Food & Drink

Sous Vide: My Kind of Cooking

Sushi by C. Ross
Sushi by C. Ross

 

I love to cook. That’s a lie, but I do love to watch other people cook. I’ve been watching cooking shows since the days of Julia Child and Jacques Pepin on PBS. Today I’m obsessed with The Food Network – especially “Chopped.” I could watch that show for days.

But since we all need a little less screen-time, I decided to go live with my cooking curiosities. Last week The North Andover Country Club put on a cooking demonstration led by their knowledgeable and charming sous chef, C. Ross. I was accompanied by a few friends – a good thing since otherwise I might never have dragged myself out the door on a weeknight (2 teenage daughters=tired=old=I don’t care, I love staying in).

C. Ross opened with a beautiful serving of sushi. He shared that mastering sushi rice at home involves three very important ingredients: rice vinegar, salt and, to my surprise, sugar. It was delicious.

He upped the presentation by showing us how to make the prettiest wasabi shell.

Wasabi sea shell by C. Ross
Wasabi style.

 

Even my friend Maureen, who typically doesn’t eat sushi, enjoyed her tasting. Way to go Mo!

How to cook sous vide

For the entrée, we were enlightened about a cooking method called sous vide. It involves food placed in air-tight plastic bags, then submerged in a temperature controlled water bath. The end result is food cooked to an ideal temperature with ultimate moisture retention. Imagine flawless sous vide steak, salmon, chicken, eggs or veggies. No more hockey-puck filets for this girl! The concept behind the sous vide technique is that you heat the food just enough for it to reach the desired doneness, essentially eliminating the risk of over or under cooking.

The Menu

On this night we were having sous vide chicken flavored with blood orange, thyme and a touch of salt. Once out of the water bath, C. Ross gave it a quick sear to give it that crispy exterior we all love, meanwhile the center remained juicy and full of flavor.

Sous Chef C. Ross searing
Sear following sous vide

 

Served with tender, sous vide carrots and the best mashed potatoes I’ve ever eaten; I figured I couldn’t possibly ask for more.

 

Sous vide chicken and carrots with mashed potatoes
Dinner is served.

 

But then out came my absolute favorite dessert, crème brulee. This was again prepared sous vide and although I was already stuffed, I savored every last bite.

 

Sous vide Creme Brulee
Creme Brulee – yum!

 

This was an entertaining night that made me happy I’d gotten out, enjoyed a great dinner and learned something new. By the end, I declared C. Ross to be the next Food Network Star!

Interested in a Sous Vide machine?

I researched sous vide equipment online and found that Williams-Sonoma has a device that may just make my 2016 Christmas list.

Who knows, between all of the Tasty videos on Facebook and fun nights like this, I may end up loving cooking after all!

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Food & Drink

Maggie’s Farm: Beth’s Best Bites

Maggie's Farm Tater Tots and bacon sour cream dipping sauce
Maggie’s Farm Tater Tots – gone in minutes! OK, seconds!

A Regular at Maggie’s Farm

There are very few restaurants I enjoy enough to frequent.  However, Maggie’s Farm in Middleton has been a favorite for a while. Their farm to table philosophy hooked me in, and their tasty burgers, pizzas, comfort food entrees and even sushi keep me coming back. I like the ambiance too – casual and rustic yet current and lively, and the bar is always hopping. Their cocktails aren’t too shabby either.

Entering Tater Tot Heaven

I’ve tried a variety of things on the Maggie’s Farm menu, but only recently did I try their tater tot appetizer. Holy yumminess. These little numbers were more like creamy arancini (Italian, cheese stuffed rice balls) than what I know as a tater tot.

I’m not ashamed to say that I’ve prepared and enjoyed my fair share of Ore-Ida tater tots. That said, Maggie’s Farm’s tots were in a category all their own. Served with a bacon sour cream dipping sauce, the crunchy exterior and deliciously creamy center could have easily been my meal.  Fortunately, I was sharing, so I treated myself to two and went on to enjoy the rest of my dinner.

If you’re in Middleton, stop by Maggie’s Farm and give these diet-crashers a try. They are totally worth it.

Visit Maggies Farm for their location, hours, and menu.

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Food & Drink

Moxy: One of the Best Portsmouth Restaurants

Moxy - Portsmouth Restaurants
Moxy menu and their signature cocktail

Friends of mine are heading up to Portsmouth, New Hampshire for a couple of nights and I was happy to recommend one of my favorite Portsmouth restaurants. My cousin, Susan, moved to Portsmouth several years ago, which gave me good reason to head up there more often. Thank you Suzie! When we get together and the question of where to make our restaurant reservation comes up, I’m usually the first to say let’s try something different. But we’ve returned to Moxy on several occasions and I’m always glad we do.

If you know the area, you know there are a lot of Portsmouth restaurants to choose from, but there is something about Moxy that sets it apart. Maybe it’s the delicious food served tapas style, or it could be the dimly lit, low-key ambiance. The fact that it’s tucked away on a side street is also appealing. I love going a bit off the beaten path.

Likely it’s the combination of all three that make Moxy a perfect location for our girls’ nights out. It’s easy to chat, the service is friendly and the vibe is so incredibly comfortable. Each time we’ve gone to Moxy we’ve been seated on the upper level. It’s nice because it’s away from the bar, but open to the lower level so we aren’t missing out on the action. Decorative nods to the chef of all chefs, Julia Child, lead me to believe that Moxy has a true understanding of quality cooking with a fun and fabulous flair.

But let’s get serious, if the food weren’t good, we wouldn’t keep going back. The moment you look at Moxy’s menu, you know you’ve stumbled upon something unique. Fried pickle chips are one of Susan’s favorites. I always steal a few. Moxy bread is grilled to perfection with grated tomato and hickory nut farm goat cheese, the pan roasted cauliflower might even get my husband to eat his vegetables and my personal favorite is the beef short rib marmalade on grilled bread with pickled onion and bleu cheese. YUM!

Moxy, Portsmouth Restaurants- shortribs and fried pickles
Beef short rib marmalade and a side of pickle chips

 

Ingredients are locally sourced, so fresh and full of flavor. The tapas portions are perfect because they allow you to try several options and enjoy a number of creative flavor combinations.

If you’re in the area and seeking a Portsmouth restaurant that will give you a great dining experience, give Moxy – a Modern American Tapas Restaurant, a try. You won’t regret it.

 

Moxy whoopie pies- Portsmouth Restaurants
Something sweet – whoopie pies!
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