My husband and I headed to David Burke’s Primehouse as our restaurant week selection.  David Burke’s is an upscale steak house known for their dry aged beef and big price tags (some steaks run $60!).  We went for an early dinner and the place was already pretty packed – it seems many folks are taking advantage of the special restaurant week promotion.  While I felt a bit rushed and slightly claustrophobic (tables were really close together)  overall we had a very enjoyable evening.  Warm popovers, lobster bisque, filet mignon and white chocolate cheesecake – I mean whats not to like!

There is something special about a good restaurant steak.  I feel like I am a good cook and can make restaurant caliber food but I have never been able to capture the utter goodness of a perfectly cooked restaurant steak.  This got to me thinking about why that might be so I did a little research and here is what I learned.

• USDA Beef Grades – The USDA grading system for beef was actually conceived by cattlemen in the 1920′s (not the government) and was based on the amount of visible fat marbling in the beef.   However, it was later found that heavy marbling does not guarantee either tender or flavorful beef.  Yet, the prestige of “prime” beef still persists.  Which leads to the next point….
• Beef Quality - Meat and flavor scientists have actually found that fat marbling accounts for no more than one third of the variation in beef quality.  Other important factors include breed, how the animal is cared for (feed and exercise), age of animal, slaughter conditions and storage conditions.  You may notice more stores (particularly places like Whole Foods) that will indicate how the animal was raised and fed because these are all factors in choosing high quality beef.  It is still difficult for most consumers to know the full extent of the quality of beef they are buying.   However, the more consumers ask questions about where our beef is coming from, the more likely stores will continue to provide us with the information we demand.
• Aging – Beef benefits from aging (similar to wine and cheese) – it allows the flavor and texture of the meat to improve over time.  Dry aging usually means that whole, unwrapped sides of beef are kept at a cool temperature (34 – 38F) at a relative humidity of 70 – 80%.  The cool temperature limits the growth of microbes, while the humidity causes the meat to slowly lose moisture, allowing the flavor to develop and become more concentrated.  Wet aging is when beef is vacuum sealed in plastic and allowed to sit under refrigeration for a certain period of time.  Wet aging allows the beef to become more tender but does not allow the flavor to develop since there is no moisture loss as is done in dry aging.  Wet aging is much more common these days because the beef does not shrink (no moisture loss) therefore there is less loss to the company producing the beef.  Dry aging is one of the key elements in getting really high quality beef and is often only served in very high quality steak houses (i.e. – David Burke’s) or sold at gourmet butcher shops.  If you really want a special cut of meat, you will need to do some investigating in your area to see where dry aged beef is sold.
• Cooking – It’s easy to overcook meat, beef in particular.  This is why I like to use the two-stage cooking method with most meat.  This simply means that you sear or brown your meat on a high temperature surface and then move to the oven where you complete your cooking at a lower, more even temperature.  The lower temperature means the meat cooks more slowly, giving you a larger window to avoid making a mistake.  It also keeps you from burning the outside of your meat, while ending up with a raw center.  It is very easy to overshoot medium rare when cooking a steak.  And to be honest, if you are eating a good steak I don’t know why you would bother cooking it beyond medium rare/medium.  Your best tools when cooking a steak are a good meat thermometer and your eyes.  A meat thermometer should read between 130-140F for a medium rare to medium steak.  The meat will still have some “give” to it and the juices will still be red.  FYI – red juices are not blood, it’s just the juice/moisture from the beef.  If you do want your beef more well done the temperature should read between 150-160F and there will be less free flowing juices that will be light pink to gray in color.  Yuck.

If you are lucky enough to get a lovely, dry-aged piece of beef, just remember that less is more.  Season with some salt and pepper and sear on a HOT pan just until the outside is browned.  Place a pat of butter on the beef if you want a little more flavor and stick in the oven for a few minutes paying close attention to your meat thermometer until you reach your desired level of doneness.  Enjoy!

Well, hope you learned a little something about beef ( I know I did!)  I also want to acknowledge the book  “On Food and Cooking – the science and lore of the kitchen” by Harold McGee as an excellent resource.  I will be reviewing this book in a later post but wanted to acknowledge a key resource to my more “scientific” questions.

Lemon Angel Food Cupcakes

Ingredients

Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup cake flour
• 3/4 cup powdered sugar
• 3/4 cup egg whites (@ 5 large eggs)
• 1/8 tsp salt
• 3/4 tsp cream of tartar
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 tsps lemon zest

Frosting

• 1/2 cup butter, softened (1 stick)
  
• 4 oz. cream cheese, softened
• 2 cups powdered sugar
  
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 tblsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Line 16 muffin cups with paper liners.  Set aside.

Spoon cake flour into measuring cups and level.  Sift together flour and powdered sugar into a bowl.  Repeat procedure.  (Sifting multiple times helps to give you light and airy angel food cake).

Beat egg whites and salt at a high speed until the mixture becomes frothy.  Add cream of tartar and beat until soft peaks form.  Add granulated sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Lightly sprinkle flour mixture over egg white mixture, about 1/3 cup at a time and gently fold in after each addition.  Gently stir in vanilla and lemon zest.

Divide mixture among muffin cups and bake for 18 minutes or until lightly browned.  Let cool before frosting.

To prepare frosting, beat butter and cream cheese together until fluffy.  Gradually and slowly add the powedered sugar with the mixer on low speed (or else you will have powedered sugar all over your kitchen).  Add vanilla and lemon juice and beat until fluffy.  Frost cupcakes and serve.

• Microplane
• Tongs
• Citrus juicers
• Chefs Knife
• Garlic Press
• Salad Dressing Mixer
• Grater
• Kitchen scissors
• Kitchen scraper
• Spider skimmer

I’m going to prepare some oven fried chicken for dinner tonight so my next post will include a photo (hopefully!), recipe and comments on how it went.  In the meantime, I just wanted to review some of my must have pantry staples that I always keep in the kitchen.  Most of these will seem pretty obvious but I thought I’d share with those of you that are new to cooking and want to get started.

1. Extra Virgin Olive Oil – pretty obvious I know.  I buy large bottles of it at Costco and then put it in smaller containers throughout my kitchen.  I have a bottle I use to drizzle on salads, pasta, bread, etc.  Olive oil is so versatile – it’s great for cooking but also to make a vinaigrette (I try to make my own dressings which will be another upcoming post), drizzle on pasta, dipping bread, moisturizing your dry fingers and cuticles, massaging a little into your dry scalp or I even like to coat my measuring spoons and cups with  it before I measure out something sticky (i.e. – honey) so the ingredient slides right out and makes cleanup much easier!
2. Honey – speaking of honey….I love it!  It’s a great natural sweetener that I use in many, many recipes.  I’ve been experimenting with some different types of honey (i.e. – wildflower, clover, alfalfa, buckwheat and sage to name a few) and I’m really enjoying the different flavor profiles that these honeys provide.
3. Dijon mustard – another ingredient I buy in bulk.  Great for dressings and sauces but also just rub some on a pork tenderloin or salmon with some salt, pepper and herbs and you have yourself a great meal.
4. Soy sauce (low sodium) – I am partial to Asian inspired flavors and use soy sauce frequently for marinades and sauces.
5. Kosher salt and Whole Peppercorns – no explanation needed.  I will say that I always grind my own salt and pepper – I think it makes food more flavorful.
6. White wine vinegar – as I previously mentioned I always try and make my own dressings and a good white wine vinegar is a must have.  I also enjoy experimenting with different types of vinegars – champagne and pomegranate are currently my two favorites.
7. Jasmine rice – a great side dish that goes well with most dishes and can be eaten on its own or add your favorite ingredients to really elevate this pantry staple.  I’ve been replacing some of the water with coconut milk to get a creamy and delicious side dish.
8. Low sodium chicken stock - a must have for making pan sauces and of course soup.  However, I cook rice and orzo in chicken stock instead of water to really elevate the flavor.  I know there are some cooking purists that only make their own stock but I think the box options are pretty good for most dishes.  I do generally make my own stock for soups though – it’s very easy but takes some time.  I will share my recipe in an upcoming post.
9. White wine – a must have for deglazing pans, making sauces and of course for risotto.  Just use one that is good enough to drink.  Besides, the chef should have a little sip while cooking!
10. Garlic – I sometimes feel like I use garlic in everything I make because I buy it all the time.  A head of garlic lasts a pretty long time and it so useful for almost any dish.  I know they make the kind in the jar but it doesn’t take too much time to peel and mince a clove or two of garlic and the results are so worth it!

Hope this list was helpful – wish me luck on preparing a new recipe tonight!

I’ve really fallen in love with cooking over the past couple of years and have gotten positive feedback from my friends and family so I thought I’d share some of my “secrets” with the rest of the virtual world.  Here are some of my main sources of inspiration for starting this blog:

• Food Network - seriously good TV for foodies.  I’ve learned so much from my favorite TV chefs!  Many of the recipes I’ll be sharing with you are inspired by things I have seen or read courtesy of the Food Network.
• Cooking Light - I subscribed to Cooking Light for many years and really learned some great tips for making healthy eating choices without sacrificing flavor.  Eating healthy is important to me (though I do have a weakness for all things dairy – particularly cheese and ice cream).
• Chicago – I live in such a great city with so many sources of culinary inspiration.  I could spend countless days researching, reviewing and eating at all of the great restaurants, ethnic grocers, gourmet grocers, farmers markets, wine and cheese shops (well, you get the idea) but that is not really the point of this blog.  However, many of my favorite dishes are inspired by things I have eaten at one of the aforementioned venues and if something really blows my mind I will certainly pass it along to you.
• Science – This may seem to be a bit of a stretch for some of you but cooking is really all about science!  I have a degree in Chemistry and formulated for many years at a major beauty product company.  Much of what I learned in the lab really does apply to the kitchen.  In fact, I kind of like to think of my kitchen as my laboratory.  I mean, think about it, you run experiments all the time in the kitchen (some go well, some not so much).  Cooking is about understanding the ingredients and how they interact with each other much like formulating a shampoo or body lotion.  I hope to bring a little of the science behind some of my recipes when I think it might be helpful.
• Me – I think I bring my own special “flair” to what I make.  In fact, everybody brings their own special touch to cooking.  That is what makes it so great – you & I could each make the same exact recipe but they might turn out a little bit different because of our unique take on it.  Cooking is intimate and personal.  You engage all of your senses.  Bringing somebody a dish you made is so much more personal than a gift card you picked up at the mall (okay – well maybe only if you are a good cook!)
• Beauty Products – you may have picked up on another passion of mine which are beauty products (I LOVE Sephora).  I previously mentioned that I worked in the lab at a major beauty care company working on developing new shampoos, lotions, body washes, creams, etc.  I was also responsible for the fragrances that went inside most of those products.  You may think the beauty industry doesn’t really have anything in common with the food industry but think again.  Most of the companies that make your favorite perfumes (i.e. – Gucci, Clinique, Chanel) also make some of your favorite flavors (i.e. – citrus flavor in liquors, mint flavor in toothpaste).  The beauty and food industries inspire each other all the time!  Do you remember when pomegranate became huge in the supermarket – all of the sudden pomegranate juice was everywhere?  Then, a few months later, pomegranate started popping up in candles, home frangrances, body washes and lotions.  Well, this is just one of many examples of the interaction between these two industries (though I haven’t seen bacon flavored shampoo yet but you never know!)  I hope to pass along some of trends I’m seeing in these industries and how they may inspire one another and ultimately how they will inspire you in the kitchen.

Above all, I’m doing this because I’m excited about sharing some of the things I’ve learned and some of the mistakes I’ve made.  My main objective is to have fun and pass along simple and yummy recipes that will hopefully make you (and those you prepare them for) smile.