radish

Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Little Sandwich ( NOT ! )

Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

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And here we go – another beautiful, tasty example of what a sandwich can be if you love food and take it serious 🙂
(If you wonder about the name “Torta”, click the link below to learn all there is to know about this great Mexican sandwich 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Because I used a double layer of beef, I did not use standard breading (flour, egg, and breadcrumbs) for the beef, instead, I just dipped the beef slices in a mixture of 50/50 flour and panko. However, if you use a single layer of beef, I suggest you employ the traditional breading method.
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Click here to read all about Mexican Torta on ChefsOpinion
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Click here to see more Original Sandwiches on ChefsOpinion
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Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

avocado, radish, and cucumber salad

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Preparation :
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: thinly sliced beef round, ciabatta, avocado, tomato, cucumber, radish, cilantro

: cut veggies into large dice, add garlic paste, lime juice, cayenne pepper, olive oil and kosher salt to taste, mix well; let marinade for 30 minutes, then add diced avocados and tomatoes, mix carefully

: avocado, tomato, radish and cucumber salad

: mix 1 cup panko crumbs,1 cup a/p flour and kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, dredge 2 ea beef svallops

: saute the beef scallops until medium well, remove to absorbent paper, keep warm

: cut a 5 inch piece fresh-baked ciabatta horizontally in half

: top the bottom half of the ciabatta with 1 ea beef scallop, top with a generous amount of the salad, repeat

: ciabatta bottom, 2 layers of beef and 2 layers of salad, top with the top part of the ciabatta

: Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

: Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

: Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

: Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

: Torta De Milanesa De Res – A Dainty Sandwich ( NOT ! )

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Old Fashioned Hoisin Glazed Grilled Tuna Steak

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If you wonder why I call this dish “old fashioned”, the answer is simple: “It is fully cooked but still juicy”, which is undoubtedly one of the most difficult things to master in good cooking and unfortunately a part of our craft lost to the majority of today’s cooks/ chefs.
In order to cook any food item, especially seafood and poultry, the cook/chef has to take into consideration the carry-over heat of the food item, which will depend on the thickness, cooking temperature, texture, and the time it takes the food from the time it is removed from cooking equipment in the kitchen to being served on a plate and starting to be eaten by the customer. Get this wrong and your dish is ruined! 😦
Old fashioned, because once this was an absolute necessity for any cook to master in order to be rightfully employed in a professional kitchen, while nowadays, sadly, cooks who perfectly have mastered this most important skill are the exception. (Hence, all the undercooked or overcooked meat, seafood, and even vegetables). It is so much easier to rather just “pan sear” a piece of fish than to perfectly cook it. While there certainly is a place and time for sashimi, and one has to admire the chefs who serve it perfectly, the majority of the fish quality served in most restaurants, homes, supermarkets, etc, make this way of serving fish a ridiculous way of trying to cover-up the cooks/chefs inability to cook the fish and other food perfectly.
NO raw fish has the beautiful texture and is as juicy as a perfectly cooked fish! NONE !
And don’t even get me going on half cooked pork or chicken breast 😦
But enough of this, let’s get back to the dish at hand. Instead of the more common teriyaki glaze, I glazed the tuna with hoisin sauce, which was even better, at least for my personal taste.
If you look at the pictures, you will notice that I have not removed the “blood line” from the fillet. When preparing tuna for myself, I always cook the filet with this dark flesh attached. When I was still preparing food in restaurants, I removed this part because the flavor is very strong and some folks don’t like it. (Bella does, so no questions asked at our house 🙂 (Also see note below)
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Steamed Rice Recipe (Fan) on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
“That dark, nearly black area on the side of your tuna or swordfish steak is nothing bad or unhealthy, although you may not like it’s strong flavor. It is a muscle that is rich in myoglobin, a blood pigment. But lest that sound creepy to you, bear in mind that myoglobin is the same iron-containing pigment that makes red meat red.You can leave it in when you cook the fish: the stronger flavor of that small area will not affect the taste of the rest of the fish.”
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Old Fashioned Hoisin Glazed Grilled Tuna Steak

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: the good stuff…..

: cut filet into 1 inch thick steaks (if you prefer, remove the dark part, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: grill to desired doneness; when done, brush generously with hoisin sauce (or teriyaki if you prefer), broil until caramelized

: sprinkle steamed rice with fried shallots

: place the tuna on top of the rice, top the tuna with finely sliced scallion and salted radish-slivers

: Old Fashioned Hoisin Glazed Grilled Tuna Steak

: Old Fashioned Hoisin Glazed Grilled Tuna Steak

: Old Fashioned Hoisin Glazed Grilled Tuna Steak

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Pozole

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Partial excerpts from Wikipedia:
“Pozole. Variants: pozolé, pozolli, pasole), which means “hominy”, is a traditional soup or stew from Mexico, which once had ritual significance. It is made from hominy, with meat (typically pork), and can be seasoned and garnished with shredded cabbage, chile peppers, onion, garlic, radishes, avocado, salsa and/or limes.
It is a typical dish in various states such as Sinaloa, Michoacán, Guerrero, Zacatecas, Jalisco, Morelos, State of Mexico and Distrito Federal. Pozole is served in Mexican restaurants worldwide.
Pozole is frequently served as a celebratory dish throughout Mexico and by Mexican communities outside Mexico. Common occasions include Mexico Independence Day, quince años, weddings, birthdays, baptisms, and New Year’s Day.
Pozole can be prepared in many ways. All variations include a base of cooked hominy in broth. Typically pork, or sometimes chicken, is included in the base. Vegetarian recipes substitute beans for the meat.
Dried hominy can be used for pozole, but it must be soaked and cooked
The three main types of pozole are blanco/white, verde/green and rojo/red.
White Pozole is the preparation without any additional green or red sauce. Green Pozole adds a rich sauce based on green ingredients, possibly including tomatillos, epazote, cilantro, jalapeños, and/or pepitas. Red Pozole is made without the green sauce, instead adding a red sauce made from one or more chiles, such as guajillo, piquin, or ancho.
When pozole is served, it is accompanied by a wide variety of condiments, potentially including chopped onion, shredded lettuce, sliced radish, cabbage, avocado, limes, oregano, tostadas, chicharrónes, and/or chiles.
Pozole was mentioned in Fray Bernardino de Sahagún‘s General History of the Things of New Spain (c. 1500). Since maize was a sacred plant for the Aztecs and other inhabitants of Mesoamerica, pozole was made to be consumed on special occasions. The conjunction of maize (usually whole hominy kernels) and meat in a single dish is of particular interest to scholars, because the ancient Americans^(which?) believed the gods made humans out of masa (cornmeal dough).”
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According to research by the Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia (National Institute of Anthropology and History) and the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, on these special occasions, the meat used in the pozole was human. After the prisoners were killed by having their hearts torn out in a ritual sacrifice, the rest of the body was chopped and cooked with maize, and the resulting meal was shared among the whole community as an act of religious communion. After the Conquest, when cannibalism was banned, pork became the staple meat as it “tasted very similar” [to human flesh], according to a Spanish priest.“
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Pozole

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Preparation :
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: cook a whole med size chicken with 4 scallion stalks, 1 large peeled onion, kosher salt o taste and one tsp dried oregano in 2 qt water until chicken is tender, remove chicken and set aside; there should be 1 qt stock remaining – check/adjust seasoning

: remove meat from carcasse, shred and divide into 4 soup bowls

: drain and rinse one 12 oz can of homini, add to the chicken

: according to your preference, add chopped tomatoes, sliced avocados, sliced chilies, shredded cabbage, chopped cilantro and chopped fresh oregano to the bowls, (or any other condiment mentioned in the intro), top with the chicken broth, serve with fresh lime

: Pozole

: Pozole

: Pozole

: Pozole

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 58 – Shrimp Croissant And Fresh Fruits With Kefir And Honey

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What a wonderful way to start the day early today – a walk in the park with Bella, a great breakfast with Bella, then a great movie – “Galaxy Quest” (Bella not interested), all followed by a long nap ! (Bella enthusiastically interested again) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Breakfast of Champions on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Tonkatsu and Donkatsu on ChefsOpinion
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Tonkatsu sauce (my way) :

Mix 1/2 cup ketchup, 2 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tsp mustard, 1 tblsp white wine (or sherry), 1 tsp sriracha and a few drops of maggi seasoning.

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BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 58 – Shrimp Croissant And Fresh Fruits With Kefir And Honey

Fresh Fruit With Kefir And Honey

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Preparation :
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: steam 1 lb of headless, tailless, de-veined shrimp in 1/4 cup of water, seasoned with fresh lime juice and kosher salt to taste, remove from heat, let cool to room-temperature; add 1/2 tblsp fresh lemon juice, 1/2 tblsp olive oil, 1 pinch cayenne pepper, 3 ea finely chopped radishes (optional), 2 stalks finely sliced scallions

: spread 1 tblsp tonkatsu sauce on 2 half croissants, arrange the shrimp on top of first half croissant

: sprinkle with the radish and scallions from the marinade, top with second half croissant

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 58 – Shrimp Croissant And Fresh Fruits With Kefir And Honey

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 58 – Shrimp Croissant And Fresh Fruits With Kefir And Honey

: BREAKFAST OF CHAMPIONS # 58 – Shrimp Croissant And Fresh Fruits With Kefir And Honey

: mix fresh fruits of your choice with kefir and honey

: Fresh Fruit With Kefir And Honey

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Pork And Noodles In Two Parts – “Part One”

: Ginger/Garlic Pork Soup With Vegetables And Yi Mein Noodles

: Crisp Yi Mein Noodle Pillow With Fiery Chile Pork

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Usually , I prepare one dish with enough ingredients to last me for two meals, then just re-heat the left-overs for the next meal, which I intended to do this time as well.
I made a large pot of soup for lunch, enjoyed two bowls of it and then proceeded to put the left-overs in separate containers and into the fridge to be re-heated for dinner.
One container for the pork, one for the noodles, then strain the vegetables and store the veggies and the broth in another two containers , put it all in the fridge, washed the dishes and sat down to watch a movie.
Halfway through the movie, it occured to me that I had only put THREE containers into the fridge, when there should have been FOUR! Low and behold, when I checked, there were only three containers in the fridge – and a sparkly-clean one in the dish rack.
Quel Gâchis !….. I had strained the delicious broth into the sink instead of into the container 😦
So later when dinnertime came around, I had to start improvising for a new dish with the left-overs which were still available.
First, I put the veggies to the side to be Eugene’s meal the next day.
This left me with just noodles and pork, from which I prepared “Crisp Yi Mein Noodle Pillow With Fiery Chile Pork”.
And wow, what a glorious dish this was !!! I could not have planned it better if I wanted to…….(Well, maybe) 🙂
More of “Crisp Yi Mein Noodle Pillow With Fiery Chile Pork” in my next post : Pork And Noodles In Two Parts – “Part Two”
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Noodles on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Soup on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Pork on ChefsOpinion
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Ginger/Garlic Pork Soup With Vegetables And Yi Mein Noodles

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Preparation :
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: cook 1 lb yi mein noodles until al dente, drain, rinse, toss with 2 tblsp sesame oil

: to 2 lbs bone-in pork neck add 4 qt water, season with 1 tblsp garlic paste, 1 tblsp grated ginger, 1 tblsp kosher salt, 1 tbslp lemon juice, 1 tblsp sugar, 1 tsp chile flakes; simmer until meat is tender, about 2,5 hours

: when meat is tender, remove from broth, remove and discard bones, cut meat into bite-size pieces, strain broth (there should be about 1,5 qt-if there is more, reduce- if there is less, add water); add 12 oz blanched bok choy, 1/2 head of napa cabbage and 6 ea sliced radishes, simmer 1 minute, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning

: place some noodles into bowl

: add some pork, top with soup and veggies, add cilantro

: Ginger/Garlic Pork Soup With Vegetables And Yi Mein Noodles

: Ginger/Garlic Pork Soup With Vegetables And Yi Mein Noodles

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Pulled Pork “Havana Loco”

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For most of my life I detested the very idea of pulled pork. My professional training as a cook had taught me that if something falls apart, it is overcooked and therefore non grata. In addition, the pulled pork I was introduced to during my early years in the USA was almost always smoked for many hours, then completely inundated in (most of the time crappy) “bbq sauce”.
The whole thing seemed to me to have the texture and taste of some lousy half-smoked cigars mashed-up and mixed with ketchup and vinegar, more often than not served on a limp, tasteless burger bun. As a result, for many years I stayed away from pulled pork.
This changed when I got to travel in Latin America and in Latin American-circles, where pulled pork took on a very different dimension, one which I was finally able to wholeheartedly embrace. Usually braised in the oven for hours, with lots of cilantro, lime, garlic, various citrus juices and sometimes the addition of onions and/or chilies, the pork tastes lively and fresh, not at all heavy or greasy or overly sweet. Usually, it is served with white rice and yucca or a simple salad and most of the time with some kind of spicy, vinegar based condiment.
Below find my own take on pulled pork, as I imagine I would serve it at my imaginary, popular nightspot in a Havana of long-gone times, with hot girls dancing to the Rumba, Mojitos flowing freely and eating, drinking, dancing, making love and enjoying life being the only thing on everybody’s mind……………..
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pulled Pork “Havana Loco”

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Preparation :
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: whole porkbutt, shank removed

: cut pork butt in half, reserve one half for another recipe, score skin of porkbutt in a criss-cross pattern

: orange, lime, kosher salt, chili flakes, garlic paste

: mix the juices from the fruit, 2 tblsp salt, 1 tsp chili flakes, 2 tblsp garlic paste with 2 pints of water, pour into pan with porkbutt, lightly cover with alu-foil, cook at 350F for 4 hours or until pork falls apart when lightly squeezed

: meanwhile, make sauce by blending with a beurre-mixer or in food processor : lime juice, garlic paste, cayenne pepper, cilantro, kosher salt and olive oil

: almost……..

: cilantro, garlic and lime sauce

: season fresh spinach leaves and thinly sliced radish with kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: sour dough bread (use your own choice of bread)

: cut in half, remove some of the soft part (don’t throw away, this is great to dunk into the pork juices)

: after 4 hours at 350F….

: put pork into a bowl, remove chicharones (crispy skin), reserve chicharones

: chicharones

: remove bone from meat, give bone to Bella 🙂

: shredd the pork with 2 forks or tongs

: add the pork juices from the pan to the meat (make it VERY moist without drowning it)

: put some spinach on the bottom half of the bread

: top with meat, thinly sliced red onions, radish and more spinach leaves

: pile it on………

: douse with cilantro, garlic and lime sauce

: cover with top-half of bread, slice in half or quarters

: Pulled Pork “Havana Loco”

: Pulled Pork “Havana Loco”

: Pulled Pork “Havana Loco”

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Obatzda (Bavarian Cheese Sandwich – Boss Level)

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Sadly, most of us will not be able to attend the real Oktoberfest in Munich this month 😦
So, to help you dream about actually being there in person, here is one of the quintessential dishes one might consume together with a Maß Bier (or even a few Maß ) at the Oktoberfest or any other beer-garden, or, as I did today, in my chair in front of the TV, watching the Oktoberfest on Deutsche Welle TV and having a Maß of iced tea 🙂
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Guten Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Obatzda (Bavarian Cheese Sandwich – Boss Level)

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Preparation :
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: mix 2/3 camembert, 1/3 butter, diced onions, cayenne pepper and paprika powder

: grill a thick slice of sour dough bread, brush with garlic-confit paste (not original, but oh so yummy)

: spread cheese mixture generously on the bread, sprinkle with caraway seed, chives and sliced onions, accompany with sliced tomato or radish

: Obatzda (Bavarian Cheese Sandwich – Boss Level)

: Obatzda (Bavarian Cheese Sandwich – Boss Level)

: Obatzda (Bavarian Cheese Sandwich – Boss Level)

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Salade De Pâtes

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A simple pasta salad will, more often then not, hit the spot for a simple yet satisfying meal.
And if you add some fruits to it, culinary bliss will be achieved with a minimum of fuss and expense 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is good !
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P.S.
Use any protein or vegetable to replace the bologna and Swiss cheese, such as shrimp, crab meat, chicken, roast beef and/or any vegetable and cheese at hand.
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More Pasta Salad
Even more Pasta Salad
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Pasta Salad. Salade De Pâtes

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Preparation :
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: blanche asparagus in salted water

: shock asparagus in ice water, drain

: cook pasta, drain

: slice bologna and swiss cheese into julienne(or other protein / cheese of your choice)

: radish, cucumber, asparagus, swiss, bologna

: add COLD pasta, garlic paste, apple cider vinegar, mayo, mustard, ketchup, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: serve with carambola and kiwi (or other fruit of your choice)

: mix all ingredients, check / adjust seasoning

: Pasta Salad. Salade De Pâtes

: Pasta Salad. Salade De Pâtes

: Pasta Salad. Salade De Pâtes

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The Italianator

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Sometimes, a simple sandwich can satisfy all my culinary needs, as long as it is interesting, tasty and – yes – as long as it looks great and appetizing!
When a slice of dry turkey and sandwich spread between two slices of wonder bread won’t do, (which, for me, is NEVER!), a sexy beauty like “The Italianator” will surely ring the bells of culinary bliss and lets me forget steaks and lobsters, at least for the moment.
– And on top of it, getting to name these creations is much fun in itself. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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