In the Kitchen with DKDetective and InCali: All Things Food, Wine, and Spirits, Etc.

[InCali]

You have a gas stove? Okay, respect...

I had a vision of some little, unused, 4 burner electric stove that sat unnoticed in the corner of @flickchick85 s kitchen. I have a 48", 6 burner Thermador with a griddle (only the griddle is electric) and with 2 ovens (which comes in handy sometimes). The burner output is almost 20,000 BTU which comes in really handy when you want to flash-fry.

I sound like some car guy. LOL. I could care less about cars.

 

[MissMarvelous]

garlic to taste

how much would that be?

 

[InCali]

how much would that be?

It depends on how much you're making. I usually use about 3 cloves. I put the finishing touches on after the tomato is added. It usually needs a little fine tuning. It just depends how much you like garlic.

 

[InCali]

God, I love cheese in all of its various forms and styles (except processed and spray form, which I do not consider real cheese).

One of my favourite dishes to make as part of a casual, comforting dinner is a traditional French cheese and mashed potato preparation called "Aligot". Basically you make Pommes Puree (French mashed potatoes where you push the boiled potato flesh through a fine sieve to get tiny potato particles and then fold in copious amounts of heavy cream and butter), except you replace large portions of the cream and butter with large quantities of shredded cheese, preferably something French or Swiss that melts well like Cantal, Comte, or Gruyere.

The result is gooey, cheesy happiness in a bowl:

I wonder what your arteries look like.

 

[flickchick85]

I was going to say you aren't a very good vegan, but I agree with you WRT cheese.

Oh hell no I ain't vegan. The meal service just so happens to be vegan. But when I'm not eating that, I'm eating regular ol' meaty take-out.

I make a really good marinara sauce from scratch that I'll use when I make a lasagna. I was a vegetarian for about 30 years (lived in Santa Cruz so I don't need to say any more than that) and perfected it over time. Basically I just put some butter or olive oil in a large skillet and add basil, oregano, thyme, some rosemary (don't over do it), sage, and a couple of bay leaves. You can basically add whatever spices you like. Cooking in oil seems to help bring out the flavors. Then I add garlic to taste and chopped brown onions. I let it cook for awhile (man it smells great) and then add tomato paste and diced tomatoes (If it's tomato season, sometimes I'll boil and peel them). Add a few more spices to taste and let simmer. It's really, really good. For the lasagna, you can use the regular mozzarella and ricotta cheese, but sometimes I'll use tofu instead. It really doesn't change the taste that much if you slice it fairly thin. Most of the flavor comes from the sauce. They even have gluten free lasagna noodles that you don't have to pre-cook. You just drop them in the greased pan on top of the sauce and start layering.

You tempted?

Not even a little! I'm sure it's delicious, though.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

regular ol' meaty take-out.

This joke writes itself...

But I'm too classy to make it.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

When everybody left the nest to spread your wings and fly anyone do what I did and get a crash course from mom and grandma on all your favorite home cooked meals?

 

[DKDetective]

I had a vision of some little, unused, 4 burner electric stove that sat unnoticed in the corner of @flickchick85 s kitchen. I have a 48", 6 burner Thermador with a griddle (only the griddle is electric) and with 2 ovens (which comes in handy sometimes). The burner output is almost 20,000 BTU which comes in really handy when you want to flash-fry.

I sound like some car guy. LOL. I could care less about cars.

I am extremely jealous of the sounds of that stove. I wanted to get something like when my wife and I built our house 4 years ago. She said it was too extravagant.

I was able to convince her to let me get me a pretty nice 5-burner KitchenAid dual fuel range with removable griddle and warming drawer. However, it has become apparent to both of us that I need something bigger given my obsessive nature with my hobbies. A second oven would make life so much easier. I grew up in a two oven household. My Grandma convinced my Dad to let her keep her old electric stove in the basement laundry room. She used it for all of the big holiday roasts, while using the oven in the kitchen for the sides, desserts, and the like.

I wonder what your arteries look like.

I have perfect 120/80 blood pressure actually.

It's the French Paradox, man! Red wine, natural foods, low sugar, no processed foods, no trans fats, lots of farm fresh organic produce and you can eat good amounts of short chain, natural saturated fats like butter and cream (in relative moderation of course).

 

[MissMarvelous]

It depends on how much you're making. I usually use about 3 cloves. I put the finishing touches on after the tomato is added. It usually needs a little fine tuning. It just depends how much you like garlic.

I like just a hint of it, not eating the whole bunch of cloves. The problem with garlic is not only the heartburn (in my case) but also the dragon breath.

Particularly, one of my friends always dresses nice, smells nice, she's always looking flawless but you can tell that she eats garlic on a regular basis. Guuurl, you may want to stop eating it.

Same happens when people that eat too much onion, even raw onions.

 

[InCali]

I like just a hint of it, not eating the whole bunch of cloves. The problem with garlic is not only the heartburn (in my case) but also the dragon breath.

Particularly, one of my friends always dresses nice, smells nice, she's always looking flawless but you can tell that she eats garlic on a regular basis. Guuurl, you may want to stop eating it.

Same happens when people that eat too much onion, even raw onions.

I've never had heartburn, but probably wouldn't know if I had garlic breath (I brushed my teeth after I got your message LOL). Like I said, to taste.

This recipe makes quite a lot of sauce. It basically fills a large skillet so it doesn't seem like a lot to me (but might seem like a lot to people when I'm talking to them ).

 

[MissMarvelous]

I've never had heartburn, but probably wouldn't know if I had garlic breath (I brushed my teeth after I got your message LOL). Like I said, to taste.

This recipe makes quite a lot of sauce. It basically fills a large skillet so it doesn't seem like a lot to me (but might seem like a lot to people when I'm talking to them ).

ahha well done, but it comes from the stomach :P

I can't deny that the smell of oil/garlic is mouthwatering! Also butter/garlic combination is a very good one too.

 

[InCali]

This joke writes itself...

But I'm too classy to make it.

Since when?

 

[InCali]

I am extremely jealous of the sounds of that stove. I wanted to get something like when my wife and I built our house 4 years ago. She said it was too extravagant.

I got spoiled.....

They're pretty expensive, but if you use it a lot. It's worth it. We've had ours for about 12 years or so. They also usually come with discounts and rebates and so forth.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Since when?

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I...

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The truth hurts.

(Cries in corner.)

 

[MissMarvelous]

When everybody left the nest to spread your wings and fly anyone do what I did and get a crash course from mom and grandma on all your favorite home cooked meals?

Nope, but I wish I had! I had a few crying episodes over uncooked meat/pasta/potatoes. unsalted dishes, I still don't know how much rice I am supposed to cook for ONE, or pasta - for that matter.

There are a lot of tricks that mums know, like: don't buy regular/cheap minced meat and get the expensive one because it doesn't have that much grease. Don't get the light green broccoli that's gonna taste bitter because the little flowers are open. You get the picture.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Nope, but I wish I had! I had a few crying episodes over uncooked meat/pasta/potatoes. unsalted dishes, I still don't know how much rice I am supposed to cook for ONE, or pasta - for that matter.

There are a lot of tricks that mums know, like: don't buy regular/cheap minced meat and get the expensive one because it doesn't have that much grease. Don't get the light green broccoli that's gonna taste bitter because the little flowers are open. You get the picture.

My family as a child was very concentrated in the brownstone my parents owned. My dad and mom, grandma and then myself and my brother and sister... But also two of my mother's unmarried sisters, her married sister and her two kids and husband, and my grandmother's youngest son.

So you can imagine what shopping was like. We were guaranteed two full shopping carts of foodstuff after coming back from Pathmark each week.

So grams was way used to cooking with giant amounts. She also raised 7 kids of her own. She never cooked for less than 6 people at any meal.

Fast forward to my highschool years. Now it is just mom, dad, gram and me living in another state. Well... This was a huge adjustment for grandma. She needed time to get used to cooking smaller amounts in smaller pots and pans.

She did it all (and still does) everything by eye and to taste. Nothing is written down. That precision is what makes a difference. Cooks like grandma just DO. Tell 'em how many people generally and they can wing it no problem. But if you have the full portion amounts of ingredients available with a little math you can adjust with a lot more precision.


*Edit.

I just read that last part again. I think I'm not clear.

What I mean is cooks like my grandma learned by doing from their mothers. As such it's more osmosis so to speak than following a recipe to a T. The thing is when you do it all by eye adjusting for the amount you want to make can get tricky especially going down in the amount made. With recipes you can just do some simple math with the amount of ingredients listed.

 

[DKDetective]

I like just a hint of it, not eating the whole bunch of cloves. The problem with garlic is not only the heartburn (in my case) but also the dragon breath.

Particularly, one of my friends always dresses nice, smells nice, she's always looking flawless but you can tell that she eats garlic on a regular basis. Guuurl, you may want to stop eating it.

Same happens when people that eat too much onion, even raw onions.

You might want to try making garlic confit. Confit is a French term for basically slow poaching a food item in fat. It is a traditional method of preserving food for the winter.

You take a cup of peeled garlic cloves and you cover them in a small saucepot with about 2 cups of good grapeseed or olive oil (you want an inch of oil above the garlic). Slow cook on medium-low heat for about 40 mins. Stir occasionally. You don't want the oil to smoke bubble, or otherwise fry. You just want small tiny bubbles to rise from the garlic while it cooks.

The end result is that you will have soft, tender garlic, with a mild, smoother flavour ready in use in marinades, cooking, or even as garnishes as well as a nice little batch of homemade garlic oil. The garlic if stored in the oil in an airtight container is preserved and can last a long time.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

You might want to try making garlic confit. Confit is a French term for basically slow poaching a food item in fat. It is a traditional method of preserving food for the winter.

You take a cup of peeled garlic cloves and you cover them in a small saucepot with about 2 cups of good grapeseed or olive oil (you want an inch of oil above the garlic). Slow cook on medium-low heat for about 40 mins. Stir occasionally. You don't want the oil to smoke bubble, or otherwise fry. You just want small tiny bubbles to rise from the garlic while it cooks.

The end result is that you will have soft, tender garlic, with a mild, smoother flavour ready in use in marinades, cooking, or even as garnishes as well as a nice little batch of homemade garlic oil. The garlic if stored in the oil in an airtight container is preserved and can last a long time.

Heard the term before but honestly never knew what it was.

Thanks Mr. Wizard.

 

[MissMarvelous]

Thank you, guys! You have some good tips.

 

[MissMarvelous]

The thing is when you do it all by eye adjusting for the amount you want to make can get tricky especially going down in the amount made.

Tell me about it!

 

[DKDetective]

Heard the term before but honestly never knew what it was.

Thanks Mr. Wizard.

Thanks. I'm no wizard. To answer your other question about mothers and grandmothers passing down knowledge and skills, I'm just the result of what happens if you stick around in the kitchen with Grandma learning all of her secrets for about 17 years (age 8 to 25).

On the topic of transmission of culinary knowledge generationally, it was actually the foundation of French cuisine in Lyon, France. Lyon is regarded as the gastronomic capital of the world. Most of the greatest French chefs are from the area around Lyon: Fernand Point, Paul Bocuse, Daniel Boulud, Alain Chapel, The Troisgros Brothers, etc., etc. The list goes on endlessly. What a lot of people don't know is that most of these great, famous male chefs were taught to cook by "Les Meres".

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Lyon restaurant scene was dominated by former domestic cooks from the homes of the rich and powerful. These domestic cooks were typically matronly women from poor agricultural backgrounds that went into service as a way of improving their lot. They would cook based on what they learned on the farm and what was passed down to them by head cooks under which they apprenticed.

Restaurants are a relatively recent invention European society. After the French Revolution, with the rise of restaurants, a lot of these matronly figures struck out on their own and opened restaurants. They became known as Les Meres Lyonnaises (the "Mother of Lyon"). The most famous of which is La Mere Brazier. When the Michelin Guide was invented in the 1930s, she was one of the first chefs to be awarded 3 stars (the top award) for her restaurant. She opened another restaurant and it received the same top award. Her restaurants held that top ranking for over thirty years, when she was nearing retirement. For almost 50 years, it was a feat no other chef matched that achievement.

 

[KRYPTON INC.]

Thanks. I'm no wizard. To answer your other question about mothers and grandmothers passing down knowledge and skills, I'm just the result of what happens if you stick around in the kitchen with Grandma learning all of her secrets for about 17 years (age 8 to 25).

On the topic of transmission of culinary knowledge generationally, it was actually the foundation of French cuisine in Lyon, France. Lyon is regarded as the gastronomic capital of the world. Most of the greatest French chefs are from the area around Lyon: Fernand Point, Paul Bocuse, Daniel Boulud, Alain Chapel, The Troisgros Brothers, etc., etc. The list goes on endlessly. What a lot of people don't know is that most of these great, famous male chefs were taught to cook by "Les Meres".

In the 19th and early 20th centuries, the Lyon restaurant scene was dominated by former domestic cooks from the homes of the rich and powerful. These domestic cooks were typically matronly women from poor agricultural backgrounds that went into service as a way of improving their lot. They would cook based on what they learned on the farm and what was passed down to them by head cooks under which they apprenticed.

Restaurants are a relatively recent invention European society. After the French Revolution, with the rise of restaurants, a lot of these matronly figures struck out on their own and opened restaurants. They became known as Les Meres Lyonnaises (the "Mother of Lyon"). The most famous of which is La Mere Brazier. When the Michelin Guide was invented in the 1930s, she was one of the first chefs to be awarded 3 stars (the top award) for her restaurant. She opened another restaurant and it received the same top award. Her restaurants held that top ranking for over thirty years, when she was nearing retirement. For almost 50 years, it was a feat no other chef matched that achievement.

See it is funny you mention picking it up from paying attention in the kitchen. When I left home I told mom and grandma to give me lessons on how to cook my favorites, as I said. I didn't tell you grandma's answer though.

"You should have been paying attention all this time."

Well... She got me on that one.

 

[DKDetective]

See it is funny you mention picking it up from paying attention in the kitchen. When I left home I told mom and grandma to give me lessons on how to cook my favorites, as I said. I didn't tell you grandma's answer though.

"You should have been paying attention all this time."

Well... She got me on that one.

Okay, grandma secret number 1, when peeling potatoes, turnips, etc., use a paring knife, not a peeler. With some simple practice and proper technique, you will be faster, cleaner, and safer.

For amazing instructions on the proper knife technique, see Jacques Pepin:


Pepin is an OG chef and culinary instructor. He was the chef at La Pavillon, the French restaurant in NYC where the Kennedys used to hang out in the 1950s and 1960s and was lifelong friends with Julia Child.

You want to know how badass Pepin is? In the above video, he is 83 years old, a recent stroke victim, and he shows up a professional cook a third his age.

Yes, you read that, right, these are his knife skills after arthritis and a stroke...

Anyone wanna guess where in France he is from?

 

[MissMarvelous]

Anyone wanna guess where in France he is from?

Lyon?

 

[DKDetective]

Lyon?

Got it in one!

Technically, he is from Bourg-en-Bresse, a town near Lyon. It is where the famous blue-footed Bresse chickens are from. But he is still Lyonnais in all the ways it matters.