THOUP!!!! Potato and Leek with Prosciutto

I have to admit, I've never been a huge fan of soup. I couldn't even tell you why. I had a relatively normal childhood that frequently included eating classics like tomato soup with grilled cheese sandwiches and chicken noodle with soda crackers. As I got older, Moms switched it up to more grown up tastes with a very memorable homemade beef and barley soup, and turkey soup always after holidays. Somewhere along the way though, I just sort of gave up on soup. I never ordered the soup du jour at restaurants, you couldn't find me buying cans of Campbell's at the grocery store, and I'd be hard-pressed to make a soup from scratch at home.

I do recall a time in university when one of my bests came down with a terrible bout of the "itis", and I decided to make some homemade chicken noodle from a whole bird we had in the fridge. At the time it seemed like an appropriate remedy to help a brotha out. It turned out to be the best damn soup any of us had experienced up until that point. Even after that, I still wasn't too stoked on soup for some reason. Until a few weeks ago, it had been a long time since soup hit my lips. Miss Jones whipped up a concoction from some fresh market veggies while I was at work. She just cooked up some onions and garlic, threw in chopped up veggies, some chicken broth, a bold dash of chili powder, and a scoop quinoa, simmered, and then POW! She had fashioned some goodness and inspiration in the form of a warm, spicy, simple and flavourful bowl party. But seriously, what is there not to like about soup? There are so many different varieties and people have been eating it before history remembers. I bet the cavemen made some pretty badass saber-tooth consommé.

I encourage you to shift your view of soup from a condensed liquid in a can to a medium for culinary creativity. Start with some classics, then add your personal twists, throwing in whatever ingredients you love or might have kicking around the fridge. I made some simple Potato and Leek soup, and threw in some prosciutto that needed some love. You could easily use bacon or pancetta, which might even pack even more flavour when it is cooked up then simmered.

You will need:
- A few strips of bacon or prosciutto, sliced, or a handful or two of cubed pancetta
- 2 large leeks, sliced thinly
- About a pound of potatoes, cubed (about two big handfuls of baby potatoes or 2-3 large potatoes like yukon golds)
- 2 cups of chicken stock
- 1/2 cup milk

- Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper

- 1/2 cup sharp/extra old cheddar cheese, crumbled or grated

Throw the cut up bacon-like meat in a cold stock pot (big ass sauce pan, usually has two handles), turn your burner to medium heat. Get your bacon cooking so the meat starts to brown and the fat starts to render and melt away.

Once, your bacon is looking sexy and starting to crisp, throw the cleaned and sliced leeks right into the pan. You want to get the leeks softened a bit and to mingle with tasty bacon flavour. Don't drain the fat, much of the flavour is derived from the drippings.

Once the leeks are starting to smell real nice, throw in the potatoes and give them a good stir, let those cook for a few more minutes. Then stir in the stock, throw in a few pinches of sea salt, and a couple grinds of fresh pepper. Put a lid on that shit, turn the heat down to a simmer and let the flavours party together for about 30 minutes, until the potatoes are nice and tender. Mix in the milk and turn the heat back up if you'd like, but don't bring it to a boil!. 

If you want a smooth, creamy soup, blend it for a few seconds with a hand blender or rock it old-school with a chunky steeze. Obviously, as it is a soup, serve it in bowls, with a dollop or swirl of sour cream if you got it, and a generous amount of cheese on top. Throw some fresh chives or parsley on top for a little extra sumfin-sumfin. Makes for a good starter in a small portion, or a hearty meal with a chunk of nice bread. Note that I don't have a pic of the finished product as I was too hungry to take photos and the soup too delicious. Make it for yourself, it's super simple, and very delectable. If you're of the vegetarian variety, omit the bacon and saute the leeks in a hunk of butter for flavour, also use vegetable stock. Or make an exception in your ethical choices for things as tasty as bacon. F'real.

Give It to me Like you Mean It

A Primer on Presentation.



A very positive externality of this blog has been its ability to amp my creative juices.
It became a motivation to add the missing tools to my kitchen, and add some professionalism to the tasty displays.

Then J, with his "gadgets ain't shit" thinking, gave me a hint of inspiration. He helped me realize that purchasing excessive equipment would achieve a result that expressly fails to align with what this blog stands for.

The following recipe made use of the bounty of mother nature's bosom, in all of her autumn glory (referred to hereafter as MN). I cooked it up and served it in the most beautiful, simplistic way I could, as a token of my appreciation for the hook up on great eats, on the daily. Word up MN.

Proper food presentation can likely be achieved with other shit you have in your kitchen. Creative displays in disguise, items in your cabinets can have many alternate uses.
Did you pass seventh grade geometry?
What about eighth grade art class?

If your answer is yes, read on. You have the necessary tools to be a presentation master. If not, you likely fit into one of two categories:

1. You are either way too young to be reading this and should refer to Bill Nye for better education than I can offer.
   
2. Mom & dad fucked up. Go back to school. Again, my words of wisdom are a lost cause. Go back to school now before you resort to selling your computer for drug money.
   

MN's fall selection for this crash-course on presentation was:

- Yellow Beets, a couple handfuls worth (yellow in this case, cause they're sweeter and more delicious in my opinion)
- Half a Turnip
- A Yellow Onion
- 2 Apples
- Some sort of greens (I used baby spinach)
- A few sprigs of fresh Dill
- Garlic, S&P, Olive Oil (obviously)
- A Pork Tenderloin, or whatever meat you want, served how you want it. (this isn't a pork tenderloin recipe so I won't go into further detail)



Fall, more than any other season, highlights the need for a sharp ass knife in your repertoire of tools. This is no gadget. It is the single most useful tool in your kitchen, especially when MN is throwing root vegetables at you.

Furthermore, get a roasting pan. Real men don't just BBQ, they roast too. While the average man freezes outside in January, turning his steak on the BBQ, you'll be laughing it up inside, convivially charming your guests, cold drink in hand.


Peel the beets, and dice them into small chunks (1/2 cm wide about). Dice the onion and turnip the same way. Mince a few cloves of garlic and toss it in. Garnish with olive oil. Add some S&P. Now we're talking. Toss it all in your roasting pan. Introduce the roasting pan to the cooking box and let them mingle for 40 minutes, at 350. You want the beats to stay slightly crispy.

Now mingle with your guests. They are the reason you are doing this presentation shit after all (no offense MN).

As you remove the goodies from the oven, dice up some lovely red apples, skin on, about the same size as your veggies. Don't dice them earlier or they will turn brown, and your colour matching is out the window.

Now you want to make a nice stack that will highlight the colours that will come to life on your plate. I used a tea mug but any item that catches your eye may do. The laws of physics apply here so choose your weapon wisely. Sure a champagne flute is dope in theory. I won't go into the details of why it won't work...

Lay the diced apples in your mug. Fill it about half way.
On the side, toss the greens in olive oil. Also, toss some fresh dill into the veggies. Lay the greens on top of your apples in the shaping vessel of choice. This will give you a dope colour separation effect. Top it up with the freshly roasted mix of deliciousness. Flip the mug onto your plate and remove it, leaving the veggies in a wonderful stack.



Get creative with how you plate your meat too. Toss some parsley around. Serve the plate hot, and have your meat facing your guests, as in life.

-Dave

Love Me Long Thai-me

So maybe you've been living under a rock for the past while and haven't been exposed to the tasty sensations of Thai curry. Now I'm not claiming to be some sort of expert on Thai food, or curries for that matter, but I would like to regard myself as an expert on deliciousness. This dish I made the other night might not be a traditional Thai curry in anyway, but it was definitely inspired by the cuisine and flavours. For those readers who do not know shit about curries, there are a few different kinds and they all have different tastes. Curry is found commonly in South Asian cooking, and the flavours vary from culture to culture. Speaking specifically about Thai curries, there are primarily yellow, red and green curries. They all taste unique, but can be categorized by their heat level. One might assume that green is the mildest, and red is the hottest with yellow being a cautionary medium heat, but it is not the case. Yellow curries are milder, with red being a medium heat, and green being the spiciest. I'm not a huge fan of yellow curry and opt for red and green usually. Even if you're not a fan of spicy food (pansy), you can use red or green curry to achieve fantastic flavour, just don't use too much.

When I made this dish I was trying to keep it pretty light in the sense that there is no meat in it, but it is actually quite hearty and filling. Instead of using meat, I used chick peas for protein, and they have a great texture, too. Sweet potatoes and baby potatoes were also used which definitely helps thicken up this meal and makes it stick to your ribs. Since there is no meat in this dish, the potatoes are easy to digest and you don't feel like shit after eating a big ass bowl of this goodness. Also, to up the health factor, instead of using plain old boring rice, I cooked up some flavourful quinoa (say keen-wa) to party with the curry. Quinoa is an ancient seed from South America that is ridiculously good for you. It has been called a super grain, and it has protein and all the amino acids you need in it. It is becoming fairly common place in super markets and should be found in the health food section or around where you would find cous cous. It also cooks quicker than rice, and tastes a hell of a lot better, especially when cooked with some onions and garlic.

You will need:

Chick pea and Sweet Potato Curry

Splash of olive or vegetable oil

4 cloves of garlic, chopped real fine

1 large onion, chopped

A small finger of ginger (throw it in the freezer if you remember)

Teaspoon of curry paste (approximately, add more if you're into spiciness)

2 Sweet potatoes, peeled and cubed

4-5 New baby potatoes, washed and cubed

Can of chick peas (drained and rinsed)

Can of coconut milk

1/2 cup of some sort of nut butter (cashew butter is amazing but pricey, peanut butter is good but opt for some real shit not the sugary Kraft stuff)

1 cup of orange juice

Pinch or two of sea salt

Bunch of fresh cilantro, roughly chopped

Quinoa Pilaf

Splash of olive oil

1 small onion, chopped real fine

2 cloves of garlic, chopped real fine

1 cup of Quinoa, rinsed in cold water and drained

2 cups of chicken broth, or vegetable broth, or water

Sea salt and ground black pepper

The quinoa cooks pretty quick so start with the curry.

Splash some oil in a large stock pot over medium-high heat and toss in that onion and garlic to party until they're light golden brown, about 5 minutes.

Grate some ginger into the pan with a microplane if you got one, or the fine side of a box grater, and spoon in the curry paste. Keep this shit partying in the pot until the spices are thoroughly heated and fragrant as hell, another couple minutes.

Invite the sweet potatoes, chick peas, coconut milk, orange juice, nut butter, and a dash of salt to the pot party. Stir it up, bring it to a solid simmer, then rock the heat down low and continue to simmer until the potatoes are all tender, about 30 minutes. Now is a good time to start cooking the quinoa.

Throw some oil in a sauce pan over medium heat, and toss in the garlic and onions, cooking until they get a nice little tan on. Add the quinoa and cook for about 5 more minutes so it too gets nice and toasty like. This will be the difference between good quinoa, and tasty-as-fuck quinoa. Yes it'll be that tasty. 

Pour in the liquid, season with sea salt and a few grinds of pepper, and bring that shit to a simmer. Cover and cook until the liquid is all absorbed, and the is tender, about 15 minutes. Let it stand for a few minutes before serving into bowls.

Now that the quinoa is done, and the curry is finished simmering, throw the chopped cilantro into the curry and serve in bowls on top of quinoa. Garnish with a few sprigs of cilantro, and some chopped cashews or peanuts. Devour. 

On a bit of a side note, curry is super versatile. By super, I mean you could literally throw garbage into it and make it taste reasonably delicious. Well, maybe not garbage but hopefully you get the point. Add whatever vegetables you have kicking around or enjoy. Since squash is in season, add some squash instead of sweet potatoes, throw some brocolli in, or add some tomatoes. Peas, why not? Spinach, sure. Even add some meat if you can't stand vegetarian food simply for the fact that you think it's not manly enough. Truth be told, it is completely possible to not eat meat at every meal and still maintain a manly rapport, especially with bold flavours like curry.  

Deliciousness In the Palm Of Your Hands

Sometimes I find myself at the market in a daze, unsure of what I need to purchase in order to feed myself for the week. Whilst browsing the internet and tech website, Mashable.com, I stumbled across this article which outlines many different food-related apps for the iPhone, which would likely help inspire some delicious ideas. The apps featured in the article range from finding restaurants in your area, to global recipes, and even deciphering what you might be eating while out at an Asian restaurant. I do love my iPhone, so I'm definitely going to check some of these apps out.

Surreal Gourmet

Short and Slow: It's Not The Size That Matters, As Long As You Take The Time

Last night the temperature dropped below zero and the smell of wood smoke from chimneys filled the air which means only one thing. Summer is officially gone. After a year of an endless summer, my tan has faded and I'm having to accept the fact that fall has arrived. As much as I try to remain in denial of this conclusion, I have begun to look forward to the many things I missed out on over the last year. With the absence of autumn and winter, I didn't get to enjoy the foods that come along with the seasons. I had been void of good cooking and quality food all together, so I've been heavily indulging in the freshness and abundance that the Byward Market has been offering lately. I found amongst the local vendors some colourful heirloom carrots, tiny brussel sprouts, fragrant leeks, and new potatoes that would be perfect for a seasonally inspired meal. The butcher in the market had some incredibly marbled beef short ribs that I couldn't say no to, so I picked up two gorgeous slabs that would be the center of the meal.

Nothing about the meal that resulted was difficult. In fact, it is unbelievably simple, yet yields such an impressive and delicious result. Short ribs are a well marbled and particularly tough cut of beef (not very expensive either), so it definitely wants to be slowly cooked so the fat melts away and the meat becomes tender and rich. The beer braised short ribs and the roasted vegetables took minimal effort, while the accompanying mashed brown butter mashed potatoes are unlike any potato I've ever eaten, but also extremely unpretentious. I found the recipe for the potatoes in Michael Smith's cook book, Chef at Home, and I am glad I did.

I broke this into a few different parts for organization, but you will need:


Meat:
- Nicely marbled beef short ribs, enough to feed however many people you wanna feed... (usually a butcher will trim them into 4 rib sections, which will feed two ladies or one hungry man)
- Case of dark ale, or stout
- Sea Salt and Pepper
- Couple tablespoons of butter/olive oil
- Couple tablespoons of flour
Veggie:
- Bunch of heirloom carrots, sliced in half lengthwise
- Handful or two of leeks, sliced
- Handful or two of brussel sprouts
- Bunch of fresh herbs like thyme or rosemary
- A couple cloves of garlic, smashed with the side of a knife, skins removed
Potatoes:
- A pound of potatoes
- Stick of butter
- 1/2 cup milk
- Nutmeg (ground or whole seeds)
- Sea Salt and Black Pepper

To get the beef prepared poke little holes in both sides with the tip of your knife. Pour the ale or stout over the short ribs, massaging it into the meat. Grind or sprinkle salt generously over the meat, and keep massaging the beer into the meat so it gets a good coating of beer. Crack some pepper all over the short ribs then place all the short ribs in dish or wrap them in foil, give them a very generous splash of beer, and tightly wrap the top of the dish with foil/ wrap the top of the meat up and place on a baking sheet. 

Let the ribs mellow for a bit in their beer bath, while you preheat the oven to 375 degrees, and get your veggies ready to party. Take all your leeks, carrots and sprouts, and pile them on a large section of foil. Throw the garlic and herbs on top, give it a good drizzle of olive oil, wrap the foil into a packet so the top and ends are folded over a couple times. When the oven is preheated, place both the meat and the veggie packet in the preheated oven for 20 minutes, then decrease the temperature to 275 and let them do their thang for 3 hours. After the 3 hours are done, remove the foil from the meat, reserve the juices, and open up the veggie foil packet, return to the oven, and crank the heat to 400 degrees. Let the meat and veggies roast under high heat for 20 more minutes.

When the meat and veggies have about 10 minutes left of its 3 hours, boil the potatoes in salted water until fork tender. Drain the water and set the potatoes aside. Then over medium/medium-low heat, melt the stick of butter. Keep a close eye on the butter as it begins to foam. You are trying to caramelize the milk solids in the butter, so you need to watch for the butter to physically start to brown. As it browns the scent wafting up towards you will be slightly nutty and fragrant. When the butter browns, immediately add the milk to cool the butter down as you definitely don't want to burn it. Reduce the heat, simmer the milk for a couple minutes, then add the potatoes, skins and all, and give them a good mash. Season with salt and a few good pinches nutmeg (if you've got big nutmeg seeds, use a microplane to grate it right into the potatoes) and mash a little more to distribute.

I thought this meal could really use a nice rich sauce slathered over top, so I whipped up a drool worth gravy. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt about 2 tablespoons of butter, or add good sized splash of olive oil. When the butter is melted, sprinkle in some flour and stir with a spoon. Keep adding a little more flour until it is a thick and smooth paste. Again, we are making a roux, which I talked about in the mac and cheese recipe. Toast the roux up in the pan a bit, then slow start adding the reserved juices from the meat, stirring ferociously to incorporate the roux, or bust out a whisk to make life easier. You should have a nice thick sauce now. Add a good splash of the beer you used on the meat, throw in some of the herbs you used for the vegetables, and a couple hits of nutmeg, and simmer till the gravy thickens back up a bit. Season with some cracked black pepper, and sea salt if necessary.

Throw some mash in the middle of a plate, scatter about with veggies, stick a two-rib portion of meat on the potatoes, and pour that gravy over top, then devour. Then tell me that WASN'T the tastiest yet simplest piece of beef you've ever cooked and eaten.

I ended up making more food that Mallory and I could gluttonously feast upon, so the next morning I cut the left over short ribs into individual rib sections, threw them in a cast iron frying pan, and fried them back up. In the same pan I threw in some leftover mashed potatoes that I formed into a patty and crisped up each side in the beef fat. In a non-stick I fried up some eggs and served it all with some savoury toasted potato sage bread from Wild Oat on Bank St and the leftover gravy. Legit.

Broke Ass Stew: Beef Bourgondaniel

The idea of peasant food is having a great resurgence in our current food climate. This represents a trend towards less refined, seemingly heartier meals. The North American nomenclature dictates it "comfort food" and it's a huge buzzword from restaurants to magazine recipes. The roots of dining are essentially based on two historic systems: what the rich ate,what the poor ate. The nature of each cuisine evolved culturally throughout history. Certain dishes remiain eternal and show up in many different cultures and societies. Things like stews, soups, and breads remain eternal. Stylings are often based on regional nuance such as altitude, climate, availability of water and other natural resources.

France is a prime example about how differences within a small country can afford a huge spectrum of cuisine. In Northern France you have rich, hearty dishes that reflect cooler temperatures and greater diversity of things like root vegetables. As you move south thinks get lighter, fresher, and decidedly more mediterranean. Fish and shellfish are represented a lot more as well as fresher soft herbs and lots of acidity. Wines as well will follow similar progressions, with more full bodied varietals representing themselves in cooler regions, fruitier, more zesty wines in warmer regions closer to water.

This all lends itself to obvious evolutionary truths about what satisfies our needs. Thus far those at dedicated have been stoked on summer. As we find our regions climate transitioning into the autumnal equinox the innate desire for that comforting, heartier food to warm our cockles is impossible to deny.

From the 17th century and prior hearty food was described as too coarse for a wealthy stomach, and that more refined and lighter dishes were all that the rich should consume. The irony of course is that the food of the peasant was the most delicious and is what now dominates our food landscape.

A prime example of region and social status affecting a dish is with beef bourguignon. A classic dish that originated in the burgundy region, the complex acids in wine were used as a tenderizer for cheap, less regarded cuts of beef. The richness and depth of burgundy perfectly compliment the savoury earthy flavours of slow cooked beef. Although this would typically highlight a large cut of meat cooked whole, it has been modified to provide a quicker execution.

Now then, down to the business of some tasty ass shit.

When I want some tasty ass stew, I fully look to incorporate lot's of super meaty (manly) and intensely savorily flavours. Bacon, onions, mushrooms, potatoes, garlic, beef, red wine and stock. Thats the essential components of delicious bourgonion.

To assemble this masterpiece I bought a few chicken carcasses for 99 cents a pound at my local butcher ( http://tinyurl.com/2ckncko )as well as 2 lbs of cubed chuck. I simmered the chickens for about 3 hours with a rasher of delicious dry-cured bacon and a few small onions. Next I gave the chuck a pat dry, a good whack of seasoning and a hard roast.

The meat should be paid careful attention to when roasted. Not over crowding the pan allows you to maintain a high heat. Caramelization is guaranteed and as caramelization is equal to deliciousness it is definitely worth being patient as your meat parties (it's also good to open your windows cause it may get smoky. Also don't worry about the grease splattering, thats what Vim is for.) Once your meat is good and roasted toss in about 3 tbsp of flour and let it cook for another five minutes. This will thicken your peasant stew later on. Pour off the excess fat and deglaze with a good strong red (ideally a Burgundy but substitute anything red that isn't fucking zinfindel). Let it bubble away until the wine is half reduced. Transfer to a decent sized pot and dump in your quick chicken stock (quicken stock) and a bit of fresh thyme. Allow to cook lid on for 2 hours on a low heat. Good things are happening so chill. Watch The Big Lebowski or go for a bike ride. Check it every now and then, have a taste and enjoy the proper smells. Low boil and fragrant steam mean your killing it old-world style.

After about an 1 1/2 - 2 hours things will be looking up. More so if your safe with the stove knobs. Tender is the goal. In the meantime fire up another pan and chop about a 1/2 lb of bacon into eating size chunks. Chop a medium white onion or man up and peel a bag of pearl onions by first soaking them in warm water. Saute your onion off in a touch of butter on a low heat until they get golden, then dump in your bacon. Let it rock until all the liquid cooks off and the bacon crisps up. Pull everything out but leave the fat, chuck the mushrooms in and let them soak up so much goodness in that devilish little pan.

Once the mushrooms are roasted this fine (I threw in some sliced garlic once the shrooms had colour because mushrooms and garlic are so right) then set them with the onions and bacon. Peek at the stew. What's it like? Pull a bit of meat out and let it cool a touch. Is it nice? No? Fuck. Put it back in and let it go a bit longer, but with the lid off. The stew will reduce and concentrate the flavours. Add a bit of salt and a lot of pepper. Freshly ground black pepper in large quantities has an undeniably savoury flavour that will elevate this broke ass stew quick. Once the meat is almost tender drop in your potatoes, and a few minutes later drop in the rest of the garnish. Let it cook until its all soft, quadruple check the taste for salt (or maybe acid, a bit of lemon juice or vinegar?). At this point you should be fucking hungry. Serve this proper stew with some roased veg, or mashed potatoes, or nothing, or scallions chopped up and soaked in olive oil with some pickled pepper brine. I love the spicy-zesty contrast from the onions.

Suck it bitter cold wind.

One love, daniel

Food For Thought

Not exactly a new documentary, but I just stumbled across this on Tha Coop while creeping the blogosphere.  Check out the trailer, but the film itself is definitely worth a view.