Mise en place

Pronounced "Meez-ahn Plahs" this isn't just a clever French phrase meaning "everything in its place" its a cooking philosophy that, if followed, will change your life.  Heck, its a great method for living life, but I digress!  Mise en place at first seems unnecessary and even fussy but it will make you prepared, confident, and effiicient in the kitchen.  Here are a couple of tips specific to the mise en place philosophy: 

1) Read the recipe ALL THE WAY THROUGH before you begin!  Nothing is worse than starting your dinner recipe and realizing the chicken should marinade overnight. 

2) Make sure you have the right tools- a pastry cutter and a potato masher are not the same tool.  Why do I know this?  Dry herbs and fresh herbs aren't as interchangable as you might think.

3) At the heart of mise en place philosophy is the prep work.  Chop everything ahead of time and have your ingredients measured and at your side before you begin cooking. 

     * Put each ingredient on a plate or in a bowl - combine ingredients that will be cooked at the same time 

     * Cover ingredients that need refrigeration and store them there until ready

     * To keep ingredients from drying out while you're prepping, place a damp paper towel over the dish

        you've stored them in

Here's a great example of mise en place in action for the Mushroom Soup recipe:

Soup - The Ultimate Comfort Food

Mushroom & Chestnut Soup

Let's face it, mushroom soup conjures up thoughts of that gelatinous, condensed stuff your mom put in 1980's casseroles. This is NOT that soup!  The leaves are falling, the air is chill, and the ingenious mixture of mushrooms and chestnuts make this a perfect comfort food.  The addition of celeriac, yes - celery root, will blow you away!  Never worked with celeriac?  Never fear!  If you've chopped a potato, you're ready to meet this tuber.  Its ugly, I won't deny it, but it provides the perfect flavoring for this soup without the stringy texture you associate with actual celery.  Simply cut the top and bottom and peel the skin to reveal a lovely firm, white root vegetable. 



Celeriac (Celery Root)

 

Chopped Celeriac



On to the chestnuts.  I use a bottled variety but have also used vacuum-packed in a box.  Both varieties can be found in the baking section of most grocery stores.  They don't taste great by themselves but add a nice richness to this soup.

Recipe Riff:

Alcohol: while this recipe calls for brandy in the soup and a grappa cream on top, I've made this many times without the alcohol and love the sober version.

Pancetta: substitute 4-6 slices of raw bacon, chopped

Shallots: substitute 1 medium yellow onion, chopped

Leave this soup a little chunky as the bits give a fabulous texture.

Serving:

Serve ith a sprig of thyme or sage leaf on top as mushroom soup can appear piqued by itself. Serve this soup as a first course to a chicken dinner or with a crusty loaf of bread and a lightly dressed green salad as a winter supper.

Mustard Glazed Tuna with Shallot Cream

Mustard Seared Tuna with Shallot Cream

If you've only tried the packed-in-water-and-canned variety, you've been missing out.  Tuna is delicious fresh or previously frozen and can now be found in most grocery stores. Its such a hearty fish, you only need a portion smaller than the palm of your hand to feel satisfied.  Fresh tuna can be marinaded in anything and really takes on the flavors of the dish.  I prefer it pink through the center as cooking it through can cause it to be dry.

Chinese Spinach - Courtesy of the Edmonds, WA Saturday Market

I paired this tuna dish with a side of wilted greens.  I saw this vibrant green and red spinach at the farmer's market and had to try it.  The end result turns very red but tastes fantastic.  The secret to any great green is bacon fat and vinegar.  The bacon fat adds flavor and the vinegar cuts the bitterness you associate with greens. 

Wilted Greens with Bacon and Vinegar 
2 large bunches of any green - kale, spinach, mustard greens, etc. washed with stems removed.
1/2 lb. thinly sliced bacon, chopped
1 small onion, chopped
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/4 cup water

Use a deep pan for this recipe as the spinach takes up a lot of room but will cook down quickly.  Fry the chopped bacon until crispy.  Remove from the pan with a slotted spoon and allow to drain on a paper towel.  Using the existing bacon grease, saute the onions until soft and slightly caramelized.  The pan will be dark on the bottom.  Deglaze the pan with the vinegar and scrape up any brown bits from the bottom.  Put all the spinach in at once and stir to coat with onions and liquid.  Add the water and cover to steam on low for 2 min.  Once greens are wilted, remove from the heat and add the crispy bacon.  Serve hot or at room temperature.

The BEST cheesecake to ever grace my tongue!

Honey Ricotta Cheesecake

Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar

I am not a baker.  Baking requires too much chemistry, too much precision and I am much too impatient for it.  Before a concert in Seattle one night, we were trying to get into the very hip, very now, The Walrus and the Carpenter but they don't take reservations and we couldn't wait an hour.  (I've still heard great things about them!).  Instead we went around the corner to the less known, but equally fabulous Staple and Fancy where we were seated at the bar immediately.  At the bar, you get to see the action.  I love to watch the kitchen preparations the sweating, slicing, and saucing - we got to witness it all.  The Staple and Fancy had a great chef's tasting menu that they wouldn't (couldn't?) even describe to you because it was presented at the whim of the chef.  So we ordered and dug in.  The first "course" was actually seven dishes all fantastic on their own, but more fun because they exceeded expectations in sheer quantity.  The rest of the meal went well, everything great.  The crowning glory was dessert.  The most luscious, creamy, light, ricotta cheesecake I could imagine.  Topped with fresh figs and some kind of sauce I couldn't identify...balsamic reduction, perhaps? 

What I'm presenting here in no way replicates that experience but this recipe is a darn good substitute!  Its something different than the heavy cheesecake we're used to.  The crust is made of biscotti and the ricotta gives a light fluffy texture to this cheesecake.  Instead of figs, I used Ina Garten's balsamic strawberries recipe which is the most amazing find on its own.  You have no idea what strawberries, balsamic vinegar, and black pepper will do to your taste buds.  Try it!

Recipe Riff:

For the cheesecake crust I used 2 boxes of Nonni's Original Biscotti that I found in the cookie isle at Central Market.  The biscotti is essential but don't use anything covered in chocolate or flavored with coffee.

With Ina's Balsamic Strawberries, I used a much smaller amount:  1 pint strawberries, 2 Tablespoons sugar, 3 Tablespoons Balsamic vinegar, 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper.  These only last 3 days maximum in the refrigerator, but are good if you make them an hour in advance so they can marinade.

Prosciutto Wrapped Scallops

These prosciutto-inspired recipes both came from a cooking episode Giada did on the Today show.  I watched it on mute since I work from home, but went to the website for the full recipe.  Prosciutto is wonderful stuff if you want all the flavor of bacon without the fat.  Its a little hard to work with because its always sliced thin.  Its best to take it immediately from the refrigerator and try to work with it cold. Its cured so you can eat it right out of the package or it can be chopped and added to any dish.  I love the method Giada mentions on the show - baked until crispy and used as a topping in soup, salads, or pasta dishes.

Recipe Riff:
Use large scallops and they can be frozen prior but thawed before cooking.  Don't use the tiny quarter-sized scallops for this recipe.

With a knife, slice the prosciutto down the center length-wise.  A whole piece overwhelms even a large scallop.  Otherwise, follow the recipe as written.  15 min. in the oven is enough even for large scallops.

Capellini al Forno (Baked Angel Hair Pasta with Prosciutto & Smoked Mozzarella)

This was my favorite of the episode...Italian comfort food like mama used to make.  Cheesy goodness with no redeeming nutritional value.  I would recommend this as a side dish to a lovely GREEN salad instead of the main course.  It does have some "wow factor" but is a caloric splurge.  Don't skip the marinara sauce on the side, it cuts the richness of the cheese.

Recipe Riff:
I used 3/4 box of angel hair pasta and broke it in half before cooking so I could manage it better.  I only did two layers of ingredients starting with bread crumbs then pasta, prosciutto, cheese and then another layer of pasta, prosciutto, and cheese.  I topped with more breadcrumbs mixed with Parmesan and dolloped some butter around the top. 

I baked mine in a spring-form pan as the recipe indicates, but you'll want to cover the bottom in foil since the butter drips onto the oven floor and burns there smoking and smelling awful.  Lesson learned.

This recipe would be so much fun for appetizers and could easily be done in one of those mini-muffin tins with just one layer of ingredients topped with breadcrumbs.  I would break the pasta in smaller pieces before cooking.  Someone try this and tell how it worked!

Beef Tenderloin Roast with Horseradish Cream

Your cooking evolves over time and things you never thought you'd try last year, suddenly become inspiration for dinner tonight.  This one came from and old issue of Food & Wine from August 2010.  I'd never tried beef tenderloin but thought it must be like any other roast and easy to find.  Perusing Central Market I found every cut of meat except the large tenderloin roast this recipe called for.  Central Market has a great meat / seafood department with knowledgeable staff who are willing to cut, skin, de-bone, or recommend a cooking method for anything they sell.  Often they'll ask me what I'm making and give me the best gift - validation!  If you have a great butcher, or a store with an exceptional meat department, ask their advice especially when it comes to possible substitutions.  It turns out that a beef tenderloin roast isn't part of the displayed offerings, but it is one of their standard cuts and they can have it ready for you in just a few minutes.  Be prepared for the sticker shock and only get what you really think you'll eat.  This amount of meat could easily feed 6 - 8 people.

The recipe can't be found online so here are the directions with my own modifications:
Beef Tenderloin Roast
One 2-3 lb. beef tenderloin roast
1/4 cup very coarsely ground black pepper
salt
vegetable oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Cut the tenderloin in half crosswise.  Rub each piece generously (sides and ends) with pepper to create a good crust. Season with salt and rub with vegetable oil.  Sear the roasts in a cast iron pan over high head for 8 minutes turning so you sear each side including the cut ends.  Transfer the pan and roasts to the oven and insert a thermometer.  Roast 30-40 min. or until the thermometer reads 120 for rare or 130 for a medium rare roast.  The key to tenderness on this roast is allowing for some good pink in the middle so don't over cook.  Once they've come to desired temperature, remove from the oven and lloosely cover the pan with foil to allow the roasts to rest for 30 min.  Slice in thin rounds.  This roast can be eaten warm but its even better served cold with horseradish cream.

Horseradish Cream
1 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish
3 tablespoons mayonnaise
a few drops of red wine vinegar to taste
salt to taste

Well Traveled Finger Food

Spoiler Alert: concert buddies read at your own risk! 

I went crazy this weekend trying recipes for an up-coming concert-in-the-park evening with friends.  I was looking for recipes that could be eaten cold or at room temperature straight off the skewer.   While these recipes came from my own cookbook collection – all can be found online proving once again that COOKBOOKS ARE OBSOLETE and a great recipe can come from any source!  Chances are, even your favorite family recipe can be found online.  If not, it’s time to share it with the world!  I hit 3 out of 4 in this marathon culinary event.

Shrimp with Green Chili Pesto

 

There are a million ways to make pesto this one calls for green chilies in place of the basil.  They add a great tanginess perfect for shrimp.  The finished shrimp are fabulous hot but great even cold the next day.  My photo shows them cold since the theme is finger food that travels.  I put these on small bamboo skewers but you could use toothpicks or place 2-3 on a longer skewer as a single serving.

Spanish Meatballs with Almond Sauce 

These need to be made either right before your picnic or reheated before traveling so they can be served warm or at room temperature.  The almond sauce is creamy goodness so serve these with crusty bread.  

Recipe Riffs:

Meat – the recipe calls for beef or lamb but I used ground pork which worked equally well

Bread – I used 3 slices of a medium sized French loaf.  I toasted them lightly and only dunked them in water instead of soaking for 5 min.  Rip the bread into tiny pieces with your fingers

Spanish olive oil can be replaced by any good olive oil

Dry white wine can be replaced by 2/3 cup additional vegetable broth and another squeeze of lemon juice while cooking

Freshly grated nutmeg is the best but you can use the bottled version

Salmon in Mojo Sauce

I’m not done yet!  The mojo sauce in this recipe is just charmoula in disguise (see July).  I had run out of cumin so I used Mexican chili powder which contains a little cumin.  The sauce turned very RED and mixed with oil this can be a deadly combination!  Provide long skewers and watch your clothing…

Recipe Riffs:

Ground Cumin – I used Mexican chili powder in a pinch and it turned out great