One Tomato, Two Tomato

If you're old enough to remember -- there used to be a saying that "real men don't eat quiche." There also is an old saying, "50 million Frenchmen can't be wrong."

I like quiche. I've always liked quiche. What could be wrong with ham and cheese and onions baked in a tart shell? So that's why I chose to show you a variation on the classic quiche -- one that might help you use some of the bounty from your garden, as the growing season for most of us in the north winds up.

We've got lots of tomatoes in our garden, mostly Romas. The recipe calls for one can of diced tomatoes, but I add parenthetically that you can use fresh tomatoes. The quantity you need depends primarily on the variety of tomato you use. Since I use the Roma variety, I need about 4, sometimes 5 to make this recipe. If you're using the Beefsteak variety you may need only one or perhaps one and a half.

You can always weigh your tomato addition after you've seeded and diced them. The recipe calls for a 14-1/2 ounce can.

And truth be told, when all is baked, this quiche tastes almost like a deep dish pizza. If I had added oregano, it probably would have tasted almost exactly like pizza.

So I know there are a lot of you reading this who've eaten cold pizza for breakfast. Well, here's a way to have your pizza and have it warmed, too.

I also like the versatility of this dish, since it can be a breakfast, brunch or lunch dish all by itself. At lunch, I might serve a salad with it. For breakfast or brunch I might serve some thick sliced Canadian bacon.

In any case, I highly recommend this recipe. I'll add my recipe for savory pie crust at the end of this week's blog, but I promise not to tell if you buy the pre-made Pillsbury pie dough in the refrigerated section near the dairy products.

Here's the video, followed by the recipe(s):

1 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 14 1/2 oz. can diced tomatoes (or use 3 to 4 fresh medium tomatoes, seeded and diced)
1 Tbsp tomato paste
2 pinches sugar
salt and pepper to taste
1 rosemary sprig
2 tsp fresh thyme leaves
2 large eggs
2 large egg yolks
3/4 cup whole milk
1/2 cup Swiss cheese, shredded
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded

Make a savory pie crust and insert into a tart pan and trim.

Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a wide large saucepan and add the onions. Cook until onion softens. Add some salt and pepper and continue to cook.

Pulse the tomatoes 4 or 5 times in a food processor. Do not process to long or they will turn pink.

Add garlic to the onions and cook until fragrant - about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and raise the heat. Add the tomato paste, sugar, salt and pepper, rosemary sprig and thyme and simmer, stirring often until the tomatoes cook down and smell fragrant. Remove any rosemary needles that may have detached from the sprig. Turn off the heat and allow the mixture to cool slightly.

Preheat the oven to 350. Beat the eggs and egg yolks in a large bowl. Brush the bottom of the pie crust with a small amount of the beaten eggs. Park bake the crust for about 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and cool slightly.

Beat the milk into the eggs. Add salt and pepper and beat well. Stir in the cheeses and the tomato sauce and mix until well combined.

Pour into the cooled crust and place back in the oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until set. Remove from the oven and allow to cool at least 15 minutes before slicing and serving.

PIE CRUST

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
1/2 cup unsalted butter (use frozen, cut into chunks)
4 to 8 Tbsp ICE WATER

Combine flour, salt and sugar and butter in a food processor,

Pulse until mixture resembles small peas. Be careful not to over-process, as this will result in a tough pastry.

Add ice water, a tablespoon at a time, adding only enough until the dough comes together.

Gather the dough into a ball, then flatten it to form a disc. Wrap in plastic and refrigerate for at least a half hour before rolling out.

Thinking Inside the Box

Yes, yes, I know. The phrase is "thinking outside the box." But this week's recipe is one I found inside the box of Pepperidge Farm Puff Pastry Shells.

And I don't recall seeing anything on the outside of the box that would have alerted me to the fact that printed on the plain cardboard side of the box were some recipe gems. This week's is a perfect example and in a few more weeks, you'll see another one I found inside the same box.

 The typical way to make mousse of any flavor takes time, patience and effort. This one is virtually effortless. But I did make a discovery that involves patience and I'll get to that in a little bit. Traditional mousses -- both sweet and savory -- involve the use of beaten egg whites and one must master the technique of folding those egg whites gently into the chocolate or the meat without deflating the egg whites.

 The mousse illustrated in this week's recipe uses whipped cream. I suppose if you wanted to take a shortcut you could buy that artificial dessert topping sold in the freezer case, but freshly whipped cream is so much tastier. And it's not that hard to do. Your electric mixer does all of the work.

But here's another hint to faster and fluffier whipped cream: chill the bowl and the beaters in the freezer.

Let's also mention that white chocolate is not really chocolate at all because it contains no chocolate liquor and has no chocolate flavor. It's a mixture of cocoa butter, milk solids, sugar, lecithin and vanilla. Despite this, it still tastes really good, don't you agree?

 Speaking of chocolate, my recipe calls for an ounce or two of bittersweet chocolate to be melted and drizzled over the mousse. I think three or four ounces would be better, as the additional volume makes a drizzling stream of dark chocolate easier to achieve.

 As for that discovery -- I covered the leftover mousse with plastic wrap and put it in the fridge, thinking that I'd get to it later to make some additional desserts for the camera crew to take home. We never got to it the day I made it. But the next day, I checked to see if the mousse was still okay and it acquired the rich and airy texture that traditional mousses (the ones made with egg whites) get when made properly.

 Make no mistake -- the original mousse in the puff pastry shell was delicious. The one left to "cure" in the fridge was, in my opinion, better. Another example of your patience being rewarded.

 Here's the video, followed by the recipe. And once again -- thanks, Pepperidge Farm!

6 Puff Pastry shells
6 oz white chocolate
1/1/2 cups heavy cream (divided use)
1 to 2 ounces of semisweet chocolate

Bake and cool the puff pastry shells according to package directions.

Melt the white chocolate with a 1/4 cup of the cream over medium low heat, stirring to incorporate and until the chocolate is completely melted. Cool for 20 minutes until reaches room temperature.

In a chilled bowl with chilled beaters, place the remaining cream and whip it until it is between soft and stiff peaks. Fold about half of the whipped cream into the cooled white chocolate mixture to temper it, then gently fold in the rest of the whipped cream.

Melt the semi sweet chocolate over medium low heat until it is completely liquified.

Spoon the mousse into the pastry shells. Drizzle the melted dark chocolate over the mousse and serve.

Kitchen Guy: Sweetness from the Sea

Kitchen Guy: Sweetness from the Sea: I've always wondered why the word(s) for scallops in French is Saint Jacques . Coquille Saint Jacques was a very popular dish in the ol...

Sweetness from the Sea

http://widget.foodieblogroll.com/?BlogID=18145 I've always wondered why the word(s) for scallops in French is Saint Jacques. Coquille Saint Jacques was a very popular dish in the old classic French restaurants, usually nicely cooked scallops in a flavorful cream sauce and often served in a scallop shell.

Somewhere along the way, however, chefs discovered that a better way to cook sea scallops was to sear them in butter until they turn a deep golden brown. Once that has been achieved on both sides, the scallop is cooked through. Take it too far, though, and you have an overcooked scallop that is rubbery and not very good eating.

Ever since I began operating my own small cooking school, I've had every student learn to make seared sea scallops. I love this dish and it can stand on its own dressed with the butter used in the pan to cook it.

So I decided to bring the lesson to my TV viewers, my blog followers, my Facebook and Twitter friends, to demonstrate the proper way to sear sea scallops and, along the way, make a very flavorful sauce accompaniment, the classic beurre blanc.

Let us begin, then with the method for making the aforementioned sauce. There are actually two approaches to beurre blanc and it depends on what you're going to serve it with. The one I make in this episode is made with a full cup of dry white wine. If I were serving something that needed a little acidic component, then I would have made it with a half cup of dry white wine and a half cup of white wine vinegar.

You'll see in the episode, through time lapse, that the wine (and wine vinegar if using) are reduced until there is, perhaps, a scant tablespoon of liquid left in the pan. This is what is called au sec in cooking school, which means "almost dry." This is when the gradual addition of butter cubes -- a stick and a half in all -- begins.

Because you are using whole butter (as opposed to clarified), while keeping the sauce warm it may "break," meaning that the fat has separated from the milk solids and water content. A vigorous whisking usually resolves this. One other technique I show my students for keeping a sauce warm is to use the double boiler method, with the water at a bare simmer. The other important aspect of this is to drape a paper towel across the top of the saucepan and then place the lid on top of that. There will inevitably be some steam vapor created and the paper towel will absorb it, so that when you remove the lid, the water droplets will not fall into your sauce and dilute it.

I like to use a non-stick pan to sear my sea scallops. It's just one measure I take to ensure that the tender flesh of the scallop does not stick to the pan, even though I'm using a fair amount (3 Tablespoons) of butter. While the first side of the scallop is cooking, you will see the edges begin to brown and it's okay to use a pair of tongs to lift the scallop slightly to check the progress of the browning. Once you see that golden brown color over most of the surface of the scallop, it's time to turn and do the same on the other side.

By the way, you can make beurre rouge using red wine (and red wine vinegar if appropriate). The quantities and method stay the same.

Here's the video, followed by the recipe for both beurre blanc and seared sea scallops:

2 shallots, finely diced
1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter, cut into 1 Tbsp pats
1/2 cup dry white wine
dash cayenne pepper
1 pound sea scallops, abductor muscle removed
3 Tbsp unsalted butter

To make the beurre blanc, melt 2 Tbsp butter in a large skillet. Add shallots, wine and cayenne. Simmer over medium heat until the liquid has almost evaporated. Add the rest of the pats of butter, one at a time and let melt before adding the next pat of butter.

Strain sauce into a small pot and keep warm. A double boiler works well.

To make the scallops, be sure the scallops are completely patted dry. Salt and pepper each side. Melt 3 Tbsp butter in a non-stick pan. When butter is completely melted and bubbling, add scallops and cook on first side until golden brown. Carefully turn each scallop and cook until the second side is golden brown.

Place about 2 Tbsp of beurre blanc on appetizer plates, Place 3 or 4 scallops on top of sauce and serve, garnished with fresh chopped parsley.

Hungry for Hungarian

This cook's gene pool has Hungarian in it and so this week I have recreated a dish from my childhood. 

When one thinks of Hungarian food, only two come to mind (we'll get to the liquid refreshment part of this week's blog soon enough): Goulash -- basically a beef stew; and Paprikash, basically a chicken stew flavored with Hungary's most well known spice, paprika.

 Capcicum annuum is the scientific name of the red bell pepper used in Hungary to make paprika and, depending on your taste, you can have it mild or spicy. The smoked variety of paprika which has come into culinary favor over the past several years is actually a Spanish creation.

 I used a whole chicken, cut up, excluding the wings and the back. I cut the breasts in half so that I had a total of eight whole pieces, bones and skin included, for my stew. I dredged the chicken parts in seasoned flour and browned them well on all sides. I'm a big believer in layering flavors and the browning of the chicken is an important layer of flavor in my playbook.

After browning, I took out the chicken and covered it with foil to keep it somewhat warm while I caramelized a traditional mirepoix (onion, carrots and celery) with the addition of some red bell pepper and a jalapeño because I could not find the spicy variety of the Hungarian chili pepper. I also added salt, pepper and paprika.

After caramelization, the chicken goes back into the pot along with some tomato paste (to help reinforce the red color you want in the sauce) along with 3 cups of chicken stock. The mixture should come to a boil, then be reduced to a simmer, covered and cook for about a half hour until the chicken is completely cooked through.

The chicken goes into the serving vessel (used something that has sides, because there is a lot of sauce). The sauce in the pot gets strained and the solids are discarded, as they have given up every last bit of flavor they had to offer. I then raised the heat to reduce the sauce and thicken it some. You can help it thicken if you'd like with a cornstarch slurry or even some Wondra.

Then pour it over the chicken and you've got one delicious Hungarian treat.

Oh yes, that liquid refreshment referred to previously actually is best after dinner. The brand is Slivovitz and it's actually a plum brandy -- something else unique to Hungary.

Here's the video, followed by the recipe:

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 chicken, cut up (about a 3 to 4 lb bird)

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup flour

4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed

2 medium red bell peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

1 large carrot, finely chopped

1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped

1 medium chili pepper (Holland, serrano, or red jalapeño, seeded and chopped)

2 Tbsp tomato paste

2 tsp paprika (sweet is preferred, but you can use hot)

1 tsp ground cumin

3 cups chicken stock

3 Tbsp parsley, finely chopped

Heat oil in a 6 quart saucepan over medium high heat. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper and dredge in flour Add chicken to pan and cook, turning once, until browned on both sides, about 15 minutes. Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

Add garlic, bell peppers, celery, carrot, onion and chili and cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 10 minutes. Add tomato paste, paprika and cumin and cook, stirring until lightly caramelized, about 2 minutes. Return chicken to pan along with chicken stock and bring to a boil Reduce heat to medium low and cook at a simmer, covered, until chicken is cooked through, about 45 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a serving platter, and pour cooking liquid through a strainer into a bowl. Discard solids. Season liquid with salt and pepper and pour over chicken. Garnish with chopped parsley.

Chicken Divan - A Classic Recreated

French technique and cuisine is de rigeur in culinary school. All of your knife cuts have French names; many cooking methods are French. And there are only two answers that are acceptable in the kitchen of a French chef: Oui, Chef; and Non, Chef! 

When it comes to technique, culinary students are never in doubt: either they embrace it or they simply endure it until they get out of school.

I've encountered similar feelings toward French cuisine when cooking for clients or heading up restaurant kitchens. And most of the objections I hear are centered on the richness of the food, particularly the sauces. They are perceived to be made from mounds of butter and buckets of cream.

I set out to disprove that a couple of months ago when I cooked Chicken in Vinegar Sauce, adapting a recipe from the famous French chef, Jacques Pepin. There wasn't a hint of butter or a drop of cream. Rather we used the piquant flavor of red wine vinegar tamed by some other ingredients to create a luxurious vegetable sauce.

And once again, this week, to those who turn up their noses at French food, I say, "Au contrere!"

Chicken Divan my way uses only a couple of tablespoons of butter and a scant quarter cup of cream. The primary ingredient in this sauce is chicken stock. I used the butter with flour to create a roux to thicken the sauce and the cream gave the sauce some body.

There is one other technique in this recipe I'd like to call to your attention and that is blanching and shocking vegetables in order to set the color. In this recipe I use broccoli with longer stems than I might use in other recipes. I cooked the florets in boiling salted water just until they were tender and then "shocked" them in ice water to stop the cooking and set the brilliant green color.

I highly recommend this for two reasons: The first I already gave you and that is that the color is important as a part of the presentation of the dish. That's because we eat with our eyes first. The second is that the vegetable is not overcooked, soggy or limp. Rather it is crisp and retains that vegetal flavor that we look for in perfectly cooked broccoli.

Here's the video, followed by the recipe:

Chicken Divan

1 medium bunch broccoli
1 14 0z can chicken broth (low sodium)
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, divided
3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/4 tsp salt
dash white pepper
1/4 cup cream
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded
1 1/2 Tbsp dry white wine
4 large chicken breast halves, boneless and skinless

Cut broccoli into long florets with stems. Boil briefly in lots of salted water just until crisp and tender. Drain, then refresh in ice water to set the color. Drain again and pat dry.

In a small saucepan, boil chicken broth until reduced by half to about 1 cup.

In a medium skillet saute chicken breasts in a 2 Tbsp butter until each side is nicely browned. Remove chicken and add remaining butter and blend with flour to make a roux. Add salt and white pepper. Add reduced chicken broth and cook, stirring until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in the cream, the Parmesan cheese and wine. Remove from heat.

Serve chicken breasts, placing broccoli on top and pour sauce over the meat and vegetables.

Italian Dessert/French Sauce - What's the diff?

When I teach dessert sauces in the Kitchen Guy Cooking School, one of the first ones that I teach is Sabayon, a very simple sauce made with egg yolks, sugar and Madeira. It comes together fairly quickly but requires a good amount of elbow grease, as you have to whisk the ingredients vigorously in order to at least double, if not triple, the volume.

We then drizzle it over fresh berries and every student to a person is amazed at what this one simple sauce can do.

The Italian version differs in that Marsala is used instead of Madeira. And to make semifreddo, (a name, by the way, that mystifies me since it means "half frozen") we add cream whipped to stiff peaks, folded into the egg mixture which is now called, "Zabaglione."

We upped the flavor profile, as well as the Italian influence, by adding crushed Amaretto cookies to the bottom of the ramekins and as a top sprinkling, so that when you unmold the dessert, you've got the crushed cookies on the way in and the way out.

While the extra steps to make semifreddo do take time, I promise you this dessert is well worth the effort. It's pretty good before you freeze it, too, but I highly recommend going through all of the motions. Watch the video and you'll see how easy it is to make. The recipe is below the video window.

Zabaglione Semifreddo

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

1/3 cup Marsala wine

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup crushed Amaretto cookies, plus whole cookies for garnish

Fill a large saucepan with about 2 inches of water; bring to a boil over medium high heat. As soon as the water boils, reduce the heat to low or medium low to maintain gentle bubbles at the edges.

Whisk together egg yolks and sugar in a medium heatproof bowl. Set the bowl over the saucepan of simmering water, making sure the bottom of the bowl does not touch the water. use an electric hand-held mixer or a whisk to beat the mixture vigorously for 30 seconds to a minute. Then drizzle in the Marsala wine as you continue to beat. After the Marsala has been incorporated, beat for 10 to 15 minutes until the mixture has at least doubled in volume and transformed into a dense foamy cream.

Remove the bowl from thereat and beat for another minute or two until the mixture has cooled slightly.

Place the heavy cream in the bowl of stand mixer and beat on high until firm peaks form. Gently fold the whipped cream into the cooled zabaglione mixture.

Lightly butter or spray six 8-ounce ramekins or custard cups. Sprinkle a tablespoon of the crushed cookies into the bottom of each. Divide the zabaglione among the ramekins and sprinkle the tops with additional cookie crumbs. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 6 hours until completely solid.

To serve, remove from the freezer and let stand for several minutes. Dip the  ramekins in hot water and run a paring knife around the edges. Unmold onto dessert plates by inverting the ramekin on the plate, holding the plate and ramekin firmly and give a firm shake until you hear the semifreddo release onto the plate.

Garnish with whole Amaretto cookies.