kosher salt

Sliced Beef Shanks Braised In Merlot

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Shank’s of beef, veal, lamb, or game is perfectly suitable to be braised slowly in wine. The cooking liquid and gentle heat of slowly simmering breaks down the collagen, producing a wonderful texture and great flavor, unlike any other part of the animal. One can use the shank meat for stews, soups, goulash, bulalo, braised whole, or, as shown here, braised sliced/cross-cut. But remember, no matter which dish or cooking method you choose, DO NOT overcook the meat. A big part of the appeal of shank is the superb texture of a tender, but NOT falling apart piece of muscle meat. Therefore, simmer the shank very slowly. It might take a long time, (after all the shank is pure muscle), but you will be rewarded with a spectacular texture and mouthfeel which no other cut of meat possesses 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Traditionally, the bone marrow is incorporated into the sauce.
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P.P.S.
But, also traditionally, the wise cook steals the bone marrow and prepares himself a great snack of “Bone Marrow On Toast” 🙂 .
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Sliced Beef Shanks Braised In Merlot

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Preparation :
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: season 3 ea sliced beef shanks with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: saute in 2 tblsp olive oil on both sides until browned, remove meat, reserve

: cut 2 ea med sized carrots and 2 ea large onions into large dice, saute until caramelized

: add 3 cup merlot, 1 cup tomato puree, 3 ea bay leaves, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 1/2 tblsp oregano and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: add 2 cup beef stock, cover, simmer until beef is tender but NOT falling apart, about 2-3 hours, depending on the thickness of the shank slices

: almost…….

: remove the marrow from ea shank bone, set aside. Remove the bone from ea slice without ripping the shanks apart

: with a slotted spoom remove the vegetables from the sauce, reserve; strain the sauce through a fine mesh sive, check/adjust seasoning

: mix 1 tblsp sliced scallions and 1 tsp cilantro with the vegetables

: plate the shanks in a deep serving dish

: add the sauce, top with the vegetables; serve with pasta, rice, potatoes or rustic bread

: Sliced Beef Shanks Braised In Merlot

: Sliced Beef Shanks Braised In Merlot

: Sliced Beef Shanks Braised In Merlot

: Sliced Beef Shanks Braised In Merlot

: Sliced Beef Shanks Braised In Merlot

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Enjoy A Super-Delicious Dish For $ 1.00 !

Chicken Liver Mousse

No, this was not at a hawker cart in Singapore, nor was it on the side of the road in Manila, it was not in the bush in Zanzibar and certainly not on the beach in Goa. This was in Miami, at “Chez Bella”.
All the ingredients for 4 portions came to about $ 4.00, which, yes, I carefully and meticulously calculated it, comes to about a buck a portion. 🙂
In all my years living in America, I have realized that the majority of Americans say they don’t like liver or any other dish prepared with offal. However, serve them a slice of “Foie Gras” in a fancy restaurant where they are too shy to ask what they are being served, and all of a sudden you get all ahhh’s and ohhh’s. And it’s usually the same with chicken liver mousse, terrine or pate. Serve it on little canapes, put a cherry or grape on top and all of a sudden it becomes great.
Speaking of chicken liver mousse and parfait. Sadly, most of what’s being served in restaurants these days can at best be described as utter garbage. I know, because I love chicken liver mousse and have tried it a hundred times, in fact, I almost always order it if I come across it on a menu. Low-quality liver, too many distracting ingredients, overseasoned, underseasoned, grainy, broken, too long in the fridge, off-putting color, you name it.
So then, for those of my readers who share the love with me, I give you a recipe which is pretty much foolproof, as long as you use top quality liver.
Of course, you can use this recipe to make any other liver mousse. Pork liver, veal liver, duck liver, game liver. You can also, if you must, add a few additional flavors, as long as you take it easy and don’t overpower the fine taste of the liver. Armaniac, calvados, grand marnier, cognac, diced apples, garlic, herbs, sauteed shallots, orange essence, etc. You can even call it a parfait if you want to, since this recipe provides a mousse so fine, it appears to have been strained through a fine hair sieve.
All in all, a spectacular tasty dish, easy to prepare, ~~cheap~~ economical, and definitely better than most of the stuff you can buy ready-made or in most restaurants.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
This amount of mousse serves 4 main courses or 8-12 snacks/appetizers
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Chicken Liver Mousse

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Preparation :
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: 18 oz thoroughly cleaned, VERY fresh liver, 3/4 cup WARM half&half, 3/4 lb cold butter

: saute liver in 1 tblsp clarified butter until medium well

: at once, put into a blender together with the half&half, blend at medium speed for 1 minute, keep running at medium speed while adding 1 tsp sweet paprika and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, add the butter piece by piece until very smooth; check/adjust seasoning

: done…..

: fill mousse into a container, cover airtight, chill in refrigerator overnight

: voilà………

: laugen broetchen (pretzel rolls)

: slice pretzel rolls or other bread of your choice, brush lightly with garlic paste (or plain butter if you prefer), toast one side only until golden; serve with condiments of your choice

: Chicken Liver Mousse

: Chicken Liver Mousse

: Chicken Liver Mousse

: Chicken Liver Mousse

: Chicken Liver Mousse

: Chicken Liver Mousse

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Grilled Veal Breast, Sauteed Potatoes, Chimichurri

Grilled Veal Breast, Sautéed Potatoes And Chimichurri

Sliced veal breast is a cut I use often at home, mainly for these three reasons:
1.- It’s cheap. 1 lb costs around $2.50.
2.- It tastes great.
3.- I love the texture.
Since veal breast is not a very tender part of an animal to begin with, most folks would braise it for a couple of hours to reach the tenderness they are accustomed to. While this will produce a great dish if properly done, it will lose most of that special veal flavor that some of us cherish. But if you prefer to grill or saute the veal breast, you must make sure that you do it right, otherwise, it will end up being dry and tough.
However, if you sear the meat at high heat, then cook it VERY ! slowly for the rest of the cooking process, you will be rewarded with a very fine piece of veal, full of flavor, juicy and tender. The veal breast slices I used for this dish cooked on each side for about 35 minutes until they were medium-well, then I let them rest another 10 minutes before cutting into them. They were perfect and an absolute delight 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Grilled Veal Breast, Sautéed Potatoes, And Chimichurri

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Preparation :
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: 4 ea slices of veal breast at $ 2.50 a lb 🙂

: season with kosher salt, sear on both sides on high heat, as soon as grillmarks apear, turn down heat to very low

: SLOWLY grill on both sides for about 35 min ea side or until medium well, remove from heat, let rest loosely tented, at least 10 minutes before cutting

: while the meat is cooking, cook 4 medium size potatoes in salted water until done, drain

: let potatoes dry a few minutes, cut into slices

: season potatoes with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper, saute in duck fat or clarified butter until golden and crisp;

: place potatoes on serving dish, top with the veal

: drizzle veal generously with chimichurri, serve with grilled chillies (optional)

: Grilled Veal Breast, Sautéed Potatoes And Chimichurri

: Grilled Veal Breast, Sautéed Potatoes And Chimichurri

: Grilled Veal Breast, Sautéed Potatoes And Chimichurri

: Grilled Veal Breast, Sautéed Potatoes And Chimichurri

: Grilled Veal Breast, Sautéed Potatoes And Chimichurri

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Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables

Does stir fried chicken ever get old? Not in my book, for sure 🙂
Its beauty lays in large part in its versatility.
Not only can it be served with or without sauce, but there is no limit to the number of variations with which you can prepare the sauce. If you choose to prep it with sauce, you can include hoisin sauce, soy sauce, fermented bean sauce, oyster sauce, chili sauce, yuzu-soy sauce, kecap manis, etc, etc. You can serve it over stir fried noodles, fried noodles, steamed rice, fried rice, steamed buns; with a myriad of different vegetables, mushrooms and even potatoes (in some part of China potatoes are rather common).
When I cook stir fried chicken at home (or most other stir fries, for that matter), it rarely has the same ingredients twice – if ever.
But, all stir fries (and any other dish) I prepare at my home have one thing in common – I put a lot of love in them, therefore they all are delicious 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables

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Preparation :
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: debone 2 chicken legs (remove the skin if you prefer)

: cut chicken into strips, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, dust with one tsp cornstarch, mix well

: slice 2 ea med size carrots into thin slices on the bias, blanche in lightly salted water, drain

: saute chicken in 1/3 cup peanut oil until cooked half-way done

: add the carrots and 2 ea scallions cut into 1 inch sticks, saute another minute, drain the fat

: add 1 cup ketsup manis and 1/4 cup water, bring to a simmer for one minute, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning, serve with steamed rice (fan)

: Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables

: Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables

: Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables

: Stir Fried Chicken And Vegetables

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Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies (5/60 Dish)

Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

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This is one of those dishes I call a “5/60 Dish“, which, especially for a home cook, are the most rewarding in terms of the ratio of time and effort to final delicious result.
It simply means that it will only require 5 minutes of preparation and 60 minutes of total time, from the start of prepping to having the dish plated and ready to enjoy.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: wash and pat dry one cornish hen per person, season with 1 pinch sweet paprika and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: to a ovenproof dish add 2 oz whole butter, 3/4 cup baby carrots, 1 small cubed onion and 8 ea grape tomatoes, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: top the veggies with the hen, place on a rack and roast in a preheated 385F oven until the hen is fully cooked, 40 to 50 minutes

: when the hen is fully cooked (40 to 50 minutes, depending on size), remove from oven and set aside to rest for 5 minutes

: strain the braising liquid into the northern beans

: while the hen is resting, heat 1/4 tblsp garlic paste with the liquid and fat from the braised hen and vegetables

: add 1 ea 6 oz can drained and rinsed northern beans, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro, leaves from 1 sprig of thyme, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute until beans are heated through

: plate the beans on a serving plate

: top with the braised vegetables, top with the roasted hen

: Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

: Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

: Roast Cornish Hen With Hearty Veggies

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Gravlax

I have prepared gravlax a thousand times over the years, starting at the beginning of the 70’s when I worked in Torekov/Sweden for the first time, and usually, it comes out perfect, or at least close to perfect. It is one of those dishes which actually require an effort to mess it up. So every time I prepare it, I am sure that the outcome Is a predictable “10” on a scale from 0 to 10. But then came this baby !!!
I had to increase the scale by another point to accommodate its level of excellence. It was so off the chart, in taste, texture, and color. Just a perfect “11” 🙂
It was probably a combination of the quality of the fish, the freshness, the amount and quality of the dill, the ratio of the ingredients of the brine and finally, the time I left the salmon in the brine to cure. Whatever it was, this gravlax is the one all future gravlax will be judged by.
But, I can not give you the EXACT amount of time or ingredients, only approximates. Like with most savory cooking, recipe-measurements and times can only serve as guidelines. Usually, there are too many variables to cook EXACTLY by a recipe. (I am sure you have often heard folks say “I followed the recipe to the dot, but it did not turn out to be like in the picture or in the book or the video?- well, that’s the reason why – too many variables. It is also the reason why a professional chef “interprets” a recipe because, with his/her experience over many years, he/she has learned to factor-in these variables and make the necessary adjustments accordingly.
To quote myself – “Cooking is easy – if you know how to do it !” 🙂
So here now is the recipe I used for this specific gravlax. Again, there are a million and one recipes out there. Every Scandinavian cook, housewife and home cook guards at least one gravlax recipe they swear by, and most of them are pretty awesome, just slightly different from each other.
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2 lbs raw salmon, skin on
2 cup kosher salt
1 cup granulated sugar
2 jigger vodka
1/2 cup sliced dill leaves plus 1/4 cup
1/2 cup red beet juice
2 tblsp dijon mustard
1 tblsp fresh-cracked>
black pepper
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Dill/Mustard Sauce
(Traditional condiment for gravlax)
Good quality mustard, white wine vinegar, kosher salt, neutral tasting oil, sugar, fresh dill leaves, pepper(optional), mix all ingredients well.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Gravlax

add the salmon and onions (for a prettier presentation / restaurant presentation) put the egg and capers together with the onions on top of the salmon, however, the way I did it here will keep the capers and egg from rolling off when you eat the sandwich)

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: 2 lbs skin on raw salmon, 2 cup kosher salt 1 cup granulated sugar 2 jigger vodka 1/2 cup sliced dill leaves plus 1/4 cup 1/2 cup red beet juice 2 tblsp dijon mustard 1 tblsp fresh-cracked black pepper

: cover salmon with1/2 cup sliced dill leaves plus

: Mix the dry brine ingredients

: place a small layer of it in a non-reactive dish

: top with the salmon

: (day 1) cover the salmon with the remaining dry brine, cover airtight, keep refrigerated for 4 days (if you like the texture of the salmon softer, remove from brine after 3 days)

: (day 2)

: (day 3)

: (day 4) after 4 (or 3) days, rinse the salmon under running water, pad dry, then cover flesh side with another 1/4 cup of sliced dill (optional)

: Slice the salmon as thin as possible

: easy now, save some for the next day 🙂

: Gravlax

: Gravlax

: Gravlax

: for these sandwiches, I used ciabatta rolls, herb and garlic boursin, hard boiled egg, capers, sliced onions and sweet chilli sauce; usually I use dill/mustard sauce with gravlax, but the ciabatta rolls are pretty rustic and can do with a bit of spice

: top the boursin with a bit of greens, 1/2 a hard boiled egg and capers

: add the salmon and onions (for a prettier presentation put the egg and capers together with the onions on top of the salmon, however, the way I did it here will keep the capers and egg from rolling off when you eat the sandwich)

: Gravlax

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Pork Ribs And Lotus Roots In Tamarind Broth (Sinigang Na Baboy)

At least once a month it’s sinigang-time at my house. The protein I use most often is pork, but sometimes I use shrimp (Sinigáng na Hipon), fish (Sinigáng na Isdâ), beef (Sinigang na Baka) or chicken (Sinampalukang Manók). One can use any part of the pig for sinigang, but my personal favorite cuts are the ribs and/or tails. This morning I found fresh ribs at my butcher, which I turned into this not-so-ordinary sinigang (chard and lotus roots are not commonly used in sinigang).
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Pork Ribs And Lotus Roots In Tamarind Broth (Sinigang Na Baboy)

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Preparation :
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: to 1,5 qt of water add 2 lb single-cut pork ribs, 1 large onion cut into large dice, 2 ea scallion, 1 large tomato cut into thin wedges, add kosher salt, tamarind paste and hot chilies to taste (if you cook this dish for guests, you might want to blanch the pork first in order to have a cleaner broth)

: simmer until ribs are tender but NOT falling apart, you should have about 1/2 qt of liquid left – add a bit of water if you don’t

: add 4 oz blanched chard, 4 oz cooked/sliced lotus root and 6 oz blanched green beans, simmer 1 minute, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning, serve with a bowl of steamed rice and fish sauce and/or soy sauce to season the rice

: Pork Ribs And Lotus Roots In Tamarind Broth (Sinigang Na Baboy)

: Pork Ribs And Lotus Roots In Tamarind Broth (Sinigang Na Baboy)

: Pork Ribs And Lotus Roots In Tamarind Broth (Sinigang Na Baboy)

: Pork Ribs And Lotus Roots In Tamarind Broth (Sinigang Na Baboy)

: Pork Ribs And Lotus Roots In Tamarind Broth (Sinigang Na Baboy)

: Pork Ribs And Lotus Roots In Tamarind Broth (Sinigang Na Baboy)

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Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

Here we have the perfect breakfast for dog owners (and everybody else who loves a great breakfast and can wait awhile before breakfast is ready,) 🙂
Once the prep has been done (you can do this the previous evening), just put the wrap into the oven (hot or cold), turn to 375F and walk your dog.
Make sure you are back before the hour is over and you will be rewarded with a perfect breakfast). Generally, the egg inside will take about 35 minutes for a “sunny side up” texture, while additional time spent in the heat will obviously take the egg to the next level of doneness. This doneness will depend on various factors, such as the thickness of the wrap, the thickness of the ham and tomato, the amount of cheese and /or other fillings, and so forth.
When I made this dish the first time a few years back, I took it out of the oven WAY too early, not realizing how much time the egg actually takes to cook inside all these layers. However, if you like this dish, take some notes about the time and temperature you use in order to get it right on future occasions.
Also, and this is even more important, chose a wrap which suits this preparation. If you select the wrong one, the shell will become dry and tough after it’s considerable time in the oven. But if you find the right one (see the pic below for an example), the wrap becomes wonderfully flaky, almost like a puff pastry, as is clearly visible in the pics of the cut wrap 🙂 . The reason why I use two wraps per pocket is that the (RIGHT) wraps add a great flakiness one would not get with a single layer (there is a lot of moisture inside).
I also like to emphasize the importance of the grated parmesan cheese between the moist layers to help keep a proper texture, (you don’t want a soggy mess !) and the importance of brushing the wrap generously with whole butter before baking, both for taste and texture.
As for the sauce, I love to serve this with sweet Thai chili sauce or a honey/herb yogurt. Again – serve it with whatever makes YOU happy ! 🙂
Of course, as with most of the food I publish on my blog, I recommend using this dish as an inspiration for your very own variations of a baked wrap. I have prepared them with seafood, ground meat, chicken, veggies, with or without cheese, with or without eggs, etc. ( one of my favorites is tomato, onion, sauteed spinach, and brie). Also, although I have this usually for breakfast, it makes a great snack or meal any time during the day or evening.

Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: Mise en Place

: This brand flakes up great

: sprinkle grated parmesan in center of wrap

: top with cooked ham, sprinkle with grated parmesan

: add one thick slice of firm, ripe tomato, sprinkle with grated parmesan and sliced scallion

: add grated sharp cheddar

: top with 1 raw egg, fold into a pouch, seams on the top; add another wrap, fold into a pouch, seams on the bottom; bake at 365f until the egg is cooked to your preferred doneness, 30 – 55 minutes (this one baked for 45 minutes, notice the egg is still moist)

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

: Breakfast Of Champions # 62 – Baked Breakfast Wrap

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Spinach Tagliatelle With Crayfish In Garlic/Chili Butter

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Crayfish must be one of the most under-appreciated seafood on the market. I assume it has to do with the fact that it takes a while and a bit of practice to peel them efficiently. There is also the misconception that they are expensive, which, in my opinion, they are not. One pound costs about $ 5.00 and is enough for a generous portion).
Another sad fact is that outside of their harvesting areas and outside of harvesting season, it is not easy to come by great quality crayfish. The reason for this is mostly bad handling, so in order to ensure good quality, make sure the fishmonger lets you stick your nose into (or at least close to) 🙂 the ice box in which they are kept, and always ask to give you the bottom layer, closest to the ice.
This, of course, is an important step in buying any seafood, including frozen or “previously frozen”! Please remember – expertly flash-frozen seafood can be as good as fresh seafood, provided it is handled, stored and defrosted properly.
Much seafood which is labeled fresh or never frozen is, in fact, inferior to properly preserved seafood, due to the length of transport, lack of proper or inconsistent cooling and general lack of proper handling.
But as I wrote earlier, the smell test will easily reveal if you should buy or forget 🙂
Needless to say, the little beauties I used for this meal were fresh, yummy and pretty, so this dish was an all around success 🙂
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Spinach Tagliatelle With Crayfish In Garlic/Chili Butter

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: great quality dried spinach pasta

: remove the tails from the shells of 1 lb cooked crayfish (this is 1 generous potion), reserve 5 whole crayfish for garnish

: simmer the shells and legs in 1 qt water, 1/2 tsp garlic paste and 1/2 tsp sweet chili paste until reduced to 1/2 cup

: add 6 oz whole butter, simmer until liquid has evaporated

: strain butter into another pot

: add the whole crayfish and the tails to warm

: add 1 portion (4 oz raw) freshly cooked, drained tagliatelle together with 4 tblsp of the cooking water, mix, check/adjust seasoning; see pictures for serving suggestion

: Spinach Tagliatelle With Crayfish In Garlic/Chili Butter

: Spinach Tagliatelle With Crayfish In Garlic/Chili Butter

: Spinach Tagliatelle With Crayfish In Garlic/Chili Butter

: Spinach Tagliatelle With Crayfish In Garlic/Chili Butter

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Crappy Weather Food – Beef, Beans And Other Stuff

Meanwhile, in Florida…….

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Hurricane season has finally arrived in Florida, and boy, has it ARRIVED 😦
While God has spared us a hurricane so far, we had constant rainstorms for the past two weeks, resulting in extensive flooding, turning many streets into rivers and parking lots into lakes.
Hearty food is the partial answer to that misery, making up for the fact that outside grilling and outside cooking in general, is suspended for the moment.
This beef stew with potatoes, tomatoes, onions, garbanzos, white beans, red beans and black beans is the perfect food to enjoy while looking out the window, watching the world drowning in rain and misery 😦
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Crappy Weather Food – Beef, Beans And Other Stuff

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: 2 lbs beef ribs

: blanche ribs for one minute, drain, rinse

: to 3 qt water add the ribs, 2 med white onions, large dice, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 1 pinch grated nutmeg, kosher salt and grd black pepper to taste, bring to a simmer

: simmer slowly until ribs are very tender but NOT falling apart

: remove ribs from stock, let cool enough to handle

: remove and discard bones, cut meat into bite size pieces

: the stock should be reduce to about 1 qt; if too much, simmer until 1 qt remains, if there is not enough, add some more water to reach 1 qt

: cut 1/2 ea red pepper, 1/2 ea yellow pepper and 1/2 ea green peppers into large dice; drain and rinse 10 oz kernel corn, 10 oz black beans, 10 oz white beans, 10 oz red beans, 10 oz diced tomatoes, 10 oz small cooked potatoes

: add the beef, all the veggies, 1 lb finely sliced beef sausage and 1/2 cup sliced scallions to the stock, simmer for 3 minutes

: check/adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with fresh grated Asiago cheese and 1/2 cup finely diced raw white onion, red pepper, green pepper, yellow pepper and scallion (optional, but in my opinion the raw veggies add a great “freshness” and texture)