Guy's Piquant Pulled Pork

Cooking with friends is a monthly series in which my dearest friends are inviting me into their kitchens and teaching me their favorite recipes. These bonding experiences deepen our friendships, expand my palate, and enhance my culinary skills by sharing a timeless practice: cooking.

The first recipe of the series is my colleague Guy’s famous pulled pork. Nothing says southern comfort food like a good ol’ juicy pulled pork sandwich with fresh coleslaw. I’ve had pulled pork at several places here in Austin, but Guy’s blew me away when I had it at one of our team happy hours. Being new to the team I didn’t really know who Guy was, let alone how much he knew about cooking. I was a bit skeptical... I mean, an engineer that loves to cook? That’s crazy ;). We started to talk and discovered that we were both passionate about food. Every time I’d cook something that I was proud of, I’d bring some for Guy to taste and give me feedback and suggestions. I came to learn that he is an evangelist of simplicity when it comes to flavors.  

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His pulled pork is a case in point: its flavors are so simple, yet so tasty. The pork melts in your mouth with a burst of smoky and piquant flavor. “I’ve never had anything like this before. This is insane. I have to learn how to make it,” were my thoughts the first time I tried it. When I told Guy how blown away I was, he thanked me and said in his typical honest fashion that for someone who liked exploring different cuisines on his blog, he thought I was missing a traditional Texas dish and, to my delight, offered to teach me to make the pulled pork. “You can’t get more American than that,” he said. 

That’s how the idea for this friends series came to be, and I can’t imagine a better international cuisine to kick it off with than with that of my current home deep in the heart of Texas.

The meat. Guy had been telling me that our local grocery store has the perfect pork cut for pulled pork at a really good price. When I asked him what cut is being used for it, he instantly replied “Pork butt!”. Pork butt is laced with flavorful fat and connective tissue, he said. I asked him to be more specific because the butt of the pork is called ham where I come from. To confuse me even further he then went on explaining to me that the pork butt is actually the upper shoulder also known as the Boston butt. The term butt was given to this cut by the way the pork shoulders were packed into casks or barrels (aka butts in old English). Now that I was clear with the butt, Guy went on to explain what makes a pork butt the perfect butt. Three things you need to consider when buying the meat: fat, bone and marbling. 

Let’s start with the first one- fat content. You have to pay attention to how trimmed the pork is. It has to be neither too trimmed, nor too fatty. I’d say anywhere between ¼ of an inch and ½ of an inch of fat on top of the meat will do. This is called the cap and it is important that the thickness be consistent across the top. Fat is flavor after all, but if you’re not a fan of it, don’t worry anyway because you’ll discard most of it at the end. Just don’t trim it too much before smoking it as it will dry out.
The second thing that you need to care about is that the butt must be bone-in. The bone, or the “pop-up button” as Guy likes to call it, will indicate when the meat is cooked. It also helps to hold the meat together. After 10-12 or as much as 16 hours of smoking, the meat will turn buttery and without the bone you’ll have a hard time keeping it from falling apart.
Last but not least the marbling. Are you a beef fan? Have you ever had Kobe beef? It’s the marbling that makes it so great. It’s the same case here: make sure that the meat you’re buying has a nice marbling. Marbling is collagen (connecting tissue) which will slowly break down into gelatin and water from the heat that you’re applying through smoking, making the pulled pork juicy and flavorful.

The rub. Here is what you need to know about Guy: he is not your traditional cook. Although very knowledgeable when it comes to cooking and with the unwritten rules of smoking, Guy doesn’t shy away from breaking these “rules” if the end result is up to his standards, which are very high by the way. He’ll adjust and readjust a recipe over and over again until he thinks it’s perfect. It took him over two years of trial and error to perfect this pulled pork recipe. Here is what he told me: “My approach of using mustard for brining the meat will cause a lot of controversy. A lot of smoker experts think that it’s a blasphemy to use mustard with the dry rub, but I don’t give a damn. Where is the dry rub going to end up if I don’t apply mustard? Not on the meat that is for sure.” 

The Chips. Guy uses a mix of hickory and apple wood chips. He soaks 8oz of apple wood and 8oz of hickory chips combined together for about 8-10 hours before starting the smoking process. On top of that he also adds a bigger chunk of soaked hickory wood (about 2x2x3 inches) for that extra smoke kick. When Guy prepares his smoker he carefully alternates layers of chips with layers of charcoal until he has enough charcoal for 20 hours of continuous smoking. Place the bigger chunk of wood right in the middle of the smoker once you have completed distributing the chips. This works for his smoker but may not work for yours as he says many smokers can't be set up to smoke that long. A word on the charcoal, Guy uses natural lump as opposed to briquettes. This burns longer and cleaner reducing the amount of smoker maintenance necessary during the cook. If you go with natural lump be sure the wood is fully coked. If it isn't, the charcoal will smoke adding undesirable flavors.

The smoker. Guy cleans his smoker before each use to ensure proper circulation of the smoke and I recommend you do the same if you want your smoker to work at its maximum capacity. Cleaning it will also help keep the temperature constant. We used a high-end smoker but any smoker that is able to hold the temperature constant between 200F and 250F for up to 16 hours will do the job. Depending on the smoker you may need to tinker with it during the process.

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Guy's Piquant Pulled Pork

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Prep time: 90 minutes
Cook time: 12-16 hours
Inactive time: 3-4 days

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Ingredients

• 10 lbs bone-in pork butt (Boston butt, pork shoulder on the bone)
• 1-2 cups yellow mustard
• 1/4 gallon apple juice

Rub
               - inspired by Ray Lampe's Big Time BBQ Rub

• 1/2 cup table salt
• 1/2 cup Turbinado sugar
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 TBS garlic powder
• 1 TBS onion powder
• 2 TBS paprika
• 2 TBS chili powder
• 2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 TBS freshly ground black pepper
• 1 TBS dried thyme leaves
• 1 TBS ground cumin
• 1 tsp ground nutmeg

Vinegar sauce 
                   - inspired by Steven Raichlen's The Barbecue! Bible 10th Anniversary Edition

• 2 cups cider vinegar
• 1/2 cup plus 2 tablespoons ketchup
• 1/4 cup firmly packed brown sugar
• 5 tsp salt
• 2 tsp hot red pepper flakes (add up to 2 teaspoons for additional heat)
• 1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tsp ground white pepper
• 1 1/3 cup water

Tools

• smoker
• wood chips
• natural lump charcoal
• 1 digital meat thermometer with a probe and a cable
• 1 digital grill thermometer/ smoke regulator
• plastic wrap
• large ice-chest
• tinfoil
• patience and beer

Instructions

Day 1

1. Clean and trim the pork butt then pat it dry with paper towels.
2. With a sharp knife score the layer of fat of the pork in a criss-cross pattern going about 1 inch deep. Some experts will tell you not to cut into the meat but Guy disagrees because the rub doesn't penetrate through the fat layer without help.
3. Smear mustard all over the meat, making sure you don’t miss the incisions you made. The rub will stick to the meat with the help of the mustard.
4. In a small mixing bowl combine all the ingredients listed under “Rub”. Using a fork whisk them together making sure they are well mixed.
5. Fill a large shaker with the dry rub and generously sprinkle over the meat until the mustard completely absorbs the spices. Make sure no spot remain uncovered.
6. Next wrap the hunk of meat tightly in plastic wrap. If you are using standard width plastic wrap double it by putting two pieces side-by-side. As the meat brines it will lose some liquid and this will help trap the liquid next to the meat.
7. Put it in a bowl and then place it in the refrigerator. Let the meat brine between 24 to 48 hours. The longer the better. This step chemically ages the meat to an extent helping the tenderness of the final product. 

Day 3

Hint: The first rule of smoking is no peeking as you will let all of heat out of smoker causing the process to take longer.

1. Prepare the smoker by cleaning it and setting it up with even layers of hickory and apple chips.
2. Set the temperature controller to 225F and let it warm up. Guy has an automatic electric one but did mention that back in the day he was the temperature controller.
3. In the meantime, remove the meat from the refrigerator and discard the wrap. Reapply rub. There is no need to add more mustard as the surface of the meat will be wet. You will want enough rub so that all of the moisture is absorbed.
4. Place the pork shoulder on a V rack and insert the thermometer right in the middle of the meat hunk away from the bone.
5. Pour the apple juice in a dripping tray (or use a disposable aluminum tray). Place the tray on the smoker, ideally under the meat. This will impart some extra flavor and help keep it moist.
6. Place the rack on the tray and cover the smoker. Relax for the next 8-10 hours.
7. Check the internal temperature of meat as well as the smoker temperature every now and then. Do not panic if the temperature in the smoker rises over 225F. This pork meat is a forgiving kind and won’t dry out easily. However, you will want to bring the temperature back to 225F.
8. When the internal temperature of the meat is around 180F you’re close to being done. This is where the pit masters excel. It is very hard to tell how much longer you have. The amount of collagen fibers will dictate how long it takes the temperature to transition to the next step. You can expect to see the temperature bounce between 180 and 185 until most of the collagen fibers melt out. Guy estimated that the butt we smoked would take about 12 hours total and it took 16 because this step was 3 hours long.
9. When the temperature gets above 185 you must break the first rule of smoking and check the pop-up button (bone) regularly. If the meat has pulled away and it is loose the collagens have melted and your pork is done. Be careful at this point as it is possible to overcook the meat. If you do don't worry too much it will still be awesome just not as awesome. 
10. If the temperature of the meat reaches 190F you will want to remove it from the smoker as it will start to dry out.
11. Lay tinfoil over a flat surface. If you are using standard 12" wide tinfoil you will want to double the width by placing two pieces side by side and sealing the seam. If you don't do this you will have a mess inside the ice chest when done.
12. Using two big forks transfer the meat to the foil. Note, the meat should be falling off of the bone and pulling apart around the fork tines. If it is not put it back on the smoker for a while.  
13. Next, carefully wrap it up and then wrap it in the towel.
14. Put the meat in an ice-chest and let it sit for at least an hour and up to another 24 hours. For the first hour the final collagen fibers will continue to melt. 

Day 4

1. Combine the vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, salt, red pepper flakes, black pepper, and white pepper with the water in a medium-size bowl and whisk until the sugar and salt dissolve.
2. Taste and adjust sugar or vinegar until the sauce is piquant. Don’t worry if the sauce is salty, the sweet and smoky meat will need it.
3. Take the pork out of the chest and start shredding it into fibers. This will probably take about 30-45 minutes.
4. Alternatively, you can slice, chop or use bear claws to pull the pork apart, but the texture will end up being different.
5. Discard the big chunks of fat and try not to eat all bark (the crusty bits on the outside) like I did. Rather pull those apart as well.
6. When done pour half the vinegar sauce on it and mix well using your hand or a fork. Slowly pour the rest of the sauce until the bottom of the bowl becomes slightly wet. This is when you need to stop even if you haven’t used all the vinegar sauce. If you add too much sauce it will make the bottom of the bun soggy.
7. Serve on a bun or in a warm flour tortilla with a side of my spicy coleslaw.

Notes

You can get a marginally better result by smoking at 200F but doing so is a substantial time commitment. 

Creamy Tomato Sauce with Prawns

I tried to stay way from writing on my blog during our trip to Europe, but as it turns out, I just can’t do it. I miss it too much. Developing, testing, tweaking and writing recipes are now part of my everyday life ever since gourmetcubicle launched back in April. It does, however, feel refreshing not to do the cooking for a while, but instead just enjoying that of others. It’s great being on a food journey where I don’t have to care about shopping for ingredients, cooking, taking photos, and documenting recipes, but instead just relaxing, finding inspiration, discovering new flavors and thinking about how to integrate them into my dishes.

Roni and I are on a vacation around Eastern Europe and even though we’ve been here for less than a week, it has been very eventful. The trip started not so great when we found out that our flight from Austin to Chicago was delayed to the point that there was no way we would catch our connection to Berlin, where we had planned a full day layover to explore the city. I was already dreaming of the delicious Turkish doner kebabs that you can buy from street vendors and the crispy pork knuckles they serve with sauerkraut and potatoes in the traditional beer gardens. Both of us were pretty disappointed to say the least, but we did a great job at not letting that ruin the start of the trip

The good news about this whole re-routing was that we arrived to Budapest a half day earlier than planned. That meant more time to introduce Roni to the great city of Budapest. Budapest is amazing- beautiful architecture, great food, lots of friendly people and of course old friends. We stayed at the home of Erika and Pista along with their three daughters. They are Roni’s childhood friends, or rather her Hungarian family, as she likes to call them. They did everything in their power to give us the famous Hungarian hospitality and abundance. Erika cooked traditional Hungarian dishes every day and baked amazing cakes, which made Roni very happy. Every morning she prepared platters of cheeses, cured meats and homemade jams. We had bowls of fresh grapes, pears, apples and plums for snacks. We all dined together every night sharing our travel stories and childhood memories. Hearing the girls talk about how they used to break the child lock on the cable box to watch Tales from the Crypt, shave their arms to their parents’ horror, and play games involving eating disgusting concoctions of toothpaste, salsa, mustard and any other condiment they could find was very entertaining. The image that Roni had always painted of her young self was that of a shy and innocent little girl so these stories added a new insight into her childhood. Great times filled with laughter and joy!

Budapest is a must-see in Europe. The city, the people and the food are all top notch. A few years ago the Hungarian food scene had a revival and the fine dining culture has since blossomed. Good food always existed in Hungary, but it was mainly based on hearty Hungarian staples like pörkölt, paprikás, roasts, goulash and creamy soups. Beer, wine and the national spirit, pálinka, were the preferred drinks, with whiskey coke being considered a cocktail. The pride that Hungarians have in their food significantly slowed down the development of quality and affordable ethnic restaurants. But things have started to change, and I think this has to do with all the foreigners who have moved to Budapest and brought new interesting ingredients and flavors with them. Budapest has become a bit of a melting pot where Mexican, Asian, Indian, and Russian dishes have made their way into the otherwise very conservative cuisine here.

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As far as Italian cuisine is concerned, I think it’s the most widespread of all cuisines around the globe. I haven’t been to a country that didn’t have at least one Italian restaurant. It doesn’t matter if you’re in Hungary, Singapore, Peru or Japan, you’ll most likely find a pasta Bolognese or Carbonara to eat. i think that the main reason for that is that Italian dishes are filling and easy to make, not to mention how delicious they are. You don’t have to be a kitchen-guru to be able to prepare a simple Cacio e pepe or Spaghetti Pomorodo.

As for today’s recipe, this Creamy Tomato Sauce with Prawns is one of those easy to make Italian dishes that will leave your dinner guests impressed.  In half an hour you can fix an easy, healthy and flavorful sauce that is infinitely better than that canned salty artificially flavored junk that you find in stores. Some of them may taste good, but once you take a look at the list of ingredients you’ll be shocked by the amount of sugar (or rather, corn syrup) and salt they contain. By making your own pasta you are in control of the ingredients. You know exactly how much of each ingredient goes into it and you can adjust them to your own taste. Enjoy!

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Creamy Tomato Sauce with Prawns

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Serves 4
Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 35-40 minutes

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Ingredients

• 1 lb prawns, peeled and deveined
• 1 tsp black pepper freshly ground
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 2 TBS oil (sunflower, canola or peanut oil)
• 1 TBS unsalted butter
• 1 tsp hot sauce (Cholula or Tobasco)
• 1 leek, finely chopped
• 1 medium shallot, finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, crushed and chopped
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 can (15 oz) diced tomato (preferably San Marzano)
• 2 cups stock (chicken or vegetarian)
• 2 anchovy fillets, optional
• 2 TBS tomato paste
• 1/2 tsp red chili flakes
• 8-10 fresh basil leaves, roughly chopped
• 1 TBS sugar
• 1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1-2 tsp fresh lemon juice, optional (or lime)

Instructions

1. Place clean shrimp in a bowl and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Toss to make sure the shrimp are evenly coated.
2. In a large skillet heat the butter and 1 tablespoon oil over medium high heat. When the butter starts foaming add shrimp and hot sauce. Cook for 3 minutes stirring occasionally to make sure the shrimp cook evenly on each side. 
3. Transfer shrimp to a plate and set aside. 
4. Add the rest of the oil to the pan and heat until the it easily slides across the pan. Add leeks and shallots and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add garlic and cook for another minute or so.
5. Pour in white wine and cook for 3-5 minutes until the wine starts to evaporate.
6. Add diced tomato and stock and cook for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
7. Add anchovies, tomato paste, chili flakes, basil and the rest of the salt and pepper to the skillet and reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with a lid and let it simmer for 15 minutes. Stir occasionally. 
8. Add sugar and parmesan cheese and stir well.
9. Pour in heavy cream and stir. Crank up the heat to medium-high. Bring to a boil (about 1-2 minutes) then immediately remove from the heat. Taste to adjust seasoning.
10. Mix in the shrimp, sprinkle with lemon juice and give it a final stir. Serve with capellini, spaghetti or linguini.

Notes

• Use only the white part of the leek. For instruction on how to clean leek check out my Creamy Leeks with Pan Roasted Chicken recipe.

Homemade Green Pea and Ricotta Ravioli with Creamy Sage Sauce

The best part about being part of Roni’s family is that we often get together for dinners. Food is what brings people together. Great stories and ideas are born at the table. It always makes me happy when Rachel and Rick invite us over for a big ol' family get-together. It reminds me of my family back home. Before my sister and I grew up and moved away from Romania to pursue our dream jobs, every Sunday we had lunch together with my parents. It was either just the four of us or the whole family with grandparents, uncles and cousins once a month or so. Before my grandparents on my father’s side passed away, Sunday family lunches or dinners happened even more often. Sometimes we’d go to Buna for lunch and to Jolika for dinner. It was great because somehow it always turned into a cooking competition between my two amazing grandmothers, Jolika and Buna.

They both cooked good food but each one of them had their own style. Jolika, my Hungarian grandma, loved to cook hearty comfort food. She preferred pork over chicken and used sour cream in basically everything. Her food was the definition of traditional Hungarian cuisine. Buna on the other hand, has a more refined style and doesn’t shy away from fresh vegetables, although sometimes even she can go crazy with the pork and sour cream. I can’t wait for Roni to try Buna’s specialty - Cornmeal Stuffed Cabbage Rolls

A few couple of weeks ago Roni’s family celebrated Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Although I don’t really know much about Jewish holidays, I love that I get to learn about Jewish culture and traditions. I think I mentioned it before, but the fact that I was raised in a Catholic/Protestant/Orthodox family makes me a…well, I don’t even know what, but definitely a Christian. Roni being Jewish adds to the already many religious holidays that my family traditionally observes, making the entire month of December a Winter Holiday marathon in our house.

Back to Rosh Hashanah. I decided to make ravioli. Initially I wanted to make a chorizo sauce, but was politely reminded that pork isn’t exactly kosher to eat during Jewish holidays. Which is funny because Roni eats bacon at the same pace at which a fat kid eats candy. There’s a good chance she was probably even eating bacon while telling me not bring pork to Rosh Hashanah. Anyway, being under self-imposed pressure to coming up with something cool, I went through my notes and I found one saying “sage sauce for ravioli - A Chef’s Table”.  I quickly browsed through all the episodes that I watched, even checked the internet, but unfortunately couldn’t find any reference to sage sauce. I'm not sure what made me write that down, but it sounded good.

Homemade ravioli may sound scary to some and I’m not going to lie to you and say it’s easy, because it’s not. But it’s not rocket science either. It’s easier than baking for sure. So why would you make it, you may ask? Because it’s rewarding and fun to make, not to mention, that it tastes a thousand times better than store-bought ravioli. It’s like tasting a good craft beer after drinking Bud Light your whole life (crazy Americans with your light beers). If you are concerned about the amount of butter and cream the sauce contains just sprinkle it with a good olive oil, sea salt and fresh cracked pepper instead. The subtle taste of the lemon zest and the tart juice will bring that refreshing element to this creamy meal. Buon appetito!

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Homemade Green Pea and Ricotta Ravioli with Creamy Sage Sauce

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Serves 4-6 people (about 30-35 ravioli)
Prep time: 60 minutes
Cook time: 30 minutes
Inactive time: 25 minutes

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Ingredients

Pasta Dough (same as for Tagliatelle)

• 1/2 lb "00" flour 
• 2 whole eggs, pasture raised
• 2 egg yolks, pasture raised
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 TBS olive oil, extra-virgin
• 1/2 cup "00" flour, for kneading and rolling
• 1 TBS salt, for cooking the ravioli

Filling

• 10 oz ricotta cheese
• 1/2 TBS fresh lemon zest (1/2 medium sized lemon)
• 3 tsp fresh lemon juice (1/2 medium sized lemon)
• 1 cup green peas (fresh or frozen)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 1/4 cup freshly grated parmesan
• 1 1/2 TBS fresh basil leaves, finely chopped (about 8-10 basil leaves)

Creamy Sage Sauce

• 5 TBS butter
• 20 fresh sage leaves
• 1/2 cup dry white wine (must be dry)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp ground white pepper
• 3 tsp lemon juice (1/2 medium sized lemon)
• 1 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 3 tsp lemon juice (1/2 medium sized lemon)
• 1/4 cup parmesan cheese
• 1/2 cup pasta water
• freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Instructions

1. Start with the pasta. In the center of your work station (preferably a large wooden cutting board) pile up a half pound of flour. Keep the rest nearby.  Make a “well" in the center and pour in the eggs and the yolks. Add salt and one tablespoon olive oil and beat the mixture lightly with a fork. Using your fingertips, gradually start incorporating the flour into the egg mixture. Gradually work the dough together until all the flour is mixed in. The dough should be sticky to touch (not to your fingers) and it should hold together. Depending on the size of the eggs, you may need to hydrate your dough if it is too dry by adding a few teaspoons of water.
2. Knead the dough using the palms of your hand, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic, about 5 minutes. Make a ball out of the dough, sprinkle flour, wrap ball in plastic, and let it rest in the refrigerator for at least half an hour.
3. While the dough is resting prepare the filling. In a medium bowl mix all the ingredients for the filling. Using a wooden spoon or a spatula stir until all ingredients are well combined. Cover bowl with a plastic wrap and refrigerate.
4. Remove the dough from the refrigerator and divide it in 4-5 equal parts. Slightly drizzle water over a kitchen towel and cover the small dough balls. You will work with one at a time, so the damp towel will keep them from drying out. 
5. Take the first piece of dough, flatten it with your hands so that it is 1-inch thick and sprinkle with a little flour on both sides. Using a pasta maker, roll out the dough. Start with the thickest setting and work your way to setting number 6. (1.5 mm)
6. To stretch the pasta into a sheet, roll it through the pasta maker on the rest of the settings, going down one level at a time (from thick to thin), rolling it through about 2 or 3 times on each level. The more you run it through the machine, the silkier your pasta will be. If the dough starts sticking at any point, sprinkle flour on it. 
7. Once you have your sheet of pasta finished, cut into 2.5-3 inch-wide strips if using a ravioli stamp. If you opt to use a cutter instead of a stamp, leave the sheet as is for now because you will fold it over the filling in the next step.
8. Place a tablespoon of filling one inch apart from each other along the center of a dough strip if using a stamp, or over the lower half of your pasta sheet if using the folding method. Brush with water the second strip or top half of the dough to moisten it. It will help with sealing the ravioli.
9. Gently pat the dough down around the filling to make sure that they aren't any air pockets and the ravioli is sealed. 
10. Firmly press ravioli stamp until it cuts through the dough. If using ravioli cutter, cut into even squares. Place the ravioli on parchment paper and sprinkle with flour. Repeat process until you finish the rest of the dough.
11. Bring a large pot of water and one tablespoon salt to a boil over medium-high heat.
12. While the water comes to a boil, prepare the creamy sage sauce. In a large deep skillet melt butter over medium-high heat. When completely melted add sage leaves and fry them for about 1 minute until the butter and sage leaves turn brown. Immediately add white wine and stir. Season with salt and pepper and cook for 4-5 minutes. 
13. Pour in the cream, stir and bring again to a boil, about 2 more minutes. Add lemon juice and parmesan cheese and stir well. Reduce the heat to low and let it simmer while you cook the ravioli. Stir occasionally to make sure the sauce doesn't burn.
14. When the water in the pot starts boiling place ravioli in the water and cook for 3-5 minutes depending on the thickness of the pasta you used. When cut, the ravioli should show no starchy line in the middle. 
15. Using a sieve or a slotted spoon transfer the the ravioli from the pan to the creamy the sage sauce. When all the pasta is cooked and in the skillet, scoop half cup pasta water and pour it in the skillet. Dispose the rest of the pasta water.
16. Crank up the heat to medium. Toss well until all the ravioli is coated in the creamy sauce. Bring to a boil and remove from the heat, about 2-3 minutes. Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning.

Notes

• When making the dough, make sure that you don't use cold eggs straight from the refrigerator. Let them sit at room temperature at least 10 minutes prior to using them.
• When using the pasta maker, run the dough through the largest setting at least 4-5 times, folding it in half after each roll.
• For more restaurant-like thin ravioli work your way up to setting 7. Number 7 will yield a very thin sheet (about 1.3 mm) making it more delicate to work with. On the up side, the time it will take to cook will be less (2-3 minutes).
• Folding the sheets in half is a quicker method than cutting the sheets into strips. I got used to the strips method, but either will work fine.

Cauliflower Fish Cake With Chili-Lime Yogurt Sauce

Fish cakes are pretty new to me. I started making them about a year ago with this combination of flaky fish and smooth and rich cauliflower being my favorite. I was introduced to fish cakes by a chef whose name I can't recall, but let's call him Juan. I worked with him in Virginia during mycollege years when I waited tables at a restaurant called Blue Water Grill during the summer. Juan was really good at preparing fish and seafood and according to him fish cakes and crab cakes were his specialty.

I was in Virginia on an inter-exchange program for students lucky and brave enough to fly across the ocean into the unknown to experience the American Dream. It was the summer of 2006, the second summer I spent in the U.S. I started my American journey that summer as a lifeguard, but soon after I decided to quit that job and start waiting tables instead. It was a good way to practice and improve my English and it also gave me the opportunity to interact with people. The most appealing part to me was that I got to be close to a professional kitchen where I could watch and learn from the line cooks and chefs. I loved working there even though it got pretty wild and rough sometimes.

If you’re not familiar with professional cooking, Anthony Bourdain describes his experience as a cook in Kitchen Confidential (I highly recommend reading this book) and his descriptions basically hold true in any restaurant kitchen in the U.S. Obscene and abusive language, salty chefs, waiters that screw up orders, drinking and eating at work are all part of your every day life in the restaurant industry. I fell in love with it after those few months and when I returned to Romania in the fall to continue my studies, I really missed all the people that I worked and bonded with.

In the past, fish cakes were seen as an easy way to incorporate leftover fish that otherwise would've been thrown away. The most common fish used is still cod, but other white flakey fish like haddock or pollock can be used to achieve similar flavor and texture. The potatoes and eggs are the binding elements, while also adding some texture and creaminess to the cakes in the process. I choose to add cauliflower as well, not only because cauliflower is delicious and nutritious, but also because of Roni's habit of sneaking a cauliflower in our cart while grocery shopping.

One thing that it's worth mentioning about this dish is that it will leave a stink in the house that would hang around for hours. The flavor and taste of the dish is in total contradiction with its smell, but, you know, I care for my readers and want them to return to my blog, not curse my cauliflower fish cakes for turning their house into a fart fort. So in case you were trying to find a dish to impress and cook for your date, maybe look for something else until you get a bit closer and more comfortable around each other. As my father used to say only cauliflower and farts smell like farts. 

One of the most important things to keep in mind when making fish cakes is that you have to place them in hot oil. Really hot oil. If you don't the fish cakes will be soggy and greasy instead of crunchy on the outside and creamy on the inside. I usually serve them as a main dish with a salad or even on a bun as a fish burger, but you can make them smaller and serve them as appetizers. No matter how and when you serve them, this dish is going to be a definite conversation piece. As for the chili-lime yogurt sauce, it adds that tangy and refreshing element that the sweet and rich fish cake is lacking. Enjoy!

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Cauliflower Fish Cake With Chili-Lime Yogurt Sauce

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Yields 8-10 fish cakes
Prep time: 35 minutes
Cook time: 40 minutes
Inactive time: 10 minutes
 

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Ingredients

Fish Cakes

• 1 lb cauliflower florets (1 medium cauliflower)
• 1/2 lb Yukon potatoes (1 large potato), peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
• 1 TBS salt (iodized, table or kosher)
• 1 lb fish fillet (cod, haddock or sole)
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1/2 cup white wine (preferably white)
• 2 sprigs fresh thyme
• 1-2 cloves garlic, crushed
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 2 eggs, pasture raised
• 1 shallot, finely chopped (about 1/4 cup)
• 1 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 1/3 cup fresh parsley, finely chopped
• 1/2 cup breadcrumbs
• 1/2 TBS olive oil
• 1/4 cup breadcrumbs (optional)
• 1 cup oil (peanut, canola or sunflower seed)

Chili-lime yogurt

• 3/4 cup yogurt
• 2 tsp chili flakes
• 1/2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 medium jalapeño, finely chopped (about 1-2 TBS)
• 1 large lime, juiced (2-3 TBS fresh lime juice)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground

Instructions

1. Fill a large pot halfway up with water. Add cauliflower, potato, and a tablespoon of salt and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Cook until the cauliflower can be easily pierced with the tip of a pairing knife, about 20-25 minutes.
2. While the cauliflower and potato are cooking poach the fish. In a large saucepan combine water, broth, wine, thyme, garlic, salt, and black pepper. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add fish fillets, reduce the heat to medium-low, cover the sauce pan and let the fish poach for no more than 5 minutes.
3. In the meantime, in a small bowl mix all the ingredients under chili-lime sauce. Stir well until the ingredients are mixed well. Cover with a plastic wrap and place it the refrigerator.
4. Remove fish from the pan using a sieve or a slotted spoon. Drain, discard the juice and let the fish cool. Once cold, break the fillets into small chunks.
5. Drain the cauliflower and potato and let them cool for about 5 minutes. Place them in a food processor, pulse them a few times into small chunks. Do not overdo it, as you don't want them mashed, but chunky.
6. Transfer the crushed cauliflower to a large mixing bowl. Add fish, eggs, shallots, salt, pepper, parsley and breadcrumbs. Using a spatula or wooden spoon stir well until you get a mixture that can easily molded. If the mixture is too sticky, add another tablespoon or two of breadcrumbs.
7. Pour in olive oil, give it another stir and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. 
8. Divide mixture into 8-10 equal parts. Shape and pat hockey puck-sized discs, about 3 inches in diameter and 3/4 inches in thickness. You can sprinkle more breadcrumbs on each patty if you like fish cakes to be extra crispy. 
9. Heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. When the oil is sizzling hot (easily slides across the pan) carefully place the fish cakes in the pan. Fry patties for 2 minutes, or until dark golden brown. Flip on the other side, cook for another 2 minutes. 
10. Transfer fish cakes from the frying pan to a paper towel lined plate or a wire rack. 
11. Serve fish cakes freshly fried and hot with a side of chili-lime sauce and a wedge of lemon or lime.

Notes

• Before placing the fish cakes in the frying pan make sure the oil is really hot, otherwise the fishcakes will be greasy and soggy. To check if the oil is hot enough drop a few breadcrumbs in the pan. If the oil starts sizzling, you're good to go.
• Don't overcrowd the pan with fish cakes. You risk reducing the heat in the pan to the point where the fish cakes will not brown and will become greasy. Instead, work in batches or 2-3 patties.
• The fish cakes will keep in the refrigerator for no more than a couple of days. They also freeze well and keep for about a month in the freezer.
• I recommend that you eat them right after frying them as they don't reheat well. 

Baked Cod with Vegetable Matignon

Roni and I are currently spending a few days of vacation in Sonoma and San Francisco. This is our first vacation of the year. Although short, we are excited about relaxing, sleeping in, eating and drinking fine wines all day. As a matter of fact, I just woke up from a post-wine tasting nap and am chilling on a lounge chair on the patio of our little rental cottage with a cool breeze soothing my sunburnt face. It's a beautiful thing to be out of Texas in August, especially in a place like northern California where cool summer breezes exist.

Fresh seafood is the ultimate summer dinner food. Nothing can beat fresh fish sprinkled with fresh lemon juice on a hot summer evening. Fish is easy and quick to cook. The worst thing that can happen when cooking fish is to overcook it, but with a little bit of attention, that can be avoided. Whenever you are cooking fish, remove it from the heat a few minutes before you think it's going to be done. For example if you think it will take 10 minutes to cook, just take it off after 8 or 9 minutes and check the middle with a fork. In just a matter of minutes your fish can go from nicely cooked and moist to dry and tasteless.

Another good tip when following a recipe for a fish dish is to check the thickness of the fish. Thicker fish fillets are going to take longer to cook, whereas the thinner ones are going to be done within minutes. As a matter of fact, when I made this recipe I was cooking two fillets of different thickness and it took one about 8-10 minutes to cook and the other one 12-15. If I left the thinner one on the grill for longer it would've turned rubbery and dry.

Thyme is my favorite herb to use when cooking fish. I like rosemary as well, but I find it a bit more overpowering especially for delicate fish like cod, flounder, snapper, haddock or tilapia. The vegetable matignon adds a lot of color, flavor and texture to this dish making it even more appealing for the ones who find cod a bit bland. You can also choose to add a tablespoons of vegetable stock along with the lemon juice to make it extra moist. I served this dish with fondant potatoes (recipe coming soon), but you can serve it with butter sautéed carrots or sweet peas, rice or even grilled vegetables. Enjoy!

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BAKED COD WITH VEGETABLE MATIGNON

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Serves 2
Prep time: 15 minutes
Cook time: 10-15 minutes

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Ingredients

• 2 cod fillets (about 1 lb)
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper, freshly ground
• 4 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup green bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/4 cup red bell pepper, finely diced
• 1/2 small red onion, finely diced
• 1 celery stalk, finely diced 
• 2 Roma tomatoes, deseeded and finely diced
• 1 medium lemon, juiced (about 3-4 TBS fresh lemon juice)
• 2 lemon slices (1/4 inch thick)
• 4 sprigs fresh thyme
• 2 TBS stock (vegetable or chicken) - optional

Instructions 

1. Preheat oven or grill to 400F (200C) degrees.
2. Pat fillets dry with a paper towel. Sprinkle with salt and pepper on each side. 
3. Lay out two, one-foot long aluminum foil sheets. Sprinkle the middle of the foil with a bit of olive oil and then place one fish fillet on each sheet. Sprinkle more olive oil on the fish.
4. Top fillets with diced vegetables, lemon juice, lemon slice and thyme. If you choose to add stock, fold the foil upwards and sprinkle each fillet with a tablespoon of stock. 
5. Fold the edges of the foil to form enclosed packets. 
6. Place the packets in the oven on a baking sheet and cook for 10-15 minutes. If using the grill place the packets straight on the wire rack, close the cover and bake for about 10-15 minutes as well. 
7. After 10 minutes, open the packets carefully to avoid burning yourself with the hot steam that built up inside the packets. If the fish is undone, continue cooking. Serve in open foil packets to avoid spilling the delicious juices. Eat as soon as you cooked it, as fish doesn't reheat well.