Eric Gaffin proud owner of New Dream Catering, New Dream Photography and now New Dream Studio shares about Catering Weddings and Photography in Charleston, S.C.
Place each bowl in mixer, one at a time in the order of the recipe and allow each one to mix into each other. (3 minutes each)
Pre heat oven at 350 degrees
Spay a bowl/bucket with pan spray, pour mixer in and cover with plastic wrap.(prevents sticking to bowl/bucket)
Let rise to "double" the original size .(best if you leave on oven as it is heating up, to activate yeast. When dough has risen, dust counter top with flour, to prevent sticking
kneed with hands and form little rolls or long pieces of dough.
Spray baking pan with pan spray, place formed dough on pan, and cover with plastic wrap, and let sit on top of oven for about 30 minutes.
When dough has risen again, brush with melted butter and bake until outside starts to get brown and slightly crusty. (25-35 minutes) Then brush again with butter..
This recipe can also be used for Braised Short Ribs
Ingredients:
12 pieces of Osso Bucco (great for veal, lamb or short ribs), 2 stalks of celey diced, 2 carrots diced, 2 yellow onions diced, 2 large tomatoes ruffly chopped or use cherry tomatoes and cut in half, 2 tablespoons of fresh chopped garlic, 2 fresh bay leaves (can use dried), 6 cups of veal stock, 1 bunch of fresh chopped parsley, 1 bottle of red wine ( if you wouldn't drink, you shouldn't cook with it)
Cooking instructions:
1 heat a large skillet (piping hot), biggest you have!
2 add 1/4 cup of olive oil
3 dredge the shank in flour and season with salt and pepper
4 brown shanks on both sides and place in baking pan
5 add vegetabless to same skillet
6 deglaze pan with red wine (pour wine in same pan and reduce to half)
7 add veal stock, heat untill warm.
8 pour over the veal in baking pan (liquid should come to top of the shanks, if not add more stock or wine)
9 preheated oven at 350 DEGREES and bake for 3 hours and serve
That is it put in pan at 350 degrees. Set timer and 3 hours later pull it out, it will be perfect !!
Next time your in a restaurant and your food is taking a bit long. Please keep this Blog in mind. I will bet there is a 98.9 % chance this is whats going on !! Please be patient and don't take it out on your wait-staffs tip !! This is taking place at 98.9 % of restaurants every Friday & Saturday night while you are sipping on your wine..
How do I know all this? I was a restaurant Executive Chef in Miami & Boston for 14 years before I owned New Dream Catering
The nine stages of being in the weeds
Stage 1: The Clubhouse
You’re not busy at all. There is nothing happening. In fact, there is so little business that the few housekeeping things (like maintaining the water in the steam tables) get neglected.
Stage 2: The Fairway
You’re now getting some tickets, but there's not enough to really make you focus. This is usually at the very beginning and very end of service. Thoughts of pints and flirting with the waitress fill your mind, while the steak overcooks.
Stage 3: The Green
Now you have plenty of tickets to keep you busy, but not feel rushed. You're in the zone. Meat temps are spot on, ticket modifications are all done, life is good. You feel strong, ready for more action.
Stage 4: The Rough
Your board is beginning to fill. There are no more thoughts of the waitress. You have an increasing number of pans on your stovetop, your grill is filling. You're in the flow, slinging some serious food, working up a good lather. Nothing can stop you.
Stage 5: The Tall Grass
You now have a full board and your tickets aren't getting pulled off the printer right away any more. Your grill, stovetop and fryers are all full to capacity. You are now operating at peak efficiency. You're working up a good sweat, there are no wasted motions. You're feeling a little rushed, but that's Ok because you're on top of it. But if anything goes wrong, then that's it for you and you progress to...
Stage 6: The Weeds
Now you have more orders coming in than you are putting out. There is no more physical space to handle the load. You start employing certain "tricks" to get the food out faster. The stress level is building, the expo is getting louder and tickets are now 5 deep at the printer. Ticket times are getting longer. The most important part about this whole thing is that it's a mental thing as well. You start to feel a little panic in the back of your mind. Getting into and leaving the weeds can be in a matter of minutes and you can do it on your own.
Stage 7: The Forest
You’re deep now. The printer is going non-stop. You've resorted to sandbagging food. You're mind is starting to move faster than your body, usually to the detriment of the food. Things get dropped, presentations are sloppy, and sauces may start to break. Things start to burn. It's at this point that you realize you need help to get through the rush. You start to loose track of the levels of mise-an-place on your station and next thing you know, you got to run to get something out of the walk-in, putting you further behind. Ticket times are consistently exceeding acceptable limits. Without help or a sudden stop in business, you spiral deeper into...
Stage 8: The Jungle
Nothing can save you now except for a stop in orders. You feel beset on all sides. The tickets are forming a 6-7 foot trail of paper and are curling on the floor. You swear you see pygmies out of the corner of your eye shooting blow darts at you. Food is coming back at an alarming rate because you didn't get the mods right, the wrong sides went out, the food was over/undercooked. The world is crashing all around you. This stage is often accompanied by, say, an oven going down, or the dishwasher breaking, or some other global event. Rarely is a cook on the line alone in the jungle. For the mentally tough, this is the final stage. This is rock bottom. A fried calamari app can take up to 45 minutes to go out (should take 5 minutes). The strange thing, though, is that an eerie calm comes over you and the world turns in slow motion, and you start to laugh. There's nothing more you can do.
Stage 9: The Kelp Forest
You’re now under water and you can't breathe. Crabs are pinching your toes and seals are dropping rocks on your head. The only difference between this step and step 8 is purely mental. To get to the Kelp Forest, you experience a total mental break such that you cease to function. You are so overwhelmed that you're found muttering to yourself in a corner, or curled up in the bathroom crying. If you reach the Kelp Forest, you should not be in this line of work. And few people, after reaching the Kelp Forest, continue on in the work.
So there you have it, the 9 Stages of heading to The Weeds.
Please be patient your food will be out momentarily !!!
12 ounces Brioche Bread torn into small pieces, about 5 cups 2 ½ cups half-and-half 4 large eggs 1 1/3 cup granulated sugar 2/3 cup brown sugar 1 can (15 ounces) pumpkin puree (better if you roast a pumpkin yourself) 3 tablespoons melted butter 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg 1 teaspoon vanilla
Preheat oven at 350.
In a bowl combine eggs, sugars, pumpkin puree, melted butter, spices, and vanilla; blend well. Pour mixture directly over the bread into the greased baking dish and allow the bread to absorb the mixture for 4 minutes. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until set.
Each December for nineteen years, Families Helping Families has worked to insure that no Lowcountry family is left out of the spirit of the holiday season. They fill specific requests and needs from families including clothing, household necessities and toys. Last year this partnership between Palmetto Project and Lowcountry businesses, churches, and individuals provided assistance to over 750 local families in need.
We truly do take everyday necessities for granted and sometimes forget that there are so many people out there that can use just simple basic fundamental items. The donations we pull together will not only help one family, but hopefully many during the holiday season this year.
Palmetto Project is a local charity (www.palmettoproject.org) that is a catalyst for innovation. Through special partnerships with governments, businesses, civic groups, schools, and religious organizations, they strive to bring a fresh, entrepreneurial spirit to the challenge of building successful communities in a great state. The Palmetto Project is a private, non-profit initiative to put new and creative ideas to work in South Carolina. Led by the belief that every problem faced by communities in our state is being solved by someone somewhere, we bring together citizens, corporations, and governmental agencies to find good ideas and put them to work statewide.
THE GOVERNOR THOMAS BENNETT HOUSE
KNOLOGY
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IVERSON CATERING/BRICK LANE CATERING
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MATUMEDIA
THE LOW COUNTRY BUSINESS NETWORK
RICHARD BELL PHOTOGRAPHY
HEAD TURNER STUDIOS
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ANASTAPOULO & CLORE, LLC
Supporters and Donations
Charleston RIver Dogs
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DiSalvo's Pasta
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2 East Battery Inn Bed and Breakfast
Hall's Chophouse
Over the years life has changed for many of us. We seem to have gotten very busy with all that life has given us. You probably won't have time to spend with every one you would like to on the actual holiday day. Why not get together with friends or loved ones right before or after holidays such as Thanksgiving & Christmas. I have started a fun concept in Charleston that I call " The Chef's Table " . Its a way for friends and family to get together in the comfort of their own homes and have an amazing meal cooked and served to them by a Chef with 25 years of culinary experience. I bring the food, china, pots, and wait-staff depending on the amount of guest. To date I have done 17 Chef Tables since being in Charleston. They all have been a great success !
\Fresh Herb Encrusted Pork Tenderloin topped with Wild Mushroom & Sundried Tomato Marsala served with Basil Smashed Fingerling Potatoes and Grilled Asparagus
Give the gift of having a night off. Time is the most valuable thing we have and what a great idea to be able to share time with family & friends. Gift Certificates start at $250.00 and are available by clicking this LINK or calling 843.475.4849
The Lowcountry Business Network is about leveraging the effectiveness of social media locally with the powerful relationship building of face-to-face meetings. TLCBN can help you find the right businesses for products and services you need while promoting your own business. There is nothing like this in Charleston!
Jumbo Ravioli filled with Grass Fed Ricotta Cheese, Wild Chanterelle Mushrooms, Fresh Spinach & Egg Yolk topped with Sauteed Chanterelle, Lobster and Truffle Butter
Basic Pasta Ingredients
2 egg, beaten, 1 teaspoon salt, 2 cup all-purpose flour, 4 tablespoons water
In a medium sized bowl, combine flour and salt. Make a well in the flour, add the slightly beaten egg, and mix. Mixture should form a stiff dough. If needed, stir in 1 to 2 tablespoons water.
On a lightly floured surface, knead dough for about 3 to 4 minutes. With a pasta machine or by hand roll dough out to desired thinness. Use machine or knife to cut into strips of desired width.
In saute pan cook 3 cups of Chanterelle Mushrooms (very expensive around $29.00 per pound a good substitute for this dish will Shitake Mushrooms) cook until tender the add 3 pounds of Fresh Spinach (must be fresh if you use frozen it will add to much water to filling) the add chopped fresh garlic and cook until all ingredients are tender, then place pan in fridge until cools down completely.
In a small mixing bowl add 3 cups of Grass Fed Ricotta Cheese (any good ricotta will do) then add Mushroom, Spinach and Garlic mixture to the Ricotta.
NOW TIME TO MAKE A JUMBO RAVIOLI !!
Dust counter top with semolina flour or all purpose flour. Cut pasta sheets about 5 inches long and 5 inches wide and start to fill them up with some love. On one sheet place about 3 tablespoons of ricotta filling making a well in the middle of mixture. Now grab a egg and separate the egg yolk by cracking egg carefully and placing it in your palm of hand and let the whites of egg just run through your fingers, keeping fingers closed to save the yolk from falling out. ( good luck with that move) Place egg yolk in well of cheese mixture ( like photo above) Now with your fingers, get them wet with water and rub along the edges of ravioli get it nice and wet. Place another pasta sheet on top and press with fingers, being careful not to break egg yolk. Once that is done take a standard fork and press around the whole ravioli.
Dust a pan with semolina flour or all purpose and place made ravioli on pan. You place them in flour so they wont stick to pan and themselves. Like picture below.
Making The Sauce: Get a saute pan hot then add extra virgin olive oil add 1 cup diced Lobster Tail start to saute then add 1 cup Chanterelle Mushrooms 1 1/4 cup Chicken Stock let that boil for a few reducing to half the liquid then hit it with 2 tablespoons of Truffle Butter ( can be bought at store) In a boiling pot of water place the raviolis one at a time and cook for about 7 minutes. Place ravioli on plate and spoon some lobster & Mushroom sauce on top and that is it.
