To kick off my challenge of cooking through the Modernist Cuisine at Home and also trying my hand at producing a cooking video I’ve decided to keep it simple. The writers of Modernist Cuisine at Home developed some really great uses for the pressure cooker. They realized that it was a kitchen device far too underutilized with home cooks, and chose to dedicate a lot of space in the book discussing different uses and techniques for the pressure cooker. Besides saving cooks time when braising tough cuts of meat, the pressure cooker can be used to speed up browning vegetables and developing intense flavors in stocks and purees. In this case the chef authors are using the advantages of the pressure cooker to quickly produce an intensely flavored confit of garlic in a relative short period of time. The garlic produced in this video is very rich in flavor and spreadably soft in texture, almost like a butter. The olive oil has wonderful garlic flavor and aromas, and can be reused on such things as salads, finishing dishes or to cook things with in hot pans. Take a look at our video and let us know what you think, as our foray into the writings of the Modernist Cuisine at Home begins. Stay Hungry Y’all!
My first memory of Egg Nog is not related to any experience of my own. I saw Cousin Eddie drink an Egg Nog filled moose glass on Christmas Vacation and that was that. I remember it looked like thick milk sprinkled with something brown and not very appetizing. I also know that there was more than likely some adult beverage mixed in with the Nog. My own family never has had Egg Nog around the holidays for some strange reason, nor have I ever been to a party that served the creamy drink, so I haven’t had the chance to try it. I guess I also never felt the desire to go out to purchase a carton of Egg Nog because the main ingredients are things that make my tummy sing a very angry version of Jingle Bells – cream, eggs, and milk – and I like to avoid angry Christmas songs.
With the rising popularity of the “Farm to Table” movement and along side it star chefs like Sean Brock, Kevin Gillespie, and John Besh all promoting the concept in different ways, their influences have started to change the way I utilize local ingredients at home. Mostly it means considering a broader scope of fresh, seasonal, ingredients and trying to utilize as much of it as possible without waste. Learning to cook seasonally and locally has Southerners really considering our roots and a return to a society based around knowing and understanding where our food comes from, and if possible meeting the person responsible for producing it. Thinking about all this and the holidays inspired me to explore a Roasted Leg of Lamb for a nice change of pace.
We are wrapping up our series with the guys from Local Three. We’ve been following (video 1, video 2) these guys through the process of opening their local Atlanta restaurant, and the day is finally upon us. Chef Chris Hall gave us a final sneak peak of the menu, before the official December opening of Local Three. This time Chris let us show you what’s behind the food at Local Three and how it’s cooked using fresh ingredients while keeping it simple and delicious. This video will have your mouth watering when you see all that pork jowl, squash and kale. Stay tuned because we’ll have 2 more videos coming to close out our Local Three series you won’t want to miss. Stay Hungry Y’all !
Cranberries are a staple at most American family’s Thanksgiving tables. The form in which the cranberries appear varies from family to family. For example, my Northern Yankee family eats their cranberries boiled in water until they are saucy and sweetened with sugar. My Southern in-laws eat their cranberries with oranges and pineapples set in gelatin. With that being said, I don’t know what made me throw Fontina cheese, candied walnuts, and a tube of crescent rolls into my grocery cart alongside the bag of cranberries. Perhaps it could be that I was craving cheese? Or maybe it was because the nuts and crescent rolls were on sale? Whatever the reason, I am very happy with the choice of ingredients that helped showcase my delectable little cranberries.
The Hungry Southerner 