Technique of the Week: Pickling

Pickling is the process of preserving food by marinating and storing it in an acid solution, usually vinegar (acetic acid) or “anaerobic fermentation” in brine which produces lactic acid. Pickling results in preserved foods with salty or sour flavors.

Pickling began more than 4,000 years ago as a way to preserve food for out-of-season use and for long journeys, especially by sea. Salt pork and salt beef were common staples for sailors before the days of steam engines. Although the process was developed to preserve foods, pickles are also made and eaten because people enjoy the resulting flavors. Pickling may also improve the nutritional value of food by introducing B vitamins produced by bacteria.

Pickling can preserve perishable foods for weeks or months and is a terrific way to ensure that an overabundance of summer produce does not go to waste. In addition to salt or vinegar, antimicrobial herbs and spices, such as mustard seed, garlic, cinnamon or cloves, are often added. If the food contains sufficient moisture, a pickling brine may be produced simply by adding dry salt (similar to maceration). For example, sauerkraut and Korean kimchi are produced by salting the vegetables to draw out excess water.

The term pickle is derived from the Dutch word pekel, meaning brine. In the U.S., the word pickle almost always refers to a pickled cucumber. Other types of pickles are described by name as in the case of as "pickled okra," or "pickled eggs." Interestingly, in the U.K., the term pickle refers to Ploughman's pickle which is a kind of chutney.

Quick Sweet Pickles

• 2 cups Kirby cucumbers, thinly sliced
• 2/3 cup white or cider vinegar
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 2 red onions, thinly sliced
• 2 tablespoons dill sprigs, torn
• 1 teaspoon whole peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons olive oil

In a medium bowl, mix vinegar, sugar, and salt, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves.  Add olive oil to reserved vinegar mixture and stir well.

In a nonreactive bowl, combine cucumbers, onions, dill, and peppercorns. Pour vinegar mixture over vegetables and toss to combine. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for at least 8 hours before serving. Store pickles in a jar or other covered container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

(If you need to speed up the maceration process, you can bring the vinegar mixture to a boil before adding olive oil and pour over cucumbers. Once cooled the pickles are ready to eat.)

Mango Tango in Key West

Post by Sonny Romeo 
        

Last year, we visited Key West for a lovely day trip. Dad and Mom had always wanted to see the Florida Keys and we were in Palm Beach so they figured why not drag us along for the “experience.”

It was about a 4-hour drive from West Palm which actually went by relatively quickly. The trip included crossing the famous and historic 7-mile bridge which connects the city of Marathon in the Middle Keys to Little Duck Key in the Lower Keys.  It has spectacular views of the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean on either side.  When this bridge was completed in 1982, it was considered the longest segmented bridge in the world and was built to withstand winds of up to 200 miles per hour.  The 65-foot tall bridge is the highest point in the Florida Keys built to allow boats and ships to pass underneath. If you've never made the drive before you have to do it at least once in your lifetime.

When we arrived in Key West, we were all starving so we drove down Duval Street in search of sustenance. We saw several restaurants that looked promising including Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville, but Nic and I convinced the folks to go to the Hard Rock Café. I ordered a burger (amazing at every Hard Rock I’ve ever been to) and was about to order a coke when the waitress asked if I wanted a “Mango Tango” which she described as “kind-of like mango lemonade with a kick.” I was parched as well as hungry so I went for it. It was just about the best drink I have ever had!

We spent some time strolling along the notorious Duval Street.  Duval Street is the famous downtown street where all of the restaurants, bars, and shops are located.  The street runs north and south from the Atlantic Ocean to the Gulf of Mexico. We ended up in Mallory Square which is considered the heart of downtown Key West.  On the way back to the car, we walked by the original Sloppy Joe’s Bar (that is now Captain Tony’s Saloon) which is where Ernest Hemingway spent much of his time during his most productive years. (We stopped in Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville to get something to drink, but no one would wait on us, so we left.)

Like most people, we did all the normal things tourists do on their first trip to Key West: we took pictures at the 0-mile marker and the southernmost point in the continental United States (while trying to see Cuba which is just 90 miles away.) As a teenager, it is hard to admit when your parents are right, but the trip was truly a memorable experience.  The moral of the story is that sometimes you just have to take a spontaneous trip to Key West. We only spent one day on the island, but we saw a lot and had fun.

We were recently reminiscing about our trip and I decided to try to make a mango tango. Little did I know that it was not a regular item on the Hard Rock menu nor that it was a secret recipe. After extensive research and experimentation, I came up with a recipe that if it isn't exact, it is extremely close!

2 oz. Fresh Mango Puree (Hard Rock uses Finest Call Mango puree)
4 oz. Fresh Orange Juice
4 oz. (half can) Red Bull Energy drink

Mix the mango puree and orange juice together and pour over ice. Add the Red Bull stirring gently so you don’t deflate the carbonation. Drink and imagine clear blue water and ocean breezes!

Technique of the Week: Macerating

The technique of maceration is used to soften fruits and vegetables using a liquid; often their own natural juices which have been extracted with a simple sprinkling of salt or sugar (or both.) This process makes the food more flavorful and easier to chew and digest. Sometimes oil is added to the macerating liquid, especially olive or other vegetable oil.

Raw, dried or preserved fruit or vegetables are soaked in a liquid to soften and rehydrate the food or absorb the flavor of the liquid into the food. Maceration is also the chief means of producing a flavored alcoholic beverage, such as cordials and liqueurs.

Maceration is often confused with marination, which is the process of soaking foods in an acidic liquid before cooking. Maceration is the process of soaking produce in liquid for extra flavor.

During the summer months, we frequently enjoy a salad of macerated tomatoes with garlic and fresh herbs served with crusty bread; this salad is commonly referred to as bruschetta. This is a marvelous accompaniment to almost any dish especially fish, and regularly serves as the entire meal on particularly hot, muggy evenings.

• 6 or 7 ripe plum tomatoes (about 1 1/2 lbs), diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 teaspoon Kosher salt
• 1-2 tablespoons fresh herbs (basil, oregano, tarragon, marjoram and/or thyme), chopped
• Freshly ground black pepper to taste
• French bread or similar Italian bread

Cut tomatoes in halves or quarters depending on their size, removing the stem area as you go.  If plum tomatoes are not available you can use any fresh ripe tomatoes and chop into ½” cubes. Place tomatoes in a serving bowl and add garlic, salt and herbs, stirring to mix well. Let the salad sit for at least 30 minutes before serving so tomatoes fully release their juices. Serve with bread and a good red wine and experience the true taste of summer.

Advantages of Dining In & Quesadillas

Our friends often ask us if we cook meals from scratch every night. When we answer in the affirmative, several other questions usually follow such as “how do you find the time?” or “isn’t cooking equipment expensive?” Cooking and dining at home has many advantages, here are the biggies:

Time:
Even if you have not planned ahead and must make a quick stop at the grocery store (which you probably need to do anyway to pick up cereal and milk,) eating in takes no more time than eating out. When you consider the amount of time it takes to drive to the restaurant, find a parking place, wait for your table to be ready, wait for your food to be prepared, wait for the bill and drive back home, it may even be far quicker to stay home (and safer since there would be no risk of driving under the influence on the way home.) By thawing frozen foods in advance, chopping or slicing ingredients ahead or even cooking your entire meal in a slow cooker, you can save even more time.

Quality:
The main reason we choose to cook our own dinners is that we have complete control over the ingredients that we cook with. Restaurants can claim to use fresh organic produce and wild-caught fish, free-range chicken or grass-fed beef, but you seldom see the items before they arrive on your plate. There is no way to know if the shrimp gumbo you order today is yesterday’s leftover shrimp cocktail. People with food sensitivities and allergies must be vigilant when reading menus to ensure that all ingredients are safe for them to eat. My allergy to pine nuts is a prime example. A menu may not tell you that the hummus or pesto is made with pine nuts, and if you forget to ask, the evening could end in a trip to the ER. Also, in order to comply with certain health codes, restaurants are required to cook meats and seafood to higher temperatures that may result in them be better done then you prefer. Lastly, restaurants are notorious for their liberal use of salt and butter. When you cook your own meals you control the amount of spice, salt and fats.

Cost:

There is no question that is less expensive to cook your own meals than to eat out. The menu price of an entrée far exceeds the cost of the ingredients used to make it, and it is widely known that restaurants charge double, triple or even quadruple the retail price of a bottle of wine. Instead you are paying for the building rental, utilities, chef’s experience, wait and kitchen staff wages, even the napkins and dishes. In addition, you have the privilege of paying sales tax and the expected 15% gratuity, not to mention the gas to get there and parking or valet fees.

While an initial investment in quality equipment is a good idea, there is nothing that says you must have a Wustof knife or All-Clad cookware to prepare a great meal. Experiment with different shapes and sizes and upgrade over time (with the money you saved by eating at home). Another added benefit of cooking at home is that you can frequently get more than one meal out of a dish: one large batch of tomato sauce can be served with meatballs over pasta one night and used to top homemade pizza another night; pot roast leftovers make hearty “debris” po’boys; and, extra rice becomes rice pudding for dessert.

One of the best examples of an overpriced menu item is the quesadilla. Have you ever wondered why every bar features one on their menus? Because they are incredibly profitable! A simple chicken and cheese quesadilla at Chili’s Restaurant costs upwards of $9.59, when a few low-cost ingredients and a hot pan are all you need to make this fast tasty dish for less than $1.50 per serving:

• 4 medium-size flour tortillas
• 2 cups Monterrey Jack, sharp cheddar or cheddar jack cheese, grated
• 1 cup  meat of choice, cooked and chopped (use leftovers for additional savings)
• Sour cream and/or Salsa for garnish
• Cooking Spray

Spray a large skillet with cooking spray and warm on medium heat. Lay one tortilla flat and place ¼ cup of chicken on one half of the tortilla, sprinkle ½ cup cheese over the chicken and fold to close the quesadilla. When pan side is lightly brown and the cheese is melted, flip the quesadilla over and continue heating until browned lightly and crisp on the second side. Remove from pan and serve immediately with sour cream and/or salsa.



Atmosphere:
Even the most elite and exclusive restaurants can be quite loud. And, while a dimly lit dining room can be romantic, the lights are regularly lowered to control noise. And, at times it seems that wait staffers are trained to arrive at your table at the most intimate of moments. In your own home, you set the mood. You can select the background music, the lighting, the table setting, the food and wine. You can speak freely without being overheard or interrupted, manage cantankerous kids, and linger over a glass of wine without pressure to vacate your table. You also gain useful life skills by learning and improving your cooking prowess. Even cleaning up can be rewarding by providing an opportunity for camaraderie and teamwork.

Technique of the Week: Rubbing

The technique of rubbing meat almost always involves the dry heat method of cooking where almost no water based liquid is used in cooking. The most popular cooking method for food prepared using a spice rub is grilling although baking and pan roasting are other dry-heat methods.

A spice rub is any mixture of ground spices that is made for the purpose of coating raw food before cooking. The food can be marinated in the spice rub for some time for the flavors to incorporate into the food or it can be cooked immediately after it is coated. The spices are usually coarsely ground. In addition to spices, salt and sugar may be added to the rub, the salt for flavor and the sugar for caramelization. The simplest rub is just coarsely ground black pepper rubbed on beef most widely known as “steak au poivre.”

In some cultures, spice rubs are highly personal and sometimes a very secret recipe. Grill masters in the southern United States jealously guard their recipe secrets and they will usually have a secret ingredient that they will not reveal to anyone. In some cultures, the recipe for making a spice rub and how to cook with it are passed from mother to daughter and every family will have a slightly different recipe.

There are many varieties of commercial rubs available at grocery and gourmet stores with some brands enjoying a loyal following. However, we have found that many of these versions start with a base of salt which is inexpensive and adds bulk, but not flavor.  

It is easy to build your own special blend comprised of your favorite herbs and spices. In order to make a successful rub, you need to balance flavors. Brown sugar works well with pork as does sage, mustard, and pepper. A milder blend with coriander or thyme is better suited to chicken. Beef and lamb can take stronger-flavored spices such as cumin, chili pepper or even allspice. Paprika is a wonderful spice to start with as it matches well with all types of meat. The following rub mixture is a good all-around mix for any type of meat or even vegetables.

Universal Spice Rub

• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon fennel seed, cracked
• 2 teaspoons paprika
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• ½ teaspoon cumin
• ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes or cayenne

Using a coffee or spice mill or a mortar and pestle, crush fennel seeds to release their flavor. Combine all ingredients in a jar and mix together (shaking works well.)

Pat meat dry before sprinkling liberally with rub mixture. This recipe should fully coat 1 ½ - 2 pounds of meat. For the best results with a spice rub, sprinkle the mixture over the food and then gently massage in the seasonings to make sure they adhere.

Although rubs can be applied right before cooking, we have discovered that a little more time allows the flavor of the spices to penetrate more deeply into the food. Cover and refrigerate rubbed meat for at least 2 hours (or overnight for larger cuts of meat to impart a spicier, more intense flavor). Discard any rub that has come in contact with raw food. You can store unused rub in the mixing jar at room temperature for several weeks (if it lasts that long.)

Tabooless Oysters with Mignonette Sauce

The word oyster is used as a common name for a number of distinct groups of bivalve mollusks which live in marine or brackish habitats. Briny, buttery, sweet, metallic, with notes of cucumber or seaweed; an oyster is nothing if not a pure recollection of the water from which it comes. Freshly shucked and eaten straight from its shell, no other food is so true to its origin which is probably why oysters are one of Dom’s and my favorite indulgences. Served on the half shell over ice with a drop of Tabasco or a dribble Mignonette sauce, fewer dishes are simpler or more satiating.

For centuries, oysters have been considered an aphrodisiac. Researchers have found that there may be some truth to this notion. Oysters are rich in all 9 amino acids that trigger increased levels of sex hormones and that their high zinc content aids in the production of testosterone. Oysters are also an excellent source of protein, zinc, iron, calcium, selenium as well as Vitamin A, Vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids. Oysters are low in calories and are considered to be most nutritious when eaten raw.

It was once assumed that oysters were only safe to eat in months whose names contained the letter ‘r’ because oysters were much more likely to spoil in May, June, July, and August. The ‘R’ rule goes all the way back to the 1700s (or earlier) when reliable refrigeration was not available. This is no longer an issue considering advances in coolants and shipping. 

However, shellfish consumption in summer months can still be problematic. Because oysters are filter feeders they are affected by blooms of algae (known as red tides) that collect along coastlines, usually in warm weather. This alga spreads toxins that are soaked up by oysters, clams and mussels.

Oysters continue to top the list of foods high in risk for Listeria contamination for pregnant women, children and the elderly, yet there is a far greater risk of exposure of this bacterial infection from eating raw fruits and vegetables, soft serve ice cream and sliced deli meats.

Lastly, most shellfish spawn in the summer. As any oyster aficionado knows, a fertile oyster turns unpleasantly thin, milky and soft which is far from ideal for eating. While oysters can be genetically modified so they do not spawn, many vendors simply avoid this problem by importing their shellfish from cooler climates.

However, most oysters sold in restaurants and markets are commercially harvested and are subject to regulations intended to prevent such threats. Oysters which are commercially harvested are no more likely to be toxic in summer months than any other month.

• ¼ cup red wine vinegar
• 1 tablespoon shallots or sweet onions, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon white or black pepper (or more to taste)
• Salt to taste

Mix all ingredients together in a small serving bowl. That’s it. The sauce does improve if you let the shallots macerate in the vinegar for a bit before using. Hard to believe there is such a fancy name for something so easy to make, eh? The French term "mignonette" originally referred to a bouquet garni of peppercorns, cloves, and spices used to flavor dishes, but now it simply means cracked pepper. Though different mignonette sauces use different types of vinegar, all contain pepper.