Recipes in 30 minutes

[shroomgirl]

Last week i got the coolest job offer to write 9 recipes for Food and Wine's May issue....the gig is that they be 30 minutes from start til finish the majority (7) being one dish meals. I said sure, then they said hey by the way we need a map with farm stands/markets in the St. Louis area....again sure. So the selection has been made and i am getting ready to test them...essentially I am cooking May shtuff in Dec. Anyone know where I can get green garlic? I'm going to have to fake frais du bois, rhubarb may be a stretch also....This afternoon I actually found sorrel in an herb pack. What was so great was I assumed the food costs would be at my exspense...then I got the contract and it said they were picking up the tab....and if it is reprinted I get residuals...oh man this is too cool. Now to work on getting the meals prepped and cooked in 30 minutes....may have to borrow a microwave. Think about how long it takes to bake shtuff...by the time you have the filling ready there is little time to pop it in the oven....No wonder that pasta, fish, shrimp, chicken breasts are ruling the mags these days. A couple of days ago I got an ad for Martha's new 30 minutes or less meals....WHO came up with this number. Years ago Marion Burros did 30 minute cookbooks and articlesd....and the mags have gone in that direction over the years (actually have you noticed how they all kinda look the same?). 6 monthes out, I have heard some work 1 year ahead....seems almost easier to do it that way.
If you got ideas on how to test recipes that your making up as you go I'd love the inpput...and if you have a source for green garlic short of that sprouting head in your garlic bin I'd appreciate that also.

[marmalade]

What a great gig!

You might try www.diamondorganics.com They have an organic garlic, and you might be able to get some 'green' from them.

[chrose]

Shroom, sorry I can't be of more help to you in this endeavor, but I do want to say congrats. Writing an article for F & W is very cool and a nice little addition to the portfolio. Do keep us posted on the whole sordid affair. Maybe we can get autographed copies when it comes out!

[shroomgirl]

You guys know me so well....it has been hard settling on "one" way of doing a dish....I am vacilating on poaching the eggs for pissonolet in red wine and making a dressing from that or just regular poach and sauting shallots in the pancetta fat then making a warm dressing with tarragon viniager....That's part of the difficulty for me....cooking in 30 minutes is a mild challenge but I think deciding on what expresses my cooking is even more difficult......Michael Fields and James Beard used to have alternatives to their dishes...If you have red wine and garlic with your lamb shanks throw in ornge zest...it's what do you have available and what makes it good that day. I ave been writing recipes for the market for several years now and for classes more than that but this is a much bigger audience and I'm not sure how far to go with them....guess the editors will tell me (or just edit away).
I found large fresh rhubarb yesterday and snagged it...will not be the same as fresh small local rhubarb BUT it reflects the texture and cooking time better than frozen.
I am subbing leeks for the green garlic in the green garlic soup with chicken and aged gouda.
Will be interesting cooking with butter and cream and regular cheeses....normally my clients all want low fat food. I am sure that will still rule the day but it'll be nice to mellow out an acid with alittle butter instead of honey/sugar.
This was an interesting turn of events, I REALLY thought there would be writers coming out of the mid west that I could inspire....for several years it has been interesting trying to get writers writing about Mo. produce/products/small farms etc....there has been some success but as a whole it did not make national attention (sorry except for the article in cheftalk years ago ). Writing has never been a goal for me. Having a cookbook or two mainly for the children's cooking classes...How to develpo a child's palette...or a wild shroom book but not articles and recipes for mags....Funny how it falls into your lap when you least expect it. that would be me with the mega watt smile going oh man this is too cool.

[shroomgirl]

The best way to work through the recipes with measurements and timing is to have an assitant taking notes as your cooking....they pay attention to the clock and then when you've made a batch critque it and alter the ...generallly flavoring amounts. I've had to remake a few to get the right balance or to recheck a different technique....like how to get 20 oz of spinach in a 12" skillet...Timing will be interesting. I cook pretty proficiently and have been cooking quickly for years....how does that translate to the test kitchen....?

[shroomgirl]

Interestingly, I booted one of my ideas...strawberry rhubarb in fillo shells. The proportions of chevre to fillo to berry goo was off ...not enough space in that tiiny tart shell to hold the amount of chevre that would offset the crust. So reworking it in different forms. Thought of doing more of this have entered my brain...an editor is definately necessary

[suechef]

WOW Congratulations...you must be flying high! How wonderful for you and what a validation of your talent and commitment to your "calling".

I have never had to cook any of my recipes that I prepare for clients in 30 minutes or less, including prep time.....but, I do cook at home for my family and throw stuff together and think hmmmmm, that is better than what I served last night...now how did I make that again? LOL. Your idea of having an assistant write down and time things is great.

It has to be a challenge to condense your recipes down to 9 that will seem to give the readers a sense of who you are. I never know how to reply to someone who asks me, what dishes are you known for? It's so much more than that.

I guess too, that someone who will want to cook their meals in 30 minutes, is looking for easy steps to follow, easily obtainable ingredients that might be on the shelf with just a few fresh seasonal items thrown in.

Again, congratulations and I will be looking for your article...(why do I always spell out artichoke when I mean to write article?...happens every time!! LOL)

[shroomgirl]

Thank you Suechef! Welcome to Cheftalk. I've personal cheffed for 8-9 years and stream line alot of dishes...there are NO recipes....I just cook with what looks good in the store/what the clients request/ what is on hand...and what "moves me" Since there are generally so many dishes in different stages of doneness I can't always figureout what takes 45 minutes verus 30 minutes.....The bottom line is that they will not accept anything that takes longer than 30 minutes. The hard part is May is such a lean month for produce around here....June now june and July are lush. Shoot Aug. Sept are really popping...SHHHHH I donot get subscriptions to most cooking magazines....they all started to look the same and I derived little from them ...so after digging through my archived (read magazine pile) I dug out old Food and Wine's from last April and May. So there are smaller chicken breast used, different size pans and various amounts of food that make time economical sense. This was different then having an artilce to just develop recipes that I would make during that month that reflect me and don't have time limitations.....as the oldtimers know I hunt wild mushrooms and cook morels in April and May, those were not included in the recipes....not my choice. Since this is my first gig I'm still feeling my way through the maze.

[shroomgirl]

Editing has been an interesting experience...I wrote recipes using light olive oil, which I use instead of vegetable oil....olive oil does not work in my head with shrimp in a cream sauce iwth spring veg....So, the editors switched light olive oil to EVO! I called 6 chef friends to make sure I was not crazy...I use EVO to finish a dish or to make dressing with, I do not saute in it. AW well they paid for the recipes, they may alter to their hearts content. The process has been a learning experience.

[cape chef]

Shroom,

Just found this thread.

Way to go girl!

Have you finalized your recipes yet?

[phoebe]

Shroom,

How on earth did I miss this! CONGRATULATIONS!!!!

What a great gig! F & W clearly have excellent taste.
I'll be looking forward to that issue. Will there be a photo?

[chefboy2160]

Congrats and way to go ! You for sure have the knowledge so just let it flow! Show off that expanse of experience and love you have for fresh produce ! Please post more on this as I am very proud of you my friend ! Doug..............

[shroomgirl]

Thanks guys!!! Photos of the food, the article does not have pictures as far as i know, I offered "the market pic".
I'm working on chefs using local foods articles now for the web and newspapers....