Basil Frittata

What, you may ask, is a frittata? Well, that's a great question. Before stumbling upon this recipe, I had neither tasted, nor seen, nor heard of a frittata. Basically, it's a bit like an omelet, made with eggs and served as an appetizer or light supper -- or for breakfast, why not? This frittata also has potatoes, basil and Parmesan, but, like an omelet, can be made a million different ways. Unlike an omelet, however, the frittata is never folded, but cooked "open-faced" in a pan (very slowly on low heat), then finished under the broiler (under high heat for a couple minutes).

Mine came out pretty good, but I could see how this dish might take some practice to get it just right. I was never really sure what was going on at the bottom of my pan, and had to test it a few times. This recipe for basil frittata was found on p.53 of Marcella Cucina.

2 medium potatoes, about 3/4 lb.
2 tbsp. butter
1/3 c. chopped onion
4 eggs
salt
black pepper
1/2 c. fresh basil, cut into very thin strips
1/2 c. freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

 

Thanks for reading!

-Little Chef TX

Broccoli and Mozzarella Pasta Sauce

From Marcella Cucina - p. 146 (Sauces)

Broccoli and Mozzarella Pasta Sauce

1/2 lb. broccoli
salt
1 tbsp. vegetable oil
2 tbsp. butter
1 tbsp. chopped garlic

1/4 lb. mozzarella, chopped fine
2 tbsp. coursely chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1/4 c. fresly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano

This recipe makes less of a "sauce," at least by my definition, and more of a "coating." The mixture is not watery -- it clings perfectly to the pasta and leaves nothing behind. What I loved about the recipe is its simplicity, the harmony of ingredients. None stand out above the others. The garlic is not overpowering. The flavor of the broccoli is evened out by the butter and the cheese, etc.

In her introduction to this book, Marcella Hazan has a few things to say about this quality of Italian cooking:

"The universal quality that Italy's regions can claim from their cooking is that it is kind to the palate. It is food that charms the palate with flavors that are fresh, clear, plain-spoken, direct often to the point of artlessness, and even bold, but not overbearing... On pasta, sauce is used with restraint, to coat, not to blanket. What you can expect of careful Italain cooking... is a mannerly approach to garlic: It is never employed with intemperate profusion nor so overbrowned that its presence becomes obtrusive, oafishly shouldering aside that of other ingredients in the dish."

She encourages cooks to "think taste" and "make music."

Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Salmon, Garlic and Capers

Tonight, with temperatures dropping into the '30s, I'm taking a departure from Mexican and turning to Marcella Hazan for a little Italian-style comfort food. While I'm still waiting to get my hands on Hazan's more famous Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking, I've found some pretty yummy-looking dishes in her more recent cookbook, Marcella Cucina ("Marcella cooks").

As an appetizer, Hazan's recipe for salmon-stuffed baked tomatoes, accompanied by a full-page, mouth-watering color photo of the finished product, immediately caught my eye. When one of the cooks caught me staring off into space during work this morning, asking me if I was "on the moon," I was in fact dreaming of this dish. Needless to say, I'm excited. And hungry.

Baked Tomatoes Stuffed with Salmon, Garlic and Capers

1 tbsp capers, packed in salted
1 lb. salmon
3 1/2 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
1 tbsp. chopped Italian flat-leaf parsley
1 tsp. very finely chopped garlic
2 tbsp. fine, dry, unflavored bread crumbs
salt
black pepper
two large ripe, firm tomatoes, weighing approximately 3/4 lb. each

Found me a couple fat tomatoes at the store. Halved each horizontally, scooped out the insides, and stuffed with this tantalizing salmon mixture: salmon, garlic, Italian flat-leaf parsley, capers, olive oil, plain breadcrumbs, salt and pepper. The cats were veeeery interested in the salmon.

Bongo and Poppy: "Feed us!!!"

Before popping in the oven, my tomatoes looked like this:

Before

Then after, like this:

Mouthgasms

These are both impressive and delicious! The tomato really picks up the flavors of the salmon mixture, and the salmon mixture itself is just.... mmmmm. Considering how gourmet these little guys turn out, the work you put in is negligible. Great freakin' recipe! I could see this being the kind of thing you'd want to make for your mother-in-law to win her over to your cause.

- Little Chef TX

Mariscos a la Marinara (Seafood Cocktail) y Enchiladas Sencillas (Simple Enchiladas)

Tonight, I began teaching my first cooking class! So far, I only have one student: my sister, Lisa. As it is her New Years resolution to learn to cook, and it is mine (casually), to cook more,  we make a good match. So I carted a box of cooking equipment to my childhood home in Garland, where my sister is living, to make two dishes: Mariscos a la Marinara, and Enchiladas Sencillas. Once again, these are recipes from Diana Kennedy's famous cookbook, The Essential Cuisines of Mexico.

We started at the grocery store, picking through the produce for the best our local grocer had to offer. For those less acquainted with home-cooking, it is  important to learn how to pick produce. Look for the ripe, red tomatoes, the brown but not mushy avocados, the deep green peppers, etc. If you ever find yourself with a cooking student, bring them with you to shop for ingredients! It is helpful, and you can make them carry the basket for you!

Mariscos a la Marinara (Seafood Cocktail) - p. 13

Basically, Mariscos a la Marinara requires a lot of chopping: tomatoes, serranos, white onion, avocado, and cilantro, mixed with shrimps, lime juice, and olive oil, with no cooking involved.What you get is a juicy but crispy, super fresh concoction unlike most seafood cocktails I've tried, mostly because it lacks that distinctive, horseradishy taste of bottled cocktail sauce. I missed that familiar flavor for about two seconds, then couldn't get enough of this stuff. We used cooked shrimps, though Kennedy also recommends using clams or uncooked scallops.

Nice chopping, Lisa!

Enchiladas Sencillas (Simple Enchiladas) - p.59

The tomato sauce:

Broiled tomatoes

Garlic clove

Fresh serranos, toasted

Vegetable oil

Salt

Thick sour cream at room temp.

For this sauce, you will need to use your broiler -- a high-heat oven setting which will give your vegetables a nice char. It is basically grilling, but in the oven. Move your oven rack about 4 inches below (or above) your heat source, and cook the tomatoes and serranos for a few minutes. Be careful not to burn.

Then, in a blender, puree your tomatoes, garlic and serranos until smooth. Heat oil in a skillet, then fry the sauce in the oil for about 5 min. Add salt and remove from heat. Stir sour cream into the sauce once it has cooled a bit. 

"Nom nom" sauce

The enchiladas

Vegetable oil for frying

Corn tortillas

Scrambled eggs, or cooked, shredded chicken (we used chicken)

White onion

Heat oil in skillet, and quickly fry tortillas, about 5 seconds each side. Drain on paper towels, then stack. Dip tortillas into the sauce, spoon chicken and onions onto tortillas, then roll. Sauce, sprinkle with remaining onion, and cover with cheese. 

Bake in oven about 10 minutes, then voila! 

We loved these enchiladas, especially that good creamy sauce! Good wine, great food, and even better company -- a perfect night of cooking :) I wonder what we'll make for next month's class?

- Little Chef TX

Arroz Verde (Green Rice)

From The Essential Cuisines of Mexico - p. 163

With plenty of meat, sauce and tortillas leftover from last night's meal, I thought today I'd make a tasty side dish to accompany round two of Enchiladas Placeras. In the Beans, Rice, and Pasta section of Diana Kennedy's The Essential Cuisines of Mexico, I found this recipe, dog-eared, in the copy I'm borrowing from the library. Well, perfect! Arroz Verde sounds great.

At my restaurant, we have a version of green rice, but it is different from this recipe. The "green" in our rice comes from Anaheim or Hatch green chiles (when available), not poblanos, and uses a veggie base instead of chicken stock. I'm curious to see how the taste of Kennedy's rice compares with that of my restaurant and other variations I've tried.

Ingredients:
White rice
Vegetable oil
Flat-leaf parsley
Cilantro
Romaine lettuce
Poblano chiles
White onion
Garlic clove
Chicken broth
Salt

Process:
1. First, heat up some water use it to soak the uncooked rice for about 5 mins. Drain, rinse, drain some more.
2. Fry rice in hot oil until it turns a pale golden color. Drain off excess oil.

3. Blend all the green ingredients, onion and garlic in a blender with a bit of water.

4. Add the green mixture to the rice; fry on high heat until rice is almost dry. Add chicken broth and salt, cook on medium for about 15 mins until liquid is absorbed.
5. Cover pan and continue cooking 5 mins. Remove from heat; cover with terry cloth to steam for another 20-30 mins.

Results:

Amazing!! The texture of the rice after steaming under a cloth (I used a standard kitchen towel) was absolutely perfect. All those strong green flavors simmer down a bit, and just make for a lovely flavor. I'm no expert, but this is some of the best rice I've ever had. And now my apartment smells like a fresh, green garden.

BTW, Arroz Verde pairs perfectly with Enchiladas Placeras and a nice glass of sangria.

Buen apetito!

-Little Chef TX

Enchiladas Placeras (Enchiladas Served in the Central Plaza)

From The Art of Mexican Cooking - p.19.

Enchiladas as described by Diana Kennedy look much different than the Tex-Mex fare I've seen all my life. My idea of an enchilada is cheese and perhaps meat rolled up in a corn tortilla, covered with more cheese and your sauce of choice (which may also be made of cheese), heated and served. The end result is cheesy, chewy, and saucy. Not generally my go-to entree, when there are so many awesome and inventive tacos to be found on any Tex-Mex menu.

These enchiladas employ a different technique: no baking, just assembling the components (sauce, filling, and tortillas) while piping hot, and serving immediately. This recipe for Enchiladas Placeras is labor-intensive, though this time I cheated by buying pre-made corn tortillas. The meat and sauce were built from scratch, and resulted in an awesomely fresh and flavorful entree, a great-smelling apartment, and a satisfying meal.

Salud!

The Meat: Salpicon de Res (Shredded Meat Cooked with Tomatoes, Chiles, and Cilantro)

The recipe calls for a skirt or flank steak, cut into 2-inch pieces, and simmered with onion, cilantro, garlic and salt for about 35 minutes.

After simmering, the meat is chopped roughly, and fried with onion, garlic, chopped tomatoes, chiles serranos en escabeche (pickled serranos) and cilantro.

Mmmmmmm....

The sauce: Salsa de Jitomate (Cooked Tomato Sauce)

Tomatoes are simmered quickly with fresh serranos, then blended with garlic and a little water. Simple. Then, the sauce is cooked in oil over high heat, which incorporates the flavors and thickens it up. The time-consuming part of the sauce is all the chopping you have to do before it hits the blender. The blending and cooking take no time at all.

Add salt, taste, repeat.

Once you've completed your meat and sauce, which should be kept hot, lightly cook your corn tortillas in safflower oil (or lard, if you prefer) about 5 seconds each side. Stack them up, then dip tortillas individually into the hot sauce. Spoon meat onto tortilla, roll, sauce, and top with a bit of chopped white onion and grated queso anejo or Romano cheese. Here is my end result:

In total, it took me about 2 hours to complete my Enchiladas Placeras. Highlights for me were the flavor and heartiness of the meat filling, the clean-tasting, spicy, thin sauce, and the fact that there was so little cheese, which made the other elements stand out. 

Buen apetito!

-Little Chef TX

Bienvenidos!

Greetings from an aspiring chef.

I have started this blog as a platform for chronicling my journey to become a better cook, using cookbooks, online recipes, trial and error, my own two hands, and my very tiny kitchen in my very small apartment in Dallas, Texas.

I have always loved food, and have always felt at home in the kitchen.My family has always told me I have a "knack" for cooking, urging me to pursue it as a career. Culinary art school, maybe, then onward into the real world of professional cooking. But, I'm told, the culinary art school path is not necessarily the best or only option toward achieving professional status.

I currently work in a casual Tex-Mex restaurant, where I started as a server and now primarily work as an expo, traying up orders and sending them on their way to the dining room. Working in this environment has given me a more realistic view of what it takes to work in a kitchen. It's hard, messy, fast-pace, and dangerous. Really good cooks can be found working as line cooks in kitchens the world over, pumping out the same plates day-in and day-out, creating a human assembly line to feed the masses. There is little art in this work, though there are certainly standards and an expectation of taking pride in the food you sell.

Having spent some time on the line, and I can tell you it is not easy. And though it may not be art, there is a good deal of skill required. In order to work in any kitchen, you've got to earn your stripes. Often, this means working your way up from dishwasher, to prep cook, to line cook, then maybe on up to sous chef in a fine dining environment. Then maybe, MAYBE, one day, you may earn the title of chef. This, to me, is indicative of having transformed your culinary skills into an art.

I hope to get there one day. But, for now, I'm just a small-time, wanna-be cook looking to brush up on my skills, and to spend more time doing what I love. To achieve these ends, I've picked up a few cookbooks from the library, and am excited to dive in and start trying some new recipes.

First up is an exploration into Mexican cuisine with The Essential Cuisines of Mexico and The Art of Mexican Cooking by Diana Kennedy. Should be fun! Thanks for reading.

-Little Chef TX