Thursday, June 7, 2007
Thoughts bout our town and food
Ahh...soaking in the sights of Columbus on a day-to-day basis can be well...boring. The restaurant scene is also...boring. If anyone reads this post, let me in on the best restaurants in Columbus (I spent a few years out West) and I'll try to determine just how good they are by evaluating a few areas; seasonality of menu items, chef's reputation, pricing, service, cleanliness, taste, and finally, appearence. So far I have not seen any menu worthwhile (including two Short North locations) of rating as excellent. If you could, let me know something about yourself and why it is that a certain restaurant thrills you because I am a picky S.O.B. Let the quest for best restaurant in Columbus begin.
Thursday, December 14, 2006
Braising
As the cold weather continues to ripple through our bones, we tend to think that the idea of having good, wholesome food might as well be thrown right out the window. With our wonderful cooking method braising, it is not true. What is braising? Without giving the scientific reasoning behind caramelizing sugars and breaking down proteins using wet cooking methods, it is simple. Braising is searing your meat/vegetables and then covering them with liquid and continuing to cook until tender, usually for meats about 4 hours; for vegetables maybe 1 hour.
In the case of beef shortribs (3 lbs.), season each of the ribs with a light touch of salt and pepper (The salt has no where to go when braising) and then sear them until they are brown on all sides on medium-high heat. Next, brown up vegetables consisting of 1 each onion, celery stalk, and a carrot. When these are nice and brown (caramelized), add half a bottle of red wine and reduce the red wine in the pot by half while scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Next, add water until the shortribs are covered and then add some whole peppercorns and any herbs you deem appropriate (thyme, rosemary, its up to you!) Next, bring the pot up to a low boil and then cover it in foil (or use a lid) and place it into a 350 degree oven for about three hours.
The short ribs are done when the meat is soft to the touch and the bones can easily twist inside of them (give them a tug!) the cooking times vary according to size, however, the store-bought shortribs I have been using tend to be small and cook quickly. Now let the shortribs cool in their liquid; removing them while hot will dry out the shortribs and they will also lose flavor. After the liquid is cooled and the shortribs are removed, take out the solidified fat that has cooled, and then strain the liquid into another pot and reduce it until it is thick (that is why you LIGHTLY season the shortribs) and then add the shortribs back into the liquid so they heat up again. Serve your shortribs over some horseradish mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts with guanciole. Spoon the remainder of the sauce over the shortribs and you have yourself a wonderful cold weather treat!
Sounds tough? Not really. Takes a long time? Nope. The oven and your cold garage (for cooling your ribs after they have cooked) do most of the work after the initial browning, and the browning (caramelizing) only takes maybe 20-30 minutes max. So give them a try and let me know how your shortribs turn out!
In the case of beef shortribs (3 lbs.), season each of the ribs with a light touch of salt and pepper (The salt has no where to go when braising) and then sear them until they are brown on all sides on medium-high heat. Next, brown up vegetables consisting of 1 each onion, celery stalk, and a carrot. When these are nice and brown (caramelized), add half a bottle of red wine and reduce the red wine in the pot by half while scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon. Next, add water until the shortribs are covered and then add some whole peppercorns and any herbs you deem appropriate (thyme, rosemary, its up to you!) Next, bring the pot up to a low boil and then cover it in foil (or use a lid) and place it into a 350 degree oven for about three hours.
The short ribs are done when the meat is soft to the touch and the bones can easily twist inside of them (give them a tug!) the cooking times vary according to size, however, the store-bought shortribs I have been using tend to be small and cook quickly. Now let the shortribs cool in their liquid; removing them while hot will dry out the shortribs and they will also lose flavor. After the liquid is cooled and the shortribs are removed, take out the solidified fat that has cooled, and then strain the liquid into another pot and reduce it until it is thick (that is why you LIGHTLY season the shortribs) and then add the shortribs back into the liquid so they heat up again. Serve your shortribs over some horseradish mashed potatoes and brussels sprouts with guanciole. Spoon the remainder of the sauce over the shortribs and you have yourself a wonderful cold weather treat!
Sounds tough? Not really. Takes a long time? Nope. The oven and your cold garage (for cooling your ribs after they have cooked) do most of the work after the initial browning, and the browning (caramelizing) only takes maybe 20-30 minutes max. So give them a try and let me know how your shortribs turn out!
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Holiday Parties
It is finally December and we in Columbus are having our first snowfall. December raises everyones spirits up from the doldrums of every day life because it is the holiday season. Everyone knows that Christmas is right around the corner, but is everyone having a Christmas party? There are several different forms of holiday parties...
1.Business/corporate/office holiday party - For those who work hard through the year, the office party seems to bring everyone back to together again after 365 days of hard work.
2.Cocktail party - Usually a small group (Under 30) who meet either at a restaurant, or, have a small catering at their house or office to have a drink and some nice nibbles (tappas, amuse bouche) and talk about what's going on outside the office.
3.House party - House parties are usually large catered holiday events that bring families and friends together. It is the one time of the year where everyone tends to relax and let loose all of the worries in the world for at least a few hours.
Here at California Catering Company, we specialize in all types of parties. "How do I go about scheduling a party?", someone might ask. Simple, just think about what you want and then drop us an e-mail with your contact information and an idea of what you might have in mind. We will get back to you and make up an outline of whatever it is you desire and get with you on the rest of the details. Simple as that. The easiest way to contact us is through our e-mail, cali.catering@gmail.com and the rest will be history. In the next few days, we will be posting examples of holiday parties for everyone to look at so be sure to check this site on a regular basis.
1.Business/corporate/office holiday party - For those who work hard through the year, the office party seems to bring everyone back to together again after 365 days of hard work.
2.Cocktail party - Usually a small group (Under 30) who meet either at a restaurant, or, have a small catering at their house or office to have a drink and some nice nibbles (tappas, amuse bouche) and talk about what's going on outside the office.
3.House party - House parties are usually large catered holiday events that bring families and friends together. It is the one time of the year where everyone tends to relax and let loose all of the worries in the world for at least a few hours.
Here at California Catering Company, we specialize in all types of parties. "How do I go about scheduling a party?", someone might ask. Simple, just think about what you want and then drop us an e-mail with your contact information and an idea of what you might have in mind. We will get back to you and make up an outline of whatever it is you desire and get with you on the rest of the details. Simple as that. The easiest way to contact us is through our e-mail, cali.catering@gmail.com and the rest will be history. In the next few days, we will be posting examples of holiday parties for everyone to look at so be sure to check this site on a regular basis.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Turkey Week
Good morning everyone! As Thanksgiving approaches, many people ask how best to prepare the turkey. My favorite method is to 1. Debone the turkey 2. Brine the turkey 3.Roast the turkey.
Deboning the turkey is important for two reasons. 1. The white meat cooks a lot quicker than the dark meat . This means that the white meat dries out while the turkey legs and thighs are still cooking. 2. You can roast the turkey carcass and make your stock and stuffing ahead of time. To debone the turkey, I like to start off by seperating the legs first. Taking a nice sharp boning or chef's knife, cut through the layer of skin between the leg and breast. Pull on the leg and continue following the knife through the skin until you come to the leg joint. Cut around and finally through the joint (It should give easily) and repeat with the other leg. Next, locate the breast bone. Take your knife and slice slowly right down the bone and continue to slice further into the meat following the breast bone. Don't worry about going through the breast bone, it should hold fairly well. Keep slicing through the meat until there is no more to take off, I like to also take part of the wing bone (airliner) because it gives me something to hold on to while slicing.
Brining the turkey is done to ensure that the moisture in the bird stays intact through a wonderful process called osmosis. There are two ways to do this; 1. liquid brine and 2. dry rub. For poultry, I prefer the dry rub. Take some garlic, parsley, thryme, sage, rosemary, and salt and run it through a food processor. This takes a lot of salt! Add salt until the mixture pulls from the side; it should be green with no leafy herbs sticking out. Next lightly cover your turkey with the mixture (this is now a concentrated salt and tends to be very very potent) and let marinate for 12-24 hours. After it has marinated, rinse off the surface with water and then pat dry with a towel.
Preheat the oven at 400 degrees. Place your turkey breasts on a roasting pan and do the same with the legs in a seperate pan. Cover your turkey pieces with butter or oil and place in the oven to cook. The breasts should be done in about 1 hour and 15 minutes depending on the size. To check, place a thermometer inside the thickest part and wait until it reaches 160 degrees, remove the breasts from the oven when it reaches this temperature. Repeat with the legs, only pull them when they reach 165 degrees. The oil should help brown the meat and add flavor, if the meat gets too dark, lower the oven temperature. You now have the best turkey ever!!!!Please let us know how this turns out for you.
Deboning the turkey is important for two reasons. 1. The white meat cooks a lot quicker than the dark meat . This means that the white meat dries out while the turkey legs and thighs are still cooking. 2. You can roast the turkey carcass and make your stock and stuffing ahead of time. To debone the turkey, I like to start off by seperating the legs first. Taking a nice sharp boning or chef's knife, cut through the layer of skin between the leg and breast. Pull on the leg and continue following the knife through the skin until you come to the leg joint. Cut around and finally through the joint (It should give easily) and repeat with the other leg. Next, locate the breast bone. Take your knife and slice slowly right down the bone and continue to slice further into the meat following the breast bone. Don't worry about going through the breast bone, it should hold fairly well. Keep slicing through the meat until there is no more to take off, I like to also take part of the wing bone (airliner) because it gives me something to hold on to while slicing.
Brining the turkey is done to ensure that the moisture in the bird stays intact through a wonderful process called osmosis. There are two ways to do this; 1. liquid brine and 2. dry rub. For poultry, I prefer the dry rub. Take some garlic, parsley, thryme, sage, rosemary, and salt and run it through a food processor. This takes a lot of salt! Add salt until the mixture pulls from the side; it should be green with no leafy herbs sticking out. Next lightly cover your turkey with the mixture (this is now a concentrated salt and tends to be very very potent) and let marinate for 12-24 hours. After it has marinated, rinse off the surface with water and then pat dry with a towel.
Preheat the oven at 400 degrees. Place your turkey breasts on a roasting pan and do the same with the legs in a seperate pan. Cover your turkey pieces with butter or oil and place in the oven to cook. The breasts should be done in about 1 hour and 15 minutes depending on the size. To check, place a thermometer inside the thickest part and wait until it reaches 160 degrees, remove the breasts from the oven when it reaches this temperature. Repeat with the legs, only pull them when they reach 165 degrees. The oil should help brown the meat and add flavor, if the meat gets too dark, lower the oven temperature. You now have the best turkey ever!!!!Please let us know how this turns out for you.
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
The two tastings
Hello and thank you everyone for coming to our two wonderful food tastings. The tastings provided a platform in which we could present an array of different food items that would not otherwise be provided in the Columbus area. Both of our tastings provided tasty seasonal items that appeased the palets of our guests. A very special thanks to Mr. and Mrs. Segna for hosting our parties in their fairly new and very beautiful home; their hospitality and kindness were greatly appreciated. The turnout for both tasting events was very good and the oral feedback after the first tasting helped us hone our skills so that the second tasting went off without any problems. We appreciate everyone's input whether it is positive or negative so feel free to drop us a line. We will keep posting updates on future events and menu upgrades (we will try to stay as seasonal as possible) and our website should be completed by the end of the week. Again, feel free to drop us a line and we will try and answer everybody's questions in a timely manner. Bon Appetite!
Sunday, November 12, 2006
12 November '06 Hors D'Oeurve tasting menu
Beet and goat cheese spoons
The classic pairing of ruby beets and white chevre sprinkled with hazelnuts and olive oil, presented in a contemporary form
Grugeres with Roquefort spread
Cheeseballs melt in your mouth favorite stuffed with blue cheese
Beef burgundy in steamed new potatoes
Hearty slow braised beef stuffed inside with slow new roasted potatoes and served warm
Sesame pork satay with spicy peanut sauce
Pork skewers coated with sesame seeds, seared, and then served with a spicy coconut-peanut sauce as served in the Far East
Bay scallop ceviche
A South American favorite using citrus juice which “cooks” the scallops without heat. Mixed with cilantro, jalepeno, bell peppers, cilantro, and served with an avocado mousse and tortilla chips
Chorizo and manchego stuffed mushrooms
Spanish sausage stuffed in mushrooms with onion confit and topped with Spanish dry cheese; our version of beef stuffed mushrooms
English pea hummus with lavash
A Middle Eastern dip, using English peas instead of the classical chickpeas, pureed with tahini, garlic, lemon juice, olive oil, and served on a flatbread cracker
Prosciutto wrapped vanilla poached pear
Cured Italian ham wrapped around a slow poached pear, salty mixed with sweet, and served with a sherry gelee (sherry jelly)
Tarragon chicken tartlets
Grilled chicken mixed with tarragon, grapes, walnuts, celery, and a dijon-mayonnaise sauce and served in a toasted filo tartlet
Chocolate-hazelnut cakes
A classical French pairing of chocolate and roasted hazelnuts served warm with a rich chocolate sauce
Welcome
We are an up start full service caterer bring a new level of dish selection and quality. Feel free to contact us by email cali.catering@gmail.com or give us a call 614.360.1905.
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