There is nothing more rewarding about working from home then making breakfast from leftovers. And I love a good breakfast sandwich.
Let me start by pointing out there is no wrong way to make a grilled cheese sandwich. But there are some techniques I think work better. This is a slower, lower heat method, but if you have the right tools and bread, high heat fast cooking makes a great sandwich as well. See Alton Brown's technique.
1. Bread. Cut thin enough that heat can readily pass through it. It shouldn't be to dense. If you can see through it a few spots that's great.
2. Bread quality. The better the bread the better then grilled cheese. I like a multi-grain. Publix bakery does a 5 grain sourdough (not available in every store for some reason) and its perfect. Get them to cut it thin (see tip 1). I stopped buying 'manufactured' bread awhile back. Take that PepperidgeArnoldWonder jerks!
3. Cheese. There needs to be some shredded cheese in the middle. Anything will get the job done but meltability and flavor will affect the final product. I like the Artisan blends (particularly the Mexican blend) Sargento makes. This is much easier then dealing with a block of cheese, but if you really want to go gourmet, shred your own.
4. Fat. Fat goes on the outside of the bread to get that golden brown, crunchiness. Butter or olive oil are the best options. Mayo and margarine are also popular solutions but I think both suck.
5. Heat. You must cook it hot enough to brown the bread, but low enough that the heat penetrates the sandwich before burning the outside! Medium low.
Back to the leftovers. I have the bread, cheese, and butter along with fresh tomato slices (Pine Island, FL...thank you local winter crops) and the leftover 'flat' frittata discussed yesterday.
Frittata was in plastic wrap, so I tossed the package in the microwave for 1 minute on half power.
I'm using a All-Clad steel pan for this job. Medium low heat. The butter goes in early (pan isn't pre-heated yet). Add 1 piece bread to melted butter in pan.
Construction order:
1 bread slice
cheese
tomato slices
frittata
cheese
bread
I like to press the sandwich. Big spatula does the job. Weight it down with a big can of beans if you don't want to hold it. It will take anywhere from 2-5 minutes depending on your heat and pan.
Flip.
Repeat on other side.
Eat.
This was a great adventure in leftover breakfast sandwiches.
Espresso along side it.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Sunday frittata brunch.
I had no food until Saturday, fresh out. But I did get the new Food & Wine magazine (March 2011), I'm planning on making some selections. Starting with the Spinach-Arugula Frittata on page 61.
Not surprisingly (to me at least), I made several alterations. I have no arugula. However, my fridge does contain the spinach along with leaks, radicchio, and everything else. Oh, I'm replacing fresh thyme with fresh rosemary as well.
Here is by customarily brief summary of the published recipe, with my changes.
Fresh spinach
Leaks, chopped
4 eggs
5 egg whites
Fresh grated parmigiano
Canola oil
Shallot
Peppers, sliced thin, I'm using those little sweet peppers
Chopped rosemary
A frittata is basically vegetables (or whatever) saute'd. Then pour in eggs. Finish in the over and it fluffs up all nice.
I'm using two different pans. The first is a Calphalon 8 inch Infused Anondized skillet (not coated) the other a 10 inch cheap coated pan I got from Marshalls. Which cookware will reign supreme!
Process:
Poach the spinach until wilted, drain, pat dry.
I'm doing the same thing in both pans.
Saute:
Medium-Low heat.
Oil.
Shallot and peppers for about 3 minutes.
Leaks for about 3 minutes.
Radicchio for 1 minute.
Wilted spinach for 1 minute.
Eggs:
Whisk the eggs, egg whites, and some parmigiano.
After the saute, pour eggs into the pans. (add a little more oil before eggs if pan is looking dry)
It will start to set on the edges.
Put pans in 400 degree over. (top shelf according to Food & Wine) for about 4 minutes.
Non-Stick Pan results:
Notice the nice even browning. But it's not very fluffy.
Here's the anodized pan result:
It's not as pretty (it stuck a little) but it is fluffy. We liked this version better.
To be fair, I suspect I needed more egg in each pan, particularly the non-stick (since it is a bigger pan). More egg mixture should allow the egg to fluff up nicely. Also, I used to much oil. 2-3 tablespoons should be adequate.
Not surprisingly (to me at least), I made several alterations. I have no arugula. However, my fridge does contain the spinach along with leaks, radicchio, and everything else. Oh, I'm replacing fresh thyme with fresh rosemary as well.
Here is by customarily brief summary of the published recipe, with my changes.
Fresh spinach
Leaks, chopped
4 eggs
5 egg whites
Fresh grated parmigiano
Canola oil
Shallot
Peppers, sliced thin, I'm using those little sweet peppers
Chopped rosemary
A frittata is basically vegetables (or whatever) saute'd. Then pour in eggs. Finish in the over and it fluffs up all nice.
I'm using two different pans. The first is a Calphalon 8 inch Infused Anondized skillet (not coated) the other a 10 inch cheap coated pan I got from Marshalls. Which cookware will reign supreme!
Process:
Poach the spinach until wilted, drain, pat dry.
I'm doing the same thing in both pans.
Saute:
Medium-Low heat.
Oil.
Shallot and peppers for about 3 minutes.
Leaks for about 3 minutes.
Radicchio for 1 minute.
Wilted spinach for 1 minute.
Eggs:
Whisk the eggs, egg whites, and some parmigiano.
After the saute, pour eggs into the pans. (add a little more oil before eggs if pan is looking dry)
It will start to set on the edges.
Put pans in 400 degree over. (top shelf according to Food & Wine) for about 4 minutes.
Non-Stick Pan results:
Notice the nice even browning. But it's not very fluffy.
Here's the anodized pan result:
It's not as pretty (it stuck a little) but it is fluffy. We liked this version better.
To be fair, I suspect I needed more egg in each pan, particularly the non-stick (since it is a bigger pan). More egg mixture should allow the egg to fluff up nicely. Also, I used to much oil. 2-3 tablespoons should be adequate.
Fishing in Jupiter
Went fishing Saturday morning. If there is one thing I have learned about fishing: It's not about catching fish.
Sawgrass Park at the south end of the A1A bridge in Jupiter, FL. I'm actually under the bridge on the fishing pier. Middle outgoing tide, steady wind from the north, and live shrimp in the water. Guy down the pier just caught a blowfish.
Sawgrass Park at the south end of the A1A bridge in Jupiter, FL. I'm actually under the bridge on the fishing pier. Middle outgoing tide, steady wind from the north, and live shrimp in the water. Guy down the pier just caught a blowfish.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
Invented a Drink: You Name It
Minute Maid Pomegranate Blueberry juice. It's one of the healthy juices intending to increase your brain power.
2 parts juice
1 part vodka
1 park bourbon (cheap stuff)
4 parts club soda
Mix over ice.
Should be good with a lime wedge.
Fruity, but not sweet.
Name to be determined by comments.
2 parts juice
1 part vodka
1 park bourbon (cheap stuff)
4 parts club soda
Mix over ice.
Should be good with a lime wedge.
Fruity, but not sweet.
Name to be determined by comments.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Vij's Coconut Curried Vegetables
One of my favorite cookbooks is Elegant & Inspired Vij's Indian Cuisine
The spice combinations employed in good Indian food are a real attraction for me. I have a full stash of whole spices used in Indian food (your local Indian market is best and cheapest place to stock up). I like the India Palace on the West side of West Palm Beach. Haven't tried the restaurant but the market is great for spices, rice, and even some fresh produce (sometimes they have fresh curry leaves).
Back to the curry. You can find the recipe at Vij's restuarant site, go to Recipes then Coconut Curried Vegetables.
I find myself making this dish almost once a week. It is delicious, nutritious, great leftover, and pairs with most any protein or just with rice. Plus the variations are endless. I never knew cauliflower could be this good.
Variations:
If you don't use eggplant the sauce won't thicken as well but the flavor is quite good. The eggplant does give it a different dimension though.
I like to vary the types of peppers used. Poblano, bell, sweet italian, whatever is handy.
I like it best if its not to strong on the tomato. The coconut milk really comes through this way. If you don't care for coconut milk (looking at you, Attia) then by all means, up the tomato content.
The spice combinations employed in good Indian food are a real attraction for me. I have a full stash of whole spices used in Indian food (your local Indian market is best and cheapest place to stock up). I like the India Palace on the West side of West Palm Beach. Haven't tried the restaurant but the market is great for spices, rice, and even some fresh produce (sometimes they have fresh curry leaves).
Back to the curry. You can find the recipe at Vij's restuarant site, go to Recipes then Coconut Curried Vegetables.
I find myself making this dish almost once a week. It is delicious, nutritious, great leftover, and pairs with most any protein or just with rice. Plus the variations are endless. I never knew cauliflower could be this good.
Variations:
If you don't use eggplant the sauce won't thicken as well but the flavor is quite good. The eggplant does give it a different dimension though.
I like to vary the types of peppers used. Poblano, bell, sweet italian, whatever is handy.
I like it best if its not to strong on the tomato. The coconut milk really comes through this way. If you don't care for coconut milk (looking at you, Attia) then by all means, up the tomato content.
Gratify Gastro Pub
This evening me and a friend headed out to watch the Maryland v Miami game and down a few beers. Duffy's would be the normal sports bar option but we wanted something better.
Enter Gratify, a Gastro Pub in West Palm Beach. Here is the Google Place page where you can find my review based on previous dining experiences.
We sat at the bar overlooking the open kitchen, two HD Tv's perched overhead. Much better way to watch the game then Duffy's 15 small TV's at a distance. Other then a nice 8 minute run in the 2nd half, Maryland looked pretty bad. But that's another discussion, if your really interested here is a good discussion.
Gratify specializes in small plates and good beer. Perfect. We aren't particularly hungry nor have any desire to drink Light anything. I started with a draft Palm, a nice Belgian pale ale. We split two small plates, the BBQ Sliders and something I realy wanted to try, tater tots. The tots were great. Golden brown and crispy outside with almost mashed potato innards. I believe the insides contain some meet and onion along with a few others. Too bad its not on thier online menu, which is out of date. They should use SandwichBoard. The sliders I have had before and really like. A classic shredded pork on foccacia with a little slaw on top. Great with the beer.
Back to the beer! 2nd round goes to the bottles. I had the Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale, a potent brown that definitely would go with a cigar.
Overall, a very good time at the Gratify on a Wednesday night. This place is great for doing sports bar stuff with better food and way better beer.
Side note: Semi-talented rapper T.I. was playing a concert in the amphitheater across the street from Gratify. I could actually see the stage from my seat at the bar. To bad there wasn't much good to see. Or hear.
Enter Gratify, a Gastro Pub in West Palm Beach. Here is the Google Place page where you can find my review based on previous dining experiences.
We sat at the bar overlooking the open kitchen, two HD Tv's perched overhead. Much better way to watch the game then Duffy's 15 small TV's at a distance. Other then a nice 8 minute run in the 2nd half, Maryland looked pretty bad. But that's another discussion, if your really interested here is a good discussion.
Gratify specializes in small plates and good beer. Perfect. We aren't particularly hungry nor have any desire to drink Light anything. I started with a draft Palm, a nice Belgian pale ale. We split two small plates, the BBQ Sliders and something I realy wanted to try, tater tots. The tots were great. Golden brown and crispy outside with almost mashed potato innards. I believe the insides contain some meet and onion along with a few others. Too bad its not on thier online menu, which is out of date. They should use SandwichBoard. The sliders I have had before and really like. A classic shredded pork on foccacia with a little slaw on top. Great with the beer.
Back to the beer! 2nd round goes to the bottles. I had the Cigar City Maduro Brown Ale, a potent brown that definitely would go with a cigar.
Overall, a very good time at the Gratify on a Wednesday night. This place is great for doing sports bar stuff with better food and way better beer.
Side note: Semi-talented rapper T.I. was playing a concert in the amphitheater across the street from Gratify. I could actually see the stage from my seat at the bar. To bad there wasn't much good to see. Or hear.
Don't Skimp on Aluminum Foil
Aluminum foil is a mainstay in the kitchen. Right now it is lining a sheet pan to cook bacon in the oven. Cheapy foil would end up with a bacon grease mess all over everything.
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