Shoulder Cuts, and the Art of Tenderizing with Marinades

Red wine marinade with a Lindner Farms Bison Chuck steak

I woke up late last Sunday, and didn’t make it up to the Hollywood farmer’s market until about an hour before it closed.  It’s usually pretty slim pickings for red meat when you don’t get there early, so I figured I’d let whatever they had dictate what I made for dinner.  All that remained for many vendors were the tough braising meats. Stews are great, but not when it’s 80-90 degrees during the day.  Lucky for me, I was able to nab a beautiful grass-fed

Pancakes

It totally tastes as good as it looks...possibly better.

There’s nothing better than breakfast on the weekend.  Something about waking up late and having a leisurely cup of morning joe always puts me in the mood for a good meal.  I’m a big fan of looking at finished food, and there are few things more satisfying than the visage of pancakes, bacon, and eggs

Vegetable gyoza, and thoughts on learning to cook

Green onions, cilantro, garlic, ginger, carrots, and baby bok choy

When I originally set out to create the Provident Potato, it was my intention to help inquiring minds learn to cook.  I know a lot of people who would like to learn, but can’t figure out where to start.  Cooking regularly is an art, and it’s different from simply following a recipe.  You waste a lot of food if you don’t know how to put one ingredient into multiple uses.  Cooking seasonally asks one to make many different dishes from similar ingredients, and if you’re just learning to cook, this blog is a great place for you to start.  With this in mind, I’ve written detailed instructions for those of you out there who might not yet be old hands in the kitchen.  If you know what you’re doing, feel free to skip the details and head straight to the parts that are most useful to you.

You can make gyoza with a variety of fillings, but it is best served in its vegetarian incarnation in the spring when green leafy veggies are abundant. 

Wild Mushroom Risotto

Ladies and gentlemen, last night’s dinner was so good that in our haste to eat it, we forgot to document it!

Fortunately you have a good imagination, and know without even seeing it just how good this is going to be…and trust me, it was good!

This is an all season recipe that can be used with new varieties of mushrooms as they become available throughout the season.  Ingredients like onions, garlic, and fresh herbs are often available straight through the end of the summer season, and are available dry after that. Butter can be purchased from your local dairy farmer year round (co-ops and heath food stores are good sources too.)

The mushroom guy at my local farmer’s market here in Culver City (Dirk, from LA Funghi) had some great looking hen of the woods mushrooms on Tuesday, as well as my personal all-time favorite, morels.  Morels are expensive, and have a flavor that is best not interfered with.  I like to saute them in butter with a pinch of sea salt and a touch of freshly cracked black pepper.  Put a few on top of the portioned risotto for a gorgeous, mouthwatering finish.  Really any wild mushrooms will do for this dish, though some will be better than others.  If you’re not a seasoned wild mushroom eater, ask the person you buy your mushrooms from to recommend the best ones for this dish.  Trust me, he or she will know.