Olive oil

Movie Time – Pizza Roll Time

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Yesterday evening, looking forward to binge-watch the final four episodes of season one of “The Crown” on Netflix, I got settled into my favorite chair, with a bucket of peach iced tea on ice next to me and a dish of pizza-rolls in the oven.
Twenty minutes into the first episode, the rolls were ready. Another fifteen minutes of cool-down time and voilà , a large tray of great snacks, nurturing me for the rest of the evening through episode 10, until the end of season one.
Great evening, happy as a lark, tired, relaxed, full and content.
I probably gained five lbs, but, such is the price of indulgence 🙂
(To be repeated next year for season two of “The Crown”).
2.30 am – time to take Bella for a one-hour walk around the lake………..
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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More Snacks on ChefsOpinion
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More Pizza on ChefsOpinion
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Pizza Dough Recipe:

Ingredients :

A/P flour, 2 cups (plus more for kneading)
Water, 3/4 cup, warm
Active dry yeast, 1 envelope
Sugar, 1 teaspoon
Olive oil, 3 table spoon
Kosher salt,

Method :

Pour water into small bowl, mix in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil, knead until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead dough until smooth. Dust with flour as you work the dough. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with moist towel. Let dough rise until doubled in volume.Punch down dough. Pull dough until desired thickness and shape is achieved. If this is too difficult, roll the dough with a rolling-pin. However, in my opinion, the pizza will turn out superior if the dough is pulled.

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Movie Time/Pizza Roll Time

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Preparation :
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: italian parsley, 2 ea italian spicy sausage (skin removed), 15 ea cherry tomatoes, sriracha to taste

: stretch or roll the dough as thin as possible, sprinkle with corn meal

: sprinkle with chopped parsley and drizzle with sriracha to taste, sprinkle with 1/3 cup grated parmesan

: cut tomatoes in half, add into the center-line of the dough, season with kosher salt and granulated garlic to taste

: shred the sausages, add to tomatoes

: top generously with 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar and 1 cup shredded mozzarella

: drizzle with 1/3 cup EVO, roll into a tight roll

: brush generously with more EVO

: cut into 1,5 inch slices, arrange tight in a oiled baking dish

: sprinkle with 1/2 cup grated parmesan

: bake in a 375F oven until cooked through and a nice crust has formed, remove from heat, let cool down to room temperature, sprinkle with fresh basil leaves

: Movie Time/Pizza Roll Time

: Movie Time/Pizza Roll Time

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Insalata Di Gorgonzola

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I hope that you all will recreate this wonderful salad I have prepped today for my dinner and shared with Bella (She loves gorgonzola) 🙂
The key to the success of this dish are, as usual, the best quality ingredients you can find and afford.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Please don’t shy back from the whole garlic cloves confit – they are slowly cooked in duck fat until VERY mild and VERY soft.
While eating, mash them with your fork or knife into the cheese and tomatoes (a bit of interaction there) 🙂
But, if you must, puree them into the dressing 😦
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Insalata Di Gorgonzola

Jalapeno & Cheese Sour Dough Bread

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: heirloom tomatoes, gorgonzola, avocados, onion, garlic confit

: saute whole garlic clove confit in it’s own oil until caramelized

: Jalapeno & Cheese Sour Dough Bread

: cut bread into slices

: brush bread with garlic paste

: grill bread until golden

: assemble salad as pictured in this and the following picture, drizzle with white balsamic vinaigrette, sprinkle with fresh-cracked black pepper

: Insalata Di Gorgonzola

: Insalata Di Gorgonzola

: Insalata Di Gorgonzola

: Insalata Di Gorgonzola

: Insalata Di Gorgonzola

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Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

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This morning for breakfast I had leftover pasta from last night, which required a much lighter lunch and no dinner (Maybe a bit of ice cream though 🙂
So, at around noon, off to the fishmonger down the road to get some fresh shrimp and to the supermarket to see what’s available that would be appealing to my desire for a tasty salad. Red pears, chicorée frisée (endive, curly endive, or frisée) and fresh lime for the salad and its dressing, and a small amount of sun-dried tomatoes and it was on. Twenty minutes after I got home, Bella and I were feasting on this superb creation, wrapped in flour tortillas and accompanied by peach ice tea. Bella ate about half the shrimp and a bit of the tortillas and graciously allowed me to enjoy the rest. Life is Good !
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Bon Appétit ! Thanks Bella, for your Generosity 🙂
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Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?))

Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

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Preparation :
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: pour 2 tblsp garlic oil from your homemade garlic confit into a saute pan

: peel and devein 20 oz shrimp, remove the head and tails, marinade in 3 tblsp Thai sweet chili sauce and kosher salt to taste, add 3 stalk sliced scallions

: saute the shrimp and scallions in the garlic oil

: clean and wash 1/2 head of a medium size chicorée frisée, core and slice 1 large red pear into batons, julienne 4 oz of sun dried tomatoes; dress with juice of 2 limes, 3 tblsp olive oil, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: toast “a bunch” of flour tortillas, cover to keep warm

: Flour Tortillas

: place the salad on a serving dish

: top the salad with the shrimp and its juices; serves 2 main courses or 6 appetizers

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?))

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

: Salad Of Chili Shrimp, Chicorée Frisée, Pear And Sun-Dried Tomato (Or Is It A Taco ?)

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This Is Not A Post !!! (Pissaladière)

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pic-source: bon-appetit-box

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I was going to post about this wonderful dish I prepared for today’s dinner. But, unfortunately, I can’t !!!
Why not, you ask ?
Because just as I took the Pissaladière out of the oven, my friend and neighbor Rod rung the door bell. Upon entering, he mentioned the fabulous smell coming from the kitchen. One thing lead to another, and before I realized what happened, we had devoured the whole thing right there in the kitchen, eating it standing-up by the stove.
Only then did I realize that I forgot to take pictures of the finished Pissaladière 😦
So instead, I included this stock photo of a baked Pissaladière at the top of this page. It is not the prettiest of Pissaladière and certainly not as gorgeous as the one I prepared, but I included it anyway for folks who don’t know how a Pissaladière looks.
However, I believe the picks I took of the prep, up to the point (but not included) when I added black olives, will tell the tale of this dish sufficiently and will give you an idea of it’s soul 🙂
Again, for those who are not familiar with Pissaladière, I recommend it as a snack or meal accompanied by beer or wine, best served at a party or other happy occasion when hearty food is appropriate……
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more pics of (not so pretty) Pissaladière
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Yeast dough for Pissaladière :

Ingredients :
A/P flour, 2 cups (plus more for kneading)
Water, 3/4 cup, warm
Active dry yeast, 1 envelope
Sugar, 1 teaspoon
Olive oil, 3 table spoon
Kosher salt,

Method :
Pour water into small bowl, mix in yeast. Let stand until yeast dissolves, about 5 minutes. Brush large bowl lightly with olive oil. Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt. Add yeast mixture and 3 tablespoons oil, knead until dough forms a sticky ball. Transfer to lightly floured surface. Knead the dough until smooth. Dust with flour as you work the dough. Transfer to prepared bowl; turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with moist towel. Let dough rise until doubled in volume.Punch down dough. Pull dough until desired thickness and shape is achieved. If this is too difficult, roll the dough with a rolling-pin. However, in my opinion, the Pissaladière will turn out superior if the dough is pulled.
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Pissaladière – Gone…….

Pissaladière, pre-baking

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Preparation :
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: saute 2 lbs julienned onions in 3 tblsp olive oil until lightly caramelized, season with 1 tblsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: pull 1 lb dough (or more if you like your Pissaladière thicker) on a baking sheet sprinkled with corn meal,then sprinkle the top of the daugh with more corn meal

: spread the onions across the dough, leaving a small border

: add anchovies fillets to taste

: sprinkle with fresh cracked black pepper, top with black olives to taste, bake at 420 F until dough is cooked through, about 15 to 20 minutes; serves 4 main course or 12 appetizer/snacks

: Pissaladière – Gone…….

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Bratwurstsalat (Brat-Salad)

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Today I found some great German (almost) bratwurst at my grocer’s. Good looking, fresh and at $6.00 bucks for a pack of five, who could say no…..
At first I wanted to prepare them in the typical German style, sautéed or grilled whole, served with a leaf salad, potato salad and mustard on the side. But then I realized that I am more in the mood for a big bowl of composed salad, so this rustic beauty is what resulted.
Verdict : Prepared this way is much better than served the traditional way 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Bratwurstsalat (Brat-Salad)

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Preparation :
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: saute 20 oz thick-sliced bratwurst in garlic oil until nicely browned and cooked through, remove to absorbent paper

: core and slice 1 ea red apple into fine slices, add two packed cups of fresh-cooked green beans, 2 cups cooked, sliced potatoes, 1 medium size sliced onion and 1 finely sliced yellow medium-hot chili

: to dress the salad, add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup cider vinegar, 2 tblsp “Maille Whole Grain Mustard”, 1 tsp garlic paste, kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper to taste, mix all ingredients, check/adjust taste; to serve, place on a bed of dressed bib lettuce and top with chicharones ; serves 4

: Bratwurstsalat (Brat-Salad)

: Bratwurstsalat (Brat-Salad)

: Bratwurstsalat (Brat-Salad)

: Bratwurstsalat (Brat-Salad)

: Bratwurstsalat (Brat-Salad)

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Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto And Ricotta

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Question : Who love’s a bright-green, traditional, heavenly aromatic basil pesto?
Answer : Just about everybody does, that’s who. (Including myself)
However, for my very own personal taste, I prefer to pair traditional pesto with light and airy gnocchi, while I love to marry a rustic pasta like penne rigate, rigatoni, farfalle or bucatini with a more complex pesto such as this Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto.
I hope that the Italian purist’s out there will forgive me and maybe even agree with my opinion that a non-traditional pesto such as this Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew-Pesto can elevate a simple pasta to even greater culinary bliss than a one-note basil/pine pesto nut will ever be able to do. In my humble opinion, anyway……. 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Pesto on ChefsOpinion
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Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

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Preparation :
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: to 1 cup sun dried tomatoes preserved in olive oil add 1/2 cup olive oil, 1/4 cup salted cashew nuts, 2 tblsp garlic paste, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: pulse with hand mixer until coarsely chopped

: add 1 cup tightly packed basil leaves and 1/2 cup grated parmigiano reggiano, pulse again until basil is coarsely chopped, check/adjust seasoning

: Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto

: meanwhile, cook and drain 1 lb pasta, add 1/2 of the pesto (reserve left over pesto for other use)

: mix pasta and pesto

: divide pasta onto four serving plates

: sprinkle pasta with fresh-grated parmigiano reggiano, top with 2 oz ricotta, sprinkle with small basil leaves ; serves 4

: Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

: Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

: Pasta With Sun-dried Tomato/Cashew Pesto And Ricotta

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Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

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Aged beef tenderloin and a hearty salad – if done with love, a wonderful, sexy, perfect fit.
I am usually not a big fan of beef tenderloin because in my opinion, the texture is rather boring and more suitable for a toothless baby than for a grown man.
However, cut into lardon’s, seasoned properly and sautéed really hot until nicely browned on the outside and still rare on the inside, it is the perfect meat to add to a salad.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

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Preparation :
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To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: Basil Bush

: slice 10 ea medium sized red radishes into thick slices, add 2 tblsp kosher salt, mix and let rest to marinade for 20 minutes; squeeze-out excess water, discard water

: trim 16 oz beef tenderloin of all fat and skin, cut into lardons, season with 1 tblsp chili paste, 1 tblsp garlic paste and kosher salt to taste

: saute beef in VERY HOT pan until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside

: 4 ea hard boiled eggs, 1 ea yellow chilies, 1 ea avocado, peeled and cut into slices, salted radishes, 1 head endive,

: whisk 3 tblsp olive oil and chiffonade of 10 basil leaves with 1 tblsp white balsamic vinegar, kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, mix with the salad

: divide salad onto 2 serving plates, top ea salad with half the sauteed meat each, garnish with more basil ; serves 2

: Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

: Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

: Steak Salad Recipe # 2371

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Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli In Tomato Sauce, Aji Amarillo And Pangrattato

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Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli In Tomato Sauce, Aji Amarillo And Pangrattato

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After three relaxing days of mostly doing nothing, today I decided to spend a bit of time in the kitchen and treat myself to a wonderful dish I absolutely love, but which, because of the space-constraints in my tiny kitchen, I don’t prepare often enough.
It gives me great pleasure to make fresh pasta, but in a small workspace the flour needed to dust the surface while rolling and kneading the dough can be a bit messy 😦
However, today the craving for this dish won against the aversion to mess and I went ahead and prepared what must be one of the best pasta dishes to ever come out of my (tiny) kitchen 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Pangrattato-Instructions on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for Tomato Sauce Recipe on ChefsOpinion
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Salsa Aji Amarillo:
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Ingredients :
3 oz queso fresco
1 small onion, finely diced
1/4 tsp garlic paste
4 ají peppers (seeded and deveined)
1/2 teaspoon huacatay paste
4 tblsp olive oil
1 tblsp raw peanuts
kosher salt, to taste
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Method :
Chop peppers, onion, saute in 2 tblsp olive oil until soft. Put sauteed vegetables and all other ingredients into a blender, process until creamy and smooth. Check/adjust seasoning.
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Pasta Dough :
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Ingredients :
2 ¹⁄₂cups A/P flour
3 -4 eggs (depending on size)
^{Kosher salt to taste}>
Method :
Sift the flour onto the work surface, make a well in the center
Add the eggs, one at a time, add the salt.
Mix the eggs, then add a little flour at a time from the well, until all the flour has been used.
Knead the dough for about 5 minutes, adding flour if dough is too sticky.
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Filling :
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Ingredients :
1 cup ricotta cheese, softened
²⁄₃cup pumpkin, peeled, finely diced, cooked tender, drained, cooled
¹⁄₄cup fresh-grated parmesan cheese
1 whole egg, beaten
fresh-grated nutmeg, kosher salt salt and cayenne pepper to taste

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Method :
mash pumpkins and ricotta, add all other ingredients, mix well
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Ravioli :
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Method :
Roll pasta into thin sheets, cut into wide strips, brush edges lightly with water
Add filling at equal distance
Fold over the sheet of pasta, squeeze-out air
Cut out the individual ravioli shapes using pastry cutter or shape cutter, press with a slightly smaller scalloped ring to give a “crimped” appearance
Cook 5-7 minutes in boiling water, depending on the thickness of the dough and filling
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Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli In Tomato Sauce, Aji Amarillo And Pangrattato

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: saute breadcrumbs in butter

: pangrattato

: boil ravioli until done, about 5-7 minutes, depending on thickness and amount of filling, drain, toss with 3 tblsp olive oil

: add tomato sauce to serving dish

: add ravioli

: drizzle ravioli with more tomato sauce, sprinkle with parmigiano romano

: drizzle with salsa aji amarillo

: sprinkle with pangrattato

: sprinkle with finely sliced chives

: Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli In Tomato Sauce, Aji Amarillo And Pangrattato

: Pumpkin & Ricotta Ravioli In Tomato Sauce, Aji Amarillo And Pangrattato

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Not your Ordinary Balls

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Veal Meatballs in Pesto Cream With Garlicky Spaghetti And Concasse

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These meatballs resemble “Konigsberger Klopse” more than “Italian Meatballs”.
Made of veal, simmered, then served in veloute, they look and taste very distinct from the meatballs most folks are familiar with.
I hope that with this post I can convince you that there is more to meatballs than the usual suspects in tomato sauce.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Meatballs on ChefsOpinion
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Veal Meatball Recipe:

Ingredients:
20 oz ground veal
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup panko
1/2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp ketchup
1/2 tsp garlic paste
1 tsp dijon mustard
kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

Method:
Mix all ingredients well, shape 6 golf ball sized spheres, simmer in lightly salted water until done, about 15 minutes
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Veal Meatballs in Pesto Cream With Garlicky Spaghetti And Concasse

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Preparation :
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: simmer meatballs in 1qt lightly salted water until cooked through, about 15 minutes, remove meatballs, cover, keep warm; strain stock, reduce to 1/2 qt

: saute 1 tblsp flour in 1 tblsp butter, add the stock, simmer slowly for 8 minutes, add 1/2 cup heavy cream

: add a few sprigs of curly parsley and 3 tblsp pesto

: blend until smooth, check/adjust seasoning

: add meatballs to sauce

: saute 1 tblsp garlic paste in 2 tblsp olive oil until fragrant

: add 1 cup peeled/diced tomatoes, saute another minute

: add 8 oz cooked spaghetti, add kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, mix well

: divide pasta into 2 deep plates

: divide the meatballs with the sauce between the 2 plates

: sprinkle with grated parmigiano romano; serves 2

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Salad of Tomato, Cucumber, Alfalfa Sprouts And Parmigiano Reggiano

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While ” Just A Salad ” usually does not do it for me, this one certainly did 🙂
Consisting of just a few simple ingredients, the quality and richness they possessed made this a complete, delicious and utterly satisfying meal.
The tomatoes were super ripe and super sweet, the cucumbers crispy and fresh, the sprouts added a new texture and the parmigiano reggiano was as perfect as can be.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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slice 2 large, very ripe tomatoes into fine slices, arrange on serving platter, sprinkle with sea salt to taste

slice 2 large, very ripe tomatoes and 1 medium size white onion into fine slices, arrange on serving platter, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper to taste, add 1/2 tray alfalfa sprouts, drizzle with 3 tblsp white balsamic vinegar and 3 tblsp olive oil

slice 2 medium size cucumbers and 1 medium size white onion into fine slices, arrange on serving platter, sprinkle with sea salt and fresh-cracked black pepper to taste, add 1/2 tray alfalfa sprouts, drizzle with 3 tblsp white balsamic vinegar and 3 tblsp olive oil