Corn - Summer Gold

When you live in a seasonal climate, and you're a chef, it's all about what fruit or vegetable you are currently infatuated with. When that season is full blown summer, it's hard not to be fickle. One day it's peach crisps and nectarine galettes, the next, heirloom tomatoes have your devoted attention. It only takes one trip to the greenmarket and everything on the table is showered with chopped chives, parsley, basil and tarragon.

And of course, with any summer romance, there's always the chance of being a little too over eager, too ready to indulge, carried away with our senses, which may lead to Farmer's Market Remorse. That moment when you realize you have enough tomatoes for 12, corn for 10, peaches for your entire extended family and it's just you and your partner at home.

So as our local markets begin to swell with the urgency of a ripe fig, DM Cuisine plans to feature a few blogs with the aim of encouraging overflowing tote bags by sharing some inspirations for the extra eggplant, peppers or blueberries you just couldn't resist.

King Corn
Just the image of a bright yellow or ivory kerneled ear of corn screams "Summer" directly in our ears and sets off a stream of sense memories that ricochet from clam bakes, to pots of melted butter, childhood corn picking and shucking, street fair grilled corn stands, park side Bar-B-Q's, and country drives to find "the sweetest" corn available.

Nothing matches corn on the cob for sheer gustatory delight. You must eat it with your hands, you can't eat it properly without getting messy, and its sweet and savory at the same time. However there are so many other ways to enjoy it and we wanted to share some of our favorites

Mexican Style Grilled Corn
For this you will need cleaned whole or half ears of corn, cut lime wedges, grated cotija (or parmesan) cheese, mayonnaise, and ancho chile powder (or cayenne or chile powder) Grill the corn over medium to low heat, turning regularly to get a toasted brown color here and there. Remove from heat, brush generously with mayonnaise, squeeze a little lime over it all, dust with cotija cheese and sprinkle to taste with chile powder. Madre de Dios estupenda!

Pumped Up Corn Bread
Making some cornbread or corn muffins? Add fresh corn cut from the cob right into your recipe when you add the wet ingredients. Maybe 1/2 - 1 cup. And then some chopped jalapeno or red pepper, and then some cheddar cheese, or ... well you get the idea. The corn is great in either a sweet or savory cornbread!

Cuban Corn and Black Bean Salad
This one couldn't be easier. Clean some ears of corn and boil them as you would for corn on the cob. When cooked, let cool then cut the kernels from the cob. We find a serrated or bread knife works best for this. Drain and rinse a can or black beans. It pays to buy organic here. It really is a better product typically. Chop some red pepper and red onion finely and toss everything together. Season with plenty of chopped cilantro, salt and pepper, olive or corn oil and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Maybe a teaspoon or two of sugar IF it needs it.

Succotash
What is it about the word Succotash that seems to make most folks lip begin to curl into a grimace? Is it childhood memories of frozen lima beans? Or just a vague uncertainty of what it is exactly? What it is... is any combination of corn and beans. We love it! And often enjoy a stir fry of corn, green beans and a little pancetta. Or sauteed corn, fava beans and red onion. Maybe sauteed corn, edamame, scallion and garlic. Looking for indulgence? Corn, Fresh Cranberry Beans, Leeks and Truffled Butter. Richer? Corn, Caramelized Onions, Fava Beans, Haricots Verts, Shallots, Fresh Tomato, Basil and a spoonful of Creme Fraiche, sauteed and simmered till lightly thickened..... those lips are starting to curl into a smile now.

Summer Ratafias - Fruit Infused Wine & Brandy

Mid August. And for those of us in the Northeast this means we are hip high in delicious local vegetables, tomatoes, stone fruits, cherries, berries and such. It brings on a sort of giddiness in some chefs, and sadly for catering chefs, a melancholy because it coincides with our slowest season in the year.
However in the spirit of Lemons into Lemonade, the slowness of the season allows us all the time we can use to turn to canning and preserving in response to the lushness of ripening fruits and vegetables. Tart Cherry Lime Preserves, Rhubarb Ginger Jam, Strawberry Merlot Preserves, Plum Chutney, Red Chile & Serrano Hot Sauce, all had secured a place in our pantry by the beginning of August. That's why it's been fun to find a new medium with which to preserve the brightness and lusciousness of what the Farmer's markets have been treating us to.

A few years back, we clipped a recipe from the NY Times for Rataifas. In the article they described an easily made wine cordial infused with whatever fruit or vegetables took your fancy at any particular moment. In doing a touch more research, we've discovered that the term

rat·a·fi·a – noun
a sweet liqueur made from wine or grape juice combined with brandy or other spirits and often flavored with almonds, fruit, or fruit kernels.

is very old, and seems to have been developed in 1690-1700, somewhere between Spain and Italy. Sounds like France to us. And most other recipes we saw, opted for brandy or marc in lieu of the wine. We're sure the more potent brandy versions are delectable, but given the heat and humidity that accompanies our buckets of garden bounty, we're feeling an iced glass of peach verbena ratafia a whole lot more.

The assortment of Ratafias you can produce are only limited by your market and your imagination. Any ripe and flavorful fruit, vegetable or herb is fair game for infusion. Our first versions have stayed played it a little close to the apron because the flavors seemed so irresistible: Peach, Strawberry, Blueberry, Apricot, often touched up with a few springs of Basil, Lemon Thyme or Tarragon. Our next endeavors are likely to step it up a bit. We've discussed a Tomato/Jalapeno/Cilantro combo, and perhaps a Melon/Lavender or Nectarine/Ginger. Truly the most difficult part is waiting the 3 weeks to check out the results of your flavor laboratory.

Ratafia
adapted from T'afia Restaurant - Chef Monica Pope

1 cup ripe fruit, herbs or vegetables (fruits/vegetables cut up, herbs crushed)
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 vanilla bean - sliced lengthwise (optional)
1/4 cup vodka (to prevent further fermentation)
1 bottle (750ml) white or red wine

Place all ingredients in a large glass jar and stir to dissolve the sugar. Cover tightly and refrigerate for 3 to 4 weeks. Strain through a fine sieve lined with cheesecloth, pressing down gently on the solids. Discard the fruit. Pour infused wine carefully into clean wine bottles and cork tightly. Storre in refrigerator. Should keep for several months.

We encourage you to give these a whirl and get back to us with your combinations and adaptations. If you want to lighten up your libation, these ratafias make great spritzers with a splash of seltzer.

Watercress, Watermelon and Feta

One of our new favorite things is the Hydroponic Watercress from California that we found at our local Whole Foods. Granted, we'd be even happier if someone locally could start growing it, reducing our carbon footprint, but until that happens we'll balance our greenness with the environmental friendliness of hydroponics.

Tender, enormous leaves, with much thinner and delicate stems, this watercress combines all the pepper punch of traditional watercress with the light texture of mache. Well, yeeeaaahhh! What's not to love?

So far it has found it's way onto sandwiches, wilted into white beans, "pesto-ed" with almonds and dressed in numerous salads. As we wilt through the record breaking heat of August, this combination of juicy watermelon and salty feta seems to be comfortably setting into the #1 spot of cooling foods. We know we've mentioned this salad before, but we wanted to give you an actual recipe this time.

Watercress, Watermelon and Feta Salad with Pickled Red Onions

1 medium red onion - halved and sliced as thinly as possible
3/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup water
2 Tablespoon granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt

2 bunches watercress - trimmed
3 cups watermelon - seeded or seedless - trimmed and diced into 3/4" cubes
1 1/2 cups feta (French if available) - diced into 1/2" - 3/4" cubes
3 Tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive oil
Sea Salt & Freshly Ground Pepper

For the Onions:
Combine vinegar, water, sugar and salt. Stir to dissolve sugar and salt. Bring to a simmer and add sliced onions. Stir. Remove from heat and set aside to cool. Transfer to a glass or plastic container and chill. Will keep refrigerated for 2 weeks to a month.

For the Salad:
Make sure the watercress, watermelon and feta are well chilled. Place watercress, watermelon and feta into a large mixing bowl. Drizzle with olive oil. Season with salt and pepper. Add some of the pickled onions with their liquid (to taste) onto the salad and toss all ingredients gently.
Serve immediately.

Beet Hummus

We've been taking advantage of a few days off from events to try out new ideas and recipes. Just for the look alone, this Beet Hummus went to the top of our list. Add on that it's lighter than typical bean versions and it received a collective red stained thumbs up.

Here's our version of a recipe we found on Simplyrecipes.com

Beet Hummus

Ingredients
1/2 pound beets (about 4 medium sized beets)
3 Tbsp tahini sesame seed paste
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
1 small clove garlic, chopped
1 Tbsp ground cumin
2 tsp lemon zest (zest from approx. 1 - 2 lemons)
Generous pinch of sea salt or Kosher salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste

To cook the beets, preheat oven to 375°F. Cut off any tops, scrub the roots clean, wrap them together in aluminum foil and set in a roasting pan. Cook until easily penetrated with a knife or fork. This can take anywhere from 40 minutes to over an hour depending on the size of your beets.

Method
Place all ingredients in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until smooth. Taste and adjust seasonings and ingredients as desired.
Chill and store in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freeze for longer storage.
Eat with baguette toasts, pita chips, or with crudites vegetables, or on a crostini with goat cheese and shaved mint.

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.