I guess im starting this for myself, considering I don’t know who id be writing it for. Maybe someone like me, a 23 year old recent college grad totally lost in the world. Like so many before and after me, I took the safe route and went to a big college for the “general” business degree that would set me apart from all the others and making me superior to all those that didn’t take the four year right of passage. Well, long story short, I was tricked like the rest of them and now im writing this while cooking for my parents, younger brother and girlfriend in my parents suburban New Jersey home.
I cook because…. Well because… I guess because…. Ive got nothing better to do, and I love it. Its something that can give instant satisfaction to someone. With food you either love it or hate it and you’ll know it in the first few bites. Food takes the guesswork out of things. Making a dish that satisfies the palate and soul is all about the care and compassion that goes into cooking it. I’d say I also get a lot of my passion through media (TV and books). I like watching the Food Network, reading cookbooks and textbooks as well as reading some of my favorite chef’s memoirs, shout out to Tony Bourdain and a spot for my favorite show “No Reservations.”
Well back to the point of all this, Im going to document my daily culinary adventures in my kitchen. I wake up planning what to make my family that night for dinner, ill make a menu, hit the market and get cooking for dinner at eight thirty ish (were very European) and report back here later. Ill leave the recipe, where I got it from, how it turned out and you’ll get a little peak into my mind about the day or whatever, like I said I’m doing this for me to keep me sane. Hopefully I can keep it up (that’s what she said) and keep writing for more than a week, or more like me make it to tomorrow.
The first recipe ill post is one that I came up with last minute. While watching “Secrets of a Restaurant Chef” with Ann Burrel at two A.M. after the Superbowl I thought this dish looked great. Usually Burell makes stuff that looks great on the show and in the pics online but look like shit when it hits the table. Tonight’s menu, Braised chicken with mushrooms and almonds. Because I always overcook and feel like there wont be enough food I bough whole a big pack of whole leg quarter which weighed out to be about four pounds as well as a small two pound pack of chicken thighs. Just the night before when I was watching the show my mom walked by and said, “I like when you make thighs and other cuts, I get so bored with breasts.” (that’s what she said) So I decided to make this with a lot of dark meat. Everything else I kept pretty much right to the recipe, although I did add a little more of everything because of my increase in chicken. When you brown the chicken make sure you brown skin side down first and get a real good deep golden brown skin before flipping and taking out of the pan, its going to take about 5-8 min a side for the quarters and about 4-7 min a side for the thighs (only use timing as a guide, the real test for doness is done by touch and sight, you own touch and sight). I simmered the chicken for about 40 minutes and it was perfectly tender. In order to get the sauce to the right consistency I would use about four cups of stock and one and a half cups of wine to reduce the liquid factor in the final sauce. That is to say I like my sauces thick and bold.
The final product was pretty good. As usual Caite (my girlfriend of nearly eight years and mother of my chocolate lab we got together at WVU) and my mom had nothing but good things to say. Mom loved the legs and thighs, my toughest critic though did not, my dad. “The dark meat is good because its so fu__ing fatty.” As usual he does not have nice things to say as you will learn. Half of this battle is to see how much I can piss him off making meals with butter and heavy cream in it along with desserts at least twice a week. He is just a pain in the ass to be a pain in the ass. My inspiration and most valued critic, brother Chris didn’t have much to say about the meal. I must have felt the same way as me, something that looked and tasted ok, but could have been better. Well maybe the next one will be better as well as the next article, ill try. Tomorrow night, still no sure but im thinking stir-fry again this week with my new wok, maybe even chicken feet I saw in the store today to freak everyone out, and I def have to make some form of cheese cake with my new spring form pan and the pound and a half of cream cheese I have. Until then, smell ya later.
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/anne-burrell/braised-chicken-with-mushrooms-and-almonds-recipe/index.html
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