texture

Crab-Stuffed Twice Baked Potato

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This  is my answer to a few request’s I received for unusual potato dishes.
If you use extra large potatoes as I have, I suggest that you bake them for two hours at 410 F. They will have browned slightly inside the skin and have a very different taste and texture than if you cook them only for the usual one hour.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !

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Crab - Stuffed Twice Baked Potato

Crab – Stuffed Twice Baked Potato

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Kümmelbraten ( Caraway Pork Roast )

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I wish  I would have been able to get a pork neck for this dish, but I couldn’t, so I used the next best thing, a pork butt (shoulder). For pork steaks and roast, I prefer the neck, because in my opinion the flavor and texture is far superior to any other cut of the pig. However, the butt is also a great cut to roast or braise, so at the end I was happy with what I got.
This dish is very common in the south of Germany where I grew up, so whenever I prepare this dish it alway’s brings back happy memories of a more simple time in my life. But on Friday when I cooked this, I had Daryl and Leo over for dinner, so it was a happy meal after all.  (Some wine and rum also made sure of that) 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Kümmelbraten (roast caraway pork)

Kümmelbraten (caraway pork roast)

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Pork butt (shoulder)

Pork butt (shoulder)

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Pork butt (shoulder)

Pork butt (shoulder)

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Pork butt, knuckle removed

Pork butt, knuckle removed

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Knuckle

Knuckle

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Seasoned with mustard, thyme, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion and caraway seed

Seasoned with mustard, thyme, kosher salt, cayenne pepper, granulated garlic, granulated onion and caraway seed

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Place on a rack above red wine and beer, add chilies, scallions and tomatoes, roast at 420 F for 30 minutes, turn down to 270F cook for three hours

Place on a rack above red wine and beer, add chilies, scallions and tomatoes, roast at 420 F for 30 minutes, turn down to 270F cook, for three hours

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Add potatoes, cook for another hour or until potatoes are soft. Remove meat, cover lightly and let rest thirty minutes

Add potatoes, cook for another hour or until potatoes are soft. Remove meat, cover lightly and let rest thirty minutes

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Meanwhile, remove sauce, potatoes and vegetables to a small pot, add tomato paste and simmer for fifteen minutes.

Meanwhile, transfer sauce, potatoes and vegetables to a small pot, add tomato paste and simmer for fifteen minutes. Check/adjust seasoning and texture of sauce

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Kümmelbraten (roast caraway pork)

Kümmelbraten (caraway pork roast)

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Kümmelbraten (roast caraway pork)

Kümmelbraten (caraway pork roast)

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Angel Burger

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If  mc donald would serve this thing, I would be there twice a week.What a difference to the usual boring, crappy patty in a bun. This one was spicy, crunchy, tasty, exciting. It combines some of my favorite ingredients, all in one bite :
Noodle pillow, brie cheese, hoisin sauce, spicy italian sausage, vine ripened tomatoes, sriracha sauce and sauteed cabbage and onions seasoned with soy, garlic and ginger.
Now, if this sounds like a hodgepodge to you, you are absolutely right, but it is a hodgpodge where everything comes together just fine and forms a harmonious entity which is just wonderful in its complexity of texture and taste 🙂
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Angel Burger

Angel Burger

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Cream Of Potato & Onion With Chorizo, Chilis & Aged Asiago

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Thank  the Lord for A/C, otherwise we could not eat soup in this smoldering hot weather.
I just love soup, and this is such a good example of what a good soup should be :
Tasty, good texture, exciting 🙂

Bon Appetit !   Life Is Good !
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Cream Of Potato & Onion With Chorizo, Chilis & Aged Asiago

Cream Of Potato & Onion With Chorizo, Chili’s & Aged Asiago

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Shrimp, Anchovies & Brie Cheese Pizza

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I have come up with a great system to support my craving for unusual pizzas at unusual times.  About once a week, when I have a little extra time ( and energy), I make a small batch of pizza dough, wrap it tightly in plastic film and put it in the fridge.  When I feel the  craving crawling towards me, I take the dough out of the fridge and let it sit on the kitchen counter for a couple of hours, still wrapped in the plastic film. When the time of prep comes, I unwrap it and proceed as usual with a fresh pizza dough. Works like a charm and put’s the actual prep time at the time of pizza dinner down to a few minutes, plus the baking time. May I say  “GENIUS” 🙂
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Shrimp. Anchovies & Brie Pizza

Shrimp. Anchovies & Brie Pizza

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Pizza Dough :

Ingredients :

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,

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.

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Hot Focaccia Sandwich With Prosciutto, Gorgonzola & Avocado

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I was getting hungry at 1.00 am last night and did not feel like having just a boring packaged snack, so I put together this fabulous sandwich. The spiciness of the gorgonzola, the slight acidity and fruitiness of the guacamole and the distinctive taste of the prosciutto made for a great flavor experience, while the different textures of the crispy bread, the gooeyness of the half melted cheese, the crispness of the outside layer of the prosciutto and the soft, delicate inner layers of the ham made all of this into an absolute delicious winner 🙂
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Hot Focaccia Sandwich With Prosciutto, Gorgonzola & Avocado

Hot Focaccia Sandwich With Prosciutto, Gorgonzola & Avocado

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Crispy Noodle Cake & Ginger/Garlic Shrimp

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I usually  shy away from crispy noodle cakes in asian restaurants because it can be a bit messy to eat when you are with company, but I love to prepare it at home, where I can use fork, knife, hands, chopsticks, or whatever else I need to pull it apart.
I actually prefer angel hair pasta for my noodle “pillows”, they fry up wonderfully crisp on the outside while staying soft and juicy at the inside. Today for lunch I topped them with an asian style shrimp preparation, but any “saucy” dish will fit, such as gizzard adobo, hungarian goulash, chicken paprikash, veal emince, etc.
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Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Crispy Noodle Cake & Ginger/Garlic Shrimp

Crispy Noodle Cake & Ginger/Garlic Shrimp

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Breakfast Of Champions # 27 – ” Smoked Salmon Sandwich “

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You  might have noticed in the past few posts when I used smoked salmon that the salmon is sliced much thicker and narrower than we usually cut it. I buy my salmon mostly at publix and while they have different quality salmon to offer, I prefer this “inferior” cut. It is cut from trimmings of the belly, which can not be sliced into the thin, wide slices we usually serve. But in my humble opinion, the texture and taste is far superior to the regular “pretty”part we usually buy.
There you have it – cheaper and better 🙂
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Breakfast Of Champions # 27 – ” Smoked Salmon Sandwich “

Breakfast Of Champions # 27 – ” Smoked Salmon Sandwich “

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Pulpo A La Plancha (Griddled Octopus)

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If  I would be confined to a small island for the rest of my life and given a choice of just 10 food items I could have available for the rest of my life, octopus would definitely be one of them.
Today I was in the mood to have something simple, with no fuzz, little preparation and minimal cleanup. Here is what fit the bill :

” Griddled octopus with iceberg and tomato in raspberry vinaigrette “.

Season water with sea salt, lots of smashed garlic and crashed black pepper corn. Add octopus and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cook for 1 1/2 to 2 1/2  hours (depending on size) until tender but not mushy. Texture is very important for a successful octopus dish, so pay attention!  Remove octopus to  ice bath. Let cool, remove from water, pat dry. Season with sea salt, granulated garlic and freshly ground black pepper. Brush with olive oil. Cook on hot griddle or cast iron pan until a nice char has developed. In the meantime, mix olive oil, lime juice, garlic paste, fresh ground black pepper and lot’s of chopped cilantro and oregano. Plate the octopus, drizzle with the seasoned olive oil. Serve with a green salad and your choice of potatoes, rice  or sour dough bread.

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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Pulpo A La Plancha

Pulpo A La Plancha (Griddled Octopus)

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Breakfast Of Champions # 26 – ” Shrimp & Bok Choy Congee “

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Here is how it’s supposed to be :

You have a big, substantial breakfast, go to your job and work hart, have a quick, light, healthy lunch, keep on working until it is time to go home, have a light, healthy dinner with a small glass of red wine, go to bed early, sleep at least 8 hours, get up and do it all over again 🙂

Here is what’s really happening :

You have a quick, sugary, unhealthy breakfast, go to your job and work hart, have a quick, unhealthy lunch, keep on working until it is time to go home, have a heavy, calorie and fat-laden dinner, with a bottle or two of red wine, go to bed late, don’t sleep enough, get up and do it all over again 😦
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So, today, after a long and deep sleep, I tried to start the right way, with a healthy, tasty, substantial breakfast.
I will keep you posted how it will develop from here for the rest of the day…………
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Ingredients :

Cooked Fan,    (steamed chines rice)
Seafood stock,   substitute with chicken stock or canned clam juice
Shrimp,   peeled and deveined
Bok choy,   blanched
Garlic,   paste
Garlic,   slivered, fried
Onions,   finely julienned, fried
Ginger,   grated,
Bean sprouts,
Scallions,   coarsely sliced
Peanut oil,
Chili oil,
Sesame oil,
Kosher salt,
Cayenne pepper,

Method :

Simmer rice with in stock, salt and pepper until a porridge like texture is achieved. In the meantime, fry onions and garlic separately until golden. Remove to absorbent paper. Reserve. Saute Shrimp, garlic paste and grated ginger until   fragrant and shrimp about halfway cooked. When congee has reached the desired texture, add the shrimp, bock choy and scallions, simmer until heated through, about one minute. Adjust seasoning if necessary. To plate, drizzle with sesame oil and chili oil, sprinkle with fried onions, fried garlic, bean sprouts and scallions.

More Congee Recipes Here

Bon Appetit !   Life is Good !
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