Savory Corn Pancake

For a reason I have yet to fully understand, today is National Pancake Day at IHOP.  Traditionally, Pancake Day, or Shrove Tuesday, is the last day before Lent and it was customary to eat pancakes to use up items that would be commonly be forbidden during lent (fat, eggs, sugar, etc...).  By natural extension of their everyday product, IHOP has generated a marketing extravaganza by offering free pancakes in return for a small donation to a variety of charities.  According to the IHOP website, nearly $8 million has been raised for charity since 2008.

All this advertising for free pancakes have got me thinking about my favorite pancakes.  Since breakfast has already passed (or should have), I decided to post a recipe for a savory pancake to enjoy with dinner.  I like to serve this with grilled pork with roasted fruit or even creamed chicken would be tasty placed over these cakes.

• 1lb fresh or frozen corn, pureed to a rough consistency
• 3cups buttermilk
• 3ea eggs, separated yolks from whites
• 1bunch (maybe 6) scallions or green onions
• 1lb of all purpose flour
• 1/2lb cornmeal, I like medium grind personally
• 2T baking powder
• salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a large mixing bowl, combine all the dry ingredients, corn included, until just combined.  In a medium mixing bowl, combine the buttermilk and egg yolks then gently fold the wet ingredients into the dry until just mixed together.  In a separate bowl, whip the egg whites until medium peaks are formed.  Gently fold the whites into the combined pancake mixture.

Preheat a griddle or non-stick pan to medium high heat.  Using a small bit of oil or butter, lightly grease the cooking surface and place 3oz of pancake mixture onto the surface.  Cook without disturbing until the edges begin to brown and small bubbles begin to appear, just like you would a standard breakfast pancake.  Gently flip the now formed corn cake and finish cooking.  Keep warm in a low oven, using a clean kitchen towel to cover them.  Continue until all the batter is used.

Culinary Foundations: Brining

The act of brining a product as a means of preservation has been around for thousands of years.  Most commonly used as a method of curing meats, nearly all societies utilized salt or salt solutions to preserve a wide range of products.  Meats, cheeses, vegetables and even some fruits can be brined for preservation and flavor enhancement.
Brining is different from other forms of preservation or flavor enhancement such as the commonly confused marinating or pickling in many ways.  Before moving forward, to briefly describe these very different processes:

• Marinating:  The act of marinating (verb) a product with marinade (noun) is to introduce a flavor component to your product.  Generally, the marinade is composed of a fat (flavor carrier), an acid such as lemon juice or wine for denaturing the proteins in the meat for a bit of tenderizing action, and some sort aromatic such as herbs, peppercorns, etc...for flavor.  Marinating a product does not generally prolong the shelf life in any real discernible way.
• Pickling:  Pickling a product generally preserves by decreasing the pH level of a product to a safer level for storage.  This is accomplished by introducing an acid such as vinegar as well as  flavor components such as herbs, peppercorns and even sugar to achieve the desired results.  It is believed that pickling was first introduced in India 4000 years ago.
• Brining:  There are two predominate forms of brining a process with very different results...dry brining and wet brining.  Dry brining is used primarily for preservation.  Dry brining can simply be rubbing the outside of a product with salt.  This is often called curing.  Many meats and seafood are preserved in this fashion.  Wet brining is the process in which a salt water solution is used to introduce additional moisture into a product...usually a meat...to increase the juiciness and palatability of a product.  The salt water solution acts to denature the proteins in the meat and, by the very scientific process of osmosis, the end product is much juicier than than prior to brining...as long as the product is cooked correctly!

For applications other than outright preservation, most brines should offer a flavor component.  I like to also add a sugar of some sort to help to off-set the salt flavor, aid in the caramelizing of the meat and to aid in the flavor transfer of my brine.  This relatively easy method of improving a meat has only a few basic steps.  I start most of my brine recipes with this basic recipe.  This brine is particularly useful for pork or chicken. 

• 10wt oz brown sugar
• 8wt oz kosher salt
• 12 ea juniper berries, crushed in half
• 10 garlic cloves, crushed
• 3T white peppercorns
• 3T black peppercorns
• 6 ea bay leaves
• 3T whole cloves
• 1 handful fresh thyme

 Combine all ingredients with one cup of warm water to dissolve the sugar and salt.  Rub the brine solution over the meat and place in a large bucket or pot.  Fill the container with cold water and cure for 36 hours.  After curing, rinse the meat with cold water, dry the outside of the meat with paper towels and prepare as you would normally.  DO NOT OVERCOOK.  While there is some added flexibility in cooking after brining, if the product is severely overcooked, you will still be left with a dry, tough piece of meat...making your brining activities for naught.

Want to read more? Follow Full Flavor and subscribe to the RSS Feed, receive email updates or check back often

Helen Catherine Martin

Last Wednesday, my family and I traveled to Chicago (a relatively nameless southwest suburb actually) to pay our respects to my grandmother.  Helen Catherine Martin died here in Springfield on Saturday, February 18, 2012 after living a long, productive and by some accounts, difficult life.  Widowed in 1972, Grandma Martin raised 7 children on her own ranging from 20 years old to merely 10 (or so).  Born and raised in Chicago, she later lived in St. Paul, Minnesota, San Diego, California (where she worked at Sea World at 70), and Leesburg, Virginia before finally settling in Springfield at my parents home.

My parents welcomed my grandmother (my dad's mom) into their home in an effort to provide a place of comfort and care while she battled a litany of health conditions.  Through the generosity of my parents, many lives have been affected for the better.  Grandma's children were able to have their mother for a couple extra years, her grandchildren were able to accept her wisdom just a bit more (and, in my case, learn a little something extra about their own parents), and her great-grandchildren too were blessed to meet her.  Through the care my parents provided, I was given the opportunity get to know my Grandma and was able to spend time with her in ways I would not have otherwise been able.

She loved to watch CNN (Wolf Blitzer) and was very informed and opinionated in regards to American politics (she believed in change!).  A deeply religious person, Grandma Martin believed in God and saw the good in all humanity.

Grandma Martin touched the hearts of many.  Surviving her are 2 brothers, 7 children, 18 grandchildren and 15 great-grandchildren (so far).  Helen Catherine Martin (Clifford) will be missed deeply.  Thank you for being part of our lives.  Rest in Peace.

Want to read more? Follow Full Flavor and subscribe to the RSS Feed, receive email updates or check back often.

Black Coffee-Chipotle BBQ Sauce

This was a recipe I made while working on a menu for a local coffee distributor.  My client wanted the entire menu to be centered around their products but wanted it to be used in unusual ways.  I dont remember at this point exactly what meats this sauce was used on but I would suggest grilled pork tenderloins.  Sounds good to me.

• 1 cup minced white onion
• 2T chopped garlic
• 1T butter, I always use unsalted
• 1/4 cup sherry vinegar
• 2 dried chipotle peppers
• 1 ancho pepper
• 1 cup black coffee
• 1.2 cup tomato puree
• 1/3 cup molasses
• salt and fresh ground black pepper

Sweat the onion and chopped garlic in the butter until just starting to turn clear.  Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for 20 minutes or so.  Puree the ingredients in a blender or use an immersion blender.

Want to read more? Follow Full Flavor and subscribe to the RSS Feed, receive email updates or check back often.

BBQ Sauce

I am a big fan of a good BBQ Sauce.  From a traditional tomato based concoction to the vinegary-sweet combinations of a Carolina sauce.  I have written similar posts such as a recipe for Jamaican Rum BBQ Sauce as well as Dry Rub and Mopping Sauce for Brisket.  Here is a recipe I have used many times both as a base for more complex sauces as well as a stand alone sauce.

• 1 pint of chopped onions
• 1 cup of chopped garlic
• 2T dry mustard
• 1 cup soy sauce
• 1 qt ketchup...use my recipe for Homemade Catsup if you want to really go crazy
• 7 cups tomato fillet or diced tomatoes
• 1 qt orange juice
• 1 pt molasses
• 3 bay leaves
• 1 cup cider vinegar
• 4 ancho chili peppers (these are dried poblano peppers)
• 4 dried chipotles
• salt and fresh ground black pepper

In a large stock pot or sauce pan, sweat the onions and garlic in a bit of oil until just soft.  Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 1 hour.  Cool the sauce for a bit and then puree in a blender or use an immersion blender.  Cool the sauce further and refrigerate until ready to use.  As with most of my recipes, this will make plenty to use as you wish.

Next Post Continuing with the Trend:  Black Coffee-Chipotle BBQ Sauce

Want to read more?  Follow Full Flavor and subscribe to the RSS Feed, receive email updates or check back often.

Food Porn



Here is a bit of homegrown food porn to feast your eyes on while I am busy with an event.



Pan Seared North Atlantic Salmon with Fresh Vegetable Slaw, Wilted Baby Spinach and Red Pepper Coulis 





Stacked Shrimp Appetizer with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Pepper Coulis

Enjoy!

Valentines Day at Hickory Glen

If anyone asked me when I was a young chef if I ever envisioned myself being involved in any way with a retirement or nursing home setting I would have given a resounding NO.  I was too 'good' to be cooking at a facility like that!  It didn't provide enough creative outlet...not prestigious enough.  If someone were to ask me NOW if I could ever be involved, culinary-wise, with a retirement or nursing home setting, my answer would sure be different. 

Sure, there are many elder care facilities that, by necessity, serve a type of food that the general population would tend to overlook.  However, after viewing the food offerings of a multitude of 'retirement facilities', I can say with great confidence that we can do much better.  All too often I hear that residents who live in these facilities won't like something, they don't try new things, or they don't like a lot of flavor.  In my opinion, the people who keep these stereotypes are not even trying.  They view cooking in a facility like this to be an opportunity to NOT innovate, NOT care about plate presentation and generally NOT care.  On the contrary, I believe the unique challenges involved with serving an ageing population provides the absolute opportunity to be innovative in menu design to please a very diverse population, meet stringent financial goals and to still provide a nice dining experience.  Just because someone reaches 65 (or 85 or 95 or older...) does not mean that he doesn't want nicely prepared food with proper texture and flavor.  As a population, we can definitely do better.

This upcoming Valentines Day, I have the honor of being the guest chef at Hickory Glen Active Senior Living.  I have cooked for this group before and am always welcomed with gratitudes and good will.  While I keep the demographics of the group in mind, I do not dumb down the menu or preparations.  In fact, it is more important offer a wide range of strong flavors and textures to ensure people with compromised abilities are interested.  I always look forward to cooking for a group such as this and, with it being Valentines Day, I anticipate this event to be even more enjoyable.

I don't have all the recipes worked out quite yet, some of them will come as I prepare the actual dishes, but here is the menu.  Enjoy!

Hickory Glen Italian Bistro Night

Roast Beet Salad with Baby Greens
Crumbled Chevre and Balsamic Drizzle

Oregano Infused House made Meatball over Fresh LinguineRustic Tomato Sauce and Parmesan Tuille
Pan Roasted Chicken Breast Stuffed with Prosciutto, Baby Spinach and Pecorino

Sage Brown Butter Sauce
Fresh Linguine with White Clam Sauce

Grilled Scallions and Drizzled with Italian Parsley Pistou

Italian Roasted Parmesan Potatoes
Julienne Fresh Vegetables Sauteed with Fresh Herbs and Roasted Garlic
Caramelized Brussels Sprouts with Slow Roasted Roma Tomato Confit
House made Focaccia Bread

Traditional TiramisuShaved Chocolate 

Alehouse Chili for Game Day

The upcoming Super Bowl is a great time to bring family and friends together.  I know this isn't the typical tavern style chilli (chili?--I still get the spelling mixed up even though I am from Springfield) but I am fairly certain you will enjoy this recipe.  Nice heat, balanced spice profile, hint of beer...its all there.

• 1 pint of good beer, your choice...I like Fat Tire
• 1T dried oregano
• 3T chili powder
• 4tsp cumin
• 4tsp coriander
• 2 chipotles en adobo (the canned chipotles), ground
• 1 1/2 medium onions, small dice
• 5lbs ground beef
• 2T chopped fresh garlic
• 1 poblano pepper, diced
• 7 cups tomato fillets or diced tomato
• 7 cups cooked kidney beans (canned beans are fine but do rinse them)
• 6 cups beef broth
• 1.5 cups tomato paste
• 2T Tabasco sauce
• 4tsp sugar
• 1lb fresh or frozen corn

In a small sauce pan, simmer the beer, oregano, chili powder, cumin, coriander and chipotle for 20 minutes.  Set aside.

In a large stock pot, brown the ground beef, onions and garlic until cooked through.  Do not drain the fat from the pot.  Add the reserved simmered beer and all remaining ingredients except for the Tabasco and corn.  Simmer for 1 hour or until the flavors have begun to meld and the chilli has begun to thicken.  Add the Tabasco and corn and simmer for 20 minutes more.

As with all chilli, this recipe improves by cooking it the day before and reheating just before service.  Either way, serve this hearty stew with plenty of cheese, tortillas, corn bread or whatever else you like.

Dry Rub and Mopping Sauce for Brisket

With the weather being so unseasonably warm, I have started to think of my new patio and BBQ grill.  One of my favorite BBQ item is a nicely slow smoked beef brisket.  Smoked meats of all kinds interest me but brisket reigns supreme for me.  The process of transforming an otherwise tough and inedible cut of meat into something as great as a good smoked brisket makes me happy.  Besides...how else can you use terms like bark (the crust a long smoked meat), smoke ring ( the red hued outer perimeter signifying good smoke penetration) or pellicle formation (air drying a meat long enough for the skin to become tacky to the touch, thus allowing the smoke to penetrate more freely)?

This is my own personal recipe for a Dry Rub for Brisket.  Of course, this recipe makes way more than you need initially

1 cup kosher salt
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 cup chili powder
1 cup fresh ground black pepper
1 cup paprika
3/4 cup ground cumin
1/4 cup cayenne pepper
1/4 cup granulated garlic

Mix all the ingredients in a large dry bowl.  Dry a beef brisket with paper towels.  Generously rub the spice mixture onto the brisket, making sure plenty of the rub sticks to the meat.  Place the rubbed brisket in a refrigerator, uncovered, for 24 hours.

 I like to use a mopping sauce when smoking brisket.  This recipe helps to ensure proper bark (crust) formation and imparts a savory flavor to the meat.  Start basting the meat about 2 hours prior to finishing.

3T coffee grounds, tied in cheesecloth
1 1/3cup water
1quart catsup
12oz Worcestershire sauce
8oz unsalted butter

Simmer all the ingredients in a non-reactive saucepan until reduced by 1/4 volume.  Cool slightly then whisk in the butter until all is combined.  Finish cooling the mopping sauce and store until ready to use.  Approximately 2 hours prior to finishing the brisket, start basting the meat every 15 minutes or so.

Wondering why I didn't give instructions on how to properly smoke a brisket?  This You Tube video by BBQGuys.com really gives a thorough and wonderful description of how to properly smoke a brisket.  I've never tried it but their recipe for the brisket rub looks good too!  Enjoy!