Posts Tagged ‘bacon’

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My Love Affair with Bacon

Friday, March 2nd, 2012 by Andrea L

I was out to lunch with a friend the other day and in the process of building my burger, I decided it most definitely needed a layer of bacon.  Mmmm bacon, sweet nectar of the gods!  Once I stopped salivating, I got to thinking about why we love bacon so much.  When I was in culinary school, I had a chef that was a self-professed vegetarian, who made dietary exceptions for bacon.  No joke.  I guess the smell of bacon sizzling in a pan is enough to tempt even the staunchest of non- meat eaters!

I looked to science to perhaps gain some knowledge regarding my love affair with bacon. Apparently it all has to do with the Maillard reaction, which is when reduced sugars react with amino acids under heat as they do, they produce a wide range of molecules that vary in flavor and smell. It is one of the reactions that produce the flavor of toasted bread, roasted coffee, chocolate and caramel. In fact, this reaction is at the basis of the flavor industry.  With all of those various molecules being created, the air above your frying pan or around your stove is soon filled with various smells. These form that complex scent that is difficult to describe, but that most people find so appealing. This also explains why adding sugar to your bacon can make it taste better: you are improving the chances that the Maillard reaction will occur between some sugar and the proteins in the meat.

This is all well and good, but much of this has to do with fat.  Fat tastes good, adds flavor, and is the major contributor to the intoxicating smell that emanates from the pan when you cook it.

So I got reckless, hit the gym a bit more during the week, and started experimenting with my mistress.  Again, out to lunch with my foodie friend, we were at one of my new favorite brunch spots when we decided to try perhaps one of the best things I have ever had in my life… ever.  A donut topped with maple glaze and bacon.  Yep, gluttony all around nd no shame here!  It got me to thinking that bacon is perhaps the only meat that when I eat it, wouldn’t mind a shot of something sweet.  It has the ability to be that chameleon in the culinary world that can withstand both the savory and the sweet flavor profiles.  This became all too clear to me when I discovered at a dinner party that I was served two very amazing bacon dishes.  The first was a play on sushi, rice rolled with bacon enclosed in pork belly.  Yes this also totally amazed me so if you are reacting as I think you are… you are in bacon town!  And the other, salted caramel ice cream with bacon bits.  Much to my shearing, I indulged in these amazing dishes with no shame.

I encourage you to take a look around and start experimenting with this guilty pleasure, just hit the gym a bit more and be not afraid!

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Andrea Larson is a culinary assistant at The Chopping Block. She is a recent graduate from the Illinois Institute of Art where she studied Culinary Arts, and has been a cooking enthusiast for years. She also enjoys learning about wine and baking bread. When she isn’t busy in the kitchen, she likes to bike ride, travel, and volunteer for charities which she is passionate about; currently she is training for her 4th Ride for Aids Chicago.

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Allez Cuisine!

Wednesday, February 15th, 2012 by Andrea

When you think of decadent food, what comes to mind? Rich, luxurious things like chocolate, caviar and champagne? Perhaps lobster, foie gras and truffle are at the top of your list. Dictionary.com defines decadence as “unrestrained or excessive self-indulgence”, and that’s exactly what I experienced last weekend.

Decadence was the theme of a cooking competition I had the honor of judging. Every few months, a group of friends who work for or are alumni from the best cheese shop in Chicago: Pastoral Artisan get together for a fun, friendly afternoon of competition. And when I tell you that these people take their cooking seriously, I’m not kidding. Months of planning, recipe testing and some trash talk precede these competitions. I was lucky enough to know the right people and landed a spot as a semi-regular judge.

Past competitions have included themes such as noodles, citrus, dim sum, pies and lots of other creative ingredients or genres of food. The competitions are major productions. When I saw the equipment being hauled into our hostess’ kitchen, I laughed at the countless tools, decorative plates and even a deep fryer. I couldn’t believe someone actually had a real deep fryer with a basket and was willing to lug it across town to Logan Square.

The first round of food came out, and I knew I was in trouble. How can you pick a winner when everything, and I mean every element of each dish, is so delicious? Plus, decadence is a truly personal thing. Who’s to say that crab is more decadent than duck?

Here are the eight entries:

Waffled Crab Cristo with Tarragon Hollandaise, Bacon and Spinach

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quad Duck Frites

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Black Truffle Foie Gras Ravioli with Duck Confit Smoked Duck Sausage and Pigs Trotters Sauce, Black Trumpet Mushroom & Sherry Gastrique

Fried Chicken and Waffles with Sunchoke Gravy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Mousse Cake: Genoise, Amarini Cherries, Dark & White Chocolate Mousse

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

S'more Sundae with Graham Crust, Bittersweet Brownie, Toasty Tahitian Marshmallow, Salted Caramel Sauce with Bourbon Cherries and Praline

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chocolate Coffee Cake with Chocolate Frosting and Vanilla Ice Cream

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

White Chocolate Mousse Cups with Frangelico, Dark Chocolate and Raspberry

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So as you can see, this was quite a task. The three judges deliberated for quite a while as we consider the taste, presentation, creativity and level of decadence of each dish. In the end, we decided to name top winners in each category of savory and sweet. The ravioli took the savory honor and the s’more topped the desserts. This group would have no shared title of glory so we awarded an overall winner based on points: the ravioli was the victor. Even our master of ceremonies dressed the part of decadence while announcing the results.

Talks are already in the works for the next round of competition. It’s hard to imagine a theme that could top this one, but don’t worry, these guys will figure out a way to do it.

 

 

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Andrea has been with The Chopping Block for 8 years in every role from Chef Assistant to General Manager to Private Event Coordinator and now Public Relations. Her journalism background and culinary school education from Le Cordon Bleu in Chicago give her the know-how to spread the word about The Chopping Block's mission to get people to cook. She also is devoted to working with dogs, enjoys reading, yoga, good wine, and being from Louisiana, she loves to cook Cajun food for her friends.

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A Little Fun in the D.C. Sun

Monday, February 13th, 2012 by John

I had the fortunate pleasure of joining some great friends in Washington D.C. last week.  I went with the main purpose of seeing my favorite band, Widespread Panic.  The band posted a small, all-acoustic tour and there was no way I was going to miss it.  And as it turned out, they played two nights just outside of D.C. in Silver Spring, Maryland.  Once they posted the tour, I got on the horn with my friends out there and made plans for the trip.  Part of the deal with my friends was that I would cook a nice dinner for them and their friends and family.

It turned out to be a total of 10 people for Monday night dinner.  My dear friend Amy took me to Whole Foods and we began to walk around looking for inspiration.  We were on the East Coast and I wanted to include some form of seafood for dinner.  I decided on a nice shellfish bouillabaisse featuring scallops, shrimp, mussels, and clams.  I bought fennel, onions, leeks, celery and garlic, some nice San Marzano crushed tomatoes, clam broth and chicken broth.  We found a nice pork loin for the roast, potatoes (sweet and russet) for a tasty gratin, and green beans with shallots and slab bacon.

Upon arrival to Daniel’s (Amy’s brother) house, me and my sous chef (Amy) hopped into action.  I made an aromatic cream with garlic and thyme to cook with the potatoes and in the oven they went.  Next, I seasoned the pork loin liberally with salt and pepper and in the oven it went.  Amy cleaned the green beans and shellfish.  Finally, I got the soup on the stove.  The shellfish was added to the broth; I sliced the pork, finished the green beans with the bacon and shallots and off to the dining table we went.

Molly (Daniel’s wife) set the table beautifully (think classic old school Virginia plates, silver and glasses) and the feast began.  Amy and Daniel’s mom showed up with some long-time family friends and MANY bottles of wine.   We spent the better part of 3 hours at the dinner table with great food, great friends, great wine, great conversation, and great atmosphere!  By the end of the night, we were stuffed and buzzed.  It was an all-around awesome evening.  Ain’t Life Grand!

 

 

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John Peters is the Sous Chef of The Chopping Block at the Mart. In addition to teaching several times a week, John orders and receives the products for classes and private events, manages scheduling, works with the private events team in party planning and organizing, and keeps an overall open eye to the entire space at the Mart. He enjoys both cooking and eating Mexican food and the thing he enjoys most about cooking is truly making people happy with food!

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Ready, Set, Mascarpone

Wednesday, January 25th, 2012 by Kathryn

Maybe it’s stereotypical for me, as a Wisconsin native, to say this, but I LOVE CHEESE. It is, and forever will be, a bringer of joy in my life. One of my uncles is a cheesemaker near where I grew up in Wisconsin (it’s okay to be jealous). His company, Crave Brothers Farmstead Classics, is relatively famous for their mascarpone. Earlier this winter they announced a recipe contest in which contenders were to submit recipes using this creamy, slightly sweet cheese. Well, naturally I had to enter. Not only do I love cheese -  I love a good contest!

I thought and thought about what recipe I wanted to submit. First I created what I was going to call Chocolate Raspberry Milkshake Pie. I’ll pat myself on the back here and say that it was pretty tasty, but I thought it was too similar to their classic Chocolate Mascarpone Pie that they list as one of their all-time favorites (also a pretty tasty treat). Then I got to thinking about other cheesy dishes and I thought, why not make a mascarpone mac ‘n’ cheese? I could combine a few different cheeses here and really give this comfort food a new twist with the mellow, creamy, and slighty sweet undertone of the mascarpone.

I’ll remember it as one of the best afternoons of my life. Just me and cheese alone in my kitchen, experimenting with differnt flavors and combinations for my contest recipe. It was lovely. The result? Also lovely. A rich and decadent dish that really just hits your cheese-spot. YUM.

Of course, after I entered this recipe, I thought of lots of other great things I could have added to it: bacon, pancetta, onions, garlic, mushrooms (like the Ulitmate Mac ‘n’ Cheese you can taste in our Cozy Casseroles class here at The Chopping Block – it’s delicious!), or whatever else you love. It would all be good. I hope you give this recipe a try and build on it in a way that sounds delicious to you. Just pretend you’re entering a contest and take an afternoon to have a few lovely hours of cheesy experimentation in your kitchen. It will be worth it.

The contest winners haven’t been announced yet. But with this recipe, the fun I had creating it, and with that first bite of the finished product, (here comes some more cheese) – it feels like I already won.

Four-Cheese Mascarpone Mac

*Makes 4-6 servings as an entree; 8-10 servings as a side

1 lb. elbow macaroni or cavatappi pasta
2 cups milk
3 Tbsp. butter
3 Tbsp. flour

8 oz. Crave Bros. Mascarpone (at room temperature)
6 oz. sharp cheddar, shredded
6 oz. Gruyere, shredded
2 oz. Parmesan, shredded

Pinch nutmeg (1/8 tsp.)
Salt and Pepper to taste

Topping:
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 cup breadcrumbs

Cook pasta as directed on package (to al dente). Drain and set aside. While pasta cooks, gently heat milk over low heat. After removing pasta from pot, mix butter and flour together over medium heat and cook 2-3 minutes. Slowly add heated milk. Stir and cook for about 5 minutes until milk is thickened. Turn heat to low. Add mascarpone and stir in until smooth. Remove from heat and add in cheddar, Gruyere, and Parmesan. Stir until melted. Stir in nutmeg. Taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as needed. Add cooked pasta to cheese mixture and blend together. (You’ll probably need to taste it here too because it looks so good!)  Pour into buttered baking dish (2 ½-3 quart size works well). Mix olive oil and breadcrumbs. Sprinkle over the mac and cheese. Bake at 350 degrees for about 35 minutes. (Can make ahead and refrigerate for 1-2 days; increase baking time by 10-15 minutes if going from refrigerator to oven.) Enjoy!

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Kathryn Premo Mingione, has lived in Chicago for four years and recently joined the team at The Chopping Block as a Class Assistant. Growing up on a dairy farm in Wisconsin, Kathryn learned to value and take interest in food at an early age. Her double major at UW-Madison in Elementary Education and Theatre serve her well in her position as a Kids Club Manager for the Chicago Athletic Clubs. Those skills are also great assets at The Chopping Block in helping folks learn to love cooking and in adding some entertainment to it too! When she's not taking care of children, cooking, or baking, she enjoys the other good stuff in life: spending time with friends and family, especially her wonderful and willing-to-taste-any-new-dish-she-makes husband, Louie.

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Festive Dates

Wednesday, December 21st, 2011 by Amanda

It is that time of year when dates, the fruit, not what most people do on a Saturday night start showing up on our tables.  Sadly, most Americans only think of them as part of traditional holiday bread but dates have much more to offer.  When dried they are sugary, dense, and moist morsels perfect for savory or sweet treats.

If you are looking for a simple but elegant appetizer, I highly recommend Bacon Wrapped Dates.  This combo of sweet and savory is a favorite among students at The Chopping Block.  The best part is how quick and easy they are to prepare.  Just wrap each date with about a third of a stripe of bacon and bake at 375° for about ten minutes.  If you really want to “dress” them up just add some Cream of Balsamic and thinly sliced scallions.  You can also stuff the dates with goat cheese, nuts, etc.

When dates are dried they are mainly sugar so they are a perfect natural sweetener.   I have used them to sweeten my son’s oatmeal or make “healthy” cookies.  Another great use for dates is to add it to a tomato sauce to help balance the acidity.  I learned this tip in one of our classes.

The most delicious date recipe and one of my top winter desserts is The Chopping Block’s Sticky Toffee Pudding.  We had a cupcake version in this month’s Cupcake Boot Camp: Festive Holiday Recipes and this recipe will be part of January’s Winter Warming Dinner Party class.  It is such a holiday treat that I feel now is the perfect time to share it:

Sticky Toffee Pudding

Yield: 16-20 servings

Active time: 30 minutes

Start to finish: 1 hour, 20 minutes

 

For the cake:

12 ounces dates, pitted and roughly chopped

2 1/2 cups water

2 teaspoons baking soda

3 1/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1 stick softened butter, cut into pieces

1 2/3 cups granulated sugar

4 eggs

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

 

For the butterscotch sauce:

2 1/4 cups light brown sugar

7 tablespoons butter

1 cup half & half

1 teaspoon brandy

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

1 cup heavy cream, whipped to medium peaks, for garnish

 

1. Preheat the oven to 350°. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking pan and cover the bottom with parchment. Butter the parchment and set aside.

2. Combine the dates and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn off the heat and gradually stir in the baking soda (mixture will foam up). Set aside.

3. Combine the flour and baking powder in a bowl.

4. Place the butter in a large mixing bowl and whip with an electric mixer until light and fluffy. Add the sugar to the butter and cream until fluffy. Add the eggs one at a time, and mix until combined. Mix in vanilla.

5. Add about 1/3 of the flour mixture and 1/3 of the dates and water, and mix until combined. Repeat until all the flour mixture and the dates are

incorporated into the batter.

6. Pour into the prepared pan and bake about 40 minutes, or until firm and set in the center. Allow to cool in the pan.

7. Once cool, invert onto a sheet tray and peel off the parchment paper.

8. To prepare the butterscotch sauce, combine the brown sugar, butter, half and half and brandy in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Continue to boil for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the vanilla.

9. When ready to serve pudding, preheat the oven to 400°.

10. Pour the sauce evenly over the top of the cake. Bake until the sauce is bubbly and the cake is heated through, about 5 minutes.

11. Cut into squares and serve with a dollop of the whipped heavy cream.

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Amanda Aristeo is originally from Traverse City, Michigan and has lived in Chicago for the past 7 years. After the birth of her son, Mario, she left her position at the Chicago City Clerk’s Office to dedicate herself to her family and pursue a part-time career in a field she is passionate about: food. Remembering how much she enjoyed attending classes at The Chopping Block, she applied at Lincoln Square and now works as a Class Assistant and Retail Associate. When Amanda isn’t creating meatless meals for her family, she is busy attending aquababies, Tiny Tots or spending time with her wonderful husband.

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