The Culinary Timeline is a side-project that I've been working on since October. I'm hoping to have most of it complete by the end of January, with any luck. Until then, updates around here will be weekly, rather than twice weekly. Do stay tuned.
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For those who may remember my recipe for perfect oatmeal cookies, I had praised the almighty rice crispy treat, extolling its overall simplicity, as well as its enduring popularity as an American classic. For those who struggle in the kitchen, I also present the following recipe, which features almost as few ingredients as rice crispy treats, but which involves even less cooking. The real difference, however, is that these curry mascarpone dates take the top prize for originality (after all, rice crispy treats have already seen quite a bit of playing time over the years). In fact, the [... read more ...]
C'est bon: Creole red beans, garnished with andouille sausage, parsley, and a sieved egg. Pictured in the BG: Crystal Extra Hot.
If I’m going to spend a Monday afternoon making a big pot of red beans, then I want them to be New Orleans red beans, like so many versions I tasted when I was living and cooking in the Crescent City. And just so you realize that I take these matters very seriously, I should point out that this recipe took some considerable time and effort, and not just on my part. The very foundation [... read more ...]
Even as someone who used to work as a pastry chef at a Michelin-star restaurant, I will admit that baking can sometimes present a challenge. It requires practice and patience the same way that golf requires practice and patience; those who decide to bake cookies once a year will probably have about as much success as those who hit the links once a year. And just like those who have no shame when they totally whiff on their opening tee shot, I have seen many people who will bring sub-par sweets to office parties and to potlucks, accompanied [... read more ...]
Yes, it does taste as good as it looks…
Making great soup is a time-consuming endeavor, even though the end-product itself appears to be rather straight-forward. Unfortunately, there is simply no substitute for homemade chicken stock, which means that you’re looking at four hours of simmering just to get this one key component ready. Folks who buy their “broth” from supermarket shelves might as well just open up a can of Campbell’s, as far as I’m concerned. Store-bought chicken broth tastes like water when compared to homemade chicken stock. Plus, that weak-flavored, store-bought broth lacks [... read more ...]
C'est Bon: Diver Scallops with Sweet Corn Maque Choux
In general, I’ve always felt that scallops and sweet corn complemented each other quite nicely, which ultimately inspired me to prepare the dish pictured above. To be honest, however, the specific notion of diver scallops with sweet corn maque choux struck me as a true revelation the other day, and I wondered why I hadn’t thought of this particular combination sooner. Then I googled “scallop maque choux” and found that Emeril Lagasse has already created this dish, along with a recipe. Oh well, I’m sure that Emeril wasn’t the [... read more ...]
Pork Belly, Dim Summed
I have a bamboo steamer that always seems like it’s in the way. For some reason, I’ve never found an appropriate location for it in the kitchen — it blocks the food processor, the rice cooker, and a couple of other things that receive semi-regular use. They way I see it, for as many times as I’ve had to push this steamer aside in order to reach something else, it only seems fitting that I should actually put this apparatus to use every once in a while.
I originally purchased my steamer years and [... read more ...]
Pork Belly, Sandwiched
Ever since Day Three of the Pork Belly Project, I’ve kept the remainder of the said belly wrapped tightly in plastic, and in the refrigerator. Day Three was actually back on May 7, but despite being almost two weeks beyond its original preparation date, I’m not too worried about the pork belly itself; it still looks great and smells great, even wrapped and chilled in the fridge. Even so, nothing lasts forever, and there’s no reason why one person can’t eat four pounds of pork belly within a two-week span. Today, I submit the Chinese [... read more ...]
So far, this pork belly project has been all cooking and no eating, but that will all change today. Although this recipe does require a couple days to prepare, once it has been braised, it actually becomes the foundation for some pretty quick meals. In the photo above, I have braised pork belly over white rice, which is a classic preparation. For the glaze, I reduced the braising liquid by about 90%, then added honey and apple cider vinegar.
For this particular dish, I like to cut nice cube-shaped pieces of pork belly. Typically, the cut of belly [... read more ...]
In my most recent post, I had rubbed the pork belly with a liberal amount of Chinese five spice (pictured above) and let it “cure” overnight in the refrigerator. By the second day, the pork belly had developed a slight pellicle, and it had also became much more firm to the touch. At this point, nearly 24 hours later, it was ready for the braise.
I like to use a soy broth for this recipe, since it complements the five-spice flavor profile, and because it’s also relatively easy to prepare. With soy broth, the key is to use [... read more ...]
 Belly Roll.
For many Americans, good old-fashioned bacon has most likely provided us with our initial introduction into the wonderful world of pork belly. Bacon is an incredible product, to say the least, and I will eventually address the joys of homemade bacon in a future post (but not until tomato season is in full swing). In the meantime, however, pork belly does have another application, and although this particular recipe may not be nearly as familiar as bacon, I daresay that it may just be bacon’s closest culinary rival: braised Chinese pork belly.
If you think about [... read more ...]
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