Acid + Oil + Spice = Marinade

The base of marinades is very simple: an acid, an oil, and spice. The acid works to break down proteins thereby making the meat tender, the oil lubricates the protein and makes the meat juicier, and spice of course flavors the meat. Many marinades also have an emulsifier which is usually an agent that has both a hydrophobic (water averting) and hydrophilic (water loving) side. The emulsifier can add flavor (for example, Dijon mustard), but mostly it just binds the acid--which is made mostly of water--to the oil.

Once you know this simple formula, the possibilities are endless.

What ratio do I use, you ask. Well, it depends on what you are cooking. If you are using a tougher meat (for example an eye round or a pot roast) increase the amount of acid as compared to an oil. Also, allow the meat to marinade for a longer period of time. Chicken should marinate less unless you want to eat mush (although tonight's recipe requires that the chicken marinates for 24 hours). Fish has such a delicate texture that unless you actually want to cook the flesh in acid (sometimes you do, for example when you make ceviche), do not marinade for more than 30 minutes.

The most common acid is vinegar, however you can also use citrus (lemon or lime with fish or chicken is delicious), wine, buttermilk, yogurt....you get the idea.

Cornell ChickenI grew up in upstate New York and one of the treats we craved the most was Brooks chicken...slightly salty vinegary New York style barbeque cooked over a pit. For all of you southerners, we know how to bbq in the North as well. The Brooks recipe is actually based off of a recipe developed at Cornell University by Dr. Robert Baker who, according to the Cornell website, came up with Chicken nuggets as well.

Incidentally, Saturday is National Kitchen Klutz day. I'm not making this up folks. I read it on the internet, so therefore it must be true. You can even send a greeting card to your favorite Kitchen Klutz! Let the celebrations begin!

Summer Grillin'

Roasting Weiners over an open fireWe had an awesome weekend hanging out in wild and wonderful West Virginia, although Macaroni and Cheese, aka, Gooey Deliciousnessbetween the macaroni and cheese (delicious, and as much as I have tried to pretend it is calorie free, for some reason my imagination is not making this a reality), hotdogs, hamburgers, s'mores, bacon, and more mac and cheese my body is craving something light and full of protein.  We're going to have swordfish...Lemon and Herb Grilled Swordfishit's light, incredibly flavorful, and grills beautifully.  The downside is that is higher in mercury than other fish, and thus my husband thinks I'm trying to kill him, but I promise I'm not....yet.

I marinated the swordfish in lemon juice, fresh sage, thyme, oregano, garlic, and olive oil.  By the way, for those of you that don't find duck egg souffle comforting, try my mac and cheese.  I promise you'll love it!

Comfort Food

It's been pretty miserable in DC the past few days--cold and rainy--great weather to wear pajamas and stay in bed all day. Unfortunately I have to work. I keep on wondering if April showers bring May flowers, what do June torrential downpours bring?

When its cold outside, I like food that is warm, easy to eat, tastes delicious, and makes you feel slightly guilty, but happy. Macaroni and cheese and chili are great options, however tonight we are having soufflé. I know you are thinking that soufflés are difficult, fancy, and certainly not comfort food.  I'm here to tell you this isn't true!  They are easy and delicious (eggs and cheese, how can you go wrong???) and a great comfort food. 

enjoying the souffle!I have duck eggs in the refrigerator so I am going to use an Alton Brown recipe but substitute regular eggs for duck eggs and cheddar cheese for Parano cheese.  Why, you ask, do I have duck eggs in my refrigerator?  On my aforementioned hiking trip, we stopped at a farm market that had them, and I was curious.  I'll keep you posted on what they taste like!

Update on Sunday, June 7, 2009 at 7:18PM by Klutz in the Kitchen

Duck egg yolks are huge!The souffle was delicious, and the duck eggs were a novelty, but the flavor was similar to chicken eggs. The most noticeable difference was the yolks are much bigger than chicken egg yolks.  They were fun to try, but I'm not sure if I would buy them again.

I'm taking the night off!

Jannine, thanks for the amazing post.  I can't wait to try the grilled pizza.  It looks delicious. To all you kitchen klutzes out there, be a guest poster!  E-mail me at klutzinthekitchen@gmail.com if you are interested!

The Kitchen Klutz Dining on Take out ThaiSince it is my night off we had take out Thai food.  We usually order from Thai Square in Arlington--it's delicious and they deliver for free, but I switched it up a bit and we ordered from another highly rated Thai restaurant, Crystal Thai.  Of course I didn't tell my brother or my husband this...hah!  The blind taste consensus was that the food was good, but wasn't as good as usual.  For more details, my husband Jeff is going to write a review.

Update on Thursday, June 4, 2009 at 9:18PM by Jeff

Hey, ya'll. My first blog entry. Up to now I have been an eater, rather than a blogger. As Mary's loving husband, I have been the beneficiary of all of the good recipes you have read to date. (I have actually gained 9 pounds since we started living together.) You would think her blog would be the best thing that ever happened to me. While I have benefited from even more good food than usual, I fear I have lost my wife. (Now take my wife . . . please). Mary now spends hours and hours in front of the computer screen. Our conversations go something like this, [Me] "Mary, do you want to go out of town this weekend?" [Long Pause] [Mary] "Hmmmnn." You get the picture. The blog has become the main topic of conversation in our household. Sorry President O.

Overall, I would recommend Crystal Thai, but give the nod to Thai Square. Check out my review

Look for my next guest appearance as Jefe, our cabanna boy (if Mary lets me post again after this).

Why I Roast My Chicken Under a Brick

Chicken under a brickI think the first time I ever had chicken roasted under a brick was at Obelisk, one of my favorite restaurants in DC.  I had never seen it prepared this way before--a golden brown crispy skin with a juicy, juicy, juicy interior-- and honestly I was hesitant to "just get chicken" at a restaurant of Obelisk's calibre.  (It was actually called "poussin" on the menu, which is a chicken less than 28 days old).  Our waiter assured me that it would be chicken like I had never tasted before.  She was right!

I think I finally perfected my recipe, but please comment if you would do something different.  I've tried making Cooks Illustrated's version (in the Jun '09 issue), but I thought that cooking the garlic and herbs added an unnecessary extra step and the grill, although it added a nice flavor, dried out the chicken.  I cook mine inside, starting it on the stove and then finishing it in the oven.  I brine my bird first and then (thanks to the Cook's Illustrated recipe) add a combination of herbs, lemon zest, olive oil, and salt directly under the skin of the bird.  This adds tons of flavor, but prevents the herbs and garlic from burning when you crisp the skin.

If you want to taste the juciest chicken you have ever eaten before, try this recipe.  I promise you won't be disappointed!

By the way, I'm taking the day off tomorrow.  Luckily my friend Jannine has graciously agreed to fill in for me!  Happy eating.