Cooking in More Ways Than One

It is not that I haven't been eating (that would be the day!). I have been
very busy and I am sorry it has been so long since I posted.

We are still under severe drought conditions. Yesterday was the first day in a long time that the temperatures were not in the 90's. It is hard to describe what it is like. Landscape plants and some trees in our woods are dead or dying. The garden is awful and we haven't even planted a fall garden because we do not know how to get it enough water. Needless to say, the summer garden wasn't terrific. A few things faired well, but not much. That doesn't mean we are not eating well.

So what have I been doing and what have we been eating? Over the last two weeks I have helped at the opening of two Entrée Vous' in NC, the first in Morrisville and the second in High Point. The North Carolina Entrée Vous' are a great group of people; even though we come from different places and different backgrounds, we all ended up doing the same thing at the same time and we share the journey with what has become a wonderful comradery and a helpful team spirit.

I have also still been catering and gotten into the networking 'thing'. When you live as rural as we do, it is a conscientious effort to get out to market this kitchen. Entrée Vous is a new concept so getting people in to try it is the first step and I have joined several networking groups to that end. It is very different that what I have done before and that makes life interesting. I am meeting new people and it's been great! As far as construction, it is now, finally, well underway. We hope to be open in late October.

As far as food, last night we had Spaghetti and Meatballs (of course the pasta was made from scratch, as were the meatballs and the marinara was from garden grown tomatoes.). We have been eating for several nights from a London Broil, one night marinades and grilled with green beans and potatoes, one morning for breakfast as a hash with over light eggs, then in an Indian dish, Rogan josh, a rich, red beef stew, quite aromatic and spicy served with Lobhia aur khumbi or black-eyed peas with mushroom, in our case pick-eyed purple hulls, one of the few things that did well this year from the garden. Both of the later recipes are from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking. Below is the recipe for the beef. The only modification I made was in the cooking, I pressure cooked it to reduce the cooking time from one hour to 25 minutes. It was delicious served over rice.



Rogan Josh from Madhur Jaffrey's Indian Cooking

2 1" pieces ginger, peeled and coarsely chopped
8 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2-2 cups water
10 T vegetable oil
2 lbs stewing beef cut into 1" cubes (can be made with lamb)
10 whole cardamon pods
2 bay leaves
1 1" stick cinnamon
2 medium onions, peeled and finely chopped
1 t ground coriander seeds
2 t ground cumin seeds
2 t bright red paprika mixed with 1/4-1 t cayenne pepper
1 1/4 t salt
6 T plain yogurt
1/4 t garam masala
freshly ground black pepper

Put ginger, garlic and 4 T water in blender and blend until you have a smooth paste. Heat oil in wide pot over medium high heat. Brown meat in several batches and set aside. Add cardamom, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and cinnamon to hot oil. Stir once and wait until the cloves swell and the bay leaves take on color, just a few seconds. Add onions, stirring for about 5 minutes until they turn a medium brown color. Add ginger/garlic paste and stir for 30seconds. Add coriander, cumin, paprika-cayenne and salt. Stir 30 seconds. Add meat cubes and their juice. Stir 30 seconds. Add 1 T yogurt. Stir 30 seconds or until well blended. Add remaining yogurt, 1 T at a time, in the same way. Stir for another 3-4 minutes.Now add 1 1/3 cups water if you are cooking lamb and 2 cups if you are cooking beef. Bring to a boil, cover and simmer 1 hr for lamb or 2 for beef or pressure cook 25 minutes for beef). Sprinkle with garam marsala and black pepper, mixing them in.




What else have we been eating: zucchini and pasta. It is really good.



And eggplant Parmesan my way! It's the best and you can make it too. The recipe is on the website!

Cheers.

Pookah

Entrée Vous Update

So you want to know just how good is the food at Entrée Vous? Even though my kitchen is not open yet, this is big news. Our Alpharetta kitchen just won a big prize! For those not in the know, Alpharetta is north Atlanta. I know because in a previous life, I worked out of an office there, meaning my boss was there. I traveled to the area a lot and can tell you it is a very nice, booming area with tons of great restaurants. Anyway, Joe Hsu, the General Manager of that kitchen recently entered our Mesa Verde Flank Steak into competition at the “Taste of Alpharetta” event.



The result is this quote taken from the Atlanta Journal Constitutional newspaper’s report on the event: "One of the surprises of the evening was the Best Casual dish, prepared by chef Joe Hsu of Entrée Vous, the make-and-take kitchen on Holcomb Bridge Road." Congratulations Joe! They might have been surprised but none of us that have eaten Entrée Vous food is surprised even though the competition is stiff and he hasn't even been open a year! Way to go, Joe! So if you live near there, what more reason do you have than to go by and try it! It's that good. And for those waiting for my kitchen to open, it's still going to be a few months, but now you know what you're waiting for. Great food, good enough to win first place!

Here is the menu for July! If you live near an Entrée Vous kitchen, give it a try. I guarantee you won't be disappointed!

1- Margarita Beef Kabobs
Beef tips marinated in citrus, fresh cilantro, chipotle peppers, and tequila are skewered and grilled for the perfect summer evening patio party.

2- Chicken Croquettes
Finely diced chicken meat, celery and herbs in a breaded croquette.

3- Mahogany Glazed Salmon
A sweet glaze made with soy sauce, ginger and garlic complements delicious salmon filets.

4- Chicken Santa Fe
Diced chicken breast, corn tortillas, green chilies and cheese sauce all layered in a casserole.

5- Mesa Verde Flank Steak
You’ll stuff this flank steak with a mixture of spinach, cheese, mushrooms and optional bacon for an entrée that is both beautiful and delicious.

6- Bacon Wrapped Chicken Breasts with Cream Cheese Filling
Boneless chicken breasts are filled with an herb cream cheese and wrapped with bacon.

7- Pork Chops with Orange Chipotle Sauce
Pork chops baked in a rich tomato sauce accented with the sweetness of orange and the smoky spice of chipotle peppers.

8- Ravioli Lasagna
A delicious variation of a well known dish. Ravioli filled with three cheeses are layered with a Bolognese style beef, mushroom, and tomato ragout.

9- Tuscan Pork Loin
A generously cut pork loin roast is rubbed with Italian seasonings, chopped garlic, fresh basil, and green onions. Roast in your oven. This entrée cannot be split.

10- Imperial Orange Chicken
These luscious chicken breasts pair the sweet flavor of orange with savory cilantro and green onion.

11- Fiesta Shrimp
A flavorful explosion of shrimp, corn, and fresh herbs, served over rice.

12- Grilled Chicken Breasts Modena
Aged Balsamic Vinegar, olive oil, fresh basil and garlic make these chicken breasts low in fat but full of flavor.

13- Southwestern Egg Rolls
One of our biggest hits, these eggrolls are filled with chicken, corn, black beans and cheese.

14- Chicken with Pesto, Bacon, and Pecans
Chicken breasts are topped with pesto, pecans, and mushrooms, finished with cheese and a hint of smoky bacon.

My kitchen is at 8200 Renaissance Parkway Suite 1003 behind the Streets of Southpoint beside the Super Target in Durham, NC. The phone number is 919-321-8666 and you can reach me at pbloodworth AT entreevous DOT com. My kitchen isn't on the website yet, but check it out for one near you!