Grab Bag

Flank On Peperonata

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“Flank On Peperonata”

Or, as you might read on a “up to date” , “modern” menu :

Tender Wagyu kobe beef, dry aged for 42 days and 7.5 hours, sautéed in extra extra extra virgin olive oil on a finely tuned $ 200k aga stove in a guy fieri designed kitchen, accompanied by farm raised baby bell peppers from a farm 370 yards away from our kitchen, perrier-washed grape tomatoes, organic grown pearl onions which were hand selected and washed by a young, 16 year old future master chef , and lightly, delicately and expertly sprinkled with cilantro which has grown undisturbed by such adversaries as snow and sandstorms on a sunny slope in the beautiful napa valley…………….blah blah blah ……

But then, to each his/her own cup of tea 🙂

Here we go :
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Read also : Food’s Biggest Scam : The Great Kobe Beef Lie !
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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Poached Chicken, Arugula, Strawberry & Pomegranate

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This dish was a bit unusual for me to prepare for myself, (fru fru ? 🙂 , but I had this craving for poached chicken with a twist. I really enjoyed the combination of chicken with: spicy (chili oil, green peppercorn), sweet (strawberries, pomegranate), slightly bitter ( arugula) and acidic (lime juice). All in all, a successful dish which I will surely prepare again 🙂
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Poach the chicken in seasoned water until just done, still very juicy but cooked through. ( Remove from simmering liquid at 162F. Cover loosely and let chicken rest for 10 minutes. The carry-over heat will take it to a safe 165F without giving it a chance to dry out ). Drizzle with chili oil mixed with a bit of soy sauce and lime and sprinkle with sauteed green peppercorn. Serve with salad and fruit of your choice .

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Arugula With Chorizo Stuffed Chilis

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A quick and tasty dinner this evening.
I had pasta for breakfast and lunch ,
so I tried to lighten it up a bit for dinner 🙂
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Prep a small salad with arugula, grape tomatoes, shaved asiago cheese, onions and raspberry vinaigrette.
Slit chilis on the side and remove ribs and seeds. Remove chorizo from casing. Stuff the chilis with the chorizo. Wrap top half of stuffed chili with bacon. Dust with cornstarch and saute until bacon is crisp and chilis are cooked. Serve with salad. Enjoy !

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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10 Second Baguette

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I came across this on ” 100 Tables ” and I thought you might get a kick out of it 🙂

Enjoy!

TAIWANESE MAGICIAN GROWS BREAD OUT OF HIS HANDS

Here’s something to start your day. The Bread trick starts about 2:45.

Watch the video HERE
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To All My Readers

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Dear Friend’s
on LinkedIn, Facebook and other social networks.

I post in 50 different LinkedIn groups and a bunch of different social networks. The reason in the beginning was to expose my blog to fellow professionals and food lovers and gain an audience. To my dismay, I realize now that having spread out so much has helped the popularity of the blog tremendously, but has undermined one of the main goals of mine, which is to keep an ongoing conversation with food lovers about all things culinary. You see, most folks read and comment on ChefsOpinion on the linkedIn page or social network page where they receive it, which is of course a separate page for each separate group and network. So, while anywhere from none to a hundred people might comment or critique on a specific article or recipe, that comment or critique in turn will only be seen by members of this particular group or network. This of course drastically limits the scope of the conversation and exchange of ideas and opinion which would be so much more entertaining, educational and interesting if it would all happen on the same place of origin, ” www.ChefsOpinion.org ”
So, dear friends, since chefsopinion is a free and extremely secure blog (hosted by wordpress), I would like to ask all of you to please subscribe directly to Chefsopinion instead of receiving it through secondary sites. This not only makes it safer for you, it would also bring us closer together as a group of food lovers and cooking enthusiast’s and let us share all comments, ideas, critiques and criticism on the one place it was meant to be shared, “ChefsOpinion”

With best regards and many thank’s for your ongoing support,
Hans
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Below find a few of the hundreds of comments I received on the “Am I Obsolete ?” post.
The comments below are excerpts from the comments I received on the “American Culinary Federation Group” on “LinkedIn”

American Culinary Federation Discussion|Poll DiscussionsMembersPromotionsJobsSearchMore…

Am I Obsolete ? chefsopinion.org . . I love food.
I love food for the sake of food. Does that make me obsolete? Out of touch? Old fashioned? Removed? Aged? Antiquated? Archaic,? Bygone? A fossil? Moth-eaten? Out-of-date? Outm… 7 days ago Like CommentUnfollow Flag More Charles Huffman-Speech-Ai-Wed-Afternoon, Melinda Brown and 2 others like this 13 comments Giovanni

Giovanni Leopardi • Absolutely NOT…sometime i feel the same way, but then when I look in to the operations I am at the Helm of…I realize the importance of seasoned professionals in the field..you never will find a EXPERT…SEASONED YOUNG CHEF…sure we are able to find interesting and dedicated personnel but they always will need guidance support and direction to the way forward…it is the circle of life…

Larry Dann, C.F.B.E. • Good morning Hans, I could have not said it more eloquently. And absolutely NOT are you obsolete etc. I am 51 and with the exception of one cook and one dishwasher that I have working for me am the oldest person in my kitchens. I have four properties that I am responsible for and have several cooks, sous chefs, and chefs that are all younger than me. Like you I read incessantly and am always looking for great new ideas and trends but Food is Food, and Crap is Crap. When this whole Molecular Gastronomic revolution began I felt that it was a fad (and still feel that way). Although there are certainly a few pretty cool ideas that have come from it I feel a lot of it is just a waste of valuable time and effort. Mini plates are fine too but I don’t get the fascination with them. Thomas Kellar has surely done well with them. But then there is that congress of chefs who are very talented fine culinary artists who perhaps wouldn’t know what to do with a brisket of beef, a head of cabbage, and potatoes. I love all of my guys and gals. I treat them with respect and try to teach everyone at least one or two things every week. It is always great to see that light bulb go off when they realize they are learning something new and have that “Ah Hah” moment. Although you and I may have already been doing it for 30 years. In this field experience can not be underestimated or taken for granted. I also think that an very important thing is to surround yourself with young people and really watch what they are doing and what is important to them. Not only at work but in their private life. A genuine interest is so important. I also try to keep in shape so I can keep up with them…..lol. Okay, I’m out of breath here…LOL Have a great day!

Laura Anderson • As a young professional just starting off in the culinary world I don’t believe any seasoned, professional chef could be considered obsolete. If a chef must rely on molecular science to make food then they are not, in my mind, a chef. As you said on occasion sure I like to go outside the box and try something that looks fancier than it taste but for the most part I enjoy good home cooking. Real food for people with a real appetite for something delicious!! Any chef who doesn’t think they can and have learned from the generations before us are pretentious, it all comes down to learning the basics. I believe you learn from everyone you work with, even if you are learning how not to do things you have still taken away from that experience. I want to absorb every bit of knowledge I can from the “seasoned professionals” and then take that information and make it my own. I want to make food that will take people on journeys and the only way for a young professional to become a chef is to learn from those who have gone before us. Therefore you are never obsolete, your ability to pass on knowledge should always be held in high regards!

Beautifully said Laura 🙂 Wise and smart and surely on the right path. Cheers ! Life is Good !

James Filaroski • I love food as well. The world is moving to robotic food and service and theres a lost art of doing things well, with passion. My deal with the new world of culinary profesional is they dont want to put the time we did into learning the right way. There needs to be more decipline when it comes to the younger generation. You cannot teach passion that has to be in ones sole. We are not fossils, well made quality food will always compete in the market place. I know one one to re-create fads suck as gastronomic, big plates small plates etc. Like theme restaurants they have a 3-5 year shelf life until the next one comes along. Great fresh quality food with value will always come out on top. Keep the dream alive my friends.

Kim Bisk • I also love Food… And Good Food is Good Food… No matter what the concept is… Small Plate, Traditional, Gourmet, Family Style, etc. etc… When you find the right combination of Flavors… It is Good!!! There is nothing Obsolete when the flavors are there!!!

Gerard Campione • We have finally found the true cuisine…and it is in honor of your style of dedication to good food. It is a cuisine of natural ingredients from locally sourced producers. Local farmers, ranchers, artisans using raw ingredients without preservatives, artificial colors and flavorings. To eliminate processed foods with more chemicals than essence. Your many years of using fresh, nutrient rich vegetables and animals with the knowledge of using all the parts without waste. What a unique quality in cooks that only recently has become fashionable…again. Your gifts of knowlege are much appreciated now that we finally know what you were talking about. Never stop teaching. We will eventually learn from your true cuisine.
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Baked Camembert In Phyllo

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Here is a dish that takes less then five minutes to
prepare, yet is just awesome on so many levels –
taste, look’s, ease of preparation. 🙂
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Ingredients :

Phyllo sheets,
Olive oil,
Camembert, diced
Kernel corn, blanched
Green peas, blanched
Cilantro, chopped
Roasted garlic paste,
Bell pepper, diced
Cayenne pepper,

Method :

Brush four sheets of phyllo with olive oil, stack.
Mix all other ingredients, season with pepper.
Cut Phyllo sheets in half across. Top with cheese
filling, fold phyllo over cheese. Brush with olive oil,
bake at 390 until golden and cheese starts to melt.
Serve with arugula/radish in raspberry vinaigrette.

Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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Roast Pork Butt, Fries & Porcini Sauce

Lunch.

Definitely not “food porn”
Definitely a wonderful lunch.

Life is Good ! Pork is Good !
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Vietnamese Ginger / Caramel Chicken ( Ga Kho )

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I remember when, many years ago, I got my first whiff of fermented fish sauce. It was one of the most disgusting smells I had ever encountered in a kitchen and there was no way I would ever put something this vile into my food !
Forward a few years. Fish sauce (and it’s cousin, shrimp paste) has become a permanent staple in my cup board. I use it for many of my favorite asian dishes, although I still don’t use it as a dipping sauce. In this dish, it is one of the three seasoning pillars . Fish sauce, caramel sauce and ginger play the major part, while garlic, salt and pepper play second fiddle. If you are not used to using fish sauce or shrimp paste, just don’t smell it before you cook it. Once you add it to your food and cook it for a while, it transforms itself into pure magic, giving the final product great flavor and debt. ( Umami, if you must 🙂
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Ingredient’s :

Chicken, thigh’s slashed to the bone
Caramel sauce, see below *
Pearl onion, blanched
Chiles, mixed colors, whole
Onions, sliced
Cilandro, coarsely chopped
Black pepper, fresh ground
Chili flakes,
Fish sauce,
Rice vinegar,
Garlic, paste
Ginger, sliced
Kosher salt,
Peanut oil, to saute

Method :

Season chicken with salt and black pepper and saute until golden brown on both sides. Remove onto absorbent paper. Saute pearl onions and chilies. Remove to absorbent paper. Saute sliced onions, garlic and ginger until translucent. Add vinegar, caramel, and all seasoning. Add chicken and slowly simmer until chicken is cooked through and sauce has reduced enough to cover the chicken. If the sauce becomes too thick before he chicken is cooked all the way, add a bit of water. If the sauce is too thin when the chicken is done, remove chicken and reduce until desired texture is achieved. At this point, strain the sauce if you like it smooth, otherwise, serve it more rustic with all the bits and pieces still in the sauce. Now, return the chicken, whole chiles and pearl onions. Simmer for another minute while basting the chicken to make sure it is well covered in sauce. To serve, add chicken to plate, cover with remaining sauce, top with chilis, onions, cilantro and lime wedges.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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* Saute sugar until lightly browned. Add water. If you have not done this before – BE VERY CAREFUL ! This splashes easily and burns right throuhg your skin if you are not careful. I suggest to put the pot into the sink and open the waterspout just a bit while keeping your head as far away as possible 🙂 Stir until smooth and all sugar is desolved. You should now have a light brown liquid. If the sugar solidified, don’t worry. Just put it back on low heat, stir frequently and simmer until all solids are liquified.
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Geroestete Semmelknoedel Mit Ei

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A few weeks ago I posted :

Rinds Rouladen & Semmel Knoedel ( Beef Roulade & Bread Dumplings )

in response to a request. I mentioned in the post that one can not re-heat bread dumplings in water, as they would become very dense. I promised to post another post soon to explain what to do with leftover bread dumplings. Here are two very delicious recipes.

A ) ” Semmelknoedel Salat ”
Dice the cooled dumplings, add diced red onions, diced radish, diced tomatoes, diced cucumbers, diced peppers, sliced chives and dijon mustard vinaigrette and mix all into a Panzanella – like salad. Beautiful and delicious 🙂

B ) ” Geroestete Semmelknoedel mit Ei ”
Quarter the cooled dumplings, then slice into quarter inch slices. Whisk whole eggs with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. Saute dumpling slices in butter until lightly browned. Add eggs and sliced chives, saute until eggs start to set. To serve, sprinkle with chopped parsley.
Serve with tomato / cucumber salad.
Note : During the sauteing the dumplings will become crispy on the outside while they aquire a wonderful creamy texture on the inside.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Congee With Smoked Pig’s Tails & Vegetables

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Rice Porridge.
First thing that comes to mind is probably baby food or hospital gruff. Most folk’s would never think of ordering it from a menu in a restaurant, much less wake up and crave it for breakfast, if they hadn’t tasted or at least seen it before.

Now, let’s try again :
Congee. Lúgaw. Chok. Xifan. Juk. Okayu.
OK, that’s better 🙂

Sounds more interesting and exotic? These are just a few names given to rice porridge around the world. If there is a country or region which traditionally eats rice, then there is some form of rice porridge eaten.

Congee can be enjoyed as breakfast, snack, lunch or dinner. Congee most often contains rice, but other grains can be used. Ideally it is made with strong, tasty stock that infuses great taste and debt into the dish. But from there on, let your fantasy run wild. Congee can be made with seafood, meat, vegetables or a combination thereof. Then there are the toppings. Pickled vegetables, fried shallots, sliced scallions, pulled mushroom stems, crisp fried garlic, dried shrimps, 100 year eggs, cilantro, etc, etc. If you like it, put it on.
Below is a version I made on sunday for breakfast. The texture is more like a filipino Lugaw, with the rice VERY soft but still keeping it’s shape. At first I was not so sure about the smoked pigstails. I was worried they might be too overpowering. But not to worry. The taste was very rich with only a hint of smokiness. Another slightly unusual ingredient (served as condiment) was the freshly grated horseradish, although when you think of the japanese version Okayu, wasaby seems to be a fitting condiment. I prepare congee at home often, this version is definitely special and a great addition to my congee repertoire.
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All about CONGEE
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Previous CONGEE posts : 1 2 3
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Ingredient’s :

Jasmin rice,
Smoked pig’s feet,
Corn on the cob, cut into thick slices
Chinese unsmoked sausages, thinly sliced
Bell peppers, diced
Ginger, grated
Garlic, paste
Cilantro, chopped
Scallions, sliced
Salt,
Soy sauce,
Horseradish, freshly grated
Sesame oil,
Chili oil,
Peanut oil, to saute

Method :

Saute garlic and ginger in peanut oil until fragrant. Add water and pigstails. Simmer pigstails in unseasoned water for about an hour or until starting to become tender. Taste stock and if necessary season with salt and pepper. (Some smoked meats can be overly salted, so don’t season at first) Add rice and very slowly simmer for another hour or until the rice is close to the texture you desire. Now add the corn, diced peppers and sausages. Simmer for another fifteen minute. At this point, adjust texture and seasoning if necessary. If the congee is too thick for your liking, add some hot stock. If it is too thin, simmer longer or strain some of the liquid.
To serve, sprinkle with scallions and cilantro. Drizzle with chili oil.
Serve with horseradish and soy sauce. Acompanied by Oolong tea.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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