Recipe: Best Sour Slaw

Posted on October 31, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers
Best Sour Slaw

At last… the Best Sour Slaw, worthy of serving at your Texas barbecue.

Best Sour Slaw is just that, or at least much better than all the versions I struggled with in my long-ago obsessiveness. The proportions have been dramatically rejiggered, and we’ve added a new ingredient, dried mustard, to open up the taste buds. Serves 8-12.

Ingredients:
1 medium head cabbage, shredded
2 T or so Kosher salt
¼ c cider vinegar
1 t dried mustard
1 generous T brown sugar
1 T vegetable oil
1 medium tomato, seeded and coarsely chopped
½ bell pepper (any color), seeded and coarsely chopped
1 T celery, poppy or toasted sesame seeds or a mixture
½ t ground pepper (white preferred)

Method: add the cabbage then the salt to a bowl in layers then massage with your hands till all cabbage has had contact with salt. Cure 2 hours or more, until it throws off a good amount of liquid. Wash and drain in strainer or colander. (It does not need to be bone dry.) Mix the dry ingredients with the vinegar then add oil and mix thoroughly; pour over the cabbage along with the seeds and toss to mix. Allow to sit a little so flavors can develop.

THE BACKSTORY: I have long attempted to duplicate the sour slaw at Highland Park Cafeteria in Dallas, TX. I no longer travel there on a frequent basis, so must rely on memory as well as what tastes good. Some things I fretted about, like what kinds of seeds to sprinkle in, turn out not to be very important. The key is a good approach to curing the cabbage, and that light touch of oil to blend the ingredients.

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Recipe: Maple Bacon Squash

Posted on October 27, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers
Bacon Maple Squash

Bacon Maple Squash with marjoram leaves

I used delicata for my maple bacon squash, but butternut, acorn or kabocha would work as well. You could also cut the squash into cubes and drizzle the bacon grease/butter/maple syrup on top. A just-rich-enough accompaniment to grilled chicken or pork. Serves four.

Ingredients:
2 delicata squash, halved lengthwise and with seeds and pith scooped out
Bacon grease
2 t butter
½ t Kosher salt
4 T maple syrup, Grade B preferred
2 strips bacon
Fresh herbs for garnish (optional): sage, marjoram, basil etc

Method: halve and core the squash, cleaning out pith and seeds. Rub interiors generously with bacon grease, salt, place on baking sheet. Add maple syrup and butter and bake in 350 degree oven till fork-tender, about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, cook bacon until crisp. To serve, crumble half a strip of bacon into each squash half and garnish with finely chopped fresh herbs.

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No reason not to eat at Burger 21

Posted on October 24, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers
Burger 21 Entrance

Entrance to Burger 21 in Latham. Ordering is done at the kiosk at left. Not a grill or griddle in sight.

After posting the results of our Tour of Better Burgers, I was invited back to try the seasonal specialties at Burger 21 in Latham. This gave me a chance to learn more about the business model of this store that scored a surprising and resounding victory.

Eric Anderson

Eric Anderson of Burger 21 in Latham

Franchisee Bruce Anderson told me the chain is run out of Tampa, FL by the same folks that own the Melting Pot, a fondue establishment with a local operation in Crossgates Mall, Albany. Bruce is a partner in that as well as a location in Syracuse. He chose to open Burger 21 in Latham in 2013 because it’s near his home.

The Burger 21 concept is “a burger with a chef behind it”. There are 21 different burger choices on the menu, including a seasonal special that changes every quarter. All but two veggie burger varieties are made from scratch in house as are 5 of the 10 sauces in the sauce bar, and lettuce and tomato are hand cut. They use Certified Angus beef, which as we know is good stuff.

You can choose patties made with chicken (Bruce praises the Monterey Chicken Burger in particular), turkey (a Cobb Salad Burger), seafood (ahi tuna and shrimp) and veggie as well as beef. The idea is to “cut out the no’s” when a family goes out for dinner because everybody can find something they like.

Burger 21 Shake Bar

The Shake Bar is a distinctive feature of each Burger 21 store.

The environment is the most distinctly different thing about Burger 21. There’s no food preparation in sight; the kitchen is inside a walled space with a shake bar in front of it. This divides the interior into appealing nooks and crannies instead of the big open room found in other burger places. You place your order at a kiosk as you enter and are given a number; a server brings your food to the table. The whole idea is to deliver “more than you expect in a fast casual place,” according to Bruce. About 15% of the orders are takeout (which seems quite low to me) and those waiting are invited to have a seat at the shake bar rather than standing around.

Gender split among customers is 50/50, compared to most burger chains that skew male. I think the design of the store has a lot to do with it. To throw a few stereotypes, guys like to think of themselves as burger mavens and are attracted by the sight of meat cooking on a grill or griddle; women, who might be the ones actually doing most of the cooking at home, maybe appreciate the quieter atmosphere (wth no noticeable smell of frying meat) and being waited on.

Southern Lucy Burger

The Southern Lucy at Burger 21

I was there on October 21, a changeover day, and tried both last quarter’s Southern Lucy (burger stuffed with two kinds of cheese, topped with onion strings and bacon aioli, on a bed of tomato jam) and the new Pizza Burger (pepperoni, tomato sauce and pesto—it really does taste like pizza sauce). Both the concepts were well executed with a harmonious flavor profile. My only quibble was that the heavy saucing causes the bottom half of the bun to get soggy, but Bruce says patrons have not complained.

Pizza Burger

Pizza Burger at Burger 21

As a single location in a big market, the Latham Burger 21 doesn’t do a lot of advertising but relies on outreach to the community to build business. One day each month (the 21st, of course) 10% of profits go to a local organization; this month it was the Shenendehowa High School Robotics Club. In addition, throughout October 21 cents from each milkshake sale goes to breast cancer research. (The shake also has a pink element to honor breast cancer awareness; this year it is pink whipped cream.)

“Fast casual” places nationally have peaked in popularity, according to industry sources, but this store seems to be doing just fine. It was busy on a Saturday afternoon, with mostly family groups. I’ll be back on the 21st of next month—but plan to explore the more basic burger (it’s called Burger 101) with LTO and my usual pickle and mustard and let the quality ingredients shine through. And this time I’ll get to eat the whole burger by myself, maybe with a side of sweet potato fries with toasted marshmallow topping from the sauce bar.

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Recipe: Jack Daniels-Style Baked Beans

Posted on October 20, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers
Jack Daniels Beans

Jack Daniels-Style Baked Beans

The Jack Daniels folks are smart marketers, but you don’t have to use that expensive bourbon to make Jack Daniels-style beans. I prefer Evan Williams and it works very nicely. An I-can’t-stop-eating-it barbecue essential, along with slaw and potato salad. Serves 4-8.

Ingredients:
2 16-oz. cans baked beans*, or equivalent amount of cooked navy or white beans
1/2 c good bourbon whiskey
1/2 c brown sugar
1 t dry mustard
1 T Liquid Smoke
1 T Worcestershire sauce
1 t lemon juice
1/2 green bell pepper, chopped
1 medium onion, half minced and half sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced

Method: preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Drain the beans or, if you want to use the liquid in the can, allow for extra cooking time. Mix all ingredients except for sliced onions in an ovenproof dish. Arrange sliced onions on top. Bake 1 to 1 1/2 hour or until liquid has cooked away. Serve hot, warm or at room temperature.

*I like to use Grandma Brown’s, a quality local brand with very little unnecessary liquid.

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Food for thought: How to evaluate a new cookbook

Posted on October 17, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers

This was going to be a review and recommendation of Vegan: The Cookbook by Jean-Christian Jury. The book had received a glowing write up in the very uneven Saturday “Off Duty” section of the Wall Street Journal, and I was eager to tell you about it. It is only available in hardback, which even discounted on Amazon is over $30. Fortunately, I was able to find a copy at my local library.

The first recipe I tried was the Chickpea and Currant Pate on p. 32. I chose this because it used almost entirely ingredients I had on hand. (Rule #1 for evaluating a cookbook—don’t go out and buy exotic ingredients until you know you like the book. Stick to familiar ingredients and learn how this cookbook deals with them.) But alarm bells went off as I was preparing it. There’s supposed to be a bottom layer of chickpea puree, then an onion/sweet potato mix, then more puree. But the proportions are such that this is impossible (nowhere near enough chickpeas). And it’s not really a pate but a terrine because the instructions were to puree the chickpeas, but leave the finely chopped onions in the middle layer. Plus there’s no binding agent so it fell apart pretty quickly when unwrapped.

I browsed a few more recipes I’d like to try. Peanut Stew with Cucumber Sauce (p. 202) had a typo: 400 g of tomatoes equals 14 oz, not 7 oz. (I assume we should go by the grams since the author is European.) And on page 31 we are advised to cook Puy lentils “according to the packet instructions”. A statement like that has no place in a book presumably written by a chef. What’s happening with this and the somewhat questionable technique specified for the pate is either a/the chef knows what he’s doing but isn’t good at putting it down on paper or b/somebody else is shadowing the chef and they don’t know what they’re doing. So rule #2 is: decide whether you can trust the person writing the recipes.

One more strike against the book is that it uses black-box ingredients without really explaining and analyzing what’s in them and telling you how to make appropriate substitutions. “Vegan grated cheese” (p 129), “soy cream” (p 252) and “unsweetened soy yoghurt” (p. 53) are some random examples. (He does provide a recipe for “vegannaise” on p. 52, but it’s in the context of another recipe.) One of the things I love about Teff Love is that the vegan author takes standard Ethiopian spice mixtures and seasoned oils and tells you how to make vegan versions. Rule #3: make sure the instructions are transparent and don’t resort to black box ingredients.

Also! The author gives no guidance as to the use of salt except to add salt to taste. When the dish itself is unfamiliar, that’s not good enough. Is it supposed to be noticeably salty? Just a little salty? Give us at least a baseline, please.

In the end I did find a couple of recipes I liked in Vegan: The Cookbook (a pretty presumptuous title, is that not?) But it’s gone back to the library. Caveat emptor if this appeals to you.

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Recipe: Better-than-KFC Cole Slaw

Posted on October 13, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers
Better than KFC Cole Slaw

Better-than-KFC cole slaw

The cole slaw sold in the fried chicken stores is too sweet for my taste so I’ve dialed back the sugar; the original/copycat recipe can be found here. Better-than-KFC Cole Slaw is superior to the original because it’s less sweet and syrupy, just good Buttermilk Cole Slaw like the Colonel intended. 6-8 servings.

Ingredients:
½ head green cabbage, about 1 ½ lbs
2 medium carrots, about ½ lb
1 T sugar
1 t Kosher salt (may need more; taste for seasoning after the slaw has cured a while
1/8 t black pepper
¼ c mayonnaise
2 T buttermilk
2 T milk
1 ½ T white vinegar
1 ½ T  lemon juice

Method: chop the cabbage and carrot fine using your preferred method. (I use a mandoline with a shredding blade.) Mix dressing ingredients in a serving bowl and stir till sugar is dissolved. Add cabbage and carrot and mix well. Refrigerate at least 2 hours before serving.

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Touring the better burger chains

Posted on October 10, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers
Yelpers and Burgers

Yelpers prepare to review burgers

The Albany suburb of Latham, NY is blessed with an abundance of upscale burger stores. Four can be found along a two-mile stretch on Louden Road and a fifth is a short hop away. Thus, a group of intrepid Yelpers was able to spend a rainy Saturday comparing these products in sequence and at close range.

By better burgers, we mean fast food establishments that are a cut above the industrial sludge at McDonalds and its ilk, yet do not claim to be fine dining. All are chains, meaning there must be a formula that can be replicated from location to location. None has a drive-through but all offer takeout.

The variations in ambience were more striking than the differences in burgers themselves. BurgerFi and Smashburger provide a straightforward experience with generous but not particularly luxurious table/bench/chair seating. Elevation Burger tries harder with a similar layout but a clean, natural look (including some real wood here and there) that reminded some of Starbucks. Five Guys was crowded and “dirty” though that’s possibly due to the shells on the floor from the complimentary peanuts. Burger 21 was, as will be seen, in an entirely different category.

But on to the food. We standardized on a single patty cheeseburger with whatever the place considered its default toppings; because these varied we adapted the spec to lettuce/tomato/onions (grilled onions if available) with pickle and “special sauce” or equivalent. (Benjamin M had a slightly different order, but his responses tracked with the others.) Prices before tax ranged from $5.19 for a “Little Cheeseburger” at Five Guys to $7.25 at Elevation. Zena GofF was kind enough to bring a ruler and scale; the burgers were very consistent in the 8-10 ounce range (including bun and toppings) and around 10 cm diameter. (The “Little Cheeseburger” from Five Guys was actually the largest of the lot, by weight and height.)

BurgerFi Cheeseburger

BurgerFi… too much bun (burgers were divided into thirds for tasting)

The first stop, determined because it was at the northern extremity of our itinerary, was BurgerFi. We have one of these in my home town of Saratoga, and I eat there frequently. We noted that the burger came out unusually quickly, something I’ve experienced on other visits. Unfortunately, this place turned off some diners with a sticky floor and loud ambient music they could/would not turn down. Elijah M felt the bun “had no taste” while Benjamin wondered, “is this a McDonald’s cheeseburger in disguise?”

Elevation Burger

Elevation Burger

Elevation Burger, a chain based in Falls Creek, VA, took an unusually long time to serve us for a fast food place (another phenomenon I’ve experienced this on previous visits to this chain.) This is a very finely curated concept with wood touches as I’ve mentioned and unique mini-sheet pans for serving the burgers. Sarah liked the “fresh pickles not cheap ones” and char on the patty, but others marked it down for too-mild sauce and a floppy bun.

Burger 21

Burger 21

Then on to Burger 21, a franchise based in Tampa, FL you can read about here.  Its price was in the middle range but in almost every other way it differed from the other spots. On entering you go to a sort of maitre d station, instead of a counter, to place your order. This was the only store that asked us our desired degree of doneness for the patty. (We ordered medium well, which they said was the default.) You add your own sauces from a condiment bar. (We conservatively chose chipotle mayo, something close to a standard “spread”.) The kitchen is hidden from view and waitstaff bring orders to tables. And there is a sort of soda fountain with stools where I expect you could enjoy a milkshake. (Big stirring machines were on display.) Zena called this a “perfect experience” while Sarah gave it a 5 (best) for customer service. Steve N described “wonderful, crusty caramelization on the patty” and Stephanie remarked on the “good char on the burger” and said “restaurant feel also elevated this burger experience.”

Five Guys

Five Guys

Just across the parking lot, but a mile away conceptually, was Five Guys. These boys had a bunch of built-in fans among our group. Karen kindly ordered favorite fries to share and Steve, who is the Duke of Burger 21 on Yelp meaning he checks in more than any other customer, said he actually prefers the good crispy char he gets on his patties at Five Guys. Others said they normally like Five Guys and this visit may have been below par.

Smashburger had surprising height for a “smashed” burger

The final stop was Smashburger, dictated by location but also because they had beer we could drink while discussing our scores. Our tasting process was thrown off by a promotional triple-double presented by mistake as a standard cheeseburger, but we recovered. Sarah and Zena gave them props for their available milkshakes, and Elijah M actually gave Smashburger his highest rating before confirming Burger 21 was really his favorite.

You can already guess the winner, but a veteran of a number of tasting tours sponsored by FussyLITTLEBlog I’ve never seen a result so unanimous. Burger 21 was the winner on every ballot, almost universally scoring several points above other tightly grouped competitors. Stephanie said “the char on the burger gave it really great flavor. The restaurant feel of this establishment also elevated this burger experience,” while Benjamin M said “wow, about the same price as Five Guys but a lot better. A real surprise!”

Here are final scores: BurgerFi 96.5, Elevation 104.5, Burger 21 133, Five Guys 107.5, Smashburger 103.75. That’s based on a multi point system including burger/cheese, condiments, bun, ambience and overall with 1 being worst, 5 best. I find it interesting that the scores (other than Burger 21) are so close together but maybe it’s not that surprising since we were tasting a standardized product with every store trying to hit the same marks with the same customer base.

The bad news is that Burger 21 is very sparsely distributed; the Latham location is actually the only outlet in New York state. If you find one, hit it… I know I’ll be back for more.

Burger 21Cheeseburger

Look at that melted cheese… Burger 21

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Recipe: Sweet Smoke Cocktail

Posted on October 6, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers
Sweet Smoke Cocktail

Sweet Smoke Cocktail

We have an excellent local bar called Hamlet & Ghost where I was introduced to the Don Lockwood, a cocktail combining  rye-heavy bourbon and smoky Islay Scotch. (Don Lockwood is the character Gene Kelly plays in Singin’ in the Rain; you would need to go to the Dutch Kills bar in Long Island City, where this drink originated, to find out the connection.) Loved it, but felt there was something missing. Aha: add a leaf of a bitter aromatic, muddled as for a mint julep. Check it out.

Ingredients:
1 oz good bourbon (I used Evan Williams)
1 oz peaty Scotch (H&G used Laphroaig, I used something proprietary; don’t overthink this because smoke is more important than refinement)
Squirt of bitters
1 t maple syrup (Grade B preferred)
1 shiso leaf or 3 mint leaves plus more for garnish
Meyer lemon or orange zest for garnish

Method: muddle herb leaves with syrup and bitters. Add alcohol and mix thoroughly. Add ice, garnish and serve.

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Five top foods in Saratoga Springs, NY

Posted on October 3, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers

I have been sitting on this post awhile because I didn’t really know what to call it. “Best eats in Saratoga” is a little presumptuous because I haven’t tried everything at all the high end places, plus I’m not going to force my preference in a $30 entrée on somebody else. “Best budget eats in Saratoga” on the other hand is too simplistic; some of these foods are great values, others just great dishes. For those who aren’t locals, I should explain that Saratoga Springs, NY is a highly touristed area and as in any such place (cf. Ashland, OR) there are a certain number of establishments which are just phoning it in because during the season they’ll attract massive traffic, regardless. Anyways, here goes.

Roma Italian Mix

Roma Imports Italian Mix sub made by Mike at the Saratoga Springs store on 8/15/16.

1.Hacked Italian Combo Sub at Roma Imports, Washington St. The smell alone at this Italian deli is worth the price of admission: you would be ahead of the game if you simply tossed a Hamilton over the counter and left without your food. But hang in there and order an Italian combo sub with these tweaks (which don’t cost anything extra): domestic sharp provolone instead of regular; fatty cappy him instead of regular; hot or sweet sopressata instead of salami. Plus lettuce, tomato, onion and oil and vinegar dressing of course.

Big Daddy Hatties

Deconstructed Big Daddy fried chicken sandwich from Hattie’s Chicken Shack

2.Deconstructed fried chicken sandwich at Hattie’s Chicken Shack, Wilton. The chicken sandwich is not sold at the original Hattie’s on Phila so you have to go to the mall. Tell them you want the Big Daddy, which gives you an extra thigh to enjoy for a second meal, and you want it “with the parts separate, chicken and slaw on the side because I am going to eat it later at home” since the word “deconstructed” is not likely to register. Get yourself a cup of hot sauce to go while you are waiting for the order.

Brady Burger

Brady Burger and Fixins at 15 Church, Saratoga

3.Big ass burger from (fill in the blanks). Many of our high end restaurants have a burger on the menu, which allows you to enjoy the ambience and the standard setups and service while paying a fraction of the price of any other entrée. And there’s a quiet competition among these places to make the burger really, really good. My favorite was the Brady Burger at 15 Church but now Chef Brady has migrated to Max London’s which offers Brady Burger 2.0. You can’t go wrong with either, or with the burger at Salt & Char.

Tempura at Kinjo Japanese Steakhouse

Tempura Lunch Special at Kinjo’s in Saratoga Springs (it also comes with salad and miso soup).

4.Lunch special at Kinjo Japanese Steakhouse (Congress Plaza). After some unknown but evidently serious sin in the past, Saratoga was afflicted with a curse that says we cannot have Chinese or Thai or Japanese restaurants but only “fusion” places combining multiple cuisines. Kinjo is the best of this challenging lot, delivering consistently good food at a reasonable price point. My go-to is the tempura special (Japanese) with shrimp and vegetables. A dark horse except to those who know this spot and have found it extremely consistent.

Compton's Breakfast Special

Compton’s Breakfast Special with recommended condiments

5.Breakfast special at Compton’s on Broadway. This old school diner is a hotline to authenticity for any visitor who wants to eat like a local. The hours pass like a soap opera, with drunk college students in the early hours (it opens at 4 am, 3 am on weekends) giving way to downtown stalwarts fueling up on their way to work and finally to retired folks passing the time and waiting for someone to trip on the oddly configured step at the entrance. The special (it is no longer called that on the menu, but it’s easy to find) includes protein (bacon, sausage or hash), two eggs, cottage fries, and toast with bottomless coffee—everything you need to kickstart your day, and nothing you don’t need. I get mine with bacon, eggs over easy and rye toast and request Tabasco (for the eggs) and A-1 Sauce (for the potatoes and for when sop up everything with the toast) to intensify the experience.

That’s my list. I’d welcome yours.

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Recipe: African Cauliflower Curry

Posted on September 29, 2017 by Burnt My Fingers
African Cauliflower Curry

African Cauliflower Curry

African Cauliflower Curry is a filling main dish served over rice or quinoa; can also be a side dish with grilled chicken. Inspired by a recipe of the same name in Vegan: The Cookbook; the original is on page 128 of that book. Serves 6 as a main dish, 10 as side.

Ingredients:
1 T olive oil
1 large red onion, diced
1 large red pepper, diced
Florets from one whole head cauliflower, broken into small pieces
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 T mild curry powder
2 t cumin seeds or 1 t ground cumin
2 t coriander seeds or 1 t ground coriander
2 t ground turmeric
1 t ground cinnamon
2-3 cloves (grind in mortar and pestle if you don’t like finding them in your food)
14-oz can cooked chickpeas, with their juice
½ c peanut butter
½ c raisins
¾ t Kosher salt

Method: sauté onion and pepper in olive oil in a large skillet until onion is soft, about 5 minutes. Add cauliflower and cook, turning, for 5 minutes. Add garlic and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in all other ingredients and simmer 25 minutes or until cauliflower is tender, checking occasionally and adding liquid if the dish becomes dry. Serve immediately.

Note: like many stews, this tastes better when reheated the next day. Also, it greatly benefits from a few dashes of a vinegary hot sauce like Tabasco or Frank’s.

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