eG Foodblog: chrisamirault - Place Settings

[jhlurie]

I thought you'd be the next blogger, but I was too polite to guess publicly. Have a blast! Looks like I will, as usual.

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Ha! Are you accusing SobaAddict of playing mind games with his teasers?

[suzilightning]

Anyone a fan of Portuguese food? I know that johnnyd is, based on his foodblog.

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yes, please, chris!! my stepdad was portugese from new bedford. he used to make portugese toast but never shared the recipe with me - any ideas?

love kale and white beans, chorize, etc. if you can do some ( and of course crosspost to the soup thread if you do ) would love it and of course what andrea and peanut eat....

[Chris Amirault]

Dinner! Here's the cook's snack:

Ok, caldo verde. I was going to write this up in RecipeGullet, but it's too easy, and I usually go by feel. Frankly, if you can get the quality of chorice I can get, you don't want to do too much to screw it up:

Check out the chunks of pork in these links. I feel like using a knife takes away from the amazing texture of this meat, so I just halve them lengthwise, peel off the skin, and break the meat into chunks. Saute that in a dutch oven with a healthy splash of olive oil for five or ten, then remove the meat. Throw in, oh, say, 2 medium onions, chopped, and if you have a sweet new leek from your CSA, might as well chop that and throw it in, too, eh?

After they wilt, toss in a couple of minced cloves of garlic, then when everything's soft and melded, throw in a couple of pounds of peeled red potatoes, sliced very thin, and cover them with chicken stock:

Bring it to the boil and cook down those potatoes until they're crumbly. Mash 'em or immersion-blend 'em, then add the chopped leaves from a head of kale, some salt and pepper (I think white and black both), and the chorice. Simmer it for five or six minutes, until the kale is to your liking.

That's what Andrea and I ate, and it hit the spot, particularly on this rainy, cold night. As for Bebe, well, a few weeks ago we spent a Saturday afternoon making baby food. I have to say, it's been a breeze and wonderful. Here's tonight's dinner:

That bag has little frozen cubes of steamed pears in it; we also have squash, carrots, beans, and a few other things in the freezer. Pop a cube into the microwave for 30 seconds and...

She actually likes 'em better than that -- the damned paparazzi, though, they ruin everything!

[Chris Amirault]

my stepdad was portugese from new bedford.  he used to make portugese toast but never shared the recipe with me - any ideas?

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suzilightning, I don't think I know what Portuguese toast is. French toast with sweet bread? Wouldn't need any syrup on that, nossir....

[snowangel]

Chris, that soup looks wonderful. Any bread or anything along with it? I actually like soup on it's own, but my family usually thinks it's more of a meal if there is something else on the table.

It also looks like a lot of soup. What will happen to the leftovers? Containers for work lunches?

Good on you for making your own baby food. I always did.

[Chris Amirault]

Chris, that soup looks wonderful.  Any bread or anything along with it?  I actually like soup on it's own, but my family usually thinks it's more of a meal if there is something else on the table.

It also looks like a lot of soup.  What will happen to the leftovers?  Containers for work lunches?

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Thanks, Susan! No bread tonight with it. I really think it's a one-dish meal -- and Bebe has been eating most of that loaf that Andrea made! As for the leftovers, this stuff freezes well in a ziplock bag. (I have a feeling I'm going to be writing that sentence a few more times this week....)

[LindaK]

Great blog, Chris. You could have just posted pics of that coffee machine and had me swooning.

I have a stash of chorizo in my fridge from a recent excursion to an excellent Spanish deli in Queens, NYC. Your soup is a great inspiration. Any other ideas?

But as a fellow New Englander, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never eaten in Providence, unless you count the airport. Where to start?

[Chris Amirault]

Great blog, Chris. You could have just posted pics of that coffee machine and had me swooning.

I have a stash of chorizo in my fridge from a recent excursion to an excellent Spanish deli in Queens, NYC.  Your soup is a great inspiration. Any other ideas?

But as a fellow New Englander, I'm embarrassed to admit that I've never eaten in Providence, unless you count the airport.   Where to start?

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Thanks, Linda! It sounds like you have Spanish chorizo, which is quite a bit different from the Portuguese kind. I'm not familiar with that at all -- sorry!

As for Providence info, click here for a listing of food shops, and this thread has some ideas for restaurants. If you give me a sense of what you like to eat, I can make some suggestions.

If I had to pick one restaurant that's a must-visit in Providence, it'd be Lucky Garden in North Providence. Excellent Hong Kong Chinese restaurant, with better dim sum than I've had in Boston, hands down. We're also regulars at the Red Fez (eclectic, inexpensive, great), Kabob n Curry (Indian), Sun and Moon (Korean), and Haruki (Japanese -- Cranston is better than Providence). When we're on Aquidneck Island, we go to Flo's Clam Shack; we love Champe Speidel's new place in Bristol, Persimmon; if we're nursing drinks and checking out the crowd, we'll hit the bar at Capriccio; we just had a great couple of meals at Pane e Vino on Federal Hill; and when we're treating ourselves to a romantic meal, we... well, you'll learn a bit more about that soon!

[Chris Amirault]

The caldo verde is in the freezer, the bibimbap beef is in the fridge, and there's a lot of dishes to do. But, first, Andrea (the house baker) made this:

She had been hoping that the last of the nectarines would be in the CSA fruit share, but, alas. So she defrosted some Maine blueberries and, viola! Very tasty indeed.

Winding down for the night:

I love Wray & Nephew overproof rum. A lot of people think it tastes like jet fuel, but I feel like it's like a tropical grappa. Ok, I know that that would taste like jet fuel to a lot of people, too....

And with that, good night!

[bergerka]

Oh my god, that baby is TOO CUTE. :wub:

And the pie is making me drool.

This is fun!

[Rebecca263]

Gee, Chris, I'm glad to be reading this blog! I think I feel a bad rhyme coming....

A Providence blog from our dear Mr.Chris

Begun with a peek at his mid 50's dish!

Thanks for blogging for us this week, Chris!

[Pan]

Just what exactly does jet fuel taste like?

Seriously, I like a good grappa but haven't tried that overproof rum.

Sleep well.

[Chufi]

that soup looks great. Kale & chorizo is such a wonderful combination..

... and kohlrabi.

Ideas, s'il vous plait!

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Kohlrabi gratin. Especially good with blue cheese. Also good in a gratin with half potato/half kohlrabi.

[touaregsand]

The caldo verde is in the freezer, the bibimbap beef is in the fridge, and there's a lot of dishes to do. But, first, Andrea (the house baker) made this:

She had been hoping that the last of the nectarines would be in the CSA fruit share, but, alas. So she defrosted some Maine blueberries and, viola! Very tasty indeed.

Winding down for the night:

I love Wray & Nephew overproof rum. A lot of people think it tastes like jet fuel, but I feel like it's like a tropical grappa. Ok, I know that that would taste like jet fuel to a lot of people, too....

And with that, good night!

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Bibimbap and Pie! I like that alot.

The pie looks delicious.

[Chris Amirault]

Kohlrabi gratin. Especially good with blue cheese. Also good in a gratin with half potato/half kohlrabi.

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Sounds lovely -- a recipe? Do you first braise the kohlrabi (in milk? stock? water?)? Do tell, Klary!

Bibimbap and Pie! I like that alot.

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Actually, the pie is now sitting here at work for teacher consumption; it'll be gone in an hour or two. This is how Andrea and I maintain our commitment to good cooking and fitting into our jeans!

[slkinsey]

Dude. . . you drank straight Wray & Nephew overproof rum?! No ice? Wow.

[Chufi]

Kohlrabi gratin. Especially good with blue cheese. Also good in a gratin with half potato/half kohlrabi.

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Sounds lovely -- a recipe? Do you first braise the kohlrabi (in milk? stock? water?)? Do tell, Klary!

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I blanch slices of kohlrabi (in salted water) until almost tender. Make a cheesesause - either a bechamel with lots of grated cheddar or something like that, or I just heat up some cream and melt chunks of blue cheese into it for instant blue cheesesauce. Add nutmeg. Pour over kohlrabi. Bake until bubbly. Maybe flash under the grill to give a nicely browned top.

Also, bacon goes very well with kohlrabi.. can you tell I love kohlrabi

[slkinsey]

Kohlrabi gives me the cold robbies.

(Ten points for anyone who knows the reference.)

[Chris Amirault]

Good morning! Well, I'm having a good morning, but there are other adjectives to describe the morning....

I remember seeing one foodblogger's commute through rolling forests. I get to drive by oil tanks and strip joints!

I decided that, this morning, I deserved a treat, so I drove over to the east side to Seven Stars Bakery (Hope and 4th).

Seven Stars is an artisanal bakery that has been in business for almost four years, and, along with Olga's, comprises the best bread baking in Providence by far. Lynn Williams, the owner, was kind enough to allow me to take photos of their shop and oven:

The star of the shop is this titanic brick oven from Spain:

The oven holds a giant lazy susan, turned by the round wheel on the left; the bread goes into the oven through the slot in the front. If you look in the upper right of the frame, you'll see a few bread peels -- and those babies are hanging from the ceiling because they're six or eight feet long! You can see them head-on at the top of this photo:

While I really love their bread -- I got a sourdough roll to have for lunch -- here's the reason I drive cross town:

These cinnamon pulls are extraordinary; there are at least four or five different textures in this one item. Marvelous!

Today I'm hoping to devote some time to my office food life. I feel like many foodblogs don't mention food at work, but I eat at least one third of my meals here during the week and rarely take lunches out of the office. More on that soon!

Meanwhile, any questions about work food?

[Chris Amirault]

Dude. . . you drank straight Wray & Nephew overproof rum?!  No ice?  Wow.

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I'm telling you, it's like grappa! I love it. I only drink a thimbleful of it; 1 cc is enough to fill the mouth....

[Gifted Gourmet]

Meanwhile, any questions about work food?

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Do you eat what the staff and/or kids eat at your job?

As a former teacher, I was supposed to eat what the kids ate and that was often not pleasant, nor particularly healthy. I suppose all that has changed now.

[Chris Amirault]

Do you eat what the staff and/or kids eat at your job?

As a former teacher, I was supposed to eat what the kids ate and that was often not pleasant, nor particularly healthy. I suppose all that has changed now. 

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Well, we get our food from Sodexho, and sometimes it's mediocre, sometimes pretty good. They make a decent meatball and marinara, of all things! I'll only eat the stuff that I think is good; for that reason, we don't expect teachers to eat what the kids are having, but they can.

I should also say that we have kids who eat vegetarian, halal, and kosher food brought from home, and of course there are the kids with various likes, dislikes, and allergies.

[daniellewiley]

It looks like you're pissing off that lady in the center.

[snowangel]

Do you have a fridge and microwave at work for the teachers? If so, who cleans the fridge? When I worked outside the home, I took a toaster into the kitchen -- it was very popular.

[arc]

All -

First, let me introduce myself as Chris's wife. Though I admit to ill-considered plots to hide the laptop, I can see that this week's blog is making him very happy and (barring a brief skirmish over the digital camera last night) isn't coming at the expense of marital harmony. So, in keeping with the spirit of his beloved eGullet community, I have a bit of a public announcement!

I'm pregnant.

I'm kidding.

Actually, today is our anniversary and I wanted to send a shout out to my loving, skilled, and in-all-ways wonderful husband. He is every bit as smart, funny and committed as he appears in his posts. And, (though we said we weren't going to do it) I want to publicly give you your anniversary/holiday gift:

My anniversary gift to you is a trip for two to StudioKitchen. Mmmm..

I love you very much darling!

A

edited to correct "martial harmony" to "marital harmony"...and I believe my dear neo-freudian and I will have a conversation about that typo tonight...

Edited October 12, 2005 by arc (log)