Spring Cleaning, Cooking & Reading

Like many people do this time of year, I've recently been doing a lot of purging in an attempt to rid my living space of extra clutter. Does anything feel better than that??

One area that required a significant purge was my library. As a voracious reader, my pre-Kindle book collection was large and starting to take over my living space.  I've always felt deeply connected with my books and loved having them around, but it was time to clean house. So what books to keep and which ones to give away?

It's not surprising that most of the books I kept were my cookbooks. As I wrote about in my Kindles and Cookbooks post, there are just some things which cannot be read on an e-reader. (For the record, I also kept my Bill Simmons' autographed copies of Now I Can Die in Peace and The Book of Basketball, my Hunter S. Thompson collection, The Great Gatsby, The Sun Also Rises and a few other books I couldn't part with).

Of the cookbooks that "made the cut" there have been a few recent additions to my collection that I've been referencing time and again ideas, techniques and inspiration.

Ruhlman's twenty essential cooking techniques that all
home chefs should master. 

• Ruhlman's Twenty: 20 Techniques, 100 Recipes, a Cook's Manifesto: I can confidently say this is the only cookbook you will probably ever need. Not only are Michael Ruhlman's recipes easy to follow, you'll walk away have a depth of appreciation and understanding for how everyday ingredients like salt, eggs and water can transform your dishes, and the science behind it.
  
  
• The Family Meal: Home Cooking with Ferran Adria: Before every shift at El Bulli, the servers and chefs would convene for their staff meal. Long considered one of the world's best restaurants until it closed in 2011, you have to wonder, what type of food would be served? The book documents the "family meal" recipes -- an eclectic collection of comforting, simple and satisfying three-course meals.
  
  
• Momofuku: I'm going to be honest here, I haven't actually cooked anything out of this book yet, although the Momofuku ramen is on my list of 2013 cooking resolutions (see some of my past resolutions here). What keeps me coming back to this book is David Chang's stories about his journey as a chef, which are interspersed throughout the cookbook along with insights on what ingredients and places inspire him.
    

If you're looking for a little spring inspiration, I encourage you to check out these books or perhaps take a fresh look at your own collection.  

 

Souffle Fears...Conquered?

This past weekend I attempted my first souffle. I definitely had some reservations about taking on this dish; visions of deflated souffles danced in my head.

Savory goodness

I'm happy to report that my first souffle was actually....well pretty damn delicious. While I didn't get as much of the signature souffle lift as I had hoped, the texture and flavor were spot on. Served with a peppery arugula salad, the savory gruyere souffle was the perfect Sunday brunch at home.

Nonetheless, making one souffle does not an expert make. I still have a number of questions, mainly:

1. Is there such a thing as over-whipping egg whites?
2. How long does a souffle really need to bake for? And why does every recipe have a different temperature and time?
3. Why is it so hard to not open the oven door when the souffle is cooking?
4. Why does anything with melted gruyere taste so perfect?
5. When would it be socially acceptable to make and eat another souffle - ideally chocolate?

These are just a few questions I'm looking forward to getting to the bottom of.

In the meantime though, I won't be too quick to dismiss a seemingly challenging recipe from David Tanis, Saveur or the like. If there's anything this venture taught me, it's that - like with most things in life - it's good to go out of your comfort zone every now again. 99 percent of the time you end up surprising yourself and that's always a good thing.

Souffle Fears

Late last year, I outlined my 2012 cooking resolutions. As of today, all but one - the souffle - have been attempted.

Avid readers of this blog know that my last foray into my cooking resolutions (making homemade pasta) was met with a number of...ahem...challenges. See The Time I Made Pasta and it Turned to Mush for more details on that particular cooking debacle.

This weekend, I'll be tackling my final cooking resolution heads on and making a savory souffle with nutty gruyere. Armed with an excellent recipe from Michael Ruhlman's Twenty (a book every cook needs to own - more on that later) and my trusted Kitchenaid mixer, I'm hopeful things will come together...or at least be edible.

I'm not going to lie; I'm pretty intimidated to attempt this notoriously fickle dish. If you have any words of wisdom, tips or ideas, leave a comment and let me know.

In the meantime, I'll be studying this video and working to get perfectly peaked egg whites. This makes it look so easy doesn't it?

The Time I Made Pasta and it Turned to Mush

Before the pasta hit the water.
Things were looking up at this stage. 

The other night, I attempted to make homemade pasta and, a pound of flour later, things didn't turn out as planned.
It was a 2012 cooking resolution failure.

But in every failure, there are some key learnings...right??

I didn't learn much except for the fact that, while I might be skilled at some things (accessorizing, grammar and navigation), making pasta from scratch is not my strong skill. At least not yet, anyway...

I won't call these learnings, but I will call them some initial observations about my first foray into pasta making.

1. Pasta dough is fickle.
2. Making pasta is messy. I'm still finding flour in odd places in my kitchen.
3. Kneading pasta dough is hard work.
4. The act of kneading pasta dough can be quite therapeutic after a long Monday.
5. Pasta dough is very unforgiving.
6. I probably don't know what good pasta dough is supposed to look and feel like.
7. Sometimes you spend a lot of time making pasta and then it turns to mush in the final step.
8. Even though the texture might be off, if you put enough Pecorino on it, the pasta can be salvaged (or at least made edible).
9. I will never look at fresh made pasta the same every again.
10. I will appreciate fresh made pasta much more that I ever did before.

Do you have homemade pasta making tips? If so, leave me a comment and let me know. I need all the help I can get!

Dim Sum at Home

Pork and shrimp & cilantro shumai in a
bamboo steamer. 

A few months ago, I wrote my 2012 cooking resolutions, one being to explore asian flavors and techniques. Today, I made dim sum at home, which included shrimp and pork shumai and pork dumplings.

Though time consuming, the process was easier than I thought and, surprisingly, pretty hard to mess up (always an excellent trait in any recipe).

In French cooking, onion, celery and carrot serve as the foundation to hundreds of different recipes. For asian cooking, I learned that garlic, ginger and green onions serve as a versatile base to many different asian dishes. Sesame oil, hoisin sauce, sriracha and soy sauce round out the other asian pantry essentials. When combined with fish, meat, poultry or vegetables, these ingredients come together to strike a careful balance of sweet, spicy, salty and savory in every bite.

Pork dumplings lightly seared before
steaming 

I used Mark Bittman's shrimp and cilantro shumai recipe as my guide. His recipe includes mixing together soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger and rice wine as the flavor base and dipping sauce. Half of the shrimp, cilantro and green onions are pureed in a food processor along with the sauce, and the other half is chopped coarsely, bringing together two distinct textures.

For the pork dumplings, I used this recipe from Kelsey Nixon, who recommends frying the dumplings in peanut or vegetable oil before steaming them.

The trickiest aspect of making dim sum at home is folding the dumpling wrappers. Some came out looking great, others looked like they had been run over by a car on Lake Shore Drive. Like anything, it apparently gets easier with practice. It also helps to bribe a friend or family member with promises of wine and homemade Chinese food to help with the shumai/dumpling assembly process.

Bittman offers some constructive advice in this video, although it made me feel better to remember that homemade dumplings are just that (and it's ok if they're not perfect).

       
If all else fails with dim sum at home, head south to Chinatown and spend a Saturday or Sunday morning at The Phoenix, which is almost as good as homemade.

Next up on the Drunken Goat's 2012 cooking resolutions? Fresh made pasta.

My Childhood Menu

Earlier this month I had the unique opportunity to eat at Next for its childhood menu (more on that in my Magic of Childhood post). Ever since, I've been thinking about the favorite meals and treats of my own childhood. If I were shaping the Childhood menu, what would be on it?

Fish and Chips at Next Childhood. Far more
glamorous than the fish sticks of my childhood,
but both equally delicious.

While some of these dishes, like the macaroni and cheese, were captured beautifully at Next, everyone has their own meals that defined their childhood.

In retrospect, my childhood menu would look a little something like this:

• Macaroni and cheese out of the blue box (also known as Kraft Dinner). To this day, this is still a staple in my pantry.
• Grilled cheese and Campbell's tomato soup. Especially great with generously buttered bread and extra cheese.
• Lipton's Noodle Soup and Ritz crackers, each with a smear of cream cheese. My mom would make this for me when I was sick, and I still keep a box of noodle soup around for when I'm feeling under the weather.  
• Fish sticks with ketchup and mayonnaise dipping sauce. Loved it as a kid, but probably wouldn't be caught dead eating it today. 
• Yodels (frosted, cream-filled cakes). Ditto.  
• Swedish fish. Still one of my preferred movie theater treats.
• Pillsbury Cinnamon Rolls. Haven't had these in years, but I have no doubt they'd still be great on a Sunday morning. 

If you were writing the childhood menu, what would be on it? 

The Classics - Part 3: Beef Bourguignon

As I write this, my West Loop condo is filled with the smell of a slow roasting, bubbling dutch oven of beef bourguignon. With the temperature in Chicago hovering around 20 degrees, I love having something warm and comforting like this stewing slowly throughout the course of a lazy Sunday.

Like other classics covered on the Drunken Goat (roasted chicken and salad lyonnaise), beef bourguignon is surprisingly simple and relies of a few staple ingredients and techniques.

Also known as beef Burgundy (its place of origin), beef bourguignon is essentially french peasant food focused on braising the beef in red wine with vegetables, garlic and herbs. Frankly, I'm a fan of any recipe that requires an entire bottle of red wine!

There are many different recipes for beef bourguignon, some more complicated than others. I like this recipe from The Barefoot Contessa, which calls for braising pan-seared beef in a base of thick-cut applewood smoked bacon, garlic, onion, carrots, thyme, beef broth and an entire bottle of wine. Towards the end of cooking, add in mushrooms sauteed in butter and frozen pearl onions. The recipe calls for 90 minutes in the oven at 200 degrees, but I recommend letting it braise for at least 2 hours and then another hour on the stove. This will ensure the meat is absolutely fork tender.

Today I'm serving the beef bourguignon with a side of buttered egg noodles seasoned with fresh ground pepper, chives and parmesan cheese (an unexpected and wonderful idea from my lovely dining partner). However, it's also great with a simple starch such as mashed potatoes, rice or crusty, garlic-rubbed sourdough bread.

Happy winter comfort food eating from the Drunken Goat.

2012 Cooking Resolutions

When it comes to cooking, 2012 is looking to be an ambitious year for the Drunken Goat. Like anything in life, it's easy to get into a routine. There are standby recipes and dishes I come back to time and again. Roast chicken, salmon & spinach, a quick and easy pasta dish are all in frequent rotation (as is the midweek call to Butterfly for sushi and seaweed salad).

This time of year, people like to set ambitious resolutions to quit smoking, lose weight or stop hoarding emails. Ok, maybe that last one is just mine (I can't help it if I'm a digital hoarder).

So what do I want 2012 to hold in terms of food? Of course, there will be eating out (that's a given). But when it comes to cooking, there are a few aspirations I have for the year ahead.  

Image courtesy of Real Epicurean. 

Homemade Pasta: Daunting, messy and time-consuming? Sure thing. Delicious and often worth the work? Absolutely. In a perfect world, I'd move to Italy for a few months and learn the craft of pasta making. Until then, I guess a few winter Sundays hunkered down in my West Loop condo will have to do.

Authentic Asian: Doing more experimenting with Asian flavors and cooking techniques has long been a goal of mine, but truthfully, I've always been a bit intimidated. However, this recipe for shrimp and cilantro shumai from Mark Bittman changed my view and made me think, "Maybe, just maybe, I can make this work."

Soufflé: What's all the fuss about anyway? Something about collapsing egg whites?  Let's give it a shot.

Baking Fundamentals: I've had some impressive baking failures in recent years. In the pre-2004 era, my Dad (a longtime Yankees fan) always remarked how the Red Sox found "absolutely spectacular" ways to lose games. From salty cookies to muffins as dry as the desert to icing that slides off cupcakes, I've found some absolutely spectacular ways to fail at baking. 2012 will be the year I bond with my Kitchenaid and begin appropriately measuring flour and considering ingredient temperatures (both of which I now understand are fairly critical when it comes to baking).

Check back for periodic updates on how the Drunken Goat is tracking against these goals. One thing is for certain: there will be an epic souffle fail blog post in the future.

And finally, good luck to you on whatever goals, resolutions, hopes or aspirations you may have for the coming year (whether food related or not). Cheers!

Falling Back

The clocks have fallen back, the turkey has been eaten and the leftovers devoured. The cold Chicago wind is howling and rattling apartment windows. It's before the deep freeze of winter, and the buzz of the Christmas season is just starting to take hold.

This time of year, I always fall back to those things that are familiar and comforting. They are my winter traditions (but are great any time of year actually)...

It's coming.

...Roasting chicken on a Sunday. Braising short ribs for hours. Stocking up on soups, stews and sauces for the cold months (when going to the grocery store is simply not an option). Hunkering down in a cozy, candlelit wine bar. Entire weekends spent cooking and under blankets. Sipping whiskey. Reading a book in a weekend. Baking things both savory and sweet. Eating the same dinner you had as an eight year old (Campbell's tomato soup and grilled cheese). Not worrying about that summer detox diet.

When you consider this, a Chicago winter doesn't seem so daunting (at this point).

Blogger's Note: I reserve the right to completely revoke this blog post come February.

The Classics - Part 2: Roast Chicken

After many years of cooking at home, one dish I come back to time and again is roasted chicken. It's a classic and can be repurposed into a multitude of other dishes and cooking staples, like chicken stock.
When I started cooking, my roast chicken was either too dry, too overdone or simply not flavorful enough.

Over the years, and with some inspiration and help from the Ina Garten, The Barefoot Contessa, I've finally perfected my roasted chicken. As an aside, Ina has been roasting a chicken for her husband every Friday night for most of their 35-plus year marriage, so she's kind of an authority on the subject. Here's her recipe for Perfect Roast Chicken.

Here's how I do it:

Roast Chicken a la Drunken Goat

The Bird: If I can buy a bird at the local farmer's market or butcher, that's guaranteed to be more flavorful, tender and delicious than one bought at the store. If I'm buying from the grocery store, I always buy organic, free-range chicken. It's well worth the extra money and peace of mind. If you're not sure what I mean by that, please watch Food, Inc.

The Rub: Combine garlic, rosemary, thyme, sage, dry mustard, lemon juice, salt, pepper and olive oil. Slather on the bird liberally. I like to rub it underneath the skin to ensure it penetrates the meat.

The Stuffing: One or two quartered lemons, stuffed in the cavity of the bird. The aromatics of the lemon make it flavorful, and the juice keeps it moist from the inside.

The Wine: I pour several cups of wine into the bottom of the roasting pan, which also helps to keep the meat juicy. White wine - either the drinking kind or the cooking kind - works well. I tend to prefer the drinking kind for the reason that I'm able to enjoy a glass of wine or two while the chicken roasts.

The Heat: 350 degrees for about 90 minutes (or longer/shorter depending on the size of your bird).

Once the bird is done, let it sit for 10-15 minutes to allow the juices to redistribute. Carve and enjoy with mashed potatoes, greens or pretty much anything.

*******
For Part 1, check out an earlier post on Salade Lyonnaise. What classic dish should I write about next?

Kindles and Cookbooks

Wondering what the heck a party
cheese ball is? Look at 3 o'clock. 

Whenever I visit home, I always flip through my mom's 1974 edition of Betty Crocker's Cookbook that she received as a wedding shower gift from my Aunt Cheryl and Uncle Ken more than 35 years ago. I love looking at the retro recipes (fondue, party cheese balls) and always get a kick out of the book's overt references to keeping your man happy through food ("Nothing will warm your husband's heart quite like fresh baked muffins.") While Betty Crocker has evolved since 1974 (she has an iPhone app now, after all), it remains an absolute classic.

I will always own and acquire books, especially cookbooks. There are certain things that should never be viewed on a device. While I love the convenience of my kindle, you need to see the pictures in a cookbook, feel the pages, dog ear menu ideas and most definitely spill on it. This experience just can't be replaced.

Over the years, these are the books that I come back to time and again for inspiration, ideas or a quick gut check on cooking temperatures and techniques. These books have made it through multiple moves, kitchens and cities. It never feels like home until they are unpacked in the kitchen.

The Good Housekeeping Step-by-Step Cookbook: My sister Kim got this book for me when I started cooking in my early 20's. There isn't a season that goes by that I don't reference this book in some way. From tarts to roasts to soups to cakes, this book is a great primer and foundation on how to cook pretty much everything. I will own this book forever.
Favorite Recipe: Sugar cookies  -- a fail proof recipe for a holiday favorite

Barefoot Contessa: I like Ina Garten. I like that all of her recipes typically call for several sticks of butter and some sort of alcohol. I will forever be indebted to her for teaching me how to roast the perfect chicken. Not only are her books absolutely stunning, every recipe is delicious.
Favorite Recipe: Macaroni and cheese -- the mix of gruyere and cheddar makes this the ultimate comfort food. Ina recommends adding truffle butter or lobster for a luxurious way to "turn up the volume."

A Platter of Figs and Other Recipes: I originally bought this book for a friend as a birthday present. Once I started flipping through the recipes, I knew immediately that I'd need to get another copy and keep one for myself. Written by David Tanis of Chez Panisse, the recipes are deceptively simple.The book is organized into six thoughtfully crafted menus for every season of the year, with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients and small, flavorful details.
Favorite Recipe: Ricotta with honey - savory and sweet  and the perfect way to end a meal.

Put this dish in the oven at the start of an NFL Sunday,
and it will be ready for the Sunday night game. 

The Balthazar Cookbook: Written by the chefs de cuisine of the classic NYC bistro, the Balthazar Cookbook is one of the authorities on classic french cooking. It offers gorgeous pictures and (relatively) easy recipes of the restaurant's best-selling plats du jour.
Favorite Recipe: Braised short ribs - I opt to substitute beef stock for veal stock and let it braise in goodness for as long as I can stand it.

What cookbooks and recipes do you come back to time and again? Do you use your kindle or e-reader for new cookbooks? Leave a comment or send me an email, and I'll use your responses in a follow up post.