With the holidays on their way, eggnog is a classic treat. Eggnog makes me happy. Its a staple of the holidays. So don't forget to make some this Christmas.
Makes 1 quart. Serves 4-6.
Ingredients
2 cups milk
2 whole cloves
Pinch of cinnamon
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup cream
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
2 Tbsp each of rum and bourbon or brandy, or to taste (can omit for kid-friendly eggnog)
* (optional) 4 egg whites
Directions
In a large bowl, beat the eggs until they lighten in color (can use a mixer for this or use a whisk to do by hand). Slowly beat in the sugar, whisking until fluffy.
Combine milk, cloves, cinnamon in a thick-bottomed saucepan. Heat on medium heat, slowly heating mixture until it is steaming hot, but not yet boiling.
Temper the eggs by slowly whisking the hot milk mixture into the eggs. Pour the mixture back into the saucepan.
Cook on medium heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture reaches 160°F, and it begins to thicken slightly (helps to have a candy thermometer, but not necessary). Do not allow the mixture to boil, or it will curdle (if this happens you might be able to save it by running it through a blender). Remove from heat and stir in the cream. Strain to remove the cloves. Let cool for one hour.
Mix in vanilla extract, nutmeg, and bourbon and brandy (can omit for kid-friendly eggnog). Chill.
Optional: Beat egg whites to soft peaks. Add a teaspoon of sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks. Fold into eggnog.
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened, more for greasing pan
2 cups all-purpose flour, more for dusting pan
5 ounces high quality, unsweetened dark chocolate
1/4 cup instant espresso (can use instant coffee)
2 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder
1 cup bourbon whiskey (can use 1/2 cup), more for sprinkling
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 cups granulated sugar
3 large eggs
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 cup confectioners’ sugar (powdered sugar), for sprinkling
Direction
Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease and flour a large bundt pan (10 cup capacity), or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans. Melt chocolate in a microwave oven or in a double boiler over simmering water. Let cool.
Put instant espresso and cocoa powder in a 2-cup (or larger) glass measuring cup. Add enough boiling water to come up to the 1 cup measuring line. Mix until powders dissolve. Stir in whiskey and salt; let cool.
Beat softened butter until fluffy (2-3 minutes on high). Add sugar and beat until well combined. Beat in the eggs, one at a time, beating well between each addition. Beat in the vanilla extract, baking soda and melted chocolate, scraping down sides of bowl with a rubber spatula.
With the mixer on low speed, beat in a third of the whiskey espresso cocoa mixture. When liquid is absorbed, beat in 1 cup flour. Repeat additions, ending with whiskey mixture. Scrape batter into prepared pan and smooth top. Bake until a cake tester inserted into center of cake comes out clean, about 1 hour 10 minutes for Bundt pan (loaf pans will take less time, start checking them after 55 minutes).
Transfer cake to a rack. Unmold after 15 minutes and sprinkle warm cake with more whiskey. Let cool. Sprinkle powdered sugar through a mesh sieve over the cake before serving.
The trick here is that instead of beating egg whites into peaks, you whip the chocolate and egg together in a blender. Salmonella from underdone eggs is rare, but if you're concerned about partly uncooked yolks, skip this for the kids and save it for the adults.
Yield: Makes 4 servings Active Time: 15 minutes Total time Total Time: 1 hour 30 minutes (includes chilling)
Ingredients
6 ounces good-quality semisweet chocolate (such as Valrhona), chopped, plus extra for shavings (optional)
1 cup milk (any fat content)
2 tablespoons brewed espresso
4 tablespoons butter (1/2 stick)
2 eggs (the freshest possible)
Directions
Place the chocolate in a blender.
Heat the milk, espresso, and butter in a small pot until the milk is scalded, about 3 minutes.
Pour the milk mixture into the blender and blend until the chocolate is dissolved and the mixture is smooth.
Add the eggs and blend until no lumps remain.
Pour into cups and chill until set, about 1 1/2 hours. Garnish with the chocolate shavings, if desired, and serve.
This recipe is my variation of Jacques Pépin's thanksgiving recipe for "Fast Food My Way."
Gewürztraminer is recommended as the wine of choice for turkey pairing, but it can also be the saving grace of turning your late start thanksgiving turkey into a delicious masterpiece. You loose the ability to see the whole turkey on the table, but gain the hours lost to watching football instead of cooking.
First lets address the pronunciation of the wine Gewürztraminer [geh-VEHRTZ-trah-mee-ner] Now you can walk into your local wine shop and get a bottle or two.
Next - choosing the right amount of turkey. 12-15 lb turkey for 10-12 people 15-18 lb turkey for 14-16 people 18-22 lb turkey for 20-22 people
First start by removing any feathers that may be remaining and removing the gizzard, heart, liver etc. I keep them to cook with the turkey and help flavor the stock created from cooking the turkey.
When the day of cooking comes, take the turkey and rub it in kosher salt. Don't be afraid to reach in and cover every bit of it. The first time you rub a turkey it may feel weird, but the end product is so much better for it. Rub every part of the turkey with the kosher salt.
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees.
Cut the thighs and wings off, and make small 1" cuts at the joints. Butterfly your turkey, cutting on the breast side. If you have a large enough roasting pan, you can keep it together, otherwise you'll probably have to separate into two halves.
In the roasting pan, pour a low, around 1"-2" layer of the gewürztraminer wine and some water. You're basically steaming the turkey, helping keep in moist while injecting the slightly "spicy" flavor of the gewürztraminer grapes. You may want to throw in other things such as diced carrots and diced onions. I personally put it all under the turkey as I feel the flavor will seeps its way up into the turkey. I dont know if theres proof to the over under, but who knows.
With the oven at 500 degrees, cook the turkey for about 30 minutes, you really just want to create a seal on the skin that'll lock in a lot of the juices from the turkey.
Turn the oven down to 350 degrees, add about a cup more wine and cover with aluminum foil. Cook the turkey for about an hour. Turn the parts of the turkey over and add about another cup of wine (unless there is an ample amount left). Cook until its finished. Now - don't quote me on this, but it should take about an hour. You want to check the internal temperature of the meat with a meat thermometer, at the thickest part, which should be the breast. It should be about 165-170 degrees at the breast. If its not read - but is close to 165, then remove the foil and let it cook longer, checking the temperature about every 15 minutes if you're close.
Now when I cooked the turkey in this manor, there are time it doesn't come out too browned, which some people like the look of. So you can now start the gravy.
Gravy is an easy accoutrement to make and making it now will help with the browning of the turkey. Its made with the juices from the turkey and flour. No prepackaged gravy mix necessary.
Crank the oven back up to 500 degrees and remove the foil cover on the turkey. Drain the liquid from the turkey into a large pan, add flour slowly, and on a medium heat, wisk the flour and stock (juices from cooking the turkey). You want to use a wisk to help get rid of the lumps in the flour and mix thoroughly. If its too watery for the way you like your gravy, add more flour, if its too thick, add more juice (if you have more) or water (if you dont). Add a few drops of gravy master if you've got it (it really just browns up the gravy and adds some more flavor) or leave the gravy alone - it will taste just fine either way. Once your gravy is done, your turkey should be also.
I have a not-so-secret love of cheeses, especially mozzarella. My old roommate and I would buy a tub of mozzarella balls and force ourselves to restrict how many we'd eat just so it would last longer then the ride home from the store.
This relatively simple though a bit tedious to start. Ingredients:
Preheat oven to 350°F. Cut eggplants crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick slices. Place on layers of paper towels. Sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt; let stand 30 minutes. Brush 2 large baking sheets with oil. Pat eggplant dry; arrange in single layer on prepared sheets. Brush lightly with oil. Bake until eggplant is tender and dry, about 1 hour. Cool slightly; chop coarsely.
Whisk 2 egg, grated Parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup breadcrumbs, parsley, thyme, 1/4 teaspoon pepper, and 1/4 teaspoon salt in medium bowl. Stir in chopped eggplant (mixture will be soft). Spread 1 cup breadcrumbs on plate. Whisk 1 egg and flour in another bowl. Press and shape eggplant mixture into 1 1/4 -inch-diameter balls. Press 1 piece smoked mozzarella into center of each ball, making sure eggplant mixture covers cheese. Dip balls, 1 at a time, into egg batter; roll in breadcrumbs to coat.
Pour enough oil into large skillet to reach depth of 1/4 inch; heat over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add balls to skillet; sauté until browned, turning often, about 4 minutes. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towels to drain. Sprinkle with salt and serve with marinara sauce for dipping.
Things to try: I've seen a note that said that this recipe is delicious with sautéed mushroom chopped and mixed with the eggplant.
Also I heard it comes out much better and easier to use if you put the eggplant along with the thyme, Parmesan, breadcrumbs, etc in a food processor.
Thanksgiving is rearing its ugly head again, and for those who haven't a clue what to do, from now til I leave for family dinner, I'll be posting recipe's for the epicurious at heart - from different ways to cook turkey to the visitor's hors d'œuvre sure to impress anyone.
And remember, for thanksgiving, presentation is key.
the simplest way to prepare pork loin is to make a simple glaze and pop it in the oven on a low heat.
First the glaze:
Apricot, orange or peach jam (or a combination of all three)
Mustard
Worcestershire Sauce
Salt
pepper
brown sugar.
If you're lazy you can use one of the premade dry rubs for pork, and mix with mustard, worcestershire sauce and the jam.
Directions:
Cover your pork loin with about half the glaze.
Throw it in the over on a low heat, around 350 and roast.
Add more glaze as you cook it. Keep spooning the drippings over the loin, about every 20 minutes or so.
Just cook until its done - white all the way through and simply falls apart. It'll be easy to cut, and the glaze drippings you can add to the pork slices.
Feel free to replace the dry ingredients with a decent jamaican jerk rub or if you have a wet rub, replace the worcestershire sauce and mustard with the wet jerk sauce.
The "Cook for a Cure" went over as a huge success. One of the meals I made was my own twist on the classic Coq au Vin. A simple french peasant dish of chicken, vegetables in wine. Coq au vin simply meaning "Rooster in Wine" is usually made with older chickens because the connective tissue gives for a richer broth.
Now the recipe I'm going to give will be a simple basic one, from there you can experiment and create a lot more by adding more different vegetables in the main stew. I was cooking 80lbs worth of chicken, so this recipe is a faster cook and easier then the slow stewed Coq au vin's of traditional france.
Take about 6 chicken thighs - dry them, salt and season them. I just used pepper and kosher salt. In a pan with a light coat of olive oil, put the thighs skin side down and cook until cooked on that side (about 4 minutes or so). Remove the chicken and place on the side, drain most of the fat. Place in about a clove of halved garlic, a hearty amount of celery - cut in one inch pieces. Cook the celery and garlic until the celery is soft. Place the chicken in the pan with the garlic and celery, uncooked side down. Cook until just under done - maybe about four more minutes. Add enough wine that the celery and garlic are just covered. I used a chardonnay, but either that or a white zinfandel will work just fine.
The wine will also clean the fat that may be burnt onto the bottom of the pan of because of its acidity.
Take some chopped parsley and sprinkle over the coq au vin. Lower the heat, cover and simmer for about 5 -10 minutes on a low heat. Slice into one of the thighs and make sure its cooked thoroughly. If not, you can always throw it in the oven at around 375 until its done.
Now a few options you can throw in mushrooms, onions, carrots, pancetta or unsmoked bacon in the piece. All of that you want to throw in after you've drained most of the fat. you can also add a few tablespoons of cognac - moreso with a red wine like merlot if you use that instead of a white.
As per usual, be creative, have fun. This recipe knocks out 90% of the cooking time for Coq au Vin and makes for what i think is a great base to an awesome meal.
The atmosphere screams of the sophisticate you expect of Columbus Circle while lightly beating of the beatnik roots of the popular jazz scene. Tables close enough to reach out and touch your neighbour while being far enough away that you can still have an intimate conversation. The backdrop of the stage a panoramic view of the city from the edge of Central Park. Even the building being spaced so perfectly from the view that they don't crowd your view of the treetops of the park. Intimacy, privacy and connection to the city and it's music prepare you for both a musical and culinary treat. The menu reaches to the heart of jazz's Louisiana connections with a seared Catfish Po'Boy, Bourbon Flamed Angus Strip Steak, Crawfish and Crabcakes and Crawfish Beignets. The mainly seafood laden "Gumbo-laya" with crab meat, shrimp, crawfish, andouille sausage, tasso ham and chicken makes me wonder if the chef's can dish out what the menu has me yearning. And to Dizzy Gillespie himself is a dish named "Salt Peanuts"
The warm lighting and simple flourescent downlighting on the tables decorated with an eggshaped dome light help to accentuate the clean edges and of the room as well as its waving acoustic wall panelling. The scent of the room becomes as intoxicating as a back-alley New Orleans restaurant as I now crave crawfish étouffée and gumbo.
The crab soup was light on the crab with a nice touch of saffron. Though lacking in content, the use of celery and spices blended nicely for a rather enjoyable start. The spices used gave a late kick that would last until at least your meal was served. I still would like to see more crab in the soup advertised as a crab soup.
The sounds of Dizzy Gillespie's All Star band featuring Charlie Persip, Dizzy's drummer and current New School professor was great. Starting off with specific people who couldn't keep tempo, but were excellent once they woke up or had their solo and got on-point.
The seared Catfish Po'Boy served with coleslaw and sweet potato fries was slightly chilly when served. The fries were so heavily salted that one may forget they were sweet potato fries and think they were in a 1990's McDonald's. Maybe a selling point for those who don't like sweet potatoes. The Po'Boy itself on a toasted roll with lettuce, tomato and all your po'boy basics was delicious. The spicy mustard they used added a well needed layer of flavour that the seared catfish lacks on its own. Cooked well enough that the fish stayed together while being cook fully through.
The second course of the night Chelsea Crowe, and her rich voice, perfect for jazz. Soulful, never late and on pitch as she sang Willow Weep for Me. I would even venture to say that I enjoyed listening to her sing it more then Nina Simone. even her stage presence was simply delightful. An act I'd like to see mature and be given a chance to perform more herself.
"I go green by drinking local."
The Long Island based Blue Point Brewering Company's Blueberry Ale closely mimiced the blueberry beer from the Boston Beer Works without the use fo blueberry garnish. Though the Beer Works is moving away from the blueberries through the hoses and rather an added garnish. The selection of wines, champagnes, beers, cordials and spirits was a bit more then i originally expected and made the place a bit more versatile as an after dinner spot.
The gift of the night was a free carrot cake for Dizzy's Birthday.
If not for the music and culture, Dizzy's Club Coca Cola offers an amazing view, decent bar selection and very good food.
I would like to thank Humberto Baquerizo and Ivetter Rodriguez for all the help and support they have given in setting this up. As well as Iberia Peninsula for their donations.
Wednesday night I took a trip to NYC to see my friend Reena and enjoy chocolate and wine. What else is there that needs to be said about a place about 400 square feet with chocolate and wine? 11 West 31st Street, between Broadway and 5th, so you know where it is.
The place boast the ability to feel both tiny and give me the ability to enjoy my personal space, an issue with many small restaurants. The table isn't large enough for the both the food and wine menus but that's fine because the neurotic server will rearrange the items on the table until there's room for every bit of food and drink you order.
I believe we ordered a cabernet sauvignon but i can't be too positive, We pointed and had the first thing that Reena's finger landed on.
I don't drink wine properly. I believe that the method in which you sample your wine when you first get it does the wine minimum justice. There is a flavor a freshly opened bottle of wine has only twice. When you open it and when you're at the end of it. And though not always good, it is honest, true, real. But to me, "Sour, sweet, bitter, pungent, all must be tasted." Strong dry blackcurrant, though maybe a zante currant would add a bit of sweetness that it could have used. Once the wine opened, it changed to what is so still a bit dry but so much better a wine. I enjoy that transformation, that maturing of the wine in front of me.
Then you open the dinner menu. We kept it simple to a selection of appetizers. Steak Tartare, Angry Chicken and some shrimp dumpling. I wish I could remember better, but that wasn't much of the appeal. The food was good, overly laden with noodles and seaweed. Good, but almost unnecessary.
Lets talk about Angry Chicken. Get it. It's good and cute. I guess the angry is the mild amount of spice.
The Steak Tartare was all a good man can ask for in steak... still mooing and with horseradish.
Presentation - 10
Now for the whole purpose of going to a chocolate and wine bar... The chocolate, and the wine.
Chocolate Choices we made, Bin 27 Port, Grand Cru and Alizé Hearts of Passion.
Starting with the Bin 27 Port was enjoyable. The best of the portuguese wine hits you late, subtle and perfectly toned with the dark chocolate.
The Grand Cru was a bit of a wash. The flavours dissipated while eating, leaving you with just a dark chocolate in your mouth.
But the recovery was the alizé hearts of passion. For those like me who enjoy the bold taste of pure passion fruit, this truffle offers that. Do not pair with red wine or a dry wine. If you've ordered a red or dry wine, just eat this truffle by itself. It presents a richness and boldness that makes even the most dull tongue understand why chocolate affects emotions.
All in all, Ayza is a good find and I recommend to anyone wanting to have a good day out. Don't go hungry, but the prices aren't bad. Enjoyable, fun, friendly and the architectural details are fun. You'll love when you figure out where the wine comes from.
I used a 1-pound loaf pan here, but you could likely get away with a 8 or 9-inch cake or pie pan. Just check in more frequently as the coffee cake is baking because the cooking time will be different. If you have trouble locating whole wheat pastry flour, I suspect spelt flour would make a good substitution - unbleached all-purpose flour is an option as well. I used maple sugar as the granulated sweetener in the crumble top - but I recognize that it can be expensive and sometimes hard to find - feel free to substitute raw cane sugar or brown sugar.
Serves 12 - 16 modest slices.
Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat pastry flour (or spelt flour)
3 tablespoons rolled oats
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
scant 1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
1/4 teaspoon fresh rosemary, chopped
4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
1/3 cup maple syrup, room temperature
1 large egg, room temperature
zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1/4 cup buttermilk
1 1/3 cups fresh wild huckleberries (or other berries), well picked over
Preheat the oven to 350F degrees, rack in the middle. Butter a 1-pound loaf pan, and line with parchment paper. Alternately, you could just butter and flour the pan, but I've found that lining the pan with parchment makes removing the cake from the pan after baking no problem.
In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, oats, baking powder, baking soda, salt, thyme, and rosemary. Set aside. In a separate large bowl beat the butter with an electric mixer or by hand - until light and fluffy. Drizzle in the maple syrup and beat until well incorporated, scrape down the sides of the bowl a couple times along the way. Beat in the egg, lemon zest, and vanilla extract, scraping the sides again. Add half of the flour, stir just a bit, now add a splash of the buttermilk, stir again, but not too much. Add the rest of the flour and stir a bit, and now the rest of the buttermilk. Stir until everything barely comes together and then very gently fold in one cup of the huckleberries. Scrape the batter evenly into the prepared pan and set aside.
To make the streusel topping, place the flour, butter, maple sugar, thyme and pecans in a food processor and pulse 20-30 times or until the topping is a bit beyond sandy/crumbly. It should be moist-looking - on its way to being slightly doughy. Crumble 2/3 of it over the cake batter, sprinkle the remaining 1/3 cup huckleberries on top of that, and then add the last of the crumble. Barely pat in place with your fingertips.
Place the coffee cake in the oven and bake for 45-50 minutes or until the top is golden and a toothpick inserted into the center of the cake comes out clean. Let the cake cool for five minutes and then remove it from the pan to cool on a rack (this way the cake won't steam in the pan as it's cooling.
Just know what you are getting into here before you start. Have plenty of time, and plenty of counter space at your disposal if at all possible. This recipe makes enough for a crowd, but I'd recommend a test run before inviting a crowd over for a gnocchi feast. It can take a bit of time to get the swing of things the first time you try this. If you have a ricer on hand by all means use it to get your potatoes mashed, but using a fork works well too. For those of you wanting to do some of the preparation in advance, you can mash the potatoes a day ahead of time, put them in a covered bowl overnight, and incorporated the peaches, egg and flour the next day if you like. Ingredients:
Scant 2 pounds of starchy potatoes (2 large russets, or 3-4 smaller ones)
1/4 cup egg, lightly beaten
4 peaches, extra ripe, cut in half, pitted and peeled and pureed with the juice of half a lemon (you should end up with about 1 cup of puree)
1/2 teaspoon fine grain sea salt
1 cup of whole wheat pastry flour OR unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 cup shallots, minced
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 cups Champagne
cream
salt
a bit of fresh thyme
Directions:
Bake the potatoes in a preheated 350F degree oven for about an hour or until well-cooked through. When fully cooked you can pick them up using an oven mitt and give a gentle squeeze - they will give generously in your hand. If in doubt, cut into one to be sure the middle of the potato is cooked through. Try to peel each potato as soon as possible after removing from the oven (without burning yourself) - I've found a paring knife comes in handy here. Peel all the potatoes first, and then move on to the "mashing". You want to work relatively quickly so you can mash the potatoes when they are hot, it's critical that they don't sit around steaming in their jackets. To mash the potatoes you can either push the potatoes through a ricer, or do what I do, deconstruct them one at a time on the cutting board using the tines of a fork - mash isn't quite the right term here. I run the fork down the sides of the peeled potato creating a nice, fluffy potato base to work with (see photo). Don't over-mash - you are simply after an even consistency with no noticeable lumps. Let the potatoes cool spread out across the cutting board - ten or fifteen minutes, long enough that the egg won't cook when it is incorporated into the potatoes.
When you are ready, pull the potatoes into a soft mound - drizzle with the egg, 1/3 cup of the peach puree (reserve the rest for your sauce), salt and about 3/4 cup of the flour. I've found that a metal spatula or large pastry scraper are both great utensils to use to incorporate the flour and eggs and peaches into the potatoes. Scrape underneath and fold, scrape and fold until the mixture is a light crumble. Very gently, with a feathery touch knead the dough. This is also the point you can add more flour (a sprinkle at a time) if the dough is too tacky. I usually end up using most of the remaining 1/4 cup flour (and in this case a touch more), but it all depends on the potatoes, the flour, the time of year, the weather, and whether the gnocchi gods are smiling on you. The dough should be moist but not sticky. It should feel almost billowy. Cut the dough into eight pieces. Now gently roll each 1/8th of dough into a snake-shaped log, roughly the thickness of your thumb. Use a knife to cut pieces every 3/4-inch (see photo). Dust with a bit more flour.
You can skip this step if you are having trouble. To shape the gnocchi hold a fork in one hand and place a gnocchi pillow against the tines of the fork - the cut ends should be facing out. With confidence and an assertive (but very light) touch, use your thumb and press in and down the length of the fork. The gnocchi should curl into a slight "C" shape, their backs will capture the impression of the tines as tiny ridges (good for catching sauce later). Set each gnocchi aside, dust with a bit more flour if needed, until you are ready to boil them. This step takes some practice, don't get discouraged, once you get the hang of it it's easy. And like I said, if you are having too much trouble - skip it.
Before you cook the gnocchi, get your sauce ready. Saute the shallots along with the butter and a pinch of salt in a big skillet over medium-high heat. Cook until the shallots are deeply golden and nicely caramelized. Stand back a bit and (carefully) deglaze the pan by adding about 1/2 the champagne to the skillet. After the initial hissing subsides pour in the rest. Stir and get all the bits off the bottom of the pan and let the mixture reduce way down until just about 1/3 is left. Remove from heat and stir in the peach puree, a generous splash of cream, a big pinch of fresh thyme leaves, and you'll likely need a bit more salt as well. Set aside.
Now that you are on the final stretch, bring a big pot of (salted) water to a boil. Cook the gnocchi in batches by dropping them into the boiling water roughly twenty at a time. You will know when they are cooked because they will pop back up to the top. Fish them out of the water a few at a time with a slotted spoon ten seconds or so after they've surfaced. Have a large platter (or individual plates) ready with a layer of the champagne sauce. Place the gnocchi on plates/platter. Continue cooking and plating in batches until all the gnocchi are done. Serve immediately with a few sprigs of fresh thyme.
1 pound of boneless and skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1" chunks
1 egg white
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 10-ounce can pineapple chunks (reserve juice)
1/4 cup juice from the canned pineapple
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
2-3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon cooking oil
1 red bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 yellow bell pepper, cut into 1 inch chunks
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
Directions:
In a bowl, combine the chicken with the egg white, salt and cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken evenly. Let sit for 15 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the refrigerator.
In the meantime, whisk together the pineapple juice, vinegar, ketchup, salt, and brown sugar.
Heat a large frying pan or wok over high heat until a bead of water instantly sizzles and evaporates.
Pour in the 1 tablespoon of cooking oil and swirl to coat. It's important that the pan is very hot.
Add the chicken and spread the chicken out in one layer. Let the chicken fry, untouched for 1 minute, until the bottoms are browned.
Flip and fry the other side the same for 1 minute. The chicken should still be pinkish in the middle.
Dish out the chicken onto a clean plate, leaving as much oil in the pan as possible.
Turn the heat to medium and add the remaining 1 teaspoon of cooking oil. Let the oil heat up and then add the bell pepper chunks and ginger. Fry for 1 minute.
Add the pineapple chunks and the sweet and sour sauce.
Turn the heat to high and when the sauce is simmering, add the chicken pieces back in.
Let simmer for 1-2 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through. Timing depends on how thick you've cut your chicken. The best way to tell if the chicken is done is to take a piece out and cut into it. If it's pink, add another minute to the cooking.
Taste the sauce and add more brown sugar if you’d like.
Is there a simple explanation for why the crêpe has never taken off as a breakfast food in the common household? It is a simple, fun, experimental and vastly customizable meal. If breakfast were a painting, a crêpe would be the canvas. Sweet or savory, plain or exotic, a crêpe offers the option to please even the pickiest of eaters. From the crêpe Suzette to the Cherry Kijafa Crêpe, all you need is accoutrement and you have a delicious meal for anytime of day.
The basic thing to remember about a crêpe is that once the crêpe itself is made, everything else is your chance to play culinary god.
The Basic Crêpe Recipe:
Ingredients:
1 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons melted butter
Directions:
Wisk the egg and flour together.
Gradually add milk and water, stirring until combined thoroughly.
Add the salt and butter and beat until smooth. The batter should look like a very runny pancake batter. That wasn't hard, was it?
Now in a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan (i actually have a 6" flying pan perfect for making crêpes) spoon in a thin layer of batter, tilt the pan around to get an even coverage, cook til the bottom is lightly brown and flip.
Now the fun part. I prefer to add the extras at this point while the other side is cooking, fold it over like a wrap or burrito and serve.
"I don't know what to put in my crêpes?"
Here are a few suggestions:
Banana and Nutella
Caramelized Apples and Brie
Vanilla and Strawberries
Chicken and Mushroom
Ham and Swiss with Artichoke Hearts
Cheddar and Sausage
be creative have fun and enjoy crêpes the next time you want a different breakfast
With every fast food joint advertising their new bacon something or the other I've actually become sick of the idea of another bacon cheeseburger, no matter what you put on it. So I set to the kitchen to figure out how to make a simple burger, with a not so simple taste.
Behold: the Gorgonzola Garlic Burger
I have no clue how much of what I used, but I will do my best to give measurements.
1 pound ground beef 1/2 cup BBQ Sauce, I used a Stubs BBQ sauce 1 onion chopped 1 minced glove of garlic 1/4-1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg 1 teaspoon salt 1 egg 6 oz. gorgonzola cheese (one small package) 2 tablespoons of olive oil
Put all ingredients into a large mixing bowl and mix until it all the ingredients are evenly distributed. Grab about a fist sized portion of the mixture. Roll into a ball in your hand, and than flatten. On a cooking sheet with wax paper or freezer paper on it, evenly space out your burgers.
At this point you can throw them right on the grill. I like to chill or freeze the burgers at this point just so they're easier to put on the grill. Sometimes after you've blended all the ingredients, the burger has a tendency to fall apart. Chilling the burger holds it firmer together.
On the grill, use a medium heat, this isn't going to be like your premade beef patties, you won't always see the juices ontop and know its time to flip. The easiest method, 10 minutes on one side, 10 minutes on the other. Keep an eye on them incase the grease builds the fire up too high. Unless you like your burgers well done you could end up burning them before the 10 minutes
For added flair, take potato bread hambuger buns and toast them on the grill and put your burger on that. Serve with any side you want and enjoy.
Searching for the right wine to go with the right meal is always a task better left for the experts, in this case, the expert is E&J Gallo Winery at winewebcentral.com or gallo.com.
One quick stop before stopping by your wine boutique and you can find a pairing for any meal. Tonight, I'm thinking a pasta in a creamy sauce, E&J Gallo Winery's Pairing Guide says: Pinot Noir would be best, or a Chardonnay. I have always enjoyed the taste of the pinot grapes, so pinot noir it will be.
Give it a try the next time you have difficulty picking the right wines for your dinner party.
I believe when it comes to grilling chicken, if its not going to be BBQ, its gotta be pure. The taste of a moist piece of chicken breast when it hits your lips, the savory juiciness that makes you want to put aside all etiquette and tear into the chicken with bare hands, can only further prove there is a God.
Even atheist will agree with me after they try this simple preparation method that a naked chicken is the best.
The brine is the most basic and pure way to bring out the flavor of a meat while preparing it to go from in the fridge to on the grill/in the oven, to on the plate.
Brining, as wikipedia puts it, is: "Brining makes cooked meat moister by hydrating the cells of its muscle tissue before cooking, via the process of osmosis, and by allowing the cells to hold on to the water while they are cooked, via the process of denaturation. The brine surrounding the cells has a higher concentration of salt than the fluid within the cells, but the cell fluid has a higher concentration of other solutes. This leads salt ions to enter the cell via diffusion. The increased salinity of the cell fluid causes the cell to absorb water from the brine via osmosis. The salt introduced into the cell also denatures its proteins. The proteins coagulate, forming a matrix which traps water molecules and holds them during cooking. This prevents the meat from drying out, or dehydrating."
So what does that mean to us?
By simply soaking your food in salt water, you can keep it from drying out.
Do not be shy on the salt in the brine. Grab a bowl bigger then the meat you're brining, put in luke warm water. Add a fair amount of salt, I prefer Kosher Salt. And add your meat. I find it works amazingly for chickens, cornish hens, pork and turkey.
Cover your brined meat, and throw back in the fridge a few hours. I prefer to leave it for a few days.
What other tips do I have for keeping meet moist? When I cook a whole chicken or turkey, I first rub it down in kosher salt. Not too heavy, we don't need to cause a coronary blockage, but covering the total fowl. I then put it on for about 15 minutes on a high heat, 475 degrees or more, to make the skin turn into a seal for the juices. Turn the heat down after the fifteen minutes and let the bird cook. I also put foil on the extremities to keep them from burning. And the added bonus, halfway through cooking whatever it is I am, I turn it over. Not always easy, especially with that turkey big enough to feed the whole fraternity house, but it gives a more even cook in my opinion.
To sum it all up, sometimes the best flavors for a meat is just the flavor the meat comes with. And one of the best ways to truly bring out those flavors is by soaking your meat in a simple salt solution called a brine.
My quest for a perfect french onion soup has brought me through many restaurants, and many renditions, with the ever classic question that I always am embattled with raised again and again. Do I go for better flavor, or a classic recipe. This time, the better flavor has won.
I ran across a recipe for French Red Onion Soup. It boasted the ability to give a new arrangement of flavors while keeping to the idea of what french onion soup is. But as the poor recent college graduate, I am missing the ability to instantly come up with certain ingredients. In my case, star anise.
Like my grandmother, cooking is not always based on measurements, but rather on guestimations and taste testing.
BE FOREWARNED. This recipe served 4, and we thought it would only be a first dish and bought sandwiches for after. The soup was filling enough.
First up! Two large red onions, i cut them thick with one quick cut down the middle so they're not full rings. saute with olive oil and kosher salt.
In a separate pan, bring to boil a can of beef brother, a little sugar (about two teaspoons), some more kosher salt, ground black pepper, hint of nutmeg and about a 1/4 teaspoon of chopped rosemary. Add any other flavorings you may have to dance around that star anise slightly sweet flavor.
When you get the onions caramelized, through in about a cup and a half of red wine, i used a Yellow Tail Shiraz, but Bordeaux or Burgundy might work better. add the broth mixture and let sit on a low heat for about 5-10 minutes, mixing frequently.
As for the bread, I went to ShopRite and could not find a french baguette, so I found a olive oil and rosemary loaf that i thought would add an interesting mix to the pot. I cut the loaf in about 1 inch thick pieces and like the onions halved those, put two pieces in each of the four ovenproof bowls.
Now the fun part. The debate over cheese. manchego versus gruyere... I bought gruyere again because ShopRite didn't have manchego so next time around i'll try it, but i went with gruyere, with a thin slice of mozzarella under it.
So in your bowl, the bread, then add the onions and broth, then the cheese ontop. Pop that in under the broiler until the cheese bubbles and serve.
Not a classic French Onion, but with flavor and meatiness like this, you might not want to be so conservative with your French Onion soup again.
(10 cup capacity), or two 8- or 9-inch loaf pans. Melt chocolate in a microwave oven or in a double boiler over simmering water. Let cool.
