Feeling Welcome

Symbol of Hospitality

I met up with Heather Atwood of the Gloucester Times and her friend to attend the Chef Grant Achatz lecture at Harvard.  While waiting in line, we chatted about our mutual interests in food and blogging.  We also got caught up on each other's culinary history.  After a short period, we were talking as if we'd known each other for some time.  I think the one thing that rung true to her was my passion for food and OCQ.  She is genuinely interested in what people have to say about the subject at hand, which makes her good at her craft.  I'm pleased to say that she's my friend and our supporter. 

Her friend intrigued me with her love of entertaining, culinary education and worldly experiences.  She talked about how she cooked for chefs and kept it focused on the ingredients that came straight out of her garden.  Her black raspberries were of farmer's market quality and her Asian pears had won ribbons at a well known county fair.  She even got the opportunity to compliment Chef Achatz with, "You are Harry Potter."  She elegantly used a point that the chef made and created kudos.  I'd equate her to a modern day Julia Child and it was a pleasure.

As an aside, we showed up to stand in line without having had anything to eat for some time.  The irony!  We were all hungry and Heather decided to talk about these oatmeal cookies made with steel cut oats.  Her description of the chewy texture was almost enough to make us get out of line and head to the closest pastry shop for a sweet fix.  However, we were true to the task and made it through the lecture with fresh cut grass aroma and 'dry' caramel as our consolation.  Satisfying is an entirely different way.

Once we were seated, we agreed on which questions were the most thoughtful.  Heather and I each got our chance at the end. 

I asked, "In all your experimentation, what was your most successful accident used for service?"

Chef Achatz was confused by my question.  He did not like the idea that a concept would be developed from an accident.  He responded with the basic outline of the R&D process:  an idea comes up, work is delegated out, it goes through a testing phase and it's edited countless times until the dish is ready for service.  "We don't like mistakes."  I guess fortunate accidents don't happen at Alinea.  A little skeptical, but who am I to say?  However, it gives us a lead in for The Plan.

Check out Heather's post at Food for Thought for her complimentary experience.

A Tasty Tradition

How 'bout them apples?

We recently went apple picking with our extended family on a crisp afternoon.  It's a great excuse to get everyone together to enjoy each other's company.  We caught up on recent events and happily wasted away the afternoon.  It's amazing how a basic desire for sustenance gets us to learn more about our loved ones.  There's something about these gatherings that has an air of community and tradition.  For me, it comes from my family visiting the orchard every season and heading home to create an array of baked goods.  I could never wait for the apple turnovers to cool and burned the roof of my mouth countless times.  I continue to carry these fond memories with me to this day.  Now, our yearly excursion is for the next generation who will see that it's not just about picking fruit off a tree.

Coincidentally, I read an article in the Times that Michael Pollen posted about 'The 36-Hour Dinner Party' hosted by a Bay Area chef couple.  They built a communal oven in their backyard with the expressed purpose of bringing people together.  The chefs and bakers yielded amazing meals from the hearth. Family and friends stopped by over the day and a half to support the effort as well as enjoy the food and company.   

My favorite lesson that Pollen expressed was, "I’m ... impressed by the ease with which these cooks collaborate, how they can go back and forth from taking the lead on a dish to playing sous chef. These meals are a group endeavor, and everyone seems happy to share authorship."  I built this blog in hopes that people will come together in the same manner to work toward a mutual goal. 

I am pleased to announce that KCRW's Good Food has posted an article about our efforts. 

http://blogs.kcrw.com/goodfood/2010/10/a-moment-with-ferran-adria/

Thanks to Chef Kleiman and Harriet Ells for spreading the word about The Plan.

Nature nurtured...

"Smoke 'em if ya got 'em"

Fresh chiles are always a welcome site at the peak of the growing season.  I always look forward to that first bite of heat in a simple salsa.  My CSA had bins of poblanos and jalapenos that they were giving away by the truckload.  I filled a reusable shopping bag and headed home with my treasure. 

I couldn't help but roast a batch as soon as I got in the house.  They were extra hot this year because of the favorable growing conditions.  I partook in all that I could handle.  The charred remains went into the refrigerator for use throughout the week.  Not enough to justify freezing.  I topped off two pint mason jars with a green hot sauce.  I'll use some to spice up a pot of chili on a cold day, the bean kind of course.  I have yet to venture the Texan route.  However, I have made a delightful vegetarian version with roasted eggplant and barley.  I forgot to pull about a dozen out of the bag and discovered them a week later.  A coincidental break in the humidity shriveled them into red beauties with no signs of rot.  I'm set for the winter and didn't have to spend a dime. 

Inspired by the Hatch Chile Festival, I contacted my CSA and proposed to run a chile roast and smoking event next year.  I suggested that members gather with their grills and smokers for a day of alchemy.  Maybe I'll even make some chile rellenos and tortilla soup to share.  It'll be a nice way to make use of some great product and get a community together to celebrate a successful harvest.

Who knew that a mere pepper could be transformed into a variety of forms and flavors?  Most processes were born to preserve a perishable product without the luxury of refrigeration.  It's a bonus that they're so tasty.  On their own, they add a little spice and depth to our dishes.  In a chef's hands, they're completely transformed to push the pallet in ways we never imagined.  

OCQ was put together to investigate their inspirations, so we can attempt our own spins.  Keep to The Plan...  

Time and Patience



Sealing the ends for seasoning works unlike searing meat



We recently had a friend come over to fell this maple tree.  We all had reservations about cutting it down because it was beautiful and here before we were born.  It hadn't been pruned and was creeping up on the house, so it had to go.  I resolved that I'd do my best to make use of the wood.

Nothing beats the flavor of cooking over an open fire.  I'll rig up something to make charcoal.  Bits and chunks will be reserved for smoking.  I researched making lumber, but the process and time investment didn't make sense.  However, I had the idea that I could make a pepper mill and salt box.  I consulted my woodworking friend who came over and split sections to store.  I sealed the ends with latex paint to prevent splitting.  The rule of thumb for seasoning is one year per inch of thickness.  I figure it'll be at least seven years before I can hear that first peppercorn crack in the grinder.  It'll be worth it. 

"If a tree falls in the forest but nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?" - popularized quote originating from Bishop George Berkeley's work.  Sorry, I couldn't help myself.  I have been plugging away to get noticed in the food community and it's slow going.  As a rookie blogger, I fell into the trap that it would be easier to be seen than I thought.  I finally came to grips with what I already knew. 

I guess if I'm willing to wait years to turn some wood, I can be a little more patient.  It's all about the journey and The Plan.

FAQ

To be populated...

Here's one I made up.

How did you come up with the blog name?

OurCookQuest originates from condensing our cooking questions.  However, I do like the sound and intent of the simplification.