Safety and Sanitation: Cooling Your Stock (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

One of the most crucial parts of cooking stock is cooling it down for storage. I’ve written on how to store it, but how do you get a piping hot pot of delicious liquid gold into your freezer safely?

I’ll give it to you straight. Food that sits for a long amount of time between 40 degrees to 140 degrees is subject to the development of toxins and bacteria. Stock is very susceptible to this, so you must bring it down below 40 degrees in a quick amount of time for safe storage.

The quickest way to cool something down is to surround it with ice and water in a larger pot. Most people use use their biggest pot for stock. To that point, I’d recommend reducing the stock by 1/2 into a more concentrated liquid (your stock will taste more concentrated too!). Also, ice wands used to stir the liquid itself. Yes, ice wands. What’s an ice wand? Easy: bottles of frozen water (with a little bit poured out so it doesn’t explode in the freezer). It’s best to cool something from both outside and in. Makes sense?

I hope so!

~Spec

Belgian Waffles, I will eat yooo! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Just bought the Waring Pro Belgian Waffle Maker for a ridiculously low price. There will be no empty stomachs come Sunday at brunch. Mwahahahaha.

WAFFLES!

~Spec

Food Bites: Book Review Forthcoming (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Just received Food Bites: The Science of the Foods We Eat from the publisher for review! Thanks for sending me a copy! Hee hee.

Coming Soon!

~Spec

Fall Foods: Mini Mac n’ Cheese (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Macaroni with Three Cheeses and Bacon. Crispy bread crumbs toasted on top contrast with the molten cheese inside. The addition of thick, applewood smoked bacon - inside the mac n’ cheese and as “garnish” - doesn’t hurt either. I, for one, welcome our new autumnal overlords.

YAY FALL FOODS!

~Spec

Mushrooms to keep you Warm for the Winter (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Larger view here. It’s one thing to dislike a food (OMG RAISINS GET OUT OF MY COOKIES), but it’s another to dislike a dish based on a POOR interpretation of it. Take for instance, Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup. Once used as a binding agent for many a weeknight casserole, the thick, pale “JUST ADD WATER” goop has found itself to be lurking behind every dusted bottle of pickled okra and econo-sized canisters of vienna sausages. LOL. I think I made myself sick a lil’ bit.

In any case, THIS monstrosity is all Liana knows of this soup… but it can be so much more. Mushroom soup can feel like silk and taste hearty and rich at the same time. It’s the perfect preclude to a main course of beef at home or from a bowl of tupperware on park bench on Fullerton Ave. while the leaves change in Chicago. Again, I have to give some love to the people at Frank’s produce at Pike Place Market - they had the most beautiful chantrelle, lobster and cremini mushrooms (25%, 25% and 50%, respectively) at decent prices.

Heat large shallow pan over high heat. Add butter / oil and preheat. Add 1 lb. of sliced mushrooms, 1 large shallot, sage and thyme (all minced) without uncrowding the pan and cook until golden. Remove and start again if working in batches. Add mushrooms to a pot and add 4 cups chicken / vegetable stock and bring to a boil. Add 3/4 cup of heavy whipping cream, lower heat and bring to a simmer until thickened. Puree in a blender or with a stick blender (omg fun to use) until you reach your desired consistency. Feel free to run the soup in a sieve if you’re shooting for a more refined texture.

I sauteed off 1 chanterelle and lobster mushroom all nice n’ pretty like and gently placed it in the bowl as garnish with a few minced chives. It’d be nicer if the lobster shroom didn’t sink a little, but I guess that’s the price you pay when you don’t use a lot of milk / cream in the soup. Serve with toasted ciabatta bread or a quick salad with big ribbons of Parmesan.

Hooray for mushroom essence!

~Spec

Potluck: Jenny’s Going Away Party (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Jenny, one of our neighbors from a few doors down, just moved over to Ballard to start a new chapter in her life. To celebrate, our lil’ community threw her a going away party with an Italian potluck theme. So when yesterday morning came around, I decided to make a a nice and hearty soup since Seattle has been coolin’ down considerably around 6/7pm. I also picked up a few packages of mussles cause they a) looked really tasty and fresh and b) I didn’t want to be known as the “soup” guy for the rest of our time here. LOL.

I cooked the mussles in a classic preparation: Sweat 1 chopped onion, red pepper flakes, minced garlic and shallots (optional) in a lot of pre-heated olive oil until onions are translucent. Then, throw in your mussles, some chopped tomato, and about 2 cups of white wine and cover until cooked - the steam from the wine will cook the mussles and get all tasty. You could throw in some Dijon mustard (Ryan Brown recommends fennel) too if you wanna be fancy. Remember to throw out any mussels that didn’t open up - those are BAD. Don’t forget the toasted slices of bread!

Next, the soup. Yeah. Kinda used a completely ripped off recipe from Olive Garden. Yes. LOL. BUT! I really, really love this soup. When people ask me why this particular recipe, I always say something about it being prom and I didn’t like what I ordered as my main course, but I kept getting refills of the soup to keep me full… which I think is true, but I’m not for certain… I’m afraid to ask all my old prom dates (LOL!). Anyway, the recipe for Zuppa Toscana is here - I pretty much follow it verbatim.

So what’d they think?

YAY.

nom nom nom.

~Spec

Midnight Strip Steak (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Strip Steak topped with a Balsamic Glaze served with Cremini Mushrooms Stuffed with Feta Cheese

When eaten often enough, even STEAK AND MUSHROOMS get old. LOL ARE YOU KIDDING ME NO WAYS. But in the event that you feel like your meat is just ya know.. a boring hunk of meat, look at stuff in your fridge and put thangs together - if you’re stuck, search the Internets for ideas!

I had balsamic vinegar, which goes well with dill, which in turn works with feta cheese which does good things with ’shrooms which were MADE FOR steakers. Just search for “Dill, Balsamic and Feta” in Google to verify that you’re not doing something crazy. Even peanut butter and pork works! Here’s what I did to take my steak to another country:

Salt and peppered strip steak liberally. Sear it over medium-high heat on both sides. Pull the meat off the pan and set aside. In the same pan, add shallot and 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and reduce until it coats the back of a spoon.

For the mushrooms, I combined feta, chopped mushroom stems, dill, a few tbsp of olive oil, garlic and some bread crumbs and lightly packed it in each mushroom cap. Then, I threw ‘em in a 350 degree oven for 15 minutes and then the broiler for another 2 minutes. Totally doable for huge portobello mushrooms for a light dinner!

This is probably wayyyyy out there, but dill is one of my favorite herbs to photograph at night - it has some of that “height” that makes food interesting and makes for a beautiful garnish when laid upon a darkly colored or monochromatic food.

Also, If you haven’t reduced balsamic vinegar on something, try it - salmon, chicken and of course, steak. It’s such an intense fruity flavor that makes your dish bold and impressive. Damn, now I’m hungry.

OFF TO COOKS.

~Spec

Snackin’ on Ceviche, Crunchin’ on Chips (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

After doin’ a lil’ shopperoni at the local Target (next time I’m totally gonna get a hot dog and nachos), Liana suggested that we stop by PCC Natural Markets, a Seattle-based co-op, to pick up some quality prepared food.

When we didn’t find anything we were really in the mood for, I looked around and saw some really nice lookin’ striped bass fillets. A light bulb went off above my head and decided to pick up some citrus, a few avocados and a tomato to make a clean seafood dish. Recipe follows:

1 filet of striped bass, double checked for bones & sliced into 1/2” pieces
Juice from 2 limes, 1 orange & 1 lime (1 cup total)
1 shallot, finely minced
1 handfull of cilantro, chopped
Hearty pinch of Kosher salt
5/6 grinds of freshly ground pepper
1 Avocado, diced into large chunks
1 tomato - I used an heirloom brandywine

Throw everything but the tomato and avocado in a bowl and stir very gently. You could add a few minced jalapenos or julienne’d red onions at this point. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the fridge for at least 45 minutes. When ready to eat, add avocado and tomato and once again, stir gently. Taste for seasonings and serve in uber cute bowls with a fork or tortilla chips - whichever you prefer. Hee hee.

Serve as an appetizer, first course or a light lunch/dinner with a light beer or a glass of white. If I planned ahead, I would’ve followed this up with a spicy chicken dish with fried potatoes and maybe an espresso-based flan for dessert… hmmm… or maybe keep hittin’ ‘em with Peruvian love with a dish of Lomo Saltado?

I like to think of ceviche as the apex of the first rollercoaster “hill.” The citrus brightens the palette and teases with moist pieces of fish that melts in your mouth and creamy avocado chunks - the calm before the storm if you will. All you want after wards is something that contrasts completely… Savory, bold and crispy. Maybe that’s just me. Hee hee.

YAY CEVICHE!

~Spec

Snack Gone Overboard (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

So I was chillin’ on the couch after a long day of work, waiting for Liana and I to meet some friends for dinner when I said something like “HAY SWEETS I’M HUNGARARAY,” to which she replied “make a snack then.” In all actuality, that conversation was much longer than it should have been due to the fact that it was elongated with consistent whines from yours truly - it wasn’t pretty. On with the story.

So, I walked over to see what was in the fridge (OMG I TOTALLY HAVE A STORY TO TALK ABOUT LATER) and I remembered I caught a deal @ Don and Joe’s for some choice filet mignons a few days ago. THEN, I had a flashback of meal at Black Bottle where they combined beef with simple Japanese ingredients and served it as a small tapas dish. DONE! Super simple & kinda snobby recipe below!

Filet Mignon
Daikon
Kaiware (daikon sprouts)
1 cup soy sauce

Pull beef out of fridge and add Kosher salt and freshly cracked pepper. Saute filet in a preheated pan over medium high heat until desired doneness - I like mine black and blue (2 mins on each side). If your filet isn’t quite circular, you can take butcher’s twine and tie it around the middle to produce that shape. Let sit aside to rest.

Take one cup soy sauce (preferably in a non-stick pan) and reduce until nappe - a thick syrup that coats the back of the spoon.

Grate the daikon in the middle of the plate and place a few drops of the soy sauce reduction in the middle of the daikon circle. Place the filet on top of the daikon and place daikon sprouts (kaiware) around beef. Enjoy!

So yeah, it was completely unnecessary as a snack, but you could totally fit this in after a vegetable sushi course, a calimari and sesame-miso salad or a maybe a simple crab ravioli with an umeboshi sauce - ok that’s just ridiculous. LOL. Anyway, enjoy the recipe… it’s super simple to make and it’s mighty tasty.

EEEE BEEF.

~Spec

Potluck: Harnessing Summer’s Bounty (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Eggplant and Summer Squash Gratin

What do you do when you’re visiting a church-related potluck for the first time? Make something that’s vegetarian, cheesy and definitely something in a baking dish. Hee hee. I loosely followed Ina Garten’s recipe of an eggplant gratin, but I added a few more zucchini and yellow squash to the mix to make things look pretty - they’re all in season and one cannot plate a dish on purple alone! Hee hee.

I cut back on a lot of the salt and layered the squash on itself on the outer ring and laid the eggplant slices in the middle for a nice “wtf is in this dish again???” communicado. If I were to make it nice and fancy fancy, I’d prolly bake it in a larger rectangular dish and take metal rings to cut out small 2”-3” towers to serve as a really cute appetizer with maybe some Parmesan crisps or micro greens on top? Hmmm…

When I pulled the gratin from the bag on location, I garnished with a few hand-torn sprigs of parsley. I put it on the table next to fried chicken and Chinese food… so you better know next time that I’m gonna make something not as healthy. MWMWAHAHAH. I snubbed a couple vegetarian’s at Stacy’s birthday… I didn’t want to do it again! What the heck am I gonna make next week?

MWMWAHAH MEAAAATTTT!

~Spec

Saturday’s Breakfast! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Saturday morning: Pork chops, mushrooms and eggs over easy. That’s it.

LOL.

~Spec

Under the Knife - Roasted Chicken (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

Now reading: Michael Ruhlman’s Elements of Cooking. Ruhlman wrote about staple meals, and I couldn’t get my mind off a perfectly roasted chicken. So.. uh… I made one (just like before) and served it with oven roasted new potatoes and steamed broccoli. Hee hee.

That is all.

~Spec

New Knives - East, West and All Around Niiiiiiice (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by specialdark@allthingschill.com

The German Wustof 8” Grand Prix II Chef’s Knife and the Japanese Shun Classic 6” Utility Knife. Video blog forthcoming. Hee hee.

Everyone’s got their vices, right?

~Spec

Light Lunch: Crab Cakes, but not. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

I had a can of lump crab meat sitting in the fridge for a while and while I tried my hardest to convince Liana that making straight up crab cakes wouldn’t be THAT bad for you (egg’d, flour’d, panko’d and fried)… she wasn’t having it. It’s hard swaying her when she has so much conviction! LOL. So, to somehow get that same crunchy texture and enhance that creamy crab love… I had to improvise (YAY).

I decided to make corn pancakes that I’ve been making these past few weeks to provide a clean and sweet base and a light & spicy crab salad to add to the creamy texture. I can’t remember where I got the recipe for the corn pancakes (it was found in an old grid notebook from culinary skool, but the crab salad recipe is pretty run o’ the mill, kaies? kaies. Here we go!

Crab Salad

Ingredients
2 cups 1 can lump crab meat, picked through for shells
1/4 cup celery, finely chopped
1/4 cup carrot, finely chopped
1/4 cup red onions, finely chopped
2 ripe avocados, coarsley chopped
3 tbsp mayonaise
Juice from 1 lemon
fresh dill

Fabrication:
Combine all ingredients together and gently fold. For a spicier tastes, add 2 tbsp of Tony Chachere’s Original Creole Seasoning.

Corn Pancakes

Ingredients:
1/2 cup cornmeal
1/2 cup AP flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp Kosher salt
1/2 + 2 tbsp cup milk
2 tbsp honey
1 egg

Fabrication:
Mix dry ingredients and wet ingredients in separate bowls. Slowly stir dry ingredients into the wet ingredients until just combined. Preheat a non-stick pan over medium high heat and melt 1/2 tsp of butter to grease the pan. Add 1/4 cup of batter for large pancakes and flip when bubbles subside on the edges. Keep warm by covering them with a damp kitchen towel in a 200 degree oven until service.

What you get is a spicy crab salad with cool and creamy avocado on top of a warm and “crunchy on the outside and moist on the inside” corn cake. If I had one around, I’d puree a roasted red pepper with some oil to drizzle around the sides for a little color. It’s a great light lunch with a glass of white (I can’t remember which one the waitress brought us @ Bizarro - but that’s for another post) or first course because it teases your palette into wanting more.

YAY Crab… cakes?

~Spec

Slashfood Link’d! YAY. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Slashfood.com, one of the original and most regularly updated food blogs, used one of my pics in a news post yesterday! WHOOPIE! Sure, it’s about salmonella… and it’s a bowl of cereal… but who cares! WOOO HOOO!

Thanks Shayna for using it!

~Spec

Cod: Fish and Chips No More! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

At the corner market close to where we live, they sell select seafood that they purchase from the docks of Seattle. It’s always fresh and never really disappoints! On any given day, you’ll see shrimp, scallops, clams and mussles, ready to be cooked and eaten that day. That’s when you could figure my surprise when I found two beautiful cod fillets sitting in the cooler (cod is normally and East Coast thing). I thought, what the heck, so EEEEEEEEEE!

Back in May, I froze the leftover polenta that I made with the lamb last month in a baking tray and then cut them into little cakes, some rectangular and some in triangles. All I did was pop ‘em out and sauteed them in a little bit of butter to provide a simple, yet quite flavorful base for the dish.

I used the same tomato sauce recipe as I did last year (wow, August?), but I added a 1/4 cup of red wine AFTER the garlic and red pepper flakes and let reduce by half. THEN, I added the tomatoes and followed the recipe to the end (no cream this time). Hee hee.

For the cod, I dusted it in a little flour (DTRB WHAT WHAT) and placed it gently into a nonstick pan with a nob of preheated butter. I continued to cook for 3 minutes and then flipped it for another 3 to cook. I then threw it in a 350F degree oven until the fish was cooked through.

What you get is a “crispy on the outside, creamy on the inside” polenta cake that works well against the with the tender and flaky white cod meat. The tomatoes adds a simple acidity and the reduced red wine gives it an unmistakable depth. I shaved some Pecorino Romano on top for a little bit of saltiness, garnished with some minced parsley and ate it in almost three bites! Haha.

I would definitely make this again for small gathering and I wouldn’t change a thing. Let me know if you guys have any questions, I’m always happy to help!

YAY Cod!

~Spec

Curl Up & Cuddle: Linguica and Corn Chowder (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

I forgot to bring my lunch a few days ago so I had quick lunch at La Brea, a chain of bakeries on the west coast. I had the sausage corn chowder and figured that I could make my own version of this at home with the leftover paella ingredients from last week. WHHEEEEE. Quick recipe walkthrough below:

Linguica and Corn Chowder

I cut linguica into 1/4” cubes and rendered the fat until the bits were nice n’ brown. I set them aside. I then added 3 chopped walla-walla onions and let it cook under medium-low heat for 10 minutes. After the onions were sweated, I threw in some minced garlic to cook for a few minutes (until it got fragrant) along with the kernels from a cob of yellow sweet corn (you can use canned here too).

After the corn, garlic have been in the pot for 3 minutes, I added 1/4 tsp of saffron, 1/2 tsp of dried oregano, 4 cups worth of homemade chicken stock and 1/2 cup of heavy cream. I brought it to a boil and dropped it to a simmer for a few minutes to let all the flavors meld together.

To finish the soup, I added shredded chicken from previous roast and the reserved linguica bits. I also added the same kind of walla-walla onions that I used earlier, but put in the oven at 450 degrees for 30 minutes and chopped coarsely (for a bit of a roasted flavor). I garnished with some green onions and served with some toasted bread.

It was a hodgepodge of things thrown in a pot, but it was hearty enough to get me through a spell of relatively cool weather (60 degrees) in Seattle. While I’d definitely add potatoes to replace some of the heavy cream, I’m sure there’s a lot more interpretation to be done here. If only I had some kale! LOL.

YAY Soup!

~Spec

Paella & the Socarrat(-ic) Method (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

I had some time to cook a meal for Liana and her co-workers a few days ago and I went to my cupboard and found a big bag of love: RICE. I’ve had a lot of friends that have done great things with one pot dishes… wonderful herbed polenta that Ryan cooked on Easter in SF (along with the most ridiculous leg of lamb) and noodle casseroles that Jacqui) is all about. I still had a link or two of linguica that miraculously survived being cooked these past weeks, so I thought chicken & sausage + rice = paella! The picture above was a “the morning after” breakfast shot (with the obligatory egg). Friendly potluck service hardly ever makes food sexy! Hee hee.

I used the Epicurious recipe for Spicy Turkey Paella as a base and went from there. Adaptation below:

Linguica, Chicken and Shrimp Paella

Software:
12 ounces linguiça, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup olive oil
2 large yellow onions, chopped
1 large red bell pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups long-grain white rice
1/4 teaspoon saffron
4 cups homemade chicken stock
32 oz. can of San Marzano tomatoes, quartered
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 chicken thighs, roasted and chopped into 1/2 inch pieces
1 lb. shrimp, deveined and shelled

Fabrication:
1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brown linguiça in large dutch oven (or large skillet) over medium-high heat to render oil (you’re making a base of flavor here). When golden, remove from skillet and set aside.

2. Preheat the oil in the dutch oven and add onions until golden brown. Add red pepper and garlic and cook for 3 minutes, making sure that the garlic does not burn.

3. Add rice, saffron, chicken stock, the tomatoes, oregano, salt and cayenne pepper.

4. Stir well and bring to a boil. Let cover and cook for 15 minutes.

5. Add linguica, chicken and shrimp. Stir gently and bake for 10 minutes.

Serve and enjoy! Baking the paella adds a sexy “socarrat” (crust) on the top and bottom of the pan that is seen as the tastiest part of the dish. The Epicurious recipe didn’t really give me as much as I wanted, so before I drove the paella to its final destination, I threw it in a 450 degree oven for about 5 minutes to achieve crustiness. I served it with some lemon wedges and parsley. Scoop n’ serve!

Lovin’ me the socarrat!

~Spec

Summer Sunday: Pork in Spring (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Organic Pork Loin with an Almond Wild Mushroom Crust and Roasted Organic Walla Walla Onions

The last course from from Sunday’s spoils from the Ballard farmers’ market is a pork loin with roasted veggies! EEEEEEE. This is the last post I swear - we had Ben & Jerry’s for dessert. LOL. Never underestimate the powers of fresh farmers’ market produce!

For the pork, I made a quick crust by putting dried wild mushrooms, garlic, dried thyme, crushed red pepper, a few glugs of olive oil and almonds (for texture) into a food processor and chopped until fine. I then carefully placed it on the top of my pork loin and baked it in a 350 degree oven until the internal temperature (using my Polder Thermometer) reached 150 degrees - about 45 minutes - 1 hour.

I also threw in a few young Walla Walla onions that I cut in half and tossed in olive oil, black pepper and Kosher salt while the pork was cooking for 30 minutes or until the onions become golden brown and tender. If you’re dealing with larger or older onions, I would blanch them first to reduce the “stringiness” that you normally get with supermarket produce. The onions make a great side dish by themselves and are really easy to do!

Again, if you have any questions about any of the recipes I post here, feel free to ask. The sooner you do the better, I tend to forget a lot of things as the day passes. Hee hee.

Pork, the other white meat!

~Spec

Summer Sunday: Colorful Baby Beet Salad (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

As a continuation of the spoils from Sunday’s farmers’ market trip, I made a simple organic beet salad with goat cheese and edamame. $1 for 5 baby beets, with an abundance of greens for another meal? Amazing!

I chose edamame for its “crunch” and the ability to add a firmer texture to the tender beets and the creamy goat cheese, plus it looks really cool on the plate. Hee hee. Deep purples matched with “institutional green” really pops on a white dish! Fabrications follows below:

All I did was trim the beets of their “tails” and cut off the stem 1 inch from the top. I started them in cold water and put the pot over high heat until it came to a boil and the beets were knife tender. I let them cool for a bit, then gently rubbed the skin off with a paper towel and cut them in halves. Finally, I tossed ‘em in a little Kosher salt, freshly ground pepper, lemon juice and olive oil and placed them on the plate with the goat cheese and edamame!

It’s a really simple dish, but the flavors that come from it are delicious! The smooth texture of the goat cheese, the sweet baby beets, the twang you get from the lemon juice and the bite of the edamame really whets the palette for the next course… which will be posted shortly. Get your baby beets now before it’s too late!0

YAY BEETS!

~Spec

Halibut, Take One! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Pan-Seared Halibut with Spaghetti Squash in a Roasted Garlic & Lemon Cream sauce and Sauteed Pea Shoots and Walnuts

I purchased a few vegetables - lemons, pea shoots and spaghetti squash - from Uwajimaya earlier this week and I’ve been trying to get through it all before they lose their freshness too. YAY for keeping a waste-free (well, not FREE) kitchen!

For the spaghetti squash, I poked holes with a fork all around it and popped it in a 375 degree oven for 1 hour and 15 minutes, until the flesh was tender. I let it cool for a bit and gently pulled the flesh from the rind and put it in a bowl to be set aside. It’s such a pretty yellow color!

The roasted garlic lemon cream sauce was made in two parts. I first cut the top of an entire head of garlic (so that the cloves are exposed but still connected to the bottom root), added olive oil and sea salt and wrapped it tightly in aluminum foil to bake with the squash (about 1 hour). I then took the head of garlic and squeezed it into 2 cups of half-and-half in a pot, along with Kosher salt and the zest and juice of 2 lemons. I let the pot simmer for about 15 minutes until it was a nice and creamy consistency.

The halibut was a relatively easier preparation: unwrapped, dried off with paper towels, dressed with salt and freshly cracked pepper and then gently laid onto a preheated pan with good-quality butter and canola oil. Once one side was golden brown, I gently flipped the pieces over and popped it in the oven (still set at 375) for a few minutes until cooked completely. The result is a firm whitefish with the most luxurious and creamy texture.

Plating on the other hand, was not so easy. I originally envisioned the halibut to be set on TOP of the squash with the pea shoots as the top layer, so that the guest could pull all the ingredients with one downward motion with a fork. Sexy. As I’ve only worked with 2 oz. halibut portions before in a commercial setting, I misjudged the delicacy of a larger portion of fish. It wouldn’t be able to “drape” on the squash elegantly, so I decided to place it at its side. LOL, at this point Liana and I were starving, so I gave up and snapped a picture right before we ate. OOPS! I’ll try harder next time. LOL.

Looking at it again, I could say that the light and tender texture of the spaghetti squash with the creaminess from the sauce, the tartness from the lemons, the bold and sweet roasted garlic and the crunch from the roasted walnut pieces could have stood on their own as a single dish - a light “first course” if you will. I think it’d be a delicious soup too! If I were to incorporate the fish again, I’d portion then in 2 oz. pieces and lay them over the squash and under the pea shoots - just like before.

Oh well, like I said before, it’s not pretty as my previous efforts… but it was honestly one of the best things that I’ve cooked all year. Thanks to Ryan for letting me bounce ideas off his head. WHAT WHAT FISHING CHEF WHAT WHAT. lol.

EEE Halibut!

~Spec

In with the Lamb, Out with the Curry! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Lamb Curry with Roasted Cauliflower and Pea Sprouts

I made lamb curry earlier this morning so Liana would have something to eat for dinner and also so I wouldn’t be scrambing to “whip” something up when I got home late tonite. I used a recipe off of the BBC and it tasted mighty good! I used the other half of the lamb dish from a few weeks ago and instead of marinating it in oregano, lemon, garlic and olive oil and roasting it for the bazillionth time, I thought I could pull the protein in a completely different direction - curry.

Now, I do not have a magical stash of spices in small tins on magnetic strips mounted on my wall (but I totally wish I did). I have a few powdered spices (cumin, tumeric, chili powder) that are (hopefully) under 6 months old and I’m really ashamed of it - it’s not like I use them in my daily repertoire of cooking or anything (Indian cuisine is far from my specialty). I do, however, buy fresh herbs such as thyme, sage, rosemary, basil, cilantro, oregano and parsley on the regular - dried versions of these just don’t cut it when you’re trying to add freshness to a dish. Just my opinion, that’s all. Hee hee.

Overall, the meal turned out great. I also added a head of cauliflower that I roasted off in a 450 degree oven to add a depth of flavor in the last 10 minutes! I think it’d be tasty as a vegetarian dish, but I will probably use chicken the next time around. Lamb, when not stuffed in a pita, tzatziki sauce and cauliflower in-it-of-itself just isn’t natural to some people - at least my small focus group (girlfriend + 5 employees) didn’t think so. Oh well. There’s always next time! YAY.

Lamb for your chicken? KAIES.

~Spec

Just Another Weeknight Meal (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Quick stir-fry. Protein: Chicken. Starch: Brown rice. Veg: garlic, ginger, napa cabbage, onions, carrots, celery. Liquid: canola oil, soy sauce, sesame oil. Crunchy: fried previously homemade frozen egg rolls.

~Spec

Chicken Stock Storage = Ice Cube + Flava Flav (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

I made chicken stock a few days ago while making a quick (ok not so quick lol) salad for dinner. I pretty much used the recipe I’ve posted about before, but this time I pulled two frozen chicken carcasses (one from last week and the other one from this meal) that I saved in gallon-sized ziptop bags. Oh, I also didn’t add garlic (I roasted my last head for that night’s salad dressing).

What I didn’t explain in the previous recipe post is how to store the stock. I followed the two-stage cooling method (you can find an example here) for safety & sanitation’s sake. Once the stock is cooled (and incidentally the layer of the fat is removed from the top), just chill them in regular ol’ ice cube trays and let them freeze overnight. Just pop the cubes out the next morning, then bag ‘em and tag ‘em (just like the picture above). Ugly handwriting / chicken drawing optional. LOL.

The frozen stock will keep for about 6 months! Use them to finish your pan sauces, deepen the flavor in soups, enrich gravies - you name it! Oh, when you want to use the flavored cubes of deliciousness… follow Alton Brown’s advice:

Whatever you do, I don’t care if you’re using fresh stock or frozen stock, you want to bring all stocks to a boil for two full minutes before using. Just in case any nasty bugs moved into the neighborhood.

I’d hate to have bugs in MY neighborhood. And by neighborhood, I mean your intestines. You’re just asking for a weekend in the “think tank.” And by think tank I mean… oh nevermind. LOL.

MMMMM stock!

~Spec

Double Dutch Dessert! (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Cranberry and Apple Crumble with Dutch Vanilla Ice Cream in a Single-Serve Dutch Oven

I’ve been trying to get my mind around desserts, only to justify writing in the obligatory (believe me, obligatory) “All good things must come to an end” Matrix quote. Seriously though, I recently procured some really cute single-serve Dutch ovens on the cheap that I’ve been meaning to use even before I left for Chicago (Oh, btw I’m back in Seattle hee hee).

So, to keep things simple, I made a quick apple and cranberry crumble (recipe here). It didn’t take very long and if you bake, 95% of the ingredients should already be in your pantry. I juiced fresh clementines instead of the ol’ OJ, but other than that, I kept it as directed (I kinda wanted to add oats, but oh well). Mix your dry, mix your wet, throw in cooking vessel and bake! Oh, and don’t forget to add some vanilla ice cream!

I also made Roasted Lamb atop Cibatta Crostini and White Bean Puree with Baby Spinach in a Parsley-Oil Lemon Vinaigrette, which in a broken-down sense… an open faced sammich. I marinated the lamb in mint, rosemary, parsley, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice. I then seared it on all sides until golden brown and tossed it in a 350 degree oven until the internal temp reached 135.

The other components were easy to make. The white bean puree was made with canned white beans, parsley, red pepper flakes, chicken stock, a healthy amount of salt and freshly cracked pepper. I made a parsley oil (something like this but without the cheese cloth) to brush on the cibatta bread to toast under the broiler and also added some lemon juice to dress the spinach.

I assembled the plate by ladle-ing the white bean mixture in the center of the plate, with the cut ends of the crostini in the puree with the meat placed on top. I dressed the salad and tried to get as much height as I could. If I could do it again, I’d use 4 crostini instead of two to make a sort of an “X” - cool for a fancy appetizer and maybe use frisee, since it’s able to be architecturally sound - at least better than the spinach. OH WELL IT’S ALL GONE NOW. LOL.

YAY double dutchin’ and lamb!

~Spec

Yorkville, IL - An Obaob Breakfast (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Oat and Apple Silverdollar Pancakes with a Spiced Rum Maple Syrup and BACON

For the frittata, I just preheated the oven to 350 degrees, threw the pasta and eggs in a pre-heated pan (cast iron works well), let cook for 5 minutes so the outer edged could set and then finished it in the oven until golden brown in the end. Easy peasy and a great substantial breakfast!

I followed the pancake’s recipe and found a little bottle of spiced rum in their cupboard, so I threw that in with some fresh butter, orange zest and some delicious Vermont maple syrup to make a delicious condiment for the fluffly discs of goodness. One of the simplest “fancy” applications I’ve done in a while!

The bacon was cooked in a 450 degree oven on a silpat-lined (silpat? learn here) baking sheet until that deep color you can see above. No more messing with ugly pans or oil that gets in every nook and cranny of your kitchen!

I’m really happy with the pictures, since the colors pop so well with the place mats. If you’re curious, they’re made by Chilewich - I’ve been sweating their products for a while, but I’ll wait until I have a nicer place to put them in!

EEEEEEEEE YAY EATING WITH YOUR EYES.

Thanks Jason and Gary!

~Spec

Jacqui, Polenta and Two Crazy Cats (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Gorgonzola-Stuffed Chicken Breast with Herbed Polenta and Baby Arugula Dressed in a Sun-Dried Tomato, Toasted Pine Nut Vinaigrette

Yesterday, I spent the daylight hours chillin’, slightly headache-y at Jacqui’s beautifully located apartment in the heart of Wicker Park. I played with Jacqui’s iPhone with hands of lust, pet her cats until they fell asleep in my lap and played with their Airport Express WHICH IS INFINITELY COOLER THAN I ORIGINALLY THOUGHT.

I also walked to Olivia’s Market which is right by the intersection of Damen and Milwaukee… a dope area to find yourself at 3/4am with a jonezin’ a lil’ more drinky drinky & dancey dancey.

Olivia’s is a cute, well organized market with a lot of great italian products and a delightful staff. I went in there with the purpose to procure ingredients to cook Jacqui and Clint a meal, without any idea of what to make. Once I walked in, I saw their Italian section which was packed with San Marzano tomatoes (wow only $2.99!), dried polenta (those tubes are kinda gross), pine nuts and sun-dried tomatoes. I also picked up a few organic (and kinda small) chicken breasts, since they didn’t have much in the category of protein (I’ve been craving lamb a lot lately). What they lacked in meat, they made up in fresh produce. I picked up a large container of baby arugula and decided that my shopping was done. On to the fabrication!

Ingredients:

Gorgonzola-stuffed Chicken

Gorgonzola cheese
Thick chicken breasts (fresh will hold up to the knife better)
Salt and pepper to taste

Polenta

1 cup polenta
5 cups liquid (I used 1c heavy cream and 4c water)
Herbs (I put basil and oregano), minced
Optional: Cheese (Asiago, Romano or Parmesan)
Salt and pepper to taste

Toasted Pine Nut & Sun-Dried Tomato Vinaigrette

1/4 cup pine nuts (crushed almonds would be great too)
3 sun dried tomatoes minced (or cut into thin strips)
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 tbsp. of balsamic vinegar
Salt and pepper to taste
1 bunch Arugula (spinach would be a good substitute)

Fabrication

Gorgonzola Chicken Breast

Take a small knife (paring, preferred) and while applying pressure from above with your non-dominant hand, cut a small hole with your knife and “fan” the blade back-and-forth carefully (hold the chicken breast down and make a small pocket lol). Place crumbled gorgonzola inside pocket, you may use the back of a wooden spoon to help move the stuffing. Add Kosher salt to both sides of the breast and set aside until service. When ready, sear with olive oil over medium high heat until the internal temperature hits 165 degrees.

Polenta

In a small pot, bring the liquid to a boil and add salt. Slowly whisk in polenta. Then cook over low heat until thickened to desired consistency (I prefer mine to be like smooth mashed potatoes) - around 5 minutes. Before serving, toss in your herbage, cheese and freshly ground pepper.

Vinaigrette

Toast pine nuts on a pan over medium low heat (without oil) for a few minutes, shaking the pan so they don’t burn. Once finished, place the pine nuts in a bowl with the rest of the ingredients, except the olive oil. Drizzle in the oil with a whisk until combined. Dress your greens with the vinaigrette and wait for final assembly.

Plating

Take a healthy serving of polenta and place it in the middle of your plate, if your polenta is thick enough, it will make a sturdy bed for your protein. Add chicken breast and top with freshly dressed salad, adding more dressing on top if necessary. Serve and enjoy!

What’s great about this dish is that all the components can be substituted for so many other things! You can put the stuffed chicken in a sammich. Replace polenta with any mashed potato side dish. The salad could be a great stand alone with maybe a piece of seared tuna and a glass of white wine… pretty much anything your brain can think of.

If I had to do it all again, I’d hold back on the amount of polenta and get bigger chicken to make more of a dramatic presentation. Looking at the picture, I might as well not even put the damn breast in there! Hee hee. If that were the case, I’d also decrease the amount of salad I’d use to to show more of the other ingredients. Maybe I’d turn the polenta into cakes and stack ‘em up higher? LOL. Too much thinking!

As always, comments… questions? If the content of my blog is any indication, I don’t do anything but cook anyway… so I guess I’ve got a lot of free time to chat! lol.

YAY Cooking for friends!

~Spec

Saranghae Kalbi. Saranghae. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Broiled Kalbi (Korean Short Ribs), Tofu / Oyster Mushroom Stir-Fry and White Rice

Liana’s gone, so I can eat BEEF! LOL. I also made a quick vegetarian stir fry for testing that I can make for her when she *does* get back. Fabrication directions follow!

For the Kalbi, throw…

1 onion
1 pear -cored
1 apple - cored
3 cloves of garlic - peeled
1 nub of ginger (size of thumb) - peeled
a handful of brown sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup mirin (Japanese sweet cooking rice wine)
1/4 cup sesame oil
1 tbsp. red pepper flakes - more to taste
1 tsp of chile powder

…in a food processor and uhh… process (lol) into a chunky paste. Pour the marinade in a 1-gallon freezer bag (lifesavers, I swear) with all of the beef short ribs. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour (if you’re really hungry) or overnight (if you can wait).

Preheat your broiler on high. Pull the beef out of the bag and wipe away the extra marinade. If you don’t, the marinade will create moisture in the oven that will steam your ribs - tasty, but not char-tasty. Put the beef on a a foil wrapped baking sheet (less cleanup later) and throw under the broiler for about 5 minutes, or until the beef “caramelizes” (note: the sugars in the marinade allow the beef to caramelize - meat is not capable of this on its own).

Read more for the mushroom / tofu stir fry

What’s good about this side-dish is that it doesn’t have to be a side dish at all. It’s very hearty and the tofu gives it a strong meaty texture that can satisfy the most carnal of carnivores (YOU HEAR THAT RYAN!?! LOL).

You’ll need a brick of extra-firm tofu - pressed under a weight so the excess moisture can be excreted (lol gross) and a handful of oyster mushrooms. Preheat your pan / wok with a high heat. Once heated, add canola oil to your pan and wait until barely smoking. Throw in the mushrooms and let sit for 10 seconds to get a nice sear. Toss once and add the tofu and cook until brown on all sides.

Now, you’ll make a quick sauce. Throw in 1/2c of… mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, 1/4 cup of oyster sauce and some red pepper flake in a bowl and beat with a fork. Once the tofu is ready, add the liquid to the pan and cook until reduced by half. If you’re used to using cornstarch in your Chinese food recipes, be my guest. I didn’t really need the thicker sauce because of the MEAT JUICE. lol.

You can totally extend this meal with some picked veggies (kim chee, etc.) or steamed dumplings or whatever your little Pan-Asian (omg I can’t believe I used that term ACK) heart desires.

Questions? I’d love to help!

~Spec

Mark’s Visit: Dinner for Three (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Larger view here. It’s Monday. 10 days prior, I was entertaining my friend Mark here in Seattle. We had a lot of fun just playing Rock Band (totally wasted the opportunity of a video blog lol), eating out at restaurants, exploring the city and bummin’ around. One of the things I wanted to do while he was here was to cook a meal for him that was tasty *and* could be replicated when he got back to his wife (Hi Chris!).

I made a beef stew of sorts with red wine, organic Washington-raised beef chuck roast and a two marrow bones (omg yes). After I seared off all the meat, I started with a mire-poix (2 parts onion, 1 part carrot and celery) , some fresh herbs (thyme, rosemary, sage), some beef stock, a 24 oz. can of crushed San Marzano tomatoes and cooked it down for about 2 1/2 hours. I was skimming the impurities (scum) through out the process and even though I was happy with the food itself, I thought that I could refine it further by straining the stew (meat removed) through a fine mesh strainer to get a consistently silky liquid. I also blanched (quick bath in boiling water then ice bath to halt cooking process) a new batch of mire poix to put in the stew with the freshly shredded meat.

I was really happy with the end-result and enjoyed it for lunch for the next two days. Hee hee. Mark liked it too. Oh, I also served it with a stuffed turkey breast for Liana (she doesn’t eat red meat that much) and a classic potato gratin with Gruyere cheese.

YAY homemade feast!

~Spec

It’s Pronounced YEEEAAAA-RHOOGH. (All Things Chill (Special*Dark)) by Spec

Larger view here. I walked over to the local market and picked up some Washington-grown organic chicken thighs, an organic lemon, romaine lettuce (that was totally on sale!) a few vine-ripened tomatoes and a big batch of Yanni’s pita bread (made locally here in Seattle).

I cut up 1/2 of the lemon with a handful of oregano, a long stream of olive oil and the chicken and marinated it in the fridge for about 30 minutes (or until your girlfriend, in my case Liana, calls to say that she’s coming home). Turn on the broiler to low and throw those puppies in the oven for about 15 minutes. Blast the broiler to high for the next 3 minutes and check for doneness. Let meat rest for a few minutes. The rest is easy peasy!

Chop up the chicken in bite-sized pieces, pan fry the pita bread in a little oil, cut up the lettuce, tomatoes and red onions (if you got ‘em) and assemble. Add some of that sexy cucumber sauce and eat! Don’t forget the potato chips / french fries!

Ooh ooh! I wanted something refreshing to drink, so I made a simple syrup (2 cups water + 1 cup sugar) and steeped 3 bags of tea in about 3 cups of boiling water with the other half of the lemon. I then mixed in some of the simple syrup and 1/2 a bag of frozen blackberries with enough water to fill a pitcher to ice down the drink. I stirred everything up vigorously and ran it through a strainer to make sure no seeds got in the way of quenching my thirst and served it in mason jars. Classy huh? Hee hee.

I kinda rushed through the drink directions, so I’ll prolly make a quick video blog to show how it’s done. Also, that’s Liana’s new phone (the blackberry) with the blackberry tea. CLEVER HUH?!?! LOL.

YAY quick dinners!

~Spec