This is a crowd pleaser that is both quick, relatively cheap for the quantity of food produced and extremely flavorful. There is nothing difficult or culinary demanding about this recipe, but it comes across as more than the sum of its components. Adapted from a rustic soup originating in small fishing village in Italy, this modern day reworking still evokes the simplicity of a coastal life while providing for contemporary palates.
Rustic Shrimp & Vegetable Soup
1 medium onion (large diced)
6 tbsp unsalted butter
6 yellow crooknecked squash (large diced)
4 zucchini (large diced)
2 tsp Old Bay
2 lbs medium large (36-40) shrimp, shelled, deveined
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
8 cloves garlic, minced fine
28 oz can diced tomatoes
1 tsp salt for sweating and taste
In a large stock pot add all of the butter, onions and salt. Sweat until soft and not browned. Add garlic and cook for 30-45 seconds or until fragrant. Immediately add the tomatoes (juice and all), stock, diced squash and zucchini. Cook until vegetables are soft, but not mushy. Reduce to low and add Old Bay. Seven minutes before serving, add shrimp and increase to medium. Serve over rice or with rustic bread.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Saturday, January 24, 2009
Great News Story about Cooking, Politics, and Health
Top chefs push Obama to improve food policy
Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer – Sat Jan 24, 3:37 pm ET
WASHINGTON – Visiting one of his favorite Chicago restaurants in November, Barack Obama was asked by an excited waitress if he wanted the restaurant's special margarita made with the finest ingredients, straight up and shaken at the table.
"You know that's the way I roll," Obama replied jokingly.
Rick Bayless, the chef of that restaurant, Topolobampo, says Obama's comfortable demeanor at the table — slumped contentedly in his chair, clearly there to enjoy himself — bodes well for the nation's food policy. While former President George W. Bush rarely visited restaurants and didn't often talk about what he ate, Obama dines out frequently and enjoys exploring different foods.
"He's the kind of diner who wants to taste all sorts of things," Bayless says. "What I'm hoping is that he's going to recognize that we need to do what we can in our country to encourage real food for everyone."
Phrases like "real food" and "farm-to-table" may sound like elitist jargon tossed around at upscale restaurants. But the country's top chefs, several of whom traveled to Washington for Obama's inauguration this week, hope that Obama's flair for good food will encourage people to expand their horizons when it comes to what they eat.
These chefs tout locally grown, environmentally friendly and — most importantly — nutritious food. They urge diners, even those who may never be able to afford to eat at their restaurants, to grow their own vegetables, shop at farmer's markets and pay attention to where their food comes from.
Dan Barber, chef at New York's popular Blue Hill restaurant and a frequent critic of the country's food policy, says a few small gestures from the president and first lady Michelle Obama could accomplish what many of the chefs have been working toward for years.
"I recognize that I'm an elitist guy," says Barber, who cooked a $500-a-plate meal for incoming Obama aides and other guests at a small charity fundraiser the night before the inauguration. "Increasingly raise awareness, but don't do it through chefs like me. ... My advice would be more of a symbolic nature, and to not underestimate what can be done through the White House."
Barber said good food needs more publicity, and he hopes Obama and his wife will advertise what they are eating and what they are feeding their children, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha.
Many high-end chefs like Barber believe that most food in the United States is over-processed, over-subsidized and grown with no regard to the environment, making it harder for small farms to make a profit selling more natural, nutritious food.
Barber cooks with food grown at his farm, the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. At the pre-inauguration fundraiser, organized along with several other dinners by food guru Alice Waters, passed hors d'oeuvres included carrots, lettuce and cauliflower — untarnished and raw, delicious in their natural form. Sweet beets had been recently chiseled from Stone Barns' frozen ground, and hog snouts left over from slaughter were used as a garnish on a plate of Maine sea scallops.
Most of the chefs say they realize food policy and government support for larger corporate farms won't change any time soon. Congress, with Obama's support, overwhelmingly enacted a $290 billion farm bill last year that directs many subsidies to the largest agricultural players.
But Obama has already given chefs like Barber a small reason to hope. At his confirmation hearing, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made an overture to the growing number of food groups and experts who have criticized government subsidies for large corporate farms, saying he will seek to work "with those who seek programs and practices that lead to more nutritious food produced in a sustainable way."
"There's a lot of work that can be done in this area," Vilsack said after he was sworn in.
Other chefs in town for the inauguration and Waters' dinners had many suggestions to improve food policy. Daniel Boulud, the veteran New York chef of the restaurant Daniel who has cooked for at least five former presidents, said he thinks the Department of Agriculture should form an agency that exclusively oversees small farms. Lidia Bastianich, a New York-based Italian chef who has starred in several cooking shows on public television, says the government needs to encourage regulations and incentives to small farmers to give them the opportunity to compete against the "big giants."
Chef Tom Colicchio, the lead judge on the popular cable television series "Top Chef," agrees. He says foods that are genetically engineered should be labeled as such and fewer subsidies should go to corporate farms.
But despite loftier goals, Bayless, the Chicago chef, says the Obamas could make a world of difference if they just publish what they are eating every day.
"Everyone's going to want to be like the Obamas," he said.
Mary Clare Jalonick, Associated Press Writer – Sat Jan 24, 3:37 pm ET
WASHINGTON – Visiting one of his favorite Chicago restaurants in November, Barack Obama was asked by an excited waitress if he wanted the restaurant's special margarita made with the finest ingredients, straight up and shaken at the table.
"You know that's the way I roll," Obama replied jokingly.
Rick Bayless, the chef of that restaurant, Topolobampo, says Obama's comfortable demeanor at the table — slumped contentedly in his chair, clearly there to enjoy himself — bodes well for the nation's food policy. While former President George W. Bush rarely visited restaurants and didn't often talk about what he ate, Obama dines out frequently and enjoys exploring different foods.
"He's the kind of diner who wants to taste all sorts of things," Bayless says. "What I'm hoping is that he's going to recognize that we need to do what we can in our country to encourage real food for everyone."
Phrases like "real food" and "farm-to-table" may sound like elitist jargon tossed around at upscale restaurants. But the country's top chefs, several of whom traveled to Washington for Obama's inauguration this week, hope that Obama's flair for good food will encourage people to expand their horizons when it comes to what they eat.
These chefs tout locally grown, environmentally friendly and — most importantly — nutritious food. They urge diners, even those who may never be able to afford to eat at their restaurants, to grow their own vegetables, shop at farmer's markets and pay attention to where their food comes from.
Dan Barber, chef at New York's popular Blue Hill restaurant and a frequent critic of the country's food policy, says a few small gestures from the president and first lady Michelle Obama could accomplish what many of the chefs have been working toward for years.
"I recognize that I'm an elitist guy," says Barber, who cooked a $500-a-plate meal for incoming Obama aides and other guests at a small charity fundraiser the night before the inauguration. "Increasingly raise awareness, but don't do it through chefs like me. ... My advice would be more of a symbolic nature, and to not underestimate what can be done through the White House."
Barber said good food needs more publicity, and he hopes Obama and his wife will advertise what they are eating and what they are feeding their children, 10-year-old Malia and 7-year-old Sasha.
Many high-end chefs like Barber believe that most food in the United States is over-processed, over-subsidized and grown with no regard to the environment, making it harder for small farms to make a profit selling more natural, nutritious food.
Barber cooks with food grown at his farm, the Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture in Pocantico Hills, N.Y. At the pre-inauguration fundraiser, organized along with several other dinners by food guru Alice Waters, passed hors d'oeuvres included carrots, lettuce and cauliflower — untarnished and raw, delicious in their natural form. Sweet beets had been recently chiseled from Stone Barns' frozen ground, and hog snouts left over from slaughter were used as a garnish on a plate of Maine sea scallops.
Most of the chefs say they realize food policy and government support for larger corporate farms won't change any time soon. Congress, with Obama's support, overwhelmingly enacted a $290 billion farm bill last year that directs many subsidies to the largest agricultural players.
But Obama has already given chefs like Barber a small reason to hope. At his confirmation hearing, Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack made an overture to the growing number of food groups and experts who have criticized government subsidies for large corporate farms, saying he will seek to work "with those who seek programs and practices that lead to more nutritious food produced in a sustainable way."
"There's a lot of work that can be done in this area," Vilsack said after he was sworn in.
Other chefs in town for the inauguration and Waters' dinners had many suggestions to improve food policy. Daniel Boulud, the veteran New York chef of the restaurant Daniel who has cooked for at least five former presidents, said he thinks the Department of Agriculture should form an agency that exclusively oversees small farms. Lidia Bastianich, a New York-based Italian chef who has starred in several cooking shows on public television, says the government needs to encourage regulations and incentives to small farmers to give them the opportunity to compete against the "big giants."
Chef Tom Colicchio, the lead judge on the popular cable television series "Top Chef," agrees. He says foods that are genetically engineered should be labeled as such and fewer subsidies should go to corporate farms.
But despite loftier goals, Bayless, the Chicago chef, says the Obamas could make a world of difference if they just publish what they are eating every day.
"Everyone's going to want to be like the Obamas," he said.
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Pacific Coast Seafood Chowder
Along with living in Alaska and working at the wonderful Seven Glaciers Resort, I’ve lived up and down the Pacific Coast. In doing so I’ve learned to do what every do what every good chef does: pull from the locally available foods and recipes. The following recipe is a bit more complicated then the last one for Southern Lemon Chess Pie, but well worth the effort.
Pacific Coast Seafood Chowder
1 sachet d'epices (cheese cloth tied tight) filled with the following:
5 stalks of lemongrass cut into 1 inch pieces
1 ounce of peeled ginger
3 cloves of crushed garlic
12 magrut lime leaves
64 fl oz clam juice
48 fl oz coconut milk
12 fl oz dry white wine
12 oz of lemon juice, freshly squeezed.
8 fl oz heavy cream, heated
2 oz red curry paste
1 oz cornstarch
1 lb of snapper fillet, skinned, and diced medium
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced medium
1 oz of basil, cut chiffonade for garnish
In a large nonreactive pot (clay, copper, enamel, glass, plastic, hard-anodized or stainless steel) combine the wine and sachet d'epices filled with all of your goodies and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the temperature and simmer for 10 minutes and then add the clam juice, coconut milk, curry paste and cream and return it to a boil.
In a small separate dish, combine the cornstarch with some water until it has the consistency of heavy cream and then add the mixture to the soup and cook for 5 minutes on a simmer, or until the soup starts to thicken. Remove the sachet d'epices and add the snapper and shrimp until cooked, about 5-7 minutes.
Season with the lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve hot.
Note: To make ahead of time, quickly cool the soup after removing the sachet d'epices (usually by transferring it to a refrigerator). When it is time to serve, bring it back to a simmer and add the snapper and shrimp.
Pacific Coast Seafood Chowder
1 sachet d'epices (cheese cloth tied tight) filled with the following:
5 stalks of lemongrass cut into 1 inch pieces
1 ounce of peeled ginger
3 cloves of crushed garlic
12 magrut lime leaves
64 fl oz clam juice
48 fl oz coconut milk
12 fl oz dry white wine
12 oz of lemon juice, freshly squeezed.
8 fl oz heavy cream, heated
2 oz red curry paste
1 oz cornstarch
1 lb of snapper fillet, skinned, and diced medium
1 lb shrimp, peeled, deveined, and diced medium
1 oz of basil, cut chiffonade for garnish
In a large nonreactive pot (clay, copper, enamel, glass, plastic, hard-anodized or stainless steel) combine the wine and sachet d'epices filled with all of your goodies and bring to a boil. Once it boils, reduce the temperature and simmer for 10 minutes and then add the clam juice, coconut milk, curry paste and cream and return it to a boil.
In a small separate dish, combine the cornstarch with some water until it has the consistency of heavy cream and then add the mixture to the soup and cook for 5 minutes on a simmer, or until the soup starts to thicken. Remove the sachet d'epices and add the snapper and shrimp until cooked, about 5-7 minutes.
Season with the lemon juice and salt to taste. Serve hot.
Note: To make ahead of time, quickly cool the soup after removing the sachet d'epices (usually by transferring it to a refrigerator). When it is time to serve, bring it back to a simmer and add the snapper and shrimp.
Friday, October 24, 2008
Southern Lemon Chess Pie
Almost all recipes are variations on others, things borrowed from those who came before us. So I'm proud to post, as my first recipe, a pie that recipe that I borrowed from my brother. He received it from one of his friends mothers, who inherited it from her mother.
You can use a store bought pie shell, but I highly recommend making your own. Homemade dough is easy and far exceeds anything that you are going to get from your grocery store.
Pie Dough
1 1/4 (140g) cups of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into tablespoon chunks)
Ice water
Place all of the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse a couple times to blend them. Next add the shortening and pulse about ten times to combine. Repeat with the butter.
Once all of the shortening and butter have left the contents of the food processor, sprinkle on 4-5 tablespoons of the ice water - pulsing several times after each one. The dough should just start to come together. Extract the dough and form it into a 4-5 inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm slightly at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Then roll it out to about 12" and transfer it to a standard 9 inch pie plate. Trim the edges and freeze for 30 minutes.
This pie dough recipe can be used for almost any pie.
Southern Lemon Chess Pie
This easy to make pie has its roots deep within Southern cuisine. It is almost a custard pie, but substitute’s cornmeal in place of flour. The pie can be served with fresh cream, but is best by itself or with a big glass of sweet tea.
1/2 fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornmeal (fine-ground)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat your oven to 375F, insert a baking sheet and move your racks to the lowest setting. Whisk all of the ingredients together until they are just combined and pour into the unbaked and chilled pie crust. Cook for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Make sure that you let the pie rest for a least an hour before serving.
You can use a store bought pie shell, but I highly recommend making your own. Homemade dough is easy and far exceeds anything that you are going to get from your grocery store.
Pie Dough
1 1/4 (140g) cups of all purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons shortening
4 tablespoons unsalted butter (cut into tablespoon chunks)
Ice water
Place all of the dry ingredients in a food processor and pulse a couple times to blend them. Next add the shortening and pulse about ten times to combine. Repeat with the butter.
Once all of the shortening and butter have left the contents of the food processor, sprinkle on 4-5 tablespoons of the ice water - pulsing several times after each one. The dough should just start to come together. Extract the dough and form it into a 4-5 inch disk, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for one hour.
Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let it warm slightly at room temperature for about 10 minutes. Then roll it out to about 12" and transfer it to a standard 9 inch pie plate. Trim the edges and freeze for 30 minutes.
This pie dough recipe can be used for almost any pie.
Southern Lemon Chess Pie
This easy to make pie has its roots deep within Southern cuisine. It is almost a custard pie, but substitute’s cornmeal in place of flour. The pie can be served with fresh cream, but is best by itself or with a big glass of sweet tea.
1/2 fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 cup sugar
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter, melted and cooled
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
1 tablespoon cornmeal (fine-ground)
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
Preheat your oven to 375F, insert a baking sheet and move your racks to the lowest setting. Whisk all of the ingredients together until they are just combined and pour into the unbaked and chilled pie crust. Cook for 40-50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Make sure that you let the pie rest for a least an hour before serving.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Welcome to my blog
I have been in the culinary field most of my life and I take the art of food, diligence in the kitchen, correct communication, food ordering, food costing, portion control, time management, proper scheduling, cleanliness, organization and first and for most safety very seriously. Upon entering any kitchen, whether it is my own or a new one, I can immediately tell whether or not it is run well and the quality of the food coming out of it. I’m not sure it if it something that is learning through time served, or whether it is almost a sixth sense that is developed through trial-and-error. But it does exist and it is a powerful force within all kitchens.
My hope is that I can help take any kitchen that I enter to a higher level of culinary understanding. So that the food that leaves is something that everyone is not only proud of, but sorry to see leave. It is a job that still remains underrated and underappreciated and I would have it no other way. Creating an environment where that is possible is the first step.
Over the next several months, along with posting recipes, stories, and other general information, I hope to explain what goes into the art of food. Please visit often and always feel free to share your thoughts.
Thank you,
Justin
My hope is that I can help take any kitchen that I enter to a higher level of culinary understanding. So that the food that leaves is something that everyone is not only proud of, but sorry to see leave. It is a job that still remains underrated and underappreciated and I would have it no other way. Creating an environment where that is possible is the first step.
Over the next several months, along with posting recipes, stories, and other general information, I hope to explain what goes into the art of food. Please visit often and always feel free to share your thoughts.
Thank you,
Justin
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