was the only deviation from the recipe that I made.
So to get started I needed to carmelize my onions, and while that is a time intensive task it is one necessary to the soup. For the uninitiated, carmelizing onions is simple, Slice up the onions and then get a wide pan, heat that up on medium-high and put in a little olive oil, then place the onions in the pan and stir them so they are all coated and let simmer for 10 minutes. After the 10 minutes, sprinkle some salt on the onions and as they brown spread them around and let them all brown evenly, this will take 30 minutes or so. I can't stress that you must take your time, you don't want to fry them, just let them brown. Carmelizing onions is like spending time with a ladyfriend, you have to take your time and go nice and slow...
Once the onions are nice and brown, then add 1/4 cup of flour to the pan and then its time to add the liquor. 1/2 cup of Port. 1/2 cup of Madera, 1/4cup of Cognac. Once the alcohol cooks off, then add the stock and a 1/4 cup of whole grain mustard, stir often and after about 30 minutes or so it should have all integrated and thickened nicely. After its simmering take a piece of bread, I used wheat, and slice some of the Swiss Cheese and place the cheese on the bread and broil until melted and place the bread on the soup after its in a bowl and....there it is...French Onion Soup. With a HUGE assist from Noah at the Kitchen, this was all possible because of his help. The taste is exquisite, not quite the Kitchen, but really good. So good that I will be doing it again, and for guests. It was a lot of new flavors and took awhile, but the end result was definitely worth it!
The next task was the Lobster Mac & Cheese, the only instruction I got from Noah was Bechamel Sauce and the three cheeses involved, White Cheddar, Talleggio and Parmesean. From there I was on my own.
This time the journey began at Corti Brothers for the cheeses, all three were present and accounted for so that was not a problem. I chose not to add the Lobster because I wanted to get the basic down first before I tried to poach some Lobster. After picking up the proper pasta, Radiatore, I was ready to go. Once I got back to the "Big Sexy Kitchen" I began the bechamel sauce. For this I used 5 teaspoons of butter, melted slowly, in a wide pan, and as the butter is melting take another pot and add 4 cups of milk to it and get it hot, not boiling, but hot. At the same time I started to boil my pasta water. After the butter has melted stir in 4 tablespoons of flour and once that's all together, begin to add the milk one cup at a time, and whisk until its smooth, then bring to a boil and reduce heat and let it simmer for 10 minutes whisking it periodically. As the sauce is simmering, add your pasta to boiling salted water, and the pasta should be done right as the sauce is finished. Let the pasta continue to cook in the hot water but reduce the heat from boiling, and turn the sauce to low. then take 1/3 cup of each of your cheeses and add them to the sauce, and they will melt in seamlessly, use the whisk to further smooth out the sauce. Drain your pasta and add it to the sauce, season with salt and a touch of nutmeg and serve hot. This one was ridiculous! I will NEVER make Mac & Cheese any other way again! This is the one! I can't stress enough how delicious this is, and once I do it again and add the poached lobster to it...
What's next? Don't know yet, but it will be tasty...
Thanks for reading and as always all comments are welcome!
Marc Wiggins Esq. (That sounds so nice...)
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Field Trip Planning Quick Update
Greetings fellow Chefs...and those who like to experience good grub!
Previously I had discussed a field trip with Nicole to resolve the Red Velvet Cake issue. Who has the best, Sandra D's or Sellands? Well that question will remain unanswered for the present because we have a different field trip planned for tonight, for tonight we are dining at The Kitchen! Stop drinking the Haterade...you know who are...:)
Recently I was fortunate enough to become a member of the California State Bar and the last few weeks have been pretty hectic with celebrating and being sworn in and reflecting on just how serious this responsibility is. But Nicole, bless her heart, wanted to take me out to dinner to celebrate and when said the Kitchen was our destination it was a done deal! Anyone who knows me knows that is my FAVORITE place for fine dining, period. I've been dozens of times and it never gets old or fail to live up to expectations, ever. But tonight I'm going to pay close attention to what Chef Noah is doing so I can attempt to capture the magic at home, which of course means that I am sharing the results with you! For those who have never been to The Kitchen, what they do is a demonstration dinner where everything is prepared right in front of you. It's like being on an episode of "Emeril Live" or on set of a number of other cooking shows. They change the menu monthly, so what they are offering is what the patrons will be having, I never look in advance because its always magnificent! But I did sneak a peek and saw they were doing a Lobster Mac & Cheese...yes! For those you are curious the menu is:
http://thekitchenrestaurant.com/menus/december_10.html
I will be paying close attention to Chef Noah and getting as much info about his recipes as he is willing to share, and form there I will prepare a few things and report my findings here next week.
Until next time troops!
Previously I had discussed a field trip with Nicole to resolve the Red Velvet Cake issue. Who has the best, Sandra D's or Sellands? Well that question will remain unanswered for the present because we have a different field trip planned for tonight, for tonight we are dining at The Kitchen! Stop drinking the Haterade...you know who are...:)
Recently I was fortunate enough to become a member of the California State Bar and the last few weeks have been pretty hectic with celebrating and being sworn in and reflecting on just how serious this responsibility is. But Nicole, bless her heart, wanted to take me out to dinner to celebrate and when said the Kitchen was our destination it was a done deal! Anyone who knows me knows that is my FAVORITE place for fine dining, period. I've been dozens of times and it never gets old or fail to live up to expectations, ever. But tonight I'm going to pay close attention to what Chef Noah is doing so I can attempt to capture the magic at home, which of course means that I am sharing the results with you! For those who have never been to The Kitchen, what they do is a demonstration dinner where everything is prepared right in front of you. It's like being on an episode of "Emeril Live" or on set of a number of other cooking shows. They change the menu monthly, so what they are offering is what the patrons will be having, I never look in advance because its always magnificent! But I did sneak a peek and saw they were doing a Lobster Mac & Cheese...yes! For those you are curious the menu is:
http://thekitchenrestaurant.com/menus/december_10.html
I will be paying close attention to Chef Noah and getting as much info about his recipes as he is willing to share, and form there I will prepare a few things and report my findings here next week.
Until next time troops!
Sunday, October 31, 2010
Spaghetti Fit!
Greetings Food Lovers and all things fun!
As I have previously mentioned, this weekend is the premiere of "The Walking Dead" on AMC, this is the same channel the bring us "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men", two excellent and critically acclaimed shows. I had talked about what I was planning to prepare for that night, but during the week it hit me. The Spaghetti Fit. It was useless to try and resist. When it happens I go straight to the kitchen and see what I need, and if I don't have it, I go get it. From there its time to cook...
I have always been a spaghetti fiend. When I was a kid, my mom would make it and it would be gone the next day, leftover are for suckers! I love it! And as I have expanded my horizons in the kitchen, I have developed my own interpretation on the dish. I definitely encourage you to try this one.
To start I fill my pasta boiler with water and get that boiling, then I grab a large stock pot and pour in a little olive oil and let that get warm over medium-high heat, then I take about 1 pound of Ground Beef, sometimes I'll use 1/2 pound of beef and 1/2 pound of Sausage, but for this excursion I used beef only. Once the pot is nice and war, then I add the beef that has already been pre-seasoned with salt and ground black pepper, as that starts brown and render down, I then add, depending on size, 1 or 2 Red Onions and 1 large Yellow Onion, and let the start cook along with the beef. While that is going on I will take 3-4 cloves of garlic and finely chop them up and add them to the fun. And right about now your kitchen should start filling up with that aromatic scent of good food...! Then I will take a basket or two of Mushrooms, depending on mood, and give them a very coarse or rough chop, I like to get chunks of Mushroom in every bite! Add them to the beef and watch as they all dance and blend and release their flavors...pure ecstasy.
In the past I have talked about making my own Tomato sauce, (Thanks Marcy for the Tomatoes!) but on this journey I was fresh out, nuts! But I was prepared because when I went to the store earlier I got two cans of tomato sauce, one large and one small. As well as one large can of diced tomatoes. I added that to the mixture and its magnificent! But not quite ready to rumble yet, after adding the tomato sauce I reduce the heat to a simmer and as the sauce simmers, I check to see if my pasta water is a nice boil, and since it is I salt that water and add a tablespoon of olive oil to it, the oil is the ensure the pasta won't stick, then add my pasta to the boiling water.
As my attention returns to my sauce I just need to add a few seasonings to it and we are done! As the sauce is simmering now, I add a tablespoon of Oregano, and a table spoon of Italian Seasoning. And since my mom likes hers with a little heat, I do as well, so I then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Chili Powder to the sauce depending on my mood. I have learned that, like Gorgonzola, too much will overpower your finished product. So before adding the second tablespoon, taste it, if the heat quotient is sufficient then leave as is, if not, add a little more and taste again and once you are satisfied with the taste just let it simmer on low making sure to stir it periodically. That's to ensure an even and smooth distribution of the ingredients as well as making sure it doesn't stick to the pot.
Once the pasta is nice and done, usually about 8 minutes or so, drain all the water from it and add it to your sauce, let it all simmer together for a few minutes and then its time to grub! Serve along with a salad or some French bread and a glass of wine, and enjoy one of the simpler pleasures....
That's all for this brief one, so have a safe and fun Halloween, and I'll be watching "The Walking Dead" after the World Series, thus until next time...
Thanks for reading,
Marc-Big Sexy
As I have previously mentioned, this weekend is the premiere of "The Walking Dead" on AMC, this is the same channel the bring us "Breaking Bad" and "Mad Men", two excellent and critically acclaimed shows. I had talked about what I was planning to prepare for that night, but during the week it hit me. The Spaghetti Fit. It was useless to try and resist. When it happens I go straight to the kitchen and see what I need, and if I don't have it, I go get it. From there its time to cook...
I have always been a spaghetti fiend. When I was a kid, my mom would make it and it would be gone the next day, leftover are for suckers! I love it! And as I have expanded my horizons in the kitchen, I have developed my own interpretation on the dish. I definitely encourage you to try this one.
To start I fill my pasta boiler with water and get that boiling, then I grab a large stock pot and pour in a little olive oil and let that get warm over medium-high heat, then I take about 1 pound of Ground Beef, sometimes I'll use 1/2 pound of beef and 1/2 pound of Sausage, but for this excursion I used beef only. Once the pot is nice and war, then I add the beef that has already been pre-seasoned with salt and ground black pepper, as that starts brown and render down, I then add, depending on size, 1 or 2 Red Onions and 1 large Yellow Onion, and let the start cook along with the beef. While that is going on I will take 3-4 cloves of garlic and finely chop them up and add them to the fun. And right about now your kitchen should start filling up with that aromatic scent of good food...! Then I will take a basket or two of Mushrooms, depending on mood, and give them a very coarse or rough chop, I like to get chunks of Mushroom in every bite! Add them to the beef and watch as they all dance and blend and release their flavors...pure ecstasy.
In the past I have talked about making my own Tomato sauce, (Thanks Marcy for the Tomatoes!) but on this journey I was fresh out, nuts! But I was prepared because when I went to the store earlier I got two cans of tomato sauce, one large and one small. As well as one large can of diced tomatoes. I added that to the mixture and its magnificent! But not quite ready to rumble yet, after adding the tomato sauce I reduce the heat to a simmer and as the sauce simmers, I check to see if my pasta water is a nice boil, and since it is I salt that water and add a tablespoon of olive oil to it, the oil is the ensure the pasta won't stick, then add my pasta to the boiling water.
As my attention returns to my sauce I just need to add a few seasonings to it and we are done! As the sauce is simmering now, I add a tablespoon of Oregano, and a table spoon of Italian Seasoning. And since my mom likes hers with a little heat, I do as well, so I then add 1 to 2 tablespoons of Chili Powder to the sauce depending on my mood. I have learned that, like Gorgonzola, too much will overpower your finished product. So before adding the second tablespoon, taste it, if the heat quotient is sufficient then leave as is, if not, add a little more and taste again and once you are satisfied with the taste just let it simmer on low making sure to stir it periodically. That's to ensure an even and smooth distribution of the ingredients as well as making sure it doesn't stick to the pot.
Once the pasta is nice and done, usually about 8 minutes or so, drain all the water from it and add it to your sauce, let it all simmer together for a few minutes and then its time to grub! Serve along with a salad or some French bread and a glass of wine, and enjoy one of the simpler pleasures....
That's all for this brief one, so have a safe and fun Halloween, and I'll be watching "The Walking Dead" after the World Series, thus until next time...
Thanks for reading,
Marc-Big Sexy
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