Notes on Dinner

Caspian: nice booziness in paste and nose--not so much cider, but wine; texture firm and slightly reminiscent of goat cheese; deep turquoise mold starting to cover outside.



Cappucetto: Nice acidity and smokiness to the paste; loose, but not too runny. Gorgeous pliability.



Juni: Firm, crumbly with an intense peppercorn bite and flavor--no hints of juniper. yellowish rind; paste not as dry as expected..like Romano, but not as salty.


Petit Jesu: Can't really compete with any of these; left mostly untouched.

All from The Cheese Iron

Cream Cheese Flan

'Nuff Said

Overstuffed at The French Press Eatery

This morning I joined Dawn at the The French Press Eatery in Westbrook for some coffee and doughnuts. I went there on a single mission, their Maple Bacon Doughnut. Now, mind you, these plans were made the previous Saturday while we were eating at Nosh. Correction.. While we were eating multiple variations of pork at Nosh(five to be exact). How I am not dead or struggling for breath at this moment is beyond me. I do know, however, that I ate half of the Maple bacon and a few forkfuls of the other two(Elvis-pb, banana and chocolate and Boston Cream) at 10 am and I am still full.


Elvis, Maple Bacon, Boston Cream

Words cannot describe how f'ing good these are. The base of the doughnuts are dense, without being heavy and the outsides are crunchy, yet not greasy. To say that these are the perfect doughnut would not be an exaggeration. Then add on the toppings and you are well into the realm of pure gluttony. The epitome of that fact came when Dawn took her first bite, into Elvis, and was thoroughly covered in peanut butter and chocolate. For a moment she looked like a child diving into an ice cream sundae. Fingers, lips and chin completely smeared with sugary goodness.
The Boston Cream was filled with a balanced vanilla pastry creme that didn't come off as cloying. Topped with the same ganache as the Elvis it was the best play on a flavor that I usually pass over.
The Elvis was as much overkill as you would expect, with peanut butter running out off the sides and stuffed with thick slices of banana. It was so rich that it was almost too much, but it was so good that it was hard not to keep picking at it.
Now, I had a lot of high hopes in the Maple Bacon after Dawn's rave of it and thankfully it did not fall short of any of them. Like the pastry creme, the maple glaze was just sweet enough and the salt, lent from the bacon, helped eek a bit more sugar out of it.
We picked them over, and finished off 2 french presses, during the course of 2 1/2 hours and still couldn't finish. I've never been defeated by food and this was a first for me. I bow to the Brothers Tranchemontagne, and their family recipe, for creating one of the most beautifully sinful things I've ever eaten.
And thank you Dawn for showing me the light.

Adria rethinks El Bulli----Again.

Reports are abound that Ferran Adria will NOT be closing El Bulli as reported by the NYTimes last week. Is he now the Brett Farve of the culinary world?

Thanks to Kate from Blueberry Files for the tip

James Beard Awards Semi-finals

The Food Section listed the Semi-Finalists for the James Beard Awards. While this isn't the final list, it's nice to see a few new names representing Maine. Fingers crossed that at least one of them makes the final list when it comes out next month.

BEST CHEF: NORTHEAST

Mike Andrzejewski, Sea Bar, Buffalo, NY

Lara and Steve Atkins, The Kitchen Table Bistro, Richmond, VT

Stephen Cavagnaro, Cavey’s, Manchester, CT

Penelle Chase, Phoebe Chase, Megan Chase, and Ted Lafage, Chase's Daily, Belfast, ME

Dante de Magistris, Il Casale, Belmont, MA

Krista Kern Desjarlais, Bresca, Portland, ME

Gabriel Frasca and Amanda Lydon, Straight Wharf Restaurant, Nantucket, MA

Clark Frasier and Mark Gaier, Arrows Restaurant, Ogunquit, ME

Gerry Hayden, The North Fork Table & Inn, Southold, NY

Brian Hill, Francine Bistro, Camden, ME

Steve Johnson, Rendezvous in Central Square, Cambridge, MA

Peter X. Kelly, Xaviar's at Piermont, Piermont, NY

Michael LaScola, American Seasons, Nantucket, MA

Michael Leviton, Lumière, West Newton, MA

Tony Maws, Craigie on Main, Cambridge, MA

Marc Orfaly, Pigalle, Boston

Guy Reuge, Mirabelle at Three Village Inn, Stony Brook, NY

Bruce Tillinghast, New Rivers, Providence

Sai Viswanath, DeWolf Tavern, Bristol, RI

Eric Warnstedt, Hen of the Wood, Waterbury, VT

Good Night, Moon.

Just about three weeks ago the cheese making community in Maine lost one of it's biggest contributors as Jennifer Betancourt, founder and co-owner of Silvery Moon Creamery, quietly walked away from the cheesevat that she manned for the past seven years.

Last December, Jen was featured in Liam Crotty's updated "Freedom From Want", based on the original from Norman Rockwell, photo that showed many of us, for the first time, some of the best of Maine's food community.

Before Pineland Farms, now the biggest cow's milk cheese producer in the state, there was Silvery Moon Creamery to lead the pack. Jen and her staff gained 5 American Cheese Society Awards--the Oscars of cheese for the geeks out there--and had recently published a 56 page study she conducted on aging options for cheese makers.

While she started with the basics, brie/camembert, cheddar and curds, she had recently moved on to lavender, vegetable ash(like an aged Morbier) and had even produced an aged raw milk cheese washed with Allagash beer. And then, what seemed to be overnight, it was all done.

I can sit here and speculate a million different theories or rumors as to why she left but my grandmother would remind me that it's not my place, so I won't. I know that Smiling Hill is suppose to be making their own cheese, though of the more mass produced variety and may or may not be doing so under the Silvery Moon label, but it won't be the same. Luckily, though, you can still find some of the aged cheeses, that Jen had a hand in making, around at Whole Foods, Rosemont and K hortons.
Hopefully, as it's been told to me, she won't be keeping herself from the cheese vat for long. Here's to hoping she decides to fill the void of a Maine produced sheep's milk cheese.

El Bulli Gets Put Down

Just weeks after saying they would go on a hiatus, Ferran Adrià has decided to permanently shut downEl Bulli in 2011.

Thai-O-Rama Pt. 1: Sala Thai

The notes of a very drained, hungry blogger at Sala Thai 2/5/10
Food:
Thai Shrimp
Chicken Drunken Noodles(which will be the dish I get at every restaurant)
Pork Rad Nar

Daring Cooks Challenge--Pita Bread and Hummus

I first learned to make Hummus at an Internet Cafe that I worked at back in 1996. I had no idea what Tahini was or what a chickpea tasted like, but I needed a job and I think the owner took pity on me. So, over the past 14 years I can say that I've found my preferred recipe through experimenting with add-ins and herbs. It's no surprise really, when I saw the challenge for this month's Daring Kitchen's Challenge was Hummus, that I thought, "Well, that's not really daring at all, now is it?" It was, however the pita bread that caught my interest and made me slightly panicked.

Like many of us who live in multi-unit aptartment complexes I have very little counter top to speak of. In fact, it's been a bit of a problem that seems to have followed me from apartment to apartment all of my adult life. Currently my counter space consists of an area just slightly larger than a cafeteria lunch tray. It's not pretty, nor conducive to making bread and is the sole reason I've used a bread maker for the past few years. But, I had no choice--I couldn't flake on another challenge again--so I made peace with my small counters and trudged into it.

Pita Bread
Dry Yeast 2 teaspoons--Not quick yeast
Water 2.5 cups--Lukewarm
All Purpose Flour 5-6 cups
Salt 1 Tablespoon
Olive Oil 2 Tablespoon
Directions:
1. In a large bread bowl, sprinkle the yeast over the warm water. Stir to dissolve. Stir in 3 cups flour, a cup at a time, and then stir 100 times, about 1 minute, in the same direction to activate the gluten. Let this sponge rest for at least 10 minutes, or as long as 2 hours.
2. Sprinkle the salt over the sponge and stir in the olive oil. Mix well. Add more flour, a cup at a time, until the dough is too stiff to stir. Turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead for 8 to 10 minutes, until smooth and elastic. Rinse out the bowl, dry, and lightly oil. Return the dough to the bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Let rise until at least doubled in size, approximately 1 1/2 hours.
3. Place a pizza stone, or two small baking sheets, on the bottom rack of your oven, leaving a 1-inch gap all around between the stone or sheets and the oven walls to allow heat to circulate. Preheat the oven to 450F.
4. Gently punch down the dough. Divide the dough in half, and then set half aside, covered, while you work with the rest. Divide the other half into 8 equal pieces and flatten each piece with lightly floured hands. Roll out each piece to a circle 8 to 9 inches in diameter and less than 1/4 inch thick. Keep the rolled-out breads covered until ready to bake, but do not stack.
5. Place 2 breads, or more if your oven is large enough, on the stone or baking sheets, and bake for 2 to 3 minutes, or until each bread has gone into a full balloon. If for some reason your bread doesn't puff up, don't worry it should still taste delicious. Wrap the baked breads together in a large kitchen towel to keep them warm and soft while you bake the remaining rolled-out breads. Then repeat with the rest of the dough.

Overall, the recipe wasn't complex though I can definitely say that the pita's struggled to puff up. These were the best:

The Hummus...well, it was hummus. The only fancy part was using the "Garlic Confit" recipe from 'How to Roast a Lamb' from author/chef Michael Psilakis.

Hummus:
Chickpeas 1.5 cups Can use dry chickpeas soaked in cold water overnight (or feel free to use well drained canned chickpeas and omit the cooking
Lemon juice 2-2.5 whole lemons
Garlic cloves 2 – 3 cloves Peeled & crushed
Salt
Tahini (sesame) paste 4 Tablespoon
Flavorings ½ cup or to taste

It wasn't until the "Optional" part of the challenge came up that it got interesting to me. To completely counter the simplicity of the recipes I decided to face a nemesis of mine--Phyllo Dough. I'd like to say that I have a recipe to give for the Spanakopita that I made from it, but it was more of a mashed up hybrid bastard of many that I came across that ended up giving me this awesomeness:


Spanakopita, Pita, Hummus, Dolmas, Feta Stuffed Greek Peppers and Castraveltrano Olives

NOLA Wins, Bitches!

Superbowl XLIV(44) has come and gone and the day after I am still shocked, elated and stuffed. Though I had big dreams, in what was going to be a NOLA-centric menu, work caught up with me and I only made one Louisianna food--though, to be honest, I did cheat and pick up some premade pralines from Whole Foods for our dessert.
The easiest thing I could come up with, using Donald Link's Muffuletta recipe, was actually started three days prior when I made the Giardiniera--olive and veg relish--for the topping.

1 1/2 cups cauliflower florets
1 small carrot, chopped into 1/8-inch pieces
1/2 small onion, chopped into 1/8-inch pieces
2 garlic cloves, smashed
2 celery stalks, chopped into 1/2-inch pieces
1/ 2 cup Pimento-stuffed green olives, roughly chopped
1/4 cup Pepperoncini
1 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons sugar
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/8 teaspoon oregano
1 bay leaf
5 teaspoons black peppercorns

Toast bay leaf and peppercorns. Combine vinegar, olive oil, salt, sugar, pepper flakes, and oregano in a pot and bring to a simmer. Add bay leaves and peppercorns. Steep 5 minutes.
Strain bay leaves and peppercorns. Reserve liquid. Place vegetables in a 1 gallon container. Pour liquid over vegetables and let sit for two days before using. Strain liquid and puree vegetables.

I used Salame Rosa instead of Mortadella and a large round Focaccia bread that a friend made. Truly, had I made the whole 12" round into one massive sandwich--this one weighed 1 1/4lbs per slice--we wouldn't have eaten anything else that night. Because my partner had requested wings, it gave me the opportunity to take this:


I took some Franks Red Hot, garlic and butter..Added 2Tbspn of:



tossed it over these:


And ate a full plate of this:


And my gf drank a glass of a Heffeweizen, whose name eludes me, but made for a pretty picture:


Way too much food...Way too much yelling..Way too much fucking fun. Whether or not the Saints can do the same next year will be determined in a few months but I don't think I'll be waiting that long to make another Muffuletta sandwich.

The Woman I Now Want to Marry

1 Cookbook
98 recipes
More than enough pork to stop your heart
A very attractive cook
Momofuku for 2

One more reason to visit Vancouver.

Saints v. Colts Menu

Bon Appetit online has posted a New Orleans/Indiana themed menu of "Must Have" dishes for this coming Sunday. The highlight: A Muffuletta recipe from Cochon's Donald Link.

How to Quit Smoking and Gain 300 lbs.

A few months ago I wrote about having to quit smoking because flavored cigarettes, including Cloves, were being banned in the US. Seven cartons,$560, and 4 months later I have officially smoked my last cigarette. For the most part it's been manageable and I have yet to punch anyone in the throat, so that's a good thing. Overall, I just feel a bit like a junkie--scratching at my skin when the creepy crawlies of of withdrawal kick in...thinking about wanting a smoke so bad when I'm not doing anything else. So, my goal has been to just keep busy and, for me, that means spending 90% of my free time in the kitchen.
And this past week it was Bon Appetit's latest issue that kept me occupied. I needed time consuming, so I chose their Grilled Cheese and Short Rib Sandwiches with Pickled Caramelized Onions and Milk Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Hazelnuts and Espresso. Decadent, gooey and comforting they were truly a deterrent to me becoming a full blown bitch.

Grilled Cheese and Short Rib Sandwiches with Pickled Caramelized Onions and Arugula

Short Ribs

* 5 pounds beef short ribs
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
* 3 celery stalks, chopped
* 2 large carrots, peeled, coarsely chopped
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 1/4 cups dry red wine
* 1/2 cup low-salt beef broth
* 1/3 cup medium-dry Sherry
* 2 garlic cloves, peeled
* 2 bay leaves
* 1 large fresh thyme sprig

Pickled Caramelized Onions

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 2 large red onions, halved, thinly sliced crosswise (about 6 cups)
* 4 1/2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
* 1 1/2 teaspoons sugar

Assembly

* Butter, room temperature
* 16 slices country-style crusty white bread
* 12 ounces Petit Basque or Monterey
* Jack cheese, sliced
* 4 cups baby arugula

Preparation
short ribs



Sprinkle beef with salt and pepper. Melt butter in large wide pot over medium-high heat. Working in 2 batches, cook beef until browned, about 6 minutes per batch. Transfer to large rimmed baking sheet. Add celery, carrots, and onion to pot and sauté until beginning to soften and brown, stirring often, about 5 minutes. Add wine, broth, Sherry, garlic, bay leaves, and thyme sprig; bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Season with salt and pepper. Return ribs to pot, propping up on sides and arranging in single layer. Cover, reduce heat to medium-low, and simmer 1 hour.

Using tongs, turn ribs over in pot. Cover and simmer until ribs are tender and sauce is very thick, occasionally rearranging ribs in pot to prevent sticking, about 1 1/2 hours longer. Uncover and cool 30 minutes.

Transfer ribs to work surface. Discard bay leaves and thyme sprig. Spoon off fat from sauce in pot. Remove meat from bones; discard bones. Cut meat into 3/4- to 1-inch pieces, trimming any fat. Return meat to pot. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Chill until cold; cover and keep chilled. Rewarm just until lukewarm before using.


pickled Caramelized Onions


Melt butter in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions, sprinkle with salt, and sauté until beginning to brown, stirring frequently, about 10 minutes. Add vinegar and sugar and cook until almost all vinegar is absorbed, about 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper. Transfer to microwave-safe bowl; cool. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover; chill. Microwave in 15-second intervals until lukewarm before using.




Assembly


Line 2 large rimmed baking sheets with waxed paper. Butter 8 bread slices; place 4 slices, buttered side down, on each prepared sheet. Divide short rib mixture among bread slices, about 1/2 cup for each. Divide cheese among sandwiches. Spoon about 1/4 cup onions over each sandwich. Place large handful of arugula atop onions. Top with remaining 8 bread slices. Spread bread with butter. DO AHEAD Can be prepared 1 hour ahead. Cover with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.

Heat griddle or 2 large skillets over medium heat. Working in batches, cook sandwiches until bread is golden brown and cheese melts, about 3 minutes per side. Transfer to work surface. Cut each in half on diagonal. Transfer to plates and serve.



****I omitted the Arugula and used Red Dragon(an Ale and Mustard seed) for my cheese.


Milk Chocolate-Caramel Tart with Hazelnuts and Espresso


Ingredients
Crust

* 1 1/4 cups unbleached all purpose flour
* 1/3 cup powdered sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 cup (1 stick) chilled unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 1 tablespoon (or more) ice water

Filling

* 3/4 cup sugar
* 1/4 cup water
* 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
* 2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
* 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2/3 cup hazelnuts, toasted, husked, coarsely chopped

Topping

* 1/3 cup heavy whipping cream
* 1 1/2 teaspoons instant espresso powder
* 4 ounces high-quality milk chocolate (such as Lindt, Perugina, or Valrhona), chopped
* 1 tablespoon unsalted butter
* 1 tablespoon cacao nibs

Special Equipment

* 1 13 3/4x4 1/2-inch rectangular tart pan with removable bottom

Preparation
Crust

*
Blend flour, powdered sugar, and salt in processor. Add butter; using on/off turns, blend until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add 1 tablespoon ice water; process just until dough begins to clump together, adding more ice water by teaspoonfuls if dry. Transfer dough to 13 3/4x4 1/2-inch rectangular tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough onto bottom and up sides of pan. Freeze crust 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, position rack in center of oven and preheat to 375°F. Bake crust until golden brown and cooked through, about 30 minutes. Cool crust completely in pan on rack.

Filling

Stir sugar and 1/4 cup water in heavy medium saucepan over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Increase heat and boil without stirring until syrup is medium amber, occasionally brushing down sides of pan with wet pastry brush and swirling pan, about 8 minutes. Remove pan from heat. Add cream (mixture will bubble up). Place saucepan over medium heat; stir until caramel bits dissolve. Add butter, vinegar, and salt; stir until butter melts. Stir in hazelnuts. Spoon filling into crust. Chill until cold and set, about 30 minutes.


Topping


Combine cream and espresso powder in small saucepan. Bring to simmer over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until espresso powder is dissolved. Remove from heat. Add chocolate and butter; stir until smooth. Spread chocolate mixture over caramel. Sprinkle with cacao nibs. Chill tart until topping is set, about 1 hour. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cover and keep chilled.



Remove tart pan sides. Place tart on platter; cut crosswise into 8 bars and serve.





***I used Pecans instead of Hazelnuts, a round springform pan instead of the one suggested and used 33% Sirius Icelandic Milk Chocolate.


I know the next few weeks and months are going to suck with this quitting thing but, apparently, it will not suck food wise. And I think I can deal with that.