MAUI- Why Stainless Steel Fry Pans or Skillets?

For the home chef Stainless Steel can work well, why? Being in pro kitchens most of my life, working with stainless steel pots or pans is great to make awesome sauces and gravies. For the  uninitiated cook, having stainless steel pots and pans without the nonstick surface is a must have. Nonstick pans and pots are great for healthy cooking, or sauteing fish so it won't get mangled, it will just slide.

But when working with certain cuts of beef such as a rib eye steak, or a nice boneless pork chop, having the meat stick to the pan is ideal, you must understand that when the meat sears on to the pan surface, the flavors are stuck on the pan, and this area will house all of the flavors. Chef's will remove the meat when done, set it aside and let it rest, when meat rests, it continues to cook for a few minutes, that is why we experts will take off the meat a few minutes possibly one or two before it is done as it will continue to cook.

Then the pan is put back on the burner with the pieces of bits from the meat which is the flavors, and then we'll put some minced shallots in their and scrape the pan with a wooden spoon or steel ladle or what ever is near by, and start to stir up the flavors, and then we'll add in some wine or broth or a combination of both to deglaze the pan, and reduce the liquid into a sauce, finishing it off with a tablespoon of cold butter to add some gloss to it. And then dressing the meat with this reduced sauce and season it with a tad of salt and pepper.

Stainless steel also is great if you will be cooking with vinegar or acids, such as lemons or limes, the surface will be protected from discoloration and having metallic flavors come into your foods.

Chinese chefs use cast iron woks that can rust, but usually the woks are well oiled, and cooking acids in woks generally works only if it is oiled really well. If you see rust, that's not a good sign. For a home cook playing chef, use non-reactive tools like stainless steel, and it's okay to use non-stick pans for healthy cooking, especially for eggs, and fish where you don't need lots of fatty oils to make it sear or to slide.

Hope we learned something today.
Ron: "Email me for any tips you home foodies may need."

MAUI- Amish Cinnamon Friendship Bread Recipe

Amish Cinnamon Friendship Bread by Jaime Navarro. This Amish bread is actually more like a  cake, a pound cake, very sweet, has some density to it, lots of body, hints of cinnamon, and lots of sugar. Well, according to Jaime the ultimate foodie, this bread needs a starter, like a sour dough, it has to start from the first day, and it is wrought into shape in 10 days, where upon you can divide the dough amongst some of your friends so that they can make this baked dish. So what are the ingredients and the process to making this? Okay slow down, here we go.

For the Starter: (Amish Cinnamon Bread Starter Recipe)

Starting from scratch, DO NOT USE A METAL BOWL OR UTENSILS. What I'd do is use a glass or plastic bowl, and use rubber utensils.

In a medium bowl, thoroughly dissolve 1 packet of active dry yeast in 1/4 cup of warm water 105-115 degrees F. Stir in 3/4 cup of warm milk, mix in 1/2 cup of sugar and 1 cup sifted all-purpose flour in a separate container. Gradually stir this into the yeast mixture. Pour the starter into a 1-gallon Ziploc bag. Count this as Day 1 of the Friendship Bread process.

* If you haven't purchased active dry yeast before, it is usually sold in the baking goods section in your market.

So here are the instructions because the starter will need 10 days to settle and you're going to have to work this starter, so it's not baking time yet folks.

Day 1- (Directions were at the top, you just did it, or will.) Leave it at room temperature do not put it in the icebox or freezer. Just let it be.
Day 2- Squeeze the bag  several times. (that's all)
Day 3- Squeeze the bag several times again. (that's all)
Day 4- Add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of milk. Squeeze the bag. Just squeeze it and that's it.
Day 5- Squeeze the bag several times. (that's it)
Day 6- Add 1 cup of flour, 1 cup sugar, 1 cup milk. Squeeze bag.
Day 7- Squeeze bag several times. (that's it)
Day 8- Squeeze bag several times. (that's it)
Day 9- Squeeze bag several times. (that's it)
As you can gather, steps 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, and 9 calls for you to just squeeze the bag several times, it kind of gets it going, make it alive!
Day 10- In a large non-metal bowl, combine batter with 1 cup each of flour, sugar, and milk. Mix with a wooden spoon. Pour four 1 cup starters into individual gallon Ziploc bags. Give away starters to friends with this set of directions. To the remaining batter add;

1 cup of canola oil
1 cup of sugar
1 tsp. vanilla
3 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 large box of instant vanilla pudding (make sure it is a large box and instant)
2 tsp. cinnamon

In a separate bowl, mix 1 tsp. cinnamon and 3 tbsp. sugar. Sprinkle into a well greased loaf pan(s) and coat the sides with sugar mixture. Do not use Pam or other non-stick spray. Bake for 1 hour or until done.

Jaime Navarro with starter in Ziploc bag
Photos: Ron Sambrano 2011

What would I eat this delicious bread with? I'd eat it with hot coffee, and not put any sweeteners in it because this bread or cake is just sweet to the max but excellent, not like a sweet Krispy Creme donut, but just a good kind of sweet if that makes sense. Oh yeah my foodies out there, this is a good cake... I'll call it a cake, it's more like a cake, sorry Jaime, it's a cake to me, but nontheless, this Amish Cinnamon Friendship Bread is called friendship because the starter grows into a monster because of the yeast, and it gets so huge you share it with... your friends, get it? Jaime had to explain that to me, I'm kinda slow upstairs. So try this out and email me and tell me how it turned out. Ron

MAUI- Locally Raised All Natural Beef Maui Cattle Co.

Grass fed Maui Cattle Co. beef rules the school! If you are coming to Maui and you'll have your own kitchen to play Iron Chef in your beachside condo, you have to get the very tasty Maui Cattle Co. beef products. Cattle grazed here on the island is all natural gauranteed. This company comprises of the best ranchers here on this rock, the beef is exceptional, I talked to people from Texas and Kobe Japan, and they swear that this product is very good.

I like to get a pound of their ground beef and make half pound cheeseburgers when I'm off of being vegan, I go and be vegan for a while, but when I want to eat a burger, and there's Maui Cattle Co's product in the chiller, I'm down for that my friends.

Most markes on Maui do carry it, so check out the local supermarkets, I'm sure you'll find it, here is what the ground beef looks like and the lable is now becoming this iconic brand, one that says "Come and purchase me."

Right over 6 bucks a pound and worth it!
Photo: Ron Sambrano 2011

MAUI- Gluten Free Livin

Gluten Free, Dairy Free, & yes Wheat Free. If you are looking for items that are gluten free, try Ener G's Tapioca Loaf. This is some good stuff, make a sandwich out of it, all vegan. Use some tofu soaked in wheat free tamri soy sauce, with some healthy organic greens, tomatoes and onions, or some soaked soy beans. You can find Ener G products in places on Maui such as Lahaina Foodland Farms in Lahaina, Down to Earth Natural foods in Kahului. Keep it Gluten free for a healthy life.

This is what the packaging looks like from the top

This is what the packaging looks like from the rear (16 oz.)

Photos by Ron Sambrano

MAUI- Violence In The Professional Kitchens

Violence in the Professional Kitchens? Really? Is this stuff for real or of just fables and spun tales?

My friends, violence in the professional kitchen is all part of being a dish washwer, prep cook, line cook, chef whatevers. Violence can happen in any way shape or form.

Here are some examples.

1. The line cook fools around with one of the hottie waitresses, the boyfriend finds out, and makes it a point to visit the line cook loverboy in person during his shift as he's making a Hollandaise sauce for the Eggs Benedicts on Easter Sunday. He'll show up un-announced, mad as hell, and kick the cook's ass, tossing him outside by the dumpsters, whereupon security comes flying in with their golf carts and yellow lights flashing, only to be disappointed because the perp is long gone, and the chief of security is wondering if they will ever get faster golf carts.

2. The waiter doesn't like the presentation on the mahi mahi plate, he yells at Jorge the Mexican cook that just started. It goes something like this:
Waiter: Hey Fuck Head!
Cook: Huh?
Waiter: Hey Fuck Head, look at this shit, the sauce is dripping off the sides of this fucking plate you stupid ass, do it right!
Now, this language is frowned dupon by us Christians, but I have to do this to have the full affect. Let's continue.
Cook: Hey men, don't yell at me men...
Waiter: (Tosses a fork at the cook) Fuck you, I can't serve this. (then proceeds to go behind the counter to the hot stove to have a talk with the cook) Do this shit right man. do I have to draw a picture? Apparently you can't understand English!
The cook sees that the waiter is making an attempt to visit him, the cook grabs a cleaver and takes a swing at the waiter's head, just missing his neck.
Waiter: (Petrified) Hey man, what the hell?
Cook: You come beck heer, an I will keel you!
Waiter: Hey man.... we can work this shit out alright? My name is Scott, Scott Miller, what' s yours?

MAUI- You Have to Have NO SHAME!

"Eh No Shame!" What was that all about you may ask as you witness two local brothers without any shirt on talking to each other at a local restaurant. What is that they are saying? No shame? No shame? What is that?

Okay if you are new to the islands, the phrase NO SHAME, simply means this. It means don't worry about what others may be thinking, never mind that, you could be walking down the road with your nuts hanging out, NO SHAME. So when you are eating something and you are sharing something with someone, and they don't want to partake in it, it could be that they are shy, and don't want to eat feeling that if they do they may seem ... I don't know... shame?

So if someone doesn't want to try a dish you just purchased, you're telling them, "Here, have some." And they go, "no thanks, I'm fine."

You see where this is going?

"No I'm okay, I don't want any I'm fine."
"Sure?"
"Yes."
"C'mon NO SHAME!"
"No, I'm fine."
"C'mon have some, NO SHAME!"

No shame is just a phrase to get the other person to eat something they really don't want, it's a way to put someone on the spot... or not.

NO SHAME!

MAUI- A Mother's Day Rememberance

Happy Mother's Day 2011; to all you moms.

I remember several Mother's Day in the past, one year we took mom to a nice hotel brunch, most of the family members were there to share in the special occasion. One of the few holidays that are catered to the woman that held it all together.

Brunches are always good at the hotels, my sisters made the arrangements, we had a party of almost 20 people eating until we almost went into a coma. Brunches with all of the assortments of vegetables, fruits, and all the meats, poultry and seafood you can gobble down. The guy making pancakes and omelets. The guy carving the prime rib, and all of the cool looking desserts. Why did we have to eat that much? Because it was Mother's Day, that's what you have to do, is eat a lot. And of course the champagne, got to have that, well.. maybe not, that stuff gave me a headache, and stepping out to the parking lot when its all done, the sun gets to you and gets you dizzy.

Moms deserve to be pampered that one day, it is their day, my sisters always got my mom the best stuff like getting her feet massaged by a pro, and then her nails and hair all done up. Just think, moms go through the year busting their asses for their kids, just trying to make life easier and all warm and fuzzy for us when we were younger. It's only right for kids to do something nice for mom.

So with that thought in mind, ejnoy your moms, ours went to heaven 2 years ago, so just the memories linger when this day comes around. I know economic times are hard, maybe you can't afford a brunch at the nice hotel or fancy dig. But you can make a special day by just having a nice quiet lunch or dinner, just make things nice, it's the surroundings, and the people who share her day together with that matters most.

Ron. :)