Sous-Vide Cooking for beginners and Other Home Chefs

CHEFTALK

Sous-vide cooking for beginners and other home chefs

If you, like me, cook regularly at home and are not too afraid to try something different, sous-vide cooking is something you must lay your hands on one day.

If you believe that sous-vide is a mysterious way of cooking, exclusively reserved for well-trained chefs in Gourmet restaurants, something you need a lot of expensive equipment for, an investment you are not willing to spend your hard earned dollars on. Read on… 

Sous vide does not change or replace traditional cooking, sous-vide complements traditional cooking.  If you are a bit innovative you do not need to spend a lot on this amazing cooking method.

What it is?

Sous-vide literally means ‘under vacuum’. To explain the method in the simplest way, it means cooking vacuum packed food in a water bath under low, very precise temperatures.

What it does?

Cooking food at low temperatures is a technique known to give great results. Braising a big roast in the oven for a couple of hours is a good example.

Cooking vacuum packed food under low temperatures in a water bath ensures an even setting of protein in the product from edge to edge without over or under cooking, this creates a super tender texture of meat and fish and results in super tender vegetables. No thermometer, no guessing if the steak is medium or rare, trust your timer and you cannot go wrong.  

How do you do it?

The idea of going through a scary process of learning how to go about sous-vide puts a lot of people off, looking for a special temperature controlled water bath sounds like a hassle also.

Well here is what you need:

A good quality vacuum sealer

You can find your vacuum sealer and vacuum bags here:

 www.vacupack.com  for USA and www.vacupack.ca for Canada

A Rice cooker (one of those where you press a button and your rice is cooked automatic), as long as there is rice and water inside of course.  

A sous –vide magic, or a temperature control devise.

You can find SVM temperature controllers on-line under that name.

Most likely you can find your rice cooker in your cupboard  

What is the purpose?

The art of perfect cooking is mastering the dish, to have it perfectly right every time you make a particular dish. The problem is that contrary to a restaurant, you do not cook the same dish very often at home like chefs do in a restaurant with a fixed menu. To get rid of that annoyance sous-vide provides the perfect solution.

Every time you cook your in-laws favorite dish the amount varies, sometimes there are four people another time there are five and you cannot remember exactly how you did it the last time. 

Sous-vide cooking reduce complicated matters to a few simple steps, temperature and time. This gives you control and predictability. All your cooking stress is eliminated when you are assured of the outcome.

Why should I cook sous-vide

For one it takes away a big part of intense cooking, you can marinate and vacuum your meat or fish in advance, then just place it in your temperature controlled rice cooker with water and spend time on other important issues.

Linked to that is the idea of neatness and storage. Your marinated meat or fish is clean, safe for cross contamination and if made in advance easy to store in your refrigerator.

You can even prepare your whole meal and pan-sear or stir fry just before serving a magical dish.

The illustration

Teriyaki chicken breast

I use the example of chicken breast because chicken breast seems like an easy to cook piece of meat. You can buy it de-boned almost everywhere and most people like it.

Problem is that it tends to be dry and all your effort to produce something magic!! Well you know what I mean.  

Use this recipe per chicken breast and multiply by as many breast you intend to use.

For the chicken breast

1 bone-less chicken breast

½ tsp ginger juice

1 tsp evaporated cane sugar (you can use another liquid sugar as well, like maple syrup)

½ tsp salt

Season the chicken breast with salt, sugar and ginger juice.

Place the seasoned chicken breast in individual vacuum bags, vacuum and marinate overnight.

For the sauce

2 tbsp light soya sauce

2 tbsp evaporated cane sugar (you can use another liquid sugar as well, like maple syrup)

2 tbsp sake

Method

Set your temperature controller at 140 F, attach your rice cooker filled with water

When the water has reached 140 F, drop the bagged, marinated chicken breast in the water and cook for 1 ½ hour.

Place the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil.

Remove the chicken breast from the bag, you will notice that there is very little juice released.

Place the chicken breast on an oven tray and brush with some of the sauce,

If you have a blow torch brown the chicken breast, if you do not have a blow torch you can place the chicken breast for one or two minutes under the heating element of your oven broiler.

Slice the chicken breast at a 45 degree angle, and place on a plate, drizzle the remaining sauce around and serve.

It is nice to serve this dish with grilled asparagus that have been sous vide cooked at 190 F for 4 minutes, prepare the asparagus earlier and grill them for 2 minutes just before serving.

Best chicken breast you have ever served and eaten.


Let me know how you fared.

By: Marinus Hoogendoorn 

How to Grow your Own Local Produce

CHEFTALK

How to grow your own local produce?

A recipe to grow your own vegetables

The day after I wrote my previous blog, the one about the food trends, I received a message from a Facebook friend, living in California. She sent me a couple of stunning pictures,  showcasing her, I must say, very impressive vegetable garden, the place was beautifully kept and what impressed me most was that everything they had planted was growing in pots.

The idea

Jalapeno Peppers

I thought that when all these incredible looking vegetables can grow in pots than all of us should be able to have our own home grown produce.  Maybe we do not all have or live in a Californian climate but there are definitely vegetables that can grow in different climates and when they can grow in pots you should be able to grow them anywhere, on your balcony or indoors, in case you do not have a garden.

Upon asking, she told me that the pots, they are all black, become very hot and they need to water them daily because the climate she lives in is pretty hot at times. She gets her husband to do the watering, I found that an idea on itself. 

I live in a hot climate as well, but have not been able to grow even one vegetable in a pot, the proof is on the left, so I decided to try and figure out how and what is the best way to grow your own vegetables.

I Googled it –up.  Unfortunately for me, I do not know a lot about gardening let alone vegetable gardening, I rely on what I read (and think that I can believe what I read), in that respect I always get a little up-set when I come across statements that are not helping me. The first statement I found was ‘You can grow vegetables in a pot, even when you do not have much sunny ground’. Next line ‘all you need is a big pot, soil and six hours of sun per day. Poof, I am out.  To be fair I decided to read a bit further and found that six hours of sunlight actually meant six hours of daylight, benefit of the doubt for that one.

How to start and what you need

Important part is the type of soil to use, sounds like getting the right ingredients to cook a dish, I understand that a lot better. Temperature of the soil seems to be important as well, also something I can comprehend. Gardening is like cooking and can therefore be fun.

Potting medium

You need to use a high quality mix containing peat moss and perlite, blend in a complete fertilizer, preferably an organic one containing alfalfa meal, bone meal or kelp meal. It is starting to sound like a recipe by now and I am getting more exited. Soil polymers help to regulate the dry wet cycle especially when you water by hand, these small crystals absorb their weight more than one hundred times in water and keep the roots of your precious baby plants moist when you forget to water them for a day or so.

Some soil temperatures at planting time:

Beans              at least 60 degrees

Carrots            at least 55 degrees

Cucumbers      at least 70 degrees

Eggplant          at least 70 degrees

Peppers           at least 60 degrees

Potatoes          at least 45 degrees

When you get your soil temperature within this range, you’re off to a pretty good start. 

Any vegetable that grows in the ground can be grown in a container, as long as you use drainable pots. Big sized crops like pumpkins may not be worth the effort but you don’t have to stick with so called patio varieties. Most standard size vegetables are suitable for container or pot culture. For beans and carrots, plan to sow the seeds directly in the soil filled container. Grow other types of vegetables from seed or purchase ready to go plants. Eggplants, peppers and tomatoes take about eight weeks to develop into seedlings ready to be replanted into a bigger pot.  

Loads of Tomatoes

I truly believe that growing your own vegetables is worth a try and can be very rewarding and cost saving. I wish to thank my Facebook friend for this great idea and allowing me to use the pictures from her vegetable garden.

When you become a successful gardener and have a respectable harvest. 

Pre-prepare the excessive crops, vacuum and freeze. 

That remains a splendid idea. 

   

www.vacupack.com   www.vacupack.ca

By: The gardener under study. Marinus Hoogendoorn     

How to prepare, Cook and Enjoy White Asparagus

CHEFTALK

How to prepare, cook and enjoy white asparagus

We all like our food fresh, when it comes to vegetables, storage is very important. Recipes never talk about this part because they give you the ingredients and a cooking description but it is quite unlikely that you use everything you purchase in one go.

Storage:

It is then also good to know that vegetables do not ‘die’ instantly after harvest, there is an ongoing metabolic activity going on in vegetables after harvest. This includes the intake of oxygen, breaking down of starches and sugars and the release of carbon dioxide, this activity is referred to as ‘respiration rate’.

Metabolic activity makes vegetables wither. They dry out with the release of moist and change color. For some vegetables the respiration rate is higher than for others. Asparagus have a very high respiration rate. At refrigeration temperatures it is about five times greater than for onions and potatoes and three times greater than for lettuce and tomatoes. Asparagus are therefore quite perishable and are best consumed within 48 hours of purchase. If you have come across some great looking asparagus and need to store them for one or two days, rap a damp cloth or wet kitchen paper around the base and give them a light vacuum. If you do not have a vacuum sealer, wrap them completely with a damp towel.

Preparation:

To prepare white or green asparagus you need to peel them, the skin of thick green asparagus is quite tough and the skin of white asparagus is not edible and bitter after cooking. Asparagus are brittle and when peeled when held up or in your hand, they can easily be broken.

The best way to peel asparagus is by placing them flat on a chopping board let the tip stick out of the board so you do not have to lift them. A little too much pressure during peeling is enough to break them. Cut about 1 inch from the base and hold them one by one gently by the tip between you thumb and index finger. Using a vegetable peeler carefully peel the skin, which starts just under the tip, from tip to base. 

Personally I like to use a peeler as pictured because the peel does not get stuck too much in the peeler.

When you have peeled them all, place them in a flat shallow pot, add the water, butter, salt and lemon as per the recipe and cover with a piece of cloth. If you want to preserve and use the flavorful asparagus stock later, top the asparagus with the skin peel then the cloth.

Covering asparagus with a piece of cloth ensures they remain under water, asparagus float in water and to ensure even cooking the cloth keeps them below surface. Bring to a boil, when the water boils lower the heat.

Cooking:

Now, depending on the thickness of the asparagus, simmer for 5 to 8 minutes and if you pierce them with a small knife and they feel softened, turn of the heat and leave to stand for 20 minutes. Or until serving time, Asparagus are best kept in their own flavored stock.

The only ‘Classic’ way to eat white asparagus is with bone- ham, Hollandaise sauce and a one (1) minute boiled egg. Variations are boiled potatoes and soft boiled egg. Nice, but wrong.

Below is the most classic of classic recipes to eat white gold.

When you happen to visit a German speaking country or the South of Holland, this is how asparagus are served. 

The recipe

The recipe is for a starter size dish and serves 4

Ingredients:

For the asparagus

16 medium sized white asparagus

1 good tbsp. unsalted butter

¼ of a lemon

1 pound bone ham (sliced)

4 eggs

Salt

For the sauce

4 egg yolks

2 tbsp white wine vinegar

8 oz unsalted butter

Pinch of salt

   

Method:

• Cook the asparagus as described above, by peeling them, then place them in a shallow pot, cover with water. Add the butter, salt and lemon.
• When the asparagus are feeling soft when pierced with a small knife, about 5 to 7 minutes, turn of the heat and leave for 20 minutes or so.
• The sauce is a bit of the tricky part when you are not familiar with Hollandaise sauce.
• Melt the butter and keep aside.
• Bring a small pot of water to a simmering bowl.
• Place the egg yolks in a mixing bowl with the white wine vinegar. Make sure that the mixing bowl fits nicely on top of the bowl with simmering water.
• Start whisking the egg yolks until they become fluffy and of yoghurt thickness. This is the tricky part, if the egg yolks become too hot you may end up with scrambled eggs. When you notice that the yolks start to curdle, remove from the heat add a bit of water ½ tbsp. and continue whisking.        
• When the right consistency is achieved, add the melted butter slowly, (like making mayonnaise)
• Add so much melted butter until you reach the white part on the bottom of the pan, this is the water from the butter.
• Season the sauce with a pinch of salt and keep warm.
• Prepare the eggs by placing them in a pot of cold water, bring to a boil, boil for one minute and give them a quick rinse under cold water.
• Place the ham slices on top of the asparagus and bring back to boil. This to warm the ham and will take about 2 minutes.
• Remove the ham from the asparagus. Divide the asparagus over 4 individual plates. Arrange the ham slices on the side. Tap the eggs bottom down on the kitchen sink so they stand up straight and place an egg on every plate. Top with the sauce and serve warm.
• Your guest can now chop the top of the egg and dip an asparagus in the egg.

An absolute delicious experience!

When you love your asparagus this way, here is the good news. Asparagus freeze very well when vacuumed. Buy some extra vacuum and freeze them. Raw and pre- cooked both methods work perfect. 

Find your vacuum sealer here:   www.vacupack.com  www.vacupack.ca

By Marinus Hoogendoorn

CHEF TALK, FAST FOOD AT HOME

CHEF TALK  

FAST FOOD AT HOME

Many among us love fast food, just pass by at the drive – through and pick up your favorite burger, pizza slice or hot dog, a regular practice for many of us.

 There are bad fast foods, very bad fast foods but also not so bad fast foods available in the market, but I think that you can make something better than that.

I do not have any intention to tell you here not to eat fast food or lecture you about health issues related to eating fast food, many chefs, a hundred times more famous than me, are touching that subject in and out, so I leave that to them.

Fast food companies do not cook, even though they make it look they cook like a celebrity chef, they purchase products from a food processing company and basically just re-heat the products they serve. 

I have worked for such a food processing company as product development chef for several years and dare to say that I pretty well know how the fast food industry works behind the counter and in their ‘kitchen’.

To give you a peak, we made, among others, burgers for a famous burger giant, good burgers, well produced, HACCP proof, super fast frozen, tip top product. They, these burger guys, have in every outlet around the world a special, only available to them, designed oven where staff places the burger on the base of the oven and your perfect burger drops, at the other side of the machine, on your bun after four minutes and twenty five seconds.  

 Sounds like magic? It is not, you can do the same at home, quality patties and even better quality fries and buns      

With increasingly worrying stories about the health aspect of fast food, heart diseases, obesity and what not, making fast food at home becomes more and more popular.   

The best thing about making fast food at home is that YOU choose the products to use.

Meat from a trusted butcher, buns from your favorite bakery shop and maybe you like to make your own sauce and fries.

Now here is the problem. I know. I hear them too often.

“I have to start making everything from scratch every time and I hate that”.

Here is your solution, make batches at a time, vacuum pack what you make and freeze it. If you have a family of four, pack four burgers per bag, no waste. 

Buy fast food ingredients on offer, you may save money as well, minced meat, chicken wings, sausages, vacuum pack and freeze.

When you freeze potatoes they will turn sweet after a while but you can freeze homemade French fries.  Cut potatoes in French fries shape, fry at 170 degrees Celsius or 338 F. for three to four minutes until cooked, drain, cool, vacuum and freeze. When you use them, just fry golden and crispy at 180 degrees Celsius or 356 F and you have the perfect fries.   

Vacuum packing and freezing prolongs the shelf life significantly and your products retain its freshness. 

The burger patties I spoke about earlier have NO seasoning whatsoever, if that works for them it works for you, just form the patties, vacuum and freeze.

Below a very easy, but tasty, recipe for fried chicken wings that you can use for the vacuum/ freeze method. Season the wings, vacuum and freeze is all you need to do to have a great fast food snack in your freezer. Give it a try. 

FRIED CHICKEN WINGS

1 Kg Chicken wings (cut in half, drummet and wing)

1 Nos Large onion (cut into rings)

1 Tbsp Turmeric powder

Salt and crushed black pepper

Oil for frying

Method:

Season the chicken wings with the turmeric powder, salt and pepper.

Heat the oil to 180 degrees Celsius or 356 F and fry 4 to 5 minutes.

Check for doneness

Drain the fried wings on kitchen paper.

Fry the onion rings in the same oil for two minutes 

Top the chicken wings with the onion rings and serve hot with a sauce of your liking, ketchup, mayonnaise, tomato sauce or hot sauce.

Note: You can use other small cut chicken parts as well, like I did in the picture.

Oh, if you still decide to go to the drive- through, don’t forget to ask them to include these wings in their menu.    

Written for PMG 

By Chef Marinus Hoogendoorn

Culinary expert in recipe development and proof reading.

Find top quality vacuum sealers in the USA www.vacupack.com

International distribution in Canada  www.vacupack.ca

SousVide-Cooking Site

We have a new web site. SousVide-Cooking.com  The site has over 5,500 free recipes for the taking.  Add your recipe or take a few it is free enjoy. 

SousVide-Cooking.com

Dried Eggs, How do I use them???

Food Storage:
Many of you may have seen the National Geographic series on people they call Prepper’s. The series can be viewed on YouTube.
The National Geographic series shows people who believe for one reason or another their calm quite world may be disrupted in a massive way. These people have taken steps to dramatically change their lives to survive or endure these so called coming disasters.

Vacuum packers have been around since the 40’s and really have not changed much. Unlike the electronic industry with a change almost monthly to blog. The vacuum packing industry is pretty basic with few changes from year to year. Creating an exciting blog can be a challenge.

With that said the Prepper’s have given us a new thing to blog about! (We are in the packaging industry, preppers need packaging. We stand neutral on the disaster information discribed in the series)

Vacuum packing food for long term storage is not new. Buy food, vacuum pack, and use when you are ready. A smart way to save money, eat today at yesterdays prices. The best way to eat high quality food at home.

But how do you cook with dry eggs, dry beans, whole grains, and so many other products that in everyday life are usually bought in a fast easy to fix box or can?

Food storage is generally raw whole items for maximum storage time. Vacuum packing raw almonds will last 10 years as with roasted salted Almonds only have about a 1 year shelf life. Unless you like eating unsalted un-roasted Almonds, one needs to know how to prepare them as your family is used to eating them.

We did a poll.
What #1 stored food items are most confusing to prepare.
• Dried Eggs
• Raw Nuts
• Bean Dried
• Whole grains
• Dehydrated Meat
• TVP
• Powder Milk
• Powder Cheese
• Tomato Powder
• Sprouting Seeds

We did some research on each of these and many more items people are storing and how to actually use them, and most importantly want to eat them.


#1 Dried Egg

What we found with eggs is they are dangerous to dehydrate in your home dehyrator or oven do not try to make your own dehydrated eggs…. Eggs carry Salmonellae bacteria, when ingested can cause illness. Salmonellae reproduce rapidly at temperatures between 40 degrees F, and 140 degrees F. We do not recommend dehydrating eggs for storage. Only buy eggs that have been professionally dehydrated under strict manufacturing guidelines. These manufacturing plants are required to test each batch for Salmonellae. Only store professionally manufactured FDA approved dried eggs.

• Reconstituting Dried Eggs

To make as a scramble: Mix 2-1/2 tbls part dried egg with 2-1/2 tbls parts warm water, whip together and cook as you would 1 raw egg.
To use in baking: Mix 2-1/2 tbls dried egg equals 1 raw egg. Raw eggs do not add moisture to a recipe. There is no need to add water to the recipe when using dry eggs. If you feel your recipe is dry then add water at the end, most times there is no need to add water with dry eggs to cakes, muffins, biscuits, and breads.

• Breakfasts:

Scrambled Eggs *6 eggs*
1C. dried whole eggs
½ T. salt
1/8 T. pepper
2 T. dry milk
1-1/2 C. water
Tbls oil

Mix or whip eggs into water until blended. Add salt, pepper, and dry milk and mix together. Add oil to frying pan. Cook over low heat, stirring continuously until dry and crumbly. Add more flavors. Rehydrate diced bell peppers, onions or garlic, also consider TVP or dehydrated Sausage. Cooking with dried eggs is as easy as raw eggs once they are rehydrated. Just like a raw egg, rehydrated dried eggs store properly chilled and use within 12 hours, best to mix and use immediately.

• Baked Eggs:

1 c. dried whole egg
1c. water
Salt and pepper to taste
4T half and half
4t margarine
Rehydrated eggs and beat well. Pour mixture into a shallow baking dish or 4 custard cups. Season to taste, maybe add some bacon bits, TVP or dehydrated Sausage. Spoon 1T. Half and Half over each serving, dot with 1t. Margarine
Bake in preheated oven 350 degrees until eggs are set about 15 minutes.

• Whole Wheat Pancakes:

2 C. Wheat Flour
2t. baking powder
4T. sugar
5T. dried whole egg
6T dried milk
½ t salt
2C and 5T water
4T oil

Sift dry ingredients. Add water and oil, stir until moist. Cook on griddle or pan at medium heat. Serve with topping.
Another variation rehydrates sausage, chicken, beef, TVP, or dried vegetables, mix into batter before cooking to make a filling meal.

• Main Dishes:

Homemade Egg Noodles
1-1/3 C sifted dried whole eggs. *When eggs have been vacuum packed they pack very hard it is necessary to sift the eggs to properly measure*
2 C. sifted flour
¾ C. water
1-1/2 t. salt

Sift dry ingredients together. Add water to the dry ingredients and mix well. Knead the dough lightly. Separate into smaller portions to roll our very thin on floured board. Cut rolled dough into strips. Cut the stirs into desired size pasta portions. Or while rolled out flat use a glass or cookie cutter to cut shapes for stuffing with cheese or meats for ravioli. The options are endless with the dough make the pasta the size and shape you enjoy eating.

To store noodles, spread out on wax paper and dry thoroughly at room temperature. When dry, store in a covered container in the refrigerator, or freezer. This makes about 1 pound of dry noodles.
To cook noodles: Cook dry noodles in boiling water or broth for 12 minutes. No extra salt is needed buy may be desired.

• Egg Pizza

1C. dried whole eggs
1-1/3 C. Water
½ t salt
¼ t oregano
Pepper to taste
2T. Margarine or oil
1/4C Pizza sauce
½ C. Shredded Mozzarella cheese or if using storage food rehydrated Mozzarella cheese.

Beat dried egg, water, salt, oregano and pepper with whip. Heat margarine or oil in skillet until sizzles from a drop of water. The oil needs t be hot enough for the egg mixture to set at the edges at once. Pour in egg mixture. Before the eggs cook completely spread pizza sauce and sprinkle with cheese. If you like more items on your egg pizza add rehydrated TVP, sausage, chicken, beef, or vegetables of your choice. Slide from pan and slice like a pizza to serve.

• Bread or Rolls

3T. dry yeast
2-1/4 C lukewarm water
1/3 C. dried whole egg
1/3 C. water
¼ C. dry milk
¼ C sugar
1T. salt
1/3 C. oil
9 C. flour

Reconstitute the dried egg with 1/3 cup of the water, beat well. Combine the yeast and lukewarm water in another large mixing bowl. After yeast is active about 3-5 minutes, Add egg and dry milk, gently mix. Sift together flour, sugar and salt. Slowly add the flour mixture to the eggs and dry milk and yeast. Mix all ingredients so far together well. Turn dough out on floured board, suing remaining flour, kneed until smoother and elastic.
Form dough into a smoother ball, place back into a greased bowl. Cover and let rise until dough is about double in size. Punch it back down. Turn out on a floured board and allow to rest 15 minutes. Shape into loaves or rolls and place in lightly greased pans. Let rise in warm place until dough doubles in size. Bake at 359 degree F. for 40 minutes for bread and 14 minutes for rolls. This recipe makes 2 loaves of bread or 5 dozen rolls.

These are just a few recipes’using dried eggs. The dried eggs are versatile and easy to use in everyday life. FDA approved professional dehydrated eggs, a great item to have on hand.