Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens

by Jennifer Schaertl

  GOURMET MEALS

  in Crappy

  Little Kitchens

  Jennifer Schaertl

  Health Communications, Inc.

  Deerfield Beach, Florida

  www.hcibooks.com

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Schaertl, Jennifer.

  Gourmet meals in crappy little kitchens / Jennifer Schaertl.

  p. cm.

  eISBN-13: 978-0-7573-9514-7 eISBN-10: 0-7573-9514-7

  1. Cookery. I. Title.

  TX714.S35 2010

  641.5—dc22

  2010002238

  ©2010 Jennifer Schaertl

  All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written permission of the publisher.

  HCI, its logos, and marks are trademarks of Health Communications, Inc.

  Publisher: Health Communications, Inc.

  3201 S.W. 15th Street

  Deerfield Beach, FL 33442-8190

  Cover food photo ©Inmagine; author photo ©Jay Shirtz, jayshirtz.com

  Cover design by Larissa Hise Henoch

  Interior design and formatting by Lawna Patterson Oldfield

  Contents

  The Art of Cooking in Your Crappy Little Kitchen

  “A”-Game Appetizers

  Superior Soups

  Toss Everything but These Salads

  Exquisite Entrées

  Dignified One-Pot Creations

  Artful Accompaniments

  Saucy Sauces

  Desserts to Die For

  Acknowledgments

  The Art of Cooking in

  Your Crappy Little Kitchen

  I know what you’re thinking . . . Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens, isn’t that an oxymoron? You actually couldn’t be further from the truth! Chef Francois Vatel, not only invented Chantilly cream (vanilla sweetened whipped cream) without the aid of a motorized mixer, but he also created ice sculptures for his table displays in 1671 with ice he foraged from the great outdoors. While preparing dinner for King Louis XIV, Vatel learned that the fish for the meal would not arrive on time. So distraught with embarrassment, he ran himself through with his own sword. While I’m sure your Crappy Little Kitchen has introduced many cooking conundrums and you can identify with Vatel’s pain, I can assure you there is no need for desperate measures when it comes to making the most of your Crappy Little Kitchen. With my help, your Crappy Little Kitchen will become the centerpiece for delicious gourmet meals and a place you will love to call home.

  Cooking in a CLK builds character and personality—— two attributes of downright delicious gourmet meals. And I will teach you everything you need to know so you will love your CLK and the food that comes out of it.

  Crappy Little Kitchens rock, and if you give your Crappy Little Kitchen (CLK for short) half a chance, you’ll be in complete agreement. When I made lobster for my friends in what was essentially a tiny bedroom on the second floor of a Brooklyn brownstone, with a teeny sink, tiny stove, and hotel-room-size refrigerator (I tower over it at 5'7") all just shoved up against the wall, I found the experience much more inspiring!

  The first restaurant where I became the sous chef wasn’t much bigger than a closet. The dishwashing machine was crammed so close to the stove that I stood with my back touching the dishwasher as he worked by my side. While training a new line cook, I asked her to please juice a small bag of lemons for a fresh vinaigrette. When she asked me where my juicer was, I responded by lifting my right hand with a look on my face that said, “You’re looking at it!”

  Whatever your kitchen situation—whether you have a minuscule space, ancient appliances, or a dismal appearance (or all three!)—you can still work wonders and create gourmet meals. The reason I am so confident about this fact is that growing up I witnessed my father perform what others might think is a mealtime miracle—he baked a delicious pineapple upside-down cake using a campfire. So, if Dad can do cozy comfort food in the great outdoors, there is no stopping what creations await in Crappy Little Kitchens!

  Using a Dutch oven that’s been in my father’s family for generations, he layers brown sugar, sliced pineapple, and a little pineapple juice to make the caramel. He pours a very simple vanilla sponge cake recipe over the top and covers it with the cast iron lid. Using red hot coals he pulls from the fire we’ve been visiting around all evening, my father places his Dutch oven over them. He scoops more coals onto the top, and the family conjures an image of the brown sugar and juice beginning to bubble and pop into caramel around the softening pineapple, whose steam has begun to make the cake batter rise ever so evenly. In short order, my father pulls the cake from the fire to unveil it, and we are quiet for the first time since—well since the last time my dad made the cake! Look for Dad’s Miraculous Campfire Cake recipe CLK style in the Desserts to Die For section of this book.

  Just because you cook in a CLK does not justify a crappy meal!

  What Is Gourmet?

  I created this book to bring gourmet cooking into your home and your CLK. Gourmet meals don’t need to be intimidating or overly complicated, although the word gourmet tends to strike fear in some and inspire awe in others. It can be a proper noun describing a person with discriminating tastes and a well-defined palate for fine food and drink. It can also be an adjective to describe a type of restaurant, menu, or cook. The definition I prefer, which applies to Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens, is food perfectly prepared from the finest ingredients and artfully presented with love and care.

  What I like to emphasize (especially when people tell me how they dread cooking for me because they shudder to think what I will think) is that the meaning of gourmet is subjective. How do you take an everyday dish like macaroni and cheese and heighten it to the level of gourmet? Truffles, an interesting blend of fine cheeses, and homemade pasta is one way. Or you can follow a basic macaroni and cheese recipe, and prepare it perfectly. Nicely seasoned, al dente, store-bought noodles and a well-executed cheddar cheese sauce can make a gourmet meal. Both dishes constitute a gourmet creation because they both comprise a blend of flavors and textures, artful presentations, and the freshest foods possible. You don’t need every ingredient, just like you don’t need every kitchen tool made to man to create a gourmet meal. What is essential are the best ingredients available to you, prepared with an expertise that comes with practice and respect for food preparation. A little experimentation thrown in doesn’t hurt, either! Whether you make the most complicated salmon soufflé or a delicious smoothie, all you need is practice, practice, practice! It’s way more fun to practice in a Crappy Little Kitchen where you only need the basic tools of the trade and no complicated contraptions to distract you!

  My Crappy Little Kitchen experiences molded me into a better chef and a better person than I was before, and your CLK experiences can do the same for you.

  A Journey Through

  My Crappy Little Kitchens

  Besides witnessing resourceful cooking firsthand from my dad, I learned the art of cooking in a Crappy Little Kitchen from, well, cooking in Crappy Little Kitchens. My first Crappy Little Kitchen was in a one-room efficiency apartment where I could flip an egg on the stove while sitting in my living room. In my next apartment, my CLK was so small I had to use my cutting board on my washing machine. Although my washing machine was inoperable (go figure!), it served a useful purpose by acting as additional counter space.

  My next apartment move landed me in my very favorite CLK in Sunset Park, Bro
oklyn, where I’m convinced “Jennifer the Chef” was born. I’ve had several Crappy Little Kitchens since and live with one right now. I’m still larger than my refrigerator and my kitchen floor slopes terribly causing my ancient stove to sway back and forth. I have terrible storage and no dishwasher, well, unless you count me.

  Gourmet Meals in Crappy Little Kitchens offers you practical hints and tips to make the most of your CLK space and shows you exactly how to re-create the delicious gourmet meals that I’ve served as a chef in several five-star restaurants over the last eight years. I created and perfected all of the gourmet meals that make up this book in my own CLK, and I’ll share my chef secrets with you. But what you will gain the most from me is my CLK expertise. You’ll learn kitchen shortcuts, surprising factoids, space saving ideas, and frugal hints, and I’ll introduce you to new and delicious foods. I’ll expand your cooking repertoire with suggestions for unusual gourmet ingredients, but I’ll always offer you simple alternatives without sacrificing taste. You’ll discover a myriad of options for various methods of preparation and presentation. I’ll also offer easy ideas for pairing recipes and ingredients for even greater variety by combining recipes included in this book. For example, serve the Fried Green Tomatoes with the Chipotle Aioli, and the SnakeCharmin’ Moroccan Lamb Chops with the Kick Your Caboose Saffron Couscous. You can use your Crappy Little Kitchen to create kitchen magic. Don’t fall prey to the misconception your crappy kitchen space limits your possibilities or confines your pallet. The opposite is true. My restaurant-proven experience shows fine food and cramped kitchen quarters are not mutually exclusive. So, let’s take the stuffy out of gourmet. It’s time to enjoy that beef tartar AND your mother’s meatloaf, just perhaps not in the same sitting!

  TOP FIVE REASONS

  WHY CLKS ROCK MORE THAN GLITZY

  GOURMET KITCHENS

  1. CLKs take less time to clean.

  2. Everything you need is within arm’s reach and never gets lost.

  3. Stainless steel leaves fingerprints.

  4. Making physical contact with your partner, roommate, or friend is easy (and unavoidable) in your CLK.

  5. You only have what you need and only need what you have.

  Top-of-the line contemporary kitchens with all the luxurious amenities and newfangled shiny appliances do not make a good cook. The only real necessity for turning out gourmet meals is you! With my help, you will transform yourself into a fabulous cook and learn how your CLK provides the perfect landscape to elevate your cooking from pedestrian to perfection. Now there are first-class kitchens that are small in stature, and there are enormous kitchens with a stove, sink, and fridge shoved up against the wall. The important thing to remember is that your little kitchen, as crappy as it may be, is far superior to everyone else’s. Wanna know why?

  • Your kitchen is the “every kitchen.” It’s approachable, it’s homey, it’s where everyone gathers when you throw a party.

  •Most people with super nice kitchens don’t cook in them, because they don’t want to mess up their gorgeous “show” kitchens. I will teach you how to be “hands on” in your CLK, and you’ll barely make a mess when you cook.

  •Making a beautiful meal in a grand kitchen looks easy and is always expected, but your guests will experience awe and wonder when you present them with eye-watering and delicious Braised Lamb Shank Shepherd’s Pie straight from your crappy little stove.

  • You may have the Crappiest Little Kitchen in your group of friends, but with my simple advice you’ll be the best cook of the bunch.

  • Fashions change, economies crash, people come and go, but you’re Crappy Little Kitchen has survived the test of time. With its original subway tile, wobbly stove, and non-defrosting refrigerator that didn’t start out “eggshell,” your CLK will provide pleasure and gourmet meals for generations to come.

  Where most people go awry in their CLK is in buying space-wasting gadgets. I’m here to tell you: never bother with a tool that only has one function! The kitchen gear I recommend not only does an excellent job at the function for which it is intended, it also can perform additional tasks making each item an invaluable tool for the gourmet cook confined to a small space. Invest in these CLK-friendly must-haves that will give you the most bang for your buck:

  Pots and pans

  You only need a few utilitarian pots and pans to do the job in your CLK. Make sure these are durable, heavy bottom pots preferably with matching lids (but foil makes a perfect crappy little lid). I prefer stainless steal (strong, resists rust, inexpensive, around $40, and usually dishwasher safe) with a copper or aluminum coil buried in the base for even heating. You don’t need to buy the most expensive, but make sure they are able to go in the oven without warping the handles (it will say “oven safe” somewhere on the packaging, but if the entire thing is stainless steal you’ll know it’s oven safe).

  12-quart stockpot with strainer and steamer basket

  You can boil a box of spaghetti or steam large lobsters in this monster pot. You only need one large stockpot for all size jobs. Because it comes with its own steamer and strainer basket, which nestle inside for easy storage, you can also use this same pot for steaming vegetables as well as to strain the pasta or lobsters without the need for a separate colander. Use this pot to make any of the soup or sauce recipes found in this cookbook. You can prepare small or large quantities in this same pot.

  12-inch stainless steel sauté pan

  This generous sauté pan will work for jobs both large and small. You can fry two pieces of bacon, or make a monster party-size portion of paella in this magical pan. I use this pan more than any other pan in my kitchen, because I sauté, caramelize, or sweat onions and garlic, which is how I begin most of the meals in my kitchen.

  8-inch nonstick sauté pan

  Most chefs swear by stainless steel and refuse to use anything else. It’s true that proteins like chicken or beef won’t brown as well in a nonstick pan (mainly because you really shouldn’t get nonstick pans that hot). If you don’t scratch its surface or overheat it, nonstick is a spectacular invention. Eggs over easy are heaven on buttered toast, and fish get a crispy crust before sliding out of the pan with the greatest of ease.

  1-quart stainless steel saucepot

  This pot is the perfect size when making delicate sauces or reheating small amounts of soup. A larger surface area will retain heat better, and therefore cook much faster. When working butter into a sauce or reheating a velvety cream soup, this is the opposite of what you want. You need slow and low heat to prevent overheating or breaking your sauce or soup. It doesn’t require much space and takes the place of a meat mallet when pounding out cutlets!

  Dutch oven

  A Dutch oven is a large pot or kettle with a tight fitting lid. You can choose from cast iron, ceramic, or even stainless steel, but what you need is something slightly smaller than a roasting pan. It should have a heavy bottom to go on the stovetop for baked beans, but also go in the oven for braised rabbit or pot roast. Now if you have a small roasting pan or braising pan, don’t throw it away and buy a Dutch oven. This is a great example of using what you have. Make the Lamb Shank Sheppard’s Pie in your braising pan and use a piece of foil as your lid.

  Pot rack

  This is very easy to make with a wire rack from an old barbeque grill, four strong ceiling hooks, four chains of equal length, and some “S” hooks. The look will add a bit of shabby chic to your Crappy Little Kitchen. The grill rack itself becomes the body of the pot rack. First, you must anchor the hooks into the ceiling. Just explain the project to the hardware store employee, and they’ll steer you in the right direction for the items that you need. Once you’ve properly installed the hooks into the ceiling, hang the chains from the hooks, then hang the four “S” hooks from the bottom of each chain, and attach the grill rack. Hang the rest of the “S” hooks from the grill rack, arranging them equal distances apart. Start looking for stuff to hang from those hooks!

  If you’re
not a do-it-yourselfer, you can also find reasonably priced pot racks in any store that boasts a kitchen section. With this nifty gadget, you can suspend pots and pans right above your head for easy reach, but most important, your lack of storage becomes a non-issue. Make the best use of your limited space by hanging all sorts of things from the ceiling, walls, or counters. Buy inexpensive under-the-counter wineglass holders and hanging wire baskets for your fruits and vegetables.

  Utensils

  You no longer need a meat mallet, since whacking the meat with your saucepan will serve that purpose, but having a few double-duty utensils can eliminate all sorts of unnecessary space-wasting gadgets. Keep all your thin handled utensils (spatula, spider, etc.) together in a decorative jar next to your stovetop for easy access, and you won’t have to use up your limited drawer space.

  Heat-resistant spatula

  Usually made of silicone, a heat resistant spatula won’t scratch your pans, melt, or catch fire. It takes the place of the wooden spoon and the metal spatula. A heat-resistant spatula flips eggs and burgers beautifully, and it will scrape every last drop from mixing bowls.

  Whisk

  One 12- to 16-inch, thin wire whisk is the only whisk you’ll ever need. Whipping cream, working butter into a sauce, creaming eggs and sugar, sifting dry ingredients, and even whipping up mashed potatoes are all utilities of the whisk, so I do recommend owning one.

  Tongs

  In a professional kitchen, this is the most used utensil. You can turn meat, stir, move pots with hot handles around the stovetop, pick out food from poaching liquid, and you can even juice a lime with it. It’s a great serving utensil for salad or asparagus, too! A nice lightweight aluminum pair of tongs is a great piece of equipment, and if there’s no room left on the pot rack, you can hang it from a nail on the wall.

  Spider

  No, not an arachnid, but a nifty Asian-style utensil that looks like a shallow wire basket with a long handle and is great for lifting vegetables and pasta out of boiling water in fairly large batches. It keeps you from having to pull out broccoli one by one from blanching liquid or pouring out all your boiling water into a colander and starting over. If you need to strain the fat from a few pieces of meat or gently lift poached eggs, this is the tool to use.