STIR THE POTS

Torta Espanola rapide...or Penlope's

 

 

 

Sometimes I wake up and crave something that reminds me of a moment or even a movie? Like deja vu. It happened to me today before I set off to work, deciding what to have for breakfast. Just a  few weeks ago I had recorded Jamon, Jamon, Luna Biga's movie about some pretty screwy people that swing hams and eat tortas. It stars Javier Bardem and Penelope Cruz. There are some funny and titillatingly food  related scenes, one featuring Penelope's nipples compared to the delicate flavor of Torta Espanola. 

Hmmm...close your eye's and  imagine.

Well, typical for me I was running late for work, and truthfully not looking forward to a busy lunch and dinner service! So to get me going I brewed a coffee (organic, I might add self-righteously! - though it's really really tasty too), when my attention turned to  the fridge in which were living a variety of different levain specimens: a little pineapple, some Greek yogurt.....hmmm it's cold out and I wouldn't mind an egg I thought! I pulled out the veg drawer and there were some onions, a couple of potatoes and garlic, and then it hit me! Yes, Penelope's Torta I thought! Oh, that lucky Javier Bardem, I wonder if she still cooks them for him?

Torta Espanola

Basic recipe, no brainer really!

I sweated the onions, potatoes and garlic with some olive oil. Slowly as not to brown or
burn them, then I seasoned with salt and pepper, a couple pinches of pimenton picante, beat the three eggs and slowly moved in the egg to the center of the pan, trying to make a nice shape. I haphazardly flipped the torta, and let it finish on the otherside and turned off the flame!

Basic ingredients:
1 or two small potatoes small dice about a 1/4 inch square, waxy or even yukon would be sweet!
1 medium onion small dice, I used a red one, no white around, your choice?
1 clove of garlic minced
2-3 Tablespoons olive oil, hey add more if you feel like you got cajones!(It is a Spanish dish!)
pinch or two of Pimenton

3-4 eggs, depends how many people you got over, I use vegetarian and free range eggs!(Criollo)

A saute or cast iron pan, I used my wifes non-stick as I was too lazy to pull out the cast iron!

You can serve with whatever gets your goat really, I had some fine sourdough I had baked the other night, or try some Chorizo!

Steamy Kitchen and Gild the Voodoolily

Ever since I joined the foodie blog roll , I have been getting some traffic nibbles from lots of different sorts of places! One I especially like is Steamy Kitchen  a fantastic site with all sorts of tasty things, including the author! Mother of two and awesome photographer, but most of all inspirational cook! Jaden makes asian cooking look simple, mouth watering and definite food porn make it a great visit! Her shoot from the hip style is great and something I notice a lot from women bloggers, no nonsense and sense of freedom that blogging gives people! So please try a dish or two and don't forget to bring your sriracha sauce, start a fire, don't put it out!

Attitude

Gild the Voodoolily is another good one, Heather is a brash and frank cook who has that kind of, "I knew someone like you in high school sort of style!" Her imaginative food and drinking choices are not always healthy, but she is a great read on those tense or boring day's in the office, don't let your boss find you lurking too long! I even made her pear galette for a massive party and someone liked it so much were doing it again on Monday!

You women rock!

 

John Downes

  John Downes is by far one of the most interesting bread bakers or should I say human beings I have talked to in a long time...no ever! I first heard about him from my friend Graham Prichard of the ABA, and was intrigued that I hadn't heard of his book The Natural Tucker. Foremost  that he is considered the modern godfather of sourdough renaissance in Australia. Like a karmic mantra my copy of the book arrived the same day of the interview and I tried to absorb as much in a short window to catch some sort of insight. John not only  is modern philosopher, but ancient baker and an articulate speaker. He is able to  convey and deliver the message that I feel are important in this time of history, with human, environmental changes effecting our mind, spirit and diet. My questions were answered especially those of the fermented kind! You wouldn't think of bread as intellectual subject till you speak with John, but you realize it's human connection from it's mysterious appearance when it was first discovered in Egypt. Maybe because so many people just eat it without thinking about it's process or how it relates to our core human value system, or from grain to mill, to baker and finally the table, bread is the story of humans. Some think John is a sourdough purist, nothing wrong with the real thing?

(*While listening you may hear an echo on my voice, technological glitch on my part! I decided with John agreeing that the conversation was too good to lose so I kept what we had and edited as best we could!)

Click to listen Podcast

 

 

Desem, my first try in a pot!

I baked a desem miche today, even though we had a death in the family. The desem levain was getting up to strength when I fed it late yesterday for a total of 16 hours. I then made the dough and it would of been a good four hours when I would of sent it into the banneton but we had to go to the vets,tack on about and extra 2 hours and the thing was coming out of the bowl! I formed it into a boule, made some Vietnamese summer rolls for dinner and decided to put my creuset pot into action. I wanted to see if the old Jim Lahey wasn't pulling my leg, and cranked on the oven full heat!
When the dough had risen, I popped the loaf in rather haphazardly and it tipped onto the cut side, so I did a cooks quick pull back minding the fingers and wrists! and it was back in the pot the right way up! On the edge of the pot were marks from the wicker bannetons flour pattern, this isn't for the faint hearted!
I pushed back the loaf, topped the lid and closed the door! A half hour later I took out the loaf and was quite pleased at it's light feel and wonderful wheat aroma!

So I will try on my next Desem run to perhaps use the levain but maybe mix in different flours, morphing as my friend Theresa calls it!

And before we say goodbye, below are some ads from our sponsors. Some are just text, others part of the video. Please click as every click is a few pennies to keep us going. Thanks for visiting.

Dynamite roll aka Imperial roll or goi cuon

When I go to my favorite Vietmamese restaurant in China town, Nha Trang, I usually order a couple of dynamite rolls,(due to the garlic chive sticking out at the end of the roll!), it's a name my brother coined and it's stuck. They are Goi cuon or Imperial rolls which are the more common name or even summer roll. Whatever you call them or fill them with your bound to be satisfied.

Dynamite rolls

You can't really call this a recipe with lots of measuring, this is sort of free form and hands on, literally and generalized. So make as much mise en place you want or need and just roll with it!

Ingredients: For two hungry people! (make extra for friends and neighbors!)

About a 1/4 lbs. Shrimp, cooked (boiled, perhaps with some lemon grass for flavor as suggested by a fellow blogger!)

A couple of leaves of iceberg lettuce finely chiffonade

1Carrots julienned

1 Small daikon radish julienned

4-5 five leaves each of mint and cilantro leaves

Rice thread noodles, soaked in hot water for ten minutes and drained.I just took a small bunch of threads and cut them in half when I started putting the rolls together!

Rice paper: Two pieces per roll moistened in water and set on a damp towel so they don't stick

(Sauce is based Loosely on Jaden's recipe)

Sauce is made with peanut butter, hoisin sauce, garlic, chili garlic sauce and sugar with water to thin out a bit.

Mince garlic cloves 3-4, heat a sauce pan with about 1 tsp oil and lightly saute till golden. Add in a tblsp. of sugar, 1 tblsp of peanut butter, (I had organic of course!) about 5 tblsp of hoisin sauce and 1 tblsp of chili garlic sauce like my favorite brand,Sriracha. Then add about a quarter cup added to thin sauce out, I brought it too a boil and then cooled it in my window sill!

Rolling:

Have a clean kitchen towel spread out, lay two soaked rice paper down and proceed to layer ingredients at the lower end of the circle of rice paper. You can start with whatever you prefer, when finished with ingredients, roll the paper over the ingredients tightly, but careful not to tear! Fold in both sides and continue rolling until finished at the end of the paper. You can cut them in half or just devour them whole!

And before we say goodbye, below are some ads from our sponsors. Some are just text, others part of the video. Please click as every click is a few pennies to keep us going. Thanks for visiting.

Kika

Today was a sad day, we had to euthanise our cat Kika.She had been diagnosed with pancreatic cancer last year and we didn't give her much of a chance, but she managed with some pills that let her regain some strength and a little more time. We got this little cat from a pet store just 12 years ago when we moved to this apartment we still inhabit. Over those 12 years she has been a source of love and sometimes companion while I cooked in the kitchen, I will sincerely miss her meows, her purring and just her wonderful and precocious manner! (Her name came from the Almodovar film "Kika")

Rest in peace Kika.

Public slight return

A while back I promised  Chef Brad Farmerie I would bake a Miche for  him, Lazy baker that I am I haven't yet, but I visited his restaurant last night with some friends and my Sous-chef.

Public is a great restaurant and Brad is a great host. He has the pulse of  world cooking, the ingredients range from chorizo, chinese broccoli, Tasmanian sea trout, boniato to name a few of the world ingredients that are sprinkled through out his menu. His wonderful wine list are now showcased in his new "The Monday Room" with tasting dishes provided from his kitchen.

My Sous-chef and I were curious to try the wasabi and boniato, since we borrowed the idea for our current menu.As a chef once told me steal with your eye's and your ears, thanks Brad! Still want to know about the quinoa croquettes and Peter Gordon already clued me in on the quinoa hash!

It's intimidating to say the least to not drool or scratch your head when looking over the menu, so many choices you could go with, but they offer an exquisite tasting menu at a good price. Everyone at the table was a bit challenged by some of the raw items,so we went for a la carte, as well because I like to have a larger choice!

Appetizers

Butternut squash soup with spiced marshmallow, crispy chick peas and pumpkin seed oil

Mushroom ceviche with miso aubergines and ginger ponzu sauce

Salad of herby lentils, green beans, avocado, toasted pecans & baby gem with pomegranate molasses and avocado oil vinaigrette

Marinated white anchovies on quinoa croquettes with spicy saffron aioli

Grilled scallops with sweet chili sauce, creme fraiche, and green plantain crisps

Fried Barron Point oysters with shiso, sansho pepper, and wasabi-yuzu dipping sauce

Cured wild boar with Garrotxa cheese, marinated olives and caper berries

Pan-seared foie gras on spiced french toast with pineapple chutney, maple glaze and crispy bacon

Grilled kangaroo on a coriander falafel with lemon-tahini sauce and green pepper relish

Main course

Truffled beet and ginger risotto with a rocket, cotija and hijiki salad

Baked cod with sepia, long beans, cipollini onions, and chorizo emulsion

Pan-seared Tasmanian sea trout with vanilla celeriac puree, Chinese broccoli and saffron quince compote

Pan-seared New Zealand snapper on wasabi-boniato mash with poached conch, pickled ginger, and yao choy

Roast duck breast, citrus-soy kimchee, daikon puree and confit duck gyoza

Roast lamb sirloin on crispy goats cheese polenta with saffron braised baby vegetables and harissa aioli

Snail and oxtail ravioli with pickled shiitake mushrooms, oven dried tomatoes, pea shoots and smoked paprika oil

Pan-seared New Zealand venison, purple potato hash, minted pea puree, Yorkshire pudding, and espresso hollandaise

Sides

Steamed edamame


Green leaf salad


Roasted brussels sprouts with maple and vegemite glaze

Sweet potato and miso mash

We ordered a great Shiraz from the Yarra valley, Greenpoint. Our waiter Chris, happened to be from that area and was really knowledgeable and helpful throughout the meal!

So I  started it out with the cured wild boar with Gaxrotta cheese wild caper berries and olives. The dish is wonderful, the wild boar sliced thinly and the caper berries marry so well with the Gaxrotta cheese, fabulous!

The photo's are from a wine tasting dinner that Brad did  at The James Beard house. Usually I like to take my own pictures but I felt a bit self conscious  taking photo's in the restaurant, so you won't see my main course which was perfectly cooked and light. The main was a duck breast with kimchee and fried gyoza which went really well with the wine and was polished off without hesitation! Though the portions looked small we were just fine and left I would say full! It's better leaving wanting a bit more, that way you want to come back again!

My Sous-chef had the Oxtail and snail ravioli, which some of the squeamish at our table  were  quite surprised after tasting how good they were, besides they are supposed to be an aphrodisiac.

My dessert was that classic English sticky toffee pudding with an Armagnac ice cream, very light and not at all sweet, I often use it for work for parties because it is so good!

I went to the kitchen to thank Mason, Brads Sous for a job well done, wonderful food nice restaurant!

Go to Public and try it!

Juan Arache

Juan Arache is a neighbor of mine who teaches cake decorating at his shop here in Sunnyside,at the Sugar Room. My wife first told me about  his store one day and payed for a decorating class for me to attend along with several chatty women, I was the only male student of course ! The class was based on the Wilton decorating method with a lot of input and experience from Juan's years of cake decorating as well as his secret weapon, the over the top Dominican cake which made for constant gaggle amongst my fellow classmates. You see the Dominican cake is the rage here in New York, amongst office parties and has even hit the Anglo's for a loop. The cake is sold by the pound (a lost in translation sort of thing, which Juan explains), and is a rich pound cake and Juan knowing full well everyone wants to
make it rather than pay for it put it in his curriculum as an incentive to join! For a while I wanted to speak to this soft spoken and very dedicated craftsman, he follows the old school traditions of using his hands and heart to create the perfectly decorated cake for any occasion! Juan is also active in his community contributing weekly in El Diario, where he can introduce flavors of the Latin American pantry while living in the American perspective.

Podcast Click to listen

Mother Teresa, Northwest sourdough

Recently I was googling for desem formulas, desem is a levain that was developed by a family of Flemish bakers, it has a strong rise and noted for it's mild not so sour flavor. When I happened on an old forum mate from Graham Prichards sourdough.au site, Teresa the Northwest sourdough maven and baker extraordinaire! I made pretext to comment on her post on desem, when she replied pointing out  the direction of her well described method for making this rather tedious levain, best thing was she offered to send me a sample of her own stock desem! So it's arrived and I set the wheels in motion and got the sample fed and it's sitting in my bag of whole wheat flour, I just feel like peeking!

Thanks Theresa, I think I'll send you a sample of some granny smith apple starter to you as soon as I figure out how to make as beautiful a package that you sent me!

Chocolate, caramel pear tart

I was thinking of using a recipe for chocolate tart from when I worked with my Chef Jean-Michel Bergounoux at Restaurant Raphael for a party coming up. His version was a hazelnut sable with a piped in sort of chocolate hazelnut appareil that is baked until just cooked and finished with a very loose ganache then put back into the oven for a shiny finish, wonderful, no intoxicating flavor! Being somewhat curious and wanting to change rather than reach back for the obvious old favorite I opted to make instead a chocolate dough filled with some dulce de leche and covered with a dark chocolate ganache infused with cayenne pepper and topped with some caramelized pear, sort of a Poire belle Helene slant? The taste was deep chocolate, I used valrhona cocoa powder for the dough and it is a rich flavor indeed! Blind baked for 15 minutes, then when still warm filled with a bit of dulce de leche that I had made from condensed milk boiled in a pot for about 2 hours, not a method preferred by David Lebovitz for fear of exploding cans, but who has time for stirring sugar and milk for hours like my mother in-law used to do in a copper kettle! Finally the ganache was poured and chilled in the fridge till set.

Tart dough:

340g A.P. Flour
113g cocoa
113g Confectioners sugar
225g soft butter
1egg
1 pinch salt

350 F
Dough:
Beat sugar and butter in mixer till airy, add egg mix and scrape sides of the bowl.Continue mixing till egg is fully incorporated add in dry ingredients, mix until dough forms, remove and cover in plastic wrap until chilled for one hour.

Ganache:
340g Heavy cream
2tsp butter
225g chocolate
pinch of chili

Heat cream, add chili and cover chocolate. Give small swirls from center out till chocolate and cream are mixed through finally adding in the butter till incorporated.

Dulce de Leche:
1 can condensed milk
Put can in a deep pot covered in water and bring to boil, lower heat to a gentle rolling boil for 2 hours. Remove let cool for several hours, open can with can opener.

Roasted pear:
4 Pears (peeled and cored)
1/4 cup of sugar
2 Tbsp. butter

Put butter and sugar along with pears into a pan cut side up. Roast for about 10-15 minutes until they begin to caramelize, turning and finishing on the cut side till soft when pierced with a knife, cool.

Assembling:
Roll dough  about a quarter of an inch thick with a rolling pin, fill into tart rings dock and blind bake for about 10 minutes with weights. Remove weights (I used beans and a little aluminum foil) and return to oven until dough is baked through. Add dulce de lechem, about a teaspoon or two full into still war shells. Smooth out filling until even. Cover with ganache set in refrigerator the and cut a sliver of cooled roasted pear on top for garnish.