Herb Garden

Professional chefs often find themselves being quizzed for culinary tips and hints from home cooks. One topic that seems to come up with regularity is herbs. How do I know which one to use? How do I know how much to use? If I don't have fresh can I substitute dried...... and so on. Here's some quick notes and references:

What's the difference between herbs and spices?
The essential difference between an herb and a spice is where it is obtained from on a plant. Herbs usually come from the flower or leafy part of a plant. Spices can be obtained from seeds, fruits, roots, bark, or some other vegetative substance.

Can I substitute dried herbs for fresh?
If the recipe is going to be cooked or if the herb will be exposed to moisture for a stretch of time, then sure, if you have to. The general rule of thumb is 1 to 3, meaning for example 1 teaspoon dried herb to replace 3 teaspoons (or 1 Tablespoon) fresh herb. Remember that dried herbs and spices lose strength over time, so use your own judgement.

Also, some herbs tend to dry more successfully than others. Dried Basil and Oregano can be used pretty successfully is tomato sauces & soups. Dried Bay Leaf is sometimes preferred to fresh. Dried Dill can also be reconstituted in cream sauces or dips with success. However Dried Parsley and Rosemary are pretty much useless. Parsley being so insipid as to be flavorless, Rosemary so harsh that the smallest pinch can overwhelm whatever it is in.

How do I know which one to use?
Well, experience is the best teacher here, but there are some guidelines. Herbs can be classified as either tender or hard leaf . Tender being parsley, basil, tarragon, chive, oregano, marjoram, thyme, etc. Hard leaf herbs are rosemary, bay leaf, lemongrass, etc.
In general, tender leaf herbs should be used either raw or added during the last few minutes of cooking. Hard leaf herbs need longer cooking to really release their flavors. In some cases, like bay leaf, lime leaf and lemongrass, the herbs are removed before serving and not consumed.
Here are some classic combinations:
Basil - Tomato, Eggplant, Zucchini, Feta, Pasta, Vinaigrettes, Corn, Roasted Peppers
Chives - Eggs, Chicken, Fish, Cream, Asparagus, Shellfish, Vegetable Salads
Cilantro - Latin and Southwest Asian Cuisines, Tomatoes, Beans, Corn
Dill - Eggs, Poultry, Cream, Beets, Shellfish, Vegetable Salads
Marjoram - Fish, Carrots, Parsnips, Winter Squash, Roasted Vegetables
Mint - Tomato, Feta, Sweets, Lamb, Fruits
Oregano - Tomatoes, Beans, Zucchini, Vinaigrettes, Lamb
Rosemary - Roasted or Grilled Vegetables, Winter Squash, Red Meats, Game, Bread
Sage - Poultry, Veal, Beans
Tarragon - Tomato, Soft Cheeses, Eggs, Asparagus, Beef, Chicken, Fish, Vinaigrettes, Shellfish
Thyme - Red Meats, Poultry, Beans, Onions, Beans

Without a doubt, the best way to learn about using herbs is to just experiment with them. Read recipes, read menus, and set up an herb garden.
If you are an urban chef like us, it's very easy to set up a window garden as long as you get 5 or more hours of sun. We use discarded ceramic tea pots we find tossed out or at stoop sales. Just put in 1/2 " of gravel or broken pottery in the bottom of the tea pot, fill with potting soil and sow seeds or a small plant and remember to water it. Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano and Marjoram can grow year round if well tended. Basil, Parsley, Cilantro and Chives will die after harvesting and should be replanted to maintain a steady supply .

Mise en Place

Every trade has a few tricks, and cooking crews are no different. In our kitchen, any idea from clever to brilliant is welcomed, if it gets the job done better or faster. Luckily, our crew is culled from all over Manhattan and in fact all over the world from Ecuador to Korea. We are never short of opinions or ideas about proper technique, and rarely unanimous in our opinions.

One area of seeming universal approval is in the use of what is known as Mise en Place (pronounced "meez on ploss"). Simply put, it is the practice of pre-measuring and organizing all ingredients for a recipe before moving onto the procedure. On a restaurant “line”; which is what the battery of cooks who prepare the meals is known as, your “meez” is your life line.

A mise en place is your defense against the moment when the onions begin to burn because you are busy opening the bottle of wine to deglaze the pan with, or when the egg whites whip past soft peaks as you struggle to measure the ¼ cup of sugar.

The effectiveness of the mise en place becomes more and more obvious as a recipe becomes more involved, in a soup or a chock full chunk cookie recipe for example. Not only will cooking become less stressful, but your recipe will become one step closer to perfection once you cancel the possibility of that last second spring to find the baking powder or chopped garlic the recipe is calling for.

And don't worry about needing a cupboard full of bowls. Empty plastic take out containers, yogurt cups or sour cream containers work great. Also yard sales are a great place to pick up cheap stackable plastic or Pyrex cups that are just the kind of thing you'll want.

Croquembouche!

Whenever we serve one of these towering confections, there's always three questions,
After the ooohs, ahhhs and flashbulbs have quieted down of course.

1. Crokem...what??

2. What is it exactly???

3. How do we eat it?????

All three queries easily answered....

First - It's a Croquembouche (kroh-kuhm-boosh) French as you might have guessed, and it means "crunch in your mouth", more or less.

Second - It is a traditional pastry concoction, or as the French might say, a "pièce montée" - oooohh la la, composed of miniature cream puffs (profiteroles), filled with pastry cream (crème patisserie), and held together by hard crack caramel (providing the "croque) in a towering pyramid cone. Typically a croquembouche is decorated with sugared almonds, caramel threads, macarons or in the case of Chef Daniel... 14 karat gold dust.

The croquembouche a long been a fixture at French weddings, christenings or any event deemed celebratory enough for such a special treat. It is believed to have first been made by the legendary pastry chef Antoine Careme (1783 - 1833) who was known for his monumental dessert creations. The individual puffs are made from pâte à choux (choux meaning cabbage) named so because the baked puffs are said to resemble tiny heads of cabbage. Choux paste, as it is known in the American kitchen, actually dates back even further than the croquembouche. It was introduced to France by the Italian chefs who accompanied Catherine de Medici when she wed the future King Henry II.

After the puffs are baked and dried, they are filled with the pastry cream right before assembling the tower. Traditionally the puffs are filled with a vanilla pastry cream, but Chef Daniel usually gilds that particular fleur-di-lys by adding chocolate and coffee flavors to the mix.
They are then dipped VERY CAREFULLY into a molten pot of caramel, literally burnt sugar, and quickly assembled into the traditional pyramid of treats. Each puff must be held in place for a few seconds as the caramel cools and sets to its classic "crack". Every level of puffs set back slightly as the cone rises before the chef.

A small croquembouche, say 18 inches high, will use about 120 filled profiteroles. Most of the croquembouches Chef Daniel makes tend more to the 2 - 3 foot variety. There are rumors still circulating in the kitchen of a 6 foot version from years past.

Lastly - The eating! We've read accounts of a croquembouche being "carved" by sword in France. For those lacking that particular brand of panache, we usually find that a sturdy knife and cake server provides enough heft to break through the caramel crust and serve 2 or 3 puffs to each guest. When it's time for "seconds" most guests are curious enough to want to have a go at serving themselves.

Offer pitchers of bittersweet chocolate sauce, caramel sauce with sea salt, whipped cream and fresh strawberries for the hedonistic pleasure of it all.

Picnic Possibilities

July has always been ripe with potential for revolution and liberation. Be it 1776 Philadelphia or the storming of the Bastille in 1789 Paris, it’s time to throw off some chains and march freely. For us that means unlocking all tethers from the kitchen and heading outside to catch a breeze and some sun.

Leave the grill behind and pack a bountiful picnic basket. Keep your cool and forget about serving hot food. We like to take our inspirations from cuisines that are naturals when it comes to dining al fresco.

French Country Picnic

Classic Crudite of Haricots Verts, Endive, Fingerling Potatoes, Radish & Tomatoes
Lemon Aioli, Black Olive Tapenade & Fleur de Sel

Open Faced Tartines (Small French Sandwiches)
Brie and Green Apple with Honey Dijon, Fromage Blanc with Sautéed Greens & Roast Red

Peppers, Pâté de Campagne with Caramelized Onions & Cornichon, Grilled Chicken with

Leeks & Goat Cheese

Pissaladiere – Puff Pastry “Pizza” topped with Caramelized Onion, Anchovies, Herbs and Olives

Fresh & Smoked Salmon Rilettes with Toast Points

Double Crème Brie, Cave Aged Comte & Pots of Whipped Herbed Chevre
Sliced Walnut Bread, Crisps & Baguette Toasts

Strawberries & Grapes
Palmiers and Macarons

To Drink – Raspberry Lemonade, Dry Rosé, Hard Cider, French Chardonnay, Belgian Fruit Brewed Ales

Italian Rustic Picnic

Grilled Asparagus, Fennel, Peppers, Zucchini & Yellow Squash
Extra Virgin Olive Oil and Balsamico

Proscuitto di Parma, Soppresata, Genoa Salami & Bresaola Cured Beef
Piave Vecchio & Parmesan Reggiano Cheeses

Grilled Shrimp and Calamari with White Beans, Lemon, Pepperoncini and Parsley

Heirloom Tomatoes, Cilegini Mozzarella, Olives and Basil

Pizza Bianca Flatbread and Crostini
Fava Bean & Arugula Dip; White Bean Puree with Lemon, Oregano & Roasted Garlic; Fresh

Ricotta, Caramelized Onions & Pink Peppercorns

Ripe Figs and Cherries
Pignoli Cookies & Biscotti

To Drink – San Pelligrino Aranciata and Limonata (Italian Dry Sparkling Fruit Drinks), Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, Pieroni Beer

Pan Asian Picnic

Vietnamese Bahn Mi Sandwiches
Classically Pork, Pate, Pickled Carrots & Daikon, Cilantro, Baguette
But feel free to improvise with grilled chicken, ham, meatballs, etc

Shrimp and Avocado Summer Rolls
Rice Paper, Asian Veggies, Letuce, Mint, Sambal & Ginger

Soy Seared Salmon on Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad
Shiitake Mushrooms, Ginger, Soy, Scallions, Sprouts & Sesame

Tofu Salad with Sweet Chile Sauce, Peanuts and Thai Basil

Colorful Shrimp Chips
Spicy Peanut Sauce
Teriyaki Eggplant Dip

Pineapple and Kiwi Skewers
Rice Krispie Treats and Chewy Ginger Cookies

To Drink - Iced Ginger and Lemongrass Green Tea, Chilled Gerwertztraminier, Litchi Reisling Cooler, Sapporo Beer

And don’t forget:

Plenty of blankets or tablecloths – Bring enough so that everyone has plenty of room to stretch out.

“Blue Ice Packs” – No one wants to pay a price for the picnic tomorrow. Keep cold foods chilled until you spread the spread; and then repack on the ice when the buffet is closed. Anyone can always dig out some seconds if they get a craving.

Bug Spray – Anyone in your party who is especially attractive to flying critters will be miserable without this.

Sun Screen – It’s easy to burn when you’re distracted playing games

Cork Screw – Though there’s so many great screw top wines available now, you may not need this any more.