STIR THE POTS

Photo du jour, Ramps

Totally Tortilla

My brother, also a chef, once said "the egg is a perfect food in a shell." He's right. I've been cooking eggs a long time. Back in my army days, I cooked thousands of eggs a day. Later, I did the same working as a hotel breakfast cook. And then, of course, I've cooked a lot of eggs at home. One particular egg favorite is a tortilla Espanola, which is basically eggs, potatoes, and onion with lots of olive oil. When perfectly cooked, it makes for spherical golden goodness!

The tortilla is great, Spanish-style comfort food. For anytime, with any sort of accompaniment, hot or room temperature, snack or breakfast, lunch or even for tapas. My recipe is below.

 

 

Tortilla Espanola

3 scrambled eggs

2 waxy potatoes, diced into finger nail size, (your pinkie!)

1 small onion finley diced

Olive oil, copious amounts, but don't drown or deep fry!

Frying pan....

Salt, pepper, pimenton if your into smokey paprika?

This is just a general road map, try it, you'll really like the result!

Gökhan

My friend Gökhan Sökmen recently got in touch with me via Facebook. I'm a big admirer of his bread, and he seems to think mine make a passing grade. Anyway, apparently he was transplanted to Tokyo. The kid has talent. But as we know, Japan suffered a natural and man-made disaster. This is a shout out to him and, of course, a moment to remember those living in Japan.

Recently I had tried a formula he had made at my Turkish host and friend, Dilara Erbay. When I first attempted the bread while in Istanbul, I noticed the difference with his and mine. He pointed out a missing ingredient: carob molasses! This time, I used the molasses, and made my levained version with both rye and wheat in the starter mix, as well as a soaker of oats, sesame, flax and what I hand on hand: broccoli and alfalfa sprouting seeds. It worked.

 

Movements, dancing on the line....

Days are long in kitchens...they go into night! They make for moments of tension, heat...There's the slow, but fast,the methodical to half assed band aid and sometimes total pressure to perform...finesse, failure or resigned to biting the bit and fighting with all hands on or off deck!

This spring I find beauty in a new chicken! 

Make an old dish a new dish.

There's the spontaneity and just figure it out kind I haven't planned or even plucked or tweaked, I don't have time.

I don't have enough help, its just dig in and get the best you can while the bombs are flying! Then you get home late, you haven't eaten, snack, bed and then....back to the trenches!

   

Pain, photo for Saturday

 

 

 

Pea ravioli - spring menu

 

Above is a plate of spring pea agnolotti, a dish that captures the menu changes of this time of the year. We're well into March, the month when the harshness of winter starts to back down. Each afternoon the sun shines a bit later into the evening. These are the days when some vegetables are planted, while others, such as ramps, just start to bloom.

 

Sunday marks official start of Spring. We have moved into the transition. We recognize the cycles, the seasonal changes and our palate and plating are different. It's a precursor to the heat of warmer climate.  It's still not summer, but we have the welcome relief from the long chilly grasp of winter. Even the choices of harvest, still meager, will grow with the heat of the sun and the warming of the earth, a thaw to which we all look forward.

 

Photo du jour, sharpen your knives kids!

Pasta, photo du jour

Pasta,a perfect formula for ravioli! Got a pasta guru who gave me the inside on good nouille!

 

Tilia Bonarda

The other day over a quick and simple lunch of salad, along with freshly baked walnut bread and cheese. I popped open a bottle of Tilia Bonarda from the Mendoza region of Argentina....It's a Malbec. And it's very good. 

With as 13.9 percent alcohol content, the wine has nuances of cherry, dark cassis, and is slighty dry but juicy. It could use a bit of airing to let out its complex body. Two small glasses with the salad, bread and brie let to a nap with the cat for a few winks!

Then yesterday I got some mountain gorgonzola from Murray's Cheese Shop, bringing it up to my mom's home. We brought it up to  room temperature, then nestled the cheese in the nooks and crannies of my newly baked Vermont Sourdough. The intense marriage of wine and cheese so complimented each other, I finished up the last drops from the bottle, noting that this is a wine to remember and at a reasonable eight dollars and change. A worthwhile pick with value in taste and the wallet!

Oh, les noix!

After feeding my levain late one night, the next morning I made some dough from Daniel Dimuzio's bread book, a gift from my wonderful friend!

 

It's a levain with an add-in of 25 percent roasted walnuts. I always love the purple hue and the smell that walnuts give to bread. They're also a plus when you eat it with some divine blue or creamy goat milk cheese. Or try an improvised guacamole tartine inspired by Alain Coumonts!