Definition: Aioli

This week's culinary definition is aioli.

Aioli is a Provençal traditional sauce made of garlic, olive oil, lemon juice, and egg yolks. There are many variations, such as the addition of mustard. It is usually served at room temperature. The name comes from Provençal alh 'garlic' + òli 'oil.'

Aioli is like mayonnaise, an emulsion or a suspension of small globules of oil and oil-soluble compounds in water and water-soluble compounds. Egg yolk can be used as an emulsifier and is generally used in making aioli. However, mustard and garlic both have emulsion-producing properties and some variants omit the egg.

Generally, egg yolks, garlic and Dijon mustard (if adding this as a common variation on the basic aioli) are combined first with a whisk, then the oil and the lemon juice are added slowly with whisking to create the emulsion. The additions of the dissimilar ingredients must be slow to start and then can be faster once the initial emulsion has formed.

Source:  Wikipedia.com

Recipe: Parmesan Bread Pudding with Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta

My hubby was reading this month's Bon Appetit magazine this past weekend and came to show me the recipe and photo of the Parmesan Bread Pudding with Broccoli Rabe and Pancetta recipe (April 2012, p. 38) saying, "This looks good -- we should make it." 

So we did, and it was good!  We had leftovers this evening, and it was good even reheated.

It's quite simple to make and doesn't take many ingredients (olive oil, garlic, red pepper, broccoli rabe, salt, pepper, eggs, milk, bread, parmesan, pancetta).  We had never cooked broccoli rabe before and weren't even sure our local (regular) grocery store carried it, but they did!

Our only deviation from the recipe. . . we used about twice the amount of pancetta.  Gotta love pancetta.

Next time, it might be interesting to cut down the amount of broccoli rabe and replace it with some broccoli and spinach.  The broccoli rabe added a bitterness that we liked but was a tad strong.

Definition: Chimichurri

This week's culinary definition is chimichurri.

What exactly is it?
It's a sauce used for grilled meat and is originally from Argentina but is also used in Uruguay.

Chimichurri is made from finely chopped parsley, minced garlic, olive oil, oregano, and white or red wine vinegar. Additional flavorings such as coriander, paprika, cumin, thyme, lemon, and bay leaf may be included. In its red version, tomato and red bell pepper may also be added. It can also be used as a marinade for grilled meat.

Where did the name come from?
I think these 2 explanations are the most realistic and believable:

The Argentine gourmet Miguel Brascó claims that the word chimichurri originated when the British were captured after the British invasions of the Río de la Plata. The prisoners asked for condiment for their food mixing English, aboriginal and Spanish words. According to this story, che-mi-curry stands for "che mi salsa" (a rough translation is hey give me condiment) or "give me curry". The word then corrupted to chimichurri.

Another theory for the name of the sauce comes from the Basque settlers that arrived in Argentina as early as the 19th century. According to this theory, the name of the sauce comes from the Basque term tximitxurri, loosely translated as "a mixture of several things in no particular order."

Source:  wikipedia.com

Recipe: Spinach-and-Parmesan Sformati

I've been wanting to make Top Chef Masters' Lachlan Mackinnon Patterson's Spinach-and-Parmesan Sformati ever since I saw the photo of it in Food and Wine Magazine's April 2012 issue (p.132).  A sformati (or sformato) is an Italian custard with a lot of cheese -- it's like a souffle but not as airy.

Mine did NOT turn out looking as light green as the one in the magazine photo (see the link to the photo and recipe above).  Perhaps next time I need to use Parmesan powder to coat my ramekins.  Otherwise, there is no way for a dish that has that much spinach in it to be that light in color. 

In any case, the dish (which we ate as a side dish) was delicious.  It tasted like a souffle and was packed with spinach and cheese flavor.  While it does take a while to make and bake, it isn't a hard recipe and is worth the time.

Recipe: Chicken Dijon

I made the Chicken Dijon recipe (Food and Wine Magazine, Oct 2011, p.118) this past weekend.  Very easy, and it turned out great -- nice and flavorful.  The ingredient list is pretty simple:

• coriander seeds
• EVOO
• chicken
• s&p
• onion
• garlic
• chicken broth
• whole-grain mustard
• either creme fraiche or sour cream
• tarragon

It's so much better than the Shake 'n Bake Honey Mustard mix I used to use when I didn't know how to cook.

Next time, I'm going to try chicken breasts instead of the drumsticks.

Recipe: Pork Larb Lettuce Wrap

We made this Pork Larb Lettuce Wrap recipe this evening.  The dish (I'd recommend this as an appetizer) has really nice flavors but a major flaw.  The recipe calls for toasting a tablespoon of long-grain rice until browned, grinding the rice in a spice grinder and then sprinkling the meat with the powder.  Definitely don't do this!!!  It gave the dish a weird grainy texture that was not appetizing.  Or, if you want to try this, do it with just a small portion of meat to see if you like it. 

Other than that, the flavors were good -- think garlic, fish sauce, lime, sugar, spice (we used a serrano pepper), red onion, cilantro, mint, basil -- very southeast Asian.

We used ground chicken because the store ran out of pork (and I didn't want to use ground beef); however, I think the pork's flavor and texture would be ideal to use the next time we make it.

Definition: Duxelles

What is duxelle or duxelles (pronounced duck-SELL)?  

Duxelles is a finely chopped (minced) mixture of mushrooms or mushroom stems, onions, shallots and herbs sautéed in butter, and reduced to a paste (sometimes cream is used, as well). It is a basic preparation used in stuffings and sauces (notably, beef Wellington) or as a garnish. Duxelles can also be filled into a pocket of raw pastry and baked as a savory tart.

Duxelles is said to have been created by the 17th-century French chef François Pierre La Varenne (1615–1678) and to have been named after his employer, Nicolas Chalon du Blé, marquis d'Uxelles, maréchal de France.

Try Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington recipe which calls for making a duxelles (or mushroom paste).

Source: Wikipedia.com

Modern Art Desserts

If you love modern art and love desserts, watch this 2 minute video.  The team at the Blue Bottle Cafe at the SFMOMA create desserts that are inspired by artists such as Cindy Sherman, Piet Mondrian and Richard Serra.  As the author Caitlin Freeman says, "we go to work every day to look at art and make cake."  What a dream job! 

I must have this new cookbook that is coming out on April 16th.

Recipe: Chicken and Dumplings

It was chilly this past weekend, and we were looking for a hearty, healthy dish to make.  America's Test Kitchen's Chicken and Dumplings Recipe was perfect after a long day of working out in the yard!  We've made this recipe before, and it turns out great each time.  We added more vegetables than it called for and so need to remember to add more chicken stock and water next time we make the recipe.