Hey Big Tuna

For the first time in a few weeks we had fish that wasn't salmon and let me tell you - it was exciting! I made my weekly pilgrimage to the Strip District last Saturday and stopped at all of the regular places - Penn Mac, Stan’s, Stamooli's, Reyna Foods and Restaurant Depot. I didn't really get anything exciting because I was pressed for time but I did split a 10lb. case of ahi-grade tuna with my aunt. This tuna was the main player tonight for dinner and it didn't disappoint.

The preparation was simple and we paired the fish with a tasty salad (dressed with red wine vinaigrette with some herbs and lemon). Here's how the fish was done:

• For the marinade - mix lime juice, lime zest, finely chopped garlic, adobo chili powder, cilantro and some canola oil. Whisk those ingredients to combine and allow the tuna to rest in the mixture for at least an hour.
• To cook the fish - heat a fry pan (NOT NON-STICK) with canola oil until just before it begins to smoke.
• Gently place the tuna steaks on the oil and allow a crust to form (just a couple of minutes). Flip the fish to develop the crust on the other side. Let rest for a few minutes before slicing.

This is really an easy fish to cook as long as you follow a few simple rules:

• DO NOT USE A NON-STICK PAN! The reason is because you will not be able to properly create a crust on the fish.
• Make sure your pan is hot before you place the fish on the heat.
• When you are searing the fish, do not move it around in the pan. Again, the nice crust that you're going for won't develop and the fish might break apart.

Now that we have two healthy fish options in the freezer, I look forward to messing around with some new and exciting flavors. I think we're in for some really good surprises in the next few weeks!

Sunday Fun-Day: Red Chicken Chili

Sunday, for me, is the one day every week that I usually try to get organized, both around the house and in the kitchen. I generally will use the lazy day to prepare at least a few things for use during the week; I’ll almost always make a stock (either vegetable or chicken) and some other dish appropriate for lunches at the office. I had every intention of having a Sunday Fun-Day yesterday, but I was short on time and resources so I was only able to make a pot of Red Chicken Chili.

I don’t know if this truly is an original ‘recipe’, as most chicken chili I’ve had or seen are made without tomatoes, but I will take credit for this particular concoction. One unique component of this dish is a chili powder that I make from a mix of random dried chilies that I picked up at Rayna Foods, a Mexican market on Penn Avenue in the Strip District. Otherwise, it’s a pretty standard chili; here’s how it was done:

• Sautee hunks of chicken in a hot pot with garlic, salt, pepper, and Chile powder. When the chicken is browned, toss in a bit of bittersweet chocolate; remove chicken from pot when chocolate has melted throughout chicken.
• In same pot, sauté onion, garlic and bell pepper (green, red and yellow), add more salt, pepper, and ground toasted cumin seeds (layering flavors usually makes great chili).
• After the onion and peppers are soft, add chicken back to pot. Add a little cinnamon and one small can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce that have been rinsed with seeds removed.
• Add canned chopped peeled tomatoes and enough juice to braise the chicken in the pot
• Cook on medium to medium-low until the chili reaches the desired consistency.
• Add beans to chili while it is still piping hot (I used canned but I prefer dried & soaked)
  
• Always remember to taste and season before serving.
• Top with whatever floats your boat. We used some guacamole that I made earlier in the day but sour cream, cilantro and cheese would be great as well.
  

This is the second time I’ve made this chili; Carey and I both think it’s a tasty alternative to ground or cubed beef. One of my goals is to experiment with different chili recipes and ratios in the upcoming months; every good cook should have a blue-ribbon chili recipe in his or her back pocket! More to come on this in the future.

Kitchen Essentials: Spontaneity

I was fortunate tonight; Carey threw together an exceptional pasta because I was upstairs working a bit later than I hoped. If I knew exactly how she made it I would certainly write about it. Unfortunately for all of us, it was eaten as quickly as it was made without any discussion on its assembly. I know this: it was a quick toss of garlic, crushed red pepper, broccoli, cherry tomatoes, EV olive oil and maybe a splash of balsamic vinegar over tortellini (Carey, please comment if I missed something). Simple - yes, but I think that the best meals are often the result of fast and unplanned execution. Carey, like so many home cooks, tends to over-think and over-prepare her meals and, like an athlete, she can psych herself out of just going for it. Our most tasty meals are usually spontaneous amalgamations of random on-hand ingredients. This is why I don't generally discuss measurements in what I make, nor do I pay attention to them in recipes that I read.

For me, a successful dish is usually the result of combining ingredients that play well with others. Think about it: tomato and basil; pork and rosemary; garlic and... well... anything! If a recipe calls for a particular ingredient and you happen to really like the flavor... use as much of it as you like! Our lives are governed by rules and regulations; allow your time in the kitchen to be free from the confines of law and order. If you need such governance to guide your hand, I suggest you take up baking.

Believe me, I'm not bashing cookbooks; I read them... in fact, Carey just bought me a Vietnamese cook book from the bargain bin last Sunday and I can't wait to crack the spine. I find inspiration in them and I'm completely amazed by the talent of the chefs who can create original dishes (and then take the time to write down precisely what they did). Do yourself, and those for whom you cook, a favor and try to just go for it. You might be surprised at how good of a cook you really are.

"The essence of pleasure is spontaneity" -Germaine Greer

(P.S. I jumped on the scale this morning and I'm down 2 lbs. this week without feeling hungry - booya)

Pho Shizzle my Nizzle

Today marks the official end of the first week of our new regiment; we are tracking our weight change every Monday morning, but today I skipped stepping on the scale because I was running late for work. I think I may have lost a pound or so but I have noticed a dramatic improvement on the way I feel, particularly in my elevated energy levels. There may have been a day or two this week that I didn't have any coffee and to be honest, I didn't miss it. I suppose it's now time to be a little more pro-active and finally commit to a gym membership. I'll report on that later this week.

I have been thinking about what to write regarding food... although we did have some interesting meals this weekend (I experimented with curry for the first time) I thought I'd open the dialogue about how we could all play a part in reducing overall food waste. I could bore you with the statistics on how much food the US throws away every year, but I think it's more poignant to think about what each of us can do every day on a household basis.

Personally, I try to use every bit of every vegetable or protein in some form or another. The last meal that I blogged about was the roast chicken and brussels sprouts. The bird was pretty large so Carey and I only ate a little more than 1/2 of the breast. The remaining white meat was sliced thinly and used on a salad with roasted beets, braised beet greens, romaine, and a lime-cilantro vinaigrette (if only I had some goat cheese!). The dark meat was pulled from the bone and used in a curry chicken salad with almonds which will be great in lettuce wraps. The best part, for me, is what was done with the carcass, neck and wings (more on this in just a minute).

If you were to look in my freezer, you will find a huge case of Salmon which I've talked about already, some frozen herbs from our garden last summer, a few miscellaneous goodies, and most importantly a container of vegetable scraps that I collect nearly every night. I'm talking about fennel tops, kale stems, onion and carrot peels, garlic skins, etc. You name it, I save it (probably my depression-era grandparents' influence). I'm the same way with inedible chicken bits; I keep the necks, spines, wing tips and bones in a bag in the freezer and when I have enough scraps... it's time to make a stock (I do the same thing with seafood scraps - shrimp shells and fish heads, tails and fins are great to make a base for cioppino or chowder). Because we always buy chicken whole, I can usually save enough chicken bits to have a good base every week. I use the stock nearly every day in cooking. If your 'recipe' calls for water - use the stock and I promise you that your rices, potatoes and pastas will be taken to another level.

One of my personal hobbies is to attempt to replicate things I eat (and love) without a recipe by memory; one of these things is the Pho at Tram's Kitchen in Lawrenceville. Tram's is a little hole-in-the-wall with what I consider to have the best Asian food in Pittsburgh. Don't get me wrong - I love Nicky's Thai Kitchen on the North Side, but Tram's delivers on the flavors that I would expect to taste on the streets of Hanoi. This brings me to tonight's dinner - Shrimp and Shiitake Mushroom Pho.

I used the chicken stock as a base and just winged it... it was good, but certainly not close to Tram's masterpiece. Here's how I did it:

• Heat stock in pot with shrimp shells
• Add stems of basil
• Add Chinese five-spice, Asian chili paste, a little rice vinegar and soy sauce, cook to infuse shrimp flavor then strain and place back on heat.
  
• Boil rice noodles in water (separate pot) until tender, rinse and and put in the bottom of serving bowls
• Add reconstituted shiitake mushrooms (and the mushroom water), shrimp, sliced scallion and a bit of cilantro to strained broth, leave on heat until the shrimp are just cooked; it should only take a few minutes
  
• Serve over rice noodles
• Top with thai basil, bean sprouts and a wedge of lime

Because everything smelled so good and I was freaking starving, I didn't take the time to set up the bowl for the picture so you really can't see the huge chunks of mushroom and shrimp. Take it from me, though, it was a really hearty, earthy and FAST dinner that anyone could make... just be sure to have that stock ready and finish your plate!

“It cannot be denied that an improved system of practical domestic cookery, and a better knowledge of its first principles, are still much needed in this country; where, from ignorance, or from mismanagement in their preparation, the daily waste of excellent provisions almost exceeds belief.” -Eliza Acton (1845)

Stop Hating on Brussels!

I don't know about you, but I (used to) hate brussels sprouts; to me they were bitter, unpleasant mini cabbages just waiting to be rejected. That was my point of view until I realized the glory of roasted veg. Tonight's meal was very comforting; perfect to kick off the weekend. I had a whole chicken in the freezer for a long time (of course steroid and hormone free) that I thought would go quite well with some sort of roasted vegetable or potato. I thawed the chicken knowing that it had to be cooked tonight and I had some brussels that I thought would pair well with the bird.

Dinner started with the chicken; prepared simply but deliciously with kosher salt, ground black pepper, lemon zest, garlic and crushed red pepper flake. This is pretty much my go-to flavor profile so it is a bit of a cheat but always a crowd pleaser. I whisked the aforementioned ingredients with some EV olive oil and a bit of Dijon mustard then spread it across the chicken under its skin and let it rest for about an hour before putting it in the oven. The experts say you should season the outside of the chicken with salt and pepper so I did that as well (both on the outside of the chicken skin and inside of the carcass).

Because I work A LOT, i generally don't have the free time to cook entire birds in their natural form. This isn't that big of a deal - I've found that by cutting the spine out of the bird I can open the carcass and spread it over onion, carrot and celery, giving it more flavor and reducing the cook time. Don't forget: that spine isn't trash; it's an important ingredient in your next stock so throw it in the freezer with the tips of the wings and any veg scraps.

I put the bird in the oven at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, then threw the brussels sprouts in the same roasting pan as the bird for the last 25. The preparation for the sprouts was simple, but as far as I'm concerned it's the only way to eat them. With these bitter little guys you want to use a pairing knife to cut off the brown bottom stems then cut them in half length-wise. Throw all of those soldiers into a bowl of cold water to clean them, strain the water, then toss them in EV olive oil, kosher salt, ground pepper and balsamic vinegar (balsamic is the star of the show). When you roast them, the sugars in the balsamic enter front and center and really highlight the deliciousness of this otherwise jerk of a veg. Carey used to hate brussels sprouts and now she looks forward to eating them. Like I said, it's a crowd pleaser.

Tonight's dinner is one we've had dozens of times - it's simple, healthy and delicious. This is probably the best meal so far to highlight one of my key cooking theories: you cannot change flavors, only influence them to play well together.

Salmon: It's What's for Dinner

I mentioned before that Carey and I are making an effort to increase our intake of omega 3s, and there probably isn't a better way to do just that than by eating salmon regularly. Tonight we were in a bit of a hurry so I did a simple baked fillet with a healthy slaw dressed in a dijon dressing and whole grain brown and red rice with barley and rye.

The salmon we have, as you can see, is absolutely beautiful and really doesn't require a lot added flavor. I just brushed on some EV olive oil and added kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, some thinly sliced lemon and fresh flat-leaf parsley. I let it sit while I assembled the slaw and started the rice. When the rice had 10 minutes left to cook, I popped the salmon into a 450 degree oven and voila! Dinner was served.

When I was grocery shopping I picked up a head of purple cabbage knowing that I'd be assembling a slaw of some sort this week. Cabbage has tons of health benefits and of course eating it raw is best so that the nutrients aren't cooked out. The process for the slaw was as follows:

• Core one Granny Smith apple and julienne (match-sticks), toss with some lemon juice and a little honey in a large mixing bowl
• Shred one carrot, season with salt and pepper and add to bowl
• Shred one half of a head of red/purple cabbage, add to bowl
• Thinly slice a few green onions, add to bowl and toss mixture to combine

In a separate bowl, mix dressing as follows:

• Good amount of dijon mustard in mixing bowl
• Add the juice and zest of one lemon
• Add a drizzle of honey
• Add some apple cider vinegar
• Add a bit of canola or vegetable oil (extra virgin olive oil lends too much flavor to a dressing like this)
  
• Add kosher salt, fresh ground pepper, and some cayenne pepper; whisk to combine
• Toss dressing with the cabbage/apple/carrot mixture and let macerate in the fridge for 15 minutes or so. DON'T FORGET TO TASTE AND SEASON AS NECESSARY BEFORE SERVING!

We both thought that the salmon actually took a back seat to the slaw as far as flavor goes. The contrasting textures between the rice, slaw and salmon all played well off of each other and I must admit, for a 30 minute meal it was pretty good.

"One of the very nicest things about life is the way we must regularly stop whatever it is we are doing and devote our attention to eating." -Luciano Pavarotti

Kitchen Essentials: The Knife

Today’s post is going to be a little bit different than usual because I didn’t cook last night. Carey met some friends for dinner and drinks and I ended up eating leftover greens and I really don’t have much more to say about them.

So… instead of writing about food that I didn’t cook, I’m going to share some useful kitchen tidbits that I’ve learned over the years. Today’s post: the importance of a good knife. In my humble opinion, a high-quality and well maintained knife is the utmost important tool in the kitchen. There are countless brands and countries of origin, so be sure to do your research. You’ll want to buy the best cutlery that you can afford (I went with Wüsthof). I have learned from experience - you get what you pay for.

Personally I am working on a collection that started with a Wüsthof 10” CLASSIC Cook’s knife and a 7” CLASSIC Santoku. I have a paring knife, a serrated bread knife, a slicer/carver and a pair of kitchen shears from an old set that I hope to replace with Wüsthofs at some point, but for now the current collection will do.

Of all the knives in my set, the cook’s knife (also known as a chef’s knife) absolutely gets the most use. When wielded properly, the blade becomes an extension of your own hand and should replace 99.9% of the useless gadgets that they sell on late-night infomercials. All of the slicing, dicing, chopping, scoring, smashing, coring, poking, peeling and scooping can be done by this one knife – it is the ultimate multitasker and an absolute kitchen essential.

Actually owning the knife is definitely a step in the right direction, but without proper care and maintenance your investment will be about as useless as… well… a knife without a blade.

• Rule #1: NEVER NEVER NEVER wash your knife in the dishwasher. Always hand wash and dry thoroughly before putting it away.


• Rule#2: Do your best to keep your knives sharp. I use a steel (also known as a hone) each time before I use it. The steel doesn’t sharpen the knife, it simply shapes the edge (by definition, sharpening is a process that removes steel to create an edge). You will have to sharpen your knives on occasion, for that I recommend purchasing a sharpening system that precisely sets the angle of the edge you desire. I use a Lansky sharpener and it works very well. If you are not comfortable sharpening your own knives, any kitchen store or cutlery store will do it for you. They usually charge by the inch (that’s what she said).


• Rule #3: When not in use, store your knives appropriately. I have a magnetic bar (I purchased it from Ikea for about 15 bucks) that is fixed to the wall under the cabinet where I usually set up my cutting board. It frees drawer space and I don’t have to take up precious counter space with a wooden block. A block is fine if you have ample counter space but I’ve never heard anyone say that they have room to spare. If you are going to be stubborn and store your knives with the rest of the utensils in a drawer, PLEASE make sure the knife is sheathed. If not, you will ruin the blade’s edge and you’ll risk cutting yourself when you reach in there for a spoon.


• Rule #4: Invest in TWO decent cutting boards. You’ll want to have one plastic board for raw meats, it should be easily cleaned due to its smooth surface and preferably NSF approved. The other board, for vegetables, breads and such, can be plastic, teak, bamboo or whatever blows your hair back. As long as it is stable, flat and dense it should work well. Whatever you do, do not cut on glass or stone boards – it will surely lead to a dull knife. (Hint: a damp paper towel or kitchen towel under your cutting board will keep it from shifting on your counter when you’re using it)

Again, these are things that I’ve learned through experience and I am certainly not an expert. The folks at the kitchen store would definitely have a wealth of information for you when you decide to buy new cutlery. Happy cooking!

Greens and Beans with Pan Roasted Cherry Tomatoes

Last night's dinner, greens and beans, was really good. Carey loves this kind of rustic Italian fare as much as I do so meals like this are always a hit at our house.

In keeping with the focus on healthy eating, every component of the dish started in its rawest form. The broth is homemade (from a collection of veg scraps and a random chicken thigh/leg that I found when cleaning out the freezer). The beans were purchased dry in bulk from Penn Mac. For the first time I used both kale and escarole, both were picked up from last weekend's raid of Stan's Market. I finished the dish with some cherry tomatoes that I roasted in a pan with some olive oil, salt and pepper and topped it all with shaved Pecorino Romano, also from Penn Mac.

A quick run-down of how I made it:

• Sautee chopped onion in extra virgin olive oil with salt, pepper and a few bay leaves
• After onion is translucent, add garlic
• When garlic is fragrant, add a couple of glugs of dry white wine
• Allow the wine to cook for a few minutes to burn some of the alcohol flavor away and add tomato juice, cook for a few minutes
• Add hot broth and bring to a simmer
• Taste the broth mixture and season as necessary
• Add beans, cook until you feel like they are starting to become tender
• Fold kale into the broth, be careful not to break the beans up too much
• When the kale starts to become tender, add the escarole
• Cook until the beans and greens are tender but not mushy
• In a separate heated sautee pan, add olive oil
• Throw the cherry tomatoes into sautee pan and salt and pepper to taste
• Keep moving the tomatoes around in the pan until they are almost broken down
• Dish, top with the tomatoes and some good, dry cheese (Romano or Parmigiana).

"Food is our common ground, a universal experience" -James Beard

"To New Beginnings!"

To be honest this whole project is the result of my incessant Food Network watching while Carey was in Florida over NYE. I have to admit, I think that Alton Brown is a goofball but at the same time, a fountain of food information. If you are a Food Network watcher, you probably have noticed that he has shed more than a few pounds over the past several months. I did some research of my own and applied that information to his 'lifestyle plan' (NOT A DIET!!!).

Armed with my new dietary road map to wellness, I started thinking about how to pack our bodies with Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, whole grains, fruits high in antioxidants, and of course more leafy greens than you can shake a stick at. Step one was to purge our house of all of the delicious leftover holiday treats (my co-workers loved all of the cookies and cakes!) and re-stock with nutrient-rich, rather than energy-rich, delights.

Thanks to Carey's sister-in-law, I now have a membership to Restaurant Depot, which is an INCREDIBLE resource for buying in bulk. I was able to pick up a 10lb. case of fresh-frozen line caught wild salmon fillets for about $60. Sure, it's a little costly but the wild Alaskan variety is much better for regular consumption as it does not contain the elevated levels of mercury found in its Atlantic counterpart (not to mention the taste alone is worth the extra expense). Restaurant Depot also sells herbs at ridiculously low prices, allowing for great flavors without adding unnecessary fat.

The rest of the shopping list was fulfilled between The Pennsylvania Macaroni Company and Stan's Market (two of my favorite places in the Strip). For around $35 I filled a large box with greens, sweet potatoes, onions, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, etc. At Penn Mac I picked up some interesting vinegars, my favorite Novello Bono extra virgin olive oil, and (YELP!) sardines, which are extremely high in Omega-3s and great for adding flavor to pastas or for a quick meal with minimal preparation.

As you will soon learn, I don't believe in closely following recipes when cooking (baking is another story and I am admittedly terrible at it). Hopefully with some culinary creativity I'll be able to turn out some delicious, nutrient-rich meals. I have a feeling that this is going to be a challenging (yet rewarding) month in the kitchen while I develop an understanding of unfamiliar flavor profiles.

“Worthless people live only to eat and drink; people of worth eat and drink only to live.” -Socrates

Giddyup...

Julia Child once said, "The only time to eat diet food is while you're waiting for the steak to cook." Can truer words be uttered by someone more in touch with the sensory utopia brought by a perfectly prepared meal? I think not.

My affinity for all things 'unhealthy', being about 15 pounds overweight, and some minor coercion from Carey has led to the creation of this blog, Mise en Place Pittsburgh. Why the fancy-pants name? Let me explain...

Mise en Place is a French phrase that literally translates to "put in place". The phrase is generally used in professional kitchens to describe the preparation of ingredients and tools before cooking a meal. For our purposes, though, we are applying the technique of putting into place the mindset of making wiser culinary and lifestyle choices so that we may look better, feel better, and ultimately live better.

Being our first blog, I really don't expect (m)any followers, but keeping this journal will hopefully keep Carey and me true to our (dare I say it) resolution. More to come...