Another Kroger/Mundy Collaboration!
August 16, 2021
I always get a little nervous making ravioli. Worrying about whether the mix is correct, will it lose flavor after hitting boiling water, will they break open in the process, will they, will they, will they? Procuring fresh pasta sheets locally is not easy.
I couldn’t find any place near me that sold them. What I traditionally used in the past were wonton wrappers. They are extremely versatile and have the same consistency as pasta. The local Kroger carried two different sizes. I opted for the smaller wraps for individual ravioli versus the large sheets that are used for egg rolls.
I wasn’t sure what I wanted to create for the filling. First, I was thinking smoked salmon, cream cheese, and fresh chives but ended up deciding on jumbo lump crabmeat and ricotta. I added lemon zest, lemon juice, and a citrus blend seasoning salt.
For the sauce, I created a beurre blanc using a great white balsamic vinegar, white wine, garlic, bay leaf, basil, heavy cream, and butter. It turned out excellent. I garnished the ravioli with chopped basil Chris brought from his garden and then shaved pecorino tartufello over the ravioli. The cheese has the same consistency as port salut but has bits of truffle in the cheese. It was delicate and didn’t overpower the dish with the truffle flavor.
Chris brought over his great homemade pesto and he created crostini with golden cherry tomatoes, tossed in extra virgin olive oil, salt, and pepper that were oven-roasted and then cooled. He assembled them with a layer of ricotta, the pesto and then topped them with the tomatoes. The combination was superb.
I have to say, this was one of the better dishes we enjoyed and it was fun resourcing the product and creating it. Not to mention the complex flavors.
Bro Can Cook!
July 24, 2021
I’m currently staying at my brother’s house for a week-long visit. We are pretty simple folks. Nothing has to be too fancy and we look at food pretty straightforward. Today, he decided to ramp up his breakfast game and the result was pretty damn good. I’ve worked in upscale brunch places on and off for several years. His creation, though simple would be an excellent grab-and-go item for the busy commuter in the morning.
He made from delicious bacon, sausage, and cheese biscuit cups. He proceeded to make scrambled eggs, sausage that was chopped, and then rolled out biscuit dough with a little bit of flour and places the biscuit dough in a muffin pan, then spoon in the mixed egg and sausage mixture then top with shredded cheddar cheese. After about ten minutes, VOILA! Breakfast is served. Add some fresh fruit and it was a great filling meal! Nice job JP!!!
Fish! It’s What’s For Dinner!
July 24, 2021
As I resurrected my blog after an extended time in limbo, I didn’t think that I would be focused on cuisine that spans from South America to Spain. I’ve always enjoyed the flavor combinations that are derived from fresh ingredients and the spices that make this food patently unique. I picked up some Red Snapper at a local grocery and some simple vegetables. It was to be a quick meal to keep things lite since my diet has been all over the board recently.
I managed to find purple potatoes, which are also called Peruvian purple potatoes. They have the same texture and taste as red bliss potatoes but are bright purple. The colors tend to fade when boiled but still have a nice colorful hue. They are different than the purple Okinawan sweet potatoes which I cannot seem to find anywhere but these worked perfectly for the dish.
The aim was to make a simple has combining fresh-cut corn, potatoes, red onion, , chives and some smoked apple wood seasoning. The combinations were great. Sweet corn flavors with a hint of smoke and some heat.
I used a blackening seasoning for the snapper and seared the fish in a cast-iron skillet. I then decided on a smoked Romesco sauce. It’s a simple Spanish condiment used on various proteins such as fish, chicken, or beef. It’s a combination of roasted peppers, tomato, garlic, chili flakes, red wine vinegar, and in this case I used smoked almonds instead of regular sliced almonds. The result was a deliciously tangy and complex sauce that worked very well with the fish.
Paying Homage to South American Cooking
July 11, 2021
I lived in California for over fifteen years. It’s a place I called home for almost a third of my life. I met my wife there, landed my first executive chef job there, and met some amazing people from all over the globe. It’s also where I was exposed to some of the greatest food I’ve ever eaten. When you think about San Francisco, the first thing that comes to mind is the food scene. During my time, there were over three thousand restaurants crammed into seven square miles. This is not an exaggeration. You had global cuisine at your every beck and call.
What many don’t realize, is that there is also a myriad of restaurants in San Francisco that are as equally as amazing as Michelin-starred restaurants which don’t carry names like Michael Mina, Alice Waters, or Nancy Oakes. These are little hole in the wall Taqueria’s that are all over the area but mostly located in The Mission District. I worked in the Mission for over three years. You can find any cuisine that starts from the top of Mexico down to the tip of South America.
Mexican, Peruvian, Honduran, and Salvadorian restaurants were my most favorite but you also had some Spanish Tapas restaurants that served cheap and amazing food. I’ve always have had an affinity for meats, spices, and vegetables from Mexico and South America. I worked in a restaurant that had cooks from six different countries working in my kitchen.
I was exposed to those amazing Salvadorian meat or cheese-filled griddle cakes called Papusas. My friend’s wife from Mexico introduced me to a meat and hominy soup that blew my mind called Posole. I learned how to make a proper hot salsa from my Mexican cooks. I had Beef Tongue for the first time. It was a life-altering experience that I never would have enjoyed unless I made the trek to California and I will be forever thankful for what I’ve learned while on my culinary journey in that incredible state. I do miss it.
The great thing about being back home is having friends who share the same enthusiasm for Latin/Hispanic food. Chris Mundy who in his own right, loves to dabble in this simple fare. But there is nothing simple about the flavors. Smokey, salty, acidity, spicy, and above all, fresh comes to mind when creating and eating this food. Chris is no slouch. If anyone has ever seen his “Jam Band” dinners, you realize he puts a lot of research and effort into what he prepares. Every meal seems carefully executed. I admire that.
This will be our second collaboration. Both have South American themes. In no way am I trying to replicate exact dishes of any specific country, but it’s more of an homage to the ingredients utilized to create dishes that I’ve learned from my friends in California and will always appreciate.
Chris made an Aji Verde sauce. Traditionally, the sauce comes from Andean countries like Columbia, Bolivia, and Peru. It is a mayonnaise-based sauce with cilantro, jalapeno chiles, red onion, and lime juice that is pureed and served as a condiment over fish, chicken, or beef. In Chile, they substitute lemon juice and is called Aji Chileno.
I made the ultimate trip to Jungle Jim’s, warned my knees about the size of the place and my brain about the hordes of people I’d encounter. I took and deep breath, and pushed the cart through the door! Yay! First step!
The place is huge but I had my list and made just a short pit stop by the wine department. I picked up various items for our dinner including Mojo seasoning which is a Cuban meat seasoning that I thought would go great with the chicken because of its citrus properties. I also picked up a cast-iron skillet. Yes, I always need this in my life.
The base of our meal was Peruvian beans, white onion, diced tomatoes, garlic, white wine, paprika, lemon juice, and salt and pepper. Though Jungle Jim’s didn’t have Peruvian beans, white and red beans were a suitable substitute. I also topped the beans with sauteed arugula with fresh lemon juice, garlic, and sea salt.
I purchased a whole Amish chicken which I deboned into quarters. Dusted the chicken with the Mojo seasoning and pan-seared it in the cast iron skillet. I transferred the chicken to the oven at 350 degrees for a half-hour and then in a heavy pot, added olive oil, and brought the heat up to high. I sauteed the onions, added garlic to sweat then deglazed with white wine. I add the beans and tomato and then slowly incorporated the paprika and salt. Adding salt early and reducing the sauce of the beans can make the beans very salty. I finished with lemon just a put aside.
I did a quick saute of olive oil, garlic, arugula, lemon juice, and sea salt. Mounded the beans on the plate, topped with the sauteed arugula, arranged the cooked chicken over the beans and arugula, and topped it all off with Chris’s great Aji Verde sauce. He also brought a seared Halloumi cheese with mint and watermelon and the whole dinner was amazing. Cheers!
Pork! The Other White…Oh Let’s Just Do This!
July 4, 2021
In my attempt to find fun ingredients to prepare, I discovered a small grocery store in Hartwell called Country Fresh Market. They offer a variety of dry goods, meats, prepared foods, and a killer beer and wine department. The prices are competitive as well. I managed to get my hands on some beautiful Spring Onions.
I also picked up Pork Loin, Honeycrisp Apples, and other various items that will help compel me to cook versus eating at chain food outlets.
It’s a fairly straightforward dish. I roasted the Spring Onions and Apples with Olive Oil, Salt, and Pepper. I pan-seared the Pork Loin and roasted it with fresh sage. I made a simple Mushroom Couscous and then prepared a Balsamic Pan Gravy which was Beef Broth, Balsamic Reduction, and cracked Black Pepper. I reduced it to a glaze.
I let the Pork Loin repose, sliced half, and then kept the other half whole to give a contrast in texture. The result was a great, balanced meal. The whole process took me about a half-hour. No, there were no leftovers….
Bon Appetit!
The Joy of Cooking Again!
July 1, 2021
When one is met with peculiar family dynamics that have not been encountered before, there are two paths to take, especially when there is potential for conflict. One option is to stand your ground, watch the cortisol levels rise like Mount Vesuvius, and in the end, never accomplish the result you were trying to achieve. The other option is to simply resign to the fact that this is life as we know it for the time being, so just sit back and try to enjoy the roller coaster ride.
I’ve been in this situation for five years with limited access to a home kitchen. My wonderful wife has taken on the arduous task of cooking for three people daily. It keeps everyone fed and the conflicts are minimalized. I for one, love what my wife prepares. She’s a great cook.
This current respite I’m enjoying has allowed me to cook again. Not in a professional kitchen where one can hear this old chef’s bones crack like stepping on celery with every bend, stoop and pivot, but at a home setting where the wine flows like a waterfall and the setting is calm, peaceful and creative.
My friend of almost forty years Chris Mundy came over for a nice, simple dinner collaboration. He in his own right, is an elevated cook with a great palette, a keen sense of creativity who isn’t afraid to push the culinary boundaries that would make most of our family members wince at the very mention of “Chimichurri.”
He was going to his family’s cabin in Michigan and we both had ingredients we wanted to cook that wouldn’t last the week he was in Michigan so we decided on a pot luck dinner. The result was pretty spectacular.
I’ve adjusted my expectations on where to shop while I’ve been back. I haven’t had the opportunity to make the trek to the infamous Jungle Jim’s where you can procure everything from Rattlesnake to a hot sauce that would give the Sun a run for its money. So, until then, I have been relegated to the big box corporate grocery stores that I also encounter where I live. To say the least, the choices were grim.
It makes sense to stock their shelves with items that the residents of that area would purchase. I get it. I was hoping for something a tad more exotic than Strip Loin Steaks. Perhaps even frozen Duck Breast would suffice? Unfortunately, Strip Loin was the only choice.
I purchased some Applewood Smoked dry rub for the steak. I roasted some fresh Cauliflower, Crimini Mushrooms, and Radish with fresh herbs and olive oil. We combined these with fresh Blue Lake Green Beans. I decided on butter basting the steak with fresh herbs and garlic. I love grilling steaks but butter basting creates a rich, yet artery clogging euphoria that grilling seems to miss.
I let the steak repose and sliced it thin and placed it over the vegetable melange and topped it with Chris’s homemade Chimichurri Sauce which is like an Argentinian pesto, made with parsley, oregano, garlic, chili flakes, vinegar, and olive oil. It is used as a condiment on anything from eggs to vegetables. His version was excellent.
We added a Garbanzo Bean salad and we both shared wine. It was an excellent collaboration. It felt good to cook again. I’m hoping to keep this trend up during my stay.
Next stop. Jungle Jim’s. Just don’t tell my wife.
My Mac-n-Cheese Made Simple
September 15, 2010
Everybody loves mac-n-cheese. If you have taste buds, you love macaroni and cheese. I for one am an avid fan of this wonderful comfort food. I’ve also had some really terrible mac’s in my life from family to friends and from restaurants who dare to try to create something that rides on a thin line between deliciously sublime to almost inedible. I wanted to take this chance to share my mac-n-cheese recipe with you in hopes that you will also enjoy at home what I’ve been very successful at selling for the last three years at my restaurant. Mind you, measurements are subject to change in regards to how much you actually want to make for yourself or family but the ingredients are key to ensuring your dish will stand out amongst others you have tasted. The dish can be made either vegetarian or with bacon which I suggest. We use house-cured bacon that is probably some of the best in San Francisco.
The following recipe with be scaled for 6 to 8 people. This is something that you can adjust on your own to fit the number of people you want to serve.
Dishes and utensils you will need for this dish are:
1 wooden spoon, 1 whisk, 2 medium to large sauce pans, 1 large baking dish, 1 large pasta cooking pot and strainer, 1 large mix bowl
Bulk Ingredients
2 lbs dry elbow macaroni
2 quarts cheese sauce (recipe follows)
1 1/2 cups 25/75 shredded parmesan and Japanese bread crumbs
1 cup premium bacon-cooked and drained
1 lb roux (recipe follows)
Salt and Pepper to season
Roux Procedure
1/2 lb whole butter
2 cups flour
In a sauce pan heat butter until melted. Slowly add flour into butter and stir with a wooden spoon until butter and flour start forming into a dough like consistency. Keep flame on low so not to brown or burn the flour. Continue to stir until bubbling and you achieve a “popcorn” aroma from the roux. Hold at room temperature until needed to thicken sauce.
Cheese Sauce Procedure
For this procedure I suggest you do not use a hoppy beer. A light pilsner would suffice for this dish.
1/4 cup pilsner beer
1 quart heavy cream
2 lbs shredded sharp cheddar (tillamook or similar quality)
roux to thicken
salt and pepper to taste
Pour beer into medium to large sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add cream and also bring to a boil then immediately reduce to a slow simmer. In small increments, add roux and whisk continually to break up roux and to thicken sauce. When you have achieved the thickness you desire, slowly fold in cheddar until the sauce becomes silky and smooth. Season with salt and pepper and hold warm until next step.
It is my understanding that most novice cooks are able to cook pasta so I will leave this step out. The final step is combining all these ingredients.
Place pasta in a large mixing bowl and slowly add the cheddar bechamel sauce and bacon. Add only enough sauce that you are comfortable with and if you like your macaroni more saucy, then by all means add more sauce but if you like it crunchy and drier, add less. A reminder that when baking this dish, the sauce will thicken from the oven heat but all in all this is a very durable dish to make. When the macaroni and sauce are incorporated, place in a large baking dish like a pyrex for example. Sprinkle the macaroni with the parmesan-breadcrumb mixture and heat in a 375 degree oven uncovered for approximately 20 minutes. The bread crumbs should be nicely browned and and there should be bubbling around the edges of the macaroni. Serve immediately to the delight of friends and family!
Tales From an Urban Chef 