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Thursday, September 30, 2010

How to Grill the Perfect Steak


I love a good grilled steak, some mashed potatoes, and a good glass of Pinot Noir. But there is nothing worse than steak that isn’t cooked correctly, since it will ruin the entire meal. And it’s a waste of a perfectly good piece of meat. So here are a few tips to help you have that perfectly grilled steak.


1. Bring your steaks to room temperature before cooking.
2. Preheat your grill to maximum temperature.
3. Generously season both sides with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
4. Place the steaks 3 to 5 inches from the flame and sear the steaks for 2-3 minutes on each side.
5. Reduce the heat to moderately hot and continue cooking till desired doneness.
6. Do not cut into the meat to check if it is done.
7. Cooking times depend on the thickness of the steak. But for every inch it takes 10 minutes to reach medium-rare.
8. Let the meat rest 5-10 minutes, depending again on thickness before cutting and/or serving.

Bon Appétit

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Hunting for Food on Wheels






I recently just saw the documentary about several people who are dumped in the Alaskan wilderness and where forced to hunt and gather all their food while they tried to find their way to civilization. They were given a shot gun and hunted down anything that moved from squirrels to porcupines, it made me love and appreciate the person who invented the grocery store.



On Monday a friend of mine told me about this southern BBQ mobile food truck in the Los Angeles Area. And that it is as good my grandmother’s cooking. Only problem, where the heck is this truck? It’s not like a restaurant; it’s a moving target that doesn’t stay put. It’s a restaurant on wheels, changing locations daily if not every few hours. You might as well have dropped me in the middle of Alaska with a gun, since finding a moving vehicle in LA is like finding a normal animal to shot in the Alaskan wilderness.




There seems to be a craze lately with these mobile food vendors. There not like those uniform “Roach Coaches” you find in the industrial side of town. But I have to admit that I had the best breakfast burrito from a “Roach Coach.” Today these mobile food trucks have gone gourmet on us, popping up outside movie theaters, high rise business centers, and the beach. If you find them you can get everything from vegan meals, Italian fare, Korean Tacos, to Foie Gras? Every great food culture has street vendors, maybe this is ours.



So before I drive around LA like a bad women, I decided to search the internet for this so called BBQ truck. Low and be hold I found a website that helps us find these gourmet meals on wheels in the LA area. By following the twittes of all the food trucks you can find out that the BBQ truck is in San Monica on Pennsylvania Avenue today. So if you want to know where the Philly sandwich truck is or the Korean Taco truck is tomorrow visit this website to find your next gourmet meal on wheels.
http://www.findlafoodtrucks.com/






Bon Appetit

Friday, June 4, 2010

The Best Melting Cheeses


I love nothing more than a good grill cheese, or good melted cheese on vegetables or some homemade pizza. But not all cheeses are equal. And not all cheeses melt into yummy goodness. For whatever reason you want to add some meltolious cheese to your recipe, here is a list to help pick a good cheese that will melt.

Asiago
Bel Paese
Brick
Brie
Butterkase
Cantal
Cheddar
Cheshire
Colby
Comte
Crescenza
Double Gloucester
Edam
Fontina
Gouda
Gruyere
Havarti
Iberico
Jarlsberg
Mahon
Mimolette
Monterey Jack
Mozzarella
Muenster
Ossau-Iraty
Fresh Pecorino
Port-Salut
Provolone
Queso Oaxaca
Raclette
Roncal
Swiss
Teleme
Urgelia


Bon Appétit

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Uhh?!?!?!?! What kind of Cheese is this?




If you have been to the cheese section at your local grocery store lately, you might have noticed that is has become a little foreign. With cheese names like Ossau-Iraty, Urgelia, Tomme de Savoie, or Bel Paese. You might think you need to learn another language just to understand these cheeses.

To help you in your foreign adventures at the cheese section, I created a way to understand the different styles in which cheese is made and that gives it its flavor. If you know what you like then you can try to find other cheeses in the style to try. So hopefully the next time we are standing in front of a sea of foreign names at the cheese section we are not so frightened to try something new.


The first style Fresh; it has a mild, milky, and/or tangy flavor. The flavor strength is mild. Examples include Ricotta, Mozzarella, and Fresh goat cheese.


The second style is Semi-Soft; it has a milky, tangy, and/or sweet flavor. The flavor strength is mild. Examples include Colby, Havarti, and Monterrey Jack


The third style is Soft-Ripened; it has a buttery, mushroomy, and/or creamy flavor. The flavor strength can be mild to medium strong. Examples include Brie, Camembert, and Banon


The fourth style is Surface-Ripened; it has an earthy, creamy, mushroomy, and/or tangy flavor. The flavor strength can be medium to strong. Examples include Le Chevrot, La Tur, and Rocchetta.


The fifth style is Semi-Hard; it has an earthy, buttery, nutty, and/or fruity flavor. The flavor strength can be medium to strong. Examples include Cheddar, Gruyere, and Gouda.


The sixth style is Hard; it has a salty, sweet, sharp, and/or caramel flavor. The flavor strength can be medium-strong to strong. Examples include Parmigiano-Reggiano and Aged Asiago.


The seventh is Blue Cheese; it has a floral, pungent, musty, and/or salty flavor. The flavor strength can be medium-strong to very strong. Examples include Gorgonzola, Stilton Blue, and Maytag Blue.


The eighth is Washed-Rind; it has a beefy, gamy, creamy, nutty, and/or salty flavor. The flavor strength can be strong to very strong. Examples include Munster, Taleggio, and Chaubier.


Bon Appétit

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Notes on picking a good Pinot Noir



Pinot Noir is one of my favorite wines, yet picking a bad Pinot Noir can also be your worst bottle of wine you ever bought. So here are a few notes on picking out a good bottle of Pinot Noir.

First make sure you are buying a Pinot that is produced in either the areas of California such as central coast, northern, or in Monterey County. Willamette Valley of Oregon, New Zealand, or European areas of Frances’ Champagne and Burgundy regions grow good Pinot Noir grapes, along with areas in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland. Pinot Noir grapes are as hard to grow if not grown in the right climate, the right soil, and with the right touch. It’s like trying to get a two year old to stop saying no, you have to out trick them. This is why where they are grown is so important.

Climate of the harvested season is of particular importance to taste and smell. During cold growing seasons (year) will taste bracing acidity and cherry flavors with the hints of baking spices. In a warmer growing seasons and riper seasons, Pinot may even have a gamey aroma, along with blueberry, strawberry, and blackberry flavors.

Bon Appétit

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Green Bean Citrus Salad


Green Beans are in season, and I thought a green bean salad would be a different way to prepare this vegetable. The Green Bean Citrus Salad is inspired from the Greek Green Bean Salad, Fasolkiaa Me Yemistes. It is easy to prepare, as well as low in fat and calories.

Recipe:
1 lb green beans, trimmed to bite size pieces
2 Tbsp olive oil
Juice of one lemon
Zest of one lemon
1 Tbsp of fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh mint, finely chopped
1 Tbsp fresh oregano, finely chopped
Salt and Ground black paper for taste

Put cut green beans into salted boiling water. Cook until tender. Remove from heat, drain, and place in a large bowl of ice water. Keep in ice bath for 5 minutes.

Place olive oil, lemon juice and zest, parsley, mint, and oregano in a small bowl. Whisk together. Add salt and pepper for taste. Drain green beans and toss in dressing.

Bon Appéti

Sunday, April 18, 2010

Bacon Cheddar Chive Biscuits


I was watching the Wednesday April 14th episode of Top Chef Master’s. The main challenge was to create an unforgettable soul food inspired meal for actor Mekhi Phifer. You know you are a southern girl at heart when you crave grandma’s cooking after watching this episode. So I came across this recipe, and it may not be my grandmother’s recipe, but it is just as good as if she came up with it herself. It is comfort food at its best, so eat this sparingly.

Recipe:
6 thick slices of bacon
3 ¾ cups bread flour
1 ½ Tablespoons of baking powder
1 ¼ teaspoons of baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons of salt
½ cup (1 stick) frozen unsalted butter, cut into ½ inch cubes
Extra melted butter for brushing
2 ½ cups (packed) coarsely grated sharp cheddar cheese (about 12 ounces)
1/3 cup chopped fresh chives
1 ¾ cups chilled buttermilk

Position Rack just above center of the oven and preheat to 425 degrees. Line heavy large baking sheet with parchment paper. Cook bacon in heavy large skillet over medium heat until crisp and brown. Transfer bacon to paper towels to drain, then chop coarsely.

Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in large bowl. Add butter cubes. Cut butter into flour mixture until it forms a coarse meal. Add cheddar cheese, fresh chives, and chopped bacon; toss and blend. Gradually add buttermilk, stirring to moisten evenly (batter will feel sticky).

Using a scoop, drop about ½ cup batter for each biscuit onto prepared baking sheet, spacing batter mounds about 2 inches apart.

Bake biscuits until golden brown and toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 18-20 minutes. Brush biscuits lightly with melted butter. Let cool for 10 minutes. Serve biscuits warm or at room temperature.

Recipe yields about 16 biscuits. Recipe was adapted from Bon Appétit, February 2010.

Bon Appétit

Friday, April 2, 2010

The Three Little Piggy Sandwich


After seeing the “The Silver Palm Restaurant” on Anthony Bourdain’s No Reservations Chicago segment, my pork loving husband and I had to try this place. And no I haven’t found a pork only restaurant, but it’s just as good. This low key joint has a locals' only vibe, but welcomes anyone who walks in their doors. It is a refreshing change from the chain restaurants down the street in the more touristy areas of Chicago.

The Silver Palm uses an old train car for a dining area. The bar and entry way which is unpretentious, and has a “Cheers” vibe with a spunk that says “hello I am in Chicago.” There are no out of towners here, the night we were there, it was full of locals.

I can only tell you about one thing on the menu. Since the only thing my husband and I ate was the massive Three Little Piggy Sandwich. Which includes your choice of Gruyere or Cheddar, with Fried Pork Tenderloin, Smoked Ham, Bacon, topped off with a fried egg and onion rings, all between toasted buns. I could only eat half, and wished so desperately that I could get this back home. It not only is good, but one of the best sandwiches I have ever had.

There is a wide selection of beer as well. Something my husband thought was an added plus for the restaurant. Overall you will not leave hungry here. I can’t wait for my next visit to Chicago and to “The Silver Palm.”
Silver Palm Restaurant, 768 N. Milwaukee, Chicago, IL 312-666-9322. Only open for dinner Tuesday thru Sunday, call for reservations since the dining car is small.

Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Low Fat Chili Cheese Sloppy Joes



Several people have asked me for my Low Fat Chili Cheese Sloppy Joes. An old time favorite that has fewer calories and fat then the original my mom use to make. Choosing a lower fat content in your ground beef, draining off the extra fat with a paper towel after cooking can actually lower the calorie and fat content.

Recipe:
8 ounces 95/5 Ground Beef
1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 1/2 Cups chopped Red onions
2 ½ divided teaspoons chili powder
4 to 6 garlic cloves pressed
1- 15 ounce can kidney beans, with juices
½ cup drained canned diced tomatoes
¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro
4 whole wheat bread rolls, toasted in the toaster/toaster oven.
½ cup (packed) grated low fat extra –sharp cheddar cheese

In a medium saucepan add ground beef and half of the chili powder. Cook the ground beef through, breaking up with a spoon, about 5 minutes. Drain juices and transfer ground beef on a plate with a paper towel to help absorb excess juices/fat. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add onions and sauté for 2 minutes, then add remaining chili powder and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute. Add the cooked ground beef and mix together. Add beans with liquid and drained tomatoes. Simmer until thickened, about 15 minutes. Mix in cilantro. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Place toasted rolls on plate and top with chili, cheese, and remaining ½ cup of chopped onions.

Bon Appétit

Monday, March 29, 2010

Fresh Macaroni Salad

One of my favorite places to go for a relaxing vacation is Hawaii. And one of my favorite things to eat while I am there is macaroni salad. Aloha Mixed Plate on the island of Maui makes the best macaroni salad I have ever tasted. But this calorie and fat packed item isn’t something that I can eat all the time. So I came up with a healthy and fresh macaroni salad. That lets me eat my macaroni and get some vegetables in me as well.

8 oz bag of whole wheat macaroni noodles
1 pound of broccoli crowns cut into small pieces
16 oz of cherry tomatoes
½ of red onion, diced
1 cucumber, chopped and peeled
Salt and Pepper for taste
Low Fat Organic Italian dressing for flavor

Cook Macaroni noodles and cool. Steam broccoli and cool. Once the noodles and broccoli are cold, mix in tomatoes, onions, and cucumber. Season with Salt and Pepper. Add Italian dressing before serving. Use sparingly.

Tip: You can also use carrots and celery (which is often found in Hawaiian style Macaroni salad); I was using what was in my refrigerator.

Bon Appétit

Friday, March 19, 2010

My New Love


I know, I know, I know!! I am supposed to be buying American made cheese from my local farmer’s market. Note: what I wrote in the previous blog. But I was examining the gourmet cheese section at my local specialty grocery store and found a cheese called, ready for this? Drunken Goat. I smile, and read one thing that causes my hand to drop the cheese wedge in my basket. “Semi-soft goat cheese Immersed in Red wine.” Semi-soft goat cheese; never had that before. Ok, Check. Immersed in Red Wine, OK, Sold!

Ok so that isn’t why I am writing about it. It is some of the most superior cheese I have ever tasted. It just might be my new favorite cheese. Move over Feta, we have a new love for Cristy. It comes in wheels. Has a purplish rind outside from being soaked in red wine for 3 to 4 days. It is semi-soft, like cheddar. And the rind is soft and edible (See tasting with my eyes). Smells like goat cheese with a sweet hint (tasting with my noise). Taste is creamy, almost like a good chèvre but doesn’t have the flaky texture I am use too with goat cheeses. The flavor is not strong, but not too weak that you will not forget the piece of cheese you just ate (tasting with my mouth). So despite that it is imported from Spain, I just wanted to recommend a good cheese when I can across one. I will come up with a recipe later.

Bon Appétit

Thursday, March 18, 2010

American Cheese



I love cheese. And if you love cheese I believe we can all remember when our love affair began. Mine has two distinct events. Both happened to be when I was traveling overseas. The first was in Greece, and I fell in love with this white stuff called Feta. It tasted like earthy mushrooms and meadows filled with wild flowers. I could picture an old Greek man with his wishing beads in one hand, a cigarette hanging from his mouth while churned cheese with his other hand. My second epiphany with cheese was while I was in Paris. I had bought a baguette sandwich with brie and butter for 3 Euros from a street vendor. The brie was like butter in my mouth and the flaky baguette was falling all over my shirt, but I didn’t care, because it was simply heaven in my mouth. And possible the best meal I had while in Paris.

So when I came across the book titled “The Cheese Chronicles: A Journey through the Making and Selling of Cheese in American, From Field to Farm to Table,” by Liz Thorpe, I had to read it. Why not educate myself and understand my love affair with cheese just a little bit more. Who is Liz Thorpe you ask? Well she is the vice president of Murray’s Cheese in New York City. She is the women top chefs like Thomas Keller call to get the best cheese for their restaurants. But you ask is there good cheese in America?

That was the first thing I asked myself when reading the book’s cover. All I know of American cheese is well American Kraft singles. You know the pre-packaged stuff your mom would buy along with bologna and white bread. The stuff that was suppose to taste good, but didn’t. That’s my image of American cheese. Other cheeses like Parmesan and Ricotta came when I worked in an Italian Restaurant during college. But those cheeses still didn’t wake me up to the essence of cheese. I am still not certain that America can produce good cheese like the Europeans, but this statement comes from my lack of tasting or finding good American made cheese to date.

The book is a page turner, a learning experience, a cultural cheese awakening, and for me just downright full of knowledge I didn’t have before. Without boring you to death with details because if you want the details you should read the book. The book not only opens your mind to the world of cheese, but also opens your mind to the world of cheese in America. Thorpe tells us how to identify cheese. Step One: Where is your cheese from? Cow, Goat, or Sheep’s milk. Step Two: Taste (Taste with your eyes first, noise second, mouth third). Step Three: Cheese Families. Fresh, Bloomy, Washed Rind, Uncooked Pressed, Cooked Pressed, and Blue. Once you have the basics, it’s a journey through America’s history and pioneering with cheese and making it. Thorpe often gives personal stories of cheese makers she has met along her travels to find good cheese. These stories are entertaining, and informative.

By the end of the book it almost makes me want to leave my 3 bedroom suburban home in Orange County, California and buy some land and goats in Northern California or Vermont. Once there I can make my own feta cheese to sell at the local farmers' markets. And maybe, just maybe one day my cheese will make it on a plate at Thomas Keller’s restaurant. But that will not be happening. Realistically I am going to pay more attention to the cheese makers pushing cheese at my local farmer’s market or any farmer’s market that I visit in my travels. I will look for Artisanal American made cheese when I shop for cheese at the grocery store first, instead of going straight for the imported cheese from France and Greece.
American cheese makers, some good and some not so good start out small. Selling and marketing their cheese on their own. Hoping to get someplace like Murray’s to buy their cheese then to resale their cheese to restaurants like the French Laundry. While others are just happy to sell it at the Farmer’s Market, American cheese makers are like artist, they are just happy to make it. Thorpe said this in her book “American cheese is one of the cornerstones of preserving responsible agriculture, respectful animal husbandry, and all-around good eating in this big country if ours.”

So go out there and buy a wedge of something. Something made in America. Something that we hope will taste good, but if not it is the experience we are after not the hype. And yes read Liz Thorpe’s book as well if you want to deepen your knowledge of cheese. ISBN 978-0-06-145116-4.

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

How to pick the best looking sausage?



It might seem like an easy thing to do. But picking the right sausage for your recipe can be very important in the flavor and texture department of your end result.
Sausage originally was a way to preserve extra meat back in the days before refrigeration. Almost every culture has some type of sausage. The different types of sausage include fresh, fresh smoked, cooked, cooked smoked, and dry. The varieties are endless and they can include veal, beef, pork, lamb, turkey, and chicken. Spices are also added to enhance the flavors of the meat.
So when shopping for good sausage, make sure it is at least 70% meat. Gluten-free sausages are often 100% meat and don’t contain any fillers or preservatives.
Good sausage should look plump and should have a shiny skin.
Supermarket sausages typically have more fat and tend to shrink.
Bon Appétit

Saturday, March 13, 2010

A Flare for Indian Food



I am pretty adventurous when it comes to eating food. Not to adventurous when it comes to cooking unfamiliar foods, like Indian for example. I am more inclined to just go to my nearest Indian Restaurant and order some curry with vegetables, Chicken Tandoori, and soak it all up with Naan. One day while discussing my affliction to Indian food, a chef friend of mine recommended that if I wanted to learn about great Indian food that I had to checkout “Classic Indian Cooking” cookbook, by Julie Sahni. It was this cookbook my chef friend found, along with Thomas Keller’s cookbooks that made her give up a six figure salary and become a chef making no more than 40,000 a year. Now that is passion.

At first I was a little leery to dig into something so foreign, but my local library had the cookbook on hand. I was surprised to find that this is not just a book full of recipes, but a history, cultural background, and cooking techniques on Indian food. The first section discusses the ever over whelming assortment of Indian spices, goes over equipment and cooking techniques. The rest of the cookbook is divided into appetizers, main dishes, side dishes, accompanying staples, desserts, and beverages. There is even an index and glossary for us non-Indian cooks out there. But the most impressive feature about this cookbook is the brief summary before each recipe. So you know that Gosht Tikka (Meat Cutlets) is full of Indian spices, but is a very western looking dish due to 150 years of British influenced in India. Or that Gobhi Matar Rasedar (Cauliflower, Green peas, and Potatoes in Spicy Herb Sauce) is typically found in the Uttar Pradesh state of India and typically served at wedding banquets.

I choose two recipes to try. One easy and one that is not so easy. Masala Gosht (Beef in Spicy Tomato Gravy), and Hare Gobhi Ki Sabzi (Broccoli smothered in Garlic Oil). Masala Gosht is typically served in Indian restaurants and not found in Indian homes. The harder of the two, I am assuming it is found mostly in restaurants because it is a lengthy processes to make, is constructed of several steps. But Masala Gosht which required a few ingredients I have never cooked with before, like coriander leaves and meaty bones, became an excellent first time Indian cooking experience. The number one reason for choosing this recipe was to learn the art or technique of Brown-frying. Brown-frying is not found in western cooking, and is somewhere in the middle of deep-frying and sautéing of onions, garlic, or ginger root for twenty minutes. This requires constant stirring during the whole 20 minutes. The end product of brown frying onions for this recipe brings out the aroma of the onions, a Carmel-brown color, which looks like brown shriveled up pieces of onions. This technique comes from Moghul cooking and is often found in darker colored gravy’s or curries of India. Masala Gosht also requires the roasting of spices another technique very popular to Indian cookery.
I chose my second recipe, Hare Gobhi Ki Sabzi to learn the cooking technique of glazing vegetables; this method is found in Northern Indian. It is the easier of the two recipes. The glazing process gives the broccoli a crisp bite with the taste of garlic infused oil in the taste. Both dishes come out tasting wonderful. Though I will think twice before doing the lengthy Masala Gosht again, total prep and cook time 4 hours. But the end result left an Indian dance festival in my mouth and an Indian restaurant aroma in my house.

Overall this is an excellent cookbook to get your feet wet or to jump head first into a pool of Indian cookery. The author lives in America, and just like Julia Child, has adapted a foreign cooking method for us Americans. She often gives alternative ingredients for those hard to find items that might not be in a typical American supermarket. She also gives us cooking methods and techniques understandable to the American cook. This cookbook gets 5 stars! The ISBN number is 0-688-03721-6, and to purchase this book, it can be found at amazon.com and surlatable.com.

Bon Appetite!

Wednesday, March 10, 2010

Aspartame is changing it's name.

Ajinomoto a large food ingredient company that makes food oils, food seasonings, and the very popular sweetener Aspartame, will be changing the name of Aspartame to “AminoSweet.” Some studies suggest that Aspartame can cause headaches, nausea, vomiting, vision problems, and joint pain. These studies are not conclusive, but as a consumer, it would be nice to know that Aspartame is the same thing as “AminoSweet.”

Friday, March 5, 2010

There are 50 glasses of Red Wine in that chocolate bar?


Resveratrol is a dietary ingredient most commonly found in grapes and wine. Some studies suggest that resvertrol has been associated with potential cardiovascular health benefits in humans, specifically improving blood vessel functions. And some studies say that resveratrol may have other health benefits yet to be discovered. Like why do the French who have a diet high in fat and red wine? And yet they do not have a high obesity rate or a high rate of heart disease. Could it be all the resvertrol in red wine the French drink? Maybe, even so the ResVez Corporation has introduced us to something new in the world of food.

Winetime Bar is the first nutritional bar and functional food that has resveratrol in it, and is now available to order at winetime.com. Winetime doesn’t advertise any specific health benefits. Winetime Bar contains dark chocolate, dates, almonds, seven super fruits (cranberry, noni, pomegranate, goji berry, acai, mangosteen, and blueberry), and more resveratrol then 50 glasses of red wine. It has 190 calories and contains 9 grams of total fat, 2.5 of which is saturated fat in each bar. I have yet to taste it, but if anyone has, please let us know if it is worth it.

Bon Appétit!

Thursday, March 4, 2010

Baby Greens with Candied Hazelnuts and Blue Cheese

Tired of the same old salad? I know that I get sick of eating the same thing over and over again. So to spice up our salad or should I say sweeten up our salad, I have candied hazelnuts to add a twist to your salad. If you want to keep the sugar and calorie count down you can just dry roast the hazelnuts instead, skipping the candied hazelnut section of this recipe. This recipe makes 6 servings and is around 300 calories per serving.

Ingredients:
For Candied Hazelnuts:
½ cup water
½ cup sugar
¾ cup hazelnuts
1 tablespoon unsalted butter

For Dressing:
3 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 medium shallot, minced
1 ½ teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
½ extra virgin olive oil

For Salad:
1- 5 ounce bag of mixed baby greens
2 large ripe pears, halved, cored, and thinly sliced lengthwise
1 cup crumbled blue cheese

Directions:
In a small saucepan simmer water with sugar, stirring until sugar is dissolved.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. And lightly butter or use cooking spray on a shallow baking pan.

Coarsely chop hazelnuts. Stir nuts into water and sugar syrup, and simmer for 1 minute. Using a slotted spoon transfer nuts to the baking pan, arranging in one flat layer. Bake nuts in the middle of the oven until golden brown, around 15 minutes. Immediately add butter to nuts, tossing to coat and separate.

Transfer the nuts to a plate to cool (nuts will crisp as they cool). Nuts can be candied 2 days ahead of time. They need to be kept in an airtight container and a cool dry place.

Whisk lemon juice, mustard, shallot, and thyme in a small bowl to blend. Gradually whisk in oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Toss greens in large bowl with enough dressing to coat. Divide greens into 6 plates. Top with pear slices, dividing equally. Sprinkle with cheese and candied hazelnuts.

Bon Appétit