Anyone lucky enough to ever enter the inner sanctum of Captain Gourmet's secret headquarters usually has their eyes pop open at the number of gadgets our hero has amassed in his crusade to end food injustice in our world. We are talking about professional quality blenders that spin with enough speed to liquify almost anything and even bring those liquids to a scalding boil. We're talking about gadgets that'll slice, dice, julienne, shred, peel, grate, and mince any vegetable or meat matter out there . We're talking about tools that you require you to measure their potency in rads, btus, specific gravity, horsepower and other measurements that the normal everyday citizen wouldn't consider in a kitchen appliance. However, one of the most important of the Captain's gadgets often goes unnoticed. That gadget is his trusty calendar.
Oh, yes, true believer... That's right. The calendar is quite important in our adventurer's repetoire. Not only is it important for noting the dates that restaurants have grand openings and when interesting cooking classes happen around town... It's a device that lets our beloved Captain keep track of when seasonal ingredients become available and are at their best. Remember, a recipe is only as good as the ingredients in it. For your best results, always use what is fresh and available.
Our captain likes to make sure that he remembers when certain foods are handy. For instance, with spring winding down and summer upon us, our Captain feels a bit melancholy. The spring is the best and only time for getting some ingredients like Fiddlehead Ferns and Wild Ramps. Oh, sure. We live in a day and age where produce can be grown hydroponically or in greenhouses to provided availability year round, but just try to find them if you don't live close to where they grow. Oh, and if you can find them, try to get them cheap, my dear citizen.
The Captain does like to vary his recipe preparation year round, but there are just times that he can't resist falling into more traditional seasonal recipes because the ingredients are so good and fresh. Tomatoes in the summertime...squashes in the fall... They are great, but nothing quite tickles the Captain's palette like the spring emergence of Wild Ramps, Fiddlehead Ferns, and Morel mushrooms.
With the summer soltice upon us, and the last possible chance for Fiddleheads, we'll see our Captain full of mixed emotions enjoying his last chance of Fiddleheads for a while. Yes, a recipe of Pepper Encrusted Scallops atop a Crab and Fiddlehead Relish served with a Roasted Red Pepper Sauce will be completely enjoyed by our Captain tonight. Afterwards, there will be a short period of reflection before he returns to active duty fighting for culinary truth. He'll pull out his calendar and plan just when to best take advantage of the sweet, flavorful tomatoes of summer and when to follow that up with Hatch Chilis due out in August.
The Captain encourages you, Good Citizen, keep a calendar handy in your kitchen as well. It's a power weapon for food justice!
Thursday, June 19, 2008
Friday, June 6, 2008
Spirited Infusions, Chapter I
A normal, quiet afternoon finds our beloved hero, Captain Gourmet, quietly standing watch in his never-ending vigil to spot the culinary injustices happening in our world. Little does the average citizen know that there are heroes like this who selflessly maintain guard against those who would evilly seek to bring to them tasteless food or confusing culinary information. The Captain and his cohorts selflessly take up this duty and without seeking glory, though, as they are well aware of the mass hysteria that would ensue should the common citizen become aware of the mad plots created by Anti-Foodies each day. On this particular afternoon, our Captain just becomes satisfied that all is quiet and he begins to end his watch. When, suddenly, even Captain Gourmet is reminded that he is indeed always on call. The Cap Phone (a secret network of communication between Captain Gourmet and his heroic colleagues) starts to flash it's alarming red light and beep with a sound of urgency. It's the mysterious heroine known only as The M. She calls the Captain as she has become aware of a cooking class at Central Market in Austin that will teach students about cooking with flavor infused vodkas.
Vodka recipes. The Captain had thought that he had dealt with them once and for all back in his college days as a junior hero. He had explored the subject back then spending countless hours studying the subject with Screwdrivers, Bloody Mary's, Martinis, Alabama Slammers, White Russians, Black Russians, Kamikazes, and even the Vodka Tonic...to name a few of the tools he used as a hero-in-training to understand the nature of vodka and to bring understanding to his fellow citizens. But, vodkas...and not just any plain off the shelf vodkas, but flavor infused vodkas...in food recipes. Yes. Our hero knew the culinary battle that yet lay before him. So, Captain Gourmet accepts The M's invitation to join her on this crusade to deal with Vodka recipes once and for all.
The night of the cooking class rolls around to find both heroes battling different enemies who are obviously aware of the dynamic duo's intentions for the night and are trying to curry Anti-Foodie favor by delaying our heroes. The Captain quickly defeated the villainous Time Crunch and arrived in the nick of time after accomplishing and inhuman amount of errands in a very short time. A text message sent across the mobile Cap Phone revealed that The M has wound up in the clutches of Traffic Jam, a vile monster capable of reducing the flow of traffic on any street to a standstill. In the end, the presence of both heroes showed that lesser villains could not keep them down. The class started with as the Captain's theme song quietly played in the background. Well, at least within his own head, anyhow.
The pair of heros, not unfamiliar with the usage of alcohol in cooking, began their culinary battle. For quite some time, alcohol has been used as an ingredient in many recipes. But, why? Well, it's for two reasons. The first reason is that any given alcohol whether wine, beer, or a spirit has its own flavor set and adding that to a recipe will add those flavors much like adding any other ingredient whether it be an onion, pepper, or stock. However, there's more to it. Some foods, like tomatoes, have flavors what are alcohol soluble. That is, you can only taste them once alcohol has been introduced. Tomatoes, for instance, will develop a slight tartness and richness that will be impossible to taste otherwise.
But, why the infusion of flavors to vodka? Why not gin, bourbon, or rum? The answer, good citizen, lies in that vodka has a neutral flavor. Yes, you could infused a rum with the very same ingredients as you would a vodka. However, the end product would also carry the flavor components of the rum. Your dish might not call for those extra flavors. If the need is for the introduction of alcohol for developing alcohol soluble flavors and to carry the specific overtone of the infusion, then vodka is your call. However, other foods might also call for the oakiness of a bourbon, etc. The heroes were also informed that another reason to infuse would be to spread out the usefulness of expensive ingredients. One example given was saffron, a very expensive spice. Infusing a spirit with the flavor allows you to stretch how many recipes you can use that ingredient for.
Throughout all of this, the Captain realized that the infusion of spirits also allows for a greater diversity of what you could find in your typical package store. The Captain and The M were both presented with a small array of infused vodkas including Szchechuan Peppercorn
Vodka, Allspice Vodka, Horseradish Vodka, and Saffron Vodka. The infuse yourself method would certainly appeal to foodies near and far as a way to get a finely tuned degree of quality over recipes instead of using flavored vodkas found in stores. For that matter, the flavor could essentially be more real. Remember that a prebottled flavored vodka is just that---flavored. Not, infused. The infusion process takes the essence and flavor directly out of your infusing where as the flavorings in commercial products are likely to be chemical mixtures formulated in a laboratory and addeed to the spirit after distilling and filtering. Finally, it is also important to know that with a home infusion, the foodie is allowed to get exactly what they want. For more mellow and lighter overtones of flavors, the infusing agent can be removed early or allowed to sit longer for deeper, richer flavors.
The infusions are rather simple to make themselves. It simply requires a clean jar, a decent vodka, and something to infuse. Captain Gourmet's research has shown that sometimes a cheap vodka works, especially with fruit. The thought is that fruit will absorb the impurities in the vodka and give it a cleaner finish after the infusion. The Captain is skeptical. The Captain also believes that the quality of the finished product is only as good as the worst ingredient.
To infuse the vodka, pour the spirit into your clean jar. Then place the infusing agent within. Then, let it sit somewhere undisturbed and sample periodically until you get the quality of what you are looking for, good citizen. It would also be a good idea to gently shake the jar once a day or so. One thing to remember is that surface area is the key. The more of the contact that the spirit has, the better the infusion will be.
After the class and sampling various recipes using flavor-infused vodkas, the heroes walked down through their favorite culinary battleground in order to pick up ingredients to infuse their own vodkas with. Everything from cinnamon to peppers to herbs to teas were gathered. Our heroes planned to start infusing their own vodkas and spirits right away. Once their arsenal of infusions has been properly stocked, we'll see another entry in the Cap Files chronicling even more culinary enlightenment.
Vodka recipes. The Captain had thought that he had dealt with them once and for all back in his college days as a junior hero. He had explored the subject back then spending countless hours studying the subject with Screwdrivers, Bloody Mary's, Martinis, Alabama Slammers, White Russians, Black Russians, Kamikazes, and even the Vodka Tonic...to name a few of the tools he used as a hero-in-training to understand the nature of vodka and to bring understanding to his fellow citizens. But, vodkas...and not just any plain off the shelf vodkas, but flavor infused vodkas...in food recipes. Yes. Our hero knew the culinary battle that yet lay before him. So, Captain Gourmet accepts The M's invitation to join her on this crusade to deal with Vodka recipes once and for all.
The night of the cooking class rolls around to find both heroes battling different enemies who are obviously aware of the dynamic duo's intentions for the night and are trying to curry Anti-Foodie favor by delaying our heroes. The Captain quickly defeated the villainous Time Crunch and arrived in the nick of time after accomplishing and inhuman amount of errands in a very short time. A text message sent across the mobile Cap Phone revealed that The M has wound up in the clutches of Traffic Jam, a vile monster capable of reducing the flow of traffic on any street to a standstill. In the end, the presence of both heroes showed that lesser villains could not keep them down. The class started with as the Captain's theme song quietly played in the background. Well, at least within his own head, anyhow.
The pair of heros, not unfamiliar with the usage of alcohol in cooking, began their culinary battle. For quite some time, alcohol has been used as an ingredient in many recipes. But, why? Well, it's for two reasons. The first reason is that any given alcohol whether wine, beer, or a spirit has its own flavor set and adding that to a recipe will add those flavors much like adding any other ingredient whether it be an onion, pepper, or stock. However, there's more to it. Some foods, like tomatoes, have flavors what are alcohol soluble. That is, you can only taste them once alcohol has been introduced. Tomatoes, for instance, will develop a slight tartness and richness that will be impossible to taste otherwise.
But, why the infusion of flavors to vodka? Why not gin, bourbon, or rum? The answer, good citizen, lies in that vodka has a neutral flavor. Yes, you could infused a rum with the very same ingredients as you would a vodka. However, the end product would also carry the flavor components of the rum. Your dish might not call for those extra flavors. If the need is for the introduction of alcohol for developing alcohol soluble flavors and to carry the specific overtone of the infusion, then vodka is your call. However, other foods might also call for the oakiness of a bourbon, etc. The heroes were also informed that another reason to infuse would be to spread out the usefulness of expensive ingredients. One example given was saffron, a very expensive spice. Infusing a spirit with the flavor allows you to stretch how many recipes you can use that ingredient for.
Throughout all of this, the Captain realized that the infusion of spirits also allows for a greater diversity of what you could find in your typical package store. The Captain and The M were both presented with a small array of infused vodkas including Szchechuan Peppercorn
Vodka, Allspice Vodka, Horseradish Vodka, and Saffron Vodka. The infuse yourself method would certainly appeal to foodies near and far as a way to get a finely tuned degree of quality over recipes instead of using flavored vodkas found in stores. For that matter, the flavor could essentially be more real. Remember that a prebottled flavored vodka is just that---flavored. Not, infused. The infusion process takes the essence and flavor directly out of your infusing where as the flavorings in commercial products are likely to be chemical mixtures formulated in a laboratory and addeed to the spirit after distilling and filtering. Finally, it is also important to know that with a home infusion, the foodie is allowed to get exactly what they want. For more mellow and lighter overtones of flavors, the infusing agent can be removed early or allowed to sit longer for deeper, richer flavors.
The infusions are rather simple to make themselves. It simply requires a clean jar, a decent vodka, and something to infuse. Captain Gourmet's research has shown that sometimes a cheap vodka works, especially with fruit. The thought is that fruit will absorb the impurities in the vodka and give it a cleaner finish after the infusion. The Captain is skeptical. The Captain also believes that the quality of the finished product is only as good as the worst ingredient.
To infuse the vodka, pour the spirit into your clean jar. Then place the infusing agent within. Then, let it sit somewhere undisturbed and sample periodically until you get the quality of what you are looking for, good citizen. It would also be a good idea to gently shake the jar once a day or so. One thing to remember is that surface area is the key. The more of the contact that the spirit has, the better the infusion will be.
After the class and sampling various recipes using flavor-infused vodkas, the heroes walked down through their favorite culinary battleground in order to pick up ingredients to infuse their own vodkas with. Everything from cinnamon to peppers to herbs to teas were gathered. Our heroes planned to start infusing their own vodkas and spirits right away. Once their arsenal of infusions has been properly stocked, we'll see another entry in the Cap Files chronicling even more culinary enlightenment.
Thursday, May 8, 2008
Back on the Chain Gang
Wednesday Night of this week found our Dynamic Duo taking a small little excursion to take care of some very important business. Mother's Day was coming up this Sunday, and the pair of hero's needed be sure that the appropriate gifts were taken care of. The Captain's theme music played as the adventurer's crept into their local Crate and Barrel. Numerous gadgets and serving ware pounded at the Captain's senses causing him to start visualizing the possibilities he could create for the ultimate dinner party. But, our hero was not there to plan for his own dinner parties, he was there to pick out a Mother's Day present. Clearing his mind, the Captain got input from Kid Ketchup and they were quickly out of the store laden with Mother's Day presents. However, our hapless heroes walked into another trap pretty quickly. Vile, evil hunger had stricken, and they set out in search of the night's culinary delights.
The costumed crusaders opted to doff cape and cowl in favor of infiltrating the evening's restaurant in their civilian disguises. The restaurant? The Cheesecake Factory. Now, many foodies near and far would gasp in sheer desperation as their hero opted to partake of the delights of a chain restaurant. These, of course, would be the more close minded foodies. So, our Captain, being the hero he is, exercised his culinary powers again to begin to offer up some defense for at least a few chain restaurants.
It is true that one of the first questions our Captain asks himself when selecting a dining establishment is "Is this restaurant part of a chain?" It is also true that if the answer to that question is "yes", that he counts it as a solid strike against that establishment. "But, why?" wonders the true believer? The Captain offers up a single word to answer that question: Consistency. Why not quality? Well, the Captain has been to many restaurants the world over, and has found that you can find good food at some chain restaurants. Granted, your chances are diminished over a restaurant that is privately owned, but it is possible.
Why is that, though? The motivation behind running the restaurant is one. Chef owned and Mom-and-pop owned restaurants are more invested into the business than employees and managers of chain establishments. Attention to detail is going to be important to these owners as their reputation will be on the line and in some cases, their very ability to pay their home mortgages, too. These restaurants are not just a job for them, they are a source of enjoyment and livelihood. It would stand to reason that the effort they put forth will have a much more intense zeal than at a chain restaurant who is very likely to be under a more corporate mindset focusing entirely on the bottom line.
Then, there's just the size. Non chain restaurants are going to tend to be smaller. Chain types, well...larger....and many more of them. This gives the non chain restaurants a distinct advantage in being able to train their staff to do the job according to its vision. In order to even begin to establish the same level of quality, the chains have to institute processes and quality control measures that smaller businesses just don't need. Your Captain, himself, has seen some of the documents detailing these quality control processes. Quite honestly, they can sometimes be confusing. That mis-interpretation, true believer, is causing at least some of the inconsistency for you at chain restaurants. Plus, distance is actually a factor, too. Anyone who's been to a children's birthday party can attest to how hard it is to wrangle them together when it's time for an activity. Imagine if you had to do it with another group of kids who were in a different state.
Finally, there's the employees. It's the Captain's opinion that a non chain will take better care screening employees to hire. They'll also give them better training if needed. Larger chains having more positions to fill are more likely to fill positions with underexperience, under enthused employees. That's just simple probability and statistics right there, good citizen.
All of this is not to say that every chain is going to suffer from the pitfalls described by the Captain or other obstacles. There are quite a few chains out there that really do have their act in order. Our Captain can think of at least a few that he will frequent time and again. Cheesecake Factory, Fogo de Chao, and the Melting Pot just to name a few.
Our heroic Captain once again annotates some possible suggestions for those true believers trying to decide whether or not a new chain restaurant is worth investigating.
1) Do your research. With the good ole WWW, it doesn't take too long to hit a restaurant's website. That should give you an idea of who might be managing a given restaurant. The Captain asserts that chains who franchise are better than chains where the corporate office owns and manages the restaurant since there should hopefully be more investment and interest by the owner of the franchise rights.
2) The Captain, no matter how well he knows a chain, doesn't go to a grand opening. It's a rule that he follows for restaurants in general, but especially for a chain. Our Captain respects at least a 2 week period for the restaurant in question. This hopefully gives a good amount of time for the waitstaff and the kitchen staff to get broken in.
3) Solicit recommendations from your friends and other people. They can be a great source of information and perspective....and you don't have to guinea pig your own tastebuds.
4) The Captain knows that this idea sounds horrible awful, but keep your expectations low on your first visit to a new chain. That way, your opinion of the place has no where to go, but up.
5) Generally speaking, the more upscale chains will have much more quality than more average priced restaurants.
Remember that these tips are guidelines, and the Captain really presents them as such. As is always the case in visiting a restaurant, even one that you've had consistent service from in the past, your mileage may vary. Even the mom and pop owned shack outside of town that serves the most incredible BBQ you've ever had is still run by humans who have their off days.
Sensing the gratification from a world of foodies for perspective provided, our Captain smiles at his sidekick as their waitresses serves them a nice, large wedge of Tuxedo Marscapone Cream Cheesecake. The two heroes dig in knowing that the next food related battle could very well come as early as breakfast the next day.
The costumed crusaders opted to doff cape and cowl in favor of infiltrating the evening's restaurant in their civilian disguises. The restaurant? The Cheesecake Factory. Now, many foodies near and far would gasp in sheer desperation as their hero opted to partake of the delights of a chain restaurant. These, of course, would be the more close minded foodies. So, our Captain, being the hero he is, exercised his culinary powers again to begin to offer up some defense for at least a few chain restaurants.
It is true that one of the first questions our Captain asks himself when selecting a dining establishment is "Is this restaurant part of a chain?" It is also true that if the answer to that question is "yes", that he counts it as a solid strike against that establishment. "But, why?" wonders the true believer? The Captain offers up a single word to answer that question: Consistency. Why not quality? Well, the Captain has been to many restaurants the world over, and has found that you can find good food at some chain restaurants. Granted, your chances are diminished over a restaurant that is privately owned, but it is possible.
Why is that, though? The motivation behind running the restaurant is one. Chef owned and Mom-and-pop owned restaurants are more invested into the business than employees and managers of chain establishments. Attention to detail is going to be important to these owners as their reputation will be on the line and in some cases, their very ability to pay their home mortgages, too. These restaurants are not just a job for them, they are a source of enjoyment and livelihood. It would stand to reason that the effort they put forth will have a much more intense zeal than at a chain restaurant who is very likely to be under a more corporate mindset focusing entirely on the bottom line.
Then, there's just the size. Non chain restaurants are going to tend to be smaller. Chain types, well...larger....and many more of them. This gives the non chain restaurants a distinct advantage in being able to train their staff to do the job according to its vision. In order to even begin to establish the same level of quality, the chains have to institute processes and quality control measures that smaller businesses just don't need. Your Captain, himself, has seen some of the documents detailing these quality control processes. Quite honestly, they can sometimes be confusing. That mis-interpretation, true believer, is causing at least some of the inconsistency for you at chain restaurants. Plus, distance is actually a factor, too. Anyone who's been to a children's birthday party can attest to how hard it is to wrangle them together when it's time for an activity. Imagine if you had to do it with another group of kids who were in a different state.
Finally, there's the employees. It's the Captain's opinion that a non chain will take better care screening employees to hire. They'll also give them better training if needed. Larger chains having more positions to fill are more likely to fill positions with underexperience, under enthused employees. That's just simple probability and statistics right there, good citizen.
All of this is not to say that every chain is going to suffer from the pitfalls described by the Captain or other obstacles. There are quite a few chains out there that really do have their act in order. Our Captain can think of at least a few that he will frequent time and again. Cheesecake Factory, Fogo de Chao, and the Melting Pot just to name a few.
Our heroic Captain once again annotates some possible suggestions for those true believers trying to decide whether or not a new chain restaurant is worth investigating.
1) Do your research. With the good ole WWW, it doesn't take too long to hit a restaurant's website. That should give you an idea of who might be managing a given restaurant. The Captain asserts that chains who franchise are better than chains where the corporate office owns and manages the restaurant since there should hopefully be more investment and interest by the owner of the franchise rights.
2) The Captain, no matter how well he knows a chain, doesn't go to a grand opening. It's a rule that he follows for restaurants in general, but especially for a chain. Our Captain respects at least a 2 week period for the restaurant in question. This hopefully gives a good amount of time for the waitstaff and the kitchen staff to get broken in.
3) Solicit recommendations from your friends and other people. They can be a great source of information and perspective....and you don't have to guinea pig your own tastebuds.
4) The Captain knows that this idea sounds horrible awful, but keep your expectations low on your first visit to a new chain. That way, your opinion of the place has no where to go, but up.
5) Generally speaking, the more upscale chains will have much more quality than more average priced restaurants.
Remember that these tips are guidelines, and the Captain really presents them as such. As is always the case in visiting a restaurant, even one that you've had consistent service from in the past, your mileage may vary. Even the mom and pop owned shack outside of town that serves the most incredible BBQ you've ever had is still run by humans who have their off days.
Sensing the gratification from a world of foodies for perspective provided, our Captain smiles at his sidekick as their waitresses serves them a nice, large wedge of Tuxedo Marscapone Cream Cheesecake. The two heroes dig in knowing that the next food related battle could very well come as early as breakfast the next day.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Take Me Out to the Ball Game
Has anyone ever really noticed that Spider-man is truely busy? C'mon, the man has to help take care of an elderly aunt, works for a pittance selling photos to a newspaper, and woo a gorgeous redhead he one day ends up marrying. But, on top of all of that, he's still gotta find the time to take care of both petty criminals as well as supervillians with the power to melt your face off. I know that the city, county, and state of New York would be in vile danger while Spidey ever rested, but enough is enough people. The man needs a break....a chance to get away and just so something for him. He's not alone. Our Captain joins the ranks of the overworked, weary superhero as well. You won't be bored with the details, citizen. Just know that he's been tired lately.
So, Captain Gourmet actually decided to take some time for himself. He requested the services of a hero some 45 miles to the north of Austin, Tx.....A hero we only know as The Grandma. The Grandma agreed to take Cap's place on his patrol with Kid Ketchup for a short while so that our hero could enjoy time away. Without wasting a single minute, the adventurer locked up his secret headquarters and spirited away to San Antonio to attend the first Spurs playoff game for the year.
Our Captain arrives at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, and the place is packed--the energy level is amazing. He goes through the usual activities....getting a drink, stopping by the merchandise store, watching the Silver Dancers pregame show, talking trash with other Spurs fans, etc. Just then, hunger struck.
The Captain made his way around the common level surveying the assortment of nachos, hot dogs, pizza, cotton candy, and popcorn. Arena food. Appealing, but our hero has heard about some more eclectic choices down on the charter level. Down on the charter level, our Captain was quite amazed. Several buffets caught his eye with quite interesting fare. Shrimp, lobster, and even a polenta dish caught his eye. There was even a chefly looking gentlemen custom cooking burgers and steaks....and everything looked so incredibly tasty. Hunger was starting to worsen and the adventurer whisked away upstairs as fast as he could. He was in an arena, after all, so standard arena fare won out. An order of nachos and a hot dog later, the Captain settles down in his seat to await tip off.
The first quarter of the game started with a rough start for the home team who quickly fell eight points behind in the game and played a game that was not their characteristically stellar play. Our hero watched, but thoughts kept diverting to the variety of food he saw on the charter level. Who would have come to a sporting event and expect to find such a diverse offering of food?
Uh-oh. It was a food thought that required deep pondering....but our hero was in his civilian disguise. Could this issue be properly pondered? Could we gain some food insight? You're damned right we could, true believer. After all, if Clark Kent was able to discreetly use heat vision, and Peter Parker could throw a spider web without notice, then surely our hero could rise to the occasion as well and still protect his secret identity.
It seems that more and more, gourmet experiences are changing at professional sporting events. Why not, asks the Captain? They certainly draw alot of people for one. Prices for tickets aren't exactly a cheap option nowadays, either. Sure, there are ways to watch a professional sports event and stay on the cheap side, but with the option of spending cash is certainly there whether you're talking about getting better seats, enjoying too much beer, merchandise, or quite importantly---food.
While getting the parking break serviced on his patrol SUV a couple of weeks ago, our Captain talked to a gentlemen who was a recent transplant from Boston to the Austin area. This Bostonian citizen asked our Captain for a recommendation for a place to find a good hot dog in the Austin area. Our saddened hero had to inform this citizen that he really didn't have a recommendation for him, save for Lucky Dog, which was only slightly better than average. We don't have a Gray's Papaya, a Gene & Jude's, or an endless army of hot dog vendors manning street corners. So, the Captain had to ask why this Bostonian citizen was looking for a good hot dog, and he received long stories about countless summers spent at Fenway Park. Our Bostonian even grudgingly admitted that he felt the 2nd best place for a hot dog was Yankee Stadium. Yes, true believer, that touched the Captain's heart as well since you know that he fully understands how some foods carry sentimental value with them as well. The Captain felt for this poor, homesick citizen who would surely be let down at any of the hot dog venues in Austin. Yet, this citizen really helped show the Captain the value of food nostalgia, particularly in regards to sporting events. There are so many ways to enjoy a hot dog, and different cities and different arenas have each claimed their own. The Fenway Frank is first boiled, then grilled. The Dodger Dog is a footlong frank served on a steamed bun. The Milwaukee Brat is a pork and beef sausage grill and dipped into a sauce before getting served on a crusty roll. Take one part specialty recipe for a stadium or arena, add two parts love for the home team, and possibly even thrown on a huge helping of family time or bonding with your friends. That, good citizen, is the recipe for a lasting memory.
An event's location also has impact on the type of food offered as well. The Food Network show, "Rachael Ray's Ballpark Cafe tells us about Maryland fans who enjoy steamed crabs. "Ballpark Cafe 2 describes how fans in Miami are treated to Cuban cuisine. These are just two of the accounts reported by the Food Network over the years describing food at sporting events. Other accounts describe full and gourmet menus offered to those of us rich (or lucky) enough to find ourselves in the exclusive club boxes at an event. The quality of the foods there many times rivals what we would find in a fine dining restaurant downtown.
Were there any major epiphanies to be gleaned from the Captain's contemplation of arena and stadium food? Not this time, citizen. Oh, sure, he could have explained how the evolution of food at these venues came about due to social, economic, or even technological changes. That, true believer, will have to wait for another entry in the Cap Files. For right now, the Captain was taking a break, and just exploring the different fare available was enough to satisfy his interest in the subject.
The food thought pondered deeply enough, our hero opens his eyes in time to see Manu Ginobilli land a three point shot causing the entire crowd of the AT&T center to stand up cheering. The Captain surveys the crowd right next to him. He rejoins the excitement of the game after he reasons that no one noticed him using the gourmet powers in his civilian identity. His secret is still safe.
By the way, the Spurs won in double overtime. Go Spurs Go!
So, Captain Gourmet actually decided to take some time for himself. He requested the services of a hero some 45 miles to the north of Austin, Tx.....A hero we only know as The Grandma. The Grandma agreed to take Cap's place on his patrol with Kid Ketchup for a short while so that our hero could enjoy time away. Without wasting a single minute, the adventurer locked up his secret headquarters and spirited away to San Antonio to attend the first Spurs playoff game for the year.
Our Captain arrives at the AT&T Center in San Antonio, and the place is packed--the energy level is amazing. He goes through the usual activities....getting a drink, stopping by the merchandise store, watching the Silver Dancers pregame show, talking trash with other Spurs fans, etc. Just then, hunger struck.
The Captain made his way around the common level surveying the assortment of nachos, hot dogs, pizza, cotton candy, and popcorn. Arena food. Appealing, but our hero has heard about some more eclectic choices down on the charter level. Down on the charter level, our Captain was quite amazed. Several buffets caught his eye with quite interesting fare. Shrimp, lobster, and even a polenta dish caught his eye. There was even a chefly looking gentlemen custom cooking burgers and steaks....and everything looked so incredibly tasty. Hunger was starting to worsen and the adventurer whisked away upstairs as fast as he could. He was in an arena, after all, so standard arena fare won out. An order of nachos and a hot dog later, the Captain settles down in his seat to await tip off.
The first quarter of the game started with a rough start for the home team who quickly fell eight points behind in the game and played a game that was not their characteristically stellar play. Our hero watched, but thoughts kept diverting to the variety of food he saw on the charter level. Who would have come to a sporting event and expect to find such a diverse offering of food?
Uh-oh. It was a food thought that required deep pondering....but our hero was in his civilian disguise. Could this issue be properly pondered? Could we gain some food insight? You're damned right we could, true believer. After all, if Clark Kent was able to discreetly use heat vision, and Peter Parker could throw a spider web without notice, then surely our hero could rise to the occasion as well and still protect his secret identity.
It seems that more and more, gourmet experiences are changing at professional sporting events. Why not, asks the Captain? They certainly draw alot of people for one. Prices for tickets aren't exactly a cheap option nowadays, either. Sure, there are ways to watch a professional sports event and stay on the cheap side, but with the option of spending cash is certainly there whether you're talking about getting better seats, enjoying too much beer, merchandise, or quite importantly---food.
While getting the parking break serviced on his patrol SUV a couple of weeks ago, our Captain talked to a gentlemen who was a recent transplant from Boston to the Austin area. This Bostonian citizen asked our Captain for a recommendation for a place to find a good hot dog in the Austin area. Our saddened hero had to inform this citizen that he really didn't have a recommendation for him, save for Lucky Dog, which was only slightly better than average. We don't have a Gray's Papaya, a Gene & Jude's, or an endless army of hot dog vendors manning street corners. So, the Captain had to ask why this Bostonian citizen was looking for a good hot dog, and he received long stories about countless summers spent at Fenway Park. Our Bostonian even grudgingly admitted that he felt the 2nd best place for a hot dog was Yankee Stadium. Yes, true believer, that touched the Captain's heart as well since you know that he fully understands how some foods carry sentimental value with them as well. The Captain felt for this poor, homesick citizen who would surely be let down at any of the hot dog venues in Austin. Yet, this citizen really helped show the Captain the value of food nostalgia, particularly in regards to sporting events. There are so many ways to enjoy a hot dog, and different cities and different arenas have each claimed their own. The Fenway Frank is first boiled, then grilled. The Dodger Dog is a footlong frank served on a steamed bun. The Milwaukee Brat is a pork and beef sausage grill and dipped into a sauce before getting served on a crusty roll. Take one part specialty recipe for a stadium or arena, add two parts love for the home team, and possibly even thrown on a huge helping of family time or bonding with your friends. That, good citizen, is the recipe for a lasting memory.
An event's location also has impact on the type of food offered as well. The Food Network show, "Rachael Ray's Ballpark Cafe tells us about Maryland fans who enjoy steamed crabs. "Ballpark Cafe 2 describes how fans in Miami are treated to Cuban cuisine. These are just two of the accounts reported by the Food Network over the years describing food at sporting events. Other accounts describe full and gourmet menus offered to those of us rich (or lucky) enough to find ourselves in the exclusive club boxes at an event. The quality of the foods there many times rivals what we would find in a fine dining restaurant downtown.
Were there any major epiphanies to be gleaned from the Captain's contemplation of arena and stadium food? Not this time, citizen. Oh, sure, he could have explained how the evolution of food at these venues came about due to social, economic, or even technological changes. That, true believer, will have to wait for another entry in the Cap Files. For right now, the Captain was taking a break, and just exploring the different fare available was enough to satisfy his interest in the subject.
The food thought pondered deeply enough, our hero opens his eyes in time to see Manu Ginobilli land a three point shot causing the entire crowd of the AT&T center to stand up cheering. The Captain surveys the crowd right next to him. He rejoins the excitement of the game after he reasons that no one noticed him using the gourmet powers in his civilian identity. His secret is still safe.
By the way, the Spurs won in double overtime. Go Spurs Go!
Monday, April 14, 2008
Wine Pairing 101
Today, we find our hero brooding in the inner most sanctum of his secret headquarters. No, not that inner most sanctum. The other one---the kitchen. Our hero has been acquired a new bottle of wine, a very nice bottle of Bueno Vista Chardonnay, 2004. Alone, the Captain ponders the possible pairings such for such an exquisite bottle of this white wine. He is so lost in thought that nothing can distract him---not the low, steady buzz of the rotisserie oven slowly roasting a garlic rosemary chicken to crispy skinned perfection; not the roar of the power burner of the stove bringing water to a boil for the pasta accompaniment; not the kettle starting to whistle to signal that it's time to steep the Blood Orange tea he just got from family in California. No. Nothing breaks our hero's concentration during his mental combat with his repertoire of recipes trying to find the dish that will be be unleashed by the Bueno Vista treasure resting just mere feet away from him, almost taunting him. The casual observer would not be able to easily see the epic battle being waged internally within out hero, nor could they see how he almost falters before he snatches victory from the unfeeling jaws of defeat declaring this his fruit and pine nut stuffed roast pork loin with tarragon butter sauce recipe would be exactly what this wine calls for. Wiping the sweat from his brow and returning to the external world now heavy with the smell of roasting chicken, Captain Gourmet begins to plan when to prepare this pork recipe and whom should partake of it with him.
Knowing that the true culinary battle of rounding up ingredients and actually preparing the dish is yet to come, our hero is content to savor his recent triumph, and begins to reflect on what could be learned from it.
Now, we must be completely honest here with you, true believer. Though a hero of epic proportions, our beloved Captain Gourmet is certainly no expert in wine. Wine related battles such as this still prove to be rather difficult struggles for him, and dare it be said..... He has even lost a few precious battles. But our hero, once started learning how to defeat the vile villain of Wine Pairing somewhere. To keep the good citizens of our city from falling victim to similar dastardly plans of Wine Pairing, he begins to chronicle the very first tip in wine pairing as part of his sworn duty to protect innocent civilians from the pitfalls of bad gourmet experiences.
Brian Johnson, a catering chef in Columbus, Ohio, started our hero on the road to fine wine pairings several years ago. He taught our Captain to try to start slow and basic...keep things simple. Here, we can apply a rule of three.
The Captain encourages you, good citizen, to try starting simple as well and begin with your wine. Describe it with three qualities you feel that wine has. For instance, you might say that a given wine is light, acidic, fruity. Then, take those qualities and find something that matches well with it. For lightness, contrast it with something heavy, like a cream. Saltiness works well for acidic wines. Fruity? Well, the Captain has always been a fan of pairing pork with fruit. So, what does that give? Perhaps a Roast Pork Loin, stuffed with candied fruits and proscuitto with a Cream Sauce. What's more, our beloved hero would even suggest that you can go simpler. Pick just two qualities of the wine to match with. If you're feeling particularly daring and adventurous, pick a single quality of the wine and try to pair that quality with something that would really enhance it. Of course, the Captain needs to remind you that sometimes simple can be too simple.
Not everyone is going to have the same sense of taste or smell. So, Captain Gourmet does encourage you to try anyhow, good citizen. Make the wine rating experience into something that is personal to you, and be damned with what experts and sommeliers say. Who's to say that they're right? Not the Captain. However, some smaller wine stores provide some of this information for you. Our Captain purchases his wine from a local store to him, Vino 100. Now, it's important to note that the Captain trusts the folks at Vino, so it's easy for him to accept the word of those fine citizens. So, if you can find a place like this, it actually is quite possible to prepare a meal or come up with a wine pairing without ever having tasted the wine.
The Captain's very first tip in wine pairing is quite simplistic, but it was enough to get him started. Our hero feels that it will certainly help you as well, true believer. As your skill progresses, perhaps you may end up locked within the grips of internal struggle over how to serve a fine quality bottle of wine. The right basics and foundations in wine tasting and pairing will help you, too, to be victorious in such endeavers.
Warm weather has already started to make recurring appearances, and clear blue skies are covering the Captain's beloved home city of Austin, Texas. All of you civilians know what that means....BBQ weather. Stay tuned to as soon the Cap Files begin to chronicle our Captain's epic adventures with grilling and smoking. Captain Gourmet plans a campaign of eclectic gourmet BBQ this summer. Let's see what types of interesting recipes he can create in his pursuit, of truth, justice, and the gourmet way.
Knowing that the true culinary battle of rounding up ingredients and actually preparing the dish is yet to come, our hero is content to savor his recent triumph, and begins to reflect on what could be learned from it.
Now, we must be completely honest here with you, true believer. Though a hero of epic proportions, our beloved Captain Gourmet is certainly no expert in wine. Wine related battles such as this still prove to be rather difficult struggles for him, and dare it be said..... He has even lost a few precious battles. But our hero, once started learning how to defeat the vile villain of Wine Pairing somewhere. To keep the good citizens of our city from falling victim to similar dastardly plans of Wine Pairing, he begins to chronicle the very first tip in wine pairing as part of his sworn duty to protect innocent civilians from the pitfalls of bad gourmet experiences.
Brian Johnson, a catering chef in Columbus, Ohio, started our hero on the road to fine wine pairings several years ago. He taught our Captain to try to start slow and basic...keep things simple. Here, we can apply a rule of three.
The Captain encourages you, good citizen, to try starting simple as well and begin with your wine. Describe it with three qualities you feel that wine has. For instance, you might say that a given wine is light, acidic, fruity. Then, take those qualities and find something that matches well with it. For lightness, contrast it with something heavy, like a cream. Saltiness works well for acidic wines. Fruity? Well, the Captain has always been a fan of pairing pork with fruit. So, what does that give? Perhaps a Roast Pork Loin, stuffed with candied fruits and proscuitto with a Cream Sauce. What's more, our beloved hero would even suggest that you can go simpler. Pick just two qualities of the wine to match with. If you're feeling particularly daring and adventurous, pick a single quality of the wine and try to pair that quality with something that would really enhance it. Of course, the Captain needs to remind you that sometimes simple can be too simple.
Not everyone is going to have the same sense of taste or smell. So, Captain Gourmet does encourage you to try anyhow, good citizen. Make the wine rating experience into something that is personal to you, and be damned with what experts and sommeliers say. Who's to say that they're right? Not the Captain. However, some smaller wine stores provide some of this information for you. Our Captain purchases his wine from a local store to him, Vino 100. Now, it's important to note that the Captain trusts the folks at Vino, so it's easy for him to accept the word of those fine citizens. So, if you can find a place like this, it actually is quite possible to prepare a meal or come up with a wine pairing without ever having tasted the wine.
The Captain's very first tip in wine pairing is quite simplistic, but it was enough to get him started. Our hero feels that it will certainly help you as well, true believer. As your skill progresses, perhaps you may end up locked within the grips of internal struggle over how to serve a fine quality bottle of wine. The right basics and foundations in wine tasting and pairing will help you, too, to be victorious in such endeavers.
Warm weather has already started to make recurring appearances, and clear blue skies are covering the Captain's beloved home city of Austin, Texas. All of you civilians know what that means....BBQ weather. Stay tuned to as soon the Cap Files begin to chronicle our Captain's epic adventures with grilling and smoking. Captain Gourmet plans a campaign of eclectic gourmet BBQ this summer. Let's see what types of interesting recipes he can create in his pursuit, of truth, justice, and the gourmet way.
Friday, April 11, 2008
What About the Next Generation of Foodie?
It's a Tuesday night. All is seemingly calm as our Dynamic Duo heads out for culinary patrol. Captain Gourmet pulls up to a Mexican restaurant called Zuzu with his sidekick, Kid Ketchup fast asleep in the back of their patrol SUV. The captain surveys the surroundings and a dark, unsettling feeling sets in. Our heroes are supposed to meet up with long time friend Tiffany tonight, but the parking lot is quite devoid of her tell-tale red beamer. Something is amiss. The Captain wakes his sidekick with the news that they would be on stake out awaiting Aunt Kiki's arrival. The stake out proves to be uneventful, save for the smells of Mexican food wafting through the air, and after some time passes, our heroes break out the Cap Phone to call Tiffany to find out just where the hell she was. It's a sad fact, but a hero's life can be rough. For the lack of a properly delivered email message, she thought that the rendezvous with the pair of adventurers was cancelled, and other plans were made. Yes, our heroes were stood up.
At least our heroes would be able to make their way onto the evening's true objective....dinner. After having had Mexican food for lunch, and no longer being obligated by a dinner appointment, the Captain opted for Italian. Several places came to mind, but Primizie on East 11th street won out for our heroes.
The hero and sidekick arrive and the restaurant and are promptly seated by the staff. It was then that our Captain was hit with his profound thought. The waitstaff pointed out the children's menu to the Captain, and he was immediately impressed with that. You simply don't see that at too many restaurants that serve gourmet quality foods and arent' chains. Furthermore, when Kid Ketchup's pepperoni pizza showed up, even more praises needed to be sung. Primizie incorporated their own style into the pizza making a thin crusted pizza using the delicious flatbread that they serve with their meals. Quality ingredients were used as well. Captain Gourmet quickly noticed that the pepperoni wasn't the standard store bought or bulk fare that you would find, but appeared to be a higher deli-style pepperoni. That's not the end of it, though, true believer. This child's dish was plated with a very simple, yet elegant, arrangement of fruit (raspberries and melon). It was just as visually appealing as it was delicious....and it was a children's dish. (priced appropriately, by the way.)
Now, our hero is not here to review this restaurant. For that, you can read two accounts of this restaurant by Mariah and her friend Laura, some of the resident foodies here in Austin.
No, the Captain is here to point out how his eyes were opened by this experience at Primizie about the ease of putting together a children's menu. A child's palette isn't going to be as developed quite as much as an adult. Alot of the tastes are going to be more simplistic and will be focused around foods which will one day become comfort foods for them. For instance, there was no way that the Captain would have expected his sidekick to dive into the Braised Rabbit with Garganelli Pasta dinner that he partook of. However, that should have been no reason to deny a well behaved child like Kid Ketchup a chance to broaden his palette along lines that are comfortable for him....via a children's menu.
The Captain simply can not see why more upscale restaurants do not offer a children's menu given how simple it can be to implement. Now, granted, the captain does understand that some restaurants seem to have their target audience, which may not include children. However, we live in a free market economy. What sense does it make to exclude a foodie from the ranks of your clientelle simply because they can not find a sitter? The captain believes that a children's menu at restaurants such as this would help to encourage a large customer base, and would encourage restaurants to use this to their advantage.
What's more, one day the Captain realizes that he may very well end up in a superhero's retirement home. Who will be making his strained peas and mashed carrots? It will probably be someone from the next generation. So, let's start broadening the palettes of the next generation of foodies so that those peas and carrots won't be bland mush, but tastefully prepared mush presented with a gourmet flair. Yes, there are places like the Young Chefs Academy, but bringing them to nicer restaurants to experience food of the same qualities that a true foodie would appreciate is quite important as well.
Captain Gourmet and Kid Ketchup call up you, good citizen, to take note of the existence of a children's menu at restaurants you enjoy. If you have kids, bring them. If you don't, still ask why the establishment doesn't have one. The Captain believes that the we can, indeed, instill an appreciate for great food in the next generation of foodie, but he needs you, good citizen, to join in the cause.
At least our heroes would be able to make their way onto the evening's true objective....dinner. After having had Mexican food for lunch, and no longer being obligated by a dinner appointment, the Captain opted for Italian. Several places came to mind, but Primizie on East 11th street won out for our heroes.
The hero and sidekick arrive and the restaurant and are promptly seated by the staff. It was then that our Captain was hit with his profound thought. The waitstaff pointed out the children's menu to the Captain, and he was immediately impressed with that. You simply don't see that at too many restaurants that serve gourmet quality foods and arent' chains. Furthermore, when Kid Ketchup's pepperoni pizza showed up, even more praises needed to be sung. Primizie incorporated their own style into the pizza making a thin crusted pizza using the delicious flatbread that they serve with their meals. Quality ingredients were used as well. Captain Gourmet quickly noticed that the pepperoni wasn't the standard store bought or bulk fare that you would find, but appeared to be a higher deli-style pepperoni. That's not the end of it, though, true believer. This child's dish was plated with a very simple, yet elegant, arrangement of fruit (raspberries and melon). It was just as visually appealing as it was delicious....and it was a children's dish. (priced appropriately, by the way.)
Now, our hero is not here to review this restaurant. For that, you can read two accounts of this restaurant by Mariah and her friend Laura, some of the resident foodies here in Austin.
No, the Captain is here to point out how his eyes were opened by this experience at Primizie about the ease of putting together a children's menu. A child's palette isn't going to be as developed quite as much as an adult. Alot of the tastes are going to be more simplistic and will be focused around foods which will one day become comfort foods for them. For instance, there was no way that the Captain would have expected his sidekick to dive into the Braised Rabbit with Garganelli Pasta dinner that he partook of. However, that should have been no reason to deny a well behaved child like Kid Ketchup a chance to broaden his palette along lines that are comfortable for him....via a children's menu.
The Captain simply can not see why more upscale restaurants do not offer a children's menu given how simple it can be to implement. Now, granted, the captain does understand that some restaurants seem to have their target audience, which may not include children. However, we live in a free market economy. What sense does it make to exclude a foodie from the ranks of your clientelle simply because they can not find a sitter? The captain believes that a children's menu at restaurants such as this would help to encourage a large customer base, and would encourage restaurants to use this to their advantage.
What's more, one day the Captain realizes that he may very well end up in a superhero's retirement home. Who will be making his strained peas and mashed carrots? It will probably be someone from the next generation. So, let's start broadening the palettes of the next generation of foodies so that those peas and carrots won't be bland mush, but tastefully prepared mush presented with a gourmet flair. Yes, there are places like the Young Chefs Academy, but bringing them to nicer restaurants to experience food of the same qualities that a true foodie would appreciate is quite important as well.
Captain Gourmet and Kid Ketchup call up you, good citizen, to take note of the existence of a children's menu at restaurants you enjoy. If you have kids, bring them. If you don't, still ask why the establishment doesn't have one. The Captain believes that the we can, indeed, instill an appreciate for great food in the next generation of foodie, but he needs you, good citizen, to join in the cause.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
The Captain is back
Wouldn't it just figure? Seems like there's always someone trying to keep a good superhero down. Spider-man had to deal with J. Johan Jameson. Bruce Banner had to keep hashing it out with the U.S. Military every time he turned into the Hulk. Well, seems like Captain Gourmet had already found his arch-nemesis....Blogger.com. Just days after the first post here, Cap got flagged with a terms of service violation. Nice, huh?
Well, anyhow, never fear good citizen, the Captain is back and ready to post about gourmet adventures in the last couple of weeks. Ahh, but there have been two weeks worth of heroic antics, so where do we begin?
Let's start out with Sous-Vide, a cooking technique which essentially uses plastic bags submerged in hot water to cook foods. The method was developed in the mid-70's, but lately, Captain Gourmet has noticed that it's hinting at being a possible trend in cooking. Several blog entries, a quick spot on FoodTV, and the emergence of tools for Sous-Vide cooking seem to be popping up everywhere. Obviously, we needed to discover if the technique would prove to be friend or foe to the every day culinary citizen.
When our beloved hero stumbled upon the Sous-Vide scene, he quickly tried to assess this method and deduced that it could be broken down into a very simple combination of items, a plastic bag capable of an airtight seal, food, water, and something to heat the water. It sounded simple enough, but the Captain couldn't be fooled. There had to be more than this. Indeed. Temperature of the water as cut and texture of any meat had to be taken into consideration. Well, the Captain opted for the first couple of passes to try to factoring this in to keep it simple while he learned any techniques that existed.
So, our captain decided to try this method of cooking using a few different cuts of meat. He rounded up a very delicious looking New York Strip steak, a pork shoulder, baby back ribs, and a veal shank. Obviously, each cut of meat had to be seasoned. So, our hero figured that were Batman to try a similar experiment, he would keep things simple. The Captain decided to follow Batz's example and kept seasoning to a very modest combination of salt, pepper, and paprika for each cut of meat. Our clever adventurer also included a pat of butter as well to provide some flavorful love.
Next, the Captain needed some plastic bags capable of maintaining a seal. The problem was solved quite easily by using a handy dandy vaccuum sealing gadget that he picked up off a Ronco infomercial a few years ago. It worked like a charm until the machine broke on sealing the last item, the steak. Captain Gourmet had to pause and mourn the passing of his faithful companion, but shortly afterwards, he moved on to heating the water.
The Captain was shocked to find out exactly how low the water temperature needed to be. Different foods required different temperatures, of course, but 160 degrees seemed to be the average mark. Maintaining that temperature was going to be difficult, but not impossible. Few of you true believers may know this, but even our hero's alter ego is that of a software engineer, he's had some experience with electrical hardware as well. So, off to radio shack and a few other stores for our hero in his guise of a software engineer. Let's make this long story short. He's know how to solder, but he sucks at it. So, kiss one mangled slow cooker and a handful of parts good-bye and the Captain is back to a tricky dance of maintaining the ideal temperature for water on his stovetop.
The Captain then proceeded to cook the selected cuts of meet Sous-Vide style until they were done, which at 160 degrees, the Captain warns you can take quite a while. In the end, though, our Captain was less than impressed with his moderate victory over Sous-Vide.
The meats were not very consistent all the way through. For instance, while the pork shoulder was very tender, it was very dry in some places and reminiscent of the turkey dinner from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. The steak was tender as well, but the process had cooked it all the way through. With Captain Gourmet being a big fan of a rare steak, this just didn't go over well. The steak also lacked brownness as well as that certain degree of flavor you get from pan searing. Even a quick sear after the cooking process to add color didn't do the job. The veal shank started off promising, but was very gamey. It seems that the fat that melts off of the meat during the cooking process didn't have a chance to cook off and continued to add the gamey flavour upon serving. The ribs did turn out quite well, given the limited seasoning they started off with. The ribs did not get dry like the other meats. It did lack color, but that's nothing a little sauce and quick pass under the broiler couldn't handle. The thing is that it took hours to cook the ribs. If that much time if going to be put into it, just BBQ the damned things.
Well, good citizen, the Captain is still trying to decide upon the merits of Sous-Vide cooking, but currently is not impressed. Hopefully, another chef might provide more insight into the process. Perhaps, it's best suited for particular recipes our Captain is not aware of. Regardless, a hero's work is never done. So, he will continue to examine this more to protect you, rightful law-abider, from suffering from the pits and perils of a partially dry Sous-Vide style pork shoulder.
Stay tuned. Same Cap time! Same Cap channel! The captain will return with more chronicles of culinary adventures.
Well, anyhow, never fear good citizen, the Captain is back and ready to post about gourmet adventures in the last couple of weeks. Ahh, but there have been two weeks worth of heroic antics, so where do we begin?
Let's start out with Sous-Vide, a cooking technique which essentially uses plastic bags submerged in hot water to cook foods. The method was developed in the mid-70's, but lately, Captain Gourmet has noticed that it's hinting at being a possible trend in cooking. Several blog entries, a quick spot on FoodTV, and the emergence of tools for Sous-Vide cooking seem to be popping up everywhere. Obviously, we needed to discover if the technique would prove to be friend or foe to the every day culinary citizen.
When our beloved hero stumbled upon the Sous-Vide scene, he quickly tried to assess this method and deduced that it could be broken down into a very simple combination of items, a plastic bag capable of an airtight seal, food, water, and something to heat the water. It sounded simple enough, but the Captain couldn't be fooled. There had to be more than this. Indeed. Temperature of the water as cut and texture of any meat had to be taken into consideration. Well, the Captain opted for the first couple of passes to try to factoring this in to keep it simple while he learned any techniques that existed.
So, our captain decided to try this method of cooking using a few different cuts of meat. He rounded up a very delicious looking New York Strip steak, a pork shoulder, baby back ribs, and a veal shank. Obviously, each cut of meat had to be seasoned. So, our hero figured that were Batman to try a similar experiment, he would keep things simple. The Captain decided to follow Batz's example and kept seasoning to a very modest combination of salt, pepper, and paprika for each cut of meat. Our clever adventurer also included a pat of butter as well to provide some flavorful love.
Next, the Captain needed some plastic bags capable of maintaining a seal. The problem was solved quite easily by using a handy dandy vaccuum sealing gadget that he picked up off a Ronco infomercial a few years ago. It worked like a charm until the machine broke on sealing the last item, the steak. Captain Gourmet had to pause and mourn the passing of his faithful companion, but shortly afterwards, he moved on to heating the water.
The Captain was shocked to find out exactly how low the water temperature needed to be. Different foods required different temperatures, of course, but 160 degrees seemed to be the average mark. Maintaining that temperature was going to be difficult, but not impossible. Few of you true believers may know this, but even our hero's alter ego is that of a software engineer, he's had some experience with electrical hardware as well. So, off to radio shack and a few other stores for our hero in his guise of a software engineer. Let's make this long story short. He's know how to solder, but he sucks at it. So, kiss one mangled slow cooker and a handful of parts good-bye and the Captain is back to a tricky dance of maintaining the ideal temperature for water on his stovetop.
The Captain then proceeded to cook the selected cuts of meet Sous-Vide style until they were done, which at 160 degrees, the Captain warns you can take quite a while. In the end, though, our Captain was less than impressed with his moderate victory over Sous-Vide.
The meats were not very consistent all the way through. For instance, while the pork shoulder was very tender, it was very dry in some places and reminiscent of the turkey dinner from National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. The steak was tender as well, but the process had cooked it all the way through. With Captain Gourmet being a big fan of a rare steak, this just didn't go over well. The steak also lacked brownness as well as that certain degree of flavor you get from pan searing. Even a quick sear after the cooking process to add color didn't do the job. The veal shank started off promising, but was very gamey. It seems that the fat that melts off of the meat during the cooking process didn't have a chance to cook off and continued to add the gamey flavour upon serving. The ribs did turn out quite well, given the limited seasoning they started off with. The ribs did not get dry like the other meats. It did lack color, but that's nothing a little sauce and quick pass under the broiler couldn't handle. The thing is that it took hours to cook the ribs. If that much time if going to be put into it, just BBQ the damned things.
Well, good citizen, the Captain is still trying to decide upon the merits of Sous-Vide cooking, but currently is not impressed. Hopefully, another chef might provide more insight into the process. Perhaps, it's best suited for particular recipes our Captain is not aware of. Regardless, a hero's work is never done. So, he will continue to examine this more to protect you, rightful law-abider, from suffering from the pits and perils of a partially dry Sous-Vide style pork shoulder.
Stay tuned. Same Cap time! Same Cap channel! The captain will return with more chronicles of culinary adventures.
Friday, March 21, 2008
Gotta get started somewhere
Welcome to the secret headquarters of Captain Gourmet. Who is the captain? By day, he's Lee Fox, a mild-mannered Software Engineer. Scratch that and forget about that mild-mannered jazz....he's just a Software Engineer working for a company I guarantee you've never heard of. However, when the work day closes out, it's time for our hero to don the guise of an amateur chef and total foodie. He then take to the streets in search of truth, justice, and the American way. Dammit. Wrong hero. Our hero takes to the nearest restaurant or available kitchen looking for entrees, wine, beer, and desserts....
So, like any great hero in today's society, our hero will need a place to express himself and keep you fair citizens up to date on his latest exploits. Thus, you're here...at Captain Gourmet's blog. hehe
What are you going to find here? Well, basically all things that are food and drink related. Captain Gourmet brews wine and beer, so there'll be information about that. Our hero will often venture into the unknown and perilous voids of using new ingredients. Stay tuned right here..."Same Gourmet Time. Same Gourmet Channel"....and you'll see the Captain's recipes along with tips and tricks he's learned the hard way. Yes, our famed hero is absolutely a foodie, but alas true believer, it's doubtful that you'll find very many reviews of foods in restaurants here. Our Captain knows someone much more talented at doing that kind of stuff.
As you get to know our captain, you'll learn of his trusty side-kick, Kid Ketchup. You're not likely to determine him to be a hero's sidekick watching him enthusiastically play from within his preschool class, but bring on the French Fries, and Kid Ketchup will be there. You're apt to find many of his exploits documented here as well.
So, like any great hero in today's society, our hero will need a place to express himself and keep you fair citizens up to date on his latest exploits. Thus, you're here...at Captain Gourmet's blog. hehe
What are you going to find here? Well, basically all things that are food and drink related. Captain Gourmet brews wine and beer, so there'll be information about that. Our hero will often venture into the unknown and perilous voids of using new ingredients. Stay tuned right here..."Same Gourmet Time. Same Gourmet Channel"....and you'll see the Captain's recipes along with tips and tricks he's learned the hard way. Yes, our famed hero is absolutely a foodie, but alas true believer, it's doubtful that you'll find very many reviews of foods in restaurants here. Our Captain knows someone much more talented at doing that kind of stuff.
As you get to know our captain, you'll learn of his trusty side-kick, Kid Ketchup. You're not likely to determine him to be a hero's sidekick watching him enthusiastically play from within his preschool class, but bring on the French Fries, and Kid Ketchup will be there. You're apt to find many of his exploits documented here as well.
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