Day 24, May 24: My coffee haiku

It's my coffee in
early morning that makes the
rest of my day fine.

May 23: Photo Sunday: Consider The Oyster

This is a shot of an oyster starter that was part of a luncheon at Mandarin Oriental's Azul in Miami. Chef Clay Connelly was the genius behind this beauty, which was just the right amount of...of everything. If I recall correctly, it was a kumamoto, topped with a slice of cucumber for a bit of crunch, the creme fraiche, the caviar and a touch of mignonette, I think...the oyster nestled on that bed of salt...

I took this shot with my point and shoot--a Canon. I used the macro setting, set the camera on the table so it didn't shake and got this fabulous shot.

Well, I like it, at any rate.

Mm. That oyster went great with the champagne I enjoyed that day...

I often miss Miami. These were some of the little things that made life there lovely.

And if you need further reading? Have a quick go at MFK Fisher's Consider the Oyster. It's a lovely little thing...

Five Food Movies...

Food movies are a recurring theme with food-loving people--which do we like, dislike, what affected us the most? So here, in no particular order, are five food movies I think food lovers will....LOVE.


1. Babette's Feast. I loved the movie enough to twist it slightly for the name of my blog. Babette cooks a bang up meal for a few of the townspeople who she's lived near/with for years. This she does after inheriting money--all of which gets spent on said feast. In the course of the meal more than one puritan realizes that good food can be a revelation all on its own and lead to other epiphanies.

2. Food, Inc. This isn't so much a lovely movie at all as a movie about why we need to understand where our food comes from. I hope everyone sees this and just pays more attention to it all...buys from local farmers...learns what it means to eat in season...appreciate the real flavors of real food.

3. Chocolat...a little bit of magic, a lot of chocolate. This is a sweet (ha) movie that stayed with me.

4. Big Night. Of all movies where food is an integral part of the plot, this one is my all time favorite. Food brings people together, it tears them apart...the final scene of Big Night--wordless--is a masterpiece that wraps up food, love, family.

5. Tampopo: The noodle movie...in Japan, a woman seeks to make the perfect noodle. This is another movie that stayed with me over the years, one I re-watch on a semi-regular basis. Funny and touching...worth the watch.

Bonus movie (because I can't not list this one)--Julie and Julia. Of course we've all heard about it. This blog and movie introduced a new generation to Julia Child. While I've always thought her fabulous, I NEVER owned Mastering the Art of French Cooking...until I was following the blog. Streep is incredible here. I watched this movie twice last summer, both times alone, because I just wanted to SEE it....

Okay. Your turn. Tell me what food movies you love..

5 Rules NOT to Break in The Kitchen...

Okay, so last week I wrote about things you should feel free to do in the kitchen, even if your mom or your chef said DON'T. It's all about not sweating it too much in the kitchen.

Of course there's a counterpoint. Some rules really are there for a good reason and are worth paying attention to--CLOSE attention...

1. Keep it cold or keep it hot, but nowhere in between. At a certain temperature as hot food cools down or cold food warms, bacteria decide it's party time. A good rule of thumb is to get something back into the fridge before two hours...if you can keep it hot, do; if you can keep it cold, do. Most bacteria that develop this way are tasteless and don't affect the look of a dish AT ALL. Want my story? There was this delicious pulled pork. Had it for dinner one night. Must have put it away after that two hour mark...didn't think twice. Had it another night or two later as leftovers. Tasted GREAT. Was sick all night. Food poisoning comes on like a freight train. One second you feel great. The next you're puking your guts out. Sorry for the visual. That time I was so thankful my young kids had NOT had the leftovers. I have never again played the game of is-it-good-is-it-bad. If it's been left out? Out it goes.

2. Don't cross contaminate. Same concept--you can do yourself some damage if you cut your veggies with the same unwashed knife you just used for your beef/chicken/poultry. I use color coded cutting boards that go straight into the dishwasher. Or you could cut strategically--do all your veg first, THEN do you protein. Raw carrot poses no threat to that raw steak you're going to grill. Wash your hands--often--too prevent cross-contamination.

3. Don't drink raw milk. I diverge from many of my foodie friends on this one. I think pasteurization is a good thing. I think--think--if I knew the farmer who was milking the cow? I might drink raw milk then. Until I'm on the farm there, though, I'm not drinking anything but pasteurized milk.

4. If you're baking? Measure and weigh it...It's been said before, I'll say it again: baking is a science. You know the tiny lettering they put on commercials where cars speed around hairpin turns? Do not try this at home. You have to understand how leavening works, what fat, liquid, too much flour and more do to your bread or cookies or pies or cakes. I have been reduced to tears doing recipe development of desserts. I overcame the problems, but not without pain. So in baking? Follow that recipe!

5. Use an oven thermometer. This one cheap way of helping you find some big success in the baking category. You would be shocked, shocked, I say, to discover how inaccurate your oven dial/digital pad can be...Buy one of these, leave it on the rack (um, don't leave on the rack when you auto clean your oven...just sayin') and check it every time you set your oven...you'll learn if you have to adjust up or down...

Tuesdays With Dorie on Thursday: Apple Apple Bread Pudding...

I know. But I was booted from TWD (rightly so!) when I couldn't keep up my Tuesday end of the Bargain...and Corbin Evans so kindly agreed to guest post for me on Tuesday, the official Blogathon share day, there was no way I was booting THAT post...So if my TWD is really TWD on T(hursday), it's okay...it's onofficial...(I could have gone on Monday before all the others, but that just didn't seem right, official or not...I still love those bloggers!!)

So. Does the family like bread pudding? Don't know, don't care. I'm making it...Oh, okay, here's what I know...Mr. Babette THINKS he doesn't like it, but that's because he grew up eating something called bread and butter pudding--toss some stale bread with some butter (it was likely margarine) and sugar, a couple of raisins and call it dessert. Blech, too!

But real bread pudding? I KNOW he liked Laura's bread pudding at Union Square Cafe when I worked there and Laura was pastry chef. She used day-old Tomcat Bakery bread...she added enough custard that the bread cubes would float and there would be a silken custardy layer beneath those bread cubes, shot through with custard themselves, a bit crunchy and crusty on top with sugar. Sigh. What a good memory.

So they will like this. You will all be happy to know I didn't screw one thing up--didn't miss out any ingredients, didn't use seven tablespoons of butter when Dorie called for nine...no, indeed, this was pretty simple (except: No brioche at the local Harris Teeter??? Say WHAT???)...I used nice bread, slathered it up with most delicious apple butter (a very funny discussion about what is apple butter took place on TWD--funny to ME because I grew up with it...just think how many people learned about lovely apple butter because of this TWD recipe!) And in the aisles, my hand reached for the peach butter, too--but my fridge is laden...over laden, I'd say...let's work our way through the apple butter (and orange marmalade and strawberry jam and ginger jam) and then we can try the pêche butter. It's not going anywhere.

For me, the caramelized apples make this--they give the bread pudding a bit of extra oomph and texture (I love me some texture in desserts...it's why I don't like pudding or mousse...no texture but....smooooth...) and the caramelized notes come through...I even brought the milk/cream to a near boil in the skillet I used to caramelize the apples so I could soak up every ounce of caramel-y flavor.
I sprinkled sugar on top (going for more texture and thinking of Laura's creation--wish I'd had turbinado.. ...this house..NO ONE ever tells me when they've finished something...they just put the carton back empty except for a few crystals (or drops of milk) and say: Well it wasn't REALLY done...but I digress)..

This is so nice. It's pretty, with its mosaic of cut apple, apple butter slathered bread slices and custard...But of course, it is fabulous, too--I think boiling the milk in that skillet really made a difference because you really DO get incredible notes of caramel in each bite.

I made Ian compare it to the apple bread pudding he ate out on Sunday night at Mac's Speed Shop...there, the dessert was covered with an admittedly FABULOUS caramel sauce...which I may just add to this because I can. Decadence, thy name is Babette...Anyway. Ian hasn't weighed in yet, but I am sure I'm at the top...right, Ian? Right? (Update: Ian HAS weighed in. He likes mine better--he loves the texture the apples bring.)

Bread pudding? You either love it or hate, I think, but if you love it...love this...I could see this as a lovely fall dessert, especially...someone suggested whiskey sauce, too...only the Kentucky girl in me would have to go with bourbon...Nice...very nice...

May 19: Wednesday Q and A With Queen of the Quick Meal, Christine Gable

Today I introduce Christine Gable, who blogs at Queen of the Quick Meal, her website/business, where she provides answers to harried cooks looking for kitchen answers.

1. What pushed you to food or wine blogging?

Lol, pushed. Good word choice. That's the state of having a successful business on the internet today--if you don't have a strong presence in today's online and social media world, your business is going to feel it. I joined the fray when I launched a new biz earlier this year called Queen of the Quick Meal. It's a site where folks can come and find answers to last-minute mealtime dilemmas. It's help for when you don't know what to make for dinner, don't have time to go to the store, and need dinner on the table in 20 minutes or less. I blog to share quick meal ideas and recipes with everyone--to help spread ideas of what to make that's quick and delicious (and usually healthy).

2. What do you hope to share with readers through your blog?

Quick recipes, quick meal ideas, suggestions for how to use seasonal foods, and humorous or entertaining anecdotes that relate to my life and my work in helping find mealtime solutions.

3. Is there one post that stands out from others as one that generated a lot of commentary or maybe made you wish you hadn't posted it?

Contests seem to be very popular and I've received the most comments when I'm giving away Adobo or simple seasoning kits.  I received the most comments on a post that asked people to share which food they could use some help with -- it's a reference list that can keep me busy for the rest of the year!

4. Do you cook yourself? Well?  What is your go-to dish?

I do cook--most days it goes very well, other times, well, it could be better. But that's life, eh?  Most of the time cooking 'centers me' and makes me feel better -- I find it's best to be in the kitchen between 5-5:30 when my kids arrive home after school/work and everyone reconvenes for the day. It's the hub of family activity and when I'm busy at the stove the kids seem to find it easier to chat about what's happened all day.

My go-to dish is Chicken Fajitas (or Bean Fajitas--using canned, drained beans--for the vegetarians), an easy 2 skillet dinner: in skillet #1 saute sliced chicken breast in some olive oil, sprinkling with soy sauce when almost done. Meanwhile in skillet #2 warm soft tortillas til they're lightly golden brown. Using this warm pan, saute sliced onions and peppers in oil until tender. Fill tortillas with chicken (or beans), sauteed onions and peppers, and top with lettuce, salsa, sour cream, guacamole, etc.  Yum!

Here's a link with a picture: http://www.quickmealhelp.com/recipe/chicken-fajitas

5. Forget your favorite go-to dish; what is your idea of a perfect meal?

Delicious homecooking that takes 20 minutes or less start-to-finish. Kids home, digging in with relish, and telling me about their day. Dishwasher in working order.

Bonus question if you feel like it: Do you have a dirty little secret in your kitchen?

Sounds awesome (Christine is referring to my secret fondness for Banquet Frozen Chicken and Dumplings for the Crock-pot) -- will have to keep my eyes open for that one (especially since I write the Savvy Slowcooker column for CDKitchen -- folks would luv that fast and easy slowcooker meal!).

Dirty little dessert secret: when there's not a single 'prepared' sweet or dessert in the house, we grab the jar of peanut butter and bag of chocolate chips. Spoonful of peanut butter dipped in chocolate chips does the trick. Divine. Easy. Quick.

Guest Poster: Corbin Evans

I met Corbin in Philadelphia when we both started to work for Jack McDavid at Jack's Firehouse. Kitchen work has a way of bringing people close together and you make fast friends because you're in the trenches doing some demanding work, but it's work you love. 

I left Philadelphia (but only after working for Corbin when he was chef at BLT Cobblefish) and then left professional kitchens to raise kids and then to raise kids while writing about food. Corbin's path took him to New Orleans before AND after Katrina, where he helped put Savvy Gourmet on the map, and where Savvy Gourmet helped New Orleans right back. But he came back to the Northeast. Thanks to Facebook and email, I haven't lost touch. I've even interviewed him about favorite kitchen tools that chefs should also have at home (Corbin loved the fish spatuala, wide, flat, flexible and good for a lot of things in the kitchen)...


I remember Corbin as tall, soft-spoken (even in a ..."loud" kitchen, if we would like to use that word for Jack's) and an incredible cook--someone who is thoughtful about food. Here's what he wrote about the food in his life today--as in today, Tuesday, May 18, 2010--and about what is uppermost in his mind in the food world...

As I write this I am eating lunch. A lunch I made from things I bought locally. I am eating a sardine, avocado and sweet onion sandwich on toasted whole grain bread with balsamic-shallot mustard and a side of Kara Kara Orange wedges. Very healthy, very high in the "good fats" we all need more of these days. I finished it off with a piece of really good organic-free trade chocolate. Total cost was maybe $3.25. I love food and I love to cook and I really love to eat. But I am lucky because I have a choice in what I eat. I am capable of buying what is good for me and preparing it in a way that is healthy and flavorful. I know that not everyone is as lucky as me. I know, from experience, that not everyone has the ability to buy, prepare and consume wholesome, fresh and healthy foods. I think the #1 issue we should all be concerned with at the moment, other than being aware of the "man-made" disaster in the Gulf of Mexico and the devastating long-term after effects of the region and the amazing people of that area, is making sure ALL people have access to the things so many of us take for granted. A handful of issues prevent many people from eating right and, even more importantly, from feeding our children a nutritious breakfast, lunch and dinner. As a country, if we waste as much food as we consume then the issue is not quantity. The issue is quality, affordability and getting it to the people who need it most. I wish kids didn't "have" to eat fast food because it was easier for their Moms and Dads. As a kid, I remember when a trip to Wendy's was a special treat! I think we all know what needs to be done...now how do we do it?
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Me again: Okay. So. How DO we do it? Let us know what you think about the challenge of getting quality affordable food to the people in our country who need it most. I will be sure to pass your comments on to Corbin.