RogueChef
“It IS all about the TASTE”
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Beer / Cheese Bread
Previously on RogueChef:
I have several important dinners over the next several weeks, and I want to “kick things up a notch” as much as possible.
For appetizers I have a nice cheese board planned, along with some of the RogueChef’s special breads, but to set the expectations for the dinners, perhaps a flavored dipping oil, or perhaps three just for that absolute rogue chef , “BOOM…”. (I’m from Texas and do not do “Bam”.)
There used to be a HPM, Home-Party-Marketing company that sold various cooking gadgets, mixes, recipie books and the like…. One item they sold was a beer bread mix, it was good but no commercially available mix is going to be great.
It is my though to reconstruct that and use it as a basic bread dough for the various breads I’ll make as part of the bread / cheese / cracker / fruit board for the party. Using the basic dough one can add cheese, herbs, peppers, onions, roll it out and make calzones, pizza, or stromboli.
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Ultimate Grilled Cheese
It’s much cooler upstate, but the several hours long trek to get there and then the inevitable traffic jam to get to the grocery store and then to my house on the hill has left me rather ravenous.
Food is called for and it is needed quickly, but I just refuse to do one more set of hot dogs on the grill, I want something with a bit more taste, almost like comfort food.
Classic comfort food is grilled cheese and soup, I’ll pass the soup today, but a good grilled cheese sandwich is a work of art.
Considering the construction of a perfect grilled cheese, I turn to my trusty chill box, where I found sour dough bread, Munster cheese, bacon, Prosciutto, bacon drippings, pickles, and of course butter… This looks like heart attack al la grilled cheese…
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Oil and Vinegar – Not just for salads
After several meals, that while I am sure are not the best that can be offered, but we far better than most I have been offered, it is time to start looking at what made them so memorable… And as will as with all things, LITTLE THINGS are HUGE…..
Let’s take bread. So in the great American restaurant, you get rolls and butter, maybe you get sliced bread and semi-stale olive oil that has dried herbs in it. (Which herbs, I do not know and neither does the chief …..)
Now just down the lane from my clients new office, is a hole-in-the-wall, that turns into an alley, in the alley are various little coffee shops, a wine bar / restaurant, and an Italian restaurant, I think I’ve eaten at them all. Il Vicolo in the Crown Passage has a number of memorable dishes, (all of which I will attempt to recreate and post the results here). But from the very start you know there is a difference.
As you are seated, there is a dish of oil and a dark substance, for dipping bread with. The hot bread slices with oil and rubbed with garlic is exquisite when dipped into the primo olive oil and dark balsamic vinegar.
The real trick is to float the oil over the vinegar is such a way that there is a bulls-eye effect to the dipping bowl. DO note they do not use herbs here in an attempt to passed older oil off as newer.
Bread dipping is the new, healthy alternative to crackers and cheese which have been a staple, but often overused, appetizer. A tasty trend, filled with breads and flavored oils and sauces in the olive oil dipping dish will be an instant winner.
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Meatless Monday – Pita Pizza
As I have a number of projects rapidly reaching conclusions, I have little time to spend on preparations today. But then again I must eat, and if I settle for something mediocre, I might as well go whole hog and eat fast food…
So something with taste, something with texture, and something to match a meatless meal. I have some fresh pitas, and I always have tomatoes and cheese. Perhaps a quick sauce slathered on the pitas, topped with some cheese and basil for a wonderful pita margherita.
Do remember to dock (perforate the skin with a fork or knife) the pita to make sure it does not puff up and dump all your toppings onto the hot stone. For a taste twist, perhaps using blue cheese, or feta, or adding sliced olives, perhaps a ring of pickled jalapeno or roasted red pepper. But as always the fewer toppings, the better the pizza, and any toppings need to be bone dry..
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For after the Challah-days….
I never ate challah, in fact I could not SPELL challah, until I began a consulting engagement with a chassidic e-tailer. Out of interest, self-defense and training in the fine art of team building, I began to learn Yiddish, and the fine art of kosher cooking. Being a goy, I can never REALLY cook kosher, but it does make for interesting conversations and intriguing attempts. One of the cornerstones of home and hearth in a Jewish household is the shabbos meal, and of that meal the bread, (challah) plays a large roll..
Now As passover ends and the households begin the process of making bread again, this post may be of use.
This challah takes two days to make – not all active. There are three major components (soaker, sponge, and dough).
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Fast Wet Ciabatta
It is the end of passover, and many people are looking forward to risen bread. This is a super fast and really very wet dough that will give you massive bubbles, and a golden crisp crust. Since it is so wet, the usual stretch and fold just will not work, only in the final shaping will we even try to shape things. The really good part is that from start to finish we are looking at 5 hours tops.
I use a mixture of bread flour, semolina flour (Tipo 00), or sometimes a touch of rye or whole wheat.
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Flaky Biscuit
One of my all time favorite things. Biscuits, even better home made biscuits, but the best are light flaky, buttery biscuits.
Those topped with butter and jelly, or gravy, or a small piece of ham and an egg, or with cheese and herbs mixed in are a true delight. Trouble is that make them flaky and tender takes a bit of technique. One idea that showed up while watching a cooking show was a fold method which is similar to making ciabatta.
A biscuit is an short bread, usually portioned to a single serving size. While biscuits derive their name for being “twice baked”, the American biscuit is baked once.
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Herb Cheese Popovers
Tonight I’m having issues. The Demons potato chip and soda are calling my name with increasing ferocity. I want something tasty, but light. A pop over sounds good, but I want more, maybe a cheese and herb pop over …
A popover is a light, hollow roll made from an egg batter similar to that used in making Yorkshire pudding. The name “popover” comes from the fact that the batter swells or “pops” over the top of the muffin tin while baking. They can also be baked in individual custard cups.
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