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11 through 21 of 20 postings.
Q:What is the best way to clean best way to clean a jade planxa? kyle,
A:Dear Kyle,
The first tip is to be careful not to burn yourself or cause a fire. That aside, you'll want to scrape away food with a metal spatula and then rinse with water. Take care not to use any caustic solvents, and wipe the plancha down with a thin layer of oil afterwards.
During service, you'll likely want to keep both wet and dry side towels handy to wipe down grease. The metal spatula comes in handy then, too.
Visit http://www.dvorsons.com/jade/cleaning.pdf for more instruction.
Thanks!--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:what is the best immersion blender for red mashed potatoes/dressings/all purpose? gary,
A:Although we rely on Waring for their handy immersion blenders, most chefs would agree that the best method for mashed potatoes is by hand. Anything more heavy-duty than that will result in a gummy pile of overly-bonded starch. Dressings also work best with a nice whisk from the wrist.--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:I can't find a job because I don't have a culinary degree, just 18 years experience in the kitchen. I'm willing to start at the bottom, but I want to work in a top tier kitchen. nelson matos,
A:Hi Nelson,
Have you visited out our JobFinder website? You definitely don't need to have a culinary degree to find a good job, especially with your experience. Good luck!
6/13/2011--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:I love to make Thai dishes, but can't always find tamarind paste in my small town stores. I can, however, find tamarind pods. How do I make tamarind paste from the pods? Also, how would I use it in Thai dishes? Would I need to dilute it first or use it full strength? Thank you. Willoughby,
A:Hi Willoughby,
Tamarind's tart flavor profile makes this tropical fruit a versatile player in recipes the world over. In cuisine from the West Indies (where it is grown), passing through India and Thailand to Mexico and the Bahamas, it flavors drinks, sauces, marinades, candies, and stir-fries; it's deep color and complex sweet-sour flavor make it a great addition to sauces, including barbecue sauce, and marinades.
In a pinch, tamarind can be substituted with a little crushed prune with a splash of lemon juice, but if you have access to whole tamarind pods, extracting their deep, rich flavor is a matter of just a few minutes. If the pod is fresh, the hard brown skin, or shell, will break apart in your hand once pressure is applied. If the pods are older, they can be soaked in hot water for a few minutes before opening. Once open, separate the moist fruit from the pith and the seeds.
For a cup of usable tamarind, start with about 3 ounces of tamarind fruit. Soak the fruit for about 20 minutes in about 1 cup of hot water. The solids will begin to resemble a soft prune pur?e. Stir the mixture to combine, seal tightly, and store for up to one week. For use in recipes, some cooks prefer to temper the fruit's sourness with a little sugar.
Check out the following recipes to get an idea of the versatility of tamarind.
Pad Thai
Pan Roasted Halibut, Tomato Basil Salad, and Tamarind Dressing
"_blank">Indian Recipes Featuring Tamarind
--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:Question:My question is How do I use saba and do you have any recipes using it? Nancy Silverton had mentioned this in a magazine.
Gloria San Angelo,
A:Hi Gloria,
In Chef Nancy Silverton's 2007 book, A Twist of the Wrist: Quick Flavorful Meals with Ingredients from Jars, Cans, Bags, and Boxes, she includes a Strawberries and Ladyfingers recipe that incorporates a drizzle of saba. Powerful, fruity saba is known in Italy as mosto cotto, and translates literally to "cooked must". It has been popping up in American chefs' pantries over the past few years as a go-to condiment for an extra notch of complexity in dishes.
Saba is made from the must of Trebbiano or Lambrusco grapes (Trebbiano must is also used to make balsamic vinegar). The must, or freshly pressed grape juice before fermentation?including skins, seeds, and pulp?is reduced in copper kettles over an open flame, to about one third its original volume.
The resulting syrup is then aged in chestnut and oak barrels for 2 years. The result: a thick tangy syrup with notes of raisin and plum. The Spanish have their version too, with sherry notes, called arrope. It's great for pairing with dessert (even drizzled over ice cream), and also works well in marinades or with game meats.
Check out the links below for recipes:
Roasted Beet Salad with Saba Vinaigrette
http://www.starchefs.com/chefs/rising_stars/2006/boston/html/barbequed_eel_p_maffeo.shtml" target="_blank">Barbecued Eel with Saba--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:I want to try a soda bread recipe from Darina Allen. The instructions say to "Steep the oatmeal in the buttermilk overnight". How is this done? Loretta Flaherty,
A:Hi Loretta,
By steeping, we hope to extract certain properties from liquid. Steeping is just soaking, so by placing the oats in a bowl, covering them with buttermilk, and leaving them to steep/soak overnight, the oats will soften, any residue will rise to the surface, and the flavors of the buttermilk will infuse the oats. Good luck!--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:I am hosting a party for 12. I want to pair food with cocktails. The beverages are water, beer, wine, spirits (rum, bourbon or whiskey), coffee, tea and cola. No pork or shellfish as some guests cannot partake. I prefer to not have to cook while they are here. Just a small taste with each drink is all I planned but am open to any suggestions. Thanks. Dory Brewster Dory Brewster,
A:Hi Dory,
We are really excited these days about beer pairings, and most recently, we had some great hor'deurves (or bar
snacks, as Old Town Social's Chef Jared Van Camp calls them) in Chicago, IL. We were particularly charmed by some
spicy duck wings paired with a Two Brothers, Domaine DuPage, a French Country-style Ale, by Old Town's beer
sommelier Chris Freeman. The hoppy finish was a nice palate cleanser after the spicy kick from each bite of saucy
wing. In Washington, D.C., we tasted with beer sommelier Greg Engert at Birch and Barley, who paired a classic party
snack, the restaurant's version of foie pat?, with L'Ultima Luna, an Italian beer from the Emiglia Romagna region.
The beer's caramel and fig flavors were great complements to the foie gras, and the hint of tannins in the beer
(imparted from its time spent in oak barrels previously used for red wine), cut into the protein's richness. Check
out the links below for more tips on beer pairings.
For good tips on pairing food with cocktails, read our feature:
href="http://www.starchefs.com/features/trends/cocktail-pairing/html/index.shtml" target="_blank">"Food and Cocktail
Pairings: A New Cocktail Frontier". We also have archives stuffed with http://www.starchefs.com/features/mixology/index.shtml" target="_blank">features on mixology. Our
href="http://www.starchefs.com/wine/html/index.shtml" target="_blank">wine section is also a great place to
scour for info on wine pairings. For example, we just featured four Chicago sommeliers doing http://www.starchefs.com/cook/features/top-pairs/chicago/foie-gras" target="_blank">outside-the-box pairings
with foie gras (always great for a cocktail party!).
target="_blank">Beer Tips for the Sommelier
The New
Affordable Luxury: Pairing Beer with Your Food
Beer Pairing,
Belgian Style, at The Publican
--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:I am looking to start making all of the charcuterie for our restaurant in house. Can you recommend perhaps a top 3 list of charcuterie books? Jackie,
A:Hi Jackie,
For great tips on charcuterie, be sure to check out our
charcuterie series. It features seasoned chefs from around the country sharing charcuterie recipes, techniques, and ideas, complete with video demonstrations. As for books on the subject, we definitely recommend Fritz Sonnenschmidt's Charcuterie: Sausage/Pates/Accompaniments for an all-purpose reference on preparing cured meats. Author Michael Ruhlman has also published an instant classic, his tome on Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing. The Art of Charcuterie by John Kowalski of the Culinary Insitute of America is another solid choice for those interested in the subject. If you're interested in expanding your repertoire of kitchen techniques, be sure to have a look at our techniques archive and take advantage of video demonstrations and how-to guides, featuring innovative chefs from around the world. --by StarChefs Editors
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Q:Question: Hi chef, I was wondering, what do I need to do to make a fresh tuna taste like tuna from a can? I want to
make a healthy tuna spread but I don't want to use canned tuna. I want to use fresh tuna as the main ingredient and
I want to make a healthy sandwich spread. Problem is, canned tuna is tastier when you mix it with ingredients to
make a sandwich compared to fresh tuna. How do I make fresh tuna delicious as well? Thank you. ken,
A:Hi Ken,
In order to make fresh tuna taste like tuna from a can, what you're looking for is a recipe for oil-poached tuna. This is fairly easy and quick to prepare. Season fresh tuna with salt and pepper, and add to a saucepan with a little chopped garlic and just enough oil to cover the fish. Poach the fish over medium-low heat at a gentle simmer for 10 minutes, or until it is opaque. Remove the tuna from heat, and add any aromatic herbs that you feel will pair well with the flavor profile you have chosen for your dish. Allow the tuna to return to room temperature, then cover with plastic wrap and chill overnight. Before using, allow the tuna to return again to room temperature?and voil?,
spreadable tuna!--by StarChefs Editors
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Q:My grandmother, in my childhood, made what she called "charlots pudding". This was made from stale White/yellow cake chunks,a pudding of some fashion and I think meringue sort of folded together. Can you help me out as I would like to made it for the family. Victor Waggoner,
A:The charlotte is a molded dessert. The mold is first lined with cake crumbs, cookies, biscuits, sponge cake, or lady fingers (although in the past, butter-dipped stale bread crumbs were also used). The mold is then filled with fruit pur?e, custard (you can use your imagination, but some popular fillings include apple, pear, or chocolate mousse), or layers of fruit and custard, all set with gelatin. The dessert is then unmolded and usually served chilled, and topped with meringue or whipped cream. Variations on the charlotte include the icebox cake and charlotte russe (which comes in sizes befitting Sunday dinner as well as a miniature, mobile version), and even banana pudding. A version of the charlotte russe was a deli favorite in mid-century America and used stale crumbs to keep costs down and conserve waste: a paper cone filled with white or yellow cake crumbs was topped with whipped cream and maraschino cherries. Good luck in recreating your grandmother's recipe.
Posted February 21, 2011
--by StarChefs Editors
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