100 Things you should eat before you die: #5 Bagels and Lox

5. Bagel and lox

This has always been one of my favorite Sunday morning breakfasts. Growing up in South Florida, I always had access to decent bagels, but visiting New York to see my family every year, I got to get GOOD bagels. What makes a good bagel? What makes a great bagel? What is lox? What is nova? Let's discuss the finer points of bagels, and while we're are at it, we'll even talk about Montreal bagels.

I'm going to start local. Here in the foothills of North Carolina there are a couple of places to get bagels, but only one place that's worth it: Boone Bagelry. The nice people that run this great little bagel joint are from my old stomping grounds, Broward County, Florida (I'll give them a pass - I grew up in Margate and they are from Coral Springs so that's close enough). The bagels are fresh, the lox is good, the selection is decent, and the prices are reasonable for the quality and quantity of what you get. I've been up here for 15 years and they have been up here the whole time, under the same ownership. They must be doing something right.

The bagels at Boone Bagelry are as good as the ones I grew up with in South Florida. It seemed that in Margate you couldn't turn the corner without running into another bagel shop.

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See what I mean? But if the bagels in Florida are as good as the ones up here in North Carolina, what sets the ones in New York apart? What makes a good bagel? What makes it chewy and gives it just that perfect consistency? One word... Water. Why does water matter. Well, it has to do with how you make a bagel. Water is used in the dough, and water is used in the cooking process. Before a bagel is baked or broiled, it is boiled. According to the owners of the Brooklyn Water Bagel Company of Delray Beach, FL (See below picture and credit) their bagels are 50% water. Serious Eats had a fantastic write up of them and I can't begin to do it justice, click on the link below.

http://www.seriouseats.com/2009/08/brooklyn-water-bagels-in-delray-beach-fl-florida.html

This is the Brooklyn Water Bagel Company in Delray Beach, FL. I've been there and this is about the closest to getting a real NY bagel.

There are two recipes, in my opinion for making a bagel:

Recipe 1

Ingredients

• Car Keys
• Wallet

Instructions

• Drive to Boone Bagelry

In all seriousness though:

Recipe 2

Ingredients

• 4 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 (.25 ounce) packages active dry yeast
• 1 1/2 cups warm water (110 degrees F/45 degrees C)
• 3 tablespoons white sugar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon white sugar

Instructions

1. In large bowl, combine 1-1/2 cups flour and yeast. Mix water, 3 tablespoons sugar and salt together, and add to the dry ingredients. Beat with a mixer for half a minute at a low speed, scraping the sides of the bowl clean. Beat at a higher speed for 3 minutes. Then, by hand, mix in enough flour to make a moderately stiff dough.
2. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic (8-10 minutes). Cover, let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Cut into 12 portions, shape into smooth balls. Poke a hole in the center with your finger, and gently enlarge the hole while working the bagel into a uniform shape. Cover, let rise 20 minutes.
4. Meanwhile, start a gallon of water boiling. Put 1 tablespoon of sugar in it, mix it around a bit. Reduce to simmering. (some recipes call for adding barley to the water)
5. When the bagels are ready, put 4 or 5 bagels into the water, and cook 7 minutes, turning once. Drain them. Place on a greased baking sheet, and bake at 375 degrees F (190 degrees C) for 30 to 35 minutes. Remove from oven, eat hot or cold.
6. Broiling option: For a glossier surface, place raised bagels on an ungreased baking sheet prior to boiling them. Broil them five inches from heat for 1 to 1-1/2 minutes on each side. Then put them into the hot water to be boiled as above. Note: do not bake broiled bagels as long as non-broiled ones, 25 minutes should be long enough(1)

Is the cheesecake in New York the best? It can be argued, but probably not.

Is the pizza in New York the best? It WILL definitely be argued in a future post, even down to the borough, but that's a matter of personal opinion.

But are the best bagels from New York? Absolutely.

Recently there has been a new voice in bagels, and it speaks French. Montreal bagels are a different variety of the classic. These bagels are a little smaller, sweeter and denser. They have a larger hole and they are baked in a wood-fired oven which give them a light-and-dark surface color. (2) The dough contains malt and egg and there is no salt, plus the water it is boiled in has honey added to it. Many parts of Canada and the United States are familiar with these bagels, but if you know New York bagels, you've probably never heard of Montreal bagels. (This is just another reason for me to beg my wife to let me build a brick oven.)

Once you have a bagel, you need something to go on the bagel (If you give a mouse a cookie...). There are literally hundreds of toppings you could put on a bagel, but here are the six I hear most often:

• lox, nova, or smoked salmon
  
• cream cheese
• tomatoes
• onions
• capers
• chopped chicken liver

If I have good bagels, I WANT good Smoked Salmon, but what's the difference between Nova and Lox and Smoked Salmon?

Smoked Salmon is basically the parent product. While it is typically the fillet, it is any piece of the salmon that has been cured and then either hot or cold smoked. It can be considered a delicacy, even though most major supermarkets carry it throughout the year at a moderately high price.

Lox, or Belly Lox, is the fillet that has been cured and very thinly sliced. The major difference between regular and belly lox in that while both come from the same fish, the flesh on both sides of the stomach of the salmon has a wider graining of fat, is less salty tasting and thus is more desirable and more expensive.

For those who preferred even less salt, Nova Scotia lox was the choice for a premium price. Nova lox (or simply "Nova"), is cured with a milder brine and then cold-smoked. The name dates from a time when much of the salmon in New York City came from Nova Scotia. (3)

Wow, I have expensive taste. But I also like to do things myself. So, let's say I want to cold smoke my own salmon fillet. This means I'm going to want to build my own smoker box. But before you smoke your salmon, your going to want to brine it. You could use any brine you'd like, but here's one I recommend.

Brine for Smoked Salmon

Ingredients

• 1 gallon water
• 1 cup kosher salt
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons lemon pepper
  
• 1 (3 ounce) package dry crab and shrimp seasoning mix (Old Bay is good)
  
• 2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper
  
• 4 cloves garlic, crushed
  
• 1 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  
• 4 lemons, sliced and crushed
• 2 oranges, sliced and crushed
• 1 lime, sliced and crushed
• 1 large yellow onion, sliced
• 2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar
  

Instructions

Pour the water into a food safe bucket. Stir in the kosher salt, white sugar, brown sugar, lemon pepper, parsley and seasoning mix. Add the garlic, hot pepper sauce, vinegar, lemons, oranges, lime and onion. Soak your salmon in this brine for 12 to 36 hours. Cover with ice and add additional ice as needed every 6-8 hours.

The great people over at SmokerCooking.com have a great method for building and using one. (I am only putting down the highlights of their method here, please go to their site for more information.)

Simply put you need only three items to build a cold smoker: one NEW NEVER USED small inexpensive soldering iron (you don't want any nasty lead in your food do you), one small bag of flavored smoker pellets, and one small tin can, with the lid still partially attached. Place the apparatus in your grill or smoker, being careful not to damage the cord and smoke your fish. Here's their video on the subject:



Again the people at SmokerCooking are the experts on this, check out their website!

I hope I've inspired you to go out and get some bagels and lox. I know in writing this, I've discussed this with Alex and I've been informed by Alex that I am buying bagels and cream cheese and smoked salmon this weekend. There are worse things for a teenage daughter to ask for.

Until next time, I wish you Peace, Love, and Hollandaise sauce!

(1) http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/boiled-bagels/Detail.aspx
(2) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Montreal-style_bagel
(3) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lox

100 Things you should eat before you die #2: Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee

2. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee
I’ve never had it. And at over $100 a pound, I probably never will.

Anyone who knows me knows I am a coffee purist. I used to say snob, but that wasn't accurate. A snob would insist on a specific variety of coffee bean, from a specific roaster, that had been brewed exactly at a specific temperature, and only brewed with imported bottled water that was from a specific French spring. REALLY? That's nuts! That's putting more importance in prestige than a fine cup'a'joe.

I'm a simple man with simple tastes (stop laughing!). My routine in the morning involves making a fresh pot from whole beans. I use Eight O'Clock roast beans, kept in an air tight container, in the freezer. I grind right before I brew and I get a superior cup of coffee. I don't use anything fancy, just a Mister Coffee and a coffee grinder.

Where I'm simple, conesiuers of Blue Mountain are not. According to Wikipedia, "Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee is a globally protected certification mark, meaning only coffee certified by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica can be labeled as such. It comes from a recognized growing region in the Blue Mountain region of Jamaica, and its cultivation is monitored by the Coffee Industry Board of Jamaica."

France uses the same type of system. The Appellation d’origine contrôlée (AOC), grants certification to certain French geographical areas for cheese, butter, wine, mustard, and other agricultural products. The certification tells the consumer where the product was produced and may be extremely specific, sometimes down to an area of less than 10 acres.

You may notice that I have not listed Kopi Luwak coffee on this list. Kopi Luwak, also known as civet coffee, because the beans are eaten and then digested and, ahem, excreted by the Asian Palm Civet. The digestive process of this strange little Asian critter seeps enzymes into the coffee berries. Even though they beans are thoroughly cleaned and dried, I don't think I could drink it. Supposedly the whole process produced a much less bitter coffee and it is the most expensive coffee in the world.

Coming back down to Earth, and wandering the aisles of the supermarket for good coffee can be confusing. From Moscow on the Hudson 1984:

Vladimir: Coffee?

Supermarket manager: Aisle 2.

Vladimir: Coffee line, please?

Supermarket manager: Aisle 2. No line, though.

Vladimir: Taster's Choice... decaffeinated... Maxwell House... El Pico... Chock Full of Nuts.. espresso, cappucino... Café Français... Sanka... Folgers... Cafe Caribe... coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee, coffee! Coffee!! COFFEE!!!

While Robin Williams's character has a nervous breakdown, let me simplify it for you. Consumer Reports confirmed in March 2009 what I had long known, Eight O'Clock Roast is the best buy for your money. Almost all stores carry it, it roasted almost perfectly and makes a superior cup of coffee. Therefore, don't waste your money on Starbucks or anybody else. Go to the store and buy a bag of Colombian roast. I also recommend that you get a good coffee grinder. (In fact get two, that way you have an excellent spice grinder and your coffee would taste like cumin and mustard seeds - yuck!)

Grind your coffee FRESH when you are ready to brew and NO SOONER. Use a reliable coffee maker and be prepared to brew a few test pots to determine how much coffee and how much water you need to meet your tastes. Once you know, you'll be set. Don't trust my opinion? Here's what Consumer Reports said:

Consider how you take it

Coffees judged very good taste fine black. Milk and sugar can improve a mediocre coffee, but not even cream is likely to help the lowest-scoring decafs.

Choose a good coffeemaker

The best from our January report reached the 195º to 205º F required to get the best from the beans and avoid a weak or bitter brew. A top Michael Graves model costs just $40.

Consider grinding for fresher flavor

Even the best pre-ground coffee can't beat the best fresh-ground when it comes to taste. One top grinder from our January report, the Mr. Coffee IDS77, costs only $20.

Caribbean Coffee

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee
• 2 cups of water
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup of ice cream
• 1/4 cup of whipped cream
• 2 tbsp of dark rum
• Chocolate sprinkles

Instructions

• Brew the 2 cups of water with the 1/4-cup of Jamaican Blue Mountain® Coffee
• Add sugar
• Chill in the refrigerator
• Put the chilled coffee, ice cream, whipped cream and dark rum into a blender and blend
• Pour into a glass
• Sprinkle the top with chocolate sprinkles and serve

100 Things you should eat before you die

A while back, I found a great post regarding this meme
(check it out here)

Now as part of the MyTasteOfTheDay blog, I am planning on reprinting the list, along with my opinions, recipes, etc. For now though, I will post it here. Please take a look at it and comment back.

I have a broad palate. I am willing to try most things, but this article intrigued me. Take a look at the list. What do you think is missing? What would you never eat and why?

Starting today I'll review the list and share some of my comments. I'll let you know if I've eaten it, if I won't eat it, and hopefully some interesting information along the way.

1. Snake

Snake? Really? Ok, I'll start with a "No" right here. I don't think I could eat a snake. There are plenty of other things that I would try that are probably more disgusting then Rat Snake Au Gratin or Cobra du Jour.

According to Wikipedia, there are over 2900 species of snakes. While many are deadly, most are not venomous. In our Western culture, snakes are looked down on and considered evil mostly due to Biblical accounts in Genesis. Some other cultures revere the snake and place it in a place of honor.

For the most part, Western cultures do not eat snakes. An exception is rattlesnake, which is sometimes consumed in the western United States. In other cultures, snakes are considered a delicacy, sometimes with medicinal powers. Personally, I can't get past the revulsion factor here, but maybe you have a stronger stomach than I do.

from the Rattlesnake Recipe Page:

Rattlesnake & Italian Lentils

1 large onion, chopped

3 large garlic cloves, minced

1 jalapeno pepper, minced

handful Italian parsley, finely chopped

1 15 oz. can diced tomatoes

2 bay leaves

1 tsp. salt

2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. thyme

2 tbsp. dried basil

4 1/2 cups water

1 package dry lentil beans

2 lb. rattlesnake meat

juice from 1/2 lemon

Simmer rattlesnake in water and lemon juice for 1 hour, remove and separate meat from bones.

Combine de-boned meat with the rest of the ingredients in a crockpot and slow-cook for 6-8 hours, or bring to boil in large cooking pot and simmer for 2 hours.

Personal preference aside, I noticed several similarities between recipes: 1) The rattlesnake needs to be simmered in water and lemon for an hour, then 2) it has to slow cook for 6-8 hours. Also it appears that you can purchase cleaned and packaged rattlesnake meat through agbase.com for $40-60 a pound.

If Rattlesnake & Italian Lentils doesn't "bite" you, how about Cantonese Snake Soup? (link)

150g done snake meat

egg shreds
pork shreds

dried mushroom shreds
white fungus shreds
dried longan pulp
dried orange peel grains
delicious soup
dark soy
rice wine
salt
sugar
pepper
gourmet powder
watered starch
chive oil
sesame oil


1. Clean the killed snake. Put it in boiling water, then add chives, ginger, wine, and stew for half an hour. Take the meat and tear it into shreds. Steam them together with the chives, ginger, wine, and delicous soup for 2 hours. 2. Put the snake meat shreds and the seasonings in 1000g delicious soup in a pot. Braise them to boiling and then take away the foam. Add gourmet powder, watered starch to make paste. Pour in chive oil, sesame oil and place them in a casserole together with crisp chips, chive shreds, ginger shreds, fruit peel shreds, white chrysanthemum, and other seasonings.

If you have the intestinal fortitude to try snake, please let me know.