Restaurant review: Los Danzantes

If you are looking for a nice dinner out and want a bit of a departure from the national standards, Los Danzantes have you well taken care of.  I wouldn't question their patriotism, the food is undoubtedly Mexican, but they give their chefs freedom to interpret the national dishes as loosely as they like, and it's always interesting to have a meal with them.  Want even more interesting?  Forget microbrew pubs, these guys distil their own mezcal.  Carla and I first went to the one in Oaxaca City, and were so impressed we made sure to go to the one in Coyoacan as soon as we got back to Mexico City - loved it again.  In 2010, we made it to the one in Playa del Carmen to complete the trifecta.  Since Carla's family is from the capital, we know the Coyoacan branch the best, but we always enjoy it and find something interesting on the menu.  Over the years, at various restaurants, we have tried many interesting dishes, among the most notable, huitlacoche fondu and a quince and goat cheese empanada - one of the finest desserts you can imagine.  You'll find it a stone's throw away from the beautiful Parroquia de San Juan Bautista at Jardin del Centenario 12 (metro:  Viveros).

Restaurant review: El Quadrilatero

Sooner or later while in Mexico, you are going to have to have a torta.  They are not just a sandwich, they are a passion.  Usually you get them on a bolillo bun (similar to a Portuguese bun), they are generally served hot and stuffed with something delicious.  I don't think I've actually had a bad torta, but it has become a tradition of mine on my visits to go straight to the king - El Quadrilatero, and bear witness to the monster that is The Gladiator.  

Started by the luchador Super Astro, the restaurant is dedicated to  Mexican wrestling, and decorated appropriately.  More importantly, they dish out some of the finest tortas around and have no doubt about handling the biggest appetites, as they also specialize in making the most colossal sandwiches you've ever seen that actually get eaten (forget about Guinness record one-offs that take 16 people to hold it).  The giant of giants is The Gladiator, which reportedly weighs in close to 1.5kg, and there's usually one in the window on display.  If you can down The Gladiator in 15 minutes, it's on the house.  Thankfully, you can get regular sized tortas here too, including a "micro" version of The Gladiator, and yes, it's delicious.  7am - 8pm Mon - Sat.  Find it at Luis Moya 73 (metro:  Juarez).

the Gladiator!

Restaurant review: El Jarocho

El Jarocho has been absolutely killing it on the coffee front for decades.  It is mandatory for me to pay at least a couple visits anytime I'm in Mexico City.  Starbucks has arrived in town, but they have nothing on these guys - have you ever seen a Starbucks with daily lines down the block?  That's how good El Jarocho is, and their customers are loyal.  With three shops in the Coyoacan area, if you are faced with a big line at one, you might get lucky at another (as we did tonight).  For me, the Moka is the perfect blend of coffee and chocolate, for stopping by, but I'll usually grab a bag of beans to take home to Vancouver.  The chai tea is outstanding as well, if that's your bag - I'd put it up against just about anybody's.  6am - 1am daily. The main one is at Cauhtemoc 134 at the corner with Allende (metro:  Coyoacan).

Restaurant review: El Moro Churreria y Chocolateria

Most trips we take to Mexico City eventually find us at El Moro for churros and hot chocolate.  Just down the road from the Palacio Bellas Artes, it's centrally located and been delicious for over 70 years.  Watch them pipe the churros into bathtub sized fryers, then sip on one of a selection of premium hot chocolates available.  If you can handle a little extra sugar, the Espana is the thickest and best for dipping your churro.  24 hours a day most of the year and always hopping.  After walking around the Centro all day, you need a break.  Find it at Eje Central Lazaro Cardenas 42 (metro: San Juan de Letran).

Culinary tourism: Mexico City

Since we are in the spectacularly delicious city of Mexico for the holidays, I'm going to try to drop a few tips for travellers who really want to see the food side of the city.  As it is home to over 25 million people, it's pretty hard to cover it all, but there are some favourite spots I always come back to.  

First off, as beautiful as Mexico's beaches are, you just can't get the full historical and cultural picture of the country without a trip to the capital and some of the cities inland.  Food wise, one historical lesson I learned once was that long before colonialism, Mexico City has been the boss, like it or not.  Be it Aztec or Mayan, the rulers back in the day always got their taxes in the form of goods.  This meant that coastal areas sent fish.  Since you don't want to send your ruler stinky fish, they first built a road system (remember that old bit about all roads lead to Rome? Same deal), then they organized a cross country relay where a well packaged fish could get to the capital in a matter of days from sprinting runners.  What on earth does this mean today?  It means that there is a centuries old tradition that anything grown or caught in this varied countryside is available fresh in Mexico City nearly year round - how great is that?  It also means that if you can't get to some region of the country on your trip, you can probably find a good spot to eat their food here.

Mexicans are the masters of street food.  Back home, I find street food decent, but way over-priced and too showy.  Street food in Mexico is cheap and delicious and with all the flying knives, who needs a show?  Worried about Montezuma's Revenge?  Fair enough, here's my rules:  

- look for stands with lots of locals - they have the best food and the product is moving faster

- in the general scheme of things, how clean does the operation look?  It is street food after all

- does it smell good?  Bad meat doesn't clean up during cooking and you want delicious food anyway

- sometimes just go for it - if I didn't, I would never have tried tripe, brain, tendon, crickets, or worms 

If my recommendations seem a little hard to get to on your schedule, remember, with this many people in one place, good ideas spread like wildfire, and food is such an important part of life here, good cooks are everywhere.  Talk to people, ask where their favourite spot is, be brave and go.  Eat some brain, eat some tripe.  Eat the local cheese - good lord eat the cheese.

I've already written about Biko, a fantastic meal we enjoyed in 2010 on the bicentennial (literally, we ate on Independence Day), but it is actually only one of the restaurants in Mexico City that made it  onto San Pellegrino's list of the top restaurants in the world, and countless others that are tops in their own rights.

Recipe: Salsa verde (green salsa)

We love to make salsa verde at our house, but considering the prices we have to pay sometimes for tomatillos in Vancouver, it isn't made as often as we like.  That said, when we see a good price on tomatillos, we make an occasion for it.  When you aren't familiar with it, you may get fooled into thinking that it's in some way tricky or a very particular recipe, but it's really easy and always makes your guests happy - especially your expat Latin friends - they're probably homesick for it.  Since Carla and I brought Isabella down to Mexico City this Christmas to meet the Mexican side of the family, it was no surprise that it was a matter of hours before we were making a batch of this in Abuela Luz's kitchen.  The recipe here is what we made, but hey, it's salsa, once you've done it once, go ahead and wing it.

You will need:

14                 tomatillos

2 cloves        garlic

1                   jalapeño pepper

1                   Serrano pepper

1/8                large white onion

to taste          kosher salt

Method:

 - peel and wash the tomatillos

 - smash the garlic

 - place a cast iron pan (we actually used a comal) on the stove and get it hot

 - place all the ingredients in the pan and scorch them all over

 - transfer everything to a blender and blend

 - season with salt

 - serve

Product review: Kittchenaid pasta roller attachments

Fresh pasta is pretty hard to beat for satisfaction factor, but it involves a handful of work, which in turn can be a deterrent.  Hand crank rollers are not only big and heavy, they can leave you feeling that you should have been born with three arms - one to feed the dough, one to guide the pasta out, and one to crank the roller.  

The good people at Kitchenaid really did us all a favour by developing their roller set.  The entire package of three rollers is less than half the size of a hand crank unit's storage box, and will definitely cut your effort in half too.  For starters, since you already have the mixer, the dough is no problem.  Then you pull out the lasagna attachment, set the speed on low and start feeding and folding the dough through to work it and take it gradually thinner.  By now you should start to feel guilty at how easy it is.  Once you have the dough thin enough, you can start making your lasagna or stuffed pasta, or you can load up the linguini or fettucini cutter and cut the noodle you want.  Done.  Cook it and eat it.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Smoked hash browns with bacon and apple

grate the potato

I love a good hash brown potato.  Whether its loose or biscuit-style, I'm always in.  I'm surprised it doesn't get used more beyond the breakfast menu - maybe this one will switch things up.  The bacon involvement is a bit of a no-brainer, but by adding the smoke and apple, the potato gets a bit of a lift worthy of and entree starch component.  Wherever you put them, it is important to take note of the fundamentals of prepping the potato, so you don't get a gluey pasty mess.  I grated these ones on a box grater because I wanted a fine texture, but you can certainly cut the potato any size you want and still follow the method.  If you use a Smoking Gun like I did, you will want to smoke the potatoes several times to get the flavour in, if you have a smoker, let 'er rip for about an hour.  Have some smoked butter on hand?  You know where it goes.

rinse, blanch and strain it

You will need:

2                  potatoes

1                  onion

4 slices        bacon

1                  apple

to taste         kosher salt

to taste         black pepper

as needed     vegetable oil or smoked butter

smoke the hash

Method:

- set some salted water on to boil

 - grate or cut the potatoes and rinse under cold water until the water is clear

 - dunk the potatoes into the water for 30 seconds

 - strain and rinse under cold water again until it is clear

 - squeeze any excess water out and place in a bowl or plastic container

fry the bacon, onion and apple

 - lightly coat with vegetable oil - it helps absorb the smoke

 - cold smoke for an hour or smoke several times with the Gun, sealing the container each time

 - cut the bacon into short lardons and render the fat out in a pan

 - dice the onion small and add to the bacon and saute

 - peel and dice the apple and add to the mix

 - take the mixture out of the pan and set aside (leaving as much bacon fat behind as possible)

 - add any needed oil or smoked butter to the pan

 - add the smoked potato and fry to golden brown

 - add the bacon, onion and apple mix back in and mix well

 - season with salt and pepper

 - serve

fry the potato

the finished hash with a vinegar-drop egg

Recipe: Candied nuts - glazed

You may be surprised at how many different ways there are to candy nuts - right off the top of my head, I can think of five (without even getting into additional flavours).  More interesting is the fact that in every case, the ingredients are basically the same - nuts, sugar and water.  The water tends to be a vehicle for the sugar since by the end of the process you want to evaporate it all out.  This method is probably the healthiest way to candy nuts because the amount of sugar is completely your choice.  The heavier the syrup, the thicker and sweeter the coating will be, but you can also use a light syrup for a thinner coating and more natural flavour.  Incidentally, if you strain the syrup well after coating the nuts you get a very nice nut syrup for pancakes.

You will need:

nuts - in the picture are walnuts, but any kind will do

sugar

water

salt

Method:

 - bring a pot of salted water to a simmer

 - drop the nuts in and let them poach for about 5 minutes (this helps remove any extra husk)

 - in a sauce pan, start a heavy sugar syrup (at least 2 parts sugar to one water)

 - strain the nuts out of the water and transfer to the syrup

 - let the nuts cook at a low simmer for 5 or 10 minutes to absorb the syrup

 - if the nuts look well coated, strain them out and spread out on a paper lined tray

 - set the oven to 200F / 93C (even lower if you like)

 - place the nuts in the oven and toast completely dry

 - periodically move them around so they don't stick to each other

 - after about an hour, you can take the odd one out, let it cool, and test the crunch

 - once you have the crunch right, you can turn the oven up if you want to colour the nuts more

 - cool completely

 - store in an airtight container

Recipe: Amish style baked apple oatmeal

sugar and butter the dish

I tried this for the first time a few weeks ago and it absolutely blew me away.  I like oatmeal in the regular way, but I'll bet this style has the ability to turn some of the most adamant resistors.  It's almost like a cross between a cake and an oatmeal cookie - but it really is a breakfast item.  You may find you want to switch it up next time you need a coffee cake.  Dress it up a little and there's no reason you can't serve it as a healthy alternative dessert.

You will need:

750ml / 3C                  oatmeal

mix the wet

250ml / 1C                  milk

85g / 3oz                     brown sugar

as needed                    white sugar

75g / 2.6oz                  melted unsalted butter (plus extra for the dish)

2                                  eggs

1                                  apple

30ml / 2Tbs                 apple juice

15ml / 1Tbs                 vanilla paste

7.5ml / 1.5tsp              baking powder

5ml / 1tsp                    cinnamon

2.5ml / 1/2tsp              nutmeg

pinch                           kosher salt

chop and soak the apple

Method:

 - take an 8" (20cm) round dish and butter and dust the sides with sugar and tuck in the fridge

 - whisk the two eggs in a bowl

 - whisk in the brown sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, vanilla and salt

 - whisk in the melted butter and milk

 - peel the apple and cut it into a fine dice

 - toss the diced apple with the apple juice (the added vitamin C keeps it from oxidizing)

 - mix in the apple and oatmeal, cover the bowl and tuck in the fridge for 3 hours

mix in the apple and oatmeal

 - preheat the oven to 350F (177C)

 - put the mixture into the buttered and sugared dish

 - bake in the oven for 45 minutes

 - rest briefly in the dish to set up

 - turn it out onto a plate

 - slice and serve warm or cool completely

  

bake it and turn it out

Recipe: Caramel infused apples

hot caramelized juice

This preparation of apples is a nice variation on the caramelized apple.  It is surprisingly fresh while having the caramel character and even retains just the perfect bit of crunch.



You will need:

 6                           apples
250ml / 1C           sugar
as needed             water
355ml / 12fl oz     apple juice
75g / 2.6oz           brown sugar

peeled and sectioned apples

Method:

 - place the sugar in a saucepan with just enough water to make a very heavy syrup
 - cover the pan and bring up to heat to caramelize the sugar
 - when you get a deep coloured caramel, deglaze with the apple juice
 - add the brown sugar, melt it in and maintain a simmer

cover and steep

 - peel the apples and cut into 1/4's
 - cut the core section away and cut each piece into 3 slices
 - place all the apple pieces in a container
 - pour the caramelized juice over the apples to cover
 - cover and place a small weight on top to keep the apples submerged
 - place in the fridge and leave overnight
 - strain the juice away and use the apples as needed

Recipe: Cola de mono (monkey's tail)

As a big fan of monkeys, when I come across a monkey-related recipe, I feel compelled to investigate.  Cola de mono is a Chilean holiday drink made from coffee, rum and spiced milk - a combination that seems to me a trifecta of good times.  In my investigation, most of the formulas were pretty large, which is great if you are having a party, but a bit much if you just want to make a drink or two, so I shrunk it down a bit for convenience with the intent that it is easier to multiply a recipe than divide it down.  

infuse the milk with the spice

Where some recipes brew the spices in water before mixing with the milk, I went with all milk simply because I hate watered down milk (skim milk makes me angry).  This is not a problem as long as you are gentle with the heat as you infuse the spices.  Instant coffee is also commonly used which I was ok with as I had a couple packs of Starbucks Via handy.  Not to overtly plug Starbucks (I'm not the hugest fan), but their instant coffee is actually a great product for getting quality coffee flavour into a recipe (it's great for custards) - It dissolves well, tastes good and you don't have to account for any added water as you would with brewed coffee or espresso.  The rum?  I like dark or spiced, especially around the holidays, so for this one I went with "The Kraken" black rum.  I topped it off with a bit of frothed milk and grated nutmeg for a nice layered look.

the brew

You will need:

500ml / 2C                    milk

1                                    cinnamon stick

4                                    cloves

45ml / 3Tbs                   sugar

5ml / 1tsp                      vanilla paste

15ml / 1Tbs                   instant coffee (2 packs Starbuck's Via)

60ml / 2oz                     dark or spiced rum

Method:

 - put half of the milk in a pot with the cinnamon and cloves and gently bring up the heat

 - when the milk is just below a simmer, hold it there for 5 minutes, then turn off the heat 

 - cover it and let it infuse for about 30 minutes

 - bring it back up to a gentle simmer, then whisk in the coffee and sugar and let it brew 5 minutes

 - cool completely, then strain

 - whisk in the vanilla paste

 - add the rest of the milk and the rum

 - serve chilled and garnished with frothed milk and nutmeg

Cola de mono

Recipe: Mincemeat

Mincemeat tarts have always been a strong tradition in our family, and along with other things like shortbread and eggnog, it will forever be one of those added elements that helps bring the holiday season around to those family traditions.  As a cook, Christmas can be a tough slog through the trenches, but snap a tart off a passing platter and I'm right as rain.  I was very fortunate in cooking school that I wound up in the right class with the right instructor in December.  He was a Welshman who had even been on staff at Buckingham Palace in his career and he wanted to teach us how to make real mincemeat, suet and all.  Was I excited?  You bet.  Try to make this as far ahead as possible to really let the mincemeat mature and develop a great flavour - the recommended time is ten days, but longer is even better

You will need:

225g / 7.9oz         suet

225g / 7.9oz         apples

225g / 7.9oz         sultanas

225g / 7.9oz         currants

225g / 7.9oz         raisins

225g / 7.9oz         sugar

120g / 4.2oz         candied fruit peel

30g / 1oz              ground almonds

150ml / 5oz          brandy (or rum)

8g / 0.3oz             mixed spice (refer to the "mixed spice" recipe in the previous post)

Method:

 - finely chop the suet
 - peel, core, then chop the apples fine
 - mix the suet and the apples
 - finely chop the candied fruit peel
 - add the chopped fruit peel, sultanas, currants, raisins, lemon juice and lemon zest to the mix
 - add the sugar
 - add the mixed spice and the almonds
 - add the brandy
 - mix really well (rubber gloves and hand mixing is easiest)
 - cover with parchment or wax paper
 - refrigerate for at least ten days
 - use as needed

Recipe: British "mixed spice"

Sometimes you will read a recipe for a proper English Christmas pudding or mincemeat and come across "spice mix" in the list of ingredients.  What is it?  It is a spice blend usually bought in a store and most commonly used during the holiday season.  As a commercial product, the blend itself can vary in proportions, but the spices involved are generally pretty constant.  If you can't find it in a store or just want to make it yourself, this is a recipe I came across years ago.  Basically, the idea is to make a large batch of the blend, then use as much as a recipe calls for.  Store the rest in a jar with your other spices.  Since it's a big mix, once you get it together, give it a little taste, and don't be afraid to add a little extra of any of the spices you especially like - then it becomes your personal blend and people will be scratching their heads trying to figure out how to duplicate your fabulous mincemeat.

You will need:

10ml / 2tsp          ground cinnamon

10ml / 2tsp          ground nutmeg

10ml / 2tsp          ground ginger

5ml / 1tsp            ground cloves

5ml / 1tsp            allspice

5ml / 1tsp            mace

5ml / 1tsp            ground coriander

5ml / 1tsp            ground caraway

5ml / 1tsp            cardamom

Method:

 - mix it
 - tweak it (remember to write down what you did)
 - use it
 - store the rest in a jar

Recipe: Black olive vinaigrette

This is a stunning black salad dressing with a very nice Mediterranean character to it.  You'd better be an olive lover because it involves both olives and olive oil.  I like to use it on hearty and full flavoured greens  - arugula in particular, but spinach and  young chard work really nicely too.  As you might guess, feta cheese is a nice complement both in style and flavour.

You will need:

250ml / 1C                    extra virgin olive oil

60ml / 1/4C                   fresh squeezed lemon juice

125ml / 1/2C                balsamic vinegar

5ml / 1tsp                     chopped garlic

250ml / 1C                   pitted and chopped kalamata olives (remember to measure after chopping)

5ml / 1tsp                      cracked black pepper

to taste                          honey

to taste                          kosher salt

Method:

 - chop your olives and garlic, measure them out and put in a bar blender

 - add the pepper and lemon juice and puree smooth

 - with the blender running, add the olive oil and the balsamic vinegar

 - season with kosher salt and honey and blend to incorporate

 - use as needed, then store in the fridge

Cookbook review: Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller

One of the nicest new cookbooks out now is Bouchon Bakery by Thomas Keller and his executive pastry chef Sebastien Rouxel.  When chef Keller puts a book out it's hard not to take notice - by now you can count on him to deliver quality, and he hasn't let us down here.  Stemming from fond memories of the smells that emit from a good bakery (I think everyone can identify with that), the two chefs have really worked hard to put out a book truly worthy of the craft.

One thing that really struck me was the variety in the recipes.  Where many pastry books have a clear strength in a certain area, Bouchon Bakery covers almost anything you can think of - very much like a good pastry chef with seemingly countless tricks up their sleeve.  I had to chuckle that there's even a recipe for dog biscuits - probably just as tasty for humans too.  Considering the level of professionalism and polish you can expect from this team, working your way through this book will undoubtedly refine your skills in a number of areas.  If French Laundry has become something of a textbook for aspiring savory chefs, expect Bouchon Bakery to achieve a similar status among pastry apprentices.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Maple peanut butter truffles

These truffles are among my all time favorites - they have an amazing flavour and the centres just ooze when you eat them.  I love peanut butter cups, and this takes it to the next level.  This recipe deals with the filling - I use the truffle ganache from the previous post to encase the soft filling, then coat them with a hard chocolate coating.

You will need:

100g / 3.5oz            smooth peanut butter

100g / 3.5oz            #3 maple syrup

as needed                truffle ganache

as needed                chocolate for coating

as needed                chopped toasted peanuts

Method:

 - prepare the truffle ganache

 - whisk the syrup into the peanut butter in a dish

 - put the dish in the freezer to harden up

 - when the maple peanut butter is hard enough, shape chickpea sized balls and keep in the freezer

 - take a small amount of the ganache and make a little "pancake" in your hand

 - drop the maple peanut butter ball onto the ganache and wrap it around to completely encase

 - put the truffle in the freezer to firm up

 - melt the coating chocolate

 - dip the truffles in the chocolate and place on paper

 - while the chocolate is still wet, sprinkle with the chopped toasted peanuts

 - let the chocolate set

 - serve the truffles at room temperature

 

Recipe: Truffle ganache

Think eating truffles is addictive?  Once you get the hang of making a good ganache, you'll have a hard time stopping making them.  You don't always need to make a huge batch and worry about eating too many at once, you can simply make the ganache and keep it stored in the fridge (for a reasonable amount of time), then when the inspiration hits, you are already halfway there.  The style I usually make is somewhat multi-layered - I'll dream up a centre, wrap the ganache around it, then dip it in chocolate for a hard shell, then garnish the chocolate either with a different chocolate, or nuts, coarse salt, what have you.  

While the multi-layered truffle comes off as a complex construction, really it is just a series of basic steps, most of which only take a few moments to do, but the result is always impressive.  Depending on your filling, the ganache might be the most complex part, and it may only have two ingredients - but it takes a little while to make and set up to a point where you can use it, thus making it ahead can make things easier.  Since I usually use the ganache as an inner layer, I like it a bit softer and creamier and the ratio I use is generally two parts chocolate to one part cream.  If you are making the ganache to be the truffle in its entirety, you may want to approach a three to one ratio, depending on how long they may sit out (the room can warm up during a party), and if you are adding any liqueur, which will soften the mix.  The nice part is that if you see the set ganache as too hard or too soft, you can simply warm it up again and add a touch more cream or chocolate to get it where you want it.  This is part of the reason I like a tempered chocolate coating - better temperature resistance and the ability to have a very soft centre.  Remember, of the three basic chocolate categories, dark will give you the hardest ganache and white the softest.

You will need:

200g / 7oz             good quality chocolate

100g / 7oz             cream

pinch                     kosher salt

to taste                  liqueur (optional, and your choice of variety)

Method:

 - chop the chocolate into small pieces

 - heat the cream and liqueur (if using) up to a simmer in a small sauce pan

 - pour over the chocolate and add the pinch of salt

 - stir with a spatula until the chocolate has melted and bound with the cream

 - allow to set up at room temperature

 - store in the fridge if not using right away

To use:

 - take the ganache out of the fridge if necessary and let temper up 

 - scoop a small amount and make a small "pancake" in your hand

 - place your filling in the middle and wrap the ganache around it

 - roll into a ball and place on a paper lined tray

 - place the tray in the freezer so the outer surface is very hard and cold

 - warm up your dipping chocolate

 - dip the truffles in the chocolate, and set on the paper

 - top with any garnish

 - let coating set

 - serve at room temperature

Recipe: Sponge toffee

Sponge toffee makes a great addition to a pastry platter - it has a neat abstract visual effect, and no matter how hard they try, most people eventually give in  for a piece or two.  If you want to go an extra step, take a few chunks and coat them with chocolate, then scatter them amongst some truffles.  Much of the success here is in technique - I had done it a few times before with varying levels of success, but Dan recently showed me a slightly different way of cooking the sugar which greatly improves the results.  You can use a probe or a candy thermometer, as song as you eventually get to 300F / 149C - this is hard crack stage for sugar and absolutely necessary for the sponge to hold.  Once you get to the baking soda part, you need to move fast so you get the soda well dispersed and the sugar onto the tray before it starts to set.  The pictures here are for a large batch we did recently, but the recipe is a little more reasonable in size.

cook out the sugars

You will need:

250ml / 1C           white sugar

250ml / 1C           corn syrup

15ml / 1Tbs          white vinegar

15ml / 1Tbs          baking soda

pinch                    salt

raise the heat and get ready

Method:

 - combine the syrup, sugar, vinegar and pinch of salt in a pot

 - set the stove to medium heat and heat the mixture to a simmer

 - stir occasionally with a heat proof spatula

 - measure out the baking soda, have a whisk ready

 - have a 9" X 9" (23cm X 23cm) pan paper lined and ready

 - monitor the temperature - when you get to the 250F - 290F (121C - 143C), slow it down a little

 - let the mixture cook and thicken below the 300F / 149C mark

 - when the mixture is noticeably thicker (you will feel it when you stir it), let it come up to 300F / 149C

mix the soda and pour out

 - once at 300F / 149C, add the baking soda and whisk really well as the foam rises

 - pour the foaming sugar into the pan and let cool completely

 - use a knife to break the sponge toffee into bite size chunks

 - coat with chocolate or serve as is

 - store in an airtight container

Recipe: Bacon (maple smoked) - sous vide and traditional

Do I really need to get into benefits of making bacon?  I doubt it.  If you have the use of a slicer, you can control the thickness of the slices, which is fantastic if you want to wrap a terrine with an ultra thin layer of bacon (or maybe you just like a fat slice for breakfast).  Lardons are always nicer two or three times thicker than store-bought thickness.  The list goes on, so we'll get right down to it.  

This recipe comes down to method more than anything since the amounts will depend on how much belly you are working with.  The salt and the nitrate are the most important elements - the rest is really determined by flavour preference.  While you will want some sugar involved, the type of sugar is up to you.  Same with spices - you don't really need to add any if you don't like, or you can switch it up.  With this recipe, we're going for a nice breakfast style bacon, but the technique is applicable to any style you end up going with.  Remember that it is always best to use gloves when in direct contact with nitrate.

You will need:

1                     pork belly

as needed       bacon cure

as needed       #3 dark maple syrup

 For the bacon cure, you will need:

450g / 15.9oz      kosher salt

250g / 8.8oz        sugar

50g / 1.76oz        nitrate

30ml / 2Tbs         ground fennel seed

30ml / 2Tbs         ground star anise

Method:

 -  trim the belly up if necessary
 -  cold smoke the belly for 3 hours
 -  mix all the cure ingredients together
 - weigh the belly
 - multiply the weight by 0.035 - this is the weight of the cure you need
 - if you have a skin, brush the flesh side of the belly with the maple syrup, otherwise brush it all
 - pack the measured amount of cure onto the flesh side (or all over if no skin)
 - either vacuum seal in a bag, or put in a non-reactive container and place in the fridge
 - store at least two or three days or until the belly has released some juices and has firmed up a bit
 - rinse the belly of the cure under cold water and pat dry

 - if cooking sous-vide, seal in a bag and set the bath to 150F / 65.5C
 - cook in the bath about 6 hours
 - cool in the fridge on a try with a weighted tray on top (so it stays flat when cool)
 - remove from the bag, and carefully remove the skin if necessary
 - use as needed

 - if finishing in the oven, set it to 200F / 193C
 - insert a probe into the belly and set it in the oven on a rack
 - when the internal temperature reaches 150F / 65.5C, remove (about 2 hours)
 - cool on the rack
 - remove the skin if necessary
 - use as needed

Product review: Microplane zesters

If you don't have one already, a Microplane zester is an absolute must in your kitchen.  The fine teeth enable you to take only the sweet and tangy outer layer of zest off a citrus fruit, leaving the bitter pith behind.  If grating ginger, the zester will hold onto the majority of the stringy fibres and leave you with a fine mince you would have to slave for with a knife.  Minced garlic, a snap.   Nutmeg and even cinnamon can be grated super-fine and since you are using the whole spice, the freshness of flavour far surpasses any pre-ground product.  A favorite with a lot of people is the job a Microplane does on Parmesan cheese - ultra light and fluffy, there simply isn't a better way to top off your pasta or Caesar salads.

There are some choices in design, which ultimately will come down to preference.  Some are more attractive than others, and you can choose a couple different lengths or widths.  The grating surface is the same in each case, so you can pick the one that suits you best, but I'll share a few observations I've noticed in my experience with the tools.  As for widths, the wide ones will help if grating cheese, but for citrus zest, garlic or ginger, the narrow ones are just fine.  Citrus fruits are round remember, and only a small amount of surface will be in contact with the grater anyway.  I find that the narrow ones fit better into drawers and tool kits, so I tend to stick with that style.  With regards to length, I used a full length one happily for years with no issue, but have seen over-zealous cooks bend them on several occasions, and once they've been bent, the metal is weaker at the folding point and the grater's days are numbered.  My full length grater eventually got nicked by someone, so when I replace it, I went with the shorter model with a handle.  Not that it was ever really any discomfort, but I basically never used the top part of the grater anyway except for holding, so why not get a proper handle and the shorter grating length will be inherently more resistant to pressure.  I still have it years later and it still works like a charm.  Perhaps the important thing to notice was that after my first microplane got stolen,  there was no question that it needed to be replaced - my set of tools is incomplete without it.  So is yours.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Jamaican patty filling

To continue with the Jamaican patties, Dan and I wanted to keep one of the three varieties we made as close to "traditional" as possible.  That said, my favorite comment I had come across in doing some research was that as long as the filling was tasty, how you got there didn't matter.  Amen.  

Now I can't exactly say this recipe is 100% mine, but I can't say it's 100% anybody else's either.  It is 100% what we made however, and definitely stands as the way I'll do it in the future.  When I research a recipe, I generally scan a wide variety of recipes I have on hand or I come across on line and keep my eye out for the ones that seem most in line with what I'm making.  I then take what I like best about what I came across and put them all into one "super recipe".  In this case I wanted to achieve as complex a flavour profile as possible while staying in the parameters of the "traditional" Jamaican patty.  I have to give a shout out to Emeril, his recipe was one of the only ones that used rum in the mix - an obvious appeal there - and his spice mix went beyond "add X amount of curry blend".  Of course, once armed with our super-recipe and in the heat of the moment, there were adjustments, but the result was stellar.  Here's what we ended up with.  

With reference to size, I've doubled the recipe in order to fit the recipe for the pastry I gave you.  What Dan and I made would only have filled 3 of our extra large patties, so this one will give you six.  Within reason, the size of the patties won't really matter since roughly half the pastry goes on top and the other goes under the meat.

You will need:

907g / 2lbs                       lean ground beef

2                                       large onions - small dice

907g / 2lbs                       tomatoes - small dice

12 cloves                          garlic - minced

2 knuckles                        fresh grated ginger (2 generous tablespoons microplaned)

10 - 12 slices                    pickled banana peppers - minced

6                                       scallions - sliced

60ml / 1/4C                      parsley - chopped

4 sprigs                             thyme - chopped

5ml / 1tsp                         ground anatto (achiote)

20ml / 4tsp                       cumin

5ml / 1tsp                         allspice

5ml / 1tsp                         cardamom

15ml / 1Tbs                      black pepper (feel free to use more if you like it like me)

to taste                              kosher salt

60ml / 1/4C                      dark rum

500ml / 2C                       beef stock

Method:

 - in a large fry pan, brown the ground beef and season lightly

 - remove the beef, saving the fat in the pan

 - fry the onion in the fat until lightly golden, then add the garlic and ginger and cook a few minutes

 - add in the anatto, cumin, allspice, cardamom and black pepper and cook some more

 - add the tomatoes and banana peppers

 - add the beef back in along with the beef stock and thyme

 - let the mixture cook and the liquid come down

 - when the liquid is almost reduced out, add the rum and season with salt

 - when the liquid is basically gone, turn off the heat

 - mix in the scallions and parsley and set aside to cool

 - use as needed in the patties

Recipe: Jamaican patty pastry

mix the spices and flour

As promised, here's the recipe I used to make the Jamaican patty pastry for our little trip to the Caribbean.  I think this is the most important part about the patties since it has such an important role in what sets this food apart from others.  In so many cases with other types of meat pies, the pastry is often quite neutral - as long as it's flaky, it's acceptable.  With Jamaican patties, there's so much flavour in the pastry itself, it has its own identity within the form.  Indeed, the colour it pretty tell-tale - as I was rolling these out, people instantly knew what I was making.  Not to take away the importance of the filling, but that tends to be the sort of thing that everyone has their style - maybe even handed down from a grandmother.  Dan and I experimented with three different fillings and while one was "traditional", all were indisputably Jamaican patties.  Why?  The pastry was proper.  This recipe made us 6 big patties, but could be stretched to as many as 8 -10 smaller ones.

rub in the butter

You will need:

300g / 10.6oz (2C)         all purpose flour (plus more for working the dough)

175g / 6.2oz (3/4C)        unsalted butter (cold and cubed)

5ml / 1tsp                        curry powder

5ml / 1tsp                       ground anatto seed (achiote)

5ml / 1tsp                       ground black pepper

2.5ml / 1/2tsp                 tumeric

to taste                            kosher salt (about 5ml / 1tsp)

work the pastry

125ml / 1/2C                  ice water

as needed                       egg wash

Method

 - cube the butter and keep it cold

 - mix all the flour, spices and salt

 - add the butter to the flour and use your fingertips to break up the butter

 - when you start to get a pea-sized crumb, add the ice water

 - mix until the dough is just shy of coming together

 - turn the dough out on a floured surface

roll thin

 - use the heel of your hand with a twisting press to mash the butter bits into the four 

 - when the dough has come together, divide into portions (ours were 100g each)

 - use your hands to form disks with the dough and wrap with plastic 

 - let the dough rest (I left mine overnight, but a 1/2 hour will be fine)

 - on a floured surface again, roll the disks out thin

 - transfer to a paper lined tray

 - place your filling on half the patty and egg wash the edge

 - fold the dough over and crimp the edge with a fork

 - cut a few vents in the top

 - heat the oven to 375F / 191C if you have convection, or 400F / 204C in a still oven

 - cook about 15 minutes, rotating if necessary

ready for the oven

 - let cool slightly

 - enjoy!

ready for my belly!