Chasing Umami

Christopher Vaeth Escaping the 9 to 5 in pursuit of Umami [email protected] Food - Travel - Life Baltimore and beyond

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Brunch Werk - "Torta Española" Recipe

I have been working on a little side project involving brunch recently which has been a welcome respite from the 9 to 5 rat race. More to...

"Brunch Werk - Torta Española" Recipe

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Biscotti Binge - Gluten Free Biscotti Recipe

So, in 2015 my mother started making biscotti at home. In recent years, free from her days of preparing meals for her hungry brood, h...

Biscotti Binge

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[chasingumami]

Lasagna of Love

Mushroom & Burrata “Lasagnette”

This dish is admittedly decadent, perhaps to a remorseful degree. The pasta factor, cheese, buttery mushrooms, and more cheese could easily bring about a guilt trip and 5am gym run for the calorie conscious among us, but it’s totally worth it. This mini-lasange is the perfect dinner for two, whether it’s a special occasion or just a weeknight homemade meal. I made it for the celebration of the one year anniversary of my now fiancé and my decision to begin dating. This meal features many of his favorite ingredients, burrata and wild mushrooms namely, so it was an apt way to acknowledge and appreciate the significance of the date through dinner. I picked up fresh burrata from one of our favorite local restaurants, Verde Pizza in Canton. They make the most delicious version of this milky, salty, creamy cousin of mozzarella and I recommend it to everyone, with an addiction warning. I also bought some salty and nutty parmigiano, not just because I love cheese, but because it plays in perfect contrast to the luxuriant burrata. The mushrooms were a mix of cremini, maitaki, and shittake, that I seasoned with rosemary, oregano, and white pepper to give them a deep earthy flavor as they cooked down in the requisite Kerry Gold salted butter. You can use store bought fresh or dried pasta if you like, however, I was feeling inspired and wanted to make it all by hand so I could infuse the pasta with garlic and black pepper. This “Lasagnette” is truly a labor of love…pardon the cheese, Enjoy!

Ingredients:

Pasta:

2 cups all-purpose flour

3 large eggs

2 teaspoons garlic powder

2 teaspoons ground black pepper

1 teaspoon evoo

Pinch of sea salt

Mushroom Filling:

12 oz fresh burrata

6 oz grated parmigiano reggiano

½ cup ricotta cheese

16 oz mixed mushrooms (cremini, maitake, shitake) – rough chop

1 large shallot - diced

1 cup dry white wine

3 tablespoons salted butter

1 teaspoon evoo

Dried rosemary, oregano, thyme, garlic powder, and ground white pepper to taste

Preparation:

Pasta:

In a large bowl, place flour in the center and using the back of a measuring cup create a divot (volcano like) in the mound. Drop in garlic powder, black pepper, salt and the evoo around the flour evenly without disturbing the mound. Crack the 3 eggs into the divot. Using a fork or your hands, bring in the dry flour from the sides into the divot. Continue slowly until pieces of dough form. Timing will depend on moisture, but use your hands to combine the dough pieces into one ball. You may need to run a hand under water first if the pieces are too dry to combine. Knead together for about 10 mins on a floured surface. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and let sit for 20 minutes to let the glutens rest and fully develop. Once rested, pull off roughly 2 1/2" round balls of dough, leaving the main intact and in plastic so it does not dry out. Flour both sides and use a rolling pin to flatten to about 1/6” and is roughly 4"wide with even ends. Run through a hand crank pasta maker until the desired thickness, I usually take mine down to the second to last thickness as fresh pasta gains a lot of bulk when cooked. Cut into 4” x 4” pieces or whatever will fit in your baking vessels. Mine were mini casseroles so this was the perfect size. Place on a drying rack while you prepare your mushrooms and other ingredients. Repeat with the remaining dough. When your mushroom filling is ready, cook the pasta in salted water for roughly 4 minutes (fresh pasta cooks much faster than dry).

Mushroom Filling and Lasagnette Assembly:

Pre-heat the oven to 450F. In a large saute pan, melt the butter, then add the shallot and cook until transparent. Add the mushrooms slowly, allowing them to coat with butter. Drizzle the evoo and add your herbs. Cook for about 15 mins, mushrooms should be soft and begin to brown. Add the white wine, then turn up the heat and allow the mushrooms to cook down until nearly dry. Remove from the pan and place in a bowl at room temp so they so do not overcook. When the pasta is cooked, brush the inside of your baking vessels with evoo and place a sheet of pasta in the bottom, pressing the sides up to the rim. Layer in mushrooms, ricotta, parm, and torn burrata. Place another sheet of pasta and repeat, reserving a small about of mushroom filling. Place another sheet of pasta on top, mix remaining burrata and mushrooms and place on the top of final sheet. Top with remaining parmigiano. Bake for 25 minutes or until the parm is brown and burrata is bubbling. I turned on the broiler at the last minute just to pump up the golden pasta tips and cheese bubbles. Allow to sit for 5 minutes and serve.

Note: If you’re feeding more than two, this can be made in a traditional casserole, but I warn you, you really need to up the mushroom amount, as they lose significant moisture and mass when cooked.

[chasingumami]

Moroccan Lamb Shanks

Lamb is one of my favorite proteins. The fat content is decadent and just perfect, and I love the earthy and gamey nature of the meat. I enjoy lamb chops and leg of lamb, even a lamb burger now and then, but the best way to enjoy it is the shank. I fell in love with this cut while working for a restaurant company in Fells Point. They had two delicious preparations in two of their outposts. The first, was a full entrée, the shank was braised in a sweet, pepper, and clove spiced sauce, the second, and still served at Mezze, was similarly braised to fall-off-the-bone perfection and served in a light tomatoey sauce that I suspect was enriched with cinnamon and anise. I took my inspiration in part from these favorites, but also from an article I read about food and travel in morocco. I have always been enamored with the cuisine of the northern and eastern sides of the Mediterranean (Spain, Italy, France, and Greece) but the flavors of her African shores had a special exciting mystique. The confluence of western European, African, Arabic and Asian cultures means unique ingredients and deep, often complex, dark flavors with a spicy edge that you just don’t find anywhere else. Harissa is a ubiquitous ingredient throughout the cuisine of many north African countries and beyond, and is one of my favorite flavoring agents. Harissa is a red chili paste, usually made from serrano and Baklouti peppers, and featuring other spices like garlic, caraway, and coriander. Harissa delivers a slow creeping heat of varying intensity depending on the types of chilies used. The subtlety of the heat, and how well it plays with without overpowering other flavors, is why I love to use it whenever I can. The sugars and fruit notes of the wine in this recipe, and the fragrant rosemary, anise and fennel are the perfect complement to the headlining harissa and lamb. I hope you enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 lamb shanks

1 cup red wine

1 can tomato paste

2-3 yukon gold or russet potatoes (cut into 1 in thick chunks)

1 large onion (rough chop)

3 large carrots (cut into 1 in thick chunks)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon harissa (paste or powder, add more to your taste)

1 teaspoon each - Rosemary, thyme, oregano, anise seed, fennel seed

3 bay leaves

Preparation:

Do in the morning:

Using kitchen twine, tie the shanks like you would put a ribbon on a holiday present. This will keep the meat from falling off away from the bone during the final simmering process. Heat the olive oil in a large saute pan. Brown the shanks on all sides, about 2 mins per side. Place the onions in the bottom of the crock pot. Place the browned shanks on top. In a small cup, mix the red wine, tomato paste and seasonings until they are a thick (not runny) consistency – mixing them almost makes a sauce which will allow the flavors to better coat the meat during cooking.  Pour over the lambs shanks, you may need to turn them over or use your hands to ensure proper coverage and absorption. Cook on low heat for 6 hours.

At meal time:

In a large dutch oven or sauté pan you can cover, pour the cooking liquid from the crock pot. Add the potatoes and carrots, any large pieces of onion that are still intact, and the bay leaves. Add a little more red wine if needed and cook for 30 minutes, covered, or until the vegetables are soft. Season with salt and pepper at this point. When you are ready to serve, carefully remove the twine from the lamb shanks, and gently place them in the simmering sauce. Bathe them with the sauce and allow them to took covered (come up in tempt) for about 5 minutes. I served mine in the cooking vessel family style, topped with saffron petals to highlight the fragrant sauce.

[chasingumami]

Breakthrough Breakfast @ Gay Brunch...

Brace yourself. I'm going to disclose something that usually makes people gasp...

My fiancé does not like breakfast food. (I can just picture the blank stares of disbelief)

I know I know, it's hard to believe, and makes you feel kind of uneasy right? Like something is wrong with him...

How can you not love the familiar smells and savory taste of eggs, sausage, pancakes or waffles?

None-the-less, Mark does not like them, in fact it's more than dislike, I would call it categoric aversion and active avoidance. As if that weren't enough, the most unbelievable aspect of his breakfast loathing is his distaste for bacon. It's not simply a passive prejudice, but mention the word and his face crinkles up and out of his mouth spews a flood of bitter vitriol that would leave any bacon lover scarred for life. Despite this character flaw, and the general distrust it engenders, I love him and generally try to make him happy. As you might expect, this makes cooking breakfast a particular challenge, one that I am often reluctant to undertake. That is until last Monday...

A few weeks ago we were in DC for a conference and were invited to a Gay Brunch (see previous post for definition) to close out the weekend festivities. Knowing our tastes and habits I expected to down several bloodies and mimosas and end up with an overloaded plate trying to eat in a corner and avoid being seen while I stuffed my face. I pictured Mark doing much the same but maintaining a level of composure through his typical avoidance of brunch food.

The host waited an hour, allowing the beverages to take hold while guests picked at a light display of cheeses and fruit. So far so good, I didn't have to hide yet. Then he brought out the Breakfast Bake. I could see my composure going out the window as I watched him make his way across the dining room with the cheesy, golden and bubbly casserole in hand. I thought my fate was sealed as I instinctively picked up a plate and made my way to be first in line for the breakfast grail. I thought it was the mimosas making me fuzzy, but before I knew it there was another body in line ahead of me. To my utter surprise it was Mark. My initial annoyance instantly gave way to incredulity as I struggled to intervene and explain he "could not possible enjoy it" it just looked"too breakfasty". My mimosa goggles cleared (and my appetite in check) from the shock, I watched in awe as he cut himself a piece of eggy, potatoey, sausagey goodness and took his first bite.

He liked it! He more than liked it. He 4 servings and eating alone in the corner liked it! I'll spare you and he the embarrassing detail of the face-stuffing that ensued, but needless to say this was an unexpected potential turning point in our epicurean relationship. I took note of the ingredients, complimented the chef, and enjoyed the rest of the brunch.

I let the idea of a breakfast breakthrough simmer in the back of my head for a while before finally deciding on holiday Monday at the tail end of a 3 day weekend to try my own luck at facing the breakfast hating beast. I altered the ingredients, substituting for what I think was spinach with Brussels Sprouts (Mark's favorite) and changing out the cheddar cheese for Pepper jack (another go-to). I didn't dare consider the B word (bacon for those with no short term memory) and chose a mild sage sausage from the local grocer as the protein. The result was delicious, in my opinion, and ended up being lunch for a few days this week. Marks response? After repeated prodding for more feedback, after what I took as a dismissive initial "very good" I finally got him to admit "It was very...sausagey"...womp

Back to the breakfast drawing board...

I have a feeling any non-breakfast-hater will thoroughly enjoy!

Ingredients:

6 Eggs

1 large Russet or Yukon Gold potato (peeled)

1 medium white onion (peeled)

½ lb bulk chicken or pork breakfast sausage

12 Brussels sprouts (trimmed and sliced very thing – slaw like pieces)

½ lb pepper jack cheese (grated)

Salt, pepper, garlic powder to taste

Olive oil for sautéing

Preparation:

Preheat the oven to 400F. In a medium sauté pan, cook the sausage until browned. Be sure to use a firm spatula so you can break up the larger pieces evenly. When nearly cooked, add the shaves Brussels sprouts to wilt them slightly (otherwise they may end up too crunchy for your liking). In a large bowl, beat the eggs together. Grate in the white onion and the potato. Fold in half of the pepper jack cheese, cooked sausage and sprouts, mix well and season with garlic, salt and pepper to taste. Pour mixture into a small baking dish or casserole, mine is 6 x 9 with 3” high sides. Bake for 30-40 minutes until bubbly, and the cheese is browned and melted. Allow to sit at least 5 minutes before cutting and serving so it has a chance to set.

[chasingumami]

Olympic Brunch: Mini-Frittata with Applewood Smoked Sangiovese Salame, Quadrello di Bufala, and a Quenelle of Port Wine Duck Liver Mousse #brunch #overkill #olli #cheesemonster #olympicfever @chasingumami #eeeeeats @usfigureskating #teamusa (at A Kitchen on Bank)

[chasingumami]

Rolling thunder #baltimorebocce #dollardrinks #central #bocceboys #alphabet (at Grand Central)

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Walk proudly in the Sochi opening ceremonies, that's what Brain Boitano would do! #teamusa #sochi #olympicpride #bornthisway @brianboitano #usfigureskating #hrc #=

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Tortilla chip tuna melt with Woodberry kitchen snake oil? #mustbetheweather #zombielunch #woodberrykitchen #cheesemonster #apparentlyimintocarbs (at A Kitchen on Bank)

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GF fettucine w/ beef tips in lamb Ragú #pasta #dinnerathome #winter #eeeeeats #pecorino (at A Kitchen on Bank)

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Braised Lamb Shanks w/ Porcini braised turnips @_jaderade #dinnerathome #collardsandcarbonara #lambshanks #porcini #dayoffinthekitchen (at A Kitchen on Bank)

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Searing turnips with garlic to be braised with porcinis #dinnerathome #turnips #collardsandcarbonara (at A Kitchen on Bank)

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Shanks should be browned in bacon fat #channelingina #bacon #lambshanks #dayoffinthekitchen (at A Kitchen on Bank)

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Pulled Pork Chili & Cheddar Omelette #dayoffinthekitchen (at A Kitchen on Bank)

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I guess it wouldn't be a 30th without a few fire hazards - thanks to everyone who made this weekend so spectacular (at 8 West Read)

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@mahlzbahkley @lexbux a moment of grace (at 8 West Read)