The Hawthornes Attend Cooking Class At The NC Aquarium.

 

 The Hawthornes attended another cooking class

at the NC Aquarium in Manteo this week.

Sadly, it was the last one of the season. 

Happily, it was presented by Chef Randolph Sprinkle

of The Saltbox Café.

And you know Rosie loves her some Saltbox!

 Our first delight was a quick summer crab salad.

At The Saltbox,

Chef Randolph serves this in a delicate tomato "bowl-"

A tomato is sliced paper-thin, then the slices are curled and overlapped

to make a bowl. 

Mixed greens are tossed in a vinaigrette,

 nestled inside the tomato bowl,

and topped with the crab meat salad.

In fact, this appetizer

graced the cover of the spring issue of North Beach Sun Magazine.

 (Photo by NOT Rosie.)

Chefs Sprinkles at The Saltbox Café,

displaying cover of NB Sun Magazine

with crab salad in tomato bowl.

In this particular dish, the crab meat shines.

Too often I have found,

 delicate, fragile crab meat is overpowered

by whatever additives are used to bind.

Here, Chef Randolph uses a deft hand

to lightly dress the meat,

letting the crab be the main attraction.

For the dressing, 

Chef Randolph blended 1 cup mayo

 with 1/4 cup seasoned rice vinegar

and 1/4 cup fresh basil.

A pound of crab meat was gently mixed

with the dressing and the whole was chilled for about 20 minutes,

just enough time for the flavors to marry and develop.

 

Chef Randolph and his capable assistant, Nohea,

preparing our offerings.

 'tis the season for soft shells!

And here we have a short-smoked soft shell crab sandwich.

Directions:  In a metal baking pan, add wood chips.

(I believe Chef Randolph used mesquite.)

In a perforated pan, place seasoned soft shell crabs.

Cover with heavy duty foil wrap.

Take wood chip baking pan

and place over stove.

Heat pan until lightly smoky.

Take perforated pan and place over smoking baking pan.

Turn off heat and let sit 3-4 minutes.

Dust crabs in seasoned flour.

In a medium pan, add vegetable oil

Sauté crabs each side 3 minutes (until cooked through).

Serve on hamburger bun with toppings and enjoy.

 Interesting.

However, Rosie is a soft shell purist.

(Though she might just try the suggested smoked black pepper treatment.)

When I have soft shells,

I don't want anything between me and my soft shells.

I just want the crab - and pure crab flavor.

And I'm not a fan of the po' boy treatment either.

So no bread for me.

Just gimme crab.

Just crab.

That said, I still liked this,

although I'd prefer Chef Randolph's traditional treatment

of a fried soft shell.

Different strokes for different folks,

so don't hate me.

  Our theme this season at the aquarium

has focused on the lionfish.

(For information about this invasive species,

please see here.)

So our third offering was battered and deep-fried lionfish fillet.

 Lightly battered and fried,

served with a capered aioli,

this was delicious.

Thank you, NC Aquarium and Chef Randolph

for another winning presentation!

The Hawthornes Attend Cooking Class At The North Carolina Aquarium.

On Wednesday, the Hawthornes and Glowria headed to the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island for another cooking class. Poor Zelda, who usually rides with us, had issues with the DMV, which is in Manteo, and had driven herself. A DMV scenario never turns out well. Zelda, I wish you the best, but the last time I had an issue with the DMV, when I went to renew my license, which I've been doing with no problems since 1984, I was forced to drive to the Social Security Office in Elizabeth City the next day and CHANGE MY LAST NAME. I've been fine with banks, credit cards, AND THE IRS, but it wasn't GOOD ENOUGH for the North Carolina Division of Motor Vehicles. I spit in your general direction, NCDMV. My rant over with, the Hawthornes and Glowria get to our destination, the aquarium in Manteo.

Fishies sculpture outside the aquarium. The otters, Nelson and Harriet, were so glad to see me again.

I don't usually see both alligators out sunning. Deborah is hiding in the back. This was a treat.

They seem to be smiling.

Raoul, particularly, seems to be comfortable and relaxed.

Today's class is brought to you by Chef Andy Montero of Montero's Restaurant in Elizabeth City, NC. Chef Montero is preparing swordfish steaks with a toasted tomato beurre blanc sauce, broccolini , and smoked Gouda mac & cheese. Hmm. This is going to be tough. I'm not that crazy about swordfish, broccolini isn't worth the trouble, and I've never been a fan of mac & cheese. I know. I know. Not a fan of the mac. I don't care for hot dogs or apple pie either. Mr. Hawthorne thinks I'm peculiar. I guess I would be the odd branch in the tree. Have I lost total credibility now? We always get a lesson in whatever piscine critter we're eating by one of the knowledgeable aquarium program directors. Liz explained that after World War II, the swordfish was overfished and it's taken to the mid to late 90s to get the population back up. The swordfish is a strong, powerful fish. When hooked, they have been know to quickly dive to the bottom and impale their swords into the sand up to their eyes. Fishing regulations today call for a size minimum of 4 feet and only one swordfish per day. The record size for a swordfish caught in North Carolina is 441 pounds, in 1979. Swordfish tend to have a high mercury content so it is recommended no more than one serving per week. Also children and pregnant women should avoid swordfish. Chef Montero then explained about the habits of the swordfish jumping, or breaching, the water. The jumping is a technique the swordfish uses to try to get rid of hangers-on that have attached themselves to the swordfish's thick, leathery skin. Also, Chef Montero explained, as a predator, this fish has a tendency to pick up parasites. Chef Montero assured us this fish was parasite-free. Num Yum! As I said, I'm not particularly fond of swordfish. It's an oily fish and it has a huge bloodline going down the middle.

Our fish today was locally caught on a long line. Chef Montero cut the steaks in half and seasoned them with salt and pepper. He seared the filets in medium hot skillets in oil then removed to pans and finished off in a 350 degree oven.

Save the pans to make the sauce in. The goodie bits, or fond, have all the concentrated flavor in them.

Roasted Tomato Beurre Blanc 1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved extra virgin olive oil, as needed salt and pepper, to taste 1/4 cup diced onion handful of portabella mushrooms, sliced 1 tsp garlic, minced 1/2 cup white wine 3/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock 2 TB butter, diced 1 TB fresh herbs - basil chiffonade fresh lemon zest Heat oven to 375 degrees. Toss the tomatoes, extra virgin olive oil, and salt and pepper and lay on a cookie sheet, flesh side up. This way, you save flavor and avoid a mess. Roast about 15 minutes or until golden brown. Set tomatoes aside, including any liquids rendered, for later use. In a skillet (preferably the one with the goodie bits), saute the onions in a small amount of oil over medium high heat. As the onions soften, add the garlic and mushrooms and saute about 2 more minutes. Deglaze the pan with the wine and reduce by half. Add the stock and bring to a simmer. Simmer until reduced by half. Reduce heat and slowly stir in the butter to emulsify. Add the fresh herbs and some lemon zest and serve over swordfish. Chef Montero's emphasis is on technique. For example, fresh herbs are added at the end, immediately before serving. Dry herbs are added in the beginning. At this point Montero went into a "love letter" analogy about dry and fresh herbs. It seemed this explanation, offered to his future future wife when he was in culinary school, is what made her decide to go out with him. Now, I'm going to ramble a bit now, as I try to get the analogy right, so bear with me. Dried herbs are like a love letter. You send the letter, scented with perfume. She opens it up and the perfume is released. Dried herbs need heat and moisture to release their essential oils. Therefore, you add dried herbs at the beginning, so the moisture and heat can do their magic. Maybe, I missed a step, but stay with me. Suppose said suitor decided to bring fresh flowers instead of a perfumed love letter. And suppose the hapless suitor left said fresh flowers in the back seat of the car. On a hot day. With the windows closed. When he goes back to get his fresh flowers, they are drooping and lifeless from the heat. Moral: Add fresh herbs right before serving. They're at their peak then. Do not cook fresh herbs. Chef Montero is very personable and engaging and clearly comfortable talking about his passion. In fact, he teaches cooking classes at the restaurant, which I would highly recommend. He's very enthusiastic about his craft and it shows and overflows. Chef Montero and his staff are more than happy to have their guests, if they have certain dietary restrictions, bring their own items from home for Montero's to prepare for them. Chef Montero then explained about the technique of blanching, using the broccolini. Broccolini is similar to broccoli, but has longer, thinner stems, and more open florets. Let's just say, I'm not crazy about it. As for broccoli rabe, I don't even go there. Once was enough. To blanch a vegetable, drop it into salted simmering water for about 1 -2 minutes. Then submerge the vegetable in ice water to stop the cooking and set the color and texture. Next, Chef Montero spread the broccolini out on a sheet pan, topped it with butter and salt and pepper. This went into a 375 convection oven until tender. By blanching, or parboiling, the broccolini, the vegetable cooks more evenly. Without blanching, the stems would be undercooked and the florets overcooked. Blanching evens everything out. Let's turn our attention to the Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese. As I said, I've never been a fan of mac & cheese. I never had it growing up as a child and I never saw a reason to have it as an adult. I have made it before. Actually, I made Pauler Deen's version years ago, since I figured hers would be totally over the top. I like to cut through the facsimiles and get to the real deal. It was OK. Smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese 2 tsp oil 1/8 cup onions, diced 1 tsp garlic, minced 3 cups half and half 1 cup milk 1/2 cup cream cheese, softened 2 cups smoked Gouda, shredded 4 cups pasta, cooked, drained, room temperature salt and pepper Panko bread crumbs Parmesan cheese, grated Heat oven to 350 degrees. In a medium sauce pan, over medium heat, cook the onions in the oil until softened. Add the garlic and cook until tender. Add the cream and milk and bring to a simmer, stirring often. Once simmering, continue to cook for approximately 3 minutes, then reduce heat slightly. Stir in the cream cheese and whisk well to incorporate. Remove from heat and stir in the smoke Gouda until smooth. Stir in the pasta. Season with salt and pepper. Place the mac & cheese in a baking dish, top with panko and Parmesan and bake approximately 10 minutes or until golden brown. Again, Chef Montero talked about technique. For the sauce for the mac & cheese, he didn't want a thickening sauce, so he's not adding a roux. Cheese is going to thicken it a bit, plus the starch from the pasta will help thicken it. The cream cheese is a great stabilizer, it melts smoothly, and adds a nice base flavor. As for techniques, this sauce can easily be turned into a Bechamel Sauce by the addition of equal parts, by weight, of butter and flour. That's your basic roux. For a more robust sauce, cook the roux a bit darker and add in beef stock. For Cajun and Creole dishes, you want an even darker roux - a black, but not burned, roux. Chef Montero offered a short cut to the darker roux. Toast your flour in a 350 degree oven first, then make the roux. Be sure your oven is on bake, not convection.

Here's my dish. As I said at the beginning, swordfish is not my favorite. It's too oily and there's that bloodline. I don't even like the meat in close proximity to the blood line. That said, the swordfish was cooked perfectly and I liked the sauce.

Broccolini is not my favorite either, but I think Chef Montero chose this to explain about the blanching technique.

Of the three, my favorite was the mac & cheese. Go figger. Except I would have browned it on top more. Bottom line: Chef Montero is a dynamic personality and he's fun to watch and listen to. He's educational. He knows what he's doing. And he threw in a few jokes in there that Mr. Hawthorne and I caught, but I don't think the others did, because there was no response. One joke was about the length of his offset serrated knife- "13 inches to a man, 9 inches to a woman," and another one was about yet another technique - the basil chiffonade. "Anybody here go to Woodstock? Then you may know how to do this." Heh. I pay attention in class. Apparently nobody in our class went to Woodstock, except for Mr. Hawthorne and me. Just kidding. If Chef Montero had classes on the beach I'd go to them, instead of in Elizabeth City, an hour away, where it's not feasible for me to go to a 6PM cooking class which offers wine. Now, you don't know Glowria like we do. But she had company coming that afternoon and needed something to feed them. I saw her approach Chef Montero and actually ask him what he was going to do with the leftover mac & cheese. Honest to God. Chef Montero graciously offered the mac & cheese for Glow to take home. Glowria scurried about for a styrofoam take-out carton and finally came back with a zip-lock bag, into which she shoveled the mac & cheese. Then she started poking the cheese down in the bag with her fingers, stopping to lick her fingers.

Here's Zelda in the background, holding up Glowria's mac & cheese bag. I asked Glow on the way home if she was going to serve the macaroni from a serving dish or just cut off the tip of the bag and pipe it out.

Bye bye, Deborah. Buh bye, Raoul. See you later, alligators. Actually, I'll see you Monday for the next cooking class.

Bye bye, turtles.

Until next time, otters.

Cooking Class At The North Carolina Aquarium.

For joy! For joy! The 2012 Seafood Series Cooking Classes at the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island have started. Mr. Hawthorne and I have been attending these classes for the past few years and have enjoyed them immensely. Yesterday, Mr. Hawthorne was the lone rooster driving a truck-full of hens to the Aquarium, the hens being Rosie, Zelda, of Biscotti 101, Biscotti 102, and Struffoli fame, and Glowria, who recently returned to the states after being sent to boarding school in Europe, and of no particular fame, although she was great friends with Dixie. Fish sculpture and fountain at outside entrance. I love the arched entrance with the manta mobile. I love going to the aquarium. I get to see my friends, the otters.

I think this otter remembered me

from last year.

I'm pretty sure he remembered me. He seemed quite comfortable in my presence.

I had to stop by to say hello to the turtles.

Hello, turtles.

Hello, aggilator. Best I could get of the alligator. Window was smeared. Today's presentation was given by wife and husband team, Johanna Lachine, Catering Manager, and Justin Lachine, Executive Chef, owners of Cafe Lachine. Do check out their website. It's quite nice. Easy to read. Easy to navigate. No extraneous BS, unlike some restaurant websites. (Above link is worth clicking on.) Cafe Lachine is opening next Monday in the Outer Banks Mall where Tropical Smoothies used to be. Hours are 8AM to 8PM. Everything is served to take out, but there are a few barstools inside and bistro tables outside.

Justin and Johanna.

I love a good mise en place. Everything was very neat and organized. Rosie likey.

The Lachines prepared 3 dishes for our gustatory pleasure: Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Seared Scallops and Truffle Oil Shrimp and Grits Seared Rockfish with Parmesan Cream over Pesto Orzo with Tomatoes In case you're wondering about "rockfish," what we call rockfish on the Outer Banks is not a true rockfish. It is a Striped Bass that lives among rocks, hence the moniker. Liz, one of the informative aquarium employees, explained more about the rockfish. It is an anadromous fish, meaning it lives in salt water and spawns and hatches in fresh water, the Chesapeake Bay being the main spawning area. Rockfish provide a yearly $100,000,000 revenue for North Carolina. The record rockfish caught was a 64 pounder caught in 2011. I've talked about Outer Banks Catch before, but it's worth mentioning again. Outer Banks catch is a program in Currituck, Dare, Hyde, and Tyrell Counties designed to educate consumers and promote awareness of the advantages of requesting fish that is in season and locally caught. The unique Atlantic Coast is a diverse eco-system, offering year-round selections of fish and shellfish. One needs to be educated to know what fish are in season and when. 80% of our seafood served nationally is imported and only 2% is FDA inspected, so when you go to a restaurant and order shrimp, it may have been harvested in Vietnam. The fish you order may have come from China or South America. Outer Banks Catch focuses on promoting local seafood. Species listed as "Local Catch" are managed for long-term viability and sustainable harvests, meaning will will enjoy seafood today and in the future. FYI, here's a Seafood Availability Chart, provided by Outer Banks Catch. All dishes were excellent. Mr. Hawthorne, Rosie, Zelda, and Glowria were impressed.

Johanna just gave birth to a baby boy last Friday. She's here on Tuesday and opening a restaurant next Monday. Wow.

Buster Nunemaker always comes in to shoot pics. Funny thing. Today, he actually asked if anybody cared if he shot pictures of our group to be on Facebook. Immediately everybody's hand in the front row went up, along with my hand in the back row. And I once again had to remind Buster that I'm still in the Witness Protection Program. So no photo-op for me.

Justin buzzing the cauliflower soup. Which, by the way, was divine.

Houston, we have a problem. Early into the demonstration, no burners appeared to be working properly. I was getting antsy that we weren't going to eat today, plus I felt really bad for the Lachines. However, I must say, the Lachines showed remarkable talents in the face of adversity. Thankfully, somebody may have switched gas tanks or something, because the situation was eventually remedied, and we once again had fire. WHEW!

I love their looks of determination.

I really enjoyed the Lachines' presentation. I also appreciated how they interacted with each other. I don't think we've seen a wife and husband team before at these cooking classes and it was quite refreshing. It's a dance in the kitchen. It ain't ballroom, but it's still dancing. Reminded me of Mr. Hawthorne and myself, or as my dear friend, Maxine, refers to us, the M... & A... Show.

Plus, these kids are freakin' cute. And Johanna just gave birth 4 days ago! Justin and Johanna are a great team. They were a joy to watch. Justin did most of the presentation, and Johanna (The Glue) assisted and facilitated, cooking the scallops and the fish, plus clarifying and expounding upon finer points. When Johanna was talking about the scallops, bringing up the dry vs wet scallops I've talked about, she took out individual scallops to show us how to get the scallop "foot" out. She examined the first scallop and pronounced, "There's no foot here." She went to the next two scallops, with no "feet." Then Justin finally told her he'd already cleaned the scallops. Hee! It was an enjoyable two hours. I love watching a good partnership.

Johanna is drizzling a few drops of truffle oil into the cauliflower soup puree.

Oh my goodness. This is bliss. The truffle oil was a lovely touch. And I just happen to have truffle oil in my pantry.

I savored every bit of the scallop. I think I made 6 bites out of one scallop.

Glowria always has fun. She loves to eat.

Apparently Glow didn't get enough soup 'n' scallops. She dove into the bowl and tried to lick it.

Johanna is plating the cheddar grits.

Justin adds the Andouille and Holy Trinity to the grits.

Next the shrimp.

Cute!

Shrimp and Grits. With Andouille sausage and the Holy Trinity.

I'm loving this.

Now, here's where it got really funny.

Everybody, and I mean EVERYBODY, in the room had been served. All except Glowria. The servers missed her. She is very tiny. I swear, I had to restrain her. She was getting violent.

Finally, Glowria got her meal and proffered me her last shrimp for a photo-op.

Dang. Glow should bring a spatula. Or a sponge.

Another face-dive into the plate for the last of the shrimp and grits. Glowria never knows where her next meal is coming from.

Now, we're heading to a delicious course: Seared Rockfish with Parmesan Cream over Pesto Orzo with Grape Tomatoes.

Glowria was served first this time, after the previous faux pas of not being served at all. I tried to get her to wait to eat until everybody else was served. Glow did not wait. She can be a bitch that way. But she's from Jersey, so I let it go. Didn't want a horse head on my pillow in the morning.

I loved this. I can do a lot with that Parmesan Cream Sauce. Orzo and pesto - wonderful. Fish - delightful.

Thoroughly sated by our 3-course meal courtesy of the Lachines, our little group, consisting of Mr. Hawthorne, Rosie, Glowria, and Zelda, headed to the Piggly Wiggly in Manteo. Mr. Hawthorne wants to can another batch of his Salsa Ranchera, so he stopped to buy assorted peppers and tomatoes for WAY lower prices than on the beach. And I bought cauliflower!

Apparently, major endorphins were released during our 3-course meal.

And just look who we met in the parking lot of the Piggly Wiggly! Sorry. Just wanted to see if you were paying attention. Can anyone out there tell me what my channel was on Monday night and exactly who these people are?

These two fruits are having entirely too much fun in the produce section. They were FIGHTING OVER PRODUCE. And Zelda seems to have quite a hold on her Reynold's freezer paper, while Glow has a death grip on her carrots.

We're loving the Piggle Wiggle.
Zelda, however, got mad and left.

Now for the RECIPES!
Very simple. Very easy. Very doable. Very delicioso. !!!!!!!!

 Creamy Cauliflower Soup with Seared Scallops and Truffle Oil
 1 head cauliflower, florets
1 potato, peeled and diced
1 onion, diced
1 TB butter
 1 Qt. vegetable stock
1 cup heavy cream
salt/pepper large
sea scallops
 white truffle oil
chopped chives
Melt butter over medium heat in saucepan. Add onions and cook until translucent. Add cauliflower and potatoes. Cover with vegetable stock. Low simmer until tender. Remove from heat. Puree. In small sauce pan, heat heavy cream. Add to cauliflower mixture. Season with s & p. Keep warm. Remove feet from scallops and dry between paper towels. S & P. Sear scallops in cast iron skillet over medium-high heat until golden brown. Ladle soup in bowl. Place scallop. Finish with truffle oil. Garnish with chives.

 Next RECIPE:
SHRIMP AND GRITS
  36 shrimp, peeled and deveined
 2 cups grits
 The Lachines used Lakeside Mill Grits. I will have to look into that
. They wanted quick cooking grits, not stone ground grits,
which take double the time.
 I've always love my stone ground grits from Byrd Mill,
in Ashland, Virginia, but the Lakeside Mill quick grits
 turned out to have a lovely smooth texture.
 8 cups chicken stock
2 TB butter
salt/pepper
1 cup diced onion
 2 cups diced green pepper
 2 cups diced celery
2 cups diced Andouille Sausage
 6 TB Canola oil
Paul Prudhomme Redfish Magic Blackening Seasoning

In a large saucepan, heat chicken stock to simmer. Whisk in grits. Cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently to prevent sticking. Remove from heat and add cold butter and cheddar cheese . Season with salt and pepper. Hold warm. In a large saute pan, heat 3 TB oil over medium heat. Add onions and Andouille. Cook 3 minutes. Add green pepper and celery and cook another 5 minutes. Onions, green peppers, and celery. That's the New Orleans Holy Trinity. Season with blackening seasoning and hold warm. In another saute pan, heat 3 TB oil over medium-high heat. Season shrimp with blackening seasoning and saute about 3 minutes. Ladle grits onto plate. Top with scoop of Holy Trinity/sausage mixture and shrimp. Absolutely DIVINE!

And for the Last Recipe:
 Seared Striped Bass with Parmesan Cream
over Pesto Orzo with Tomatoes
 Oh my goodness. This was so good. And I'm so glad that I butchered all my basil plants in my garden the day before Irene hit. I cut 'em all down and made pesto. Froze in ice-cube trays. Plopped into freezer bags. I have a gallon or so of pesto in my freezer so I can have a taste of summer whenever I want.

Cook orzo according to directions on package. Heat 3 TB oil over medium heat. Saute tomatoes to caramelize. Add orzo and pesto to coat. Keep warm. Season fish with salt and pepper. Sear skin side up in pan until golden brown. Turn fish and cook until done. Place orzo mixture onto plate. Top with rockfish fillet. Finish with Parmesan Cream Sauce.

PESTO
 1/2 lb. fresh basil leaves
 3 cloves garlic
1/3 cup toasted pine nuts
1/2 cup olive oil
 3/4 cup grated Parmesan
1 tsp black pepper
 Process garlic, pine nuts, Parmesan, and basil leaves in processor. Add olive oil and pulse. Season with freshly cracked black pepper.

 PARMESAN CREAM SAUCE
1 TB butter
 1 TB flour
 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
 freshly ground S & P
 Make a roux: Melt butter. Add flour. Cook 2-3 minutes. Get out the RAW. Heat cream separately. Add heated cream to roux. Heat until thickened. Remove from heat. Whisk in Parmesan. Season with S & P.

BOTTOM LINE: This was an amazing 3-course meal. The two M-/L-achines complemented each other and I loved watching that symbiosis.