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Saturday, March 22, 2014

Do Your Recipes Measure Up

When a very positively reviewed cookie, cake, or other pastry recipe and gets an atypically bad appraisal, it can often be traced back to flour measuring technique, or lack there of. I did this video a few years ago to illustrate the point, and since we’re heading into holiday baking season, I thought it’d be a great time to review.

This isn’t to say that people don’t occasionally post recipes with ingredient errors [clears throat nervously], but if a cookie gets mostly rave reviews, and yet you thought it was a little dense, there’s a chance it could be this common culprit. Anyway, this clip shows you why weight is better, and also how to properly measure by volume. Enjoy!

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Ultimate Mashed Potatoes Not Your Every Day Recipe

Every year around holiday time, I see people posting recipes for low-fat and no-fat mashed potatoes, which I find as sad, as I do perplexing. There’s no sane doctor alive, or bartender for that matter, who will tell you eating a scoop of these mashed potatoes a few times a year will, in any way, negatively effect your health.

So what’s up with the reduced-fat holiday potatoes? Isn’t that the reason we try to eat well all year, so on Thanksgiving we can bathe guilt-free in gravy? Sure, serving your loved ones potatoes with a pound of butter in them on a regular basis would be cause for alarm…or at least a glance at any recently purchased life insurance policies…but for truly special occasions, it’s crazy not to enjoy such a pleasure.

By the way, this is no viral-video gimmick. Those star chefs you see Anthony Bourdain dry-humping every week (sorry, I was channeling my inner Anthony Bourdain) all use at least this much butter, and as legend has it, some even flirt with equal parts. Of course, they call it pomme purée, and say it with a French accent, but it’s the same stuff.

Nobody says you have to go full Joël Robuchon and actually use this recipe, but please try to force yourself to add more than the few meager tablespoons that get us through the rest of the year. Anyway, if you’re never experienced this ethereal pleasure, I hope you make them a part of your next special occasion menu. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 portions:

3 1/4 pounds russet potatoes (3 or 4)
Note: this will not work with red potatoes, as they are too waxy

1 pound unsalted butter

1/4 cup hot milk

salt and pepper to taste

Note: Thanksgiving gravy warning! For obvious reasons, these arent very sturdy mashed potatoes, so be careful with the gravy. If you totally drench them theyll basically melt.

Thursday, January 30, 2014

Will this Great Broccoli Salad Become Your New Favorite Summer Side Dish Probably Not

I never make cold broccoli salad, so when I decided to film a recipe for one, I didnt have a ton of previous experience to draw from.

I remember having a great one next to a piece of grilled salmon in Monterey years ago, but all I remembered was it was very cold, very lemony, and kind of spicy.

The only other cold broccoli salad taste memory I have is from the annual post-Passport, Sunday night dinner that Bill Frick hosts for the family after the event. Bill makes a super simple, but perfectly delicious version that really shines next to a platter of grilled chicken.

Using both these salads as inspiration, I proceeded with the blanching and the whisking, and what was produced far exceeded my expectations. This is a great tasting, very refreshing, and believe it or not, interesting salad.

Will this become your favorite summer side dish? I doubt it. Its really very good, but how can you complete with such iconic picnic table fixtures as potato and macaroni salad? Lets face it, its still broccoli after all.

Nevertheless, you can never have enough vegetable side dish recipe ideas, so I hope you give this tasty, easy-to-make salad a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds broccoli
3 cloves garlic, mashed
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup olive oil
red pepper flakes to taste
salt and pepper to taste

Wednesday, December 25, 2013

Happy Valentines Day! Six Sexy Supper Ideas for You and Your Sweetie

Here are some links to six previously posted video recipes that would be perfect for any Valentines diner. Theres something here for everyone, even a very sensual non-meat option. All these recipes are easy to shop for, simple to prepare, and relatively fast to cook.

I hope you all have a great Valentines weekend. Enjoy!

Mushroom Ragout on Garlic Toast

Seared Top Sirloin Steaks with Pan Jus

Black Pepper Crusted Pork Tenderloin with Black Cherry Reduction

Classic Roast Rack of Lamb with Dijon Gratin

Chicken Marsala a la Ryan’s Cafe

Easy Indoor "Barbecued" Shrimp