I was speaking to our son at school the other day and he commented on the weather. As he goes to school in Pittsburgh, he is exposed to a full four seasons of weather. That can be a good or bad thing depending on your point of reference and your tolerance for extremes. But the fall season in the Eastern states is a wonderful time of the year. There is crispness in the air, leaves turning colors that you had never imagined, and football and hockey are being played. All sure signs that colder times and the holiday season is upon us.

What better time to talk about doing some soups and chili. They are usually easy to prepare, do not require lots of off the wall ingredients, and are subject to the whim of the cook.... (Meaning you don't have to follow the recipe exactly....you can fudge!!)

I wanted to cover the gamut stuff we would look at..... so I am going to look at a Tortilla Soup (hey, I'm in California!!); A Chicken Noodle Soup that uses several of my favorite things to have around; an Escarole - White bean Soup ...that can be done with or without pork (and is the one way I willingly eat my greens!!); a Baked Potato Soup that has been reduced in both calories and fat; a Shrimp and Smoked Sausage Gumbo; and a great Chili recipe that I use all the time (with beans... sorry you purists)

Once you get the idea of how soups come together, you can begin to customize your own soups using your favorite ingredients....and have a few basic items in your pantry ready to go at a moment’s notice.

So here goes,

ESCAROLE-WHITE BEAN SOUP

• 2 Tbsp olive Oil
• 3 ea cloves Garlic-chopped
• 1 ea medium onion-sliced
• 1 Lb. Hot Italian Sausage- (meat taken out of the casing)--this is an optional item...depends on if you want meat in your soup!!
• 1 ea. head Escarole - (washed, dried, and chopped roughly.)
• 2 ea. cans White beans....your choice of variety, but drain only one can
• 1 qt Chicken stock (or a bit more depending on how much broth you want and how thick)
  
• .Grated parmesan cheese for topping and maybe some good olive oil for drizzling...and while you are at it, a good loaf of crusty bread!!!!

Heat the olive oil in a large, heavy bottomed pan over medium-high heat. If you are going to add Italian sausage, this would be the time. Cook until no pink remains in the meat, breaking up the meat into small pieces as it cooks. Add the sliced onions and sauté for 7-8 minutes - until the onions are soft and beginning to show a little brown color. Add the garlic and sweat it for 3 minutes at medium heat, stirring constantly - don't burn the garlic!! this is a flavor you do not want in your soup.

Add the escarole at this point. Stir it into the meat and onion mixture and put a lid on the pot. Steam the escarole on medium heat for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lid when it has cooked down and is a brilliant green in color. Add the chicken stock and turn up to high heat. At the same time, puree one can of the white beans in its juice and add to the soup. Wait until it has just begun to boil and add the other can of beans, but drain this one before adding. Season well with salt and pepper and low heat to a simmer. Let cook for 8-10 minutes to let the flavors blend. Serve in bowls with grated parmesan, a bit of olive oil and lots of great, crusty bread....the only other thing here is a bottle of wine....maybe a crisp white or a light red. Enjoy

CHICKEN NOODLE SOUP

This soup utilizes several of my the favorite items that I try to keep around the house for last minute meals....a Rotisserie chicken from Costco, and fresh Oriental noodles (either Japanese or Chinese). The noodles are available in the cold case of most good super markets...around the same place you can find the won-ton and eggroll wrappers and the Tofu (why did I even mention Tofu, I must be losing my grip!!)

• 1/4C Tbsp olive oil
• 2 ea large Carrots...peeled and sliced about 3/8 inch thick on the diagonal.
• 3 ea stalks celery...sliced on the diagonal
• 1 ea medium onion, sliced, 3/8 inch thick
• 3 ea cloves garlic-chopped1 Tbsp of ginger. Finely grated, or the stuff out of the jar is even better....it is almost a puree. It assimilates into the soup very well (Nice use of big words, eh???)
• 1-1/2 qt Chicken Stock....I always use the Swanson's out of the box....you can safely store left-over stock in the fridge
• 1 ea Costco rotisserie chicken.....use a much or a little as you like....just pull the meat off the bones and sort of break it up.
• 1- 8 oz package fresh Chinese or Japanese noodles...get the fattest looking ones!!

Sauté the veggies in the olive oil over medium high heat until they are starting to brown. It is a good thing to put a little color on the veggies, the carmelization process that occurs on the veggies will enrich the color and taste of the broth. As the veggies just begin to brown, add both the garlic and ginger. Stir well and often for 3 minutes or so, just until the aroma of the garlic and ginger is very fragrant. Be careful not to burn!!!  At this point, add in the chicken stock and bring to a simmer and let it cook for 20 minutes or so just below a full boil. Add the chicken, get it up to temperature and season liberally with salt and pepper....especially pepper. Once the carrots are cooked as you like them, add in the noodles and cook them just until tender.....remember, the fresh ones will cook in no time. If, for some reason, you are using dried noodles, (which is fine; a good dry egg noodle will work well.) cook the veggies a little less, add in the dry noodles and cook them as long as is indicated on the packaging.

Although I did not list it on the ingredients, a little grated parmesan goes well....or a chiffonade of fresh basil. (A chiffonade...(it's ok, guys) is basically when you stack a bunch of leaves one on top of another, roll them up like a cigar and slice them thinly...it makes a nice look!!)

CHILI CON CARNE

The truth about this recipe is that it emanated from somewhere years ago and it is credited to Al Roker (The T.V. guy who very successfully battled his weight). He is a bit of a BBQ guy, and as such supposedly developed this chili recipe. All I know is that it is good!!!!  It does include beans in the recipe...which I can either make a case for or against. In this case, the flavor of the chili is very good....to me the texture and taste of the beans just go well in this recipe. Plus, beans are a great source of vitamins, fiber and a bunch of other good stuff.

• 2 lbs of well trimmed chuck. (Save the fat for other uses...it freezes well) Cube the meat in bite-size pieces
• 1 lb of your favorite hot Italian sausage (hopefully the one you made from the recipes we learned a couple of weeks ago...this is a perfect place to use that!!
• 2 ea. large onions....dice
• 12 ea cloves of garlic...finely diced (use the jarred stuff. Costco sells a 1 qt jar of wonderful garlic for the cost of 2 small bottles at the grocery store)
• 1 Tbsp ground cumin
• 1 Tbsp paprika (if you have smoked, all the better!!)
• 1 Tbsp chili powder. There are lots of different varieties of chili powder nowadays, knock yourself out!!
• 1 ea 28 oz can whole tomatoes in puree...more on that later!!
• 1-ea 16 oz can pinto beans, drained
• 1 ea-16 oz cans Great Northern beans, drained
• 1 ea-16 oz can dark red kidney beans, drained

Brown the beef and Italian sausage (out of the casings) in a large Dutch oven over medium high heat. Remove the meat and reserve. Drain off all the fat, leaving 3 tablespoons in the pot. Sauté the garlic and onions in the fat until translucent, about 7-9 minutes. Add the cumin, paprika and chili powder. Stir well and cook 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes...ok, take the peeled whole tomatoes and grind them up in your food processor, until pureed. The reason for this is that when you buy crushed tomatoes, they usually have been cooked during the process of crushing them...this, IMHO takes some of the fresh flavor away from the tomatoes. But, hey, it's your chili...and most people will not know the difference.....So, add the tomatoes and the meat back into the Dutch oven, bringing to a simmer. Cook for about 1-1/2 hours on the stove or until the beef is tender. Add more stock if the chili is too thick for you. At this point, add the beans and cook over medium low heat for another 30 minutes.  It is ready to go. Serve it with your choice of chopped scallions, sour cream, shredded cheese, and even a little bottle of hot sauce, if you are so inclined. A little homemade cornbread and a bottle of your favorite malted adult beverage and you are good to go!!!

BAKED POTATO SOUP

This is a soup that I particularly like...and it has been adapted to reduce the calories and fat per serving...I chose to add this recipe because I tend to like full flavored, high fat recipes....because they basically taste good. But in this case, some of the fat and calories has been removed...and it still tastes pretty darn good. This is also a good easy soup because we usually have all the ingredients in the fridge or pantry...and is not real expensive.

• 4 ea baking potatoes. (About 2-1/2 pounds)
• 2/3 C. all purpose flour.
• 6 C. milk...use 2%...can't tell the difference in this recipe.
• 1 C. (4 ounces) reduced fat, shredded, extra sharp cheddar cheese.
• 1 Tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1 C. reduced fat sour cream
• 3/4 C. chopped green onions.
• 6 ea bacon slices, cooked and crumbled. 

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. Pierce the potatoes all over with a fork and bake for 1 hour until they are tender and cooked thru. Cool. Peel potatoes and coarsely mash. Discard skins (Drat, the best part of the potato!!). Lightly spoon the flour into a measuring cup and level with a knife. Place the flour into a large Dutch oven and gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until well blended. Cook over medium heat until thick and bubbly (about 8 minutes). Add mashed potatoes, 3/4 cup cheese, salt and pepper and stir until the cheese melts. Remove from heat. Stir in sour cream and 1/2 C. onions. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes...do not boil...Sprinkle each serving with cheese, onions and bacon and serve....If you have the willpower to limit the serving size to 1-1/2 cups, you will ingest about 329 calories (30% from fat). Not bad for a soup that tastes this good!!!

SHRIMP AND SMOKED SAUSAGE GUMBO

 This is a little different type of recipe...a gumbo. A gumbo is a Creole specialty...a thick, stew-like dish that can have any of many ingredients...but the one thing that all good gumbos begin with is a dark Roux. The Roux adds an unmistakable rich flavor. Usually, okra serves to thicken the mixture, as does file powder...which must be added after the pot is removed from the fire. The name "gumbo", is actually a derivation of the African word for okra....now this is probably more than you already wanted to know, but to add one more thing, file powder is said to have been first used by the Choctaw Indians from the Louisiana bayou country...it is made from the ground, dried leaves of the sassafras tree. (Which gives us bay leaves) The powder must be added off the heat, because undue cooking can make the file tough and stringy....sooooo, if you have not navigated away from this blog and gone on to the ESPN web-site, or to some Brides website....that means you are still with me...so here is a good, basic recipe that does feature shrimp and smoked sausage.....BUT....you can substitute chicken for the shrimp, or ham for the sausage...or anything that you like.

• 1 C. vegetable oil
• 1 C. flour
• 1-1/2 C chopped onions
• 1 C. chopped celery
• 1 C. chopped green bell pepper
• 1 lb. smoked sausage, such as Andouille or Kielbasa...cut crosswise into 1/2 inch slices.
• 1 lb. peeled and deveined shrimp....16-20 size is best.....if you use a smaller size, be careful not to over-cook.
• 1Tbsp veggie oil
• 1 Tbsp butter...unsalted.
• 1-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cayenne
• 3 ea bay leaves
• 6 C. H20
• 1 tsp Cajun rubs...you can buy one or make your own...
• 2 Tbsp chopped parsley
• 1/2 C. chopped green onions
• 1 Tbsp file powder 

Combine the oil and flour in a large enameled cast iron Dutch oven over medium heat. Stirring slowly and constantly for 20-25 minutes (or the time it takes to sip 2-12 ounce beers), make a dark brown roux. It will slowly change colors...and you want to end up with a roux that has the color of dark chocolate....there is a fine line between a roux that is dark and complex, and one which is burned and bitter....be careful...go slowly. Add the onions, celery and bell peppers and stir 4-5 minutes, or until wilted. Add the sausage, salt, cayenne and bay leaves. Continue to stir for 3-4 minutes. Add the water. Stir until the roux mixture and the water are well mixed. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium low and cook for 2 hours. Season the shrimp with the rub, and sauté in 1 Tbsp oil and 1 Tbsp butter until just cooked thru...
Add the shrimp to the pot, and cook for 20-25 minutes....Skim off any fat that comes to the surface....Remove from the heat and stir in the parsley, green onion and file powder. Remove the bay leaves and serve.

TORTILLA SOUP

One last recipe....this as a nod to the Hispanic heritage of So. Cal.  This soup comes together faster than you think...it's like anything food....if you have your ingredients organized before you begin, it will go quickly enough to give you the pleasure that comes with creating a dish, but not so long as to get tedious.

• 6 Tbsp veggie oil
• 8-ea 6 inch corn tortillas...halved and cut crosswise into 1/4 inch strips
• 1 ea. onion chopped.
• 4 ea. large cloves garlic--smashed with the flat side of your chef's knife.
• 1 Tbsp paprika
• 2 tsp ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground coriander
• 1 tsp ground chili powder
• 1/4 tsp cayenne powder
• 1-1/2 qt. chicken stock
• 1 ea. can whole tomatoes---that you crush yourself....use all the juice that comes with the whole tomatoes, also
• 2 ea bay leaves
• 2-1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 C lightly packed cilantro leaves....plus 3 Tbsp chopped
• 1-3/4 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts and thighs...cut into 3/4 inch pieces
• 1 ea. avocado, cut into 1/2 inch dice
• 1/4 lb cheddar cheese, grated
• Lime wedges for serving...

In a large pot, over moderately high heat, add half of the tortilla strips, stirring until pale golden....about 1 minute. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels. Repeat with the remaining tortilla strips. Reduce the heat to moderately low and add the onion, garlic and spices...cook, stirring for about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, bay leaves, salt, the cilantro leaves and 1/3 of the tortilla strips. Bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered for 30 minutes...remove the bay leaves.

In a blender, puree the hot soup....remembers the sermon about the use of hot soup in a blender!!!! Puree in batches and pour back into the pot. Add the chicken, bring the soup back to a simmer and cook just until the chicken is cooked thru and add the avocado. To serve, put the remaining tortilla strips in the bottom of each bowl, top with cheese, pour in the soup and sprinkle with cilantro. Serve with lime wedges and your favorite Mexican beer!!!

Enjoy.....All of these recipes are easy to make...most of them keep well in your reefer for up to a week or so and can serve as take-to-work-lunches or afternoon snacks. There are so many types of soups that you can easily make with ready to use ingredients that most of us either have or can easily get and keep on hand.  You can swap ingredients in and out depending on what you like, and you can season all of these soups in a variety of ways.....The Escarole soup could be seasoned with a splash of balsamic vinegar.....the Chicken Noodle Soup with a splash of soy sauce and a drop or two of sesame oil....in the Chili Con Carne, you could add 1/2 a bottle of whatever beer you are going to drink...just after the spices have been added...and on and on...have fun...taste as you go...and share with good friends!!

Cheers!!!

Intro

Thanks to all for your patience. I guess I am too easily distracted from the responsibility (an enjoyable one) of posting on a regular basis.... I promised, not long ago, to talk about making homemade sausage. It was around the time I discussed the uses of a Kitchen Aid mixer and all the attachments that were available. It is possible to do any number of things with all the toys Kitchen Aid makes available and specifically, sausage making is really easy with the meat grinder attachment.

Now having said that, you could take this discussion a step further and get into the actual stuffing of the bulk sausage into casings. The casings are made from the intestines of animals....doesn't sound very appetizing, but if you have eaten any sausage or hot dog, you  know that the casing is what holds it all together, and gives it that distinctive snap!! It allows you to take a ground up mixture of meats(with plenty of fat for flavor and moisture), season it well, stuff it in the casing, cook it and have it hold the distinctive sausage shape. For the home cook (count me in that group), we will not get into that activity for several reasons. One, hank (that is what the casings are called) is not readily available. Two, it is an acquired skill to properly stuff the meat into the casings without air bubbles, in uniform size links, and to wrap the links into good-looking ropes!!

So, we will discuss making great sausage in bulk form; which can then be sautéed as patties, cooked and broken into a ground meat-like consistency. Assuming that you have the means to grind your own meat, or that you can get extremely freshly ground meats at your grocery store.....you are good to go. This is so ridiculously easy that the fun is in the grinding of the meat. You feel like you are actually creating something. Taking a boneless cut of meat and jamming it into a food grinder, is a very primal activity. I know, I am a little off kilter...just go with it!!!

So let’s start with a recipe that I had forwarded to me from a gentleman named Jim Wylie. He had a friend who used this recipe for over 30 years in an Italian restaurant. I know, more information than you wanted, but hey, credit to those who did it. This is not my creation, but I have used it numerous times with great success.

HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE

• 10 lbs. Ppork (Use a shoulder or other roast. You want at LEAST 20% fat content)
• 1 Tbsp. Salt
• 1/8 C. Garlic salt
• 1-1/2 Tsp Ground Pepper (Use a course grind if you like, but increase the amount a bit to compensate)
• 1/4 C. Ground Paprika (You could use a smoked product if you want that effect)
• 1/2 C. Veggie Oil
• 1-1/2 Tsp Anise Seed
• 1-1/2 Tsp Fennel Seed
• 1 Tbsp Red Pepper Flakes (This will have a nice amount of heat....but this is HOT ITALIAN SAUSAGE!!!)

Make sure the meat and all equipment that you are using is well chilled. You do not want the growth of bacteria to be an issue. In fact, place the parts to your grinder in the freezer for about 30 minutes before using. Also, chill the meat (cubed, small 3/4-1 inch chunks) in the freezer for a like amount of time, or until just firm and partially frozen. Process the meat using the larger of the two grinder plates.  Place the meat into a well chilled stainless steel bowl. Season with salt, garlic salt, black pepper and paprika. In a blender or food processor, blend together the oil, and the rest of the spices. Don't pulverize, but grind a bit. Mix everything into the ground pork until well blended. Refrigerate for 24 hours to let the flavors blend. At this point, you can bag the sausage into portions that you will use and freeze until ready to use.

KIELBASSA - FRESH POLISH SAUSAGE

• 9-1/2 Lbs Pork (shoulder or other roast...at least 20% fat content)
• 1/2 Lb Beef Chuck
• 2 oz Ice
• 2-1/2 Tbsp Salt
• 2-1/2 Tbsp Dextrose
• 2 tsp Mustard Seed (ground, not too fine)
• 1 Tbsp Ground White Pepper
• 1 tsp MSG  (optional)
• 2 tsp Marjoram
• 1 tsp Nutmeg
• 1 tsp Garlic Powder

Cut the pork and beef into small chunks and freeze until just partially frozen. Freeze both the grinder parts and a stainless steel bowl. Grind the meat as described above, using the grinder plate with the larger holes. Grind all the dry ingredients to almost a fine powder using a spice grinder. Add the seasonings and mix thoroughly until the meat paste is well blended. Refrigerate for 24 hours to let flavors blend. You are ready to stuff into casings, or use in any other way.

SONOMA STYLE- BRATWURST.

• <7 lbs Pork(shoulder/butt)
• 3 lbs Veal Breast--boneless
• 1/4 C. Dry White Wine
• 2 Tbsp Salt
• 4 tsp Ground Coriander
• 3 tsp Ground White Pepper
• 3 tsp Garlic Powder
• 3 tsp Course Ground Black Pepper
• >1 tsp Ground Mace
• 1/2 tsp Ground Allspice

Cut the pork and veal into small chunks and freeze until partially frozen.  Freeze both the grinder parts and a stainless steel bowl. Grind the meat through the larger of the two grinding plates. Grind all the spices except the black pepper until almost powdered. Mix the spices and the black pepper into the meat until well mixed. Let the mixture sit over night for the flavors to blend. Either stuff into hog casings or use as a bulk sausage.

As luck would have it.... as I am putting together the recipes for this installment of the blog, two publications have come out with articles on sausage making. I think it would be good to check both sources, as they are both very reputable. The Los Angeles Times just yesterday (9/30/2009) had a big spread discussing the ease with which the home cook can prepare homemade sausage. I have not yet checked it out, but if you go to www.latimes.com/food you will have a step-by-step guide to making sausage as well as resources for buying everything you would need to make your own sausage.....from casing to pork fat back (makes me drool just to think of pork fat!!!)

A second source turns out to be one of my favorite online sources for foodie-type information. It is www.chow.com If you have not been to the site, check it out. I could describe it to you, but no matter where you live, this site will be pertinent to you....and it happens that they have a feature on sausage making. If you go to www.chow.com/stories/11855 you will see their version of sausage making. Both sources are excellent and provide a good insight into sausage making.

One final thought...... The recipes that I have provided are in good size quantities. If you are going to go to the effort to get the necessary ingredients together to take this on (which is not that big a deal, if you have the equipment) make sufficient quantities that you can freeze some for a later time. This stuff is good, as good as any commercially produced.....and as in anything, there are many variations of recipes for any given item. So, feel free to fine tune, adjust seasonings once you have made a recipe, until you get it just to your liking.

I hope you have fun with this....half the fun of eating great food is in the making and knowing that you can take on a project like this and do a great job.

Cheers,Joe

I hope everyone is doing well, as we wind up another fun summer season. It's hard to believe that summer is just about over....  seems like not long ago we were winding our way up the coast of California thru Carmel on the way to San Fran with the daughter, Caitlin. The real sign that summer is coming to an end - the start of school was today. God did I hate the thought of returning to school as a kid!!!
 So, with the thought of summer ending, I thought we could talk about working with some of the summer’s best stuff. Fresh corn on the cob, tomatoes, and ripe juicy peaches are some of the things I will miss most as summer ends.

SUMMER CORN SOUP WITH CRISP PROSCUITTO

4 Ea  very thin slices of prosciutto
4 ea  large ears of fresh corn
4 Tbsp butter
1 ea  medium onion (about 1-1/2 cup) chopped
Kosher salt
2 C chicken broths
1-1/2 C  peeled, diced red potatoes (2-3 medium)
2 Tbsp chopped fresh basil
Position an oven rack 4 inches below the broiler, and heat the broiler on high. Broil the prosciutto until it begins to curl, 1-2 minutes. Flip and broil until appears dry-crisp and begins to curl again. Let cool and rough chop or crumble and put aside.
Slice the kernels off the cobs for a total of 3 Cups. Reserve the cobs....you thought we throw those suckers away, didn't you!!!  In a medium Dutch oven or heavy bottomed pot cook the butter over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until softened and slightly golden (5-7 minutes.) Season generously with Kosher salt...we talked about this before, ditch the Morton's and use Kosher in everything you use salt for - it's better, trust me. Add 4 cups water and the broth. 1-1/2 cups of corn kernels, the cobs and 2 Tsp salt. Reduce the heat to medium low and simmer until the potatoes are tender (about 12-15 minutes.) Remove from the heat and discard the cobs......We use the cobs to intensely flavor the broth and give it an extra boost. We are working with a fairly simple recipe with few ingredients so we want every bit of flavor we can get!!! Working in batches, and VERY CAREFULLY!! puree the soup in batches in your blender......A note to anyone who has not pureed a hot soup or other boiling liquid - this is like napalm!!!!  Do not fill the blender much more than about 40% or so. A hot liquid, when pureed, expands rapidly in the blender and can explode out the top of the blender. Unless you have the uncontrollable need to remodel your kitchen, be careful until you have done this a few times. It will take probably 3 batches to complete this process. Transfer each batch to a bowl and then done dump the soup back into the Dutch oven.
Add the remaining corn kernels to the soup and bring to a boil over medium high heat. simmer 3-5 minutes, until the kernels are heated thru. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish each serving with the crumbled prosciutto and chopped basil.

END OF THE SUMMER TOMATO.........SORBET!!!

 Surprised you with this one, eh??? Truthfully, it took me a minute to wrap my arms around this one....and pure tomato essence may not be for everyone, but extracting the heart and soul of a fruit and transforming it into something familiar, yet surprising, is a real treat!!  If you want it more vegetal, add less sugar......If you want it less intense, add more water....A splash of vodka would be interesting; you betcha!!! This would make a great amuse or starter to get your juices flowing.
 
2 pounds of the freshest, ripest off the vine tomatoes you can find. Cored and roughly chopped
3-5 Tbsp  of superfine sugar.
2 Tsp   sherry vinegar (go buy some, it's great to have around to make salad dressings with. look back a couple of postings or so for ideas!!)
1 Tsp  fruity olive oil
Salt ....to taste.
 Macerate the chopped tomatoes in the sugar (Start with 3 TBSP), 1 tsp of sherry vinegar and the olive oil for at least 30 minutes and up to overnight. Longer is better. Puree in the blender until smooth and strain....You should have about 2 cups of puree. Taste, and add a pinch of salt if you like to brighten the flavors. Adjust the sugar and vinegar, keeping in mind that flavors will dull a bit when frozen. Chill until very cold.  Freeze in an ice cream machine until it comes together and you achieve the desired flavor concentration. Should take about 7-8 minutes. If you like, serve in a hollowed out tomato with a sprinkle of sea salt.

RISOTTO WITH CORN, SPICY SAUSAGE AND WILTED ARUGULA

Back to corn again, this would be a great time to experiment with some homemade sausage of some kind. If you have not attempted this, stay tuned I am going to talk about making different sausages from scratch in the next week or so. For now a good quality sausage from your local grocer will do just fine.
 

• 6 C.  Chicken broth
• 3 ea Large ears of fresh corn. Shucked and halved crosswise
• 2 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 ea.  Minced garlic cloves
• 3 C. trimmed arugula
• Kosher salt and pepper to taste.
• 3 Tbsp unsalted butter
• 1 ea.  medium leek (white and light green part only) about 3/4 cup.
• 1/2 pound   hot Italian pork sausage...casing removed and broken into chunks ...raw
• 2 C. Arborio or carnaroli rice
• 1/2 C. pinot grigio or other dry white wine
• 1/2 C. freshly grated Pecorino Romano, more for serving.
• 2 Tbsp   flat leaf parsley; chopped (optional)

 Heat the chicken broth over medium high heat until very hot...Add the corn and cook until the kernels are just heated thru, about 3 minutes. Transfer the corn to a cutting board, and keep the broth to just a simmer. Once the corn is cool enough to handle, cut the kernels off of 4 of the halves. Grate the kernels from the remaining 2 halves using the large holes of a box grater. Discard the cobs. Heat the olive oil and garlic in a large, heavy saucepan over medium heat until the garlic is fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the arugula and heat until wilted, about 1 minute. Season with a generous pinch of salt and pepper. Transfer the arugula to a cutting board and chop coarsely. Wipe the pan clean.Melt the butter in the cleaned pan  over medium heat. Add the leek and a generous pinch of salt. Cook until softened, about 2 minutes. Add the sausage, and breaking apart with a fork or spoon, cook until it crumbles and is no longer pink (2-3 minutes.) Add the rice and stir until the grains are coated with fat and the edges become translucent (1-2 minutes.) Stir in the wine and stir until absorbed (3 seconds) then add in the grated corn. This will make a creamy foundation for your risotto.
Ladle enough hot broth into the pan to barely cover the rice, about 1-1/2 cups. Bring to a boil and adjust the heat to maintain a lively simmer. Cook, stirring, until the liquid is absorbed (2-3 minutes.) Continue to add broth in 1/2 cup increments, stirring occasionally, and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next. After about 20 minutes the rice should be cooked, but still firm (taste to make sure.) At this point add the whole kernels, Chopped arugula and another 1/2 cup broth. Continue to simmer and stir until the corn is warmed thru and the rice is just tender to the tooth, an additional 1-3 minutes. Stir in another splash of broth is the risotto seems too thick. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the cheese. Adjust the seasoning one last time, pass extra cheese for topping, and top with parsley if using… This seems like a lot of work... it's really not, but when you start with the rice part of the recipe you have to be able to give the dish 100% attention. My suggestion is to pace yourself and drink the rest of the wine while you are cooking....what the hell, it's only Pinot Grigio... or as Jim Wharton would say, "Bubble gum wine"!!
 

GRILLED PEACHES WITH MASCARPON AND HONEY

This is super easy, and a great final course to a summer or early fall meal. You can use the remaining coals left from your BBQ dinner if you like
6 ea  large ripe peaches, halved and pits removed.
6 Tbsp honey, plus more for serving. For best results try some of the great honey that is from the farmers markets... the stuff in the little squeeze bears just doesn't do it for me.
8 ounces mascarpone cheese at room temperature. (If you have not used this before, you gotta try it...it is an Italian version of cream cheese..nice and tangy!!)
Make sure the grill is at about medium high heat. Put the peaches cut side down on the grill and cook until lightly charred, about 2-3 minutes. Transfer the peaches (cut side up) to a grill proof baking dish and drizzle evenly with the 6 tablespoons of honey. Place the dish on the grill, cover and cook until the peaches are soft; about another 5 minutes. Remove from the grill and divide the peaches among the 6 dessert plates. Divide the mascarpone cheese evenly between the peaches..drizzle with additional honey, serve immediately.
That is it for now, see you in a week or so.....
Cheers

Intro

It has been a month or so since I have posted on this blog....I apologize to those of you who had been in the habit of looking and seeing weekly posts and then not having something to read. Louise and I took what was supposed to be a two week vacation/road trip and turned it into three weeks. I have been on plenty of vacations, like everyone else; but I have never made the decision to extend a vacation - and do it on the morning we were supposed to return to Los Angeles. There is no better feeling to go from...Ok, gotta go to the airport this morning, to....Oh Boy!!! I get another week!!!!
 
We flew from L.A. to Charlotte, North Carolina. Rented a car and drove thru North Carolina. Stopping at places like Asheville, Winston-Salem, Greensboro, Durham, Chapel Hill, and up through Virginia. Charlottesville area in Virginia is one of our favorite. Both states have beautiful countryside, friendly folks, and lots of good food. We ended up in my home state of Pennsylvania, Pittsburgh to be exact. Anyone that knows me, knows that you can take the kid out of the 'burgh, but you can't take the 'burgh out of the kid. There is something special about being from Pittsburgh. I look forward to every trip I can make there. The people are great, there is plenty to do, and besides our horrible baseball team....it is a great sports town!!! Our son goes to Duquesne University there, and is student manager of the basketball program. So it gives me (and Louise) plenty of reasons to get back.
 
As I have now just about caught up on stuff that got ignored or put on hold while I was away....it is back to the fun stuff - this blog!!! Our Executive Chef, Larry and our Off-Premise sales folks have been discussing some new food ideas for that division. It has been a little longer than we would have liked that we have done menu development, and this is what really excites a chef (and our event planners too). You really have to be a foodie to succeed in this business.
 
We call it menu development for a reason... As Larry says it is never "menu for sure" until we do menu development. So I have decided to do something a little different, and pull the curtain back and give you a glimpse of how this works. In this post I will show you some of the items that were presented for a tasting yesterday.
 
We have decided to focus on the Appetizer portion of the menu first. There are all sorts of factors that determine whether an item is suitable to be placed on a menu.

1. It must be something that can be eaten in 2 bites or so.
2. It must be something that can be finalized in a field kitchen...that means final assembly, heating, and plated with any garnish, sauce or dressing...in an acceptable time frame. Many times for a group of 150 guests, we would have to get our 600-800 pieces of hot and cold apps in an hour or so.
3. Must be attractive to the eye....we eat with those!!  
4. Obviously taste is paramount.
5. And our menus must have a good balance off all of the protein groups.....
6. Different presentations...fried, baked, skewered, on croustades, in pastry cups, etc.
7. Today's menus must have a good offering of vegetarian items... So, there is a lot of thought that precedes any actual cooking. Researching sample recipes is a fun task that has been enhanced by the use of the internet. Very few of the recipes you do locate thru any source will be useable as they are. They will be fine tuned, tweaked and subtle changes will be made so that the final product will be unique.

 
We presented four items on Thursday, August 20th. They were all hot apps. They were all skewered proteins and each had a sauce to accompany. I am going to give you two of the items today, and the other two shortly

Recipes

 

PORK SATAY WITH A MANGO DIPPING SAUCE

(Please keep in mind this photo was taken for development purposes. Our final product would be presented beautifully with professionally styled plating)

• 1 Pound  Ground Pork
• 1-1/2 TBSP chopped garlic
• 1-1/2 oz chopped shallots  (by weight)
• 1 oz. Asian style bottled fish sauce
• 1 ea. large egg
• 1 TBSP mild red curry paste...this is an Indian paste...not Oriental one Flour....as needed.
• Curry powder (just to season the flour)
  

Combine the first 6 ingredients and mix well. Divide in to 16 portions and form into sort of an oblong, football type shape. Take your chopstick, sugarcane stick or other such vehicle that you want to use. The little skinny bamboo skewers that you usually see in stores will not work....you need something more substantial for pork mixture to adhere to, so plan accordingly. After they have all been skewered, dust them lightly with the curry flavored flour. Sauté in equal parts butter and oil until browned all over and serve with the mango dipping sauce
 
MANGO DIPPING SAUCE

• 1 C. Mayo
• 1 oz. Mango Chutney
• 1 Tsp. Mild red curry paste...the same stuff
• 1 TBSP. Lime juice
• 3 TBSP  chopped cilantro
• Combine all, serve on the side.

Combine all, serve on the side.
 
This item tasted great, everyone who was on the taste panel loved them. Just make sure they are completely cooked thru. You can make ahead, brown them off, refrigerate until you are ready to serve them. Pop them in the oven and heat thru and serve.
 

BEEF AND SWEET POTATO SKEWERS

(Please keep in mind this photo was taken for development purposes. Our final product would be presented beautifully with professionally styled plating)

• 12 oz Skirt steak
• 9 oz Sweet Potato
• 1 TBSP Olive oil
• 1 TBSP ground cumin
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Cut the skirt steak into 1/2 ounce pieces. Peel and cut the sweet potatoes into 3/4 ounce pieces. Roast the potatoes in the oven until cooked, but still firm. On your choice of skewer (we use something obtained thru our purveyor that looks like an oversized wooden cocktail pick....it is more of a flat, bladed skewer. It has the heft to hold proteins on without slippage and movement), put on a piece of meat, then potato, then a second piece of meat. Repeat with all skewers, and marinate in the Olive oil, cumin and salt and pepper. Let marinade soak for 4 hours or so, or overnight. I like to cook these on a Panini press, if you have one (especially one that has the grooves.) It gives you nice grill marks. Or you can cook on your outdoor grill....just soak the wooden skewers in water before skewering the meat and potatoes.
 
We served them with a Chimichurri sauce...
 
CHIMICHURRI SAUCE

• 3/4 oz chopped Jalapeno....seeded, by weight
• 3/4 oz chopped cilantro...by weight
• 3/4 oz chopped parsley...by weight
• 1TBSP chopped garlic
• 1/2 Tsp paprika
• 1/2 C. Olive oil
• 1-1/2 oz red wine vinegar

Blend all ingredients together and serve on the side.
 
This item was well received, and it was decided that we would approve both items for inclusion on the menu. 
 
So there you have it. I will occasionally update you as we go thru this process. It will take some time for Larry to get through Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Entrees, Side dishes etc... It is an exciting process. One that can be frustrating at times, because the things that you think will work, sometimes just don't come together as expected and then you are back to the drawing board for an item. The interesting thing is that when you get some disagreement between our team as to what is a successful new item and one that is not... as much as I may like a particular item, I might get over-ruled if the rest of the team is in agreement.

Have a great day!

Intro

By the time you folks are reading this, My wife, Louise and I will be well on our way to North Carolina, Virginia, Washington D.C. and thru Pennsylvania to my  hometown of Pittsburgh. Some of the most beautiful country you will see, in my opinion, is in the Carolina's and Virginia. As a fan of BBQ, just in Carolina alone, one can find three distinct styles of this cooking. The cities fo Asheville, Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh to name a few...are great examples of cities that have gained significance not only in population growth, but as areas of culture, varied cuisines and warm welcoming folks. As someone who lives in the mega-opolis of L.A., it will be a welcome experience to enjoy the wide open spaces. And a road trip is never to be underestimated!!!  I think that is what sets Americans apart form other cultures (at least in this one way..)is that we love to explore places. We love to get in the car, start at point "A" in the morning, pick a general direction..and end up in at point "B" in the evening. All that with having no preconcieved idea of where point "B" was to be. I find that exciting!!
 
This week, I want to finish up with the discussion of salad dressings that I started last week. This session will be dedicated to recipes that are a little more up to date and more in keeping with the current times. In my opinion, this does not make these offerings any better than the ones I shared with you previously...just of a different style..You, in the end, will be the judge. I am just the conduit for information, as Johnny Carson used to say!!!

Salad Dressing Recipes

MINT VINAIGRETTE (This is a contribution from Linda K. ...who I respect as a friend, party thrower exquisite, and fellow lover of great food and presentations)

• 1/2 Cup - Packed Mint leaves
• 1/4 Cup - White wine vinegar
• 1 tsp - Dijon Mustard
• 1 TBSP - Honey
• 3/4 Cup - good quality olive oil.....(break out the good stuff for this)
• Sea salt to taste... Freshly ground pepper to taste.
  

Throw everything together in your food processor except the oil. Process until finely chopped. Add the olive oil in slowly with processor running...about 30 seconds or so. Toss with your favorite salad greens...(this makes enough to dress a couple of heads of butter lettuce and some added fun things...mango, goat chees and almonds are some of Linda's favorites

BALSAMIC VINAIGRETTE
 
I would be remiss if I didn't give you something with balsamic vinegar...it has become more or less of a staple in our pantry's over the last 10 years or so...this is so simple that on any given day....this is just as easy as opening any bottled dressing....and truthfully, the ingredients can be used in any amounts that you find that suits your palate.

• 1 Ea. Clove of garlic....roughly chopped
• 1/4 Cup - Balsamic Vinegar...not the $200.00 a bottle stuff....but not the cheap stuff by the gallon from your local membership-warehouse store, either!!
• 1 TBSP -  Dijon Mustard....you can use any whole grained, brown mustard that you like...but never the yellow ballpark stuff..
• 3/4 Cup - olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste
  

Roughly chop the garlic. Sprinkle with a little salt. Using the side of your chef knife, scrape the garlic into a paste and transfer to a bowl. This is important, as the making of a paste distributes the taste of the garlic thru out the dressing...so you are not getting chunks of garlic in each bite. Add the vinegar and mustard,, whisk to combine. Slowly drizzle in the oil, whisking to combine. Thsi does not have to be done in a processor...by hand will do just fine. As soon as you have a smooth vinaigrette, season with salt and pepper to taste...

CREAMY FETA VINAIGRETTE
 
Insted of tossing chunks of feta on top of the finished salad...you mix it right into the dressing. This makes for a very smootrh and luxurious vinaigrette.

• 3 Oz. feta cheese..probably should use the French stuff, but it's gonna cost more..your choice.  It will be about 3/4 Cup.
• 2-1/2 TBSP -  red wine vinegar
• 1 TBSP -  Water
• 1/2 Tsp - dried oregano
• 1/4 Cup - plus 1 T. good olive oil
• Sea salt and pepper to taste....or Kosher salt. (IMHO, Kosher salt is a preferred salt to that of the generally overpriced sea salts. I personally can taste no difference, and in the category of this is probably more information than you want or need, Kosher salt's mollecular make up is such that it melts much more evenly than traditional salt and you get a more evenly seasoned dish)
  

In a food processor, pulse the feta with the red wine vinegar, water,oregano,and olive oil until the vinaigrette is smooth. Season with salt and pepper.

HONEY-LEMON DRESSING

• 1 TBSP - plus 2 Tsp fresh lemon juice....don't even think of using the bottled stuff
• 1 Tsp - finely grated lemon zest.
• 1 TBSP - Honey
• 1/2 Tsp - chopped thyme....fresh, please...I know, you're thinking...$1.49 at Von's for a whole bunch of Thyme and the recipe call for 1/2 freakin Tsp.??? You can use fresh herbs on a multitude of things you cook every day...steaks, chicken, soups, stocks, eggs...
• 1/4 Cup - plus 1 T. good olive oil....
• Kosher salt and freshly grounf pepper to taste.
  

In a small bowl, whisk the lemon juice with the zest, honey and thyme. Whisk in the olive oil and season with the salt and pepper.

SPICY PONZU DRESSING
 
This takes the cake as the dressing (or maybe any recipe for that matter) taking the longest time to complete..two weeks !!!

• 1 Cup - bottled Ponzu sauce.
• 1 Cup - Soy Sauce
• 1/2 Cup - Mirin...sweet rice wine
• 1/2 Cup - Rice vinegar
• 5 " peice of konbu...dried sea kelp. (You will not find this at Von's....you will need to go to an Oriental grocer..)
• 1 TBSP - Katsuobushi...dried, smoked bonito flakes...(.same here, find a local specialty store)
• Juice of 1/2 an orange
• 1 Tsp - asian chilie oil
• 1 Tsp - Sirracha chile sauce (you may want to move this a little more towards the front of your fridge!!)

Combine the ponzu sauce, soy sauce, rice wine, vinegar, sea kelp, bonito flakes and orange juice in a medium bowl. cover with plastic wrap and transfer to the reefer to let mature for 2 weeks...Strain ponzu mixture thru a fine sieve into a clean glass jar with a tight fitting lid. Discard the solids. Dressing will keep, tightly sealed, for 3 months....this will make enough to last a while. Put chile oil and chili sauce in a small bowl and add 1/3 Cup of the ponzu dressing. Whisk until smooth. This will give you enough to coat your favorite mixed greens enough to feed 4 people as a starter course.

SHERRY-SHALLOT DRESSING
 
Soaking the shallots slices in vinegar makes them piclke-like. For an even more pucker-ish taste, let them soak for up to 2 hours. Another simple dressing!!

• 1 Ea Large shallot, thinly sliced.
• 1-1/2 T. sherry vinegar
• Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper
• 1/4 C. good olive oil
  

In a small bowl, toss the shallot slices with the vinegar and season with salt and pepper. Let stand for 15 minutes ...or longer if you have the time. Now might be the time to open that bottle of wine you have been wanting to try....if you choose the two hour time frame for marinating. Whisk in the oil...you are good to go!!
 
That's it for now.....as your are reading this, there is a good chance Louise and I will be enjoying some finger-lickin good BBQ and a cold barley-malt flavored bevie and enjoying the countryside just below the Mason-Dixon line.
 
Cheers