Friday, June 12, 2009

Omaha Food Bank - O! What a Duck Race 2009
posted by snekse

We've decided to make The Omaha Food Bank the primary beneficiary of our charitable efforts at Gastronomic Fight Club. We hope to share more information about that in the coming months. Right now, however, everyone can help the Food Bank with their largest fundraiser of the year which is just starting to ramp up this weekend.

The Omaha Food Bank's 2nd Annual
"O! What a Duck Race!"

July 25, 2009
Adopt a Duck ~ Feed the Hungry

Over 50,000 ducks will be dropped into the lake at Heartland of America Park and will race for a quarter mile until one duck is the Grand Prize Winner of a Nissan Versa! And one lucky duck will have a chance to win One Million Dollars!

The day will start with FREE family-friendly activities for all ages, great food, live music, and will culminate in the racing of the derby ducks for a grand prize of the Nissan Versa!

Date: July 25, 2009
Where: Heartland of America Park
Schedule: Stay tuned for race day details!

Grand Prize: Nissan Versa
Sponsored by: Nissan of Omaha

Funds raised benefit The Food Bank and the thousands of people struggling to put food on the table for their families.

Adopt a Duck

$5 "Just Quacky" (1)
1 Duck Adoption

$25 "Six Quack" (6)
Adopt 5 Ducks, Get 1 Free

$40 "Sack of Quacks" (10)
Adopt 8 Ducks, Get 2 Free

$100 "Max Quacks" (25)
Adopt 20 Ducks, Get 5 Free

Get more information on adopting ducks for "O! What a Duck Race!".

Why Adopt a Duck?

All proceeds go to the Omaha Food Bank to support their many local programs. The food bank has set a goal of getting 50,000 derby ducks adopted for this fund raiser. The derby ducks will be dropped into the lake and the first six to cross the finish line will be the winners. The Grand Prize is a 2009 Nissan Versa, with an Alaskan Cruise and family membership to Prairie Life Fitness also among the prizes.

More importantly, consider the benefits provided by your donation.

What does "Adopting a Duck" Really Mean?

$5 spent adopting ducks feeds a family of four for 1 day.
$25 spent adopting ducks feeds a family of four for 1 week
$100 spent adopting ducks feeds a family of four for 1 month.

The Food Bank is more than a faceless building or a lifeless warehouse. The Food Bank is a lifeline to children, families and senior citizens...and they are The Food Bank. In the past few years, they have distributed between 5 and 7 million pounds of food to over 360 member agencies in eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa. In addition to the food distribution, The Food Bank supports four direct programs:

* The Senior Outreach Program
* The Food for Kids BackPack Program
* Kids Cafe
* Mobile Pantry

A huge thanks to everyone who is able to help with this effort.

Labels: CHARITY, Foodies of Omaha, LOCAL EVENTS, OMAHA, Omaha Food Bank

Monday, June 08, 2009

Kobe Beef Hamburger Recipes
posted by snekse

Father's day is upon us and we're full on into grilling season. So what to give dear old dad? Last year we wrote a Guide to Gifts for the Foodie Father. This year, for some reason, I've only had one thing on my mind - Wagyu Beef. So that's what I think you should get pops for Father's Day.

Plan B's "Famous Wagyu Beef Burger".
Photo by greatlettuce. Licensed under CC 2.0

Wagyu beef is also known as American Kobe Beef for the breed of cattle from which it's produced. Typically in the US the Wagyu you'll find is actually a mixed breed of Wagyu and Angus. It's prized for it's high fat content marbled throughout the meat beyond that of USDA prime. The US and Japan have their own grading scales for this prized beef. USDA prime would score at most a 5 or 6 on the 12 point beef marbling scale (BMS). The other scale ranges from C1 to A5. The highest rated A5 BMS 12 Kobe beef is: mostly white with flecks of pink meat, is $1,200 a pound and takes 4 to 6 weeks for delivery in the United States.

We won't be cooking with that. And to tell the truth, it would be a waste to make burgers from such a rare selection of meat. Instead, we recommend finding a local supplier who can provide a better value for something not so insanely marbled. There are several Wagyu beef suppliers in the Midwest, including Morgan Ranch in Burwell, Nebraska.

Morgan Ranch supplied us with a generous donation to raise money in support of the Menu for Hope IV in 2007 and the Menu for Hope V in 2008. We encourage you to check them out. As a bonus, Dan Morgan frequently makes trips to Omaha, so if you call them up, you might be able to arrange a pick up of your order while he's here to avoid paying shipping charges.

In preparing for this article, I emailed Dan at Morgan Ranch to get some recommendations for prepping and cooking Wagyu. Most of his suggestions will be obvious to foodies such as don't get in the way of the product by masking the flavors with lots of herbs or rubs. Also, try to let the meat get as close to room temperature as possible before cooking. At this temp the meat is ready to cook and relaxes as compared to shrinking up and condensing. Remember, the melting point of the fat and lipids in Wagyu is much lower when compared to your standard beef. The one tip that surprised me a little was his recommendation to sprinkle some sugar on leaner cuts, such as sirloin and ground beef. This brings out the sweetness in the meat and also creates a glaze on the meat. Great idea.

With that, I don't really have a recipe for Kobe Burgers. I'm kind of a purist and think that salt, pepper (and a little sugar) is all you really need. Get some nice toasted buns and you're good to go. Maybe get a little fancy with some caramelized onions, garlic aoili, crisp bitter lettuce greens, heirloom tomatoes and toasted brioche.

But that's probably not what you wanted to hear, so I've gathered up some recipes, but I also encourage you to leave your own recipe in the comment section below. To get your mind churning, check out these recipes from famous chefs around the world.

Kobe Burger Recipes

Kobe burger from chef Michael Mina of Stonehill Tavern

I'm sure Michael Mina has about a dozen kobe burger recipes from his about a dozen other restaurants. But this one sounds excellent. A decedent Kobe burger with truffle brioche buns, pickled onions, oven-dried tomatoes, truffle aioli. Recipe for Stonehill Tavern Kobe burger

Kobe Bleu Cheese Mini-Burgers with Cipollini Onions in Balsamic Reduction by Robert Irvine

From "The Catwalk Chef" episode of Dinner: Impossible. I've seen several recipes call for Bleu Cheese, but I'd be afraid it would over power the burger. Could be good though. Recipe for Kobe Bleu Cheese Mini-Burgers

DB Burger by Daniel Boulud from DB Bistro Moderne

This burger has become famous. Some argue this burger started the gourmet burger craze that started several years back. "The DB Burger is composed of an exterior of ground sirloin with a filling of boned short ribs braised in red wine, foie gras, black truffle and a mirepoix of root vegetables. The homemade bun is topped with toasted parmesan and layered with fresh horseradish mayonnaise, tomato confit, fresh tomato and frisée lettuce." At about $27, this was one of the most expensive burgers on the market when it was introduced. Recipe for the DB Burger by Daniel Boulud

Chef Carol Wallack's Wagyu Burger of Sola

This was one of the entries in the Amstel Light Burger Bash hosted by Rachel Ray. I thought this was unique since it was served on a pretzel roll with cambazola cheese. Recipe for Carol Wallack's Wagyu Burger

Mini Prime Burgers with Remoulade and Aged Cheddar Cheese by Wolfgang Puck

A pretty basic burger actually that relies on a Remoulade Sauce to bring some major flavor to the party. Like a refined slider. Recipe for Mini Prime Burgers with Remoulade and Aged Cheddar Cheese by Wolfgang Puck

Wagyu Burger from chef Justin North at Plan B in Australia

An entry from down under. This is one of the most unusual recipes as it calls for Madeira, pickled beetroot, and a binding filler of an egg with breadcrumbs. No judgment here though. It was good enough that someone wrote to Australian Gourmet Traveller to ask them to obtain the recipe. Recipe for the Wagyu Burger at Plan B in Australia

Hamburger Cookbooks

I couldn't find recipes online for these last two, but they are both a little iconic, so I felt I should include them.

Burger Bar: Build Your Own Ultimate Burgers by Hubert Keller

Daniel Boulud may have started the expensive burger trend, but Hubert Keller has seemed to have trumped all efforts at least for the moment - well, kind of. The FleurBurger 5000 is really only $75, but if you want to do it up right, you order it how it was intended to be ordered, for $5,000 with a bottle of 1990 Chateau Pétrus. The burger itself is, of course, a Kobe beef burger, served with truffles and foie gras and topped with a smoked onion and walnut bun. Sounds pretty darn tasty to me. There is a more economical version of the FleurBurger 5000 in Keller's Burger Bar book. Buy the Burger Bar: Build Your Own Ultimate Burgers cookbook by Hubert Keller

Bistro Laurent Tourondel: New American Bistro Cooking

One of the first upscale burger joints, BLT Burger paved the way for many other restaurants to charge $10 or more for every burger on their menu. Laurent Tourondel also helped re-popularize the American Bistro with restaurants like BLT Burger. Buy the Bistro Laurent Tourondel: New American Bistro Cooking cookbook by Laurent Tourondel

If you're still looking for more inspiration, check out this Burger Bonaza article and the other most expensive burgers in the world.

And don't forget to share with us your ideas, recipes and results!

Tags || KOBE BURGER | RECIPES | WAGYU BURGER | HAMBURGER | RECIPE | STONEHILL TAVERN | more... |

Labels: BOOKS, NEBRASKA, RECIPES

Saturday, May 30, 2009

REVIEW: ThermoWorks Splash Proof Thermapen
posted by snekse

It looks like someone at ThermoWorks saw my Review of the Original ThermoWorks Super-Fast Thermapen and liked what I had to say. They offered to send me their newest model ahead of it's official release date (June 1st, 2009). Um, hell yes, bring it on.

Introducing the all new and improved, been in design for 2 years...

ThermoWorks Splash-Proof Super-Fast Thermapen thermocouple thermometer

Yeah, they could have picked a smaller, catchier name.

So I'm not going to rehash all the things I loved about the Original Thermapen. I'll let you read that review first to get up to speed. Go ahead - I'll wait. Alright, now that you're back, let's talk about what's been improved, what's been messed up and what flaws were never addressed in this new design.

First let's go over what Thermoworks considers to be the highlights of their new Splash-Proof Thermapen:

3-second readings!
Improved accuracy and durability
Water-resistant design
Biomaster anti-bacterial additive
°F to °C reconfigurable
0.1° resolution full range to 572°F
Auto on/off—no buttons!
1,500 hour battery life

If you're interested in the nitty-gritty spec details, you can check out their website. I'll cover what I think is important.

We'll start with the name. I wouldn't have felt the need to seal the case and make it splash proof until a couple of weeks ago when my mother was hand washing dishes and washed my original Thermapen. It came out fine, but I'd have been less worried if the case was sealed. It's still not meant to be submerged, but it's a good start. Now if they made it dishwasher safe, that would be really cool.

Speed and accuracy are next on my cool improvements list. This thing is even faster and more accurate than the original. It's usually in the ballpark in under 1 second and will have a pretty accurate reading in about 3 seconds. And by accurate, I mean within ±0.7°F with the digital display now showing the temperature measured in 0.1° increments, so you'll know if that 64°C for your perfect molecular gastronomy inspired soft boiled egg is really 63.6°C or 64.4°C. These are actually my favorite improvements.

Jumping back to the splash proof design, let me point out what's changed. There is now a rubber seal merging the front and back of the Thermapen. This seal makes rotating the pen into the "ON" position seem stiff at first, but I've read this should only impact new thermometers. The new case design has also made it almost impossible to stand the device upright. I have mixed feelings about this, but I don't think it will be something that will bother me at all in a couple of weeks.

The area around the digital display has also changed. The screen is now flush with the Biomaster anti-bacterial molding to prevent grime build up; it is also slightly larger and has been moved to the left. This makes the numbers a little easier to read, but I think it lacks the contrast that the original screen had, which makes it a little harder to read.

The opening for the battery compartment has also been re-designed. The new battery, which is expected to last 15 times longer than the original, sits in a round compartment on the back with a tethered cover. Unfortunately I think the plastic latches are too thin since mine either arrived with one of the latches broken or it broke soon after arrival. I'm sure ThermoWorks would address the issue if I sent it back to them, but still a spot for improvement. ***UPDATE*** ThermoWorks called me on the Monday after I posted this. They are sending me a new unit with a return shipment label so I can send the original back to them. I've heard from others they have great customer service; I'll concur.

Inside that battery compartment are a series of tiny switches. These switches allow you to customize some of the behaviors of your Thermapen. Are you like the folks at Cook's Illustrated and would prefer the unit to not automatically turn off? Just flip a switch. Want readings in Celsius instead of Fahrenheit? Flip a switch. Nice options to have, but I like the defaults.

Amazon.com Widgets

The unit is still expensive, but again, there's really nothing else close on the market. The new Splashproof Thermapen is about $20 more than the original super-fast Thermapen. Is it worth it? Well if you have the original, I think there's no need to upgrade unless you work at Sea World or something. But what about those who don't have either? Is it worth the extra money to get the newer design? I guess it depends on what you plan on using it for. For me, the quicker I can get a ballpark temp, the better. And at this price point, an extra $20 doesn't seem like a whole lot more.

So I still highly recommend either of these Thermapens, I just can't flatly recommend one over the other. I've given them both the same score based on functionality and price. Now if I could get them to send me an Infrared Thermometer to review...

Rating: 90