I, Curtis

5 Things My Neighborhood Grocery Store Doesn’t Stock, but Should

1. Whole nutmeg – the closest I can get is “cracked” nutmeg in a grinder, which is better then powder, but not nearly as good as the whole nut.
2. Duck Fat – its like lard, but is rendered from the fat under the skin of duck. Flavor is more intense than lard and has overall better properties.
3. Orzo Pasta – a short fat pasta that resembles rice, but has a pasta texture and flavor.
4. Frisée Lettuce – a frizzy lettuce that resists wilting when exposed to things like hot dressings or fresh croutons.
5. Mushrooms with a name – my grocery store has typical “button” mushrooms, but that is the extent of it. There are no crimini, or even portobello mushrooms. I’m not asking for shiitake or anything fun like that, and certainly not the very scary maitake. It would however, be nice to get a little mushroom variety. I want the depths of flavor that is offered by each variety of mushroom.
6. Semolina, Durham or 00 Flour – I can get all kinds of flour, including unbleached AP, whole wheat, rye, and even coconut flour, but not something as basic and ESSENTIAL as semolina. I’m not even picky, Semolina, Durham or 00 type flour would work perfectly well for what I want. I’m looking for just a good pasta flour, something that doesn’t become sticky when rolled and cooked.
7. Kitchen Twine – a super-clean cotton twine that does not have any offensive flavors or smells. I have a different cotton twine that I use, but it isn’t the same as kitchen twine, as it often contracts and tries to cut into my meats. Kitchen bondage should not end up with twine stuck inside food.

I have baked a lot of things, but this is my first apple pie. I guess in general I don’t like apple pie that much, but I had the spare apples around and decided to take the opportunity to bake a pie.  The crust is a standard pie crust (flour, shortening, water), but with half of the flour as whole wheat flour and the addition of cinnamon to it. Also, the crust was brushed with an egg wash to enhance browning.

A few months ago (sometime in the spring) I was forced to get buttermilk in a plastic container. I didn’t really like the idea much because if there was no paper to the container, what would keep the bacteria alive? Well… I’m guessing that in the absence of paper, they feed on the milk itself, since it has been nearly 6 months since the expiration date and there has still been no spoilage or molding of the milk. A few months ago I noticed that when I tried to use the buttermilk (I use it only occasionally) that it had separated and I was getting out something that looked like 2% milk, and also something that looked like cottage cheese. That annoyed me about the plastic container and I decided that I would never use another one. Today I used more buttermilk (in making corn bread) and I decided to gently swirl the carton and sort of “fold” the curds and whey back together. It seemed to work out nicely as I had nice thick milk, almost like a yogurt, to work with. I smelled the milk, it was still fresh, quite a pleasant surprise because if I had the milk in the cardboard container, it would likely smell like the refrigerator, which in case you haven’t heard, is not exactly good eats.

So now I am faced with a dilemma, to get more buttermilk that is in cardboard and not have to worry about the container causing separation, or go with plastic and have buttermilk that I know will never truly go bad? I am having a hard time deciding and have a hard time discussing it with people, especially people who eat what I cook, as it tends to gross them out to think about the fact that I use buttermilk that is so old. I guess they don’t get the concept of aging. Buttermilk to me does not have the real buttermilk taste until it has been out of date by at least a few weeks. It tastes… dead.

• 4 Breasts Chicken, boneless
• 6 Ounces Bacon, chopped
• 10 Stems Chives, 6 inch
• 2 Tbsp Corn Starch
• 14 Ounces Chicken Stock
• Black Pepper, to taste

Fry bacon in large non-stick skillet or fryer. Fry until crisp and fat pools. Remove remaining bacon solids, set aside to cool. Split chicken breasts to divide mass in half, making roughly square portions. Keep pan at at least 300 degrees. Place divided breasts, bone side down, into the hot bacon fat. Cook for about 5 minutes, then verify brownness (top side should be beginning to turn white). Once brown (or golden caramelization), turn breasts over and repeat on opposite side. Once fully cooked, move chicken on to a broiling pan and place into preheated 350 degree oven.

Crumble or mince cooled bacon pieces to the desired texture. Chop chives. Place bacon and chives into a small sauce pan. Heat on low to reactivate remaining fat in bacon. If any drippings or "pan goodies" remain in fryer, deglaze by pouring chicken broth into hot pan, the liquid should sizzle instantly (if it doesn’t, then pan is not hot enough). Gently scrape bottom of fryer to remove any stuck "bits". Cool slightly and pour liquid into sauce pan, add corn starch, salt and pepper. Whisk vigorously until starch is mixed in, then bring to a boil. Gravy will slowly thicken. Once at the desired texture, remove from heat, take chicken out of the oven and serve.

Serving suggestion: with rice.

Preparation Time:
10 minutes

Cooking Time:
25 hours

Yield:
4 servings

Category:
Chicken

Added on Monday, May 25, 2009

I have decided something recently in my kitchen, round knobs on lids and round handles on pans, suck. Anything with a single screw is absolutely stupid. Cookware should be able to be held completely still, and not be dependent on the obedience of a single screw. I have made this decision after having cleaned by new 12″ skillet/fry pan and its lid for the first time this morning. It has a double-post strap handle on the lid and a sturdy handle that is attached firmly to the pan with 3 rivets. My old pan had a handle and a knob that would spin. That made cleaning an absolutely bitch, go to scrub the lid, and the lid starts spinning like a fucking top.

My new pan is a Calphalon Non-stick One CR1394, the old was a Pampered Chef “non-stick” pan. The new pan weights at least twice what the old pan weighed, cleans a lot easier and things don’t spin. Originally the PC pan was replaced because it 1. it spun in place on the burner (not good for stirring), 2. its knob spun (not good for cleaning) and 3. its handle spun (not good for anything).