Looking for a stain remover?

Hello Everyone, well I am still alive and kicking. Just started a new job, yes again, But it pays really good. The second highest paying Job I have ever had, and is 40 hours and some overtime. I am asking for people to submit stain remover information. Does anyone know of any brand name stain removers or even lesser known brands, or all natural. I need to use them on my chef jackets to remove grease, blood and other things. Any information submitted would be greatly appreciated. Please also only list things you know work from using them, I dont want to waste money on things or ruin my jackets if they dont work. Thanks You. Rick B.

Roasted Chicken

Hello, everyone.
In an older post, I was telling you all that I now have a sweet new place to live, and we are starting a whole new year! My goal in this new place, and in this new year, is to cook better and eat better. I plan to use as little pre-made food or spice as possible. We will use some of the pre-made since I work a lot or am gone, and have 3 kids all being home schooled.

I am starting with roasted chicken, so simple for some, really challenging for others. So, as I have said many times, I love brining all my meat, and here is a picture of me brining two whole chickens. If you choose to brine or question the purpose, here is a link to the article I posted on Why Brine?




Regardless of whether you brine or not, after your chicken is ready to go into the oven, you need to season your chicken. You can season it with anything you like. As for me, I kept it simple and just used sea salt, pepper, and garlic powder. I did infuse many herbs into my brine, so that added flavor as well. I also rubbed my chicken down with olive oil before adding my seasoning. This gives it flavor and a crispy skin.



Depending upon what cook books or websites you read and visit to learn about roasting chicken, you will find everyone saying different things: 1)start with low heat and turn it up later, or 2)start with extremely high heat then turn it down. If you are unsure what to do or what way is best, then try them all and figure out what works best for you.

I like to pre-heat my oven to about 425 degrees and cook my chicken for about 30 minutes at that temperature. Then, I turn it down to about 350 degrees for the rest of the time. In order to tell if your chicken is done, you can use a thermometer, or wait until you see the juices running clear from the cavity. I don't use a thermometer at home. I pull it from the oven when I see the juices run clear. You can also grab the chicken leg and wiggle it; if it feels really loose and like it would pull out of the bird with little to no resistance then it is done. Usually these ways of checking come in time after making many chickens and getting a feel for them.




If you choose to use a thermometer, use a fast instant-read one. You can usually pick one up for $20.00 or less. They are digital, and they typically register in two second increments. Most people or recipes will tell you to have the temperature of the chicken at 165 degrees. I personally go for 160 degrees because there will be carryover heat. Carryover heat simply means the food is still cooking and will raise the temperature by about 5 to 10 degrees.

I know this is hard for many people, but after pulling the chicken from the oven, let it rest for about 20 minutes. This helps the juices in the meat to redistribute back into the meat. If you cut it right away, all the natural juices will run out and you will lose lots of flavor, and you may even dry out the meat.

Now, in my picture it is hard to tell, but the chicken is moist and juicy, not dry and overcooked.



After I carve my chicken, I save the carcass for chicken stock. Why let all those good bones get wasted? Chicken stock, and other stocks, will be coming in posts later in the month.

Lying in the Food Business

A comment was left on the topic of olive oil being fake. This is what was said.

This article is kind of upsetting! There should be some US standards that ensure we get what we think we are getting. Now I'm going to be paying much closer attention when buying olive oil.

Sadly, these things happens all the time and in many forms. Over the years, Andrew Zimmerman has brought up a lot of what I will be discussing. You can find his blog here.
AZ Blog

Andrew has many times been vocal about lying in the food business; not just lying, but misleading people by what you say or don't say is quite common. I will mention some things I have seen as a result of the comment left. I only mention Andrew because he is well know and respected, where as I am not well known. I want people to beware of these issues and really give them some thought, though.

You will see some restaurants claim everything they make is "homemade". If you see a restaurant that says that and you like the food, then go and eat there. But, honestly, don't be surprised if something is not homemade. Also, places will advertise that something is made with only the "best" ingredients, or "real" butter or cream, or whatever. I know from experience that this is not true. I worked for a local family-owned restaurant here in the Twin Cities. They did and still are lying. Over 50 percent of their pastries are frozen or from a bag mix or out of a can or bucket, such as pie fillings and bread. Then, they claim to use real butter and cream in their caramel and cinnamon rolls. Yet, they use milk and margarine. That's flat out lying to the paying customer.

Now, here is another thing people never think about. Truffle oil, Truffle oil is pushed as something so great that it is really expensive. I was looking at a bottle of truffle oil and simply read the ingredients. There were only two listed: 1.) olive oil, 2.) flavorings. I thought, "Really? Olive oil and flavorings." So, instead of buying truffle oil, you're buying olive oil with flavoring. The worst part is that you don't know exactly what the "flavoring" really is. In reality, truffles come in black and white. The white truffles are far more expensive and are higher quality. You can spend up to $2000.00 per pound for good, white truffles. Black truffles can go as high as $500.00 per pound. Granted, the prices can go higher or lower depending of many factors. Now think about it. If you were to even pay $1000.00 for a pound of white truffles, just exactly how much oil do you think you would get from them?

I'm guessing maybe an ounce at best, since truffles are not naturally oily. So, if truffles were a $1000.00 per pound, then you would be looking at 1000.00 dollars per ounce of oil, but we all know they would raise the price to make money. A 14 ounce bottle would be more than gold, yet they sell them in stores, though the labels say, olive oil, not truffle oil.

To be fair, there are different brands and all contain different things. Some might have real truffle pieces in them. If you're in a restaurant, and they claim to be adding truffle oil to some food, it will cost a lot more for that dish. In reality, it is more likely to be olive oil with flavorings. Even if it is olive oil with truffle pieces, it will be so little truffle, the question is whether it is worth the price. If it is, then great, by all means buy it.

Another thing to be careful about wasabi. Wasabi is difficult to cultivate and that makes it quite expensive — as high as $70 to $100 per pound. Due to its high cost, a common substitute is a mixture of (western) horseradish (which normally costs less than $1/pound wholesale), mustard, and green food coloring. Although the taste is similar, they are easily distinguished. In Japan, horseradish is referred to as seiyō wasabi. Outside Japan, "real" wasabi is rare, and colored horseradish-based substitute is normally used instead; in the United States, wasabi is generally found only at specialty grocers and high-end restaurants.

Just be aware that you're most likely eating colored horseradish, and not real wasabi. If your thinking, "How can I find out about local restaurants, or foods or things of that nature?" It's really easy. If you have friends who cook in restaurants, ask them questions such as: "Do you know anything about said restaurant?" Read labels on bottles, or go to websites and blogs and ask questions. I know from all the restaurants I have worked in, we cooks and Chefs talk to each other. We share both good and bad stories about places we worked. We mention places we want to eat or work and places to avoid and why.

I just want people to be informed and know that they might not be getting what they pay for.

Fake Olive oil

Hello everyone, Well I have been super busy, really long story, the shortest version is, I moved into a new place. Been busy trying to move and finally have a sweet new place, 1700 square feet everything included for about a grand a month. Now that I have a new place and a big kitchen I plan to do more posts and better cooking as far as All from scratch and as little pre-made food as possible. Things will pick up more after the new year, I have my best friend visiting and he is in the military so we are hanging out before he has to head back on JAN 1st to California.

But for now here is an interesting article I found and I love olive oil, so I will be better prepared when I look for Olive oil.

Don't Be Tricked By Fake Olive Oil

Extra-virgin olive oil. It should mean pure, unadulterated, and good-for-you, right? According to Extra Virginity: The Sublime and Scandalous World of Olive Oil, a new book by Tom Mueller, that bottle of "extra-virgin" olive oil in your pantry may actually be fraudulent.
As olive oil is a premium product, some producers want to undercut the market by putting low-priced, bad quality oils on the shelves. "Fifty percent of the olive oil sold in the United States is, in some ways, adulterated," Mueller told NPR's Fresh Air. That means consumers who purchase these imposters are missing out on the health benefits that authentic oil offers.
More From Delish: Mediterranean Recipes for a Masterpiece Menu

So how do you tell the difference between the real thing and the fake one? Any oil can have that mark "Made in Italy", but you need to be diligent about reading all that tiny print. It's true, olive oil is lower in saturated fat than most oils out there. But a bottle that touts being "low-fat" is likely also low-grade. Mixed blends are also a clear indication that it is not 100 percent pure oil from olives. Anything that says "extra light" is one to avoid.
What does "extra-virgin" mean anyway? Extra-virgin is a term that olive oil producers use to relay that the olives have been pressed only one time during the process and that the oil has not been altered by chemical solvents or refined in any way. So it's not possible for an olive oil to be "extra-light" or "blended" and also be "extra-virgin."


What about taste? Understanding oil is similar to understanding wine. On the nose, as they say, natural oil has a grassy aroma, and on the finish, has a spicy bite on your tongue. Professional olive oil tasters often pour a little of the oil in to their hands and then vigorously rub them together to bring out the aroma. Then they cup their hands around their nose to detect the sweet smell. After, they slurp it, wash it around the back of their mouths, and spit it out, just like wine. Of course, it's not possible to do this in the supermarket aisles.
And while your examining that bottle take note: A good olive oil doesn't have to come from Italy to be wonderful. Spain, Greece, and France have all been producing olive oil since the beginning of time. Remember, it's the key ingredient in the Mediterranean diet and those countries all hug that same sea.
Time to grab a bottle of olive oil and get to the kitchen!
Olive Oil Both Savory and Sweet

Kitchen Tools

Hello everyone!
This post is nothing more than my mere thoughts and opinions. I want to talk about kitchen tools like knives and pot and pans. I was watching the Food Network and saw Guy Fieri advertising for a set of knives. His name was attached to them. I also have been seeing sets of pots and pans being sold in stores claiming to be by Paula Dean, Rachel Ray, Bobby Flay, and others. They really seem to be selling these harder for the holidays.

Here are my thoughts on these things. If you really want to buy them, then go for it. In reality, though, these people do not use their own brands in their restaurants, and other chefs don't buy these brands. I can tell you in all honestly, you will never walk into a really upscale fine dining restaurant and see them cooking with Paula Dean cookware, and the chefs won't be using Guy Fieri knives. Also, they act like if you buy these pans and knives, you will then be able to cook like the pros. I want to let you know in case you don't know already, you will not go from no experience or little experience to a pro just because you cook with Rachael Ray pans or Guy Fieri knives.

I have never cooked with these pans or used these knives, so I cannot say if they are any good or not. I can tell you from experience, I will only use the brands of tools we use in the kitchen. If your wondering, "Can a novice or non-pro buy these pans and knives in stores?" The answer is yes. Now if your wondering what brands we use, everyone is different. As far as knives go, most high-end kitchens require you bring your own knives to work.

Most kitchens provide pots and pans, blenders, and most tools. They just require you provide shoes, boots, or whatever shoes you feel most comfortable in, and smaller tools like tweezers, tongs, and things like that. Kitchens use very expensive blenders like Vitamix blenders. They cost, on the cheap end, about 500.00 dollars. These are worth the money, and I own one.

As for knives, you really do get what you pay for. You can buy cheap knives that run 20-50 dollars a piece or even a little more and think your buying a good knife. I own Shun brand knives; in my opinion, they are some of the best knives. They have thin blades for a cleaner cut. They stay sharp, if used properly, and they are razor sharp. They can be expensive. I spent $120.00 for just one knife.

You can Google Shun knives and find tons of information on them. When it comes to knives, many people don't know that most good knife stores and kitchen supply stores will allow you to handle the knife, and even provide things like apples or carrots and such to cut and see how the knives feel. If they do not, then ask, "Can I bring a carrot or apple or something to cut to see how the knives feel?" You really should test out knives before buying them. Some people I work with swear by the Global brand. They are really light weight, but I don't like the way they feel in my hand. I am just putting this out because the holidays are coming up, and people will spend lots of money thinking that since it has a chef's name on it, it must be good.

Something else you can do is find local high-end restaurants and call them, and ask if you can talk to the chef for a minute. Call during the non-busy hours and ask the chef, "What brand of knives or pots do you use, and where can you buy them?" Most chefs should not mind if you call and ask questions, as long as you call before the dinner rush. Typically, if you call a restaurant to speak to a chef, do it before 2pm.

As far as the pots and pans go, most places I have worked use All-Clad brand or cast iron. So, if you really want to cook like the pros, use the tools they use. If you're not sure what brands they use, simply ask them.

Coffee House

Hello everyone.
Well, as you can see, I have a new picture of me in a coffee house. This coffee house is staffed entirely by volunteers. If no one volunteers to be there, then it is not open. The kitchen part of it is not up and running yet; some work still needs to be done. But once it is up and running, I will be teaching people how to cook and bake, and possibly running some private catering events from the kitchen. We can use the kitchen now for our personal use. I can make my spice blends in the kitchen. We serve both hot and cold drinks from the front and store things in the kitchen. We even do a open mic night every third Saturday in the coffee house.

They are allowing me to have my spices setting on the counter for sale at the coffee house. As a result of having my spices for sale there, I started using plastic bottles and can now sell them cheaper. One full bottle of spice in the plastic bottles weighs the same as a empty glass bottle. So, I will start selling my spices on my blog for 7.25 before it was 9.00 a bottle

If you happen to be in Saint Paul, MN or are planning to visit and want to check out the coffee house, here is all the information you need.

Sojourner’s Café
(651) 771-9614
1406 White Bear Avenue
Saint Paul, MN 55106
info@sojournerscafe.org

If your wondering, "Will Rick be at the coffee house so I can meet him?" You can write me at iplayjudo1970@hotmail.com a few days in advance and let me know. If I am not working, I will be happy to meet up with you over hot coffee or a drink of your choice. Rick

Homemade Apple Cider

Hello, everyone. When I was growing up, my grandfather made his own apple cider. He had a huge, wooden apple press in his basement. Boy, was homemade apple cider the best ever!

Sadly, these days everyone sues everyone over every little issue, so no more good old fashioned apple cider. I have tried pasteurized apple cider, but I think it tastes more like apple juice. I looked at jugs of apple cider and apple juice, and they are both pasteurized and say in the ingredients list: apple juice. Well, they both cannot be apple juice. I googled apple cider vs apple juice. From everything I read, this is what I can find.

1. There's no difference at all.

2. The store-bought stuff is juice; the homemade stuff is cider.

3. Cider is made from apples that are picked early.

There is a debate among other people saying cider is not filtered, while apple juice is filtered. Many people seem to agree there is a huge difference in taste. So, I decided to try and make my own cider. I don't have my own cider press, so I used a blender.

My all time favorite apple is the granny smith apple, but you can either use a blend of apples, or your favorite apple. I cut them into quarters and cut the core and seeds out. Then, I cut them into small pieces so they would blend.



After the apples are blended really well, almost like apple sauce, I poured them into some cheesecloth.



After I pour them into the cheesecloth, I closed it up and started to twist it into a bowl. This forces the juice out. If you just let it set there, it would take hours to drain, so I use force. Be careful, though. The cheesecloth will break as you twist it tighter and tighter, and some apples will fall out.

After it is drained, pour cider into glass and enjoy!



After drinking this "real" cider, tell me that it isn't the best ever! I think the pasteurized stuff is crap.