I just want to bake bread

It sounds simple, but it is much more than that. Bread doesn't leave anything to chance. Over mixed, it's shit, under baked, its shit. You use some shortening in your croissants instead of 100% plugra, Its SHIT. I love Bread. It lives. You are 100% in charge of its life cycle.

I have worked side by side with chefs whom I believe to be some of the foremost bread bakers in the world. They do not compromise. Their ingredients are top notch and their schedule is dictated by the bread. They have adobe style ovens in their backyards. It is easy to see they love their craft.

With strong flavors like lemon, raspberry, chocolate, and vanilla pastry chefs can hide things like poor quality flour or butter. Bread creates its flavors with natural organic acids and gasses. you cannot hide poor quality ingredients when baking bread. The loaf can tell the story of its life right there before your eyes.

Thank you bread. Thank you for being so ancient and fresh, so crispy and creamy, alive and dead. You are the evolution of man, the wonder bread and the french baguette. You have been and will be until the wheat lies dead in the fields.




OK. Anyway I just wanted to tell you that with fuels pricesgoing crazy the price of flour has gone up by 60%+. The Bakery I frequent is now buying from Canada. I'm fucking pissed that people wont let go of their old ways and realize we can't do it with oil anymore!

BCC

Top Chef Episode 5:

Lately I have been unimpressed with the cooking, this week was better than last

The Four Elements

Earth
Beef carpaccio.... simple. salt your food. Tom said it weeks ago!!!


Water
Clean your damn fish, or have your monger do it.
I like parsnip and vanilla. Use lobster, make a parsnip and vanilla soup, and a crispy polenta sockle to elevate your lobster.

Air
Duck breast...... Middle of the road this week. I don't have much to say

Fire
Nice win ! Some relative underdog's get influenced by the ingredients around them. Sounds simple. Chili salad was good, shrimp was cooked well, Pork fat rules. Period.

3 things!!!!

Scales -Dont taste good.

Mini drinks- Only desserts like Ming said. Wine compliments a dish, not a shooter.

Zoi- You go cook organic girl. I Feel you. She has heart.

It was getting hot in the Glad room during Chef's table

Soup would have been a good choice, squash equals earth, and the Chanterelles could have come back with the same herbs. Antonia should have sat back and enjoyed the ride for one day.

Top Chef Episode 3

Richard put away the foo-foo and won the quickfire. Great job for someone twice my age. The jicima is one of my three subjects tonight.

The elimination challenge was exciting but the food was ridiculous. The idea of each challenge every week in and out is to elevate the food. Simply execute then elevate, this bunch still can't execute.

Lets cut straight to the Judges table where the action really took place this week ! Mediocre food for mediocre people..... Are you serious?
You are cooking for the judges! Get it straight. Telling them that their palates collectively are to fine and too perfect is just the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard. Andrew....we'll save it for later. Good to see another Chicka win ... love to see women in the industry.... It was pastry to boot!!!!


Alright! 3 Things

Jicima
A delightful vegetable, it has the texture of a granny smith apple or an asian pear. The flesh is fine and rolls up real nice. I definately would have peeled it Richard!!!!!! nice ingredient

Andrew
Shut Up !!! Do Not go to the Judge's Table all boozed up.

Jenn & Zoi
I BET you have extensive experience with her palate. HA

BCC

Top Chef Episode 2

I'm only going to talk about 3 things each week. I tend to get extremely angry at these chefs; however I won't get angry with you.

Tonight we'll start with a bit of moleculary gastromony. Immersion circulators seem to go hand in hand with Sous-Vide cookery these days. The basics are Vacuum seal, and immerse, the circulator keeps a constant tempurature within the water bath. Tender and succulent food is the end result with all the moisture and flavor intact. My issue is not with using a circulator, but it's cost. The "special equipment budget" for TC is only 200 bucks. Circulators start at about that price. Faux-hawk man has a locker full of goodies with an electronic pipe and a circulator on top of it? Someone check the math please.





I don't mean to pick on Richard. He has definately got some skill. A few things are already coming to my attention so lets just roll with it.Ras el Hanout is a spice blend. It translates to something like "merchants best of the shop ". Moroccans have long believed that Ras is an aphrodisiac. Anyway, my problem again is not with the use of the blend. We are 2 challenges deep and he has gone to it twice. He smoked it with his pipe for the first challenge and he used it as a seasoning this episode. Richard, don't run through your trick too soon. Also, add this exotic spice blend on to the top of his already huge budget.



Honeycomb and Cheese....... (Stinky Cheese)

Great pairing.... not really played out yet.




More next week.......Rick Bayless GETS PISSED OFF!!!!!!!!

In the sticks

After work sunday, I came on up to Boylston, MA to see my sister and my beautiful niece Felicity. I needed to get away from the city, and a view full of trees is all I needed to unwind. Sunday evening we made some comfort food in the form of lasanga with sausage and peppers. Sometimes, it is the company and not the food which makes a meal. A great atmosphere that is condusive to flowing conversation is an ideal environment for a meal. in "Meals for me" food writer MFK Fischer pens ideas about an ideal elitist table. She argues that no more than six may share a table because a larger group may begin having separate conversations. Another of her ideas says that you should not invite young lovers to your table because they will not pay attention to anything but eachother. These views are not necessarily mine but some interesting food for thought. As a host I believe you should definately think about your guests and how they may interact. It may be important for you to change subjects or start new topics if the converstaion becomes stale or taboo.

In short,

Good conversation can save a bad meal..... but most definately dont cook a bad meal.

When conversation is hard to find add wine or beer, chilled, and try again.

The infamous, The elusive

Let me first tell you I am not an expert in mycology... the study of mushrooms. Wild mushrooms are prized by chefs around the world. Tons and tons of wild mushrooms are picked in most states across the country. My personal favorite is the elusive morel, a beautiful ancient mushroom. morels are shaped unlike any other fungi. a honeycomb textured cap connects directly to a hollow stem. Morels come in the spring from february to may depending on factors like rain, altitude, snowmelt, and temperature. These finicky fungi chose select locations like rotting elms and apple trees to call home.

My first introduction to morel hunting was with a former chef in central Oregon. We traveled roughly 40 miles outside Bend to a "secret" location I will not disclose. A small group of us gathered a few of the hard to find mushrooms within a few hours of searching. A few weeks later myself & my chef friend Steve returned to the location via my GPS device and gathered about double the groups total in a short time. These mushrooms are best fried up with some butter, or filled with mousse.

As spring approaches in New England, I have begun researching locations within my area to seek out these beauties. Possible thoughts include abandon orchards, and an State Management Area my current chef often Mountain bikes in.

I will keep you informed!

A few thoughts to begin...

I decided a good way to start this blog would be to tell you a bit about my approaches and thoughts toward food.
I continue to be excited about organics for a few reasons. Small farms tend to have more biodiversity within their fences than the corn giants. This biodiversity feeds the soil from which our food grows creating a more stable and strong source of nutrients. Organic ingredients are certified to be 100% natural and free of harmful chemicals and pestcides often found in conventionally grown foods. I always use organic ingredients when they are available to me. I'll definately be talking more about organic agriculture in the near furture. Stay tuned!
For me, the keys to great food preparation are simple and bold flavor combinations and the best ingredients you can find. Finding great ingredients should start as close to home as possible.Most likely you'll find a neighbor with a garden or chickens. These ingredients are truly the best in my book. When these heavenly goods aren't available I take into account a few important factors. Is it in season? is it organic? is it a reputable grower? A domestic product? how did it get here?
Lets leave it at that.
simple ingredients
grown harmoniously
cooked correctly.

nothing crazy here.

Up next .. a little history and mushroom hunting on both coasts.