Kim's Culinary Diary

TV Alert!

2011-03-30T17:18:00.000-04:00

Tonight is the finale of Top Chef All-Stars on Bravo (10 P.M., EST).

This All-Stars season (#8, if you're keeping track) has been one of my favorites. Top Chef won the 2010 Emmy Award for Best Reality program and its recipe for success continues to challenge the "cheftestants" and entertain the TV audience.

The current season began with eighteen former competitors who all came close to winning the title of Top Chef. The last two competitors standing are D.C. based chef Mike Isabella and whiz-kid Richard Blais from Atlanta, GA. They'll go head-to-head tonight after a season of fierce challenges, including fishing and diving for their main course, cooking for Muppets(!), and making stuffing without the use of cutlery and kitchen utensils.

I have become such a fan of this show. I watch it not for the sometimes immature and ridiculous antics of the competitors (hello, it IS a reality show), but for the creativity of the chefs' dishes, the rare flashes of brilliance. I've also become a big fan of Head Judge Tom Colicchio and love seeing rotating guest judges such as Ming Tsai, Jimmy Fallon (obviously a huge fan of the show), and Anthony Bourdain, whose razor-wit always make me laugh out loud at judges' table.

Tonight's finale features one of my favorite star chefs, Art Smith, formerly Oprah's private chef. I love his Southern dishes and long to visit his restaurants, Table Fifty-Two in Chicago and Art and Soul in D.C.

Already a bit sad that the season is over, I discovered with glee that a new Top Chef Masters season is about to start on April 6 (Bravo, 10 P.M., EST). Instead of a cast of unknowns, seasoned chefs compete for the title. Previous winners include Rick Bayless and Marcus Samuelsson. Australian chef Curtis Stone (who is everywhere nowadays), Saveur magazine editor-in-chief James Oseland, and former Gourmet magazine editor-in-chief Ruth Reichl are the judges.

The list of cheftestants is here.

(Go Blais!)

Slows BBQ and the Detroit Food Scene

2011-03-23T10:02:00.000-04:00

A wonderful article about Slows BBQ in Detroit and its MC, Phil Cooley. This kind of work warms my heart.

Detroit's Renewal, Slow-Cooked

French Onion Soup

2011-03-22T15:25:00.000-04:00

This is a good, go-to recipe for

French Onion Soup.

Just a few small changes/additions...

I would add some garlic to the onions, maybe two-four minced cloves, depending on how garlicky you like your soup. Then, because this has a beef stock base, I would use red wine instead of white. It'll give the soup a much deeper, richer flavor than the white wine.

The only bread I have in the house today is whole wheat flatbread pita so I improvised some croutons.

Quick Bread

2011-03-18T14:34:00.000-04:00

I tried this recipe today:

Brown Butter Soda Bread

Reasons:
I had some rosemary in the fridge leftover from the weekend.
I wanted to give something homemade to my neighbor (for previous good deeds) and this recipe made two loaves.
I needed a bread fix.

I made yeast breads in culinary school and love them, but I tend to make quick breads (no yeast needed) at home. My cravings for homemade bread arrive fast and furious and have no patience for rising and proofing and rising again.

Finished product (wish you were here to smell this bread...to die for):

My fellow foodie friend, Cheryl, visited last weekend and left behind some Meyer lemon marmalade. Perfect for today's bread.

Mardi Gras

2011-03-08T10:15:00.000-05:00

Check out my post on annarbor.com:

Mardi Gras At Home

Chicken Stock

2011-03-02T07:16:00.013-05:00

One thing you do over and over again in culinary school is learn how to prepare stocks. Chicken, beef, veal, fish...you name it.

Stock is a flavored water preparation; it forms the basis of many dishes, particularly soups and sauces.

I wanted to make some soup last week and discovered that I didn't have any chicken stock in the house. I usually keep a few quarts of the boxed stock (low sodium version) in the pantry at all times, but we were all out. I remembered that I'd bought some chicken backs specifically for making stock so I thawed them Monday and today I took out the stockpot and started to work.

All you need to make chicken stock: a chicken carcass or necks/bones; carrots; onion; celery; parsley; bay leaf; thyme; peppercorns; water.

Put all of those ingredients into a stockpot, add eight quarts of water, bring just to boil, and then simmer for at least two hours. The longer you can let the stock simmer, the better.

Strain the stock and let it sit in the fridge overnight. The fat will rise to the top and solidify in the fridge so that you can easily remove it and use your homemade stock. That's all there is to it!


Onions, carrots, celery.

Parsley (including stems).

Backbones, bone-in breast.

Just about to boil; time to simmer.

Strained stock.

Skimming fat.

The stock will keep in the fridge for three days. I also try to freeze some as well in case I need some homemade soup ASAP.

A great source for stock recipes (among other tasty dishes) is: Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything.

Indian Cooking

2011-02-28T10:30:00.021-05:00

I've frequented Indian restaurants for years now. One of my best friends is Indian/Irish. Whenever I pop in at my neighbors' house, I hope to sample more of his mother's homemade samosas. But I haven't explored cooking Indian food at home until recently. It has seemed so intimidating. Thanks to the new Cooking Channel (my new fave thing), I've been watching some Indian cooking shows and I just picked up the cookbook by Bal Arneson, who hosts Spice Goddess.

First thing's first. A quick spice tutorial is needed.

Garam Masala - This is a frequent ingredient in Indian dishes. I bought a jar of it for my ever-growing spice rack only to discover that is actually a mixture of spices (masala literally means spice mix); the composition of which differs by region and personal taste. Some of the spices included in the mixture could be black and white peppercorns, coriander, cumin, star anise, nutmeg, cardamom. The list goes on and on.

Cha(a)t Masala - This is another spice mixture, one that has a sweet and sour taste. This masala can be made up of mango powder, pomegranate powder, cumin, and chili powder, and again, several other spices.

Star anise and whole cardamom pods, and seeds (coriander, cumin, fenugreek) are other handy spices to have when trying out some Indian recipes. Many times these whole spices are toasted and then ground to add to a recipe.

Last week, I visited two of the three Indian groceries here in town and stocked up on some Indian pantry items: chat masala; fenugreek seeds; and dried chiles.

Tonight's dinner will be Arneson's no butter Butter Chicken.

Oscar Snacks

2011-02-27T09:42:00.000-05:00

I'm ready for tonight's show, are you?

Check out my latest post on AnnArbor.com

My Snack of Choice for the Super Bowl

2011-02-07T12:00:00.001-05:00

Couldn't resist posting this photo of my loaded nachos.

Ciabatta Rolls

2011-02-05T21:16:00.008-05:00

I was going to post my adventure in the kitchen while making ciabatta rolls. Photos, tips, the whole shebang. But guess what? It was a failed experiment.

The dough didn't rise properly and it was still a sticky, elastic mess after a few hours of sitting in a warm place. I should have taken a photo to show you, but I just sighed and walked away from the blob of dough. I'd used my Kitchen Aid with the dough hook attachment for the first time. Did I not keep the dough in there long enough? Was the warm place not warm enough? So back to the ol' drawing board.

I still posted this attempt because I think it is important to talk about the experiments that did not work as well as the ones that did. The kitchen is like a little lab. Sometimes you use your tools and formulas and ingredients and you make something delicious. Other times, maybe all that happens is a poof of smoke (though not literally, let's hope!) The rule in our house has always been, "If this doesn't work out, we order pizza."

By the way, this is what a successful ciabatta roll looks like (courtesy of 'wichcraft, NY):

Colbert's Thought for Food...or Speaking of Wings

2011-02-02T19:52:00.061-05:00

"Thought for Food" is one of my favorite segments on The Colbert Report. The most recent segment rightfully pokes fun at what passes for food and what passes for food guidelines in the U.S.

All politics aside, American food habits and products are ripe for ridicule. Click on the pizza box above and check out this segment about "Wyngz".

Find some of my favorite recipes for (ahem, real) chicken wings here: Super Bowl Snacks.

Super Bowl Snacks

2011-02-02T13:29:00.001-05:00

It's only Wednesday and I'm already daydreaming about Super Bowl snacks. I've asked G for any requests and he immediately responded, "Wings!"

Most everyone you know loves chicken wings, right? I admit, I don't do wings, but that doesn't mean that I won't make them for my family. I've tried a handful of different recipes and so far the current house favorite is:

Emeril's Oven Roasted Chicken Wings

I prefer to serve roasted chicken wings. It's a healthier (and less messy) option. The recipe that would make me pull out the deep fryer though is this one:

Spicy Sriracha Chicken Wings

This recipe is from Chef Michael Symon and he does include directions for oven roasting if frying the wings isn't your thing. Sriracha is a Thai hot sauce and is widely available at grocery stores. Sriracha is a great condiment to keep on hand if you're a fan of spicy food. I use it on my eggs, on any Asian dish I make, and even on my burgers.

I have four pounds of wings in the freezer tagged for Super Bowl Sunday. I might have to split up the batch and try both of these recipes for G. I'm sure he won't mind.

Next it's time for me to decide what MY choice of snack is for Super Bowl Sunday...

Yes, Please

2011-02-01T07:33:00.006-05:00

I stopped by a local sweet shop to get some fancy chocolates for G's stocking this past Christmas. Aren't these the most beautiful chocolates ever?

If you're in the Ann Arbor area, I highly recommend stopping by Sweet Gem Confections inside Morgan & York on Packard Rd.

Grocery Monday

2011-01-31T17:09:00.000-05:00

Monday is grocery day at our house. And, yes, I do love Mondays.

I usually go to a couple of stores when I grocery shop. One store for staples such as canned goods, condiments, maybe this week's produce. Then a second stop for proteins and specialty items. Here in Ann Arbor, I'm lucky to have a myriad of choices of grocery stores. In dreary January that helps, since grocery shopping in the middle of winter doesn't deliver much excitement as, let's say, a trip to the farmer's market in June.

(Bonus points for me today...I remembered to use my own grocery bags. I didn't leave them at home and then curse at the cash register when I realized that I left them at home.

Roasted poblano peppers.

G and I have been enjoying homemade burrito bowls since we tried them at Chipotle during while on our Christmas road trip to New York. So the first stop I made when I returned home from the store was at my gas stove top. I placed two poblano peppers on a high flame and let them char on all sides (for about 5 minutes). Then I placed them in a paper bag and let them sit for about 10-15 minutes. Once I was ready to make my bowl, I peeled off the skin and then sliced the peppers into strips, discarding the stem and seeds.

Today's protein of choice was beef. In a medium saucepan, I browned:

1 1/4# ground beef

Then I added:

1/2 onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 can black beans, rinsed and drained

Then I added some seasonings:

1 T. chili powder
1/8 t. cayenne
1/3 c. water
salt and pepper, to taste

I let the beef and bean mixture sit at a medium-low heat for about 10 minutes.

In a bowl, I placed chopped Romaine lettuce, halved grape tomatoes, roasted poblano peppers, corn, cilantro, and drizzled it with extra virgin olive oil and lime juice. Then I topped everything with the beef and bean mixture and sprinkled on some chopped green onions.

If G and I wanted to indulge more with these burrito bowls, I could add:

Guacamole
Salsa
Sour cream
Crushed tortilla chips
Pepper jack cheese or Queso Fresco, which is a crumbly white cheese similar to feta, but with a milder flavor.

Instead...

2011-01-29T21:20:00.044-05:00

Once I woke up and entered the kitchen this morning, I realized that I had three bananas on the verge of over ripeness. Those bananas challenged me and the next thing I knew, the white layer cake with lemon curd was trumped.

Throwing away produce is against my religion. If some berries or greens or herbs are still sitting in the fridge after a few days, I consider it a challenge to use them creatively before they expire and I have to face the guilt of throwing away food (which = money).

So I found a recipe for a banana layer cake and went to work.

Mashed bananas with buttermilk and vanilla.

Mixing dry ingredients into wet.

Cakes rising in the oven. A beautiful sight.

Cooling cakes and thinking that I need something else to jazz up this dessert. What can I use as a filling between the layers?

Nutella!

Cream cheese frosting and a bit of garnish.

What's for Dessert?

2011-01-28T12:50:00.001-05:00

So we're eating healthier around here, G & I, and we've instituted a new plan. We eat healthy Sunday-Friday and Saturday is Free Day. Saturday we can eat anything we want in whatever quantity we want. We've just started this in the new year and I can already report that Saturdays are a whole new brand of happiness for me.

Tomorrow is Free Day and I woke up immediately daydreaming about what will be on the menu tomorrow.

I'm not a huge sweet eater. I never order dessert except on a birthday or an anniversary. (I'll save the tales of my addiction to salty crunchiness for another day.)

On Free Day, though, I save room for dessert. It's no holds barred. It's guilt-free. It's bliss.

Tomorrow evening, our friends, P & J, are coming over for games and dessert. I'll ask them to bring something chocolate-y and I'm going to make something to share. I've felt the urge to bake this week so I'm going to take advantage of that on Free Day.

But what shall I make?

Cookies? A cake? A crumble? Ooh...a crostata. A free-form pie. That's more for summery fruits though. And I feel a bit more ambitious than that.

After perusing my usual foodie sites, I've decided to make this:

White Layer Cake with Lemon Curd Filling

Thank you, Martha Stewart.

Photos to follow!

Chiarello

2009-08-21T10:40:00.003-04:00

Michael Chiarello competed on Top Chef Masters this summer. He was this close to winning (the top prize went to Rick Bayless, king of Mexican food in the U.S.) but he still inspired me to check out his cookbooks.

Chiarello is a big Napa guy. Napa and Sonoma happen to be two of our favorite places on the planet. Chiarello hosts a show on Food Network that I've always enjoyed, but seeing him on Top Chef made me more of a fan.

I tried a few of his recipes from his Casual Cooking book (2002). I made a batch of his Damn Hot Peppers which is essentially a condiment made of green peppers and jalapeno peppers sweated in olive oil. Some onion is added, along with tomato puree, red wine vinegar and fresh basil. I also tried his oven-dried tomatoes which were a big hit. I sliced plum tomatoes in half, seasoned them with sea salt and pepper, then I brushed them with extra virgin olive oil, herbes de provence, and garlic. The tomatoes baked in a 250 degree oven for six hours. They were delicious in salads, on sandwiches and by themselves on bruschetta.

I decided to try a recipe using the damn hot peppers...a breakfast hash. In a super hot cast-iron skillet, I browned some cubed potatoes, added some onion, salt and pepper, and then some of the damn hot peppers. I made four holes in the potato mixture and cracked an egg into each one. I garnished the eggs with fresh oregano and grated fresh parmesan onto the potatoes and peppers. The oven was busy with the oven-dried tomatoes, so I heated up the grill and finished baking the eggs in there.

G made some toast to dip into the egg yolks, I served the hash, and voila! A perfect dinner was born.

Movie Review--Julie & Julia

2009-08-12T22:00:00.003-04:00

Mom & I enjoyed a foodie field trip day last Wednesday. We drove about an hour away to Birmingham where we window shopped, stopped at Penzey's spice store, and saw a matinee of Julie & Julia.

First though, we stopped at the drive-thru and heeded Mom's new addiction: chai tea lattes. I made the mistake of introducing those to her on our trip to Chicago earlier this summer and now she's hooked. With our lattes safely placed in the car's beverage holders, we were off to Birmingham.

We stopped at Forte for an early lunch. The weather was perfect so we sat at a sidewalk table. We shared some starters...Buffalo chicken spring rolls, tempura shrimp, and beef croquettes. All three dishes were prepared well and were very tasty.

Just two doors down was the movie theater, the Birmingham 8, a throwback to old movie palaces and one of my favorite places to see movies in Detroit. Mom & I took our seats as the lights went down and were transported to Paris in the 50s and 60s with Julia Child. Once the credits rolled, we realized that we weren't ready to come back to reality.

The movie is based on the book, Julie & Julia, by Julie Powell, a temp worker in New York City who decided to use Julia Child as her muse and cook her way through all the recipes in Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Writer/director Nora Ephron cleverly intertwines this modern-day story with the story of Julia Child's days as a newlywed and cooking student in Paris, based on Child's book, My Life in France.

I've read both books, by Powell and by Child, so I was curious to see the film versions, most especially because of Dame Meryl Streep, who can barely do any wrong as far as I'm concerned. Toss in Stanley Tucci, Jane Lynch, and Amy Adams and I knew that I could not, not see this movie.

The best parts of the film are, no surprise, the parts about Julia Child's life in France. This time period includes her falling in love with food and cooking and ultimately attending the Cordon Bleu. She goes on to teach some cooking classes and embarks on writing what would later become her masterpiece, Mastering the Art of French Cooking, a cookbook for American women who want to learn how to cook classical French dishes. Streep plays Child as a sassy, fun-loving, adventurer who still can't believe that she's finally found someone to love her. Tucci's Paul Child is a quiet, intellectual type who is in awe of his wife. The two make one of the most charming couples I've seen on the screen in years.

Streep towers over her co-stars, sounds just like Julia and exhibits pure joy while in the kitchen or at the dining table. As for Amy Adams, she plays a down and out, frustrated unpublished writer, who plods to her cubicle everyday wishing she was somewhere, someone else. Casting Amy Adams automatically makes the character of Julie Powell sweet, likeable, and root-able. Truthfully, the Julie Powell character should've been played by Mary Lynn Rajskub, who plays Julie's friend in the film. Rajskub, who plays the acerbic Chloe on 24, exudes more of the spirit, or lack thereof, of Julie Powell. Instead we have Amy Adams' Julie Powell, depressed and obsessed, but still cute and likeable.

I'm nitpicking, because the scenes between Julie and her husband are also tender and sweet. I will not remember most of those modern day scenes though. I will remember Streep's Julia Child visiting the farmers' markets, practicing chopping onions, her Valentines' Days with Paul, and her custom kitchen in Boston. I would love for someone to make another film about Julia Child, 120 minutes of just her life, starring Streep, of course.

Toronto Eats

2009-08-11T22:05:00.002-04:00

G & I traveled to Toronto in July and enjoyed a wonderful long weekend. The weather was perfect, breezy and 78 everyday. We explored new areas of the city, took some walking tours, and of course, ate some delicious food.

The trip had several high points. Our first walking tour was in Cabbagetown which has the highest continuous concentration of Victorian houses in the North America. We then walked to the lakefront and toured the farmers' market building. Us being us, we found a wine tasting inside and happily joined in the festivities.

We soon were hungry so we stopped at Jamie Kennedy's Wine Bar, a short walk from the farmers' market. The hostess asked us if we wanted to sit at the bar next to where the chefs cooked in the open kitchen. Um, yes please! Once we settled in and ordered our first glasses of wine (starting with a sauvignon blanc), the chef gave us each an amuse bouche; a scallop breaded and fried, topped with a small dollop of tartar sauce and microgreens. One bite and we knew we were in the right place.

We had tempura asparagus that knocked us out and then switched to Shiraz in our glasses. We followed that up with pork belly ravioli.

The next day we took a walking tour of the University of Toronto, a beautiful campus and a backdrop for several wedding photographers that day (I think we saw six wedding parties during an hour's walk). The final stop on the tour was the rooftop bar at the Park Hyatt. What can I say? This quickly became a favorite place that I'm sure G & I will revisit on our next trip. The rooftop bar reminded me of a cozy living room...a fireplace, a few couches and a coffee table, and a few tables here and there. There was a small outdoor patio as well with views of the city, north and south. Then, the bar, of course, with a friendly, knowledgeable bartender. I especially liked him because as he was close to our table, he chuckled at some of my jokes.

G & I ordered two glasses of champagne and the bartender supplied us with snacks of smoked almonds, marinated olives, and edamame. A mouthwatering stop. Two very happy travelers.

It's Julia Week!

2009-08-07T07:46:00.001-04:00

Julie & Julia, the new movie starring Meryl Streep as Julia Child, opens today and yes, I cannot wait to see it.

In honor of this event, I'm going to focus a bit on Julia this week. And joyfully so.

Briefly, some facts and some reasons why I love Julia:

Did you know that she didn't start cooking until she was 37 years old?

I started culinary school at age 36.

She didn't get married until she was 34.

I didn't get married until I was 35.

Julia's love of food and cooking blossomed in France.

My love of food and cooking took me to France.

Julia worked for the OSS and recently was outed as a spy during that era.

I...well, I've watched a lot of spy movies and I've always wanted to be one.

Me + Mom + Wednesday = Foodie Feasts!

2009-08-05T08:06:00.001-04:00

Today I'm headed to Mom's for our weekly foodie experiment. This summer we've been meeting up each Wednesday and playing in the kitchen.

Depending on what mood we're in, we make simple salads or complicated French-y dishes. If we're in Ann Arbor, we make a trip to the farmers' market for some ingredients.

We've made panini sandwiches with turkey, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and avocado (courtesy of my new favorite kitchen toy, the Griddler---thanks, Mom!) When we felt super fancy, we made fried artichokes with garlic aioli. Neither my stepdad nor my husband like artichokes so we enjoyed those all by ourselves. A transcendent moment.

Up next is a southern dinner: pulled pork, braised collard greens, cole slaw, hush puppies, and peach cobbler.

mmm...toast

2009-08-03T11:16:00.003-04:00

I was about to run to Caribou for Monday Mac time when G said, "Hey, you want some toast?"

I usually hurry to the coffee shop on Mondays to clear my head and get ready for the week's tasks. Plus, Caribou has helped me out this summer with $1 coffee on Mondays. But when G offered toast, I remembered that we had a loaf of homemade sourdough bread and that stopped me in tracks.

We usually have whole wheat or whole grain bread in the house, but this week's special at the market was sourdough, so I couldn't resist. I've bought bread in plastic bags for years...who hasn't? But I don't really enjoy it. It definitely doesn't add anything to my meal experience. In fact, when we have toast from bagged bread, I leave the crusts on my plate and give them to G. Only recently have I realized that when I eat fresh, homemade bread, I eat every morsel of it and even look forward to the crust.

Why? Because fresh bread is a delicacy. The use of "real" bread makes a statement. Real bread takes a sandwich to the next level, makes French toast even better, and in the case of my toast this morning, makes me sit up and pay attention.

We have great local bakeries here in Ann Arbor so I can depend on them most of the time for fresh bread. In the winter and fall, I try to make my own. I highly recommend it; it's really not that difficult and the feeling of accomplishment is worth it (not to mention the aromas that will waft through your house). It's a good project for a Sunday. Just pick up a packet of yeast on the baking aisle at the grocery store and you're ready. All of the other ingredients are probably in your pantry already, for beginner bread baking.

But back to my toast. A thick slice of sourdough, lightly toasted, buttered, with a delectably crunchy crust. Toast with character. Toast the way it was meant to be.

Tales of France Part Deux

2009-06-04T08:12:00.016-04:00

On day two, we boarded a bus that returned us to Nice. We spent the morning exploring Vieux Nice (Old Town Nice). The farmers' market was open that day so we were let

loose to ooh and aah at the fruits and vegetables and flowers and spices. What a sight! We walked right into a chef's dream...mounds of olives, baskets of perfectly red cherries, bushels of squash blossoms, bags of herbes de Provence (a mixture of dried herbs such as thyme, savory, fennel, marjoram, basil, and lavender that's a fixture in the Provencal kitchen). One of the stars at the Nice market is Madame Theresa who makes and sells socca, a southern France specialty. Socca is a flat cake baked in a cast iron skillet. It's made of chickpea flour and olive oil and then seasoned with black pepper and is a popular (and tasty) street food.

After my first perusal of the market, I decided it was time for a break, so I sat with some of my new friends and enjoyed my first (of many) cafe au lait. I so love how meals and beverages are served in France. A small cup of coffee arrives, with saucer, and is accompanied by sugar cubes and a (very) small spoon. Sometimes the coffee is in a small cylindrical cup on a small platter that also carries the sugar, the spoon, and a biscuit or piece of chocolate. I just love the detail and care.

After my cafe break, I took some time to explore the narrow (and I mean, narrow), winding streets surrounding the market. At a tiny boulangerie, I found what was to be my lunch: a zucchini quiche and a small lemon tart topped with burnt meringue. The friendly shopkeeper brown-bagged my lunch and I leisurely made my way to my group's meeting place, once again passing the bunches of white asparagus, the masses of sundried tomatoes, the bundles of lavender.

Our next stop was the medieval village of Eze, perched atop a rocky peak overlooking the Mediterranean. The bus ride was just as memorable as the visit to Eze. We drove along the coast initially and viewed marinas filled with all shapes and sizes of boats, with yachts anchored a ways off the coast. Then we followed the curvy road to Eze, winding along mountains, passing villas with terracotta roofs, crystalline pools in the meticulously manicured back yards. Once we arrived in Eze, we walked to the top of the peak and toured the stone paths of the castle. I had just enough time to explore and then find a shady bench where I ate my takeout lunch.

One more time we boarded the bus, this time heading for La Font du Broc, a winery northwest of Cannes. The ride took about an hour and a half so we napped on the way. I had visited some wine caves in the Loire Valley west of Paris, but I hadn't visited an actual winery until now. This winery did not disappoint. We toured the cellar, the grounds (magnificent) and then convened in the tasting room for the true test. The tour guide poured a rose, white and a red for us. Even better, she set out some platters with stinky cheeses and bread and some tasty olive crackers that I happily found at a grocery store a few days later. The wines were great and loosened us all up. It was our first true bonding moment. I bought a bottle of the red to share with G when he arrived.

Next: a walking tour of Cannes.

Tales of France

2009-06-02T16:35:00.005-04:00

On the plane to New York for my connection to Nice, a priest sat next to me. Then I noticed a Jewish gentleman (with beard and hat and suit) seated two rows ahead. At first, I thought that I'd stepped into a scene from a Woody Allen movie. After some conversation, I came to discover that they were on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. My favorite exchange though:

Priest sneezes.

I say, "God bless you."

Priest says, "Thank you. I'm usually the one who says that."

Once the plane landed at JFK, I quickly learned that the airport needs some attention. Perhaps a wrecking ball. I had a four hour layover until my Nice flight and finding out that I needed to take a shuttle to another terminal ate up some time. A pleasant surprise waited for me though; no one sat next to me on the eight hour flight to France. Sigh. I had two blankets, two pillows, and just enough room to curl up and sleep. After a bad airline dinner washed down with some bad airline wine, I tucked myself in with Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express and did get to sleep. No jet lag for me this time.

I met two of my fellow culinary students who sat behind me, Jessica and Allison from South Carolina. As the plane landed, we saw what would become our backdrop for the next three weeks on the French Riviera: blue skies; sun drenched beaches; picturesque cities and towns; and finally mountains teasing us with their mystery.

By 9:30 AM, a large group of us, culinary students, film students, business students, had arrived and boarded a shuttle to take us to the Maeva apartment building, our home away from home for the next few weeks. After a 45-minute drive, we were in Cannes la Bocca, a suburb ten minutes away from downtown and the Palais, where the film festival would be held.

The apartment building had its own pool and was a block away from the beach. The views from the balconies were of the brilliant sea. Other than that, the accommodations were nothing to write home about, so I won't.

I took the afternoon to walk around and discover the bakery and pastry shop (Boulangerie/Patisserie), the neighborhood grocery store, several cafes, a wine shop, and a small, but beautiful park that led me to the beach.

That evening, the culinary team had an orientation meeting. We met the chefs, Chef Michael and Sous Chef Stephanie, and the event manager/tour guide/master of everything, Armand. There were only nine culinary students accepted this year.

The aforementioned Jessica and Allison

Meredith, John, and Trip--all from Louisiana

Sheryl from Seattle

Rachael from Portland (originally from the UP in Michigan)

Thornton from Detroit (who graduated from Schoolcraft a couple of years back)

and me

We didn't know what we'd gotten ourselves into as we introduced ourselves that first night. Such innocents. Well, about the program anyway.

Next up: sightseeing, farmers' markets, and acquaintance of Cannes

Cannes

2009-05-14T03:28:00.002-04:00

Where do I begin?

The weather here is beautiful. It's basically a tropical resort town.

The kitchen is 10 feet from the beach. I pass the red carpet everyday on my way to work.

I'm about to head off to a movie at 10. Just wanted to begin my posting since today's the first day I've been able to go online.

Bonne journee!

Break out the Grill

2009-04-17T09:27:00.002-04:00

We had some chicken breasts in the fridge and a hankering for barbecue so we uncovered the hibernating grill and fired it up.

We seasoned the chicken breasts with salt and pepper and basted them with our house sauce, Dinosaur BBQ sauce from G's hometown of Syracuse, NY. Simple as that. We finished off the meal with some roasted green beans and mashed potatoes.

Welcome back, grill! Pretty soon you'll be my BFF again. I think some flank steak might be in your future.

Cannes

2009-04-01T21:34:00.002-04:00

I found out that I've been accepted to the Culinary Program at the Cannes Film Festival in May. I don't know if I can find the words to describe how I feel about this.

I'll be one of twenty people who will work the hospitality tent at the film festival from May 13-25. We'll be making breakfast and lunch everyday as well as working cocktail hours and various receptions. I'll be living in a dorm-style apartment setting about two miles from the festival site. Before the festival begins, there will be field trips to restaurants and wineries and farmers' markets. Once the festival begins, I'll be fully accredited so when I'm not working, I'll be able to see the films.

This is, no kidding, a dream come true. I'm about to cry as I write this post.

Best Meals of 2008

2009-01-06T10:13:00.004-05:00

Favorite food moments from last year:

Breakfast pizza at the Farmers' Market in Ithaca, NY

Dinner at Zin in Healdsburg, CA

Lobster Bisque at Forest Grill in Birmingham, MI

Wine tasting with cheeses, olive oils, breads, salamis, and olives in Tuscany

Chocolate and Coffee gelato in Rome

Halibut and vegetables in a delicate lemon grass broth steamed in a tagine at school

Bouillabaisse at home with Mom, Pseudo Pop, & G

Making my guests want to eat their vegetables--cauliflower puree, roasted carrots with honey, and sauteed green beans with pecans

The moments when a meal was made for me!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-05T10:02:00.003-05:00

Guess what one of my resolutions is? You're right! Blogging regularly. Let's see how I do.

First restaurant meal this year? Zingerman's Roadhouse. G & I caught an Oprah show during vacation. O's best friend Gayle traveled the country in search of the best sandwiches, two of which are here in Michigan. Zingerman's barbecued brisket and a grilled cheese sandwich from a place in Royal Oak (near Detroit).

Since I was sick for New Year's Eve (^W$(*@%*^#^!@), G took me out on Saturday and we enjoyed the brisket and a patty melt with Swiss cheese and wild mushrooms. Not exactly the healthiest meal, but pure heaven. We'll try to eat chicken and vegetables the rest of the week to make up for it.

Tonight's the OH State/Texas Bowl game.

Menu: Chicken Green Chili from Tyler Florence

Homemade cornbread

Football Season

2008-09-14T10:33:00.001-04:00

We're three weeks into the college football season and even though our beloved Wolverines are struggling (I'm being polite), we're enjoying the best part of being couch potatoes on Saturdays. The eats!

Week one was a bit sad. G & I were both sick so we had homemade chicken noodle soup. I had just made some chicken stock the week before so we benefited from that, but still...BOR-ING.

Week two was definitely a step up. Some friends stopped by to sample a menu of slow cooked pork carnitas tacos, roasted tomatillo salsa, and lime custard tart. Oh, and we watched the game too.

Week three was at Mom's house. The games were sad, but we weren't. We feasted on turkey chili with all the fixins--minced onion, shredded cheddar and Jack cheeses, sour cream, cilantro, and oyster crackers. Mom also made some dips for us. A salsa dip, French onion. I was in dip heaven.

Week four is a bye week so I have some time to think up what the menus will be for the rest of the season. I feel the need to impress since the team sure isn't doing that.

First Day of School

2008-09-09T22:19:00.002-04:00

Ah, charcuterie. From the French, literally cooked meat or in Italian, Salumi, the branch of cooking devoted to prepared meat products such as bacon, ham, sausage, terrines, pates, and confit, primarily from pork (courtesy of Wikipedia).

The chef for this class is world renown for his skill and passion for charcuterie. He has two restaurants in the Detroit area, Five Lakes Grill and Forest Grill. His text, co-authored with foodie writer Michael Ruhlman, is THE book on the subject.

On day one, the chef gave us a brief tour of the classroom and the equipment we'll be using: sausage stuffer, smoker, meat grinder. Then we partnered up and started production after an introductory lecture. "All hail the pig!"

This week, my partner and I are working on products that will be smoked. Today, we soaked whole chickens and duck breasts in brine and set them in the cooler overnight. We sliced up some beef and mixed it with a spice rub for jerky. We prepped smoked salmon, again by mixing a spice rub and leaving it to sit overnight.

I hear that we'll be tackling confit by the end of the week.

Ravioli Day

2008-08-15T10:29:00.003-04:00

I was lucky enough to spend the day with my friend, Mary, earlier this summer. She is a fantastic cook. Even better, she's a fantastic Italian cook. Back when Mary & I first met, I was domestically challenged. And proud of it. She would bring these fabulous leftovers for lunch everyday and make everyone else envious while we ate crummy fast food or humdrum frozen "entrees'. Once we became friends, Mary would pack extra food and share her lunch with me. I don't think I'd ever seen a yellow squash until she introduced me to her summer squash stew. At Christmas, she'd make black bottom cupcakes and I couldn't get enough of them.

So fast forward and here I am in culinary school. First of all, I believe that Mary is still shocked about that development. Every fall, Mary makes a huge batch of raviolis for her family, "Ravioli Day". I asked her if she wouldn't mind having a mini-ravioli day with me so I could learn from her expertise.

We made the pasta dough and the filling. Then she taught me how to use the pasta machine and the molds. We laid out the raviolis on the dining room table to dry.

It was one of my favorite days of this summer. I think we made 130 cheese raviolis, not to mention some fettucine noodles as well. We stopped for a lunch break and Mary served some raviolis tossed with olive oil, parmesan, and blanched broccoli from her garden. A simply perfect lunch.

Farmers' Market Bounty

2008-08-12T09:24:00.001-04:00

So I've been having a blast with my farmers' market bounty. I made fried green tomatoes for the first time. I dipped them in buttermilk, then in cornmeal and flour seasoned with garlic powder and cayenne pepper. I don't fry much food, but I do make exceptions. When I served the tomatoes, I squeezed some lemon juice and drizzled hot sauce on them. What a tasty summer snack.

Next up, I made a green chile sauce. I roasted poblano peppers, grilled an onion, and then pureed them with fresh oregano, garlic, honey, salt and pepper, and a splash of water (recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay).

I made a potato salad with the fingerling potatoes. Once I simmered them and cooled them down, I tossed them with cider vinegar, salt and pepper, and then made a quick dressing of olive oil, more cider vinegar, garlic, shallot, and a bunch of fresh herbs.

So tonight's dinner will consist of green chile cheeseburgers (on the grill, of course), potato salad, and a TBD vegetable.

Two Days in Cleveland

2008-08-09T10:32:00.001-04:00

Mom & I had a mini-getaway last week. We drove down to Cleveland to visit our ancestral homeland. Why is it always more fun to visit than to live there?

Once we checked into our hotel, we headed for the West Side Market, a Cleveland institution since 1913. I remember going on a field trip to the market when I was in elementary or junior high school. My response? A big fat yawn. A couple of friends later dragged me there and again, I had no interest whatsoever.

In my thirties, my love of food and cooking appeared out of nowhere. All of a sudden finding local farmers' markets became a priority. Once Mom & I decided to go on our trip, I couldn't wait to go to the West Side Market and atone for my sins.

Mom & I packed up two coolers full of ice and spent the afternoon at the market, oohing and aahing. Some memories came flooding back of my grandpa taking me to the market when I was three or four years old. His mom lived a few blocks from the market so on weekends he'd take me to the market and we'd go and visit his mom. My mom told me that he went to the market as much as possible; she loved it when he came home with the bounty, especially her favorite, smoked goose liver.

At the end of our visit, Mom & I were weighted down with bags of green tomatoes, poblano peppers, strawberries, fingerling potatoes, fresh figs, peppered bacon, homemade red pepper pasta, Polish sausage. And guess what? Smoked goose liver.

Ithaca Farmers' Market

2008-08-05T10:19:00.009-04:00

For the Fourth of July this summer, we traveled to G's homeland, upstate New York. On the way home, we spent a few days in the Finger Lakes, one of our favorite stops. We stayed in Ithaca and were lucky enough to be there on a farmers' market day.

The market wasn't as big as I expected, but what was there was phenomenal. Artisan breads, bouquets of flowers, strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, gooseberries (I tasted my first one ever), cherries. I passed a booth and noticed some cherry tomatoes out of the corner of my eye. On a second look, I realized they were sour cherries, the brightest red cherries I'd ever seen.

I walked the market twice, in awe, but lamented the fact that I couldn't buy bags of beautiful fruits and vegetables and spend the day in the kitchen. G & I had breakfast at the market though. There were booths set up selling burritos, soups, pizza (on a portable brick oven). We opted for the pizza, of course; a breakfast pizza that we shared as we sat in the park amidst the marketgoers.

Fall Classes

2008-08-04T09:26:00.005-04:00

I registered for fall classes which start September 9th.

Fall semester includes:

Charcuterie

When I've told friends that my first class is charcuterie, I've gotten funny looks. "What the heck is charcuterie?" Usually, they're sorry they asked. Straight from the school's course description:

Students in this course will acquire professional skills in variations of hors d’oeuvres and savories, seasonings, condiments, stuffed meats, curing, pickling, smoking of meat, fish, and poultry. Proficiencies in sausage-making, garde manger, pates, terrines, galantines and stuffed meats are also taught.

Restaurant Cooking & Prep

Some of my readers will remember that I took a dining service class last year. I had to wait on tables in the school restaurant at lunchtime. This fall, I'll be prepping all of the food that will be served at lunch.

Students will participate in four workstations: Roast—Grill, Sauté, Entremetier (middle station) and Garde Manger—Pantry. Students will learn classical and modern cooking techniques and recipe development and the importance of consistency and clean work methods.

International and American Cuisine

This is the big one. Eight hours in the kitchen four days a week prepping AND cooking dinner for the school's restaurant.

Students will learn the culture, history, and terminology of various regional American and international cuisines, while also studying their traditional and contemporary cooking techniques. Students will prepare multi-course dinners, small plate offerings, wine pairing dinners, as well as buffets that are offered to the public, served in the American Harvest Restaurant.

Summer Desserts

2008-08-03T10:45:00.001-04:00

I've always read that successful dishes depend on the best seasonal ingredients. For instance, asparagus, a spring vegetable, isn't the best choice for a vegetable side dish in the dead of winter. Berries in February? They probably won't be the star of the show.

This summer I've been taking advantage of these foodie guidelines. I try to go to the local farmers' market once a week. Without a shopping list, I just peruse and see what looks the best and fill up my bag.

Lately, I've been using fresh fruit for easy-to-throw-together desserts. Beautiful plums, bright red raspberries, juicy peaches, and tart blueberries have found their way into crumbles and tarts.

I have this thing about tarts. I do make my own crusts and I love tarts in any shape, form...sweet, savory...I just love them. For a quick treat though, I also love rustic tarts, or crostatas in Italian. Crostatas are super easy to make. I made an apple one last fall for my mom and stepdad. My mom asked for the recipe and now she makes them all the time.

Sometimes I still make my own dough for the crostatas, but when I need a crostata and I need one now, I keep some store bought pie crusts in the freezer. I thaw the crust, heat the oven, and toss some sliced fruit with sugar, maybe a little flour, lemon juice and then pour the mixture into the center of the rolled out crust. I fold over the edges and usually egg wash and sugar the crust so it browns. I get extra oohs and ahhs for that move.

Making a crumble is even easier. Toss the fruit with sugar, etc., pour it into a baking dish and top with oats, nuts, brown sugar. Delicious.

I've served plum raspberry crumble, plum crostata, peach blueberry crostata. So far, no complaints.

Blah to Hoo-yah!

2008-08-01T09:06:00.002-04:00

Last night's dinner: Chicken Caesar Salads

Makes you yawn a little, right? Not the most exciting nor original dish. A boring dinner is not welcome in our house. Don't get me wrong, we get lazy, we get tired, but we really try to jazz things up whenever possible. Hence, the title of the post.

I'm not talking about taking two hours to make dinner either. "Special" doesn't have to mean "I slaved in the kitchen for hours to make you this meal". Just a little effort, a couple snazzy ingredients and dinner can become more of an occasion than a chore.

I had picked up some mixed greens on sale at the market, already pre-washed, so I just piled those onto plates. I seasoned chicken tenders with salt and pepper, brushed them with olive oil, and grilled them up in the trusty grill pan (thank you, Mom-in-Law). Meanwhile, I cubed six slices of closer-to-stale bread and tossed them with olive oil and chopped fresh herbs. I always plant an herb garden in the summertime so I can just walk onto the deck and grab basil, oregano, parsley. That's not necessary though, sprinkling the bread cubes with your favorite dried herbs works fine. I popped the bread into the oven and voila! Homemade croutons. Finally, I grated Parmigiano-Reggiano onto the salads. Yes, this is a very expensive cheese. It took me years to buy some without a guilt trip. But I found a market that sells it in smaller, easier for the pocketbook, chunks. So I try to keep a wedge in the fridge and I'm always happy when I reach for it.

For the dressing, I just used a certain bottled dressing courtesy of a dreamy blue-eyed actor/philanthropist. Some salad dressings require no time at all to throw together, but Caesar is not one of them.

When I served dinner, I waited for G's reaction to my creation. Between the MMMs and the shoveling of salad into his mouth, I knew that I had a hit on my hands.

Kim's Culinary Diary

TV Alert!

Slows BBQ and the Detroit Food Scene

French Onion Soup

Quick Bread

Mardi Gras

Chicken Stock

Indian Cooking

Oscar Snacks

My Snack of Choice for the Super Bowl

Ciabatta Rolls

Colbert's Thought for Food...or Speaking of Wings

Super Bowl Snacks

Yes, Please

Grocery Monday

Instead...

What's for Dessert?

Chiarello

Movie Review--Julie & Julia

Toronto Eats

It's Julia Week!

Me + Mom + Wednesday = Foodie Feasts!

mmm...toast

More France Posts

Tales of France Part Deux

Tales of France

Cannes

Break out the Grill

Cannes

Best Meals of 2008

Happy New Year!

Football Season

First Day of School

Ravioli Day

Farmers' Market Bounty

Two Days in Cleveland

Ithaca Farmers' Market

Fall Classes

Summer Desserts

Blah to Hoo-yah!