And the nominees are...

*drum roll*...

I was excited to stumble across the Bon Appétit post yesterday about the James Beard Award Nominations.  For those of you who do not know, these are the Oscars of the food world.  I'm still learning a lot about this world, so this nominee list is really cool to see.

http://eater.com/archives/2012/03/19/here-are-the-2012-james-beard-awards-finalists.php

My food journey has really become more extensive over the past few years.  When I've traveled, I've really tried to find some gems.  I've also really connected to a few media outlets, chefs, food personalities, and restaurants who have taught me a ton and sparked some passion in me.



1. Christina Tosi - The Pastry Chef behind David Chang's Momofuku chain in NYC.  Her branch: Milk Bar.  I discovered this via a fall 2011 Bon Appétit issue that featured some of her mind-blowing creations. I went to New York later that year and fell in love with the pastry shop.  I couldn't get any of the treats here in Nashville, so any time I visited, I made sure to stop and pickup some Corn Cookies or Cake Truffles.  She realized the Milk Bar cook book this past fall, and it has been the most influential cook book I've ever owned.  She causes you to think drastically outside the box (pre-packaged cake mix, anyone?) - and I've realized that rules are meant to be broken!  Her story is very cool in how she made her journey to where she's at now.  Very inspiring.  I was very proud to see her name on the list of nominees for the James Beard Rising Star Chef of the Year award.  I, personally, think that her cookbook should've been listed in one of the categories, and that Milk Bar should've been featured in a handful of other categories.

2. Joanne Chang - the Harvard grad turned baker / pastry chef and owner of Flour Bakery in Boston.  I first saw her on a Throwdown episode with Bobby Flay.  She kicked his ass with her sticky buns.  I've been craving them ever since.  I then was searching around for an old fashioned banana bread recipe - one like my grandma used to make.  I found Joanne's.  Her's was all I'd imagined - and more.  I think the secret ingredient is crème fraîche - and her technique of creaming eggs and sugar together for a ridiculously long amount of time.  She's nominated for Outstanding Pastry Chef.

I love cooking all types of food, but I think I light up most when it comes to baking and pastry work.  Maybe it's the reward from the extra time it takes.  It's a little bit more of an art form.  Layering a cake, icing it, making sure it's perfect - it's almost like sculpting.  I think this is why I'm drawn to Tosi and Chang so much.  Additionally, I think they express intelligence and humor in their work.  You can't go to Milk Bar and not crack a smile at all the playful tricks used to recreate child favorites like Cereal Milk.  And the fact that Joanne Chang is a Harvard grad is bad ass.  Period.

3. Bon Appétit Magazine - I look forward to pulling the new copy out of the mailbox each month.  I'm constantly inspired to recreate recipes, incorporate new techniques and ideas into my own cooking, and to grow on my own path in the food world.  I would love to work at Bon Appétit someday.  We'll see.  They're in 4 categories.  VERY much deserved.

4. Wolfgang Puck - Enough said.  Nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award.  I just can't help but like him.  He was the ORIGINAL food celebrity.  He's paved the way for many.

5. Frasca - Boulder, Colorado.  I'm partial to this amazing Friulian-inspired restaurant only 45 minutes away from my hometown.  The folks here serve fantastic food in a fantastic town.  I also was inspired here to shape my butter into a quenelle.  They made the list for Outstanding Wine Program.  They did, in fact, have a great wine list when I was there.

6. PTD - New York.  Stands for Please Don't Tell.  I've tried on two separate occasions to get into this place on two separate trips to New York.  It's a secret speakeasy, and you enter through the phone booth of an old hot dog joint.  No joke.

7. Thomas McNaughton - Flour + Water - San Francisco.  I don't really follow Thomas McNaughton, but I  had the pleasure of dining at Flour + Water last year, and it was one of the best meals I've ever had.  We waited two hours to get in, and it was more than worth every minute.  Not to mention, the Mission neighborhood is a fantastic place in SF to stand out side and chat with with friends on a warm evening.  Thomas is nominated for Rising Star Chef of the Year.

8. Ted Allen - Nominated for TV Food Personality/Host.  Some of you might remember him from the hit show Queer Eye.  Anyone?!  I never watched that, but I absolutely love this guy.  He's super smart, he's a great host on Chopped, and he really has a lot of insight in the food world.

9. Lastly, Mr. David Chang.  I actually didn't know much about this guy until I first discovered his incredible pastry chef Christina Tosi (my number one inspiration).  I later found out that David is one of those guys who revolutionized the food world in NYC, using techniques like sous vide cooking and adding whacky ingredients into traditional dishes for an off-the-wall experience.  I can see why Tosi and Chang are such a good match.  He's up for Outstanding Chef.  Go team Momofuku!

Epic Pad Thai & How to Save $50

I've had some sort of Pad Thai obsession ever since I realized that carbs are not the devil and you can eat them without getting fat (balance).  I happen to live within walking distance of Siam Cuisine, a 2 minute drive from Golden Thai, and about 10 minutes from the best Thai in Nashville, Thai Phooket.  This is very convenient, but it's been depleting my bank account a good fit as of recent.

After work about two weeks ago, I decided to order Siam's Pad Thai and pick it up on my way home.  I realized that by making the call just as I was walking out to my car, it was piping hot and ready to go as soon as I pulled into Siam.  One week and $50 later, I realized it might be a good idea to at least attempt to make Pad Thai.  Plus, I thought it'd be fun to dabble in Asian cuisine - something I had not done a lot of.

Initially, I think complex Asian dishes just seemed a bit intimidating to me.  Now that I got my feet wet, I will say that it just takes "going for it".  There are some weird ingredients, and some of the prep can be somewhat time consuming, but it's also therapeutic.  The cooking process, itself, is simple, fast, and the end result, if executed properly, is well worth your time.

So, how do I go about finding a recipe when I'm making a new dish?  I feel like the search is crucial.  I scour my favorite recipe sites: bon appetit, food network.com, and epicurious.  January's bon appetit issue actually had a very legit article and menu on Thai by a guy named Andy Ricker.  He included his Pad Thai recipe, which may have sub consciously started the gears turning in my mind earlier this year.  This was his take:

"This Pad Thai is not the dish from the neighborhood take-out joint. "It ain't made with chicken," says Ricker, whose traditional take—pleasantly funky with fish sauce and preserved radish and a touch sour from tamarind—is meant to be eaten in the evening as a stand-alone dish."

Link http://www.bonappetit.com/recipes/2012/01/pad-thai

On epicurious, it had 3.5 forks out of 4... or something.  I kept noodling around, and moved over to the food network site.  I knew Alton Brown had done a Pad Thai dish at some point, and his recipes are usually fantastic.  He had 4 out of 5 stars.  Some folks said it wasn't authentic, and he added a few odd ingredients, not typical to Pad Thai.  

Then I found the recipe that looked promising.  5 stars and 48 user reviews:  The Kuay Tiaw Pad Thai recipe from an episode of Throwdown with Bobby Flay.  Bobby did not win ;).  I have to say, don't screw with a dish like this, trying to add all kinds of unique extras - bells and whistles.  Traditional is best.  

Recipe Link:  http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/kuay-tiaw-pad-thai-recipe/index.html

Because Whole Foods, let alone any ther standard grocery store in town, doesn't carry some of the true Asian ingredients for this recipe, I headed over to K&S World Market... two blocks away!  I gathered palm sugar, fish sauce, tamarind water, preserved radish, dried shrimp, bean sprouts, garlic chives, and hot dried chilies ~ "These are not like crush red chili at pizza place.  Those not very hot.  These hot!" ~clerk at Asian market.

I made the Pad Thai sauce to the t.It stank up the house.  But, the end result was fantastic.  Sweet, salty; it had depth.  I guess this is the coveted "umami" flavor.  Then I prepped the veggies, and ground some peanuts with my mortar & pestle

I gathered all of my ingredients next to my electric wok and fired it up.  This is when things went quick.  I made a flow chart for my modified version of this recipe, so I could glance up and see which step was next, without rereading the entire paragraph again.

GARLIC -> SHRIMP, set aside -> NOODLES, water -> SAUCE -> return shrimp

move aside, EGGS, noodles on top -> stir -> add CHILES, PEANUTS, CHIVES, SPROUTS

I thew it on a plate, garnished it, and enjoyed some of the best Thai food I've ever had.  This Pad Thai dish was EPIC.  I think I'll be making it at home a lot more instead of ordering out.  I remade it again tonight, and it was even better, as I kicked the heat factor up a notch this time.  

Here's mine:

Momofuku Milk Bar - Cookbook!

So, I was scouring Amazon.com this evening for some cookbooks, and I discovered that Christina Tosi at Momofuku Milk Bar in NYC is releasing a cookbook this month with recipes from Milk Bar!!  I'm pretty ecstatic right now.  If you've read earlier posts, you'll know I'm a huge fan of this place.  I'm obsessed with their cookies, and I'm dying to make the Corn Cookie that I tried when I was there in New York.  (I ordered the book).  I will try and post an update with some recipes once I get it.  It's been way too long since I've updated the blog.  I need to add some unfinished posts from the summer!

Book link:  http://www.amazon.com/Momofuku-Milk-Bar-Christina-Tosi/dp/0307720497/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1317704033&sr=8-1

Oatmeal + Poached Egg?!!

I usually work early mornings on Saturdays.  This means taking breakfast to work.  Today, I decided to combine two of my favorite breakfast items in a not-so-traditional fashion: oatmeal + poached egg.  I love eggs.  I think they are amazing for any meal.  I usually scramble them, fry them, or occasionally bake them (shirred eggs), however these methods are difficult to do when the only thing I have access to is a microwave.  I've done eggs in the microwave before, but they've come out rubbery over-cooked.

I found this "perfectly poached egg" on bon appetite's website, and their method of choice?  The microwave!!  One minute in 1/2 cup of water in the microwave, and you have a perfectly poached egg.

I threw this on top of a bowl of the best quick oatmeal I've found, Trader Joe's brand.  Apple-cinnamon today.  I actually added a bit of salt and pepper.  It was very brunchy, combining the sweet flavors of the oatmeal and savory, creamy goodness of the egg topped with salt and pepper.  This will certainly be a repeat breakfast for me.

Peanut Butter Jelly Time!

Do you ever get the urge to skip dinner completely and go straight for the sweets?  I know I do.  I've got a major sweet tooth.  A few weeks back, my wonderful friend, Judson Aikens (Judson Knows Best), decided to host a movie and dessert night and invited Brandon Jenkins and I to bring some tasty treats.  The movie was Celine: Through The Eyes of the World, a documentary of Celine Dion's latest world tour.  It was incredible.


As for the desserts, Brandon and I chose two desserts that were very different, but both over the top.  The first was one of the eye-popping features from Bon Appetit's February issue: Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars.  We followed the recipe as written. 


PART 1:  The Peanut Butter & Jelly Bars

Ingredients

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
1 1/2 cups unbleached all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 cup smooth peanut butter
3/4 cup (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3/4 cup grape jelly or other jelly or jam
2/3 cup coarsely chopped salted dry-roasted peanuts

Preparation

• Preheat oven to 350°F. Line 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan with heavy-duty foil, leaving 2-inch overhang around edges and pressing firmly into corners and up sides of pan. Coat foil with nonstick spray. Whisk flour, baking powder, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in small bowl. Using electric mixer, beat peanut butter, sugar, and butter in large bowl until smooth. Add egg and vanilla; beat on low speed until smooth. Add flour mixture; beat on low speed just to blend. Transfer half of dough to prepared pan (about scant 1 1/2 cups). Place remaining dough in freezer for 10 minutes. Using fingertips, press dough evenly onto bottom of pan. Spread jelly over in even layer. Remove dough from freezer; using fingertips, break into grape-size pieces and scatter over jelly layer. Sprinkle chopped nuts over.
• Bake bars until top is golden brown, about 30 minutes. Cool bars completely in pan on rack.
• Using foil overhang as aid, lift bars from pan. Gently peel foil from edges. Cut into 16 squares. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Store airtight at room temperature.

Here's how ours turned out:

I do have to say that there are two flavor components that could really change he outcome of the bars drastically: the peanut butter and the jelly (pretty important for this dish, ha!).  We used Jif Natural peanut butter, and Smucker's Blackberry Jelly.  It's really important to use ingredients that taste wonderfully by themselves.  I can't really stand the taste of most "regular" peanut butters filled with all of their hydrogenated oils (trans fats!!!).  I do like and appreciate more organic and plain peanut butters made from only peanuts, peanut oil, and salt, however, when it comes to a jar I can't put down, it's Jif Natural.  It still has qualities of the origianl Jif, however, they use palm oil (naturally solid at room temperature), and a bit of sugar is added for sweetness, which I like.  The texture and flavor is right on.  I love it right out of the jar, and it's wonderful in smoothies, in sauces, or on a piece of dry toast. 


The jam we bought tasted great.  It was simple.  We both agreed, though, that next time we're going for a local jar of fruit preserves (containing the full fruit).  Quick side note on jams, jellies, preserves, compotes, etc. [from Wikipedia]:


Jam contains both fruit juice and pieces of the fruit's (or vegetable's) flesh,^[12] although some cookbooks define jam as cooked and gelled fruit (or vegetable) purees.^[13]
A conserve, or whole fruit jam,^[5] is a jam made of fruit stewed in sugar.

Jelly is a clear or translucent fruit spread made from sweetened fruit (or vegetable) juice and set using naturally occurring pectin. Additional pectin may be added where the original fruit does not supply enough, for example with grapes.^[12] Jelly can be made from sweet, savory or hot ingredients. It is made by a process similar to that used for making jam, with the additional step of filtering out the fruit pulp after the initial heating. A muslin or stockinette "jelly bag" is traditionally used as a filter, suspended by string over a bowl to allow the straining to occur gently under gravity. It is important not to attempt to force the straining process, for example by squeezing the mass of fruit in the muslin, or the clarity of the resulting jelly will be compromised.

British-style marmalade is a sweet preserve with a bitter tang made from fruit, sugar, water, and (in some commercial brands) a gelling agent. American-style marmalade is sweet, not bitter. In English-speaking usage, "marmalade" almost always refers to a preserve derived from a citrus fruit, most commonly oranges, although onion marmalade is also used as an accompaniment to savoury dishes.

The recipe includes sliced or chopped fruit peel, which is simmered in fruit juice and water until soft; indeed marmalade is sometimes described as jam with fruit peel (although many companies now also manufacture peel-free marmalade). Such marmalade is most often consumed on toasted bread for breakfast. The favoured citrus fruit for marmalade production in the UK is the "Seville orange," Citrus aurantium var. aurantium, thus called because it was originally imported from Seville in Spain; it is higher in pectin than sweet oranges, and therefore gives a good set. Marmalade can also be made from lemons, limes, grapefruit, strawberries or a combination.

The term preserves is usually interchangeable with jam. Some cookbooks define preserves as cooked and gelled whole fruit (or vegetable), which includes a significant portion of the fruit.^[13]


Compote (French for "mixture") is a dessert originating from 17th century France made of whole or pieces of fruit in sugar syrup. Whole fruits are immersed in water and with sugar and spices added to the dish, over gentle heat. The syrup may be seasoned with vanilla, lemon or orange peel, cinnamon sticks or powder, cloves, ground almonds, grated coconut, candied fruit, or raisins. The compote is then served either warm or chilled arranged in a large fruit bowl or single-serve bowl for individual presentation. The dessert may be topped with whipped cream, cinnamon, or vanilla sugar. Other preparations consist of using dried fruits which have been soaked in water in which alcohol can be added, for example kirsch, rum, orFrontignan.^[1] Dried fruit compote is a common passover food.




PART 2:  The Blueberry and Cream Cookies

Now for the second dessert.  This recipe has been an ALL STAR secret of mine for the past year.  These are the Blueberry and Cream Cookies from Christina Tosi's Momofuku Milk Bar in New York City.  They're the best cookies I've ever had.  


This recipe was featured (also) in Bon Appetit last September, along with a few other creations from Christina Tosi.  She is one of the most creative chefs in the country, and she's in charge of the Bakery under David Chang's Momofuku series of restaurants.  She also happens to be nominated for this year's James Beard Award.  Some of her creations include Crack Pie, Cereal Milk, and Chocolate-Malt Cake.  I HAD to make the cookies.  The recipe looked too good to be true.  The secret ingredient: Milk Crumbs - a streusel- like topping that has dry milk powder and butter in it.


Over the past 6 months, I've tried these cookies with different ingredients (dried cherries, cranberries and pecans, etc.), and they are always amazing, however the Blueberry and Cream version is still the best. 


Shortly after making my first batch, I had the chance to visit Milk Bar in Midtown NYC.  

I certainly tried every cookie they had.  This recipe is almost exactly like the cookies in the bakery.  Now, I only wish they had a recipe for their Corn Cookie!  [You can order most of their baked goods online at the link above.]   

Ingredients

2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons (packed) golden brown sugar
1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons light corn syrup
2 large eggs
5 1/4 cups all purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt
1 1/2 cups Milk Crumbs (click for recipe)
1 1/2 cups dried blueberries

Special Equipment

Stand mixer with paddle attachment.

Preparation

• Combine butter, both sugars, and corn syrup in large bowl of stand mixer fitted with paddle attachment. Beat on medium-high speed until fluffy and pale, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl, about 3 minutes. Add eggs; beat on medium-high speed until mixture is very pale and sugar is completely dissolved, about 10 minutes. Add flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt; beat on low speed just until blended, occasionally scraping down sides of bowl. Add Milk Crumbs; mix on low speed just until incorporated. Remove bowl from mixer. Stir in blueberries just until evenly distributed (dough will be very sticky).
• Using 1/4-cup ice cream scoop for each cookie, drop dough onto 2 large rimmed baking sheets. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate at least 24 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Keep chilled until baking time.
• Position 1 rack in top third and 1 rack in bottom third of oven and preheat to 375°F. Line 2 large (18x12-inch) rimmed baking sheets with parchment. Transfer 6 chilled dough scoops to each sheet, spacing at least 4 inches apart (cookies will spread). Bake cookies, 2 sheets at a time, until golden, reversing sheets halfway through baking, 20 to 22 minutes total. Repeat with remaining chilled dough, cooling and relining sheets between batches. Transfer cookies to racks; cool completely. DO AHEAD Can be made 3 days ahead. Store in airtight containers at room temperature.

The key to crispy edges and soft, chewy centers is refrigerating the cookies over night after scooping them onto sheet pans.  I also might suggest freezing a few cookies (before baking them).  They're great to pull out of the freezer and bake, or simply microwave for about 15 seconds and eat warm, gooey, cookie dough!  YUM!

So which is it?! Grits or Polenta?

I've been on a Polenta kick this year.  It pairs well with so many dishes, and it's just about as comforting as can be - creamy, buttery, cheesy (if you like it that way);  it can be a savory dinner side or the star of the show for breakfast and brunch with a bit of maple syrup or brown sugar mixed in.  In my fascination with this porridge-y goodness, I've found there is much debate over the differences in grits and polenta.  Most will stand their ground and argue they are not the same thing, however it's time to shed a bit of light on this issue.

Alton Brown did an entire show on this debate a few years back: TRUE GRITS (watch it if you can!).  I've done some digging online and also noted Alton's key points.  Here's the deal.  Grits and Polenta are the same thing.  The cornmeal used for both is most commonly made from flint or dent corn.  HERE is an interesting read from about.com on corn.

Some argue that polenta is made from medium ground cornmeal and that true southern grits are made from coarse ground white cornmeal, however, there is no set standard.

Alton did note that hominy grits, the standard grits of the deep south, are definitely different than regular corn meal grits.  Hominy is dried corn which has been treated with an alkali such as lye.  This changes the chemical structure of the corn and makes it blow up several times its original size.  Hominy grits are [obviously] made from hominy, and the end result is a coarser meal - "grittier" grits that "never get truly creamy".

Many people are also familiar with the firm version of polenta, which is poured into a pan once cooked, and chilled in the fridge.  The polenta hardens and can be cut into slices, circles, squares, or "polenta fries" and then grilled, sauteed, or deep fried.

Basically, the way I see it is grits and polenta are different based on context.  I do feel like white coarse grits seem more "country" or southern", adding more to the visualization of eating than anything, but I'd be completely fine with using the yellow variation any day of the week.  I would serve polenta with a nice ribeye and grits with biscuits and gravy.  I'd probably throw some Parmesan-Reggiano in the polenta and some sharp Cheddar in my grits.

So, what do you call your mush?  How do you like it?  

Pantry raid, asian style

I was craving something Asian today.  I may have to do with the fact that I did get a Thai massage (best massages ever!).  I grabbed some salmon, bok choy, ginger, green onions, and Shiitake mushrooms from Whole Foods.  When I got home, I basically pulled out every Asian ingredient I could think of, and came up with this:

PANTRY RAID ASIAN SALMON


I didn't measure any of this out, so it's all rough estimates...


SAUCE


1 T freshly minced ginger
1 T freshly minced garlic
1 T finely diced jalapeno (I left the seeds in)
2 T chopped green onion
3 T sesame oil
3 T honey
2 T hoisin sauce
1 T dark red miso paste
2 tsp or more Sriracha (Asian hot sauce... makes everything taste better)
1 tsp corn starch
1/3 cup soy sauce

Blend in a blender until combined into a liquid

BOK CHOY


1 head bok choy, bottom trimmed, soaked and dirt rinsed
1 cup Shiitake or other type of mushrooms
1.5 cups chicken broth
1/4 cup sliced green onion
half of sauce recipe from above
sesame seeds

Add ingredients to a dutch oven or large lidded pot and bring to a simmer for about 30 minutes or until nok choy and mushrooms are very tender.


SALMON


2 salmon filets (about 6 ounces each)
salt
pepper
peanuts

Season salmon generously with salt and pepper.  Heat 1 T butter and 1 or 2 T sesame oil in a heavy bottomed fry pan on med to med-high.  When the pan is hot, add salmon, skin side up, to the pan.  Cook for 4 minutes and flip.  Once turned over, pour remaining sauce over the salmon and cook for another 3 to 4 minutes.  Plate salmon on top of bok choy and garnish with peanuts.

This cook time was for a medium-rare to medium salmon.