A Trip to the Emerald Isle

A Map of the British Isles
Photo Courtesy of Earthweek.com

Of all the islands in the world, there are two that have always captured my attention and imagination. Together, these two land-forms, Ireland and Great Britain, make up what are called the British Isles. Unfortunately, I have few ties to the Isles. However, my family does have a cousin who lives in Scotland, and I have the bragging rights of having a Scottish clan name as my middle name. The whole feel of the three nations is, for lack of better words, awesome. A lot of the food that is prepared in any of the countries has roots in simple, medieval, cook-what-you-have time periods. If you remember my first blog, I mentioned that I love thick gravies. It seems that many of the pies and stews from the pubs across England and Ireland are loaded to the brim with thick gravy, a plethora of vegetables, and most importantly… drum roll please… steeeeaaaak! You can NEVER go wrong with steak!

The Crown & Anchor British Pub in Monterey, CA
Photo Courtesy of The Crown & Anchor British Pub

With that oh-so-important fact in mind, I decided to tackle a pan-seared steak with a sauce made of Irish whiskey, mustard, and cream. Initially, my mom had bought me an Irish cookbook that specializes in country cooking as well as pub food. Just as a little side note, there is a restaurant in Monterey that really grew my interest in pub food. I had conveniently left the book thirty minutes to the north at my mom’s office, so I had to use a recipe from the internet. Anyway, we chose to have a side known as Irish potato casserole, which is basically hash browns and eggs mixed together and baked with cheese on top. The meal sounded easy, and since the potatoes just needed prepping before finishing in the oven, the steak seemed like it would be easy to make. The idea was to cook the steaks in a pan, take them out and sauté shallots in the remaining grease before adding whiskey, mustard, cream, and worcestershire sauce, bringing the whole thing to a boil and letting the liquid reduce to a saucy consistency.

As usual, everything didn’t go as planned. The side, which were the Irish potatoes, called for
two to three cups of shredded potatoes. I am not totally experienced with knowing how many potatoes comes out to two cups, so I used a carton of instant hash browns. Next time I will just do what the recipe says for an added health-factor. Any way, in order to feed our family of six, I needed to triple the recipe, and the carton provided about six-and-a-half cups. Blah blah blah, skipping ahead… I start the steaks, and when the potatoes are supposed to be done, my mom punches a hole in the top of the cheese, and it is still soupy, so we put it back in (just F.Y.I., we had to repeat this process a few more times).

The Whisky Sauce

After we took the steaks out of the pan, I went along with the recipe for the sauce. Put the shallots into some melted butter in the steak pan, add whiskey and scrape up the bottom of the pan, add cream and mustard, boil down to sauce. While I was looking at the pan, however, something didn’t seem right. I looked at the steaks on the plate, and then I looked at the pan, back at the steaks and thought, “Wow, there is a lot of sauce for such small steaks.” And then reality hit me like a baseball bat hits the ball… I had tripled the sauce recipe as well! So now, instead of having just enough sauce for six steaks, we had enough sauce to go swimming in!

Now came the eating part. I must admit that I was pretty excited about the dinner. But after eating it, I knew that I could have done a little better. The potatoes were WAY too salty, but the steaks were cooked ok, and the sauce actually tasted pretty good, although the mustard flavor was pretty strong. Unfortunately, since we had only three large steaks cut in half, we couldn’t exactly have leftovers, aside from the potatoes, but no one really jumped at that idea. So now we had a bunch of sauce remaining with nothing else to put it on. What do we do with leftover sauce and no more steak? We pack it up and use it again!

Moving on to “Whiskey-Cream sauce: Take 2”. I had looked in the book to see what I needed to add. That was when I noticed that the actual recipe didn’t even have mustard! On top of all that, my parents had drank the remaining Irish whiskey, leaving me with using some of their good bourbon. It was kinda funny watching them get a little sad while handing me the bottle. Bourbon is not the same as Irish whiskey, as it is usually darker, and when cooked, it gets very sweet, and I added quite a bit. Then after adding extra shallots, mushrooms, and cream, I put in the rest of the other sauce.

This time, we ate everything over noodles. When I put it on the plate, it all looked really good, and the sauce looked really appetizing! But, I’m sure you have heard the saying, “Don’t judge a book by its cover.” Little did I know that the saying would apply to cooking just as well as it does to books and people. My first impression was that I could maybe get through it, but as I got farther into the meal, it got more and more unbearable. The whiskey flavor was waaay too evident. And it wasn't an “oh, there is whiskey in this.” It was more like “How much whiskey did you put it this?!” I believe that it was the type of whiskey, but there are other things that I could have done or could have added, so I don’t think that this dinner got a fair shot.

There are two morals to this story is that you really need to get down. The first is that a checklist is a very important part of a recipe. Some of you might be thinking that a recipe is just that, and in some ways it is. But if you have one recipe that needs doubling and one that doesn’t, you MUST have some method at hand to help you remember. The second is that if you attempt a recipe that doesn’t turn out good, don’t give up on it after one try. I have on many occasions tried a recipe that I messed up on, often times more than once. Think of cooking as science experiments. You don’t see what happens after one time, but you run the test multiple times to see if the results are consistent. Give a recipe at least three to four tries before you make your verdict.

Cook Often!

Marc

Buttermilk (sigh...) Buttermilk

Last Christmas I received a book of recipes for use in a cast iron skillet.  I love the use of skillets and dutch ovens to make hearty recipes.  It makes me feel like a ‘cookie’ on a cattle drive, minus, of course, the availability of a gas stove and oven, that sort of thing.  Hey, I can pretend though, can’t I?!  

But anyway, we decided that it was time for me to make something out of it so that I would have something to write about for Roast the Prize.  We decided on a brisket hash with Yukon potatoes.  It sounded delicious and easy to make, but it didn't quite turn out that way.

The preparation was relatively easy.  Chop the onions, the meat, ready the potatoes.  Everything was going just peachy.  

Then it all went into the skillet.  

My first problem was the seasoning.  It never even crossed my mind to season everything while it was cooking.  Later on, I asked my mom to come and taste it, and darn if she didn't take one look and then called it ‘albino.’

My second problem was cream.  Just a little advice from ol' Timmy. When you go to grab the heavy cream out of the fridge, make sure it does not say BUTTERMILK on the front of the carton.  Thankfully, it didn't alter the taste too badly, but it is still ridiculous.  

All in all, it ended up pretty good, especially with an egg cracked over the top.  

I would like to return to it again someday, and this time, I’ll leave the buttermilk alone!

Tim Young

Deliciously Complex!

One of my most favorite recipes of all is Julia Child’s beef stew, or more correctly known as boeuf bourguignon. It is a savory stew that we usually served over a buttery blend of rotini and egg noodle pasta. In my opinion, and I have a very critical palate, the flavor of tart red wine, beef and mushrooms, beef stock and a host of herbs combined is a flavor that is nearly unrivalled.

Of course, with many recipes, there are a few negative factors that can be the deciding factor on whether to make it for dinner or not. First of all, you have to know EXACTLY what you are going to do, and you have to know EXACTLY when to do it! The first time I tried it we ended up eating at eight o’clock even though I started it at four.

Everything must be like clock-work, and the next step must be prepared in advance to accomplish this. I enlisted my brother’s help to dry the wet meat so that it could brown.  

The second thing is that even with precise timing, it still takes years to prep and even longer to cook! One night I tried to outsmart the cooking time by attempting to make it for the next night. I started it at around seven o’clock, and the task sounded easy; that is, until I actually started it! The stew has to cook in the oven for two and-a-half to three hours. By 9:30 I was wiped out and couldn’t stay awake anymore, so I put it in the fridge and finished it the following afternoon when I got home. If you do decide to undertake the stew a little later in the day, it is a good idea to have a really good book( or from a teenage boy’s perspective, a really good video game) to keep you awake!

And thirdly, the trip to the store is quite costly. The ingredients must be good. I am a stickler about getting quality ingredients regardless of the cost. I’m pretty sure my parents will be overjoyed when I volunteer to pay for the shopping next time I invade the kitchen for the sake of dinner. My poor father always has sticker-shock at the check-out line when I make him pay twenty to thirty dollars for a good chunk of meat, the same amount for a decent Chianti red wine, pearl onions, five cans of beef stock, and a host of other ingredients.

Despite the large grocery bill, prepping, and cook time, it is always worth the wait. Like stated earlier, it is personally favored over a pile of buttery pasta. Since we usually have leftovers, we have also tried it over potatoes, which wasn’t my favorite, but good nonetheless. In addition the stew and whatever you choose to put it on, you always want to have a good bread to sop up the juices with. Chef Ina Garten, popularly known as Barefoot Contessa, had the idea of putting it over toasted bread, which sounds pretty good as well. If you are REALLY experimental, it is awesome with some mac n’cheese.

I am a huge fan of all things savory. I love all kinds of stews, especially when they involve any kind of herbs. Anything that leaves a pool of gravy to wipe up with bread is my kind of meal, and this stew has all of this combined! It isn’t the best for a low-calorie meal, but splurging is well worth it.

In the end, after all the effort put into it, it comes out in a savory stew that always tastes fantastic! If you are going to make it for the first time, it might be best to start it pretty early to allow time to make mistakes. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who likes stews, beef, or both! Give it a try. You will be glad you did! If you have any questions about the recipe, feel free to email me at next.pilot.marc@gmail.com. I check my email daily, so my chances of seeing a question are high. I will try to be diligent in responding!

Cook often!

Marc Young

Top: Photo Courtesy of Becoming Madame Blog

Bottom: Photo Courtesy of Eating the Rainbow Blog

Just the Beginning

This is Marc and Tim.  They are my two boys.  While they definitely can test my resolve to be a patient mom, most often they are an absolute delight, both individually and when they are together.  And when I say ‘together’ I am referring to how they spend most of their free time...it is together, by choice.  

Because they do work and play well together, I thought that maybe they could try to complete a high school course elective together to eliminate some of my work load.  We decided on ‘Discovering Nutrition’ which I thought the boys had mentioned was ‘sort of a culinary class.’  This sounded perfect for them because they like to eat and they like to make what they eat.  

It wasn’t more than two weeks into the textbook that I realized that this was probably going to be one of the most boring educational endeavors that they were ever going to experience.  There were some valid learning pieces in the class, but for the most part, the textbook content was uninspiring. We would have to either drop the class or enhance the material.  

Which is how I got the idea to blend their need for excitement in their class with a simmering passion of my own.

Over the past year I have been noticing with increasing interest the ongoing discussion about how to get kids to make healthier food choices, and in particular, how to encourage them to consume more fruits and vegetables..  Many people working in related produce industry fields are making significant contributions in a variety of ways to help kids choose healthy and fresh foods.

My family of six does not struggle in this area.  Not only do we eat a lot of fruits and vegetables in a variety of ways, we all seem to enjoy the preparation and presentation of these healthy dishes.

So as I have been reading articles and listening to discussions about getting kids to eat produce, I have been sort of waiting for the conversation to turn to some of the benefits that are beyond the nutritional aspects of consuming produce.  In other words, it seems like there are some missing parts of this discussion.

Families struggle with many kinds of issues.  Not only are parents (or any other person responsible for or participating in raising children) concerned about the physical health of their kids, but they see, and ultimately feel, the effects of weak social and emotional connections.  But while we can go to a store and purchase food that will improve physical health, it is much more challenging to do something that will strengthen and build mental and emotional health.  

I am not an expert in food nutrition, child rearing, or social/behavioral sciences.  And for sure, I will not be a finalist in Throwdown with Bobby Flay.  But I have children, I taught school for a number of years, and I have friends that have kids, so while I may not be an ‘expert,’ I have observed, experienced and experimented with different ways to try make a kid healthy in all aspects of his or her life.  And I love spending time with my family planning, making and eating food.  

And this brings me, finally, to my point.  Giving our kids opportunities to create edible things in the kitchen is one significant way of making them strong and healthy in many ways while at the same time teaching them how to make healthy choices throughout their entire life.  

Working together in the kitchen, all sorts of questions and decisions are topics of discussion.  How long should we saute to get ‘caramelized’ onions, or is this marinara sauce ‘thickened’ enough to go to the next step, or should we use kale or spinach in our minestrone this week.

But wedged between those questions are opportunities to learn and talk about things that are on their minds, good and bad.  And there around the island, over the stove, at the sink, we are building things into our relationships without even thinking about it.  Trust, accountability, honesty, all virtues and values that I want my kids to see in me and that I want to develop in them.

In the kitchen, we are there, together.  Stuff just gets talked out, worked out, planned out, whatever needs to happen.  And I am part of it!  I truly believe that there are other families that would love to have these experiences together too..  It is not always easy, or simple.  Many healthy choices are not, especially when they involve change.  But it is definitely doable and so worth it!

So now, off my soapbox. I have no idea where this little project will take us, but I am looking forward to it.  My hope is that what we learn, say and do here in this little educational endeavor will not only mean something to my kids, but maybe, just maybe, other families can explore and experience that value of cooking healthy food together.  

The goals are to spend time thinking about nutrition, to try new foods or new ways to make ‘old’ food favorites, and to write about it so that we can document our ‘discoveries.’  I told the boys that I wanted them to try some new fruits and vegetables in the recipes that they chose, and to try to use recipes from produce company websites.  Of course I also mentioned the other normal stuff like no sword fights with skewers and knives, don’t burn the kitchen down, and clean up your mess as best as you can.  

So the boys ‘Roast The Prize’ blog has officially begun.  Another time we will talk about how we came up with the name, but I will give you a hint...it has something to do with diligence.

Bon Appetite!  

I asked them to choose some 6 packs

for a few pots….always a discussion...and

not a quick process…

 ...and I love being with them…

Recipes and other interesting things to know about food and cooking and nutrition….

https://www.pinterest.com/MyPlateRecipes/

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

http://www.pbhfoundation.org/

And don’t forget to search for brands and labels or your favorite fruits and vegetables.  Many of them post recipes for ideas on how to cook and eat their fresh products.  Enjoy!