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

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!

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

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

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

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