Black 31

Here I am on my birthday with my Black 31 presents. Here's to you Uncle Joey

Today is Halloween and, although it's a night of partying for many people, or spooky and sugary traditions for others, I am not bothered that I have to work this evening. As a child, due to time and other engagements, there were only a couple of times where I got dressed up and went trick or treating. Although it is a sad predicament now, it was just the kind of upbringing that made me, a kid, value the holidays. It's not always about the presents and prizes, but the food and the people and family around you. In the past five years, I've spent time with the most influential people in my life, whom I call family. And my family isn't just parents and siblings, but my culinary family, too.

Where I worked, the summer months were always the hardest because, well honestly, I was working at the Diner. Doing catering after catering while running a restaurant with a Marine at the head is like going through cooking boot camp every single day. And at the ripe age of 18, Billy D turned me into a make-it-happen machine. No matter how big or small the job, we always made it happen while putting out the best food. He was like a father pushing me daily to be better and work harder. He pushed me to get my Bachelors Degree and work for his brother, Chef Uncle Joey Desimone, whom, when I first met, snapped a picture of me in my Santa hat and said I'm going to make you famous.  Two years after that notorious picture, I spent Thanksgiving in Los Angeles and Christmas in San Francisco, working with Uncle Joey and the rest of the crew and making my dreams, of cooking for some of California's best chefs, a reality.

Year after year, my families have slowly changed. It has grown, like being a part of Kikko's family holiday traditions (where I'll be joining again this year), while others have left me with only the memories and legacies of the greats, like Uncle Joey now. Since his passing, I haven't been able to write without it being all about him. He was a hero to me because of how much my culinary Dad, Billy, looked up to him.  Life goes on through thick and thin and, sometimes, the only thing you can do is to keep living the dream.

Now, just two days after my twenty third birthday, I am reminded by how many different families I have, all over the United States, as I go through my birthday wishes I've received through Facebook or texts. I am blessed to have so many families, all by many different passions but always brought together by food.  Over the next two months, I encourage you to celebrate with the families you have around you and remember the joy and festivities you get to take part in with others during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons.

Keep living the dream,

Hines

When at first you don't succeed,.... bake a cake

The month of August means two things for me. 1) The school season is coming back and 2) Tons and tons of birthdays to celebrate. Both of my sisters share birthdays in this month. And now, I come to learn, that my new boss' birthday is in this month too. Birthdays, like the beginning of a new school season, signifies the start of something new and the celebration of the people that have made a difference in this world. Now, how can you celebrate a birthday, or any special occasion, without a cake?

Unfortunately for my sisters, I am not close enough to bake them a cake. If I were in town, they know that I would make it in a heart beat, decorations and all. I am sorry, but one day, I'll be back and I will make you a cake again. Although my sisters are too far away, I did make a cake for my boss. It was the first I've made a dessert for her, or anyone at the restaurant (as I took it in for everyone to share), and I wanted to make sure it was a great cake. This recipe is one that my mother has had for a very long time. She calls it the "Bolo de Aniversario" or the "Birthday Cake". It is a light, not overly-sweet cake that can be paired with whatever fruit you desire and is best with a simple chantily, or sweetened whipped cream. The recipe is below.

Now, I have/had a slight problem. As a chef and a person who was educated in the culinary arts, we are put in a pedestal called the "you study it, you are a professional" pedestal. Anything that I cook or I bake has to come out perfectly, the first time. Just because I have a piece of paper saying I graduated with honors from Johnson&Wales, all of my meats have come out with perfect temperatures and all of the baked goods are picture book perfect. Sigh....... I'm sorry to inform all of you, but I can't be perfect all of the time. I've tried, but most of the cooking that comes out relatively good are always a result of numerous trials and errors before coming to the conclusion of what it is now. For example, I couldn't tell you how many apple pies I had made at my previous job, and it wasn't until towards the end of my internship that my pies started to come out consistent and tasty, and even then I had some bad days. I want everyone to understand that, I am practicing and I will keep on practicing until I can create the best gosh darn anything anyone asks of me.

So now that you have read my rant, you can see where this is leading. My first try at the birthday cake was an epic FAIL. It might have been my anxiety over making something I haven't made in a long time, it might have been my heart not into the moment (this is another story but, believe me, have a heart), it might have been the pan I used, or it could have been I just opened the oven doors too early. But my cake fell, and it fell hard. There's nothing like watching your cake through oven doors, seeing section by section falling and deflating like an unwanted balloon, right before your very eyes. And not only did it look bad, but it tasted gummy and not the cake I remember from my mother. BIG SIGH.. Hines, who is quite honest with me, told me this isn't good. As my mother always said, don't serve something you are not proud of and you wouldn't eat yourself (but you will eat it because if not, it's wasted food.)

See how gummy it looks? (ignore the "we-had-to-eat-it" section of the cake) 

So here I go again.

and VOILA! Second time's the charm. I used a different kind of pan, actually dividing the cake into two separate parts. I also didn't touch the oven doors until after the allotted time, and I also watched for the sign my mother said, about the sides of the cake coming off of the pan sides. Man, maybe I should have just read the instructions better. Shame on me.

Here is the finished product :)

Well, all in all, the cake turned out great and everyone seemed to enjoy it. I used chantily cream to decorate, and I also made a strawberry simple syrup to moisten the cake and add an extra flavor in there. Strawberry pieces, too, added texture, which was a nice bonus.

Hope you all enjoy the recipe and let me know what fruit you would add to this delightful cake.


BOLO de ANIVERSARIO
Oven: 350F

For the cake:

Eggs, separate 4 each
Sugar 200 mL
Heated whole milk 200 mL
Unsalted Butter 1 Tablespoon
Baking Powder 1 Tablespoon
White Flour 400mL

For the strawberry simple syrup:

Medium strawberries 5 each
Sugar 1/4 cup
Water 1 oz

For the chantily:

Heavy whipping cream 1 pint
2 oz of powdered sugar

MOP

CAKE:
1) Beat the egg whites to soft peaks Slowly add the sugar until the mixture is shiny and glossy. Add the yolks in, one by one, beaten thoroughly at medium speed.
2) Heat your milk and butter until melted and lightly simmering. Take away from the heat source.
3) Mix together the baking powder and flour. Sift the mixture.
4) Remove the egg mixture from the mixer, and with a spatula, alternate adding the flour mixture and milk mixture to it. Start and finish with the flour. Mix in slowly and be sure to sift the flour mixture again, to avoid any possible lumps in the batter.
5) Grease and flour your cake pans. The cake will fit into 2 standard 9in pans, or a 13x9in rectangle pan. Pour the batter into the pan. Gently place inside the oven and bake for 25 minutes. DON'T OPEN THE OVEN!!
6) When the 25 minutes is up, look through the oven doors first. If the pan is still stuck to its sides, bake for another 3-5 minutes. Watch for the color, too, should be a nice golden brown, and when touched, the cake should spring back up (a good way to test any baked good for its doneness). Remove from the oven and let cool for 5 minutes. Have your cooling rack ready. Even while the cake is hot, remove from the pan. If it stays in the pan, it will stick to the side and you will have a hard time removing it.

STRAWBERRY SIMPLE SYRUP:
1) Remove the stem and dice the strawberries into small pieces.
2) Place in a pot with the sugar and water, and let it come up to a simmer.
3) When all of the sugar is dissolved and the color runs pink, remove from the heat and set it aside for the cake.
4) Prepare this while you are baking the cake.

CHANTILY:
1) Place your mixer bowl and whip attachment in the freezer for 10-15 minutes. This will help with forming nice, firm peaks that don't melt.
2) Pour all of the whipped heavy cream into the bowl, and gradually turn the speed up until you are on the highest speed. And when I say gradually, I mean, GRADUALLY. You do not want to clean up cream off of your ceiling.
3) When your cream forms soft peaks, slow down your speed and add your powdered sugar. Return back to high speed and beat until firm peaks form. Firm peaks are when the whip attachment is turned upside down, the whipped cream stays upright, with no droopy cream.
4) Prepare this while you are baking the cake.

ASSEMBLY:
1) The cake can be assembled however you like. On the rectangle cake, use a fork to poke holes all over the cake. This will help the simple syrup be absorbed better into the cake. Slice some strawberries and make a nice layer on top of the cake. Finish with a generous amount of chantily and enjoy.

2) If using the round cake: Poke holes with a fork into both cake parts. Spread the simple syrup onto both layers. Spread a small amount of chantily cream onto one layer. Slice strawberries and make a nice layer. Put other cake upside down, or simple syrup side onto the whip cream. Use the remainder of the chantily to spread around the cake. Smooth and decorate with chantily and extra strawberries.

Great people come and go, but their spirits remain

A week ago yesterday, an unfortunate event, one of true sadness, occurred in the lives of Kikko and Hines. Truly more so for Hines, his mentor, great friend, his hero passed away in a terrible accident and it has shook the world of culinary and Facebook. I will, however, let Hines pay him homage of his own, in his own time. For now, I wanted to share a story of my own hero, or heroin, for that matter.

My mom has been gone for about a month or two already. We all knew grandma, or "Batian" was soon leaving us as she had been suffering from esophageal cancer for a while. I had been babysitting in the hot summers day, days before band camp started, and I was on my way home. As I looked at my driveway, I saw my dad's car, an unusual event as he was to be at work. When I get inside the house,  he looked at me and said, " I am going to Brazil. Your grandmother just passed away". He had been on his computer looking for the next flight to my home country, in hopes to be with my mother as fast as he could. My sister and I, having band camp, couldn't afford to leave, so we were staying at a friend's house until my parents returned. I remember feeling very vulnerable and in disbelief. I talked to my mom for a few minutes before she broke down and had to hang up. I was alone. I didn't enjoy the feeling, but I knew I had to be good, to be a big girl. I never truly cried once. 

Batian was the only one who seemed to understand me. Love me and care for me while others tended to show otherwise. She always played with me when  my sisters ignored me, and she always supported my random crafts even though they were useless. I always loved her from the bottom of my heart, even though I only saw her once a year or so. She was so little and fragile, and yet, you would never see her sitting around doing nothing. She was an inspiration to me. No matter what life hands you, you keep on working. 

The first time I was able to visit her grave was a year and a half after she passed away. I wasn't sure how I would feel. We made it a trip with the whole family to pay our respects.  That was the first time I cried. I had visited that cemetery so many times for my grandfather, but nothing so emotional as that moment had ever occurred to me. I was a wreck. No one, not even me, could understand why I was so upset. Until now. 

I never got the closure I wanted with her when she passed away. I was hundreds of miles away, unable to do anything for the woman who had inspired me to be strong. She was my hero. Seeing the grave with her name on it made it concrete that she was truly gone. 

Memories are a funny thing. They can bring you so many emotions of different forms. They can cause you to suffer, laugh, become mad, smile, or even bring you to a deep thought. As I sat around this week, feeling for Hines, I also remembered my loving Batian. She was one of my inspirations to cook, and if I am right, same for my mother. It's a wonderful feeling, watching a woman in your life cook for the entire family, making so many wonderful goodness and do it out of the joy of her heart. She never had culinary training. She never went to school for an extensive number of years as my sisters and I had, and yet she was one of the smartest person I had ever met. I wish, sometimes, she was still alive to be able to see me cook, be able to taste what I can make now. I just hope that she is proud of me, that's all. 

Everyone has a hero, the one who convinced them to do their best every single day. Mine was my grandmother and I miss her. Although the times are passing, I like to share a few words of wisdom with all. 

-Remember to show your love and enthusiasm every day. You never know who you are inspiring.

-Be yourself. Don't let others change your attitude because that's the environment you are in. 

-Do what you love. Don't settle for something you aren't ready or excited to do. Life is too short. 

-and last but not least, "WORK HARD AND PLAY HARDER."- Uncle Joey

Kikko

Homage to the Cast Iron

I have found that a cast iron pan is one that not all people love and adore as much as my family. It is a history as rich and as dark as the coal that has filled those country roads, the place I call home.  Some are handed down from generation to generation while others are purchased from flea markets, where, in turn, will be passed down through the years.  Never the less, the pan needs love and uses to keep the seasoning rich and oils as fresh as possible.  Pass it on if you have one in your family or go out and buy one to have whether it is an eight slice cornbread pan, Dutch over, or just a cast iron skillet; it won't be a choice you regret. 

I wrote the piece a few months ago in a food writing class and I haven't had a chance to share it.  My family has influenced my cooking more than anything and if there is one thing that I've learned is that pots and pans are nice but cast iron is the best.  It may be a little rough around the edges but that's what you want. Just don't forget to oil it. 

Hines

Relationships... could it be sweet?

If you are a chef, cook, server, bartender, or anyone who works in the food industry, you understand when I say, being in a relationship with one (romantic or not) can be difficult. Whether family, friend, or significant other, there is never enough "we" time and too many one sided conversations. As a cook, I do take blame for a part of the neglect that comes from my side, but I also agree that the food industry is a major factor in disrupting relationships. In the past I had found this article that pretty much sums up how I, or any food person, feels about relationship. The link is here :Marrying a chef? Check out the little tidbits the chef has to offer. Feel free to comment, too.

While reading the article again, I had to smile when reading #19. True, I am talking about difficulty in relationships, and although the statement is 99% of the time true, I have to admit that I was actually productive on my last days off. I do have to use the word productive lightly, however, as it was more fun for me than doing work :) and my "productive" project was................................................

SUGAR COOKIE DECORATING!

Recently, I had talked to Roseann, the restaurant owner of The Country Corner Cafe, about expanding the retail side of the place and she had said that sugar cookies were one of the items they used to sell in the past. With that idea in mind, I baked off some sugar cookies in different shapes, made some royal icing, and decided to decorate them how I pleased. And here are the ends results.

Look at all the craftiness!

Here's one for the Cafe. (Yes, I will work on my penmanship) 

In honor of the Man of Steels

And, of course, I had to make Hines one, right??

Although I still need more practice, I enjoyed myself and I feel as if the cookies could go far. Tell me what you think of them or even help me come up with ideas for decorations. If they work, I might even post them on here ;)

I found the sugar cookie recipe here Sugar Cookie dough. The royal icing recipe that I used is Alton Brown's recipe found here Royal Icing. If you have any questions, let me know.

I hope everyone learned a little bit more about being connected with a chef/food person, but also to remember that, when you know one, you will probably get some really nice treats (aka: these cookies !) Just be patient, talk to us if you feel alone, and above all, know that we do care, we're just often really really tired.

Cheers and kanpai,

Kikko

Feeling Ill

     Summer  is officially here and I find myself feeling a little under the weather, but sickness I'm faced with is not easily cured by a pill or syrup. To cure my sickness, it's at least a twelve hour long process that can cost hundreds of dollars, depending on how the procedure goes.  Though the ailment's dosage have gradually declined in the past four years, I am afraid that that's not exactly good news.  All this makes me crave the cure more and more, the little pick me up that had never failed.; Mom's spaghetti!

     Now first things first, her spaghetti dinners had everything that one would look for in a great meal.  A complex red sauce with some of my favorite tomatoes, filled with aromatic herbs and spices and accompanied by crispy garlic bread for sopping up every last drop of food on your plate.  Only a few have had the pleasure to be familiar with this childhood delight like I have. Her sauce is comprised of ground beef, dried basil, oregano, cayenne pepper, and whatever else sounds good, and is bound together mostly with some of my favorite ketchup (bet you'll never guess what kind).  The bread was made from plain white bread covered in butter and garlic salt and baked till golden brown.  Last but not least is the pasta. It has to be angel hair or else it isn't right. Everyone knows that the pasta makes the dish and those slippery long strands of yellow noodle never disappointed.  Even though this simple dish should be easy for a culinary graduate to master, there is just something about it I can't seem to get right. There is a secret that only my mom has mastered with years of continuously cooking it, and I can trust no one else to make it right.

      In truth, there might be one more secret ingredient that I am aware of that makes this dish so special. It's the atmosphere of home that I am sick for; my family and those closest to me.  It's because of them that I have left home, but it's because of them that I am pursuing my dreams.  I am home sick for now but I will see them soon and, with all honesty, the spaghetti tastes the best after a long time away.  

Hines

Kikkos bake day

A small little tidbit about Kikko's day:

Part of moving to a new city is getting accustomed to our surroundings, correct? Being the bookworm that I am, I decided to visit the Saratoga Springs Public Library to see what it has to offer. To my pleasant surprise, it was a very welcoming, clean, friendly environment, with, most importantly, having LOTS AND LOTS of books (cooking books til I drop!). Who knows, maybe one of these books will inspire my next creation at the Country Corner Cafe. I got myself a library card and know that I'll be back and ready for some book action.

In other news, today was a very productive day for me. Began with 2 soups, (a seafood New England chowder and a kale and split pea soup) a blueberry pie, biscuits, and 2 muffins (a peach and coconut muffin and a banana walnut muffin). Phew. What a day. And it didn't end there. As we began closing down the restaurant, a regular customer calls in to make a 3 pie order for the next day, a blueberry pie and apple pies. Although the work will be given to Eric, the original baker, I couldn't help but remember all the apple pies I had made at my previous job. Although it won't be the same kind here, it was a trusty pie and I would like to share it with you all. So enjoy. Let me know if you have any tricks or secrets for your apple pie. Certain apples, caramel vs sugar, blind bake vs not, etc.

Apple pie :
Filling
Apples (we used Granny Smith, but any crisp apples that holds its shape works)- 8 small to med each
Brown sugar -1 cup
Granulated sugar -1/4 cup
Cornstarch-1/4 cup
Heavy cream- 1cup
Corn syrup- 1/2 cup
Salt- pinch
Cinnamon- pinch

Dough
Your choice of pie dough (9in pie pan size) or stay tuned for my go to recipe in another post

MOP (method of preparation)

1: Preheat oven to 350F. Mix all the filling ingredients, except for the apples, into a saucepan. Bring to a rolling simmer and allow the temperature to reach 225F. Use a candy thermometer for exact measurement. The caramel should be thick but still liquid. Beware of over cooking as it can lead to hard ball stage, making your caramel too hard.

2: While the caramel is working, peel, core, and cut the apples into thin slices. Approximately, when quartered, each quarter should give you 6-7 pieces.

3: Mix the apples and caramel together and set aside while you prepare your pie shell. If it is pre made, allow the dough to thaw slightly in the cooler. If the dough is homemade, roll out your dough and place it in the pie pan. Refrigerate for 15 min to harden the dough slightly. Have your top shell rolled out and ready.

4: With a slotted spoon, mix the apples again and then scoop into th pie pan. You want a small pool of caramel at the bottom of your pie, but you will not use all of the liquid.

5: Place the top shell on top of the apples. Press down carefully to let out any air pockets in the pie (this will allow for minimal air dome when baking, making a better presentation piece). Cut four small slits into the top shell for air vents. Adjust the edges with a knife for any over hang and, using beaten egg whites as glue, crimp the edges down firmly.

6: Add any decorations you would like with extra pie dough you have. Brush the top with a thin layer of egg whites you used earlier. Sprinkle a generous amount of sugar on top. When done, this will create a nice crunchy, sweet and beautiful crust.

7: Place in a 350F oven for 30 minutes. Rotate the pan and bake for another 20 minutes or until you see caramel bubbling up from the slits. The bubbles should be slow and thick like. If it is fast and thin, cook longer as it shows there is too much moisture still inside.

8: Remove from the oven and let sit at room temp. Enjoy the slices warm or cold, with ice cream or plain. But remember, eat the fruits of your labor with a smile :)

Thank you for reading and I hope you all enjoy the apple pie. I will post the pie dough soon !!

Cheers and kanpai

Kikko

My First Course from Saratoga

A new start and a fresh beginning to make a name for myself and start a new chapter of my life with my best friend.  It's because of Kikko that we took this adventure head on together and decided to move to Saratoga Springs, New York.  Though this leap was taken on a bit of hope and faith it could not have happened without the hospitality of a big-hearted family willing to take us in for now.  And after being here for a week I'm beginning to feel right at home. 

This somewhat small town has kept to preserving their historic roots while developing into a place flourishing with opportunities for small businesses.  It is everything I could have hoped for from local farmers market held twice a week to the numerous amounts of restaurants of every type of cuisine that I can't wait to try.  I am so inspired by all this local food that I'm bursting at the seams to try as much of it as I can as quickly as I can.  This first week has been like an intermezzo course filled with fresh summer strawberries that has cleansed my life from the previous years and has me refreshed and ready for whatever course may be served up next.  

Hines

First taste

And so, the first week of Saratoga Springs have come and gone and Soy Sauce (Kikko) and Ketchup (Hines) (well, we have to give ourselves nicknames right??? ) have gotten ourselves situated. Everyone is so helpful and kind, it's hard not to become comfortable. 

Because it is still our first week in ( and also, Hines laptop decided to go on a fritz) I do not have any cool pictures to share with all of you, but it is in the works. Some of my future work at the restaurant will include muffins and random pastries I create, and I will be sharing some of the deliciousness with you. Plus, wouldn't that just make you want to come and visit even more??? 

One recipe I can share with you now is the soup I made today. It was a chicken florentine soup for the week and with all the rain pouring down, it only felt right. Very simple too:

Chicken- 1 pound 
Bacon fat- 2oz 
All Purpose Flour- 2oz
Yellow onion- 1 large each 
Spinach- 8 oz 
Whole Milk- 1 gallon
Seasoning ( whatever you like, but always salt and pepper)

Method Of Preparation (MOP)

1) Melt the bacon fat in a cook pot. Mix in the flour to make a roux. Remove from the pot and set aside.

2) Pour in 1Tablespoon (Tbsp) of oil into the pot. When heated up, place the onions in the pot and cook until slightly brown. Heat should be on high.

3) Put the chicken into the pot and cook until all chicken is white and opaque. 

4) Pour the roux back into the pot. After mixing, pour the milk into the pot and keep mixing. The heat should be at medium low.

5) Continue to cook the soup at low. Pour in 3 cups of water to the soup, or chicken stock if you have handy. Add in the spinach and cook until a low simmer begins. Cut the heat off and continue to stir for another 5 minutes. This is when the magic and creativity happens. add your spices and seasonings that you enjoy the most.  Try to come up with ideas that go well with chicken. I used paprika, smoked chili pepper, and garlic. when you're done, enjoy the soup!

If you come up with some very yummy ideas for this soup, please share in the comment box. There are so many varieties of herbs and spices out there that the combinations are endless. 

We hope you enjoyed this recipe and thanks for reading. :)

Cheers and kanpai 

Kikko and Hines

Ketchup N Soy Sauce

Welcome, everyone, to the new postings of Stephen Owens (ketchup) and Ilyana Kano (soy sauce). We're so glad to have you join us in our blog journey. Let us, first, introduce ourselves; get to know us a little better.

Ilyana- Hello, I am a 22 year old Japanese girl/women/lady (whatever you'd like to call me), youngest of three girls, and born in São Paulo, Brazil. Of course, you may wonder, what is a Japanese girl, born in Brazil,  doing in America? Well, short story short, immigration led my family to Brazil, then father's job led me here. Fair enough? Anyways, the reason for my joining in this culinary blog is to share my love of writing stories about the kitchen and all the recipes that I have tried, am trying, and will try.

Stephen- I am a 22 year old young man from the little place called Red House, West Virginia.  At a young age I developed a passion for cooking (mostly ramen noodles and pizza bites) and a love for all things food.  My work at "The Diner" and journey through the Queen City has led me to accomplish many things with some of the industry's best.  I want to share my passion for the culinary arts by sharing my thoughts and ideas in the kitchen and at the table.

Currently, we are both living in Saratoga Springs, New York. We both moved here, together, to start our new jobs at The Country Corner Cafe, and wanted to create an outlet for us to share our experiences of cooking new ideas, as well as, possible culinary adventures in New York and surrounding areas. It is our first time living in the Northeast and we'd like to document our times here.

So here's to our new grand adventures. Please feel free to comment on any recipe's or adventures we post, and also, any recipes you'd like us to try or create? As a new pastry chef at the Cafe, I am open to suggestions to help the creative juices flowing. (Also, if you're in the area, come and say hi !)

Cheers and Kanpai

Ketchup and Soy Sauce