Another of my favourite omelet (herbs)

I know I'm repeating myself but I LOVE eggs. There is nothing more satisfying to me than one hard boiled egg when I'm hungry.

To satisfy my never ending crave for eggs, I cooked myself one of my favourite omelet recipe today for brunch. It is extremely simple... all you need is to chop some of your favourite herbs (in this case thyme and parsley) and add it to your eggs. You whisk a little bit, add some cream or milk and cook in a little bit of olive oil on medium-low heat. As it cooks, you gently push the eggs so that the remaining liquid find its way to the bottom of the pan... this is, in my opinion, a very important technique to learn to cook the perfect omelet. I like my omelet to be just a little bit runny so I am always making sure that the top is just barely cooked before serving.

If you look at the picture, you'll see that I failed at my attempt to make that classic three fold omelet shape but it was still very good. When I look at the plate now I think a salad is missing... you got to eat your veggies! Well... next time.

The bread experiment 3 (I need help now!)

I am no baker... Yep! I am still not satisfied with my bread. I want those huge and nice bubbles, a nice hard crust, the great taste of fresh bread... I can make a nice crust alright but the bubbles in my bread are small and the taste is just ok. My bread is still far better then the plastic wrapped sliced bread we get at every grocery store in this country but I'm aiming higher.

This time, I put too much yeast and my bread taste, you guessed, yeasty... But even with all that yeast, I didn't get the bubbles I was expecting for. I am starting to think that the secret to a good bread lies with your ingredients rather then the technique... because, believe me, I've tried everything I've read in books and on the internet (except sour dough) and I'm still unable to get what I'm trying to get.

Does bread flour come in different qualities? How much does yeast impart a specific flavour to bread? If yeast is an important factor, what kind of yeast should I use? And how do you get those huge bubbles in a good baguette anyway?

Shrimp and asparagus pasta

I know asparagus are not in season but we still get some very nice ones from South America these days.

Anyway, I've cooked this simple pasta dish the other day. Here is the recipe:

1. Brine your shrimp
2. Cook your pasta, add the asparagus at the last minute and drain, reserving a little of the cooking water.
3. Add garlic chunks and pepper flakes to a good hot olive oil, wait a few minutes for the garlic to brown (not burn!)
4. Cook your shrimps in the oil, and reserve.
5. Add the asparagus, then the pasta and pasta water if need to make a sauce.
6. Pour into a dish, add the shrimps, salt and pepper... and serve.

You can also sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Kitchen trick - improvise a cover for your pans and pots

I always love to read stories about kitchen ingenuity, so
I thought I should share my own cooking tricks.

Recently, I needed a cover for a pan but my only large cover was already sitting on top of another pot. My solution was to use one of my metal bowls. While I'm not reinventing the wheel with this trick, it helped me to finish my meal.

The BEST apple recipe EVER!

Ok, I've been working hard on this one: I did a lot of research, I have tried many different versions and spent nearly 20 years perfecting every little details of this recipe.

I have been wondering about whether or not I should put this recipe on the Internet. Not that I am a very stingy person but it takes a lot of effort to let your baby go.

Here it is, just for you:

The perfect apple

1. Place an apple in the refrigerator for a few hours.
2. Take it out of the fridge and wash it carefully under running water.
3. Let it rest for 30 minutes at room temperature.
4. Take the apple, rub it in your hands for a few seconds, look at it with anticipation, and take a nice big bite.
5. Chew and repeat #4 until the only thing left is the core.


Go try it... I'm waiting...what do you think?

Well, I guess the message I'm trying to convey here is that we sometimes overemphasize cooking (the process) instead of eating (the end result) and that sometimes ingredients are better off without our complicated techniques and seasonings. Don't misunderstand me, I love the process of cooking but sometimes it is better to just step back and let the ingredients speak for themselves.

In fact, it is really something I have got to learn. As cooks, we should aim at taste not show. Although putting a show for your friends and family is very gratifying, we should also make sure that we are not overdoing it... that we are true to our ingredients.

Looking back at my previous posts, most of my successes where very simple dishes (e.g. my fava bean dish) while most of my failures where experiments I should not have attempted without a recipe to guide me (e.g., my recent flat bread). In other words, simplicity paid off.

Sometimes, long established traditions were able to develop complex recipes rich in flavours, textures and aromas. The curry paste I made a few days ago was based on a traditional mix of spices that I simply adapted to the ingredients that where available to me and those required for the 12th edition of the Paper Chef event. I felt I was dealing with a complex mix of flavour and aromas but tradition provided me a foundation on which I could improvise. Some chefs are experts at matching flavours and aromas but I doubt the majority of us are able to imagine the result of a combination of more than three strong ingredients in a recipe.

Nature offers us a great amount of plants and animals which we could eat but very few of them made their way to our table. Over years of evolution we, as specie, selected the fruits, vegetables, grains, meats, spices and herbs that most satisfied our taste buds. And sometimes, the enjoyment of these raw little wonders simply can't be improved by our tools and techniques.

(violins and birds chirping)

Ok, I've said enough, I'm done eating my apple. I'll get back to cooking tomorrow.

Food joke of the month

What is white, soft, almost gelatinous and can go through walls?









A bloc of Magic Tofu!

Ah ah ah ah ah ah ah...

hehe

Ah ah ah ah...

he he he

Ah

euh...

Sorry, it was not that funny