Joel H Blog

It Must Be Fall…

// October 19th, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek, Obsession, Random Ramble

I love fall.  I love everything about fall.  There is nothing like it.  The crisp weather, the amazing soul-warming foods, but the one thing i cant get enough of in fall is pumkin seeds.  I obsess over them.  when present at pumpkin carving activities i make sure that i salvage each and every white beauty for my own toasting and consuming.  I was thrilled this morning when i was on Chow.com and saw this.

10 Ways to Spice Up Pumpkin Seeds

They all sound soooooo tasty.

Foodie reading…

// July 7th, 2009 // No Comments » // Obsession, Random Ramble

Summer is here and I have been trying to read more. I clearly have been a bad blogger, and I am trying to change that as well. I have recently picked up Mark Bittman’s new book and it is a must read for any of you who are concerned about where your food comes from.  It also has a cool twist in it.  Mark takes a look at the average American eating style and alters it slightly and shows you how to lose weight. Woo hooo.

Yes… i am still alive

// June 11th, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek, Random Ramble, Uncategorized

Hi all.  Sorry I have been M.I.A.  I do promise to try to post more and not let the blog take a backseat.  There will be a kick-ass post tomorrow evening … I am making homemade pasta tomorrow morning and afternoon and will have a really cool post in the evening.

Are you my mother?

// May 4th, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek, Random Ramble

Dear Diary (just kidding),  I’m back.  I am sorry I have been M.I.A. but school, work, and life have made me nutty beyond belief.  I am back now and back for good at that!

A couple weeks ago I was facebooking and someone sent me one of those blasted “20 questions” things about everything and anything.  You know the ones, “what’s your favorite color?”, “What New Kids On The Block singer would you sleep with first?”  Well, I got to thinking about my very own foodie-based 20 questions.  One question came to mind, and I have been thinking about it since then:  “If you could have any famous culinarian for a  mother, who would it be and why?” So in honor of that idea, and the fact that Mothers Day is this weekend, I bring you the following.

I know this sounds silly and stupid, but I think about things like this.  I love my mom and all, and would not trade her in for anything, but if I were to have a famous culinarian as a mother, who would it be?  It has been hard to narrow down the list, but I am happy to say that I have four mothers.

I know that seems like a lot of mothers to answer to, but I can’t just have one; it would be impossible.  I chose my “foodie moms” based on many different traits but they all have one thing in common – complete and utter culinary greatness!

From the list of hundreds (OK, maybe 10) I have narrowed it down to the following four in no particular order:

1. Dorie Greenspan (baker and all around culinary genius)
2. Lynne Rossetto Kasper (host of PRI’s The Splendid Table and foodie icon)
3. Ruth Reichl (editor-in-chief at Gourmet , food writer, and author of Culinary Memoirs)
4. Julia Child (the late great American food icon)

I chose these four amazing women because they have been a part of my everyday life for quite some time, and I also look up to these women because of the great things they do for the food world and America in general.

Dorie Greenspan is one of those authors and culinarians that I LOVE to read.  Her writing is easy to enjoy, well thought out, and she has a style of cooking and baking that is second to none.  It’s hard to believe that this successful author and baker started her career by burning down her parents’ kitchen at the age of  13.  Her newest book  Baking: From My Home to Yours is, in my opinion, the only book a baker needs.  Her recipes are amazingly written and easy to follow, and I have not made a bad thing out of that book.  Cooking from a Dorie book is like cooking from a family recipe box – comforting, enjoyable, and satisfying.  In 2004, Dorie was inducted into the Who’s Who of Food and Beverage by the Beard Foundation and has won FIVE (count ‘em…five) Beard awards for her books.  However, the reason I chose her to be my “mother” is her pure unadulterated passion and love for her craft.  She’s also cute as a button to boot!

Lynne Rosetto Kasper, ahhh where do I begin?  I love the woman; that is the easiest way of saying it.  She and I geek out to food in the exact same way.  You know she is in love with her career and subject choice just by hearing it in her voice.  Her passion for cooking and food goes beyond recipes and new culinary techniques.  She has a love for slow food and traditional culinary principles that I admire.  Lynne’s weekly public radio program, The Splendid Table, is something I look forward to and wait to download on iTunes every Saturday.  When I listen to Lynne’s show, I am in most cases entering my “culinary happy space” and just enjoying each interview, thought, or recipe she has to offer.  Her voice is a comforting and warm tone that I relax to from week to week.  In my dreams I would love to be locked in a kitchen with Lynne for weeks on end with amazing products and just cook, eat, and talk and solve a few world’s problems in the process.  Just a little side note… I do a really kick-ass impression of Lynne.  You know what they say about impersonation.

Ruth Reichl is an American icon.  Ruth is who I want to be when I grow up.  I do realize that at 27 I am pretty grown up, but this woman holds a place near and dear to my heart.  The best way I think I could describe my take on Ms. Reichl is to call her an ingenious culinary free spirit.  She seems to march to the beat of her own copper pot and makes a lasting impression while doing so. You name it, Ruthie’s done it – chef, critic, writer, editor, restaurant owner.  She can do it all, and boy has she ever.  Her love of food comes through in everything she does.  When I first read Tender at the Bone, it was then that I truly realized food can be written about as a memory and it honestly can have a life changing affect on us.  I love Gourmet and have loved it ever since I was a kid.  I grew up with it.  It was one of the first magazines I can remember thinking “oh, this is the life for me.”  Although I think it was Ruth’s love for food and lack of fear that made me fall in love with her, her free-spirited culinary views on life have made me continue to read her.

Julia Child.  I really don’t know what to say about Julia.  She is the first TV chef I can remember seeing on TV. I would sit in front of the TV at home and be drawn in to her almost magical cooking style and be transported to a place like no other.  I still hear her saying “with your impeccably clean fingers” in the back of my mind.  I only wish I had been born earlier in life so I could have gotten more of a taste of her.  I am fascinated by Julia Child and very jealous that Dorie Greenspan got to co-write a cookbook with her.  I am sure Dorie could talk about Julia in great detail, but Julia was not scared of butter, or cream, or life… and THAT deserves a spot on my list for sure.  Mastering the Art of French Cooking was the first cookbook I purchased when I started to collect culinary books.  I still pull it out from time to time and put my twist on a Julia classic.

I have to say my own mother is my number one and has helped me embrace the foodie that I am today.  Without her I would not have cooked as much as I do.  I however also want to thank my pretend mothers for doing what they do and following the career paths that they have.  Without them I would be bored shitless.  So thanks Linda (my mom), Dorie, Ruth, Lynne, and Julia for making me not only obsess about food but also think about it in totally different ways. please see the following video.  this is how i will always remember Julia.

The French Chef Julia Child’s Chicken

Happy Early Mothers Day!!!

Food Geek: Foodies love Folk Songs … and Taco’s

// April 14th, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek

This is off-the-charts funny… Nothing like a song about Taco Bell (toxic hell).  I think I may try this sometime soon… What about a Chic-fil-A pop tune?

Recipes: Spanish Inspired Snacky Goodness…

// April 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // Recipes

Hello, my name is Joel Brown and I have a snacking problem.  I like to snack.  I like to snack on crunchy, salty, munch-able things.  I LOVE popcorn.  I was recently watching a special on Spain while trying to go to bed when I got a craving for Tapas.  I could also smell my neighbor’s next-door making popcorn, so I started craving popcorn too.  As you can imagine, one thing led to another, and the recipe below is the brainchild of two cravings at once.

The popcorn variety used in this recipe can be purchased here and the Spanish Smoked Paprika I use can be purchased here.  It is totally worth buying for MANY other recipes.  Seriously, TRY THIS.  You will thank me.

Take off your Tapas Lady Popcorn

Food Geek Note:  This recipe could be made with microwave popcorn , but for my sake and yours pop the damn popcorn in a pot like grandma used to do…

Ingredients

• 3 tablespoons fat (peanut oil, olive oil, butter, duck fat, lard)
• 1/4 teaspoon popcorn salt (unflavored)
• 1/4 cup Lady Finger Popcorn
• 1 1/2 tablespoons Smoked Spanish Paprika
  
• 1/4 teaspoon ground cumin

Preparation

Place a large, heavy-bottom pot (or other vessel suited for popcorn popping) on the stove, and turn the burner on high heat.  Make sure to have a lid for your pot or else you’ll be picking popcorn off the floor, or worse, for weeks.  Add oil, popcorn, and salt and cover and shake over the flame.  Once the popcorn has completed popping, remove from the heat, add the remaining spices , cover again, and shake to coat.  Let the popcorn sit about 2 minutes to allow the flavors to permiate the popcorn.  ENJOY!

Food Geek: In case you have not read ALL of my columns….

// April 13th, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek, Random Ramble

Just in case you have not read all of my columns (My mom, I think, is the only one I know of who has. Thanks mommy!) and have  a couple of hours to get into the mind of one Joel H. Brown… here is a link to all columns by me, or the ones that mention my name on the DA site.  It’s a little weird to think that they let me (of all people) write a column.  Ha Ha Ha….  More goodies tonight, including a dinner recipe and snacky treats.

Happy Monday!

Recipes: Just Another Cupcake Saturday….

// April 12th, 2009 // No Comments » // Recipes, Recipes: Cupcakes

With Easter being today, I was doing a little holiday baking yesterday.  I made two kinds of new cupcakes, and thought I would share the results.  For the first time EVER I made Red Velvet Cupcakes with my Bourbon Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting; and you can judge by the picture, but I think they turned out to be pretty damn amazing.  The taste was perfect, the texture was amazing.  All together it was an  A+ Cupcake and one that will become a regular.  I also took my basic buttercake recipe and switched things up and made an Orange Blossom Cake, topped with classic sugary buttercream.  The cake itself was amazing, but the icing was a little on the sugary side for me.  Recipes and more photos are below.  Happy Easter Everyone!

Easter Red Velvet Cupcakes

• 3 1/2 cups cake flour (not self-rising)
• 3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 large eggs, at room temperature
• 6 tablespoons red food coloring
• 3 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa
• 1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 1 1/2 cups buttermilk
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cider vinegar
• 1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°F. Place cupcake liners in cupcake pans.

To make the cake: In a small bowl, sift the cake flour and set aside. In a large bowl, on the medium speed of an electric mixer, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In a small bowl, whisk together the red food coloring, cocoa, and vanilla. Add to the batter and beat well.

In a measuring cup, stir the salt into the buttermilk. Add to the batter in three parts alternating with the flour. With each addition, beat until the ingredients are incorporated, but do not over beat. In a small bowl, stir together the cider vinegar and baking soda. Add to the batter and mix well. Using a rubber spatula, scrape down the batter in the bowl, making sure the ingredients are well blended and the batter is smooth.

Scoop batter into prelined cupcake pans and bake for 20 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean after being inserted into the middle of the cake.  cool in tins for about 15 minutes, then remove and place on a cooling rack until completely cool, and frost.

Bourbon Vanilla Cream Cheese Frosting

• 2 packages cream cheese
• 1 1/2 sticks unsalted butter
• 2 tablespoons high quality Bourbon Vanilla
• 2 tablespoons whole milk
• 3 1/2 cups of powdered sugar

Preparation

Cream butter and cream cheese on high for about 3-4 minutes.  Add sugar and mix on high for an additional 2 minutes.  Then add the remaining ingredients, and beat again on high for another 3 minutes.

The Final Product

Yummmmmmmm

Food Geek: Dives, Glorious Dives….

// April 10th, 2009 // No Comments » // Dining Out, Food Geek

So I may be a food snob, geek, elitist, or whatever you want to call me; but the genre of the All-American Dive is quite possibly my favorite food genre out there.  I get giddy at the thought of a local greasy spoon or neighborhood dive serving up the same culinary landmarks for generations.  I am lucky (my cholesterol levels are not so much)  that I have such a place less than a mile from my loft.  Mario’s Fishbowl, here in Morgantown, WV, is a local gold mine of culinary goodness and the peak of beer perfection in my mind.

The “fishbowl” in the establishment’s name comes from the steins that the beer is served in which look more like  a household pet containment device than beverage service container.  Ice cold, larger than life, it’s more than just “a beer”- it’s a magical beer slushy.  The beer containment devices are kept in a freezer, and when the hoppy goodness hits the frozen surface it interacts and creates what might be the most amazing drink known to man.  And the food, dear lord the food….

Wings= AMAZING

Mario’s Fishbowl has what I would VERY easily call the world’s best wings.  I know I might be setting some people on fire with that statement, but it’s no secret that outside of Buffalo, NY, Morgantown has some of the best wings around.  They have carved out a niche market in these parts, and Mario’s (in my opinion) is the peak of perfection. the wings are an amazing mix of juicy meat and crispy flesh surrounded with a very nice orange glow of buffalo sauce.  You can’t have Mario’s without having a side or three of their famous bleu cheese dressing.  The dressing is house made like everything else (to the best of my knowledge) that Mario’s serves.  I was so distracted by eating my wings that I forgot to take a formal photo of the homemade potato chips.  ”Fishbowl Chips,” as they are called, are the ultimate addition to the Dive meal.  Perfectly fried to a crispy crunch, they are well suited for the bottom-of-the-plate buffalo sauce and extra bleu cheese. In typical Dive fashion, Mario’s is usually filled with regulars seated at the mix and match tables, window booths, and old fashioned lunch counter.

The walls of the establishment are lined with notes and memories of fishbowl lovers and regulars alike.  You are likely to see comments of all parental ratings and sobriety tests.  Most write their messages on the backs of the long side of cigarette cartons, the kind of kitsch and ephemera that makes me giggle with glee.  The menu not only features the kick ass wings, but also a pleasant mix of Dive/Bar food that pleases with not only flavor, but also price.  Needless to say the fishbowl is one-of-a-kind and not to be missed by any foodie or breathing human.  Happy wing eating kids.

The end of another memorable fishbowl experience......

Birthday Goodness

// April 1st, 2009 // No Comments » // Food Geek, Recipes

I am blessed (and cursed) to be born on April Fools day, a VERY fitting birthday for me. Being a baker and what some would call a “cake snob”,  I opted to make my own birthday cake cake… again…  Nothing against my friends and co-workers, I just enjoy being in my kitchen and coming up with a cake that represents me and my current tastes and obsessions at the moment.  As I was driving home from work yesterday, I was a ball of childlike wonderment coming up with what I wanted to make for birthday 2009 (God, I am getting too close to 30 for comfort, ha ha ha ).  I knew it was going to be a banana cake base, but beyond that I was open for suggestion.  I needed eggs for the banana cupcake, so I went to the grocery store looking for inspiration and decided I would make a traditional banana cupcake (ala’ joel with homemade vanilla bourbon extract and baby ice cream bananas) and pair it with a Nutella Cream Cheese buttermilk frosting. As you can see they turned out to be pretty damn cute, and I guess we will see what they end up tasting like… Here is the recipe if you want to celebrate my birthday with me today

“Tuesday night” Easy like Sunday Morning Banana Cupcakes

• 1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
• 1 1/2 cups sugar
• 2 eggs
• 2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 cup mashed ripe bananas
• 1/4 – 1/2  cup buttermilk
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon salt

Method

Preheat oven to 350.  Cream Butter and sugar on high speed until fluffy (about 3 minutes) add eggs one at a time, followed by vanilla, and banana goo.  Mix together dry ingredients, add half of dry to the wet mixture, add 1/4 cup buttermilk, and the second half of dry mix and mix to incorporate.  Add up to another 1/4 cup of buttermilk if mix looks too dry (you want it about the consistency of a thick pancake batter).  Scoop into lined cupcake pans and bake for about 20 minutes or until the edges are slightly brown and a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into cupcake.

Nutella Cream Cheese Buttermilk Frosting

• 2 packages of cream cheese (room temp)
• 1 container (about a 1-1/4 cups) Nutella
• 2 tablespoons vanilla
• 3-4 cups powdered sugar
• 3-4 tablespoons buttermilk

Method

Mix Cream cheese, Nutella, vanilla, and milk on high with the paddle attachment in your mixer. Add sugar slowly and beat again until light and fluffy like a magical bunny.

(cooks note:  i just licked some of the frosting off the paddle… all i have to say is HAPPY BIRTHDAY ME, and here is to 27+ more years of baking!)