tasty

Spiders From Mars

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Just a light dinner tonight with one of my favorite ingredients – Octopus.
In the seventies I spent a lot of time in the Mediterranean and some of my fondest memories take me back to Turkey, Spain and Greece and their great seafood.. Almost all memories I possess of that time are connected to food. Parties, dates, travel, good times and bad times, all somehow lead to (mostly) great meals. Most involved seafood of one way or another. While there were too many outstanding meals to count, the ones I remember the most were the many octopus dishes I had, and of those, the ones I had in Mykonos. To this day I can picture exactly in my head walking along the very small area in town, right on the water, where the fishermen had hung up their freshly caught little monsters on racks in the fresh air. We used to pick the ones which appealed to us the most, took a chair at one of the tiny restaurants right there on the other side of the walk way and just pointed the waiter to our catch, which he then took to the cook who added nothing more than salt, garlic, olive oil and lemon juice and grilled it to perfection. Memories……….
I am fond of octopus of any size and any preparation, so today on my way home from work when I saw some nice baby octopus at my neighborhood Asian store, there was only one option for dinner tonight : ” Baby Octopus Salad ” .
( Once I looked at the finished dish, ” Spiders From Mars ” just came to my mind and stuck there 🙂
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Click to hear “Spiders From Mars”
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Real Food, Real Opinions & ” REAL MUSIC ”
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When it comes to baby octopus, folk’s have different opinions and preferences. Some people eat the head, others remove it (me). Some grill or saute them straight, others simmer them first until tender (me), then continue to grill or saute. Some like them in complicated sauces, others just simply grilled or sauted (me). Baby octopus curry anyone? Good stuff 🙂 So if you love seafood but have not yet tried these little creatures, it is high time to get a bit adventurous and put them on the menu.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Pigs Trotter In Fermented Bean Sauce

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Pig’s Feet. Patitas. Manos de cerdo.
Pigs Trotters. Schweine fuesse.
Prepared in a stew, pickled, boiled, in a aspic, hot, cold.
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You name it, I love it. On the weekend I have increased my repertoire by yet another version, this one being my new favorite. The preparation is minimal and the final outcome is easily controlled by your final adjustment (or lack thereof) of seasoning. Blanch trotters in salted water. In a good sized pot, add the trotters, water, soy sauce, sriracha, oyster sauce, fermented black bean sauce and sesame oil, diced chilis, diced onions. Bring to a boil, turn down to a simmer and cook until trotters are very soft but not falling apart. Remove trotters. The cooking liquid should have reduced and slightly thickened. If still too liquid, reduce further until desired texture is achieved. Strain. Add some more diced chilis for color and simmer for two minutes. Adjust seasoning to your liking. Return trotters to sauce and reheat. To serve, sprinkle with sliced scallions.
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Garlic Noodles & Pickled Cucumbers

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Hardly can you prepare a more simple, tasty and satisfying meal then this one.
On top of that, it is fast and easy to prepare and light on the wallet.
What’s not to love about that ? 🙂
The recipe I used today included only the seasonings in the photo on this page.
The version at the link below is a bit more complex. I love both versions equally.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !

P.S.
Long noodles (longevity noodles)are a symbol of good luck.
Let’s hope they work for 2013 🙂
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Recipe for “GARLIC NOODLES ” Here

Recipe for “CHINESE CUCUMBER SALAD” Here

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Chinese Pickled Cucumber

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Chinese cucumber salad. 涼拌黃瓜 (liáng bàn huáng guā)
This is a dish I make often at home. It is easy to prepare, economical , (say cheap if you want :-). It holds up well in the fridge for a few day’s and I use it as appetizer, side dish or snack during any time of the day, but mostly late at night when I want something tasty, fresh and spicy.

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Ingredients :

Cucumbers, cut into batons
White rice vinegar,
Garlic, paste
Ginger, grated
Chili , diced (substitute peper flakes if you must)
Soy sauce, just a small amount, so as not to discolor cucumbers
Sesame oil,
Kosher salt,
Sugar,

Method :

Salt the cucumbers, cover and let stand for 30 minutes. Discard the salty juices which have collected. Ad all other ingredients, adjust seasoning if necessary.

Note: For a variation add a teaspoon of finely diced ginger. You can substitute the cucumber with another vegetable such as radish, jicama, cabbage or Chinese cabbage.
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Curried Lentil Soup With Pork & Pork

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” Curried lentil soup with pork, vegetables, potatoes, sun dried tomatoes, chilis and chicharones (the other pork) ”

Last night it was a bone chilling 68 F outside, (this is Florida, folks),
so this one-pot meal provided much needed heat and comfort 🙂
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Ingredients :

Pork butt, diced
Chicken stock,
Lentils, any color will do
Bell peppers, diced
Onions, diced
Potatoes, diced
Celery, diced
Carrots, diced
Sun dried tomatoes, chopped
Garlic, paste
Chicharones,
Butter, substitute with olive oil if you prefer
Kosher salt,
Cayenne,
Maggi seasoning,

Method :

Saute onions, carrots, celery, sun dried tomatoes and garlic in butter until onions are translucent. Add curry powder, saute slowly for 30 seconds. Add pork, chicken stock and seasoning. Simmer until pork is tender. Remove pork, set aside, cover so it does not discolor. Add lentils to stock and simmer for 15 minutes. Add potatoes and peppers. Simmer until tender but not falling apart. Blend one quarter of the soup until smooth and thick. Return to pot, add pork and heat through. Adjust seasoning if required. To serve, sprinkle with chicharones.

Bon Appetit ! Stay Warm !
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Beef Ribs, My Way

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” Beef rib’s with fresh horseradish and cabbage, apple and avocado slaw”
Boiled (simmered, actually) beef has a long tradition in many cultures.

Usually, we boil brisket, neck. shanks, cheeks, tail, and any other part
which is rich with fat and / or connective tissue. There is only one rule :
Slowly does it ! As far as I am concerned, the best condiment to go with
boiled beef is horseradish. The German traditional dish :
“Gekochte Rinderbrust mit Meerettich Sauce”,
(Boiled Beef Breast with Horseradish Sauce ) , usually served with steamed
white cabbage and steamed or roasted potatoes, is to die for. In my opinion,
the very best part of the animal for “boiling” are the ribs. The texture when
cooked right (very slow, very tender but NOT! overcooked) is just unequaled
by any other cut for this preparation. An added bonus is the rich beef stock
you get, which I usually have for breakfast the next two or three day’s
(See also : Breakfast Of Champions # 11 ” Millefanti In Brodo Di Carne “ )

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Beef :

Ingredient’s :

Beef ribs, cleaned of excess (but not all) fat
Black pepper corn, crushed
Tomato, fresh, crushed
Star anis, crushed
Ginger, sliced
Garlic, sliced
Kosher salt,
Lime juice

Method :

Simmer all ingredients until beef is tender, but NOT overcooked.
Strain stock and reserve for other uses.

Slaw :

Ingredient’s :

Red cabbage, finely sliced
Avocado, sliced
Chilis, sliced
Apple, sliced,
Onion, sliced
Apple vinegar,
Cayenne pepper,
Kosher salt,
Lime juice
Walnut oil,

Method :

Salt the cabbage and let rest for twenty minutes.
Squeeze and discard all salty juice. Add all other
ingredients and mix carefully so as not to break
up the apples and avocados.

Horseradish :

Grate finely and mix with a bit of limejuice ans kosher salt.

To finish dish, sprinkle with scallions or chives and drizzle with chili oil.
Serve with pretzel or rustic sour dough bread.

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Udon, Seafood & Bok Choy

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As far as I am concerned, all noodles could be udon noodles.
I just love them in any prep variation, be it with seafood, beef,
mushrooms, in a soup, sautéed, stir fried, any which way will do it for me 🙂
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Click here to read all about UDON
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Ingredient’s :

Udon noodles,   fresh, from your Asian market
Mixed seafood, any type you prefer
Baby bok choy,
Onion,   sliced
Cilantro,   coarsely chopped
Garlic,   paste
Ginger,   grated
Soy sauce,
Sherry,
Sriracha,
Oyster sauce,
Sesame oil,
Chili oil,
Lime juice,
Peanut oil, to saute

Method :

Saute seafood in very hot peanut oil, remove onto absorbent paper. Add onion, garlic and ginger and saute until translucent and fragrant. Add noodles, bok choy, soy sauce, oyster sayce, sriracha and a bit of sherry wine and saute until noodles are heated trough. Remove from heat, add seafood and sesame oil, mix well. To serve, drizzle with lime juice and chili oil, sprinkle with cilantro.

Note:
As you can see from the mis en place picture, I used inexpensive (but nevertheless good) mixed seafood since this was only a go-between snack. For a more elegant and important meal, use large prawns, scallops, lobster, mussels, etc. However, the taste of the dish and the texture of the noodles should be satisfying either way.

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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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If Hot Dog – Good Hot Dog !

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If you do it – do it right !
Even a simple hot dog can
give tremendous culinary pleasure.

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Spicy italian sausage,
Garlic bun
Gorgonzola,
Kosher pickles,
Butter sauteed onions
Chili flakes

Pickled slaw of red and white cabbage, cucumber & onion,
Scotch bonnet sauce,
Ketchup,
Dijon mustard

= Good Hot Dog 🙂
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Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Breakfast Of Champions # 14 ”Ham & Cheese Sandwich”

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Sautéed Wrap With Ham, Sharp Cheddar, Pecorino Romano, Egg, Spinach & Sriracha.
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Saute spinach with onions and garlic paste in butter.
Cook eggs and ham in butter.
Sprinkle grated pecorino on wrap, top with ham,
sprinkle with sharp cheddar, top with spinach,
sprinkle with more pecorino. Top with egg.
Drizzle with sriracha. Roll into tight cylinder,
Enclose tightly with aluminium foil to prevent roll
from opening while sautéing. Cut into thick slices.
Saute slowly in butter until the cheese inside the roll
has melted and a golden, crispy crust has formed on
top and bottom. Enjoy with a glass of ice cold milk.
What a great way to start the day 🙂

Bon Appetit ! Life is Good !
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Flank On Peperonata

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“Flank On Peperonata”

Or, as you might read on a “up to date” , “modern” menu :

Tender Wagyu kobe beef, dry aged for 42 days and 7.5 hours, sautéed in extra extra extra virgin olive oil on a finely tuned $ 200k aga stove in a guy fieri designed kitchen, accompanied by farm raised baby bell peppers from a farm 370 yards away from our kitchen, perrier-washed grape tomatoes, organic grown pearl onions which were hand selected and washed by a young, 16 year old future master chef , and lightly, delicately and expertly sprinkled with cilantro which has grown undisturbed by such adversaries as snow and sandstorms on a sunny slope in the beautiful napa valley…………….blah blah blah ……

But then, to each his/her own cup of tea 🙂

Here we go :
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