Chef Daniel Angerer's Blog

FORAGER - the blog

(wild flowers perhaps eatable they did not have a bitter flavor) 

Forager
There is no doubt we have becomes an epicenter for food in the US. We have mastered molecular cuisine and made the impossible possible. Culinary artists have fused meats and fish together with meat glue, combinations of foods are born which we chef’s hardly could have dreamed of even 20 years ago. Flavor combinations were made possible with hydrocolloids a/k/a gums such as agar, alginate, guar, locust bean, xantham, starch, etc. Creations such eggless hollandaise and fried mayonnaise were not possible before. We can infuse smoke into food and have it continue to smoke when it arrives in front of a guest. Instantaneously freezing food with liquid nitrogen has been a rage for a few years now as well.

(I call it sourleaf because of it's tart flavor. I can imagine incoporating it in a salad blend) 

So what’s next?
We have arrived at a time when foraging is the hottest thing - something totally forgotten becomes nouveau again. Grasses, edible flowers, barks, fungus, and seeds we have overlooked in the past are superstars on contemporary plates. I like to call foraging of herbs and grasses free weeding since many plants are vegetating throughout the season and most people don’t know that some chef will be psyched to incorporate them in their daily special menu. Some items I have been using recently in cooking are milkweed, thistles, fiddlehead ferns, basswood, ramps, dandelion, amaranth greens, elderberries, epazote, lamb’s quarters, purslane, sassafras, wild strawberries, violets, wood sorrel, nettles and lavender.  All of these are found in the wild and are not cultivated – look carefully as they may appear like weed to the untrained eye.  

(this had the most fragrant scent I think it's a variety of elderberries) 

Then and now
In prehistoric times hunter-gatherers were chasing animals with spears, and stones or scared them, so they would fall off a cliff. Later on bow and arrow came into the picture which made hunting a lot more efficient. These hunters were foraging animals such as buffalo, deer and fish from the ocean. Mushrooms, grasses, herbs, grains, seeds and edible leaves were a part of their daily foraging routine.

Nowadays food supply works differently of course. Most of the food we eat is domesticated and produced in controlled agriculture. If it’s not organically grown the DNA of plants is often manipulated to withstand draughts, winds and other climatic conditions and non organic crops may be sprayed with synthetic pesticides that can maximize yields and assure “ideal” appearance. The majority of animals we eat today grow up in CAFO’s. (concentrated/confined animal feeding organizations) unless it’s organic and grass-fed and  enjoy fat green pastures on the field. CAFO animals are brought up in a commercialized highly efficient manner to get maximum yield results. The confined upbringing requires a threshold of antibiotics in the diet of the animals, which serves as insurance that no animal sickness can disturb the scheduled slaughter. But times are changing and the average consumer wants to know where their food comes from and realizes that it is not as wholesome and pure as they would have imagined. That’s where a forager comes in.

(wild rose buds - let's brew some tea)

Creating a New Job
I suppose foraging can be called a profession since some restaurants focused on local, natural cooking actually have foragers on the payroll. A forager establishes a supply chain between the green market and its sources including the wilderness, local farms, wild plants, and well-bred animals. Foragers are culinary researchers and need to understand flavors since they’re the liaison between cooks and nature or the immediate supplier.  Foraged plant products are organic and sustainable in a sense that they are not controlled and grow wild in the woods. With foraged goods you’re certain you get the highest quality for a lower cost since such items are purchased at the source or in other words from the person who picked or raised it without middleman. Foragers are the eyes and ears for a chef.

(juniper berries great for a game dish) 

Next time you happen to be in a forest look out for wild berries and herbs -- it’s quite interesting what’s out there that is edible. But leave it up to the trained forager to pick such goodies since some plants are poisonous and harmful.

 

 

 

MESMERIZING HERB - LAVENDER - the blog

(fresh lavender - a seldom treat) 

On a recent visit to a farmer’s market one of the stands turned my head.  I could not stop staring at the blueish-purple ocean of flowering lavender spread out over the entire table – worthy of a picture.  As I approached the stand the strong scent of lavender was mesmerizing.  I had not seen fresh lavender in that abundance in New York City  before.  I found it interesting how quickly it sparked memories from growing up in alpine Tyrol, Austria where it still grows in abundance. We usually see lavender in its dried form in stores like Whole Foods. The purple beauty is used in ornamental dried flower arrangements of potpourris and wreaths and in many cosmetics such as essential oils, soaps, sachets and perfumes because of its bedazzling scent. My mother tucked lavender soap in between bed sheets, which gave it the most amazing, fresh pine aroma. |


(lavender scented candle - mesmerizing)


(plenty of cosmetics with lavender available...)

Lavender in the kitchen
If you  can’t find fresh lavender go with dry. I recommend buying organic lavender so you don’t have to worry about any synthetic pesticides that may have been sprayed and compromise the healthful natural qualities of this flower. I have used dried lavender buds in multiple sous-vide-style cooked venison dishes. The meat can stand up to the strong lavender flavor.  The combination seems to make sense when I witnessed deer happily eating the purple flowers in the wild.  Carrots caramelized with lavender-honey makes this common vegetable shine.  It’s true  I romanticize lavender a bit --  it makes me think of a mountainous panorama on a sunny summer day.  And with summer comes ice cream so naturally I think of lavender steeped in cream showing off this flower in a delicious bowl of ice cream.  It also pairs particularly well with chocolate and makes an appearance on my  fall menus every so often. Because of lavender’s pungent flavor I suggest extracting the flavor in a brew by steeping it in a hot, but not boiling, liquid for a few minutes. Thelavender-infused liquid can be dosed as needed so dishes don’t get overwhelmingly strong lavender flavored.  Blending lavender into shakes, dressing, sauces and soups is a good way to get the texture of flower buds into your dishes. I must admit it took me a while to get into the taste o lavender as  it reminds me of the bed sheets in my mother’s house so I started subtly.  The following recipe is a good way to get introduced to lavender - so tasting lavender is not like tasting soap!

(local veggies seasoned with fresh lavender)

Yogurt with Honey and Lavender 
(recipe yields four portions)

½ cup water
1 teaspoon fresh or dried lavender blossoms
1 tablespoon honey, wild flower honey preferably
4 cups Greek-style yogurt
4 cups blueberries
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. In a small saucepot bring water to boil. Move the pot to the side of the stove
and add lavender. Steep lavender for 10 minutes then strain through a fine
mesh sieve. Add honey to the lavender flavored water.
2. In a bowl mix yogurt with a wire wisk then add the lavender/honey water.
3. Rinse blueberries with water then put into small bowl plates and spoon the
lavender yogurt over it.

Chef’s Tip: add orange zest to the yogurt as it balances the lavender/honey-flavored yogurt nicely. 

 

MESMERIZING HERB - LAVENDER - the blog

(fresh lavender - a seldom treat) 

On a recent visit to a farmer’s market one of the stands turned my head.  I could not stop staring at the blueish-purple ocean of flowering lavender spread out over the entire table – worthy of a picture.  As I approached the stand the strong scent of lavender was mesmerizing.  I had not seen fresh lavender in that abundance in New York City  before.  I found it interesting how quickly it sparked memories from growing up in alpine Tyrol, Austria where it still grows in abundance. We usually see lavender in its dried form in stores like Whole Foods. The purple beauty is used in ornamental dried flower arrangements of potpourris and wreaths and in many cosmetics such as essential oils, soaps, sachets and perfumes because of its bedazzling scent. My mother tucked lavender soap in between bed sheets, which gave it the most amazing, fresh pine aroma. |


(lavender scented candle - mesmerizing)


(plenty of cosmetics with lavender available...)

Lavender in the kitchen
If you  can’t find fresh lavender go with dry. I recommend buying organic lavender so you don’t have to worry about any synthetic pesticides that may have been sprayed and compromise the healthful natural qualities of this flower. I have used dried lavender buds in multiple sous-vide-style cooked venison dishes. The meat can stand up to the strong lavender flavor.  The combination seems to make sense when I witnessed deer happily eating the purple flowers in the wild.  Carrots caramelized with lavender-honey makes this common vegetable shine.  It’s true  I romanticize lavender a bit --  it makes me think of a mountainous panorama on a sunny summer day.  And with summer comes ice cream so naturally I think of lavender steeped in cream showing off this flower in a delicious bowl of ice cream.  It also pairs particularly well with chocolate and makes an appearance on my  fall menus every so often. Because of lavender’s pungent flavor I suggest extracting the flavor in a brew by steeping it in a hot, but not boiling, liquid for a few minutes. Thelavender-infused liquid can be dosed as needed so dishes don’t get overwhelmingly strong lavender flavored.  Blending lavender into shakes, dressing, sauces and soups is a good way to get the texture of flower buds into your dishes. I must admit it took me a while to get into the taste o lavender as  it reminds me of the bed sheets in my mother’s house so I started subtly.  The following recipe is a good way to get introduced to lavender - so tasting lavender is not like tasting soap!

(local veggies seasoned with fresh lavender)

Yogurt with Honey and Lavender 
(recipe yields four portions)

½ cup water
1 teaspoon fresh or dried lavender blossoms
1 tablespoon honey, wild flower honey preferably
4 cups Greek-style yogurt
4 cups blueberries
1 cup slivered almonds, toasted

1. In a small saucepot bring water to boil. Move the pot to the side of the stove
and add lavender. Steep lavender for 10 minutes then strain through a fine
mesh sieve. Add honey to the lavender flavored water.
2. In a bowl mix yogurt with a wire wisk then add the lavender/honey water.
3. Rinse blueberries with water then put into small bowl plates and spoon the
lavender yogurt over it.

Chef’s Tip: add orange zest to the yogurt as it balances the lavender/honey-flavored yogurt nicely. 

 

FETA CHEESE - the blog

FETA CHEESE
Traditionally feta is made with sheep’s milk, or from a mixture of sheep and goat’s milk. You might find an exhausting amount of feta on supermarket shelves from various parts of the world, however it is a protected “designation of origin” product in the European Union. True artisan feta is from Greece. Nevertheless other white-brined cheeses or “Greek-style” feta from outside of Greece are made with various mixtures of milk including cow’s.  I prefer goat and sheep’s milk feta that has a funky barnyard flavor versus generic tasting cow’s milk feta. I attest to the real thing from Greece.

(not so good feta galore in a supermarket, where's the real deal?)

Feta making
In the feta making process, cheese curds are pressed into rectangular shaped molds with holes to drain excess whey. After a day the logs are salted and air-dried for up to three days and then brined. Old-fashioned feta is traditionally not brined at all actually, but is simply salted and aged.  These days, to speed things up Greek feta is brined in liquid for a minimum of two months and often up to seven months, which gives it the salty signature character. Paradoxically, feta gets drier the longer it is brined in liquid. Sometimes feta is aged in beech and birch wood barrels in it’s own juices which lends it additional woodsy characteristics, a nice treat. For longer aged feta cheeses, it is recommended that they be rinsed with plain water to remove excessive saltiness.

Feta dishes
I favor the signature zingy, salty feta flavor on salads, in combination with gamey lamb or sprinkled on a house-made pizza or small meze bites on psomi (Greek bread). If you marinate feta in a bit of extra virgin olive oil and lemon thyme or oregano, and serve alongside a variation of olives you’re off to a great pre dinner snack already.  You can even grill feta.  Personally I always found it odd to grill cheese but feta makes it a success; it adds welcome flavor and a softened texture to dishes like Dorade (you might know it under the name sea bream). I remember an entree of grilled leg of lamb and peaches with fire-charred feta – a big hit on our menu in the midst of summer.

(rack of lamb and feta grilling over open flame)

Currently, farmer’s markets have an abundance of local cucumbers, corn and tomatoes which are a perfect canvas for crumbled feta – Kai Orexi/Enjoy!

Feta Salad
(recipe yields four portions)
2 ears corn
2 plum tomatoes
2 cucumbers
3 ounces feta
4 tablespoons flat leaf parsley
black pepper millings
sea salt, to taste
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1. Shuck corn and cut the kernels off the cob with a chef’s knife.
2. Cut core cap of tomato. Cut tomatoes into four wedges and across into small cubes.
3. Peel cucumber, cut in half and remove seeds with a small spoon. Cut cucumber across into 1/2-inch wide slices.
4. Rinse parsley with water then dry in a salad spinner or on kitchen paper towels. Chop parsley with a chef’s knife.
5. For the dressing, mix vinegar and salt with a wire whisk then slowly add oil.
6. In a large bowl toss the cut vegetables then add the dressing.
7. Place the salad onto four plates and crumble feta over it. Season the salads with freshly ground pepper from the mill.

(tasty greek salad) 

Nutrition Pointer
Compared to cows, goats and sheep are raised in a less industrialized way; meaning antibiotic and growth hormones are more conservatively used. Look for feta or any cheese that indicates “no-synthetic” growth hormones added and “no-antibiotics use” on the label.  It’s a strong selling point.  

CONFETTI VEGETABLES – the blog

(vegetable medley in the making) 


With an abundance of vegetables at the farmer’s market these days it becomes difficult to make a decision – I want everything I see!  I remember a dish in one of the restaurants I had apprenticed in -- a side dish with 27 seasonal vegetables simply steamed. With the bounty of confetti colored spring vegetables it was one of the highlights of the menu simple as it was.
The tricky part was to cut the raw vegetables in a way so they would end up somewhat equally cooked in a matter of a few minutes. Recently with my enthusiasm for the vegetables at the market I have been mixing up to 10 different vegetables in one dish, which is delicious.

(yep - a little prep work is nessersary) 

Tools & toys 
Depending on the chosen vegetables a multiple ingredient list can require quite some prep work. and knife skills are a must. You can defer to a Mandolin but I suggest the outmost care and alertness – so no wine or beer drinking during cooking when you use this
serious slicing tool. Another kitchen toy, which is essential, is a good vegetable peeler. I like such Swiss style vegetable peeler, which do a reliable job with their flexible blade and they lie nicely in the hand.
To make a complete meal out of that vegetable medley I suggest adding a pesto like sauce, which is made with nuts, garlic, and herbs and some spices.

Pecan & Parsley Pesto
(enough to toss into four portions of vegetable medley)
1 cup toasted pecans
1 cup chopped flat leaf parsley (blanching optional)
1 teaspoon sea salt
2 pinches cayenne
2 cloves garlic, sliced then blanched
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 ice cubes 

1. Combine all ingredients in a kitchen blender then process for 2 minutes. The pesto should have a pasty or thick puree texture if not add a tablespoon water and process for 2 minutes.

Chef’s note: The ice cubes in the pesto keeps the color bright green. If the parsley is blanched in boiling water for 20 seconds then shocked in ice water the pesto will become even greener.

The following vegetable list and prep steps are an indication of which vegetables are available right now so pick and choose whatever you find the most interesting or incorporate them all. It’s difficult to pin quantities of each vegetable but from most of them you’ll have plentiful if you pick one bunch of each (excluding herbs)

Seasonal Vegetable Medley
Baby bock choy – cut into small wedges with a knife
Baby carrots – peel and slice with the knife or a mandolin
Baby fennel – shave thinly with a mandolin
Beets – peel and shave thinly with a mandolin
Broccoli – cut into small roses with a small knife
Corn ear – peel husk, remove silk then cut seeds off the cob
Cherry tomatoes – remove green leaves
Chive – cut into inch-sized pieces
Fava beans – shell then blanche for 30 seconds and then remove skin  
Garlic scapes (green garlic) – cut thinly on a bias
Green asparagus – cut thinly with a knife on a bias
Green celery – cut stalks on the bias with a knife
Italian parsley – pick leaves off the stalks
Kale – cut the stalk out of the leaves then in mouth-sized pieces
Kohlrabi (turnip like veg) – peel and cut into batons/short sticks  
Peas – shell
Peppers, small (red, yellow) - remove core then cut into rings
Radishes – cut into small wedges or slice thinly with a mandolin 
Small, skinny yellow squash – cut into ¼-inch thick pieces
Small, skinny zucchini – cut into ¼-inch thick pieces
Snap peas – cut ends off and pull through pea “threat”
Spring onions – cut thinly on a bias or in small wedges
String beans (yellow, green, purple, long) – snap ends off then slice thinly with a knife
Young leeks – cut on the bias 

1. Make sure you rinse vegetables with water before prepping
2. Peel, slice, shave and chop vegetables and herbs and toss them in a bowl together
3. Heat a gallon sized pot on high heat setting. After 2 minutes add vegetables and ½ cup of hot water and immediately cover with a tight fitting lid – this will steam the vegetables.
4. After 4 minutes take the pot off the heat and add the pesto
5. Add freshly ground black pepper with a mill and stir with tongs carefully – serve right away.  

(27 vegetable medley dish with pesto) 

Chef’s Tip: The vegetable medley is a great match to pasta tossed with a sprinkle of black or white truffle oil.