"Ask Chef Mike/Chef Mike Asks" The Radio Kitchen Forums

Memorial Day

shellmo — Fri, 28 May 2010 00:13:55 GMT

What's on the BBQ for Memorial Day? What sides do you absolutely HAVE TO HAVE with the barbequed meat?

Time for BBQ - Try a Tri-tip roast

ChefMike — Sat, 15 May 2010 20:13:09 GMT

I just got a question on my Facebook page the other day that is very time appropriate:

Eric Metzger

Oh Chef, Just what is tri-tip? We don't have that "cut" here. I think it is a bottom sirloin? Everyone from CA makes it sound so good. How is it prepared?

I went to high school with Eric here in California. These days he resides in Texas, and it points out that there are still a lot of regional foods that aren't identifiable across the country. And the Tri Tip roast is one of them. And you are right, Eric. Its the cut of beef that is at the bottom or the sirloin, sometimes called the triangle roast. There are only 2 of these pieces of meat on each steer, so sometimes it is just cut into cubes for stew meat with other pieces of sirloin. Or it is ground into hamburger.

But barbequer's particularly here in California and in the southwest, prize this small (usually 2 1/2 pound) roast for its flavor and its low fat content. The most common way you'll see it prepared is with a spice rub that is applied for at least a couple of hours, then grilled over indirect heat.

Try asking your butcher to set one or two aside for you if you live in an area that does not "recognize" the Tri Tip cut. I have a sneaking suspicion your friendly butcher will definitely know about the cut ('cause he's been probably keeping a couple aside for his own barbeque!).

Barbeque season is on us now, and this cut is PERFECT for it! I am not too sure on the source of this spice rub recipe, but this is a good place to start. I'm sure once you try it, Eric, you'll know why we here in California rave about it.

Here's the link: Southwest Spice Rub for Tri-Tip Roast.

Hey, care to share some other barbeque ideas as we get into the grilling season? Can't wait to see what y'all are cookin' up!

I'm a sucker for bread pudding

ChefMike — Fri, 14 May 2010 05:24:01 GMT

My friend Denise Vivaldo is a food stylist, caterer and author with a number of books to her credit. Lately, she has been busy at Disney's California Food and Wine Festival. Here's a couple of great recipes, including a Pear Bread pudding. MMMmmmm. Hungry!

http://www.foodfanaticsunwashed.com/2010/05/pear-bread-pudding-and-roasted.html

I love bread puddings, and there is another recipe for Chocolate Bread Pudding in the Radio Kitchen Recipe Archives. Check it out. If you love bread pudding, share your favorite recipes here in our forum.

My Mom is not the only one who got their son into cooking

ChefMike — Sat, 08 May 2010 15:07:28 GMT

Here is a great article from food writer, Monica Bhide. Her son's love of food was nurtured and grew early, but there were some trials along the way. Amazing how peer pressure can lead you astray and how mothers can gently guide you back on the right path.

Here is the link the the article:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=126509753

This article struck a chord with me. My mother is not at fault for most of the way I turned out, but in the case of my love of food and cooking , I think she can claim some responsibility.

So to my Mom, I say, Thanks for giving me the start of my love of food and cooking. Even just her admonition, If you dont eat that youre gonna go hungry! makes me thankful. I remember her making chocolate chip cookies with me when I had the chicken pox (or was it the mumps?) Or allowing me to eat anything off the menu (or street) in Bangkok when we lived there.

All these things she did and more shaped me as the food lover I am today. Thanks, Mom.

Care to share your food experiences with your mom? Please do. I hope you enjoy the article and see a bit of you in there. Happy Mothers Day.

gluten-free baking...and cooking

shellmo — Sat, 13 Mar 2010 02:33:29 GMT

i have been living gluten-free for the past four years. a lifesaver in my gf journey has been Shauna James Ahern and her blog at
http://www.glutenfreegirl.blogspot.com

the way she looks at food as an adventure and not just something to put in your mouth to live is a revelation. when you are living gluten-free, it's the small things (pasta, cookies, cakes, breads...all gf) in life that allow you to feel like you are just like everyone else.

as a chef, are you finding yourself being asked by clients for more gluten-free options?

Interesting beer comes from a happy accident

ChefMike — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 17:56:57 GMT

http://www.slashfood.com/2010/03/08/deschutes-jubel-2010-beer-of-the-week/

Here's a great story of a happy accident becoming something wonderful. I really want to try this beer!

What have you stumbled into in the kitchen that turned into something serendiptious?

On Seasonality in 2010

chefdanleff — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 08:33:11 GMT

Hi Chef Mike -

As a caterer, I look upon our current wet weather (so late in the season) with interest. In seasonal terms, how do you think the weather will affect produce available to chefs in the next couple of months? Already I'm seeing some effects, both positive (chanterelles are available!) and negative (have gotten some miserable field greens, of late).

Your opinion is very much solicited, I look forward to planning menus for clients accordingly.

My southeast asian comfort food

ChefMike — Mon, 08 Mar 2010 17:51:38 GMT

I have to say that comfort food for me takes different twists. As a boy, my family lived in Bangkok, Thailand for a couple of years. So Thai and southeast asian food is one of my comfort foods.

I was really excited when I saw this post on The Runaway Spoon blog. Here is a great and simple do-at-home pho recipe. Pho is one of the national dishes of Vietnam. It is, at it's basic level, a noodle soup. But ahhh, the rich beef broth served steaming hot from the pot, the heavy dose of rice noodles, then all the add-ins. Cilantro, Basil, Onions, Lime, Hoisin sauce, Hot sauce, peppers. And of course the beef. At a Pho restaurant the choices are long. I prefer sliced sirloin, or brisket... AWESOME!

Here is the link to the Runaway Spoon blog and the recipe! Ahhh, it takes me back.....

http://therunawayspoon.com/blog/2010/03/simple-beef-pho/

What are some of your comfort food memories? Please share...

Are you a red wine drinker?

ChefMike — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:29:32 GMT

It's all about food, wine and cooking. And one of the things I'd love to discuss is wine. My first question for the Radio Kitchen forum is: Are you a red wine drinker?

If so, what do you like? If not, why not?

I'm a huge fan of drinking what wine you like. And I love exploring new wines to pair with food.

Red wines can seem complicated. And wine "experts" sometimes go out of their way to make them more complicated than they need to be. That's why I really like this blog post from Steven Mirassou of Steven Kent and La Rochelle wineries, and now a new venture, Lineage Wines in Livermore California. Check it out, and then sound off! Let me know...

http://lineagewine.blogspot.com/2010/02/evolutions-thing.html

Welcome to the Radio Kitchen Forums

ChefMike — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 23:04:59 GMT

Here's another feature I've added to the Radio Kitchen: "Ask Chef Mike/Chef Mike Asks". Find it at Forums.RadioKitchen.net. It's an interactive message board where we can discuss news and views about food, wine and cooking. One of the ways I'm going to implement this new Forum is by incorporating some of the articles I'm always finding on food, wine and cooking and spark some dialogue. I'll be posting links to articles and soliciting your thoughts and responses.

This is a great way to build a community here in the Radio Kitchen. I invite you to take a moment and register in the forums. I know that professional cooks and novice home cooks alike visit the Radio Kitchen on a regular basis, so the knowledge base is great. Registration is as simple as coming up with a username, a password for your information protection, providing your email address and that's it! If you wish to share more and create a full profile, that would be awesome, but not entirely necessary. And just FYI, I do not use the email addresses gathered for any other purpose but to communicate to you about the Radio Kitchen or your experience in the website. I do not buy or sell lists, and never will.

Come and be a part of the Radio Kitchen. If you have a question about food, wine and cooking, this is your forum. Please, ask away. If I dont have the answer, I'm sure someone in the community can answer your question. Comments and links are also a terrific way for you to participate. Let's make this a meeting and information place.

I won't offer a list of rules and regs for the Radio Kitchen Forums except to say, keep in mind the ultimate rule: Treat others the way you want to be treated. Have respect and be considerate. That's really all there is to the rules. Oh, and the buck stops with me. Break the simple rules, and I will deal appropriately.