Was recently at a cooking demonstration, where one of the guests asked what a chiffonade was. As soon as she asked, almost everyone else nodded and was also wondering as they had heard the term before. I quickly explained the cutting process for a chiffonade and many knew it once they saw it, or have done it often but just did not know the official term for it. So for any others out there curious here is the definition along with a pic depicting it
The French term "Chiffinade" means "made of rags". In cooking, it is a technique for slicing herbs and leafy vegetables into long thin strips.
To chiffonade something, stack and roll a small pile of leaves and then slice or snip them into thin ribbons.
Last year I was travelling though Italy on a food, wine, olive oil, and scenery tour. My lovely wife and I worked our way from Venice to the Amalfi Coast, and everyday had multiple memories that will last a lifetime. Food and wine are a passion there, and unlike most North American places fast food is not just the golden arches. Everything there was done properly and done well when it came to anything food related. We saw men fishing in the early day time and serving what they caught us in the evening, if I had a craving for red snapper and none was caught, none was being had case closed. Throughout our travels, we asked many locals about the best place to eat in the particular area we may have been at the time and the answer was almost always the same, best place...”My house”...which was sometimes followed by, “you come, eat with us”.
I cannot wait to go back and cannot stress enough that if you have the chance to go, jump on it, but very importantly stay away from tourist areas and tourist traps, find out the where the locals eat, or go to their market and you will see the real Italy.
Before we had left for Italy, I was told by a good friend of mine who happens to be Italian that I would travel for my espresso. When I pushed for a more clear explanation, he told me how here if you want a coffee you pull into the nearest timmy’s, maybe starbucks or if you are really bold here in Ottawa you will hit Bridgehead. To top it off if you are in a rush you will get it from the drive through and drink it in the car towards your destination. My friend explained that in Italy you have to first find your favourite coffee place...sorry espresso! When Italians think of Americanized coffee they call it “Stained Water”, to them it is espresso for your caffeine fix. In Italy I was further told, that your favourite place does not have to be the corner destination, it can be a place 30 minutes down the road and they will go there multiple times a day for the hit of espresso. Initially I scoffed at the idea of finding a place, I like a good espresso and each place that, if it does it well would work for me. Well I was proven wrong! I enjoyed my espresso in most places, but about a 15 minute walk from my B&B in Florence was Corona’s Cafe, a place that had an espresso with my name on it. Cannot explain why, but the atmosphere the way the barrista pulled the shot of espresso, the mini antipasto plate served after work, just everything about this place was right for me. As I was told I would do, I made sure that two to three times a day I went for my favourite espresso from my new favourite place, and I really never really lingered there for more than 5-6 minutes, but when I needed my caffeine hit, there was only one place for me.
Many of the locals stand around have their quick hit, and head off to work, home or where ever their destination is, some linger on for a bit chatting it up with other locals, and then usually more cafe is ordered, then some vino, then some antipasto, then some more vino etc, etc, etc...
But one thing I noticed and also fell in love with was called cafe corretto, which means corrected with booze, yes booze! Think of it...a strong shot of caffeine topped with sambuca or grappa, I could have danced all night!
Anyways, below is a video from youtube about pulling the perfect espresso, also below is a list of the different types of cafe found in Italy. If you get the chance and there is a little Italy near where you live, try and find a good quality espresso like the one described in the video, then go back to Starbucks and order one from them or any other chain coffee shop and see the difference.
Espresso : known a Cafe in Italy, served in a 3 oz or demitasse cup. Strong in taste with a rich bronze froth known as a crema on top.
Doppio : Simply a double espresso.
Ristretto: More concentrated than a regular espresso that is made with less water.
Lungo or Caffe Americano: An Espresso made with more water - opposite a Ristretto.
Macchiato: Espresso that is "marked" with a dollop of steamed milk on top.
Corretto: Espresso that is "corrected" with grappa, cognac or sambuca.
Cappuccino: Espresso with foamed milk and containing equal parts espresso, steamed milk and foamed milk.
Cappuccino scuro: Cappuccino prepared with less milk and is a darker color.
Cappuccino chiaro: Cappuccino prepared with more milk (but less than a cafe latte) and is lighter in color.
Cafe' latte: Espresso made with more milk than a cappuccino but only a small amount of foam. In Italy it is usually a breakfast drink.
Latte macchiato: Steamed milk that is "marked" (sometimes ornately) with a shot of espresso coffee.
Hi all,
Just wanted to toss out an idea that has been brewing. Our Ottawa catering company Kitchen Inspired, is thinking taking it up a notch when it comes to cooking demonstrations and getting people passionate about food. Thinking about Mother's Day yesterday, and how we were asked by a few gentlemen to cater for their wives and moms. While I already booked myself for my own family, I thought about the number of guys in Ottawa who want to have their special day catered from Kitchen Inspired, simply because they were too lost in the kitchen. I have completed by book for men, called Grin N' Bear, A Men's Guide to Surviving the Heat of the Kitchen, now comes the fun task of properly publishing it. But before going further with that, I want to see if Men in the Ottawa Area who want learn more about cooking, but aren't interested in taking any continuing education classes to contact me and lets see if we can get a Men's Only Cooking Group organized. Hope to hear those interested soon.
Sharik asked about harissa, how to make it and where to buy it in the Ottawa area.
After a bit of research I was able to find it at La Bottega in the Ottawa Market, and also the Whalesbone Oyster House on Kent Street, and Alladhin on St.Laurent Blvd.
Harissa is a North African hot sauce where the main ingredients are Piri piri style chili peppers, tomatoes and smoked paprika.
Now the following recipe for Harissa comes from the Professional Chef Series Volume 7,
Ingredients:
•10 dried red chili peppers
•4-5 cloves garlic, finely minced
•1 teaspoon salt
•2-3 tablespoons olive oil
•1 teaspoon coriander seeds
•1 teaspoon caraway seeds
•1/2 teaspoon cumin powder
Directions:
Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30 minutes. Drain. Remove stems and seeds.
In a food processor combine chili peppers, garlic, salt and olive oil. Blend.
Using a mortar and pestle grind the coriander and caraway seeds to a fine powder.
Add remaining spices and blend to form a smooth paste.
Store in airtight container and top with a little olive oil. Can last up to one month in the fridge.
see below a picture of the finished product.
Hope this helps and would love to hear what you tried making with Harissa.
It's that time of year again, to start thinking about what to plant for the upcoming summer season. Last season the tomatoes almost took over the house and we were worried about being attacked, so this year green beans, peas, one tomato plant, and maybe some peppers are the way to go. Our yard while small in size has an area for planting that is really beautiful. Two years ago, watermelon was grown, and despite everyone laughing at an Ottawa boy attempting watermelon, 4 of the biggest juicies watermellons came out of my yard. One was ofcourse injected with vodka for a perfect refreshment, while one was used for a watermelon salad with olives and feta....if you haven't had the opportunity to mix your watemelon with a salty feta, make sure you experiment with that this summer. The flavours are amazing and with the right herbs like mint, or lemon parsely it just adds an freshing spring to the taste.
Watermelon Salad with olives and feta
1 small red onion
Juice of two limes
1.5 kg sweet, ripe watermelon (you can also use watermelon injected with kirtsh, or vermouth)
250g feta cheese
bunch fresh flat-leaf parsley
bunch fresh mint, chopped
6-7 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
100g pitted black olives that have been dried in an oven (about 45 minutes at 150 degrees)
black pepper
Peel the red onion and cut into strips and put in a small bowl with the lime juice.
Remove the rind and pips from the watermelon, and cut into medium bite sized pieces, and the cut the feta into small pieces but not crumbled and put them both into a large, wide shallow bowl. Use spring of parsley , and add to the bowl along with the chopped mint.
Tip the onions, along with the lime juice over the salad in the bowl, add the oil and olives, then using your hands toss the salad very gently so that the feta and melon don’t lose their shape. Add plenty of freshly cracked black pepper to finish and serve.
Al from Chicago said...
Chef Bear,
Once a year, the men in my family prepare a gourmet dinner for our wives. We like to impress so we have several courses like appetizers, soup, salad, main dishes and then dessert. We even do a themed drink. The issue is we always have twice as much food as we need and since this tradition has been going on for several years, we are running out of ideas.
Any suggestions that can make our dinner a success to earn us the points we need for the rest of the year?
Please help!
Al from Chicago
Al and I have exchanged emails since his post and the following information is added to the above request: No allergies, 15 person guest list, 5 course dinner is ideal, no specific food aversions, everyone likes their meat and seafood, all the men share items to make and then bring it over, and wine pairings are not neccessary.
So with this information in mind, I have decided to suggest Al an "Around the World Surf and Turf". It will incorporate all the elements of land and sea from a variety of nationalities and incorporate many different flavors. When this was suggested to Al, him and his team seemed ready and willing to give it a shot. The first and most important thing to remember was that each course is not a main course sized meal. The amouse-bouche is meant to be a one to one and a half bite item, the soup will be served espresso style so it is only about 7-10 small spoonfuls.
Here is the menu set out for Al....Tune in tomorrow where the recipes will be included on the blog site.
Menu: Around the World Surf and Turf
Amouse Bouche – Tequilla Infused Shrimp(along with dessert, the only non themed menu item)
Appetizer -Salmon and Rib Eye Crostini
Soup Course –Italian Mussel Wedding Soup
Mains –Cumin Crusted Tuna and Jerk Crusted Pork Loin
Dessert –Chocolate Espresso Pot De Creme
Remember tomorrow I will include the recipes for these items, and I will ask Al to post how it all went.
Last night, my lovely wife had her cousin visiting from T-dot and we ended up going to Aroma Mezze for dinner on Nepean street. For anyone who has not been, it's a wonderful authentic Greek tapas style place in downtown Ottawa, that is perfect for vegetarian and carnivores alike. Their signature is the always enjoyable to watch, Saganaki. The cheese used in saganaki cheese is usually kefalograviera, kasseri, kefalotyri, or halloumi cheese from Cyprus is also widely used, and more easily accessable to those of us in North America. The cheese is melted in a small frying-pan until it is bubbling, and generally served with lemon juice and pepper and is eaten with bread. At Aroma Mezze as most places in North America that do Saganaki cheese is after being fried, the saganaki cheese is flambéed at the table and the flames then extinguished with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice to add a fresh taste to this gooey finger licking dish. After dinner, we decided to head across the street to Beckta Food and Wine for dessert. Our table ordered the apple crème brûlée, and their cocoa explosion which is a chocolate lovers heaven, and lastly the always popular cheese plate with a few dessert wines to compliment it all. Sampled 5 very distict cheeses, and enjoyed them with candied walnuts, thinly sliced baguettes, and for drinks had a very nice Mederia, and Sautern wines. As usual with Beckta Food and Wine, the service and food were absolutely perfect. This team of skilled staff know how to treat and feed their customers and it shows with their multiple awards. Most places after getting so many accolades cannot possible live up to hype, but Beckta some how always manages to excede all expectations. Anyways, I was talking about gorgonzola stuffed mushrooms in the title, and as usual gave way too much info leading up to it, oh well.... anyways, after dinner and dessert at around 1:30 in the am, someone remembered he had some gorgonzola cheese to use the next day and in the process of thinking what to do with it also remembered the extra mushrooms laying around....sure you can see where this is going....well far be it from me to wait to try to make something, got downstairs, and make those delicious mushrooms cause the craving was just too strong. So with that in mind below is the recipe I used. I also made it a few weeks ago, and took a pic of it at that time so I will include it as well. If you have any questions about this recipe or something else you want to know about or want me to try, please do not hesitate to contact me via email or most it in the comments section. Happy Eatings!
Gorgonzola Stuffed Mushrooms
Ingredients:
1/4 cup olive oil
1 small shallot finely chopped
3 cloves minced garlic
16 large button mushrooms, with stems removed (but retain stems)
1/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs
1/4 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
1/3 cup cream
4 ounces gorgonzola, crumbled
salt and pepper
Directions
Cook shallot and garlic in olive oil in saucepan until soft.
Chop mushroom stems& add to saucepan, cooking until golden.
Add remaining ingredients, and finsh with salt and pepper to taste
Fill the mushroom caps and brush all over with olive oil.
To cook either bake at 350 F for about 15-20 minutes until moisture is evaporated.
Boil for another 5 minutes to lose remaining moisture from mushrooms and create a nice crisp topping.
Kitchen Inspired is proud to announce the re-lauch of our newly designed website, Twitter page, and now our Food Rescuer Blog. The focus of the blog will be for you our readers. Giving you a place to ask any and all food related questions. A place where together, kitchen nightmares will turn into culinary adventures.
I want this blog to be all about food and the kitchen all the time. Tell me about your latest kitchen diaster and lets see how to fix it. Want me to try a new kitchen gadget out and give it a thumbs up or down before you buy, just ask. If you are going to the grocery store and want to know how to buy avocados, post the question and I will answer you asap.
Food is my passion, the kitchen is my heaven, and I want you to experience that feeling I get from feeding family and friends. Remember one important thing as we begin this journey together. Cooking is one of the only arts that appeals to all your senses and together we will enhance all of them.
