Grab Bag

Pa Amb TomÃ quet

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While “Tomato Bread” or “Pan de Tomate” is well know around the world, the similar dish “pa amb tomÃ quet” is less known and slightly different in its preparation.
Usually, (but not always), pan de tomate is done with pureed tomatoes, olive oil and garlic on grilled bread, while the authentic Catalan “pa amb tomÃ quet” has the tomato cut in half, then rubbed on the bread. Granted, the difference is subtle, but I personally prefer the the Catalan version to the one with the (too much for me) pureed tomatoes.
Either way, thank you Spain for another wonderful, simple dish that makes our life a better one 🙂
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Que vagi de gust ! El meu aerolliscador està ple d’anguiles ! (Just Kidding) 🙂
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sour dough bread, vine-ripened tomatoes, garlic-confit paste in olive oil

rub tomato on freshly grilled bread

drizzle with garlic and oil, sprinkle with kosher salt and basil chiffonade (optional)

“pa amb tomÃ quet”

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Gochujang Blade Steaks With Musaengchae (Spicy Korean Radish Salad)

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While I prepare blade steaks often, musaengchae is not so common on my dinner table, simply because I usually don’t find Korean radish on my regular shopping-runs, so when I do find them, musaengchae it is.
You could substitute the Korean radish with daikon, but for this particular dish, daikon will be inferior and should only be a last resort.
If you love spicy – this salad is it !
If you love radish – this salad is it !
If you are tired of run of the mill salads – this salad will come to the rescue !
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More Blade Steaks On ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
These blade steaks were very thin, so the amount pictured (6 steaks) were just enough for one meal for Bella and I 🙂
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Musaengchae

: korean radish (pic source: maangchi)

: peel radish, then cut into fine julienne, season with kosher salt, let stand for 10 minutes, squeeze out excess water

: toast sesame seeds until golden

: add black sesame seeds, white toasted sesame seeds, gochujang, garlic paste, ginger paste, white vinegar and scallions, mix carefully in order to not break-up the radish julienne

: Musaengchae

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Gochujang Blade Steaks

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: marinade pork-blade steaks overnight with gochujang, ginger paste, garlic paste, kosher salt, scallions, peanut oil, mirin and sake

: grill or broil until pork skin is very crispy

: Gochujang Blade Steaks

: Gochujang Blade Steaks

: Gochujang Blade Steaks

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Tandoori-Style Chicken Drumsticks With Pickled Onions And Naan

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Some of my favorite food-memories from my time living in Karachi, Pakistan, were the many wonderful dinners Maria and I had at the rooftop restaurant of our hotel, the ” Avari Towers,Karachi“.
Sadly, I understand that this restaurant has been converted into a steak restaurant by now ( after all, its been nearly 20 years since Maria and I lived there).
However, at the time, the roof top was a very exclusive local-fare only restaurant with a tandoori oven right there on the rooftop.
Benazir Bhutto, who a few years later became prime minister of Pakistan, resided in a house just next to our hotel and came to eat at the roof top a few times while we were there, which got Maria excited each time and she actually asked Mrs.Bhutto for an autograph (which she got, despite the incredible security), which made Maria happy and embarrassed me 🙂 .
Anyway, as far as the food was concerned, the restaurants at the Avari were in my opinion by far the best and safest places to enjoy a meal in all of Karachi and the tandoori dishes at the rooftop topped it all !
I had many a good tandoori dish while traveling in Pakistan and of course in India, but never did I find a good one in Florida in all the years I have resided here. While they might exist, so far they have eluded me. So, whenever I lust for tasty, well prepared tandoori-style food that rekindles my memories of times past, I usually have to take matters in my own hands. Such was the case again yesterday, when I prepared these delicious chicken drumsticks.
For the lack of an tandoori oven, I cooked the drumsticks under high heat under the broiler, which resulted in acceptable taste and texture.
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مزےکری ! maze karein ! زندگی اچھی ہے !
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Tandoori–Style Chicken Thighs With Pickled Onions And Naan

Tandoori-Style Chicken Tighs With Pickled Onions

Tandori-Style Chicken Tighs With Pickled Onions

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: cross-score each drumstick through the flesh, all the way to the bone, marinate overnight in a paste of ghee, garam masala, cumin, allspice, lemon juice, yogurt, paprika, cinnamon, grated ginger, garlic paste, black pepper and kosher salt

: mix onions, peppers, garlic paste, scallions, white vinegar, kosher salt and garlic oil, let marinade at least 2 hours

: remove chicken from marinade, simmer remaining marinade for 3 minutes, use to baste chicken during broiling

: place chicken on wire rack

: broil chicken on one side for 15 minutes

: turn chicken, brush generously with more of the marinade, cook until cooked through, about another 15 – 20 minutes, depending on the size of the drumsticks

: done…..

: plate chicken with freshly baked naan and crisp iceberg

: top chicken with the marinated onions

: Tandoori-Style Chicken Drumsticks With Pickled Onions And Naan

: Tandoori-Style Chicken Drumsticks With Pickled Onions And Naan

: Tandoori-Style Chicken Drumsticks With Pickled Onions And Naan

: Pickled Onions

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” Word’s to ponder “

ChefsOpinion

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“A home cook who relies too much on a recipe is sort of like a pilot who reads the plane’s instruction manual while flying.”
– Alton Brown

” What my mother believed about cooking is that if you worked hard and prospered, someone else would do it for you.”
– Nora Ephron

“Give a man a fish and he has food for a day; teach him how to fish and you can get rid of him of the entire weekend.”
– Zenna Schaffer

” My wife dresses to kill. She cooks the same way. “
– Henry Youngman

“Man is the only animal that can remain on friendly terms with the victims he intends to eat until he eats them.”
– Samuel Butler

“Get the F… out of my kitchen”
– Hans Susser, on many occasion’s.
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Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables In Black-Bean Chile Sauce

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Today I had a craving for really spicy food and I answered the call with this dish. I made it very spicy, but at the same time it was also very flavorful, thank’s to the addition of hoi sin sauce, soy sauce and lots of ginger and garlic. ( If you prefer less spicy, just tone down on the chili paste)
Fabulously tasty and satisfying, this was the perfect Sunday early-dinner dish, tasty, pretty and quick to wrestle-up 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is good !
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Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables In Black-Bean Chile Sauce

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P.S.
In order to be able to throw together these quick meals, I always have an assortment of blanched, frozen veggies in the fridge, ready to go at a moments notice.
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: blanch vegetables in salted water

: shock vegetables in ice water

: shock vegetables in ice water, drain

: shock vegetables in ice water, drain

: shock vegetables in ice water, drain

: squeeze out excess water, wrap airtight, freeze for up to 10 days

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Also always in my fridge are grated fresh ginger (commercial, good quality) and garlic confit paste (home made, usually once a week)
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On to today’s dinner:
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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: slice skinlesss chicken breast into bitesize slivers

: marinade chicken with garlic paste, lime juice, soy sauce, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, add a few drops of peanut oil, mix well

: stir fry chicken on VERY high heat until lightly browned but still juicy

: remove chicken to a plate, set aside

: add a bit more oil, saute beans until lightly browned in spots

: add 2 tblsp chili/ bean paste, 2 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tblsp hoi sin sauce, 1 tblsp water, 1 tsp garlic paste, add corn, stir fry until corn is heated through, remove from heat

: add seafood-mushrooms

: return chicken to wok (or pan), mix well, check / adjust seasoning

: Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables In Black-Bean Chile Sauce

: Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables In Black-Bean Chile Sauce

: Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables In Black-Bean Chile Sauce

: Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables In Black-Bean Chile Sauce

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P.P.S.
I used Chor’s Food USA “Black Bean Chile Sauce” in this dish.
If not available in your neck of the woods :-(, substitute with equal parts of fermented black beans and chili paste 🙂
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Chipotle-Chicken Quesadilla

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We owe Mexico a lot for its invention of the quesadilla. It would be difficult to find another dish as addictive yet comes together so quickly with so little effort. Quesadillas are highly adaptable:
Make them a meal with large flour tortillas, or gluten-free with corn tortillas. A little low-fat cheese and a lot of vegetables, and they could almost pass for a health food; on the flip side, a generous pile of shredded pepper-jack could be the remedy for a bad hangover. A good quesadilla is a thing of beauty. It’s crispy and golden brown at the edges, but a bite quickly reveals a soft interior with gooey melted cheese. For this quesadilla I used chicken , which you can replace with other proteins of your choice, such as shrimp, beef, chorizo, etc. For a vegetarian alternative, just omit the animal-protein and add more vegetables.
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P.S.
As you can see, I dug in with my hands. However, if your boss shows up for dinner, you might want to get out forks and knifes 🙂
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Provechito ! Viva Mexico !
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Chipotle-Chicken Quesadilla

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: Guacamole, Sour Cream, Pickled Onions With Peppers & Mini-Corn

: marinade vegetables with lime juice, finely chopped jalapenos, kosher salt and chopped cilantro

: marinade diced chicken for at least 2 hours with kosher salt, lime juice, garlic paste and finely chopped canned chipotles in adobo

: saute chicken until done but still juicy

: remove chicken from pan, set aside

: toast flour tortilla on one side, flip

: top with mexican style shredded cheese mix

: top with chicken

: top with chopped tomatoes and chopped cilantro

: top with more cheese and mashed avocado

: top with another one-side-toasted tortilla, toasted side down

: top tortilla with a plate, invert,

: slide back into pan (or comal), cook very slowly to give the cheese time to melt without burning the tortilla

: Chipotle-Chicken Quesadilla

: Chipotle-Chicken Quesadilla

: Chipotle-Chicken Quesadilla

: Chipotle-Chicken Quesadilla

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Product Review – Accord Foods Inc.

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Guilin/China

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Dear Friends,

While I often get free product samples and requests for product reviews, in order to stick to my motto of “Real Food & Real Opinions”, I blog very seldom about the products I receive. The simple reason for this is that I want to keep my independence and that I don’t want to review products I don’t like and cannot endorse wholeheartedly.
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This time I received samples from “Accord Foods Inc.”, labeled
“Chor’s Food USA” and “Tso Hin Kee“,
which I am happy to write about and inform you of my tasting experience.
I tasted the sauces first by itself, then with plain pasta, then with plain rice. I believe this set-up allows me to judge each item as close as possible to its actual use.
I then tasted the soup first without added chili oil, then with chili oil.
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My rating system is as follows:
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* One Star : No way, Jose
** Two Star : yeah, maybe
*** Three Star : OK
**** Four Star : Very Good
***** Five Star : Superb, best I’ve had
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These are the items I sampled :
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Black Bean Chile Sauce *****

: Black Bean Chile Sauce

: Black Bean Chile Sauce

: Black Bean Chile Sauce

Oyster Sauce *****

: Oyster Sauce

: Oyster Sauce

: Oyster Sauce

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Prune Sweet Sauce * * * * *

: Prune Sweet Sauce

: Prune Sweet Sauce

: Prune Sweet Sauce

Guilin Style Chile Sauce * * * * *

: Guilin Style Chile Sauce

: Guilin Style Chile Sauce

: Guilin Style Chile Sauce

: Szechuan Style Chile Oil * * * * *

: Vegetarian Seasoning / Soup Base * * * * *

: vegetarian soup

: vegetarian soup without szechuan style chile oil

: vegetarian soup with szechuan style chile oil

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Conclusion :
These items are by far the best of its kind I have encountered, both in appearance and, most important, in flavor. The soup base is the very best I have encountered of any soup base, beef, chicken or vegetable – not salty, with no artificial taste and with perfect color.
As I mentioned earlier, I have no gain from my product reviews and aim to be as objective as possible, but this stuff is just the best of its kind I have encountered. Bravo “Accord Foods Inc.”
“Accord Foods Inc.” will definitely be a staple of my pantry if I am able to purchase them in my area (Hint/hint, “Accord Foods Inc.” :-).
I am also looking forward to review the rest of their product line in the near future.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click to check-out the beauty of Guilin
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DOWNLOADABLE SEPTEMBER CALENDAR – US EDITION AND INTERNATIONAL EDITION

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Downloadable Monthly Desktop Calendar, US Edition and International Edition
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To display the calendar on your computer screen :
> download the calendar of your choice to your desktop,
> right-click on the image,
> choose the option that says, “Set as Desktop Background / Wallpaper”, (exact wording will depend on the browser you use).

If the image does not fit your desktop background neatly, you may have to go to your preference panel :
> Control Panel
> Display
> Desktop) and choose “Fit to screen” as the display mode of your background image, or choose another size if you prefer that the calendar does not fill the whole screen-
(Mac users will have to use different commands to the same effect).

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Click here for “FRISÉE SALAD, COPPA HAM & GORGONZOLA CHEESE”
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September 2015 International Edition (Starts Monday) :
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September 2015 US Edition (Starts Sunday, Incl. Holidays):
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Beef Stroganoff (Not?)

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Way back when I prepared my first “Beef Stroganoff“, in the early 60’s at Hotel Wiedenfelsen” in the Black Forrest of Germany, “Beef Stroganoff” (Filet Goulasch Stroganoff) was a very popular dish, always made with tenderloin and served with Pommes Frites, Pommes Alumettes or Spätzle.
At the time and in the area, stroganoff always contained the following:
Beef tenderloin-lardons, juliennes of bell peppers, julienne of pickles, julienne of tomatoes, julienne of onions, mustard, glace de viande, heavy cream and sour cream.
After preparing and serving this version of “Beef Stroganoff” for many years around the globe, I found out that the “original ?” Beef Stroganoff only contained salt and pepper seasoned beef cubes, sour cream and mustard. I then started to serve stroganoff in this way a few times in different restaurants,but the reaction was never as favorable as the version I learned and served as an apprentice so many years earlier. Having learned my lesson (Original is always original, but original is not always Best ), I have again served my own version ever since, always to favorable comments and reviews. Therefore, in my opinion, if it looks better and tastes better, go ahead and serve it better.
However, if the total character of the dish changes, (not the case here), you might want to change the name of the dish as well 🙂
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P.S.
So, defenders of the originals – we know by now that this is NOT the original version of “Beef Stroganoff” ( who knows the original version anyway ?), but it is a great, and in my opinion improved, version of “Beef Stroganoff“, as served with numerous variations in many fine restaurants around the world and in many food-lovers homes.
Just eat up – those little tomatoes and peppers will not hurt you, I promise ! 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for THE BEST FRENCH FRIES
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Click here for SCHWÄBISCHE SPÄTZLE MIT SCHMELZE (SWABIAN NOODLES)

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Beef Stroganoff

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures

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: season cubed strip loin with kosher salt, paprika and cayenne pepper

: saute beef in very hot oil until browned but still rare, remove meat from pan, set meat aside, discard oil

: add butter, sliced julienned peppers, onions, pickles and whole botton mushrooms, saute one minute, add heavy cream, reduce until nape, remove from heat, add dijon mustard and sour cream

: return meat to pan, add grape tomatoes and chopped parsley

: check / adjust seasoning

: to serve, top with more sour cream and parsley

: Beef Stroganoff

: Beef Stroganoff

: Beef Stroganoff

: Beef Stroganoff

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Chocolate Panna Cotta With Rum-Macerated Rambutan & Vanilla Panna Cotta With Blueberries

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This dessert is so fool-proof that it should feature prominently on the menu of folks who proclaim they can not cook and/or have no time to cook. Not only is extremely easy to prepare as far as desserts go, it is also super delicious and can easily be transformed into a whole new dessert by just adding another ingredient, such as chocolate, flavored syrup, fresh fruit, etc.
Quick, easy and delicious – my kind of dessert 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Sweet !
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Panna Cotta With Rum-Macerated Rambutan

Panna Cotta With Blueberries And Whipped Cream

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: Sweeten 6 cup heavy cream and 3 cup half&half with 1/2 cup of honey, add a few drops of organic vanilla extract, bring to a simmer, remove from heat