Foodie Food Chain...or...I went to the applejack festival and all I brought back were, well, apples...

Nothing excites me more than being around a bunch of people that are totally into food. Whether I am at work, at a festival, or out to eat with a bunch of close friendlies, I am right there in my element, soaking up every bit of it. Having a passion for food is contagious. Just look at the picture of me in the apple tree (I was trying to help people get the best picks), case in point.

I have come up with a few categories here to help you figure out where you are in the foodie food chain, so without further introduction (and in no particular order):

Vegan/Vegetarian: The original foodies. These peeps go way out of their way to find the food that they need/want, often times preparing it for themselves. A huge part of the world is vegetarian (a lot based on religion) so this is not a new thing. Veggies are feisty little buggers in the kitchen and some of the most resourceful cooks out there. Vegans take it one step further. I once tried my hand at the veggie way of life, until I got hungry for sausages, but I still eat tons of veggies/fruits. The tastiest Indian food I've had is from my vegetarian friends. Summary: one of the most respectable foodies out there. If you aren't one, buddy up to one, stat. You'll learn new tricks and tips crazy quick. Pairs well with: Food Missionary, Snooty Foodie. Avoid: Fast Foodie, (sometimes)Foodzilla.

The Fast Foodie: This foodie is the subject of much controversy. There's no arguing that they love food, but it must be attainable through a plexiglass window and have sizing upgrades to regular, huge, and you can't be serious. The good news is, most of the fatties, I mean fasties are easily converted into a different category. the love is already there, they just need some help moving onto the next step. Pairs well with: Food Missionary, Foodzilla

Avoid: Snooty Foodie, Vegan/Vegetarian

Foodzilla!: The All-encompassing foodie. A literal walking, talking, vacuum of food consumption. there is no place too big or small for these guys. give them a bag of white castle sliders for lunch and butter poached lobster at the french laundry for dinner and these foodies would be on cloud nine. Being a foodzilla should not be considered a bad thing. It's the more adventurous of us that find ourselves at home in this category. pairs well with: Food missionary, Fast foodie.

avoid: snooty foodie. (sometimes) Vegan/Vegetarian

The Food Missionary: A foodie with a desire to get every one else they know into food. They love to teach others how to cook things and love learning how every one else does things in the kitch. they have no problem going out of their way for a food find. While not the most practical people, knowing a food missionary can be a very beneficial friendship. Also, be forewarned that these foodies can get a little annoying at times, there eagerness to help can often be shrouded as thinking they know everything. Pairs well with: Foodzilla, (sometimes) Snooty Foodie, (sometimes) fast foodie (usually to convert), (usually with) vegan/vegetarian.

Snooty Foodie: everyone knows at least one. These people claim to have the best palettes and be the authority on everything, and a very select few, actually are. The difference between these guys and the other categories is that they think no one else can know more than they do. A snooty foodie wouldn't be caught dead eating something from the state fair or pretty much anything a fast foodie would eat. These people are seldom great cooks, because they can't replicate the wonderful meals that they have had and to them, food is a luxury. Now, Snooties shouldn't get a totally bad rap, because a lot of them know what they are talking about. they've eaten at places that would blow your mind, and relish in the fact that you probably won't:) Pairs well with (other snooties), avoid: everyone else. (we all think you are a bit full of yourself:)

So, let me know where you stand in the pecking order, totally interested (even if you are a snooty( I could use some suggestions on where to go to eat around here:)).

Otherstuff:

ok, now that that's over with,

food:

made some pork chili on thursday, along with rice and beans. the other dish is a vegetable au gratin, made with veggies from mom and dad dish. The super sweet (almost type 2 diabetes sweet) photo is of wifeshow and I having a caramel apple smackdown. We paid an out of work, one-armed, farm-hand to snap a quick photo (man, that guy could focus). he did a pretty good job. Did a bunch of bungalhaus stuff over the weekend, including a ceiling fan install, thanks to my pal, Green.

Here's a quick one for you:

Vegetable au gratin (simpler than simple)

1 head cauliflower, sliced into big sections

3 med potatoes, large dice

3 medium carrots, large dice

1 onion. minced

3 cloves garlic

1/2 cup heavy cream

1/2 c bread crumbs

1/2 c parmesan, grated

salt and peps

olive oil

slice cauliflower into big sections, drizz olive oil and salt and peps and roast in oven at 400f until golden brown (around 30 min). While cauliflower is roasting, put potatoes and carrots and garlic in big pot of boiling, salted water and boil until barely just tender, 5-7 minutes. While the veg is on the boil, caramelize your onions in some olive oil and add a little salt and peps. maybe a knob of butter, if you like. this dish is already super cheesy and creamy, so you might as well:)

then, drain your veg, toss into the pan with the cauliflower, add your onions,another healthy drizz of olive oil and roast an addtional 10-15 minutes, or until they get some color. then, add your cream and cheese and bake until golden brown and bubblified. garnish with some parsley and enjoy with good bread and pals.

DISH recommends: Making a food trip. You'll be surprised how much fun you have going out of your way to get really fresh delicious tasties (not the terrible north 48th sandwich, those are definitely not fresh!). yeah, it's not very practical, but it's a good time. and you always learn something new, whether it be about yourself, or the food you are getting. pieces.

ps: I'm somewhere in between foodzilla and food missionary:), where are you? (there is no wrong answer, or make up your own category!)

First Cold Press Release...or..."beat it popeye, I'm stealing your lady and taking your spinach!"

I wanted to take some time in this post to talk about an ingredient that is very treasured in my kitchen. What could it be, you wonder? Aged Balsamic? (I wish, seriously, before I croak I want to have a bottle that is older than I am, but the cost increases with every year the dish waits, mmmm...super old sticky black nectar, gurgle...gurgle), pig-hunted white and black truffles? (let's get real, I just bought a house, peeps), ok, I'll just be out with it: olive oil. Yep, that's it, but wait just a minute now. when is the last time you really thought about olive oil? Unless your friends affectionately refer to you as "Popeye" or "Bluto", probably never. that's ok, you're not alone.

My interest in olive oil began about 6 years ago when wifeshow and I made a trip to kansas city and I stumbled across an olive oil tasting station at a gourmet kitchen store (probably Williams sonoma or sur la table or something). I had used olive oil predominately up until then, but only because everything I had seen or read said to do so. I was pretty into cooking by then and thought that it was a neat idea so I tried all the different kinds of oils and was really amazed at the complexities that varied from each kind. Even by region (Italian oils are pretty specific on origin, using a DOP{system used to classify region by tradition or terroir} system for classification, much like the DOC system used for classifying wines), the oils had subtleties that were apparent to my immature palette and also more obvious trademarks like color (immature olives produce green oils, mature olives produce a more golden, or yellow oil). I took a lot away from that experience, and always jump at the chance to taste oils from different regions/countries (spanish oils are becoming super popular, by the way).

one thing that I did decide then and there was that I prefer the taste of a more mature olive. Oils from tuscany, while very popular, come from very immature (to avoid the frigid briskies) olives and therefore produce very green, spicy oils. While they have their place, I just prefer the more golden, smoothness of oil made from older olives.

The production process is pretty standard. olives are picked starting in october and all the way into january and then pressed using a cold pressing method (no hotter than 60 degrees F). The first olives that run through this process are the "first cold pressed", and produce the "extra virgin" variety. These oils have an acidity of less than 1 percent. lesser grades are often labeled "fine virgin", "superfine", and "pure".

now, while all this is fine and whatnot, just let me reiterate the fact that it is all about personal taste. You could spend a lot of money on really expensive bottles and bask in their glory, but you'd probably be a fool to use them for high heat cooking( delicate flavors are lost in the heat and the really good stuff usually has a low smoke point, especially if it's unfiltered). My advice is to save an old, dark green wine bottle, and fill it with olive oil that you buy in bulk, storing it in a dark place, as sunlight cuts its life in half. My favorite brand is from whole foods and is really affordable. You can buy it in a big tin (3 liters) for around 26-30 clams. Keep in mind, however, that a good, expensive bottle is well worth it, but I would only recommend it for "finishing" dishes, or to use as a dip or dressing.

one last thing about olive oil. If you really want to taste it, I mean REALLY taste it for all it's worth. you need to take a tiny shot of it. after you swallow it, make a big smile but clench your teeth and suck in air through your teeth, this aerates your taste buds and lets you experience a lot of different complexities in flavor that you might not pick up otherwise. You can use this trick on other foods too, just not vinegars, you'll cough up a lung.

ok, finally: FOOD. Had a lot of tomatoes this week so did some recipes from the book Jamie at home. A really good cookbook on how to grow and prepare garden veg. Recommends it. Middle pic is crispy, sticky chicken thighs with new potatoes and tomatoes, and the second one is baked sausage ragu. both super tasty. the other pic is from last night. grilled some t-bones. think it is my favorite steak, because you get two cuts of meat in one, ny strip and tenderloin. paired with some grilled zukes and japanese eggplant. Getting new stove today, super excited.

As always, happy to share recipes, just short on time to post them.

DISH recommends:

The clenched teeth air suck taste method (clickity click). (don't steal that name, patent pending:). This works for a lot of stuff, but people will think you are crazy...or constantly stepping on thumbtacks, or watching people trip on the sidewalk. give it a try, just not on sharp vinegars or spicy chiles, you'll hate yourself afterward...trust me.

PS-- going to go to the applejack festival this weekend for some wholesome appley fun. How wholesome, you ask? well, it's in nebraska city...

stay tuned for some pies, tarts, or apple butters

stroganoff the record

Well, it certainly has been a while now, hasn't it. I think that I am going on a couple of weeks here without a post, so I will try and do a makeshift one until my next day off. Sort of getting used to cooking on the beast (that is now fully functional, thanks to some internet research:). however, we did just buy a sweet new frigidaire gas range/oven, that will take it's place as soon as we start the remodel. I'm pretty excited about it, it's been a long time since I've had gas at home (although wifeshow will heartily disagree:).

I have a lot of pics that I haven't posted lately, so the two above are from different weeks. No, we haven't just been beefing around, I have just been a little lax in my postings. the first beef treat was smoked beef ribs. I had a little tip from my friend "Z" to try when smoking stuff. He was claiming that his favorite way to season stuff he smokes is just to rub it with mustard and then apply some tony chachere's creole seasoning. I was a little reticent to try it because I thought it might be too mustardy, but you actually don't taste it at all. It ends up just being a really classic smokey flavor. totally recommends it.

the other pic was bistro style beefstro. yeah, that's right, I play with words. I hadn't had stroganoff in a long time and thought I had some good ideas about how to make it tasty. I used some salt and pepped sirloin and seared it on both sides and then set it aside. Then added a diced onion, garlic clove, fresh rosemary, thyme, marjoram, and parsley. let that saute in olive oil for a while and then added some healthy splashes of bourbon and torched it. in went a can of beef broth, the beef, and some reconstituted wild mushrooms and just let it simmer for about an hour. I ended up pureeing everything but the beef and put it all back together and turned the heat up to thicken it. another splash of bourbon, a quick stir, and some sour cream and egg noodles later and there you have it. I regretted pureeing the shrooms, but there's always next time...

new newsworthy bits of news-type things: I am going to paint webster. glossy white. I'll let it sink in...ok, now you can tell me how crazy I am. But here are my reasons: I have to paint him some color, he's starting to rust, so that's that...and, who has a white grill? not you? not me either...yet. Also, getting closer to achieving lifelong goal of becoming handy. I'm not quite sure if I'll ever make it to handy, maybe just handier, but I think that I can live with that. I put some sconces on the wall (handier), put together my new computer desk (kind of handy), fixed the oven/made wife think that I had actually gone to some degree of work, fixing said oven (not handy/extremely handy, but then demoted to less than handy and also kind of a liar when she found out actual amount of "fixing":), and took a nap while wife painted the living room (D-). so, yeah...that last one was bad. I suspect she doesn't trust me with the paintbrush...

stay super tuned, the dish is back, just really tired...

DISH recommends:

LOWES. we saved a lot of money on the appliances we bought over labor dabor weekend, like 500 clams! Stuff was on mega sale, plus we had a coupon for ten percent off of our total purch. Notice they don't call it "HIGHS"...

goodbye tiny kitchen...you've served me well...

I'm sneaking this post in while wifeshow gets ready. We are minutes away from closing on the house and I'm pretty excited. thought that I would post the last really tasty thing I remember eating, you know before the barrage of sandwiches and going out for meals (can't stand to be without a full functioning kitchen). This is pork belly that was braised in a rosemary caramel sauce. You start out by making a caramel with sugar, water, and rosemary. take it until it gets nice and golden and then combine that with soy sauce, fish sauce, vermouth, ginger, scallions, diced sweet potato, black pepper, and diced pineapple. If anyone wants the recipe, I'd be happy to share, just can't right now as I am moving and pressed for time. Also, will be disconnected from the web for a few days, so this is my post for the week. Stay tuned, there will be many, many more posts to come from a new kitchen!

pieces.

DISH recommends:

cracklin' oat bran. pretty good cereal. expensive...but pretty good. had some this morning. and probably will have it for lunch...hopefully not dinner too.

After Dinner Mince...or...up to my knees in these cutleries

I've been wanting to do this post for a long, long, time. I realize that the recommendations I have made throughout this post may seem a little pricey, but If there is only one time you listen to the DISH, let that time be now. While this post may be a little scattered, I hope that it is informative for those thinking about buying a new knife (whether you are just starting to get serious about cooking, or if you are a seasoned cook, looking to upgrade your current cutlery) and also maintaining the knives that you have. We use our knives every day, more than any other tool in the kitchen. They should have our complete respect and we should always go for quality when purchasing them.

ok, photo categories here ( top to bottom): sharpening tools(norton IM200 sharpening system, mac ceramic steel,mac diamond sharpener, and mac IT sharpener), paring knives/misc. knives (mac 4 inch paring, wusthof 3.5 inch paring, mac bird's beak, grapefruit knife (wifeshow), ulu filet knife), slicers/bread knives(mac 11 inch yanagiba, forschner flexible 7-inch filet, mac 10-inch bread knife/slicer, Wusthof 9-inch bread knife), Cleavers (Global 6-inch meat cleaver, Global vegetable cleaver, Mac 6.5 inch cleaver, and Chef's knives (Mac Ultimate series 10 inch chef knife, Henckles 4 star 6-inch).

Over the years, I've amassed a decent collection of cutlery. This certainly does not make me any sort of expert, but I would like to share a few things with you that I have come to understand.

Dish's Rule #1: some of you aren't going to like this one, but I'll say it anyway: It's really hard to find a decent chef's knife for well below the $100 dollar mark. "What?!? how could he?" " I love my trusty chef's knife that I got a super sweet deal on!" While many of you may argue with me on this one, (hey, I tried to go the inexpensive route, see the skinny, flexible boning knife in the "slicer/bread knife" photo? at first it seemed ok, but it has ultimately let me down.) I'm going to have to put my foot down and say you are wrong. I hope that you can eventually look at this as an investment. Yeah, it sucks to spend that much on a single item, but trust me, the moment (but more importantly the next moment, and the next, and so on) you slice through a tomato/pepper/cucumber with no resistance, you'll be hooked. My first "chef's knife" was a henckles 4 star (see photo w/ 2 knife's facing opposite directions). It served me well for a couple years. However, when I started working in a restaurant, I got used to a longer length of knife and was ready to upgrade. So, for my birthday that year, Wifeshow took me to PHG in omaha (I think that they have stopped carrying MAC knives:( ) and bought me the MAC ultimate series 10 inch chef knife. It was totally unexpected. I wouldn't have dropped that amount of coin on myself back then, but if there is anyone out there who is looking for a new chef knife that will outperform most others, this is my recommendation. I can't say enough good things about it. It stays sharp forever with regular "steeling" and I use my stone on it about 2-3 times a year. it is a joy to cut with and so far, I've favored it over all other brands I've tried (Wusthof, Henckles, shun, global, forschner, Kyocera).

DISH's Rule #2: It's all about balance: By this, I mean a couple of things. First, Your knife should have a decent amount of heft. Even the thinner, lighter japanese blades (which I have grown to love, more on that later) aren't so light that they feel like toys. Next, when you rest the knife in the palm of your hand, it should lay reasonably flat, not tipping one way or the other. This makes a big difference during long chopping sessions and, over time, can lead to a duller knife and maybe even wrist problems. The main thing here is that your knife should feel great in your hand. Everyone is different, the best knife for me might not be the one for you and vise versa. however, if you are in the market for a new knife or to upgrade, make sure you do your research. a couple of really good places to go (in omaha, sorry lincolnites) are williams sonoma, sur la table, and PHG. They will let you try their knives out and I think some will even let you cut with them. Or, if you want, just come on over to Casa Dish and I'll let you take mine for a spin. Just not anytime soon, I'm moving, and am super sick right now, probably pig flu.

DISH's Rule #3: I think I'm turning Japanese (I really think so). With the exception of 1 american knife maker, I'm pretty much sold on japanese knives. My favorites, as you can tell from my photos are mac knives and global knives (although Misono and Shun are also very respectable choices) The problem I have with german/european knives is that they take a significant amount of time to sharpen and dull rather quickly compared to their japanese counterparts. This is not to say that german/european knives are bad (henckles and wusthof are two very respected companies), I just prefer Japanese.

DISH's Rule #4: Keep it sharp!: This seems pretty obvious right? at the very least i would recommend getting yourself a good steel. If you plan to go the Japanese route, you can't get a better deal on a ceramic steel than these (white or black). you use a ceramic steel on japanese knives because they are often composed of very hard metals. When sharpening something, the sharpener needs to be harder than the metal being sharpened. This is all rated on a rockwell scale with the typical european knife being in the mid to low fifties and the japanese being in the high fifties to low sixties ("metal steels come in at around 62, white ceramic steel is around 76 and the new black stuff ranks in at 81). I would highly recommend finding out the rockwell scale rating of your knife before you buy, not only to determine the steel you should buy, but it is also good to know that the retailer is knowledgeable enough to tell you this. If you have european knives, I would recommend something like this for a steel. There are a lot of different schools of thought on the proper way to steel a knife. I like to place my steel, tip down, on my cutting board and keep it straight up and down. I then glide my knife from top to bottom, heel to tip, at the proper angle, and then switch sides (10-16 degrees for japanese, 17-25 for european).

Beyond regular "steeling," You may find that your knives need to actually be sharpened. ("steeling just realigns the burrs on your knife's edge, while sharpening takes away a little bit of metal and creates a new rough edge that is ready to be steeled into razor quality.) For this, I recommend (if you are a "do-it your-selfer") the norton Im200 sharpening system. It takes a little practice, but it does come with a handy angle guide to help you get the proper technique down. If you don't want something this bulky, you could always get a couple of plain stones, I would recommend a medium and fine grit. There is the option of getting an automatic or powered sharpener, but I don't think that you will be happy with the results. You can get a much keener edge when you sharpen a knife yourself. My rule is that the finished knife should be able to shave hair off of your arm (don't worry, I always wash the knife afterwards:) You could try cutting a piece of parchment or paper held out loosely in front of you, but that's just a waste of paper, your arm hair grows back. There are also some respected knife sharpeners out there, unfortunately you have to be without your knife for a while. I know that shun will sharpen your knives for free for as long as you have them, but if you wanted to send them somewhere, I would recommend sending them here or here. if there is anywhere around these parts that anyone knows of, let me know.

ok, I hope that this was somewhat informative. I am really passionate about cutlery. A good knife will change the way you cook like nothing else can. You get what you pay for, so please, please, please, save up the coin and buy yourself something respectable. I am going to leave you with a few recommendations here: pieces.

DISH recommends:

Chef's knives: Mac Ultimate series 10 inch

Misono Ux10 Gyoto

Shun Classic 10 inch

Mac 10 inch professional chef

Global 10 inch chef

for the european-lovers:

Wusthof 10 inch. classic

Viking 10 inch chef

Paring Knives: Mac Original series 4 inch paring

Global 4 inch paring

Shun 4 inch paring

euros:

Wusthof classic 3.5 inch paring

Viking 4 inch paring

Bread/Slicer: Mac 10.5 inch slicer/bread knife (I like this because you can sharpen it with the mac "IT" sharpener

Shun Classic 9 inch slicer/bread knife

Wusthof 8 inch classic bread knife

Literature:

Knives cook's love

Knife skills illustrated

ok, obviously, Any size here would work, I just prefer 10 inch blades on chef knives, and 4 inch on parings.

Other things I should add are: no, I don't find the handles on global knives to become really slippery when wet, and yes, I do have a lot of knives but wifeshow and i use every one of them. she does like the henckles 6 inch chef, because her hands are smaller (and probably because she's german...and stubborn:) I hope this post was informative, albeit a little long. Also, let me know what you guys use for your trusty knives, I am very interested. Also, does anyone out there use a santoku? never have, have always been curious about how they perform.