Great Stocks...a cold weather staple

Stocks have so many uses in the fall and winter, that I make sure I always have some on hand.


Here I've made two very similar, yet very different chicken stocks.  The first a basic stock with good flavor and rich in gelatin.  Then a second one made from the first stock using roasted bones.  In the restaurant I referred to this second stock as double dark chicken, or 'dbl dk chix'.


Rather than list a recipe with specific amounts, a quick understanding of proportions will get you on your way.  The starting point should be your stockpot...get twice as many bones as will fill that stockpot about 3/4 full...

Now for the aromatic vegetables that will flavor the stock.  Unlike baking, no exact measurements are needed here.  The total amount of the vegetables should be about 1/3 the volume of the bones.  A good rule of thumb for the mix is about 50% onions, 25% carrots and 25% celery.  If I happen to have some fresh fennel around or some parsley stems, I’ll throw those in as well.

The size that you cut the vegetables does matter and here is why.  You want them to release all of their flavor into the stock, but you don’t want them to cook so long they fall apart, clouding the stock.  So the longer a stock will simmer, the larger you will want to keep the vegetables.  For the chicken stock, I cut onions in quarters, and the carrots and celery in about 4 inch lengths.

For the first stock...

Pour enough cold water over the bones in the stockpot to just cover and slowly bring to a simmer...adjust the heat so it never boils...just bubbles occasionally.  Logic would dictate that starting with hot water would give you a head start on the cooking, but it will result in a cloudy result, so avoid the temptation. 

 As it slowly comes to a simmer, both fat and foam will rise to the surface.  Skim this away as it collects.  Simmer the bones for about 45 minutes to an hour (continuing to clean the surface) then add the vegetables.  Continue to simmer until the bones fall apart easily.  Chicken stock only needs to cook about 2-3 hours, after that you are simply cooking away those fresh flavors.  Strain the stock through a fine mesh strainer and discard all of the bones and vegetables.  Let the stock sit a few minutes, then skim off any remaining fat.  Cool the stock quickly and store in the refrigerator, or go directly to making the second stock.

For the second stock...

Roast the second half of the bones in the oven until they are very well browned, making sure not to let any pieces get too dark.  Once browned, remove them from the oven.  If any of the bones happen to get to dark, just remove those portions.  Just a small piece of bone blackened in the oven can impart its bitterness on your entire batch of stock.  After adding the bones to the pot, pour off any excess fat from the roasting pan, then scrape all of the crusty brown bits from the bottom into the stock pot.  These bits are culinary gold and your stock will suffer without them...don’t let them get away.  Alternatively, you can put the pan on a medium flame, add some of the stock and simmer slowly to dissolve the bits stuck to the bottom.  Add all of this to the stockpot with the bones and the 1st stock you made.  Give this one about a 1/2 hour head start, then add the vegetables and cook for another hour to hour and a half.  There will be much less cleaning to do as this stock cooks, but it should be tended to, nonetheless.


Again, strain the stock, skim any remaining fat and cool and store as quickly as possible.


Now take advantage of the fact that you have some great stock(s) at your disposal.  Make some soup, or better yet...braise something!

Fresh Flavors of Summer

Cooking can be defined as:

"the act of preparing something (as food) by the application of heat"

(the Collaborative International Dictionary of English)

So I guess, then, that much of Summertime "cooking" isn't really cooking at all...a case in point...

A few simple ingredients can be coaxed into a tasty and satisfying dish without ever going near the stove...and isn't that great when it's over 90 or 100 degrees!

Here I started with a few tomatoes, one summer squash, some basil all from the garden as well as lemon vinaigrette and some burrata left from a small event I did over the weekend.

I like the results of treating squash this way...I slice it thin on a mandoline, lay it out flat and sprinkle on a small amount of kosher salt and wait about 15 minutes.  As it sits, the salt draws moisture from the squash that beads up on its surface...simply press paper towels onto the squash to remove it.  This accomplishes a few things...it seasons the squash all the way through, it gives it a pleasing texture that bends rather than snaps and it also concentrates the flavor by removing water.  This purging technique is an important step to some other preparations as well such as making pickles, raita (cucumber/yogurt sauce from India), eggplant (where it also extracts some of the inherent bitterness) etc...

The rest of this salad is simple...season everything (don't add any additonal salt to the squash) individually and assemble.

...the few early offerings from the garden...

...use a mandoline to slice the squash thinly and evenly...most professional cooks have a Benriner which is more practical and affordable than the larger more expensive French metal types...

...it doesn't take much salt do draw out a lot of moisture, and since the slices are so thin, any more than this would just amount to salty squash...no good...

...don't forget to season everything...here the cut tomatoes get salt, pepper and some good extra virgin olive oil...for this dish I prefer a fruitier version...nothing assertively peppery...

...the burrata gets the same salt/pepper/evoo treatment (be sure to remove the cheese from the refrigerator about 20 minutes before serving to allow it to come to room temperature), then the assembled salad is drizzled with the lemon vinaigrette...

Now THAT is Summer on a plate!

Syrupy Goodness

I've been experimenting lately with desserts.  At the restaurant, there was the pastry chef, but now that I am out on my own, I'm working on my repertoire.  (I was lucky enough to have chef Yulanda Santos with me when I was at Calistoga Ranch...she is now pastry chef at Dry Creek Kitchen in Healdsburg, CA...if you find yourself there, check out her desserts...they are as beautiful as they are delicious)


Here is a great technique that is equally at home in savory dishes (think foie gras, roast pork, duck confit...you get the idea) but here . . . a couple of sweet examples.


The basic technique flows like this...

• make a caramel
• add vinegar and reduce a bit to a syrup
• add spices, steep, remove
• add fruit and cook

Now, here are my variations for two fruits...

For the rhubarb, I made enough syrup so that the pieces could swim in it.  I cooked them on a super low flame, basically just wilting them, allowing them to cool in the syrup.  You can see how well they hold their shape.  As far as the spices, I used cinnamon stick, allspice and a cardomom pod.  For vinegar I used champagne vinegar.

I served the rhubarb with these "baby cakes" from Julia Child's "Baking with Julia".

For the cherries, I made just enough of the syrup to coat the bottom of the pan, and cooked them over a  higher flame, giving them a gentle, occasional toss.  As they cook, they add to the syrup by releasing their own natural juice.  Fresh cherries like these only need a couple of minutes...they will continue to soften as they cool, so err on the short side.  As for spices,  I think the cherries stand up to a more assertive mix and I went with cinnamon stick, allspice, cloves, star anise (VERY little) and black peppercorns.  I used red wine vinegar.

I served these cherries with panna cotta...I love Suzanne Goin's creme fraiche version from "Sunday Suppers at Lucques"

So obviously there are many variations on this idea as different fruits come into season.  Just think about how the spices and vinegars work with the fruit you are using (and the dish overall).   Also think about the balance of sugar to vinegar.  While a more acidic treatment might marry well with a fatty pork chop, it might be out of place in a dessert.  You could be tempted to omit the vinegar entirely for a dessert, but that can leave the dish cloyingly sweet...cooking is all about balance.


Soon santa rosa plums will be in the markets and I think I'll try those with lemon verbeena and champagne vinegar.

Here's to Fast Food!!

Like anyone, I don’t always want to spend a lot of time cooking for myself, but I do want to eat meals that taste great.  I go through food phases...and right now I’ve just fallen into another farro kick.

I’ll boil up a big batch of farro, give it a little salt, pepper and olive oil and keep it in the fridge...when it gets low, I boil up another batch and this continues for a few weeks until I’ve had my fill...

It takes some time to cook (a good hour long simmer usually does the trick), but once it is in the fridge, it has you eating a healthy meal in as little as 10-15 minutes.

Today, I had just one summer squash and one padron pepper from my garden...add in a little farro and I had myself a great lunch.

Here’s what I did:

Slice up the squash and the pepper and saute in some olive oil (and a little salt and pepper) until both are tender, tear the blossom from the squash into strips and add them to the pan along with some rough torn fresh basil.  Give the pan a quick toss and add in the pre-cooked farro and let it warm through slightly and check for seasoning.  Off the heat, add a small squeeze of fresh lemon...this really wakes up all the flavors!

There are endless possibilities and it is a great way to use up what you happen to have hanging out in the fridge (or the garden).

Experiment with your own combinations and enjoy Summer's bounty!!!

A Simple Treatment For Some Amazing Carrots...

I picked up these carrots at the farmer's market on Thursday.  I've got no events this weekend but it had been a while since I played with some food and the camera at the same time...

No peeling needed...a good scrub, a rinse and a pat dry...

The parsley and the thyme were clipped from my new garden (more on that soon).

After nothing more than salt, pepper, thyme and olive oil they are ready for the pan.

...like candy...