Riding the Culinary Carousel, My life in a Box

The Nitty Gritty information: The Culinary Carousel is a high-end tasting event, held at Hawk Pointe Golf Club in Washington, Warren County, New Jersey. It is an event that raises the majority of funding for the Domestic Abuse and Sexual Assault Crisis Center of Warren County. This was the 18th year CC was held and I think it was about the 6th or 7th year I have donated my food and service to the event, as do about 13-15 other area chefs and restaurateurs. For several years, I was also a committee member, helping to put the event together.



One year, we made a fountain
using all natural resources
we harvested from the woods.

Culinary Carousel is hard. As a committee member, it was really hard at times to get the restaurants to participate, or send in their forms, or sometimes even show up and we would have to scramble at the last minute. A great deal of time was invested lining up the restaurants, doing follow up, meeting with other committee members, and then making a floor plan. All while conducting my life as normal AND finding something creative to offer. AngelFood's standard position is to offer appetizers during the initial entry/silent auction portion of the event. And I only worked on the Restaurant Committee. There are other committees who worked just as hard soliciting and creating silent auction baskets, volunteers, table decorations, etc...These are volunteers extraordinaire. The best of the best.

Held the third Monday of October, Culinary Carousel typically falls during or after an exceptionally busy time for us and it doesn't leave a whole lot of energy left for creativity. The problem with this is: I have used the CC to roll out our newest, most original, or at times, most outrageous offerings. It's part of the fun; thrilling the crowd. Just like a good Carnie would.

Our donation has evolved from the first year when I stayed in the kitchen, away from the guests, shuffling hors, while my staff butlered them. I had no presence there that year, I simply didn't get it. But the food was still good. Another year, the staff and I bussed the food, but I offered Rice Noodle wrapped shrimp and Thai Meatballs with a Lemon Grass Sauce in a pipette that guests had to squeeze into their mouths. Wild, fun, original at the time.



Asian Take-out Boxes,
Misting Buddha Fountain (and growing boy).

A different year Miniature Chinese take-out boxes filled with Vegetable Lo Mein were coordinated with the guest favors we sponsored, complete with custom-made fortune cookies with AngelFood messages. Loved those fortune cookies!


Another year, I offered Carnival Food for Adults: Homemade Soft Pretzels with Mustard Brie and Baby Cones filled with Avocado Mousse and Smoked Salmon Mousse that looked like ice cream cones. Also on that table, shrimp corn dogs dipped in onion marmelade.

Inside-out olives.
 

The year of Molecular Gastronomy was outrageous.Green Dot, a bystander prevention program, was the theme, so I made "inside-out" olives. They looked like olives, until you placed the spoon in your mouth. The texture was clearly in flux as the olive flavors burst in your mouth. Some people were thrilled, others were confused, but the effect was universal. It got your attention.


2012 Polenta, fresh mozzarella
and Tomato Vodka Sauce

But in the end, after each Culinary Carousel, we walk away so happy. We came, we cooked, we conquered and all in the name of ending domestic violence. No matter how stressful it was getting there. I used to think the joy came from the food and the event. This year I realized how wrong I was. It has very little to do with the food and the event. The Culinary Carousel is so important because it symbolizes My Life in a Box.



Table decorations and design help
courtesy of Donaldson's Nursery and Greenhouse.

See, I spend a great deal of time considering how I am going to offer the best of myself that year. Then I spend a lot of financial resources making that happen along with a lot of time orchestrating when the job is going to get done amongst all the other tasks in my life. BUT I cannot work ahead because the product, as all other products, must be of the freshest nature. And then the evening comes.

The best moment of the evening.
My son took an impromptu photo of
us together-unsolicited!!

The Culinary Carousel calls me to live in the glory of God, out loud, no hiding. Like the little drummer boy, I have no gifts to give, but myself. I create some beautiful food, decorate a gorgeous table (sometimes with the help of my bff at Donaldson's Greenhouse and Nursery!!) and then enjoy the evening with my staff, seeing many of my best friends in our community. My life in a box has come full circle. Gone is the time I wallowed and clamored for wholeness and healing as a domestic abuse survivor. Now I stand as a domestic abuse warrior and champion.

Make no mistake. Business is business. But this, this is personal.

El Dia de los Muertos

El Dia de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead is not the name of a cult horror flick, but a celebration that originated with the Aztec civilization in Mexico. What was once a month-long commemoration of the dead has evolved into a celebration that begins at midnight on Oct. 31, when the gates of heaven are said to be opened to allow the spirits 24 hours to reunite with loved ones until Nov. 2, much like All Souls' or All Saints' Day.

To prepare for the deads' arrival, families create and decorate an altar, known as an ofrenda. Offerings include various items which can range from flowers, fruits, hot cocoa, Pan de Muerta, candles, soda, and anything else a weary spirit might need for rejuvenation. For rural peoples, this can become an expensive prospect, but it's a responsibility taken with much pleasure and enjoyment. On Nov. 2, the party is taken to the graveyard, where music is played, tombstones are cared for and the families gather for a feast, complete with music.

Sugar was brought to Mexico in the 17th century. The Mexicans, while rich in spirit, were often too poor in the pocket to be able to afford expensive European-style altar pieces with which to honor their dead, but they had sugar, and lots of it! With it, they created incredible pieces of art, sugar skulls, of many different sizes. Regionally, the skulls may differ a bit, but brightly colored royal icing, sparkles, and colored foil are all constants.

A few years ago, I used the molds for a cake-topper on a Halloween wedding cake. This year, I broke out the molds again to try a bit of decorating action. It had been a long time since I did fine icing work and here's what came back to me:
Royal icing needs to be just the right consistancy.
I like to make my own small paper cones for the icing because of the way they feel and the way my small hands can control them, but they are tough because they get loose. AND, if the icing isn't just right, it will "bump out" the cone and the tip will be too wide and your icing line will be thick and coarse.
So, for some, the disposable plastic icing bags (in small) might be a real help.
But there's something about making my own cones that takes me right back to culinary school and makes me feel like I know what I am doing!
We start by molding the sugar recipe and immediately unmolding the pieces to dry. The photo on the left has the front and back portions of our medium (Oaxacan style- the shape and jaw are the distinct characteristic) skulls. The small pieces are tiny one-piece skulls. The purple pencil gives you a size perspective.

The photo on the right shows the finished medium skull "blanks", which is what the skulls are called before decorating. On the left
is a decorated skull. There is no rhyme or reason that I know of to decorating, just let creativity reign.

And here is a photo of the finished platter, complete with spider cupcakes. So simple. Ice your favorite cupcakes with your favorite buttercream. Roll in black sprinkles (you can color your own white sprinkles with food/cake colors) or oreo cookie crumbs. Attach black licorice lace legs. Pipe on some eyes and we used chocolate covered sunflower seeds for the fangs.

Here are some more fun cookies. We made Black and White cookies but decorated them as monsters. "Franks" for reading this! You can always "Count" on AngelFood!

 

Celebration of a Lifetime

She's one smart cookie, my friend Sarah. She really knows how to live it up, she knows how to celebrate, and she knows just whom to invite to make the party a lively one. So, when she spent a recent weekend celebrating a landmark birthday, she called AngelFood to serve a private, family dinner party for 15 guests.

Appetizer Course

We were honored to serve her immediate family, whom we know and love dearly, along with some her siblings, their families and some of her best friends. After getting a general feel for the type of food Sarah was looking forward to, a menu was created using the last of Warren County's Garden State Bounty.

What a wonderful evening. We are blessed to have been invited to this celebration of a lifetime and we look forward to many more joyous occasions with this family!

Each plate got an original, organic blossom
from the AngelFood Herb Garden

The menu:
Appetizer plate of Goat Cheese Mousse with Roasted Beets
Warren County Corn Relish with Lime Cream
Caprese Salad with Balsamic Pipette

Green Salad served with Warm Risotto Croutons and House Dressing

Beef Tenderloin with Shallot Port Sauce and Green Beans with Green Goddess Dressing

Peach Melba Shortcakes served with Spicy Almond Croquant

How do you like them apples?

Dipped in Caramel.

I like mine covered in caramel. And nuts. Just the basics. I don't need the other fancy stuff like chocolate and M&Ms. However, I like caramel apples so much that I wouldn't send a fancy one packing if it were the only caramel apple available. I'm particular, not foolish.

 

Here are some tips for producing great caramel apples:

• Use disposable chopsticks for wooden sticks. You know you have extras laying in that takeout drawer.
• When making caramel, use a silicone utensil to stir and keep a pastry brush and a small bowl of water nearby to brush down any sugar crystals from the sides of the pot. You don't want your caramel to turn out grainy (and that's what those dastardly crystals do!).
• Stir the caramel often to prevent burning. Don't walk away. Once on its way, sugar cooks and burns rapidly.
• Control the heat under your caramel. If the heat is up too high, it will splatter and burn you like Napalm.
• After your apples have been "stuck" on the sticks, quickly dip them in a pot of boiling water to remove any wax. This will help the caramel stick better.
• Dip refrigerated apples in the caramel.
• Add the garnishing goodies like nuts, etc. while the caramel is still warm.
• Use local, tangy apples such as McIntosh, Macouns for dipping. The only thing a Red Delicious apple is good for is photo opps.

Caramel Apples 

1 cup butter

2 cups packed brown sugar

1 cup light corn syrup

1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk

2 teaspoons vanilla

8 -10 wooden sticks

8 -10 medium tart apples

 

Optional: Melted chocolate for drizzling, mini chocolate chips, chopped nuts, mini M&Ms for dipping apples in.

Insert 1 wooden stick into each apple.

 

In a heavy saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and milk; bring to a boil over medium-high heat.

 

Cook and stir until a candy thermometer reads 248 degrees (firm ball stage) about 30-40 minutes and for a softer caramel cook just to a few less degrees.

 

Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.

 

Dip each apple into hot caramel mixture; turn to coat.

 

Holding by the stick, sprinkle with nuts or whatever you desire while the caramel is still warm (work quickly the caramel sets up fast).

 

Set on silicone mat or buttered parchment paper. Forget waxed paper. It's a mess.

 

Adapted from food.com.

 

Tell me! How does your light shine in the Jars of Sambal-a?

It's not a typographical error. I know that's not exactly how the song by Three Dog Night goes. However, that's how I've been singing it and I cannot get it out of my head.

It all started with the mangoes that were on sale. Only 66 cents. I put 12 in a bag with visions of mango chutney dancing in canning jars through my head. While I was at it, I looked up the recipe on my phone and made sure I had all the ingredients on hand. One interesting recipe contained pineapple, so in the cart one went!

It took a week for the mangoes to ripen. During that week, the recipe plans changed, as they are wont to do when you have a creative, distracted nature. This is what I did with my fruit:
6 mangoes got made into a basic chutney.
6 mangoes and 1/2 of a pineapple went into a Sambal, half of which then had curry added to it.
The remaining 1/2 of the pineapple was made into its own Sambal.

Classically speaking, sambal is a condiment popular in Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Southern Phillipines, Singapore and other places of high flavor, made of dried chili flecks ground with salt and oil. With the addition of other ingredients, the sambal takes on a last name. For example, sambal asam is made with the sour tamarind.

Pineapple used in sambal is typically under ripe. I am guessing that the relish takes on a whole other dimension when it is not as sweet as my sambal turned out. Since my intention was to preserve the relish, it actually turned into more of a chutney. Unfortunately, by the time I realized that, I had been singing "Sambal-a" (or Shambala, as the song is really known as) all morning long.
Hey, at least the song has a melodious tune and is about a spiritual paradise. I have to admit, that the taste of the sambals will keep me singing. They are really delicious. I imagine them used on crackers with goat cheese or topping my favorite Chicken Korma served with homemade naan. I will not hesitate to mix them with softened cream cheese, form the mix into a log and roll it in nuts to impress my friends and neighbors at happy hour, because that's just how my light shines, with the jars of sambal-a!

Just a note: I used my hand blender to further crush the cooked mix down so the chunks would be easier to dip into as a finished product. The finished texture is up to the maker.

Pineapple Sambal

1/2 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" chunks
1/2 large yellow onion, small dice
1 red bell pepper, small dice
1/2 serrano chili, minced (use gloves)
1 Tablespoon ground mustard
1 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
2-3 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups cider vinegar
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon pickling salt
1/2 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

Put all the ingredients into a pot. Simmer over medium to low heat for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until thickened. Blend chunks into smaller pieces, if desired, with a hand blender. Ladle into prepared jars (I used mainly 4-ounce jars), wipe, lid and ring and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes. Yield: 9 4-ounce jars.


Pineapple Mango Sambal

1/2 ripe pineapple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2" chunks
6 mangoes, peeled, pitted and cut into 1" chunks (about 6 pounds, total)
1 large yellow onion, small dice
1 1/2 red bell peppers, small dice
1 1/2 serrano chilies, minced (use gloves)
2 Tablespoon ground mustard
2 Tablespoon freshly grated ginger
6 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups cider vinegar
4 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon pickling salt
1 teaspoon hot pepper flakes

Curry used (optional) for half of this recipe was 2 Tablespoons.

Put all the ingredients into a pot. Simmer over medium to low heat for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until thickened. Blend chunks into smaller pieces, if desired, with a hand blender. Ladle 1/2  into prepared jars (I used mainly 4-ounce jars), wipe, lid and ring and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.  To the other half, add desired amount of curry powder. Yield: 15 jars with curry and 15 jars without, for a total of 30 4-ounce jars. Don't hesitate to make several different sized jars based on your intended usage of the finished product.

Mango Chutney

6 ripe mangoes, peeled, pitted, cut into 1" chunks (about 6 pounds, total)
1 cup golden raisins
4 cups cider vinegar
4 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon pickling salt
1 1/2 to 2 teaspoons hot pepper flakes
Curry can also be added to this recipe, but I did not. I would use up to 2 Tablespoons for this amount of fruit.


Put all the ingredients into a pot. Simmer over medium to low heat for about 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours, until thickened. Blend chunks into smaller pieces, if desired, with a hand blender. Ladle 1/2 into prepared jars (I used mainly 4-ounce jars), wipe, lid and ring and process in a hot water bath for 10 minutes.   Yield: 9 4-ounce jars.

The Yes Men Team

I had heard that he would be at the wedding. The mysterious, foreign stranger I had heard bits and pieces about; my younger niece's friend. "He's so charming." "And tall. He's very tall."

I saw him standing, all alone, against a wall, after I exited the receiving line. He looked dumbstruck when I stuck out my hand and said, "You must be Martin. I am Aunt Jewels." The rest of our first conversation revolved around the differences between American wedding cake and cake served in his home country of England. We hit it off then and haven't looked back since.

We have a complex and strange and wonderful connection. Better than siblings, better than family, less intense than paramours, we are friends and confidantes. Long distance pen pals. He tells me some of his secrets. I tell him some of mine.

I am smart enough to know that when Martin visits the U.S., his dance card is full, but almost every trip he and my niece have included me/us in their plans. I am honored with the precious gift of time from these world-travelling young people, whom I imagine would rather be dancing and hobnobbing with their contemporaries than sitting around on a Saturday night with Auntie J.

Martin gave me advanced notice of this visit. It came upon me quickly. From afar, I watched his time here (he stays in Philadelphia-two hours away) whittle away as I prepared my children for the new school year. I mournfully resigned myself to the fact that I would miss seeing him this time.

And then my cell phone rang yesterday. It was my niece, (and Martin!!) calling to say that Martin could be spared from visiting her at work, and although it was late notice, he was available to visit. Martin was willing to drive 2 hours each way to visit with me for a total of 3 hours. When was the last time a boy drove that long to see me for such a short time?? And I almost said no.

We talked about that. I'm great at being a friend, but still getting better at making friends. Getting over the hump is difficult for me. The hump of seeing him in the driveway, figuring out the perfect amount of entertaining versus relaxing and hanging out. But once we got that out of the way, our time together flew. I have no problem saying yes to adventure. I am working on becoming a better Yes Man to everyday living.
I had set aside the day to can 30 pounds of tomato sauce. As it turns out, Martin would have been thrilled to do that (next time, I promise!). Instead, we ate some of the best pizza in New Jersey and then went to Mackey's Orchard for peaches and sweet corn and peach ice cream. We talked about hopes and dreams and literal and figurative plans for the days to come and the beauty of the United States and up-and-coming Bulgaria. I watched him eat a whole bowl of my refrigerator pickles and sent him home with a jar of last year's sauce and this year's pickled okra for his martinis (and more refrigerator pickles).

Yes, Martin is very tall. And who the heck is that guy in the background?!

I had some very important lessons driven home for me today:

Make the window! (that's kitchen-talk for Seize the Day.) There are lots of unknowns in life, pick the produce when it's ripe, even if you're not quite sure what you're going to make from it.

When given with the best of intentions, what you have to offer is good enough. I was so concerned about offering Martin best Warren County experience. It took about 10 minutes for me to remember that when you're with friends, none of that really, truly matters.

New Jersey peaches (and ice cream) taste sweeter when you eat them with a friend.

Let go and love. You can sort the rest out later. I'm talking to you.

Saying goodbye is harder than saying hello. It is certainly harder than being a Yes Man.

Have fun, my friend. But come home safe. and soon.

In a Pickle!

After this week's earlier post about canning, a preserving pal of mine asked for a spicy bean recipe. Here's one I found on food.com that looks delicious!

Spicy Dilly Beans

• 2 lbs green beans, washed and trimmed at ends (Do not snap beans)
• 1/4-1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, per jar (according to your heat preference) or 1/4-1/2 teaspoon tabasco sauce per jar (according to your heat preference)
• 2 garlic cloves, per jar, whole and peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon mustard seeds, per jar (optional)
• 1 head dill, per jar (or 1/2 tsp. dill weed)
• 5 cups distilled vinegar
• 1/2 cup pickling salt
• 5 cups water

 

Prepare jars for canning. Bring vinegar, salt and water to a boil. In the bottom each hot sterilized jar, put the garlic cloves, cayenne pepper, mustard seed, and dill. Pack jars with fresh green beans, packed lengthwise. Do not snap beans. Process for 20 minutes at 1000' altitude, or adjust time according to your altitude.

 

I also wanted to share my basic refrigerator pickling recipe. My friend/kitchen assistant, Kelly S. shared this with me (after she shared a jar of pickles she made) and I told her they were the tastiest pickles I have ever had. I maintain that opinion, by the way. I have been refrigerator-pickling about 2 gallons of kirby cucumbers bi-weekly to stock up for winter. A one-gallon jar of the best pickles costs me $9. Considering one quart-sized jar of refrigerated pickles cost $4 in the store last time I looked, I feel like I'm getting a bargain!

 

Kelly's Refrigerator Pickle Recipe (Her family calls them Garlic Dills)

Garlic Dill Pickles
2 qts of water
1/4 cup of salt
1/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of vinegar
I would estimate that about 2 pounds of sliced kirby cukes makes up a gallon. I have been doubling the solution for 2 gallons.

 

Kelly says for the jars:
Cucumber ( we usually just go by what we have from our garden but i would say maybe about 4 or 5 large cucumbers sliced will give you about 4 or 5 quart jars

 

2 to 4 sprigs of dill per jar
2 to 4 cloved of garlic mined or sliced per jar

Procedure:
Bring the liquid mixture to a simmer. Slice the cucumers and insert in to jars, add liquid mixture to the jars. add some more garlic and dill to the top of the jar, then seal . let the jars cool , then refrigerate for 24 hours or more.

I use this recipe as a base to pickle all sorts of vegetables, adding herbs and spices as I see fit.

 

Having a BALL...wish you were here!

Pints of Spicy Pickled Okra

It seems like everyone around me is canning and preserving. And because of social media, I feel like I'm stuck in a time warp. Is the trend really new or just newly popular? I've heard the art of preservation called, "one of the top 10 food trends of 2011" by the Food Network and I've seen the growth of a whole movement called, "Canning for the New Generation". Yet, the folks in my social circles have been canning every year.

I will admit that what we "put by" seems to be taking on new and edgier dimensions, however. Creations such as Cherry Balsamic Chutney or Spicy Tomato Jam seem to be filling up more jars than Basic Strawberry Preserves.

Those of us in the Canning Club don't judge you based on what you choose to preserve, we just want you to dip your toes (toma-TOES, that is! or peaches...) in the water because the art of canning is much easier than our foremothers would have us believe. Here's an example:

On Friday, I strolled to the farmer's market in my town, which is conveniently located 1 1/2 blocks away. My favorite produce vendor had a large basket of young, small okra. I almost cried at the beauty of it. Right then and there I realized that instead of subjecting it to a fate of cornmeal breading and deep-frying, it deserved a more noble purpose. I was going to pickle it and serve with martinis (made by my favorite mixologist friend) and on lovely appetizer plates at an upcoming dinner party. I selected a bag's worth (just under a pound) and took them home.

I had jars, lids and rings on hand, so within one hour, I had 6 jars of Spicy Pickled Okra in my cupboard. Here's what I did: Started the hot water bath on the stove (big pot of water, needs to simmer). Washed the jars and lids in hot soapy water and rinsed them. While the jars were resting in the hot rinse water, I got the pickling solution on to simmer. That's very simple: Vinegar, water, salt, maybe a bit of sugar (there are lots of recipes) in the correct proportion. Next, I rinsed the okra and then packed the jars with a clove of garlic, a piece of hot pepper, some mustard seeds and some celery seeds. Poured over the hot vinegar solution, put the lids on and then set them in the hot water bath for 15 minutes. It really was easy.

Organization is key. You need enough room. You need to keep clean. You can do a small batch and not feel overwhelmed. As you continue to practice, you will gain the ability to know just by looking whether you have time to "quickly make a batch of Peach Jalapeno Butter" with that irresistable peck of peach seconds that the vendor is selling at an equally irresistable price in your "spare time this weekend" or not. And think about it: Those lovely jars of okra would sell for at least $5 or $6 in a gourmet store. They cost me a little bit of time and about $2, jars included (and those are reusable).

Mangoes were on sale last week...I bought 12 for Major Grey Chutney (or something like it). What will you be canning? What would you tell a person new to preserving?

Morris Tap and Grill- giving new meaning to The Pampered Chef

I was going to begin this entry by saying, "I don't get out often." That is completely untrue. I seem to be on the road all the time, as of late. I was ready to replace that sentence with the erroneous notion that "I rarely go out to eat." As you can see from the blog entries I made this summer, that, too, is untrue. Here it is broken down: I rarely make a determined effort to eat at a particular establishment. True story.



While planning a mini spa day with one of my BFFs, I found myself excited to make the suggestion that we have lunch at Morris Tap and Grill, on Route 10 in Randolph, NJ. MTG (as it's known by the "in" crowd) is led by my friend, Chef Eric Levine. He's a CIA grad, he was on Chopped (yes, he won!) and he's an industry leader (we've all copied his stuff) and he just authored a beautiful industry cookbook called Stick it, Spoon it, Put it in a Glass. Oh, and then there's the sorbet, Sotto Zero. He's partnering with the company on the Twisted flavors, which are alcohol infused and called fun names like "Drunken Mosquito", which I'm sure has a stinger of its own!

I told Eric we were planning on visiting and as it turns out, Tuesday was a good day for us to bug the chef, as it was a bit quieter. Let me tell you, I've heard MTG has a lot of beer. A. Lot. But, I don't drink beer and I was driving, so I have nothing to comment on. But, boy howdy, did we eat.

After greeting us, Eric asked how hungry my girlfriend and I were and we told the truth, very hungry. He asked our permission to "play" (ChefSpeak for : just send out whatever strikes his fancy aside from any ingredients that would be problematic). We would have been foolish to say no.

During the meal, Eric checked on us at least 4 times, came to say good-bye and on the way out, even took us to see the kitchen and meet his kitchen staff (so welcoming!). At that point, I was pretty food-drunk and would not have thought to ask to see the kitchen, as I kind of forgot I was a chef, not a princess. Giuseppe, our server was attentive and professional and friendly. I swear, there is such pleasure to be derived from being served by a man who is beyond his very early 20s. Please don't think I'm being discriminatory. A certain level of wisdom and experience makes all the difference in a captain. And Giuseppe is so polished. But let's get back to the food...
Eric sent out:
Mushrooms, Truffled Artichoke, Parmesan Flatbread- They make their own flatbread. Love it. This was delicious.

Sesame Tuna Tartare-This is probably my second favorite highlight of the meal (aside from seeing Eric). And I would have never pegged this, because of my nature. There was wasabi roe on the plate that both my companion and I love. Served with flour tortilla crisps and black sesame seeds, this dish is a texture-driven diners' (both of us are.) dream.

Buffalo Chicken Flatbread- We dug into this one last and it was a good thing. Just enough spice, but that spice would have dimmed the other dishes. Again, terrific and flavorful.

Crud! I forgot to take photos!

And then we discovered that I was so intent on shoveling the deliciousness into my mouth that I forgot to take pictures. So, here is the first picture of what Eric sent out:

 

We joked, "Eric, you've taken haute cuisine too far! Talk about small portions!

 

 

 

Trio of Hummus w/ Crisps- The presentation of this is so beautiful. It's worth saying again. They make their own fantastic flatbread.  The tiny Mason jars are filled with creamy traditional hummus, red pepper hummus and Kalamata hummus (hands-down fave). The garnish is snow pea sprouts. Eric said they are considered micro-greens and don't pose the same food safety risks as alfalfa sprouts. I wouldn't have cared if they were laced with arsenic, they are earthy goodness and I don't remember sharing them with my companion, but I do remember eating them all, with my fingers and forgetting I was out in public. (Giuseppe said not to worry. He told me, "Where I come from, eating is an art." Love you, G.)

 

 

Fusilli with Chicken Sausage and Portobellos (in the little pot) and Shrimp with Isreali couscous and sundried tomatoes- I was definitely food-drunk at this point and my tummy was getting full. Those shrimp were so plump and delicious and they were topped with fried leeks. The sausage had a salty edge that contrasted well with the tender pasta and the sweet mushrooms.

When you're a guest at MTG, after your entree plates are cleared, they entice you with a beautiful dessert cart. We got glimpses of S'mores and other sweet delights. I sweated a little, worried about having to choose one. I needn't have worried, Chef was taking care of us. No stress, No decisions. All good.

Eric sent out a dessert sampler. Oh my goodness. Left to right: Chocolate Mocha Cake with ribbons of ganache and light, but very flavorful mousse. Cantaloupe/ Lime Vodka Sorbet (my favorite part of the entire meal). Served on top of dehydrated pineapple slices (referred to as flowers or blossoms in the biz). I am still dreaming about the whole combination. I honestly think it was garnished with mint, but somewhere I got a whaft of basil on my palate and am now thinking of how I can make a pineapple basil sorbet. Let's not forget MTG's Carrot Cake, just as delicious as its neighbors, I love the garnish of fried carrots with white chocolate shavings. 

My companion and I were truly blessed to have Eric and the staff of Morris Tap and Grill pay us such undivided attention. He's a really busy guy with a lot of exciting projects going on. I'm loving the copy of his book that I purchased (and he was kind enough to sign). I can't wait to see where his journey continues to take him. Thank you, my friend.

Welcome to the Pathogen Station! Which will you be having?

The Mister and I had a very interesting experience at the pasta station of a buffet we recently visited. I guess the first question you'll want answered is, "What were you doing at a buffet?"
We were at the casino. Now, before you go about judging my well-managed vice of choice, let's understand that, if I, as a chef, who grew up in a kitchen in the 1980s survived with no STDs, no substance problems and I have successfully sustained a healthy marriage and family, then I am doing great. Slot machines be damned.
And buffets can be fine. They can even be glorious. The Paris, in Las Vegas is one of my all-time favorite places to eat because it houses a gorgeous European-style buffet. I am a grazer and a buffet allows me tiny portions of many tastes and textures.
But on this recent visit, to a local casino, I stood in front of an unmanned pasta station. When the cook Giancarlo arrived, he was gloved up and ready to go, or so I thought.
As I watched, I noticed that he had no tongs for any of his ingredients. So, even if I had alerted him to any food allergies (as a paper sign in front of his station instructed me) cross-contact would have still been a big problem when he dug his gloved patties into the broccoli after he touched my neighbor's shrimp.
But the worst part? After he plopped my fettucine into a pan, he took a paper napkin and wiped his mouth...In front of the guests...And then he didn't even change gloves, let alone wash his hands and then change gloves.
Not only did Gian not have tongs, but he didn't have a clean side towel to wipe his hands on in between ingredients. But, not to worry, he smeared his fingers on the front of his apron. And to clean the pans? A side towel, stored under a space on his station, appearing to never be rinsed out, let alone resting in a bucket of fresh, food-grade sanitizing solution.
My poor Mister. As I sat back down, I asked him, "When I see this stuff happen (and it does, more and more) am I supposed to send an email to the casine or am I supposed to talk to a manager right now?" Mister's vote was to email.
However, I couldn't help myself. A server found the manager, Michael, for me and he and I had a brief chat. I figured if I could prevent someone else from taking an extra portion of cross-contamination or a helping of pathogens it would be a good thing.
Michael was responsive. I'm not suer how he handled it in the end, because I didn't see a lot of corrections to the station while I was still there. I did however see Michael himself don gloves to refill the stack of dinner plates. Good move, Michael!
At the end of my meal, my ever-patient Mister said, "Geez, the casino's food service should bring you in to trouble shoot, or consult, or even be a mystery shopper or something!" I could hear his subtext..."so maybe I wouldn't have to hear it when we go out..." It's an idea.
Pay attention when you visit buffets, please.  Take a look around before you even commit by paying for your meal. For your own food safety.

Some corrective/proactive actions that could have been taken:

• Make sure the employee has a clean apron and a supply of clean side towels for his hands and for handling those hot pans.
• If there are two burners on the station, a supply of 6 or 8 pans that could be washed and sanitized or switched out after they are used would prevent both cross-contact and cross-contamination.
• A bucket of sanitizing solution is handy for the wipe used to sanitize the station.
• Tongs should be in each and every ingredient.
• Sometimes, specially colored tongs are reserved for high-allergen ingredients or protein ingredients.
• And by the way, it might be a wise idea to put a sign in front of the brownies identifying them as containing walnuts before someone has an allergic reaction.

How would you have handled this experience???

Will I ever get decent Mexican food again??!!

I love Mexican food. There's very little of it to be found in my immediate local, so I usually end up making my own, which can be a lengthy process. Since I was going to Chicago, a place known for some great Mexican restaurants, my hopes soared. And then they quickly crashed. For a number of reasons, I did not get any Mexican while I in the Windy City.
But on my visit (that very same week) to Hoboken, NJ, there were a few Mexican places on Washington St. (the main drag). We picked a place called East LA. It was one of the most horrible dining experiences I have ever had.

• The place was dimly lit. Usually this can be a sign of ambience...for us, it could have meant a few things: a)stay away, there's nothing good to see here OR b) Good thing it's dark, because you can't see how dirty the place really is.
• The waiter was clueless about service. He was backed up by a really experienced waitress who was holding down the fort. Even though there were only a few patrons, that still looked like a big job for one woman.
• The "margaritas that people rave over" made it to us while our companions were almost on their second drink round, and it was July, and it was hot. Really hot. When they arrived, it was clear that the reason people rave is because they get so sloshed on the added schnapps that the taste of the chemical slushee gets disguised. Yuck.
• Not only was the guacamole flavorless, as soon as it hit my tongue, I got the tell-tale sign that it was literally spoiled. If it "sizzles" on your tongue, like an electrocuted piece of pineapple, don't eat it or Montezuma won't be the only one getting revenge.
• 50% of The Mister's beef fajita was burned beyond being edible. Nuff said.
• Even after (maybe especially) sending back the guacamole, the chicken and other ingredients on my plate were just not fresh tasting. Let's face it. We've all eaten leftovers of all shapes, sizes and ages from our refrigerators. When something isn't fresh, you really do know the difference. You just shouldn't be expected to pay for it, let alone eat it.
• The waiter continued to be clueless and just chose to avoid our table, one of two occupied in the whole place.

Believe it or not, even as little as a few months ago, I would have suffered through this meal. I might have eaten it and denied my own thoughts (even though I have been cooking professionally for over 25 years). I might have not eaten it, but I would have never said a word to the server. But, thankfully, those days seem to be over. I am not willing to a) put something in my body that is less than tasty; b) take a risk of getting sick from someone else's poor food service and sanitation practices; c) pay good money that I've worked really hard to earn for food that someone else is trying to pawn off as good when it's surely not.  And neither should you.
In the end, the waitress ended up taking almost everything off the bill. When I got home, I looked at the receipt more clearly. Everything was taken off except the drinks and get this...the original offending guacamole. Oh, the irony of it all.

Who's the Cake Boss?

My son really wants to go to college at a school located in Hoboken. He's going to be a junior in high school, so we thought this was a perfect time to start visiting institutes of higher learning. And, what's really important when you're visiting a college in Hoboken? Noticing the splendid view of Manhattan and trying to sneak a visit to Carlo's Bakery in, while you're at it. Carlo's Bakery has been made famous by the television show, Cake Boss.

Truthfully, we rarely watch the show in my house because I cannot stand the staged drama. For example, who, in their right mind, would assign a brand-new, 18-yr.-old employee to transport a wedding cake by himself? Only someone who enjoys broadcasting the drama of the cake being dropped several stories down the service stairs. Makes me wanna breathe into a paper bag.

But, I couldn't resist the opportunity for adventure and a taste of the baked goods to see if the idea meets reality. As we approached, I felt pretty excited! The line was not long! Ohhh, but wait. That's just the roped-off line in front of the actual store. The "real" line, was located down the block, in front of the CVS. You had to get a ticket there (from the fabulous Mike--so helpful!) and wait until the line in front of the store moved INTO the store. Estimated time to get into store: 1 hour and 30 minutes. We figured we'd try it out, we could always jump out of line. As the Mister waited in line, I tried a different approach...
I really just wanted to look inside the store, so I tried without getting in line. When I climbed the stairs into the store, I was stopped by the "doorman" (read: bouncer) who was in his very early 20s. He wouldn't let me in, even after I explained that I was a professional and I just wanted to look. He told me that he would get in trouble for letting me in and they would know because "the cameras are watching." So, back to the line I went and I waited.

The girl in line in front of us was already holding a Carlo's box. "Why," I asked her, "are you standing in line, again?" She had just come from the factory (or kitchen), not the bakery. She explained that she had purposely made the trip to Hoboken, with family who were going to be in the area for another event. She tagged along and created her very own Cake Boss Adventure. That included a "cake decorating lesson". She's an experienced cake-decorating hobbyist and thought it would be fun. So, she went to the lesson, held at the factory in the Lackawanna Center (Grove St., Hoboken). Did she learn a lot? No. She received a pre-iced layer cake, to which she applied fondant (she did roll that) and fondant cut-outs (that she cut out). The 2-hour class was "taught" by an apprentice who had just won one of Buddy's spin-off shows. Cost: $125.

Mauro, making an appearance in the packed bakery.

But...back to the bakery... 

Once inside, the place is jam-packed like sardines in olive oil. Youngsters who are generally less-than-enthusiastic take your order and meet you at the register with it (Count on adding another 1/2 hour to your trip). You've either got to be really crafty at juggling the crowd to see into the cases or not afraid to take your time in the frenetic space that is Carlo's and ask a lot of questions, both difficult tasks. It's hard to hear the server, hard to see the goods and, by the way, NOTHING is labeled with prices. Kind of less-than-friendly. If you've grown up in NJ, you might not be as sensitive to this, but in my opinion, the Buddy Valastro of Cake Boss TV belies the personality of his actual place of business.

Our order and their reviews:
3 Lobster Tails @ $3.50 each...maybe a little pricey, for an everyday treat, but fine and tasty ($10.50)
6 Sprinkle Tarralli (a dry, "coffee cookie")...meh.                                                                       ($4.10)
Dark Mousse mini cake...melted (our fault), generally tasty but it was overpriced at                ($6.50)
1/4 lb. sesame cookies...again, not too sweet, tiny in size, really delicious because I love sesame!
                                                                                                                                                      (3.40)
2 pignoli meringues. These bad boys are about 2 1/2 inches around and were the hit of my day.
They almost felt like a bargain, respectively.                                                                                (2.40)
And a Vanilla Cupcake. I had to taste the cake. The cake itself was delicious and did not taste like it was from a mix. It had a fine, tight crumb and a good flavor. Priced fine at                                (2.25)

So, for about 30 bucks and a few hours, I'm glad we experienced the reality of Cake Boss. I won't clamber to get back in the store, but I don't feel like it was time wasted.

Our Chicago Dining Choices

Buckingham Fountain in Grant Park, Chicago

I took the dining recommendations of my friends, did some internet searches on those choices and even blocked them out on a map, so I could see where they were located in relation to where I was staying. That was a good plan. It helped narrow the field a bit.
My big sister and my newly-turned-21-yr.-old niece met me (they live in Indiana) and I knew that while we might want to walk a little, this trip really was about relaxation.
 

We began with Saturday lunch at The Taste of Chicago, held at Grant Park (at Jackson and Columbus). Some big changes were made for Taste 2012. They cut the festival run time in half, from it's usual ten days to five (lots of debate on both sides about that choice), moved it from the raucous time block of July 4 to the more laid back mid-July (I vote yea on that.) and trimmed the vendor attendance by 20 (I didn't think that was a good idea.). I thought the food was reasonable in price. $8 got you a strip of 12 tickets. At many stands, you could purchase a full portion or a tasting portion. My $16 got me 1 order of potstickers and 1 Pad Thai from Arun's pop-up stand, 1 less-than-ripe-and-delicious bruschetta, 1/2 a Billy Goat Cheeseburger (shared with my niece, no Pepsi! Coke!- I had to!) and a bottle of water. I wasn't impressed with the vendors. I expected less street festival and more real taste of Chi-Town. There was a lot of pizza. A lot. Not regretful that I went, but won't clamber to get back.
 



Fresh fish on display at Santorini, Chicago

For Saturday dinner, my nephew and some friends joined us and we took the party to Greektown. It was a hopping neighborhood and we took a table at the noisy (OPA!) Santorini, where we had a family-style meal. The meat was just a bit overcooked to my rare tastes, but I loved the Spanikotiropita (spinach and feta in phyllo) and Saganaki (flaming cheese), which is tastier than any fried mozzarella could want to be. Best of all was our waiter, George. An older, fun-loving Greek guy. He was the perfect combination of professional and don't-give-me-crap-I'm-not-your-dad.

Sunday breakfast turned into Sunday brunch, not just because of the timing (it's okay to sleep in/gab a lot when you're on holiday with your sister!) but from the sheer amount of food we consumed at The Bongo Room. (We chose the Wicker Park location, there are three.) Nary a bad review in site, this was an ideal spot to enjoy some extraordinary food at affordable prices, albeit in a popular, noisy, slightly crowded place. The wait is long, just like the reviews say and there's little shade to be had while you're waiting, but the wait is worth it. I am a protein eater, so I knew that eggs would be involved somewhere. I chose the BLT Benedict. Two delicious sourdough English muffins were lightly toasted and topped with baby spinach, applewood smoked bacon bits (so much easier to eat than strips, thank you), perfectly poached eggs and tomato-basil pesto hollandaise sauce. That sauce is the real deal. You can watch the cooking line and I found myself fondly reminiscing as I watched a brother-in-arms ladle the sauce from it's warm place above the stove. Pathogens, be damned! A heaping of hash browns mashed themselves up against the entree, but they didn't receive much attention because I had to save room for my dessert...The pancake.

The pancakes come in orders of three. They are 10 inches, each and some incorporate ingredients or combinations of ingredients not normally found in griddle cakes. The trick is to know that orders of these fluffy flap jacks can be brought in a lesser (but not smaller) portion. I had read this AND our friendly server also mentioned it. When I asked the server to help me choose between the Red Velvet Pancake and the Caramel White Chocolate Pretzel Pancake, she gave me an important and very accurate answer. "So many people order Red Velvet because they just loooove Red Velvet, but I think the Pretzel Pancake is just so much more flavorful," she said.

And she was right. I like Red Velvet, but I am always disappointed in the lack of chocolate flavor and my CWCPP was a carnival ride of flavor. I do not like white chocolate, but including it on this pancake was genius. While I am a pretzel lover, I find myself having texture issues when they are included in some dishes (keep those pretzel M&Ms-they're like malted milk balls!) and almost had a problem here, but then I'd crunch into a salty bit and forget my sorrows. The Bongo Room is not to be missed.

My sister and my niece enjoyed a croissant sandwich and a breakfast burrito, respectively.

The TASTES of Chicago

Before embarking on my business trip to Chicago to review the new ServSafe exam items, I surveyed my professional culinary friends (and a few non-pros) for dining recommendations. Here are some of the responses I received:

View from the Signature Room at the 95th

For :
Gluten-Free Menu...Wildfire -(although part of a chain, my friend loves it!) probably because it has a  Loud, casual, great food, lots of fun.

Fine dining ...Naha....the bar has lebanese food that is awesome. Avec, Signature Room at the 95th (on the 95th floor of the John Hancock building).

Top notch food heavy pig menu...Publican (two mentions)

Interesting lunch... Xoco (at least 2 mentions) (owned by award-winning, American Chef-specializing-in-Mexican-cuisine, Rick Bayless) closed on Sundays and Mondays

Brunch... North Pond (2 mentions)....great burgers, Signature Room got another nod in this category.
Desserts..... Mindy Segal's Hot Chocolate (dessert bar)
Culture...Greek Town, especially Greek Islands Restaurant or Taxim (which is in Buckwood/Wicker Park).

Tapas, charcuterie ...etc...The Purple Pig on Miracle Mile (two mentions)..nice patio

Lunch and breakfast...The Bongo Room for amazing pancakes (and this friend doesn't like pancakes). Their food and atmosphere is fun, funky and delicious.
 
Mexican...Rick Bayless' Frontera Grill, Xoco, Topolabampo, Tortas in O'Hare Airport (no kidding-long line). OR Pilsen (residential district on the lower West side of Chicago).

Farm to Table... Nightwood Restaurant in Pilsen (three mentions!!) Matthew Rice is the pastry chef at Nightwood....AWESOME desserts! Mattie is so very talented. Wonderful quirky little place with delicious food.

Informal...DMK Burger Bar. Fish Bar (by the DMK boys).

GT Fish and Oyster Bar

Thai...Arun's

Taste of Chicago was also taking place while I was in town.

The Maxwell St Market on Sunday mornings is fun if you like Latino food and a flea market atmosphere.

Worth Noting:

A Food Guru I know points out that most of the new artsy restaurants need to be reserved three months ahead.

Next time: So many food choices...so little time. Where did I eat???

 

Subject Matter Expert!! Who? Me?

Yes, me. I was chosen by The National Restaurant Assoc. as a Subject Matter Expert (SME) to review some of the 1175 ServSafe questions posed by the Item Writers.
The first task at hand was to review some online. Lots of back-and-forth ensued between writers and SMEs and after a quickly-moving period of about 4 weeks, all online reviewing ceased. Whatever was left would be reviewed in Chicago.
I took an extra day or two to visit with mid-western friends and enjoy some quiet in ChiTown. SMEs were put up at the J.W.Marriott in the Sloop (South Loop), the financial district, which is nice and quiet on the weekend. The NRA (not to be confused with gun-totin' activists) is only a few streets away.


The National Restaurant Association Offices

My experience as an SME was wonderful. As one of 15 SMEs, I had the opportunity to converse with brilliant people who also spoke the language of pathogens, rubrics and domains and I met some of the most influential individuals in food safety, both past and present.
The NRA certainly made our job easy to accomplish. They provided breakfast and lunch and breaks when we needed them and more experts to debate with. They made sure our needs were met as long as we kept pushing those questions around.
And the job we did is not to be taken lightly. This test affects millions of people, those that take it and those that benefit from food safety education and certification.
It will be interesting to see where this food safety education road leads.

Seeing what the cucumbers really look like...

When you are an entrepreneur or gambler (aren't they really the same thing??), when considering a new project, you form a vision and then dive in, head first, knowing that the whole deal is a crapshoot until YOU REALLY KNOW WHAT THE WHOLE THING LOOKS LIKE. The past six months of tremendous growth and adventure for AngelFood can be largely attributed to that philosophy and I've had a whole bunch of new adventures myself...

One evening, last summer, a friend shared with me the tastiest gherkins I have ever had. And I don't like gherkins, by the way. These tiny pickled cucumbers tasted of sweet goodness and spices, such as allspice with a touch of cinnamon. Even after we ravaged the whole jar, I wanted more.

As some of you know, last summer was The Summer of Frontier Woman and I was foraging and making lots of my own kitchen goodness, so, of course, I needed to make my own gherkins.

The first step was to get my hands on the cukes. Even I know that mini, baby, tiny cukes are NOT the same product as kirby cukes (that we pickle) or garden cukes (that get made into salad). I've never seen the raw cukes at a farmer's market or even a roadside stand. The best info on anything of vegetative nature, is always found by contacting my big sister, Carol, who lives on her own plot of goat-raising, garden-harvesting, solar-paneled, bio-fueled land, in the middle of a cornfield in Indiana.


The desperate (on my part) conversation went a bit like this,

J: "Where can I get the plants??!!" (like a contraband-seeking junkie)

C:  (Calmly, because she's so used to this)"[sigh] "You can't. Even if you could find those particular plants, it's too late in the season. You'll have to get your own seeds, next year, and grow your own."

NEXT YEAR??!!

I searched the internet this winter only to find that true gherkins are really round and spiny, and the size of an egg. Thinking a bit deeper, I changed my search to "cornichons", which are different (when prepared) than gherkins. Cornichons are very, very tart, tiny pickled cucumbers whose acidity is often used to cut the richness in pate'. I found exactly what I was looking for from an heirloom seed company. I bought 2 different types.

We planted the seeds in window boxes this spring. This was much better than the original plan, which was to warn The Mister that he might come home from work one day to find the driveway lined with baby pools filled with dirt and cornichon seeds.

The seeds germinated quickly and after 3 true leaves formed, I set to pinching off any leaves below blossoms. Fruits developed behind the flowers (if the flowers got pollinated-thank you bugs, they did!).




 When I realized that my yield was not anywhere near what the recipe called for, I planted more. It was a good lesson to teach my daughter about practice. The lesson was this: This was the first year we tried this and we might have to do it all differently next year when we really see what this looks like. I have to adapt my recipe to a much smaller, simpler recipe to adapt to pickling one jar at a time.

I'll have to pick the cucumbers earlier than I think, if they are to remain small and uber-delicious. Some of them are getting gigantic for gherkins. I have purchased cippolini onions to add to the jar and at times, may add green bean bits. Maybe one jar will have a Scotch Bonnet Pepper grown by my friend, the Gherkin Pusher, herself.


In order to keep the pickles crisp, they are not subjected to a heat-packing method. For sweet gherkins, the process takes at least 4 days and as long as 14. I have seen recipes for sour cornichons in which they are salted and drained (to remove excess fluid which will detract from their crispness) and then packed into a jar with seasoning and a good (6% acidity) white vinegar.
 

Here's the recipe Carol sent me with a note written on it:"Have fun! Maybe next year...Love, Carol"

Funny thing is, next week I am having dinner with Carol and her youngest, in Chicago. Guess what we're having for dessert? You guessed it. Gherkins. All four of them.



Sweet Gherkins

Yield 7 to 8 pints



About 7 pounds of cucumbers, 1 1/2 to 3 inches in length

1/2 cup, pure granulated salt

8 cups sugar

1 1/2 quarts (6 cups) vinegar (white is my choice)

3/4 teaspoon turmeric

2 teaspoons celery seed

2 teaspoons whole mixed pickling spice

8 1-inch pieces of cinnamon stick

1/2 teaspoon fennel seed (optional--no thank you)

2 teaspoons vanilla (optional) I have good stuff from Mexico that might make it into a jar...



First day:

Morning, Wash cucumbers thoroughly and scrub with a veg. brush. Drain, place in a large container and cover with boiling water for 6 to 8 hours.

Afternoon: Drain, cover with fresh, boiling water.



Second day:

Morning: Drain, cover with fresh, boiling water.

Afternoon: Drain, add salt, cover with fresh boiling water.



Third day:

Morning: Drain, prick cukes in several places with a table fork. Make sirup (it's an old recipe) of 3 cups of the sugar and 3 cups of the vinegar. Add turmeric and spices. Heat to boiling and pour over cucumbers. Cucumbers will be partially covered at this point.

Afternoon: Drain sirup into pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 2 cups of the vinegar to sirup. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.



Fourth Day:

Morning: Drain sirup into pan; add 2 cups of the sugar and 1 cup of the vinegar to sirup. Heat to boiling and pour over pickles.

Afternoon: Drain sirup into pan; add remaining 1 cups sugar and the vanilla to sirup; heat to boiling. Pack pickles into clean, hot pint jars and cover with boiling sirup to 1/2-inch to top of jar. Adjust jar lids.



Process for 5 minutes in boiling water bath. Time starts when water returns to boiling. Remove jars and complete seals, if necessary. Set jars upright, several inches apart, on a wire rack to cool.



For tart Cornichons courtesy of Auberge of the Flowering Hearth...
Wash your cucumbers and put them into a crock. Soak overnight in heavily salted water. Next day, drain and dry them well. Pack them into a clean crock (or heat proof jar). Cover them with a good (at least 6% acid) vinegar. Pour off the vinegar into an enameled pan, add 1 half cup more vinegar and bring to a rolling boil. Pour the vinegar over the cucumbers and let this sit, covered, for 24 hours. Repeat three times.
After the third time, allow to sit for at least 6 weeks before eating.
Adding grape leaves to the crock is also recommended to aid in crispness.

I would like you to know that "real" cornichons usually contain onion, mustard seeds, tarragon, and perhaps some coriander seed. Some chefs have been known to sneak a hot pepper in there, also.