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Sally: Secrets of Success
here is a link to the book
Ok, all systems GO!!!!!!!!!!!
"You don't scare me. I've got a Jack Russell and he is the Chief"
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(post #67174, reply #1 of 294)
That looks like a great book, and it will be fun to read along as you cook your way around the Bay Area.
A skim through the index identified a few favorites that I've made (from the chef's own cookbooks) or eaten at their restaurants: I adore that Salmon w/ Thai Curry from Terra so much that DH made it for me on my 50th birthday; Zuni does make a great burger-be sure to make those little red pickled onions & zucchini slices; and that Duck Liver Flan at Bay Wolf is fabulous. (Okay, I just drive down the street & order it, but since you can't, be sure & try it.)
I had the first version of this cookbook, I may have to get this one.
BTW, did you know that Michael Bauer has a blog? http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/sfgate/indexn?blogid=26
(post #67174, reply #2 of 294)
I cooked a few things from the book and loved them all - particularly the cog au vin. Spectacular.
I like the idea of a book with lots of variety - otherwise I know I'd get bored
I'm pretty excited about this project. I will be a snailer-walker, but I don t care. Participating will be fun
"You don't scare me. I've got a Jack Russell and he is the Chief"
(post #67174, reply #3 of 294)
"particularly the cog au vin."
clearly a recipe to get your gears turning ;-)
(sorry, I just couldn't resist)
(post #67174, reply #5 of 294)
I had to go dictionary.com for that one...
live and learn
Problem is, I have reading glasses but cannot use them for the computer, I get dizzy. So, there you have it, typos and more typos go unnoticed
(le sigh)
"You don't scare me. I've got a Jack Russell and he is the Chief"
(post #67174, reply #6 of 294)
Really, I was just teasing you. Remember I'm the one who accidentally typed teat instead of test the other week. I have the world's worst typing skills
(post #67174, reply #7 of 294)
I get into all sorts of trouble, I guess :-)
get this one - Phil left his schedule for his trip with me, and when I talked to him yesterday I said
"why the heck would they take you every single meal in the same restaurant? you must know the full menu by now"
silence....
"what do you mean? I've never been to the same place twice!"
"well, in the schedule it says lunch: TBD
dinner: TBD"
He almost choked laughing. How was I supposed to know it means "TO BE DETERMINED??????"
(a foreigner sigh)
"You don't scare me. I've got a Jack Russell and he is the Chief"
(post #67174, reply #9 of 294)
SNORT!!!
(post #67174, reply #10 of 294)
Reporting on first recipe. Please note the "Secrets of Success" at the end. Each recipe in this book comes with these little notes that summarize what is important in the technique
Sauteed Mushrooms - page 255
from Cha Cha Cha Restaurant, one of the city's first Caribbean restaurants
Buttom mushrooms, stemmed, are sauteed in very hot oil for a couple of minutes. A little more oil is added, and a mixture of minced garlic, dried herbs (oregano, thyme and basil), red pepper flakes and minced scallions is added. Sauteed a couple more minutes until mushrooms start to get a brownish color
Sherry is added and reduced - again, 3-5 minutes max
butter in pieces added slowly to form a nice glaze
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Secrets of Success:
Smoking oil. Make sure the oil is hot so the mushrooms will brown
Reducing the sherry. This intensifies the flavor, which is then smoothed out with butter swirled in at the last minute
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Our review - very good recipe, different from the way we normally cook mushrooms. We like to slice them thinly and use only salt and pepper as seasoning. The mushrooms kept whole turn it in a more substantial feel, very good as a side dish for steaks.
A lot of flavor.
If anyone is interested in the full recipe, just ask.
"You don't scare me. I've got a Jack Russell and he is the Chief"
(post #67174, reply #12 of 294)
I'll have reams and reams of paper if I start asking for every recipe that looks good, as does your mushrooms. I was duly impressed with Michael Chaiarello's button mushrooms in Casual Cooking, I know they were posted here before. Never thought I'd like them, but now make them frequently.
But, but, it's SUPPOSED to taste like that!
(post #67174, reply #13 of 294)
I have eaten these mushrooms MANY times at ChaChaCha. Its original location was on Haight Street, not far from where I lived when I first moved to SF in 1987.
It was one of my favorite places to eat back then...it was lively, colorful, loud and the food...mostly served tapas style, back before "small plates" were in vogue, was GREAT... and not $$$.
Water is a great ingredient to cook with, it has such a neutral flavor
Bobby Flay
Edited 4/10/2007 12:22 am ET by Risottogirl
Water is a great ingredient to cook with, it has such a neutral flavor - Bobby Flay
(post #67174, reply #40 of 294)
Can I find the mushroom recipe somewhere? I googled a little, as much as grands will allow, but I only came up with references to the recipe.
I make brandied mushrooms which are delicious, but I want a more substantial recipe to use as a side dish.
(post #67174, reply #41 of 294)
Go to the Secrets of Success Cookbook at Amazon and use the search inside this book feature for sauteed mushrooms, you'll find it on page 255.
Cooks Talk T&T Recipes
~Amy
Cooks Talk T&T Recipes
(post #67174, reply #42 of 294)
I see that the SuperWoman found it online for you!
:-)
If for some reason you cannot get it, just let me know - I'll type it for you
"I marinate my kitchen on a regular basis"
(pamilyn, April 2007)
(post #67174, reply #43 of 294)
Oh how sneeky is that? Great and Thanks Schnitzel.
I'll type it Sally. I must take a look at that book!
(post #67174, reply #128 of 294)
Secrets of Success
-- Smoking oil. Make sure the oil is very hot so the mushrooms will brown.
-- Reducing the sherry. This intensifies the flavor, which is then smoothed out with butter swirled in at the last minute.
SAUTEED MUSHROOMS- Philip Bellber
INGREDIENTS
4 tablespoons olive oil
18 to 20 button mushrooms, stemmed
1 tablespoon minced garlic
Generous 1/4 teaspoon dried basil
Generous 1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
Generous 1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
2 scallions (white part only), finely chopped
Pinch of hot red pepper flakes
1/2 cup dry sherry
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
INSTRUCTIONS
In a large, heavy skillet over medium-high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil until it smokes. Add the mushrooms and saute for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring constantly.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil, the garlic, dried herbs, scallions and red pepper flakes. Saute until the mushrooms brown, about 2 minutes.
Add the sherry and cook until the liquid is reduced by half, about 3 to 5 minutes.
Add the butter, a bit at a time, stirring to glaze the mushrooms. Season with salt and pepper.
Serves 4.
PER SERVING: 260 calories, 1 g protein, 4 g carbohydrate, 25 g fat (9 g saturated), 31 mg cholesterol, 7 mg sodium, 1 g fiber
"Good judgement comes from experience, and a lot of that comes from bad judgement"
Growing old is inevitable, growing up is optional!
(post #67174, reply #11 of 294)
LOL
(post #67174, reply #4 of 294)
I'm tempted to buy this book just to follow along with what you do. Hmm. Yup, gonna doit.
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
help to provide free mammograms for women in need
(post #67174, reply #132 of 294)
I need to thank you for point out his blog to me - thanks to it, I got in touch with him to ask for clarification in one of his recipes (pork tenderloin confit).
He was very nice, and also advised me to make sure to make one of his favorites of the book, twice baked goat cheese soufflee
I already had it on my mind, and will make sure to do it soon
"I marinate my kitchen on a regular basis"
(pamilyn, April 2007)
(post #67174, reply #8 of 294)
I haven't seen this book. It looks really interesting. I love the food out there.
(post #67174, reply #14 of 294)
Reporting on dish number 2 of the cooking marathon, walk-a-thon rather....
Made Tuna Tartare, page 44
ONe word: outstanding.
Period.
We have ahi tuna as an appetizer quite often - simple, just thin slices, some wasabi and soy
This dish took ahi salmon to a fantastic level.
As described in the book, salmon tartare is one of those fashionable dishes that has been severely abused. This version allows the flavor of the tuna to come through.
I was about to lick the plate, so good it was.
The ingredient that "made" it, in my humble opinion: julienned radishes. Ok, it was a major pain to do it, with my fantastic knife skills, but it was worth every profanity around the kitchen
The tuna is cut in 1/4 inch dice - mixed with julienned radishes, cilantro, fresh ginger, shallots, green onions. Simple dressing of olive oi, soy and lemon juice.
My only Madmomming: I did not find daikon sprouts to serve the tartare on, so I used shredded romaine lettuce (sorry, that' all I had)
No need to serve it on a bed of anything, the dish is flavorful, light, complex and simple at the same time
A keeper. It will be on our next dinner party for sure
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
From a restaurant called RUBICON
"You don't scare me. I've got a Jack Russell and he is the Chief"
(post #67174, reply #15 of 294)
I love that kind of dish. Tuna sashimi is one of my favourite foods.
(post #67174, reply #81 of 294)
You win some, you lose some
yesterday I made the recipe from page 148
Lamb skewers with spicy yogurt dressing
From a restaurant called Oberon
the recipe calls for ground lamb, mixed with sauteed onions (allowed to cool), mint, garlic overnight.
next day you form the little skewers, by grabbing portions of the ground lamb and forming little sausages, 3 inches long, 1 inch in diameter. THread them through skewers and grill for 5 minutes
serve with spicy yogurt - yogurt mixed with cayenne pepper and mint, plus salt and pepper
COuld not be simpler
COuld not have been a bigger disaster - I am glad I did not burn the house down, it was a close call
Maybe the ground lamb I got was too fatty - it did look like it, but what could I do? Even the dogs ran away from the grill in horror, as the flames went high up, engulfed every single piece of meat, burned every single wooden skewer, and the poor pieces of zucchini that were sharing the grill space with the lamb
I will not be able to remove the smell of lamb from my hair EVER.
THe ones I could save and serve for our dinner, looked pathetic.
granted, the yogurt sauce is delicious and I will definitely make it again and again to serve with all kinds of grilled meats. But I will never, I repeat, NEVER grill ground lamb for as long as I live.
I also started the preparation for another recipe in the book, which I will post about later, or maybe tomorrow. That turned out to be a disaster even greater than my carbonized lamb
(le sigh)
edited for a typo
"I marinate my kitchen on a regular basis"
(pamilyn, April 2007)
Edited 5/3/2007 9:15 am by SallyBR1
(post #67174, reply #82 of 294)
I don't know what it is about the smell of lamb. Maybe someone else does. I love braised lamb shanks. But with any other preparation, the smell just does me in and I can't bear it.
Hope it comes out of your hair :(
Not As Good As Pork Cracklins
Not As Good As Pork Cracklins
(post #67174, reply #83 of 294)
I might as well take a deep breath and start talking about the other recipe I started yesterday
for those who have the book, it is on page 266, White Vegetable Puree
restaurant Lulu
"When you are tired of the basic mashed potatoes, this puree from Lulu will reinvigorate your palate..... The pureed vegetable dish also keeps three or four days in the refrigerator. " (that's why I started it yesterday, planning to have it for dinner tomorrow)
the recipe calls for baking onions (cut in half), leeks and garlic for one hour at 300F (covered, with a little oil and water, the idea is NOT to brown them)
meanwhile you cook quartered potatoes, and chunks of parsnips, turnips and celery root
when they are tender, you pass the baked onion mix plus the veggies in a food mill
then finish the puree with some oil, butter, cooking liquid
The "secret of success" in this dish is supposed to be the food mill. It gives the perfect texture
++++++++++++++++++++
Have you guys ever tried to pass onion and leeks through a food mill? I've got news for you: it does not work.
Have you tried to cook potatoes and turnips and parsnips and celery root in the same pan? NO matter what, they don t get to the same tenderness at the same time.
to make a long story short, when I finished, the kitchen looked like a pack of rabid wolves had been there and they did NOT like the puree.
I broke the food mill, it is now sitting at the bottom of our trash can. THere was mashed white veggie pretty much everywhere. And the amount, which should have been enough to feed 4-6 people, will MAYBE feed me and hubby tomorrow
I am not sure how it tastes, I was so mad at the end of the evening that I put the concoction in the fridge and will not look at it again until tomorrow
This recipe definitely did not work for me - maybe my food mill was not that great, I don t know.
(yesterday was NOT a good cooking day)
"I marinate my kitchen on a regular basis"
(pamilyn, April 2007)
(post #67174, reply #84 of 294)
Someday you will be able to laugh at all this. :) In the meantime, I will put a little frownie face on these recipes. :(
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
help to provide free mammograms for women in need
(post #67174, reply #85 of 294)
Well, Jean - in all honesty, the first recipe, the lamb skewers - I think it has great potential. I am convinced that I did not have high quality ground lamb.
we've been buying from this lady for several years, and this is the first time that the ground lamb was sooooo fatty. Of course, lamb is high in fat, but that was beyond greasy
so, I would not cross that recipe out - I am just traumatized about it and will not be making it again. NOw, the yogurt sauce is a MUST TRY.
do not cross it out! :-)
"I marinate my kitchen on a regular basis"
(pamilyn, April 2007)
(post #67174, reply #86 of 294)
Next time you could just bake the lamb meatballs (not on skewers) and serve them with the sauce. When I do lamb meatballs I throw slivered onions over them before I put them in the oven--very delicious. Then drizzle them with your good sauce when they are done.
Ground lamb shouldn't be so fatty that it explodes on the grill!
(post #67174, reply #89 of 294)
The ground lamb dish sounds like a version of kofta, which I really like. I do it in the oven, too, though. Baked or broiled.
(post #67174, reply #87 of 294)
Okay, I'll check out the yogurt sauce, but Rod won't mourn the loss of a lamb recipe. Lamb and veal are very rarely on the menu here.
http://www.thebreastcancersite.com/
help to provide free mammograms for women in need
(post #67174, reply #88 of 294)
Ground lamb does have a big flare issue--as does a leg when it's being grilled. And even if it doesn't look real fatty it can be. I think that lamb fat must have a very low melting point. Stand there with a spray gun and use low heat. Nothing more delicious!!