We received our second CSA delivery today, and just like a kid on Christmas, I couldn’t wait to open up our box, even though I already knew what would be in it (they deliver the weekly newsletter on Wednesday telling us what is in the box). This week we received more bok choy, more green garlic, another bag of baby greens, more pea shoots, a bunch of radishes and another pint of strawberries. In addition to these repeats (all of which I am very grateful for as it gives me a chance to play with these items even more!!) we received a bunch of Hakurei turnips, an early ripening Japanese variety of turnip. I’m really looking forward to “playing” with those as I have never had this variety before, although, from what I have read about them, most of them may get eaten simply washes and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper!

Since I still hadn’t used up the bok choy (a chinese variety of cabbage) and all of the green garlic from last week, and having received more of each, I knew that tonight’s dinner would have to feature both of them. I figured a simple stir-fry would be perfect. Not necessarily the most creative way to use up bok choy, but the meal hit the spot, and was done-start to finish-in just under 15 minutes, not counting the time it took to cook the brown rice that went with it.

Green Garlic

Chicken with Bok Choy
serves 2

1/2 Tbs. soy sauce
2 Tsp. hoisin sauce
2 Tsp. rice wine vinegar
1 Tbs. water
1tsp. corn starch
3 bulbs green garlic (white buld and an inch or 2 of the green stem), thinly sliced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and minced
3-4 bunches baby bok choy
1 pound chicken breast, boneless & skinless, thinly sliced
4 Tbs. sesame oil
1-3 pinches red pepper flakes (optional)
1/2 cup cashews, roasted

Combine the first 5 ingredients and mix well. Set aside. Heat a wok over high heat. Add 2 Tsp. of the sesame oil and once it starts to smoke add the chicken. Quickly stir-fry the chicken until done. Remove from wok. Wipe the wok out and add the remaining sesame oil. When it starts to smoke add the green garlic and ginger. Toss once or twice and add the bok choy-do not let the garlic burn or it will become bitter. Stir-fry the vegetables for about 2 minutes then add about 1 oz (2 Tbs.) of water to quickly steam the bok choy. Add the chicken, and red pepper flakes if using. Then add the reserved sauce you made up earlier. Toss to coat. Add the cashews and serve immediately. This dish is best when the bok choy still has a bit of crispness to it. Let it sit too long and the bok choy will go completely limp. Not the end of the world, but I like it better when there is still a bit of crunch to it. Serve with white or brown rice.

Memorial Day has come and gone, we are well into June, and it finally feels like summertime up here, in Wisconsin. That means that Grilling Season is officially upon us, at least for those that don’t care to brave the weather for year round grilling. Personally, to me, any season is grilling season, and just about any weather is grilling weather, but I know that I tend to be more of the exception than the rule. I have to admit, though, that I do enjoy summertime grilling the best. Maybe its the beer and booze, or the fact that I am often cooking for not just the immediate family, but friends and extended family also, that makes grilling, in the summer, so much fun.

While I prefer mostly burgers and pork products gracing my grill, my wife loves chicken (not that she doesn’t love the other stuff also) and since I am supposed to be trying to eat healthier, on a more regular basis, I have been trying to cook chicken more often. I tend to find chicken to be on the bland side and, honestly, rather boring, so I am always looking for ways to add some flavor and excitement to it. My most recent experiment has been with Asian flavors, especially those of Thailand.

This recipe calls for a few less mainstream items, but most of the items can be found in the Asian section of most grocery stores. The only item you might have trouble finding is the tamarind concentrate. If you can’t find it just substitute a mixture of fresh lemon and lime juice using about half of the amount called for of the tamarind concentrate. It isn’t a perfect substitute but it does provide the fresh acidity that this marinade needs.

Thai Spiced Grilled Chicken
serves 3-4

1/2 cup coconut milk
3 Tbs. green curry paste (you can use red curry paste if you want a hotter, spicier chicken)
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. fish sauce
3 Tbs. tamarind concentrate
1 piece fresh ginger (about 1″), peeled
1 clove garlic, peeled
5-6 pounds chicken pieces (any mix of legs, wings, thighs and/or breasts), bone in

Roughly chop the garlic and the ginger. Place in a blender with the coconut milk, curry paste, soy sauce, fish sauce, and tamarind concentrate. Blend until smooth. Place chicken pieces into 1 or 2 ziplock bags. Add the marinade, seal the bags and massage the chicken briefly to make sure the marinade is evenly distributed. Allow to marinate at least 6 hours, or better yet, overnight, turning the chicken a couple of times for even marination.

When ready to cook prepare a medium hot fire, in your grill. Remove chicken from marinade and place skin down on the grill. Grill, covered for 25-30 minutes, or until all the chicken is done. Turn often so as to not burn the chicken, but do allow the skin to get nice and crisp.

My favorite method of cooking various chicken pieces so that they are all done at approximately the same time is to build a medium hot fire in my charcoal grill. Spread the coals out but leave a 2″ ring around the outside of the grill free of charcoal. As pieces get close to being done move them to this outside ring, leaving the less cooked pieces directly over the fire. If you keep the grill covered, and using this method, all the chicken should end up being done at approximately the same time and you avoid the dried out breasts or undercooked thighs.

So we finally had a beautiful weekend, and just in time. This weekend was the first farm event, of the season, for our new CSA. After not joining a CSA for the last few years we decided to get involved again and chose Good Earth Farm, in Oakfield, WI as our new CSA. The event, this past weekend, gave us a chance to meet Nicole, one of the owners, along with a couple of people working for a share. While not much is happening in the fields yet, except for garlic, the greenhouse was in full swing, and by the looks of things, there were plenty of plants just waiting for the first nice week to be planted outside. I won’t dwell too much on our CSA today as I’m sure there will be plenty of posts about Good Earth Farm once the produce starts rolling in.

This weekend we were also able to finally get the deck together, getting the canvas on the “gazebo” and the table and chairs out. I even had a chance to take full advantage of the set up and spent an hour relaxing and reading on the deck. Oh yeah, I also got the first mowing of the season in. This year I was able to get it done before the grass grew knee high!

The nice weather also brought out the neighbors and it was great to reaquaint ourselves with them after the long, cold winter during which we don’t see much of each other. Overall, a great weekend!

I was in a “Latin” mood today so I thought I’d surprise my wife with homemade empanadas. Empanadas come in all shapes and sizes, and with many different fillings and crusts. Some are baked while others are fried. I have a whole arsenal of different empanada doughs, but I also often just use my tried and true pie dough recipe. It makes a great, light and flaky empanada pastry, especially if you are baking them. I will even admit to occasionally using store bought pie dough if I am pressed for time, although I try not to do that too often.

I still have plenty of chorizo, sitting in my freezer, from my foray into sausage making so I figured I would base my filling on that. Add a few potatoes and a little onion and you have the makings of a great filling. The chorizo is spicy enough and complex enough that you don’t need much else.

Chorizo Empandas
makes 16 empanadas enough to serve 4-5 people

2 batches pie dough for a double crust (your favorite recipe)
1 pound Mexican chorizo
1 1/2 pounds waxy potatoes (something like a red bliss or Yukon Gold)
1 medium onion

Divide the pie dough evenly into 16 pieces, roll into balls and rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. Peel the potatoes and cut into a 1/4-1/2″ dice. Place in cold, salted water, bring to a boil and cook for 8-10 minutes, just until al dente. Rinse under cold water. Remove casings from the chorizo and cook in a skillet over high heat along with the diced up onion. When cooked through add the potatoes and cook for 10 minutes longer. Taste for seasoning and add salt, if necessary. Remove from heat and allow to cool completely. As chorizo mixture is cooling remove pie dough from fridge and allow to soften slightly. Working with 1 dough ball at a time, roll out dough into a 5″ circle. Brush edge with water and place 2 Tbs. of the filling in the center. Fold the edges together and crimp, with a fork to seal. Place on a greased sheet tray. Repeat with remaining dough. You will have leftover filling, but it makes a great mix in for scrambled eggs the next morning for a mexican inspired breakfast. Bake in a preheated oven, at 350°F for 20-25 minutes or until the crust is lightly golden brown. While empanadas are baking make the Avocado Cream.

Avocado Cream
makes approximately 2 1/2 cups

1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 lemon, juiced
1/2 jalapeno, with seeds, roughly chopped
1/4 cup half and half
2 avocados
salt

Place sour cream, lemon juice, half and half, and jalapeno in a blender and blend until smooth. Peel, pit, and dice the avocado and add to the blender. Blend until smooth, adding more half and half only if necessary to keep the contents blending. It should be thick like thick mayonnaise. Season with salt. To store, wrap tightly with plastic wrap, pressing the plastic down, onto the surface of the avocado cream.

Serve the empanadas with a few dollops of the avocado cream and garnish with pico de gallo or diced tomato and cilantro.

Unfortunately, this will probably be my last post on ramps for the year. Work is going to be very busy as I have to cover some of my staff’s vacation. That means no weekends off for the next few weeks. In fact, I’ll be lucky to get a day or 2 off in the upcoming 2-3 weeks, which means that all of my free time will be devoted to chores around the house. No time to go wandering through the woods, looking for ramps. By the time I surface again, most of the other plants will have overtaken the ramps, making them much more difficult to find. And while you can gather ramps well into the summer, I prefer the more tender, more subtle flavor of early season ramps. If you can’t get enough, then I suggest you check out the article I wrote, for Chef Talk. It contains a wonderful recipe for a Grilled Ramp Salad that is a must try for anyone who loves ramps like I do. You can find the article here.

Last weekend my parents came up from Indiana to celebrate my Mom’s 70th birthday. Neither of them were very familiar with ramps so I figured I could make a few things that showcased them. On the night of my Mom’s birthday I created the Grilled Ramp Salad that I wrote about for the Chef Talk article, while the following morning, Sunday, I baked off this wonderful Strata, aka, Egg Casserole. My Dad also expressed some interest in how to hunt for ramps so I took him to my favorite foraging spot and gave him a quick lesson in ramp gathering. It was nice as we also got to spend a little father-son time, something that doesn’t happen often as they live 5+ hours away and when they come up, love to spend time with their granddaughter. And who can blame them. She’s awfully cute!

Egg Casseroles, Stratas, do require a little preplanning as they do best when they are made the night before and allowed to soak overnight. The nice thing about that is then that morning there is very little that needs to be done and you can relax with a cup of coffee. They can also be assembled early in the morning, if you are planning on doing a late brunch as you can get away with a 4 hour soak, but I wouldn’t allow for any less time.

Spinach and Ramp Strata
serves 8-10

10 eggs
2 3/4 cups milk
2 cups ramps, chopped (use the everything but the roots)
2 Tbs. butter, plus more for greasing the pan
12 oz. frozen spinach, thawed
2 cups swiss cheese, shredded
1 pound loaf french bread, sliced 1/2-3/4″ thick
salt
pepper
freshly ground nutmeg

Heat a large saute pan over medium high heat and melt the butter. Add the ramps and saute until tender but not colored. Add the spinach, salt and pepper and continue to cook until most of the water has evaporated.

Cool the spinach mixture. Crack the eggs into a large bowl and beat thoroughly. Add the milk and season with salt, pepper and a few gratings of fresh nutmeg. Butter a 9×13 baking pan. Place half of the bread slices in the bottom of the baking dish. Layer with the spinach mixture and top with 1 cup of the swiss cheese.

Top with the remaining bread.

Then pour the egg mixture of the everything, making sure to soak each piece of bread. Cover in plastic wrap and refrigerate, at least, 4 hours or preferably, overnight.

The next morning preheat the oven to 350°F. While the oven is heating uncover the strata and top with the remaining cheese. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the strata no longer jiggles, in the center, when gently shaken. If it starts to get too brown cover with some aluminum foil. When done remove from oven and allow to rest for 5 minutes before serving.

As a member of the Foodbuzz Tastemaker program I recently received an email inviting bloggers to create a recipe using and/or pairing with one of New Belgium Brewery’s beers. In return New Belgium offered up a $50 stipend to those bloggers picked. I was thrilled when I received notification that I was one of the blogs that the folks over at New Belgium chose.

The hardest part to this whole assignment was choosing which of their beers to use to create my dish. Let’s face it, New Belgium Brewery has a number of really great beers from which to choose from. I was, originally all set to use their “1554,” one of my favorite beers, but on the day that I was planning out my recipe I ended up heading out to do some Ramp picking. For those reader’s who have been following me since last year, you’ll know that I am a huge ramp fan. For those of you unfamiliar with ramps, they are a wild “onion” that grows in early spring and has a taste somewhere between a leek, a scallion and garlic. They are one of the few foods I feel comfortable foraging for as they are pretty easy to identify and I don’t have to worry about poisoning someone with them.

Freshly picked ramps

But I digress; because of my ramp picking foray my whole recipe concept changed and I eventually decided on the Ranger IPA to highlight. American IPAs (India Pale Ales) can be difficult beers to cook with. They are great beers for pairing with food, especially spicy foods, but in cooking with them one has be careful or the bitterness, from the hops, can overwhelm a dish. Luckily Ranger IPA has a nice malty backbone to help balance out the bitterness of the beer.

While I hesitate to call this a “Moroccan” dish, its flavors where definitely influenced by the foods of Morocco and Northern Africa. The heat and spice of the dish holds up well to the high bitterness, while the shrimp does well with the citrus notes of the beer. The Ranger IPA is used as the base for the marinade and makes the perfect accompaniment to the finished dish.

Spicy Shrimp with Red Pepper Sauce
serves 4

Marinade
1 cup New Belgium Ranger IPA
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 lemon, zested
1 tsp. garlic chile paste (I used sambal)

Red Pepper Sauce
2 large red bell peppers
1 Tbs. whole coriander seed
1 Tbs. whole cumin seed
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground cayenne pepper
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 clove garlic, peeled

32 each large shrimp
1/2 pound ramps (can substitute green onions)
2 lemons
1/2 cup chopped parsley
Couscous (your favorite brand)

Make the marinade by combining th beer, olive oil, lemon zest and garlic chile paste. Peel and devein the shrimp, leaving the tails intact. Pour marinade over the shrimp and allow to marinate for 2-4 hours.

Meanwhile, if you don’t have metal skewers, place 8 8″ bamboo skewers in water to soak. Roast the red peppers and remove skin and seeds. Place in a blender along with turmeric, cinnamon, olive oil, cayenne pepper and garlic. Quickly toast the coriander and cumin seed in a hot, dry saute pan over medium high heat. Add too the rest of the ingredients and blend until smooth.

Season with salt and chill until ready to use. Wash the ramps, remove the root ends and most of the leaves, which tend to burn on the grill. Cut the lemons in half. Once the shrimp have marinated, heat a grill to high. While the grill is heating skewer the shrimp, placing 4 shrimp on each skewer. Prepare the couscous per the package instructions. Drizzle the ramps with olive oil and season with salt and freshly cracked black pepper. Grill until softened and just slightly charred. While the ramps are grilling, brush the cut sides of the lemon with olive oil and grill just until the cut side is lightly browned. Finally season the shrimp with salt and pepper and grill until done (approximately 3-4 minutes on each side depending on how hot your grill is and how big the shrimp are).

Stir in about 1/3 cup of chopped parsley into the couscous and divide among 4 plates. Arrange shrimp around couscous and top with grilled ramps. Drizzle the red pepper sauce over everything and garnish with the remaining parsley.

Sponsored by Chef Talk

I met Jim Berman years ago on Chef Talk. The website was still relatively small and obscure, and populated by, mainly, by very passionate chefs and a few serious homecooks. Even then, Jim’s passion for food was clearly evident and made him standout. Years later, as I’ve watched friends and collegues burnout and lose their passion for this business, Jim still seems to be going strong. I can’t help but feel that this partially due to his choice to educate and inspire a new generation of chefs.

Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa, Jim Berman received his formal culinary training through the American Culinary Federation’s Chefs’ apprenticeship program at the Community College of Santa Fe, New Mexico. He eventually settled in Old New Castle, Delaware where he has lived for the past sixteen years. As a former Executive Chef for Brandywine River Museum and DuPont Experimental Station, Jim left the corporate dining world behind to become the Chef Instructor at Delcastle Technical High School, where he has been since 2003. Jim is the founder and faculty advisor of the Cooks and Bakers competition/service team. He, along with his team, the Cooks and Bakers, has twice been honored with the Governor’s Award for Volunteer Service and the President’s Award for Youth Service. An advocate of utilizing fair-trade and locally-sourced products, Jim, his teaching partner and culinary class finished at the top of this year’s “The Farmer and the Chef” following up to last year’s third place finish. To underscore Jim’s belief in using seasonal, local goods, he and his students travelled to Italy this past summer to explore the practical kitchen applications of Italian cuisine’s approach to local produce. In his spare time Jim also regularly contributes articles for Cheftalk.com as well as helps administer the forum boards there.

Anyone who knows Jim would agree that his students are very lucky to have someone like Jim teaching them. His passion and love of food are pervade all he does, as evidenced by the numerous awards and acolades both he, his program, and his students receive.

What made you decide to leave the restaurant world?
I suppose the predictable answer would be that I had burned out on the day-to-day grind, the hours, the physical demand. The more accurate answer would be that I had just turned 30 and felt that I really wasn’t doing anything meaningful with my life. I was surrounded by people that were solely in their jobs for the money and I was serving people that simply did not give a damn about me, my plight or the amount of work that went into making their food. I had three kids that I scarcely knew and, more importantly, I was starting to not know myself. I know… deeply philosophical and all, but it was true. My life had succumbed to the kitchen; free time was spent in some aspect of work, whether worrying about work, planning for work or attending to some detail for work, what was once fun, or at least engaging, had lost its appeal. I was writing a food column for a local newspaper in my ‘free’ time and reading about food in the little pockets that were left of non-kitchen time. Way too much tunnel vision!

What do you miss most about the restaurant world?
There is no mistaking the camaraderie is addictive. The rush, again another predictable answer, is a real adrenaline kick, as well. I know a lot of people go into cooking so that others can appreciate the creativity that has been born. I have never thought myself creative, so I simply miss having something ‘come out’ as intended. Cooking is still a part of my everyday, but the combination of fuel, food and the frantic pace is the greatest absence.

What do you find to be the most rewarding part of teaching the next generation of cooks and chefs?
That’s a tough question! I think seeing students use what they have learned and applying it. We just got done working with shellfish. A few students took apart some Dungeness crabs and decided to make ravioli. They put their background knowledge to work to get the pasta made, filled and cooked. They seasoned the filling using what they had learned earlier in the year when we got into tasting food and how our mouths’ react to different tastes. I stood back and watched. The kitchen was quiet sans some banter about the size or shape of the filled pastas. That’s a good moment! Then there is the personal stuff. When a student comes back after a few years of being in industry or at school, that just burns bright throughout the day. There is certainly no mistaking the personal connections with some students and even their parents. Many students have moved away, but we remain in touch and I get to be a part of their kitchen experiences as newer members of the industry. I get to live vicariously through them! I get to hear about and see pictures of some amazing food and the frenetic kitchen life. And, while many students leave the field before even really getting started, their energy is contagious and their youth has kept me young.

If there is one thing that you want your students to take away from your courses what would that be?
I have resorted to quotes, cliches and the occasional sermon from the kitchen pulpit. Take your pick. From my stage I preach that there is simply no mistaking hard work. Reward is directly proportional to the amount of energy invested. Practice is part of routine and routine is part of becoming better. “Train the way you fight, fight the way you train.” There are personal facets that I want my crew to take with them, from understanding differences (in ability, in opinion, in goals, etc) to valuing responsibility (and even defining responsibility) to appreciating autonomy, excitement, risk-taking and organization. Yeah, I know you asked for one piece. Each day is made up of a series of teachable moments, little victories and some salty tears. So, there are many adventures throughout the course of the day that pop out to benefit the students.

If you could do it all over again would you follow the same career path?
Yes. No. I don’t know. I started my working career heading in the direction of investment banking. More accurately, my parents started my working career heading in the direction of investment banking. Cooking was a part time gig that I got by lying about my experience. And I never left. Do I still love to cook? Yes. I like to be around food; I like to eat; I like to read about it. And I certainly enjoy watching others cook. But, you know, it has been a hard climb. Not to say that the challenge was unwelcome. Adversity reveals character. Pragmatically speaking, money is tough as a cook and, as a teacher, well, no complaints but credit card companies aren’t exactly knocking on my door to offer me Platinum cards. No, it isn’t about the money. As I have gone on in age, though, I see a daughter on the brink of college with two more to follow. Am I fascinated and happy by what I do? Yes. I think I would have liked to have been in the armed services and maybe been a carpenter so I could build my own cabinets… for my kitchen.

Jim has kindly offered up his recipe for Potato Gnocchi. Gnocchi has, once again, become a somewhat trendy food, partially due to its popularity among the chefs of Top Chef, and because its rustic nature makes it fall into that category of “comfort food” that Americans seem to crave so much. Either way, potato gnocchi is a fantastic dish; easy to make and impressive to serve. Following Jim’s recipe will help to ensure your gnocchi is light and fluffy, not the heavy, sodden nuggets that are the hallmark of poorly made gnocchi.

Potato Gnocchi

2 lb Potatoes, russet*
1 Egg, large
10 oz Cake Flour, plus additional for dusting
Salt
Pepper
Corn meal for dusting trays

Simmer the potatoes until a knife easily passes to the center. Remove the cooked potatoes from the water. Peel the potatoes while still warm. Pass potatoes through a ricer into a bowl.

Add egg and flour into bowl with potatoes. Add salt and pepper. Lightly knead the dough to reach a pliable consistency. Sprinkle rolling surface with flour; slice dough into 6 balls. Roll one ball into a length that is about ½” thick.

Use a bench knife to cut off ¾” pieces.

Repeat until all the dough is cut. Place gnocchi on a tray lined with corn meal. Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and add the gnocchi. When the gnocchi float on the surface of the water, remove and serve with choice of sauce and garnish.

*Stick with Russet potatoes and stay away from starchy potatoes like Baby Reds or Yukon Golds. Their moist, waxy interior will make leaden gnocchi, not light ones.

When I was first introduced to Mexican Chorizo I was very confused. What I knew as “Chorizo” came from Spain and it was a dried sausage, so the first time I ordered Chorizo and Eggs I was perlexed by what I received. My consternation didn’t last long, however, after taking my first bite. I immediately fell in love with this new (well at least new to me) form of sausage. And I’ve been in love ever since.

Chorizo is a great way to add a little spice and Southwest flair to just about any meat dish that calls for ground meat. I often like to add it to chili, use it to fill tacos and burritos, add some into fried potatoes, or a pot of refried beans, and, of course, in the ever popular Chorizo and Eggs, for breakfast. But one of my favorite things to do with chorizo is to make my Southwestern Chorizo Burgers. It’s a combination of chorizo and ground beef and it makes one of the best nontraditional burgers around. You can find the recipe on my blog here.

Making Mexican Chorizo is a pretty simple process, especially so since I find no need to stuff it into casings. The vast majority of uses requires it to be crumbled and browned so there is no need to bother with the hassle of stuffing. To be honest, as much as I love chorizo, it is a pretty spicy product and I’m not sure that I’d enjoy eating it as a link.

Mexican Chorizo

4 pounds pork butt
2 Tbs. paprika
1 1/2 Tbs. ancho powder*
1 Tbs. chipotle powder**
1/4 tsp. ground clove
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. dried oregano, crushed
1 tsp. ground black pepper
5 tsp. salt
1 tsp. ground coriander
1/3 cup cider vinegar

Cut the pork butt into 1 inch pieces, making sure to remove any glands you might come across (for a description is my post on making Italian Sausage). In a nonoreactive bowl, combine all the dry ingredients and mix into the pork.

Add the vinegar and mix well. Cover and place in the refrigerator for, at least 2 hours, or overnight. Before grinding place all grinder parts in the freezer to chill. Grind once using the coarsest die.

Mix the sausage to help distribute the seasonings even more then grind, again, through one of the smaller dies. Make a small patty and cook it up. Taste and check for seasoning. Adjust seasoning to your taste. This recipe makes a full flavored sausage with just a bit of heat. You can up the ancho and chipotle, or even add a bit of cayenne if you want more. I usually then package it into 1/2-1 pound packages that I freeze until needed. While this sausage is ready to go after grinding, I find giving it another day, for the flavors to meld, improves it even more.

*If you can’t find Ancho powder, take a couple of ancho chiles (the dried form of the poblano pepper) and roast them in a 350°F oven for 10 minutes. Allow them to cool completely, remove the stem and seeds (you can leave the seeds in if you want it hotter), crumble it up and grind in a spice grinder.

**If you don’t have Chipotle powder puree 1-2 chipotles en adobo as a substitute. You can find these in most Hispanic sections at the grocery store nowadays.

You’ve heard me say it before and I’m sure you will it again, many times, from me, but great food does not always have to be complicated. Oftentimes all that great food requires is starting with a great product and using good technique. A perfect example of this is a very simple and straightforward roast chicken. With just a few, simple ingredients and good technique one can turn the ordinary into something sublime. Just ask most chefs and they will tell you that a perfectly roasted chicken is a thing of beauty and one of their favorite dishes. By the way, if you are wanting a lesson in roasting chicken, you can find my instructions here in one of my earlier posts.

This recipe kind of falls into the same category although it does have a few more ingredients that roast chicken, but not many more. Many people are not familiar with fennel, the vegetable. Sure, most everyone has fennel seed sitting in their spice draws (usually collecting dust) but not everyone is familiar with the vegtable, which is too bad as fennel is one of the most flavorful vegetables out there. The flavor is a very subtle anise flavor that pairs well with everything from chicken to fish to pork to pasta. I often shave the raw fennel bulb and add it to a salad for a nice crunch and vibrant flavor, but, by far, my favorite way to prepare fennel is to slowly caramelize it. Like onions and other root vegetables, caramelizing fennel brings out its inherent sweetness, while creating a rich, deep flavor that I find irresistable.

Simply add some leeks and a little garlic, along with some cream and you have a wonderful, cool weather sauce for pasta. Pair with a sauteed chicken breast and you have a meal that is warm and comforting enough for simple meal and yet, sophisticated enough to impress your favorite foodie.

Sauteed Chicken Breast wtih Fettuccine and Fennel
serves 4

1 bulb fennel, tops removed and some of the fronds reserved
1 medium leek, julienned, white and light green parts only
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbs. butter
2 cups cream
salt
pepper

4 each chicken breasts, boneless, skinless
2 tsp. fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 Tbs. olive oil
salt
pepper

1 pound fettuccine
1/4 cup chopped parsley

To cut the fennel, slice in half from top to bottom, cutting through the core. Remove the core and julienne like you would an onion. In a large saute pan over medium heat, melt the butter and add the fennel. Slowly cook for 15-20, stirring regularly, until the fennel is a uniformed medium brown. Meanwhile place the leeks in a strainer and rinse to remove any grit and dirt. Once the fennel is done, add the leeks and garlic to the pan, along with some salt and pepper. Cook for 3 minutes making sure that the garlic does not burn. Add the cream and reduce by half. Taste for seasoning.

Meanwhile, while the fennel is cooking, season the chicken breasts with salt, pepper and the fresh time. Also bring 1 gallon of salted water to a boil. Once the fennel is half way done, and the water is boiling add the fettuccine and cook per the package directions. In another large saute pan, heat the 2 Tbs. olive oil, over high heat. Add the chicken breasts and cook until done (lenght of time will be determined by how big and how thick the breast are).

When the fettuccine is done, drain, reserving 1 cup of the cooking water, and toss pasta with the sauce. If sauce is too thick add some of the reserved pasta water, a little at a time, until you achieve the consistancy you desire. Taste for seasoning and adjust salt and pepper as needed. Divide the pasta among 4 plates and mound just above the center point of the plate. Slice the chicken breast, on a bias, into 7-9 slices and fan out, leaning against the pasta. Sprinkle with the parsley and a little of the fennel frond you reserved and chopped up.

It’s time to dirty a few dishes. Okay, more than a few, but making pastitsio is worth the pile of pots and pans it requires to make it. If you are not familiar with pastitsio, it is a layered pasta dish, kind of similar to Italian Lasagna, most often associated with Greek cuisine although a similar dish can be found thoughout the Mediterrian and Middle East. Often made with lamb, although beef is common also, the dish starts with a layer of pasta, then a layer of meat sauce, followed by another layer of pasta, and finally topped with with a rich bechemel, often enriched with egg and cheese. While the dish, and all of its components, seem quite familiar, there is just enough nutmeg, cinnamon, and allspice to lend an exotic flair to it, which makes it a great starting point from which a novice can start to explore the world of Greek cuisine.

One of the great things about making pastitsio is that it doesn’t require a whole lot of special ingredients. In fact you will probably have almost all of the ingredients in your house already. Of course if you want to get really “authentic” about it, there are few ingredients you need. First is a special, hollow pasta noodle that is used to make pastitsio, but any hollow pasta, such as penne, ziti, or macaroni will do. In fact, we had cavatappi around so that is what we used. Secondly you will need Kefalotiri cheese. This Greek hard cheese is made from sheep’s and goat’s milk. It can be difficult to find, but Pecorino Romano makes a great substitute. Failing that, a good parmesan works well. Just stay away from the stuff in the green can. You know the stuff that I mean.

Lastly, the only other decision to be made is whether to use lamb or beef. Some people will say that lamb is more traditional, but many “authentic” recipes I’ve seen say you can use either. My wife is not a big fan of lamb so we usually go with beef. So, now, let’s dirty some pots and pans!!

Pastitsio
serves 8-10

The Filling
1 Tbs. butter
2 pounds ground beef
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground black pepper
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. ground allspice
2 Tbs. parsley, chopped
1/2 cup white wine
4 medium tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (or 1 15oz can diced tomato)
1 each egg white

Melt butter in a large saute pan, over high heat and add the ground beef, onion and garlic. Cook until brown then add all the remaining ingredients except the egg white. Cook until most of the liquid is absorbed. Remove from heat, allow to cool to room temperature and then stir in the egg white. Set aside.

The Cream Sauce
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup flour
4 cups milk
Salt
Pepper
Ground nutmeg
1 cup Kefalotiri cheese or substitute (see above)
2 eggs

Melt butter in a sauce pot and add the flour. Cook, stirring constantly, for 1 minute then add the milk. Bring to a boil, stirring to ensure that sauce is smooth. Once the sauce thickens add the seasonings, to taste and remove from heat. Meanwhile beat eggs and stir in the cheese. To this mixture add about 1 cup of hot sauce and mix to temper so that the eggs won’t curdle. Pour egg mixture back into the sauce,stirring to combine, then set aside.

The Pasta and Assembly
1 pound of hollow pasta (see above for details)
1 cup Kefalotiri cheese, grated (or substitute)

While making the sauce, bring to a boil, in a large pot, 1 gallon of salted water. Cook pasta per directions on the package. Drain and rinse. Lightly grease a 9×13 baking dish. Place half the pasta in the bottom of the dish, topped with 1/3 of the grated cheese.

Over this layer spread the meat filling.

Then the other half of the pasta, followed by another 1/3 of the grated cheese.

Finally, pour on the cream sauce and top with the remaining 1/3 of grated cheese.

Bake in a 350°F oven for about 45 minutes or until bubbling and the top is golden brown.

Remove from oven and allow to cool for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Sponsored by Chef Talk

This month marks the start of a new monthly feature called “Life Beyond the Restaurant World.”  In it I will be featuring ex chefs, like me, that left the restaurant business, for one reason or another.  It’s a topic that, while close to me, I haven’t really explored here, on Onceachef.  I’m very excited to introduce Graham Duncan in this debutfeature of my series.  Graham and I first met back in 1993 or 1994 (those years kind of meld together) when we both cooked at City Grill, in Atlanta.  We became fast friends and while our careers have taken us different places, we still regularly talk and catch up on each other’s family news.   Graham, his wife, and his two lovely daughters reside just outside of the Washington D.C. area.  Graham just recently left the restaurant world and from our conversations seems to be enjoying his new found freedom, away from the kitchen, but I’ll let him tell you in his own words.

What made you decide to leave the restaurant world?
I have been cooking for a living for 25 years as of September 9th 2010, once I settled down and started a family I realized that my income would need to increase incrementally to keep up with my new lifestyle, namely diapers, car payments (safe, family vehicles), and mortgages, etc. This was at about the same time that 9/11 happened and the bottom fell out of the white table cloth side of the business. I had to make the leap to a larger restaurant company with better benefits and more stability(?!). After being fired from two $10million restaurant openings in the space of three years I decided that enough was enough, but I had no other marketable skills.
Since I had successfully opened and staffed each of the restaurants and now the profitability was under (one was over by almost double) projections, obviously conventional wisdom states that when all systems are in place and you want to save some extra money, the easiest solution is to cut off the head of the beast ( in this example the Executive Chef), because you only needed it to get the monster open, then you can hand the reigns to a sous chef, give him a raise and call him an Executive Kitchen Manager, boy has the game changed.
The disillusion was complete when I realized that having a family to support, which made me attractive to the owners as a stable employee, and the simple fact that I could be put out on the street despite this same responsibility in the name of “just doing business”, nothing personal you know.
It was when I went to work for a publicly traded, national chain restaurant company where I was only expected to work 70 hours a week, including all major holidays and weekends, and only had to use 7% of my mental capacity that I made a commitment to get out of restaurants entirely.

What are you doing now? And how did your life in the restaurant world prepare you for what you are doing now?
I haven’t left the restaurant world entirely; I work as the Executive Chef in charge of Business Development for SYSCO Foodservices of Baltimore (just northof DC), in that role I work with restaurant owners, managers, and chefs from all over Northern Virginia, DC, Maryland, and southern Pennsylvania.
To help these operators maximize their menu profitability, I help them with menu development and design, BOH systems implementation, and education on new products and how these changes can help them compete with larger chains that have advantages with buying power and consolidated systems.

What do you miss most about the restaurant world?
Camaraderie, restaurants and especially working in kitchens can forge strong relationships that aren’t possible in other types of work; it reminds me of a sports team in the way that disparate personalities work together for a common goal.

One of the things my wife loved most about me leaving the restaurant world is that now I cook more often at home. Do you cook at home? What do you like to prepare?
I find that I enjoy cooking at home again now that I have the time and cooking doesn’t feel like a chore because I don’t do it for 65 hours a week anymore. When I cook at home I usually roast or braise, I can spend less time in the kitchen, the house smells great and the food is more satisfying in terms of flavor development.

If you could do it all over again would you follow the same career path?
Yes, I can’t imagine myself doing anything else, and no matter what kind of party you get invited to, people always think that you must be interesting because you can cook.
I think if I had to do it all over again, I would concentrate on building my management skill set at least as much as I focused on knowing food and technique in the beginning of my career. I had a steep learning curve when I finally got promoted into management; I know it would have been easier on me and my coworkers if I had at least some idea of what managing a kitchen entailed when I became sous chef, and I would have avoided, at least, a few fistfights. (continue reading…)