Simplicity

 

I read a quote today that I really like.  The 1800s French chef Urbain Francois Dubois said this:

"The ambition of every good cook must be to make something very good with the fewest possible ingredients."

The is a nice statement.  The simplicity of food can be advantaged in a way that doesn't require us to add dozens of separate ingredients to make something really delicious.  There is a beauty in making something with strawberries, for example, that has so few ingredients that the flavor of the berries can't help but come out with strength.  But sometimes with simplicity, it's not just the flavors of a single ingredient.  You can make something with a small handful of ingredients and still have two separate flavors come out boldly -- strawberry lemonade, for example.  

Sometimes I will see a recipe that has literally dozens of ingredients.  Sometimes that is reasonable such as when making a stew or soup that we expect to have many different things in it.  But sometimes the number of ingredients is such that one has to wonder if half of them even make a difference.  You can argue both sides of this issue. Sometimes a massive number of ingredients does make a difference, indeed.  But not always.

But in general, I love the idea of focusing on few ingredients and letting those flavors be bold and powerful.  

Making a food with only a few ingredients is always nice from a practical point of view as well.  Their is a simplicity in the production as well as the content.  And that means it's quick and easy.  

Whether a recipe calls for only a few or many ingredients, what matters is the enjoyment one gets from making it and eating it and sharing it. 

But I love that quote.  It's a good one.  And it can remind us to focus on simple flavors.

Food experiments

In every kitchen with an active cook, baker, or chef, all across the country, experiments are going on almost every day.  The vanilla poppy seed muffins which I like to make, shown in the photo above, came about because of my own experiments.  I wanted a good vanilla muffin with a streusel topping and poppy seeds and all I could find were lemon poppy seed recipes.  After creating my own recipe, I eventually found other recipes for a similar vanilla-based muffin with poppy seeds.  But the one I have was entirely crafted by me.

I, like many other denizens of the kitchen, love to experiment.  Sometimes these adventures involve only subtle changes with ingredients.  Others involve complete remakes of something old into something new.  And some sound crazy when first verbalized but then turn out great when completed.

One of the weirdest things I have ever heard of, though, I read about this past week.  There is something called a sequin salad that used to be made several decades ago.  In fact, Jell-O even put out the recipe as something to use it's product for, sometime back in the 1950s, I think.  I'm not sure whether Jell-O originated it or if it came from someone else, but here's what it is.

Sequin salad - vinegar soaked vegetables, such as cauliflower, red peppers, onion, pimentos, etc., seasoned with salt and pepper (sometimes) and suspended in lime Jell-O.  

I can't imagine even in my wildest creative, most imaginative moments that I ever would have come up with an idea like this.  I didn't find a lot of information online about whether or not this was really enjoyed back when it was made.  I only could discover that it doesn't seem to be made anymore, and most people who come across this example of wild food experimentation are also as incredulous as I am.

Now, if anyone who reads this has ever tried this or is willing to try it and report back, then please do so.  As for me, I can't even bring myself to put this salad together.

I will continue to experiment, but probably never with something as wild as this idea.

Noticing details

 

Good morning!  So far, this month has been so extremely busy that I didn't even realize I was behind on posting here.  So I will try to catch up.

Lately, as I have been working on plans to take this food enterprise further, I find myself noticing details more and more when I'm out at other food establishments.  I notice what seems to work in terms of service.  I notice when it seems customers are happy and when they are impatient.  I notice the decor.  I notice the constancy, or often the lack, thereof, of quality when I eat someplace more than once.

Basically, I keep tweaking my ideas in my head again and again based on what I see that either works or doesn't work in the food world as I'm able to explore it. 

These details may or may not cause significant changes in what I want to do with my food.  I already have a well-honed set of ideas that is governing what I want to develop.  But I still continue to look at details both small and large. 

OK.  That's all for now.  But I will post again soon.  Today I'm studying cake rusk.  Haven't had it?  It's wonderful.  Think of it like biscotti, only it's pound cake.

I'll explain more later.  Have a great rainy (at least if you are reading this in Kansas City) Monday, everyone!

Containers and packaging

 

One of the hardest things to do, sometimes, is finding good containers and packaging that I'm happy with.  Many of the things that I make use very specific containers, such as the small cake molds above, which I use every single time.  These become part of the baking protocol that must be followed every time so that I have uniformity and consistency since they affect the actual baking of the product.

I keep stacks of containers such as these.  When I can, I try to use the same container for more than one product, but that's not always possible.  Sometimes I want to make a smaller size of something and so a bigger container that is already part of the "kitchen stock" is not suitable.  Some things are so rich or so sweet that they need to be in a smaller size because it makes more sense as a serving size.

If a manufacturer were to eliminate one of my usual containers from their offerings, I couldn't always find the same thing somewhere else.  That hasn't happened yet, and hopefully it won't.  But I recognize that it could happen.

Finding just the right container for either baking or serving/packaging is actually a very satisfying thing.  The end result, knowing that I get consistency in the final product and an appropriate serving size, is extremely rewarding for some reason.  

Sometimes when I add a new item to the menu, the hardest part is deciding how big to make it, what to bake it in, what to package it in, and figuring this out can take quite a bit of time.  Sometimes it's impossible to find exactly what I want and I have to compromise.  But in the end, I am always at peace with whatever the choice is.

Chocolate and nuts

Does anyone not like chocolate covered nut clusters?  I don't hear anyone saying, "No."  That's good.  I think chocolate covered nuts are one of the most perfect desserts.

Did you know that today is National Chocolate-Covered Cashews Day?

The most challenging part of making chocolate covered nuts by hand is tempering the chocolate.  Most people, if they make nut clusters in their home kitchens, will simply melt chocolate, assemble the clusters using a cookie scoop or spoon, and then chill them so as to get the chocolate to set.

However, if you take the time to temper the chocolate, the result is even better.  Tempering chocolate is a science since it can be done by measuring the exact temperature at which specific types of crystals form in the chocolate, but also an art if one is simply doing it by hand and noting the texture and color as they agitate the chocolate without measuring the temperature at all.  An experienced chocolatier often does not need to measure the temperature of the chocolate.  They can see and feel when it is ready.

And the tempered chocolate with it's shiny look and it's crispy break is perfect.  It's worth the time to learn to temper chocolate.  And worth all the nuts you can get to make nut clusters.

Fun to make lots of food

This past weekend was a busy one.  I was asked to provide some food for a bridal shower.  It was a small event, but then it got bigger.  And so I made my food plans bigger, too.

In the end, I made ginger spice cookies, raspberry sweet creams, savory egg salad sliders, a large autumn spice cake with cream cheese frosting, a  large batch of mac and cheese, and a large batch of Swedish visiting cakes.

That's a lot of food. But you know what?  It was a lot of fun to make in a short time.  To do that, one has to create the menu carefully to ensure that it can done.  Then one has to shop.  Then one has schedule the preparation.  And finally it has to be cooked, mixed, baked, etc.  This was all done within about 24 hours from the start of the first food to the end of the last one. 

When it was all done, it was time to load it into boxes and coolers, and then into the car.  And then it was delivered.

In the end, there were a lot of smiles for all this food from the attendees.  That's my biggest reward.  Making good food for people who sincerely enjoy it is a pleasure.  And it's darn good way to make the world a better place.

Grilled cheese

 

Today is such a pleasant day already, a mild temperature, sunny, clear skies, and a relaxed working day ahead (meaning very little work) ... it makes me feel like doing a lot of cooking.  In particular I feel like making treats.  This weekend I am working on some food for a bridal shower, some savory, some sweet.  I might toss in a couple extra items just because, as I said, I feel like doing a lot of cooking.

Today is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day.  When it comes to grilled cheese, I'm a bit of a traditionalist.  Plain American cheese is all I need.  Sometimes I see recipes for a grilled cheese sandwich that uses nothing but some rare exotic cheese.  For me, I will take American cheese, or a blend with American and something else like gouda or muenster.  But American cheese is so creamy when melted that it has to be the foundation for me.  However, I love to toss in ham or turkey as well, especially turkey.  I love the combination of turkey and melted cheese on that grilled buttered bread.

The picture above of the mirror glazed cakes .... well, that means I'm really feeling like making some of those too.  These are a multi-day item, meaning I make the cakes parts on one day and freeze them, and the mousse filling on another day and chill it, then assemble and freeze and on the end of the second day or the third day, I make the glaze and pour it over until it is beautifully glossy and shiny.  

Eating the cakes?  That's NOT a multi-day process.  LOL.

Have a great day, everyone, and as always, enjoy some good food.

Taking the time to make chili

I have been spending time on some travel the past couple weeks as well as some other major projects, but I still can hardly believe that two whole weeks have passed since I last posted.

Here we are in our early spring in Kansas City.  Everything is greening nicely.  It's time to get out and resume yard projects that were put on hold for the winter.  And it's also time for nice warm spring foods.

I feel like making chili.  I love making chili.  It's a long process.  Peppers and onions are cut slowly and methodically.  Two kinds of beans are prepared.  Tomatoes and their juices prepared.  Spices carefully measured out.  Chorizo simmering until perfect with garlic.  Corn is measured out.  And a small quantity of chocolate is chopped and ready for melting into the final chili.

I love the process.  I take my time.  I don't rush.  Finally when everything is prepared, I start the cooking.  One by one the ingredients are tossed into the pot.  Slowly it cooks, adding layer upon layer of flavor.  The pot fills as each new item is added.  Then it sits and slowly simmers for a long long time.  I stir it periodically and inhale the aromas.  I watch as the texture and color settle into what they should be.

When it's done, it's time to eat with a sprinkle of freshly grated cheese, maybe some sour cream, maybe some added chives or parsley.

It's an amazing thing to start with raw ingredients and finish with something so delicious.  Cooking is worth the time it takes.  In this fast-paced world, we don't always get the chance to do that.  But it's worth it when we can make the time.

National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day

Well, here we are on a chilly and slightly rainy Sunday morning in Kansas City.  While my irises are not yet blooming as in the picture above (which was from last year), I am looking forward to them blooming now that spring has begun.

Today is National Chocolate Covered Raisin Day.  Hmmmm ....

I love chocolate candies and chocolate covered nuts and chocolate covered shortbread, etc., but I've never been able to convince myself that chocolate covered fruits are something tasty.  Chocolate covered strawberries are loved by everyone, it seems, yet I don't seem to enjoy them much.  Chocolate covered bananas?  Nope.  And so it goes with fruit.

As for chocolate covered raisins, specifically, well, all I can say is what I always say about raisins:  Why would anyone do that to a grape?!?

Grapes are amazing, but to dry them out, shrivel them up and leave them with an odd chewy texture and an even odder taste ....    What can I say?  It's who I am.

But give me a chocolate covered pretzel, and I'm very happy.

I definitely feel like melting and tempering chocolate.  I have a quantity of mixed nuts here, so perhaps today I'll make some nut clusters.  Now that's a great chocolate covered snack.

Tasks to do but sometimes forgotten

I was rummaging through my freezer this morning as I sometimes do.  I like to keep organized, make sure things are getting used up.  As I did that, I found puréed banana that I had frozen almost a month ago.  I'm glad I found it because I hate to see things go to waste, but also because I had really been hoping to test out making banana bread using this frozen banana mixture to see whether or not this was a viable way to prepare bananas ahead of time, meaning that I am hoping the freezing of the banana mixture doesn't mitigate the high quality of this banana bread recipe.

I like to keep a list of things to do, and this testing of the frozen mixture should have been on my list.  But, alas, somehow it didn't make it on there.  

Neglecting to do previously planned tasks, forgetting to complete special projects, watching foods expire ... these are all things that bug me.   I like to stay organized.  I like to be productive.  And I like to whittle down my "to-do" list to something smaller.  Of course, that last one is a hard thing to do since I'm always coming up with ideas I want to test, recipes I want to try, and all those things get added to the list.

It's a never-ending list.  But that's OK.  I never have a reason to be bored because of it.