Gastronomical Inspirations

Gastronomical Inspirations Moves to the Daily Gazette

2010-07-02T05:56:00.000-07:00

Hello everyone, it has been sometime now that I have posted here on this blog. The reason is that I have been asked to write a blog for the Daily Gazette here in Schenectady, NY. So to accompany my recipes found in the paper on Wednesdays, the Daily Gazette will also be featuring a weekly post by me.

Also, keep your eyes out for my website launch in the upcoming months. The technology portion is there, I'm currently in the process of working on content. The website will be a location for recipes, past blog posts, a portal for my Daily Gazette blog, a schedule of my upcoming classes, American Culinary Federation competitions, and my own version of a culinary encyclopedia to replace my work on Wikipedia.

For now follow this link over to the Daily Gazette, read the blog, watch the videos of my current recipes, and consider subscribing to The Daily Gazette.

SCCC Spring Culinary Classes

2010-02-06T13:47:00.000-08:00

We are having a number of non-credited classes at Schenectady county Community College this Spring. The information is below, for information, call 381-1315. Registration is available online here, course numbers here.

Cooking with Kids. 9 a.m.-noon, Saturdays, 3/27–5/1. Instructor: Gail Sokol. This class will give one parent and one child (10-18) a chance to team up and learn to prepare such dishes as crispy Asian phyllo sticks filled with turkey with apricot dipping sauce, rich chocolate sheet cake, lemon braised chicken and vegetables, angel food cake and pulled pork in apple chili sauce and apple slaw. Proper measuring skills, sanitation, and kitchen science will be emphasized. $400 for parent-child team.

Cooking for Adults. 9 a.m.-noon, Saturdays, 3/27–5/1. Instructor: Ellen Heekin. Learn how to make dishes including crab cakes, BBQ beef, chicken satay with mashed potato/rice ball, lemon lime cookies, citrus shortbread cookies and lemon meringue pie. Topics include proper sanitation, weights and measurements as applied through the creation of our recipes. $150.

Splendid Soups. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, April 3. Instructor: Christopher Allen Tanner. Any good cook will tell you that the key to a great dish is great stock. Chef Tanner will show you how to easily make chicken, fish, and beef stock and show you how they are used to make a variety of soups. Students will learn to make traditional soups such as chicken noodle, classics like seafood bisque, and hearty soups like bouillabaisse, hearty winter stew, and some chilled soups for the coming summer months. See how easy it is to create delicious soups in your home kitchen. $85.

Classic French Bistro Cooking. 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 20. Instructor: Tanner. French Bistro cooking isn’t just about cooking; it is a way of life. Make and taste classical French bistro dishes with Chef Tanner. Dishes will include French onion soup covered with crispy baguette slices and browned with gruyere cheese, chicken roasted with bay leaves, thyme, and lemon tucked under the skin, comforting potatoes baked with cheese, and an apple tart. $85.

Introduction to Baking Yeast Breads. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 27. Instructor: Paul Krebs. This is a hands-on class that will take the mystery out of baking with yeast. Each student will mix, shape, bake, and take home two loaves of crusty Italian bread. In the process of creating the loaves, students will learn the necessary techniques to prepare yeast breads at home. $90.

Artisan Bread Techniques for the Home Kitchen. 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday, March 6. Instructor: Krebs. Spend the morning in a commercial kitchen baking with an artisan bread baker. Part demonstration and part hands-on, this class will teach students how to improve the taste, texture and appearance of their loaves using methods of professional bakers. The focus of this class will be on methods that you can recreate in the home kitchen, without specialized equipment to make artisan bread loaves. $90.

Spoon and Whisk Spring Class Line-Up

2010-02-06T13:38:00.000-08:00

Spoon and Whisk Cooking Classes

1675 Route 9 · Suite 108 · Clifton Park, NY 12065 · p: (518) 371-4450

Whatever your level of expertise in the kitchen, you will always learn something new and exciting at Spoon & Whisk´s Cooking School. We’ve earned a reputation for world-class instruction by offering culinary expertise from our talented, local award-winning chefs and instructors.

One of our cooking school goals is for you to be able to re-create at home what you learn here. We encourage you to sign up early so that you have your choice of classes. Each class includes a copy of the recipes and a meal of the foods prepared. Please review our Registration and Policy Information at the bottom of this page.

Photo Gallery of Cooking Classes and Special Events

Chef Biographies

· Chef Christopher Tanner · Judy Donovan · Chef Gail D. Sokol · Chef John Marzilli ·

Cooking Classes - Winter 2010

*** Free *** Garnishing Demonstration

Saturday February 20th, 10 am to 2 pm

PRESENTATION IS EVERYTHING! Come and learn the latest garnishing techniques from the Schenectady County Community College culinary students. Donations will be accepted toward a culinary scholarship and there will be drawings for door prizes.

Irish Cookery ***THIS CLASS IS FULL***

Thursday February 25th, 7 PM

St. Patrick’s Day is near and all you have planned is corned beef and cabbage? Do you know where corned beef and cabbage started? It wasn’t Ireland, come spend an evening learning about the ingredients and dishes Ireland is known for and get ready for St.Patrick’s Day with some traditional dishes, and yes there will be potatoes.
Menu: Turnip and Rosemary Soup with Honey, Sheppard’s Pie with Irish Cheddar, Dublin Coddle,Boxty Calcannon, Champ, Mushy Peas, Soda Bread.
Instructor: Chef Christopher Tanner, Executive Chef & Professor, Schenectady County Community College,Judge for the American Culinary Federation

Artisanal Bread: Bigas, Poolishes and Preferments *** THIS CLASS IS FULL ***

Wednesday March 3rd, 7 PM

Learn to successfully hand form and bake artisan bread with the 12 Classic Steps. These are yeasted breads and you’ll learn tips to extract the most incredible flavors from your ingredients. Also how to fit bread baking into your schedule!
Menu: A Country White, a Classic Crusty Italian and a Multigrain Loaf.
Instructor: Judy Donovan Expert Bread Baker • Teacher

A Cheese Primer

Wednesday March 10th, 7 PM

Expert cheese master Gustav Ericson from the Honest Weight Food Co-Op, renown for its selection of cheese, brings us a formal cheese tasting with flavorful and imaginative pairings far beyond cheese and crackers. Experience his interesting combinations and learn wonderful preparation tips.
Menu: A broad selection of cheeses and exciting accompaniments.
Instructor: Gustav Ericson • Cheese master and former Pastry Chef extraordinaire

Meringues

Wednesday March 24th, 7 PM

Combine egg whites and sugar and what do you get? A fluffy meringue, of course! Come learn the secret of meringues and how they can be used in a number of desserts.
Menu: Meringue Mushrooms, Citrus Chiffon Cake,Vacherins with Whipped Cream & Berries.
Instructor: Chef Gail Sokol • Professional Chef & Author

Knife Skills

Wednesday March 31st, 7 PM

Minimize waste, save time, prevent accidents and feel confident using your knives. To master proper chef knife techniques you’ll chop, mince, slice, dice, julienne and chiffonade through class participation. Learn to select, care and properly use your cutlery.
Demonstration: Boning a chicken.
Instructor: Judy Donovan Expert Bread Baker • Teacher

Vegetarian Breakfasts

Thursday April 8th, 7 PM

Sunday morning often means bacon, sausage, eggs, pancakes, and waffles all made with eggs, milk, and a lot of fat. Learn how to substitute tofu for scrambled eggs, tempeh and beans as a base for breakfast sausages and bacon, and nut milks for conventional milk. Not only will the dishes you learn be vegetarian but they will also be healthy and tasty.
Menu: Vegan Chocolate Beer Waffles with Cashew Cream, Basic Scrambled Tofu (variation: Italian Scrambled Tofu), Tempeh Bacon, Vegetarian Breakfast Sausage.
Instructor: Chef Christopher Tanner, Executive Chef & Professor, Schenectady County Community College,Judge for the American Culinary Federation

Registration and Policy Information

Classes are $45.00 each, due at registration. You can register in store or by phone.
Most classes are demonstration style. Each class includes recipes and a tasting session.
Classes begin promptly at 7:00 PM, and will end at approximately 9:00 PM. Please arrive early.
We recommend early registration since class size is limited.
Students attending will receive a 10% discount on all purchases on the night of their class. (Some exclusions apply)
Spoon & Whisk reserves the right to substitute instructors or menu items, without prior notice.
In the event that a class is cancelled by Spoon & Whisk, you will receive a full refund or transfer to another available class.
Class fee is non-refundable, but you may give your seat away to a friend if for any reason you cannot attend.

Crown Roast of Pork

2009-12-19T06:04:00.000-08:00

Those looking for something a little different for the holidays might want to try their hands on a Crown Roast of Pork. My recipe for Crown Roast of Pork with a chestnut apple stuffing was featured in the Albany Times Union. Click here to be taken to the article written by Ruth Fantasia.

Pennsylvania Dutch Pasta Ribbons

2009-12-18T14:34:00.000-08:00

Occasionally I will hear from a company about their product, they will send it along for me to try. Pennsylvania Dutch recently contacted me to sample their product. I not only enjoyed their product, I offered to use their product on the WNYT channel 13 spots I do. Often we end up with leftovers from the holidays, in my case often ham. So I decided to present a dish using some left over ham with vegetables and a delicious cheese sauce. Now that might sound a little unhealthy, but come on people its the holidays live a little. To round out though, these noodles are actually made with whole grains, so the product itself is certainly healthy. So here is my clip from the segment and below is a link to the companies website with the recipe I prepared along with many more recipes and coupons as well.

SCCC's Italian Culinary Boot Camp

2009-12-02T16:22:00.000-08:00

The Chamber of Schenectady County’s Tourism Committee and Schenectady
County Community College have teamed up to offer Schenectady County’s first‐ever culinary “Boot Camp”, taking place January 4‐6, 2010. Schenectady’s Culinary Boot Camp is a three‐day, two‐night culinary workshop, offering food lovers and novices alike the opportunity to learn classic cooking techniques, taste ingredients, and share a great experience with fellow foodies.

The Boot Camp workshops will be taught by Christopher Tanner, culinary instructor at SCCC. Chef Tanner is a Certified Executive Chef as well as a Certified Hospitality Educator with the American Hotel & Lodging Association. His education includes an AOS in Culinary Arts from SCCC, a BBA from SUNY Delhi and a Masters in Gastronomy and Food Studies from Boston University. On a national level, Chef Tanner is an ACF Approved Culinary Judge, which takes him to various locations in the country to judge ACF sanctioned culinary competitions.

The three days of professional instruction by Chef Tanner are centered on the theme “A Taste of Tuscany.” Students will learn about traditional Italian cuisines, classic Italian ingredients, Antipasti, Primi(pasta, polenta & risotto), Italian ingredients, pairing wine with Italian dishes, and creating Italian desserts. Brief seminars blended with extensive hands‐on cooking time will offer students a true
interactive culinary experience (which even includes a professional chef’s coat)!
The Boot Camp schedule will also offer opportunities for students to experience what Schenectady County has to offer:

• On the first evening, the chef at the Glen Sanders Mansion in Scotia chef will prepare a delectable 4 course meal which will be paired with wines from Italy’s Tuscany region. The Mansion’s sommelier will offer a brief seminar on wine and food pairings. Cooking methods learned during the class will be incorporated into the evening’s menu, and a tour of the Glen Sanders Mansion historic facility will also be included.

• On the second evening, students are invited to visit restaurants in Schenectady, during the Dine Around Schenectady event. Boot Camp tuition includes a $20 restaurant gift certificate that can be used at participating restaurants.

The cost for Schenectady’s Culinary Boot Camp is $690 per person, which includes instruction, the wine dinner at Glen Sanders Mansion, a two‐night stay at a Schenectady hotel of the student’s choosing, and motor coach transportation between hotel(s) and Schenectady County Community College.

Participants may also purchase an optional professional knife kit for $45 (includes a chef’s knife, paring knife, and sharpening steel).

The Schenectady Culinary Boot Camp offers cooking enthusiasts the opportunity to experience first‐class instruction at one of the nation’s most highly praised culinary schools, at a fraction of the cost of similar courses at other culinary institutions ‐ and Schenectady’s Boot Camp even includes lodging and event
transportation! Boot Camp Registration is open NOW at www.cookinginschenectady.com.
Schenectady is conveniently located in New York’s Capital Region, less than three hours by car from New York City, Boston, and Montreal. Schenectady is easily accessible from Exit 25 of the New York State Thruway. More information about all there is to see and do in Schenectady is available at www.sayschenectady.org or by calling The Chamber of Schenectady County at 1‐800‐962‐8007.

Spoon and Whisk Cooking Class Schedule for Fall 2009

2009-08-24T05:51:00.000-07:00

Spoon and Whisk Cooking Class Schedule for Fall 2009

Whatever your level of expertise in the kitchen, you will always learn something new and exciting at Spoon & Whisk´s Cooking School. We’ve earned a reputation for world-class instruction by offering culinary expertise from our talented, local award-winning chefs and instructors.

One of our cooking school goals is for you to be able to re-create at home what you learn here. We encourage you to sign up early so that you have your choice of classes. Each class includes a copy of the recipes and a meal of the foods prepared. Please review our Registration and Policy Information at the bottom of this page.

Easy Sauces & Pesto
Wed, August 19th, 7 PM

Simple foods don’t have to be dull. Learn to make simple sauces, butters, and pesto to enhance the flavor of all your foods, while you utilize the herbs growing in your garden. Great tips on how to store fresh herbs for winter.
Menu: Classic Pesto Genovese, Beurre Blanc, Garlic Herb Compound Butter, Hollandaise & Bearnaise Sauce, and Homemade Parsley-Mint Mayonnaise.
Instructor: Chef Larry Schepici, Chef/Proprietor Tosca (Biography)

Knife Skills
Wed, August 26th, 7 PM

To cook really well, you need to know how to use knives properly. We’ll cover all the basics of use, care, and sharpening. Demonstration, plus hands-on practice session. Includes a brief discussion about mandolines.
Instructor: Chef Christopher Tanner, Executive Chef & Professor, Schenectady County Community College, Judge for the American Culinary Federation (Biography)

Regions of Italy *** THIS CLASS IS FULL ***
Wed, September 2nd, 7 PM

Chef Larry Schepici of Tosca will take you on a culinary expedition through the various regions of Italy from Northern Italy to Tuscany to Sicily. Learn why each Italian region has its own unique flavor profiles and favorite ingredients.
Menu: From Tuscany: Parpadelle, Sicily: Mozzarella Pomodoro, Northern Italy: Chicken Scallopini with Artichokes, Sundried Tomtatoes and Fava Beans
Instructor: Chef Larry Schepici Chef/Proprietor Tosca (Biography)

Flavor’s of India
Wed, September 9th, 7 PM

Let’s explore Indian cooking! We’ll learn the regional uses of spices and the demonstration of tarka, tempering the spices.
Menu: Dal, roasted vegetables, chutneys and an unusual Southern Indian curry.
Instructor: Judy Donovan Expert Bread Baker, Teacher (Biography)

Regional French Cuisine: Southwest France
Wed, September 16th, 7 PM

The cuisine of Southwest France is close to the heart of Chef Tanner. Duck, goose, lamb, goat cheese, mushrooms, tarragon, truffles, eggs, and those wonderful tarbais beans of Toulouse and the style of the Basque people all make this region full of flavor.
Menu: Duck Rillettes, Toulouse sausage, Cassoulet, Madeleines de Dax.
Instructor: Chef Christopher Tanner, Executive Chef & Professor, Schenectady County Community College, Judge for the American Culinary Federation (Biography)

Gluten Free: Taking the Fear out of Gluten Free
Wed, September 23rd, 7 PM

We will be learning some of the basics concerning what is and isn’t gluten free. Susan will help you understand the role gluten plays in baking and cooking and how to work around it. You will learn how to put together flour blends that will make it easier to bake breads, biscuits, muffins, etc. Gluten Free can be enjoyable and fun with a little patience.
Menu: Holiday Bundt Cake, Spiced Cabernet Chocolate Dessert, Cranberry Almond Muffins, Apple Pie and how to convert some of your favorite recipes into gluten free.
Instructor: Susan Shamulka, Nutritional Instructor (Biography)

Regional French Cuisine: Alsace
Wed, September 30th, 7 PM

Alsatian French cookery is part of Chef Tanner’s ancestral heritage. Located in France, but influenced heavily by Germanic culture, Alsace has its own unique style of cuisine within France. Pork, sauerkraut, Riesling and Gewürztraminer wines, and charcuterie are all essentials we will explore.
Menu: Tare Flambée, Pate Grandmere, Spätzle, Choucroute Garni.
Instructor: Chef Christopher Tanner, Executive Chef & Professor, Schenectady County Community College, Judge for the American Culinary Federation (Biography)

Holiday Baking and Book Signing
Wed, October 7th, 7 PM

Create luscious, professional-looking holiday desserts that look like they took hours to prepare!
Menu: Linzer Torte, Chocolate-dipped Espresso Biscotti, Cream Puff Swans.
Instructor: Chef Gail Sokol Professional Chef & Author (Biography)

Contemporary Cocktail Cuisine for the Holidays
Wed, October 14th, 7 PM

Are you having a bunch of people over for the holidays and bored of those tired old shrimp cocktail and crudités platters? Come join Chef Tanner as he demonstrates contemporary cocktail hors d’oeuvres. Learn fun new presentations that are simple, yet will wow your guests.
Menu: Potatoes with Chorizo, Monkfish “breaded” with vegetables, Chili-Roasted Peanuts with Dried Cherries, Herbed Goat Cheese in Phyllo Dough, Tomato-Basil Sorbet, and Contemporary Crudités
Instructor: Chef Christopher Tanner, Executive Chef & Professor, Schenectady County Community College, Judge for the American Culinary Federation (Biography)

The Quintessential Turkey Dinner
Wed, October 21st, 7 PM

You’ll be amazed at how easy it is to put together a holiday feast.
Menu: Perfect roasted turkey, no brining necessary, delicious gravy, make-ahead vegetables and a beautiful Apple Confit.
Instructor: Judy Donovan Expert Bread Baker, Teacher (Biography)

Free Saturday Event • Knife Sharpening
Saturday, October 24th, 10 AM–2 PM

Bob Alex, Zwilling, J.A. Henckels Representative, will provide a knife sharpening clinic for your kitchen knives and scissors. He will sharpen two knives for free and additional items for a $1 per piece donation towards a culinary scholarship. We will also be giving away door prizes. There is no registration necessary for this special free event!!

Registration and Policy Information

* Classes are $45.00 each, due at registration. You can register in store or by phone.
* Most classes are demonstration style. Each class includes recipes and a tasting session.
* Classes begin promptly at 7:00 PM, and will end at approximately 9:00 PM. Please arrive early.
* We recommend early registration since class size is limited.
* Students attending will receive a 10% discount on all purchases on the night of their class. (Some exclusions apply)
* Spoon & Whisk reserves the right to substitute instructors or menu items, without prior notice.
* In the event that a class is canceled by Spoon & Whisk, you will receive a full refund or transfer to another available class.
* Class fee is non-refundable, but you may give your seat away to a friend if for any reason you cannot attend.

Schenectady Green Market

2009-08-23T18:57:00.000-07:00

My student Katie and I had a great time on WNYT and then at the Schenectady Green Market today. As promised I am giving you all the recipes we cooked today. I want to thank Sweet Tree Farm for their amazing bacon and chorizo, BhuddaPesto for their pesto, Hudson-Chatam Winery for their riesling in our risotto, Barber's Farm, Cornell Farm, and finally a thanks to Migliorelli Farm, I've been buying their breakfast radishes all summer.

Corn Risotto with Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients
RISOTTO
1/2 pound Corn cut from the cob
4 cups Chicken stock or broth
3 tablespoons Olive oil
½ each Onion, finely chopped
1 each Garlic clove, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup Pinot Grigio Wine
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
¼ cup Mascarpone cheese
As needed Salt and Pepper

TOMATOES
1 Pint Cherry tomatoes
½ each Red Onion
1 tablespoon Basil, minced
1 tsp Thyme, minced
1 tsp Rosemary, minced
1 tsp Flat leaf parsley, minced
2 tablespoon Olive oil
As needed Salt and Pepper

Method

Risotto
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a small pot. While the stock is coming to a simmer, add the olive oil to another pot over medium-high heat. Sauté the onion 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Add the corn and garlic and sauté an additional 4-5 minutes or until the onion, corn, and garlic begin to turn golden brown. Add the Arborio rice to the onions and sauté for 2 minutes and then add 1 cup of the stock and the Pinot Grigio wine and stir constantly until all of the stock has been absorbed. Continue to add stock one cup at a time until the four cups have all been absorbed, the rice should not be dry it should still have some “movement” to it. Mix in the Pecorino Romano and Mascarpone cheeses to the risotto and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to keep warm.

Oven Roasted Tomatoes
Heat an oven to 350 degree. In a bowl, mix all of the ingredients for the tomatoes, place on a sheet tray and roast in the oven for 20-30 minutes, or until the tomatoes have begun to shrivel and brown, remove from oven.

To Serve
Place the risotto on a platter, or between four plates and top with the roasted tomatoes

I picked up some awesome hard cider from Slyboro Cider House, great conversation with Dan about the history of cider in our country. I truly appreciate anyone who not only produces a product, but understans the history of their product. I will certainly use his cider for my next Colonial themed dinner.

Brotherhood Winery was not represented, but their wines which I recall from my younger days of being a future oenophile, were used in the line of wine jellies from Pixies Preserves, they also make a great spicy raspberry jam I can't wait to share with my father.

You want some delicious goat cheese, you must stop by the Painted Goat Farm stand. I appreciate a farmer who doesn't force a goat to milk year round, it stresses the milk. Their cheeses just happen to be delicious as well.

Thanks for having myself, Katie my student, and Schenectady County Community College at the Schenectady Green Market.

Narrowing it down

2009-08-10T12:26:00.000-07:00

I've been narrowing down the chef candidates for Winedown. I've had a couple phone interviews now, going to have a few more and then start setting up one-on-one interviews along with cooking interviews at the restaurant for next week.

The wine and beer license isn't supposed to take all that long, but it is going to take longer than our originally intended open date. That said, we are going to wait until we get that license so that we can open the proper way right from the start. Nothing like having the name of your restaurant being Winedown and then not having any wine. We will have an exact date soon,it will certainly be in the early fall which will be great for sitting out on the patio and sipping a glass of wine while having a nice meal.

Back to procuring the equipment.

New York's Outdated Systems

2009-08-05T19:43:00.000-07:00

Getting a liquor license is such a chore in NY as stated by Steve Barnes in his blog today. The state is working on new systems, but this won't help us out here in Schenectady right now. The application procedure has become, I wonder how people would feel about a restaurant opening without wine and beer for awhile. It is a concern for all of us, but we are working out the kinks.

So many phone calls to return tomorrow, so many appointments to make. My day started at 6:00 am today reading resumes, then I was off to the Hall of Springs to prep for the reopening of the Patron's Club today, over 100 reservations on the books. Opened at 5:30pm, got it all out in a mostly timely manner... It is hard to get 100 covers out from a 10 items menu in 60 minutes mind you. Actually it is more difficult to get it all out o the kitchen as the whole board fires all at once and there are only a couple of us in the kitchen, but we got through it.

Got done with that phase of my day at 10:00pm, drove home, finishing the menu for Winedown and trying to find a dishwasher and prep station for the kitchen online now. Back to the Patron's Club again at 8 am tomorrow to start it all again.

Phone calls a Plenty

2009-08-04T20:27:00.000-07:00

Placed a post for the chef position on Craigslist yesterday and I have had a wonderful response so far. About a dozen candidates have sent me resume, more have called on the phone. If anyone reads this, and you have called and I haven't had a chance to call you back yet, I actually run a restaurant myself right now so be patient and I will get back to you. Looking to start with interviews on Sunday and Monday with a choice soon after.

Worked on the menu a little today as well, taking some inspirations from my work at the Patron's Club over the summer for the main dining room menu. The pub menu has a number of appetizers on it, along with small pizzas, sandwiches, some interesting hamburgers, and a casual version of a steak frites which we will have an upscale version of for the main dining room.

Searching for a Chef for Downtown Schenectady Restaurant

2009-08-03T07:25:00.001-07:00

I just took on a consulting project in downtown Schenectady. Located on Union Street, this restaurant was a bustling place where people seemed to love to come into eat and share some time with friends. Something happened with the last lease holder and the owner of the building has decided that rather than have another person come in and lease the building, why not put some of his vision, paired with mine into his own restaurant. so with my experience and his vision, we will be looking to relaunch the Winedown Lounge Labor Day weekend.

The menu will be contemporary American with a touch of ethnic influence, including a bit of Persian influence, a great idea as there is no place to find Persian food in the Capital District. Mind you, this will not be a Persian restaurant, but we will feature a night with Persian specials to attract a crowd looking for something new and different to the area, and there will be a couple menu items with some influence as well. I am in the process of writing the menus, some fun stuff. The front room will have a pub/bistro style menu which will cater to the casual crowd looking for a quick bite to eat but with some sophistication and once we get the beer and wine license, we will be featuring a number of great specialty beers that you won't normally find at most restaurants in the area. We will keep the normal beers everyone is used to as well, but want to have something exciting there for those microbrew and import beer lovers.

The main dining room will feature an upscale contemporary menu with fresh seasonal ingredients with a Mediterranean inspiration. So expect influence from the warmer regions of France, Italy, and Spain, along with that Persian touch in a few places. Upscale doesn't mean ridiculously small portions. The portions should make any diner happy, we don't want to fill you up so much that you won't be able to try an appetizer and dessert, but certainly we don't want you to leave hungry except for more when you come back in again.

Once that wine sales license comes through, you will be seeing quite a dynamic wine program in the restaurant. We will be featuring a "wine club" feature different wines for our members each month, events in our signature wine room, wine "flights" and a number of other great things to come.

Amongst the many items on my list of things to do, is a search for a chef. I am only the consulting chef, we are looking for a dynamic person who is willing to come into the concept, embrace it and eventually make it their own. Someone with a culinary degree, would love a Schenectady County Community College Grad. that perhaps is looking to make that next step up from a line supervisor or sous chef position to the big seat as an Executive Chef. I am willing to train the right person on the day-to-day ordering, inventory, and management procedures for our kitchen. You must be friendly, not have a chip on your shoulder, and be willing to work with people. Attitudes are to be kept at the door, as are egos. A great place for a chef to make their name in the Capital District. If anyone is interested, or knows someone that is interested, please contact me at cheftanner@hotmail.com with your CV or resume, or call me at 518-526-6427. Please have at least two references available and be willing to undergo a background check. I am looking to interview people ASAP.

Competition in Central Florida

2009-07-31T11:25:00.000-07:00

I'm sending in an application to compete in an American Culinary Federation sanctioned culinary competition in Central Florida taking place in September. The main ingredient needs to be a whole muscle of pork, so this is what I came up with.

A Celebration of the Noble Swine

Crispy Pork Belly topped with Fines Herbes Salad

Offal Frito Misto

Sautéed Parisian Gnocchi
With Burgundy Braised Pig’s Cheeks
Patty Pan Squash, Heirloom Tomatoes, and Taggiasca Olives

Hoping the new Asian Market has some pig parts to use, making this tonight for dinner.

Some local people writing on the Chef

2009-07-30T19:04:00.000-07:00

A review by Doc Sconzo on the Patron's Club

Thoughts on a Slow Food Breakfast by a visitor and by the chapter board

Jeff Wilken writes about my Chicken and Mortadella dish.

Interpreting The Chef's Uniform (Repost)

2009-07-22T05:17:00.000-07:00

I've been having some conversions recently with people about chef's uniforms and my feelings on what I feel one should wear to be a professional. Instead of rehashing my argument with a new blog, I thought I would repost one of my older blogs which stated my feelings. Some of the statements will seem out of context as the blog post was written in 2007 when I lived in Boston.

So a comment came up during my blog from yesterday about chef uniforms. This comment came from statements about those horrific denim coats they wear on Iron Chef America. I ironically had a conversation with someone else today about chef uniforms and I guess I should give all of you my take on chef uniforms and how I came to the current uniform I adhere to and promote in the industry.

When I went to culinary school, we had a pre-meeting for each culinary laboratory class. During this meeting our uniforms were checked to make sure we adhered to what was 10 years ago, the basis for what has become the American Culinary Federation standard for culinary uniforms. We were to wear checkered chef pants, black shoes, a white t-shirt with no print, a CLEAN, unstained chef coat, the silly floppy chef toque, and a name tag. It was also at this time that the funky uniforms started to emerge from companies like Chefwear.

I will admit that I went for the funky wear for some time. Yes, yes I owned chili pepper pants, I even had a skull cap that matched and a chef coat with some fringe to go with it. I am soooooo glad that there are no pictures that exist from then. I wore clogs for a few years as well, never those odd Croc things that Batali wears, but to each their own. I tried wearing a bandanna for a few weeks at one time as well, as I shave my head and it was just horribly uncomfortable to me.

I worked for a small restaurant in Stowe, VT for a short period which might also bring out my disdain for the denim chef coat. The place was called Blue Jean's Cuisine and I actually showed up to the interview wearing a denim chef coat and denim chef pants. I got the job, but holy crap was I embarrassed afterwards.

After years of playing around and trying to have fun, I came to a point in my career a few years back that drove me to a point where I want perfection in everything I do. I have refined my cooking skills, my culinary knowledge and my professionalism in the kitchen. Part of that concentration for me was a change in my uniform.

Other chefs can go with the funky gear, but I have realized from my past that that was sort of a "mess" in my head that ended up being portrayed in my uniform, and honestly it showed in my cooking back then as well. Maybe others are a bit different and take their uniform as a way to express themselves, but honestly they aren't expressing themselves, they are just wearing a pattern that a company is trying to sell them. They are the Hot Topic of chefs maybe? Please take no offense if any of you wear these uniforms, but it is just the passion I have for my career.

We would never see a traditional French chef wearing this odd commercialized style of uniform. It is about the cooking and making sure we look appropriate in the public eye. Our presence has to say we are chefs, with passion, integrity and we need to be put together well so that our guests have faith in us. What we do outside of the kitchen is up to us when we are in the kitchen we are there to please the guest not just ourselves.

So what is the uniform I wear today? The pants I wear are pressed black pants, nothing expensive JOS Bank casual pants as they are a bit heavy weight for the safety and they are easy to clean and wear well. Chefwear has just come out with a new perm press tailored pant that I am thinking of trying though. I wear solid black socks along with a black shoe that can be shined from Sketchers (UPDATE: I now wear Doc Marten clogs, the Sketchers fell apart to easily) I wear a plain white t-shirt and my chef coat is a plain white, usually well starched coat that I have started ordering from New Chef as they don't charge for the ACF logo on my coats and it is pretty cheap to add embroidery of my name. My hat is a machine washable high toque with a Velcro back.

To take this back to yesterday's blog, it just reminds me of two of my favorite competitors from The Next Iron Chef. Gavin and Besh both had a high-level of professionalism. As much as an Iron chef should be making innovative and competitive food, we should be professionals and they certainly were dressed as professionals. Besh's sport coat outfit in France gave me confidence as well. We always need to be on spot in public and I feel he is certainly a New Orleans gentleman.

Troy Pig Out Recipes

2009-07-19T18:22:00.000-07:00

So today was a hectic day, prepared my recipe for gnocchi with olives and summer vegetables on WNYT Channel 13 in Albany. Then I rushed over to Troy to do a 30 minute demo at the Kansas City BBQ sanctioned festival in Troy. I prepared a couple of my favorite simple recipes using some BBQ smoked ingredients including smoked sausage, smoked pork chops and smoked bacon. As requested, I am posting the two recipes I prepared here.

Smoked Sausage Salad
1 lb. Smoked Sausage
8 oz. Red onion, sliced thin
8 oz. Celery, sliced thin
1 tbsp. Chives, minced
1 tbsp. Flat leaf Parsley, chopped
3 oz Apple cider vinegar
4 oz. Extra Virgin olive oil
To taste Salt and fresh ground black pepper

Method: Combine all ingredients in a bowl and mix well, for best flavor allow to marinate for at least 4-6 hours. Serve with some croutons made from day old pretzels.

Choucroute Garni
1 lb. Sauerkraut
1 each Spnaish onion, diced medium
4 oz. Bacon, smoked, chopped
6 oz. Smoked pork chop
6 oz. Smoked sausage, kielbasa or otherwise
1 each Yukon gold potato
1 cup Chicken broth
2 cups Riesling or other slightly sweet white wine
1 each Bay leaf
4 each Juniper Berries
6 each Black peppercorns
2 oz. Sweet Vermouth

Method:
1. Heat a pan over medium heat, add bacon and render fat. Add the onions and saute to golden brown. Add the sauerkraut, juniper berries, black pepper corns, bay leaf, broth, and wine and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 45 minutes. Add the pork chop, smoked sausage, potato and vermouth and simmer until the potatoes are tender and serve.

Patron's Club Menu for Summer 2009

2009-07-07T07:58:00.001-07:00

I will be the chef for the Patron's Club at the Hall of Springs located in Saratoga Springs, NY. The restaurant is open on the following dates:

July 8-10th
July 14-18th
August 5th-22nd opened on Wed-Saturday

Below is the entree menu, there is also a Meditteranean Table which includes a daily fresh soup, smoked fish display, shrimp cocktail, salad, pasta dish, along with a number of small bites from traditioanl tapas and antipasto to hors d'oeuvre.

I will post some pictures of the dishes later this week.

Olive Oil Poached Cod
Salt Cod Potato Cake, Rainbow Chard
Fines Herbes Salad

Chicken and Mortadella
Braised Chicken Thighs with In-House Made Mortadella
Dandelion Greens, Fingerling Potatoes
Poached Egg

Seared Loin of Lamb
Catelli Colorado Lamb Loin
Gnocchi á la Niçoise sautéed with Thyme Lamb Sausage,
Niçoise Olives, Summer Squash, and Heirloom Tomatoes

Herbes de Provence Steamed Chicken Breast
Served Chilled with a Summer Vegetable Salad
Peruvian Purple Potato Salad
Champagne Vinaigrette and Mimolette Crisp

Fennel Pollen Dusted Pork Chop
Braised Fennel, Charred Red Onions Marinated in White Balsamic
Saffron Orzo, Blood Orange infused Olive Oil

Rosemary Grilled NY Strip Steak
Grilled Treviso Wrapped with Prosciutto
Creamy Polenta with Pecorino Romano
Black Truffle Balsamic Reduction

Pan Seared Scallops
Herbed Cauliflower Puree, Sautéed Salsify and Radish
Banyuls Reduction, Tahitian Vanilla Salt

Veal Piccata
Lightly Pan-Fried Veal Cutlet from Catelli
Spinach Sautéed with Garlic, Grapes, and Pine nuts
Squash Blossom Risotto

Taggiasca Olive Pork Shoulder Ragu
Handmade Pappardelle Pasta
Taggiasca Olive Sauce
Tuscano Olive Oil

Summer Vegetable Bouillabaisse
Artichokes, Leeks, Fennel, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Zucchini, Spinach
Simmered with Lemon, Orange, Tomato Water, Pernod, and White Wine
Crispy Fennel Tofu “Croutons”
Aioli on Croustade

2009-07-07T07:58:00.000-07:00

Olive Oil Poached CodSalt Cod Potato Cake, Rainbow Chard
Fines Herbes Salad

Chicken and MortadellaBraised Chicken Thighs with In-House Made Mortadella
Dandelion Greens, Fingerling Potatoes
Poached Egg

Seared Loin of LambCatelli Colorado Lamb Loin
Gnocchi á la Niçoise sautéed with Thyme Lamb Sausage,
Niçoise Olives, Summer Squash, and Heirloom Tomatoes

Herbes de Provence Steamed Chicken Breast
Served Chilled with a Summer Vegetable Salad
Peruvian Purple Potato Salad
Champagne Vinaigrette and Mimolette Crisp

Fennel Pollen Dusted Pork Chop
Braised Fennel, Charred Red Onions Marinated in White Balsamic
Saffron Orzo, Blood Orange infused Olive Oil

Rosemary Grilled NY Strip Steak
Grilled Treviso Wrapped with Prosciutto
Creamy Polenta with Pecorino Romano
Black Truffle Balsamic Reduction

Pan Seared Scallops
Herbed Cauliflower Puree, Sautéed Salsify and Radish
Banyuls Reduction, Tahitian Vanilla Salt

Veal Piccata
Lightly Pan-Fried Veal Cutlet from Catelli
Spinach Sautéed with Garlic, Grapes, and Pine nuts
Squash Blossom Risotto

Taggiasca Olive Pork Shoulder Ragu
Handmade Pappardelle Pasta
Taggiasca Olive Sauce
Tuscano Olive Oil

Summer Vegetable Bouillabaisse
Artichokes, Leeks, Fennel, Onion, Garlic, Celery, Zucchini, Spinach
Simmered with Lemon, Orange, Tomato Water, Pernod, and White Wine
Crispy Fennel Tofu “Croutons”
Aioli on Croustade

From the SCCC Kitchen: For some fruity goodness, you can't beat the heat

2009-07-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

Fell like making a dessert this summer but don't want to crank up the oven, or do you just want to try something a bit more healthy? Check out my recipe along with the video over at the Schenectady Gazette Website for Grilled Fruit Kabobs with an article written by my friend Jeff Wilken. Enjoy that summer grilling. Check tomorrow's Gazette for my Asian burger with 5-Spice fries recipe!!!

From the SCCC Kitchen: Radishes get star treatment in vegetable dish

2009-06-17T21:03:00.000-07:00

Radishes, those are those little red gems many of us slice thin and toss into a salad, but what else can we do with them? Many things actually, all we have to do is look outside of our normal American culinary repertoire. In my current recipe featured in the Schenectady Gazette this week, I look to France for inspiration where cooking radishes is nothing out of the ordinary. Take a look at the article by Jeff Wilkin, along with a short video on my sauteed radishes with peas and arugula.

American Culinary Federation Election Results

2009-06-17T07:26:00.000-07:00

The numbers are in, they have been tallied and the American Culinary Federation has announced the results of our new board members for the coming term. The torch will be passed at the ACF National Convention next month in Orlando, FL. You can read more about the American Culinary Federation and the election results here.

President: Michael Ty, CEC, AAC

Treasurer: James Taylor, CEC, AAC, MBA

Secretary: David Ivey-Soto, CEC, CCA, MBA

Vice President Central Region: David Russell, CEC, AAC

Vice President Northeast Region: William Tillinghast, CEC, AAC, MBA

Vice President Southeast Region:Jeff Bacon, CEC, CCA, AAC

Vice President Western Region: William Franklin, CMC, AAC

Chair, American Academy of Chefs: Thomas Macrina, CEC, CCA, AAC

Immediate Past President: John Kinsella, CMC, CCE, WGMC, AAC

Also elected to serve as vice chair, American Academy of Chefs, is Stafford DeCambra, CEC, CCE, CCA, AAC.

From the SCCC Kitchen: Mediterranean hamburgers and oven fries are delightful pairing

2009-06-16T16:12:00.000-07:00

My summer series of recipes began this past week in the Schenectady Gazette with the articles written by the venerable Jeff Wilkin. The first recipe of the summer season pays tribute to the summer grill with my Mediterranean burger. Think ratatouille flavors and ingredients put into a hamburger along with some tasty, yet healthy oven baked Mediterranean spiced fries.

Check out the recipe and the video of me talking about the dish here.

The Foundations

2009-06-15T19:23:00.000-07:00

A message from my friend George from grad school, I had to share:

How’s it going? Commonwealth Ave has not been the same since you left. The shadow of your fedora creeps no more against the greasy, weathered bricks of dark, recessed dorms. The smoke of duck fat lingers in the alleys and open windows, yet you are not there. Screams pierce the night scolding the modern world for its insolence toward a culinary past secure in its techniques, foundations, and resourcefulness. Is it you or the ghost of you?—like Hamlet’s father you haunt the devoted to avenge the wrongs of the non-believers. “ Foundations,” we whispered in the ears of those who would listen. Damn the tubes, the circulators, the foam, the oxide—these are the false prophets, we warned. But they would not listen. The magic flashed and they succumbed to it. So we wait…and we wait still. The cycle is near completion. Until then, my comrade, hold fast to the promise of the egg. Stay loyal to our five mothers who have served and will serve again. I wipe my brow with the cloth of our masters and repudiate those who mock our simplicity. In the end it, it will be the clock moving backwards which will propel us forward. In the words of our brothers, I say again, foundations, foundations, foundations….

What have I been reading?

2009-06-12T09:22:00.000-07:00

I'm often asked what books I am currently reading. I tend to read about one food writing book a week along with a number of magazines, papers, texts and culinary books, depending on what i am working on and what my mind have gravitated towards.

For the inquisitive mind though, this past week I picked up ten books from Barnes and Nobles (Buy four get one free promotion), purchased a couple items on Amazon.com and also picked up a couple from the Open Door Bookstore on Jay Street in Schenectady.

At Barnes and Nobles I picked :
Culinaria Russia by H.F. Ullmann
Culinaria Hungary by H.F. Ullmann
The Complete Joel Robuchon by Joel Robuchon
Food Inc.: A Participant Guide: How Industrial Food is Making Us Sicker, Fatter, and Poorer-And What You Can Do About It by Karl Weber
The End of Food by Paul Roberts
Vegan Brunch: Homestyle Recipes Worth Waking Up For-From Asparagus Omelets to Pumpkin Pancakes by Isa Chandra Moskowitz
The Sweet Life in Paris: Delicious Adventures in the World's Most Glorious - and Perplexing - City by David Lebovitz
Gumbo Tales: Finding My Place at the New Orleans Table by Sara Roahen
New Orleans Cuisine: Fourteen Signature Dishes and Their Histories by Susan Tucker and S. Frederick Starr
The Flavor Bible: The Essential Guide to Culinary Creativity, Based on the Wisdom of America's Most Imaginative Chefs by Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg

From the Open Door BookStore:
Cooking Up a Storm: Recipes Lost and Found from The Times-Picayune of New Orleans by Marcelle Bienvenu and Judy Walker
Home Sausage Making : How-To Techniques for Making and Enjoying 100 Sausages at Home by Susan Mahnke Peery and Charles G. Reavis

On Amazon.com:
Good Morning, Kimchi!: Forty Different Kinds of Traditional & Fusion Kimchi Recipes by Sook-ja Yoon
NOVA: Mystery of the Senses - Taste DVD Series: Nova

Tiki Drinks and Tommy Bahama Shirts

2009-06-11T11:23:00.001-07:00

Did you know that Tiki drinks are all the rage again? I had no idea, but so says Jason Wilson of the Washington Post. It's a good thing I like wearing my Tommy Bahama shirts while drinking a Zombie or Mai Tai on my back deck. They may have gone out of fashion with everyone else awhile ago, but I have always loved Trader Vic's style drinks.

I remember back when I was a kid, there was a local Chinese restaurant (which sadly went the way of the Chinese buffet many years later) used to have all these fun cocktails in the funky glasses (no I was never allowed to have one back then) Yes, I even own the proper glasses for these drinks, Scorpion Bowl anyone? In many of the Chinese dim Sum houses in NYC and Boston you can still get these funky drinks. While I'm home, I mix my own. If you are looking for some recipes, take a look here on the Trader Vic's website.

Sourcing Good Seafood

2009-06-11T09:33:00.000-07:00

I was up at Spoon and Whisk in Clifton Park again last night teaching a class on outdoor charcoal grilling. One of the dishes I prepared was a grilled Alaskan Salmon over a spinach salad which had grill sauteed fennel, roasted peppers and a raspberry vinaigrette. Invariably whenever I offer a seafood dish I am asked where to find decent seafood in landlocked upstate New York. I often joke, "drive to NYC or Boston". I am only really half joking, because it is hard to find decent seafood up here, but if you are discerning and know what you are looking for you can occasionally find some decent products locally.

Where do I buy my fish? The Asian Market on Colvin ave. in Albany, NY. They generally have a really great array of fresh WHOLE seafood, which is important to me, I can see the eyes, gills, etc. to check for freshness which i will get into after my list here. They will clip the fins and what not off to leave you a whole fish, or they will fillet the fish as you desire. You want fresh you say? If you like catfish, you do not get fresher as they pull it right out of the tank and dispatch it for you. They pretty much always have a great array including red snapper, yellow tail, cat fish, cod, eel, clams, oysters, mullet, herring, flounder, sole, shrimp, carp, tuna, mackerel, striped bass, salmon all depending on the season. They also have some fun stuff occasionally like geoduck clam, razor clams, soft shell crabs, turtles (live even), giant snails, baby snails, I'm even shocked once in awhile when I go in. I love this place, but come with an open mind, don't mind any language barrier there might be, they will get you want you need.

Lee's Market on Central ave. is another Asian market in Albany. On the days where I can't find what i want over at the Colvin Market, or if I just don't feel like going into the larger shop I will go here. Plus the people are super friendly here. Their selection is quite good as well and everything is super fresh.

Cousins Market in Albany is a wholesaler which supplies many of the local restaurants. They carry mostly the normal stuff you would expect to find in a normal fish mongers, salmon, trout, cod, shrimp, clams, oysters and seasonal items as well. I have neither a negative or a positive overall feeling for their products.

As for our local supermarkets in the area, i have a love hate relationship with some of them. If I am picking up seafood form a grocery store, I will generally go to Price Chopper. They store their fish properly on fresh ice with a proper barrier once the fish is in fillets. Now someone is going to read this and tell me they have an issue with their local store. That is where the local management would have to be addressed, the company as a whole has high standards but sometimes some of the staff might not follow the rules, but that happens anywhere. The important thing here is to know how to select your fish in case your local shop does not go through its seafood fast enough. As for the other grocery shops, i just really don't bother. Hannaford in Latham Farms is pretty good, otherwise I think with the options I listed above, they fulfill my quality needs.

Now there are times I want some specialty items, let's say I am planning a crawfish boil for instance. I usually buy about 40-50 lbs of live crawfish and i think the only way to buy them is to have them shipped directly from Louisiana. I have held about a half dozen boils over the last few years and I always get mine from Louisiana Crawfish Co. They are consistent, less than a 5% loss of product (some are going to show up dead, it is just a fact of ummmm life. They also sell alligator meat, crawfish tail meat, crabs, turtle meat, gulf shrimp (fresh shrimp not that the frozen stuff we've all eaten for so many years). Are you looking for a King Cake for your next Mardi Gras? They sell those as well.

All Fresh Seafood is another great mail order company. You will certainly pay for your products ordering them online, it is expensive to mail ice and pack it properly and it is sent either same day or next day mail. All Fresh Seafood carries a number of different products, filets, whole fish, shellfish, etc. Rather than just shopping online, it is good to call them to see what they have fresh from the waters.

Here is a list of what to look for in quality fish:
Eyes: The eyes should be bright, shiny and moist, they should not be sunken in at all, they should have a nice roundness to them.
Gills: If the gills are present, they should have some redness to them signifying the presence of of blood and not being subjected to too much air.
Scales: The scales should be firm and should not flake off easily.
Fins: The fins should spring back easily, and should have firm webbing.
Flesh: On whole fish the flesh should be firm and should not impress when a finger is pushed on it. On fillets, the flesh should spring back readily after a finger is pushed into the flesh.
Smell: For years I've heard people say fish should have no smell, that is patent nonsense, fish always has a smell. The smell should be of fresh saltiness, maybe a sweet aroma. Certain fish like salmon are fatty, so they have a slightly stronger smell and as such go bad faster as well so it is important to smell your fish before buying it. When in doubt, don't buy it.

Here is a good website to check for sustainable seafood, many species are at risk of being lost from poor fishing tactics and over fishing.

Here is a chart on the recommended cooking temperatures for fish and other animal proteins.

Here is a chart from New York Seafood Council on nutrition facts for different seafood.

Here is a chart on the seasonal availability of seafood in New York.

Here is a good chart on "cooking times" for a variety of seafood.

She can cook his sorry ass under the table and she knows it

2009-06-08T09:48:00.000-07:00

I've always appreciated female cooks and chefs, Anthony Bourdain says it best in this montage I found earlier today.

The Afghan Grill

2009-06-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

Did you know there was an Afghan restaurant in Latham, NY? Neither did I until I drove past the Peter Harris Plaza a half dozen times recently for travels to Troy. Luckily I decided to turn my head to the left on one of the trips back and I noticed the sign that read Afghan Grill: Authentic Afghan Cuisine and (the word Pizza had been scratched out). The word pizza being scratched out did not scream "come eat here now!!!" to me, so I ignored the little place after a few more trips back and forth to Troy.

I was visiting my mother this past Sunday and we went down to the Schenectady Farmers Market (you must go here, amazing produce and other goodies, I'll talk more about that another time) and we decided we wanted lunch. I don't recall my mother being an adventurous eater when I was younger, but she will try just about anything, she's had Indian cuisine with me, been to WD-50, Bar Boulud and other places, so I thought maybe we should try the Afghan Grill.

The exterior of this place does not do it justice, beautiful decor, great tapestries, well adorned tables (even if they are glass covered), a little sitting area for what looks like someone plays some traditional music once in awhile and an exposed ceiling which is popular these days and looks good if done properly.

The menu has a great selection, we had the Kado Borani, butternut squash sauteed and topped with a tangy red yogurt sauce, along with Boolani which were crisp pastry turnovers stuffed with vegetables like green onion.

We both opted for different kabobs, I went for the trio which had lamb, chicken, and kofta (ground meat, in this case beef, seasoned and shaped on the kabob) over a well flavored rice. My mom opted for the lamb kabob. Truly tasty, well seasoned, the meats were moist and not dry like many places outside of the area I have been to.

We opted for no dessert, we had enough to eat. I did take home some Kaboli Palow which is the Afghan version of Lamb curry, I couldn't resist. I had green tea, mom had iced tea (they don't serve alcohol btw), when all was said and done the bill was $50.00, which was two apps, three entrees, and two drinks, wow a bargain and for such great food. I will be back again, and again, and again.

The Afghan Grill
http://www.theafghangrill.com/
952 Troy Schenectady Road (in the Peter Harris Plaza)
Latham, New York 12110
518-783-9200 - Phone

I Love Monte Cristo Sandwiches

2009-06-07T14:49:00.000-07:00

A Monte Cristo with a fig confiture and Foie Gras, oh man. My apologies, it is in French. Is it a Monte Cristo? I don't know, but I'm still going to make it. I think even in French, if you pay close enough attention to what he is doing you can make it. Perhaps I will try to write a recipe in the next day for anyone who wants to try to make it. Although, hrm, figs aren't exactly in season yet, I can always try some high quality dry figs to make the confiture.

Korean Restaurants

2009-06-06T13:39:00.000-07:00

I absolutly love Korean food. I cook Korean food quite often, but I also like to try Korean food at any number of Korean restaurants when I get a chance. Years ago the only place to get good Korean food, or Korean food at all, you had to go to a major city like NYC, Boston, San Francisco or otherwise.

I'm happy to say that the Capital District of New York now boasts four Korean restaurants. All four of these restaurants are Korean/Japanese restaurants, and from all of the owners I have been told that this is because Korean food is still a little difficult for many Westerners, which I can see with the strong flavors, spice and fermented tastes in the various banchan dishes. It isn't a far stretch to find both of these cuisines togehter due to their shared cultural history, both good and bad. One of my professors in the past told me though, that war and political discourse always leads to good food, an interesting philospohy I must say, but that is a topic for another day.

At anyrate, I thought I would share the four locations here, I have eatten at all four and they all have some dishes they do very well. If you are squeamish about trying Korean food, start off with something simple like kimchi pancake, the Korean BBQ dishes are generally easy to approach due to their slight sweetness, but be careful if you are not fond of spicy as most Korean BBQ is spicy. If all else fails, ask the waiter/waitress they usually love introducing people to Korean foods.

Albany
Ta-Ke Korean Food Specialty

Colonie
Arirang (Owned by the same folks who own Kim's Market)

Latham
Ginza Japanese & Korean Cuisine
Kabuki Restaurant

BBQ Restaurants Capital District NY

2009-06-05T11:51:00.000-07:00

I spent a little time and compiled a list of BBQ restaurants I found in the Capital District Area of New York and the outlying areas. I give no personal promises of what quality each location gives as I haven't dined at most of the locations. I have heard good things about Capital Q Smokehouse in Albany, Brunswick BBQ in Brunswick, JR's BBQ in Burnt Hills.

I personally don't go out for BBQ much as I make it often at home. I generally wait for my trips down south to get my BBQ at a restaurant, but having lived in the area again for about a year, I might consider trying some of these locations in the near future. That is after to 15 lbs of various BBQ is out of my refrigerator from the class I taught at Spoon and Whisk this past Wednesday.

Albany
Capital Q Smokehouse

Ballston Spa
J-Bob's Tennessee BBQ

Burnt Hills
JR's Barbeque

Brunswick
Brunswick BBQ and Brew

Clifton Park
Giffy's Bar-B-Q

Colonie
Smokey Bones Bbq & Grill
Shane's Rib Shack

East Greenbush
Lodge BBQ Lounge & Catering

Guilderland
Chico's BBQ

New Lebanon
Shaker Mountain Barbeque

Saratoga Springs
PJ's Saratoga Style Bar-B-Q

Schuylerville
Dr. T's Barebone Bbq (has odd hours, so make sure you check it out first, one of the few places I have been to on this list and I like it quite a bit, call before you travel out that far to verify the seasonal hours of operation)

American BBQ

2009-06-05T08:52:00.001-07:00

I recently taught a class on American Regional BBQ at Spoon and Whisk in Clifton Park, NY. A resounding success, the class partook in a number of regional BBQ specialties. They got a taste of Memphis-Style BBQ which use a dry rub with no sauce, while the Kansas City style BBQ pork shoulder has a dry-rub, a wet mop marinade and is served with a sweet tomato based sauce, sweetened with cane sugar. In lieu of the basic Texas brisket which uses only salt and pepper for flavoring, I opted to offer the Kansas City version which uses a mustard/beer/vinegar marinade which is then coated with a dry rub. Going down south to Carolina, we had a basic South Carolina BBQ shoulder, seasoned heavily with salt and pepper, smoked, and then served with a sweet mustard/vinegar based BBQ sauce, and we also had a basic North Carolina dip sauce which is simply tomato puree, vinegar, water, and a touch of salt and pepper.

The highlight to me was the BBQ Prime-Rib, which was a 6 rib roast rubbed with a flavorful dry-rub, marinated over night and then smoked slowly up to medium-rare. I served this along with a delicious horseradish dipping sauce made from the drippings from the roast, mayonnaise, sour cream, horseradish, and seasoned with salt and pepper. For sides we had some cornbread smoked in a high temp smoker and for dessert we had a strawberry/blueberry crisp from the same high-temp smoker.

Those of you looking to learn a bit more about BBQ can check out the following links:

Kansas City BBQ Society
Illinois BBQ Society
New England BBQ Society
Great Lakes BBQ Association
International Barbeque Cookers Association
American BBQ Society
BBQ-Festivals.com

BBQ Equipment and Recipes:
Weber Grill Creations
BBQr's Delight (smoke pellets)
Yoder Smokers
Kingfish Smokers
Barbecue University (Great TV show)
BBQ-Smoker-Recipes.com
Barbecue'n On the Internet
BBQ-TV.com

Local and Semi-Local Upcoming Competitions:
July 3-5 2009 I Love Barbecue Festival Lake Placid, NY
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Contact: Dmitry Feld, PO Box 1122, Lake Placid, NY 12946.
Phone: 518-523-2071. Fax: 518-523-4106. dmitry@usaluge.org

July 10-12 2009 New Jersey State Barbecue Championship North Wildwood, NJ
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Contact: Eric Shenkus, 201 New Jersey Ave, North Wildwood, NJ 08260.
Phone: 609-523-6565. njbbq@njbbq.com

July 10-11 2009 Ohio Veteran Barbecue Cook-Off Kettering, OH
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Contact: Jim Ferguson, 2908 Valley View Drive, Fairborn, OH 45324.
Phone: 937-416-7924. jlferguson@woh.rr.com

July 18-19 2009 Troy Pig Out Troy, NY
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Contact: Elizabeth Young, 274 River Street, Troy, NY 12180.
Phone: 518-727-9786. info@troybid.org

July 24-25 2009 Monmouth County Fair 2nd Annual BBQ State Championship - Blues & BBQ 1500 Kozloski Road, Freehold, NJ
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Contact: Helen Fiore, 805 Newman Springs Road, Lincroft, NJ 07738.
Phone: 732-842-4000, ext. 4225. Fax: 732-842-4162. hpfiore@monmouthcountyparks.com

July 25-26 2009 The Harpoon Championships of New England BBQ Windsor, VT
STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
Contact: Fitz Granger, 306 Northern Ave, Boston, MA 02210.
Phone: 617-574-9551, x 525. Fax: 617-482-9361. fitz@harpoonbrewery.com

Upcoming Classes I will be teaching: at Spoon and Whisk in Clifton Park, NY
1675 Route 9
Clifton Park, NY 12065
Phone: (518) 371-4450
E-Mail: Info@SpoonAndWhisk.com

Outdoor Charcoal Grilling • Wed, June 10th, 7 PM

Tonight Chef Tanner will teach you how to use your charcoal grill, as well as the proper cooking techniques of direct and indirect grilling.
Menu: Grilled Corn and Goat Cheese Pizza, Grilled Salmon with Roasted Peppers and Spinach, and Italian Panzanella Salad on the grill.

Exotic BBQ and Grilling • Wed, June 17th, 7 PM

Most cultures have their own type of BBQ or grilling. This class is about different styles of BBQ and grilling found in other cuisines.
Menu: Jamaican Jerk grilling, traditional Korean BBQ, Moroccan Kefta Kabobs, and Japanese Yakitori.

Knife Skills • Wed, August 26th, 7 PM

To cook really well, you need to know how to use knives properly. We’ll cover all the basics of use, care, and sharpening. Demonstration, plus hands-on practice session. Includes a brief discussion about mandolines.

English Style Slow Cooked Curry Pork Shoulder

2009-05-30T20:56:00.001-07:00

I was at the Troy Farmer's Market today and picked up 20+ lbs of various pork parts. One of the pieces I picked up was a 4.5 lb of pork shoulder. I am teaching an American BBQ class on Wed., but was really in the mood to have a slow cooked pork dish today that was a little different. So I decided to make a version of an English dish that I like. This dish is often done with Chinese 5-spice (Fennel seed, anise seed, cinnamon, black pepper, and clove) which I am not fond of for some reason, I've always disliked it. I decided to grasp onto the English love of Indian curry.

Ingredients
Pork Shoulder 10 lb

Spice ingredients
Ginger, peeled 2-inch piece
Garlic 5 cloves
Soy sauce 1 tablespoon
Red Pepper Flakes 2 teaspoons
Sea Salt 1/2 tablespoon
Ginger, ground 2 teaspoon
Canola Oil 1 tablespoon
Curry Powder 1 tablespoon

Method:
1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
2. Grate, or mince garlic and ginger, combine with remaining spice ingredients to make a paste.
3. Score the fatty side of the pork shoulder with 1/2 inch slices in a grid work pattern. Place into a roasting pan, fat side up, and spread half of the curry paste over the pork. Place in the oven and roast for 30 minutes.
4. Remove the pork from the oven, reduce the heat to 225 degrees. Flip the pork shoulder to have the fat side down, spread the remaining curry paste over the pork, add 1 cup of water to the pan and place back into the oven on a rack. Slow cook the pork shoulder until very tender, which can be from 12-18 hours, it is all about the texture, not the time.
5. Serve with some steamed Basmati rice.

Summer Cooking Courses at SCCC

2009-05-29T18:17:00.000-07:00

I am offering a number of cooking classes, continuing education classes at Schenectady County Community College this summer as is another instructor. While my classes are directed to the advanced amateur cook and professional chef, the courses by Chef Sokol are geared toward children, teens and young adults. Registration is available online (register here, course numbers here).

Modern Charcuterie for Advanced Amateur Cooks and Chefs: Learn how to prepare forcemeats for pâtés, terrines and sausages; handle, store, and stuff casings; prepare condiments including ketchups, flavored mustards, cold sauces and dressings; and practice the proper way to cure and smoke meats and seafood. Instructor: American Culinary Federation-certified executive chef and certified culinary judge Christopher Tanner. Meets 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on four Mondays, June 8-29. $415.

Fundamentals of Taste and Flavor: Go on a journey of flavors through cooking methods using a range of ingredients, including herbs, spices, aromatics, oils, vinegars, produce and dairy items. Students will also attempt to understand the development of flavor through cooking techniques that impact flavor: sauté, poach, smoke, steam. Instructor: Tanner. Meets: 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on four Tuesdays, June 9-30. $400.

American Culinary Federation Certification: Certification through the American Culinary Federation (ACF) demonstrates skill, knowledge and professionalism to the food service industry. Learn details of the practical and written tests for the various certifications with the ACF. Students will also have a full practice of the practical exam proctored by an ACF practical examiner. Instructor: Tanner. Meets 9 a.m. to 3:30 a.m. Three days, Monday through Wednesday, July 20 to 22. $350.

Professional Baking for Children (age 10 to 13): Instruction in measurement, mixing, sanitation and the baking of breads and pastries. Instructor: Gail Sokol, an SCCC adjunct culinary instructor and author of “About Professional Baking.” Two sessions, both 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday: July 6 to 9 and 13 to 16. $375 each session.

Professional Baking for Teens (age 14 to 17): Recipes will include vegetable summer rolls, tukey and olive empanadas, vegetarian strudel, double-chocolate biscotti and more. Instructor: Sokol. Two sessions, both 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Monday through Thursday: July 20 to 23 and 27 to 30. $375 each session.

Bulgogi Pork and Kimchi Fried Rice Burrito

2009-05-28T20:46:00.000-07:00

I think I just invented the best burrito ever, and it just happens to be healthy. I make a variety of Korean kimchi which I keep around often. I also happened to make some short-grained brown rice to go with another meal a couple days ago which lead to me making stir-fried kimchi brown rice for dinner the other night with tofu.

Which lead me to today, I made a couple types of sausage and had some pork shoulder left over. So I decided to make some Korean BBQ pork

Korean BBQ Pork:
14 oz thin sliced pork shoulder
3 tablespoons Korean red pepper (not the same as crushed red pepper, so make sure you use the real thing)
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons mirin

Toss meat in the remaining ingredients and marinate for thirty minutes, then stir fry in a hot wok.

So I took a whole wheat burrito wrapper, heated it slightly so it would fold easier, tossed a bit of the kimchi rice in there, a couple ounces of the Korean BBQ pork, along with some pea shoots from a local farm, any greens would work though. Wrap it in the traditional burrito way and place it in a hot pan with some sesame oil, placing another pan on top to weigh it down. Turn it after golden brown, 4-5 minutes, brown the other side. Serve with sour cream mixed with a bit of Siracha hot sauce.

Wolff's Biergarten und Wurst Haus

2009-04-28T07:08:00.000-07:00

Who would've thought a little slice of Germany would come to downtown Albany? Just that has happened though with the opening of Wolff's Biergarten und Wurst Haus. If you are looking for a fine-dining restaurant, this is not your place, if you are looking for a casual fun place with great beer and good food, then this is your place.

Opened by the owners of Bomber's Burrito, Wolf's offers 14 draft beers (Spaten Optimator being a personal favorite) and 23 bottles beers, and not a one of them is Budweiser you know that American brewery umm no longer owned by an American company. These are German, Belgian, and Czech beers which are all high quality beers, many of which are hard to find.

The seating here is communal at a number of picnic tables, set-up to be like a biergarten might look in Germany. I'm not usually a fan of communal seating at large tables, but it seems to be a popular trend. To the back of the room there are a number of dart boards, I hear a dart league has been formed, and up in front is a ping pong table to keep you busy while downing your beer and food. In the summer it looks like a large garage door will be opened, which is the front of the bar/restaurant, which will bring some fresh air into the place, and I'm sure big crowds as well. A number of televisions play futball, or soccer to us underclass Americans, check out the televised schedule here.

If you are coming to Wolff's for food, be ready to serve yourself. You order your food at the back of the main room, either by telling the person behind the counter your order from a menu hung behind them on the wall, or for inebriated with poor vocal skills, little cards similar to a sushi bar are available to check off what you like. You then go sit down where you like, wait for your name to be called and go pick up your food. This all lends to the casual nature of the place, and also cuts down on the cost of waitstaff I am sure which in a time of rough economy makes sense.

The food is pretty good, and are all dishes you might expect from a casual biergarten. Schnitzel in three forms make their way to the menu, no weinerschnitzel though, which a visitor from Germany might protest as a few of my German friends have stated that schnitzel should only be made with veal and not pork. I tried the pork schnitzel however, and it was very tasty. The spatzle which accompanied it was very good as well.

The offer a variety of wurst (sausages), which are not prepared in house, but they are a high-quality sausage from a local purveyor, and I always love a local business supporting another local business. I tried the weisswurst, it was very good. Other dishes include a Currywurst, traditionally done with a curry infused sausage with a tomato based curry sauce, this one was done with a bratwurst with the sauce on top. A good rendition of the dish, and likely there was no location to attain the curry sausage. The french fires that accompany the dish are quite good as well.

There are a number of other options, including a traditional Bavarian meatloaf, rouladen, and a number of other tasty traditional dishes. You can even just order a pretzel, some french fries, onion rings or even a hamburger, perhaps accompanied by some roasted Brussels sprouts.

I will certainly be back again to Wolff's, especially when they lift up the garage door. So many more dishes to try, and so many more beers to go with them. Make sure you go check this place out.

Wolff's Biergarten und Wurst Haus
895 Broadway
Albany, NY 12207

518-427-2461
Website

Steve Barnes' Times Union Article on the ACF SCCC Spring Culinary Classic

2009-04-23T04:14:00.000-07:00

Go here to read the article by Steve Barnes on the Schenectady County Community College Sponsored ACF Spring Culinary Classic.

From the SCCC Kitchen: Green Thai Curry With Chicken allows cook to adjust spiciness

2009-04-22T15:57:00.000-07:00

Check out Jeff Wilkin's article on the Schenectady Gazette's website From the SCCC Kitchen: Green Thai Curry With Chicken allows cook to adjust spiciness featuring my Green Thai Curry with Chicken recipe.

From the SCCC Kitchen: Elegant-sounding Choucroute Garni is really a hearty peasant dish

2009-04-15T18:55:00.000-07:00

Check out Jeff Wilkin's article on the Schenectady Gazette's website From the SCCC Kitchen: Elegant-sounding Choucroute Garni is really a hearty peasant dish featuring my Green Thai Curry with Chicken recipe.

Sweet Flavors of Thai Curry

2009-04-12T06:48:00.001-07:00

I've been playing with some Asian flavors in some traditional dishes the last few months after having taught a number of Asian cuisines to my students in Modern Culinary Trends and Techniques. I am competing in an American Culinary Federation competition in a couple weeks out on Long Island. I've decided to work on my pastry skills, so I came up with the following dish for a 90 minute P/2 (Cold Plated Pastry) entry.

Sweet Flavors of Thai Curry

Red Curry Devils Food Cake with a Green Papaya and Mango Salad
Paired with a Terrine of Coconut and Green Curry Ice Creams
Sesame Tuile
(Either a Peanut Butter or Mango) Creme Anglaise

Easter Ham Leftovers

2009-04-11T14:20:00.000-07:00

Ham and Pea Risotto
http://wnyt.com/article/stories/S875446.shtml?cat=10127
Serves 4

Ingredients
1/2 lb Peas
¼ lb Ham, diced
4 cups Chicken broth
3 tablespoons Olive oil
½ each Onion, finely chopped
1 each Garlic clove, minced
1 cup Arborio rice
1/4 cup White Wine
1/4 cup Pecorino Romano cheese, grated
¼ cup Mascarpone cheese
to taste Salt and Pepper

Method

1. Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a small pot. While the stock is coming to a simmer, add the olive oil to another pot over medium-high heat. Sauté half the onion 2-3 minutes, or until soft. Add the garlic and sauté an additional 4-5 minutes or until the onion and garlic begin to turn golden brown. Add the Arborio rice to the onions and sauté for 2 minutes and then add 1 cup of the stock and the Pinot Grigio wine and stir constantly until all of the stock has been absorbed. Add the peas and ham, continue to add stock one cup at a time until the four cups have all been absorbed, the rice should not be dry it should still have some "movement" to it.

2. Mix in the Pecorino Romano and Mascarpone cheeses to the risotto and season with salt and pepper. Set aside to keep warm.

Chef Christopher Allen Tanner, CEC
Chef-Instructor Schenectady County Community College
School website - www.sunysccc.edu
Personal food blog - www.cheftanner.com

Price Chopper Ham Demo and Tastings

2009-04-08T22:19:00.000-07:00

I will be at the Price Chopper in Slingerlands from 1:30-4:30 pm tomorrow afternoon featuring their spiral cut hams for Easter. Yes they pay me, but I honestly would not support a product that I wouldn't buy. The producers of the ham for Price Chopper only produce pork products, that is what they specialize in. Price Chopper always chooses the best for what they will sell under their label, so the Central Market hams are better than the other hams you will find along side them in the market, but often for a fraction of the price. Those other hams that cost less, sadly are of low quality. Usually their hams run for 3.99/lb, they will be on sale for 2.99/lb at all locations, but be sure to stop by the Slingerlands store tomorrow to say his if you have the time.

Store Address:
1395 New Scotland Ave.
Slingerlands, NY 12159

Demo time: 1:30-4:30

From the SCCC Kitchen: Asparagus Risotto and Vegetables makes flavorful spring dining

2009-04-08T20:47:00.000-07:00

Check out Jeff Wilkin's article on the Schenectady Gazette's website From the SCCC Kitchen: Asparagus Risotto and Vegetables makes flavorful spring dining featuring my Asparagus Risotto recipe for those fresh Spring asparagus.

Aperitivo Revisited

2009-04-04T08:19:00.000-07:00

Sometimes I have a bad meal at a restaurant and yet I return again, and again the meal isn't stellar, and yet for some reason I return again in hopes to find that a place has gotten through its growing pains. Aperitivo in Schenectady, NY has been one such restaurant.

I have dined there about three or four times and had just about written the restaurant off. I found some of the dishes to be lacking in proper execution, while the portion sizes even for "small plates" were absurd for the price. However, I made another attempt last night as I had heard there were some recent changes to the location.

I never think to check the Proctor's schedule when I go out to eat in Schenectady, as I live a couple miles from the venue, I just don't think of it as a "special event" location, I guess you just get used to things. Last night Aperitivo had a "Proctor's Menu" which meant it was somewhat limited due to the high-volume of guests coming in, not quite sure how I feel about that, but there was still plenty to choose from.

The small plate dominated menu has been beefed up with a pretty big selection of larger plates. After talking to the bartender and some other people, it just seems that many of the guests didn't get the "small plate" concept. I for one love this concept which is very popular everywhere else in the country. It gives one a chance to try a large number of small plates to sample the many flavors that the chef has created.

I proceeded to order a number of items, the Surf and Turf roll which I have had in the past and hated, was so much better, flavorful and had a wonderful texture. Next I moved on to a dish called Mussels Panzanella, good simply cooked muscles, change the name though please, Panzanella is a salad made with day old bread or crusty bread cubes along with tomatoes and other fresh vegetable. Other than a tomato broth and some toasted baguette on top, it had nothing to do with Panzanella. Moved onto the Beef Carpacio, which I complain about every time because of the portion size. The portion itself has not increased but it is now accompanied by what I believe to have been some truffled sheep's milk cheese, a very tasty dish and I love truffles. The Lobster Arancine (balls of day old risotto usually breaded and fried, the name translates to "little oranges" which is what they are meant to look like) were full of flavor, although they were a little over fried. I'd skip the gnocchi, either they were really overworked, or they were prepackaged. If you can't make gnocchi in-house don't offer it as they will always be rubbery, gnocchi should be tender in texture. I asked for a dish off the regular menu and was accommodated, duck confit with risotto. The confit was good, a little heavy on the sun-dried tomatoes which the confit was sauteed with. The risotto had a good saffron flavor to it.

Finished the meal with a 20 year-old Talisker, the bar has a pretty good selection of whiskeys, a good amount of high-end Scotch and Bourbon. Aperitivo is a restaurant that seems to have come into its own, I met the chef, Devon, at the end of the meal whom is a graduate from Schenectady County Community College's culinary arts program. He is doing a wonderful job and I am looking forward to going back in again.

Aperitivo Bistro
426 State Street Schenectady, NY 12305
(518) 579-3371 Fax (518) 579-3372
info@AperitivoBistro.com

Restaurant Website

Lunch: Mon–Fri 11:30am-2:00pm
Dinner: Mon-Sat 5:30pm-10:00pm; Sun 4:00pm-9:00pm
Pub Fare: Mon-Fri 2:00pm-Close
*Hours may be extended for Proctors shows, call for info.

The Art and Economics of Charcuterie Part 2 (StarChefs.com)

2009-03-18T21:49:00.000-07:00

The Art and Economics of Charcuterie Part 2

by Amanda McDougall and JJ Proville
photos and video by Antoinette Bruno
March 2009

Interview
John Toulze on Charcuterie

In-house charcuterie programs have experienced exponential growth over the past two years. It is arguably the biggest and most far-reaching trend we’ve seen—bordering on an all out culinary movement. US Chefs are learning the craft—from old school/Old World techniques to more modern ones—and developing their own programs large and small.

With this in mind, we’ll be publishing a multi-part charcuterie series that looks at several different operations, but all run by chefs with a penchant for curing and aging all sorts of animal parts with a goal of bringing in some serious revenue for their restaurants.

Zach Allen and his Vegas salumi operation—not to mention his oversight of all of Batali’s dozen other restaurant salumi programs—was the first in this series of features. The second in the series takes a look at how chef John Toulze of the girl and the fig (restaurant, café, and catering) and Estate works his brand of charcuterie into his two restaurants and catering operation (see below). Seattle’s Adam Stevenson of Earth & Ocean at W Seattle is third in line, discussing his charcuterie program from a hotel chef perspective. The fourth piece goes small-scale with El Dorado Kitchen chef Justin Everett’s charcuterie on-a-shoestring.
Part 2: A Multi-Restaurant Operation on a Smaller Scale
For chef John Toulze, making good and safe charcuterie is “all about pH”—knowing that you’ve got the right amount of acid to kill off the bad stuff, but keep the good stuff. Of course, extensive reading, practice, and some trial and error, also contribute to a fine end product—and Toulze does plenty of that.

A self-taught charcutier, Toulze has been making all forms of charcuterie for nearly all of his life (he remembers witnessing his parents arguing over how to best make headcheese as a kid), and professionally for over a decade. As a novice, the chef started with what he calls “wet charcuterie,” country-style pâtés and mousses; years later, he’s graduated to smoked bacon, chorizo, rosette de Lyon, sopressata, and 18-month cured prosciuttos. All in all, Toulze and his team produce anywhere from 7 to 11 products for the two restaurants, café, and catering operation.

When it comes to the economy of charcuterie, Toulze sees making it in-house as a no-brainer. Where he once paid $7 a pound for outsourced bacon or upwards of $12 a pound for quality prosciutto, he’s now looking at getting in the raw cuts for a buck and some change per pound, plus the added benefit of knowing the meat’s source and having direct control over quality and production. “There is a tremendous opportunity for savings,” Toulze explains, “If you manage your staff, time, and space there really is not a product where your food cost won’t be amazing.”

But it’s not just about that amazing food cost that keeps Toulze keen on cured meat. He loves the process; he loves introducing people to new products; most of all, he loves having a story to tell about his food. “There a lot of food trends right now, but I think there’s one that never goes away and that’s the idea of handmade production—simple, ancestral foods that have a place and a story to be told.”

Interview with John Toulze

JJ Proville: How long have you been doing charcuterie? How did you get into it?
John Toulze: It’s been 10 years. I can remember my father making headcheese at my house and it being a total disaster [laughs].
I remember it was always a big feud between my parents on how to make it. For a kid it was a pretty big novelty to see a pig’s head in the fridge. That was a fascination for me. On Sundays we always had French bread, cheese, and a pâté of some kind.

JJP: Have you been formally trained in charcuterie?
JT: No. My experience comes from trial and error and a lot of reading; trying a lot of things; asking questions.

JJP: Was it something you immediately got into at the beginning of your culinary career?
JT: It evolved. In the beginning we always made what I call wet charcuterie. Rustic terrines and country-style pâtés with chicken liver mousses and things like that. It just kind of evolved over time and still is. You get good at something and one road will lead to another. You get good at making pâté de campagne and then you ask, what’s next? Wet charcuterie leads to some of the very simple cured dried meats. Timing and space also plays an important part. As we had more space and more time, it got easier to take on some of the more complicated elements that take months to start and finish.

JJP: Would you say that wet charcuterie is a more natural place to start at the beginning of one’s charcuterie career?
JT: I think so because it gives you that first element of the importance of your grind and it allows you to have a first look at the transformation of a product from raw to finished. The good thing is that it’s quick. There’s some technique involved, but there’s a relatively quick turnaround. Pâté de campagne takes three days.

JJP: How long did it take to reach the point where you knew what you were doing?
JT: It took a good year and a half for the dried stuff before I felt confident about understanding why things were going in one direction and not the other. We’re constantly playing with different starter cultures and different cuts, but now it’s coming from a base of understanding and being creative instead of going “OK, I think I did everything right.”

JJP: How many projects do you currently oversee?
JT: We have three restaurants and a catering company. We also have a line of food products called Fig Food.

JJP: How many different types of charcuterie do you offer in the restaurants at any given time?
JT: We usually offer between 7 and 11 types at any given time. For the Fig Café we have two or three. Right now we’ve got two types of cured salami for their cheese plate and some chorizo for their pizza.

JJP: How do you allocate the charcuterie to the restaurants?
JT: We store it until its ready and then the restaurants can take what they want. Right now we started a batch of rosette de Lyon for a salami sandwich. We brainstorm over the menus for the restaurants, make the charcuterie, and then once it’s ripe that whole batch will be brought over to the restaurant. We also have items that we frequently do like sopressata, lonzo, lardo, pancetta, rosette de Lyon, and chorizo. We always want to have three or four salamis that are ready. The only one that doesn’t rotate off the list is the sopressata.

JJP: What are the shortest and longest timeframes of charcuterie that you practice?
JT: The shortest would be something like a chicken liver mousse or a boudin, which is basically casing up some chicken liver mousse. From there it would be terrines of all different types, like pork liver terrine or pâté de campagne. We also do our own bacon and smoked salmon which are on the short side. It’s a four day process for us.

The ones that take the longest to make are the salumi, the rosette de Lyon, the Genoa-style salumi, or the large sopresattas. Right now we’ve got some prosciutto in the process which will become the longest; that takes about a year and a half. You start feeling like a wine maker because you’re aging a product and you don’t know your success until you try it!

JJP: What’s the greatest risk in charcuterie?
JT: The peril is that you don’t know how it’s going to turn out for at least a year but you can’t wait that long to start your next batch. So it’s a leap of faith that you have some idea what you’re doing. I think our confidence has evolved to a point where we’re pretty sure we can execute it and we have control over our environment enough that we can do it.

JJP: What keeps you coming back to it?
JT: It’s the suspense of not knowing how it’s going to turn out but it’s also the transformation of the product that’s incredible. I also enjoy it because some of my sous chefs really got into it and I like sharing that excitement with them about what is a very old tradition—which is really controlled spoilage.

You don’t necessarily know how it’s going to turn out and I think that’s the fun of it. Even if we change the starter culture or if we cut it a little different you have to be patient to see how that turns out. The other thing is that you have to keep pretty fastidious notes because how else do you know? That’s the excitement of it. When we take out a new batch, everyone is excited to try it and see how it is.

JJP: What are some of the important lessons you’ve learned?
JT: Some of the things that we’ve learned is that a few more grams of starter culture makes the difference between a beautiful fermentation all the way through, and having one where we couldn’t get the pH to drop fast enough, and that’s just not something that you can guess at. And you’re also dealing with products that in large doses aren’t necessarily considered safe, with your nitrites and your nitrates. That’s what I use and I haven’t gotten comfortable playing with alternatives.

JJP: Is most of the charcuterie you do pork-based?
JT: Its 95% pork. We do beef. We haven’t done a lot of lamb, but I’d like to start.

JJP: How many people are involved in the production?
JT: There are three of us. I have a sous chef that does 90% of it. He’s 23 and been working with me since he was 16. He’s really into it. I help out and so does my chef Chris Jones.

JJP: What are your favorite charcuterie items to make?
JT: My favorite things are the simplest ones. Bacon, pancetta, and the lardo. Bresaola too.

JJP: How do you make your bacon?
JT: We cure it for about three and a half days. Three days is not quite enough and at four days it’s too salty. We smoke it for about three hours. Our technique is really simple. We put it in a 210°F oven and we have an old pan that we throw a bunch of chips in that we get smoldering really good. We throw that underneath the bacon and cook it until the bacon comes up to an internal temperature of about 150°F. However long that takes is how long we smoke it. That has been a really good method for us.

JJP: What kind of wood do you use?
JT: We’ve done fig wood but apple wood has been the nicest [for the bacon]. We tried hickory, but that was just not good [for the chorizo]. It didn’t work with the flavors of the paprika and spices we put it in.

JJP: How long does your chorizo take?
JT: It takes about 10 weeks. It’s one of the most elaborate things we make. We start by cubing up the meat and doing the marinade, which takes three to four days and then we grind it, ferment it, and let it dry out for a couple days. Then we smoke it and hang it.

JJP: Do you do all the ordering and supply management?
JT: No. I work with my sous chef who does the direct ordering. We have pretty strict regulations about the way we order and the way chefs in our company order product.

JJP: How many meat suppliers do you use?
JT: We’ve been using Niman Ranch. We did make some jambon from suckling pigs and brought in a whole pig once to make coppa di testa, lonzo, and pancetta. We’d like to be able to bring in whole pigs, but we have to put together the rest of the facilities to do that. That’s the ultimate goal.

JJP: So your limitation for using whole pigs is lack of space?
JT: Not anymore. Right now it’s just getting to that next step. But one of the reasons we’ve been successful in this program is that we’ve gone step by step and we haven’t bitten off more than we can chew. Most folks don’t realize what kind of commitment bringing in a whole pig is. We have the space and we have a catering kitchen, but its off-premise. So it’s doable, but we need to make the time.

JJP: What do you do in the off-premise space?
JT: We do most of the fabrication there. Some of the easier things we can do in the restaurants like wet charcuterie and bacon, but anything that requires fermentation and extended aging time we do down there.

JJP: Should chefs starting out in charcuterie start out by ordering individual pieces as opposed to a whole pig?
JT: That would be my advice. It allows you to focus on that one product and that one item. If you are trying to do fermented and dried products, you can start with high quality pork shoulder for example. Start and get good at it. That’s been our method of growth.

JJP: How much do pay for your basic cuts? Do you always pay the same thing for your meat?
JT: No we don’t, but they don’t vary that much. You can get pork belly for $1.39-$1.79/pound price range and that’s how much we pay. Shoulder is around $1.19/pound and back fat is about a dollar. Leg is going to be more expensive. It depends on how much we order. If there are fifteen pork bellies, we can get a better price from our purveyor.

JJP: The margin seems to be pretty good.
JT: It’s a no-brainer. For example, with bacon we used to use Nueske’s and were paying around $7 per pound. There’s not a lot of shrinkage when you’re making bacon, maybe 10%. I think we’re making bacon that’s just as good if not better, and we are paying around a dollar for that [laughs]. So even in a worst case scenario we are paying two dollars a pound. But it’s not [that much], even after all the spices, salt sugars, and wood—and I’ve got plenty of wood for my wood-fired oven. [It’s the] same for pancetta—before we were paying around 6 dollars a pound. We use collagen casings to wrap the bellies and those cost around 60 to 70 cents. We can do 10 pancettas in an hour. There is a cost of labor involved, but it’s not significant.

JJP: What charcuterie product contributes the highest margin?
JT: Lardo has the largest margin by far. Some people love it but people can be reluctant to try it if you’re not there to really explain it to them. In the restaurants, where we do have time to explain it to them, it sells really well. It’s neat because there are not a lot of people who have had it. We recently put it on a salad and it sold wonderfully.

JJP: What other products offer similar margins?
JT: All of our bacon and all of our salamis. Prior to ramping up our production we would source very expensive salami. Now we are using pork butt for it which is around $1.20/ pound. But even with a 30-35% weight loss, you’re still in the $2/pound range and you get all the added value with how it’s made. Compare that to a $12-$14/pound product from somebody else and it’s such an incredible margin and it’s so much interesting for me to sell. There is a tremendous opportunity for savings. If you manage your staff, time, and space there really is not a product there where your food cost won’t be amazing.

JJP: Is every piece of charcuterie profitable?
JT: I think there’s no reason they shouldn’t be; I’ve never come across one that hasn’t [been]. Unless you spoil it, it should be profitable and significantly so.

JJP: What’s the biggest challenge to maintaining that margin?
JT: The biggest logistical challenge is just staying ahead. It’s really about thinking in advance about how much you’re going to use in six weeks. If you get behind, you can’t shrink your timeframe. It’s not going to go bad but you don’t want to have too much on hand.

JJP: Is putting charcuterie on the menu well fitted to the economic climate?
JT: I think so, and for two reasons: You can be very flexible with the pricing if you need to be, because you know your margins and there’s a lot of perceived value. People know there’s a lot of hand work and time involved. The other thing is that, right now, I think people are looking for a lot of comfort food. I think that salumi is the ultimate comfort food. There a lot of “food trends” right now but I think there’s one that never goes away and that’s the idea of handmade production—simple, ancestral foods that have a place and a story to be told. And it’s an easy story to tell. People are looking to get value for their money and obviously it’s about quantity and quality, but it’s also how interesting it this. What’s the story behind it? A plate of sliced cured meats and maybe some crusty bread by the fire, or a salami sandwich, or a plate of wet charcuterie is the greatest comfort food. And you can bring that to the guests in the dining room, too.

JJP: You said that sopressata was a constant on the menu. Do you always order a fixed quantity of it?
JT: No, and we have a lot of fun with that too because I’m always changing the size of it. The last one we did was all by hand and we stuffed it into beef bungs (casing). So it’s a bigger format salami. It’s basically the same ingredients but just in a different way. You get more of a mosaic look. That’s close to mortadella size and about five and a half inches in diameter. It has a six month aging time.

JJP: Where do you get the casings?
JT: I get most of them online from Butcher & Packer or The Sausage Maker. We get our cultures, molds, salts, and simple sugars from Butcher & Packer. It makes our life so much easier. It’s all very inexpensive.

JJP: How do the simple sugars come into play?
JT: We use dextrose and glucose and a couple other simple sugars. You really need to have them because they’ll help fermentation and make the process so much easier than if you use [a complex sugar like] sucrose.

JJP: At what point do you think you are going to go local with your meat supplier?
JT: We’re definitely moving towards the direction of ordering whole pigs and at that point we’re just going to have to be really intelligent about the pricing and tell a good story, and produce a really phenomenal product. That’s really the next logical step to improve what we’re doing—that is, to refine the product that we are bringing in. Now that we are at a point where we are very good at technique and making things happen it’s finding a fresher, better product. That’s where our program needs to go from there.

JJP: Is sourcing whole pigs going to remain as profitable as ordering separate cuts?
JT: I think the economics are hard on that because there’s so much additional labor involved. I also think you can charge more for some of the things you make out of it. The idea of breaking down a whole pig is a story to be told and you can build that into your price. Is it going to be more cost effective? Probably not. If you’re going to deal with whole animals, you’re going to be paying a fixed price and you’re going to be dealing with smaller producers who will charge a higher premium, as it should be. So I think from a strictly economical standpoint I don’t see how it could be more cost effective than the broken down Niman Ranch pork bellies. What we have to do is think ahead and have different outlets for it and build that premium into some dishes.

JJP: Do you have any health and safety tips?
JT: With salumi, it’s all about about pH. That’s what folks need to learn. That’s going to control your bacterial growth. For safety measures we don’t send out our charcuterie to be tested. Consistency in processing temperatures, watching your pH levels, having the right ratios, getting in fresh products—that, to me, is what you do to have a safe product. And don’t count on someone else to do your due diligence. I think that’s the chef’s responsibility. That and continually developing purveyor relationships so that you can trust your product.

JJP: Do you have any parting advice for chefs starting their own charcuterie programs?
JT: The most important thing a chef can do is read, find someone else who’s been doing it for a while, and do the basics: watch your pH, your salt and preservative ratios, and be smart about it. It’s no different than any food. If you bring in a fish five days before and hold it a room temperature, it’s not safe! There’s no different between these things. It’s really common sense

The Art and Economics of Charcuterie (From Star Chefs)

2009-03-08T07:05:00.000-07:00

FROM STARCHEFS.COM

The Art and Economics of Charcuterie, Part 1: A Multi-Restaurant Operation with Chef Zach Allen of B&B Ristorante, Carnevino, and Enoteca San Marco

by Amanda McDougall and JJ Proville
March 2009

In house charcuterie programs have experienced exponential growth over the past two years. It is arguably the biggest and most far-reaching trend we’ve seen—bordering on an all out culinary movement. US Chefs are learning the craft—from old school/Old World techniques to more modern ones—and developing their own programs large and small.

With this in mind, we’ll be publishing a multi-part charcuterie series that looks at several different operations, but all run by chefs with a penchant for curing and aging all sorts of animal parts with a goal of bringing in some serious revenue for their restaurants.

Zach Allen and his Vegas salumi operation—not to mention his oversight of all of Batali’s dozen other restaurant salumi programs—is the first in this series of features (see below). The second in the series takes a look at how chef John Toulze of The Girl and The Fig (restaurant, café, and catering) and Estate works his brand of charcuterie into his two restaurants and catering operation. Seattle’s Adam Stevenson of Earth & Ocean at W Seattle is third in line, discussing his charcuterie program from a hotel chef perspective. The fourth piece goes small-scale with El Dorado Kitchen chef Justin Everett’s charcuterie on-a-shoestring.
Part 1: A Multi-Restaurant Operation
Charcuterie—or sausage-making at least—has been a part of chef Zach Allen’s life since childhood. His family had annual family sausage prep days to take them through the year with a steady supply of the encased ground meats. But it wasn’t until he was working at Batali’s Lupa in Manhattan that his childhood family past-time turned into a professional pursuit.

Allen has spent time with Armandino Batali, Mario Batali’s salumi-famous father, but he’s also done formal training at Iowa State University’s Meat Lab, taking one of their multi-day classes on the science (and safety) behind curing meats. He takes a hands-on approach to his salumi-making too, doing most of the work himself at the three Batali restaurants, and visiting the farms that produce the pigs he turns into cured, money-making magic.

Although Allen doesn’t skimp when it comes to paying for top-quality pork (in the neighborhood of $5.50 a pound, even!), he’s still able to bring in the profit for nearly every piece of coppa or testa that goes to a table. Allen pays top-dollar for his pork, no doubt, and the fact that he’s still making money on it is a statement in itself.

There’s intrinsic value to salumi for diners—especially as they become more and more familiar with it—but it’s especially valued when it’s made in-house and tastes as good as Allen’s. As Allen demonstrates, he can charge upward of $20 for a mere ounce and half to two ounces of product. Granted, you have to take into account the time put into each product (some require multiple brinings, rubs, and other fairly time-consuming manipulation), but in the end, it’s usually literally time (for curing) that can be the most costly aspect.

Every week no less than 1,500 pounds of pork is processed in Allen’s kitchens—it’s brined, cured, ground, stuffed, aged, and sometimes poached in beer (see his recipe for Liver Sausage). It’s a massive volume of meat to process and Allen is careful to balance the menus at the three restaurants and therefore what’s curing in his salumi walk-ins (that’s walk-ins—plural) with a range of items, some taking only a day to make (like pâté) while others cure for months (take his 9-month minimum aged culatello for example). Planning ahead is essential, especially when you have, like Allen, twenty salumi items going at a time and a half dozen in development and testing for three separate restaurants with different price points and menus.

But at the end of the day, it’s always worth the effort and the wait. In Allen’s own words, “if you look at the cost versus the price you sell it at, they all make money.”

Read the interview with Allen to learn more about how he handles his multi-restaurant salumi operation >>

SCCC cooks compete at regional event (Schenectady County, Niskayuna)

2009-02-28T14:57:00.000-08:00

SCCC cooks compete at regional event (Schenectady County, Niskayuna)

Posted on: 02/10/09
Jackie Sher
email: news@spotlightnews.com

This weekend students from Schenectady County Community College’s Culinary Arts program will compete head-to-head in a competition not of culinary skill, but of the mind.

Four SCCC students will head to the American Culinary Federation’s Northeast Region H. Galand Culinary Knowledge Bowl Competition, held Feb.7 to 9 in Boston.

“They need to understand all of the definitions ranging anywhere from nutrition, sanitation, culinary basics, baking basics, as well as classical French cooking,” said Christopher Allen Tanner, chef instructor at SCCC and head coach of the team.

Participants had to memorize facts from five culinary textbooks including Escoffier’s “Le Guide Culinaire,” “Culinary Fundamentals,” “Baking Fundamentals,” and a book on management, which is produced by the National Restaurant Association.

The road to the competition has been taxing on the participants.

“They practice three days a week, three to five hours a day,” said Tanner. “They go through a grueling process of getting quizzed by me on the different topics.”

And that’s only when they’re all together. Participants are also expected to practice on their own. The four team members, who were selected from about a dozen applicants, all work full time and also attend school full time.

Many have little time to eat the food they’re studying so much about.

“I work about 55 hours a week at Creo, and I’m the head pastry chef here so I’m in charge of two other students who go to Schenectady County Community College as well,” said Jose Arteche III, team captain. “Then on top of that I go to school full time, but generally I stick to four classes but that’s still four days a week that I physically drive to school.”

Arteche said that one of the challenges of preparing for the competition has been learning French terms.

“Trying to remember French words when you haven’t really taken a French class is tough,” said Arteche. “We’re trying to guess in our minds what the actual words sound like. All of the questions will be read verbally so we have to really listen carefully to all of the questions.”

He said that he and his teammates are used to reading the phrases and words — not hearing them.

This is the first time Schenectady County Community College has participated in the competition in more than 10 years.

Team members include Arteche of Colonie, Valerie Inman of Watervliet, Daniel Sala of Watervliet, Lisa Valentine of Clifton Park, and Evan Weissman of Saratoga Springs. They will compete against students from Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and West Virginia to take home the Northeast Regional title. The winners will go on to compete in the national competition held at the American Culinary Federation’s national convention in Orlando in July.

The questions asked during the competition will be very specific.

“They need to know all the primal cuts that are found in a beef cattle and what can be done with them. They need to know the proper techniques or the amount of time to wash your hands underneath sinks before you work in a kitchen. They need to know different laws on sanitation, as well as management laws,” said Tanner.

Students might have to name the two species of fish that Escoffier recommends using for fish stock (sole and whiting), and they might have to specify the type of gas that is employed in the flour bleaching process (chlorine gas).

However, despite the endless number of facts participants must commit to memory, they and their coach are excited and have enjoyed the process.

“If anything, this has expanded my knowledge in culinary arts. I can now point things out in recipes and menus that I wouldn’t have known otherwise,” said Arteche.
You can contact news@spotlightnews.com with any questions. Also, feel free to post comments below.

From the SCCC Kitchen: Chicken jambalaya dish easy, healthful Cooks can control level of spiciness in recipe that’s well-suited for Mardi Gras

2009-02-19T17:12:00.000-08:00

From the SCCC Kitchen: Chicken jambalaya dish easy, healthful
Cooks can control level of spiciness in recipe that’s well-suited for Mardi Gras
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
By Jeff Wilkin (Contact)
Gazette Reporter

http://www.dailygazette.com/videos/2009/feb/10/134/

Carnival law is now in effect for New Orleans, as tourists and natives prepare for Mardi Gras.

The Cajun version of easy living includes masks, costumes and plenty of spicy food. Christopher Tanner’s version of easy living gives home chefs a fast way to celebrate the day, without all the carousing and purple and green party favors.

“It’s really easy to make,” Tanner said of his chicken jambalaya, a healthful and spicy version of a rice stew. “They call it the creole trinity; the three main vegetables are in there — celery, bell pepper and onions. They’re just sautéed with a little bit of olive oil, put the Cajun seasoning in with that along with one cup of the andouille sausage and you kind of brown that a little bit on the bottom.”

This browning puts a bit of crust in the dish, and some extra flavor.

“Then you put the rest of your ingredients in there, the tomatoes, the stock, the rest of the sausage and the chicken, add your rice, stir it up put a cover on it and let it go until it’s fully cooked.”

It’s as simple as throwing beads off a balcony. Using chicken as the main protein also makes this healthier than a shrimp-based jambalaya, as Tanner said the latter dish can be high in cholesterol. A chicken jambalaya, the chef said, means people with allergies to shellfish can fill up their bowls.

New Orleans cooking means spicy, and Tanner’s salute to Mardi Gras is a spicy one.

“What you do to make it less spicy is take some of the Cajun seasoning out,” he said. “There are 5 tablespoons in this recipe. If you want it less spicy, just put 2 tablespoons of that in there or take the Tabasco sauce out as well.”

But people should not remove too much of the seasoning and sauce — this is a Mardi Gras diversion, after all.

“You want to have some of that in there,” Tanner said. “That’s the flavor of the actual dish.”
Chicken Jambalaya

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 cups Spanish onions, diced medium

3 cups green bell peppers, diced medium

1 cup celery, diced medium

5 tablespoons Cajun seasoning

3 cups chicken andouille sausage (found in supermarket poultry sections), sliced in quarter-inch rounds

6 cups chicken broth

2 cups peeled, chopped tomatoes

8 ounces chicken breast, sliced julienne

3 cups Uncle Ben’s rice

2 teaspoons Tabasco

Coat the bottom of a heavy, 5-quart pot with the olive oil, place over high heat and preheat. Add onion, peppers and the celery, 3 tablespoons of the Cajun seasoning, 1 cup of the andouille sausage and cook, stirring constantly until a crust begins to develop, about 12 minutes. Add 1 cup of stock to de-glaze, cook for an additional 10 minutes.

Add tomatoes and julienne chicken slices, cook for an additional 5 minutes. Add the rest of the sausage and chicken broth. Stir in the rice and return to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is tender.

Stir in Tabasco sauce and serve.

Have an Offal Valentine's Day at Irving Mill

2009-02-03T04:51:00.000-08:00

Irving Mill is a restaurant down in Manhattan on 116th East 16th st with a menu driven by American ingredients with a classical rustic French and Italian twist. They describe their menu as "Old World clean." Ryan Skeen, their chef has a decidingly Italian background with a Sicilian grandmother along with his early years at Riccardo's in Portland, Oregon. At Elisabeth Daniel in San Francisco he picked up his French style of cookery, along with stints at Daniel, DB Bistro Moderne, Cafe Boloud, and even an Executive sous chef spot at Jeanes Georges in New York City. In 2008 he was rated on of the top ten fifteen young new chefs by the James Beard Association.

So why does all of that matter. Well, I took a look at Irving Mill's website recently and found a picture of Chef Skeen lugging a small pig on his back, a man with a similar passion for the swine I must say. Upon further look, from a suggestion of a friend, I checked out his Valentine's Day menu. The main menu was the usual high end great food that one would expect from a restaurant like this, however, I scrolled down to the bottom of the page to find this wonderful addition to the menu.

7 Course Heart Tasting Menu $85

Chicken Heart Tempura with Sweet Garlic and Parsley Sauce
Duck Heart Confit & Crispy Duck Neck with Smoked Duck Bacon, Chicory and Poached Quail Egg
Grilled Pork Heart BLT with Tomato Confit, Horseradish Aioli, Parsley and Romaine
Squab Heart Sugo with Gnocchi and Burrata Cheese
Cured Shaved Lamb Heart with Pickled Beets, Rapini Leaves and Goat Cheese
Sweetbread Stuffed Calves Heart Grand Mere with Grilled Porcini, Thumbelina Carrots, Pearl Onions and Veal Bacon
Hearts of Palm Tres Leche

Holy cow, it's too bad the wonderful woman I am currently dating will be away for Valentine's Day, well maybe too bad for me and lucky for her in her mind. I might have to make a trip down to NYC for the day at any rate to just see for myself how good this chef might be. With the "guts" (pun inteneded) to put together a menu like this, along with his impressive resume, I'm guessing this menu will be an exciting venture.

Restaurant info:

Irving Mill
116th East 16th Street
New York, NY 10003
212-254-1600

website: http://www.irvingmill.com/restaurant/

Schenectady County Community College Knowledge Bowl Team

2009-01-25T07:49:00.000-08:00

For the first time in over ten years, Schenectady county Community College will be representing the New York Capital District region in the Baron H. Galand Knowledge Bowl competition at the American Culinary Federation regional convention. This years convention will be held at the Westin in Boston, MA.

We have an amazing team this year representing the college. The members include Jose Arteche III (Captain), Evan Weissman, Lisa Valentine, Valerie Inman, and Daniel Sala. They have been practicing constantly for the last two months preparing themselves for this grueling academic competition which requires them to have a vast knowledge of culinary arts. the topics range from basic cooking and baking, to hospitality management, nutrition, sanitation, and knowledge of classical French cooking from Escoffier's le Guide Culinaire.

The competition will take place February 7th during the ACF regional convention which takes place from Feb. 7-9th. So please join me in wishing them luck next month while they take on this great challenge. The team captain and I will be on Channel 13 WNYT news in Albany next week at 8 am talking about the competition and then we will be preparing some healthy Super Bowl goodies afterward.

American Culinary Federation SCCC Spring Culinary Classic

2009-01-25T07:04:00.000-08:00

American Culinary Federation
Capital District – Central New York
and
Schenectady County Community College

Spring Culinary Classic

Please join us on April 18-19 for a weekend of culinary excellence during an ACF sanctioned culinary competition. Local chefs and culinary students along with chefs and students traveling from far and wide to display their skills.

Local chefs will be competing in an intense Nutritional Hot Food (F/4) during which they must prepare an appetizer, soup or salad, entree, and dessert - ten portions each in a four-hour time limit with incorporation of the principles of moderation and balance as identified in The 1990 Dietary Guidelines for America, U. S. Department of Agriculture and US. Department of Health and Human Services.

Chefs will also be competing in a variety of other equally intense categories including single chef Market/Mystery Basket (F/1, F/3, F/5), two chef Market/Mystery basket (F/3), individual Contemporary dish (K/1-9, P/1-5), and “Student Skills” (S/1), Edible Cold Food (G), and Cold Food display (A-E) competitions.

For more information contact Chef Christopher Allen Tanner, CEC, CHE at 518-526-6427 or tannerca@sunysccc.edu

Émile Zola and Charcuterie

2008-12-26T14:06:00.000-08:00

"It [the charcuterie:] was almost on the corner of the Rue Pirouette and was a joy to behold. It was bright and inviting, with touches of brilliant colour standing out amidst white marble. The signboard, on which the name QUENU-GRADELLE glittered in fat gilt letter encircled by leaves and branches painted on a soft-hued background, was protected by a sheet of glass. On the two side panels of the shop front, similarly painted and under glass, were chubby little Cupids playing in the midst of boars' heads, pork chops, and strings of sausages; and these still lifes, adorned with scrolls and rosettes, had been designed in so pretty and tender a style that the raw meat lying there assumed the reddish tint of raspberry jam. Within this delightful frame, the window display was arranged. It was set out on a bed of fine shavings of blue paper; a few cleverly positioned fern leaves transformed some of the plates into bouquets of flowers fringed with foliage. There were vast quantities of rich, succulent things, things that melted in the mouth. Down below, quite close to the window, jars of rillettes were interspersed with pots of mustard. Above these were some boned hams, nicely rounded, golden with breadcrumbs, and adorned at the knuckles with green rosettes. Then came the larger dishes--stuffed Strasbourg tongues, with their red, varnished look, the colour of blood next to the pallor of the sausages and pigs' trotters; strings of black pudding coiled like harmless snakes; andouilles piled up in twos and bursting with health; saucissons in little silver copes that made them look like choristers; pies, hot from the oven, with little banner-like tickets stuck in them; big hams, and great cuts of veal and pork, whose jelly was as limpid as crystallized sugar. Towards the back were large tureens in which the meats and minces lay asleep in lakes of solidified fat. Strewn between the various plates and dishes, on the bed of blue shavings, were bottles of relish, sauce, and preserved truffles, pots of foie gras, and tins of sardines and tuna fish. A box of creamy cheeses and one full of snails stuffed with butter and parsley had been dropped in each corner. Finally, at the very top of the display, falling from a bar with sharp prongs, strings of sausages and saveloys hung down symmetrically like the cords and tassels of some opulent tapestry, while behind, threads of caul were stretched out like white lacework. There, on the highest tier of this temple of gluttony, amid the caul and between two bunches of purple gladioli, the alter display was crowned by a small, square fish tank with a little ornamental rockery, in which two goldfish swam in endless circles."
— Émile Zola

Pigging Out in the Clink

2008-12-23T18:54:00.000-08:00

Most people who know me, know of my love for meat from the swine persuasion. Clink is a restaurant in Boston that I have had a couple meals at and I have a feeling this pork themed series they are doing will be quite good. I will be making a trip out to partake in the swine meats.

Clink
photo: differentperspective.com

Starting tomorrow night, Clink in the Liberty Hotel will host a series of pork-focused meals featuring acorn-fed pig from La Quercia (a highly regarded pork purveyor in the Midwest). The four-course meal, served alongside the regular menu, will include various cuts and preparations of the meat, beginning with the feet and tail and moving onto the loin, belly and bones. Dishes include a pork broth and dumpling soup; a grilled piece of brined pork loin served along with crispy pork belly and porchetta-style pork shoulder; and a peanut tart made with a lard-based crust (December 19, 20, 26 and 27; January 2 and 3; $47 per person; 617-224-4004).

The Poor Soldier Opera Preview & More

2008-12-22T14:32:00.000-08:00

Dear Friend,

Happy Holidays to you.

On Thursday, January 15th at the Arts Center of the Capital Region in
Troy, join the full cast of the Poor Soldier opera for delicious food
(provided by the Irish Mist Restaurant of Troy), a preview of the
opera (fully costumed and presented in the Black Box Theatre of the
Center), and the first opportunity to taste the incredible porter
being brewed for us by George de Piro of the CH Evans Brew Company in
Albany. This porter recipe is taken from one crafted by Robert Hare in
Philadelphia in 1788 and it was a favorite of George Washington.

The event starts at 7pm and includes a chance to meet the cast and
production team of the opera following the performance.

Reservations are necessary. Tickets are $30 each. Please mail your
check, payable to Musicians of Ma'alwyck, to 511 Mohawk Avenue,
Scotia, NY 12302. Reservation deadline is Mon. Jan. 12th. Seating is
limited, so make your reservation early. You may call the Musicians of
Ma'alwyck office at 518/377-3623 for more information.

Also, tickets are going very quickly for the historically themed
dinner on Saturday, Jan. 24th at 5pm at Schenectady County Community
College. The dinner includes four courses, wines and the Poor Soldier
Porter. The dinner is based on recipes from the late 1700s prepared
by Certified Executive Chef Christopher Tanner and the staff of the
Glen Sanders Mansion. The dinner will be held at 5pm in order to allow
a leisurely meal before attending the opera. Tickets are $85 for the
dinner alone, or $110 for a special package of dinner/opera
performance/opera talks. Please visit
www.instantseats.com/events/poorsoldier to order.

Either one of these special evenings would make a wonderful holiday
present!

All the best,
Ann-Marie Barker Schwartz, Director
Musicians of Ma'alwyck
518/377-3623

Certified Hospitality Educator

2008-12-21T05:19:00.000-08:00

I got a letter in the mail yesterday telling me I passed the Certified Hospitality Educator certification with the American Hotel and Lodging Association, what a freaking relief. I had to sit through 2.5 days of a drawn out class on educational psychology for the hospitality industry, then took a huge test at the end that I couldn't of even told you if I passed or failed (I got a 90, I was amazed) and then I had to video a 45-60 minute lecture which utilized the skills I learned in the class, needed 70% to pass. Somehow I got a 94% on the video, again shocked, I thought I missed so many of the skills they taught us, but i got it down pretty well it seems,

The next certification will be for Certified Culinary Professional with the International Association of Culinary Professionals. I think I'll fill out the paperwork sometime this week and then I have to sit for the test during the national convention in the summer. I'm also taking the Pro-Chef certifications with the Culinary Institute of America, I'm taking Pro-Chef II in May, and probably Pro-Chef III the next year.

I'm off to go slice ham for the Price Chopper in Clifton Park, NY. I had a number of people recognize me from the spots I do on the news and from the articles I have had published in the Schenectady Gazette, I certainly enjoyed talking to people about the dishes, someone actually purchased a ham to make the "simple" cassoulet dish I posted on my blog and made on WNYT last week yesterday.

Price Chopper Central Market Ham

2008-12-18T16:01:00.000-08:00

Price Chopper sells an excellent double smoked spiral cut ham under their Central Market Brand. I will be at three of their stores over the next three days slicing and serving their ham. The hams are a bone-in ham, that is brined, double-smoked and then spiral-cut. Stop on by and pick one up they will be a great centerpiece for your holiday table.

Dec. 19 (Latham, NY 873 New Loudon Road 9am-Noon)
Dec. 20 (Saratoga Springs, NY 115 Ballston Ave. 10 am – 1pm)
Dec. 21 (Saratoga Springs, NY 115 Ballston Ave. 10 am – 1 pm)

I hope to see some of you there!!!

“Quick” Cassoulet

2008-12-13T09:59:00.000-08:00

“Quick” Cassoulet
Cassoulet is a classic dish based on beans and pork (or lamb) found in the Southwestern region in France. The dish normally takes 2-3 days to prepare, this version takes that lengthy time down to less than two hours but it is still packed with flavor.

Utilizing Price Chopper’s Central Market Spiral Ham, which I will be talking about and serving Dec. 19 (Latham, NY 873 New Loudon Road 11am-2pm), Dec. 20 (Saratoga Springs, NY 115 Ballston Ave. 10 am – 1pm), and Dec. 21 (Saratoga Springs, NY 115 Ballston Ave. 10 am – 1 pm)

Ingredients

1 each Onion, diced medium
1 each Carrot, peeled and diced medium
1 clove Garlic, minced
1/2 pound Pork sausage, precooked (garlic sausage, kielbasa, bratwurst)
1 1/2 cup Ham, diced medium
¼ lb. Bacon, sliced
2 tablespoons Fresh Parsley, minced
1 teaspoon Fresh thyme, minced
1 each Bay leaf
2 cans (15 oz. each) Navy beans, drained
1/4 cup Dry red wine
1 cup Chicken broth
½ cup Dry white bread crumbs
As desired Salt and pepper

Method

1.Preheat oven to 325 degrees

2.Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat, add two tablespoons olive oil, then add onion, carrots, and garlic and sauté 3-5 minutes or until softened. Add the sausage to pan, sauté until browned, and then add the herbs and ham and sauté for another 2-3 minutes then remove from heat, season the mixture with salt and pepper.

3.Stir in beans, wine, and broth. Turn into a 1 1/2 quart casserole (lined with bacon) and top with bread crumbs. Cover and bake for 45 minutes. Uncover and bake 45 minutes longer. Serve in bowls with a side of French Baguette and a glass of the red wine used for making the cassoulet.

Chef Christopher Allen Tanner, CEC
Chef-Instructor Schenectady County Community College
School website – www.sunysccc.edu
Personal food blog – www.cheftanner.com

What Are You Going To Do with All of Those Thanksgiving Leftovers

2008-11-29T11:08:00.000-08:00

So Thanksgiving is over, all of the family members have gone back to their respective homes, and you are left with more leftovers than you know what to do with. One can only eat so much traditional turkey day dishes until they get tired of it all and decide to toss it all away. I however have some ideas for what you can do with those leftovers so that you don't get food boredom.

Turkey Croquettes
Got some mashed potatoes and gravy leftover? Take some of that leftover turkey (about 8 oz.) you've got, dice it up small and mix in some of that gravy to moisten it. Now take the mashed potatoes (a couple cups will do here), mix in an egg until smooth. Take a few ounces of the masked potatoes, flatten them and cup slightly so that you can add a few oz. of the turkey and gravy. Wrap the mashed potatoes around the turkey and seal on the edges. Now roll the stuffed potatoes into a cylinder and then dredge in some bread crumbs. Prepare a fryer or a pot with some frying oil (vegetable oil work well) to 370 degrees. Deep fry the stuffed mashed potatoes until golden brown, and you've now got some delicious turkey croquettes. Perhaps some of that leftover cranberry sauce thinned out a little with some orange juice and heated slightly would make a good sauce to go accompany the croquettes.

Turkey Soup
I enjoy soup in the winter, and if you aren't a vegetarian then you likely have a carcass left from your turkey along with some meat. Peel and small dice three onions, five carrots and five stalks of celery and mince a couple cloves of garlic. Now take your turkey carcass, remove all the meat from it, dicing the meat into small pieces and reserving. Break the carcass into smallish pieces. Heat up some olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat, add half of the diced vegetables and saute until soft, about five minutes. Add five peppercorns, a bay leaf and a couple stems of thyme, then add the turkey carcass pieces and add water until fully covered; bring the pot to a boil, reduce to a simmer for 60 minutes. Strain the solids out of the liquid, this will be your broth for your soup.

One more vegetable to dice, peel and dice two large turnips. In a clean large pot heat a couple tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat. Saute all of the remaining vegetables until the onions are soft. Add one cup of a fruit red wine, perhaps that Beaujolais Nouveau and simmer until reduced by half. Add the diced turkey and the turkey broth you made earlier and bring to a boil and simmer for about 15-20 minutes or until the carrots and turnips are tender. Season with salt and pepper as desired. A couple cups of boiled egg noodles added to the soup will make this a delicious turkey noodle soup. If you don't like noodles, you can substitute a couple cups of boiled long grain rice.

The What the Heck Do I Do With All of Those Thanksgiving Leftovers Casserole
This one os pretty simple. Take one of those 13x9 glass casserole dishes you've got hiding in the cabinets and spray it with some non-stick spray or better yet grease it with some soft butter. Put down a layer of stuffing on the bottom of the dish. If you have some green bean casserole lay it down on top of the beans. Next, dice some of your leftover turkey and put down a layer, if it looks a little dry, add some gravy, but hopefully you have enough liquid from your green bean casserole becasue we are going to need some of that gravy later. Now layer your mashed potatoes ver the top of the turkey, place some pats of butter on top of the potatoes, this will help in the browning of the top of the casserole. Place the casserole into a 350 degree oven for 30-45 minutes or until the top of the casserole is lightly browned and the filling is nice and bubbling hot. Heat up your remaining gravy and place a little on top of each serving of the casserole when serving.

WNYT Truffled Salt Cod Cakes

2008-11-22T18:42:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone, I was on WNYT Channel 13, a local channel here in upstate New York. I thought I would share with all of you the recipe I prepared today. It was actually a componant of a dish I prepared a few weeks ago at an American Culinary Federation competition which I took a gold medal in. I hope you might enjoy making this recipe, it is a contemporary interpretation of a traditional New England Salt Cod cake.

Truffled Salt Cod Potato Cake

by Chef Christopher

Ingredients

¼ lb. Salt Cod

½ lb. Yellow potatoes, peeled and cut into cubes

½ each Spanish onion, small dice

½ teaspoon Rosemary, minced

½ tablespoons Flat leaf parsley, minced

1 each Egg, large

1 each Egg yolk, large

2 tablespoon Truffle oil

To taste Black pepper, ground fresh

As needed Flour, all purpose

As needed Grape seed oil

Method

1. Place salt cod in a small pot and cover with water and bring to a simmer for five minutes. Drain and reserve.

2. Place potatoes in a separate pot and cover with water and bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and boil until tender. Drain and dry in oven for 2-3 minutes and reserve.

3. Heat sauté pan over medium-high heat and add a tablespoon of olive oil. Saute onion until soft, add rosemary and sauté another minute.

4. In a medium bowl combine simmered salt cod, potatoes, onions, parsley, egg yolk and egg, truffle oil and black pepper. Use a pastry cutter to mash all ingredients together until smooth.

5. Shape potato/salt cod mixture into four cakes and coat with flour. Heat a medium sauté pan over medium-high heat with enough grape seed oil to coat the bottom. Place the salt cod cakes into the heated pan and pan-fry on each side until golden brown.

Christopher Allen Tanner, CEC

Professor

Department of Hotel Culinary Arts and Tourism

Schenectady County Community College

Thanksgiving with Dad

2008-11-17T19:52:00.000-08:00

Oh goodness, so what does one do that has cooked everything for Thanksgiving. I've done the turkey, I've made a fairly large number of turduckens, I've done the Asian themed, Creole themed and every other theme in between. This weekend I thought of what I truly want this next Thanksgiving, simplicity. It will be just my father and I, and as I don't get to see him as often as I have in the past, I want to make the dinner really special.

Now simplicity doesn't mean boring. I just finished ordering a wild turkey from D'Artagnan, a company I love to do some of my specialty ordering through, they may be a bit expensive but the quality is well worth the price. The 5-7 lb. bird costs 78.99 retail. Yes, it is more expensive than your supermarket turkey with the freakishly large breasts, but unlike the supermarket freak, it will have much more flavor.

I'm thinking of slicing some pieces of butter underneath the skin along with some minced rosemary and then drizzling a bit of black truffle oil over the skin. Gonna do some simple roasted fingerling potatoes with rosemary (got tons from the garden still) along with some porcini oil and salt and pepper.

For vegetables I'm gonna go with so haricot vert with obliques of carrots tossed in a veloute sauce with some fresh tarragon, chervil and parsley. I also have to make Brussels sprouts this year. I made an amazing brown sugar smoked bacon recently, which I am going to render and then caramelize the quartered sprouts in, seasoned with (wait for it) rosemary and thyme, and then add a bit of Calvados along with apple cider, cover them in my copper saute pan until they are tender.

Well we need stuffing don't we, I so love a cornbread stuffing, a simple American standard that can't be beat. As for gravy, I have a recipe for sweet potato eggplant gravy from Paul Prudhomme which I will be using this year, pretty tasty with great texture.

So there ya have it, oh wait, dessert you say. Well I am getting it from my students this year. I ordered a pumpkin pie and pecan pie. my dad's favorite pie is pecan, so I'm hoping he will enjoy it. I think I might make a honey and lavender ice cream to go along with it. That's all, nothing else, I think it will go well with the Beaujolais Nouveau for wine.

Judged an ACF Show in Washington DC

2008-11-12T16:10:00.000-08:00

I just spent the last weekend in Washington DC judging an American Culinary Federation competition. A great time was had by all, including the competitors and the judges. The event took place in the Washington Convention Center. There was two days of competition, the first day on Saturday was the Market Basket competition. One version was an F/1 which was a four course meal, ten portions each and the competitors had no idea of their ingredients, sort of like Iron Chef, but on steroids; they had four hours to prepare the meal. The second group had the same guidelines, except they had a shorter time frame and there were two people on each team.

On the second day we judged about 30 competitors in a category known as Contemporary. The category involves the competitor creating one entree course, preparing four portions, in 60 minutes, with a 5 minute plating window. Additionally there were competitors that produced some amazing watermelon carvings (one of the competitors happened to be the guy who won the TV Food Network vegetable carving challenge); while others prepared a variety of "cold food" (charcuterie) show platters.

It was a great time, a number of golds were attained in the contemporary category, a guy I have known for awhile who has improved vastly over the last year or so I have known his. Another chef who I would call a friend Peter Dweyer did a great job in the F and cold food categories. More admirabley, he trained five students to compete who preferomed wonderfully in the contemporary category. One student attained a silver, after haveing never competed before this point. Peter himself attained a few medals in the categories he comepted in.

I judged with some amazing chefs, humbling actually looking at who they are, Chef Alfonso Contrisciani CMC, Chef James Hanyzeski CMC , Chef Rene Marquis, and Chef Gunther Heiland CMPC. We had a few great meals at restaurants in DC, Jose Adreas' Turkish/ Israeli style tapas restaurant and an ACF member's restaurant, Agraria which was even more amazing than Andreas place.

I had a great time, can't wait to see the judge's I worked with and the chefs that competed again soon.

Cooler Weather Calls For Pot Au Feu

2008-10-05T14:10:00.000-07:00

Man it got cold real quick this past few weeks. It was really cold at my home last night, I even lite the fireplace last night it was so cold. Cold weather brings my mind back to some of my favorite dishes. Most of my friends know of my love for cassoulet, I have another favorite French cold weather dish, pot au feu.

Pot au feu is a regional French dish consisting pretty much of various tough cuts of beef simmered in liquid with vegetables and seasonings. The stewing vegetables are then removed and replaced with hearty root vegetables. I have my own personal twist which comes from my Alsatian heritage which adds fresh bacon to the dish. I have some bacon in my fridge that I cured for a month, so it is ready for the pot.

Pot au feu Recipe

Ingredients

4 medium leeks, white part only
8 carrots, peeled and halved crosswise
8 stalks celery, halved crosswise
1 large onion, quartered
2 pounds beef top round, trussed
2 pounds oxtail
2 pounds brisket, trussed
2 lb slab bacon, (in one solid piece) trussed
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Kosher salt
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
3 small turnips, peeled and large diced
1 medium rutabaga, peeled and large diced
1 lb fingerling potatoes

1. In a large stockpot place 4 leeks, 4 carrots, 4 celery stalks and onion, place meat on top of vegetables along with dried thyme, bay leaves, salt and peppercorns. Add enough water to cover and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat and simmer partially covered for 3 hours, skimming any foam which forms on the top.

2. Strain the broth and discard the cooking vegetables. Return the broth and meats to the pot and add remaining vegetables except the potatoes. Bring the broth to a simmer and cook, partially covered, for 1 hour, adding the potatoes after a half hour.

3. Remove the meat from the broth and discard the trussing strings. Carefully remove the vegetables from the broth, place them on a large serving platter, and moisten with some broth. Cover and keep warm.

4. Carve the meat and place on the serving platter with the vegetables.

From the SCCC Kitchen: Skins stay on to give grilled potatoes a healthful kick

2008-09-28T11:44:00.000-07:00

From the SCCC Kitchen: Skins stay on to give grilled potatoes a healthful kick

Grilled Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic

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From the SCCC Kitchen offers Daily Gazette readers tastes from Schenectady County Community College’s nationally accredited American Culinary Federation culinary arts program. Recipes selected by SCCC instructors can easily be prepared at home. Today, The Gazette concludes a summerlong batch of recipes offered by technical specialist (and certified executive chef) Christopher Tanner. The finale is a fall harvest of small potatoes — Grilled Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic. Tanner offers more cooking tips at his blog, “Gastronomic Inspirations” at cheftanner.com.

Schenectady County Community College technical specialist (and certified executive chef) Christopher Tanner offers grilled new potatoes.
Watch Video»

Christopher Tanner has his own version of “tater tots.”

His spuds are small, like the baked staples kids (and some adults) smother with cheese and ketchup.

There are no toppings allowed on Tanner’s “Grilled Potatoes with Rosemary and Garlic.” There’s enough flavor in them to bypass participation by Kraft and Heinz.

“People love starch,” said Tanner, whose recipe scores points for easy preparation, taste, health and simplicity.

The easy prep work comes courtesy of aluminum foil. The fingerling, baby Yukon gold and baby purple potatoes used for the dish are wrapped in a foil packet for their time over (or under) the heat. The taste comes from pepper, rosemary and garlic used to spice up the round vegetables; the healthful component is represented by skins that stay on the spuds. “If you take the skins off, you lose all the nutrients,” Tanner said.

Washing the dishes is simple because there are no dishes — once the seasoned and sizzled potatoes are off the grill or out of the oven, aluminum foil is rolled up and thrown away.

Unlike many recipes, chefs don’t have to keep a constant vigil near the flames.

“This is one of those recipes that you can kind of forget for 15 minutes on the grill or the oven and it will still be fine,” Tanner said.

The potatoes, in different shapes and colors, make a great side dish for autumn plates.

GRILLED POTATOES WITH ROSEMARY AND GARLIC

2 pounds varied small potatoes (fingerlings, baby Yukon gold, baby purple potatoes)

2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

3 sprigs rosemary, leaves removed and minced

5 cloves garlic, crushed

Heat a grill on medium-high heat. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients.

Place a large piece of aluminum foil flat on the counter, place the potatoes on top of foil, add a second piece of foil over potatoes and seal potatoes inside aluminum foil pouch by crimping the edges securely.

Place the aluminum packet over grill and cook for 10 minutes. Flip the package and grill and additional 20 to 30 minutes, or until potatoes are tender. You can poke them through the packet with a toothpick to check if they are tender.

Remove potatoes from the grill packet and serve.

Serves 4 to 6.

What the heck have I been up to?

2008-09-27T15:21:00.000-07:00

Oh goodness it has been a long time since my last post. Well I am teaching full-time at Schenectady County Community College and things could not be any better. I seriously can't say I recall any better time in my life. I am the lead instructor for Garde Manger, I personally teach three sections of the class with two other instructors teaching under my curriculum. I also run the restaurant class on Tuesday nights (make reservations in advance, the days fill up quick) and I teach the basic baking class called Elements of Baking.

I have been working in an America Culinary Federation Knowledge Bowl team for the college along with a number of other great things. On the competition note, I haven't done much myself lately because of work. For those who are ACF members, you will see in the next National Culinary Review that I am named one of the newest ACf certified culinary judges, so proud and humble at the same time.

I am judging one of my first competitions this winter in St Augustine, Fl. I won both my first gold in cold food (garde manger) competition along with my first market basket (mystery basket competition) at this show. Again, I am humbled that I get the chance to come full-circle to judge at this competition.

In the next couple weeks I will be competing in a couple competitions. One will be in Pennsylvania, while the other will be in Delhi, NY. I have never competed in the seafood category, so I thought I would come up with a new dish for that category. To be honest the dish came to me by accident. I purchased some salt cod last week and decided to make some traditional New England salt cod cakes.

The dish I came up with is a sous-vide olive oil poached black cod, set upon a truffled smoke black cod potato cake with rainbow chard two ways (julienne stems sauteed in butter, and the leaves wilted with garlic and shallots with a bit of pumpkin oil. The sauce will be a beurre rouge (red wine butter sauce).

I hope you all are well, thanks for reading... I will try to keep you all up on my latest escapades. Be well, and be safe.

Sheldon Farm Corn Fritters

2008-08-02T10:58:00.000-07:00

Corn has finally come into season in the Capital District and this recipe utilizes corn from Sheldon Farms in Washington County who will have its own little corn festival in support of the Saratoga region chapter of Slow Food USA on Saturday August 9^th, 2008 where these fritters will be featured and cooked by myself along with a number of other fantastic corn dishes.

Sheldon Farms
4363 State Route 22
Salem, NY 12865
518-854-7847

You can find more recipes, food and culture writings and restaurant reviews from

Chef Christopher Tanner at http://www.cheftanner.com

Sheldon Farm Corn Fritters

Makes about 20 fritters

Ingredients

2 cups Flour

1 tablespoon Baking powder

1/2 tsp. Salt

1/4 cup Sugar

2 each Eggs, beaten

1 cup Milk

1/4 cup Butter, melted

1 cup Corn, fresh whole kernel

½ cup Corn, fresh, mashed

As desired Powdered sugar or maple syrup

Method

1. Heat a fryer to 365 degrees or heat oil in a cast iron pot measuring temperature with an oil thermometer which can be found in any quality cooking supply store.

2. In medium bowl combine flour, baking soda, salt and sugar.

3. In a separate bowl combine the eggs, milk, and butter then combine with the flour mixture. Fold both the whole kernel and mashed corn into the batter.

4. When oil is heated, drop approximately 1/8 cup spoonfuls of batter into the hot oil and fry until golden brown. Remove fritters from hot oil and drain on a paper towel and dust fritters with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Anthony Bourdain, Slow Food, and Feeding the World

2008-07-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

"As much as I admired and appreciated the slow-food movement, and the increased interest in better, more seasonal ingredients, there was a whiff of orthodoxy about it all that I felt contradicted the chef's basic mission: to give pleasure. I'd met a lot of hungry people in recent years and I doubted very much whether they cared if their next meal came from the next village over or a greenhouse in Tacoma. The notion of "terroir" and "organic" started to seem like the kind of thinking you'd expect of the privileged - or isolationist. The very discussion of "organic" vs "nonorganic", I knew, was a luxury. I've since come to believe that any overriding philosophy or worldview is the enemy of good eating." Anthony Bourdain

I greatly appreciate this quote as it states much of my feeling on why I participate in groups such as Slow Food. I believe Slow Food is a suburb organization, I just feel that some people forget that others don't have everything that they have received in life. Not everyone can afford the $4/lb tomato some of us buy, so just think of that before you start to lecture someone on their eating habits.

I have been a member of Slow Food for about five or six years and have found many a friend from participation. Just this past weekend I attended the first official dinner for the new Saratoga Slow Food chapter up at Top of the World in Lake George, NY. A very good meal, utilizing many local ingredients from local farmers, including Sheldon Farms where I cooked for a Slow Food fundraiser yesterday, both breakfast and lunch so I am a little burnt out.

Usually I find the conversations to be wonderful with great topics on food and culture and how we can "ideally" live. I occasionally get disappointed when I bring up topics of helping to feed those that are less fortunate than some of us. The conversation will invariably lead to how they should be eating locally and more nutritious foods, but I rarely hear how we can do this.

For the last year I have been researching this project that Rutger's University, I believe through the IR-4 program. The idea was to take a city block in NYC and convert it into a multi-tier farming facility with I think about 32 floors. Each floor would pretty much contain the necessary essentials for meals, with each floor coming into season after the prior floor was harvested. this one building would be capable of feeding the entire island of Manhattan for the full-year.

Many people would complain that this project is not "natural" due to the fact that obviously it would utilize artificial lighting and fertilizers. However, natural fertilizers could be used and quite honestly, I don't think the homeless or working poor truly care where their food comes from daily, this is evidenced by the growing waistlines reported as many have turned to cheap eats like McDonald's cheap menus or some that are in food-deserts and must shop at the local bodega which is over priced junk food. This project would be getting quality food into their homes, and for those of us that can afford the higher priced heirloom vegetables and other specialty items, we could still buy as we have been.

When thinking about our foodways it is great to idealize, but we also need to ground ourselves in reality. Yes, the localvore thing where you eat within 100 miles of your home is great, but it isn't always feasible for all people. So think about your audience and the lifestyles of some of the people you run into before you preach to them. Sometimes you can do more harm than good for the effort by putting off a person who has less than yourself.

Currently watching :
King Corn
Release date: 2008-04-29

Slow Food Saratoga Region Breakfast and Luncheon at Sheldon Farms

2008-07-20T16:26:00.000-07:00

Have a Slow Food Breakfast with Us

We can't (or won't) bring you breakfast in bed but it won't be hard to get dressed for a gorgeous Chef-prepared tasting menu of local food, served amidst the fields in which it was grown.

Chef Christopher Tanner has created a fantastic tasting menu for this benefit event for Slow Food Saratoga:

Gazpacho in Cucumber Cups (think bloody mary, byov)
Sweet Corn Blinis with Maple Creme Fraiche
Mountain View Farm's Berkshire Bacon, Roasted Corn, and New Potato Hash
Hot Corn Fritters Drizzled with Maple Syrup
Squash Blossoms Stuffed with Berkshire Pork Sausage and Al Ducci's Fresh Mozzarella
Chef-made Charcuterie · Mrs. London's Fire Bread · Sweet Butter
Mrs. London's Croissants · Sissy's Sour Cherry and Blueberry Jams*

*Made by Sissy Hicks, former chef/owner, The Dorset Inn

When: Sunday, July 27 9 - 10:30 a.m. Where: The Lawn at Sheldon Farms Market

Tickets: Slow Food Members $15 Non-Members $20 Please reserve. Seating limited.

Food donated by Mrs. London's Bakery, Mountain View Farm, Sheldon Farms, and prepared gratis by Chef Christopher Tanner in support and celebration of the new Slow Food Chapter.

Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Slow Food Saratoga.

And/or Enjoy a Slow Food Lunch...

After our breakfast, or the Courthouse brunch, you'll want to visit a farm or two .... and the next thing you know....you'll be hungry again!

Chef Chris Tanner and Sheldons continue the Sunday Slow Food Benefit with a siesta-time fiesta.... from 1 pm - 3:30 pm. Stop by for a nice slow Yucatan-inspired meal to enjoy here or take home for supper.

We have not heard definitely that Johnny Depp will not be stopping by to partake in this very generous meal of Mexican goodness.....

Fresh sweet corn and black bean salsa with fresh tortilla chips
Cochinita Pibil (Traditional Yucatecan Pork Shoulder Slowly Roasted in Banana Leaves)
Chef-Made Tamale
Pickled Red Onions · Red Beans with Chorizo · Rice
Grilled Sheldon Corn with Lime Butter
Guacamole · Tomato Onion Salsa
Fresh hand-made stone ground white corn tortillas · Valentina Hot Sauce

When: Sunday, July 27 1 - 3:30 p.m. Where: The Lawn at Sheldon Farms Market

Tickets: Slow Food Members $20 Non-Members $25 Nap in the Hammock $100
Please reserve.

Ingredients donated by Sheldon Farms and prepared gratis by Chef Christopher Tanner in support of the new Slow Food Chapter.

Proceeds from ticket sales will benefit Slow Food Saratoga.

How (and many reasons why) to join Slow Food Saratoga

As a member of Slow Food Saratoga you'll receive discounts on Slow Food events in the Saratoga/Capital District area, in New York Cityand around the world...you'll meet fascinating people who enjoy good food and good living ... you'll receive Slow Food USA periodicals, beautifully designed and illustrated, provocatively written. Your membership includes:

A one-year subscription to the Snail, which covers good, clean and fair food issues such as sustainable seafood, alternative food distribution, protecting biodiversity and regional food traditions.
A selection of publications from Slow Food International that feature in-depth stories of the movement from around the world.
The Food Chain, our monthly e-newsletter that highlights the activities of our 160 convivia, our diverse programs and the latest headlines in food sustainability.
A personal membership card and a copy of the Slow Food Companion (for first-time members, mailed quarterly), which details Slow Food's mission, network and projects.
Membership in the Saratoga Convivium and invitations to local, national and international Slow Food events ranging from seasonal feasts to film festivals, farm tours to taste workshops.
Discounts on merchandise including the Slow Food Guides to New York City, Chicago and San Francisco and other items in our General Store. Call for member discount or order through the monthly Food Chain.

An individual membership equals only $5 a month.... Start saving with these great events by visiting the web (Link below - Amex, Mastercard and Visa accepted). Or stop by the farmstore for a brochure and membership form.

Learn More About Slow Food USA Membership

'There are consequences to the decisions we make every day about what we eat. If we support the people who take care of the land, cook the food ourselves
and come back to the table, we will discover a delicious way of life,' says Alice Waters, founder of Slow Food Nation, Slow Food International vice-president, and author of the foreword to Come to the Table: The Slow Food Way of Living.

Meet Chef Chris

Chef Christopher Tanner is a certified executive chef and member of the American Culinary Federation. With experience at numerous restaurants in NYC, Saratoga and Florida, Chef Chris is currently teaching at the prodigious culinary arts program at Schenectady County Community College, plus working on his Master's degree thesis in gastronomy at Boston University. He is classically trained in French haute cuisine as well as regional Italian, Mexican and Asian cuisines.

We have opened our roadside stand at the Christmas Shop on Rte 50 in Wilton, noon-6 pm, seven days a week. We are also at The Saturday Saratoga Farmers' Market and the Sunday Dorset Farmers' Market.

The heirloom tomatoes are ripening, sweet corn is sensational, green beans at their most luscious, and yes the Pennsylvania peaches have arrived. We also have Milky Way bars (please ask.)

We look forward to seeing you, and thank you for your support,

Pat and Albert at Sheldon Farms

What the heck is this Charcuterie Things?

2008-07-03T08:56:00.000-07:00

A number of people have been asking me what this charcuterie thing is that I do. I usually give a simple answer that it has to do with sausages, terrine, pate, galantine and the sort. However, I started to realize that they probably did not know what a terrine, pate or a galantine was either. So in the interest of education I thought I would post the Wikipedia article which I personally wrote a few weeks ago describing the different aspects of the craft. The article is not complete, it is missing items such as confit and I do not have specifics found in different cuisines, so check back soon and there should be some more info on there. The platter you see up to the right there is an example of a competition platter I did a couple years ago utilizing charcuterie skills. I hope everyone has a wonderful 4th of July.

Charcuterie, derived from the French words for flesh (chair) and cooked (cuit), is the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, galantines, pâtés, and confit, primarily from pork.^[1] Charcuterie is part of the garde manger chef's repertoire. Originally intended as a way to preserve meats before the advent of refrigeration, these preparations are prepared today for their flavors that are derived from the preservation processes.^[2] Charcuterie in Italy is known as salumi.

History

The Romans may be the first to have regulated the trade of charcuterie as they wrote laws regulating the proper production of pork joints; it was the French though, who raised the skill to an art. In 15th century France local guilds regulated tradesman in the food production industry in each city. The guilds that produced charcuterie were those of the charcutiers. The members of this guild produced a traditional range of cooked or salted and dried meats, which varied, sometimes distinctively, from region to region. The only "raw" meat the charcutiers were allowed to sell was unrendered lard. The charcutier prepared numerous items including pâtés, rillettes, sausages, bacon, trotters, and head cheese. These preservation methods ensured that meats would have a longer shelf-life.^[3]

Products created with forcemeats

Forcemeat is a mixture of ground, lean meat emulsified with fat. The emulsification can be accomplished by grinding, sieving, or pureeing the ingredients. The emulsification may either be smooth or coarse in texture, depending on the desired consistency of the final product. Forcemeats are used in the production of numerous items found in charcuterie. Proteins commonly used in the production of forcemeats include pork, fish (pike, trout, or salmon), seafood, game meats (venison, boar, or rabbit), poultry, game birds, veal, and pork livers. Pork fatback is often used for the fat portion of forcemeat as it has a somewhat neutral flavor.^[4]

In American usage, there are four basic styles of forcemeats. Straight forcemeats are produced by progressively grinding equal parts pork and pork fat with a third dominant meat which can be pork or another meat. The proteins are cubed and then seasoned, cured, rested, ground and then placed into desired vessel.^[4] Country-style forcemeats are a combination of pork, pork fat, often with the addition of pork liver and garnish ingredients. The finished product has a coarse texture.^[4] The third style is gratin which has a portion of the main protein browned; the French term gratin connotes a "grated" product that is browned.^[4]. The final style is mousseline which are very light in texture utilizing lean cuts of meat usually from veal, poultry, fish, or shellfish. The resulting texture comes from the addition of eggs and cream to this forcemeat.^[4]

Sausage

Derived through French from the Latin sal, "salt", sausage-making is a technique that involves placing ground or chopped meats along with salt into a tube. The tubes can vary, but the more common animal-derived tubes include sheep, hog, or cattle intestinal linings. Additionally, animal stomachs, bladders, as-well-as inedible casings produced from collagen, plant cellulose or paper are used. Not all casings are edible; inedible ones are primarily used to shape, store, and age the sausage.^[5] There are two main variants of sausage, fresh and cooked. Fresh sausages involve the production of raw meats placed into casings to be cooked at a later time, whereas cooked sausages are heated during production and are ready to eat at the end of production.^[6]

Emulsified sausage

Emulsified sausages are cooked sausages with a very fine texture, using the combination of pork, beef, or poultry with fat, salt, nitrate, flavorings and water. These items are emulsified at high-speed in a food processor or blender. During this process the salt dissolves the muscle proteins, which helps to suspend the fat molecules. Temperature is an important part of the process, if the temperature rises above 60 degrees for pork or 70 degrees for beef, the emulsification will not hold and fat will leak from the sausage during the cooking process.^[6]

Pâté, terrine, galantine, roulade

Pâté and terrines are often cooked in a pastry crust or a earthenware container. Both the earthenware container and the dish itself are called a terrine. Pâté and terrine are very similar: the term pâté often suggests a finer-textured forcemeat utilizing liver, while terrines are more often made of a coarser forcemeat. The meats are chopped or ground, along with heavy seasoning, which may include fat and other proteins. The seasoning is important for pâté and terrine as they will generally be served cold, as the seasoning must be increased as the flavors will be muted when cold.^[7]

The mixture is placed into a lined mold, covered and cooked in a water bath to control the temperature, which will keep the forcemeat from separating as the water bath slows the heating process of the terrine. Pâté and terrine are generally cooked to 160 degrees, while terrine made of foie gras are generally cooked to an internal temperature of 120 degrees. After the proper temperature is reached the terrine is removed from the oven and placed into a cooling unit topped with a weight to compact the contents of the terrine. Then it is allowed to rest for several days to allow the flavors to blend.^[7]

Galantine is a chilled production of poultry created after the French Revolution by the chef to the Marquis de Brancas. The term galant connotes urbane sophistication. Other origins are suggested: the older French word for chicken géline or galine or the word gelatin which sources suggest that the spelling of gelatin transformed into the words galentyne, galyntyne, galandyne, and galendine. The galantine is prepared by skinning and de-boning a chicken or other poultry. The skin is laid flat, with the pounded breast laid on top. A forcemeat is then placed on top of the pounded breast. The galantine is then rolled with the ends of the breast meeting one another. The galantine is then wrapped in cheesecloth and poached in poultry stock until the proper internal temperature is reached.^[8]

Roulade is similar to a galantine. There are two major differences, the first difference is that instead of rolling the poultry evenly for the ends of the breasts to meet, the bird is rolled into a pinwheel shape. The second difference is that when the roulade is cooled it is chilled after it has been removed from the poaching liquid.^[8]

Salt-cured and brined products

Salt serves four main purposes in the preservation of food in the charcuterie kitchen. The first is inducing osmosis: this process involves the movement of water outside of the cell membranes of the proteins, which in turn reabsorb the salted water back into the cell; this process assists in the destruction of harmful pathogens. The second is dehydration, which means that the salt pulls excess water from the protein, which aids in the shelf-life of the protein as there is less moisture present for bacteria to thrive in. Fermentation is the third, in which salt assists in halting the fermentation process in meat which would otherwise completely break it down. Finally, salt assists in denaturing proteins, which in essence means that the structure of the proteins are effectively shifted, similar to the effects of cooking.^[9]

Before the discovery of nitrates and nitrites by German chemists around 1900, curing was done with unrefined salt and saltpeter (potassium nitrate). As saltpeter gives inconsistent results, and has been outlawed in the United States for culinary uses since 1975, nitrate and nitrates have increased in popularity for their consistent results. Nitrates take a considerably longer period of time to break down in cured foods than nitrites; because of this fact nitrates are the preferred curing salts for lengthy curing and drying periods. Nitrites are often used in foods that require a shorter curing time and are used for any item that will be fully cooked.^[10] Eventually a portion of the nitrates will break down into nitrites.^[11]

Nitrite has multiple purposes in the curing process. One purpose is flavor, the nitrites give a sharp, piquant flavor to the meat. Secondly the nitrites react with the meat molecules to produce nitric oxide. In producing nitric oxide the iron becomes incapable of breaking down the fat in the meat, thus halting rancidity. The binding also creates the characteristic reddish color found in most cured meats. Finally the nitrite inhibits the growth of botulism which would ordinarily thrive in the oxygen-deprived environment in the sausage casing. German scientists originally named botulism poisoning Wurstvergiftung or "sausage disease". The term botulism derives its name from the Latin term for sausage.^[12]

Nitrates and nitrites have been noted to react with one another and form nitrosamines which are known to cause cancer. Recent research has proven this risk to be minimal, but regulations in the United States limit residual nitrates and nitrites to 200 parts per million (0.02%) as a cautionary measure.^[12]

Curing salt blends

There are two main types of curing salt mixtures used by the charcutier. The first is known by multiple names, including "tinted cure mix", "pink cure", "prague powder", or "insta-cure #1". The mixture is 94 percent sodium chloride and 6 percent sodium nitrate. When used, the recommended amount is a ratio of 4oz/113g for each 100lb/45.36kg of meat or 4 percent of the total weight of the meat. This blend is colored bright pink to keep the charcutier from confusing the mixture with regular salt.^[13]

The second curing salt blend is called "prague powder II" or "insta-cure #2". Also colored pink to differentiate it from table salt, this blend is produced from salt, sodium nitrite, and sodium nitrate. This mixture is used for dry-sausages that require a longer drying period which requires the presence of nitrate.^[13]

Seasoning and flavoring agents

Sweeteners and other flavoring agents are necessary in the production of many cured products due to the harsh flavors of the curing salts. A number of sweeteners can be used in curing foods, including dextrose, sugar, corn syrup, honey, and maple syrup. Dextrose is seen often in cured meats as it not only mellows the harshness, but it also increases the moisture content of the cured product while not adding a sweet flavor to the cured meat. The sweeteners also assist in stabilizing the colors in meats and it also helps the fermentation process by giving a nutrient to the bacteria.^[14]

Numerous spices and herbs are used in the curing process to assist with the flavor of the final product. The sweet spices regularly used include cinnamon, allspice, nutmeg, mace, and cardamom. Other flavoring agents may include dried and fresh chilies, wine, fruit juice, or vinegar.^[14]

Fermented sausage

Fermented sausage are created by salting chopped or grounds meats to remove moisture, while allowing beneficial bacteria to break down mild flavored proteins into highly aromatic and flavorful molecules. Bacteria, including Lactobacilli and Leuconostoc, break down these protein molecules and create lactic acid which not only affects the flavor of the sausage, but also lowers the pH from 6 to 4.5-5, making the environment less suitable to bacteria that may spoil the sausage. The effects are magnified during the drying process, as the salt and acidity are concentrated as the moisture is extracted.^[15]

The ingredients found in a fermented sausage include meat, fat, bacterial culture, salt, spices, sugar and nitrate. Nitrate must be added to fermented sausages to stop the formation of botulism bacteria. The sugar is added to aid the bacterial culture in the production of lactic acid during the 18-hour to three-day fermentation process, the time depending on the temperature in which the sausage is stored at: the lower the temperature, the longer the fermentation period. A white mold and yeast normally adheres to the outside of the sausage during the drying process. This mold adds to the flavor of the sausage but also aids in preventing harmful bacteria attaching itself to the drying sausage.^[15]

There are two main types of fermented sausage. The first would be the dry, salted, spiced sausages found in the warmer climates of the Mediterranean in countries such as Italy, Spain, and Portugal. As these sausages contain 25-35% water and more than 4% salt, they may be stored at room temperature. The sausages of northern Europe are usually contain less salt, usually around 3% , 40-50% water and as such do not dry well in the humid climate of countries like Germany.^[15]

Charcuterie: Preserving a Classical Skill

2008-07-01T20:16:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite parts of classical French cooking is the preparation of garde manger items. Specifically I love pates, terrines, rillettes, sausages and other similar items which are more specifically considered charcuterie. I go through phases of what I like to prepare depending on the time of year and other outside influences, such as seeing fresh product used to make such items. During the summer I tend to lean toward seafood and poultry items, while the fall and winter tends to bring forth heavier pork preparations along with turkey and game meats.

Many of these items were originally prepared as a way of preserving food longer or using pieces of the animal that there was little other usage for. Today we have such access to ingredients that not only do we get to utilize ancillary proteins in our kitchens, but we can use just about any flavor combination we desire, as long as it is tasty.

Seeing as we are in summer, I will share a recipe for a Trout Galantine with Dilled, Smoked Trout Forcemeat.

Trout Galantine with Dilled, Smoked Trout Forcemeat
Ingredients:
1 tablespoon butter
2 oz. onion, minced
3 oz. smoked trout fillet, skinned, chopped coarsely
3 oz. trout fillet, skinned, chopped coarsely
2 slices white bread, crust removed
1 egg white
1.5 tablespoon light cream
pinch of salt, ground white pepper, nutmeg and dry mustard
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 teaspoon fresh dill, minced
7 trout fillets, skinned, 3oz. each
Enough fish broth to submerge galantine in poaching vessal

Method:
1. Melt butter in a medium saute pan over medium/high heat and onions and cook until soft, but do allow to color, remove from pan and allow to cool.
2. Place smoked and fresh chopped trout into a large bowl, top with the sauteed onion and bread. Top egg white and cream to moisten bread and top with salt, white pepper, nutmeg and dry mustard. Place in cooler and chill for at least 1 hour.
3. Grind all chilled ingredients through the finest die of a meat grinder. Sieve through a drum sieve or strainer into a bowl over ice.
4. Mix ground forcemeat with whipping cream over iced bowl and then fold in dill.
5. Place trout fillets down on a layer of plastic wrap making sure they touch one another with the skin side up. Completely cover fillets with trout forcemeat. Once covered, roll the covered trout fillets into a log to create the galantine. Roll galantine in plastic wrap or cheese cloth as tightly as possible and tie the ends tightly with butchers twine.
6. Chill galantine while warming fish broth t0 175 degrees. Once at the proper temperature, submerge galantine in broth and poach for 30 minutes or until an internal temperature of 140 degrees is reached. Remove pan from heat, add 8 oz of ice cubes to poaching liquid and chill the galantine inside poaching vessel for 6-8 hours or until fully chilled.
7. Remove galantine from poaching liquid, unwrap and slice as desired. Serve with a dill or tarragon infused mayonnaise and a light salad as a first course or a light luncheon.

I have quite a large library of books on garde manger. Any chef would do well to have many of these in their repertoire, but any home cook with some practice can make any of these items as well. The most important part of attaining the ingredients for charcuterie and other garde manger items is to assure that the items are of the utmost freshness. So with that, I give you a list of suggested books for you to work on your own garde manger and charcuterie skills.

Book List
Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen by The Culinary Institute of America.
Third edition is due out January 3rd 2008

The Professional Chef's Art of Garde Manger by Frederic H. Sonnenschmidt.
Chef Sonnenschmidt is a walking reference book and classical practitioner of the craft, this was my textbook in culinary school.

The Professional Garde Manger: A Guide to the Art of the Buffet by David Paul Larousse .
Another textbook style book, good writing

Modern Garde Manger by Robert B Garlough, Angus Campbell.
Winner of the International Association of Culinary Professionals cookbook award in the food reference/technical category.

Professional Charcuterie: Sausage Making, Curing, Terrines, and Pâtés by John Kinsella and David T. Harvey.
An absolute favorite of mine, especially for the sausage recipes.

Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing by Michael Ruhlman (Author), Brian Polcyn (Author), Thomas Keller (Foreword).
Aimed more at the home cook, this is a great book, and makes the topic very non-intimidating.

Pates and Terrines by Edouard Lonque (Author), Michael Raffael (Author), Frank Wesel (Author), Friedrich W. Ehlert (Editor).
An excellent book, one of my favorites. Very classical type recipes, this book is out of print, so it is slightly more pricey.

Kochkunst in Bildern 6: International Exhibition for Culinary Art 2000 (International Exhibition for Culinary Art) by International Exhibition for Culinary Art .
This is one of the books from the culinary Olympics that takes place every four years in Germany. This is one of my favorite editions, it is a book of pictures of competition garde manger platters and it is very inspirational for new ideas.

Eat a Little New Japanese in Boston

2008-06-24T21:55:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I am impressed with a culinary technique. This dish I recently might not be all that exciting to some Molecular Gastronomy cooks, but to the rest of the world you kiddos might find it part of the 2010 odyssey.

I dined at Oisshi in Boston last Friday and had some epiphanies. First, I could not deny the exquisite thoughts of having nine types of salmon as sashimi. Let me repeat that for those of you that didn't pay attention, nine types of salmon. One of them was an ivory salmon with a white colored flesh that I have not had in about six years.

So I had fresh fish, big deal, yeah I had some Kobe beef dishes, that's not even exciting anymore. The dish that impressed me was a hamachi dish. The chef took a super small cast iron dish and heated a small amount of cherry wood chips in it until smoking. He then dropped it into a glass lined with red beans. On top of the little dish he placed a small bamboo cover over which he placed a small bamboo bowl containing a soy marinated array of hamachi pieces. The glass was them covered and brought to me. I was instructed to wait 30 seconds to uncover the dish to wait for the smoke to flavor the fish.

I waited, I received... perfection. I am rarely impressed and I was truly impressed by this dish. Not only this dish but the whole meal. This course will remain with me for years though. The meal was not cheap, but well worth it. The Omakase menu is about $150.00, plus drinks. That does account of r seven courses, which in NYC I wouldn't complain about, but this is Boston. To their defense 90 percent of their seafood comes fresh from Japan daily.

If you want to enjoy a night here, bring a healthy wallet and an open mind.

Website: www.oishiiboston.com

Address:
1166 Washington St
Boston, MA 02118

Phone:
(617) 482-8868

TA~KE Korean Restaurant Albany, NY

2008-06-15T11:56:00.000-07:00

Recently I came back from a trip to New York City where I spent a day eating all sorts of different cuisines from various Asian cultures. I stopped at a few restaurants in Koreatown and was throughly impressed with many of the dishes I tried. I had thought that the only place I would be able to get decent Korean food would be in NYC or some other major city, however, a few days ago I had the pleasure of finding a great place right near my hometown that features a wonderful menu of traditional Korean dishes named TA~KE.

TA~KE is an interesting restaurant concept. Not only do they feature a diverse Korean menu, but they also feature a Japanese sushi bar, as well as a number of Japanese cooking tables. Although I found the mix of the two culturally at odds, the majority of people wouldn't realize that fact and would just enjoy the great food offered by the restaurant. On the day I went, I was looking for Korean cuisine, so I opted out of any of the Japanese dishes. Just to note though, the cooking tables looked great and the fish in the sushi case looked superbly fresh. The restaurant is broken up into two sections, the Japanese cooking table to the room on the right and the main dining room to the left where the Korean menu is served. The room was decorated minimally, with a full-bar and sushi bar to the back of the room. There were a number of flat-screen TVs attached to the upper portions of the walls, which seems to be popular in many Asian restaurants these days.

I was greatly promptly at the door and was brought to a table toward the edge of the room. As I had decided to dine at 3:30 in the afternoon, I was the only person in the dining room and as such was personally waited on by one of the chefs which was an asset to the experience. The menu was very diverse, featuring numerous Korean BBQ dishes, as well as numerous meat and vegetable dishes. There are even a few vegetarian options for those of the herbivore persuasion. The menu was printed in both Korean and English which is always a good sign as it means Koreans in the area are likely dining here on a regular basis. Although I knew many of the dishes on the menu, I opted for the chefs suggestion with a note that I love traditional Korean cuisine and love the spicy stuff.

He suggested I go with the traditional pork BBQ, as it would give me a chance to try not only the BBQ, bot also a variety of kimch'i that they make in house, along with some other vegetable side-dishes. Each meal comes with a bowl of miso soup, although an odd beginning for a Korean meal, as this restaurant was a fusion of Japanese cuisine and Korean cuisine in one room, that said the soup was very good. The entree was traditionally set in front of me, with pieces of sliced highly-seasoned pork, grilled with peppers and some other vegetables and served on a sizzling hot sizzle platter. Appropriately placed to the back of the sizzling meat were two types of cabbage kimch'i, then to the right a pickled bean sprout salad and shredded Korean radish. The traditional lettuce leaves for putting all the ingredients in were also on the table, along with a small bowl of steamed short-grain rice.

To eat Korean BBQ, you take any desired amount of the ingredients and put them into a lettuce leaf, roll it up and eat it sort of like a poorly wrapped burrito. The food was utterly amazing, on par with some of the better Korean food I have had in major cities. I wish I could've had a personal hibachi to cook my BBQ at the table, but this was the next best thing, I'll save the personal cooking for my next trip to NYC.

My service was great, very personable and added to the experience. The chef waiting on me was from Korea and was excited to talk to me about the food and even brought me out some other types of kimch'i to try. I would go back here in a heart beat. The entrees are all under $20.00 with a number of them close to the $10.00 mark. I look forward to being a regular at TA~KE Restaurant.

TA~KE Restaurant
500 Northern Blvd.
Albany, NY

Phone: 518-465-5511

Website: none

Shopping for Produce in Upstate New York

2008-05-15T05:21:00.000-07:00

Among the many challenges of moving back to New York has been the inability to find decent produce. Having moved to Saratoga Springs from Boston, I was used to having Whole Foods Market, Trader Joes as-well-as the local farmer's markets in Boston and Cambridge. Let's also not forget that I could stop into the North End on a weekly basis to pick up my borrata cheese (fresh mozzarella with cream inside), Italian charcuterie and then go off to Cambridge to Formaggio Kitchen for some specialty produce like framboise from France, hundreds of cheeses from all over the world. Gotta say I miss the joys of Super 88 as well, an Asian supermarket that is the size of most generic supermarkets, but this one also comes with a full variety of Asian fast food stalls in front as well. Let's call it an Asian food court of sorts, which really doesn't do it justice.

So what do we have in upstate New York? Our main grocery store is Price Chopper. Now Price Chopper isn't a bad grocery store. Some locations are better than others, so consistansy of product offerings can be spotty. They are a local company, out of Schenectady, NY and as such it seems they limit themselves to what they think the local market is used to. Once in awhile exotic ingredients pop up, but honestly is daikon, key lime, ugli fruit, or plantain all that exotic? Their selection of organic produce is limited to the most common ingredients like bell peppers, tomatoes, zucchini and the sort all from a mass production California farm, to me this is one step away from what Wal-Mart is going to do, buy organic produce from China. I have to say though, over the years they have improved, but I think there is quite a bit more room to improve as well.

Hannaford has worked a little harder at making an effort to offer organics and "whole" foods to their consumers by offering a full section that is quite substantial to their customers. Price Chopper has this section in some stores as well, but it is in some stores, not all and in many the section is hidden while Hannaford places the section is extreme prominence in the center of the store or in a section all guests will readily see it. Additionally Hannaford's organic produce is a bit more substantial and labeled well. This may be part of the reason that Hannaford has been certified as an organic grocery store which it shares along with Whole Foods, but they certainly are not at the same level yet. Again though, like Price Chopper, Hannaford's organic produce is the California factory-farmed produce.

Major differences, Whole Foods is clean, it is ALWAYS clean. Hannaford, at least not all of their stores can state this. Trader Joe's is extremely inexpensive, they sell a large variety of organic foods and they are often as inexpensive as most generic grocery store's sale items. The people who work at Whole Foods are extremely excited, happy to be working there (or at least act that way) and are very knowledgeable. I can not tell you how often I go into a Price Chopper or Hannaford and I have to listen to cashiers and employees bitch about their lives and their jobs, just on a whole unprofessional.

So what are the other options, well luckily we have great great farms in this area. We even have a large number of farmer's markets with some of them being year round. The Saratoga Springs' market held at High Rock is a particular joy, and I have heard wondrous things about both the Troy, NY market and even the Albany and Schenectady markets. There is even one in Ballston Spa where one of my fellow chef instructor's daughters displays her wondrous produce. So there is one great option, as long as you are willing to go with their schedules.

I've also been told that there are a number of local farms producing high quality goat meat, chickens and eggs. What is still lacking however is the style of Italian markets found in most major cities, or even just meat markets and seafood markets in general. Yes yes, many will tell me that we have Cousins market in Albany, and no I don't find them all that great honestly. Good enough, is not great and I find them as a whole to be good enough. They get the generic stuff in and if you really want anything Im sure they will get it for you, and charge you up the nose for it as well, and you also can't just buy one or two fillets or small fish either, not a good option for a single person like myself.

So what do I do if I want a special piece of fish, or high quality prosciutto, cheese or otherwise? Do I need to order it from some far reaching producer who will charge me an absurd price, not to mention shipping costs which I have done and won't do again, not worth the price. For now I think the answer is to stick to the local farms, I belong to one local community supported agriculture farm at the moment and will be joining my work colleagues' daughter's farm soon as well (just need to write the check).

We also have a few co-ops and green grocery stores in the area. I shop at the Green Grocer in Clifton Park, NY. In Saratoga Springs, NY there is a smaller shop on Phila Street called Four Seasons while in Albany they have the Honest Weight Food Co-Op which many of my friends have raved about, but I have yet to make it to.

I have also found that there is a Whole Foods Market 77 miles from me in Hadley, Ma so perhaps every other week I may drive out there to pick up better meats, fish and other items which I can not attain locally as most of the "higher quality meats in the co-ops seem to be sold frozen, not fresh.

We all need to do our effort to preserve real food, otherwise we will all be eating generic mass marketed foods with no taste or flavor. One has to worry when Wal-Mart and Target make the claims that they plan to be the largest sellers of organic and whole foods. As much as I have disdained much of the snobbery of the localvore and other movements, I see what many of them are going for i just wish they didn't "preach" so much so that others would find the concept more appealing. I am going to list a number of local farmer's markets in the Capital district area of New York below for anyone who may be interested in seeking them out for themselves.

Farmer's Markets in the Capital District of New York

Capital district Farmer's Market
CAPITAL DISTRICT COOPERATIVE, INC.
381 Broadway
Menands, New York 12204

Troy Farmer's market
Hedley Park Place, on River St in Troy, NY
Every Saturday from 9am to 1pm.

Saratoga Farmer's Market
Saratoga Springs
Summer Market: May - October
Wednesday, 3:00pm-6:00pm
Saturday, 9:00am-1:00pm
High Rock Ave.

Winter Market: November - April
Saturday, 9:00am-1:00pm
Salvation Army Building,
Woodlawn Ave.

Clifton Park
July - October
Thursday, 2:00pm-5:00pm
St. George's Church parking lot,
Rte. 146 - 1 miles W. of I-87 Exit 9

Bar Boulud a Brasserie in New York City

2008-04-27T16:47:00.000-07:00

Oh how I do love my charcuterie, on a recent trip to New York City I had the chance to imbibe in some of the best charcuterie I have had in years. Bar Boulud is one of Daniel Boulud's newest restaurant in New York City that specializes in classical brasserie cuisine in a casual environment. On the day I went, we arrived early so we were the first people in the dining room. It was clear after an hour though, that if we had not mad a reservation we would of been waiting at the door for quite some time as the restaurant filled up quickly and a crowd was soon gathered at the door waiting for open tables.

The entrance the the restaurant is simple, a full glass windowed wall, with a barrel sign with the name of the restaurant on it. After going through two heavy glass doors we were welcomed by a beutiful restaurant, narrow but with considerable depth to the room. There are a number of traditional tables in the front of the dining room with a long bay of booths running the length of the dining room. Toward the back of the room was a large round communal table with a wine display in the center. To the left of the dining room is a charcuterie bar where diners can sit in front of the impressive selection of charcuterie with the chefs and cooks working behind. On the left wall above the booths are a number of framed wine stains each labeled from which bottle of wine they came from, all very impressive wines.

The menu is very classical brasserie cuisine which seems hot right now in the restaurant scene. Classics like Croque Monsieur (grilled ham and greyure cheese with bechamel), Boudin Blanc, Boudin Noir (blood sausage), Frisee Lyonnaise (frisee salad with bacon lardons, sourdough croutons, chicken liver and poached egg), Steak Frites, along with an impressive variety of charcuterie.

The charcuterie may be ordered individually with selection like Pate Grand-Mere, Lapin De La Garrigue (pulled rabbit and vegetable terrine), Fromage de Tete (head cheese terrine), Compote De Joue De Boeuf (shredded slow-braised beef cheek with onion confit and pistachio), Terrine de Poularde Au Citron et Coriandre (chicken terrine with lemon and cilantro), amongst others. The selection is slightly larger for dinner than is available for lunch. If you want to try a little of everything there are two options for a Degustation de Charcuterie, the small offering is $22 while the large selection is $46. Traditional accompaniments come along with the charcuterie, selections included carrots with coriander, beets with horseradish, celery root and apple remoulade, and potatoes with fennel and olives.

To round out the menu is a beutiful assortment of cheeses offered in a selection of three ($14), five ($21), or seven ($28). The dessert selection is classic French as well with a selection of petit fours ($8), Floating Islands ($8), and a selection of pastries like the classical Gateau Basque. There is also a selection of in-house made ice creams and a tropical fruit salad for those watching the calories, but if you are eating here why go for fruit, just make the sacrifice and try something truly amazing like the petit fours and Gateau Basque like we did.

I obviously tried the charcuterie, which was amazing. We also went with the Boudin Noir and Boudin Blanc, both very light in texture and perfect in flavor. It was truly hard to just go with the selection we did but it was lunch and there were more meals planned for later in the day. The wine list is simple but with exquisite selections. The only draw back to the meal might be the prices, but honestly you pay for what you get. The total meal with two glasses of wine each came to about $200 with tip, worth every penny or dollar I should say. I will certainly be back to Bar Boulud again.

Bar Boulud Website

Telephone 1-212-595-0303

1900 Broadway (between 63rd and 64th)
New York, NY 10023

Brunch: Saturday-Sunday 11:00am - 2:30pm
Lunch: Monday-Friday Noon - 2:30pm
Dinner: Sunday 5:00pm - 10:00pm
Monday-Thursday 5:00pm - 11:00pm
Friday & Saturday 5:00pm - Midnight

Late Night Charcuterie and Cheese Menu
Friday & Saturday Midnight - 1:00am
Sunday 10:00pm - 11:00pm

Chez Pierre Restaurant

2008-04-19T16:49:00.000-07:00

In my last blog I talked about being impressed by a restaurant that has been open for over 30 years, but the results of the meal were not hot. Yesterday though, I went to a restaurant in Ganesvorrt, NY just outside of Saratoga Springs that has been open for 44 years and I had one a meal that showed the positive side of 44 years of experience.

Chez Pierre is a classical French restaurant that certainly makes no apoligies for being old-school French. The dishes remind one of French cuisine promoted in Escoffier's Le Guide Culinaire. If you want to remember the haute cuisine that I love, you must go here.

Located off of route 9 in Ganesvoort, NY Chez Pierre is an easy restaurant to get to. For some it may be too far out of Saratoga, but on the Friday night I went in, it was obvious that the location was not an issue to many as after 7 pm the place was packed. The restaurant is located in a cute mid-size building with a small Eiffel tower outside to let the diners know where to stop when driving by.

The dining room was quaint, nothing ultra modern, kinda plain maybe a little dated but perhaps some might say the cuisine is as well but I also love that about this place. It screams "local French bistro." Make sure you watch out for the floor when you walk in, there are multiple levels that could trip you up as it did to me.

The dining room was covered in white linen with pink cloth napkins and antique -type etched crystal water glasses. The bar seemed very classic French, one might think that Van Gogh was going to come sit next to you with a bottle of Absinthe. Sadly, the bar did not have any Pastis, which is the modern legal version of Absinthe, just without the wormwood.

As mentioned, the menu is very old-school French. Escargots with garlic and herbs, Beef Wellington, Veal Oscar, Tournados Henri IV, Chateaubriand, Steak Diane, Frogs Legs Provencal, Couquille Saint Jacques, Supreme De Poulet "Valdostana", Paupiette de Veau, Filet of Sole Marguery, and I could continue with dishes that excited me.

With our bread was delivered a nice slice of Pate Grand Mere. A nice pork terrine with liver added to it. It had a good texture to it and a wonderful flavor. The bread seemed a bit "white breadish, not very classical baguette in my opinion. The accompaniment of packaged crackers detracted from the quality of the bread course to me as well.

It was really hard for me to choose what to order. I wanted frog's legs and escargot, but my dining companion didn't want either, so I we got the Couquille Saint Jacques and the escargot, both were by-God amazing. The escargot came in these small ceramic mock snail shells and the Couquille was served in an actual scallop shell with some beautiful swiss cheese browned on top.

For entree, I went with the Paupiette de Veau, (veal pounded out thin and rolled with cheese and ham). Cooked perfectly and served with a beautiful sauce. A bit heavy for a summer night, as were most items on the menu, but one does not goto this restaurant to eat seasonally, you dine here to eat the food of La Varenne, Antoine Careme and Escoffier. The sides were orange glazed carrots which were perfectly cooked until soft and Potato Dauphinoise. Both sides were very flavorful.

If that was not enough, I had to go for dessert, I usually don't go for the basic desserts like chocolate mousse, but if there was a place to get mousse, this was it, it was phenomenal, like airy and rich with chocolate and lacking in graininess. My espresso was served in a percolator, it was disappointing, cold and as such lacking in flavor. The Grand Marnier at the end of the meal made up for the espresso though.

Our server was great, it was obvious she had been working there for some years and knew her stuff. The service was a bit slow at times in the meal as the room was packed and they were a little understaffed, but the timing didn't make me uncomfortable, she preformed well for the issues dealt to her.

If there was to be a restaurant in the area I live in now that I had a standing order for a weekly dining reservation, this would be the place. It made me feel like I was at a local French restaurant that I should know everyone's name as well as their family member's names. I may not be back weekly, but I will certainly be a regular.

Website - http://www.chezpierrerestaurant.com/

Hours - Serving Dinner Tuesday - Friday, 5:30pm - 10:00pm
Saturday, 5:00pm - 10:00pm
and Sunday 5:00pm - 9:00pm
Racing Season Schedule - 7 Days, 5:00pm - 10:00pm

Chez Pierre Restaurant
979 Route 9
Gansevoort NY, 12831
(518) 793-3350 or (800) 672-0666
Email: chezpierre_12831@yahoo.com

Hiro's Japanese Restaurant In Albany, NY

2008-04-01T06:43:00.000-07:00

It's not often one sees a restaurant that has been around for thirty-plus years. It is even less often one sees a Japanese restaurant around for that long, but there is one in Albany, NY that has the unique distinction. Hiro's Japanese Restaurant on Central Avenue is a main-stay that has been brining in patrons far and wide from the New York Capital District since 1972.

I have driven by this restaurant for many years and I am ashamed to say that I have only recently taken the time to go in for a meal. Seeing the restaurant from the road I have always remembered people telling me that I needed to have reservations in order to visit so I think this kept me at bay. I just happened to be driving by this past week and decided on a whim to stop by when I saw the "open" light on.

Having an early dinner is usually odd to me, even on a Sunday, but on this particular day dinner was to be had at 3:00pm which luckily was their opening time on Sundays which is a great thing for an early dinner or a late lunch. Their sign upon entering also stated that they serve lunch Tuesday-Saturday earlier in the day.

We were greated by a nice young lady who asked us if we were interested in the dining room or the cooking table. I had not known this, but Hiro's not only serves traditional sushi, but they also feature two Teppanyaki tables. Teppanyaki for the uninitiated is what many refer to as a habaci grill. It is pretty much a large flat-top grill where a "chef" puts on a show for the crowd. If you have ever seen a Bennihana, you have seen this style of cookery. As for myself I get little joy or excitement from watching this show-over-flavor American version of Japanese cookery, so we opted for a regular table.

The building and dining room have started to show their age a little bit and sitting near a window seat gave me a bit of a chill. I was a little put off by the vacuum cleaner that one of the servers kept trying to run when we first came in, but one of the other servers, probably more seasoned kept trying to stop him.

The menus at first look were nice, but limited compared to what is offered at many of the numerous Japanese restaurants now found in the Capital District. As with my personal tradition, I decided to order a couple cooked items from the (stained) menu as appetizers and go with a sushi/sashimi combination dinner. An interesting offering is the personal choice to add a multi-course experience to the meal. I suppose to some this might seem like an "extra" but in most Japanese restaurants these days this "option" is part of any dinner entree one might order. Usually one gets a crisp greens salad with a ginger dressing and miso soup and a piece of orange. This option included that, along with pork katsu and green tea ice cream.

The first appetizer was mushroom terriyaki, a dish of button mushrooms stir-fried with terriyaki sauce. Not all that exciting, but not bad. It could of had a variety of mushrooms, especially shitakes or something else in the Japanese realm along with some ginger/garlic and some green onions, instead of leaves of iceberg lettuce.

The second appetizer was a vegetable tempura, at first glance it was attractive, the batter looked light but then I took a few bites. The broccoli had a large amount of raw batter inside, and all of the pieces were pretty greasy which is odd for tempura. The final appetizer was stir-fried spinach with bonito flakes which I actually enjoyed except the portion size was absurdly small.

The pork katsu arrived next, it was nice in contrast to the other appetizers. Very crispy exterior with a contrasting softness of onions and pork on the interior. The sauce on the outside was a nice contrast to the fried texture. Again, presentation took a side seat here with the katsu sitting on a piece of iceberg lettuce. Perhaps some shredded shiso or daikon radish may of added to the dish.

The miso soup was OK, generic and lacking in the normal bites of tofu or shitake I am used to, there was however some wakame seaweed present. The salad was truly unexciting as it was a combination of shredded lettuce, celery, cucumber and a chunk of iceberg lettuce with an odd watery dressing on top.

My entree as I mentioned earlier was a sushi/sashimi combo. Four pieces of sushi along with 2 pieces of salmon sashimi, 2 pieces of tuna sashimi, 2 pieces of mackerel sashimi, and a piece of nondescript white fish along with a tuna roll. The fish was very fresh, the rice was properly cooked. The presentation was a bit plain but was not unappealing, again some shredded daikon or shiso would've been a nice touch instead of batons of cucumber and is pink pickled ginger popular anymore? The white ginger without coloring seems to be the more popular way to go over the odd looking pink stuff. My dining partner had the Salmonyaki, I'm guessing Salmon Terriyaki. It seemed very over cooked, again sitting on a bed of iceberg lettuce. Someone surely must have stock in iceberg lettuce in this place.

A great end to the meal though was the green tea ice cream, which ever brand Hiro's purchases should be purchased by everyone else in the area that serves it. The green tea they offered was hot and flavorful as well. A request for bottled water during the meal gained an odd look and a glass of tap water was brought to the table. In a day when there are so many warnings about drinking tap water thee should be the option, not to mention a loss of potential revenue for the restaurant for such a simple item to carry.

My server was excellent, she was attentive and cheerful. She had a smile on her face the entire time and any requests were fulfilled quickly. The woman behind the sushi bar who I assumed to be the owner came over and said hello to us and thought we were someone else from a local newspaper who ironically just happened to give a review for the restaurant a couple weeks ago.

The prices weren't all that bad for the average Japanese restaurant. Two people, with three appetizers (very small however) along with two entrees, soup, salad, pork katsu appetizer and ice cream came up to just around 75.00 with tip. It may seem a little high for lunch in the Capital District but sushi/ sashimi is always expensive no matter where you go and although the appetizers were a bit small, it was still quite a bit of food.

Hiro's Japanese Restaurant

1933 Central Ave
Albany, NY 12205

(518) 456-1180

Reservations suggested, especially for the teppanyaki tables as they only have two.

Hours: Lunch, 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Tuesday through Friday. Dinner, 3 to 9 p.m. Sunday, 5 to 9:30 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday, 5 to 10:30 p.m. Friday and 4:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Saturday; closed Monday.

Boy That is Some Funky Food Mr.

2008-03-24T20:10:00.000-07:00

I'm sitting here watching No Reservations with Anthony Bourdain on the Travel Channel right now. He is in China and eating some Peking duck and it just reminds me how much I miss going to China Town in New York City. There is nothing like seeing those golden brown lacquered ducks hanging in the window in the temperature danger zone, sometimes you just have to say screw the rules and go for the good stuff. For any of my students who may be reading this, you will be tested on my lectures and the text not my personal food rants.

I have had the opportunity to eat a number of "odd" foods in my lifetime, Turkey Fries (fried turkey testicles) when I cooked out in Yosemite, along with alligator meat for the same event. I've also cooked Kangaroo, Elk, Bison, Reindeer, Wild Boar, Bear, Ostrich, Wild Duck, Rabbit, Hare, Suckling Pig, Rattlesnake and I'm sure some others I can't recall right now. I will say I am glad I have never had to cook any insects, but I have had the chance to eat some.

There is a couple shops in Chinatown in NYC that sell candies made from insects. My first introduction to this odd sort of candy was from baby candied crabs which wasn't too odd (when I had ingested large amounts of alcohol) but became odd to me the next day ironically. Imagine stopping into one of the less "western" shops in NYC and seeing fried worms, maggots and other insect things. You thought these things only showed up on Andrew Zimmerman's show, but you can find them in NYC as well. I however have forgotten the shops these "foods" were contained in.

Lucky for all of you that ummmm care to try bugs, I am going to New York City on Friday in an effort to find this shop. To balance out this trip I also happen to be going to Bar Boulud for lunch to research some modern charcuterie and then I am going to WD-50 for dinner so that I can eat some fun new-styled food by chef Wylie Dufresne, that funky chef judge guy on Top Chef last week.

So I hope to have some picture for you guys after this weekend of some creepy crawly foods. For those of you for a different adventure I will make sure to take my camera into WD-50 and Bar Boulud. I wish I had more time actually to stop into Dim Sum Go-Go but that might have to wait until next time.

Cooking And Dating: A Guy’s View In the Kitchen (From NY Times)

2008-03-23T16:18:00.000-07:00

I was looking up something on the net and came across this article from the New York Times published in 1996. It reminded me oh so much about years of dating women who got nothing about my obsession with cooking and it was nice to read an article by someone who shared my disdain for women who have an ambivalence for food. I have a hard time dating anyone who doesn’t at least somewhat share my obsession for food and cuisine. Until I find that person, I’ll remain the table of one so as to no longer undergo the experiences as described below, enjoy.

Cooking And Dating: A Guy’s View In the Kitchen

By JOHN KIFNER

Published: January 17, 1996

COOKING GUYS are different from Young Women.

This is a much remarked-upon phenomenon, the Mars-Venus stuff, and one which causes considerable difficulty for Guys, although probably also for Young Women. But what until now has not been fully understood, by this Guy, anyway, is how this concept applies to a particularly, and unexpectedly, treacherous area: cuisine.

There are Guys who have reached a state of evolution, sometimes what’s called a certain age, at which they are real foodies. We are talking about having more knives than the Turkish army, and sharper; keeping the Larousse Gastronomique at hand to check references; settling down in the easy chair of an evening to browse through "The New Professional Chef," the cookbook of the Culinary Institute of America, and owning pots and pans in the exact size and composition for each task (cast iron, enamel-clad cast iron, copper-lined with a combination of zinc and tin, Calphalon, and so on).

Such Guys view food as a celebration of life, an art form, an expression of warm feelings, a precious gift and offering. A fully objective analysis would also disclose what the military calls collateral effect: this could impress babes.

Some Young Women, it seems, view food as a hostile entity whose sole intent is to produce fat on their thighs.

What we have here is a hidden discontinuity.

In large part, this is due to the fact that Guys approach food as they do most things. Like, for example, war. Or its corollary, sports. When a Guy starts cooking, he wants to be the Joe Montana of mousse, the Michael Jordan of julienne, the Cal Ripken Jr. of roasting. I mean, this is serious stuff.

Consider the following.

A Guy is having dinner with a Young Woman, nice place. She is suspiciously poking a fork at the goo on her pan-roasted free-range chicken with garlic and rosemary. What he is not noticing is that she is herding it into concealment under a radicchio leaf.

"It’s not bad for something based on a roux," the Guy casually notes. "Personally, I would prefer to do it as a reduction sauce."

Reduction, what, the Young Woman is thinking. The gravy is on sale?

So, now having craftily insinuated that he can cook, the Guy is gratified when the Young Woman innocently suggests that perhaps, sometime, he might like to make dinner for her. He is saying to himself, "Heh, heh."

Indeed, as the great M. F. K. Fisher noted of bachelors, in "An Alphabet for Gourmets" in 1949, "The wonderful dinners they pull out of their cupboards with such dining room aplomb and kitchen chaos" demonstrate that "their approach to gastronomy is basically sexual."

For some reason, on the appointed day, the Korean market on the corner has stocked a couple of boxes of currants, almost never seen, among the standard raspberries and strawberries. Currants, cassis, making the connections, remembering a meal in Paris, a magret of duck, sliced in an arc, a piquant cassis sauce.

"If there are currants on the market," the predatory chef says as they come out of the subway at Broadway and 79th Street, "perhaps we’ll do a magret."

A what? The French detective?

Right, currants still there. Down Broadway, to Citarella at 75th Street, where there are approximately 700,000 carnivores shrieking to be fed. The Guy takes No. 127 from the ticket machine and elbows into poultry position. Half an hour later, the Young Woman’s eyes are rolling around like marbles. Finally, a breast of duck, fresh from the Hudson River Valley, is secured. This is a monster hunk of meat; these ducks must be the size of Great Danes.

Back uptown, quick into a gourmet mart to paw through the herb box for fresh rosemary. None. Never mind, Broadway Farm, on Broadway by 85th Street, is sure to have it. What, no cassis vinegar at Zabar’s? Well, there should be an old bottle in the cupboard. The first Korean market has most necessities, but the one further up always has shelled peas, which go with the rosemary, and fabulous teensy-weensy little haricots verts. By now, they have walked 15 blocks, in a driving rainstorm, accumulating grocery bags. What kind of a loon is this? the Young Woman is thinking. He can’t buy everything in one grocery store? The Guy is scooping up a gnarly knob a little bigger than a softball.

"What’s that?" the Young Woman asks in alarm. "That thing is ugly."

"Celery root, what the French call celeriac," the Guy explains, grabbing a bunch of containers of heavy cream and a brick of unsalted butter.

The cooking technique the magret requires is to basically fry the living daylights out of it, to get rid of the fat, but the meat winds up pink. Copper saute pan, bought years ago from Dehillerin, the terrific restaurant supply store in Paris by the old Les Halles. Patricia Wells goes there to treat herself when she’s finished a cookbook. Pat Wells? Probably the only American to be a regular on French television as an expert on French food. The thing is, the cooking duck releases huge quantities of fat, which must be constantly siphoned off with a basting tube.

"Fa-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-t," the Young Woman observes. It was truly amazing, the Guy would reflect later, how many syllables could fit into a three-letter word, particularly when spread over six octaves.

"Right, ducks are real fat," he agrees amiably. "That’s how they can float in icy water."

The duck is working. The Guy deglazes the pan with the cassis vinegar and then throws in the berries. A big glob of butter into a frying pan with the fresh rosemary to finish the peas after a 1-minute, 37-second boil. O.K., the celeriac. And the food processor, the original, the real thing, the Robot-Coupe, used in French restaurants but later deracinated. Hardly anybody knows that. Celery root, some turnip, touch of mustard, big pour of cream for the texture. Yeah, cream; throw in some more.

"What are you doing?" the Young Woman asks.

Dimly, somewhere back in the far Neanderthal reaches of the Guy’s brain, there is a tingling. These are the old synapses, the innate instincts that over the eons have warned Guys of the approach of saber-toothed tigers, bosses and ex-girlfriends. Danger lurks.

"Celery, this is celery," the Guy explains urgently. "Cindy Crawford, Naomi Campbell, that’s all they eat, celery."

"Not like that," the Young Woman replies, with considerable accuracy.

So, O.K. Guys get obsessive. But be fair; there are two sides to this.

The other side is the ambivalence with which the modern Young Woman views food. Above all, there is the question of appearances, and we’re not just talking about thighs. The Young Woman is trying to be thin to be pleasing, and the Guy is force-feeding her like a goose being raised for its liver. There are actual documented cases in which Young Women have delicately picked at a perfectly good meal in public, then sneaked home to gorge on junk food.

This ambiguity almost inevitably manifests itself when a Young Woman tells a Cooking Guy that her favorite foods come from something called "The Moosewood Cookbook," which strangely appeals to many otherwise admirable women. This is not a book about food. It is about vegetables. This book is not even printed in print. It is tricked up to look as if it has been handwritten to give you a warm icky feeling, instead of an actual meal.

Mentioning "Moosewood" is the culinary equivalent of a Young Woman giving a Guy the Gabriel Garcia Marquez novel "A Hundred Years of Solitude" so that he can really get in touch with his emotions. Again, a well-meaning gesture, but one that is fundamentally misinformed. If Guys were truly in touch with their emotions, particularly those whose nature is to be nasty, brutish and short, they would go around punching people out. It has taken centuries of being repressed to get this far. Don’t mess with something when it’s just starting to work. Guys have nothing against vegetables. Vegetables have their place. It is right next to the meat.

There is a way out of this dilemma, expressed in the old Hegelian dialectic of thesis, antithesis, synthesis: Call out for Chinese.

Culinary Books I Have Been Reading Lately

2008-03-22T11:24:00.000-07:00

It's been awhile since I have talked about the books I have been reading. As I have been working on my thesis I seem to have my nose stuck in the same few books each day, but I have also picked up a number of other great books the last few months.

Let's look at some books I have been reading for my thesis research. In reading some of the titles you might get the direction as to where my thesis is going. A particular favorite of the books I have been reading in Food in the USA: A Reader by Carole M. Counihan. This book is a collection of articles written about, well food in the USA. There are some regional writings, political and cultural writings (how the heck did Coca-Cola become the national drink of America?), food as the American identity, and a number of other great topics.

Putting Meat on the American Table: Taste, Technology, Transformation by Roger Horowitz is an interesting way of looking how meat has become such a large part of the American diet. It also explores how, what was once such an expensive item, has become a relatively cheap and affordable, albeit generic form of protein consumption.

A really enjoy this book by Carol Fisher, American Cookbook: A History. Have you ever wondered why your grandmother's cookbook looks so different from the cookbooks of today? Well you'd be amazed at the cookbooks from the 17th century. It is great to see where the cultural influences have come from that drove the different cookbooks that have proliferated in our country. Originating from English roots, most of our books were influenced as such with irritation toward French cookery until we became enemies with England and friends to France.

These next few books are from a series called Food in American History. These are written in a very academic manner and are not for the causal reader. These books however are some of my favorites in my library. American Indian Food by Linda Murray Berzok explores the pre-Columbian era and the cultural exchange that change the American Indians in both positive and negative ways. Written without bias, this is how a text of this sort should be written. The second book which is certainly a favorite is Food in Colonial and Federal America by Sandra L. Oliver. Ever wonder where some of our cultural food items came from? Did you know that the reason we took up coffee drinking was to boycott English tea imports? Did you know the reason we don't eat lamb like some of our English ancestors was as boycott as well? It was more important to have wool from our sheep than it was to eat mutton. Food in the United States, 1820s-1890 by Susan Williams brings us into the 19th century and introduces us to the ethnic influences many of us are accustomed to.

One last book I will share with you from my research is an easy to approach book that will make you change the way you think about dining and eating in the United States. In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto by Michael Pollan identifies all of the issues that have burdened the USA over the last century in the food industry. Today many think of fast food as normal food, Olive Garden as traditional Italian, Taco Bell as traditional Mexican and my disgust can go on and on. Corporate dining has homogenized our food so much that we can goto TGI Friday's, Applebees, Houlihan's, Ruby Tuesday's, any of those theme steak houses like Outback, Bugaboo Creek or otherwise and pretty much get the same meal. We have come to think about food in this country in terms of calorie, nutrient, carbohydrate and fat consumption while not caring about the food itself. We eat food wrapped in plastic that say cheese on them, but share about as much in common with cheese as a bowl of glue. This book is a must read, it will make some of you cry for those who still know how to cook. This is one of the books which made me rethink the way I eat today.

I will toss two more books in here just to share a non-academic or food writing book. I have been wanting to buy Alain Ducasse's Grand Livre de Cuisine and the dessert version for some time. These books are an extensive exploration of many of Ducasse's modern take on French classical cooking along with his personal recipes. It reminds me of Le Guide Culinaire, but without the attempt to codify cuisine as Escoffier was attempting. This book to me though is an important asset to any professional chef's library or any serious home cook that enjoys cooking French cuisine. Do yourself a favor and buy these books from Amazon.com. I purchased them foolishly from a private bookstore that is a favorite of mine to promote a local business in Boston, but at $250.00 compared to $114.00 used from Amazon, I think I should have waited until I came home, so much for impulse shopping. You can purchase both the desert text and savory text for the cover price of the savory text alone. I have both now though and even at the higher price I am extremely happy I own them.

So there you have it, go forth and read. I have a large number of other purchases I have made recently for both personal reading and academic research. Hopefully I will get a chance again soon to share a few more of my readings with you, until then happy reading!

Classical Five Course Gastronomique Menu For One

2008-03-21T05:04:00.000-07:00

So I entered another one of those illustrious American Culinary Federation competitions I love to participate in. The latest entry was another cold food entry. This particular one was a five course tasting menu, prepared hot and shown cold. The requirements for the category was to prepare two appetizers, consommé, salad course and an entree.

As I love reading Le Guide Culinaire and I instantly thought of the classical French style of cooking, I decided to prepare a five-course menu right out of Escoffier's design. I knew that some of the ideas might be dated because of the time when the book was written, but I wanted to do it all the same. As Fritz H. Sonnenschmidt, Certified Master Chef, A.A.C. was one of the judges for the competition, I knew that the research put into the classical menu would be appreciated.

I took a couple of student's from the school where I teach at and one of them took pictures of my dishes, so if she is reading this thanks Christina Luckette. I also took Valerie Inman along with me, another great student from one of my Food Prep classes. I think both of these girls will be great chefs some day in the culinary community.

So I will expalin the menu here along with the pictures that Christina took. My first course was
medallions made from the chicken breasts served with medallions of mouselline forcemeat made from the legs. The version I made was with a chipolata garnish which includes glazed button (chipolini) onions, chipolata sausage, olive shaped carrots, and diced caramelized salt pork. The sauce was a demi-glaze sauce made from chicken stock. Some issues I had with this course is that I didn't place the breast medallions on top of the farce medallions. Otherwise I think the course came out well, so did the judges.

My second course filet de sole a l'andolouse. I went with this one as I had served it awhile ago at one of the restaurants I worked at and loved eating it. The dish is half a lightly cooked tomato with risotto with pimento inside and a paupiette (silet of sole rolled with forcemeat) with pimento sitting on top. The whole thing sits on a base of pan-friend eggplant and it is accompanied by beurre noisette (brown butter). The judges each seemed to have issues with the eggplant for some reason. One stated that for the amount of eggplant there needed to be more sauce, another stated an issue with the eggplant in general, but all the comments made sense. This course was my least favorite of all the courses, it just seemed clunky to me.

My third course was a consommé, Consommé Talleyrand. I have no picture of this course. The consommé was made from chicken stock, the garnish was quenelles of pheasant forcemeat, cockscombs and julienne of truffle. I think I needed some work on the truffles, but the judges all seemed to like this course.

My salad course came out pretty well, needed some work as well but I liked it a lot. I prepared Salade Opera which consists of julienned chicken breast, truffle, salted ox tongue and celery tossed in mayonnaise. The salad has a bouquet of asparagus tips in the center an then slices of rooster kidney and gherkin bordering the salad. I prepared a pate en croute made with an herb dough and dried cranberries, salt pork and ham in the forcemeat.

My final course was a Filet de Bouef Bouquetiere. The dish is a roasted filet of beef surounded by bouquets of glazed carrots, diamond sliced haricot verts, butter coated peas, hollandaise coated cauliflower and small chateau potatoes. The sauce was a gravy made from the pan drippings in the manner of an Espagnol sauce. The beef was undercooked on this course, could've been sliced thinner as well. The vegetables should have ben plated together as we do not serve food this way anymore unless we are in a French restaurant presenting by tableside service.

Overall the presentation went well, I ended up with a silver medal. I had fun coming up with this menu as it was something different and I don't normally see a menu like this displayed. The show itself had a number of great pieces displayed. We don't often see as much cold food displayed these days at ACF shows but this show had probably about sixty or more entries. The show did not have any gold medals for cold food, there was one other silver medal and the rest was either bronze or certificates. This show has its own medals as well that they give to those entries that did not receive an ACF medal which was a nice touch,e specially for those just starting out as it encourages them to continue competing. I will certainly attempt this category again some time soon if I can find an ACF show with a cold food salon close to me.