Beyond The Kitchen Wall: June 2009

Thursday, June 18, 2009

BTKW Chef's Garden 2009 Update : First Broccoli of the Season!

This is the first of hopefully many garden updates. The cool weather and abundant rainfall have been very beneficial for cruciferous vegetables. As a result, I have just harvested the first broccoli of the 2009 season! It is incredibly sweet and fresh. Broccoli this fresh does not require too much cooking, just a light saute in a little olive oil or butter and a sprinkling of sea salt.

Sunday, June 14, 2009

BBQ Sauce

There are as many recipes for BBQ sauce as there are people who love BBQ. It is amazing that a simple condiment can evoke such passion in the human soul. It is a testament to the power of cooking and its link to our evolution as a species. I happen to love all sorts of BBQ sauce. Tomato- based or vinegar- based, just keep the BBQ coming! I use many sauces at Beyond The Kitchen Wall, depending on my mood or what I have a taste for. The great thing about BBQ is that there is always something new to try. The following recipe is for my tomato-based BBQ sauce. It is fairly straight forward until you get to one ingredient, vanilla. I love vanilla, and try to use it everywhere that I can. It highlights the sweetness in this sauce recipe, and lingers gently on the palate. It adds an exotic, almost mysterious flavor that leaves you wanting to take another bite.

BTKW BBQ Sauce
Makes about 1 Quart

2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 large onion, finely minced
3 garlic cloves, finely minced
1 15 oz. can tomato sauce
1 6 oz. can tomato paste
1 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
2 tablespoons smoked hot paprika
1 teaspoon dry mustard
1 teaspoon Ceylon cinnamon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
1/2 teaspoon ground savory
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 12 oz. bottle flavorful beer, or 12 oz. apple juice
1 teaspoon Madagascar vanilla

Place the oil in a medium sauce pan over medium-high heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add all of the other ingredients except for the vanilla, mix well, and bring to a simmer. Reduce heat to low, and allow to simmer until reduced to 4 cups, stirring often to insure that sauce does not scorch. This should take about 1 hour. When reduced, remove from heat and allow to cool slightly. Puree sauce using an immersion blender, or in a food processor. Once pureed, add vanilla and mix thoroughly. Sauce may be stored in a jar in the refrigerator for 1 month.

Blending Spices : Dry Rub for BBQ Ribs

Many people are intimidated when it comes to creating their own spice blends. Really, it couldn't be easier, and I find it to be one of the most enjoyable aspects of cooking. I feel like some sort of mad alchemist when I have all of my spice bottles lined up before me. What I add and how much determine what my final result will be. Will my blend lean more towards Indian or Moroccan? Will it be Latin or Middle Eastern? Or will it be something uniquely my own?
The possibilities are endless, as all of the world's exotic flavor signatures are locked within those little glass jars.

First of all, we have to define a spice. What are spices, and how are they different from herbs? The difference is that spices come from seeds, bark, fruit, roots, and flowers; and herbs come from leaves and stems. Some plants provide both herbs and spices. Cilantro and coriander come from the same plant, etc...

It is important to start with the freshest spices. All whole spices should be used within one year of purchase, and ground spices should be replaced every six to nine months. They should be stored in a cool, dry, dark place. Never store them near the stove. They should also be kept in tightly sealed jars. Glass is recommended as it will not absorb flavors.

When it comes to blending spices, start off simply, using spices that are familiar to you. Begin with two or three spices and build from there. Gradually, when you become familiar with different spices, you can find ways to add them to your blend. Just remember, Each addition will take your blend into a new direction. Learning the dominate spices of a particular cuisine will help you determine which spices work well together.

To demonstrate the magic of a great spice blend, and because Father's Day is approaching, I am giving you a recipe for a dry rub for BBQ Ribs. This is the spice blend that I use, and it couldn't be easier to put together. The list of ingredients is long, but most of these spices are fairly common in most spice racks. You will notice that this recipe also contains a few herbs. The brightness of their flavors work well to balance the heavy, earthiness of the spices.

Dry Rub for BBQ Ribs
Makes about 1 1/2 cups

1/4 cup sweet Hungarian paprika
2 tablespoons dry mustard powder
2 tablespoons Sichuan peppercorns, whole
2 tablespoons cumin, whole
2 tablespoons coriander, whole
2 tablespoons French thyme, dried
2 tablespoons black peppercorns
2 tablespoons savory, dried
2 tablespoons caraway seed
1 teaspoon allspice, ground
1 teaspoon anise seed, whole
1 teaspoon turmeric, ground
1 teaspoon ginger, ground
1 clove, whole
2 bay leaves

Simply grind all of the spices together, in batches, in a spice grinder. Be sure that everything is ground as finely as possible. Place finely ground spices into a glass or metal bowl and whisk together to be sure that everything is blended thoroughly. Store in a tightly sealing glass jar.

To use, sprinkle generously on both sides of ribs which have been thoroughly cleaned (you can ask your butcher to do this) and seasoned generously with kosher salt. Allow to rest in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours.

Cook according to your favorite method. I use a hot/fast method as opposed to the low/slow method. The ribs do not require any "parboiling". They become juicy and tender on there own. They cook for about 1 hour to 1 hour and 20 minutes depending on your fire. If you use sauce, do NOT apply it until the ribs are completely cooked. Any good quality BBQ sauce works well with this rub. If you like to use a mop, may I suggest the following:

BBQ Mop

1 cup water or beer
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons spice rub
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Mix all ingredients together and mop ribs every15 minutes, and every time ribs are turned.

Thursday, June 11, 2009

Grasshoppers, Anyone?

Now this a souvenir! A fresh jar of grasshoppers from Mexico! I knew that people have eaten various types of insects in Mexico for thousands of years, but I did not know that they now had them packaged for export! This is a jar of Chapurrines brand chapulines (grasshoppers). The jar claims that they are a HOT item for export. Who am I to argue. When I saw these, I knew that they were something that I had to try. Why should Anthony Bourdain and Andrew Zimmern be the only ones who get to have all of the fun?

I have to admit that my cultural conditioning made me a little squeamish at first, but I was able to temporarily overcome my aversion to insects. I ate one. It wasn't bad. It tasted sort of tart and earthy, like sumac. I don't think that I will make them a part of my usual dining routine, but I am glad to say that I have finally tried insects. They are, after all, a very important food source for many people in the world.

In case you were wondering what to do with your Chapurrines, don't worry. There are recipe suggestions right on the jar! Here is one that I thought sounded pretty good (I changed it a bit because I just can't help myself):

Pico de Gallo con Chapurrines (Chapulines)

1 large tomato, diced small
1/4 large onion, diced small
1/2 avocado, diced small
3 jalapenos or to taste, chopped
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
1 tablespoon lime juice
75 grams (1 jar) Chapurrines brand chapulines
salt to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil

Mix everything together and let rest in the refrigerator for 15 minutes before serving.
Serve with chips, vegetables, or use on tacos.

Sunday, June 7, 2009

BTKW Chef's Garden 2009

View of the estate and part of the garden. We just built several raised beds right on the lawn!
Herbs are in a separate location .

Not only do I love to cook, I also love to garden! This year at Beyond The Kitchen Wall I was able to plant a large vegetable and herb garden. There is nothing better than growing your own fresh fruits and vegetables. Everyone who loves to cook should strive to grow some sort of garden, even if it is just a pot of herbs on a small balcony. I love working with fresh, local produce. I am constantly wandering around the local Farmers' Markets looking for the freshest treasures of the season. This year I will have produce from the farm and from the garden! I am very excited, and I can't wait to serve my fresh veggies to the family that I work for. They are in for some real treats.

The garden is organic, of course. It consists of several raised beds that were built right on the lawn in the backyard. A majority of the plants were placed in these beds, but there are other smaller spots that were commandeered for vegetables and herbs. The herbs were planted as close to the kitchen as possible. Basically, I have turned a great estate on Chicago's North Shore into a farm. Does that make me a Gentleman Farmer??? It is going to be a great season!

I wanted to share some pictures of my garden with you, and give a list of everything that I planted this year. I have been very busy, and my hard work seems to be paying off. The weather has been unseasonably cool so far this year, so some of the crops got off to a slow start. The cruciferous vegetables however, are thriving!