Hey kids. Sorry it's been a bit quiet on my end. My countless hours of positive thinking, wishing, hoping, visualizing, etc. for more work actually paid off. For now. But for now I'm thankful. My old boss (of the family I cooked for for 3 years) hooked me up with cooking for his 80-something year old parents because their chef has been sick for a few weeks. It's been a pretty awesome set up. They have the equivalent of a butler who serves the food - I just cook, plate, clean and leave. They're super formal though, and I have to wear my full chef outfit which, if any of you know me, you know I hate doing. I hate going into a store wearing it. It feels so typical to walk into Bristol Farms in Beverly Hills wearing a chef's coat. I like shopping in my ratty old converse and smile to myself that no one has any idea that I'm a "chef".
Anyway, this week got me to thinking about how I even became a chef. I have my old boss to thank for it. So let's go back about 4 years. I was a starving wannabe actress, waiting tables, miserable. I had just ended a 6 year relationship and was pretty much a mess. I had been with a guy who had always always always taken care of me, enabled me, really. I think I started resenting him for this, even though I know he was only trying to be supportive. But I'm not one of those girls who can sit back and allow a boy to support her. I'm strong willed, pig headed. I wanted to climb the mountain myself and stand on it and look down and pat myself on the back and say "yes, I did this!" I don't like relying on anyone for anything. But I had slowly began to rely on this person for everything. And as I started to resent him for it, I also began to despise myself. So I made the hardest decision I had ever made at that point in my life, and moved out.
I still thought I really wanted to continue acting. But I started to see a seedy part of Hollywood that just didn't feel right. I worked at a members only cigar bar for awhile and had to deal with constant sexual harassment, watching other girls I worked with virtually prostitute themselves for extra cash, realizing that the men who were highly involved in the film industry were only talking to me about my career for their own personal gain - the possibility that I might be as stupid as these other girls and offer myself up on the casting couch. These were rough times. I had good representation and was auditioning a lot. The only trouble was, I realized I didn't care anymore. I wouldn't even read my sides, let alone memorize my lines. I'd show up late. I just didn't care. The whole industry that had once seemed so shiny and full of possibilities now seemed dull, dirty, tarnished. That along with the fact that I realized I really wasn't very good.
So I left. I left it all behind knowing 2 things: 1) I never wanted to audition for anything ever again, and 2) I never wanted to wait tables ever again - in fact I never wanted to even see the inside of a kitchen. Ha.
My first move was to find a new job. A job that could keep me busy and paid that didn't involve LA assholes complaining about bread being on their table because they were "low carb". Nanny. That what I would do. I would become a nanny until I figured it all out. My best friend Jenna put me in contact with a Beverly Hills family she was kind of related to. I met with them one afternoon and quickly bonded with their kids. This was great, I thought. This will be perfect! The last thing we talked about in the interview was food. It was a very casual conversation, the question do you like to cook? came up and I shared my cooking experience, most of which I had learned during my time in South Africa (another day, kids, another day). There was no mention of cooking being even slightly in the job description.
So I got the job. And on my first day, I show up all bright and cheery, excited to play with the kids, and I'm asked to go to Gelsons to pick up some salmon to cook for dinner. Oh and some baby broccoli, maybe I could make a little tomato bruschetta topping for the salmon, and some rice? ........... Erm, am I at the right house? Did I miss something? I didn't want to seem too bewildered, but I had never cooked fish in my life. As a recovering vegetarian (again, another time), I really limited myself to cooking pasta and vegetables, maybe the occasional chicken dish. But none of this is what I would consider worthy of serving to someone paying me to cook...which apparently was what I was being paid for? So I got the salmon, figured out how to pick out the little bones (missed quite a few) and threw it on the grill, something I also had never really used before. In South Africa I had participated in many a braai (South African version of barbeque), but never once did I show interest in actually cooking the food. In fact, me and my girlfriends would figure out which guys we could invite to our braais just so we could get out of any of the hard work. So I'm going to grill salmon. I finally figure out how to light the bloody thing, after almost singing off my eyebrows and the rest of my face. and I throw the salmon on there....and burnt it to a crisp. I don't really know what they expected. It's not like I told them I was this world class cook! I was honest! So needless to say they weren't too happy.
It was a painful first few months. I succeeded in burning most of the meat I cooked - I remember asking my boss how long it would take for me to cook a steak medium rare. He answered, "until it is". Well what the fuck does that even MEAN?! None of this made any sense to me. I was really struggling, and angry because this wasn't the job I had signed up for! I signed on to be a nanny, dammit! But I needed a job. And they kept me around because they needed a babysitter. They even kept me after I exploded oil all over their kitchen and had to go to the hospital because of the burns on my face (who knew that hot oil and water don't mix?) So we all struggled through those first few months. And then something completely marvelous and unexpected happened: I got it. It all started making sense to me. It's like I had finally memorized one of those tricky trigonometry equations - I knew the basic formula. My food started actually turning out as edible, even decent. I began enjoying my time in the kitchen, instead of dreading it like it was some sort of punishment. I began to experiment with new ingredients, reading up on different recipes. In the months prior to my catharsis I had decided on applying to get my Masters in child psychology. The day before my applications were due I enrolled in culinary school. And haven't ever looked back.
Even though I'm not with the family anymore, we still see each other and laugh about those first few months. I am really thankful they duped me into the job, if they hadn't I don't know where I'd be, but I certainly wouldn't be cooking professionally, that's for sure. So in honor of the fish that started it all, I thought I'd show two very simple, very yummy ways of cooking salmon - one being the first dish I was forced to cook. Plus some veggies that go well with either choice.
Both of these recipes serve 2.
Pan Seared Salmon with Tomato Bruschetta
Ingredients:
(for the salmon)
2 6-8 oz pieces of salmon, boned and skinned
juice of one lemon
cooking spray
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
(for the bruschetta)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 T chopped fresh basil
1-2 large ripe tomatoes, diced (I like the ones on the vine. And I don't seed my tomatoes. Most of the flavor in a tomato is in the seeds and goopy stuff)
1/2 tsp. sugar
1 T olive oil
2 tsp balsamic vinegar
pinch of salt
Method:
In small bowl combine all bruschetta ingredients and stir until
combined. Set aside and allow flavors to marry (I like the term marry, but only in the context of food.)
Spray a large saute pan with cooking spray and add the tsp of olive oil over medium-high heat (like a 7 for electric).
While pan is heating (we need to get it pretty hot) rub salmon fillets with lemon juice and season with salt and pepper.
Once pan is nice and hot (the oil will be really thin and shiny, the pan should almost be smoking - if pan is smoking, it's too hot). Place salmon in pan skin side up (the "presentation side", the side that will be face up when you serve it and eat it, always goes in the pan first because it will be the most brown and crisp and pretty. Trust me.)
Let it cook for 3-4 mins on this side. Do not mess with it until after 3 mins. You'll be able to see how far it has cooked because the flesh will slowly start turning opaque.
After 3-4 mins, gently flip each piece and allow this side to cook for another 3-4 mins. I'd make sure my oven fan is on. It may get a bit smoky at this point.
Remove salmon, place on plate and spoon bruschetta topping on top.
Yum.
Broiled Herb Crusted SalmonIngredients:
(for the salmon)
2 pieces of salmon, boned and skinned
cooking spray
salt and pepper, to taste
(for the herb crust)
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
2 T chopped fresh herbs (I used basil, parsley and rosemary. If you only have dried herbs, only use 1 T)
1/4 cup grated parmesiano-reggiano cheese
2 T olive oil
Method:
Turn on oven broiler to low (if possible. If you only have one broiler setting make sure oven rack in lower than the middle so crust doesn't burn).
Line a baking sheet with foil and spray with cooking spray.
In a small bowl combine breadcrumbs, herbs, cheese and oil. Stir to combine. Make sure oil is evenly dispersed.
Place salmon fillets on baking sheet, spray the tops with cooking spray and season with salt and pepper
Press the breadcrumb topping onto the tops of each fillet, making sure it is sticking to the salmon.
Place in oven and broil for 10-12 mins (if you're broiling on high, just keep an eye on your topping - it can burn really REALLY fast! If it's getting too hot place a sheet of foil over the fish for a few minutes while it finished cooking)
Remove fish from oven, and serve.
Mmmm.
This is a great and easy dish to prepare for a dinner party because you don't have to flip each piece of fish and you know they are all cooking evenly.
And now for the veggies!
Sauteed Broccolini with Garlic and Crushed Red Pepper
Broccolini has a lot of names. But it's not the same as
rapini. In the grocery store, rapini comes almost in a "boquet", with a bunch of leaves surrounding the florets. Broccolini, or baby broccoli, or asparation, looks kind of like a bunch of asparagus wearing little curly hats. Aside from haricots verts, this is my favorite vegetable. Think of me when you eat this!
Ingredients:
1 bunch broccolini (aka baby broccoli, asparation, whatever.)
1 garlic clove, minced
1 tsp olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste
Method:
Broccolini stems can be pretty thick and woody. He he. Woody. Anyway, it helps if you take a paring knife and make a diagonal slice on the stems to thin them out but keep their length.
Like this:
Fill a medium saucepan with water and bring to a rapid boil. Throw in the broccolini and "blanch" for 1 minute. After 1 minute, drain in a colander. We're not going to do the whole shocking thing in ice because we're going to throw it back in the pan.
Heat a large saute pan with the olive oil on medium-high heat until oil is thin and shiny. Throw in the broccolini and saute for about a minute. Season with salt and pepper, then add the garlic and chili flakes. Sautee for another minute or so and remove from pan and place on your plate.
Pan Roasted Baby Carrots with Agave and Ginger
I'm loving agave right now. It's much better for you than plain old sugar, and caramelizes surprisingly well. If you don't have agave, feel free to substitute maple syrup for this recipe.
Ingredients:
1 bunch baby carrots (the real baby carrots, not the little bunny chow baby carrots - but you can use them if you really want to I guess - these are just prettier on the plate), peeled and tops removed
2 tsp canola oil
1 tsp olive oil
1 T agave nectar (or maple syrup)
Pinch of grated ginger
salt and pepper to taste
Method:
Heat oven to 450 F.
Place oils in a large saute pan and heat on high heat (like a 9 electric). We want the pan to smoke for this one. Once pan is smoking add carrots and don't touch for a few minutes. We want the skin of the carrots to blister and brown.
Like so:
After the first sides have blistered, flip or roll over to the other sides and allow to brown and blister, another few minutes.
Once carrots are adequately browned, add agave and ginger, shake pan to make sure carrots are coated in the agave and throw in the oven for 8 mins.
Now when you take these out of the oven, please make sure you do not touch the handle of the pan with your bare hands. I've done this so many freaking times and you'd think I would learn. I would immediately transfer these guys to a plate and throw the pan in the sink so you aren't tempted to touch it later.
If you didn't take my advice you're going to have to stop everything and run your hand under cold water and keep the swearing to a minimum. If you did heed my warning, you're ready to eat!
I always plate my veggies first and then top them off with the meat. The pics of the final product are just a few examples of how you can make a plate look pretty :)
Thanks for reading, and I hope these will prove to be useful for you.
Kisses and Hugs.