Grab Bag

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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Buffalo Poussin

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While I am a big fan of buffalo chicken wings, I am even more fond of other proteins cooked-with or doused-in buffalo sauce. I prepare ribs, fish, seafood and even vegetables “buffalo style”, using my own home made buffalo sauce
Here is what I concocted today.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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All about Poussin
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Easy does it # 17 – Hans’ Homemade Buffalo Sauce

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Buffalo Poussin

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Preparation :
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: marinade poussin overnight in buffalo sauce

: roast poussin at 375F oven until done, about 50-60 minutes

: during cooking time, brush poussin every 15 minutes with buffalo sauce

: when poussin is cooked through, brush one final time with buffalo sauce

: Buffalo Poussin

: Buffalo Poussin

: Buffalo Poussin

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Fritto Misto

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It is time for me to confess: I am a food-shopping maniac. My kitchen usually contains enough fresh, dried, frozen and pickled food to feed a family of four for a few weeks. So, every couple of months I give myself the daunting task to empty my cup board, fridge and freezer completely in order to be able to start replenishing all over again. So today, after two weeks of feeding myself and Bella with all the goodies already in the house, I finally achieved my goal: (my iron-will was victorious) – all food is gone and tomorrow morning I will start a new crusade to the butcher, grocery store and farmers-markets to make sure I have again enough food in the house, just in case………. ???? – well, something, you never know.

(My friends who live in the neighborhood will remember that after the last major hurricane left our area for nearly three weeks without electricity, Maria and I hosted daily free lunches in our garden for 20 to 30 people, sometimes a lot more. Tasty food from the grill and fire pit and plenty of beer and even more wine, all nicely cooled in the lake. What a blessing our full freezer and pantry proved to be then ) 🙂

But, let’s get back to the topic at hand.
The remaining few things I had left in the freezer were some squid, a few small shrimp, a piece of cod filet and in the fridge a bit of greens, lemon, scallions, an onion and some grape tomatoes . Perfect !
Some oil, vinegar, salt and pepper for the salad, the seafood marinated with cayenne pepper, kosher salt, granulated garlic and dusted in rice flour, two chilies and the scallions thrown into the mix, then quickly deep-fried and Voilà – Fritto Misto ! Life is Good !
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Buen Apetito ! Viva Italia !
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Fritto Misto

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Preparation :
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: fry in VERY hot oil to ensure crisp and juicy seafood

: remove to absorbent paper, serve at once

: Fritto Misto

: Fritto Misto

: Fritto Misto

: Fritto Misto

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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 :
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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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Short Ribs, Bok Choy, Shiitake And Noodles In Spicy Ginger/Garlic Broth

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Soup! – God’s gift to comfort food 🙂
I wonder how many different soups I have eaten in my life and how many different noodle soups in particular. And still, I never get tired of preparing and eating yet another version of this wonderful food category. Soup, to me, never get’s old. To the contrary, I can never get enough of it, be it cream soup, purred soup, clear soup, soup made of meat, seafood, vegetables, fruit or any combination thereof, hot or cold. So without further ado, here is my latest concoction:
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Bon Appetit ! Life is good !
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Short Ribs, Bok Choy, Shiitake And Noodles In Ginger/Garlic Broth

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Preparation :
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: cover short ribs with cold water, bring to a boil

: let boil for a few seconds

: drain ribs, rinse, discard liquid. This will ensure a clearer broth

: start ribs again with cold water, bring to a slow simmer, during simmering skim of foam and scum frequently

: after one hour, add kosher salt, chili flakes, cinnamon stick, garlic paste and grated ginger, simmer until ribs are tender but NOT falling apart

: done…

: remove ribs, strain broth through fine mesh or cheese cloth, add a few drops of sesame oil, check / adjust seasoning

: remove and discard bones, cut meat into bite-size cubes

: to serve, place cooked noodles, blanched bok choy, finely sliced cooked shiitake and beef in serving bowl, sprinkle with more chili flakes and fill with beef broth

: Short Ribs, Bok Choy, Shiitake And Noodles In Spicy Ginger/Garlic Broth

: Short Ribs, Bok Choy, Shiitake And Noodles In Spicy Ginger/Garlic Broth

: Short Ribs, Bok Choy, Shiitake And Noodles In Spicy Ginger/Garlic Broth

: Short Ribs, Bok Choy, Shiitake And Noodles In Spicy Ginger/Garlic Broth

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Fried Tomato-Noodles Pillow

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I did not intend to post this dish when I started preparing it. After all, what can be so special about some re-heated leftover tomato pasta. But then I thought maybe I am on to something. So, instead of just re-heating the pasta with a bit of butter and a few drops of stock or cream (or both), I proceeded to make a non-traditional noodle pillow. Noodle pillows are of course widely eaten in Asian cuisine, but the pasta is never mixed with tomato sauce before frying/sautéing. I am happy to report that this version was super delicious and the tomato taste added to the overall flavor and gave a hint of Unami. Absolutely a new addition to my repertoire of simple comfort food, either eaten as a snack by itself with the addition of a bit of sauce drizzled over it as shown here, or as tasty side dish which will add extra flavor and texture to a variety of dishes.
Next noodle pillow up: Noodle pillow made from curried noodles. I’ll let you know of the result 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Fried Tomato-Noodles Pillow

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More “Noodle Pillow’s” on ChefsOpinion
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: leftover pasta with tomato sauce

: spread pasta in hot peanut oil to even thickness, saute on both sides until crisp and golden

: dipping sauce: mix 2 tblsp soy sauce, 2 tblsp hoi sin sauce, 2 tblsp water, 1 tblsp ketchup, 1 tsp lime juice, season with grated ginger, garlic paste, sesame oil and chili oil, to serve, sprinkle with chopped cilantro and sesame seeds

: Fried Tomato-Noodles Pillow

: Fried Tomato-Noodles Pillow

: Fried Tomato-Noodles Pillow

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Burritos De Carne De Res

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It can be hard to cook REAL Mexican food outside of Mexico because of the difficulty of sourcing authentic ingredients and because preparing AUTHENTIC cuisine is something which usually requires a lot of effort , time and money to duplicate in a foreign land.
Tex-Mex to the Rescue !!!
Tex-Mex is not only easier to prepare but also more acceptable to the typical “Gringo’s” palate than some of the more exotic offerings of real Mexican fare.
So, as usual, I am not trying to be the master of the ethnic cuisine I am preparing, but trying to be as close and simple to the ideas, taste and charm of the ethnic food that inspires me to cook certain dishes.
In this spirit, I prepared these Burritos, which were very plain with just two ingredients for the filling and accompanied by the most basic condiments.
It is not at all close to the food which I have enjoyed traveling in Mexico, living there and actually cooking Mexican food of the highest quality on many occasions, but it satisfies my craving for the food I love so much and remember fondly.
My earliest memory of a Burrito takes me back much further, to the first vacation I spend in Puerto Vallarta in the mid-70’s. It was late at night and after many drinks, lots of dancing and a few puffs of the funny stuff, enormous hunger had me ready for anything. Although this was in a disco, food was available at the bar. I did not know Mexican food (yet) and ordered what, by it’s description on the menu, seemed to be the biggest bang for the buck. I was not at all disappointed, neither with the size, the taste, nor the condiments it came with, especially the spicy sauces. Memories……..
Truth be told, it amazes me how many details I remember about food, places and the people I shared them with, after all these years (Decades, actually) 🙂
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Viva Mexico ! Live is Good !
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Read more of my memories of Puerto Vallarta
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All about Mexican Cuisine

All about Tex-Mex
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Burritos De Carne De Res

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Preparation :
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: cubed flank steak, diced onions, chopped cilantro

: heat flour tortillas to make them pliable

: season beef with kosher salt, cayenne papper, garlic paste, cumin and oregano, saute in very hot corn oil until browned but sill rare, add onions, saute until translucent, remove from heat, add chopped cilantro

: spread a generous amount of re-fried beans on tortilla

: top re-fried beans with beef

: roll burritos tightly

: ready to sauté

: brush tamal, griddle or pan with a small amount of corn oil, saute burritos on both sides until golden and heated through

: Burritos De Carne De Res

: Burritos De Carne De Res

: Burritos De Carne De Res

: Burritos De Carne De Res

: Burritos De Carne De Res

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Hans’ Poutine

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When I was a small kid, french fries were a VERY special treat for me. At the time, restaurant visits were a seldom enjoyed occasion and therefore happened only once in a while. But whenever we did visit a restaurant, French Fries, or”Fritten” as they are called in many parts of Germany, were one of the highlights to look forward to. The most common dish served to kids was “Schnitzel with Fritten”, a small veal or pork scallop with french fries and sauce. Thus, french fries doused in sauce or gravy is one of my earliest and fondest restaurant memories. Imagine my delight many years later when I visited Quebec/Canada the first time and ordered Poutine. As the waiter explained it to me, this seemed to be the most ideal food in the world – french fries doused in sauce and topped with soft cheese.
But, my oh my, what a disappointment I got served: Crappy fries with crappy sauce and crappy cheese :-(.
(Sorry my dear Canadian friends, but this is how it appeared to me at the time.
I am of course talking about my very own, personal taste and opinion when I talk about this much beloved Canadian dish, but it is what it is – to this day I don’t like it in its original form. To make a point, have a look at a cross-section of Poutine on this Link, then tell me the majority of it does not look, to put it mildly, less than appetizing. On the other hand, If you love cheese curds…….
So, I was pondering this the other day and I decided to improve my Poutine experience, thinking of the possibilities which proper fries with proper sauce and proper cheese (meaning cheese I personally prefer to cheese curds, which I can’t stand), could provide and I came up with this version, which I absolutely love.
I understand that nowadays, there are many different versions of Poutine available and popular, so my version is probably not as alienating to my dear Canadian friends as it would have been 40 years ago when I first encountered this culinary Canadian icon.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Hans’ Poudine

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Preparation :
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Link to how to prepare great Tomato Sauce
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How to prepare great French Fries:
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Peel large baking potatoes and cut them into even size fries. Add to COLD duck fat and set on medium-high heat. Carefully stir fries once in a while so they cook evenly. Once they are golden brown, they will be crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. Remove to absorbent paper, then toss in a bowl with sea salt and cayenne pepper. Enjoy 🙂
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: Potatoes, tomato sauce, gorgonzola

: crumble gorgonzola into medium chhunks

: start fries in cold duck fat

: almost….

: remove fries to absorbent paper, sprinkle with kosher salt

: plate the fries

: top with gorgonzola

: ladle tomato sauce over cheese and fries, top with more cheese

: Hans’ Poudine

: Hans’ Poudine

: Hans’ Poudine

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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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Beef Satay’s

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Although peanut sauce is one of my favorite condiments for grilled or broiled meat, today I opted for Thai Chili Sauce instead. The combination of the beef, rice, pickled cucumbers and chili sauce was absolutely delicious and I am sure that in the future I will be having this dish often, whenever a quick, light and tasty meal is in order 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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More Satay’s on ChefsOpinion
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Beef Satay’s

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Preparation :
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: season finely sliced strip steak with garlic paste, soy sauce, sugar, grd coriander, grd cumin, cayenne pepper and lime juice , let marinade at least two hours