It seems as though by adding an egg or two, most any dish can become breakfast or brunch.
That's something to consider when you get bored with the S.O.S.
Photoshoot
I've been interested in collaborating with a friend to produce some interesting pictures. I don't want to say my camera is lame but next to hers it may as well be disposable.
We set the date for the shoot: April 7th. Now I'm scrambling like mad to figure out what food to shoot.
We set the date for the shoot: April 7th. Now I'm scrambling like mad to figure out what food to shoot.
Hops and Schmaltz
Went to visit family in Michigan last week. I enjoyed a lot of things about the trip; two of them related to food.
Michiganders know Bell's beer but they don't distribute to my neck of the woods so I had never heard of them. I went on a beer run in search of interesting local beer and found it with Bell's. At $10.50 a sixer I was worried they wouldn't live up to the price. It is one of the few brewers I've had around that price that are actually worth the coin. I tried three types and each one was excellent. If you see Bell's in your store, toss some in your basket.
On the last night of the trip we drove about 1.5 hours to a restaurant where my classmate is one of the chefs. I know there are other great restaurants within hotels but I usually dread the continental cuisine. Six.One.Six. at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids was wonderful. Not only is the hotel beautiful, the restaurant feels like its own entity. While there I saw a chicken confit hash on the dinner menu and went for it. It was delicious. Joel said he used schmaltz to confit the chicken. I had never heard of schmaltz but it's a very traditional Jewish ingredient; basically rendered chicken fat. Yum. I'm definitely going to stop tossing the chicken trim into the stockpot. I can't wait to play with some schmaltz. Definitely head to Six.One.Six when you can. They also have Bell's on their beer list.
Michiganders know Bell's beer but they don't distribute to my neck of the woods so I had never heard of them. I went on a beer run in search of interesting local beer and found it with Bell's. At $10.50 a sixer I was worried they wouldn't live up to the price. It is one of the few brewers I've had around that price that are actually worth the coin. I tried three types and each one was excellent. If you see Bell's in your store, toss some in your basket.
On the last night of the trip we drove about 1.5 hours to a restaurant where my classmate is one of the chefs. I know there are other great restaurants within hotels but I usually dread the continental cuisine. Six.One.Six. at the JW Marriott Grand Rapids was wonderful. Not only is the hotel beautiful, the restaurant feels like its own entity. While there I saw a chicken confit hash on the dinner menu and went for it. It was delicious. Joel said he used schmaltz to confit the chicken. I had never heard of schmaltz but it's a very traditional Jewish ingredient; basically rendered chicken fat. Yum. I'm definitely going to stop tossing the chicken trim into the stockpot. I can't wait to play with some schmaltz. Definitely head to Six.One.Six when you can. They also have Bell's on their beer list.
Aroma
I recently read a great sentence that Jeffrey Steingarten wrote years ago: "Have you ever felt that coffee...nearly always smells better than it tastes?"
Answer: No, I didn't notice that, but now that you mention it that is true. This observation has indirectly reminded me the value of proper serving ware.
The other day I made some Lapsang Souchong tea. I don't like to call favorites with any food but Lapsang is definitely on my short-list for best teas. I usually brew my first cup in September and drink a few cups each week until May. I love the stuff. What changed that day was my need to leave the house. With my work about to start there was no time to enjoy the tea. Solution: Pour it into a travel mug and hit the road.
The tea was gross. It tasted like bland, dirty water. What changed? The change was the travel mug. I had never drunk Lapsang from an insulated travel mug. The mug managed to capture nearly all the aroma, giving only the liquid with each sip. It turns out that I hate the flavor of the tea; at least when it's not accompanied by the aroma.
In a standard mug, or a fancy teacup, the rim helps concentrate the aroma around your nose with each sip. Lapsang Souchong is a smoked black tea. It has a mild earthy flavor but a bold smoky aroma. Sipping it takes me back to memories of childhood camping trips, though I was 26 the first time I drank this tea. No aroma, no memories.
That's a long way of asking you to slow down next time you drink coffee or tea. You're going to spend $3-4 on that latte, spend 15 minutes in a nice chair drinking it from a mug instead of a covered paper cup at 65mph.
Answer: No, I didn't notice that, but now that you mention it that is true. This observation has indirectly reminded me the value of proper serving ware.
The other day I made some Lapsang Souchong tea. I don't like to call favorites with any food but Lapsang is definitely on my short-list for best teas. I usually brew my first cup in September and drink a few cups each week until May. I love the stuff. What changed that day was my need to leave the house. With my work about to start there was no time to enjoy the tea. Solution: Pour it into a travel mug and hit the road.
The tea was gross. It tasted like bland, dirty water. What changed? The change was the travel mug. I had never drunk Lapsang from an insulated travel mug. The mug managed to capture nearly all the aroma, giving only the liquid with each sip. It turns out that I hate the flavor of the tea; at least when it's not accompanied by the aroma.
In a standard mug, or a fancy teacup, the rim helps concentrate the aroma around your nose with each sip. Lapsang Souchong is a smoked black tea. It has a mild earthy flavor but a bold smoky aroma. Sipping it takes me back to memories of childhood camping trips, though I was 26 the first time I drank this tea. No aroma, no memories.
That's a long way of asking you to slow down next time you drink coffee or tea. You're going to spend $3-4 on that latte, spend 15 minutes in a nice chair drinking it from a mug instead of a covered paper cup at 65mph.
Farmers' Market
With great ingredients, less is more.
Nothing new about that statement but it's true, and a good farmers' market is proof.
I stopped on a whim at a tiny market on the way to my parent's house. I decided to make a little grilled brunch for myself and came up with this...
Grilled corn and onions with heirloom tomatoes, roasted poblano and tomatillo.
It was wonderful. Warm day, hot grill, cold beer. Brunch.
The 4th
In the food world it's rare to have a holiday off. Since I didn't have to work on Saturday, I made a nice brunch for my wife. We ate on our back patio in some very pleasant weather. I prepared a smorgasbord; not to be confused with a buffet.
The differences between a smorgasbord and buffet are subtle. It's one of the arguments best left for persnickety foodies. Most people don't care, or don't think they care. The difference to me is that a buffet feels like it's designed for binging and gorging on anything and everything. The culinary equivalent of slopping the hogs. A smorgasbord conjures up images of fine foods that can be combined into custom plates by the diner.
When making a smorgasbord I design it to have a basic foundation, or feature, to be built from. That morning the foundation was toast and scrambled eggs. All the other items made some kind of sense with the toast and eggs but not necessarily with each other: anchovies, Teleme, Roaring 40s Blue, olives, chorizo, toasted almonds, and cured walnuts. I served a bottle of Vinho Verde, but the versatility of dry rose would have been a better choice. The Vinho Verde is a good brunch wine but definitely got lost with a few of the items.
Try making a smorgasbord when you have guests and you'll be sure to please them all.
