French Toast: The Blog is moving!

Yup, that's right. Check out our new location here: http://seklonsky.wordpress.com.

If I can get myself to post more often, I'll buy a domain and I'll be even more legit. Hmm, maybe I should get a camera, too.

Apple-Cider Caramelized Onions

I meant to post this a few months ago, but seeing that just posted a recipe for pork chops, I think including these onions (which would go GREAT with the previous post) is appropriate.

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I asked Jared to pick up a main course for dinner from the grocery. I didn't really care what it was, but when he brought home pork chops, I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them: cover them in a sticky, spicy glaze and caramelized onions!

The process is simple, and the ingredients are probably in your pantry or fridge already.

Apple-Cider Quick Caramelized Onions

2 T. unsalted butter

1 Large Yellow or Brown Onion, sliced very thinly but in long pieces

1/4 c. Apple Cider Vinegar

2 T. granulated sugar

• Over low heat in a large saute pan, melt butter.
  
• When butter foam subsides, add onions and saute, stirring frequently. Add a pinch of kosher salt.
• After 8 - 10 minutes, the onions will begin to brown. At this stage, add half the apple cider vinegar. Scrape the bottom of the pan to remove any stuck on brown bits.
  
• Continue to cook until all the liquid is gone and the onions again begin to stick to the bottom, about five minutes. Add the rest of the vinegar.
  
• Continue stirring and cooking the onions for another five minutes or so. The onions should be sticky and sweet. Serve...with almost anything.
  

Pork Chops in the Fall

Living in San Diego means that we don't get many clues for the changing of the seasons. Fall is just like any other month of the year: warm, clear, sunny. So instead of relying on the rain or changing leaves to tell me it's the fall, I change my cooking habits.

So for the first posting in a long time, here's a quick and simple way to enjoy the harvest season.

Marinated Pork Chops with Cranberry Sauce

For the cranberry sauce:
1 c. sugar
1 c. water
1 bag (12 oz) whole, fresh cranberries, rinsed
2 t. apple cider vinegar

2 t. cinnamon or 1 cinnamon stick
1/2 t. nutmeg
1/4 t. ginger
2 t. thyme
1/2 c. apple cider vinegar
1/4 c. olive oil
1 T. kosher salt
1 t. black pepper
2 center cut, bone in pork chops, no more than 3/4" thick.

First, for the cranberries:

• The cranberry sauce recipe comes straight off the back of the bag, except I add a little apple cider vinegar at the end. You can omit it if you like or substitute a little orange or apple juice.
• Place all ingredients in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and simmer for 20-30 minutes until thick and all cranberries have popped.
  
• Cool for 10 minutes but keep warm.

Now the chops:

• Mix all ingredients in a bowl or ziplock bag.
• Add pork chops and toss with the marinade to coat evenly. Let rest for up to 4 hours, but at least 30 minutes. If you're going to marinate for more than an hour, place the chops in the refrigerator. Take them out to marinate on the counter an hour before you plan to cook them.
  
• Heat a small amount of oil in a skillet (cast iron is best) over medium heat. The oil should be very hot and shimmer in the pan. (You can add a small amount of pork fat to the pan and if it immediately begins to fry, you know the pan is ready)
• Add the pork chops to the pan and cook for about 6-8 minutes until the chops are nicely browned on the bottom. Turn over.
• Cook for another 4-6 minutes on the second side or until the chops are cooked through, but slightly pink in the middle.
• Allow the chops to rest for 5 minutes, then serve with cranberry sauce and applesauce.
  

La Frittata

I didn't really have much inspiration for dinner tonight. It needed to be quick (I got home at 8:15 pm), it needed to be delicious (obviously), and it needed to be blog worthy (no quesadilla tonight, kids!).

It hit me: a frittata. Not only are they incredibly easy to make, you can use whatever is in your refrigerator at the time. 

Tonight we ate a broccoli and parmigiano-reggiano frittata with browned sweet onions and garlic. Here's the recipe:

1.5 cups broccoli stems, steamed and chopped into small-ish pieces.

0.5 cup thinly sliced brown or yellow (vidalia work, too) onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

6 eggs

1 dash of water

3 T. milk

Salt and pepper to taste

0.5 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese

• Pre-heat your broiler.
  
• Heat a non-stick, oven safe pan over medium heat. 
  
• Add a small amount of olive oil or butter and saute onions until soft, add garlic and continue to cook until soft and aromatic. 
  
• Add salt and pepper and continue to cook for 30 seconds. 
  
• Add cooked broccoli and cook until heated through. Spread mixture around pan to form an even layer on bottom. Turn heat down to medium-low.
  
• In a mixing bowl, beat eggs, water, salt and pepper until well mixed.
  
• Pour prepared eggs over the broccoli, onions, and garlic. Tilt and rotate the pan to ensure the eggs are evenly distributed over the other ingredients.
  
• Don't stir the eggs. Allow them to cook until 2/3 of the way done. Remove from the heat. Add cheese over the mixture evenly.
  
• Place the eggs under the broiler until eggs are fully cooked.
  
• Invert the frittata on a place, and slice into wedges.
  

Enjoy! Great for brunch, too! You can serve frittata hot, cold, reheated, however you please!

Eat Here: Pinkberry in Hillcrest

Pinkberry Hillcrest
3795 4th Ave, San Diego CA 92103
(619) 260-9106



Yes, I enjoy trendy hip frozen yogurt. But this frozen yogurt really is quite delicious. And the staff is really fun. They gave me free blueberries just for dancing in line.

My recommendation is to just get fresh fruit on top of plain yogurt. It's absolutely perfect. Enjoy!

Seth

Visiting the Parents: Lunch

Yes, I know. I've been very bad at updating this little blog of mine. Easter was how many months ago? 

I am up in the North Bay visiting my parents and family for the weekend. A quick lunch was in order, and here's what we cooked up.

Mixed Berry Salad

Spinach with lemon garlic vinaigrette

Grilled cheese with cheddar and Reggiano

I am sure you were expecting something a bit more gourmet, but frankly there is hardly a better lunch out there.

The berries were simple: sliced strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, and mango (for fun). Toss them together and walk away for five minutes.

Here's the vinaigrette recipe:

1/4 cup lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, halved

1 tsp. dijon mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp. each fresh thyme and rosemary

1/2 cup good extra virgin olive oil

Mix the first five ingredients together in a bowl or mason jar. While whisking continuously, add olive oil. If you're using a mason jar, add half the oil, shake vigorously, then add the second half and repeat.

When you're plating your salad, toss a few pinches of fresh herbs (or in this case a mixture of cayenne pepper, thyme, and paprika) on top along with fresh cracked pepper.

The grilled cheese was a simple mix of sliced cheddar and grated Reggiano. I grill my sandwiches on cast iron (the best) to a dark brown.

Enjoy! More updates to come, I promise.

Happy Easter Breakfast

Food on Easter....a time to celebrate after the long fast of Lent. It's no wonder that Easter feasts are grand and luxurious. And while that's typically saved for the dinner meals on Easter, I think that Easter Sunday provides a great opportunity for an extra special breakfast as well.

So here it is, my Easter Sunday French Toast (served with bacon on the side)

Makes 6 - 8 Slices

6 -8 3/4" Slices of day-old French, Italian, sourdough, or other crusty bread
1 egg
1/2 cup whole milk
1/2 cup half and half
2 T. sugar
1 t. vanilla extract
1 t. Grand Marnier
1 T. flour

• In a medium sized bowl, beat egg and sugar together.
• Add milk, half and half, vanilla, and Grand Marnier and whisk until combined.
• Sprinkle flour evenly over the mixture and whisk to combine, until all lumps are gone and the mixture is smooth.
• Transfer the mixture to a pie dish or other shallow baking dish.
• Heat a large skillet (cast iron if you have it) over medium heat. Melt 1 Tablespoon butter.
• Soak each piece of bread for 30 seconds per side, then hold above the mixture to allow excess batter to drip off.
• Brown each slice in the hot skillet, two minutes on the first side and about 90 seconds on the second side.
• Keep warm in the oven while you prepare the other slices. Add 1 Tablespoon of butter for each batch in the skillet.
• Serve with syrup or warm berry compote.
  

Happy Easter!

Please Comment

Hello everyone -

If you're reading this blog, please comment every once in a while! If you've made a dish on here, or plan to, or have follow-up questions, or requests, or any of a number of other things, please let me know.

Hope you're enjoying the new posts, and please keep reading.

Seth

Poached Salmon with Fennel

There are dozens of ways to prepare fish, but what of the healthiest ways is poaching. Poaching is simply cooking foods, proteins typically, in simmering water. 

You can do this on the stovetop in a dutch oven or saucepan, but I actually find that using a glass dish and your oven (set to 325°) is more gentle and leads to more tender fish. 

Here's the technique:

• Pre-heat oven to 325°
• In a baking dish place two pinches of kosher salt, a bay leaf, and a teaspoon of dried dill. 
• Pour boiling water 3/4 up the sides of the baking dish. Stir to dissolve salt.
• Place a fillet of salmon, skin side down, into the baking dish. The water should cover the fish, but if it doesn't place some lemon slices on top to help keep the exposed fish moist.
• Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes, then check the fish. When it's done, it should be pale in color and firm. 

What about the fennel? I use the same technique here as I do for my Super Onion Mixture, just without the onion. 

1 large bulb of fennel, sliced into very thin, even slices

5 cloves garlic, chopped fine

2 pinches kosher salt

• Pre-heat oven to 350°
• Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a oven-proof skillet (cast iron if you have it)
• When hot, add the fennel and garlic and saute for 10 minutes, or until the fennel starts to appear translucent. 
• Place the skillet in the oven for about 20-30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the fennel is dark brown and caramelized evenly.
  

This photo below shows the fennel with about 10 minutes of cooking time left in the oven.

Happy Birthday Alex Kushner

In honor of my good friend Alex's birthday, I thought it would be fun to completely rip off a recipe of his and post it on this blog as my own. :)

Alex Kusher's Seth Klonsky's Famous Chocolate Brownies

4 oz unsweetened baking chocolate (I use Ghirardelli or Scharffen Berger)

2 sticks unsalted butter

4 large whole eggs, room temperature or warmed in their shells for five minutes in lukewarm water

2 t. real vanilla extract

1/2 t. salt

1/2 t. baking powder

2 c. granulated sugar

1 c. all-purpose flour

12 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips

1 c. walnuts (optional, sortof)

• Preheat oven to 325°
  
• Melt together the chocolate and the butter in a double boiler (or the microwave, but be careful not to burn the chocolate)
• In a large bowl, beat the eggs until light in color and texture
• Combine all dry ingredients, chocolate/butter mixture, and eggs together in the bowl and stir to combine.
• Add chocolate chips and walnuts (you're not really considering leaving these out, are you?)
• Bake approximately 30 minutes, or until a cake tester comes out clean.

A few pointers:

• When combining the ingredients, I typically add the chocolate/butter mixture first before the dry ingredients. When you do that though, make sure to add it slowly, so as not to end up cooking the eggs with the hot chocolate.
  
• Once you add the flour, no need to over stir the mixture. You want it thoroughly combined, but over stirring will leave you with a more dense final product.
  
• Don't leave out the walnuts.
  

I hope you enjoy Alex's my recipe. It took me one phone call asking for the recipe years of hard work to perfect.

Steak and Potatoes

There's nothing wrong with the most American of all dishes: steak and potatoes. And for those of us who cook with red meat only as often as a tight budget allows, this next recipe is a winner. Flank steak is a great cut of meat when prepared and sliced correctly. 

Soy and Ginger Marinated Flank Steak

1/2 c. olive oil or peanut oil

1/2 c. soy sauce

1/4 c. orange juice

2 T. sesame oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 T. fresh ginger, minced

1 green onion, chopped

Salt and Pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients together. Place 2 - 4 lbs. flank steak in large zip lock bag and pour marinade over. Refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Pre-heat broiler for five minutes. Place marinated steak under broiler for 4 - 8 minutes per side, depending on size of steak and your preference. When the steak is cooked to your liking, let it rest on the carving board for 10 minutes before carving so that the juices redistribute.

UPDATE 3-17-08: Just as a quick additional note, I've already been asked how you're supposed to know how long to broil it on each side. The best advise I can give is to broil it until there are char marks beginning to form and the steak begins to resist when you push it with your forefinger, typically about 4-5 minutes per side for medium rare, but again it depends on a few factors. Ask your butcher when you buy the steak what he thinks.

Carve very thin slices of steak against the grain. Serve.

Seth's Super Onion Mixture

I know I've said this before about my cooking style, but I have developed a few habits that I keep returning to in order to enhance the flavor of my cooking.

My super onion mixture is one of them. I know I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, to use onions and garlic in my cooking. Indeed many cultural food traditions use sauteed onions and garlic as the base for many dishes. However, it's worth posting here because this mixture is less about any particular recipe, and more about technique.

Why is it super? Well, garlic should be enough to explain that, but I actually use both onion and fennel to give this mixture a greatly enhanced flavor.

Super Onion Mixture
1 large yellow or brown onion, sliced thinly
1 large fennel bulb (or two smaller ones), sliced thinly
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 T. kosher salt
2 T. black pepper

Pre-heat oven to 350°.

In a large oven-save saute pan, heat 2 T. olive oil over medium heat. When pan is hot, add sliced onion, fennel, garlic, and salt.

Saute this mixture for about 10 minutes until the onions and fennel just begin to look translucent. You're only trying to sweat the vegetables, not trying to brown them at this point. That's what the oven is for.

Place the saute pan in the oven and cover loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. This will help the onions not brown too quickly. After 20 minutes, remove the foil. Stir every 10 minutes until the onions are a deep, caramelized brown, about 20-30 minutes.

Add your black pepper, and mix these with mashed potatoes or other roasted vegetable (such as sweet potato medallions).

Sorry about the photo quality in these photos. What you see above is sweet potato medallions with onions and fennel, alongside macaroni and cheese and sauteed pork chop.

New Vegetable Discovery: Kohlrabi

I discovered the most amazing new vegetable recently. It's a member of the cabbage family, but looks more like a root vegetable with a bitter leafy green attached, and it's called "kohlrabi." It's fantastic, and so easy to make.

As you can see above, I separated and peeled (two are peeled already, two are not) the root from the greens. With the greens I chopped them up and braised them with some chicken broth and brown onion for about 25 minutes until tender. 

The roots were easy as well. I sliced them very thinly (no more photos) and sauteed them for about 20 minutes with garlic and onion. After the first 10 minutes, I added 1/4 cup of dry white wine for flavor. 

All I can say is you have to give this root a try. It's rich with flavor, incredibly healthy, and a nice alternative to your everyday vegetables. Let me know what you think!

My Odd Habit

As I prepare to catch up on my blogging, I thought this nice and short piece about my strange habit (which I share with my sister, by the way) would be fun to post. 

When I go to the grocery store, even if only for a few things, I insist on sorting my groceries into various categories: meats, dairy (including eggs), fruits and vegetables, dry goods, household, etc. 

The end result is this (in a blurry iPhone photo):

The sad thing is the baggers and clerks don't share my obsession, and the groceries end up in the bags all mixed together. Some people just don't care.

Eat Here: Cafe Chloe

Cafe Chloe
721 9th Avenue, San Diego CA 92101
(619) 232-3242

Dinner for Two

Sometimes I am so grateful that I'm only cooking for two.  :)

This meal was a great end to the weekend. Simple, but really, really delicious. 

Bone-in Center Cut Pork Chops

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

Sautéed Zucchini with Garlic

We'll start with the Bone-in Center Cut Pork Chops. 

• Pre-heat oven to 375°
• Rub both sides with a spice rub of kosher salt, pepper, and dried sage. 
  
• Let rest for 10 minutes at room temperature on a clean surface (or the butcher paper they were wrapped in).
  
• Heat vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet until hot; add chops.
• Sear both sides of the pork chops for 4 minutes per side, until dark brown.
• Place skillet into the pre-heated oven for about 10 minutes, or until the chops are cooked through.

I know you were probably taught that pork has to be cooked until it is completely white (and dry and tough for that matter), but it's really okay if there's a little pink in the center. 

Caramelized Onion Mashed Potatoes

The truth is, these are the same mashed potatoes from the previous meal. But to kick them up a bit and make them less like leftovers and more like incredibly good mashed potatoes, I added some "caramelized" onions. And honestly, they aren't true caramelized onions, which take hours to prepare. Instead these are onions that are first browned in a pan, then baked until dark brown. Not quite as good as the real thing, but certainly delicious enough.

• Slice a medium yellow onion into 1/8" slices.
• Toss into a pan with hot olive oil, and sauté for 10 minutes, or until brown, like this:

• Bake in a 350° - 375° oven for about 20 minutes, or until dark brown and soft. They will be sticky and sweet.
• Mix onions into a batch of mashed potatoes (use your favorite recipe, or this one if you don't have a favorite) and serve.

Sautéed Zucchini

Unlike the par-boil/sauté method described for vegetables like green beans, I like to simply sauté zucchini and other squash in a pan with a little oil and garlic.

• Quarter the zucchini lengthwise into spears
• Heat a small amount of olive oil in a pan
• Add one clove minced garlic, and fry for a minute.
• Toss zucchini spears in the oil and sauté for 3 - 5 minutes.
• Add a splash of white wine (or water, if you must) and cover for a few minutes until the zucchini is tender.

It's that easy.

Enjoy everyone! 

Seth

Restaurant List #1

Breakfast, anyone? 

My friend Robert and I have had a Sunday morning breakfast tradition dating back to our first year in college. We have since invited Jared and Emily along for the ride. Because we eat out for breakfast on a weekly basis, we've frequented a lot of different restaurants. Here is the list of restaurants I'd recommend.

An asterisk represents a strong recommendation.

Downtown / Gas Lamp / East Village

Cafe 222 (Downtown)

Cafe Chloe * (East Village)

Influx * (Golden Hill)

The Mission Cafe: East Village (East Village)

North County / La Jolla / Del Mar

Cafe Americana (Del Mar)

Brockton Villa (La Jolla)

The Cottage (La Jolla)

Midtown / Central San Diego

The Mission Cafe: North Park (North Park)

Big Kitchen * (South Park) 

Old Fashioned Pancake House (Kearny Mesa)

Dinner for Five

Sometimes Jared thinks it's a good idea to invite people to our tiny little apartment, which is barely large enough to accommodate two of us. Tonight was one of those nights.

Our three guests, Andrew, Jessie, and Becca enjoyed the following menu. Becca, a vegetarian, opted for pan sautéed zucchini instead of the fish.

Arugula Salad with Toasted Walnuts, Red Onion, and Feta

Carrot Ginger Soup

Baked Sole with Edamame, Corn, and Chardonnay Butter Sauce, served over Mashed Potato

Mixed Berries with Grapefruit Mascarpone Cream

Here are the photos, recipe to follow.









Arugula Salad

As with most green salads that I serve with vinaigrette, I dress the greens first, then add the other ingredients. I enjoy this because it evenly distributes the dressing and allows you to use less of dressing, which if I make it, has quite a bit of oil in it.

My lemon vinaigrette is 1/2 cup of olive oil, 1/4 cup of lemon juice, 3 T. of white wine vinegar, a pinch each of salt and pepper, and 1 t. of dijon mustard. Whisk or shake (in a mason jar!) to combine.

The rest of the salad is fairly obvious by the photo above:

Arugula, washed and stems removed
Toasted Walnuts
Red Onion, sliced very thin
Feta Cheese, crumbled finely

Carrot Ginger Soup

There are many ways to make this soup, but I really like the subtle ginger spice in the background in this version. Instead of roasting or pre-cooking the vegetables in any way (which you can do with excellent outcomes), I simply add the vegetables to the chicken stock, and boil until tender. The soup is finished in the blender until smooth and delicious.

2.5 cups chicken broth
1/2 medium sized yellow onion, chopped
Carrots, two pounds peeled and chopped into large pieces
1 large Russet Potato, peeled and quartered
1 medium piece fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped into large chunks
1/8 t. ground ginger
Salt and pepper to taste

• Bring chicken broth to a boil in a large stock pot or dutch oven.
• Add onion, carrots, potato, and fresh ginger pieces to the stock.
• Simmer for 8 - 10 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
• Reserve the fresh ginger, and transfer the rest of the soup to a blender, and blend until completely smooth.
• Return to the stock pot, and return reserved ginger. Add ground ginger, salt, and pepper. Garnish with green onion, and serve.

Baked Sole

We'll start with the basic preparation technique for sole. I use a similar technique for basically any thin fillet of fish, including catfish, tilapia, or even salmon.

Salt and pepper both sides of the fillets. Add a small amount of oil to the top and wrap in parchment. If you wish, you can add lemon slices to the parchment pouch. Place on baking sheet and bake for 12-20 minutes, depending on the size of the fillet. The flesh should flake, but be moist and no longer translucent.

The sauce is really basic, but absolutely delicious. This is NOT your everyday sauce, because eating it every day would give you a cholesterol problem. But on special occasions, it's a winner.

1 cup white wine
2 T. butter
1/4 cup heavy cream
Pinch of salt
A handful each of frozen corn and frozen edamame (substituting frozen peas is okay, too)
Fresh tarragon (optional)

• Bring the wine to a boil and reduce by half
• Add butter and whisk until the butter is melted
• Add cream and salt, and whisk until sauce comes back to a boil.
• Add frozen vegetables and stir until heated through. Your sauce will be almost boiling. Turn off heat.
• Add tarragon just before serving. This sauce will be thin and should be poured over your fish (also good on just about anything else)

Berries with Mascarpone

I love this dish. As a dessert it's plenty rich, but is packed full of nutritious berries. I make it extra special by adding grapefruit juice and zest to the Mascarpone cream.

It's all about technique: macerate the berries with a sprinkling of sugar. Set aside for 15 minutes or up to two hours.

Meanwhile, whisk together 1/2 cup of mascarpone cheese, 3 T. of milk, the zest from a quarter of a grapefruit, and 3 T. grapefruit juice. Add more if you want a stronger grapefruit flavor.

Top the mascarpone mixture over the berries and serve. Garnish with mint or a spoon. It's even better when you're sipping Limoncello
at the same time. :)

Long Time No Post

Okay, okay, okay. After a long break in posting, I've got a few ready to put up. Stay tuned and thanks for reading.

The Evening Pot of Stew

Tonight was a clean the fridge and make a simple one pot stew at one time night!

The idea behind this is that you want to use ingredients that will balance one another and create hearty delicious stew. For example, if you have leftover roast chicken, you can make a stew out of potatoes, carrots, celery, onion and garlic.

Tonight I got lucky: I had a bunch of leftovers that needed to be used or tossed. The ingredients were:

Andouille Sausage

Half a can of white beans

A cup and a half of white rice (leftover from Chinese night...)

Half a can of tomato paste

Two cups of chicken broth

1 Yukon Gold potato

These things go together perfectly well, and the seasoning in the sausage meant that I only needed to add a bit of kosher salt and pepper (okay I added a Beef Bullion cube as well), and I was golden.

The process is just as easy:

1. In a medium-sized dutch oven, saute onion and minced garlic together until brown, then add a pinch of kosher salt and two turns of black pepper.
2. Add in your potatoes or other firm vegetables and saute for a moment or two.
3. Add tomato (I had tomato paste) and any other acidic liquid such as wine or vinegar, and deglaze your pot. Add broth and bring to a simmer.
4. Once your pot is simmering nicely, you can add any raw meats. If your meat is already cooked, hold off and let your stew simmer away for a few minutes more and then add them.
5. Once the meat is fully cooked and, in the case of pre-cooked meat, warmed through, add your pre-cooked starches! In my case, this was a can of cooked white beans and some leftover rice.
   
6. Simmer for two to three minutes. Serve with crusty bread, a biscuit, or anything else you want.

You see, the starchy beans and rice, along with the starch in the potatoes, helps thicken the soup. The acid in the tomatoes brighten your stew and give it a great depth of flavor. Again, since the Andouille had so much flavor (and heat), I didn't add anything else in terms of spices. But spice accordingly depending on what you have around the house to throw in your stew pot.

The result:

Enjoy! xoxo