Shiitake and Goat Cheese Flatbread

Big things have been happening around here: Christmas is coming, Nash is finally potty trained, Justin bought me this amazing new iPad, and I moved from The Bistro to The Atlantic Bar and Grill at work. What has any of this news to do with this amazing recipe? There are flatbreads on the menu at The Atlantic Bar and Grill! And of course it is what inspired me to make this for lunch today.

My flatbread has shiitake mushrooms, caramelized onions, goat cheese, tomatoes, and wild arugula (aka rocket). But of course you can put whatever your heart desires on your flatbread. And, in case you couldn't think of a spectacular hors d'oeuvre for your family Christmas party, go ahead and whip up a couple of these, cut them into two bite pieces and voila! You are a holiday hero.


Flatbread with Vegetables and Goat Cheese
Yield: 1 flatbread

1 Naan Flatbread, found in the deli aisle near the pita
1 oz Goat Cheese, softened
1 small Bunch of Arugula
1/2 Roma Tomato, diced
1/4 White Onion, julienned
5 Shiitake Mushrooms, caps only, julienned
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
Salt and Pepper to taste

 

1. In a heavy bottomed pan, heat one half of the oil. Once very hot, almost smoking, add the julienned shiitakes. Allow to cook until browned and crispy, about 5 minutes.

2. Remove the mushrooms and wipe out the pan.

3. Heat the remaining oil in the pan. Once hot, add the onions.

4. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until golden and soft, about 15 minutes. Remove from the pan.

5. On the Naan, spread the goat cheese in a thin layer.

6. Top with the Arugula.

 

7. Next, layer on the onions, followed by the mushrooms and then the tomatoes.

8. Place in a 350 degree oven and bake until the cheese is melted and the naan is warm.

 

9. Cut into pieces and enjoy!

 

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Fall is in the Air

Fall is rapidly approaching and I am so excited for Fall inspired candles, Fall holidays and most importantly, cooler weather!

During Hurricane Issac, it kind of felt like Fall- darker sky, wind, cooler weather. So I hunkered down with Justin, burned an apple pie scented candle and made Chicken Pot Pie.

The first time I made this recipe it was the day after Thanksgiving in Deep Creek Lake with my family. We had so much left-over turkey no one knew what to do with it, so Gammy made the biscuits and I made the filling and the result was delicious. This recipe is made with chicken instead of turkey (because I was using the leftovers) and Pillsbury Biscuits (because I already had them), but you can use whatever meat and biscuit combination you would like.

As for the veggies. Choose whichever ones you like. Most grocery stores carry frozen mixed vegetables which work great for this but, If you want to use fresh, make sure to sweat/blanch them before mixing them into the filling. 

Chicken Pot Pie

Yield: 4 (generous) servings

32 fl oz Chicken Stock
1 1/2 cup All Purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Rosemary
1 Tbsp Thyme
1 cup Mixed Veg
3 cups Chicken, cooked, shredded
8 Biscuits

• In a  pot, whisk together the flour and chicken stock. Bring to a simmer over low heat, stirring periodically.
• Simmer for 7 minutes.
• Add the chicken and the vegetables.
• Pour into an ungreased 9x9 baking dish.
• Top with the biscuits.

• Bake at 350 degrees for 12 minutes or until the top of the biscuits are golden brown.
• Cover the top with foil and bake for another 4 minutes.
• Allow to cool for 5 minutes before digging in. 
• Enjoy!

Food Trends 2012

I have been feverishly trying to think of something, anything, to write about but nothing, NOTHING, is coming to mind. My phone, that I use to take all of the pictures for my blog, is broken so it has hard impossible to photo document anything that has been going on in my foodie life this past week. So here is the sum up of my week:

• Graduation Pictures
• Last Day of Waiting Tables in Saint Andrew's Cafe
• Career Fair Breakfast Prep
• First Day of Saute Station
• Molto Pazzo in Bethlehem, PA
• Justin's Mom's Birthday

In lieu of a beautiful restaurant review or some collage of photos for the station I am working I thought I would give you my predictions for the food trends of 2012. A tad bit delayed, but hey, better late then ever. After you read mine, check out the National Restaurant Association's predictions and then leave me yours in the comment bar.

1. Alternative Grains- "New" grains like Amaranth, Farro and Quinoa will probably be huge this year.
2. Alternative Proteins- Andrew Zimmerman had said that if everyone at one alternative protein a week (venison, pheasant, bison, tofu) we could solve the global ecosystem problem we have created. I am hoping that this year more people will adopt this ideology.
3. An Increase in "Exotic" Fruits- Finger Limes have already hit the market and created quite the splash, so what is next? How about the Black Sapote, aka the chocolate pudding fruit? Is your mind blown, because mine was when Justin showed it to me.
4. Reduction in Gluten Products-like flour. I think in the next year people will become more accustomed to nut based flours.
5. Smaller Tapas Style Restaurants-Smaller plates will soon replace the larger portions offered around the country because the average consumer is more educated and is focused on quality over quantity.
6. More Focus on Service- With the boom in everything food, dining has become focused on the entire experience, not just the food. So servers, polish up, we're watching!

Baked Apples

This recipe was requested by my grandma. She really wanted to learn how to make Apple Dumplings so I went ahead and made them one weekend. It was pretty easy and super delicious. Try them, you won't be sorry.


Apple Dumplings
Yields 4

For the Dough:
1/2# All Purpose Flour
1/3# Butter, cubed, chilled
3 oz Water, cold
Pinch of Salt

For the Filling:
1/2c Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Cinnamon
1/8 # Butter, cubed
2 ea Apples, peeled, cored and cut into quarters

For the Syrup:
1c Brown Sugar
1 c Butter
2 Tbsp Cinnamon

1. Mix the flour and salt with the cubed butter until the butter is broken down into pea sized globs.
2. Add the chilled water until the dough just comes together. Form into a disc shape and wrap in plastic. Chill for at least 4 hours.
3. In a saucepan, melt the butter, brown sugar and cinnamon. Reserve.
4. Grease a 8x8 baking dish and preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
5. Roll the dough on a lightly floured surface to an 1/8" square. Cut into 4 even pieces.

6. Place 2 apple slices, a sprinkle of cinnamon and brown sugar on each portion. Top with a square of butter.

7. Fold the dough up and around the apples. pinch all of the seams together. Place in the baking dish. Repeat for all of the dough.

8. Pour the syrup from step 3 into the bottom of the baking dish and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until golden.
9. Allow the dumplings to rest for at least 10 minutes before trying to serve these little purses.

Strawberries and Cream Pancakes

I have a secret love affair with all things breakfast; pancakes, coffee, bacon, bagels...mmmmmm. Not only do I love eating breakfast but I love making it, too. There is just something about working the breakfast shift at a busy restaurant that makes me happy. In honor of completing the breakfast portion of my externship, I'm making a crowd favorite for lunch,or dare I say, brunch.

Strawberries and Cream Pancakes

For these pancakes I use Very Vanilla Silk Soy Milk instead of regular milk for two reasons: first, I'm lactose intolerant and second it adds to the "cream" aspect of these strawberries and cream pancakes.

Yields: 9 Silver Dollar Sized Pancakes

1 c. Bisquick

1 egg

1/2 c. Vanilla Soy Milk

6 oz White Chocolate, shaved

6 oz Strawberries, hulled and chopped small

Mix the pancake batter with the milk and the egg. Do not try to beat all of the lumps out of the batter!!!!!! A little lumpy is good.

Add in the strawberries and the white chocolate. Cook just like any other pancake, golden on the outside, light and fluffy on the inside.

I like mine with powdered sugar and a cup of coffee.

I was thinking about trying these with blueberries or peaches next time and with honey instead of powdered sugar. Good news is, there are plenty of lazy mornings to enjoy pancakes.

                                                           

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?

Mile High Club or Turkey Club?

Sitting in Pensacola Airport, I realized something: I just ate a restaurant that I don't even know the name of. I look around there isn't anything with hint as to what this place is called...I guess its just Restaurant a la Airport, but hey, your guess is as good as mine. Faced with a chalkboard of sandwiches and fried foods galore, I wondered how many people are actually hungry when they come here, or are they bored and lured in by the smell of golden brown, well, anything.
This is the only airport I had ever been in where there is a single restaurant paired with a single magazine, souvenir, candy store. Before I experienced the uni restaurant hub, I thought the volume of restaurants per airport were required to keep up with the demands of hungry fliers, I guess not. At 5:30 on a Friday, the nameless restaurant's ticket count was barely scraping seven hundred. Impressive? Not at all. For all of the departing flights one would think that the count would be higher than that of a swimming pool bar on a summer day.
So I ask again: is this restaurant business a necessity in the airport. You could argue that a vast liquor selection is a must, but that's another topic in its entirety. Is it necessary to have four full service and a dozen quick service restaurants at your disposal when flying? I would opt to say no. Is the price for airport food reasonable, absolutely not. After paying fourteen dollars for a sandwich and a canned drink, I realized I could have had a starter and a soup at a fine dining restaurant.
At a career fair, I interviewed with a man who owned the franchise responsible for eighty five percent of the full service, off chain, restaurants in airports. After an hour of chatting I learned that the majority of the restaurants had large freezers. Translation: Lots of frozen food.
Could McDonald's handle the burden of seven hundred hungry passengers? Is that a joke? With "one million served everyday" it would be a pleasure to them and your pocket.

From Amaranth to Zucchini, You're Covered.

If mountaineers need field guides, then any chef, no matter how seasoned, needs this reference book.

Vegetables from Amaranth to Zucchini: The Essential Reference by Elizabeth Schneider is the go to resource for everyone owning a frying pan.

After stumbling upon it at a library in Alabama, it was love at first page. This book covers common, and not so common, vegetables from around the world; there are entries for Chinese market finds and Turkish delights. Each vegetable has pictures, history, common uses, cooking techniques, when to find it and even a selection of recipes. The book is organized alphabetically, making it a snap to locate what you have in your midst. It's a great find for those of us adventurous enough to buy a new item at a farmers market and take it home before asking yourself "What the hell am I going to do with it?".

Although this book doesn't contain every single vegetable, despite its six pounds of paper, it is one of my favorite go to books. And besides, so what if Lemon Cucumber isn't in the index, create your own entry. Discovery is half the adventure.

If You Can't Feel Your Fingers, Consider Yourself Lucky.

"No matter how good you are, working in a kitchen is death by a million tiny knife cuts. Ten thousand little burns. Scalds. Standing on concrete all night, walking across greasy or wet floors. Carpal Tunnel, nerve damage from stirring and chopping and spooning. Deveining an ocean of shrimp under ice water. Knee pain and varicose veins. Wrist and shoulder repetitive motion injuries. A career of perfect calamares rellenos is a lifelong martyrdom. A lifetime spent turning out the ideal ossobucco a la milanese is a long, slow death by torture."

Haunted. by Chuck Palaniuk.

I do not know if anyone outside of the industry can truly understand what it is we put ourselves through everyday to create dinner for demanding diners. The Food Network has modified this industry to the point where, upon turning on the television, it is unrecognizable. No television star has cuts and burns scaling the length of their arms. Everyone is perfect, just like the plate being brought to your table.

The motley crew that is behind every plate, you know those who are never spoken of because your compliments always go to the chef, are usually a rag tag bunch who are about as sensitive as  pack of rottweilers. Everything becomes an enemy in the kitchen, be it a knife or the plastic wrap dispenser, something is bound to attack you, most likely when you least expect it.

Say it is the middle of a busy dinner service, and you are feeding around three hundred guests; you reach in the oven with your side towel to pull out that fillet medium well and what do you know there is a hole in said towel. In the time it takes you to realize that your skin is searing itself to the pan, you've already picked a landing pad for that steak and are half way through flinging it to the counter top. With a blister the size of Wisconsin growing on your thumb, what do you do? You suck it up and keep going. Band Aids? Only if you keep them in your pocket.

This job is not a job for the queasy or faint of heart. You'll do things to yourself you have only seen on those E.R shows. The difference? We use superglue instead of stitches.

Beef Medallions and Pan Fried Pork. German Style.

Everyday we start off with hopes of a smooth service. That, however, is never the case.
Today started off like every other day in the concrete and cinder block alcove know as Skills 3. That is until the teacher failed to show up at six, six thirty, seven o'clock. The chicken delivered from the store room was quickly approaching room temperature and there was no refrigeration in sight.

Now it's hard enough to turn out perfect plates to a teachers' standard who you've been with for four days, but throw me a German chef who I can barely understand and its like singing to a tone deaf man. Its useless to try to succeed.

The menu was as follows:
Pan Fried Pork in Sauce Robert with Collard Greens, Spatzle, and Glazed Beets
or
Beef Medallions in Chaussuer Sauce with Au Gratin Potatoes, Haricot Verts and Cauliflower Polanaise

Forget chef's directions and methods, the German has taken over and he is on a seek and destroy mission-- his battle cry:
"BEAT THE SPATZLE!"

"The potatoes are cut too early, cauliflower cannot be placed on a sheet pan, that is not how you clean a kitchen and you look sad."
"No chef, that's how my face is."

After seven hours of this impromptu German invasion, we're freed from his reign. You'd think someone would have come to check on us, the future of the culinary world, but no. There we were, in the trenches, fighting the garde manger teacher, spatula to spatula, trying to preserve the dignity of the Skills Three Kitchen.

Play. Fast Forward. Repeat.

Everyday is the longest day of my life.

I wake up in time to hurry into my whites. I get into my whites in time to sprint to breakfast. Breakfast is scarfed down in time to rush to class. I arrive in class to scramble together my mise en place, to prep for lunch, to throw my creation on a plate as the teacher and guests tap their feet--their eyes burning a hole through my flesh. A deep second degree, possibly third, on my ego. I scramble to remove the sautoirs and hotel pans from the burner for my meager lunch break. Lunch is inhaled so that the dishes can be scrubbed--they've been soaking to speed up clean up.

From kitchen to dorm, I speed walk. Running down the hall, I make it to work and blaze through the massive amount of homework contained in the blue backpack. I race back to the twelve by thirty room to stumble into the shower, to crash into my bed--just in time to hit the snooze button.