Rockin' Mac and Cheese

Every season has it's foods that correlate with that time of the year, and summer and mac and cheese just seem to go together. I set out the other day to make a great mac and cheese, and I wanted to keep it meatless.

Originally I was going to use panchetta, Italian bacon, but decided against it. Great mac and cheese has always, for some unknown reason, eluded me and I can't have that. There's two things in life I don't want to fail at #1- is love #2- is cooking. I never really worked at making a great M & C.

My baked ziti has always been my M & C or at least my Italian version of mac and cheese. . I make it will basil, baked tomatoes, mild Italian sausage, beef, veal, herbs, spices etc.,  and 4 cheeses. That's another blog, another day, but it rocks. My M & C  has never  climbed the heights that my ziti has ascended, alas.

My mac and cheese has always come out oily and lumpy. (notice that I'm using past tense now) The oil would rise to the surface of the baking dish, like an oil slick from a sunken WWII German U boat.  Coupled with the lumps it was third rate at best. I never got rave reviews for that M & C, and damn it that's what a chef lives for, the oh's, the ah's, "hey killer mac and cheese dude." I don't think so.

Still I would put out a pan of it ever couple of years to the same old lackluster reviews. "So, how was the M & C." I'd ask after not getting any unsolicited reviews, and the replies would be courteous, but never flattering. If you have to ask people how the food was then that's a good indication you're fishing for a compliment. Time to go back to the drawing board.

My mistakes were simple rookie mistakes of course. You've probably figured them out already, but here they are anyway. First of all I wasn't grating all my cheese finely enough. I was cutting some of it into chunks. So, on top of the oil slick the cheese lumps were swimming in tepid pool of oil.  Secondly I never made a roux, and that was my second biggest mistake. I never looked at M & C like it was mornay sauce, but that's the consistency that you want, and hey, I can do mornay all day.

I pride myself on knowing my fromage. I spent a year of hard labor working in the cheese and charcuterie department at Oakville Grocery. We had over 150 different cheeses, and I knew each one of them intimately. I love cheese, and that's the primary reason that I'll never be a vegan. I might be able to live without meat, but cheese, let's get serious now.

I was in a cooking contest maybe 8 months ago, and one of the entries was a mac and cheese that was fantastic. I didn't get that recipe, but someone found one that worked real well for me. I tweaked it like I do most everything else to fit  to my liking, and now I'm sending it out into cyber space to be lost forever. I kept this very basic. This M & C comes out smooth and creamy, no more lumps submerged in oil.

I hope you like it, because I'm quite pleased with it my damn self.. The next time I put it out  I'm hoping not to get the stink eye from anyone, and instead get some of those Oh's and Ah's that I'm looking for.

And the update to all this is I know it did turn out great  because Geraldine loved it, asked for seconds, and she is an extremely finicky eater, honest to her core, and has a good pallet, so if I can please her then I got it made. Happy wife, happy life.

Peace.....Make Food, Not War

                                                Rockin' Mac & Cheese
                                        Serves 4 as entree or 8 as a side dish

Ingredients:

1 quart 1/2 and 1/2 milk
1/3 rustic baguette  cut into 1/2" pieces
1 pound Cellentani pasta
1 tablespoon salt
5 tablespoons butter
6 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoons mustard powder
1 tablespoon fresh ground black pepper
1/4 cup fresh parsley medium fine chop
1 cup grated Romano cheese
1 cup grated Gouda cheese (smoked optional)
1 cup yellow sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup grated sharp Irish cheddar cheese
1/2 cup grated Asiago cheese

Directions:

1) For the cheese sauce melt the butter in a dutch oven medium/high heat until it's foaming, add the flour, mustard powder, cayenne, black pepper, nutmeg, and whisk well till all is incorporated, about 1 minute.

2) Gradually whisk in the milk, and bring the mixture to a boil, and cut heat to medium/low continuing to whisk until it's thickened to the consistency of of heavy cream. This will only take a few minutes.

3) Cut the heat off completely, and with a wooden spoon add the parsley and all the cheeses slowly until they are fully melted. Another couple of minutes.

4) While this has been going on your pasta should have been cooking till it's al dente'.
Drain the pasta in a strainer and in a large bowl mix the pasta with the cheese sauce.

Note: in the photos below you'll notice that I didn't use all the cheese sauce. I reserved about a pint because it was not to my liking that way, but it would have been fine with all the sauce in it, just a little creamier than I wanted it. If you like it really creamy add it all. The original recipe called for 5 cups of milk which would have made it like soup.

5) Let this mixture cool for one hr. at room temperature, and then put it into a Pyrex baking pan, and cook covered for 25 minutes at 350 degrees. I put it in a cold oven, and set the oven to 350, the timer for 25 minutes, and that does it fine. Don't worry about waiting for the oven to get up to temp. just put it in there.

6)After it has been in the oven cooking for 25 minutes then add the bread crumbs on top and place it under the broiler on the middle rack till the bread crumbs are golden brown, about 5 minutes.
Let sit for 10 minutes and serve. Now you're rockin'.

Peace.......Make Food, Not War

Cellentani Pasta 

Finished Product w/leftover sauce

Rockin' Mac & Cheese

Which Came First?

The incredible edible egg

Was it the chicken or the egg that came first?  The Victorian Samuel Butler said: "A chicken is just an egg's way of making another egg." This short blog is dedicated to the egg, specifically the hard boiled egg. The egg is possibly the most versatile food on the planet earth, and one of the best sources of protein. But the list of benefits that eggs, and chickens, give to us humans is nothing less than spectacular.

The egg has long been a symbol of fertility. Is it not the egg that we men attempt to fertilize in women to make more little humans? Is it not the egg that women freeze for use after they've built their careers as CEO's, doctors, film stars,  lawyers, and Indian chiefs, and then at the tender innocent age of 55 want to reproduce and start a family?  So, it would seem that the egg is possibly the source of life itself?

Chickens are a symbol of virility. The male of the species, the rooster, has long been recorded throughout history for it's aggressive behavior with such words as; "cocky" and the female of the species, the hen, with words such as; "coquette." Cockfighting is one of the world's oldest sports going back to India, Rome, and Greece. Words like cockpit are still used in our daily communication with one another.

Yet, the egg has endured vilification like so many other foods. It is been said that the egg causes high cholesterol, linked to heart disease. And of course there is the dreaded salmonella fears that pop up from time to time, and a minor pandemic of chicken flu ever so often. And who among wants to be called "chickenshit."

Try to get your eggs and chickens from a source that is guaranteed organic fed, free range, and fresh.  If you have the yard space get your own laying hens. Chickens are great pets, and they produce for us. In a months time you'll be giving your neighbors fresh organic eggs. You'll be making new friends, the neighborhood will be closer, and yes, the world will be a better place. All because of you and your chickens.

Personally, I couldn't eat my laying hens. I've raised chickens and ducks before for food, but laying hens are pets. Can you hear yourself now; "You know Henrietta you've been a great laying hen lo these many years, but now that you ain't laying no more it's time to make a nice consume out of you ragged old ass." The life of a broiling hen isn't long, but laying hens can live up to 10 years or more.  Don't name them if you're going to eat them, that's my policy.

Chickens are great recyclers. They love old wilted lettuce and funky produce. They will eat most any veggies, peelings, rinds, skins, fruit, grains, cooked pasta, and beans to name just a few. They do not like citrus rinds.

Chickens also love to eat bugs. Let them out of their pens each day (free range), and they'll go through the yard rounding up the bugs. Free extermination, and free fertilizer.

I love, love, love, chicken. My mother always cooked a capon (de-sexed roosters) for the holidays, and I still carry on that tradition.

If you're going to raise chickens there are dietary considerations you need to be aware of, specifically calcium and grit. You'll need to consult you local feed store, and while you're at it go to www.backyardchickensite.com for some help as well. It is a cool web site with lots of great tips for raising chickens.

If the health risks are your fears then stay away from eggs.  Although, if your a pregnant woman you might want to consider eating more eggs, possibly daily, because of the high nutritional value that they provide. Specifically, eggs are high in choline, and without choline, folic acid, which helps to prevent spina bifida, cannot work. There is no better source for choline than egg yoke. Also, many doctors are now telling people with high LDL's that it's ok to eat an egg once in a while.

I always refer back to Mr. Tracarro, my nutrition teacher in college who said;  "All things in moderation." A couple of eggs a week won't kill you,  but a dozen might catch up with you. A glass of wine at night with dinner OK. The whole bottle, I don't think so. A valium once in a while, no problem. A hundred  milligrams of a day, and it's time to visit Betty Ford.  For me the benefits of eggs outweigh any health concerns that I foster.

I'm not finished with the benefits of eggs just yet. In the protective confines of that hard shell we can find; vitamin A, B5, vitamin B2 aka ribflavid, B9 folic acid, B 12, vitamin D, vitamin K for clotting, iodine for thyroid function, K2 a catalyst for mineral absorption, something lacking in most western diets, molybdenum, phosphorus, tryptophan, niacin, protein (all 8 amino acids), selenium, choline, and zeaxanthin. All of that in that little package. That make eggs perfect protein, and yes, a super food. That's a mouthful of goodness in a tough little package.

Besides all of the nutritional benefits without the egg,  cooking and the culinary arts as we know it would never be the same. No eggs for our cakes, cookies, pasta, no egg foo young,  drop egg soup, no omelets, custards, no fritatas, no meringue, just to name a few. As a binding agent eggs cannot be beat, and it's ability to form a light delicate foam when whipped is essential to many dishes.

Speaking of cooking, the art of cooking eggs in is one of high culinary skill and expertise. I've done a little breakfast short order cooking and I loved it. As many ways as there is to cook eggs, there are just as many ways you can screw them up.  You can break them, overwork, overcook, and under cook them in a thousand different combinations.

You might say; "Come on man, what's so hard about cooking scrambled eggs?" I know a woman in Carson City Nevada who scrambles her eggs in a cappuccino maker. After I had those I taught myself how to do it. They're like billowy pale yellow clouds, soft and fluffy. Stick a couple of those between a fresh croissant roll with a little goat cheese, some crisp spinach leafs, caramelized onions,  a thin piece of boiled Italian ham, some fresh crushed pepper, and your taste buds will dance with delight. How many times have you had green scrambled eggs with crusty brown edges?  Don't tell me there's nothing to cooking scrambled eggs.  No, watching a really great short order cook do breakfast is poetry in motion if you ask me.

Check out the Julia Child videos of her cooking omelets with her copper skillets. They're my favorite cooking videos of all time.

Here is  the recipe for hard boiled eggs that Geri and I use all the time. "What's so difficult about cooking hard boiled eggs?" you might ask. Well, it's the shell that's the hard part. If you don't cook them correctly your eggs will look like a beautiful woman who bites her fingernails. Plus you waste the albumin which is where the protein is located.  Follow this recipe and you'll have perfect hard boiled eggs.  The shell will just peel right away.  If you bite your finger nails, STOP.

There really is no dispute of which came first, it was the egg of course. The egg is a cell, and first  came water, and with water came cells, and with cells came, well, everything else. Or was it divine design. The controversy rages on.

Cluck, Cluck

Peace....... Make Food/Not War

Pickled hard boiled eggs were very popular when I grew up in Connecticut 1200 years ago. You could find them in a lot of bars for $.25. An 8 ounce glass of beer was $.25, and a schooner or 12 ounce beer was $.35. A couple of those for breakfast and you were good to go. See recipes below.


                                                             Perfect Hard Boiled Eggs

Ingredients;

Farm fresh organic eggs
water/ice

Directions:
1) If you have cold eggs right out of the fridge place them in a medium sauce pan of cold tap water that completely cover the eggs.

2) Put the pot on high heat and set the timer for 17 minutes. Bring the water to a boil, cover with a lid, and cut the heat.

3) After 17 minutes remove the eggs with a slotted spoon, and place in an ice bath for 2 minutes. This will shrink the body of the eggs from the shells. Bring the pot back to a boil.

4) With the slotted spoon transfer the eggs back to the boiling water for 10 seconds.
Remove the eggs with the slotted spoon, and place in the ice bath for 15 to 20 minutes.

5) Peel the eggs and let sit in the fridge for up to 3 days in submerged water. Do not cover the eggs.

You can also pickle them in vinegar. See the three recipes below.

Perfect hard boiled eggs are tender and white with a firm yellow yoke, and no trace of darkness in the yoke.

                                              Pickled Hard Boiled Eggs with herb de' Provence

Ingredients:
6 farm fresh organic hard boiled eggs
3/4 cup white vinegar or apple cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 white or red onion sliced
1 teaspoon herbs of Provence

Directions:

1) Put the eggs, herbs of Provence, and onions in the jar.

2)In a medium size sauce pan bring the vinegar and sugar to a boil, and cut heat to medium. Stir regularly to make sure the sugar doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan, and until the sugar is dissolved, about 5 minutes. Let cool completely.

3) Pour the vinegar and water in the jar till the eggs are completely submerged. Add more water if necessary. Close lid tightly and refrigerate.

Your pickled eggs will be ready in a few days. They will last in the fridge for about a month.

Note; The longer you leave your eggs in the jar the more permeated  they will become with the pickling.


                                                                   Curried Pickled Eggs

1 cup cider vinegar
1 cup water
1/4 onion sliced
3/4 cup sugar
3 cardamom pods
1 teaspoon mustard seeds yellow or brown
1 tablespoon yellow curry powder
6 farm fresh organic hard boiled eggs

The pickling instructions are the same as above.

                                                                    Jalapeno Pickled Eggs

3/4 cup white vinegar
2 jalapeno peppers, seeds and stalks discarded
3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
5 cloves
1 teaspoon Mexican oregano
1 teaspoon cumin seeds
1/2 teaspoon marjoram
1 bay leaf
6 farm fresh organic hard boiled eggs

The pickling instructions are the same as above.

cold eggs cold water

Bring to a boil and cut heat...17 minutes total

1st ice bath

second ice bath

perfect hard boiled eggs

vinegar, water and sugar mix

eggs and onions

eggs, onions, herbs of Provence

Pickled hard boiled eggs with herbs de' Provence

Krazy About Kale

I have been eating copious amounts of kale lately, and I have to say I've fallen in love with this wonderful  tough leafy green for several reasons. One is that it's very healthy for you, and I'll elaborate on that in a moment, but mostly I love it because I adore bitter greens. You can soak it, and massage it in olive oil and citrus, and it lasts for days. Kale is one tough green. You can also saute it with a little white wine, and garlic, salt and pepper, and it makes a great side dish with your entree'.

Beware that cooking kale will compromise some of it's health benefits. In other words, raw kale has the best health bang for the buck.

Preparing meals is always time consuming, especially for people who don't have a lot of expendable time. You can make a batch of kale, and not be worried that it will ruin in a hurry like something as delicate as spring vegetables or spinach might.

Ok, so let's talk about the health benefits of kale that cannot be ignored. One cup of kale has 20% of our daily dietary fiber, only 36 calories, and zero grams of fat. Kale promotes digestion, prevents constipation, (great bowel movements with kale) lowers blood sugar, and curbs overeating.

Kale is cruciferous, rich in isothiocyanates which is a phytonutrient, and has been found to be a fighter of H pylori bacterial growth in the stomach. This bacterial growth can potentially lead to gastric cancer. Kale has more of the mineral iron in it than beef.

Kale is a superstar of  curotenoids and falvonoids which protect our cells from free radicals that can cause oxidative stress. The key flavonoids Kaemferol and Querctin in addition to 45 other flavonoids found in kale that fight the formation of cancerous cells. Vitamins C, A, and K are found in abundance, and manganese which also battles oxidation.

You just got to love it. Now if you need some meat  or cheese just toss it on, and make yourself a super Cobb salad with your favorite salad dressing. Geri and I like hard boiled eggs, tofu, quinoa, or nuts for some protein as a substitute for meat sometimes.

Leftovers, farro, cooked barley, cranberries, raisins, or reconstituted dry cherries are great too. The possibilities, just like our imaginations, are almost limitless.

Here's a recipe that I use.  This as my base salad, and like I said add whatever else suits my fancy, or whatever you have on hand.

Thanks for blogging on.

Make Food, Not War.

Peace

                                               Super kale Salad

Ingredients: (salad dressing for 2)
1 bunch kale
2 tablespoon olive oil
5 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon herbs of Provence
salt to taste
fresh ground black pepper to taste
1/4 cup pitted Kalamata olives halved
1 cup red bell pepper julienne
1/4 cup red onion julienne
1/2 cup of grated carrots

Directions:
Be sure to wash the Kale several times, especially if it's organic. Take hold of each leaf, and tear it down the middle, discarding the tough spiny portion of the leaf. Either chop it finely into little squares or julienne it, whatever is your preference. Then immerse it a cold water bath and spin dry. You can then put it in plastic bags with a few holes poked in it, and store it away in the fridge for future use. A couple of hours before dinner or the day before you're going to make your salad massage the kale with the dressing, and let it sit in the fridge, then take it out, and add your topping when you're ready. It's that simple.

fresh kale

ripping leaves from stalk

julianne

Recipe of the Week, Pesto

I'm going to try to do a recipe each week along with my blog. This weeks inspiration comes from our herb garden which has produced more basil than we had ever hoped for. Up to this summer our growing of basil in our herb garden  have been mediocre at best. This year we have a bumper crop.  So, without further ado here it is.

Ingredient:
1 large fistful of Basil leaves and stalks
1 cup grated Percorino, Fontina, and Parmajano total
1/ 2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon crushed black pepper
1 cup toasted pine (Pinon) nuts
1/3 cup toasted walnuts

Direction; In a large bowl soak the fresh basil in cold water, and then gently remove the leaves from the stalks. Wash the leaves again in the salad spinner, and then spin till the water is removed.
In a 8 inch skillet toast the pine nuts and walnuts, (see photo below) till browned on all sides.
In a large food processor place the basil leaves, nuts, salt, pepper, the one cup of 3 cheeses, and give a couple of quick pulses. Use a rubber spatula to get  the ingredients off the sides, and pulse a few more times. Add the olive oil and pulse a couple of more times till everything is incorporated and you get the consistency that you want. Some people like it smooth, but I like a gritty grainy texture myself.
This recipe made around 3 1/2 cups of pesto. Use over pasta, spread on pizza or crustini, or stuffed chicken breast. That's it for this week.

Peace,

Make Food, Not War

Bumper crop of Basil

Toasted pine nuts

A  fistful of basil

mis en place

the finished product

Oakland Food Bites

Oakland Food Bites

We finally made it over to 45th off Broadway between Manila Ave. and Lawton Ave. in Oakland to Studio One to see the food trucks. Oakland health laws for one reason or another prohibit food trucks with this Friday evening exception.

Why does Oakland city government make everything so friggin difficult? Why would the City of Oakland be opposed to street food? It employs people,  provides a needed service to it's citizens, generates taxes, and stimulates the economy. Before there was ever a restaurant or a cafe there were people selling cooked food on the streets. I'm going to stay away from politics for now because I just get downright nasty when I go there, especially if I start writing about the cavalcade of idiot "progressive" mayors, past and present, that I've seen shuffle through office for the past 15 plus years that I've lived here. Bureaucrats suck.
.
Back to the food trucks. There are five food trucks each week at this location with a rotating lottery so new trucks are there each week. This makes it even better in my opinion because you don't get the same old, same old, each week.  I have to say this is a real scene. Lots of hipsters, 309 somethings with children, babies and pregnant women everywhere.. People are still making love, and that is a beautiful thing. Plus there are other vender's selling their wares; potted plants, art, etc.

The food trucks last week were; Doc's of the Bay (Burgers), Le Truc,  Fist Of Flour Pizza Co., Sancuchon Food Truck (Peruvian) and Nick's Wheely good breakfast and lunch too!

Geraldine got a lovely chicken salad at Le Truc which was an old school bus painted black with some seats inside for customers, very cool. The chicken was freshly grilled with a nice smokey flavor to it. There were no seasoning on it, not even salt or pepper, very plain, but cooked just right.

For my meal I got a pork sandwich, Lom Saltado,  at. Sancuchon.  It was served on a crispy toasted bun with cooked tomatoes, sauteed onions, salad greens and topped off with a  couple of French fries for good measure. The pork had a dry rub on it which I can best describe as Lawry's seasoning with a little cayenne thrown in for good measure. The meat was cooked perfectly, nice and tender.  I got the plantains as a side dish, and they too were delightful.

By  the way, Studio one has wonderful classes for art, cooking etc. and they have a kitchen that can be rented for catering or if you had a party to prep. Exactly how it is equipped I can't say. I did see a six burner stove there, but weather of not there is a convection oven I can't say.

Studio one does an outdoor movie in the summer months along with the Friday food truck night and there is also music there. something for everyone. The seating is on the walls in front, on the lawn. Bring a chair or a blanket, your picnic basket, a bottle of wine or a beer, and enjoy the merriment.

All in all I would say it was a pleasant experience. Food trucks are huge now. It's one of the more economical ways for a chef to get his product to a certain market of people. More and more people are stopping at the side of the road to get their meals.
The prices are reasonable, the selections of cuisine is diverse, and the food more often than not is rockn'.  I love street food.

There are a lot of people at this location, and my suggestion is to get there early or get there around 7:30 like we did this time. You choice for items might be limited if you get there later. They have a tendency to sell out. The wait can be a little long if you get there at peak time, but it's an evening out, a lot of fun, and well worth the trip.  Service starts at 5:30 to 8:00 PM.

Peace,

Make Food, Not War

Fist of Flour Food Truck

Le Truc logo

happy eater

Nick's Wheely Good Breakfast and Lunch too!

Master Salmon Recipe July 1st, 2012

This is a simple elegant healthy meal as you will find anywhere. Simple is what I prefer.  Really fresh salmon like you see here is very delicate, so handle with care. Peace.....Make Food, Not War                                      

                                                             Master Salmon Recipe (serves 2)

Ingredienrs:
2 6 oz. salmon filets                                               Salt and Pepper
6 lage asparagus spears                                           2  oz. white wine
1 cup wil rice                                                         1 tablespoon butter
1 cup chicken stock                                                1 tablespoon fresh fine dill
1 tablespoon capers                                                 olive oil for cooking
4 lemon wedges

Directions:

In a small sauce pan cook the wild rice with 1 cup chicken stock and one cup water. Bring to a boil and let simmer for approximately 45 minutes.
Wash and trim the asparagus spears and place in a hot medium sized iron skillet with a tablespoon of olive oil and season the pan with salt and pepper. Cook for about 10 minutes till brown on all around, and put aside. Do not clean the skillet.
Rinse the capers under cold water and reserve for sauce.
Lightly salt and pepper the salmon filets, and in the same skillet that you cooked the asparagus place them skin side down. The skillet should be hot. Cook for  4 minutes in each side or until medium/medium well inside. Remove and let sit while you make the sauce.
Lower the heat to medium, and deglaze the pan with the white wine. Add a tablespoon or a little more of butter, lower the heat if it begins to brown too quickly, stirring with the wire whip and add the capers right at the end when the sauce has reduced to about 3 tablespoons.
Arrange your plate, and pour the sauce over the salmon.
Season the salmon with the fresh dill, adjust the food with S & P, and garnish with fresh lemon wedges.
Simple yet amazing.

fresh salmon filets...one day out of the ocean

skin side down

cooked asparagus, dill, capers, lemon wedges

finished meal

4 minutes cooking...skin side up showing