Coastal Cooking with Chef Michael Hutchings

The Inn Crowd Cooks for Our Mothers

Chef Michael, Audrey Hutchings, Irma Case, Host Craig Case

 

 

Chef Michael Hutchings Host Craig Case

The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, are delighted to present an episode with our respective mothers in honor of Mother's Day. We are delighted to cook for my mom, Audrey Hutchings and Craig's Mom, Ira Case. I decided to prepare my version of dishes that we grew up enjoying (except the oysters).

We started with my version of oyster stew as prepared at the Grand Central Oyster Bar in Grand Central Station, New York. The Sweet and Sour beef was my mom's mom's recipe, although she used a less expensive cut of beef (it was during the Great Depression after all). Finally, we cooked my mother's cheese cake. As was the tradition as kids, we had a whole cheese cake to ourselves!

Many thanks to our moms, who prepared countless meals for us as kids and the million unsung acts to get us to adulthood. Cheers!

View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show. 

Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen. Remember your mom on Mother's Day.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

Chef Michael, Audrey Hutchings, Irma Case, Host Craig Case

Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce

Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce

 

 A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!

  All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved

Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.

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FSA Charity Event Big Success

Assistant Abraham Alvarado and Chef Michael Hutchings

Recently we had the pleasure of support a local charity, Family Services Agency,  at their annual fundraiser. We prepared over 400 mini gruyere cheese soufflés for the participants. How do you make 400 soufflés to order? Very Fast!

They sent along one of the nicest thank you notes we have ever received. Great event!

About FSA:

Family Service Agency (FSA) has long been regarded as one of Santa Barbara County’s most reliable and effective nonprofit human service organizations. Our mission is to strengthen and advocate for families and individuals of all ages and diversities, helping to create and preserve a healthy community.

Established in 1899, FSA continues to improve the health and well-being of our community’s most vulnerable children, families and seniors. Our transformative and essential programs include:

• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Santa Barbara County
• Family Support Services
• Long Term Care Ombusdman
• School Counseling Services
• Senior Services
• Youth & Family Behavioral Health

FSA programs ensure access to food, shelter, and other basic needs, as well as youth mentoring, case management, advocacy and a wide-array of mental health programs. We are committed to providing services where they are needed most: in the community. Eighty percent of our services are delivered on school campuses, at community centers and in clients’ homes. Our programs, which serve more than 16,000 people annually, combine clinical expertise, bilingual and bicultural staff, and close collaboration with other agencies. At FSA, all services are provided free or on a sliding fee/donation scale and no one is denied assistance because of an inability to pay.

 

 

Hand Made Sausages

 

Lyonnaise Sausages Ready to Cure

 

 

In 1981 I did a "stage" in a little village called Mionnay, near Lyon, France. The master of classic French cuisine, chef Alain Chapel, presided over a three starred Michelin restaurant. I was there in January 1981 and as was the tradition, the chef had a pork butcher come and make the Lyonnaise style sausages for the year. Since I was an able and willing pair of hands, I was asked to help make the sausages.

The butcher was a stickler for tradition so the meat had to be ground using a hand-crancked grinder. The process involved hand cranking a meat  grinder with holes ⅜ inch in diameter followed by a complex method of mixing to insure the blending was correct. Oddly, the curing was done in an attic. Hanging from the rafters, they were allowed to dry out and cure in the cold, dry winter air. The recipe follows and yields some 100 pounds of pre-cured sausage. The quality of the product is paramount.

Ingredients:

100 pounds Pork meat, well trimmed and sinew removed, 20 part lean, 7 part fat

6 Garlic cloves, remove germ, crushed

75 gram freshly grounds black pepper

2 Large handfuls of whole black peppercorns

1250 Grams sea salt

1 scant tsp. salt peter

1 Bottle pinot noir 

Grind once an a chilled meat grinder with a ⅜ inch holed plate. Grind meat and fat together. Spread out onto a clean work table and add the seasonings. Knead together to mix well. Form into a long oval. take about a gallon of ground meat and knead with the palms of your hands. Turn 180 degrees and knead again. Turn 180 degrees and knead once more. Do this to all the meat. Repeat the entire process 2 more times for a total of 27 mixings. Work in a cold room, 40º F or less.

Soak pork casing in salt and vinegar water for 24 hours. Rinse and squeeze dry. *Wedge the stuffing into a sausage stuffing machine. Turn the casing inside out and blow to open up. Feed onto the stuffing tube. Fill the casing then tie a string along the curve. Tie to the other end of the sausage. Cut off excess casing.

Tie as you would for a beef roast in 3-4 places. Prick with a five pronged sausage pricker and expelled any air bubbles.

Air dry in a cold place overnight. Double check for bubbles and expel any air as described before.

Hang the sausages in a cool, 35-40ºF, well ventilated place to dry and cure for 2-3 months. A cold attic is the tradition. The sausages must not touch each other to allow air circulation. A white mold will develop as part of the curing process. When fully cured, store in specially prepared white ash.

Note that larger casings are wrapped in a net to keep from baking.

*Wedging is tossing a small amount  at a time to force out air bubbles. It is borrowed from the potters skill set.

 

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The Inn Crowd and Chef Michael Hutchings Has a Day at the Museum

 

 

 

The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, is delighted to present an episode with Luke Swetland, president of the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History. Luke presides over the 101 year old museum nestled in a woodland and riparian creek setting in the foothills of Santa Barbara.

From the web page: 

In January 2016, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History celebrated 100 years of serving the Santa Barbara community. The Museum was founded in 1916 by William Leon Dawson as the Museum of Comparative Oology. In 1922, thanks to Miss Caroline Hazard and Mrs. Rowland Gibson Hazard, the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History opened its doors at the current campus. In 1987, the Museum added the Sea Center on Stearns Wharf as an off-campus facility focused specifically on our regional coastal and ocean environment.

 

ONE organizaton, TWO campuses

Mission Canyon Campus: 2559 Puesta del Sol, Santa Barbara, CA 93105
A cluster of Spanish Revival-style buildings comprising 87,000 s.f. of space, set on 17 acres of riparian oak woodland along Mission Creek.

Sea Center: 211 Stearns Wharf, Santa Barbara, CA 93101
A modern 6,000 s.f. building located on historic Stearns Wharf, built on wharf space leased from the City of Santa Barbara.

 

 

We planned to dine al fresco in the woodland setting of the museum so I planned a spring-like menu. A trip to the local Santa Barbara Farmers Market and my produce supplier, The Berry Man, supplied an abundance of local ingredients for the menu. Starter is a salad featuring local artichokes in a spicy orange and pistachio oil dressing. Channel halibut anchored the main course with jumbo asparagus and young leeks. Dessert had a lavender whipped cream riff ensconced between shortbread layers and fresh local berries.

View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEYT channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show. 

Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen and maybe the museum.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

 

Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce

Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce

 

 A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!

  All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved

Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.

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The Inn Crowd Does a French Picnic

 

 

The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, is delighted to present an episode with the our producer/host, Craig Case. We decided it was time for him to get cooking.

The menu is French picnic classics. Have a look below for some delicious, portable recipes.

View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show. 

Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

 

Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce

Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce

 

 A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!

  All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved

Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.

Just for the Lavender of It

The British use lavender on their closets to keep moths away. I have loftier culinary uses. Last Tuesday's farmers market in Santa Barbara yielded some very fragrant lavender. I used some for a berry shortcake on my show The Inn Crowd (more on that closer to air time).

With the rest I made my lavender creme brulée for an upcoming private dinner party with a Monet theme. Lacking lavender, use vanilla beans instead.

Tastefully,

 

Chef Michael Hutchings

 

 

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The Inn Crowd, hosted by producer Craig Case and Chef Michael Hutchings, is delighted to present an episode with the businessman and winery owner Wayne Siemens and his wife Sherol in Santa Barbara, CA. Wayne and Sherol own the JCR Winery in Santa Barbara County. The vineyards are nestled in the hills of Jalama Cañon Ranch and boasts 5.5 acres of high quality pinot noir and chardonnay. The micro climate produces wines unique to the location. We were delighted to pair the wines with a menu of Mushroom Stuffed Salmon Fillet on Green Lentils, Rack of Lamb Gremoulata and a Crêpe with Caramelized Apples and Calvados Butter.

 

View us on The Inn Crowd Saturdays at 6:30 on ABC affiliate KEY channel 3. Please note that the air time my vary to as late as 9:30 during the football season. You may view the show on-line at the Santa Barbara News Press. Look to the right side of the web page for a link to the show. YTS Digital Films filmed and directed this show. 

Put on your apron, grab your whisk, fire up the oven and get on your apron. I'll provide the recipes, the rest is up to you. See you in the kitchen.

Tastefully,

Chef Michael Hutchings

From Wikipedia:

 

 

Photo Courtesy of The Berry Man Produce

Guy Demangeon, Owner of The Berry Man Produce

 

 A special thanks to The Berry Man Produce for providing the great produce for our show!

  All recipes copyright 2017 Michael Hutchings, All Rights Reserved

Photo Credits William Conlin YTS Video Productions, unless otherwise noted.

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Off Topic - Accidental PR (Or Maybe Occidental)

Recently my wife and I attended a performance of a Chinese dance troupe called Shen Yun. It was a great show with spectacular staging and choreography. The kicker was I was selected for an interview by a US based Chinese-oriented cable service.

Does anyone speak Mandarin? Maybe the next The Inn Crowd show will be from China!

 

Chef Michael Hutchings