Yes, indeed. Kellan's Kitchen is now on Facebook!
Check it out, and become a fan!!
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kellans-Kitchen/118318051576691
Monday, March 14, 2011
Ravioli Edition
Armed with a pasta dough recipe, a pasta maker, and some free time, I was finally able to have some fun and play with the idea of ravioli. There was a technique that I have seen on a number of cooking shows like Iron Chef that I had to try. Raviolos is a variation on ravioli, with the stuffing consisting of an uncooked egg yolk, and other items. The idea is the yolk becomes a main component of the sauce for the ravioli.
So, I took to it. My go-to pasta dough recipe involves an even egg-flour ratio. 4 eggs, to 4 cups of unbleached flour, some salt and olive oil to flavor. I rolled out my sheets and was ready to rock. first task, was separating the egg yolks from the whites. These were then placed in ramekins off to the side. The second part of my filling was a ricotta-spinach base, which i would pipe into little molds for the egg yolks. My one mistake, came here. I got a bit to excited and antsy, and didn't chop the spinach. Next time... 
With my filling(s) ready, my sheets rolled out, it was go time for assembling these bad boys. Piping a small circle onto the pasta sheet, it was go time for the yolks. So, very carefully, I slipped the egg yolk on to the mixture, careful not to break it. So far so good, then it was time to top and seal. My second rookie mistake was not getting the 2nd sheet of pasta dough of uniform size... so, it was a little tight. But, on we went. 
Topped, sealed, and now cut out with a circle mold, these Raviolos were ready. My sauce was going to be simple, and tasty. A browned butter with sage sauce was the majority of the liquid to be accompanied by the runny egg yolk. In addition, some crispy pieces of bacon, chopped fresh parsley, and some Parmesan would add texture, and color. And, who doesn't like bacon! 
The raviolos hit the boiling water for about 2-3 min. No accidents, they were looking great. Finally ready to eat, they were sauced, topped and accompanied by a thick slice of toast. At first bite, they were delicious. The egg yolk was wonderful in the brown butter and the bacon added the perfect amount of salt. 
If you are adventurous, try these. If you see them on a menu, order them! Lots of fun and a different way to enjoy a classic dish. Pasta Dough:
4 eggs
4 cups of unbleached flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp of olive oil
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Creme Brulee #1
My Mom's favorite dessert. My Aunt's favorite dessert. My favorite dessert. This project finally hit the stove. I had been wanting to make this dish for quite some time. My Christmas presents this year were ramekins, and a brulee torch. I guess those were huge hints from my Mom and Aunt, and they paid off. 
I'm pretty traditional when it comes to Creme Brulee, so I wanted to keep my recipe and flavors simple. Taking notes from a classic recipe, I decided to go with 6 egg yolks, and a quart of cream as my custard base. I added some vanilla extract and Kahlua for flavor. The eggs whisked with a 1/2 cup of sugar, and the cream heated on the stove with the vanilla and Kahlua. Tempered, then added into the eggs, the custard was ready to hit the oven. 325* for 45 min in a water bath and first part finished. These little guys then hit the fridge to fully set. 
Ali P came over for the first trial and first Brulee in the kitchen. Upon notes, not bad. The custard was a tiny bit runny for my taste, but the flavors were there. Maybe some adjustments for high altitude, but definitely on the right track!
6 Egg yolks
1 quart heavy whipping cream
1/2 cup of sugar
3 tbsp vanilla extract
4 tbsp Kahlua
Monday, March 7, 2011
Tuscan Sourdough Casserole
I know what you're thinking. Casserole? Well, after much debate, and a couple bottles of wine, this is the final name we came up with for my new dish. Hitting the menu soon, and available for order, the Tuscan Sourdough Casserole is outstanding.
The idea came about during a hodgepodge dinner with my dear friends Chris & Cara. A combination of fridges was the first inspiration. I had some chicken, they had some sausage and veggies. When beginning to construct some sort of plan, I came across a memory of a dish I had when I was living in Siena, Italy. Tuscany is known for their hearty soups, which are usually constructed with leftovers, a medley of vegetables, and some sort of protein, usually beans. So, I started cooking.
Beginning with an onion and some garlic, the chicken was diced and added to a hot skillet. Then some diced spicy Italian sausage (pre-cooked) was added to the pan. The Tuscan influence hit the pan next, a can of Navy beans (in future recipes, I plan on using white beans, or cannelloni). Then, one very ripe tomato was diced and added to the pan along with some salt, cayenne, and white pepper. Once this mixture looked like it was blending pretty well, I added a whole bunch of spinach and some sliced zucchini. This simmered until all the spinach was wilted and the zucchini was almost al dente. The next bit, was a play on my favorite Tuscan dish, Ribollita (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribollita). We sliced up some San Francisco Sourdough very thin, toasted it, and layered into the bottom of a Pyrex baking dish. The stew mixture was then added on top of the bread, followed by a layer of graded swiss cheese ( we later had a very heated discussion about another cheese other than Parmesan which would substitute for swiss... we came up with nothing). Another layer of bread was added, then stew. then topped with a layer of very thin bread, and a whole bunch of Parmesan. This was all baked at 400* for about 15 min.
The result was outstanding. Three of us polished off an entire pyrex baking dish. Accompanied by a very refreshing salad of tomatoes and butter lettuce. We discussed the dish for the duration of the night, what could change, what the name should be, playfull additions, and so forth. This not only hit the spot, but triggered an incredible discussion about food. I love my friends. As Chris stated in the final naming of the dish: "Tuscan Sourdough Casserole: A Spontaneous Combustion" ... Yup. Delicious.
The idea came about during a hodgepodge dinner with my dear friends Chris & Cara. A combination of fridges was the first inspiration. I had some chicken, they had some sausage and veggies. When beginning to construct some sort of plan, I came across a memory of a dish I had when I was living in Siena, Italy. Tuscany is known for their hearty soups, which are usually constructed with leftovers, a medley of vegetables, and some sort of protein, usually beans. So, I started cooking.
Beginning with an onion and some garlic, the chicken was diced and added to a hot skillet. Then some diced spicy Italian sausage (pre-cooked) was added to the pan. The Tuscan influence hit the pan next, a can of Navy beans (in future recipes, I plan on using white beans, or cannelloni). Then, one very ripe tomato was diced and added to the pan along with some salt, cayenne, and white pepper. Once this mixture looked like it was blending pretty well, I added a whole bunch of spinach and some sliced zucchini. This simmered until all the spinach was wilted and the zucchini was almost al dente. The next bit, was a play on my favorite Tuscan dish, Ribollita (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ribollita). We sliced up some San Francisco Sourdough very thin, toasted it, and layered into the bottom of a Pyrex baking dish. The stew mixture was then added on top of the bread, followed by a layer of graded swiss cheese ( we later had a very heated discussion about another cheese other than Parmesan which would substitute for swiss... we came up with nothing). Another layer of bread was added, then stew. then topped with a layer of very thin bread, and a whole bunch of Parmesan. This was all baked at 400* for about 15 min.
The result was outstanding. Three of us polished off an entire pyrex baking dish. Accompanied by a very refreshing salad of tomatoes and butter lettuce. We discussed the dish for the duration of the night, what could change, what the name should be, playfull additions, and so forth. This not only hit the spot, but triggered an incredible discussion about food. I love my friends. As Chris stated in the final naming of the dish: "Tuscan Sourdough Casserole: A Spontaneous Combustion" ... Yup. Delicious.
Friday, February 25, 2011
Pasta #2 & #3
Lots and lots of projects and gigs in the last few weeks. Of note, is a project I will be blogging about very soon! (note: Can't post just yet... waiting on legal to approve...yes, legal.)
BUT, in the mean time, the pasta roller was in full effect last week. With lots and lots of cooking going on, fresh pasta was a necessary side dish. My lovely sous & baker Amanda accompanied me on the latest pasta adventure. I found the perfect dough recipe, but it took me 2 trys to get the dough together... 8 eggs, and 8 cups of flour later, I had my good lookin dough!
After letting the dough hangout for a few hours, it was time to roll out some pasta! Amanda was over, and the fun began. Fettuccine was the cut, a tomato alfredo was the sauce. And a roast chicken the meat! Thanks for hanging out, pants!
After letting the dough hangout for a few hours, it was time to roll out some pasta! Amanda was over, and the fun began. Fettuccine was the cut, a tomato alfredo was the sauce. And a roast chicken the meat! Thanks for hanging out, pants!
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Valentines Lamb Chops & Local Press!!
Then we cooked! Julie and our mutual friend Hiedi came over with a camera, interview tools, and some wine. The interview and dinner went great. Read the article here!
http://www.moonshineink.com/articles.php/84/2233
Thanks again Julie!
Monday, February 14, 2011
Celebrity Chef
Last Saturday I had the pleasure of cooking for a client I've cooked for a number of times. As I walked into the kitchen to unload my gear, I looked at the kitchen table and recognized the man sitting there. This night, I was cooking for Michael Chiarello. For those who don't know, he owns a pretty famed restaurant in Napa, authored a handful of cookbooks, and was on Top Chef Masters. Needless to say, I was suddenly nervous. The menu was simple, something I've done a bunch.
Dinner went well, I hope. The cool takeaways were not only did I get to cook for a big time celebrity chef, but that he got to taste a big piece of me and my family. I made my grandma's Lemon Steak. A simple marinade that I enjoy so much I call it my "Last Meal." I kept peeking in to see how everything was going, and as I cleared plates, I noticed his was clean... I'll take it!
Thanks again to my clients and Michael for letting me cook on Saturday! Hope to do it again real soon.
Dinner went well, I hope. The cool takeaways were not only did I get to cook for a big time celebrity chef, but that he got to taste a big piece of me and my family. I made my grandma's Lemon Steak. A simple marinade that I enjoy so much I call it my "Last Meal." I kept peeking in to see how everything was going, and as I cleared plates, I noticed his was clean... I'll take it!
Thanks again to my clients and Michael for letting me cook on Saturday! Hope to do it again real soon.
Pasta #1 - Fettuccine & Tomato Sausage sauce
Recently I've been getting some awesome cooking toys from close friends and family encouraging to try new stuff, and in turn invite them over for dinner. My dear friend Nikki bought me a traditional hand-crank pasta maker for my birthday. Being the Italian that she is, I know this gift comes with the caveat "I'll be over for some pasta!" Any time, Nik!
First things first was a dough recipe I can call my own. Lots of research and ideas were flowing. I first sought out some Semolina flour and the guidance of some fellow chefs. For my first go around, I used 1/2 semolina, 1/2 all purpose flour and 2 eggs for my dough. I wasn't aiming to make a ton, just enough to get an idea. Taking all the traditional steps, mixing, kneading, and letting the pasta rest, it was time to start cranking. I also had started a very simple pasta sauce using roma tomatoes and simple seasonings. I wanted to go very traditional and simple.
The dough was decent, a tad dry and I found very quickly I need to work on my kneading and rolling out techniques. But, the pasta started to look pretty good. Sauce bubbling away, I cranked out some Fettuccine and my appetite increased.
Heavily salting the pasta water, I dropped in my fresh pasta and hovered over it diligently. In about 3 min, the pasta was ready. Drained then sauced I was ready for my feast.
The pasta was good, not great, but I still wolfed it down like someone who hasn't eaten in a week. Notes taken, I learned from my first batch and can only improve from here! Thanks again Nikki!
First things first was a dough recipe I can call my own. Lots of research and ideas were flowing. I first sought out some Semolina flour and the guidance of some fellow chefs. For my first go around, I used 1/2 semolina, 1/2 all purpose flour and 2 eggs for my dough. I wasn't aiming to make a ton, just enough to get an idea. Taking all the traditional steps, mixing, kneading, and letting the pasta rest, it was time to start cranking. I also had started a very simple pasta sauce using roma tomatoes and simple seasonings. I wanted to go very traditional and simple. 
The dough was decent, a tad dry and I found very quickly I need to work on my kneading and rolling out techniques. But, the pasta started to look pretty good. Sauce bubbling away, I cranked out some Fettuccine and my appetite increased. Heavily salting the pasta water, I dropped in my fresh pasta and hovered over it diligently. In about 3 min, the pasta was ready. Drained then sauced I was ready for my feast.
The pasta was good, not great, but I still wolfed it down like someone who hasn't eaten in a week. Notes taken, I learned from my first batch and can only improve from here! Thanks again Nikki!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Roasted Acorn and Butternut Squash Soup
Even though it feels like spring right now in the middle of January, this soup is a fabulous fit for any meal.
1 Acorn Squaush
1 Butternut Squaush
Butter
Brown Sugar
Nutmeg
Cayenne
1 shallot
6 pieces of thick bacon
6 sage leaves
8 oz Heavy Cream
16-24 oz of Vegetable stock
Salt
Starting with an Acorn Squash and a Butternut Squash, halved and oven preaheated at 400*, I like to coat my squash in some seasonings before hitting the oven. Rubbing some butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, and a dash of cayanne over the halved squaush, these go face down on a sheet pan and then about 2 cups of water added to the pan to help the steaming process. These bad boys are then roasted for about an hour or so... until soft and tender. Once at this stage, they need to cool before hitting the pot. While cooling, fry bacon in the pot. Remove once crisp and add the diced shallots to the drippings. Scoop out all of the squash and add to the shallots. Once this mixture is soft, start adding ladels of vegetable stock to thin out to desired texture. Let simmer for 30-45 min. Once mixture is well combined, blend using a stick blender until silky smooth. Finish with heavy cream and let simmer until ready to serve. Top with crisp bacon bits, and fried sage. Also, a cruton is always fun to have with this soup!
1 Acorn Squaush1 Butternut Squaush
Butter
Brown Sugar
Nutmeg
Cayenne
1 shallot
6 pieces of thick bacon
6 sage leaves
8 oz Heavy Cream
16-24 oz of Vegetable stock
Salt
Starting with an Acorn Squash and a Butternut Squash, halved and oven preaheated at 400*, I like to coat my squash in some seasonings before hitting the oven. Rubbing some butter, brown sugar, nutmeg, and a dash of cayanne over the halved squaush, these go face down on a sheet pan and then about 2 cups of water added to the pan to help the steaming process. These bad boys are then roasted for about an hour or so... until soft and tender. Once at this stage, they need to cool before hitting the pot. While cooling, fry bacon in the pot. Remove once crisp and add the diced shallots to the drippings. Scoop out all of the squash and add to the shallots. Once this mixture is soft, start adding ladels of vegetable stock to thin out to desired texture. Let simmer for 30-45 min. Once mixture is well combined, blend using a stick blender until silky smooth. Finish with heavy cream and let simmer until ready to serve. Top with crisp bacon bits, and fried sage. Also, a cruton is always fun to have with this soup!
Holiday Meal #3 - Bacon wrapped chicken, Risotto stuffed tomatoes
Apologies for the small delay in posting over the holidays. It got crazy in Tahoe!
This meal was a lot of fun and also featured one dish that always seems to test my stress level.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken, stuffed with rosemary, sage and garlic: Taking from a very traditional Tuscan dish, the main part of the meal was a chicken breast, stuffed with rosemary, sage, and garlic. This is usually made with turkey, tied then roasted. I took it a step further. I wrapped it in bacon, then tied it. Roasted it in a little white wine. Now, where this dish usually gets me is internal temp and bacon crispiness. So, when the chicken was almost cooked, I took them out and then pan fried to crisp up the bacon. Worked like a charm! With the time I had while this was roasting, I decided to make a sauce. I took a healthy portion of the already amazing pan drippings and added it to a sauce pan. Added a couple pads of butter, some sherry, sage, and dijon mustard. This gravy turned out as a perfect compliment to the chicken breast.
Also on the menu was some risotto stuffed tomatoes, and a light chopped asparagus salad (pictured to the right of the sauce).
Recipe:
8 Chicken breasts, pounded flat
12 pieces of bacon (varies, just need to have enoug to wrap each chicken).
5-6 cloves of garlic
Fresh rosemary
Fresh sage
Butcher twine
Sauce:
Pan drippings, Dry Sherry, Dijon Mustard, Sage, Peppercorns, white wine, salt, brown sugar.
Finely chop garlic, rosemary, and sage and combine together in a bowl. Take chicken breast and lightly stuff a pinch of the herb mixture in the center, then roll. Wrap this roll up with bacon to cover, then tie off with butcher twine. Roast in the oven at 350* for 30-35 min. I also like to add about a cup of white wine to the pan to keep moisture and add a flavor base.
This meal was a lot of fun and also featured one dish that always seems to test my stress level.
Bacon Wrapped Chicken, stuffed with rosemary, sage and garlic: Taking from a very traditional Tuscan dish, the main part of the meal was a chicken breast, stuffed with rosemary, sage, and garlic. This is usually made with turkey, tied then roasted. I took it a step further. I wrapped it in bacon, then tied it. Roasted it in a little white wine. Now, where this dish usually gets me is internal temp and bacon crispiness. So, when the chicken was almost cooked, I took them out and then pan fried to crisp up the bacon. Worked like a charm! With the time I had while this was roasting, I decided to make a sauce. I took a healthy portion of the already amazing pan drippings and added it to a sauce pan. Added a couple pads of butter, some sherry, sage, and dijon mustard. This gravy turned out as a perfect compliment to the chicken breast. Also on the menu was some risotto stuffed tomatoes, and a light chopped asparagus salad (pictured to the right of the sauce).
Recipe: 8 Chicken breasts, pounded flat
12 pieces of bacon (varies, just need to have enoug to wrap each chicken).
5-6 cloves of garlic
Fresh rosemary
Fresh sage
Butcher twine
Sauce:
Pan drippings, Dry Sherry, Dijon Mustard, Sage, Peppercorns, white wine, salt, brown sugar.
Finely chop garlic, rosemary, and sage and combine together in a bowl. Take chicken breast and lightly stuff a pinch of the herb mixture in the center, then roll. Wrap this roll up with bacon to cover, then tie off with butcher twine. Roast in the oven at 350* for 30-35 min. I also like to add about a cup of white wine to the pan to keep moisture and add a flavor base.
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