Smart Kitchen

“The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook™”

Food Trucks / Summer Food Drive — No comments
20
Apr 12

Food Truck Thursdays 3

If you are looking for a linear story line with laser-like focus, this is not the blog post for you.

This Blog post will be like one of those movie pitches that is a all over the place. Do you know the kind? “It’s a movie about a guy who steals cars but helps his Granny, who was formerly a Green Beret before he became a hippy, and they live in space, in the future, where they are trying to find an ancient alien treasure protected by…, etc.”

Too many premises. Here are the premises we are dealing with for this Blog Post: Food Truck Thursday, trumping our friend Dak, who usually trumps us, checking out new treats, The Summer Food Drive 2012, dieting in advance of the Summer Food Drive, breaking said diet, A short lunch window for the trucks with 2 important meetings 40 Minutes away when aforementioned trucks would be right down the street, & a new camera phone I am still getting the hang of.

It all started our innocently enough. Reading the AZ Republic’s Wednesday food section, my interest was peaked by an article AZ Diamondbacks Taste Test Local Chefs’ Hot Dogs. The winner was The 7th Inning Stretch, made with a beer hot link from Shreiner’s Fine Sausages over on 7th, served on a Naan (Indian Flat Bread / Pita) and covered with bacon, smoked gouda and BBQ sauce. Sounded interesting but not weird yet.

Finally, to lock in the baseball theme both peanuts (really peanut butter) and Crackerjack were included as an homage to the “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” song. Sounded pretty terrible, and terribly interesting, especially if a panel of ball players and foodies awarded it first prize in a head-to-head taste challenge.

Now add in the fact that The 7th Inning Stretch was created by Short Leash Hot Dogs, who are the last truck that I was dying to try at Food Truck Thursdays (always too long a line) and you have a strong curiosity building, with the fact that the 7th Inning Stretch was only going to be offered for 7 days you had a call to action.

A potential wrinkle was that The Summer Food Drive 2012, which is a roving food road trip across this great land is in the initial planning stages (separate blog post on the Summer Food Drive shortly) but the dieting has already begun. The 7th Inning Stretch seemed like the kind of food item I’d drive to see and taste. A partial solution occurred to me, drive to the Short Leash Hot Dogs location, wherever it was, consider it a practice run and forget the diet for an hour. In fact, with a sense of urgency driven by the 7 day deadline, I recalled that the next day I had two meetings far afield which would certainly necessitate driving somewhere close to where Short Leash would be set up on Thursday, right? Are you anticipating me?

Checking the Short Leash Website I learned that they would not be out in the central metropolitan area, allowing me to play a mental subterfuge with the diet, but just down the road. They would be set up with their fabulously interesting hot dogs only a mile or two away from the Smart Kitchen chomping grounds at a time when I wouldn’t be. What to do?

Dump the mental subterfuge (and dieting for one hour) and try of course! I made sure I was early for the meetings and got done right at 12.30 PM. 49 miles away but 60 minutes from closing time. It could be done. I pointed the Smart Kitchen Mobile North and drove…responsibly. Would any 7th Inning Stretches be left?

The upside of arriving somewhat late to Food Truck Thursday was that the line in the 95 degree heat for Short Leash was only 8 -10 people deep.

It looks like a 9 Deep Line in 95 Degree Heat

The upside of showing initiative and trying to make it was that in addition to Short Leash, a new truck was making its debut: The Maine Lobster Lady.

You Can Almost Smell the Atlantic Salt Air from the Quaintly Painted Trailer

With the heat and the thoughts of the Summer Food Drive, it was starting to feel like summer when some pretty amazing seafood is available. Some of the best, in my humble opinion, is a Lobster Roll on that peculiar New England bun, half white bread / half roll.

When I saw the Maine Lobster Lady’s “Lobster Shack on Wheels” with its New Englandy decor, it felt like I heard triumphal trumpets blaring in the distance and the sound of breakers on the rocky Maine shore. That paint job is something. Before I knew it, I was murdering the diet and ordering a $17 Lobster Roll, Connecticut Style. The price was steep, and I am not a spender, but the paint job, the serendipity of a pleasant surprise and the chance to try a new type of Lobster Roll, got me. As I waited, I recalled that our friend Dak had complained that he was not able to wait in line for the reportedly amazing Lobster Rolls at the Food Truck event at the Salt River Fields. Right then, $5 came off the price in my head and became instead a $5 debit in the left column of the Trumping Dak account. I had phoned him on the way over but he had some food prep to do instead. He missed out. Thinking of my $12 Maine Lobster Roll in the desert made me pretty happy.

Hi Dak! Wish You Were Here.....Don't You! : )

The Maine Lobster Lady uses white claw meat, and leg meat, imported from Maine where her husband is a genuine Lobsterman. Some of his catch is likely in her product (he sells his load to the processor she uses for her lobster) which is succulent, sweet and fresh tasting. I asked about the distribution, guessing at air freight, but only learned it wasn’t shipped by air. After a single bite, I knew the distribution was good as was the preparation. The photo though left something to be desired. I wish I could blame the new camera phone, but I can’t. It took a nice picture of the lemon wedge I put right in front of it. Silly P Chef!

Back Up Photo Courtesy of The Maine Lobster Lady. Hi Dak!

By the time that the Lobster Roll was gone, the line had shortened at Short Leash. Luckily, the diet had included skipping breakfast so I was not unduly penalized, in terms of appetite, for my impulsive visit to Maine. I waited a few minutes to order and had a chance to appreciate Short Leash’s branding and creativity.

Nice Branding. Sit! & Stay!

All their items are named after known dogs belonging to customers or friends. Below the Talula Dog.

I wonder if Taco Bell Will Call to Complain about Talula?

And the good branding energy comes from someplace, namely Brad & Kat Moore. By the way, Kat is aware of the irony of her name when considered in light of her profession as a Hot Dog vendor.

Kat (on left) Hamming it up...er Hot Dogging it with her Co-Worker

This post is getting a bit long in the tooth so we will just get to the good stuff. The 7th Inning Stretch Burlesque. The Plating & Presentation are very good and not your traditional hot dog experience.

The Opening Number

Showing a Little Leg

The Finale - Unwrapped - Not Pretty but pretty Tasty

The Recipe for the 7th Inning Stretch is on AZ Central’s website. I believe that the hot dog is actually steamed before being Grilled. I also heard from the horse’s mouth…the dogs mouth that the 7th Inning Stretch will not be terminated at the end of the week. Brad & Kat are going to keep it going all summer. It must be popular. If you have a chance stop in see Short Leash, the menu is constantly changing because Brad & Kat Moore do all of their prep in the wagon with what is best & available.

They also have some other surprises up their sleeves. Kat’s Jalapeno & Cheddar Corndog (actually a half-dog) is one. She experimented with Corn Meal batter until she got it just right.

A Jalapeno & Cheddar Corn Dog (with BBQ Sauce)

The crunchy but chewy texture was terrific. After the diet, I will have to get out the batter and fryer and experiment some myself.

The Texture of the Crunchy / Chewy Corn Was Amazing

So how does this practice run end, with some Smart Kitchen work and then a 3 mile run for real and not practice.

P Chef

“The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook™”

Asian / Chefs / Culinary Learning / Events / Japanese / Josh Herbert — 1 comment
05
Apr 12

The Final Performance at AJ’s Fine Foods / AZ Magazine’s Best of the Best

Typically, they save the best for last don’t they? But how could that be for a playbill that included Bryan Dooley and Matt Taylor?

Whoooops, you thought you had us there a moment didn’t you? You actually thought we might incriminate ourselves and inadvertently denigrate the first two fabulous chefs at the AJ’s Fine Foods & AZ Magazine demonstration celebrating the Best of the Best in Arizona by over-praising the finale? They are all the Best of the Best, fat chance of that.

Josh has Gluten Free Tamari for Mrs. P Chef!

Josh Herbert of Posh Restaurant was batting third and at this event, cleanup. He did a great job and kept us all entertained, especially during the heat of the day, while teaching a lot about the Japanese staple Broth: Dashi. Josh is a local boy and a product of Tarbell’s Restaurant before he moved on to San Francisco at Cafe Kati and then over to Japan with the same restaurant group to open Café California. Josh (or Joshua or JT) currently makes quasi-custom small plate meals for diners. It is a pretty intriguing concept of creating just-in-time, custom meals for each diner. The sharing and combination possibilities are interesting, especially if your spouse (like mine, Mrs. P Chef) has a long list of proscribed ingredients. Josh is holding up a bottle of Gluten-Free Tamari in honor of Mrs. P Chef’s diet in the photo.

Make your Dashi Gelatin in Bulk like the Pros!

Sorry for the digression (lament). While in Asia, Josh did not waste the opportunity. He immersed himself in Japanese culinary techniques. Josh did not waste the opportunity to immerse himself in Japanese culinary techniques while in Asia.He admirably demonstrated his education on Saturday by showing a crowd, of mostly novices, how to make a Basic Dashi and then how to convert that Dashi into a Dashi Gelatin with which to garnish a Japanese Shrimp cocktail with large Asian Poached Prawns.

Japanese Poached Shrimp with Dashi Gelatin & Bonito Flakes

Nice Dish; Bad Shot. Note to Self Move Dish for Photo.

The dish looks cosmopolitan, because it is in a Martini glass probably (pun intended), but also because it was drawn from inspiration acquired a world away across the great Pacific Sea. I know it is an ocean but could not resist the homage to bad 1880 pulp fiction.

If you have a chance, Josh will be re-creating his Japanese Shrimp Cocktail this coming Saturday, April 7^th at AJ’s Fine Food on Val Vista in Mesa, Az. I don’t know if he will be batting cleanup again so get there early and meet Bryan and Matt too (and sample their work).

P Chef

“The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook™”

Culinary Learning / Events — No comments
04
Apr 12

AJ’s Best of the Best Post 2: Matt Taylor

The second chef to work show his magic at AJ’s Fine Foods and AZ Magazine’s Best of the Best, was Matt Taylor who recently took over at Noca and was in charge of the kitchen when we visited Noca for a Blog Post last fall.

Matt is Canadian but has worked for some of the greats in the United States. He worked for Metro Brasserie, famed, serial-chef Micheal Mina in Las Vegas at the Bellagio and in New Orleans for chef John Besh at Restaurant August and the Brasserie Lüke. Matt left Louisiana but brings a bit of the Cajun cooking with him to Arizona.

We Took 4 Shots but Never Caught Matt Sitting Still

Matt prepared an authentic Spaghetti Carbonara without Heavy Cream or wine. The signature ingredients were fresh (48 hours dried) house-made pasta and Benton’s Ham Tennessee bacon from Madisonville, TN.

Benton's Ham is a Superb Ingredient on our Mail Order for Special Cooking

It was entertaining and educational to watch Matt’s enthusiastic preparation while peppering him with questions.

As you can see the results of the cooking were a refined pasta dish. What you can’t see is the taste of the delicate smoky-creamy strands.

It Looks Good but Tasted a Lot Better

The best news is that AJ’s Fine Foods and AZ Magazine will be sponsoring the Best of the Best cooking demonstration again on Saturday, April 7th, 2012 at the AJ’s Fine Foods on Val Vista in Mesa. If you can’t get over there, the recipe is included in the AZ Magazine Best of the Best April Issue out on newsstands.

P Chef

“The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook™”

BBQ / Culinary Learning / Events — No comments
03
Apr 12

AJ’s Best of Arizona 2012

We are either a food nut, or persuasive, or stupid, because this past Saturday we almost talked SK Chef, Eric O’Neill, Smart Kitchen’s President, into skipping a boating event with booze and bikinis to sit in a grocery store parking lot and watch/speak with 3 of the best Chefs in the State of Arizona. The stupid possibility comes into play for not even considering asking for an invitation to the boating event.

The good news for members of the public who are in Arizona or Arizona proximate is that the show will go on again, one more time at the AJ’s on Val Vista & Baseline in Mesa, next Saturday at 11:00 AM.

The series is being hosted by AJ’s Fine Foods and AZ Magazine to celebrate Arizona’s best and its Centennial. It was a really fun, tasty learning event. We picked up some tips, shot some photos & video, nibbled some high-end free samples and spoke with the chefs and a lot of nice foodies.

Bryan Waits to get Started

The first presenter was Bryan Dooley from Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue in Cave Creek, Az. who won The Arizona Republic’s Best Barbecue this year. We got to hear of Bryan’s amateur culinary journey barbecuing in pits with his family in the mid-west and then about his professional culinary journey from the Culinary Institute of America to fine dining jobs at the Fairmont to opening his own place: Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue.

For the audience, Bryan demonstrated making his signature rub and then how to apply it to some St. Louis Cut, Pork Spare Ribs. He did not dismount his commercial smokers in Cave Creek but showed how to do some Smoking “Low & Slow” on a Weber Grill with foil-wrapped Cherry Wood.

They look good in 45 Minutes. Imagine them at 5 hours.

While getting everything ready Bryan answered questions from the audience.

The Smoking/BBQ process would have taken 5 to 6 hours but luckily Bryan planned ahead and had some finished Ribs (and Prickly Pear Barbecue Sauce) ready for the salivating crowd right on time at 11.45. Even if the presentation had not been so enjoyable (and we’d not won a trivia prize of a smoky-smelling, in a good way, t-shirt) the rib sample was worth the wait.

And Bryan has a new book, Stories and Recipes from Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue for sale on Amazon.

The New Book Co-Written with Leslie Bay

Tomorrow, we should have Matt Taylor’s demonstration up and then after that Josh Herberts.

If you have a chance to make it next Saturday at Aj’s Fine Foods in Mesa, try to get there.

P Chef

“The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook™”

Events / Fictional Foods / Recipes / Smart Kitchen News / Soup — No comments
19
Mar 12

Hankering for The Hunger Games

As Chef’s we had to read the Hunger Games (don’t tell the kids) and were taken by some of the dishes. One that caught our eye was the Training Center Meal on Page 76 where Katniss Everdeen ate her fill of Mushroom Soup, Bitter Greens, Pea-Sized Tomatoes, Noodles in Green Sauce (we assume Pesto Sauce), Blue Grapes and thin-sliced rare Roast Beef.

With the Hunger Games movie opening on March 23^rd, we thought we’d take a stab (no pun intended) at the meal in case any fans want to make it at home to celebrate the premier of the movie.

Smart Kitchen’s Recipe of The Hunger Games Mushroom Soup can found by following the link.

Hunger Games Mushroom Soup with Bitter Greens & Roast Beef

A Rustic Version of Katniss' Training Center Meal

Smart Kitchen’s Chef Eric O’Neill, took the concept one better than the description on the pages and made this Hunger Games Recipe feel more in the spirit of the story by placing all the main ingredients in a single soup. He uses the Noodles in Green Sauce as a Side Dish and the Blue Grapes as Dessert.

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Bloggers / Culinary Travel / Events / Food Trucks / HeyJoeTruck / Smart Kitchen News — No comments
16
Mar 12

The Balut Filipino Egg Challenge

There was a lot of Twitter ballyhoo over Balut the last few days. A mention of Balut, the Filipino fertilized egg snack, in our January Blog Post on Food Truck Thursday lead to our friend Dak and Smart Kitchen essentially being called out by @HeyJoeTruck and asked on Twitter if we were game to back up our Balut smack talk.

Well, we extol palate building and cultural sensitivity at Smart Kitchen, so in theory we had to be open-minded and sensitive and try a Filipino National Dish. Integrity demanded that we live up to our guiding principles, though to be honest, I wished we could have turned them back into the Ethics Department for a day or two.

In the end, what sold me was that you don’t get to be a sorry old chef with a lot of bad experiences and “What-Not-to-Do’s” to share (over and over and over again) by avoiding challenges. So we fired off a defiant Tweet of acceptance to HeyJoeTruck. It is easy to have ball…er Bravado over Balut safely at your own keyboard. It is also easy to freak yourself out, so to calm our nerves we launched a customized, mini-social media-campaign to try and shame some foodie colleagues and friends into sharing the pain. You also don’t get to be a sorry old chef without learning that misery loves company.

Of all the prospective pitches made, exactly ZERO (a Goose Egg ironically) achieved any traction. The universal refrain was either “No Way” or “H.E.double hockey sticks, No Way!” You kind of lose a molecule or two of respect for your foodie friends, especially the professionals, when they cut & run instead of charging forward. I mean, to use a Filipino reference, MacArthur ran but he “Returned.” I’m talking about 5 Star General of the Army MacArthur, Dak. I didn’t say anything.

Unassuming But Don't Judge an Egg by Its Cover

So how was the experience? I kind of wish I had some graphic horror story to relate (the visuals were a bit shocking) but after the pre-game panic the game itself wasn’t bad. A Hard Boiled Duck egg with coarse salt and Rice Wine Vinegar in a paper tray. They say you shouldn’t count your chickens before they hatch, but what about the ducks in Balut? If you are squeamish, avoid the next 2 images.

The Balut is a Challenge for the Eyes and Mind.

It Gets Worse Before It Gets Better

As mentioned in the video, our friend Norm was an impromptu CHAMPION, rushing forward with the best of them with humor and good cheer. I filmed Norm’s chow down to avoid “Balut–ing” up my cameras by filming and eating. THANKS NORM. Apparently, the Balut juice tastes like Fish Soup. : ) As you can see in the video, Norm’s Appetizer was also the subject of a few more cameras and IPhones.

For me, my Balut was tough on the eyes and brain but from the Palette’s perspective the rest of the Balut, had the Umami taste of a hard boiled egg, with some Fois Gras thrown in for good measure. I did not run back in line but I did not crawl away retching either.

After the challenge, we were still standing and savored the reward of great Filipino food. Hey Joe Truck’s Braised Pork Belly was well worth it.

Braised 15 Hours, This Filipino Pork Belly is Faboo!

The Pork Belly got 3 WOW’s the first round from all the carnivores at the table (the worst part of the whole Balut experience by the way was trying to poach a table) and praise on its visual appeal by the sole vegetarian. The second and third rounds, as the rich pork taste kicked around the taste buds, also evoked 3 WOWS. The Pork Belly is served with a Forbidden Rice mixture and some Julienned Vegetables. Thanks Joe & Brian. Your 15 plus hours of work were a value to at $8.50. Yesterday, you all talked some smack about sharing a recipe or two with our readers. You game to let loose with the braised pork belly recipe?

It was so Good, the Pork Belly Deserves 2 Photos

We’ll be back at the trucks until the sun & heat banishes Food Truck Thursday for the Summer and though we want to try those hot dogs and sausages everyone lines up for, we may not be able to get past the hankering for 15 hour braised pork belly.

Hopefully we will see you there and Whole Foods & The Trucks will scare up some more tables and chairs.

P Chef

“The Smartest Way to Learn to Cook™”

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Ingredients / Lamb / Recipes — No comments
14
Mar 12

Sweet & Lucky Lager Lamb Stew

This year, go wild and create a new twist on your favorite St. Patrick’s Day stew! Try our Sweet & Lucky Lager Lamb Stew!

Sweet & Lucky Lager Lamb Stew

Ingredients
2 L of Leg of Lamb Meat, (Tempered, Cubed )
2 T of All Purpose Flour
5 T of Canola Oil
2 C of Portobello Mushroom Caps, (Gills Removed, Medium Diced)
1 ½ C of Red Onion, (Medium Diced)
1 C of Celery, (Medium Diced)
1 C of Celery Root, (Medium Diced)
1 C of Turnip, (Medium Diced)
3 Garlic Cloves, (Minced)
2 (12 fluid oz) Cans or Bottles of Good Irish Lager Beer (Like Harp)
1-2 Cans or Bottles of Good Irish Lager Beer (optional)
2 cups of Beef Stock
1 cup of Water
1 cup of Sweet Potatoes, (Peeled and Medium Diced)
1 T of Malt Vinegar
1 T of Fresh Thyme, Chopped
1 T of Fresh Rosemary, Chopped
Fresh Parsley for Garnish
Salt and Cracked Black Pepper to Taste

Tools
Cutting Board
Chefs Knife
Peeler
Large Mixing Spoon
Large Mixing Bowl
Measuring Cup
Measuring Spoons
Serves 4-6

Method

Top o’ the Mornin (or Evenin’) to Ya! & Happy St. Patrick’s Day. To begin this New World twist on Irish Stew, your ingredients should all be prepped for a proper Mise En Place, (which I don’t think we have a word for in Gaelic).

Once prepped, the first step is to Season your Tempered and Carré (Large Diced) Leg of Lamb meat in a large Mixing Bowl with Salt & Pepper. Add the All Purpose Flour to the Mixing Bowl with the Lamb and Toss the ingredients until they are fully incorporated. When the Lamb is well dusted and seasoned, set it aside for a minute or two while we focus on heating the stew pot.

Place a large Sauce Pan or Stock Pot on the stove top. If you have the option, select a pot or pan made from a traditional material and avoid a non-stick for this recipe where we do want the Fond to stick and add flavor. Give it a few minutes on Medium/High Heat before pouring in the Canola Oil. Let the Canola Oil heat up, until it is approaching its Smoke Point, which will be a Visual Clue that the Pan is ready to receive the Lamb cubes. With the stew pot at heat, add in the Lamb and Brown the cubes. Use a Mixing Spoon or Spatula to circulate the cubes. As we discuss in Smart Kitchen’s Exercise on Searing, the goal of some cooking can be simply Par-Cooking to impart texture and flavor. That is the goal with the Lamb and the next few batches of ingredients here.

While the Lamb is Browning, either clean your large Mixing Bowl that was previously holding Raw Lamb to avoid Cross-Contamination, or prepare another Mixing Bowl to hold the browned Lamb when it comes out of the stew pot. When the meat is Browned remove it from the stew pot with the Mixing Spoon, a Spatula or Tongs. Place the meat in the cleaned Mixing Bowl or the second Mixing Bowl. The Mixing Spoon and Spatula have the benefit of removing the Browned Lamb from the cooking vessel quickly.

With the Lamb off the heat, keep your stew pot on the burner but turn down the heat to Medium Heat. Place the De-Gilled and Parmentier (Medium Diced) Portobello Mushrooms in stew pot. The fact that the stew pot was used to Brown the Lamb is not a problem but a benefit. We are assuming that a bit of Fat, in the form of Lamb Fat and/or Canola Oil, remains in your stew pot from Browning the Lamb. If it doesn’t, it is OK to add in a bit more Fat to protect the Mushrooms. Sauté the Mushrooms until they are Al Dente. This should take about 3 minutes, or so.

Once the Mushrooms are Al Dente, remove them from the stew pot with a Mixing Spoon. Place them into the large Mixing Bowl with the Lamb meat. Next, keep the burner on Medium Heat and place the Diced vegetables (Red Onions, Carrots, Celery, Celery Root, and Turnips) into the stew pot.

Sauté the new round of vegetables, stirring occasionally with your Mixing Spoon until the Red Onions are slightly Caramelized. The slight caramelization is a Visual Clue that the quick cooking Minced Garlic can be added. Sauté the whole mixture until the next Visual Clue occurs which is the Red Onions turning golden brown. With the Red Onions golden brown, remove all of the vegetables from the stew pot and let them join the Lamb and Mushroom party in the large Mixing Bowl. Set all of your par-cooked ingredients aside for a minute while you focus all of your attention on the next step: Deglazing.

For the Deglazing, keep the stew pot in place on the burner and bring the heat up to High Heat. By now, the stew pot has garnered an amazing collection of Fond which we will want to take advantage of in our Sweet & Lucky Lager Lamb Stew. Pour in the Irish Lager and the Malt Vinegar and Deglaze the stew pot. Don’t worry if you have a lingering thirst for the sweet fermented dew of the Emerald Isle; that is what the optional can/bottle of beer is for. We address the thirst just below.

When the stew pot is Deglazed, we are ready to begin making our Irish Stew. Pour in the Beef Stock and Water and bring the liquid to a Boil. When the mixture is boiling, add in the Par-Cooked contents held in the large Mixing Bowl.

Next, add in the Diced Sweet Potatoes and the Minced Rosemary and Thyme. These ingredients were not Par-Cooked or Browned intentionally. Without Browning, the Sweet Potatoes will remain a festive golden color in the stew which is reminiscent of both, the famous Irish tuber, the Potato, and the legendary Leprechaun gold in the pot at the end of the rainbow. The Sweet Potatoes also don’t need to be Browned because they will Stew long enough to cook them. The herbs are not Browned because we want their Volatile Oils to leech into the Stewing Liquid and infuse the ingredients as they Stew.

With all the ingredients in the stew pot, bring the heat down to Low Heat to establish a light Simmer. Stir the Sweet & Lucky Lager Irish Lamb Stew periodically as it bubbles for 45 minutes, or until all of the ingredients are Fork Tender. While the ingredients cook, Chop your Parsley (or pick the sprigs) and clean and put away your knives.

With the harder and potentially more dangerous (heat & knives) work done, there is an extended period of quiet Simmering, in which to enjoy the optional Irish Lager which tends to be sold in packs of 6. With two of the bottles bubbling away, if you are of age and do tipple, now might be a good time to sample one (or 2) of the remaining 4 exported adult beverages. Mind the heat, stir (and smell) occasionally until the stewing ingredients are Fork Tender.

When it is ready, you can serve the Irish Stew immediately or Hold the Irish Stew hot on Low Heat for an hour or two until your guests have gathered. When ready to eat spoon out portions into Serving Bowls and Garnish with the previously Chopped Parsley or the previously picked Parsley Sprigs. Serve Hot.

Irish Stew does well as Leftovers and can be refrigerated and stored for 3 to 5 days.

Go Green and have a great holiday.

Dairy / Dessert / SK Chef / Smart Kitchen News — No comments
25
Feb 12

Has The Bacon-in-Everything Movement “Jumped the Shark.”

This is probably the end, right?

OK, if you know me at all you may not buy this, but for everyone else, this blog post is really a Public Service Announcement (PSA). Really. I derived no specific personal pleasure or glee from the activities described herein. That being said, we are food-blogging and cooking professionals and advise that you don’t try the following at home.
I read (maybe it was a late night TV Commercial) that Jack in the Box, the almost national burger chain with breakfast all day, was marketing a bacon shake as part of their loving bacon (Why don’t You Marry It!) marketing campaign. We could not believe anyone would be so horrid & so depraved and were compelled by dark caloric forces to explore the rumor, if for no other reason than to spare our readers a similar fate. Of course it is only a coincidence that SK Chef was out of town and unable to veto this blog post. : )

Before you say it, I strongly resent that anyone would accuse us (me) of wanting to taste such a concoction. I may drive all over the place in search of ridiculous dishes but in this instance, I am acting as a caring blogger concerned for my audience’s welfare. Really!

OK, let’s leave it at this, just because I am willing to sacrifice myself (and my unknowing friends) so that the general public doesn’t have to drink deeply from this strange taste combination that Jack is pushing from his box, doesn’t mean I am experiencing any pleasure from the act. To me, it is just culinary civic mindedness to save you, the reader, from being sucked into the dying act of an unhealthy culinary trend. That is my story and I’m sticking to it but we can agree to disagree so that I can get back to the story.

So to begin the sampling, we slipped out of our Chef’s Coat, donned a disguise, spurned the drive-thru and since the SmartKitchen-Mobile carries distinctive “Smart Kitchen” signage, parked far across the parking lot . Unobserved, we executed a circuitous, calorie-consuming infiltration of the fast food den. We got our shake “to go,” inserted it into a brown paper bag and reversed our path to exfiltrate the house of fried calories.

Wisely, we had thought ahead and Organized, the 1st of Smart Kitchen’s 4 Levers of Cooking,™ our live sampling to account for the staggering number of calories and fat grams per ounce in something that is both a fast food milkshake and a bacon. We got a bit Tom Sawyer and disguised the rationale for the small focus group as a mid-afternoon “Gift” to our friends at the local coffee shop.

In return for the gift, we orchestrated a 3/4 reduction in the 773 calories (before Whip Cream & Cherry) of the Bacon Shake. Even with some protein (12 g) and a healthy dose of Sodium (319 mg), Nutrition is Not the Strong Suit of a 40 Fat Gram Bacon Milk Shake (only 28 g are saturated fat).

12 Grams of Protein and Loads of Sodium, Not Bad! (Not!)

In addition to calorie reduction, we also sourced “data points” on the shake as we now had 4 people who all complained, self righteously, about the decadence and depravity of such a shake, before tucking into a 1/4 sized portion.

A Healthy (er) Portion Cup of Bacon Milk Shake

The results were shameful. I should have known it, even with my good intentions, when entering upon such a caloric enterprise. It pains me to discuss it, so I won’t; all I will say is that we were all properly indignant and in the end we did our duty. Within 2-3 minutes there wasn’t a drop of bacon flavored potion in any of the 4 sampling cups. Rest assured, none can fall into untrained hands.

Now, as I type off the 193.25 calories, my mind turns to how to make the shake healthier….for others. Ingredients like hormone-free Heavy Cream, organic vanilla ice cream, and lean Nueske‘s Applewood Smoked Bacon or even Benton’s no-preservatives, traditional cured and smoked bacon comes to mind. And I am just getting started. Can a Cinnamon Beurre Blanc Milkshake be far away? Oops, did I write that? mmm…….I mean hmmmmmm…..

P Chef