Make your own Frappe
It’s been a long week and I’m often asked: “What keeps you going?” Sure I could say the usual trite and cliché things: the support of friends and family, always wanting to outdo my previous best, blah…blah…blah.
But I’d be lying (sort of).
All those cliché things are true, but what really keeps me going is caffeine. I’ve been a coffee junkie for most of my life. I can still remember the first time – as a kid of about 8 or 9 – that my Mom let me take a sip of that brewed beverage that she seemed to suck down by the gallon. I raised the mug to my lips, breathed in the sweet smell (or as the marketing people say: “bold aroma”) and took my first sip.
BLECH!
You see, my mother liked her coffee like she liked her…ummm….tea. Strong and black. So to an 8-year old’s taste buds, coffee bordered on undrinkable. Until I realized I could add sugar and milk. Then it became almost comical: “You want some coffee with your sugar?”
Which brings me to today. Being a head chef and owning a restaurant means LONG days and nights (particularly long in the last week planning for an event we had and because, like I mentioned last week, I haven’t really been able to sleep much…). And like many chefs I appreciate coffee not only as a fine pairing to a delicious desert, but as a source of energy.
So today I offer a Coffee Frappe you can get at Café 429. I drink my coffee black now, but here’s a sweet treat that my customers seem to love. It’s the perfect way to cool down on a hot day.
COFFEE FRAPPE
Serves 1
INGREDIENTS
- 3 coffee ice cubes (see below)
- ½-cup whole milk
- ¼-cup reduced-fat evaporated milk
- 1 packet artificial sweetener or 1 Tablespoon superfine sugar
Combine all the ingredients in a blender and blend at high speed until smooth. Pour into a tall chilled glass.
COFFEE ICE CUBES and RECIPE NOTES
- Next tine there is part of a pot of coffee left over, think of this refreshing pick-me-up. Pour the coffee into ice cube trays and, once frozen, transfer the cubes to a sealable bag and keep it in the freezer. (This
also can be used for iced coffee – it helps make the coffee stronger as the ice melts, instead of watering it down!)
- Take this recipe from naughty to light by substituting soymilk or skim milk for the whole milk and evaporated milk. The texture will be icy rather than smooth and creamy, but the taste is still delicious.
Hello everybody, I wonder if you watched “Brothers & Sisters” last Sunday, and if you did, how did you react to Scotty’s confession. By the way, it looks like next episode “An Ideal Husband” is mostly concerned about the Kevin/Scotty issue. And that’s what we’re gonna talk about in this week’s article.LUC'S TROUBLESOME MOTHER STIRS THE ROMANTIC WATERS AMONG THE WALKERS, ON ABC'S "BROTHERS & SISTERS"
Sonia Braga Guest Stars as Luc's Mother
Matthew Rhys Directs
"The Rhapsody of the Flesh" - The charms and well intended matchmaking antics of Luc's visiting mother, Gabriela (guest-starring Sonia Braga), quickly turn to high drama as she sticks her nose in Nora's romantic affairs, on ABC's "Brothers & Sisters," SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 14 (10:01-11:00 p.m., ET), on the ABC Television Network.
"Brothers & Sisters" stars Dave Annable as Justin Walker, Sally Field as Nora Holden, Calista Flockhart as Kitty Walker, Rachel Griffiths as Sarah Walker, Luke Macfarlane as Scotty Wandell, Gilles Marini as Luc Laurent, Matthew Rhys as Kevin Walker, Ron Rifkin as Saul Holden and Patricia Wettig as Holly Harper.
Guest starring are John Terry as Dr. Karl, Sara Erikson as Kimberly, Jessica Parker Kennedy as Angie and Sonia Braga as Gabriela Laurent.
"The Rhapsody of the Flesh" was written by Molly Newman and directed by Matthew Rhys.
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4AM
It’s 4am and I haven’t slept a wink. My mind has been racing all night about what my life will look like now.
Last night a lot of dark and painful things from my past came rushing to the present. It’s in these moments that you want to be supported by a loving family. Of course, if you’ve hurt the people in your family, that can be almost impossible. And while I am not typically an emotional eater I do think there are certain recipes that can invoke strong memories of better times. And when you don’t have your family around – whether they are physically (or emotionally) distant – sometimes all it takes is a taste of something familiar to bring you back home.
As some readers know, I have not really had much of a relationship with my mother. But I do love her deeply in spite of our differences; I don’t care how old you are, there are some points in your life, when there is nothing you want more than being close to your mom. So this week I am going to make her simple and delicious Buttermilk-Soaked Fried Chicken and think of happier times at home.
BUTTERMILK-SOAKED FRIED CHICKEN
Serves 4
Ingredients- 1 chicken (about 3 ½ pounds), cut into eighths
- 1 ½ cups buttermilk
- 1 tablespoon salt
- ½ teaspoon cayenne pepper
- All-purpose flour
- Vegetable shortening or vegetable oil as needed (about 1 ½ cups)
· The simplest way to get pieces of chicken down to the right size for frying is to buy a chicken already cut into eighths, available in most supermarkets.
Technique
1) Trim any overhanging fat from the chicken pieces. If there are pieces of the backbone attached to the thigh and breast pieces, cut them off with kitchen shears. Cut off any wing tips. (Save the backbones, wing tips and giblets for broth!) Cut each breast in half crosswise with a sharp, heavy knife.
2) Stir the buttermilk, salt and cayenne pepper together in a large bowl. Add the chicken pieces and toss gently to coat with seasoned buttermilk. Cover and refrigerate at least 4 hours or up to overnight.
3) When ready to fry, spread the flour out in a generous layer on a baking sheet. Have ready a wire cooling rack set over a baking sheet. Lift each piece of chicken from the buttermilk, holding it over the bowl and wiping off all but a light layer of buttermilk. Lay as many of the chicken pieces in the flour as fit without touching. Clean and dry your hands. Shake the baking sheet to turn and evenly coat the chicken pieces, then turn them by hand to make sure they are lightly but evenly coated. Lift the chicken, tap off any excess flour and set, skin-side up, on the rack. Repeat with the remaining chicken.
4) Melt enough shortening in (or pour enough oil into) a wide deep skillet to fill 1 inch. (A 10-inch cast-iron skillet will hold half a chicken.) Heat over medium heat to 325 degrees F. If you don’t have a deep-drying thermometer, dip the handle of a wooden spoon in the oil. When it is hot enough, the handle will send out a steady, lively stream of tiny bubbles. Lay as many pieces of coated chicken, skin-side down, into the pan as will fit comfortably, leaving a little space between each. Don’t move the chicken until it begins to brown, or the delicate coating will stick to the pan. Adjust the heat so there is a steady, not riotous, sizzling. If there is any spattering or if the chicken starts to brown even slightly before 4 minutes, the heat is definitely up too high. Cook until the underside is a deep golden brown, about 12 minutes. Flip and cook the second side. If the heat was regulated properly, the chicken should be fully cooked. Check by inserting the tip of an instant-reading thermometer into the thickest part of each chicken piece closest to the bone. The temperature should be 165 degrees F or above.
Alternatively: Poke the tip of a pairing knife into the thickest part of each piece right down to the bone. Wait a second or two; the juices that run out must be clear, not pink, in order for the chicken to be safe to eat.
If the chicken browns before it is fully cooked, simply finish cooking the chicken, testing as above, on a baking sheet in a 375 degree F oven.
NOTE: The chicken can be served warm or at room temperature. If you’d like the serve the chicken warm, preheat the oven to 200 degrees F. Fry the drumsticks and thighs first, drain them, and keep them warm on a baking sheet in the oven while frying the breast and wing pieces.
Beam me up, Scotty: Luke Macfarlane
25 October 2010When it comes to gay characters and storylines, Brothers and Sisters is among the select few that gives them prominence on mainstream television. And this is thanks, in large part, to out actor Luke Macfarlane.
The relationship between Kevin Walker and Scotty Wandell on Brothers and Sisters, one of the best-rating dramas on American television, has arguably been a watershed for gay rights. Their courtship, intimacies and eventual wedding have played out in millions of lounge rooms around the world. As Kevin and Scotty prepare to have a baby, Canadian actor Luke MacFarlane, who plays Scotty, talks about his character, the politics of the show, and craft of acting.
It's been a pretty interesting year for Brothers and Sisters. Talk about what stands out to you with regards to the storyline.
I guess this year was a big storyline for us with this, kind of, 'How do two men have a baby?' story, which I think is an important area. And they've been taking their time with it and addressing the details really carefully so [I'm] really, really impressed with that story line and the boldness of [US network] ABC going out there and telling their story.
Certainly something big was playing out back in the US with regards to the politics and everything too.
Yes, absolutely. Totally. Well, there seems to always something terrible happening to the gays in the media, so ... there's always some big story about it. Actually, I remember hearing this controversy when Adam Lambert who was refused an interview or something like that. Do you remember the story too?
Yeah. I remember the season of American Idol and also following up, yes.
Right. And I remember listening to some talk radio program and they were saying the "ABC and the news media coverage, they're not letting Adam Lambert go on and it is just a shame, it's awful". And I felt like calling him in and saying, "ABC has these incredible gay story lines that are being represented in both Brothers and Sisters and Modern Family".
Do you guys feel like a certain sense of responsibility because you are on the front lines with that particular kind of topical theme that's happening?
Sure. I mean, everybody takes their storylines really seriously, so yeah, in some sense I think we're doing good things. I was actually friendly with one of the lawyers that was responsible for this new federal case which is trying to overturn some of the legislation at federal level of proposition 8. And he said that quite often, Brothers and Sisters was used as a conversation pointer, that it was a sort of good representation of a gay healthy couple to others. That was encouraging.
How long do you think that it will be for gays who want to ever really be something accepted by everyone?
Who knows? You know, all you can continue to do is look forward and generally, politically speaking, all political movements kind of move towards inclusion, so we'll see it one day.
Has it restricted you in terms of your career?
Sure, absolutely. I mean, one never knows. I've been fortunate enough to be on a show that's lasted for more than three episodes, which is not often the case in television. So, there's certainly concern about what life will bring after, but, you know, life's short. Then you die.
Are there any other projects looming that you'd like to work on?
I began in the theatre and that's always been my passion. I went to Juilliard and started in New York, so actually, right before we go back to work, I'm going to New York to work on a musical which is new for me. And it's actually a one-man musical.
A one-man musical? Excellent. Singing and dancing?
No, no dancing. I cannot dance. I wish I could. So, this is something that a good friend of mine has written and he's a fantastic writer and I've done his plays before and hopefully this will have a life of its own, and I can go right from Brothers and Sisters to my touring one-man show.
This is quite a different thing.
It is, yes.
What kind of emotion you have in one side and then the other one?
Well, the theatre is great. I mean it is really the actor's medium. Television is the producer's medium and film is the director's medium. So, I think actors love going back to the theatre so they can kind of get back to a little bit of the control.
And do you know Scotty very well?
I'm getting to know him better. It took me a little bit of a while to get to know him, but I think I started off in a very different place than I ended up now. But that's part of the joy of getting to figure a character out over a long period of time.
ABC Orders More Scripts for No Ordinary Family, Off the Map, Brothers & Sisters[source]
Oct 14, 2010 06:00 PM ET by Natalie Abrams
ABC has ordered additional scripts for No Ordinary Family, Off the Map and Brothers & Sisters, network reps confirm.
No Ordinary Family, which debuted to 10.5 million viewers, got an additional four scripts. Brothers & Sisters' previously shortened fifth season also has four scripts added, rounding out the total to an even 22-episode order.
Off the Map, the midseason medical drama from executive producer Shonda Rhimes and creator Jenna Bans, had one script added to its lineup. The series should debut in early 2011.
Cooper picks a recipe!In honor of my nephew Cooper’s portrayal of Romeo in his school play this week I let him pick which recipe we feature in today’s blog.When I asked what he’d like to see featured, he shrugged: “Spaghetti?”
Spaghetti?! No! We have to find some clever play on words that will tie back to your play.
Star-Crossed Lover Breakfast Strata
Montague Stew
Friar Lawrence Burrito
To Be or Nachos To Be (Oops! Wrong Play)
Rugelach & Jam“Rugelach and Jam?” Cooper asked, “
Rugelach & Jam – R&J?, Romeo & Juliet? Get it?? To which Cooper said, “Does anyone even read your blog”?
Perhaps I was putting to much emphasis on the name; to paraphrase the Bard “spaghetti by any other name would still taste as sweet. “ Which brings me to my Penne with Spiced Vodka Sauce. It’s a recipe I don’t have on the menu at the restaurant, but one I enjoy making for friends and family at home.
I tried one last time to talk to Coop: if there was a character named Vodka in the play or if Mercutio made a Rye Vodka it’d be a different story, but they don’t.And Penne with Spicy Verona-odka Sauce doesn’t have a ring to it.
But Cooper didn’t give up on me: “The play is set in Italy. Spaghetti is Italian food, right?”
He had me there. I guess my recipe for “It-Is-The-East-and-Juliet-is-the-Sun Dried Tomato Vinaigrette” will have to wait.
Although all the alcohol cooks off, I think Cooper likes to pretend he is drinking when he eats this. Of course, I like to make this because I can pretend to be cooking while I’m drinking. ;)
Enjoy!So now I turn to you, my loyal readers (who I have convinced Cooper DO exist). Can any of you come up with a good R&J-themed name for this dish??
Penne with Spiced Vodka Sauce
Serves 4
Salt
2 Tablespoon Olive Oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
½ teaspoons crushed hot red pepper (or less)
¼ cup vodka
1 and ¼ cups strained tomatoes*
½ cup light cream
¾ pound penne rigati or regular penne (about 4 ½ cups)
12 large fresh basil leaves, cut crosswise into thin strips
½ cup grated Parmesan cheese
1 and ½ cups fresh mozzarella, cut into ½-inch dice* Strained tomatoes, available in “Sterile-pack” containers are lighter and fresher tasting than canned tomato puree. If canned puree is all you can find, use 1 cup puree thinned with ½ cup water.
1.Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil.
2.Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Add the garlic and hot pepper and cook, shaking the pan, until you can just smell the garlic. Remove the pan from the heat and pout in the vodka – carefully; even off the heat it may ignite. When the boiling stops, return the pan to the heat and stir in the strained tomatoes. Season lightly with salt. Bring to a simmer, adjust to the head so the sauce is simmering and cook for 5 minutes.(The sauce can be prepared to this point up to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate and heat to simmering before continuing.) Turn off the heat and stir in the cream.
3. Stir the penne into the boiling water. Cook, stirring occasionally, under tender but still firm (there should be a slight ring of white in the center of the penne when one is bitten into). Reserve ½ cup of the cooking liquid and drain the pasta.
4. Return the penne to the pot, scrape in the sauce, and add the basil. Stir over low heat, adding some of the reserved liquid, if necessary, to make a sauce that lightly coats the pasta. Taste and add salt if necessary. Remove from the heat and stir in the Parmesan and mozzarella, if using. Serve from a platter of ladle into warm shallow bowls.
Human Rights Campaign
Luke made his feature film début in Bill Condon’s KINSEY, opposite Liam Neeson and Laura Linney. He also starred in Robert Altman’s TANNER ON TANNER, a limited series for the Sundance Channel, opposite Cynthia Nixon. On the stage, Luke starred in the WHERE DO WE LIVE, written and directed by Chris Shinn at the Vineyard Theater, as well as the play JUVENILIA. Most recently, Luke has starred in the Playwright’s Horizons production of THE BUSY WORLD IS HUSHED opposite Jill Clayburgh.
Christopher J. Hanke, most recently on Broadway in Cry-Baby, will be seen in the Oct. 31 broadcast of "Brothers and Sisters."
Grilled CheeseOne of my favorite tips for home chefs is to perfect a recipe that is both simple to execute and endlessly adaptable. (Loyal readers will know that simple food is a mantra of mine…all the way back to my very first blog entry!) Once you learn the basics of a Provencal-style gratin, for example, you can (re)make it with whatever is fresh and locally available (Swiss Chard, Spinach and Rice is one of my favorites!) and keep tweaking it throughout the year. Serve it hot. Serve it cold. Substitute quinoa for the rice. Try it with some squash. It's a great way to keep a favorite fresh. Maybe one day I'll share my gratin recipe, but today I've decided to illustrate my point with something more universally enjoyed: the grilled cheese sandwich.
Almost every adult I know loves grilled cheese in its many variations almost as much as kids do. So here are my tips to make the perfect classic grilled cheese sandwich. Enjoy it with a light salad or, for those cold falls days, a cup of delicious tomato soup. It can be the perfect family meal.
TIPS FOR COOKING A GREAT GRILLED CHEESE:
- Use a heavy, flat (cast iron is perfect) skillet or griddle over medium-low heat.
- Longer, slow cooking makes for delectably crunchy bread and thoroughly melted cheese. DON'T RUSH IT.
- Spread about one tablespoon of butter over both sides of the sandwich, dividing it evenly.
- When you set the bread into the skillet, there should barely be a sizzle. Cook until it is crisp and deep golden brown. This should take 4-5 minutes. If the sandwich is browning faster than that, lower the heat.
- Instead of butter you can cook the sandwich in about a tablespoon of olive oil. Just pour enough oil in the skillet to make a thin, even film. Grill the sandwich as in the butter method, but lift it and replenish the oil before flipping.
Now how about some ideas to make….GRILLED CHEESE GONE FANCY
- If you're using butter to grill the sandwich, press herb leaves into the butter before grilling.
- Match the herb to the filling: parsley for a plain grilled cheese, basil for grilled cheese and tomato, or cilantro for the grilled pepper jack and chicken below…
You've probably tried grilled cheese with tomatoes, crisp bacon or deli meats, but here are some other of my favorite ways to class up a simple grilled cheese, in case you can't make it into Cafe 429:
Each makes 1 sandwich.
SUN-DRIED TOMATO GOAT CHEESE
Beat ¼-cup of softened goat cheese with 2 tablespoons of fine chopped sun-dried tomatoes (soaked and drained, if necessary) until smooth. Season liberally with freshly ground black pepper. Spread over one slice of bread, top with the other and grill with butter or oil.
SMOKED GOUDA AND MUSHROOM
Toss ½-cup coarsely grated smoked Gouda and ¼-cup coarsely chopped cooked mushrooms together into a small bowl. Pile onto one slice of break, top with the other and grill with butter or oil.
PEPPER JACK AND CHICKEN
Toss ½-cup coarsely grated pepper jack cheese and 1/3-cup shredded cooked chicken (or turkey) together in a small bowl. Pile onto one slice of bread, top with another an grill with butter or oil.
What is YOUR favorite way to make a grilled cheese??
Maria! I just met a girl named Maria!”
No this is not a blog about a production of WEST SIDE STORY. Instead it’s a Story about a woman from the West Side (of LA) named Maria who has been coming to CAFÉ 429 religiously since we opened. She always has a huge smile on her face, but she is notoriously camera shy and did not like the idea of having her picture taken for this blog.
Just after we opened I was in the kitchen tweaking my new apple tart recipe and I decided to let Maria be my taster. She was thrilled at the opportunity and talked about both incarnations of the dessert with the kind enthusiasm and passion for food a chef loves to see.
As a thank you, the very next day Maria brought me some of her “Secret Recipe Chocolate Chip Cheese Squares.” And let me tell you here and now: these squares are divine. They literally melted in my mouth and I knew I needed the recipe.
But Maria was tight-lipped. It was her secret recipe, she explained. Everyone who has ever tried them has wanted the recipe, but she explained with a smile, she simply refuses to give it away. But I can get a stubborn as a Walker when I want something. So I didn’t stop asking (and occasionally trying to bribe her with free food) for days. Days turned into weeks. Weeks turned into months. Until finally today she came in and gave me the recipe.
What’s more? She agreed to let me share it with all of you. Well the interaction went more like this:
Scotty: Can I print this recipe on my blog? Maria: I don’t know….ummm…if I say “No” are you going to ask me every day until I say “Yes” again?
She smiled.
Scotty: That’s exactly what it means! Maria: Then by all means, put it on your blog!
So there you go. I encourage you to make Maria’s delicious cheese squares, but remember…this recipe is secret!
(I used to be able to keep secrets. Maybe those Walkers are rubbing off on me more than I thought…)
Chocolate Chip Cheese Squares
Preheat the oven to 350
2 8oz packs of cream cheese(soften)
2 eggs
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp of vanilla
2 rolls of cookie dough(frozen)
Mix the cream cheese, vanilla, eggs and sugar in a large mixing bowl. You can begin to whip the mixture once it blends.This way you will have a light yet think cheesecake filling.
While the cheese mixture is whipping you can cut one roll of cookie dough and line the bottom of a 9x13 non stick baking pan. Pour in cream cheese mixture
Cut the other roll of cookie dough to place on top
Bake for 35-40mins-until toothpick comes out clean.
Cut into squares and refrigerate for at least 3 hours (serve cold)
You can freeze them to serve later (we like to eat them out of the freezer
