recipes

Arroz Fritto ” Carlos Ayala “

.
.
This dish is dedicated to my dear friend Carlos, who is Argentinian and loves his chorizo and chimichurri 🙂

Tonight my cupboard and fridge were not exactly over stocked, so here is what I had and used to make this hearty, tasty dish:
Rice,
Argentinian chorizo,
Eggs
Scallions,
Bell peppers,
Garlic,
Onion,
Olive oil,
Chimichurri,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,

Saute the onion and garlic in olive oil until fragrant. Add the chorizo and saute until the onions and garlic start to turn golden. Add the peppers and scallions and saute for another minute. Remove, set aside. Wipe the pan ( or Wok) clean with a paper towel. Add more olive oil and saute rice until it starts to “pop”. Make a whole in the center of rice. Add a bit more oil. Scramble your whisked eggs until fairly dry. Mix with rice and sausage / vegetables, saute (stir fry) together for a few more minutes until rice is light, fluffy and fairly dry. To serve, top with more scallions and chimichurri .
And there you have it, ” the other fried rice ” :
” Argentinian Style Fried Rice A La Carlos Ayala ”
.

Arroz Fritto ” Carlos Ayala “

: Arroz Fritto ” Carlos Ayala “

>
>
>

Curried Gizzards, Herbed Potatoes & Frisse In Honey Mustard Dressing

,
,
“Sauteed Gizzards in curry cream with buttered, herbed yukon gold potatoes and frisse salad in honey mustard dressing”
The verdict is out : I’ve got a new favorite chicken gizzard recipe, taking the #1 spot and pushing “Gizzard Adobo” to spot #2 🙂
What a great dish. Even if you are not a fan of gizzards, you can of course replace them with anything that tickles your fancy: Shrimps, scallops, mussels, sliced beef, diced chicken, shredded duck, whatever you like and whatever is available. The curry cream, potatoes, butter, herbs and frisse just go together so well, you don’t want to miss this combination.

Curried Gizzards, Herbed Potatoes & Frisse In Honey Mustard Dressing

: Curried Gizzards, Herbed Potatoes & Frisse In Honey Mustard Dressing

?
1. Simmer gizzards in salted water until tender, but still with a bit of a bite. Strain. Saute garlic paste and diced onion in butter until fragrant, add curry powder and saute on low heat for another minute. Add heavy cream and a bit of ketchup and reduce until creamy. Add the gizzards, simmer for another minute. Season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, set aside.
2. Simmer peeled and cut potatoes until tender but still keeping their shape. Saute in LOT’S of butter without letting potatoes brown. Remove from heat, add lots of chopped italian parsley.
3. Mix honey, dijon mustard, canola oil, lemon juice, kosher salt and freshly ground black papper. Dress frisse with the dressing.
4. To plate, put gizzards on the plate, add potatoes and top with frisse. Sprinkle with chili flakes. Eat. Be happy 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

?
.
.
.
.

Chicken Paprikash & Spaetzle

>
Paprikash is the national dish of Hungary. Which means that it has been prepared and eaten for many decades, by millions of people, in many restaurants and homes, in many different regions, with an infinite number of variations. So folks, relax, don’t call my house and say that this is not a real paprikash, because………….
Anyway, here is a version I prepared last week and, I might add, a pretty good and pretty pretty 🙂 version. >

Chicken Paprikash & Spaetzle

: Chicken Paprikash & Spaetzle

Ingredients :

Chicken, your favorite parts, I prefer legs
Sweet hungarian paprika,
Chilis, finely chopped, some left whole for garnish (optional)
Tomatoes, finely chopped
Garlic, paste
Onions, finely diced
Kosher salt,
AP flour,
Chicken stock,
Sour cream,

Method :

Saute chicken in fat until golden brown. Remove. Saute onions and garlic until fragrant. Add paprika, chopped chilis and flour and saute for a short time. (Careful, paprika burns easily !) Add tomatoes, stock, whole chili’s and salt. Return chicken to pot, cover and braise slowly until chicken is cooked to an internal temperature of 162F. (Carry over heat will take it to a safe 165F). Remove chicken. At this point you have the option of straining the sauce or not. You also have the option of whisking in the sour cream or not. If you don’t whisk in the sour cream at this point, add a generous dollop when serving (See picture). Adjust seasoning if necessary. To serve, add chicken to serving dish, cover with sauce and whole chili’s. Serve with Spaetzle.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good ! >>
>
>
>
>

> > >

Schwäbische Spätzle Mit Schmelze (Swabian Noodles)

.
.
” Swabian spaeztle with browned bread crumbs “.

One of the most common,simple, quick, delicious, economical and (in my biased eyes), one of the most beautiful dishes coming out of South Germany (Swabia).
When I grew up, this was one of the more boring dishes for me and my brother Wilhelm to grace our dinner table, because it showed up with regularity a few times a week. Even today, spaetzle are one of the stables of south german cooking. But, alas, I have moved away from my homeland many decades ago, so now spaetzle have become a treat, truly enjoyed whenever possible.
Spaetzle are hard to come by even in German restaurants around here. This is probably due to the fact that more cooks in american German restaurants go by the name of Pepe instead of Fritz and have never seen real spaeztle, so what you mostly get are “Knoepfle”, not “Spaetzle”.
Knoepfle means little bottons, so they are a small spherical pasta, while spaetzle derives from “little spitz”, which means little penis. (Many folks believe spaetzle derives from the word spatz, which means sparrow and would makes no sense at all. Also, many Americans let their spaetzle or knoepfle brown while sauteeing, which is an absolute no no in Swabia!
So there you have it. One of the easiest and fastest pastas to make is actually difficult to come by (at least any good ones). Go figure 😦
But, there is hope ! Following is the recipe for original swabian spaetzle. Please note that there is no milk or water added, just AP flour, eggs and salt. In times past, when eggs where not as easily available and as affordable as now, folks have had to stretch the eggs by adding milk or even water. Today that is not necessary anymore, so just stick to flour, eggs, and salt. With a little practice, it will take you less then 10 minutes to make about six portions.
Mix flour, salt, and eggs and beat the dough until it is elastic and forms large air bubbles. To shape the spaetzle, either use a “Spaetzle Brett” (spaeztle board) and a straight spatula, or, much easier, invest $ 20 and buy a “Spaetzle Press” online. If you are not so sure how to proceed with the dough and the shaping of the spaetzle, go online and check out one of the numerous good instructional videos ( But be aware, there is also a lot of crap online, so choose wisely ).

Fill the spaetzle press 3/4 with dough and press into boiling, salted water. After a minute or so the spaetzle will float at the surface. Remove to a bowl with cold water. Drain. To serve, saute in butter until hot, without allowing the spaetzle to brown. Top with “Schmelze”.

For the schmelze, melt butter and saute bread crumbs until golden.
(I like to use brown butter and add chives to my schmelze).

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
>

Schwäbische Spätzle Mit Schmelze

: Schwäbische Spätzle Mit Schmelze

>
>
>
>

Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg ” Midnight Snack In Simpleland “

.
.
Yesterday I had a very long workday without lunch or dinner. I finally came home at 9.00pm (I left the house at 5.00am, after two hours of walking Bella, breakfast, checking e-mail, etc) .
First thing’s first, so I poured myself a glass of merlot and sat down to relax a few minutes before I wanted to move on to do what needs to be done. However, I woke up three hours later at around midnight, because Bella brutally stubbed me with her nose, demanding to finally be taken on her walk. When we got back it was past 1.00am and I was famished. I wanted to have something quick, uncomplicated, substantial and tasty, but not too heavy or fatty. A quick inspection of the fridge and cup board revealed, amongst other goodies:
Bucatini, salted butter, bologna, aged asiago, greek yoghurt, eggs, tomatoes and scallions.
Usually and traditionally, one would saute the bologna and tomatoes in fat before adding the other ingredients.
But I wanted to have a different, “fresher” taste. So, here is how it went:
I cooked the pasta, drained it (reserved some of the cooking water). I chopped the tomatoes, sliced the scallions, grated the asiago, whisked the eggs with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Then I mixed all the ingredients over low heat including a bit of the cooking water and cooked it until the eggs set. The result was a revelation of how the addition or absence of one single cooking step (sauteing) can completely alter the taste and texture of a dish. This version is actually my new favorite when it comes to pasta with bologna. The freshness of the bologna (must be of very good quality) and the slight acidity of the yogurt and raw tomatoes make it a new, much appreciated dish in my arsenal of pasta dishes.
.
Bon Appetit ! Long Live The Midnight Snack ! 🙂
..
.
More Bucatini On ChefsOpinion 1

More Bucatini On ChefsOpinion 2

More Bologna On ChefsOpinion

” Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg “

: ” Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg ”

: ” Bucatini, Bologna, Tomato, Asiago & Egg ”

.
.
..

“Fondue” Au Fromage Sec

.
.
Good Read’s. Good Eat’s. Good Drink’s. Good Company = Good Times.
>

The title of this dish, “Fondue Au Fromage Sec”, is tongue in cheek, but the dish itself is a knock-out: A great snack, a simple dinner, or fun party food.
I have prepared this often over the years, but I never really gave it a proper name.
So when I made it this sunday afternoon, I wanted to finally give the dish a proper, clever ? name. Hopefully, I succeeded ?
I love a good cheese fondue , and this dish has most ingredients of a “fondue au fromage” , (but not the texture, because instead of being liquid, it is “dry”.
Let me know if you disagree and think you ‘ve got a better name for it 🙂
But then, nevertheless, follow the recipe and you will agree that the dish itself is an outstanding snack or party staple or even , if served with a side of greens, a meatless dinner good enough to shine on it’s own.

Fondue Au Fromage “Sec”

: Fondue Au Fromage “Sec”

: Fondue Au Fromage “Sec”

..
.
Ingredient’s :

Sour dough bread, scored criss cross 3/4 down to the bottom crust
Brie cheese, cut into cubes
Asiago cheese, diced
Cheddar cheese, shredded
Roasted garlic paste,
White wine,
Scallions, thinly sliced
Walnuts, shelled
Dijon mustard,
Chili flakes,
Butter, melted

Method :

Open the slit’s of the scored bread with your fingers. Drizzle with melted buter, then white wine. Add a bit of the mustard to the bits of cheese. Stick one piece of brie and one piece of asiago cheese into each of the cavities. Add cheddar cheese into the cavities as well as on top of the bread. Bake at 375F until cheese melts. Remove from oven, sprinkle walnuts and chili flakes on top, return to oven until the bread starts to crisp up and is heated through all the way. Remove again from oven, sprinkle with finely sliced scallions and serve hot.

Enjoy ! Live is Good !

.
.

Gorgonzola Gratinated Skirt Steak, Tomato & Aparagus On Naan

.
.
Friday night’s dinner is one of these typical dishes that are only concocted when the hunger for a BIG dinner is already gnawing in our gut’s and nothing small and simple will satisfy the hunger disturbed imagination of what the next meal must be like. So here we go, a dinner that will satisfy even the biggest craving for hearty food 🙂
.

Gorgonzola Gratinated Skirt Steak, Tomato & Aparagus On Naan

: Gorgonzola Gratinated Skirt Steak, Tomato & Aparagus On Naan

.
Ingredient’s :

Skirt steak, marinated overnight in soy sauce, sriracha, & garlic paste
Naan, (substitute with bread of your choice)
Asparagus spears, (white or green, depending on availability and your preference), buttered and seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper
Tomatoes, sliced thick, seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper
Scallions, buttered and seasoned with kosher salt and cayenne pepper
Asiago cheese, finely grated
Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
Kosher salt,
Peanut oil,

Method :

Season steak with kosher salt, dust with a mixture of ap flour, cornstarch, cayene and garlic powder , saute in oil until bloody rare (or your preference. (See note below). Place naan on a baking rack. Top with steak. Sprinkle with asiago. Top with tomato. Sprinkle with asiago . Top with asparagus. Top with gorgonzola. Top with scallions. Broil until gorgonzola is melted and get’s a few golden spots. Remove from broiler, sprinkle with chili flakes. Enjoy a great meal ! 🙂

Note :
Remember the carry-over heat and the step of gratinating. Both will further cook your steak. Since I like most of my beef and lamb steaks to be medium rare, I removed it at bloody rare. By the time it was gratinated and ready to eat, it was a perfect medium rare.

Bon Appetit Life is Good !
.
.
.
.

Death by Chocolate

, ,
.
.
” Chocolate & Mascarpone Terrine “

This is my gift to anybody who is not a well versed pastry chef, but a diehard chocolate lover (or a lover of a diehard chocolate lover), who sometimes has to prepare his or her own chocolate fix on short notice without much fuss. I doubt that there are many chocolate desserts out there which are as easy to prepare, yet as rich in texture and pure chocolate goodness as this little gem. Even if you have two left hands, had a few too many drinks, are legally blind and have a case of the jitters, you should still be able to prepare this dish at a moments notice without any difficulty 🙂
You have a choice of the texture being ultra smooth, or, as I did here, studded with shards of chocolate for a more crunchy version. (I’ll explain below)
.

Chocolate & Mascarpone Terrine

.
Ingredient’s :

Mascarpone cheese,
Chocolate fudge brownies, (or substitute with your favorite brownies or cookies)
Dark rum, (or substitute with your favorite booze)
Dark bitter chocolate, (or substitute with your favorite chocolate
Mango, (or substitute with your favorite fruit)

Method :

1) Soak brownies in plenty of rum.
2) Crumble and whisk until smooth.
3) Whisk mascarpone until smooth.
4) Temper chopped chocolate until melted and smooth.
5) Mix cookies and mascarpone until well blended and smooth.
6) Slowly add chocolate to mascarpone while whisking vigorously.
7) Or, alternatively, in order to have a more crunchy texture, add a thin film of chocolate to top of mascarpone without stirring. Let set for a few seconds, then break up the set chocolate and mix into mascarpone. Continue to add remaining chocolate to mascarpone while whisking vigorously.
8) If desired, add sugar, vanilla and lemon juice to your liking. ( I usually don’t add anything, for me, the taste of the cheese, rum, chocolate and brownies is just perfect, nothing else needed.
9) Fill into mold of your choice, let set overnight.
10) To serve, slice terrine or scoop into spheres or quenelles. Decorate with fruit of your choice.
11) Eat, be very happy 🙂

Chocolate & Mascarpone Terrine

Life is Good !
Say hi to your sweet tooth from me 🙂
.
.
.
.
.

Whole Roasted Duck

.
.
Don’t get me wrong!
I do love a rare duck breast with crisp skin . But, that is definitely not the end of all great duck dishes. Of course it is so much easier to cut off the breast’s and saute them separate, leaving the center rare and declaring that a master piece and the fine art of cooking. Then cut off the legs and braise them until tender. Wow, how difficult is that ! I have enjoyed both these dishes often ( If ! properly done. More often than not, some “chef’s” are able to even screw that up) . But, in my humble opinion, nothing can beat a whole roast duck, legs and breast perfectly tender and juicy, full of flavor. Maybe it takes a bit more knowledge, experience and feeling to accomplish, but a successful result is certainly worth the extra effort.
This duck was beautifully tasty, juicy and tender, with a great skin, served with its own, red wine fortified jus. Any other preparation will surely come in second place, way behind this beauty 🙂
.
Ingredient’s :

Duck, whole, marinated for two days with merlot, soy sauce, sriracha, granulated garlic
Merlot, substitue with wine of your preference
Kosher salt,
.
Method :

Turn duck in it’s marinade often, so as to evenly marinade on all sides, inside and out. After two day’s remove from marinade and pat dry. Season with kosher salt, inside and out. Set on a rack in a roasting pan above the remaning marinade and red wine. Cook for 30 min at 420F.Turn heat to 275 F and cook, loosely covered with aluminium foil, for 4,5 hours. Remove foil, turn heat back up to 400F and roast for another 30 min or until skin is crisp and golden. Strain the jus, serve apart. Accompany with starch and vegetables, or do as I did – eat the whole thing at once and just have some bread with it to dunk in the jus.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
.
.

Whole Roast Duck

.

.

Whole Roast Duck

/.

.
.
.

Asparagus & Brie Pizza

.
.
Pizza, beer and good company.
Great evening with friends, good music and (mostly) intelligent conversation 🙂
Life is Good !
.

Asparagus & Brie Pizza

: Pizza

Ingredient’s :

Dough:

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,

Pizza:

Italian sausage, spicy, sauteed
Asparagus, green, blanched
Grape tomatoes, whole
Mozzarella cheese, shredded
Tomato puree, fresh
Roasted garlic puree,
Brie cheese, diced
Asiago cheese, finely grated
Oregano, fresh, chopped
Corn meal,

Method :

1.
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.
If you like your dough very thin and crispy, proceed with step 2.
If you like your crust a bit more thick and chewy, you might want to pre-bake your pizza dough for a few minutes.

2.
Sprinkle pizza pan or baking sheet with cornmeal, place pizza on it. Brush pizza with olive oil, sprinkle lightly with corn meal. Add tomato puree and roasted garlic puree, sprinkle with mozzarella and oregano. Add all other ingredient’s according to picture. Sprinkle with asiago and freshly ground black pepper. Bake at 500 F until dough is done and edge of pizza is crispy and golden.

Note : This recipe is works well in a home oven without a pizza stone.
,
,
,