garlic paste

Steak Tartar

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Ok, folk’s, before you send me tons of anger and disapproval, I admit that this is not your typical, modern Steak Tartar. However, Larousse Gastronomique describes steak tartare as ground beef mixed with raw egg yolk. Wanna argue with Larousse?
Here now is my traditional version of this classic. I can assure you that both texture and taste are exceptional. Why screw with a classic , just to be “modern and innovative”, especially if it obviously does not appeal to most people who actually grew up eating this dish often? I, for example 🙂
If you are lucky enough to have a good butcher in your neighborhood who you can trust with the quality of the meat and the cleanliness and food safety of his shop environment, do as I do: Order a pound of freshly ground, most fat and all sinew’s removed striploin (in front of your eyes if possible, it will make you feel safer). Then proceed within the hour in your kitchen as follows.
In a ice cold bowl, mix the following items, fresh out of the fridge:
Chopped capers, finely diced onions, finely sliced scallions, chopped anchovies, chopped jalapeno, good quality mustard, kosher salt, freshly ground black pepper, hot sauce of your choice, raw egg yolk, garlic paste, a few drops of good quality oil of your choice. Mix everything well. Remove ground meat from fridge and lightly fold with the seasoning. Serve with bread of your choice and a couple of brewskies (Negra Modelo fits best for me).
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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mise en place

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seasoning

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Steak Tartar & Sour Dough Bread

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Steak Tartar

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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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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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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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Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup 酸辣汤

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Spicy lunch (I made it VERY spicy), washed down with lemon ice tea while
watching “The Great Gatsby”.
Perfect Saturday so far 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Saute shrimp, dried shrimp, squid, garlic paste and grated ginger in peanut oil for one minute. Add chicken stock, salt, chili sauce, soy sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer, add sliced water chestnuts, soaked and cooked wood ears and small amount of cornstarch slurry. Add whisked eggs, stir slowly in one direction only. As soon as eggs have set into long, thin strands, remove soup from fire. Check/adjust seasoning. Add cubed tofu. To serve, sprinkle with sliced scallions and fried onion julienne.
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Szechuan Hot & Sour Soup 酸辣汤

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Easy Does It # 6 – Express Ramen

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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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In the foodie world everybody act’s as if ramen has been invented yesterday morning. In reality, it has been around forever, being a very special and revered dish in it’s original form. However, since the instant variety has been invented, it has been the stable of millions of students and other young folks around the world. It is simple to prepare, costs only pennies and is filling and tasty.
I have made many different types of ramen soups over the past few decades, starting out with the instant form as a young kid. Gradually I started adding “stuff” to my soups, roast pork, chicken, beef, any kind of seafood, herbs, vegetables, cooked eggs, whisked eggs, poached eggs, you name it, it has found its way into my ramen. But even when I make it from scratch, I still use store bought ramen noodles. Some Asian specialty shops have good quality ramen, so if you can, splurge a little on quality. In a pinch, angel hair pasta cooked al dente, with a bit of baking soda added to the water, is a reasonable fine substitute.
However, today I want to show you how to make a simple ramen from the instant variety. Discard the seasoning packages that comes in the packs. Use a good home made pork stock (substitute with chicken stock if you prefer), season with miso, grated ginger, garlic paste, sea salt, soy sauce, sesame oil and sake.

Bon Appetit ! どうぞめしあがれ (Douzo Meshiagare)
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to serve, add egg yolk to the soup (substitute with cooked egg if you prefer)

Express Ramen

: cook instant ramen noodles in boiling salt water for one minute, strain, coat with sesame oil

: heat chicken broth to a simmer, add noodles, garlic paste, miso, soy sauce, sake, sea salt and grated ginger

: add bok choy and cooked shrimp let everything heat through without simmering, check/adjust seasoning

: to serve, add egg yolk to the soup (substitute with cooked egg if you prefer)

: Express Ramen

: Express Ramen

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“Easy Does It” # 4 – Garlic Confit Paste

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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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We all know that roasted garlic paste is a wonderful thing, it will enhance the taste of just about everything, except maybe vanilla pudding. But few of us are willing to switch on the oven for one hour just to roast a few cloves of garlic and the chopped garlic in water you can buy at your grocery store just does not do it. So, for the perfect solution to have great, easy to do garlic paste available at all times, try this simple recipe. Once done, it will last in your fridge or freezer for a very long time. You can use it for sauteing, marinades, dressings etc.
If you don’t like olive oil, you can substitute the olive oil with a more neutral-tasting peanut or canola oil, clarified, butter, duck fat, pork or chicken fat. Experiment whats suit’s you best.
Enjoy :-)
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peeled garlic, olive oil, sea salt

season with cayenne pepper, confit very slowly without browning garlic for about one hour

blend until smooth

Confit Garlic Paste

saute in its own fat

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Hans’ Gnocchi & Strip

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This dish has everything I love: Steak, gnocchi, mushrooms, bok choy, wasabi and a few more other goodies, seasoned with lots of garlic paste and sriracha and – voilà, great comfort food prepared in a snap (I did have leftover gnocchi I had made the day before).

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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For Gnocchi Recipe Click Here
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Hans’ Gnocchi & Strip

: season strip steak with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, grill to your preferred doneness

: meanwhile, saute mushroom in peanut oil

: add garlic paste, onions and red peppers

: add bok choy

: add gnocchi

: sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan

: top with strip, top with wasabi

: Hans’ Gnocchi & Strip

: Hans’ Gnocchi & Strip

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Steak Sandwich & Salad

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This is the perfect, lightning quick meal that is at once fast to prepare, needs minimum prep work and packs a real punch in the satisfy-department 🙂

Bon Appetit Life is Good !

Steak Sandwich

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spread a french roll with butter and garlic paste, saute until golden

saute onion slices in butter until caramelized, top each slice with two eggs, fry to sunny side up, season with sea salt and cayenne pepper

season 16 oz striploin steaks with sea salt and cayenne pepper, grill to desired doneness, top each bread with one steak, top with egg/onion, add banana peppers. Feeds two hungry guy’s (Darryl and I on this occasion 🙂

Steak Sandwich

frissee, arugula, onions, chilies and anchovies in dijon vinaigrette

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“Canned” Dinner

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I am a big fan of the notion that all food should be as fresh as possible and whenever it is practical, I try to go into that direction. But, alas, sometimes it is just NOT practical. I got home late today, Bella needed her walk right away and by the time I walked her and fed her, it was already 7.00pm. I get up at around 4.00am on weekday’s, so I was pretty beat by 7.00pm. Dinner had to be fast and furious.
Here is what I found in the cup board :
Canned tuna, canned artichokes, canned sun dried tomatoes, mascarpone, dried lasagna pasta, butter, heavy cream, roasted garlick paste and chives. Add some salt and cayenne pepper and pronto, perfect dinner in ten minutes. 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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canned dinner

mise en place

saute garlic and tomatoes in butter, add cooked pasta, cream, artichokes, tuna and seasoning.

simmer one minute, add mascarpone and chives, check/adjust seasoning

to serve, sprinkle with more chives and grated pecorino romano

canned dinner

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