Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

The Food Lab: Animal Fat Mayonnaise

You should have listened to your wife. By now you ought to know beef and lamb fats are awful for everything but making soap. My arteries are yelling at me to eschew all of your blends, but that bacon concoction sounds interesting., If only there was a way to tone down the unhealthy fat stuff and retain the flavor of the bacon. I whizzed up some good old fashioned mayo, and sparingly added some liquid smoke to the batch. It enlivened some french fries just fine!
Eureka. I'm done now, good luck!
Michael

mymymichl at 9:35PM on 10/28/09

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Cheesecake

The French have a dish hey call cassoulet. Every time I'm in the region, I see places that swear they have le vrai - the true cassoulet, . As I learned, there is no such thing as the real cassoulet, or the real cheesecake. The roots go way back into history, and depend on who's doing the cooking.
Do we really need this bickering?

If you love whatever you have on your fork, then that's the one.

mymymichl at 7:57PM on 10/23/09

Serious Eats Finds New York's Best Cheesecake

There's nothing wrong with sour cream in a cheesecake. At my restaurant we used some butter milk in the mix, to lend a mildly tart taste. It worked perfectly. A bit of grated lemon rind supported the richness. We never used a graham cracker crust.. Our pastry guy James Shupe got raves for his work, people asked for seconds. Of course we used the best cream cheese -- Philly.

mymymichl at 7:45PM on 10/23/09

Beer Bread Pecan Rolls

I love the idea of using the dark beer. Bravo; I can't wait to try this one. I once found a great recipe on a brown sugar box, they were excellent, and of course I lost the box. Domino Sugar swears had a box as I described. Someone was misinformed. Their recipe used yeast. I remember letting the butter become very soft room temp, and smearing the butter on the dough with my hand. Some things you always remember.

mymymichl at 12:14AM on 10/15/09

Is the KitchenAid pasta attachment worth it?

I know I'll probably sound like a snob, but hand rolled pasta with a wooden roller gives the dough a rougher texture which tends to make the sauce stick to it. Those smooth steel rollers don't do the same job. Whenever I feel like treating myself, I use the wood, otherwise my Atlas pasta maker is perfect and simple to use. Just remember to never use water on them.

Still, I get jealous whenever I see some smiling TV chef rolling out miles and miles of dough.

mymymichl at 10:53PM on 10/14/09

The Food Lab: Perfect Boiled Eggs

When I was a brunch cook in Greenwich Village, peeling HB eggs was a snap. I shocked the eggs in ice water, then cracked the shell as I rolled the egg away from me. As the egg rolled the shell continued to crack away from the egg. Then I directed a stream of cold water underneath the shell to help separate egg from shell

I never cooked any egg unless it was at warm room temperature, they never ever stuck to a pan.

When I poached eggs I warmed them first in hot water to prevent the egg going everywhere. Lastly, before introducing an egg to the poaching pan, make a gentle whirlpool around where you intend to place the egg. This to give it shape. Then slide the egg in as close to the surface of the water as possible.

I did not notice where you mentioned the importance of egg temperature before cooking.

mymymichl at 10:34PM on 10/14/09

From A Hamburger Today

Breaking: Fresh Direct to Sell Pat La Frieda Burger Patties to General Public

You can buy ground chuck for cheap, and brisket which you can easily grind, very inexpensively. I bet your own home made combo will be as good and one third the cost of the hootey tootey stuff.

mymymichl at 12:50AM on 07/15/09

From A Hamburger Today

Breaking: Fresh Direct to Sell Pat La Frieda Burger Patties to General Public

Why do the restaurants serve 8 ounce patties, and LaFrieda only sells the 6 ounce ones? What are we home consumers, chopped liver?

mymymichl at 12:47AM on 07/15/09

The New Breed of NYC Hot Dogs: Are They Really Better?

A New York City secret--sidewalk hot dog vendor onions. I was literally starving to death one rainy February day on West 34th Street. Seated next to his Sabrett stand on that cold, windy street was a wrinkled old man. I felt sorry for him and took the risk and ordered two franks with mustard and extra onions. My friends tell me to stay away from them. I think they’re crazy. Franks are reliable, legit New York food. I like 'em.
This time the onions were different, tasty. I said I am a chef, and complimented Juan, the ancient Spaniard, on his onions. He proudly informs he makes his own. They really tasted better. No one does that anymore. His sense of pride makes him eschew the commercial junk. He even buys the top grade of franks, though most people can’t tell the difference. Would he share? He very graciously did. Here, as he gave it to me:
“2 lbs yellow onions, sliced thin. Use a Japanese slicer. Cover with water and bring to a boil for just a minute, then drain. Add half a can of tomato paste, a few heaping teaspoons of Spanish paprika, olive oil, S&P, a hefty pinch of sugar. Cook and adjust seasoning until you like the way it tastes. You can add some more paprika if you like.” Keeps in the fridge for a week, longer if you add a few TB of vinegar. Best,
Michael

mymymichl at 12:09PM on 07/10/09

The Crab Pot: One Crab

Greetings from Fire Island! We are on the Great South Bay, four miles offshore from Long Island. This morning's catch contained two quite large blue crabs, and one spider crab which you do not want to eat, ever. My pot has an escape proof setup wherein the bait is separated from the exit. We get many sea whelks, which up 'til now I have no knowledge how to eat, or cook. I am told they eat the clams which live on the bay's bottom, and so should be discarded. Last year we tried to boil them, but the flavor was just plain awful. Does anyone know how to make these whelks edible? I'd love to know.

Here's my recipe for a creamy crab bisque:
Boil your crabs, remove the back meat, set aside. Dice carrots, onion, a hint of garlic, and celery. Saute slowly in butter. Crush the shells and place them into your pot. Add a few tablespoons of tomato paste, fresh thyme, pepper, salt, a few bay leaves. Let the tomato paste cook out. Add a good shot of brandy. Carefully flame the shells, and add a half glass of white wine. Cook five minutes more. Add a few full glasses of chicken stock, and an equal amount of water. Bring to a boil, skim off any scum that rises. Lower fire to a simmer, and cook for twenty minutes.

Make a roux, strain the broth from the crabs into the roux, stirring quite thoroughly. Try to push some of the vegetables through the strainer. Add some heavy cream and sherry if you like. Now slide in the crab meat. I generally slip in a pat of sweet butter at the very end of it all. This in honor of Julia Child, my mentor.

I hope you enjoy. I deliberately didn't cite exact quantities, but it's important to convey the method. You can always adjust according to your own feelings.

Cheers, Michael

mymymichl at 11:56AM on 07/10/09

Help give me culinary inspiration

Try to remember what you were thinking when you were shopping. I often see something and bring it home, later on find something to do with it. But no one should tell you what to do with it. Your own imagination needs the exercise.

mymymichl at 8:53PM on 05/13/09

Dinner Tonight: Reuben Sandwich

I'm happy there are so many of who love that sandwich, but I never met one that was toasted. But I hope to; it sounds delish. Most NYC reubens are steamed to melt the cheese, soften the bread. I think the toasted and then steamed version is where I'm heading, and soon. If we don't tweak something once in a while, how can we grow?

mymymichl at 8:49PM on 05/13/09

Sugar Rush: Minetta Tavern's Souffle for Two

Thanks for the photo of that souffle; delish. You have me drooling. I'd have big anxiety choosing between the chocolate and Grand Marnier, but in the end, I'd go for the Grand Marnier, even though it might not be real GM. Better yet, I'd go with a friend, each of us ordering a different favor. I was there and had their crepes, fantastic.

mymymichl at 1:53AM on 04/11/09

Cook the Book: Soft-Shelled Crabs with Ginger and Scallions

The shun-lee recipe calls for bell pepper, but I know it is done with very thin slices of jalapeno peppers.

mymymichl at 1:47AM on 04/11/09

Cook the Book: Soft-Shelled Crabs with Ginger and Scallions

Moosie82, yes the recipe is easily done with a fryer, or deep skillet. Be very careful to shield yourself from hot oil splashing on you when the legs, which contain water, explode. You can count on the explosions, which is why I prefer a deep fryer to do them in. You can do the garnish in a skillet, and toss in the pieces of cooked crab at the end.

mymymichl at 1:46AM on 04/11/09

Cook the Book: Soft-Shelled Crabs with Ginger and Scallions

I like the double cooking method; I hope the innards don't get dried out, they are the real flavor. I never enjoyed the shell unless it was buried inside a sandwich, but if this method crisps the shells properly, I'm game.

I wonder why this site doesn't post a recipe for plain old battered, deep fried soft shell crab? That's what all of the comments seem to be raving about. Waaahh!

mymymichl at 1:39AM on 04/11/09

Soft-shell Crab

It was my first year at NYU grad school. the WTC was then only half built, classes were held at 100 Trinity Place, the back door opened onto the street where the American Stock Exchange was located. Every day at lunch time, there lines in front of Vincent Petrocino's open window where I ordered fried softshells in a soft loaf of Italian Bread, dripping with tartar sauce.

It was my first experience with the delish critters, and would have eaten two times what I did, but for my student sized budget. Through the years, I saw them on many menus, cooks were trying to invent new ways to prepare them, but no one ever bested those deep fried, battered beauties, crisp on the outside, and delish inside.

mymymichl at 1:28AM on 04/11/09

Hershey's to Close Scharffen Berger Plant in Berkeley; Robert Steinberg Spinning in Grave

The brainless minds who run Hershey are just like the dumb-ass cookie cutter execs who ran most of the great American companies into the ground. Once a long time ago, Hershey was a people company. Not any longer, not never as long as these clowns keep their noses on the bottom line.

It takes guts to keep a brand going in the face of what cowards fear most: loss of money. I'm running out to buy all the Scharfenberger chocolate I can find.

What bugs me is, why did these morons buy the company if they never meant to keep it alive?

Michael Safdiah -

mymymichl at 2:20AM on 01/29/09

Cook the Book: Castilian Garlic Soup

I remember a soup a l'ail I had in France. A combinatioin of beef and chicken stock, it was thickened slightly with flour, had red wine as an ingredient, bacon too. I swear it cured colds.

mymymichl at 2:30PM on 01/22/09

'Top Chef' Season 5, Episode 8: Unprotected Sex

It's sad to watch talented young chefs demeaning themselves--and their gifts by doing the equivalent of mud wrestling. If this be a test of skills, let the skills be real instead of the low end carnival stuff which is no better than what the gladiators in Rome's Colliseum had to do. I wonder if some of these erudite "judges" would ever allow themselves to put up with that cr*p to prove themselves.

mymymichl at 2:44AM on 01/15/09

Cook the Book: 'The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook'

I add this not to win a book but to share another of my grandma's recipes:.Babaganoush
One medium sized eggplant, slashed to let the steam out, and a barbecue or open flame stove. Roast the eggplant, turning to keep it from really burning, but enough to let the skin char. That charred taste makes it authentic. If you think it might be cooking too much, it's about right. Remove from the fire when the innards are tender. Let cool slightly. Cut the eggplant to lay open the insides, and scoop out with a spoon into a bowl. Mash it with a fork.
Now add lots of crushed garlic, fresh lemon juice, salt, pepper, chopped parsley, freshly ground cumin, good E-V olive oil. Keep tasting. Set aside for half an hour to let the flavors develop and get friendly with one another.

Scoop up with triangles of freshly made pita. Here's my cheat:
Use pizza dough pressed into thin rounds and let to stand half an hour, can be cooked over the barbeque. Turn them often, pay attention to them. They should puff up.

mymymichl at 12:22AM on 01/14/09

Cook the Book: 'The New Mediterranean Diet Cookbook'

Syrian Potato Salad, from my grandmother - born in Aleppo

We boiled some red or white potatoes, the waxy kind, and when the knife went through, remove from the water and wash with cold water so you can peel the skin with your fingernails. While they are still hot, cut into bite sized pieces,
and add the following:

Generous chopped flat leaf parsley
fresh ground cumin
fresh ground coriander
black pepper
several pinches of Aleppo pepper, (or 1 part cayenne and 2 parts Spanish paprika)

lemon zest
lemon juice fresh!
good olive oil

Gently toss the spuds with the dressing until only a small pool of dressing remains at the bottom of the bowl. The hot potatoes will suck up the dressing. This is a summer afternoon dish no one will forget.

mymymichl at 12:08AM on 01/14/09

Biscuits and Gravy in NYC?

The chef at the former Black Sheep restaurant in the west village served it as a brunch special, and gave me his recipe. He used Pillsbury's Flaky biscuits ("better than home made, and easier") and while they were baking, the sausages were in a cast iron pan simmering away. He'd tear the meat to give it the kind of texture where the sauce would stick. After the meat was cooked, a tablespoon of flour was stirred in, then a tiny drop of liquid smoke, not too much, some warm water, and some half and half till the sauce reached the right consistency. He'd season with salt, pepper, and a grate of fresh nutmeg. The biscuits, ready by then, were torn open to let the sauce invade them. He said the plates, though generously stacked, always came back whistle clean.

mymymichl at 11:56PM on 01/13/09