Burger Mondays Bar & Grille: a mini review

Last night we stopped in to Burger Mondays Bar & Grille on State Street in Binghamton. As is our wont we sat at the bar and ordered the evening’s special, a bison burger. I had mine with seasoned fries while Glenda opted for the house-made sweet potato chips. Here are my impressions:

First off, despite the art on the walls, the ambiance is that of an Irish-themed sports bar. The signs saying that one section was “reserved for Irish police and fireman” may be in jest but they are hardly welcoming. The high ceiling and hard surfaces make the space a bit uninviting and cold, something that was not helped by people holding open the outside door near the bar. Besides painting the sprinkler lines red the current owners have done little to update the interior from its previous incarnations. Still, the bar was friendly enough and felt a lot like a neighborhood guys’ tavern. Drink prices are on par for the area but the bartender was not aware of the $3 well drinks offered at the restaurant’s Facebook page.

Our food arrived promptly—a surprise in a town not known for its quick service. The burgers were cooked as ordered and were very good. My only complaint is that the bacon was rather limp and seemed to have been cooked in a microwave. Glenda really enjoyed her sweet potato chips and the seasoned fries were just to my liking—thin and very crisp. They could, however, have been improved by having the seasoning tossed with them rather than just sprinkled on top. At $15 the burger was a bit pricy, especially for a mid-week special, but I would recommend it.

All in all, Burger Mondays feels like a work in progress. The food we had was good and the service first rate. But the interior needs work.

Colcannon

There are versions of potatoes and cabbage or kale throughout Northern Europe. In the British Isles one finds the onomatopoeic Bubble and Squeak in England, Cawl Cennin a Thatws in Wales,  Rumpledethumps in Scotland, and Colcannon in Ireland. Like most traditional dishes from the “Old Sod,” the versions of colcannon found in the United States reflect nostalgia for a largely mythical past combined with the tastes and plenty—not to say gluttony—of the New World. It is unlikely, for example, that a 19^th Century Irish peasant would have had the half pound of butter many recipes call for. My version is unapologetically American although I have tempered the excess a bit. I have used cabbage instead of the more traditional kale. I would happily use the latter, it being more flavorful, but what is available at this time of year is of dubious quality. The bacon I use is American-style or what our cousins across the Atlantic call streaky bacon. Irish bacon would be even better, just add a bit of oil or butter to make up for the lower fat content. Finally, in place of the mealy russet potatoes most recipes specify I have used small, firm boiling potatoes. I just like them better. And I left them unpeeled. Use whatever potato you prefer and peel them or not as you see fit.

Serves two as a meal.

Ingredients
Potatoes, whole or large cubes	600 grams	1⅓ pounds
Bacon, coarsely chopped	100 grams	2 thick slices
Cabbage, coarsely shredded	450 grams	1 pound (½ medium head)
Onion, sliced	60 grams	2 ounces (1 medium)
Heavy cream (36%)	60 milliliters	¼ cup
Butter	30 grams	2 Tablespoons
Salt and pepper	to taste	to taste

Method

Boil or steam the potatoes until soft, about 12 minutes. Drain and set aside to cool a bit.

In a large skillet over medium heat, render the bacon until nearly crispy. (If using Irish bacon put in enough butter to allow it to fry nicely, perhaps 15 milliliters (1 Tablespoon)). Add the onion and sauté until softened but not browned. Add the cabbage and toss to coat with the bacon fat or butter. Cover, turn the heat to low, and cook gently for 10 to 15 minutes or until the cabbage is soft.

 When the potatoes are cool enough to handle, cut them into small cubes and place into a large bowl. Mash along with the cream and butter until smooth but still a bit lumpy. Fold in the cabbage, bacon, and onion. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Potato-Rye Bread

Those of you who follow this blog have probably noticed that I am off on a tangent of bread making. Since I am the only one in our household who eats bread one might reasonably ask why I go to the trouble. Well, first off, it really is not much trouble at all if one has a heavy-duty stand mixer. Secondly, it appeals to my frugality since I can make a loaf of bread for about a fifth of what it would cost to buy—perhaps a sixth if I include the cost of driving to and from the supermarket a couple of miles away. But the best reason is that homemade bread is simply better than any store-bought loaf— except, perhaps, for a crusty baguette. I realize that is a subjective but I challenge anyone who has never made their own bread to try it before passing judgment.

About this bread. My last two efforts were a light rye and a potato bread. The obvious next step was to combine the two. Potato-rye bread is common in Germany and Eastern Europe where it is sometimes made with a sourdough starter. My version is lighter than a traditional loaf might be because I plan to toast it for breakfast. I debated adding caraway seeds but decided against it. If you intend to use the bread mostly for sandwiches I suggest you add a tablespoon or two of the seeds to the dough when you add the first measure of flour.

Note: the metric and imperial units are internally consistent but not necessarily interchangeable. 

Yield: two medium or three small loaves

Ingredients
Cooked potatoes, mashed	250 grams	8 ounces (about ½ cup)
Water	250 milliliters	1 cup
Sugar	15 grams	1 Tablespoon
Buttermilk powder	60 grams	Generous 2 Tablespoons
Canola oil or butter	15 milliliters	1 Tablespoon
Salt	10 grams	2 teaspoons
Egg	1	1
Active dry yeast	10 grams	1 Tablespoon
Rye flour	150 grams	5 ounces
Bread flour	450 grams	1 pound

Method

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle beater combine the potatoes and warm water (use the water from boiling the potatoes if you have it). Add the sugar, buttermilk powder, salt, oil or butter, egg, yeast, and 100 grams (1/2 cup) of the bread flour. (If you used hot potato water check that the temperature is not above 45°C (115°F) before adding the yeast.) Beat gently until smooth.

Replace the paddle beater with the dough hook. Add the remaining flour to the bowl. Knead on the recommended speed setting for your mixer. After about five minutes the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If it does not, add more bread flour a bit at a time until it does. Knead for a further few minutes.

At this point I like to weigh the dough to make dividing it later more accurate.

Warm a large, heavy earthenware or glass bowl with hot water then dry and pour in enough oil to just cover the bottom. Form the dough into a large ball, place it in the bowl, and roll it around so that it is evenly coated with the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside to proof until doubled in size, about 1 to 1½ hours depending on the temperature. At the end of proofing, punch down the dough and divide it into whatever size loaves you prefer. Form the loaves and place them into lightly-oiled pans. Cover with a towel and allow to rise again until the dough is just above the sides of the pan.

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). (I use the convect pastry setting on my convection oven.) Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The best way to determine doneness is with a thermometer; the center of the loaf should be between 93°C and 99°C (200°F and 210°F).

Baked Potato Bread

Since I am currently reading a book about the history of the potato in Europe and North America it seemed apt to try my hand at potato bread. I adapted this recipe for incorporating the elements of a stuffed baked potato into a loaf of bread from one I found online. I converted the recipe to gravimetric measures both metric and imperial. I also baked the bread in loaf pans to make is more suitable for breakfast toast. Whichever recipe you follow, do try this wonderful bread!

Note: the metric and imperial units are internally consistent but not necessarily interchangeable. 

Yield: two medium loaves

Ingredients
Bacon, coarsely chopped	60 grams	2 ounces (1 or 2 slices)
Cooked potatoes, mashed	250 grams	8 ounces (about ½ cup)
Water	250 milliliters	1 cup
Sugar	15 grams	1 Tablespoon
Sour cream	60 grams	2 Tablespoons
Active dry yeast	10 grams	1 Tablespoon
Salt	10 grams	2 teaspoons
Chives, chopped (fresh or dried)	30 milliliters	2 Tablespoons
Bread flour	600 grams	21 ounces

Method

Cook the bacon until crisp then drain reserving the fat. Chop finely and set aside.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer fitted with the paddle beater combine the potatoes and warm water (use the water from boiling the potatoes if you have it). Add the sugar, sour cream, yeast, salt, the bacon, reserved bacon fat, and one quarter of the flour. (If you used hot potato water check that the temperature is not above 45°C (115°F) before adding the yeast.) Beat gently until smooth.

Replace the paddle beater with the dough hook. Add the remaining flour to the bowl. Knead on the recommended speed setting for your mixer. After about five minutes the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If it does not, add more flour a bit at a time until it does. Knead for a further five minutes.

At this point I like to weigh the dough to make dividing it later more accurate.

Warm a large, heavy earthenware or glass bowl with hot water then dry and pour in enough oil to just cover the bottom. Form the dough into a large ball, place it in the bowl, and roll it around so that it is evenly coated with the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside to proof until doubled in size, about one to one and a half hours depending on the temperature. At the end of proofing, punch down the dough and divide it into whatever size loaves you prefer. Form the loaves and place them into lightly-oiled pans. Cover with a towel and allow to rise again until the dough is just above the sides of the pan.

Preheat oven to 190°C (375°F). (I use the convect pastry setting on my convection oven.) Bake for 40 to 45 minutes. The best way to determine doneness is with a thermometer; the center of the loaf should be between 93°C and 99°C (200°F and 210°F).

Onion/Dill Rye Bread

The other day I had the thought of making bread with yogurt. Most of the recipes I found on the Internet seemed to over-compensate for the tartness of the yogurt with massive amounts of sweetener—one called for a quarter cup of honey in a one and a half pound loaf. I adapted this recipe from one calling for sour cream, onion, and dill. I added some rye flour because that seemed to me to be a good match for the dill. The result was a somewhat dense but very tasty bread that toasts nicely. The recipe here is a work in progress so let me know how yours works out.

Note: the metric and imperial units are internally consistent but not necessarily interchangeable. 

Yield: two medium loaves

Ingredients
Rye flour	100 grams	3½ ounces (about 1cup)
Bread flour	400 grams	13 ounces (about 3 cups)
Yogurt	150 grams	½ cup
Warm water	200 milliliters	Generous ¾ cup
Sugar	15 grams	1 Tablespoon (2 envelopes
Active dry yeast	10 grams	1 Tablespoon
Salt	10 grams	2 teaspoons
Active dry yeast	15 grams	½ ounce (2 envelopes)
Canola oil or melted unsalted butter	30 grams	2 Tablespoons
Dried minced onion	15 grams	2 Tablespoons
Dried dill leaves	2 grams (15 milliliters)	1 Tablespoon

Method

Weigh the flours into a bowl. In the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer combine the yogurt and warm water using the paddle beater. Add the sugar, yeast, salt, onion, dill, and about a quarter of the flour. Beat gently until smooth.

Replace the paddle beater with the dough hook. Add the remaining flour to the bowl. Knead on the recommended speed setting for your mixer. After about five minutes the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If it does not, add more flour a bit at a time until it does or, if the dough does not come together, add a bit of water. Knead for a further five minutes.

At this point I like to weigh the dough to make dividing it later more accurate.

Warm a large, heavy earthenware or glass bowl with hot water then dry and pour in enough oil to just cover the bottom. Form the dough into a large ball, place it in the bowl, and roll it around so that it is evenly coated with the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside to proof until doubled in size, about one to one and a half hours depending on the temperature. At the end of proofing, punch down the dough and divide it into whatever size loaves you prefer. Form the loaves and place them into lightly-oiled pans. Cover with a towel and allow to rise again until the dough is just above the sides of the pan.

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C) for small loaves or 375°F (190°C) for large ones (I use the convect pastry setting on my convection oven at 375°). Bake for 35 minutes for small loaves to 50 minutes for large ones. The best way to determine doneness is with a thermometer; the center of the loaf should be between 200°F and 210°F (93°C and 99°C).

Irish Risotto

In the kitchen, the leftover, not necessity, is the mother of invention. Last night while casting about for dinner ingredients I came up with: four mushrooms a bit past their prime, one frozen flounder filet, and a half dozen frozen shrimp. For reasons I cannot begin to explain risotto came to mind. What turned out was a thick creamy porridge-like dish reminiscent of a rich chowder, hence the whimsical name. Note that bay scallops would be a great substitute for, or addition to, the shrimp. You could, of course, eschew the bacon if you prefer a meat-free meal.

Accompanied by a green salad this recipe serves two generously.

Ingredients
Mushrooms (4 smallish) , sliced	60 grams	2 ounces
Shrimp or bay scallops	170 grams	6 ounces
White fish filet in small pieces	85 grams	3 ounces
Olive oil	As needed	As needed
Bacon, one rasher, chopped	30 grams	1 ounce
Onion, one medium, diced	140 grams	5 ounces
Arborio rice	240 grams	8 ounces (1 cup)
Dry white wine or vermouth	60 milliliters	¼ cup
Shellfish or fish stock	750 milliliters	3 cups
Heavy cream (36%)	30 milliliters	2 Tablespoons
Salt and pepper	To taste	To taste

Method

Bring the stock to a simmer and keep warm.

Film the bottom of a saucepan with olive oil and sauté the mushrooms over medium heat until they become fragrant and release their liquid. Set aside. If needed, add a bit more oil to the pan and sauté the shrimp until just done, about 2 minutes. Set aside with mushrooms. Do the same with the fish.

In the same pan cook the bacon, stirring often, until it is almost crispy. Add the onion and sauté until translucent but not browned. Add the rice and fry, stirring constantly until chalky, about 2 or 3 minutes. Stir in the wine or vermouth and allow to mostly evaporate.

Begin adding the stock 60 milliliters (2 ounces) at a time stirring after each addition until it is nearly absorbed. Continue until the rice is creamy and just al dente. Stir in the cream then fold in the mushrooms and seafood. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Brown Stock, Oven Edition

Rich brown stock made from roasted beef bones and caramelized vegetables is a kitchen essential. Besides brown gravy and demi-glace it is the base for many soups, notably French onion. Granted, one can buy rather good beef stock in the supermarket—salt-free versions are becoming more commonplace—but making your own is easy and the result is better than store-bought. This recipe where the stock cooks overnight in the oven even relieves of having to hover over a stock pot for hours. And because the stock steeps at just below the boiling point instead of simmering, it comes out clear and is easy to de-fat. I portion the finished product into one-quart screw-top plastic containers and freeze it for several months.

Note: have your butcher cut the beef bones into piece 5 cm (2”) to 10 cm (4”) long; shorter is better.

Yield: about four quarts

Ingredients
Beef marrow bones	1.5 kilogram	6 pounds
Mirepoix*	1 kilogram	2 pounds
Tomato, diced**	225 grams	8 ounces
Cold water	6 liters	6 quarts
Herb sachet	See method	See method

*mirepoix consists of diced onion, carrot, and celery in 2:1:1 proportions

**in place of tomatoes you can use 2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste, adding it to the cold water

Method

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C).

Place the bones in a single layer in a roasting pan. Spread the mirepoix and tomatoes evenly in a second roasting pan. Place both into the hot oven turning the bones and stirring the vegetables from time to time.

After an hour remove the pans from oven. Transfer the bones to a large stock pot. Pour off all but a quarter cup of fat from the roasting pan that had the bones in it and move the vegetables into it. Place over two stovetop burners on medium-high heat. Stir until the vegetables are well caramelized but not burnt. Add the vegetables to the stockpot. Deglaze the pan(s) with part of the cold water and add to the pot along with the rest of the water.

Turn the oven down to 205°F (96°C).

Prepare a sachet by tying 2 bay leaves, 2 or 3 crushed garlic cloves, 2 sprigs fresh or ½ teaspoon (3 ml) dried thyme, 6 sprigs fresh or 2 teaspoons (10 ml) dried parsley, and 8 to 10 crushed black peppercorns in a piece of cheesecloth (unless you have a giant tea ball, as I do) and add it to the stock. Bring the stock just to a boil and place the pot, uncovered, into the oven. Steep for eight to twelve hours but no more.

When the stock is done, strain it into a very large bowl. Clean out the stock pot then set bowl into your kitchen sink with the drain closed. Fill a small, deep saucepan with ice and water then place it into the stock. Run cold water into the sink to the depth of the stock in the bowl. Stir the water around to cool the stock as quickly as possible. The idea is to minimize the amount of time it spends in the danger zone between 140°F (60°C) and 40°F (5°C). Pour the cooled stock back into the stock pot and refrigerate. (Of course, in the winter you can just put the pot out into the snow!)

When well cooled, defat the stock and, if you like, strain it again, this time through cheese cloth. Dispense into suitable containers and freeze for up to several months.

Filet Mignon with Mushroom Gravy

This most tender cut of beef is a special treat for meat lovers. Since each steer yields only about twenty or so they are quite pricey. But there is a way to bring the cost down to a more reasonable level: buy big. While pre-cut filet mignon sells for $15 to $20 a pound you can usually buy an entire beef tenderloin for around $10 a pound. That piece will yield ten or so half-pound filets a couple of pounds of really good ground beef or beef cubes. Most supermarket butchers will remove the membrane (silver skin) and cut it for you.

We Americans when we think of steaks think of grilling. For filet mignon that is just plain wrong! The best approach for this cut is to sear it in a very hot skillet and finish it in a very hot oven. Not only does that yield a juicy product but a delicious pan sauce or gravy as well. There are many classic pan sauces that go very well with filet mignon. If you accompany the steak with mashed potatoes gravy like this one is especially nice.

Serves 2.

Ingredients
Filet Mignon, 25 mm (1 inch) thick	2, about 250 grams each	2, about 8 ounces each
Salt and pepper	To taste	To taste
Butter, unsalted	As needed	As needed
Shallots, minced	30 grams	1 ounce
Mushrooms, chopped	60 grams	2 ounces
Flour	15 milliliters	1 Tablespoon
Brown stock	125 milliliters	1 cup

Method

Preheat oven to 500°F (260°C). Place a heavy, cast-iron skillet over medium heat. Salt and pepper the steaks generously on both sides. When the oven reaches temperature raise the heat under the skillet to high. When the pan begins to smoke add a good-sized pat of butter to it and, when it is melted, put in the steaks. Turn after two minutes and place the pan into the hot oven. After five minutes pull the skillet from the oven and remove the steaks to a warmed plate. Cover loosely with aluminum foil and allow to rest while you make the gravy.

Put the skillet on the stove top over medium heat and sauté the shallots for a couple minutes then add the mushrooms. Cook, stirring or tossing often, until the mushrooms start to give up their liquid, adding a bit of butter if needed. Sprinkle on the flour and stir to make a roux. Slowly add the stock while whisking constantly. Allow the stock to begin to boil before adding more so that you can judge the thickness. When the gravy has come to the consistency you desire, turn off the heat and adjust the seasoning.

Serve the meat with mashed potatoes and the gravy.

Everyday Bread

Every baker has a favorite bread recipe: this is mine. I eat it mostly as toast for breakfast but it also makes great sandwiches. It is quite light and actually seems to improve with a day’s sitting. The recipe makes about 1380g (3 lbs.) enough for two standard-sized (8” x 4” x 2”) loaves or three smaller ones (7” x 3” x 2”). Sometimes I bake three loaves at once and freeze one or two for later; sometimes I bake one and freeze the formed loaves for baking later. In the latter case, I just put the frozen loaf in a pan to thaw and rise for a few hours before baking.

A note on measurements: it is nearly impossible to achieve consistent results baking bread by volume—only gravimetric measures are accurate enough. (The weight of a cup of flour can vary by 10% or more.) Digital kitchen scales are very inexpensive today and every serious cook should own one. For making bread I much prefer to use metric units because they are more precise. Even those not familiar with the metric system can use it by simple setting the scale accordingly.  

I adapted this recipe from Sarah R. Labensky and Alan M. Hause, On Cooking: Techniques from Expert Chefs (Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, Prentice-Hall: 1995), 796-797.

Ingredients
Whole wheat flour	100 grams	4 ounces
Unbleached white bread flour (T65)	580 grams	1 pound 4 ounces
Warm water	340 grams	12 ounces
Dry milk powder	35 grams	1¼ ounces
Honey (or sugar)	30 grams	1 ounce
Salt	15 grams (10 milliliters)	½ ounce (2 teaspoons)
Active dry yeast	15 grams	½ ounce (2 envelopes)
Canola oil or melted unsalted butter	30 grams	1 ounce
Eggs	2 large	2 large

Method

Weigh the flours into a bowl. Put the bowl of a heavy-duty stand mixer onto the scale and zero it out. Add the warm water then zero the scale again. Add the milk power, honey, salt, yeast, and oil, zeroing the scale after every ingredient. Remove the bowl from the scale then add the eggs and about a quarter of the flour. Mount the bowl on the mixer fitted with the paddle beater. Starting on low stir the ingredients together, then increase the speed to medium and beat until smooth.

Replace the paddle beater with the dough hook. Add the remaining flour to the bowl. Knead on the recommended speed setting for your mixer. After about five minutes the dough should be pulling away from the sides of the bowl. If it does not, add more flour a bit at a time until it does. Knead for a further five minutes.

At this point I like to weigh the dough to make dividing it later more accurate.

Warm a large, heavy earthenware or glass bowl with hot water then dry and pour in enough oil to just cover the bottom. Form the dough into a large ball, place it in the bowl, and roll it around so that it is evenly coated with the oil. Cover with a kitchen towel and set aside to proof until doubled in size, about one to one and a half hours depending on the temperature. Note that a long rising at a lower temperature yields a more finely-textured bread.

At the end of proofing, punch down the dough and divide it into whatever size loaves you prefer. Form the loaves and place them in lightly-oiled pans. Cover with a towel and allow to rise again until the dough is just above the sides of the pan.

Preheat oven to 400°F (205°C) for small loaves or 375°F (190°C) for large ones (I use the convect pastry setting on my convection oven at 375°). Bake for 35 minutes for small loaves to 50 minutes for large ones. The best way to determine doneness is with a thermometer; the center of the loaf should be between 200°F and 210°F (93°C and 99°C).

Hungarian Beef Goulash

The word goulash is derived from the Hungarian word for herdsman, gulyás, providing a pretty clear indication of its origin as a peasant dish and its principal ingredient. I suspect that it was originally made with lamb or mutton but today beef or pork are usual. This version incorporates ideas from several online recipes that all claim to be authentically Hungarian. Of course, as with most such traditional dishes, there are as many recipes for goulash as there are cooks making it, each insisting that it is the only true version. Many recipes, especially those made with pork, call for sour cream but I decided to stick with a kosher-style approach. For the liquid I used beer but you could substitute water or wine. Whatever you do, though, do not cut short the browning of the meat. A good caramelization is essential to a rich sauce.

Ingredients  

Canola or other neutral cooking oil

1½ pounds beef, preferably chuck, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 large onion, chopped

2 Hungarian wax peppers, seeded and chopped

3 -4 cloves garlic, chopped

1 large tomato or several smaller ones, coarsely chopped

2 tablespoons sweet or hot Hungarian paprika or a mixture of both

½ teaspoon caraway seeds

Beer, about one 12-ounce bottle

1 pound firm potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes

Salt and black pepper

Method

Heat about 1 tablespoon of oil in a Dutch oven or deep pan with a lid. Working in batches, add the beef cubes in a single layer, browning well on all sides. Remove meat to a bowl and set aside.

Adjust the amount of fat in the pot then sauté the onion and garlic until softened, about three minutes. Add the pepper and tomatoes and cook for another two minutes.

 Return the meat to the pan and sprinkle with the caraway and paprika, stirring to evenly coat the meat. Pour in enough beer to just cover the meat. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to very low and cook 1½ hours or until meat is almost fork tender. Remove the lid for the last half hour to let the sauce concentrate.

Add potatoes, cover, and cook gently for another 30 minutes or until potatoes are done. Season with salt and pepper. Serve hot by itself or with noodles.