ALL-BUTTER FLAKY PIE DOUGH
From Piper Davis, Co-owner and Cuisine Manager, Grand Central Bakery
Yields almost 2 lbs of dough, enough for 3 single-crust pies or 3 galettes

Make a double batch so that you have a stash in the freezer. There’s nothing better when you’re in the mood to bake a pie, tart, or galette. Defrost it overnight in the refrigerator and the rest is easy.

3 cups (1 lb) all-purpose flour
10 3/4 oz unsalted European-style butter, cold, cut in 1/4–1/2-inch chunks
2 Tbsp granulated sugar
2 tsp salt
1/2–3/4 cup ice water
1 Tbsp lemon juice

By hand
1. Place the flour, sugar, and salt in a metal or ceramic mixing bowl with high sides. Chill for at least 2 hours, and up to overnight. Blend the cold butter into the chilled ingredients using a pastry blender or by rubbing the chunks of butter with the flour using your fingers. Stop mixing when the texture of the flour changes from silky to mealy; this should only take a few minutes. Don’t worry if a few larger chunks of butter remain.

2. Make a well in the flour mixture and drizzle the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the ice water in while gently mixing with a fork. Check the moistness of the dough by gathering a small fistful; if it holds together, it’s ready. If it is dry or crumbly, slowly add the remaining 1/4 cup of water, testing the dough by pinching it occasionally.

3. Be careful to add only as much water as it takes to combine the dough into a ball or disk. The exact amount of water you will need depends on a number of circumstances, including the moisture content of the flour, the quality of the butter, and the weather. When it has the proper amount of water, the dough will come together without much effort or deliberate packing. If you need to add more water, make sure the ingredients are still cold.

4. Form the dough into three 12-ounce disks if you are using it for pie crusts, or a rectangle if you plan to make puff pastry. Wrap the dough in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours before rolling and forming.

With an electric stand mixer
When I make this dough at home, I like to use my 5-quart KitchenAid mixer fitted with the paddle attachment.

1. Once again, chill the bowl and dry ingredients before cutting in the cold, cubed butter. By mixing between speeds 1 and 2 for 1–2 minutes, the silky texture of the flour will become mealy but will still contain some larger chunks of butter. When this happens, reduce the mixer speed to 1 and drizzle in the lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the ice water while the paddle is turning. Check the moistness of the dough and continue as you would by hand, adding enough water for the dough to hold together when you gather a fistful.

2. Form into three disks or one rectangle and chill.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 4:32 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

"One of my favorite ways to draw out the natural vibrancy of great ingredients is Hollandaise sauce, a creamy emulsion of butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice."

Toast restaurant's Benedict Oh, a breakfast specialty. Photo by Leah Harb

PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT HOLLANDAISE
By Donald Kotler
For Spring 2008

Growing up in Suffolk County, Long Island, I spent weekends with my grandparents. They had a big old house, and most importantly, a quarter of an acre that my Grandpa Clarence tended. He worked in his garden whenever he had a spare second: in the morning before heading off to work at our family-owned paint and hardware store, and in the evening when he returned home. Our family ate from that garden and our pantry every day, all year.

I can’t remember a time when I didn’t love to eat cooked green vegetables from our garden with a little butter, salt, and lemon. I’ve since discovered that one of my favorite ways to draw out the natural vibrancy of great ingredients is Hollandaise sauce, a creamy emulsion of butter, egg yolks, and lemon juice.

Hollandaise is one of the five “mother” sauces of classic French cooking. When done well, it enhances all the flavors on the plate. Balance and subtlety are key — no element should overwhelm the others. Hollandaise is perfectly suited to warm dishes that take butter, lemon, and salt with grace, such as cooked green vegetables, steak, flaky fish, and eggs.

Variations on Eggs Benedict have become some of my favorite spring breakfasts. In April and May, when sunlight begins to linger in the sky, chickens become their most naturally productive. Hollandaise brings forth the wholesomeness and great flavor of naturally raised eggs.

I first attempted to make Hollandaise while at college. As I whisked the melted butter into the egg yolks, something went wrong. It “broke,” separating into solid egg curds and oily liquid. I have since learned, with practice and patience, that Hollandaise is technique driven. With a basic understanding of why it works and practice under your belt, you’re set.

Continue reading " Edible Expert - Practice Makes Perfect Hollandaise " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:33 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Ingredients for Hollandaise Sauce. Photo by Leah Harb

HOLLANDAISE SAUCE

By Jonathan Merritt, Chef, Toast restaurant
5222 SE 52nd Ave, Portland

Yields approximately 3 cups

16 Tbsp (2 sticks) butter
1 sprig thyme
1 large shallot, peeled and sliced
1/2 tsp cracked peppercorns
1/2 Tbsp sel gris
1 tsp lemon juice
8 egg yolks
1 pint water

1. Melt the butter with half a sprig of thyme over low heat. Reserve.

2. Place the shallots, the rest of the thyme, pepper, sel gris, and lemon juice in a stock pot over low heat. Simmer until the mixture reduces to about 1/4 of its original volume.

3. Place this reduction into a medium-size stainless steel bowl. Set the bowl over a pot of simmering water. Whisk in the room temperature egg yolks. Continue to whisk the mixture, touching it occasionally to feel its temperature. Small air bubbles will appear and it will feel slightly warmer than the air when it’s ready for the butter.

4. While stirring continuously, very slowly drizzle in the melted butter. Be patient! Work very slowly! When the butter is fully incorporated, increase the heat and continue to whisk until the sauce becomes like a loose mayonnaise.

5. Take the bowl off of the water and, while still stirring, add water from the pot into the sauce to thin it — about 1/3 cup or so depending on when you’ll serve the sauce and your desired consistency. Before serving, taste the Hollandaise and adjust the flavor with salt and lemon juice to taste.

Note: If you’re not going to use the Hollandaise immediately, pour it into a covered container set in warm water around 145 degrees. Stir occasionally to prevent excessive thickening.

To make a Benedict Oh, a breakfast specialty at Toast:
Toast an English muffin. Set both halves on a plate, lay two poached eggs on top, and add a dollop of Hollandaise on each egg. Serve with a twist of pepper, two freshly griddled breakfast sausage patties, and a small pile of lightly blanched leafy greens.

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:05 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Toast's freshly made English muffins. Photo by Leah Harb

ENGLISH MUFFINS

By Jonathan Merritt, Chef, Toast restaurant
5222 SE 52nd Ave, Portland

Makes 15-20 muffins

2 lbs (7-8 cups) all-purpose flour
1/2 oz (2 packages) instant yeast
1/2 oz evaporated cane juice sugar
1/2 oz fine sea salt
3 cups cold water
Cornmeal
Extra flour
Cooking oil (vegetable, canola or grape seed)

1. Mix the flour, yeast, sugar, and salt in a stainless steel bowl.

2. Make a well in the flour mixture, and pour in cold water. With a wooden spatula, mix the water and flour until it becomes a rough mass. With your hands, bring the dough together with a push-fold-turn kneading method, just until it comes together. It will still be a little tacky. The goal is to end up with lean dough that becomes extremely dry as it rises. If too much gluten develops, it will be like bread rather than a porous muffin.

3. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and leave at room temperature for about 1 hour. Let the dough rise to double the original volume.

4. Dust a flat work surface with a 50% flour and 50% cornmeal mixture. Turn the dough out onto the dusted surface, dust the top of the dough with the same mixture, and roll out to a half-inch thickness.

5. Let the dough sit for about 2 minutes. Place parchment paper in a sheet pan and sprinkle with cornmeal. Cut out muffins with a floured ring mold (3 inch diameter). Don’t spin the mold; simply push it down and lift it up. Move the muffins to the sheet pan and let them rest for about 30 minutes.

6. Once the muffins are ready, heat a griddle on low. Oil the griddle and cook each muffin at a low heat until the interior is baked—about 10 minutes on each side. Add oil to the griddle when you turn the muffins as each surface will absorb a little.

7. When done, place on a cooling rack and let cool completely.

8. To open the muffins, either use a fork to pry them apart or use both hands to pull them apart. (Do not twist.) Toast and serve with jam.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 1:41 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Did you hear the news that Cory Schreiber, the former chef/owner of Wildwood Restaurant, was recently hired by the Oregon Department of Agriculture (ODA)? He’s going to help ODA find a way to get more Oregon grown or produced foods into our public schools. Hooray! If he can get the kids eating his Cannellini Beans with Chanterelles (recipe), he’ll be a hero in my book. -Deborah Kane

Photo by Christine Hyatt

WINTER'S BOUNTY IN A BEAN SHELL
By Cory Schreiber
For Winter 2008

This winter, I’ve been cooking a lot of vegetarian meals at home. Not surprisingly, when I reach into my pantry, I go for the shell beans. They excite the winter menu with their endless variety of colors and shapes, adding a textural component to winter soups, salads and ragouts. Shell beans are nutritious (high in protein, iron, B vitamins and fiber), filling and, when cooked with a patient hand, result in a delicious meal.

In my restaurant career, shell beans were rarely “worthy” of the fine dining experience—that is, until Ayers Creek Farm introduced their fresh heirloom shell beans at Wildwood Restaurant. Since then, shell bean dishes have been appearing frequently on fall and winter menus: scarlet runners (a fleshy black-purple bean) added to a hearty salad with chicory, bacon and croutons; cannellini beans simmered slowly in their broth with a bouquet of herbs and root vegetables, to be spiked later with a dollop of parsley pesto; large white corona beans flash-fried and seasoned with coarse sea salt and fresh lemon juice, creating a crispy, blistered shell with a creamy interior—a perfect finger food.

Unlike other foods that often taste better fresh, I admit I can’t taste the difference between dried shell beans and fresh ones. Of course, dried beans do take longer to cook. Differences between the beans themselves include size (the larger the bean, the meatier the texture) and color (the darker or richer the color of the skin, the more pronounced the bean color and its stock will become during the cooking process).

Beans are incredibly versatile, and you can often use them interchangeably, depending on what’s available in your pantry or at the farmers’ market.

Continue reading " Edible Expert - Winter's Bounty in a Bean Shell " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 11:51 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Photo by Christine Hyatt

CANNELLINI BEANS WITH CHANTERELLES, SAGE AND DELICATA SQUASH

From Cory Schreiber

See Cory's story on cooking shell beans here: Winter's Bounty in a Bean Shell

Serves 4-6

1 cup cannellini beans or other medium-size dried white beans
2 Tbsp kosher salt
3 Tbsp olive oil
2 thyme sprigs
1 clove garlic, whole
2 shallots
1 bay leaf
1 firm, sweet apple (Gala, Braeburn, Cameo, Golden Delicious)
1/2 small delicata or sweet dumpling squash
2 oz dried or 6-8 oz fresh chanterelle mushrooms
1 cup fresh apple cider
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp apple cider vinegar
6 fresh sage leaves, coarsely chopped
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
16 leaves Italian flat-leaf parsley

1. Follow directions for cooking dried beans, adding 1 tablespoon kosher salt, 2 tablespoons olive oil, thyme, garlic, 1 whole shallot, and bay leaf. When beans are done, remove the thyme, garlic, shallot and bay leaf. Let the beans sit in the cooking liquid.

2. Peel and thinly slice the remaining shallot. Peel, core and dice the apple into half-inch pieces. Peel the squash and then cut it in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds and thinly slice it crosswise into half rings.

3. Heat the remaining tablespoon of olive oil in a medium-size sauté pan. Add the sliced shallot, apple, and squash with 1/2 cup of the bean water and 1 teaspoon of salt. Cover and let simmer for 5 minutes to soften and release the flavors.

4. Meanwhile, soak the dried mushrooms by submerging them in water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Rinse and re-soak. If using fresh mushrooms, brush clean and thinly slice. To the sauté pan, add mushrooms, apple cider, 2 cups of beans, and 2 tablespoons of the cooking liquid. Stir. Cover and cook over medium heat until warm, about 5 minutes. Season to taste with remaining salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Add the apple cider vinegar, sage and butter. Bring to a simmer. Turn off heat and let beans stand for a few minutes. Spoon beans into bowls, garnish with parsley and serve with sliced bread.

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:07 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

WHEN LESS IS MORE: SIMPLE SOUPS
Written by Monique Siu and Kevin Gibson
Photo by Christine Hyatt
For Fall 2007

The comforting nature of soup is universal. All cultures have their own curative and restorative soups. For us, the comforting soups of childhood were Campbell’s Tomato or Chicken Noodle, and congee with beef, ginger and preserved vegetables. Reminiscing about the many wonderful soups we have eaten, we remember ones of great refinement and sophistication, and also deeply satisfying rustic ones.

Some soups are the prelude to a serious dinner; others a make-do, Sunday night one-dish meal. The Soupe au Pistou is a celebration of the season, with a profusion of ripe, seasonal vegetables. Still others are hearty winter meals of dried beans, lentils or split peas, or steaming bowls of broth packed with wontons and noodles.

We have often been inspired by the soups in France, where they are a traditional first course. The French love their soup! The most amazing French soups we have had were also the simplest. A puréed pumpkin soup at Violon d’Ingres in Paris tasted of pure pumpkin and was simply garnished with tiny buttery croutons and squares of Gruyère. At Hiramatsu we dined on a delicate broth poured over rare, thinly sliced breast of squab. A simple leek and potato soup with chunks of Gruyère was served at the start of every family dinner cooked by Aunt Melanie.

Continue reading " Edible Expert - When Less is More " »

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:15 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

CARROT-GINGER SOUP
From Monique Siu and Kevin Gibson of Castagna
Serves 4

1 onion, diced
6 large carrots, diced
1 thumb ginger, chopped
2 Tbsp butter
Sea salt
1/2 thumb ginger, finely chopped

Sweat onions, carrots, and one thumb ginger in butter until soft. Add salt and stir for 5 more minutes. Do not allow the vegetables to brown. Add cold water to cover by 1 inch. Simmer for 20-30 minutes. Add the finely chopped 1/2 thumb of ginger and purée. Strain. Pour into bowls and garnish with one of the following: thinly sliced scallions, seared prawns with coriander and cumin, slices of prosciutto fried in olive oil until crisp, or pea shoot tips.

Posted by Laura Ford at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

Written by David Machado
For Summer 2007

PORTLAND NATIVE JAMES BEARD published the above ode to the noble hamburger in 1972, which was my junior year in high school and the same year that a much-anticipated burger chain from California, called McDonald’s, opened its first location in my hometown of Fall River, Massachusetts. My first taste came years earlier courtesy of my Uncle Tom and his cast iron skillet. A transplanted Southerner and Iwo Jima veteran, Tom would cook me up a thin and gristly after-school version that he served between two slices of fluffy white Bunny bread. I loved it!

Several years later, I would step up in quality when I began to frequent Almacs Diner with Father McCarrick and a carload of altar boys fresh from a Friday night Novena. These burgers were professionally flipped and garnished with hot cheese and griddled onions by tattooed, paperhat-wearing war veterans. They were a divine revelation.

WHAT MAKES A TRULY GREAT HAMBURGER?
It’s a popular and well-worn cliché that Foodie Nation members must seek out and use only the best quality ingredients in their pursuit of producing remarkable food. So let’s start with the beef itself. Chuck is the correct choice in either the ground or whole muscle form. The chuck muscle has a natural fat content of 15-20%. This is the perfect ratio of protein to fat and makes for a flavorful and juicy burger, if handled correctly.

TO GRIND OR NOT TO GRIND?
If you decide to grind your own chuck in a hand grinder or Kitchen Aid attachment, make sure of two things: The equipment should be clean and sanitized before you begin, and the equipment as well as the meat should be extremely well chilled. The meat should be placed in a freezer for about 20 minutes and then cut in one inch wide strips before being placed in the grinder. Grind it twice by starting with a large-diameter plate and finishing with a medium-diameter plate. The resulting mix should be liberally seasoned with salt and black pepper and then gently formed into six-ounce patties.

To help form a consistent patty, use some sort of mold or template. At my restaurant, Lauro Kitchen, we use a small Spanish terra-cotta cazuela that does the job perfectly. Be careful not to overknead the beef. Try to form the patty with just enough force to shape it into a secure form. This step is essential—it promotes even cooking and results in a tender and juicy finished product.

Continue reading " Edible Expert - The Divine Hamburger " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 9:38 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

I ABSOLUTELY ADORE the hamburger at Lauro Kitchen on SE Division. Sometimes when I really can’t stand the thought of cooking for myself, I’ll head to Lauro for the burger and fries. It is one of my all-time favorite meals. We shared Dave Machado’s tips on how to make the perfect burger in the Summer issue of Edible Portland (See "The Divine Hamburger"), but we didn’t have room for his thoughts on fries! Read on for more musings – about fries and childhood adventures and first jobs that all include the classic American meat patty – from Lauro Kitchen’s Dave Machado.

–Deborah Kane

Dave's youth
As a young man, I moved to San Francisco and became a regular at an Italian counter joint called Little Joe’s. Joe’s was in North Beach, and you always had to wait in line for a seat. They served a massive hamburger – at least a half pound of ground beef molded with chopped onions and served on a French roll with melted Provolone cheese. I often washed this down with a glass of California Burgundy. What a perfect combination.

In 1985 I enrolled at the California Culinary Academy and secured a part-time job cooking at the famous Balboa Café. My job? Flipping gourmet burgers and dropping crisp shoestring French fries for San Francisco’s society set. I lasted a few months and then quit after a humbling shift: I cooked over 150 burgers in the hours following a San Francisco 49ers football victory.

My Balboa flameout did not discourage me from becoming a chef nor dampen my love of the hamburger. Why such devotion to the humble hamburger? It might be that the hamburger represents to us, as Americans, one of the most emotionally satisfying gastronomic experiences that we can partake of. The preparation and eating of a well made burger can be a deeply stirring and evocative act.

Burger history
Where did it all start? Common hamburger folklore tells us the hamburger is an offspring of the “chopped steak” favored by German immigrants who came to the U.S. from Hamburg in the early 19th century.

Continue reading " Edible Expert, continued - The divine hamburger meets the perfect fry " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 10:26 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 2 )

LAURO KITCHEN CHEESEBURGER WITH POMMES FRITES AND AIOLI

Recipe from David Machado, Lauro Kitchen
Photo by Frank DiMarco, dimarcoimages.com

The burger:
5 lbs of Oregon Country Natural ground chuck
1 Tbsp garlic, chopped
1 cup yellow onions, finely chopped
1/2 tsp Tabasco
1/4 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1/4 cup parsley, chopped
Salt and black pepper

1. Combine the beef, garlic, onion, Tabasco, Worcestershire and parsley and marinate for 2 hours.
2. Season well with salt and pepper.
3. Cool the mixture well before shaping. Make a small test patty and grill to taste for seasoning.
4. Weigh the ground meat at 6 ounces and form into balls. Using a mold, shape into burgers about 5 inches in diameter and 1/4-inch thick. Stack with wax paper and refrigerate until needed.

Aioli:
3 egg yokes
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 tsp garlic, chopped
16 oz extra virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

1. In a bowl whip egg yolks and lemon juice until frothy.
2. Add chopped garlic.
3. Slowly start adding oil a little at a time.
4. Continue adding oil until thick and creamy.
5. Season with salt and pepper and refrigerate until needed.

Pommes Frites:
Potatoes
Salt and pepper

1. Cut potatoes into 1/4-inch match sticks. Rinse and drain well.
2. Blanch potatoes at 325 degrees until just beginning to color. Drain well and cool on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper.
3. When ready, fry potatoes at 375 degrees until crispy and an even golden color.
4. Toss in a bowl with salt and pepper and serve.

To order:
6 oz Cascade Natural ground chuck patty
1 1/8-inch slice Mezzo Secco, Sonoma aged Dry Jack cheese
Pearl Bakery burger bun
1 Tbsp homemade aioli
Butter lettuce, torn
1 slice vine ripened tomato
1 thin slice red onion
1 handful blanched Pommes Frites
Salt and pepper
Ketchup

1. Grill the burger on a hot gas or charcoal grill turning as necessary until it reaches the desired temperature.
2. Top with cheese and let melt. Cook the fries and toast the bun. Garnish the bun with aioli, butter lettuce, sliced tomato and sliced onions.
3. Serve with fries and a side of ketchup.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 9:33 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 1 )

Written by Ellen Jackson
For Spring 2007

ONCE UPON A TIME, a sour-cherry pie with lattice crust, still warm from the oven, was the ultimate expression of hearth and home. A thick slice of homemade bread, slathered with sweet butter, was a hallmark of hospitality…if your name was June Cleaver.

Now we live in an age of convenience foods, and everyone complains that they haven't any time. Bread making has a reputation for being fussy and old-fashioned, a tricky collaboration of yeast, time, and expertise, with long odds of a payoff for the amateur baker. The thought of baking a loaf can be overwhelming and conjure up images of an entire day spent in its service.

Actually, baking is the perfect pursuit for busy people because it is well-suited to being divided into steps and stages. Significant chunks of time are spent waiting, but you needn't plan your day around the schedule of a loaf of bread. In fact, the methodology is quite logical and far more flexible than you might imagine.

Continue reading " Edible Expert - Easy as Pie: A Busy Person's Guide to Scratch Baking " »

Posted by Deborah Kane at 1:23 PM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )

From Ellen Jackson

I've been making these muffins for many years, tweaking the recipe as I go. I think the original calls for raspberries, but any sort of berry works wonderfully, as do apples, pears, stone fruit, and rhubarb. I love that these are mostly fruit, held together with a bit of batter. But best of all is how quickly they come together if you do some of the steps in advance.

3 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
2 cups diced rhubarb or other fruit
1 tsp lemon zest
8 oz (2 sticks) butter, melted
2 eggs
1 cup milk

Topping
2 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup lightly toasted pecans or walnuts, coarsely chopped (optional)
1/2 cup flour
1 tsp cinnamon
2 oz butter, melted

Mix the flour, sugars, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg together. Set it aside until you're ready to bake the muffins. Make the muffin topping by combining everything but the butter in a small bowl. Add the melted butter and stir with a fork. Your topping should have lots of pebble-sized lumps. Cover and refrigerate. Dice the rhubarb in 1/2-inch pieces, cover, and refrigerate. You can add the lemon zest to the rhubarb now, or wait until morning.

When you wake up, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Melt the butter and set it aside to cool slightly.

Make a well in the dry ingredients and add the eggs, butter, and milk. Stir with a wooden spoon or spatula until just combined. Fold in the rhubarb and lemon zest. Divide the batter between 12 muffin cups with paper liners and sprinkle evenly with the topping. Bake until nicely browned and firm, about 30-35 minutes.

Posted by Deborah Kane at 9:52 AM | Permalink | Comments ( 0 )