Did you know clarified butter has a higher smoke point than both olive oil and canola oil? Makes for excellent browning fat!
Happy Presidents' Day! Are you spending the day in rest? I am up to my neck in work this week, but the past weekend involved visiting loved ones and a cooking class at Sur La Table. I have fond memories of my first cooking class at SLT in 2006, not because the recipes were particularly memorable, but because it was an important part of my first foray into adult life. Then, I imagined adult life to require knowledge of complicated recipes and expensive gadgets. How things change! This time around, I focused less on the recipes and gadgets and more on picking up new techniques. I should disclose that we carried home several Demeyere saute pans as part of the class. It's not the pan pictured above, but close. I can't wait to start using this thing.
Not pictured among these photos is a parsley-basil pesto crostini. I learned that red wine vinegar, though of dubious authenticity, makes an excellent addition to pesto, especially if you're going to eat it with goat cheese on toasty bread.
This may not be news to most of you, but we were happy to find that chicken seared on the stove and finished in the oven is moist and tender. We tried the same technique last week with steak, and it came out a perfect medium rare.
Chicken with a Shallot-Chianti sauce
We also made profiteroles with a chocolate ganache made with Guittard chocolate. I only had a bite. Chocolate and sweets-not really my thing.*
Now it's back to the grind for me. Below are some new blogs, new products, and a glimpse of what's to come. Have a great week!
Adding to my Blogroll (thanks, Squid Ink):
- Eastside Food Bites - A writer and food fan covering all things food in East LA
- Food Woolf - Exactly what the header says: A restaurant insider's perspective on food, service, and life.
- The Glutster - A young kid (to me, a twenty two year old is still a kid) takes on food, booze, and punk rock.
Farmers Market Finds:
One great thing about being relatively new to Los Angeles is the repeated joy of discovering local foods.
- *ChocoVivo - stoneground chocolate, no dairy added. I liked it despite my apathy toward chocolate.
- Smart Simple Gourmet - Everything is delicious. Butternut squash soup? Killer. Ragu bolognese? Best I've had. Founder's story: Worked in corporate America (her words) for years before quitting, going to culinary school, then making delicious, natural, healthful foods.
Coming Up:
- A Korean recipe - any requests?
- A recipe from a much appreciated late Christmas gift: King Arthur Flour All-Purpose Baking Cookbook
