“What Do I Do With…”

Posted on April 11, 2010 | Leave a comment

Ramp and Asparagus Pizza

As you may have noticed, I recently posted a blog about Ramps. Followed by a demonstration I did yesterday (Ramp Pesto with Fresh Tagliatelle and a Ramp and Asparagus White Pizza) which went over very well. A lot of people hadn’t ever tasted, let alone heard of them. I was able to introduce something new into someone’s life, while teaching them an easy and delicious way to prepare it. I really love that and I get the feeling I am not the only one having fun.

There as so many things to discover or learn something new about in the food world.  So I was thinking this morning: why not  ask you folks if you have any particular food curiosities? Maybe you have seen something at your market that you have always wanted to try, but didn’t know what to do with it. Maybe you make something all the time and want to put a fresh spin on it? These are just some ideas.

I am always trying to find something new to write about and demonstrate. Put it on the back burner of your mind and let this simmer for a bit.

If something comes to you, email me at jgop711@yahoo.com.

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Springing A Leek

Posted on April 8, 2010 | 6 Comments
 

 

Ramps in the wild
 

Spring is here! The forest floor is proof of that. Chris Masiero (Co-Owner of Guido’s Fresh Marketplace and ramp picking maestro) took me on a trip today to gather a short lived, North Eastern buried treasure.

Green leaves covered the ground as far as the eye could see, I felt like one of those kids inside Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Wasting no time, we dug and pulled and yanked for about an hour. The dirt flew and the sweat beaded, chatting about all the ways we like to prepare them. There we stood at the end of it, hands and shoes smeared with dirt, looking at the 18 lbs of ramps we just foraged. We couldn’t be happier.

I love my job.

Cleaned Ramps

  

 

 

Ok, so what are ramps and what’s the big deal?

Ramps are wild leeks. Their growing season is fairly short, starting rapidly around the first couple of weeks in April and ending in just about 3 weeks. The ideal time to get them is when theyare young and tender. older ramps tend to become woody and their leaves yellow. Their flavor profile consists mainly of sweet spring onion and has a fragrant aroma of garlic.

 
 How do you I cook with them?

You may use ramps in place of scallions and onions, but that is really just the beginning.  Nothing should go to waste when preparing ramps. Try Grilling ramps, making a bright green pesto, they are an exceptional topping for a white pizza, great in risotto and make a nice compound butter to top a steak with. Since the season is so short, try pickling ramp stems to have them a bit longer. Many chefs consider the combination of ramps, asparagus and morels to be a “Holy Trinity”. What grows together, goes together.

Along with fiddle head ferns, local asparagus and morel mushrooms, the idea of ramps helps me get through the long winters. The light at the end of a very long, cold tunnel. These are the first signs of many exciting things to come.

Ramp Pesto with Tagliatelle

Photos courtesy of Jamie O’Brien

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Cooked Cream: A Dessert Love Story

Posted on April 2, 2010 | 2 Comments

Panna Cotta (PAHN-nah KOH-tah): 1. Italian for “cooked cream“,  a light, silky custard dessert made with a cream as a key ingredient; served cold, accompanied typically with fruit or chocolate sauce 2. One of the easiest dessert you will ever make.

Last week at my market we had the once a month event we call “Thank You Thursday”.  The theme for the event was green (eco, color, spring, etc.). So, my challenge was to come up with a menu based on that. I had a pretty good idea of what I was going to do for the main course and vegetable, but the dessert…

A while back I had some old, ragged basil kicking around. So, I did what I normally do with sad looking produce: throw it into a protien shake! I gotta tell you, The creaminess from the whey, the slight sweetness of the honey and the floral shot and color of the basil…

Magic.

So much so that this combination deserved it’s own dessert, and now was the time to unleash it. Panna Cotta came to mind, light yet rich: the perfect transition dessert for spring. So it was settled, Basil Panna Cotta with Mashed Berries, Honey and Pepper. Pepper? Oh yes.

If this recipe takes you more then 10 minutes to make, then there is something wrong. I love panna cotta because it’s delicious and anyone can feel like a rock star-chef making it. It’s also incredibly versastile. All you have to remember is that 1 packet of gelatin will work for 16 oz (2 cups) of liquid, the rest is all imagination.

Here are some of my ideas:

Earl Grey Panna Cotta with Crumbled Amaretti Cookies and Honey

Serves: 4

1 packet gelatin

16 oz (2 cups) half and half

4 tablespoons honey

4 tablespoons or 4 packets Earl Grey Tea

Amaretti cookies, crumbled

honey for drizzling

Sprinkle Gelatin over 6 tablespoons cold water in a large bowl, let stand for 5-10 mins until fully absorbed.

Heat half and half and honey over medium heat until just simmering. Have Early grey tea ready in bowl, pour hot half and half over tea, cover and let steep for 5-7 minutes. Drain into the bowl with gelatin, stir until gelatin is dissolved. Ladle Earl Grey into 4 4 oz ramakin and chill until set, about 1 hour. Invert and dislodge panna cotta, sprinkle with crumbled cookies and drizzle with honey. for all you foodies out there. Earl Grey Panna Cotta with Crumbled Ameretti Cookies and honey or Coconut Panna Cotta with Key Lime Marmalade and Fresh Mint.

Coconut Panna Cotta with Key Lime Marmalade and Fresh Mint

Serves: 4

1 packet gelatin

1 13 oz can organic coconut milk

1/4 cup sugar

6 tablespoons water

key lime marmalade

handful fresh mint leaves, lightly chopped

Sprinkle Gelatin over 6 tablespoons cold water in a large bowl, let stand for 5-10 mins until fully absorbed.

Combine the coconut milk, sugar, and water into a small pan, bring to a simmer over medium heat to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat and stir into the bowl with gelatin, stir until gelatin has dissolved. Laddle mixture into 4 4oz ramakins, chill until set, about 1 hour.

Invert panna cottas and serve with a few tablespoons of marmalade and sprinkle with chopped mint leaves.

Fool around with these recipes, come up with your own and share them with me in the comments!

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Adventures In Your Kitchen: Part 1

Posted on March 10, 2010 | 1 Comment

Due to our current economic climate, most of us aren’t really going out to eat that often anymore. However, a lot of us are starting to pick up old cook books that until a year or so ago, were just collecting dust on our shelves. In doing so we are getting back to our roots. We’re finding that when we buy (for instance) a couple of pounds of ground meat, we can create great meals that feed our families for a few days, in different ways.

Well today that is what we are going to take a look at: experimenting in the kitchen.

Today’s test: Fresh made ravioli, cheaters style.

Traditionally, to make ravioli you would have to make your dough by hand, kneading and resting included. Sound like something you want to do when you get home? Didn’t think so. Don’t get me wrong, that is probably something I would say yes to, but I’m a fool like that, a glutton suffering for my craft.

At Guido’s we are lucky to have our fresh pasta sheets made just about every day (if you can’t make it to Guido’s, wonton wrappers make a great stand in). I  call this recipe “cheater style” because you won’t have to worry about making your own pasta, taking about an hour off your time. Sound good so far?

Let’s shave some more time off.

You can pick up some pre-made tapenade (for my ravioli I chose an artichoke and lemon tapenade). Or the beauty of this is, maybe you already have some things in your house you can put to use in a new way. Maybe you have a left over stew or braise? Jarred artichokes, olives or left over vegetables from last night’s dinner? Maybe just plain cheese with herbs? If you choose the option of leftovers, put them in a food processor and pulse coarsely, season with salt, pepper and maybe some spices. Note: You don’t want to make anymore then about a cup of leftover “puree” for filling.

To start this, you will want to get a large pot of salted water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Next, you will need some ricotta cheese (about 1/2 cup) and a lightly beaten egg. Put your filling into a large mixing bowl with 1/2 cup of ricotta. Fold mixture together, season with salt and pepper. Now move on to making the ravioli . Lightly flour your work surface and lay the pasta sheet down. Using about 2 teaspoons of filling, drop the cheese mixture onto the pasta leaving a 1 inch border all the way around the filling. Continue this process until you can’t fit anymore. Using a pastry brush (or in a pinch you can use your finger), lightly brush the lightly beaten egg around all the edges of your filling. Now lay the other pasta sheet on top and carefully work all the air out from around the filling, pressing firmly to assure a good seal. If you have a cool pasta cutter, now is the time to use it; if not, a kitchen knife does the trick just fine. Cut your ravioli out. Now, drop them all into the boiling water, stir gently once and let cook for 2 minutes. Carefully remove them to a strainer. Put a few onto a plate, drizzle with olive oil and parmesan cheese, or lemon zest as I did, and eat up. If you realize you have too much ravioli after cutting, freeze some before you cook them for an easy dinner another night. This is a great recipe to make with the whole family, experiment and have fun!

A couple of other ideas:

Sweet Pea Ravioli with Lemon and Mint

Butternut Squash Ravioli

Creamy Ricotta Ravioli

Special thanks to my buddy Jamie O’Brien for the photos.

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A Meal To Warm These Cold Bones

Posted on January 25, 2010 | 3 Comments

Okay, so the Holidays are over, now what?

Another couple of months of pesky, chilly weather.

The cold can tend to lose a lot of its romantic charm without the thought of looking forward to jolly ol’ Saint Nick sliding down your chimney. Growing up in the Berkshires my whole life, I know this. So, I started studying a certain technique to help all of us winter warriors out there. I have one word to warm up those cold bones…

BRAISE

Combining both moist and dry heat, braising is a holy union of the two most mouth-watering techniques; roasting and stewing. Taking relatively cheaper cuts of protein, you can produce results that are exceptionally delicious, yielding melt in your mouth meat and a sauce that is the liquid essence of contentment. Not to mention braising is almost self sufficient, making it such a favored technique worldwide.

The French have Cassoulet, Italy has Osso Bucco and the Middle East lays claim to the great Tagine. Why not prepare one of these famed dishes or develop one of your own? In addition to being almost effortless, braising is versatile. Try braising leaner varieties of protein like chicken and fish for even faster evening dinners.

Basic Preparation of a Braise

You will need:

A protein: beef, pork or chicken  (I would recommend chicken for a beginner)

salt

pepper

A medium-sized cast iron dutch oven, or medium thick bottomed casserole pot with lid

Mirepoix (Equal amounts chopped carrot, celery, onion)

About 2 1/2 cups of water, stock and or wine (liquid should just cover 1/2 – 3/4 of the protein, but not swimming in it)

Aromatic herbs (1 bay leaf, 3-4 sprigs thyme, 1 rosemary sprig, whole black peppercorns)

An oven

Optional but recommended, a baguette (for mopping up the sauce of course!)

Start by preheating the oven to 300 degrees

Next, season your protein with salt and pepper. Now heat some fat (butter or oil) in your dutch oven, over high heat. Lay your meat into the dutch oven and sear on all sides, make sure to get it good and brown. Once done, remove meat to a plate and toss in your mirepoix (veggies). Reduce heat to medium and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 -7 minutes. Put your meat and any extra juice thats on the plate back into the pot. Pour in your liquid (stock, water, or wine) and herbs, bring liquid to a boil, cover dutch oven with lid and place into oven. Braise for about 1-1 1/2 hours. Test the meat by using a fork, it should JUST collapse as you poke it, or just slide off the bone (if you’re using a cut with a bone). Let cool slightly, remove meat and spoon sauce over meat. Reduce sauce if not to desired thickness. Lastly, don’t let any of the sauce go to waste! Sop it up with your baguette, please. Also good news, braises are even better the next day, so make extra!

As they say, your imagination is the limit with braising, and for all cooking in fact. Some things will work, others won’t, just have fun with it!

For dinner last night we had Milk Braised Pork Tenderloin with Hazelnuts and Pepper…  If you ask nicely, I might let you in on the recipe ;)

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Happiness Tastes Good

Posted on January 18, 2010 | 1 Comment

In April of 09′, I witnessed a revolution in food. The place was Alinea, brainchild of  Chef Grant Achatz. The cuisine was completely innovative and amusing, and at times allowed us to literally play with our plates. It was truly a night that neither my girlfriend nor I will ever forget.

About the 7th course of our dinner (tasting menu) was the start of our meat course, “Steak and Potatoes”.  A small cube of beef was accompined by what looked to be a small tater tot (much like you would get in the lunch line in school) and a packet of powdered A-1 sauce. The piece of beef was from the superbly marbled Wagyu cow. You could not imagine a richer piece of meat, and believe me when I say, you wouldn’t want one. For those of you who aren’t familiar with Waygu or Kobe beef, legend has it that these lucky creatures live out their lives getting massages and bathed in sake. As our waiter said, it sounds like the college years..well.. at least the being bathed in beer part.

This adventure started me on a new thought path….

Animal lends us so much happiness at our dinner table, why shouldn’t they enjoy some happiness before they make the ultimate sacrifice? Plus, knowing that my wallet isn’t going to let me eat Wagyu beef on a weekly basis, I started looking into all natural and grass-fed beef.

Sure, you can go to your local supermarket and pick up  a couple of steaks for next to nothing, or 4 pounds of boneless chicken breasts for $6, and you THINK it is a great deal. I am sure PETA has made you aware of the treatment these poor factory animals receive, so I am not going to preach on that subject. However, what would make you happy if you were in their hooves: moving and grazing, or cramped in a corral? I know which one I’d pick.

Growing up, my family usually purchased the cheaper supermarket packs of meat; so when I had my first bite of a plain chicken breast (all natural, hormone and antibiotic free), I was astonished at just how good it was. It tasted clean, juicy and slightly sweet, the way chicken is meant to taste. You can taste the difference in something so simple as chicken, but it doesn’t stop there. Beef, and most notably, there is a huge difference in pork. Not only does it taste better, it’s better for you. I am fortunate to be able to work in a place where I have total access to the freshest, “happiest” meat. But if you have never tried all natural, it’s worth tracking it down. Treat yourself just once and you’ll see. I am pretty sure that cow we met in Chicago that night had to be the happiest cow in the world.

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Thanks For Giving

Posted on November 23, 2009 | Leave a comment

Ah yes, Thanksgiving.

A time for you to spend your whole day sweating over the stove, scampering around the house tending to people’s drinks, putting on a big smile for your favorite in-laws, tripping over your niece and nephews while you run back to make sure you havent burnt your bird. Sound about right?

Why?

Cooking Thanksgiving dinner can be stress free, believe it or not. Here are a few tips that will free up some of your time and sanity.

Let’s think ahead:

Since the centerpiece of every Thanksgiving table is the turkey, be thankful it practically takes care of itself. Stuff it, slather it up and throw it in the oven. All day. That can be done Thursday morning.

Stuffing: Do it the night before, or the day before. The ingredients will have more time to incorporate and just be so much more flavor-packed.

Potatoes: Whipped or mashed, whatever. These can be made a few days in advance. Reheat them T-day with a little water to loosen them up and a little butter to finish them.

Cranberry Sauce: Open the can Thursday, OR if you enjoy FRESH (as I do), make it a couple of days ahead, heat in a pan over low heat.

Pies: Unfortunately, this year there is a shortage on pie pumpkins due to poor a rather wet growing season. It would be a sad Thanksgiving if there were no pumpkin pies. However, any pie is good. Make them a few days ahead, they keep wonderfully.

Gravy: This CAN be made ahead, and very flavorfully. Heat it up before you serve it. When the bird is done cooking, a lot of juice will be at the bottom of the roasting pan; just pour that into the pre-made gravy.

See? No stress, the majority of the game is heating and serving.  Don’t try and cram it ALL into 1 day either. No need, it will keep, and you wont be having to waste time waiting for oven space.

Knowing this, go and have a few drinks, pour a few drinks, Laugh some laughs and have all the fun you can have. Life’s short and it’s just once a year anyway.

Strapped for ideas on what else to make? Well, here’s a good place to start, OR come down to my market and check out the recipe rack.

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Chestnuts? I Must Have Been Nuts!

Posted on November 20, 2009 | 2 Comments

The title pretty much sums it up. 

At my market, we recently hosted a party for the Southern Berkshire Chamber of Commerce. For those of you who missed out, it was a really nice event. There was loads of great foods, drinks, ice cream and networking opportunities.

For my table, I wanted to do a little something outside of my normal demonstrations, something more upscale. Wanting it to be holiday inspired, I did my version of “Turkey and Stuffing”. I brainstormed for a few days and came up with it, I would do a Turkey Roulade (butterflied, stuffed and rolled up breast). I would make a mousse out of the turkey thigh meat, season it with some fall spices, a brunoise (super small dice) of vegetables, and roasted chestnuts. Now I know what you are thinking, a mousse inside of the turkey meat? Sounds GROSS. Well, it’s not a chocolate mousse, as a matter of fact it’s not even sweet. I took the turkey thigh meat and pulsed it to a paste, with chicken stock and creme fraiche in a food processor. Thats all, not so bad right? That part being done, next I started butterflying the rather plentiful breasts. Everything was seeming to fall into place very easily. 

Since I’m always concerned with freshness, I wanted to roast the chestnuts myself.

ALL 150. 

All of you out there who have roasted and peeled chestnuts for holidays, must have cringed when I mentioned 150. apparently I missed all the fun on the holidays, painstakingly peeling chestnuts for hours, most likely I was off doing some peeling of my own, wrapping paper off new presents that is. 

So, with my volunteer Sous Chef, better known as mom, we started this proud endeavour. And of course, I wanted them all in 1 piece. After the first batch was roasted, She began to peel as a was butterflying. I was working along, quickly, going through 6 turkeys, breast after breast. Finally, I was done. I looked up and noticed my poor mother had only a handful peeled. So I went over, started to peel, and realized how frustrating and time-consuming this was. After she convinced me she could do it, I moved on to more prepping. 

An hour or so later, fingers sore, tired and Frustrated,  the deed was done. I dont think even good ol’ Nat King Cole could have made up for it if he were standing right next to us belting away. 
Thanks Mom. The chestnuts went into the mix, then into the turkey. The roulades came out great. The event was a success, and the food was delicious. 

The moral of the story: Do yourself and your fingers a favor; buy the jarred  chestnuts, please.

Chamber Menu:

Chestnuts Stuffed Turkey Roulade 

Wild Mushroom Polenta

Honey Poached Cranberries

Celeriac Puree

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“Excuse Me Sir, I Think This Fruit Has Gone Bad”

Posted on November 14, 2009 | Leave a comment

Hachiya Persimmon on tree

Rotten? No! Ripe? Yes!

“I don’t Like Persimmons”

I hear this from most people who have tried one not knowing the way enjoy it. Let’s start by knowing there are many varieties of persimmons, but mainly 2 types available to you at market, the Fuyu and the Hachiya. The Fuyu resembles an orange colored squatted tomato. The Hachiya is larger, deep orange and  acorn shaped. The Fuyu should be enjoyed crisp, like an apple, and raw. The Hachiya however, is ripe when it feels soft like a water balloon. If eaten raw, the Hachiya is extremely astringent (mouth puckering), and if you have tried them not knowing this, you most likely will be timid about trying them again.

Have faith, today we are going to learn how to have fun with this fall treat and have it be one of the things you look forward to with the arrival of autumn.

Originally hailing from Japan, some of the first persimmons successfully landed in California and Georgia around  1870. Some of the varieties recommended for home gardeners are the Chocolate, Eureka, Jiro, Tam-o-pan, Tanenashi, Fuyugaki, Gaint Fuyu, Fuyu and Hachiya persimmons. The wood of the Persimmon tree is some of the hardest known to man, and is highly prized and desirable for wood carving by Japanese artists.

Likely due to the user friendly ness of the Fuyu, it now makes up about 80% of persimmons at market. You dont have to wait for it to ripen and you can eat the skin. All that is great, but I believe the Hachiya obtains more depth of flavor.

Alright, so remember when you are at your market and get to the persimmons, know what variety you are looking at. squatted, light orange persimmons resembling a tomato = Fuyu. Acorn shaped, deep orange persimmon = Hachiya. Fuyu, you want hard. Hachiya, soft, very soft. As a matter of fact, you might alert the produce clerk that his persimmons have gone bad, but this is when they are at their peak.

Tips for speeding up the ripening process of the Hachiya, place the fruit into a brown paper bag with a banana or apple, the fruit is highly sensitive to Ethylene (the gas bananas and apples give off). But, if you are in a pinch, place them in the freezer for 24 hours, and then let them thaw in the refrigerator. Score the tip of the Persimmon with an “x” and peel the fruit. Scoop the pulp out. Now add them to a muffin mix, cookies, breads, freeze the pulp or put in an ice cream machine. The Hachiya possesses notes of honey and caramel. Or try Persimmon Cheesecake …Indeed the food of the gods.

Now go, knowing how to enjoy one of the fruit of the Autumn’s labor, be not afraid, be hungry!

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A Lesson in Freshology

Posted on November 9, 2009 | Leave a comment

Why is knowing where your food came from so important?

For me, it’s the fact that when pick up that bunch of Rainbow Chard at market and bring it home to cook, you know it’s just been pulled out of the earth a few days ago, or even that day. When I eat something, I want it to be FRESH. I never realized how important this was until I experienced a lesson in freshology 101. A woman I work with brought me in some of asparagus she grows at her house. It was beautiful and vivid green, so, I had to take a little nibble raw. Fresh, sweet, crisp, juicy and refreshing, I had never had asparagus like this. I couldnt wait to get it home. Well, work was hectic that day and I forgot it,  and I was off for the next 3 days . I was Bummed thinking it would be a mushy version of itself the next time I would see it, especially since it was kept in a sealed plastic baggy. I came in that day, and sure enough, there it was perfect, and still delicious. Surely if it were the out of season asparagus, thats likely picked and kept in storage for weeks before it ever lands stateside, that would have been the case. So from there on do I rarely ever eat out of imported asparagus. The quality just isn’t there, neither are most of the nutrients. Any time you have the chance, do your self and your taste buds a favor, try to eat within the season and within the area.

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