Dec 302011
What’s Happenin’ in Aspen Update
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Dec 292011
Hello all! Just a quick check-in to let you know I’m running around like a mad man collecting lots of great photos, recipes, and stories; unfortunately, there’s been no time to post any of it yet!
Some of the highlights so far have been the Opening Reception, where the Voltaggio brothers from last season’s Top Chef did strange and wonderful things with a BTL (believe it or not, those are bacon dip-n-dots); the always amazing Jose Andres/Wines 
from Spain BBQ, featuring spit roasted pigs; and an incredible lunch with Chef John Besh and Master Beer Sommelier Marc Stroobandt from Stella Artois, where we enjoyed six courses of crawfish and beer (yes, that is a slice of fresh truffle in the bowl).
I was also interviewed by Aspen’s PlumTV as part of a feature on food bloggers covering the Food & Wine Classic. I haven’t seen it yet, so I have no idea how much of me actually made it past the editors (if they’re any good, it’s very little), but if you want to check it out, you can see it streaming live on their website at 8am, 9am, 10am, 5pm, 6pm, and 11pm. Enjoy, and stay tuned for much more!
I Say Tomato, and You Say Tomato
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Dec 292011
Here’s a short film (along with some photos) from the fabulous heirloom tomato tasting at Wild Boar Farms on Sunday. It was a great event, and the tomatoes were as delicious as advertised. After gorging on these just-picked beauties, the thought of eating conventional tomatoes seems ridiculous.
You just can’t fight Mother Nature. There are only a few months a year when you should eat fresh tomatoes. Sorry, that’s just the way it is. But, the good news – this is one of them!
So, after watching this, figure out when the next local farmer’s market is, and get some real tomatoes. As far as ways to eat them – keep it simple – it doesn’t get much better than olive oil, salt, maybe some fresh basil and cheese, on crunchy grilled bread. Enjoy!
http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1509998&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=b5d15a&fullscreen=1
Spaghetti Al Tonno – Tuna…Hamburger of the Sea?
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Dec 292011
This video recipe is another one of my “go to” pasta dishes, a delicious spaghetti with a spicy tuna and tomato sauce. It’s fast, cheap and easy. Speaking of fast, cheap and easy…I know that Jessica Simpson had some problems with the old saying about tuna being the “chicken of the sea,” but when it comes to quick meat sauces for pasta, I say that tuna is more like ground round than chicken. I like to make the occasional Americanized Bolognese, but it takes a while to brown the hamburger, and then simmer it in the tomato sauce until at least somewhat tender. Tuna on the other hand makes a great “meaty” tasting tomato sauce in just minutes. Not to mention lower-fat, lower cal, etc.
For some reason I never really think of this dish as a “fish pasta.” I think because it’s so hearty and satisfy, like a good Bolognese. I almost called it Tuna Bolognese just to drive the food fascists crazy, but decided against at the last second. They’ll get their aprons in a bunch when they see the Parmesan go in anyway. This sauce is very close to the red clam sauce I did a while back, and I think I like it even better with the tuna, which of course is much cheaper, so that works out nicely. By the way, as you can see, this video recipe was produced for About, so there’s only the one player option for viewing it. Enjoy.
Ingredients:
7 ounces tuna
3 cups tomato sauce
1/2 cup white wine, something decent
2 tablespoons olive oil
3 cloves minced garlic
red pepper flakes, to taste
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1 teaspoon sugar
2 tablespoons capers
1/2 cup chopped parsley
1 pound of your favorite spaghett
A CHEF JOHN’S ON THE ROAD RERUN: Grilled Lemon Yogurt Chicken – Featuring the Marinade that’s Been Making Chicken Delicious for Over 4,000 Years
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Dec 292011
I’m still in New York and unable to post any new material, so here’s a rerun of one of my favorite summer chicken recipes. It’s perfect for the grill, or can be baked in the oven. What follows is the original post which aired on August 4, 2008…
Yogurt has been used as a marinade since it was first invented, over 4,000 years ago, in Turkey, Central Europe, or the Balkans, depending on who you ask. The important thing is that any cooking technique or recipe that survives that long is probably pretty damn good. This video recipe for a simple, but super succulent, grilled lemon and yogurt chicken is just that.
There is something special about what yogurt does to chicken waiting for its smoky, sizzling time over the charcoal. It imparts a tangy flavor that lifts all the other flavorings. It tenderizes slightly, without turning the meat into m
ush. It grills to a caramelized dark brown without tasting burnt. And, there are not many fat-free ingredients that will have people begging for your “secret” recipe.
In the video I use a large cut-up chicken, which I encourage you to do yourself. In case you missed it, here is the link to the “how to cut up a chicken with scissors” video clip. The only thing I did different for this recipe was use a large sharp knife to cut the breasts in half – and also separated the thigh and the drumstick.
This is one of those grilled chicken recipes that is just as delicious served cold, in a salad, or gnawed right off the bone at a picnic. Enjoy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3Dqs8LrJDg]
Ingredients:
1 big chicken
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/2 lemon, juiced
1 tbsp olive oil
4 cloves garlic
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp Herbs from Provence (or any dried Italian, or Greek herb blend – rosemary, thyme, oregano, etc.)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
1/2 cup yogurt
1 tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp harissa or other hot sauce
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste (optional)
Scallops and Arugula with Lentils and Butter Beans – Great Recipe, Horrible Soundtrack
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Dec 282011
One great thing about using Apple’s iMovie editing software is the library of instrumental soundtracks that you can use as music in your video clips (Hey, Apple, you made billions last quarter, how about a donation for this plug?). There are a few dozen options, and if you’ve been watching my video recipes for a while, you’ve heard many of them.
This very delicious Scallops and Arugula with Lentils and Butter Bean recipe video features a soundtrack called “watercolor.” At first listen, I thought it was a nice light tune to match with this savory spring dish. But, now that the clip is finished, and I’ve listened to it a few times, I realize that my scallops are accompanied by bad elevator music. So, please forgive me, and I’m sorry about all those dentist office waiting rooms this will remind you of.
In the clip I mention something called the “Maillard effect.” It’s the actual reaction that most cooks incorrectly call “caramelization.” I could explain it to you in my own words, or simply copy and paste from Wikipedia…guess which one this is:
“The Maillard reaction is a chemical reaction between an amino acid and a reducing sugar, usually requiring heat. Like caramelization, it is a form of non-enzymatic browning. In the process, hundreds of different flavor compounds are created. These compounds in turn break down to form yet more new flavor compounds, and so on. Each type of food has a very distinctive set of flavor compounds that are formed during the Maillard reaction.”
I hope that clears things up. Enjoy!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a-ODrPMjkOs]
1 pound scallops
2 tbsp olive oil
pinch of cayenne
1 tsp paprika
salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 clove garlic
1 lemon
12 oz jar butter bean (or any large cooked bean)
1 1/2 cup cooked lentils
1/2 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 large handfuls baby arugula
Dec 282011
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| Photo (c) west-chester.com |
I’ll be grabbing a red-eye Sunday night for snowy Western New York, to spend a couple weeks visiting with my mother, Pauline, and the rest of the family. But wait, that’s not all! While I’m home, I’ll be driving down to West Chester, PA, to the QVC Studios to train for a future appearance to help promote the cookbook I did for Parragon Publishing (read about that here, if you’re not already in the know).
Before they let you on the largest home shopping network going, you have to do a day of training to learn all the finer points of shilling, telling people that operators are standing by, and how they can afford the book by breaking up the payments into smaller, more manageable installments.
If everything goes well, I’ll be appearing on the wildly popular, In The Kitchen with David. I’ve never seen the show, but I found this video on fellow celebrity blogger, Hungry Girl’s YouTube channel. Have a great weekend, stay tuned, and enjoy!
Dec 272011
Well, here it is. A quick tour of the GGF as captured on my little spy cam. If you want to know why there is a giant pink stamp across every frame, please refer to the previous post regarding this horrible example of techno-extortion.
The vocalist’s wailing in the soundtrack perfectly captures and conveys the pain I feel thinking about how great this film was going to be. I’m pretty sure it would have won awards at Sundance, Cannes, etc., and now it’s just a four-minute eyesore I didn’t even bother to narrate. Enjoy!
Soundtrack: Pink Flyod’s “The Great Gig in the Sky” from the album, Dark Side of the Moon
http://www.vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=1437290&server=www.vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=b5d15a&fullscreen=1
Photo credit (c) Flickr user lowjumpingfrog
Apple Crisp
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Dec 272011
I found this at Be Not Conformed, posted by Mrs. R. It looks really good and I plan on giving this one a try. Especially for this fall. This just seems to be the right time of year for an apple dessert, doesn’t it?
Topping:
1/2 cup (70 grams) all purpose flour
1/4 cup (50 grams) granulated white sugar
1/4 cup (55 grams) light brown sugar
3/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon fresh or ground nutmeg
1/8 teaspoon salt
6 tablespoons (84 grams) unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/3 cup (30 grams) old-fashioned rolled oats
Filling:
2 1/2 pounds (1.2 kg) or 6 cups peeled and sliced Granny Smith Apples or other firm, tart-tasting apple
2 tablespoons (30 grams) light brown sugar
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) and place rack in the center of the oven.
Butter or spray with a cooking spray, an 8 x 8 x 2 inch (20 x 20 x 5 cm) baking dish. Set aside.
For Topping: Place all the topping ingredients (flour, sugars, spices, butter, and oats) in a food processor and process until the mixture is crumbly (looks like coarse meal) and there are no large pieces of butter visible. (This can also be done with two knives or your fingertips.) Set aside while you prepare the filling.
For Filling: Peel, core, and slice the apples into 1/4 inch (.7 cm) thick pieces. Place in a large bowl and add the brown sugar. Gently combine and then transfer to your prepared baking dish Spread the topping evenly over the apples.
Bake for approximately 35-45 minutes or until the topping is golden brown. Remove from oven and place on a wire rack to cool for about 10 – 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with softly whipped cream or vanilla ice cream. Refrigerate any leftovers and reheat before serving.
Makes 4 servings.
When you’re missing and ingredient…
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Dec 272011
Substitute 1 tsp dried herbs for 1 tbsp fresh herbs.
Try 1 cup minus 2 tbsp all-purpose flour as a substitute for 1 cup cake flour.
Add 1/4 tsp baking soda and 1/2 cup buttermilk to equal 1 tsp baking powder. The
buttermilk will replace 1/2 cup of the liquid indicated in the recipe.
Use 3 tbsp dry cocoa plus 1 tbsp butter or margarine instead of 1 square(1Ounce)
unsweetened chocolate.
Make custard with 1 whole egg rather than 2 egg yolks.
Mix 1/2 cup evaporated milk with 1/2 cup water to replace 1 cup whole milk.
Substitute 1 package(2 tsp) active dry yeast for 1 cake compressed yeast.
Add 1 tbsp instant minced onion, re hydrated, to replace 1 small fresh onion.
Substitute 1 tbsp prepared mustard for 1 tsp dry mustard.
Use 1/8 tsp garlic powder instead of 1 small pressed clove of garlic.
Substitute 2 tbsp of flour for 1 tbsp of cornstarch to use as a thickening agent.