Makin' Bacon

Attention vegetarians - STOP READING THIS POST!!!!

Danger lies ahead. Not like many veg-heads are probably lurking on a blog with this title, but in all fairness, I have to offer a warning that today's subject matter may - well, might just cause you to question the validity of your own existance, or at the very least, induce a debilitating feeling of jealousy. And I just can't be responsible for that.

For the rest of us, we are talking, of course, about the great elixir of life - bacon.

Recently I bought Michael Ruhlman's book Charcuterie, a brilliant guide for the home cook - turned meat man. This well crafted collection of principles and techniques is a veritable encyclopedia of meat artistry. Techniques like salt curing, sausage making, confit are all in there, as well as a vital explaination of food safety concerns and how to avoid them. If you are at all interested in trying your hand at these time honored techniques, I can't reccomend this book enough. Although there are some complex and time consuming projects, there are plenty of relativly straightforward items to get you started. This was precicely the information I needed to take my meat game from foolish novice to... um, slightly less foolish novice.

Bacon caught my eye, as it doesn't require any special aging environment (still waiting for the basement to cool for the winter season). It's also still warm enough to justify standing outside for a few hours to babysit the smoker. Plus, who doesn't like bacon? There is a lot of time involved, but most of it is just waiting. It's acutally not too hard to make. Simply get a slab of pork belly, apply a cure, store in the fridge for a week, rinse and dry, smoke the cured belly (now called fresh bacon), and eat. See? Simple. The cure has some flexibility in the flavor department (maple syrup? black pepper? molasses?), but the elements of salt, curing salt, and brown sugar are essential to ensure safety and balance of flavor.

So after all this trouble, you ask, was it worth it? As my Scottish friend would say, it was the dog's bollocks!!! Rich with bacon-y goodness, it posessed a depth of flavor that is lacking in typical commercial bacon. Already, I'm thinking about my next batch once the 5 lbs I made are gone. At this rate, it might be just a couple of weeks away! I don't have to tell you, but the eating options are limitless. In the past week alone, I've used my bacon for:

- plain old bacon strips
- cobb salad
- chicken club sandwich (avocado makes this perfect)
- bacon and shrimp chowder
- and of course, the classic BLT

Let the photo essay begin!

Fresh pork belly, 5lbs - I used organic meat from a trusted supplier. Hey, if you're going through all the trouble of making your own bacon, the least you can do is start with the best possible meat.

Applying the cure. Special thanks to my daughter Elisabeth. Making homemade bacon at 2 years old... I'm so proud!

The cure is applied and rubbed in. Now the waiting starts.

7 days later... The curing is complete. Cure has been washed off and meat placed on an elevated rack to dry. A tacky, dry skin is called a pellicle, and is critical in order for the meat to absorb the smoke flavor.

Smoking in my cheap smoker. Hey - it gets the job done. I used cherry wood (happened to have on hand) and placed a pan of apple cider inside. I tried to maintain the temp at about 125. The bacon smoked for about 4 hours.

Out of the smoker. Looking good...

Ohhhhhhhhh... Aaaahhhhh. Excuse me. I just had a moment.

After baking in the oven (400 deg, about 10 minutes).

With this bacon, a BLT has never been better. Don't mess with a classic - bacon, crisp lettuce, fresh tomato, mayo, and, of course, decent bread.

Duck Sous Vide - A Cooking Experiment

Sous Vide is not exactly a new cooking technique, but it is almost completely unknown in the home kitchen. It's scientific nature, not to mention the high startup cost for equipment, has largely relegated it's use to high end restaurant kitchens. But after watching this season of Top Chef where the winner, Hung, made liberal use of this technique, I was determined to give it a try.

In sous vide cooking, the raw items (usually some sort of protein) are placed in a plastic bag which is then vacuum sealed to remove all air and create a watertight seal. The bag is then placed in a water bath, heated to some precise temperature, and left for an amount of time chosen specifically to acheive some particular effect. Sounds complicated, but check out this example and you'll see how simple it really is.

Suppose you would like to cook a steak to a perfect medium rare (135 deg F internal temperature). Using traditional cooking methods, it can be tricky to know just when to take the meat off the heat. Too soon, and the steak will still be speaking to you. Too long, and you will be enjoying(?) a nice plate of sawdust. Even if you monitor the internal temperature, there is still carryover to worry about. Now instead, if you placed the steak in a vacuum sealed bag, heated a water bath to exactly 135 degrees, and placed the steak bag inside, in about 30 minutes, the steak will reach equilibrium with the water - that is to say that the entire piece of steak will be at 135 degrees. What's more, is that if you were to leave the steak in the water bath for an additional 30 minutes, the temperature would not increase at all! Thus, you will have a perfectly uniform piece of steak, cooked perfectly to medium rare throughout. And since the steak has not been subjected to harsh heat, the protein fibers will not tighten up and expel their moisture - meaning a more tender and juicy piece of meat. This is but one basic application of sous vide.

The tricky part is to keep the water bath at precisely the desired temperature. In some advanced sous vide techniques, a difference of even 1 degree could completely change the outcome. This is largely where the expensive startup costs come from. Some companies are now making dedicated equipment to manage the water temp (like Cuisine Technology's Thermal Immersion Circulators). At over $900, they are out of reach for the average home cook, but are fantastic gadgets nonetheless.

Vacuum sealers can be another money pit. Professional quality units are in the 4-figure range. Many on various internet forums have reported good results using the Food Saver (for about $100). Although sous vide is French for "under vacuum," the term is a little misleading. Yes, the food is packed in a vacuum sealed bag. But, the cooking itself does not take place in a vacuum.

Fortunately, I don't believe that you don't need any of this equipment to give sous vide a try. We can get around the need for a sophisticad circulator by using a large stockpot full of water. Since water has a high thermal mass, once you've stabilized the temperature at your chosen set-point, it should hold pretty steady for the amount of cooking time needed. A variation of a few degrees up or down won't hurt us if we're doing some basic sous vide cookery. And zip locking freezer bags sound like a poor man's substitue for a vacuum sealer to me.

So here's what you will need:

- large stock pot (the bigger the better)
- thermometer, with range down to 100F
- zip locking freezer bags
- plastic wrap
- stove (in this case, electric is preferable to gas, but whatever)

Before we get started, there are a few things we should keep in mind.

1. The temperature of the water bath will drop a few degrees when the protein is first added, since it will be coming directly out of the refrigerator. Plan for this by starting with a slightly higher water bath temp than the desired finishing temp.
2. Since the protein will not be exposed to high heat, it will not have a tasty brown crust on the outside. This can be fixed by quickly searing the meat on high heat once the sous vide cooking process is finished. But be careful - you've invested all this time and effort to bring your protein to the perfect doneness, so don't leave it on the heat for too long and foil this effort. A little oil and 30 seconds max heat exposure should do just fine.
3. If the water temp goes up too high - add cold water to correct. Likewise, you could add hot water if you need to quickly raise the temp.
4. It's a good idea to wrap your protein tightly in plastic wrap before placing in the freezer bag. This way, when you suck the air out of the bag and seal it, the plastic wrap will prevent you from inhaling raw meat juices - yuck! It's important to get as much air out of the bag as possible. Any residual air will cause the bag to float, and will not allow the protein to be in continuous contact with the water.
5. Use freezer bags, or something thicker, otherwise the bag may not be able to stand up to the heat. Also, it's best to stay away from the bags with the sliding zippers. They may close easier, but they are also prone to leaking.
6. It's also a good idea to stir the water frequently to prevent hot or cold spots.
7. Adding aromatics to the bag will perfume the protein as it cooks. But be careful of adding liquids as it makes it difficult to seal the bag properly.
8. I have to add that using this technique can be a strange experience for the senses. There are no sounds, no smells, and you are cooking meat in a water bath that you can safely plunge your hand into. It's just an odd feeling.

Got all that? Okay, let's roll.

Duck Breast Sous Vide

1 duck breast, skin removed and reserved
3 slices orange peel, julienned (skin only, no white part)
Fresh ginger, several paper thin slices
Salt and pepper

For the sauce
2 T Grand Marnier
1 C orange juice
1 C duck or chicken stock
1 t finely grated orange zest
2 T butter

Prepare the water bath by filling stockpot and heating the water to 145F. Mount the thermometer on the inside of the stock pot, so that you can continuously monitor the water temperature. Adjust the burner power so that the water temp is stabilized (for my stove, it was on 25% power - about medium low).

Season the duck breast with salt and pepper. Place on a sheet of plastic wrap and sprinkle top and bottom with orange peel and ginger. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Place wrapped duck into a freezer bag. Suck out as much air as you possibly can and seal the bag.

Place bag in stockpot and let cook for 30 minutes, maintaining the water temp at 140F. Stir pot periodically to ensure that there are no hot spots. Also make sure that the protein is completely submerged.




While duck is cooking, score the reserved skin and bake in the oven at 375, until the fat is rendered out and the skin crisps up like bacon. Set crispy skin aside until ready to serve.

When duck is cooked, remove from bag and discard orange peel and ginger. Adding a little oil to a hot skillet, sear on high heat about 30 seconds per side to brown the outside of the meat. Remove meat from pan.

Out of the water bath and removed from the bag.

After searing and slicing. Notice the color of the meat is uniform throughout.

To make the sauce, deglaze pan with Grand Marnier and reduce till almost completely evaporated. Add orange juice and zest and reduce until it becomes thick and syrupy. Add stock and reduce by half. Remove from heat and whisk in butter.

Slice duck thinly on a bias and serve with the orange sauce and skin cracklin.

Now that's a beautiful piece of meat. Not only was the meat cooked perfectly medium (hence the pink color), but the texture was like beef tenderloin. It was the most tender piece of duck meat I have ever eaten. For this plate, I threw in some potatoes cooked in duck fat, as well as some twice-cooked green beans.

Florida Wild

Photos from last week's trip to Florida

A Blue Land Crab defends his territory (Stuart)

A Blue Heron takes flight over the Intracoastal Waterway (Pompano Beach)

Storm clouds forming in the afternoon (Central Florida)

A mango ripens in the Florida sun (Stuart)

Juvenile Sandhill Cranes (Hobe Sound)

A Green Iguana clings to the sea wall (Pompano Beach).

Fields of cattle line the highways throughout much of the state (Central Florida)

Coconut palms at Mom's house (Stuart)

A pair of White Ibises (Hobe Sound)

The ubiquitous Brown Anole (Stuart)

Common Brown Garden Snail on the move (Ft. Lauderdale)

Cross Him Off the List

I had the privelage last week of serving as a groomsman in my good friend Neal's wedding in Orlando. It's times like these that make me reflect on the relationships in my life that I hold dear. I've been blessed with some truly special friends, and I am happy to call Neal one of them. Although distance keeps us from seeing each other often, we maintain a deep and intimate (mind out of the gutter, people) friendship. Of course, he was a g-man in my wedding, so maybe he's just returning the favor... At any rate, I have to say congratulations to Neal and Jessie and many blessings on your new life together!

As a gift to the g-men, Neal gave us each a ring with Song of Solomon 6:3 (I am my beloved's and my beloved is mine) written in Hebrew. These rings were similar to Neal and Jessie's wedding bands. It was a tremendously thoughtful gift, and I proudly wear it. It was also great to meet the other g-men who are close friends with Neal. In a brief time, I can say that I developed a huge appreciation for who these guys are and would be happy to meet them again sometime.

While we were down in FL, we took the opportunity to visit with family and friends who are scattered throughout the state. The trek took us from Jacksonville, to Orlando, Melbourne, Stuart, and finally Ft. Lauderdale before heading home. I'll fill in some details in the next few days.

The happy couple makes their grand exit.

Thanks for the ring... but, no, I won't marry you Neal.

Maki Time

A funny thing happened today - my lovely wife, Hollis, decided out of the blue to face her darkest fears and give sushi a chance. Maybe being pregnant is messing with her head, but a sushiofile (is that a real word?) like myself was not about to let a chance like this slip through the cracks.

Sushi is often misunderstood, so I would like to clear a few things up before we get started here:

1. Sushi is sushi because of the vinegar seasoned rice, not because of raw fish or anything else. In fact, some sushi items contain no fish at all!
2. There are many different types (styles) of sushi: nigiri, maki, temaki, inari, chirashi, and oshi-zushi - just to name a few. Nigiri and maki are perhaps the most well known in the western world.
3. The toppings or fillings can be fish, meat, vegetables, eggs, etc. and could be raw, cooked, blanched, seared, marinated, cured, or any other such preparation.
4. Sushi chefs are supposed to season each piece with wasabi themselves, so you shouldn't have to.
5. Dipping sushi rice in soy sauce is simply not cool. Not only would the rice fall apart, but it would absorb so much soy that other flavors would be completely overwhelmed. The soy sauce should be used in moderation to season the topping only. Properly made nigiri sushi can be turned upside down to dip the topping in soy sauce without having it fall off.

Okay, I feel better now!

I've made sushi a few times now, with mixed results. Believe it or not, the hardest thing to get right is the rice. Texture and seasoning are such a critical part of the final product, yet typically receive little thought on this side of the ocean. The toppings are the easy part, provided you have a good supplier of fish that you trust and a quality Japanese market nearby. The act of forming the individual sushi pieces can also be difficult, so it's best to stick to something simple at first. For this reason, I decided to go with maki.

Now what to fill them with... Raw items were out of the question (and probably not gonna happen anyways, even with Hollis in such an altered state of mind), so I thought we'd play it safe: cooked shrimp and veggies.



Shrimp Tempura Roll with Spicy Mayo

For each roll:

3 shrimp, fried tempura style and cooled (use a wooden stick while frying to keep shrimp from curling)
A few sticks of cucumber, julienned
1T spicy mayo (I use 2 parts mayo, 1 part chile garlic sauce to make mine)
Green onions, finely sliced
Prepared sushi rice


Cucumber Roll with Chive Cream Cheese

For each roll:

A few sticks of cucumber, julienned
2T cream cheese
1T chives, finely chopped
Prepared sushi rice

Let's start with the shrimp roll. There's quite a lot going into this one, so I decided to do an inside out roll, which allows a little more room on the inside for stuff. Using wet hands, take a tennis ball sized handful of sushi rice and evenly distribute over a half sheet of toasted nori. This might take some practice, and you'll probably end up with sticky rice stubbornly sticking to your fingers. Try not to have a conniption. When that's taken care of, sprinkle the top with toasted sesame seeds, or tobiko (flying fish roe) if you can find it.

Turn nori upside down and place onto a bamboo rolling mat, protected with a sheet of plastic wrap. Put fillings inside, being careful not to overfill. Try to keep all like items close together. It will make the roll look better when you slice it.

Roll nori tightly over toppings, being sure to leave about a half inch or so of nori visible (this is key).

Using the bamboo mat, continue to roll, making sure the end overlaps a bit. Use the mat to gently squeeze the roll so that it holds together.

Repeat for the cucumber, but this time keeping the nori on the outside. This time, make sure to leave a half inch of nori exposed at the top. I know, I know - terrible job of grouping the cucumber sticks together in the roll, not to mention that the pieces are not uniformly cut. Amateur moves, what can I say?

Wet the exposed nori with your finger. Roll the maki, making sure that the top edge wraps completely around the fillings. The wet nori edge should stick to the roll as you apply light pressure with the mat. If you like, you can use the mat to shape your roll (circle, square, etc).

Here's a useful tip - make sure you use a really sharp knife and dip it in water before slicing. This helps prevent the sticky rice from sticking to the blade and ripping the roll apart as you slice. It would be a shame to mess up all your hard work at this point.

Not quite up to the standards of Japanese presentation, is it? But you would eat that... Right???

I have to admit that I didn't care for the cucumber roll. The cream cheese was a little too soft, and just didn't tast like it belonged with the rice. I patterned it after the classic English tea sandwich (which Hollis loves). It was a good idea on paper, but didn't really seem to work.

The shrimp rolls on the other hand were outstanding. I would have been quite happy paying for those at a sushi bar somewhere. Although next time I make it, I will probably throw in some avocado. Love that stuff. This roll would also work really well with some nice raw tuna. That's the beauty of homemade sushi - the opportunities for creativity are endless.

Hopefully, making your own maki provides you with a great deal of satisfaction. A trained sushi chef could probably throw this roll together (and slice and plate it) in about 30 seconds, so don't bother timing yourself if you decide to give it a go - just do it for the fun. Sushi may be intimidating, but with a little practice, it can be conquered, if not mastered.

2 Sure Signs of Spring

Crocuses blooming in the yard...

and breaking out the grill to smoke some pork shoulder.

Chilean Sea Bass - A Valentine's Treat

Due to the big snowstorm we were expecting, Hollis and I decided to stay home for V-Day this year. I decided to prepare something special for dinner, and make it an extraordinary evening nonetheless. Here was the menu I came up with:

Gruyere & Australian Jack Cheese Fondue - Baguette

Salad of Mesculin Greens - Toasted Goat Cheese Round - Dried Cranberries - Red Wine Vinaigrette

Pan Roasted Chilean Sea Bass - Bacon Powder - Meyer Lemon Beurre Blanc - Sweet Potato Puree - Parmesan Crisps

Domori Dark Chocolate - Beppe Marino Piemonte Brachetto "Bramusa"

I have to be straight with you - I have a thing for sea bass (don't be a hater, I buy MSC certified). I didn't know this until recently, "Chilean Sea Bass" is a marketing friendly name for what is really the Patagonian Toothfish. Somehow that just doesn't roll off the tongue, does it? Call it whatever you want - this fish is dang tasty. Here's the technique for the main dish, which I would highly recommend if you do sea creatures. Feel free to substitute a different fish if you like - salmon or halibut would work particularly well. But sea bass rocks.


Pan Seared Chilean Sea Bass
Serves 2


2 6oz fillets Chilean Sea Bass
1 pc bacon, cooked crispy and pulverized
Sea salt

For the Beurre Blanc:
1 small shallot, finely diced
3 T dry Vermouth
2 T white wine vinegar
Juice of 1/2 Meyer lemon
1/2 c butter

For the Sweet Potato Puree:
1 decent size sweet potato
Cinnamon, a few shakes
Nutmeg, fresh grated
1 T Brown sugar
Butter
Parmigiano Reggiano or Grana cheese

Brush fish with a little olive oil, season with salt, and sear in a hot nonstick pan. Flip over when a nice golden crust has formed (about 4-5 minutes). Continue cooking for another 5-6 minutes or so. Fish should be just barely cooked through the center (medium). Place fish on a generous reservoir of beurre blanc and sprinkle with bacon dust.

For the Beurre Blanc: Simmer shallots, vinegar, vermouth, and lemon juice over medium heat until the liquid is reduced almost to nothing. Remove pan from heat and add butter in small increments to the pan while whisking continuously, until all is added. Mixture should thicken slightly as butter is added. Make sure each addition of butter is completely incorporated before adding more.

For Sweet Potato Puree: Roast sweet potato at 400 degrees for about an hour - or do what I do and microwave it for 6 minutes. Scoop out insides and mash. Add cinnamon, nutmeg, brown sugar, and butter and stir vigorously.

For Parmesan Crisps: Pile 1 T sized mounds of grated parm every 6" on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in 400 degree oven until cheese melts and starts to bubble, about 3 minutes. Take care not to burn the cheese - this tastes really bad.

Viva Las Vegas

I landed in Vegas full of optimism and curiosity. Since passing through the airport doesn't count, this was really my first time in Sin City. I had certain expectations for LV, no doubt at least partly fueled by CSI and the Sports Guy. A friend once told me that going to Vegas is like going, well, anywhere in the world. You want to go to New York? Go to Vegas. Paris? Go to Vegas. Venice? Yup, Vegas. And to some degree this is true. But much like Space Mountain isn't really a mountain, all of these places are less than the real deal. With all the themed hotels and over-the-top design, it felt like a really big Disney, except with gambling and strippers.

The MGM Grand - a huge, sprawling mammoth of a megaplex.

Inside the Venitian - simply spectacular.

The infamous Bellagio - truly luxurious.

Caeser's Palace - fit for a King.

New York, New York - complete with skyline facade and fake Lady Liberty.

Paris, Las Vegas, of course. Ooh la la... Sacre bleu!

My trip was arranged at the last minute, so I ended up staying at the Luxor, which was decidedly not luxe. In fact, the lack of "luxness" was so stunning that "Suxor" would be a more appropriate name. It may have been nice when it was first built, but it doesn't look like it has been updated in a very long time. Because of it's pyramid shape, all the windows are on walls that are slanted inwards. Also, regular elevators just don't cut it. Each corner of the building has an "inclinator" that travels diagonally up the side of the pyramid (at 39 degrees, in case you care). This sounds kind of cool, but the novelty wears out pretty quickly - like after the first ride. All of the hotels on the strip have some sort of show that they run every night. The Luxor chose Carrot Top. Apparently this was on purpose.

Built like an ancient pyramid...

... with an interior that's also stuck in prehistoric times.

Of course there are themed hotels, shows, and casinos, but what really gets me excited about Las Vegas are the restaurants. Well known chefs from all over the country have established outposts of their famed establishments there, supplanting the old school cadre of $7.99 dinner buffets. Chefs like Nobu Matsuhisa, Thomas Keller, Bobby Flay, Joel Robuchon and countless others... there's some serious food in play here. It is with this in mind that I found myself at a place called Battista's Hole in the Wall. Zagat calls this place "an old Vegas Italian landmark," and that's about the best thing I can say about it. Honestly, I don't even know how to describe this depth of the badness to you. It was really that bad. I would rather eat at Olive Garden, no contest.

I wish I was joking.

In fact, if it wasn't for a cabbie who I convinced to wait in the parking lot while I picked up a snack from west coast sensation In and Out Burger earlier, I would have suffered through an utterly bankrupt culinary day. This was not what I had in mind for my visit to the Nevada desert. I made up my mind right then to do whatever was necessary to make certain that the next evening would not let me down.

Fresh, tasty, and cheap - you can never go wrong with that combo.

Fortuately, the next day found my situation greatly improved. I had it in mind to head to Thomas Keller's bistro Bouchon for lunch, but when we arrived, we were told that they were only open for lunch on the weekends - so much for trusting the guide books. We ended up at Delmonico Steakhouse, a branch of the New Orleans institution now owned and operated by Emeril Lagasse. The menu centers around USDA Prime aged steaks, prepared in classic steakhouse style, yet subtly infused with Cajun flavorings. A thick NY strip steak with a side of asparagus was prepared beautifully and really hit the spot. Despite my impression that Emeril's entertaining skills far outweigh his chef skills, this place was pretty good.

It's impossible to be in Vegas and not come face to face with gambling. All of the elaborate hotels serve as ornate monuments to the house advantage, so don't fool yourself. I have never really been interested in gambling - not that it's necessarily evil (which it can be at times), but I can just think of a lot of places vastly more worthy of my donations. Sitting in one of the casinos that night however, it occurred to me some of these games were very entertaining. Yes, entertainment! By playing (and, losing your money, let's assume), you could look at it as simply purchasing entertainment - much like going to the movies, or paying for parking when you go downtown for dinner. Plus, in most casinos, as long as you are playing, "refreshments" are on the house. Now that's a deal and a half. There was a 25 cent roulette table, so I decided to get $5 in chips and see what happened. I figured that 5 bucks was worth about an hour of fun.

After 10 minutes, I had doubled my money. Instinctively, I knew that I should take it and run, but I was having a good time and wanted the fun to last a little longer. So I stayed in. 15 minutes later, I was down to my last dollar. We were getting ready to leave anyways, so I put it on black (1:1 payout). And won. With 2 bucks now, I bet put one on black and another on the first column (2:1 payout). I hit both - back up to $5. Before you know it, I have $16 in chips and I decide to cash out, up $11. My first thought was that I was done - I wanted to go home and be able to say that I won some loot in Vegas. The second thought I had was that if I had put in $50 instead of $5, then...

Okay... This is where things can get dangerous. Is losing $5 a big deal? Well, not really. How about losing $50? $100? Yeah, that would hurt. I guess I have a little more understanding now about how people can get sucked in and lose big bucks. The rush of winning is addictive, and the panic of losing can drive you to make stupid decisions. I think I'll stick to the 25 cent table for the forseeable future.

Since I had had a late lunch and wasn't too hungry, I decided to go for a light dinner. In light of my winnings, I felt like celebrating with the high rollers, so I headed over to Nobu for some sushi. While I was waiting for a seat at the sushi bar, I went to the Men's room to relieve myself. At the urinal next to me, I recognized a familiar face. 'Duuuuum da da dum, da dum, da dum - U can't touch this - Break it down!'

As I spun around to wash my hands, I locked eyes with MC Hammer. Just about that time, the annoying towel dude that they have in fancy bathrooms yells out "Yo Hammer!" Gone were the baggy pants in favor of a sharp pinstripe suit. I was surprised at how stocky and built he was. I seem to have this image in my memory of a much skinnier guy. As thrilled as I was to come face to face with a childhood idol, at this particular moment, I was just glad that he was distracting the towel guy so I didn't have to tip him. I hate that. After the fact, I wondered if this encounter really happened, of if it had just been my imagination. But sure enough, MC Hammer's blog entry for Jan 08 shows that he was, in fact, in Vegas. Good times.

Finally, I made it to the sushi bar, where I met Shin Kondo, a proper sushi chef. I watched him with admiration, artfully moving his hands as he produced piece after piece of perfect nigiri sushi. Once you've been exposed to great sushi, the low tier chaff becomes wildly unsatisfying - even inedible. There was no need to worry this night. I was in the hands of a master.

A beautiful work of art - Tuna maki along the top. Nigiri sushi clockwise from top left: maguro (tuna), tai (red snapper), sake (salmon), shad, ikura (salmon roe), ebi (prawn), raw scallop, hamachi (yellowtail).

Watch the art of Nigiri Sushi preparation, performed by Nobu Las Vegas chef Shin Kondo.

See the quick snap and pop of the fingers as the tasty nuggets are formed.

In the end, I think I got a pretty good glimpse of Vegas, and as I was leaving, I couldn't help but feel a little 'dirty' just from being there. Everything is taken to the extreme. The lights, the glitz, the celebs, the mad cash flying all about, the ubiquitous presence of racy advertisements... Yup, Las Vegas delivered spot on my expectations. The thing is, I can't say that I feel all that good about it. In a way, I am disappointed that the rumors are true. I'm sad for the people who use the city's vices to self-medicate, or to try and fill a void in their souls. I guess the 'Sin City' monniker is fitting after all.

Oxygen for sale - for when you just can't make it through that all night gambling/drinking binge.

Chapel of love? Just like in the movies.

Catching Up

Chalk it up to the madness of the holidays, having a small child, some last minute travel plans, and most recently, a bout with a nasty cold, or what have you... I have been decidedly negligent in my blog owning responsibilities over the past month. So here are a few tidbits to make you say something like, "Oh, I guess he is still writing after all. Thanks for throwing me a bone."

First of all, a belated Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you! With the holiday week off, I had the chance to cook up some tasty bites. I'll put up the technique for one of my favorites, red wine braised shortribs, sometime soon.

Our humble holiday light display.

During the week between Christmas and New Years, my car sat idle in my driveway during which time a mouse decided to make a nest in my glove compartment. Simply shocking.

Last week, I was in Las Vegas for a couple of days. While it was not a pleasure trip, I managed to have some fun in my off time. What happens in Vegas... deserves it's own post. Stay tuned.

It's winter in these parts again, so you know what that means - there's meat hanging in my basement. I'm starting off with some simple cured sausages (they've been up 11 days now). It's a start, but I've got more plans for that cool, dry basement this winter.


01/06 - Freshly hung.


01/13 - After one week of drying.


Up until the past couple of days, when the cold finally rolled in for the season, my broccoli plants were still producing.

That's it for now. Keep your eye on this space for more coming soon.

Porcini - The King of Fungus

The other day I was out food shopping, when I spotted a rare item not usually found adorning grocery store shelves. I had seen the dried variety before (and cooked with them several times), but this was my first face to face encounter with fresh Porcini mushrooms. If you know me at all, then you know that this meant a challenge - one that I would have to accept.

Porcini go by many other names, but the latin name Boletus Edulis tells the story (Boletus means superior mushroom). These fungi are highly regarded in many parts of the world, most notably in Italy.

I sifted through the bin and grabbed a couple of decent looking specimens. Some looked like they were a bit past their prime, but most would be just fine if used right away. I wasn't about to let my produce-pickiness get in the way of taking some of these babies home.

Ladies and gents - the king has entered the building.


A cross-section of this one reveales that familiar porcini shape.

I prefer to take a simple approach when deciding how to prepare an ingredient like this. Really this is key when it comes to cooking - when you have a great ingredient, let it be the star of the dish. I really wanted to taste the Porcini - not overpower it with other strong flavors. I decided to keep it pretty simple, sauteeing the porcini in olive oil, adding some pasta, and topping it off with a little Parmigiano Reggiano. Simple, but perfect. I wrote up the technique for you to try at the bottom of the post.

Having used dried porcini on a number of occasions, I was really curious how the fresh ones would compare. I didn't have to wait long to find out - when the mushrooms first hit the hot oil, this incredible aroma was released. It was not the familiar earthy smell of the dried porcini, but something much more delicate and intriguing.

Oh yeah - sizzle for me baby! Hit me with that aroma!

The mushrooms were absorbing the oil and turning a nice golden color. When the pasta was ready, I tossed in the sautee and some Parmigiano. Time to taste.

Flavor wise, the fresh porcini had the same general taste as the dried ones. However, I think the earthiness tends to be a little more concentrated in dried form - I prefered the mellowness of the fresh variety. Also, the texture of the fresh was softer and meatier - also a plus. But the biggest difference I noticed was in the aroma. Each forkfull that ascended to my face brought this permeating wave of olfactory sensation, reminding me of the captivating scent of the mushroom's cousin - truffles. This aspect alone makes fresh porcini the hands down winners.

As I mentioned already, finding these in your local market may be tough. But if you dig mushrooms, searching these out is well worth the effort.


Pasta with Porcini and Parmigiano

For each person: 1/4 lb spaghettini 1/4 lb fresh porcini mushrooms, sliced thinly 1 clove of garlic, finely chopped olive oil Parmigiano Reggiano cheese salt

Generously salt pasta water and bring to a boil. Heat about 1/4c of olive oil over medium heat. When the oil is hot, add the porcini and give them a quick toss in the pan. At this time, also add the pasta to the boiling water. The pasta should take about 7-8 minutes - remember, pasta never waits for it's toppings!

Give the mushrooms a toss every couple of minutes. They should start to become slightly golden. For the last minute of the sautee, add the garlic.

When the pasta is done (al dente), drain and add to the mushroom pan. Toss to coat pasta in the oil, adding more if necessary. Grate plenty of Parmigiano on top and server right away.

Notes: You can use dried porcini if fresh aren't available. Simply reconstitute them with some hot water and let them steep for 10 minutes or so. Then use them like the fresh ones.

This works well with other mushrooms too. I would stay away from the common white button mushrooms for this dish though - the mushroominess (nice word, huh?) is just a little too strong for my taste here.

I think tagliatelle or pappardelle would have been better choices for the pasta, but I didn't have any in the house. Oh well.