If you ask my wife she will tell you that I am a food snob. I of course will argue this point by saying I simply enjoy well prepared food. I am more than happy with a well made burger. I just do not want one that is crap. Also I would prefer local sustainable meat; is that too much to ask? Oh and that the bread have been made by the restaurant or an artisan bakery. And of course tomatoes only during tomato season. So seriously how can she call me a food snob?
The real food snobs are the people running most of the establishments written about in this months Food & Wine (the travel issue). I have never seen such a pretentious collection of people in one magazine. Now I do respect what these people do but the Fat Duck now has ice cream that does not melt. Think about that for a minute. ICE CREAM THAT DOES NOT MELT. Melting is one of the major properties of ice cream. Many children will tell you that after it melts ice cream is better than in its frozen state.
Then there is the butcher shop that displays meat in glass cases akin to that a jeweler would use. Not only that this shop also has an over abundance of security cameras, and not the quite small ones that you can't see, but instead the large kind circa 1983. The eighties called and they want their technology back. Now I greatly respect the sacrifice we force upon animals so that we can eat them. I think animals raised for food should be treated well and made as happy as possible but putting the meat on display this way is just disrespectful. Kill the creature, butcher it, and sell it as quickly as possible. Also give the customer some recipes. Always a nice touch. Don't put the meat under lock and key. Pompous jerks.
I do love technology and progress but the food industry seriously needs to look in a mirror and ask if this is the best way to be spending our time and resources with all of the issues that we are faced with. I know I can't wait to enjoy my ice cream that does not melt in front of an undernourished child.
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Monday, April 5, 2010
A Passover Recipe
In the spirit of my previous post here is a Passover recipe I am lovingly stealing and adapting from epicurious. Might as well be part of the solution right!
Chestnut Torte
4 oz (1 stick) of butter or margarine- room temp.
1/2 C Sugar, granulated
6 Each Eggs-Seperated
1 1/2 cups of chestnut puree (or sweet potato)
1 t of the extract of your choice (I like vanilla)
10 oz of semi-sweet chocolate- melted and cooled
1/4 t salt, kosher of course
2 T sugar, granulated
Notes:
1. Use margarine if your cake needs to be parve.
2. Chestnuts are kosher but I've never seen chestnuts labeled kosher for Passover. If this is a problem use sweet potatoes. You simply need to peel, cook, puree, and strain them. I trust if you are reading this you are smart enough to figure out how to do all that.
3. If you want to use chestnuts but can't find pre-made puree buy jarred chestnuts and puree them yourself. If the puree is too dry you can add some kosher for passover liquor to it. I suggest brandy if you don't mind it not saying kosher for Passover. Brandy is basically made from fruit, no wheat to be found!
4. If you don't eat soy during Passover buy special chocolate because almost all chocolate has lecithin, an emulsifier, derived from soy in it.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan then cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom and grease that parchment.
3. Cream your butter/margarine and 1/2 C of sugar until the mixture has lightened slightly in color. Do not cream until the mixture is extremely light and fluffy.
4. Scrap down your bowl.
5. On low speed mix in your egg yolks, puree, extract, and salt. Scrap down the bowl.
6. Mix the melted chocolate in next and scrap down the bowl.
7. IMPORTANT. If you only have one bowl for your stand mixer(or only 1 stand mixer) scrap the bowl out at this point and clean it very thoroughly with hot soapy water. Then dry the bowl. If you are extremely paranoid rub the bowl with an acid (vinegar anyone) and then dry the bowl again.
8. Now whip your egg whites on the highest speed possible, without making a mess of course, in your nice clean bowl. Once the whites are frothy start slowly pouring the 2 T of sugar in. Continue whipping until the whites have reached stiff peaks but are not dry.
9. Fold the whites into the puree/chocolate/yolk mixture in thirds. Stir in the first third to lighten the mixture and then quickly fold the next 2 thirds in.
10. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes. The cake will slightly crack on top. This is OK. Remove and allow to cool in pan.
11. Once cool be sure the cake has separated from the sides of the pan (if it has not help it you moron). and invert the cake onto a cardboard cake circle.
Finishing:
You can simply dust the cake with cocoa powder or glaze with a ganache. To make a ganache take 6 oz. of your chocolate and 1/2 a cup of liquid. Water for a parve cake or heavy cream if you dont mind the dairy. Now bring the liquid to a boil and then pour over the chocolate (which you have of course placed in a nice bowl) Let stand for a minute and then stir vigorously. If ganache has chunks you need to heat it over a water bath stirring until smooth. Now place cake on a rack, like you would cook cookies on, and pour the glaze over top using an offset spatula to cover the cake. Once glaze sets you can also decorate with cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, cocoa nibs, or anything you think looks cool.
Now keep in the fridge. Then enjoy this basically kosher for Passover cake that does not involve ground matza.
Chestnut Torte
4 oz (1 stick) of butter or margarine- room temp.
1/2 C Sugar, granulated
6 Each Eggs-Seperated
1 1/2 cups of chestnut puree (or sweet potato)
1 t of the extract of your choice (I like vanilla)
10 oz of semi-sweet chocolate- melted and cooled
1/4 t salt, kosher of course
2 T sugar, granulated
Notes:
1. Use margarine if your cake needs to be parve.
2. Chestnuts are kosher but I've never seen chestnuts labeled kosher for Passover. If this is a problem use sweet potatoes. You simply need to peel, cook, puree, and strain them. I trust if you are reading this you are smart enough to figure out how to do all that.
3. If you want to use chestnuts but can't find pre-made puree buy jarred chestnuts and puree them yourself. If the puree is too dry you can add some kosher for passover liquor to it. I suggest brandy if you don't mind it not saying kosher for Passover. Brandy is basically made from fruit, no wheat to be found!
4. If you don't eat soy during Passover buy special chocolate because almost all chocolate has lecithin, an emulsifier, derived from soy in it.
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Grease a 9 inch round cake pan then cut a circle of parchment to fit the bottom and grease that parchment.
3. Cream your butter/margarine and 1/2 C of sugar until the mixture has lightened slightly in color. Do not cream until the mixture is extremely light and fluffy.
4. Scrap down your bowl.
5. On low speed mix in your egg yolks, puree, extract, and salt. Scrap down the bowl.
6. Mix the melted chocolate in next and scrap down the bowl.
7. IMPORTANT. If you only have one bowl for your stand mixer(or only 1 stand mixer) scrap the bowl out at this point and clean it very thoroughly with hot soapy water. Then dry the bowl. If you are extremely paranoid rub the bowl with an acid (vinegar anyone) and then dry the bowl again.
8. Now whip your egg whites on the highest speed possible, without making a mess of course, in your nice clean bowl. Once the whites are frothy start slowly pouring the 2 T of sugar in. Continue whipping until the whites have reached stiff peaks but are not dry.
9. Fold the whites into the puree/chocolate/yolk mixture in thirds. Stir in the first third to lighten the mixture and then quickly fold the next 2 thirds in.
10. Pour into prepared pan and bake for about 40 minutes. The cake will slightly crack on top. This is OK. Remove and allow to cool in pan.
11. Once cool be sure the cake has separated from the sides of the pan (if it has not help it you moron). and invert the cake onto a cardboard cake circle.
Finishing:
You can simply dust the cake with cocoa powder or glaze with a ganache. To make a ganache take 6 oz. of your chocolate and 1/2 a cup of liquid. Water for a parve cake or heavy cream if you dont mind the dairy. Now bring the liquid to a boil and then pour over the chocolate (which you have of course placed in a nice bowl) Let stand for a minute and then stir vigorously. If ganache has chunks you need to heat it over a water bath stirring until smooth. Now place cake on a rack, like you would cook cookies on, and pour the glaze over top using an offset spatula to cover the cake. Once glaze sets you can also decorate with cocoa powder, chocolate shavings, cocoa nibs, or anything you think looks cool.
Now keep in the fridge. Then enjoy this basically kosher for Passover cake that does not involve ground matza.
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