# 1 food blog

Today I Ate An Convertible………

: “The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

: “The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

Smoked Salmon, Avocado, And Pickled Onions Hoagie
( Convertible With Top Up / Convertible With Top Down )

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Hero, sub, foot long, hoagie, garibaldi, spuckie, blimpie, torpedo, zeppelin, bomber, poor boy, wedge, or just plain old sandwich –
whatever you call a sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats/cheese/seafood/tomato/onion/lettuce/condiments and/or anything else from the kitchen sink, this here beauty surely ranks among the best you can find and/or imagine anywhere.
As for naming it “Convertible” –
Obviously, it’s as good open, with the top down and eaten with a knife and fork; or closed, with the top up, eaten with both hands firmly locked around it 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Pickled Onions Recipe (Escabeche De Cebolla)

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“The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado

“The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

“The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: brush 2 halves of a foot long with soft or melted butter, put the bread open into refrigerator for a few minutes – the hardened butter will act as a barrier to prevent the bread to get soggy when you add dressed salad leaves and tonkatsu sauce

: cover one half of the sandwich with tonkatsu sauce

: cover both halves of the bread with salad and dressing of your choice (I used honey/mustard for the greens)

: top the salad generously with smoked salmon

: top the smoked salmon with sliced avocado, sprinkle with kosher salt, fresh-cracked black pepper and lime juice to taste

: top with pickled onions (see recipe in link on this page); serve either as is, open faced, or put the two halves together to form a sub

: “The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

: “The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

: “The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

: “The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

: “The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

: “The Convertible” Smoked Salmon, Pickled Onions And Avocado Hoagie

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Pasta & Love / Love & Pasta

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So this is what happened last night –
I was working on this post for ChefsOpinion.
While processing the pics from the day’s dinner, I came across this sign of love (I did NOT arrange this before I took the pics).
Not only does it look like a heart, it also resembles two stylized swans heads and necks, an image we use often in food decoration.
What are the odds ?????
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Bon Appétit ! Love is Good !
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P.S.
It would have been even more awesome if it would have happened on the 14th (Valentines Day),
but then certainly nobody would have believed that it happened by happy chance 🙂
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Spaghetti With Cabbage, Peppers, And Gorgonzola

Pasta & Love / Love & Pasta

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Preparation :
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: gorgonzola, spaghetti, bell pepper, onion, white cabbage

: saute julienne of 2 med.size onions, 1 tblsp garlic paste and 5 ea spicy Italian sausages in 2 tblsp olive oil

: saute until the onions are lightly caramelized and the sausages are cooked through

: add julienne of 1/2 head white cabbage and julienne of 1 large red bell pepper, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: saute 1 minute or until cabbage has heated through but is still crisp

: add 1 lb al dente spaghetti to a bowl

: top the spaghetti with the sauteed sausage and veggies, add 3 tblsp fresh-grated asiago cheese and 3 tblsp chopped Italian parsley

: mix all ingredients, check / adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with more parsley and coarse-crumbled gorgonzola; Serves 4

: Spaghetti With Cabbage, Peppers And Gorgonzola

: Spaghetti With Cabbage, Peppers And Gorgonzola

: Pasta & Love / Love & Pasta

: Pasta & Love / Love & Pasta

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This Is Not A Pretty Picture……….

Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

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This Is Not A Pretty Picture……….just a darn tasty and satisfying dish 🙂
Just as any other food blogger who is making big efforts to produce a popular food blog, I usually strive to present my food as “pretty” as possible (Food Porn anybody?)
But, today I was not interested in that at all. Instead, I was rather hoping that the essence of this meal shines through to my readers, by showing it as natural as possible, emphasizing it as the great comfort food it actually was. This meal was so tasty and satisfying, additional “fru fru” would just have distracted from its simplicity and down to earth flavors and textures.
So, without further ado, here it is –

“Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo”
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more about Yuca (Cassava)
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Click here for more about Mojo
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Click here for more Turkey Leg on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for instruction on how to prepare Collard Greens on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for instructions how to prepare Yuca In Mojo
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Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: saute julienne of 1/2 medium size onion in 2 oz whole butter until translucent, add smoked turkey leg, add 1 qt water, cover, simmer until meat is tender but NOT falling apart

: transfer meat to collard greens (see recipe-link on this page), simmer another 20 minutes

: add 1 cup of the stock from cooking the turkey to 3 lbs cooked yuca (see recipe-link on this page)

: add 4 oz whole butter and 1 tsp chili flakes, simmer until liquid has evaporated

: add the mojo ingredients, simmer another minute

: Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

: Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

: Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

: Smoked Turkey Leg With Collard Greens And Yuca In Mojo

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London Broil

While you can use just about any flat cut of beef to prepare London Broil, “Teres Major” (or Faux Tender) was what I had on hand today. It was perfect for the cooking method of London Broil – VERY slowly broiled on both sides until rare, then rested for another 15 minutes, lightly covered, during which time the carry-over heat took the meat to a beautiful, even medium. (Contrary to most folks, I like to cook the tougher cuts of meat a bit more than rare, somehow the texture appeals more to me.
On the other hand, cuts of meat which are more tender, are always served med-rare or rare at my house, unless I have guests who prefer otherwise.
(My guests always play the first fiddle) 🙂
Accompanied by sauteed potatoes and green asparagus, this was a wonderful, tasty and somewhat rugged meal greatly enjoyed by Bella and myself.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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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 2 lbs of beef of your choice with kosher salt to taste, broil under low heat on both sides to your preference of doneness, let rest for at least 15 minutes

: melt 3 oz whole butter, add the juice of half a lemon, 1/2 tblsp garlic paste, kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper to taste, keep at room temperature

: blanch, shock and drain 1 lb of green asparagus

: blanch, shock and drain 2 lb of potato slices

: saute potatoes in olive oil until golde, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: when potatoes are golden, discarg the oil, add the asparagus and 2 oz whole butter, saute until asparagus are heated through

: to serve, sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley

: slice the beef into 1/4 ” slices, top the potatoes/asparagus with the sliced meat, drizzle with the pepper-butter; serves 4

: London Broil

: London Broil

: London Broil

: London Broil

: London Broil

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Red Velvet Waffles (The Good Ones)

Good Red Velvet Waffles

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Ever since I bought a new waffle iron about a year ago, waffles have become one of my favorite “Quickies” (Get your mind out of the gutter) 🙂
I prep them usually about once a week, sweet or savory, with whatever I dream up that could go well with or within waffles. The one thing I stayed away from were red velvet waffles. Whenever I looked up a recipe, it contained red food coloring, usually about 2 tablespoons of the stuff for 2 cups of flour. Now I admit that I have used food coloring on occasions to enhance a color, but I abhor to use coloring as the only means to create color in food.
Of corse, the simple solution is to add red fruit puree for sweet waffles or red vegetable puree for savory waffles. This will give the waffles both flavor and color and eliminates the need for food coloring.
The results are beautiful waffles with a shiny, golden outside and a bright, pleasant and appetizing pink interior with full, satisfying fruit- and chocolate flavor.
And there you have it…….. “Good” Red Velvet Waffles 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Waffle Batter :
Ingredients :
1. 1/3 cup flour, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp sugar, salt to taste, 1/2 cup melted butter, 1 cup strawberry coulis, 1 tblsp chocolate powder, two egg yolks (whisk the two egg whites to stiff peaks)
Method :
Mix dry ingredients well, add strawberry coulis, egg yolks and melted butter, fold in whisked egg whites
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Good Red Velvet Waffles

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: clean 1 ea medium size pineapple and two pints of strawberries

: to the strawberries, add 3 tblsp organic honey

: puree the strawberry/honey to a smooth coulis, remove 1 cup, set aside, reserve the rest for the sauteed pineapples

: cut the pineapples into 1/2 ” cubes

: saute the pineapple cubes in 3 oz butter until lightly caramelized

: add the reserved strawberry coulis to the pineapples simmer until thickened

: simmer until thickenedand most of the liquid has evaporated and the color has become dark-orange

: prepare batter according to recipe on this page

: bake on medium heat until golden and cooked through; serve with the sauteed pineapples and fresh whipped heavy cream

: Good Red Velvet Waffles

: Good Red Velvet Waffles

: Good Red Velvet Waffles

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Salad Of Smoked Salmon, Avocado And Egg

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When I got up this morning, I had a big craving for egg salad. During the day, in my head, I kept adding ingredients to the egg salad until finally, when it was time to prepare early dinner, this yummy concoction materialized 🙂
Very simple and straightforward, yet a real delicious and pretty dish that can be enjoyed either as a salad with bread on the side or, as I did, on top of toasted bread as a sandwich that left nothing to be desired for Bella’s and my dinner.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Personally, I prefer Florida avocados over Haas avocados. Click here to read about the pros/contras of both 🙂
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Salad Of Smoked Salmon, Avocado And Egg

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: for the dressing, mix 2 tblsp mayo, 1 tblsp Thai hot sauce, 1 tblsp dijon mustard and kosher salt to taste

: mix the dressing with10 ea hard-boiled eggs, 1 ea diced Florida avocado, 8 oz diced smoked salmon, 1 ea diced mild chili pepper and 20 ea grape tomatoes

: check/adjust seasoning

: toast bread of your choice

: top bread with a generous helping of salad

: top the salad with additional smoked salmon and finely sliced onion rings (optional)

: Salad Of Smoked Salmon, Avocado And Egg

: Salad Of Smoked Salmon, Avocado And Egg

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Szegediner Gulasch (Székelykáposzta / Székelygulyás)

Szegediner Gulasch

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Szegediner Gulasch  ( Krautgulasch) is a pork goulash (gulasch) prepared with sauerkraut and sour cream. It probably originated in the Austrian/ Vienna cuisine. (Pork is not typically used for goulash in classic Hungarian cuisine).
The Austrian/German name Szegediner Gulasch is probably misleading since the Hungarian name for the (Austrian) dish does not connect to the city of Szeged, but rather to the Hungarian writer  József Székely, who wrote favorable about this Viennese dish.
In Vienna, Szegediner Gulasch is usually served with serviettenknoedel, potatoes or rustic bread.
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Szegediner Gulasch

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: for a small side-salat, dice 10 ea cherry tomatoes, 1 med size onion, 4 oz Austrian bergkaese, (Austrian mountain cheese) and 3 scallion stalks

: make a dressing of 1 tblsp raspberry vinegar, 2 tblsp walnut oil and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: add the dressing to the salad, mix well

: remove skin and bones from 1 ea pork butt

: cut meat and skin into large cubes

: saute 4 sliced large red onions in 2 tblsp pork fat until caramelized

: add 1 cup sweet paprika pwd, 1/2 tblsp chopped caraway seeds and 2 tblsp garlic paste

: add the meat, skin and bone, add 2 qt of water, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: simmer until meat is tender but NOT falling apart

: remove the bone (Bella’s Price)

: add 1 lb sauerkraut, simmer another 20 minutes

: remove gulash from heat, add 1 cup sour cream

: mix well, check/adjust seasoning

: add side of your choice to a serving plate (pasta, potatoes, dumplings, bread, etc), add goulash, top wit a dollop of sour cream, sprinkle with chopped parsley

: Szegediner Gulasch

: Szegediner Gulasch

: Szegediner Gulasch

: Szegediner Gulasch

: Szegediner Gulasch

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NOT !!! The Prettiest Dish Of The Day –

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– but without a doubt one of the tastiest dishes of the day 🙂
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Serrano-Ham And Brie-Cheese Bread

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Today I set out to prepare a pizza for dinner, the way I love it with very little cheese and just a bit of tomato. Then I came across this jamon serrano and brie cheese in my fridge and I thought, maybe a calzone? But I am not really a fan of the texture of a calzone, so I tried something new by mixing all the garnish into the dough before rolling it out. The result was THE BEST ….. whatever it was – Pizza? Bread? Pie? or whatever name one deems most appropriate (bread, probably?) for this sexy little thing.
At first, when I started to fold the garnish into the dough, it did not look and feel as if it would come together and I thought I just screwed it up – I should really have put it between two layers of dough (calzone style).
But after a bit of a push, it worked out just fine and although the final product would not win a beauty contest (this can easily be improved), the texture and taste were absolutely first-rate. Definitely a new standard in my ever-increasing repertoire of quirky dishes 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Lahmacun and Shrimp & Sardines Pie on ChefsOpinion
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Pizza Dough Recipe:

Ingredients :

A/P flour, 2 cups (plus more for kneading)
Water, 3/4 cup, warm
Active dry yeast, 1 envelope
Sugar, 1 teaspoon
Olive oil, 3 table spoon
Kosher salt,

Method :

Pour water into small bowl, mix into the yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil, knead until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth. Dust with flour as you work the dough. Transfer to prepared a bowl; turn dough in the bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with a moist towel. Let dough rise until doubled in volume.Punch down dough. Pull dough until desired thickness and shape is achieved. If this is too difficult, roll the dough with a rolling-pin. However, in my opinion, the pizza will turn out superior if the dough is pulled.
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Serrano-Ham And Brie-Cheese Bread

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: 1 lb pizza dough, 4 oz very finely sliced jamon serrano, fresh basil chiffonade, a handful of grape tomatoes, 10 oz diced brie cheese, 4 stalk sliced scallions, 1/2 tsp dried oregano

: mix all ingredients on a flour-dusted board until well incorporated

: roll dough into a oblong shape, as thick as you prefer, place on a hot, oiled rack

: brush generously with olive oil, bake at 430F until almost cooked through, about 12 minutes (depending on the thickness you chose), remove from oven

: brush with garlic paste, sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano and 3 stalks sliced scallions, return to 430F oven until cooked through, about 5 minutes; serve with greens in balsamic vinaigrette; serves ??? (up to you, Bella and I ate the whole thing in one sitting))

: Serrano-Ham And Brie-Cheese Bread

: Serrano-Ham And Brie-Cheese Bread

: Serrano-Ham And Brie-Cheese Bread

: Serrano-Ham And Brie-Cheese Bread

: Serrano-Ham And Brie-Cheese Bread

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Poor Man’s Crab Meat Risotto – Kani Kama Risotto

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Residing close to Hialeah means one can buy a lot of goodies by the roadside from “flying vendors”, who sell anything from the trunk of their cars, – electronics, Christmas decorations, clothes, steaks, flowers, fruit, churros, plants, mani, limes, and of course, “fresh seafood”.
I suspect that most of this stuff comes from a “fell off the truck supplier”, but who knows 🙂
My neighbor, Maribel, showed me some of the bargains she bought yesterday from a roadside seafood dealer and asked me if I can replicate one of her favorite dishes, crab meat risotto. Of course, I was happy to do this for her and her husband, as I do cook at least twice a month for them. I asked her to bring me the crab meat; I had the rest of the ingredients in my larder and fridge, so no problem. Well, to no surprise to me, the $10.00 pack of “crab meat” turned out to be Surimi (Kani Kama). To the seller’s credit, at least it was in good shape and smelled and felt very fresh when defrosted, so I explained to Maribel that I can make a seafood risotto for her and that it would be a great dish, although with a basic seafood taste instead of crabmeat taste. And so I did, using the surimi and clam juice for flavor, and the resulting risotto looked great, tasted great and, most important, it made my neighbors happy. (I assume the “crabmeat risotto” which they usually eat at their favorite restaurant in Hialeah is not exactly loaded with “real crabmeat” either 🙂
So there you have it – a wonderfully tasty and pretty dish for the price of a basic “fish and rice” meal. Mission accomplished! 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click her for more Risotto on ChefsOpinion
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Click her for more Seafood on ChefsOpinion
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Poor Man’s Crab Meat Risotto

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: rinse 1 lb kani kama in cold water, squeeze dry, saute in 2 tblsp butter until warm, reserve

: measure 2 cup arborio rice

: saute julienne of one medium size onion in 3 tblsp olive oil until translucent, add 1 tblsp garlic paste

: add the rice, saute until well covered in the oil

: add 1/4 of the kani kama, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: while continuously stirring, gradually add clam juice until the rice is almost done and most liquid has evaporated, add 4 oz whole butter and 1/4 cup heavy cream

: add 2/4 of the remaining kani kama and 2 tblsp sliced scallions, simmer until creamy, check/adjust seasoning

: divide the risotto into 4 serving plates, top with the remaining kani kama and some more sliced scallions; serves 4

: Poor Man’s Crab Meat Risotto

: Poor Man’s Crab Meat Risotto

: Poor Man’s Crab Meat Risotto

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Pozole

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Partial excerpts from Wikipedia:
“Pozole. Variants: pozolé, pozolli, pasole), which means “hominy”, is a traditional soup or stew from Mexico, which once had ritual significance. It is made from hominy, with meat (typically pork), and can be seasoned and garnished with shredded cabbage, chile peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa and/or limes.
It is a typical dish in various states such as Sinaloa, Michoacán, Guerrero, Zacatecas, Jalisco, Morelos, State of Mexico and Distrito Federal. Pozole is served in Mexican restaurants worldwide.
Pozole is frequently served as a celebratory dish throughout Mexico and by Mexican communities outside Mexico. Common occasions include Mexico Independence Day, quince años, weddings, birthdays, baptisms, and New Year’s Day.
Pozole can be prepared in many ways. All variations include a base of cooked hominy in broth. Typically pork, or sometimes chicken, is included in the base. Vegetarian recipes substitute beans for the meat.
Dried hominy can be used for pozole, but it must be soaked and cooked
The three main types of pozole are blanco/white, verde/green and rojo/red.
White Pozole is the preparation without any additional green or red sauce. Green Pozole adds a rich sauce based on green ingredients, possibly including tomatillos, epazote, cilantro, jalapeños, and/or pepitas. Red Pozole is made without the green sauce, instead adding a red sauce made from one or more chiles, such as guajillo, piquin, or ancho.
When pozole is served, it is accompanied by a wide variety of condiments, potentially including chopped onion, shredded lettuce, sliced radish, cabbage, avocado, limes, oregano, tostadas, chicharrónes, and/or chiles.
Pozole was mentioned in Fray Bernardino de Sahagún‘s General History of the Things of New Spain (c. 1500). Since maize was a sacred plant for the Aztecs and other inhabitants of Mesoamerica, pozole was made to be consumed on special occasions. The conjunction of maize (usually whole hominy kernels) and meat in a single dish is of particular interest to scholars, because the ancient Americans^(which?) believed the gods made humans out of masa (cornmeal dough).”
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According to research by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History) and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, on these special occasions, the meat used in the pozole was human. After the prisoners were killed by having their hearts torn out in a ritual sacrifice, the rest of the body was chopped and cooked with maize, and the resulting meal was shared among the whole community as an act of religious communion. After the Conquest, when cannibalism was banned, pork became the staple meat as it “tasted very similar” [to human flesh], according to a Spanish priest.“
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Pozole

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: cook a whole med size chicken with 4 scallion stalks, 1 large peeled onion, kosher salt o taste and one tsp dried oregano in 2 qt water until chicken is tender, remove chicken and set aside; there should be 1 qt stock remaining – check/adjust seasoning

: remove meat from carcasse, shred and divide into 4 soup bowls

: drain and rinse one 12 oz can of homini, add to the chicken

: according to your preference, add chopped tomatoes, sliced avocados, sliced chilies, shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro and chopped fresh oregano to the bowls, (or any other condiment mentioned in the intro), top with the chicken broth, serve with fresh lime