Olive oil

Pearl Burgers

Pearl Balls

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Pearl ~~Balls~~ Burgers :
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DON’T PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD !
When we were kids, most of us had to be told not to play with our food in order to install respect and gratitude towards our daily nourishment, which in my case, immediately after WWII in Germany, was not nearly as guaranteed and abundant as is now for most of us.
But, decades later, like any professional chef, I love to “play” with food, either to improve a dish’s taste, appearance, profitability, or just for the heck of it. 🙂
“Just for the heck of it” happened today.
I was well on my way to prepare traditional “Chinese Pearl Balls”, which I love dearly and I prepare quite often for myself at home. They are easy and quick to prepare, look wonderful and they serve perfect as snack, appetizer or main course in a multi-course meal.
However, today I had the urge to “play with my food” a bit and the following was the result. Both versions of the burgers were outstanding in taste and especially in texture, and I will definitely prepare them again 🙂
Because of their size and the additional liquid added to the ground meat, the pearl burgers were much more juicy than regular pearl balls, which tend to dry-out quickly when removed from the steam. The burgers without the rice coating were very juicy as well, with the additional bonus of the taste/texture-enhancement resulting from the maillard reaction.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
As mentioned above and as you can see in the prep-pictures below, I added much more water to the ground meat as one would to regular pearl balls, since holding their shape was not an issue for the patties as it would have been shaping the pork into spherical shapes. The added moisture made a huge difference in the final product.
P.P.S.
Serve with Kecap Manis or other dipping sauce of your choice.
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Pearl Burger

Asian Flavored Pork Burger

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Preparation :
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: mix 2 lbs ground pork, 4 ea stalks sliced scallions, 1 tblsp sesame oil, 1 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1/2 tsp grated ginger, 1 tsp chili paste, kosher salt to taste and 1 cup water or unsalted chicken broth

: soak 1 cup long grain rice overnight in water; next day, drain rice and pat dry

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: divide pork into 4 patties, dip 2 ea on both sides in the soaked rice

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: saute the 2 plain patties on both sides in peanut oil until golden and cooked medium-well – (the carry-over heat will finish the cooking process) ; serves 2

: place one ea of the pearl patties on a lightly oiled plate or parchment paper, steam in 2 steamer baskets (one above each other) until medium well – (the carry-over heat will finish the cooking process) ; serves 2

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: Asian Flavored Pork Burger

: Steamed Pearl Burger

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: Asian Flavored Pork Burger

: Pearl Balls Burger

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Ox Tripe Two Way’s

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: Creamy Ox Tripe Stew

: Clear Oxtripe Stew

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Even though ox tripe is not everybody’s cup of tea, I myself am an incurable fan of it.
Originally classified as “Poor Man’s Food”, it has lately become more widely used, especially since the “Head To Tail” movement has become popular and it is now “in” to classify former “Poor Man’s Food” as “Comfort Food 🙂 .
Well, I grew up loving this type of food, so for today’s lunch, I made two versions, one for lunch and one to be re-heated at dinner.
Of course, there are a million recipes for ox tripe from around the world and I love most of them. But these two versions of (almost) the same recipe are without a doubt on the very top of my list. Great looks, super taste and outstanding texture lift them to the level of excellence the humble ox tripe deserves.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Oxtripe recipes on ChefsOpinion ( Mondongo/ Beef Tripe/ Kutteln/ 牛百叶/ 牛百葉/ Goto/ Tripa/ требуха/ أمعاء, شىء تافه )
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Clear Ox Tripe Stew

Creamy Ox Tripe Stew

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Preparation :
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: blanch 2 lbs tripe in lightly salted and vinegared water (one tblsp ea salt and vinegar per qt of water), repeat

: drain, rinse

: cut into thick strips, simmer in lightly salted and vinegared water (one tblsp ea salt and vinegar per qt of water) until soft but not mushy, drain, set aside

: drain one 14 oz can diced tomatoes, one 14 oz can drained northern beans, one 14 oz can red kidney beans, one 14 oz can kernel corn

: saute julienne of 2 med sized onions in 1 tblsp olive oil until translucent, add 1 tblsp garlic paste, saute until fragrant

: add the diced tomatoes, northern beans, red kidney beans, kernel corn, 8 oz shredded carrots, 1 bunch chopped cilantro and 1 qt beef stock, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: simmer stew for 2 minutes, check/adjust seasoning, divide stew in half, reserve one half for recipe # 2

: add 1 half of the tripe to the stew; to serve, sprinkle with chopped cilantro, finely sliced scallions and grated parmesan cheese (optional)

: Clear Oxtripe Stew

: for second recipe, blend 1/4 of reserved stew with 1 tblsp grated parmesan until smooth

: add 1 cup heavy cream, mix

: return mixture to the remaining 3/4 of the reserved stew, mix well, add reserved tripe, check/adjust seasoning

: to serve, drizzle with chili oil and sprinkle with finely sliced scallions and chopped cilantro

: Creamy Ox Tripe Stew

: Creamy Ox Tripe Stew

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Steak Salad – Just A Bit Different

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We have come to expect a steak salad to be mostly beef and greens, usually with an afterthought of a few cucumbers, tomatoes and onions thrown in. (Myself – guilty) 🙂 😦
So today I went into a different direction, with a salad of pickled artichokes, sliced red onions, diced tomatoes, black beans and garbanzos in a delicious sweet chili, garlic confit and cilantro vinaigrette .
The result was a spectacular dish, outstanding in looks, taste and texture.
Definitely a permanent addition to my personal repertoir.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Sweet Chili, Garlic Confit And Cilantro Vinaigrette Recipe :
Mix 1/2 cup olive oil with 10 cloves of garlic confit, 1 tblsp sweet thai chili sauce, 1 tblsp chopped cilantro, 2 tblsp rice vinegar and kosher salt to taste.
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Steak Salad – Just A Bit Different

Artichoke & Legumes Salad

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Preparation :
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: trimm four 10 oz strip steaks of all skin and fat, season with kosher salt and grd black pepper, saute or grill until done to your preference, let steaks rest at least 10 minutes before slicing

: prepare the dressing (see recipe)

: mix one 8 oz can of marinated artichokes, one 8 oz can of black beans, one 8 oz can of garbanzos, one 4 oz can of diced tomatoes, and 1 medium sliced onion with the dressing, check/adjust seasoning

: mix one 8 oz can of marinated artichokes, one 8 oz can of black beans, one 8 oz can of garbanzos, one 4 oz can of diced tomatoes, and 1 medium sliced onion with the dressing, check/adjust seasoning

: divide the salad between 4 serving plates

: top each salad with one sliced steak; recipe serves 4

: Steak Salad – Just A Bit Different

: Steak Salad – Just A Bit Different

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Chicken And Waffles

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Chicken And Waffles are deeply rooted in the American south and have become a staple Soul Food item. More commonly made with fried chicken and served with gravy or honey and butter, I never really understood the attraction of the dish. However, my own version presented here, with very crisp waffles, sautéed boneless chicken breast and smothered onions in cream sauce has fully won my heart and will be a new standby in my home-kitchen repertoire.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Waffle Recipe

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Click here to learn how to cook Perfectly Juicy, Tasty Chicken Breast
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Chicken And Waffle

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Preparation :
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: butterfly 3 boneless chicken breasts

: season with kosher salt, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper, saute in butter (or vegetable oil if you prefer) until just done but not dry

: while the chicken is sauteeing, prepare the waffle batter

: cook the waffle about 2 minutes longer than usual to get a crisper waffle that can stand-up better to the smothered onions in cream

: 1 done, 2 to go……..

: when cooked, remove chicken and reserve

: in the same pan/fat, saute two medium sized, sliced onions until lightly caramelized

: add 1 cup heavy cream and 1/2 cup lager beer, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, simmer for 2 minutes, remove from heat

: add 3 tblsp finely chopped cilantro, check/adjust seasoning

: place waffle on serving plate

: top one side of the waffle with a chicken breast, cover the other side of the waffle with smothered onions, sprinkle with more chopped cilantro and a pinch of smoked paprika (paprika optional) ; serves 3

: Chicken And Waffle

: Chicken And Waffle

: Chicken And Waffle

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Portuguese Eggs

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While Maria and I were living in Funchal, Madeira, we became friends with a wonderful local couple, Balduino and Felicidade. They invited us to their home often, where we usually had an early brunch and then set out to explore the island, usually by car and sometimes by scooter. After a while this became a wonderful routine and it was Balduino’s pride (and our enjoyment) to prepare a different variation of “Portuguese Eggs” each time we met at his house. Over time, we were able to enjoy this dish with squid, octopus, lobster, shrimp, espada (the most popular local fish), chorizo, ham and different greens and herbs. He sometimes sprinkled grated local cheese on top of the eggs before baking, but he never included the more common ricotta cheese. Always accompanied by hearty, home-baked bread and local wine, it was the perfect delicious and fortifying meal to keep us going for hours on our expeditions around the island 🙂
(To be truthful, sometimes we replaced the tours with more wine and a bottle of port and just talked about past and future island-explorations).
Let me say here that Madeira is one of the most beautiful places Maria and I had the luck and privilege to live together 🙂
Here now is today’s version of “Portuguese Eggs” in memory of great friendship, great places to live, happier times and the great love of my life, Maria, who passed away exactly 3 years ago.
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Love ……….
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Portuguese Eggs

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Preparation :
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: tomatoes, potato, shrimp, onion, peas, basil

: peel, dice and simmer 1 large potato in salted water until soft but not falling apart, drain

: slice one medium onion, saute in 1 tblsp olive oil until translucent

: add 2 lbs halved tomatoes, season with salt and cayenne papper, broil until starting to caramelize

: add 2 cup water and 1 tsp garlic paste, simmer until tomatoes have broken down and a sauce has developed, about 20 minutes (add more water if sauce becomes too thick)

: add potatoes, simmer 5 minutes

: season 10 oz shrimp with fresh-ground black pepper, kosher salt, garlic paste and olive oil (if you prefer, remove the tails before adding them to the stew)

: add the shrimp and 3 oz green peas to the tomatoes, mix, check/adjust seasoning

: add whole eggs to the stew, sprinkle eggs with kosher salt, simmer slowly until eggs are cooked the way you like them; if you like your eggs more cooked than I do, put them under the broiler for a couple of minutes, ; to serve, sprinkle with herbs of your choice; serves 4 or 5

: meanwhile, cut 2 pretzel-rolls into halves

: brush with garlic paste

: grill rolls until golden

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: to serve, place bread on bottom of serving dish, top with portuguese eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

: Portuguese Eggs

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Grilled Beef Tenderloin With Parmesan-Roasted Mushrooms

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Usually, I don’t eat beef tenderloin anymore. It has become prohibitively expensive and most of the time I prefer the texture of bone-in rib eye anyway. However, yesterday was my time of the month (to go to my Argentine butcher). One of the specials he offered was the most beautifully aged, grass-fed beef tenderloin for a great price, so I snapped up a couple of pounds.
Here now is the first steak I prepared (out of four I bought), accompanied by mushrooms only. Nothing else to distract from the marvel of this wonderful, tender, tasty chunk of meat ! (The mushrooms were not too shabby either) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Grilled Beef Tenderloin With Parmesan-Roasted Mushrooms

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Preparation :
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: season 16 oz tenderloin with kosher salt

: grill steak until done to your preference (med-rare for me )

: let steak rest for 10 minutes before cutting

: meanwhile, clean 6 oz of large botton mushrooms

: season mushrooms with 1 tblsp soy sauce, granulated garlic, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, add 1 tblsp olive oil

: roast in 375F oven for 15 minutes

: prepare a mixture of 2 tblsp panko bread crumbs and 2 tblsp grated parmesan cheese, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: top the mushrooms with the crumb/cheese mixture

: continue to roast the mushrooms in the oven until golden, sprinkle with chopped parsley

: Grilled Beef Tenderloin With Parmesan-Roasted Mushrooms

: Grilled Beef Tenderloin With Parmesan-Roasted Mushrooms

: Grilled Beef Tenderloin With Parmesan-Roasted Mushrooms

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Cheese-Coated Pork Chop With Garlic-Broccolini And Charred Peppers

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Today’s lunch proved once again that the old adage “simple is better” still holds the truth. (If done right) .
The clean, fresh taste of the broccolini, supported by the sweetness of the caramelized garlic and the light acidity of the pickled, charred peppers makes this a side dish well worth it’s praise. Combine with some grilled lemon and a sumptuous, parmesan-crusted pork chop and a simple, easy and quick to prepare lunch is elevated to wonderful, happy culinary bliss 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Cheese-Coated Pork Chop With Garlic-Broccolini And Charred Peppers

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Preparation :
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: season pork chop with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste

: bread the pork chop with flour, egg and a 50/50 mixture of bread crumbs and grated parmesan cheese, saute in clarified butter until cooked through and golden and crisp

: meanwhile, saute lemon wedges in 2 tblsp of olive oil until caramelized, remove, reserve; add 4 gloves of finely slivered garlic to the same pan, saute until lightly caramelized

: add 8 oz of blanched broccolini, 3 oz of charred, pickled peppers, season with kosher salt and fresh-ground black pepper to taste, saute until vegetables are heated; serves one

: Cheese-Coated Pork Chop With Garlic-Broccolini And Charred Peppers

: Cheese-Coated Pork Chop With Garlic-Broccolini And Charred Peppers

: Cheese-Coated Pork Chop With Garlic-Broccolini And Charred Peppers

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German-Italian Friendship (Deutsch-Italienische Freundschaft)

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I have prepared this dish in different versions for 45 years. Like so many other unsung culinary heroes, the dish is so simple and logical when you either have leftover pasta and sausages, or cooking it from scratch just because it’s tasty, quick and ~~cheap~~ – ooops, sorry, we don’t say cheap here – I meant economical 🙂
Use any type of pasta, cheese and sausages you have at hand, just stick to the basics (or not) 🙂
However, if you want to use the name I gave the dish, use a mix of German/Italian ingredients; other than that, let your imagination take a walk on the wild side………….
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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German-Italian Friendship (Deutsch-Italienische Freundschaft)

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Preparation :
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: 2 tblsp finely sliced scallion, 1 whole red finely sliced onion, 2 medium size diced tomatoes

: saute bratwurst in olive oil until browned, remove from pan, reserve

: saute onions in 2 oz whole butter until caramelized

: add the tomatoes and scallions, saute until tomatoes are heated through

: add 1 lb fresh-cooked spaghetti and one cup of the cooking liquid from the spaghetti, add 2 tblsp grated parmesan cheese, 1tblsp garlic paste and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste; to serve, sprinkle with more grated parmesan

: German-Italian Friendship (Deutsch-Italienische Freundschaft)

: German-Italian Friendship (Deutsch-Italienische Freundschaft)

: German-Italian Friendship (Deutsch-Italienische Freundschaft)

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Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

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What’s there to say about this breakfast other than that it was beautiful, delicious and satisfying –
I believe the pictures speak for them self – start drooling 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

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Preparation :
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: clean and cut into small florets 1 medium-sized head of cauliflower

: blanche cauliflower, drain cauliflower, pat dry

: dice 16 oz of beef flank steak, 3 oz of onions and 2 oz of red peppers

: poach 3 eggs for 3 minutes, remove to absorbent paper

: mix 1 tblsp finely sliced chives with 1 tsp chili oil, 1 tblsp olive oil and a pinch of kosher salt

: carefully add poached eggs to chili oil, keep warm

: season beef with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute in garlic oil until browned on the outside but still rare on the inside, remove from pan, reserve

: in the same pan, saute the onions and peppers until onions are caramelized

: add the cauliflower, season with salt and pepper, saute until starting to brown, remove from heat

: return beef to pan, mix without breaking up cauliflower, check/adjust seasoning

: plate hash on serving dish, top with poached eggs; serves 3 (or one hungry Hans)

: Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

: Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

: Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

: Breakfast Of Champions # 55 – Cauliflower And Beef Hash With Piquant Poached Egg

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Tomato Spaghetti With Broccolini, Crispy Fried Eggs And Pangrattato (Spaghetti alla Soupi)

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This pasta-concoction deserves to be named after the cook who dreamed it up – ME 🙂
It has many of the “foodstuff’s” I love in one simple dish – pasta, pangrattato, cheese, butter, olive oil, basil, crispy fried eggs and lots of garlic confit.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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