Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Sometimes...
When I am not cooking, Tytus and I play with play dough...I think sometimes my creativity gets the best of me, AND my wishful thinking!
Friday, January 18, 2013
Sickness
I personally had/have a lagging cough/throat problem left over from my pneumonia that seemed to have never gone completely away. My youngest son (baby) Ezra had RSV twice, the second time included an ER visit and hospital stay. My other son had a cold, virus, and ear infection (actually for both boys) and my wife has struggled with various ailments and trying to keep us healthy or happy while we were miserable! My sisters family, mom & dad, and various other friends at work and church have been combating colds,virus, flu...whew!
Needless to say this has effected my frequency of posting. But no worries mon, I plan to get back at it!
(photo courtesy of my old blog - Kitchen in Dangriga, Belize)
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Cambro Sweet Experiment - Modern Twists on Old Classics
I entered a contest held by Cambro called Sweet Experiment: Mini desserts are making a big impact! Now is your chance to showcase your most creative mini dessert creation with Cambro's Dessert Glass and have a chance to win $3,000 in Cambro products! Free to enter — we send you the dessert glasses, you create the sweet experiment!
So I figured, hey, I can get a cool set of mini dessert glasses (6) and make some creative mini desserts. The $3,000 in Cambro products was for the business establishment that employs me in my food service role, so it was not entirely a selfish involvement. Ha! Who would not enjoy new products in the kitchen/food department that they work in?
Unfortunately, I did not win. But I had fun entering, receiving my free glasses, and being creative with the desserts.
I titled my dessert submissions 'Modern Twists on Old Classics'. In the below pictures are my submissions from left to right.
Left: S'mores, graham cracker pieces or crumbs, marshmallow, and chocolate. Easily heated in the microwave melting marshmallow cream and chocolate. ( either melt marshmallow in pan or use the marshmallow cream or sometimes called fluff, because if you try to melt this dessert to desired taste in the microwave the marshmallow expands in the glass and pushes other ingredients out)
Middle: Creamsicle, layered vanilla bean ice cream and orange sherbet topped with a mandarin orange slice...reminiscent of that popsicle offered at the corner store or ice cream man riding through the neighborhood.
Right: Peach Cobbler, layered peaches, banana bread, homemade granola, and caramel sauce...spices with a little cinnamon and brown sugar.
So I figured, hey, I can get a cool set of mini dessert glasses (6) and make some creative mini desserts. The $3,000 in Cambro products was for the business establishment that employs me in my food service role, so it was not entirely a selfish involvement. Ha! Who would not enjoy new products in the kitchen/food department that they work in?
Unfortunately, I did not win. But I had fun entering, receiving my free glasses, and being creative with the desserts.
I titled my dessert submissions 'Modern Twists on Old Classics'. In the below pictures are my submissions from left to right.
Left: S'mores, graham cracker pieces or crumbs, marshmallow, and chocolate. Easily heated in the microwave melting marshmallow cream and chocolate. ( either melt marshmallow in pan or use the marshmallow cream or sometimes called fluff, because if you try to melt this dessert to desired taste in the microwave the marshmallow expands in the glass and pushes other ingredients out)
Middle: Creamsicle, layered vanilla bean ice cream and orange sherbet topped with a mandarin orange slice...reminiscent of that popsicle offered at the corner store or ice cream man riding through the neighborhood.
Right: Peach Cobbler, layered peaches, banana bread, homemade granola, and caramel sauce...spices with a little cinnamon and brown sugar.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Calamari Pasta / Gragnano Italy
A few nights ago I wanted to throw something simple together and reached way back into the bottom cupboard because I knew there was a bag of 'gourmet' pasta back there somewhere. I say 'gourmet' very lightly because it seems everything nowadays is 'gourmet' or 'artisanal'. Humph. Whatever.
I just wanted to cook it up and use it. The one I found is called calamari because the pasta rings look thick cut and big like rings of real calamari that are usually fried and eaten as an appetizer at most restaurants.
Starting by pan searing some Italian sausage then throwing the pan in the oven to continue to cook while I put together a quick marinara sauce with roasted garlic. Pasta water just started to boil so I salted it heavily then threw the pasta in...meanwhile the sausage came out of the oven and I put them in the pan with the sauce and let simmer till the pasta was done. Because of the size of the pasta I used a spider (instead of using a colander) to fetch all the pasta out of the water and dump it in the pan with the sauce and sausages.
Even when the whole dish was done the pasta still had a bit of a chew and great taste. I was surprised. So today I looked up the name of the pasta and where it was from because it seems like any knucklehead company is making any pasta shape they want and pass it off as being 'gourmet'. Well, there is an actual pasta called calamari that comes from Gragnano Italy where the company there still uses bronze cutting die and they still air dry the pasta.
My wife and I loved it even before I checked for the origin of it, and like most dishes of this nature my wife said it tasted even better the second time around. She took it to work and shared it.
We usually buy bits of food things here and there 'on sale' and throw them in the cupboard or fridge to try later...sometimes disappointing, sometimes surprisingly good.
I just wanted to cook it up and use it. The one I found is called calamari because the pasta rings look thick cut and big like rings of real calamari that are usually fried and eaten as an appetizer at most restaurants.
Starting by pan searing some Italian sausage then throwing the pan in the oven to continue to cook while I put together a quick marinara sauce with roasted garlic. Pasta water just started to boil so I salted it heavily then threw the pasta in...meanwhile the sausage came out of the oven and I put them in the pan with the sauce and let simmer till the pasta was done. Because of the size of the pasta I used a spider (instead of using a colander) to fetch all the pasta out of the water and dump it in the pan with the sauce and sausages.
Even when the whole dish was done the pasta still had a bit of a chew and great taste. I was surprised. So today I looked up the name of the pasta and where it was from because it seems like any knucklehead company is making any pasta shape they want and pass it off as being 'gourmet'. Well, there is an actual pasta called calamari that comes from Gragnano Italy where the company there still uses bronze cutting die and they still air dry the pasta.
My wife and I loved it even before I checked for the origin of it, and like most dishes of this nature my wife said it tasted even better the second time around. She took it to work and shared it.
We usually buy bits of food things here and there 'on sale' and throw them in the cupboard or fridge to try later...sometimes disappointing, sometimes surprisingly good.
Friday, December 28, 2012
Silpat and PlayDough RCT #12.28.12
Random Culinary Tip
When starting to teach your child how to have fun and create with PlayDough use a Silpat (cooking/baking pan insert) as a play mat. No mess, no fuss, and works good for not sticking to table or other things. But really the first rule will be "DON'T EAT IT!".
When starting to teach your child how to have fun and create with PlayDough use a Silpat (cooking/baking pan insert) as a play mat. No mess, no fuss, and works good for not sticking to table or other things. But really the first rule will be "DON'T EAT IT!".
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Christmas Dinner
A lot of people have asked either my wife or I what we had planned for dinner, and or what we had for Christmas or Christmas Eve dinner. Hate to disappoint others but we usually don't do 'traditional' meals for holidays.
This year it was just us (wife and I) and the boys. There was to much sickness going on with friends and extended family so it was small and...no not intimate, remember we have two young boys...loud and rowdy, BUT FUN!
Back to the topic. On Christmas Eve I made Chicken Tortilla Soup (our own recipe) but I sure do miss the grilled whole chickens I used to get from Mi Pueblo's in California I used! They would grill those chickens out in front of the store and the rub/marinade they used on them was excellent! Kind of like a rotisserie seasoning, but much better. I searched online for a copycat recipe to no avail.
Christmas dinner was my own homemade thin crust pizza made with a dough I developed for it. Nothing secret or special to it except I know exactly how our family likes to eat and I like to put a few herbs and spices right in the dough and use certain techniques to get the crust and chew to come out just perfect for us. Oh, I made some breadsticks too...
This year it was just us (wife and I) and the boys. There was to much sickness going on with friends and extended family so it was small and...no not intimate, remember we have two young boys...loud and rowdy, BUT FUN!
Back to the topic. On Christmas Eve I made Chicken Tortilla Soup (our own recipe) but I sure do miss the grilled whole chickens I used to get from Mi Pueblo's in California I used! They would grill those chickens out in front of the store and the rub/marinade they used on them was excellent! Kind of like a rotisserie seasoning, but much better. I searched online for a copycat recipe to no avail.
Christmas dinner was my own homemade thin crust pizza made with a dough I developed for it. Nothing secret or special to it except I know exactly how our family likes to eat and I like to put a few herbs and spices right in the dough and use certain techniques to get the crust and chew to come out just perfect for us. Oh, I made some breadsticks too...
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Thoughts on Coffee
I have traveled quite a bit on ships, trains, planes, and automobiles thru the Caribbean, Central American, Europe, Africa, Canada, and of course the U.S.. I have also tasted and visited a few coffee places, estates, fields, and shops. That being said I will not call myself and expert except on the subject of my own palate. So for a moment lets knock out any one-off coffees and talk about chains and corporate. Here is what I found for my tastes...
Although I am from the South and Krispy Kreme seems to be the doughnut king when the light is on...it's coffee is lacking. Starbucks is great for specialty coffees and maybe buying their coffee and making it at home but why does their house brew always taste bitter, burnt, or harsh? My wife and I LOVE Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf both specialty and regular cup of coffee but this place is not found to many places in the USA, some high traffic cities and mostly California...and oddly enough a bunch of them in Malaysia! So still no everyday options for me. Waffle House has good coffee that is pretty consistent from coast to coast (because it is made the same) but lacks that inviting atmosphere and is not available for purchase at home. From what I remember Tim Horton's was pretty good (Canada) but that was a distant memory. Illy coffee imported from Italy is hands down my favorite coffee that my palate loves straight from the French press but OH does it cost a pretty penny.
But as I sit here today in the first of many Dunkin Doughnuts coming to my city in the South I am reminded of my trips to Boston and New York where every corner seems to have one on it. it also reminds me of why I love their coffee so much. I get just the regular coffee with cream and sugar (they add it) and the mix and taste seems to be just right for me every time. The price does not break the bank. Their take-home bags of coffee taste just as great when you make them at home and are affordable...and I guess their doughnuts aren't to bad either! (Wink!) But don't tell Krispy Kreme I said that.
Although I am from the South and Krispy Kreme seems to be the doughnut king when the light is on...it's coffee is lacking. Starbucks is great for specialty coffees and maybe buying their coffee and making it at home but why does their house brew always taste bitter, burnt, or harsh? My wife and I LOVE Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf both specialty and regular cup of coffee but this place is not found to many places in the USA, some high traffic cities and mostly California...and oddly enough a bunch of them in Malaysia! So still no everyday options for me. Waffle House has good coffee that is pretty consistent from coast to coast (because it is made the same) but lacks that inviting atmosphere and is not available for purchase at home. From what I remember Tim Horton's was pretty good (Canada) but that was a distant memory. Illy coffee imported from Italy is hands down my favorite coffee that my palate loves straight from the French press but OH does it cost a pretty penny.
But as I sit here today in the first of many Dunkin Doughnuts coming to my city in the South I am reminded of my trips to Boston and New York where every corner seems to have one on it. it also reminds me of why I love their coffee so much. I get just the regular coffee with cream and sugar (they add it) and the mix and taste seems to be just right for me every time. The price does not break the bank. Their take-home bags of coffee taste just as great when you make them at home and are affordable...and I guess their doughnuts aren't to bad either! (Wink!) But don't tell Krispy Kreme I said that.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
It's Busy!
Lately at our household we have had so many commitments, social engagements, and additional work details that it was almost to hard to keep up with! And our household (wife and two small boys, toddler and infant) has had an ongoing case of the sniffles, coughs, and pneumonia (myself) that keeps on hanging on and dragging out more doctors appointments. So, of course the first thing that starts getting behind is my posting.
I have a few posts in the draft mode coming up...recently I joined a contest that involved using some new dessert glasses from Cambro and will be posting soon. One thing I really need to work on is taking more pictures! Recently we did a Christmas Banquet for the academy teachers and I was to busy to get pics. Sigh.
Merry Christmas everyone!!! (In case you or I don't make it back here again!)
I have a few posts in the draft mode coming up...recently I joined a contest that involved using some new dessert glasses from Cambro and will be posting soon. One thing I really need to work on is taking more pictures! Recently we did a Christmas Banquet for the academy teachers and I was to busy to get pics. Sigh.
Merry Christmas everyone!!! (In case you or I don't make it back here again!)
Friday, November 30, 2012
Low-cost bread follow up
My last post was a video of low-cost fresh baked bread and showed an alternative way to decrease freezer space and also decrease the amount of money that it cost for buying different kinds of bread in this post I have attached a picture to show you the different kinds of bread that you can probably do.
From the bottom what we have is an oblong focaccia style loaf, a sub sandwich style loaf (which if tightened up and skinnier would resemble a French baguette) and the last one was a freestyle loaf with cheddar, garlic, and herbs rolled into the middle.
From the bottom what we have is an oblong focaccia style loaf, a sub sandwich style loaf (which if tightened up and skinnier would resemble a French baguette) and the last one was a freestyle loaf with cheddar, garlic, and herbs rolled into the middle.
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Low Cost Fresh Baked Bread
Using frozen dough balls from Sam's Club for low cost bread and minimal use of freezer space while also creating several varieties of bread items. Ideas for small commercial kitchens based off of my current experience as Food Director for a private academy.
(Video may be a little shaky, somebody had to hold the camera! LOL)
(Video may be a little shaky, somebody had to hold the camera! LOL)
Saturday, November 24, 2012
Hot Wings / Buffalo Wings
Last week I talked about the men's retreat. One of the food items we had at the men's retreat was hot wings or buffalo wings.
When doing wings I don't like to mess around with the piddly pieces so I'll buy the fresh jumbo wings and cut them down. Wings usually tend to lose a lot of water. When defrosting (and cooking) frozen wings you end up with some real small wings that look terrible!
We season the wings beforehand and bake them up on large sheet trays in the oven. We flash fry the wings as needed. Our standard wing sauce that we like to use is half Frank's hot sauce and half butter (melted) and mixed together.
Our wings are always cooked through and taste great because we season and bake them first before frying. We don't use flour or any other coating on our wings when we deep-fry them. The skin that's already been baked crisps up real nice and crunchy as it fries and it holds up well adding hot sauce later.
When doing wings I don't like to mess around with the piddly pieces so I'll buy the fresh jumbo wings and cut them down. Wings usually tend to lose a lot of water. When defrosting (and cooking) frozen wings you end up with some real small wings that look terrible!
We season the wings beforehand and bake them up on large sheet trays in the oven. We flash fry the wings as needed. Our standard wing sauce that we like to use is half Frank's hot sauce and half butter (melted) and mixed together.
Our wings are always cooked through and taste great because we season and bake them first before frying. We don't use flour or any other coating on our wings when we deep-fry them. The skin that's already been baked crisps up real nice and crunchy as it fries and it holds up well adding hot sauce later.
Friday, November 23, 2012
Men's Retreat
Weekend before last we started our annual men's retreat on that Friday night. I was suffering with a bad hack that I just could not cough past or get better. Unbeknownst to me I was developing or already had pneumonia. It was a rough weekend but a great time!
It was the standard menu (as in almost identical to last time)...man food. We started Friday night with grilled ribeye steaks and loaded baked potatoes. Yes, we had some veggies. Broccoli. And some real nice yeast rolls. Followed by apple and pecan pies served with vanilla bean ice cream, some of that 'all natural' stuff.
Saturday morning we used the leftover ribeye's to cut up as tips and cut & fried the baked potatoes from the night before. Also served bacon, eggs, biscuits, sausage gravy...had butter, jelly, jam...you know all the extra stuff with coffee, milk, and/or orange juice to drink.
Lunch was pretty simple, meatball or kielbasa sub sandwiches with chips.
I was going to do nachos mid afternoon but everybody was still so stuffed I just added them to the dinner menu. We had a late dinner that night about 730 or 8pm I think. We had Nachos, hot wings, and homemade pizzas! And of course anything else left from all the other meals were thrown out there too! The remainder of pies And ice cream came out again afterward.
The funny thing about the equipment there in the kitchen is sometimes the ovens are a bit quirky. Last time we did pizzas it was a two step process...the oven was hot enough to cook them but left the bottom soggy, so we threw them on the flat top grill for awhile and it seemed to remedy that. But, my right hand man last time (PW) was not going to be there for the dinner this time!!! So he went around telling everybody about how I was going to make my homemade pizzas then he split on me!!! LOL
BUT I figured out a way to do it and pulled it through even a little easier than last time and with crispy crusts! I started making all crusts that afternoon after all my dough balls had ample time to relax. Then I started shaping my crusts and par-baking them on sheet pans to a light golden color/crust. Later that evening I just sauced and topped my par-baked crusts and they had enough structure I could finish them straight on the oven rack which produced a nice crispy crust on bottom without another step in the process. Success!
Sunday morning is always simple, homemade cinnamon rolls and coffee...then cleanup and off to church service!
Everything came out great!
This year my sous chef, Roberto, was there attending the retreat but he still helped out! And thanks to several other men at the retreat who helped! ~ Always a great group of guys.
It was the standard menu (as in almost identical to last time)...man food. We started Friday night with grilled ribeye steaks and loaded baked potatoes. Yes, we had some veggies. Broccoli. And some real nice yeast rolls. Followed by apple and pecan pies served with vanilla bean ice cream, some of that 'all natural' stuff.
Saturday morning we used the leftover ribeye's to cut up as tips and cut & fried the baked potatoes from the night before. Also served bacon, eggs, biscuits, sausage gravy...had butter, jelly, jam...you know all the extra stuff with coffee, milk, and/or orange juice to drink.
Lunch was pretty simple, meatball or kielbasa sub sandwiches with chips.
I was going to do nachos mid afternoon but everybody was still so stuffed I just added them to the dinner menu. We had a late dinner that night about 730 or 8pm I think. We had Nachos, hot wings, and homemade pizzas! And of course anything else left from all the other meals were thrown out there too! The remainder of pies And ice cream came out again afterward.
The funny thing about the equipment there in the kitchen is sometimes the ovens are a bit quirky. Last time we did pizzas it was a two step process...the oven was hot enough to cook them but left the bottom soggy, so we threw them on the flat top grill for awhile and it seemed to remedy that. But, my right hand man last time (PW) was not going to be there for the dinner this time!!! So he went around telling everybody about how I was going to make my homemade pizzas then he split on me!!! LOL
BUT I figured out a way to do it and pulled it through even a little easier than last time and with crispy crusts! I started making all crusts that afternoon after all my dough balls had ample time to relax. Then I started shaping my crusts and par-baking them on sheet pans to a light golden color/crust. Later that evening I just sauced and topped my par-baked crusts and they had enough structure I could finish them straight on the oven rack which produced a nice crispy crust on bottom without another step in the process. Success!
Sunday morning is always simple, homemade cinnamon rolls and coffee...then cleanup and off to church service!
Everything came out great!
This year my sous chef, Roberto, was there attending the retreat but he still helped out! And thanks to several other men at the retreat who helped! ~ Always a great group of guys.
Monday, November 19, 2012
Favorites This Week
Below are a few things I found this week I like. Each picture was borrowed from, and has a link to the original post so hopefully I am not breaking online etiquette. Merely trying to bring attention to some cool ideas and a few new things.[click pics for link back to articles]
Ah yeah sounds like a good easy one! Bourbon Baked Apples, or maybe spiced rum, or cider? Looks delicious for cold weather! Over at How Sweet It Is!
Cool Idea!
Free Prints for the KITCHEN!
For Real? This looks like a delicious 'replica' of Avalanche Bark from Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory - Recipe Included! ~ From The Brown Eyed Baker!
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