Well, I’m still testing, and learning, and fumbling around with the new A/V equipment and software, but at least you can see an actual edible recipe during this experiment. I decided to do some very basic scrambled eggs.
First of all, my sister-in-law Nina requested an eggs demo, and secondly I wanted to see how much better quality the quicker stirring motions would come out verses the old camera. So, this is still officially a test video, so go easy on the comments… I’m getting a real microphone today, and still don’t have Photoshop on the new MacBook to do any decent screen shots with. Anyway, enough excuses, on to the recipe.
I’ve heard Chef Gordon Ramsey say that when he wants to test a young cook’s skills, he has them scramble a couple eggs. He wants to see if they are going to produce a plate of rubbery yellow clumps, or a smooth, creamy, custard-like delicacy. Today’s clip will hopefully show you how to produce the later. Speaking of Chef Ramsey, I’ve included his scrambled egg video recipe below mine. He goes into much more detail than I do (hey, I said this is just a test), so check that clip out also. It’s from a series he did a while back, and he’s quite different from the screaming maniac that you see on Hell’s Kitchen. There he is paid good money to curse and make people cry. On his “real” cooking shows from the BBC, he is a very good teacher and well worth watching.
A few key points before you watch; do not beat your eggs, do not salt the eggs until their cooked, and do not cook on high heat. If you’re going to add cheese, do it near the end when you add the butter. The rest of the tips you can catch while you view the clip. Oh, and serve on a warm plate!!
For larger groups you’ll need a larger pan of course, but the same technique will work; it will just take a bit longer. Also, make sure you have some heat-proof silicone spatulas around. As Alton Brown might say, “melted rubber is not good eats!” Enjoy.
Ingredients: 2 large eggs salt and pepper 2 tsp butter fresh chives
Well, I finally did it. I actually bought a “real” digital camera for the site. Yes, believe it or not, the over one hundred video recipe clips I’ve filmed so far, have been filmed using the cheap, bottom of the line, web cam pictured here. Now, nothing against Logitech, or their fine line of web cams, but they aren’t exactly made to serve as the cornerstone of your video recipe blog. Along with this new camera purchase, I’ve also bought a new MacBook and will be editing the clips with iMovie, a definite step up from the relatively primitive Windows Movie Maker I’ve been using. Why the change in platforms? It was really those Mac commercials; that skinny smartass dude was sooo much cooler than the old PC guy.
Seriously, I am very excited to have these new toys, and it’s going to take a few days to figure out how all this stuff works. I may even have to read a couple manuals! The clip I posted today is a first attempt at figuring out how the new camera and software work together, etc. So, my apologies for the basically useless clip today, but I have to do a little experimenting, and you know you are going to click on it out of curiosity anyway. I’ve included pictures of my new camera (please no emails telling me how much that model sucks), and I even bought a tripod (I was using a spice rack and blender as a tripod for the webcam). Enjoy?
This holiday weekend has always stuck me as a bit odd. It is obviously a national day of remembrance for those that have given their lives in military service to this great country. Seems like such a somber excuse to enjoy all those delicious BBQ ribs and cold beer. Maybe we should really honor them by eating some of those freeze-dried, ready-to-eat meals and warm water…chipped beef on toast anyone? They say an army travels on its stomach, so I’d like to make a special request that you also remember all the brave cooks and chefs that have made the ultimate sacrifice for us while feeding the troops in times of war. By the way, I’ve turned off the comment feature for this post. I didn’t want a long thread of anti-war, pro-war, anti-pork, pro-pork comments. This blogs sole purpose is to entertain (even if that means playing pirated TV clips!).
Now, on a less serious note, most of you will be attending some type of outdoor BBQ (whether its juicy pork ribs, or spicy tofu kabobs and some gazpacho), so I picked today’s post because it’s one of my all-time favorite Simpsons clips. Let’s all eat, drink and be merry….and remember, if only for a few moments, the reason for this long weekend.
What is the ultimate experience for a foodie? Making something that your other foodie friends can’t figure out how you did! They won’t be able to figure out how you “browned” the mini Mascarpone cheesecakes, without it melting into a puddle on the shortcake. I’ll explain further during the clip. This simple summer dessert is inspired by three of my favorite desserts…Crème Brulee, Cheesecake, and Strawberry Shortcake. It’s also the perfect excuse to go out and finally get one of those cool culinary blow-torches!
Since the weather is warming up, two things come to mind; what am I going to make with all those sweet berries, and how can I avoid turning on my oven. This dessert is so fast and easy, and looks “cooked” since we are going to “Brulee,” or caramelize, some sugar on top of the Mascarpone. I’m not a big dessert person, but this is my idea of the perfect finish to that early summer dinner. If you can’t find fresh berries, those mixed frozen berries will fill in nicely. Enjoy!
Important Note: one tip I forgot to mention in the clip. It will help if you refrigerate the Mascarpone-topped shortbreads for 15-30 minutes before you burn the sugar on the top. If the cheese is too soft, it may begin to melt as you Brulee the sugar.
Ingredients: 1 pint strawberries 1/2 pint blackberry (or any fresh berry) 1/3 cup sugar juice of half orange --- 8 oz Mascarpone (Italian cream cheese) or regular cream cheese 1 tsp lemon zest 1/2 tsp sugar few drops of vanilla --- 2 shortcakes or plain scones, halved sugar to Brulee top
Need a Creme Brulee touch? Here is a link for you to check out:
Couscous is a tiny, granular type of wheat pasta, which is as delicious, as it is simple to prepare. It’s origins go back thousands of years and while usually considered a Moroccan dish, this is also a staple in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The amazing thing about couscous is how fast it “cooks,” and how versatile it is. This is one of those recipe clips that should give you lots of ideas regarding ways to vary it to create your own combinations. By the way, this is the “home” version, the real traditional method used to cook this dish uses a steamer called a “kiska,” sometimes called a “couscoussier” in French cuisine.
A few very important keys as you watch the clip: Make sure the “grains” of the couscous are coated with the olive oil, as this will keep it fluffy and separate. Also, as soon as you pour the hot stock over the couscous, wrap with foil IMMEDIATELY and TIGHTLY, and don’t touch it for 5 minutes! Most supermarket couscous will call for the basic 1 to 1 ratio of stock to dry couscous, but be sure to read the instructions.
Ingredients: 2 Cups Couscous 2 1/3 Cups Cold Water 1 Pound Raw Shrimp (With Shells) 1/2 Cup Diced Tomato 2 Green Zuchinni 1 Eggplant 1/2 Bunch Tarragon 1/2 Bunch Dill Pepper Salt Cayenne 1/3 Cup Olive Oil Lemon To Garnish
Here you’ll see the classic, and very simple, technique for homemade vegetable soups. I’m using broccoli, but almost any vegetable will work. I am a disciple of the Gordon Ramsey School of vegetable soups. It’s basically the vegetable, some stock or water, just cooked until tender, pureed and seasoned simply. His “crazy” theory is that the star of the bowl should be the featured vegetable itself.
The cheddar croutons you’ll also see in the demo really make it special, as well as providing an excuse to use my culinary blow-torch!! The chewy, cheesy garnish is a perfect contrast to our minimalist soup approach.
I also hope that after watching this clip you seriously consider getting a good immersion blender, which are also sometimes called stick blenders. They are fairly cheap and an incredibly handy tool for making soup at home the simple pleasure it should be. It’s also fantastic for making salad dressings and sauces, as you’ll see in other clips. By the way, if you don’t have one of these stick blenders, don’t worry. Just carefully use your blender by blending a few small batches at a time to avoid the dreaded “flying scalding soup” situation. Enjoy.
Ingredients: 2 heads broccoli 1 tbl butter 1 clove garlic 1 quart chicken stock 1/3 cup heavy cream sliced bread cheddar cheese cayenne pepper salt to taste
Thanks to AltaVista’s amazing Bable Fish translation service, our blog pages can be translated to almost any other major language (sorry minor languages, talk to AltaVista). Simply click on the flag of the country you wish and “Voila!” (that’s French) every word on the page is in your language of choice. Now, you do have to know what the flag of your native country looks like. Also, since I don’t speak another language (except for cursing), I have no idea how accurate this translation is. I would hate for my subtle humor and brilliant observations to somehow be lost in translation. As you know, I spend a lot of time editing so that the grammar, punctuation and capitalization are really well wrote. I would hate for the translating software to not do this as good as I have did. Oh well, I’ll just have to that chance.
In the sidebar, on every page on the site, you will see the widget pictured below. Just click on a flag, and it will open the translated page in a new window!
Well, I’m still testing, and learning, and fumbling around with the new A/V equipment and software, but at least you can see an actual edible recipe during this experiment. I decided to do some very basic scrambled eggs.
