New Dishes and Glace de Viande

I plan on trying my hand, for the first time, at making eggs Benedict. Homemade hollandaise is a must here, so it should be fun getting that to work out. I had planned on doing that this morning and even making beef bourguignon tonight, but I stayed up a bit late and shot the whole morning/midday to hell.

Also, I followed Pepin's advice and am using the stock left over from simmering the bones from yesterday's stock a second time. He states that you can use these bones, simmer them for another 8-10 hours, then reduce, reduce, reduce. Finally, you should end up with a caramelized concentration - glace de viande (meat glaze). If it works out, then I should be able to keep it in cubes in the refrigerator to add extra flavor to any number of dishes.

Plus, who doesn't want cubes of reduced beef bone juices in the fridge to show friends?!?

Let my people go!

My friend, Carrie, sent this article to me because I am a dad. It is about how health- and health food-obsessed parents are helping cause eating disorders in their kids. I, in all my (non-)doctor-ly wisdom, agree. Food, for me, is something to be enjoyed very much, to be loved, to be appreciated. In moderation, at least most of the time. I love good food. I cannot say that enough.

There is a lady quoted in this article as saying (something like this), "Don't blame the parents for eating disorders. The kids are already screwed up." Well, that may be somewhat true, but she can sit and spin. I understand that there is a genetic component here, but let's think hypothetically for a second. A person has a genetic disposition to alcoholism. However, this person dies without being an alcoholic. How? Perhaps they never were around alcohol or never really had the opportunity to imbibe. I think, at least in part, this is the same with eating disorders. The genetic disposition may be there, but when the parents are there, I mean really there, and good friends, real, healthy eating and good exercise are also there - you know what? This kid is probably ok.

Anyway, here is the article. Read it, critique it, but share it regardless. I understand the dangers of pesticides, fat, sugar, and all their nasty friends. But, you know what? As long as you don't intake calories in such a high fashion over time (God, I feel like I am in calculus or physics), then you are all right.

Oh, while you're at it, go have a drink, too.

Good smellin' bones

I finally procured enough bare beef bones and beef short ribs to make brown stock. It smells pretty damn good in the house now. Too bad I've got about 10 hours to wait until I can start finishing it up. But, it will be worth it tomorrow or Sunday when we have beef bourguignon with buttered noodles.

The stock recipe I am using is from Jacques Pepin. However, I had to adapt to a smaller stock pot (6qt vs 12qt), and I am only using beef bones. As you can tell, it was bad enough getting those. I really did not want to try and scrounge up some veal and chicken cuts just for the bones.

Also, I now have a very good strainer (chinois) with which to remove all the junk out of the stock. Bring on the brown, tasty, beefy goodness.

Wait - I was supposed to cook with, not drink that wine?

So, I always have this proclivity to drink whatever is within arm's reach (or at least only a couple paces - ok, dammit, maybe a half-mile) of me when I am cooking. I often buy cheaper wines to cook with so I'm not spending...wait, I buy cheaper wines to drink, who am I kidding?

Regardless, I buy some extra bottles of cheaper wine to cook with...that magically disappears! It's like "Cooking with Copperfield" - one minute, there is that $3.99 Pinot Grigio I was about to use - next, why is my glass full again? And, where did that big glass bottle go? Needless to say, I often have to go back to the store to buy wine for cooking. Plus, there is at least one other, living, breathing individual who (apparently) says, "Enough is enough, you don't have to cook your veal shanks with $50 Italian wine!" Or, as this article from a couple years ago says, at least it's not that big of a deal.

I don't really care though. I love cooking, drinking wine (etc.), and having a good time, so what if it is sometimes by myself while cooking chicken cacciatore, osso buco, or simply potato and leek soup?

NOTE: I am sure the image is copyrighted by Charles Shaw Something or Other. Feed the beast.

Skull 'n' Bones

OK, not really skull...maybe later? My two main stores, Giant and Magruder's, always seem to be out of some good bones. Any bones. I know I can use beef short ribs, some chops, or other small bit that has lots of bone. Cook it, pull off the meat, cook the bones. And I probably will do that today or tomorrow. I want to make a good, authentic brown stock to use for some upcoming dinners, maybe beef bourguignon this weekend.

But, dude, c'mon. Gimme some bones here. I ask meat cutters at both stores, "Hey, don't you just have some bones lying around back there you can cut up for me?" The reply, "Man, I'm sorry, but no" then, I remember, I'm not in a butcher shop, just the meat department at my local store.

Ah well. It's not like it's that hard to cook some short ribs, pull the meat off, then cook the bones. Plus, I get a little roasted meat snack while I'm cooking. But I just felt like skipping a step!