A day in the life of a kitchen bitch

GROUP DINING PITFALLS

2007-11-14T11:13:00.000-08:00

I am not a big fan of eating out in groups. To me a group I am comfortable with is no more than four people in total. I personally think four people are manageable. When having a dining experience with a lower number of people your minds tend to be in the same place with regards to overall dining experience.

Let's use a couple as an example. Going out with a couple is easy, you both know each other and are comfortable with voicing your opinion about what food type you want, athmoshpere, and price range. It's normally pretty easy. There are very little surprises. Even if you go and sit down and both look at the menu only to realize it was more than you bargained for you either suck it up, one covers for the other knowing they will return the favor or pay back, or you both leave.

Two couples get together. When the first couple invites the second couple out at the very least the first couple are pretty much in synch with their dining habits. Most likely one party of the first couple is friendly with the one party of the second couple and it was the two of them who agreed and planned this dinner outing. Therefore, the individual planning parties of each couple are now responsible for being sure their respective partners in their own coupling are fine with the overall dining experience. Yet again no problem!

Things start getting a bit tricky with five or more. Typically when I go out in a group that big it is due to a celebration. But is it every just five? No when you start inviting five there is always a last minute person. Here is a perfect example:

KB's friend had a birthday recently. KB not being one to jump on a group dinner invite was very cautious when the E-vite arrived. I typically hang out with the group of people on the E-vite and it is a fairly modest group. The entire E-vite consisted of 7 people. Yes more than KB's approved number in an outdoor dining experience. However, the guest of honor chose a very modest place for dining. KB didn't really approve of the venue for the food but understood the need to go there for two reasons:

Birthday Boy Love's IT
KB Loves The Budget

Now you are begining to think KB is cheap, far from the truth! I just don't like paying for overzelous people who forget there is a large group and top of the line Scotch ads up. (Another friend who should remain nameless has a habit of ordering top of the line cocktails at group functions knowing the cost will be spread over a larger number of people.) KB just prefers to save his $100 dinners with smaller groups, knowing the dinning experience will be much more pleasurable. You won't be talking over others to have convesation at the other end of the table, food will be shared (KB likes to get a taste of differnt items on the menue and smaller groups tend to feel the same.)

Think before you group dine!

Good Kitchen Help in San Francisco

2007-11-12T11:43:00.000-08:00

It really pains me that the people who are creating all the food that actually bring customers into a restaurant are not being compensated correctly. Why is it that the front of the house gets all the credit but the back doesn't see it?

I am referencing this article in the SF Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/11/12/MN1DSNR7D.DTL&tsp=1

I too have worked in the kitchen of a Bay Area restaurant, the now closed Roxanne's in Larkspur. When i was working for her I was making a whopping $12.50 an hour. I would get to the kitchen by 5:00am and stand on my feet until 5:00pm or longer. It made me sick to see how little I got paid for the work I performed. It was this very reason I chose to leave the restaurant industry and get back into the corporate world and please my passion in other ways.

I too was one of those people graduating from the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. At that time I paid $40,000 for a 15 month program. I am still paying that loan off and struggle to do so each month and I am making much more than a chef. Shouldn't the restaurant owner take on some responsibility and provide more salary to the kitchen help? The Golden Gate Restaurant association is suing the city of SF because they are trying to provide access to health care www.healthysanfrancisco.org to the uninsured. But does that make sense to sue when you have $12 per hour kitchen staff working between 8 and 12 hours per shift with no way to get preventative care to help fend off a more serious illness?

Come on people get it right! Yes I understand that waiters have face to face contact with the customer but they are making far more money and less hours. That wealth needs to be shared with the back of the house. If it wasn't for the good food coming out of some of these Bay Area kitchens then the front of the house wouldn't have anyone to service.

It just doesn't seem right. I really hope the Golden Gate Restaurant Association wins their law suit and then all the great chefs leave San Francisco. Good luck to the restaurants. I bet they will then start paying to woo these talented young chefs back.

Pennywise Eat Local Challenge

2007-04-18T09:36:00.000-07:00

I am taking the plunge! I am going to try this Pennywise Eat Local Challenge starting on April 23, 2007.

http://www.eatlocalchallenge.com/2007/03/all_you_need_to.html

The purpose is to prove whether yuo can eat locally (within 100 miles of my home in San Francisco California) without going bankrupt! Personally I think it will be very difficult. Eating on $10 a day is hard enough as it is but doing it with local limitations will be next to impossible. I know for certain that means not going out to breakfast, lunch or dinner.

During this challenge I plan to keep track of my spending, and grocery list. The following will not be included as a part of this calculation:

ALCOHOLIC BEVERAGES (ALTHOUGH WINE WILL BE LOCAL)
SPICES (FRESH HERBS WILL BE PART OF THE CHALLENGE)
MISC CONDIMENTS (MUSTARDS, KETCHUPS, ETC)

I am up for the challenge and no doubt I will loose a few pound in the meantime. Wish me luck!

Meatloaf Madness

2007-03-29T13:25:00.000-07:00

As a chef people always as me about my favorite food. When I tell them meatloaf they are so surprised. Growing up in New Hampshire meatloaf was somewhat of a white trash food. I can remember my first introduction to meatloaf from my mother. The recipe was something like this:

1 lb ground beef
1 chopped yellow onion
1 chopped green pepper
1 c progresso bread crumbs
1 egg beaten
1 T yellow mustard
1/2 c ketchup
1 package of wishbone Italian dressing

Not exactly gourmet I would say, and most times a bit dry, but for some strange reason I loved it. I guess the fact that we doused it in ketchup like a hamburger helped a great deal.

One day I went to lunch with my mother at this restaurant attached to Bradlee's Department Store http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradlees. On the menu they had meatloaf and mashed potatoes all covered in gravy. Gravy? When did they start doing this? Well of course I had to try it and yet again my meatloaf was taken to a new level.

Fast forward about 20 years. I have guests coming over for dinner. They are a very meat and potatoes type of family. I wanted something I could do ahead of time and just pop in the oven but yet was on a budget. Meatloaf it was but I couldn't do any old meatloaf I needed something upscale. Out came the cookbooks. Flipping and flipping I finally came across a stuffed meatloaf in the Frog Commisary Cookbook. The twist on this meatloaf - it was stuffed with cheese and spinach. The meatloaf mixture was made and then flattened out between two pieces of waxed paper. down the center I crumbled a mixture of blue cheese and sauteed spinach. This meat mix was then rolled like a jelly roll and cooked. Each slice of this yummy stuff contained a small nugget of goodness. My guests were amazed!

Here is is 2007 and meatloaf still reins for me! The other night I whipped up a fantastic turkey meatloaf in no time. It consisted of ground turkey breast, egg, panko crumbs, chopped onion, copped jalepano, diced sundried tomatoes in olive oil, mustard, steak sauce and salt/pepper. As simple as it was, this was some of the most tasty and healthy meatloaf I have ever made.

No doubt there is a meatloaf book already out there but watch for the Kitchen Bitch's version one day. You will be happy you purchased it! Who said meatloaf is white trash anymore, it is gourmet these days.

Hands and Feet

2007-02-27T09:13:00.000-08:00

Yesterday I had the sincere pleasure of being hosted my my Sri Lankan friend, we fondly refer to him as STAR or CANDY. It was his birthday so he chose to host a group of 5 for a traditional Sri Lankan dinner at his place.

Upon arriving to his house you should be aware that it is a rule that one must remove their footwear prior to entering his little Taj Mahal. For the unknowing this could present a problem. Let's say perhaps you didn't wear your best socks and your little toe is peaking out. Or perhaps you didn't wear socks at all and your feet could use the services of a belt sander. Overall one could hide their unsightly feet through the entire evening, however, should you be the victim of nasty foot odor you could posibbly be up for some embarassment. Sweaty, stinky feet can ruin a meal. Thankfully the meal consisted of some very fragrant items, curry being the strongest. Curry aroma will cover just about anything.

After all the guest arrived, some later than others, we were treated to a traditional round of tea and cookies. This was a nice edition to the very cold and rainy weather going on outside. Typically I would have enjoyed this after my meal but apparently that is not how it is done in the Indian culture. Never the less it was a nice way to start the meal.

And now the main course was being served. Looking over at the table, it was set with some lovely dishware from Sri Lanka and the linens were bright and festive in nature. Very sparse table, no glassware, no clothe napkins and no eating utensils. Why is that you ask?

I was introduced the Sri Lankan way of eating with your hands. Yes it's true, everything from the rice, to the lentils, chicken curry and spicy shrimp were all consumed with the hand. Our guest showed us the proper method for doing this with as much grace as possible.

Be sure to thoroughly wash your hands (it's helpful if you have short fingernails as well)

Place in the middle of your dish sticky rice and surround that with little mounds of your other items.

With the tips of the fingers of your right hand (apparently the left hand is known for the tool you would us in the cleansing process after you have a bowel movement so it is not allowed)

Begin to bring some of the wet ingredients into the rice then some dry and mix together forming a sticky mound.

Scoop this mound up with the fingers only to the mouth, making sure to not allow the fingers to touch he lips.

Continue this process until all food is cleaned from the plate.

Avoid washing your hand mid-meal. Wait until you are finished eating.

If you must wipe the hand and naahn bread is available it is acceptable to wipe it on the naahn and then eat the naahn.

Never pick up your drinking glass with the hand you have used to eat your meal, save that for the left hand.

For me this was a very interesting method of eating and one that is apparently acceptable. The important thing to remember is not allow the food to get into the palm of your hand. You are considered much higher class if you are able to only use your finger tips.

Next time you are out for Indian food give it a try. You will be looked upon as a freak by Americans but the Indian folks in the restaurant will only look at you and smile, knowing you are sensitive to their traditions. It's odd at first but just like when you first used chopsticks you get used to it. And curry is yummy no matter how you eat it.

Dead Ant...Dead Ant...Dead Ant...

2007-02-16T14:43:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks it seem to have rained non stop. You could feel the moisture in the air and the mildew smell everywhere you went. The thought of going out in this stuff just didn't happen. The same was true for the ants!

Who would have ever thought in the middle of the winter in San Francisco there would even be an ant alive. Don't the hibernate during this time? Actually I didn't even know what they did during the non picnic season until now!

One day I turned the corner to the kitchen, flipped on the light and freaked out. Had I been the screaming type a shriek would have been heard through the building. However, being the calm and rational KB I am, I just let out a big "What the F.... is that!"

Above the highest cupboard where the ceiling meets the wall, there was a black streak moving along path where these two join, until it turn downward disappearing at the top of the cabinet. Only to reappear about 1 1/2 feet out the side of the cabinet in a straight line over to the side of the refrigerator across the galley kitchen. Here it managed to enter the top of the refrigerator/freezer and disappeared.

Wondering where they went I had to do a little more investigating. With a little trepidation I popped open the freezer door. You wouldn't believe it but they made their way into the packages of frozen meat and ice cubes before some of them came to their immediate death. To them it must have been like walking across the tundra.

Unfortunately not all of them made it to their death. Some of them were still slowly walking around trying to keep warm or perhaps making their way to the lower confines of the refrigerator. For what I am wondering? I didn't see anything opened that would have drawn their attention. There wasn't a trail of juice drippings or unwrapped pizza. It all just seemed too weird to me.

Well without a moments thought I picked up the closest spray bottle too me and began to wipe out an entire colony. Not necessarily the smartest thing as it just created a big mess of wet ants. It took me nearly 20 minutes to wipe this mess clean. After finally finishing I decided to research better ways to handle such a situation.

What to Do If You Have an Ant Emergency?

Determine what the ants are attracted to and remove the food source
Vacuum trails, wipe them with soapy water, or spray with window cleaner
Locate entry points and caulk openings or plug with petroleum jelly
Put out bait stations or apply gel bait at entry points
Baits take time to work so continue to clean up trails
Indoor sprays are not usually necessary

Oyster Buzz Kill!

2006-12-22T14:25:00.000-08:00

I didn't have my first raw oyster until my 30th birthday, which was 10 years ago. My first experience was at Zuni in San Francisco. That place has perfected the art of selling oysters.

Move forward 10 years. To me I can't think of a better pairing than oysters and champagne. When I go out for a nice evening and oysters are on the menu my heart skips a beat. To me there is something romantic about oysters. Who would have ever thought I these words would pass my lips. Most people take a look at these little creatures and it just conjures of thoughts of flem coughed up from some truck drive who has been smoking for the past 30 years.

I on the other hand can be bought with the oyster champagne combination. I have always said that if I had a date and they brought me out and on their own ordered oysters and champagne I was theirs! It makes me weak! A little over a year ago I brought the guy I was dating to a nice neighborhood establishment on a night where they had Tuesday night oysters from 6:00 to 7:30 at a small price of $1.00 per oyster. I was all set!

We arrived at 7:00 pm, were immediately seated and I made sure the waitress knew my desire for oysters. I asked for the wine list to see what champagne choices I had available to me. I ordered a fabulous vintage that was $25 per glass. I ordered one for me and my date knowing oysters and champagne had to be any one's favorite. The champagne came along, we ordered oysters and then within 5 minutes after my first sip of champagne the waitress popped my champagne bubble. "Excuse me sir the chef said there are no more oyster for this evening." Mind you at that point it was maybe 7:15 pm and I still had 15 minutes to indulge.

Well the true KB came out in me. "Well given that I came here for the oyster special and ordered this most lovely glass of champagne knowing I would have oysters, I have decided that you can take both glasses of this champagne off my bill and bring us water." Silence...."I'll be right back". Guess what...the chef managed to find oysters to shuck! God knows if he coughed up his own personal oyster to add to the mix, but I didn't care I had what I came for!

I recently tried to recreate this "romantic" oyster champagne experience in my own home. I was fortunate to be given 2 dozen Washington State oysters and two lovely bottles of Champagne. I invited a few people to share this treat with. I haven't shucked an oyster in over 4 years. The only thing I can say is leave the oyster shucking to the restaurant. This process totally ruined my enjoyment for this most wonderful treat. I was slurping them down but it just didn't seem the same. From now on this KB will go out and allow a professional to shuck and serve this most delicious critter.

Self Cleaning Ovens

2006-11-30T11:52:00.000-08:00

Remember the days when your mother would put on the yellow gloves, and spray the heck out the oven with Easy-Off? http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/easy_off_over_cleaner.html That stuff was so potent. The fumes alone would kill a small animal or child. But mother would be there spraying away, breathing in the toxic fumes all to get that oven clean. The back of the can even discusses how you should not get it on your skin for fear of burning. She would spray it on at night and then go to bed. Why before bed? How the heck could you have great dreams knowing what daunting task was waiting for you when you awoke. Maybe you would forget thinking it was a bad dream. You would wake up and be greeted in the kitchen to the aroma of your new Mr. Coffee maker (cutting edge appliance during those years) only to have the beauty of the morning come to a screeching halt. It was like a bad movie playing in the kitchen:

"Oven Cleaning Part II the sequel was about to take place."

This is when you would have to open the oven to see a foamy mess ready to be scraped up! You would snap your lovely yellow latex gloves into place and finish what the nighttime started. Since during those days paper towels were at a premium in my house mom would use newspaper. Down on the hands and knees she would enter the cavernous oven scraping out the residue that was once spilled gravy from the Swanson's chicken and gravy or grease from the bad piece of steak she broiled the hell out of until it was the consistency of shoe leather. The mouth of the oven swallowed her up for what seemed like hours. Once the main poison and monthly drippings were removed she would then wash the entire space down with a sponge and water. Ah and to then sit back and admire your hard work and the sparkle in the oven. What she was really thinking is "I am not going to cook another damn meal in this thing, it's all crock pot from here on out!"

How luck are we to now have self cleaning ovens. When mine gets ugly, before I head out for the day I flip on the self cleaning mode, shut the doors to the kitchen so the fumes don't set off the smoke alarms, and come back three hours later and voila clean oven! Sure I should maybe wipe it down with a sponge after to get the last bits out but why bother, it's just going to bake out the next time I make another fabulous meal.

The KB will never clean an oven the old fashion way. If your oven isn't self cleaning get another one or hire a maid.

Getting Ready

2006-11-20T11:29:00.000-08:00

In three days me and four of my guests will be sitting down to a feast that will be over in less than 60 minutes. They will all eat what I hope to be a delicious meal. All consuming flavors that make their tongues wanting more and filling up their belly's until they can barely think about every eating again.

In most instances not one of these guests has any idea how many hours went into this preparation. Please don't get me wrong the KB is not complaining. The KB is hear to educate in hopes of providing you with an appreciation of this meal we call Thanksgiving.

My meal has been in the planning stages for at least one month. First, the decision was made as to whether or not I would undertake this wonderful meal. After going back an forth the second big decision was who will have the pleasure of enjoying the fruits of the KB's labor. After much thought I decided it was going to be a very intimate meal to be enjoyed by myself, my partner, and the rest of the guests would be chosen by my housemate. After all she is my family and has her own extended family with whom she wanted to enjoy this day of thanks with. It just so happens that both of her guests are not American and don't celebrate this day, but maybe that is best as they will appreciate the food all that much more.

For weeks I have been reviewing the many magazines I received, looking over past meals, checking out articles in the food section of the newspaper, watching cooking demos on morning news programs, hoping to find just the right dishes to prepare for my feast. What can I do to make this a very unique and memorable turkey day. One that your mother didn't make for you growing up but a new Thanksgiving with a modern twist.

Sure there will be the turkey, stuffing, potato, vegetables and of course dessert. But who wants something that you can just go and pay $100 already prepared from Whole Foods. O.k. so maybe my meal isn't so unique but you be the judge:

Pomegranate martinis
Roasted chestnuts with cumin salt
Butternut squash and apple soup
Wild mushroom stuffing
Port wine gravy
Herb roasted Willie Bird (http://www.williebird.com/) brined of course
Mashed potatoes with sour cream, horseradish and chives
Sweet potatoe sticks
Roasted organic cauliflower with lemon mustard sauce
Grated roasted Brussels spouts with Parmesan and hazelnut
Petite peas with roasted mushrooms and shallots
Cranberry and kumquat relish
Dinner rolls
Mini pumpkin cheese cakes with cinnamon cream
Rum raisin apple pie

It is now three days before the big day and only one more trip to the grocery store is necessary. Most all the ingredients were purchased over the weekend by going to the local farmers market. The turkey will be picked up at the local Deli on Wednesday to then be plunged into a large brine mixture in hopes of retaining the moistness that most childhood turkeys lacked. (Well then again we always had Butterball with the little pop up thermometer.)

The linens have all been picked out and purchased, this took two trips to the store because the first cloth was too small, and then the napkins weren't to my liking so the entire look was changed. They now only have to be washed and ironed. The flowers will be purchased on Tuesday morning and put together for centerpieces that evening. If all goes well the meal preparations will begin on Tuesday night and continue right up until the guests arrive. The goal is to not have too much to finish so that I may too enjoy my time with my guests.

I am fortunate to have a friend who works in the wine industry. I took a trip to Sonoma to pick up the wine that will accompany my meal. I choose a 2004 Pinot Noir from Sonoma County. It is from Chateau St. Jean. Yet another fabulous wine from this vineyard. I have also purchased a white for those who still think you can't have red with turkey.

As you can see there is lots of time spent on the details of the meal. It isn't just something you can throw together. When the KB plans a meal of the importance there is lots of love that goes into it. So the next time you enjoy a meal prepared by someone else, take a moment and really appreciate the effort which was put into that work of art you are about to bite into. In most instances it wasn't just the preparation but the planning of every detail. And for those of you who pay to have a meal of this nature catered you will now understand why you are paying a bit more than you expected, it just isn't about the ingredients.

Gobble Gobble from KB!

Food glorious food

2006-11-10T16:15:00.000-08:00

It's everywhere, on tv, in my newspaper, in my bedroom, in the hallway, on the coffee table, in the kitchen and even in my bathroom. What am I talking about? Food writing. I am obsessed with food writing. I subscribe to the following magazines:

Gourmet
Sauveur
Food & Wine
Bon Apetite
Cooks Illustrated

Additionally I receive every culinary catalogue known to man kind:

Sur La Table
Crate & Barrel
Williams & Sonoma
Napa Style
Chefs Catalogue
Spices
Country Kitchen
Omaha Steaks
Stonewall Kitchen

And I can't even begin to discuss my obsession with cook books. I haven't counted them last but I would say there are about 125 cookbooks on my packed book shelf and now spilling over onto the dining room side table and my bedroom.

My roommate never questions it but I know she must be sick of the stacks on the coffee table, or the packages that arrive and wondering why I need yet another cookbook. Well let me explain:

As long as I can remember I have loved everything about food. I enjoy going into the grocery store, cooking shops, new restaurants, old restaurants, street food vendors etc. I have dreamed about what I can do with this passion of mine. I even went to culinary school and spent $40,000 that I am desperately trying to pay back. But what have I done with it nothing? My cookbooks and magazines provide me with that fulfillment. They bring me to another world. When my day is bad or I want to fantasize I escape into my private world of food. My fantasy world. I am that person in the Bon Appetite traveling and writing about the joys of White Truffles from Italy. I am the person making an elegant dinner for friends. I am that person testing out the newest All-Clad pan. I can have the most shitty day and my fantasy world takes me to another place.

For example, this week I was told I can't finish the final stages of my teeth implants due to the lack of $2,500 (You may be thinking if you didn't spend so much on your books, magazines and food you could have the money but don't because that is an ugly thought!) It has put me in a big funk. Not only has it become the bain of my existence but I was looking forward to having a party and making baby back ribs and corn on the cobs with Macintosh apples for dessert. I am tired of cutting everything up like they will do in about 30 years when I am in the hallway of some bad nursing home with a drool bib on waiting to be fed. I digress....

Every night of this bad week I would go home and look forward to my food writing. On my transit home I would dive into Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires http://www.reviewsofbooks.com/garlic_and_sapphires/ wishing to be her going from place to place in disguise. Upon arrival to my home I would hope there was a new culinary magazine, culinary catalogue or even a Safeway, Tower, Molley Stones or Cala flyer (I love seeing what is on sale and deciding if I have a new creation in my future, in fact I get angry when they get tossed out prior to me reading them). If nothing new arrives I always have my old magazines to review again and again, I know there is something I must have missed. This past week I decided to dust off an old Betty Crocker Cookbook, you know the one your mother had with the red and white checks. In it I found exactly what I was looking for, a simple recipe for Popovers. why popovers? I had very little in my refrigerator but I knew I had milk, eggs, butter and some Parmesan cheese. Immediately popovers came to mind. See how my mind works!

I took great delight in escaping into my kitchen banging out a simple popover recipe. Realizing I had a nice bottle of wine waiting I popped one open. Nothing goes better with popovers than a $90 bottle of Cinque Cepage
from Chateau St. Jean http://www.chateaustjean.com/stjean/home.jsp. Popovers aside drinking wine and sitting on the sofa flipping through my magazines while Rachel Ray makes yet another bad meal in 30 minutes (Heck she can make a full Thanksgiving meal in 60 minutes...she is becoming so annoying!)

I could go on and on. But you see what food literature does for me. I escape, I pretend, I dream. The next time you have a bad day, give it a try. A true foodie will understand.

If it calms the KITCHEN BITCH then it can work for anyone!

Celery - It isn't just for mirepoix anymore!

2006-10-25T15:24:00.000-07:00

Finally, I did it! After bringing home the most beautiful stalk of celery imaginable I chopped off the ends and put it into a vase of water to help keep it fresh. It sat so proudly on the center island. Looking at it you had to wonder what kind of plant was growing, but after one quick whif you knew in an instant!

Sometimes the most simple recipes can taste the best. I think that is because we are not disguising the core ingredient and using it as close to it's purest form as possible. Although I will admit I may have over done it on the cayenne and as a result have adjusted my recipe accordingly.

The goal of choosing my ingredients was to keep the refreshing flavor of the celery while providing just a hint of heat that you could feel on both the front and back of the mouth. The front of the mouth heat is from the crouton and cayenne garnish, while the heat at the back of the mouth was from the slight pinch of cayenne in the bisque itself.

In the below recipe I have adjusted for my mistake. I would either not put cayenne into the bisque itself as there is plenty of pepper in the crouton and creme fraiche or just add a bit extra black pepper in the bisque. Just don't overpower the wonderful velvety fresh flavor of the celery.

Here is my attempt at Celery Bisque.

Celery Bisque (yields 4 servings)

3 T butter
4 C sliced celery (about 8 stalks)
1 1/2 C chopped leeks (white and pale green parts only; from 2 medium)
3/4 lb Yukon Gold potatoes potatoes, peeled, diced (or substitute with parsnips)
4 C (or more) low-salt chicken broth or vegetable broth
1/3 C plus additional creme faraiche or sour cream
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Chopped fresh celery leaves(optional)

Black pepper croutons (see below recipe)
Cayenne creme fraiche/sour cream - (whisk together to desired taste)

Preparation Instructions:

Melt butter in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Add celery and leeks. Saute until celery is slightly softened, about 4 minutes. Add potatoes and 4 cups broth. Bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until all vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Working in batches, puree soup in blender until smooth. Return to same pot. Whisk in 1/3 cup creme fraiche/sour cream. Season soup to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 days ahead. Cool, then cover and refrigerate. Rewarm over medium heat before serving, adding more broth to thin if desired.)

Ladle soup into bowls. Swirl 1 to 2 teaspoons additional cayenne creme fraiche/sour cream into each. Sprinkle with celery leaves and top with black pepper croutons.

Note: if you omit the croutons and cayenne swirl then you may want to add some cayenne directly into the soup to taste. Do not over power the celery flavor.

*Black Pepper Croutons

1/4 C (1/2 stick) butter
3 C 1/2-inch cubes crust less sourdough bread (about 8 oz)
1 t coarsely cracked black pepper

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium heat. Add bread and pepper and stir to coat. Saute until croutons are golden and crisp on all sides, stirring occasionally, about 12 minutes. Sprinkle with salt. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely; store airtight at room temperature.)

My Panic Room

2006-10-20T08:33:00.000-07:00

Ah the smell of morning coffee. There is nothing like my morning ritual. Wake up, stumble down the hallway in my sleeping garb, hair all awry and sticking up (much like the way SF men pain stakingly style theirs each morning before they go out for the day) the feeling of plush carpeting on my bare feet as I make my way to the source of the coffee aroma. I know instantly when I reach the kitchen because of the slightly shocking feeling of the cold from the hardwood flooring.

However this day the shock suddenly turns to horror. Some foreign object begins to penetrate the pads of my feet, much like the way pebbles do at the beach. I look down only to realize that feeling is caused from what appears to be the familiar sight of small micro grains of whole wheat bread.

I shouldn't be surprised. This is a common occurrence in my household. You see these grains made their way to the floor from an act of cleaning. (all with good intentions of course) Each morning the center island is turned into a sandwich production counter. Two slices of bread are slapped down on the counter, with no barrier between them and the counter surface. The production begins with a smattering of mayonaise, then some meat and perhaps cheese, and in some instances the marble cutting board across from the island is used to slice tomatoes only to have the seeds left remaining to be found at a later time. Once the sandwhich is finished the clean up begins. Within reach is a soggy sponge that will soon be passed across the surface of the the sandwich production station with the intent to make it sparkle. What really happens is that the crumbs are ever so gently sent plummeting to the hardwood below only to be cleaned up with the soles of my feet. (Thankfully the tomatoes seeds and their juices remain in place on the marble cutting board and don't make their way to the confines of the floor.)

My kitchen is my "PANIC ROOM". It is the place I go to in order to escape the outside world and feel safe. Nothing should violate this space, especially not a crumb. Cleaning a kitchen is essential. Let me tell you about a few ways you can make your "PANIC ROOM" into the safe haven it should be.

Sponges - they are a breeding ground for germs. They do have their place in the kitchen. Ideally the shouldn't be used to clean up the counters and then used to wash dishes. However, realizing this isn't a reality it is important to change your sponge often or to minimize the germs run it through the dishwasher or zap it in the microwave for two minutes. Remember no sponge is 100% germ free.

Drip pans - these are the little metal devises under the burners of the stove. They are meant to catch any small drips that occur when you are cooking. They too need to be treated like a pan. Each time you cook not only wash the pan you were using but take the time and clean the drip pan. Remove them, scrub them if necessary, put them through the dishwasher and make them shine. It will eventually become a ritual and you will be happy you did it!

Stove top - yes the drip pans catch some of your overflow, but what happens when you make that "coca cola cake" and the batter over flows and disappears (more about this cake in another blog)? You think that little drip pan will catch it all? No you need to lift up that stove top and realize the overflow goes underneath. Yes that is where you will find the bits of pasta from the last tenant in the apartment or the grease from your bacon breakfast and that residue of starch from the overflowing Thanksgiving potatoes. Take the time and give it a good cleaning and periodically check back, you will never know what you may find.

Handles - ah yes have you ever taken a look at your refrigerator door handle, really take a look at it. Yes that is chicken juice and barbecue sauce and who knows what else. Disenfect often. Handles to cabinets, stoves, microwaves and refrigerators need to be disenfected.

Ovens - if you are fortunate to have a self cleaning oven you have your work cut out for you. One night before you go to bed put it on self clean and in the morning all the work is done. If you don't have a self cleaning oven, get yourself a maid.

Paper towels - they are your kitchen friend. Yes I know there is the whole "green" kitchen things but hey they help to eliminate the spread of germs. I would rather have a trash can filled with paper towels than spread salmonella to myself or my guests. How often have you seen someone use a cloth kitchen towel to wipe their hands and then 10 minutes later they are using the same towel to dry dishes. When in doubt use paper towel!

These are just a few of my thoughts on how you can make your own little "PANIC ROOM" the safe haven it should be. For more information: http://www.echominnesota.org/pdf/resource/HomeKitchenHazard.pdf

Celery Bisque vs. Cream of Celery Soup

2006-10-19T11:43:00.000-07:00

Fall in San Francisco isn't like any other city. When everyone else is waiting for frost we wait for Indian summer. And more often than not this city doesn't fail! It was during one of these great fall days in San Francisco when I decided to take a walk to the SF Ferry Building farmer's market.

Tuesday at the farmers market is a bit different than Saturday. Thursday you find many of the bridge and tunnel crowd, the young business type who would never be at the market on a Saturday because they are still recouping from that after work binge that won't allow them out of bed. This is a good day to go if you want to avoid too many people and still enjoy the wonderful seasonal morsels of goodness the farmers have to offer.

It was on this day when I walked past a stand where there were piles upon piles of the most beautiful celery I have every seen. I know you are saying how boring, celery. But this was like no other. It was cut fresh that morning, the green was very vibrant, the leaves were those of a small bush and the scent of celery overpowered all the other produce around it. I had to buy it, and at $2 a bunch it was cheaper than Whole Foods or the crappy little celery I would find in Bell Market my local supermarket.

Most of us think of celery as just something we add to mirepoix or stuff with peanut butter, cream cheese or put on a crudité platter. But celery is under appreciated in my opinion. I knew immediately I was going to make some variation of soup with my recent purchase. I recently saw in cold celery soup (http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/a-chefs-first-thanksgiving) created by my favorite chef from Boston, Barbara Lynch, who owns No.9 Park (www.no9park.com). As fabulous as her soup sounded, I knew I could come up with something on my own.

In my 20 minute walk from the ferry building to my office I came up with the following concept:

Celery Bisque with a swirl of cayenne creamy fraiche topped with black pepper croutons and a chiffonade of celery leaves.

I am still trying out the recipe and will post my complete results another time. So getting back to my main purpose for this entry.

When arriving back to my office my coworkers wondered what plant I had in my bag only to find out I bought a beautiful specimen of a celery stalk.

Then the question was posed "What are you going to do with this celery?" I told them about my celery bisque. That then begged the question "What is the difference between a celery bisque and a cream of celery soup?"

I was embarrassed to say that I could not come up with the perfect answer. I attended culinary school over three years ago and was very sure I should know this difference but quite honestly I could not come up with the answer.

That evening I was so frustrated with myself for not knowing so I had to do some investigation. Here is what I found:

Bisque: Typically is a pureed food but the thickener is some sort of starch such as a potato or bread and can be finished off with cream.

Cream Soup: Also can be a priority food but the thickener is a bÃ©chamel sauce.

So there you have it folks the first cooking 101 lesson from "A Day in the life of a Kitchen Bitch"