Sous-chef on the Run is on a mission to eat heartily and healthily across the globe. When not working to research cutlery, cook’s tools, and tableware, Sous-chef enjoys cooking at home with her husband (Head Chef), running races across the Puget Sound, and globe-trotting. Her favorite memories include sipping coffee in Costa Rica, picking tea in Darjeeling, wine tasting in South Africa, sampling Limoncello in Italy, and eating exotic fruits in Australia’s Daintree Rainforest.
Garnish pastry genius David Lebovitz's Candied Bacon Ice Cream recipe with a slice of chocolate-covered bacon et voilà! Kaszeta at Flickr, I don't think you'll be on Santa's "nice" list this year.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
PS. For an alternative, try the ice cream with a slice of bacon candy.
This weekend's recipe comes from Jaden's Steamy Kitchen. If her searing photo doesn't get you, wait until you taste these scrumptious bites of lemony heaven!
Pan-Fried Lemon-Ricotta Gnocchi
(from Jaden's Steamy Kitchen)
1 cup whole milk ricotta
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese (plus extra reserved for garnishing)
1 large egg yolk
1 teaspoon lemon zest (plus extra reserved for garnishing)
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon chopped parsley (plus extra reserved for garnishing)
2 tablespoons butter*
1 tablespoon olive oil
Directions:
1. Combine ricotta, parmesan, yolk, zest, parsley and salt in large bowl. Mix well. Sprinkle half of the flour on the mixture, gently turn with spatula a few times to incorporate. Dump mixture on clean, lightly floured countertop. Sprinkle remaining flour on top of the mixture. Gently knead with your fingertips, just bringing together the mixture until flour is incorporated through. This only should take a minute or two. Any longer and you will be over-kneading. (If you are using skim milk ricotta, you may have to use more flour, as there is more water content in skim ricotta.)
2. Divide dough into 4 parts. Take one part and roll into a long, 1-inch diameter log. Cut gnocchi into 1-inch pieces.
3. Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Add butter and olive oil. when butter is just lightly browned, add gnocchi in single layer. Fry on one side for 2 minutes, flip. Fry other side for 1-2 minutes. Timing really depends on how big/thick your gnocchi is. Do a taste test: do you taste flour? Not done yet. Serve with a sprinkling of lemon zest, parmesan and parsley.
-Sous-Chef on the Run
Although reported by many news agencies back in June, I think Michelle Collins has done it best in her letter to PETA.
I agree with you Michelle; ever since I saw this little mysophobic saddleback, I've thought twice about indulging in meat!
--Sous-chef on the Run
I love watermelon. Almost as much as I love sweet potatoes. And, when it comes to the backyard feast this weekend, I'm in charge of bringing the melon.
Although I can eat this sweet, fleshy melon on its own, I also like to put watermelon in salads. I've tried and loved Todd English's fennel, watermelon salad. This year, I'll be making grilled watermelon salad à la Cafe Panache. And, how much more fitting of a recipe do you need for one of the biggest grilling weekends of the year?
Ingredients:
2 large slices seedless watermelon, about 1-1/2 inches thick (cut from the center)
1 medium red onion, cut into very thin strips (julienne)
1 cup crumbled feta cheese
1-1/2 cups pitted kalamata olives, cut in half
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
12 to 16 ounces baby or tender spinach, stemmed, washed and dried
1 to 2 tablespoon finely chopped basil leaves, for garnish
1 to 2 tablespoon finely chopped mint leaves, for garnish
Directions:
1. Prepare the grill. If using a gas grill, heat it to medium. If using a charcoal grill, start the charcoal or wood briquettes; when the briquettes are ready, distribute them evenly under the cooking area for direct heat. Oil the grate.
2. Grill the watermelon slices for 2 minutes, then turn over and grill for 2 minutes, until slightly caramelized on both sides. Transfer to a plate and refrigerate for about 10 minutes, until slightly chilled.
3. Meanwhile, combine the onion, feta cheese and olives in a medium mixing bowl.
4. Cut the chilled watermelon into 1 1/2-inch cubes (discarding the rind), then add to the bowl, tossing lightly to combine.
5. Whisk together the oil and vinegar in a small bowl; add the salt and pepper. Pour the vinaigrette over the ingredients in the bowl, tossing to combine. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 3 hours to marinate.
6. To serve, divide the spinach among individual plates. Spoon the watermelon mixture over the spinach, reserving some of the vinaigrette to drizzle on the plate. Sprinkle basil and mint to taste on each salad and serve immediately.
Serves 4. This recipe is courtesy of The Washington Post.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
PS. If you love watermelon too, try out Bon Appétit's Watermelon-Cucumber Margarita, featured by KitchenMaus back in May. Delicious!
Up and coming chef Marcus Samuelsson may have lost to Bobby Flay on the Iron Chef, but he certainly took full honors when it came to his endorsed cookware.
According to The Wall Street Journal, Mr. Samuelsson's recent collaboration with Regal Ware has proven to pair classic cookware design with durability and function. And, the professional chefs involved in the test of celebrity-endorsed cookware from Rachael Ray, Emeril, Wolfgang Puck, and Todd English, said Mr. Samuelsson's Regal Ware was "the only one [cookware] that would make it in a commercial kitchen."
Samuelsson's cookware features tri-ply construction, is induction-ready (the next big thing?), and is made in the USA. (The latter point becoming more and more important to consumers these days.)
So, what's the downside? Well, it's a bit expensive compared to the other celebrity-endorsed cookware. But, if you're a serious chef with serious needs in the kitchen, the professionals in The Wall Street Journal test would seem to think that Mr. Samuelsson's cookware should be on your radar.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
With all the buzz about Seattle ice cream lately, it's inevitable that I'm going to need something fun to insulate my loot as I lug it home to my freezer. And, Prepara's got just what I need.
First up: the neoprene ice cream sleeve. Similar in concept to those fantastic Built NY neoprene bags, the ice cream sleeve fits snugly and protectively over a pint of ice cream. It'll keep my cream cold and fingers warm while indulging straight from the pint. This sleeve is best for those days when I can't be bothered by more than opening just the pint lid itself.
Second: the zippered neoprene ice cream sleeve (pictured above). This is my favorite sleeve. It features a zippered top for full insulation and comes with a built-in spoon holder. This sleeve is really best for transportation from store to home, and for those emergency situations when gluttony takes over and I need to break out the spoon en route from my current favorite ice cream shop!
--Sous-Chef on the Run
Local food trends are fun to follow. Seattleites enjoy a May Copper River Salmon season and a lovely July cherry season. But, given our weather, this year's trendy food choice leaves me a bit baffled--ice cream?
All over the local news lately, we've heard nothing but our nasty, below-normal temperatures. In fact, The Seattle Times' headline this morning reads: Seattle weather: Colder than Siberia! (Trust me; it's been pretty ugly around here.) In spite of it, Seattle foodies seem to be gobbling up ice cream. And, what they're dishing out are not your average 31 Flavors.
For example, check out the flavors on the menu at Poco Carretto--a new gelato cart managed by the super-talented Holly Smith of Cafe Juanita: pinenut brittle with Marsala currants and rhubarb vanilla bean swirl. Or, Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream's exotic: balsamic strawberry
Based on the number of new ice cream shops opening around The Emerald City, it seems like ice cream is more than just a seasonal trend. Despite our cloudy skies!
--Sous-Chef on the Run
P.S. What's the latest food trend in your area?
CorningWare just introduced a new line of bakeware to lighten your load. It's called SimplyLite. What's nice about this product is that it bakes and cleans just as well as other nonporous bakeware, and each piece weighs up to 50% less than traditional ceramic bakeware. Although the entire bakeware line is expected to release in July, check out what Amazon.com Vine subscribers already have to say about the line.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
It gets in between your teeth. It spits juice across the table. It gets all over your chin and nose. But, all these qualities are forgivable when you consider how darn delicious grilled corn is! And, the best part about grilled corn is that there are quite possibly hundreds of options for flavoring it. I've included one of my personal grilled corn seasonings--hope you enjoy it.
Grilled Corn with Chili Lime Honey Butter
Ingredients:
6-8 ears of corn
3 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons honey
3 teaspoons freshly squeezed lime juice
A pinch of freshly ground black pepper
A pinch of salt
A pinch of chili powder
Directions:
1. Preheat grill.
2. Peel away the outer husk without actually removing it, remove the inner silky threads, and then wrap the outer husk back around the ear.
3. Soak the ears in water for 10 minutes, place on the grill and grill for 15 to 20 minutes.
4. While ears are soaking, put butter, honey, lime juice, pepper, salt, and chili powder in a small bowl to melt in microwave or over barbecue.
5. Remove corn from grill and brush with chili lime honey butter. Note: to adjust the heat of the chili powder, either increase or decrease your pinch accordingly.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
Like most holidays we celebrate, Memorial Day is another occasion to gather 'round and eat with friends and family. Specifically, Memorial Day is seen as a kick-off to the grilling season. We've got great recipes coming to you next week for the grilling season ahead, but here's a teaser to start off with.
This one comes from the Once Upon a Feast blog and reminds me of a Plank Grilled Salmon with Dill Sauce recipe from Williams-Sonoma's Essentials of Grilling book. For the recipe below, I'd highly recommend grilling the salmon on a wood plank for additional flavor. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
8 (6-ounce) salmon fillets (1-inch thick) preferably with skin on
Cooking spray (for broiler/barbecue rack)
1 cup maple syrup or brown sugar, packed
6 tablespoons (1/3 cup) bourbon
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (1 lime)
2 teaspoons fresh ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
1. To marinate: Combine maple syrup, bourbon, soy sauce, lime juice, ginger, pepper, and garlic in a large zip-lock plastic bag. Add salmon fillets, seal bag, and marinate in fridge for 30 minutes, turning the bag once. Remove fillets from bag and set aside the marinade. Do not marinate for longer than 30 minutes.
2. Preheat barbecue, broiler, or oven to 400°F.
3. To barbecue or broil: Place fillets skin side down on broiler pan coated with cooking spray. Broil 11 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.
4. To roast: Line a baking dish with tin foil or parchment paper. Place fish skin side down in center of oven and bake for 20 minutes or so, until fish flakes easily.
5. In the meantime: bring the rest of the marinade to a boil in a small saucepan on medium high heat on top of stove. Reduce to a little more than half. Allow to simmer while fish is cooking. Use to baste fish and serve as sauce.
Serves 8.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
You're a super-fast slicer with knives in the kitchen, but are you in control enough for the
International Knife Throwers Hall Of Fame? Well, the manufacturers of Throwzini hope you will be some day. Or, at least they want you to look like you are.
This new knife set features five stainless-steel knives, held securely in place by magnets and plastic sheaths. Sorry folks--there's no real knife throwing skills to be honed when you own one of these. Unlike its more serious cousin The Ex, the Throwzini's just for fun.
----Sous-Chef on the Run
Second to a perfectly smooth frozen margarita, my favorite drink to order is the sidecar. Rarely do I make these at home, but I recently tried this tasty treat from GreatGrub and thought I'd share. The reader feedback on GreatGrub's recipe is right on--the meyer lemon offers a very nice touch. Thanks Mr. WIlson!
Ingredients:
2 ounce Brandy or Cognac
1 ounce Cointreau
1 ounce Meyer lemon juice
Fine sugar
Directions:
1. Pour all of the ingredients into a chilled shaker with a handful of ice.
2. Shake for no more than 30 seconds, then strain into martini glass rimmed with fine sugar.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
There has been a lot of talk about plastic lately. Namely the adverse effects it could have on your health. Without getting into the politics of the discussion, I thought I'd suggest a few kitchen brands and products that are plastic-free and can help wean your kitchen off of the synthetic stuff.
Food Storage: Pyrex and CorningWare offer plastic-free solutions to storing your food. Whether toting your lunch to work everyday, or simply keeping leftovers in the fridge for reheating, check out these two brands for non-plastic storage and reheating.
Water Bottles: Alfi, Thermos Nissan, and Sigg. Either lined with glass or made completely from stainless steel, these brands will keep you away from plastic drinking bottles.
Kettles: Why plug in a plastic teakettle, when there are alternatives? For example, this popular and affordable glass kettle made by Medelco. Or, check out stainless-steel alternatives.
Cooking Utensils: Head Chef and I are fans of flexible, plastic cooking utensils. But, we're a little concerned about having one of these melt in our food. So, we're starting to replace our plastics with bamboo and stainless steel.
Did I miss any non-plastic brands and products that you love? Let us know what your favorite non-plastic kitchen item is.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
As the weather gets warmer, there's nothing like a crisp and sweet Waldorf salad. Originally served and loved at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York, this tasty classic will be a nice addition to your Mother's Day spread. Recipe is courtesy of Epicurious.
Ingredients:
2/3 cup dried tart cherries
1 cup boiling water
1/2 cup mayonnaise
3 tablespoons sour cream
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
4 Granny Smith apples, cored, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 1/3 cups very thinly sliced celery
1 1/3 cups red seedless grapes, halved
Romaine lettuce leaves
Sweet and spicy candied pecans
Directions:
1. Soak cherries in 1 cup boiling water until softened, about 10 minutes. Drain.
2. Whisk mayonnaise and next 3 ingredients in large bowl. Add apples, celery, grapes and cherries; toss. Season with salt and pepper.
3. Arrange lettuce on platter. Spoon salad over. Top salad with candied pecans.
Serves 6.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
You might get sticker shock when you look at the price on this new mandoline from Shun. But, let me tell you, this is the Mercedes-Benz of mandolines. I saw a demo of this mandoline recently and was amazed by three things: safety, results, and styling.
Safety: The clever design team at Shun deduced that the reason many people don't buy mandolines is because they're afraid. Either they've had a bad experience or heard horror stories. I could tell a first-hand--ahem, no pun intended-- story, but I'll spare you the gory details. Anyway, when using the Shun Pro Mandoline, it's nearly impossible to run your fingers or hand across the blade because the carriage features an offset handle. So, your hand never hovers over the super-sharp blade.
Results: I was amazed at how thin you could slice your produce. Think of the thickness of the ginger you get on the side of your sushi order. This mandoline could slice thinner than the thinnest slice of that ginger. So, what's the benefit in this for you? For starters, I'm thinking potato gratin, maple sweet potatoes, etc. And, how could those not be beneficial?
Styling: This is one pretty piece. The mandoline's legs are made of Pakkawood, which is known for its strength and durability. The black finishing on the wood offers a classy look to match other Shun Pro products. And, the sturdy stainless-steel deck matches more modern kitchen appliances. Overall, this piece is heavy, but that's what you'd expect of the Mercedes-Benz of mandolines, right?
Move over stand mixers, there's a new countertop king in town--the Shun Pro Mandoline.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
Outfit your KitchenAid, Cuisinart, or Delonghi stand mixer with the new, functional attachment: the BeaterBlade. This nifty little attachment beats, scrapes, folds and mixes your ingredients around the bowl without your constant scraping down the sides with a spatula. And, yes, it works! Check out the side-by-side demo. Available now for pre-order, this nifty gadget will be shipped by June 1.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
In Playa del Carmen, Head Chef and I enjoyed this tasty frozen concoction. A slight twist on the Piña Colada, this tropical treat is mighty refreshing.
Ingredients:
8 ounces piña colada nonalcoholic drink mix
1 fluid ounce Kahlua
1 fluid ounce vodka
1/3 banana
Ice
Directions:
Add ingredients into blender and blend, adding ice until desired consistency.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
As my Al Dente caballeros know, I am in love with Mexican food. Specifically, spicy salsas, anything wrapped in a corn tortilla, and guacamole. So, my recent honeymoon in Playa del Carmen was not only a vacation for me and my man (Head Chef), but also quite the fiesta for my taste buds.
Our breakfast buffets consisted of tortilla chip pancakes, all-you-can-eat deep-fried bacon, fried plantains, refried beans, fresh salsas, and fresh papaya. For lunch, we ate endless platters of chips and guacamole, and washed it all down with banana monkeys or frozen margaritas. For dinner, we usually started off with tortilla soup and finished up with some other tasty entrée.
Now that I'm back home, I am going through some serious withdrawls. Head-Chef and I have eaten chips and guacamole at least once a day, but what we are really missing is the tortilla soup. There are plenty of recipes on the web for tortilla soup, but I'm looking for a can't-live-another-day-without-this-tortilla-soup soup recipe. Do you, dear readers, have a tortilla soup recipe that you could share? Maybe as a little wedding present for Head Chef and me?
--Sous-Chef on the Run
Yesterday, the BBC covered a new restaurant 's Baggers in Nuremberg, Germany. The high-tech restaurant features computer monitors where you place your order, and when your meal is ready it's put on rails and sent down to you lidded and stickered to signify your specific order. There isn't anyone at the counter to greet you or take your order--the restaurant is completely wait-staff-free (aside from the cooks). This all sounds fun, right? But, what would the effects of something like this be on society?
If successful in Nuremberg and internationally scalable, we'd probably see a downturn in the number of restaurant-sector jobs worldwide. Would this downturn be significant? Possibly. But, would a downturn enable/encourage restaurant employees to move on to more exciting job opportunities. Probably.
I'm definitely not a Luddite nor a social anthropologist, but what could the effects be on a culture's social interactions? Hmm. This could get interesting!
--Sous-Chef on the Run
With the first day of spring behind us, it's time for lighter tasting desserts. And, what better flavor and color to bring to the Easter table than tangy, bright yellow lemons. I've been storing this recipe in my e-mail recipe folder for years--it's from Martha Stewart. I prefer to eat these citrusy sweets warmer than room temperature, but that's probably an indication of my patience level.
Lemon Custard Cakes
Ingredients:
Unsalted butter, room temperature, for custard cups
3 large eggs, separated
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 to 3 teaspoons grated lemon zest, (1 lemon)
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 cup milk
1/4 teaspoon salt
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Set a kettle of water to boil. Butter six 6-ounce custard cups and place in a dish towel-lined baking dish or roasting pan. (Dish towel prevents cups from sliding when moving the roasting pan.)
2. In a large bowl, whisk egg yolks and sugar until light; whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in lemon juice, then milk and zest.
3. With an electric mixer, beat egg whites and salt until soft peaks form. Add to lemon batter and fold in gently with a whisk (batter will be quite liquid).
4. Divide batter among prepared custard cups; place baking dish in oven and fill with boiling water to reach halfway up sides of cups. Bake until puffed and lightly browned (but pudding is still visible in bottom), 20 to 25 minutes. Serve slightly warm or at room temperature, dusted with confectioners’ sugar.
Serves 4-6.
--Sous-Chef on the Run
