Springtime Strawberry Flambe

One of the most exciting things about dining at a white table cloth establishment is table side service. Nothing makes a guest go wow more than a waiter catching something on fire right next to you. So, I've decided to share this with you so you too can impress everyone at your next gathering, but please do this with caution. I wouldn't recommend flambeing the berries of you do not feel comfortable-- the flambe can always be omitted and the strawberries will still taste delicious, without the flame.

There is a few cautions, though, before you go lighting things on fire all willy nilly.

1. Do not pour alcohol onto the pan when it is on the burner. A fireball is likely as well as the flame traveling up the stream, into the bottle, spraying hot alcohol and broken glass everywhere.
2. Keep the hairspray to a minimum that day, it is flammable.
3. Make sure the fan is on over the stove.
4. Lastly, make sure everyone is aware of what is about to happen. The last thing you need is pandemonium breaking out mid show.

So lets get to it. Here is the demo that professor gave us in the dining room:

Here is the recipe we use to create the Strawberry Flambe with Olive Oil Cake and Basil Gelato. Aside from the cake and gelato, the recipes are for 2 portions.

Four Ingredients...Endless Opportunities

Fathom this for a moment: with only four ingredients, three of which you have sitting in your cupboard, you can create at least 300 different items. Then take those items and add in two to three more ingredients that are also just occupying space in you fridge, and voilia! 65845645 flavor combinations each resulting in some so unique and amazing there will be no way you can turn it down. Lets talk bread.

Challah Bread

Temperature is Everything

Ever wonder why chocolate bars have such a nice snap? Why they are glossy and creamy? Why the chocolate decorations at a bakery are so much better than the chocolate decorations you make with melted down Hershey Kisses? It's all in the tempering.



Death By Chocolate

Tempering is a process in which the chocolated is melted, heated, cooled and the warmed to achieve all of the wonderful qualities we have come to know and love about a good quality chocolate confection.
On a molecular level, cocoa butter has six different formations, and we are after one formation in general. the one that will give us the perfect snap, sheen and color.

Every type of chocolate is differnet, therefore they need to be cooled to different temperatures before working with them.

White Chocolate: Heat up to 110 degrees; Cool down to 78 degrees; Bring Back to 82 degrees
Milk Chocolate: Heat up to 115 degrees; Cool to 80 degrees; Bring back to 86 degrees
Dark Chocolate: Heat up to 120 degrees; Cool to 82 degrees; Bring back to 90 degrees

So, lets break it down, step by step.

Scales, Gills, Pin Bones! Oh My!

After I posted why I love my little pliers for pining fish instead of tweezers, I realized that I should probably should have mentioned something about how to pin a fish. Duh!
So here it is, all of the tips and tricks on: How to Pin Bone a Fish.

Before we get to the tips, let us start at the beginning. What is a pin bone and why is it there? Well, pin bones are intramuscular bones that run length wise within the fish in the rib cage area. This means that, no matter how the fish cut (unless you are getting the portion past the rib cage), the bones will always be present since they are not connected to the main skeleton of the fish. They provide the fish's flesh with more stability and structure when it is swimming.

Not all fish have pin bones, but it can never hurt to double check. Here is a list of fish that are usually pin bone free:

Me and a Pair of Farm Raised Atlantic
Salmon

Tuna

Swordfish

Sea Bass

Flounder

Snapper                                                                              

Dover Sole

Catfish

Cod-and all relatives

Mahi Mahi

Grouper

Fire Breathing Fruit in Florida

One thing I love about traveling is being introduced to things I do not have the opportunity to work with at home.

While grocery shopping in Florida today, I stumbled upon a basket of dragon fruit. A sight never seen in New York, or Maryland even since they are native to South America. So, naturally I bought one. I plan on making a dragon fruit granita out of it to help combat the Florida heat.


Me Reminding You to Eat Local


  

A dragon fruit is a pink and green skinned fruit with a variety of flesh colors, ranging from pink to red to yellow or white. Pink and white are the most common variety and are most likely to end up in your grocery store.

Plethora of Dragon Fruit

A relative of the kiwi, a ripe dragon fruit should have very little spotting on the skin and a slight give when gently pressed with your thumb. The flesh will be tender yet firm and juicy with a mild sweetness.

Like a kiwi, the interior is speckled with edible seeds, and the flesh must be removed from the inedible skin.

Fahrenheit 270

When someone tells you to caramelize a chicken breast, thanks to television and novice home chefs, you think golden brown and delicious. Simultaneously, in the mind of an educated food service professional, that nails on a chalk board effect has kicked in and all other attempts at communication are frivolous.
Note: There is no way a chicken breast, or any other type of protein,can be caramelized. Period.
Have you started to scratch your head yet? Lets break it down.

Caramelization is the chemical reaction between sugars, such as those found in vegetables and starches, and heat, i.e. the pan, grill, etc.

Maillard reactions, named for the French scientist who discovered this reaction in the early 1900's, are reactions that take place between proteins, like those found in meats, poultry, and seafood, and heat.

So when anything containing a protein is heated above 270 degrees Fahrenheit and browns, it is a Maillard reaction. Anything else is deemed caramelization.
Simple, no?