 What can be better then Mac and Cheese except maybe Mac and Cheese made with beer and bacon? The Brits have a dish called Welsh Rarebit which is a beer and cheese sauce usually served over toast and broiled until the sauce is nicely browned and bubbling. In my research I have found other trailblazers that have had this same idea but in the spirit of making it my own, I am adding my own home cured bacon to put it over the top. I love to add a topping made with panko, crushed Ritz cracker, cheddar and Parmesan cheeses. I have made uncured bacon for this recipe (made without curing salt) to speed up the process but you can substitute any dry cured bacon even unsmoked if you want. Ingredients: Home Uncured Bacon 3 pounds pork belly 3 Tbsps. kosher salt 2 Tbsp. brown sugar 2 tsp. pepper 2 tsp. ground coriander 1 Tbsp. maple syrup 1 Tbsp. ground thyme Welsh Rarebit Mac and Cheese 1 cup Newcastle brown ale (or another brown ale) 2 cups milk 4 Tbsp. butter 3 Tbsp. flour 1 cup finely diced red pepper 1 cup finely diced onion 1 deseeded finely diced jalapeno 2 Tbsp. dry mustard 2 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce salt and pepper to taste 1 cup sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup coastal cheddar cheese 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1 cup diced Velveeta cheese 1 pound of pasta Topping 1/2 cup sharp cheddar cheese 1 cup crushed Ritz crackers 1/2 cup parmesan cheese 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs Procedure: 1. Rub the pork belly with all the ingredient and seal in a Ziplock bag and refrigerate overnight. Smoke the pork belly on low heat for at least 4 hours. Heat in a 275 degree oven for one hour until browned. 2. Melt the 3 Tbsp. of the butter in a large sauce pan and whisk in the flour to create a roux. Add the dry mustard then the Worcestershire sauce, beer and milk to a soupy consistency. Gradually add the cheeses slowly so they melt slowly and season with salt and pepper. 3. Add the pasta to boiling salted water and cook until almost done. 4. On medium heat, in a separate pan melt the remaining butter and add the peppers and onions stirring until the onions are translucent. Add to the cheese sauce. Spray with cooking spray or butter a oven safe dish and add the pasta then the cheese sauce. The mixture should be soupy so stir in more milk if needed. Mix the topping ingredients and cover the mixture. Bake in a 350 oven for 30 to 40 minutes and let cool a bit before serving.
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 Almost everyone loves a good steak and great comfort foods. One of my favorite comfort foods is pot roast, an American classic; slow braised beef in a flavorful liquid. Why not merge the two using a cheaper cut of steak that will be tenderized by cooking low and slow. Add some vegetables; carrots, celery, onions, mushrooms, potatoes and we have a dish almost anyone will love. And remember our braised soups post we could take any leftover braising liquid and make soup. I like to use half of the of the carrots, celery, onions and all of the mushrooms for the first part of the braise and add the rest to cook at the end so we have some veggies with texture. Let us maximize savory with tomato paste, Worchester sauce, oyster sauce and my secret weapon parmesan rind. Lets us practice proper culinary techniques, browning the beef in bacon fat, using a mirepoix and tomato paste then deglazing with red wine and beef broth. Ingredients: 2 - 4 medium sized chuck eye steaks bacon lardons 2 large onions diced 4 stalks celery diced 4 medium carrots diced 1 ounce dried porcini mushrooms 1 - 2 ounces fresh mushrooms 1/2 pounds baby potatoes 2 Tbsp. tomato paste 1 Tbsp. dried thyme 1 tsp. dried Italian herbs 1 bay leaf 1 cup red wine 2-3 cups beef stock parmesan rind (optional) oyster sauce Worchester sauce olive oil salt and pepper to taste splash of sherry vinegar Procedure: 1. Chop a small amount of bacon into strips (lardons). In a preheated large heavy bottomed skillet add a little olive oil and the lardons and saute to render the fat. Season the steak and sear in the hot oil on both sides. Remove the steaks, finely chop half of the mirepoix and saute. Add some tomato paste and brown. Deglaze with some red wine then add the stock. Add the mushrooms, spices, sauces, parmesan rind and herbs and cook on low heat until the steaks are tender. 2. When the steak is almost tender add the remaining mirepoix and the potatoes. Cook until the potatoes are cooked and serve.  I'd like to continue on offering a makeover of a classic American comfort food, meatloaf and translate it for breakfast. Instead of using 100% ground beef, let us use half breakfast sausage that we made in the last post and use ground beef for the other half. If we want to go all out let us grind our own which is superior for pre-ground meat. We can even add some ground bacon to add an element of smokiness. I want to add some whole eggs to the mix along with some diced peppers and onions reminiscent of a western omelette. When I make my meatloaf or meatballs, I first add milk and eggs to bread cubes, a technique called a "panade". This addition does a couple of things, first it acts as a binder holding everything together. Second, it helps the meatloaf hold on to moisture better creating a moist interior that resists shrinkage. Finally we need a great top crust. How about shredded cheese and potatoes? I can hardly wait! 5. Press 1/2 of the meatloaf into a 9 by 9 inch pan. Press the eggs into the mixture and cover with the rest of the mixture. Top with the shredded potatoes, then the cheese and the rest of the parmesan. 6. Bake at 350 degrees until done and the top crust crispy. Let cool and cut into piec  My favorite sandwich is the Monte Cristo, a roasted ham and turkey with Swiss and processed cheese fried in a milk egg batter. As you may of noticed I have an obsession with eggs Benedict, so why not bring the two together? Let us start with a base of French toast, top it with roasted ham, turkey, Swiss and processed cheese. Then add a perfectly poached egg and cover with a drizzle of strawberry jam thinned into a sauce. Maybe you can add bacon if you want to. I think this creation successfully brings two of my favorites together into one great tasting dish. Ingredients: 2 slices day old bread (traditional is challah bread but any firm white bread will do) 3 eggs 1 Tbsp. butter 3/4 cup half and half 4 slices honey ham 4 slices roasted turkey 2 slices Swiss cheese 2 slices American cheese 1 tsp. vanilla 1 tsp. sugar powdered sugar for dusting strawberry jam water Directions: 1. Mix 1 egg, vanilla, sugar and the half and half in a shallow dish to form a custard. Soak both sides of the bread in the custard. 2. Heat a skillet on medium high heat and add the butter. When the butter starts to foam add the bread and cook both sides to golden brown. Keep warm. 3. Poach the remaining 2 eggs and keep warm. In a small sauce pan heat the jam and thin to a sauce-like consistency. 4. Build the Benedict starting with the French toast. Stack a slice of Swiss cheese, ham, turkey then a slice of American cheese. Add a poached egg then drizzle with the strawberry sauce and finish by dusting with some powdered sugar. Serve immediately.  A while back I was researching new techniques for breakfast potatoes and I came across a recipe in Food52's genius recipes. Although the recipe is no longer there is a video with Josh Ozersky showing the procedure here. Now that we can create the crispiest hash browns let us use that to create a breakfast sandwich that defines crispy. Ever since McDonalds introduced the egg McMuffin, everyone has created there own version, some with different breads, different meats, different cheeses, but let us do our own version this time focusing on texture. We can use the hash browns as our secret crispy element but let us not stop there, but examine other ways we can make our sandwich fantastic. First, the buttered English muffin needs to grilled in a cast iron pan to achive both taste and the perfect texture. I have experimented with different brands and even made my own to get something I'm happy with and for this application have decided to go with a extra crispy version from a local bakery. Part of being a great chef is to source out the right product. Although I love sausage based sandwiches, I think crisp bacon would be the best choice here with an additional thin slice of crispy procuitto for extra taste. The perfect egg would be just set with the yolk the consistency of jello and of course, a great slice of cheese. Option: You can substitute potato chips for the potato  One of the things I looked forward to each year when I was living in Canada was Christmas Eve. Before heading to church for Christmas eve service we sometimes had the fortunate pleasure of eating tourtiere, a French Canadian meat pie. My sister married into a French Canadian family and her mother in law always had tourtiere for the season. Made with a mixture of pork and beef, potatoes and spices the aroma always reminds me of family and friends during the Christmas season right till New Years. There are as many recipes as there are families, lovingly passed down to each new generation and I have my own recipe that I will share with all of you. But I also want to introduce something new and different, a breakfast layered meat pie and quiche. I developed this as a way to combine two great dishes into one unforgettable hybrid. When I first attempted this dish the quiche flowed into the meat creating just a meat quiche. Time for a solution and not backing down I melted a thin layer of cheese on top of the meat to create a barrier. I now could add a quiche Lorraine layer that remained separate making something truely unique and saving calories as a unexpected bonus. Of course you can just make the meat pie without the quiche half; just cover it with a pastry lid. Serve with poutine homefries (Coming soon). Ingredients 1 pound pork freshly ground 1 pound beef freshly ground 2 russet potatoes cooked and riced 2 stalks finely diced celery 1 medium onion finely diced 2 tbsp. butter 1 tsp. cinnamon large pinch ground cloves 1 tsp. savory 1 clove garlic finely chopped 1/4 cup water 2 cups grated Swiss cheese 12 slices bacon cooked and chopped 12 eggs 1/2 cup milk or cream 1 tsp. Herbes de Provence salt and pepper 2 deep dish pie crust home made or store bought Directions Prepare the pie crusts (See below) To get the best results I recommend grinding your own meat if you are able. Cut into 1 inch cubes and mix the pork and beef together when grinding. It will help if you partially freeze the meat first before grinding. Boil or steam 2 medium russet potatoes in their skin until a knife easily pierces to the center of the potato. Peal and mash or if you have a ricer; cut in half and put into the ricer cut side down and rice. The skin will be left behind and can be easily discarded. Reserve until needed. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a skillet on medium heat melt the butter and add the garlic, celery and onion. Cook 3 to 5 minutes to soften then add the ground pork and beef and continue to cook until all pink is gone. Add the spices and water and mix to combine. Fold in the potatoes and cool until needed. Blind bake the pie crusts until just starting to brown. If you have not done this before, don't worry; we just prick the bottom of the crust with a fork about 12 times, cover with some parchment paper, add dry beans to let the crust keep it's shape and put into the oven. Brush the pie crust with a little beaten egg to help keep it from getting soggy. Split half the meat potato mixture to each pie crust and smooth down. It should come about half way up. Sprinkle a thin layer of grated cheese to cover the meat mixture and melt in the oven for 5 minutes. Beat the eggs in a bowl with the milk or cream and the Herbes de Provence, season with salt and pepper. Add to the pie crusts then add the bacon and cheese. Cook until the egg is fully set covering the exposed crust with foil to protect it from browning too much. Let cool for thirty minutes before serving. Makes two quiches. I sometimes make extra meat and potato mixture and make true Tourtières covering the meat pie with a pastry crust brushed with egg wash. Remember there is twelve days of Christmas and I always try to make some extra. They freeze well, for a great future meal! There is a great recipe for pie crusts at the Smitten Kitchen. Follow this Link.  What can be better then bacon and eggs then to give it an Italian twist? The last thing I was talking about in Translation was form (see Translation) and this idea is a great example. This idea came to me because of my love for Italian deserts. While working in Boston, I spent many nights exploring the north end and the many restaurants. One night I was invited to accompany two young ladies to a small Italian bakery to experience the best cannoli’s in Boston in exchange for seeing them safely through the construction of the big dig to the subway. When I started this project, I toyed with the idea of stuffing eggs in cannoli shells for a bacon and eggs dish but then I had an inspiration. Why not use bacon as the cannoli shell and make a dish any bacon lover would love. After some experimentation, I was able to put together my Italian style bacon and egg cannoli’s. I added the parmesan crisps to add additional texture and a punch of flavor. Instead of toast, bruschetta with a touch of fresh basil, garlic, diced heirloom tomato, a great spicy olive oil and sea salt with a touch of red pepper flake. I could add a shaped piece of grilled polenta with some flavoring to give it some interest or maybe some sautéed greens (my wife's idea). Bacon Cannoli This idea seems simple but it packs a great visual statement; crispy tubes of thick sliced bacon filled with a mixture of eggs and cheese. What could be more simple? Ingredients: 8 slices of thick sliced bacon 6 Large Eggs ⅓ Cup grated Parmesan Reggiano 3 Tbsp. Butter Cooking spray Equipment: 4 cannoli molds (tubes) Sheet pan Parchment paper or silicone baking sheet Piping bag and tip (or use a plastic Ziploc bag with the corner cut off) Optional: Sous vide setup and whipped cream canister Spray each of the cannoli molds with cooking spray. Score the sides of the bacon slices to help prevent curling. Loosely roll the bacon around the mold over-lapping the bacon then start the second piece ½ inch under the first and continuing until complete. Place on a parchment covered sheet pan with the end underneath to keep the bacon from un-rolling. Repeat for the rest of the molds. Place the sheet pan in the oven and set the oven to 400° F. Bake until browned (12-18 minutes) and let cool. Carefully remove from the mold and reserve. Prepare either sous vide scrambled eggs or creamy scrambled eggs using both the Parmesan cheese and the butter. If you use the sous vide method add the cheese and butter to the pouch before cooking the eggs. To fill the bacon cannoli’s, put the eggs into a piping bag and pipe into the bacon rounds or if you have whipped cream dispenser, load the eggs into the canister, charge and fill the bacon shells. Serves two large or four smaller servings. Bruschetta Bruschetta is the perfect replacement for toast in this meal. A topping of fresh tomatoes with fresh basil, chopped garlic, red pepper and a sprinkle of finishing salt anointed with extra virgin olive oil helps cut through the fattiness of the bacon and provides a necessary textural element. I have also used chard instead of the basil and tomato if great tomatoes are not available. Ingredients: 2 thick slices of good quality day old Italian bread 1 clove garlic peeled and sliced in half 1 clove garlic finely chopped 1 large or 2 medium heirloom tomatoes 3 to 4 large fresh basil leaves pinch red pepper flakes Finishing salt Slice on the bias 2 one inch thick pieces of Itailian bread and reserve until needed. Dice the tomato and place in a bowl. Stack the basil leaves with the larger leaves on the bottom and roll up like a cigar; then slice into thin strips (chiffonade) and add to the tomatoes. Finely chop one clove of garlic and add to the tomatoes with a pinch of red pepper flakes. Toast or grill the bread until nicely browned and rub with the second piece of garlic. It should melt into the bread. Top with the tomato mixture and top with a pinch of finishing salt and a drizzle of good quaility extra virgin olive oil and serve. Cheese Pancetta Polenta Living in the south for a few years I became acclimated to cheese grits and keeping with the Italian theme I want to utilize pancetta, fontina and pecorino romano cheeses. Switching to Italian polenta made from flint corn creates a more textural mouth feel and the addition of crispy pancetta and authentic Italian cheese adds a salty accent. I like to make my polenta the day before and let it set up overnight. I just need to cut an interesting shape and grill it before serving. Ingredients: 2 cups good quality polenta 3 cups chicken stock 1 cup milk Salt to taste ½ pound pancetta ½ large sweet onion 1 cup grated pecorino Romano 1 cup grated Fontina cheese 1 Tbsp. Olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste Finely dice the pancetta and onion. Heat a skillet on medium heat; add the oil and pancetta and sauté until the fat begins to render. Add in the onions and continue to cook until the pancetta is crispy. Reserve. Add chicken stock and milk to a large stock pot. Taste and correct seasoning and bring to a boil. Whisk in polenta and cook until done. Grate the cheeses and add to the polenta and stir to mix. Add pancetta and onions and blend thoroughly. Taste and correct seasoning. Spray a glass baking dish with non-stick spray. Let the polenta cool then pour into the glass baking dish, smoothing the polenta into a single layer. Refrigerate overnight. Unmold the polenta onto a cutting board and cut into triangles or another desired shape. Grill the polenta and keep warm until ready to use . Creates twelve large triangles. Refrigerate remaining pieces and use within a week  I am always looking for great ways to save some calories without sacrificing taste. Changing the form of a BLT enables me to cut down on the bread and increase the lettuce with a dramatic decrease of calories and I know there are a lot of people out there that want to lose some weight. I'd wish I could say that I was sitting in a restaurant eating a lettuce wrap when inspiration struck but to be honest I was just looking for a low-calorie option for breakfast. When I thought about a breakfast salad everything fell into place; the tomatoes and lettuce the stars and give the bacon and bread a supporting role. All I have to do is wrap everything in the lettuce leaf and I have the same elements in a different yet familiar form, reinforcing the premise that inspiration is based on exposure to multiple ideas and just bringing it all together in an unique way. Ingredients: 4 pounds fresh firm tomatoes 1 head iceberg or butter lettuce 10 pieces thick sliced bacon 3-4 slices of thin sliced dense bread 10 fresh basil leaves 3 tbsp. olive oil Salt and Pepper to taste Optional: Sliced avocado Equipment: Sheet Pans Silpat silicone baking sheet or parchment paper Stockpot Ice-bath Sauté pan Preheat oven to 350° F. Dice the bread into small cubes, drizzle with olive oil, season with salt and pepper and spread out in a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or a silicone baking sheet. Bake until brown and crispy and reserve. Bring a stock pot of water to boil and prepare an ice-bath. Core out the stem end of the tomatoes with a paring knife and cut a small X in the opposite end. Blanch the tomatoes for 30 seconds to loosen the skins then transfer to the ice-bath to cool down. Remove the skins, de-seed and dice into ¼ inch pieces. Reserve. Heat a sauté pan on medium heat. Cut the bacon into ⅓ inch pieces and sauté until crisp. Transfer to a paper towel to dry. Reserve. Roll up the basil leaves length-wise and finely cut into fine ribbons (chiffonade). Core the lettuce and cut lengthwise in half, remove the outer leaves and discard. Separate the lettuce into individual leaves and reserve. In a bowl mix the tomatoes, bacon and basil. Taste and season with salt and pepper. To serve add the tomato mixture on top of the lettuce leaf, sprinkle with croutons and roll. If you like you can slice some avocado and add to the wrap. Serves 4 to 6. |
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How does a good chef think? What is the creative process a chef uses to come up with new and exciting dishes? What do I need to know to enable that creative process? These are the questions I want to explore in this series of articles. As a chef and an avid cookbook collector I am drawn towards ideas and techniques of cooking rather than just a collection of recipes. I believe to grow as a chef, I need to continually learn and hone new techniques along with perfecting each technique I use every day. Whenever I go to a restaurant, whether fine dining, neighborhood pub, avant garde, or even fast food, I continually ask myself how can I do this better, what works and more important, what doesn’t? Feel free to send me comments, ask questions. Together, we can explore and make creative cuisine. Gord StefaniukSpending almost thirty years in the computing field, I was able to travel experiencing a wide variety of tremendous cuisine. First I became a foodie, and when the opportunity arose, I was able to attend culinary school following my passion. I work as a part-time private chef and volunteer time at the community café in North Bend Oregon providing affordable meals in a restaurant setting to my community. Archives
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