Last night I went to the Maryland State Fair in Timonium, (no I did not go to the Brett Michaels concert.)  But I did try deep fried smores and deep fried Snickers.  As with anything deep fried it was delicious.  But there are some important things to remember when making these treats at home.  First make sure your ingredients you are frying are cold.  In the past on a drunken night me and a friend had the idea to try deep frying everything, smores, Little Debbie Cream Pies, and whatever else we could find.  For the SMores the marshmallow dissolved before the fried coating was cooked.  Also, don't be afraid to deep fry premade items, since they will hold together better. 
Some of the other things being deep fried at the fair this year included Oreos, Poptarts, 3 Musketeers, Milky Ways, Twinkees, Nutter Butters, and a generic chocolate covered peanut butter ball.

Tonight for dinner I modified a recipe from Pig King of the Southern Table by James Villas.  The recipe was for BBQ pork kabobs.  The recipe in the book calls for making a peach BBQ sauce while I chose to use Sweet Baby Rays Sweet Vidalia Onion BBQ sauce.  The dinner was delicious, and the only problem I only made 4 Kabobs for each of us.

Recipe:
Pork Tenderloin
Sweet Baby Rays Sweet Vidalia Onion BBQ Sauce
White Peaches from a local farm
Red Onion
Wooden skewers

1.  Soak wooden skewers in a water and white balsamic vinegar.
2.  Cut pork tenderloin into 1 inch cubes.  Do the same with the red onion and peaches
3.  Marinate Pork in Sweet Baby Rays BBQ sauce.
4.  Skewer pork onion and peaches.  Brush with BBQ sauce.
5.  Grill on High heat rotating and brushing skewers with BBQ sauce.

Eat and Enjoy

This week I made a salad for Tiffany and me, a California Style Chicken Ranch Salad.

Ingredients:
Mesculin Greens
1 Avocado
Tomatoes
4 Slices of Bacon
1/2 lb Chicken Tenderloins
McCormick GrillMates Tomato Basil Seasoning
Olive Oil
Salt
Ranch Dressing (also good with Kraft Bacon Ranch Dressing)

1.  Marinate Chicken in Olive Oil and McCormick GrillMates Tomato Basil Seasoning
2.  Grill chicken and pan fry Bacon
3. Cut tomatoes, avocado, (lightly salt avocado)
4.  Toss Greens in ranch dressing.
5.  Plate salad, greens on bottom, topped with tomato, avocado, bacon crumbles, and chicken.  Eat and Enjoy.

This is taken from a Newspaper printing in 1902, I found it hilarious.

Jacob A. Riis, author of "How the Other Half Lives," pays glowing tribute to the culinary art as one of the most potent factors in the solution of certain problems.  "The kindergarten at one end and the cooking school at the other are two of the grandest features of our modern educational system," says Mr. Riis.  He further declares that the cooking school is doing much for the cause of temperance.

The average working girl in our large cities knows nothing of cooking.  When she marries she struggles along as best she can, says "Good Housekeeping."  For a month the couple live on love and such messes as she can serve up.  At the end of that time the man gets hungry.  He has got to have something fit to eat.

The most natural place in the world for him to turn to is the lunch counter in a barroom.  This is the beginning of the old, old tragedy.  Mr. Riis believes that with the girls in the lower parts of our cities taught what good food is and how to prepare it, a tremendous blow at the drink vice will have been struck.
July 1902

Today I made a wrong turn and found myself in Virginia Wine Country, AKA Loudoun County.  While there, we stopped at a few wineries, some rude, some good, some closed and one that stood out as great.  Quattro Goomba's Winery in Aldie, Virginia was the great winery of the day.  We chose to go to this winery due to our love of Mario Brothers on the Wii and figured it would make for fun wines to drink while playing video games.  While there was no Mario or Luigi there, there were some serious wines available.  The first wine we tried was the Vino di Frascati a delicious white wine made of the Malvasia Bianca and Trebbiano grapes.  The wine had a crisp flavor with citrus flavors and a good balance, and was done in an excellent Italian style.

But the two drinks really stood out above all the rest.  The first was the Frappe Wine.  Yes that frozen coffee drink you love so much, but without the coffee and made of wine.  They sell a bag of additives to make this at home.  To make add a bag of the mix to one bottle of wine and a bottle of water and freeze for about 3 1/2 hours.  This makes a delicious wine treat on a hot day.

The second wine I got to try is not available to the public yet, but I talked the host into letting me try a barrel tasting.  It is a Merlot/Cabernet blend that was fermented in stainless steel for a year, then aged in barrels that were used to age whiskey.  The flavors of the whiskey and wine blended in a perfect marriage.  This is a wine to keep an eye out for and when it comes out be sure to drive down to Aldie, Virginia and get a tasting at Quattro Goomba's Winery.

I recently received an email asking for a recipe I made for a food and wine pairing a few months ago.  The theme of the wine pairings was wine with foods with aphrodisiac qualities.  This was the first course aphrodisiac paired with white wine.  For the aphrodisiacs on this course I wanted to use asparagus paired with other aphrodisiacs, so I chose truffles, butter, and a sauce with eggs, basil, and garlic.  For the wine I wanted something earthy like asparagus and truffles, but not as earthy that it tasted like I was mowing the grass (aka not a Sauvignon Blanc from New Zealand), so I chose the Mas De Chabert, Roussanne 2008 from France at a cost of under $9 a bottle. 

The Ingredients:
Asparagus
Phyllo
butter (I choose to use salt free and add salt as needed)
Truffle Oil (Black, white, or a mixture of both will work)

1.  Blanche Asparagus, usually when blanching I add some garlic, salt and pepper to the oil and a dash of wine, Then quickly cool asparagus in ice water bath to stop the cooking.

2.  Melt Butter and add Truffle oil about an 80/20 ratio works well.  Brush Phyllo Sheets with truffle butter.  Layer phyllo 3 layers thick and cut to roll individual spear of asparagus with phyllo.

3.  Bake at 375 until phyllo is golden brown.

For the sauce (Basil Aioli, aka Basil Mayo):
2 egg yolks
Fresh basil
1/2 tsp of salt
2 cloves of garlic
1/4 tsp white pepper
1 cup olive oil
2 teaspoons lemon juice

1.  Add all ingredients except lemon juice and olive oil to blender.  While blending slowly add olive oil, when olive oil has been added add 2 teaspoons of lemon juice.  If you need the sauce a little thicker add a bit more olive oil. 

I saw a recent Facebook post from friend from high school that said he had kangaroo, alligator, and ostrich at one meal, while on his European vacation.  So I decided to post the kangaroo recipe I did back in October.

Some things to remember when cooking kangaroo is that it's very lean, only about 1-2% fat, so it's suggested to cook it no more then medium rare or it will begin to dry out.  I choose to pan sear the kangaroo so that it would be cooked in a little bit of oil/fat. 

Ingredients:
Kangaroo tenderloin
Sea salt
Cracked black pepper
Olive oil
Puff Pastry
Balsamic Vinegar
Figs
Vanilla extract

1.  In saucepan add 1 cup balsamic vinegar, 5 sliced figs, a dash of vanilla extract.  Reduce over medium low heat until reduced by half.

2.  Cut puff pastry into 2 inch square pieces, fold into the shape of a pouch.  Preheat oven to 425.

3.  Heat skillet with tablespoon of olive oil.  Season kangaroo with Sea salt and fresh ground pepper.  Quickly sear the meat just to brown the outside, and let rest for 6 minutes. 

4.  While kangaroo meat is resting begin cooking puff pastry in the oven.  Slice meat after it has rested (this is to help the meat hold moisture and not bleed onto the cutting board as much.  Cook puff pastry for about 5 minutes.  place the slices of kangaroo onto the pouch of the puff pastry and finish baking until the puff pastry is finished cooking.

5.  Put puff pastry on plate and drizzle with balsamic reduction. Put balsamic fig on top of meat.  Eat and enjoy.

5. 

Ingredients:
2 racks of pork ribs
McCormick Smokehouse Maple Seasoning
McCormick Applewood Smoke Seasoning
Penzeys BBQ 3000 Spice
Applejuice
Sweet Baby Rays Barbeque Sauce

1.  Cut ribs into 2 rib bones per piece.  Season with McCormick Smokehouse Maple, Applewood Smoke, and Penzey's BBQ 3000. 

2.  Heat grill to high.  When grill is hot sear ribs on the grill, just to mark the ribs with grill marks. 

3.  In slowcooker add apple juice, and seasonings, 1/2 cup BBQ sauce, turn to high. 

4.  Cook in slowcooker for 6 hours. 

5.  Remove ribs and pour applejuice out of slowcooker.  Brush ribs with Sweet Baby Rays BBQ Sauce.

TV show Top Chef on Bravo has announced the contestants from the next season of Top Chef filmed in DC.  Of the contestants two are from the Baltimore/DC area.  The first is Timothy Dean the chef owner of Prime Steakhouse in Baltimore.  The other contestant is Tamesha Warren the sous chef of the Oval Room in Washington DC.

Timothy Dean recieved his education from Howard University and trained under chef Jean-Louis Palladin at the Watergate hotel.  He owns Prime Steak House in Baltimore and will be opening another Prime Steak House in DC later this year.

Tamesha Warren is a native from Barbados, who studied at the Art Institute of New York City, and worked at Jean Georges in New York City.  She is said to study molecular gastronomy and cooks a modern American style with French and Asian influences. 

Good luck to both of the local chefs in this years Top Chef.

Two other contestants Lynne Gigliotti and Kelly Liken are also Pennsylvania natives, but have decided to cook in other areas of the country, good luck to both of you ladies too.

On Wednesday, Tiffany and I went to Philadelphia for the day.  While we were at the Liberty Bell we saw a flier for America's Oldest Candy Shop, and it was only about three blocks away.  We decided to stroll down Market Street to get some candy.  Unfortunately when we got there there was a sign in the window dated May 10, 2010 saying sorry they are closed after being open since 1876, and in a year they will reopen after a remodel under a new family ownership.  Two doors down the street was The Franklin Fountain, a nostalgic soda and ice cream shop.

Tiffany decided to get the Hydrox Cookie Ice Cream and the Egyptienne Egg Shake Phosphate, and I decided to try the Jamestown Julep.  Hydrox cookies (1908) are best described as the original Oreo (1912), and is Kosher.  A phosphate is a carbonated drink made by hand, with phosphoric acid added to it to add a sour or tangy taste to the drink.  The ice cream was delicious, and so was the Egyptienne Egg Shake.  I enjoyed the Jamestown Julep, but was really in the mood for something sweeter, and it has a flavor that says I need vodka added to me. 

My favorite thing about The Franklin Fountain though was the ambiance.  The employees wore clothing of old time soda shops, old time cash register that gave you a fortune after purchase, old time candies, Moxie bottles, and cardboard straws in your drink. 

Where have you eaten that the ambiance made the dining experience memorable?

Last night Tiffany and I attended Match 2 of the Mason Dixon Master Chef Competition in Baltimore, MD. One of the chefs created a dish called Crepes Suzette for his dessert course. 

For this dish he made crepes, but I have no official proof on that.  For the sauce, he heated olive oil and sugar, (the chef's mom was talking to people around when saw was being made telling how the olive oil/sugar was a Greek island recipe), then added orange zest and juice from some oranges, and finally straining it.  The sauce was then poured over a folded crepe, and then topped with strawberries and a chocolate drizzle. 

This dish as it is wouldn't have me commenting if it wasn't for one thing though, every time I've ever read about Crepes Suzette it always mentions one more final step that was not done on this dish.  The addition of ALCOHOL and FIRE, which are two of my things.  I know that serving a dish on fire to a customer can be a dangerous thing to do and some people may discourage it, but flambees are a dying art.  I can only think of one restaurant I've been to in the past year that served a flambee dish, Olivia's in Gettysburg.  It was the appetizer dish, saganaki, imported kasseri cheese flambeed with Greek cognac.

Are there any times that you received and dish from a chef that disappointed you because it was different then the way you know the recipe?

Tonight in the Mason Dixon Master Chef Competition one of the dishes to be judged will be Chicken Neptune, a seared chicken breast with scallops, shrimp, jumbo lump crab meat, and a sherry cream sauce.  This dish is not in any of my cookbooks and will be a chance for the chefs to have a little of their own creative touches. 

To cook this recipe I would first begin making the sherry cream sauce.  To begin with I would put a quart of cream, with a quarter cup seafood stock, cup of sherry, and bouqet garni and reduce.  I would add the seafood stock to help impart more seafood flavor into the dish since the theme of it is chicken with the seafood. 

I would then slice the chicken so it could be stuffed.  I would stuff it with the crab meat and bay scallops (bay scallops for their smaller size and stuff them whole).  I would then sear the chicken in olive oil and season it with salt, pepper, parsley, and chives.  And finish cooking in the oven.  While the chicken is in the oven I would dice up the shrimp, sear them and add them to the sherry cream sauce.

To plate I would sauce the dish, slice the chicken on the bias (at an angle) one time in half.  I would lean the to pieces together showing the seafood stuffing to the diner. 

If the menu was not so specific there are other ideas I have for this dish. 

One idea instead of serving it as a seared chicken breast would be to braise the chicken, shred it with a fork.  Then shred the scallops into small pieces.  I would then make a crabcake base for it, a combination of mayo, egg, old bay, splash of Tabasco, chives, parsley, dry mustard.  Slowly mix the base with the seafood and chicken, add bread crumbs as needed.  Now you have a Chicken Neptune 'Crabcake'.

For sauce I would also change it to a Mornay sauce, a basic cream sauce with Parmesan and gruyere cheese added to it, and then finished with butter.  I would still consider adding the shrimp to the sauce with the Chicken Neptune Crabcakes due to the change in texture.  Adding a bit of sherry to the sauce would still go well too.

Another way I would consider cooking the dish would be to slice the chicken in half so there are 2 long, THIN pieces.  I would then pound it out with a meat tenderizer.  After it is pounded out I would season both sides, salt, pepper, chives, parsley, and then place all the seafood onto the chicken (yes this time even the shrimp).  I would then roll the chicken up and wrap it in plastic wrap.  Put the chicken on parchment paper and bake at 350 until it reaches an internal temp of 165.  Estimate about 35 minutes.  And then top it with classic Mornay sauce.

For wine I would pair it with an unoaked Chardonnay, maybe from California.  Chardonnay has a enough flavor to hold it's own with all of these flavors, and I think the oakyness may conflict with some of the flavors especially the crab.  A New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc might pair very well with the Neptune cakes.  I would avoid red wine with this dish.

One of the dishes that will be judged tonight in the Mason Dixon Master Chef Competition will be Grilled Portabella mushroom with zesty Garden Ratatouille with a Three Cheese Fondue. 

To make ratatouille first get your mise en place ready (all your ingredients ready).  To do this cut the following vegetables to a medium dice- 1 medium sized eggplant, 1 pound of zucchini, 1 onion, 2 bell peppers, (some books suggest adding mushrooms, add a few chefs I know add squash into the mix but it's note traditionally added).  Mince or finely chop 3 cloves of garlic.  Then peel, seed, and slice 4 plum tomatoes at a medium dice.  Have a olive oil, vegetable stock (optional), chopped herbs like parsley, basil, oregano, thyme, marjoram, rosemary, savory, chervil (note you do not need to add all these herbs, these are just some suggestions on herbs to use).  Some recipes also suggest adding 2 Tbsp of tomato paste. 

Next the chef must decide how they want to cook the ratatouille as there are many ways suggested on how to cook it.  Some recipes suggest cooking all the ingredients in a pot together, some suggest cooking different ingredients at different times and combining them in the end, and other cookbooks suggest roasting all the vegetables together in the oven.

Cooking in a pot
Begin by adding 1/2 c olive oil to large pot and heat at medium heat.  When the oil is warm add onions and saute until translucent.  (If adding tomato paste add during this step)  Next add garlic, then peppers, then eggplant, then zucchini, (mushrooms), then tomatoes (cook each vegetable until it begins to soften before adding the next.)  Turn stove to low heat and add 1/4 c vegetable stock (the goal is to moisten the veggies, not make them soupy).  Stew the vegetables, season with salt, pepper, and herbs.  And serve.  You may wish to cook each individual ingredient separately so each ingredient retains its individual flavor, but this will make for a lot of dishes.

Cooking in the Oven
Toss onions, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, and zucchini in about 1/2 c olive oil, season with fresh herbs and bake on a sheet pan at 350 degrees for about 90 minutes (or until water in tomatoes has evaporated out)  and stir it about every 30 minutes for even cooking.  Next in blender combine basil, garlic, and 1/2 c olive oil in blender, and then stir it in with the ratatouille mixture. 

Options to add some people also like adding pitted olives and/or capers.

Ratatouille comes from the Provencal region of France.  And was also the featured dish in the movie Ratatouille by Disney/Pixar in 2007.  In the movie Chef Thomas Keller designed the ratatouille for the Grand Finale dish, in which instead of dicing the ingredients they were thinly shaved on a mandolin and baked in olive oil (think of it looking a bit like au gratin potatoes with vegetable instead). 

One book suggests using Chinese eggplants or Japanese eggplants if you feel that the eggplant is leaving a 'prickly' taste in your mouth. 

If I was in this competition and had choices of cheeses for the three cheese fondue to serve with this dish I would probably base the cheeses on the region of the dish.  I'm thinking I would try it making the fondue with goat, Boursin (yeah I know it's from Normandy), and Brie.  I would grill the portabellas, and cook the ratatouille similar to the au gratin style in Ratatouille the movie.  To serve I would lay the portabella on the center of the plate, use a round cutter and cut the ratatouille to fit evenly over top the mushroom, top with a dab of fondue, and a brush stroke of fondue across the bottom of the plate and a sprig of rosemary going through the center of the ratatouille holding it to the mushroom.  It my also need a dab of fondue under the mushroom to help hold it into place.

For the wine I would consider a strong, bold wine like a cabernet sauvignon, merlot, or zinfandel.  On a warmer day I would opt out and go with a dry rose (Rose from Francis Ford Coppola Presents was good, Sofia Rose made of Pinot Noir grapes), drink something lighter for a sunnier day.

Next week begins the Mason Dixon Master Chef Competition.  Starting on Monday, May 10th and going on until Monday, September 23rd.  In the competition will be 32 Executive Chefs in the Baltimore area, and their sous chefs.  Competition will be held on most Mondays and Tuesdays between this time at the Belvedere. 

This week will have a menu of Spring Salad (poached pair, red and green oak lettuce, assorted berries, red peppers, pinenut dust and raspberry vinaigrette), sorbet, choice of chicken, beef, or vegetarian, and dessert of mini creme brule, chocolate truffle, and fruit dessert soup.  The chicken dish is chicken Neptune (chicken with scallops, shrimp, jumbo lump crabmeat, and sherry cream sauce.  The beef dish will be beef filet with blueberry merlot demi glace.  And the vegetable dish will include grilled portabella mushroom with ratatouille and three cheese fondue.

Proceeds from this event will go to support Moveable Feast, a nonprofit organization that brings food to the houses of people in Baltimore area that are home bound with HIV/Aids and Breast Cancer. 
Tickets to the event are $55 for a four course meal, and $75 to be added as a mystery judge.

I want to give a shout out to two of the chefs in the competition who I've worked side by side with in the kitchen, Chef Matt Merkel of The Reserve and Chef Chad Novak of Don't Know Tavern.  Good luck to both of you (OK honestly though I hope Chef Merkel wins.)

Last night was the revealing of a new restaurant concept from the creators of Alinea in Chicago.  The restaurant NEXT will be opening this fall, and form the advertising video I want a ticket.  Yes I want a ticket, not a reservation.  The concept is to take you to a time and place in important culinary history such as Paris 1912, Hong Kong 2036, Edo period Japan, Sicily 1949, to name a few time periods being advertised.  Every period will be open for a season, and I'm guessing once that period is done it will not be repeated for a long time.  The projected plan is to serve 4 star food at 3 star prices, as a prix-fixe price between $40-75, with alcohol supplements starting at $25, for a 5-6 course meal.  The pricing plan is based on the idea of airfare tickets, since their goal is to take you in history or the future through food.  Buying tickets at peak times like holidays, weekend evenings will be more expensive then now peak times like a Wednesday evening.  If you make a unplanned visit to Chicago and want to get a ticket, there will be two walk-in tables available.  And if your a Chicago regular you can get discounted tickets if you purchase tickets for all four seasons at once. 

Also, set to open from the Alinea crew is a concept "bar" without bartenders, called Aviary.  No you do not get to pour your own alcohol or have alcohol vending machines.  The drinks will be prepared by the kitchen staff, along with a bite to eat paired with the drink.  I LOVE THIS CONCEPT.  The bar will not take reservations, and will have a mixture of classic drinks, NEXT themed drinks, and innovative cocktails.

From what I heard talking to a friend Morel mushroom season has arrived in southern Pennsylvania.  According to one of my friends, a coworker of his claims to have picked almost 2 pounds of morels while searching in the woods this past weekend. 
The season is short, so if you want to mushroom hunt for them you should do so soon.  To find morels search in areas of moist ground near dead trees like ash, sycamore, elm, and apple.  Also, they can be found on the ground in areas covered with leaves.  Where you find one there will likely be more nearby.  When picking morels, cut them at the stem instead of removing from the root.  Also, carry the morels in a burlap bag (not plastic) this is so that while the mushrooms are rubbing around with each other they release the spores onto the ground where you searched, so in future years your mushroom location will have more mushrooms. 

Morels are tan to dark colored, cone shaped, with a hollow cap.  They also have a spongey appearance.  In hieght they 2-4 inches tall.  Be careful not to get poisonous false morels, careful examination of the caps can help tell the difference.

Happy mushroom hunting.

On Sunday, I went to the Great American Cake Show.  One section of the Carroll County Agricultural Center was sectioned off for classrooms, with classes like making gelatin bows, fondant babies, and flowers.  Another section was for smaller cakes, children, locals, cupcakes, and peeps.  Yes Peeps the mushroom candy's you get every Easter.  One person created a giant Bigbird using over a 1,000 yellow peeps, not to mention orange peeps for his legs and beak.  In the middle of the center was a wedding cake competition with the theme of states.  Some of the cupcakes from Maryland included the State House in Annapolis, the Maryland flag, Black Eyed Susans, and the O's.  My favorite for Pennsylvania had pheasant feathers and had feathers made of royal icing.  In one area free demonstrations were given.  Here I learned how to fondant a cake, and make fondant roses.  Other classes were available from various vendors.  And of course that means vendors were there.  From a vendor I learned the basics of how to make gelatin flowers and butterflies.  The most interesting thing that a vendor had for sale was the wedding cake safe, supposedly tiered wedding cakes can travel without fear of breaking during transport.  Having had to drive four tiered cakes to wedding events before I find this may be a good investment for cake manufactures.  Normally when driving a cake you must brake and accelerate slowly, take turns very slow, but they say with a cake safe you can drive like you normally do and the cake will be safe.  Also, you can drive with the windows down, or for some people in the industry smoke while driving the cake.

This weekend, May 1 and 2, at the Carroll County Agricultural Center in Westminster, Md is the Great American Cake Show and Wedding Cake Competition.  From what I can tell cake decorators from across the country come to compete in a cake competition.  For the kids there will be decorating cookies, cupcakes and gingerbread.  For adults their are workshops, vendors, and demonstrations.  Some of the possible classes include chocolate modeling, sugar work, flower decorating, making gelatin bows, fondant, using butter cream, and gum paste roses.
,
Pictures of this event will probably be posted in a blog next week, the goal is to go Sunday.

Having worked in a Baltimore bar for a period of time I've constantly seen groups of people hopping from one bar to the next in the masses trying to drink at as many places as possible in an area.  But I recently came across a group through a friend that is planning a crawl of their own.  A cupcake crawl of DC.  Yes thats right cupcakes, not alcohol.  They will start at Furin's Bakery, then walk to Georgetown Cupcake, walk to Baked and Wired, ride mass transit to Red Velvet, then walk to Hello Cupcake.  Every event has a time meetup at each place and a plan to get the cupcakes, eat, and move on to the next.  The event lasts from 1-5 on a Saturday afternoon.

These are advertised on twtvite.com and meetup.com  Just an interesting promotional idea that some restaurantors may consider using to help promote thier business.  Do you have other businesses around you with a similar product?  Why not try to promote your business activities through these resources.

Hollandaise is one of the five mother sauces, and a great topping on eggs benedict.  But there are many well known ways to slightly change hollandaise to create a different sauce.

Bavaroise- made with crayfish butter, cream and crayfish meat, common on fish

Bearnaise- Tarragon reduction, fresh tarragon and chevril, common on grilled meat

Choron- Bearnaise with tomato added, commonly served with meat and poultry

Foyot- Bearnaise with Demi-Glace, common on Meats and Offal (oragans)

Maltaise- Hollandaise with blood oranges, (some suggest adding orange zest also) commonly paired with asparagus

Mousseline- Hollandaise with heavy cream, common on fish and asparagus

Paloise- Hollandaise with mint reduction and fresh mint, common on grilled meats

Royal- Equal parts Veloute, hollandaise and whipped heavy cream, common with poached poultry and fish.

Baisc Hollandaise Recipe:

4 egg yolks
12 oz melted butter
2 Tbsp white wine vinigar
lemon juice
salt
peppercorns

1.  Reduce white wine vinigar with cracked peppercorns, by about 3/4 the volume.  Let cool
2.  Add egg yolks to the reduction, and whish over a double broiler.  Remove from heat if mixture is gettign to warm.  When egg yolks triple in volume stop whisking.
3.  Slowly add butter, if hte sauce starts to break add a small aplash of water to it.  If the sauce gets to thick add a splash of lemon juice. 
4.  Finish the sauce to taste with salt, pepper, or cayanne.  Or make another type of sauce form it.

When making Bearnaise, Choron, or Foyot sauce add the tarragon to the vinagar before making the sauce.  Add mint to the vinagar before making Paloise.

During last weeks trip to New York City I bought macarons from two different locations, La Maison Du Chocolat and Bouchon Bakery.  Both places had better macarons then the macarons at Patisseire Poupon in Baltimore. 

La Maison Du Chocolat is located at 30 Rockefeller Plaza next to the NBC Studios entrance.  All of the macarons we decided to get had chocolate in them, coffee, raspberry, caramel, chocolate, and vanilla cookies with a chocolate ganache filling. Macarons here costed $2.50 each

At Bouchon Bakery located at the Time Warner Center I bought three flavors of macarons, vanilla, chocolate, and caramel.  Macarons here were $3.00 each.  The macarons were filled with butter cream, except for the chocolate made with ganache.
 
For taste our favorite was the coffee macarons at La Maison Du Chocolat.  But the vanilla at Bouchon was a close second (the fact that it was made with real vanilla beans really helped the flavor.)  As for value Bouchon Bakery was better priced.  Eventhough the cost at Bouchon is $.50 more a macaron, they are much larger.  La Maison had a larger macaron for $5, but I did not try it to tell how it is. 

Next time we go to NYC our plan is to stop at La Maison and get some more coffee macarons and vanilla macarons from Bouchon.

The Food Network will be adding another channel to cable in the near future.  The Cooking Channel begins airring May 31, and will be replacing the fine living channel.  From what I am finding out many of the shows will be coming from Canada.

Food Jammers- about three guys who create food related items, Turkey dehydrator on a canoe, Taco vending machine, cheese puffs that are then paired with wine, and grill to cook a ten foot long sausage.

French food at Home  Laura Calder making French foods, recipes like beef in beer, petit fours, tied fish,

Unique Eats which filmed at Bark restaurant in Brooklyn

Cook like an Iron Chef- Michael Symon recreates Iron Chef recipes

Indian food made Easy- google video on link, food wirter/chef Anjum Anand

David Rocco Dolce Vita- Italy, a lot of show was filmed in Florance

Everyday Exotic- Roger Mooking, classic dishes with a new ingredient

Chucks Day Off- Chef Chuck Hughes cooking on his day off work, food and drink recipes,  Snow crab bloody caesar (Bloody Mary like drink made from clamato juice and has snow crab leg),


Spice Goddess with Bal Arneson http://www.balshealthykitchen.com/

Drink Up- Darryl Robinson Dr. Mixologist

Food Crafters- Homemade food secrets

Foodography-cultural themes of foods

Caribbean Food Made Easy

Classic block- JULIA CHILDS

I was just reading about someone recreating the flavors of Alinea restaurant in Chicago with Jelly Belly jelly beans.  Food blog http://michelehumes.com/ has created a meal of jelly beans based on Alinea's menu. 

With dishes like Distillation of Thai Flavors (2 jalapeno, 1 sardine, half grass and half Sunkist lemon jelly beans), sturgeon, potato, leek and smoke (2 sardine, half mashed potato, half onion jelly beans while smoking a cigerette), and hot potato, cold potato, black truffle, butter (3 mashed potato, half dirt, half butter jelly beans).

I think this was an interesting approach in creating a fine dining flavor profile. 

After researching and not finding some of the flavors listed on the Jelly Belly website I found that some of the jelly bean flavors used were also in the Harry Potter Bertie Bott's Jelly Beans, currently not on the jelly belly webpage.

While originally brown sauces were espagnole and demi-glace, now they have expanded to include jus lie, pan sauces, and brown stock reductions. 

To make espagnole you should make a brown veal stock, then add more roasted mirepoix, and aromatics (like a bouquet garni) and thicken it with a roux.  Demi-glace is a mixture of half espagnole and half brown stock that is reduced by half to create a thick.  Jus lies are brown sauce reductions thickened with a starch slurry.  Pan sauces are like gravy, made with the drippingsin the bottom of the pan. 

The most important step in making brown sauce is to create a high quality stock. 

Step 1:  Brown the Bones and mirepoix

Step 2:  Deglaze the pan and use the deglazing liquid in the pot to simmer the bones and mirepoix.

Step 3:  Simmer the stock.

Step 4:  Add Aromatics to stock, Skim, placing pot off center of the burner will help impurities coolect to one side of the pot. 

Step 5:  Strain stock, return to light simmer if needs to be reduced more.

Step 6:  Thicken sauce with desired thickening agent

Tips:  When storing sauce put plastic wrap on the surface of the sauce, this will prevent a thick film from forming on the top of the sauce. 

Many sauces can be created from this sauce.  Commom derivatives, flavor profiles, and common pairings of Brown Sauce to be posted soon on a seperate link. 

Tuesday night was the Call me a Cab wine tasting night in Bel Air. It consisted of five wines, Chateau Saintengey Bordeaux (white), Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose, Mercedes Eguren Cabernet Sauvignon, Columbia Crest Cabernet Sauvignon, and Twenty Rows Cabernet Sauvignon.

The first wine of the evening was the Chateau Saintengey Bordeaux 2007. It fits the Cab theme, eventhough it is a Sauvignon Blanc because Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Franc are the parent grapes that created the Cabernet Sauvignon grape. This version of the bordeaux is 80% Sauvignon Blanc and 20% Semillon grapes. The wine tasted like most Sauvignon Blancs, grassy with a touch of grapefruit juice and lemon zest, crisp light wine, high in acid. Sauvignon blanc is not one of my favorite grapes most days, for me its best on a warm day in the sun, or with crab dishes.

Next we tried the Mulderbosch Cabernet Sauvignon Rose 2008 from South Africa. This wine was a rose version of the Cabernet Sauvignon, (the grape skins were pulled out early in the wine making process to create a pink wine). This wine is unlike the famous rose White Zinfandel, it is not sweet. It smelled of strawberry and cherries, it has the flavors of berries, cherries, and a spicy peppery end that lingers for a little after drinking.

Next was the Mercedes Eguren, Spain 2006 (link to notes for a different year IN ENGLISH). Some of the Mercedes Egurin wines are served at the Mercedes factory in Stuttgart, Germany when customers come to look at the cars. The wine had a predominant berry flavor, a bit stronger blackberry flavor then strawberry, with a hint of cherry.

The fourth wine was Columbia Crest 2007 Cabernet Sauvignon, Washington, USA. On the nose you could smell cherries and berries. Flavor strawberry, cherry, tannic (drier finish) hint of cocoa at end.

Finally was the Twenty Rows 2008 Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa, California. Flavor of dark fruits like blackberries, currants and smokey, balance of acid and tannins, to create some moisture and dryness on the palate. Personal favorite of the night, but also after having 5 wines with a few topping off refills.

Today was the day of the new KFC Double Down sandwich. Two Fried Chicken breasts with bacon, Monterey Jack, Pepper Jack, and Colonel's Sauce (version of a honey mustard) in between the chicken. There is no bread in this sandwich except for the breading around the fried chicken. Surprising with two pieces of fried chicken, cheese, and bacon the sandwich is only 540 calories. A grilled chicken version is available with only 460 calories.

When I ordered the sandwich I watched the staff make it behind the counter maker the sandwich and I must say I began to have doubts in it. First the person making the sandwich only made one sandwich at a time, (previous restaurant bosses would probably of cussed me out for making one sandwich at a time when two were ordered), one thin line of Colonel's sauce on the bottom breast, layer of cheese, bacon then cheese, topped with another breast. Shouldn't the sauce be spread more, shouldn't you at least partially melt the cheese in a cheesemelter/broiler. I left with the sandwiches and got to a friend's house five minutes later so we could try the new KFC sandwich.

In the time it took to get to my friends the cheese was melted, and sandwich still warm. Time for the first bite. DELICIOUS (not in the way when I was done I wished I had just one more bite, but in comparison to other atty fast food options) and worth the $5 for the sandwich. The flavor of the chicken is by far the strongest with the bacon, cheese, and sauce only subtly tasted. It's very similar to a chicken cordon blu in flavor, but in a sandwich version without bread. While I don't see this as an everyday sandwich to eat, it will probably be a sandwich that you will occasionally get cravings for every once in a while. One sandwich was enough to feel full, and did not need ordering the full combo meal to feel even more guilty. If you don't feel full after the last bite, what a few minutes, it usually takes about 15 minutes for your body to naturally feel full after eating.

Today is the national food holiday Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day. Just want to take the time to let people in the Maryland/Pennsylvania area know about the Grilled Cheese, Beer and Wine Festival in Westminster, MD on October 23.

Don't think of a grilled cheese as a sandwich made with the generic American Cheese on two pieces of white. Be creative, take the time to find some locally made or artisan style cheese, add a few other ingredients and try a different type of bread.
Here are a few ideas of grilled cheeses you may enjoy.

Also, today is National licorce day, so enjoy some twizzlers for that afternoon snack.

On Tuesday I will be attending a wine tasting called "Call me a Cab" in the Harford County area. Since food is usually brought by people showing up to the event I thought I'd take a minute to provide food suggestions that are said to pair well with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc wines.

Cabernet Franc- Usually lighter bodied with fewer tannins then Cab Sauvignon, slight herbal aroma is common, more acidic the Cab Sauvignon, Sometimes called Chinon (appellation in the French Loire Valley and Bordeaux
Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc grapes are the parents of the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.
Favorite grape of 16th Century Francois Rabelias "Beauvez toujours, vous ne mourrez jamais" "Drink always and you will never die"
Great with leafy vegetables and herb sauces
Most common food suggestions- BEEF, DUCK, EGGPLANT, GAME, LAMB, PORK, ROASTED FOODS
Great suggestions- cabbage, strong cheeses like goat, grilled foods, bell peppers, salmon, sausage, tomato, vegetarian
Good suggestions- BBQ chicken, ham, hamburgers, liver, mushrooms, pasta with red sauce, pheasant, pizza, stew, sweetbreads, tuna, turkey, venison, zucchini.

Cabernet Sauvignon-
Dry, full flavored, heavy tannins, usual flavors of dark fruits like currants, plums, black cherries, commonly oaked,
Great with fatty foods, the fat and proteins soften the tannins.
Great with red meats, grilled foods, bitter foods like greens, radicchio, endive, eggplant; earthy foods like mushrooms; black pepper (steak au poivre), fatty creamy buttery foods.
Cheeses like blue veined or firm dry cheeses like pamigiano, manchego, cheddar, gouda, brie,
Dark chocolate, walnuts
other suggestions include-basil, currants, garlic, lentils, LAMB, meatloaf, mint, onions, oregano, osso buco, pasta, peppers, port, potato, risotto, rosemary, sausage, short ribs, squab, thyme, veal, stew, venison,

*These are some of the most common suggestions for these style wines from sommeliers around the world. By no means does this mean other foods will not go with these wines, or that with the uniqueness of every wine that the food will definitely pair with the bottle we open. This is just common guidelines that most sommeliers use as a basis when pairing a meal.

A stock is a flavorful liquid prepared by simmering bones, shells, or vegetables in water until the water takes on the flavors, smells, and color of the simmered ingredients. In France they are sometimes called Fonds du Cuisine, the "foundation of cooking." There are three basic types of stocks, white, brown, and fumets.

White stocks are made by adding all the ingredients of the stock into cold water and slowly bringing them to a simmer. This kind of stock goes best when adding to cream sauces or when a light colored subtly flavored stock is needed. To avoid the stock from getting cloudy you should blanche the bones first.

Brown stocks are made by browning the bones and mirepoix, commonly in the oven or stove top, before adding them to the water.(for small batches it is easier to heat bones on stove, larger batches are quicker in the oven) Brown stocks will have a stronger flavor then white stocks. One source claims that if a brown stock is made starting with cold water and not allowed to boil the broth will still remain clear.

Fumets are made by sweating the main ingredients of the stock before simmering, (most of the time the ingredients are simmered in white wine.

What kinds of bones should you use? Bones of young animals have more cartilage and connective tissues, which will break down into gelatin and give the stock body. Knuckle, back and neck bones are great for stock too. Thaw bones before simmering them into stock, cutting bones into 3 inch pieces will help speed the process up. Bones should be rinsed to wash away blood and impurities that can ruin the stock.

DO NOT LET THE STOCK BOIL it will dispense the fat and make a greasy tasting stock. You can cool the stock and when the fat solidifies on the top remove it the next day. Always start with cold water when making a stock, to prevent the starches on the vegetables surface from expanding.

Add a sachet or bouquet garni to the stock to add more flavor. Some people choose not to tie the boquet or sachet since they are going to strain the stock when its finished, but tying the bouquet makes it easier to remove if the herbs begin to impart to much flavor.

Another way to make the stock darker and richer in flavor is to add tomato paste to the browned ingredients. Red wine can be used to deglaze the pan that the browned ingredients are cooked in. Trimming and dried mushrooms can also be added to add more flavor to the stock.

Stock pots are the tallest pots in the kitchen, this is so they have less surface area on the flame to reduce the amount of evaporation. Keep a ladle or skimmer ready to remove impurities throughout the cooking process. For larger batches a kitchen may decide to invest in a tilting kettle, but expect to pay $10-20 thousand for one. Cheesecloth, sieve, or colander will be needed to strain the stock when it is finished. An ice paddle should be used to bring the temperature back down to under 40F in less then 4 hours, as mentioned in Servesafe equirements to prevent food contamination. A cheap way to create an ice paddle is freeze a 2 liter soda bottle 3/4 filled with water (not recommended in institutional use). Or separate the stock into numerous small containers for quick cooling. If bubbles appear in a refrigerated stock dispose of it, it is contaminated.

Remouillage is French for rewetting, it means to use the bones and mirepoix again after it has already been used to make stock.

Glace is the term for a highly reduced stock and will have a cooled consistency of gelatin.

Commercial bases are a common way many places make their stocks or add stronger flavor to handmade stocks. I remember when reading Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain mentioning adding bouillion cubes to his stock in culinary school and no one understanding how he could get so much more flavor out of the bones. Some bases are highly reduced forms of stock, some are powders or cubes. Check the ingredients for any being used, some bases are very high in sodium and some contain few real base ingredients.

Basic Meat stock recipe: yield one gallon
8 lbs of bones and trimming
1 gallon cold water
1 lb mirepoix
1 bouquet garni

1. decide if you want white or brown stock
2. For brown stock lightly oil the pan, add bones and mirepoix to pan and roast at 425F for 30 minutes. (omit this step for white stock)
3. Place bones and mirepoix in stock pot of cold water, deglaze pan with water or red wine, bring pot to a light simmer.
4. Simmer the pot for 1 hour.
5. Skim, strain and cool

Clarified butter is made by melting butter and removing the milk solids and water. To do this first melt the unsalted butter over low heat and let it separate. Then skim off the foam floating on top of the butter. After that ladle out the top layer of the butter leaving the water and milk solids in the bottom of the pan. The clarified butter or butterfat is the top layer that is clear. If you start with a pound of butter you will roughly get 3/4lb of clarified butter.

Clarified butter is used because of its higher burn temperature. Regular butter will burn at approximately 250F. The burn temperature of clarified butter is closer to 400F, making it more suitable for high temperature cooking like sauteing.

Another book mentions heating the butter over low heat and letting the water in the butter evaporate out. When the water is evaporated out chill the bottom of the pan to harden the milk solids and pour out the clarified butter, (through a strainer or cheesecloth to prevent any milk solids from mixing into the clarified butter). This method will require attention though due to the low burn temperature of butter.

Other common uses for clarified butter are in hollandaise sauce (depending on the chef) and bearnaise.

In Asian and Indian cuisines ghee is often made. To make ghee heat one pound of butter on low heat. Keep heating until the water in the butter evaporates out leaving a bottom layer of brown milk solids and the butterfat is a golden color. Separate the butterfat and milk solids with cheesecloth or a fine mesh strainer. This will add a nutty flavor to the butterfat.

The French version of ghee is called beurre noisette or brown butter. Melt butter over medium low heat (works great in a pan already used to cook fish), and cook until butter becomes light brown while stirring to help it cook evenly. This sauce is commonly used on fish and vegetables. To make beurre noir or black butter cook until butter turns dark brown.

There are a few possible ways to thicken a sauce, soup, or stock each having their own advantages and disadvantages.

One way is to make a roux. A roux is a blend of flour and a fat that is heated up and added to the liquid. Clarified butter is usually the most suggested type of fat used, but regular butter, oils, and rendered animal fats may be used. The mixture of 3 parts flour, 2 parts fat (many other books suggest equal ratios) should be heated in a suate pan to the desired color. A white or lightly cooked roux will thicken the sauce more then a darker roux, but will leave a more floury flavor. Cooking the roux darker will add a more nutty aroma and flavor, and can change the color of the sauce. A white roux would be better used in a sauce like bechemel or veloute. A brown roux which is cooked until it turns dark is commonly used in Cajun/creole cooking in dishes like gumbo.
The flour used also can impact how the roux will thicken, cake flour (higher starch to protein) will thicken more than bread flour. All-purpose flour is a mixture of the two and is the most commonly used. It is suggested to add a hot roux to a cold sauce, or to add a hot sauce to a cold roux (to avoid lumping). Avoid adding hot roux to a hot liquid, since it may splash and cause burns. Also, when adding roux the sauce will need to be stirred until thickened. Roux can be prepared ahead of time and stored in the freezer, freezing the roux in ice cube trays may help measure for consistency. 2 ice cubes with one tablespoon each of roux will thicken one cup of liquid. After the roux is added and the sauce is heated and thickened it is suggested to skim the sauce to remove impurities in the flour.
If fat floats on top of the flour, the roux has separated, throw out the roux and start over.

A beurre manie is mixture of equal parts flour and butter, kneaded together, so as the butter melts it mixes with the flour, and slowly thickens the sauce as you add more.

Another way to thicken a sauce or soup is to create a starch slurry. Corn starch is the most commonly used, but arrowroot, tapioca, rice flour, and potato starch can also be used. Corn starch is translucent, thickens when heated, but can gel when cooled, too much heat will reduce its thickening abilities. Arrowroot has the same thickening power as cornstarch, but will not gel when cooled, also will hold up better to heat for a longer period of time. Tapioca flour stronger then cornstarch, available at Asian grocery stores. Potato starch is the strongest of the starches, but costs more. Rice flour is the weakest of the starches, can be frozen, but can be expensive. Disadvantages also include that starches do not thicken with acidic sauces and a skin will form over chilled dairy sauces.

Liaison is a mixture of egg yolks and cream used to slightly thicken sauces and add a smooth texture, bold flavor, and a slight ivory color. Cream and eggs (8 oz cream to three egg yolks) are whisked together, this raises the cooking temperature of the eggs. After mixing the eggs and cream gradually add the hot sauce to the egg mixture while constantly. This process is called tempering and is done to prevent the egg from cooking. When about 1/3 of the sauce is mixed in the egg bowl you can dump the egg/sauce mixture into the pot with the rest of the sauce and whisk. Be careful not to let the sauce get over 185F or the eggs will curdle ruining the sauce. Flour in the sauce can help reduce the eggs from cooking in the sauce also. If the sauce gets to hot you can try to save it by placing the put in an ice bath to quickly bring the temperature down, whisk in more cream, you can also try to straining the sauce. Sauces in aluminum pots containing egg yolks can turn grey.

If the sauce is chunky try pureeing the sauce to thicken it.

File powder will also help thicken a gumbo, but should be added after the gumbo is removed from heat, and does not reheat well, so should be added right before gumbo is served.

Before adding a roux or starch to a stock always skim the fat off the top, once the roux or starch bounds to the fat in the stock it will be impossible to skim the fat out.

Gums like guar, xanthan, tara, carob, tragacanth, and arabic gums can also be used. Guar gum (E-412) is a powder made from the seeds of the leguminous plant. It is soluble in cold water and still works as a thickener under the use of high heat. Xanthan gum (E-415) is a powder produced from fermented cornstarch with bacteria from cabbage. It can resist thawing and freezing, is soluable in hot or cold water, stable in acids, and gels when mixed with equal parts carob gum. Carob gum (E-410) main use is to add elasticity to gels made with agar and carrageenans to help them avoid cracking. Tragacanth gum (E-413) is a thickener that works with acidic foods. Arabic gum (E-414) also called acacia gum or Senegal gum, is a weakest of the gum thickeners but can also be used to help emulsify essential oils into soft drinks.
The (E-NUMBER) is the European code for the elements found in food.

A recent report from TIME reports that the average American diner is dead. With the Census being this year this really should come as no surprise to anyone. All year long the Census has been building up that this will be the year where there is no more average American.

Ethnic ,foods are on the rise, what a surprise, drive through Frederick, Maryland sometime. A slightly larger then Main Street town with a population of a little over 50,000 people. In this town there are numerous restaurants and specialty grocery stores of almost every style. Ethiopean, Cuban, Greek, Italian, French, Spanish, Mexican, Vietmanese, Japanese, Chinese, Indian, South American, Halal grocery store. Why do these restaurants exist in such a small town, because there is a market for their styles of food. Maybe all of these businesses are not flourishing in Frederick every night of the week, but with restaurants like these opening up all over America and its small cities/towns, it is a sign that Americans are willing to leave the meatloaf pans in the back of the cupboard and try new foods.

Mirepoix is similar to bouquets, sachets and oignon brules in the fact that they are used to added subtle flavors to enhance a dish. One chef I used to work with claimed this was the necessary start to every soup in order for it to taste balanced. A miropoix is usually a blend of aromatic vegetables, most commonly a mixture of 2 parts onion, and 1 part each of celery and carrot. This mixture is sometimes changed to include leeks, parsnips, tomatos, garlic, mushrooms, shallots, peppers, and ginger.

A pound of mirepoix is usually enough to add flavor to one gallon of stock.

Different styles and regional cooking can require a different style of mirepoix. When making a white sauce you may wish to use a white vegetable mirepoix of 2 parts onion, 1 part celery root and one part parsnips. In Asian dishes you may want to have a mirepoix of 2 parts ginger, 2 parts garlic, and 1 part scallion. The cajun trinity is 2 parts onion, 1 part pepper, and one part celery.

After cleaning the vegetables, you can decide whether or not you wish to peel them. Onion skins can give the liquid a yellowish orange tint. Scrubbing, and not peeling the vegetables can reduce prep time. Cut the vegetables in uniform sizes based on the cooking time of the dish, if the dish is cooking for a short time a smaller mirepoix will be necessary to extract the necessary flavors. Large cut vegetalbe are best for dishes like pot roast and demi-glace.

CIA suggests starting with suating the onions, then the carrots in fat like butter (Italian versions use olive oil and are called soffrito). Once the onions and carrots are starting to sweat or turning brown add the celery. If you place a lid on the pot while sweating the mirepoix it is a technique called smothering. Some recipes suggests adding tomato paste to the mirepoix after it has been sweating to add flavor and color. If adding tomato paste cook until the paste starts to turn brown. This technique is called pincage, which means to stiffen or pinch.

Chef Daniel Boulud suggests using a mirepoix when braising meats. The mirepoix is seared with the meats, then pan roast it until its lightly carmelized. After the dish has been pan roast to carmelize the dish is drain of fats, flour added, and then the dish is cooked in red wine or other braising liquid.

Bouquet garni, sachets, and oignon brules are herb, vegetable, and spice mixtures commonly used to add flavor and aromatics to stocks, sauces, and soups.

The Bouquet garni is commonly made with a sprig of thyme, parsley stems, a bay leaf, 2 or 3 leek leaves, and a celery stalk. After cleaning the leeks, lay them down and place the other ingredients on the leeks, roll the leek leaves around the other ingredients and tie them with a piece of string. Tie one end of string to the pot handle and the toss the bouquet garni into the stock, sauce, or soup. Pull it out when you feel enough of the flavor has infused into the dish.
Julia Childs uses a bouquet of just parsley, thyme, and bay leaf then wraps them in a cheesecloth for easy removal. The Joy of Cooking gives an optional suggestion of using cloves in the bouquet and provides a suggestion if you only have dried herbs available, converted measurement for one bouquet, 1/2 teaspoon dried parsley, 1/4 tsp dried thyme, 1/4 tsp dried marjoram, 1 bay leaf, 1/2 tsp dried celery leaves. A sachet usually contains spices, herbs, and vegetables. A common sachet includes parsley stems, thyme, bay leaf, peppercorns, and garlic cloves. These ingredients are commonly tied up in a cheesecloth for easy removal, but can be added without a cheesecloth if the sauce or stock will be strained. The sachet is basically like a teabag for stocks and other flavors can be added to create new flavors. Also, for beef based stocks in the Provencal tradition orange rind and marjoram is added to the bouquet garni.

CIA suggests adding bouquet garnis and sachets in the last fifteen minutes when making small batches of less then a gallon and an hour before for larger amounts. They also recommend tasting the dish before, and after the bouquet is added to realize the effects the bouquet has on the dish so the flavors do not overwhelm the sauce. James Peterson's book sauces suggests adding to bouquet garni in the last hour of the sauce making process and if the sauce, stock, or soup tastes bland add another bouquet garni at the end of the cooking process to provide more flavor.

The oignon brule, or burnt onion is commonly used in bechemel sauce (cream based mother sauce). But was not used in the bechemel recipe in the CIA textbook. To make a oignon brule, cut an onion in half or quarters depending on how much sauce your making. Quickly char the edges of the onion in a dry skillet or grill. Stick a toothpick through it and add garlic cloves, bay leaf to the onion, then add it to the sauce.

I have decided to put a new focus section on the daily blog, called Back to the Basics. My reason for this is because for many "chefs" there becomes an excitement to cook dishes beyond their skill level. A few months back when I was working full time I took the cookbook Alinea to work with me. Anyone familiar with the Chicago restaurant Alinea, Chef Grant Achatz, or molecular gastronomy will understand why I can comfortably say the book is probably above the abilities of 98% of chefs. Deconstructed dishes, molecular compounds, powders, foams, sous-vide, "caviar" not the fish egg kind, but turning a liquid into a caviar like state by using sodium alginate and calcium lactate, and many other cutting edge cooking techniques. And even though the pictures and ideas in the book are inspiring to look at a general knowledge of your own abilities and limits is necessary when looking at cookbooks. Everyone in the kitchen wanted to change their style of cooking immediately, but there was one problem, some of the cooks in the kitchen still had trouble making a classic vinaigrette and didn't know what a mother sauce was.

I have decided to spend some time everyday going back to study the basics, research skills, tips, and tricks that may help with some of the basics. This is so I can share the most important skills in becoming a chef with everyone, and fill in any gaps from on the job training that I may have. I will use the Culinary Institute of America's book The Professional Chef 8th edition as a basis on the path to follow to guide me on the path on knowing the basics. I will skip the first few chapters of this book on culinary math, identifying products, world cuisine, sanitation, equipment identification, and nutrition for the time being, but will occasionally add a blog about them to.
I am chosing this book based on the reputation that CIA has established for itself, the number of 5 star reviews it has recieved, and the favorable reviews of some of the best chefs in the industry.

I will begin this section of the blog in chapter 14 of the CIA textbook on Stocks, Sauces, and Soups.

Without the Basics you will not be able to become the next great chef, please take your time and learn the skills that I will describe in future posts.