eG Foodblog: SobaAddict70 (2013) -- La Cuisine du Marché

[SobaAddict70]

I understand the issues you have with respect to aesthetics and such, but really, the one-egg omelette thing was more a challenge to me, to see if I could do it.

I don't remember where I saw it, could have been a pic of something that TK did at Per Se (TK = Thomas Keller) or maybe it was some other "name" chef, but one-egg omelettes are all about deriving maximum flavor, particularly if there's a filling. Since the omelette itself is as thin as a crepe, you have to be observant and quick in order to ensure that it comes out right.

FYI, I rarely make omelettes without brown spots on them, so this one was a triumph. And in retrospect, there's just a hint of brown at the edges, but that's just me being a hobbit with perfectionist tendencies. Must buy a One Ring from the local magical items vendor.

[weinoo]

Heh. I like to see some browning on my omelets. I don't personally care for the ultra-French type of omelets. I for one thought that Top Chef episode in the last season with Wolfgang Puck asking his gang of cheftestapants-to-be candidates to "make him an omelet" (without any other qualifications) to be both laughable and eyebrow-raising. I WISH someone had made a SE-Asian type omelet for him, or a bubbly-browned-flat omelet for him, or even something like Oh Chien (oyster omelet) for him, rather than defaulting to some approximation of a FRENCHIFIED omelet.

I guess you can show everyone those when you do a blog.

Looks like you may have never seen one of those things. Possible also that you can't conceive of an omelet which does not look like the pale French type and might be upset that there could be such a thing as a browned omelet or a non-neatly-folded one which is tasty.

Let's see - I've been on e G for over 11 years and been cooking and dining for well over 4 times that long.

Yes, I"ve seen them, conceived them, eaten them and cooked them.

But this isn't about us; it's about Soba; so let's let him get back to what he does - cook and photograph, ok?

[huiray]

I understand the issues you have with respect to aesthetics and such, but really, the one-egg omelette thing was more a challenge to me, to see if I could do it.

I don't remember where I saw it, could have been a pic of something that TK did at Per Se (TK = Thomas Keller) or maybe it was some other "name" chef, but one-egg omelettes are all about deriving maximum flavor, particularly if there's a filling. Since the omelette itself is as thin as a crepe, you have to be observant and quick in order to ensure that it comes out right.

FYI, I rarely make omelettes without brown spots on them, so this one was a triumph. And in retrospect, there's just a hint of brown at the edges, but that's just me being a hobbit with perfectionist tendencies. Must buy a One Ring from the local magical items vendor.

I see. Well, in that regard you certainly succeeded with this rendition of a French omelet. :-)

[SobaAddict70]

Insalata di funghi (mushroom salad)

This is typically just lettuce or salad greens, mushrooms, cheese and a vinaigrette.

I've elected to omit the cheese, because I wanted the contrast of heavy (the meaty roasted shiitake mushrooms) to with the light (the salad greens and the vinaigrette).

Roasted shiitake mushrooms -- sliced mushrooms tossed with sea salt, black pepper and olive oil, then roasted at 350 F for 20 minutes.

Vinaigrette -- 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar, 2 tablespoons Belgian beer, 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil. Whisk all ingredients together, then taste for salt and pepper.

I love the technique of mixing wine with wine vinegar; I think it lends a fuller flavor that bottled wine vinegars in the U.S. sometimes don't have.

Edited May 28, 2013 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[C. sapidus]

Soba - always a joy to see what you cook, and to hear why you cook it. Food is good: thoughtful food even better.

Carry on!

[SobaAddict70]

You don't need to peel the asparagus, but I like to do it for aesthetic purposes.

TIP: If you eat a lot of asparagus, save the woody ends and make asparagus stock out of them. Lovely as a vegetable stock; same thing can be done with corn cobs or mushroom trimmings for corn stock and mushroom stock respectively.







Asparagus with pistachios, Indian spices and coconut.

Inspired by a similar dish by Chef Floyd Cardoz at his former restaurant, Tabla (pic below):




1/2 lb. asparagus, peeled and cut into 1" length pieces
pinch of sea salt + more to taste
1 onion, trimmed, peeled and thinly sliced
2 tablespoons ghee
1 teaspoon panch phoron

2 dried curry leaves
3 green cardamom pods, crushed
1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon chopped crystallized ginger
3 tablespoons dried coconut
2 tablespoons chopped pistachio nuts

Bring a pot of lightly salted water to a boil, then add the asparagus. Simmer for 3 minutes, then blanch in ice water, then drain.

Melt ghee in a skillet over medium-high heat, add the panch phoron. When the seeds begin to "pop", add the cardamom pods, the crushed red pepper flakes, the ginger, the dried curry leaves and onion. Cook, stirring frequently or until the onion begins to brown, about 5-6 minutes. Stir in the coconut and pistachio nuts. Cook for 1-2 more minutes, then remove from heat. Taste for salt, then add the asparagus to the pan. Toss once or twice, then serve at once.

Edited May 28, 2013 by SobaAddict70 (log)

[SobaAddict70]

Soba - always a joy to see what you cook, and to hear why you cook it. Food is good: thoughtful food even better.

Carry on!

thanks luv.

[huiray]

Lovely dishes, Soba, as usual.

Interesting photos upstream of your kitchen, too. You have even less counter space than I do! A further question - do you do your courses sequentially (eating them as each one is completed) or make them more-or-less all together, then? Since there is limited space to have many things/dishes all together I am wondering if it might be the former?

Interesting (Bengali five-spice) asparagus dish.

[SobaAddict70]

Lovely dishes, Soba, as usual.

Interesting photos upstream of your kitchen, too. You have even less counter space than I do! A further question - do you do your courses sequentially (eating them as each one is completed) or make them more-or-less all together, then? Since there is limited space to have many things/dishes all together I am wondering if it might be the former?

Interesting (Bengali five-spice) asparagus dish.

I make each course sequentially, but sometimes I'm able to do two things at the same time. It kind of depends on whatever it is I'm making. There's just not enough space in this apartment for me to do a dinner for more than two people -- well I could, but folks would have to sit on the floor. LOL.

[SobaAddict70]

So, I think we have a problem in this country.

People tend to think of potatoes as a starch, not as a vegetable. When you break out of that box, your options become more interesting. Indian food does it well, with aloo gobi and similar dishes of that ilk.

This next thing that I'm making tonight -- which is vegan -- is an example of "slow food", because you can't rush it. It's also exceedingly simple. It totals five ingredients, including salt, and is extremely versatile. You can use it for all sorts of things, from spooning it on top of broiled fish, or tossing it with pan drippings from roast turkey or chicken, or on top of scrambled eggs, or folding some cooked chickpeas, roasted tomatoes and caramelized onion for a delicious vegan entrée.

From left to right -- Magic Molly heirloom potatoes (blue/purple), Valdisa heirloom potatoes, Japanese turnips, scallions.

Recipe: http://www.purplekale.com/2013/05/two-spring-medleys/

"Potatoes and turnips"

[SylviaLovegren]

This is so inspiring. Thinking outside the box, especially with vegetables, is not my forte. Will be trying some of these delicious looking things. Thanks for a beautiful and fascinating blog.

[rotuts]

just so. you are helping those of us who shy away from just veg for lack of ideas and flavor.

[SobaAddict70]

Sylvia -- thanks. I've always been a creative person and this is one way to give back to the community which has shown so much kindness to me.

rotuts -- thanks! when you treat it as a vegetable, even as a starchy vegetable, you may begin to move away from preps that emphasize it as "filler" on a plate as so many people seem to do. Same thing with corn, with certain beans and so forth.

Prep pix in a bit.

[rotuts]

I love veg properly cooked and seasoned.! you are as I said helping me a lot. Maybe Ill actually READ a few of the Veg cookbooks I have and start making a few things its farmers market season so ...

thanks again for the inpirations!

[SobaAddict70]

So, I've made omelettes all my life -- from plain, to filled, to things like tortilla de patata. I think one-egg omelettes are a nice three to four bite test of a cook's skill, that once you master it, you'll be able to turn them out blindfolded.

The key is a hot pan and timing, as usual.



This is one farm egg, with a scant pinch of sea salt and black pepper, and 1 tablespoon heavy cream beaten together. I think the addition of heavy cream provides for a slightly sturdier omelette and gives you a little bit more "breathing space" as opposed to just water. Maybe there's a hint of dairy, but that's a small price to pay for an omelette with no brown spots as far as I'm concerned. These are farm eggs, from Quattro's Game Farm at Union Square Greenmarket. Can't really get much fresher than that, unless you have access to just laid eggs, so the "egg" taste comes bright and shining through, as pure as rain on a cool spring day.



As Julia instructs in her video (linked upthread), you want a hot pan glazed with melted unsalted butter. This is a poor pic, but you'll know it's the right moment when the butter begins to foam. There is a brief (!!!) window before it begins to brown -- so pour in the eggs immediately.

Begin timing at this point by doing a slow count to 20, or if you have a kitchen timer, then start the clock. Between 15-20 seconds is when you'll want to fold the omelette and slide it to a waiting plate, like so:



Voilà.

My next trick will be a filled one-egg omelette. Stay tuned.

[FrogPrincesse]

Nice tutorial. Do you use a spatula to fold the omelette or do you just shake the pan ?

[SobaAddict70]

FP -- I use a fork, in this case, a dessert fork.

A one-egg omelette is as thin as a crepe. A spatula is way too thick for this type of treatment.

One-egg omelette, with asparagus and caviar.

[rotuts]

just dying here ....

[SobaAddict70]

It's actually very easy. Keith should try it next time.

[SobaAddict70]

Dinner menu for May 28, 2013:

"Pork and greens"

Spaghetti with spinach and ricotta sauce

The app is what I imagine would result if some spring greens and pork got together for some sexy funtime and out popped a baby.

The pasta course is an adaptation of one of Marcella's recipes from "Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking", without any ham.

More later.

[rotuts]

hope it was named Green&Porky!

the Marcella book you mention is in the Pantheon of Classic Cookbooks!

[weinoo]

What kind of caviar are you buying?

[SobaAddict70]

What kind of caviar are you buying?

Swedish lumpfish caviar

[Peter the eater]

What kind of caviar are you buying?

Swedish lumpfish caviar

We buy lumpfish eggs and find them exquisite. Don't like the phony red colour.

[SobaAddict70]

"Pork and greens" -- turnip greens and Red Russian kale, with shoulder bacon, uncured salami, sriracha, shallots and rice wine vinegar.