Warning the guest without dissing the chef, the kitchen, or the food

The other day, we had a soup de jour that had a very profound and prominent herb. To be fair, this herb was actually part of the name of the soup. To be additionally fair, it’s not one of my favorite herbs in and of itself, although I certainly appreciate the appropriate use of it. And finally, everyone knows what it tastes like, so it’s not like it’s an exotic ingredient or anything.

However, I thought it was way over the top, especially since it was the only obvious seasoning component other than salt and pepper.

So how does one communicate this without trashing the restaurant’s product? Here’s how I did it.

I gave the name of the soup and said, “The (X-herb) is very prominent in the soup. If you like (X-herb), you’re going to love it.  However, if you’re ambivalent about (X-herb) or dislike it, you should try our other soup. And, just so you know, I’m a little sensitive to this herb, so take what I say with a grain of salt”.

You notice that I haven’t run down our own product or questioned the ability of our chef or our kitchen. As a matter of fact, it might have been a really great soup for most people. But I did my due diligence by tasting it, I formed an opinion, and I was able to communicate that opinion my guests in an appropriate fashion and also cover my ass if they didn’t like it.

Things I considered (and discarded) were:

“Man, this soup sucks! It’s like chewing on a pine tree”.

“Are you kidding me? I wouldn’t feed this swill to Saddam Hussein”.

:sound of random gagging noises:

“It would make a good disinfectant”.

“It’s the smell of clean”.

“I hate the waste of a perfectly good chicken”.

Cookbook of the day – The Art of Creole Cooking (1962)

The Art of Creole Cooking

by William I. Kaufman and sister Mary Ursula Cooper, O.P.

Publisher Kessinger Publishing, LLC (September 12, 2007)

ISBN 10: 0548387699

ISBN 13: 978-0548387696

The cover subtitle of this book is accurate: A delicious composite of familiar and not-so-familiar Creole recipes documented with pertinent historical comments.

I have the original edition of this, complete with the original dustcover pictured above. Long out of print, it has been republished by the above publisher in 2007, so it is once again available to the discerning foodie. Currently, there’s at least one copy of the book with original dustcover available for $40, but there are several available without dustcover at eBay for far less. If you are happy with a paperback reprint, the book will set you back around $20.

Before we get into the book itself, let’s make clear that Creole cooking isn’t the same as Cajun cooking, even though it shares many characteristics, including reliance on the integral brown roux, used as a foundation ingredient in many dishes in both cuisines. However, Creole cooking integrates Spanish and American Indian flourishes in addition to French and Black influences.

Basically, Cajuns were more isolated, as you might expect from a group of Acadian ex-pats from Canada. They stuck together and stayed more of a closed culture, and their cuisine generally reflects that. Creoles tended to employ more diverse influences. You might make a broad sweeping generalization (always dangerous, of course) that Cajuns were more rural and Creoles more urban. People who are in the know will tell you that most cuisine that you find in New Orleans proper is actually mostly Creole, rather than Cajun. Creole is a more “refined” cuisine, while Cajun is more “comfort food” (refined not intended to mean that it’s “better”). This makes Creole a better cuisine for restaurant service with its refined sauces and plate presentation possibilities. Cajun is more what you would find at family gatherings, as it’s very “pot-centric” and family-style. Creole also has a Caribbean influence because many Creoles have a Haitian heritage. 

Tom Fitzmorris, famed New Orleans food critic, has a very sensible primer on the difference between the two, and it’s worth a read:

http://www.tabasco.com/taste_tent/menu_planning/cajun_vs_creole_cooking.cfm

Now that we’ve dispensed with this, what about the book? The most famous Creole dish is Shrimp Creole. But Creole cuisine is far more than that, which you will discover when you browse this book. There are many French-based recipes such as Crepes Suzette and Delicieux Poulet au Vin (Delightful Chicken with Wine), made with sherry rather than the red wine that you would expect from a French chicken dish with vin in the title. There is Oyster Stuffing, Braised Pigeons or Doves, Turtle Soup, Porcupines (a tasty little baked confection made from ground pecans, dates, shredded coconut, brown sugar and eggs) and Crackling Corn Bread (which reflects the Black culinary influence).

Every chapter has specific information about the Creole slant on the following recipes and it’s full of practical information that will help you navigate the cuisine.

I highly recommend this volume, whether you try to seek out an original copy or simply buy the current reprint.

Creole Boudin (Creole Sausage)

Kitchen tool of the day – tabletop convection over/toaster

This is my exact model of convection oven/toaster. There are larger capacity “ovens” but I’ve got a pretty small kitchen, so I wanted a pretty small footprint. Also, I got a refurbished model from Amazon for around $30.

These things are very handy. I still use a toaster for most of my bread slice toasting needs, but I use this for roasting quail, dehydrating peppers, cooking small pork tenderloins, roasting chicken parts and small chickens 3 lbs or less, and my most common use, toasting rolls that I’ve frozen, mostly brought home from the restaurant on Sunday night that are left over from the weekend and about to be tossed.

I’ve got a foolproof way to do this. I pop a frozen roll or two into the microwave for 30 seconds. This warms them up from the middle. Then I set the oven on “toast”, which I have preset for “middle dark” and I throw them in. If the oven hasn’t been on at all, the time is preset for 4min 30sec. I usually move the rolls around a little to keep them from burning on the top and as soon as they’re brown (usually around 3 and a half minutes), I pull them out.They come out just about perfectly toasted and hot and tender in the middle. I do this for frozen bread slices as well.

I like the convection feature for cooking things like chicken breasts and thighs. Quail is a little trickier because it stands so tall in the compartment and you have to be careful that you don’t burn the top part of the bird. It’s perfect for baking just a few cookies or reheating  pizza slices. It looks small, but is surprisingly cavernous for its size. It has a wide variety of controls, including a dehydrating function that works well. You can buy a special dehydrating tray but I find that I haven’t really needed it. I’ve only dehydrated fresh chile peppers with it though.

It’s a very handy device. It sits on top of my microwave, so it actually doesn’t take up any countertop space.

There are many good brands and a variety of sizes. You should get the largest size that your counter-top will accommodate, because some of them are large enough to roast a whole chicken larger than 3 lbs or bake a small pizza. The DeLonghi that I have has worked perfectly for over a year, and, even though it was refurbished, came packaged as looking brand new. I don’t think Amazon has them at the moment, but it’s worth being on the lookout of them being run as a special. Most decent brand new tabletop convection ovens run between $75 – $250, but even if you have to buy a new one, they are worth their weight in gold. They’re much more efficient than using your regular stove oven for many tasks.

Cookbook of the day – The New Professional Chef

The New Professional Chef

by The Culinary Institute of America

 

Publisher:Van Nostrand Reinhold; 6 Sub edition (November 7, 1995)  

ISBN-10: 0471286796

ISBN-13: 978-0471286790

 

This is the basic textbook of the Culinary Institute of America (CIA). It’s big and expensive. I don’t recommend buying it new, but you can sometimes find it at used bookstores for $20 – $30.

Obviously, it has a lot of basic information about things that a chef needs to know about nutrition, safety concerns, kitchen tools, food prep and food ingredients. However, I think that some of the other books that I’ve recommended that focus on specific things like ingredients, cooking techniques for specific cuisines, etc. is money better spent.

I’m recommending this book to those who have the occasional need to produce food for large gatherings. if you occasionally throw large dinner parties, patio barbecues for family and friends, or do the occasional catering gig, this book is invaluable because it had many many recipes for basic sauces, stocks and classic dishes that are designed for 10 or more people.

Most restaurant chefs in quality restaurants keep this volume handy, and it’s a short-sighted professional caterer that doesn’t also use this volume often. It’s also useful for the non-pro as well, but only if you cook for large families and gatherings occasionally.

Cookbook of the day – Steven Raichlen’s BBQ USA

BBQ USA: 425 Fiery Recipes from All Across America

by Steven Raichlen

 

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company (April 22, 2003)

ISBN-10: 0761120157

ISBN-13: 978-0761120155

 

This hefty paperback (which clocks in at almost 800 pages) is Steven Raichlen attempts to survey the incredible regional variety of American barbecue, and it overwhelmingly succeeds.

From the low country barbecue of South Carolina to the brisket of Texas, from Memphis pulled pork to Santa Maria central California tri-tip, from the brats of Wisconsin to Miami’s lecon asado, pork marinated in adobo and garlic and wrapped in banana leaves, you’ll get well-documented rubs, seasonings and cooking techniques from across the USA.

Raichlen also provides plenty of history of barbecue from the various regions of the country. You even get specific recommendations for restaurants, diners, shacks and various eateries in each region.

If you are a barbecue fan, this is a must-have.

I hope everyone has a safe and happy 4th of July and my condolences to the family, friends, fans and fellow sportspeople of Steve McNair, the ex-NFL quarterback who was found shot to death this afternoon in downtown Nashville in his rented condominium.

RIP – Steve McNair

Cookbook of the day – Let The Flames Begin

Let the Flames Begin: Tips, Techniques and Recipes for Real Live Fire Cooking

by Chris Schlesinger and John Willoughby

 

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Co.; Reissue edition (8 Aug 2003)  

ISBN-10: 0393050874

ISBN-13: 978-0393050875

 

Chris Schlesinger is the chef/owner of the East Coast Grill in Cambridge Mass. and three other restaurants and is also a food author with several other books under his belt and John Willoughby is executive editor of Gourmet magazine.  This book  is a followup to the previous grilling books, The Thrill of the Grill and License to Grill, and is a great overview of the art of grilling and smoking and a wide-ranging selection of well-chosen recipes.

 From making “hobo packs” to prosciutto-stuffed grilled chicken tenderloins with fresh figs and pesto butter, both traditionalists and internationalists can find flavorful dishes to prepare.

You get a good primer on the various grilling and smoking techniques and it’s obvious that both authors are aficionados of grilling wherever they encounter it, whether it be in South Carolina or the streets of Kingston.

In this prime grilling season, I hope that you will consider picking up the book.

BTW, I have a first edition of this book. This has a different cover. You might find it with this cover:

Here are your authors:

Portrait of John Willoughby by Romulo Yanes

A 4th of July gift to you – my secret dry rub recipe

I don’t give this out to just anyone.

First of all, this dry rub is perfect for pulled pork (Boston Butt or shoulder, or even whole pig), but it’s also good on pork tenderloin, ribs and chicken. You can even do a blackened steak with this and it’s good for brisket as well. Due to the high sugar content, it’s going to give you a black bark (the crunchy outside of the meat). But don’t worry – it might look “burned” but it will add to the flavor. In fact, a black bark is the key to an authentic Memphis BBQ.

If you are doing a Boston Butt or shoulder, here’s a secret – rub the meat with palm sugar first. Palm sugar is an ingredient used in Thai and Vietnamese cooking. Don’t use dried palm sugar, use the type in a jar that has a coating of oil over it, like this:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wash your hands really well and then spoon some out and put it in your hand. Make sure you get some of the oil on it as well. The palm sugar itself will be a little hard and grainy, but it will start to melt from the heat of your hand and the oil. Give the pork a good coating. If you don’t have any palm sugar (this is something you should have in your pantry at all times), molasses, Karo, maple syrup (the real thing, not fake pancake syrup) or a light coat of honey will do.

Then coat the whole meat with the rub, making sure to get it good and covered, top, bottom and sides. The heavier you can coat it, the thicker and crunchier the bark will be. If you don’t want a lot of bark, then an light, even coat will do.

And now for the rub:

There are no quantities given. This is one of those things that you’ll eyeball. However, make sure you make brown sugar is the biggest ingredient. It forms the base of the rub. I’m going to list the ingredients in rough order of how much you’ll use. Feel free to tinker with it. As a guideline, if you use a cup of brown sugar, you’ll be adding a few tablespoons of the other ingredients, with the possible exception of chili powder, cumin and paprika. You want to be generous with those. they are the main flavoring and coloring ingredients.

You’ll start with brown sugar (you can use either light or dark or a combination of the two), cumin, chili powder and paprika (you’ll want to have liberal amounts of the spices – don’t be shy – you can always add more sugar if you go overboard). The cumin is best if you can get whole cumin seeds and toast them briefly in a hot skillet and then grind them up in a spice mill or coffee grinder that you have reserved for spices).  Then you’ll add smaller amounts of dry mustard (also better if you can toast whole mustard seeds and grind them up), onion powder, freshly ground sea or kosher salt and freshly cracked peppercorn. then you’ll take some dried oregano and dried basil and add them, making sure that you rub them between your fingers to break them up into a powder. You’ll add turmeric (be generous because this helps with the color). Then you add coriander. As with the cumin and mustard seeds, best to toast them and grind them – in fact, you can do them at the same time and grind them together. But if you can’t do that, dried coriander is fine. Then add dried thyme. If you can find the sweet thyme sold in bags for Middle Eastern cooking, you should use it. I like to add it without grinding it because it gives a little extra texture to the rub.

Make sure you mix it all very well. This helps dry out the brown sugar a little and gets all of the ingredients well incorporated. At this point, it should look brick red. If it’s too orange from the tumeric, add more chili powder. It should be grainy without any clumps. You might want to let it sit out for a day so that the brown sugar dries completely and then remix it, although this isn’t really necessary.

At this point, I like to take some dried chiles and grind them in the coffee grinder that I have dedicated for spices (you should definitely have one of these around the house, but never use a coffee grinder that you use for coffee). I like to add one chipotle, one habanero, two or three Thai bird peppers and a couple of Japanese chiles. You’ll get a few tablespoons which you’ll set aside. CAUTION: don’t breathe this powder or get it in your eyes. If you get any on your hands, wash them immediately before touching any part of your body. This is very hot. Then I like to break up an ancho chile pepper and a cascabel and grind them, which I add to the reserved ground chile. I then incorporate them into the rub. If you can’t stand spicy food, you can leave these out, or just do ancho chile and cascabel, which aren’t very hot, but keep in mind that if you’re doing pulled pork, the heat from the chiles is going to be mitigated by the long cooking time. Also, you’re free to substitute your favorite dried peppers.

Finally, the secret ingredient. No, I’m not going to post it publically. If you give me your email address in the comment section and ask me for it, I’ll send it to you. The rub will be just fine without it, but the secret ingredient sets it apart from other more conventional rubs.

You’ll want to end up with a very grainy, brick red, slightly orangy rub. You can play around with the proportions and there are other things such as adobo or lemon salt that you can add if you want. Feel free to experiment. If you want to avoid a black bark and get the kind of mahogony color that you see from other styles of BBQ or from the pros, leave out the brown sugar and don’t rub it with any sugar product at all. Just make the rub without sugar and put a light coat of it directly on the meat. It will stick due to the moisture that’s already there.

This rub is good for beefing up commercial BBQ sauces as well. Add a little at a time to taste. It’s also good for adding to apple juice and vinegar as a mop. When you mop a butt or a shoulder during cooking, you build up the bark and add to the depthness of flavor.

Enjoy the rub and I’ll be interested in any comments from users.

This is a stock picture of a rub. I like to make sure that I don’t have any clumps of brown sugar or big flakes of spices, except for the thyme that I get from the Middle Eastern market. I make sure that I pulverize any oregano and basil leaves into a powder by rubbing it between my fingers. However, this is close to the color that you want. Just make sure that you mix it up better so that you get very fine granules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 And this is the result:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doesn’t that just make your mouth water? My chef at work gives this two thumbs up.

New link added – www.johnmariani.com

www.johnmariani.com

This is the site of Esquire food editor John Mariani and it has a link to his Virtual Gourmet newsletter. There you can vicariously experience the wrold of dining and food. It’s a foodie’s delight, although you might sometimes feel like you’re outside looking in.

In the current issue of the newsletter, Mariani surveys the Atlanta dining scene.

So, look for the link in my Foodie blogroll.

Cookbook of the day – The Harry’s Bar Cookbook

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Harry’s Bar Cookbook

by Arrigo Cipriani

Publisher: Bantam (October 1, 1991)

ISBN-10: 0553070304

ISBN-13: 978-0553070309

There aren’t many dishes where you can point to an inventor. Most dishes are either old classics with creators long-forgotten or they just have sprung up without attribution. Probably the most famous dish attributed to a single person is the Caesar salad, a salad invented by Caesar Cardini in Tijuana Mexico in the 20s and there’s even a little dispute about that. 

 What’s beyond dispute is the fact that carpaccio, the famous thinly sliced beef (or other meats for that matter), was invented in 1950 by the owner of Harry’s Bar in Venice, Giuseppe Cipriani. The Contessa Amalia Nani Mocenigo had been forbidden to eat cooked meat by her doctor and, voila! the carpaccio was born. Cipriani named it after one of his favorite painters, Vittore Carpaccio, the Venetian Renaissance painter who used bright reds and whites in his paintings.

This is the actual Harry’s Bar carpaccio, courtesy of famed food writer John Mariano at www.johnmariano.com :

Notice that it’s not all gussied up with superfluous greens, scattered with capers or any such excess. That’s the original.

And you can read all about it in this wonderful cookbook,  The Harry’s Bar Cookbook, written by the son of Giuseppe, Arrigo Cipriani (Arrigo is Italian for Harry).  The history of the restaurant is lovingly told by Arrigo, who relates the story of how Harry’s Bar came to be. It was named for an American, Harry Pickering, who was the beneficiary of kindness from Giuseppe, who at the time was a barman at the Hotel Europa in Venice. I won’t spoil the story, except to say that it’s a tale worthy of F. Scott Fitzgerald. You’ll have to pick up the book to read about it.

Harry’s Bar has always been a hangout for the wealthy and famous of the world, from Ernest Hemingway to the Onassises, globe trotters and royalty, decadent expatriots and famous movie stars like Richard Burton have found their way to the modest bar for the glories of great Italian ingredients simply and freshly prepared, and they are prepared to pay a premium price for it. The place oozes history, and you’re along for the ride with this cookbook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Winner of the Julia child 1st Cookbook Award and The James Beard Award, you’ll find this book a treasure of family pride and tales of the upper crust. And let’s not forget that it’s Harry’s Bar, not Harry’s Restaurant, a point that Cipriani makes as he tells you how to make the perfect Bellini, the peach cocktail that he claims his father invented in the 30s. So Giuseppe is responsible to not one but two well-known culinary items. Amazing.

Anyway, you’ll find all of the recipes to make you feel like you’re overlooking the canals of Venice and you’ll get the famous carpaccio sauce recipe as well.

The Harry’s Bar Cookbook – as classic a cookbook as Harry’s Bar itself is. 

The Dream of St. Ursula – Vittorio Carpaccio (1495)

Cookbook of the day – How To Grill

How to Grill: The Complete Illustrated Book of Barbecue Techniques

by Steven Raichlen

 

Publisher: Workman Publishing Company; illustrated edition edition (May 1, 2001)

ISBN-10: 0761120149

ISBN-13: 978-0761120148

 

Perhaps you’ve seen Steven Raichlen on his show Primal Grill. If you liked it, you’ll love this book. Lavishly photographed, with step-by-step photographs, you’ll learn by watching, almost as if he were over your shoulder. You’ll learn how to barbeque a whole pig, how to build different types of fires, how to judge the temperature of the grill using the hand technique (no, you don’t rest your hand on the grill!).  He covers pulled pork (one of my specialties), and does a reasonable job of covering the world’s different grilling techniques, from jerk to churrasco to yakitori. Even experienced grillmeisters can benefit from this colorful book. This isn’t an “artsy” book – the photographs are instructional in nature, not evocative, although there are some shots of grilled meats and veggies that are likely to get your pulse racing.

It seems appropriate on July 1st to recommend that everyone pick up this book before their 4th of July festivities. You might find something “out-of-the-box” with which to dazzle your guests.