Light Stunt: Broccoli with Beef

Light Stunt: Broccoli with Beef

It came as a surprise to me recently that when I was in the produce section at the supermarket with my daughter when she pointed and exclaimed, Broccoli! I like that stuff! When I inquired, she told me that her school cafeteria serves it frequently so I promised to prepare more dishes with broccoli.

Over the last several months, I've gotten to know the staff at the local supermarket so I had them slice a couple of sirloin steaks so that they would be suitable for a stir fry and the prep for the garlic, ginger and broccoli took less than 20 minutes which makes for a great weeknight dish.

The Challenge

Measure my daughter's taste for broccoli.

The Source

The only place where I deviated from my source was in the garnish (I added sesame seeds) so I'll refer you to epicurious.com for the recipe.

Successful?

As I'm finishing my dinner, I look over to my daughter's plate to see most of the beef gone, but only half of the broccoli eaten. She eventually finished the beef but left about one-third of the broccoli which is more than I expected, however I'm now on a new quest to find a broccoli dish that she will completely eat. You can bet I'll be consulting The Flavor Bible.

Light Stunt: Chicken Stir Fry with Spinach and Peanuts

Chicken Stir Fry with Spinach and Peanuts

Call this my first cookbook review.

A while back a college friend had given Mrs. Stuntman and I a copy of Fifty Shades of Chicken by FL Fowler. As you can imagine, I was a little skeptical. The book does contain fifty chicken preparations divided into three sections: the first using whole bird, the second using chicken parts and the third more complicated dishes. Preceding each recipe is some really corny dialog about how a chicken feels about being prepared. I'd rate it a PG-13.

So the other night, I was thumbing through the book looking for last minute dinner ideas and found this dish that looked appealing.

The Challenge

Determine whether this book is more style than substance.

The Source

Adapted from page 88

Ingredients

1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon corn starch
1 teaspoon honey
1 1/2 tablespoons peanut oil
1 1/2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
1 bunch scallions, chopped fine (separate whites from greens)
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon fresh ginger, minced
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes
4 cups baby spinach
1/2 cup roasted peanuts
Cooked white rice, for serving

Method

1. Finish the mise en place: Season the chicken with salt and pepper. Whisk together the chicken stock, soy sauce, corn starch and honey, then set aside.

2. Sear the chicken: Put the peanut oil and sesame oil in a large non-stick skillet and place over medium-high heat. Once the oil starts to smoke, add the chicken and fry, stirring frequently until almost cooked through, approximately five to seven minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate and set aside once the chicken has browned.

3. Flavor the stir fry: Once the chicken has been removed, add the garlic, ginger, red pepper flakes and scallion whites. Stir until fragrant which should take a minute or two. Add the spinach and stir until wilted, an additional minute. Deglaze the skillet with the chicken stock mixture and bring to a rapid simmer, scraping up any fond from the bottom of the skillet. Once the fluids thicken, add the chicken, peanuts and scallion greens and cook until the chicken is cooked through, approximately one to two minutes. Toss to combine then serve over rice.

Successful?

If you can look past the cheesy elements of this book, it's a good book for beginning cooks. Mrs. Stuntman also enjoyed the dish which came together rather quickly; perfect for a weeknight meal.

Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings for a Game Day Entertaining #SundaySupper with Gallo Family Vineyards

Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings

I alluded to my love for football about a year ago with a quick pasta dish. I will further specify that I grew up a fan of the San Francisco 49ers, so I laughed when I read the theme for this week's #SundaySupper event with Gallo Family Vineyards, Game Day Entertaining and Pairings, because fans of my team used to have a reputation of being soft (i.e. the wine and cheese crowd) which contrasted with the fans of the other team across the San Francisco Bay. (On a side note, I was relieved when San Francisco lost to Seattle because I don't think Kaepernick would have been able to keep up with Manning, but that's an entirely different discussion.)

If you're unfamiliar with Gallo Family Vineyards, they have a store locator where you can find their wines, and can be found on facebook, twitter, Instagram, and YouTube. They also have a fun crest creator which you can customize. I did one myself you can see below. In the interest of full disclosure, compensation was provided by Gallo Family Vineyards via Sunday Supper, LLC. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author, and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Gallo Family Vineyards.

GFV also sponsored a previous #SundaySupper event last month. During the twitter chat that week, a portion of the discussion centered around Moscato, which I had never tried. I was intrigued so when I was selected to participate in this week's event, I selected their white Moscato to use for my dish, however I hadn't realized it was a sweet wine when I did. I prefer dry wines such as chardonnays and cabernets because I usually pair them with savory dishes if I'm enjoying a glass with dinner or cook with them. I'm not really a dessert guy and can't appreciate sweet cocktails so I did a google search for wine pairings and one suggestion for Moscato was Chinese food. Many spicy dishes in their cuisine pair well with the sweet wine.

The Challenge

Pair a sweet wine with a spicy appetizer.

The Source

I adapted a chicken wings dish on Cooking Channel's website I thought would make for great game day entertaining.

Ingredients

2 pounds chicken wings, wing tips removed, then cut at the joint
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup dark brown sugar
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon Chinese five-spice powder
1 teaspoon Szechuan peppercorns, dry toasted until fragrant
5 dried red chiles, crushed
1 bunch scallion greens, cut in 2-inch pieces
1 star anise
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 12-fluid ounce bottles ale beer
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 cup corn starch
1 cup all-purpose flour
Vegetable oil, for frying
1 teaspoon chives, chopped fine (for garnish)

Method

1. Marinate the wings: Combine the wings, soy sauce, sugar, garlic, ginger, five-spice, Szechuan peppercorns, dried chiles, scallion greens and star anise in a resealable bag and toss until the chicken is coated in the marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

2. Braise the wings: Empty the contents of the resealable bag into a large Dutch oven. Add to it the ale and rice vinegar. Bring the oven to a boil on the stovetop then reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, until the wings are tender and the meat is almost falling off the bone, approximately 1 hour. Remove the wings onto a platter in a single layer and refrigerate until cold, reserving the braising fluid.

3. Fry the wings: Place enough vegetable oil in a large pot to reach a depth of at least 1 1/2 inches and heat to 375° Fahrenheit. Combine the corn starch and flour, then dredge each wing into the mixture and shake off any excess. Deep-fry the chicken, in batches if necessary, in the oil until deep brown and crisp, approximately 3 minutes, taking care to not overcrowd the pot. Remove the wings with a slotted spoon to a large bowl.

4. Finish the dish: While the wings are frying, place the braising fluid over medium heat and reduce until it is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Strain out and discard the solids, then return the braising fluid to the heat and whisk in the butter. Pour the fluid into the bowl with the chicken and toss until well coated. Serve immediately garnished with the chives and accompanied by Moscato.

Successful?

I need to confess that I didn't have time to marinate the wings overnight so the spicy flavors were muted, which suits me well since I dislike strong spicy dishes. The spice was just enough to complement the sweet flavor of Gallo Family Vineyards Moscato. Mrs. Stuntman also enjoyed this dish so much that these wings might make an encore appearance on Super Bowl Sunday.

Other Sunday Supper Participants

And finally, please check out this week's other Sunday Supper contributors:

• Bacon Wrapped Maple Scallops by That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Balsamic Glazed Cauliflower "Wings" by Cupcakes and Kale Chips
• Bean and Chorizo Dip by Foxes Love Lemons
• Beer Braised Szechuan Chicken Wings by Crazy Foodie Stunts
• Blue Cheese Burger Bites by Country Girl In The Village
• Chipotle Quinoa Fritters by Healthy. Delicious.
• Cilantro Lime Marinated Shrimp by Ruffles & Truffles
• Game Day Pepperoni Pizza Dip by Family Foodie
• Game Day Pulled Pork Nachos by girlichef
• Goat Cheese, Bacon, and Pistachio Truffles by Chocolate Moosey
• Grilled Steak Sliders with Chimichurri Sauce by Hip Foodie Mom
• Honey Dijon Glazed Wings by The Foodie Army Wife
• Honey Ham Barbecue by Cindy's Recipes and Writings
• Hot Crab and Artichoke Dip by The Dinner-Mom
• Korean-style Clams by kimchi MOM
• Sparkling Pomegranate Pinot Punch by Magnolia Days
• Spicy Sausage Rolls by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Spinach Balls by Shocklingly Delicious
• Spinach Lasagna Cups by Alida's Kitchen
• Sweet Potato Skins by The Wimpy Vegetarian

Join the #SundaySupper conversation on twitter on Sunday! We tweet throughout the day and share recipes from all over the world. Our weekly chat starts at 7:00 pm ET.  Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. Check out our #SundaySupper Pinterest board for more fabulous recipes and food photos.

Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It’s easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Chicken Teriyaki and a Soapbox

Chicken Teriyaki

I'd like to thank Bobbi of Bobbi's Kozy Kitchen for bringing this to my attention. Wednesday, after I published the Marinara recipe, I was online and saw that she was bewildered by an article she read on the International Association of Culinary Professionals website entitled Opinion: Faking It by Amy Reiley. I don't want to summarize her sentiments so if you want any of what I am about to write to make sense, please read her blog post now.

Here, I'll wait....Done? Okay.

I found myself in unfamiliar territory because I enjoy sharing my food and it has always been a positive experience for me, but this article angered me. Even though I felt Ms. Reiley took a shot at me and my community of passionate food bloggers, I wanted to take the high road and tried to make my reaction constructive. The moderator stopped publishing new comments but I know they received it because I subscribed to the comments feed and got replies.

I wrote to the author:

I am the author of a small food blog but not professionally trained in culinary arts. I am that novice "stay-at-home father" that you write about so passionately.

Ms. Reiley, I think what might help your argument is to define the difference between "professionals" and "hobbyists" because if the corporations such as Folgers Coffee or Sara Lee pays a food blogger (with no formal culinary training) to develop recipes using their products, are they still amateurs? If I am Dannon Yogurt, I'm not going to hire any idiot that set up a free website last Saturday afternoon on a whim. I do agree that it’s utterly foolish not to test the recipes these home cooks produce, but each business must find what works best for them.

Conversely, I've seen numerous challengers compete on Iron Chef America that have had no formal culinary training and went to "the school of hard knocks". Should we still call them professionals?

The other issue you fail to discuss is the prospective each food blogger contributes. I clearly state on my website that I am not a professional, yet I attempt dishes with difficult preparation, uncommon cooking methods, or items that are taken for granted (and can easily be bought at any local supermarket) in an endeavor to learn something with my audience. If anything, I'm trying to prove the point that the crap pushed at consumers by corporations is prepared better at home and any schmuck can replicate it. Most bloggers share similar points of view and see it more as an educational experience. Are we "dumbing down" the culinary profession or are we making our audiences smarter by learning from our experiences?

I’m not proficient enough to develop my own recipes yet, so if anything, I’m paying professional publishers to test their recipes for them by buying their cookbooks or watching their television shows. If I ever get to that point, I wouldn’t publish anything I wouldn’t be proud of or publish my mistakes with notes to my audience how to avoid my failures.

Ultimately, and with all decisions at the corporate level in this day and age, it comes down to a business decision. Each professional chef has developed their own styles and preferences of preparing food so professional publications must appeal to the home cook because it’s a much wider audience. Recipes contained in Gourmet Magazine might sound daunting (in the name itself) to a mom who’s worked a full eight hour day and must feed 2 screaming kids and a hungry husband dinner. I’m not a fan of Rachel Ray’s food, but I can see the appeal because she’s relatable. Am I correct to assume that your concern lies solely with those corporations that outsource recipe development to people with no formal training and then fail to test the recipe production? Then please direct your concern towards food journalists and food manufacturers and leave us passionate home cooks and food bloggers alone.

It was only after I wrote this that I realized I forgot to point out that food bloggers with no professional training who are hired by food manufacturers to develop recipes represent a small percentage of the food blogging community.

I'm also reminded of an experience I had about a year ago when I hosted a dinner party for some friends. I prepared a pasta dish I got online from a celebrity chef who instructed the cook to blanch broccoli rabe then put said rabe in a skillet with hot oil. You can imagine what occurred: The rabe splattered all over the place and created a scene. It occurred to me after reading this article that this recipe wasn't adequately tested because I ran into the recipe again recently and he updated it so this won't occur.

I believe Ms. Reiley has some legitimate complaints, but her anger should be directed to the people who hire food bloggers so cheaply. Kimmy of Lighter and Local also published her thoughts regarding the matter and her remarks reflect the general consensus among the food bloggers I spoke to. I don't speak for everybody, so tell me: Do you agree? Let me know by leaving me a comment.

May 20th, 2012 Update: IACP has done some back tracking and published comments (including mine) from the original post. You can read the update here.

Now, off the soapbox and back to the fun: The food!

Since you gave me permission (by reading my sentiments above) to rant, I thought I'd leave you with this recipe, however it was never intended to be published here for several reasons:

1. There isn't much originality to it
2. The preparation method is too simple for what I am trying to achieve with this website.
3. It's not authentic Japanese.
4. I didn't take pictures while preparing it.

I used this picture as my profile picture on facebook for a few days because I am trying to improve my photography and plating skills. Again, this is more of a Mildly Disturbed Foodie Stunt with the only redeeming quality being the sauce wasn't store-bought.

The Source

Adapted from page 330 of America's Test Kitchen Family Cookbook Third Edition.

Ingredients

8 bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup sugar
2 tablespoons mirin, sweet sherry or dry white wine
2 teaspoons ginger, grated
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon corn starch
1/8 teaspoon red pepper flakes

Method

1. Pat the chicken dry with paper towels, then season with black pepper. Heat the oil in a 12-inch non-stick skillet over medium-high heat until just smoking. Add the chicken skin-side down. Weigh down the chicken with a heavy pot. Cook until the skin is a deep mahogany brown and very crisp, 15 to 20 minutes. (Check the chicken after 10 minutes. The skin should be moderately brown but if it's very brown, reduce the heat but if it's still pale, raise the heat.)

2. Remove the weight and turn the chicken. Reduce the heat to medium and continue to cook without the weight until the second side is brown and the chicken is thoroughly cooked, about 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, whisk together the soy sauce, sugar, mirin, ginger, garlic, corn starch, and red pepper flakes.

4. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Pour off all of the fat from the skillet. Re-whisk the soy mixture to recombine, then add to the skillet and return to medium heat. Return the chicken to the skillet, skin-side up and spoon the sauce over the top. Continue to simmer until the sauce is thick and glossy, about 2 minutes.

I'll have more Crazy Foodie Stunts in the future...