Chef Biography | Recipes | Tips for Chefs
Ah, my little tomato... When dicing tomatoes, slice the tomato in half and scoop out the seeds using a spoon first.
Aw Shucks!, Part II When shucking corn, leave the knob on the end. This will provide something to hold onto when cutting the corn off the cob and reduce the risk of injury. A serrated knife works best for cutting uncooked corn off of the cob.
Butter me up! Did you know that you can make your own butter at home with a cup of heavy cream and your food processor? Make sure you’ve chilled the bowl and blade for 4 – 5 hours in your freezer first, pour the cream into the feed tube and process for ten minutes. Drain excess liquid through a fine sieve. Refrigerate butter for one hour before using. Makes about ¾ cup. Good for one week.
Candy is dandy but liqueur is quickeur When making your own liqueurs, start with the best ingredients: the best brandy or vodka and the best fruits available in season. As in all cooking, beginning with the best will net you the best results.
Cutting edge advice... Sharp knives are essential to cooking anything. A worthy investment.
Fruited butter Add fresh fruit or jams to butter for use with breakfast rolls, popovers, pancakes and waffles. Choose your favorite preserves and whip together with butter, return to the refrigerator.
Garlic shallot butter So easy to make! Blend together ¾ cup butter, 3 finely chopped garlic cloves, and 2 tsp. chopped fresh shallots. Cover tightly and return to the refrigerator. Use with bread, fish, steamed vegetables. Mmmmm.
Got Buttermilk? If you don't keep buttermilk in the house and tend to avoid recipes that use it because there's always so much left over, try this! Dried buttermilk is available at the grocery store, located where the regular dried and canned milk are stocked, and it's wonderful! Just leave the canister in the freezer and use what you need.
Herb vinegars An easy and wonderful treat for salad lovers. Make your own herb flavored vinegars by steeping white, red, rice or balsamic vinegar with your favorite herbs. Be patient – the steeping should take 2 – 3 weeks so the vinegar absorbs the full flavor of your herbs. No cooking necessary!
Herbes de Provence Mix together 1 T. each dried thyme, savory and food grade lavender; 1/2 tsp. dried rosemary, ¼ tsp. ground sage, 2 tsp. anise seed. Sprinkle on vegetables, chops, or, stuff under the skin of poultry before roasting.
Herbs & Olive Oil – a good match! When making flavored oils using herbs like tarragon or basil, make your base an olive oil. To get more intense herb flavor, use canola oil (has no flavor so it does not compete with the herbs). Allow to sit for a couple of days, strain and voila!
Horsey Potatoes Two tablespoons of grated horseradish added to your usual mashed potatoes recipe creates a real treat!
I have no reaction to that… What is ‘non-reactive’ cookware? Glass, enamel, stainless steel and anodized aluminum are considered non-reactive – they have no reaction when used to cook foods. Reactive cookware includes copper, plain aluminum or cast iron. Using stainless steel spoons is a good idea as they are also ‘non-reactive’. Is it hot in here, you saucy little one? Store condiments and flavored vinegars in a cool, dark place away from the heat of your stove. Definitely check labels to find out if they need to be refrigerated after opening.
Just Say No to Fish Sticks When sautéing fish the best way to ensure it does not stick is to make sure the pan is very hot and has been coated with just enough oil to cover the surface.
Keep your hands odor-free When using fish or garlic, rub your hands on a stainless steel bar while you wash your hands. The steel neutralizes the odor.
Know Your Oven It is important to note that not all ovens cook the same. Make sure to check your product before removing it to make sure it is done. The time limit given by the recipe may need to be adjusted.
Less is More When using seasoning, remember you can always add more, but you cannot take it away.
My, what Fines Herbes you have! Fines Herbes are made by mixing equal amounts of tarragon, chives, parsley and chervil. Fresh is best for seafood; dried versions are used for both fish and poultry dishes.
No More Bland Blanching When blanching vegetables, seasoning your blanching liquid will impart more flavors and it raises the boiling point of the cooking medium, which means the vegetables will cook faster and lose less color and nutrients in the process.
Onion Ring Excellence Soak sliced onions in milk before making onion rings.
Pasta Perfection Do you add a bit of oil to your boiling water when making pasta? Adding oil will keep the sauce from penetrating your cooked pasta. This prevents a true melding of sauce flavors with the pasta. Skip the oil but DO add a touch of salt to boiling water for flavor.
Perfect Pizza Dough Pizza dough should be tacky to touch but not stick to your fingers. When portioning the dough, be sure to work out any air bubbles. This ensures a round, smooth crust. (See a great recipe for Pizza Dough in the Martini Italian Bistro Polaris Recipe section!)
Pie Weights Use dried beans as pie weights...very inexpensive
Prevent Shrinking Pie Dough After rolling pie dough and placing it in a "sprayed" pie pan, freeze it about 20 minutes before baking. It helps prevent shrinking.
Put some sauce in your sauce Would you like to start a hot debate among pasta sauce aficionados? Ask if they add sugar to their sauce. Chef Joe McKean says, "That little tomato's been growing his whole life to be appreciated on his own and you're going to dump sugar on him?!?" If you're making sauce during a season not famous for sweet tomatoes, his advice is to add a little unsweetened applesauce to the sauce. Or, make your sauce using his favorite -- canned, peeled, imported tomatoes of the San Marzano brand.
Season, Test, Taste, Serve! Always season, taste, season, taste. Never serve bland food. Be careful not to overcook food. So many people were raised on dry, overcooked meat, seafood, vegetables and poultry. When cooking for other people, cook for their tastes, not your own.
Skim the Sauce When cooking marinara sauce, skimming the surface as it cooks will help to cut down the acidity.
Smoke gets in your eyes Did you know you don’t have to buy a fancy smoker to smoke meats, fishes and more? If you’ve got a standard kettle grill, you can do it! Smoking is accomplished by adding hickory, mesquite or other wood chips to water, soaking for an hour, and then adding them to white-ash hot coals. So, find some great smoking recipes and head for the kettle grill!
Stock Up! When you make recipes resulting in excess broth, freeze it to use as stock in other soups, toss with rice, or to experiment with your own cooking.
That's not a knife... THIS is a knife! A good starting knife set would be a Chef Slicer, Pairing Knife, and Boning Knife. With these knives you can do most kitchen cutting. It is very important to have the right knife for the job. A sharp knife is always better than a dull knife because you’ll have more control.
That’s a pretty cheesy cloth… Fine grade cheesecloth can be used in single thickness for straining and is available through cheese supply houses. Commercial grade cheesecloth, more commonly found, should be folded into double thickness for best results.
The Mashed Potato Secret For creamier mashed potatoes, use more butter.
The Meatloaf Secret When packing meat into the loaf pan, use a second pan to fully press the meat down. The harder it is packed, the better the meatloaf will retain its shape.
The Perfect Finish to Your Cream Sauce A good way to finish cream sauces is to whisk in a small amount of butter or temper in an egg yolk directly before serving. This will thicken the sauce slightly, giving it more luster and make it smoother on the palate.
Tips for Boiling Potatoes When boiling potatoes, you should start with cold water and the liquid should not heat above a simmer. This will ensure consistent cooking and will keep the potatoes from breaking apart.
Tips for Boiling Potatoes, Part 2 After boiling and straining potatoes for mashed potatoes you should allow them to slightly dry out over very low heat. This will not only make them a brighter white, but will also assist in keeping them the proper consistency.
Tipsy fruit tip When making brandied fruits, choose black raspberries over the red variety. They hold their shape better. Alcohols popular for preserving fruit include: vodka, brandy and cognac.
To saute, or not to saute... Extra virgin olive oil is not a good saute oil. As a first press it burns easily. Extra virgin is best used in salad dressings. Touch the Fish! When picking out fresh fish, remember that it should never have a “fishy” smell to it. A slimy texture to the fish is also an indication that it is not fresh. Don’t be afraid to ask to smell and touch the fish before buying it.
Uses for flavored vinegars Flavored vinegars are great for adding zing to steamed vegetables. What’s so Fraiche about that? Crème fraiche is not such a sweet treat. It’s made by combining heavy cream and buttermilk, kept at room temperature for about 20 hours then refrigerated (keeps for about a week). Like a cross between whipped and sour cream, crème fraiche is served over fresh fruit and can be used to flavor savory soups and sauces.
Wine vinegar When making wine vinegar, remember, the better the wine, the better the vinegar. No one likes a salad that give you a headache.
You like my tomato? It's an import... Chef Joe McKean's favorite home cooking leans toward Italian. His pick for best canned tomatoes to start a homemade sauce are peeled, imported San Marzano brand -- found at quality Italian import stores.
You'll flip over this turkey tip! When cooking a turkey for Thanksgiving, flip the turkey over on the breast meat during the second half of cooking. This makes the meat juicier.