Here is a neat and inexpensive way to not only add a twist to a whole roasted chicken but to add some crispiness.
Truss your chicken, rub it with oil and seasoning and then cover the entire chicken with cornmeal. Make sure it is covered completely.
Then roast it as you normally would.
Oh, do you guys know how to truss a chicken? This is one of those where I would need to show you. Here is a trick though. Put the chicken on a tray in front of you with the back of the bird facing you. Do you see that flap of fat at the tip that hangs over the opening of the cavity? Carefully cut a whole in it large enough to put your thumb through. Now carefully put the end of one leg through it and then even more carefully put the end of the other leg through it.
The reason you truss a bird is to bring the legs tightly against the sides of the bird to aid in more even cooking.
If you don't want to truss a bird you can always cook it in pieces. It is quicker too. You can still use the cornmeal for this as well.
Happy cooking
C
Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tips. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Trouble on the grill?
So here you are cooking steaks for your dinner guests. Everyone wants their steak cooked to a different temperature and you are wondering how you are going to accomplish this while serving everyone at the same time. Does this scenario sound familiar? Don't worry your culinary supreme architect is here.
I cook everyday so I can tell how a steak is cooked simply by touching it but to learn that takes much time and practice so here is a crash course on the subject. Learning cooking is like learning a musical instrument; you will benefit more by taking lessons from someone but you can learn on your own, though there will be more trial and error.
The best way for you to learn anything is by repetition so here is what you need to do. Buy about 3 steaks, or more if you can afford it, and choose steaks you would normally cook. Cut each steak in half. Don't worry about leftovers, you can freeze them or use them for a stir fry or stew or something.
I have read lessons that tell you how a steak should feel for each level of doneness and how long a steak should take to cook for every inch of thickness but there are flaws with tips like that. For the first point, simply telling someone how a steak should feel when cooked a certain way is flawed because everybody perceives things differently. For the second point, telling someone how long to cook something based on the thickness is flawed because everyone is not using the same oven or grill. Every oven or grill has hot spots and how do we know if your oven or grill is calibrated properly.
The following lesson is exactly how I have trained my cooks in the many professional kitchens I have worked.
Take all your steaks and divide them up evenly to practice cooking rare, medium rare, medium and well done. This will give you reference points of doneness for the entire spectrum. Of course, if you never plan on eating a steak well done and only want to learn how to cook medium rare that is fine; do what serves your purpose.
For this lesson let's assume you are using average-sized steaks that you would buy at the supermarket.
I wouldn't recommend using a thermometer for many of the average cut steaks you find at the supermarket as they are not thick enough.
Here are a few points to remember. While you are cooking the meat stand there and watch how the appearance changes as it cooks. Time the cooking on each side. After the meat is turned feel it every 30 seconds to see how it feels as it cooks. If you are like me you like to touch your meat. :) You will notice that rare and medium rare steaks feel more like a pillow compared to more well cooked ones.
First get your grill or pan on high heat.
I tried to copy and past photos of what the meat should look like for each doneness but the resolution was poor. I assume most of you have a good idea but if necessary just go on the internet and type in medium rare or medium or whatever doneness you want to see pictures.
For rare:
Put one steak in the pan or on the grill and cook it for about 2 minutes on each side.
NOTE: if you are using a pan make sure you put a little oil in it. ( I hope you already knew that)
Take it out of the pan and cut it in half. Remember rare should be very red inside, not bloody.
If your steak is undercooked, take the other piece and cook it for an additional half minute more on each side, then cut it to see how it looks.
If your steak is overcooked, cook another piece for a half minute less on each side.
By adjusting the cooking time in small intervals you should have no problem achieving the correct doneness and by cutting the steak open there is no guesswork.
For medium rare:
Follow the same procedure but cook the steak an additional minute on each side. Cut it open. It should be red and bloody.
For medium:
Cook the steak an additional minute more than you would for medium rare. A medium steak should be pink inside with a little blood. The center of the meat should NOT be the color of red wine like rare and medium rare should be.
One thing you should notice is the more cooked meat is the more the texture is similar to wood. If you can, cut open a rare steak and a medium steak and look at them side by side.
One thing you should notice is as meat approaches medium the blood will start to come out of the top of the steak. That is a sure fire way to tell you are close or already there. That is why I suggested watching the meat as it cooks because you will see it change as it cooks and know what to look for.
For medium well and well done
If you are going to destroy meat by cooking it to this point you can just microwave it from here on out. All kidding aside, cook the meat for another couple of minutes on each side. For medium well the meat should be pink with no blood an for well done there should be no pink at all.
Now I still haven't answered how you can have differently cooked steaks ready at the same time so here you go. Hopefully you have practiced all the temperatures, monitored and felt the meat as it cooks and took notes of the cooking times because this is where you will need them.
Now that you know the cooking times start cooking the more well done steaks first and as they cook, add the ones to be cooked less.
For example, if a well done steak takes 10 minutes to cook and a medium rare steak takes five minutes, put the steak(s) to be well done on the grill and cook for five minutes, then add the steak(s) to be medium rare and cook for five minutes and they should be ready at the same time.
If you are using a pan on the oven here is something else you can do especially if your pan is not large enough.
Turn on your oven to about 425F or 200C. Cook all your steaks so they are undercooked by two minutes. Put them on a baking tray an set aside until you are ready for them. You can either arrange them in order to remember which steaks are which or use a permanent marker to mark the doneness on the tray next to the steak as it will wash off.
You can then get the rest of your dinner ready and when you are a few minutes away from serving, put the pan of steaks in the oven to finish cooking them. Make sure you watch the time and once ready, serve.
Hope this helps.
Culinary greetings from the final frontier,
William Shatner
I cook everyday so I can tell how a steak is cooked simply by touching it but to learn that takes much time and practice so here is a crash course on the subject. Learning cooking is like learning a musical instrument; you will benefit more by taking lessons from someone but you can learn on your own, though there will be more trial and error.
The best way for you to learn anything is by repetition so here is what you need to do. Buy about 3 steaks, or more if you can afford it, and choose steaks you would normally cook. Cut each steak in half. Don't worry about leftovers, you can freeze them or use them for a stir fry or stew or something.
I have read lessons that tell you how a steak should feel for each level of doneness and how long a steak should take to cook for every inch of thickness but there are flaws with tips like that. For the first point, simply telling someone how a steak should feel when cooked a certain way is flawed because everybody perceives things differently. For the second point, telling someone how long to cook something based on the thickness is flawed because everyone is not using the same oven or grill. Every oven or grill has hot spots and how do we know if your oven or grill is calibrated properly.
The following lesson is exactly how I have trained my cooks in the many professional kitchens I have worked.
Take all your steaks and divide them up evenly to practice cooking rare, medium rare, medium and well done. This will give you reference points of doneness for the entire spectrum. Of course, if you never plan on eating a steak well done and only want to learn how to cook medium rare that is fine; do what serves your purpose.
For this lesson let's assume you are using average-sized steaks that you would buy at the supermarket.
I wouldn't recommend using a thermometer for many of the average cut steaks you find at the supermarket as they are not thick enough.
Here are a few points to remember. While you are cooking the meat stand there and watch how the appearance changes as it cooks. Time the cooking on each side. After the meat is turned feel it every 30 seconds to see how it feels as it cooks. If you are like me you like to touch your meat. :) You will notice that rare and medium rare steaks feel more like a pillow compared to more well cooked ones.
First get your grill or pan on high heat.
I tried to copy and past photos of what the meat should look like for each doneness but the resolution was poor. I assume most of you have a good idea but if necessary just go on the internet and type in medium rare or medium or whatever doneness you want to see pictures.
For rare:
Put one steak in the pan or on the grill and cook it for about 2 minutes on each side.
NOTE: if you are using a pan make sure you put a little oil in it. ( I hope you already knew that)
Take it out of the pan and cut it in half. Remember rare should be very red inside, not bloody.
If your steak is undercooked, take the other piece and cook it for an additional half minute more on each side, then cut it to see how it looks.
If your steak is overcooked, cook another piece for a half minute less on each side.
By adjusting the cooking time in small intervals you should have no problem achieving the correct doneness and by cutting the steak open there is no guesswork.
For medium rare:
Follow the same procedure but cook the steak an additional minute on each side. Cut it open. It should be red and bloody.
For medium:
Cook the steak an additional minute more than you would for medium rare. A medium steak should be pink inside with a little blood. The center of the meat should NOT be the color of red wine like rare and medium rare should be.
One thing you should notice is the more cooked meat is the more the texture is similar to wood. If you can, cut open a rare steak and a medium steak and look at them side by side.
One thing you should notice is as meat approaches medium the blood will start to come out of the top of the steak. That is a sure fire way to tell you are close or already there. That is why I suggested watching the meat as it cooks because you will see it change as it cooks and know what to look for.
For medium well and well done
If you are going to destroy meat by cooking it to this point you can just microwave it from here on out. All kidding aside, cook the meat for another couple of minutes on each side. For medium well the meat should be pink with no blood an for well done there should be no pink at all.
Now I still haven't answered how you can have differently cooked steaks ready at the same time so here you go. Hopefully you have practiced all the temperatures, monitored and felt the meat as it cooks and took notes of the cooking times because this is where you will need them.
Now that you know the cooking times start cooking the more well done steaks first and as they cook, add the ones to be cooked less.
For example, if a well done steak takes 10 minutes to cook and a medium rare steak takes five minutes, put the steak(s) to be well done on the grill and cook for five minutes, then add the steak(s) to be medium rare and cook for five minutes and they should be ready at the same time.
If you are using a pan on the oven here is something else you can do especially if your pan is not large enough.
Turn on your oven to about 425F or 200C. Cook all your steaks so they are undercooked by two minutes. Put them on a baking tray an set aside until you are ready for them. You can either arrange them in order to remember which steaks are which or use a permanent marker to mark the doneness on the tray next to the steak as it will wash off.
You can then get the rest of your dinner ready and when you are a few minutes away from serving, put the pan of steaks in the oven to finish cooking them. Make sure you watch the time and once ready, serve.
Hope this helps.
Culinary greetings from the final frontier,
William Shatner
Monday, August 16, 2010
How to select chef knives
My culinary mignons,
I had a request for this posting so here you are. "How to select chef knives"
I had a request for this posting so here you are. "How to select chef knives"
One question I am often asked is “which brand of chef knife is the best?” That is like asking “is Honda is better than Toyota?” or vice versa. It is not a question of which brand is better; it is a question of which brand feels more comfortable to you. Some examples of top brands are, Wusthof, Henkel, F.Dick, Global, Sabatier and there are others as well. The only way to find out which knife is right for you is by going to a store that specializes in knives (that doesn't include Wal-Mart or Kmart) and speak to a specialist. Ask them a lot of questions. Ask them to show you the proper way to hold different types of knives. This is something that is hard for me to explain on paper as opposed to showing you. Try different brands of knives to see what feels good in your hand.
When you build your set of knives you may not want to stick with just one brand. In my case I have different brands of knives, not just one. For example, I have a Wusthof chef knife, a Henkel slicing knife and a F.Dick bread knife. I guess it is like clothes in a way. I love Levis jeans but not their other products. I love Zegna shirts but not their pants and so on.
What knives should everyone have in their kitchen? That depends on how much cooking you do and how serious you are about it. To cover the basics you need: a chef's knife, paring knife, boning knife, bread knife and a sharpening steel. The downside to top quality kitchen equipment and utensils is it can be expensive. The upside is that a high quality knife should last longer than you. Yes, I know what you are thinking, those knives won't do you much good when you are dead. Depending on what you get you will need to spend about $300-$500. If you don't have the money to get a set of knives and need to put it together piece by piece, I suggest starting (at a minimum) with a chef's knife, sharpening steel and sharpening stone.
How to care for and sharpen your knives. I could do an article on this topic alone but I wanted to provide you with some basic points you need to know. Never put knives in the dishwasher. It dulls them. Keep them in a wooden block if you have one. If not, wrap the blade in a towel and tie a rubber band around the blade. Don't just throw them in a drawer with everything else.
Everyone seems to think a sharpening steel actually sharpens. It does not. A sharpening steel is used to hone the blade, nothing more. If you are going to spend the money to get top quality knives than you must have a proper sharpening stone. I can't emphasize how important a sharpening stone is. Too many times I see people buy the most expensive knives but they don't have a stone. If you don't care for the blade of the knife then why spend the money?
In closing I can't forget one important point. Make sure you have a nice, wooden cutting board. Those are the best thing for the blade of the knife. Forget all that nonsense about people saying wood harbours parasites and all that. OK, it isn't as sanitary as polyurethane but trust me, I am a professional and I only use wood and you will be fine.
oh, ps. one last word of advice. When you drop one of your knives, and it will happen, don't try to catch it. I have seen someone try to and it doesn't end up well.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
You want a beautiful chicken breast?
This is one of the best ways to cook a chicken breast.
Many people go to the supermarket and buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and I ask WHY?????
If you are on a diet OK, I understand but next time you want chicken breast get a skin-on chicken breast and follow these steps.
1. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with just enough cooking oil to coat the bottom and preheat your oven to about 400F
2. Season your chicken breast with some fresh chopped herbs, salt and pepper
3. Place your chicken breast skin-side down in the pan.
4. Cook it for a couple of minutes until the edges of the skin start to lightly brown
5. Put the pan with the chicken into the oven to cook and DO NOT turn the chicken breast over
6. Cook the chicken until it is cooked. After about 3-4 minutes, check the underside of the chicken with a pair of tongs to make sure the skin is not getting too brown or burned
7. Once cooked, take it out of the pan and turn the breast over so the skin side is facing up
The skin side of the chicken should be about the color of fried chicken
NOTE: If you brown the chicken too much in the pan, simply turn the breast over halfway through the cooking process
Enjoy
Many people go to the supermarket and buy boneless, skinless chicken breasts and I ask WHY?????
If you are on a diet OK, I understand but next time you want chicken breast get a skin-on chicken breast and follow these steps.
1. Heat a non-stick pan over medium heat with just enough cooking oil to coat the bottom and preheat your oven to about 400F
2. Season your chicken breast with some fresh chopped herbs, salt and pepper
3. Place your chicken breast skin-side down in the pan.
4. Cook it for a couple of minutes until the edges of the skin start to lightly brown
5. Put the pan with the chicken into the oven to cook and DO NOT turn the chicken breast over
6. Cook the chicken until it is cooked. After about 3-4 minutes, check the underside of the chicken with a pair of tongs to make sure the skin is not getting too brown or burned
7. Once cooked, take it out of the pan and turn the breast over so the skin side is facing up
The skin side of the chicken should be about the color of fried chicken
NOTE: If you brown the chicken too much in the pan, simply turn the breast over halfway through the cooking process
Enjoy
Saturday, August 14, 2010
Today's tip-Zataar
Having writer's block today so I will just leave you with a tip.
There is a spice you can find in a Middle Eastern shop called Zataar. It is known as Lebanese thyme. This stuff is great. Lamb, chicken, fish. Awesome.
Go get some and next time you roast a chicken, put some salt and pepper and sprinkle some Zataar. I love it.
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Popcorn
When you live overseas as I have you learn that it is the little things you miss. Well, one of those "little things" was being able to put melted butter on my popcorn in the movies. There weren't many things I missed but I do love movie popcorn. Overseas you get butter flavored but there is no melted butter. I have seen movies in quite a few countries in my endless search for that beautiful, artery clogging substance known as butter....................oh yeah baby, bring on the high cholesterol!!! I am one of those people who drowns the popcorn with butter. I mean, too much. The popcorn looks like little goldfish swimming around in a nice, golden colored pool. For those of you who are like me, you go catch a flick, get a bathtub sized popcorn bucket and fill that sucker with butter. Problem is you have that popcorn sitting on your lap and some of the butter seeps through and you get butter stains on your pants. The bad thing about that is because of where the popcorn is sitting on your lap it looks like you went to take a leak and didn't tap it all out because there are a few wet spots on your crotch area. Of course you try to tell people that it is butter and you didn't have an accident in the bathroom and they are all like "yeah, sure, I believe ya" while they are looking at you funny.
Oh, Moutain Dew tastes like medicine overseas. I don't know why. The Coke is the same.
Well, I can't leave you without giving you a culinary tip. It will cost a few dollars but it is nice. When you make popcorn at home try vanilla popcorn. Now, you can't cheat and use imitation vanilla extract because it will just taste like S_ _ T. Buy a few vanilla beans (which you can find at gourmet food stores) or buy a nice vanilla extract that has some vanilla seeds in it. Melt some butter with a bit of sugar and add the insides of a vanilla bean or a bit of the vanilla extract. Toss it with the popcorn and you have vanilla popcorn. Awesome. You will need to play around with the amount of vanilla to butter and popcorn. Remember, vanilla is strong and expensive. Start with a little. You can always add more but you can't take out.
Oh, and what to do with those empty vanilla bean pods you have leftover? Put one in a Mason jar, fill up the jar with sugar and leave it. After some time you have vanilla sugar. Try it in your coffee. You can put more vanilla beans.
I bet you guys were scared you were gonna get another "chef rash" type story.
Oh, Moutain Dew tastes like medicine overseas. I don't know why. The Coke is the same.
Well, I can't leave you without giving you a culinary tip. It will cost a few dollars but it is nice. When you make popcorn at home try vanilla popcorn. Now, you can't cheat and use imitation vanilla extract because it will just taste like S_ _ T. Buy a few vanilla beans (which you can find at gourmet food stores) or buy a nice vanilla extract that has some vanilla seeds in it. Melt some butter with a bit of sugar and add the insides of a vanilla bean or a bit of the vanilla extract. Toss it with the popcorn and you have vanilla popcorn. Awesome. You will need to play around with the amount of vanilla to butter and popcorn. Remember, vanilla is strong and expensive. Start with a little. You can always add more but you can't take out.
Oh, and what to do with those empty vanilla bean pods you have leftover? Put one in a Mason jar, fill up the jar with sugar and leave it. After some time you have vanilla sugar. Try it in your coffee. You can put more vanilla beans.
I bet you guys were scared you were gonna get another "chef rash" type story.
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
Selecting cookbooks
My mignons,
I have had some questions about what cookbooks are good to get so here you go.
I will give a bit of explanation on my thoughts and then give you a bulletpoint list of cookbooks and chefs to look out for.
In my formative years as a culinary upstart I used to buy a shitload of cookbooks. Now, because I kick so much culinary ass I don't really buy many cookbooks. Honestly, I stopped buying cookbooks for my personal use about 10 years ago. The only time I buy cookbooks are for work. Being a hotel chef is different from being a restaurant chef in that I often have to be able to cook a number of different cuisines due to the fact that you often have a few restaurants featuring different cuisines and people are staying in your hotel so you need to offer more choices. Plus, hotels have something freestanding restaurants don't; banquets. Banquets can be anything from a wedding dinner featuring traditional French food to a Middle Eastern buffet or a sushi station so I would buy cookbooks that featured traditional and authentic recipes. The best way to piss someone off is to bastardize their cuisine. Even though I rock as a chef one cannot learn every cuisine in a lifetime so in hotels I would always have the resources handy to produce food of any kind. .........did I say I rock?!!! Ah, yes I did. Now on to the books you need.
-Get a culinary textbook used in culinary schools. This will cover all the basics. Just go to your local bookstore and someone there should be able to help you out. If your local bookstore is Wal-Mart you are pretty much F_ _ked!
-I always go for cookbooks that offer tips in addition to the recipes. It is great to find a cookbook with great recipes but when you have tips or some lessons thrown in there it helps you understand what you are doing as opposed to just doing what it says. If you understand why you are doing something you will retain the information better.
-Don't always go for the hottest new cookbook from the hottest celebrity schmuck chef. Just because someone is the hottest new thing since sliced bread does not mean their recipes are better. You are talking about taste, don't forget that. One cookbook may say to use four kinds of cheese in it's lasagna recipe when another may say to use two. How do you say which is better? Take it from me as someone who has been in the business for a number of years and knows how it works; the food business is like any other business. If you have a great PR firm getting your name out there you don't need to be that talented or skilled so remember, don't always go for the big names.
-Pick a cookbook with recipes that are written in a way that is easy to follow for you. If cooking is to you what auto mechanics are to me then it needs to be written in dumb ass style and then some. The best thing to do is figure out what kind of cookbook (say Italian for example) you want and pick three or four books from that category and read through them. To take it further, pick out a recipe that is in each of the books and compare the recipes. Do that with a few recipes.
-Pick cookbooks based on what your needs are. Do you host dinner parties and cocktail receptions? If so, get books geared to that.
-Often these celebrity chefs from fancy five star restaurants release cookbooks with advanced recipes from their restaurant. Don't buy these cookbooks unless you plan on devoting some time in the kitchen. When you get into the world of fine dining often one dish can take a number of days to prepare because of the steps involved. To give you an idea, I used to do a torchon of duck foie gras. Here is the basic preparation. Day 1-soak the foie gras in milk overnight. Day 2-clean the foie gras and marinate overnight. Day 3-form and cook the foie gras. Let sit overnight. Day 4-serve.
If you want to learn how to do some of these more advanced techniques, then by all means do it, I just want you to know what you may be getting into. All recipes are not like that though.
Now here is a list of books and chefs/authors.
-"Cookwise"by Shirley Corriher. One of the best books I have ever read. She explains the science behind what is happening in the cooking process without getting so scientific that it is frustrating to read.
-"Culinaria"-this is a series and they have cookbooks for most countries. I have the ones for Spain, France, American and Greece. These books will teach you the traditional way of preparing the recipes from each country. Very good
-"Larousse Gastronimique"-Any serious or half-serious chef/cook has this. This is like the Holy Bible of cookbooks.
-"Escoffier"-another classic like Larousse. They say Escoffier was the first celebrity chef. He died not long ago. I think it was 1935 or something.
-"Martha Stewart's hors d' oeuvres handbook." I have used this one a lot when I have needed new ideas for cocktail receptions
-"The French laundry" and "Bouchon." Thomas Keller is the chef and author of both of these books and he is in my opinion one of the best chefs in America. He is one of the few who can take classical dishes and prepare them in a modern style why maintaining the integrity of the original dish.
-Anything by Julia Child is always good.
-Reference books are also good to have like ones with ingredients, culinary definitions and so forth.
Since I haven't bought any cookbooks in a while I don't know what is hot right now. Remember the internet has some great sites. Emeril's, Martha Stewart's, FoodTV.com, Epicurious.com and there are others.
Happy cooking and good luck
I have had some questions about what cookbooks are good to get so here you go.
I will give a bit of explanation on my thoughts and then give you a bulletpoint list of cookbooks and chefs to look out for.
In my formative years as a culinary upstart I used to buy a shitload of cookbooks. Now, because I kick so much culinary ass I don't really buy many cookbooks. Honestly, I stopped buying cookbooks for my personal use about 10 years ago. The only time I buy cookbooks are for work. Being a hotel chef is different from being a restaurant chef in that I often have to be able to cook a number of different cuisines due to the fact that you often have a few restaurants featuring different cuisines and people are staying in your hotel so you need to offer more choices. Plus, hotels have something freestanding restaurants don't; banquets. Banquets can be anything from a wedding dinner featuring traditional French food to a Middle Eastern buffet or a sushi station so I would buy cookbooks that featured traditional and authentic recipes. The best way to piss someone off is to bastardize their cuisine. Even though I rock as a chef one cannot learn every cuisine in a lifetime so in hotels I would always have the resources handy to produce food of any kind. .........did I say I rock?!!! Ah, yes I did. Now on to the books you need.
-Get a culinary textbook used in culinary schools. This will cover all the basics. Just go to your local bookstore and someone there should be able to help you out. If your local bookstore is Wal-Mart you are pretty much F_ _ked!
-I always go for cookbooks that offer tips in addition to the recipes. It is great to find a cookbook with great recipes but when you have tips or some lessons thrown in there it helps you understand what you are doing as opposed to just doing what it says. If you understand why you are doing something you will retain the information better.
-Don't always go for the hottest new cookbook from the hottest celebrity schmuck chef. Just because someone is the hottest new thing since sliced bread does not mean their recipes are better. You are talking about taste, don't forget that. One cookbook may say to use four kinds of cheese in it's lasagna recipe when another may say to use two. How do you say which is better? Take it from me as someone who has been in the business for a number of years and knows how it works; the food business is like any other business. If you have a great PR firm getting your name out there you don't need to be that talented or skilled so remember, don't always go for the big names.
-Pick a cookbook with recipes that are written in a way that is easy to follow for you. If cooking is to you what auto mechanics are to me then it needs to be written in dumb ass style and then some. The best thing to do is figure out what kind of cookbook (say Italian for example) you want and pick three or four books from that category and read through them. To take it further, pick out a recipe that is in each of the books and compare the recipes. Do that with a few recipes.
-Pick cookbooks based on what your needs are. Do you host dinner parties and cocktail receptions? If so, get books geared to that.
-Often these celebrity chefs from fancy five star restaurants release cookbooks with advanced recipes from their restaurant. Don't buy these cookbooks unless you plan on devoting some time in the kitchen. When you get into the world of fine dining often one dish can take a number of days to prepare because of the steps involved. To give you an idea, I used to do a torchon of duck foie gras. Here is the basic preparation. Day 1-soak the foie gras in milk overnight. Day 2-clean the foie gras and marinate overnight. Day 3-form and cook the foie gras. Let sit overnight. Day 4-serve.
If you want to learn how to do some of these more advanced techniques, then by all means do it, I just want you to know what you may be getting into. All recipes are not like that though.
Now here is a list of books and chefs/authors.
-"Cookwise"by Shirley Corriher. One of the best books I have ever read. She explains the science behind what is happening in the cooking process without getting so scientific that it is frustrating to read.
-"Culinaria"-this is a series and they have cookbooks for most countries. I have the ones for Spain, France, American and Greece. These books will teach you the traditional way of preparing the recipes from each country. Very good
-"Larousse Gastronimique"-Any serious or half-serious chef/cook has this. This is like the Holy Bible of cookbooks.
-"Escoffier"-another classic like Larousse. They say Escoffier was the first celebrity chef. He died not long ago. I think it was 1935 or something.
-"Martha Stewart's hors d' oeuvres handbook." I have used this one a lot when I have needed new ideas for cocktail receptions
-"The French laundry" and "Bouchon." Thomas Keller is the chef and author of both of these books and he is in my opinion one of the best chefs in America. He is one of the few who can take classical dishes and prepare them in a modern style why maintaining the integrity of the original dish.
-Anything by Julia Child is always good.
-Reference books are also good to have like ones with ingredients, culinary definitions and so forth.
Since I haven't bought any cookbooks in a while I don't know what is hot right now. Remember the internet has some great sites. Emeril's, Martha Stewart's, FoodTV.com, Epicurious.com and there are others.
Happy cooking and good luck
Perfect hard boiled eggs-everytime
All
In my many years of cooking the one thing cooks, even professional ones can't seem to get right consistently is hard boiled eggs. Well, for all you egg lovers here is a foolproof way of preparing them properly, every time.
1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil with a bit of vinegar.
2. Add the eggs to the boiling water gently.
3. After the water comes back to a boil, cook them for precisely seven minutes
4. After seven minutes remove the pan of eggs from the heat and leave the eggs in the water for precisely 10 minutes.
5. Run under cold water until chilled
6. You have perfect eggs
In my many years of cooking the one thing cooks, even professional ones can't seem to get right consistently is hard boiled eggs. Well, for all you egg lovers here is a foolproof way of preparing them properly, every time.
1. Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil with a bit of vinegar.
2. Add the eggs to the boiling water gently.
3. After the water comes back to a boil, cook them for precisely seven minutes
4. After seven minutes remove the pan of eggs from the heat and leave the eggs in the water for precisely 10 minutes.
5. Run under cold water until chilled
6. You have perfect eggs
Monday, July 26, 2010
Culinary myth
Here is another culinary myth for y'all.
Have you ever heard of putting baking soda in water when boiling green vegetables to help them retain their color?
Well, it is bullshit! If you follow one of my earlier blogs about cooking green vegetables you will find that is all you need to do.
happy cooking
Monday, July 19, 2010
Recipes
Recipes are not like religion. You don't need to follow them in blind faith. Use common sense and logic. Yes, I know what you are thinking; those are two things religion has a problem with but hell with it. When preparing a recipe, read through it a few times first to get familiar with it. Also, get everything ready before you start the recipe. There may be times when you need to question a recipe. If the recipe says to cook something at 350F for two hours and the food item is getting too brown after one hour then turn the oven down. When a cookbook is written the recipes are tested in a test kitchen (or at least we hope so) and the oven they use will most likely be different than yours. Also, every oven has hot spots so you need to know your equipment well and take this into account when following a recipe.
When purchasing a cookbook, don't just run to buy the cookbook of the hottest new celebrity chef. For example, if you want an Italian cookbook read a few and compare. Pick the one that makes sense to you. How do the recipes read to you? Easy? Hard to understand? Just because the chef is famous doesn't mean his or her recipes will be better. What I look for in a cookbook is not just recipes but does the chef teach you more than just recipes. Are there tips, some background info and so on so forth.
Till next time
When purchasing a cookbook, don't just run to buy the cookbook of the hottest new celebrity chef. For example, if you want an Italian cookbook read a few and compare. Pick the one that makes sense to you. How do the recipes read to you? Easy? Hard to understand? Just because the chef is famous doesn't mean his or her recipes will be better. What I look for in a cookbook is not just recipes but does the chef teach you more than just recipes. Are there tips, some background info and so on so forth.
Till next time
Friday, July 16, 2010
Culinary myth number 2
Ok all here is another culinary myth
Many people marinate less tender cuts of meat with wine or another acid such as citrus or some other form to help tenderize the meat. Acid does not tenderize but it will give nice flavor to the food. The best way to tenderize a less tender cut of meat is through long, slow cooking. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself. In the near future I will do a posting just on marinades and tenderizing.
Your tip for the day
Many people marinate less tender cuts of meat with wine or another acid such as citrus or some other form to help tenderize the meat. Acid does not tenderize but it will give nice flavor to the food. The best way to tenderize a less tender cut of meat is through long, slow cooking. If you don't believe me, try it for yourself. In the near future I will do a posting just on marinades and tenderizing.
Your tip for the day
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Culinary myth
How many of you put oil in the water when you cook pasta because you don't want the pasta to stick together? Have you ever noticed that the oil sits on top of the water? If the oil sits on the surface of the water then how is it going to prevent the pasta that is underneath the surface of the water from sticking?
In other words, you don't need oil in your pasta cooking water. All you need is salt to season the pasta. When you drain the pasta, if you are not going to use it right away, then you toss it with oil.
Enjoy
In other words, you don't need oil in your pasta cooking water. All you need is salt to season the pasta. When you drain the pasta, if you are not going to use it right away, then you toss it with oil.
Enjoy
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Culinary tips-juicing lemons and purchasing cheese
OK all here are a couple tips for you.
1. Juicing fresh lemons. Put a lemon on the counter and place your palm on top and press down rolling the lemon back in forth as if you were massaging it. Then put the lemon(s) in the microwave just to warm them before juicing them. Don't cook them.
2. Purchasing cheese. Assuming you are not buying Velveeta or some processed cheese and want to have good quality cheese, never buy pre-cut cheese. When you are going to spend some money on cheese they should cut it for you there on the spot.
1. Juicing fresh lemons. Put a lemon on the counter and place your palm on top and press down rolling the lemon back in forth as if you were massaging it. Then put the lemon(s) in the microwave just to warm them before juicing them. Don't cook them.
2. Purchasing cheese. Assuming you are not buying Velveeta or some processed cheese and want to have good quality cheese, never buy pre-cut cheese. When you are going to spend some money on cheese they should cut it for you there on the spot.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Green vegetables
Well, now that I have started a culinary blog it may be nice to give some culinary advice so today I will give you the "how to" of green vegetable cookery
First let's start with the obvious point. Green vegetables are called that because of their color, so let's keep 'em that way.
I have put these instructions in the simplest and hopefully easy-to-follow manner to ensure no step is left out for those of you who don't know how to cook them properly. If you don't know this you shouldn't feel bad. I have found green vegetable cookery to be more challenging for less experienced cooks.
NOTE: Whenever following any recipe or cooking instructions, read it/them at least a couple times prior to cooking. Get everything ready before starting your recipe. You don't want to be looking for some ingredient or utensil when it comes to that time in the recipe only to find you can't find it.
1. Put a pot of water on high heat to boil. To know what size pot to use will depend on the quantity of vegetables you are going to cook. If you are cooking for 4 people then put a gallon sized pot on to boil.
2. Add a generous amount of salt. How much is enough? After the salt has dissolved, (should take a few seconds or so) quickly dip your finger in the water and taste. It should taste like sea water.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, cut your vegetables for cooking. Cut some extra if you like to test doneness.
4. Make sure the pieces of vegetables are the same size so everything cooks evenly.
5. Place the colander in the sink.
6. Make sure the water is boiling violently. Add the vegetables and cook. The proper ratio of vegetable to water is this: Once you add the vegetables, if the water does not return to a boil IMMEDIATELY then you added too many vegetables.
7. Get a saute pan large enough to accommodate the vegetables and add some butter. Place the pan over medium heat to melt the butter.
8. To test the doneness of the vegetables: First, remember they should have a pretty green color and be tender but have some bite when bitten into. If you are new at this, stand there and watch the time and vegetables so you have some kind of gauge. Assuming you are cooking normal sized broccoli spears or green beans, take a piece out after 2-3 mintues. Taste it. Is it really crunchy? If you can hear a crunch when you bite it, it is undercooked. Does it have some firmness but tender? If the latter, pour the pot of vegetables into the colander and drain completely.
NOTE: If you are new to this, taste a piece of vegetable every minute so you don't run the risk of overcooking until you are comfortable with cooking green vegetables.
9. Once the vegetables are drained add them to the pan with the melted butter, add seasoning and toss to ensure the vegetables are coated. Taste. Serve.
One note about seasoning. Add in small amounts. You can always add more but you cant take out.
If you don't have a large pot to cook in than cook in a smaller pot and cook smaller quantities at a time.
Over and out Y'all
First let's start with the obvious point. Green vegetables are called that because of their color, so let's keep 'em that way.
I have put these instructions in the simplest and hopefully easy-to-follow manner to ensure no step is left out for those of you who don't know how to cook them properly. If you don't know this you shouldn't feel bad. I have found green vegetable cookery to be more challenging for less experienced cooks.
NOTE: Whenever following any recipe or cooking instructions, read it/them at least a couple times prior to cooking. Get everything ready before starting your recipe. You don't want to be looking for some ingredient or utensil when it comes to that time in the recipe only to find you can't find it.
1. Put a pot of water on high heat to boil. To know what size pot to use will depend on the quantity of vegetables you are going to cook. If you are cooking for 4 people then put a gallon sized pot on to boil.
2. Add a generous amount of salt. How much is enough? After the salt has dissolved, (should take a few seconds or so) quickly dip your finger in the water and taste. It should taste like sea water.
3. While the water is coming to a boil, cut your vegetables for cooking. Cut some extra if you like to test doneness.
4. Make sure the pieces of vegetables are the same size so everything cooks evenly.
5. Place the colander in the sink.
6. Make sure the water is boiling violently. Add the vegetables and cook. The proper ratio of vegetable to water is this: Once you add the vegetables, if the water does not return to a boil IMMEDIATELY then you added too many vegetables.
7. Get a saute pan large enough to accommodate the vegetables and add some butter. Place the pan over medium heat to melt the butter.
8. To test the doneness of the vegetables: First, remember they should have a pretty green color and be tender but have some bite when bitten into. If you are new at this, stand there and watch the time and vegetables so you have some kind of gauge. Assuming you are cooking normal sized broccoli spears or green beans, take a piece out after 2-3 mintues. Taste it. Is it really crunchy? If you can hear a crunch when you bite it, it is undercooked. Does it have some firmness but tender? If the latter, pour the pot of vegetables into the colander and drain completely.
NOTE: If you are new to this, taste a piece of vegetable every minute so you don't run the risk of overcooking until you are comfortable with cooking green vegetables.
9. Once the vegetables are drained add them to the pan with the melted butter, add seasoning and toss to ensure the vegetables are coated. Taste. Serve.
One note about seasoning. Add in small amounts. You can always add more but you cant take out.
If you don't have a large pot to cook in than cook in a smaller pot and cook smaller quantities at a time.
Over and out Y'all
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