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