Deconstructed Steak Poutine: Top Sirloin Steak with Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Red Wine Gravy for a 'Let's Poutine' #SundaySupper with Idaho® Potatoes #FWCon

Deconstructed Steak Poutine: Top Sirloin Steak with Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Red Wine Gravy for a 'Let's Poutine' #SundaySupper with Idaho® Potatoes #FWCon

Before I begin, let me be one of the last to wish you a Happy 2016!

To start this new year, I must congratulate Isabel of Family Foodie for a number of reasons. First, it's the fourth anniversary of her founding Sunday Supper Movement, but more than that, she was able to get January recognized as National Sunday Supper Month and, more specifically, the second Sunday of January National Sunday Supper Day, both occurring annually from this year going forward. You might have seen the National Sunday Supper Month Kickoff with last week's #SundaySupper event.

There are many ways to participate in National Sunday Supper Month. I highly encourage you to take the Sunday Supper Pledge to support the mission of bringing back #SundaySupper around the family table. Also, you can complete the sentence I cook because... in addition to a daily Instagram Photo Challenge. Click on the links above for more information.

Inspiration Behind the Dish

Another way to celebrate is to participate in the Idaho Potato Commission Recipe Contest for National Sunday Supper Month. To enter the contest, contestants must create a recipe inspired by a poutine using Idaho® potatoes, among other requirements. See the link above for complete details. The task of creating a poutine-inspired recipe using Idaho® potatoes was also assigned to the twenty participating bloggers in today's Let's Poutine #SundaySupper event. By now you might have guessed that this post is sponsored by the Idaho Potato Commission in conjunction with a social media campaign through Sunday Supper LLC. All opinions are those of the individual bloggers. Please visit Idaho® potatoes website, 'Like' their Facebook page, and follow them on twitter, instagram and pinterest.

Let's discuss the dish for a moment. The poutine originates from Quebec and is comprised of French fries topped with a brown gravy and cheese curds. If I can be candid for a moment, poutine is considered fast food there in Canada and a Canadian friend of mine even went so far to call the dish drunk food. Many of my colleagues within #SundaySupper were introduced to the poutine at the Food Wine Conference last summer where Saturday's lunch was sponsored, in part, by Idaho® potatoes so it's a little ironic that the dish was so well received. I think that the dish's execution in addition to the various flavor pairings offered that day contributed to its warm reception. My story with the dish is a little different because my chef friend put a short rib poutine on his menu at his restaurant when it opened in 2011, so I was familiar with it when I attended last summer.

Dish Details

I've always been a little suspicious of the dish because a gravy is defined as a sauce made from the juices secreted from a cooked protein so the absence of one has always confounded me. It's the reason why I included a protein in my re-imagined dish here. One of the requirements of this dish is that I use Idaho® potatoes, so thankfully, the supermarket I usually patronize had them in stock:

I borrowed the red wine gravy recipe from myrecipes.com, but the other components of the dish are original.

Ingredients

1 pound russet Idaho® potatoes, peeled and cut crosswise 1/4-inch thick
Kosher salt
1 tablespoon plus 2 tablespoons plus 1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
4 8-to-10 ounce top sirloin steaks
Freshly ground black pepper
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1/2 cup dry red wine
1 1/2 cups beef stock
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup whole milk plus more if necessary
2 cups baby arugula
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
Bleu cheese crumbles, for garnish

Method

1. Boil the Idaho® potatoes. Put the potatoes in a medium saucepan and fill with enough water so that the potatoes are submerged by at least one inch, then season the water with kosher salt. Place the saucepan over high heat and boil until they are fork tender, approximately ten to fifteen minutes. Drain the potatoes with a colander and place them back in the saucepan.

2. Prepare the steaks. While the potatoes are boiling, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large stainless steel or cast iron skillet over medium-high heat and season the steaks with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Sear the steaks in the pan, four minutes per side for medium rare, then remove from the pan and set aside to allow for carryover cooking while the other components of the dish are prepared.

3. Prepare the gravy. Create a roux by reducing the heat under the skillet to medium and add an additional two tablespoons olive oil. Whisk in the all-purpose flour and continue to whisk frequently until brown.

Deglaze the pan with the red wine, loosening the fond from the bottom of the pan, then add in the beef stock and simmer until thickened. Season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, as necessary.

4. Finish potatoes. While the gravy simmers, mash the drained potatoes or pass them through a food mill. Add butter and scoop some potatoes over so the butter melts. Once melted, stir in the milk until the potatoes absorb the fluid. More milk may be added until the desired consistency is reached.

5. Prepare the salad and finish the dish. Whisk together the remaining one tablespoon olive oil and lemon juice, then season with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Toss the arugula with just one or two teaspoons of the vinaigrette-just enough to wet, but not wilt, the leaves. Cut each steak diagonally in half, across the grain then place some gravy into a squeeze bottle. To plate, spoon some potatoes onto the plate towards the front but still in the center. Place a couple of dollops of gravy beside the potatoes, then put one half of the steak on the potatoes, then place the other half off center so the interior is exposed. Top the steak with the arugula salad and garnish with the bleu cheese crumbles.

Final Thoughts

Those that know me know that I rarely publish a dish without consulting my copy of The Flavor Bible first. I certainly did here but the flavor profiles noted were nothing unusual. Each of the main ingredients used were noted to pair well with each other: steak, potatoes, cheese (specifically, bleu cheese), arugula, butter and red wine.

I'm not the only #SundaySupper member that prepared a poutine-inspired dish. Check out the others below:

Breakfast:

• Chicken and Waffles Poutine from Life Tastes Good
• Hashed Browns Poutine Cups with Egg Scramble from The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Southern Sausage Breakfast Poutine from Magnolia Days

Appetizers:

• Beefy Beer and Red-Eye Gravy Poutine from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Buffalo Chicken Poutine on Potato Waffles from Cupcakes & Kale Chips
• Cajun Mini Pizza Poutine from Flavor Mosaic
• Creamy Avocado Bacon Poutine Skins from Daily Dish Recipes
• Indian Spiced Roasted Potatoes with Green Chutney from kimchi MOM
• Loaded BBQ Roast Potato Poutine from The Weekend Gourmet
• Loaded Crab Poutine from Rants From My Crazy Kitchen
• Paneer Tikka Potato Poutine Bites from Soni’s Food
• Poutine Bites with Bacon, Broccoli, Cheddar and Caramelized Onion from Shockingly Delicious

Main Dish:

• Beef Rendang Poutine Burger from Brunch-N-Bites
• Crispy Potato Shrimp Poutine with Stir Fry Vegetables from Food Done Light
• Gnocchi Poutine with Fenneled Curds and Gravy from Culinary Adventures with Camilla
• Greek Chicken Poutine from Curious Cuisiniere
• Italian Poutine Pie from That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• Portuguese Poutine from Family Foodie
• Spicy Poutine Potato Skins from Grumpy’s Honeybunch
• Top Sirloin Steak with Crumbled Bleu Cheese, Buttered Mashed Potatoes and Red Wine Gravy from Crazy Foodie Stunts

Plus: Poutine Variations for National Sunday Supper Day from Sunday Supper Movement

Have you signed the #SundaySupper pledge to eat together as a family? Do it right here!

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 pm ET. Follow the #SundaySupper hashtag and remember to include it in your tweets to join in the chat. To get more great Sunday Supper Recipes, visit our website or check out our Pinterest board. Would you like to join the Sunday Supper Movement? It's easy. You can sign up by clicking here: Sunday Supper Movement.

Gnocchi di Patate con Piselli e Gorgonzola

Gnocchi di Patate con Piselli e Gorgonzola

Recently, it occurred to me that I've profiled not one, but two squash gnocchi dishes in addition to a ricotta gnocchi dish but I had yet to review a more common version of gnocchi: one made with potatoes. It wasn't a complete oversight because I had profiled potato gnocchi on both prior blogs, however there were several forces that had conspired together to bring this dish to fruition.

A couple of weeks ago #SundaySupper paired with OXO to preview the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday. To do so, they held a Google+ hangout where Katie of Ruffles & Truffles and Isabel of Family Foodie demonstrated OXO's new poultry lifter and kitchen twine dispenser; Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen demonstrated OXO's new potato ricer and Amy of Kimchi Mom demonstrated their new mandoline. OXO also generously donated the demonstrated items to be given away via a drawing and I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO HAVE WON! During the hangout, the potato ricer was discussed as a tool for making mashed potatoes for the upcoming Thanksgiving holiday but I thought that it would be perfect for this application. I'm also excited about the mandolin because it has a setting that will julienne vegetables because I've struggled with consistency in the past.

Also, have you seen the show On the Menu which airs on TNT? Contestants are home cooks that are competing to get their original dish sold at that week's featured restaurant chain in addition to a cash prize of $25,000. Well, last week's featured restaurant is Buca di Beppo. This episode was unusual because the restaurant decided to declare two final dishes as winners instead of just one. One was a gnocchi dish, but I was almost yelling at my TV watching its preparation because of some ill-advised technique that was utilized.

Speaking of technique, I employ Chef Anne Burrell's strategy to prepare potato gnocchi. The object of the game, so to speak, is to use as little flour in the gnocchi dough as possible because it's the difference between light and fluffy gnocchi and heavy and dense gnocchi. More on that later.

The Challenge

Demonstrate the proper way to prepare potato gnocchi and to convey my appreciation for winning the giveaway by breaking in the potato ricer.

The Source

I adapted the gnocchi method from pages 105 to 106 of Cook Like A Rock Star by Anne Burrell with Suzanne Lenzer. Food Network also has her recipe online which can be found here and I also recommend watching Chef Burrell demonstrate the dish on YouTube because she also explains why she instructs you to utilize her method. The sauce is adapted from page 82 of Lidia's Favorite Recipes by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali.

Ingredients

5 large russet potatoes
2 eggs
3/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for garnish
Kosher salt
1 to 3 cups all-purpose flour, as needed
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 cup chicken stock
1 ten-ounce box frozen peas, thawed
6 ounces crumbled Gorgonzola cheese

Method

1. Roast your potatoes. Preheat the oven to 375° Fahrenheit. Pierce each potato on all sides with a fork, four to five times total. Place the potatoes on a aluminum foil-lined baking sheet and roast in the oven until they are fork tender, approximately 45 minutes to 1 hour. Once the potatoes have finished, peel the skins from the potatoes and pass them through a potato ricer onto a parchment-lined sheet pan in an even layer. Placed the riced potatoes in the refrigerator to cool completely.

2. Prepare the gnocchi dough. Beat the eggs together with 3/4 cup parmesan cheese and 1 pinch kosher salt, then pour over the cooled riced potatoes. Cover the potatoes and egg mixture with 1 cup flour, then bring the mixture together with your hands. Continue to knead the dough, adding more flour as necessary until the dough is a homogeneous mixture and tacky, but still moist.

4. Cut the dough into individual gnocchi. Roll the dough into the shape of a log on a cutting board, then cut the log crosswise into 1 inch sections. Roll each section into the shape of a rope approximately 3/4-inch thick. Slice the ropes crosswise again into 1/2-inch pieces onto a sheet pan dusted heavily with flour in a single layer. This dish can be made ahead up to this point, because the gnocchi need to be cooked or frozen immediately. If you're freezing the gnocchi, do so on the sheet pan first, then once they're frozen transfer them to a resealable plastic bag.

5. Boil the gnocchi, prepare the sauce and finish the dish. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. While waiting for the water to boil, melt the butter in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the cream and chicken stock and bring to a simmer, then add the peas. Continue to reduce the sauce for an additional 5 minutes, then add the Gorgonzola. Stir until thickened, then keep warm over low heat while the gnocchi cooks. Once the water reaches a boil, add the gnocchi. Continue to boil them once they float to the top until they swell, an additional minute or two. Remove the gnocchi with a spider, toss with the sauce, serve in warmed bowls and garnish with additional Parmesan cheese.

Successful?

During the On the Menu episode, I cringed when I saw the contestant use a microwave oven to cook her potatoes before ricing them. I hope I do not sound too pretentious when I note here that I've never found radiation to be very tasty. Chef Bastianich also has a potato gnocchi recipe in her book I referenced above on page 81 but I was surprised to find that she boils her potatoes before ricing them. I have been told that using wet heat to soften potatoes will ultimately lead to heavier gnocchi because the dough will absorb more flour which is the reason why I like Chef Burrell's version of roasting them, ricing them while they're hot then making the dough when they're cold.

The potato ricer performed well, but I recommend cutting your vegetables into small sizes before passing them through because the ricer is difficult to operate with large pieces. I also recommend filling the chamber up only half way for optimum performance. Ultimately, it's much easier to use than the food mill I have which I used prior to owning the ricer.

The dish itself was a success, with Mrs. Stuntman requesting I prepare it again. I wasn't very surprised by this because I saw many versions of this flavor pairing online which is probably why Chef Bastianich included it in her cookbook too.

Roast Pork Tenderlion with Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Roasted Potatoes for a Farmer's Market Dinner Party

Roast Pork Tenderlion with Mushroom Marsala Sauce

Earlier this year, I joined a facebook group of food bloggers that all reside in the San Francisco Bay Area. About a month ago, Renee of Creative Mama, Messy House suggested a farmer's market dinner party. Participants shop for ingredients at their local farmer's market and each prepare one course, not unlike a progressive dinner. This was my original motivation for shopping at the Irvington Farmer's Market where I found the pluots to prepare the ice cream dessert I published about a week ago in addition to the tomatoes and mushrooms I used in the scallop dish I published previously.

I had a couple of issues planning this dish. The first issue I had was with the type of ingredients. One of the questions asked was any diet restrictions bloggers had and several noted a gluten-free diet and was placed in that group. In all honesty, I wasn't prepared to do a gluten free dish, as it's not a niche where I specialize but it turns out that it's not nearly as restrictive as I originally feared. In fact, I discovered many of the dishes I have prepared previously are gluten free and I hadn't realize this, so I must thank Renee for providing the inspiration to learn something new. Gluten free diets are required for those that suffer from celiac disease. Generally, foods-other than many grains such as wheat, rye, and barley-are allowable in their unprocessed form. This includes fresh meats, poultry, fruits, vegetables, beans, seeds, nuts, and eggs. For more information on this diet, I'll refer you to this Mayo Clinic page which can explain the diet in more detail. The second issue I had was completely of my own making. In my excitement of coming home with my farmer's market finds, I prepared this entreé only to discover later that I was assigned the appetizer course, so I must thank Jane of The Heritage Cook for agreeing to switch courses with me.

The Challenge

Use ingredients purchased at a farmer's market in a gluten-free dish. In this case, I used parsley, mushrooms and potatoes.

The Source

I adapted the roasting method found on page 147 of Carla's Comfort Foods: Favorite Dishes from Around the World by Carla Hall with Genevieve Ko to a sauce found on finecooking.com. I adapted the potato side from cookthink.com.

Ingredients

1 pound Yukon gold potatoes, washed, scrubbed and halved (or quartered, if large)
3 cloves garlic, minced
Leaves from 3 sprigs fresh rosemary, chopped
1 tablespoon olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 pork tenderloins, approximately 1 pound each
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 medium shallots, chopped
12 ounces cremini mushrooms, sliced thin
1 cup dry Marsala
1 cup chicken stock
3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Method

1. Roast the potatoes. Preheat the oven to 425° Fahrenheit. In a medium bowl, combine the potatoes, garlic, rosemary, olive oil then season with salt and pepper. Toss to coat the potatoes then transfer the contents of the bowl onto a foil-lined sheet pan. Roast in the oven until the potatoes have a crisp exterior with a soft interior and browned, approximately 35 minutes.

2. Roast the pork tenderloin. Season the tenderloins on all sides with salt and pepper, then place the tenderloins in an oven-safe skillet and into the oven with the potatoes but on a different rack until the tenderloins reach an internal temperature of 135° Fahrenheit, approximately 15 minutes. Remove from oven and set the pork aside on a plate to allow for carryover cooking.

3. Prepare the sauce and finish the dish. While waiting for the potatoes, melt the butter in the same skillet used to roast the pork on the stovetop over medium heat. Once melted, sweat shallots with a pinch of kosher salt, approximately 1 minute. Add the mushrooms and sauté until the mushrooms have browned and the fluid secreted from the mushrooms have evaporated, approximately 3 minutes. Deglaze the pan with the Marsala, scraping any fond, and simmer until almost completely evaporated. Add the chicken stock and reduce by half, approximately 3 minutes. Stir in the cream, parsley and any accumulated fluids from the resting pork then taste, adjusting the seasoning if necessary. Cut the tenderloin into 1 inch pieces. To serve, spoon some sauce onto a warmed plate, then several pork slices on top of the sauce and surround with potatoes.

Successful?

Both Mrs. Stuntman and I noted the intense flavor of the dish and she requested I prepare it again. Also, I believe all of the ingredients are gluten free. Am I correct?

Please check out the other courses in this Farmer's Market Dinner Party:

Appetizer
Caprese Skewers by The Heritage Cook

Salad
Warm Green Bean and Tomato Salad by Creative Mama, Messy House

Side Dish
Loaded Mashed Cauliflower by Nosh My Way

Entreé
Roast Pork Tenderlion with Mushroom Marsala Sauce and Roasted Potatoes by Crazy Foodie Stunts

Dessert
Vanilla Bean Infused Cheesecake with Peaches in Dark Rum Sauce by Fearless Dining

Guest Post at Cravings of a Lunatic: Braised Salmon with Mushrooms, Potato Purée, and Watercress

Braised Salmon with Mushrooms, Potato Purée, and Watercress

Yikes! I think I dug myself a hole.

Earlier this year, Kim of Cravings of a Lunatic featured me in her series, Burning Down the Kitchen where she replicated the Bucatini All'Amatriciana I originally published more than two years ago. I returned the favor about a month later when she became my inaugural blogger for my Adding Some Class with... series. In both cases, a major theme is that I like to challenge myself in the food I prepare. Well when I volunteered to do a guest post for Kim, I knew I had to prove I had to "walk the walk" so-to-speak since we talked the talk.

It's interesting how my strategies have evolved over the course of the last two years. I started out profiling unusual cooking methods for the home cook and making food from scratch but I'm finding recently that food pairing and dish composition more satisfying than straight execution. In all honesty, it took me several days to decide upon the components in this dish and I couldn't do I without my copy of The Flavor Bible. Ultimately, I had some execution failures which I will go further into detail at Kim's but first please reach her at Facebook, G+, Pinterest, StumbleUpon, twitter on top of her Kiss My Smoke Facebook and Pinterest pages if you haven't already.

The Challenge

Live up to the reputation I've built for myself.

The Dish

...can be found at Cravings of a Lunatic

Light Stunt: Cheddar Ham Soup

Cheddar Ham Soup

Before I proceed, I have a confession. If you're a regular reader here, you know that one theme consistent throughout this website is me taking myself out of my comfort zone in an effort to learn something. Well, when I announced that I'd dedicate September to desserts, I never felt so out of place. A contributing factor in the number of dishes I produced is insufficient planning on my part, so I must apologize. Now that I have an ice cream machine, I'll publish one as I see fit.

Last week Mrs. Stuntman purchased a ham for our family that was rather large so I have been looking at recipes for leftovers, which is how this dish came about. I might equate this to a challenge on Chopped in trying to piece together a dish from odd ingredients. I like this dish from a conceptual standpoint because it's a creative way to use a Mornay sauce which is a derivative of a béchamel sauce. You might recognize a Mornay because it's a component of a Hot Brown sandwich and a macaroni and cheese.

The Challenge

Re-purpose leftover food

The Source

I used a recipe from Taste of Home's website.

Ingredients

2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
2 cups water
1/2 cup carrots, sliced
1/4 cup onion, chopped
1/4 cup unsalted butter, cubed
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 cups 2% low-fat milk
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
2 cups (approximately 8 ounces) cheddar cheese, shredded
1 1/2 cups cooked ham, cubed
1 cup frozen peas
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped (for garnish)
1 tablespoon saltine crackers (for garnish)

Method

1. Prepare the base: combine potatoes, water, onions, and carrots in a saucepan. Bring to a boil, cover and reduce to a simmer and cook until the vegetables are tender, approximately 10 to 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the Mornay and finish the dish: While the vegetables are simmering, melt butter in a second saucepan. Create a roux by stirring in the flour and stir until smooth. Gradually add the milk then season with salt and pepper. Bring the béchamel to a boil and stir until thickened, approximately 2 minutes. Add the cheese and stir to melt. Add the Mornay to the undrained vegetables and then add the ham and peas. Serve immediately in warmed bowls, garnished with crackers and parsley.

Successful?

This dish would be perfect for a cold winter evening because it was a little rich, but the sweetness of the carrots balanced the saltiness of the ham well. I classified this dish a Light Stunt (appropriate for a weeknight) because I was able to finish cooking the dish in about 20 minutes, but please keep in mind that the mise en place is a little labor intensive.

Pan-Seared Halibut with Corn Hash and Asparagus Pureé for a Music-Inspired #SundaySupper

Pan-Seared Halibut with Corn Hash and Asparagus Pureé

A little bit of behind the scenes notes for the last couple of dishes. Let me first start by noting that I hate to leave my work to the last minute, but sadly that was not the case with the dessert I published last week. I planned on preparing the dish Thursday evening, but Mrs. Stuntman was not home unexpectedly that evening. I don't remember what prevented me from preparing the dessert on Friday, but suffice to say, it didn't get done. In fact, the picture of the dessert was taken only hours before it was published. I had competed in the rib competition earlier that Saturday and was tired when I returned home. I finally gathered enough energy about 7pm to prepare and finalize the dish which I completed about 3 hours later. I was still writing about the dish until about 1am Sunday morning when I could no longer keep my eyes open and scheduled the dish to be published at 1:30am.

So on Sunday evening I was reviewing the themes for upcoming #SundaySupper events and this one sounded like fun. The theme is dishes inspired by music. So Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday was spent picking a song and conceptualizing a dish using my copy of The Flavor Bible. Once finalized, I committed to it Wednesday afternoon and was going to purchase my ingredients on Thursday morning to prepare that evening but I woke up with an immobilizing toe injury. I could move but not without discomfort and even going from room to room took minutes, not seconds. Thursday evening, Mrs. Stuntman even had to buy a rotisserie chicken from the supermarket deli because I couldn't cook any dinner that evening, much less one of sufficient quality for this publication. Friday I was downing pain meds like candy and was able to suffer through the preparation of a favorite dish but I had to wait an hour for the pain in my foot to subside before I could plate it. I was close to emailing Susan of The Girl in the Little Red Kitchen (this week's host) to back out of my commitment but decided to wait until Saturday morning to confirm. Low and behold, Saturday I was still in pain but was bearable and was able to make it to the store. So here I was again, back on a Saturday evening hours before my deadline cooking the dish I was supposed to publish in just hours. It was 10:30pm last night Pacific Standard Time before I tasted my dinner.

Thankfully, the dish itself softened the blow. More on that later.

I would argue that tastes in music are even more subjective than tastes in food. Take a look at the wide variety of genres that inspired the dishes below and you'll see. In high school, I started out in the late 1980s listening to those hair bands. These bands didn't have a dedicated radio station so the only place I could find their music were these rock stations that mixed in some 1970s music (think Led Zeppelin, the Who, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, etc.) By the time I graduated high school, I was completely frustrated with even MTV because their playlist consisted of about a half-dozen songs, but I found blues listening to Clapton and Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble. From there, I found Willie Dixon, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, and B. B. King, just to name a few. One upper division course I was able to take while attending college and have it count towards my degree was a jazz history course and have been hooked ever since.

My favorites? I like older material such as Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong, Herbie Hancock, and John Coltrane. I believe "Kind of Blue" by Miles Davis is the single best piece of recorded music that was made in the 20th century. Another favorite is the live version of Dinah Washington's song, Fast Movin' Mama. (I almost got into an accident the first time I heard it because I was driving at the time and laughing so hard.) Some more contemporary musicians I recommend are Dee Dee Bridgewater, Regina Carter and Dianne Reeves. I can tell that I'm getting old because I hear the lists of Grammy nominations every winter and have never heard of most of the nominees, let alone heard their music. I've found that there is a certain charm in older music that is missing in music published today: Deeper lyrical content and the restraint shown to simply imply rather than the need for many musicians to describe in graphic detail. For example, as I was doing research for this dish I remember reading something somewhere which made the point that many jazz songs which reference food are euphemisms for sex.

Don't worry. The song that provided inspiration for this dish may be taken at face value. It's about two buddies going to a house party in New Orleans one evening long ago that got raided by the police. I only noted a dish inspired by Ella Fitzgerald and a second one inspired by Etta James this week but I felt there needed to be more representation of old school music. Besides the obvious reference to food in the title, I picked this song in particular because Louis Jordan was referenced as a major influence among those that laid the foundation for rock and roll sixty years ago. (Think Chuck Berry, Ray Charles, and Little Richard and others.) In fact, Saturday Night Fish Fry has been considered by many as the first rock and roll song.

The Challenge

One of the reasons why I waited to finalize a concept for this dish was because halibut went on sale on Wednesday. (I also considered Brown Sugar by the Rolling Stones and The Lemon Song by Led Zeppelin.) When I thought of fried fish, I kept thinking fish and chips which was confirmed by The Flavor Bible which noted asparagus, lemon, potatoes and spinach as complementary ingredients to halibut.

The Source

I adapted the halibut from Food Network; the hash from Food & Wine; and the pureé from epicurious.

Ingredients

1 pound asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch lengths
2 teaspoons lemon juice
kosher salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 large russet potato (approximately 1 pound)
1 cup fresh corn kernels (from about 2 ears)
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
3 cups spinach leaves (approximately 2 ounces) rinsed and dried, plus more for garnish
1/2 cup shredded parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 halibut fillets (6 to 8 ounces each)

Method

1. Prepare the pureé: In a medium saucepan, bring well salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the asparagus and boil until tender, about 6 minutes. Remove the asparagus to a blender with a slotted spoon and pureé, reserving 1 cup of the boiling water. Squeeze in the lemon juice and season with salt and pepper to taste. If the consistency is too thick, add the reserved water as necessary and pureé until smooth. Keep warm in that saucepan while you prepare the other components.

2. Prepare the hash: Place the potato in a small saucepan and fill with water until the potato is completely submerged and bring to a boil over high heat. Add a large pinch of salt and cook until just tender, about 15 minutes.

Remove the potato with the slotted spoon and reserve. When cool enough to handle, cut potato into a medium dice. (It may not be cooked all the way through.) Add the corn into the same boiling water and cook until crisp-tender, approximately 3 minutes. Drain, pat dry with paper towels and reserve. In a large skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the potatoes and cook until lightly browned, approximately 5 minutes. Add in the reserved corn and cook until lightly toasted, approximately 3 minutes. Add the 3 cups spinach and cook until wilted, approximately 1 minute. Season with salt and pepper, then remove from heat, but immediately add the parmesan and stir to melt.

3. Sear the halibut and finish the dish: While the corn and potatoes are cooking in the pan, heat a non-stick skillet over medium-high heat and season the fillets with salt and pepper. Once the oil is hot, add the fillets to the pan and sear for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove to a platter to allow for any carryover cooking. To plate, spoon a tablespoon of the pureé onto a plate. Place a spoonful of hash onto the pureé, then top the hash with the fillet and garnish with torn spinach leaves.

Successful?

I was surprised how well-balanced this dish is considering the conditions in which it was constructed. The sweetness of the corn balanced the hit of acidity in the pureé with the savory fish and potatoes. Mrs. Stuntman especially enjoyed the pureé and thought it was the best component of the dish. Overall, the dish contained the complexities of flavor expected in any fine dining establishment. Lastly, you'll be glad to know that I can guarantee I won't be rushing my next dish because I've already prepared it.

For reference (and in case you haven't heard the song), it was uploaded to YouTube and can be listened to below:



Other Sunday Supper Participants

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

Prelude (Beverages):

Calimocho (Red Red Wine Cocktail) from La Cocina de Leslie inspired by Red Red Wine by UB40

Dark & Stormy Cocktail Recipe from An Appealing Plan inspired by Thunder Road by Bruce Springsteen

Horchata from Treats & Trinkets inspired by Horchata by Vampire Weekend

Orange Crush from Magnolia Days inspired by Orange Crush by REM

Pineapple Lemonade Slushy with Coconut Water from Sue’s Nutrition Buzz inspired by Lemon Tree by Peter, Paul & Mary

Strawberry Tequila from Shockingly Delicious inspired by Strawberry Fields Forever by The Beatles

Overture (Appetizers):

Mustard Dill Beer Bread from Curious Cuisiniere inspired by In Heaven There Is No Beer a German Polka

Intermezzo (Entrees & Sides):

Chicken and Bacon Cheddar Waffles from I Run For Wine inspired by Glady’s Knight

Classic Fried Chicken from The Food Army Wife inspired by Chicken Fried by Zac Brown Band

Margarita Chicken from In The Kitchen With KP inspired by Margaritaville by Jimmy Buffet

Meatball Duet from Cindy’s Recipes and Writings inspired by On Top of Spaghetti by Tom Glazer

Pan-Seared Halibut with Corn Hash and Asparagus Puree from Crazy Foodie Stunts inspired by Saturday Night Fish Fry by Louis Jordan

Slow Cooker Sweet and Spicy BBQ Pulled Pork from Neighborfood inspired by Something Like That by Tim McGraw

Spaghetti and Pork Meatballs from Family Foodie inspired by On Top of Spaghetti by Kidsongs

Teriyaki Burger from Juanita’s Cocina inspired by Cheeseburger in Paradise by Jimmy Buffet

Finale (Desserts):

Banana Cream Pie Bars from Peanut Butter and Peppers inspired by Tra La La Song by The Banana Splits

Banana Pancake Ice Cream with Maple Brittle from Foxes Love Lemons inspired by Banana Pancakes by Jack Johnson

Cherry Pie from My Cute Bride inspired by Cherry Pie by Warrant

Cherry Marshmallows from Pies and Plots

Chocolate Cappuccino Cream Puffs from Runner’s Tales inspired by Choux Pastry Heart by Corinne Bailey Rae

Chocolate Chip, Walnut and Caramel Banana Bread Ice Cream Sandwich from Ruffles & Truffles inspired by Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani

Chocolate Covered Caramels from Big Bear’s Wife inspired by At Last by Etta James

Coconut Rum Blondies from Gotta Get Baked inspired by I’ve Got A Lovely Bunch of Coconuts by Danny Kaye

Easy Blueberry Recipe: Fruit Tart from Growing Up Gabel inspired by Blueberry Hill by Fats Domino

Espresso Nib Ice Cream from Vintage Kitchen Notes inspired by Black Coffee by Ella Fitzgerald

Fancy Watermelon Lime Popsicles from Daily Dish Recipes inspired by Watermelon Crawl by Tracy Byrd

Fresh Peach Pie from Killer Bunnies, Inc. inspired by Sweet Sweet Pie by PWEI

Jammin’ Oatmeal Cookies from What Smells So Good? inspired by Jammin’ by Bob Marley

Many Flavors Whipped Cream from Noshing with the Nolands inspired by Whipped Cream and Other Delights by Herb Albert and the Tijuana Brass

Peach Basil Pie from The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen inspired by Peaches by POTUSA

Pina Colada Poke Cake from Cookin’ Mimi inspired by Two Pina Coladas by Garth Brooks

Peach Donuts with Brown Sugar from Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks inspired by Peaches by POTUSA

Peach Strudel with Honey Bourbon Frozen Yogurt from A Kitchen Hoor’s Adventures inspired by My Favorite Things from The Sound of Music & Wild Honey by U2

Rainbow Pops from The Urban Mrs inspired by Ice Ice Baby by Vanilla Ice

Salted Ripple Chip No-Churn Ice Cream from Cupcakes & Kale Chips inspired by Ice Cream by Sarah McLachlan

Salted Peanut Swirl Peanut Butter Ice Cream from girlichef inspired by Salt Peanuts by The Quintet

Shall We Dance? Fairy Cakes from The Ninja Baker inspired by Shall We Dance from the Japanese Film

Sugar Crusted Zucchini Bread from That Skinny Chick Can Bake inspired by Sugar, Sugar by the Archies

Tangerine Sorbet from Webicurean inspired by Tangerine Speedo by Caviar

Yeasted Banana Bread from Jane’s Adventures in Dinner inspired by I Like Bread and Butter by The New Beats

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Potato Risotto with Mushrooms and Bacon

Potato Risotto with Mushrooms and Bacon

Surfing the net one evening, I came across this YouTube video published by the Culinary Institute of America that caught my attention for a couple of reasons. First, it featured Gary Danko. You might not know the name, but he owns a restaurant that bears his name in San Francisco which was awarded a Michelin Star in 2007 (the first year Michelin Guides started reviewing restaurants in the San Francisco/Napa area) and has maintained it every year since. Secondly, my curiosity was piqued because the dish sounded peculiar because I was thinking why would the dish have two starches: rice and potatoes? As I watched the video, I noted Chef Danko substituting potatoes for the Arborio rice.

The Challenge

Apply the risotto method to a rice substitute.

The Source

I adapted the recipe found on ciaprochef.com, but I used the YouTube video noted above as a guide. Chef Danko noted that sautéed mushrooms can be added but didn't demonstrate it so I used the mushroom component from the mushroom risotto I published this past February.

Ingredients

4 ounces bacon (approximately 4 slices), cut into batons, then each baton cut in half
2 shallots, minced and divided
1 clove garlic, minced
8 ounces white button mushrooms
3/4 cup white wine divided
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 russet potatoes (approximately 1 pound each) cut into a brunoise
3-4 cups chicken stock, brought to a gentle simmer
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 tablespoon Parmigiano Reggiano cheese, shredded
1 teaspoon chives, minced

Method

1. Prepare your risotto flavorings: Add the bacon to a medium sauté pan and place over medium heat. Cook the bacon, rendering it's fat until crisp, approximately 5 minutes, then remove with a slotted spoon to a towel lined plate. Increase the heat, then add garlic and half of the chopped shallots to the rendered bacon fat. Cook until translucent, approximately 3 minutes. Add the mushrooms and cook until wilted. Deglaze with 1/2 cup white wine and season with salt and pepper. Continue to cook over high heat until the wine has absorbed. Remove from heat and set aside.

2. Heat the olive oil in a large sauté pan over medium heat. Sweat the remaining shallots until soft and add the potatoes. Deglaze the pan with white wine and stir until evaporated. Add the warm stock, 1/4 cup at a time, stirring occasionally-ensuring the potatoes don't stick to the bottom of the pan and brown. Continue the process of adding stock and stirring until the potatoes are al dente.

2. Reduce heat to low and stir in the butter and Parmigiano, then remove from heat and fold in the mushrooms and bacon. Spoon into warmed serving bowls. Garnish with chives and black pepper, then serve immediately.

Successful?

Readers that have been following me for a while might remember I struggled with a risotto I published about a year ago. If only I could have encountered this dish then because my appetite to alter a risotto would have been satisfied with this version. This dish's preparation difficulty is solidly at an intermediate level and I would recommend it only after you're familiar with a standard risotto method. (A good example is the mushroom risotto I referred to above.) I can also see the appeal of this dish to a culinary instructor because it highlights the importance of a evenly cut brunoise. Some of my potatoes were uneven in shape so I some potatoes were more al dente than others. (I feared the smaller pieces would dissolve into the risotto.) The dish was strangely reminiscent of a loaded baked potato or a hash but ultimately, both Mrs. Stuntman and I enjoyed this dish and she requested I prepare it again.

In other news, since I published two dishes before it aired on Sunday I didn't have an opportunity to discuss the most recent episode of Next Food Network Star. I'm obviously pleased Danushka has left the competition but let's look at the remaining contestants:

My early prediction of Nikki still stands but Chad has started to grow on me. I evaluate these contestants by answering the question which contestant's TV show would I regularly watch? He has yet to have a negative evaluation and his POV is the most easily marketable across the country with wide appeal. I'd also like to see him contrasted with Bobby Flay because there is a difference between barbecue and grilling, despite the fact that the two terms are incorrectly used interchangeably. To round out my top three, I'd pick Stacey just because she has performed consistently well up until the most recent episode.

My middle three are:

Damaris: She been inconsistent in presentations.
Lovely: She has camera presence but I hate her POV.
Chris: because he has a relatable underdog story, as we discovered this week.

That leaves my bottom three of:

Viet: He doesn't have much to say beyond his victory over Bobby Flay in Iron Chef America.
Rodney (the pie guy): I'm intrigued by his POV but doesn't appear to have the culinary expertise to execute it.
Russell: In this country where it's population is increasingly demanding healthier foods, his POV will be a tough sell and he doesn't have the charisma to keep an audience interested.

Am I wrong? Comment below.

Homemade Potato Chips

Homemade Potato Chips

It has been said that we, as Americans, would eat much less junk food if we made it ourselves, so...

The Challenge

Making a snack that is often taken for granted and can easily be bought at any local supermarket at home.

The Source

I originally saw this on an episode of Secrets of a Restaurant Chef.

Ingredients

1 cup red wine vinegar
2 tablespoons kosher salt, plus extra for seasoning
2 tablespoons sugar
2 large baking potatoes, such as Idaho, peeled and shaved into thin slices with a veggie peeler or mandoline
Peanut or veggie oil, for frying

Method

1. In a large container, combine the vinegar, kosher salt, sugar and 2 cups water. Whisk or shake to combine. Toss in the potatoes and refrigerate for 24 hours.

2. In a large wide pot, heat the oil for deep frying to 350° Fahrehneit. Remove the potatoes from the vinegar solution and gently pat dry to remove any excess water.

3. Set up a sheet tray lined with paper towels to land the chips on when they come out of the oil.

4. Working in batches, fry the potatoes until they are brown and crispy. Be careful not to overcrowd the oil, overcrowding will result in greasy limp chips rather than crispy crunchy ones.

5. When the chips come out of the oil, land them on the paper towel setup and give them a sprinkey dink of salt. Let cool and then store them in an airtight container.

Successful?

From a technical standpoint, yes. The chips were crunchy and light. From a taste standpoint, no. Per instructions, I left the potatoes in the brine a full twenty four hours, however my wife thought the chips were too salty. My toddler daughter sure ate them up. If I was to repeat this recipe again, I wouldn't leave the potatoes on the brine so long to prevent this from occuring in the future.