More Than Just Another Salsa Recipe

My black bean salsa recipe contains several brand new things. It is the first time I have used my new photography equipment and the first time I have talked about my experience in stand up comedy. Both are essential to me in the weekly column.

NEW PHOTO EQUIPMENT
I have had fits getting the lighting and photo quality right since I moved the operation inside last fall. I shot all photos outside in the sunlight last summer, which gave me great lighting. Once I had to come inside, I started to get unnatural shadows and less sharp images. I turned to all different sorts of ways to light the food: flood lamps, flash and then 500-watt halogen lights bought at Wal-mart. The halogens worked best except they gave everything a yellow tint. (Not to mention the intense heat they generated.)

I finally admitted to myself a few weeks ago that it was time get professional help.

I went to Sunny Schick Camera Shop with a collection of my recipes in hand. They helped me get everything I needed to create top-notch photographs with the proper lighting and sharpness at an affordable price.

This recipe contains what I consider to be the first professional-quality photographs I have taken. I think this represents a new era in the creation of my column. The photo quality is that important. I want photographers and food stylists to look at my work and not find any technical fault. The new equipment has helped me achieve that.

Lighting units that replicate sunlight, tripod with extension arm camera-mount and a 14 megapixel camera has helped me significantly upgrade the quality of my photography.

STAND UP COMEDY
Stand up comedy was an essential step for me to write a column. Often I use humor in my column and there is a formula to "writing funny." I learned this through writing jokes for my stand up comedy act. I would more than likely not be doing this column had I not spent three solid years trying to make it as a stand up comic.

I eventually gave it up not because I wasn't funny, but because I didn't have enough hours to commit to being great at it, not with a career as a journalist at the same time. I am one of those people, it's all or nothing. I got into my first comedy club, getting regular spots and believed I had gone far enough, and am very proud that I can say that. It was a TON of work.

I mention the salsa bar at Maui Tacos in the column and the open mic that I attended there. I felt that I should talk more about the stand up because I never went to Maui Tacos for the tacos or salsa. I discovered the food because I went for the comedy. It wasn't until the third or fourth time that I even discovered the salsa bar! I was glad I found it, though, because after I did, I would look forward to scarfing a taco or two after a performance – which were often less than ideal (the performance, not the tacos).

The beginning of stand up comedy is often in downstairs and back-room lounges of bars and restaurants, like Maui Tacos. The first time I attended the open mic at Maui it was run by an old man who literally looked like the living version of the crypt keeper from the Tales from the Crypt TV series -- and fittingly his his jokes were also a horror story. At an open mic there is no club booker putting the best talent on stage. All you needed is five bucks and you get stage time. Often, you had people pretending to do comedy but who were really just doing a cheap therapy session in front of an audience of comedians. There were many comics on the open mic scene in New York who had no interest in a career making people laugh. They were there to relieve the weight of the world by spewing a depressed or often tragic rant about themselves, that quite frankly, wasn't funny at all.

Needless to say, the beginning stages of stand up are not as glamorous as a Comedy Central Presents. Maui Tacos open mic is the true beginning.

THE COLUMN
The recipe was very tasty and could probably as easily be called a relish rather than a salsa. But then I would have no tie to Maui Tacos - and it really is meant to be a salsa and eaten with tortilla chips.

The photography is crisp with great natural colors. I am in awe of what a little professional guidance has produced.

FINAL THOUGHTS
This column represents a lot to me technically and personally. There was a bigger story behind this one, and it has been fun to share.

Eat well, Cook often ...

A Sweet, Stick-To-Your-Ribs Breakfast

It's been a while since I featured a breakfast-themed recipe and pancakes were a high priority for me to document. I doubled the sugar and added vanilla and nutmeg to my usual pancake batter to compliment the blueberries and it really paid off. They were sweet, flavorful and hardy - something I expect from a pancake breakfast.

I also have to thank the citizens of Olney in the U.K. for keeping a bizarre tradition alive for the last 500 years and making the introduction very easy and interesting to write.

THE COLUMN
The blue plate in the final shot really makes the blue colors of the berries and pancakes pop. I've wanted to use the plate for a while, ever since I picked it up at the Dollar Tree a few months back - it is almost as if the plate was destined for blueberry pancakes!

The recipe is two stages: making the batter and cooking the batter. The presentation reflects this well. If I had to choose my 5 favorite recipes by design alone this would make the list.

My favorite part of this recipe is using a pointer to isolate a bubble in the pancake. It is THE cue that it is time to flip. A first time pancake-maker could look at this recipe and know exactly when the time was right to turn the pancake. Often it is a detail like this that many cookbooks don't provide -- and it can make cooking so intimidating to a beginner.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, I think this is one of my finest recipes to date. So many things came together - the plate color, the two stage process and the handy detail about timing the pancake flip. Not to mention a 500-year-old tradition in the U.K. that helps make this one a real favorite of mine.

Eat well, cook often ...

Ain't Nothin' Like the Real Thing

I highly recommend making homemade cream of mushroom soup. The mushroom is much more prominent and the cream is so light compared to the canned version. Anyone trying the homemade version for the first time will be really surprised at how delicious it is.

I call this a "base" recipe. Cream of mushroom soup is used in so many other dishes, I wanted to have my own version of it. If I ever decide to document green bean casserole for example, I can refer to this recipe for the cream of mushroom ingredient. I hope to do a few more of these in the near future. My own pizza dough is a top priority for a "base" recipe.

THE COLUMN
For the first time in a long time there is not an obvious joke in the introduction. I always try to incorporate one humorous comment in every recipe, but when it came down to it, there where too many interesting things to say about cream of mushroom soup and the joke had to be omitted. I don't plan on this being the start of a trend. I love incorporating humor -- I think it helps my column stand out.

The glare from the light on the soup pot gives the art in this presentation a cloudy look. Next time I use a large pot like this, I think I'm going to raise my lights so they are not so close to the actual pot. The glare is intense and it hurts the quality of the overall presentation.

I am really happy with the layout. I've developed a real style for the one-pot dishes. There is a nice flow that leads you from the first stage to the final dish. It is a familiar style of presentation for people who read the column regularly.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I don't think I'll ever eat cream of mushroom from the can again. This soup was so fresh and tasty that it just blows the canned version out of the water. It has inspired me to seek out more pantry staples and recreate them for myself. It's like discovering each dish for the first time.

Eat well, cook often ...

Thinking Creatively with Dough from a Can

Making dough from scratch is fun but it takes a lot of time. I love to take pre-made dough and use it to create something different. Whether you're using biscuit, pizza, or crescent dough, it's a way to be both quick and creative in the kitchen.

This recipe is a great example of that.

With very few ingredients, and just a little bit of prep, the end result here is a unique bite that is perfect for an appetizer or a potluck platter. (It was also cheap to make.)

As I say in the introduction, I found that wrapping the beef around the swiss and mushroom made assembling this recipe much easier than just stacking them on the dough. The beef makes a nice barrier to keep the cheese from seeping out of the dough once it's melted and gooey.

THE COLUMN
I was very happy with the overall piece. It took me 16 photographs to present this recipe. That is about as many as I can do with out it getting too crammed. The two step-by-step sequences in prepping the breadsticks are what turned this simple recipe into a complex design presentation.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Be creative. Take that biscuit dough out of the fridge and get crazy. Flatten it out, roll it up. Fry it, bake it – Hell, grill it! Pre-made dough is a great canvas for making a culinary statement.

Eat well, cook often ...

For this Recipe, the Devil Was in the Details

I had an interesting experience creating my deviled eggs recipe. On my first try,  I put a dozen cold eggs in cold water, which took a while to come to a boil. Once they did, I turned off the heat and let them sit in the hot water with the cover on for 30 minutes. Then I shocked them in an ice bath.

I completely over-cooked the eggs.

They were almost impossible to peel. The thin membrane between the shell and egg stuck to the whites and I destroyed the first ten I tried to peel. By that point, I was too mad to try the remaining two eggs. They were tossed into the waste basket much like a player in the NFL spikes a football after scoring a touchdown.

Thankfully, in the end, I got it right. What I came up with, after some research, is step one of the recipe.

THE COLUMN
This is one of my favorite introductions. The Easter egg/deviled egg observation is a nice start and the description of eating a deviled egg like a humongous tic-tac is a guilty pleasure that some of my readers really related to. The picture in the corner of all twelve eggs before plating is a little small and some of the detail gets lost, but other than than I'm happy with the layout and visual presentation of the recipe itself.

FINAL THOUGHT
After years of gourmet cooking and many hours working to becoming a better cook, I had to learn to hardboil an egg. I really hadn't done that since the days of coloring them as a kid for Easter. A food writer learning how to boil eggs...life always finds little ways to humble us.

Eat well, cook often ...

A Grinder: The Original Toasted Sub!

As I mention in the introduction to the column, I remember toasted subs from my childhood as "grinders." They were a staple of the take-out pizza places or local bars and grills. I loved them for the toasty bread and melted cheese - which is what sets it apart from a normal submarine sandwich.

I used to make a lot of these when I bought my car while living in New York City. In order to save a little extra cash to pay for the car, I would take my lunch to work. I could make a grinder on Sunday afternoon and have it for lunch a couple times that week.

New vs Original

THE COLUMN
I was not very happy with how the recipe turned out when it initially ran in the paper. I re-worked it for the blog. I replaced the art for the final stage, which is the dominant art - The platter behind the sandwich drowns out all the layers behind it. The new version removes the platter, allowing the layers behind to stand out a little. I went back through my original photos to get the sliced sandwich and cross-section for the improved version's final art.

It is the first time in 42 weeks that I have been so unhappy with the final design that I actually re-made it after publication. I am relatively pleased with how the final recipe turned out - especially how the sandwich is built layer by layer -- I just wish this was the version that ran in the paper.

FINAL THOUGHTS
Now that toasted subs are everywhere, including gas stations, I'm wondering how long it will be before McDonald's comes out with its own version called the McToasty.

Cook often, eat well ...

An Alternative to Mexican Flavored Spice Packets

Taco seasoning packets for flavoring the meat in Mexican dinners is an American thing.

When I was in college, I ate at La Bambas on the campus of Ball State University almost everyday. I got to know the employees pretty well, and the owner told me that the seasoning in tacos and borritos in real Mexican cuisine was in the salsa not in the meat.

Still, American-Mexican food is a yummy treat. I prefer making tacos the authentic way and spending lots of time on a spicy flavored salsa, but every so often I create a dish inspired by Mexico and all the spice and flavor is in the meat – the good ol' American way to make "Mexican" food.

(Check out my latest original recipe [http://behindthebites.blogspot.com/2011/04/thinking-outside-bun.html] which employs this concept)

A popular way to create these flavors is with pre-made spice packets. Old El Paso and Ortega are two popular brands that include spice packets in taco kits and also sell them separately. They usually require the contents of the packet and a cup of water with one pound of ground meat. (Half a packet is usually enough per pound, but the directions all seem to call for the entire packet).

I never use these store-bought packets. A tablespoon chili powder, two teaspoons ground cumin, salt and pepper to taste are all one needs to flavor a pound of meat to use in an American-style taco or burrito. It's cost effective and more important, it cuts out all the sodium and preservatives that are jam packed into the store bought packets.

With a pound of Mexican-flavored ground meat there are a number of dishes that can made. Chose a tortilla type and preparation technique, add a few more ingredients and you have an endless number of possibilities to choose from.

Thinking Outside the Bun

This is a recipe I have been wanting to create for a long time. It's inspired, obviously, by the Taco Bell Mexican Pizza. The biggest difference is that I use corn tortillas, while the Bell uses flour.

This is the third pizza I have made for the column, and I must say it is probably my favorite so far.

THE COLUMN
The first two pizzas I featured in the column were composed in a very similar fashion, but this one took a little more work. The end result was a nice, functional presentation that leads the reader very clearly through the cooking process . The other pizzas were made on pre-made crust while this one features the fried tortilla. I thought it was important to visualize this step as well as spicing up the meat. The two steps are key to the texture and flavor of the dish.

Instead of photographing each layer of the fresh ingredients as they were added, as I did with previous pizza recipes (http://behindthebites.blogspot.com/2011/03/pizza-for-breakfast.html), I chose to show the final step with all the prepped ingredients to the left. It saved me space and I think effectively shows the final stage of the pizza.

FINAL THOUGHTS
As I mention in the introduction, Mexican food is so simple. It takes just a few ingredients in your pantry to make several different Mexican-themed meals - and they are relatively inexpensive to make. When you're in the mood for Mexican, stock your pantry right and a delicious meal can come together much faster and cheaper than a run to the Bell.

Eat well, cook often ...

Salad is Not Always the Best Option

I am a lucky person when it comes to eating.

I have been able to eat what I want without ever having to worry about my weight. Every so often, though, I get the urge to eat healthier, especially if I stop for fast food. If I am at McDonald's I will get a Filet-o-Fish, for example, instead of a Quarter Pounder with cheese. I realize that eating healthy and fast food really don't go together. It's just an attempt to ease what I call fast food guilt, which kicks in as soon as I pull up to the drive-thru window. 

Recently I was at Taco Bell and ordered a value meal that consisted of two Crunchy Tacos Supreme and a Mexican Pizza. After I ordered, I was hit by fast food guilt and thought that I should have gotten a taco salad instead. Why? Because I'm a guy, and guy logic tells me that healthy eating always involves a salad!

After a little research I was very surprised to find the exact opposite at Taco Bell.

Eating either the Chicken Ranch or Chipotle Steak Taco Salad at the Bell would have saved me only 30 or 40 calories.

Taco Bell has what they call a Drive Thru Diet.  I would have opted for three Fresco Crunchy Tacos from that menu, which would have cut down the calories significantly. The only catch to this is that I saw the Drive Thru Diet when I was eating at Taco Bell and I dismissed it.

Why?

Because there was no salad on the menu!

It was not until I researched the Taco Bell menu online that I discovered that the diet menu really does have much less calories.

THE MORAL OF THE STORY
If you are feeling like cutting back on calories it's probably not a great idea to eat fast food at all. But if you do, and you're a guy like me, take someone who knows a thing or two about cutting calories, or do your research beforehand (this post counts as research, I'd like to think).

Find all of the Nutritional facts about Taco Bell's menu here:
http://www.tacobell.com/nutrition/information

Eat well, cook often ...

A Seafood Salad for Summertime

I was so happy to make this recipe! I bought the shrimp at the grocery store across the street from my old apartment in Queens. It was fantastically fresh AND I got to grill it on my girlfriend's porch.  Fresh New York City seafood, grilled on a New York City porch – that is just heaven. As I have discussed in this column before, it was so nice to get seafood that is so fresh it taste and smells like the sea. You literally have to be near the ocean to get it at an affordable price.

The shrimp was actually left over from the night before. I had planned to make a shrimp taco as part of a taco party Nicole (my girlfriend) and I hosted. Everyone was full after the steak and chicken tacos, so I ended up with shrimp for the next day. The idea to make a shrimp salad came during brunch. It seemed like a great summer sandwich -- and summer was in the air because it was the first warm weekend of 2011.

THE COLUMN
As a visual for the printed recipe, I was very happy with how the wrap is built and rolled. It also flows nicely around the final dish. I had never eaten the vegetable chips before. They were Nicole's suggestion and I am glad she did  - they're tasty and leave you feeling less guilty about eating chips. They also add great colors to the final plate.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I made the decision to add the shrimp whole. Most of the time when I get seafood salad, the meat is so cut up that it is virtually hidden. Not this salad. The whole shrimp creates giant unmistakable bites of delicate and tasty seafood. This is the only way I am ever going to make this salad again. Whether it be with fresh lobster, tuna or shrimp - the bigger bites make this feel like lunch at a great seafood restaurant.

Eat well, cook often ...