Walla! Kenji Lopez-Alt exposed.

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Misen Chef Knife

Misen Chef’s Knife, from Kenji’s review on Serious Eats. The knife is now available at a nice discount on Amazon.

A kind reader corrected our use of “walla” to convey “there you have it” when executing a culinary tour de force. The correct spelling/usage is “voila” and of course we know that. We use walla in solidarity with all the home cooks who employ this phonetic rendition on Facebook etc. to convey their excitement about a dish. Also, did you know that “walla” is actually a technical term in motion picture sound to describe background crowd noise? You didn’t? Now who’s the charlatan in this scenario?*

Walla is the perfect term to introduce this article, which exposes the dark/mischievous side of culinary icon/gadfly Kenji Lopez-Alt. Called “The 18 Knives Kenji’s Collected Over the Years”, it describes each knife with its origin story. Some may say 18 is way too many: you have a favorite chef’s knife, paring knife, a flexible boning knife, a bread knife… so what are all these other knives? Well, with a couple exceptions they are products you can buy at a link in the article. Kenji is delivering clickbait, in other words.

We are in general big Kenji fans and have followed him since his early days on Serious Eats. His writing combines the scientific precision of Harold McGee with the passion of an enthusiastic home cook. We love how he breaks a recipe down into steps, each of which can be performed in different ways with varying results he is happy to share before announcing the best way at the end. But he doesn’t always use his superpowers for good, as when he took us in a wild misdirection during our search for the secret recipe for Halal Guys white sauce. [Update: the Reddit entry has been edited and is not as egregious as it used to be.]

And our question about this article is… what happened to the Misen Chef’s knife, which Kenji called “the holy grail of inexpensive chef’s knives. Incredible quality and design, high-end materials, perfect balance, and a razor-sharp edge”? That review (or an earlier version, since this one is dated June 2023) caused us to try Misen knives after a satisfactory experience with their skillets. And we’re glad we did and now have 2 Misen chef’s knives and a paring knife in daily use while our heavier Victorinox sits idle in the block. (By the way, Misen products like the chef’s knife and skillets are now available on Amazon [affiliate link!] at a substantial discount plus you don’t pay for shipping if you’re a Prime member.)

I don’t want to think that Misen was omitted from the more recent roundup because they didn’t pay up for a link. But, walla, the evidence is there.

*Bonus points if you recognize this quote from A Bug’s Life, one of the greatest movies ever made. And why was there not a Bug’s Life 2?

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The magic of membrillo

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Membrillo

Membrillo magic? More like meh.

We ordered a cheese platter from Whole Foods for our on-the-road Thanksgiving reunion. It came with a nice selection of cheeses and crackers and a little tin of membrillo, or quince paste. Nobody showed much interest in the membrillo so I tossed it into my suitcase when departing. It’s been on my desk ever since and I occasionally take a little nibble.

And I have to say, what’s the big deal about membrillo?

You would think it’s god’s own nectar based on accolades from its fans. Murray’s Cheese calls it “candy for grownups” and praises its “punchy sweetness”. Forever Cheese extols the “magic of membrillo” and quivers with excitement over the “mystical world of the quince and the much-heralded cheese accompaniment it becomes.” And here’s a guy who loves membrillo so much for its “highly aromatic, floral flavor” that he has planted a quince tree so he can make his own.

Membrillo Tin

This is the tin of membrillo included in our Whole Foods cheese assortment.

To me, meh. I’d much rather have figs or dates, fresh or dried, on my cheese plate. My guess is that the “magic of membrillo” is its high pectin content; ancients discovered they could mix sugar (or, more likely, honey) with the bitter fruit juice and walla, it would set up into a semi-solid consistency with a dramatic pink/orange hue.

Can we think of anything else with a high pectin content that sets up into a gel? That’s right, cranberries. What if the Fertile Crescent had run through New England instead of the middle east? Then we’d all be praising the genius of the bright red accompaniment to sharp cheeses. In fact I have a can of cranberry sauce left over from Thanksgiving and I’m going to try that next time I serve up some stinky cheese and crackers!

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A visit to Educated Palate in San Francisco

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Educated Palate Service

Pastry service counter at Educated Palate.

Educated Palate is a bakery operated by the students in the Culinary Arts and Hospitality program at San Francisco City College. It is only open on Thursdays, between 9:30 and 11:30 am, and by chance we were there on the final day of the semester.

Patrons are provided a paper menu to check off their choices, including sweet and savory pastries, a daily sandwich, and a baguette. You wait in line to submit your order and then wait another 20 minutes or so as it is assembled and finally you are called to submit your credit card and receive your goods. Prices are in general about half retail plus you are supporting the work of the next generation of bakers. The biggest bargain is the baguette, a full size loaf of around 13 inches for $1, limit one to a customer.

Waiting at Educated Palate

You place your order, then you wait.

So far I’ve tried the macarons (superb, especially a kiwi flavor with bits of kiwi inside), a comforting oatmeal cookie and plain and almond croissants. The croissants could use a little more loft in the lamination but were still the equal of most at better storefront bakeries. The chef/professor who was handing out pencils (to fill out the menu sheets) told me the program lasts two semesters and costs $1000 and most of the students find work after, or are promoted in the bakeries where they already work.

Pastry Meun

Today’s menu at Educated Palate.

Educated Palate is on the ground floor of the City College building at the very busy corner of Fourth and Mission. In better times a fine dining restaurant, also operated by students, occupied the space. A very quirky beat cop guards the main building and happily directed me to an upstairs restroom since the one in the bakery was, as seems to happen often, out of service. A real San Francisco treat.

Folks who live in the Capital District of upstate New York can access a similar experience at Pane e Dolci, a counter next to the Casola Dining Room at SCCC which is open during the fall and spring semesters on Wednesdays and Thursdays from 11:30 am.to 2:30 pm. Like Educated Palate, it’s well worth a visit and the baked goods are only part of the enjoyment.

Pastry Assortment

My order from Educated Palate.

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Recipe: Fast Focaccia

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Fast Focaccia

Fast Focaccia, finished.

Fast focaccia takes about 2 ½ hours from pitching the yeast to enjoying the first warm bite. And it’s really really good, thanks to plenty of olive oil and salt. Based on this NYT Cooking recipe with a couple of tweaks to make it even faster. Makes 1 focaccia, 9×13 inches.

Ingredients
1 ½ c lukewarm water (355 g)
1 t sugar
2 t yeast
3 T good olive oil
3 c all purpose flour (390 g)
2 t Kosher salt
Additional olive oil and salt (preferably Maldon flakes) for garnish

Focaccia Dough

Fast Focaccia dough is way too slack for the usual step of poking indents with your finger.

Method: add sugar and yeast to lukewarm water in the bowl of a rotary mixer; stir to dissolve sugar. Rest for 5 minutes or so until yeast blooms; add 3 T olive oil then flour and 2 t Kosher salt in that order. Mix at first speed until ingredients are combined then second speed for 5 minutes, until the dough forms a cohesive, very sticky mass.

Prepare a second bowl by coating generously with olive oil. Using a spatula, scrape the very sticky dough into the bowl. Cover and rise in a warm place* for 1 hour, or until doubled. Line a 9×13 baking pan with parchment paper and coat generously with olive oil using a brush or rolled up paper towel. Transfer the dough to this plan using a spatula to get all of it. Cover and rise 30 minutes until the dough rises somewhat. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Bake the focaccia for 25 minutes or a bit longer, until golden brown but still soft and springy. Brush top with olive oil and sprinkle generously with salt immediately after removing from oven. Cool for about 10 minutes in the pan, then eat and enjoy.

*NYT offers a great trick for turning your microwave into a proofing box: put in a large cup of just-boiled water along with the bowl of dough.

Focaccia Sandwich

Focaccia sandwich with some nice mortadella.

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Why can’t we have food like this in the 518?

Posted on December 1, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Hundred Dollar Hamburger

Hundred Dollar Hamburger at Mesa Grill.

I recently finished a sojourn in Sedona, AZ, a tourist town at least the equal of Saratoga Springs measured by the ratio of visitors dining out to residents. I was impressed by two places, Rascals and Mesa Grill, that served an iconoclastic menu in the face of the assumption that tourists want something safe and familiar.

Pictured above is the “Hundred Dollar Hamburger” from Mesa Grill. The restaurant is situated in the airport that serves private pilots. The hamburger doesn’t actually cost $100; that’s a reference to the cost in gas for a pilot who is looking to accumulate hours toward her license and flies in to have a bite. But to my point, it doesn’t look like a hamburger, does it? The menu describes it as “Prime Angus burger on sourdough toast, green chili, caramelized onion, bacon, roasted tomato, cotija & Oaxaca cheese, pico de gallo, chipotle creme.” It was delectable.

Rascals Old Fashioned

Old Fashioned at Rascals.

I ate at Rascals, which dubs itself a “New American Diner”, the night after my big lunch at Mesa Grill. I wasn’t up for a full meal and was satisfied with the Firecracker Shrimp, served General Tso-style on a bed of Asian slaw. But what was distinctive about this meal was the cocktail selection; they stock esoteric high-proof spirits and mix them into interesting drinks like the Four Roses Small Batch Old Fashioned: 104 proof Kentucky straight bourbon, orange bitters, muddled orange rind, Bordeaux cherry (like a maraschino but dark purple and cured in house).

Why can’t we have nice things like this in the Cap District? Of course we do, but not enough. (Check out the interesting things Brady Duhame is doing at Max London’s and the drinks at Hamlet & Ghost.) Too often a menu will consist of a salmon dish, a short rib dish, a bricked chicken dish, a squash risotto vegetarian dish. Restaurants are serving up greatest hits they know diners will recognize and appreciate, vs taking chances with new ideas. And don’t get me started on the folks who open yet another Italian red sauce place.

Certainly we need far more ethnic eateries. I was talking with a woman in my exercise class about how much we love Greek food and neither of us could name a Greek restaurant within 40 miles. But what’s wrong with a fresh take on comfort food classics, like the $100 hamburger above? Give it a try and, if they don’t like it, you can take it off the menu.

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Recipe: Jello Cookies

Posted on November 28, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Jello Cookies

Jello Cookies. The orange ones are made with Orange Yellow; the green with Pistachio Pudding.

I had orange jello cookies on Halloween in the dining hall at Skidmore College and was inspired to research the recipe. Jello cookies are basically sugar cookies with Jell-O powder added in for color and flavor. Settled on this from Taste of Home but am not happy with the result; next time I will (and you should now) add more leavening (boost the baking powder to ½ t) and use more Jell-O powder. Or, try this recipe which is based on cake mix for the ultimate grocery aisle hack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

Ingredients:
½ c unsalted butter, softened
½ c sugar
1 egg
1 ½ c flour
¼ t baking powder*
¼ t baking soda
Jell-O powder, up to 4 different flavors

Jello Cookies

Jello Cookies cooling on rack. I’d use more Jello next time for a more intense color.

Method: cream sugar and butter until thoroughly blended. Add other ingredients except Jello and stir until thoroughly combined. Divide dough into batches depending on how many colors you are using; I divided in half and used 4 T dry Jello mix for each batch. (This is a fun activity for kids as the dough develops the consistency of play-do though they shouldn’t snitch bites because of the raw egg.)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Using a tablespoon or ice cream scoop, form the dough into balls and transfer to a half sheet pan or cookie sheet lined with silicone pad or parchment paper; space the balls an inch apart and flatten slightly with your hand. Bake 10-20 minutes or until edges just start to brown. Remove from oven and cool for 10 minutes, then transfer the cookies to a wire rack using a spatula; cookies are ready to eat when firm.

*This doesn’t seem enough to me and the cookies did not rise as much as expected. I’d double the baking powder next time.

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Recipe: Breakfast Sausage Balls

Posted on November 24, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Breakfast Sausage Balls

Breakfast Sausage Balls with maple syrup.

Breakfast Sausage Balls are an easy morning-meal solution when you’re getting ready for Thanksgiving or Black Friday shopping or just want something quick and filling to stuff in your pie hole. Sausage and pancakes and maple syrup rolled into one, with a bonus hit of cheddar cheese. Found this recipe on Tik-Tok so you know it’s good.  Makes about 24 1-inch sausage balls.

Ingredients:
2 ½ c “just add water” pancake mix such as Hungry Jack*
¼ to ½ c milk
2 c shredded cheddar cheese
1 lb roll breakfast sausage (Jones Dairy Farm preferred)
Syrup (maple preferred) for serving

Method: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine ingredients in a bowl. Thoroughly mix  using a sturdy spoon or the slow speed of stand mixer. Start with ¼ c milk and add more as needed; you want just enough to form a cohesive mass with no dry sections of flour.

Use a tablespoon or ice cream scoop to shape into balls. Arrange the balls on a half sheet pan or two quarter sheet pans (cookie sheets) lined with silicone pad or parchment paper, allowing about an inch between balls for expansion.

Bake until the balls puff up nicely and begin to brown, about 25 minutes. Serve hot with maple or other syrup. Breakfast Sausage Balls reheat nicely in oven or microwave.

*Confusingly, there are other “complete” pancake mixes that look almost identical but have a blurb “just add milk and eggs”. Those are probably better but defeat the purpose of a quick and easy preparation.

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Thanksgiving Turducken from Philip Henderson

Posted on November 21, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Philip Henderson Turducken

Philip Henderson with his Thanksgiving Turducken.

“Several times I have made Turducken at the homes of friends.  It required me to virtually move into their homes on Tuesday and Wednesday.  I worked on the birds starting Tuesday morning about 8 am then put everything in the refrigerator about 5 pm.  I returned to work about 4 pm on Wednesday and put the Turducken in the oven about midnight.  It cooks for 14 hours at 195 degrees Fahrenheit, below the boiling point of water.

Turducken Assembly

Turducken during assembly.

“On Tuesday I prepared the dressings for each bird.  I chopped up onions, bell peppers, celery and garlic for several hours.  I removed all the bones from the turkey, duck and chicken.  I cooked cornbread.  On Wednesday I put everything together including about one hour sewing the bird together.  I can do everything alone except for the sewing together, that takes at least another set of hands.

Philip Henderson Turducken

The finished product.

“Turducken is a project well worth the investment of time.  It freezes well too.  I used at 26-pound turkey a six- or seven-pound duck and a four-pound chicken.  Even with the bones removed the bird weighed at least forty pounds with the dressing.  You have to place it in a sturdy baking pan.  The flimsy aluminum pans will crash and burn, they cannot take the weight.  This size Turducken gives ample first course meals for 30 people.”

This is a guest post from Philip Henderson, the Ethical Magician. Philip is a long time friend and a frequent commenter on Burnt My Fingers.

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Preparing for Thanksgiving 2023

Posted on November 19, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Philip Henderson Turducken

This is not a turkey but a turducken, prepared by our friend Philip. We’ll explain technique later in this Thanksgiving week 2023.

Happy Thanksgiving week 2023! I heard on NPR last night that you should buy a frozen turkey immediately (meaning this weekend, today) so it has time to defrost. So let’s get started.

Thanksgiving 2023 will be a little different for BMF. We’re traveling to a family reunion in Arizona and are in charge of the turkey, so the only thing to do is buy the turkey here in NY, fly with it across the country as it begins to defrost at a food-safe temperature, then prep it on arrival. No room for a brining bucket in our luggage so we will try NYT Cooking’s Dry Brine Recipe. (that’s a free link if you don’t have a subscription.)

If we stayed home, we’d be making a wet brined turkey with stuffing following the links in this Thanksgiving clips post. It’s from 2015 but I wouldn’t change a thing. Home made or store bought stuffing? Either is fine; the key is lots of butter, celery, onion and savory stock so the main function of the dried bread is to absorb this goodness. Home made or store bought cranberry sauce? We once did a taste test that will answer that question once and for all.

Cranberry Sauce Taste Test

Cranberry Sauce Taste Test (winning fresh berry recipe is in the rear)

We thoroughly enjoy the multi-day ritual of preparing for the holiday meal, but apparently it stresses a lot of people out. If that applies to you, this post has tips for scoring a successful Thanksgiving while avoiding the angst. Which we know is real, perhaps because many folks rarely cook at home during the rest of the year. (In our first discussion of our shared meal at the reunion, the choices given were eat in a restaurant or order takeout from Whole Foods; cooking from scratch was not an option.)

Finally, on Friday we will build our Thanksgiving leftovers sandwich… a precise formula explained in the link. It’s key to have Durkee’s Famous Sauce for this process; there was some panic in the chat earlier this fall when Durkee’s appeared to be discontinued; currently it’s back in stock on Amazon (affiliate link!) with fast Prime delivery but don’t wait till the last minute.

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Return visit to Casola Dining Room

Posted on November 16, 2023 by Burnt My Fingers
Casola Dining Room Picnic

“Picnic” appetizer offering at Casola Dining Room.

It’s been way too long since we paid a visit to the Casola Dining Room at Schenectady County Community College, which provides training for many who find jobs in Capital District restaurants in upstate New York. They serve a set menu Tuesday-Thursday each semester starting a few weeks in, after new students have had some training. In the fall they focus on regional American specialties; in the spring it is various international cuisines. Lunch is offered on Tuesday and Thursday and dinner on Wednesday night.

Casola Dining Room Scallop

Scallop (singular) over pasta at Casola.

This week I had the “American Bistro and Gastropub” menu which brought me a “picnic” of various items as an appetizer, a scallop on a pasta with a creamy sauce as a main, and a salted caramel tart for dessert. Very satisfied with everything. The courses are presumably chosen by instructors. The “picnic” was all over the place but enjoyable, with the duck prosciutto the high point and a too-cold pot of paté only a mild disappointment. I needed to ask for the menu again to confirm the main was “scallop” and not “scallops”. My single bivalve was well prepared and the pasta base was enjoyable though I could not taste the crab; mysterious cracklings, which I thought were dukkah but turned out to be pork, were a nice touch. Dessert tart was predictably rich and delicious.

Casola Dining Room Tart

Salted caramel chocolate tart at Casola.

We have another local chef-training restaurant in Seasoned, affiliated with the culinary program at SUNY Adirondack in Glens Falls. We reviewed them during the pandemic and hope to return for one of the imaginative brewery collaborations they are now sponsoring from time to time. Do you have a culinary training program that offers meals to the public where you live? Check it out. It’s a win-win for the students and the community.

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