Thursday, June 30, 2011

Foumami

I've been meaning to visit this kitschy spot since I read about it months ago in my daily ThrillList email. The self-proclaimed Asian sandwich bar has a creative menu of sandwiches and salads using many key Asian ingredients such as ginger, Wasabi, soy sauce and cilantro. While a few of the items seem a bit forced into the constraints of what would be considered "Asian," (Wasabi Caesar Salad, Asian Cobb), the majority of the menu is striking and unique.

When I glanced at the menu online, in preparation for my visit, I immediately knew that I needed to have an Iced Ginger Tea! I love beverages with ginger in them, and this one was absolutely no exception. The spiced bite of ginger flavor integrated with the sweetness of the tea is a definite winner! It was wonderfully refreshing on this warm day!

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I opted for the Braised Beef Brisket sandwich as my lunch, and as soon as I could pay and step sideways to the pickup window, they had called my name! Now, that's some service! I unwrapped my meal, thinly sliced brisket, cooked to perfection (silky, smooth and falling apart) along with some cucumbers, scallions and cilantro sprigs, all wrapped in a flat bread similar to naan. It wasnt very large but it ended up being a hearty lunch for me and I was satisfied for the afternoon! The sandwiches also come with a pickle and potato chips...but I wished for something a bit more authentic as a side...some Kim Chee, or a small bowl of edamame would have been a really cool touch.

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They offer many soups on their online menu, one or two of which are available each day. There were a few specific flavors that would certainly go back for (Wonton, Hot & Sour, String Bean Noodle), because they sound delicious. Other options include desserts such as shaved ice and cookies.

Foumami is located at 225 Franklin Street, in the Financial District of Boston. Check them out at their website, or call them (617-426-8858) to find out about those soup specials!

Cool fact of the day: In Japanese culture, umami is one of the five basic tastes with sweet, sour, bitter and salty.  In Japanese, it means "pleasant savory taste."

Wednesday, June 29, 2011

There's a New Sherpa in Town!

I'm always looking out for the newest culinary trend, or a great deal on a rare ingredient, or even, an ingredient I've never used before! This is why I am so excited about a website that was recently brought to my attention: FoodSherpa.



The website offers a daily deal on a specific food item, and some of the past deals are nothing to scoff at! Great prices on truffle oils, exotic teas and fancy dips and marinades is a very exciting prospect for me. I promise you I will be taking full advantage of this brilliant idea for a website.

I will make an effort to post the especially special deals on the blog, so that all of my faithful readers can take part, but I certainly suggest signing up for the free email-a-day so you can participate in this amazing concept!

Monday, June 27, 2011

The Sum of All It's Parts

I got home later then I planned today, and I will admit, I did not do a mise en place for tonight's dinner. I prepped as I cooked, I improvised, and I rushed...but dinner turned out pretty darn good, I must say. I cracked A Platter of Figs, and turned to the chapter I had initially added to my current menu. The title of this chapter: Salmon on My Mind. The menu featured in this chapter includes:

Fried Egg Soup
Wild Salmon with Vietnamese Cucumbers
Rose-Scented Strawberries

Unfortunately, I planned this menu awhile ago, and all the strawberries have been eaten...so I didn't make the dessert portion of this chapter. I did, however, manage to make both the soup and the salmon, accompanied by some white rice and the Vietnamese Cucumbers. While the majority of the recipes in this book are extremely labor-intensive, this one took about an hour, total, and that's nothing to complain about!

Each part of this menu went very quickly, and timed out perfectly so that everything finished at the same time. I love it when that happens! So as the title of this post describes, this menu really is the sum of all its parts. The salmon was simply seasoned with salt and pepper and drizzled with a little olive oil. It is supposed to bake in a 350 degree oven for 20-25 minutes, so I pre-heated the oven and put the salmon in. I felt that the preparation of the fish was a bit too simple, but it ended up working so well with all the other flavors. I will never doubt again! :)

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I immediately set my rice-cooker so that it would be cooked at about the time I pulled the salmon out of the oven. Now that the things that take the longest are set to cookin', I had the time to throw together the other two components of this meal.

For the cucumbers, I used mini seedless cucumbers, and I did not peel them the way the recipe suggested. I like the crunch of a cucumber's skin, so I left it on, and tossed them with some fish sauce, julienned ginger, palm sugar, salt and pepper. After 5 minutes of sitting, I mixed in the juice of 2 limes as well as some chopped jalapenos and put it in the fridge until dinnertime.

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At this point, there's about 12 minutes left on the timer for the salmon, so I better get that soup going. I poured some chicken broth into a pot (the author HIGHLY recommends making your own broth, but really...I did not have that kinda time today...so I hope he forgives me). I brought the broth to a simmer and added some thinly sliced garlic cloves, and a few minutes after that, some minced ginger. While the broth was simmering, I fried up a few eggs for the bottom of our soup bowls. It's an interesting concept, and it turned out to be a yummy one, at that. At the last minute of cooking, I added some bok choy ribbons to the pot and allowed them to wilt slightly.

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The cucumbers were garnished with chopped mint and scallions directly before serving, and the soup was also decorated with scallions...a generous handful! I did not follow the directions in these recipes to the letter, by any means, but I think I got the gist of the concept, and produced a delicious (and healthy) meal in about an hour. The meal was hearty, fulfilling and delicious, and while I didn't follow my regular practice in the kitchen, things turned out okay. And the clean-up for this one was totally easy, so score one more point there!

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Tip of the day: Read through an entire recipe before you start preparing it. If you can anticipate what comes next, you can produce a complicated meal with less stress, and in less time than if you really had to go step-by-step through a recipe. 

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Marinated Grilled Flank Steak with BLT-Smashed Potatoes

Tonight, I opted for a recipe from the Food Network Favorites cookbook. I really like this book because it showcases a few wonderful recipes from each of the stars on the Food Network. This specific one is by Rachel Ray. For the most part, I'm not really thrilled with Rachel's recipes, but I have to say that the BLT-Smashed Potatoes in this recipe were just...awesome! The flank steak was, well...just a flank steak, but those potatoes made the dish! You can find the recipe here.

Here's what you'll need:

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tablespoon grill seasoning blend
1 teaspoon smoked paprika, ground chipotle chile power, or ground cumin
2 teaspoons hot sauce
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil plus additional for drizzling
2 pounds flank steak
2 1/2 pounds small, red skin new potatoes
1 leek, trimmed of tough top
4 slices thick-cut smoky bacon (I used thick-cut pancetta instead.)
1 3/4 cup chicken broth
1 vine-ripe tomato, seeded and chopped
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 cup sour cream


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The first step was to marinade the flank steak. Mix the garlic, steak seasoning, smoked paprika, hot sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and vinegar in a bowl with a whisk. Slowly whisk in the 1/3 cup of olive oil until everything is blended together nicely. Once the meat is placed in a shallow dish, pour the marinade over the top, distribute it evenly, and allow to sit for at least 15 minutes.

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When you are ready to start cooking, this one goes pretty quickly so get all your burners going. Place the potatoes in a pot of water, boil and cook for about 12-15 minutes. At the same time, heat your grill pan and place the flank steak on the heat. It should cook for about 7 minutes on each side.


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While the potatoes and flank steak are cooking, drizzle olive oil in your pan and cook your bacon (or pancetta) until cooked through, and crispy, and then add the leeks, allowing them to wilt in the heat.

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Everything should finish up around the same time. Once the steak is done cooking, remove it from the heat and allow it to rest for about 10 minutes. I opted to tent mine with aluminum foil as well. Drain your potatoes and then return them to the pot. Start smashing them, using the chicken broth to help with the job. Add the bacon (or pancetta), leeks, and some chopped tomato to the potatoes and season with salt and pepper to your liking. Slice the steak against the grain to avoid chewiness. Although I did do that, mine was still a tad on the chewy side. I'd say maybe it needed to cook a minute less, but really, it was on the rarer side as it was, so I'm not sure how to fix it...possibly a thinner flank steak would not have been as problematic. 

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Fix-It of the Day: I've stressed the importance of tenderizing meat to obtain a more succulent dish. While I don't normally tenderize flank steak, I think I should have done that with this one. It was thicker in some spots than others, and I think that contributed immensely to the chewiness of the meat. A little tenderizing could have turned this one around, for sure!

Friday, June 24, 2011

Flavor Infusion

Let's get creative! A great way to add your own touch to something is by using infusion. You can infuse all sorts of liquids, with all sorts of flavors, to add your own flair to an otherwise ordinary recipe. Oils, vinegars and even water can act as a blank canvas for your creations!

Cucumber water
from Flickr - by quinn.anya
A really refreshing treat for the summer is to add slices of cucumbers and lemons to a pitcher of water and allow it to sit in the fridge for a few hours. When you have a glass, you get a chilled glass of wonderful flavor, rather than a plain glass of water.

Chlii oil
from Flickr - by erik boralv
Try infusing some chili peppers in olive oil for a few days before using it to sear some scallops or shrimp, for an added bite to your seafood. To infuse an oil like this, you can do it over time, in a shelf-stable container. You can also heat the oil with the flavors to speed up the process. Herbs and garlic also make a great infusion for oil. I've never tried this, but I'm thinking a scallion-infused rice vinegar might be de-lish-ous!

Do you have ideas or suggestions? Share with us!

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Summertime and the Livin's Easy

Today marks the first day of summer...and that means lots of culinary-related awesomeness. Farmers markets have started to spring up, and the booths have begun to fill with green and lush vegetation. Invitations to BBQs and backyard luaus have started to roll in, and the warm weather leans us towards refreshing salads, and maybe a few frozen cocktails! The livin's easy in the summertime, ain't it!?

Summer / Sunset / Photography
from Flickr - by CubaGallery

In honor of summer, I thought I'd provide you with a delicious drink, to be enjoyed on a patio, terrace or porch...because what's better than a refreshing drink in the sunshine? My favorite summertime cocktail is the Sidecar. The drink's origins date back to World War I, and the Ritz Carlton Paris has laid claim to the recipe.

3/4 ounce Cognac (or Bourbon)
3/4 ounce orange liqueur (Cointreau, Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
3/4 ounce lemon juice 

Served straight up in a martini glass, this drink is definitely meant to be sipped. It's strong, but very refreshing, and totally delicious!

from Wikipedia


Tip of the day: A lot of cocktail recipes describe their measurements in "jiggers." A jigger is 1.5 fluid ounces, or about one shot. Don't be afraid to use a shot glass to measure your drinks out until you get the hang of a recipe. Too heavy a hand can end poorly, and a light pour will have you making drinks more often then you planned!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Happy West Virginia Day!

I was scanning the web, looking for a topic of inspiration for tonight's post, and stumbled upon the fact that today is West Virginia Day! This brought me to another bright idea: A new recurring post on the blog! When it's a state's special day, I will feature a dish from that state in my post. This will not only help us all learn more about our good ol' USA, but the things we want to eat when we visit new places. This is definitely in keeping with the Wiki Project I wrote about last week, mycitycuisine.org. I tried searching for a list of all the state days but can't seem to find one, so I'm going to need your help! Comment on this post with your state's special day, so I can be sure to include it in this series!

West Virginia Magazine
from Flickr - by fsmphoto

Supposedly invented in 1927 in Fairmont, WV, miners began bringing pepperoni rolls to lunch with them. These soft bread rolls were baked with pepperoni inside, and could also include cheese, tomato sauce and banana peppers. Apparently, they are popular throughout the state, and can be found in convenience stores, bakeries, and local restaurants. I really couldn't post this entry without the inclusion of this very special website, The Pepperoni Roll Homepage. This website is amazing! It's got recipes, restaurants that serve pepperoni rolls, and it even tells us that in Virginia, pepperoni rolls are illegal because the meat is baked inside the roll. Crazy, right!?

Perfect Pepperoni Roll
from Flickr - by Author Erica Rivera

Another thing I learned while researching West Viriginia is that the ramp originated here. I wrote briefly about ramps in a past post, I believe, but they are seriously delicious, and now that I know that there are ramp festivals held in the state of West Virginia, I have a feeling I will be making a concerted effort to attend. The ramp is a wild leek that looks a bit like a scallion, with a very potent scent that is quite reminiscent of garlic. They are delicious in salads, but the season for them in Massachusetts is a short one. I tried to find them for a recipe on this current menu, but alas, I think I just missed them. I also found a website all about ramps, including recipes and some of the festival dates. Richwood, West Virginia is the Capital of Ramp Country!

Ramps
from Flickr - by Harris Graber

I think we learned a lot about West Virginia today! I had no idea that ramps originated in this state, and I would definitely like to try one of those pepperoni rolls sometime...reminds me a bit of a calzone, no? So all you readers out there, send me info on your state's special day, and tell me what delicacy you couldn't live without. I'll try and keep up with the states and feature them as the days pass!

Tip of the day: When working with a new ingredient, do your research. Read about it, check out some other recipes to see what flavors tend to meld well with it, and most importantly, taste it. Don't throw something into a pot without knowing what flavor you are throwing in there. That's the best way to broaden your palate!

Sunday, June 19, 2011

Love Me Tenderized!

Tonight's dinner came from one of my favorite cookbooks, Stir: Mixing it up in the Italian Tradition. I opted for Lemony Breaded Chicken Cutlets, served on a bed of Tuscan Kale, a totally separate recipe in the book. The flavors of these two recipes really melded well together, and this was a really simple dinner for a weeknight. Instead of doing a how-to for these simple recipes, from a cookbook I recommend to everyone, I decided to do another one of my much-requested video explanations on how to tenderize a chicken breast.

It's a very easy procedure, but it's one that everyone should have under their belt. To tenderize a piece of meat, you will need 2 sheets of saran wrap and a meat tenderizer. Check this out.


I recommend using the flat side of the meat tenderizer, as the spiky side can puncture and tear your saran wrap...and shred the meat as well. I reserve the use of the spiky side for a thick cut of meat that needs a little more oomph to spread out. Don't be afraid to make some noise while you're doing this, and keep pounding until you get an even filet, all the way around. If it's not completely flat, you could have an uneven cook on one side. You can also tenderize to a thinner filet, or a thicker filet, depending on what your recipe calls for, but regardless of size, tenderizing adds a suppleness to your dish that you wouldn't find otherwise. 

The Lemony Breaded Chicken Cutlets were dredged in flour, and browned in a skillet before being placed on a baking sheet, and topped with an herb butter panko crust. They just needed to bake in the oven for another ten minutes before dinner was served. The chicken was topped with a chicken broth, butter and lemon juice reduction. I have a friend that was intrigued by the Tuscan Kale recipe, and for her, I will describe it here. It was the easiest side dish ever! Red pepper flakes, sliced garlic, sliced shallots and some salt cooked in some olive oil for a minute before being topped with sliced kale. Add a little bit of water and allow it all to simmer together and wilt for about 15 minutes. I finished it off with some freshly ground black pepper and some lemon juice. I started the kale five minutes before putting the chicken in the oven and that way, everything was done at exactly the same time.


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Friday, June 17, 2011

What a Concept!

I'm all about using ingredients in new and crazy ways. This morning, we visited a restaurant in Falmouth for breakfast, called Country Fare. I scanned the menu and my eyes were drawn to an omelette that contained sausage, cheese, and ... apples! I continued to peruse but really, I couldn't get that concoction out of mind, and decided that I needed to try it to see for myself. We placed our order and our food came rather quickly.

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Oh my goodness, what a concept! Fruit in omelettes - this won't be the end of this idea! No sirree! The apples were cooked, soft and supple, with, I'll have to say, cinnamon. It was like apple pie flavors, maple sausage flavors, the savory bite of some swiss cheese, all wrapped in a pillow of egg. Never again will I second guess the use of fruit in a savory egg dish...because the melded flavors were definitely one for the books!

Tip of the Day: To bake apple slices for a recipe like this one, heat your oven to 350 degrees. Peel and slice your apples, arrange them in a baking dish, add some water to the dish and sprinkle with cinnamon and salt. Bake until soft and delicious!

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Spreading My Wings

After discussing the progression of my blog with a few of my avid readers, I've gathered some great constructive criticism, and have come to a few conclusions regarding the future of this blog. I've been told that the videos (yes, all two of them so far) are very informative, and even funny, and that there should be more of them. Check. I will make that happen.

Any suggestions
from Flickr - by jonhoward
In the coming weeks, I'm going to introduce some series of posts, containing instructive lessons, such as knife skills. You will also find a tip or factoid of the day at the bottom of each day's post. I have a passion for all things culinary, and I enjoy sharing this knowledge with everyone. Expect to learn something each day, in addition to building your recipe collection, and joining me on my culinary adventures.

My question now is...what do you want to see more of? I've already heard from the people I know in person, and talk to on a daily basis, but what about everyone out in the blogosphere? What would you like to learn? What questions do you want answered? And finally, what kind of things would you like to see on a website, if I were to start building one?

Keyboard
from Flickr - by watcherob

It's time to get bigger and better! In a few days, I will hit 10,000 views to this site and I'm ready to take it to the next level! Help out by sending your comments, questions, and suggestions my way! Think of it as a virtual suggestion box!

Cheers!

Tip of the day: When you make a recipe from a cookbook, don't be afraid to write your changes down. Use your cookbooks, get them marked up, and get them dirty! The only way to improve your own skills is by recognizing when something hasn't gone the best way possible, and then correcting it until it is perfect. And if a recipe doesn't come out well, always try it at least one more time before giving up. I never admit to a failed recipe until I've failed at least twice! :)

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Tailgating in the Kitchen

Hello, my fellow culinary creators! It's been a few days, and for that, I apologize. June is going to be a very busy month for us...we've got three weddings in the next three weekends, and then other plans as well! But the good thing about all these events is that I get to experience lots of different epicurean treats, and then, share them with all of you!

Tonight, Oia graduated from Puppy Training, and we are proudly displaying her diploma on our refrigerator...the same refrigerator that I pulled dinner out of tonight! I went for a meal that I took from a magazine that a friend purchased for me at the check-out last summer. It's an entire magazine of tailgating recipes, meant for parking lots and fields, with outdoor grills and beer pong tables...there's nothing better than tailgating before a football game or outdoor concert in the thick of the summer. I use this magazine mostly for camping, BBQs and, well, tailgating...but once in awhile I like to bring the tailgating indoors. It's been a rainy few days, it's gotten much chillier and in order to continue the thought that summer MUST be on its way, I decided to do a little indoor grilling. I opted for the Sausage, Grape, and Gorgonzola Dolce Sandwiches and the Chopped Vegetable and Couscous Salad with Black Olive Vinaigrette.

I got my 2-burner grill pan out, and set it to heating while I prepped all the veggies for the couscous salad. I sliced some eggplant and zucchini, peeled a few carrots, quartered a head of radicchio and trimmed some scallions. I pulled all the other ingredients out of the fridge and lined them up as well. (You can click on the links above for a full ingredient list and instructions).

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As I grilled the veggies in batches, I mixed up the vinaigrette for the salad with red wine vinegar, dijon mustard, black olives, olive oil and some black pepper. Check out this emulsion!

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Once all of the veggies were grilled to perfection, I transferred them to a platter to cool while I assembled the sandwiches for my panini grill.

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I split the sausages almost in half, like the recipe describes, and placed them on the hot grill to cook.

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While the sausages cooked, I made my couscous by boiling some water and allowing the couscous to soak in it for 5 minutes, covered. I also chopped all of my cooled, grilled veggies for the salad and placed them into a large bowl. I stirred in the mixed herbs, lemon juice, salt, pepper, couscous, and vinaigrette. Because this salad can be served at room temperature, it can certainly be made in advance but I liked the heat that the veggies added to the mix right after it was made. It's a beauty though, isn't it?

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And now, to assemble the sandwiches. I took the cooked sausages off of the grill. The recipe calls for baguettes, but I had some hot dog buns to use so I settled for those this time around. I didn't want to waste what I already had lying around. I placed some gorgonzola dolce on each side of the bun (the buns were small, and definitely would not have held the whole sausage so I split them up into two smaller sandwiches). Into the cheese, I pressed a few slices of red grapes so that they would stay fixed in place. On top of all this, I laid the sausages and then grilled them open-face on the panini grill.

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A baguette definitely would have soaked up the melted cheese a little better and made for a sturdier sandwich, but the flavors were incredible together. Everything really popped, and the red grapes added a nice burst of freshness when you crunched down on one. The flavors of these two dishes melded very well together as well. The couscous salad recipe made a very large amount of food, so it's a great one for parties, that's for sure. The sandwich recipe can be altered to accomodate any amount of people...and it was very simple to put together - a great tailgating option!

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Friday, June 10, 2011

Fresh Veggies on Bloomspot

I just wanted to give everyone a very quick heads up to a wonderful deal now happening on Bloomspot, for readers in the Boston area. The offer today is for Harvest Delivery, farm-to-door produce delivery. There are many packages available, some pricier than others. I decided to go with one full delivery, for $28, to try them out, since I've never used this service before!


The deal ends in a little over three days, so go on the site and take advantage before it's too late! Check it out here: http://bit.ly/lUrlSe

Thursday, June 9, 2011

A New Wiki-Project

As you all know, I use Wikipedia as my go-to for accurate food-related terminology. It helps me immensely to read a well-worded description, and then relay it to you, my faithful readers. Well, this morning I received an email alerting me to a new wiki-project, called Mycitycuisine.org.

This new project will act as a traveler's guide to local cuisine. What appetizers should I not leave Paris without trying? Ooo, escargot is on that list! I love snails! (I hear you all saying ew right now, but trust me, once you try them, you'll be singing a different tune...ooo la la!) What dessert cannot be missed in Beijing? Well, I really couldn't click away without finding out what Rolling Donkey was, so I forged ahead! It's a cake made of rice-flour and red bean paste! That DOES sound good!


This project has already gathered quite a bit of steam, and the lists gathered are comprehensive...but just like any wiki-project, it can only continue to grow...with the help of people like you! Where are you from? What was your favorite local fare growing up? Did you go on vacation somewhere and find the BEST sandwich EVER!? Write about it! Add to the growing compilation of food from all over the world.

From my stats, I can see that you, my readers, come from all over this globe, and you all have different things to offer the culinary world! Share them!

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Steamer Clams and an Artichoke!

We're going to do things a little differently today. I don't have a "mise en place" picture to start off this post, because the recipe didn't really call for any prep work - amazing right? It was more measuring and combining, stirring and dipping...so that's exactly what I did. The recipe, "World's Best Fried Clams," comes from the Stonewall Kitchen Harvest cookbook. The menu mentions pairing these clams with a frisee and spring ramps salad, which I was really excited to try, but alas, I couldn't find either frisee lettuce OR ramps (I think I just missed the season for those) at the store. So instead, we had some more of those beautiful Globe Artichokes from Whole Foods ... STILL on sale!!
Stonewall Kitchen Harvest: Celebrating the Bounty of the Seasons
I don't know if I can commit to the title of this recipe, because I've had some pretty good fried clams in my day, but these were REALLY good, and I'll place them up there at the top, at the very least. While the recipe called for shucked steamer clams, I actually just bought a bag of shelled ones, and shucked them myself. I think it was probably much cheaper that way, and it's not difficult to get them out of their shells. You just need to come to terms with the fact that you are killing them as you do it. I know, I know...but I love raw oysters, and you do the same thing when you shuck those, so I've become a bit more heartless about the whole thing. Don't judge me! :)

So, I shucked the steamer clams and placed them in a bath of whole milk. They stayed there until I was ready to fry them, just soakin' it in! In another bowl, I beat an egg, and mixed it with a 1/2 cup of buttermilk, 3/4 cup of cornmeal, 1/4 cup of all purpose flour, some salt, some pepper, and a few splashes of hot sauce, such as Tabasco.

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I poured an entire bottle of canola oil into a cast iron pan and set it to heat. I used little drops of leftover batter to test the oil. When the drop of batter bubbled and floated to the surface quickly, it was time to fry those clams! That's always a good way to test your oil, with a small amount of whatever you are frying...then you'll know if the heat is correct for that specific ingredient. Once the oil was ready for frying, I transferred the clams from the milk bath to the buttermilk batter and let them swim around for a minute...coating them thoroughly.

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Frying the clams in batches, let them cook for about 2 minutes, and then spoon them out to a paper towel. I only did about 8 or 9 of them at a time, so it took a few batches to get them all cooked, but you get a more even fry if they aren't over-crowded and touching each other.

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I threw together the ingredients for a tartar sauce: mayonnaise, capers, parsley, lemon juice, chopped cornichons, scallions, salt, pepper and a dash of hot sauce. That made a great dipping sauce for the clams. I also poured a little bowl of that Lemon-Tarragon Vinaigrette from the other day to use as a dipping sauce for the artichokes.

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This meal was very refreshing, and worked perfectly for a hot evening such as this. It was light, yet filling, and totally easy to pull together. 

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Monday, June 6, 2011

What is an emulsion?

Science plays a huge part in any cooking process. Think about it...boiling water, baking cupcakes, growing veggies - all of these things bring science into play. We don't think about it that way most of the time, but there are certain techniques in the culinary world that make it difficult to ignore the scientific aspect of the field.

funnel of emulsion
from Flickr - by steve watson photos

An emulsion is defined by Wikipedia as a mixture of two or more unblendable liquids. In an emulsion, one liquid is dispersed into another. The most common example of this would be a vinaigrette. As you all know, I tend to lean towards making my own salad dressings, so we've talked about this before. When you only use an oil and a vinegar, you have an unstable emulsion. This would mean shaking your salad dressing, and watching it separate before your eyes.

Egg yolks, mustard and honey can all act as emulsifiers...pulling together the two liquids that you are trying to blend. Many dressings, for instance, call for dijon mustard as an emulsifier. As you whisk in the olive oil, the dressing takes on a thick, opaque consistency...it's emulsified!

Whisking Away
from Flickr - by www.drweil.com

Hollandaise sauce is also an emulsion - and I know we've talked about that before - it's one of my favorite (albeit, unhealthy) sauces! To make homemade mayonnaise, you also need to use an emulsion technique. Whisking vegetable oil into vinegar or lemon juice, and then adding an egg yolk as an emulsifier pulls the substance together, creating the creamy texture we are used to in a store-bought jar of mayonnaise. This technique is also similar to what is done when making an aioli.

The interaction of ingredients is very important when attempting an emulsion. It requires the right balance of measurements, and some good ol' fashioned elbow grease to whisk it all together. Don't give up when your arm gets tired, because most likely, you aren't at the right point yet!

Making Hollandaise Sauce
from Flickr - by FotoosVanRobin

If you have questions about a specific emulsion, leave a comment and I'll be happy to elaborate. Maybe we'll even have a little emulsion series, if there's a large interest! It's a very interesting subject and it's very cool to watch your ingredients take on a totally different consistency before your eyes...heat not necessarily required!