A New Year, A New Place

It is a new year and a new look for Cooking School Notes. We are making the transition to a new blog host to take advantage of its capabilities and conveniences. This includes inviting our faithful readers to hit that button at the bottom of our new page to follow us to our new home. You will receive a polite reminder and link back with every new Cooking School Notes update. (Just remember to check your spam folder for the first response — you will need to link back from this message in order to confirm your address and willingness to receive our regular missives.) We will also be maintaining our back issue archive at this location, as an always useful reference tool.

We hope you enjoy the technological changes as well as the great culinary adventures in store for Cooking School Notes. Check back later this week to link to our new neighborhood.

Lesson 3.1: How to Roast—Pan-Roasted Chicken

Ingredients
. Chicken breast

. Grape tomatoes

. Kalamata olives

. Capers

Special Equipment
. Ovenproof skillet

. Meat thermometer

. Tongs



Notes from the Kitchen
. Skin-on boneless chicken breasts are uncommon, bone-in worked very well, perhaps even better. Overall cook time was increased slightly to accommodate bone and larger size.
. Although the chicken breast just fit into the pan, the browning and cooking worked well.
. Because no pan sauce was being made, using a non-stick skillet worked brilliantly well, with proper browning.
. Even letting the smaller chicken cut (as opposed to a whole roaster) rest—5 minutes in this case—seemed to add to the end result, with excellent juice distribution.
. Simple prep, few bowls or utensils and a quick cook made it a convenient, last-minute weeknight meal.

Note of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Chicken breast halves were suggested to be 6 ounces each, which is an uncommon size to find—but the typical 8 ounce and above means each breast-half can feed two.
. A description of the science behind browning in the roasting process was much appreciated. Merci, Monsieur Maillard!
. The explanation of the USDA versus Professional Kitchen meat temperature chart was well composed, providing good liability coverage while giving those of us who prefer our meat to have taste and texture the instructions to do so.



Eating the Results
Laura says: There are several reasons, beyond a lack of training, that would prevent me from ever referring to myself as a chef. Olives are one of those reasons. Although I admire their aesthetic in giant barrels of brine, the shiny texture, the glass dish presented beside cubed cheese and gherkins, I cannot bear their flavor. So when I read through this dish with its simple selection of ingredients I was reticent. But although I skipped my portion of the olives, the combination of flavors in the tomato-caper-olive mix was just perfect. Perhaps next time, I might even try one. The simplicity of this dish belies its level of flavor, created in part by the perfect and precise cooking method.

Claudine says: Though I happily absorbed Laura's portion of the olives, I have been trying to convince her for some time of the wonderfulness of kalamata olives. I once, like she, also did not like olives—and still don't care for black or green ones—but now I could eat kalamata olives by the bowlful. That this recipe brings Laura a step closer to trying them is enough to make me happy, but beyond that it is also easy, flavorful and delicious. Made with a side of couscous, it should be in everyone's weeknight rotation.

Useful Links
Recipe and Video from Martha Stewart

Lesson 2.5 How to Make an Omelet — Herb-filled Omelet

Ingredients
. Eggs
. Clarified Butter
. Mixed Fresh Herbs (tarragon, basil, chervil, chives and flat-leaf parsley)
. Ham
. Gruyere or Emmanthal Cheese
. Caramelized Shallots
. Goat Cheese

Special Equipment
. Heat-resistant spatula


Notes from the Kitchen
. With an introduction that provides no fewer than five ways in which you are quite likely to disasterously destroy your omelet, the intimidation factor focused our guarded attention.
. While preparing the fillings, we also produced the clarified butter and the caramelized shallots; cheese cloth straining (in the absence of any cheese cloth) was deemed unnecessary.
. Our chosen combinations: herb, ham and Swiss cheese, goat cheese and caramelized shallots and—with an abundance of egg mixture leftover—the remaining herbs and Swiss cheese.
. Our effort to pour equally portioned whipped egg into each individual omelet using a large measuring cup backfired. Although it did leave us with 3 much smaller omelets and enough leftover for a fourth, much larger one. The flaw appeared to be in a measurement technique.
. As with the frittata, the trick is not to doubt your assessment of the degree of runny; if you say: is it done? it is!
. As intimidating as the instructions were, following all of the recommendations, each omelet turned out just lovely, even if each was not necessarily perfect.

. Waiting to whip up the eggs until the last moment does indeed make a fluffier omelet.

Note of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Fresh farmer's market herbs make a world of difference, not only in the taste that they impart, but the aromatic delight in the kitchen as they are cut.
. Side salad with a nice tangy tarragon vinaigrette was the perfect accompaniment.

Eating the Results
Laura says: Never a fan of omelets at a restaurant, these were indeed a different breed. With the restrained cheese portions and the intensity of the herbs, the dish was entirely new to my omelet experience. Even with the first ones kept warm in the oven (during the approximate 5 minutes it took to complete all of them) the fluffy texture was not lost.

Claudine says: Growing up, omelets were a dinner staple for me, usually with chives and potatoes, and always delicious. This recipe was very reminiscent of those but with fillings that elevated them from cooking-with-your-eyes-closed weeknight dinner to a lovely-special-but-still-remarkably-easy weeknight dinner. Any of the recommended combinations would also be perfect for a weekend brunch. The caramelized shallots were especially delicious and worth the extra time preparing them.

Useful Links
Omelet 101
Cooking School Eggs 101
Incredible, Edible Egg

Lesson 2.8: How to make a Frittata — Squash and Goat Cheese Frittata

Ingredients
. Medium Yellow Onion
. Mixed Small Zucchini and Yellow Squash
. Eggs
. Heavy Cream
. Basil
. Fresh Chives
. Goat Cheese
. Parmigiano-Reggiano or Asiago Cheese

Special Equipment
. Heat-resistant spatula
. Oven-proof skillet



Notes from the Kitchen
. Mise en Place, as always was a key helper to making everything move at the right pace.
. Baby zucchini were used in place with nice effect.
. Purple basil was used, as it was handy, but sadly lost its color in the cooking process.
. A wooden spatula (in place of a silicone one) worked fine to move the eggs while cooking.
. The key (to avoiding overcooked frittata) seems to be not doubting yourself when it comes to moving from stove top to broiler.
. Distance from the broiler seems key to quickly create the browned effect.

Note of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Do you know what lives in your broiler?
. Flashlights (and flexibility to lay on the floor with head in close proximity to bottom-broiler of a gas oven) recommended.
. Photo depicted in the book has clearly not been cooked to the specifications—as it likely involved a more last minute placement of lovely green basil ribbons and carefully posed half-moons of squash.



Eating the Results
Laura says: An easy, and filling, evening meal. The dollops of goat cheese were little treasures to be found in a forkful of egg and vegetable. The basil lent a light and refreshing flavor. Equally satisfying cold for breakfast the following morning. Simpler recipes call for sticking the pan in a 350-degree oven, but the quick browning and "puffing" induced by the book's suggested broiler method seems preferable, and not so much more cumbersome.

Claudine says: Agreed. This dish was delicious and, happily, easy enough to make on any weeknight evening. As someone who could live on goat cheese, it was especially nice to discover what a lovely combination it makes with the zucchini and squash. Following the directions in this recipe does produce a beautifully fluffy outcome and is whole-heartily recommended.

Useful Links
Cooking School Eggs 101
Incredible, Edible Egg

Everyday Food: Chicken with Poblano Cream Sauce

Ingredients
. Poblano Chile
. Canola Oil
. Small Onion
. Garlic Clove
. Heavy Cream
. Boneless, skinless chicken breast halves

Special Equipment
. Flame (helpful)
. Heat-Proof Tongs
. Paper or Plastic Bag



Notes from the Kitchen
. Quick and easy.
. Broiler method of charring the pepper less than optimal.
. Paper/plastic bag method of steaming pepper effective, but it was not compared against the recipe's paper towel method, which seemed dubious.
. An entire lecture could not adequately cover "When To Tell When Chicken Is Done" for those shy of a little Salmonella poisoning. (Must get over this fear to be taken seriously.)

Notes of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Part of the intent of Everyday Food is to offer satisfying (from a culinary perspective) meals for the average day, so on-hand substitutions seem appropriate, particularly concerning sides: biscuits and side salad, sweet potatoes or herbed quinoa, instead of scallion-cilantro rice, in this case.
. In the interest of uniformity and clarity, there should be a new call to order for cookbook editors: keep consistent the use of descriptions indicating how sauteed onion appears at its desired final stage. See: glassy, soft, translucent, et al.



Eating the Results
Laura says: For a mere few ingredients, the results yielded a pleasant variation in flavor. Although agreed that it could be spicier, the result would make nice introduction to the taste of peppers and Mexican-influenced food for the un-heat-initiated. I would also be willing to substitute a loose, European style fat-free yogurt for the cream to create a more heart-healthy version. Sliced up and reheated -- with extra sauce over the top to keep it moist -- it also made for some much-enjoyed leftovers.

Claudine says: I really liked this recipe. It was quick and easy, as promised. I was only disappointed by the lack of heat. Since it wasn't as spicy as I thought it would be, the creamy sweetness of the potatoes didn't have anything to offset. I would definitely not trim any of the spine of the poblano next time (what little there was) and may try adding half a jalapeno. I will definitely try it with the rice as opposed to the sweet potatoes.

Useful Links
The Recipe
Poblano Chicken Twitter Conversation (Oct. 23)


Photo from www.MarthaStewart.com

Lesson 2.7: How to Bake — Baked Eggs with Morels

Ingredients
. Shallot
. Fresh Morels (or other Wild Mushrooms)
. Heavy Cream
. Eggs
. Fresh Chives

Special Equipment
. Individual Baking Dishes



Notes from the Kitchen
. Oyster mushrooms with a few fresh porcini, now widely available, made for a suitable substitution.
. Take care of overcooking the egg yolk; keep an eye on any dish cooking unevenly due to position in the oven.
. Serve with toast fingers, or soldiers, to dip into the yolk and cream.
. Quick and easy.

Note of Less Pertinence but Equal Importance
. Came across a recipe for eggs baked in tomatoes, which opens up a realm of options with the baked egg, both more intricate and simpler (just pouring cream over it as suggested in the recipe).



Eating the Results
Laura says: The dish is a bit rich from the heavy cream, but tempered by elegant portion control. Even without the flavorful mushrooms, the substitutes added nice earthy richness. Another great guest breakfast, with its charming individual portions and all-ready-a-the-same-time cooking method.

Claudine says: I love mushrooms, especially in cream sauces, so this dish had an advantage going in. It was a little rich, but I think that may be more welcomed first thing in the morning than at the end of a day spent cooking and eating eggs. It was a body-warming dish, which as the weather turns cool, gains appeal. The medley of wild mushrooms was definitely a more-than-adequate substitute, but I look forward to trying this with morels when I can find them.

Useful Links
Cooking School Eggs 101
Incredible, Edible Egg

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1. CookSchoolNotes L: Nope—I like the idea of the sweet with a slightly spicy cream sauce.
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2. CookSchoolNotes C: Do you think it would be weird to substitute sweet potatoes for the rice?
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3. CookSchoolNotes L: and scallions. Of course I have none of those; I have biscuits leftover from lunch, so I'll be serving those with a little side salad.
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4. CookSchoolNotes C: is the side just white rice and cilantro?
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