From Recipes
Posted by Joshua Bousel, July 3, 2009 at 8:00 PM
On Fridays, Joshua Bousel drops by with a recipe for you to grill over the weekend. Fire it up, Joshua!
Before you run out and grab all those burgers and hot dogs for tomorrow's great Fourth of July cookout, let me tempt you with another great American tradition that's great for the grill and revelers alike: pizza Although the high heat of the grill produces a truly excellent pizza, it's a challenge to get a perfectly cooked crisp crust at the same time the toppings are ready, but after years of trial and error, I've developed a fairly foolproof way to get perfect pizzas every time.
This requires a two-zone fire, with all the coals piled on one side of the charcoal grate, and a process of cooking the crust in stages.
First you stretch the dough out to a personal-size pizza and place it directly over the coals, cooking it until it browns and crisps nicely. Then remove the crust to a plate, arrange the toppings on the cooked side, place it over the cool side of the grill, and cover. When the cheese is melted and the toppings are done to your liking, check the bottom of the crust; if it needs to cook a little longer, just move it over to the hot side again until it's perfect.
What comes off the grill is a real beauty of a pie. A wonderfully cooked crust, with that balance of crisp and chewiness that makes a great pizza—something to truly celebrate alongside our independence.
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From Recipes
Posted by Kerry Saretsky, July 2, 2009 at 5:00 PM
"Poaching eggs are stubborn creatures; they go their own way as they please. But if you just take a spoon, and turn them about a bit, confuse them, then you are in control. Just like with a man. Now, they are trained and obedient, and all the more beautiful for it."
Lessons from a French Chef
Kerry had a little lamb.
But if it had been up to Mémé, I would have had a lot more.
Here in Paris, at cooking school, a chef told me this week to treat my food by its characteristics. Such a statement might seem vague and pedantic, especially when it was barked in French over the roar of ten boiling stoves. But Chef (who told me to be sure and write about him as soon as possible) approached my stove, and stood behind me as I successfully battered and broke another poaching egg.
“Kerry, Kerry!” he purred my name as the r’s rolled up from his throat like the bubbles rising in my simmering pot. I know he’s supposed to be a figure of authority, but that pronunciation reminds me of nothing but home, and the tears that began to surface in my eyes could have resulted from the drenching heat, the frustration of the damn egg, or just violent homesickness. No matter many how many times you turn your cutting board over in the kitchen, some emotional cross-contamination cannot be helped.
“Imagines que les oeufs sont les hommes.” Imagine that eggs are men. And then he said something that made me stop dead where I was. He opened his mouth, and murmured a phrase that Maman has been muttering to me with great unsuccess for the last fifteen years: “Les hommes sont comme les chiens. Il faut les traîner.” Men are like dogs. They must be trained.
He went on to tell me that poaching eggs are stubborn creatures; they go their own way as they please. But if you just take a spoon, and turn them about a bit, confuse them, then you are in control. Just like with a man. Now, they are trained and obedient, and all the more beautiful for it. Many of the students are offended by the French chefs’ constant parallels between food and gender-based metaphor, but I think there is something lovely and touching in the French way of confronting the basic differences between the sexes, and embracing them, laughing at them, admiring them, and extolling them. I used to think Maman was terrible to call men dogs. Now, I’m beginning to understand. They like it!
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From Recipes
Posted by Joshua Bousel, June 26, 2009 at 7:30 PM
Each week Joshua Bousel drops by with a recipe for you to grill over the weekend. Fire it up, Joshua!
I have yet to jump on the banh mi bandwagon, but my fiancée has been all over them. She's been singing the praises of the banh mi so much, that I felt it was my obligation to try them, so we can we ride this food craze together.
Having made a Vietnamese grilled pork not too long ago, I was looking for a different filling option. I came across this recipe for Vietnamese grilled meatballs that was just calling to me. I loved that this recipe had me mixing pork fat and sliced pork loin together in a food processor, along with the flavors I loved so much from my previous Vietnamese venture. This produced a very pleasing, fine-textured meatball with the great taste I was expecting—but the meatball wasn't what I set out to experience.
When I added these already delectable meatballs to a baguette, and stuffed in some pickled carrots and daikons along with a big bunch of cliantro, it was like being in flavor nirvana. The vegetables added a crunch and acidity that matched perfectly with the fish sauce flavored meat; and throw that much cilantro on anything, and I'm sold. Since I was the newbie, I had to turn to my fiancée and ask if these were the correct flavors of the banh mis she loves so much—to which she gave a big nod of approval, then promptly got up to fix herself a second sandwich.
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From Recipes
Posted by Joshua Bousel, June 19, 2009 at 8:30 PM
Each week Joshua Bousel drops by with a recipe for you to grill over the weekend. Fire it up, Joshua!
I'm a man of tradition. After adding meat grinding and sausage stuffing capabilities to my kitchen, a chicken-apple was the first type of sausage I made for my friend's first annual grilling birthday bash in Prospect Park. Ever since then, my friend has kept up her spring birthday picnic, and I've kept churning out a different chicken sausage each year, and now it doesn't feel like spring until this tradition has been fulfilled.
This year, however, was extra-special—my friend emerged from the long winter as both a doctor and carnivore, able to enjoy the chicken sausage with basil and tomato I cooked up. Although I had initial doubts about the rather small ratio of tomatoes and basil to the massive amounts of chicken, all the flavors came through perfectly in the end, making this fresh-tasting sausage a perfect fit for the beautiful spring party in the park.
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Posted by Carey Jones, June 18, 2009 at 4:00 PM
Over at The Paupered Chef, Dinner Tonight contributor Nick Kindelspeger tries his hand at making his own Wisconsin-style bratwurst. Sorting through more than 40 recommended ingredients and ultimately converting a hundred-pound recipe into a five-pound one, he ends up with the bratwurst “of his dreams”—“perfectly plump, gushing with juice, and haunted by charcoal smoke.” See the recipe, and his step-by-step photo tutorial, here.
Posted by The Serious Eats Team, June 15, 2009 at 1:45 PM
Francis Mallmann is South America's most famous chef. He's a TV star and owner of several restaurants in Argentina and Uruguay. Mallmann was classically trained in French cuisine and opened his first restaurant, at 19, in the upscale beach resort of Punta del Este, Uruguay. Mallmann was so successful that he could afford to shut down the restaurant in the off season and travel to Europe to train with Michelin-starred chefs. After 20 years of South American–inspired nouvelle cuisine, Mallmann "tired of making French food for wealthy Argentines." He ditched the stocks and sauces and returned to his roots.
Mallmann embraced the cooking techniques that he grew up with, wood fires and cast iron pots. These basic tools paired with Argentine meats and produce comprise the cuisine that Mallmann calls Nuevo Andean. Seven Fires, co-written by Peter Kaminsky, is more than a guide to Argentine grilling. It's a love letter to Argentina, with all of its natural bounty and beauty. The recipes showcase the international influences that have shaped Argentine cuisine, from the Native Americans to the Spanish, Italian, German, and Irish.
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From Recipes
Posted by Joshua Bousel, June 12, 2009 at 7:00 PM
I don't feel the need to gussy up asparagus on the grill; just a little olive oil, salt, and pepper is all you need to make them delicious. But every once in a while, I have the desire to go all fancy-pants with these green spears of goodness, and one of those moments hit me this past weekend.
I really didn't do too much differently. Instead of salt, I wrapped each thick spear in a slice of prosciutto. Then after the asparagus came off the grill, I hit them with some lemon and lemon zest. These two simple variations lifted the asparagus from a common grilled veggie into the realm of greatness. The prosciutto, although slightly overpowering, delivered the salty with a nice touch of ham, and the lemon freshened it all up with a tang that lingered pleasantly on the tongue.
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From Serious Eats: New York
Posted by Erin Zimmer, June 11, 2009 at 10:00 AM
"Whole hog barbecue is a dying art."
This weekend, New York City might seem meat-scented when Madison Square Park turns into one big cook-out for the seventh annual Big Apple BBQ Block Party. Only the most elite of grillers can compete in this Super Bowl of barbecue, and for the first time this year, a Tennessean is involved. Patrick Martin, a former bonds trader that switched career paths a few years ago, will join 13 other pit masters from across the country. He's bringing his 32-foot smoker to represent whole hog barbecue, a time-intensive art that's as Tennessee as Memphis Blues and whiskey.
Name: Patrick Martin
Location: Nolensville, Tennessee (just outside Nashville)
Occupation: Owner and pitmaster, Martin’s Bar-B-Que Joint
URL: martinsbbqjoint.com
Martin's Bar-B-Que Joint in Nolensville, Tennessee
1. How does it feel to be the first pit master from Tennessee to be in the Big Apple BBQ Block Party? Are you kidding me? Man, it's unreal. A big honor! Tennessee, as we all know, is so steeped in barbecue tradition and there are so many legendary joints and pitmasters in and around the state. To be the first to represent Tennessee means a lot to me!
2. Educate the non-Tennessee natives on West Tennessee's whole hog barbecue culture. The culture is very, very deep. Whole hog is all they cook over there, for the most part, because that’s all they have ever done and it’s all they have ever known.
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From Recipes
Posted by Tara Mataraza Desmond, June 9, 2009 at 11:10 AM
Note: Philadelphia food writers Joy Manning and Tara Mataraza Desmond drop by each week with Meat Lite, which celebrates meat in moderation. Meat Lite was inspired by their book, Almost Meatless.
If you doubt the merits of a stand-alone recipe for a sauce, consider this: In classical kitchens, the job of one guy is whipping up killer sauces. That's it. Sauce. One part of a complete dish.
And next time you're at the supermarket or one of those high-end gourmet shops, wander down the condiment (aka sauce) aisle for a reminder of the importance our palates place on the stuff we slather on top, underneath, or on the side of what we eat.
This is serious business.
This particular sauce is made for serious summer food cooked over open fires. It's sweet and smoky and a natural fit for grilled meats or in place of ketchup on your burgers and dogs. But the sauce is especially perfect for nonmeat ingredients on a meat lite grilling or barbecue menu. Roll your vegetable and tofu skewers in it before they hit the hot grates. Brush giant portobellos with plenty of it for meaty mushrooms with a hint of bacony flavor. Marinate thick slabs of summer squash in it for deep, rich dimension you thought you could only get from a ribeye.
There will be nary a zucchini left for bread baking if there's a grill and slather sauce in sight.
Try your hand at making your own barbecue sauce, like this one, and you'll fancy yourself a saucier fast, abandoning the bottled stuff forever.
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From Recipes
Posted by Kristen Swensson, June 8, 2009 at 11:00 AM
Note: On Mondays, Kristen Swensson of Cheap, Healthy, Good swings by these parts to share healthy and delicious recipes with us. Take it away, Kristen!
When you’re attempting to cook healthfully and inexpensively in the summer, odds are zucchini will make frequent appearances. Plentiful, subtly flavored, and more versatile than Meryl Streep, the summer squash can be altered dozens of different ways for dang near any dish. Curried soup and ratatouille are among my favorites, but I’ll also take it in pastas, casseroles, breads, or grilled on its own.
Recently though, I’ve found zucchini—especially grilled—goes particularly well with quinoa. Together, they create a solid, sophisticated base for other stronger flavors. Last week’s Healthy and Delicious recipe was an example of this, mixing the ingredients with lime, cilantro, and avocado for a delicate grain salad. This week, we used cannellini beans, tomatoes, toasted almonds, and Parmesan to make a heartier main course.
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From Recipes
Posted by Joshua Bousel, June 5, 2009 at 8:30 PM
Each week Joshua Bousel drops by with a recipe for you to grill over the weekend. Fire it up, Joshua!
I'm going out on a limb here, because this is technically not barbecue, or grilling. But there are few other sides so ubiquitous with both as barbecue beans. Although tastes vary widely across the nation, I can't think of a barbecue joint I've been that has not had beans on their menu, and it's also, rightfully, one of the most frequent sides cooked up in my house.
It's hard for me to fire up the smoker without making a batch of these beans—especially since I can just throw them in with whatever is smoking and let them cook, low and slow, until the perfect balance of flavor and tenderness is achieved. It takes a good six hours or so for this to happen, but patience is well rewarded, with a deeply sweet and meaty tasting bean that has just the right touch of heat to balance it all out.
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Posted by Claire Sellers, June 4, 2009 at 10:30 AM
"The reason I fell in love with outdoor cooking is that it is the best way to prepare food, bar none. And, you aren't limited by what you can cook or the flavors you use—'If you eat it, you can grill it!' is my motto and I cook and eat by that motto."
This week's grilling tips come from a woman who is not afraid of a little smoke, fire, and meat: Elizabeth Karmel. The executive chef at New York barbecue joint Hill Country, Karmel is also the owner of the Grill Friend, a line of grilling products. Additionally, Karmel wrote the popular cookbook Taming the Flame and, most recently, Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned.
"If Taming the Flame was my love letter to grilling and barbecue," Karmel says, "This book is the reaffirmation of my love for outdoor cooking. The reason I fell in love with outdoor cooking is that it is the best way to prepare food, bar none. And, you aren't limited by what you can cook or the flavors you use—'if you eat it, you can grill it!' is my motto and I cook and eat by that motto."
Armed with an undying love for grilling and with the release of her newest cookbook, Soaked, Slathered, and Seasoned, Karmel shares some essential tips on various ways of flavoring food to perfection for the grill.
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From Recipes
Posted by Kristen Swensson, June 1, 2009 at 11:40 AM
From the tiniest two-person barbecue to the most massive of community cookouts, grill season hath officially begun, folks. And while burgers and dogs may abound, it’s important not to forget our beloved vegetables. They’re healthier, cheaper, and much less likely to stain your shorts when they fall from your flimsy-ass paper plate.
This year, I inaugurated the season with Quinoa and Grilled Zucchini, a lovely, mellow grain salad from the ever-gorgeous 101 Cookbooks. The recipe combines eggs, pine nuts, goat cheese, and a subtle avocado-cilantro dressing to tasty effect, and includes a large helping of flame-broiled summer squash for texture and a char-tinged flavor. Plus, it’s not half as hard to assemble as it looks. Trust.
I did alter Heidi Swanson’s original recipe a bit to lighten the caloric load. Changes included halving the pine nuts, taking out the egg yolks, reducing the olive oil to a single tablespoon, and swapping in low-fat yogurt for the full-fat kind. All in all, it was good stuff, and those switches are reflected below.
Happy grilling season, everybody! And remember—eat your veggies.
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From Recipes
Posted by Joshua Bousel, May 29, 2009 at 7:45 PM
Grilling potatoes is no easy feat. Larger potatoes I sometimes will boil first to avoid charring the outside while waiting for the middle to cook, and the smaller, new potatoes I'll cook over a two zone fire, browning them over direct heat, then moving them to the cool side of the grill to finish up. Even with practice, I often find potatoes a challenge.
Case in point, I was grilling a batch of halved new potatoes for a salad recently using the two zone method. I waited to grill them until the fire burned down to medium, but even then the spuds started to char before I could move them all over to the cool side of the grill. Luckily, the charring wasn't deep, and with the strong vinaigrette and a squeeze of lemon that dressed the salad, they didn't taste off at all. Quite the opposite actually, the light char gave the salad a unique grilled flavor that otherwise may have been lost, and all worries I had of ruining such a beautiful looking salad melted as it slowly disappeared into grateful stomachs during the meal.
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For those who want to try something different for Memorial Day, we just found this recipe for Grilled Lemongrass Shrimp Skewers on Ravenous Couple. The food looks gorgeous and sound delicious and we're so adding this to our menu this extended weekend.
