Goulash - CNY Flavor 7/24/2012

>>Hey, Scott Tranter here, host of CNY flavor where we have a great show in store for you.
So stay tuned, stick around, because we're going to cook some goulash.
Real quick, real easy, economical on a shoestring budget, right now.
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OK, so we're ready to get started on our goulash.
And basically the recipe calls for a pound of ground beef.
Now you've seen me before talk about ground beef, that it's easier if you buy it in the bulk.
I happen to buy a 5 pound chub and just cut off a pound in each.
And this is one pound of ground beef.
Going to use a quarter cup of onions, we're going to slice that in just a second.
Recipe calls for three cups of elbow macaroni.
Now I didn't quite have three cups.
And what you do at home with pasta is if you have small shells, something similar.
Which I do, I added a quarter cup of the small shells to make it to the three cups.
Two cans of whole-peel tomatoes, totaling 28 ounces.
If you've got one big can that's great.
Salt, pepper, a little chili powder.
Right here I'm using the hot Mexican-style chili powder.
Just a quarter teaspoon of each of those.
And we're ready to get started.
First thing I'm going to do, because remember everything is timing in cooking,
you can get this whole thing done in about 30-35 minutes.
And so I have some water boiling on the stove.
I'm going to add my noodles, my elbow macaroni and small shells, to it to cook that off al dente.
Al dente is meaning hard, because I don't want to cook it all the way,
because I'm going to cook off the remainder when it's in the mix with the ground beef and the onion.
So let's get the elbow macaroni started.
And then I'm going to chop the onion.to get a quarter cup and we'll go over to the stove.
So we've got the macaroni on.
First thing we're going to do is a get a quarter cup.
Remember what I talked about knife safety, always cut away from you.
Now, a quarter cup is really small so I'm going to put this one in reserve over here.
Take off the skin.
And these ones here you're going to dice pretty fine.
Little guy won't move.
You're just going to come straight down.
Try to make them uniform so they'll cook together.
And then you just kind of chop them.
Just chop them right up.
Because these are going to all cook with the ground beef.
And here.
Get them real quick.
OK.
Let's see if we can get a quarter cup out of this.
Perfect.
Looking at about a quarter cup here.
A little more doesn't matter, depending upon your taste.
We're going to drop that right in the frying pan over here and get that going.
On a medium heat.
And now we're ready to walk over to the stove here.
We're going to put our ground beef in and cook this up real quick.
[music]
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[music]
So we have our noodles just about done.
We have our onions in the pan.
You're going to take your one pound of ground beef and just break it up.
Put it right in the frying pan.
And this'll start crumbling more too as you cook it and you start breaking it apart.
Just want to stir it around, get these onions in.
Medium heat.
Once this cooks and your ground-beef is all cooked, it's all crumbled,
then we're going to add the whole-peeled tomatoes, our spices.
And then our noodles, cook it off for twenty minutes, that's it, and you're done.
Now this here will feed, depending on how big of eaters you guys are,
anywhere from 6, 8, 10 people.
This recipe calls for 8 people, but just depending upon if you've got the kids,
or you've got a few adults in the family, it'll be proportioned accordingly.
But for easy money, on ingredients that are quick and easy, economical,
you can feed 8 people comfortably with this recipe.
See, the onions are frying up real nice, you can see that there.
Ground beef's frying up.
Now I'm using an 80/20 mix on the ground beef.
You can get it more fine, or you can get the nice 27/73 kind of mix,
which is your fat content.
Depending upon the flavor that you like.
If you don't like as much fat, use the 90/10, 95/5, 81/19; this is an 80/20.
And just always remember when you're dealing with ground beef
and you're looking at it in the store don't necessarily look at the price,
look at the fat content.
Because that's what's going to give you the flavor.
A lot of this fat in here is what'll give it the nice flavor added with your spices.
So see this is browning up and cooking real nice.
Let me show that for the cameras there.
You can see that.
Now what I'm going to do is I'm just going to put a cover on this
just for a minute while I drain my noodles.
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Now when you cook this too, you don't have to kill it.
Meaning you don't have to just cook it so it's like well-done well-done.
You can even, when you're cooking a goulash or a stroganoff, you don't have to kill the beef.
You can leave some of the pink in there, not a lot, but some of the pink in there
because it's still going to cook off with the other flavors.
So here it is so you can see.
Nice and brown.
Onions are all in it, all good.
I'm immediately going to take my whole peeled tomatoes and just dump them right in.
Again, this is about 29 ounces.
You get the cans 14.5 ounce or the 28-29 ounce cans.
So just throw these around in it.
Half a teaspoon- actually I'm going to do a quarter teaspoon, because you can always add afterwards.
A quarter teaspoon of salt.
Quarter teaspoon of pepper.
See, I always underspice things myself because being in the restaurant business for so long,
you can always add spices to it but you can't take it away.
So I'm going to take whoops, that's a little too much there quarter teaspoon.
Mix this all in, get these spices all married to the ground beef and the onions.
You can see this starting to thicken a little bit with the tomato juice from the whole-peeled tomatoes,
from the fat from the ground beef, and it's really creating a very nice sauce.
One of the things too I wanted to show you.
A lot of people will stick their nose over to smell it.
Don't do that because the steam can actually burn your face.
Take your hand and pull it this way.
See, I can smell it because I'm taking all that stuff that's coming up and just right into my nostrils.
It smells wonderful.
OK, so here we are.
You've got your whole-peeled tomatoes in here.
You got your ground beef.
Everything's ready to go.
And now I'm going to take the noodles and I'm just going to put the noodles right in side of it here.
Mix them in a little bit.
See, because all those juices are marrying in now with the macaroni.
OK, now you hear it boiling right?
I'm going to turn this down to right below boil, nice low heat here, and I'm going to cover it.
20 minutes, you're done, ready to serve your family.
I'll show you what it looks like when we come back.
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OK, so the goulash has been cooking for about 20 minutes now.
Total process has been about 40 minutes start to finish.
Feeds about 8, and we're ready to take it off the stove.
Now one thing I wanted to tell you real quick is always be careful when you're dealing with hot stuff.
When I pull the top off there's going to be steam that comes up.
A lot of people get burned like that because it's very hot.
So always when you're taking a lid off take it away from you.
See that steam come up?
Now if I did it the other way towards myself
all that steam would have come in my face and could have burned me.
So you have to be real careful of that.
So you got the goulash, it's all ready.
Look at those stewed tomatoes.
Oh my God I wish you could smell this.
Whole-peeled tomatoes on here.
Look at that.
I'm going to put one right there so you can zoom in on that.
And I can see the camera crew that's watching me do this.
They're out there, there's a few of them there, they can't wait to try it.
So here it is, Goulash.
Start to finish about 40 minutes.
It'll feed 8 people comfortably.
You got little kids you can go up to 10 or 12 people.
You got a whole thing here.
And this is brought to you real easy, real ingredients, cooking on a shoestring budget, enjoy.
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Hey, one of the things I want to talk about right now is knife sharpening.
You can buy knife sharpeners.
You've seen the past episodes where we interviewed Flihan's down on Bleecker Street.
We can get restaurant supplies wholesale to you the public.
There's other things you can do too to sharpen the knives.
Those are hand-held ones where you hold the knife.
And I ran across believe it or not at Rite-Aid just the other day what was called a Samurai Pro,
as seen on TV
And some of these things you see on TV you just don't know whether they're going to work or not.
So I purchased it and I tried it on some of my knives in my restaurant.
That's Crazy Otto's Empire Diner in Herkimer.
And it worked and so I brought it to the set here so that we could talk about that
and just how easy it is to sharpen a knife.
Because knives are one of the most dangerous tools in the kitchen.
If you're working with a dull knife, believe it or not,
it'll cut you quicker and create a hazard more than a very sharp knife would.
So that's all you do with this particular one.
It's fully adjustable on the side.
You just put it down.
it does serrated knives; it'll do scissors, cutting shears, whatever you have.
And you just place it on a nice surface, nonporous surface.
And you just it's sort of like a suction you just suction it down so it keeps straight.
And you take your knife, you adjust it here, and you just put a little pressure.
Not too much pressure, and you just slide it straight back.
You do it about 3-4 times.
Put it at an angle and then go straight back.
And your knife is sharp and ready to go.
Now that there is the French knife.
You got your boning knife, it's the same thing.
Lay it down in, 4 times.
And this, believe it or not, is like a razorblade now.
What it does is it takes the edges of the knife and it creates the little
Like pores, little teeth in it, and it makes it so those edges are so sharp
that you'll be able to slice through a tomato, fish.
Whatever you're cutting vegetablewise, fishwise, or beef, and it'll make it cut right in.
If you see me cleaning this right now it's because I want to take off any of the burrs that are on the knife.
Because you don't want to immediately after you sharpen a knife
go into it and cut a piece of beef or something.
Because you might get some of those little tiny micro slivers inside your product.
So there it is, a quick tip brought to you by CNY flavor on how to just basically sharpen a knife.
Real quick, real easy, right here.
Thanks.
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>>Hey, Scott Tranter here host of CNY flavor and we got a great little segment in store for you.
I have the privilege and the honor to be sitting with Renee Basile
who's the owner of the Black Cat Bar & Grill, which is also a restaurant.
>>Yes.
>>A lot of people don't understand that.
They think bar & grill and they don't understand the quality of the food
and the things that you're doing here.
So we'll talk about that in a minute.
I just want to let you know though; it is in downtown Utica, French Road.
I know it's not downtown but a lot of people get a little misconception on what is.
Right of the arterial, French Road across from Chanatry's.
Couple hundred yards from Home Depot.
So let's get going, we'll talk about that in a second.
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>>You know, I know that when I did the intro I said downtown Utica, but it's really south Utica.
>>Correct.
>>See, I just look at Utica as Utica, and it's real easy, accessible, right across from Chanatry's
>>It's those cats.
When you're heading 12 north, you always look down; you see all these cats on that building.
And you're like "I wonder what that is."
It's a restaurant.
>>Yeah.
You know, I've been by here probably about 100 times.
And you see the train hobby shop, and I've been to Chanatry's.
And I always wondered.
You know, the connotations that people get.
"Is it a strip club? Is it a bar? What is it?"
And really, it's a restaurant.
It's a full-service restaurant.
>>Yes, it's a full-service restaurant.
We're open 11 AM Monday thru Saturday.
We have a full menu, we just added on some new dinner items.
A lot of great sandwiches, appetizers, something for everybody.
We have Lebanese food, we have Italian, we have a little bit of Mexican.
So we're very diverse in our food.
>>And American food.
>>And American food.
Our burgers are very very popular.
>> Ok
Now, you can basically service anybody that comes in here and any taste that they want.
I noticed that by looking at your menu, and that's why I was asking you like what your theme was.
This is like old Utica used to be.
>>It's old Utica, what we call comfort food.
We have sausage and peppers and potatoes.
We do pasta and peas, in the winter more often pasta e fagioli.
We do fried bologna, which not a lot of people even know what that is.
But then we also have your traditional chicken riggies, chicken marsala.
Appetizers, we have hummus, we have goat cheese bruschetta.
We just added on a 3 cheese stuffed portabella mushroom.
>>Wow.
>>So you come in, and if we can't find it on the menu we'll make it for you.
Because we never say no.
>>All your stuff is fresh, it's home-made.
>>Correct.
>>I noticed on the menu; your husband Chris, it's his grandmother's recipes?
>>Yes.
Yes, there's a few recipes in there.
It is Basile's Restaurant which was down in east Utica for several years.
Very popular restaurant that his grandmother had I believe 20-some years.
So you mention that name and a lot of people go right to the old Albany and Kossuth Basile's
>>So your experience, your husband's experience, is multiple decades in the restaurant business.
I hate to say that but yeah.
>>Well I didn't want to date ourselves.
Now, your desserts are homemade?
I noticed that. You got the tollhouse pies and different pies that you actually make yourself.
>>We do a carrot cake that actually my night chef does.
And there's no nuts in it because a lot of people can't do carrot cake because they're allergic to nuts.
So people love it.
I mean that's our newest dessert.
But we do an apple crisp, traditional brownie Sunday,
and the tollhouse pie that's a pretty good seller also.
>>OK, it all looks wonderful.
I had the opportunity to go in the kitchen and check out the chef in there working,
and they definitely know what they're doing.
Now, you mentioned your hours OK?
You're closed Sunday?
>>Correct.
>>And today's modern technology, with the kids and everything,
a lot of stuff is Facebook and Twitter.
You do have a Facebook?
>>Yes.
We do have a Facebook page.
We're working on a website.
And we do to-go's, we have a catering menu.
And the website, that'll all be on there so you can reach us and see what we have, what's available.
>>I want to call; I want to try your food.
I don't really have time to come in and sit down for half an hour but I want it to go.
What's the phone number that I call?
>>Area code 315, 724-4444.
We made the number simple.
>>I know that being an owner I'm an owner/operator myself we get to eat a lot of leftovers.
>>Yeah.
>>What is your customers' favorite dish?
Because I've looked at your menu, you have so much to choose from,
it's just a curiosity of mine that what is your customers' favorite?
>>I'd probably say the Basile steak sandwich.
We cut a fresh tenderloin and season the vegetables.
And people come in and they're just like "I'm wishing for the steak sandwich,"
It's almost like a pregnant woman with pickles.
They come in the door and they know that's what they're going to get.
>>Explain that to me because I know that you do it a little different
because you're using the tenderloin.
You're not just using like an inside top round or anything for beef,
you're actually using a tenderloin which is a very expensive cut of meat.
>>Yes it is.
>>And then you're doing your vegetables fresh sautéed?
>>Correct.
>>Tell me how you do it.
>>Sautéed fresh onions, peppers, and mushrooms, and we sauté them in a secret sauce,
I can't tell you what it is.
And on the bread we put garlic butter with mozzarella and we bake it just till it's just nice and crunchy.
And then we'll cook the steak however you want it.
We'll do it rare; we don't have a problem with that.
And build the sandwich.
And it comes with our seasoned garlic fries.
>>Wow, sounds good.
>> Yeah.
>>Really does sound good.
>>Now, I have a daughter.
All my children I have 5 children and 4 grandchildren and another grandchild on the way.
And it seems that all my kids are born either on holidays or around holidays.
I have one daughter who's actually born on Halloween.
And I notice being the black cat,
I notice that there's a sign out there that says 'Queen of Halloween'.
And I understand that you're the Queen of Halloween.
>>I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing.
Depends who you ask.
We just do my birthday also is October 29th, so I'm close to Halloween.
I always celebrated Halloween birthdays.
And we just have a big Halloween party because it's the black cat.
I have a black cat and that's kind of what I named the restaurant after.
And our Halloween party is huge.
You walk in and there's not a bare spot on the wall, that's how much we decorate, and we just have a crazy fun party.
>>Well I see you have a lot of pictures over there.
>>We have a lot of pictures.
We do first, second, third prize.
And as years have gone on more people have come.
>>So why did you name it the black cat?
Tell me that story.
>>Because of my cat.
I love my cat.
And a friend of mine, we couldn't figure out what to name it.
So we decided to
She said to me, "You know, someone named The Labrador up in New Hampshire after their Labrador,
and why don't you name it after the black cat?"
And I'm like "Good, that's a good idea, I'll name it after Ralphie," which is my cat.
>> Alright Renee, one of the things we haven't really talked about is your bar.
Because the name, Black Cat Bar & Grill, even though it's really a restaurant,
like the old pub you get full service on everything.
But you do have a full bar.
>>I do, I do.
We have a full liquor license; we do a happy hour Monday through Friday 4-7.
We have seating outside.
We have a patio or we have seating out front
that you're also able to go have a glass of wine, sit outside, have a cold beer.
And my bartenders, my staff is great.
Everybody knows my bartenders.
>>Well I heard that Jamie has a really good reputation with jello shots.
>>Yes, Jamie is the queen of jello shots whether it's the Halloween party,
golf tournaments, birthday parties, she does the jello shots.
>>And your staff, you've been here 6 years now.
>>Mmmhmm, yes.
>>And you've had some staff with you right along from the beginning.
>>Yeah.
They've been here; they know they have their regulars.
People walk in the door, they acknowledge them, they say hi.
They leave; they say "Thanks, have a nice day"
Whether it's Jamie or it's April yelling from across the bar that they do that.
Because I want people to feel like you're coming into my house,
and you're going to be comfortable and that's how you're going to be treated.
>>And Chris your husband, he's a part of this too.
>>Yes.
>>Even though he works full time too he still comes in and helps out.
>>Yep.
He's kind of where he's needed.
if he's needed to help clean or bus tables or do dish, he's there.
Or he does PR work at the bar after a few cocktails.
>>That sounds like my wife, because that's what my wife does.
Is there anything that you'd like to say to the viewing audience that's watching this now,
that they may not have known about you or heard about the Black Cat?
>>I feel like, without being arrogant, that if you come in and give us a try,
and try our food, that you'll be back.
We really try for the consistency of the food, for the service.
I mean there's so many places that you don't get good service.
The people, they don't even talk to you.
My staff chats with you.
They know if your dog was at the vet, they know if somebody passed away.
I mean they're just very congenial to all the gusts that come in.
>>That's one of the things that we at CNY flavor really focus on,
is the local mom & pop organizations.
Not the big chains that, like you said, they don't get the customer service, they don't get the quality.
They get the consistency sometimes but you're getting what you pay for too.
>>Right.
They don't care.
I feel like that.
And I worked for TGI Fridays for years; I mean that's where I learned a lot of my skills.
But I don't think it's the small town.
I always say we're a I've got to get this right we have a big city feel with small town service.
>>OK.
Well Renee, thank you.
>>Thank you for coming.
>>It's been great to be able to sit here and talk with you and see your establishment.
And I love the menu; I love the food that you have on there.
And I tell you, you'll like it too.
Come in, give it a try, I don't think you'll be disappointed.
>>Thank you.
>>Thank you Renee.
>>Thank you.
>>Really appreciate it.
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