Ain't It Sweet Cooking On The Heat

I admit that the best part of summer meals are typically the desserts. Who doesn't love a cool, sweet, satisfying dessert in the swell of the summer heat? Certainly I do, and yet it is easy to fall into the usual routines of summer desserts. However, I am here with a different way to slice up your summer dessert.

I will confess that I have been trying to make this dessert and get it on the blog for weeks. By the way, this isn't a complicated, time consuming or expert level dessert. No. This is a dessert that takes 10 minutes and will please any palate in my estimation. Oh, did I mention you make this one the grill? I know, I'm talking about grilling. Shocking, isn't it?

What is the mystery dessert? Grilled Stone Fruit. In other words, peaches, pears, apricots, and of course, nectarines all finished on the grill. How does it work? It is very simple actually. As we know, all of these fruits contain a lot of natural sugar and we are just coaxing that sugar to the surface with a little heat. The goal is to caramelize the outside of the fruit and and let it soften up a little bit. Congratulations! You have done it! I don't really have to say much more......but I am going to because I can't just leave it at that.

There is only one rule when it comes to selecting your fruit. You want the fruit to be pretty firm, with a little bit of give. We want our fruit to be able to stand up after it comes off the grill. We have all had that one piece of stone fruit that is overripe, hard to handle, and can be messy. That isn't what we want here. Okay, got that? Good.

First, preheat your grill to medium heat and make sure to clean your grates so you don't get pork flavored stone fruit. If you you want that profile, then go crazy. I will make sure we find an application for that later in our blogging adventure. It might be good to wipe the grates down with a freshly oiled towel to help remove any remaining meat oils or bits from the grates. Next, split the fruit into halves, remove the pit, and then just splash a little bit of neutral oil on the cut side of the flesh. Place cut side down on your grill and check every few minutes until the flesh picks up some grill marks and the natural sugars caramelize. This should take about 6-8 minutes on the grill until you have something that looks like this.

This picture says it all and you would be correct. I could probably stop here, but if you know me, I like to go the extra mile for all of my readers. Ready? Here we go!


You can serve this fruit a number of different ways and there are really no limits. Here is one of my favorite applications.

Here is a grilled nectarine with some reduced balsamic vinegar. Okay, before I go on, let me just say that I'm not talking about the stuff you buy from the shelf of your local big box store. I'm talking about balsamic vinegar that has the consistency of syrup, some real sweetness, and a little bit of that vinegar finish. Trust me, you would ever mistake the one for the other. You might be able to find a specialty store that sells olive oils and they will likely carry good quality reduced balsamic vinegar. If you can't find it anywhere, no problem, because you can make your own. Here is a recipe for an simple, easy balsamic reduction that would work very well if you want to try your hand at making your own.

If balsamic isn't your flavor, how about some yogurt sweetened with a little honey instead? You could also make some whipped cream and spoon some on top. If you want to make adult style whipped cream, add a few splashes of your favorite bourbon or whiskey to really make your fruit happy. Still not enough? Okay, how about a scoop of good vanilla ice cream to go on top of this beautiful fruit? As you can see, the options are endless!

What could you do with left over grilled fruits? You could chop them up and throw them into some pancake batter or top your pancakes with them. You could also add the fruit to your favorite smoothie for a little extra complexity and sweetness. Hey, why not add to your barbecue sauce collection? I know I would! If you want to really add a nice counterpoint, sprinkle the a little salt on top of the fruit and serve. I promise, you can't go wrong!


Enjoy!

Putting the Cherry On Top of Barbecue Sauce

I think most people would agree that summer is the time for sauces for all occasions. I would argue that part of that is related to the bountiful assortment of berries that are popping up everywhere.

As of late, cherries have been exploding up here in the Pacific Northwest and they are beautiful! Problem is, with this crazy weather, the cherry season is all screwed up. As you know, I have been making jam like there is no tomorrow! I know, why am I talking about jam? Just give me a minute and I think it will all make sense.

Okay, where was I? Right, making truck loads of jam. Delicious jam varieties such as strawberry, raspberry, blackberry, and marionberry jam. However, I've had one type of jam that I have yet to conquer.......cherry.

So, I set out to make cherry jam. It was as simple as all the rest, but the only problem was pitting all those little buggers. Luckily, it went pretty quick. Want to see the finished product? Okay, here is my beautiful cherry jam.

 

The jam was sweet, tart, rich, and thick. Everything you would want in homemade jam. If you can't remember how to make jam, just click here to review. 

The jam was made and was ready to chill in the fridge. The next morning, it was time to see how our jam fared on a piece of toast. The jam tasted really good, but there was a glaring issue. While the jam cooked, the cherry skins had separated from the flesh and hadn't broken down at all. Instead there were just cherry skins floating in the jam (it really felt like something out of horror film... or maybe off the set of "The Walking Dead" lol). I considered digging through the jam and trying to remove the skins but that would have taken a long time and I didn't have the energy for that. It was decision time: What on earth could I do to salvage this beautiful jam? Then it hit me!

I have been exploring different versions of barbecue sauce since I started making my own sauces a year ago, or so. Recently I shared a blueberry barbecue sauce recipe, which you can find here. 

I thought, maybe I can turn this dilapidated cherry bomb that resembled jam, into a cherry barbecue sauce! I got online just to make sure I wasn't going to do something totally crazy, and there it was, cherry barbecue sauce. Bingo, I thought. 

One day, in between running errands, I took my own homemade barbecue sauce that I already had prepared in the fridge, the cherry jam, and combined them together. How is this for a science experiment?  

I started with a half cup of each to get this recipe going. After that, just add the mix to your favorite blender or food processor and process until smooth. You should have something that looks like this.

 

The barbecue sauce tasted amazing and was smooth as silk, but it lacked some flavor. I added the remaining quarter cup of cherry jam and blended again. The flavor was much better! Even though the cherry jam was subtle you could pick up some of the cherry notes. That's it. 

You have an amazing barbecue sauce that is unique and different. Since we are on the topic, you can use just about any fruit in barbecue sauces. Some of the more common types are blueberry, peach, blackberry, and many others. 

How should you use this sauce? Well, honestly, the sky is the limit. It would work on fish, chicken, pork or beef just as well. You could use it as a marinade, glaze or to help develop an amazing crust on your choice of protein. Heck, you could even use it as a condiment for sandwiches, wraps, and a number of other applications.

This post on barbecue sauce proves that even a simple mistake for one recipe can open the door for something new and unexpected. 

Enjoy!

Brussels Roasting On An Open Fire

For most of us in the Pacific Northwest we are dealing with very hot temperatures right now. In fact, most of us are dealing with blistering heat around the country. That means one thing, time to cook outside on the grill! If you know me, I don't need an excuse to grill, but the heat is certainly gives me more reason to grill. I don't know about you, but we have a hard enough time keeping cold air in, so not adding more hot air is paramount. I try to do as much as I can on the grill and use the stove/oven as little as possible. Again, I love to grill so it works out.

I was making dinner the other night and I started thinking about how to do one of my favorite sides, brussel sprouts, on the the grill. I knew it could be done, but like so many things, there are a billion ways to prep these little gems. Luckily it is super simple to make these into a perfect side dish.

First, turn your grill to medium heat and let the grill come up to temperature. Meanwhile, trim and prep the brussel sprouts. Can't remember how to handle them? No problem! Just click here for a quick refresher course on how to get these ready to cook. Just look for the section featuring our little friends and you will be set to go. Next, place the brussels in a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons olive oil, a few pinches of salt, fresh ground pepper to taste, and any other seasonings that you like. I like to use a little garlic salt or a spicy pepper blend to give these a little bit of a pop. Try adding a teaspoon at a time and taste as you go to make sure you are happy with the flavor. Once  you have combined everything together, throw them onto some foil, thusly.

After that, place this on the grill and cook for about 10-12 minutes. The cooking time will depend on how big the brussel sprouts are and if you are getting consistent heat. Make sure to keep on eye on these and stir every few minutes to keep them from burning. You want to get color on them, but you shouldn't be getting little nuggets of coal. It isn't Christmas quite yet, but hopefully you have all been nice and not naughty boys and girls.

Once you are done applying the heat, you should have something that looks like this.

 

It is that simple! They are really good! They are soft, a little crispy, with some nice char from the grill, and they get a little sweet as they cook through. Just keep in mind that brussel sprouts tend to absorb the oil and seasonings like little sponges, so you might have to season a little more heavily than you normally would. Or, if you prefer, you can adjust the seasoning after they are done cooking. That is totally up to you. I season heavily before I start and then I adjust as needed. You will love these, I have no doubt! This is a cooking method that I will come back to time and time again! 

Try to stay cool and hydrated out there! Enjoy!

Table Fare Team

We've been talking mostly about food, but I thought I would switch gears and introduce you to some of the team that keeps the blog running behind the scenes. I can't think of anyone one better to start off my TFT (Table Fare Team) team biographies than this first member.

What I love best about this guy is that he is always around to help keep me grounded and stay in the moment. When I find that I'm getting stuck, he always something to say to help keep me moving forward. Team morale is his primary focus because of the importance it plays in allowing me to find my voice. He always is encouraging me no matter how I feel. I mean, could you ask for a better staff member than that? Make no mistake, while team morale is his thing, he isn't going to let you off the hook and just skate on by. Oh no. Not him. He demands and expects the best and makes sure you know it too.

When I brought him on board, this staff member was excited, but timid. He wanted to help, but wasn't sure his skill set would match my dynamic vision for the blog. Although we struggled at times, we never gave up on each other. Even in the heat of the moment, we would find a way to come together and reach for more. He has turned out to be super hard worker and often stays late. I couldn't ask for anything more than that level of dedication. In addition, he loves to learn and is always curious about what I am up to. Also, he is always near by so when I need help I have him to lean on. This is especially important when it comes to recipe testing. However, his excitement can sometimes be problematic as he loses his focus easily. He knows this is one of his issues and tries to work on it as much as he can.

What else can I say about him? Well, he is charmer. Women love him! Ladies, he is single too! He can be the life of the party and is always ready to have a good time. He loves the outdoors and moon-lit walks on the beach. He is kind, compassionate, and caring. He is very funny and loves some adventure. Truly a good guy all the way around.

So, who is this amazing partner in crime??

That's right! Say hello to Blitz! This is the man! He is a Japanese Chin, which is part of the Spaniel family, and weighs about 14 pounds. He is the nicest guy, but he is aptly named. He loves to play, seek attention, and has tons of energy!  He often curls up next to me while I'm writing. When I don't have the laptop and I'm reclined, he will climb up and lay on my chest and just relax. That is quality time if I do say so! How can you not love that face?


Stay tuned as I will have more team updates to come. Also,  there is a lot of new content I'm working on to add to the blog as well. So, keep checking back for that!

Rollin' Your Way to Pasta Town

Although I have covered some of this, I just love fresh pasta so much that I had to share it again! I will admit, making fresh pasta is a blast! It is a great skill, but it takes a little patience. So, we talked about making the pasta dough in "Perfectly Practical Pasta Fundamentals" or click on the link http://patrickstable.blogspot.com/2015/06/perfectly-practical-pasta-fundamentals.html to review.

Okay, ready to go? Let's make some pasta!

For me there are 3 styles of pasta that can be used universally. Those are fettuccine, spaghetti, and ravioli.

The great news is that if you are rolling these by hand, the dough will be same thickness for all three applications. I will say that without a pasta attachment for a stand mixer or purchasing a hand crank pasta maker, no matter how much you work the dough with a rolling pin you will only get to about an 1/8 of inch thick.

From my own experience and after numerous tests, I was only able to get the dough to about that thickness. Seemed like when I did manage to roll the dough thinner, the dough would ultimately retain it's shape. It felt like it was something out of horror film or a science project, which this sort of is, but we want that that bounce in the pasta because that means it will have that springy texture when you bite into the noodles. The good news is the even when rolled by hand, the dough is thin enough for us to make homemade pasta! Now, if you invest in the hand-crank roller or mixer attachment it will make rolling the pasta a breeze. Just follow the instructions of your roller to get to the correct thickness for your pasta of your choice.

I have been making a ton of pasta dough ever since learning how to do so in a local culinary workshop, and I have been using it in practically any form I can come up with. The truth is that once you have the basic dough down, you can do anything you want -- once your dough is as thin as you want it (or you can get it), then it is up to you to do what you want with it. As I have said, the cooking times will be impacted by the thickness of your pasta dough.

Spaghetti and Fettuccine:

So how do you cut the pasta to get the shapes you want for spaghetti and fettuccine? Fold your sheets of pasta until they form this general ribbon shape.

After that, it is just a matter of cutting the pasta. If you want spaghetti, cut thin ribbons with a knife. Sadly I don't have any photos of this. I know, shocking right? Just use your best judgment and go with any width you like. Honestly, you can use some dried pasta as a cutting guide if you really want to get serious about it. I just eyeballed mine and it worked out just fine.


If you want fettuccine, cut the pasta into slightly thicker ribbons until you have something that looks like this.

Make sure to dust and roll the pasta in a little flour to keep the strands from sticking together and they will be easier to handle that way.

Ravioli:

For ravioli, keep your pasta sheets whole and try to make them as even as possible. If they aren't perfect, don't worry. You will be able to trim the sheets once the raviolis are formed and ready for their salt water soak.

Next, use a small spoon or a measuring spoon and scoop out a couple of teaspoons of filling for your ravioli, dropping the filling onto a pasta sheet. Leave a few inches in between each lump of filling in order to make sure you have enough dough to seal the raviolis properly. Here are a few photos to help you get an idea of what to do during this process.

Finally, use a little water and brush the edges of the sheet of dough and in between each bit of filling. Then, fold the top half of the sheet over the bottom and press with your fingers around each area that you dabbed with water -- this will seal the ravioli. You could also use another sheet of pasta and cover it like you would with a pie for example. Trim your ravioli accordingly, and if you want, you can crimp the edges with a fork to make sure they are sealed properly.

The only thing left to do is test your ravioli to see how long they will need to cook. I would recommend testing a couple of ravioli in a pot of boiling salt water. After that, apply sauce and enjoy thusly. If you need some sauce suggestions, may I recommend some lemon cream sauce or some turkey bolognese sauce. I believe you find these very suitable for your intents and purposes.



Congratulations! Throw some flour in the air! You have graduated from Homemade Pasta 101!! Yahoo!!!

Okay.....maybe don't throw flour in the air as the cleanup could take the joy and fun out of pasta making. Besides, there is nothing more perplexing than finding bits of flour all over as you prepare to run errands or attend meetings. Yeah, not the best look, I can tell you that...

I hope this inspires you to make homemade pasta! Leave me feedback or questions if you want to try to tackle something else pasta related.

Oh, for all my friends that have gluten sensitivities, I haven't forgotten about you either. I am currently testing a gluten-free pasta recipe that I hope to share in the near future.

Stay Tuned!

When Cooking Goes Wrong Part Deux

While making breakfast this morning, I was confronted with another culinary caper and had to share the story. I started my morning with the plans to make a beautifully poached egg resting on top of some arugula and spinach drizzled with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. Don't worry, I plan on covering poached eggs in an upcoming post.

In order to expedite my cooking time, I decided to poach the egg in a smaller pot than what I normally use. I think I actually impeded the cooking of the egg. Perhaps I hadn't enough coffee before I started cooking. Where's the coffee gone?

But I digress, so I slid the egg into the water to begin to cook. I give it a stir to let the egg white form around the yolk so it gets that glossy white that surrounds the yolk. Here is what a poached should look like.

However, that wasn't what happened for me. I pulled off the lid with excitement only to discover that I could see the yolk plain as day. I didn't have a perfect poached egg, I had half of a perfectly poached egg. I reached into the pot with a slotted spoon to see what I could salvage and the remainder of whites separated like the space shuttle shedding used booster rockets. Man, this wasn't what I wanted to have happen to my perfect breakfast idea. Now what I wondered to myself. Again, I heard in my head, well you have half of a perfectly poached egg. Then it hit me!

 I did my best to carefully remove as much of the lingering egg white as I could without breaking the yolk. I ever so gently maneuvered  my egg yolk into position on top of the waiting greens........

Yes! Poached egg achievement unlocked!!! Honestly I couldn't believe how good it looked. There was only one more thing to do.


Figure it out?

I love waterfalls, but there is nothing that rivals this......

That's right. The magical flow of a perfectly cooked, runny egg yolk. It is hard to beat! Yep, I went there!

How do you eat this masterpiece? Personally, I mixed it around like it was salad dressing and ate it just like that. Simply sublime. You could also load a fork full on to some good  bread and enjoy thusly.

So what is the moral of this post? Remember, most kitchen conundrums can be overcome with a little bit of patience and trust. In fact, I was talking with another blogger about this same idea of you have to keep going and never give up. You might like your mistake more than if you had completed the dish successfully. Plus, I love the way this looks on a plate! It just looks so cool! 

I could only think of one way to end this post. It is the same way that I ended When Cooking Goes Wrong. Once again, with the immortal words of Julia Child, "Never apologize."

 Enjoy!

When Cooking Goes Wrong-How To Rescue Your Dinner

Let's face it, in the words of celebrity chef Alton Brown, "All cooks have bad days." Doesn't matter if you are a professional or a home cook, it does happen.We aren't the food Food Network and don't have the magic of television and editing when it comes to cooking at home. It is frustrating, annoying, and well, can be down right disappointing. Tonight was one of those nights for me. I had a good plan for what I wanted, but it didn't come together as I anticipated.

Before I get into what went wrong, I want to say that it all turned out well. I am a firm believer that some basic techniques and understanding of the ingredients allowed me to recover from what seemed like a series of unfortunate events.

It all began as I was testing a gluten free pasta recipe. I found a recipe that seemed doable and I had to test it out to see if I could make the pasta work. It turned out that my very first batch was a success. I managed to get a small portion of gluten free fettuccine out of what I made and it was really good! By the way, this wasn't like weird tasting cardboard like, gritty pasta. It was everything you would expect out of fresh pasta. I was so excited the pasta worked that I decided to work it into dinner. So, I planned to make grilled chicken thighs, sauteed baby carrots, and gluten free fettuccine with my lemon cream sauce.

I started with the chicken thighs, seasoned them up, and got them on the grill. While I was working on some other ingredients for my lemon cream sauce, I saw my barbecue was looking more like I had a bonfire going instead of cooking chicken. Channeling my inner Superman, I raced to check the chicken and it was totally okay. Let's just say I made numerous trips to the barbecue with the same urgency hoping I wouldn't end up with charcoal chicken. It seemed no matter how carefully I attended the grill, I couldn't get the chicken skin crispy and it just seemed underwhelming.

After I had the chicken bonfire under control, it was time to tackle the pasta. However, it seemed at every turn disaster was not far away. Turns out that I should have rolled and cut the pasta first before I worked on anything else. I was so pumped up with the success of my first batch that I rushed and didn't take my time to make sure the recipe was right. Keep in mind, I had made one, small single portion of the pasta less an hour before. I had some of the dough left from the first batch and was certain I could just whip the pasta out and would be on to my next venture. It wasn't going to happen, not this time. I had the dough and I was ready to put it the through the rollers on my pasta maker. The pasta cracked, split, and separated as I ran the dough through the roller. This is typically a sign of the dough being wet and it needing more flour, so I added more flour. This went on for a while when I realized that the dough was falling apart from now being too dry. Luckily I had only used about half of the dough at this point. It was clear that maybe it was a bad idea for me to take this pasta on after all. Honestly, I was getting frustrated. I was perplexed but not willing to give up on the pasta. So, I grabbed another chunk of dough and tried to roll it again. Long story short, the rest of the dough suffered the same fate and I wasn't able to save any of it. Rest in peace, pasta dough. You will be missed. I knew I needed to go back to the drawing board and figure out what I did to make the dough work the first time. So, I opted to use some of my dried fresh pasta that was hanging around the house. The pasta crisis was averted even though I was bummed and super frustrated it wouldn't be fresh pasta.

I turned my attention to the one thing that I couldn't mess up, the pasta sauce. I sauteed the mushrooms, added the roasted garlic, lemon zest, and gave it a stir. Finally, I thought. I am back in control of this dinner and everything is back on track. So, with that I added the wine and began to let it reduce. After a few minutes the pasta was ready, the chicken was rested, carrots were done, and I just had to finish the sauce. With a swift motion, I deployed the half and half into the pan, stirred the sauce a few times, and suddenly my beautiful sauce started to look like something out of a horror film. I had separated the sauce! I stirred intently hoping that the sauce would come back together, but to no avail. Instead I was left with a gloppy, unappealing pasta sauce.

My mind raced with what to do and I was about to scrap the sauce altogether when I realized I could salvage the sauce. I added the mushrooms to a fresh pan, a little olive oil, some freshly grated parmesan cheese, and some of the pasta water that my pasta had been cooking in. Why did I use the pasta water? Well, it has two very useful properties that can be a lifesaver when it comes to pasta sauce.

First, the pasta water should be seasoned with salt, so it will provide another level of flavor and seasoning. I always add three very healthy pinches of salt to my pasta water. Some chefs say your pasta water should taste like the ocean. I don't think you need that much salt, but you should be able to taste the salt clearly in your pasta water before you cook any pasta. Yes, I taste my pasta water for seasoning. Remember to season everything!

Second, while the pasta cooks, starch is released into the water and this can be very advantageous. You can use this starchy water to help thin a sauce if gets too thick before you serve it or you can use it to thicken a sauce. For example, as the water evaporates from the starch, the starch tightens and thickens whatever liquid the starch is suspended in. You may have seen a recipe where flour or corn starch is incorporated into water and it is used as a thickening agent. Typically you see this in  gravies, sauces, or Asian noodle dishes or recipes.  As an added bonus, the starch provides that creamy, rich sensation on your palate. After applying these two little two little tricks and some sanity, I had saved the sauce.
 
Although the carrots were the least troublesome of the bunch, I was constantly turning the heat up and down to keep them from overcooking. Luckily I managed to get it done. However, I certainly could have done without the carrots trying to be unruly.

Here is how the final plate came together.

Not too bad, right? See, it turned out well and was very good!

What's the final takeaway? You can fix most cooking mistakes with some basic knowledge. If nothing else, I hope that you are able to take something away from this blog even if it isn't from this post. If you are able to use something you have learned from this blog to improve or grow your own skills, then mission accomplished.

When I  was thinking about how to end this post, I was flooded with quotes from the immortal Julia Child that sum up this post theme. "No one is born a great cook, one learns by doing.” "One of the secrets, and pleasures, of cooking is to learn to correct something if it goes awry; and one of the lessons is to grin and bear it if it cannot be fixed.”

As it turns out, I am very guilty of feeling bad when I don't cook something properly or I get derailed from my dinner plan, such as the pasta. As much as I don't like to admit this, I hold onto that frustrated feeling even after the meal has long since ended. For me, this is one place where I always look to improve my own time in the kitchen. This last quote resonates with me at a very personal level. Again, from the great Julia Child about being in the kitchen, "Never apologize."


So remember, "Never Apologize."


Bon Appetit!