Requests

I thought I would add something to the blog to make it a little more "interactive". If you have any recipes you would like me to make specifically, just send me an E-mail and I'll review it. If it fits within our dietary constraints and I think I can do it and write about it, I will dedicate a post to it and make it for my family. Also, please feel free to write if you have any comments, positive or constructive, or if you need clarification on something I have jotted down. My wife informed me today that I forgot to mention when to pour in the second bottle of BBQ sauce in the pulled pork recipe - that has been updated. I have noticed that when I start writing these things I get into a zone and sometimes little details get missed. So, if for some reason something doesn't jive, just shoot me a note and I'll make sure to correct it so you can actually follow along.

Don't forget to tell your friends about the blog! I would love more people to read and get ideas from my posts. Tell your friends and try a couple of recipes.

Thanks for reading and as always...

Yours in cooking,
Chris

Slow Cooked BBQ Pulled Pork

My wife is a country fanatic...she loves everything country, southern, western (she had custom cowboy boots made to go with her wedding dress). I enjoy fantastic barbecue, so when Nicole asked me a couple of years ago to make pulled pork, I was game for a go. The result of my tweaking and tasting is a simple, yet delectable BBQ Pulled Pork that melts in your mouth.

I must advise you in advance, this is a long process (takes place over two days), so though you don't need to do much in between, you must have some patience. Only time can give you the slow cooked, fall apart, succulent taste and texture of BBQ Pulled Pork. So, this is a good recipe to start before you go to bed, to finish up the following day.

Prep time is split, because you have to work on this dish mid-way through the cooking process as well the beginning. I'll explain that in detail as we progress. For now, here are you ingredients and what to expect.

Prep time: 45 Minutes (split into 15 and 30 minutes segments) Cook Time: 14-18 hours

Servings: 10-12

Ingredients:

3 - 4 lb. Boneless Pork Tenderloin
2 Bottles BBQ Sauce (pick your favorite, I like Cattleman's best...stay away from Kraft, Heinz and other "commercial" brands)
1 Large Onion (Cut into 1/4" rings and separated)
3 Cloves Garlic (Peeled and Sliced)

Directions:

Set-up crockpot in a location that is not going to have a problem with heat exposure for a long time - make sure not to set-up directly under a kitchen cabinet, as steam and heat from the crockpot over time can cause your cabinets to warp or delaminate.

Lightly coat the bottom of the crockpot with a layer of BBQ sauce. Use just enough so you cannot see the bottom of the crockpot.

Peel onion by first cutting off each end of the onion, then making one vertical slice through the first layer of onion from top to bottom. Peel off skin and first layer of onion to expose the edible flesh of the onion, then slice horizontally 1/4" rings. Break each ring apart into its respective layers and place in the crockpot, covering the bottom.

After placing onions in the crockpot, peel the three cloves of garlic and slice each clove into thin strips. This step does not have to be perfect, if you cannot slice them thinly, just quarter the cloves and put them in the crockpot - the important part is the cloves are cut open, allowing the flavor to fully infiltrate the sauce as it breaks down.

After adding the garlic and onion to the crockpot, pour in the remaining portion of the first bottle of BBQ sauce.

Next, inspect your Pork Tenderloin roast. If there is any noticeable section of fat on the exterior of the roast, slice it off. After that, place the roast in the crockpot, pour entire second bottle of sauce over top of the roast, cover and set heat to low. Allow to cook overnight.

Approximately 10 hours later (when you wake up in the morning, have your coffee and are ready for some physical work), take the roast out of the crockpot and place on a cutting board. At this point, the roast will already be falling apart when you attempt to pick it up, so be careful when lifting the roast. Use tongs and a strong spatula to avoid the roast falling apart and splattering hot BBQ sauce on you. Keep the crockpot on, as you are not done cooking yet.

Once you get the roast to the cutting board, take two forks (one in each hand) and begin pulling the fork from top to bottom of the roast with the grain (you'll know the grain because the pork will want to fall off in long strips in the direction of the grain). As you pull the pieces off, use both forks together to hold and further pull the pork apart so that you have small, long strands of pork. As you pull the pork, return the pulled pieces back to the crockpot. Continue this until the entire roast is pulled.

^Tip^ Keep in mind that this step takes time - and if you have carpel tunnel or tendinitis as I do, it can be a little painful. Don't be afraid to take breaks. The roast is not going anywhere, so a short break is not going to hurt it and you may need it.

Once all the pork is returned to the crockpot, stir the pulled pork into the BBQ sauce. Once well mixed, return the lid to the crockpot and continue to cook on low for another 4-6 hours.

If you crockpot has multiple heat settings (High, Low and Warm), then this step is for you. If not, go to the next step. Approximately 1.5 hours prior to serving, set your crockpot to "Warm". This will lower the temperature even more, allowing your beautiful pulled pork to begin to thicken. Up until this point, the sauce may still look a little wet. High heat keeps liquids moving freely, even on the Low setting. So, turning down to Warm will drop the temperature just enough to allow the pulled pork sauce to thicken and really finish the process.

If your crockpot only has a High and Low setting, then approximately 30 minutes prior to serving, turn the crockpot off and leave covered. This will allow the sauces to thicken and the dish will "finish itself".

Serve with your favorite sides (corn, potatoes, green beans) or with rolls for pulled pork sandwiches. This dish always goes well at backyard BBQ's and parties...people just LOVE pulled pork. You'll be a hero and the long hours put into cooking it will be rewarded with compliments all around.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as we do. As you can see, it is very simple and very tasty. I personally make this dish at least once a month and for some reason, every time I post on Facebook that I am making it, my sister-in-law is usually at my dinner table within an hour. She doesn't get out of bed for anybody and yet pulled pork is like an instant wake-up call....interesting.

As always, good luck and...

Yours in cooking,
Chris

Italian Sausage and Peppers

Here is a great "Prep-It, Set-It and Forget It" recipe that I have come up with for Italian Sausage and Peppers. It only takes about 30 minutes to prep and then the crockpot does the rest. I love the crockpot because you can make more things than you probably ever dreamed of and everything comes out pretty much perfect each time. The slow cook of a crockpot prevents drying out of meats, allows vegetables to tenderize and the flavors to infiltrate the dish and spices to fully breakdown and supply both flavor and aromatics. Plus, once you set it, you don't need to fuss with it - just Set-It and Forget It!

One note, slow cooker and crockpot are interchangeable, so if you see me using crockpot, I mean slow cooker.

So, here is the shopping list for Italian Sausage and Peppers. Some of these things you may already have in your kitchen/pantry, but if not, they are not expensive to pick-up at the local supermarket.

This dish serves 4-6 people, depending on how large the portions are. This recipe fits a 6-quart crockpot. For smaller crockpots, use 2 lb. of sausage, 1-2 green peppers, 1 red pepper and 1 medium onion, 1 small onion. Reduce each of the spices by a pinch and use 2 cloves of garlic.

Prep: 30 minutes Cook Time: 4.5 Hours

Ingredients:

3lb. of Italian Sausage (links or large coil) - Sweet or Hot, your preference (I like sweet)
2 Cans Beef Broth or Stock (14.5 oz each)
2 Green Bell Peppers (cut into 1/4" strips)
2 Red Bell Peppers (cut into 1/4" strips)
2 Medium Yellow Onions (sliced into 1/4" thick rings, then halved)
3 Cloves of Garlic, Sliced or Minced
1 Tbsp. Olive Oil (can use vegetable oil)
1 tsp. Salt
1 tsp. Black Pepper
2 tsp. Dried Oregano
1 tsp. Dried Basil
2 Bay Leaves

Directions:

As I always say, prep your ingredients in advance. However, with this dish, everything is in the prep, so first, cut your vegetables. For the peppers, first remove the seed core by inserting your knife into the top of the pepper (the tip of the knife should just touch the stem - do not cut the pepper in half) and slice downward to the bottom. Do this on four sides (the blade should never go more than 1/2" into the pepper). This will allow you to peel the pepper away from the seed core. After pulling the pepper apart, remove any remaining seeds and slice 1/4" strips lengthwise down the pepper. For the onion, remove the skin by first cutting off the top and bottom of the onion stem, then make a shallow slice into the first layer of onion from top to bottom and peel off the skin and first layer of onion. Then slice 1/4" thick rings horizontally. After slicing the rings, halve the rings and break apart all the layers. This should leave you with 1 1/2" stips about 1/4" wide. For garlic, remove the skin from each clove (follow onion directions) and thinly slice. If you are not comfortable slicing garlic, simply place the entire clove in a garlic press (you can leave the skin on, though you get more garlic if you remove it) and mince the garlic.

^Tip^ Always wash vegetables before eating them. Onions are ok because you are moving the exterior skins, but always clean peppers, tomatoes and other vegetables that have exposed edible parts.

Next, heat a large non-stick skillet on medium-low to medium heat. Pour 1 Tbsp. Oil into pan and allow to heat up until shimmering. Place sausage in the skillet and brown on all sides, about 4 minutes per side. Once browned, reduce heat to low and cover for about 10 minutes, rotating sausage once. This will partially cook the sausage, which is necessary to avoid the sausage falling apart when you cut it.

While sausage is browning, place peppers, onions, garlic, spices (salt, pepper, basil, oregano, bay leaves) and beef broth/stock into the crock pot and set heat to high. If your crockpot has a timer feature, set it to 4.5 hours. Cover and continue browning sausage.

Once sausage has finished, place in crockpot on top of onions and peppers (if you purchased a coil of sausage, cut into 4" long pieces first, then place in crock pot). Nestle the sausage into the peppers and onions, moving some of the vegetables on top of the sausage.

Replace cover and allow to cook. As peppers and onions breakdown from cooking, the sausage will naturally settle into the stock, adding a ton of flavor and allowing the spices to fully mix with the dish.

When the crockpot completes its cycle, spoon out contents to a large bowl and serve. Sausage and Peppers can be served with rolls for sandwiches or over pasta, rice or mashed potatoes for those staying away from bread. Make sure to spoon stock into the bowl to keep peppers and onions moist and to allow people to use on their sandwiches or as a gravy for their pasta or potatoes.

This recipe is really full of flavor and very easy to make. Start it earlier in the day to have a wonderful dinner ready by suppertime!

**I GOT THE PICTURES - YAY!**

Good luck with this dish and as always...

Yours in cooking,
Chris

Chicken Tikka Masala

So, yesterday I ventured into the domain of the subcontinent of India with this dish - Chicken Tikka Masala. As weird as the title sounds, the dish actually gained its Indian flare more from the spices than anything else. The actual dish does not come traditionally from India, but instead from a London Curry House (www.americastestkitchen.com). The base of the dish is tomato, which isn't foreign to us and I used onion, garlic, ginger and a chile pepper for some heat. None of that is out of our pallette "comfort zone" if we have had any chinese or mexican dishes in our past. The true flavor of this dish came from the spice combination known as "Garam Masala", which is a combination of Coriander, Black Pepper, Cumin, Cardamom and Cinnamon and from Cayenne Pepper. This sweet set of spices (and heat from Cayenne), when mixed together, provide a wonderful aromatic array of tastes and smells that gave us the true Indian essence in this dish. My wife smelled it and immediately thought of Pumpkin Pie, though I assure everyone there is no Nutmeg in this spice mix. You can pick this spice up at the local supermarket under the McCormick "Gormet Collection Blends".

As you can see above, there are some pictures for your viewing pleasure. The picture of the kitchen is my kitchen - I wanted everyone to see that I have a normal kitchen...no professional stoves, ovens, gadgets, gizmoes, etc. Just your normal, run-of-the-mill kitchen with a standard 4-burner stove, standard oven, less than ample counter space and dog supplies (of course).

The other pictures are of the different stages of the prep and cooking process for this dish. Though I am not going to give the entire recipe and how to cook it, as this blog would be about 17 pages long, I will give you some hints on what I learned as I prepared this dish. If you would like to know how to cook this dish, go to http://www.americastestkitchen.com and register (it's free). Then search for the Chicken Tikka Masala recipe.

First, when you are shopping for ingredients to make this dish, make sure you pick-up nice sized chicken breasts. Don't pick up the package of breasts that have been sliced into chicken fingers, because that won't work. You need a nice thick breast in order to withstand the heat of the broiler without drying out.

Second, yogurt (as funny as that sounds) is a key ingredient to this dish as well. I try to keep my dishes as healthy as possible, so I bought low-fat Vanilla yogurt (store brand is fine). The yogurt is actually a substitute for cream in one part of the dish and is also a barrier from heat on the chicken later. This was a really cool trick that worked like a charm. Do not buy fat-free, yogurt, as it will not work. Choose from regular or low-fat vanilla.

Finally, I hate cooking rice the "old fashioned way" because it takes a long time. Also, when you are making a dish for 2 people, buying a 2 lb. bag of Basmati Rice is a waste of money because unless you eat Indian cuisine (or rice for that matter) very often, that rice is just going to sit for all eternity in your cabinets. Instead, I used Uncle Ben's 90-second Basmati rice in the pouches...two pouches was enough rice for my wife and me and it was ready in about 2 1/2 minutes.

Once you get everything home and you are ready to cook, try to prep as many of your ingredients for use in advance as possible. Running around measuring everything out as you are trying to cook can become a bit hectic and can make you feel rushed when trying to enjoy the cooking experience and preparing a nice dish. So, mince your onion, garlic and ginger as part of your prep, measure out your spices into little bowls ahead of time and puree your whole tomatoes in the food processor, so when it comes time to use these ingredients, all you have to do is throw them in the pan. This is true for any dish that uses multiple ingredients.

**Hint** If you are not handy with a knife for cutting up onions or other veggies, use a food processor on the "Chop" setting. For mincing, use the pulse feature to get your veggies cut nice and small.

Once you have prepped all your ingredients, take out your chicken breasts and trim off any excess fat. Usually breasts have a little fat around the edges, so a quick trim will take care of that. Then, pat your chicken dry with paper towels (I usually just roll the chicken up in a paper towel and press on it for 15 seconds or so, that usually does the trick. Then, sprinkle on the ingredients as stated in the recipe evenly and then press the spices into the chicken (literally take your hand and press with the palm of your hand all of the chicken to get the spices imbedded - you don't have to press hard). Make sure to spice both sides of the chicken. Then, put the chicken on a plate, cover in plastic wrap and throw it in the fridge. 45-minutes should do the trick and that will give you some time to prepare the other parts of the dish.

^Tip^ Allowing the spices to set in on a piece of meat is important for a few reasons. One, it allows the flavors to permeate the meat (fish, chicken, etc.) and when using salt, it actually helps keep the meat moist. When salt is put on meat, it initially extracts moisture, but as it is left on, it returns moisture to the meat, allowing it to stay juicy when cooking.

The masala sauce was really hearty and aromatic. After the sauce was simmered down, I took it off the heat and added 1/2 cup of yogurt to thicken it up. Some of the traditional recipes call for cream, but yogurt is healthier and accomplishes the same result. In the end, I had a wonderfully rich sauce that was thicker than straight tomato puree and the yogurt added just a touch of bite to the mix - a real pleasure for the taste buds.

After about 45 minutes (it actually ended up being like an hour, because I got a few phone calls), I took the chicken out of the fridge and coated it in a yogurt/garlic/ginger/oil marinade and immediately put it in the broiler. The broiler pan had the top piece removed, the bottom piece covered with tin foil and a metal rack put on top for the chicken to cook on. The chicken was about 6" away from the flame when all was said and done. Now, I'm sure the yogurt thing has some of you perplexed. At first, I was a little curious myself. I said to myself, "Won't the yogurt just curdle and burn in that heat?"...

Well, as it turns out, yogurt actually protects the meat from charring...don't ask me how, it has something to do with the lactic acid and the way yogurt is made that acts like a heat shield. So, while a normal chicken breast would probably be a hockey puck under a broiler for 20 minutes, the chicken breasts covered in the yogurt mixture came out with the outside nicely browned and crispy with the inside juicy and moist (see picture above). Once I removed it from the broiler, I let it rest for 5 minutes.

**Resting is very important when cooking any meat. As meat rests, the juices that have risen to the surface of the meat have a chance to settle back in and keep the meat moist. If you cut a piece of meat before it has rested (or while it is cooking to check internal temperature), the juices will all run out and you will have a dried out piece of leather instead of the properly cooked meat you were originally preparing. Instead, use an instant-read thermometer (can be picked up anywhere for a few bucks) and use that to check internal temperature. Chicken should register around 160-165 degrees to be free of any bacteria that may get you sick. Resting will actually increase internal temperature slightly, so taking meat out a few degrees beforehand should get you the perfect temp when you are ready to cut.**

Finally, I cut the chicken into cubes (1"x1") and mixed into the sauce, which has been sitting on the stove, covered with no heat. The recipe calls for 2 tablespoons of Cilantro to be mixed in just prior to serving, which I did.

^Tip^ Spices and garnishes carry with them their own flavors, some stronger than others. I personally find Cilantro to be a very strong herb that should be used sparingly. I found that 2 tablespoons was a bit overwhelming for my tastes, so I will use half as much next time. However, the final flavor is up to the cook, so don't be afraid to experiment and see what suits your own tastes.

Once everything was mixed together, I put the rice in the bowl and ladeled out the sauce and chicken over it. The plated result is above and as you can see, it looked appetizing before even tasting.

The dish overall took about 1.5 hours to make, including the time the chicken was in the fridge.

One funny note: My dog is probably one of the pickiest eaters I have ever met. She refuses to eat dog food most days and I end up cooking for her at least twice a day. Yesterday, while my wife and I were eating dinner, the dog was sitting at the foot of the table just staring at us with her big ole puppy dog eyes like we had committed one of the seven deadly sins for not sharing our dinner with her. I was leary to give her any because the dish does have some heat to it (spicy), but Nicole said to offer it. Well, would you know she snubbed the hamburger we made for her and ate all the left over Masala. I had to heat up more rice and make a little more for her from what was left in the pan because she loved it. How many dogs do you know that would give up a hamburger for some Indian Masala???

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for reading and as always...

Yours in cooking,

Chris

Let's Begin - First, a note about cookbooks

Hi everyone! Before we get started, I thought I would take a minute to note that everyone should have a few good cookbooks in their kitchen. While I know how to make many dishes without the use of a guide, in order to experiment outside of my cooking comfort zone, I need something to refer back to - it helps when I don't know whether I need one teaspoon of saffron or one tablespoon, for example. There is nothing to say that once you get your hands dirty you can't "tweak" your recipes to make them your own, but don't be afraid to get ideas and a jump start to your cooking adventure by perusing a few culinary compilations. Unless you went to the CIA or the Art Institute to learn how to cook, these books will certainly give you the much needed guidance to get started on a wonderful journey in the kitchen.

A special note - for couples who are reading, there is a marvelous cookbook that pairs down some great recipes into 2-person portions...it is called "Cooking for Two 2009" by America's Test Kitchen (you may have seen the show on public television). It takes the year's best recipes and cuts them down to size for two people. Also, some of the recipes allow you to make another dish later in the week using some of the hard work you already put into a dish.

For instance, last night I made a French-Style Pot Roast. The recipe called for a 3.5 to 4 pound Boneless Chuck-Eye Roast. Unless I am John Candy eating the 96er, that is too much meat for two people. But the recipe allows you to take the final product from the French-Style Pot Roast and make two additional dishes (Shepherd's Pie, Rigatoni with Beef Ragu or a Hearty Beef and Barley Stew). So, not only can you enjoy your meals more than once without it being the exact same "leftovers", you can also save money by using ingredients once and eating more than once and save time by having your meals later in the week already partially prepared. "Cooking for Two 2009" cost me $19.99 and I highly recommend it. I will be sampling from this book quite a bit, so you can see some of the recipes and decide if the assortment is up your alley or not.

Ok - tonight, I will be endeavoring to make an Indian dish called "Chicken Tikka Masala (from "Cooking for Two 2009" and I will post pictures and hints after dinner tonight. I hope you'll tune in later! Until next writing...

Yours in cooking,
Chris

Welcome to Cuisine de Comfort

Welcome to Cuisine de Comfort. This blog is dedicated to my culinary ramblings based on dishes that I make in my own kitchen for my family. Thought that may sound bland, I make a lot of different recipes that you would find in restaurants around the world. Keep reading as I post and you will see the different dishes I make, find hints and techniques that may be helpful when cooking in your home kitchen, some funny stuff that always seems to occur when cooking and some tips on how to make your cooking experience fun while preparing tasty and varied dishes for your own family.

I do not have one of these $100K kitchens with Viking ranges and SubZero refridgerator/freezers. I have a normal kitchen with a 4 burner gas range, standard oven, and barely enough counter space to accomodate my cooking aspirations. So, travel with me on my culinary journey and you may find that you too can cook for your family like a Chef de Cuisine!