Say Cheese (Recipe for Bocconcini Mozzarella Balls)
I just got around to finishing this post about making cheese last semester in Garde Manger class. In fact, I was supposed to post this as part of a make-up cook-at-home assignment. (I thought she had said my product was sufficient, but later mentioned she never saw the story. Oopsie! I still made an A despite the missed points, though.) A promise is a promise, albeit a late one. Here you go, Chef C.
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Awfully pretty, isn't it? Too bad it had some fatal errors...
Making cheese, I don’t think it too scandalous to say, is a bit of a glimpse into the mind of God. Or witchcraft, I guess, depending on whose side you take. (Vegans, make your joke here.)
You start with such a completely plain, innocuous substance as milk, throw some other stuff at it, wave your hands in a prescribed motion, and, poof, you have cheese.
Okay, so it’s not quite that simplistic. But it is quite amazing.
In Garde Manger class, we’ve spent a handful of weeks on fresh (unaged) cheeses, because they’re quick, useful, and a good starting point for learning the ropes.
I showed you earlier our fresh lemon cheese, which is somewhere between ricotta and cream cheese in consistency. It was amazingly delicious and made a lovely filling for the sweet applications we used that day.
The next week, I was awfully sick with one of those might-as-well-be-the-flu-but-it’s-not sort of things. I went to class and powered through the lecture, but the chef knew better than to put my snotty, contagious self in the kitchen. I guess since I bothered to show up, she felt sorry for me and let me take some lab work home.
The project: Mozzarella.
I remember passing through the kitchen once last year when this class was doing this same project. Nibbly bliss!
Here’s the process, for those wishing to try at home. It’s awfully fun:
Bocconcini (Mozzarella balls)
(Adapted from Garde Manger: The Art and Craft of the Cold Kitchen by Culinary Institute of America)
- 5 1/2 oz. salt
- 1 gallon water
- 2 lbs. cheese curd, cut into 1/2″ cubes
Right off the bat, I know you’re asking yourself, where in the world do I buy cheese curd?
Cheese curds courtesy of Ben E. Keith and Pulaski Tech.
Honestly, we were just given the curds, purchased from Ben E. Keith (a restaurant/foodservice supplier), to save time. But the awesome folks over at Fermentables, who offer supplies to make beer, wine and cheese at home, sell an inexpensive cheesemaking kit with the goods (rennet, for example) to make your own. Easy peasy.
But I’m leaving it to you to read those instructions on the package.
Properly diced cheese curds.
Add salt to your water, and bring it to 160 degrees. Then take the pot off the heat.
And here’s where I made a BIG ol’ mess.
The instructions in our book say to put the curds in a colander and lower it into the water so the cheese is covered. Thinking myself clever, I used a wire colander. Not so smart. Let’s just say that half the cheese stayed with the device, which had to go in the trash.
See that wire colander? I miss it.
Then I dumped the curds directly in the water. We were instructed to use chopsticks to pull the cheese into the smooth strings that make this cheese what it is. Turns out I overcooked my curds, and I ended up with something more like rubber bands than delicious cheese.
I carried on anyway, laying the stretched curds out into a long log atop some plastic wrap. This is supposed to be only 1 inch in diameter, but since they were so rubbery, mine were about 1 1/2″ or 2″. Oh well.
Twist the ends of the plastic wrap so the entire log is wrapped well, then get out some thin twine or, as I used, dental floss. You’d probably be better off to not use mint flavored, though. Cut 5″ pieces and tie off the log into uniform spheres. The curd strands will have enough pressure now to form solid balls.
Put your strand of cheesy pearl goodness into a large bowl and place it in the fridge for a few hours, or overnight. Unwrap, cut between the balls if necessary, and enjoy.
Honesty time: Mine wasn’t that great. It was a little too much the consistency of one of those hi-bounce balls you get in a grocery store vending machine. But other than that, it was fantastic. :/
If they’d turned out better, they would have done well in my marinade, the juices from some spicy roasted grapes (you read that right) I made the same evening. That would have all come together into something fab, even if I don’t know just what.
Despite my difficulties, the process was actually pretty fun. As with most cooking experiences, you may have to screw it up at least once before you can make it really fantastic. I’ll definitely do it again.
Asparagus They’ll Actually Eat
Pre-roasted beauties. See how pretty and green they are if you blanch them?
As you might have noticed, I’m totally blowing it lately on keeping you updated on, well, anything.
That’s pretty much because I’m totally NOT blowing it at school. In fact, considering a semester of sick kids and sick me, I’m kicking butt. Or at least I feel like I am this week.
On top of all my busy school schedule this week, I needed something snazzy to take to a women’s pre-holiday get-together tonight. I made an asparagus appetizer from my Banquets & Catering class, with my own little twists.
Oh, I know, you don’t think you like asparagus, or you know that your family will turn up their noses if you bring it out for Thanksgiving. (Wait, what? Thanksgiving is coming? I’m so not ready.) But I’m pretty sure these will change your mind.
Post-roast aspies.
The problem with most asparagus is that it’s overcooked. This method ensures green, crisp yumminess, plus some roasty goodness to boot. And you get some yummy fat, too.
The recipe:
Soppressata-Wrapped Roasted Asparagus
- 100 stems asparagus (or whatever it is you call an individual asparagus)
- 50 very thin slices of soppressata (I used Applegate Farms from Whole Foods; salami or prosciutto works, too.)
- Kosher salt
- Freshly ground pepper
- 1 lemon
Gently bend each asparagus until it naturally breaks the woody stems away. If you’re in a hurry, you could go ahead and cut the whole lot in about the same place the first handful broke, but you’ll probably have some woody stuff left here and there. Meanwhile, get a large pot of salted water boiling. Near the stove, have a large bowl of ice water ready, along with some paper towels laid out on the countertop or on trays.
Leave the asparagus in the boiling water for just a minute or two, or until it just gets bright green. You might push them around a bit to make sure they all get cooked evenly. Immediately pull them out with a spider (I used a combination of tongs and the large slotted thingy that comes with a Fry Daddy), drain as best you can, and dump them in the ice water.
Somewhere in the middle of this, answer the door to find a punk kid claiming to put himself through UCA and help Arizona-I-mean-Arkansas Children’s Hospital selling $55 magazine subscriptions. Oh, that was just me? Huh.
Pull the cooled asparagus out of the ice water (more quickly than I did, lest the vitamins leech out) and dry them as best you can on the paper towels. Word to your mother, you just learned to blanch and shock! Don’t you feel like an Iron Chef?
Set up two sheet pans lined with parchment paper or Silpats. Wrap two stems (pieces? stalks?) of asparagus with one piece of soppressata. Lay this on the pan seam-down, repeat until all are done. Season lightly (the meat is plenty salty) with kosher salt and pepper. Zest the lemon and sprinkle over the whole deal.
Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes, or until the soppressata is just crisp.
Delish! Even if you don’t think you like asparagus.
Stupid computers and Twice-Baked Potato Bites
Finished potato-y goodness, minus some paprika and parm we sprinkled on at the end.
I wrote a long, satisfying blog post yesterday, forgot to hit “save,” and left the computer in a hurry. Turns out autosave only works if you’ve manually saved at least once.
Bleh.
I told the long version of this week’s restaurant service at school, most notably when I nearly cut off the end of my left index finger with a peeler. Typing this is extremely difficult. I hope you’re feeling the love through my efforts here.
I suppose I’ll try to rewrite it, because it was actually quite good. Dangit. So I’ll just give you a brief rundown of what we did in another class this week.
In banquets and catering, we had a long (looong) discussion on the business end of starting a catering business: insurance, taxes, and pricing to make a profit. If you’ve ever priced an event and nearly fell out at the cost, I now know it’s with good reason. In our book’s example, the caterer had to build about $1300 into every job just to cover overhead. Wow.
At least now we know how to actually make money and not blow it on the light bill (and rent, and salaries) we forgot to work in.
A fellow student pipes the yummy potato mixture back into the baked shells.
Afterward, we went into the kitchen to make some appetizers for an event the school was catering. My group made the most awesome tiny, twice-baked potatoes. We were given some leeway on how to flavor the filling, so my friend Deborah and I came up with chives, goat cheese and a splash of worchestershire. Oh, and a buncha butter. And salt and pepper, of course. Turned out great.
I started to type a recipe, and quickly found I have no idea how to quantify it. But basically, you get size “B” red potatoes (the smallish ones), cut off the ends, and cut the whole thing in half. With the larger (from the middle) side up, scoop out some potato with a melon baller or teaspoon. Oil and season the “shells,” and bake at 325 for about 40 minutes, or until they’re browned and done all the way through.
Meanwhile, boil all the scooped out potato in some salted water, and when it’s tender, drain, reserving some of the water. Put in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment and some butter, and mix until smooth. Now the fun part: mix in cheese, herbs, whatever you want. If the mixture is dry, pour back in some of the starchy water.
Put the resulting yummy goodness in a piping bag and pipe into the shells. (Or, you could just use a spoon if you want.) Top with paprika and shredded cheese if you like. We froze them at this point for later use, but you can go ahead and brown them in the oven some more and serve.
These were yummay! I’m starting to think it may not be so horrible to cater an event. The idea horrified me before. These little bits of deliciousness were inspiring.
What kind of little goodies have you made for formal events? Ever cater anything? Let me know your thoughts.
Choy: Learn It All, But Chase Your Passion
Chef Sam Choy serving his Hawaiian Tuna Poke.
Learn basic knife skills and don’t quit, even if you’re the dishwasher, said chef and television personality Sam Choy during this morning’s appearance on the Pulaski Technical College’s LR-South campus.
Choy demonstrated two dishes and various knife skills during the demonstration, while sharing insights for students of the college’s Arkansas Culinary School.
Choy noted that many accomplished chefs have minimal knife skills or may not know how to break down a chicken or pig, and as students we now have the opportunity to learn these things.
In a later interview, Choy added that culinary students should take advantage of their time in school to experience as much as possible, and at the same time find an area of focus.
“You’re trying to balance school with the rest of your life, and some things may fall through the cracks,” he said. “But try to do as much as you can, and at the same time focus on what grabs your interest. Then you’ve found your focus, what you like to do.”
He also encouraged small famers and growers in Arkansas to cooperate with chefs in bringing local foods to the restaurant table.
“Farmers are no different than any other profession, in that they want to make sure change will be profitable for them,” Choy said. “But slowly they will start turning [toward growing for restaurant use]. The most important thing is growing food to be enjoyed on the table.”
Choy has appeared on Ready…Set…Cook! and Iron Chef America on Food Network, and will soon debut a show called What’s for Dinner? on the Oprah Winfrey Network. The new show will feature surprise visits to homes in which he creates a meal based on what he finds in the kitchen.
The dishes Choy demonstrated were poke, or Hawaiian dishes of various diced ingredients.
Sam Choy’s Hawaiian Salmon Poke
- 2 lb. Alaskan wild salmon, large diced
- 1/2 c. Soy sauce
- 2 T Sesame oil
- Medium white onion, diced
- Medium cucumber, diced
- 2 Scallions, sliced
- 2 Avocado, diced
Mix ingredients well and serve cold.
Recipe Inventioneering: Candied Balsamic Strawberries
Chalk this one up to a mixture of curiosity and boredom.
I had a large container of very fresh strawberries. I wanted some combination of sugar and balsamic to go on them. A dipping sauce? Sure, but it’s been done. How about candy? Nah, it would wilt the berries.
Or would it?
I had to try.
I heated about 2 cups of sugar, along with about a 1/2 cup water and a couple tablespoons of corn syrup to stabilize it. (I know, I know, you candy pros out there can skip that. I get a crystallized mess if I don’t do it this way.) Added a tablespoon or so of balsamic vinegar. When the goo reached 300ish degrees, I grabbed the berries by their greens and dipped oooohhhhh so carefully — that sticky, scalding-hot sugar won’t let go if you touch it!
In fact, let me interrupt myself to just suggest you use a skewer in the top of the berry. So I told you. All blame/guilt removed.
A few seconds after dipping into the sugar, I gently pressed the berries against a pile of freshly grated parmesan or lemon zest. Use really good parm here; mine was a sorta-good brand but wanted a more robust flavor. You’ll get the hang of how long to wait before dipping…too soon, and you’ll smoosh the sugar coating and melt the parm, and too late, it won’t stick.
The result: a crunchy, delightfully bizarre summer treat.
If you try this, prepare to eat or serve immediately. As beautiful as they were right after dipping, they did start to wilt and bleed within about 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Ganache Three Ways (and weird ones at that)
Greetings, friends.
A couple days ago, I had myself a good old-fashioned chocolate throw-down. Well, maybe not so old-fashioned, considering the eclectic flavors, but definitely feeding the chocolate fix.
The orange-mint ganache went over well at a baby shower on Sunday, alongside my cream cheese/marshmallow fruit dip.
Ganache is one of my favorite foodie tricks. It’s simple yet decadent, impressive, and versatile. Depending on how you make it, you can use ganache as a coating or filling for cakes, a whipped frosting, or rolled into truffles. I usually end up eating most of it from a spoon, right out of the fridge.
Generally, ganache is simply one part chocolate to one part heavy cream, or two-to-one chocolate to cream if making truffles or other firm candy. There are many variations on the exact technique, but it is generally quite forgiving, considering the persnickety nature of chocolate.
Three bowls of chocolate, waiting for their flavorings and cream!
For these experiments, I chose — for the first time — to use the microwave method. This means bringing the cream just to a simmer in the microwave, then pouring into a bowl of chopped chocolate. I will advise you to do otherwise on one of the three variations…not a big deal, but probably easier. We’ll get there.
I halved the typical recipe for ganache so I could make several smaller batches. I used the one-to-one ratio most commonly used for fillings and less-firm coating. This turned semi-firm in the fridge (perfect for spooning), and warmed up beautifully in the microwave as a dip (see top photo). I’ll give you the basic recipe, then the flavorings for each:
Basic Microwave Ganache
- 8 oz. good chocolate chips, chopped finely (I used Ghirardelli in a food processor)
- 1 cup heavy whipping cream
Chop the chocolate chips finely in small batches with a large knife, or buzz in a food processor for about 15 seconds. Place into a small heat-resistant baking dish or bowl. In a microwave-safe measuring cup, heat the cream in 30-second increments until just simmering. Pour over chocolate and stir vigorously until all the chocolate is completely melted. The mixture will feel very loose at first, then tighten up as the chocolate melts. Cover and cool in fridge for at least 2 hours or until set.
Variation: Orange Mint
Before measuring the cream, put 2 T. frozen orange juice concentrate in the measuring cup, then pour cream to equal 1 cup. Mixture will thicken and seem to curdle a bit, but this is OK. Crush two or three fresh mint leaves in your hands until you feel the oil, then tear into small pieces and stir into the mixture. Heat the mixture until just simmering. Using a wire strainer, strain mixture as you pour it into the chocolate.
Variation: Cranberry-Grape Sage Buzz
Before measuring the cream, place 4 T. Blast XS Cranberry Grape Energy Drink Mixer (contact me for ordering info) in the measuring cup, then pour cream to equal 1 cup. Mixture may thicken a bit as above. Crush one large or two smaller fresh sage leaves until you feel the oil, then tear into small pieces and mix in. Strain and continue as above. (I suppose you could use 2 T. of frozen cran-grape juice concentrate instead, but you don’t get the caffeine and B12 buzz!)
Variation: Smoked Cayenne and Spices
Peppers and such in the cream. Given the amount of time it took to steep in flavors, this would have been easier on the cooktop.
Measure 1 cup cream into a small saucepan over low heat. Using kitchen scissors, cut a two-inch piece of smoked cayenne pepper into very small pieces into the cream. Add one small stick of cinnamon, two whole cloves, and about 1/8 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg. Slowly bring to a simmer and keep there for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently. Taste the cream to see if the desired amount of “kick” is acquired. (If you don’t want to buy smoked cayenne peppers, you could use a sprinkle of cayenne powder, the smoked kind if you have it.) Strain into prepared chocolate and stir as above.
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The surprising thing about the cayenne version, besides the fact that it is actually good, is the separation and delay of flavors. First you get the smokiness, then the chocolate, and lastly you get the kick of the pepper. A few seconds after you think you’re done, in fact.
Next time, I’ll try using the truffle-making proportions and see how the flavors hold up. Or maybe I can melt these back down and add more chocolate…any choco-experts out there? The pepper one would be wonderful as a truffle, rolled in cocoa powder and a bit of cayenne powder. Hmmm…..
Until then, I’ll just be eating these out of a spoon. That would, in fact, be a neat presentation for the three flavors: a plate of three Chinese-style soup spoons filled with each ganache. There you go, that was free. Someone do that and take a photo…I don’t have those spoons!
Try these or your own weird flavors, and let me know how it goes.
Labor Day Foodie: Marconi Bruschetta and Smoked Cayenne Chicken
Today was a busy foodie day!
At noon, I attended the Slow Foods USA Time for Lunch rally in Argenta. This event, one of hundreds held across the country, was to raise awareness about “slow food” (put simply, the opposite of “fast food”) and to support measures to bring fresh, local foods into school lunchrooms nationwide. It was a potluck, and folks were encouraged to bring dishes highlighting our local bounty of said slow foods.
Later this week I’ll post my photos and videos from this event, as I played the intrepid reporter. But for now, I’ll just show you what I made:
Marconi Bruschetta
- 1 honey-molasses wheat baguette
- 4 T. olive oil, divided
- 3/4 c. shredded raw milk cheddar cheese (white, yellow or mix)
- 3 large roasted marconi peppers (may use red bells), roughly chopped
- 10 large kalamata olives, roughly chopped
- 1 garlic clove, finely minced
- 3-5 fresh basil leaves, chopped, or 1/2 tsp. dried basil
- 1 T. balsamic vinegar
- Pinch kosher salt
- 1/4 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Slice the baguette into thin rounds with a serrated knife, about 1/4″ thick. Brush with 3 T. olive oil and place on baking stone (preferred) or baking sheet at 400 degrees for 10 – 15 minutes, or until just crisp on tops and browning on edges.
Remove from heat and sprinkle cheese on each round. Return to oven for one minute or until cheese is just melted. Mix final 1 T. olive oil with remaining ingredients and season to taste. (I used much less salt than normal because of the briny olives.) Spoon a small amount of topping onto each round and serve immediately.
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I know, I’ve only been doing this blog for a little while, and I’ve already got bruschetta twice. But this bread was so perfect for making little toasty rounds, it had to be done!
After the potluck, I quickly ran to the next event, a cookout with friends at their house. I wanted to take some chicken breasts to this event to put on their huge, competition-BBQ style smoker. But I also wanted them to be full of flavor and character. So, last night, I put this recipe together using the smoked peppers I wrote about earlier:
Smoked Cayenne Chicken
- 3-4 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 1/4 c. olive oil
- 1 hickory smoked cayenne pepper
- 1 garlic clove
- 1 T. kosher salt
- 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
Place olive oil in a zip-top plastic bag or glass container, and use scissors to snip the pepper into very small pieces into the oil. (To reduce the heat level, you may shake seeds out of the opened pepper and/or use less than a whole pepper.) Leave the pepper to reconstitute in the oil for at least five minutes.
Put garlic through a garlic press and add to oil. Add remaining ingredients to the oil besides the chicken and shake or stir to mix. Add the chicken and, if using a bag, reseal while removing as much air as possible. Move chicken within bag or dish so that the mixture is evenly distributed, then place in refrigerator overnight.
Cook on grill for 10-15 minutes per side, or until internal temperature reads 180 degrees with a meat thermometer.
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The chicken, I must say, was INCREDIBLE! It was juicy and flavorful with just a little smoky, spicy kick. Kudos to our buddy T. for cooking the chicken for me on his smoker grill. Would that make it Double-Smoked Cayenne Chicken?
Tonight, after eating so much all day, I just wanted a light, easy dinner. I mixed some leftover marconi topping with some leftover plain pasta, adding a dash more salt, pepper, basil and balsamic vinegar. I diced a half-piece of the smoked cayenne chicken that was left and mixed it in, and I had (actually, finished while writing this) a yummy, light meal.
More to come, Fancy Pantsers. Leave me a comment and let me know what you made for Labor Day!
Beef Bruschetta with Fairy Tale Eggplants
I’m a little apprehensive about this post. We’re getting into an area I’ve never done before – writing recipes! I tend to go into the kitchen with guns blazing, with no measurements and often no complete idea of what the dish will be until it’s close to done. That was tonight!
We’ll just write this in a stream-of-consciousness fashion and hope it works.
Tuesday, the kids and I dropped by the Certified Arkansas Farmers Market in Argenta (downtown North Little Rock). For some reason, I had never been. I’ll detail that trip later (local honey! watermelons! bliss!), other than to say my purchases included some beautiful squash and fairy tale eggplants.
I had never seen these cute little eggplants before, and really don’t even care for eggplant. But the young man from Hardin Farms was packing up to leave, and I just couldn’t allow them back on that truck.
What to do, what to do….
I pulled them out tonight, cut off the tops and halved them. Then I dipped each cut side (tops included) into a dish of kosher salt, and placed them cut side down on a drying rig (a cooling rack on top of a baking sheet). The salt draws out moisture and bitterness from veggies, and I wanted to do both.
One hour later, you can see the drippings on the sheet. Now, you can’t tell me that’s not a cool food trick.
I wiped off the salt and moisture, brushed on a one-to-one mixture of balsamic vinegar and olive oil and placed under a medium-high broiler for three minutes. (Mine is adjustable; if yours isn’t, no worries…check on it after one or two minutes.) Standard broiler procedure, until you’re really comfortable with a recipe: don’t walk away. And don’t add any more salt yet, or they’ll get soggy.
When they’re browned to your liking, take ‘em out and sprinkle with kosher salt and freshly ground pepper. Serve quickly, before the salt draws out more moisture!
OK, the eggplant has been taken care of. My moral obligation to use up what beauties I purchased has been met, at least for tonight. On to the main course, which, of course, was prepared at the same time.
In case you didn’t know, bruschetta is basically toast and toppings, usually something cheesy and something tomato-y. But just about anything can be used for the topping. Hubby wanted meat.
I purchased a lovely loaf of Italian bread at my local Kroger for a measly $2 and sliced it into one inch slices. I brushed on some olive oil and placed them on a baking stone in a 400 degree oven for about 15 minutes. (Again, times will vary…just watch and touch until they’re crunchy and slightly browned on the edges.) If you don’t have a stone, a baking sheet would be fine. After coming out of the oven, I sprinkled on some kosher salt, thyme and finely ground pepper.
Here’s the easy part: Open a can of diced tomatoes. If you’re really a purist and want to chop your own, by all means, do it. Rinse and drain in a strainer. Stir in some chopped basil. (You could REALLY cheat and use one of those cans with the Italian herbs already in!) Add a tablespoon of balsamic vinegar. If you like, add minced garlic. Tomato topping done.
Next, my favorite cheap, fancy protein…flank steak. I purchased a nice one-pound specimen for about $5.
I hope at this point that you’ve read all the way through before cooking (gosh, is anyone really cooking from my blog?). This should be the FIRST step!
Put the flank in a gallon storage bag, along with equal amounts of balsamic vinegar and olive oil, about four tablespoons each. Throw in a crushed garlic clove or two (I realized I was out and had to use powder), about 1/2 teaspoon of dried oregano, and two whole green onions, crushed a bit and torn into pieces. I left this on the kitchen counter to marinate for about 30 minutes, but you can put it in the fridge for longer, even overnight.
Get a grill pan (or regular grill) smokin’ hot over medium high heat, pull out the
steak while removing as much marinade and chunkage as possible, and lay it on. Cook about 3 minutes each side, without moving the steak around.
Let the steak rest for at least 10 minutes, then move it to a cutting board. Cut thin strips against the grain. Mine was beautiful but still a bit rare in the middle for the kids, so I put the strips back in the pan for a minute. (I know, blasphemy!)
Now, assemblage. There are no rules. If you don’t care for tomatoes, skip it. Want some mozzarella? Add it. I piled on the ‘maters and laid a couple strips of beef across them. Serve the eggplants on the side.
Whew, I’m exhausted, how about you? I would just do take-out tomorrow, but I’ve GOT to use up those gorgeous yellow squash and bell peppers. I think it shall be ratatouille, in the style of Ratatouille, the movie. Morgan’s request.
And that means homemade tomato sauce. A great, much simpler recipe for tomorrow!
