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Showing posts with label home. Show all posts

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Duck Fat Green Garlic Home fried Potatoes Skin for the Win

Im just guessing, but I bet theres some old French kitchen expression that roughly translates to, "Hey, it has crispy, fried duck skin crumbled over the top, how bad can it be?" This video recipe for duck fat homefries is perfect when you find yourself in possession of this highly coveted ingredient.

The recipe is the easy part, finding duck skin is a little more challenging. The easiest method of attainment is to know a duck hunter. They can hook you up faster than you can say, "Nice Elmer Fudd hat." If thats not an option, try and make friends with line cooks who work at restaurants that serve duck. They can make it happen, and it will probably only cost you a couple draft beers.

Finally, you can go to a butcher that sells whole ducks, and have him break one down for you. Tell them youd like two nicely trimmed breasts, two leg quarters, and all the excess skin from the rest of the carcass. They will smile knowingly, and say no problem (for extra credit, ask for the bones, which you can roast and make a killer stock).

Once you have your precious skin, the recipe is a breeze. If you can find green garlic, its very nice in this, but regular onions, leeks, shallots, scallions, etc. are a fine substitute. These potatoes would sure make a memorable side dish to a seared, sous vide duck breast, or how about as a plate-mate to a creamy goat cheese omelet? By the way, Im much hungrier now than I was when I started this post. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 cup duck skin and fat trimmings

4 small russet potatoes

salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste

1 cup chopped green garlic (light parts)

View the complete recipe

Tuesday, April 15, 2014

Dry Aging Steaks at Home – The Final Chapter I Think It Worked

Heres the final post in the dry-aging steaks at home saga. What follows is my honest opinion on the results, as well as a fairly pointless video showing me finishing the project.

Admittedly, there isnt much to learn from the video, but since some of you seemed genuinely interested I figured youd want to see the finale.

By the way, if you read my last post you know Im in Vail, CO being wined and dined by RockResorts, so I did this voiceover in the hotel room with a voice you only get at 8,000 feet.

When I first considered how to test my dry-aged steaks, I was thinking of the standard "taste it with an un-aged steak and compare" method. Seemed logical, but then I thought of something even better -- why not taste it next a higher-grade, professionally dry-aged steak?

This would be the true test. Would my steaks have the same taste and texture as the real deal? As Ive already stated in previous blogs, theres really no debate about whether a dry-aged steak is a superior eating experience to a conventional steak, so it seemed anticlimactic to taste them side-by-side just to say, "hmmm…the steak aged two-weeks is more tender and flavorful." What a shocker.

So, instead I bought a thick, well-aged steak from the same butcher, using the same beef as the whole loin Id bought. Not only that, but I decided to make it even more of a challenge and bought "Prime" grade steak. The battle was on. Would my home-aged, "Choice" grade steaks match up against a "Prime" grade steak aged by an expert?

First of all, the Drybags clearly worked exactly as advertised. The surface was hard and leathery, as you can see in my short video, and the meat had definitely undergone a slow, controlled drying process.

The loin smelled exactly like the aged steak Ive worked with in the past, which is to say it had a faint, meaty musk that I would describe, as strange as it may sound, as very pleasant. After trimming off the hard, dried exterior, the color of the meat was a beautiful deep, dark red. As promised the bag allowed moisture to escape, yet sealed it from the outside environment, so no spoilage occurred.

The steaks were coated with freshly ground black pepper and allowed to come to room temperature. After a generous application of kosher salt, they were cooked over charcoal to medium-rare (internal temp of 130 degrees F). After resting, I sliced up the "Prime" dry-aged steak from the butcher. We tasted, and it was predictably fabulous.

We then cut into my steaks, and Im happy to report the results were pretty impressive. I found the meat tender and flavorful, and comparable to the professionally aged beef. Lenny and Denise from ChezUs joined us to assist in the tasting, and along with my wife Michele, we had four experienced palates on the case.

The final verdict was; two of us though the steaks were comparable, one thought the quality of the butchers steak was slightly better, and one definitely preferred the home dry-aged steak more.

So, there you have it. As to whether the Drybags are an effective way to age your own steaks at home, the answer is a definite yes. Should you get one? I cant answer that -- these are matters of taste -- while I feel strongly dry-aged steaks are better, you may not.

If you love dry-aged steak, and want to eat it more often, without the expense of the steakhouse it may be a good investment. Its worth noting that it also comes with smaller bags for regular vacuum packing, so that could factor into your decision.

Thanks to Drybag Steak for letting me test the product out. It was a fun experiment, and the final product was quite luxurious.

If you want more info, or have specific questions, please refer to the Drybag Steak website.

Professional food bloggers do not live by old beef alone! In addition to the steaks you see here, the rest of the menu included:
- Frog Hollow peach, basil, and mozzeralla fresca crostini
- Prosciutto and argula on baguette
- Roasted cipollini onions
- Watercress salad with marinated early girl tomatoes
- Sottocenere truffle cheese and lobster mushroom pomme dauphinoise (I filmed this, so stay tuned for that video soon!)
- Two sauces: classic Bordelaise sauce, and not so classic "Béarnaise" aioli.

First Three Photos (c) ChezUs

Tuesday, March 25, 2014

How to Get A Salon Worthy Blowout at Home

Here I am, world! In all my naturally wavy/frizzy/birds nest hair glory.

This is why I dont go anywhere without an umbrella, allow my hair to get wet in a pool, and avoid most activities that would result in my perspiring. THIS is what would happen.

Like so many frizzy-haired girls before me, I grew up wanting stick straight hair. When I was 11, I started chemically straightening my hair, but since I started coloring my hair at 15, I had to forgo the straightenings so I could, ya know, have hair.

So, without a chemical means of getting it, I had to perfect alternate means of getting the smooth, straight hair I wasnt fortunate enough to be born with. And thus, an unbreakable bond with my hairdryer, flat iron, and curling iron was born.

Ive gotten really good at styling my hair. I mean, if I had a nickel for every time someone asked me how I do my hair, Im fairly certain Id have at least several, if not many, nickels. Which brings us to todays post: How to Get A Salon-Worthy Blowout at Home.

Its an ironic title, actually, since Ive really NEVER gotten a good salon blowout (although Im still totally excited about trying this out). From the first picture, its pretty obvious my hair has a mind of its own. It doesnt work like most peoples hair, straightening out from a paddle brush alone. It requires more technique and styling tools than most stylists are willing/trained to employ. Which is why I know that this tutorial will give you great results. At least, I hope it does. And hey, if it doesnt, at least you dont have to tip me!!

To get started, you must have the appropriate tools:

You should have most of these tools already: hair dryer, 1 1/2 inch barrel curling iron, flat iron, medium sized round brush, and a Chi ceramic straightening brush (great for getting even the kinkiest hair smooth).

As for styling products, I keep it pretty simple. I know theres tons of products designed for helping straighten hair, but I opt only for Moroccan oil and light hold hairspray. For all you fine-haired ladies out there, this should help keep the grease-buildup to a minimum.

Beginning with damp hair (I allow mine to air dry for about 10 minutes), comb a dime-sized amount of Moroccan oil through your hair. Less if youre hair is shorter.

Oh, how did this very modelesque picture of me get in here???

Next, move on to drying your hair.

A.)

B.)

A.) Youre going to dry your hair in sections. Yes, its going to take some time, but looking sickening doesnt come easy, so get over yourself. Start with the bottom third of your hair. Pin up the rest of your hair to keep it out of the way.

B.) Take a two-inch section of hair and with the round brush perpendicular to your head, begin drying hair, gently rolling the brush under at the ends. (I use the hottest/highest setting on my hair dryer. I also hold the nozzle super close to the section as I dry. I dont care if its not good for my hair.)

C.)

D.)

C.) Because the round brush alone doesnt always get my hair straight, Ill repeat step B with the Chi straightening brush.

D.) When youve finished the bottom section, let the side section above your ear down. Continue steps A-C until you get to the sides and top sections.

*And now, a note about drying the side sections of unruly hair.

My hairline is the most difficult part of my hair to dry because I have so many cowlicks and curls. I can only assume most stylists dont seem to have this problem, as they all do the same thing: dry the hair AWAY from my face, holding the brush parallel to my head. THIS DOES NOT WORK! So stop doing it. All it does it make a crease in the opposite direction. If youve got my same problem, then surely you already know it wont smooth out your waves or cowlicks. Heres a photo with an X through it to further illustrate the point.

Even if you were touched by an angel when you were born and dont have this problem, I promise you, styling your hair this way isnt doing you any favors.

Instead, holding the brush perpendicular to your face, brush the hair in downward sections. This allows you to smooth out any of the mess around your hairline and also gives you nice lift around your face. Its like we say in Texas, "The bigger the hair, the closer to God."

Similar to the side sections, the front section, which might be bangs for you if you have them, is one of the most important elements of a good blow out. Again, where most stylists get it wrong is pulling the hair toward the back. Using the downward motion you use on the sides, pull the front section in the opposite direction you want it to lay. This will give it height and body in the direction it ends up laying.

For instance, I always pull my front section forward, in front of my face, which gives me lift in the back.

For many of you, you might be satisfied with your hair at this point, in which case, be done and go forth with your fab-a-lus coif. In my case though, Im just getting started.

When my hair is completely dried, I then go back and straighten any sections of hair that didnt get completely smoothed out from the blow dry. This generally includes, surprise, surprise, my hairline.

Again, for many of you, this may be enough, but I generally like to curl the ends of my hair. It gives the hair extra bounce and frankly, just looks amazeballs. But Im not just talked curling the ends under. Its a more sophisticated technique than that.

1.)

2.)

1.) Grab a 2.5 inch section of hair and wrap the hair in your curling iron about half way up the section, leaving the ends out of the clamp.

2.) Then, wiggle the clamp just enough to allow you to move the rest of the hair down the curling iron, twisting the curling iron as you work your way down.

3.)

4.)

3.) Continue the wiggle and turn method through the ends of the section...

4.) ...Until you have a loose ringlet.

Do this all over your head, alternating the direction of the curl (i.e., toward your face, away from your face). Youll end up with a head of loose ringlets. You can stop here and finish with a light hold hairspray, or...

...for a more tousled look, you can shake the curls out with your hands like so:

Finish with a light hold hairspray at the ends and roots.

I just get so pensive when I use hairspray. I think about things like the deficit, ending hunger in third world countries, and what color I should paint my nails this week.

Because of my hair color, I only wash my hair twice a week, three times if I work out, which means this style generally lasts me several days, with only light touch ups in between, making the 45 minutes I spend on my hair totally worth it.

Seriously, dont bitch about the time effort!!! Looking this good takes work yall!

So dear readers, tell me, do you have naturally curly hair?? Do you like your salon blowouts?? What color are YOU going to paint your nails this week?? Tell me everything in the comments!

Wednesday, January 29, 2014

New York Strip Steak with a Salad of Home Roasted Sweet Peppers

I went to the Supermarket yesterday morning and was undecided as to what to have for dinner. The two contenders were Meatloaf and Macaroni and Cheese or something with homemade roasted peppers. I love roasted peppers and I knew red and yellow sweet peppers were on sale for $1.99 as opposed to the usual $3.99 per pound. I figured if I found a steak or roast which was on sale, I would go for that option. Meatloaf is a good standby, but I can make that anytime. Lucky for me, New York strip steaks were on sale for a fabulous price of $5.99 per pound and I was able to get a 2 inch thick, beautiful strip steak, large enough for plenty of leftovers for about $6.50.

Roasted red or yellow peppers are very easy to make at home and really delicious. They can be used in a variety of ways: marinated and served as an ingredient in a salad, alone as a side dish, or as a topping on pizza and sandwiches. Start with a clean dry pepper and, if you have a gas stove, simply place the pepper directly on the grates right over the burner. If you do not have a gas stove, you can place the peppers on a baking sheet and place them under the broiler. Allow to completely char on one side and then keep turning them until the pepper is appears black and burnt on all sides. Immediately place in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Allow the peppers to sit and let the steam work on loosening the skins until they are cool enough to handle or about 15-20 minutes. Peel the skins off the pepper either with your hands or between two paper towels. Do not run under water or you will rinse of the flavor. Cut around the stem to remove and discard all of the seeds inside the pepper as well. Dry thoroughly inside and out and cut into 1 inch strips. Place in a bowl with a 1 thinly sliced garlic clove, 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tablespoons of balsamic vinegar and salt and pepper. Combine well, cover the bowl and set aside. At this point, you can refrigerate them in an airtight container for 2-3 days. Right before serving mix in a small bunch of chopped fresh basil and some crumbled Maytag blue cheese as I did, or, if desired you may certainly omit or substitute the fresh herbs and cheese with another you prefer.

A steak this beautiful was best prepared as simply as possible in order to best enjoy the juicy, tender, meat. I seasoned liberally with a mixture of sea salt, freshly ground pepper, garlic powder and tiny bit of cayenne. To a very hot preheated cast iron skillet, I added the steak and seared it for about 3 minutes per side. I then placed it in a 425 degree oven to finish cooking for about 10 minutes. Remove the the steak from the pan and allow to rest and a serving plate for about 15 minutes. This steak was cooked to a perfect medium rare (please adjust the times either up or down according to whether you prefer your steak more or less rare). Serve with some grilled sourdough bread and the marinated home roasted peppers for a fantastic dinner... oh, and you musnt forget the red wine!