thats waaaaaayyy more ingredients than i put in my kafta. Just had it today, and sometimes i just like some of it raw. yum. I actually make a yogurt sauce with it too, but mine has cucumbers, garlic and mint. Kafta is also good spread over a pita and grilled in the oven,kinda like a pizza.
- Technique
Michael Teaches Us How To Make Lamb Kofta
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jul 8, 2010
Hey Guys!
I know you've all been tooooootally wanting to work on your Kofta skills, right? Me too. And fortunately, Michael has a simple tutorial on making the most scrumptious Lamb Kofta. The only fancy-schmancy ingredient you'll need is a few lemongrass stalks, but otherwise, this is a very user-friendly recipe.
Watch his cumin-laden video HERE.
If you're inspired by this Mediterranean delight, let us know if you try making it at home. And we always love photos!
Thanks, all!
-Audie
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- Mira Uncut
- Jul 8, 2010
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Bryan's Maryland Crab Cake Recipe!
Posted by Audie Metcalf on Jun 11, 2010
Hey Guys!
Is the menu for your Saturday night dinner party a little lackluster? Well, today's your lucky day! Enter Bryan Voltaggio's Maryland Crab Cake recipe! His version of the crab cake is soft and slightly loose - perfect as a nibble before your main course, or better yet, as the main course.
Serve these little babies warm, with a dollop of mayonnaise.
Bryan Voltaggio's Maryland Crab Cakes
Makes 4 Servings
INGREDIENTS:
1 pound crab meat, picked free of shells
1/3 cup crushed cracker meal
3 spring onions (green and white parts), finely minced
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg
1 tsp salt
3 drops Tabasco sauce
2 tsp Old Bay seasoning
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dry mustard
2 tsp lemon, juiced
1/4 tsp garlic minced
Wondra flour mixed with:
1/2 cup extra cracker meal for coating
1 cup canola oil
STEPS:
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients except for Wondra flour, extra cracker meal and the canola oil.
Using a pastry cutter, mold the crab cakes into desired size, and coat with the mixture of Wondra flour and cracker meal.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
When oil is hot, carefully place crab cakes, in batches, in pan and fry until browned, about four to five minutes.
Carefully flip crab cakes and fry on other side until golden brown, about four minutes.
As always, we'd love to hear if you tried making these sweet and savory cakes at home and how they turned out - and we always love photos!
Have a great, crab cake-filled weekend, everyone!
-Audie
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Morels Are Here
Posted by Michael Voltaggio on Apr 19, 2010
Hey everyone,
For me, Spring is nothing more than an excuse to eat fresh morels. While you should be able to find them at your local gourmet food shops, if for some reason they haven't stocked up, there's a great website called http://www.marxfoods.com that has all of your morel needs totally covered.
When you're hunting for fresh morels, you're looking for unblemished, whole mushrooms with white stems. Steer clear of any funky scents or slimy stems. Once home, it's ideal to cook your morels that evening, but they can stay fresh and dry for about 3 days; be sure to store them in a paper bag, refrigerated - use of any plastics will make your morels taste strange and will completely change the texture.
When selecting your morels, I recommend really going through them carefully, because a bruised morel's texture can be rubbery once prepared and cooked. If you're feeling intrepid, you can sign up for a morel-hunting group - but be absolutely sure you know what you're doing. As you know, morels must be cooked and never eaten raw. As for cleaning and cooking techniques, there are a million different ones out there, but for me the finest way to eat a morel is:
TO PREPARE:
-Hand-pick a collection of white-stemmed, fresh morels.
-Bring home, slice length-wise, brush away dirt and/or bugs.
-Let sit out until ready to eat.
-If it's a particularly clean batch, you're ready to cook, if they're buggy or dirty, use a damp towel to clean.
-If the towel proves to be not enough man-power, as a last resort you may soak your morels in a salt-water bath for a maximum of 15 minutes - rinse thoroughly and then pat dry with a cloth.
TO COOK:
-Melt a giant knob of butter in a cast iron skillet until butter is sizzling but not darkening - a medium heat is roughly right.
- Add your sliced morels, plain* and unsalted, to the butter
-Cook for about 4-7 minutes, or until softened. You're not looking for any crispness, but softness.
-Using a slotted spoon, transfer directly to plate, season with salt (Maldon, please) and eat.
*The only acceptable variation when eating straight morels, in my humble opinion, is to lightly flour them before frying.
Let me know how they turn out.
-Michael
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Answering User Questions
Posted by Bryan Voltaggio on Mar 15, 2010
Hey everyone,
We really appreciate the great conversation happening in the Forum, and wanted to take the opportunity to answer some of the questions you have posted to us.
From Stan Leung:
"Will you or your brother be putting out a cook book?"
Michael and I are in the process of writing our proposal for our first book together. This is very new to us and seems to be a slow process. As we get more information and start to build a definative timeline we will share that information.
From Maria Pazza:
"Is there an affordable way to get liquid nitrogen ... if you're a home cook and not a restaurant? I looked at containers and stuff online and the cost is just prohibitive. But I want to make Michael's chicken wings with the blue cheese disc!"
The containers are very expensive to buy. A lot of suppliers have dewars you can rent and they charge for the nitrogen to fill. That dish can also be recreated using a piece of slate or metal in your freezer. Place the surface in your freezer, that is set towards the lower side of the settings, make the blue cheese mousse, then freeze on the surface while still in the freezer using the isi canister. You will get a similar result for hundreds of dollars less. Freeze the cheese for a couple of hours in the freezer, then serve.
From Eric Plescha:
"I was wondering what company supplies and fills your ln2 dewers? I own a restaurant outside of Philadelphia and can not seem to find a definitive answer in regaurds to ln2 refills. any feedback would be great, looking forward to hearing back from you."
I use Roberts oxygen they seem to be up and down the east coast.
From katherine atherley:
"I'm starting my first kitcen and need some help. What brands of equipment are the best? What pieces of equipment should have I always have around?"
This question truely should be answered with the concept in mind. Are you opening a fine dining restaurant, quick service casual, or a specific ethinicty. That will determine tour needs and the price point and durability you should look for. I would be glad to help. Send me a message with more details and I'll give you my two pennies.
From Tobias:
"I have heard that certain grades of plastic can leach into food when heated and can potentially be toxic. Is there a special kind of plastic wrap that should be used when cooking sous vide?"
There are bags that have been developed specifically for cooking. Please see your manufacturers guildlines before using. Every company is different when it comes to this subject. Polyscience actually sells safe cooking bags. See source below:
[http://www.cuisinetechnology.com/Images-1/sous_videbags-sm.jpg]
* Three sizes available, in cases of 1000
* 3 mil (85 micron) wall thickness
* FDA approved for temperatures as high as 115ºC / 239ºF
* 100% BPA (Bisphenol A) free
* EU Directive 2002/72/EC compliant
Catalog number / Price per case
801-803 (6 x 8) / $120.00/case of 2,000
801-804<tel:801-804> (8 x 12) /$103.00/case of 1,000
801-805<tel:801-805> (12 x 14) / $177.00/case of 1,000
Boilable vacuum bags for sous vide and storage
Thank you for your questions, keep them coming! If you would like us to answer your question, post it in the Forum, and mark it as "Cool".
Cheers,
Bryan
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Maria's Sauteed Escarole with Radicchio
Posted by Michael Voltaggio on Feb 18, 2010
Hey everyone,
Earlier this week, I introduced you to Farmer Lee Jones, and the wonderful organic vegetables he makes at The Chef's Garden in Huron, OH. And since Bryan and I are always looking to see and share your recipes, I wanted to highlight Maria Piazza's Sauteed Escarole with Radicchio. Maria used her experiences from her youth (there was always greens in her Mother's kitchen), to help create a great side dish.
Drawing from what you know and what you grew up with is a smart way to expand your culinary creativity. Cooking isn't just ingredients, gadgets and techniques, it's also experience, passion and heart.
Here is Maria's recipe, in her own words:
"I love greens. So often on my mother's stove, there was a pot of homegrown greens from my dad's garden, cooking away. I remember him coming to the door in dirt-caked boots, and handing over enormous bunches for her to wash. It seemed like an endless task, the sink overflowing with them, the countertop piled high. But then they were in the pot, on the back burner, with salt and a drizzle of olive oil, and the aromatic earthiness of the steam fogged the kitchen window.
She kept it simple ... with 7 mouths to feed, this was not the only thing going onto the table for dinner. And I liked it that way. A little slivered garlic. A little olive oil. A ladle of the cooking liquid. Loaves of bread for tearing and dunking.
Mmmm. Back to the greens recipe. This reminds me of my mother's greens in its simplicity. It is a warming winter side dish that is great with roasted chicken or fish, or as a main dish served simply with sauteed or boiled potatoes tossed with a bit of butter and herbs. I'm making myself hungry!
Notes
Escarole: You can substitute kale or swiss chard for the escarole. The escarole I used for this recipe was relatively young, so I'm only dropping it into boiling water for a few minutes. If your greens are bigger and thicker, adjust the boiling and cooking time by adding 4 - 5 minutes more to each.
Radicchio: Radicchio is mildly bitter, if you haven't had it before. You can also use the long radicchio, called Trevisano, that looks like red belgian endive. The bitterness mellows when radicchio is cooked, especially with the addition of an acid like white wine vinegar or lemon."
Click HERE for the full recipe.
-Michael
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More Jonathan Bautista Dishes
Posted by Michael Voltaggio on Feb 17, 2010
Last month I posted a series of pictures from Jonathan Bautista. Jonathan has a very artistic eye for food, and his plating is very dynamic and appealing. He recently flagged some new pictures, and I wanted to highlight them again here, so we can track his progression.
What do you think, is he getting better? What should he work on, his descriptions, his plating, his ingredients? Let Jonathan know your thoughts and critiques in the comments.
"Cobb Salad" ...Boneless Chicken Wing, Egg salad, Roma, Guacamole, White Corn Puree, Maytag Bleu, Prociutto Chip, Creamy shiso blue cheese ranch"
"Ocean Trout Tartare, Shiso Creme Fraiche, Goat Cheese Shiso Crackers"
"48 Hour Braised Short Rib, Pickled Radish, Basil, Fennel, Yukon Gnocchi"
You can see the rest of his pictures HERE.
If you would to see your food progression tracked on the site, start uploading and flagging your pics.
-Michael
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Tracking Your Progression As A Chef
Posted by Bryan Voltaggio on Feb 11, 2010
We've been talking a lot lately about kitchen creativity, ways we as chefs get to showcase our artistry, through menus, ingenuity with appliances, plating, and beyond. Being creative as a chef is key to improving your skills, and finding your "voice" in the kitchen. One of the ways you can develop your skills is by taking pictures of your dishes and using them to track your progression as a chef, and to find better methods, both in the kitchen and on the plate.
Steven Schutzer is doing just that. He has been taking pictures of his food for the last few years, and trying to better his plating technique through the images. This is a very smart move, and I recommend the practice to any aspiring chef. Simply going off of tasting reactions is not enough. Going back and studying your dishes will show you the improvements you've made, and inspire you to reach greater culinary heights.
Here are some of Steven's images, with his thoughts on his work. I encourage you to click through to his 2008 and 2009 albums and give him some constructive criticism.
"Kinda proud of this one. Pan seared shrimp, tomato confit, braised beef (short rib) ravioli, veal consomme and basil oil. Yes the ravioli is house made."
"The plating on this one disturbs me. Granted, it was in my first year back and my dishes have really tightened up, but this is awful. However the taste was on point. Strip steak, onion confit, roasted red poatoes and three roasted pepper coulis."
"Again, beginner at best. Pan roast mahi, sun-dried tomato/shallot butter and crab croquet. Pasta in sauce Americaine. I have to stop planting rosemary in everything. Ha ha."
Post your food photos and flag them as "cool" so that you too can begin tracking your progress.
Cheers,
Bryan
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5-Star Food Made At Home
Posted by Michael Voltaggio on Feb 10, 2010
Daniel Gamito posted and flagged some great food shots, I was very impressed with them. His plating technique is polished, the food looks engaging, and it seems he put a lot of effort into each dish. His food speaks to one of the main themes here at VoltaggioBrothers.com: 5-star restaurant-style food, but made by you in your home.
Just like we've been showing you with the sous vide videos, the dishes you see and order in restaurants can be reproduced at home with a little creativity and ingenuity. We hope to inspire that within you.
Here are a few of Daniel's images, with his captions underneath:
"Braised trout from Colorado with seared Prosciutto and quartered new potatoes fried in the Prosciutto fat, topped with a lightly fried Chicken egg, warm Frizée, and garnished with Snap Dragon and baby Mint sprig. I cooked this dish for breakfast one day during my stay back in my home state of Colorado while I was on leave. I was trying to embody the "bacon, eggs, and potatoes" breakfast concept so prevalent in the Rockies, while also incorporating the delicate Rainbow Trout caught in the mountains to provide a new take, some fresh flavor, and a unique spin on an incredibly nutritious but decadent breakfast dish."
"An original Tapa I am trying to develop... Grilled whole wheat Batard rubbed with ripe Roma tomato puree (commonly served itself as a Tapa in Andalucia and Catalonia, in Catalán "Pa amb tomáquet") but in my version, I serve a small fillet of Mahi Mahi, which has been braised in Vermouth, Jalapeño seeds, vegetable stock, and Thyme. To then balance the heat, I put a dollop of Avocado creme, which is basically salt, Spanish olive oil, heavy whipping cream, and ripe avocados, whipped together into an Avocado flavored savory whipped cream. I had a lady friend tell me that the combination of Jalapeño Mahi Mahi and Avocado Creme was an orgasm in her mouth. But I want a second opinion, preferably from Messrs. Voltaggio.."
"This is a playful dish I made in my kitchen in Boulder. Grilled beef (top sirloin) rubbed with Coriander, fresh Rosemary, sea salt and black pepper. which has been painted with a Vino Tinto/Pomegranate/Beef Jus reduction to make it appear raw (beef was cooked medium rare) The meat is nestled over a yellow risotto (I'll have to put another photo up so you all can see that...) of Basmati, Turmeric, Bay, and Cabráles cheese from Asturias, Spain. Accompanied by raw Turnip greens, a sliced raw shallot, and the plate is painted with the aforementioned reduction for artistic effect."
You can see the full album HERE.
Keep uploading and flagging images; we look at all of them, and like to see and hear your stories of kitchen creativity.
-Michael
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