Crème Fraîche and Cultured Butter.

Crème Fraîche has so many uses.  It is so expensive, so making it at home makes a lot of sense.  You will also have a superior product!

This is any. Easy product to make!

Whipping Cream

Cider Vingar 

    For every cup of whipping stir in a Tablespoon of Apple Cider Vinegar. 

   Place on top of your stove overnight 

   Your mixture will have thickened and will taste like great sour cream. 

Cultured Butter 

Are you ready to try the best butter that you have ever tasted?  Here you go. 

Put your Crème Fraîche in a bowl and use your mixr on slow

   Your bowl will be filled with whipping cream.

   Keep on mixing until you see the whey separate from the solids. 

  Keep going for a while. The liquid is butter milk. 

   Pour out the butter milk. 

   Now "Wash" the butter with ice water. While you mash the butter with a fork. 

   Pour the ice water out and repeat three times 

You now have Cultured Butter.

The photo below is David our butter maker. 

   

Fermented Peppers

I have never fermented whole peppers before.  I always make a Pâté or Sauce. 

These beautiful peppers are from Richmond's own Sunnyside Farm.  They retained their original color and texture. 

C'est si Bon! 

Pissaladière

Pissaladière

A French onion tart.  

I made this for a guy at the mission who said he loved Anchovies. We where serving pizza for lunch so I took some of the dough.

Spread out the dough. Brush with anchovy paste.  Cover with thin onion slices.  Next  the anchovy. Then sliced olives. 

Bake and enjoy!

Beignets aux Pommes

1. 
   
   
   

    Beignets aux Pommes

   
   

   INGREDIENTS

   • 1 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

   • Salt

   • 1 1/4 cups pale ale

   • Vegetable oil, for deep-frying

   • 2 Golden Delicious apples—peeled, cored and cut crosswise into 1/4-inch rings

   • Granulated or confectioners' sugar, for dusting

     
     

     Directions

   In a bowl, whisk the all-purpose flour with a pinch of salt; gradually whisk in the pale ale until completely smooth. Allow the batter to rest for at least 30 minutes or up to 1 hour.

2. In a large deep skillet, heat 3 inches of the vegetable oil to 370° over moderate heat. Stir the batter. Working in batches, dip the apple rings in the batter and fry them, turning occasionally, until golden and crisp, about 6 minutes.

3. Using a slotted spoon or a wire skimmer, transfer the beignets to a baking sheet lined with paper towels to drain. Keep the cooked beignets warm in a low oven while frying the rest. Sprinkle the beignets with granulated sugar or sift confectioners' sugar over them and serve hot.

Portrait of a Middle Age Man with a Meat Grinder!

I have not posted lately! I was asked to start a Blog for the Bay Area Rescue Mission kitchen. Please check this out:

www.InHisKitchen.blogspot.com 

I post photos from the daily meals BUT seldom do I post recipes. 

I am cooking for 200 people three times a day.   The meals are usually Creole AND always fantastic!  Recipes for 200 probably will not appeal to most people. 

Here are some photos of my food. 

Polenta and Cod

I  have never made Polenta.  When we received a donation of Corn Meal, I thought I would give it a try. 

It came out pretty good.   We served it with Cod and a tomato coulis .  Fresh Brussel Spouts balanced the meal. 

Honey Gastrique Glaze

Honey Gastrique Glaze

This is a great Glaze for grilled pork.

1 cup Balsamic Vinegar

1/2 cup Honey

1 stick of butter  cut into pieces 

Salt to taste

   Pour the Balsamic Vinegar and honey into a heavy sauce pan. Bring to a boil.

   Simmer to reduce the mixture to it is thick.

  Take the sauce pan off the heat and add the butter. Blend into the Vinegar/ Honey mixture and salt to taste.

Original California Craft Beer Vinegar

RHere is a project that I am developing.   I am fermenting vinegar from local craft beers!  The vinegar is very good and it taste nothing like the commercial malt vinegar that is available.

The chefs who have sampled it are excited about the complexity of the flavors.  I have used it in my hot sauce.  The Beer Vinegar ads flavor not just a vinegar taste.

I use the traditional Orleans Method. And I have batches from six different local beers.  

Please let me know what you think about my project. 

Fricassée de Porc

Fricassée de Porc!

So good and easy to make!  The gravy is so rich it is delicious over rice.  Use the left over gravy to cook peas.  That dish is called Pois en Roux. 

Here is what you need.

2 pounds of cubed pork

1 onion cubed

2 celery sticks cubed

1 Nell pepper cubed

1 cup of flour

1 cup of olive oil or lard

Creole spices

1 small can of tomato paste. 

In a cast iron skillet or a dutch oven.

1. Brown your pork on all sides. Get a good crust on the meat.

2. Remove. Add enough oil to the pot to make a cup of oil.  This is guess work not science. Hear.

3. Add the flour and with a spatula stir.  Stir like a wild man scrapping all the brown goodness off the bottom of the pan.

4. Now keep stirring to make your roux.  If you stop stirring you may burn your flour and destroy this pot of goodness!

5. When your roux is dark add the Trinity and stir until cooked.

6. Add the meat and stir some more.  Be sure to cover every piece with the Roux that you worked so hard to make!

7.Add your stock.  Bring to a boil and add a small can of tomato paste and the Creole Spices. Lower the heat. Now let the whole pot simmer for couple of hours at the  lowest temp!  

8. Serve over rice and brag to your guest what a fine creole cook you are!

Michigan Laco-Fermented Hot Cherry Sauce

Sauce Le Nain Rouge

Michigan Hot Cherry Sauce

This is my Hot Sauce Tribute to Pam's home state of Michigan. A state famous for it's Montmorency Cherries.

The name comes from a Detroit Folk Tale about a red gnome that shows up just before bad things happen. Le Nain Rouge means the red gnome. The creature was first encountered in 1701. Here is his story.

From Nain Rouge by Josef Bastian:
"The Nain Rouge is as old as the city itself, maybe older. Legend tells of a devilish creature whose appearance foreshadows terrible events within the city limits. The creature is said to have been attacked in 1701 by the first white settler of Detroit, Antoine de la Mothe Cadillac. Cadillac threw him out of the Fort Pontchartrain settlement, only to have the dwarf come back as a harbinger of doom. Ever since that time, Lutin has appeared in Detroit just before an impending disaster"

Back to my Lacto-Fermented Hot Sauce. I am not going to give the instructions just the ingredients. The Fermenting process preserves the colors of the fruit and vegetables. Use bright red ingredients!

2 pounds of Montmorency Cherries. Pitted. Substitute any tart Cherry
12 Red Fresno Peppers.
(Hobanero pepers can be added for heat)
4 Red Bell Peppers
1 small head of Garlic
1 Red Onion
4 limes juiced
1/4 cup of Michigan Maple Syrup.
Whey
Brine

Chop every thing and start your fermentation process. Once done push the mix through a food mill or strainer, bottle and age as you wish.

The finish product has a very complex flavor and a vibrant color!

Shrimp Étouffée


Here is a basic but essential Creole Recipe.  You can use any protein. Étouffée means smothered.  You family will love this Shrimp smothered in goodness!


Ingredients
THE ROUX
1/2 cup of white flour
1/2 cup of butter

THE TRINITY
1 onion diced
1 bell pepper diced
1 celery diced

Creole Spices

1 quart of chicken stock.  Sea food stock would be better!

3 pounds of Shrimp,

Cooked white rice


First you make the roux!   This is a Creole recipe so we will use make a peanut butter colored roux.   Melt your butter in your pot over medium heat.  Now add the flour and stir until you get the desired color.  Your arm will get tired BUT if you burn the Roux you need to through it out.

Now add the Trinity and cook for for 10 to 12 minuets. Now put in the tomatoes and the creole seasoning.  Stir everything up for a few minuets. Now pour in the stock. Mix really well

Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven set over medium heat. Add the flour and stir continuously to make a roux. Stir the roux over medium heat until the color of peanut butter, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to the roux, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes.

 Add the tomatoes to the pot and season with the bay leaves, salt, cayenne, and 1 tablespoon of the Essence. Cook the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes and then whisk in the shrimp stock.

Add the shrimp.  The Etta is done when the shrimp is cooked.

Serve over rice and do a better job plating than I did!

Chicken Creole

A friend asked me to give them a recipe that did not take two months to make!

Chicken Creole

This is very easy to make.  I worked at the Brewer's Network Winter Brew Fest today.  I got home late and hungry.   So I thought I would make my Creole Chicken dish.


1 double Chicken Brest
1 Onion diced
1 bell pepper diced
1 onion diced
1 stick of celery diced
Some flour
Creole/Cajun seasoning
A can of  El Pato tomato chile sauce
One cup of chicken stock
Some olive oil

Pour some olive oil in a frying pan. Heat it.
Take some flour and mix with the creole/Cajun seasoning

Dip the chicken in the flour mixture
 Brown the chicken Brest on both sides
Remove and set aside
Put the Trinity (celery, onion and bell pepper) in the pan and

sauté till translucent
Pour in the tomato sauce and stock. Mix well.
Place the chicken in the frying pan and spoon the sauce over it,
Cook until done.


Serve with rice.

This recipe would work with shrimp!  If you want to try this, make the sauce then ad the shrimp and cook for a couple of minutes.

Poulet Buccaneer

Poulet Buccaneer.  Buccaneer chicken!   What a great name.  This is not my recipe.  I found it on the web a while back. Grilled chicken is one of my favorite foods.  Smokey and juicy!
This is Martinique street food!

The recipe calls for sugar cane for the smoking wood.  Sugar cane  is available at Mexican markets.



Poulet Buccaneer


Ingredients
Two 3 1/2 lb (1.75 kg)  chickens, butterflied (see Tip, below)
4 limes
2 onions, finely chopped
6 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 bunch green onions, finely chopped
1/2 cup (125 ml) chopped parsley
2 tbsp (30 ml) chopped fresh thyme (with stalks)
1 tbsp (15 ml) coarse kosher or sea salt
2 tsp (10 ml) coarsely ground black pepper
1 tsp (5 ml) ground allspice
1 (or to taste) Scotch bonnet or other hot chili, finely chopped
1/4 cup (60 ml) demerara or brown sugar
2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil
2 cups (500 ml) Sauce Chien*
1 stalk or 2–3 cups (500–750 ml)  fresh sugar cane
smoking chips, preferably cherry, apple, or another fruitwood
Preparation
1. Wash chickens and pat dry. Cut 2 of the limes in half and rub chickens on all sides with lime halves.
2. Juice remaining limes, and combine juice with onions, garlic, herbs, salt, pepper, allspice, chili, sugar, and olive oil. Mix well. Rub mixture on chickens, and marinate overnight in the refrigerator.
3. Prepare wood or sugar cane for the grill: If using cane, cut stalk into 6"–8" (15–20 cm) pieces, or convenient lengths to fit barbecue smoker box. Split each piece lengthwise in half. If using wood chips, cover with water and soak for about 30 minutes.
4. Place sugar cane or wood chips in smoker box or disposable aluminum pan. Preheat barbecue. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and place on lightly oiled grill over medium-high direct heat. Grill until browned on both sides (about 5 minutes per side). Then continue cooking over indirect heat until skin is crisp and juices run clear, about 1 hour. Serve with Sauce Chien. Serves 8.
Tip: Butterflying, or spatchcocking, a chicken allows it to lie flat on the grill, which speeds up the cooking. You can buy a butterflied chicken from your butcher, but it’s easy to do yourself: Using kitchen shears or a heavy knife, cut the chicken along each side of the backbone. Remove and discard the backbone. Open out the chicken, skin side up, and press firmly on the breastbone to flatten.

Sauce Californie

Sauce Californie

California Sauce

This is my prettiest fermented sauce.  It is more mild than my other sauces, bright red with a lot of flavor!

I named it Sauce Californie because of the local ingredients that I used. I only use bright red vegitables.  The fermentation process preserves the color and mellow the flavor.

Please look at my Sauce Martinique recipe for the basic procedure.

Here is what you need:

12 Fresno Peppers. Remove the stems keeping the flowers on. Minced.
2 Red Bell Peppers seeded and stem remove.  Minced.
2 Tomatoes Minced.
1 Purple Onion. Minced.
1 Garlic Bulb peeled. Minced.
2 Table Spoons of Whey
Brine
IF YOU WANT MORE HEAT, ADD A COUPLE OF HABANERO PEPPERS!

Follow the procedures . Age. Bottle. Enjoy!

Now here is the bonus!  When you strain the mixture, save the skins and seeds!  Spread these on a cookie sheet and stick in an oven under lowest setting with the door a jar.  When they are dry, put them in a jar. The dried mixture is better than pepper flakes!  I use mine in my Creole Blend!

Sauce Martinique

SauceMartinique

Fermented Hot Mango Curry sauce.

The Caribbean Island of Martinique enjoys a unique creole cuisine that includes

 spices and flavors from India!  This Fermented Sauce is bright, healthful and mellows with age.  It is a great as a grilling sauce for Chicken, Fish, Pork or Lamb. This is my original recipe!

THE FIRST PART:
2 mangos. Peeled and seed removed.
12 habinero Peppers or Scotch Bonnets.  Stems removed.
2 yellow bell peppers. Stem and seed removed.
2 onions peeled
6 cloves of garlic
1 cup carrot juice

Finely mince every thing with a very sharp knife or use a foot processor.
HE SECOND PART:
The stuff you just minced.
About a quart of brine solution. About a Tbl of Salt to a Quart of water
1 tsp of curry salt
1 Tbl of brown sugar
1 Tbl  of Whey

Now pour everything BUT the brine in a large jar leaving the top 1/3 empty.
Pour the brine in the jar to about an inch over the mixture,
Secure the lid and shack well.
Remove the lid, and cover with cheese cloth.  Put in a warm dark place in your kitchen.

THE THIRD PART
Now every other day, put the lid back on and shake the jar a few times. Remove the lid and put the cheese cloth back on.  Return to the dark warm place.

Repeat

In a few days you will see bubbles coming from the bottom.  A few days latter you will see mixture floating to the top with liquid at the bottom. The mixture will expand because of the fermentation.

When the mixture no longer floats or the liquid is at the top of the jar you are done fermenting.

THE FOURTH PART.
Transfer the sauce into a clean jar.  Tightly put on the lid a put in the refrigerator for at least a month.  The longer the better,

THE FIFTH AND FINAL PART,
Push the sauce through a food mill or through a strainer catching the liquid in a bowl.  Add a tea spoon of apple vinegar and mix.  Bottle and enjoy!

Potage Saint Germaine

Potage Saint Germaine Fresh Pea Soup
Potage Saint Germaine
Fresh Pea Soup
Last year, Pam’s wonderful cousin invited us to dinner at the French Laundry.  We were enjoyed a memorable evening of great food, company and wine.  What I remember most from that evening was my wife’s reaction to one of the many Dishes  This dish was garnished with five or six peas.  Pam remarked on how could a simple pea taste so good?  The answer is simple.  Use FRESH peas and do little to them.
I would like to share a very simple fresh pea recipe that will delight your family and guest. Spring is here and so is Northern California’s pea crop, just waiting for your at your local Farmer’s Market.

Potage Saint Germaine
Fresh Pea Soup
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 small Head of Lettuce.  I use butter lettuce.  Separate the leaves
The whites of one Leak. Finely chopped
3 to ¾ cup of a very good Chicken Stock.  Vegetable Stock may be substituted
Few Sprigs of Parsley
Few Sprigs of Chervill
1 pound of FRESH Shelled Peas
Salt and Pepper
Heavy Cream for the Garnish
Now you will be surprised how simple the cooking procedure is.  I bet it will take you longer to shell the peas than it will to make the soup!
Melt the unsalted butter in a heavy saucepan.  Add the leaks and cook for five minutes.  Don’t forget to stir.  Now add the lettuce and cook for another minute or two.
Add the stock, herbs and peas.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes or until the peas or tender.
Puree the soup in a food processor or blender.  Do a little at a time!  Rinse your pan and returned the soup adding salt and pepper to taste.  Gently reheat without boiling!
Serve in individual soup bowls and swirl in some heavy cream.
Enjoy your First Taste of Spring”




Thank you