Articulated

Weight Post Script

My first attempt making focaccia.

So here it is, folks. Weighing out the ingredients takes some of the guesswork out of making bread. I admit my perception of the process could be tainted by the confidence of having a kitchen scale, but this was the easiest time I’ve every had baking bread. It was a bit cold and dry in the apartment today, so I don’t think the dough was rising as fast as it could have, but the bread was golden brown with a good crust and a reasonably good crumb. I wasn’t using any particular kind of flour (I just used the “all purpose” flour I had available) and so the flavor was not quite as good as it might have been if I had used a good bread flour. I also went a little light on the toppings. I definitely could have used more Parmesan cheese and a little bit of Kosher salt sprinkle. However, I am quite pleased with the result. Some time this week I’ll have to try making baguettes so that I can make sandwiches. Maybe by next weekend I will have received two additional new items: more baking sheets and some new cooling racks. As I told my girlfriend, I would like bread baking to become part of my routine. I don’t thing she’ll object.

Real men weigh it

For years I’ve had this book on my shelves gathering dust: The Professional Chef (7th Edition). It is (or was) the primary textbook published by the Culinary Institute of America. Several years ago, when my interest in the culinary arts bloomed and I briefly toyed with the idea of learning to cook like a professional, I purchased this book in the hope of gaining some kitchen insight and knowledge. I found neither. Instead, I wound up with a book of recipes that I could not replicate.

Why? Simple. Most of the recipes I wanted to follow called for ingredients to be measured by weight. And I did not own a kitchen scale.

That changed today. After weeks of my girlfriend repeatedly telling my that I forgot to purchase a scale for our kitchen, she went and did it herself. The long-awaited appliance (if such a large word should be used for such a small device) arrived while I was preparing a simple dinner of beef, bean, corn, and ancho pepper chili.

The first task was to reorganize the kitchen to create a place of honor for the new instrument. The microwave, knocked from it’s perch on our countertop, has been exiled to the space on top of the refrigerator where many lesser kitchen tools are banished. Our old yellow CD player was kicked out of the kitchen entirely. Surfaces were cleaned and dried. A new order was established with the toaster, rice cooker, and kitchen scale given highest status.

Years after it’s initial purchase, that old dusty copy of The Professional Chef still makes my mouth water as I turn back the cover. Once so foreign and unattainable, the recipes within are now in my grasp, mere trips to the supermarket away. Forget the stocks and sauces. I’m not interested in grilling and frying. I turned to the back of the book where the authors discuss the ancient art of baking. I’m talking about yeast bread, folks. This is the great culinary invention of civilization. Very few things on this earth can provide the kitchen amateur with so much frustration and yet so much simple joy. I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a good, fresh piece of warm baguette, just cooled – a dish of extra virgin and ground pepper for dipping… I can taste it already. But I’m getting ahead of myself and not sympathizing with those people who have a wheat allergy. Sorry folks, but you guys are missing out on one of life’s miracles.

I think my first experiment this weekend will be a nice pesto focaccia. Basic pesto is made with pine nuts, garlic, olive oil, Parmesan cheese, and fresh basil. What I will likely do is take those ingredients individually and use them as toppings on fresh focaccia bread. We have fresh basic in the Aerogarden and Parmesan left over from lasagna. Olive oil as part of the focaccia recipe. We’re never without garlic. I just need some pine nuts and I’m good to go.

Black beans and rice

I love black beans and rice. Since I don’t have much time to cook during the week, I normally purchase boxed or bagged beans and rice from the store. Since rice, beans, and spices are typically sold dried, the prepackaged mixes are not bad. I like them. However, I have occasionally tried to make my own beans and rice. This is one of my favorite dishes. I feel like I should know how to make it. I use black beans and rice as a side, to make quesadillas, in burritos, or as a simple snack.

Usually, I do not have a lot of luck with beans and rice, but today I came up with a good recipe. It’s not perfect, but it is good enough for me to record and share and probably make again.

Ingredients

• 1 to 2 Tbsp. cooking oil
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cloves shallot, minced
• 1 Tbsp. cumin (at least)
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1 14.5oz. can of chicken broth
• 1 15.5oz. can of low sodium black beans (I like Goya), drained with water reserved
• 1/16 to 1/8 lb. ground pork, chopped to minimize the grain size
• 1 cup of medium grain rice
• The leaves of a sprig of oregano, minced
• The juice of half a lime
• Half a jalepeno pepper, thickly sliced
• Salt

Directions

1. Heat the oil in a deep pot over medium heat. Add the garlic and shallot and saute until starting to brown.
2. Add the cumin and saute for about 30 or 45 seconds, when the aroma should develop. Quickly add the ground pork, if being used, and saute until just brown.
3. Add the black beans and saute for a few minutes.
4. Add the chicken broth and the water from the black beans. To make sure I got it all, I poured my chicken broth into the bean can and then poured the broth into the pot. Add the thyme, sliced jalepeno, lime juice, oregano, and salt as desired (I added at least a teaspoon). Bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes.
5. Add the rice, stir and bring back to a boil. Cover and cook over very low heat until the rice is cooked.
6. Once the rice is ready, fluff and serve.

Burners

Last night I attempted my first big holiday feast. I will not say I succeeded, although my efforts were appreciated by the persons eating. I had a few difficulties along the way.

First, there was the turkey. I put it into the refrigerator the night before last to defrost. Unfortunately, our fridge runs quite cold. Two hours before I was supposed to begin cooking, the turkey was still frozen solid. To make matters worse, I really had no other way to defrost it. Since we live in an apartment, we have tried to keep our kitchen appliances small. Our microwave is too small for even the small half-bird I was working with. In a desperate effort, I filled the largest bowl I have with cold saltwater and soaked the turkey in that for a few hours. Some parts were definitely still frozen when I decided it was getting late and needed to begin the roasting…

In addition to the turkey, the other items on the menu were:

• wild mushroom risotto
• brussels sprouts
• stuffing (from the box); and
• salad

From a purely technical standpoint, I think the risotto was a success. The rice was al dente and creamy if a little bit dry or sticky for a risotto. However, I might have added more than the proper amount of parmesan cheese. It ended up as a cheese risotto with mushrooms than a truly mushroom risotto. Brussels sprouts are easy, they came out fine. The box stuffing was unbelievably simple. Monica did the salad for me.

The turkey took a long time. I removed it from the oven after a little over 2 hours and much of it (the top of the breast, the wing) were finished. At the center, it was still bloody. I removed what I could and finished it in the microwave so we would have something to eat and then stuck the rest in the oven for what turned out to be another hour. Still, it turned out very well. Crispy skin, good flavor. The turkey was prepared simply:

• rubbed with oil
• smashed garlic was spread over the top and tucked into whatever crevice I could find
• covered with kosher salt, coarse-ground pepper, and white pepper; and
• finally sprinkled with some lime juice.

Once we had our fill, I stripped the bones and saved the meat. Then, in a flash of inspiration (thanks goes to my friend Giles’ mother, who I guess does this as a holiday ritual) I set the bones, skin, scrap meat, and drippings from the oven into a pot and boiled them for about 2 hours. In addition to the intoxicating smell it generated a few cups of rough turkey stock.

I was going to use it to make congee this morning, but we’re out of rice!