"Stump a Chef" with Average Betty

One reason I don’t interview celebrity chefs is because I feel so sorry for them. I can’t imagine having to answer those same inane questions, over and over. And that’s from the real food journalists; imagine how brutal us bloggers’ questions are.

However, there is one interviewer that does things a little differently; my buddy, Average Betty. Here she is at the Los Angeles Times and Food & Wine “The Taste,” breaking the modern record for most chefs stumped in 5 minutes or less. You can see her full post on the event here. Enjoy!

Classic Slow Cooker Beef Pot Roast – What's Next? A Jell-o Mold?

I’m not sure why I’ve always had such a bad attitude towards slow cookers. It does a great job turning out delicious braised dishes like this “7-bone” beef pot roast, it’s efficient, and could not be easier to use. So, then why have I used my crock pot fewer times over the last decade than ice skates? By the way, I don’t ice skate.

It probably has something to do with going to culinary school, and judging everything from the point of view of the professional kitchen. They’re certainly not something you learn about at a cooking academy, or see in the back of a restaurant, and are generally associated with the dreaded, “housewife cooking.” This is the same reason we can’t serve jell-o molds.

There’s no chef slur quite as hurtful as having your food called “housewifey,” which is ironic since most of us were first taught about food and cooking by housewives. I’ll have to work through these deep seated slow cooker issues with my therapist, but in the meantime I will say that I’m glad I dusted off the old crock pot and used it for this succulent pot roast.

The real secret here is making sure you sear the meat before the long, slow braising. The slow cooker does a great job of cooking the meat, but unless you brown the beef thoroughly beforehand, you’re missing out on a lot of flavor. I hope this entices you to drag out your crock pot, and get your housewife on soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 tbsp vegetable oil

salt and pepper to taste

AP flour as needed

1 “7-bone” beef pot roast (about 5 pounds)

8 oz sliced mushrooms

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp butter

1 1/2 tbsp flour

1 tbsp tomato paste

2 1/2 cups chicken broth
3 carrots, cut in chunks
2 ribs celery, cut in chunks

a few springs of rosemary and thyme

*Cook in slow cooker on high for 5-6 hours, or on low setting for 8-10 hours

Slow Cooker Tips for Dummies

I'm going to be posting a recipe for slow cooker beef pot roast tomorrow, and in anticipation I was checking out a few related videos on YouTube. I've always assumed the people who write those "For Dummies" books must be really smart, but based on this, I may have to reconsider.

It's been a long while since I posted a video just to poke fun at it, but I couldn't resist. Just for fun, see how many strange, disturbing, wrong, and/or crazy things you see and hear in this offering from Dummies.com (btw, the glass cutting board doesn't count). Enjoy!

Grilled Calabrian Chicken – A Deliciously Stubborn Hen

When I told Michele I was making a grilled chicken recipe using a jar of chilies from Calabria, she said, “Well, you’ll have to call it stubborn chicken then!” We both laughed. You see, when Michele first met my father, John, he asked her what part of Italy her family was from. When she answered, “Calabria,” he said, “Oh, so you’re really stubborn.”

Michele laughed, and agreed that she was, but asked what that had to do with being Calabrian. My father explained that where he was from, “Calabrese” was jokingly used as a term for a stubborn person, apparently stemming from an inappropriate, yet possibly accurate stereotype.

Far from being insulted, Michele embraced this revelation, and it’s been a source of pride ever since. I know, that’s so Calabrese. Anyway, now that I’ve taken three paragraphs to explain the inside joke with the title, I can finally get to this recipe.

When we first posted our Cornell Chicken recipe, I mentioned wanting to try the same method using different herbs and spices. When I saw a jar of Tutto Calabria chili peppers on a recent shopping trip, I remembered that, and decided to give this a whirl. It was great! Here's a link to their homepage, in case you want more information on this cool hot product (btw, you'll need to be able to read Italian). 

You should be able to find some at your friendly, local gourmet shop, but if not, it's not hard to get online. It’s similar to Sambal, and other crushed chili pastes, so if you can’t get it, don’t worry, and just substitute with whatever you find. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

2 chicken halves, or 2 spatchcocked game hens

1 -2 tablespoons Calabrian crushed chilies

2 tbsp rosemary leaves

2 tsp orange zest

2 tbsp orange juice

1 anchovy filet

1 cup white wine (or plain) vinegar

1/2 cup vegetable oil

4 cloves garlic

1 egg

2 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt (or 1 1/4 tsp fine salt)