The last installment of Soup: The Trilogy will be along shortly. Between Gumbo research and the Holiday, I'm a little behind.
Rob
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Soup: The Trilogy / Part Two
AAAHHHHHH!!!!! Trying to get this post done has been interesting to say the least. Trying to work the 9-5, catering on the side, writing a bit......... It's all a bit much, but, if I didn't want it, I wouldn't have asked for it.
Oh, and just as a bit of an update: No one has contacted me about making this blog into a movie. Liv Tyler has said nothing about wanting to do the flick either. We'll get Part Three out of the way and start calling her agent or something. Kind of hard to imagine why she would want to do a movie about soup but.........
As promised, this episode finds our intrepid hero explaining the fun of Roux based soups. As you probably already know, a Roux is equal parts flour and fat (oil, butter, bacon fat....yeah.....bacon fat) heated to cook the raw flavor out of the flour and then used as a thickening agent when liquid is added. Its a long story about starches and gluten exploding and, to be honest, if you want all the gobble-dee-gook that goes along with the scientific angle of that, email me or watch Alton Brown on the Food Channel that's more of Reality TV than an actual channel...but I digress.
Without the scientific prose, there are a few things that you need to know about a roux. The first was mentioned above in that you need to cook it for at least a minute or two to take the raw flavor out of the flour. Feel free to try it without it and you will find that your cooking times increase and you will use alot of salt trying to cover the flavor which is a combination of bland and plain with a touch of nothing on the side. The next thing to keep on mind is the longer you cook the roux, the less thickening power it has. Keep this in mind as you watch the colors of the roux change. There will be a better explanation of this in Part Three, so stay tuned. For our current purposes we will stick to white or blonde roux's. Lastly, except for garlic, I prefer to put my spices in the roux as it cooks. I think we all know about garlic and what happens when it burns but the flavor of the spices have a chance to "bloom" and are in full effect when your soups come together.
A good ratio to start with is 1:1:2. 1 part flour, one part fat, two parts liquid. You will have to play with this to get the consistency you want from your soups but this is a good place to start. Once you have this together with the aromatics below (garlic, onions, and celery), it's just a matter of figuring out what type of soup you want. Lets start with......
Basic Potato Soup
1/2 pound bacon
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp bacon fat
6 cups milk
2 cups light chicken broth
1/2-3/4 cups white onion, finely diced
1-2 stalks celery
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2-3 cups potatoes, medium diced (about 3/4" cubes)
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
Green onions sliced thin
Salt and Pepper to taste.
This goes fast and for good reason: This is NOT rocket science. Fry the bacon and finely chop, measure out required fat and mix with flour, salt, and pepper. Over medium high heat, cook flour and fat mixture until the color just starts to darken a bit. Make sure you keep stirring it. If the flour burns even a slight bit, it will leave a burnt flavor.
With the flour and fat still over medium-high heat add milk and chicken stock then whisk well making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot very well to eliminate clumps.
Saute the onions, garlic, and celery then add to the roux, drop in the bay leaf and sprig of rosemary and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Depending on my mood, I'll remove the bay leaf and rosemary, add a couple of tablespoons of the bacon then blast it with the immersion blender. Add the potatoes and let simmer until cooked through. As an interesting little twist, I like to fry the potatoes until golden brown, let them cool a tad, and them add those to the soup. Top with bacon and green onions and have at it.
Taking the roux recipe above (roux, onion, garlic, and herbs) you have the base for a variety of soups.
Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Roux recipe from above exchanging vegetable broth for chicken broth
1 16oz. can whole corn
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
Very simply, saute corn over high heat in a bit of butter, salt, and pepper until the edges get slightly brown. Near the end, add shrimp for about one minute then add both to the roux Add to roux and let simmer for 20 minutes. Without the shrimp this recipe can be vegetarian but to make it vegan, use soy milk instead of dairy. The soy milk adds a great nutty flavor to the soup which is really tasty. I know this recipe sounds very simple but that's its intention. Just a simple, flavorful comfort food.
Smoked Chicken Chowder
I had gotten bored on a Sunday and made a potato soup and in the absence of bacon, I used smoked chicken. After a while, I added more and more chicken, threw a bit of the skin in to get more smoky flavor (remove it later). Add potatoes and, if you like, corn and enjoy.
Tomato Bisque
In our little town we have a small pizza joint that is part of a smaller, Southern chain. On a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon the family and I stopped in and decided to chill out with the college hippies that work there and have a bite. Knowing full well that one of the all time top comfort foods is Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, I immediately gravitated toward the Tomato Bisque on the menu and.....Holy Cow! It was a cross between good, old fashioned Tomato Soup and Pizza Soup. The following weekend I got a few things together and this is what I came up with.
Roux from above (again, including onions and garlic)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 12oz can tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup fried bacon
10-12 slices of pepperoni, lightly sauteed
Add the heavy cream to the roux simmering of to the side, break tomatoes up in a bowl trying to eliminate as many seeds as possible. Add tomatoes, the liquid from the tomatoes, tomato paste, and the rest of the ingredients. Let simmer for just a bit and give it a whiz with the immersion blender until smooth.
This stands out as one of the best pots of soup I have ever made. It's perfect for rainy days or crisp fall afternoons on the back porch. Feel free to play with the herbs and, by all means, this soup can take more garlic and onions if you like...and I do.
With the roux as a solid base, the amount of soups and chowders that can be thought up are almost endless. Play with different broths and vegetables, try seafood, go completely vegetarian with it. Once you have the foundation, thick and hearty soups are at your disposal.
Next week, this Trilogy comes to a close. I will focus on one "Soup" and one alone: Gumbo. There are so many styles and types that I am sure to get a ton of email telling me how far off base I am. As I mentioned in part one, the good thing about Gumbo is, there's no real way to get it wrong. If it's what you like, then you nailed it. More next week.
Enjoy,
Rob
Oh, and just as a bit of an update: No one has contacted me about making this blog into a movie. Liv Tyler has said nothing about wanting to do the flick either. We'll get Part Three out of the way and start calling her agent or something. Kind of hard to imagine why she would want to do a movie about soup but.........
As promised, this episode finds our intrepid hero explaining the fun of Roux based soups. As you probably already know, a Roux is equal parts flour and fat (oil, butter, bacon fat....yeah.....bacon fat) heated to cook the raw flavor out of the flour and then used as a thickening agent when liquid is added. Its a long story about starches and gluten exploding and, to be honest, if you want all the gobble-dee-gook that goes along with the scientific angle of that, email me or watch Alton Brown on the Food Channel that's more of Reality TV than an actual channel...but I digress.
Without the scientific prose, there are a few things that you need to know about a roux. The first was mentioned above in that you need to cook it for at least a minute or two to take the raw flavor out of the flour. Feel free to try it without it and you will find that your cooking times increase and you will use alot of salt trying to cover the flavor which is a combination of bland and plain with a touch of nothing on the side. The next thing to keep on mind is the longer you cook the roux, the less thickening power it has. Keep this in mind as you watch the colors of the roux change. There will be a better explanation of this in Part Three, so stay tuned. For our current purposes we will stick to white or blonde roux's. Lastly, except for garlic, I prefer to put my spices in the roux as it cooks. I think we all know about garlic and what happens when it burns but the flavor of the spices have a chance to "bloom" and are in full effect when your soups come together.
A good ratio to start with is 1:1:2. 1 part flour, one part fat, two parts liquid. You will have to play with this to get the consistency you want from your soups but this is a good place to start. Once you have this together with the aromatics below (garlic, onions, and celery), it's just a matter of figuring out what type of soup you want. Lets start with......
Basic Potato Soup
1/2 pound bacon
4 tbsp flour
4 tbsp bacon fat
6 cups milk
2 cups light chicken broth
1/2-3/4 cups white onion, finely diced
1-2 stalks celery
1 clove garlic, finely diced
2-3 cups potatoes, medium diced (about 3/4" cubes)
1 sprig rosemary
1 bay leaf
Green onions sliced thin
Salt and Pepper to taste.
This goes fast and for good reason: This is NOT rocket science. Fry the bacon and finely chop, measure out required fat and mix with flour, salt, and pepper. Over medium high heat, cook flour and fat mixture until the color just starts to darken a bit. Make sure you keep stirring it. If the flour burns even a slight bit, it will leave a burnt flavor.
With the flour and fat still over medium-high heat add milk and chicken stock then whisk well making sure to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot very well to eliminate clumps.
Saute the onions, garlic, and celery then add to the roux, drop in the bay leaf and sprig of rosemary and let simmer for about 20 minutes. Depending on my mood, I'll remove the bay leaf and rosemary, add a couple of tablespoons of the bacon then blast it with the immersion blender. Add the potatoes and let simmer until cooked through. As an interesting little twist, I like to fry the potatoes until golden brown, let them cool a tad, and them add those to the soup. Top with bacon and green onions and have at it.
Taking the roux recipe above (roux, onion, garlic, and herbs) you have the base for a variety of soups.
Shrimp and Corn Chowder
Roux recipe from above exchanging vegetable broth for chicken broth
1 16oz. can whole corn
1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp
Very simply, saute corn over high heat in a bit of butter, salt, and pepper until the edges get slightly brown. Near the end, add shrimp for about one minute then add both to the roux Add to roux and let simmer for 20 minutes. Without the shrimp this recipe can be vegetarian but to make it vegan, use soy milk instead of dairy. The soy milk adds a great nutty flavor to the soup which is really tasty. I know this recipe sounds very simple but that's its intention. Just a simple, flavorful comfort food.
Smoked Chicken Chowder
I had gotten bored on a Sunday and made a potato soup and in the absence of bacon, I used smoked chicken. After a while, I added more and more chicken, threw a bit of the skin in to get more smoky flavor (remove it later). Add potatoes and, if you like, corn and enjoy.
Tomato Bisque
In our little town we have a small pizza joint that is part of a smaller, Southern chain. On a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon the family and I stopped in and decided to chill out with the college hippies that work there and have a bite. Knowing full well that one of the all time top comfort foods is Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup, I immediately gravitated toward the Tomato Bisque on the menu and.....Holy Cow! It was a cross between good, old fashioned Tomato Soup and Pizza Soup. The following weekend I got a few things together and this is what I came up with.
Roux from above (again, including onions and garlic)
3/4 cup heavy cream
1 12oz can tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp thyme
1/4 cup fried bacon
10-12 slices of pepperoni, lightly sauteed
Add the heavy cream to the roux simmering of to the side, break tomatoes up in a bowl trying to eliminate as many seeds as possible. Add tomatoes, the liquid from the tomatoes, tomato paste, and the rest of the ingredients. Let simmer for just a bit and give it a whiz with the immersion blender until smooth.
This stands out as one of the best pots of soup I have ever made. It's perfect for rainy days or crisp fall afternoons on the back porch. Feel free to play with the herbs and, by all means, this soup can take more garlic and onions if you like...and I do.
With the roux as a solid base, the amount of soups and chowders that can be thought up are almost endless. Play with different broths and vegetables, try seafood, go completely vegetarian with it. Once you have the foundation, thick and hearty soups are at your disposal.
Next week, this Trilogy comes to a close. I will focus on one "Soup" and one alone: Gumbo. There are so many styles and types that I am sure to get a ton of email telling me how far off base I am. As I mentioned in part one, the good thing about Gumbo is, there's no real way to get it wrong. If it's what you like, then you nailed it. More next week.
Enjoy,
Rob
Friday, November 5, 2010
Soup: The Trilogy/Part One
Welcome to Episode One of Soup: The Trilogy. Although there are no Hobbits, Dwarfs, Ents, and the like, there is and shall be a ton of good recipes and knowledge for future soup use. I would like it to be known, however, that if this Trilogy ever gets made into a movie, I want Liv Tyler in it somewhere. I mean, what the Hell, she got naked in Empire Records, right?
Also, this is a long one. You may want to read a bit and get back to it after while. Even better, read long enough to get one of the recipes, go try it, eat, then come back and read some more. Oh, and Vegetarians go scroll straight to the bottom as there is one Hell of a good recipe waiting there for you.
If Spring is the time that turns a young mans fancy to love then Fall is, without a doubt, the time when an older mans thoughts turn to soup. The cool weather, the falling leaves, the fact that its getting to cold to go outside and work and that you would rather sit inside and drink beer and hot toddies, get lazy, and end up not having the ambition to actually cook something.
I imagine the history of soup was someone either being short on food and having some left over stuff or just being lazy and chucking said stuff in a clay pot with some water, boil it up for a bit a there you have it. After a bit, I would guess that they learned about some herbs, tree barks, blood, whatever. To be honest, I do have a good idea of what early man ate (its kind of a hobby of mine) although I really don't know much about Soup Anthropology. However, could it be much more complicated than that? I mean, what is more simple than throwing a few things in a pot and letting them simmer for a bit......
Um....Yeah. Ask the Mrs., I don't do anything simple.
I began writing this section and got a good ways into it and then I realized: Unless I'm willing to sit here for a day just outlining the every different base, and I really am not, then I better make it simple. There are stocks and broths, both meat and vegetable, there are flour bases such as roux and bechemel, there are vegetable juice bases such a tomato for gazpacho, and so on. Each has its uses and qualities and, when they are sometimes combined, can result is some mind blowing flavors. For this episode, stocks and broths will do fine and what could be a better primer than a good, old fashioned Chicken Soup.
Chicken Soup
In an 18 qt stock pot, place the following:
1 really good farm raised organic chicken (the taste explains why)
2 white onions cut into large pieces
7-8 cloves of garlic
1 medium Bouquet Garni (traditional includes parsley, thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf. I add a little dill.)
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
This next ingredient is optional but you will notice the difference when you use them:
6 chicken feet, cleaned with the claws removed (see below for the explanation).
2-4 Tbsp kosher or good quality sea salt
Pepper to taste
2 stalks woth of finely chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
Noodles, Matzo Balls, Rice, whatever....
Wrap the Bouquet Garni in cheese cloth (which I prefer) or bind with string so that you're not chasing pieces of plants around later. Throw everything in the pot and cover with water by about an inch. Cover with a heavy lid and bring to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer. Let this go until the chicken of falling off the bone and is easily shredded. Remove the meat and return the bones for another hour or so. Uncover and boil down to a consistency/flavor that you like. You may now remove the Chicken Feet.
Important!!! After about 30 minutes or so, start skimming the Brown Clouds from the top. This is the excess blood and can add flavors but more important, if left in, it makes the broth cloudy. To me, there isn't much thats more appealing than a clear, golden chicken broth.
At this point, chop or shred the meat finely making sure to get all of the little bones and fragments out, add the celery and carrots and simmer for 20 minutes. Now you can add noodles, Matzo Balls (Marietta Diner in Marietta, GA makes the best Matzo Ball Soup and I mean EVER!), rice or what ever you like.
Ok, about the Chicken Feet. It is all over TV and in the food magazines about eating the leftovers of an animal as the ancients did and many rural cultures still do. Brains, Balls, Blood, and Bile are all the rage with Foodies now. The fact of the matter is a good, Jewish chicken soup has contained chicken feet for centuries, if not millenia. The feet contain alot of Calogen and Gelatin which makes for a much richer flavor and feeling when you eat it. If you make alot of Chicken Soup from scratch, you have to at least try this, and when you do, you will be happy.
This basic stock recipe is easily converted to beef, pork, lamb, whatever. In the case of Bovine, Ovine, and Porcine stocks, cut meat into cubes and brown so that you have more browned surface area, add some bones, replace the white wine with red, and go. Now the question is: How much work do you want to do?
Back Porch Harvest Soup
4 cups Beef Broth
2 cups Lamb Broth
1-2 pounds Chuck Roast, large diced
1/2 pound Leg of Lamb, small diced
1 large White Onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1-2 cups White Cap Mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 cup Dry Barley
3/4 cup cut green beans (fresh, of course)
3/4 cup Carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced Celery
3-4 Potatoes cut into large chunks
1 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Get the broth up to a simmer and immediately add the mushrooms and let them simmer. Salt and pepper the meats and brown them over medium-high heat in olive oil. When brown, add the onions and garlic and suate all ofthem together for just a few minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. With all ingredients in the pan, deglaze with the Cabernet Sauvignon and let it reduce by half. Pour everything into the broth.
Add the barley and cook until about half finished. Add vegetables and potatoes. By the time the potatoes and veggies are done the barley will be as well. When I was growing up, The Old Man usually had tomatoes of some form in vegetable soup. Some don't care for it but if you do, this is the time to add the tomoto paste and stir it in well.
For those that don't do the whole meat thing, thats cool. You can get al kinds of happy with this vegetable stock:
Olive or Vegetable oil
2 large onions
10 cloves of garlic
4 stalks celery
4 carrots
1 Bouquet Garni
Salt and Pepper to taste
About 3-4 quarts of water
Chop vegetables to a medium small dice. In a large stock pot, add oil and cook vegetables over high heat for about ten minutes. Add Bouquet Grani (loose and unwrapped for this recipe) salt and pepper and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a slow simmer. After about an hour turn off heat and let in cool over 30 minutes or so. Strain and throw the veggies out. Bada Bing-Bada Boom...Vegetable Stock.
Now...What to do with it...?
Morrocan Pumpkin Soup
1 cups Chickpeas, cooked
3 tablespoons Olive or Vegetable oil
2 Leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
4 cups Vegetable Stock
4 cups Pumpkin Puree
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
2 teaspoons Salt
Dash of Hot Sauce
ground pepper to taste
Saute leeks in oil until translucent, add to stock. Add pumpkin, spices, hot sauce and puree with immersion blender to a very smooth consistency. Add chick peas, salt, and pepper let the chick peas come to temperature and enjoy. For an added bit of taste, add a dollop of heavy plain yogurt.
Without a doubt, some of my favorite winter soups are variations of squash or pumpkin soups. Even more so since they are very simple and quick to prepare.
Whew! Well, there it is. One heck of a long post and the first installment of Soup: The Trilogy. Next week I will be writing about my favoite soups that come from a Roux base. They are mainly chowders but you will be very happy with what you read.
I will give you an advance on Episode Three: Gumbo. There are so many versions of everyones favorite gumbo recipe that no one is the definative. However, I will take you back to the beginnings of my Gumbo Journey that, I am glad to say, has no end. If I knew I had tried every version of Gumbo the World would be a much sadder place to be.
Enjoy!
Rob
Also, this is a long one. You may want to read a bit and get back to it after while. Even better, read long enough to get one of the recipes, go try it, eat, then come back and read some more. Oh, and Vegetarians go scroll straight to the bottom as there is one Hell of a good recipe waiting there for you.
If Spring is the time that turns a young mans fancy to love then Fall is, without a doubt, the time when an older mans thoughts turn to soup. The cool weather, the falling leaves, the fact that its getting to cold to go outside and work and that you would rather sit inside and drink beer and hot toddies, get lazy, and end up not having the ambition to actually cook something.
I imagine the history of soup was someone either being short on food and having some left over stuff or just being lazy and chucking said stuff in a clay pot with some water, boil it up for a bit a there you have it. After a bit, I would guess that they learned about some herbs, tree barks, blood, whatever. To be honest, I do have a good idea of what early man ate (its kind of a hobby of mine) although I really don't know much about Soup Anthropology. However, could it be much more complicated than that? I mean, what is more simple than throwing a few things in a pot and letting them simmer for a bit......
Um....Yeah. Ask the Mrs., I don't do anything simple.
I began writing this section and got a good ways into it and then I realized: Unless I'm willing to sit here for a day just outlining the every different base, and I really am not, then I better make it simple. There are stocks and broths, both meat and vegetable, there are flour bases such as roux and bechemel, there are vegetable juice bases such a tomato for gazpacho, and so on. Each has its uses and qualities and, when they are sometimes combined, can result is some mind blowing flavors. For this episode, stocks and broths will do fine and what could be a better primer than a good, old fashioned Chicken Soup.
Chicken Soup
In an 18 qt stock pot, place the following:
1 really good farm raised organic chicken (the taste explains why)
2 white onions cut into large pieces
7-8 cloves of garlic
1 medium Bouquet Garni (traditional includes parsley, thyme, rosemary, and a bay leaf. I add a little dill.)
1/4 cup dry white wine (optional)
This next ingredient is optional but you will notice the difference when you use them:
6 chicken feet, cleaned with the claws removed (see below for the explanation).
2-4 Tbsp kosher or good quality sea salt
Pepper to taste
2 stalks woth of finely chopped celery
1 cup thinly sliced carrots
Noodles, Matzo Balls, Rice, whatever....
Wrap the Bouquet Garni in cheese cloth (which I prefer) or bind with string so that you're not chasing pieces of plants around later. Throw everything in the pot and cover with water by about an inch. Cover with a heavy lid and bring to a boil then reduce to a slow simmer. Let this go until the chicken of falling off the bone and is easily shredded. Remove the meat and return the bones for another hour or so. Uncover and boil down to a consistency/flavor that you like. You may now remove the Chicken Feet.
Important!!! After about 30 minutes or so, start skimming the Brown Clouds from the top. This is the excess blood and can add flavors but more important, if left in, it makes the broth cloudy. To me, there isn't much thats more appealing than a clear, golden chicken broth.
At this point, chop or shred the meat finely making sure to get all of the little bones and fragments out, add the celery and carrots and simmer for 20 minutes. Now you can add noodles, Matzo Balls (Marietta Diner in Marietta, GA makes the best Matzo Ball Soup and I mean EVER!), rice or what ever you like.
Ok, about the Chicken Feet. It is all over TV and in the food magazines about eating the leftovers of an animal as the ancients did and many rural cultures still do. Brains, Balls, Blood, and Bile are all the rage with Foodies now. The fact of the matter is a good, Jewish chicken soup has contained chicken feet for centuries, if not millenia. The feet contain alot of Calogen and Gelatin which makes for a much richer flavor and feeling when you eat it. If you make alot of Chicken Soup from scratch, you have to at least try this, and when you do, you will be happy.
This basic stock recipe is easily converted to beef, pork, lamb, whatever. In the case of Bovine, Ovine, and Porcine stocks, cut meat into cubes and brown so that you have more browned surface area, add some bones, replace the white wine with red, and go. Now the question is: How much work do you want to do?
Back Porch Harvest Soup
4 cups Beef Broth
2 cups Lamb Broth
1-2 pounds Chuck Roast, large diced
1/2 pound Leg of Lamb, small diced
1 large White Onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, finely minced or pressed
1-2 cups White Cap Mushrooms, quartered
1/2 cup Cabernet Sauvignon
1/2 cup Dry Barley
3/4 cup cut green beans (fresh, of course)
3/4 cup Carrots, thinly sliced
1/2 cup diced Celery
3-4 Potatoes cut into large chunks
1 Tbsp tomato paste (optional)
Salt and Pepper to taste
Get the broth up to a simmer and immediately add the mushrooms and let them simmer. Salt and pepper the meats and brown them over medium-high heat in olive oil. When brown, add the onions and garlic and suate all ofthem together for just a few minutes being careful not to burn the garlic. With all ingredients in the pan, deglaze with the Cabernet Sauvignon and let it reduce by half. Pour everything into the broth.
Add the barley and cook until about half finished. Add vegetables and potatoes. By the time the potatoes and veggies are done the barley will be as well. When I was growing up, The Old Man usually had tomatoes of some form in vegetable soup. Some don't care for it but if you do, this is the time to add the tomoto paste and stir it in well.
For those that don't do the whole meat thing, thats cool. You can get al kinds of happy with this vegetable stock:
Olive or Vegetable oil
2 large onions
10 cloves of garlic
4 stalks celery
4 carrots
1 Bouquet Garni
Salt and Pepper to taste
About 3-4 quarts of water
Chop vegetables to a medium small dice. In a large stock pot, add oil and cook vegetables over high heat for about ten minutes. Add Bouquet Grani (loose and unwrapped for this recipe) salt and pepper and water. Bring to a boil and then reduce to a slow simmer. After about an hour turn off heat and let in cool over 30 minutes or so. Strain and throw the veggies out. Bada Bing-Bada Boom...Vegetable Stock.
Now...What to do with it...?
Morrocan Pumpkin Soup
1 cups Chickpeas, cooked
3 tablespoons Olive or Vegetable oil
2 Leeks (white and light green part only), chopped
4 cups Vegetable Stock
4 cups Pumpkin Puree
1/2 teaspoon ground Cumin
2 teaspoons Cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon Allspice
2 teaspoons Salt
Dash of Hot Sauce
ground pepper to taste
Saute leeks in oil until translucent, add to stock. Add pumpkin, spices, hot sauce and puree with immersion blender to a very smooth consistency. Add chick peas, salt, and pepper let the chick peas come to temperature and enjoy. For an added bit of taste, add a dollop of heavy plain yogurt.
Without a doubt, some of my favorite winter soups are variations of squash or pumpkin soups. Even more so since they are very simple and quick to prepare.
Whew! Well, there it is. One heck of a long post and the first installment of Soup: The Trilogy. Next week I will be writing about my favoite soups that come from a Roux base. They are mainly chowders but you will be very happy with what you read.
I will give you an advance on Episode Three: Gumbo. There are so many versions of everyones favorite gumbo recipe that no one is the definative. However, I will take you back to the beginnings of my Gumbo Journey that, I am glad to say, has no end. If I knew I had tried every version of Gumbo the World would be a much sadder place to be.
Enjoy!
Rob
Sunday, October 31, 2010
West Georgia Locavore Challenge / Political Food Repost
Edit Jusy 1st, 2012: Today is the launch of the West Georgia Locavore Challenge. It's chance to challenge those in our community to eat as much local produce and goods as possible. I had a Blog Post already to go talking about the bash thrown at my house last night in celebration of my niece's birthday. I included Silver Queen Corn, two locally made hot sauces for the, literally, hundreds of wings, and a local Blue Stilton for homemade Blue Cheese Dressing.
However, I remembered this post from a year or two ago and thought that it would be a good one to revisit simply because it explains very well what shopping and eating local is all about and it's not about buying everything from local folks, although that would be great. It's about looking around once in a while and realizing that some of the produce you get from Mega Box Grocery Store can be purchase from someone that lives right around the corner from you. Maybe make an extra stop to get really fresh squash, spinach, onions, and so on.
Read through this post and take to heart what you can. In tough economic times, it makes a great deal of sense to keep as much money as close to home as possible and you can never beat the feeling of looking the person who grew your steak or sausage square in the eye.
**Writers Note**: When I began this post, it was meant to take a different perspective about Local Grown Foods and the economic benefits thereof. I do have a much larger and comprehensive post in mind in which I Electronically Interview some of the Organic Farmers that I know and get their reasons for doing what they do so that you might get a glimpse into the personal side of what is becoming an ever increasing cottage industry. Please look for it in the future as it could, quite possibly, change the way you eat.
Let's talk about the food that most people eat from the top down. I live in the South and our markets include Ingles, Winn Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, and so on. You get out of work, you're beat, and you need something for dinner so thats where you go since its on the way home and you're in and out in no time. However, if you read the post "Loss of a Carrollton Icon" you know that I believe in buying local and keeping things in the Community and I have a HUGE problem with Big Box Stores, whether they are groceries or or the All in One stores (Wal Mart, Target, etc.). I understand the appeal and convenience but let's look at two realities that could drastically change your outlook on how you shop. What You Buy and Following the Money.
A simple challenge for you: Walk into your local Huge Outlet Grocery, grab the Produce Guy/Gal, and ask them where the squash came from. If said employee can tell you without that look of a deer in the headlights, your answer will probably be Guatemala, Mexico, or somewhere other than the U.S and if it does come from the U.S. it is typically a Large Corporate Farm. With over 350 million people in this Nation it would be hard to imagine feeding everyone without importing a great deal of food or growing in a production related setting. I don't want to get into the habit of throwing around politically popular words like Locavore or anything but lets be realistic: There is a great benefit to knowing where your food comes from and the people that grow it.
There are the undeniable facts that 1) Other countries don't have food quality and fertilization laws that we do. 2) Most production vegetables are harvested while very young so that they may ripen in warehouses which stops the produce from reaching its full nutritional potential. 3) Most of what you find in the groceries these days is genetically modified. Want a fun, little experiment? Buy a tomato from the grocery and try to grow one of the seeds which, outside of a laboratory setting, is impossible. All of these points have been made numerous times over the past few years and I really don't want to beat a dead horse so, if you're comfortable with eating produce knowing whats stated above, that's fine. I do from time to time as well but when I can, I buy local.
Now, I know many Organic Farmers and do my best to buy from them for a two main reasons. The above is the first. There is no better feeling than to go to a Local Farm and look at the field where my last batch of Chicken and Rice came from ("Hey, Local Farm Guy! Where did my peppers come from?" Local Farmer points: "From Over There.").
The second is a matter of economics as it relates to my business and it is the second point from above as well. As I have said before, lets follow the money. It starts when I buy a few pounds of produce from the Local Farmer then the Local Farmer goes to town and gets a gallon of gasoline, some nails from the hardware, or some other product. The owner of whatever place Local Farmer takes that money to goes to the Local Butcher and while at the Local Butcher he notices packets of Spice on the counter and decides to try something new. A few of my dollars just came back to me. This is Economic Simplicity, I realize, but its also Economic Fact.
I will admit that I am not some self-righteous food freak or Organic Activist and that I buy out of convenience more often than even I am comfortable with. I buy from the stores that I am excoriating above and realize that some of that money does come back into the Community. However, I also take the time to go to places like Heritage Farms and see where my other foods come from...and I take time to talk to Jake. Jake (the young son of the owner of Heritage Farms) and I had a talk during the last Farm Tour and he informed me of his disappointment when his mother wouldn't let him buy a particular T-shirt. Expecting it to be something offensive, as is the trend these days, I asked and then laughed openly when I heard what it said: All of Gods Creatures Have a Place...Right Next to the Mashed Potatoes & Gravy. Not only was it uproariously funny but it did my heart a world of good knowing that Jake was being raised with a minimum of video games and with a realistic knowledge of where his food comes from. There is also the point that Jakes Family is surviving on what they grow, both nutritionally and economically.
Now, as promised, there is a political angle to this writing. Mayor Bloomberg of New York wants to ban additional salt in all meals (which makes most of the Nation ask, WTF?). San Fransisco has banned toys from Happy Meals. All over the Nation we are watching Government dictate what and how we eat on an ever increasing scale. To me, its none of Governments business what I eat or how I eat it. However, instead of grabbing a placard and protesting outside some anonymous Federal or State office, I have devised a much more simple solution: I buy local and take Government out of the equation as often as I possibly can.
I do want to point out, again, that I know a number of Organic Farmers and some of them do believe that Government has a place in telling us what to do and, if that is their position, that's fine. However, I would like to point out that most of these people work very hard to grow Organic Produce and bring it to Market. Knowing this, it gets hard to support a Government that defines "Organic" as loosely as possible in order for larger, corporate farms to be able to sell their product under the title of "Organic" while still using harmful chemicals and questionable growing methods. This is the same Government that won't let one of the hundreds of USDA inspectors in the Carroll County, GA area go to Jakes Dad's farm and certify his chickens, forcing him to take them to South Carolina or Kentucky to get them processed, which turns a $5.00 bird into an $11.00 bird. All of this makes Organic more expensive and sometimes too expensive for people to make it a realistic food option. If this doesn't really bother people and they would like to stick to the idea that only the USDA can save us from farmers who take shortcuts I present to you this challange: Go to the USDA (that's the United States Department of Agriculture) building in Washington D.C. and find out how many Farmers work there. The Short Answer is that there aren't any.
I have said for a long time that we need to pay less attention to what happens in California and spend more time thinking about our Communities and Local Issues. The best place to start with this mindset, in my eyes, is with our food. Support your local farms as they are not only the place to find some of the highest quality produce but if you have a question or concern you can visit them. Keep the money at home as I am sure Jake's Dad is sending some that Farm Money to school, local football, and maybe even to the Local Spice Company. And for the Love of Pete, get Government out of the way of your food. If you take even a few minutes and Google Organic Growing Regulations for your state, you will be very surprised at what chemicals the larger, corporate farms are allowed to use, by Law, and still be allowed to call them and label them "Organic". Laws that were passed by our Trusted Elected Officials.
I have put away the Soap Box...For Now,
Rob
However, I remembered this post from a year or two ago and thought that it would be a good one to revisit simply because it explains very well what shopping and eating local is all about and it's not about buying everything from local folks, although that would be great. It's about looking around once in a while and realizing that some of the produce you get from Mega Box Grocery Store can be purchase from someone that lives right around the corner from you. Maybe make an extra stop to get really fresh squash, spinach, onions, and so on.
Read through this post and take to heart what you can. In tough economic times, it makes a great deal of sense to keep as much money as close to home as possible and you can never beat the feeling of looking the person who grew your steak or sausage square in the eye.
**Writers Note**: When I began this post, it was meant to take a different perspective about Local Grown Foods and the economic benefits thereof. I do have a much larger and comprehensive post in mind in which I Electronically Interview some of the Organic Farmers that I know and get their reasons for doing what they do so that you might get a glimpse into the personal side of what is becoming an ever increasing cottage industry. Please look for it in the future as it could, quite possibly, change the way you eat.
Let's talk about the food that most people eat from the top down. I live in the South and our markets include Ingles, Winn Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, and so on. You get out of work, you're beat, and you need something for dinner so thats where you go since its on the way home and you're in and out in no time. However, if you read the post "Loss of a Carrollton Icon" you know that I believe in buying local and keeping things in the Community and I have a HUGE problem with Big Box Stores, whether they are groceries or or the All in One stores (Wal Mart, Target, etc.). I understand the appeal and convenience but let's look at two realities that could drastically change your outlook on how you shop. What You Buy and Following the Money.
A simple challenge for you: Walk into your local Huge Outlet Grocery, grab the Produce Guy/Gal, and ask them where the squash came from. If said employee can tell you without that look of a deer in the headlights, your answer will probably be Guatemala, Mexico, or somewhere other than the U.S and if it does come from the U.S. it is typically a Large Corporate Farm. With over 350 million people in this Nation it would be hard to imagine feeding everyone without importing a great deal of food or growing in a production related setting. I don't want to get into the habit of throwing around politically popular words like Locavore or anything but lets be realistic: There is a great benefit to knowing where your food comes from and the people that grow it.
There are the undeniable facts that 1) Other countries don't have food quality and fertilization laws that we do. 2) Most production vegetables are harvested while very young so that they may ripen in warehouses which stops the produce from reaching its full nutritional potential. 3) Most of what you find in the groceries these days is genetically modified. Want a fun, little experiment? Buy a tomato from the grocery and try to grow one of the seeds which, outside of a laboratory setting, is impossible. All of these points have been made numerous times over the past few years and I really don't want to beat a dead horse so, if you're comfortable with eating produce knowing whats stated above, that's fine. I do from time to time as well but when I can, I buy local.
Now, I know many Organic Farmers and do my best to buy from them for a two main reasons. The above is the first. There is no better feeling than to go to a Local Farm and look at the field where my last batch of Chicken and Rice came from ("Hey, Local Farm Guy! Where did my peppers come from?" Local Farmer points: "From Over There.").
The second is a matter of economics as it relates to my business and it is the second point from above as well. As I have said before, lets follow the money. It starts when I buy a few pounds of produce from the Local Farmer then the Local Farmer goes to town and gets a gallon of gasoline, some nails from the hardware, or some other product. The owner of whatever place Local Farmer takes that money to goes to the Local Butcher and while at the Local Butcher he notices packets of Spice on the counter and decides to try something new. A few of my dollars just came back to me. This is Economic Simplicity, I realize, but its also Economic Fact.
I will admit that I am not some self-righteous food freak or Organic Activist and that I buy out of convenience more often than even I am comfortable with. I buy from the stores that I am excoriating above and realize that some of that money does come back into the Community. However, I also take the time to go to places like Heritage Farms and see where my other foods come from...and I take time to talk to Jake. Jake (the young son of the owner of Heritage Farms) and I had a talk during the last Farm Tour and he informed me of his disappointment when his mother wouldn't let him buy a particular T-shirt. Expecting it to be something offensive, as is the trend these days, I asked and then laughed openly when I heard what it said: All of Gods Creatures Have a Place...Right Next to the Mashed Potatoes & Gravy. Not only was it uproariously funny but it did my heart a world of good knowing that Jake was being raised with a minimum of video games and with a realistic knowledge of where his food comes from. There is also the point that Jakes Family is surviving on what they grow, both nutritionally and economically.
Now, as promised, there is a political angle to this writing. Mayor Bloomberg of New York wants to ban additional salt in all meals (which makes most of the Nation ask, WTF?). San Fransisco has banned toys from Happy Meals. All over the Nation we are watching Government dictate what and how we eat on an ever increasing scale. To me, its none of Governments business what I eat or how I eat it. However, instead of grabbing a placard and protesting outside some anonymous Federal or State office, I have devised a much more simple solution: I buy local and take Government out of the equation as often as I possibly can.
I do want to point out, again, that I know a number of Organic Farmers and some of them do believe that Government has a place in telling us what to do and, if that is their position, that's fine. However, I would like to point out that most of these people work very hard to grow Organic Produce and bring it to Market. Knowing this, it gets hard to support a Government that defines "Organic" as loosely as possible in order for larger, corporate farms to be able to sell their product under the title of "Organic" while still using harmful chemicals and questionable growing methods. This is the same Government that won't let one of the hundreds of USDA inspectors in the Carroll County, GA area go to Jakes Dad's farm and certify his chickens, forcing him to take them to South Carolina or Kentucky to get them processed, which turns a $5.00 bird into an $11.00 bird. All of this makes Organic more expensive and sometimes too expensive for people to make it a realistic food option. If this doesn't really bother people and they would like to stick to the idea that only the USDA can save us from farmers who take shortcuts I present to you this challange: Go to the USDA (that's the United States Department of Agriculture) building in Washington D.C. and find out how many Farmers work there. The Short Answer is that there aren't any.
I have said for a long time that we need to pay less attention to what happens in California and spend more time thinking about our Communities and Local Issues. The best place to start with this mindset, in my eyes, is with our food. Support your local farms as they are not only the place to find some of the highest quality produce but if you have a question or concern you can visit them. Keep the money at home as I am sure Jake's Dad is sending some that Farm Money to school, local football, and maybe even to the Local Spice Company. And for the Love of Pete, get Government out of the way of your food. If you take even a few minutes and Google Organic Growing Regulations for your state, you will be very surprised at what chemicals the larger, corporate farms are allowed to use, by Law, and still be allowed to call them and label them "Organic". Laws that were passed by our Trusted Elected Officials.
I have put away the Soap Box...For Now,
Rob
Friday, October 29, 2010
Zen and the Art of Ramen Noodles
If I were to estimate it, I would say that Ramen Noodles are, quite possibly, the one food that almost every person as tried at one point or another. Broke and hungry, a package of Ramen Noodles still ranks as a cheaper and more popular meal than the $1.00 cheeseburger. I openly admit that I have eaten Ramen in the past couple of weeks for the simple reason that its comfort food. When I was on hard times, there were alot of cheap meals that I ate that weren't high in flavor, yet, I never complained about a pack of Ramen.....with half the water and extra pack of Shrimp flavor, of course.
Ramen noodles have origins over 4,000 years old. Although they were known in many different shapes and sizes, the noodles we know today can be traced to a fella by the name of Momofuku Ando. He was the founder fo Nissin Foods and who began packaging and selling the product that we are familiar with in 1958. Even with its humble origins as a cheap, quick food to help solve the rather nasty food shortage in Japan after WWII, Ramen Noodles can be very tasty food and, as good food usually is, a surprising crutch when you're in a pinch.
A Recipe and a Story follow and before you think Ramen can't be Versitile Food, read below with the knowledge that Japanese Chefs still use cheap, ol' Ramen noodles in very high cuisine
Salmon Noodle Pockets / Individual Serving
1/2 brick Ramen Noodles
1 small Salmon fillet, about the size of the half brick (or talapia, bass, or any fish with a light flavor)
3-4 thin slices each of yellow squash and zucchini
12 or so small shreds/juliennes of carrot
3-4 Tbsp water
1 Tsp Soy Sauce (low sodium for this recipe)
1 Tbsp Thai Fish Sauce (most groceries carry it now)
1 10" X 10" square of aluminum foil
Medium hot grill, toaster oven (for one or two servings) or oven preheated to 350. I prefer the grill but I will include all each method.
Place the half brick of noodles in the center of the foil square and bend the foil up around it to make a dish. Remove half brick.
Add water, soy, and fish sauce to bottom of packet, place noodles on top, place vegetables on top of noodles, place fish on top of vegetables, season fish with a touch of salt and pepper.
Roll top over itself and do the same with the ends to completely seal the packet. Make sure it is sealed tightly.
Place packet(s) on grill or in the oven for about ten minutes. Adjust cooking time depending on the type of fish. By the time the fish is done, the noodles will be cooked, the vegetables will be steamed just right, and each packet will be ripe with tasty goodness. As always, play with spices, flavors, and seafood.
Now, as I can't let a good story go untold, I submit the following for your approval. Oh, and the names have been changed to protect the not so innocent.
So, we plan to get together with another couple for a small trip to a steak house that they just raved about. It would have been about an hour drive but it was a bit longer as three of us were interested in stopping for a cocktail every so often (the fourth was the more responsible of the crowd and was the D.D....Thank God).
Well, one thing lead to another (as it usually does in cases like this) and the husband in the other couple got a bit more Happy than anyone had planned. After belting out every word of the Springsteen CD that was playing, he abrubtly annouced that it was time to turn around, go home, and take our culinary chances there.
Upon arrival, our drunken counterpart immediately went to bed without fanfare. Nothing in the house was enough to feed all of us with the exception of four Ground Chuck Steaks that would be more than enough for The Living and still have leftovers for the Close to Dead. Of course, I set in to whipping something up that will make the lost trip almost worth while.
I saute some onions and garlic, get the Ground Steaks cooking in those remnants, and set in looking for gravy ingredients. Flour: Check. A bit of Bacon Fat: Check. Seasonings: Check. Beef Boullion, Stock, Cubes......Nowhere to be found. However, our Drunken Counterparts Better Half did manage to scrape up one pack of beef Ramen Noodles...with the flavor packet....yeah. The recipe is as follows:
2 Tbsp bacon fat
2 Tbsp All Purpose flour
1 pack Ramen Beef Flavor
1 cup water
1 cup milk.
Cook the flour in the fat just long enough to lightly brown it. With a seriously hot pan, whisk in the water and milk until the desired consistency is reached. Pour over Ground Steaks and dive in head first.
To this day, that gravy goes down as one of the best I have ever made and, without a doubt, it beat having to run to the Waffle House to get something to eat to satisfy that Half Lit Hunger that alot of us have endured.
Enjoy,
Rob
Ramen noodles have origins over 4,000 years old. Although they were known in many different shapes and sizes, the noodles we know today can be traced to a fella by the name of Momofuku Ando. He was the founder fo Nissin Foods and who began packaging and selling the product that we are familiar with in 1958. Even with its humble origins as a cheap, quick food to help solve the rather nasty food shortage in Japan after WWII, Ramen Noodles can be very tasty food and, as good food usually is, a surprising crutch when you're in a pinch.
A Recipe and a Story follow and before you think Ramen can't be Versitile Food, read below with the knowledge that Japanese Chefs still use cheap, ol' Ramen noodles in very high cuisine
Salmon Noodle Pockets / Individual Serving
1/2 brick Ramen Noodles
1 small Salmon fillet, about the size of the half brick (or talapia, bass, or any fish with a light flavor)
3-4 thin slices each of yellow squash and zucchini
12 or so small shreds/juliennes of carrot
3-4 Tbsp water
1 Tsp Soy Sauce (low sodium for this recipe)
1 Tbsp Thai Fish Sauce (most groceries carry it now)
1 10" X 10" square of aluminum foil
Medium hot grill, toaster oven (for one or two servings) or oven preheated to 350. I prefer the grill but I will include all each method.
Place the half brick of noodles in the center of the foil square and bend the foil up around it to make a dish. Remove half brick.
Add water, soy, and fish sauce to bottom of packet, place noodles on top, place vegetables on top of noodles, place fish on top of vegetables, season fish with a touch of salt and pepper.
Roll top over itself and do the same with the ends to completely seal the packet. Make sure it is sealed tightly.
Place packet(s) on grill or in the oven for about ten minutes. Adjust cooking time depending on the type of fish. By the time the fish is done, the noodles will be cooked, the vegetables will be steamed just right, and each packet will be ripe with tasty goodness. As always, play with spices, flavors, and seafood.
Now, as I can't let a good story go untold, I submit the following for your approval. Oh, and the names have been changed to protect the not so innocent.
So, we plan to get together with another couple for a small trip to a steak house that they just raved about. It would have been about an hour drive but it was a bit longer as three of us were interested in stopping for a cocktail every so often (the fourth was the more responsible of the crowd and was the D.D....Thank God).
Well, one thing lead to another (as it usually does in cases like this) and the husband in the other couple got a bit more Happy than anyone had planned. After belting out every word of the Springsteen CD that was playing, he abrubtly annouced that it was time to turn around, go home, and take our culinary chances there.
Upon arrival, our drunken counterpart immediately went to bed without fanfare. Nothing in the house was enough to feed all of us with the exception of four Ground Chuck Steaks that would be more than enough for The Living and still have leftovers for the Close to Dead. Of course, I set in to whipping something up that will make the lost trip almost worth while.
I saute some onions and garlic, get the Ground Steaks cooking in those remnants, and set in looking for gravy ingredients. Flour: Check. A bit of Bacon Fat: Check. Seasonings: Check. Beef Boullion, Stock, Cubes......Nowhere to be found. However, our Drunken Counterparts Better Half did manage to scrape up one pack of beef Ramen Noodles...with the flavor packet....yeah. The recipe is as follows:
2 Tbsp bacon fat
2 Tbsp All Purpose flour
1 pack Ramen Beef Flavor
1 cup water
1 cup milk.
Cook the flour in the fat just long enough to lightly brown it. With a seriously hot pan, whisk in the water and milk until the desired consistency is reached. Pour over Ground Steaks and dive in head first.
To this day, that gravy goes down as one of the best I have ever made and, without a doubt, it beat having to run to the Waffle House to get something to eat to satisfy that Half Lit Hunger that alot of us have endured.
Enjoy,
Rob
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Another Insanely Good Cut of Pig
Soooo, I was supposed to clean out the gutters this weekend. In truth, it needs to be done and I really should get to it but cooking a couple of Boston Butts (huh huh..he said Butts) sounded like a better idea than climbing on a ladder, not that ladders bother me, I even have one in the kitchen.
Anyway, I take two 5 lb Boston Butts, I take out the Gigantic Syringe of Flavor and inject them with the following:
1 packet of the Grill Spice & Rub (this is not shamless self-promotion, its just what I used)
1/2 stick butter
About 5-6 good dashes Soy Sauce
1-2 Tbsp Local Honey
While you're at it, Preheat the oven to about 300 Deg.
Melt the butter and add the rest of the ingredients. Whisk for a while, let it set for a bit, and maybe even microwave it for a moment so its less viscous.
I injected the Hell out of these things and used most of the blend. I used the rest to rub the outside and then let it sit for a few. I made another batch and this time I added about 1/2 cup of Homemade Apple Sauce from a friend. Hold on to that for a bit.
I wrapped the roasts in a couple of layers of foil and set them to slow cooking in the oven. After about 4 hours I unwrapped them and coated the top and sides with the spice and apple sauce mixture. I ramped the oven up to 350 and immediately returned the roasts to the oven. I gave it another hour or so and added a little more of the mixture to the top as the time went.
Then I whipped up a batch of Carolina Style BBQ Sauce. Which is as follows:
1/2 cup prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup spicy brown, dijon, or other course mustard
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup light brown sugar
3/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 tablespoons of my Homemade chili powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1/2 teaspoon soy sauce
2 tablespoons butter
1/2-3/4 cup fat and juices from the roast
Anyway, I take two 5 lb Boston Butts, I take out the Gigantic Syringe of Flavor and inject them with the following:
1 packet of the Grill Spice & Rub (this is not shamless self-promotion, its just what I used)
1/2 stick butter
About 5-6 good dashes Soy Sauce
1-2 Tbsp Local Honey
While you're at it, Preheat the oven to about 300 Deg.
Melt the butter and add the rest of the ingredients. Whisk for a while, let it set for a bit, and maybe even microwave it for a moment so its less viscous.
I injected the Hell out of these things and used most of the blend. I used the rest to rub the outside and then let it sit for a few. I made another batch and this time I added about 1/2 cup of Homemade Apple Sauce from a friend. Hold on to that for a bit.
I wrapped the roasts in a couple of layers of foil and set them to slow cooking in the oven. After about 4 hours I unwrapped them and coated the top and sides with the spice and apple sauce mixture. I ramped the oven up to 350 and immediately returned the roasts to the oven. I gave it another hour or so and added a little more of the mixture to the top as the time went.
Then I whipped up a batch of Carolina Style BBQ Sauce. Which is as follows:
Mix the first nine ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a simmer over medium/low heat. With the sugar and liquids, watch for boil overs. After this has come together and thickened a bit (about 20 minutes or so) reduce the heat and whisk in the butter. After this has come together, whisk in the drippings from the roasts.
Tonight was the launch of the Official Blog and Website. As I put the finishing touches on things, I gladly made another, rather large plate of chopped roast with a ton of sauce. We did a small taligate party for our Football Team the other day and I had the left overs of Cole Slaw from another friend.
Yeah....... Fat and Happy........
Rob
The Loss of a Carrollton Icon
Damn the Economy, Damn Franchise Restaurants, Damn BP for Driving Up the Price of Seafood.
Damn Them All..................
After 6 years as, what I consider to be, the Icon of Downtown Carrollton, GA Cuisine, Millers on the Square is closing. Not only did Millers set The Gold Standard for food downtown but it was staffed and owned by some of the nicest people on the Planet.
First, you have to know that any Fine Dining Restaurant does not hire High Schools kids looking for summer work to be servers. A place that has excellent food, great atmosphere, and an over all touch of class hires professionals. If a place hires people who know, and I mean really know about service, the server could have a foot cut off and still approach you quickly, with a smile, with honest recommendations, and with a full knowledge of the menu. The last time we were at Millers the waitress actually told us what she hated on the menu. Now THAT is a server.
Then theres the Owner, Scottie Kaylor. When we got there we informed his staff that most of the people at the table were from New Orleans (the theme by which the Menus were created and, oddly enough, the theme by which I remodeled my kitchen) and that we know NOLA food. After ordering a sampling off the menu (in reality there were 8 of us and we each ordered different appetizers and different dishes then traded out plates) we were visited table side by Scottie himself. After a few pleasantries and a few comments (raves, actually) we found out that Scottie was from Ponchatoula, on the North side of Lake Ponchatrain. Just an all around good guy that was, by his own admission, serving the recipes of his Grandmother. If you know nothing about food, you have to know that when someone thinks highly enough of the Old Family Recipes to base a business around them, there has to be a great love and respect. That gets the highest marks in my book.
Now, no matter who you blame for it, the Economy has gone in the crapper. At this point, it really doesn't matter whose fault it was, it just matters that Millers on the square is closing (read more about it in the Time-Georgian Article). Scottie sites the failing economy and the presence of Chains Restaurants offering the same, worn out franchised crap (my words, not his) that mindless herds flock to. From the Times Georgian Article:
Damn Them All..................
After 6 years as, what I consider to be, the Icon of Downtown Carrollton, GA Cuisine, Millers on the Square is closing. Not only did Millers set The Gold Standard for food downtown but it was staffed and owned by some of the nicest people on the Planet.
First, you have to know that any Fine Dining Restaurant does not hire High Schools kids looking for summer work to be servers. A place that has excellent food, great atmosphere, and an over all touch of class hires professionals. If a place hires people who know, and I mean really know about service, the server could have a foot cut off and still approach you quickly, with a smile, with honest recommendations, and with a full knowledge of the menu. The last time we were at Millers the waitress actually told us what she hated on the menu. Now THAT is a server.
Then theres the Owner, Scottie Kaylor. When we got there we informed his staff that most of the people at the table were from New Orleans (the theme by which the Menus were created and, oddly enough, the theme by which I remodeled my kitchen) and that we know NOLA food. After ordering a sampling off the menu (in reality there were 8 of us and we each ordered different appetizers and different dishes then traded out plates) we were visited table side by Scottie himself. After a few pleasantries and a few comments (raves, actually) we found out that Scottie was from Ponchatoula, on the North side of Lake Ponchatrain. Just an all around good guy that was, by his own admission, serving the recipes of his Grandmother. If you know nothing about food, you have to know that when someone thinks highly enough of the Old Family Recipes to base a business around them, there has to be a great love and respect. That gets the highest marks in my book.
Now, no matter who you blame for it, the Economy has gone in the crapper. At this point, it really doesn't matter whose fault it was, it just matters that Millers on the square is closing (read more about it in the Time-Georgian Article). Scottie sites the failing economy and the presence of Chains Restaurants offering the same, worn out franchised crap (my words, not his) that mindless herds flock to. From the Times Georgian Article:
Living for Food
Welp, the first edition of The Food Blog has come. It was fun setting up the page and learning a bit more about how to add to my website...then the hard, cold reality of knowing that I have to actually add content to the Blog was kind of important...ya know, since I want people to read it and all. I reckon its at this point that I give the basic philosophy of why I am doing this. Boring or not, here goes.
Humble Starting Points
I grew up between two households and between two parents that couldn't really stand each other (which make one wonder how they ever ended up married) but they never let on. My Mom would do the best she could with what she had and we/I always ate pretty well. Then, every so often, Mom would scrape together a few bucks and the next thing you know, theres a huge pot of King Crab legs in the middle of the living room and most of the family and a few friends were there. Whether Mom knew it or not, it was one of the highlights of growing up.
Then there was Dad. Not only was this the guy that set my culinary path in motion but he was also the guy that made me realize that good food didn't have to come from a 5 star restaurant, 5 star can happen at home. One night we can home from school not thinking too much and my Dad had returned from a long day on the Sales Trail (a pain I know well these days). When it came dinner time, there were dimmed lights and candles. In the 80's we didn't really think WTF out loud, but we were damn sure thinking it. On the table there was an electric frying pan filled with hot oil, cubed cuts of beef, skewers, and small dishes of spices and sauces for dipping. We didn't really know what the Hell was going on but here I am 25 years later and still remembering it as if it was yesterday. The Old Man had a way of taking something cheap and simple and making it a Huge Food Memory.
Grandma lent a hand as well. The woman was a culinary explorer who was married to a Meat and Taters kind of guy. Besides that baking of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING (cookies, cakes, pies, oh Dear God the pies). After I began to realize what Living for Food was all about, it was her that got me into Lamb, Endive, Riddicio, Turnips...The Pasties, Oh God those little meat pies filled with head exploding flavor. This woman would never use shortening to make her Pastie Crusts. She insisted on using good, old fashioned Suet. Not easy to get these days but Damn! The difference in paying attention to the small details was instantly branded on my Culinary Soul.
Been There, Done That....and Just Now Remembering it......
I had the good fortune to spend a good bit of time overseas with the Military. Being in Europe was a huge culinary influence but only after 20 years. The time I spent in Europe was a drunken, laughing, exploring, partying good time. I ate in restaurants that served extraordinary food as every day meals. Of course, being somewhat liquefied and not paying much attention to where or what I was eating, it didn't sink in until years later what I was doing: Soaking up culture and flavors that I remember a clear as a bell but haven't cared to apply until now. Italy, France, Israel, Spain, even Egypt had its offerings. If you eat in a culture, you are a small part of that culture. Although I didn't realize it at the time, falafel was to become one of my favorites. Do yourself a favor and go vegetarian for a few weeks and see what the Middle East has to offer. I promise, you will never think bad of vegetarian again.
Having Said All That........
It has come to that point in my life where I want to find out if the old saying is true. "If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life". Well, I'm about to find out.
This blog, the website, the menus, the endless days of being tired as hell after working a long day and still hammering away at thoughts and ideas are all an effort to live by food. Cooking, blending spices, helping people out are all things I love to do. Now, lets just see if I can make a living at it. Wish me luck...I'm gonna need it!
Rob
Humble Starting Points
I grew up between two households and between two parents that couldn't really stand each other (which make one wonder how they ever ended up married) but they never let on. My Mom would do the best she could with what she had and we/I always ate pretty well. Then, every so often, Mom would scrape together a few bucks and the next thing you know, theres a huge pot of King Crab legs in the middle of the living room and most of the family and a few friends were there. Whether Mom knew it or not, it was one of the highlights of growing up.
Then there was Dad. Not only was this the guy that set my culinary path in motion but he was also the guy that made me realize that good food didn't have to come from a 5 star restaurant, 5 star can happen at home. One night we can home from school not thinking too much and my Dad had returned from a long day on the Sales Trail (a pain I know well these days). When it came dinner time, there were dimmed lights and candles. In the 80's we didn't really think WTF out loud, but we were damn sure thinking it. On the table there was an electric frying pan filled with hot oil, cubed cuts of beef, skewers, and small dishes of spices and sauces for dipping. We didn't really know what the Hell was going on but here I am 25 years later and still remembering it as if it was yesterday. The Old Man had a way of taking something cheap and simple and making it a Huge Food Memory.
Grandma lent a hand as well. The woman was a culinary explorer who was married to a Meat and Taters kind of guy. Besides that baking of everything, and I mean EVERYTHING (cookies, cakes, pies, oh Dear God the pies). After I began to realize what Living for Food was all about, it was her that got me into Lamb, Endive, Riddicio, Turnips...The Pasties, Oh God those little meat pies filled with head exploding flavor. This woman would never use shortening to make her Pastie Crusts. She insisted on using good, old fashioned Suet. Not easy to get these days but Damn! The difference in paying attention to the small details was instantly branded on my Culinary Soul.
Been There, Done That....and Just Now Remembering it......
I had the good fortune to spend a good bit of time overseas with the Military. Being in Europe was a huge culinary influence but only after 20 years. The time I spent in Europe was a drunken, laughing, exploring, partying good time. I ate in restaurants that served extraordinary food as every day meals. Of course, being somewhat liquefied and not paying much attention to where or what I was eating, it didn't sink in until years later what I was doing: Soaking up culture and flavors that I remember a clear as a bell but haven't cared to apply until now. Italy, France, Israel, Spain, even Egypt had its offerings. If you eat in a culture, you are a small part of that culture. Although I didn't realize it at the time, falafel was to become one of my favorites. Do yourself a favor and go vegetarian for a few weeks and see what the Middle East has to offer. I promise, you will never think bad of vegetarian again.
Having Said All That........
It has come to that point in my life where I want to find out if the old saying is true. "If you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life". Well, I'm about to find out.
This blog, the website, the menus, the endless days of being tired as hell after working a long day and still hammering away at thoughts and ideas are all an effort to live by food. Cooking, blending spices, helping people out are all things I love to do. Now, lets just see if I can make a living at it. Wish me luck...I'm gonna need it!
Rob
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