COME SEE US AT:
www.kafcooks.matadoru.com for food and travel writing
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
We have moved!
CAKE WEBSITE IS AT www.kristinfsimmons.com - See my menus and new cake ideas.
My food writing has moved to http://www.social-food.com/. Effective 9/1/09
Come and see a great, mouthwatering, updated blog with juicy color photos of people, people and food, food, cooking food, eating food and more. Email me to get on my list to be interviewed about your cooking talents, family recipes and food passions.
kafcooks@gmail.com
My food writing has moved to http://www.social-food.com/. Effective 9/1/09
Come and see a great, mouthwatering, updated blog with juicy color photos of people, people and food, food, cooking food, eating food and more. Email me to get on my list to be interviewed about your cooking talents, family recipes and food passions.
kafcooks@gmail.com
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Home Cooks of Maine: Ken Takayama
Home Cooks of York County, Maine
Ken Takayama of Kennebunk Maine
Ken Takayama of Kennebunk Maine
This Article was posted in the York County Coast Star 3/12/2009
Many of us have friends who are excellent cooks. We go to their homes, have fabulous and tasty meals the likes of which we may never brave in our own kitchens. We converse, feel uplifted by them, and overjoyed to receive and invitation to dine again. We get nervous however, with the prospect of inviting such a person to eat with us in our own home. We ask our selves, “What will they think of my food? Will they enjoy something like my Granny’s potpie or my husband’s favorite meatloaf?” It can cause stress to know a good cook as much as it can bring great flavor and good meals.
Ken Takayama is the exception to this good-cook-as-friend rule. When he arrives in your home for a meal, you feel his genuine interest and excitement into what YOU are creating. This man loves food and all of its manifestations: hunting for good ingredients, prepping, cooking, eating, talking about eating, and reading about food. I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Ken at a fundraising progressive dinner several years ago and have been sharing meals with his family ever since. I am struck by his attention to detail, his love of each ingredient, his respect for each cook, and what only can be described as mellow and appreciative energy for the food he makes, and for the food that is made for him.
This is to be expected as Ken’s roots in good cooking began while he was a child in Hawai’i. Ken’s mother, Yukie Takayama, and his grandmother Kato, taught Ken the basics of a Pan-Asian kitchen. He was making maki, a rolled sushi, and musubi, a formed and molded rice, before the age of 10. For the Takayamas, food was a continual social occasion and form of communication among their island friends. Fresh ingredients were “par for the course” and Ken described the ready availability of fish, fruit, and seaweed. He and his family were “locavores” before it even became fashionable.
Ken does not remember going out to eat as a child. Instead, he and his family prepared bountiful meals, consisting of traditional dishes like Pork Tofu and Chicken Hekka. The family’s Japanese heritage heavily influenced their cooking with ingredients like nori, a pounded seaweed, furikake, a sesame and fish spice blend, and tofu, a soy bean curd.
Ken’s mother gifted him with a copy of the “Maui Adult Extension Program Cookbook” when he came stateside to study physical therapy and to attend college. It was on the East Coast that he met his wife, Nina a native of Canada. He explains that he was deeply inspired in the 60’s and 70’s by the up-and-coming Julia Child. Ken loved the new ingredients available to him and began to experiment in Italian cuisine. He states that he was able to “woo Nina with his kitchen skills and his take on Veal Saltimboca.” Nina states she “was smitten”, the pair married, moving to their much beloved home in Maine to retire 2 years ago.
Ken described his culinary process as one in which he will “think deeply about the food, from the meat to the seasonings to the method of cooking. Then he says, “I’ll just do it!” He is relaxed and open in the kitchen, and always invites his friends to join in. He is famous among his peers for his Hawai’an pork ribs, his Lobster served with a butter lemon sauce, and his Cioppino, a seafood and fresh tomato stew. His culinary skill has overflowed into his seaside garden. He cooks with these ingredients, in the same way he was taught as a child: to use what you have at hand to make the best food possible.
Kristin Fuhrmann Simmons
kafcooks@gmail.com
www.kafcooks.blogspot.com
Many of us have friends who are excellent cooks. We go to their homes, have fabulous and tasty meals the likes of which we may never brave in our own kitchens. We converse, feel uplifted by them, and overjoyed to receive and invitation to dine again. We get nervous however, with the prospect of inviting such a person to eat with us in our own home. We ask our selves, “What will they think of my food? Will they enjoy something like my Granny’s potpie or my husband’s favorite meatloaf?” It can cause stress to know a good cook as much as it can bring great flavor and good meals.
Ken Takayama is the exception to this good-cook-as-friend rule. When he arrives in your home for a meal, you feel his genuine interest and excitement into what YOU are creating. This man loves food and all of its manifestations: hunting for good ingredients, prepping, cooking, eating, talking about eating, and reading about food. I had the fortunate opportunity to meet Ken at a fundraising progressive dinner several years ago and have been sharing meals with his family ever since. I am struck by his attention to detail, his love of each ingredient, his respect for each cook, and what only can be described as mellow and appreciative energy for the food he makes, and for the food that is made for him.
This is to be expected as Ken’s roots in good cooking began while he was a child in Hawai’i. Ken’s mother, Yukie Takayama, and his grandmother Kato, taught Ken the basics of a Pan-Asian kitchen. He was making maki, a rolled sushi, and musubi, a formed and molded rice, before the age of 10. For the Takayamas, food was a continual social occasion and form of communication among their island friends. Fresh ingredients were “par for the course” and Ken described the ready availability of fish, fruit, and seaweed. He and his family were “locavores” before it even became fashionable.
Ken does not remember going out to eat as a child. Instead, he and his family prepared bountiful meals, consisting of traditional dishes like Pork Tofu and Chicken Hekka. The family’s Japanese heritage heavily influenced their cooking with ingredients like nori, a pounded seaweed, furikake, a sesame and fish spice blend, and tofu, a soy bean curd.
Ken’s mother gifted him with a copy of the “Maui Adult Extension Program Cookbook” when he came stateside to study physical therapy and to attend college. It was on the East Coast that he met his wife, Nina a native of Canada. He explains that he was deeply inspired in the 60’s and 70’s by the up-and-coming Julia Child. Ken loved the new ingredients available to him and began to experiment in Italian cuisine. He states that he was able to “woo Nina with his kitchen skills and his take on Veal Saltimboca.” Nina states she “was smitten”, the pair married, moving to their much beloved home in Maine to retire 2 years ago.
Ken described his culinary process as one in which he will “think deeply about the food, from the meat to the seasonings to the method of cooking. Then he says, “I’ll just do it!” He is relaxed and open in the kitchen, and always invites his friends to join in. He is famous among his peers for his Hawai’an pork ribs, his Lobster served with a butter lemon sauce, and his Cioppino, a seafood and fresh tomato stew. His culinary skill has overflowed into his seaside garden. He cooks with these ingredients, in the same way he was taught as a child: to use what you have at hand to make the best food possible.
Kristin Fuhrmann Simmons
kafcooks@gmail.com
www.kafcooks.blogspot.com
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Stonewall Kitchen Classes
Photo above - The Staff of Chefs and Assistants at Stonewall in York Maine.Cooking in York County: Stonewall Kitchen Cooking School marks first anniversary
By Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons
Stonewall Kitchen has an established and valued presence in York County. The business began in 1991 with Jim Stott and Jonathan King as purveyors of gourmet jams, sauces, and vinegars. Eighteen years have passed, and Stonewall Kitchen has several retail stores, multiple food awards, and an ever-expanding product line. Its identity with the New England food scene is as ubiquitous as chowder and lobster.
It is on this reputation that Stonewall expanded, opening a cooking school one year ago at its flagship location in Southern Maine.
According to Kim Gallagher, Stonewall's food science and recipe developer, Stott and King are "real foodies and had a long-standing dream of creating a school." The school's ongoing classes are an expansion on the "mini-lessons" that are provided at their retail locations. The classes have evolved over this past year, not only as a showcase for the company's signature products, but also the local food trends.
According to Patty Roche, the school's manager, "Stonewall is dedicated to supporting local agriculture and food talent." Upcoming classes will teach about food shopping with excursions to the nearby farmers market.
Stonewall has continued on its crusade to support the gourmet community along Route 1 in York County, affectionately referred to as "Gourmet Alley."
Classes will also grow in the area of "locavore" cuisine, in which these gourmet food products will be featured.
A recent "Lunch in Tuscany" class featured instruction for making an Antipasto Salad, White Bean and Chard Soup, Chicken Paninis, and a Tiramisu Cake. Instructors reviewed each step and thoroughly answered questions, all eager and working in concert to provide the students with a "learning guest" experience.
The salad was light and crisp, providing a great color contrast to the snow outside. The soup was hearty and savory.
Gallagher, the chef instructor for the class, talked extensively on where to find fresh ingredients during the winter months. The bread for the paninis, purchased from the Wells baking powerhouse Borealis Breads, was chewy and flavorful. It was the perfect canvas for the locally raised, marinated chicken, cheese and sun-dried tomato pesto — a Stonewall specialty.
The "Three Course Mediterranean Meal" was a "celebrity chef" class featuring the talents of Susan Tuveson of Cacao in Kittery. Tuveson, a pillar in the gourmet foundation of the Seacoast, was relaxed and approachable, showing her passion for food creativity and learning.
A wide variety of parties attended these classes: some students were eager to learn, asking many questions and taking notes. Others sat comfortably sipping wine, reviewing the menu, and chatting with friends. What united the different guests was their obvious and thorough enjoyment.
Plate after plate kept coming, filled with the likes of Fennel Risotto, Pan Sautéed Monkfish with Citrus, and Caramel Oranges with mascarpone and thyme.
For the remainder of their first year and for the season to come, classes will continue to range from party preparation, special evenings out and light lunches, to classic cooking techniques and world cuisines. They run during the day and evening, throughout the week, all year round.
Have a foodie column idea for Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons? You can reach her at kafcooks@gmail.com or via www.kafcooks.blogspot.com.
Monday, February 9, 2009
Cupcakes that will knock your socks off
Cabernet Chocolate Cupcakes
For the Cakes:
1 package Devil's Food cake mix (plus eggs, oil and water listed on back of box)
1 box chocolate pudding mix
Prepare cake as directed for cupcakes. Add pudding mix into dry ingredients and mix well. (This add a nice moistness to the cakes and keep them fresher.)
Buttercream
2 sticks of unsalted butter
9 c. confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup of milk
2 t. vanilla
1 c. chocolate shavings
To make frosting, beat softened butter on medium and 7 c. confectioner's sugar, a cup at a time, alternating sugar with milk. When all sugar is added, beat in vanilla. Set aside in cool place, covered with plastic wrap.
In separate saucepan, stir 1 bottle of Cabernet wine over medium heat. Bring to boil and reduce until you have 1/8 c. (about 1/2 hour; do not leave the stove, as some wines have higher alcohol content and can reduce rapidly). Wine should be slightly syrupy, but still thin.
Cool slightly and add to frosting, alternating with 2 additional cups of confectioner's sugar. Frosting should be creamy and somewhat stiff. Put into pastry bag or freezer bag with a corner cut off. Pipe in swirl onto top of cupcake.
Sprinkle each cake with chocolate shavings. You will need about 1 cup of shavings (use your carrot peeler on the edge of a dark chocolate bar). My favorite is Ghiradelli.
Keep covered and they will last for about a week.
— Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons
1 package Devil's Food cake mix (plus eggs, oil and water listed on back of box)
1 box chocolate pudding mix
Prepare cake as directed for cupcakes. Add pudding mix into dry ingredients and mix well. (This add a nice moistness to the cakes and keep them fresher.)
Buttercream
2 sticks of unsalted butter
9 c. confectioner's sugar
1/2 cup of milk
2 t. vanilla
1 c. chocolate shavings
To make frosting, beat softened butter on medium and 7 c. confectioner's sugar, a cup at a time, alternating sugar with milk. When all sugar is added, beat in vanilla. Set aside in cool place, covered with plastic wrap.
In separate saucepan, stir 1 bottle of Cabernet wine over medium heat. Bring to boil and reduce until you have 1/8 c. (about 1/2 hour; do not leave the stove, as some wines have higher alcohol content and can reduce rapidly). Wine should be slightly syrupy, but still thin.
Cool slightly and add to frosting, alternating with 2 additional cups of confectioner's sugar. Frosting should be creamy and somewhat stiff. Put into pastry bag or freezer bag with a corner cut off. Pipe in swirl onto top of cupcake.
Sprinkle each cake with chocolate shavings. You will need about 1 cup of shavings (use your carrot peeler on the edge of a dark chocolate bar). My favorite is Ghiradelli.
Keep covered and they will last for about a week.
— Kristin Fuhrmann-Simmons
Thursday, January 29, 2009
Stone Turtle Baking
Michael Jubinsky of the Stone Turtle, Standing in front of the beautiful, Le Paynol oven..jpg)
The Stone Turtle
Turning the corner around 3 foot high snow banks, I made my way past ice covered trees to a pizza cooking class at a school nestled in the woods of Lyman. The newly built barn that houses Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School is the home of a large wood fired oven called Le Panyol, and a beautiful state-of-the-art kitchen. The classes center around bread baking, in all of its manifestations and accompaniments. This is the brain child of couple Michael and Sandy Jubinsky. The Jubinskys have a long and rich history with food and teaching. Michael was a spokesman for King Arthur Flour for over 25 years, teaching classes and filming instructional videos, with Sandy at the helm, also a chef and food writer.
Baking pizza in their kitchen was an honor to both the senses and the intellect. I stood in front of the Panyol, taking in its gentle warmth and eye-pleasing construction. Michael points out that in contrast to the stainless steel appliances across the room, the wood fired oven stood the test of time, the design for which is over 3000 years old.
Turning the corner around 3 foot high snow banks, I made my way past ice covered trees to a pizza cooking class at a school nestled in the woods of Lyman. The newly built barn that houses Stone Turtle Baking and Cooking School is the home of a large wood fired oven called Le Panyol, and a beautiful state-of-the-art kitchen. The classes center around bread baking, in all of its manifestations and accompaniments. This is the brain child of couple Michael and Sandy Jubinsky. The Jubinskys have a long and rich history with food and teaching. Michael was a spokesman for King Arthur Flour for over 25 years, teaching classes and filming instructional videos, with Sandy at the helm, also a chef and food writer.
Baking pizza in their kitchen was an honor to both the senses and the intellect. I stood in front of the Panyol, taking in its gentle warmth and eye-pleasing construction. Michael points out that in contrast to the stainless steel appliances across the room, the wood fired oven stood the test of time, the design for which is over 3000 years old.
.jpg)
.jpg)
The class was well organized and brought out the best in its students. You have the chance to taste, feel, and engage in the process of making food. It is no wonder that the classes fill quickly. The Jubinsky’s humor and pace made the process come alive. I scooped, measured, kneaded, and rolled, finally topping my pizzas and strombolis with fresh local ingredients. I laughed along with my fellow students at how easy this once daunting task became.
Stone Turtle offers a variety of classes and caters to students interested in self-sufficieny, artisanal process, and good food.
Stone Turtle offers a variety of classes and caters to students interested in self-sufficieny, artisanal process, and good food.
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
The abundance of leftover pumpkins during the late Autumn season leads us to get creative with recipes. The next two weeks will showcase home cooks in Southern Maine that are using the perennial favorite.Our journey to showcase the best of home cooking has lead us to the home of Mark Simmons in Kennebunkport. Mark is a stay-at-home Dad and Massage Therapy student. His increased awareness of nutrition, brought about by his current schooling, and the connection of fresh food to good health, has led Mark to experiment more with seasonal ingredients.
Mark has developed a “Fall Pumpkin Soup” that he has tried out on his family. He states that he knew it was a hit when his 2 and 5 year-old daughters asked for seconds. They marveled in turning their home-grown pumpkins into something other than Jack-o-Lanterns.
He asked me to sample the soup and explained that it packs a nutritional punch. 1 cup provides 16% of your daily fiber and 14% of your daily needs for protein. The color is a beautiful sunset yellow. It is creamy, thick and hearty – perfect as a meal for lunch or supper. There is a depth of flavor that comes from the sautéed onions, home-brewed beer, and from the pumpkin itself. I found myself scraping the bottom of my cup for more. He accents the soup with a condiment of chopped cilantro and a sprinkling of chili powder. Mark concedes that the spices are not local, but that they “lend a flavor to the soup that make it special and gourmet.”
He recommends the soup with a green salad topped by a good vinaigrette. I couldn’t agree more.
Mark Simmons, FALL PUMPKIN SOUP:
2 Medium sized pumpkins, seeded, and cut into 2 inch chunks. Two cans of Pumpkin puree, unsweetened, can be used.
1 Medium sweet onion, diced – about 1 ½ cups
¾ stick salted butter
1c. Home-brewed beer – a store bought Brown or Pale ale will be fine too.
1 Can evaporated milk – standard size
4 c. Chicken or Veg Stock (You can make it for Meat or Veggie lovers)
Salt and Pepper to taste
1 c. Minced Cilantro
Chili powder
In a steamer basket on the stove or microwave, steam pumpkin cubes until soft, about 35-40 minutes. Scrape flesh and mash lightly when done. Set aside in bowl.
Meanwhile while pumpkin is steaming, sautee onion until slightly brown but not caramelized in stockpot on stove with butter. Add a few shakes of Salt and pepper. Add beer and reduce to about 5 minutes over medium heat. Add pumpkin, stir to combine and cook 5 minutes more over low heat. Add Evaporated milk, and chicken stock, as well as 1 more shake of salt and pepper. Keep heat on low and cook to combine flavors 15-20minutes more. Make sure it does not get to thick – if thickens too much, turn of heat. Soup will be slightly chunky. Use stick blender to puree if smoother consistency is desired. Serve with sprinkle of cilantro and chili powder. Serves 8 adults as 1st course. Freezes well for 3 months.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
