Food/Drink
Apple pie is a classic and I don’t really have much to say other than the presentation matters and my personal favourite is an interlaced lattice. It provides a good structure, looks nice and is relatively easy and simple to make. Additionally for the crust I always use either vodka or 95% spirit with all ingredients chilled in the freezer to ensure that the crust stays flaky.
Baklava is a very labour intensive treat but well worth the invested time. I have tried it both with store bought and home made phyllo and can 100% confirm that store bought it much better both in taste and the time saved. I tend to make mine on a bit more of Turkish side rather than Greek adding a bit of rose water.
As a general statement grilled meat tastes better than meat cooked in a pan. There is something about the aromatics produced during wood burning that just makes meat taste so much better and the much higher temperatures that can be achieved using real fire enable the ability for true grill marks. Though gas grilling is more convenient wood fired grills are more versatile and tastier.
Though I could have done a bit better on presentation, duck breast is a personal favourite of mine and it tasted great. I placed this over a nice mushroom couscous and the only thing missing was a nice sauce and vegetable side. Pre-slicing the breast made for perfect mouth sized pieces. Next time I will expand on this dish but for now its a quick and easy meal.
One of my best investments was a Bradley smoker for my Dad’s birthday with the benefit of being able to use it when available and benefiting from the great food made within. On a recent party we have smoker ribs and sausages the smelled out of this world coming out of the smoker. The cold smoking attachment also allows for making smoked cheeses or fish without overcooking.
A classic feel good food especially this time of year. With cheap squash from the farmers market it was easy to roast and puree it. Risotto was made traditionally with a the butternut squash puree added in the later stages. Additionally I added fried polish sausage that pairs very well with the hearty dish.
Before buying my pizza steel I would make pizza in a preheated cast iron pan. Preheating to 450F for ~45min allows me to get a great bottom as well as a beautiful charred top.
A bit of a classic but I find that the filet mignon and bacon go together perfectly. Filet mignon has 10/10 texture but lacks on flavour while the bacon has 10/10 flavour and poor texture. Both fill each others gaps and create a great heterogeneous eating experience. Classic pairing of mashed potatoes and grilled carrots.
I wouldn’t call it my favourite but Baked Alaska has always been viewed as a finer level desert and I wanted to take a crack at it.
It wasn’t to complicated to make but I did need to improvise a form to hold it all together. Then just a couples passes with my kitchen torch and I have a nice clean design.
They make not look good but they tasted amazing. I went a bit over temp and the I started to get some browning. The benefit on doing it yourself is being able to do what you want so I was able to make a hand sized macron.
