HideandPeck Restaurant

Steaming Hot Chocolate - $0.37

2011-10-02T20:40:00.001-04:00

Steaming Hot Chocolate. So hot, it will burn your mouth. Please wait at least 642 seconds before enjoying.

Seasonal Rainbow Chard - $0.63

2011-01-29T21:02:00.000-05:00

This dish is only available in season. A generous heap of local Rainbow Chard is placed into a hot skillet, and blanched to render the tough leaves into juicy delicious goodness.

Red Velvet Cupcake - $2.95

2011-01-06T07:03:00.000-05:00

Buttermilk Pancakes and Bacon - $3.11

2011-01-03T16:26:00.001-05:00

Our chef's have a long tradition of making pancakes using a family recipe. Recently, buttermilk has entered our lexicon and changed the way we thought about making pancakes. The older recipe used a significant amount of milk, butter, and constant mixing. The pancakes did end up fluffy but I think that is due to the overindulgence of baking powder (3Tbsp!). This recipe is much quicker, easier, uses a lot less butter, and still gets the 'Wow' factor.

The bacon is baked in a convection oven using a cooling rack over a deep pan to capture the pig's extra fat. This nice fat can be used to cook eggs, pancakes and other foods to your heart's content. Our chef's hearts are content with saving the lard for rubbish day, and prolonging our heart's and bodies with healthy alternatives (like more slices of bacon!).

Both recipes come from The New Best Recipe with very little modification. We use the best local bacon, and local buttermilk when it's available. As the recipe points out, one can forgo the convection oven for the microwave, but our chef's find the paper towel use increases exponentially with the amount of bacon cooked. The oven is much easier, and the bacon comes out much crisper. One can always put the bacon in a skillet after the oven for those bacon connoisseurs that love their meat well-done.

No Work Bread - $ 12.95

2011-01-02T12:32:00.003-05:00

Our Chef used Jim Lahey's No-Work Bread recipe from How to Cook Everything - Tenth Edition. This recipe is world-renowned and should be tried by anyone who loves bread. In the winter, the kitchen is kept around 62 degrees, so a warm-rise bread is not very practical. This is the perfect solution - a long rise bread that cooks to perfection.

As shown above, small bubbles form during the 18-24 hour rising process. No kneading is needed. The bread is cooked inside a vessel inside of the oven to form the nice crisp outside, and delicious inside. When the bread is finally removed from the oven, the baker can hear the bread cracking with joy, ready to be consumed!

As an avid baker, I have been ruined. This baker doesn't eat yeast, so usually preys on those around to try recipes. Unfortunately, the consensus is: "Don't ever cook any other bread. This is perfect."

Chicken Stir Fry Wraps - $8.88

2011-01-01T12:45:00.003-05:00

This recipe is from Martha Stewart, with one minor modification - lime juice was substituted for rice vinegar. Vinegar contains trace amounts of yeast, and for those on restricted diets, it works wonders to use a citrus instead of vinegar. The master chef has used this trick in many sauces and salad dressings, with much fanfare. The dish is delicious, mostly due to the excellent sauce balanced with the crsip lettuce wraps. HideandPeck uses only the freshest Boston Lettuce. As priced, this is a very lucky dish.

Whoopie Pie - $6.95

2010-12-31T15:07:00.006-05:00

This recipe comes from Epicurious and is very similar to the chef's grandmother's recipe. The taste of the cake alone is bland, and a little dry. The taste of the filling is extremely rich. Pair the two together and you change hearts and minds of those around you. A frequent taster commented "I didn't think I was a whoopie pie girl, but I'm in love with these".

The chef recommends the following: The day of proofing is well worth the wait. Heaping teaspoons of batter are much better and provides 16 servings with the right amount of filling. Don't top the filling with the second cake until all servings are made - It's much easier to divide the extra frosting. No imitations - use the tried and true Marshamallow Fluff.

Buttermilk Oaten Cakes and Orange Juice - $2.95

2010-12-30T10:27:00.004-05:00

This morning our chef made four farls of Buttermilk Oaten Cakes (from Bernard Clayton's New Complete Book of Breads). The biscuit is very dense & heavy, but is hearty. It is suggested to "break them open with your fingers rather than cutting them. Slather with butter."

When broken with the fingers, the outer crust comes apart easily and releases the steam. The butter or a nice jam is necessary to balance out the semi-dry oats and flour mixture. The chef definitely suggests ordering with a large juice to balance the 200g of biscuit!

The recipe requires the oats to soak in the buttermilk overnight, so preparation is key. The chef suggests using a food processor to mix everything in the morning instead of a wooden spoon or fingers. And don't be afraid to add a little more buttermilk if it seems too dry.