Cooking by Mistake: WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Friday, January 30, 2009

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Many people have asked me about the “by mistake” concept for this blog and my books. It’s simple actually. I never “planned” on cooking, or being in the food industry, or really ever thought I cared about food enough to make a living at it. I just fell into it. I don’t know when exactly I realized I was pretty good at it and that I actually had cooking skills, but I think it was there all along. What I know about scents and flavor, and the chemistry of the two, I learned from my grandmother who seasoned by the scent of the steam. The courage to try new things, I inherited from my parents. Who knew?!

I think we never really look at ourselves closely enough to realize what we know. What’s instinct, how everyday things we do teach us something else without us really knowing it. So we learned it by mistake! It’s all linked. Once I started to think about it, so many things I know are connected to cooking. Once I started cooking, math didn’t scare me anymore. It all made sense! All that time, sitting in class with that big wooden pencil, fretting over fractions! Had they had me bake a pie in the 3rd grade I might be working for NASA now!

I’ve learned languages through cooking, socializing through cooking, balance, business, fashion, art. I just never connected the dots. It’s all about food. All of it.

Stay Tuned for excerpts from the Vodka Cigarette Diet Cookbook!

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ABOUT THE BOOK, SO WHY VODKA & CIGARETTES?

When I turned 30, I left a lucrative, corporate, retail job to finish my art degree. What I thought would be a simple transition from modish executives to twenty-something tragically hip students, turned out to be one of the most difficult struggles of my life. Not only was I not tragically hip, I missed my fat paycheck.

In my effort to shake off the corporate world and renew my youthful sanguinity, like many students I waited tables. I knew nothing about food or wine but I was immediately drawn to the milieu, quickly embracing the culture of the industry. I worked my way through the ranks of Cleveland’s best independent restaurants and in a relatively short time, moved into management and operations. The socialness of food was exhilarating! Vacations and travel were planned around food and wine. Savour and Food & Wine became my new bathtub read. Whisks and sauté pans, my new shoes. I hosted insidious dinner parties, cooking with and for friends. I became a “foodie”, a wine geek, a smoker, and a martini expert.
In 1994 I opened my first restaurant, KēKA (pronounced kee-kah). Inspired by my passion for Spanish and Mediterranean cuisine, KēKA was a hip, upscale bistro, set in a trendy, historical, neighborhood in Cleveland. It was within hiking distance of bustling downtown and strolling distance to the local outdoor food market. With my mind set on tapas and sizzling pans of paella, I asked friend, co-worker, and recent celebrity Iron Chef, Michael Symon, if he knew anyone to run my kitchen. Without blinking an eye he recommended Cleveland’s expert on Mediterranean cuisine and mentor to many of this countries future hot shot chefs, Chef Mark Shary.
Mark was the owner and creator of Cleveland’s famous Players Pizza and Pasta. In the 80’s Cleveland was a culinary barren city. Players was the first boutique restaurant specializing in Mediterranean-California cuisine.

Before sustainability was fashionable, Players boasted locally grown, organic ingredients, fresh, bright, stocks and sauces, and house-made pasta. Known for their artesian breads, Players introduced infused oils, tapenades, and grilled pizza to Cleveland. Through Marks kitchen, the future Cleveland culinary scene was triggered. If you were serious about cooking, Player’s kitchen was the place to learn. Mark and Players had a successful 14 years together before he sold it to pursue other projects. As luck would have it, he was available to join me at KēKA.

THE BIRTH OF KeKA
The opening of KēKA was like most first babies, late. The restaurant which was targeted for a March opening was delayed by construction until August. With no kitchen in place but a staff ready to go, we improvised by turning my small city home into a test kitchen and training center. Daily for 4 months, Mark used my tiny kitchen to create KēKA’s menu. The living room became the office and design room. The porch became the training and tasting room. The bedroom became the place I tossed, turned, paced, and stressed through delay after delay. During this time, with the help of local vendors and the patience of my partner Dan, we created an adventurous wine list, an aggressive tapas menu, and a brilliant staff. By the time KēKA opened its doors, I owned a beautiful restaurant, a 23” waist, a two pack a day smoking habit and a hankering for vodka. When asked how I could run a restaurant and stay so thin I jokingly chimed,
“It’s my Vodka Cigarette Diet.”
I have never been a fan of diets, for the most part because I could never fool myself into staying true to one, but more so because they’re just not fun. Please understand, I am in no way advocating a diet of vodka and cigarettes! To the contrary, my Vodka Cigarette Diet was slowly draining my body of nutrition, energy, and brain power. Instead of embracing the “eating lifestyle” I was promoting everyday to my guests; a fresh, tasteful, grazing type of dining, I was “lifestyle eating”, quick, convenient, and processed, with an extra helping of nicotine and blue cheese stuffed olives. Sure I looked thin on the outside but I was fragile and meek on the inside. So without a plan, without counting calories, without cutting out my favorite things, I started eating what I was I preaching and I got healthy….by mistake.

VEGETABLE STOCK

I always keep a tub in my refridgerator to throw my bits and pieces of leftover vegetables in. The heel of the bunch of celery, the brunt of a carrot, the ends of tomatoes, the leftover onion, the green parts of leeks, the stalks from the parsley, etc. When I make stock all these bits and pieces get thrown into the pot. I make stock every week, so whether I throw in a chicken carcass, beef, veal bones, or a fish head, it's all still fresh. Throw out the rotten parts and avoid peppers, peas, and starchy vegetables. For additional color leave the skins on the onions.

Remember, in most cases, the longer you let stock reduce the more flavorful it will become, but because vegetables flavor diminishes if cooked longer than 45-60 minutes, veg stock is quick and can be ready to use in a snap!

Always start with cold water, as you want the cold food and water to heat at the same time. Once you bring the stock to a boil, reduce the heat and keep the stock simmering at an even heat. I leave the pot partially covered to keep all the flavor in and I rarely skim the foam off the top, but if you do you will have a clearer stock.

Summer Vegetable Stock
Makes 12 cups

4 cloves garlic
1 yellow onion
8 branches flat leaf parsley
2 bay leaves
2 medium carrots
2 celery stalks
4 summer squash, 2 green , 2 yellow(optional)
Romaine leaves chopped
10 button mushrooms
1 tbsp whole black or mixed peppercorns
1 1/2 cups domestic lentils

Bring to boil, then reduce and simmer for 45 minutes. Strain.

Before refridgerating or freezing any stock make certain it is completely cooled. Stocks usually hold pretty well for 4-5 days in the fridge but I usually freeze all but a quart to use later.

NOTE: If your cooked veggies are clean, ie; no skins, nubs, roots, etc. you can take this one step further and throw them in your food processor to use later as a thickener for soup. Otherwise, compost!!!

FROM FLOOR8B

Chicken Curry Vegetable Stew Serves 6

3-4 chicken thighs
1 8oz chick peas
1 20 oz can chopped tomatoes
1 2.5lb spinach
6-8 cloves garlic, diced
1 small onion, diced
1-2 Anaheim, chili, or hot pepper of your choice, diced
1 small shallot, diced
3-4 white potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 cups carrots, chopped
1 8 oz can coconut milk
10-12 cups chicken stock
1/3 cup curry paste ( Recipe below.),

Chop potatoes and boil for about 10 minutes; drain and set aside.
In a roaster or large sauce pan, over high heat with peanut oil, (may use blended oil) sear chicken thighs quickly until skin is brown. Slice and return to pan.
In same pan, add carrots and potatoes and sear. Reduce heat.
Add the onion, garlic and hot peppers. Sweat onions until tender, about 3-4 minutes.
Turn heat to low and add tomatoes, chick peas, chicken stock, coconut milk, shallot, and curry. Simmer covered for 2 hrs. stirring occasionally.
Add spinach. Cook for about 1 hour.
The longer it cooks, the better it tastes.

Curry Paste Makes approx. 1/3 cup.
Combine ½ Tbsp. each of the following dry spices .
Ginger
Coriander
Cumin
Cloves
Cinnamon
Fennel
Hot curry
Mild curry
Cardamom
Turmeric
Garam Masala

Add a dash of cider vinegar and just enough peanut oil to make it into a paste.
Add it to pot of curry, adjusting the amount of paste to suit your heat preference. I like it hot so I add it all!

Friday, January 30, 2009

WHERE IT ALL BEGAN

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Cooking by Mistake

SUSAN WALTERS

ABOUT THE BOOK, SO WHY VODKA & CIGARETTES?

WANT A RECIPE?

SPEAKING OF PAELLA

THE FIG SAVING THE WORLD, ONE MUSHROOM AT A TIME

VEGETABLE STOCK

FROM FLOOR8B

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