I don't have any pictures, but last night Mrs. Real Job and I celebrated Christmas together before we head to the Midwest to see our families. There was a blizzard outside (seriously, like a 20 inch snowstorm . . . crazy), so luckily I had all the supplies. For the first time, I made Chateaubriand, using whole beef tenderloin that I picked up at the grocery store. I’ve been wanting to make it for awhile, and it was a huge success. I attribute most of it to the digital meat thermometer that I bought at Thanksgiving. I could leave the oven closed and know for sure when my meat was at a perfect medium temperature. I also improved upon the truffle-parmesan mashed potatoes from Thanksgiving (potatoes, half and half, truffle butter, truffle oil, salt, and pepper). I think I achieved the flavors from the Rouge French Fries this time. I also made a sour mash gravy with shallots, beef stock, whiskey, butter, and fresh parsley, which was excellent. I've made this before with chicken stock, and it is the best gravy I've ever had.
I forgot to take pictures of the whole event because the food was going to get cold, but I wanted to share the adventure with you. If anyone wants to know how to make Chateaubriand, it is easy. Just brown the tenderloin in a pan on the stove and roast it in the over at 350 degrees. Then, let it rest before you cut it (you must let it rest for 10 minutes). Pretty simple, and very elegant.
To good food . . .
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Christmas Candy Part I - Peppermint Bark
Over the past year, I've started to dabble in candy making. I wouldn't say I'm very good at it, but I'm working on it. As with everything, I like to try and make things that I eat at places or buy in stores. One of my favorite Christmas candies is Peppermint Bark (I'm a sucker for mint and chocolate). Last Christmas, in one of my first adventures into candy-making, I made some. While the flavors were good, I thought it could have been improved. So, I did some reading to try and eliminate the light-brown spotty look from appearing on the dark chocolate and to prevent the layers from splitting. I also used dark chocolate bars this year instead of dark chocolate chips.
Anyway, it turned out pretty well. The layers stayed together nicely, and so far the dark chocolate has kept its color (we'll see if this persists). It could have used some more peppermint flavor, though. I added some peppermint extract to the white chocolate, but I think it could have used some more.
Here's the final version:
In the next post, I will show off some candied oranges I've been making. It takes 2-3 weeks to make them, and I'm trying to perfect it. I'll let you know how it goes.
To good food . . .
Anyway, it turned out pretty well. The layers stayed together nicely, and so far the dark chocolate has kept its color (we'll see if this persists). It could have used some more peppermint flavor, though. I added some peppermint extract to the white chocolate, but I think it could have used some more.
Here's the final version:
In the next post, I will show off some candied oranges I've been making. It takes 2-3 weeks to make them, and I'm trying to perfect it. I'll let you know how it goes.
To good food . . .
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Top Chef Recap
Has it really been so long since the last post. It's not easy to squeeze a blog post into everything else I have/want to do during the week. I'm going to take a new approach . . . shorter posts. We'll see how it works.
As you might presume by the fact that I have a food blog, I really love Top Chef. I've been a fan since season two, and it has really increased my knowledge of food and my desire to try new things. I considered doing a complete recap of the finale, but that didn't happen. I do, though, want to give you some final thoughts, along with a restaurant review.
From the first episode, Kevin (who looks like Yukon Cornelius from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) was my favorite "cheftestant," (he may be my favorite of all time) and I really thought he would win. I really liked his sophisticatedly simple approach to food, and I too love all things pork (no pig tattoo for me, though). I always thought Michael (the eventual winner) was the most creative chef by far, and Bryan (his brother) may have been the most technically precise chef. I also really liked Jen. (It didn't hurt that she works Philly.) It was disappointing to see Kevin lose, but I think he will be a star. If I'm ever in Atlanta, I must go to his restaurant and Richard Blais' (from season 4).
Speaking of Top Chef, Mrs. Real Job and I went to Jen's restaurant in Philadelphia - 10 Arts - the other day before seeing White Christmas at the Academy of Music (White Christmas, my favorite Christmas movie not called Christmas Vacation, was a great show). We had about 2 hours before the show started, so we went to 10 Arts without reservations and decided to dine in the huge lounge area in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the food was excellent, and the atmosphere was really fun. We ordered several items off the lounge menu (pretzels, mini fish burgers, mini burgers, wild boar prosciutto flat bread, and house salad). The prosciutto flat bread was the star - filled with flavor. The house salad, for being nothing more than romaine and a garlic vinaigrette, was also really good (though probably priced too high). Finally, we ordered the beignets, which were awesome.
In addition to the food, the drinks were fun and really great. I had the seasonal Old Fashioned (with seasonal fruits). The wife had the Ri-pear cocktail, which was one of the best cocktails I've ever had. The muddled pear (one of the most underrated fruits) was excellent. We also had a hot apple cider with Goldschlager, which made for a great cinnamon-apple flavored drink.
So, in an ode to Top Chef, I highly recommend 10 Arts. I’m not sure how the regular restaurant is, but the lounge would be a great place to meet friends for drinks and food. It has a big bar with flat screen TVs and some large lounge tables which allow for some privacy. Hopefully I’ll be able to review Kevin’s restaurant soon.
To good food . . .
As you might presume by the fact that I have a food blog, I really love Top Chef. I've been a fan since season two, and it has really increased my knowledge of food and my desire to try new things. I considered doing a complete recap of the finale, but that didn't happen. I do, though, want to give you some final thoughts, along with a restaurant review.
From the first episode, Kevin (who looks like Yukon Cornelius from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer) was my favorite "cheftestant," (he may be my favorite of all time) and I really thought he would win. I really liked his sophisticatedly simple approach to food, and I too love all things pork (no pig tattoo for me, though). I always thought Michael (the eventual winner) was the most creative chef by far, and Bryan (his brother) may have been the most technically precise chef. I also really liked Jen. (It didn't hurt that she works Philly.) It was disappointing to see Kevin lose, but I think he will be a star. If I'm ever in Atlanta, I must go to his restaurant and Richard Blais' (from season 4).
Speaking of Top Chef, Mrs. Real Job and I went to Jen's restaurant in Philadelphia - 10 Arts - the other day before seeing White Christmas at the Academy of Music (White Christmas, my favorite Christmas movie not called Christmas Vacation, was a great show). We had about 2 hours before the show started, so we went to 10 Arts without reservations and decided to dine in the huge lounge area in the lobby of the Ritz Carlton. I wasn't sure what to expect, but the food was excellent, and the atmosphere was really fun. We ordered several items off the lounge menu (pretzels, mini fish burgers, mini burgers, wild boar prosciutto flat bread, and house salad). The prosciutto flat bread was the star - filled with flavor. The house salad, for being nothing more than romaine and a garlic vinaigrette, was also really good (though probably priced too high). Finally, we ordered the beignets, which were awesome.
In addition to the food, the drinks were fun and really great. I had the seasonal Old Fashioned (with seasonal fruits). The wife had the Ri-pear cocktail, which was one of the best cocktails I've ever had. The muddled pear (one of the most underrated fruits) was excellent. We also had a hot apple cider with Goldschlager, which made for a great cinnamon-apple flavored drink.
So, in an ode to Top Chef, I highly recommend 10 Arts. I’m not sure how the regular restaurant is, but the lounge would be a great place to meet friends for drinks and food. It has a big bar with flat screen TVs and some large lounge tables which allow for some privacy. Hopefully I’ll be able to review Kevin’s restaurant soon.
To good food . . .
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Thanksgiving - Success
Obviously, live updates of Thanksgiving didn't happen. There were too many things to do to post while cooking, and playing games with the family took priority over writing the blog (sorry!). Overall, Thanksgiving was a lot of fun. It was nice to host and to visit with my wife's family. (I did miss my family of course. I can’t wait to see you all in 3 weeks or so.) It was also good to spend some time giving thanks to God for all He has given us. I hope to continue that through the Christmas season.
As for the food, the menu was very successful. Here are some of the highlights:
I thought the turkey was great. I stuffed it with some aromatics (apple, orange, onion, rosemary, sage, and a cinnamon stick) and rubbed it with some homemade sage, apple, and truffle butter. Overall, the 14 pound turkey was moist and perfectly done in about 2 hours, and cooking it at 500 degrees for the first 30 minutes gave it a great color on the skin. To make sure I didn't overcook it, I bought a thermometer probe, recommended by Alton Brown, that allows you to read the temperature with the oven closed. It worked pretty well, though I think I should have put it in after I dropped the oven temperature to 350, because at first it seemed to be giving a falsely high reading.
The potatoes were pretty good, but they needed some more truffle oil to really get the full effect of the french fries I had at Rouge. I was scared of overdoing it, since we ate truffle pizza the night before at Stella Pizzeria in Philly (more on that later). They also needed a bit more salt since I made so many potatoes. I need to make them again to get the dish right. (I also made up a quick sage and rosemary gravy, which was a really good pairing for the potatoes.)
The deconstructed green bean bundles (green beans, bacon, brown sugar, and garlic powder) were excellent, and much easier than green bean bundles. I could create this version on any weekday night. The apple pie, as usual, was awesome, because I copied my mom's version (which is undoubtedly the best I've ever had).
But, for me, the highlight was the cranberry sauce. It was sweet and tangy, with a good hint of the bourbon flavor. And, most importantly, it worked great for leftover turkey sandwiches (bread, turkey, stuffing, and cranberries). I basically doubled this Bobby Flay recipe and added some Grand Marnier for a little orange flavor. I've made homemade cranberry sauce before, but this is the best I've ever had.
So, I would call Thanksgiving an overwhelming success, considering all the food, the family, and the fun. The calorie count, of course, was not good, especially since I’ve been eating leftovers all weekend (no one needs to eat mashed potatoes every day for lunch). The football game on Saturday did not burn off enough calories (though I sure am sore). So, I guess I need to hit the gym several times this week.
I hope all the readers of Philly Foodie had an excellent Thanksgiving. I look forward to sharing my Christmas season with you. To good food . . .
As for the food, the menu was very successful. Here are some of the highlights:
I thought the turkey was great. I stuffed it with some aromatics (apple, orange, onion, rosemary, sage, and a cinnamon stick) and rubbed it with some homemade sage, apple, and truffle butter. Overall, the 14 pound turkey was moist and perfectly done in about 2 hours, and cooking it at 500 degrees for the first 30 minutes gave it a great color on the skin. To make sure I didn't overcook it, I bought a thermometer probe, recommended by Alton Brown, that allows you to read the temperature with the oven closed. It worked pretty well, though I think I should have put it in after I dropped the oven temperature to 350, because at first it seemed to be giving a falsely high reading.
The potatoes were pretty good, but they needed some more truffle oil to really get the full effect of the french fries I had at Rouge. I was scared of overdoing it, since we ate truffle pizza the night before at Stella Pizzeria in Philly (more on that later). They also needed a bit more salt since I made so many potatoes. I need to make them again to get the dish right. (I also made up a quick sage and rosemary gravy, which was a really good pairing for the potatoes.)
The deconstructed green bean bundles (green beans, bacon, brown sugar, and garlic powder) were excellent, and much easier than green bean bundles. I could create this version on any weekday night. The apple pie, as usual, was awesome, because I copied my mom's version (which is undoubtedly the best I've ever had).
But, for me, the highlight was the cranberry sauce. It was sweet and tangy, with a good hint of the bourbon flavor. And, most importantly, it worked great for leftover turkey sandwiches (bread, turkey, stuffing, and cranberries). I basically doubled this Bobby Flay recipe and added some Grand Marnier for a little orange flavor. I've made homemade cranberry sauce before, but this is the best I've ever had.
So, I would call Thanksgiving an overwhelming success, considering all the food, the family, and the fun. The calorie count, of course, was not good, especially since I’ve been eating leftovers all weekend (no one needs to eat mashed potatoes every day for lunch). The football game on Saturday did not burn off enough calories (though I sure am sore). So, I guess I need to hit the gym several times this week.
I hope all the readers of Philly Foodie had an excellent Thanksgiving. I look forward to sharing my Christmas season with you. To good food . . .
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Thanksgiving - Introduction
I love Thanksgiving, and not just for the Turkey and football. I think I like it because it is a unique American holiday, with deep historical, political, and religious roots. I also believe it is important to take some time and reflect on all that we have. I'm sure that some of my love of Thanksgiving comes from my dad, who absolutely loves Thanksgiving for all these reasons and more (Thanks for instilling that in me, Dad). So, before Thanksgiving passes and you move to Christmas shopping, take some time to reflect on what you are thankful for. This will put you in the company of many Americans both past and present, and it makes an excellent family tradition.
Now that I have pontificated about the merits of Thanksgiving, let's move onto food, which is a huge bonus of contemporary American Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is like the Super Bowl of cooking (which makes it a good time to start a food blog...I'm cunning like that). I am hosting Thanksgiving again this year and have a pretty extensive menu planned. I'll give you the highlights of the menu now, and I'll try to give you updates tomorrow.
The main components of the menu are:
Turkey (brined and covered with sage butter)
Truffle-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (inspired by the outstanding french fries at Rouge in Philadelphia, which I had last week - the burger is also excellent there)
Classic Stuffing (Mrs. Real Job insists on the classic kind)
Deconstructed Green Bean Bundles
Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
7-Layer Salad
Apple Pie
If I can give one tip, brine the turkey the night before. It's a very important step for a moist turkey. Here's mine, brining in a cooler because my stock pot wasn't big enough. (As a side note, I used my friend's cooler . . . he's out of town and won't know until he gets salmonella.) To good food . . .
Now that I have pontificated about the merits of Thanksgiving, let's move onto food, which is a huge bonus of contemporary American Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is like the Super Bowl of cooking (which makes it a good time to start a food blog...I'm cunning like that). I am hosting Thanksgiving again this year and have a pretty extensive menu planned. I'll give you the highlights of the menu now, and I'll try to give you updates tomorrow.
The main components of the menu are:
Turkey (brined and covered with sage butter)
Truffle-Parmesan Mashed Potatoes (inspired by the outstanding french fries at Rouge in Philadelphia, which I had last week - the burger is also excellent there)
Classic Stuffing (Mrs. Real Job insists on the classic kind)
Deconstructed Green Bean Bundles
Bourbon Cranberry Sauce
7-Layer Salad
Apple Pie
If I can give one tip, brine the turkey the night before. It's a very important step for a moist turkey. Here's mine, brining in a cooler because my stock pot wasn't big enough. (As a side note, I used my friend's cooler . . . he's out of town and won't know until he gets salmonella.) To good food . . .
Candied Bacon - Part 2
Sorry readers, for the gap in blog posts. You'd think I wouldn't have blog-burnout after only one day. But, academic and family responsibilities got in the way. That did not, however, keep me from all things food.
First, congratulations to Philadelphia chef Jose Garces, winner of The Next Iron Chef. I hadn't watched much of the show until the finale, but Garces is an excellent chef. I've been to three of his restaurants (Amada, Distrito, and Village Whiskey) and have been impressed by all of them. Distrito is one of my favorite two restaurants in Philly for its tapas style Mexican street food. In fact, it looked like he made two dishes right off the Distrito menu in his final Iron Chef competition - one of the huaraches and the carnitas taco.
Second, I was in downtown Philadelphia yesterday (Rittenhouse Square) and stumbled upon (not literally) DiBruno Bros. gourmet grocery store (I went to the 18th and Chestnut location, but they have several). I had never been there before, but it is awesome. You must go if you are downtown, as they have an extensive collection of cheeses, meats, olive oil, and prepared food. I picked up some truffle butter and truffle honey for the Thanksgiving extravaganza I am preparing (more on that later).
Third, I ate breakfast at Parc with my wife and my mother-in-law (which is why I was in Rittenhouse). This was my second breakfast meal there in the past 2 months, because I took my mom there for brunch in October. (I really need to go back for dinner). The food and atmosphere are great. In fact, I've never been to Paris, but I expect it to look like Parc, complete with naked ladies in the men's bathroom. As for the food, I would recommend the brunch menu over the breakfast menu. For brunch I had the steak and eggs, which were spectacular. For some reason, though, it's not on the regular breakfast menu. Disappointing. I did have the breakfast sausage this time, though, and it was awesome. (You'll soon learn that sausage is one of my favorite foods. . . . Go ahead, get the jokes out now!).
Well, on to the issue at hand. When I left you last, I said I think I had developed a good way to present the candied bacon. Well, I'm back to ease your suspense . . . candied bacon pretzel rods! My wife (need to give her a blog nickname . . . "Mrs. Real Job"?) had the good idea to wrap them around pretzel rods. I thought this was a great idea, as it would enhance the salty/sweet flavor and provide a convenient way to present them. I really like how they turned out, both in presentation and in taste, though some of my friends give them mixed reviews.
Here's what they looked like. The trick is to cook the candied bacon about 2/3 of the way and then wrap them around the pretzels. Finish cooking until the bacon is crispy and just let dry on a drying rack. (You may have to adjust the bacon to make sure it stays tight and sticks to the pretzel). Anyway, let me know your thoughts.
Okay, well, that's the scoop on candied bacon. I think it was a very successful kitchen experiment. It's not that hard, and it elicits fun reactions from friends and family.
I now must move on to Thanksgiving. I'm going to have the first post later today, and then I'll try to keep you updated tomorrow with the results of the feast. To good food . . .
First, congratulations to Philadelphia chef Jose Garces, winner of The Next Iron Chef. I hadn't watched much of the show until the finale, but Garces is an excellent chef. I've been to three of his restaurants (Amada, Distrito, and Village Whiskey) and have been impressed by all of them. Distrito is one of my favorite two restaurants in Philly for its tapas style Mexican street food. In fact, it looked like he made two dishes right off the Distrito menu in his final Iron Chef competition - one of the huaraches and the carnitas taco.
Second, I was in downtown Philadelphia yesterday (Rittenhouse Square) and stumbled upon (not literally) DiBruno Bros. gourmet grocery store (I went to the 18th and Chestnut location, but they have several). I had never been there before, but it is awesome. You must go if you are downtown, as they have an extensive collection of cheeses, meats, olive oil, and prepared food. I picked up some truffle butter and truffle honey for the Thanksgiving extravaganza I am preparing (more on that later).
Third, I ate breakfast at Parc with my wife and my mother-in-law (which is why I was in Rittenhouse). This was my second breakfast meal there in the past 2 months, because I took my mom there for brunch in October. (I really need to go back for dinner). The food and atmosphere are great. In fact, I've never been to Paris, but I expect it to look like Parc, complete with naked ladies in the men's bathroom. As for the food, I would recommend the brunch menu over the breakfast menu. For brunch I had the steak and eggs, which were spectacular. For some reason, though, it's not on the regular breakfast menu. Disappointing. I did have the breakfast sausage this time, though, and it was awesome. (You'll soon learn that sausage is one of my favorite foods. . . . Go ahead, get the jokes out now!).
Well, on to the issue at hand. When I left you last, I said I think I had developed a good way to present the candied bacon. Well, I'm back to ease your suspense . . . candied bacon pretzel rods! My wife (need to give her a blog nickname . . . "Mrs. Real Job"?) had the good idea to wrap them around pretzel rods. I thought this was a great idea, as it would enhance the salty/sweet flavor and provide a convenient way to present them. I really like how they turned out, both in presentation and in taste, though some of my friends give them mixed reviews.
Here's what they looked like. The trick is to cook the candied bacon about 2/3 of the way and then wrap them around the pretzels. Finish cooking until the bacon is crispy and just let dry on a drying rack. (You may have to adjust the bacon to make sure it stays tight and sticks to the pretzel). Anyway, let me know your thoughts.
Okay, well, that's the scoop on candied bacon. I think it was a very successful kitchen experiment. It's not that hard, and it elicits fun reactions from friends and family.
I now must move on to Thanksgiving. I'm going to have the first post later today, and then I'll try to keep you updated tomorrow with the results of the feast. To good food . . .
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Candied Bacon
Last January my wife and I (yes, I'm married...Now you can rest assured that I'm not using this blog to pick up ladies) ate dinner for our Anniversary at James. James is very acclaimed in Philadelphia, and I highly recommend it for an excellent, intimate dinner. It doesn't seem to get tons of press, but it is outstanding. Anyway, last year James gained a bit of a reputation for a dessert involving candied bacon. The candied bacon dish doesn't seem to be on the menu at the moment, but it was really good. It was a sweet, salty, and smoky combination that I'd never had before, and it was also a very creative idea, which made it fun to try.
After a long week of traveling and meetings, I was looking to make something I'd never done before, without getting cooking burnout before the much anticipated Thanksgiving cook-fest (or should it be feast). Somehow, candied bacon came to mind. (I think my mind was jogged after telling some friends about James on Friday night).
I did a bit of Internet (do we still capitalize Internet?) research and found out that candied bacon seemed to be pretty easy. Just combine brown sugar and bacon and bake. Here's a look at what I did:
I used slices of center cut bacon (regular thickness), placing them in a Pyrex pan covered in tin foil.
I covered each slice with light brown sugar and then placed it in a 400 degree oven. After about 10 minutes I turned them over, cooking for another 8-10 minutes. You want them to be crispy (not chewy!) when dry.
I then placed the pieces of bacon on my drying rack (a great new purchase, by the way) and let them cool for 20 minutes or so.
The candied bacon turned out great, and it was pretty easy to make. Even my wife, a timid meat eater, loved it. As expected, the whole idea of candied bacon does not sound appetizing to many (I told some of my friends at church this morning, and the response was very mixed). Nonetheless, I recommend you try it. It would be a great party treat. In fact, I think I developed a great way to serve it more elegantly. (No, it's not yet bacon ice cream, though I hope that happens soon). I'll leave you with the suspense for now. I'll be back soon with an update. To good food . . .
After a long week of traveling and meetings, I was looking to make something I'd never done before, without getting cooking burnout before the much anticipated Thanksgiving cook-fest (or should it be feast). Somehow, candied bacon came to mind. (I think my mind was jogged after telling some friends about James on Friday night).
I did a bit of Internet (do we still capitalize Internet?) research and found out that candied bacon seemed to be pretty easy. Just combine brown sugar and bacon and bake. Here's a look at what I did:
I used slices of center cut bacon (regular thickness), placing them in a Pyrex pan covered in tin foil.
I covered each slice with light brown sugar and then placed it in a 400 degree oven. After about 10 minutes I turned them over, cooking for another 8-10 minutes. You want them to be crispy (not chewy!) when dry.
I then placed the pieces of bacon on my drying rack (a great new purchase, by the way) and let them cool for 20 minutes or so.
The candied bacon turned out great, and it was pretty easy to make. Even my wife, a timid meat eater, loved it. As expected, the whole idea of candied bacon does not sound appetizing to many (I told some of my friends at church this morning, and the response was very mixed). Nonetheless, I recommend you try it. It would be a great party treat. In fact, I think I developed a great way to serve it more elegantly. (No, it's not yet bacon ice cream, though I hope that happens soon). I'll leave you with the suspense for now. I'll be back soon with an update. To good food . . .
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)