Black Pepper

Sandwich Cubano

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Many years ago, in the seventies and early eighties, whenever I was spending time in Florida, partying about town nightly in Fort Lauderdale (home port for RVL) and Miami (home port for RCCL), the “Cubano” was a welcome midnight snack, when, many a night, its substantial mass and rustic deliciousness saved me and my friends from drowning in too many “Cuba Libres” and “Cervezas” 😦 🙂
The “Cubano” and its close cousin, the “Media Noche“, were omnipresent from morning until the wee-hours in small restaurants, food trucks and “Cantinas”, whereas nowadays it has been widely and sadly replaced by burgers and hot dogs and you can only find good “Cubanos” in local chains like “La Carreta” and a few remaining traditional Cuban restaurants and neighborhood dives.
Here now my tribute to this wonderful, simple, original sandwich.
“The Sandwich Cubano” – old-fashioned comfort food at its finest !
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you don’t have a sandwich press, griddle or cast iron pan, wrap two bricks in alu-foil, preheat in oven at 500F, place sandwich between the bricks and bake in oven until golden and crisp, about 15 min.
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Click here for Chicharones
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Click here for Media Noche Sandwich
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Click here for all about Sandwich Cubano
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Sandwich Cubano

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Preparation :
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: pork butt (pork shoulder)

: remove skin from pork but, use for chicharones

: season pork with kosher salt, fresh-ground peppercorn and granulated garlic

: put in baking dish or cast iron pan, add some water, cook at 375F for 3 hours

: 🙂

: 🙂

: 🙂

: fresh cuban bread

: cut into 2 pieces, cut open

: smear both sides with mustard, add a generous portion of sliced pork

: add sliced pickles

: add cooked ham

: add swiss cheese

: cover

: butter both sides lightly,place on sandwich press, griddle or cast iron pan

: cover with another heated cast iron pan

: cook until crisp on the outside and hot on the inside

: serve by itself, with fries, a small salad or (my preference) with a side of pineapple or mango

: Sandwich Cubano

: Sandwich Cubano

: Sandwich Cubano

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Romaine, Octopus And Bean Salad

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Trying to end 2015 on a healthy note :-).
Well, BS, I just don’t feel like cooking today 😦
Anyway, I could eat this salad for no reason any day, anytime, anywhere…….
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Bon Appetit ! Happy 2016 !
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Romaine, Octopus And Bean Salad

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Preparation :
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: grape tomatoes, scallions, julienned peppers, julienned red onions, cooked beans

: saute garlic paste in olive oil until fragrant

: add cooked diced octopus

: add vegetables, saute 2 minutes, season with salt, fresh oregano and freshly ground black pepper

: remove to bowl, add lemon juice, check/adjust seasoning, let cool to room-temperature

: just a picture of a pretty salad bowl 🙂

: cover serving dish with romaine

: add octopus salad, drizzle dressing from octopus salad all over romaine leaves, sprinkle with honey roasted corn kernels for crunch and additional flavor

: Romaine, Octopus And Bean Salad

: Romaine, Octopus And Bean Salad

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How To Turn Radiators Into A Delicious Dish…….

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“Radiatore with Salame and Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Garlic-Confit Cream”
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Pasta, garlic, cream and other “stuff” 🙂 – always quick and easy to prepare, yet very rewarding with big flavors and a lovely texture.
This is the kind of food I prepare when I “don’t feel like cooking”. After all, the whole preparation takes only a few minutes and is easy enough to be handled by a novice in the kitchen, all one needs is a few good ingredients and a passion for food, the rest will fall into place all by itself 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Radiatore with Salame and Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Garlic-Confit Cream

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Preparation :
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: saute garlic in olive oil until just starting to change color

: add salame julienne and onion julienne, saute until onions are translucent

: add julienned sun-dried tomatoes and heavy cream, season with kosher salt and fresh-grated black pepper

: simmer until cream starts to thicken, remove from heat, add grated parmesan, check / adjust seasoning

: add fresh cooked radiatori with a bit of the cooking water, mix well

: plate on serving dish, sprinkle with freshly shredded parmesan

: Radiatore with Salame and Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Garlic-Confit Cream

: Radiatore with Salame and Sun-Dried Tomatoes in Garlic-Confit Cream

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Shrimp And Vegetable Salad With Cheese/Garlic Bread

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Last night proved to be one of these dreary nights when I am not able to sleep, so at 5.00 am I decided to give it up, get up and start the day. I had my usual breakfast of two bananas and a glass of ice-cold, reduced fat milk, which usually carries me for a few hours until the early afternoon or even early evening. Not so today. At 10.30 am I decided I needed something a bit more substantial, which lead me to prepare this great concoction. Because of the delicious but very filling large amount of garlic/cheese bread I devoured, I’ll be fine for the rest of the day and will probably just have a few fruits for dinner 🙂 😦
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Shrimp And Vegetable Salad With Cheese/Garlic Bread

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Preparation :
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: spread a generous amount of garlic-confit paste on sour dough bread (or your favorite bread)

: sprinkle with finely grated parmesan and fresh ground black pepper, bake at 375F until golden

: Cheese&Garlic Bread

: sprinkle radish, cucumber, tomato and peppers with kosher salt, let rest for 10 minutes, discard excess liquid

: mix vegetables with ranch dressing

: marinade shrimp with lime juice, finely chopped chilies, kosher salt, olive oil and chopped cilantro

: drizzle some of the shrimp marinade over iceberg leaves

: top with veggie salad

: top veggie salad with shrimp

: Shrimp And Vegetable Salad With Cheese/Garlic Bread

: Shrimp And Vegetable Salad With Cheese/Garlic Bread

: Shrimp And Vegetable Salad With Cheese/Garlic Bread

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Meat And Potatoes

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Many a person declares them self to be a “Meat and Potato Person“, meaning no fancy concoction, just the basics without a fuss.
After looking at these pictures, most of us will probably concur, at least some of the time 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Umph !

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Meat And Potatoes

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Preparation :
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: simmer potatoes in saltwater until tender but still firm, drain

: peel potatoes

: put potatoes through a ricer

: bring cream, butter and garlic paste to a simmer

: remove from heat, add potatoes, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, mix well

: put potato puree on serving plate

: meantime, season steak of your choice with kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, cook to the doneness you prefer, remove steak, set aside to rest in a warm place

: in same pan, add mushrooms, saute until lightly browned

: add tomatoes ans scallions, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, saute until heated

: top potato puree with the sauteed veggies

: arrange sliced steak on top of veggies and puree

: Meat And Potatoes

: Meat And Potatoes

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Bucatini alle Acciughe

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You could go to the extra length of using fresh anchovies and home made pasta for this dish, but I can assure you that even if you don’t and you decide to use canned anchovies and dried pasta, you will still have a wonderful meal, provided you source the best quality of anchovies and pasta and prepare the dish with the love it deserves 🙂
Your reward will be a dish that is quick and easy to prepare, very light on the wallet and at the same time a culinary giant far beyond the sum of it’s ingredients !
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Bucatini alle Acciughe

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Preparation :
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: cook 1/2 lb bucatini al dente, strain

: meanwhile, saute 1/4 cup of panko bread crumbs in 4 oz butter until golden, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and garlic paste

: schmelze…..

: chop 6 med size anchovies, reserve 4 whole ones for garnish

: saute anchovies in olive oil with equal amount of garlic paste until fragrant and anchovies disintegrated

: season with cayenne pepper

: add bucatini, mix well. check / adjust seasoning

: add schmelze and chopped italian parsley

: to serve, top with whole anchovies, fresh ground black pepper corn, more chopped parsley and a sprig of fresh basil

: Bucatini alle Acciughe

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Jerk Chicken-Stuffed Matzo Ball Soup

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My love for matzo ball (Knaidlach) soup should surprise no one at this point, since I have posted quite a few different post’s with this marvel of traditional comfort food at Chefsopinion.
As for Jerk Chicken – WHO doesn’t love that ??!
Now, I have to confess that the chicken I used here was not a real jerk chicken, but rather diced chicken leg seasoned with jerk-seasoning and then sautéed. However, this “jerk chicken”served its purpose as a filling for the matzo balls perfectly, so I will not nit-pick about it 🙂
Both Bella and I were enamored with this soup and will no doubt have it again and again 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Matzo Ball Recipe
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More Jerk Chicken on ChefsOpinion
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More Matzo Balls on ChefsOpinion
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More Chicken Soup on ChefsOpinion
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Jerk Chicken-Stuffed Matzo Ball Soup

Jerk Chicken-Stuffed Matzo Ball Soup

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: chicken tights

: remove bones, dice meat and skin into small pieces

: add large diced onions, season liberally with jerk seasoning

: fry in vegetable oil until cooked just through but still juicy

: done…

: see link above for matzo ball recipe

: form matzo into balls

: flatten into disc

: add chicken filling

: cover filling completely with matzo, shape into ball again

: simmer in lightly salted water until cooked through and trippled in size, about 40 minutes

: almost……

: serve matzo ball in chicken soup, sprinkle with finely sliced scallion or chopped parsley

: Jerk Chicken-Stuffed Matzo Ball Soup

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Salmon & Grits In Garlic/Lime Butter

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I prepare grits quite often, usually buttery cheese grits, which are so rich, so good and so bad for you-if you eat large portions (which I tend to do) 😦 .
Lately I use mostly instant grits and I am happy with the results, as long as I add enough butter (and enough grated cheese when preparing cheese grits). For me, the extra cooking time to use non-instant just does not justify the small difference in texture and taste. But today I made plain grits without cheese, just seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper and a sinful amount of unsalted butter. I also made the grits a bit more dry than usual, since there was added fat and moisture from the garlic/lime butter which I spooned over the sauteed salmon and grits at plating time. The salad dressed in yogurt gave a pleasant tang and additional texture to the dish.
While sauteing the salmon I was looking forward to the crispy skin, but Bella loves the skin even more than I do so I let her have it (along with half the salmon) 🙂
All around, a very delicious lunch, easy to prepare and full of flavor and different textures.
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Bon Appetit ! Live is Good !
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All about Grits
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More Grits on ChefsOpinion
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Watch my friend Mark Dowling prepare “Instant Cheese Grits”
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P.S.
Notice in the pictures of the broken up salmon below how very juicy the fish is, even when cooked well done. Well done fish is never dry when properly cooked to the right temperature. Unfortunately, this is not taught anymore to our young “Chefs”, most of whom think that all fish has to be served raw in order to not be dry (Don’t even get me started on parasites…..)
But if you insist on eating raw and/or under-cooked fish, you might want to read this : About fish diseases and parasites

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Salmon & Grits In Garlic/Lime Butter

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: season salmon fillets with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, dust in flour

: saute in clarified butter until med/well, remove from pan, let rest a few minutes

: add garlic confit paste, saute until fragrant, add juice from one lime

: plate the grits

: add the salmon, skin side up

: ladle the garlic/lime butter over both the salmon and the grits, top with finely sliced iceberg and red onion, dressed with Greek yogurt, cayenne, kosher salt and lime juice

: Salmon & Grits In Garlic/Lime Butter

: Salmon & Grits In Garlic/Lime Butter

: Salmon & Grits In Garlic/Lime Butter

: Salmon & Grits In Garlic/Lime Butter

: Crispy Salmon Skin

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Chicken Fried Steak

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The great thing about CFS is that one can utilize an economical (cheap, in plain English) cut of beef, such as top round or cube steak and still get excellent results. However, I happened to have some leftover raw strip loin left from yesterday’s dinner, which I sliced thin, then pounded it even thinner for this CFS.
Usually the traditional side dish would be mashed potatoes, but I am trying to cut down on my starch intake, so I felt the flour from the breading and the “Gravy” was enough of that for the day.
(The rendered fat from the chorizo and the chicken fat made this southern style gravy even tastier than it’s usual version made with bacon fat)
American comfort food at it’s finest ! (Just don’t tell your cardiologist) 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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All about Chicken Fried Steak
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All about Gravy
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Chicken Fried Steak

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Preparation :
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: pound your choice of beef steak to 1/4″ thick, season with salt and cayenne pepper

: mix whole eggs with buttermilk (or substitute with yogurt)

: season flour with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, dip steak into it and shake off excess flour

: dip steak into egg/dairy mixture

: dip steak into flour again

: cook in clarified butter

: cook until golden on both sides and steaks have done-ness you desire

: remove steaks to absorbent paper

: add a spoonful of flour to the pan with the clarified butter, saute one minute until flour is “blond” in color

: add milk, chopped thyme leaves, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to the roux, whisk well to avoid lumps, simmer for five minutes, gravy should cover the back of a spoon, check / adjust seasoning

: while gravy simmers, saute diced chorizo, sliced onions and garlic paste in chicken or duck fat

: saute until onions are translucent

: add sliced white cabbage, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, add a cup of chicken stock, cover, simmer until cabbage is heated through but still crisp

: check / adjust seasoning

: plate the cabbage

: top with steaks and gravy

: Chicken Fried Steak

: Chicken Fried Steak

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Fresh Corn And Arugula Salad With Chorizo

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sauteed fresh corn with garlic paste and cracked black pepper

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When I sautéed the corn in preparation for this salad, I could hardly resist to eat the corn just of the cob, it smelled and looked so appetizing. But alas, I was able to resist and finish the salad first, then enjoyed the whole concoction together.
Great salad, great lunch 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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