Winter makes me long for the summer

This recipe is definetly a late summer or spring recipe.  Its winter though, and sometimes you just need a btreak from braised meets and root vegetables.  

CHILLED SHRIMP SALAD

Sometimes we really forget how spoiled we are in this day and age of convenience. We have cars to get places. Grocery stores carry everything we could need. We even have perfectly controlled climates thanks to heat and air conditioning.

The other day my perfectly controlled world got turned upside down. After spending 12 hours in the kitchen, with it being 95 degrees outside and the humidity through the roof, I returned home to find my house at 95 degrees with the humidity through the roof. My Air conditioning had broke during the day. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue. I would grab a prepared meal that I usually have in the fridge, go to a park, and enjoy the evening. However, on this day, I had no meals prepared, and the last thing I wanted to do was cook. Instead of going out though, I headed to the grocery store and came up with this chilled and refreshing meal that requires no cooking and can be made in less then 5 minutes.

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 lb pre-cooked shrimp. Frozen or fresh. Make sure they are nitrate free

1 avocado

1 clam shell cherry tomatoes

1 bunch of mint

salt

pepper

olive oil

lemon juice or rice wine vinegar

TO MAKE:

1)If the shrimp are frozen, defrost them.

2)Clean the avocado from the pit and skin. Dice

3)Tear the mint into pieces. You could always cut it, but I like the big refreshing bites of mint when I am working my way through the salad

4) Combine all the ingredients in a bowl and season with salt, pepper, olive oil, and vinegar.

5) Find a cool place to enjoy.

If you are turned off by the idea of the mint, you can always use basil. Give it a try though. I often use the two interchangeably. I completely understand this recipe is the simplest thing ever. Anyone could have created this, but sometimes simple is better. Who knows, maybe it will come in handy if your AC goes out.

Sesame Salmon

A friend asked for something asian inspired this week.  Instead of stir-fry though, I decided to go with an asian flavor profile, and make a composed dish.  

Ingredients:

6 heads baby bok choy

1/4 cup tamari

2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar

1/4 cup black and white sesame seeds

3 Salmon Filets.  Aprox 4-6 ounces

cocnut oil as needed

Salt as needed

To Make:

1)Preheat your oven to 325 degrees. Also preheat a grill pan over medium heat (an actual grill will work fine too).

2)In a medium bowl, combine Tamari, rice wine vinegar, and a pinch of salt. Add the Bok Choy and let marinate for 30 minutes. 

3)While the bok choy marinates, combine the white and black sesame seeds. Toast in a small saute pan on low heat, making sure to not burn.  Let cool

4)Once cool, spread the sesame seeds over the flesh side of the salmon.  Place the salmon on a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake 40 10-15 minutes or until cooked through.  

5)While fish cooks, grill the bok choy.  Brush the grill lightly with cocnut oil before placing bok choy on the grill.  

As always, Eat well.  Play hard.  Give back.  

What's in Your Pantry?

 

As a Chef, more often than I can count, people ask me how they can make the food they cook at home taste like it came from a restaurant.  For most, the answer issimple-season your food. Chefs taste, re-taste, have their buddy taste, final taste, and taste again and again and again and again; each time adding what they think the item will need to get to that restaurant quality. This may mean adding a touch of salt, pinch of a spice, dash of lemon juice or hot sauce. Really whatever it takes…which brings us to the point of all this: none of the tasting does any good without the pantry of ingredients to back it up.

So, what should be in your pantry?

Spices-everyone’s taste buds have different preferences. Which spices you prefer to keep as staples are ultimately up to you but if you want flavorful andinteresting food, you will need an arsenal. Personally I always keep black and white pepper, smoked paprika, cayenne pepper, cumin, garlic powder, chile powder,and dry italian seasoning. Most spices go stale after about 3-4 months, so never buy huge amounts, unless you know you are going to use them.

Vinegars- vinegar can be made from anything, but to keep life simple , stick to the basics. Cider, red wine, champagne, rice wine, and balsamic vinegar are really all you need.

Hot Sauce-keep a few around, preferably homemade, but if not make sure its all natural with no preservatives. Hot sauce usually has enough vinegar in it to have an almost indefinite shelf life.

Tamari- Tamari is fermented soy sauce.  Fermentation removes the anti-nutrientsfound in traditional forms of soy. Tamari is typically Gluten-Free as well. Feel free to do your research on this amazing flavoring sauce.

Worcestershire Sauce-All natural, small batch distillers pump this stuff out all over the country. Your life will be changed forever. If you want, you can make your own too.

Lastly, you need salt. Kosher salt and large crystal sea salt. I know, I know. You’ve been told forever that salt is bad. Don’t eat it. Put it on the black list with white sugar and flour. Your body needs salt though. It is vital in helping retain water during any physical activity. Plus a whole slew of other things. More importantly though, salt is what makes FOOD TASTE GOOD! When a chef is doing the taste and re-taste, more often then not, he is adjusting salt. Plus, real food-from a farm or field-is not already pumped full of salt like processed foods tend to be. Want more info, check out this great post on Marks Daily Apple for some great info.  You will need kosher salt as your basic seasoning salt. Its crystal size is the perfect size to pinch and sprinkle which helps it coat food evenly. The large crystal sea salt, is for finishing, A touch on pretty much anything before eating is always a good choice.

What else? The pantry is an ever-changing beast. It is constantly evolving. You will discover new things to try out as you cook more and more. New spices will be found and familiar ones will just have to share the space. A few simple pantry items though, and you can start building dishes that have you questioning whether to go out to eat or stay in.

Until next time Eat well. Play hard. Give Back.—The Primal Bohemian.

Featured on Charleston Eater

So a few weekends ago I had the absolute privilege of helping out the Cook It Raw event here in Charleston.  While I didn't get to attend all the activities- most were reserved for the truly star studded line up of chefs- I was asked to help at the closing event on Saturday.  It was a bit of playing hard and giving back all rolled into one.  Out of it came the opportunity to reflect on the whole day and the event.  The piece ended up on Eater Charleston and can be seen here!

http://m.charleston.eater.com/archives/2013/10/28/chef-jeremiah-schenzel.php

If you want more info, check out the article in the New York Times Dining Section that was released on Wednesday or visit the Cook It Raw Website.  As always eat well. Play hard.  Give Back.

Caramelizing for Flavor

When it comes to food, there is really only one thing that ultimately matters: taste.  In a kitchen applying heat, seasoning, and different techniques all contribute to how a product will taste.  But what if we didn't have our arsenal of spices and herbs?  What if you are not the greatest cook and versed in multiple cooking techniques?  How then do we get a product to still taste great?

 To do this, we must understand that every ingredient has its own flavor.  Even without seasoning or technique we can make any product taste better by using its own natural flavor and its fundamental reaction to heat. In simple terms, when you apply enough heat to food for enough time, reactions occur.  These reactions  change the natural flavor of that product.  We typically refer to these reactions as caramelizing, as is the case with vegetables, or browning, as is the case with meats.  

Caramelizing vegetables is one of the best ways to optimize flavor.  Its a simple process too.  You need only a hot pan, some oil, and your vegetables.  Once your pan and oil are hot, add your vegetables and stir occasionally.  What is happening? Well, all vegetables contain starch.  At a certain point, the starches in the vegetable begin to gelatinize.  When this happens, the vegetable begins to soften and strands of sugar molecules get released.  These sugar molecules then come in contact with heat and start to cook.  Ultimately, these sugars begin to start the process of burning.  As they are "burning", these sugars take on different stages of color. This is why you may see a recipe call for a lightly caramelized onion or a deep caramelized onion.   

Red Onions..Hot pan..No caramelization 

Now understand that not all vegetables caramelize at the same rate or as well as others.  This is why you never see a recipe calling for caramelized kale.  Could you do it? Sure, but it would probably take more time then you want to spend, and it may not taste all that great.  This is also why you almost always add vegetables in stages when caramelizing.  Usually starting with the items you want to have the most caramelization and ending with items you want to have the least amount of caramelization.  Also, if there is anything that will make caramelizing difficult if not impossible it is overcrowding the pan.  Notice how much space those onions have? you will need all of it.  Keep your pans uncrowded, and your onions happy.  

Oh, you're not interested in vegetables? Well visit back shortly and we will discuss the process of meat caramelization.  Until next time.   Eat well.  Play hard.  Give back.    

Caramelized red onions...un caramelized carrot and celery  

Deep caramelized red onion...lightly caramelized celery and carrots.   

mmmmm, steak.

In the summer, when its hot and balmy outside, the last place I want to spend a ton of my time is in the kitchen. I developed this quick, 1 pan recipe so I could spend as little time as possible in the kitchen but still reap the benefits of all the summer produce coming from the farms around me. This recipe easily makes enough for two, but who doesn’t love leftovers?

 

Ingredients:

2 lbs flank steak

2 baby leeks or 1 large leek

3 medium tomatoes

2 hot peppers-whatever is available and you can always add or take away some of the heat based on your preference. I prefer cayennes or bull horn peppers.

1 tablespoon cumin

1/4 cup cider vinegar

salt and pepper as needed

coconut oil as needed

 

To Make:

1) Season the flank steak with salt, pepper, and cumin. Put into a dish and set aside.

2)Rough Chop all of the vegetables and add to the same dish as the steak.

3)Pour the cider vinegar over the whole mix and cover. Let marinate for at least 2 hours, but overnight is ideal. The vinegar and acid of the tomatoes will help tenderize the meat as well as add great flavor.

4)When ready to cook, heat about 3 tablespoons of coconut oil over medium high heat. I prefer to use a cast iron pan, but any pan that you can get real hot will work.

5)Place the steak into the pan and sear one side. Once a golden brown crust has begun to develop, flip and sear the other side.

6)When the meat is seared to your preference, take the vegetable and vinegar mixture and pour over the steak.

7) Reduce to low heat and cover. Let sit for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes just begin to soften.

8)Turn the heat off and let the steak rest in the juices for 5 minutes.

9) Slice the steak and top with the tomato mixture.

You can really add any fresh vegetables you want to this mixture. I like the texture okra brings, and the earthy depth some kale can add as well. If you don’t want a lot of liquid in the pan you can strain the vegetables from the pan or reduce the liquid in the pan for a huge blast of flavor. Enjoy!

Roasting Chicken

Want to become a better cook? I can tell you two things that almost any professional chef will tell you if your looking to do so: become really comfortable with a knife, and perfect a roasted chicken. Knife work takes lots of practice, but roasting a perfect chicken only takes an oven, quality ingredients and some friends to enjoy it with!

INGREDIENTS:

1 5 to 7 lb roasting chicken.

1 medium white onion

3 stalks of celery

2 large carrots

1 bunch of thyme

1 bunch of sage

coconut oil or grass fed butter

salt and pepper

TO MAKE:

1) Preheat your oven to 475 degrees

2) While the oven heats, prepare the chicken by removing any of the included awful and the neck. Save the neck for broth.

3) Rough chop all of the vegetables and toss together in a bowl.

4) Stuff the cavity of the chicken with the vegetables and herbs

5) Take the remaining vegetables and place them on the bottom of a baking dish.This will serve as a bed for your chicken to sit on.

6) Rub the skin of the chicken with butter or coconut oil and season with salt and pepper

7) Place the chicken onto the bed of vegetables and place in the oven for 40 minutes.

8) After 40 minutes, turn oven temperature down to 350 and roast for another 20 minutes.

9) Remove the chicken from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before you carve

10) Carve the chicken and serve!

Re-Evaluation

I get asked a lot of questions about the Primal Bohemian mantra.  What does it mean? How do you   live it? Where did it come from? Sometimes, the questions are easily answered, and sometimes, I really have no clue what to tell people.  To me, not having the answers though is ok. 

Ultimately the Primal Bohemian lifestyle is not something that is set in stone, nor will it ever be.  There are of course paths that have been groomed for us to wander down, but straying off those paths are what allow us to find how the mantra applies in our lives.  So I guess the point is simple: don't be afraid to take a step back from what you are doing.  Realize that imperfection, trying new things, and experimentation are all ok. Once you have done that, look at your goals, and re-evaluate them.  Then allow the lifestyle to play as big or little of a part as you so choose.  After all, even if the sun sets, it always rises again.  Eat well. Play Hard. Give back.  

-JPS

The Victory of the Garden part 1

In  restaurants there are an unlimited supply of farm fresh vegetables every week.  From greens, to okra, to the sweetest peaches.  All you need is a phone and a person can get whatever they want delivered right to the restaurant door.  While everything in the restaurant doesn't always fit into the Primal Bohemian philosophies of eating well, the convenience of delivery can't be argued with. Unfortunately for those of us in the rest of the world, farm fresh vegetables delivered to your door are not an option.  Many of us are lucky if we can seek out farmers markets and find the best stuff to put into out primal lives.  And yes, of course grocery stores have nearly everything you need to eat well on the primal bohemian journey, but you have to be vigillant about where it comes from, is it organic, fair trade, an equal housing lender etc. etc. etc. What other options are there though? For myself, and many of my fellow Primal Bohemians,  we have gone back to the vegetable garden!

When we talk about gardening, it is not about lily's and roses.  We are talking about vegetables.  Of course there are a lot of things to consider before you plunge into the world of growing what you eat.  Concerns about space, climate, soil, and even what to grow all come into play, but if planned accordingly, you can provide your Primal Bohemian lifestyle with a significant chunk of produce for your eating well habits. 

It is easy to get carried away with thinking about what to grow.  We all want carrots, broccoli, tomatoes, eggplant, squash, okra, zucchini,  peppers, and huge amount of other things.  It is helpful to step back and start somewhere else: herbs.  An herb garden is a great way to test your green thumb.  It can be done inside or outside.  Takes minimal attention, and will drastically improve your primal meals.

I suggest starting with  a small herb garden with a mix of parsley, basil, chives, cilantro, and mint.  You will need a single box of about 4 feet long and 8 inches deep for this many plants, or an individual pot of 8 inches deep for each plant.  Whether inside or outside, the plants will need plenty of sunlight and water.  It is helpful to have some shade throughout the day to prevent the herbs from getting sun burnt if outside.  If you follow the basics of water, light, and some good soil, these herbs will produce a plethora of product to add to sauces, salads, and all your other Primal Bohemian meals.  Of course there is more to this gardening thing, but you have to start somewhere.  Look back for part 2 soon.  So who has an herb garden? Post your thoughts to the comments.  As always,  eat well. Play Hard. Give back.
-JPS   

Eat Well. Salsa verde

There are few things better then a fresh salsa.  Salsas pack intense flavor, lots of nutrients, and can take just about any dish to the next level.  Not to mention they fall right into a key element of The Primal Bohemian lifestyle-simplicity.    

I came across some fresh tomatillos at the farmers market and couldn't pass up grabbing them.  If you have never had a tomatillo it is NOT a green tomato.  Although they both are from the nightshade family, the tomatillo is more of a giant gooseberry then a tomato (if you are unfamiliar with a gooseberry, that is for another post).   Slightly sweet, slightly bitter, and even slightly slimy, tomatillos are a staple in cuisines of Mexico and South America.   And if you like fresh green salsas, I suggest grabbing some and trying this great salsa verde out! 

You can make this salsa verde either in an oven or on a grill.  The grill will add some nice smokey notes, but the oven will give a deeper, more compound flavor.  

For 1 large jar of salsa you will need 3 tomatillos (they come wrapped in a light skin, peel this off before using), 2 jalapenos, 1 bunch of green onions, a tablespoon of cumin, some coconut oil, and a pinch of salt.  

In a mixing bowl, coat all of the vegetables lightly in coconut oil.  Sprinkle with salt and cumin.  If you are going to grill the vegetables, do it over medium heat until everything is lightly charred.  If you choose to use the oven, preheat an oven to 350 degrees and let everything roast for 10 minutes.  

Once cooked, take all your vegetables and put them in a food processor or blender. Blend until a desired consistency is reached.  If you like chunky salsa, keep it chunky! If you like smooth salsa, keep it smooth! If you do not have a food processor or blender, you can use a mortar and pestle (or you can make one yourself with a heavy wooden spoon and a bowl).  Let everything cool down and enjoy.  

Salsa verde is great on pretty much all meats and vegetables.  You can use it to top already cooked items or cook items right in it.  It can also be a great addition to marinades.  Have questions? Let me know in the comment section.  

Until next time.  Eat well.  Play hard.  Give back.  -JPS

   

Off and Running

It has taken lots of time, constant thought, and the persistent push of many, but finally the Primal Bohemian is taking off.  The idea is simple; to  create a space where the Primal Bohemian lifestyle can be viewed, shared, and discussed by like minded people as well as anyone interested. Part recipe share, part food education system, part anecdotal medium, part health blog,  and overall primal living think take, the Primal Bohemian is a community that aims to promote a primal lifestyle while having a great time doing so.

With the simple mantra "Eat Well. Play hard. Give Back" the Primal Bohemian hopes to spread the word of the primal world.  So what are we really talking about? Well, it can be a bit complicated, and there are many who have put countless hours into explaining it in much more depth then is necessary here.  But in a nutshell, a primal lifestyle one that focuses on a specific diet, fitness routine, and other  choices similar to that of our hunter gatherer ancestors. It has also been referred to as a paleo, neolithic, and/or a caveman lifestyle. No, we will not ask  anyone to put on loin cloths, forgo modern civilization, and start gathering their own food (although foraging is a great way to exercise and a great primal activity).   If you need more info check out  www.marksdailyapple.com, www.paleoomg.com, and www.robbwolf.com for some great background reading, products, and articles on the primal lifestyle. 

For those already in the know, get ready.  Its time for a new primal community.  The Primal Bohemian community!  See everyone soon.  Eat well. Play hard. Give Back.
-JPS