tasty

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

shave 6 oz of parmigiano reggiano on top of salad, drizzle with 2 tbslp olive oil and sprinkle with fresh-cracked black pepper to taste; serves 2

Salad of Tomato, Cucumber, Alfalfa Sprouts And Parmigiano Reggiano

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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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Click here to read about Maillard Reaction
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Click here for Kecap Manis Recipe on ChefsOpinion
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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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Rice Pudding With Fresh Berries And Yogurt (Arroz Con Leche)

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What do vegetables and rice pudding have in common ?
– Most of us have been turned off by crappy versions when we were kids. Overcooked vegetables and over-sweetened, wallpaper-paste resembling, under-cooked rice pudding made most of us hate the stuff as kids. While a few moms and even fewer restaurants served decent vegetables and rice pudding, the majority of it turned us off to it for life 😦
Only with the introduction of nouvelle cuisine did vegetables get the respect they deserved. Nowadays, vegetables have finally achieved the place they deserve. Bright, perfectly cooked, deliciously seasoned and in an incredible variety, they are here to stay, from the simplest home preparation to incredible concoctions at fine dining establishments.
So what the heck happened to rice pudding ???!
For some reason, outside of some Latin countries, it has never caught-on in the mainstream, neither in most homes and definitely not in commercial food establishments.
To this day, it has the stigma as being too simple, too boring, too old-fashioned and just simply “bah”.
Yet I beg to differ, as I am trying to proof with this recipe of one of my newly re-discovered childhood favorites.
My mom was a less than stellar cook (love made me say that – in reality, outside of very few dishes she had mastered, she was as bad at cooking as one can imagine) 🙂 😦 .
But, as I recall from sweet memory, her rice pudding was second to none. However, through the years I had completely forgotten about the deliciousness of a well-prepared rice pudding, until a few months back when I had a perfect one at a friend’s house. This made me remember how wonderful it can be when done right and ever since, I have prepared it often for Bella and myself .
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
Usually, I would top this pudding with whipped cream and fresh berries. However, I prepared this large badge because I was invited to a beach party and whipped cream would not hold-up in the heat. Low and behold, the yogurt made a huge difference, the added tartness and the texture took the the final dish to an even higher level of comfort food heaven 🙂
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Rice Pudding With Fresh Berries And Yogurt

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Preparation :
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: soak 3 cups rice of your choice overnight

: next day, drain the rice, wash until the water is clear, add 1 qt whole milk, 4 tblsp honey, 1 tsp vanilla extract and 1 pinch of cinnamon powder, bring to a boil, lower heat and simmer until rice is very soft; you might have to add more milk if the heat is too high or the rice absorbs too much milk during simmering; when the rice is soft, transfer to a bowl and let cool to room temperature

: when the rice has cooled down, add whipping cream until the pudding has a creamy texture, about 1/2 cup

: check/adjust seasoning; as you can see, I added another3 tblsp honey

: wash and quarter 2 pints of fresh strawberries and wash 2 pint blueberries

: add half of the berries to the pudding; to the other half of the berries, add 1 cup Greek yogurt

: mix the berries with the pudding / yogurt

: place the pudding in a serving bowl

: top the pudding with the berries in yogurt and 4 oz chocolate covered almonds (optional) ; serves 8

: Rice Pudding With Fresh Berries And Yogurt

: Rice Pudding With Fresh Berries And Yogurt

: Rice Pudding With Fresh Berries And Yogurt

: Rice Pudding With Fresh Berries And Yogurt

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Grilled Chicken Salad – Grilled Chicken On A Higher Level

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I believe this salad does not need a fancy introduction – just look at it and plan when, not if, you will prepare this beauty 🙂

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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !

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Grilled Chicken Salad

juicy perfection……..

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Preparation :
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: Bone-in chicken thighs

: remove bones from thighs, season with granulated garlic, kosher salt and cayenne pepper

: SLOWLY grill chicken on both sides until cooked through, about 20 to 30 minutes, depending on size / thickness of thighs

: clean peppers, remove ribs

: cut into VERY fine julienne

: add 1 cup tightly packed julienned white cabbage,1 cup tightly packed julienned white onions and 1 cup grape tomatoes, dress with 1/3 cup ranch dressing

: when chicken is fully cooked, remove from grill (or grill pan), let rest for 10 minutes before cutting

: cut to your preference, – thick/thin/strips or cubes

: divide salad between 2 plates

: sprinkle ea salad with 2 tblsp bbq kernel corn or grilled kernel corn

: top ea salad with 1 chicken thigh

: Grilled Chicken Salad

: Grilled Chicken Salad

: Grilled Chicken Salad

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Spicy Sausage And Spinach Congee

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English – Rice Porridge; Japanese – Okayu; Korean – Jukin; Thai – Jok; Tagalog – Lugao, Burmese – Hsan Pyok.

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In my own experience, there’s no food more simple and more comforting than a bowl of congee, which is basically just rice cooked with a lot of liquid until it forms a soft porridge.
Congee can be enjoyed any time of the day (or night 🙂 and there are as many recipes and methods for making congee as there are restaurants, homes, mothers and grandmothers to prepare them. However, the basics are just water and rice, cooked until thickened to the texture you prefer, anywhere from very liquid to quite thick.
In this basic form, congee has provided a full belly as well as help against minor ailments since ancient times.
Additional ingredients and condiments for congee are limited only to ones fantasy, taste and wallet. (Lobster anyone?)
For some of the more adventurous variations of congee click HERE
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more info on Congee
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Spicy Sausage And Spinach Congee

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: cook 2 cup rice of your choice in lightly salted water until it has the texture of thin porridge and the rice is VERY soft

: meanwhile, saute 12 oz spicy sausage cut into thick slices and 1 medium size onion cut into julienne in 1 tblsp peanut oil until sausage and onion start to brown

: just about………

: add the rice porridge to the sausage/onions

: add 2 cup tighly packed fresh spinach, remove from heat

: mix all ingredients; to serve, sprinkle with fried scallions; serve with sesame oil, chili paste and soy sauce; season to your own preference; serves 4

: Spicy Sausage And Spinach Congee

: Spicy Sausage And Spinach Congee

: Spicy Sausage And Spinach Congee

: Spicy Sausage And Spinach Congee

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Lazy Udon

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Throughout all the years I have spent in the food-industry, I came across many folks who proclaimed their jealousy about the fact that I, as a chef, eat better than anybody else they know.
Reading private food blogs, one would assume that this might be the case not only for chefs, but also for food bloggers, since most of the food published at least looks better than what shows up daily on the average household’s table.
While some bloggers are fortunate enough to eat the high level food they publicize on their sites at all times, most of us less fortunate bloggers neither have the time,the money nor the desire to eat gourmet meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner. In my own case, I usually prepare food that is (in my opinion) fit to publish about every other or every third day, including down to earth comfort food. The rest of the time, I eat the same simple food as most other folks do, although probably prepared with a bit more love and interest in the end result as most home cooks (or chefs at home) will muster day-in and day-out. This however does not mean that the food I don’t publish is poor or crappy.
The meal I had for lunch today is just such an example. I prepare similar noodles quite often, using slightly different ingredients such as different pasta, different veggies and different seasonings (although the seasoning used here is pretty standard for my “Lazy Noodles” dishes). At once extremely simple, easy to prepare and cheap, it is at the same time pretty to look at and super yummy. If prepared with love and attention to detail, food like this does not have to hide itself behind any “gourmet” food 🙂
Not that I want to eat like this all the time, but in reality, food like this makes perfect sense as alternative to the high-end stuff.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Kecap Manis Recipe on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for more Udon on Chefsopinion
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Lazy Udon

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: udon noodles, scallions. preserved chilies, kecap manis, garlic paste

: cook 8 oz fresh udon noodles until done but still chewy, drain, toss with 1 tblsp sesame oil

: stir fry 1/2 tblsp garlic paste in 1 tblsp peanut oil until fragrant, add 5 ea whole chilies and 3 ea sliced scallions, stir fry another minute

: add the udon noodles and 1 cup kecap manis

: stir fry another minute, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning

: Lazy Udon

: Lazy Udon

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Beef Medallions, Gnocchi And Truffled Eggs

Raw Bubenspitzle

Cooked And Sauteed Bubenspitzle

Raw Gnocchi

Cooked And Sauteed Gnocchi

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Gnocchi, in a slightly different shape as the Italian version, are very popular in Germany, especially in the south – namely, in Baden-Württemberg and Bayern.
Our “Gnocchi” consist of the same basic ingredients, potatoes, flour and egg, but they are slightly different in shape -more elongated than the Italian version.
We prepare them savory or sweet. We use rye or wheat flour, add eggs or not, add potatoes or not, fry them or simmer them, saute them after simmering or not, and do basically whatever we want to do with them 🙂 (Unlike our Italian friends, who are pretty set on how to do their own gnocchi).
As for the name given to our versions, we are pretty flexible as well: Schupfnudel, Fingernudel, Baunzen, Dradewixpfeiferl, Erdepfebaunkerl, Schopperla, Bauchstecherla, and even “Bubenspitzle“, which literally translates into “little boys’ willies” – look at the pic and you’ll understand 🙂
Btw- If you wonder about the rather unrefined addition of a couple of slices of tomatoes- the texture and fresh taste of the tomatoes compliment the gnocchi, eggs and beef perfectly.
The entire recipe below serves 2 big eaters, or 4 with a smaller appetite…..
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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Click here for more Gnocchi on ChefsOpinion
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P.S.
Jamaican Dumplings – Sinkers (round) or Spinners (bubenspitzle shape) are another, even more distant version -made mostly of flour and water; they are fried (Jonny Cakes), simmered, or first simmered and then fried. Add cornmeal, baking powder and sugar, then fry them and you have Festival.
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Click here for Jamaican Dumplings on ChefsOpinion
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Gnocchi Recipe:
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Ingredients:
1 lb Russet potatoes,   cooked, peeled, mashed
A/P flour,   sifted – as needed
2 Eggs,  whole, whisked
Kosher salt, to taste
Cayenne pepper, to taste
1 0z Butter
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Method :
Add egg, seasoning and flour to potatoes, mix lightly until smooth.
Shape into gnocchi.
Make light indentations with a fork.
Cook a sample in simmering salted water. If too soft, add flour. If too dense, add egg.
Cook gnocchi in simmering water until gnocchi float. Remove with slotted spoon into strainer. Saute in melted butter.
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Beef Medaillons, Gnocchi And Truffled Eggs

Beef Medallions, Gnocchi And Truffled Eggs

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
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: clean a beef tenderloin from fat and silver skin

: cut 4 ea 5 oz medallions

: season with kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper

: saute madallions in Very hot garlic oil to your preferred temperature (I love mine rare/med rare, depending on the thickness of the beef

: remove from pan, reserve

: whisk 4 whole eggs with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, add 4 ea stalks finely sliced scallions and truffle oil to taste (a few drops are enough for me)

: cook gnocchi in salted water until floating; drain, saute in 3 oz butter

: add eggs, saute until eggs are set

: almost………..

: place two thick slices of tomato on the serving plate, salt generously; add the scrambled gnocchi, sprinkle with grated Parmegiano Reggiano

: Beef Medaillons, Gnocchi And Truffled Eggs

: Beef Medaillons, Gnocchi And Truffled Eggs

: Beef Medaillons, Gnocchi And Truffled Eggs

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Bulalo (Kansi) Beef Marrow Bone Soup

Beef Marrow Bone

The first time I had the pleasure to eat this soup I fell in love with it. It was at “Pistang Filipino”, an open air arts and craft center in Manila. (Little did I know then (1974), that a few years later I would be living next door for nearly five years). However, during my first visit, a couple of friends and I went there to have a proper, traditional “Pinoy” dinner. It turned out to be one of the best meals in my entire life. Pancit sotanghon and pancit bihon, huge grilled prawns for $1 a piece, kare kare, adobo, lechon, sisig, sinigang, bulalo and a whole lot of other wonderful dishes, all spread out on a huge buffet. There were woven bamboo plates with palm leaves to put your food on and coconut shell spoons for the soups. Most of the food was eaten using one’s fingers as utensils. Lined up along one wall were water containers with spouts to facilitate hand washing before and after the meal. The food and entertainment (tinikling , traditional Philippine folk dancing) was superb and to this day I remember almost every minute of that evening. Years later when I lived next door, I went there once or twice a month, mainly for the bulalo . However, I quickly became less enthusiastic about the tinikling. While beautiful to watch, its accompanying music, which was always played at maximum levels, kept me awake many a night until the wee hours 😦
Such is my love for bulalo that until this day I prepare it at least once a month. I mostly use thick sliced shank (osso buco), but when available, I buy a whole leg bone and have the butcher cut it into 4 pieces, 2 of which I use at once and 2 which I freeze for the next going of bulalo or any other beef soup.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here to watch a video of Tinikling
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Bulalo

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Preparation :
To read instructions, hover over pictures
To enlarge pictures and read instructions, click on pictures
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: 2/4 of a whole beef leg bone

: blanch the bones once in plain water, drain, cover again with cold water, bring to a slow simmer, season lightly with kosher salt and black pepper

: simmer bones until meat and collagen are very tender but NOT falling apart, you should have about 2 qt stock (if not enough, add water; if too much, simmer until 2 qts remain

: remove bones from stock, strain stock

: remove all meat, collagen , and bone marrow, set aside

: add 1 small head of quartered white cabbage, simmer for 4 minutes

: add 3 bunch baby bok choy, 5 ea halved cherry tomatoes, 2 ea quartered corn on the cob, 4 ea stalks of sliced scallions, simmer 2 more minutes, remove from heat

: add 1 tblsp patis (Fish Sauce), check/adjust seasoning

: to serve, sprinkle with fried shallots (optional) serves 2

: serve bulalo with plain steamed rice

: top rice with veggies, beef, collagen and marrow

: top with beef stock

: Bulalo

: bulalo – madam’s favorite too………

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Kecap Manis

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Kecap Manis

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Kecap manis (ketjap manis), pronounced KEH-chup MAH-nees is an Indonesian sweet soy sauce with a molasses consistency and a dark brown color.
Sometimes flavored with garlic, star anise, chili, five spice powder, etc, the sauce is more syrupy than commonplace soy sauce. Sold in most Asian markets, kecap manis can be used as a condiment or marinade for satay’s and grilled meats or as a dipping sauce. Basically just sweetened soy sauce, it is by far the most popular type of soy sauce used in Indonesian cuisine, where it plays a important role in signature dishes, such as nasi goreng, mie goreng, satay, tongseng and semur.
Sambal kecap is a type of sambal dipping sauce of kecap manis with sliced chili, tomato and shallot, a popular for sate kambing (goat meat satay) and ikan bakar (grilled fish/seafood).
Since soy sauce is of Chinese origin, kecap asin is also an important seasoning in Chinese Indonesian cuisine. It is also a staple ingredient in many other traditional dishes of Indonesia.

Kecap manis is also a staple in my kitchen. I use it mainly for my “lazy meal” day’s, when much cooking is not on my list and a simple plate of stir fried vegetables with mushrooms, noodles or rice mixed with kecap manis, garlic and chili is all that’s on the menu for a quick yet satisfying dinner. I usually have both store-bought and homemade kecap manis in the fridge. When a original recipe calls for it, I use the more complex store-bought version which usually contains star anis, garlic and sometimes other flavor agents.
On the other hand, if I prepare a “lazy meal”, the simple home-made version described below suits me better. I’s not a question of quality but rather a personal taste-preference 🙂
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Happy Cooking ! Life is Good !

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P.S.
If you decide to prepare this homemade version of ketsap manis, I highly recommend that you don’t leave the sauce unattended while simmering. If it boils over, the high sugar content makes it a nuisance to clean off the stove 🙂 😦
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mix 2 cup cane sugar with 2 cups soy sauce

bring sauce to a VERY SLOW simmer

while simmering, skim off all foam that rises to the top; cook sauce until it has the texture of syrup, let cool; it will then further thicken to the texture of thick molasses

Kecap Manis

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A Pig And A Hoagie

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There you have it – a pig at it’s finest……..

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This meal started out to become a traditional Asian-style braised pork belly dish, served with steamed rice and some kind of green vegetables.
However, after starting the belly, I changed my mind and decided to go with another sandwich, because…….why not ? 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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A Pig And A Hoagie

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Preparation :
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: season a 20 oz piece of pork belly with kosher salt, saute until browned on all sides

: add 3 large sliced onions, 1 tblsp five spice powder, 2 tblsp garlic paste, 1 tblsp chili paste, 2 tblsp kecup manis, 1 tsp grated ginger, 1/2 cup soy sauce and 3 cup chicken or pork stock

: bring to a slow simmer, cover and cook until very tender but NOT falling apart, about 2 hours

: remove belly to a cutting board, with a slotted spoon remove braised onions, reserve; keep sauce for another dish (great to mix with noodles)

: there you have it ……..

: slice belly into 6 thick pieces

: meanwhile, make a salad from 8 ea halved cherry tomatoes, 3 tblsp marinated banana peppers, 1/3 bunch chives and 2 tblsp simple vinaigrette; make a salsa from 3 ea sliced scallions, 3 ea chopped chilies, 1/2 tsp garlic paste, lime juice and kosher salt to taste