I originally published this blog on 3 December 2008, but in thinking about my upcoming trip to Atlanta, and in tweeting about Canoe, I thought you might be interested in reading about one of my favorite Atlanta places. Its heyday was during the ramp-up to Atlanta hosting the Summer Olympics during the 90s, but I tell ya, I've never had anything but wonderful food and service there. It may not be the hottest of the hot, but I don't care. A great, quality restaurant will never be out of style in my opinion, as long as they don't replace the innovation and quality that got them the reputation for trading on it. Since we were there last, the restaurant (and other homes and businesses in the Atlanta area) suffered a destructive flood, which closed Canoe for renovations. As I look forward to our visit on Sunday, I can't wait to see what's different.
Happy reading!
I spent my 38th birthday in Atlanta, owing to the fact that it fell on the Sunday following Thanksgiving. I'm a bit of a homebody, so I asked Jeremiah that, if we had to be away from home for my birthday, could we please have a special evening, just the two of us, for dinner? He happily agreed, and booked a table at Canoe, my favorite restaurant anywhere, ever.
Canoe sits on the bank of the Chattahoochee River, and is located on Paces Ferry Road, one of the most beautiful avenues in Atlanta. (It's just a stone's throw from the governor's mansion, which is far from being the loveliest home on the storied route.) The building has been around for a long time; if memory serves, during the early to mid part of the last century, it featured a dance hall and dining. Now, the space is rustic and cozy, with lots of wood and forged iron surrounding the overstuffed booths and comfortable, oversized chairs. The beautiful gardens add to any occasion, and offer a nice place to stroll before or after your meal. Jeremiah began his culinary career (more or less) there; I've celebrated three birthdays there, and Jeremiah proposed in Canoe's garden. You could say that it holds a special place for us.
When we were seated, the gracious staff immediately wished me a Happy Birthday (a nice touch, for it's always nice to be wished a Happy Birthday on your birthday.) Once we were shown to our table, our server brought us two glasses of sparkling wine to commemorate our special occasion. While enjoying our aperitif, we got down to the serious business of ordering.
For appetizers, Jeremiah chose the she-crab soup, and I chose the house-made smoked salmon. Jeremiah's generous bowl of soup (one never, ever leaves Canoe hungry) was served with a tiny carafe with sherry to top the soup. Its texture was velvety, and the lump crab garnish, fresh. It was fabulous...and owing to the fact that it was my birthday, I got at least three bites.
While J foolishly chose a dish that I love for an appetizer, and was therefore forced to share, I was much, much wiser, and chose salmon. My husband is not a fan normally. Of course, house-made smoked salmon is a fish of a different color, and he loved it. Canoe serves the salmon on a crispy, Yukon Gold potato pancake, generously smeared with goat cheese. The whole thing was garnished with crème fraiche and an herb-infused oil. It was a battle not to make yummy noises, and with the generous portion, I could have called it quits right there, and would have had a satisfying meal. (It was a delightful coincidence that the sparkling wine paired well with both of our choices.)
For entrees, we followed our normal protocol and ordered items that we wouldn't normally make at home. I ordered a maple-glazed duck breast, served on a grilled romaine crepe that was stuffed with duck sausage and carrots. Jeremiah ordered pheasant, which was roasted with sage and served with pheasant croquettes and brown-butter sweet potatoes. J stuck with water; I ordered a glass of St. Cosme Cote du Rhone – one of my favorites. And as a bonus, I finally learned how to pronounce St. Cosme! (It sounds like "comb" if you're interested.)
We skipped dessert. I'm sure you can see why.
If you are ever in Atlanta, I highly, highly recommend Canoe. I can't say enough good things about it…from the attentive service, to the beautiful surroundings, to the delicious food, to the value for your dollar – before tip, we were under $100. They also serve, hands down, the BEST Sunday brunch anywhere in Atlanta – anywhere, period, as far as I'm concerned. So actually, forget my first sentence…make a trip to Atlanta, just for Canoe. You'll be glad you did.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Newcastle Pot Roast
I love, love, love, chuck roast - when it's good. When it's leathery, under-seasoned, or tastes as though it's been boiled - no thanks. I love to braise this inexpensive cut to bring out the flavor, and I probably have a dozen recipes, all requiring, oh, at least thirty to sixty minutes of prep time. So when I saw this gem of a recipe on my friend Karrie's Facebook a few months back, I thought it sounded so incredible that I literally dropped everything, ran to the store, and bought the ingredients. Granted, I was pregnant at the time, and was a complete slave to my temptations and cravings, which frequently included protein. But in finding the recipe, and making it, I've added something so simple to our repertoire that I am eternally grateful to Karrie for posting.
Sure, you could caramelize the onions. And of course you could dredge the roast in seasoned flour, brown on all sides, and deglaze the pan to get all the wonderful fond for the sauce (I actually had someone suggest that "this is how I would prepare it, because I like a little more flavor." As if....! K, well maybe she wasn't that snooty, but it felt like it.) But you know what? I didn't wanna. I wanted to throw everything in a pot, set the timer, walk off, and come back six hours later to dinner. And that's pretty much what this recipe does for you.
A quick internet search for the recipe turns up that it more than likely appeared in Cooking Light in its original form. Funny, CL's recipes always seem to involve dozens of ingredients; this one is either some strange anomaly, or else it's not really a CL recipe. But just to be on the safe side (having read a David Lebovitz article about the subject of recipe plagiarism just last week) here is the recipe, courtesy of Cooking Light (probably), via Karrie H. Enjoy. It's so, so SOO, good. And easy enough for a Monday nite when you've been on the go all day.
2 T butter
2 large onions, sliced
a 2-3 lb beef roast (I use a boneless chuck roast, but use what you like)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t dried thyme
1 c. beef broth
12-oz bottle of Newcastle Ale
2 T cornstarch
Sure, you could caramelize the onions. And of course you could dredge the roast in seasoned flour, brown on all sides, and deglaze the pan to get all the wonderful fond for the sauce (I actually had someone suggest that "this is how I would prepare it, because I like a little more flavor." As if....! K, well maybe she wasn't that snooty, but it felt like it.) But you know what? I didn't wanna. I wanted to throw everything in a pot, set the timer, walk off, and come back six hours later to dinner. And that's pretty much what this recipe does for you.
A quick internet search for the recipe turns up that it more than likely appeared in Cooking Light in its original form. Funny, CL's recipes always seem to involve dozens of ingredients; this one is either some strange anomaly, or else it's not really a CL recipe. But just to be on the safe side (having read a David Lebovitz article about the subject of recipe plagiarism just last week) here is the recipe, courtesy of Cooking Light (probably), via Karrie H. Enjoy. It's so, so SOO, good. And easy enough for a Monday nite when you've been on the go all day.
2 T butter
2 large onions, sliced
a 2-3 lb beef roast (I use a boneless chuck roast, but use what you like)
1/2 t salt
1/2 t pepper
1/2 t dried thyme
1 c. beef broth
12-oz bottle of Newcastle Ale
2 T cornstarch
- Set slow cooker to low.
- Add the butter and sliced onion and stir together.
- Place your roast on top of the onions and season with the salt, pepper and thyme.
- Pour in the broth and beer.
- Cover and let cook for 6-8 hrs or until the meat falls apart.
- Spoon out about 2 cups of the liquid and place in a saucepan.
- Bring to a simmer and add the cornstarch, stirring constantly with a whisk.
- Let cook one minute more and remove from heat.
- Serve roast alongside potatoes and pour the gravy over both, if you like.
You can also prepare the roast in the oven. If you do, first brown the roast in a skillet on all sides and then cook in a 300 degree oven for 1 1/2 -2 hrs.
No effort, no thought. And I promise that your family will LOVE you for this.
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Independence Day, Southern Hemisphere Style (7 July 2007)
Another oldie but goodie. This post chronicles a memorable Fourth Feast that we had a couple of years ago, and highlights how really great a simple, seasonal, no-frills meal can be. As we celebrate the first day of Autumn with 88 degree temps here in Central Florida, it's nice to know that, if we wanted to, we could make this meal today and it would be just as delicious - and appropriate - as it was in July.
One note: I make a reference or two to Pampered Chef. At the time, I was a consultant with Pampered Chef; I'm not anymore. Great company with some great products (although I can now admit that some of them are just, you know, silly.) I didn't want to alter the posts in anyway, so I'm leaving the references. Any quality garlic press will get the job done, but I can attest that we use our PC one practically daily, and wash it in the dishwasher, and it continues to be a great products after 3 years.
This week's entry - July 4th! We wanted simple, simple, simple. If you know us, then you know that we are all about simplifying - especially during the hot - REALLY hot - days of Florida summers. We often lose our way while planning meals, though, and end up wearing ourselves out. But this time, we really managed to reign ourselves in.
The best way to eat well and to eat cheaply (it's surprising how often these two goals can converge) is to eat what is in season. This time of year, that certainly means raiding the garden! (Or, if like me, you don't have a single green digit, it means raiding the grocery store or market.)
We decided on a very simple menu - caipirinhas, grilled ribeyes with chimmichurri, potato salad, white bean salad. For dessert, peach buttermilk sherbet.
Jeremiah had a taste for steak on the grill, and because of the holiday, we found all kinds of options on sale. We chose boneless ribeyes, which are flavorful because of good marbleing, versatile, and won't break the bank. Another bonus - there were 4 of us, but since we are not linebackers, we decided to eat smaller portions, and split 3 steaks among the 4 of us - another $$$ saver (I mean, who needs a side of beef in these hot temps anyway?!) With the steaks, Jeremiah opted for a chimmichurri sauce, a piquant vinaigrette that includes lots of vinegar, parsley, and garlic, and a little red pepper just to give it a pop. If you are a die hard A-1 fan, PLEASE branch out and try this - holler if you'd like the recipe.
To round out the meal, we wanted, for the most part, to leave the oven off - turning it on this time of year makes it that much harder to keep the house comfortable. My mom made a very delicious, very traditional potato salad - I swear, this woman makes the best potato salad in the world...you can't imagine that it could be so much better, but somehow, it is. I made a white bean salad that we've had a few times, and we love it. So simple - canned cannellini beans, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, s&p. Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over a medium flame, add 3 pressed garlic cloves (yes, I used the Pampered Chef garlic press, and yes, you need one if you like garlic), and gently let the garlic steep for 2-3 minutes, being careful NOT to let it brown (that would be icky.) Pour over the salad and toss. Can be left at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Jeremiah likes it cold; I like it room temp or slightly warm. DIVINE - and healthy! (By the way, we got the recipe from Martha Stewart Living, but we're kicking ourselves for not thinking of it first.) I love this recipe so much, that I'm making it for my PC shows in July and August.
You can't imagine how well everything went together - especially the potato salad and the steaks with the chimmichurri. The creaminess of the salad was the perfect foil to the vinegary-peppery sauce, which cut through the richness nicely.
Normally we would have a nice red wine with grilled steak, but this time of year, I find red wine hard to drink - it seems so heavy in the heat. So instead, we decided to try a cocktail that we had heard of - the Brazilian caipirinha. Caipirinhas are traditionally made with a cane liquor called cachaca, but in the spirit of the theme - keep it SIMPLE - we used what we had, which was rum. (We plan to find cachaca one of these days, because I am all about the authenticity of recipes.) The drinks were awesome - raw sugar muddled with limes, topped with rum and ice. Add some mint and some club soda and POOF! You'd have a mojito. But that's another entry. The caipirinhas definitely get a thumbs up in our household. We have a variation that we want to try with tangerine and ginger - I'll keep you posted.
Dessert - again, simple. I wanted to make cookies, or a sauce, or something! - but we stuck with a peach buttermilk sherbet recipe, again from Martha Stewart. We were concerned that we wouldn't find good peaches, having heard that this year's crop was all but decimated by bad weather conditions, but we found some great Georgia peaches, and offered our sincere thanks to God (I swear, peaches and white corn will be in Heaven - no doubt.) I lightened the recipe by using lowfat milk in place of whole milk with great results.
So there you have it! No amuse bouche, no fussing with cornsilk, no red white and blue cakes...but a memorable meal that made us thankful for our independence and summertime. And that's really what it's all about, right?
One note: I make a reference or two to Pampered Chef. At the time, I was a consultant with Pampered Chef; I'm not anymore. Great company with some great products (although I can now admit that some of them are just, you know, silly.) I didn't want to alter the posts in anyway, so I'm leaving the references. Any quality garlic press will get the job done, but I can attest that we use our PC one practically daily, and wash it in the dishwasher, and it continues to be a great products after 3 years.
This week's entry - July 4th! We wanted simple, simple, simple. If you know us, then you know that we are all about simplifying - especially during the hot - REALLY hot - days of Florida summers. We often lose our way while planning meals, though, and end up wearing ourselves out. But this time, we really managed to reign ourselves in.
The best way to eat well and to eat cheaply (it's surprising how often these two goals can converge) is to eat what is in season. This time of year, that certainly means raiding the garden! (Or, if like me, you don't have a single green digit, it means raiding the grocery store or market.)
We decided on a very simple menu - caipirinhas, grilled ribeyes with chimmichurri, potato salad, white bean salad. For dessert, peach buttermilk sherbet.
Jeremiah had a taste for steak on the grill, and because of the holiday, we found all kinds of options on sale. We chose boneless ribeyes, which are flavorful because of good marbleing, versatile, and won't break the bank. Another bonus - there were 4 of us, but since we are not linebackers, we decided to eat smaller portions, and split 3 steaks among the 4 of us - another $$$ saver (I mean, who needs a side of beef in these hot temps anyway?!) With the steaks, Jeremiah opted for a chimmichurri sauce, a piquant vinaigrette that includes lots of vinegar, parsley, and garlic, and a little red pepper just to give it a pop. If you are a die hard A-1 fan, PLEASE branch out and try this - holler if you'd like the recipe.
To round out the meal, we wanted, for the most part, to leave the oven off - turning it on this time of year makes it that much harder to keep the house comfortable. My mom made a very delicious, very traditional potato salad - I swear, this woman makes the best potato salad in the world...you can't imagine that it could be so much better, but somehow, it is. I made a white bean salad that we've had a few times, and we love it. So simple - canned cannellini beans, fresh basil, fresh tomatoes, s&p. Heat 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil over a medium flame, add 3 pressed garlic cloves (yes, I used the Pampered Chef garlic press, and yes, you need one if you like garlic), and gently let the garlic steep for 2-3 minutes, being careful NOT to let it brown (that would be icky.) Pour over the salad and toss. Can be left at room temperature for up to 4 hours. Jeremiah likes it cold; I like it room temp or slightly warm. DIVINE - and healthy! (By the way, we got the recipe from Martha Stewart Living, but we're kicking ourselves for not thinking of it first.) I love this recipe so much, that I'm making it for my PC shows in July and August.
You can't imagine how well everything went together - especially the potato salad and the steaks with the chimmichurri. The creaminess of the salad was the perfect foil to the vinegary-peppery sauce, which cut through the richness nicely.
Normally we would have a nice red wine with grilled steak, but this time of year, I find red wine hard to drink - it seems so heavy in the heat. So instead, we decided to try a cocktail that we had heard of - the Brazilian caipirinha. Caipirinhas are traditionally made with a cane liquor called cachaca, but in the spirit of the theme - keep it SIMPLE - we used what we had, which was rum. (We plan to find cachaca one of these days, because I am all about the authenticity of recipes.) The drinks were awesome - raw sugar muddled with limes, topped with rum and ice. Add some mint and some club soda and POOF! You'd have a mojito. But that's another entry. The caipirinhas definitely get a thumbs up in our household. We have a variation that we want to try with tangerine and ginger - I'll keep you posted.
Dessert - again, simple. I wanted to make cookies, or a sauce, or something! - but we stuck with a peach buttermilk sherbet recipe, again from Martha Stewart. We were concerned that we wouldn't find good peaches, having heard that this year's crop was all but decimated by bad weather conditions, but we found some great Georgia peaches, and offered our sincere thanks to God (I swear, peaches and white corn will be in Heaven - no doubt.) I lightened the recipe by using lowfat milk in place of whole milk with great results.
So there you have it! No amuse bouche, no fussing with cornsilk, no red white and blue cakes...but a memorable meal that made us thankful for our independence and summertime. And that's really what it's all about, right?
My Life in Food
I cut my teeth on blogging on My Space. Before I launched a "real" blog, I wanted to try my hand at it, see if I could be interesting and consistent. I had pretty good results, with lots of posts, a modest following, and some good comments.
As I'm still trying to feel my way here on Cooking By The Brooke, I thought I would migrate some of those older posts over here and share them.
Here's one originally published 7 July 2007, my kickoff date. It gives a little background on Jeremiah and me, as well as what I thought I would like to focus on. As the blog grew, it encompassed more than just cooking, but we'll stick to food here.
Enjoy - Brooke
So, here is my first attempt at blogging. I couldn't fathom sharing with the world my thoughts, feelings, blah, blah, blah...but I COULD fathom sharing about all the amazing foods that we make and eat. Jeremiah and I are total foodies...we actually met at Disney, where we were both working for the Mouse as culinary assistants. He made me laugh! We had a particularly long and stressful day one day, preparing for a a HUGE event, and we organized a nite out after at Orlando Ale House for anyone who wanted to join us. Turned out that no one wanted to join us! But that's okay - it was the beginning of our relationship. We found out that nite that we both wanted lots of the same things, but in particular, we were both passionate about good food - about crafting it, about seeking out great ingredients, and about showing those we love how much we love them by putting TLC into our dishes. We also both dreamed of having our own food-based business - maybe an artisan bakery (him) or creating wedding cakes and small scale catering (me.)
SO - here we are - 8 years later! I joke that our wedding cake was the center of our wedding - it cost more than twice as much as my dress...now, I ask you - is that sanity?!
I've decided to dedicate this space to our quest for great meals, both at home and in restaurants that we discover. Being a stay at home mom with a fledgling business, we have the extra challenge of eating well on a tight budget. I would like to post on the subject at least once weekly, and highlight something we've done during the week.
Happy Reading!
As I'm still trying to feel my way here on Cooking By The Brooke, I thought I would migrate some of those older posts over here and share them.
Here's one originally published 7 July 2007, my kickoff date. It gives a little background on Jeremiah and me, as well as what I thought I would like to focus on. As the blog grew, it encompassed more than just cooking, but we'll stick to food here.
Enjoy - Brooke
So, here is my first attempt at blogging. I couldn't fathom sharing with the world my thoughts, feelings, blah, blah, blah...but I COULD fathom sharing about all the amazing foods that we make and eat. Jeremiah and I are total foodies...we actually met at Disney, where we were both working for the Mouse as culinary assistants. He made me laugh! We had a particularly long and stressful day one day, preparing for a a HUGE event, and we organized a nite out after at Orlando Ale House for anyone who wanted to join us. Turned out that no one wanted to join us! But that's okay - it was the beginning of our relationship. We found out that nite that we both wanted lots of the same things, but in particular, we were both passionate about good food - about crafting it, about seeking out great ingredients, and about showing those we love how much we love them by putting TLC into our dishes. We also both dreamed of having our own food-based business - maybe an artisan bakery (him) or creating wedding cakes and small scale catering (me.)
SO - here we are - 8 years later! I joke that our wedding cake was the center of our wedding - it cost more than twice as much as my dress...now, I ask you - is that sanity?!
I've decided to dedicate this space to our quest for great meals, both at home and in restaurants that we discover. Being a stay at home mom with a fledgling business, we have the extra challenge of eating well on a tight budget. I would like to post on the subject at least once weekly, and highlight something we've done during the week.
Happy Reading!
Monday, September 14, 2009
A Chopper Update
Today, my chopper met with a tragic end...the clear plastic collar cracked completely in two when the whole thing rolled off the counter and crashed to my tile floor. Amusingly, this happened while I was trying to pick up all the nuts strewn across my countertop, which occurred when the lid (or bottom, depending on your perspective) fell off, and pecans went everywhere. I could probably get a replacement part, but really, after writing a scathing critique of the chopper, I think not.
Sub-conscious tool maiming, or judgement from the gadget gods? You decide.
Sub-conscious tool maiming, or judgement from the gadget gods? You decide.
Friday, September 11, 2009
Why Knife Skills Are Important
I was making dinner the other nite, and I was oh so tired (growing a human has the tendency to zap my energy inexplicably on some days, and dinnertime seems to be the lowpoint.) I was making a beef chili recipe, and I needed onions for both the chili and the guacamole-ish garnish. At this point, so tired, and meal prep staring at me relentlessly, I used what brain power I had to dream up shortcuts, rather than just doing the prep work and moving on. How could I make this go faster so I could just sit down and go to sleep?
Ah, the chopper.
I know lots of people that use - and swear by - hand choppers. These are the handy little gizmos that have a blade and either a plunging action or a crank action that allows you to chop various types of food without using, you know, a knife. Think of them as manual food processors. The thought of eliminating or simplifying even one step drove me to my overflow tool drawer, the place where I keep gadgets that I use occasionally, but that don't have a permanent place in my kitchen. I assembled the pieces to the chopper, got out the cutting board used a knife to hunk off a piece of onion, and went to town.
Whoa.
What greeted me from my countertop looked less like minced onion and more like carnage. It was as though my recipe called for "one half an onion, mutilated."
So what? you say. So it's not pretty. It's not like Hubert Keller is coming to dinner, right? So who cares? I went on with my meal prep and tried to ignore the big and little ugly pieces of onion in my soup pot, the torn layers in my reserve bowl for garnish, and the extra dose of stinging I felt in my eyes.
Later, with dinner made, served, and digesting, I thought about my chopper, and my hasty decision to forego my perfectly adequate knife skills for a shortcut...and I decided that the shortcut, in terms of what I sacrificed in aesthetics, cooking quality, and flavor, had not been worth it. Allow me to explain, by suggesting three reasons NOT to reach for the food chopper, and instead, to focus a little practice on building knife skills and maintaining sharp knives in your kitchen.
Number one: Size matters. The very best chopper that you can buy (and mine is among the best of this type of tool) chops your food indiscriminately. Pieces of food will not be uniformly chopped, unless you chop them so fine that it ceases to matter. The chopper will inevitably not penetrate some of the onion skin, while liquefying other portions. Two reasons that this just won't do: in a raw dish, the last thing that most people want to do is bite down on a long, stringy piece of onion; in a cooked dish, pieces of food that are chopped in different sizes cook at different rates. You may very well cook all of the pieces of onion, save five or six, which will remain crunchy and sharp, and detract from the finished dish.
Number two: It's ugly. We're all learning more and more about food everyday. We're learning that, both from an aesthetic point of view, as well as a "healthy eating" point of view, we "eat" with our eyes as well as our mouths. Food should look pleasing. Pleasing equals uniform, square little pieces of onion, not hunks and shards that look like so much soft, crunchy broken pottery floating in your soup.
Number three: It doesn't taste...quite...right. Remember the comment about my eyes burning? The eye-burning gas that onions emit comes from sulfoxides, which are most potent when layers of the onion come in contact with one another during the chopping process. The best way to combat the discomfort is to use a sharp knife for your chopping. Alas, my chopper's whirlyblade wasn't equal to the task; the membranes mingled, and I was miserable until I made it to the sink to rinse my eyes. But what I didn't expect - and I admit - this might have just been the particular onion - was the bitter flavor that the onion had, especially in the avocado garnish. Whether it was the release of the onion juices, or the large-ish pieces, or the fact that I'm pregnant - I'm not sure, but the flavor of the onion was unpleasant. I suppose I should try and duplicate the experience to see if it was a one-time thing, or if the chopping method does indeed impact flavor. But I'm just not willing to sacrifice dinner for the sake of food science.
Please, invest some money in a good knife - santokus and chef's knives are my favorite go-to tools in the kitchen - and spend some time learning how to chop things. There are some great tips and videos on Food Network's website; likewise, just watch the pros, pay attention, and pick up some tips. Almost all of them (except maybe Rachael Ray) display good knife skills on their shows. Finally, if all else fails, give me a call, and we'll make dinner together. I'll teach you everything I know.
So save that chopper for the Christmas cookie nuts...or better yet, learn to cut up your food with a knife, the ultimate kitchen multitasker. You'll save money, time, frustration, and you'll have a great sense of accomplishment by learning to do it like a pro.
Ah, the chopper.
I know lots of people that use - and swear by - hand choppers. These are the handy little gizmos that have a blade and either a plunging action or a crank action that allows you to chop various types of food without using, you know, a knife. Think of them as manual food processors. The thought of eliminating or simplifying even one step drove me to my overflow tool drawer, the place where I keep gadgets that I use occasionally, but that don't have a permanent place in my kitchen. I assembled the pieces to the chopper, got out the cutting board used a knife to hunk off a piece of onion, and went to town.
Whoa.
What greeted me from my countertop looked less like minced onion and more like carnage. It was as though my recipe called for "one half an onion, mutilated."
So what? you say. So it's not pretty. It's not like Hubert Keller is coming to dinner, right? So who cares? I went on with my meal prep and tried to ignore the big and little ugly pieces of onion in my soup pot, the torn layers in my reserve bowl for garnish, and the extra dose of stinging I felt in my eyes.
Later, with dinner made, served, and digesting, I thought about my chopper, and my hasty decision to forego my perfectly adequate knife skills for a shortcut...and I decided that the shortcut, in terms of what I sacrificed in aesthetics, cooking quality, and flavor, had not been worth it. Allow me to explain, by suggesting three reasons NOT to reach for the food chopper, and instead, to focus a little practice on building knife skills and maintaining sharp knives in your kitchen.
Number one: Size matters. The very best chopper that you can buy (and mine is among the best of this type of tool) chops your food indiscriminately. Pieces of food will not be uniformly chopped, unless you chop them so fine that it ceases to matter. The chopper will inevitably not penetrate some of the onion skin, while liquefying other portions. Two reasons that this just won't do: in a raw dish, the last thing that most people want to do is bite down on a long, stringy piece of onion; in a cooked dish, pieces of food that are chopped in different sizes cook at different rates. You may very well cook all of the pieces of onion, save five or six, which will remain crunchy and sharp, and detract from the finished dish.
Number two: It's ugly. We're all learning more and more about food everyday. We're learning that, both from an aesthetic point of view, as well as a "healthy eating" point of view, we "eat" with our eyes as well as our mouths. Food should look pleasing. Pleasing equals uniform, square little pieces of onion, not hunks and shards that look like so much soft, crunchy broken pottery floating in your soup.
Number three: It doesn't taste...quite...right. Remember the comment about my eyes burning? The eye-burning gas that onions emit comes from sulfoxides, which are most potent when layers of the onion come in contact with one another during the chopping process. The best way to combat the discomfort is to use a sharp knife for your chopping. Alas, my chopper's whirlyblade wasn't equal to the task; the membranes mingled, and I was miserable until I made it to the sink to rinse my eyes. But what I didn't expect - and I admit - this might have just been the particular onion - was the bitter flavor that the onion had, especially in the avocado garnish. Whether it was the release of the onion juices, or the large-ish pieces, or the fact that I'm pregnant - I'm not sure, but the flavor of the onion was unpleasant. I suppose I should try and duplicate the experience to see if it was a one-time thing, or if the chopping method does indeed impact flavor. But I'm just not willing to sacrifice dinner for the sake of food science.
Please, invest some money in a good knife - santokus and chef's knives are my favorite go-to tools in the kitchen - and spend some time learning how to chop things. There are some great tips and videos on Food Network's website; likewise, just watch the pros, pay attention, and pick up some tips. Almost all of them (except maybe Rachael Ray) display good knife skills on their shows. Finally, if all else fails, give me a call, and we'll make dinner together. I'll teach you everything I know.
So save that chopper for the Christmas cookie nuts...or better yet, learn to cut up your food with a knife, the ultimate kitchen multitasker. You'll save money, time, frustration, and you'll have a great sense of accomplishment by learning to do it like a pro.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Raglan Road
If you're coming to Walt Disney World anytime soon, and you like to eat, you MUST try Raglan Road.
If you haven't been here for a while, you may be sad (or happy) to know that Pleasure Island, the nightclub hotspot at Downtown Disney, is undergoing changes. The nightclubs have been closed to make way for more restaurants and shopping...presumably because that's what market research shows that guests prefer. But the restaurants that previously existed at PI seem to have survived. Raglan Road, Disney's take on an authentic Irish pub, is one of them.
Now...before you get on your cultural and epicurean high horse, let's remember something: I'm a foodie. I am not sending you to a place that has Lucky Chicken Fingers or Blarney Stone Spinach Dip. So...a little background is in order to make a believer of you.
In addition to having amazing food (which we'll discuss in a moment), Raglan Road is just beautiful. Step into the restaurant, and you're transported from Orlando tourist hubbub to Ireland. One-of-a-kind fixtures are dark wood and leaded glass, and were designed and built in Ireland by Irish craftspeople. The space oozes charm and coziness...mere feet from where we sat during our last visit, there was a table with two comfy wingback chairs, positioned in front of a fireplace. From the front podium to the cupola that crowns the center of the room, to the beautiful bars, you will be amazed at the authenticity of your surroundings.
But the food...ah, the food. Under the direction of celebrity Irish chef Kevin Dundon, you'll enjoy modern twists on classics. There's plenty of cabbage and potato on the menu, but you won't feel a bit deprived for having consumed them. And the sausages. Mmmm....if you're up to it, YOU MUST try the Dalkey sausages with Dalkey mustard sauce. Enough to share with the entire table, these mild little bites are deep fried. Yes, the mind reels.
Other points of interest that you might enjoy: they make a beautifully modern Shepherd's Pie; Fish and Chips are delish, with large, light-as-air fries; Sod...the Stew is a lovely beef stew spiked with, of course, Guiness...and the kids mac and cheese is the BEST MAC AND CHEESE EVER...and I don't say that lightly, because I make some good mac and cheese. The Dublin cheese in the sauce makes all the difference here, though. I've told Jeremiah that we WILL be buying it.
You will be too full for dessert, so I'm not even going to discuss it.
Oh - and entertainment! At regular intervals, a girl will come out and perform Irish dancing on a small, elevated stage, accompanied by live musicians. When she's not dancing, the band is playing traditional Irish music. But don't expect to enjoy the entertainment on Sundays when they take the nite off.
If you can't make it for a meal, sidle up the bar and have a pint. Or if they're booked, there's a handy counter service around the corner.
We have now enjoyed three special occasions at RR, and we've never been disappointed with service or food. So, if you're visiting from out of town and you're looking for an alternative to the endless burgers and turkey legs, give it a try. And if you're local, then consider checking it out for a special occasion...say, next Thursday nite.
If you haven't been here for a while, you may be sad (or happy) to know that Pleasure Island, the nightclub hotspot at Downtown Disney, is undergoing changes. The nightclubs have been closed to make way for more restaurants and shopping...presumably because that's what market research shows that guests prefer. But the restaurants that previously existed at PI seem to have survived. Raglan Road, Disney's take on an authentic Irish pub, is one of them.
Now...before you get on your cultural and epicurean high horse, let's remember something: I'm a foodie. I am not sending you to a place that has Lucky Chicken Fingers or Blarney Stone Spinach Dip. So...a little background is in order to make a believer of you.
In addition to having amazing food (which we'll discuss in a moment), Raglan Road is just beautiful. Step into the restaurant, and you're transported from Orlando tourist hubbub to Ireland. One-of-a-kind fixtures are dark wood and leaded glass, and were designed and built in Ireland by Irish craftspeople. The space oozes charm and coziness...mere feet from where we sat during our last visit, there was a table with two comfy wingback chairs, positioned in front of a fireplace. From the front podium to the cupola that crowns the center of the room, to the beautiful bars, you will be amazed at the authenticity of your surroundings.
But the food...ah, the food. Under the direction of celebrity Irish chef Kevin Dundon, you'll enjoy modern twists on classics. There's plenty of cabbage and potato on the menu, but you won't feel a bit deprived for having consumed them. And the sausages. Mmmm....if you're up to it, YOU MUST try the Dalkey sausages with Dalkey mustard sauce. Enough to share with the entire table, these mild little bites are deep fried. Yes, the mind reels.
Other points of interest that you might enjoy: they make a beautifully modern Shepherd's Pie; Fish and Chips are delish, with large, light-as-air fries; Sod...the Stew is a lovely beef stew spiked with, of course, Guiness...and the kids mac and cheese is the BEST MAC AND CHEESE EVER...and I don't say that lightly, because I make some good mac and cheese. The Dublin cheese in the sauce makes all the difference here, though. I've told Jeremiah that we WILL be buying it.
You will be too full for dessert, so I'm not even going to discuss it.
Oh - and entertainment! At regular intervals, a girl will come out and perform Irish dancing on a small, elevated stage, accompanied by live musicians. When she's not dancing, the band is playing traditional Irish music. But don't expect to enjoy the entertainment on Sundays when they take the nite off.
If you can't make it for a meal, sidle up the bar and have a pint. Or if they're booked, there's a handy counter service around the corner.
We have now enjoyed three special occasions at RR, and we've never been disappointed with service or food. So, if you're visiting from out of town and you're looking for an alternative to the endless burgers and turkey legs, give it a try. And if you're local, then consider checking it out for a special occasion...say, next Thursday nite.
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