Product review: Cona vacuum coffee percolator

Some products are definitely filed under "luxury items", but if there is quality going along with it, sometimes you are allowed to spoil yourself.  The Cona coffee maker is one such item.  Vacuum percolation as a method to brew coffee has been accepted by many aficionados for decades as the ideal way to get the most out of those premium coffee beans tucked in your freezer.  The system brews the coffee at the perfect temperature, then separates the beans from the coffee at the right time, all the while giving you a show.  The glass unit itself, while adding to the spectacle, is chosen as the optimal brewing medium as it will impart no foreign taste to the brew - no plastic or paper filters, no metal pot - just pure perfectly brewed coffee.

Ok, that's great, I love a good cup of coffee, but as a cook that likes to see things with added culinary value, there's another intriguing aspect to this coffee maker - soup!  Coffee aside, flavours in general infuse best within a tight range of temperature.  A good chef will always tell you that almost never should you see something boiling on the stove - things like pasta water, and blanching water are acceptable instances.  Listen to someone who is a master of Tea, temperature and time are huge factors in the execution of a quality product.  

Now imagine sitting down to a dinner, and the soup course comes out in a strange contraption with broth in the bottom chamber and some fresh herbs and aromatics arranged around some delicate cuts of seafood in the top.  You then watch as the broth heats up and enters the top chamber, cooks the fish and absorbs the aromatic flavours, then makes its way back to the bottom.  Your server then pours the soup into your bowl and garnishes it with the seafood from the top.  Hell of a show no?  Vue de Monde in Melbourne Australia made headlines with a bouillabase this way.  They've since moved on to other soup infusions, but the system remains.  I love seeing creative thinking like this.  The soup is wonderfully executed and you manage to add a whole different level of experience to the meal.  Well done!

Interesting no?  Whether in pursuit of a perfect cup of coffee, or brewing a beautiful soup, if your luxury budget allows, consider adding a Cona system to your arsenal.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Paneer

I mentioned in the post for the India burger that the butter paneer component get me pretty exited.  If you have never tried paneer, you really need to get out to a restaurant that serves it and give it a try - soon!  You want to go to a place that knows what they are doing, because your first taste of paneer should be an illustration of its amazing powers.

What it is is a style of fresh cheese.  What sets it apart is what happens to it when it is heated.  It gets warm, it gets soft, but it never really melts.  On it's own, sliced and served cold, you may think it's nothing too remarkable, but heated up in a tasty sauce, look out.  Done right, this simple little cheese can bring empires to their knees.  Familiar with butter chicken?  Most people are - now replace the chicken with a cheese that just manages to hold itself together.  Saag paneer is a dish where it is cooked in a spinach sauce - a little healthier than butter, but oh so tasty. 

This is the perfect sort of thing to serve when vegetarians are coming over - a good paneer dish has the power of any main course dish and no one will miss the meat.

Recipe: The India burger

two India burgers - one open and one closed

This burger was a lot of fun to make, and had a real complexity to it.  You know how you can sit down to an Indian dinner and eat an array of dishes, each with its own blend of flavours and yet it all comes together in harmony?  We managed to do that in burger form.  Dan and I wanted to be careful how we put it together and avoid coming away with a saucy mess that overwhelms the tastebuds.  With so many favorite Indian dishes, it was hard to pick which ones would contribute best to the effort.

Butter chicken came to mind early, but it almost seemed too obvious.  Then in considering the cheese component, I thought of butter paneer - one of my all time favorite dishes of any nationality.  I think in the end I was almost as excited for the paneer as I was for the rest of the burger.  Needless to say, couldn't do two butter dishes together, so we opted for a tandoori chicken for our meat (a beef patty seemed altogether inappropriate for this outing), the recipe is the one in the recent post.  The mango papaya chutney from the other recent post stood in as our "relish", and a cucumber raita topped off with micro cilantro helped cool things off.  Things were starting to get pretty saucy, so we threw in a few miniature vegetable pakoras as a layer to soak things up.  You might notice that we like a bit of crunch in our burgers, and we slid a single papadam in for that effect.  The bun?  Just had to go with naan.  Truly a pleasure in the eating.  The breakdown was as such:

The India Burger:

 - bun - naan bread
 - patty - tandoori chicken
 - cheese - paneer
 - relish - mango papaya chutney
 - sauces - cucumber raita
               - butter sauce for the paneer
 - greens - shredded spinach
               - micro cilantro
 - garnishes - vegetable pakoras
                     - papadam

Recipe: Spiced brown butter spread

Today, we made Pan de Muertos.  Kind of significant since it was the first recipe I put up on the site.  While waiting for the bread to proof, I decided it would be nice to have a special spread to have while eating it.  What better place to start for a full flavoured bread than brown butter?  I used some of the spices I already had out for the bread, but find that the flavour would lend itself to many varieties of sweet loaves, holiday treats and coffee cakes.

You will need:

100g / 3.5oz          brown butter
30ml / 2Tbs           sweetened condensed milk
2.5ml / 1/2tsp        vanilla paste
pinch                     grated nutmeg
pinch                     ground cinnamon
to taste                   kosher salt

Method:

 - warm up the brown butter in a pan
 - add the condensed milk and spices and mix (don't worry if it stays separated)
 - season to taste
 - move the spiced butter to the fridge for a few minutes
 - as the butter cools, stir it vigorously with a spatula to emulsify the mix
 - once it is stable, transfer it to a container and keep stored in the fridge
 - when using, pull it out of the fridge early to temper up as you would table butter
 - enjoy!

Recipe: Tandoori chicken

Tandoori chicken is one of the great roasted meats of the world.  As with the chutney in the last post, the key to a superb tandoori marinade is in the careful blend of flavours and spices.  In this recipe, you have some acidity from the yogurt and lime juice, sweetness from the honey, floral notes from the cilantro, heat from the chili, the coziness of the spice blend, and even a hint of smokiness from the paprika.  A lot going on, I know, but it's all in the balance.  What's missing?  Artificial food colouring, boo, sorry.

In the execution, make sure the chicken gets about 24 hours marination to get all the flavour in possible.  Want to go a couple days?  Sure, even better.  Also, tandoori ovens are insanely hot, so the roasting temperature in a regular oven will be high.  I cooked these at 450F (232C), but as long as you are right by the oven, go as high as you feel comfortable - some colouring on the residual marinade is ideal.  I used 4 chicken breasts here, which are pretty easy to cook through at a high temperature - if you go with some bone in cuts, it will take a little longer in the cooking.

You will need:

4 - 6                       chicken breasts

250ml / 1C            yogurt

1/2                         white onion - grated on a cheese grater (really)

45ml / 3Tbs           lime juice

30ml / 2Tbs           honey

4 cloves                 garlic - minced

small knuckle        ginger - grated on a microplane (about 5ml / 1tsp)

1 handful               whole cilantro - just wash it, don't cut it

15ml / 1Tbs           smoked paprika

5ml / 1tsp              cumin

5ml / 1tsp              coriander

5ml / 1tsp              chili

5ml / 1tsp              ground black pepper

to taste                   kosher salt

Method:

 - trim up the chicken if needed

 - grate the onion and ginger and mince the garlic

 - combine all the ingredients (except for cilantro) for the marinade and mix well (how's that for easy?)

 - toss the chicken in the marinade with the whole cilantro until well coated

 - cover and marinate in the fridge for a day

 - preheat the oven to 450F / 232C - convection if you have it

 - drain excess marinade from the chicken - some residue is ok

 - place chicken on a paper lined pan

 - roast for 7 - 10 minutes until cooked and coloured

 - serve

Recipe: Mango papaya chutney

sweat the onion and spices

You can buy some nice chutneys out there, but nothing will ever compare to something you make yourself.  Even with a relatively long cooking time, this chutney comes across a deliciously fresh, light and fruity.  One of the things common in all my favorite Indian recipes is how they can achieve such a harmonious combination of flavours -  this one has a really nice blend of spices, yet doesn't raise the heat level too much.

You will need:

1                         mango - small dice

1                         papaya - small dice

1/2                      white onion - brunoise

add the fruit

3 cloves              garlic - minced

1 knuckle            ginger - grated (about 1Tbs)

60ml / 1/4C        lime juice

45ml / 3Tbs        honey

5ml / 1tsp           cumin

5ml / 1tsp           chili powder

5ml / 1tsp           cracked black pepper

2.5ml / 1/2tsp     coriander

2.5ml / 1/2tsp     tumeric

as needed            vegetable oil

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

Method:

add liquid and cook down

 - slowly sweat the onion, garlic and ginger in a pan with some oil

 - add all the dry spices (except salt) and keep sweating (to "toast" the spices and deepen the flavour)

 - when the onion is very soft, add the mango and papaya and cook 5 minutes

 - add the honey and lime juice

 - cook the liquid out

 - season with salt

 - remove from the pan and cool

 - store in the fridge until use

Product review: Takoyaki pan

How can you make your pumpkin waffle balls without a takoyaki pan?  You can't, so I'm going to point you in the right direction.  I can't properly recommend the one I have since there's no name stamped on it, and I can only say it was from one of the countless stores on Shanghai street in Hong Kong.  I can however recommend what I would get today, as it's the closest thing to my version.

First off and most important, it's cast iron.  You will need to season it well when you first get it, but after that, as long as you are careful cleaning it and keep it seasoned, it will be 100% reliable.  Heating the pan is a little slower, but once up to heat, it is very even and consistent as you cook.   Being cast iron, it's also indestructible, so you'll only need to buy it once, and it will always come in handy for self-defence.  There are non-stick versions out there, but when you are turning the waffles with a metal skewer, sooner or later you will get through the non-stick coating - no more indestructible.  Stick with the cast iron.

Second, as for "handles", this pan has minimal, and they were designed as part of the cast.  You already have enough handles hanging off your stove and Junior doesn't need to be pulling a cast iron pan onto his noggin.  It's cast iron, so the weight alone will keep it in place.  You'll see some versions with handles.  Wood v.s Iron?  Always the same outcome - one day the handle will break.  If you find a pan you like with a cast iron handle, that's better, but I still don't see it as very necessary.  

Lastly, the size and shape is perfect.  My pan has 15 divots, this one has 16, and they are in nice clean rows.  As you move along with your batter and start turning the waffles over, rows are a little easier to keep track of your spot than a circular pattern.  The size fits perfectly over one of the large burners on your stove, minimizing energy output and helping even out the heating.  Some pans have 24 divots, but then if you don't have a skillet feature on your stove, you are doing a balancing act between two burners and the middle of the pan isn't over any heat at all.  I'd rather have two small ones and work on two burners evenly (then you'd be working with 32 divots and 30% more productive!).

Amazon has a good selection, so look around, but for my money, this tight little unit is the pick of the litter.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Pumpkin spiced waffle balls (takoyaki / aebleskivers)

tools of the trade

This is one of my favorite things to make for a Halloween party - and they never last long.  It's a modified waffle recipe, so it will make waffles, but I always make the balls because they look like little pumpkins, are fun to make, and are easier to share as a treat to guests - I even made them for Carla and I the other day for breakfast.  Once you get the hang of the technique, try adding a filling before turning the balls over - chocolate chips, mini marshmallows, and even blueberries work great.

It started when I was working in Hong Kong.  I didn't have much time for sightseeing, so I would go out after work, grab a beer, check out the architecture and eat street food.  One of the coolest things I liked to watch was how they made the fish balls (takoyaki).  They would have chopped up fish mixed in a batter, fill up the recesses in this skillet filled with round divots, cook it a bit, then turn it over with a skewer to cook the other side and wind up with a ball.  I thought it would adapt itself perfectly to a dessert.  I went over to Shanghai street (the only place to shop in Hong Kong for cooking equipment) and found a smaller cast iron version of the skillet for use in the home - perfect.

the four base mixes

I'm not sure how it came about to make pumpkin waffles, but it took a few tries to get the formula down (not to mention the technique).  Now it seems to be the favorite and the skillet mostly comes out for the fall season.  I had previously thought that I had come up with something new until I saw a similar skillet in a cooking store - seems the Danish have been making round pancakes for a while now too (aebleskivers).  But pumpkin?  Yea, take that Hamlet.

You will need:

1                                  large egg (separated)

finished batter

133g / 4.7oz                pumpkin puree (1/3 of a standard can)
55ml / 3Tbs + 2tsp      sugar
2.5ml / 1/2tsp              ground cinnamon
1.25ml / 1/4tsp            grated nutmeg
0.625ml / 1/8tsp          ground ginger
2.5ml / 1/2tsp              vanilla paste (or extract)
15ml / 1Tbs                 #3 maple syrup
30g / 1oz                      melted unsalted butter (brown even better)
15ml / 1Tbs                  orange juice
75g / 2.6oz                   flour
3g / 1tsp                       baking powder
pinch                            kosher salt

stage 1

Method:

 - have all ingredients at room temperature (except melted butter) for best mixing
 - cream the egg yolk with 3Tbs of sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg
 - mix the pumpkin with vanilla, maple syrup, orange juice, salt and butter
 - sift the flour and baking powder
 - whisk the egg white with 2tsp of sugar over a warm bain-marie to medium firm (this makes it more stable)
 - mix the yolk mix with the pumpkin

stage 2

 - fold in the flour
 - fold in the egg white
 - preheat the skillet to a medium low heat (on our electric stove, #3 works well)
 - add some oil to the divots in the pan and let the oil heat up
 - spoon some batter into the divots just shy of filling them - they should sizzle a bit
 - after a minute, try to loosen the ball in the skillet by spinning it
 - if it spins freely, add any filling you want, then turn it over to cook the topside
 - when the top is cooked, remove from the pan and serve

Recipe: The French Canadian burger

oh la la!

We waited to do this burger.  Why?  We needed turkey gravy, so we had to wait until after Thanksgiving.  The wait mad it all the more delicious.  Those who have seen the other entries in the Ultimate Burger Series guessed the inspiration right away - "French Canadian?  Oh my god, you're making a poutine burger!"  Mais oui.  We couldn't take the easy way out however, even out way out West in Vancouver, poutine is serious business.  Gravy and curds just don't cut it on their own.  Worse yet, coming off as a cheeseburger chip buddy might start another referendum - we like Quebec, we want you to stay, we've made a burger in your honour.  The final form of the poutine was matchstick fries, turkey gravy, maple pork belly and Oka cheese "curds".  A good start.

The rest of the burger needed character as well, so tipping the hat to croque-monsieurs and French toast, we egged and fried the buns.  Then we gave the buns some brown butter mayonnaise (check the earlier post).  To get one of my favorite soups into the picture, we put on a good dollop of the French Canadian split yellow pea risotto (last post) with extra maple vinegar to qualify it as a relish component.  I think a burger always needs some greens, and arugula seemed to fit best.

Sounds heavy?  Sure it does.  Dan and I managed to reign in the various starchy components enough that it all balanced out in a wave of deliciousness and no feelings of "I'm going to explode!".  Definitely a solid burger, meal wise - two might kill you, but one was perfect.  Here's the breakdown:

The French Canadian Burger:

 - bun - standard sesame bun dipped in egg and fried 

 - patty - standard Canadian beef
 - greens - arugula
 - sauce - brown butter mayonnaise
 - relish - French Canadian split yellow pea
 - garnish - poutine - matchstick fries
                               - turkey gravy
                               - Oka cheese
                               - maple pork belly

Recipe: French Canadian split pea "risotto"

this gives new meaning to "chunky soup"

This little number came as a bit of a crazy inspiration as Dan and I moved along in the Ultimate Burger Series.  As you'll see in an upcoming post, we made the French Canadian burger.  As a country built largely on immigration, the question of "Canadian cuisine" is always a tough one, especially if you are focusing on the Francophone component.  French Canadian split pea soup is a favorite of mine and I was trying to think of how it could be incorporated into a burger without getting too ridiculous.  I managed to pull it off, and in the process discovered an amazing side dish I would be happy to serve anytime.

For the sake of the burger, I figured that if we could make a split pea saute with all the flavour components of the soup, we'd be onto something.  Cooking it risotto style seemed to be the natural approach to ensure that the final product wouldn't sog out the burger - it worked like a charm.  For the burger, we seasoned it at the end with some maple vinegar just to give it a bit of a "relish" characteristic and it was more than welcome.  Risotto is often seasoned with lemon juice, so the maple vinegar wasn't out of line and gave a nice balance to the richness of the dish.  I've included it here as a "to taste" ingredient because I think you'll find that a dash will just bring a lot of the flavours forward.  

pork sweats!

For the pork stock and fat, we were fortunate enough to have sous-vide pork belly around, so as they got used, I periodically raided the bags for their jellified juice and residual fat.  The inclusion of bacon lardons would be a delicious way to impart that pork flavour and provide you with the pork fat  needed to cook with.  Just render them off in the pan first, then take them out and start with your onions.  If you want to make a real nice pork stock, simmer off a couple smoked hocks with some mirepoix - this will also give you some delicious meat to use and the fat cap of the stock is perfect for cooking with.

You will need:

500ml / 2C                 soaked yellow split peas (about 250-300ml / 8.5-10 fl oz dry)

1/2                              white onion, fine dice

5ml / 1tsp                   minced garlic

saute the peas

60ml / 1/4C                pork fat

100ml / 1/3C+4tsp     pork stock

as needed                    water

to taste                        kosher salt

to taste                        black pepper

to taste                        maple vinegar (cider will also work well)

Method:

 - wash the yellow peas well, then soak for 24 hours

 - dice the onion fine and mince the garlic

 - render the bacon lardons if you need the fat

add the stock and be gentle

 - sweat the onion and garlic off in the fat really well

 - drain the water off the peas and add to the pan

 - saute the peas well, then turn the heat down and add the pork stock

 - like making a risotto, add water periodically (just enough to cover) and stir often

 - cook gently for about 30 - 45 minutes, then test the peas

 - if they are almost tender, stop adding water and reduce the mixture down to a risotto consistency

 - season with salt, pepper, and vinegar (if desired)

 - garnish with pork

 - serve

Product review: iSi Soda siphons

If you want to start getting into making your own sodas, you'll need to get a siphon.  The iSi company has been a leader in the pressurized canister department for ages.  Their products have always been reliable, well built, and easy to maintain.  The question here actually becomes one of deciding between two of their models.  

The stainless 26oz model is ever so slightly better built and its dispensing system is slightly different to maximize bubbles (four "jets" as opposed to one).  Being stainless, you know it looks great, and it is a bit shorter than other siphons, making for more convenient storage.  The drawback?  The 26oz (759ml) capacity.  If you are serving lots of specific sodas, not just soda water, the difference between a 26oz and a full quart (1L) siphon gets pretty noticeable, and since the best results require a bit of fridge time, it can be frustrating.  If your budget allows, you could get two - this would also allow you to keep a backup charged at all times on a busy night.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

The other model is the brushed aluminum one quart (1L) version.  I have used these a lot and have no complaints on the quality of soda or construction of the siphon itself.  The dispensing system is a bit simpler than the stainless, but it still works very well.  The brushed aluminum still has a nice clean look (I would get it over a painted model), and it's priced a bit nicer.  You also get that extra capacity which helps a lot.  I can often get about 50 shot sized amuse-bouche from one of these bottles, but still have had to recharge on the go some nights, so the same consideration still applies with the stainless model - a backup siphon goes a long way for the sake of speed and quality.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: Bacon tomato jam

This bacon tomato jam is a delicious condiment to have around.  If you cook it out thick, it can be formed into quenelles.  If you leave it a bit looser, it spreads nicely on crostinis and tea sandwiches (regular sandwiches too).  You could even spread it on as a pizza sauce - watch out!  I find it's a breeze to make - set it on low heat and you can prep as you go, adding things as they are needed.  There's not even the need to drain the bacon fat, as it gets used to saute the onions, garlic and tomato.  Take note that the batch in the pictures is a double, you won't need quite so large a pan.  I especially like how cooking this makes the kitchen smell like a giant BLT.

 

You will need:

10 slices                  bacon

1/2                           red onion

1 clove                    garlic

10                            tomatoes

15ml / 1Tbs             tomato paste

60ml / 1/4C             red wine vinegar

60ml / 1/4C             sugar

to taste                     kosher salt

Method:

 - slice the bacon lengthwise, then cut into batons

 - put the bacon in a pan on low heat to render the fat out

 - dice the red onion (small dice) and mince the garlic

 - when the bacon is rendered and just starting to colour, add the onion and garlic

 - dice the tomatoes (small dice)

 - when the onions garlic and bacon have gotten a nice deep colour, add the tomatoes

 - cook until the tomato juice is almost gone

 - add the tomato paste and mix well

 - add the vinegar and sugar and cook down again - leave more liquid if you want it more spreadable

 - season with salt

 - cool and store in the fridge until use

Recipe: Pickled pineapple core

a nice shape helps sell it

I'm always interested in making use of every part of a food item when possible.  This is very popular when it comes to meats, but not so much with fruits and vegetables.  What I like about pickling pineapple core is that the texture is so much more dense than the rest of the fruit that if you prepare it on its own and give it to someone to try, often they have a hard time guessing what it is  - "did you marinate daikon in pineapple juice?" I've been asked.  The texture may not normally be for everybody, but I also know of a few people who go crazy for the core.  By slicing it super thin on a mandolin, you can make it more approachable and catch everyone in the middle.  You'll at least be trying something new, and what's to lose? You were probably going to throw it out anyway.

You will need:

170ml / 6oz             pineapple juice 

100ml / 3.4oz          mirin

50ml / 1.7oz            rice wine vinegar

5ml / 1tsp                sugar

pinch                       kosher salt

as needed                pineapple core

Method:

 - as much as possible cut the core away from the rest of the pineapple so it has a nice shape

 - slice the core on a mandolin as thin as possible

 - add all the ingredients of the pickle together and bring to a boil

 - pour the pickle over the sliced core

 - let cool and store overnight in the fridge

 - use as needed

pineapple core setting the stage for a great dish

Recipe: The Italian burger

The latest burger in the series took us to Italy.  As yet, this one was by far the sauciest.  For the "patty", we thought it would be fun and appropriate to divide the normal patty into a couple meatballs.  Since we were using rectangular ciabatta buns, two meatballs suited the change in the shape of the sandwich.  The balls just had to be cooked in a sauce, but luckily for us the ciabatta had enough crust to contain the  added moisture.

Sadly, we kind of got rocked with the dinner service that night and in our determination to pull of the burger,  omitted one of our intended elements - thinly shaved and shredded prosciutto.  I'll still include it here because I'm convinced the omission simply meant the difference between a great an a greater burger.  On the happy side, we still had pork represented in the form of pancetta mayonnaise.  This followed the same formula as the brown butter mayonnaise recipe, just using rendered pancetta fat instead.  As stated in that recipe, animal fat mayonnaise is very temperature sensitive - when I spread the pancetta mayo on the toasted ciabatta, it softened right up and got very cozy with the bread.

first the salad

Another main feature of the burger was essentially a complete tomato and bocconcini salad on the bottom bun.  It was only natural - burgers have tomatoes, burgers have cheese, and we already wanted to get bocconcini involved.  To avoid overloading the burger, it was necessary to slice the tomatoes and cheese as thinly as possible.  A drizzle of balsamic reduction completed the picture.  The full breakdown of the burger was as follows:


The Italian Burger:

then the meatballs

 - bun - ciabatta garlic bread
 - patty - meatballs (2)
 - greens - arugula
 - cheeses - smoked provolone (melted onto garlic bread)
                - fiore de latte bocconcini
                - shaved parmesan (on the meatballs)
 - sauces - pancetta mayonnaise (top bun)
               - basil mayonnaise (bottom bun)
               - balsamic glaze
               - oven roasted tomato sauce
 - bacon - shaved and shredded prosciutto
 - garnishes - yellow vine-ripened tomatoes
                   - roasted red peppers

only ciabatta can contain this much juiciness

Recipe: Peanut butter powder

These days it seems there's a lot more serious allergies to peanuts than there used to be - maybe it's a sign of our hyper-sterilized culture or maybe doctors are just better at diagnosing the sources of allergic reactions.  Either way, the reaction to these reactions is that despite warnings of "may contain traces of nuts", many pastry shops have just dropped anything peanut related from the menu.  If you showed up to a school picnic with a nice batch of peanut brittle, they'd probably look at you like you were some kind of monster.  It's terrible to have a serious allergy, but really, what did 'ol  peanut do?  He was just hanging out in trees, minding his own business, getting involved in all sorts of deliciousness, then BAM!  Public enemy #1.  

Well I'm going to say it.  I like peanuts.  I LOVE PEANUT BUTTER.  Ask my wife, sometimes I'll just go to the cupboard an have a spoon just to say hi.  One of my favorite desserts I ever worked with was put together by a like-minded pastry chef.  It was a chocolate and peanut mousse with peanut butter ice cream, cocoa nibs and peanut butter powder.  It was amazing, like a peanut butter cup evolved into a whole dish.  We named it "Welcome back Peanut".  Being in an ultra-safe hotel environment, we felt like such rebels.  The peanut butter powder on the dish became one of those things that just has a way of working its way back on the menu, especially if there's chocolate involved.

Peanut butter powder is fun to make, but really hard to nail down to a recipe.  It uses tapioca maltodextrin which weighs almost nothing, so it's very hard to measure it by weight.  It is also unbelievably fluffy, which makes it hard to measure by volume.  You just have to go by technique.  the best tool is some sort of blender or food processor that allows you to add ingredients while running (without removing the lid).  Then you go by feel.  A tiny bit of peanut butter will get you a fluffier powder, but not have much flavour.  More will get you a slightly less fluffy product, but still powdery and packed with flavour.  Too much and you get a paste.  Go slowly.

You will need:

tapioca maltdextrin       - a rough litre (quart) is a good start

smooth peanut butter    - you won't need more than a couple tablespoons

Method:

 - put the maltodextrin in the food processor and get it running

 - slowly add the peanut butter through the feeding hole and monitor the change in the powder

 - when you start to notice a change in the colour, stop the processor, smell, taste and feel the texture

 - if needed, start the processor again and add more peanut butter

 - when you find the sweet spot between flavour and fluffiness, stop adding the peanut butter

 - store in an airtight container until use

Recipe: Brown butter mayonnaise ... or bacon mayonnaise ... or ...

Now that we've started to stockpile brown butter from making our croutons, we need more uses for brown butter - we can't just keep making brown butter and beer pie crusts forever - well ... no we better not.

Brown butter mayonnaise definitely ranks up in the decadent category, but that makes cooking fun.  As long as you aren't eating it on every sandwich, I'm sure your doctor will forgive you.  That's why this recipe is calculated down to one egg yolk - it's pretty much the lowest common denominator to make mayonnaise without getting silly and it keeps you from going overboard on the stuff.  What is really neat about this recipe is that it's pretty much adaptable to any of those delicious animal fats that go hard in the fridge - bacon drippings, duck fat, the fat caps on chicken or beef stocks, fat drippings from the Sunday roast (oh, mama yea), the list goes on.  Cooked up a bit of foie gras, you bet save the fat.  The most recent one I made was the drippings from cooking out diced pancetta - I made sure not to add any more salt, but it worked great.

Since these fats tend to go very hard in the fridge, it is necessary to add some vegetable oil and water to keep the mayonnaise soft.  The alternating whisking and cooling stage helps incorporate some air into the mix, which also helps keep it a bit softer when cold.  Keep in mind that since the base fat is very temperature sensitive (unlike vegetable oil), the mayonnaise will be too.  If you keep your fridge extra cold and it comes out a bit firm, give it a moment to temper up.  If you accidentally leave it out too long, it may go a bit loose on you - just repeat the cooling and whisking step to bring it back. 

You will need:

125ml / 1/2C             brown butter (melted but not warm)

100ml / 3.4 fl oz        grapeseed oil (or other vegetable oil)
45ml / 3Tbs               water

2                                large egg yolks

5ml / 1tsp                  Dijon mustard

5ml / 1tsp                  lemon juice (or vinegar of your choice)

1/2 pinch                   cayenne

to taste                       kosher salt

Method:

 - melt the brown butter then let it cool to just above room temperature

 - separate the yolks and put it in a small bowl with the mustard

 - whisk the egg and mustard together well

 - add the lemon juice, water and cayenne and whisk

 - while whisking, slowly drizzle in the brown butter

 - drizzle in the vegetable oil

 - season with kosher salt

 - place the bowl in the fridge to cool for five minutes

 - whisk the mayonnaise again and return to the fridge

 - periodically whisk and refrigerate until the mayonnaise is completely cool and has a soft consistency

 - keep in the fridge until use

Cookbook review: Under Pressure by Thomas Keller

Under Pressure is another great book from chef Thomas Keller - it became an instant must-have classic almost as soon as it was published.  It may not be the first book on sous-vide cooking, but it is probably the most popular.  It manages to cover a huge range of items, from basic vegetable prep to purees, sauces, and of course meats, yet also manages to remain approachable and unintimidating  (provided you have the equipment).  Throughout the book you will find dishes where each element is touched by sous-vide cooking or its philosophy - while the butter poached lobster isn't vacuum sealed, the butter bath is held at a precise temperature and the lobster goes in for a very specific amount of time.  The deserts?  Yes, desserts.  Just try not to drool on the pages.

As you would expect, Under Pressure is chock full of information - essays, recipes, time and temperature tables, and of course only the best in food photography.  You would be wise to invest in a book cover as this one lends itself to repeated reference usage.  CHECK IT OUT HERE.

Recipe: The Asian Supernation burger

"in Rand-Mcnally, hamburgers eat people" - Lisa Simpson

This burger was a knockout!  The name came around as we were brainstorming - Dan and I started by wanting to utilize a Korean barbeque marinate on the patty and soon found that there was no way we could limit ourselves to just Korea with an Asian themed burger.  To omit Japanese mayonnaise alone just seemed wrong.  Once we widened the parameters of the burger, it was clear that it would evolve into an unstoppable force of flavour - the Asian Supernation!  Does this mean that there's a European Union burger coming?  Maybe, not yet, but it might be necessary to compete with this.

This burger also gave rise to the culinary maraca - the puffed rice won-ton - a beast so dangerous it warranted its own post.  We wanted some real crunch to compete with the Nacho burger - I had prepared some puffed rice and we were toying with the idea of including a single fried won-ton wrapper inside the burger.  Then I thought about locking in the rice between two wrappers - would it work?  If it did, it would be a one-two punch of crunch.  I actually did a test run the day before we made the burgers.  I thought it was going to burst the way it inflated upon frying, but it held strong.  Once in the burger, it added a ridiculous height element to the equation, but that made it so that in order to eat the burger, you had to press down on the top bun until the won-ton broke.  Kind of like a starter's pistol signalling that it was time to eat.  Here's how it all finally came together.


The Asian Supernation burger:

 - bun - standard white sesame
 - patty - Korean barbeque marinate
 - greens - shredded nori
 - relish - kimchee
 - sauces - Sriracha aoli
               - Japanese mayo
 - garnishes - teriyaki marinated and grilled pineapple
                   - Chinese style barbeque pork
                   - togarashi puffed rice won-ton
                   - sauteed hon shimeji mushrooms

Recipe: Butter croutons

start with a little butter

These croutons are always a hit.  Sometimes you almost need to hide them to keep from snacking on them they are so good.  The secret?  A copious amount of butter.  You are having a salad, so why not indulge a little in the garnish?  As for the butter, if you want to do it right, you need to do it right.  Of course once the croutons are made, they get well drained on paper towel, and believe it or not, for all the butteriness in the flavour, they don't come across as greasy.  The expense of the butter?  Fear not, I am a frugal person and part of the joy in making these croutons is the beautiful by-product it makes.  When all the croutons are removed from the pan, you are left with a lovely supply of delicious brown butter.  Strain it and save it in the fridge for your next evil project.  The Brown butter and malted beer pie crust probably wouldn't have happened the same if not for these croutons.

This recipe is less about specific amounts than technique.  For sake of reference, the batch I made in the pictures used a large loaf of french bread and I made sure I had at least 3 pounds of butter room temperature before I started.  I didn't use all of the butter, but it's important to have enough at room temperature because you invariably keep adding butter to the pan throughout the cooking process.  Don't rush the croutons if you can avoid it, they come out the most evenly coloured at a lower medium heat. 

saturate

The foaming stage is not only the most fun and exciting part for butter enthusiasts, it's the most important factor in the pursuit of even colouring - when you get it right and the butter is foaming right up to the tops of the bread cubes, you are essentially deep frying the croutons - all the surfaces of the cubes are getting cooked at the same time as opposed to just the side touching the pan.  You still need to toss the croutons a lot to keep from over-colouring the bottom layer, but it goes a long way to ensuring your success.  I like the pure butter crouton as it is with just a bit of kosher salt for seasoning, but if you want to add some flavours, the foaming stage is also the time for that.  A couple smashed cloves of garlic and whole fresh herbs added at the foaming stage produce some fantastic flavours.  Thyme and rosemary seem particularly well suited and impart a lot of flavour.  Black pepper? Always a welcome addition. 

You will need:

1 loaf                    day old bread (French)

needs a tiny bit more butter

2 -3 lbs                 unsalted butter (room temperature)
to taste                  kosher salt
as desired             aromatics - garlic, herbs, black pepper etc.

Method:

 - cube up the bread without any crust
 - let the bread cubes firm up by leaving them out (or in the fridge) uncovered overnight -this helps keep the "cube"
 - get a large saute pan over low-medium heat to warm up
 - get a "draining tray" lined with paper towel and have a slotted spoon ready
 - drop several large spoonfuls of butter into the pan - they should sizzle a bit, but not smoke

good foaming stage

 - when you have a nice layer of butter lining the pan, add a good solid layer of bread (don't add it all if it won't fit)
 - toss the bread cubes to coat with butter - you will probably need to add more butter
 - add butter as necessary to ensure that the bread cubes are nicely saturated (this is good)
 - toss periodically and watch for excess butter in the pan to start foaming
 - add a bit more butter
 - toss again and watch to see how quickly the butter re-foams and how high it rises
 - add more butter and toss and repeat until you have the foam rising to the tops of the cubes
 - add any aromatics you want to add now
 - season lightly with kosher salt
 - keep tossing periodically and monitor the colour (it can take a while, be patient)
 - when the croutons are a nice golden brown, take the pan away from the heat to the draining tray
 - tilt the pan so the butter flows to one side and push the croutons to the other
 - with the slotted spoon, take the drained croutons out of the pan and lay on the draining dray
 - remove the aromatics
 - keep the excess butter in the pan, return to the heat and repeat as necessary until all the bread cubes are cooked
 - use a fine mesh sieve to strain out that beautiful brown butter for another day
 - let the croutons cool and crisp up
 - serve               

GBD - golden brown and delicious

  

Recipe: Spiked and Spiced Pumpkin pie

As we approach the holiday season, the occasions for making pumpkin pie multiply.  This recipe is my favorite because it has just a few things many pies don't.  With the warm spices found in most recipes, I find it's curious that so many omit vanilla - for me it makes a nice subtle compliment to the overall flavour and really helps bring it all together.  I also like to add a healthy splash of dark or spiced rum in the mix to keep things festive.  This recipe will do a good sized pie crust or a large number of individual tarts (I get up to 30 with the tarshells I use).  

The recipe is measured out to an even 15oz can of pumpkin puree - if you like to roast your own, that's great, just make sure to try to get your puree as dry as the canned product to keep texture of the finished product the same (sometimes after making a puree, I'll sit it in a fine mesh sieve for a bit to drain the excess liquid off).  If you like the spiciness and want to add a bit more depth, on occasion I've added a pinch of clove or allspice to the mix.  Substituting a bit ofbrown sugar or maple syrup for a portion of the sweetness also deepens the flavour profile, but gets a bit rich for some people.

You will need:

435g / 15oz               pumpkin puree

210g / 1C                  sugar

7.5ml / 1.5tsp            flour

7.5ml / 1.5tsp            cinnamon

3.75ml / 3/4tsp          nutmeg

3.75ml / 3/4tsp          vanilla paste

3.75ml / 3/4tsp          kosher salt

1.875ml / 3/8tsp        ground ginger

3                                eggs

375ml / 1.5C             evaporated milk

splash                        dark or spiced rum

Method: 

 - set the oven to 325F / 163C

 - mix flour, sugar and spices (except for vanilla)

 - add pumpkin puree and mix

 - beat the eggs and mix in

 - add evaporated milk, rum and vanilla and mix well

 - fill pie or tart shells

 - put in the oven and bake about an hour or until a toothpick comes out clean

 - remove and let cool completely

 - serve