A tip just heard on the Today Show: A Cook’s Illustrated taste test on cooking frozen versus thawed steaks.

Conventional wisdom is that frozen meat should be thawed before cooking. But when testing frozen versus thawed strip steaks on the grill, the Cook’s Illustrated test showed that, while they took longer to cook, the frozen steaks were better: juicier and more evenly cooked.

The technique also produced less overcooked meat, specifically the so-called “gray band” near the seared edge.

Here’s the step-by-step:

1. PREHEAT oven to 275° (135°C).

2. FILL a skillet with 1/8″ oil and heat.

3. SEAR meat until browned, about 90 seconds per side.

4. TRANSFER meat to an oven safe wire rack, set upon a rimmed baking sheet.

5. COOK in the oven to desired doneness, 18 to 20 minutes for a 1-inch-thick steak.

So try it yourself—not just with steaks but with burgers and other frozen meat and fish. And then, see how it works on the grill, and let us know.
  

[1] A grilled portabella entrée, stuffed with bacon, onions, potatoes, cheese and prosciutto. The recipe is below (Abacus Photo).

[2] Portabella mushrooms can be four to six inches across (photo © Mushroom Council | Facebook).

For a meaty vegetarian entrée, stuff a grilled portabella mushroom, a large, “meaty” mushroom. The stuffing can be simple, from breadcrumbs to cheese to salad. It can be vegetarian or vegan.

Or, you can add ground meat to your filling.

Stuffed portabella mushrooms provide the opportunity for complex layering of flavors, as in the recipe below for Grilled Portabella Mushrooms Stuffed with Bacon And Caramelized Onion Purée, Mashed Potatoes, Wisconsin Fontina Cheese, And Sliced Italian Prosciutto.

The recipe, by Chefs Michael Smith and Debbie Gold, is courtesy EatWisconsinCheese.com. While there are several steps, they are easy ones (caramelize the onions, mash the potatoes).

> The recipe is below.

Elsewhere on The Nibble:

> The history of mushrooms.

> The different types of mushrooms.

> The year’s 8 mushroom holidays.
 
 
PORTABELLA, PORTABELLO OR PORTOBELLO?

How can one mushroom, Agaricus bisporus, be known by so many names? All three spellings are used; we prefer portabella, which flows off the tongue most easily.

Portabellas are mature cremini mushrooms, tan to brown in color. The immature cremini is variously called a baby portobello, baby bella, brown mushroom, crimini, Italian mushroom, mini bella, portabellini, Roman mushroom, Italian mushroom, or brown mushroom.

Portabellas are meaty in both taste and appearance, with more complex flavors than the young creminis. They can be 3 to 10 inches in diameter; the large portabellas can be grilled or stuffed as an entrée.

Like meat, portabellas release juices when cooked. Vegetarians enjoy them grilled in lieu of beef, and they make wonderful grilled vegetable sandwiches. They can be served whole or sliced, stuffed, or as “burgers.”

Whew!

For a simple starter, serve sliced grilled portabellas drizzled with a balsamic reduction. They are available fresh from December to March and cultivated year-round.

This recipe is made with “baby bellas,” three-inch diameter portabellas, and can be served in appetizer portions. But you can use larger portabellas for an entrée.

Ingredients For The Bacon Purée

For The Mashed Potatoes

 
For The Grilled Mushrooms

1. MAKE the bacon purée: In a large heavy skillet, combine bacon and onions. Cook over medium heat until onions are very soft and dark brown. While hot, purée in a food processor. Set aside and keep warm. You will need 1 cup purée for this recipe.

2. MAKE the mashed potatoes: Boil potatoes in salted water until tender. Meanwhile, scald heavy cream. Drain and rice potatoes in a food mill. Transfer potatoes to a large bowl, add cream, and stir vigorously. Add butter, continuing to stir potatoes. Stir in olive oil. Adjust seasoning with salt and white pepper. Set aside and keep warm. You will need 3 cups for this recipe.

3. GRILL the mushrooms: Prepare a hot grill. Remove stems and gills from mushrooms. Brush mushrooms with olive oil; season with salt and pepper. Grill 2 to 3 minutes per side. Remove from grill.

4. STUFF the mushrooms: Fill mushrooms with bacon purée. Spoon a good size dollop of mashed potatoes over the bacon. Top with a slice of cheese and a slice of prosciutto, pleated to fit. Place mushrooms on the cooler part of the grill until cheese is melted and gooey. While mushrooms are warming, season radicchio with salt and pepper. Grill both sides until slightly wilted and starting to turn brown.

5. DRESS the salad: In a medium bowl, toss grilled radicchio, arugula, olive oil, lemon juice, and garlic. Divide onto four plates. Top each with a stuffed mushroom. Serve immediately.
 

[4] This vegetarian or vegan preparation stuffs the portobello mushroom cap with roasted diced vegetables and a topping of celery root and potato puree, baked until the topping browns slightly (photo © The Purple Carrot).
 

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A special gadget slices grapes in half. A
better gadget: a sharp knife and a cutting
board. Photo courtesy OXO.

But some work better than others. We had great hopes for the mango splitter we purchased; it didn’t work and was promptly donated to Goodwill. While peeling mangoes is a pain, it’s still easier to use a knife and a vegetable peeler.

Then, starting with the guacamole masher—a device made by Amco and other companies—as well as the separate OXO avocado slicer, without the mashing component, we began to wonder what was going on in the invention of new kitchen gadgets.

They seemed to be unnecessary—drawer-clutterers that didn’t do any better job than the standard gadgets we already have. Yet, manufacturers won’t make these gadgets unless consumers will buy them.

With the Caprese salad maker—a tomato and mozzarella slicer from Jed Mart, and another from Rösle—we noticed that things were getting out of hand. If you can’t evenly slice a mozzarella cheese or a tomato, you simply need to practice with a knife.

A corn stripper/shucker? Don’t even think of it: Some ears of corn are simply too plump to fit through the one-size-does-not-fit-all kernel remover. Here’s how we cut corn kernels from the cob.

The Basics Work Best

We can’t imagine who would buy gadgets like these, because everyone we know who prepares food at home knows how to hold a knife and slice.

And that’s all you need: a good knife and a cutting board. So today’s tip is: Please, save your money!

The gadget that inspired today’s tip is the OXO Good Grips Grape and Small Tomato Slicing Guide (photo above).

You fill the Guide (the container) with up to 1 cup of grapes, grape tomatoes, or other small fruits like kumquats, pitted cherries or pitted olives.

Seriously: one cup of grapes or tomatoes? That’s not very much to slice by hand. A sharp kitchen knife will slice them faster and better.

While we haven’t tried it (we’ve tried too many new-fangled gadgets, with no success), we opine that in the time it takes to load, slice, remove and clean the container, you can slice the grapes on a cutting board with your kitchen knife.

Stop The Insanity

The next time you’re tempted by a nifty-looking kitchen gadget, ask yourself:

Will a sharp knife do as well? Then sharpen your knives, or treat yourself to a new paring knife if you must buy something.

And don’t buy cheap knives: The edge isn’t great to start with, and will dull quickly. It’s no bargain.
 
The Grand Finale

A couple of months ago we received this pitch: “Nik of Time, Inc., introduces PantryChic™—a sleek and modern kitchen appliance line designed for precise ingredient measuring and simplified food preparation through its intuitive and innovative engineering. PantryChic promises to re-introduce families to the joy of baking, cooking and sharing a meal by addressing some of the tedious preparation steps to save time and allow for better more consistent results.”

As you can see in the photo, this comprises a canister on a stand, that you place over a base with a mixing bowl. You dial the amount of flour or other ingredient and it is dispensed into the bowl.

Does this look like a better option for your kitchen? Photo courtesy Pantrychic.

Seriously once more: Is this an improvement over a conventional canister and a measuring cup? Have we gotten to the point where we can’t scoop and measure with a spatula and achieve “consistent results?”

And, as the company claims, will this “re-introduce families to the joy of baking?”

Perhaps we just don’t get it, but you can find out more at PantryChic.com.

MORE KITCHEN GADGETS TO AVOID.

Papa Kadam (Om Puri) brings his family and
their cuisine from Mumbai to a small
French town. Photo courtesy Dreamworks.

We didn’t know about the international best-seller, The Hundred-Foot Journey, a novel by Richard C. Morais. But after seeing the film version twice, we were so captivated that we ordered a copy.

The main story, of an immigrant Indian restaurant family taking on the finest Michelin restaurant in 50 miles of their town in the south of France, was chosen by Oprah Winfrey as a “favorite summer read” in 2010. Oprah brought the book to Steven Spielberg, and we are the beneficiaries of the film, The Hundred Foot Journey. If you love a warm story, beautiful cinematography, spot-on performances and direction and of course, great cuisine, you’ll cherish this charming film.

Let others write about the cultural divide and the ability to walk in somebody else’s shoes. We’re here for the food, which is glorious. From the just-harvested produce and fresh proteins in the town market, to the activity in the kitchens of two very different restaurants, this film is a feast for food lovers.

The actual distance from the [fictitious] elegant Michelin one-star Le Saule Pleureur* to the boisterous newcomer, Maison Mumbai, is brief: one hundred feet, says the title. It refers to both the actual distance and the cultural divide and battlefield.
 
*The Weeping Willow.

There are several journeys: the Kadam family’s, from Mumbai to France; young Hassam’s, from his modest family restaurant to the pursuit of three stars at a top Paris restaurant; the pursuit of the craft of great cuisine; and two love stories. The haughty restaurateur, Madame Mallory, feisty Papa Kadam, and even the beautiful sous-chef in Madame’s kitchen, Marguerite, discover new paths.

The story takes place in the real town of Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, in the Tarn-et-Garonne department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in the south of France.

The words “charming,” “picturesque” and “quaint” are not clichés here: You will want to go online and book your next vacation. Many of the actual vendors who work in the local market appeared as extras in the film, along with their produce, cheeses, flowers and wines.

However, as happens in motion pictures, some locations are not what they may seem.

The center of town is Saint-Antonin-Noble-Val, but the breathtaking outskirts where the two restaurants face off amid green fields, is actually a composite, a miracle of digital art that placed a farmhouse some 10 km away across the street from the 19th century pink mansion that stands in for Le Saule Pleureur.

This film has received only average reviews from many reviewers. We don’t agree with their comments, and can only imagine that these individuals aren’t interested in chefs, great cuisine or stories built around them.

To lovers of great cuisine, who thrill to the flavors and aromas of fine kitchens, it’s a sensory delight—a very joyous journey indeed. Not to mention, a fine story that seems very real.

Directed by Lasse Hallström, the film stars Helen Mirren, Om Puri, Manish Dayal and Charlotte LeBon. But the gifts of all cast members and the production team, tfrom cinematographer Linus Sandgren and production designer David Gropman to the food stylists and the location scouts, deserve three stars.

[1] A no-bake s’mores pie (photo © Brown Eyed Baker).

[2] For a change, substitute pound cake for the graham cracker s’mores crust (photo © American Egg Board).

[3] These mini-marshmallows are vegan and absolutely delicious (photo © Dandies).

[4] The recipe calls for chocolate ice cream, but you don’t have to use plain chocolate. How about chocolate chip, or double fudge brownie (photos #4 and #5 © Dreyer’s).

[5] Even more out there: rocky road ice cream in a s’mores ice cream cake or pie.

It’s easy to assemble s’mores cupcakes (photo © Crumbs Bake Shop [now closed]).

You don’t need a campfire to celebrate National S’mores Day, August 10th. Here are recipes that are just as much fun.

First, a no-bake S’mores Pie, the creation of Brown Eyed Baker, Lauryn Cohen. Here’s her recipe, shown in the photo.

The marshmallows are browned with a chef’s torch (most popularly used to make crème brûlée).

Prefer cake to pie? Here’s a S’mores Ice Cream Cake recipe from the Wisconsin Milk Marketing Board. Recipes for S’mores Cupcakes and S’mores Ice Cream follow below.
 
 
RECIPE #1: S’MORES ICE CREAM CAKE

Ingredients For 10 Servings

 
_________________

*You can substitute a prepared graham cracker crust for the crumbs, sugar and butter. You will still need some graham cracker crumbs for garnish.
_________________
 
Preparation

If you have a chef’s torch, use it instead of the broiler in Step 3.

1. LINE a broiler-safe 8×8-inch glass or metal baking dish with foil, overlapping the edges of the dish with the foil (to help lift out the cake). Cut the pound cake into 1-inch slices (or as thick as desired) and tightly pack them into a layer.

2. SOFTEN the ice cream at room temperature for 5 minutes; remove the carton from the ice cream and cut the ice cream in half. Place both halves on top of the cake layer, trimming as necessary. Use a spatula to press and spread the ice cream evenly. Add a layer of graham cracker crumbs. Cover and freeze solid, for 30 minutes or more.

3. PREHEAT the broiler with the rack in the lower part of the oven. Remove the ice cream cake from the freezer; top with marshmallows (tightly placed together), spreading to edges of the pan, pressing down to seal. Place cake under the broiler, 8 to 10 inches from the heating element. Broil until marshmallows are puffed and golden, 2 to 3 minutes, watching constantly.

4. REMOVE from the oven, sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup graham cracker crumbs, and drizzle with optional chocolate sauce. Cut and serve immediately.
 
 
RECIPE #2: S’MORES CUPCAKES

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. BAKE or buy chocolate cupcakes. Frost with marshmallow creme. Add optional mini marshmallows and brown with a chef’s torch.

2. DECORATE with pieces of chocolate bar and graham cracker.
 
Ice Cream Cupcakes Variation

Instead of marshmallow creme, substitute vanilla or marshmallow ice cream. Garnish with mini marshmallows, chocolate and graham crackers.
 
 
RECIPE #3: S’MORES ICE CREAM

Some brands offer s’mores ice cream, but you can make your own. You get to add your preferred form of marshmallow into this recipe: either a marshmallow creme swirl or mixed-in mini marshmallows.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. SOFTEN the ice cream on the counter. If using mini marshmallows, cut them in half.

2. SWIRL the marshmallow cream through the ice cream; alternatively, mix mini marshmallows into the ice cream.

3. MIX in the chocolate chips and graham crackers. Return the ice cream to the freezer.

4. SERVE in bowls, or with a slice of chocolate pound cake, or in a waffle cone.