What Can Browning do For You?

A few months ago, I filmed a pilot episode for a cooking show focusing on the science of the browning reaction.

Although some other things have come up that have put this particular project on hold, I thought you may enjoy seeing the completed show:
http://www.cookwithtom.com/?p=598

All the best!

Tom
www.cookwithtom.com

As Seen on Good Things Utah - Chocolate Souffle

Souffles can be... well... tricky. Be it the terrible reputation they have for falling at the drop of a feather, or the scolding your mother gave you if you spoke louder than a whisper when they were in the oven. Here's the thing. There is NOTHING to be afraid of. Neither walking past the oven, nor yelling is going to cause a souffle to fall.


Chocolate Souffle
1 Tbs butter
2 Tbs sugar

3 Egg Whites
1/4 tsp Cream of Tartar
1/3 cup of powdered sugar

2 egg yolks
4 oz semi-sweet chocolate
2 Tbs butter

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Butter four 7oz ramekins and then coat the inside with sugar. Place in refrigerator.

Melt chocolate and butter over low heat, stirring until completely melted. Remove from heat and whisk in egg yolks. Return the chocolate mixture to the stove and heat over low heat, taking care not burn the chocolate.

In a clean bowl, combine egg whites and cream of tarter. Whip until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar to the egg whites and continue to whip until hard peaks form.

Divide the egg whites into 4 portions, and gently fold the egg whites into the melted chocolate, taking care not to stir the mixture (only fold).

Fill each ramekin two-thirds of the way with the mixture, and put in the oven. Set your timer for 8 minutes.

Once 8 minutes have elapsed, reduce the oven temp to 350 degrees and cook for another 5-6 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 to 10 minutes, and eat ASAP.

Happy to Report - New Website

The underlying site being hosted by blogger has served www.cookwithtom.com well.

However, a new and improved website has been created, and is now up and running.

So, if you're coming to check on things by going to www.cookwithtom.com, you won't need to do anything, however, if you're using http://cookingwithdimples.blogspot.com as your URL, please update it as I will no longer be posting here.

Cocoa Nib Vinaigrette

3 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
1 minced shallot
1/2 tsp yellow mustard
2 Tbs Cocoa Nibs (normally found at places like Whole Foods)
1 Tsp Salt
1/2 cup of Olive Oil

Brown the shallot in a saucepan with 1 tbs olive Oil.

Add the shallot, red wine vinegar, yellow mustard, cocoa nib and salt to a food processor. Run the food processor for 2-3 minutes.

Slowly drizzle the olive oil into the food processor, taking care to add it slowly. The slower you add the oil, the richer your vinaigrette will be.

New Feature on Comcast

I'm excited to announce that Cook With Tom will be expanding on Comcast. In addition to the standard cooking show, they've asked for 1-2 minute clips featuring quick cooking tips.

We're calling them Quick Tips for now.

Here is a sneak peak:

Easy Peel Garlic:


Stick Free Pasta:


How to Dice an Onion:


Hot to Roast a Red Pepper:


When to add Sugar to a Meringue?

Today on ABC 4 Good Things Utah

Cook With Tom was on Good Things Utah today talking about kitchen science. The video and tips can be found here.

Here's the bread recipe Tom developed with Utah's hard water in mind:
Ingredients
3 cups flour plus up to 4 TBS additional depending on humidity
1 1/2 teaspoon instant/quick rise yeast
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons warm water (between 80 - 110 Fahrenheit)
1 Tablespoon vegetable or olive oil.
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons American lager (think Budweiser, Miller, or O'Doul's)
1 tablespoon white vinegar


Mix sugar, water and yeast together, let rest for 10 minutes until yeast starts to bubble and rise to the top of the water

Add salt, flour, lager, vinegar and oil.

Mix on low speed until all ingredients are incorporated and a rough dough ball is formed

Let dough rest for 20-30 minutes

Mix on high for 5 - 10 minutes, until dough forms a rubbery dough ball with just a slight cling.

Cover with damp cloth, and set in a warm and humid location for 1 1-2 to 2 hours. (Yeast LOVES a temperature between 85 - 110 degrees) - until dough has doubled in size.

Remove dough from bowl and form a near brick shaped loaf.
Place dough on parchment paper covered cookie sheet.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Cover dough with a damp cloth and let it rise for 30 minutes.

Moisten the exterior of the dough with a few blasts of water from a squirt bottle.
Put dough in oven, and bake for 15 minutes, and then reduce oven temp to 350.

Bake for another 15-20 minutes, until the outside is crispy and the loaf sounds hollow when tapped, or until an instant read thermometer reads 200 degrees
Remove from oven and let cool to room temperature on a cooling rack.

Creme Brulee

I've always had a love/hate relationship with Creme Brulee. Most restaurants make the same version with little or no creativity. It always ends up a rich vanilla custard covered in burned white sugar. In a nutshell, it's boring. However, by introducing a little sour cream to the custard, simmering some orange zest, and then topping with turbinado sugar, it creates a treat that keeps your mouth interested bite after bite.

The trick to making a perfect dessert is using a water bath surrounding the custard and cooking at a lower heat. Experiments have shown that cooking custard at lower temperatures creates a margin of error of almost 10 degrees Fahrenheit, whereas custard heated quickly only has a 5 degree margin of error before curdling. Cooking it slow is like trying to stop a car on a dime while driving at 10 miles per hour instead of 60 MPH.

Part 1


Part 2



1 3/4 cups cream
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp orange zest
6 tsp Sugar
7 egg yolks
1/4 cup sour cream
6-8 tsp Turbinado/Raw sugar

1 - Preheat oven to 325 Degrees.

2 - Combine vanilla, orange zest and 1 cup cream in a saucepan over medium high heat.

3 - Combine sugar, egg yolks and remaining cream and whisk well. Bring vanilla/cream mixture to a boil.

4 - Slowly add hot cream mixture to cold egg mixture, starting with a small amount of hot mix whisking well and then gradually adding more hot cream, until the two are combined.

5- Add the sour cream to the custard mix and whisk well.

6 - Place 4 ramekins of at least 1 cup in volume each into a larger baking pan. Pour the custard through a sieve into ramekins, filling no more than 2/3rds of the way full.

7- Add water to the larger baking pan, filling until the water level is 1/2 of the way up the ramekins.

8- Bake for 25-40 minutes, until the middle of the custard reaches a temperature of 175 degrees. The edges will be set, but the center will be just slightly jiggly. There is a HUGE difference in time baking as the amount of water added to the pan, and the volume of each ramekin will cause cooking times to vary greatly. On this recipe, "doneness" is more important than the actual time in the oven.

9- Transfer ramekins to a cooling rack for 1 hour, then cover with plastic wrap and place them in the fridge for at least 4 hours for custard to set. You can keep the custard in the fridge for up to 4 days.

10- Prior to serving, gently blot up any condensation from the surface of the custard with a paper towel, sprinkle 2 tsp of turbinado/raw sugar over each ramekin and then turn the ramekin, making sure the an even layer of sugar is distributed evenly across the top of each custard. Clean the edges of the ramekin of any excess sugar.

11- Using a either a butane "creme brulee" torch or a propane blowtorch (the kind you find at your local hardware store, and also my preferred method) apply heat to the sugar in a circular motion until the sugar is bubbly and brown. Once the sugar is browned, the custard can be stored in the fridge for up to 45 minutes, but best served immediately.

12 - Garnish with chocolate shavings and berry fruit.

Notes: Egg proteins have a very narrow window between setting and curdling, be very careful not to overcook the custard (you'll know it if you do it as the custard will be far from smooth.)

The 1/4 cup of sour cream lowers the pH of the custard, making the cream more likely to curdle, so it is extremely important that your whipping cream is extremely fresh. Fresh cream has a higher pH, and is not affected as much by the sour cream. However, if you have old cream the sour cream will cause your custard to curdle at a much lower temperature.

If you choose to make regular creme brulee, omit the sour cream and increase whipping cream to 2 cups.

Variations include:
Date Creme Brulee:
Use 5 Tbs of date sugar instead of white table sugar. Omit sour cream.
Agave Creme Brulee:
Use 5 Tbs of Agave Syrup instead of white table sugar, Reduce 1/2 cup of tequila by 3/4ths and add during step 5. Omit sour cream.
Almond Creme Brulee:
Reduce 1/2 cup Amaretto by 3/4ths add in step 5. Omit sour cream.
Orange Creme Brulee:
Increase orange zest to 3 Tbs, after bringing cream/vanilla/zest mixture to just boiling, remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes prior to adding to egg mixture. Garnish with orange segments with skin, pith, membranes, and seeds removed (Orange Supreme). Omit sour cream.
Lemon Creme Brulee:
Replace orange zest with 3 Tbs lemon zest, after bringing cream/vanilla/zest mixture to just boiling, remove from heat and let sit for 15 minutes prior to adding to egg mixture. Omit sour cream. Garnish with twisted lemon peel and mint leaf.
Pumpkin Creme Brulee:
Add pinch of nutmeg, 1/4 tsp cinnamon and pinch of ginger powder to cream/vanilla mixture After bringing mixture to a boil, let sit for 15 minutes and then strain into egg mixture. Whisk in 1/4 cup of canned pumpkin in step 5 and don't strain the custard mix into the ramekins. Omit sour cream.
Cherry Chocolate Creme Brulee:
Combine 1/4 cup Kirsch (or any cherry liqueur) and 1/4 cup Creme de Cocoa, reduce by 3/4ths. Add in step 5. Omit sour cream.

Facebook Cooking Tips

I'm currently undergoing a minor kitchen set remodel, so I won't be posting any new shows for the month of January. However, in the meantime, I wanted to share the cooking tips that are available on the Cook With Tom Facebook fan site:

Pasta tip: the water in Utah is chock full of minerals that raise the pH of your tap water, causing extra pasta starch to dissolve into your water. Try adding 3 tablespoons of white vinegar to your pasta water. The lower pH will prevent the pasta starch (mainly amylose) from releasing into your water. The result - noodles that don't stick together!


Holiday tip: Buying pans as a last minute gift? The best conductors of heat (in order of best to worst) are: silver (but when was the last time you saw sterling pans) copper (91% as conductive as silver), aluminum (55% as conductive), iron (18% as conductive) and stainless steel (4 % as conductive).

Although stainless is a poor conductor, when it's sandwiched on top of thick aluminum or copper, the pan will perform as well, but resist acid etching (aluminum) and prevent unwanted copper ions from entering your diet. The thicker the aluminum or copper cladding, the more even the heat in your pan.


Soup Tip: Making a broth based soup this holiday season? Try adding some unflavored gelatin to the broth, it will dramatically improve the mouthfeel, and make your soup taste like it simmered for hours. (Be sure to soak the gelatin in cold water for at least 10 minutes before adding to your soup or else it will cause your soup to get lumpy).


Food tip: Didn't get enough chocolate this holiday season? Pick up some cocoa nibs (available at Whole Foods) and put them in a pepper grinder. Whenever you want a little cocoa flavor, just grind the nibs over your food.

I should mention that cocoa nibs are so much more than just cocoa. They contain all the building blocks of chocolate, including cocoa butter, whereas the cocoa butter content of regular ole cocoa is pretty small.

Seasoning tip: You've probably heard of "umami," also known as the savory reaction created on the tongue by glutamate in ingredients such as mushrooms, tomatoes and cheese. It has a sister chemical called inosinate that acts as a magnifying glass for glutamate. The next time you're creating a savory dish, try adding inosinate rich foods, such as anchovy paste or minced sardines.

It doesn't take much, 2 teaspoons for every quart of sauce adds a rich earthiness to the dish, without adding any fish flavor.


Chocolate tip: Looking for a chocolate fix? Baking chocolate mixed with a little vegetable oil displays properties very similar to butter. Chocolate Bechamel anyone?

Chemically speaking, chocolate is pretty darn cool. The only time it fails as a butter substitute is baking as the high temps and chocolate don't mix well.

Meat Roasting Tip: The higher the temperature you cook your roast, the more water it loses. However, too low of a cooking time won't create browning on the outside of your roast. So, you can either start at a low temperature (300) and then finish the roast at a high temperature (400+) for the last 30 minutes, or start high and then finish on low.

In my opinion, going low then high creates a better crust on the outside of the roast.

One thing to consider, the conventional wisdom that searing/browning the meat up front seals the juices in is incorrect. Yes, it improves browning which ultimately improves flavor, but it does nothing to keep juices from escaping.



Meringue Tip: Sugar plays an important role in the structure of meringue while it's in the oven. But, adding the sugar early causes the egg foam to take longer to whip and results in a lower volume of meringue. Wait to add your sugar until soft peaks just start to form. You'll get the benefits of sugar, with none of the downsides.

In addition, use powdered sugar instead of granulated. It dissolves much quicker and eliminates the chance of a gritty meringue.


Boiling Tip: The Salt Lake Valley average elevation is approximately 4200 feet above sea level. The boiling point of water drops 1.9 degrees fahrenheit for each 1000 rise in elevation. That makes the average boiling point of water 204 degrees (8 degrees below the frequently published 212). This impacts candy making as well.

For example, when figuring the soft ball stage, take the published number of 240, and subtract 8 degrees. The true soft ball stage for SLC is actually 232, and hard ball stage starts at roughly 242. Unless you're dealing with a recipe built solely for a higher elevation, be careful when you're trying to achieve a certain temperature.



Bread tip: Ever wonder why commercial bread tastes different than bread made at home? The proofing method for a home loaf produces less acetic acid than the method used by commercial bakers. To compensate, try adding 1 tablespoon of white vinegar for each loaf of bread your recipe calls for. Like this tip, then suggest Cook With Tom to friends.

One other substitution to consider, home bread making doesn't typically allow the yeast to create the typical flavor compounds that come from a long fermentation process. To compensate, you can substitute up to 1/4th of your liquid with good ole American lager style beer (think "Bud"). With a little vinegar and some beer you'll have a full flavored/delicious loaf of homemade bread.



Planning on indulging in sweets tonight? If you can't make it to a toothbrush right away grab a piece of cheese. The cultures in cheese act as a defense shield against cavity causing/sugar eating bacteria. But I make no guarantees on the impact on your waistline.


Taste Tip: Foods containing tannins (apricots, wine, coffee, dates, pomegranates, walnuts and chocolate) literally make your mouth water due to chemical reactions. This allows the flavors of food to linger on the palette for a longer period of time. There's a reason walnuts end up on a salad, -anything consumed after that will be savored for a longer period of time.

I should note that the amount of saliva in your mouth affects the way that odorant molecules (the molecules that tell you brain what the food tastes like) linger in your mouth/nose. Studies show it also lengthens the average time you chew your food, releasing more of those wonderful odorant molecules, which means more flavor.



Salad Dressing Tip: Homemade vinaigrette is easy. Remember 3 parts oil to one part flavored water (lemon juice for example). In order to help the vinaigrette stay mixed, include things with tensioactive molecules (molecules that bind to both water and oil) such as: shallots, garlic, mustard, or gelatin, and slowly add the oil to the water while mixing rapidly.

One of my favorite vinaigrette's is a Cocoa Nib vinaigrette.

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 minced shallot sauteed until tender
3 Tbs cocoa nibs
3/4 cup olive oil
Salt to Taste

Add the shallots, vinegar and cocoa nibs to a food processor and mix well. While the food processor is running, slowly drizzle in the olive oil.

Turn off the food processor, and then add salt to taste.

Both the shallots and the cocoa nibs have tensioactive properties, so the resulting dressing tends to hold up well for at least an hour.



Veggie tip: When cutting vegetables with an end that will get thrown away (carrots, zucchini, onions, cucumber...) leave one end on the vegetable and use it as a handle. That way you can avoid the dreaded "hold both sides of the veggie while I run a knife between my fingers" cut. Like this tip, then suggest "Cook With Tom" to friends.



Salt Tip: I'm frequently asked the difference between kosher and table salt. Table salt contains iodine and has smaller, more uniform crystals. Kosher received the name because its larger/irregular crystal size stick to meat better during the koshering process. These crystals are what make it so great to cook with. It stays on the meat!

For what it's worth, sodium chloride is not subject to kosher dietary restrictions. Well, unless you include Bacon Salt into the salt category, then all bets are off.

When you're cooking meat on the grill, under the broiler or in a fry pan, sprinkle the meat liberally with kosher salt at least 15 minutes prior to cooking. This will draw some of the moisture out of the meat due to that pesky desire of cell walls to maintain a balance of sodium between cells (osmosis). The result will be a nice crust on your meat. Delicious!


Have you noticed that gravy thickened with flour looks creamy and opaque while gravy thickened with cornstarch is clear and glossy? Flour has a higher protein content, and since protein is not water soluble, it reflects the light.

Of further interest, the starch that swells when immersed in water is called amylose. Amylose is an interesting starch in that it doesn’t become water soluble until the water reaches approximately 150 degrees, where it creates chemical bonds with water. That’s why sauces thickened with amylose turn clear as they get hotter, the starch is combining with water. Cornstarch is much higher in amylose, so you can get the same thickening properties with less, about 1 to 1.5 parts cornstarch to 2 parts of flour.


Hot pepper tip: Contrary to conventional wisdom, the seed of a hot pepper has the least amount of capsaicin (the stuff that makes your mouth burn) in the whole fruit. The highest concentration is actually found in the white pith that holds the seeds to the inside of the pepper. Get rid of the pith, and you eliminate most of the heat.

For example, if the pith contained 100 parts of capsaicin, the flesh of the pepper would contain 6 parts. The seeds? They would only contain 4 parts.

Either way, don't rub any sensitive body parts while you're handling hot peppers until you've washed your hands thoroughly.

Better yet, wear food safe gloves.


Balsamic vinegar tip: Reducing a cheap bottle of balsamic vinegar turns it into a rich and thick sauce filled with deliciously complex flavors. When reducing, try to keep from boiling the vinegar, the aggressive bubbling action releases more odorant molecules into the air (and out of your sauce) than reducing it just shy of a simmer. Be patient and you'll be rewarded! Like this tip, suggest Cook With Tom to friends.

The balsamic reduction is by far my favorite sauce. I even put it on ice cream. The bitter vinegar taste goes away and is replaced by a sweet caramel flavor with a strong sour finish. Next time you're making a salad, try ditching your dressing and reduce 1 cup of balsamic down to 1/4th it's original volume. It's delicious!



Roast Tip: The most important steps in a juicy roast is the rest that follows baking. As the temperature of the meat evens out, the proteins that sit inside the roast "uncook" slighty. Essentially, they reabsorb some of the moisture released during the cooking process, creating a juicier roast. Wait 10-15 minutes for a 5 lb and under roast, and up to 30 minutes for 5 and up. Like this tip, suggest Cook With Tom to friends.

The best way to let meat rest is an aluminum foil tent placed loosely over the top of the roast. This will keep the outside of the roast from cooling, but still allow the inside time to reabsorb moisture. Studies have shown that a roast given proper time to rest will reabsorb as much as 10% of its weight in liquid.



Bitter Tip 1: Dislike bitter flavors? Studies have shown that salt acts as a chemical barrier for the taste buds that sense bitterness, thereby reducing the intensity. Try adding a coarse salt to that bitter brussels sprout, roasting it in the oven at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. You'll only taste the rich sweetness of a delicious veggie. Like this tip, suggest Cook With Tom to friends.

The coarseness of the salt is important, as it will not dissolve in the natural juice of the brussels sprout. The undissolved salt will cling to the vegetable, and hit you tongue prior to the vegetable, and prime your taste buds.

Coincidentally, this also works for bitter foods like coffee and dark chocolate.


Bitter tip 2: The proteins in milk and cheese have an incredible ability to bond with tannins, making them unavailable to your tongue. This reduces bitterness and allows you to focus on the other flavors in the food. There's a reason people add milk to coffee and eat cheese with wine.

Easy Chicken Saltimbocca

This is one of those dishes that will knock your tastebuds out of the back of your head, only to have them scurrying back to your tongue to get another taste. It's a well balanced blend of sweet, sour, salt and savory. Be sure to give the prosciutto time to get crispy.

Part 1


Part 2


4 split boneless skinless chicken breasts, trimmed of fat
2 Tbs olive oil
12 large sage leaves, 8 of them minced
6 oz of thinly sliced prosciutto (8 total slices)
1/2 cup flour
1 Tbs freshly ground black pepper
1 finely minced shallot
1 cup white wine (I prefer Chardonnay for this recipe) or replace with 1 1/4 cup of orange juice (omit lemon juice if using orange juice).
Juice from 1 lemon (roughly 1 teaspoon)
4 Tbs butter cut into small chunks
Salt to taste

Lay the chicken breast on the cutting board, and slice them into two large cutlets

Preheat oven to 200 degrees.

Add olive oil to a large frying pan over medium-high heat.

Place 4 sage leaves in the olive oil and let fry for 25-30 seconds.

Combine flour and black pepper

Dredge the chicken cutlets in flour, then sprinkle sage over the top, cover with a slice of prosciutto.

Place chicken, prosciutto side down into frying pan, turning when chicken is cooked halfway through. Depending on the size of your pan, you may need to repeat this 3-4 times until all the cutlets are cooked.

When chicken is cooked through, place in an oven safe dish, and keep warm in oven.

Add minced shallot to your frypan, stirring till the shallot becomes translucent and starts to brown.

Add wine and lemon juice to your frypan, stirring to remove all the brown bits off the bottom of your pan.

Add butter, 1 chunk at a time, whisking vigorously with each addition, not adding another until the previous chunk is completely melted.

Salt sauce to taste.

Serve chicken over rice or noodles, topping with beurre blanc and fried sage leaf.

A Word on Pasta - White Vinegar

Living in Utah presents some challenges with pasta making. Because a large portion of our water makes its way through limestone deposits as it meanders into our water supply, it tends to have a higher pH. This presents an issue when it comes to making pasta.

Basic(higher pH) water attacks the outer walls of pasta, causing excess starch (mainly amylose) to make it's way into the cooking water. When you pull the pasta out of the water, the amylose starch in the water sticks to your pasta, causing your pasta to turn into one big lumpy mess.

While it's always possible to either rinse the pasta, and/or cover it in oil, that washes away starch from the pasta and/or adds additional calories, without adding much extra flavor.

If you're making your own pasta, the trick to fix this is add additional eggs to your pasta batter. The protein in the egg will do a better job holding the amylose starch in the pasta. However, there are very few nights when making my own pasta is feasible.

Instead, try adding 3 tablespoons of white vinegar to every gallon of pasta water. This will lower the pH of the water enough that the amylose starch won't make its way into your pasta water. You'll end up with a much better noodle!

Fat = Flavor?

I've been hearing this phrase a LOT these days. And although I appreciate the amazing alliteration, the hair on the back of my neck bristles whenever I hear it.

Let's break it down into a mathematical formula.

In the equation 3 X 5 = 15, at no point does 5 = 15. 5 is but a component of the equation.

It's the same way with fat, although, the equation is a little more complex.



Flavor is a combination of fat and water soluble flavor compounds, mixed with the 5 scientifically approved tongue sensations: sour, salt, bitter, sweet, and savory (I personally believe there are quite a few additional tongue sensations, such as spicy, and acerbic, but that's a topic for another time).

First, let's talk about fat and water soluble flavor compounds, we'll use the tomato as an example.

A vine ripened/home grown tomato is one of the things in this world that money can't buy. The delicious richness that can only be achieved by picking it at its peak is unparalleled.

Tomato's are also FULL of the antioxidant lycopene, a fat soluble compound that does contribute flavor. In addition, they are full of ascorbic acid, a water soluble compound. Since tomatoes already have quite a bit of water, it's easy to taste ascorbic acid's contribution. However, have you ever noticed that by drizzling a little oil over tomatoes, they taste completely different? The fat soluble flavor compounds now have an easier way to find their way to your nose, which makes the flavor more intense.

So while it's true that fat increases the amount of available fat soluble compounds, thereby increasing the overall flavor, it doesn't equal flavor. It is but a component in the equation.

Ultimate Butter Caramel

Part 1

Part 2

This is a recipe that has taken quite a few holiday seasons to develop, but I guarantee that you'll NEVER be satisfied with another caramel again. It was developed at an elevation of 4500 feet, so add 1 degree of cooking temperature for every 500 feet in elevation drop (IE: 244 degrees at sea level, 240 degrees at 2000 feet).

Ingredients:
1/2 cup salted butter cut into small chunks
2 cups DARK brown sugar (light brown sugar doesn't work)
2 cups light corn syrup
1/8 teaspoon salt
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon vanilla

Combine corn syrup and dark brown sugar in large saucepan (I use a 6 qt pan). Place on medium heat and stir till dissolved. Then increase the heat to high and bring to a boil. Let the mixture boil for 2-3 minutes, keeping sides of the pan clean (this is important as dirty pan sides cause sugar chunks in the finished product, and the boiling creates a darker, more flavorful caramel due to a chemical process called Maillard reaction that takes place between the milk fat (protein), and the lactose, fructose and glucose (carbohydrate).

Add butter, one chunk at a time, stirring constantly. Add salt. Keep stirring as you slowly pour in cream so mixture does not stop boiling. STOP STIRRING after the cream is completely incorporated. Cook without stirring to 236 degrees (see note above about changes to final temperature based on elevation) and take off the heat. Add vanilla. Without scraping the pan, pour into a generously buttered 9"X12" pan (I use Pyrex as it makes it easier to remove the next day). Put the pan on a cooling rack and let cool for 12+ hours. I usually cover the pan with plastic wrap after 1-2 hours of cooling.

Turn the pan over onto a cutting surface and the caramel block should slowly fall on to your surface. If not, you may try heating the bottom of the pan in hot tap water, or if all else fails, gently help it out with a rubber spatula.

Cut caramel into squares and wrap in waxed paper.

Improved Chicken Noodle Soup

I've always been proud of my homemade chicken noodle soup. But something was missing. I wanted something with a velvety texture, filled with a rich broth, and just the right amount of salt and savory. The trick is a little unflavored gelatin, and mushrooms. The gelatin significantly improves the mouthfeel, giving this soup a smooth texture, while the mushrooms contribute umami, turning an ordinary bowl of soup into a culinary experience fit for a king.

1 lb boneless/skinless chicken cut into 3/4 or smaller cubes
1 medium yellow onion, diced into small chunks
1/2 inch ginger root, minced
2 minced garlic cloves
1/2 cup diced crimini mushrooms (also known as baby bellas)
3 peeled whole carrots, chopped
2 cups diced celery
1 leek, sliced into circles, and then rinsed after chopping (leeks tend to carry a LOT of dirt, so rinsing after chopping is crucial.
2 qts chicken stock (or use water and chicken meat base)
1 packet of unflavored gelatin
1 bunch of cilantro, minced
1 tsp freshly ground coarse black pepper
Homemade noodles (see below)
Salt to taste
Fresh ground black pepper to taste

Place a 6 qt stockpot over high heat and add just enough oil to coat the bottom of the pan. Add the unflavored gelatin to 1/2 cup cold water in a separate dish and let sit for 10 minutes. Add the chicken and fry until the exterior of the chicken starts to brown. Add onions, ginger garlic, and mushrooms and continue to fry until onions are translucent. Add celery, carrots, and leeks and cook until veggies start to sweat. Add chicken stock, bring to a boil, and then reduce heat to a simmer. Add the unflavored gelatin.

Add the noodles, black pepper and salt to taste. Cook until noodles are tender.

1-2 minutes prior to serving, add the cilantro and stir well.

Homemade Whole Wheat Noodles
1 1/4 cup whole wheat flour
2 eggs
1 Tsp salt
1/3 cup water

Combine the salt, flour and eggs in a mixer. Mix well. Once all ingredients except water are incorporated, add water a little bit at a time until the dough ball is slightly tacky. You may end up using less water than the recipe calls for. If you add too much water, add flour, 1/4 cup at a time until the dough feels just tacky.

Let the dough rest for 15 minutes, then dump onto a floured surface, roll out into a long piece, about 1/8 inch thick.

If you have a pasta roller, make the dough into 1/4 inch wide noodles, then cut into 2" lengths before adding to the soup.

If you don't have a pasta roller, slice the noodles by hand, taking care to maintain an even width.

Perfect Pot Roast

Pot roast can be absolutely delicious or absolutely dreadful. It all depends on the preparation. When cooked properly, it is a moist and delicate entree.

To understand the challenge in cooking proper pot roast, one must consider two components that makeup the roast: meat fibers, and glycogen.

The meat fibers start to lose their moisture at approximately 140 degrees, expelling all of it by 180 degrees. But glycogen, also known as connective tissue, starts to breakdown around 150 degrees, but doesn't REALLY turn to gelatin until the internal temp of the meat reaches 200 degrees, and not breaking down the glycogen creates a TOUGH pot roast.

Herein lies the problem with most pot roasts. If you don't cook it long enough it's tough, but if you cook it too long, it's dry.

The trick, is to cook the muscle fibers long enough that they even though they've given off all their moisture, they breakdown and allow the reintroduction of liquid. Cooking the roast in a flavorful stock allows the infusion of delicious flavors once the roast hits this phase.

The breakdown of muscle fibers requires cooking the roast a full hour with the internal temperature at 200-212 degrees -a temperature easily maintained by keeping the roast immersed in water. So don't skimp on stock, and be sure the roast stays in the oven for the full 3 1/2 hours.


Part 1

Part 2:


The ingredients:
3-4 lb roast - preferably Chuck
2 Tbs olive oil
3 medium diced onions
2 stalks celery - chopped
3 carrots - peeled and chopped
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1 bottle red wine
5 sprigs thyme
5 bay leaves
2 Tbs anchovy paste
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 325.
Trim the roast of any excessive "fat cap" fat.
Preheat a 5-6 qt oven safe cooking vessel with a well fitting lid (enameled dutch oven preferred) over the stove.
Add olive oil to pan.
Brown both sides of the roast in your cooking vessel
Remove the roast from the pan.
Add onions, carrots, and celery to the pan, cooking until just slightly brown.
Add roast back to the pan.
Whisk flour and chicken stock together, add to the pan
Add the bottle of wine to the pan
Add thyme, bay leaves and anchovy paste to the pan
Cover the cooking vessel with aluminum foil, put lid of pan over the top of the foil.
Place in oven for 3 1/2 hours
After removing the cooking vessel from the oven, skim liquid fat off the top of the cooking liquid.
Using a soup ladle and a sieve, remove at least 2 cups of the cooking liquid, run through a sieve into a saucepan.
Place the saucepan over medium high heat and reduce cooking liquid by 1/2.

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