Oatmeal Deluxe

We have been studying various cereal grains in class.  As such I've been experiencing production for some things I have never made before.  Making grits, farro, and polenta are all fairly new to me but all of these products have been around for a while.  All grains to me are like a canvas... neutral flavors that serves as a textural backdrop for receiving flavors.

Today blog though I thought I would share one of MY favorite grains...rolled oats.  Many years ago I experimented with eating the Macrobiotic way.  During that period I learned how much MORE flavor you can get from rolled oats by toasting them.  It's been a few years and I've learned some other methods that bring me to this Deluxe version of the Oatmeal.  This recipe is for a single serving, but it can easily be scaled up to feed an army.  It takes more time than making "instant" oatmeal, but I can guarantee you, there is no "instant" oatmeal that tastes like this.

Ingredients:
1 - C milk (I use 2%)
1 - 1" piece cinnamon stick
3 - whole cloves
0.5 - C rolled steel-cut whole grain oats
pinch of salt
0.25 - C  fresh firm apple, cored and cut small dice (I like Fuji or Gala)
brown sugar to taste

Method:

1. In a small saucepan combine milk, cinnamon stick, and cloves.  Over low heat and stirring occasionally, bring mixture to a scald.  This releases the oils in the cinnamon and clove and infuses the milk with subtle flavors.  There will be some milk-solids stuck to the bottom of the pan...this is normal and expected.  Remove cinnamon and cloves from the milk mixture.  Keep warm.
2. Meanwhile, in another flat pan, add oats and place over medium heat.  As the pan comes to temperature swirl the dry oats around in the pan and toss them to toast.  The line between toasting and burnt is very narrow so close attention is necessary.  A nice nutty/toasty smell is how I gauge when it is done.  Remove them from the heat.
3. Add toasted oats to hot milk mixture and stir in a pinch of salt.  Bring mixture just barely to boil then reduce heat to simmer and stir in the chopped apple (banana is good too).  Continue to simmer gently and stir occasionally until oatmeal is cooked.  I like my oatmeal quite thick.  Thin the mixture with milk or water to desired texture.
4. Plate and top with a sprinkle of brown sugar.

Boston Baked Beans

I get cravings.  This weekend it is for Boston Baked Beans!  Also, I've been trying to up my folate and fiber intakes so beans give me both of those things.  Not only that, if properly prepared they are soulfully satisfying.  I've been following what I understand to be a British custom of eating beans on toast lately and have been using canned beans done up in a sodium-laden corn syrup based sludge of goo.  I'm of the opinion that everything that comes out of a can tastes like cat-food (and YES, I know what cat-food tastes like... don't ask).  Flavor and Texture - wise, I know I can do better.  My quest this weekend was for a recipe that satisfied my craving for the homey sweet/savory richness of baked beans without the can flavor.

I pulled several recipes from the net... all of which rely heavily on pre-made mixtures.  Finally, I found one that uses ketchup as a base albiet pre-made... until I get a ketchup recipe I'm happy with, I'm happy to use what's out there... a few mods to the base recipe... I'm off and running.


Ingredients:

• 2 cups kidney beans
• Sachet:
• 4-6 sprigs thyme
• 2-3 cloves garlic
• 1 whole clove
• 1 whole bay leaf

• 1/2 pound bacon
• 1 onion, finely diced
• Sauce:
• 3 tablespoons molasses
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper - toasted
• 1/4 teaspoon dry mustard - toasted
• 2 tsp Adobo sauce
• 1/2 cup ketchup
• 1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
• 1/4 cup brown sugar

Directions

1. Soak beans overnight in cold water. Simmer the beans in the same water and add sachet.  Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer approximately 1 to 2 hours. Drain and reserve the liquid.
2. Preheat oven to 300 degrees F (165 degrees C).
3. Arrange the beans in a 2 quart bean pot or casserole dish by placing a portion of the beans in the bottom of dish, and layering them with raw bacon and onion.  Repeat layers of beans, onions, bacon, ...ending with beans.
4. In a saucepan, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, Adobo, and brown sugar. Bring the mixture to a boil and pour over beans. Pour in just enough of the reserved bean water to cover the beans. Cover the dish with a lid or aluminum foil.
5. Bake for 3 to 4 hours in the preheated oven, until beans are tender. Remove the lid about halfway through cooking, and add more liquid if necessary to prevent the beans from getting too dry.

Salmon Cakes

Salmon Cakes with Gingered Bok Choy

Once upon a time, a long time ago... I HATED Salmon.  The dreaded Salmon-loaf from my childhood still haunts my dreams.  Ever since I moved to the Northwest my feelings for this beautiful fish have evolved.  It is now one of my favorite fish to prepare and to eat.  I love the intense flavor and oily but flaky texture.  When it's done right, Salmon is divine.

I recently acquired a 4.5 pound salmon through a guy who knows a guy...  Now what is a single guy to do with an entire salmon?  I've been trying to practice breaking down fish and got 4 good steaks, two sizeable fillets, and a fair amount of trimmings.  One of the fillets is well underway to becoming Gravlax.  These "cakes" were made from the trimmings of my salmon filet practice.

I chop the salmon fine with my chef knife, then add rolled oats, teriyaki sauce, cilantro, fresh ginger, ground black pepper and the white of one egg to form essentially the salmon equivalent of meatloaf.  Proportions are hard to describe as I did this all by feel and tasting.  I used a ring-mold to form the patties into consistent shapes on parchment, then refrigerated them before cooking to help them set.  Cooking was a breeze... In a large no-stick skillet over medium heat in hot canola oil each patty took about 2 min. a side to brown nicely.  I used two cakes per serving and set them into a tower with a layer of Jasmine rice and topped it all off with some pickled radish and cucumber.

These could make good "burgers" too.

Pizza Sauce

This weekend I tried out a recipe I've been meaning to try for some time...
 http://www.pizzamaking.com/thincrust.php

I am a HUGE fan of pizza and I have been ever since I can remember.  One of my favorite activities as a kid was when the whole family went to Me & Eds Pizza to celebrate birthdays.  I recall they had a wonderful bubbly cracker crust and lately I've been seeking to replicate it.  It seems where I live, the fashion in pizza is a very thick, doughy crust.  In my abbreviated research this is often referred to as a "Chicago" crust.  The above recipe is referred to as a "California" crust.  It comes as close as any I've found to matching the texture I'm after.  It is crisp yet chewy and stands up to heavy toppings.

Thin crust pepperoni pizza with green peppers and mushrooms

Another challenge on my quest for pizza perfection is the sauce.  Too often when I make pizza at home I open a can or a bottle and try to be happy with what comes out.  No more!  I prefer a pasty sauce to a liquid sauce and I feel it holds more flavor in the high temperatures of cooking pizza.

1.5 oz dried sun-dried tomato
6 floz boiling water
6 oz Tomato past
1 tsp chili paste
2 cloves fresh garlic
1 small fresh shallot
1/2 tsp black peppercorns (crushed)
1 tsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/4 tsp chili powder
1-2 tbsp honey
1t white wine
salt & pepper to taste

1. Rehydrate the sun dried tomatoes in 6oz. boiling water til soft.  Reserve tomato water.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in a food processor and pulse til blended and coarsely chopped.  When blended turn processor on and add water and wine in a continuous thin stream.  Blend til smooth.  Refrigerate about 30 min. prior to using to allow flavors to meld.

Things I do in class

I'm so happy to have the baking module in school behind me.  I learned some important and usable things, but my heart is firmly on the culinary side of the fence.  I need more things on my artist palette besides eggs, butter, sugar, and flour.  Yes, I'm exaggerating but my tastes tend to the savory as opposed to the sweet.  This last week was my first week back since winter break.  I have started a new module called Cuisine Across Cultures. At the start of any new class I go through a time where it takes me a bit to adjust to the new kitchen and the new chef.  This last week we had two production days to put in practice some of the things we learned about salt and other spices.

We made Gravlax which is a Nordic dish of salt cured salmon.  Basically what you do is bury a piece of salmon in a mixture of salt, sugar, and dill and then compress it for three days.  I like it and hope to do up a fresh batch of salt crusted bagels with cream cheese, capers, and dill.

What I love most about this new class is I get to play with some really great ingredients.  It inspires me.  I have a passion fo the "traditional" foods of every country and want to try them all.  In class Thursday we were learning the flavor profiles of South America, Asia, and the Middle East.  I had worked out a timeline to present each of these dishes as a single plate, but my class team all pitched in and we batched up the sauce making to make it possible to have it all come together at once.  This is what I produced.

Beef Chimmichurri, Quail Yakitori, and Scallops Charmoula

 The Scallops Charmoula was my favorite.  It's of Moroccan origin.  North African and Middle Eastern cuisines have captured my attention lately.