A crispier side

Every now and again, I find an ingredient that I just don't know how I ever survived without. Usually these ingredients make this distinction because of their taste, but on special occasions I come across something so simple, so flexible, that it becomes a staple in my kitchen.

One of these ingredients are wonton wrappers. These little squares are probably one of the most flexible food items I've ever found. You can use them for everything sweet, savory, fried, baked, steamed. They are every bit as flexible as pasta, and yet so completely underused. I like underused though, because to me, this translates to "special"
I've used these to make foods that are always met with high regard. They've seen their way into my Best Friend's wedding shower, My first dinner invite to my new coworkers, First Dates, and the list goes on.
I think these are a perfect compliment to sweets, giving a non-traditional flare to traditional desserts. I like to use them to make little, turnover-like pastries. Their taste is so neutral that you can stuff them with anything and it's bound to taste good. Here, I LOVE the taste of honey and poppyseed as a sweet finish to a light meal or an accompaniment to good tea.
As you'll see in a recipe below, my preferred method to prepare these is to deep fry them (I am from the midwest, after all). I feel it not only gives them a wonderful crispy texture, but by far produces the most beautiful result. The crispy, bubbly texture and shine that deep frying produces just beg to be eaten, and trust me, your guests will.

Deep Fried Wonton:
1 pkg wonton wrappers
Poppy Seed Filling (Recipe Follows, but you can purchase this ready-made)
Canola or Peanut Oil for Frying
Egg
Honey
Powdered Sugar

Poppy Seed Filling:
POPPY SEED FILLING:

1/2 c. poppy seed
1/4 c. whole milk
2T honey
1T sugar
Generous Pinch of Kosher salt
1 Egg Yolk

Mix first 5 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat and cook till thick, stirring constantly. when complete, add a scant amount of the hot mixture to the yolk while stirring to keep it from cooking, and add this back into the hot mix, again while stirring. Allow to cool completely.

Once cool:

If you have a deep fryer, set it to 350 and allow the oil to heat. Take a wonton wrapper, and place about 1/2t of the poppyseed mix into the center. Using a small pastry brush, or your finger, brush a light amount of the egg wash on 2 edges of the wrapper that meet at a corner. Fold the wrapper over and seal, keeping as much air out of the wrapper as possible. Place these on a damp paper towel, and cover with another damp paper towel to keep from drying out.
When ready, start by placing 2-3 wontons in the fryer for about 5-10 seconds, and flip immediately to keep the other side from cracking. (otherwise you'll end up with an empty fried wrapper full of oil, and a fryer full of poppyseed filling) allow to fry for 30 secs and flip again. cook for another 15-20 secs and remove from oil, allow to drain completely, and place on a paper towel to allow the excess oil to drain off. Serve immediately on a plate, dredge lightly with powdered sugar and drizzle with honey.

Egg It On!

I'm making this a very short post and for a reason. You CAN make delicious and sophisticated food quickly. I promise.

Yeah, folks, you can totally just go on steaming that asparagus and squeezing a bit of lemon on there if that's your perogative. Just believe me when I tell you that the addition of just a little fat will increase your enjoyment 3.5 fold. Put that asparagus on a broiler pan, drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle some salt, grind some pepper. Cook till done (which means browned, crispy on the tips and oh sooooo good).

Do that. Note how it much better it tastes. Become an envy of all your friends. Write me an email of thanks. And no, I'm not Jesus. Not quite.

If you want to make it really stand out, do what I do and throw (gently place) a perfectly poached egg atop your bed of aspargus (and forget the useless vinegar in the poaching water).

So easy it's sick.

The easy way out

By now, even with as few entries as there are in this blog, I'm guessing that most of you aren't reading much of the commentary that I've written in these entries. Nonetheless, I'm keeping up the hope that some of you are, in fact, keen on reading why I'm selecting certain recipes, and maybe even like what I have to say. (I'm not keeping my hopes up on that one though.)

Ultimately, once you get past the stories and the unnecessary raving that I do, you'll see that a theme starts to emerge: attention to the details. This theme permeates the various aspects of what I write. From the selection of ingredients, to the thoughtful nature of melding tastes, to the details of the periphery of a meal with friends, the details are what set you apart and make for successful entertaining.



Those of you who truly know me are chuckling to yourselves at this point. This is because my name and the phrase "detail oriented" don't really go hand in hand. Ultimately, I realize I'm inattentive and have learned to account for this. Thus is the point of my current entry.
There are ways to create an easy solution for any issue you encounter when planning to make a meal for people. In this case, I was asked to make a full meal for a gathering that was being held 450 miles from my home. Although this presents some problems for someone who forgets to pack socks on just about every trip he takes, there are some ways to account for the obvious difficulties.

It's difficult to plan a meal being prepared in a kitchen around the corner from your home, let alone 3 states away. For me, I always feel the need to bring half of my kitchen along with me to ensure I have the tools and ingredients I need, and invariably I find that this isn't necessary, oh well. Lately though, I've found a balance of comfort in following a few simple guidelines.

Meal selection: should include a main dish that's relatively simple with broad appeal, and should be one that much of the preparation can be done at home. (If this sounds like the method for preparing for a potluck, it should.) In this cas it's Lasagna. Which I prepared each item at home.

Preparation: Complete any preparation that requires uncommon tools at your own home. Avoid dishes where this preparation could inhibit the quality of the dish. Assume that most kitchens are going to have a decent chefs knife, a mixer, bowls and other common utensils as well as a stove, oven, and a microwave.

Ingredients: For a 7 hour drive, I wanted to select ingredients that wont go bad or sweat out over a trip. Lasagna was the perfect fit as it could be refrigerated, and all ingredients could be pre-cooked.

Transportation: Making sure you have everything should be reiterated, especially if your mind works in the same way as mine. And importantly, don't forget your socks. Hopefully your selection goes as well as mine. It's hard to go wrong with lasagna.

My traditional Lasagna:
Sauce:
1 can tomato sauce
1 can crushed tomatoes
1/4 c. Chopped Basil
3-5 cloves garlic chopped.
1T olive Oil
1T Oregano
Dash cinnamon.
1/2lb Ground beef browned drained and rinsed.
Salt, Pepper, Baking soda to taste.

Start by sauteeing the garlic and olive oil in a saucepan, do not allow to brown. Add the tomato sauce and the crushed tomatoes to the mix. bring to a light simmer and add basil oregano, cinnamon, salt pepper and baking soda (if necessary to reduce the acidity [normally only necessary when using fresh crushed tomatoes and sauce])add beef and remove from heat. Set aside.

Cheese Filling:
1 container of Ricotta cheese (forgive me for not knowing the size, get the large one if you're making a 9x13 pan and a small one for a 8x8 pan.)
1/4c breadcrumbs (fresh grated from day-old italian bread)
3T milk
1 1/2c Mozzarella cheese
1 egg
Black pepper

Asiago Bechamel(optional if you like cheesy lasagna)

2T Butter
4T Flour
1 clove garlic well chopped
3/4c cream
4-6oz asiago cheese (grated and tossed in 1t cornstarch)
Black pepper to taste.
Melt butter in the pan, and stir in flour. Add cream and bring to a simmer. slowly add the asiago by small handfuls into the mix until thick.

Lasagne:
1 box lasagne noodles prepared.
1lb Hot Sausage Browned drained and crumbled.
2c Baby portabella mushrooms, sliced and sauteed in olive oil
1 large can sliced black olives.
1c mozzarella shredded and 1c parmesean shredded mixed
1/2-3/4c shredded zucchini
Red Sauce
Ricotta Filling
Bechamel (Optional)

To Assemble the lasagne start by rubbing your pan with the olive oil and pour a thin layer of red sauce on the bottom of the pan. add a layer of pasta and then follow with thin layers of:
-Ricotta
-Parmesean mix
-Olives (all)
-red sauce
-Pasta
-zucchini
-sausage
-Red sauce
-Pasta
-Ricotta
-Parmesean mix
-mushrooms
-red sauce
-Pasta
-Red Sauce

By the way, if you're adding the bechamel sauce, add it right after the ricotta mix each time.

Bake this at 375-400 degrees for about an hour. in the last 10-15 minutes, add the remaining cheese mix to the top.
Allow to cool when you remove the lasagna from the oven slightly, this will allow it to set up some and it will be easier to serve.

Going Bananas

Alright... so the title isn't all that original. Then again, neither is the dish. This may seem a bit hypocritical because, in many of my previous posts, I repeatedly profess the need to incorporate flavor into the all possible aspects of the dishes you make for your guests. While this is true, and is cornerstone to my core belief about food, I should point out that there is an equally important counterpoint to be made here. A practice that can often wow your food audience every bit as much as bold, new flavors. That point: Simplicity.



Recently, I invited a much anticipated guest to spend some time with me here in Ohio. Additionally, with his being a fellow foodie, I knew that we would be cooking quite a bit of food. There was a rather impromptu fondue party in his honor, a night of baking calzones, many occasions on which we ate out, even a special treat of "no-bake" cookies prepared by my mom(Thanks mom!). There was one dish that we made, in particular, truly stands out every time I make it.

Let's face it, Bananas Foster is not a particularly exciting dish in theory. The Flavors of Banana and Carmel are not notably exotic or original. The method by which you prepare the dish is not complicated or challenging. It's not even particularly exciting to look at when it's prepared. At this point, I'm sure it sounds as though I think this is a rather bland dish... and nothing could be further from the truth.

Quite contrary, when you mix a little sugar, molasses, butter, rum and banana over some heat, the result is an exercise in sheer, blissful simplicity. The preparation is quick and unadulterated fun. This might just be evidenced by the countless number of pictures, videos, and (i'm sure) hilarious stories of me making the dish. Which, you can tell by now, I do quite often. The full bodied sweetness is downright comforting. Even the sight of a mound of white vanilla ice cream being suffocated by an ooze of brown caramel elixir would cause the most hardened Weight Watcher to crumble. It is exactly divine in it's simple-ness.

One of the things I like about this dish is how quickly it comes together. What this means though is that you should be prepared. Measure out each of the ingredients prior to beginning the dish so that they can quickly be added. (Also, if you have an audience, keep a long-neck lighter nearby. A good flambe is always a crowd pleaser, and as Julia Child would say: "It's not really necessary, but it's fun!")

Start by measuring out 4T Salted Butter(I'm going to give a shameless plug to Hartzler's Dairy here in Wooster for making what can only be described as the most awe-inspiring hunk of the most delicious butter I have ever experienced in my life. They sell it as far away as the west side market in Cleveland, so I recommend you go get yourself a roll), 1/2t Pure Vanilla Extract, 1/3c packed light brown sugar, a pinch of kosher salt, 1T Heavy Cream, 1/8t Cinnamon, 2 Medium Bananas (I cut mine into 1/2" thick pieces), and 2T Rum(I use Bacardi Select, but you can use your favorite.)

In a deep skillet, start by melting the butter with the vanilla over medium heat. As the butter finishes melting add the brown sugar and salt and stir constantly to fully dissolve the sugar in the butter. As soon as the sugar melts into a caramel mixture and begins to bubble vigorously(as with any caramel dish, be careful not to burn the sugar or it will taste like the black outside of a burned marshmallow), mix in the cream completely then reduce the heat to medium low. Gently stir in the cinnamon and bananas allowing them to cook for a few seconds. add the rum, giving a quick stir as you do. IMMEDIATELY remove from the heat and Flambe using the lighter allowing it to burn for only 2-3 seconds (ONLY use a long lighter and keep your hands clear of the pan or you'll singe your hands, trust me on this) then blow out any remaining flames. It's best to allow to cool slightly before serving. When Ready Serve over a generous helping of natural vanilla bean ice cream, and garnish with slices of cinnamon roll.

There you have it, Simple ingredients and fast preparation time. As a matter of fact, by the time we started making this dish, it was safe to say that I was exhausted from trotting around to various places and eating out and it didn't drain the little energy I had left to make it. I was, however, quite ready to sit down and share the delicious, uncomplicated dish between the two of us. One big plate, 2 spoons, and a movie. What a great end to a fantastic and busy week.

Merriment Insurance.

There seems to be one label that quickly becomes a part of my reputation with nearly every person I meet. (Actually, there's a lot of them, but this blog isn't the place to talk about being absent-minded, disorganized, and air headed.) Far be it from me to refute this label, either. Much to the contrary; I embrace it, I wear it like a badge. Almost anyone who knows me would describe me as a lush... and I am, quite simply, flattered.



In the varied and inexplicable history of social acceptance, the casual drink has been touted then vilified, exonerated then shunned, made indispensable then dispensed with. However, in my humble and elitist opinion, no party has ever been complete without a signature cocktail. There are a few reasons for this: they give you the opportunity to set or or reinforce the theme to the party, they allow your guests to expand on the horizons of their palate, they provide a sturdy piece to the foundation of a gathering that makes it an unforgettable event, but most importantly they still serve as the best form of social lubricant.

I have been to far too many gatherings where your only drink offerings are a cooler of beer, a few bottles of alcohol and some soda are set on a table somewhere for you, as a guest, to make your own drink. Maybe this is a learned trait from attending to many frat parties in college, I don't know, but it's just wrong. This is not to say that there is anything wrong with having a table like this, but to have only these drink offerings is seriously a missed opportunity to make a lasting impression. It's like picking a boring tie to wear with your $2500 suit, and it's just shameful.

Just as there are a plethora of themes for your party, there many times more options to select of create to supplement and reinforce these themes. Tiki Party? How about a Mai Tai. Black Tie Affair? Introduce your guests to the French 75. Girls Night out? French Twist Martinis will get even your prude friend dancing. Toga Party? If a Genoa was good for Caesar it's good enough for your guests, right? From wine tastings to martinis to mulled cider, your options are vast. If you're the creative type, then the possibilities to create a new drink are practically infinite. Simply put, the selection and preparation of your bar ware and the creation of the perfect cocktail can be every bit as fun as it is functional and necessary.

In recent history, there has been a trend of adding alcohol (perhaps back) into the mix of my family's holiday gatherings. Growing up, I can only remember a few occasions where there was anything more available to my parents aunts and uncles than some cans of beer in my grandmother's basement fridge. In my observation, I think the reintroduction of other libations coincides with the majority of my cousins and I (the "kids") reaching drinking age. Regardless of whether my theory is true, it's a trend that I am all about supporting and reinforcing.

Now, come Christmastime, I like a little "merriment insurance." Therefore, I have started my own tradition of creating a cocktail for my family's Christmas Gathering. Year after year I put more and more effort into researching and recipe testing the cocktail that I hope meets with rave reviews. (Which is not always the case. For example the failed Cable Car.) Now, I spend many waking hours tirelessly and selflessly conducting hours of research in the most exotic and well versed bars over the course of the year. Suffering through hangovers and bar tabs just to find inspiration for a truly memorable cocktail. This year, I think I may have nailed it.

The drink in question is a Classic St. Germain. It's sweet, exotic, aromatic and delicious. Pair a drink like that with a very pleasing presentation and you'll have people Raving. I discovered the cornerstone liqueur in this drink partly by suggestion and partly by fluke. A friend suggested that I have a drink of this on my birthday, and in my drunken state, I happened to remember this. When I found it, I couldn't help but to try it, and I am now forever changed. St. Germain Liqueur is made from the aromatic elderflower and has one of the most distinctive flavors I have ever come across. It's a bit pricey and ever more difficult to find, but worth all of the effort to obtain this heavenly liquid.

I started a day in advance preparing the Champagne Glasses in which I would be serving the drink. The presentation of the drink deserves almost more thought than the actual drink itself. A great looking and unique cocktail practically begs to be imbibed, a poor presentation will just blend into the background. To Prepare the Champagne Glass in this case I dipped the rim of each glass in red-colored, Lemon flavored hard tack candy. Let this serve as a warning to you: DIPPING GLASS IN ANYTHING EXTREMELY HOT (SUCH AS MELTED SUGAR) IS A VERY DANGEROUS PROCESS. Heed all of my advice, but proceed at your own risk... You have been warned.

Hard Tack Rim:
1/4c sugar
2T Corn Syrup
2T Water
1/8t Lemon Extract
Food Coloring

Place your champagne glasses on the stove near the pan you're working with. This is for 2 reasons: 1) It will warm the glasses and make it less likely that they will shatter when you dip them and 2) once the candy is done you need to work quickly as the candy will harden fast. Mix All ingredients in a saute pan over medium high heat stirring frequently and allowing to come to a boil. When the candy is at soft crack state, remove from the heat. lightly dip the rim of a warmed glass in the hot candy mix, allow the excess to drip into the pan and cool slightly before placing in the upright position. Once complete, cover each glass with cling wrap to store. (and... good luck getting the leftover candy out of the pan.

Now onto the cocktail. Be Sure to have enough made for half of your guests only immediately before they arrive. This drink is fizzy and if you prepare it too early, it will go flat.

Classic St. Germain (TheBrettT Style)
Into a prepared Champagne glass
Pour
1oz St. Germain Liquer
Then
1oz Club Soda
Then
Top off with Champagne (for Drier) or Asti (for Sweeter)
Squeeze in a Twist of lemon
and add a curled lemon peel to the edge of the glass for garnish.

Trust me on this, your guests will be happy and stay that way all night with one of these in hand. But regardless of the cocktail you choose, just choose wisely. If you pay attention to these details, your holiday party will be talked about all year.

Just Keep on Ruhlman

I'd like to start by saying that I quite hope that I didn't make Brett as nervous as he implied. Interestingly enough, it was actually the first time he had ever cooked for me. I have to say that I was impressed. He cooked a stellar meal, managed to show me a good time and Wooster and really introduced me to the greatness that sage would help a meal attain. Thank you, Brett. Aces all the way. Let's do it again soon.

Yes, I know, I already spoke of Michael Ruhlman. So why, then, am I revisiting him so soon? The answer? I just picked up a copy of The Elements of Cooking. I'm not exaggerating when I say that Mr. Ruhlman ignites my passion for cooking more than any chef out there. Period.

The Elements of Cooking is important in exactly the same way as Ratio. Ruhlman doesn't give you the blueprints to a great meal. A step by step guide full of recipes ensured to "Feed Friends and Satiate People" this most certainly is not. It's a foundation on which incredible things can be built. Without that foundation, nothing will stand.

Naturally, Ruhlman covers everything in this book. Stocks? Check. Eggs? Check. Cookware? Check. Salt? Check. Wait, salt? What needs to be said about salt? A lot. If I didn't already love Michael Ruhlman, his writings on salt would have made me. I feel vindicated by what he wrote, that, as Thomas Keller said, salting is the most important skill for a cook to have. I am glad to say that I actually realized this years ago. Undersalted food is bland, no matter how many other spices are included, and oversalted food can be inedible. Sorry is the cook that doesn't recognize the importance of using salt properly.

Anyhow, I HIGHLY recommend this book. No matter whether you're an old hand or just delving into the world of cooking. Proper mastery of the basics is essential to attaining any level of culinary success.

Fall-ing in love again...

As long as I can remember, autumn has been my favorite season. This is for a number of obvious reasons. Spending all day raking leaves in the yard into a HUGE pile so that you can decimate it with so many different ways to jump into it. Good quality time with family (over food of course). Carving pumpkins, a tradition I still continue to this day and one which often will yield some delicious pumpkin puree for later use. But of course, the best part is the baking.



Now, you can tell I've been watching what I eat because it has been such a long time since my last Blog entry. I guess I just don't think many people will find reading about grilled chicken, broccoli, and brown rice to be all that intriguing. But now that summer is over, it's time to reward myself for the hard work... and reward is quite the word for it. There are so many goodies to have, it can be mind boggling. Pumpkin pie, spice cookies, hot cocoa, apple cider(mulled, of course), even on occasion candy corn, and so many more. It's the one season that my neighbors can't complain because I make the whole building smell like my mom's kitchen at Thanksgiving; you would have to be a communist not to love that. Now, when it comes to baking for autumn the primary ingredient of the season is obvious to anyone who grew up anywhere the leaves change... That ingredient: Pumpkin.

In the more than a decade since I've been experimenting with food I've used the pureed gold in so many different ways. Baking is obvious, but I've also used it in pastas, soups, sauces, kebabs... the list can go on and on. I've truly come to know Pumpkin as a delicious, extremely versatile, and wildly popular kitchen staple. But when the equation comes down to Autumn + Pumpkin + Oven, there is only one answer as far as I'm concerned and it isn't pumpkin pie (no hate mail, please). We are, in fact, talking about the uber-delicious, ultra-unhealthy, wholly irresistible Midwest treat... The pumpkin roll.

There's something about the flour and fat, the sugar and spice, the cake-y and the creamy that makes this delicacy downright addictive. Add in a cup of coffee and some good friends... and it's all over. Personally I could eat about a yard of the stuff myself, but I wouldn't recommend this. When you read the recipe, you'll see why.

P.S. If you wish to make your own pumpkin, I'll direct you to this eHow article that shows you how simple and easy it is to make from scratch. How to make pumpkin puree.

Preheat your oven to 375F.
Grease and flour the edges of a large Jelly Roll Pan, then line the bottom of the pan with wax paper.
Then in a mixing bowl stir together 3/4c Flour, 3/4t cinnamon, 1/2t cloves, 1/4t ginger, 1/4t nutmeg, pinch of fine ground black pepper, 1/4t salt, 1/2t baking powder and 1/2t baking soda.
In a large bowl, mix 3 eggs, and 1c sugar together until smooth. Blend in 3/4c pumpkin, and continue to blend until smooth.
Slowly add the dry mixture to the pumpkin mix incrementally until all of the dry is incorporated into the wet mix.
pour out onto the prepared jelly roll pan and bake for 14 to 16 mins. remove from the oven and allow to cool completely before moving ahead. My aunt actually will roll the cake at this point to ensure that it doesn't crack when you roll it later. I've found that this isn't truly necessary if you're careful when rolling later.
Make the filling by creaming together 1/2c softened butter, 1pkg cream cheese, once smooth, slowly sift in 1c powdered sugar and 1 1/2t REAL vanilla. (actually, for mine, I use a vanilla bean) stir until smooth and creamy.
Use the wax paper to help you roll out the cake, peeling it off as you go. Work slowly so as not to break the cake. Once rolled you can wrap in plastic wrap and store the cake or you can plate it, dust it with powdered sugar, and serve it to unsuspecting guests(or eat it all by yourself... choice is yours.)

Feel to experiment with the combination of layouts, you can see above that the last one I made was actually square. I've even been known to make this as a trifle, adding candied walnuts between each layer. You can feel free to do this in as many configurations as you like, just don't blame me if your pants don't fit properly later...