Well all, I regret to inform you that this is our last post.
You might be all like "Hey, guy, why the quitting?" Well, I am busy, and so is Jake. Also, it won't exactly be two fat amateurs anymore. I am a sous-chef; training for the big leagues, kids. Plus, not many people were into this, which is fine since this was more self-serving than anything.
It was fun and I think it kind of helped me along with what I am doing now.
I am too distracted for this heart-felt goodbye.
Thanks to any and all of you that read this ever. I will keep it up so that I can reference it, and so you can look at all the dumb shit I thought was cool.
Later!
-Tim
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Monday, July 19, 2010
Quick and Dirty- thats' what she said
Howdy, y'all.
No, I am not in Texas anymore, silly gooses... or silly geese. Whatever. I am just extending friendly words for visiting. Hope y'all come back now!
Anyway, enough stereotyping and bad humor, it's time for a quick blog about a little something I made last night. It took like, 7 minutes total and was made by ingredients I had lying around!
So, I took a scali roll (a small roll from Walmart of all places that is like a dense croissant) and split it. I drizzled some olive oil, and sliced a few chunks of Jarlsburg Swiss on it. Jarlsburg is a mild Swiss; it melts well and is creamy with a good amount of that Swiss "bite" to it. I also have a jar of portabella mushrooms sliced with roasted red pepper and garlic in an oil/vinegar brine. They're pretty good. I did one side with the mushroom mix, the other with the cheese chunks, and put it on my pizzazz.
Now, I will tell you that the pizzazz is pretty sweet. It doesn't cook as well as the oven, but it's quick and efficient for browning where as we all know a microwave lacks. So after about 5 minutes on the pizzazz the cheese was melting and the sandwich edges were browning, so I plated it and closed it to let it melt together and meld in flavor. It was balanced in ingredients, the vinegar gave it a good bite while the cheese evened it out. The bread is pretty good for Walmart bread, and it baked up well.
I am not going to update with every sandwich I make, but I thought that this was a good example of throwing a few items together and making a good and quick meal. Explore your kitchens, use up some old stuff, spice away, and have fun experimenting. Coming up with good stuff is satisfying.
Anyways, thanks for reading! Later, y'all.
No, I am not in Texas anymore, silly gooses... or silly geese. Whatever. I am just extending friendly words for visiting. Hope y'all come back now!
Anyway, enough stereotyping and bad humor, it's time for a quick blog about a little something I made last night. It took like, 7 minutes total and was made by ingredients I had lying around!
So, I took a scali roll (a small roll from Walmart of all places that is like a dense croissant) and split it. I drizzled some olive oil, and sliced a few chunks of Jarlsburg Swiss on it. Jarlsburg is a mild Swiss; it melts well and is creamy with a good amount of that Swiss "bite" to it. I also have a jar of portabella mushrooms sliced with roasted red pepper and garlic in an oil/vinegar brine. They're pretty good. I did one side with the mushroom mix, the other with the cheese chunks, and put it on my pizzazz.
Now, I will tell you that the pizzazz is pretty sweet. It doesn't cook as well as the oven, but it's quick and efficient for browning where as we all know a microwave lacks. So after about 5 minutes on the pizzazz the cheese was melting and the sandwich edges were browning, so I plated it and closed it to let it melt together and meld in flavor. It was balanced in ingredients, the vinegar gave it a good bite while the cheese evened it out. The bread is pretty good for Walmart bread, and it baked up well.
I am not going to update with every sandwich I make, but I thought that this was a good example of throwing a few items together and making a good and quick meal. Explore your kitchens, use up some old stuff, spice away, and have fun experimenting. Coming up with good stuff is satisfying.
Anyways, thanks for reading! Later, y'all.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A month after- Texas food blog!
Yes indeed, here it is. After my week vacation in Texas, I finally have time and motivation to let you in on some of my culinary experiences in my short time there. I was able to take a week vacation this year since I have a year in at a full time job and haven't been laid off or anything! So, I decided to visit some friends in Texas. I also wanted to see how habitable Texas would be for me, since I may have to move when the Summer is over. But that has nothing to do with food, so we won't go into all that now! On to what you came here for... my witty humor and fantastic writing, right?
Houston-
I spent a couple days in Houston, initially. I stayed with my friends Cole and Mia and they were kind enough to let me hang out on their couch and play GTA4 with them. It was really fantastic and they were terrific hosts. The first night Mia made a chicken/Alfredo dish that was terrific. The chicken was cooked in a terrific old cast-iron pan, and it was fantastic. The spiral pasta and sauce in gigantic portions made for a great meal after spending all day flying around the country.
I will spare you the little things like Jack-in-the-Box visits and such, since many of you know about it and don't really care how much I like curly fries and little fried tacos.
On my last evening in Houston we went to a Mexican restaurant called Mamacita's.
It had a typical "authentic" Mexican restaurant feel entering, with some Mariachi music playing and a faux margarita table set up. However, it was clean with a slight hint of "chain restaurant" to it. We sat down and were greeted by a friendly male waiter with the thickest accent I had heard at that point. We got the complimentary chips/salsa to begin, along with a "Blue Spider" (page 5 of link, it's a menu .pdf). The chips and salsa were good, perhaps not as fresh due to the late hour we attended, however. If you are in the mood for some chips and salsa, it was satisfying. The Blue Spider was terrific. Fruity, flavorful, not too much alcohol but it had a good kick if you weren't careful. The colodas and daquiris are great as well (we each tried each others). I ordered Enchiladas de Crema (page 2 of above link). It came with refried beans and rice with lettuce, tomato, and a bit of sour cream. I tried the rice first, which was cooked well and had a subtle 'tang' to it, but was a good palate-cleanser for other items on the plate. The beans were next, which were delicious. There was a strong cumin flavor with the creaminess of the beans and a peppery hint throughout. I finally made it to the enchiladas, trying the Crema sauce first. The sauce was light, bold, and delicious. The tortillas were fresh and perfect texture. However, the real standout part of this dish was the chicken. The chicken was some of the most tender and well-seasoned I have ever had. It was moist, with a hint of salt, cumin, and cilantro. It was fantastic. If you are ever in the Houston area, make sure you go here.
Austin-
Austin was the second destination of my week-long adventure. Austin is a beautiful city with obvious diversity and a laid-back atmosphere apparent nearly immediately. I stayed with friends Amanda and Marc for the rest of my vacation, and they were terrific hosts as well.I am very lucky to have such terrific friends!
Now on to the food. I will go about this chronologically or I will get all mixed up and forget everything.
Our first stop was at Buffet Palace (no official site that I found, link has info). Now, I know what you may be thinking- oh great, a generic Chinese buffet that has the same stuff every other buffet has since they have the same supply company. NO. My meal at Buffet Palace was one of the best buffet experiences in my life. Everything was fresh, there was a wide array of cuisines to choose from, and you can tell everyone who made it cared and tried to make a good product. I started with the "traditional" buffet fare, fried rice, egg roll, the fried chicken things, and it was all fantastic. The second plate I experimented a bit with some sushi (made with crab meat, but still deliciously done), Thai coconut chicken (chicken and mushrooms in a spicy coconut sauce), and a bit more rice. Dessert consisted of a small slice of chocolate cake (moist and flavorful), a small slice of strawberry cake (great too), and a bit of soft-serve with caramel sauce. I am not sure how the cakes/desserts are made, but they were tasty and moist, a change for buffet desserts. Overall a fantastic experience.
The next stop was Rudy's. This place was fantastic, even after all the hype that was given all day :). It is a barbecue shack and country store that smokes and cooks all it's own meats. If you are a first-timer, you get to try the various meats to determine what you want. I tried the lean brisket first, which was tender, smoky, and great. I tried the turkey next, which was melt-in-your-mouth fantastic poultry goodness. Finally, I tried the moist brisket (basically a choice of fattier or leaner cuts) and that was it. Some salt, smoke, and moist beef made this my choice of a 1/4 lb with some cole slaw and a drink. It didn't exceed $8 and was served in a large tray. The seating for Rudy's is a large dining area with picnic tables to complete the BBQ atmosphere. Large windows showed the back area with some flowers and other great landscaping. However, this all paled in comparison to the food. With your choice of meat you get a handful of sliced white bread. I made sandwiches out of my brisket, and after tasting the barbecue sauce available at each table, slathered that on as well. The sauce was a heavily-spiced tomato-y concoction with lots of coarse black pepper, vinegar, garlic, and lots of spices. It complimented the meat very well. The meat was fork-tender, and just plain out-of-this-world. A great meal.
Rudy's offers a number of meats and sides and while I could go into all of what they have, just go to the site linked above. A great time. Plus, they had this rotating hand washer that you stuck your hands in, and warm water rotated and cleaned you!
P. Terry's was a fast-food stop in the mid-day for us. This is a burger stand, typically drive-thru only. For fast food, this was simply great. I got a cheeseburger and fries, and it may have been the signs leading up to the window stating they use only real butter and that they cut their own fries and that they use organic tomatoes, or maybe it was the anticipation of sitting in a long line (popular place = awesome). It was a great meal. The fries tasted very homemade and were light but greasy goodness. The burger is California style with lettuce and tomatoes, along with some mayo and of course some cheese. The meat was quality, as were the toppings. I prefer a strongly seasoned burger, and while this was not, it was still a good and inexpensive meal done with quality ingredients. Top-notch fast food.
Finally, one of the last stops on my trip was at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. This was an interesting concept, as it is a movie theater with full-service dining in the seats. Instead of a row in front of you, it is a long table set up with menus and paper to order quietly. We saw the newest George Romero zombie flick "'Insert noun here' of the Dead." It was a typical, poorly done zombie movie but entertaining at least. The food there was quality, and consisted of typical fried appetizers to more upscale type. I got a salad with panko-breaded goat cheese medallions with candied walnuts in a raspberry vinaigrette. I also got it with an Arrogant Bastard Ale. The salad had many good qualities. The cheese was good; light and crispy with that tang of the goat cheese. The walnuts were sweet and plentiful. The greens were fresh. However, the salad was not only HUGE, but it just got to be too much. This salad would be good in a small portion, but as an entree it suffered being too rich and just kind of knocked me out. The Arrogant Bastard was a bit too stout for my taste (and I love Guiness) and I had a hard time finishing that as well.
HOWEVER- I don't want anyone to think that this is a bad place with bad food- by no means. It was all prepared well and had great ingredients. It just didn't hit me that well, and I think that the concept of a theater with full meal service is a great idea to capitalize on.
My trip contained fun adventures and some of the best food I ever had. While I may just stay around the midwest, at least I know that Texas has some great destinations... now to go get some more of that barbecue...
Houston-
I spent a couple days in Houston, initially. I stayed with my friends Cole and Mia and they were kind enough to let me hang out on their couch and play GTA4 with them. It was really fantastic and they were terrific hosts. The first night Mia made a chicken/Alfredo dish that was terrific. The chicken was cooked in a terrific old cast-iron pan, and it was fantastic. The spiral pasta and sauce in gigantic portions made for a great meal after spending all day flying around the country.
I will spare you the little things like Jack-in-the-Box visits and such, since many of you know about it and don't really care how much I like curly fries and little fried tacos.
On my last evening in Houston we went to a Mexican restaurant called Mamacita's.
It had a typical "authentic" Mexican restaurant feel entering, with some Mariachi music playing and a faux margarita table set up. However, it was clean with a slight hint of "chain restaurant" to it. We sat down and were greeted by a friendly male waiter with the thickest accent I had heard at that point. We got the complimentary chips/salsa to begin, along with a "Blue Spider" (page 5 of link, it's a menu .pdf). The chips and salsa were good, perhaps not as fresh due to the late hour we attended, however. If you are in the mood for some chips and salsa, it was satisfying. The Blue Spider was terrific. Fruity, flavorful, not too much alcohol but it had a good kick if you weren't careful. The colodas and daquiris are great as well (we each tried each others). I ordered Enchiladas de Crema (page 2 of above link). It came with refried beans and rice with lettuce, tomato, and a bit of sour cream. I tried the rice first, which was cooked well and had a subtle 'tang' to it, but was a good palate-cleanser for other items on the plate. The beans were next, which were delicious. There was a strong cumin flavor with the creaminess of the beans and a peppery hint throughout. I finally made it to the enchiladas, trying the Crema sauce first. The sauce was light, bold, and delicious. The tortillas were fresh and perfect texture. However, the real standout part of this dish was the chicken. The chicken was some of the most tender and well-seasoned I have ever had. It was moist, with a hint of salt, cumin, and cilantro. It was fantastic. If you are ever in the Houston area, make sure you go here.
Austin-
Austin was the second destination of my week-long adventure. Austin is a beautiful city with obvious diversity and a laid-back atmosphere apparent nearly immediately. I stayed with friends Amanda and Marc for the rest of my vacation, and they were terrific hosts as well.I am very lucky to have such terrific friends!
Now on to the food. I will go about this chronologically or I will get all mixed up and forget everything.
Our first stop was at Buffet Palace (no official site that I found, link has info). Now, I know what you may be thinking- oh great, a generic Chinese buffet that has the same stuff every other buffet has since they have the same supply company. NO. My meal at Buffet Palace was one of the best buffet experiences in my life. Everything was fresh, there was a wide array of cuisines to choose from, and you can tell everyone who made it cared and tried to make a good product. I started with the "traditional" buffet fare, fried rice, egg roll, the fried chicken things, and it was all fantastic. The second plate I experimented a bit with some sushi (made with crab meat, but still deliciously done), Thai coconut chicken (chicken and mushrooms in a spicy coconut sauce), and a bit more rice. Dessert consisted of a small slice of chocolate cake (moist and flavorful), a small slice of strawberry cake (great too), and a bit of soft-serve with caramel sauce. I am not sure how the cakes/desserts are made, but they were tasty and moist, a change for buffet desserts. Overall a fantastic experience.
The next stop was Rudy's. This place was fantastic, even after all the hype that was given all day :). It is a barbecue shack and country store that smokes and cooks all it's own meats. If you are a first-timer, you get to try the various meats to determine what you want. I tried the lean brisket first, which was tender, smoky, and great. I tried the turkey next, which was melt-in-your-mouth fantastic poultry goodness. Finally, I tried the moist brisket (basically a choice of fattier or leaner cuts) and that was it. Some salt, smoke, and moist beef made this my choice of a 1/4 lb with some cole slaw and a drink. It didn't exceed $8 and was served in a large tray. The seating for Rudy's is a large dining area with picnic tables to complete the BBQ atmosphere. Large windows showed the back area with some flowers and other great landscaping. However, this all paled in comparison to the food. With your choice of meat you get a handful of sliced white bread. I made sandwiches out of my brisket, and after tasting the barbecue sauce available at each table, slathered that on as well. The sauce was a heavily-spiced tomato-y concoction with lots of coarse black pepper, vinegar, garlic, and lots of spices. It complimented the meat very well. The meat was fork-tender, and just plain out-of-this-world. A great meal.
Rudy's offers a number of meats and sides and while I could go into all of what they have, just go to the site linked above. A great time. Plus, they had this rotating hand washer that you stuck your hands in, and warm water rotated and cleaned you!
P. Terry's was a fast-food stop in the mid-day for us. This is a burger stand, typically drive-thru only. For fast food, this was simply great. I got a cheeseburger and fries, and it may have been the signs leading up to the window stating they use only real butter and that they cut their own fries and that they use organic tomatoes, or maybe it was the anticipation of sitting in a long line (popular place = awesome). It was a great meal. The fries tasted very homemade and were light but greasy goodness. The burger is California style with lettuce and tomatoes, along with some mayo and of course some cheese. The meat was quality, as were the toppings. I prefer a strongly seasoned burger, and while this was not, it was still a good and inexpensive meal done with quality ingredients. Top-notch fast food.
Finally, one of the last stops on my trip was at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. This was an interesting concept, as it is a movie theater with full-service dining in the seats. Instead of a row in front of you, it is a long table set up with menus and paper to order quietly. We saw the newest George Romero zombie flick "'Insert noun here' of the Dead." It was a typical, poorly done zombie movie but entertaining at least. The food there was quality, and consisted of typical fried appetizers to more upscale type. I got a salad with panko-breaded goat cheese medallions with candied walnuts in a raspberry vinaigrette. I also got it with an Arrogant Bastard Ale. The salad had many good qualities. The cheese was good; light and crispy with that tang of the goat cheese. The walnuts were sweet and plentiful. The greens were fresh. However, the salad was not only HUGE, but it just got to be too much. This salad would be good in a small portion, but as an entree it suffered being too rich and just kind of knocked me out. The Arrogant Bastard was a bit too stout for my taste (and I love Guiness) and I had a hard time finishing that as well.
HOWEVER- I don't want anyone to think that this is a bad place with bad food- by no means. It was all prepared well and had great ingredients. It just didn't hit me that well, and I think that the concept of a theater with full meal service is a great idea to capitalize on.
My trip contained fun adventures and some of the best food I ever had. While I may just stay around the midwest, at least I know that Texas has some great destinations... now to go get some more of that barbecue...
Sunday, May 23, 2010
Molten Chocolate cakes w/photos
Ahhhhhhh...
My sigh of relief is echoing the halls of my apartment. A near full-time internship and full time work has left me with about 6 hours of sleep at night and no "me" time. Oh well, this isn't about me bitching, is it?
Probably.
Anyway, in my madness of a life, I managed to make molten chocolate cakes. I have been meaning to make these for a long time since I found a recipe here. I will admit that I typically find recipes from other places, but the point of this blog isn't to give you just full on recipes. Anyone can find those. I want to give you my fat amateur experiences so that you can learn or make fun of me or whatever it is you do.
I had gotten four small ramekins that hold about 3/4 - 1 cup apiece. I thought they were super cute and perfect for what I was going to do. So, I made the batter according to the recipe. If you don't have an electric mixer then you are going to have sore arms, I had tried hand-whipping the egg whites. This recipe contains no flour, by the way. Butter, eggs, cream of tartar, chocolate, and VANILLA. I totally forgot the vanilla in the recipe, and I was pumped since I had just gotten a really good authentic vanilla.
To prep the ramekins I buttered and sugared liberally, but it could have been heavier. The recipe says go heavy, so make sure you do. This is not a recipe for those watching their diets... butter and eggs comprise most of the recipe, not to mention more than a couple ounces of semi-sweet chocolate per serving. It is important not to open the oven often, either, or it will fall. So, after following directions (except for the damn vanilla), I put them on a baking tray and baked two away. I saved the other two in some plastic in the fridge.
Baking didn't take long, the directions said about 15 minutes and that's what I did. In the mean time I whipped some cream and powdered sugar (homemade whipped cream FTW). I prefer freshly whipped cream for toppings, as it has that real cream taste, and it's as fresh as you are able to make. I had also purchased chocolate sauce (I had some that was homemade but it had crystallized since I had not cooked it long enough). I cut up some blackberries and strawberries (a technique that I had seen done at Tony's Trattoria in Waterloo, IA). When the cakes were done I did the whole upside-down-plate-trick to get them upside down on the plate. Run a knife on the outside of the cake before doing so. After a little coaxing they slid out on the plates.
I had gotten some 1/2 fat Breyer's Vanilla Bean for the dessert. I did this since the cake was heavy and hot, the ice cream is cool and lighter, and the whipped cream is like air in comparison, and a bit less sweet than the rest. The berries brought a tartness that broke up the sweet bombardment. I had it all plated, and did a drizzle of chocolate sauce for effect on each. The end result was pretty sweet, and it tasted pretty excellent. It is like a pudding in the center, which is a bit strange but still very good. The cake wasn't extremely rich like I had expected, but the fat and sugar elements were very strong as were the chocolate notes. The ice cream contrasted the cake a good amount, and the berries gave the whole thing a break when needed.
But, enough talking about it, here are pictures
and also
Nevermind my dirty stove. The sauce was used a little too heavy, but I blame Hershey for their generously-endowed container openings. I liked the berries fanning them a bit, but how you do it is up to you.
Questions or comments? Let us know!!
My sigh of relief is echoing the halls of my apartment. A near full-time internship and full time work has left me with about 6 hours of sleep at night and no "me" time. Oh well, this isn't about me bitching, is it?
Probably.
Anyway, in my madness of a life, I managed to make molten chocolate cakes. I have been meaning to make these for a long time since I found a recipe here. I will admit that I typically find recipes from other places, but the point of this blog isn't to give you just full on recipes. Anyone can find those. I want to give you my fat amateur experiences so that you can learn or make fun of me or whatever it is you do.
I had gotten four small ramekins that hold about 3/4 - 1 cup apiece. I thought they were super cute and perfect for what I was going to do. So, I made the batter according to the recipe. If you don't have an electric mixer then you are going to have sore arms, I had tried hand-whipping the egg whites. This recipe contains no flour, by the way. Butter, eggs, cream of tartar, chocolate, and VANILLA. I totally forgot the vanilla in the recipe, and I was pumped since I had just gotten a really good authentic vanilla.
To prep the ramekins I buttered and sugared liberally, but it could have been heavier. The recipe says go heavy, so make sure you do. This is not a recipe for those watching their diets... butter and eggs comprise most of the recipe, not to mention more than a couple ounces of semi-sweet chocolate per serving. It is important not to open the oven often, either, or it will fall. So, after following directions (except for the damn vanilla), I put them on a baking tray and baked two away. I saved the other two in some plastic in the fridge.
Baking didn't take long, the directions said about 15 minutes and that's what I did. In the mean time I whipped some cream and powdered sugar (homemade whipped cream FTW). I prefer freshly whipped cream for toppings, as it has that real cream taste, and it's as fresh as you are able to make. I had also purchased chocolate sauce (I had some that was homemade but it had crystallized since I had not cooked it long enough). I cut up some blackberries and strawberries (a technique that I had seen done at Tony's Trattoria in Waterloo, IA). When the cakes were done I did the whole upside-down-plate-trick to get them upside down on the plate. Run a knife on the outside of the cake before doing so. After a little coaxing they slid out on the plates.
I had gotten some 1/2 fat Breyer's Vanilla Bean for the dessert. I did this since the cake was heavy and hot, the ice cream is cool and lighter, and the whipped cream is like air in comparison, and a bit less sweet than the rest. The berries brought a tartness that broke up the sweet bombardment. I had it all plated, and did a drizzle of chocolate sauce for effect on each. The end result was pretty sweet, and it tasted pretty excellent. It is like a pudding in the center, which is a bit strange but still very good. The cake wasn't extremely rich like I had expected, but the fat and sugar elements were very strong as were the chocolate notes. The ice cream contrasted the cake a good amount, and the berries gave the whole thing a break when needed.
But, enough talking about it, here are pictures
and also
Nevermind my dirty stove. The sauce was used a little too heavy, but I blame Hershey for their generously-endowed container openings. I liked the berries fanning them a bit, but how you do it is up to you.
Questions or comments? Let us know!!
Saturday, April 3, 2010
Risotto? I'm Ron Burgundy?
I will spare you apologies for the lack of blogs, and will just say that life is lame for the time being. However, in my various endeavors, I did have a chance to make a few things that were pretty damn tasty.
I finally tried my hand at a risotto. I had heard about it a long while ago, and began researching them a few months ago. I had purchased all of the necessary ingredients, and after a few drinks decided to try my hand. Since I had been studying them so intensely I did not use a set recipe, but went with how it all looked as well as the taste.
For this, I will describe the ingredients along with the process, so you can look up your own recipes since your taste will vary (or if you want one like mine comment me). If you are going to recreate this, read this entire entry, as I will go back and forth hap-hazardly and ruin you. I sauteed a frozen chicken breast on both sides in a bit of olive oil with a touch of fresh cracked sea salt and pepper. I then moved it into a 400 degree oven to finish it. While the breast was cooking, I sauteed a chopped onion (a medium yellow onion, for its pungency and sweetness) in a mix of butter and olive oil until they were translucent but not quite carmelized (using med-high heat). I sat those off to the side and started sauteing or toasting (not sure of the term) the arborio rice in that mix of butter and olive oil.
Before I began, I began slowly heating a pan of chicken stock. The amount you will use will vary, but make sure you have enough (read recipes to find out why). Make sure to only put warm or hot ingredients in your main risotto pan. While the rice was toasting, I deglazed the chicken pan with some pinot grigio (about a cup or so worth) and heated it up to a nice warm temperature. When the rice was getting translucent, I put in the wine and let it absorb. I think I either used too much wine, or I used too cheap of a wine, as I will point out later. I then re-added the onions, and went from there.
When the wine had all absorbed/cooked out, I started putting in the stock, a ladle at a time. I consistently stirred the rice as I did this, and kept adjusting temperature to make sure it was staying at a consistent temperature. I kept adding ladles of stock until it could barely hold more. I had pulled the chicken from the oven and cubed it as well. I pulled it just a bit early to cook in the end with the rice. I will mention that I had gotten a small wedge of a Parmesan (not Reggiano, to my dismay). I shredded a half-cup or so into a bowl before-hand. When it was about finished, I added my Parmesan. When that had melted, I added a TBS of butter, and when that was heated, about a 1/4 cup of cream. I turned off the heat then, and kept stirring to make the whole mix super creamy. It was fairly thick and a golden color.
I plated it, with a large portion :). I tried it, and I realized I shouldn't have had the couple drinks while cooking it, as I killed a little of my tasting power. I first felt the texture of the warm rice and the abundant creamyness and resistance of "al dente" rice. I then tasted initially the sharp taste of the wine, then the pungent Parmesan, then the creamy/stock sauce. It was good, except the sweet/sharp tones of the wine were a bit overpowering. The chicken added some good protein and broke it up a bit.
Next time I do a risotto, I will add more vegetables than just the onions. Also, I will feature the protein separately, in this it felt like a cheap rice-a-roni dish and didn't really contribute. As mentioned above, I will not use quite so much wine as well, and a better quality wine. Otherwise, this was a fun and relatively easy dish. The prep time was short, but very important as timing is key in this. Make sure stock is ready and hot, the wine is hot, the cheese is shredded, and that all is cut and ready to go when the time comes.
So, until next time, enjoy!
I finally tried my hand at a risotto. I had heard about it a long while ago, and began researching them a few months ago. I had purchased all of the necessary ingredients, and after a few drinks decided to try my hand. Since I had been studying them so intensely I did not use a set recipe, but went with how it all looked as well as the taste.
For this, I will describe the ingredients along with the process, so you can look up your own recipes since your taste will vary (or if you want one like mine comment me). If you are going to recreate this, read this entire entry, as I will go back and forth hap-hazardly and ruin you. I sauteed a frozen chicken breast on both sides in a bit of olive oil with a touch of fresh cracked sea salt and pepper. I then moved it into a 400 degree oven to finish it. While the breast was cooking, I sauteed a chopped onion (a medium yellow onion, for its pungency and sweetness) in a mix of butter and olive oil until they were translucent but not quite carmelized (using med-high heat). I sat those off to the side and started sauteing or toasting (not sure of the term) the arborio rice in that mix of butter and olive oil.
Before I began, I began slowly heating a pan of chicken stock. The amount you will use will vary, but make sure you have enough (read recipes to find out why). Make sure to only put warm or hot ingredients in your main risotto pan. While the rice was toasting, I deglazed the chicken pan with some pinot grigio (about a cup or so worth) and heated it up to a nice warm temperature. When the rice was getting translucent, I put in the wine and let it absorb. I think I either used too much wine, or I used too cheap of a wine, as I will point out later. I then re-added the onions, and went from there.
When the wine had all absorbed/cooked out, I started putting in the stock, a ladle at a time. I consistently stirred the rice as I did this, and kept adjusting temperature to make sure it was staying at a consistent temperature. I kept adding ladles of stock until it could barely hold more. I had pulled the chicken from the oven and cubed it as well. I pulled it just a bit early to cook in the end with the rice. I will mention that I had gotten a small wedge of a Parmesan (not Reggiano, to my dismay). I shredded a half-cup or so into a bowl before-hand. When it was about finished, I added my Parmesan. When that had melted, I added a TBS of butter, and when that was heated, about a 1/4 cup of cream. I turned off the heat then, and kept stirring to make the whole mix super creamy. It was fairly thick and a golden color.
I plated it, with a large portion :). I tried it, and I realized I shouldn't have had the couple drinks while cooking it, as I killed a little of my tasting power. I first felt the texture of the warm rice and the abundant creamyness and resistance of "al dente" rice. I then tasted initially the sharp taste of the wine, then the pungent Parmesan, then the creamy/stock sauce. It was good, except the sweet/sharp tones of the wine were a bit overpowering. The chicken added some good protein and broke it up a bit.
Next time I do a risotto, I will add more vegetables than just the onions. Also, I will feature the protein separately, in this it felt like a cheap rice-a-roni dish and didn't really contribute. As mentioned above, I will not use quite so much wine as well, and a better quality wine. Otherwise, this was a fun and relatively easy dish. The prep time was short, but very important as timing is key in this. Make sure stock is ready and hot, the wine is hot, the cheese is shredded, and that all is cut and ready to go when the time comes.
So, until next time, enjoy!
A second blog? Wow!
Two blogs in one night? How swell!
As you saw from my previous blog I haven't had a ton of time to make spectacular dishes (har har), but I will share the few notable items with you. Lucky you!
This is an example of the fat amateur being creative. It was 2am, I didn't feel like going to the store, and I didn't have a whole lot of stuff to work with. Now, I know not everyone has this lying around, but... hey, it was fun. This is a casserole style dish, which I rarely do since I live alone. But it sounded amazing. I call it Tortellini Alfredo Bake! WHOOOOOO
I made the alfredo sauce from scratch, which is easy to do if you know how. The basic ingredients are butter, cream, and Parmesan. I started with half a stick of unsalted butter (no substitute will do! It must be real butter). I melted that in a large sauce pan. When that was melted, I slowly stirred in a little over a cup and a half of cream (leftover from my risotto). You must continually stir to ensure it does not separate. When that was hot, I added about 3/4 cup of shredded fresh Parmesan. You must constantly stir this, and it may take a while to melt the Parmesan. When the cheese is fully melted in the cream, you can add spices. You don't want to add the spices until the end, or you may burn them up. I used a very powdery organic garlic powder, fresh cracked pepper/sea salt, and a bit of parsley flake. I was conservative on spicing since this was the first time I used hand-grated Parmesan. When the heat was off, I stirred in a couple teaspoons of all purpose flour to thicken it a slight bit.
I cooked the tortellini for a short time. I did not cook it fully, as I did not want it to overcook while baking. I used the tri-color cheese tortellini. When the frozen pasta was hot, I pulled it, strained it, and put it in a greased baking dish. I added the sauce to it, and incorporated it throughout. I added pre-shredded mozzarella on top and baked it in a 400 degree oven. When it barely started to brown, and the sauce was boiling, I pulled it out.
The flavor was ok. I definitely overdid it on the cheese aspect. I think if a different pasta or tortellini was used it could have broken it up a lot more. The overall experience was good, and it made for great leftovers. It was a good example of how finding a bunch of crap in your place can be put to some good. I didn't have to go to the store or anything :).
My hands are tired. I am done with this, but if you have any questions/comments let me know. Later, y'all.
As you saw from my previous blog I haven't had a ton of time to make spectacular dishes (har har), but I will share the few notable items with you. Lucky you!
This is an example of the fat amateur being creative. It was 2am, I didn't feel like going to the store, and I didn't have a whole lot of stuff to work with. Now, I know not everyone has this lying around, but... hey, it was fun. This is a casserole style dish, which I rarely do since I live alone. But it sounded amazing. I call it Tortellini Alfredo Bake! WHOOOOOO
I made the alfredo sauce from scratch, which is easy to do if you know how. The basic ingredients are butter, cream, and Parmesan. I started with half a stick of unsalted butter (no substitute will do! It must be real butter). I melted that in a large sauce pan. When that was melted, I slowly stirred in a little over a cup and a half of cream (leftover from my risotto). You must continually stir to ensure it does not separate. When that was hot, I added about 3/4 cup of shredded fresh Parmesan. You must constantly stir this, and it may take a while to melt the Parmesan. When the cheese is fully melted in the cream, you can add spices. You don't want to add the spices until the end, or you may burn them up. I used a very powdery organic garlic powder, fresh cracked pepper/sea salt, and a bit of parsley flake. I was conservative on spicing since this was the first time I used hand-grated Parmesan. When the heat was off, I stirred in a couple teaspoons of all purpose flour to thicken it a slight bit.
I cooked the tortellini for a short time. I did not cook it fully, as I did not want it to overcook while baking. I used the tri-color cheese tortellini. When the frozen pasta was hot, I pulled it, strained it, and put it in a greased baking dish. I added the sauce to it, and incorporated it throughout. I added pre-shredded mozzarella on top and baked it in a 400 degree oven. When it barely started to brown, and the sauce was boiling, I pulled it out.
The flavor was ok. I definitely overdid it on the cheese aspect. I think if a different pasta or tortellini was used it could have broken it up a lot more. The overall experience was good, and it made for great leftovers. It was a good example of how finding a bunch of crap in your place can be put to some good. I didn't have to go to the store or anything :).
My hands are tired. I am done with this, but if you have any questions/comments let me know. Later, y'all.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Special Treat: "Philly" inspired Cheesesteaks!
Hello all,
Today is a special day. Jake and I got together and cooked for the sake of the blog! Great, right? Anyway, we decided to make "Philly" inspired cheese steak sandwiches, and they were awesome. We will have pictures up soon, but let's get started on the magical beefy journey.
So, in shopping, we chose items based on how good they would be while trying to be frugal and labor intensive. So, we got a large loaf of flat ciabatta bread (take and bake style, where it's partially baked and you brown it at home). We also got about a pound of stir-fry style pre-cut beef. This saved on time, and saved us from remembering what cut of beef fares well to fast, hot cooking. We bought a green pepper, and while Jake had mushrooms and onions, keep in mind to get the styles you like. We used the generic button mushrooms, but a portabella and steak sandwhich is pretty rockin', too. As far as onions go we like a strong and sweet onion, so white and yellow varieties do well. Yellow is my favorite, but white has a bit more "bite" to it, but gets sweet while sweating or carmelizing.
ANYWAY, we chose provolone cheese, and I think that mozzarella would have been a bit less stringy and with a bit more flavor. At any rate, here is the way we did it:
We started by cooking the beef in about a tablespoon or so of canola oil. We had a cheap bag of flavored rice, so we started the water boiling for that as well. These sandwiches help to have a couple saute pans, but it is not necessary, as you can cook the beef first and have it sit while you cook the vegetables, this will all be baked as well. We chopped the veggies fairly coarsely, and dropped them into about a tablespoon-tablespoon and a half of hot oil. We were going for a caramelized effect, so medium heat with fairly frequent stirring. When the beef was almost done, we seasoned with a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, (it should be at temp or slightly below) we turned it off and set it aside.
The vegetables should have been started earlier than we did, but oh well. We kept turning them in the oil and got them to a point before caramelization, but after sweating, so they were tender but not quite soft. What you do is up to you, if you like crunch do a quick saute, otherwise set aside time to properly caramelize.
With a pre-heated oven of about 400 degrees (450 would have worked better, it doesn't matter really, a good broil would do too), we assembled the sandwiches with meat on the bottom of a split/buttered/garlic ciabatta roll, veggies on the top, and cheese over the whole thing. We baked them until the cheese was translucent and the oils of the cheese were released, with the edges browning. We could have left it longer, but we were hungry fatties and gobbled them up like crazy.
The sandwiches were delicious. The meat was great, the bread was good (could have been browned more), the cheese was superb and melty, and it all worked well together. We chose a rice and butter sauce to go with it (one of those cheap Lipton ones) and it was a good quick meal. The cost was kind of expensive (around $20), but, the portions could have fed a family (the fatties strike again), and we could have been a bit more cost effective if we had tried harder. The meat was about $5 a lb, the bread was $4, and the cheese was $4. You could probably get vegetables for about $4-5. So, if one really wanted to save, it's possible. However, we thought the cost of the sandwiches was outweighed by how freakin' good they were.
Seriously, they were amazing, easy, and while probably not great for us, it was a good indulgent meal if you want something of substance in ya. If you feel badly, you can justify yourself by saying it had vegetables in it. The combinations that you could do with this sandwich are endless, you can do different breads, cheeses, vegetables, meats, etc etc etc. If you want a french dip-style, try making an au jus (simple, google it) and before your meat is fully done, put it in the hot jus to finish it. Then use the au jus for dipping!
Anyway, this happened last night and I am getting hungry again... perhaps another fat amateur adventure is upon us. Anyway, if you have any questions/concerns/comments, let us know!
-Tim and Jake
Today is a special day. Jake and I got together and cooked for the sake of the blog! Great, right? Anyway, we decided to make "Philly" inspired cheese steak sandwiches, and they were awesome. We will have pictures up soon, but let's get started on the magical beefy journey.
So, in shopping, we chose items based on how good they would be while trying to be frugal and labor intensive. So, we got a large loaf of flat ciabatta bread (take and bake style, where it's partially baked and you brown it at home). We also got about a pound of stir-fry style pre-cut beef. This saved on time, and saved us from remembering what cut of beef fares well to fast, hot cooking. We bought a green pepper, and while Jake had mushrooms and onions, keep in mind to get the styles you like. We used the generic button mushrooms, but a portabella and steak sandwhich is pretty rockin', too. As far as onions go we like a strong and sweet onion, so white and yellow varieties do well. Yellow is my favorite, but white has a bit more "bite" to it, but gets sweet while sweating or carmelizing.
ANYWAY, we chose provolone cheese, and I think that mozzarella would have been a bit less stringy and with a bit more flavor. At any rate, here is the way we did it:
We started by cooking the beef in about a tablespoon or so of canola oil. We had a cheap bag of flavored rice, so we started the water boiling for that as well. These sandwiches help to have a couple saute pans, but it is not necessary, as you can cook the beef first and have it sit while you cook the vegetables, this will all be baked as well. We chopped the veggies fairly coarsely, and dropped them into about a tablespoon-tablespoon and a half of hot oil. We were going for a caramelized effect, so medium heat with fairly frequent stirring. When the beef was almost done, we seasoned with a bit of salt, pepper, and garlic powder, (it should be at temp or slightly below) we turned it off and set it aside.
The vegetables should have been started earlier than we did, but oh well. We kept turning them in the oil and got them to a point before caramelization, but after sweating, so they were tender but not quite soft. What you do is up to you, if you like crunch do a quick saute, otherwise set aside time to properly caramelize.
With a pre-heated oven of about 400 degrees (450 would have worked better, it doesn't matter really, a good broil would do too), we assembled the sandwiches with meat on the bottom of a split/buttered/garlic ciabatta roll, veggies on the top, and cheese over the whole thing. We baked them until the cheese was translucent and the oils of the cheese were released, with the edges browning. We could have left it longer, but we were hungry fatties and gobbled them up like crazy.
The sandwiches were delicious. The meat was great, the bread was good (could have been browned more), the cheese was superb and melty, and it all worked well together. We chose a rice and butter sauce to go with it (one of those cheap Lipton ones) and it was a good quick meal. The cost was kind of expensive (around $20), but, the portions could have fed a family (the fatties strike again), and we could have been a bit more cost effective if we had tried harder. The meat was about $5 a lb, the bread was $4, and the cheese was $4. You could probably get vegetables for about $4-5. So, if one really wanted to save, it's possible. However, we thought the cost of the sandwiches was outweighed by how freakin' good they were.
Seriously, they were amazing, easy, and while probably not great for us, it was a good indulgent meal if you want something of substance in ya. If you feel badly, you can justify yourself by saying it had vegetables in it. The combinations that you could do with this sandwich are endless, you can do different breads, cheeses, vegetables, meats, etc etc etc. If you want a french dip-style, try making an au jus (simple, google it) and before your meat is fully done, put it in the hot jus to finish it. Then use the au jus for dipping!
Anyway, this happened last night and I am getting hungry again... perhaps another fat amateur adventure is upon us. Anyway, if you have any questions/concerns/comments, let us know!
-Tim and Jake
Thursday, February 18, 2010
Turkey and Blueberry Salsa Wrap
Aren't you lucky? Two blogs from me, your favorite! I finally fixed the whole "turning text into a different language" thing. Anyway, since the last one was so long, let's keep this short and sweet (I hate that term, but I used it!).
Turkey/Blueberry Salsa Wraps: weird, I know. Actually pretty delicious. Sentence fragments.
I found the original version here. I changed a few things and this is what I came up with:
1/2 lb of sliced turkey
Wraps (spinach herb rules)
1/2 cup mayo (reduced fat recommended)
Pint of blueberries
One fresh jalapeno (seeded and minced)
1/4 red onion
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1 kiwi (skinned and sliced)
2 tsp curry powder
garlic powder
pepper
Lettuce and tomato (optional, may add crunch and texture differences)
Salsa:
In a bowl combine blueberries, kiwi, onion, lime juice, salt, jalapeno. Mix thoroughly. Place half in a food processor and coarsely chop. Remove, then do the other portion.
Wrap: Mix mayo, curry powder, and a little garlic powder together. Spread to taste on a tortilla wrap, and put on a few slices of turkey. Add a tablespoon or two of the salsa (and lettuce and tomato if desired) and wrap. This wrap is messy, so it may be beneficial to wrap the outer edges before eating.
That's it. It's a simple process, and excess mayo and salsa can be stored and saved for multiple wraps!
Questions or comments? Give 'em here! Nummy!
Turkey/Blueberry Salsa Wraps: weird, I know. Actually pretty delicious. Sentence fragments.
I found the original version here. I changed a few things and this is what I came up with:
1/2 lb of sliced turkey
Wraps (spinach herb rules)
1/2 cup mayo (reduced fat recommended)
Pint of blueberries
One fresh jalapeno (seeded and minced)
1/4 red onion
Juice of 1/2 lime
1/2 tsp salt
1 kiwi (skinned and sliced)
2 tsp curry powder
garlic powder
pepper
Lettuce and tomato (optional, may add crunch and texture differences)
Salsa:
In a bowl combine blueberries, kiwi, onion, lime juice, salt, jalapeno. Mix thoroughly. Place half in a food processor and coarsely chop. Remove, then do the other portion.
Wrap: Mix mayo, curry powder, and a little garlic powder together. Spread to taste on a tortilla wrap, and put on a few slices of turkey. Add a tablespoon or two of the salsa (and lettuce and tomato if desired) and wrap. This wrap is messy, so it may be beneficial to wrap the outer edges before eating.
That's it. It's a simple process, and excess mayo and salsa can be stored and saved for multiple wraps!
Questions or comments? Give 'em here! Nummy!
Chicken Dumpling Soup
Hey. I didn't see you come in. Take a seat on my folding metal chair that is next to the card/coffee/storage table. Would you like a drink? I have RC Cola, generic Kool-Aid, and Sam's Club Mountain Lightning. Ok, Mountain Lightning it is.
Ha.
Warm welcomes, fluttering food fledglings. I have been cooking my ass off lately (does that count as an oxymoron?) and it has been OK. I found a couple things on the internet that seemed more yummy than Patton Oswald performing the voice of the rat in "Ratatouille." I will separate out the different things I made this last weekend into different posts. So, here is my adventure in CHICKEN AND DUMPLING SOUP.
I have been doing my research on soup making for a number of reasons, and got some sweet terminology from it. Mirepoix and roux being the main ones. I already knew what a roux was, but now I can make one. SMILES AND SUNSHINE! I did learn that flavor flows easier through oils and fats than water, which can hold back flavor tidbits. This counts for vegetarian and meat-hearty recipes.
While I am a fan of freshness and flavor, time and affordability must be taken into consideration if you're a poor little amateur like me. So, one may use large grocery stores, but pick ones with good produce. Walmart typically does not have good produce. You can taste the hybrid/chemical/soul crushing-ness in the vegetables and fruits. However, if you know what to look for it's not impossible to get good produce. I prefer the smaller chain grocery stores that go for quality rather than the cheapest price. You pay negligibly more and the quality is so much better. If you're familiar with my area of Iowa, you know of the Hy-Vee chain. The comparison usually puts Hy-Vee as the front-runner for reasonably priced produce. Fareway stores are pretty gnarly too, not to get too local for you out-of-towners. The only problems I have with our Fareway are short operating hours and various small, insignificant inconveniences. However, they have great produce, the meat is out of this world, and if you are concerned, I have reason to believe that their meat is certified to be humanely killed (I will post that info if I find it). Anyway, I am on a tangent.
Picking good produce at a decent price is important. For this recipe I bought carrots, celery, and an onion (spring for two onions, my favorite is yellow). To make a proper mirepoix (look it up if you don't know, I am not gonna 'splain) you need double the onions over the amounts of the other vegetables combined *long breath*. I used a couple chicken breasts from a frozen bag (economical but of mediocre quality), and chicken base since I am too lazy to make a real stock. I could go into a tangent again, but I will stay on topic. I bought this foodservice exclusive base from work that RULES. It is mainly roasted chicken meat and salt, but it is not the dry, powdery 99% salt concoction you get from big box retailers, it is a goopy, delicious paste that separates. It is the real deal. I also used fresh garlic cloves, dried bay leaves, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, oregano, and poultry seasoning. I won't give amounts, as these are purely to taste, and depend on the meat, base, and other factors. So, now that you know what I used, here is my "recipe" since for soup I throw it all together and taste frequently.
2 chicken breasts (or about 1lb of chicken skinned, boned, some fat left)
~1/2 cup chicken base (subjective to brand and taste, start slow)
5 stalks of celery (I used a larger "chunk" cut, what you do is up to you)
4-5 carrots ""
1 1/2-2 onions diced (use your own judgment, onions add a lot of flavor but get masked easily by other flavors)
Fresh garlic cloves, minced (about one bulb of garlic will do)
Bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Parsley flakes
Oregano
(all to taste)
To do the bay leaves, I tied a coffee filter around them with dental floss and boiled it in the soup for about 15 minutes. The large, dry leaves are basically inedible and an aromatic if you will.
OK, so I began by getting 3-4 quarts of water boiling in a large pot. I added a few large tablespoons of my chicken base to make a chicken stock. You can use pre-made chicken stock if you so choose.
Chop all your vegetables to match the amount of water and how thick and chunky you like your soup to be. I like a lot. Mince your garlic (set aside separately), get all vegetables chopped, and have them set aside.
Get a saute pan, with about a tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts on each side. You can season if you want, but it will most likely be lost when making soup. Get the outsides brown, don't worry about cooking through, as the soup will do that. You can start from thawed or frozen chicken, which is a big time saver.
Once the stock is boiling and the chicken is seared, drop the whole breasts into the stock, ensuring you scrape the pan into the pot as well (extra oil will carry the flavor, you can use the delicious juice and all the other side effects of flesh carmelization). You will have to dice the chicken at some point, either after searing or after cooking in the soup. I recommend searing before cutting, but that is my personal preference. Allow the soup to come back to a boil, and add vegetables. Allow all of this to come back to a boil and cover. I am not sure how long this takes, but check the soup every 5-10 minutes after the first 15. Check the vegetables for done-ness as well as chicken tenderness. I like it all pretty done but not mushy.
I prefer to season towards the end of the soup. That way the seasonings aren't just boiled into oblivion. When the vegetables are nearly done, check the soup and add seasonings (and more base if necessary) to taste. Add the garlic and other spices, then tie your bag of bay leaves to the handle and drop in.
Now is a critical time. You can make your dumplings before-hand, or right now. It takes very little time but can get hectic if you're timing your veggies. I got this recipe from this here
# 2 cups of white flour
# 4 tsp. baking powder
# 1 tsp. salt
# 4 tbsp. soft margarine or butter
# 1 cup of milk (or more)
1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Cut in butter that's been kept at room temperature or use soft margarine.
3. Stir milk lightly into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon and adjust amounts to make sure that you have a moist dumpling dough.
I add a little parsley to the dumplings for a little coloration. That is totally optional. Add the dumplings by spooning small balls into the boiling soup. Do this a few at a time as to not decrease the temperature too much. When all the dough is used, close the lid and "steam" them for a while. Check one for doneness, and check the veggies and meat as well. When it is all to your standards, let it sit for a while. It will be very hot and retain heat for a long time. The soup will thicken a bit due to the dumplings.
To plate, I used a wide-lip soup bowl on a plate. I scooped on and garnished with a small sprig of celery leaf. It tasted good, but I could have spent more time seasoning.
This isn't an actual picture. Perhaps I should get batteries for my camera.
Any questions? Leave a comment or email us @twofatamateursATgmail.com
Ha.
Warm welcomes, fluttering food fledglings. I have been cooking my ass off lately (does that count as an oxymoron?) and it has been OK. I found a couple things on the internet that seemed more yummy than Patton Oswald performing the voice of the rat in "Ratatouille." I will separate out the different things I made this last weekend into different posts. So, here is my adventure in CHICKEN AND DUMPLING SOUP.
I have been doing my research on soup making for a number of reasons, and got some sweet terminology from it. Mirepoix and roux being the main ones. I already knew what a roux was, but now I can make one. SMILES AND SUNSHINE! I did learn that flavor flows easier through oils and fats than water, which can hold back flavor tidbits. This counts for vegetarian and meat-hearty recipes.
While I am a fan of freshness and flavor, time and affordability must be taken into consideration if you're a poor little amateur like me. So, one may use large grocery stores, but pick ones with good produce. Walmart typically does not have good produce. You can taste the hybrid/chemical/soul crushing-ness in the vegetables and fruits. However, if you know what to look for it's not impossible to get good produce. I prefer the smaller chain grocery stores that go for quality rather than the cheapest price. You pay negligibly more and the quality is so much better. If you're familiar with my area of Iowa, you know of the Hy-Vee chain. The comparison usually puts Hy-Vee as the front-runner for reasonably priced produce. Fareway stores are pretty gnarly too, not to get too local for you out-of-towners. The only problems I have with our Fareway are short operating hours and various small, insignificant inconveniences. However, they have great produce, the meat is out of this world, and if you are concerned, I have reason to believe that their meat is certified to be humanely killed (I will post that info if I find it). Anyway, I am on a tangent.
Picking good produce at a decent price is important. For this recipe I bought carrots, celery, and an onion (spring for two onions, my favorite is yellow). To make a proper mirepoix (look it up if you don't know, I am not gonna 'splain) you need double the onions over the amounts of the other vegetables combined *long breath*. I used a couple chicken breasts from a frozen bag (economical but of mediocre quality), and chicken base since I am too lazy to make a real stock. I could go into a tangent again, but I will stay on topic. I bought this foodservice exclusive base from work that RULES. It is mainly roasted chicken meat and salt, but it is not the dry, powdery 99% salt concoction you get from big box retailers, it is a goopy, delicious paste that separates. It is the real deal. I also used fresh garlic cloves, dried bay leaves, salt, pepper, parsley flakes, oregano, and poultry seasoning. I won't give amounts, as these are purely to taste, and depend on the meat, base, and other factors. So, now that you know what I used, here is my "recipe" since for soup I throw it all together and taste frequently.
2 chicken breasts (or about 1lb of chicken skinned, boned, some fat left)
~1/2 cup chicken base (subjective to brand and taste, start slow)
5 stalks of celery (I used a larger "chunk" cut, what you do is up to you)
4-5 carrots ""
1 1/2-2 onions diced (use your own judgment, onions add a lot of flavor but get masked easily by other flavors)
Fresh garlic cloves, minced (about one bulb of garlic will do)
Bay leaves
Salt and pepper
Parsley flakes
Oregano
(all to taste)
To do the bay leaves, I tied a coffee filter around them with dental floss and boiled it in the soup for about 15 minutes. The large, dry leaves are basically inedible and an aromatic if you will.
OK, so I began by getting 3-4 quarts of water boiling in a large pot. I added a few large tablespoons of my chicken base to make a chicken stock. You can use pre-made chicken stock if you so choose.
Chop all your vegetables to match the amount of water and how thick and chunky you like your soup to be. I like a lot. Mince your garlic (set aside separately), get all vegetables chopped, and have them set aside.
Get a saute pan, with about a tablespoon of cooking oil over medium-high heat. Sear the chicken breasts on each side. You can season if you want, but it will most likely be lost when making soup. Get the outsides brown, don't worry about cooking through, as the soup will do that. You can start from thawed or frozen chicken, which is a big time saver.
Once the stock is boiling and the chicken is seared, drop the whole breasts into the stock, ensuring you scrape the pan into the pot as well (extra oil will carry the flavor, you can use the delicious juice and all the other side effects of flesh carmelization). You will have to dice the chicken at some point, either after searing or after cooking in the soup. I recommend searing before cutting, but that is my personal preference. Allow the soup to come back to a boil, and add vegetables. Allow all of this to come back to a boil and cover. I am not sure how long this takes, but check the soup every 5-10 minutes after the first 15. Check the vegetables for done-ness as well as chicken tenderness. I like it all pretty done but not mushy.
I prefer to season towards the end of the soup. That way the seasonings aren't just boiled into oblivion. When the vegetables are nearly done, check the soup and add seasonings (and more base if necessary) to taste. Add the garlic and other spices, then tie your bag of bay leaves to the handle and drop in.
Now is a critical time. You can make your dumplings before-hand, or right now. It takes very little time but can get hectic if you're timing your veggies. I got this recipe from this here
# 2 cups of white flour
# 4 tsp. baking powder
# 1 tsp. salt
# 4 tbsp. soft margarine or butter
# 1 cup of milk (or more)
1. Combine flour, baking powder, and salt in a bowl.
2. Cut in butter that's been kept at room temperature or use soft margarine.
3. Stir milk lightly into the flour mixture with a wooden spoon and adjust amounts to make sure that you have a moist dumpling dough.
I add a little parsley to the dumplings for a little coloration. That is totally optional. Add the dumplings by spooning small balls into the boiling soup. Do this a few at a time as to not decrease the temperature too much. When all the dough is used, close the lid and "steam" them for a while. Check one for doneness, and check the veggies and meat as well. When it is all to your standards, let it sit for a while. It will be very hot and retain heat for a long time. The soup will thicken a bit due to the dumplings.
To plate, I used a wide-lip soup bowl on a plate. I scooped on and garnished with a small sprig of celery leaf. It tasted good, but I could have spent more time seasoning.
This isn't an actual picture. Perhaps I should get batteries for my camera.
Any questions? Leave a comment or email us @twofatamateursATgmail.com
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Fat side of the moon . . .
Hi all! It's Jake, your pudgy amateur cooking pal. I don't have much to say now except that I would like to apologize for my blogging negligence. Rest assured, I will post with all of my pan fried glory as soon as I get some creative ideas. For now everyone will have to be happy with my co-posters propositions. BYE!
?
Well, for some reason my title bar won't let me type anything without transforming it into a language I don't recognize. Anyway, this one is called:
READING MATERIAL
After one of my visits to Harmony (see below for review) the chef allowed me to borrow a cookbook from his lounge library. It is called "The Elements of Taste" by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky.
The book follows a basic theme that tastes can be broken down into various catergories, and these can be broken down even further, to make it blunt. It mentions tastes that push, pull, and punctuate. The flavors that do this are outlined along with specific dishes that explore each. The main theme is harmony among dishes and full-coursed meals.
I found this to be quite enlightening. There was always a reason to season (see what I did there? ZING), but never why certain seasonings do particular things to our palate. The book touched on the fact that some parts of food are aromatic (take a bite of beef, don't exhale, and chew. Then exhale, and notice what you taste then). Some are purely reactions to pain receptors (even black pepper, put a bit on your tongue and notice the feel and flavor).
This book has given me a new platform in which to cook; one that combines balancing a dish thoroughly through simple yet tedious seasoning, and particular timing to aspects as far as seasoning and creation goes. I recommend the book to anyone interested in cooking more than hamburger helper, as the recipes are simple (however, finding Chinese chili oil and capers in Walmart may be easier said than done), but they are bold in flavor and plating. My two favorite recipes that I have seen (have not been able to cook yet) are two chilled soups. One is a strawberry soup with champagne ice (looks AWESOME), and a two-tomato 3 basil coulis. The two-tomato coulis uses yellow and red cherry tomatoes to make purees, and as you plate, you pour them into a bowl to create a yin-yang type effect, and it looks and sounds delicious. This picture is from a google search, I have not made it yet.
At any rate, the book is about $40 on Amazon, but if you're into E-books, it's about $8. I would recommend that since while the book has definite merit, but saving a few bucks to get the same information all legit like that? Awesome!
That's all I have for today. Thanks for checking us out.
-Tim
READING MATERIAL
After one of my visits to Harmony (see below for review) the chef allowed me to borrow a cookbook from his lounge library. It is called "The Elements of Taste" by Gray Kunz and Peter Kaminsky.
The book follows a basic theme that tastes can be broken down into various catergories, and these can be broken down even further, to make it blunt. It mentions tastes that push, pull, and punctuate. The flavors that do this are outlined along with specific dishes that explore each. The main theme is harmony among dishes and full-coursed meals.
I found this to be quite enlightening. There was always a reason to season (see what I did there? ZING), but never why certain seasonings do particular things to our palate. The book touched on the fact that some parts of food are aromatic (take a bite of beef, don't exhale, and chew. Then exhale, and notice what you taste then). Some are purely reactions to pain receptors (even black pepper, put a bit on your tongue and notice the feel and flavor).
This book has given me a new platform in which to cook; one that combines balancing a dish thoroughly through simple yet tedious seasoning, and particular timing to aspects as far as seasoning and creation goes. I recommend the book to anyone interested in cooking more than hamburger helper, as the recipes are simple (however, finding Chinese chili oil and capers in Walmart may be easier said than done), but they are bold in flavor and plating. My two favorite recipes that I have seen (have not been able to cook yet) are two chilled soups. One is a strawberry soup with champagne ice (looks AWESOME), and a two-tomato 3 basil coulis. The two-tomato coulis uses yellow and red cherry tomatoes to make purees, and as you plate, you pour them into a bowl to create a yin-yang type effect, and it looks and sounds delicious. This picture is from a google search, I have not made it yet.
At any rate, the book is about $40 on Amazon, but if you're into E-books, it's about $8. I would recommend that since while the book has definite merit, but saving a few bucks to get the same information all legit like that? Awesome!
That's all I have for today. Thanks for checking us out.
-Tim
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Restaurant Etiquette: Fat Amateur Style
Well, here we are.
Apologies all around for our recent absence, work and school has taken up the better portion of my time, and for Jake, well, who knows? Don't you love a blog by two people that is only written by one and all he does is jab at the guy who doesn't contribute? ANYWAY...
Tonight's blog, as the title indicates, deals with restaurant etiquette. I am not going to go through which fork does what or what tie to wear, this deals with subjects that I have personally seen and take personal offense to when I see it either at work or when I am eating somewhere.
1.)If you can't afford to tip accordingly, don't go out to eat. This seems pretty simple, but I have seen terrific servers and service go un-thanked many times. Generally, tipping is a non-required gesture to thank a restaurant or server for a job well done. However, if you are going out to eat, budget enough to leave at least a 15% tip on what you spend.
You may say "Tim, my server was terrible!" I reply to that by saying that if it's entirely the servers fault (ie: they were not overwhelmingly busy, mistakes weren't by the cook, etc), then you should not have to tip them. I am purely a service tipper, which means if my service was not good considering any other factor, then the server will not be tipped well if at all. Servers work very hard (typically) and make close to half of minimum wage at times. You are their lively-hood, and if you are too stingy for 15% for good service, then don't go out.
2.)Don't let your kids run around if it's not Chuck E. Cheese. Take care of your children! Allowing your children to run in a restaurant is like saying you don't care if they are kidnapped! If your child is not mature enough to handle going out, then you should parent better or wait until they are. This disrupts people at other tables, it disrupts service, and it reflects poorly on you. Plus, it's a safety hazard. I cringe thinking about every child I see running in a restaurant getting a boiling dish of pasta poured on his/her head and horrendously SCARRING him/her for life! THIS IS SERIOUS!!! Be a good parent!
Now you may say "Tim, you're not a parent, blah blah blah!" WHO CARES? Is your child's safety not important to you? If no, then is your own image as a parent important? If you said no to either, you are too inbred to know what I am saying or you are terrible and should not go anywhere.
3.)If something is wrong, say something as soon as you can. 99% of restaurants will be happy to fix any mistakes they made, and will probably compensate you for the trouble in some way. However, this is not a go-ahead to screw people into giving you free meals/drinks/whatever. Don't be a dick! Like I said, most places want your repeat business. That means getting it right and wanting you to come back. Some places do not follow this philosophy, which will lead them to eventual ruin. I am not saying all restaurants do what they should, but if you are in a good, reputable place, they will assist you as much as they can. In my personal experience, I have been happy to repair any mistakes made by myself or staff. It only hurts you to be quiet and not mention if something is not done to your standards. The restaurant business is a service business. This means customer satisfaction. Plus, if you leave on a good note, you will most likely patronize again, which makes things easy for you!
4.)No matter what someone may say, or what you think, going to/ordering from/staying in a restaurant within a few minutes of them closing is rude. In the restaurant business, closing time is closing time. They should not be closed before their advertised closing time of course, but coming in five minutes before close does make you a jerk. Some places will be cool with it, but generally, you will be "that guy" or "that girl" that restaurants talk about and get to know. This is because the restaurant business is funny. Some nights are busier than others. Employees get tired, and they want to leave at closing. They don't want to sit there while you talk to your stupid friends about who got more drunk last night. This counts for bars, too. If you can't be responsible enough to patronize at a decent hour, then that place is not for you. Think of 15 minutes before closing as probably too close.
You may say "Tim, restaurants should be happy all the time to serve me at one minute till close or at opening." No, the IRS doesn't stay open for an hour later because you want to file your taxes at a different time. No other public service agency does this, and you shouldn't expect restaurants to either. Plus, food will be fresher and better prepared if you go earlier.
Well, that's all I have for now. If you have ever worked in the restaurant biz, or if you patronize as a responsible citizen, then this makes sense. If you are a self-righteous jerkface, then you are all mad at me and thinking I don't know what I am talking about. Really, this is for other patrons. I expect to not be bothered by these items when I eat out. I pay a decent price, and I expect that others respect that I patronize restaurants for the atmosphere as well as food. If you don't do the other things, and are respectful of people around you, the others will do the same and it can make for a terrific experience.
If you want to comment about how right or wrong I am, feel free. Otherwise, catch you next time.
-Tim
Apologies all around for our recent absence, work and school has taken up the better portion of my time, and for Jake, well, who knows? Don't you love a blog by two people that is only written by one and all he does is jab at the guy who doesn't contribute? ANYWAY...
Tonight's blog, as the title indicates, deals with restaurant etiquette. I am not going to go through which fork does what or what tie to wear, this deals with subjects that I have personally seen and take personal offense to when I see it either at work or when I am eating somewhere.
1.)If you can't afford to tip accordingly, don't go out to eat. This seems pretty simple, but I have seen terrific servers and service go un-thanked many times. Generally, tipping is a non-required gesture to thank a restaurant or server for a job well done. However, if you are going out to eat, budget enough to leave at least a 15% tip on what you spend.
You may say "Tim, my server was terrible!" I reply to that by saying that if it's entirely the servers fault (ie: they were not overwhelmingly busy, mistakes weren't by the cook, etc), then you should not have to tip them. I am purely a service tipper, which means if my service was not good considering any other factor, then the server will not be tipped well if at all. Servers work very hard (typically) and make close to half of minimum wage at times. You are their lively-hood, and if you are too stingy for 15% for good service, then don't go out.
2.)Don't let your kids run around if it's not Chuck E. Cheese. Take care of your children! Allowing your children to run in a restaurant is like saying you don't care if they are kidnapped! If your child is not mature enough to handle going out, then you should parent better or wait until they are. This disrupts people at other tables, it disrupts service, and it reflects poorly on you. Plus, it's a safety hazard. I cringe thinking about every child I see running in a restaurant getting a boiling dish of pasta poured on his/her head and horrendously SCARRING him/her for life! THIS IS SERIOUS!!! Be a good parent!
Now you may say "Tim, you're not a parent, blah blah blah!" WHO CARES? Is your child's safety not important to you? If no, then is your own image as a parent important? If you said no to either, you are too inbred to know what I am saying or you are terrible and should not go anywhere.
3.)If something is wrong, say something as soon as you can. 99% of restaurants will be happy to fix any mistakes they made, and will probably compensate you for the trouble in some way. However, this is not a go-ahead to screw people into giving you free meals/drinks/whatever. Don't be a dick! Like I said, most places want your repeat business. That means getting it right and wanting you to come back. Some places do not follow this philosophy, which will lead them to eventual ruin. I am not saying all restaurants do what they should, but if you are in a good, reputable place, they will assist you as much as they can. In my personal experience, I have been happy to repair any mistakes made by myself or staff. It only hurts you to be quiet and not mention if something is not done to your standards. The restaurant business is a service business. This means customer satisfaction. Plus, if you leave on a good note, you will most likely patronize again, which makes things easy for you!
4.)No matter what someone may say, or what you think, going to/ordering from/staying in a restaurant within a few minutes of them closing is rude. In the restaurant business, closing time is closing time. They should not be closed before their advertised closing time of course, but coming in five minutes before close does make you a jerk. Some places will be cool with it, but generally, you will be "that guy" or "that girl" that restaurants talk about and get to know. This is because the restaurant business is funny. Some nights are busier than others. Employees get tired, and they want to leave at closing. They don't want to sit there while you talk to your stupid friends about who got more drunk last night. This counts for bars, too. If you can't be responsible enough to patronize at a decent hour, then that place is not for you. Think of 15 minutes before closing as probably too close.
You may say "Tim, restaurants should be happy all the time to serve me at one minute till close or at opening." No, the IRS doesn't stay open for an hour later because you want to file your taxes at a different time. No other public service agency does this, and you shouldn't expect restaurants to either. Plus, food will be fresher and better prepared if you go earlier.
Well, that's all I have for now. If you have ever worked in the restaurant biz, or if you patronize as a responsible citizen, then this makes sense. If you are a self-righteous jerkface, then you are all mad at me and thinking I don't know what I am talking about. Really, this is for other patrons. I expect to not be bothered by these items when I eat out. I pay a decent price, and I expect that others respect that I patronize restaurants for the atmosphere as well as food. If you don't do the other things, and are respectful of people around you, the others will do the same and it can make for a terrific experience.
If you want to comment about how right or wrong I am, feel free. Otherwise, catch you next time.
-Tim
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Restaurant review- Harmony by Clint Goodman
Hello, y'all. I hope this finds you well.
As you can see from the title, we are doing a restaurant review today! YAY! Right? Right! So, before we jump into this, I will give you a little of "what's up," and then get to the gritty.
I don't know what Jake has been doing, but I have been working a bunch and doing the school thing and blah blah. This is dumb, I will carry on.
Ok, review! Harmony by Clint Goodman is a New American Fusion-style restaurant located directly downtown Waverly, IA. Check out the website here. They use local/fresh/organic ingredients, which is essentially unheard of in our little corner of the world. I won't go into the details of it's existence or anything like that, since much of it can be found at the website. I have been there three times, and each time has been simply fantastic.
Atmosphere: The building itself is between a couple businesses. If you're not looking for it, you can miss it. And that is kind of the magic of the place. There are two usable entrances, one leading to an elegant lounge, and the other to the dining room. The lounge has couches, local art, and an air of relaxation you don't really get from other lounges. The dining room is simple, with old jewelery cases lining the walls (large ceiling to ceiling ones, very old world) that contain local art pieces. The tables are dressed in black with white cloths. The whole place exudes cleanliness and professionalism.
Service: The service at Harmony is excellent. The only thing I could see was that there was an air of "newness" to them, methods not quite yet refined. However, this did not take away from the experience of fine dining service that leaves no wants unmet. The professionalism of the service shows, as no glass was empty, and courses were planned precisely.
Menu: The menu at Harmony can seem a bit overwhelming for how "limited" it seems. However, it is not limited at all once you are able to understand how willing Harmony is to please. The menu itself is fine dining defined. The restaurant does very well in maintaining a simple, yet elegant and exciting menu for many tastes. Harmony offers a contemporary and "classic" or more recognizable menu. The classic menu (I can't remember what it's actually called) uses items that are more along the lines of a steakhouse. The starters contain various soups, salads, and other items which are all described deliciously. The main courses can feature steaks (ribeye was the choice as of late), and cuts of meat more familiar to a majority of people.
The contemporary menu is that, simply put. The items on this are more towards the tastes of a connoisseur of various sea foods and a variety of items one from a small town rarely thinks of for options.
There are a number of ways to enjoy Harmony's items. There are three and five course tasting menus (which are a fantastic deal, appetizer, main course, and dessert for a price that can compete with many streamlined restaurants). Also are the items priced individually, a choice of a cheese plate, and other options. Desserts are listed by the server since they can vary daily.
Meal: Finally, what this blog has been getting at; the food. Harmony has provided some of the most perfectly prepared food that I have ever eaten. The flavors do, as the website title suggests, sing. The conception of what the menu offers comes to life as you are handed plates. The plating is magnificent, a blend of simple elegance with portions appropriate for this region. If you have never eaten organic or locally grown food before, I suggest Harmony before anything else. The sheer quality over most food offered by local stores and restaurants is astounding. There is an enormous difference between this food and food anywhere else, and it's for the better. If you have ever doubted that organic food is better, you have never eaten it properly prepared!
The items are perfectly seasoned, and most items are sauteed. You can tell that carefully seasoned pans are the only thing your food touches, and the aroma and pure professionalism are apparent as soon as you receive the dish. You can tell that Chef Clint knows what he is doing, and you can nearly taste the science that went behind choosing the specific items in the dish as they dance and play perfectly. The proteins are always the most moist and high-grade items available. I have had skate-wing, Lake Superior Whiting, Ribeye, and pork tenderloin. They have each been perfect, from fat content to moisture to how it is cooked. The vegetables are always delightful. And the desserts are delectable. I have had a watermelon sorbet (that tastes and has a texture VERY close to real watermelon, only a frozen sorbet) and the cheesecake. The cheesecake is fantastic, and painstakingly made. Upon speaking with the chef, you understand how much of himself is invested. The choice of the perfect cheese for the cheesecake, to what items he uses in his kitchen have all been planned perfectly, and it seems that a town the size of (and the almost "backwards-ly finicky" population) does not deserve such a place.
Drinks: Keeping with the theme of local, Harmony offers beer so local it is made on premises, Angry Cedar Brewing Co. While I have not had a chance to try any, from what I hear it is delicious. Harmony's chef is also either studying to be (or is, I can't recall) a sommalier, which means that specific wines can be paired with meals. The wine selection can only be describes as eclectic and expansive. I won't go into details, as I have very very little experience with wine. They also offer more well-known beers, and soda by the can.
If I could ever make a suggestion it would be to add a bar of some type and offer high-quality cocktails with top-shelf liquor. I can see many problems and obstacles that may come about, but offering a top-shelf Manhattan may help seal the deal for many.
Price: the pricing for Harmony can only be described as fair. Even those on a strict budget can find items that will subsist them. To some, the prices may seem ghastly at first (the use of $25 instead of $24.99 can throw us). However, one must understand that the quality of food is on a much higher level, and the price reflects very fairly on what you are given (especially since food costs have to be astronomical there). The portions are perfect. Don't go expecting to get something like at Applebee's, expect to spend time and thoroughly enjoy yourself at a restaurant that offers terrific food at reasonable prices. Like I mentioned before, the three course tasting menu is fantastic, and you get an appetizer, a large main course, and a dessert for a streamlined price.
Overall: I have to say that Harmony is my favorite restaurant of all time. From the unique dining room (and a unique experience on the whole), to the terrific menu and stellar food, Harmony is a place that one can easily overlook, but to the lucky people that find it, it's a gold mine. If you have not tried it, and live close enough, enjoy it soon, before they decide to uproot to a more happening town. If I were to grade it, I would give a 4.75/5. The only reason they do not receive a perfect score is because some items labeled on the menu are not consistently available. While I completely understand this sometimes happens (as years in food service will tell you), something seems to be out or close to the three times I have been. While Harmony specializes in fresh/local, changing a menu or doing things a bit differently in that regard may avoid some disappointment. I have no suggestions as to how, so I guess I am the jerk. Otherwise, Harmony, don't change a thing.
(images copyright Harmony/respectful owners)
-Tim
As you can see from the title, we are doing a restaurant review today! YAY! Right? Right! So, before we jump into this, I will give you a little of "what's up," and then get to the gritty.
I don't know what Jake has been doing, but I have been working a bunch and doing the school thing and blah blah. This is dumb, I will carry on.
Ok, review! Harmony by Clint Goodman is a New American Fusion-style restaurant located directly downtown Waverly, IA. Check out the website here. They use local/fresh/organic ingredients, which is essentially unheard of in our little corner of the world. I won't go into the details of it's existence or anything like that, since much of it can be found at the website. I have been there three times, and each time has been simply fantastic.
Atmosphere: The building itself is between a couple businesses. If you're not looking for it, you can miss it. And that is kind of the magic of the place. There are two usable entrances, one leading to an elegant lounge, and the other to the dining room. The lounge has couches, local art, and an air of relaxation you don't really get from other lounges. The dining room is simple, with old jewelery cases lining the walls (large ceiling to ceiling ones, very old world) that contain local art pieces. The tables are dressed in black with white cloths. The whole place exudes cleanliness and professionalism.
Service: The service at Harmony is excellent. The only thing I could see was that there was an air of "newness" to them, methods not quite yet refined. However, this did not take away from the experience of fine dining service that leaves no wants unmet. The professionalism of the service shows, as no glass was empty, and courses were planned precisely.
Menu: The menu at Harmony can seem a bit overwhelming for how "limited" it seems. However, it is not limited at all once you are able to understand how willing Harmony is to please. The menu itself is fine dining defined. The restaurant does very well in maintaining a simple, yet elegant and exciting menu for many tastes. Harmony offers a contemporary and "classic" or more recognizable menu. The classic menu (I can't remember what it's actually called) uses items that are more along the lines of a steakhouse. The starters contain various soups, salads, and other items which are all described deliciously. The main courses can feature steaks (ribeye was the choice as of late), and cuts of meat more familiar to a majority of people.
The contemporary menu is that, simply put. The items on this are more towards the tastes of a connoisseur of various sea foods and a variety of items one from a small town rarely thinks of for options.
There are a number of ways to enjoy Harmony's items. There are three and five course tasting menus (which are a fantastic deal, appetizer, main course, and dessert for a price that can compete with many streamlined restaurants). Also are the items priced individually, a choice of a cheese plate, and other options. Desserts are listed by the server since they can vary daily.
Meal: Finally, what this blog has been getting at; the food. Harmony has provided some of the most perfectly prepared food that I have ever eaten. The flavors do, as the website title suggests, sing. The conception of what the menu offers comes to life as you are handed plates. The plating is magnificent, a blend of simple elegance with portions appropriate for this region. If you have never eaten organic or locally grown food before, I suggest Harmony before anything else. The sheer quality over most food offered by local stores and restaurants is astounding. There is an enormous difference between this food and food anywhere else, and it's for the better. If you have ever doubted that organic food is better, you have never eaten it properly prepared!
The items are perfectly seasoned, and most items are sauteed. You can tell that carefully seasoned pans are the only thing your food touches, and the aroma and pure professionalism are apparent as soon as you receive the dish. You can tell that Chef Clint knows what he is doing, and you can nearly taste the science that went behind choosing the specific items in the dish as they dance and play perfectly. The proteins are always the most moist and high-grade items available. I have had skate-wing, Lake Superior Whiting, Ribeye, and pork tenderloin. They have each been perfect, from fat content to moisture to how it is cooked. The vegetables are always delightful. And the desserts are delectable. I have had a watermelon sorbet (that tastes and has a texture VERY close to real watermelon, only a frozen sorbet) and the cheesecake. The cheesecake is fantastic, and painstakingly made. Upon speaking with the chef, you understand how much of himself is invested. The choice of the perfect cheese for the cheesecake, to what items he uses in his kitchen have all been planned perfectly, and it seems that a town the size of (and the almost "backwards-ly finicky" population) does not deserve such a place.
Drinks: Keeping with the theme of local, Harmony offers beer so local it is made on premises, Angry Cedar Brewing Co. While I have not had a chance to try any, from what I hear it is delicious. Harmony's chef is also either studying to be (or is, I can't recall) a sommalier, which means that specific wines can be paired with meals. The wine selection can only be describes as eclectic and expansive. I won't go into details, as I have very very little experience with wine. They also offer more well-known beers, and soda by the can.
If I could ever make a suggestion it would be to add a bar of some type and offer high-quality cocktails with top-shelf liquor. I can see many problems and obstacles that may come about, but offering a top-shelf Manhattan may help seal the deal for many.
Price: the pricing for Harmony can only be described as fair. Even those on a strict budget can find items that will subsist them. To some, the prices may seem ghastly at first (the use of $25 instead of $24.99 can throw us). However, one must understand that the quality of food is on a much higher level, and the price reflects very fairly on what you are given (especially since food costs have to be astronomical there). The portions are perfect. Don't go expecting to get something like at Applebee's, expect to spend time and thoroughly enjoy yourself at a restaurant that offers terrific food at reasonable prices. Like I mentioned before, the three course tasting menu is fantastic, and you get an appetizer, a large main course, and a dessert for a streamlined price.
Overall: I have to say that Harmony is my favorite restaurant of all time. From the unique dining room (and a unique experience on the whole), to the terrific menu and stellar food, Harmony is a place that one can easily overlook, but to the lucky people that find it, it's a gold mine. If you have not tried it, and live close enough, enjoy it soon, before they decide to uproot to a more happening town. If I were to grade it, I would give a 4.75/5. The only reason they do not receive a perfect score is because some items labeled on the menu are not consistently available. While I completely understand this sometimes happens (as years in food service will tell you), something seems to be out or close to the three times I have been. While Harmony specializes in fresh/local, changing a menu or doing things a bit differently in that regard may avoid some disappointment. I have no suggestions as to how, so I guess I am the jerk. Otherwise, Harmony, don't change a thing.
(images copyright Harmony/respectful owners)
-Tim
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Whooooo
Well, sorry that we haven't been on here for a while. I have been working and Jake... well... needs to get off his ass. Just kidding?
I will spare you the boring details of what is going on and suffice to say "lots, but not enough to really complain about." We are a lazy people, and while we wish we could regale you in tales of cooking trials and tribulations, we are too fat and tired at the moment. So here is some nonsensical writing!
Jake and I are fans of heavy metal music; have been most of our lives. Our youth was (and is) spent (read: wasted) discovering new bands and listening to music that just plain gets us off. Before you go "Tim, I thought this blog is about coooking and stuff LOL!!1!", we starting this out as a way for us to write about what we want. We are gonna be all 'here's a recipe!' one day, and all 'here's a heavy metal critique' another. ANYWAY, our interests vary greatly and you can expect a variety of things from us.
I am off topic.
Ok, Jake and I are metal fans, and food fans (fat metal dudes? Who knew?). So, how sweet would it be if we donned corpse paint and had a cooking podcast? YEAH!!!!
I will spare you the boring details of what is going on and suffice to say "lots, but not enough to really complain about." We are a lazy people, and while we wish we could regale you in tales of cooking trials and tribulations, we are too fat and tired at the moment. So here is some nonsensical writing!
Jake and I are fans of heavy metal music; have been most of our lives. Our youth was (and is) spent (read: wasted) discovering new bands and listening to music that just plain gets us off. Before you go "Tim, I thought this blog is about coooking and stuff LOL!!1!", we starting this out as a way for us to write about what we want. We are gonna be all 'here's a recipe!' one day, and all 'here's a heavy metal critique' another. ANYWAY, our interests vary greatly and you can expect a variety of things from us.
I am off topic.
Ok, Jake and I are metal fans, and food fans (fat metal dudes? Who knew?). So, how sweet would it be if we donned corpse paint and had a cooking podcast? YEAH!!!!
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