tasty

Caribbean Shrimp & Coconut Soup

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Usually, when we think of the combination of shrimp and coconut, Asian food is foremost in our mind. Lately, every publication seems to have a preference for food with an Asian origin or at least an Asian influence. While I am a huge fan of Asian food, I am also very fond of the food from our closest neighbor, the Caribbean. Here now is a shrimp and coconut soup I had first put on the menu while I was working in Negril, Jamaica in the late 80’s. (How time flies when you look back)

Bon Appetit ! Iree, Mon !
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Caribbean Shrimp & Coconut Soup

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Caribbean Shrimp & Coconut Soup

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Preparation :
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to split the coconut, saw a small inision around the outside of the coco, then crack it with the back of a large chefsknife or machete (I live in Florida where it is normal to have a machete in the house) :-)

to split the coconut, saw a small incision around the outside of the coco, then crack it with the back of a large chef’s knife or machete (I live in Florida where it is normal to have a machete in the house) 🙂

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good job

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saute finely diced onions in coco oil

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season shrimp with sea salt and cayenne pepper, dust lightly with corn starch

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add shrimp and garlic paste to pan and saute until shrimp are halfway cooked

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remove shrimp, reserve

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deglaze pan with cocnac (careful, it might ignite)

deglaze pan with dark caribbean rum (careful, it might ignite)

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add white wine

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add coconut water from coco, two small can of coconut milk, one small can of clam juice

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season with sea salt and cayenne pepper, simmer until slightly thickened

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add diced cooked potatoes, corn and shrimp, heat through and remove from heat, dont let it simmer or the shrimp will toughen and get dry

add diced cooked potatoes, corn and shrimp, heat through and remove from heat, don’t let it simmer again or the shrimp will get dry and tough

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spoon shrimp, potato and corn into clean coconut, spoon soup on top and sprinkle with chopped cilantro

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Caribbean Shrimp & Coconut Soup

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my portion 🙂

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Caribbean Shrimp & Coconut Soup

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Caribbean Shrimp & Coconut Soup

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Szechuan Chicken & Fan

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Since breakfast was substantial and relatively late, lunch was late as well and will have to do for both lunch and dinner. Well, maybe there is a midnight snack on the horizon, we’ll see 🙂
The red jalapeno peppers I used here were exceptionally fruity and only mildly hot, so they were perfect for my taste and heat tolerance. Please adjust the amount and heat level to your own taste or eliminate the chilies altogether and replace with mushrooms, water chestnuts, bell peppers, green peas, carrots or whatever else strikes your fancy.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

Click here for FAN (chinese steamed rice ) recipe

Szechuan Chicken & Fan

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Szechuan Chicken & Fan

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Preparation :
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season sliced chicken with salt, five spice powder and soy sauce, dust with cornstarch and stir fry in peanut oil

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remove chicken from wok, reserve

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saute chilies and scallions, remove from wok, reserve

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saute onions and garlic paste in garlic oil

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add soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock, sesame oil and sugar, simmer until slightly thickened

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return chicken, chilies and scallions to sauce, remove from heat, check/adjust seasoning

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to serve, sprinkle chicken with white sesame seeds, rice with black sesame seeds

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Szechuan Chicken & Fan

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Szechuan Chicken & Fan

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Fan (Chinese Steamed Rice)

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Croque Madam

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I am trying to vindicate the Croque Madame, who has been so brutally mistreated in so many kitchens lately that her true identity has been all but forgotten 😦
During the past couple of years I have ordered a croque monsieur (without fried egg) or croque madam (with fried egg) on several occasions late at night, usually in a hotel lobby or nightclub. What I have been served on every occasion has been less than stellar, to say the least. Typically what is being served nowadays is a grilled cheese sandwich wich has been stuffed with a few thin slices of ham and american sliced cheddar, topped with more sliced cheddar and then finished under the broiler. This is no doubt a fine ham and cheese sandwich but that’s where the similarities with a croque mensieur or croque madame end.
Both croques in it’s original form should be prepared in the following way:
Toast slices of rustic bread, top with bechamel to which a fine mustard has been added. Top first slice with cooked ham and lot’s of shredded Gruyere Cheese , top with a second slice of bread, cover with mustard-bechamel and plenty more shredded gruyere. Sprinkle with herbs de province or other herbs of your choice. Bake at 425 F until the bechamel/cheese bubbles.
There you have it – Croque Monsieur ! Top with fried egg for Croque Madame !

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Croque Madam

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Croque Madam

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Preparation :
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mise en place

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toast thick slices of sour dough bread on bothe sides, mix bechamel with grey poupon mustard

toast thick slices of sour dough bread on both sides, mix bechamel with grey poupon mustard

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top bread with mustard-bechamel

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top with grated gruyere

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saute thick slice of ham on both sides

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top first bread with ham, sprinkle with grated cheese and scallions or herbs of your choice

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top with second slice of bread, sprinkle with scallions or herbs of your choice

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bake until cheese and sauce bubble

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almost…..

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meanwhile, fry eggs, season with cosher salt and chili flakes

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Croque Madam

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Croque Madam

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Croque Madam

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EASY DOES IT # 14 – Fondue Au Fromage Sec #2

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Click here for all previous EASY DOES IT recipes

Click here for previous Fondue Au Fromage Sec recipe
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This is a dish you want to share with your best buddy or closest family on that special, informal occasion. That time when you just want to have a few drinks and eat good, without spending too much time in the kitchen (- or non at all – you can prepare this the day before without baking it, keep it in the fridge and then just jugg it in the oven 15 minutes before you are ready to eat).
Goes great with cold beer, cold white wine or slightly chilled red wine.
P.S.
Although there is a knife and cutting board in the picture below, the whole thing is even more agreeable if you just grab a piece and rip it from the loaf 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Fondue Au Fromage Sec #2

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Preparation :
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mise en place: Sour dough loaf, sun dried tomato, sliced chives, sliced asiago cheese, crumled gorgonzola, mustard, sriracha, olive oil

mise en place: Sour dough loaf, sun dried tomato, sliced chives, sliced asiago cheese, mascarpone, crumbled gorgonzola, grey poupon mustard, sriracha, olive oil

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score bread in a criss-cross pattern about half way down, in a bowl, mix all remaining ingredients, then stuff them into the breads cavities.

score bread in a criss-cross pattern about half way down, drizzle a good amount of mascarpone over bread and into the cuts, in a bowl, mix all remaining ingredients, then stuff them into the bread’s cavities.

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bake at 375 F until cheese has melthed and center of bread is at 165 F

bake at 375 F until cheese has melted and center of bread is at 165 F

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EASY DOES IT # 14 – Fondue Au Fromage Sec, #2

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Fondue Au Fromage Sec #2

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Pork Blade Steak

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If you are on a budget but still like to have more than a tiny steak for dinner, you might want to try this cut. While not overly popular, probably because folks don’ know how to prepare it, it is a great piece of meat, tender, juicy and very economic (meaning bloody cheap 🙂 ) The three steaks in the picture were just $ 4.20, so the whole meal was under six buck’s. Even if you are not on a budget, these steaks make for a great, tasty meal. I guess that most people would have had enough with just one steak (which would then be about $ 2.50 per portion, including the salad), but since I did not prepare any starch, the three of them with a small salad were just the right sized portion for me. And of course, Bella had a few bites too.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pork Blade Steak & Arugula In White Balsamic Vinaigrette

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Pork Blade Steak

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arugula with radish and onions in balsamic vinaigrette

arugula with radish and onions in white balsamic vinaigrette

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Preparation :
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season sliced onions and sliced radishes with kosher salt, set aside

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season blade steaks with kosher salt, granulated garlic and cayenne pepper, dredge in flour, saute in peanut oil

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first one done, two to go…..

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two done, last one on the way

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saute grape tomatoes in garlic/olive oil, season with salt and pepper, just before serving add fresh chives

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meanwhile, squeeze and discard excess juice from radish and onions, add arugula, white balsamic vinegar, freshly ground white pepper, garlic/olive oil and a splash of maggi seasoning

arrange steaks on serving platter, top with sauteed tomatoes and chives

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Pork Blade Steak & Arugula

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Pork Blade Steak

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Pork Blade Steak

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arugula with radish and onions in balsamic vinaigrette

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please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂

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FO FO (Faux Pho)

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I figure, as long as my soup is made of rich beef or chicken stock, has rice noodles,
fish sauce, herbs and other vegetables in it, I can call it a Faux Pho (fake pho) 🙂
Yesterday evening I felt a craving for noodle soup but had no beef or chicken at hand, so I decided to use finely sliced chorizo instead. The chorizo has a great flavor and it fit in great with the other ingredient’s. I also had some leftover clear oxtail soup in the freezer that came in handy. The soup was very light, flavorful and satisfying. Another great, light, flavorful and satisfying meal that does not break the bank, prepared in less then 15 minutes !

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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FO FO (Faux Pho)

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Preparation:
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add to beef stock star anis, cinnamon bark, chilies , grated ginger and lots of garlic paste, simmer for 10 minutes, check/adjust taste with salt and pepper

add to beef stock star anis, cinnamon bark, chilies , sesame oil, fish sauce, grated ginger and lots of garlic paste, simmer for 10 minutes, check/adjust taste with salt and pepper

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meanwhile, cook rice noodles, drain, rinse with hot water

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add beef broth to noodles, remove and discard solids

add beef broth to noodles, remove and discard cinnamon, chilies and star anis

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add thinly sliced chorizo or other protein of your choice

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add bean sprouts

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add snow peas sprouts

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add finely sliced onion

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add finely sliced chilies

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add scallions and finely sliced chives

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FO FO (Faux Pho)

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FO FO (Faux Pho)

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Sauteed Veal Breast

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I hate to use the moniker “deconstructed” when it comes to food.
Specifically, in order to de-construct something, wouldn’t you have to construct it first?
(Another term I hate is to “de-nature” food. I just hate these stilted monikers 😦
However, If I would use the term deconstructed, last nights dinner would qualify for the term.
For years I have been longing for “Gefüllte Kalbsbrust”, or stuffed veal breast. This is a common dish in Germany, Austria and Switzerland. You take the whole veal,breast, cut a pocket from end to end, then stuff it with bread stuffing similar to what you use for bread knödel or servietten knödel ( bread or napkin dumplings). Some folks use ground meat stuffing – but please – dont. 😦
I was craving this dish for years but the problem was multy faceted: Not the right veal available around here and the price for the proper veal prohibitive. What”s more, what will I do with a whole veal breast? I do eat a lot, but…….
So, When I went to my butcher on Friday, much to my surprise he had thick-sliced Canadian milk veal available, for the astounding price of $ 2.49 a pound. Obviously I was not able to make a “Gefüllte Kalbsbrust” with sliced veal breast, but I could prepare the second best thing – combine all the traditional ingredients into one dish 🙂
So there I went:
Veal breast, sour dough bread (the stuffing part), mushroom sauce and a red beet salad. What a wonderful meal, almost like the real thing.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Gefüllte Kalbsbrust
Source – SZ-Magazin.de

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Sauteed Veal Breast

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Preparation :
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sliced veal breast

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season veal with salt pepper and granulated garlic, sear very hot, then saute at low temperature very slowly until medium well

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meanwhile, saute finely diced onions in butter, add sliced shiitake mushrooms, add redwine and simmer until almost dry

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add heavy cream and demi glace, simmer until nape texture, check/adjust seasoning with salt and pepper

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almost…..

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in another pan, saute sour-dough bread in garlic butter until golden

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meanwhile, make a salad of red beets, raspberry vinagrette, diced onions and sliced scallions

meanwhile, make a salad of red beets, raspberry vinaigrette, diced onions and sliced scallions

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ready to plate the veal and sauce

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to plate, arrange veal on top of bread, spoon sauce over top, crown wiyh garlic/herb butter

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Sauteed Veal Breast

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Sauteed Veal Breast

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
please be so kind and click on the video on the bottom of this page. Thank you 🙂
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Finkenwerder Meeresfrüchte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Finkenwerder is part of Hamburg/Germany, famous (culinary wise) for its seafood restaurants. When I was a young cook back in the seventies, I worked part time in one of them (the name escapes me now) The restaurant was very elegant, expensive and beautiful. I remember many of the specialties we cooked there but the one outstanding dish I remember in particular was the
“Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style”
A creamy soup made of roux, a bit of tomato paste, seafood stock, cognac and lots of cream, chock-full of mussels, shrimp, cockles( herzmuscheln) and scallops. Pure heaven in a bowl for seafood lovers, then and now 🙂
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Saute fine diced onions in butter, add flour to make a blond roux, add a bit of tomato paste, saute another minute, add fish stock and simmer for 15 minutes, add cream and cocnac, simmer another few minutes, season with sea salt and cayenne pepper, add blanched seafodd, carefully stir and remove from heat. to serve, sprinkle with fresh dill leaves

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Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Finkenwerder Meeresfruechte Suppe – Seafood Soup Finkenwerder Style

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Rib Eye, Rösti & Onion Marmalade

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Sometimes I wonder why I don’t prepare my favorite dishes more often, especially when they are as easy and quick to do as Rösti.
Add a great steak and onion and you’ll own the world, at least for the moment. 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

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Click here for Onion Marmalade recipe
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Rib Eye, Roesti & Onion Marmalade

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grate half-cooked potatoes into long shredds

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add to a hot pan with peanut oil, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper, shape into a patty

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cook until crispy and golden, turn, cook on other side until crispy and golden

cook until crispy and golden, turn, then cook on other side until crispy and golden

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cook rib eye to your preferred doneness

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Rösti topped with onion marmalade

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Rösti

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rösti topped with rib eye

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Rib Eye, Rösti & Onion Marmalade

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Rib Eye, Rösti & Onion Marmalade

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Semolina Dumplings In Clear Oxtail Soup

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Grießklößchen in klarer Ochsenschwanz Suppe, or Consommé de Queue de Boeuf, or Semolina Dumplings In Clear Oxtail Soup, or Griessnockerl Suppe – I have not seen either semolina dumplings nor clear ox tail soup on a restaurant menu for many years. Once, not too long ago, these were standard items in fine dining restaurants, but ist seems that the art of dumpling making and quenelles making is on the verge of dying around here. Of course it takes practice to make them light and fluffy without falling apart and most folks in this part of the world (USA) are not used to eat dumpling or quenelles on a regular basis, so how is a young cook to get a chance to practice 😦 – and, unfortunately, for most cooks to practice the classics for staff meals or at home is simply not interesting or cool enough. That’s how we lose a lot of classic food items – guest’s don’t know them, therefore cooks don’t cook them, and after one or two generations the classic stuff will have ceased to exist 🙂 In Europe, Asia and South America it’s mostly very different. People are much more educated about food and adore and respect the classics alongside the modern stuff, so younger folks are always introduced to the old classic food’s and both old and new coexist and continue to flourish 🙂

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Clear Oxtail Soup recipe
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Click here for Semolina Dumpling recipe
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Semolina Dumplings In Clear Oxtail Soup

Griessnockerl Suppe

Grießklößchen in klarer Ochsenschwanz Suppe

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Dear Friend’s, to help support this blog,
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