Old Versus New Media: Food Writer Edition

Cook’s Illustrated editor Chris Kimball has thrown down the gauntlet!

If you haven’t been following this food blogger versus professional writer battle that’s been simmering, it started when Kimball wrote a fairly silly op/ed in the Times, bashing both the so-called amateurish writing of bloggers, as well as the larger movement of participatory culture that is happening in all areas of media, where “regular people” have been given a voice through social media. When it comes to food writing, Kimball doesn’t seem too keen on this at all:

…in a click-or-die advertising marketplace, one ruled by a million instant pundits, where an anonymous Twitter comment might be seen to pack more resonance and useful content than an article that reflects a lifetime of experience, experts are not created from the top down but from the bottom up.They can no longer be coronated; their voices have to be deemed essential to the lives of their customers.

Bloggers have hit back; in particular, Adam Roberts, over at the Amateur Gourmet, has a great response:

The derision and condescension in this statement is baffling. Every food writer—from MFK Fisher to Ruth Reichl herself—started at the bottom and worked their way up. Kimball, at the end of his column, invokes Julia Child, a cook who didn’t start her food career until much later in life. If she’d had a blog documenting her time at Le Cordon Bleu (and maybe she would have, if she’d been born a few decades later), would Kimball complain that she hadn’t spilled enough blood in the kitchen yet? That “inexperience rarely leads to wisdom?”

It’s naïve to think that all food writing on the web is created equal, that the “million instant pundits” are all valued the same. The truth is that there are, indeed, an enormous number of food blogs out there, but it’s still a meritocracy: only the good ones gain traction. The most popular food blogs are popular because of their quality; in many ways, their content is better than much of what you’ll find in actual food magazines, including Kimball’s.

Kimball comes across here as elitist, an old guard fighting off the new. If he doesn’t read food blogs, he’s missing out on a diverse world of recipes and ideas and perspective on food. His notion of an “anonymous Twitter comment” is also strange — while we may not see each other on Twitter, the people I talk to there are hardly strangers. And yes, if someone I follow (and trust) on Twitter makes a recipe or restaurant recommendation, I’ll surely be paying attention.

In any case, perhaps looking to settle this (or cash in on the controversy, more likely!), Kimball has upped the ante, challenging any recipe found on a wiki to one of his from the Test Kitchen:

So, I am willing to put my money, and my reputation, where my big mouth is. I offer a challenge to any supporter of the WIKI or similar concept to jump in and go head to head with our test kitchen. We will jointly agree on a recipe, on the rules, on a time frame, etc. At the end, we will ask a panel of impartial judges to make and test the recipes and declare a winner.

It’s a fantastic idea, and should be lots of fun.

Let the games begin!!!

[Note: Cross-posted from my other blog, but I thought it fit here, too...]

- Carlo

Super Simple Sweet and Sour Cukes

I’ll admit it: I love pickling! Fresh pickles only; the fermentation process scares me somewhat…

But these cukes, while I think technically a pickle, are so super easy, you can hardly think of them as pickles. They’re really more like a cucumber salad. And you can make them, pop them into a jar, and have them whenever you want.

I like making these with kirby cucumbers from the Union Square Greenmarket, but any fresh cucumber will do. (Truth be told, I’ve even used some less-than-fresh cukes for this…it’s a great way to save the ones you kind of forgot about in the bottom of the crisper.)

The quantities here are loose, because I never really measure…regardless, it always works:

- Wash, peel (mostly), three or four kirbies. Thinly slice them.
- Optionally, thinly slice some shallot or onion into rounds
- Add one tablespoon (somewhat) of salt and one tablespoon (somewhat) of sugar to a clean canning jar. (Or use tupperware, that’s fine.)
- Add a few big glugs of good white wine vinegar. Or cider vinegar. Or mix them!
- Stuff the cukes and onion (if using) in the jar
- Fill the jar up with water
- Cover, and place in the fridge

That’s it! Shake the jar up a few times to make sure all the salt and sugar dissolve, and let them sit a day before tasting.

Enjoy!

- Carlo

cooking with the pros

There was a point in time last night where I seriously considered changing careers. Maybe it was the wine.

My sister’s husband won a charity auction for something or another. His prize was a “cook and eat with professional chefs” experience, and, like the nice guy he was, me and my spousal unit were invited to partake. And, because I am the food blogger (and because I was the only one to bring a camera), it falls to me to chronicle the experience.

Our chefs were all awesome, and it pains me that I cannot remember their names. The chief chef told us stories about catering to rock stars (Ozzy, it seems, is very cool, while Sharon, not surprisingly, is much less cool). The other chefs were the hands-on instructors…very patient, very instructive, very fun. When I started taking photos, one requested I not publish their faces because they were all wanted men. I’m largely assuming this was a joke, but they were professional kitchen staff, and that occupation does have a certain image…so really, who knows?

There was a whole lot going on, but I’ll start by covering the cooking highlights, menu item by menu item.

Gougere (French Cheese Popovers)

My sister was involved in these, and I largely missed the prep…so alas, no real insights here. However, sis says they were very easy, and they certainly were awesome. Judging on how quickly they disappeared, I wasn’t the only one to think so.

gougere

Late Summer Salad with Organic Greens & Heirloom Tomatoes

The salad, culled from ingredients purchased that morning at the farmer’s market, was done when we arrived. Fresh, organic ingredients make all the difference, though. Others were involved in the vinaigrette, where the secret was apparently a 50/50 mixture of vinegar and olive oil…the chefs prefer to have some bite to their dressing.

salad

Herb Crusted Tenderloin with Merlot Reduction

The tenderloin was already seared when we got there, but the sauce was a bit of a revelation. First, a saute of onions (in butter, of course), then the Merlot joined and reduced, then demiglace, then the coolest addition: some caramel. The chef then added a massive knob of butter (for shine, he said, but the super richness also helped).

Merlot reduction w. massive butter

The sauce was awesome. Normally, tenderlion don’t need much, but this was simply an amazing combination.

tenderloin

Porcini Dusted Swordfish with a Vegetable Ju Li

This was the dish with which the spousal unit and I was most involved. We started by cutting the portabellos, carrots, and peppers into strips for the ju li. We then went to the stove, softened some leeks (in butter, of course), added the carrots, then the peppers. After everything had cooked a bit, we threw in a bouquet garni (two of them actually: one wrapped in cheese cloth, one in leek for fanciness), then some stock. Everything cooked through before adding (can you see this coming?) butter and demiglasse…which I’m beginning to learn is the double-barreled secret to restaurant cooking.  A touch of vermouth finished everything off.

ju li

This already smelled awesome, but the chef reminded us that this was only the garnish. The main star was the swordfish, seasoned, then pressed in ground porcini mushroom dust (dried mushrooms ground in a coffee mill). I got to brown these suckers in a very hot pan. I felt like a superstar chef getting my cook action on.

the blogger in action

Afterward, the fish was roasted to temp and placed artfully on the ju li. It was very pretty…plus very good.

swordfish and ju li

Risotto ala Milanese

This was a simple, by-the-book risotto…finished, of course, with (can you see it coming?) loads of butter and Parmesan. But awesome. For whatever reason, I don’t currently do risotto. I need to start.

risotto

Pattypan Squash with Tomato Cream Sauce

I wasn’t involved in this one and can’t seem to find the recipe, but it was pretty straight forward…softened zucchini and yellow squash (in butter…duh), layered in a pan, sauce poured over, topped with fresh mozzarella, then baked. Very nice, though.

squash

Apple Galette with Cinnamon Cream

The desert was a rustic galette. It was a Julia Child dough, with empire apples tossed in orange juice, cinnamon, and allspice. Again, something I could do easily on my own but haven’t.

galette

thoughts

It was one hell of a fun evening, and I certainly learned a lot…the caramel in the wine sauce trick, stronger vinaigrettes, mushroom dust, the omnipresence of butter. Moreover, everything done was well within my skill level…it was just nice to have some reassurances of my own competence.

I also realized that, if I so desired, I could do this professionally. There was a large segment of the evening where I wanted to quit my job and do just that. However, I also had to remind myself that (1) we were drinking a lot of wine, which made it more fun, (2) we also didn’t have tickets or screaming customers, and (3) the economy isn’t really supportive of fine dining anymore. We were working out of the kitchen of some office park, and our chef hosts told us of how corporate cutbacks have really crushed the menu they used to serve. Luckily, they have enough catering to keep them busy.

I learned a lot about the tools and techniques of the trade…proper searing technique, how to hone a blade, presentation, all that. One of our chefs showed off his knife collection, with the surprise being an Ikea chef’s knife that was exactly like his deluxe $150 Japanese export but at a third of the price. I must own one.

Moreover, it was great just being with people who realized the importance of food. When I shared my experiences having to explain to grocery store cashiers exactly what a leak was, they nodded sadly before expounding on the joy and versatility of that vegetable. People who know leaks know cooking, I’m coming to learn.

While dining, I asked them what their death row food was. One of the chefs immediately answered potstickers, although, he allowed, many Chinese dumplings might suffice. The other chef (the boss having left by this point) told us he loved to take leftover risotto, form it into cakes, sautee it until crisp on the outside, then place a poached egg on top. This is truly someone who loves life.

I’ve always thought that people who do not love food must not love life. It was real fun getting together with some people who not only love food but make their living with it. I learned a lot and had a blast.

an autumnal soup

When the weather turns crisp, my cooking thoughts turn to soup…especially when the freezer is stocked with stock.  So, when my last grocery store visit yielded a large buttercup squash (so says the label), I had to listen to my inner soup muse.

Step one? Cut that sucker in quarters (or cut up as appropriate for your particular squash…I’ve used small pumpkins in the past), pretend said squash is an employer/employee/student/whatever and gut with a spoon (saving said guts–see below), brush with olive oil (no sissy brushes here…fingers only), season, and throw in a 350 oven.

squash, pre-roast

The top sections, which were skinny, took 30 minutes. The bottom squash quadrants were thicker and took about 45. When a paring knife goes in easy, you are done. Cool so you don’t burn yourself.

squash, roasted

Your next step is to deal with the seeds. First, all gunk has to be removed. I did this by dumping everything into a big bowl of water, pulling out all visible slime, then scrubbing the seeds between my hands…changing the water halfway through. The spousal unit’s method involves a colander and running water…and frankly sounds a lot easier. After they are de-gutted, dry them, season (s&p, of course, but some cajun or southwest seasoning is also nice), toss them in olive oil, and roast them in your still hot oven, on the same roasting pan used for your squash quadrants.

roasted squash seeds

Remove the skin from your now (hopefully cool) squash. When I’ve used pumpkin in the past, this was pretty easy. It was a bit more of a pain with the relatively thin-skinned buttercup squash.

peeled squash

Next, start the sweat. I used celery (2 ribs) and onion (1 big)…no carrots because I, like a bad cook, am apparently out. Damnit…I feel so inadequate. Anyway, sweat in olive oil (after seasoning) until everything is nice and soft.

sweat

What’s next? Garlic, of course! You want an amount? How about “a ton?” Crushed with the back of the knife (kosher salt for traction), of course.

garlic

Of course, this wouldn’t be soup without stock…and you make your own, right? RIGHT? Of course you do. I added either 6 or 8 cups of homemade chicken (it’s sad when you lose your memory), but if you’re one of those vegetarian sorts, I suppose veggie stock would work. I then seasoned with fresh nutmeg. Be careful, though…the nutmeg can slip out of your hands and into the soup rather easily, making you feel like a dweeb. Trust me…I know.

nutmeg

Next, dump the cooked, peeled quash into the soup, bring it up to a simmer, and blend. You can throw all this in a blender or a food processor (carefully, in batches), or do what I did: use your fancy, brand-new stick blender! Power tools!

taking the stick to it

From there, you basically have to season, and that’s it. I stay pretty traditional here…salt and pepper (black…yes, white pepper would mean no specks, but really, who cares?). If you need some sweetness, try maple syrup. If you need richness, go whole milk or (for those decadent, upper-class, or French eaters) cream. If you need spice, you could always do a touch of hot sauce. Me, I’m fine with some s&p.

finished soup

Of course, you just can’t leave it there. Part of the fun of cooking is looking brilliant and dazzling your diners by employing bitchin’ presentations. While you could pipe in a bit of sour cream or something, I stayed minimal. I chopped up some of those seeds we roasted and clipped some chives. The textures! The colors!

sevice!

That’s it. Now go eat and picture cool-looking leaves.

Andy Eats Atlanta: Episode One – Hybrids of the New South

Hey everybody! Its been awhile since I posted anything on here, but now I’m settled in at my new place in Atlanta, Georgia and I thought I would share my culinary adventures in my new City with my friends here on Nosh Pit.

After a long week at work, I decided to take a couple of hours this Saturday to get out of my apartment, and explore the area of Atlanta I’m staying in. I’m renting an apartment in a neighborhood in the Northeastern rim of the Atlanta Sprawl, Brookhaven for those of you who know Atlanta neighborhoods. If you know the Atlanta region you probably recognize this as a pretty upscale area. For the record, I am not a millionaire, or the Cabana boy of one of the Real Atlanta housewives. I found a very small apartment in a complex that caters to Oglethorpe University students for cheap.

Being new to the South, I of course wanted to try some Barbecue, so I thought that would be a good way to start my first food adventure! Google Maps helpfully suggested a well reviewed nearby BBQ place, The Old Brick Pit, and I headed out.

Queso Fundito Burger

Rick Bayless tweeted the recipe for the queso fundito burger he prepared on this week’s Top Chef Masters:

QuesoFundidoBurger: Mix 8oz ckd chorizo,2#grd chuck,1tsp chipotle pwdr,slt.Form+grill rare.Mix grld onion, rstd poblano,Jack chs.Top,broil

I have no idea what that means.

- Carlo

Whole wheat shells and turkey meatballs in an onion, tomato, zucchini sauce

Tonight’s simple and straightforward dinner.

The turkey meatballs were ground turkey, an egg, bread crumbs, salt, pepper, and pecorino cheese. Easy to make, just shape and place on an sheet of foil in a sheetpan, with some olive oil rubbed on it to minimize the sticking. Bake at 425 for 30 minutes.

Meanwhile, sauté a sliced onion up until the pieces begin to soften, and them add a couple of chopped zucchini. Once it all begins to caramelize, then add four diced fresh tomatoes. (Canned are fine as well.) Add some herbs here, too, either fresh of dried — thyme, marjoram, basil are all great.

Bring to a slight boil, then simmer.

Once the meatballs are done, add to sauce, and let it all simmer for at least 30 minutes.

Boil some water, add plenty of salt, cook the shells, drain, and add to the sauce.

Some grated pecorino cheese, and you’re done!

- Carlo

Strawberry-Apple Muffins

This evening, I baked. Momentous, sort of, because I really don’t bake. But I was given a copy of Michael Ruhlman’s new book, Ratio, and his sensible approach to the process of baking made me want to give it a go.

This book, as it’s titled, deals with proportions. So as long as you know making muffins is “2 parts flour : 2 parts liquid : 1 part egg : 1 part butter” you are good to go.

The recipe is given here, in this interview:

Well, to use the quickbread ratio: 2 parts flour and liquid, 1 part egg and butter. That will give you a perfect muffin or, baked in a loaf pan, a quickbread. Now, you also need to have a little technique and common sense. A teaspoon of baking powder for every 5 ounces (cup) of flour is needed for leavening, a pinch of salt for flavor, but that’s it. If you want a lemon-lime cake, add lemon and lime juice and zest; vanilla is always good, or add lemon and popyseeds, add cranberry and orange, blueberries, bananas.

The technique is simple: Mix the wet together, mix the dry together, add the dry to the wet and whisk (barely) into a batter. Spoon into muffin tins. (For a more precise description, you can view the chapter on google books.)

With my attempt, I finely diced a handful of strawberries and an apple, along with about a teaspoon of sugar to the fruit to sweeten it a bit, and added that to the batter.

The results were delicious!

Colicchio Has A Dishwasher

And his kitchen is bigger than mine.

BASTARD.

- Carlo

Oyster Sauce Chicken

This past semester, my cooking choices have been mostly dictated by having to eat away from the house at least 4 dinners per week. Luckily, I’ve developed a number of survival strategies. There are a lot more casseroles in my life, as they can be heated up easily (which is aided by my discovery of a home-cooked version of cream of mushroom concentrate soup–I’ll share it eventually). I’ve been doing a lot more soups. But my number one secret weapon?

The whole chicken. It will set you free.

I’ve been doing whole chickens for several years now, and not only does it make me feel proud of my skills, I also feel ethically better (using more of the animal rather than a frozen breast item), I can get a variety of meals out of a bird, and I get to live out my psycho-killer fantasies during the butchering process. Last week’s chicken yielded enough bones to make my stock carcass collection viable…I’ve already made a chicken broth, noodle, and veggie soup for my ailing spousal unit, and there’s likely either a jambalaya or red beans & rice in my future. The dark meat is going into fire-roasted poblano & caramelized onion fajitas for tonight’s meal.

For this week’s selection of white meat, I decided to delve into the Chinese side of my cooking soul. I would eat Chinese food every day of the week if I had my druthers. The best meal of my life was in a place in Toronto’s Chinatown, and Sichuan normally battles Vietnam as the place I most want to go before I die. So I pulled down a Chinese cookbook (Chinese Village Cookbook…no idea where I got it) and adapted their recipe for Oyster Sauce Beef.

First, I diced up the two chicken breasts, threw them in a large soup cup, and marinated with 1 TBSP of cornstarch, 1 tsp of sugar, 1/2 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp of sherry (harvested from a jar containing some ginger…don’t remember where I learned this, but if you dump peeled ginger in a jar & cover it with sherry, the ginger stays viable for ages, while the sherry becomes something lovely), and 2 TBSP of soy sauce (think I’m using an Indonesian variety I found at the local Asian mart).

diced chicken, sans marinade

Next, I set my rice cooker (yeah, I know some purists will mock me for using this unitasker, but rice is one of those things that’s just a cooking bugaboo for me…I also can’t do a meatloaf to save my life). I’ve been using a nice variety of brown jasmine rice, again from the Asian store. It’s a much more sophisticated brown rice than the megamart variety.

rice and rice cooker

Next was veggie prep time. First step was to trim, slice, and wash some green beans.

beans

After that, I assembled the rest of the mise-en-place, including one frenched onion, one pint of quartered mushrooms, a few peeled and lightly smashed cloves of garlic, and one bottle of oyster sauce.

the mise-en-place

First up in the wok was the beans. I heated the wok (over as many BTUs as the stove will yeild) until smoke started to arise from the metal, doused it with some veggie oil laced with some toasted sesame oil, and threw in the beans and a dash of salt. There was a bit of splattering, and I got a mild burn on my wrist, but nothing’s too rough for good food, right?

stage one

After a few minutes, the beans had started to soften, so I threw in the onion.

stage two

A minute later, in went the mushrooms. When these were nice and soft (but not falling apart), I pulled everything to a bowl.

stage three

Next, I added some more veggie oil and fried up the garlic until brown, thus “blessing” the oil (a technique I found vital to Chinese cooking). After discarding the garlic, I dumped in the meat, marinate and all.

meat, starting

I stirred vigorously until it was just cooked.

the meat, done

Next, everyone went back into the wok. I first deglazed with a splash of chicken stock before dumping in 4 TBSP of oyster sauce. I stirred until it got bubbly and thick, and then it was done.

the last stir

All told, this made five meals out of two chicken breasts. I glad-wared up the servings with a scoop of the brown rice, and then I was ready to tackle the week ahead.

packaged food...but good!

On top of everything, the meal was pretty darn good. Ideally, beef would be better…it’s got a much more pronounced flavor that can stand up to the oyster sauce a bit better…but I have chicken, and it still held onto enough of its character. And although I’m glad I deglazed for cleaning purposes, I think I needed to up the cornstarch, to keep the sauce from getting too liquidy. But it still, in my humble opinion, did rock the house. Truly, a meal worthy of bringing your own chopsticks.