Dawson says he looks for the machine to soon be more prevalent when the price begins to decline. “Right now, it’s a bit of a luxury product, but I don’t think we’re far from seeing it become a mainstay in American kitchens.”

2009 Food Trends

The end of the last decade had a clear trend, it was when we took food back. Over the last few years us foodies have been kicking to the curb the ideas of factory made, mass produced food. Reaching a crescendo in ear of the factory food manufactures in 2009, the “local movement” has taken hold. There is still a long way to go before the movement is even mainstream, but it is clearly making headway. Want to know more? Have a listen to this episode of the Splendid Table. In addition to eating locally, we are continuing to pay more attention to the quality of our food. Books like Pollan’s Omnivores Delemma (though published in 2006) helped draw our attention to what we are eating and where it comes from. As home cook and diners we are celebrating by returning to slow cooking, artisanally made foods.

• Bacon – this is probably not news to anyone who has eaten in the last year. Bacon has transcended mere breakfast food to ubiquitous ingredient.  Perhaps a symbol of our rebellion against low fat, low carb tasteless diet food, last year we embraced cured smoked pork belly with vigor.
• Slow food – We came back to crock pots, braising, and the family meal in 2009. In addition to things that cook slowly, we also returned to things that that time to prepare and eat; quite literally the antithesis of fast food. The wonderful result of slow food is often slow eating; spending more time around the table with the people we really enjoy breaking bread with.
• Traditional food merchants – Though still not widespread, many medium and smaller sized cities are seeing the return of butchers, fish mongers, bakeries and traditional purveyors. In recent years we have begun rewarding the entrepreneurial foodies who setup specialty shops in our towns. Think about this, would you take your car to a place that claimed expertise in all manor of transportation from skateboards to horses? No, we take our cars to mechanics who work on four wheeled passenger vehicles. Why are we buying our food in a place that sells everything from trash bags to meat in plastic sitting on a diaper?

My top meals of 2009

This portion of the review is regrettably challenging for me. Our travel was sparse, our time to eat out limited and our energy to sleuth out foodie finds minimal. Although a year that included sushi, Vail cannot be considered unfortunate by any means.

• 18 week aged New York strip steak at the Wildflower in Vail Co – This was one of the best steaks that I never ordered. It was my father who called for the rarely cooked (and rarely well aged) cut. To add to the improbability, those who know my cynicism for hoity-toity, resort style restaurants are undoubtedly surprised by the inclusion of the Wildflower on this list. The steak was the standout dish of the meal, but it was the service that made the experience remarkable. If the economic situation (remember, we are not supposed to say depression) of 2009 has taught us anything it is that we do live in a service economy. The businesses who are going to make it are those that understand exceptional service. The Wildflower, and our fortunately named server Nicolas (he was French, thus no ‘asssh‘ – or h) were the quintessential definition preemptive service; understanding the customer’s unexpressed wishes and seeing to them. Have I discussed my passion obsession for service before?
• Sushi at Hatsuhana - I’ve said it many times (including in 2008), Hatsuhana in New York is the best sushi that I know of. Hatsuhana is not avant garde sushi, unlike the fusion and insanely creative creations of my friend Osada (formally of Takah Sushi in Aspen which has gone donwnhill since his departure). Hatsuhana is traditional in the best sense. When I first mentioned it to Osada his comment in whimsically broken English was “[Americans] dont eat there, only Japanese”. And although not entirely true, the place is frequented by Westerners and Asians alike, it is rooted in real sushi culture. In the spring of 2009 I found myself in New York for a speaking engagement; due to schedule, I was in and out in less than 24 hours. One thing I made sure of was a meal at Hatsuhana. I walked in straight from the airport to a nearly empty sushi bar, owed entirely to my late arrival. I started with one of my guilty pleasures, ankimo – cured and steamed monkfish liver served with ponzu and chives. I’ve long held the belief that you have to gain the trust of a sushi chef and there is no better way to their heart than to request a childhood favorite. I asked for sawagani which are unctuous and umami laden fried tiny fresh water crabs. Sadly I learned they are illegal in the US thanks to a frivolous law suit. Never the less, the gauntlet was thrown and when I asked the chef to chose for me the reward was spectacular. There is benefit of arriving very late at a place that prides it self on new fish daily. In an effort to make use of the ingredients that he was most proud of, I was literally spoiled for choice. What followed was a virtually private meal of non-stop piscine creativity. For once, it paid to be late.

My Top Kitchen Endeavors of 2009

As alluded to above, 2009 did not see a lot of kitchen time from me. I would like to think it was because I was too busy, which is in part true. Also the case, some of the passion was gone. Perhaps the former led to the later, or maybe it was experiencing so few inspiring meals (only 2 on this years list above, compared to 5-1o in years past). Regardless, I just did not feel as innovative or inspired as I have in years past. Two meals in particular proved the exception.

• The New Visits charity dinner in Lynchburg – Can you say ‘over the top’? We started by mailing a very simple “comfort food” menu to guests with items like ‘tomato soup with grilled cheese’ and ‘southern barbaque’. The reality, at least my hope in how it was perceived, was very different. The tomato soup, pictured above to the left, was a gazpacho aspic with jalapeno and cucumber caviar. The bbq was all day braised pork belly served under a glass filled with apple wood smoke. It did not stop there – the salad nicoise was deconstructed and the olives had a surprising twist, they were liquid inside… the bisque was an sea urchin foam…liver and onions? foie gras torchon served with apple butter on a southern biscuit and shallot salt. It was a great night, well executed with expert help (hi family!).
• New Years Eve, aka the Sous Vide Experiment -  Of all of the things I have played with recently, sous vide has to be the technique that has me the most excited about cooking again. Sous Vide, or under vacuum, involves cooking foods sealed in vacuum bags submerged in a precisely controlled water bath. Put practically, if you want a piece of beef to be perfectly medium, say 134F, then why not cook it at that temperature? When you think about it that way, it makes perfect sense. The added benefit of the vacuum bag is there is no loss of moisture of flavor from the meat. In fact, you can infuse just about any flavor you want. It does not have to be meat either. Veggies can be perfectly cooked as well. For New Years Eve we started with a take on the croque madame – fine dice of home cured bacon lardons and brioche, a scant bit of aioli with some water cress for color all topped with a butter fried quail egg. It was a perfect one bite dish! We moved on to veal cheeks which had been cooked en sous vide for 8 hours in butter and a braising liquor of squab stock and aromatics. We capped off the meal with buffalo tenderloin that was also cooked en sous vide, enveloped in duck fat with just a hint of sage. Check out the menu here for the complete details.

The end of the decade was still a resplendent one in terms of dining in the Dawson world. I would be remiss to call myself anything but lucky. The thing that I am perhaps the most excited about is becoming invigorated again about spending time in the kitchen. Here is to eating in 2010!

What am I blathering on about? Let us go back more than 2 years ago to the Pownce social network (RIP). Those were the early days when we waxed on into the morning hours about the pursuit of life, liberty and the pursuit of pork. We heard the call to arms with the first Pownce Pork Project (again, RIP). The concept was simple – make bacon as a group. We voted on everything from the spiciness of the cure to the wood it was smoked over. In the end we rattled the foundations of commercial pork production by auctioning off a luscious slab of salty bacony goodness. Whomever made the biggest donation to a food related charity got to…well…take home the bacon. The winner was @surlyshirley.

It is time once again crusaders of cochon to take up arms. We must not go gently into the factory produced, chemically cured BLT. Let us stand up together and say “We demand open source pork!”

Over the coming weeks we will resurrect the hoggett mission. Follow @nickdawson – help plan the next Open Source Pork Project. I will be asking YOU what part of the pig to lop off, how to treat it and in the end, it will once again come to a food related charity auction. So spread the word – let free pork reign and don’t miss your chance to get in on the action!

It has been the year of the cookbook. Last year’s releases of Grant Achatz’s Aleina set the new standard for uber food pr0n:

At $32.00, Aleina broke the mold of the $150 high-end celebrity cookbook.

And once the flood gates were open, it has been no holds bared for frugal foodies. These are some of my favorites from 2009:

For me its all about the fermented pickles. Sure you can soak some cukes in vinegar and salt and get something tasty. But Ruhlman is right, the tang from a fermented pickle is at once more striking and less harsh. Fermented pickles are also extremely easy to execute. As the growing season for summer veggies really hits its stride, its easy to get overwhelmed by your backyard garden or farmers market. And, lets face it, there is only so many things you can with green beans before you do not want to see them again until next year. But what about a garlicky green bean pickle in a bloody mary? How about a spicy baby carrot pickle in a martini?

Fermented pickles happen by way of bacteria. You put the vegetable in a brine, which is just salty enough to kill most harmful bugs but allows salt-loving lactic acid producing bacteria to thrive. You stick the veg-in-brine jar in a cool dark place and a week later they are ready.  Ruhlman’s blog post outlines everything you need to know. Anyone who wants to take a deeper dive should check out his book Charcuterie. In addition to covering all manor of sausage making, he does a nice job discussing brines and preserving veggies with them.

Here is the basic recipe for a classic cucumber fermented pickle:

• 1 liter of water
• 50 grams of salt
• 5-7 cloves of garlic, crushed with the side of a knife
• a few of any of the following: pepper corns, mustard seeds, coriander seeds, fennel seeds, etc
• pickling cucumbers – the smaller ones from the farmers market pile, washed well, but not
• scrubbed
• a wide jar
• a plate that just barely fits into the jar

If you are feeling flush with cash for your pickle projects, consider a pickle crock. These ceramic jars keep harmful UV light out and come with a ceramic insert that keeps the pickles submerged. Beware, they come at a considerable price, so look for them a yard sales. In the mean time, a jar and plate work pretty well. A wide pitcher and saucer would also work for smaller batches.

1. Bring the water, salt, garlic and spices to a boil.
2. Chill the brine until its room temperature
3. Place the cucumbers standing up in your pickle vessel of choice and cover with the brine. If you need more brine, the ratio stays the same – 50g of salt to 1l of water
4. Use the plate to weight the cucumbers down, making sure they are completely submerged (remember, the brine’s job is to kill all the other bacteria, anything floating is going to cause mould to grow)
5. Place the pickles in a cool dark place – 65-75F is optimal, and despite pickle fact #3, sunlight will halt the process before it begins.

Taste your pickles in a week. Rhulman seems to prefer that metric, although I have found that 10 days to two weeks produces a better pickle. The longer you take them, the greater the risk of some funky slime developing on top. Keep an eye on your jar and skim it daily if need be. Should you see any velvety blooms, its probably best to toss the batch and start over. The usual culprit is something floating on the surface and being too warm.

Variations

Green beans make a really wonderful pickle. They retain their snap and have an affinity for garlic. The recipe is exactly the same, but up the garlic to an entire head. As alluded to, they make a wonderful addition to a bloody mary or a charcuterie platter.

Baby carrots, those about as long and wide as a finger, take very well to heat. A lot of it. Load up your brine with red chili flakes. Keep about an inch of their green tops intact for presentation. Being a more dense root veg, plan on at least 10 days. In the mean time, consider making your own gin for a homemade martini and a fiery garnish.

Potatoes, particularly the baby new potatoes pickle quite well. Stick with a basic brine, very little garlic (if any at all) but step up the mustard seeds and add some tarragon or dill. You can cube them and add them to a salad nicoise.

Chili peppers themselves pickle very well. Jalapeños hold up the best while some of the more delicate red-skinned peppers get a little soft. Once pickled they are perfect on burgers and sandwiches. The brine is also a nice way to kick up dressings, soup, etc.

Fermented pickles are very nice for the culinarily challenged. What could be easier than dropping something in salt water? But if you find yourself reading this and hankering for briny cool dill and do not have 10 days to spare, run to your local natural grocer and look for Bubbies Kosher Dills. Bubbies pickles are among the finest examples of  fermented pickle around. To prove the point, if you give the jar a shake take note of the whitish cloud – that is the bacterial mother from the fermenting process.

So Acid Tongue Army, consider this your call to arms. Next time you are staring at a pile of baby Japanese eggplants at the market, or are sick of zucchini from the garden, let our bacterial friends have their way. Ferment some pickles to enjoy on a hot summer day.

Fortunately, most of us do not spend the winter working through our supply of canned produce from the previous season anymore. Most grocery stores carry the full gamut of veg year round. But if you live in Vermont and had broccoli in December, there’s a pretty good chance it did not come from a local farm. Vegetables are one of the best reasons to find a farmers market and to live seasonally. Eating what is growing naturally during the year is not only more sustainable and trendy, it tastes better. Really, I promise. Tasting asparagus that came out of the April ground from your local farm will always knock the socks off the South American produce laying limp under the mister at the store.

If you do venture out to your local farmers market, or are among the lucky few to have your own garden, then its time to think about how to celebrate the early harvest. One of my favorite ways to enjoy the first plucks of spring is with a simple vinaigrette.

The vinaigrette is one of the most versatile ‘sauces’ in the kitchen. Few things are so simple but pack such a big punch. At the most basic – oil and vinegar- you get bitter acid and sweetness from the wine vinegar, umami and fruit from the oil and maybe a hint of spice from cracked black pepper. One of the vinaigrette’s great tricks is its ability to complement foods and not over power them. Getting the hang of a basic emulsified vinaigrette will open the doors to a plethora of potential combinations: ponzu and yuzu for an Japanese flare, dill and caper to accompany fish, chopped pickle and hard boiled egg for a salad dressing… the list is endless.

The good news about the vinaigrette is that there are no real rules (shhh don’t tell the French), only guidelines. Most are emulsified, that is to say very well mixed to the point of being creamy in texture. They can also be ‘broken’ where the acid and oil are noticeably separated. The acid can come in many forms, from lemon juice to aged balsamic vinegar. For that matter, so can the oil; olive, walnut, grape seed, melted butter, duck fat! What follows is my take on a very classic and simple vinaigrette as well as some variants. Once you master the suggestion below, feel free to play around. Make sure to drop me and note let me know what you come up with.

When it comes to the classic oil and vinegar mix, I prefer an emulsified vinaigrette. Emulsification is tricky don’t worry if it does not come together for you right away. There are a few tricks that will help though. Get a Hand Blender
. Those are the hand held mixers that you can plunge into anything you want blended. I use mine almost daily. If you are going to use a whisk, stick it and the bowl into the freezer for five minutes. Heat is the enemy of an emulsification. For the recipe below, I assume a whisk. If you are using a stick blender, it will be the same, but you will want to use the tall narrow cup that your mixer came with.

A general guideline for ratios is 3:1 oil to acid. Keep that in mind and you can riff on the idea however you like.

Ingredients:
* 3 table spoons grape seed or canola oil
* 1 table spoon white wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
* 1/2 clove garlic, crushed
* 1/8 teaspoon (lets call it a pinch) of white sugar
* pinch of sea salt
* freshly ground black pepper (course)

Technique:
In a cool bowl, combine the vinegar, salt, mustard, sugar, and garlic and pepper. Whisk together to combine into a rudimentary paste.

Start whisking vigorously in a figure eight movement.

We want to add the oil very slowly. In a stream so small that the next stage would be a drip, not a stream at all.

Slowly drizzle in the oil. You want to look closely, you should never see the oil accumulate on the surface. If it does, whisk faster and drizzle more slowly. The goal here is to literally smash the oil and vinegar together. Mustard contains a natural compound called lethicin which helps that bond between the oil and vinegar.

As you whisk the in the oil, you will see the entire concoction lighten in color and take on the consistency of mayonnaise. (mayo is really just a vinaigrette with an egg yolk by the way).

Thats it, pretty simple right? For veggies, serve it as a dipping sauce in a bowl. Lightly toss roasted asparagus or roasted cauliflower in the vinaigrette. Early spring lettuces should get the lightest possible coating- spoon 1 teas spoon into a bowl and add the greens, toss to cover.

Variations

In the recipe above, I suggest a neutral oil like canola or grape seed (this tea oil is also wonderful but pricey). Olive oil has a very distinct and fruity flavor that can be overpowering, but sometimes, particularly with more hearty viggies, it works quite well. The technique would be the same and you can even mix oils, using half tea oil and half olive oil.

For my favorite salad dressing I like to throw in everything but the kitchen sink. This is where a Hand Blender
comes in handy.

* 6 table spoons grape seed or canola oil
* 2 table spoon white wine vinegar
* 1 teaspoon Dijon style mustard
* 1 clove garlic
* 1 small Bubbies pickle (bubbies brand is worth seeking out, they are fermented)
* 1 hard boiled egg, yoke separated from white, the white should be finely diced
* 1 table spoon grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese (use the real stuff)
* 3 dashes of Worcestershire sauce
* 1/2 teaspoon capers (get the salt packed ones, soak them in warm water for 10 minutes first)
* 1 big pinch of  red pepper flakes
* pinch of sea salt
* cracked black pepper to taste

The technique is the same, combine everything except for the oil and chopped egg white in the cup of the stick blender. Pulse a few times to form a slurry. Make sure the stick blender is on high and begin slowly drizzling in the oil just as before. Once the oil is incorporated and you have an emulsification, stop blending immediately. Over mixing will cause the emulsification to “break” and you’ll have something that feels like it has an oil slick on the tongue – not good.
Stir in the chopped egg white by hand with a fork.

If you do want a broken vinaigrette that does taste good, try this

* 3 table spoons good olive oil
* 1 table spoon lemon juice
* 1 small garlic clove, minced into a paste with the back of your knife
* pinch of salt and black pepper

in a bowl, combine the garlic, salt, pepper and lemon juice. Pour in the oil. Using a fork give things a good hearty mix. You will not get an emulsification, but when it turns cloudy, you are there.

Spoon that over anything from roasted fish to some arugula greens with shaved goats cheese. YUM!

As meals go, this one was over the top, a tasting menu based (mostly) around classic American foods. Our guests started with a “BLT” cocktail of bacon vodka, lettuce ice and cherry tomatoes. We paired that with a cherry tomato that had been confited in bacon fat, topped with house pickled carrot, black truffle and sea salt.

Once seated, the diners progressed through the menu below – from a rich uni bisque, some ‘molecular gastronomy’ inspired concoctions, a classic preparation of foie gras paired with some southern accents and finishing with rich pork and beef courses. It was a tour de force for both diners and chefs.

The pictures below are from the courses before they went out to the dining room. You can find all the pictures in their full size glory, as well as a video of the uni preparation on flickr. I am looking forward to posting some more details as well as info on the charity event that led to the evening of food.

One of my favorite dishes for this time of year combines the crunch gold brown goodness that warms the cool nights and a bright acidic lightness for those warm afternoons – crispy pork chops.

Pork is such an essential ingredient, and one that we are appreciating less and less. It is a real shame when you think about it. The pig is an amazingly versatile animal. For starters the meat runs the gamut of deep and rich to light and lean. It takes on flavors effortlessly but is sweet and savory on its own. Pigs are also endowed with a truly perfect fat-to-lean ratio. It is why pork is the basis of most of the great cured meats from saussion sec to the Spanish Iberian ham.

Chefs will tell you, given only one protein to work with that they will make a choice of the porcine persuasion every time. So why is it that for last twenty years we have relegated our pork consumption to gray flabby chops and tenderloins packaged in chemicals masquerading as a marinade? While I am fairly sure my goal of reintroducing lightly fried pork liver may be an uphill battle, I am confident that we can start giving pork chops the justice they deserve.

Like so many of the Food Simply posts in this series, the first step is finding great pork. And great pork usually comes from great pigs who are (you guessed it) probably closer to your home than on a factory farm ten states away. Locally grown pork may not be hard to find either. In a poetic mix, social media tools like FaceBook and Twitter are connecting local farmers with foodies in a very 2.0 kind of way. Try a search on search.twitter.com or ask some friends. Finding a real, bone-in chip will make a tremendous difference.

In addition to a bone-in chop, there are few other key things to look for when selecting a chop. As you move from the front of the pig towards the hind legs, the chops will get larger and contain more of a secondary muscle group. If you can find those back-cut chops, the reward is a richer, darker meat that is full of flavor. You should also look for a nice “fat cap” running around the outside rim of the chop. In general, the chops should be a nice rosy pink, free of sinew and should never have a slimy feel.

The Brine

Just like our simple roasted chicken, we want to start with a brine. You can pull the exact same brine method from that post. The basic idea is the same, add as much salt as the water will absorb – toss in any other flavors you like and give the chops a soak for at least 12 hours; you can take it to 72 in the fridge with no problem. Brown sugar will enhance the natural sweetness of pork.

The Prep

*At least an hour before cooking, remove the chops from the brine and pat dry.
*Let them dry on paper towels.
*On a plate, combine 1/2 cup of panko bread crumbs (you’ll find them on the ethnic aisle) and 3 table spoons of white flour
*thinly slice 1 clove of garlic
*Mince a hand full of fresh parsley
*slice a lemon in half – we’ll juice it into the sauce
* grab 1/4 cup of chicken stock, if you don’t have homemade use water (its much better than store bought stock)

*optional – some people cut 3 slits vertically in the fat cap, on skinnier chops this helps prevent ‘cupping’

The Crust

This is a technique I learned from a chef friend. They used it at my favorite restaurant to make their sweetbreads extra crispy and it works on anything from chicken to …well.. pork chops. The goal is to really press the panko-flour mix into the meat. You want to almost force the breading into the pores. I like to lay the chops flat into the mix then press down with my palm. Flip them over and repeat. Then pick up some of the breading with your fingers and actually try and press more into the flesh. Pick up the chops and give them a gentle tap or shake to knock off excess.

Important – let the crust rest on the chops for 10 minutes before cooking. That will hydrate the flour and make a stronger bond so it does not come off in the pan.

Cooking

This is another trick that I have borrowed from Brad, my chef friend. He likes to cook New York strip steaks in their own fat by starting them on the fat cap and rendering it out. The result is a really crispy crust where the fat was. It works equally well with pork chops.

*in a heavy pan over medium heat, place the chops in standing on their side with the fat down. You may have to hold skinnier chips with tongs.
*Once the fat is golden brown – it may take up to 8 – 10 minutes, lay the chops down and crank the heat to high
*After about 4 minutes, life the chops and check for a deep golden color, if they look G.B.D. give them a flip.
*start checking the internal temperature after 2 minutes – we are shooting for 135F. Remember, this is quality pork and just like our chicken there is no reason to over cook it. Once it hits 135F, pull them from the heat and let them sit aside to keep warm.
*Dial the heat back to medium and drain the excess fat, saving a scant film
*add the garlic and toss for 30 seconds
*squeeze the juice of the lemon into the pan
*add the 1/4 cup of stock or water
*Allow the liquid to reduce via a boil for 1 minute
* add parsley

Serving

*pour your pan sauce over the crispy warm chops, garnish with slice of lemon and ENJOY!

I have not read Service Included yet, but my copy is on order. Listening to Damrosh speak about the training and execution of world class service was inspiring. It has made me wonder – what can we learn from that level of service?

In healthcare, my other passion, we often talk about having a compassionate presence. But if you have ever spent any time in a busy ER, either as a patient, family member or part of a care-giving team, you can relate to how challenging that environment often is. While it would be inappropriate to suggest that the work of a world class restaurant is on par with that of an emergency room, there are some important similarities. Both center around a busy, highly skilled core with support staff working both the ‘front’ and ‘back’ of the ‘room’. It is a dance that when executed perfectly looks like a Viennese waltz (something Damrosch says was part of their training, how they learn to move around a room).

I am the first to admit that in a clinically demanding situation, I get out of the way ASAP. But during those other times – the elderly person walking in the door, the family member with a lost look wondering the halls, the young child being admitted – how can we in healthcare learn from waiters at Per Se? How can we become at once disarmingly personal and staunchly professional?

I am looking forward to reading Service Included as soon as it arrives. Will I share my thoughts here? It would be my pleasure!