By the bye...

I'm on Twitter now. Figured it was time, but really seems pointless if you're not online 24/7. Anyway, @pmatarrese. Don't really have any profound thoughts yet, but there you are.

Cheers,
-Peter

"Weekend" Recipe 3/30/09 plus notes

First, the recipe:

Baked Macaroni and Cheese
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: About 45 minutes

One of the most popular recipes in the original How to Cook Everything, which I attributed to too many people growing up with what the Canadians call "Kraft dinner." The real thing is rich, filling, delicious, and dead easy. You can change the type of cheese you use: Try blue cheese, goat cheese, smoked Gouda, or even mascarpone. Or mix in some crisp-cooked chunks of thick-cut bacon or pancetta, about .5 cup.

Salt
2.5 cups milk (low-fat is fine)
2 bay leaves
1 pound elbow, shell, ziti, or other cut pasta
4 tablespoons (.5 stick) butter
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1.5 cups grated cheese, like sharp cheddar or Emmental
.5 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Freshly ground black pepper
.5 cup or more bread crumbs, preferably fresh (page 876)

1) Heat the oven to 400*F. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it.
2) Heat the milk with the bay leaves in a small saucepan over medium-low heat. When small bubbles appear along the sides, about 5 minutes later, turn off the heat and let stand. Cook the pasta in the boiling water to the point where you would still think it needed another minute or two to become tender. Drain it, rinse it quickly to stop the cooking, and put it in a large bowl.
3) In a small saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 3 tablespoons of the butter; when it is foamy, add the flour and cook, stirring, until the mixture browns, about 5 minutes. Remove the bay leaves from the milk and add about .25 cup of the milk to the hot flour mixture, stirring with a wire whisk all the while. As soon as the mixture becomes smooth, add a little more milk, and continue to do so until all the milk is used up and the mixture is thick and smooth. Add the cheddar or Emmental and stir.
4) Pour the sauce over the pasta, toss in the Parmesan, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Use the remaining 1 tablespoon butter to grease a 9 x 13-inch or like-size baking pan and turn the pasta mixture into it. (You can make the dish to this point, cover, and refrigerate for up to a day; return to room temperature before proceeding.) Top liberally with bread crumbs and bake until bubbling and the crumbs turn brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Serve piping hot.

Now, a few things:
The recipe tasted good. Make sure you use the right amounts of the ingredients. I know that I skimped on the cheese (using Monterey Jack cheese, which seems somewhere between soft and semi-hard, not like sharp cheddar), and completely removed the Parmesan (didn't have any). Next time, I'll make the trip to the store. Mine came out kind of dry. As I was making the sauce, it looked good, but I could tell as I was pouring it that it needed more cheese. Oh well, there's always next time. Also, the timing for this must be an approximation for someone who knows the recipe. So prepare yourself whenever you're trying something new.

Next:
linecook415.blogspot.com is a very interesting blog. I heard about it from one of the chefs at work. It's a good blog, I wonder if she has other recommendations. Currently listening to his Podcast about culinary school. A lot of very good information. I am going to do more research about which culinary school I want to go to. It's like applying to college all over again. Still, I have a year and a half to change my mind with plenty of factors to influence me. Random best quote from the Podcast (be warned, I am not censoring the expletives: "That's fucked up... being bored in a kitchen. A restaurant kitchen. How does that happen? You have knives and fire! How the fuck are you bored?!" A brilliant and well-phrased thought.

Finally:
Where has this semester gone? This isn't food related, but rather life related. I have something like 5 and a half weeks of classes left. Then I'm a senior. In my senior year of college... that's surprising. I guess after 20 years of life (almost 21! A month and a half), one more 5 month period (one semester) doesn't seem like all that much. I wonder if this feeling gets exponentially stronger. I guess I'll find out when I'm older.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoy reading my blog as much as I enjoy writing it. FYI, I hope at least one person has attempted or at least intends to try some of the recipes that I post. I haven't posted one yet that hasn't turned out extremely tasty. The "Olive Oil Salt Bread" which I simply call quickbread is painfully simple, quick, and delicious. Take the extra hour (should be even less time) before you eat dinner to prep and bake some fresh rolls (just divide the dough in balls and put them on a baking sheet). You will not regret it.

Cheers,
-Peter

P.S. Of course, I need to say...

How to Cook Everything was copywrited in 2008 by Doubly B Publishing Inc., and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in Hoboken, New Jersey. This representation of the text is intended for educational use only.

Weekend Recipe 3/29/09

So amid my schoolwork I still like to find time to cook. The quick recipes that I have provide nice little study breaks or a good way to relax after a long day at the library. This recipe for Popovers comes from How To Cook Everything, and is extremely easy. I've made it twice so far, the second batch turning out much better than the first. Let me just say... GREASE THE PAN!!! If you don't, you'll end up crushing the popovers as you attempt to pull them out of the muffin tin. Greasing it well allows you to simply run a butter knife around the sides to make sure they are loose and pop them right out, maintaining the desired air pocket. Beyond being extremely easy to make, the taste and texture are incredible. Think of the texture of a crispy eclair on the outside and a light bread pudding on the inside. The taste is clean enough, and the mix receptive enough, that you can make these savory or sweet. My last batch had cinnamon folded into it, which made it more of a breakfast companion. An idea that my housemate Kevin brought up that I'm very interested to try is this: Filling the air pockets. The possibilities are endless! They could be homemade cream puffs, or muffin shaped eclairs. But why stop there? Make a homemade headcheese of sorts (just use any cut of meat precooked and minced small, add veggies and spices to unflavored gelatin and chill into a loaf to yield something slicable), and allow it to set within the air pockets. It's like a "soup" sandwich (assuming the gelatin takes to the flavors of the meat, veggies, and spices, I imagine it would taste something like a solidified stock). Hmmmm, I may just have to see if this works for myself. The textures of the final product I'm sure would weird out a lot of people, but then again, it could be the next big thing. "Don't knock it 'til you try it" is my food philosophy (that's how I came to like sea urchin sushi). After a looooong digression here is the recipe:

Popovers
Makes: 12 popovers
Time: About 45 minutes

Popovers are best made at the last minute, but they're good left over as well. I think they go incredibly well with scrambled eggs, though the classic accompaniment is Prime Rib Roast (page 734).

1 tablespoon melted butter or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn, plus some for the muffin tin
2 eggs
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon sugar
.5 teaspoon salt
1 cup all-purpose flour

1) Heat the oven to 425*F. [N.B. from me - Get an oven thermometer if your oven does not have a digital read; my first batch cooked way too hot when I trusted the temperatures on the dial] Grease a 12-cup muffin tin or a popover tin and put it in the oven while you make the batter.
2) Beat together the eggs, milk, butter or oil, sugar, and salt. Beat in the flour a little bit at a time; the mixture should be smooth. Fill the muffin tins at least halfway (if your tin is large, this might make fewer than 12 popovers). Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce the heat to 350*F and continue baking for 15 minutes more, or until the popovers are puffed and browned (do not check the popovers until they have baked for a total of 30 minutes [N.B. from me - depending on the hotspots in your oven, or the fickleness of it, you'll be able to see if they are ready before 30 minutes]). Remove from the pan immediately and serve hot.

How to Cook Everything was copywrited in 2008 by Doubly B Publishing Inc., and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in Hoboken, New Jersey. This representation of the text is intended for educational use only.

Food Day!

So today at job training, all of the front-of-the-house employees were given a lecture of sorts on every item on our lunch and dinner menu. It was a lecture in the sense that it was very informative, but also so much more than a lecture in the sense that we got to taste a LOT of the food. Everything from the salads to the fish to the meats, and especially the pizzas, has a story. There are between 60-70 dishes on the menu, but one has to realize that within these dishes are literally hundreds of recipes. Where the master recipe for a soup might call for a chicken broth, the kitchen team at Bottega Louie has a specific recipe for making that broth. Within that broth, a very specific type of chicken is used (the Jidori varietal, look it up), which is raised locally (that is to say, within 100 miles). But even a good recipe can be ruined by poor quality ingredients. Not at Bottega Louie. Who else has fishmongers in Italy with the ability to get us the catch off of day boats within 48 hours? Who else has access to the artisan-grown vegetables from the McGrath Farm in Valencia, CA which produces only one acre of a certain product (note* "any one of its products;" they grow many types of vegetables on their 40 acres, but reserve only 1 acre per varietal)? Hearing about all the recipes and the ingredients that go into those recipes today makes me appreciate that this whole operation has really been in development for three years. That time has not been wasted either. The close relationships our upper management team have developed with the various growers, vendors, mongers, etc. is a testament to the company's motto: The fanatical pursuit of excellence. Everything, I mean EVERYthing that I tasted today is as close to perfection in the various types of dishes that I've had. The pizza, the pasta, the vegetables, the bread, everything reflects the care and expertise that has gone into trimming 40 types of mozzarella down to the one we use for the pizza (which is different from the one we use on the caprese salad), or the over 2,000 wines down to the 50 that are on our list. Some might believe that it's a waste to spend so much time and money on this sort of development, but I see it differently. Everyone will be able to appreciate just how amazing the food tastes on their very first time in the restaurant. I believe the sheer quality of the food is enough to bring people back a second and third time. It is those subsequent visits when they will begin to grasp just how vast the scope of our restaurant is (when they find out that we only use USDA Natural Prime beef, the top 3% of all beef raised in America). That realization when coupled with the revolutionary service we have been trained in is what will turn a casual diner into a full subscriber to the brand that is Bottega Louie. Not to sound too much like an ad for my employer (too late), but I would not have posted this if I didn't truly believe it. We're doing something different here. Something that I've never experience myself in any restaurant that I've been to. And if I, someone interested in food but just barely beginning to peek into the world of the professional food industry, can appreciate the path B.L. is looking to forge, I'm excited to see the reception and perception of Bottega Louie by the food connoisseurs from Los Angeles and elsewhere. Anyway, time for dinner. I think I'll eat some more watermelon soup.
Cheers,
-Peter

Weekend Recipe 3/22/09 Take 2

I believe I missed last weekend, so here's another one that I actually just made today (turned out brilliantly, even though I didn't have some of the ingredients). It comes from The Dorn Cookbook, and has an interesting story before the actual recipe:

Watermelon Soup (Chinese)

The summer of 1942 in Chungking was one of stifling heat and extreme humidity. For over seven weeks the temperature never dropped lower than 100 degrees day or night. Add to the heat the depression from defeat after defeat in the Phillippines, the Pacific, and in Burma - from which latter place the Japanese had just run us out; and the crazy-quilt construction and fire-bombed areas of China's wartime capital on its rocky precipices - and you find a distinct lack of the pleasures which usually go with an ideal summer. One night John Davies, who had been born in China, took a few of us to a courtyard restaurant, its grape trellis limp with heat, it's mosquitoes too enervated to attack, and its patrons trying to act out a brave front. John ordered. After tea and melon seeds came our one dish of the evening - watermelon soup - and quite enough. What inspired genius of past centuries dreamed up this concoction no one will ever know. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but it combines a subtlety of flavors unlike any other dish I know. In the drabness of wartime Chungking it came as a novelty and a surprise. It takes time to prepare, but your efforts will be well rewarded.

1 watermelon about 20 to 24 inches long
Cut an oval of the rind about 10 to 12 inches long from one side.
Gouge out the meat just past the line of seeds.
.5 lb. diced pork
.5 lb. diced lean lamb, or spring mutton
Meat from 1 stewing chicken removed from bones
.5 lb. diced ham
Meat from 1 small duck removed from bones
1 pint diced abalone (Clams can be substituted)
1 cup diced fresh mushrooms
1 cup dried mushrooms
Meat from 2 small lobsters
1.5 cups bamboo shoots (or bean sprouts)
8 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch lengths
8 stalks Chinese cabbage, cut into 1 inch lengths
.5 bunch water cress
2 tbsps. dry mustard
1 tbsp. sugar
Salt and pepper to taste (use sparingly)
2 tbsps. soy sauce
3 onions, finely chopped
1 tbsp. caraway seed
1 quart chicken broth, from which the fat has been skimmed

Boil pork for about 1 hour. Remove the pork meat. Mix all ingredients except water cress, and including pork meat, in a large soup pot. Cover and boil slowly for 1.5 hours. Add water from time to time if too much broth evaporates. Cool enough to skim off fat. Place the watermelon in a bake pan with about 2 inches of water in the pan. Pan should be of a shape which will hold the watermelon upright. Pour all of the ingredients from the soup pot into the hollow of the melon. Place in a 450 degree oven and boil for 45 minutes. Just before serving, add broken up water cress. Serve soup in the hollowed watermelon, decorated with flowers. When serving individual portions, scoop off part of the melon meat with each serving. CAUTION: Melon should be firm. Do not use a fully ripe melon.

Serves 10 to 12

This recipe from The Dorn Cookbook is copywrited in 1953 by The Henry Regnery Company in Chicago. This reproduction of the text is intended for educational use only.

Weekend Recipe 3/22/09

So I'm right in the middle of my job training for Bottega Louie (one week down, one to go). It's been an experience for sure. The restaurant is slated to open April 6th, and is going to be absolutely amazing. But anyway, here's another recipe from How to Cook Everything that I made a few nights ago. It's for Rice Pudding. Who knew homemade pudding could take so long? But it's well worth it:

Rice Pudding
Makes: At least 4 servings
Time: About 2 hours, largely unattended
This simple no-egg rice pudding is sweet and easy. Use coconut, hazelnut, or almond milk instead of cow's milk for a nice twist. Top with Whipped Cream, flavored with vanilla or rose water if you like (page 882).

.25 to .33 cup rice
.5 cup sugar
Small pinch salt
1 quart milk
Pinch saffron threads (optional)
Cinnamon stick or other flavoring (optional)

1) Heat the oven to 300*F. Combine all the ingredients in a 3- or 4-quart casserole (an ovenproof saucepan will do), stir a couple of times, and place in the oven. Cook for 30 minutes, then stir. Cook for 30 minutes longer, then stir; at this point the milk will have developed a bubbly tan surface (you will stir this back into the liquid), and the rice will have begun to swell.
2) Cook for 30 more minutes. The surface will have redeveloped, darker this time, and the grains of rice will begin to predominate in the mixture; the pudding is almost done. Return the mixture to the oven and check every 10 minutes, stirring gently each time you check.
3) The pudding may be done 10, 20, or 30 minutes later. Invariably, it is done before you believe so. You must make a leap of faith and remove the custard from the oven when the rice kernels are very swollen and the mixture is thick but still quite fluid. As it cools, it will thicken considerably. (If you overcook, the pudding will become fairly hard, though it's still quite good to eat.) Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.

How to Cook Everything was copywrited in 2008 by Doubly B Publishing Inc., and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in Hoboken, New Jersey. This representation of the text is intended for educational use only.

Finally...

Here are some pictures that I've taken with my phone camera (poor quality, I know) of various things I've cooked/baked:

A classic braid design with a great quickbread recipe (non-rising).

The two blobs are filled swirl rolls (think cinnamon rolls on their sides); one is garlic filled, and the other is cinnamon and brown sugar.

My lemon-pepper panfried chicken fingers in okra, bean, and rice "gumbo" (don't let the name fool you, it was just me throwing ingredients in the pot until it looked right; tasted ok too).

My first attempt at carving a chicken. Hey, at least I got most of the meat off...

My first attempt at a roast chicken before the destruction (came out juicy, which is good I think).

Update time...

So I figure I should let y'all know what's going on in my life right now. As mentioned before (and as can be seen from my picture), I'm on the USC Men's Crew team. I rowed in high school for the Oakland Strokes, then did cross country and track (mostly field events) to get my letterman. When I got to USC I picked rowing back up. Looking back, I would not have it any other way. Living in the dorms gave me the classic college experience, but I was slightly different from the guys on my floor. You see, men's crew at USC is not a varsity sport. We don't have NCAA status, don't get any school funding, and of course we rowers don't get priority registration (get to sign up early for class to make sure we schedule them around the practice times). So the only time we could get everyone down to San Pedro together to row is early in the morning. This means getting up early. Now, I'm an early rising in general, and have always been a morning person. I'm not saying that there weren't times, though, where i would have preferred to just turn over and go back to sleep. But in all, I do not regret that for much of my college career, I have gotten up before the sun. In fact, I consider that a testiment to my character. I remember passing people just getting back from parties in the stairwells as I was leaving for practice. Again, I don't regret this. I'm not much one for parties where I only know a few people. For me, the only real partying I need is Crewapalooza, a party us rowers throw once a semester. We make sure to do it right, and never charge people for booze. We just want to have fun, and the parties always end up being epic. But anyway, rowing has been a major part of my life, and I hope it remains so forever. Yet, this semester has been different for me than any before. Beginning last semester, I developed back problems that didn't really impact me until I came back from winter break. We all came back a week early to do an intensive winter camp, and at the end of the week, I knew I needed to see a doctor. So I went to the Health Center, and got referred to physical therapy, which I have been going to since then. Apparently my hamstrings pulled on my back muscles so hard that they began compressing my spine. Physical therapy has been helping a lot, but I haven't been able to row since January. Just last week, I had a relapse that was bad enough for my mom to fly down from the Bay Area to take care of me. In addition to all my back issues, I had the flu for long time, with a solid week and a half of laying in bed with a fever over 100 degrees. Since then, it's been catch-up time with schoolwork (which is thankfully interesting now that I'm in IR rather than engineering). So right now, I've almost caught up with all the schoolwork (I've taken all the tests I'd missed; the teachers all were very kind in rescheduling). Next week is Spring Break. This is big for me because this is the first year I will not be with the team doing two-a-days. Also different is that this year the eat is going to practice in Newport, which is still in the greater Los Angeles Area. We usually travel to northern California, and row in the Lexington reservoir near Los Altos. However, new coaches, new plan. Even though I'm injured, I would be going with the team. But I finally got a call back from that restaurant that gave me a job. I'm going in to sign paperwork tomorrow, then next Monday, I start my training. I am super excited about this, because it's a chance for me to see what the professional food industry is like. I am sad, however, that I won't be with the guys. I hope one of the days to get down there somehow and cook a good meal for the team, which is the best way I feel I can contribute. I try not to feel bitter about my injury, or let it get me down too much, feeling so removed from the team. After all, I still hang out with the guys (and girls). I just need to find some way to occupy my time, which the job will help with. Also next week, I have to get out to the Health Sciences campus and speak with a spine specialist that I got referred to after my last relapse. While competing this season is out for me, I still find myself enjoying my college experience, and am still happier than ever with my new major. It's also nice to have a plan (moving to NYC is still looking good to me) and having this blog to use as an outlet. Anyway, I'm looking forward to planning dinner for the team and my training next week. I'll let y'all know how it goes.

Cheers,
-Peter

"Weekend" Recipe 3/9/09

So I missed my own deadline of two recipes in one weekend. But since this is my blog, I can do whatever I want. So here's the second recipe, again from How to Cook Everything:

Olive Oil Salt Bread
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: About 45 minutes, largely unattended

This is hands down the fastest way to get fresh warm bread on the table (the variation is actually a little faster). Rich and flaky with olive oil, this biscuitlike dough is easy to handle and takes to all sorts of additions, like cheese (especially Parmesan), chopped olives, or seasonings (see the list on page 846). Just knead them in with your hands after processing. Like most unyeasted breads, it is best eaten still warm from the oven.

.33 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more for the pan
3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more if needed
1 tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt, preferably coarse or sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
1 cup warm water

1) Heat the oven to 375*F. Grease an 8-inch ovenproof skillet or square baking pan with about a tablespoon of olive oil. Put the flour, baking powder, and salt in a food processor and turn the machine on. Pour first the .33 cup olive oil, then most of the water, through the feed tube. Process for about 30 seconds; then remove the cover. The dough should be in a well-defined, barely sticky, easy-to-handle ball. If it is too dry, add the remaining water 1 tablespoon at a time and process for 5 to 10 seconds after each addition. If it is too wet, which is unlikely, add a tablespoon or two of flour and process briefly.

2) Put the dough into the prepared pan and press until it fits to the edges. Flip it over and press again. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes; then remove the foil, sprinkle the top with a little coarse salt, and bake for another 20 to 25 minutes, until the top is golden and springs back when touched gently. Cool in the pan a bit, then cut into wedges or squares and serve or store for up to a day.

How to Cook Everything was copywrited in 2008 by Doubly B Publishing Inc., and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in Hoboken, New Jersey. This representation of the text is intended for educational use only.

Weekend Recipe 3/7/09

Well now, I seemed to have missed a weekend, so today and tomorrow I will provide a recipe. This first recipe tonight is one from a new book I recently bought. It's called How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman. At over 1,000 pages, and 2,000 recipes, variations, and techniques (many with handy illustrations), it is extremely useful. I would highly recommend picking up a copy to anyone who views cooking as more than just a means to feed oneself. If you have a passion for food, like I do, look it up the next time you're in a book store. The recipe is "Stir-Fried Spicy Beef with Basil." I haven't tried it out yet, having picked up the book yesterday, but I certainly intend to shortly:

Stir-Fried Spicy Beef with Basil
Makes: 4 to 6 servings
Time: 15 minutes, plus time to freeze or marinate the meat

Once you get this Thai-style dish set up, it's faster than cooking the rice that goes alongside it. You can use round or chuck meat here, but the best cuts are flank or sirloin, which are more tender and equally tasty. Thai basil is nice here if you can find it, but any fresh basil is fine. Other cuts and meats you can use: pork, preferably from the shoulder or leg (fresh ham); lamb, preferably from the shoulder or leg; boneless chicken.

1.5 pounds flank or sirloin steak
.5 cup loosely packed fresh basil leaves
1 tablespoon peanut oil, plus 1 teaspoon for marinating
1.5 tablespoons minced garlic
.25 teaspoon hot red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon soy sauce or nam pla (Thai fish sauce)
Juice of half a lime

1) Slice the beef across the grain as thinly as you can; it's easier if you freeze it for 15 to 30 minutes first. Cut the slices into bite-sized pieces.

2) Wash and dry the basil; if the leaves are large, chop them coarsely. If time permits, mix the beef, basil, and the teaspoon of peanut oil in a bowl, cover, and refrigerate for an hour or so (this helps the flavor of the basil permeate the meat).

3) When you're ready to cook, have all the ingredients ready (including a serving dish and rice, if you're making any). If you have not yet done so, mix together the beef and basil. Heat a large skillet over high heat until it smokes, 3 or 4 minutes.

4) Lower the heat to medium and add the tablespoon of peanut oil. Swirl it around and add the garlic. Stir once or twice. As soon as the garlic begins to color - after about 15 seconds - return the heat to high and add the beef-basil mixture. Stir quickly and add the red pepper. Stir frequently (but not constantly), just until the meat loses its red color, and minute or two longer. Add the soy sauce and lime
juice, stir, turn off the heat and serve immediately, over rice if you wish.

How to Cook Everything was copywrited in 2008 by Doubly B Publishing Inc., and published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. in Hoboken, New Jersey. This representation of the text is intended for educational use only.