NEW BLOG SITE

I have moved my blog to: http://culinarynarcissism.blogspot.com/ All future postings will be done here. Please change your bookmarks.

Chris

I'M IN ! ! !

Dear Chris –

Congratulations! I am very happy to confirm your acceptance to L’Academie de Cuisine’s Culinary Arts Program beginning September 22nd, 2008. You have made an important career decision and we believe that you possess the passion, motivation and commitment to succeed as a culinary professional. Since 1976 L’Academie de Cuisine has been the right choice for hundreds of students, and our graduates begin their culinary career confident that they have received the skills they need to work in any kitchen in the world.

All of us at L’Academie de Cuisine wish you great success as a student in our school and look forward to working with you soon. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or need additional information.

Sincerely,

Allyson Lara
Director of Admissions

Kelsye's Summer Vacation Part II

Coming to visit always involves meshing Kelsye's taste in food with ours. Kelsye brought her own cookbook this year and is trying out new recipes for things she can make at home and when she goes away to college. A couple of our evenings together involved Suzie & Kelsye making and decorating a chocolate cake with homemade buttercream frosting as well as making fresh lemon ravioli & broccoli rabe with dear old Dad.

Pictures of our fun...

Experiments in Sushi (Southwestern Dragon Rolls)

As the quest to discover new foods and how to make them continues, I have also been known to add my own unconventional twists. Discovering that making Sushi isn't all that hard, led to the next question of "How do you serve Sushi with Mexican food?" The answer is simple ... add roasted red pepper, jalapeno, Cream Cheese and Sazon!

Kelsye's Summer Vacation Part I

Well, Kelsye's Summer vacation is coming to an end. It always seems to go so quickly, but I find that the older I get, the quicker time seems to pass altogether. Kelsye is 16 and will be a Junior in High School this coming school year. Seems like yesterday that she was learning to crawl. Its amazing to see the changes from little girl to womanhood and they reflect in the activities we have experienced this year. It used to be the highlight of the Summer was heading to Kings Dominion, now its about exploring Georgetown and D.C. Suzie & Kelsye have really bonded and enjoy hanging out together. The visit also provided Suzie & Kelsye time to have breakfast together in Old Town a few mornings, as well as working together at the Clothing Ministry at our Church. I'm very proud of the young woman that Kelsye has become and look forward to a new phase in our Father - Daughter relationship as College is just on the horizon. Some pictures of first weekend together in Georgetown.

Final L'Academie de Cuisine Interview

Our future should be decided in the next week. I had my final interview at L'Academie this morning and then had to subject myself to a Career Aptitude Test (the ones with the little dots). The interview with Chef Patrice, the Head Instructor went well, and I got to sit in on the class that started July 1st first practical test. It was really interesting to see what is in store for me, but without the stress that I will be subjected to when I'm at the table wearing Chef Whites. Once the interview was conducted, I had lunch with the Admissions staff and then on to my Test. It was explained that this test was 1 hour long and consisted of three parts: Grammar, Reading Comprehension & Math. It made me feel good when the test proctor said it was a 10th grade assessment. Everything was going great with the grammar & reading right up until I had 20 minutes to answer 15 math questions of which half of them were multiplication & division of fractions. The worst part is they didn't even give me a calculator or even an Excel spreadsheet. I mean, who does fractions by hand anyway? One word: MODERNIZATION! Well as long as I'm smarter than a 10th grader, I was told that I will find out officially if I have been accepted into the Fall (Sept 22) Professional Culinary class. Keep your fingers crossed!

BRING BACK FAVRE!

Will he or won't he? I've been dreading the upcoming football season due to last years #4 retirement, but there is hope. Visit http://www.bringbackbrettfavre.com/! This site is dedicated to the Green Bay Packers favorite QB Brett Favre! Cast your vote on what the Packers should do with Brett! Join sports greatest fans as they rally for Favre and help the flood victims. Purchase yard signs, T-Shirits, and bumper stickers. Proceeds will help support the flood victims. Participate in our BringBackBrettFavre Rally at Lambeau Field! Support Brett in 08!

Favre 08
- Fire Ted Thompson
- Bring Back Brett!

Cougar you're to low ... YOU'RE TO LOW COUGAR!!!

Ok, unfortunately Maverick wasn't on my wing guiding me to a safe landing on a pitching carrier deck ... but I WAS wearing one of my Navy Flightsuits so I'm authorized to use "Top Gun" quotes with authority. I didn't widow/orphan my wife & kids, but I am in need of two downtubes and my body is covered in multiple bruises. I'm feeling like Indiana Jones in Raiders where the only thing that doesn't hurt is the end of his nose. Todays accident has been brought to you by the Letter I ... for Impatience. Today started out like any normal Saturday, rolling out of bed, getting back in bed, then talking myself out to the kitchen to make coffee before checking weather & winds. Loading up, I got out a bit later than expected but was making great time right up until the 9 mile backup from Exit 42 to Route 404. Adding another hour into my transit time was not in my original plans. Arrived to the Desert Plateau, that was Ridgely today, I expected Pyramids and the Sphinx to rise up out of the ground. It was hot, DAMN hot, so I was unabashedly unexcited about waiting for 1 1/2 hours in line since they were only running 1 tug, and a slow one at that. Finally it was my time to roll the dice against the fleeting thermals and off I went. I fought the good fight for about 25 minutes but the lift was light and the thermals were small. I gave it my best, but could only maintain 2,000 for about 15 minutes. As I decended towards the field, I noticed that there were only 3 people in line. Did I mention it was hot? My obviously overcooked brain decided that it would be much more cooling efficient to land on the taxiway and quickly slip my glider into line while I went and jumped into the pool during my next hour wait.As the winds were out of the South, I flew my downwind and turned base offsetting the grass strip that we take off from. Throwing a quick S-Turn in to bleed off a little more altitude, I turned final. Unfortunately in my 5 years of flying Ridgely, I failed to notice that there is about a 10 foot elevation change (Read: Hill) between the grass strip and the taxiway. Since I wasn't able to swing wide over the active runway, my final was effectively about 50 feet and I had not figured in that loss of 10 feet. Realizing the impending doom as my wings leveled, I cowered in fear, gently eased the bar out and assumed the fetal position. My basetube impacted the hill about 3 feet below the top and I power whacked in with a good amount of pattern speed. Both downtubes collapsed on impact and my body took the rest of it. I think my helmet either hit a downtube, the keel or the ground because I was a little dizzy when I stood up. Once all motion came to a stop, nothing seriously painful was experienced except for a dull ache in most of my muscles. Jim helped me pack the glider and provided Extra Strength Tylenol. (Thanks Jim)In a nutshell, my impatience for extending my time in the heat and in line got the better of me. My decision to land where I did, although quite possible, did not leave me with any margin of error. If I would of hit a sink monster (insurance covers that), the same result would of probably happened. It would of been much safer to fly a normal pattern and suck up the short walk back to the line. Son, your ego is writing checks your body can't cash. Thinking I can put my glider anywhere I want is a good goal, but there is always a need for leaving fudge factors in there as well. All in all, the cost was 2 downtubes and probably a few days of pain and bruises. I learned a good lesson, and hopefully all who read this will learn from my mistake instead of making it yourself.That was some of the best flying I've seen to date - right up to the part where you got killed. Gutsiest move I ever saw, Mav.

Insert your own punchline...

Nationals Park, Washington D.C. - How appropriate?

Pirate Therapy ... but why is the rum gone?

The long weekend has past and the Captain has gone on to pursue other journeys. Lessons learned over the weekend include:

Alcohol is the anesthesia by which we endure the operation of life.

The only rules that really matter are these: what a man can do and what a man can't do. It's remarkable how often the traits of madness & brilliance coincide.

There are better things in life than alcohol, but alcohol makes up for not having them.

Here’s to alcohol: the cause of, and answer to, all of life’s problems. I can’t die until the government finds a safe place to bury my liver.

Screw Politics!

In an unexpected blow to my Culinary Roadmap, Congress in their infinite wisdom decided that it was too expensive to extend GI BILL benefits to past Veteran's. Clearly, this would cut into their precious vacation time and God knows we don't want that to happen. A little research shows that Congress is in session approximately 150 days per year. Its actually quite amazing at how badly they can bork up our society while working less than half of the year.

Consider this: In High School English, you are taught that Pro means good or for, and Con means bad or against. Given that logic, Congress becomes the opposite of Progress.

So the search for income begins. The plan is still to drive towards the September start date, but part-time work will be in my future. A little pirate therapy is in order, with some brain storming to follow!

Its Official!!!

The paperwork is submitted to L'Academie de Cuisine and the application is in process. Should hear something within the next few days confirming my start dates. The unofficial start date is September 22nd, 2008 for the next Culinary Arts Program. Next stop . . . Chef Christopher!

President Bush Signs H.R. 2642, Culinary School Here I Come!!!

9:48 A.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. A few moments ago I signed legislation that funds our troops who are in harm's way. Our nation has no greater responsibility than supporting our men and women in uniform -- especially since we're at war. This is a responsibility all of us in Washington share -- not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans. And I want to thank leaders of the House and Senate for getting this bill to my office.

America remains a nation at war. There are enemies who intend to harm us. Standing in their way are brave men and women, who put on the uniform, who raise their right hand, and took an oath to defend our freedom. They volunteered to deploy in distant lands, far from their families, far from their homes, and far from comfort of America. And every day, they risk their lives to defeat our adversaries and to keep our country safe.

We owe these brave Americans our gratitude. We owe them our unflinching support. And the best way to demonstrate that support is to give them the resources they need to do their jobs and to prevail. The bill I sign today does exactly that. It provides necessary funds to support our troops as they conduct military operations in Iraq, in Afghanistan, and in other theaters in the war on terror.

I appreciate that Republicans and Democrats in Congress agreed to provide these vital funds without tying the hands of our commanders, and without an artificial timetable of withdrawal from Iraq. Our troops have driven the terrorists and extremists from many strongholds in Iraq; today violence is at the lowest level since March of 2004. As a result of this progress, some of our troops are coming home as result of our policy called "return on success." We welcome them home. And with this legislation we send a clear message to all that are servings [sic] on the front line that our nation continues to support them.

We also owe a debt of gratitude to our nation's military families. They endure sleepless nights, and the daily struggle of caring for children while a loved one is serving far from home. We have a responsibility to provide for them. So I'm pleased that the bill I sign today includes an expansion of the GI Bill. This legislation will make it easier for our troops to transfer unused education benefits to their spouses and children. It will help us to recruit and reward the best military on the face of the Earth. It will help us to meet our responsibilities to those who support our troops every day -- America's great military families.

The bill also includes agreed-upon funding for other critical national priorities. This bill includes $465 million for the Merida Initiative -- a partnership with Mexico and nations in Central America to crack down on violent drug trafficking gangs. The bill includes nearly $2.7 billion to help ensure that any state facing a disaster like the recent flooding and tornadoes in the Midwest has access to needed resources. This bill includes a measured expansion of unemployment insurance benefits with a reasonable work requirement. And this bill holds overall discretionary spending within the sensible limits that I requested.

The bill is a result of close collaboration between my administration and members of both parties on Capitol Hill. I appreciate the hard work of my Cabinet -- especially the leaders of Defense and State, and Veterans Affairs, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, as well as OMB. I want to thank House and Senate leadership and leaders of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees. I am particularly grateful to Congressmen Boehner, Hoyer, Obey, and Lewis. And I want to thank members who worked hard for the GI Bill expansion -- especially Senators Webb and Warner, Graham, Burr, and McCain.

This bill shows the American people that even in an election year, Republicans and Democrats can come together to stand behind our troops and their families.

Weekend Ending Dessert...

Decided that the best use of leftovers was to use them . . . so I grabbed the last container of Dried Figs from last night and went for Round Two.

Dried Turkish Figs in Balsamic-Red Wine Reduction Sauce, Scented with Cinnamon, Star Anise, and Allspice. Served with Mascarpone Cheese
(Servings: 8)

1 Cup Red Wine (Zinfindel / Shiraz / Syrah / Two-Buck Chuck)
1 Cup Balsamic Vinegar
1/2 Cup Sugar
1 pinch Salt
1 pinch Allspice
1 Tablespoon Cinnamon
2 Star Anise (Optional)
16 Figs, Dried (You can get at places like Whole Foods)
8 ounces Mascarpone Cheese
8 Mint Springs (Fresh)

Directions
1. Place liquids in Sauce Pan and bring to a boil.
2. Add Sugar & Salt.
3. Simmer until Sugar is dissolved.
4. Add other seasonings, stir.
5. Add Figs.
6. Simmer slowly until sauce is thick.
7. Can serve warm or at room temp.
8. Serve with a dollup (or make Quenelles) of Mascarpone Cheese and a Sprig of Mint.

Serve with Port or zest an orange over the dessert and serve with Grand Marnier

First Chef Job!

Saturday night was my first "Official" job as a Chef, assisting Chef Neil Wilson for a Bachelorette Dinner Party in Arlington. Neil demonstrated and served the nights menu for 19 ladies prior to their night on town. Although the night was a blur, and I spent much of it washing the nights cookware, the dishpan hands were WELL worth the learning experience and the hands-on time with the evenings selection. Working with Neil was not only an honor, but brought back many fun memories of our days together at the Pentagon. It was a night that I will fondly remember until my next chance at assisting!

Confused Bush eats kitten?

The political world was rocked by yet another scandal today as footage was leaked to the New York Times by unnamed sources from within the White House of President Bush eating what appears to be an adorable kitten. When asked about the pictures, the White House Press Secretary cited executive privilege and national security issues prevented him from commenting at this time.


"They misunderestimated me." —Bentonville, Ark., Nov. 6, 2000

Senate passes domestic spending, GI Bill

2nd hurdle towards Culinary School. Now the President needs to sign it into law!

By J. Taylor Rushing
Posted: 06/26/08 10:24 PM [ET]
The Senate left town Thursday night for a week and a half after passing billions in domestic spending initiatives and a new GI Bill but falling a single vote short of passing Medicare legislation that would have prevented pay cuts to physicians.
The flurry of votes capped a day of dull inaction. Senators will now begin their Independence Day recess, following which they will take up legislation modernizing the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on Tuesday, July 8. Partisan wrangling delayed action on housing legislation until after the recess.

The supplemental, which passed by a 92-6 vote, authorized a new GI Bill, Gulf Coast and Midwest flood recovery funds and an extension of unemployment benefits. It will be added to $165 billion that the House and Senate have already approved for U.S. military needs in Iraq and Afghanistan.

30 Years Of Man's Life Disappear In Mysterious 'Kansas Rectangle'

May 5, 2008 Issue 44•19
CHICAGO—The so-called "Kansas rectangle," a desolate and featureless region covering 82,277 square miles in America's mysterious Great Plains, has been a source of speculation among paranormal investigators for decades. Though the questions surrounding its existence have never been answered, one thing is certain: The life of former Chicagoan Kevin Corcoran suddenly vanished into the eerie region 30 years ago this week, never to return.

According to his friends and family, Corcoran, a bright and energetic young man of 18, was last seen driving into the Rectangle in a Plymouth Duster on the afternoon of May 8, 1978. Surveillance footage shows him stopping at a gas station near the border to buy fuel and snacks at 4:15 p.m. Although his trip was only supposed to last the summer, he was never seen or heard from again. The last known communication from Corcoran was sent from somewhere within the Rectangle, and made reference to plans to marry a large blond woman and enroll in a local technical college. Records indicate the message was received from 37 degrees 42 minutes north latitude and 97 degrees 20 minutes west longitude—but when searchers attempted to investigate that location, they found nothing but a tiny town with zero signs of life.

"Who knows if my son will ever return to civilization," said Corcoran's father, Dennis, now 76. "Some have reported seeing a pale and dead-eyed specter of him, trudging to and from a small office-supply firm every day, but they could just be legends. We don't know." Acquaintances of Corcoran say they warned him that once he entered the Rectangle, he would never make it back out, but he did not listen, and was drawn there to investigate tales of cheap tuition. It wasn't until Corcoran failed to show up in the summer of 1978 for an annual camping trip, however, that the reality of his disappearance began to sink in. "I knew then he wasn't coming back," friend Craig Wilkins said. "He got sucked into this alternative reality, and he can't get out. I'll never see my friend again."

As haunting as his story may be, Kevin Corcoran is only one of hundreds of people who, for unknown reasons, have had years or even decades of their lives utterly fade away in the mystifying region. Still, most cases lack any hard evidence: The few known photos from inside the Rectangle show only a flat, blank emptiness, stretching unremarkably to the horizon. What happens in the lives of those who venture within remains a mystery. Matthew Hume, a researcher at the University of Chicago who studies the Rectangle, said the bizarre phenomena associated with the region might never be fully understood. "As best we can tell, those who go beyond the area's borders for too long are knocked off course by the low external pressure to succeed," Hume said. "But after that, it's as if they fall off the face of the earth. There are cases of an entire Greyhound bus full of people entering the Rectangle and vanishing into obscurity."

Experts estimate that several million tons of consumer goods disappear into the region per year. Yet, almost nothing, save for the odd Sunday morning church broadcast, is ever detected coming back out. Still, some travelers have returned to tell their tales. The most frequent occurrence reported by those who have survived the Kansas Rectangle is extreme disorientation and an unsettling perception of time distortion. Boulder, CO resident Ned Frome entered the Rectangle in 2005 while en route to visiting family in St. Louis. "I had been driving for hours, but it was as though I hadn't moved at all," Frome said. "I had no idea which direction I was going in. No matter where I looked, everything was exactly the same and before long, normal navigation was almost impossible." "I'll never go in there again," Frome added with a shudder. "I felt like I was going insane." Kyle Manheim, a photocopier salesman from Minneapolis who was once inside the Kansas Rectangle for two weeks on business, said he could not clearly remember any events from the time period. "There isn't a single thing I can recall that would be worth mentioning," Manheim said. "I know I was there, but that's about it. It's like those 14 days never happened."

While many strongly believe in the eerie, soul-destroying powers of the Kansas Rectangle, the dearth of concrete evidence has drawn its share of skeptics. "If you look at the statistics, there's nothing going on in that area that doesn't happen every day in the rest of the country," said Stephen Finney, a long-haul trucker who is familiar with the region. "What happened to Kevin Corcoran could have happened in Iowa, Indiana, or even Michigan. "It's just a myth," Finney added. "This whole 'Kansas' place people talk about simply does not exist."

Pappardelle with Lemon, Hot Peppers and Pecorino Romano

This is a Batali inspired "Mex-Italo" recipe that I demo'd over the weekend at a dinner party with friends. Sautéing the red onions brings out their inherent sweet overtones which blends nicely with the flavor of the jalapeno. Enjoy this with a nice dry Sauvignon Blanc.

2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
3 jalapeños, seeded and cut into thin slivers
Zest and juice of 3 lemons
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1¼ pounds basic pasta dough, cut into pappardelle
½ cup freshly grated pecorino romano
Preparations
1. Bring 6 quarts of water to a boil in a large pot, and add 2 tablespoons salt.
2. Meanwhile, in a 10- to 12-inch skillet, heat the olive oil over medium heat until almost smoking. Add the onion and the red pepper flakes and sauté until softened and translucent, 8 to 10 minutes. Add the jalapeños and sauté for 1 minute. Add the lemon zest and juice, bring to a boil, and boil for 1 minute. Remove from the heat, stir in the butter, and season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside.
3. Drop the pasta into the boiling water and cook until tender, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain.
4. Toss the hot pasta into the pan with the lemon mixture, return to medium heat, and mix well, stirring gently. Add the pecorino and toss quickly. Transfer to a warmed serving platter, and serve immediately.
Serves Four.

Thinking about who to vote for?

I think this sums it up!

Virginia Beer-Sicles are legal again!

Almost a year ago to the day, the beer-centric restaurant Rustico in Alexandria, Virginia had to remove "beer pops" from their menu. The grown-up popsicles, available in flavors like "Raspbeer-y," didn't jibe with Virginia legislation. According to the state's Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC), beer must be served in its original container, or served immediately after pouring. So where does that leave the brew pops, or other items on the menu like framboise-marinated red onions in the Hearts of Romaine Salad? When does beer become less liquid and more solid food?
Rustico executive chef Frank Morales challenged ABC and thanks to a bill sponsored by Delegate Adam Ebbin (D-Alexandria) and Senator Patsy Ticer (D-Alexandria), the brew-haha is over. Starting July 1, the $5 frozen brewskies will come in flavors including framboise, cherry kriek, peche, cassis, banana, plum, and chocolate stout. Rustico: 827 Slaters Lane, Alexandria VA 22314 (map); 703-224-5051; rusticorestaurant.com

Technique, Theory, Attitude.

These are the three keys to success according to L'Academie de Cuisine, a "Top-10" Culinary School located within the Washington D.C. Metro region. L'Academie believes that a student must be well rounded in both the theory and techniques of cooking before applying individual interpretation to develop his or her own creative style. "Our students learn through close interaction with instructors as they prepare to enter a variety of culinary professions." L’Academie de Cuisine develops students with the ability to adapt to the changing culinary world in the 21st century. Not only do students receive hands-on, supervised training, they work independently to enhance their creativity and in groups to develop team-work concepts. The result is a graduate with a firm grasp of both basic and advanced culinary skills, theoretical knowledge, and technical and practical experience — all the tools necessary to join the ranks of great chefs!

The Culinary Arts Program at L'Academie de Cuisine is a dynamic one-year program that combines 3 phases of study: classroom study/kitchen basics; advanced kitchen training; and a paid externship at a fine-dining restaurant. L'Academie's small class sizes, consisting of just 24 students per semester, ensure that students will have intimate access to culinary professionals with first-hand knowledge of what it takes to succeed as a professional cook. After successfully completing the course, students are ready to take on the challenges of a culinary career.

The first phase (12 weeks) of L'Academie's culinary education provides students with the theoretical foundation and technical skills necessary to become a successful chef. Having mastered the basics of classic techniques, students begin the second phase (12 weeks) and continue to refine and advance their skills. The menu expands to include dishes from all over the world. Students compete in iron-chef style challenges, where they use their culinary creativity to develop special menus of their own creation from a market basket of ingredients. This period of competitive training enhances the students' overall understanding of the professional kitchen and encourages the development of a realistic attitude toward work in the culinary industry. Phase three begins the externship. Now the fun really begins. The externship is a chance for students to see what they are made of in a fast-paced professional kitchen. They work with professional chefs on the line of a fine-dining establishment. The chef advisors work closely with L’Academie and evaluate all aspects of the student’s performance to provide invaluable professional experience and guidance. While working a minimum of 33 hours a week, students continue their classroom studies for approximately six months, attending class one day a month. With the right combination of chemistry and hard work, many externships turn into full-time professional jobs. Graduates of L'Academie de Cuisine are prepared to enter any number of culinary related fields, including food research, writing, teaching, catering, or cooking at fine dining establishments.

Top Ten Things Overheard on Hillary Clinton's First Day Back at Work

10 - "Nice of you to show up"
9 - "Did you win?"
8 - "We chipped in for a welcome back pantsuit"
7 - "Should I take the Madame President nameplate off your door?"
6 - "Hillary's choking another superdelegate"
5 - "On the bright side, you can once again partake in endless debates about agricultural subsidies"
4 - "Senator Clinton, please stop throwing wads of paper at Senator Obama's head"
3 - "I can't believe your shrill message of fear didn't resonate"
2 - "Please stop taunting her, Senator Kerry"

And the number one thing heard during Hillary's first day back at work...

1- "We'll begin as soon as Senator Craig returns from the restroom"

Man cannot live by bread alone...

Says who? I decided to break free from the surly bonds of white bread and go it alone with something a bit more spicy! The No-Knead bread recipe that is sweeping the Nation just wasn't good enough for moi! I figured the worst thing that could happen is the results of my experimentation could either be used as frisbees or as gifts for people that I really don't like. To establish my starting point, here is the No-Knead Bread Recipe as published in the New York Times on November 8, 2006:

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1¼ teaspoons salt (although I use 1 tablespoon as it really improves taste)
1 5/8 cups of water (lukewarm)

1. In a large bowl combine flour, yeast and salt. Add 1 5/8 cups water, and stir until blended; dough will be shaggy and sticky. Cover bowl with plastic wrap. Let dough rest at least 12 hours, preferably about 18, at warm room temperature, about 70 degrees.
2. Dough is ready when its surface is dotted with bubbles. Lightly flour a work surface and place dough on it; sprinkle it with a little more flour and fold it over on itself once or twice. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest about 15 minutes.
3. Using just enough flour to keep dough from sticking to work surface or to your fingers, gently and quickly shape dough into a ball. Lightly spray a piece of parchment paper with cooking oil (Pam, etc); put dough seam side down on parchment and dust with more flour, bran or cornmeal. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours. When it is ready, dough will be more than double in size and will not readily spring back when poked with a finger.
4. At least a half-hour before dough is ready, heat oven to 450 degrees. Put a 6- to 8-quart heavy covered pot (cast iron, enamel, Pyrex or ceramic) in oven as it heats. When dough is ready, carefully remove pot from oven. Place parchment paper with bread in it into the dutch oven. Shake pan once or twice if dough is unevenly distributed; it will straighten out as it bakes. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes, then remove lid and bake another 15 to 30 minutes, until loaf is beautifully browned. Cool on a rack.

Ok, back to your regularly scheduled programing. Using the above recipe as a starting point, I added 1 cup of sharp cheddar cheese, 1/4 cup finely chopped jalapeno (on a stick), 2 teaspoons dijon mustard (and yes, that is Grey Poupon), and 1/8 teaspoon cayenne peppa! (step 1 above)

After letting the dough rise overnight for about 16 hours, this is how it looked the next morning. (Step 2 above)

Scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a lightly floured surface. Fold the dough over about 1/2 of the way as if you were folding a business letter. Fold the other half over and then fold that in half. Gently shape the dough into a ball and place onto a large piece of parchment paper and then place back in the bowl. Lightly cover the bowl with plastic wrap and set in a warm place (70-80 degrees) for roughly 2 hours. The dough should rise to twice its size. (Step 3) After two hours, the dough should look somewhat like this:

You are now ready for step 4. Once oven and dutch oven are pre-heated as per above, pick up dough by the edges of the parchment paper and place in dutch oven. It is fine if the parchment paper sticks out from under the lid of the dutch oven. I found that I cook the bread with the lid on the dutch oven for 25 minutes at 450 degrees, then remove the lid for an additional 10-15 minutes until the bread is a dark golden brown color. Remove the bread and let cool on a bakers rack. Hopefully, if all went well, it should look something like this.

Add a bottle of wine and you've got more than a meal! Enjoy...

C

Dinner with Neil & Emma

Wonderful dinner with friends tonight. Instruction on how to properly make pasta from scratch, then dinner & wine. Here is a copy of our menu...

Landslide Victory for GI Bill in House Today: 416-12

First step towards Culinary School...

NEW YORK - Today, by an overwhelming margin of 416-12, the House of Representatives voted in favor of a domestic spending provision of the war supplemental funding bill which includes a World War II-style GI Bill for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans. This version of the bill was agreed upon by the House leadership and the White House in a deal brokered last night. Iraq and Afghanistan Veterans of America (IAVA) applauds the extraordinary support that both Democrats and Republicans have shown for this critical legislation and the progress we've seen in the past 24 hours.

The King of Beasts...

The Standing Rib Roast, the King of Beef in this country. It was my duty to undertake turning this roast beast into a fabulous ... Now I stop and interject that I used this word as an adjective, NOT with any hand motions or enunciation such as "FABuuuulouuuus!", but I digress. The Menu du Jour for my brides birthday was a 3-Bone Standing Rib Roast with Yorkshire Pudding, served with Wild Mushroom Gravy. Accompanied by Asparagus, Garlic & Roasted Red Pepper.

1) Have the butcher remove the "chine" bone from the bottom of the roast and have the meat separated from the rib bones so you have a boneless roast and a row of rib bones. Then put the meat back into the bone cradle and tie the meat back onto the bones with string. This allows the bones to keep the meat moist and flavorful and makes for easier carving.

2) Slice 4 to 5 cloves of garlic into thick slices and while using a sharp paring knife, poke holes all around the roast and press the garlic into them.
2) Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Thinly slice one Vidalia onion and set aside. Core two Golden Delicious Apples and cut into 6-8 slices per apple. Create a mound of onion in the bottom of the roasting pan and place the meat on top of the onions, bone side down, fat side up. Arrange the apple slices around the roast and allow it to come to room temperature. Rub the roast with smoked paprika, sweet paprika, garlic, salt and pepper. Roast 30 minutes. Reduce heat to 325 degrees and cook 13 minutes per pound from this point or until the internal temperature reaches 125 degrees for rare to medium rare.
3) Remove the roast and let rest at least 10 minutes before carving.

Yorkshire Pudding

9 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 2 cups

1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

4 large eggs, room temperature

2 cups whole milk, room temperature

1/4 cup beef drippings, divided*

*Cooks note: A 3-bone-in standing rib roast cooked in a 13 by 9-inch roasting pan will give you enough drippings for the pudding. Prepare the pudding while the roast is resting.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Leave 2 tablespoons of drippings in the roasting pan and place in the oven.
Place the flour, salt, eggs, milk and remaining 2 tablespoons of drippings into the bowl of a food processor or blender and process for 30 seconds. Pour the batter into the hot roasting pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until puffed and golden brown. While the pudding is cooking, carve the roast. Serve the pudding with the roast.

Wild Mushroom Sauce:
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped shallots
3 cups sliced wild mushrooms, such as a shiitake, morel, chanterelle, wood ear, and/or oyster, stems trimmed and wiped clean
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions (green and white parts)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 1/2 cups veal stock or beef stock, or low-sodium beef broth
1 cup heavy cream

In a heavy medium saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until soft and fragrant, 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms, salt, and pepper and cook until the mushrooms start to give off their liquid, about 3 minutes. Add the green onions, parsley, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Stir in the stock and heavy cream and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to medium-low and simmer until thickened to a sauce consistency, 20 to 30 minutes.

Suzie's Dark Chocolate Peppermint Pattie Birthday Cake

For Suzie's Birthday, I decided to go all out and make a cake this year instead of buying one. I figure if I'm going to make a career out of this, the least I can do is make my own cakes. Pulling out all strings, this cake turned into a two day event. The cake was baked and cooled on Wednesday night, and finished on Thursday afternoon. It had the consistency of a flourless cake and weighed a ton! I took the following recipe, and modified it by cutting the cake into 3 layers and frosting all 3 with a Dark Chocolate frosting. I let the cake cool for 2 hours in the 'fridge while I made the Ganache and allowed it to cool to lukewarm temperature. After coating the cake in liquid chocolate, I returned it to the 'fridge to cool for another couple of hours prior to serving. Recipe follows:

Cake
14 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
16 tablespoons (8 ounces) butter
1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons heavy cream
6 eggs, separated
1 cup sugar
1 cup flour
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla
1 cup (6 ounces) small-diced peppermint pattie candies

Ganache Topping:
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
12 ounces chocolate, finely chopped (6oz bitter, 6oz semisweet)
2 to 3 T water (if too thick or too oily)

Royal Icing (Glace Royale)
½ cup confectioners’ sugar
1/3 of 1 egg white
3 to 4 drops lemon juice


To make the cake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Butter a 9 1/2 to 10-inch springform pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, butter the paper, and flour the pan, tapping out the excess flour.
Melt the chocolate with the butter and cream in the top of a double boiler. Reserve.

In the bowl of a mixer with a whip, beat the egg yolks with the sugar until very thick and light (about 5 minutes). Add the melted chocolate mixture to the egg yolks and mix until just blended. Add the flour, salt, and vanilla and mix until combined, scraping the bowl once or twice. Transfer the batter to a large mixing bowl and stir in the Peppermint Pattie pieces. The mixture will be quite thick.
In a clean mixing bowl, with a clean whip, beat the egg whites to medium soft peaks. Lighten the batter by stirring in about one-third of the egg whites. Fold in the remaining whites and the place batter in the prepared pan. Bake at 350 degrees F for approximately 45 to 50 minutes. The top of the cake will feel set and very fine hairline cracks will just start to form around the edges. Remove and cool in the pan on a rack.

To make the ganache topping: Heat the cream in a heavy bottomed saucepan to just under a boil. Add the chopped chocolate and, over very low heat, constantly stirring, cook the mixture until it is completely smooth. Remove from heat and allow to cool to just above luke warm.

Place the cooled cake upside down on a cardboard cake circle or a service plate. Remove the sides and bottom of the springform pan. Remove the parchment liner. Using an offset spatula, decoratively spread the ganache over what is now the top of the cake, drawing the ganache all the way out to the edges of the cake. Using the offset spatula, level the edges to give the cake a finished look. Decorate with Glace Royale & Andes mints cut into triangles.

Happy Birthday!

Batman - International OZ Star on the Net

My 15 minutes of International Fame!

The Oz Report

Thermalling over the Strawberry Festival

Stellar day at Ridgely. Me and Akula (thee dog) arrived just before noon to the largest number of gliders I've seen in quite a while. Awesome surprise to see Paul & Lauren's shining faces which was quite unexpected. Rushed to get the glider setup as I had seen a bunch of Cumi's starting to pop down South while I was driving over the Bay Bridge. It was a cloudless blue sky over Ridgely and remained that way for the rest of the day. I entered the launch line around 1:45 as many gliders were starting to rain from the sky. John M launched just before me and was already on the ground when I launched. Expecting to add to my long list of sled rides this year, I was surprised just how much thermal turbulance was out there on tow. At 2200 feet, I watched as the Tug rocketed up and my glider joined the space shuttle launch a few seconds later. I fell out of the thermal in a hard right turn and knew I had no chance to get back wings level. As I reached for my release, the weak link snapped (AS IT'S SUPPOSED TO) and suddenly I was off tow. I followed the ensuing hard right turn around 270 and entered the thermal that had just bucked me and continued by climb up to 5500 feet. I was joined by Paul and soon after Matthew, which was an awesome feeling as its been quite a few years since the 3 of us have been in the same thermal. Thermal drift was only about 4 mph so I just lazily drifted with it. Dan T joined me in another thermal a while later and I decided it was nice to share! Deciding to explore, I flew up near Greensboro, got down to about 3500 and caught another thermal taking back up to 5700. I headed south down by the golf course and then at about the 1:15 mark, I decided I was cold and was ready to head back. I parked myself over the Ridgely fairground and performed a few wingovers for the Strawberry Festival crowd, deciding at 2500 I would pull VG and head back to land. Caught a screamer over the town and took it up to 6200 and decided to fly a little while longer. Once Matthew radioed up that all of the above mentioned pilots were on the ground, I decided that my work here was done and I was not only freezing, but exhausted. Heading back to Ridgely, I corkscrewed down and enjoyed the warm air that rush up to meet me. Ended the flight with a good landing for 1:48 total flight time, longest flight in over 2 years. Hung around for the rest of the day enjoying all the friends and the good company at Ridgely. Did dinner en masse at a little Mom & Pop Italian joint in Greensboro and got home at 11:15.