So I guess my playing around with the pasta roller 'rolled' on over into work.
As of the beginning of this week (maybe earlier, I don't know) our International Board (capitalization?) was here at the Operations Center for conferences and meetings. Meaning: they wanted us to plan some lunches that would be lite (mind read salads) so possible board members would be more alert for 'meetings' and such...And because they would be taking them out to eat dinner later in the evening for a more 'full' meal. But anyways...
One of the desserts led me to get a little creative. Using a chocolate truffle recipe that Gary (fellow Chef) gave me and some fresh made pastas rolled thru the machine, we put together our Chocolate Truffle Ravioli with a Vanilla Bean & Cardamom White Sauce accented with a Raspberry Glaze...Yes, I know - How delicious! hahaha!
The trick with the fresh pastas is frying it which melts down those oo-ee gooey truffle centers...enjoy the slide show:
One by One...
Posted by: StephanieRN
As the time comes closer to moving out of our apartment and onto the base then eventually onto the ship my things (my lovely, wonderful possessions) find new homes. Today my dining table and chairs got packed onto a truck and hauled away. It was bitter sweet. I probably won't miss my table per-say, but the girl that I am attaches memories to my things. But then again, because our belonging are gone we have much more flexibility in order to live on a ship and live out our dreams. Oh man, if I get this emotional over my table I imagine I will be a mess when I have to see my amazing collection of shoes step into new feet.
As the time comes closer to moving out of our apartment and onto the base then eventually onto the ship my things (my lovely, wonderful possessions) find new homes. Today my dining table and chairs got packed onto a truck and hauled away. It was bitter sweet. I probably won't miss my table per-say, but the girl that I am attaches memories to my things. But then again, because our belonging are gone we have much more flexibility in order to live on a ship and live out our dreams. Oh man, if I get this emotional over my table I imagine I will be a mess when I have to see my amazing collection of shoes step into new feet.
Pasta Roller, Pantry, & Packing
Tonight I made a simple tomato sauce with canned (that's right, Muir Glen organic fire-roasted) tomatoes, garlic, oregano, and a little red wine. Oh yeah, a little of the extra virgin olive oil.
The pasta was pretty simple, a pinch of salt, cup and half flour, pour of oil, and a few eggs...when it starts coming together in little balls is a good sign just to smoosh it all together in a ball and let it rest in the fridge for about 15 minutes. Roll it thru the pasta roller down to 2, my pasta roller goes from the high numbers to
the low. Our pasta roller at work goes from low to high, kinda crazy huh?!Instead of going the simple (or hard?) way of rolling it thru the fettuccine or spaghetti cutter I cut 2-inch squares and finger egg-washed the edges of the square folding the sheets over some pan sauteed leftover spinach mixed with some shredded provolone cheese. (I threw a quick fix of cajun seasoning in there too...just for good measure.)
Read the labels on your spice mixes if you have them, usually no matter what they call it there are a few that have all the flavors you want. Like Cajun seasoning, it usually has some salt, pepper, cayenne, garlic, onion, etc...and 'other' assorted spices. I usually don't buy spice mixes because I have so much of everything I can make about any mix I want. But there are a few that seem to be good quick solutions to bump up a little flavor.
Anyway...Maybe you remember a few posts ago about Konop Meat Market in Wisconsin and how my mother-in-law bought up a bunch of meat for me? Well, I oven-roasted them in foil. They were called Swiss & Mushroom Brats (totally pork) and maybe you're saying they didn't really go with the pasta and sauce...but you can't tell my stomach or my wife that. We are sitting pretty with a smile on our faces.
Last but not least, I had some sweet white wine I wanted to use up so I poached a few fresh pears I had with a little cinnamon sugar mixture (I also wanted to get rid of). Made a little caramel-type sauce with the leftover juices and poured them over the pears which were on top of some puff pastry (that I also had in the freezer begging to be used). Yes, it could have been better but nobody cared to go get the ice cream so we had to suffer and eat it like it was.
Kinda made me feel like a 'Door Knock Dinner' success...what is that? It's an old Food Network show where...oh never mind.
Ethical Fried Chicken and a caterers dilemma...
Suppose your business was asked to cater a backyard picnic for forty that consisted of several side dishes say like: texas caviar (a blackeyed pea cold salad kind of dish), potato salad, spinach salad, corn bread. The main dish is Fried Chicken.
Lets say your commercial kitchen was not really outfitted for a fryer but added a small one (and I mean small, one basket tabletop) as a side thought 'just in case' would be the reply.
After cooking all the other dishes for the event you had the bright idea of saving yourselves some time and headache and increasing your chances for delivering hot, juicy (maybe still crunchy, the event was 30 minutes away from our kitchen) fried chicken by just picking up several 'mixed' chicken buckets from a local fried chicken place (closer to event, 5 minutes away) and then just putting them, the buckets of chicken, in your chafing dishes.
What would be the harm in that? Is there some line the caterers would cross by doing that? Or, is it ethical?
Hmmm...there is a poll please cast your vote or leave me a comment. Just leave a comment please, crusty old poll froze up on me!!!
[poll=1]
Lets say your commercial kitchen was not really outfitted for a fryer but added a small one (and I mean small, one basket tabletop) as a side thought 'just in case' would be the reply.
After cooking all the other dishes for the event you had the bright idea of saving yourselves some time and headache and increasing your chances for delivering hot, juicy (maybe still crunchy, the event was 30 minutes away from our kitchen) fried chicken by just picking up several 'mixed' chicken buckets from a local fried chicken place (closer to event, 5 minutes away) and then just putting them, the buckets of chicken, in your chafing dishes.
What would be the harm in that? Is there some line the caterers would cross by doing that? Or, is it ethical?
Hmmm...there is a poll please cast your vote or leave me a comment. Just leave a comment please, crusty old poll froze up on me!!!
[poll=1]
Blue Mesa
Stephanie and I got...[Uh, yeah sorry for the interruption. Here is an update:]
While being back in Dallas for travel we went back to Blue Mesa and now I am glad I just saved this as a draft that I almost never got back to...because this last time was HORRIBLE.
Service, food, everything.
Imagine chicken tortilla soup tasting like a watered-down version of Campbell's vegetable soup. There was nothing that made it discernable from a bad chicken and veggie soup. Maybe if you squint and close one eye you can imagine seeing a few sprigs or flakes of cilantro? Nah, I can't taste it.
Eat at your own risk.
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