guglhupf

Today Marty and I went to a bakery in Durham for lunch. Best sandwiches I've eaten in a long time — roasted beet and a brat on a pretzel roll. I highly recommend it if you live in the area. The name of the place is Guglhupf.

pictures of food from work and home

avocado, sweet peas, leeks, mixed greens, fresh corriander grilled shrimp (not yet on plate in this pic) :

carrot soup portioned out:

some kind of oregano:

filo "package" testing:

filo testing with two cold soups (carrot/cucumber):

lamb tenderloin with sweet potato maytag gratin:

frozen pickled grape and beet salad:

tuna carpaccio:

last pic: lamb tenderloin roulade with fried artichokes

garden update

garden

Marty and I planted a garden again this year... far larger than last years. We have 6 kinds of tomatoes, basil, lemon thyme, cilantro, thai basil, purple basil, chives and squash. The squash plants win the prize for growing the most but everything else will soon be ready.

My point is that all it took was about $50 and one afternoon and we will have herbs all summer for free. At the store most herbs come in a 2 or 3oz bunch for $3... what a rip off! Not to mention we have more squash than we can cook and soon tons of tomatoes. I can't wait.

Do your self a favor and plant a garden.

dressings

Here are a few dressing recipes that I have made at various restaurants where I have worked. All of the dressings are easy to make and require few "specialty" ingredients. At work I would just make these by eye most of the time. I am sure they are good.... we wrote them on the plane ride back to Raleigh so all the measurements are from memory.
Enjoy.

all salads should be seasoned with freshly ground salt and pepper.
all herbs should be fresh.
all dressings should be tossed.
+++++++++++++++++

Cranberry Vinagrette
2 oz red wine vinegar
2 oz cranberry juice
2 oz craisins
1 tsp dijon
1/2 tsp sugar
5 oz olive oil

puree in blender, slowly add olive oil.
recommended with cashews, blue cheese and craisins.

Blue Cheese a la Pork
2 tbs minced red onion
1/4 c blue cheese crumbled
2 oz white wine vinegar
pinch of thyme
5 oz extra virigin olive oil

whisk

Country Captain Roasted Garlic Buttermilk Dressing
1 bulb roasted garlic
1 tsp fresh ground black pepper
2 oz white wine vinegar
1 tsp dijon
4 oz buttermilk
4 oz vegetable oil (more or less based on consistency)

puree in blender, slowly add oil until slightly thick.
you are looking for a consitency like common ranch dressing.

Garden Dressing
3 tbs parsley
2 tbs oregano
1 tbs mint
1 tbs basil
1 tsp thyme
1 small clove minced garlic
1/2 shallot minced
1 tsp dijon
2 oz buttermilk
6 oz olive oil

chop in food processor until minced while adding olive oil.
when preparing the salad, squeeze lemon juice on top and toss.
add the lemon at the very end, as it will discolor the dressing.

Sesame Orange Dressing
1 cup orange juice reduced to 1/4 cup (until syrupy)
1 tbs toasted sesame seeds
1 shallot minced
1 1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 cup olive oil

whisk

Lemon Parmesan Dressing
juice from 1 lemon
1 pinch microplaned lemon peel
1 clove minced garlic
2 tbs finely grated parmesan
5 oz olive oil

whisk

Sherry Vinagrette
1 shallot diced
1 tbs thyme leaves roughly chopped
2 oz sherry vinager
4 oz olive oil

whisk
good on oysters, blanced potatos, or green beans

Honey Mustard
2 tbs dijon
1 tbs honey
1 egg yolk
1 oz white wine vinager
6 oz vegetable oil

blend in food processor and slowly add oil until it emulsifies

tuna roll

This is a new technique i've recently learned for processing tuna loin. This approach makes the tuna look like a perfect cylinder after you prepare and plate it. First clean the loin removing the blood line and chain. Next section the tuna into long rectangular pieces slicing down the middle from one end to the other. Following that cool the tuna in the walk in for about half an hour until it has firmed up again.

This next step will take two people and a long flat surface. Remove the plastic wrap from the box, one person will hold the plastic wrap tight while the other wraps the tuna. Roll the tuna once with the wrap to secure the plastic on the fish.

At this point you will roll it very tightly, taking care not to rip the flesh, put as much tension on the wrap as you can and begin rolling the tuna until it forms a cylinder. As it becomes round fold the loose ends of the plastic over the ends of the tuna and keep rolling until it is extremely firm and shaped like a pole. Once you have achieved the baton shape place the tuna in the cooler for a few hours (it works best if you do it over night).

The tuna is now ready to slice. Tranche it into whatever thickness you desire. I recommend about an inch thick, unwrap, season and sear in a hot pan and it should keep its perfect round shape.