chef cook

Salad. That’s It…….

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Today is one of the few days when I don’t feel like cooking at all. I had store-bought brownies and coffee for breakfast, I will have Brie sandwiches for dinner and my lunch was this simple, albeit delicious and sexy, salad.
Conclusion: Even without the pleasure of cooking every single day, I will survive 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Salad Is Good For You !

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P.S.
I just came across this great book which I think should be in every chef’s library:
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A Brief Art Culinary History of The Western Chef Avante-Guarde Through The 20th Century by Tony Baran
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Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette:
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Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

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Preparation :
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dress grape tomatoes, small, halved potatoes, sliced onions and peppers with dijon vinaigrette

dress grape tomatoes, small, halved potatoes, sliced onions, chilies and peppers with dijon vinaigrette

season sliced cucumbers generously with salt, let sit for 15 minutes, squeeze and discard excess liquid

mix with potato salad

choose a pretty serving dish 🙂

add greens of your choice with dijon vinaigrette

top greens with potato salad

top with julienned bologna, asiago and scallions

Salad with asiago cheese and bologna in dijon vinaigrette

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Pork Shank’s & Lai Fen In Garlic/Ginger Broth

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Usually we use this cut of the animal to make Osso Buco (originally done with veal shanks), but I love me a hearty soup more than anything else, so I decided to prepare this dish with some pork shanks my friend Curtis dropped off last time he came to visit. Great, simple dinner, bursting with flavor and texture 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pork Shank’s & Lai Fen In Garlic Ginger Broth

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Preparation :
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simmer pork shank’s in stock seasoned with star anis, cinnamon, garlic paste, black pepper, salt and grated ginger until tender but NOT falling apart

meanwhile, blanch green beans and cook lai fen pasta (rice flour bucatini)

add beans to soup

add diced peppers, onions and lap cheong (chinese sausage), check/adjust seasoning

add diced peppers, onions and lap cheong (chinese sausage), simmer two more minutes, check/adjust seasoning

add lai fen to serving bowl

to serve, top noodles with meat, vegetables and broth, sprinkle with chopped cilantro

Pork Shank’s & Lai Fen In Garlic Ginger Broth

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Korean Dinner – Bulgogi, Gamjajorim, Kimchee & Sukju Namul

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Tonight (Tuesday) my fridge and cupboard were nearly empty and the best thing I had at hand was a great looking rib eye steak. I did not feel like having just a plain old steak from the grill, so when I saw the mung bean sprouts and the cooked potatoes, first some Asian, then some Korean recipes started to dance around my head and I decided on this menu, which turned out to be just the flavors and textures I craved and they sure hit a home run with my tastebuds 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Kimchi (Kimchee) recipe

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Bulgogi, Kimchi, Sukyu Namul & Gamjajorim

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Bulgogi

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Preparation :
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rib eye steak

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rib eye steak most fat removed (leave some on for better taste and texture)

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sliced rib eye steak

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sliced beef, scallions, onions

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pineapple, (for tenderizing purpose, (traditionally use asian pear), onion, ginger, garlic, blend until smooth

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season with kosher salt, black pepper, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil, blended pinepple mix, mix well, marinade for 30 minutes (for a tough cut of beef such as top round, marinade up to 8 hours)

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Meanwhile, blanch mong bean sprouts in salted, boiling water for 20 seconds, drain, shock in ice water, drain again

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add sliced scallions, season with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, soy sauce, sesame seeds, sesame oil

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Sukja namul

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heat sliced potatoes with honey, soy sauce, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, when heated through check/adjust seasoning, add white sesame seeds

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sukju namul

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grilling bulgogi

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Bulgogi, Kimchi, Sukyu Namul,

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Bulgogi

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Soy, Ginger & Garlic Glazed Chicken

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Friday afternoon, crappy week, don’t feel like doing anything after work, just hanging on the sofa with a drink, flipping through the channels but still want to eat good ?
How about just throwing a bird in the oven and waiting for its georgeous beauty to emerge 90 minutes later?
Actual prep time: Three minutes. Cooking time: About one and a half hour, depending on the size of the chicken. Effort : Zero. Satisfaction: Great.
Voilà, there you have it 🙂

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Blend sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, grated ginger, garlic paste and kosher salt. Season chicken with this blend inside and out. Roast on a rack at 420 degrees for 15 minutes, turn down heat to 380 F and cook until chicken has reached 161 F at its thickest part. Let rest for 15 minutes before cutting it or tearing it apart. The carry over heat will take the meat to a safe 165 F without drying it out. Serve with sweet chili sauce for dipping and lime to drizzle.
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Soy, Ginger & Garlic Glazed Chicken

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Soy, Ginger & Garlic Glazed Chicken

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Soy, Ginger & Garlic Glazed Chicken

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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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Gratinated Chicken Salpicon In Pineapple

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In the late sixties and early seventies, this presentation of salpicon was at the forefront of culinary extravagance in Europe. Not because of the use of the salpicon, but because of the pineapple.
At that time,while everybody (most everybody) in Europe was familiar with canned pineapples, few had eaten a fresh one, simply because it was prohibitively expensive to fly in fresh fruit from the tropics or anywhere else for that matter. I remember having my first California strawberry outside of Germany’s strawberry season when I was 15 years old. We had a lot of food imports at the time, but most was carried in by truck or boat from other European countries and therefore more affordable. Even today, you will still find this pineapple presentation in many countries that cater to the less wealthy tourist’s. Often the chicken is replaced with seafood for an even more “exotic” dish.
So, many of my readers will probably enjoy this presentation for two different reasons:
One, because it is so old-fashioned that you don’t see it anymore,
or two, because they will remember it from “the old times”.
Either way, enjoy !

P.S.
Even without the pineapple presentation, who does not enjoy a chicken, veal or seafood salpicon once in a while? 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Chicken Velouté recipe
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Gratinated Chicken Salpicon In Pineapple With Rice

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Gratinated Chicken Salpicon In Pineapple With Rice

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Preparation:
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soak triple washed long grain rice in cold water for one hour, drain , cook in salted boiling water until almost cooked, about 3 minutes, drain

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cover airtight and let steam another five minutes, fluff with fork

cover airtight and let steam for another five minutes, fluff with fork

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meanwhile, season chicken with salt and cayenne pepper, saute in garlic butter until half-cooked, add chicken veloute, bring to a simmer, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning

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fill hollowed half pineapple with salpicon

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sprinkle with panko bread crumbs and finely grated parmesan

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bake until golden

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Gratinated Chicken Salpicon In Pineapple With Rice

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Gratinated Chicken Salpicon In Pineapple

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to serve rice, sprinkle with chili flakes and black sesame seeds

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Gratinated Chicken Salpicon In Pineapple With Rice

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Gratinated Chicken Salpicon In Pineapple With Rice

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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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” Smoked Pig’s Tail, Bow Ties & Vegetable Stew “

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In my opinion, pig‘s tails are the second best part of the whole pig,
right after the cheek’s. I prefere them brined and simmered, served
with a good mustard and sour dough bread. However, I found those
smoked ones at my neighbor hood store and what better way to enjoy
them then in a good stew 🙂
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Ingredient‘s :

Smoked pig’s tail’s,
Bow tie pasta, cooked, al dente
Cauliflower, blanched
Broccoli, blanched
Carrots, blanched
Scallions, sliced
Tomatoes, wedges
Ginger, grated
Garlic, paste
Cilantro, chopped
Cayenne pepper, to taste
Kosher salt, to taste
Maggi seasoning, to taste

Method :

Simmer pig’s tail’s in lightly seasoned water until tender.
Add all other ingredients, simmer until heated through.
Serve with rustic sour dough bread.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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” Porcini Crusted Pork Chop “

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Yesterday’s dinner – simple, yet soooo satisfying.
Pork & Porcini, a match made in food lover’s haven
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Season pork chop with salt and cayenne pepper,
Dip into finely chopped dry porcini, sautee in olive oil on
low heat until center reaches 162 F.
Let chop rest for five minutes before serving.
Meanwhile, saute onion and garlic in olive oil, add broccoli, tomatoes and chili.
Season with salt, pepper and a dash of Maggi.

“ Red Lentils & Bell Pepper Burgers “

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Red Lentils & Bell Pepper Burgers,
Served With Raita

For one of those meatless, healthy day’s 🙂

Ingredients

2 lbs red lentils, cooked until tender

2 lg egg

½ cup panko breadcrumbs

1 med green bell pepper, diced, sautéed

1 med red bell pepper, diced, sautéed

1 med onion, finely diced, sautéed

Garlic, minced, to taste, sautéed

2 tblsp Cilantro, coarsely chopped

Cumin, to taste

Curry powder, to taste

Kosher salt, to taste

Cayenne pepper, to taste

Oil to sauté

Method

Mix all ingredients except the tofu and oil. Shape into ball’s, make an indent and fill with tofu.
Sprinkle lightly with additional bread crumb’s and sauté until golden and heated through

Raita