labeling

From my profession as a chemist, i learned to try to always label things or keep them in the original containers.
Since i create a great number of things, labeling is a must along with the date created.

Sometimes i forget....

This morning i am planning to make my Kourambedies for a benefit concert at ST Andrew's Episcopal church on Saturday.  I keep my walnuts in the fridge so they do not go rancid.  I also found an old, unlabeled container with what appeared to be orange zest, something else i use.

There were ice crystals and so i smelled it and i worried that freezer odors had permeated the zest...
It was not orange zest.
It was diced Habenero peppers...
my mouth still burns...

hits and misses

For ages i have cooked pork ribs a certain way and they have always turned well.
I have always used baby back ribs and i use a rub and as i have said before, some rum for an overnight :flavor enhancement, but I have tried a St Louis cut twice now and they cook different.
the first time was a bit tough, but good.
The second seemed a bit dry , but feel of the bone.
The fun part is that there is extra meat that is not rib meat per say, loaded with cartilage (or white bones as my Italian friends would call it) and i made an awesome pulled pork from that.
It is strange, but i also did not like the beef short ribs i slow cooked at the same time, yet i created an awesome au jus.  This was a chemist's feat for i found the juice with too much black pepper and so i filtered it using coffee filters.  I would have preferred a buchner funnel to filter under vacuum, but do not have the set up at this time and a slow gravametric filter was just fine.  The awesome part, the black pepper flavor was minimalized and the au jus was clear!  it was beautiful to see and taste.
The pulled pork saved the day and so there was no 911 calls to the pizza joint.

Basil Pesto on Fettuccine

with the basil in my garden growing wild, this is how I use it!

·       2 cups fresh basil

·       1 cup sunflower seeds (because Pinole nuts are too expensive)

·       5 cloves garlic

·       1 cup good olive oil

·       1/2 teaspoon salt

·       1 teaspoon black pepper

·       1/2 cup fresh arugula

·       1/2 cup parmesan cheese, grated

optional:

1 hot green pepper, seeded

Use a food processor or blender (preference is a food processor)

mince and blend the basil, arugula, garlic, salt, black pepper and optionally the hot pepper

add olive oil and sunflower seeds and mince fine

remove and add parmesan cheese

refrigerate until use.

This is best on fettuccine

stuffed cabage

Our July cooled down today so I went with something in my mind that my mother would prepare often.
The spices (except the hot pepper) represent her well.
My friend said it was very European and I knew my dad would be pleased with this dish also

stuffed red cabbage, stuffed squash flowers, stuffed tomato and boiled potato

Stuffed cabbage

·       1 lb ground meat mixture of equal parts veal, beef and pork

·       1/ white onion, minced

·       1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

·       1/4 teaspoon clove

·       1 teaspoon kosher salt

·       1/2 teaspoon thyme

·       1 teaspoon course ground black pepper

·       2 eggs

·       1 red cabbage

Optional spices:

·       3 cloves garlic, minced

·       1/2 teaspoon crushed red pepper

The red cabbage is boiled till just soft enough to remove the leaves easily

          (about 10 minutes)

the cabbage is cooled and the juice retained for other use

          (I make borscht with it)

leaves are separated and excess liquid allowed to drained off

The spices, egg, onion, garlic and meat is mixed together well

About a table spoon of meat mixture is placed in each leaf.

The leaves are rolled and placed in a greased baking pan.

baked covered at 350 F for 1 hour

serve warm 

Radish Greens

I usually plant radishes and get a good crop in the spring, but hate throwing out the greens!

They are too prickly to be eaten raw in my estimation so I treat them like other greens I like to eat.

Radish greens

·       4 to 5 bunches of radish top, cut into fine strips

·       1 tablespoon of apple cider vinegar

          (any vinegar works, but apple cider is my favorite)

·       1 teaspoon raw sugar

·       1/2 teaspoon crush hot pepper

·       1/2 teaspoon black pepper (accents the spicy radish greens)

·       salt to taste

Cook down on a low heat till the greens are completely wilted and much of the liquid is gone

taste and add more of what ever you like.

It took me 1/2 hour to get it to where I wanted, but you might want it more tender, so more time

Pork Chops Grilled and Drunken

Pork Chops Grilled and Drunken

moist inside, crusted outside

6 medium cut pork chops, bone in

2 cups spiced rum

3 tablespoons brown sugar, light or dark

1 table spoon kosher salt

1/8 teaspoon ground, dry, smoked hot peppers

The chops are covered in rum and left in the refrigerator 3 days

Chops are removed and rubbed with the mixture of sugar, salt and hot pepper.

The rum marinade has the remainder of the rub added and it is reduced on low heat

Setting up the grill

Start the hardwood charcoal in a charcoal chimney

allow all the charcoal started and add to the base of the grill with your favorite wood (Apple is best)

allow the grill to become hot (there may be some fire from the wood

place the chops and get grill marks on one side

turn and close the top of the grill, this produces smoke

continue cooking for 20 minutes

remove and serve

Food Network Cooking and my grilled salmon

I love to watch the food network, i get some good ideas,
but in all of the shows, the ingredients (Yes, even the left over or discard episodes of chopped) use expensive, high quality products.
Of course with the time restraints in the competition, it might be necessary, but a cooks true talent is making something tasty from cheep ingredients.
I regularly purchase cheep ingredients and CREATE!
Some always talk of fresh food, but i buy my use the next day meat and freeze it and there are advantages.
On the molecular level, freezing pops open cell membranes making flavors easier to be lost, but also allowing flavors you want to add to penetrate.
An example is my grilled salmon, purchased and always frozen and allowed to thaw in a marinade of orange juice, smoked salt, crushed, smoked hot pepper and paprika and i do this overnight in the refrigerator.
The flavor simply does not penetrate if i use fresh fish.
One of the complaints i have heard about fish on a grill or smoker, is that it is dry.
Guess what?  Not what i cook.
The manner i grill it imparts a smoked flavor, but because it is quick and a high heat, i consider it a grill method.
On a grill with the charcoal just white hot and i add my smoking wood that is NOT wet (usually apple, cherry or maple) and the temperature is about 300 F
I Skin side down!.
Close the cover for 10 minutes.
Smoke billows out.
Open the cover and the flames begin for 3 to 5 minutes and remove, by the way, the fish removes easily from the grill when it is done perfectly.
The skin is crispy, the salmon a PERFECT medium rare.
I have usually reduced marinade as a sauce for any one who wants (and you do want, it is good).
This works well with any salmon on sale and i do NOT pay more than $6 a pound.
My half a salmon will easily feed 6 with seconds (which always happens).