Love At First Knife

Most good cooks know there are two must-haves for the kitchen: a good knife and a good saute pan; all the rest is fluff. When I make this statement in my cooking classes, I often see questioning looks on the faces of my students, most likely because a wide array of the latest and greatest culinary gadgets lies before me on the counter. And though I do use (and love) many of these tools, not a single one of them would be grabbed up in case of kitchen fire - I would be too busy seeking out my favorite knife and saute pan before running out the door.

And though I can truly appreciate a good saute pan, nothing separates me from my chef's knife. This "love of my life" has come to the rescue on many an onion, carrot and garlic clove, and these days I really need that. I am finding myself spending more and more time cooking at home, trying to stay ahead of the appetites of my two youngest sons, ages 12 and 14. It seems they eat constantly! Since I feel it's my duty as Chef-Mom to keep them well fed, I keep my chef's knife constantly chopping and slicing on their behalf, trying my best to keep their bellies full.

My family and friends all know that if you invite me into your kitchen to help you cook, I WILL be examining your inventory of kitchen tools, including a check of the knives in your utensil drawer or butcher block. I don't do this to belittle my friends and family like one may think - I just want to know how hard I'm going to have to work while I'm there. A dull knife is likely to ensure me of a trip to the E.R. for a few stitches and I want to know my odds going in. I also like to anticipate how much Ben Gay and ibuprofen I'm going to need the next day for my sore shoulders and arms – another treat a dull knife doles out.

Recently, I visited my sister-in-law and noticed she was slicing vegetables with a knife that looked like it had weathered countless tree branches and lots of baling twine. (This is why my knives are not accessible to my sons around our farm or I would have the same problem.) A good inch of the tip of her knife was broken off and I could visibly see how dull it was by the pressure she was exerting as she pressed through each vegetable onto her cutting board. (And yes, I was surprised she was using a cutting board – I didn't realize she even had one. But thankfully she wasn't cutting onions or I literally would have been crying in my beer from 20 feet!) Keep in mind this is not unusual in her kitchen as she spends ZERO on culinary tools, always assuring me that would be a total waste of her hard-earned money. Though she never says it, I know she feels the same about my wardrobe, so that makes us even: I wouldn't be caught dead with her knife in my hand and she wouldn't be caught dead wearing my clothes!

Using good, sharp chef's knife is comparable to riding in a Cadillac. Once you float over the road in a Cadillac, you wouldn't possibly consider riding in that sluggish little Volkswagen any longer. And so it goes with a dull knife. There's nothing worse, at least in this chef's opinion, so I'll leave you with this bit of corny culinary humor: BE SHARP and buy a good knife – you'll find there's no going back.

Now You're Cookin',

Chef Alli

Beefy Burgers! The 3 B's of Great Grilled Burgers

BOND with Your Burger: Get to Know Your Beef

• Juicy burgers are made from 80% lean ground CHUCK. In the case of grilled burgers, fat definitely equals flavor! And because ground chuck comes from the shoulder of the beef, it's got flavor like no other. Most of the fat from ground chuck drips away as your burgers grill, causing flare ups for added charring.


• Season! Season! Season! Add salt and pepper, woozy, beef broth or wine to give added flavor to your ground chuck before building your patties.


• Gain moisture in your burgers by sneaking in finely grated onions or zucchini (or any veggie with a high water content) to your ground chuck. Your kids will never even notice!

BABY Your Burger: Be Gentle with Your Beef

• Use lots of TLC when building your patties. Don't pack your ground beef too tightly or over work it.


• 3/4 inch patties are the ideal thickness for grilling to the perfect temperature.


• Gently make in indention on the top of each burger. This keeps the burgers from "puffing" as your grill them.


• Only flip your burgers ONCE. This is often difficult for grillers to do as they seem to want to "play" with their food. Leave that burger on the grill until it's READY to flip. You'll know it's ready when it no longer sticks to the grates. Test the edge of each burger with your spatula to check.


• NEVER EVER press down on your burgers with your spatula!! Precious juices are lost forver when this technique is applied.

BUILD Your Burger: Create Flavor Layers for the Perfect Ending

• A good grilled burger deserves great "accessories" piled high to complete it. Use flavorful condiments: zesty mayos, whole grain mustards, homegrown tomato slices, caramelized onions, ripe avocado slices, strong cheeses, crispy slices of bacon, fresh spinach or arugula - the options are endless!


• Always toast your buns or bread on the grill to warm and mark them - more added flavor for your burger.

Now to the grill:

• Grill over direct heat: 450 - 500 degrees F.


• Always preheat your grill. Once preheated, use a wire brush to quickly clean the grates.


• Oil the grates.


• Grill your burgers covered: 8-10 minutes for medium doneness, 10-11 minutes for medium well doneness.


• Practice Sideways Safety! To test burgers for doneness at the center, insert an instant-read thermometer into each burger from the side - this works much better than inserting from the top! A safe internal temperature for a burger is 160 degrees F.

Chef Alli's Outside-In Beefy Brie Burgers

• 2 yellow onions, thinly sliced


• 2 Tbs. extra virgin olive oil


• 1 Tbs. balsamic vinegar


• 1 Tbs. granulated sugar

Burgers

• 1 1/2 lbs. ground chuck


• 3 Tbs. fine dry bread crumbs


• 3 Tbs. strong beef broth


• 1 tsp. kosher salt


• 1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper


• 2 oz. brie cheese


• 4 hamburger buns


• 1/3 cup zesty brown mustard


• 2 cups baby arugula or spinach

In a large saute pan over medium heat, cmobine onions with evoo, vinegar, and sugar; cover pan and cook slowly until onions are softened and golden brown, approx. 20 minutes. Set aside and keep warm.

Meanwhile, preheat the grill for direct cooking over high heat. In a large mixing bowl, gently combine ground chuck with bread crumbs, broth, salt and pepper; shape this mixture into four patties of equal size and thickness, making a hole in the center of each patty for the cheese. Trim the rind from the brie cheese and cut into four equal portions; nestle each piece of brie into the hold in each burger, sealing each burger tightly around the brie.

Brush grill clean with wire brush, then oil the grates. Grill patties over direct high heat, covered with lid, 8-10 minutes, to medium doneness. Flip burgers when they easily release from the grates without sticking. Toast buns during the last few minutes of cooking time. Assemble warm burgers with caramelized onions, mustard and arugula or spinach piled high. Serve at once.

Now You're Cookin',
Chef Alli

Brown Gravy

This year won't be an ideal Mother's Day for my Mom. Though her children love her more than we could possibly express, she has a broken heart that we cannot fix. She is watching the love of her life go through the final stages of cancer. I know without asking that my Mom is privately wondering how many more days she has in my Dad's company. Though she rarely shows it, I know that she is quietly grieving because her husband of 49 years lies in a hospital bed that we have set up in her guest room. I also know that she is coming to grips with the fact that life as she knows it will never be the same - we simply can't go back.

Mom bravely sets her saddness aside as she cares for my Dad. No matter how grueling it is as his constant caregiver, she shows him a cheerful smile at all times and offers encouraging words to comfort him, though Dad can barely hear her due to acute hearing loss in these last days. For some reason, it makes me profoundly happy to see that she still tries to get him to eat, not much at this point, just simple things that might bring him comfort. They still share a cup of coffee each morning in his room, though Dad's is served spoon-style, sip by sip.



Today I found a lone saucepan sitting on Mom's stove top and I asked what it contained. "It's gravy, silly." she said. "Your Dad wanted mashed potatoes and gravy today." I smiled. The brown gravy in that saucepan became the most precious thing in the world to me at that moment. Good food is such a wonderful source of comfort, no matter the situation; it helps us make our way over life's inevitable rough spots. And sometimes when we can't communicate as effectively as we'd like, for whatever reason, food helps us nurture the connections we are in fear of losing; it becomes the voice to our grief, allowing us to care for those we love most. Food becomes our universal language of love.



As you spend time with Mom this Mother's Day, remember not only to cherish your time together but to appreciate her for all she brings into your life. Abraham Lincoln's quote "All that I am or hope to be, I owe to my Mother." rings true for me as well. Without you, Mom, I wouldn't be the woman I am today. Your servant's heart is my inspiration and your brown gravy a precious gift. Thanks, Mom.


Note: I wrote this article last year for TMI magazine. Since that time, we have nearly made it through one year of "firsts" without my Dad. He passed away on May 21, 2009 and I know there has barely been a moment that Mom hasn't thought of him. She is still grieving deeply, but takes each day as a new one and is bravely moving forward in this journey without Dad. I am always happy that she is quick to offer us homemade cookies or a new dessert she's just baked when we visit. She finds comfort in baking for us and it's a love language my family treasures at Grandma's house.