beautiful food

Bone-In Rib Eye, Naan With Gorgonzola, Tomato & Walnut

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This  morning at work Gene and I were talking about steaks and how great a good steak would be for lunch. Well, don’t just talk about it, do it ! S0 I went to the market and bought two great bone-in rib eyes, 80 oz in total weight. After work, straight home and put these babies on the heat, seasoned with sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Got fancy with the naan too. Instead of doing the more traditional thing and putting the gorgonzola on the steak, I put it together with walnuts, grape tomatoes, scallions and lot’s of black pepper , then baked them in the oven for about five minutes. This would have been a great meal just by itself, but together with the meat and all the juices the bread soaked up – unbeatable 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Shell-Less Apple & Pear “Pie”

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I had  some apples and pears lying around and frozen puff pastry in the freezer.
So, how about this quick and easy dessert or snack, served with crème chantilly or vanilla ice cream (or both)  🙂
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Hollow out the apples so that there is a shell of about 1/3rd ” thickness.  Saute the peeled, diced pears in butter, add sugar and let lightly caramelize. Flambe with cognac and add a dash of  vanilla. Brush outside of apples with egg wash (so that puff pastry adheres). Fill pears into hollow apples, cover with puff pastry lattice, brush with egg wash and bake at 375 F. Bake until apples are soft but not falling apart.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Shell-Less Apple & Pear

Shell-Less Apple & Pear “Pie”

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Gnocchi, Prosciutto, Asparagus & Parmigiano Reggiano

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“Pretty”  is not usually the first thing that comes to my mind as far as food is concerned.
But looking at this dish, the thoughts were first : Pretty ! Then : Let’s eat right NOW !
Usually we saute the prosciutto lightly but in this case, it was so thinly sliced and delicate,
just adding it to the top of the dish seemed the right thing to do.
And yes, I just preferred the texture and taste this way. Good Stuff 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !

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Gnocchi Recipe Here
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Gnocchi, Prosciutto, Asparagus & Parmigiano Reggiano

Gnocchi, Prosciutto, Asparagus & Parmigiano Reggiano

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Ingredient’s :

Gnocchi,   cooked, reserve some of the cooking liquid
Asparagus,   blanched
Prosciutto,   VERY finely sliced
Parmigiano Reggiano,   finely grated
Parmigiano Reggiano,   finely sliced
Grape tomatoes,
Garlic paste,
Olive oil,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,

Method :

Saute gnocchi, asparagus and tomatoes in olive oil, season with salt and pepper. Add grated cheese and a bit of the gnocchi cooking liquid and toss until everything is lightly coated. To serve, top with prosciutto and very finely sliced cheese (use potato peeler to slice cheese).

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Pot Au Feu

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My  butcher had these beautiful, fleshy beef neck bones which begged me to take them home and transform into a tasty dish. Since I had some nice baby carrots and beans in the fridge, what else then a rich “pot au feu” with pasta.
As usual, simple is best 🙂
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Pot Au Feu

Pot Au Feu

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Pot Au Feu

Pot Au Feu

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Ingredient’s :

Beef neck bones,
Penne rigate
Baby carrots,
Baby beans,
Onion,   large dice
Bell pepper,   large dice
Cilantro,   finely chopped
Garlic,   paste
Ginger,   grated
Cayenne pepper,
Kosher salt,
Maggi seasoning,

Method :

Cover neck bones with cold water, add salt, pepper, garlic and ginger  and slowly bring to a simmer, skimming of all scum and most fat which surfaces.
Meanwhile, blanch and shock all vegetables. Cook pasta until al dente, drain. When beef is very tender but not falling of the bone, add vegetables to heat through. Adjust seasoning if necessary.
To serve, place pasta in bottom of serving dish, ladle pot au feu on top and sprinkle with cilantro.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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“Schweine Braten” (Roast Pork Butt)

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Yesterday  morning at 7.00am I put this beautiful hunk of meat in the oven at 325 F for 6 hours. (Seasoned with kosher salt, sriracha, granulated garlic, cumin seeds an caraway seeds).
I had the first portion for lunch with the red wine jus and bread dumplings. Wonderful.
Then in the evening I made the rest into a sandwich on sourdough bread with a bit of jus to moisten the bread and freshly grated horseradish with lemon juice to give it a bit of a kick 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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"Schweine Braten" (Roast Pork Butt)

“Schweine Braten” (Roast Pork Butt)

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The Spiced Wodka Sangria “Cure” – ( It’s Raining Cats & Dogs / Está Lloviendo Gatos Y Perros )

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It has been raining practically the whole day.
A perfect day for movies, reading, napping and a bit of liquid sunshine :
Spiced wodka sangria with berries and scotch bonnet chilies.
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Raining Cats & Dogs

Raining Cats & Dogs

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Spiced Wodka Sangria

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Spiced Wodka Sangria

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Spiced Wodka Sangria

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Ingredients :

3 parts wodka, 3 parts dry white wine, 3 parts champagne, sliced limes, assorted berries, pricked scotch bonnet chilies.

Method :

Mix all ingredients except the champagne and let steep and chill for at least 3 hours,
preferably overnight. Just before serving, add champagne to glasses and top off with sangria.

Cheers !   Life is Good !
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“Spicy Chicken Fajitas”

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Spicy  chicken fajas,
with tortillas, guacamole, vinaigrette dressed lettuce, sour cream and salsa mexicana. A couple of negra modelo beers. What other meal on a rainy Friday night at home ?
This was most enjoyable to eat and quick to prepare.

Viva Mexico ! 🙂
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Guacamole Recipe Here

"Spicy Chicken Fajas"

“Spicy Chicken Fajas”

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Ingredients :

Chicken,   legs and tights, deboned, sliced,
Onions,   sliced
Scallions,   sliced
Garlic,   paste
Guajillo pepper,   ground
Cayenne pepper,   (lot’s of it)
Cumin,   ground
Chili powder,
Kosher salt,
Lard,   to saute ( Substitute with other fat if preferred )


Method :

Saute chicken until golden brown, add onions, scallions, garlic paste and seasoning, saute until fragrant. Serving suggestion: See pictures.

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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Tonkatsu & Dipping Sauce

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Tonkatsu !  Sounds exotic and foreign ?
Rightfully so. However, tonkatsu is a common japanese dish, usually served with shredded cabbage and a worcester based dipping sauce. But, if you take the japanese name and replace it with the english name, what you get is ” breaded pork cutlet”.
In this version I have used a pork chop instead of pork cutlets and have omitted the shredded cabbage. Anyway, I usually prefer vinaigrette dressed shredded iceberg lettuce instead of the cabbage. I also use my own modified tonkatsu sauce recipe which I prefer to any store bought version.
But, can you still call it Tonkatsu ?  You be the judge 🙂
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Tonkatsu & Dipping Sauce

Tonkatsu & Dipping Sauce

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Tonkatsu :

Season the pork chops with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and lemon juice. Bread with flour, egg and panko bread crumbs. Saute in peanut oil until golden and cooked through, but not dry. Remove to absorbent paper and pat dry. Let rest for five minutes before cutting into wide strips. Serve with dipping sauce and lemon wedges. Enjoy !

Tonkatsu sauce  (my way) :

Mix 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tblsp white wine (or sherry), 1 tsp sriracha and a few drops of maggi seasoning.

Note :

I love this dipping sauce and use it for lot’s of other fried, grilled and sauted dishes.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Seafood Pizza & Salsa Mexicana

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I just  loved this pizza my friend Leo and I had last night.
According to Leo, the best pizza he ever had.
(Unfortunately, he is not exactly a food expert, so the verdict is still out 🙂 )

Pizza Dough Recipe Here

Toppings : Mascarpone cheese, squid, crab meat, scallions, chili flakes,
dried oregano, asiago cheese finely grated, garlic paste,  salsa mexicana.

Note : Add the salsa and scallions after cooking, just before serving.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good ! >
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Seafood Pizza & Salsa Mexicana

Seafood Pizza & Salsa Mexicana

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Lunch At The China Pavillion

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One  should think that living in a city like Miami will offer the opportunity for endless good food. Unfortunately, this is far from the truth. Good restaurants are hard to come by around here, especially on a down to earth budget. ( Say $50 Per person for lunch, food only). While some  (few) great restaurants and a bunch of acceptable joints do exist, sadly, most folks around here still think seared mahi mahi with mango salsa or a breaded fish sandwich with coleslaw and fries is on the forefront of culinary innovation. Therefore, I usually stick to the handful of great ethnic restaurants I have grown to love and enjoy over the years. I know where to find great portuguese, italian, korean, vietnamese, russian and chinese food.
Last sunday I went to my favorite dim sum place, “China Pavillion ” in Pembroke Pines.
On weekends during lunch time the place is frequented by mostly chinese customers, which is usually an indicator of authentic food. Maria and I have been going there for many years, sometimes three times a week. The decor is your standard crappy shabbiness and most of the waitresses would not win awards for friendliness. But here is where “the bad” ends.
The food is extremely reasonable and very good, the service usually is fast and efficient. All in all a great lunch experience when the craving for authentic dim sum at a reasonable price level wins out on your lunch choice. I usually order ten to twelve portions for me, but that will then be my only meal for the day.
Great place to meat with friends and share the menu up and down again until somebody finally moans “enough” 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Steamed Honey Comb Tripe , Ginger, Scallions

Steamed Honey Comb Tripe , Ginger, Scallions

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Braised Veal Ribs, Fermented Black Beans

Braised Veal Ribs, Fermented Black Beans

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Fried Crab Balls

Fried Crab Balls

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Steamed Crab Dumplings

Steamed Crab Dumplings

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Roast Pork "Paste"

Roast Pork “Paste”

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Steamed Buns With BBQ'd Pork

Steamed Buns With BBQ’d Pork

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Steamed Buns With BBQ’d Pork

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