Cayenne pepper

Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Living in Florida does not necessarily lend itself to be inspired to cooking with mushrooms, but thankfully the markets around here carry small offerings of fresh mushrooms which I like to enrich by adding some good quality dried mushrooms. Today I got some fresh baby bellas, oyster mushrooms and botton mushrooms, to which I added dry shiitakes and porcini’s. To intensify the mushroom flavor even more, I added some porcini powder to the sauce as well.
And voilà – Mushrooms Galore 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Preparation :
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boil fusilli al buco until al dente, strain, reserve some of the cooking liquid

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saute diced onions and fresh mushrooms in butteruntil onions are opaque

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add garlic paste and re-hydrated mushrooms, saute until dry

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almost….

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add heavy cream, demi glace, merlot, sliced chives, porcini powder, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

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simmer until nape texture is reached, check / ajust seasoning

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add pasta and a small amount of fresh grated asiago cheese, blend well, if too thick, add a bit of the reserved cooking liquid

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Fusilli Col Buco With Mushrooms In Merlot Cream

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Chicken Sandwich On A Pretzel Roll

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Sometimes, in our quest to make evermore beautiful, innovative, stunning, different food, we forget that a simple sandwich, if done well, can give enormous culinary satisfaction if it hit’s the right spot at the right time.
This afternoon was the right time for me to just have a sandwich, a cold beer and a good movie 🙂
The sandwich was a scrumptious Chicken Sandwich, the brewskies were Negra Modelo’s and the movie was Reservoir Dogs.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Garam Masala recipe
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Chicken Sandwich On A Pretzel Roll

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Preparation :
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score the top of a skinless chicken breast crosswise, season with cayenne pepper, kosher salt, granulated garlic and garam masala, saute in butter until just done, remove to catting board, let rest for 5 minutes

score the top of a skinless chicken breast across, season with cayenne pepper, kosher salt, granulated garlic and garam masala, saute in butter until just done, remove to cutting board, let rest for 5 minutes

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cut 2 bretzel rolls in half, reserve 2 top parts, top with romaine leaf and garlic aioli

cut 2 bretzel rolls in half, reserve 2 top parts, top bottom parts with romaine leaf and garlic aioli

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top with marinated red peppers

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top with cucumbers, sprinkle liberally with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

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top with marinated red peppers

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top with garlic aioli

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slice chicken breast in thick slices

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top with garlic aioli ( notice how juicy the chicken breast is ! )

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Chicken Sandwich On A Pretzel Roll

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Chicken Sandwich On A Pretzel Roll

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Chicken Sandwich On A Pretzel Roll

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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 !

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Gefüllte Kalbsbrust
Source – SZ-Magazin.de

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Sauteed Veal Breast

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Preparation :
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sliced veal breast

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

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

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

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almost…..

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

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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

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

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Sauteed Veal Breast

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Sauteed Veal Breast

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Chicken Liver Congee

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Usually, I have congee for breakfast, but today I just wanted a big bowl of this culinary marvel for lunch.
It is one of the most satisfying dishes out there, as long as it is properly seasoned and has the ingredients you long for at the moment. As far as congee goes – anything goes 🙂
Even the texture has no right or wrong. As long as you like it – that’s the right texture. I like mine fairly thick, tasty, spicy and with lot’s of “stuff” in it. I happened to have fresh chicken livers today, but you can use any protein you like, shrimps, scallops, chicken or whatever is handy. Maybe just vegetables? With egg or without? Many condiments or none?

Today I cooked my rice in a rich chicken stock, flavored with lots of grated ginger, garlic paste, kosher salt and ground chili pepper and a splash of fermented bean sauce. Once the porridge had the desired texture, I added medium-fried chicken livers, Chinese black mushrooms, cooked ham, corn, black beans, sesame oil, finely sliced chilies and scallions.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Congee recipes
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Chicken Liver Congee

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Chicken Liver Congee

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Preparation:
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season with granulated garlic, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, five spice powder, add cornstarch, mix well

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fry in peanut oil until medium, remove to absorbent paper

fry livers in peanut oil until medium, remove to absorbent paper

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almost ………

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to porridge add livers, beans, corn, mushroom, chilies, scallions and sesame seed oil, check/adjust seasoning

to the porridge add livers, beans, corn, mushroom, chilies, scallions and sesame seed oil, check/adjust seasoning

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Chicken Liver Congee

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Chicken Liver Congee

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Chicken Liver Congee

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Chicken Curry, Roti, Raita & Rice

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This is my “GO TO” curry dish.
As I mentioned before, I usually have some containers with curry sauce in the freezer, so by the time the naan, raita and rice (polo) are done, the curry is also ready.
I also alway’s have uncooked naan in the freezer. Just cook it on a griddle or cast iron pan from frozen.

Great, complete meal in half an hour 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Naan recipe
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Click here for POLO Recipe
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Click here for Curry Sauce/Base recipe ““
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Chicken Curry, Roti, Raita & Rice

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Chicken Curry

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saute chicken tigh's in garlic oil until golden

saute chicken thighs in garlic oil until golden

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add curry sauce/base, lots of chopped cilantro and a bit of water

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simmer covered until chicken is cooked through, check/adjust seasoning

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meanwhile, grate cucumbers and red onions, add salt, let stand for 10 minutes

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after 10 minutes, squeeze out all waterfrom cucumbers, discard

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season wit cayenne papper, garlic paste and garam masala, add greek yogurt, blend all

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Raita

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cook naan on griddle or cast iron pan, brush with ghee, sprinkle with kosher salt

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Chicken Curry

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Chicken Curry, Roti, Raita & Rice

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Easy Does it # 10 – Onion, Pear And Red Wine Marmalade

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Dear Friend’s,
Although most of my followers are culinary professionals, there is also a large segment of followers who are just starting to enjoy cooking on a slightly higher than basic level. I have therefore decided to publish, under the moniker “Easy Does It“, from time to time some very basic recipe variations of dishes which otherwise might seem complicated to some folks. I will break them down to the easiest, most simple instructions, so that those of you who are intimidated by elaborate recipes will be able to prepare these dishes properly, adjusted to your taste and liking, right from the get-go.
Enjoy :-)
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This savory marmalade is the perfect condiment to meats and vegetables. I also use it as a sandwich component when I make meat sandwiches. It is super easy to make and holds in the fridge for a good amount of time.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Onion, Red Wine And Pear Marmalade

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saute garlic paste in its oil

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add onions, saute until translucent

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add peeled, sliced pears

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add red wine, small amount of kosher salt and cayenne pepper

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after most of the wine has evaporated, check /adjust seasoning

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Onion, Red Wine And Pear Marmalade

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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Steamed Bay Scallops, Peppers And Green Peas

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While I love large sauteed scallops, my budget sometimes dictates my menu. So when I was thinking of getting some giant diverscallops for lunch today, I almost fainted when I saw the price ($ 46.00)
So I went for the next best thing, bay scallops. ( $ 16.00) Now here is the thing: When we think of scallops, we usually think of the beautiful pictures of seard scallops with their golden crust and juicy, opaque center. I don’t suggest you try this with tiny bay scallops, which are much more suited for breading or steaming. I wanted to enjoy the pure taste of the scallops, so I gently steamed them with some vegetables in white wine and butter. Absolutely delicious and easy and quick to prepare.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

P.S.
Instead of eating them with a fork, use a spoon so you don’t miss out on the great sauce 🙂

Steamed Bay Scallops, Peppers And Green Peas

: saute confit garlic paste in its own oil

: add her butter and onion

: add white wine and scallops, add sea salt and cayenne pepper

: add peppers

: add frozen green peas, simmer until scallops are cooked half-way

: add a small bit of corn starch lurry, bring back to simmer, remove from heat at once, check/adjust seasoning

: Steamed Bay Scallops, Peppers And Green Peas

: Steamed Bay Scallops, Peppers And Green Peas

: Steamed Bay Scallops, Peppers And Green Peas

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
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Tira De Asado – Argentinian Style Grilled Beef Ribs

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Unfortunately, most folks around the world will never enjoy this wonderful dish. Why? Because most people are convinced that beef ribs are only worth eating when they’ve been braised. While it is true that beef ribs are much tougher than most other parts of the animal (especially when cut thick the Argentinian way ) if properly cooked they are just great to eat, texture, taste and all 🙂
They will have a slight chewiness to them, but I find that texture just perfect. The secret lies in the way the meat is cooked on a parilla in Argentina. Since beef is traditionally eaten fresh (green), without aging, the meat is much tougher to start with than in, let’s say, the USA.
In order to compensate for the tougher meat, in Argentina, meat, especially the cheaper (tougher) cuts, are grilled VERY slowly.
This will ensure that the meat does not get too hot and therefore the protein does not get tough. However, there is a BIG difference of cooking on an open grill and in a grill pan. If you cook in a grill pan, as I did here, you want the starting heat to be very high, This will prevent the juices to collect in the pan and steam your steak. It will create the maillard reaction, which will turn the outside of your steak into that beautiful, brown, crispy texture we so love on a well-cooked steak. Then you must turn down the heat in order to cook everything beyond that beautiful crust very slowly, without generating too much heat which would turn the juices into steam that will escape the steak and leave a dry, tough chunk of protein in your pan.
I cooked these babies very slowly for nearly two hours, after which they were still medium to medium well, and very juicy.
I served the ribs with spicy chimichurri and Asian style pickled cucumbers. ( Recipe for the cucumbers will be posted soon ).

Bon Appetit ! Disfrutar de su Carne !
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Grilled Beef Rib’s, Spicy Chimichurri, Asian Style Pickled Cucumbers

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season rib's liberally with kosher salt, grill on all four sides, approximately, 30 minutes or until done to your liking

season rib’s liberal with kosher salt, grill on all four sides SLOWLY until done to your liking

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grill each side SLOWLY for approximately 20 minutes

grill each side SLOWLY for approximately 20 to 30 minutes, depending on the thickness of the ribs and the temperature of the pan

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almost…..

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Tira De Asado

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Grilled Beef Ribs

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Grilled Beef Rib’s, Spicy Chimichurri, Asian Style Pickled Cucumbers

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YEP 🙂

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Easy Does it # 8 – Sauteed Spinach With Garlic, Bacon, Onion And Parmesan

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>
Dear Friend’s,
Although most of my followers are culinary professionals, there is also a large segment of followers who are just starting to enjoy cooking on a slightly higher than basic level. I have therefore decided to publish, under the moniker “Easy Does It“, from time to time some very basic recipe variations of dishes which otherwise might seem complicated to some folks. I will break them down to the easiest, most simple instructions, so that those of you who are intimidated by elaborate recipes will be able to prepare these dishes properly, adjusted to your taste and liking, right from the get-go.
Enjoy :-)
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While I am a big fan of creamed spinach, sauted spinach is one of my other favorite vegetables. Usually when I buy spinach, I buy a big bag which is about enough for a family of four. Since I live alone with Bella, I blanch the spinach and freeze what I don’t use emidiately. So, for this recipe you can either use fresh or blanched spinach, the result is the same. Also, I cut the onions and bacon in a rustic fashion fitting for this dish. If you prefer, dice the onions fine and slice the bacon fine.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Sauteed Spinach With Garlic, Bacon, Onion And Parmesan

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Preparation :
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blanch spinach in salted boiling water

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shock in ice water, drain, squeeze dry

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saute bacon until fat is rendered and bacon crispy

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remove, reserve bacon

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saute onions and garlic paste in bacon fat

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add spinach, heat trough, season with kosher salt, nutmeg and cayenne pepper

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return bacon, mix

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put spinach into oven proof dish

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sprinkle with freshly grated parmigiano reggiano, gratinate until golden

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Sauteed Spinach With Garlic, Bacon, Onion And Parmesan

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Calamare E Bucatini

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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 !
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Calamare E Bucatini

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mise en place

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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

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saute in VERY hot peanut oil for less then a minute

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remove to absorbent paper

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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

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bucatini

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Calamare E Bucatini

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Calamare E Bucatini

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Calamare E Bucatini

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
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