Bread Winner.

Fresh baked bread is an elusive trick that a lot of chef's cannot grasp. I too thought that I needed to make a blood pact with a demon or perhaps perform black magic human sacrifices to pull it off. Pastry is not my forté. Pastry chefs and "regular" chefs are not built from the same cloth. Most pastry chefs were raised in loving environments that encouraged learning math skills for fun. They follow the rules and bake sweets as holiday gifts. "Regular" chefs were mostly beaten or unloved as children and developed just enough math skills by either dealing or taking drugs. Those skills learned in our debaucherous youth helps us measure ingredients by volume (just replace the speed with flour). Frankly we just can't be bothered to measure things by weight. Such a hassle. Recipes are seen as a list of possibilities. It's super rare for us to look at a recipe and follow it word for word. We glance at recipes and then do what we want. Rules are for fools.

Once in a while the swords cross and stereotypes get broken. There are some badass rebel pastry chefs out there. They have managed to overcome the scientific nature of pastry and throw caution to the wind. There are also more and more 'regular' chefs who actually know math (not just drug measuring or money counting math). They can bake and they do it proudly. It's like monkeys learning sign language. It's not that uncommon but still very impressive.

I don't claim to be one of those chefs that have a knack for baking. I don't. However, with a little divine intervention I produced a really yummy loaf of French bread. Crusty on the outside, chewy on the inside. It's never too late to start baking. You may just surprise yourself. I sure did. When I pulled my bread out of the oven it felt as if I had just given birth. I caressed and coddled that loaf of bread until dinner time and then I cut it open and ate it all.

French Bread

5 cups all-purpose flour
.65 ounces (about 2 1/2 packets) packets active dry yeast
1 ½ teaspoons salt
2 cups warm water
1/4 cup cornmeal
1 egg
1 tablespoon water
olive oil
sea salt

In a large bowl, combine half the flour, yeast and salt. Stir in the 2 cups warm water, and beat until well blended using a mixer with a dough hook. Stir in the remaining flour.

On a lightly floured surface, knead to make a stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. Knead for about 8 minutes. Form the dough into a ball. Place dough in an lightly olive oil greased bowl, and turn once. Cover, and let rise in a warm place until doubled.

Punch the dough down, and divide in half. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Form each loaf into a long oval (French bread shaped)

Preheat oven to 375 F. Using olive oil lightly grease a large baking sheet. Sprinkle with cornmeal. Place loaves on the prepared baking sheet. Cover with a damp cloth. Let rise until nearly doubled, 35 to 40 minutes.

Lightly beat the egg white with 1 tablespoon of water, and brush over the loaves. With a very sharp knife, make 3 or 4 diagonal cuts about 1/4 inch deep across top of each loaf. Bake in a preheated oven for 20 minutes. Brush again with egg white mixture and sprinkle sea salt on top. Bake for an additional 15 to 20 minutes, or until bread tests done. Remove from the oven and cool on a wire rack. You have just baked delicious handmade bread! Congratulations.

A Basket Full of Eggs.

I am a soft boiled egg slut. I love them and I will kill to have them in my mouth. Okay, perhaps that's an exaggeration but I really do love them. Nobody does soft boiled eggs as well as the French.  Maybe it's the French chickens (or le poulet as they like to be called). Who knows. What I do know is that I also make a mean soft boiled egg. Not to brag (okay, I am) or anything  but I have converted many a egg naysayer with my aptitude for oeuf cookery. Anyhow, one of my favorite meals consists of a perfectly cooked egg, some nice cheese, a little charcuterie, and perhaps something fried (I'm pretty sure all the food groups are covered here).

I soft boiled a couple of eggs, seasoned them with salt and fresh cracked pepper and then garnished with a little scallion and a drizzle of porcini and truffle oil. Served up with some cured duck saucisson, aged manchego cheese, and some fried potato croquettes. Traditionally oeufs are serve with a side of mayonnaise but instead I decided for a little North African flair and made a harissa aioli.
With a yummy glass or three of your favorite French wine I think this is a perfect meal.  Very simple and very tasty.

The perfect soft boiled egg:
Put eggs into a pot filled with cold water.
Bring to a hard simmer.
The second you see rapid bubbles remove the pot from the stove.
Let them sit for 6 minutes.
Shock in an ice water bath and then carefully peel.  Yum.

P.S. - Sorry it's taken me so long between posts.  Life happened.  I will post more regularly for those of you who care. xoxo

Where's Violet?

Good things come to those who wait. xoxo

The Keys To Having A Bad-Assed Pantry: Part 1 - Spices

Are you one of those people who complain about how expensive it is to cook for themselves?  Or perhaps you have a friend who says that all the time.  I say to you (or your sad, hungry friend), that's nonsense!  The problem is this beginner cook.  You don't have a stocked pantry.  If you have the basic supplies the times you got the itch to cook it wouldn't cost very much (unless of course you decided you needed to make New York strip steaks with lobster tails and truffle butter sauce.  For you my friend yes, prepare to empty your bank account).  Once you have a stocked pantry you will be ready to cook up a storm.  You'll no longer look like you're on a drunken scavenger hunt for cumin seeds and panko bread crumbs.  Now simple recipes will seem easier as pie (actually pie can be somewhat difficult when made from scratch so I hate that dumb saying).  Here's what you need to do.  Build an impressive pantry.  Spend a chunk of change on your pantry now (consider it your tools for creating art) and then when you want to cook it'll be soooo much easier and less expensive.  Want a peek inside my pantry (keep your dirty thought to yourself you pervert!).  Okay, sassiness aside, lot's of these things I can't live without and when I run out I get more.  It's simple, just like that.  Today let's talk spices.

Spices you should have:  Stay away from that ten year old saw dust sold in the pre-packged jars at your local super mega-mart.  If you're really serious about cooking first thing you gotta do is buy a little spice grinder (I use this little coffee grinder for grinding whole spices but once it's designated it for spices don't use it for coffee.  No one wants to drink a black pepper, garlic latte. Ick.).  Buy your spices at a spice store or bulk bins at some of the nicer grocery stores. They will be fresher.  Buy them whole and grind them yourself if you can for better flavor.  I also use a pepper mill for fresh cracked black pepper but the grinder will work fine if you don't want more gadgets.  Here's what's always in my pantry:

* Kosher Salt (I like Diamond Crystal.  Don't use that iodized table salt shit.)
* Sea Salt (Just a little brinier than kosher.  Not necessary but yummy for certain things like seafood.)
* Finishing Salts (Pink Hawaiian, Alderwood Smoked Salt, Fleur De Sel.  For a little extra flavor after
   cooking.  Also, not necessary but fun and tasty.)
* Black Peppercorns (For fresh cracked black pepper.)
* White Peppercorns (A bit more potent that black pepper and leaves no appearance of pepper flecks)
* Cumin Seed (You can't cook Latino without it.)
* Cinnamon Sticks (The whole sticks have way more flavor than the powder.)
* Cloves (The spice, not the gothy cigarettes)
* Chili Powder (There are a lot of choices here.  I like New Mexican for heat and ancho for smokiness.  
   You can buy dried chilies and grind them yourself if you have time.)
* Star Anise (They look like cute little star fish and have a licoricey flavor)
* Cayenne Pepper (Bring on the heat.)
* Coriander Seeds (Yummy earthiness used a lot in Indian and in curries.)
* Paprika (I like hot Hungarian and simply cannot live without Piménton - hot smoked Spanish
   paprika.)
* Turmeric (Make things yellow and musky in a good way.)
* Red Crushed Pepper (Italian heat.)
* Allspice (Caribbean earthiness)
* Cardamom Pods (Strong and aromatic, used in curries and in Middle Eastern dishes.)
* Mustard Seeds (Great for kick and pickling.)
* Nutmeg (Get the pods and grind them with a fine grater or rasp.  Apple pie anyone?)

Here are a few spice mixes, dried herbs, and pre-ground things that recipes sometimes call for that I tend to keep around. Always use fresh herbs when possible otherwise dried will do in a pinch.

* Garlic Powder (Garlic in powder form.)
* Onion Powder (Onion in powder form.)
* Dried Oregano (I actually use this one a lot.  Not as good as fresh but still works.)
* Dried Thyme (Not nearly as good as fresh but it'll do.)
* Dried Basil (Nothing near as good as the fresh version but sometimes you need it now.)
* Dried Bay Leaves (The one dried herb I actually prefer over the fresh.)
* Celery Salt (bloody Marys!)
* Curry Powder (If you can take the time to make your own but sometimes in a pinch pre-made curry
   powders will certainly do.)
* Chinese Five Spice (It has five Chinese spices in it.  Cloves and Cinnamon being the strongest.)
* Old Bay (Great spice mix for seafood)
* Creole Seasoning (For some Bayou cookin')
* Filé Powder (Sassafras root to thicken and flavor Cajun cooking.)
* Sazón (Excellent Caribbean spice packets.  I use these all the time for my family's recipes.)
* Adobo (It's a Cuban spice mixture that is also prominent in my family's Cuban recipes.)
* Poultry Seasoning (Don't ask.  Just once in a while I reach for it.)
* Chicken Beef Ham Bouillon (Make your own stocks when ever possible for the best flavor otherwise
   these little processed salt cubes will have to suffice.)

Now for the really interesting ones in my pantry.  These spices are very specialized and exotic.

* Asafoetida (Super intense Indian spice.  Smells like feet but tastes like chickeny.)
* Bacon Salt (Also perfect in bloody Marys.)
* Annatto Seeds (Cubans call it poor man's saffron.)
* Bijol (Cubans call it poor man's annatto seed.)
* Za'atar (Ground sesame seeds with dried sumac and other herbs.  Middle Eastern citrusiness.)
* Grains of Paradise (Pungent and peppery African flavors. Was a popular spice in the Middle Ages.)
* Black Limes (Smokey sour Middle Eastern sun dried limes.)
* Shichimi Togarashi (Japanese spice mixture of peppers, citrus peels, sesame seeds and nori.)

Okay, I have lots more in my spice cabinet but those are the important one I think.  I have lots of different kinds of curry blends, and dried herb blends and ton of different kinds of salts and chili powders.  If you live in Seattle or don't have access to fresh spices check out my favorite spice shop World Spice Merchants.  They are super helpfully and inexpensive and will ship to your home wherever yo live so there is no excuse to have dingy old sawdust in your spice rack.

Stay tuned for The Keys To Having A Bad-Assed Pantry: Part 2 - Oils, Vinegars, and Condiments.  Oh, and let me know if you feel I've left something out.  I'm not a robot, ya know.

Rockfish and Roll.

It's no secret that Seattle is a Caribbean black hole.  No Cuban, no Jamaican, no Haitian, and just a tiny bit of Puerto Rican food.  Being a Miami girl I get serious craving for island food but it just ain't happening up here in the land of sasquatch.  What do you do when you can't find something?  You make it.  When I lived in North Miami Beach I used to swing by this little Jamaican hole in the wall off 163rd street for the best rockfish in creole sauce ever.  That with a few Jamaican patties and I was an  extremely happy girl.  I would skip school just to get my spicy tropical fix.  The cafe was the size of a closet and had a television on the counter blasting soap operas.  The friendly in her own way owner would be relaxing in her lazy-boy right in front of the counter making you wait until she found out who cheated on who and whether or not Jimmy survived falling down the hospitals elevator shaft.  Without even a glance she would point to one of the three tiny cafe tables crammed in the place.  Once the commercials came on she'd get up and briskly ask you what you want.  I always got the same, rockfish with creole sauce and two Jamaican patties.  She'd yell back to her cook and get back to watching her shows.  You just can't find that kind of atmosphere in the NW and I really miss it.  To make up for it I recently made Rockfish Creole with spicy ginger green beans.  I even ignored myself and watched a little General Hospital to make it feel authentic.  Now, if only I had some Jamaican patties.  Yum.

Rockfish Creole

2 4-6oz fillets of rockfish
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
1/2 fennel bulb, sliced
1/2 tsp scotch bonnet, minced (you can use less spicy peppers if you like)
juice of 1 lime
1 packet of sazón seasoning
salt and pepper tt
olive oil

Season the fish with salt, pepper, and the sazón seasoning.  Set aside.

For the creole sauce saute the onions, fennel, garlic, and scotch bonnet in a little olive oil until soft with a little color.  Add the lime juice.  Season with salt and pepper.

In a saute pan on med. high heat cook the fish in a little olive oil for about 2min. each side just until cooked through.  Cover with the creole sauce and serve.

*for the green beans I just blanched them off.  Sauteed a little garlic, ginger, and scotch bonnet in butter until soft.  Tossed in the green beans and cooked another 2-3 minutes.  Salt and pepper.  Enjoy.

Pork Chop Express.

The pork chop has a really bad reputation.  Often cooked to death until all that is left is a burnt dry mouthful of sawdust. Dry pork is disgusting but it's not the pork chops fault.  It's the human that thinks it's okay to commit chuleta de cerdo asesinato (pork chop murder).  Look, as long as you're not buying your meat from a shady back alley pork vendor (or grocery store factory farm) you don't have to worry about getting sick if the pork isn't cooked to 170F degrees.  Here's a trick that can be very forgiving on your lack of cooking prowess.  Brine the meat over night and then if you slightly over cook the pork it will still be juicy.  Brine is easy.  Equal parts salt and sugar (1 cup) and enough water (1 gallon) to cover overnight.

The next day after brining I made a rub of smoked paprika, chili powder, cumin, garlic powder, allspice and salt and pepper.  I then added a little olive oil to turn it into a paste.  The bone-in pork chop was coated in the spice mixture and marinated for about 2 hours.  I put a saute pan over medium high heat and cooked the pork chops about 4 minutes per side until just cooked through (or until you reach a little under 150F).  Let the meat rest after cooking.  It should be removed from the hot pan and covered with foil and left the hell alone for a minimum of 8 minutes.  Cutting into meat that doesn't rest will bleed out all of the delicious juiciness inside.  Resting the meat allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat making it juicy and tender. To the pan with all the yummy brown pork bits I added a little chicken stock and butter to release the fond (stuck brown bits) and make a spicy yummy sauce.

For a side dish I made a potato and zucchini galette.  It's super easy.  With a mandolin (if you don't have one, go buy one) slice the peeled yukon gold potatoes and zucchini into super thin discs.  In a saute pan, rub the bottom with butter to keep the galette from sticking.  Make an overlapping spiral layer of potato.  The an overlapping spiral layer of zucchini.  Then lightly season with salt and pepper and sprinkle a thin layer of grated manchego cheese.  The a layer of potato, then zucchini, etc until the saute pan is full.  Sprinkle bits of butter over the top and bake at 350F for about 40 minutes.  Stick a knife into it to make sure it's cooked all the way through.  Cover the pan with a plate and flip it out onto the plate. Delicious and impressive.  Cut out slices like a pizza pie and serve with the tasty smokey pork chops.  Enjoy. xoxo

The Eastern Block.

I just wanted to give a shout out to a newish restaurant up here on Seattle's Cap Hill.  Kanape is a cute lil' cafe located on the north tip of Broadway situated next to one of the many tanning salons (who the hell is going to Desert Thunder or whatever it's called, nobody is tan in Seattle?) on the hill.  Anyways, a friend and I had lunch at Kanape yesterday and we were greeted by an adorable Latvian girl (the owner perhaps) who warned us that putting our purses on the ground was very bad luck.  She brought me a chair for my bag which I thought was very sweet (I myself am a very superstitious person so I can relate). The menu is small but we were told that more substantial menu items (heartier fare like stroganoff and such) were coming very soon.  Not that the items on the menu right now aren't worth going for.  Kanape serves delicious Austrian kanapes (little open-faced sandwiches) and French Crepes.  There is also a nice variety of Eastern European salads and sweets.  For lunch I had a chicken liver pate kanape with slivered gherkin and pickled red onion on a slice of toasted baguette and a egg salad and lox kanape with capers and lemon on rye.  I also had a Russian Stolichnaya salad which consisted of veal bologna, pickle, egg, peas, organic carrot, onion, and potato and mayo.  Everything was light and tasty.  The chicken liver was smooth and creamy (I hate when I get grainy liver pate, ick) and it went perfectly with the brininess of the pickle and onion.  Very Tasty. Who doesn't like cured salmon and egg salad?  Suckers, that's who. So good. I love Russian salad.  Like a creamy potato salad but with other yummy vegetables and the chunks of veal bologna made it.  So good.  The kanapes are small but inexpensive.  They are around $2-3 dollars a piece.  Order a few and a salad to make a nice lunch. They have an amazing happy hour on weekdays from 4-6pm where kanapes are only $1 and drinks around $3.  I will definitely be back.  When you go, just make sure you keep your bag off the ground.

Kanape
700 Broadway East Suite D
Seattle, WA 98102
206 7081210