" Context and memory play powerful roles in all the truly great meals in one's life." - Anthony Bourdain
I'm currently reading Kitchen Confidential (hey...I'm supposed to, right?). More updates to come!
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Anthony Bourdain
The outspoken, bad mouth chef rings truth throughout kitchens and homes in America.:
Friday, August 20, 2010
BBQ
American BBQ:
BBQ. So mysterious yet so popular. What a conundrum. There are those age old questions like where did BBQ originate? Or is grilling considered BBQ? What about smoked fare? What’s the difference in all regions? What’s the best meat to BBQ and how should you cook them? So many endless possibilities and so many unanswered questions.
Obliviously it’s personal taste for answering the big questions like “Which is the best BBQ? Grilling vs smoked? Kansas City Style vs Texas, West Virginia vs. Memphis….” You need to choose your own destiny for those questions. But what about “Where did it originate in America? How did it get started?”. I had to do some research to get my answer…
First let’s tackle BBQ vs. grilling and smoking. Here is what Wikipedia has to say on smoking:
“Alternatively, an apparatus called a smoker with a separate fire box may be used. Hot smoke is drawn past the meat by convection for very slow cooking. This is essentially how barbecue is cooked in most U.S. "barbecue" restaurants, but nevertheless, many consider this to be a distinct cooking process called hot smoking.”
Ok cool. Now grilling and BBQ:
“Grilling refers to a fast process over high heat, while barbecuing refers to a slow process using indirect heat and/or hot smoke (very similar to some forms of roasting). For example, in a typical U.S. home grill, food is cooked on a grate directly over hot charcoal, while in a U.S. barbecue, the coals are dispersed to the sides or at significant distance from the grate.”
At home, you’re most likely to grill. BBQing takes several hours or days. It’s similar to smoking in that respect. So most Americans confuse the term ‘grilling’ and ‘BBQ’. “Hey wifey, let’s invite the neighbors over for a BBQ!”. Why don’t we just call it grilling? Let’s have ‘em over for a grill…May not sound the best, but it’s at least it’s correct.
I guess after distinguishing the differences, I must admit BBQ and smoking are my favorite methods. Grilling is easiest at home or at a friend’s house, but who can resist a nice, tender, fall off the bone, smoky flavored piece of flesh? And once you think about it, grilling just makes everything well done most of the time and very charcoal flavored. Who wants that?
Let’s look at different methods of BBQ flavors around America:
Kansas City Style: Kansas City Style BBQ is not about either all beef or all pork or all chicken, but is more about the techniques using these various meats. But the bbq sauce is probably the most distinguishing feature. It is thick. It is so thick that in Kansas City they like to say it is thick enough to stay on the meat and not fall to the bottom of the pit. They usually have a mixture of rub and sauce together.
South Carolina Style: is the only state that includes all four recognized barbecue sauces, including mustard-based, vinegar-based, and light and heavy tomato-based.
North Carolina style: North Carolina uses a vinegar-based sauce, the center of the state (around Lexington) uses a combination of ketchup and vinegar as their base, and western North Carolina uses a heavier ketchup base. Lexington boasts of being "The Barbecue Capital of the World" and it has more than one BBQ restaurant per 1,000 residents
Texas Style: Texas barbecue is often assumed to be primarily beef. This assumption, along with the inclusive term "Texas barbecue", is an oversimplification. Texas has four main styles, all with different flavors, different cooking methods, different ingredients, and different cultural origins. Texas bbq sauce is a spicy and tangy tomato-based sauce and is usually served on the side or lightly spooned onto the meat after cooking.
Memphis Style: almost always pork served with a sweet tomato-based sauce. Pulled Pork sammies with coleslaw is also popular here.
Alabama Style: particularly known for its distinctive white sauce, a mayonnaise- and vinegar-based sauce, originating in northern Alabama, used predominantly on chicken and pork.
Kentucky style: meat is rubbed with dry seasoning (dry rubs) and smoked over hickory wood without sauce; the finished barbecue is then served with barbecue sauce on the side. Mutton is also a popular choice in Kentucky for BBQing.
I make my own rub and sauce. I kinda say F-it and throw my own ingredients together, not really caring about which style I am about to pay homage to.
BBQ. So mysterious yet so popular. What a conundrum. There are those age old questions like where did BBQ originate? Or is grilling considered BBQ? What about smoked fare? What’s the difference in all regions? What’s the best meat to BBQ and how should you cook them? So many endless possibilities and so many unanswered questions.
Obliviously it’s personal taste for answering the big questions like “Which is the best BBQ? Grilling vs smoked? Kansas City Style vs Texas, West Virginia vs. Memphis….” You need to choose your own destiny for those questions. But what about “Where did it originate in America? How did it get started?”. I had to do some research to get my answer…
First let’s tackle BBQ vs. grilling and smoking. Here is what Wikipedia has to say on smoking:
“Alternatively, an apparatus called a smoker with a separate fire box may be used. Hot smoke is drawn past the meat by convection for very slow cooking. This is essentially how barbecue is cooked in most U.S. "barbecue" restaurants, but nevertheless, many consider this to be a distinct cooking process called hot smoking.”
Ok cool. Now grilling and BBQ:
“Grilling refers to a fast process over high heat, while barbecuing refers to a slow process using indirect heat and/or hot smoke (very similar to some forms of roasting). For example, in a typical U.S. home grill, food is cooked on a grate directly over hot charcoal, while in a U.S. barbecue, the coals are dispersed to the sides or at significant distance from the grate.”
At home, you’re most likely to grill. BBQing takes several hours or days. It’s similar to smoking in that respect. So most Americans confuse the term ‘grilling’ and ‘BBQ’. “Hey wifey, let’s invite the neighbors over for a BBQ!”. Why don’t we just call it grilling? Let’s have ‘em over for a grill…May not sound the best, but it’s at least it’s correct.
I guess after distinguishing the differences, I must admit BBQ and smoking are my favorite methods. Grilling is easiest at home or at a friend’s house, but who can resist a nice, tender, fall off the bone, smoky flavored piece of flesh? And once you think about it, grilling just makes everything well done most of the time and very charcoal flavored. Who wants that?
Let’s look at different methods of BBQ flavors around America:
Kansas City Style: Kansas City Style BBQ is not about either all beef or all pork or all chicken, but is more about the techniques using these various meats. But the bbq sauce is probably the most distinguishing feature. It is thick. It is so thick that in Kansas City they like to say it is thick enough to stay on the meat and not fall to the bottom of the pit. They usually have a mixture of rub and sauce together.
South Carolina Style: is the only state that includes all four recognized barbecue sauces, including mustard-based, vinegar-based, and light and heavy tomato-based.
North Carolina style: North Carolina uses a vinegar-based sauce, the center of the state (around Lexington) uses a combination of ketchup and vinegar as their base, and western North Carolina uses a heavier ketchup base. Lexington boasts of being "The Barbecue Capital of the World" and it has more than one BBQ restaurant per 1,000 residents
Texas Style: Texas barbecue is often assumed to be primarily beef. This assumption, along with the inclusive term "Texas barbecue", is an oversimplification. Texas has four main styles, all with different flavors, different cooking methods, different ingredients, and different cultural origins. Texas bbq sauce is a spicy and tangy tomato-based sauce and is usually served on the side or lightly spooned onto the meat after cooking.
Memphis Style: almost always pork served with a sweet tomato-based sauce. Pulled Pork sammies with coleslaw is also popular here.
Alabama Style: particularly known for its distinctive white sauce, a mayonnaise- and vinegar-based sauce, originating in northern Alabama, used predominantly on chicken and pork.
Kentucky style: meat is rubbed with dry seasoning (dry rubs) and smoked over hickory wood without sauce; the finished barbecue is then served with barbecue sauce on the side. Mutton is also a popular choice in Kentucky for BBQing.
I make my own rub and sauce. I kinda say F-it and throw my own ingredients together, not really caring about which style I am about to pay homage to.
My rubs are usually garlicy with a nice hint of cumin. I'm a big fan of paprika, but I make sure it's not over baring (where you get that watery taste). I use very little brown sugar, just so it sticks to the meat. Not a fan of sweet BBQ rubs.
I like tomato-based sauces with plenty of spices. I use a touch of apple cider vinegar and butter to make it unique.
Ideally this is where I'd throw my pork, chicken or beef into a smoker and let it do it's thing for hours and hours...but you work with what you got. Either way the day will end in itis.
Thanks to wikipedia for all the extra info.
Thursday, August 19, 2010
A Morsel
mor·sel/ˈmôrsəl/Noun
1. A small piece or amount of food; a mouthful.
2. A small piece or amount.
A Morsel is all you need to fall in love. A long the way in America we engraved a "bigger is better" attitude including what's on our plates. But what if something is as amazing as it should be? You should only need a bite, or you will lose that orgasmic effect. One bite - fall in love, possibly get a little flustered and return to your drink in hand. It's an amazing concept to indulge without gluttony. And that's what it's about for a lot of foodies who fork out (no pun intended) a lot of money to get a good, smaller sized meal. My mom always said I would become broke, fat, and for what? A small plate of some kind of magical food? It was beyond that for me as it is for a lot of people people who feel the same about good food. It was the flustered feeling only food could give me for that second in time that I could remember forever.
Foie Gras with fresh strawberries, boiled rhubarb and whipped creme friache.
Two or three bites to get into heaven.
Wednesday, August 18, 2010
Down and Dirty
What goes up, must come down...right? Even Sir Isaac Newton can disprove himself. So what about the opposite of French Laundry? What about East Oakland taco trucks at 2am? Or that $3 breakfast with poached eggs, potatoes, and sriracha? There is more to food that just fancy places that strive to achieve perfection. There is perfection in food if it turns out, well...perfect. But what does perfect food mean? To me, perfect food is what hits the spot and you wouldn't want anything else at the moment. Sure I'd take a Salmon Cornet any time of day, but what about Sunday morning when I'm hung over? I'll take pulled pork hash with apples and sweet potatoes. What about when I'm getting off of work and it's cold out? I'll take rare beef Pho. There is a time and place when food can be perfect. That's what my intentions of this is: To share it with you.
Poutine: Belgian stye french fries, brown gravy and cheese curds. A gift from the obese Canadian gods. I craved this before I even ate it, and I'm definitely not obese.
I took a road trip up to Vancouver. My first time past the USA's Northern boarder. I knew exactly what I wanted - poutine. This marvel of a deliciously fatty idea was genius to me. I just had to have it. When I tried it, it was everything I expected. Nothing less than perfect.
The French Laundry
Why not start with the French Laundry? It's a perfect place to start - a culinary adventure that supersedes any highly (over)rated restaurant in Northern California. But not only that, it was a special experience for me. It reunited my love and affection of food and the way its supposed to be prepared...not to mention how it should be presented. I was invited to go and couldn't have been more excited. Watching Anthony Bourdain's visit on YouTube got me totally obsessed. It wasn't just the tobacco custard either. I quickly looked all over Flickr for other's gracious photos of their properly presented meals. Learning Thomas Keller's style and signature dishes I was ready to go in no time. Preparing my self...making sure I knew exactly what I was getting into and why. It's more of a meal, it's an experience. Might of been one of the best I've had.
Here were a few hi-lights of the day:
Anthony Bourdain's visit to the French Laundry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xB7V8I94mY
Here were a few hi-lights of the day:
Let's start in the garden across the street.
Amuse-Bouche: Salmon Cornets and Gruyère bites
Oysters and Pearls: Sabayon of tapioca with caviar and oysters.
Foie Gras: Balsamic reduction, fresh almonds, fresh brioche and several salts.
Butter poached lobster with a beet and leek reduction.
Waygu/Angus steak mix.
Hazelnut sorbet, chocolate powder, and fried banana rings.
And we end in the kitchen.
Anthony Bourdain's visit to the French Laundry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xB7V8I94mY
The art and science of....well, food.
Food has many different meanings for many different people. Survival, bringing families together, income, nutrition, a hobby, or simply enjoying life through one's taste buds. For whatever the reason may be, food is important. Making sure life is as beautiful as it can possibly be is just as important to me as food. I just happen to make my life beautiful through food.
Traveling the world and tasting all what life has to offer in different regions in the world is one of the most amazing concepts anyone could try to comprehend. Remembering every single morsel you've ever eaten or every aromatic spice that ever came across your nose would be humanistically impossible. For those of us who obsess over food might try to achieve that in their life. Like a drug - once you've had that first time, you try over and over again to get it. Food can definitely be the same way but may appear to be less harmful.
I'm not sure what I am trying to accomplish by writing another blog about food. Maybe I'm trying to rekindle every bite that has made me pleasantly happy, or maybe I am trying to express my taste buds through writing and pictures. Either way, I am here to share with you my culinary adventures - no matter where they may take me.
And so it begins...
Traveling the world and tasting all what life has to offer in different regions in the world is one of the most amazing concepts anyone could try to comprehend. Remembering every single morsel you've ever eaten or every aromatic spice that ever came across your nose would be humanistically impossible. For those of us who obsess over food might try to achieve that in their life. Like a drug - once you've had that first time, you try over and over again to get it. Food can definitely be the same way but may appear to be less harmful.
I'm not sure what I am trying to accomplish by writing another blog about food. Maybe I'm trying to rekindle every bite that has made me pleasantly happy, or maybe I am trying to express my taste buds through writing and pictures. Either way, I am here to share with you my culinary adventures - no matter where they may take me.
And so it begins...
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