Monthly Archives: January 2016

Eating In

OK, that works…

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One of the fun things for me about cooking is finding a new ingredient, and then building it into a dish of some kind.  It’s a creative challenge, and sometimes you find just the right combination of ingredients that makes you go ‘WOW!’

The other day I had the opportunity to stop in at a specialty store here in Kamloops that carries an amazing selection of olive oils and balsamic vinegars.   4 Oak Oil & Vinegar will be the subject of an upcoming post, but fighting the dastardly Russian website spammers has kept me from getting to it yet  – but I digress…

One of the (many) other items they carry is a line of pasta out of Colorado that is really unique.  I picked up a couple different ones to try, one of them being a Lemon Ginger Fettuccine.   This is a flavoured dry pasta, so it appealed to me as a base for something to create.

Tonight I decided to rummage around and see what I could come up with.   Working with what I had on hand, I created a sautéed prawns with white wine and butter sauce  to go with the noodles.

One of the most rewarding things for me in cooking is having the one I love most in the world tuck into a creation, and look at me with that ‘OMG’ look in her face – it makes me feel very proud and is all the reward I need for the effort.  Tonight I got that look.  As we talked after finishing dinner , Kathy said she was giving it a “three yummms up”.

The pasta was incredible, and I think the  prawns did it fair justice.  I’ve written down the rough recipe, and over the next little bit I will formalize it and post it on the site.   In the meantime I highly recommend you take a trip to 4 Oak and check them out.  Find something inspiring, and give it a go.   And when you get ‘that look’, please share!

Enjoy!

Bloggers Blog

Canning Spam

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Hey all

After a week of battling 50-100 auto bot attempts a day to register for the forums, I was able to spend some time today to install software to (hopefully) remove that little annoyance from my life.

For anyone looking to sign up to the site, it should be the same as it was before, my change to the software should be invisible to a legitimate user.  I have done some testing, and it seems to be functioning as it should, and for the first hour I haven’t seen any spam registrations come thru.  That is a great change from the 5-10 per hour that have been hitting the site the last week.

If you are trying to register for the site and encounter any difficulties, please let me know by email and I will look after your registration and see what can be done to prevent any issues from re-occurring.

Thanks for your patience…  the learning continues…

Cheers!

Eating In

Longing for Summer Smoking

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As I look out the window, the snow is gently falling upon the landscape.  Maybe it’s my head cold, maybe it’s the fact I am not looking forward to shoveling the white stuff later, but I am seriously longing for summer right at the moment.

One of the things I miss most of the warmer season is being able to get out and run the smoker.  With the colder temps here in winter, I just can’t maintain enough heat in the smoker, so until I sort out an enclosure for it it remains a project for warmer days.

I am a member over at the Bradley Smoker Forums, and a member there and his wife have come up with a dry rub that is a huge hit with all there, and an absolute favorite of mine.  Jan and Larry have let me reprint it here, which was very kind of them.

So as the snow falls, I am going to just hang out here inside thinking of warmers days and well rubbed and smoked meats.

Enjoy!

 

Eating In

Must Haves – Item # 7 – Rice Cooker

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Alton Brown is a favorite celebrity chef of mine and he has a basic aversion to ‘Unitaskers’, those being kitchen gear items that only do one thing only.  I have to agree with him in most cases.  Now, I don’t know how he feels about Rice Cookers as it is by definition a unitasker, but I know that I find mine indispensable.

Generally speaking, I don’t care for ‘converted’ rice, no matter who’s uncle made it.  It is quick…  and that is about all I will say for it.  I much prefer a good basmati or jasmine rice, and a medium grain brown rice like Sunbrown Calrose Brown Rice is even better.  But, they take time to cook, and in our 24/7 busy world, that isn’t convenient.

Enter the rice cooker.  A good rice cooker allows you to put the water and rice in the machine in the morning, set the time you want it to be ready, and walk away.  The result is perfectly cooked rice ready when you want it, all with minimal fuss.

Like everything, rice cookers come in all sorts of sizes and shapes.  When I purchased mine 15(?) years ago, it was one of the better ones available, and I needed to go to an Asian kitchen store to get one.  Now, they are much more readily available, and of course on Amazon.  The one I went with back in the day was a Zojirushi rice cooker with fuzzy logic and timer.  I love it, and it has served me very well.  When I have to replace it, it will be with another Zojirushi model.

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The Zojirushi NS-ZCC10 5.5 cup Neuro Fuzzy Rice Cooker is the current model of mine

 

The fuzzy logic bit basically means that the unit detects when the water in the bowl is absorbed, and turns the unit down from cook to keep warm.  It also determines the correct cooking time for the amount of rice to ensure that it is ready at the right time.  I really recommend this feature.  The timer is also highly recommended, as it gives you that ‘set it and forget it’ function.

I have had opportunity use a more basic rice cooker, and it really did do a sub-par job.  It was small, and tended to boil over and cook the rice unevenly.  Size and quality really do matter with rice cookers.

One accessory that is a great help when working with ‘real’ rice is a rice washing bowl.  Any regular rice should be rinsed very well under cold water until the water runs clear.  This removes the surface starch from the rice grain, which is left in place makes for sticky / gummy rice.  By washing the rice, you end up with a light, fluffy finished product.

If you like rice with your dinners, even from time to time, this is a great investment for your kitchen.

Enjoy!

 

Eating In

A new source of recipes

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I am pleased to have been able to add a new section to the site.  It features a selection of recipes from Cook’s Country, Cook’s Illustrated and America’s Test Kitchen.

There are some great recipes from these test kitchens, and I am a huge supporter as most of you know.  If you go to the recipes tab on the main menu, then go to the bottom you will find the page where they reside.  Alternatively, here is a link.

You are required to sign up for a 14 day free trial membership to access the recipes, but in my mind it is well worth it.

Check them out and enjoy some great food should you choose to have a go at one or two!

Enjoy!

Eating Out

Friday dinner at Sorriso Italian Deli

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Last Friday night, Kathy and I were at the end of a long and trying week so while doing some running around we decided to hit a fairly regular Friday haunt of ours for dinner.  Upon arriving there, we were welcomed by a “Closed for Holidays” sign.  Ok, time for a Plan B.

We didn’t want to venture too far, and neither of us were too excited by the prospect of fast food.  So after thinking about it, we decided to go for a return visit to a place we had been to a few times before, Sorriso Deli & Restaurant. 

Now, like every town, there are areas in our town that aren’t maybe as ‘popular’ as others.  This area of our home town is considered by some to be one of those areas.  That said there really isn’t anything wrong with it, it is just a bit off the beaten path.

When it comes to food, understand that for me ‘off the beaten path’ is a good thing.  It is there that you tend to find restaurants that are eclectic, unique and more about the food than fancy presentation.  Simple, homey and unique are things I truly treasure in my eating experiences.  These are the kind of out of the way places I seek out when travelling, eat where the locals eat kind of thing. 

Sorriso is one of these places.  We have been a few times, basically it is a deli with a restaurant area at the front.  If you are looking for good quality Italian cooking ingredients, it is great store.  If you are looking for Italian Deli items, it’s got a good  selection.  If you would like someone to take the ingredients and serve them up in a home style meal – they have you covered there to. 

The atmosphere is very casual.  There is a very small bar, and it always seems to have a handful of colourful characters hanging out visiting and having a drink – think a 6 stool version of Cheers.  There are a handful of tables, and the menu actually offers a pretty good selection given the size of the place.

I have had a tendency to order the Gnocchi Gorgonzola on my visits –  Ok, I’ve only ever ordered the Gnocchi Gorgonzola – it is really good, it is unique and not something I have ever seen anywhere else.  Perfectly cooked gnocchi, with a rich cream sauce with a perfect amount of blue cheese.  Kathy normally orders the penne, and they have a very, very good red sauce for it.

Tonight, they were out of gorgonzola, so that was my second strike on the night.  They had two specials, Penne with meatballs, and a Cannelloni.  Now, I am very gun shy about ordering cannelloni in restaurants.  Most of the time, I have been somewhere between somewhat and highly disappointed.  It could be the flavor, or the texture, or the sauce, but there is a myriad of ways to go wrong with cannelloni, so usually just avoid it.

Tonight however, I decided that I would give it a try.  What the hell, it had been a rough week, and two strikes into the night what was there to lose.  Well…

Apparently nothing!  I was treated to one of the best cannelloni dinners I have ever had.  The portion was sensible, the pasta and filling were absolutely to my liking, and the red sauce was perfect.  I was really impressed by it, and I am eager to order it again.  Kathy’s penne was also very nice, and the Caesar Salad’s we started with were very good.  The Vanilla Bean Gelato with Balsamic Glaze (read about it here) was over the top good as our desert.  Both specials included bread with olive oil and balsamic dip, salad, entre and dessert.  Both were under $20, so the value was definitely up there with the food.

If you are looking for a bit of a ‘Triple D’ type experience without Guy F, and you just want some simple but excellent Italian home cooking, give Sorriso a try.  What it lacks in pomp and flash, it more than makes up for with great food!

Enjoy!

Eating In

Must Haves – Item #6 – Chef’s Knives

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One of the biggest challenges I sometimes encounter when helping to cook in others kitchens, is not having sharp knives. I will be the first to admit, I am a bit of a knife snob.  A bit of one, not obsessive to the point of owning very expensive fine quality Japanese stainless cutlery, but I do love a good quality knife.

There are a lot of technical considerations when it comes to knives: stamped or forged, Hi Carbon or Stainless Steel, handle style, tang style and blade size and shape being just a few. I am not going to ramble on what think may I know about the subject, there is much better information available out there on the ‘net than I could put together here.  I do encourage you to do some research before you chose a knife, as you want to make sure you invest in a quality product.

After doing my own research, my personal choice is the Wusthof Grand Prix II series of knives. I feel they offer a good balance of quality, availability and price.  They are forged from high quality stainless, so while they take a bit more to sharpen they hold their edge very well.  I have a selection of them, my favorite being the Santoku blade for most of my kitchen work.

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I also have a Victorionox Chef’s knife, which was my first good kitchen knife. They are also a very good knife, but are a bit lower quality steel so require a bit more work to keep them sharp.  However, they are also considerably less expensive, so not a bad choice for the burgeoning knife-o-holic.  This is the knife a lot of professional chef’s use.  I just like the Wusthof feel and steel a bit better.

One of the things currently happening in the world of knives it seems, is that the traditional 22 degree blade bevel common on western knives is giving way to the sharper 15 degree blade bevel of Asian knives. My knives are all 22 degree, but I will be changing a couple over to 15 degree by regrinding the edges in the next little while.  This can be done at a knife sharpening shop, or by using a knife sharpener such as:

Once you have a good knife (or 2, or 10), the next most important thing is to keep them sharp. Dull knives cut cooks – sharp knives slice the food.  A steel is super valuable on a day to day basis to straighten the edge, which will make the knife cut better.  However, from time to time when steeling the blade just doesn’t get the result, then you need to regrind the blade to sharpen it up.

Then, once you are addicted to your knives, grab a chef’s roll for them so that you can take them with you to spread the word of how wonderful good knives can be!

Enjoy!

Next Up – Rice Cooker

Eating Out

A new taste experience

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After a bit of a long and trying week, tonight Kathy and I finished it off with a quick impromptu meal at a local Italian deli restaurant.  After a good feed, we finished off our meal with little bowls of Vanilla Bean Gelato.

When it arrived at the table, it had a drizzle on it that we took to be chocolate.  Now, chocolate isn’t Kathy’s favorite, but we forged ahead non the less.

Straight away we figured out the drizzle wasn’t chocolate.  It was sweet, but also tart, and acidic, and sour…  it was quite literally… amazing.  Combined with the creamy richness of the gelato, it was really quite spectacular.

Kathy picked up on it first – balsamic vinegar??  The waiter came over and we confirmed it was a sweetened balsamic vinegar.  As unbelievable a combination it sounds, it was one of the best and most incredible taste experiences I have had in recent history.  it wasn’t at all weird, it was just plain great.

What was even better is they sell the sweetened balsamic glaze in their deli section.

Maybe the best flavor to come in a bottle
Maybe the best flavor to come in a bottle

I look forward to trying this as an ingredient in a number of dishes, as well as serving it on top of my favorite vanilla ice cream.

I heartily suggest checking out Sorriso, and pick up some of this glaze while your there!

I will be adding a review of Sorriso over the weekend, once I have had a bit of time to write it.

Enjoy!

Eating In

Must Haves – Item #5 – Sticky Stuff Measuring Cups

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These little gems are such a time saver in the kitchen. When working with anything sticky or thick, like honey, molasses, peanut butter, sour cream etc., it is so convenient to be able to set the desired amount on the cup, fill the container to the top and then press the plunger to discharge the ingredient cleanly and completely out and into the mixing bowl.

They really take the frustration and mess out of trying to get sticky ingredients measured up and into your vittles.

I have 5 – a 2 cup, a 1 cup and 3 tablespoon measures. They come apart for easy cleaning, and beyond putting a thin layer of oil on the silicone seal when you put them back together, they are pretty much maintenance free.

I use the KitchenArt Pro Adjust-A-Cup series, and have had great success with them. The only caution is that you have to follow the directions and lube the silicone seal with cooking oil, or it can tear on reassembly and destroy the cup – a lesson learned the hard way.  There are others out there that are likely just as good, but these are the ones I use.

Hopefully this will keep you from getting into a sticky situation!

   

Enjoy!

Next Up – Knives

Bloggers Blog, Daily Life

Major Announcement – New Site Feature!

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Well, it has been a busy few days here at SCK.  One of the things that has been on my ‘work in progress’ list for the site has been to make it an interactive experience, instead of just a place to read and maybe comment on what I have posted.  I wanted from the outset for this to be a truly interactive site, where anyone and everyone who wishes to come visit has an opportunity to share and interact, sharing the diverse knowledge that we all bring to the kitchen table.

Today I completed the work on establishing this feature for the site.  It will likely need some adjusting over time, but I believe that it is good to go and ready for you to play with.  The new features include messaging as a group and privately between members, and a forum to communicate as a wider group.  While anyone can continue to comment on posts without registering as before, to participate in the Community requires registration.

On the top left of the screen you will find a Registration link.  It’s quick and easy, just your name, email and pick a user name.  Then you validate your registration by an email, and your all done!  You will then be able to log into the site and be part of the community.  My hope is that over time, with enough interest it will become a place where one can ask and answer questions, share stories, make friends and enjoy some company with like minded people.

If you have any issues with the process, please let me know right away.  As mentioned before, this is a learning process for me.  However I think that this will be worth the effort.

Thanks, and I hope to see all of you in the Community area!!

Scott@SCK

Bloggers Blog, Daily Life

I’ve been at it again…

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Hi all

I have been working on the site quite a bit the last couple of days.  I have revamped The Storeroom, changed up the format a bit and added some content that hopefully you will find interesting.

One of these changes is  the addition of information on some of my favorite publications and websites.  I have added pages and links for Cooks Illustrated / Cooks Country / Americas Test Kitchen, as well as Alton Brown’s Good Eats and books.  These are two of my most favorite sources of information and education on cooking.  I really encourage you to check out these sites / publications.

I have included links to these and a number of other items on Amazon.ca as part of the pages.  I hope that it adds some utility to the pages, making finding some of my favorite items online a snap.

As we recover from the Holiday season, and life begins to get back to normal, I look forward to continuing my work here, and I hope that you will continue to drop by.

I am interested in any suggestions, comments or questions you have for or about the site, and I hope to see you again many times thru the year.

All the best,

SCK

 

Daily Life, Eating Out

A great New Years evening

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For a second year, we had opportunity to ring out 2015 and 2016 in with our friends Elaine and Rob.  After completing our last day of work for the year, we met at Fiesta Mexicana for a nice Mexican meal.   We have been to this eatery on a number of occasions, and the dinner was very good as usual.

A wonderful creation of pâte à choux, carmelized evap milk, whip cream, bananas and chocolate. It was very nice!
A wonderful creation of pâte à choux, caramelized evaporated milk, whip cream, bananas and chocolate. It was very nice!

We then headed back to Rob and Elaine’s for drinks, a very nice dessert and a selection of baked goods from her kitchen and ours.  We played with their dogs, chatted and visited until we turned on the TV to watch the fireworks from the Seattle Space Needle.  10-9-8-7-6-5…

After 2015 moved into history, and 2016 was toasted into existence, we spent another couple of wonderful hours visiting and snacking.  We so much prefer quiet intimate celebration with friends, than loud bustling alcohol fueled events, and the time spent with our friends on this night again proceed this preference right.

Thanks to Rob and Elaine for a wonderful time, and I hope that everyone our there had an equally wonderful New Years Eve, however you chose to spend it.

All the best for an awesome 2016!

SCK