butter

Pierogi With Onions, Salami And Peas

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You  might wonder how pepper jack cheese has found its way into this otherwise more tame, traditional Polish dish.
Usually, “Quark ” (Farmers Cheese) is the cheese of choice for pierogies, but I like the added heat the pepper jack gives to my version. But of course, you can either use any cheese of your choice (try brie!) or even omit the cheese and double the amount of onions in the filling. – Decisions, decisions ……. 🙂
As for the garnish, again you can use your favorite ingredients and let your fantasy be your guide. You might want to try mushrooms, shrimp, any kind of vegetables, dried fruits, etc.
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Link to more info on Pierogies

Link to ” Pepper Lack Suffed Pierogies, Corn, Radish & Peas 

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Pierogi With Onions, Salami And Peas

Pierogi With Onions, Salami And Peas

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Preparation :
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To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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Below find my own pierogi recipe :
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Ingredients :

         Method :

Saute onion in butter until translucent.
Stir into the mashed potatoes, add grated cheese and yoghurt,
season with salt and cayenne pepper, mix well.To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture,
mix well and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth.
Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut into 3 inch rounds using a cutter or drinking glass.Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round.
Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal.
Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and filling.Cook in boiling saltwater until dough is done, about 4 to 5 minutes,
depending on the thickest part of the dough. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain.

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Scallops & Shrimp In Herb and Garlic Butter, With Penne Rigate And Pangrattato

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Pangrattato  you ask ? Don’ t worry, we are just talking about sautéed breadcrumbs here, nothing complicated, but oh so good.
Most cuisines which use pasta also use pangrattato in one form or another : bread crumbs sautéed in butter, in olive oil, in schmalz or just dry toasted, seasoned with anything from salt and pepper to garlic, herbs cheese, nutmeg or whatever else is traditional in your area of the woods or whatever tickles your fancy. The main task for the bread crumbs is to add texture to your pasta. And if you can add flavor on top of that, so much the better.
Sometimes, all I want for a great meal is just perfectly cooked pasta with lot’s of tasty pangrattato and a bit of grated cheese on top. Perfection for pasta lovers, right there. But today, I made a dish with even more pizzazz by adding sautéed shrimp and scallops in herb butter to an already sexy dish. Aaahhhh,  Life is Good 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Long Live Good Food !
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Scallops & Shrimp In Herb and Garlic Butter, With Penne Rigate And Pangrattato

Scallops & Shrimp In Herb and Garlic Butter, With Penne Rigate And Pangrattato

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Scallops & Shrimp In Herb and Garlic Butter, With Penne Rigate And Pangrattato

Scallops & Shrimp In Herb and Garlic Butter, With Penne Rigate And Pangrattato

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Penne Rigate With Pangrattato

Penne Rigate With Pangrattato

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Preparation :
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saute chili flakes in butter

saute chili flakes in butter

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add panko bread crumbs, kosher salt, garlic paste

add panko bread crumbs, kosher salt, garlic paste

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saute until golden, keep warm

saute until golden, keep warm

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melt garlic/herb butter

melt garlic/herb butter

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add scallops and shrimmp, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, add white wine and lime juice, check / adjust seasoning

add scallops and shrimmp, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, add white wine and lime juice, check / adjust seasoning

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plate freshly cooked, al dente penne rigate

plate freshly cooked, al dente penne rigate

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top pasta with a generous amount of pangrattato

top pasta with a generous amount of pangrattato

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top with seafood, sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley

top with seafood, sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley

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Scallops & Shrimp In Herb and Garlic Butter, With Penne Rigate And Pangrattato

Scallops & Shrimp In Herb and Garlic Butter, With Penne Rigate And Pangrattato

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Hickory Smoked, Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

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Here  we have another dish which exemplifies home cooking at it’s most simple, most tasty, most satisfying goodness.
It goes to show that you don’t have to be rich or a professional chef in order to serve excellent food. Creativity and good, simple  ingredients will get you pretty far.
While I love my lobster, caviar and foie gras, food made with  simple ingredients  should, in my opinion, alternate with the high-end stuff which most of us could not afford on a daily basis anyway. But even back in the day’s when I ran five star operations and could have had “the good stuff” for breakfast, lunch and dinner, I always liked to mix it up with some home style cooked dishes. After all, the beauty of good food lies, among other things,  in variation.
Well, there you have it : Another  ChefsOpinion 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !

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Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

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Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

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Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

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Preparation :
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mix 1/3 corn starch, 1/3 ap flour, 1/3 panko bread crumbs, season with cayenne pepper, english mustard powder and granulated garlic

mix 1/3 corn starch, 1/3 ap flour, 1/3 panko bread crumbs, season with cayenne pepper, english mustard powder and granulated garlic

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dip ham steak on both sides into flour mixture, saute in butter until golden, remove ham and set aside, fry sunny side up eggs in same butter, season eggs with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

dip ham steak on both sides into flour mixture, saute in butter until golden, remove ham and set aside, fry sunny side up eggs in same butter, season eggs with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

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almost......

almost……

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saute onions in butter until lightly caramelized, add garlic confit paste

saute onions in butter until lightly caramelized, add garlic confit paste

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add cabbage and peppers, saute until cabbage starts to wilt

add cabbage and peppers, saute until cabbage starts to wilt

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add demi glace and grape tomatoes, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for one minute, check / adjust seasoning

add demi glace and grape tomatoes, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for one minute, check / adjust seasoning

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plate cabbage on serving dish

plate cabbage on serving dish

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top with ham steak

top with ham steak

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top with fried eggs, serve with horseradish mashed potatoes or a good rustic bread to soak up the sauce and juices

top with fried eggs, serve with horseradish mashed potatoes or a good rustic bread to soak up the sauce, egg yolks and juices

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Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

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Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

Hickory Smoked Panko Crusted Bone-In Ham Steak

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Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa/Tomato Sauce, With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

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Last  month my friend Curtis introduced me to a store which I have been missing all my cooking  life. It’s the “Foodtown Supermarket” in Davie, corner sterling/dairy rd extension. Here I can find EVERYTHING my culinary cravings will ever desire as far as Asian and Latino food ingredients are concerned. EVERYTHING !!! 🙂  – Live frogs, live crabs, live shrimps, fresh fish heads, intestines, you get the idea.
(You can check it out online by clicking this link, especially read the comments) 🙂
Although Merguez sausage is neither Asian nor Latino, Foodtown has a great quality one on offer, as well as a small selection of  other African/Mediterranean items.
So yesterday after work I stopped by there for a few goodies and amongst other stuff I got merguez sausage, harissa and pearl pasta (Piombi)
So here is what I had for lunch today :

Click here for more on  MERGUEZ SAUSAGE

Click here for more on LAMB MEAT BALLS

Click here for more on HARISSA
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B
on Appetit !   Life is Good !

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Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa / Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa / Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

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Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa / Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa / Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

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Preparation :
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cook pearl pasta in salted water, strain, reserve some of the cooking liquid in case you need to thinnen the sauce

cook pearl pasta in salted water, strain, reserve some of the cooking liquid in case you need to thinnen the sauce

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cut mild chilies, onion and blanched carrots into triangels

cut mild chilies, onion and blanched carrots into triangles

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saute carrots and onions in a generous amount of herb / garlic butter and olive oil until starting to caramelize

saute carrots and onions in a generous amount of herb / garlic butter and olive oil until starting to caramelize

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add chilies and sliced scallions

add chilies and sliced scallions

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add pearl pasta, mix well, check / adjust seasoning

add pearl pasta, kosher salt and cayenne pepper, mix well, check / adjust seasoning

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remove merguez sausage from casing, form into small balls, saute in olive oil until medium, add 1/3 of harissa and 2/3 of tomato sauce. If too thick, add some of the pasta liquid, simmer for one minute, check / adjust seasoning

remove merguez sausage from casing, form into small balls, saute in olive oil until medium, add 1/3 of harissa and 2/3 of tomato sauce. If too thick, add some of the pasta liquid, simmer for one minute, check / adjust seasoning

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plate pasta, leaving a well in the center

plate pasta, leaving a well in the center

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add lamb meatballs and harissa / tomato sauce

add lamb meatballs and harissa / tomato sauce

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sprinkle with finely crumbled feta cheese and sliced scallions

sprinkle with finely crumbled feta cheese and sliced scallions

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Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa / Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

Lamb Meat Balls In Harissa / Tomato Sauce With Garlicky Pearl Pasta And Feta Cheese

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Sautéed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter



This  evening  I tried a new type of fish which I never had before:  Swai .
When I first saw the fish being sold for $ 4.00 a pound I was naturally very sceptical and went on a bit of research online. Much to my surprise, this seems to be a good choice, healthy and recommended by  fish authorities.
So, with my suspicion nullified I went on to prepare the fish this evening and I must say, it was excellent. Sweet, flaky, white flesh, great taste 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !

Sauted Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

Sauted Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

Sauted Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

Sauteed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter



Preparation :

season fish with sea salt and cayenne pepper, dredge in a mixture of half corn starch, half panko bread crumbs

season fish with sea salt and cayenne pepper, dredge in a mixture of half corn starch, half panko bread crumbs

saute filets in butter until golden on both sides and cooked through, reove from pan, reserve, keep butter on heat until starting to foam and brown

saute filets in butter until golden on both sides and cooked through, remove from pan, reserve, keep butter on heat until starting to foam and brown

meanwhile, saute cooked ptatoes in garlic oil until golden, add diced peppers, saute another minute

meanwhile, saute cooked potatoes in garlic oil until golden, add diced peppers, saute another minute

add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper

add tomatoes, season with salt and pepper

transfer potatoes to serving dish

transfer potatoes to serving dish

top with fish

top potatoes with fish filets

top fish filets with peeled, sliced lemon

top fish filets with peeled, sliced lemon

add capers to hot brown butter, saute for a few seconds

add capers to hot brown butter, saute for a few seconds

top lemon slices with chopped italian parsley, top wit brown caper butter

top lemon slices with chopped italian parsley, top wit brown caper butter

Sauteed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

sautéed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

Sauteed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

sautéed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

Sauteed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

sautéed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

Sauteed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter

sautéed Swai Filet In Brown Caper Butter



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Breakfast Of Champions # 36 – Naanwich

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A great  way to start a relaxing saturday at home with a couple of good movies, some good reading and lots of great food is to have a hearty breakfast of bubbly and a wonderful sandwich.
Here is what I fancied for a late breakfast by the lake this morning (besides a glass of veuveclicquot):

Naan with eggs, spicy chorizo, shrimp, chilies and arugula. Life is Good !

Bon Appetit & Cheers !   Have A Great Weekend !

 

Naanwitch

Naanwich

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cook until eggs have set to the texture of your liking

cook until eggs have set to the texture of your liking

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Preparation :
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bake naan until golden, brush with butter and sprinkle with sea salt

bake naan until golden, brush with butter and sprinkle with sea salt

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saute diced chorizo in plenty of butter

saute diced chorizo in plenty of butter


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whisk whole eggs with chili sauce, sea salt and garlic paste

whisk whole eggs with chili sauce, sea salt and garlic paste

 

add to chorizo, add finely sliced chilies and butterflied cooked shrimp

add to chorizo, add finely sliced chilies and butterflied cooked shrimp

cook until eggs have set to the texture of your liking

cook until eggs have set to the texture of your liking


Naan

Naan


 

top naan with eggs, top eggs with arugula in lime vinaigrette

top naan with eggs, top eggs with arugula in lime vinaigrette

Naanwitch

Naanwich

Naanwitch

Naanwich



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Sauteed Veal Breast

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I hate  to use the moniker “deconstructed” when it comes to food.
Specifically,  in order to de-construct something, wouldn’t you have to construct it first?
(Another term I hate is to  “de-nature”  food. I just hate these stilted monikers 😦
However, If I would use the term deconstructed, last nights dinner would qualify for the term.
For years I have been longing for “Gefüllte Kalbsbrust”, or stuffed veal breast. This is a common dish in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. You take the whole veal,breast, cut a pocket from end to end, then stuff  it with bread stuffing similar to what you use for bread knödel or servietten knödel ( bread or napkin dumplings). Some folks use ground meat stuffing – but please – dont.  😦
I was craving this dish for years but the problem was multy faceted: Not the right veal available around here and the price for the proper veal prohibitive. What”s more, what will I do with a whole veal breast? I do eat a lot, but…….
So, When I went to my butcher on Friday, much to my surprise he had thick-sliced Canadian milk veal available, for the astounding price of $ 2.49 a pound. Obviously I was not able to make a “Gefüllte Kalbsbrust” with sliced veal breast, but I could prepare the second best thing – combine all the traditional ingredients into one dish 🙂
So there I went:
Veal breast, sour dough bread (the stuffing part), mushroom sauce and a red beet salad. What a wonderful meal, almost like the real thing.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !

 

The Real Deal:   Gefüllte Kalbsbrust Source - SZ-Magazin.de

Gefüllte Kalbsbrust
Source – SZ-Magazin.de


Sauteed Veal Breast

Sauteed Veal Breast



Preparation :

sliced veal breast

sliced veal breast

season veal with salt pepper and granulated garlic, sear very hot, then saute at low temperature very slowly until medium well

season veal with salt pepper and granulated garlic, sear very hot, then saute at low temperature very slowly until medium well

meanwhile, saute finely diced onions in butter, add sliced shiitake mushrooms, add redwine and simmer until almost dry

meanwhile, saute finely diced onions in butter, add sliced shiitake mushrooms, add redwine and simmer until almost dry

add heavy cream and demi glace, simmer until nape texture, check/adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

add heavy cream and demi glace, simmer until nape texture, check/adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

almost.....

almost…..

in another pan, saute sour dough bread in garlic butter until golden

in another pan, saute sour-dough bread in garlic butter until golden

meanwhile, make a salad of red beets, raspberry vinagrette, diced onions and sliced scallions

meanwhile, make a salad of red beets, raspberry vinaigrette, diced onions and sliced scallions

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ready to plate the veal and sauce

ready to plate the veal and sauce

to plate, arrange veal on top of bread, spoon sauce over top, crown wiyh garlic/herb butter

to plate, arrange veal on top of bread, spoon sauce over top, crown wiyh garlic/herb butter

Sauteed Veal Breast

Sauteed Veal Breast

Sauteed Veal Breast

Sauteed Veal Breast




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Chicken Parmigiana

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This  post is for David’s mom, who needs a fool proof recipe/instructions for chicken parmigiana.
David, make sure you send us pictures when your mom prepares it 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !


Click here for Tomato Sauce recipe

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana

season skinnles chicken breast with salt and pepper, bread with flour, egg and bread crumbs

season skinnles chicken breast with salt and pepper, bread with flour, egg and bread crumbs

saute in butter until 3/4 cooked through, remove to baking rack

saute in butter until 3/4 cooked through, remove to baking rack

sprinkle with grated parmesan, cover with tomato sauce

sprinkle with grated parmesan, cover with tomato sauce

covered in tomato sauce

covered in tomato sauce

sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, sprinkle with oregano, bake until cheese has melted

sprinkle with shredded mozzarella, sprinkle with oregano, bake until cheese has melted

meanwhile, cook bucatini until al dente, strain, add finely sliced chilies, scallions, garlic paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, red wine, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

meanwhile, cook bucatini until al dente, strain, add finely sliced chilies, scallions, garlic paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, red wine, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

meanwhile, cook bucatini until al dente, strain, add finely sliced chilies, scallions, garlic paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, red wine, grated parmesan, some of the cooking water, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

meanwhile, cook bucatini until al dente, strain, add finely sliced chilies, scallions, garlic paste, heavy cream, tomato sauce, red wine, grated parmesan, some of the cooking water, kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

sprinkle bucatini with fresh basil

sprinkle bucatini with fresh basil

bucatini in creamy tomato sauce

bucatini in creamy tomato sauce

Chicken Parmigiana

Chicken Parmigiana







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Finkenwerder Meeresfrüchte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style



Finkenwerder is part of Hamburg/Germany, famous (culinary wise) for its seafood restaurants. When I was a young cook back in the seventies, I worked part time in one of them (the name escapes me now) The restaurant was very elegant, expensive and beautiful. I remember many of the specialties we cooked there but the one outstanding dish I remember in particular was the
Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style
A creamy soup made of roux, a bit of tomato paste, seafood stock, cognac and lots of cream, chock-full of mussels, shrimp, cockles( herzmuscheln) and scallops. Pure heaven in a bowl for seafood lovers, then and now 🙂

Saute fine diced onions in butter, add flour to make a blond roux, add a bit of tomato paste, saute another minute, add fish stock and simmer for 15 minutes, add cream and cocnac, simmer another few minutes, season with seasalt and cayenne pepper, add blanched seafodd, carefully stir and remove from heat

Saute fine diced onions in butter, add flour to make a blond roux, add a bit of tomato paste, saute another minute, add fish stock and simmer for 15 minutes, add cream and cocnac, simmer another few minutes, season with sea salt and cayenne pepper, add blanched seafodd, carefully stir and remove from heat. to serve, sprinkle with fresh dill leaves

Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe - Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe - Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe - Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe - Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style






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Calamare E Bucatini



I love  calamari, but I hate to clean them at home and it is hard to find good quality cleaned ones around here. But, yesterday I got lucky. I drove around a bit with Bella to see what’s out there and low and behold, I found a fishmonger I had not noticed before, even though I drove by there many times over the year’s. To my surprise, they have a great selection of fresh, quality seafood. I had to control myself not to go crazy and buy too much (I did anyway).
So, one of the first things on my list today were the calamari, simply prepared and served over Bucatini.

Bon Apetit !   Life is Good !

Calamare E Bucatini

Calamare E Bucatini

mise en place

mise en place

season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, dredge in corn starch. Cook bucatini until al dente, drain, reserve some of the cooking liquid

season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper and granulated garlic, dredge in corn starch. Cook bucatini until al dente, drain, reserve some of the cooking liquid

saute in VERY hot peanut oil for less then a minute

saute in VERY hot peanut oil for less then a minute

remove to absorbent paper

remove to absorbent paper

add herb butter, chilies, scallion, garlic paste, small amount of grated parmesan, kosher salt, chili sauce and small amount of cooking liquid, mix well until pasta is coated

add herb butter, chilies, scallion, garlic paste, small amount of grated parmesan, kosher salt, chili sauce and small amount of cooking liquid, mix well until pasta is coated

bucatini

bucatini

Calamare E Bucatini

Calamare E Bucatini

Calamare E Bucatini

Calamare E Bucatini

Calamare E Bucatini

Calamare E Bucatini



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please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page.  Thank you 🙂




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