Was wondering what kinds of food you would just go "pure".

A dry aged rib eye is one that comes to mind, a good cut of meat needs nothing but a touch of salt.

I say this because going through alot of recipes online and in books, i've noticed alot of people throw the kitchen sink of spices into a particular dish. While it does create a melange of flavors, it might create a bit of palate fatigue where you don't quite know what you're tasting after a few bites.

Roasted chicken: Salt, pepper, xv oil, and a little fresh thyme.


More is not always more. It takes a mature palate to realize you don't need a ton of spices to make good food. I always aim for simple food with great execution.

I rub my ribeyes with pepper garlic and olive oil before grilling.

I do enjoy a simply grilled ribeye, though. On occasion, a blue cheese and red onion sauce for when you are REALLY tring to have that heart attack, can be great.

I'm not huge into the juxapositioning of different flavors in the same dish, but there is a big difference between some cutting edge haut-cuisine and a great dish of Osso Bucco -- both can be complex, but the Osso Bucco will be food for the soul as well as the intellect.

We eat a lot of chicken in our house, so I'm not above throwing the kitchen sink at it for some variety. (You've heard of "good cholesterol" and "bad cholesterol?" well, they don't tell you about lipoprotein(a) which the "you're-pretty-much-screwed cholesterol." 'nuf said.) I appreciate the virtue of a simple olive oil, salt and thyme presentation, but even that can get old. But I get to eat steak about once in a blue moon, so don't go tossing steak sauce on it. And for goodness' sake, don't cook the blood out of it.

While I enjoy well done complex dishes, I also judge a restaurant by how well they do the basics.

For me, growing up in the Pacific NW, salmon should be as basic as can be.
Grilled with salt, pepper, finish with butter; add a little dill if you want to go crazy.
Same goes for Manila clams. Add a loaf of Como bread or sourdough and you've got yourself a meal.

Overly complex preparations of the "kitchen sink" variety are generally a sign of either an inexperienced or insecure cook, or of poor ingredients. Simple is often not only better, it's usually more wine-friendly.

Pompous and inflexible pronouncements are generally the sign of an insecure, overcompensating ego. Simple is usually best, but sometimes you gotta stretch.

quote:

Originally posted by RDCollins:
Simple is ... usually more wine-friendly.

Amen to that, brother. Sometimes it isn't about the wine, though.

quote:

Originally posted by winetarelli:


but the Osso Bucco will be food for the soul as well as the intellect.

HOLD ON, let me go pull a Gaja.

quote:

Originally posted by RDCollins:
Overly complex preparations of the "kitchen sink" variety are generally a sign of either an inexperienced or insecure cook, or of poor ingredients. Simple is often not only better, it's usually more wine-friendly.

Who decides what is "overly" complex? I've made simple dishes and complex dishes. So if I make a complex dish with a lot of ingredients I'm inexperienced or insecure? You're projecting.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:

quote:

Originally posted by RDCollins:
Overly complex preparations of the "kitchen sink" variety are generally a sign of either an inexperienced or insecure cook, or of poor ingredients. Simple is often not only better, it's usually more wine-friendly.

Who decides what is "overly" complex? I've made simple dishes and complex dishes. So if I make a complex dish with a lot of ingredients I'm inexperienced or insecure? You're projecting.

was really leaning more towards spices ...

take some dry rubs for ribs..

onion powder/garlic powder/salt/pepper/cumin/paprika/dried parsley/thyme/caliente powder/brown sugar.
(was on food network i believe)

does a particular food need that much spices

"need?" probably not

When done in balance and moderation, it might be a great combination, maybe not, but to dismiss it generically is to eliminate something potentially special.

There are many classic dishes which have a lot of ingredients, for example Mexican mole sauces, or certain curries. In this case the challenge is to attain balance and harmony. Like Board-O said, dishes with lots of ingredients cannot be dismissed categorically.

Even dishes like coq au vin, or duck a l'orange can have a relatively high ingredient/spice count.

g-man, here's another one I like to go minimalistic with: Seared duck breast. Just a little salt and pepper, cooked to med-rare.

quote:

Originally posted by mneeley490:
For me, growing up in the Pacific NW, salmon should be as basic as can be.
Grilled with salt, pepper, finish with butter; add a little dill if you want to go crazy.
Same goes for Manila clams. Add a loaf of Como bread or sourdough and you've got yourself a meal.

HALLELUJAH! You speak the truth!


I also often like the best veggies done very, very simply. For example, my folks live in hot Eastern Washington and manage to grow some of the most splendid tomatoes I've ever had. Corn, too. Anything more than maybe a little S&P and you've gone too far.

quote:

There are many classic dishes which have a lot of ingredients, for example Mexican mole sauces, or certain curries. In this case the challenge is to attain balance and harmony. Like Board-O said, dishes with lots of ingredients cannot be dismissed categorically.

Even dishes like coq au vin, or duck a l'orange can have a relatively high ingredient/spice count.

g-man, here's another one I like to go minimalistic with: Seared duck breast. Just a little salt and pepper, cooked to med-rare.

VVV...very well said.

I score the skin cross-hatch, a little oil, high heat, then breast side down with reduced heat until I get the skin crispy, then turn it over for, what? 6 or 7 min. Med-rare is absolutely the way to go with these things.

I use the fat confit (with thighs and legs)with pan sauted potatoes.

This reminds me of that old Almond Joy TV commercial - "...Sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't..."

One of my most memorable meals last summer was some heirloom tomatoes with EVOO, balsamic, and basil. I also seem to prefer pasta with a very simple red sauce (onion, garlic, EVOO, and good canned whole Roma tomatoes - maybe add some shredded carrots it the tomatoes are very acidic).

On the other hand, I make an asian plum sauce that has quite a few ingredients but the blend of sweet, sour and spicy really make it tremendous.

I seem to be able to make a case both ways on most foods, though.
Beef Tenderloin - salt and pepper would be great, but it's also wonderful with a Rosemary Blue Cheese crust, served with a mustard port reduction
Salmon - again great with salt pepper and a squeeze of lemon - probably what I would do with all the fresh wild stuff that we get here in the Pacific Northwest. OTOH, salmon poached in a court bouillon then baked in puff pastry with a beurre maniere was also quite nice.
Veggies - roasted new carrots or sauteed with butter, honey and sambal olek.

Maybe it's because, I'm Canadian - I just see both sides of everything.

quote:

Originally posted by Board-O:

quote:

Originally posted by RDCollins:
Overly complex preparations of the "kitchen sink" variety are generally a sign of either an inexperienced or insecure cook, or of poor ingredients. Simple is often not only better, it's usually more wine-friendly.

Who decides what is "overly" complex? I've made simple dishes and complex dishes. So if I make a complex dish with a lot of ingredients I'm inexperienced or insecure? You're projecting.

Not what I said -- I'm referring to the "kitchen sink" type of cooking that was posited in the original post. For example, the sort of goop that one often finds at amateur chili cookoffs where the prevailing theory seems to be "if a little is good, then a whole lot of everything is better," and "mine has more stuff than yours."

Or the cooking of a self-taught friend (he would never consult a cookbook or look at a recipe) who thinks the ultimate dish is a beef roast stuffed with a pork roast stuffed with a chicken stuffed with chantrells, topped with foie gras, wrapped in a pastry crust, and served with both a port reduction and Bordelaise. It's just silly, and it doesn't work except as a show piece!

I make extremely complex dishes, including classic French, Italian, Mexican, Indian, and Chinese dishes, and the good ones are, as others have suggested, balanced and nuanced, not unlike good wine.

quote:

Originally posted by BRR:

I also often like the best veggies done very, very simply. For example, my folks live in hot Eastern Washington and manage to grow some of the most splendid tomatoes I've ever had. Corn, too. Anything more than maybe a little S&P and you've gone too far.

Last spring I discovered the joys of grilled asparagus and spring walla wallas, lightly coated first in evoo.

growing up on a farm, one of my favorite meals was corn on the cob - grilled in the husk. We always picked it that day - no salt, no pepper, just silver queen corn. Sometimes we would add butter. We would make burgers or steaks to go with the corn. Generally salt and pepper and nothing else. The meat was from our farm - no anibiotics, no growth hormones and grass fed. It gave the meat flavor. My biggest beef with store bought beef is the bland flavor imparted by weeks at a feed lot (no pun intended).

Braised Shanks (Veal, lamb, venison, etc...). The beauty about them is that they make their own sauce to compliment the meat. Just take the fat content into mind when braising them. The leaner the shank, the longer it will take until the protein becomes tender. Veal and lamb can take anywhere from 2-4 hours. Venison or other game food 4-8+. Just remember its a marathon not a race, don't boil the meat!!!

Pancakes. To hear of all the crazy things people do to pancakes makes me want to cry. Personally, I don't think it gets any better than plain buttermilk pancakes (only my father's recipie, which I've memorized, will do). If you have to put chocolate, fruit, etc... in your pancakes then there's something wrong with your 'cakes! ... and don't even think about using a boxed mix ... from scratch buttermilk pancakes are the only way this cat rolls...a small pat of butter and maple or corn syrup are the only "toppings" worthy of touching these cakes!

A few quick ones I like to do often:

Cheeseburger: Good beef (85% lean) + salt/pepper - cooked medium rare served on a toasted bun with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and a dab of ketchup.

Pasta: Linguine al dente, topped with some high quality olive oil, salt, pepper and MAYBE some fresh grated parmigiano reggiano.

Veal Chops: Sprinkle with salt/pepper, grilled medium rare, topped with a little bit of butter or served with a hollandaise.

Scallops: Salt/pepper each side lightly. Sear over medium heat 2-3 mins per side, serve with a mixture of pan juices and melted butter finished with fresh tarragon.

Pizza: Home made or fresh dough. Marinara sauce, anchovies, capers, topped with some good olive oil.

Tuna: Sprinkle with sea salt/pepper/sesame seeds, sear in olive oil mixture 2-3 minutes per side until rare/medium rare, top with a slice of lemon.

And almost any vegetable topped with olive oil, salt and pepper and tossed on a grill.
Ok, that's more than a few....but I love cooking simple!

quote:

Originally posted by Brashley:
Pancakes. To hear of all the crazy things people do to pancakes makes me want to cry. Personally, I don't think it gets any better than plain buttermilk pancakes (only my father's recipie, which I've memorized, will do). If you have to put chocolate, fruit, etc... in your pancakes then there's something wrong with your 'cakes! ... and don't even think about using a boxed mix ... from scratch buttermilk pancakes are the only way this cat rolls...a small pat of butter and maple or corn syrup are the only "toppings" worthy of touching these cakes!

mm ditto with scones.