I'm a beer connoisseur/homebrewer and professional chef. Focus on Latin cuisine but trained in French technique.
All you really need to do is poke a small incision in the side of the chile and "float" it in the tequila. This is how it's been done for decades in Mexico. Some people choose to toast the chiles first. There's no need to deseed and devein. The chiles will do their job once their essential oils are exposed.
I would agree with this, but it's a pain in the butt to strain the pulp; especially if you're working with something like prickly pear, peach, or banana. These are highly pulpy foods.
Another downside is that with a blender, you're whipping a ton of oxygen into the juice, which causes separation of the foam/juice and vitamin loss. It's best to whip on low speed as to avoid oxygenating the juice.
Hangar One makes some amazing flavored vodkas. They're my goto for $30 / 750 ml.
All I know is that if I eat a non-organic peach, apple, cherry, or other stone fruit, my throat seizes up and gets really itchy. Organic versions of the same fruits have never given me this issue. It's not that there is more nutrition in the organic variety... it's just that it is more pure with less to worry about.
Heston Blumenthal recommends 60 grams salt per liter of water for a brine that does the job without watering down the flavor of the bird. I've done it and I like the results. Too little salt and you get a watery bird lacking in flavor. Too much and it can dry things out.
Next time, try toasting the chiles, rehydrating them in 170F water to rid impurities, dirt, dust, and then chop up and toss in the broth. You get more flavor that way vs. simply tossing them into the broth.
Also, I would use Guajillo and Pasillas... not Ancho chiles.
Chopped is a good show. I just hate the time(s) they choose to go on commercial breaks. I never watch the show on live TV. Thank God for DVR!
Being a chef myself, I can usually pick the winner simply by watching the introductions. If I happen to miss something, I can definitely spot the loser(s) after the first round.
I like pausing the show as Ted lists all of the ingredients, and then thinking of a dish to cook in less than a minute. I've surprised myself sometimes. The only round I would feel worried about is Dessert. Seems like a sorbet, fritters, or bread pudding is easiest way to go.
Scott Conant and Geoffrey Zakarian are my favorite judges. They tell it straight, with no bull-sh$t. They truly appreciate when a chef uses his/her head more than anything else. Just don't be an idiot and they will like you and probably vote you through to the next round.
Overlooked, not overrated...
Schlafly American IPA
Schlafly Pumpkin Ale
Elysian Immortal IPA
Bluepoint Pale Ale
Kasteel Tripel
And anything by Fantome or Cantillon. Not a lot of people look for beers like this aside from the aficionados. I'm surprised.
My liquor cabinet:
48 bottles of Homebrewed Citra/Amarillo IPA, carbing as we speak
Maker's Mark Bourbon
Ocho Tequila Blanco
Leblon Cachaca
Bitters
Grand Marnier
Paulaner Original Munich is awesome. Not bottom shelf at all in quality nor price. Expensive tasty beer.
Cascade Brewing Co. is great. Try Vlad the Impaler. It's better than their Apricot Ale. A lot more complex, yet strange at the same time. They have a lot of great sours.
Hop Rod Rye, by Bear Republic (citrusy, piney, toasty rye)
Righteous Rye, by Sixpoint (fruity rye)
Red's Rye, by Founders (Citrusy rye)
Also, with a 5 gal boil, topping off to 5.5 gal in the end batch, I get an OG of 1.071 and an FG of 1.014-1.018.
What measurements/ingredients change with this recipe if someone were to do a full volume 90 minute boil instead of resorting to topping off with plain water at the end of the boil?
And how would Wyeast's 3711 "French Saison" yeast compare here?
That's not the rye. It's the resiny, dank hops used (Apollo, Simcoe, Columbus, Summit, etc.)
Real "rye" flavor can be best described as traditional German pumpernickel bread.
Those aren't very good Pinots. Yes, the price is attractive, but New Zealand has far better options at those prices than the US. Their Pinots can be a bit fruitier, warmer, sweeter and simple... but really, the new wine drinker who is looking for a cheap buy probably wants something like this (as opposed to a dry, cool, minerally, complex choice).
Seems like a solid recipe for an Imperial IPA, and should yield similar, if not better results than Avery Maharaja.
My personal preference for these types of beers typically straddles the lines of "Regular IPA" and "Double IPA" at around 1.070 OG, 8% abv, with a cleaner, crisper, drier, more drinkable character. Imperial IPAs like Maharaja that are 10% abv+ are sticky sweet, full-bodied, rich, difficult to drink sippers.
There are many examples that straddle the lines between Regular IPA (Stone IPA), Extra IPA (Sierra Nevada Torpedo), Double IPA (Kern River Citra), Imperial IPA (Avery Maharaja), and just nuts... (Dogfish 120 Minute). I believe the head brewer of Avery made this distinction in the “Can you brew it” clone podcast for Maharaja. He also discussed the use of the word “balance”, and how ridiculous it is, when discussing these styles.
An "Imperial IPA" needs more maltyness and sweetness to combat the harsh bitterness. Therefore, the finishing gravity is usually a lot higher than the much drier Double IPA examples. However, I would never say that these beers are “balanced”. They’re actually quite unbalanced… one is just sweeter, fuller, and richer than the other.
A big Imperial IPA is like a bitter dessert beer. It’s quite close to Barleywine territory (another sweet hoppy beer). For a good Double IPA, I don't feel that you need to "balance" out the bitterness by loading it up on sweet crystal malts, mashing high, or using a low attenuating yeast that doesn't ferment past 74% attenuation. And the simple solution to combat that harsh bitterness in a Double IPA is to bitter them with lesser amounts of low cohumulone % hops, then overload with late additions to give that awesome aroma with more of a round bitterness. I believe Alchemist's Heady Topper (which is considered the best Double IPA around by many – even better than Pliny the Elder) actually skips the traditional bittering addition and focuses strictly on 15-10-5-0-DH additions.
Most of my IPAs/DIPAs either contain no crystal malts, or only 2-3% of Crystal 10. The darker you go, the more raisiny and sweet things get... especially at higher percentages. This combined with additions of nutty, roasty, toasty, deep dark malts can also hinder hop character, which is something that should be the focal point of a style like this in my opinion.
I would love to see a cleaner, crisper DIPA recipe that we can compare to this heavy, rich IIPA monster.
Add the juice of 1 or 2 fresh oranges to the above :)
1 bottle dry Rioja or Tempranillo wine from Spain
1 can Goya strawberry nectar
1/2 cup Kirschwasser cherry brandy
1/4 cup orange liqueur
2 handfuls assorted ripe chopped/sliced fruit
Ice
Kind of a sous vide/poaching combo technique I guess. You're not really cooking it. You're slightly warming it in the flavorful oil and infusing the flavor. I like to marinate the fish first, then drop it in the fat. When you remove it from the warm oil, you pat it off well so you're not eating all that oil. It just flavors the fish and warms it through. The quick sear at the end crisps the skin, but the fish is still medium inside. Nice and moist.
Kenji
I have an experiment for you that works wonders.
Gently drop a thick salmon filet in a 2-inch deep pan of slightly warmer than room temp. duck fat or other flavorful fat (to mimic sous vide without all the fancy equipment). Let it warm through, gently remove, pat off the excess oil, season, and sear the skin side in a very hot pan to crisp up.
Foolproof? Check.
Simple? Check.
Moist? Check.
Crispy skin? Check.
Cooked to perfection? Check.
Flameout hops do add a tiny bit of bitterness. So you're wrong there. When brewer's dump pounds of hops at the better named "Whirlpool" stage, some bitterness is imparted. I like whirlpool over flameout because it does not necessarily mean to add those hops "at flameout". It can be any time after the boil. I found the best use of whirlpool hops in IPAs is to add them to approx. 100-150 F wort for a long 20-60 minute hop stand, which better preserves the myrcene and delicate oils that sexify an IPA. What I do is to quickly cool the wort after the boil to about 150 F, then slow-cool the wort all the way down to 65 F with the whirlpool hops.
Choosing the best vodka is all about the smoothness, mouthfeel, and how hidden the alcohol is.
You don't buy a neutral vodka (unflavored) because you like the taste or smell. It should be odorless, colorless, flavorless.
It's so funny whenever I hear someone say "Oh, vodka is my favorite". Those types are the opposite of connoisseurs.
Beer Glassware: Does it Really Matter?
Not for crappy beer, but yes... definitely for good beer.
I just picked up 30 jumbo shrimp and I haven't decided what to make yet for tomorrow's dinner. However, I know that red wine will be involved (Italian Pepe Nero) and we will not be cooking with the wine.
Any suggestions how to successfully pair shrimp with red wine for drinking? It's a low acid wine, not too sweet, not too oaky.
My only limitation is not to make spicy food. Spicy seafood and red wine don't go very well together.
I really enjoy cheese with red wine or some good craft beer.
The following cheeses are among my recent favorites and I was wondering if anyone could suggest other similar options flavorwise (I tend to prefer semi-hard cheeses):
http://www.beemster.us/en-US/the-cheeses/beemster-goat/
http://www.cypressgrovechevre.com/cheeses/creamline/midnight-moon.html
http://www.murrayscheese.com/prodinfo.asp?number=20022900000
http://www.artisanalcheese.com/prodinfo.asp?number=PC-10622
http://www.murrayscheese.com/prodinfo.asp?number=20025100000
Open to cow, goat, and sheep cheeses.
I love subtle complexity with nutty, brown-buttery, earthy-sweet notes. I don't mind gameyness, but I'm not a fan of stinky, washed rind cheeses, overly rich triple cremes, or metallic blues.
In closing, please tell me what you would pair it with and why.
What's your basic recipe?
Do you batter or bread?
What a fun time!
http://www.theatlantic.com/infocus/2011/09/oktoberfest-2011/100151/
It just spilt 2 quarts of my homemade soup all over the floor!
"Use in place of starchy potatoes in soups, gratins, salads or traditional tortillas. Pair with other red, yellow or white-fleshed potatoes, eggs, cream, fresh herbs and cheeses, root vegetables, bacon or peppers. Traditionally used in Latin and South American cuisines, the purple potato features in numerous Peruvian dishes."
I'm looking for ideas that are upscale and featured in an entree or side. I would like the idea to showcase the purple potato's flavor and character...and not just its attractive appearance so try to be unique. Everyone has already done a simple mash, chips, or dual color potato salad.
I was thinking about mini roasted Autumn vegetable gratins, layered in ramekins with puff pastry on the bottom. Perhaps purple potato with butternut squash, mushroom, beet, and sweet potato or carrot all bound by double cream, caramelized onion, herbs, and bits of bacon. So if you want to improve on this idea, or pose a completely new/original idea, I would appreciate it either way!
Over the past 5 years or so, I've been into low budget, yet quality wine. I usually spend $12 to $20 per bottle and have used cellartracker.com as both a guide and wine diary.
I'm confident in buying wines that I enjoy, but tonight I'm having company and she only likes very fruity, cheap, easy-drinking, semi-sweet reds with low oak. I cannot drink this stuff and we're looking to settle on one bottle. Any advice?
I was thinking of a New Zealand Pinot Noir like Te Tera or a Californian Zinfandel like 7 Deadly Zins.
Do you eat them fresh or do you have a neat preparation for them? I'm more interested in the latter, so please share.
I bought a half pound of these yesterday at $4.99/lb. When I was at the register, the cashier had no clue what they were or how to price them so she gave them to me for $1 even under "grocery". The lady behind me said "Oh hells yessss!!" and ran to the produce isle to get a bunch for herself. Haha :)
I like learning about different sub-cuisines that are not exactly mainstream, e.g. Cajun, Yucatecan, and Corsican instead of French, Mexican, and Italian.
What are some are your favorite cuisines that are somewhat vague and not comfortably understood by many? Why do you like the food?
I received a gift card for Cold Stone Creamery today. I have only been there once and ordered Lemon Poppy Seed and French Vanilla Ice Creams, which were folded into each other. It was very simple, but actually really good as a combo. What are your favorite ice cream combos to order there? Do you have any other favorite menu items?
When you barbecue, do you use a mopping sauce AND a last minute finishing bbq sauce? I find that some people are unaware of the advantages of a mopping sauce and instead use BBQ sauce to baste their barbecue, which can caramelize and burn rather quickly because of the higher sugar content. Your thoughts, recipes...?
Kenji - This is a great topic for your next column with Summertime nearing and all :)
I had a tasty smoothie at Red Mango last week (Tropical Mango Smoothie). I tried recreating it, but it comes out too bland or too thin. Help me make a winning smoothie out of some or all of these ingredients:
Pineapple (fresh)
Mango (fresh)
Banana (fresh)
Ice cubes
Plain Dannon Yogurt
Protein powder
Orange Juice
Lime Juice
What is your go-to dinner for when you want to avoid unnecessary carbs, white breads, dairy, fats and sugars? I'm looking for flavorful suggestions for a friend who is on a lean protein and fresh vegetable diet. We're NOT looking for ideas like sauteed chicken breast with steamed veggies and a side of plain quinoa.
What's a good place to grab a quick bite under $10 on a Friday night near the following locations?
1) West 3rd St., Greenwich Village
2) East 51st St., Midtown East
The cuisine style does not matter just as long as it's tasty and affordable.
I wanted to make my own Mexican Albondigas Soup soon and was curious if anyone here has ever made it before, or tasted it? It's kind of like Matzoh Soup, but corn tortillas or masa are used instead as well as cumin, cilantro, chipotle, egg, onion, garlic, tomatoes, maybe some corn, etc. for the meatballs.
What I'm stuck on is the meat. This is not your typical beef+veal+pork meatball. When I had this in Mexico a couple years ago, there was definitely turkey in there. I'm not sure if it was 100% or a mix. I'm shying away from all beef and all pork because of the oilyness. Plus, you don't saute the meatballs to develop a crust; rather, you steam them in the broth. I was thinking of a combo of turkey and pork, though I've never seen or heard this done before. Would it be gross? I was hoping the pork would add some moisture and smooth out the texture a bit while the turkey adds that gamey flavor I want.
I have this great risotto recipe. The taste is out of this world and you can build upon it by adding butternut squash, pancetta, spinach, etc. but I think the amount of butter is just way too high...
90 grams unsalted butter
3 tablespoons minced onion
100 grams arborio rice
60 ml white wine
1/2 liter warm chicken stock
15 grams grated parmesan
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
Chopped parsley
Sweat the onion in 2 tbsp. of the butter. Add the rice and toast gently for 3 minutes. Add the wine and stir until it evaporates. Rehydrate with a ladle of chicken stock until it evaporates and the rice is bite tender, but not overcooked. Season with salt and pepper. Add the rest of the butter and the cheese. Stir to combine and garnish with chopped parsley.
How do I get the same flavor with less fat? How much fat is needed? Will replacing butter with olive oil work, or should I just cut back on the amount of butter?
How do you make perfect roasted potatoes that are deep golden brown and crispy on the outside while fluffy on the inside?
I used Russets: cleaned - dried - evenly quartered - tossed with oil and seasoning. I did not preboil them or peel them.
I preheated the oven to 400 F. Lined the potatoes on a sheet tray in one layer and left undisturbed until halfway done then tossed them around for additional color on all sides.
The potatoes were fully cooked after about 30-40 minutes. The problem was that the potato sticked to the sheet tray when tossed which caused them to crumble a little bit. I want them to be deep-golden brown on all sides and retain their shape. Any tips?
I'm planning a trip to Boston on October 15-17 with three friends. We're all male, ages 23-27, who appreciate good music, food and beer. It's still early, but we might go to the House of Blues to see Jimmy Eat World and to The Kinsale to hang out and listen to live bands. We're still looking for restaurants, events and other attractions that mid-aged 20 year old guys might be into. Let us know if you can help guide us with some good places to visit.
I was hoping to read a few experiences from people who have dined at any of the following NYC restaurants. The more you tell, the better. I'll be making a decision to visit one of them on Sunday.
-Gabriel's
-Butter
-Arabelle
-Alloro
Bayless' Mexican Potato Soup with Roasted Poblano comes out great with a few tweaks, most notably the addition of beans...
My girlfriend and I are going to Chipotle tonight. We've never been there before but she wants to go because she has two $15 gift certificates. We are not fans of Tex-Mex; we much rather prefer real Mexican cuisine, which I make all the time. I understand that a place like Chipotle will probably be like a better Taco Bell. What should we get in this case? Any suggestions?
Over the years, I've noticed inconsitencies with people's perceived passion and their actual passion concerning food.
You have the people who blog about food and watch Food Network all day long. They give recipes and suggestions to everyone they know, but they rarely ever cook at home themselves.
Some claim to have a superior palate than most and then you catch them say something truly stupid such as, "This tomato sauce is out of this world." ... when it's actually red pepper coulis.
Others will boast how cooking is the thing they do the best, yet they rely on jarred sauces and microwave their vegetables and blame it all on convenience. There's nothing wrong with convenience as long as you don't claim to be the best cook you know.
You'll have those people who try to tell you that you're preparing or cooking something the wrong way, but they are the first one's to clear their plates at the end of the night.
There are even restaurateurs out there that name their restaurant something like, "The Fresh Grill" while the majority of their food is frozen, thawed in a microwave and cooked in the oven.
The problem in all of these situations is there are people out there who actually believe they are amazing cooks. Nothing you do or say will make them realize that maybe they need to brush up on their skills, their knowledge, or be more passionate because cooking is a personal thing. People will always think their way is best.
Now I'm not expecting everyone to be a Michelin-rated chef, but the hypocrisy I've noticed with some is really quite astonishing. How passionate are you about food? Does your perceived passion align with your actual passion? Do you know anyone, perhaps a mother-in-law :), who claims to be a great cook, but actually sucks big time?
Why does this happen? I write a detailed reply, press post a comment, then I get a submission error. Sometimes it happens, other times it won't. I'm hoping this one goes through...
5 syllables
7 syllables
5 syllabes
...with an obvious grammatical break.
Tamales steaming
Masa, chicken and fresh herbs
Chilled margarita
Taking the following factors into consideration, describe your most perfect beef burger. This is the last burger you will ever eat and it can only be prepared once. What are your specific requests? Try to limit your responses to only one answer per question. Burger lovers only please! No carnivore bashing :)
1- The cooking method:
2- The doneness:
3- The type of bun (and is it grilled?):
4- The mix of meat, if any (and how lean?):
5- The cheese:
6- The condiments (mustard, ketchup, mayo, etc):
7- The toppings (onion, pickle, tomato, etc):
8- The seasoning (salt, pepper, parsley, etc):
9- The size (6 oz, 8 oz, colossal):
10- The perfect side accompaniment (fries, onion rings, etc):
Like burgers and pizza, I believe pie to be one of the truly perfect foods. A culinary endpoint that can be improved incrementally, but not fundamentally. The true beauty of a pie comes from that magical interaction between crust and filling. One sweet, tart, and fruity, the other buttery and rich, they complement each other in flavor and texture and create a dish that is so much greater than the sum of its parts. As such, each part deserves respect. What are the best apples for the job? More
For homebrewers, the American IPA is the perfect style for exploring the flavors of different varieties of hops. Ever wondered what new hops like Citra or Nelson Sauvin taste like? Or what flavors would come through when combining Sorachi Ace and Simcoe hops? Making an IPA that showcases just one or two varieties of hops will really give you a feel for their different nuances. More
America gets a lot of credit as a melting pot. But it's got nothing on Malaysia. Walk down a street in Penang and you'll pass an Indian man pulling tissue-thin dough for roti canai next to Chinese women tossing noodles in pork lard. You can eat dim sum for breakfast and mutton curry for lunch. You'll dip coriander-turmeric fried chicken in a Worcestershire-based sauce. Chinese, Malay, Indian, Thai; it's how these culinary traditions alternately merge and remain distinct that makes Malaysian cookery so fascinating—and so hard to summarize concisely, a Venn diagram of flavor whose every overlapping sliver is its own compelling story. More
We've tasted Austrian wines that were cool as mountain pools—sleek and precise, sometimes sparse. This isn't one of those. It's elegant but welcoming, calling you quite literally to table. This is a wine for a roast chicken dinner, everyone gathered together—it's worthy of careful attention, but you might find yourself slurping it up out of sheer deliciousness. More
Importer Dan Melia showed up at SEHQ with an open bottle of this lovely wine. But this is a bottle that says drink me now even if the cork isn't yet popped. Blauschiefer means blue slate, and this is one of those wines that's equal parts gossamer oyster-shell minerality and zingy tart fruit—it's all about the acidity, but the wine is still somehow soft and calm. More
Having just concluded my first official Philly Beer Week as a resident of the city, I'd like to propose that next year Beer Week should be considered a city-wide holiday. With a festival of this caliber, it seems silly to have to go to work when you can (and should) honor America's best beer drinking city by, well, drinking beer. (After all, this isn't just any beer, it's once-a-year and sometimes once-in-a-lifetime beer.) More
Our "Jalapeno Popper" grilled cheese tastes just like the bar-food classic (only with way more fresh chevre and bacon).... More
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Leave the chiles whole and simply poke a hole in the side. Put in raw or toast them and leave for a couple days. Use 3-5 total per 750 ml.
Try it with: El Tesoro, Siete Leguas, Partida, Corazon, Don Julio, or Milagro.