Part Four : Chapter Fourteen : Mise en Place for Stocks, Sauces, and Soups

When I started reading tonight's chapter of The Professional Chef, I was hoping it would be a first read before stepping into the kitchen to take things step-by-step and show you lots of pictures. That was not the case since this chapter was more of an introduction to the different types of aromatics, flavorings and thickening agents for soups, stocks and sauces.

Bouquets and Sachets are preparations of aromatics used for flavoring purposes. They are added during the cooking process. A bouquet garni is a tied bundle of thyme, parsley stems, bay leaf, celery and leek. The leek leaves act as the wrapping for the rest of the ingredients. A sachet is usually a bundle of peppercorns, as well as other herbs and spices all tied up in a bag made of cheesecloth. A sachet is very similar to a tea bag in the way it infuses the liquid in which it is submerged.

I've spoken about Mirepoix in the past, the French word for a combination of carrots, celery and onions that acts as the base flavor profile for many stocks, soups and sauces. There are many variations on the basic mirepoix, which we will learn about as we delve into the recipe portion of this part of the textbook.

A roux is a thickening agent that consists of a flour and a fat. Usually, this means lots of butter, melted, and then mixed with the flour, cooking it until it becomes the correct color for the recipe at hand. The basic formula is three parts flour to two parts fat. The colors are divided into four basic groups: white, blond, brown and dark, depending on how long it is cooked. Once roux is created, it is added to another liquid to thicken it.

Clarified butter is made by heating whole butter until it separates and the fat can be skimmed off the top. Many recipes call for this, as opposed to plain melted butter, because it can then be used at a higher temperature. Many rouxs start off with clarified butter. Ghee, which is used in many Asian cuisines, is another type of clarified butter, and can usually be purchased in Asian markets, as well as the Global aisle at the grocery store.

Pure starch slurries have a greater thickening power than other methods we've discussed. Ingredients such as cornstarch and arrowroot have these properties, and they don't require the extended simmering time that a roux would require. The slurry is created by submersing the ingredient of choice into cold water, before adding it to the soup or sauce. This is the quickest way to thicken.

The final page of this chapter discusses Liaisons. A liaison is a mixture of egg yolks and cream that is used to thicken sauces and soups. This mixture does not thicken in the same way that a roux or a slurry would, but adds sheen, body and flavor to the dish, as well as light golden-ivory color. To add a liaison to your dish, you'll want to use a process known as tempering, to avoid curdling the eggs. Tempering involves adding a small amount of the hot liquid to the egg mixture, in order to even the temperature out before pouring it into the main pot. Once the temperate is slowly regulated, it can be incorporated into the dish without risk of curdling. 

In the next chapter, we start to learn about making stocks and I will be applying these lessons to some of the recipes provided for practice. If all goes according to plan, I'll have seen my last carton of store-bought stock, because why buy it, when you can make it yourself!

Part Three : Chapter Thirteen : Dry Goods Identification

It's been another hectic week at work, and we've also had after work plans, so I haven't had the opportunity to sit down and write in a few days. I've been using the few meals we've had at home to use up ingredients from the fridge and pantry. It's another one of those "get creative" phases to clean stuff up a bit. I even cleaned the kitchen this weekend! The stove needed a good scrubbing, that's for sure. I decided to take this slow night as an opportunity to read a chapter of my textbook, and get one step closer to the real cooking!

Speaking of cleaning out the pantry, this chapter comes at the perfect time. I've collected quite the assortment of oils, vinegars, spices and rubs and some of them really make me wonder if I'll ever need them for another recipe. That's when it's time to start making stuff up...and concoting! Just like produce and meats though, these dry goods lose quality over time, so on a somewhat regular basis, I go through my stock, and throw anything with a passed expiration date in the trash. Sometimes, it's just better to start with something fresh.

I tend to store my grains and flours in screwtop containers. I rip off a piece of the label and place it at the top of the container so that I know what is in each one, but it's more organized this way because everything is a bit more uniform. It's hard to reseal those bags anyway!

I have quite the collection of spices, and I'm still coming up with ideas on the best way to store them. I have too many to fit in any one spice rack, and I always end up taking all of them off the shelf, just to find the one I'm looking for at the moment. When I come up with a system that works, I promise I'll share it with you!

After 35 pages about flours, wheats, spices, grains and legumes, I'm finally at the end of Part Three. In my next lesson, we'll start in on Part Four : Stocks, Sauces and Soups! I couldn't have come sooner and I will begin to gather the ingredients I will need for the first lesson...and get down to it! Look forward to many more pictures with this next part of the book, because what I learn, I will then share with all of you! Can't wait!!

Crystallized Cactus

Last night, my husband and I decided to go out for dinner, so I took the pile of vouchers I've accumulated off the fridge, and thumbed through which ones might be expiring soon. I came upon Acitron, a new Mexican bistro in Arlington, that we've been interested in trying for some time now. I put the voucher in my purse, and we hopped into the car for the 3-minute drive to Arlington Center. Upon walking into the new bistro, we were immediately aware that we should have made a reservation weeks ago! The place was hoppin'! Hoping for something to open up, we approached the hostess and asked for a table. To our chagrin, there was just nothing for us due to upcoming reservations, but the three elderly women at the bar were paying their bill...albeit, slowly...and we could sit at the bar if we so chose!

We've never been known to turn down a seat at the bar so we patiently waited for the women to gather their belongings. It was like watching an episode of the Golden Girls, acted out in front of us. Goodness! After about 10 minutes, they were finally bundled up and ready to go, so we took our seats at the bar, where the bartender, who later introduced himself as Mo, was shaking margaritas like it was his job...haha, wait a minute. :) We placed our order for margaritas into the queue, for my husband, a Jalapeno margarita, and for me, a Blue Sky Margarita. It contained tequila (of course), blue curacao and a splash of Amaretto DiSarono. It was delicious...but stay tuned for the best drink of the night...it's coming up soon.

While we enjoyed our cocktails, we glanced over the menu and immediately realized that this was going to be a tough decision! Everything looked SO good! There were plates being brought from the kitchen that made both of our mouths water! While perusing the options, we received a bowl of what I can only imagine was homemade salsa, as well as some tortilla chips which were still warm!

We decided on sharing the Queso Fundido Con Chorizo as our appetizer. This sizzling skillet of chorizo, poblano pepper strips and sauteed onions mixed with four different kinds of melted cheeses was to die for! It was ooey, gooey, and delicious! It came with some fresh from the oven tortillas which really complemented the dip, as well!

By the time we were almost finished with our appetizer, it was definitely time for round 2 of the cocktails. When we sit at the bar, we like to ask the bartender questions, and tonight was no different. My husband asked for something different, keeping with the bold flavors that he already experienced in the Jalapeno Margarita. Well, Mo really delivered on this request...and I got one of the same! Instead of tequila, he used Mezcal, something neither of us had much experience with. The smokiness of Mezcal is bold and delicious, and paired with his own version of a dark and stormy, this was probably one of the best drinks I've ever had! It was like...a summer's night, in a glass! Refreshing, savory and bold...only three of the MANY words I could use to describe this cocktail!

Yes, that's a lime half, turned inside out! Now it's a little cup!

When our entrees arrived, we were excited to dig in! I ordered Camarones En Mole De Tamarindo, a shrimp dish with a tamarind-based mole sauce. The shrimp were cooked to perfection, and drenched in the sweet and savory tamarind mole, served over a piece of cornbread. Since all of the entrees come with two sides, I opted for a vegetable medley which consisted of mushrooms, cauliflower, peppers and a delicious sauce, as well as a Poblano Pepper rice which was fluffy and spiced to perfection!

My husband decided to go with Conchinita Pibil, an axiote seed, spices and fresh orange marinated pork dish, served roasted and shredded, and garnished with pickled onions and scallions. For his sides, he chose the refried pinto beans, and Elote, which is grilled corn on the cob with chipotle aioli, cotija cheese and spices on top. 

We were full, but we had to order a serving of Tres Leches for when we arrived home. This dessert was rich, delectable, and definitely fresh! The perfect ending to a delicious meal!

The plates were aesthetically pleasing, the food was delicious, the staff were extremely friendly, and I don't think I've had such good Mexican cuisine since the last time I was in Mexico, and that was a long time ago! Everything about this meal was awesome, and I can't believe it took us this long to give it a try! If you want authentic, fresh Mexican cuisine, definitely give Acitron a try...but don't forget to make a reservation! You can find all the information about Acitron if you click here.

Acitron is candied nopales, which are the fleshy, oval leaves of a prickly pear cactus.

Part 3 : Chapter 12 : Dairy and Egg Purchasing and Identification

I just flipped through the upcoming few chapters and we're really getting into the thick of things soon! I'm very excited to start the cooking practice, and put the background stuff behind us. However, I realize how important it is to have a solid basis of knowledge, so I patiently plug away at Part 3 of The Professional Chef.

In this chapter, we take a closer look at all things dairy. As we all know, this genre of ingredient is highly perishable and must always be stored at correct temperatures, as well as be used within a short amount of time. Did you know that dairy products are very susceptible to flavor transfer? For this reason, they should be stored as far away from items, such as onions, as possible.

This might be my favorite chapter so far, and I'll tell you why. It's all about CHEESE! I love cheese. The chapter mentions something interesting: "Natural cheeses are considered 'living.'" What does that mean, you ask? Well, it means that cheeses tend to continue growing in flavor and texture as they age and ripen. So, in essence, the cheese matures over time. Parmigiano-Reggiano, for instance, is an aged cheese, kept in the dark for months, before being divided and sold to distributors.

After one more section on the identification of dry goods (coming in the next few days), we'll finally be on to some cooking! It looks like we're going to be having a LOT of soups over the next few months, which is exciting. I'm going to fill my freezer with homemade stocks and soups, ready for any weekend lunch, or quick weeknight meal! Join me on this voyage, won't you?

Little Puffs of Magic

Tonight, I decided to try something new, something along the lines of savory baking, and I think I'm in love! These little puffs of magic that I created are Thyme Gougeres, and they are fluffy, light and delicious...and best of all, really easy to make!

I started off by reading the entire recipe because I wanted to make sure that everything was done according to instructions. I decided to set up my mise en place first, so that I could just add each thing as necessary without having to scramble. Butter, flour, salt, cayenne pepper, grated Gruyere, grated Asiago, and some thyme leaves, along with some eggs, and we were ready to go!

Okay, the first step was to boil a cup of water, with the 1/4 cup of butter. Once boiling, I poured the salt, cayenne pepper and flour into the pot and stirred vigorously until it all turned into a ball. It was kind of like a very large amount of roux, made very quickly!

From here, it was transferred to the standmixer, and stirred with the paddle attachment, with the grated cheeses, and then, one egg at a time, waiting until each was incorporated to add another. The recipe calls for a pastry bag, but I don't have one of those, so I decided to use another skill I have instead. Making a quenelle with two spoons, transferring a small amount of dough back and forth until it stays in a nice oval shape works just as well as putting all the dough into a pastry bag and piping it back out. 

So I made my quenelles, one after the other, until all the dough was gone and my baking sheets were full! I brushed some egg on each quenelle, sprinkled the last of the grated gouda, and thyme leaves on top, and into a 400 degree oven they went, for 25 minutes. 

While the gougeres were cooking, I worked on the main course: Sausage with Smashed Potatoes and Cornichons. It was perfect timing...it took about 25 minutes to make dinner, and 25 minutes to cook the gougeres, so everything came together at the same time. While dinner was delicious, the star of this meal were certainly the Thyme Gougeres! 

They were easy to make, delicious to eat, and the perfect tidbit to throw in a basket for entertaining. In fact, the recipe even says that you can make them in advance, and freeze them to reheat later! I might just be keeping a batch of these on hand all the time!

Part Three : Chapter Eleven : Fruit, Vegetable, and Fresh Herb Identification

Stemming on the end of my last post, wishing for fresh fruits and vegetables, it only seemed fitting that I would open up my copy of The Professional Chef to find that the next chapter on my agenda is the identification of said fruits and vegetables, as well as herbs. There's so many pretty pictures in this chapter, and it definitely made me long for the warmer months, especially since we are experiencing the first snowfall of the season, at least of any substance.

I think I'm probably telling you things you already know here, but in case we've got some amateurs out there, I don't want to gloss over the important stuff. When shopping for fresh produce, they should be free of bruises, mold, brown or soft spots, and any other damage that the items may have incurred during transit. While using produce in its raw form, I would certainly adhere strictly to this rule. However, a small bruise doesn't ruin a piece of produce. If you are making marinara sauce, your tomatoes don't need to be perfect. Keep that in mind when shopping, because those slightly marred items get tossed if they don't sell, which contributes to the massive amount of food waste that this country produces on a yearly basis. If an item is shriveled however, I wouldn't use it, regardless of its purpose.

When I can, I try to purchase organic or sustainably-farmed produce. Not only does this support local farmers and their businesses, but we end up consuming less pesticides and other chemicals used to keep produce fresh longer. Another advantage to locally-grown produce is that the flavors are often superior to that of conventionally-grown and shipped produce.

Now, I've glossed over the specifics, and the pictures labeling different kinds of produce because this post would go on forever, but after about 50 pages of that, I've got a list of things I want to try, and a better feel for identifying things at the grocery store. I will definitely refer to this chapter in the future, when I need a bit of information on a specific fruit or vegetable!

Crumbs and Scraps

It's been awhile since last I posted, and I apologize for that. It's been quite hectic around here, both at home and at work. When I finally arrive home at night, I hesitate to look at a computer again - I think I'm starting to show symptoms of internet-glow. I've been working straight through my lunch breaks, and coming home only to find things that need doing around the house. I haven't been food shopping in some time and I'm certainly scraping things together when it comes to dinner, or better yet, calling for takeout!

Last night, I got home late from meeting a friend for drinks and was already starving. I had no patience for a lengthy recipe so I made burgers that I had defrosted from my dwindling collection of meat in the freezer. I used some leftover pita breads, some blue cheese herb mustard, creamy gouda cheese, and some arugula to manage an upscale burger sandwich that I finished on the panini grill for a crispiness that you can't get any other way. Creativity at its finest!

from Flickr - by the_babyladies

Finally, this weekend, I think we have some free time, and I'm going to focus my attentions on a new menu to get us back on track for both cooking, and for health. Takeout isn't the best thing for us, but in a pinch, it is delicious, and always enjoyable. I need to get back in the habits that I had been following so closely though, and the best way to do that is by cooking from scratch.

While it may be snowing outside right now, we are nearing the spring and that means farmers' markets, fresh locally sourced greens and beautiful produce. I can't wait! This is such a strange time of year, it's not winter, it's not spring, it's lighter longer, but we still don't want to hang out with the elements. I can only dream about the days that I can walk down the street and pick out some fresh ingredients that have been recently plucked straight from the ground.

from Flickr - by NatalieMaynor

I'll try and post another chapter of The Professional Chef tomorrow, as we are nearing the part of the book where recipes are incorporated into the lessons, and I'm very much looking forward to that!

Until later, then...there's Indian food on it's way!