Each month we bring a guest chef into our Chef’s Kitchen column to
give us a tip that elevates their cooking (and hopefully ours). They
also provide a recipe that showcases their tip. Our guest chef this
month is Ericka Burke.
Ericka
is well-known in Seattle for her tenure as chef at Carmelita from
1997-1999. She has owned restaurants in New York and San Francisco and
been the executive chef for catering firms and worked with Restaurants
Unlimited as Director/Corporate Chef of Research and Development. She
and business partner Heather Earnhardt will open their own place in
early December 2006 called the Volunteer Park Café & Marketplace serving
breakfast and lunch. Wine dinners will take place the second Friday of
each month and they will sell wine as a retail item. In 2007, they will
begin offering high-quality take-out meals.
Photo: l-r, Olive the dog, Ericka and Heather
Tips for roasting winter squash and pumpkin, by Ericka Burke
Roasting winter squash and pumpkin is a preferred cooking method
because it intensifies its natural flavors through caramelization,
allowing the natural sugars to bloom.
Roasting winter squash and pumpkin in the skins reduces prep time and
enhances the flavor of the flesh because the skin allows the flesh to
steam in its own juices, thus sealing in the flavor.
When roasting winter squash and pumpkin, place flesh side down in the
pan. This method allows the skins to act as a "lid" resulting in a
natural steaming technique.
Making an herb/aromatic infused butter or oil for roasting the winter
squash or pumpkin will heighten the flavor profile as the herbs/aromatic
saturate the squash/pumpkin.
Lightly bruising aromatics and strong herbs:
Aromatics (kaffir lime leaf, lemongrass) and strong herbs (sage,
lavender) release more flavor in a recipe when they are slightly bruised
by hand, or in the case of lemongrass, with the back of a chef knife.
The bruising technique releases the natural oils thus enhancing the
overall flavor.
