. sous vide . fermentation . dry curing .
Any tradition-freak out there probably needs to skip this. Hallacas are a Venezuelan dish eaten only during Christmas, mostly because of its labor-intensive preparation requires family members to gather to make this delicious meat-stuffed-masa-dough-patties for lack of a better way to describe them. They’re also wrapped in plantain leaves and then boiled. They are similar […]
My house still smells like a french bakery… and it’s been an hour since I finished, if only I could pack this smell so I could take it with me everywhere I go!. So… delicious. Once the gruyère cheese and the butter and the flour cook in the oven, that’s it. There is no explaining […]
The ratios are extremely forgiving, no 2 recipes look the same. This means things can be simplified in terms of quantities and flavored easily adjusted. Beurre Blanc is a combination of an acidic liquid that’s reduced, shallots and butter. Experimentation is key. A little knowledge about how emulsions form and work helps in the making […]
The preservation of food via fermentation is probably as old as 3000 BC. Lactic acid bacteria take all the credit in the transformation of simple and quite possibly boring green cabbage into delicious sauerkraut. A staple ingredient in german cuisine, it can be found by different names in many western and eastern european countries as […]
A mirepoix is a combination of aromatic vegetables, diced and then subjected to heat to release their flavor and aroma. In french culture, this is the base for many preparations and dishes, stocks, etc. The quantities of onion, celery and carrot vary depending on the use, but the most common one would look something like […]
This is one extremely versatile dough anyone serious about baking and cooking should learn. Some examples of traditional pastry doughs: Pate Brisee or Pie crust: 300 flour 200g butter, very cold 60g-80g cold water 1/ tsp salt 1/2 tsp sugar Feuilletage Rapide or Classique, the famous puff pastry in both versions: 500g flour 500g butter […]
Tools you’ll need: 1 carving knife, SHARP Blender Big cutting board for trimming and seasoning the shoulder. Roasting rack and a roasting pan to collect drippings. Oven, heated to 500F. Ingredients: Whole pork shoulder, bone in preferably. It’s about 20 pounds. A few sprigs of rosemary and thyme. Use only leaves. 6 garlic cloves 30g […]
It’s been a few days since my last post, things are crazy at work and finally I find myself with some free time during this holiday break to get back into it (Pasta 101 is a good place to start). So, I was really wanting to continue making fresh pasta, I have 3 flavors I […]
This is another one of those skills anyone serious about cooking should probably learn. Making your own pasta is extremely satisfying, rewarding and yummy! Tools: A scale. A place to mix stuff, cutting board or stand mixer bowl or glass bowl, etc. Cutting surface to roll dough or pasta press. Knife, cookie cutter, pizza cutter, […]
Do not stop reading after this off-putting title. Microwaving food has a pretty bad rep, but just because it is associated with heating up frozen dinners, popping corn kernels, making mostly everything put in them soggy or rubbery and on top of that, the evil magnetron that lurks inside produces deadly radiation, it really doesnt […]