Hello my Foodie Friends!

Spring is such a beautiful time. Honestly speaking, it is one of my favorite seasons. Longer days that trigger vivid childhood memories of riding my bike, playing outdoors, and getting to spend time playing with animals. I’ve had a love of animals, something that my father exposed me to early in life. My story is to honor both my mother and father as we celebrate Mother and Father’s Day this spring.

My father was raised on a dairy farm in the 1920s and 30s and he loved all animals. We secretly felt that animals could sense his thoughts. They just made their way to his feet and would not leave his side. Mom was always giving us kids a leash and telling us to bring a dog home to its owners. My father passed that love on to his children and we have passed it on to our children. Dad was always bringing home a new pet for us and my mother had a hard time reeling him in. We lived in a neighborhood that was carved out from someone’s farmland. The whole thing was surrounded by cornfields and cows! Dad taught us to respect all animals. He once brought home a very large owl in a giant cage because the owner had suddenly passed and no one wanted him. Mom was not happy but felt bad for the owl. He became friends with the farmer that owned all the land around us and helped him out from time to time. On one occasion the farmer asked my dad for a favor - to care for a group of ducklings while he was away. So, Dad came home with a big wooden box with hot lights and just full of the cutest ducklings you’ve ever seen. He asked us five kids if we thought we could help him take care of them for two weeks? We were all over-the-moon with an emphatic “Yes!” They were Muscovy ducks and needed a lot of care. When the two-weeks were up, the farmer offered us a reward for doing such a good job – a duckling to keep! We were so happy and mom… not so much. I came up with his name, and it was Admiral Pete. Dad built a beautiful duck house for him and he grew fast. Pete would wag his tail like a dog and run to us when he saw us. We played with him every day, he was always following us around the back yard as we marched around the perimeter of our fenced yard. We even invited other little kids in the neighborhood to march with us and sing the Admiral Pete song. Ok, it was corny, but we were seven years old so don’t critique my song writing ability.

“Admiral Pete is really neat with funny little feet
and he loves his bread and lives in our shed!”

When he was alone he would still march around the yard making sure his humans were safe. Muscovy ducks are pretty much silent but when they are excited, they make a sound like someone trying to whistle but only wind and a little sound comes out. There was a little boy next door to us who was five years old and he had a cherry tree in his yard. I noticed he would often throw the cherries at Pete from his yard. I asked him to stop and told my mom who said “Wait till your father gets home.” But Pete, he did not want to wait for Dad. Pete found a spot in the fence low enough to jump over and waddled over to little Jimmy’s front porch – and waited for him! Jimmy’s mom called my mom and told her that they were prisoners in their own house with Admiral Pete outside of their door. This worried my mom, so she and Dad had a meeting. With a heavy heart and five children crying for many a night, Dad returned Pete to his friend the farmer, Admiral Pete lived for another twelve years with his brothers and sisters. I was especially heartbroken as I felt like Admiral Pete was mine. So, one day Dad picked me and my brother up from our boy scout meeting and in the front seat was… a beautiful Golden Retriever puppy! I won the naming rights again and his name was Major. A little demotion but he lived to 18! He will be the source of future stories.

Something very unique about Admiral Pete was that along with his protection of us, he loved my mother’s cooking. I think he could smell her getting dinner ready each evening.  Oddly enough, when my mother was cooking dinner, Admiral Pete would somehow find his way to the back door of the house and tap at the door. This left my mother with the dilemma of having to give Admiral Pete a “treat.”

Preparing food was my mother’s way of bringing us together at one table despite preoccupations with our own lives. As I reflect on this time, I do recall that my mother had some key kitchen tools that were her “go to” as she prepared each meal. My mother was intent of having some key items always available in her kitchen arsenal. I always saw on the counter or stove these items, as my mother made her culinary creations. Almost any chef will tell you that a quality chef’s knife is the most important tool in any cook's arsenal and likely the single piece of kitchen equipment you use the most. When selecting a good chef knife, look for the balance between the blade and handle to feel in control during delicate tasks like cutting through slippery tomato skin.

I can recall my mother’s Dutch oven always being situated on top of the stove. She made almost everything in it. A good Dutch oven is usually made of heavy-duty cast iron coated in hard, resilient enamel, ensuring they will last a lifetime with proper care

Another key piece that was my mother’s go-to over the years, was a good stainless steel open skillet or fry pan. When selecting a good pan, even heat distribution, a comfortable handle, and noticeably durable construction is important to consider. Consider investing in one capable of lasting for years and looking good while doing it.

A cutting board can make or break a recipe. If your kitchen only has some dinged-up, thick plastic boards that are warped from the dishwasher or those thin, floppy ones that scoot all over the counter as you chop, it's time for an upgrade. And of course... the wooden spoon. One of my mother’s favorite cooking tools, and still my wife’s favorite, is the wooden spoon. My mother used a wooden spoon for all of her daily cooking tasks. She would let us “taste” her sauce using a wooden spoon. There were wooden spoons for frying the meatballs, stirring the sauce and one that would sit at the kitchen table while we ate... just in case!

Having the right tools for the job is one of the easiest ways to set yourself up for success in the kitchen. Stop by Compliments to the Chef, your Neighborhood Kitchen and Cutlery store located at 33 Railroad Place in Saratoga Springs for the “cool tools” you need to properly equip your kitchen. Cherish your memories and Remember:

“Life Happens in the Kitchen.”

Take Care, John & Paula

Roasted
Honey-Dijon Salmon with
Spring Vegetables

Recipe courtesy of Food and Wine and foodandwine.com

Ingredients

• 2 bunches red radishes, ends trimmed

• 1 bunch thin carrots, ends trimmed, halved crosswise

• 1 large shallot, sliced lengthwise

• 2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon olive oil, divided

• 1 3/4 teaspoons kosher salt, divided

• 1 teaspoon black pepper, divided

• 2 tablespoons honey

• 1 1/2 tablespoons Dijon mustard

• 1 teaspoon sriracha

• 1 (1 1/2-pound) side of salmon, skin removed

• 8 ounces fresh sugar snap peas, strings removed, halved lengthwise

• 1 bunch fresh asparagus, trimmed

• 1/2 cup fresh mint and/or fresh flat-leaf parsley leaves, for serving

• Lemon wedges, for serving

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Cut radishes in half; quarter any large radishes. Combine radishes, carrots, and shallot in a medium bowl; toss with 1 tablespoon olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper.

2. Spread vegetables in an even layer on a large rimmed baking sheet; roast in preheated oven until vegetables have started to sizzle and brown, about 10 minutes.

3. Stir together honey, mustard, and sriracha. Drizzle salmon with 2 teaspoons olive oil, and sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Spread mustard mixture over top of salmon.

4. Remove vegetables from oven. Toss vegetables; clear a space in the center for the salmon. Nestle fish onto baking sheet, and return to oven. Roast 10 minutes.

5. Toss snap peas and asparagus in a bowl with remaining 2 teaspoons oil, remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Remove pan from oven; scatter asparagus and snap peas around salmon, stirring so they make contact with the pan.

6. Return to oven, and roast until salmon flakes easily with a fork and vegetables are tender, about 10 minutes. Transfer to a platter; sprinkle with herbs. Serve with lemon wedges.