Posts Tagged ‘cooking’
The Scoop on Potatoes
Blue Moon’s Fingerling Potatoes
What is a potato?
A potato is a vegetable. It is part of the nightshade family of plants (along with tomatoes, eggplants, and peppers. The potato is actually the swollen portion of the underground root, called a tuber. The tuber serves to provide food for the leafy green (above-ground) part of the plant. If allowed to turn to flower and fruit, the potato plant will bear an inedible fruit resembling a tomato.
Source: http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=48
What is the history of the potato?
The potato was first cultivated by the Inca Indians in South America, way back around 7,000 BCE. After the Spanish Conquistadors discovered Peru in 1536, they brought the tuber back to Spain. Families of Basque sailors began to grow potatoes along the coast of northern Spain by the end of that century. It was in 1589 that Sir Walter Raleigh introduced potatoes to Ireland, with the cultivation of 40,000 acres in County Cork.
The Irish potato famine was the result of a potato blight in the 1840’s; a plant disease that destroyed most of the potato crop throughout Europe. As the Irish working class subsisted mainly on potatoes, they were greatly affected by the potato blight. Almost one million people died from starvation or disease over the course of the famine, and another one million emigrated out of Ireland.
Health Facts:
Potatoes are high in carbohydrates and Vitamin C. They have more potassium than bananas, spinach, or broccoli. Only about 20% of the potato’s nutrition (mostly the fiber) is found in the skin. Most of the Vitamin C and potassium are in the flesh.
Uses of potatoes:
– Potatoes are used to brew alcoholic beverages like vodka
– Potato starch is used as a thickener and binder in soups and sauces, and as an adhesive in the textile industry
– Potatoes are commonly used in cooking (of course!). They’re often prepared mashed, roasted, fried, or in pancakes.
3 Ways to Make Use of an Abundance of Tomatoes
Hello, tomato.
So wonderful to see you again.
Such taste, such loveliness, such flavor… tis’ the season of Jersey-grown tomatoes.
As a tomato lover, I sometimes find myself thinking with my eyes, and come home with more tomatoes than I can possibly consume. What’s a girl to do?
3 Ways to Make Use of an Abundance of Tomatoes
1. Give them away.
I know it may be difficult to give away such perfections of nature, but share the tomato love and give some away. Do you have friends who say they don’t like tomatoes (gasp!)? Gift them with a local tomato in season, at its peak ripeness, and watch them change their tune.
2. Roast them.
If you have less-than-pristine tomatoes, try roasting them in the oven to coax out their flavor. Eat them after roasting, or freeze them to enjoy year-round- roasting concentrates the flavor, so they’ll taste great. David Lebovitz has an excellent recipe here.
3. Can them.
Canning tomatoes sounds intimidating. I am new to canning myself- this summer will be the first time I’m putting up foods for the fall. Canning tomatoes is a big messy endeavor, so make sure you have the help and space you need before you dive in. It’s important to note as well that improperly canned tomatoes can cause botulism, a deadly poisoning. Follow the current USDA guidelines to keep you and your family safe. Mother Earth News has a helpful article on how to can tomatoes at home safely here.
What’s your favorite way to enjoy an abundant tomato harvest?
How to Make a Simple Salad Dressing
One of the perks of working for Blue Moon is free greens. During the spring and summer, this means salad for at least one meal a day for me, every day of the week. A challenge (aka an opportunity for improvement) I face is keeping my salads interesting.
How do I do this when the greens themselves don’t change, though they are fresh and wonderful and delicious? It’s all in the dressing.
Homemade salad-dressings (mainly vinaigrettes) are relatively new to me. I grew up with bottled salad dressing (Thousand Island’s ranch, anyone?), and have been doing a simple oil and balsamic mix for the past few years. Now that I’m eating salad Every Single Day, my repertoire of simple dressings has expanded. I use the formula below as my starting point for dressings.
I have a chart (I love charts) of different options in each category, and mix and match to create a dressing that suits that greens and my taste buds for the week.
My go-to combinations right now are honey mustard (olive oil + Dijon mustard + onion or chives + honey) and Asian sesame (peanut oil + rice wine vinegar + minced scallions + sesame seeds, Bragg’s liquid aminos, and grated ginger).
My challenge for you? Think of 2 different flavor combinations that you might like, and put them on your list to make over the next two weeks!
The Chefs’ Bookshelf- Part 6
Chef Kenny Kunz is a thoughtful, deliberate cook, who carefully considers his work in the kitchen and the dishes he is preparing. The cookbooks he recommends for us are true classics from the greats.
Kenny Kunz
Cook, Ulivo, Philadelphia, PA
Recommended Cookbooks:
A Return to Cooking, Eric Ripert
The French Laundry Cookbook, Thomas Keller
Italian Cooking at Home with the Culinary Institute of America, Culinary Institute of America
There are so many cookbooks I use for inspiration on a regular basis. A Return to Cooking, by Eric Ripert, and The French Laundry Cookbook, by Thomas Keller, are both great because they talk about more than recipes. They talk about inspiration, the importance of fundamentals, and those things appeal to me as a restaurant professional.
There is one traditional recipe cookbook that I really do use a lot and draw much inspiration from. The C.I.A’s Italian Cooking. One of its three authors, Alberto Vanoli, is an amazing Italian chef, who I had the privilege of working with a long time ago at the opening of the Ritz-Carlton Philadelphia. This book is full of beautiful, simple, traditional, Italian food. Every time I use this book it is like reconnecting with my old Chef, and simultaneously revisiting Italy.
The Chefs’ Bookshelf- Part 5
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Cookbook Recommendations from Blue Moon’s Favorite Chefs
Do you have an aspiring chef among your family or friends? You might consider picking up one of the cookbook recommendations below for young chef. My cousin Sean (12 years old and Thanksgiving’s best sous chef in family history) will likely be seeing one of these under his Christmas tree this year!
Tony Sauppe
Executive Chef, Vault Brewing Co., Yardley PA
Recommended Cookbooks:
Culinary Artistry (Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page), Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor (Harve This), and the publication Art Culinaire
Chef Tony uses cookbooks mainly for inspiration, rather than for recipes. He sends aspiring cooks home with a stack of books to study from. He recommends three publications as must-reads.
Culinary Artistry by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page explores the creativity of culinary composition as it relates to imagination, food, and taste. It is essentially a pairing book, combined with many chef commentaries and working recipes. Culinary Artistry is on Tony’s must-read list for new cooks. “If you haven’t heard of this book, go out and pick it up.”
Molecular Gastronomy: Exploring the Science of Flavor by Herve This, is all about the actual science of cooking- for instance, why starting a stock with cold water produces a clearer stock. Molecular Gastronomy is not so much geared towards modern cuisine as it is towards the science of every-day cooking. Tony appreciates it as “it helps me learn what’s happening, and understand the science behind the techniques that I’m using.” He’s always digging into this book for background knowledge.
Art Culinaire is a quarterly hardcover publication that uses recipes and photography to speak to the quality and beauty of professional food preparation. Tony looks to Art Culinaire for inspiration for future dishes. “When writing a menu and creating new dishes, I will breeze through Art Culinaire for inspiration and ideas. It’s all very beautiful and upscale cuisine.”
Tony has a modern style with a rootsy influence. He likes to recreate the classics, but with a modern twist, and his cookbook recommendations show that.
The Chefs’ Bookshelf- Part 4
The Chefs’ Bookshelf- Part 3
This edition of The Chefs’ Bookshelf could be alternatively titled “Chefs Who Own Many Books.” And I thought my own cookbook selection of 10 cookbooks (and Martha Stewart Living back issues) was a lot! The recommendations from our chefs today span a large time period and cover different cooking styles– from a French fine dining cookbook published in the 1960s to an utterly modern restaurant cookbook published a year ago, to a book of vegetarian recipes. I hope you enjoy the recommendations from our favorite chefs below.
Christopher Kearse
Chef and Owner, Will BYOB, Philadelphia
Recommended cookbook: Ma Gastronomie by Fernand Point 
Chef Chris, aruguably one of the top chefs in Philadelphia right now, notes Ma Gastronomie by noted French chef Fernand Point as his favorite cookbook. Favorite cookbook out of about 500 on his bookshelves, as he gets a new book every two weeks. (That means this one is really really good.) Chef Chris has a rare first edition of this 1969 publication. Ma Gastronomie “is more than just recipes; it’s a lot of Point’s views on food, restaurants, and cuisine.” Fernand Point revolutionized French cuisine, creating his own versions of classic dishes. Ma Gastronomie shares Point’s provocative takes on food and over 200 of his recipes.
Ben Nerenhausen
Chef, Mistral, Princeton
Recommended Cookbook: SPQR by Matthew Accarrino 
Ben, chef at Scott Anderson’s recently-opened Mistral, recommends (when forced to choose) SPQR by Matthew Accarrino. SPQR is a cookbook and wine guide celebrating innovations of modern Italian cooking, as practiced by Accarrino’s eponymous San Francisco restaurant. Ben appreciates that “not only is [author] Accarrino a great guy, but his food is tasty.” SPQR is “classic in approach but modern in delivery; and the recipes in the book are great for at home as well.”
Theo Petron
Chef, A la Maison Personal Chef Service, Bucks County
Recommended cookbooks: Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone by Deborah Madison, The Way to Cook and Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child 
Theo is another chef with way too many cookbooks—he sent me picture of his overflowing bookshelves as proof! Theo generally refers to cookbooks for inspiration, not so to actually follow a recipe. He recommends several cookbooks and cookbook authors. Deborah Madison’s Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone is a classic (Theo just adds meat), showing basic vegetarian cooking techniques- cooking techniques, combining ingredients, and presenting with style. It’s the definitive guide on vegetarian cooking. Theo’s also a big fan of Julia Child. He likes The Way to Cook the best, and Mastering the Art of French Cooking is “always a fun read.” Theo says “I tend to collect books from restaurants that I’ve enjoyed, however I think that certain key ingredients are always left out of restaurant recipe books. Afterglow, you’ve got to keep people coming back!”
The Chefs’ Bookshelf- Part 2
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Cookbook Recommendations from Blue Moon’s Favorite Chefs: Part 2
Max Hansen
Chef and Owner, Max Hansen Catering, Max Hansen Carversville Grocery, Bucks County
Recommended Cookbooks: Plenty (Yotem Ottolenghi) and Seven Fires: Grilling the Argentine Way (Francis Mallmann)
As a committed carnivore, Seven Fires is Max’s absolute favorite with its “amazing meat cookery.” Plenty, a vegetarian cookbook, Max references frequently as well- “it popped back into my consciousness yesterday in about 10 ways!” Seven Fires is South American-top chef Francis Mallmann’s ode to the art of cooking over fire. Mallmann details seven different approaches to grilling, sharing unpretentious recipes with a true love of his craft. On the other end of the spectrum, Plenty, by Israeli-born and London-based Ottolenghi, showcases the authors’ love of ingredients, with vegetarian dishes featuring fresh flavors and combinations.
Aaron Fitterman
Executive Chef, Aretsky’s Patroon, New York
Recommended Cookbook: Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing (
Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn)
Chef Aaron recommends Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking, and Curing as a “great book that takes the craft of charcuterie and makes it very accessible.” Charcuterie is a culinary specialty, originally referring to creating products such as salami and sausages, that refers to the art of preserving foods with beauty and taste, using a range of preparations such as salting, smoking, and drying. Ruhlman and Polcyn expand the term to mean things preserved or prepared ahead of time. The cookbook provides 125 recipes, opening the world of charcuterie to both professionals and home cooks.
Joe Monnich
Executive Chef, The Dandelion, Philadelphia
Recommended Cookbook: Forgotten Skills of Cooking: The Time-Honored Ways are the Best – Over 700 Recipes Show You Why (Darina Allen)
Chef Joe had to spend some time considering this question, as he spends a good part of his income on cookbooks. After careful consideration—not just of his favorite, but also if he is ready to share it with everyone—Joe recommends Darina Allen’s Forgotten Skills of Cooking. Allen is the founder and chef instructor of the Ballymaloe Cooking School in Ireland, and passes along basic cooking skills that may have skipped a generation or two in this 600-page tome. Between the recipes, Forgotten Skills of Cooking is about the joys of working for our food, relating to nature, and celebrating with friends and family. “She has a true connection with food. Her philosophy and ideals are what have influenced me on what true cooking is. This book is not just a cook book, it’s a textbook.”
Chris Oravec
Executive Chef, Domani Star, Bucks County
Recommended Cookbook: Rustic Italian Food; Il viaggio di Vetri: A Culinary Journey (both by Marc Vetri)
Chef Chris recommends Philadelphian Marc Vetri’s cookbooks, Rustic Italian Food and Il viaggio di Vetri. Il viaggio di Vetri is part memoir and part cookbook, covering Vetri’s 18 months of culinary education in Italy, with recipes celebrating meals with family and friends. In Rustic Italian Food, Vetri provides a precision how-to for a wide range of classic Italian dishes, advocating a back-to-the-basics approach to cooking. Chef Chris says that Vetri is “certainly a great chef but more importantly he does things simply, without much fuss and lets the food speak for itself.”
The Chefs’ Bookshelf- Part 1
On Monday night I asked 20 different chefs for cookbook recommendations. By Tuesday morning I had received more than 10 recommendations. I was shocked and incredibly excited. Getting answers from chefs, when you aren’t in a kitchen with them, can be difficult. So it seemed that I had stumbled upon the perfect question, with answers we all are curious to hear.
Below you will find the first three recommendations from our favorite chefs. I’ll reveal more recommendations monthly, so be sure to check back in.
I hope you find these recommendations- and the insight behind them- worthwhile.
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Cookbook Recommendations from Blue Moon’s Favorite Chefs: Part 1
John Melfi
Chef de Cuisine, Blue Duck Tavern, Washington, DC
Recommended Cookbook: Modernist Cuisine: The Art and Science of Cooking (Nathan Myhrvold, Chris Young, Maxime Bilet)
Chef John just says that this cookbook/encyclopedia/guide to the science of contemporary cooking is “unbelievable.” Modernist Cuisine is a six-volume guide covering history and fundamentals, techniques and equipment, animals and plants, ingredients and preparation, plated dish recipes– everything the modern chef needs to know.
Sylva Senat
Executive Chef, The Saint James, Ardmore, PA
Recommended Cookbook: Yes, Chef: A Memoir (Marcus Samuelson)
Chef Sylva is just starting in on this cookbook/memoir, which was recommended to him by his chef friend Travis Sparks of Seed to Plate Catering in North Carolina. The book is “intriguing” so far, with mentions and pictures of Acquavit and Mercer Kitchen, where Sylva starred as a chef in New York.
Junior Borges
Executive Chef, Amali, New York City
Recommended Cookbook: Origin: The Food of Ben Shewry (Ben Shewry)
This is a “beautiful cookbook,” “full of stories and amazing recipes.” The author, Ben Shewry, is chef at the award-winning Australian restaurant Attica. Shewry is known for his foraging, and using what the earth provides without depleting its resources. Chef Junior recommends Origin as a storytelling book about Shewry’s family, how to forage, and how to appreciate nature.