RogueChef

Spaghetti Al Carbonara

So it is Ash Wednesday… And we supposed to fast and abstain..

Ummm, ah Nope… To quote a good friend “Do Not drink and drive…. Just keep drinking…”

If I am to fast, I will do so in the proper manner, NO FOOD, not “eat one big meal, or two smaller meals, or three little meals, or eating fish is ok, and vegetable do not count, etc, etc, etc,”

So, how about Pasta Wednesdays, with a real deal meal…

This dish is why I will die of chronic cholesterol. It is also why I will die happy…. For those of you who have read my post about hedonism, this is quite indulgent, and ooohhh so simple. There are many rewards to using only the freshest cream and butter, the finest of cheese, and the best of pasta. Truly, a RogueChef classic.

The hearty, creamy sauce and the smokey salty bacon with the tender bite of the pasta helps to assuage the naturally occurring desire for gelatin / umami caused by the short and cold days.

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Sazerac

Truly this drink says NoLa, and Mardi Gras

It all began for the Sazerac cocktail in the early 1800′s when Antoine Peychaud mixed Cognac with bitters. In 1859 the drink was the signature drink of the Sazerac Coffee House in New Orleans, where it received its name.

The exact reason for the substitution of rye whiskey for the Cognac is unclear, but the whiskey base is used today. The cocktail also originally used absinthe, which although making a comeback, is difficult to find and can be substituted with Herbsaint, Pernod or Absente.

Sazerac

Pernod Absinth scented rocks glass with a splash of Somerset Royal cider brandy, topped with white American oak aged Woodford reserve. An Absinth mist finishes a British edge on a true classic.

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Meatless Monday – Soda Bread

One thing served at this time of the year is Soda bread, a type of quick bread in which bread soda (or baking soda) is used for leavening rather than the more common yeast. The ingredients of traditional soda bread are flour, bread soda, salt, and buttermilk. Other ingredients can be added such as raisins, egg or various forms of nuts.

The buttermilk in the dough contains lactic acid, which reacts with the baking soda to form tiny bubbles of carbon dioxide. In Ireland, the flour is typically made from soft wheat; so soda bread is best made with a cake or pastry flour (made from soft wheat), which has lower levels of gluten than a bread flour.

Various forms of soda bread are popular throughout Ireland. Soda breads are made using either wholemeal or white flour. The two major shapes are the loaf and the “griddle cake”, or farl in Northern Ireland. The loaf form takes a more rounded shape and has a cross cut in the top to allow the bread to expand. The griddle cake or farl, is a more flattened type of bread. It is cooked on a griddle allowing it to take a more flat shape and split into four sections.

As an extension, one can divide the dough into a set of muffing pans and create a soda bread muffin or biscuit, one can add lemon zest, or serve hot with butter and citrus jellies / marmalade …

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Breakfast Sausage Rolls

Breakfast, and I am on a “roll” as it were. Many things to do, and not much time, so simple, “on the go food”, that tastes good, and can cook itself, is the order of the morning.

Another hand meal, stuffed with sausage, cheese, and possibly fruit, and rolled into a puff pastry sheet. These can be sized to individual servings or to a main course item, to be sliced and served with either a spicy mustard or slathered with red onion gravy.

Really this is the source recipe for “pigs in a blanket”, and “cocktail wieners”.

A Sausage Roll is a type of savory convenience food commonly served at parties and available from bakeries and milk bars as a take-away food item. Originating from the United Kingdom, it is also very popular in the Republic of Ireland, South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

The basic composition of a sausage roll is generally a sheet or sheets of puff pastry sliced into two, wrapped into tubes around sausage meat and brushed with egg or milk before being baked. They can be served either hot or cold.

Some variations on the basic recipe include chopped vegetables, such as carrots, onions, or courgettes; other seasonings such as herbs and spices; and the use of split sausages.

Sausage rolls may be served and sold in various lengths from 1 or 2 inch so called “party” or “cocktail” sausage rolls, up to 6 or 7 inch “jumbo” sausage rolls. In the UK, Republic of Ireland, Australia and the Netherlands, they can be sold as large as 12 inches long.

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Gumbo

Mardi Gras, one final fling of hedonism before the religious based sacrifices of Lent. The carnival atmosphere of parties, drinks and most of all rich fatty foods to see the revelers though the time from Ash Wednesday to Easter Sunday … A time of reflection, humility and rather dreary foods.

Mardi Gras is most fervently celebrated in New Orleans, where gumbo is often served as a tonic for the evening’s exuberances.. With no really set recipe, and a goal of nothing but rich taste, how can I pass up an opportunity to add my version

Gumbo is a stew or soup which originated in south Louisiana. It consists primarily of a strong stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and the vegetable “holy trinity” of celery, bell peppers, and onion. Gumbo is often categorized by the type of thickener used: the African vegetable okra, the Choctaw spice filé powder, or the French base made of flour and fat, roux. The dish likely derived its name from the either the African word for okra (ki ngombo) or the Choctaw word for filé (kombo).

Two main varieties of gumbo exist. Creole gumbo generally contains shellfish, tomatoes, and a thickener. Cajun gumbo is generally based on a dark roux and is spicier, with either shellfish or fowl. Sausage or ham can be added to a gumbo made with either fowl or shellfish. After the base is prepared, vegetables are cooked down, and then meat is added. The dish boils for a minimum of three hours, with shellfish and some spices added near the end. After the pot is removed from heat, filé powder can be added. Gumbo is traditionally served over rice. A third variety, the meatless gumbo z’herbes is essentially a gumbo of slow-cooked greens sometimes thickened with roux.

Gumbo originated in Louisiana in the 18th century and combines ingredients and culinary practices of several cultures, including French, Spanish, German, West African, and Choctaw. The dish may have been based on traditional West African or native dishes, or may be a derivation of the French dish bouillabaisse. It was first described in 1802 and was listed in various cookbooks in the latter half of the 19th century. The dish gained more widespread popularity in the 1970s, after the United States Senate cafeteria added it to the menu in honor of Senator Allen Ellender. Chef Paul Prudhomme’s popularity in the 1980s spurred further interest in gumbo.

Gumbo has three basic parts: the stock, the roux, the seasonings.

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Pan Seared Steak Marsala

It’s been a week, and I really want, (as an old friend would say), “Real Meat Protein”.. But it is still too cold to grill, and I really revolt at the prices most steakhouses get and become most agitated at the prices the good ones get.

It does just so happen that I have a beef tenderloin dry aging in my back fridge. Perhaps a bit of inspired butchery, some sound food science, and a bit of wine, (I might even add some to the food), will yield the succulent umami flavors I am in search of.

Primus, the Meat

A beef tenderloin is cut from the loin of beef. The tenderloin is an oblong shape spanning two primal cuts: the short loin and the sirloin. The tenderloin sits beneath the ribs, next to the backbone. This muscle does very little work, so it is the tenderest part of the beef. The tenderloin can be cut for either roasts or steaks.

The center-cut is suitable for portion-controlled steaks as the diameter of the eye remains relatively consistent. The center-cut can yield the traditional ‘filet mignon’ or tenderloin steak, as well as the Chateaubriand and Beef Wellington.

Filet mignon can be cut into 1- to 2-inch-thick portions, then grilled and served as-is. One can also find the filet in stores already cut into portions and wrapped with bacon. High heat is the usual method for cooking the filet, either grilling, pan frying, broiling, or roasting. Traditionally in European and American restaurants, filets are most often served in a cognac cream sauce, au poivre, or in a red wine reduction.

Bacon is often used in cooking the filet because of the low levels of fat found in it. Filets also have low levels of marbling, or intramuscular fat. Bacon is wrapped around the filet and pinned closed with a wooden toothpick. This adds flavor and keeps the fillet from drying out during the cooking process.

Traditional cooking calls for the filet mignon to be seared on each side using intense heat for a short time and then transferred to a lower heat to cook the meat all the way through. Filet mignon is often served rarer than other meats. Those preferring a more well-done steak can request a “butterflied” filet, meaning that meat is cut down the middle, and opened up to expose more of the meat to heat during the cooking process.

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