• Last updated 3/8/10 by Nicko

Written By Chef Peter Martin This past fall I found myself unemployed.  With the economy the in the middle of its downward spiral, this was not a good thing.  And being a chef in Wisconsin my prospects were few.  While job hunting I got a call from a friend who had recently made the jump from the restaurant world into the world of institutional foodservice.  He claimed that he was enjoying his job and the lifestyle it afforded him, and better yet, he knew of a position open in his company working as a food service director for the county jails, and felt I should send... read more

• Last updated 3/8/10 by Nicko

Written By Chef Peter Martin Part I  Choosing Your Steak Yes, I know, it is still the middle of winter, so why am I writing an article on grilling steaks?  Because, if you are like me, then grilling is a year round pursuit.  Sure, my grills see almost constant use during the summer, but they are also in use for a good part of the winter.  I have even been known to grill in subzero weather and with blizzards raging around me.  What better way is there to chase the winter blues away than firing up the grill and grilling up some of your favorite foods?  For me one of... read more

• Last updated 3/8/10 by Nicko

Written By Chef Peter Martin Sweet Heat It all starts with a slight tingling in the mouth that quickly turns into a light burning sensation.  Your nose starts to run and perspiration beads on your forehead as your eyes turn blurry with tears.  By now your mouth has become a raging river of molten lava, or so it seems.  You have just swallowed a powerful alkaloid that has caused your brain to release neurotransmitters telling your body you are in big trouble.  So who is this insidious poisoner so intent on seeing you suffer?  You are, and mostly likely you will attempt... read more

• Last updated 2/28/10 by Nicko

by: Chef Jim Berman When I pondered this article, this tackling of creating fresh pasta, I was as nervous as a school boy on prom night; So many questions, so much anticipation for a fulfilling experience. Everyone does it, Would I live up to the expectations that, undoubtedly, were had of me? Would I be able to capture the right combination of movement and genteel touch that would pay off with visceral and guttural satisfaction? How would I compare to those that have tried before me? Due diligence wins, here. This is not a lexicon on the idiosyncrasies of 'all things'... read more

• Last updated 2/28/10 by Nicko

by: Chef Jim Berman "Chicken pays the rent," said the chef for whom I worked during my apprenticeship, "it's what people want to eat when they don't know what to eat." That was the gospel for me. Have chicken; pay bills; got it! Being the twenty year-old know-it-all, I asked about cutting whole chickens. "I could pay somebody to take them apart, use the breasts and try to find a use for the rest. I buy them boned and skinned, then buy necks and backs for stock." So, I have been torn over the years; lower price to buy whole chickens and fabricate them myself, with added... read more

• Last updated 2/28/10 by Nicko

by: Chef Jim Berman The best thing about making your own ricotta is the cost. It is less expensive, ounce for ounce, than the commercial stuff. Even with the ups and down of the milk market, you really can not beat the economics of making your own. Perhaps, though, even better is the flavor of the finished product. You are in complete control of that signature ricotta 'twang.' From mellow and luscious to grapey and tangy, the impact is your own design. The texture varies from the plastic container stuff; the curds can be a grainy soft spread or elastic pebbles.... read more

• Last updated 2/28/10 by Nicko

by: Chef Jim Berman Mar- latin, sea, pool. "Marinara (noun): sauce for pasta; contains tomatoes, garlic and herbs (http://define.com/marinara)." So, where does the sea fit into the picture? In discovering the land of tomato sauce invention, marinara takes us to Naples, on the west coast of Italy. Coast. Sea. Tomatoes do not grow in the sea. Rather, the fishermen whom were fed pasta with marinara made their living on the sea. Marinaro, sailor. Or so goes the tale. Makes sense, though. Sure, tomatoes were a South American, specifically Peruvian, import, but that is... read more

• Last updated 2/28/10 by Nicko

by: Chef Jim Berman  "They are a hash smoking culture" Robin Williams quipped, "and anybody who is a friend of the hooka [hash smoking pipe], knows Pop Tarts are exactly what you want". Robin Williams was explaining the reasoning why hunger relief included Pop Tarts in the air-drops for the Afghans. And, I thought, naively, why not just drop hash? How hard could it be for our Army cooks to whip up some hash? They are a talented bunch, preparing thousands of meals a day, surely they could muster the forces necessary to get the potatoes peeled and meat diced to make a... read more

• Last updated 2/28/10 by Nicko

by: Chef Jim Berman Springtime is sensational for reinvention. All around us there are new vegetables poking up there first little leaves of the season. The gift wrapping is an early morning shower, shrouding the plantings in a damp haze. There are wonderful fruits hitting the market from closer rather than further away. Different specimens of ingredients are afoot. With invention comes innovation. And improvisation. So, with so many delicious components for our meals, it is meaningful to play with your food rather than simply prepare it. Look at those lime-green... read more

• Last updated 2/28/10 by Nicko

by: Chef Jim Berman The sweet, syrupy smell of falling aspen leaves, barely crinkling under your feet. Overly juicy, ripe-right-now Fuji apples exploding all over your chin. The wash of tingling of somebody saying "I really like you" for the first time. The closet-fresh, just-risen-from-summer-hibernation comfort of your favorite sweatshirt with the threadbare sleeves and stretched head opening. Coffee with a splash of hazelnut liqueur topped with way too rich whipped cream. Two slices of squishy-in-the middle, gently tanned French toast with each little pocket over... read more