My front yard gets full sun – and far more sun than my backyard where I grow all my vegetables. But I never plant vegetables in the front. I’m nervous about neighborhood dogs peeing in the garden, or passerbys taking a tomato. But I’m reminded of another very big reason:
After a snow storm, I shovel the snow into my front yard, as that’s the only place to put it. Mixed in with all the snow is sand and salt from all the plow trucks that go down my street. I can’t imagine the state of my soil after I winter like the one we’re having now.
Apparently, the debate has been raging between the North and South, and which region of the Eastern coast makes the best cornbread: Northern sweet vs. Southern savory.
I had no idea.
I like mine slightly sweet, with lots of butter in the batter for a rich texture and flavor. Sometimes, I’ll mix in bacon, scallions or jalapenos. And if there are leftovers, I make them into croutons for a fun alternative to the traditional bread variety.
The Boston Globe featured my recipe for cornbread in the food section yesterday. You can read more about the debate here.
How do you like your cornbread?
My Cornbread
Adapted from “Princess Pamela’s Soul Food Cookbook’’ and "The Blue Moon Cookbook"
Makes one 12-inch skillet Vegetable oil (for the skillet) 2 eggs, beaten to mix 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract 1 cup buttermilk 1 1/2 cups yellow cornmeal 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon sugar 1 stick ( 1/2 cup) butter, melted
1. Set the oven at 400 degrees. Rub a heavy 12-inch cast-iron skillet with oil. Heat it in the oven for 5 minutes or until sizzling.
2. In a bowl, mix eggs, vanilla, and buttermilk.
3. In a larger bowl, mix the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, and sugar. Add the egg mixture and combine with a few rapid strokes. Fold in melted butter.
4. Carefully remove the hot pan from the oven. Pour in batter. Bake for 20 minutes or until the top feels firm when pressed with a finger.
Next week, I will spend a day observing the operations of a bakery in Brookline. The owner wants to grow her business and we will be documenting the different jobs in the kitchen to evaluate how best to expand her operations and utilize labor effectively.
As I prepare for this day, I asked for her prep-sheets, recipes and order guides – any standardized forms she has that streamline operations. She pulled out her recipe book – a tattered moleskine book with handwritten notes in her native (non-English) language.
"Don't worry," she said. "I'm always at the bakery to teach them my recipes."
Oh, I worried.
In addition to the inefficiencies of constantly teaching her employees her recipes, there is an inherent risk in having one person the sole keeper of information. If the owner becomes incapacitated for any reason, can someone else jump in to take care of operations?
This is just one example of the importance of knowledge sharing. There are several approaches to ensure your business is covered when a key person is out of work.
Write down job descriptions with specific tasks
Job descriptions are helpful not only for the employees themselves, but also in the event someone else has to cover a shift. How should the cook set up her station? What are the closing procedures at the end of the night? Which aspects of the operation is each employee (or station) responsible for?
Write down recipes
It's also helpful for employees to have par levels – how much chicken for example, should be prepped and ready for service on any given night of the week? Have a system where employees can track what needs to be ordered to maintain par levels on their station.
Cross-train employees in multiple aspects of the business
With job descriptions written and recipes recorded, your employees will be better equipped to jump onto another job at the last minute.
As for my client, I will be transcribing recipes, creating prep sheets and order guides so she can manage her current business more effectively and stream-line operations as she grows.
Do you have your recipes written and job descriptions standardized?
I love sweet, salty, spicy and sour. But bitter is a tough pill for me to swallow. I pick radicchio out of mesclun mixes, avoid bittersweet chocolate desserts (clearly I’m not much of a dessert-head) and moderate my beer consumption to wheats and lagers.
Broccoli raab is the exception that proves the rule. Certainly, the cold weather tempers the bitter flavor (it’s much stronger in the heat of summer). Sautéing with garlic, olive oil and chili flakes brings out its sweetness. It makes the perfect accompaniment to rich dishes like braised short-ribs, as it balances the fatty flavors. In the brassicas family, broccoli raab resembles its namesake with the tight florets that form. Unlike broccoli, they have a flourish of edible leaves and the stalks are more tender.
1. Trim the ends off the broccoli raab, and coarsely chop. Wash. 2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes or until aromatic. Add the spices and cook for 1 minute more to toast them before adding the raab. 3. Cook the raab, stirring frequently until bright green. If the pan seems dry, add ¼ cup of water. 4. Stir in the grapes and honey. Season with salt.
Temperatures haven’t reached above freezing for several days, and I craved the warmth of a slowly simmered dish… I started pulling books off the shelf looking for a new take on braised short ribs, and came across Braised Short Ribs with a Duo of Celery from Daniel Boulud's Cafe Boulud Cookbook .
How many recipes do you cook from a book before you deem it worthwhile? I’ve heard that a mere two recipes is sufficient. Leafing through this book, I recalled I’ve made adapted the socca crepes many times, and a few others yet to be blogged about. This book would certainly qualify as a success by that standard.
Granted, I don’t follow his recipes very closely… but they offer a good starting point.
I winged (wong?) the short-ribs – pulling from various standard braising recipes. I added prunes to the braising liquid – I recall seeing that somewhere – for sweetness. I love celery root puree and followed my own method – omitting the potatoes, enriching it with cream instead of butter, and balancing the richness with lemon juice. I did follow his recipe for braised celery, sort of.
Braised Short Ribs with a Duo of Celery Inspired by Daniel Boulud.
4 short-ribs 2 – 3 tbs. plain oil ¼ cup flour 1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1 celery stack, chopped 1 small onion, peeled and chopped 4 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped 1 – 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1 cup red wine 5 prunes, pitted and cut in quarters 1 tsp. juniper berries, crushed 2 cups chicken broth 1 cup canned tomatoes Salt and pepper Truffle oil Celery root puree Braised Celery (recipe follows)
1. Season short ribs generously with salt and pepper. Let sit for 10 minutes while organizing the other ingredients. 2. Heat a large skillet over high heat. Add the oil. Dust the short ribs in flour and add to the skillet. Brown on both sides, at least 5 minutes per side. 3. Remove short ribs from pan and place in an oven proof dish. Drain oil/grease from pan. 4. To the short rib pan, add the vegetables and cook for a minutes to take the raw edge off. Add the wine, prunes, juniper, chicken broth and tomatoes. Bring to a boil 5. Pour veggie/broth over beef. Put in 325F oven for 2 -3 hours, or until ribs are tender. Remove short ribs from braising liquid. Strain the braising liquid, being sure to squeeze out all the liquid from the veggies. Let the liquid settle so the fat rises to the top. Skim off and discard the fat. 6. Just before serving, reheat the short ribs in the strained liquid. 7. Serve with celery root and braised celery. 8. Drizzle with truffle oil
Braised Celery 1 head celery 2 tbs. olive oil 1 carrot, peeled and diced 1 turnip or rutabaga, peeled and diced 1 onion, peeled and diced 2 cups chicken broth Salt and pepper
1. Trim celery of leaves and tough outer stalks. Cut into 3 inch pieces. 2. Heat a skillet over medium heat. Add olive oil. Then add carrots, turnips and onions. Cook for 3 minutes, or until soft. 3. Add celery to the skillet and toss to coat in oil and veggies. Add chicken broth 4. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, or until celery is tender.
Every time I run into Chris Douglas, chef/owner of Tavolo and Ashmont Grill in Dorchester, he's talking about one of the great Future Chefs interns he has working for him.
The value of internships is clear for the student…. They are a great tool in exploring new careers, building resumes and garnering experience. This is especially true for high school and college students.
"Lots of young people and career changers go into debt for culinary school. Taking an unpaid apprenticeship in a high end restaurant can be a very effective way of discovering if the field is a good fit and of building skills under a teaching chef without going into debt. We recommend it for some of our students and two of them have done short unpaid apprenticeships this year in a small high end kitchen, one was recommended to Hungry Mother and is valued, paid staff there and the other is returning to NECI with invaluable experience under his belt and an impressive recommendation that will open doors
"This is particularly useful for talented inner city kids who need experience out of their comfort zone and a chance to show what they can do with someone whose willing to help them make the transition to unfamiliar territory. For young people who are eager to learn and don't think they are one step away from being famous because they've been to culinary school this arrangement can be a win win for the apprentice and the chef/owner."
In return for taking a grateful young person under their wing and giving them the experience they need to move up, the business gets tangible benefits as well.
First and foremost, business owners have a low-cost opportunity to recruit and measure talent in the next generation of workers.
"The organization has the opportunity to observe the student at work and review work habits, technical ability, interpersonal skills, and adaptability before making a full-time commitment," wrote Larry Crumbley and Glenn Sumners in Internal Auditor
It's not uncommon to pawn off the menial tasks on the intern, but it is equally important is to pepper them with some of the more exciting jobs to keep their enthusiasm strong. I recall my own internship at Bix Restaurant where my regular jobs were chopping onions, garlic and cleaning lobsters.
And perhaps the most overlooked benefit of interns: The fresh set of eyes and questions prod the manager out of the day-to-day business to think differently and more creatively about operations.
In the back corner of the produce section, there’s a cooler filled with convenience products – sliced pepper medley, peeled and cubed butternut squash, shredded cabbage and washed salad blends. I shudder everytime I walk past it… it’s really not that hard to cut a pepper, or even peel a butternut squash. Last week, I walked back to the main produce aisle, grabbed a small red cabbage and tossed it into my cart.
When I got home, I started shredding the cabbage for an Asian slaw. After cutting up half, I realized I had more than enough for the 3 people I was cooking for, with ample leftovers. I wrapped up the second half and now will plan to make braised red cabbage later in the week.
After three days of eating cabbage slaw, I had my fill. The first night, I ate it with the char. The second two days, I served it with Claypot Chicken. Sadly, the remainder went into the compost bin. Suddenly, the value of pre-chopped cabbage became more appealing. I can purchase a more manageable quantity. Perhaps I pay a little more, but there’s comfort in not wasting.
Which is the lesser evil? Wasting food or purchasing pre-cut veggies? Or should I not make cabbage unless I’m serving a crowd?
What would you have done?
Asian Red Cabbage Slaw
serves at least 6
½ red cabbage 6 scallions 2 tbs. canola oil 1 tbs. sesame oil ¼ cup sliced almonds ¼ cup raw sesame seeds 1 tbs. sugar 1 tsp. salt 2 -3 tbs. rice vinegar
1. Cut the core out of the cabbage and slice as thinly as possible 2. Julienne the scallions. Put in a mix bowl with the cabbage. 3. Heat the oils in a skillet over medium heat. Add the almonds and sesame seeds. Cook, stirring frequently until the nuts begin to brown. Immediately pour over the cabbage. 4. To the cabbage add the sugar, salt and vinegar. Mix well. Let sit for 10 minutes so the flavors can meld.
I am the queen of substitution. If a recipe calls for pork, I may make it with venison, duck or tuna. And if a recipe calls for tahini, and I don’t have any on hand, I’ll use what I have – either sesame oil or grind toasted sesame seeds.
But one day last spring, I took it too far. When fava beans were in season, I opted to use them instead of the edamame. I knew the flavor would be different, but the color and size were similar so it seemed like an appropriate seasonal substitution. Oh, how wrong was I! First, the mealy texture detracted from the dish and the flavor did nothing to enhance the dish. I realized that the soy-beans played a critical role in the flavor profile of this dish.
This week, I had daikon and carrots in the fridge, leftover from a friend’s CSA. I decided to make this dish again, but using the soy beans as originally called for in the dish.
Some things just shouldn’t be messed with.
Arctic Char with Radish Salad, Soy Beans and Orange Glaze
2 lbs. Arctic Char 2 scallions, julienned 1 carrot, julienned 3 radishes, julienned ½ carrot, finely diced ¼ celery stalk, finely diced ¼ leek, finely diced 1 tomato, finely diced 1 stick butter 1 tbs. soy sauce 2 cups orange juice ¼ cup fresh soy beans 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tbs. olive oil salt and pepper to taste plain oil for cooking
1. Place orange juice in a pot, and cook over high heat until reduced by to about ½ cup. Remove from heat and whisk in 3 tbs. butter. Season with soy sauce. Set aside in a warm place.
2. Combine scallions, carrot julienne and radish julienne in a bowl. Season with lemon, olive oil, salt and pepper.
3. Melt 2 tbs. butter over medium heat. Add carrot dice, celery dice and leek dice. Cook until soft, about 3 minutes. Add soy beans tomatoes. Season to taste with salt and pepper
4. Season fish with salt and pepper. Heat skillet over high heat, add plain oil. Cook fish on first side until brown and crispy, flip and cook for just a minute more on the second side.
5. Serve fish with glaze, small dice of vegetables, and scallion salad
I started working with a new client last week who wants to re-energize his business. In our initial meeting, I asked him his goals for the strategic audit. He replied, "I want to make a profit."
I followed-up with, "How will you measure success?"
To achieve his goals, my client needs to first define what success will look like. With a clear picture, we can create a road-map to get there. Success means different things to different people and businesses. Here are some examples:
Being Voted Best "Best Neighborhood Bistro" by Boston Magazine
Selling 200 subscriptions to your CSA
Making a net profit of $200,000
For my client, success will be purchasing the building that houses his business.
Each of these definitions will require different strategies.
Success: Best of Boston Award
This strategy will focus on improving the quality of service and food. It will be followed up with a PR and media campaign to ensure the public and press are aware of your quality.
Success: Revenue Target
If your goal is to increase sales (for a farm, this may mean selling more CSA subscriptions, for a restaurant it may be reaching a sales target), then you will need to create a strategy for sales and marketing. A restaurant may want to consider special promotions to bring in new customers. A farmer may want will want to explore to increase awareness about the farm.
Success: Net Earnings Target
And if your goal is to increase profits, then your strategy will focus on increasing revenues (see above) and also evaluating all the business expenses for opportunities to trim them.
For my client, we will take a multi-faceted approach. We will explore ways to increase revenues and decrease expenses. In addition, we will put together a capital plan to determine his financing needs. With that in mind, we can evaluate his options to purchase the building and get his finances and business organized so that he can successfully get the funding he needs.
How do you define success? And what are your strategies?
I pulled all the sheets and towels out of the washing machine and tossed them in the dryer. I threw in a dryer sheet and hit the start button. The tumbler made its motion until I took my finger off the button. And then it stopped. Maybe I didn’t hold it long enough… I hit the start button again. And again. I unplugged the machine, reset the circuit breaker. To no avail, the dryer was definitely not drying.
I hung the sheets and towels from the every possible hook and hanger to prevent that dreaded sour smell that comes from leaving wet laundry for too long. Cursing that I had let the laundry pile up, I contemplated my options.
The week was not off to a good start.
Given that the machine had already broken twice in the nine years since I purchased it, I decided it was probably time to purchase a new machine.
Did you know that in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts only a certified plumber can disconnect and reconnect a gas dryer?
Great! On top of the expense of a new dryer and the delivery cost, I need to pay the plumber to come to my house. Twice.
Thank goodness, I adore my plumber. We’ve spent many lazy summer days fishing together at Spot Pond or chatting on my back deck comparing gardening notes. He pulled into my driveway, with his license plates that read “BowHunt” and reached into the back of his truck. I assumed he was getting tools… But instead he grabbed several packages of butcher paper – wrapping venison that he had hunted and killed last weekend.
The week was looking brighter!
He disconnected the gas and then a few days later returned to reconnect the new machine. And to top off his generosity, he didn’t even charge me.
Two of the packages contained the rump. I probably could have roasted the meat, but given its provenance I knew the meat would be extremely lean with a potential to be very tough. As I learned long ago, free range, wild meats are much tougher than the commercially raised counterparts. I opted for a stew, a sure-fire way to tenderize the toughest cuts. The third package contains sirloin which I will save for another day, and cook rare.
If you’re looking for a new plumber, let me know. Mine comes highly recommended.
Venison Stew with Chocolate Scented Agro-Dolce 1 pound venison stew meat 1 cup red wine ½ tsp. juniper berries, crushed 1 carrot, peeled and chopped 1 onion, peeled and chopped 1 celery stalk, chopped 1 cup chicken broth ¼ cup sugar 2 garlic cloves ½ cup balsamic vinegar 1 -2 tbs. grated bittersweet chocolate Salt and pepper to taste.
1. Season the venison with salt and pepper. Put it in a bowl with the wine, juniper, carrots, onion and celery. Let marinate for at least an hour or as long as over night. 2. Put the venison and marinade in an oven proof, non reactive dish (anything but aluminum). Cover the meat with the chicken broth, and then tin foil. 3. Put the meat in the oven at 325F for 2 hours, or until meat is tender. 4. When meat is tender, finish the sauce…. Put sugar, garlic and ¼ cup of water in a small stainless steel saucepot. Put over high heat. Stir just until the sugar dissolves and continue cooking. Get the balsamic vinegar ready and measured. When the sugar is caramelized, golden brown add the balsamic. It will sizzle furiously, but don’t worry. 5. Add a few spoonfuls of the braising liquid to the balsamic pan and continue cooking for 2 minutes or until the sugar redissolves. 6. Stir the balsamic mix and chocolate into the stew. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.
