Polly's Beef Bourguignon

The last challenge in making the Beef Bourguignon from the BOUCHON cookbook by Chef Thomas Keller got me thinking about the process a lot.  Minimum of three days of cooking to produce the result.  Then, there is Julia Child's recipe for it - just as much involved.  But this time for sure, I purchased the Beef short ribs.  Hoping to reverse the 'dry' bark like meat chunks I end up with the use of the lean 'Stew' beef.   The result is marvelous.  Since I do not have 24 hours to babysit nor standing by in the kitchen all night long, I turned to the available technology.  The first time I followed the recipe, the braising in the oven to cook the beef till tender just took forever.  Since I do not have a convection gas oven, I was not going to try braising it in the covered sautoir.  Instead, I used the slow cooker with timer. 
Thursday evening - After browning the beef short beef (set aside), deglaze the pan; add mirepoix, and bottle of red wine - I used whatever I had - Shiraz and cooked to 'a sec'.   Since I did not have brown beef stock, I added water, sachet, tomato paste, as well as fresh tomatoes.   Transfer the stock into the slow cooker.  Envelope browned beef in cheese cloth, and placed in the slow cooker.  This is very effective in keeping 'impurities' from the beef getting mixed up in the stock.  Submerge the beef in the cheese cloth into the stock.  Cover the slow cook over night.   Friday evening, prepare the garnishes.   Check the beef for fork tenderness.  Remove the beef and transfer them into a bowl.  Discard cheesecloth.  Filter the brown stock through fine sieve twice.  Return it to the stock pot.  Cook garnishes - carrots, potatoes until al dente.   Add the beef and pearl onions.   Cover the pot and simmer over the stove for 60 minutes - but check every 15 min.  Make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the pot and liquid is reducing.  The stock should start to thicken from the natural starch of the potatoes.  When the liquid is reduced by half, it is ready.
Cool quickly completely over bain marie and refrigerate in covered container.   Saturday - still refrigerated.  Serve Sunday.... yeah, right.  I had a wonderful bowl of it on Saturday.  It was so different than the first one.  The meat is very tender and full of wonderful flavor from the slow cooking.   Sunday, I made a home baked bread and had a wonderful Beef Bourguinon de Polly.

 

French Fried Sweet Potatoes

Some of the health experts pointed out that you want to order sweet potatoes French fries rather than the regular potatoes, especially if you have diabetic problem.  In my case, I was curious which "sweet potatoes" is the best for the French fries.  I picked sweet potatoes (not YAMs). 
Lesson learned - watch closely the oil temperature during frying.  Due to sugar content of the sweet potatoes, they burn easily.  My sweet potato french fries did not turn out like the ones I ate at the Elephant bar, for example.  How do they do that light crusty look on it.... well, I will have to try it again, the next time.

Shrimp and Onion Tempura served with Baked Potato

There is nothing difficult about making the TEMPURA. But everyone who has ever attempted it know that deep frying is a 'messy' cooking method. Ordinary kitchen vent is less than ideal to prepare Tempura. In fact, I recall in my childhood memory that folks deep fry outdoor in Japan and not in the kitchen. The oil splatter takes more time to clean than the time you spent enjoying the meal. So tempura is a dish that everyone really enjoy ordering at the restaurants rather than preparing them at home. There is also the challenge of the 'secret' batter to create this beautiful and light 'spider' crust when the food item is coated and placed into the deep frying oil. Is it the egg white? or soda? or Potato starch, or ??? whatever it is, the satisfaction of ones meal comes from the thought of "homemade", "home cooked", "made from scratch"and appreciation for the effort of the preparer. So, here is my Shrimp Tempura and Onion Tempura served with baked potato topped with sour cream and chives.
The shrimp is fried once. Right before serving, it is deep fried (in high temp) 'quickly' for the second time to golden brown.

Homemade SHISO FURIKAKE with SHAKE (Salmon Flakes)

Finally my SHISO - beefsteak plants have grown successfully this year.  Taking the opportunity of the bumper crop and before any insects beat to it, I started to work with this wonderful aromatic wonder leaves.  FURIKAKE ("shake to cover")  is one of our favorite "spice" condiment flakes to top wonderfully cooked steamy rice or "OKAYU" (porridge style rice ... resembling risotto).  There are quite a few varieties sold at the Japanese or Asian markets.  As simple as the ingredients to this condiment, this is my first attempt to make it at home.   After nipping the leaves off the stems, they are washed thoroughly, then air dried on a large flat basket.  It is air dried for about 3 days.  They can be crushed between the hands or simply use the food processor with wand.  Then, toss it into homemade salmon flakes -- FURIKAKE with SHA-KE (Salmon).  Season with coarse sea salt.  Keep in clean glass Mason jar in a refrigerator.
  To prepare for this wonderful FURIKAKE with SHA-KE (Salmon) - the aromatic condiment, I was very lucky to have found Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon on sale.  The color of this salmon is so beautiful that I was admiring it as I  cleaned and deboned, sliced and vacuum packed the salmon steaks. The salmon fresh is in beautiful orange, nice and firm.  Definitely beats the farm raised salmons.  Whatever were left went in the saute pan with some vegetable oil.... not much oil, but just enough to keep the salmon from sticking to the pan.  Stirring the frequently, as soon as the salmon is slightly browned and look dry, turn off the heat.  Then remove all the meat and transfer them to a bowl.  Add finely crushed SHISO leaves, and coarse sea salt to taste.

 Trimmed off stomach area had plenty of lean meat on this wild Alaskan sockeye salmon.  Nothing got wasted. 

 Return the salmon meat in to saute pan and flake the chunks into very small pieces--'minced' and a bit brown and 'dry'.

 Transfer to a plate, cool.  Add the crushed beefsteak leaves-SHISO, and season with coarse sea salt to taste.

Store in air tight clean Mason jar and in refrigerator.  Serve a teaspoonful or two on top of piping hot cooked rice and enjoy the wonderful homemade SHISO FURIKAKE with SHA-KE. 

Whisker Nav Boe-Bot Project

Sometimes, you need a break from the world of the kitchen and spend some time to explore other potentials in the kitchen. So I did just that during the summer semester. My time was spent immersing myself n the "Introduction to the Robotics" class at the ARC, Sacramento. I spent hours and hours programming the Boe-Bot for the future world of modern kitchen. Naaa... not quite, but it is true that I spent many hours programming because I am not a programmer!! I just couldn't let the opportunity pass either, so I pressed on. It was well worth it. It's 21st century and our 'modern' kitchen is no where close to the Jetson Family style of living. I want to make sure that I take a step toward that progress. While this "Tactile Navigation Boe-Bot" does not take food order or deliver food to your table, understanding the principle of electronics and programming helps me to vision how I would like my virtual kitchen or the restaurant to be. This particular Whisker Boe-Bot will move forward and change its direction when the wire whiskers get in contact with an object. Then, at the end, it makes 360 degree circle and sing a song and stops. The other Boe-Bot projects included singing robot, remote control robot, (and Ping Boe-Bot.) I am hoping for some free time to build the Ping Boe-Bot, as it will have two "sight" scopes that act as "eyes".

Flying July

I have not forgotten to post new adventures for July.  I had so much activities going on with my Robotic class final exam and vacation with my grandchildren that I have to rest a bit and do some more YOGA to energize.  I will be back in a couple of days, if not sooner.
  Cheers!  Enjoy the wonderful summer.

Pilaf and Risotto

You have probably seen it and tasted the Pilaf and Risotto.  I've seen it and heard it and never paid attention or have the desire to taste it until just recently.  A bit of exposure in my culinary adventure have exposed me to many - I mean many possibilities that I can add to my diet and health.   I've watched some food challenger's shows and heard judges commenting on the challenger's Risotto, for example, and complaining how terrible it is, etc.  I was wondering what in the world is that? soupy sticky or fluffy rice with grated cheese?...... Now, they are part of my take-to-work OBENTO.  No more plain carbohydrate - white rice.  They are prepared with varieties of grains.  To start with these two are my results.  I hope you have fun trying something new with grains in your diet, too.
Barley Pilaf  - a bit soupy, maybe, but  I love the bite-in texture of barley with flavorful taste added from the homemade chicken stock I used.

Arborio Milanese.  While I added very little of grated Parmesano, it tasted plenty with a tablespoon of it.  & I will use white pepper the next time.

Chicken Caciattori - the Flop

I enjoyed the chicken caciattori the other day that I wanted to try this myself at home.  I wanted to impress my mother and sister who were coming to visit.  Everything went well, ...naaaa.... Flop! murphy's law - I burnt the chicken skin that it left 'burnt' taste to the sauce and all.  In trying to save this dish, after 3 hours of cooking it,  it turned into a skinless chicken caciattori.   Lesson learned - use your instinct and sear the chicken with regular cooking oil.

Green Beans with Balsalmic Vinaigrette

Fresh Green Beans were just beckoning me to buy, and I couldn't pass it by.  But what am I going to make this time?  Stir fry again?  what about the combination of stir fry and turn it into salad?
Wash, deveined, and cut into equal pieces, and blanch the green beans.

 Saute the green beans quickly in virgin olive oil with minced garlics and onions to heat through and sweat.
Remove from heat and cool for 5 minutes.    Prepare vinaigrette - mix extra light virgin oil and balsalmic vinegar, salt and freshly grounded pepper to taste.  Toss.  Serve - warm or cold.

 I made Pomme Duchesse and enjoyed another new method of potato cooking.

Vegetarian Curry with Potatoes and Apple

When I don't even the time to defrost the meat, I come up with something 'vegetarian' like dish.  And here is my photo journal of Vegetarian Curry with Potatoes and Apple.   When you bite into the diced Apple in the curry, it gives a burst of surprising experience.  If I am not mistaken, most of the people who has tasted "Japanese" style curry expect this 'apple' surprise in the curry.  It adds faint bouquet aroma to the curry.  Your tongue will delightfully appreciate the tartness and sweetness that mellows the taste of spicy hot curry.  And you want more of it.   If you have never tried it before, add some diced golden delicious or red delicious to your curry. 

Potato Salad with Vinaigrette

By the way, all these recipe testings I posted in June were not completed in the weeks of June.  They were completed in May.   I just did not have the time to post them due to my crazy final exam and oral surgery (I could not taste well).  It was a very stressful months, and I almost gave up on sharing them over the blog.  But I still cooked every night, testing the recipes and cooking methods, ....    So here is my adaptation of Mustard Vinaigrette (from Ad Hoc cookbook, p 179) with my Potato Salad with Beets served with hard boil egg wedges.  I am quite impressed with the function of Dijon mustard in vinaigrette and in other dressings.  It seems to provide that secret molecular combination to bring the mixture of vinegar and olive oil as in 'emulsification' together.  A tiny mustard seed indeed have a great power.   I like the smooth texture of this vinaigrette and less acidic taste from the champagne vinegar used.  Boil large diced potatoes and medium diced carrots till fork tender.  Mince 1 Tb of onions.  Mix in vinaigrette to chopped red beets and carrots first, then fold into potatoes.  Add salt and fresh ground pepper to taste.  Toss in some chopped cilantro leaves from the garden.  Slice one hard boiled egg into wedges and serve.

Black Bean Soup

Black Beans is not one of the common beans in my kitchen.  And using it to make the soup is just not done.  Most of my friends have made many different types of dishes with black beans.  But as for me, my first encounter with black beans is inside some healthy burrito somewhere, then, inside Adobe Cob Salad served at Dos Coyotes, which I like very much.  It taste nutty and firmer in texture than the pinto beans that I use almost exclusively to make my family famous chili during the cold winter.  What kind of culinary adventurer am I if I don't try black bean soup, I thought.  We've done this in the class, and it did not turn out to my liking.  The cooking time is too short that beans were not tender enough to release its flavor.  Mindfully remembering this, I soaked the beans and patiently boiled the beans till they are just right.  What a difference in the final serving.  Love that heart warming and nutty taste going down my throat.
Soaking beans overnight.  Soaked black beans look almost like red beans from natural discoloration during hydration.

 It resembles the sweet Chinese sesame soup.

Boeuf Bourguignon - Bouchon

I have been waiting for a quiet day to try this Boeuf Bourguignon for quite a long time.  I have my personal recipe to make beef stew, but when I heard about the boeuf bourguuignon in the culinary world, I wanted to try their recipe.  But the list of ingredients and long procedures have been quite intimidating.  Luckily with the instructional cooking broadcasting of Julia Child and Jacques Pepin by local KQED or KVIE2 channel, my courage is boosted slowly to try it.   Why not try and eat something new?  Just for the sake in trying my hands on pouring the mysterious liquid (as I am not a wine drinker)  - a whole bottle of it - into the seared beef is a wonder that I want to try.  I wanted to experience the happy face that Julia express every time she pours some of that magic liquid into most of her dish.  This particular recipe is from BOUCHON cookbook by Chef Thomas Keller.  It was two days in the preparation and served on the 4th day.   I wished I had the short ribs to prepare it, but I only had the stew beef.  The result of taste really rested on the cuts of the beef used.   The next time for 'this' type of involved recipe, and as I am an inexperienced with this particular recipe, it's best to use the exact cuts of beef, I told myself. 

Ingredients & preparing for the red win reduction.       And making my own stock.

 Adding an entire bottle of cabernet sauvignon and reduce to 'a sec'.

 Searing Stew Beef--should use more fattier cut  'my mother commented.'

 Great technique to enable braise beef to tender and keep impurities from attaching to the beef when done - envelope them in cheesecloth.

 Make the Parchment Lid with steam hole and cover with lid.

 Ready for braising in the oven - mine took 4 hours.

 After 4 hours.

 Lift and transfer the beef out - check out all the impurities that are stuck to the cheesecloth.

 Fork Tender!

 Strain and discard the vegetables.  Strain the braising liquid twice through a fine strainer. 

 Skim the fat off.  "Strain the liquid over the beef.  Let it cool, then, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 day or up to 3 days." (Ref: Bouchon cookboon, p 215)

And of course, there is Garnish cooked individually for Potatoes, Carrots, Bacon and Mushrooms, and Pearl Onions. 
Unfortunately my taste buds got so messed up from the oral surgery I had on the 4th day of the making, I could not officially taste the final product.  I know that the beef is fork tender, but what about the final taste?  My guests says, "Good".  My mother says, "It should have more fat and ..."  As she is an excellent cook, and I respect her judgement.  I will try it the next time with beef cut with bit more fat - the short ribs as stated in the Bouchon cookbook.  Let's see how it will turn out when I try Julia's Boeuf Bourguinon.  I hope I can say, "Bon Appetite!", then, myself.