KA on
WTTV
|
| Just in case
you missed our latest TV segments on Ch. 7/WTVW, you
can still access the recipes at our website.
|
Bring a
Bag
|
BRING
A BAG, SAVE
A TREE, FEED
A FAMILY!
Over $850 was
raised in 2009! Thank
You!
Each time
you make a purchase and don't need a bag, or provide your own, we
will donate ten cents to the Tri-State Food Bank. If you don't need
a bag, watch us drop a dime in the jar on the counter. We thank you,
and the Tri-State's neediest families thank you,
too. ALL DONATIONS IN OUR JAR
WILL GO TO THE TRI-STATE FOOD
BANK! | |
|
Fire Up the
Grill!
|
A great burger on the
grill is hard to beat! The proxies found at fast food restaurants do
disservice to what a great hamburger can be. With warmer weather
upon us, it's time to move the kitchen outdoors and reap some great
burger flavors from the grill.  Mastering burgers on the
grill is a worthwhile, budget-minded endeavor. We've uncovered a
whole new world of burgers featuring great flavor and endless
variety that leaves us anything but deprived. The lessons learned
about grilling burgers translate well to other aspects of our
grilling life, too.
IN THIS
ISSUE,
we provide an update on making better burgers by
refreshing our knowledge of the basics. With this foundation, we
introduce some recipes with embellishments and improvisational
notions. And, what would a classic burger be without ketchup and
mustard? We'll share what we know about these ubiquitous condiments,
increase your grilling prowess with some great tips, and conclude
with three great-tasting burger recipes you can enjoy
tonight!
|
Spring
Cooking Class Schedule Launches
|
The Kitchen
Affairs' Spring 2010 Cooking Class Schedule is underway!
There's something for everyone in this fantastic collection of
classes. From basic to advanced, and from young to old, you'll
enjoy spending time in the kitchen!
Find out all of the
details at the Kitchen Affairs
website!
Or, click here to
download the most recent printed newsletter:
Spring 2010
Class Schedule and Newsletter (PDF
format).
Here
are just a few of the class offerings coming up soon:
Thursday, May 20 - 6:30 p.m.- Sizzlin'
Chinese with Shelly Sackett, $42
 Saturday, May 22 - 10:00 a.m. - Little Guys Make
Dad's Day Dinner with Peg Neireiter.
$40
Monday, May 24 - 6:30
p.m. - New Cook Once,
Eat 3 Times with CELEBRITY CHEF Monique Jamet Hooker.
$60
Tuesday - Jun. 1 - 6:30
p.m. - Corny Italian
Summer Menu with Aimee Blume. $48
Thursday, Jun. 3 - 6:30 p.m. - Summer Grilled
Shrimp with Jason Watson. $42
 Saturday, Jun. 5 - 10:00 a.m. - Kids Decorate
Toys'N'Critters Cookies with Cathy Webb.
$40
Monday, Jun. 7 - 6:30
p.m. - A Filet Menu for
Men with Doug Rennie. $50
Wednesday, Jun. 9 - 6:30 p.m. - Elegant Light
Summer Fare with Nina McGill. $45
Saturday, Jun. 12 - 10:00 a.m. - Kids Cook for
Great Dads with Peg Neireiter.
$40
| |
Burger
Fundamentals
|
There's nothing to
making a good burger,
but there are a few tricks to incorporate into your methodology that
will make for a better burger,
and, perhaps, inspire you to create your own signature
burger.
 Choosing the Meat - Because
burgers have the simplest of ingredients, choosing the meat is a
crucial decision. Traditional beef burgers can be made from chuck,
sirloin, or round cuts of beef. Chuck is a combination of meats from
the "waist and above" on a cow, sirloin is from the midsection, and
round is from the hip and upper back legs. When it comes to meat,
fat equals flavor. Not exactly what our nutritionists want to hear,
but true. Chuck tends to be about 80% lean and 20% fat. Sirloin
weighs in at around 90% lean, and round at around 85% lean. Buy meat
that has a fresh, bright color from a reputable source.
Grinding and Chopping - Ground
meats are readily available at any grocer; choose the cut and fat
percentage you prefer for the situation. Increasingly, individuals
are choosing their own cuts of meat and grinding them at home. This
allows control over quality and composition. This is easily
accomplished using your Cuisinart food processor. Just use a pulsing
action to arrive at the texture you desire. (I also cut some of the
fat, and replace it with olive oil). You may also use a grinder
attachment on your mixer to accomplish this, or use razor-sharp
knives to chop the meat finely.
Shaping the Patties - Form patties
from the ground meat that hold together easily, while handling the
meat as lightly as possible. Use a kitchen scale to weigh equal
portions of ground meat; this will minimize handling. Avoid handling
the meat too much and smashing it together.  A light texture will provide small
spaces for the juices to collect during grilling and eating. Use a
mold or burger press to quickly achieve uniformity.
Seasoning the Meat - Most meats
need nothing more than salt and pepper for great flavor. We also
carry a variety of seasoning blends to season your burgers: Cajun,
Creole, Hickory and others. Because salt withdraws juices from food,
we tend to season our burgers just prior to grilling. However, if
your burger is destined to have other seasonings, they may be
incorporated into the meat prior to forming patties. Allow the
burgers to chill so that the flavors blend and the meat regains its
coldness prior to grilling.
Grilling and Cooking - Cook burgers
on a medium-hot grill. Once heated, rub the grate with a paper towel
dipped in olive oil to help prevent sticking. Place the cold burgers
on the grill, cover, and allow to cook for about 2 minutes, then
turn and allow to finish grilling according to the size of the
patty. The key to a great burger is not pressing down on the burgers
while cooking. This forces the juices out of the meat instead of
retaining moistness and flavor.
 Testing
Doneness - Being flat, burgers are easy to estimate doneness.
However, we always recommend using an instant read thermometer when
cooking any meat. Undercooking meat is undesirable, but more often,
there is a tendency to overcook meat robbing the burger of flavor
and yielding a dry result. A thermometer provides confidence in the
grilling experience and promotes the best result possible. Cook
hamburgers until the center reaches 160ºF. If your burgers are not
going to be eaten as fast as they come off the grill, you can take
them off at 150ºF and they will
continue cooking to 160ºF in about 10
minutes of standing time.
Serving Fresh - As hungry as you
might be given the swirling aromas, allow the finished burgers to
set for a few minutes so that juices can be reabsorbed into the
meat. Use this waiting time to grill the buns to a perfect golden
toast.
|
Ketchup &
Mustard
|
Open nearly any
refrigerator in America and you'll find in the door shelves a
container of ketchup and at least one type of mustard. But what do
we know about these ubiquitous condiments?
 Ketchup tops the list of condiments, no
question. Originally, the word, ketchup, described any number of
sauces. The term's meaning settled on the tomato-based sauce by the
early 1800s. Henry J. Heinz developed today's ketchup sauce and set
the standard for flavor and texture by the turn of the 20th century.
 His secret was to use ripe tomatoes, pickle
them with vinegar, and then concentrate the sauce. Ketchup is
considered good if it is thick, does not separate, and, of course,
tastes great. The secret to ketchup's huge fan base lies in its
ingredients. Ketchup contains tomato, vinegar, sugar, salt, spices,
and herbs. This mélange of flavors hits all of our taste buds -
sweet, salty, sour, bitter, and the fifth taste, umami. With all
cylinders firing at once, no wonder ketchup registers pleasure in
our mouths.
 Mustard holds second place on the post-grill
table. While ketchup seems to be, well, ketchup, mustard sports a
host of personalities that project distinctly different flavors and
effects. All mustards start with the humble mustard seed, the fruit
of the mustard plant. Mustard seed or dry mustard powder does not
have any potency on its own, but when combined with water or liquid,
heat emerges. The cooler the liquid used in mustard preparation, the
hotter the mustard. Hot water breaks down the heat component during
mustard making and later during roasting or grilling. Vinegar,
water, and spice mixed with the ground mustard seed complete the
condiment. There are four common types of mustard each with many
variations:
|
Cooking with
FIre
|
Why do people grill?
Anthropologists might point to some primeval connection to fire, the
chemist might point to the Maillard reaction occurring during
browning, but a modern interpretation might land on the simplest of
answers - it tastes good! To enjoy your grilling life to the max,
keep these ideas in mind:
 Keep the Grill Clean! - We can't
emphasize this enough. A clean grill will allow your foods to keep
their true grilled flavors without any compromise from burnt pieces,
ash, or other leftovers from the last grilling session. Use a wire
brush to scrape away any stuck on food. Be religious in keeping your
grill clean and you'll be rewarded with great tasting food and a
long-lasting grill.
Oil the
Grate - Once clean, oil the preheated grate with a paper
towel soaked with an oil of your choice and held by a pair of tongs.
The thin coat of oil will keep foods from sticking and
simultaneously allow for easier clean up later.
Expand your Grilling Life - Explore
burgers on the grill, but don't forget all of the other foods that
would benefit from the magic of the grill. Master the tradition of
meat on the grill with beef cuts, but don't forget pork, chicken,
turkey, and seafood. You may like to experiment with less common
meats such as buffalo, ostrich, emu, or game. Vegetables on the
grill are hard to match, as are grilled fruits.
Baskets, Skewers, Mats - A few key
tools can make your grilling explorations instantly more successful.
Grill baskets allow for small pieces of seafood or vegetables to be
grilled easily without any loss through the grate. Explore the many
skewers we have for kabob grilling; each has its distinct use and
advantage. Grilling mats, like grilling baskets keep food from
falling through the grate while allowing the fire and smoke to
infuse into the food. Mats are particularly useful for grilling fish
and vegetables.
Kitchen Affairs is Grilling
Central! Stop in and see our great selection of
condiments. From Tabasco ketchup and mayonnaise, to rubs, to
grilling sauces and a dozen different mustards, we can help will
grill toppers, skewers, tools, and cookbooks. We even have
over-sized aprons for your "grandest
cook!
|
Smart Grilling
Tips
|
Tip #1: Expand your repertoire of
burger buns - ditch the soft, fluffy breads and choose breads with
some heft, flavor, and interest. Here are a few alternatives -
ciabatta buns, baguettes, croissants, English muffins, or any number
of flat breads.
 Tip #2:
Get comfortable with
using tongs when grilling. Tongs allow for all kinds of handling
motions with the advantage of long-handled distance. Tongs have an
advantage over long-handled forks; forks pierce the food allowing
juices to escape.
Tip #3: Add olive oil to
lean cuts of ground meat for juiciness and flavor. This doesn't
necessarily reduce the overall fat content, but it does substitute a
better, healthier type of fat and optimizes the richness and
moistness in the end result.
 Tip #4: When grilling kabobs use
skewers that are flat. The flat shape will help keep the food from
spinning when turning. Don't forget about the new flexible "Fire
Wire" flexible grilling skewers for your vegetable
kabobs.
Tip #5: When
shaping patties, moisten your hands with water. This will help to
keep the meat from sticking to your hands and makes washing up
easier.
|
Q &
A's
|
 Q: How can I make a great burger
indoors?
A:
If you live in an apartment, or if it's raining and your patio is
uncovered, a great burger is still accessible. Here are two common
methods for making indoor burgers: (1) Pan-Searing, and (2) Grill
Pan. When pan-searing a burger, heat a tablespoon of oil in a
medium-high skillet, add the burgers, cover for 2 minutes, turn, and
complete the cooking. A grill pan is used similarly with one
exception, excess fat is allowed to drain away from the frying meat
due to the pan's ridges.
Q:
How do I know when my grill is hot enough for grilling
burgers?
A: Burgers
usually require a medium-hot grill. Hold your hand, palm down 4-5
inches above the grill. If you can hold it there for about 4 seconds
the heat is just about right for burgers. If you need to pull away
sooner, it's too hot; if you can hold your hand there longer, it's
too cool.
 Q: What's the
best way to get perfect tomato slices for my
burgers?
A: Choose
a tomato that matches the size of your burgers and one that is more
meaty than juicy. Use a high quality serrated knife to slice the
tomatoes as thinly as you'd like. A classic tomato knife has a
razor-sharp serrated edge and a pointed tip for spearing and moving
the completed slices.
Q: What
is piccalilli?
A:
Varying by region, piccalilli is a relish of various chopped,
pickled vegetables. The veggies are often held together in a
mustard-based sauce and are a classic addition to mustard and
ketchup on the condiment
tray.
|
Cookbook
Review
|
Burger
Bar by Hubert Keller with Penelope Wisner. Photography by
Bill Milne. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ.
Copyright 2009.
 Who knew burgers could be so
interesting? This cookbook serves up a whole new attitude for
burgers that can be summed up in one word, flavor! Mr. Keller and
Ms. Wisner manage to take the humble burger and transform it into
the centerpiece with some serious flavor dynamics. They school us in
the essential basics, then propel us into the big world of delicious
variations. While the initial focus is with traditional beef
versions, the book broadens its appeal with pork, fowl, and seafood
substrates. The much maligned veggie burger is reinvented and duly
elevated in its appeal. The book concludes with great suggestions
for sides, sauces, and finales. The full color photographic
illustrations start the mouth watering upon first glance; the real
thing that followed did not disappoint. Try the three recipes below,
then you'll be ready for Keller's French-inspired Burger au Poivre,
or the Brazilian Feijoada Burger. Burgers have never been
better!
|
Better Burger
Recipes
|
Recipes
excerpted from Burger
Bar by Hubert Keller with Penelope Wisner. Published by John
Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ. Copyright 2009. Reprinted with
permission of the publisher. All rights
reserved.
Black
Jack Burgers
 View and
Print
Full bodied in
stature and in flavor, this burger delivers. Choose some good chuck,
season, and grill. The "black" in Black Jack comes from the
delicious olive tapenade, and the "jack" comes from a thick slice of
Monterey Jack cheese. The combination makes for a hat trick certain
to win over the entire house. The extra tapenade was delicious the
next morning on a lightly toasted baguette.
Blue
Cheese-Stuffed Bacon Sliders
 View and
Print
Perfectly packaged,
blue cheese unites two of its favorites, beef and pears, together in
these tasty stacks. Slider-sized, these burgers pack tons of flavor
into just a few bites. The caramelized pears seem an unlikely
addition, but turn out to be an essential flavor. The blue cheese
melts nicely permeating the burger with a juicy dimension. The
sliders made for a dynamite presentation on a tray served tapas
style.
Seared
Tuna Burgers
 View and
Print
Not every burger
needs to be a beef burger. This fresh tuna burger with its Asian
flavor influences will have you converted at first bite. Sesame oil
and ginger provide plenty of personality for the tuna. The Sesame
Vinaigrette is a keeper combination of ingredients that is not only
the perfect condiment for the tuna burgers, but is great on greens,
easy to make, and a pizzazz-y dressing for all kinds of grilled
foods.
| |
