Project Cookbook and the Weeknight Gnocchi

Guys, it is actually happening!!! The writing has begun. The cookbook is officially underway! I'm really excited about this project, and believe me it's been a long time coming. As a very young newlywed I knew nothing about cooking, literally nothing. Everything I know today I learned from reading. Reading cookbooks, and magazines, piles of recipes and articles. Long before the days of 24 hour food shows on television I spent many hours poring over books. The first real cookbook that shaped my cooking skills was the old 1980s red and white checked Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I never understood why it was called the "New Cook Book' really, but it is the one book every newly independent adult needs to own. Besides some pretty impressive recipes it also covers the basics- how to cook rice, make plain pastry, roast times and temps for meats. It's literally the elementary, junior high and high school of cooking compiled into chapters. 

As the years went by, my collection grew and I began to grow my skills in the kitchen and I started entering contests. I started to think to myself, hey I can do this, I can write recipes, I should write a cookbook! I kept folders of notes, and bought blank journals and wrote page after page of recipes I made up in my different kitchens. I was writing and still reading, new cookbooks come out all the time so I never ran out of things to read. Gourmet and Bon Appetit magazines began to pile up at my house too. Scraps of paper became bookmarks and I learned more techniques and entered more contests and then friends started saying "you should write a cookbook!" The time wasn't right, but still I saved and filed and wrote, and cooked and baked.

Then several years ago I met my friend Ray. We had a mutual interest in food and started throwing around some ideas. We put together a group of writers and set out to launch an internet magazine about food in our state. We collaborated on a few social media groups focused on Iowa food, historical foods and eating out. We eventually started talking about cookbooks. Writing cookbooks, to be exact. Ray knew I wanted to write my own, and he encouraged me to do it! He was secretly hoping I'd go down the Iowa recipes path but that's not what I had in mind, and even he thought about writing an Iowa-centric cookbook, or compile one anyway. 

One day, when we thought we still had a lifetime to work on these things, my friend was gone. His passing left a lot of people heartbroken, and made me value the time we did have even more- talking about crazy food ideas, his hobo dinners and the time he ate some "wild peppers" he found and ended up nearly poisoning himself. I knew if there was ever a time in my life to make this project a reality, it was now, for my friend. For myself.

So here we are. Project Cookbook is a go and I'm working on it almost daily. In my head I have a vision, how I want the photography to be, the outline is working. I've got chapters decided and have been sorting through my journals and scrapbooks looking for the right recipes to include in the book. Because I am "The Baker" around here, of course there will be some pretty fantastic cakes and pies and pastries included, but lots of great entrees and appetizers too. I am really going to focus on things my family loved me to cook.

So let's talk about this recipe. It's definitely going in the book, and it's one of my favorite things to make. Weeknight gnocchi. Why weeknight? Because we are using a big time shortcut which shaves a LOT of time off the prep of this dish and makes it something that's totally doable on a weeknight. Who  doesn't love that? These are so easy to make you can even get your kids in on the fun, rolling and cutting into little dumplings. Let's make this!

Easy Herbed Gnocchi

1 cup dry instant mashed potato flakes

1 cup boiling water

1 1/2 cups flour

1 teaspoon dried thyme

salt and pepper

1 egg, beaten

butter

fresh thyme for serving

Combine the mashed potato flakes and boiling water in a medium bowl. Set aside to cool slightly.

In a large bowl stir the flour, salt and pepper and thyme, crushing slightly in your fingers. Add the prepared mashed potatoes and mix in, using a fork or a pastry blender, until mostly combined, looking like small peas. Add the egg and mix in well. Knead once or twice.

On a floured board, roll out egg sized portions of the dough into half inch diameter ropes. Cut into bite sized pieces with a knife. Place on floured parchment on a sheet pan to hold until all dough is rolled and cut.

When ready to cook, bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Add the gnocchi in batches and boil until they float, maybe 3 to 4 minutes. Remove with slotted spoon and continue to cook all. 

In a large skillet melt a couple tablespoons of butter. Add the cooked gnocchi and heat, stirring only occasionally until the gnocchi are golden brown in spots and coated in butter. Sprinkle with fresh thyme and serve.

I served my gnocchi with some pan-roasted chicken breasts, and it was easy to do. Using a cast iron or other oven safe skillet, heat a couple tablespoons of oil and butter until foaming. Season 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts with salt, pepper and fresh herbs of choice. I used thyme. 

Brown on both sides then pop in a 375 degree oven for about 20 minutes to finish. I removed the chicken, added another tablespoon of butter to the drippings and browned the gnocchi in the delicious chicken drippings. Oh. Em. Gee. Talk about luxurious. We will be making this again!!

Peachy Summer Chicken Salad

Who likes thrift store shopping? This girl does, that's who. I love spending a leisurely day strolling through the aisles and seeing all the fun things for sale. Many of the items bring back memories. I see lots of vintage dishes and Tupperware pieces that my mom or friends' moms had in their kitchen when I was young. Many times I will find souvenir glasses from different places, restaurants, breweries, festivals, and I always wonder about the person who first bought this item, and how it ended up at the Goodwill. I primarily look through the dishes and cookware, and books, sometimes I'll find a cool piece of framed art or something like that. I'm mostly on the lookout for unique dishes, serving pieces, cast iron, and cookbooks. Some of the really old utensils and dishes spark my imagination about the original owner of these things. Who was she? Did she have a large family? What was her favorite thing to cook? 

Check out these little thrift shop gems!

Sometimes I will get little hints and peeks at the original owners, especially when I'm flipping through cookbooks. I get super excited when I see handwritten notes on the pages, or a news clipping of a recipe tucked between the pages. Sometimes I've found carefully pressed and preserved labels from long gone canned foods with a recipe using whatever was in the can. Those are always fun. Some of those vintage recipes are a little cringe-worthy by today's standards, with lots of weird canned meat products and more gelatin than I can even imagine. Seems like everything was jellied and molded back in the fifties and sixties. I'm actually thankful that trend died off!

Antique stores are another goldmine for vintage and unique kitchen things, although they can get a little spendy at times. Small towns in rural Iowa are fantastic for finding reasonably priced vintage pieces. During the years The Chef and I lived at the lake I often popped in to a couple different antique shops in nearby towns and picked up some beautiful old canning jars and cool glassware pieces, and a number of great local church and community cookbooks. Those are also always fun. I love those cookbooks because you get a name to associate with the recipe, and more than a couple of those names in those old books were familiar. They might be my neighbors' grandmother or mother in law or aunt. I loved finding those connections because then I really could ask about the person and what they were like.

My friend Jessica and I have long been thrift store shopping buddies. A handful of years ago, when we were throwing around the ideas and dreams of owning a tearoom/bistro/gourmet shop together, we often scoured the thrift shops in search of beautiful china pieces and tea services. My garage became the storage facility for things we bought in anticipation of starting this dream business. As it sometimes does, our lives took different paths for a couple years, with real life becoming more urgent than our dream business. That dream is not gone, it's just moved on the ladder of priorities right now. Anyway. we still love thrift shopping, and a couple recent trips yielded some jackpot purchases. I've been able to score some pretty cool cast iron pieces- a pair of matching red enameled cast iron mini Coquettes and a pair of individual cast iron gratin dishes, some very awesome cookbooks, some even signed by the author, and some cool framed art for my dining area.

One of the cookbooks Jessica nabbed was written by Clotilde Dusoulier, and her cookbook, Chocolate and Zucchini, is amazing. Amazon says: "Clotilde Dusoulier is a twenty-seven-year-old Parisian who adores sharing her love of all things food-related—recipes, inspirations, restaurant experiences, and above all the pleasure of cooking with the fresh ingredients found in her local Montmartre shops. But her infatuation with food was born not in her mother’s Parisian kitchen, but in San Francisco, where she moved after college and discovered a new world of tastes. When she returned to her beloved France, her culinary exploits inspired her popular and critically acclaimed blog, ChocolateandZucchini.com.

In her first book, Dusoulier provides a glimpse into the life of a young Parisian as she savors all that the city has to offer and shares her cooking philosophy in the form of more than 75 recipes that call for healthy ingredients (such as zucchini) and more indulgent tastes (such as chocolate). The Los Angeles Times calls her recipes "simple, charming, and fun."

Appetizers such as Cumin Cheese Puffs, sandwiches and tarts like Tomato Tatin, soups like Chestnut and Mushroom, main dishes including Mustard Chicken Stew, and desserts like Chocolate and Caramel Tart can all be found alongside menus for entertaining, as well as tips for throwing cocktail or dinner parties with French flair. Chocolate & Zucchini is the book for anyone who has journeyed to Paris and can still recall the delicious flavors and aromas—or for those of us who only dream about them."

As I flipped through the book I found loads of recipes I knew I would love. including this salad. This is my version of the recipe, with very little change from the original. I prefer to leave my peaches' peel intact, since we like the peel, and I have made both with regular balsamic and white balsamic and it's equally delicious with both. Her original recipe used hazelnuts which, sadly, I was not able to find, so I substituted broken English walnuts.

Peachy Summer Chicken Salad

3 ripe peaches or nectarines

3 tablespoons hazelnut oil or olive oil 

2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

1 pound chicken breast, cooked and cut in cubes (about 3 cups)

2/3 cup toasted walnuts, roughly chopped

8 cups (1/2 pound) half baby spinach and half arugula

salt and pepper

Peel the peaches, if desired, and cut into bite sized chunks. Place in a large salad bowl with the chicken, hazelnuts, and baby spinach.

In a small bowl whisk together the oil and balsamic vinegar. Drizzle over the salad. Season with salt and pepper, toss to coat with dressing. 

Serve this salad with a cold and crisp white wine such as a German Riesling or a good California Pinot Grigio. I served mine with an iced green tea lemonade and it was the perfect summer dinner. I kinda knew I'd like this salad, but holy smokes, it was so good, so much better than I expected. Perfect mix of sweet and savory, with plenty of protein from the chicken and the walnuts, I didn't even feel like I needed bread to go along with it, and the juicy summer peaches fed that craving for something sweet. You simply must try this recipe!

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

On my bookshelf

I don't know why I haven't talked about this subject before! You would think this would be one of the first things I've ever blogged about. I am an avid reader. Love books.....LOVE books. I love the library, I love book stores. I love lots of different kind of books. I love reading text books of subjects I am interested in. I love silly Danielle Steele romances, Stephen King horror novels and biographies of all kinds of interesting people. I love reading about World War II, history, and I am hopelessly addicted to the "Prey" series of novels by John Sanford. My dad, also an avid reader, calls me regularly to ask what I'm reading, talk about what he is reading, and he sends me home with books he has finished with. My dad has always been the biggest influence in the things I study and am interested in, ever since I was a kid. You see, like me, my father is a cookbook collector.

The Chef says I am a cookbook hoarder and with the internet there is no longer a need for buying actual books. That may be, and my concession there was to stop buying cooking magazines every month (but I still buy one occasionally....shhhhh). My daughter and son-in-law gave me a Nook for Christmas last year- a wonderful and very thoughtful gift, as my kids know me oh so well and knew that I'd always wanted one, and would use it all the time (and I do). But when it comes to cookbooks I still need the feel of the paper, the weight of the book in my hand, the smell of the pages. I need an actual book. 

I have cookbooks of all sorts. I have many many many of the "thin" Better Homes and Gardens cookbooks. They aren't much bigger than magazines but are hard-covered and single subject, such as Meals in Minutes, Barbeque and Salads. I have three of the classic red-checked-covered Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book. I have old church cookbooks. Ladies' Auxiliary cookbooks. Celebrity chefs, some autographed and some not, and the classics like The Joy of Cooking and Julia Child's most famous book Mastering the Art of French Cooking. I have cookbooks you might never have heard of. I have cookbooks many of you probably own. Some are worn from years of reading and reference. Some are taped back together and the dust covers long gone. I even have a cookbook compiled by Mary Kay consultants- their favorite recipes.

But why cookbooks? Well, to me, as a young woman years ago, I had no earthly idea what to do with food. I never cooked until I was on my own. I never had to. Never took home ec or any of those life skills classes in high school, preferring to take French and art and sciences instead. Back in those days Meredith Publishing used to have an annual book sale. Cookbooks were dirt cheap and I just started getting a few every year, and reading. Meredith Publishing, for those who may not know, is the company that publishes Better Homes and Gardens and happens to be headquartered in Des Moines- how awesome is that? Reading the recipes, seeing all the beautiful pictures, and growing tired of pizza, burgers and those boil in bag frozen meals (before microwaves were common), I began to experiment with cooking. 

At first it wasn't pretty. Those early meals were not often successful but I never gave up. Moving to England for several years and raising a family in a tiny English town with no drive thrus meant Mommy had to figure it all out, and I did. Quite successfully! I won my first recipe contest in 1983 at the ripe old age of 21, thanks to all those cookbooks.

These days my style of cooking is very diverse. Home cooking to nouvelle cuisine. Home canning to a luxe gourmet dinner for two. I still look to my cookbooks for inspiration. Of the 400plus I own I do have some definite favorites. Let's talk about some of them.

Chez Bonne Femme Cookbook- One of my very favorites is also one of my newest. The Chez Bonne Femme Cookbook by Wini Moranville has landed a spot on the top ten list immediately. I will definitely wear this one out, undoubtedly. Getting to meet Wini in person was a real delight- and if you follow either of my blogs you have seen at least a couple posts about Wini or the cookbook or a recipe of hers. Unlike Julia Child all those years ago, Wini brings French cooking into the American kitchen with some recipes that are incredibly easy and delicious, no obscure ingredients and techniques most of us are already accustomed to. If you don't own this book, you simply must get it.

Anything by Ina Garten- How can you NOT love Ina and her beautiful kitchen, the big glass "Ina Jars" on the counter (yes I have Ina Jars of my very own), and her outstanding recipes? Seriously, besides this incredible life story she has, she lives in the Hamptons and owned that gorgeous little shop The Barefoot Contessa. Ina's recipes are simply amazing. She makes everything look so easy and perfect. Her Perfect Roast Chicken is something everyone should master. Pot pie goes gourmet when it is Seafood Pot Pie. Her Lemon Loaf Cake is the perfect picnic dessert. She masters everything from bechamel sauce to roasted potato wedges, and you can too.

The Quarterback Killer's Cookbook- Of course I would own this one. I can't say for sure if I bought it as a Viking fan or a cookbook collector but regardless, it's turned out to be one of my favorites. Former Minnesota Vikings defensive end Jared Allen is much more than a sports figure. He is a hunter, supporter of veterans, restaurateur, and surprisingly, a pretty amazing cook. His book is FUN- stories and pictures from his childhood, his father and grandfather- his idols- and recipes from ducks and pheasant to fish to bears, elk and deer. How about some Ostrich Steaks with Piperade? Venison with Blackberry and Horseradish may be more up your alley? I'm big into braising.....wonder if I can track down some bear meat for Braised Bear Steaks?  Even if I don't get to cook too many of the recipes, this cookbook has been a fun addition to my collection and is very treasured, If only it were autographed........

Nadia G's Bitchin' Kitchen Cookbook- Speaking of autographs.....If you don't know who Nadia Giosia is, you need to get out more. The Cooking Channel's star of Bitchin' Kitchen is a ball of fun- she reminds me so much of myself as a younger woman- all high heels and heavy metal attitude. Pepper Crusted Teriyaki Tuna with Wasabi Smashed Potatoes is just one of the recipes in her cookbook that YES !!! sports an autograph *insert happy face* Her cookbook is arranged as complete meals, rather than chapters on meats, vegetables, appetizers, etc., and have silly titles such as Break-up Bonanza, consisting of Splitsville Salad with Caramelized Figs, Reverse BLT, Mascarpone Honey Toast; The Single Life, which is Crispy Salmon with Leek Sauce, Mac & Cheese and Perfect Spinach Salad with Grilled Pears. Fun stuff, great recipes and lots of useful information laid out in a wacky rock girl style this is one awesome cookbook, or as Nadia G might say "Bitchin!!"

The 150 Best American Recipes- Fran McCullough and Molly Stevens did a fantastic job compiling recipes from all kinds of sources- cookbooks, magazines, newspapers, and so on. The Appetizers section contains some truly delightful tidbits. Vodka-spiked Cherry Tomatoes with Pepper Salt sounds like a bite-sized Bloody Mary. Lots of delicious soups and interesting salads made the cut, and entrees from Black Bean Burgers to Shrimp and Grits to Braised Short Ribs make me want to cook everything!! The cookbook includes breakfast and brunch recipes, breads, and an awesome selection of desserts. Lots of gorgeous photos fill the pages of this fantastic collection of recipes. I think this cookbook was actually a gift, and couldn't have been a more perfect gift for me.

I really have way too many books to really pin down the absolute favorites, and what I am loving changes from season to season, year to year, as I learn more techniques and discover new foods and ingredients. You could say........I've never met a cookbook I didn't like!

Note: Almost all of the above books are available on Amazon and at Barnes and Noble- except for the vintage and community cookbooks. Those I have collected over the years from book sales, garage sales, thrift shops and even a few on Ebay. 

Sitting Down With a Good Book- The French Laundry Cookbook

A while back I spent the night at my daughter's house. I never pass up a chance to spend the night and watch over her "kids"- Napoleon the Chihuahua and Sebastian the Siamese cat. It was a mini-vacation of sorts, a time for The Chef and I to have some necessary alone time and a chance for me to unwind with a really really good book- Thomas Keller's The French Laundry Cookbook.

You might remember meeting my daughter Laura in a prior post about all the food industry pros in my family. She manages a popular restaurant downtown Des Moines and, just like her mom, has an interest in enjoying good food of all kinds and learning as much as she can about the culinary field. I was beyond delight when I found out she had this amazing cookbook and couldn't wait for the next overnight. I thought I had my chance back on Valentines Day, but Mother Nature threw a wrench- and a snowstorm- in my plans and caused my daughter to abandon her plans to travel. 

Staying in her adorable little bungalow is a real treat. Nestled in the historic Beaverdale neighborhood in Des Moines, the house is so cute, decorated beautifully, and a true oasis from an otherwise hectic world. Warm hardwood floors, soft and soothing wallcolors, modern and eclectic art on the walls and contemporary furniture bring it all together in a very inviting way. No heavy curtains dragging the windows down, she instead chose the clean lines of wooden blinds, in white to match the wood trim. Scented candles ensure her home has a welcoming fragrance, even if they aren't lit. 

What makes this house such a respite from the chaos outside? It's quiet. There is no cable tv, no satellite tv, no internet. No distractions. No noise. No commercials, no sitcoms, no bad movies. Why is this so wonderful? In her life, particularly, noise is part of the job. As a busy restaurant manager she s always on the go, always putting out fires, dealing with employee and customer needs, back office, front of house, customer service, scheduling, labor costs, overhead, ordering- you get the idea. So here I am, in this little haven, just me and the fur kids, and THAT cookbook.

The French Laundry is a restaurant in Napa Valley, California, but you probably already knew that, and Thomas Keller is the owner/chef. The son of a restaurateur he began his career working for his mother in her restaurant and drawn in by the magic of Hollandaise sauce he took off, cooking and apprenticing at some of the most incredible restaurants in the world. Many awards have been bestowed up Chef Keller. In 1999 he published The French Laundry Cookbook and the world has not been the same since.

And so I finally got my chance to settle in to the corner of that comfy sectional ouch in that quiet little bungalow with no electronic distractions, and slowly turn the pages. I am immediately drawn in. I had heard from other food nuts that the cookbook is pretentious and unrealistic- that no home cook could or would ever prepare these recipes. Pure nonsense. Honestly, with the exception of a few recipes involving an entire whole foie gras roasted or poached (and who can afford that??) everything in the book was very accessible to the regular cook like me. I am quite obsessed by canapes, hors d'oeuvres and cocktail party foods, and the first chapters filled my heart with joy. Pastry cornets filled with salmon tartare- the only way I can stand salmon is raw, and pastry work is my niche, how can I possibly NOT want to make this recipe? Quail eggs and bacon- a no brainer. Yukon Gold Potato Blini. Again, this is absolutely something I would make. 

I made a list. Things I Am Going To Cook From The French Laundry Cookbook. You better believe I did. First on the list? The Lobster Broth. The technique is fairly simple, not unlike stock-making,and the ingredients are not that out of line for a regular person like myself. I can come up with lobster bodies. Tarragon is growing in the garden. The rest is easy peasy. I wonder if I will be able to find anyone to volunteer as a taste-tester?

Thomas Keller's Creamy Lobster Broth

1/4 cup canola oil
3 lobster bodies, cut up
1 1/2 cups chopped tomatoes
1/2 cup chopped carrots
1 bunch fresh tarragon
2 cups heavy cream

Heat the oil in a large rondeau or deep straight-sided braising pot. Add the lobster bodies and sear over medium high heat for 1 to 2 minutes on each side, until they turn red. Add the tomatoes, carrots, and tarragon, cover the shells and vegetables with water, and bring to a boil. Skim off any impurities that rise to the top. Reduce heat and simmer for one hour. Strain the stock through a large strainer, pressing on the lobster bodies with a wooden spoon to extract as much liquid as possible. Strain again through a chinois into a saucepan. Return the strained stock to the heat and simmer until it is reduced to 1 cup. Add the heavy cream. Return to simmer and cook until reduced to 2 cups, skimming as necessary. 

To serve, heat in a saucepan, whisking to a slight froth. Serve in demitasse cups as a light hors d'oeuvre. 

Sounds amazing, doesn't it? My dream vacation would include a meal at The French Laundry, among others. This sounds like an extravagant dish to prepare but really, 3 lobsters aren't all that expensive if you catch them on sale. I've seen them in our local gourmet market for under ten dollars for a lobster- which would be perfect for a nice lobster dinner, and reserving the bodies for this recipe. Even the technique is not too technical that even a beginner couldn't reproduce this beautiful soup with ease. This one is destined to be a favorite around here.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."

Food Culture

I was driving home by myself today after a job interview and decided to stop into Half Price Books real quick and see what they had on the shelves. They moved to a new bigger location a while back and I hadn't been there yet. Only one section was of interest to me today, and after making a couple selections and heading home, I found myself thinking about food culture, and how much my "hobbies" are influenced by it. I asked myself, what exactly IS "food culture" anyway? What does that mean?

So I broke out the laptop when I got home and did a little research. The first thing I found was a definition, from ExperimentalStation-  the cultivation, distribution, preparation, and appreciation of delicious and healthy food. Sounds pretty spot on. The Huffington Post  and numerous other websites have an entire sections on their websites devoted to food culture. I'm obviously onto something here. If I had to come up with a definition of food culture I think I would say that food culture is a combination of food-influenced experiences, from the basic vegetable garden to food-centered travel, education, and entertainment with people of similar interests. 

When talking about cultivation of food we can start right in the backyard of many Americans- in the backyard vegetable garden. Flower gardens are lovely but you cannot (generally speaking) eat them. As an Iowan I can tell you there is nothing better in the summer than a big fat juicy tomato, still warm from the sun and stifling humidity of the August garden, sliced and piled on a sandwich. There is nothing better, except maybe a big platter of steaming hot buttery Iowa sweet corn. I know I have many friends that share just this one commonality with me- we love to garden, and we grow our own food.

My garden, full of tomatoes, peppers, radishes, beans 

Another popular summer activity around here that definitely fits into the definition of food culture is the farmers market. I can't speak for every city, but Des Moines has one of the best farmers markets in the country. Every Saturday morning the entire Court Avenue District is transformed into a bustling outdoor market, with dozens and dozens of vendors- fresh produce, ethnic foods, handmade items, baked goods, garden plants, organic meats and eggs- everything you can think of. Food culture at it's finest and definitely fits into the distribution category of the definition. Besides the huge downtown market, many smaller markets pop up all over the city, the suburbs, and small towns across the state. You may choose not to have a garden, or may not be able to, but you still have access to some of the finest fresh produce in the world. For someone like me the farmers markets are a great source for vegetables and fruits that I don't want to mess with growing. I don't need a plantation sized garden AND I get to know some of the growers, meet friends, and before you know it, food culture is once again an influence on my life.

Culinary Fight Night, January 11, 2015

Preparation- in Iowa, be prepared to have your tastebuds rocked. Des Moines has evolved into quite an interesting place for exploring food culture. The city boasts some of the country's most progressive chefs and food professionals, and is home to some out of this world food-themed festivals and conventions. There was once a time when you had to book a hotel and flight to a much larger city to experience food and wine festivals and things of that nature, but not anymore. The state of Iowa has more than a hundred wineries, distilleries and breweries that produce some of the best products in the country. Des Moines is buzzing with them- a winery sits just south of downtown, which isalso home to several cool breweries. You can learn to make your own wine, brew your own beer, attend cooking classes of all kinds. Cooking competitions between professional chefs and home cooks are fun to attend. Des Moines and small towns alike offer some of the best restaurants around, all price ranges, all different kinds of cuisines, casual and kid friendly to starched tablecloth formal. You don't need to visit New York or Chicago for a James Beard nominated chef to prepare your meal- you can get that right here.

Appreciation.......oh I appreciate it alright. My own life is totally immersed in food culture. For me, reading a book means pulling a cookbook off the shelf and reading cover to cover. No sitcoms for me, rather I spend my television time watching cooking shows, documentaries about food, even movies that are centered around a common theme- food. With a chef in my life I am never without a wonderful meal or new way to prepare a dish. It's even grown within my family. One of my daughters gave up a successful corporate career to pursue a completely new career path- restaurant management. Just so happens she works with one of those James Beard Award nominees. She also shares her life with a chef- who has an impressive professional resume as well. For them, travel is to a food destination- weekend in New York City visiting Michelin Star restaurants for chefs' tastings, a quick trip to Austin to explore the food truck scene.

Being so immersed in food culture influences so many aspects of my life. My pop culture icons are completely different than, say, a hardcore sports fan's might be. I will stand in line for the chance to meet and get an autograph from a celebrity chef that I follow. It's actually kind of funny to think about it- how easily my interests morphed into this. I've always had an interest in cooking and certainly my childhood helped feed that interest- my dad was the 70s version of a foodie, always watching cooking shows on PBS, collecting cookbooks, and taking the family to all different kinds of restaurants at home in Minnesota, Iowa, on weekends in Chicago and even all over Europe. Not many elementary kids can say they ate steak tartare at a cafe in Stuttgart, or grilled trout caught minutes before (by my dad) and a catch-your-own place in Italy. It's safe to say, I grew up surrounded by food culture.

Home canning is a food culture all of its own.

It's not a bad thing, not at all. If anything it's a real gift. I feel like I can make informed choices about food, I know where my food comes from and I know how to prepare it so it retains as many nutrients as possible. I love trying new foods, learning new techniques and making new friends who share this passion. I can pickle my own vegetables and bake a dacqouise, bake a loaf of bread and fry chicken. I grow tomatoes in my yard and drive all the way to Kansas City to shop at Dean and Deluca for spices. Goofy? Sure, but why not have a little fun? Come to think of it....I feel like baking that dacquoise.......

Culinary Homeschooling- Part Two

I thought this was going to be just oh so fun. Things took a dramatic turn for the worse today, as I began reading a most horrific set of chapters. Math. Restaurant math. Food costing. Breaking recipes and ingredients down into servings and cost-per-serving. Establishing menu prices based on math formulas taking into consideration cost per unit and servings per quantity. Now I need a drink!

Thankfully this is just for fun, and I won't be tested on any of these things. I'll be honest, math is NOT my friend. Three pages into how to calculate these things and I was really in over my head. If the raw food cost for one sandwich is $1.70 and the desired food cost percentage is 23%, the selling price must be at least $7.39. Huh?

          1.70 divided by .23 = 7.391

Ok, sure. Whatever you say (insert confused face). On to things that are much more entertaining. Like mise en place. Now I knew what that meant years before ever getting this book. Everything in it's place. In other words, get all your ingredients out, measured, and ready to use so once you start a recipe you don't have to stop and dig through the pantry for ingredients. No brainer, right? 

I read the chapter on knife skills. I love knives. Really. Kitchen knives are my obsession. The book set out the parts of a knife (I knew this), talked about different metals and why some are better than others (I knew this), why a full tang is better (I knew this) and broke down the differences in knife sharpeners and why people choose the different kinds for different uses. I now need to obtain a whetstone sharpener. And more knives.

The knife chapter also included a primer of knife skills and cuts. Rondelles. Chiffonade. Julienne, Batonnet. Brunoise. Dice. Paysanne. Tourner. I am going to get a couple carrots, some basil or small leafy green and a couple potatoes and spend a hour or two brushing up on my cuts and techniques.

I learned about calibrating a thermometer. Never thought I needed to do that, but I now have a new skill filed away in the brain for future reference. Oh coffee- an entire chapter devoted to coffee, all the different roasts, types of grinds, the how and whys. I never knew these things, so I did gain lots of new knowledge from this chapter especially. Did you know that in other countries American Roast is known as City Roast? Neither did I! 

I often play with French recipes and many times they call for creme fraiche. Living in a rural area means I often cannot find ingredients like this. Lo and behold....... this textbook reveals how to make it myself. This changes everything. I'll be a creme fraiche-making fool!

One notable section of the book covered butter and margarine. Everyone who knows me knows my utter disdain for margarine. I am not alone. This point is driven home in great detail in culinary school, and this textbook details the chemical composition of margarine, the history, the nasty stuff, the gross stuff, the hydrogenation process...... things that make the case for Just Say No To Margarine. I feel validated.

I am approaching the food chapters, so I hope you will continue to follow along. Now that I'm getting into the real food nitty gritty I can have some fun with demonstration and really testing my skills.

Culinary Homeschooling, Part One

Ok, I am just being silly here. Thanks to the wonderland known as Ebay I have in my possession my first culinary school textbook. Yep, and it is nothing like I expected. I imagined recipes for amazingly difficult foods and detailed instructions on super fancy plating techniques. Nope. Nothing like that.

 

This book is the real deal. Food history. Sanitation and food safety. Culinary mathematics (yuck). Food costs. Nutrition. Menu planning. Many many chapters on the different categories of food. 1080 pages of....... textbook. What have I done? In all seriousness, my plan is to read this book, cover to cover, and see what I missed out on never having gone to culinary school. 

Obviously, my Culinary Homeschool experience is going to start with Chapter 1- Professionalism. In other words, the history, tradition and expectations of culinary professionals. What did I learn so far?

• The brigade- a system of staffing a kitchen so that each worker is assigned a set of specific tasks; often related by cooking method, equipment, or the type of food being prepared.
• The difference between a gourmet and a gourmand.
• The three compartment sink.
• All about macronutrients and micronutrients.
• The differences between a static menu, a cycle menu, a market menu and a hybrid menu.

Just a couple chapters in I am actually a little bit intimidated by this immense book. Thirty five chapters cover every culinary subject imaginable to me. I have no plans to pursue a professional cooking career but I figure it can't hurt to spend some quality time with this book and I know I will learn a lot. At least I know there won't be any TESTS!

Oh, and before I forget- I titled this "Part One" in the hopes that you will continue to follow me on my Culinary Homeschool Project. What do you think I will discover in Part Two?

Kicked Up Home Cooking- Flat iron steak gets boozy

Sorry, more braising.  Actually, I am not really sorry. Since my recent reintroduction to braising I just cannot stop. Better not stand around my kitchen too long- you're going to end up in a pot with garlic, onions, mushrooms and a liquor of some sort!

I had quite a giggle over a recent post on Wini Moranville's blog Chez Bonne Femme. She prepared this recipe from Molly Stevens' cookbook All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking using flat iron steaks but mentioned the old standards of my childhood- top round steak and cubed steak. I remember my mother laboring over the cutting board, pounding the life out of round steak and then cooking it for hours. Sometimes it turned out tender, but most of the time it was just dry and chewy. I can't remember the last time I have seen one of those big platter-sized round steaks in the meat department. I don't really miss them. Flat iron steaks are the new kid in town and I'm going to give this recipe a try myself. The pictures on Wini's blog are mouth watering and the ingredients have everything I love- butter, onion, herbs, mushrooms and a splash of sherry. Boozy braising is right up my alley! Here is the recipe from Chez Bonne Femme-

Smothered Flat-iron Steaks with Mushrooms and Onions

Adapted from All About Braising: The Art of Uncomplicated Cooking

Serves 4

4 3/4 to 1 inch thick boneless flat-iron steaks (you might have to cut 2 large steaks into 4 portions)
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 pound cremini or baby bella mushrooms, thickly sliced
1 large yellow onion (about 3/4 lb), sliced about 1/4 inch thick
1 1/2 teaspoons dried thyme, crushed
1 teaspoon smoked sweet paprika
1/2 cup dry sherry
2 tablespoons snipped fresh parsley

Using a meat mallet (or the bottom of a heavy saucepan), pound the steaks one at a time between two sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap until about 1/2 inch thick. Season both sides of each steak with salt and pepper. Place the flour in a shallow dish and dredge the steaks with flour, shaking off the excess.

Heat the olive oil in a braiser over medium-high heat until it shimmers. Cook the meat, turning as needed, until nicely browned on both sides, but not cooked through, about 8 minutes total. Remove the steaks from the pan.

Reduce the heat to medium. Add 1 tablespoon of the butter to the braiser, and when it is melted, add the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring as needed, until the liquid they release has mostly evaporated and they've started to brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the mushrooms to a bowl.

Return the braiser to the heat and add the remaining 1 tablespoon butter; when the butter has melted, add the onions, thyme, and paprika; lightly season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring, until the onions are tender but not brown, about 8 minutes. Add the sherry; bring to a boil while stirring to loosen the browned bits clinging the the bottom of the pan.

Reduce the heat to simmering; return the mushrooms and their juices to the pan and stir to combine. Tuck the steaks and any juices into the mushroom-onion mixture, covering the steaks with some of the mushrooms and onions. Cover the pan and allow to simmer. After a few minutes, make sure that the liquid is at a gentle simmer and adjust the heat as needed. Simmer for 1 to 1 1/4 hours or until the steaks are fork tender.

Transfer the steaks to a serving platter, but leave the mushrooms and onions in the pan. Increase the heat to a boil and allow the liquid to reduce to a sauce-like consistency. Season to taste, then spoon the sauce over the steaks. Sprinkle with fresh parsley.

Doesn't this sound absolutely delicious? So I am going to make it. Of course, that means a Foodie Field Trip to the city to get flat iron steaks and cremini mushrooms. I have cooked with so many different cuts of meat over the years but honestly don't think flat iron steaks have ever been in my kitchen. First time for everything, right? So let's go shopping.......

Back in the kitchen- let's do this! I'm going to start out by prepping my vegetables and have them ready to go. No time for slicing and dicing later when a hot pan is waiting on you, so slicing the onion......

pounding the steaks, seasoning, dredging and all that good stuff.......

and now we are ready to heat our pan. I will be using a Dutch oven because I don't have a braiser pan yet but it will work great in this recipe. The first step is heating the oil and browning the steaks. A nice sear is all you need, you don't want to cook them completely at this stage. Remove to a plate and set aside. I use the upside down lid of my Dutch oven- saves a dish to wash later.

Onions come next and smell oh so good when they're cooking. Look at all that delicious fond building up on the bottom of the pot.

Mushrooms- out here in the country the only thing available was plain old white button mushrooms, but they work just fine. Slice them thickly for a heartier bite. Add the sherry to the pot and scrape up the browned bits on the bottom- those are the tastiest bits in the world and make the best sauce.

Make a cozy little spot in the onions to nestle the steaks for braising. I added 2 cups of beef stock to the pot so we would have lots of leftover pan juices. Cover and let the magic happen.

In just about an hour, you have a pot full of amazing.

I roasted some parsnips and carrots since I had the oven on (warming the house on this cold day) and even managed to slip a dessert in there to bake. The Chef was suitably impressed with this French-style dinner. We had plenty of the delicious beefy juices left over, I chopped up the remaining roasted veggies and tomorrow we'll be recycling that delicious pot into some lovely vegetable soup.

Remember, to get your own copy of Wini's wonderful cookbooks, click HERE. 

Disclosure of Material Connection: I have not received any compensation for writing this post. I have no material connection to the brands, products, or services that I mentioned. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 55: "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."