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Cheesy Thoughts
On our recent trip to Québec I was reminded of one of the few things that I was missing from living there. Cheeses! Tons and tons of varieties, the tastier the better… As with many places I have lived in the past, the cheeses available, in most supermarkets here in Mexico, tend to be bland and boring. Strangely enough, for a population that is so strongly attracted to tasty and spicy food, strong tasting cheeses are not very appreciated. It is somewhat understandable as a lot of time cheeses are used to cool off the taste of other stronger tasting ingredients, and as toppings. Most supermarkets have commercially-made high production cheeses of the common local varieties. Panela, a fresh cheese of wet rubbery consistency, Oaxaca, a tasty cheese made for melting that is available in long ribbons formed into balls, and some firm varieties, namely Manchego and Chihuahua. Strangely enough the local variety of Manchego is made with cow’s milk and is more reminiscent of a mild cheddar than the firm ewe’s milk Manchego of Spain. Of course, if you like shopping for fresh produces at the tianguis like we do, there are much tastier varieties of the same cheeses available there that have much fuller flavors as well as other small production farm cheeses. As always these cheeses have much better flavor and less of a bland taste as most large production cheeses. This is something that I have found in most countries that I have visited.
Being raised in a French household and surrounded by cheeses since infancy my understanding of the cheese culture is a bit different than most North American. My Dad’s taste for cheeses was always on the hard varieties like strong aged cheddars and a local semi-firm variety made by Trappist Monks in Oka, a small town near Montréal, and surprisingly named Fromage Oka. The later was, in its original incarnation, an incredibly pungent cheese that took a very strong stomach to approach from the smell alone, but that was of surprisingly mild and beautiful taste once you got past the smell. My own personal taste runs to the tasty, high fat, soft textured French cheeses with a mold crust like Brie, Camembert, Reblochon, but I have not met a well-made cheese so far that I do not like.
In the past 25 years the cheese industry in Québec has evolved greatly in new directions. Still available are the high production commercial cheeses, but a new industry has developed that has created a huge variety of small-production artisan cheeses of all types and flavors that rival the French by their quality and creativity. It is too bad that they also rival them with their prices, but I guess that quality always has its price. Traditional techniques have been imported from France and, to lesser extent, other countries, and the use of “Lait Cru”, unpasteurized milk, is on the rise. As an unabashed lover of “Lait Cru” cheeses I am very happy of the later development. By not pasteurizing the milk and letting its natural bacterial flora flourish these cheeses develop a much more interesting taste that can become very addictive.
It is common, here in Mexico, to serve some cheese as appetizers, but personally I much prefer to have a nice platter of room-temperature cheeses after the meal, to the point of replacing desserts with it. It is a fitting finish to an elaborate meal and it is normally the correct point in the evening to open the best bottle of wine. In my life, many fond memories were made over some nice runny, pungent cheeses with a fittingly appropriate potent wine bottle or three. It leads to inspiration and long lasting friendship of the best kind.
I will have more to say on cheeses in coming weeks, and in the meantime I hope that you can look for a nice piece of cheese to experiment with, for a nice bottle of wine to go with it, and more importantly for the time to relax and truly appreciate them with good friends.
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The Starter’s Kitchen – Part 2
I personally tend to move from one extreme to another in what I use in the kitchen, from using a few basic tools for everything, to using specific tools for specific tasks. It all depends on my mood of the moment, and probably the phase of the moon too. These days I have been paying more attention to what I use daily in the kitchen, and I noticed that the basic tools that I employ the most are not very numerous. Everybody has their preferences, so what I say here should be taken with a grain of salt, as I am sure a lot of people out there could not life without their preferred gadgets or kitchen tools. The following list highlights the basic essentials that everybody interested in cooking should have in their kitchen, and it is based on my own experience. In subsequent posts I will list other items that I think should form the basis of a good kitchen. At a later date I will expand on each item on the various lists to explain my personal preferences.
Basic Essentials (Kitchen)
- 2-6 burner gas stovetop oven or electric griddle
- 2-4 slice toaster or toaster oven broiler
- Microwaves
- Blender
- Deep Fryer
- Coffee makers
- Electric kettle
- Saucepan 6″ with lid
- Saucepan 8″ with lid
- Saucepan 10″ and Steamer with lid
- Stockpot 10″ with lid
- 2 x 6″ fry pan
- 10″ fry pan
- 12″ fry pan
- Square Griddle
- Square Grill
- Wok
- Roaster with Rack
- Refrigerator with Freezer
- Etc…
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Experience
I have been wondering about something since last night, and that makes me reflect a lot on many things, to the point of making me somewhat unproductive today. I know that I am not chronologically young anymore, but I still feel like I am young deep down inside me, even though some morning my body reminds me that I am not still in my teens. I have been wondering all day if experience still counts for something in today’s society…
This thought was triggered by watching some cooking show on TV last night. There was not much of anything decent on TV and I was zapping through the channels trying to find something interesting to watch. I came across a cooking show that I had seen advertised on one of the Latin American cooking channels we get on cable, but never actually watched. It was a restaurant based reality show where some young chef, that showed his lack of experience in the way he was running the place and also the attitude of a spoiled kid, was confronted with running a busy restaurant short on staff. This attitude is not entirely related to age, as I know people much older than me that exhibit the same personality traits. What came next is what really floored me when this kid in his mid 20’s, who could not be out of cooking school that long, came on camera and boasted “When I was a young chef”. I could not help commenting to Normita that I probably have socks older than that kid, and how long could he have been cooking professionally to say something like that. If while in his mid 20’s he is considering himself an ‘Old Timer’ what will he consider himself to be in 20-30 years?
This led me to do some serious thinking about what my outlook on life was when I was that age. I clearly remember that, like most people that age, I thought that I knew better than most people my own age, and a lot of older people, but I also remember that I had, and still have a lot of respect for the opinion of people who had done something longer than I had and accumulated a lot of experience. It all comes down to one of my pet peeves of all time, my long-standing lamenting that the old apprentice system of yore is gone, and there is no way for people to learn a trade that takes years to master, as most people want results now without the need to learn it the old fashioned way. I have worked with my hands all of my life, and I know that many skills are beyond what I can do with the time I have to practice them. I also know that if you want to be good at something you have to have some talent, but the most important thing is practice, and practice, and practice, and some more practice.
Back to the cooking world where somebody used to apprentice for years before moving up in the kitchen hierarchy, we now have kids that goes for a few weeks to a few months in a famous kitchen, and move on to another one to improve their resumé, and that they want to be cooking stars a few short years after they get interested in the trade. This lead to what I saw yesterday on TV when a 25 year old ‘Old Timer’ has is own cooking show on TV, plainly shows that he cannot handle the job at hand, that of running a restaurant’s kitchen, and even worse does not even demonstrate good manual skill at the basic prep work for the dishes he demonstrates. The later is a trait that you see often nowadays on cooking show, and I assume that they do not teach basic techniques in cooking school anymore, or worse that they do, but most people do not bother learning and practicing them properly.
I guess that I am ranting again and boring you all, and that what was supposed to be a very short post is turning into a long one, but I firmly believe that experience and basic skills takes time to learn, and that there are no shortcuts to attain them both. I noticed the same trend in my professional life as a programmer, is that there are so many new things to learn that people are more interested in the technology itself, than in making thing actually do something very well, without the need of the latest technology.
A word of advise to anybody passing by here from an ‘Old Timer’ at many things including life, no matter what your goals are in life, no matter what subject you really feel deeply interested in, please take some time developing the basic skills to achieve your goals. It both takes time and a lot of practice, but when you finally grow up and are finally getting a bit of real life experience under your collar, you will learn to appreciate the fact that you actually KNOW a lot more about the subject at hand than a lot of your contemporaries, and one day you will also learn to be proud of that in itself. By the way, this also applies to people my age, as we are never too old to learn anything new, and experience, no matter how old you are to start with, takes a long time to accumulate. As they would say today, knowledge and experience rules!
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Where did all the taste go?
We just got up from the table after a late breakfast and something dawned on me. Where did the taste go in most commercial food products? Recently I bemoaned the lack of taste in high production commercial cheeses that tastes more of plastic than of milk products, but why is this happening with most mass-market food products? I know that according to modern corporate practices and the search for the holy bottom line, large corporations tend to homogenize their products and go for the least common denominator, but is there a universal ingredient called “Flavor” that is so expensive in the future market that most corporations shy away from using it in their products?
This morning we opened a new package of margarine, as well as new packages of “Spreadable” cream cheese and peanut butter. All were supposedly “New And Improved” and were definitely more “Spreadable’ than older formulations, but all were lacking taste. In the quest for “Spreadability” the core of the product flavor was forgotten. The margarine was bland and tasted of nothing, the cream cheese could have been bland thick cream as there was no hint of the slight sourness that is normally associated with the product, and you would have been confronted with a difficult task in trying to decide what was put in your mouth if you had tasted the peanut butter blind. The peanut taste was so light that you had to double the normal amount used to get any hint of it.
Maybe that’s what they are trying to make happen… All of those products were not “Light” versions of the regular brand, so that was not the problem. I looked into it a bit and found out that all the brands we had opened this morning were brands from the same mega-food conglomerate, so this might be a problem that is more specific to them, but I have noticed the trend in recent years in a variety of other brands. Has anybody out there found the same thing recently? Come on big food conglomerates; let’s put the taste back in your products…
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Fruit Cake
Fruit cake made with soaked unsweetened dried fruit. A festive, flavorful, and moist fruit cake to enjoy all holiday season. This family recipe will make you a fruit cake convert. A traditional moist fruit cake made with brandy soaked dried fruit, and candied ginger. The best fruit cake recipe you’ll ever make. It turns cynics into converts. This fruit cake recipe yields two loaves cakes.
Ingredient
1/4 cup Dried Peaches
1/4 cup Dried Apricots
1/4 cup Dried Pears
1/4 cup Dried Dark Raisins
1/4 cup Dried Candied Ginger
1/4 cup Dried Dried Fig
1/4 cup Dried Cherry
3/4 cup Walnuts
1 cup Brandy
2 cup Flour
1 tbsp Baking Powder
1 tbsp Baking Soda
2 tbsp Nutmeg
2 tbsp Cinnamon
2 tbsp Ginger
3/4 cup Olive Extra Virgin Oil
2 Eggs
2 tbsp Vanilla Extract
2 tbsp Maple Syrup
2 tbsp Honey
2 Apple Sauce
6 Maraschino Cherry
Syringe 1 ml
Brandy
Preparation
- 1. Chopped Dried Fruits
- 2. In a bowl, stir together the fruits, walnuts, and brandy.
- 3. Cover and let soak for at least 4 hours or up to 24 hours, stirring a few times during the soak.
- 4. Aluminum foil two loaves cakes.
- 5. Preheat the oven to 300F.
- 6. In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, spice, baking powder. Set aside.
- 7. In a bowl, whisk together the olive extra virgin oil, vanilla extract, maple syrup, honey, apple sauce, eggs. Set aside.
- 8. Bowl olive and dried fruits, whisk together.
- 9. Bowl olive, dried fruits, and flour, whisk together.
- 10. Divide the batter evenly among the two baking pans.
- 11. Bake for 2 hours or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- 12. Let the cakes cool in the pan for 10 minutes.
- 13. Run a knife around the cake to release it from the edges.
- 14. Remove and place them on a cooling rack.
- 15. Aluminum foil two loaves cakes.
- 15. Generously syringe of the cakes with brandy.
- 16. Maraschino Cherry.
- 17. Aluminum foil for wrapping fruit cake.
- 18. Store the cakes for up to 8 weeks.
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Strawberry
The garden strawberry is a widely grown hybrid species of the genus Fragaria, collectively known as the strawberries, which are cultivated worldwide for their fruit. The fruit is widely appreciated for its characteristic aroma, bright red color, juicy texture, and sweetness. It is consumed in large quantities, either fresh or in such prepared foods as jam, juice, pies, ice cream, milkshakes, and chocolates.
Strawberry And Cream
An easy, no-cook, yet delicious treat that comes with history and tradition. Strawberries and cream have long been served at Wimbledon since the first tournament in 1877 and since Monday is the start of this 2 week tennis event, and the history.
It is believed that it was King George V who first brought strawberries and cream to Wimbledon in the early 1900. Strawberries were the only fruit available at the time and apparently strawberries were very fashionable to eat at that time. Nothing says summer has arrived in England more than the Wimbledon tennis championship. It is the highlight of the British summer social calendar and anyone who’s anyone will be attending.
Strawberry And Cream
Ingredient
- 12 Strawberries
- 4 tbsp Cream
Preparation
- 1. 6 strawberries to each bowl
- 2. Pour over the cream
- 3. Serve
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Curriculum Vitae 2022
J. Luc Paquin 2022 – English & Español
Luc Paquin
Languages Spoken and Written: French, English and Spanish.
Citizenship: Canadian
Luc Paquin
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/luc/
English
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPFoodWineCV2022Mk1a.pdf
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https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPComidaVinosCVMk2022a.pdf
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Caesar Salad
A Caesar salad is a green salad of romaine lettuce and croutons dressed with lime juice, olive oil, egg, Worcestershire sauce, anchovies, garlic, Dijon mustard, Parmesan cheese, and black pepper. In its original form, this salad was prepared and served tableside.
The salad’s creation is generally attributed to the restaurateur Caesar Cardini, an Italian immigrant who operated restaurants in Mexico and the United States. His daughter Rosa recounted that her father invented the salad at his restaurant Caesar’s, at the Hotel Caesar in Tijuana, Mexico, when a Fourth of July rush in 1924 depleted the kitchen’s supplies. Cardini made do with what he had, adding the dramatic flair of the table-side tossing “By The Chef”. Cardini was living in San Diego, but he was also working in Tijuana, where he avoided the restrictions of Prohibition.
Caesar Salad Lucito
Ingredient
1/2 Iceberg Lettuce
1 Tomato
4 oz Shredded Turkey
4 tbsp Caesar Salad Dressing
3 tbsp Parmesan and Romano Cheese
Salt and Pepper
Preparation
1. Iceberg Lettuce
2. Diced Tomato
3. Turkey
4. Caesar Salad Dressing
5. Parmesan and Romano Cheese
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Curriculum Vitae 2022
J. Luc Paquin 2022 – English & Español
Luc Paquin
Languages Spoken and Written: French, English and Spanish.
Citizenship: Canadian
Luc Paquin
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/luc/
English
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPFoodWineCV2022Mk1a.pdf
Español
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPComidaVinosCVMk2022a.pdf
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Hors d’Oeuvre
Hors d’Oeuvre in modern French table service and that of much of the is a dish served before the main course of a meal. Hors d’Oeuvres may be served at the dinner table as a part of the meal, or they may be served before seating, such as at a reception or cocktail party.
Apéritif
An apéritif is an alcoholic beverage usually served before a meal to stimulate the appetite, and is usually dry rather than sweet. Common choices for an apéritif are vermouth; champagne; pastis; gin; ouzo; fino, amontillado or other styles of dry sherry.
Hors d’Oeuvre and Apéritif Lucito
Ingredient
4 tbs Peanuts
4 tbs Cashews
4 tbs Almonds
2 tbs Peanuts Chile
4 tbs Classic Hummus
2 Medium Glass Oak Leaf White Zinfandel
Preparation
1. Ingredients
2. Wine
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Curriculum Vitae 2022
J. Luc Paquin 2022 – English & Español
Luc Paquin
Languages Spoken and Written: French, English and Spanish.
Citizenship: Canadian
Luc Paquin
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/luc/
English
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPFoodWineCV2022Mk1a.pdf
Español
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPComidaVinosCVMk2022a.pdf
Web: https://www.igourmand.com/
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Moules et Frites
Moules et frites is a main dish of moules and French fries originating in Belgium. The title of the dish is French with the Dutch name for the dish meaning the same. It is considered the national dish of Belgium.
Although Moules et Frites are popular in many countries, it is thought that the dish originated in Belgium. It is likely that it was originally created by combining moules, a popular and cheap foodstuff eaten around the Flemish coast, and fried potatoes which were commonly eaten around the country in winter when no fish or other food was available. In both Belgium and France, Moules et Frites are available in most restaurants, depending on season.
Moules Lucito
Ingredient
2 pounds moules
2 cups white wine
4 tbs half and half
2 tbs dried chives
2 tbs dried onion
2 tbs dried garlic
1 tbs dried thyme
salt and pepper
Preparation
1. In a wide pot.
2. Add white wine, half and half, chives, onion, garlic, thyme, salt, and pepper.
3. Add bring to a boil over high heat.
4. Add moules, cover, and cook until about 5 minutes.
5. Transfer moules to serving bowls with a spoon.
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Curriculum Vitae 2022
J. Luc Paquin 2022 – English & Español
Luc Paquin
Languages Spoken and Written: French, English and Spanish.
Citizenship: Canadian
Luc Paquin
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/luc/
English
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPFoodWineCV2022Mk1a.pdf
Español
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPComidaVinosCVMk2022a.pdf
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Quiches Salmon Lucito
Quiche is a French tart consisting of pastry crust filled with savoury custard and pieces of cheese, meat, seafood or vegetables. It is savory. Quiche can be served hot or cold. It is popular worldwide. The generic term, pastry base and sides, with various chopped fillings set in an egg/milk mix. There are many variants of quiche, using a wide variety of ingredients. Variants may be named descriptively, often in French.
Although quiche is known as a dish of classic French cuisine, historical records indicate that quiche actually originated in Germany in the middle ages in the medieval kingdom of Lothringen, which the French later occupied and renamed Lorraine. The word “quiche” is from the German “Kuchen”, meaning cake.
Ingredient
1 diced onion
2 tbs dried sweet basil
2 tbs dried chives
4 oz mushrooms sliced
4 eggs, lighty beaten
1 cups half and half
6 oz Smoked Atlantic Nova Salmon
3 oz baby swiss cheese
3 oz sharp cheddar cheese
3 oz extra shard cheddar cheese
1 unbaked 9 inch pie crust
salt and pepper
Preparation
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F (220 degrees C).
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, half and half, salt, pepper, basil, chives, onion, salmon and cheese.
3. Pour mixture into pastry shell.
4. Bake 15 minutes in the preheated oven. Reduce heat to 300 degrees F (150 degrees C), and bake an additional 30 minutes, or until a knife inserted 1 inch from edge comes out clean. Allow quiche to sit 10 minutes before cutting into wedges.
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Curriculum Vitae 2022
J. Luc Paquin 2022 – English & Español
Luc Paquin
Languages Spoken and Written: French, English and Spanish.
Citizenship: Canadian
Luc Paquin
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/luc/
English
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPFoodWineCV2022Mk1a.pdf
Español
https://www.jlpconsultants.com/JLPComidaVinosCVMk2022a.pdf
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Lucito