kosher salt

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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Easy Does It # 13 – Asian Style Pickled Cucumber Ribbons

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This is one of the most ingenious, simple, delicious, economical and pretty dishes out there.
Serve it as side dish, part of a fancy or simple salad, or as a snack.
Season it mild, medium or fiery hot.
Either way, I am sure you will love it and it may even become one of your go-to standby’s. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Asian Style Pickled Cucumbers

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Preparation:
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wash cucumbers, pat dry

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cut cucumbers into fine ribbons with a sharp peeler, discard seed-parts. Seaso with plenty of kosher salt, let rest for 20 minutes

cut cucumbers into fine ribbons with a sharp peeler, discard seed-parts. Season with plenty of kosher salt, let rest for 30 minutes

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squeeze cucumbers, discard juice

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add finely sliced chilies, rice vinegar, garlic paste, sesame oil and a dash of sugar, mix well

add finely sliced chilies, sriracha, rice vinegar, garlic paste, sesame oil and a dash of sugar, mix well

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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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Finkenwerder Meeresfrüchte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Finkenwerder is part of Hamburg/Germany, famous (culinary wise) for its seafood restaurants. When I was a young cook back in the seventies, I worked part time in one of them (the name escapes me now) The restaurant was very elegant, expensive and beautiful. I remember many of the specialties we cooked there but the one outstanding dish I remember in particular was the
“Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style”
A creamy soup made of roux, a bit of tomato paste, seafood stock, cognac and lots of cream, chock-full of mussels, shrimp, cockles( herzmuscheln) and scallops. Pure heaven in a bowl for seafood lovers, then and now 🙂
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Saute fine diced onions in butter, add flour to make a blond roux, add a bit of tomato paste, saute another minute, add fish stock and simmer for 15 minutes, add cream and cocnac, simmer another few minutes, season with sea salt and cayenne pepper, add blanched seafodd, carefully stir and remove from heat. to serve, sprinkle with fresh dill leaves

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Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Crispy Pata

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Crispy pata – pork at it’s finest.
Here is my own version of this great dish from the Philippines.
It is very easy to prepare and will alway’s hit the spot when the munchies call late at night 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Ang Sarap !
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Crispy Patta

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whole pork butt (shoulder)

simmer butt in salted water until tender but NOT falling apart, rest on rack and store in fridge overnight to dry out skin

simmer butt in salted water until tender, but NOT falling apart, rest on a rack and store in fridge overnight to dry out skin

cut into small pieces and fry until VERY CRIPY, remove to absorbent paper

cut into small pieces and fry until VERY CRISPY, remove to absorbent paper

for dipping sauce, chop lot’s of very hot chilies and lot’s of onions, add vinegar, kosher salt, a dash of soy sauce, a dash of patis, lots of garlic paste and a bit of grated ginger

Crispy Patta

Fried Pork Leg With Spicy Dipping Sauce

Crispy Patta

Fried Pork Leg With Spicy Dipping Sauce

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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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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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Easy Does it # 9 – Cauliflower/Potato Cream and Pumpkin/Carrot Cream

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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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I was supposed to go up to Tampa on the weekend, but my friends had an emergency and had to fly to LA. We also had planned to meet next weekend for another event, so I hope that things work out for them and we will get together next week.
So, I have a lot of time on my hand and will be doing a lot of cooking for the next few day’s.
The first ting I did on Thursday afternoon was making soups for the weekend. I love to eat soup the whole day long, breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack, anytime. These simple soups are extremely easy to prepare , delicious to eat and light on the wallet. Just freeze what you think you will not consume within two days. You will be happy every time you don’t feel like cooking and just have to defrost and reheat these babies to enjoy a quick snack.

Bon Appetit ! Life is good !

the stove top of a soup fan 🙂

the goodies

Pumpkin & Carrot Cream

Cauliflower & Potato Cream

click HERE for tomato cream

Tomato Cream
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click HERE for tomato cream

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Cauliflower / Potato Cream

caulifower, potatoes, white onions, garlic paste, chicken stock, sea salt, hot sauce, nutmeg, simmer until all veggies are soft

put soup in blender until smooth

put back on heat, bring to a simmer

add heavy cream, check / adjust seasoning

Cauliflower & Potato Cream

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Pumkin / Carrot Cream
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pumpkin, carrot, red onion, chicken stock, grated ginger, garlic paste, sea salt, hot sauce, nutmeg, simmer until all veggies are soft

pumpkin, carrot, red onion, chicken stock, grated ginger, garlic paste, sea salt, hot sauce, garam masala, nutmeg, simmer until all veggies are soft

put soup in blender until smooth

add heavy cream, check / adjust seasoning

Pumpkin & Carrot Cream

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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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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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