Barbecue without the barbecue.

So tonight's bit of culinary magic is basically a page pulled from a restaurant I once worked it, only done right.

We had what the menu called a "BBQ Chicken salad", which of course, had no barbecued chicken at all. It was basically boiled chicken, shredded, and tossed with a healthy amount of cheap BBQ sauce. To be flatly honest, it wasn't the best. The chicken was usually over done, and when combined with the cold temperature the meat and sauce mixture was held at, made sort of a stringy paste that was largely unpleasant.

There was however, one magic method by which to turn it into something more palatable, which was to take the "BBQ chicken", put it between two pieces of bread with some cheddar cheese and just a bit of ranch dressing, then slapped in between the two hot slabs of metal that make up a panini press. After thoroughly warmed through, it actually approached something rather like tasty.

But, recently primed by Yet Another Good Eats Episode on the subject of poaching, it occured to me that with a more proper poaching job in a good stock, this recipe might still have some hope for it.

A small scale experiment a few days ago served to prove the principle, as using the simple technique of boil, drop, and hold discussed in the episode, combined with a flavorful dashi broth seasoned with garlic, onion, chives, and curry and chili pastes, produced what was actually quite a tasty sandwich.

But I was not done with it yet. While on a trip into town to deliver a package, my stepdad and erstwhile transportation dropped me that bombshell of a question, "So, since we're in town, you got any ideas for dinner?" My mind blanked for a solid 5 minutes, as it often does in those situations, and somehow my mind seized upon the experiment of a few day's past, and suggested I could make that, I just needed some stock and perhaps some fries for a side.

So, I started with a big 40 oz can of chicken broth, to which I added a sliced onion, a chopped stalk of celery, about 4 cloves of garlic, a tablespoon of curry paste, some chives, dried rosemary, parsley, paprika, and salt and pepper, into which went 6 chicken thighs. Brought it up to a boil, then dropped it down to the next to lowest setting on the burner and cooked for 20 minutes, then pulled off the heat for ten minutes.

Once the thighs had pulled from the broth and cooled, I set about the laborious process of shredding the chicken. Once properly shredded, I tossed this with about equal parts barbecue sauce and tonkatsu sauce, topped off with some sriracha sauce. This got tossed together, and then put into a bare frypan over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes, while the fries baked in the oven.

Put a helping of that on a bun with some ranch and mayo, and a slice of colby jack cheese. To speed up the cheese melting, I popped it in the microwave for 45 secs.

The result was perfect. The chicken was moist and tender, the combination of flavors from the three sauce was perfect, tangy, sweet, and just a hint of spice. Frankly, unlike my former employer's recipe, I think this one could actually get someone believing it was really barbecue.
The only think it lacks is the flavor of smoke.

Where to begin?

Today's menu was all about the Bechamel sauces. I'm not sure what prompted it exactly, I think it might have been the rice with bacon gravy I made the other day.

So for my first meal of the day, I decided to go with rice and cheese sauce. I grated up some sharp yellow cheddar, and made a typical cheese sauce, but with one extra twist: I sauteed about a tablespoon of chili garlic paste in the butter, before adding the flour to the roux. It came out delicious. The texture and thickness was dead right for once, and strangely stable. I guess I just got the amount of milk plus roux plus cheese just right, as it just hit a point where the thickness just wasn't gonna change. Usually I have a problem with my Bechamel sauces, in that they don't stay the same texture for very long, but this was dead perfect. And something about the whole combination actually made the chili sauces' contribution more mild and almost sweet, as opposed to the heat I would normally expect from what was actually a bit more than I use for, say, my spicier ramen soups.

For dinner, I went with a mock Alfredo with tuna and spaghetti. I say mock, because, lacking heavy cream, I instead made do with a Bechamel base. A more traditional Alfredo derives it's sole thickness from the heaviness of the cream and the melting cheese, as well as the starch given off by the pasta, and this is generally how I prefer to make it these days. But, in a pinch, if you're sure to cook the roux just right, it works well enough to fool most anyone, and probably bears more resemblance to that jarred stuff in the store that most Americans are familiar with than the authentic recipe does.

-------

My most recent big experiment was crepes jambalaya. I'd been feeling the urge to try a more savory crepe dish, after the semi-success of my previous experiment with sweet crepes had gone relatively well.

I'm not sure what my big interest is in crepes exactly. Ever since I saw the crepe episode of Good Eats, they've sort of nagged at me, always begging me to try them, yet until recently, despite repeated recitations of the old standby, "I should really try that sometime", I hadn't yet had the courage to try them.

I think perhaps because they do have a reputation as a notoriously challenging dish to make, and in something of a surprise, Alton's presentation of the subject actually did much to reinforce that image in my mind. Perhaps this image fed into a conception of their crafting as a sort of right of passage for a cook. That by mastering the crepe, I would somehow be proving my worth as a cook.

In practice, they certainly did prove to be quite a thorough pain in the ass and, in all honesty, I'm not really convinced the effort is actually worth it. The sweet crepes I made during my first attempt were reasonably tasty, but the more neutral crepes I made for the crepes jambalaya just had an odd flavor that I'm not sure I cared for, and certainly didn't wow the way I would normally demand from a dish that took so much craft and effort.

The jambalaya itself on the other hand, has spiraled into a recipe all it's own, one which I'm actually quite proud of. For the crepe filling, it was really a simplification of the stuff. I chopped some bacon and got that rendering in a small saucepan, then added half a diced onion. While that sauteed I whipped up a quick broth/seasoning combination, using dashi for the base stock, and adding black pepper, a healthy dose of chili paste and even some sriracha, and oddest of all, Montreal steak seasoning.

The resulting flavor combination was superb, and rolled up with a tiny bit of grated cheese, really carried the whole dish.

I've since attempted a more complete version of the dish, made in a larger batch with a full compliment of vegetables, while still keeping the same base ingredients, and the recipe is excellent. The main thing it lacks is meat, I've yet to have the opportunity to try it with a decent compliment of meats. Perhaps soon I'll try adding some chicken to the mix, and it occurs to me I missed the boat on using some of the Italian sausage that we had bought in massive bulk from Costco, as all of it has since been consumed.

I basically ate nothing but jambalaya for a whole week, between the crepes, and the second, larger batch, which as well as eating on their own, I also rolled up into some tortillas with a bit of sour cream, sriracha, and grated cheese.

La pomme revolucion!

From Noisebot, comes what I shall brand the official T-Shirt of the Apple Juice Revolution.

Thanks to Dan Davenport for the linkage.

Viva la pomme!

It has occurred to me that thus far on this blog I have yet to sing the praises of Alton Brown's omelet recipe.

The Good Eats Fan Page has a wonderful transcript of the episode, which is the best way to get it, as the Food Network recipe card is a bit more vague on the process, and the process is really what makes the dish in this case.

This morning's simple breakfast was the Alton French omelet, filled with a four cheese Mexican blend, and sprinkled lightly with a bit of black pepper and paprika. To go along with, just two slices of buttered toast (no garlic toast this time, it's breakfast!), and a glass of apple juice.

Today's came out extra delicious, as a I actually managed to get the temperature just about right. Normally I tend to get impatient and wind up with the pan not sufficiently heated, and the omelet a little too runny. I like it a little bit liquid on the inside, gives a nice over-medium egg texture to the whole arrangement, but if the temp is too low, you wind up with too much liquid, and too thin.

Also, I love apple juice, and don't really understand the reputation it has in the US as being a child's drink at all. Where on Earth did this come from? And why do so many adults willingly deprive themselves of this simple yet delicious beverage? That crisp, refreshing flavor is just too wonderful to pass by simply because of some weird embedded cultural notions.

Even when you ferment the stuff and turn it into booze in the form of hard cider, it still bears a reputation as a sissy drink, despite the fact that a little homebrew cider can knock you on your ass faster than any beer, and can taste just as foul as the worst bargain "malt liquor".

So I suggest that we all do our part, and seek to rehabilitate this noble beverage. Order apple instead of orange with your next dine out meal. With Summer upon us here in the Northern Hemisphere, apple juice makes a fantastic refreshment on hot afternoons, and some hard cider makes an equally fantastic libation for the evening's festivities.

I needn't remind our American readers that the Fourth of July is upon us, and what better way to celebrate a bunch of rich, dead white men refusing to pay their taxes, than with an alcoholic beverage with a long and noble history as one of the great forms of moonshine.

Drink up, we will deprive ourselves of this delicious nectar no longer! Viva La Pomme!

I'm J Arcane, and I endorse this product.

Now, I am a lover of Japanese cuisine. My first cooking experience was in the kitchen of a Japanese restaurant, and it was that experience that really helped kick start my love of food and cooking.

One of my favorite dishes of course, and the one which I have prepared the most often, is ramen. This wondrous noodle soup dish is simple to prepare, tastes delicious, and offers a veritable rainbow of flavor options and possibilities. Everything from a simple shoyu broth, to the slow-cooked creamy pork taste of tonkotsu broth, to a spicy curry ramen, and everywhere in between.

When it comes to packaged ramen however, I pretty much just use the noodles and make my own broth from scratch. Better flavor that way, more control over the salt content, more avenues for creative expression. It's nice to get some fresh yakisoba noodles and use those on occasion, but for the price you still can't beat the packaged noodles, and cooked in a nice homemade broth they're actually better than the crummy frozen noodles we used in my kitchen alma mater.

I generally do conserve the flavor packets however, perhaps out of the same instinct to through nothing away that causes me to stockpile grocery bags, which of course I almost never use. I just don't use the things unless I'm taking part in that oh so delicious handmade snack food: dry broken up ramen brick with seasoning.

But there is one exception to this rule. One ramen flavor to rule them all, the only one that has a flavor that really is worth the price of admission for any purpose other than a half-assed snack seasoning.

I speak, of this fine specimen:

It is, quite simply, the only packet ramen worth eating on it's own. It is the only flavor that stands toe to toe with the quality of the more expensive imported ramens you can sometimes find in the Asian sections of supermarkets. It is equal to even to the wonders of the Nong Shim Bowl Noodle brand.

There's just something about the heat of the dried peppers, and the peculiar, almost smoky qualities of the beef bullion used, that gives it a complexity of flavor that, quite frankly, you just don't expect to find in something that only costs 10 cents at the local megamart.

But it doesn't stop at the spice packet. In contrast to the almost depressing uniformity of your average packet of dried instant noodles, the wonderful folks at Nissin have seen fit to add an additional touch to this simple meal. Infused in the dried noodles is yet more dried chili and spices, adding an extra kick even to the noodles themselves.

And not only does it serve to season a not-half-bad instant ramen, but as I've discovered with tonight's evening snack, a conserved spice packet from this stuff also serves wonderful as a seasoning for some just steamed rice. I have experimented with it's seasoning powers only a few times in the past, but somehow I suspect that if I dared to try, it's flavor would serve well as a seasoning mix for a number of other endeavors.

And so I must tip my hat to this surprising little foil packet, for providing me with some real culinary magic. Next time you're at your local foodservice supply store, do yourself a favor and grab a flat of this stuff. It's a great thing to have around, not just for the noodles, but for the whole flavor combination.

The birthday dinner

It's becoming something of a tradition in my home now, that my gift-giving take the form of preparing a gourmet meal for the honored. I shudder to think how that could wind up working out if I'm still here on Christmas or Thanksgiving.

Last night's dinner for my stepfather's birthday was actually a repeat of the meal I prepared for Mother's Day: Chicken Alfredo, Caesar salad, and cheesecake.

The Alfredo is a simple traditional recipe, of cream, butter, and Parmesan cheese. The most important step here is simply getting the right cream. Much of the "heavy cream" sold in stores doesn't seem to have the thickness needed to really do the recipe justice, most of it seems to made with heavy cream, but then diluted heavily with skim milk. The trick seems to be to give the carton a good shake. If it makes no noise, you've got it good. If it sloshes around like you would expect from a carton of milk, look for another brand. I actually had to go to two different stores to find a decent heavy cream.

For the Caesar salad, I made some simple croûtons of toasted bread tossed with olive oil and, once again, that good old Johnny's mix (I really do abuse that stuff, don't I?) For the dressing, I bought Cardini's, the original Caesar dressing, from the man who invented the stuff. It's interesting too, because it really doesn't much like any other dressing that's routinely sold as "Caesar dressing", but it's very good stuff.

For the cheesecake, as I had discovered that we didn't have a suitable pan for making cheesecake, I instead went ahead and bought a pre-made plain New York style from the bakery. And prepared my own topping, using a recipe for cherry confit culled from Tyler Florence's recipe for New York style cheesecake. I'm not entirely certain it came out properly however. It seems thinner than the recipe and picture imply, and I may have used fewer cherries than I should have. I was on time constraint however, and pitting the cherries was proving rather time consuming, so I stopped when it looked like I had about a pound as per the recipe. I think in hindsight I will next time use about as many cherries, but half the syrup content.

All in all though, the meal was delicious, and seemed to be well received, and I know I certainly enjoyed it.

Ham soup!

Tonight's meal was a simple soup, with ham, vegetables, and macaroni, served with a side of baked garlic bread. The soup had a vaguely Italian flavor to it, in part because of the herbs I used, and would also I think serve well as a good white bean soup with some modification.

The garlic bread came out really well. The "Country Buttermilk" Safeway Select bread I used has a really great flavor to it, that pairs well with the Johnny's mix. It also serves well for the bacon bruschetta recipe I posted earlier.

Soup recipe follows:

1 lb. ham, diced
1 medium onion, diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1 green bell pepper, diced
2 slices of bacon, chopped
1/3 lb. macaroni noodles
2 cloves of garlic
Dried or fresh basil, oregano, parsley to taste
49 oz can of chicken stock

Add the bacon to a large stockpot and heat over medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes, and add the garlic and vegetables. Cook, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes, and then add the ham and heat for another 5 minutes.

Add the chicken stock, then fill the can about 2/3 full with water, and add that as well, then bring the heat to high, and add the herbs, a few dashes of black pepper and salt, and bring to a boil, stirring occasionally.

Once the water comes to a boil, skim off any fat that foams up around the edges of the pan, and then add the macaroni noodles, and boil for about 10 minutes.

For the garlic bread, spread a little butter on slices of bread, sprinkle with Johnny's mix and paprika, and put in a 350 degree oven for 5-10 minutes.