texture

Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

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While Tamago Gohan is a quintessential Japanese breakfast, I eat it often and at any time of the day, whenever I want to have a meal that is simple and feels cleansing and light. (To ME it feels cleansing and light 🙂 ), probably because of its simplicity ?
I also frequently enjoy an even simpler dish – plain steamed rice with soy sauce/wasabi drizzled over it and topped with undressed, crisp iceberg chiffonade.
Tamago Gohan in its original form consists of rice, whole raw egg, toasted sesame seeds and a splash of soy sauce. I have been introduced to that version of Tamago Gohan many years ago in Japan, (way before I got married to Maria), after spending the night with a young local lady in a Ryokan just outside of Nakasaki. I must admit that I was very apprehensive at first about the raw egg, but the whole day/night was very adventuresome in so many ways, so why stop there.
Frankly, at that point I was not a big fan of that breakfast experience, but, like so many other experiences one has when young and adventurous, years later when I came across Tamago Gohan again, I remembered it as a more pleasant experience than it actually was at the time. I then started to prepare it at home, slightly adjusted to make it more enticing to me by using egg yolk only instead of the whole egg and adding a knob of soft butter and sliced scallion, which transforms it into a very appealing, tasty dish with great texture. Ever since that adjustment, it’s been an often enjoyed dish in my house, usually accompanied by a piping hot pot of mint tea 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
If you are grossed-out by the raw eggs, think of the raw yolks in sunny side up fried eggs or soft poached eggs.
If that does not help, maybe use chopped-up fried eggs or poached eggs instead of the raw eggs…….
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P.P.S.
Please use only the freshest eggs possible !!! and handle them with the utmost care !!!!
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Click here to see ” How to Tell If an Egg is Fresh “ !!!!!!!
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Click here to see ChefsOpinion’s ” Fresh Egg Machine “
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Steamed Rice :

Ingredients

1 cup short-grain rice (I sometimes use basmati)
1,5 cup water

Instructions

Put rice in a bowl. Wash and discard water 3 times. Place rice and water in a heavy pot. Let it soak for 30 minutes.
Cook rice without lid at high heat until it boils. Stir and reduce heat. Simmer covered for 15 minutes.
Let stand covered for 10 minutes, fluff with fork or chop sticks.

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Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

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Preparation :
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: toast until golden

: prepare per person 2 egg yolks or 1 whole egg, 2 tblsp soy sauce with 1 tblsp sliced scallion, 1 tblsp toasted sesame seeds, 1 bowl fresh-steamed rice

: top rice with 2 oz SOFT butter

: top with the other ingredients, stir everything very well together

: Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

: Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

: Breakfast Of Champions # 59 – Tamago Gohan

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The Buffalo – The Sandwich That Puts Most Others To Shame……….

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Yes friends, I really believe that this is one of the best sandwiches one can hope to find in today’s landscape of often-times overwrought, senseless concoctions.
While not as spectacular to look at as, let’s say, a five inch high monster loaded with 20 different ingredients, nor as expensive as a foie gras sandwich with lobster, gold leaf, caviar and truffles, or as wildly exotic as a stinky tofu sandwich with hairy crab claws and pickled blow fish roe, The Buffalo achieves its winner status by being incredibly delicious, with a texture both perfectly crisp on the outside and heavenly moist on the inside, with just the right amount of spicy and tart as one could hope for in a proper sandwich 🙂
And by the way, did I mention that I love this sandwich and believe it to be one of the best ? 🙂

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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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The Buffalo

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Preparation :
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: finely sliced onion, white cabbage, red radish, red cabbage

: season white cabbage and onions separately from the radish and red cabbage with kosher salt, cayenne pepper, cider vinegar and olive oil, let marinade for at least one hour; mix together white/cabbage/onions and radish/red cabbage just before serving (this prevents coloring the salad pink)

: cook 4 lbs pork ribs in salted water until tender

: drain ribs, let cool, remove and shredd meat, discard bones

: to the shredded pork add 1 medium size diced cucumber, 5 stalks sliced scallion, 1 tblsp panko, 2 tblsp shredded parmigiano reggiano and /2 cup Hans’s homemade buffalo sauce, mix together cup

: Italian five grain bread

: hollow-out bread without damaging crust

: tightly fill bread with the pork mixture

: almost……

: generously brush a sheet of alu foil with garlic paste

: roll bread tightly into foil, bake on a rack in center of a 350 F oven for 30 minutes or until bread is crisp on the outside and hot on the inside

: un-wrap bread and let rest for a few minutes before cutting; to serve, cut bread in half and serve with cabbage/radish salad; serves 4

: The Buffalo

: The Buffalo

: The Buffalo

: The Buffalo

: The Buffalo

: The Buffalo

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Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

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Here is another simple, hearty and delicious dish that I prepare often, since gnocchi and broccolini are some of my favorite ingredients to a happy meal.
Add cheese, mushrooms, butter and pangrattato and you’ll end up with the dish pictured here 🙂
However, if you are not a fan of any of these ingredients – just nix any one of them, or replace them with something you prefer to the original – shrimp instead of mushroom, another pasta instead of gnocchi , another vegetable instead of the broccolini, etc.
Let your imagination, wallet and available time be the guide to your pasta of the day, while using the one featured here as your inspiration 🙂
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Bon Appétit !   Life is Good !
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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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Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

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Preparation :
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: saute 1/2 cup panko in 2 tblsp whole butter

: saute until golden, remove from heat, reserve

: saute julienne of 1 medium sized onion and 1/4 tblsp garlic paste (optional) in 1 tblsp butter until translucent

: add 8 oz mixed fresh mushrooms and 8 oz blanched broccolini, season with kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste, saute until heated through, about 2 minutes, add 1 lb freshly prepred gnocchi, carefully mix together, check/adjust seasoning

: place pasta on serving dish

: sprinkle with freshly grated parmesan and top with pangrattato

: Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

: Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

: Gnocchi With Broccolini And Mushrooms

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Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

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For me, these three condiments are not to be missed to accompany any Mexican-style meal I prepare at home. In my opinion, they also fit very well with a wide range of dishes of non-Mexican cuisine from around the world. They pair nicely with steaks, schnitzel, sandwiches, salads, meat, seafood, vegetables, eggs, etc.
In fact, I usually have at least a small bowl of one or two or sometimes all three of them in my fridge. I prep them once a week, then serve them with a variety of different dishes, be it for breakfast (without the onions), lunch or dinner.
Sometimes, just these three goodies, together with a bunch of tortillas or on a slice of toast or grilled sour dough bread, make a perfect, tasty and quick meal 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
I did not include measurements for these recipes since I believe you should add ingredients according to the ratios you personally prefer 🙂
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Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

Salsa Mexicana

Guacamole

Escabeche De Cebolla

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Preparation :
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: jalapeño, onions, garlic, lime juice, tomatoes (most seeds removed), cilantro, kosher salt

: Salsa Mexicana

: Salsa Mexicana

: avocado, kosher salt, lime juice, cilantro, jalapeño, garlic (optional)

: guacamole

: guacamole

: Guacamole

: onion, lime juice, cayenne pepper, cilantro, kosher salt

: Escabeche De Cebolla

: Mexican Treasures – Guacamole, Escabeche De Cebolla, Salsa Mexicana

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Balls Galore

Balls Galore……..

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“Chicken Soup With Matzo Balls And Chicken Dumplings”
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If you love balls (pun intended?), this soup will make you happy. In my own opinion, these chicken balls (ok then, dumplings ! 🙂 ) and these Matzo Ba… Dumplings 🙂 are some of the best dumplings you can find .
I have previously published quite a few dishes with matzo balls, but this is the first time I combine them with chicken dumplings.
One would think that chicken dumplings are nothing special, but these certainly are an exception to the sea of mediocre or even outright nasty stuff usually being served as chicken dumplings these days.
Very light and full of flavor, they are a far cry from the stuff which many “cooks” will serve you. How do I know that? Because I have been served so much crap labeled as chicken dumplings that I usually don’t order them in restaurants anymore. Mostly they contain less than fresh meat, lots of fillers and they look and taste as if somebody want’s to punish you by making you eat them.
Not these here baby’s !
Prepared from fresh chicken meat with no fillers, tasty and pretty to look at, accompanied by another gift to comfort food in the form of fluffy matzo balls and served in a strong, delicious chicken broth, this is comfort food as wonderful as it can get 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Pls note that this chicken soup recipe is just one version of many 🙂
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Balls Galore

notice how juicy the chicken dumplings are………..

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Preparation :
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: de-bone 2 ea 6 oz fresh (not frozen if possible) chicken breasts

: dice into very fine cubes

: add 1 tblsp panko, 1 whole egg, 1/2 tblsp fresh-grated parmesan, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to taste (this was a small egg, if the eggs you are using are large, you might want to use only part of the egg)

: add 1 tpls finely sliced scallions, mix ingredients well but do NOT overwork or balls become dense 🙂 ; put in fridge for 30 minutes, then form into balls, return to fridge

: mix 1 cup matzo meal, 3 eggs, 3 tblsp oil or rendered chicken fat 1/4 cup seltzer (exact amount depends on the size of the eggs and the coarseness of the matzo meal) 3 tblsp finely chopped parsley (optional) Kosher salt and white pepper to taste; mix all wet ingredients together, then fold in matzo meal, salt and pepper and place in refrigerator for 15 minutes; shape into golf ball sized balls, drop into boiling water, cover, turn down to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes

: after 20 minutes, add the chicken balls, simmer covered until cooked through but NOT dry, about 12 minutes; to serve, place 3 ea of chicken balls and matzo balls in a serving bowl, add chicken soup and sprinkle with finely sliced scallions

: chicken to the left, matzo to the right……..

: Balls Galore

: Balls Galore

: Balls Galore

: Balls Galore

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Steak Salad Recipe # 91

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Today’s dinner salad was pretty special for me, because it contained six of my favorite food items – endive, pears, Gorgonzola, garlic, shiitake mushrooms and Entraña (faux hanger steak).
While the shiitake might not seem a good fit for a salad at first glance, they turned out to be a perfect fit with the rest of the ingredients.
This salad was at the same time very rustic and very refined.
The different textures and flavors combined to be an absolute beautiful and tasty salad that can be served as main course, appetizer or snack.
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Steak Salad Recipe # 91

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Preparation :
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: 2 ea Entraña (top of “faux hanger steak”)

: 1 ea pear-cut into batonnets, 10 oz gorgonzola-cut into slices, 6 ea scallion stalks- sliced, 8 ea whole garlic confit, 1 ea large endive (yellow only) -cut into pieces, 5 ea basil leaves-finely sliced (chiffonade)

: season steaks with kosher salt and fresh-cracked black pepper, saute in a VERY hot pan in 1 tblsp peanut oil until rare, set aside to rest and cool to room temperature before slicing

: 8 oz fresh shiitake, stems removed

: saute shiitake in 1/4 cup peanut oil until plumb, remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon, set aside

: in the same oil, saute the garlic and scallions until lightly browned, remove with a slotted spoon, set aside; to make the dressing, add 2 tblsp raspberry vinegar, a dash of maggi seasoning, kosher salt and cayenne pepper to the oil, whisk, check/adjust seasoning

: mix 1/3 of the dressing with the shiitake, scallion and garlic

: mix 2/3 of the dressing with the pear, basil and endive,

: place the endive and pear into a serving bowl

: top with the sliced steak, then with the shiitake, garlic and scallions; serves 2 entrees, 4 snacks or 6 appetizers

: Steak Salad Recipe # 91

: Steak Salad Recipe # 91

: Steak Salad Recipe # 91

: Sweet Bella

: Scary Bella

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Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

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This dish does not need a lengthy, flowery introduction, ’cause, what could be more familiar, appetizing and, at the same time, easier to prepare than fried chicken. Especially when it’s done the American way as opposed to the European way.
Classically and in the European style, fried chicken is breaded with a simple breading procedure: Flour, egg wash, bread crumbs.
Following the American procedure, coat the chicken in flour, then dip it in buttermilk, then coat it in flour again.
(This method is also used for “Chicken Fried Steak”)
So there you have it, fried chicken done the American way. Dare I say: The better way ? 🙂
Well, of course both way’s can be excellent (and will be, assuming it’s done right). However, the American way turns out more crisp (again, IF ! properly prepared), so it is slightly ahead on my preference-scale of fried chicken 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for Chicken Fried Steak on ChefsOpinion
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Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

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Preparation :
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: Potato/Cucumber Salad In Bacon/Scallion-Vinaigrette

: debone and remove skin (optional) from 4 chicken thighs

: season 1/2 cup of butter milk with chili paste and kosher salt to taste (substitute buttermilk with a mixture of 2/3 whole milk and 1/3 Greek yogurt if butter milk is not available

: season 1 cup of a/p flour with granulated garlic, cayenne pepper and kosher salt to taste

: dip chicken into flour, then butter milk, then flour again, saute or fry until golden, crisp and cooked through

: almost……..

: before plating, let the chicken rest for a few minutes on absorbent paper, plot the top of chicken with absorbent paper as well; serve with potato salad, lemon wedges and Thai chili sauce

: Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

: Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

: Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

: Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

: Fried Chicken With Potato Salad

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Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

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While I love grits and eat them quite often, after a while they can become a bit boring, so I like to dress them up a bit with additional flavors and textures. The version here is especially yummy and pretty, what with the added red beets who give a brilliant red hue, the interesting and unusual texture and a wonderful, earthy flavor. This earthy flavor is nicely greeted by the shrimp in their lemony herb butter (as you can see in the pictures, I splurged a bit on the butter, but so what, sue me).
After all, one probably does not have a rich breakfast like this everyday, so I guess that makes the over-indulgence acceptable (once in a while, anyway) 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more Grits on ChefsOpinion
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Click here for a recipe using Red Beet Leaves on ChefsOpinion
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Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

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Preparation :
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: wash 2 lbs red beets thoroughly, cut off tops and leaves, use for other recipe ( see link )

: cook the beets in lightly salted water until soft but NOT mushy, remove from stock, peel, dice

: strain stock through a cheesecloth into a pot; you should have about 3 cups

: add the required amount of grits, depending on the type of grits you use (check the package for measurements)

: fold-in the red beet cubes (if you use the shrimp in garlic butter, don’t add any butter at this point), check/adjust seasoning

: poach one egg per person

: melt 4 oz of salted butter

: add 1 lb headless,peeled and deveined shrimp, season with 1 tsp worcestershire sauce, 1 tsp garlic paste, 1 tblsp Thai sweet chili sauce, kosher salt to taste

: saute until shrimp are almost cooked through , (carry-over heat will do the rest), add 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, check/adjust seasoning; serves 4

: plate grits in center of a deep serving plate

: top with shrimp and butter, top with poached egg, sprinkle with more chopped cilantro

: Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

: Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

: Red Beet Grits With Shrimp In Garlic/Herb Butter And Poached Egg

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PORK AND NOODLES IN TWO PARTS – “PART TWO”

: Crisp Yi Mein Noodle Pillow With Fiery Chile Pork

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Click here for “Pork And Noodles In Two Parts – Part One” on ChefsOpinion
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Well dear friends, here now is part two of “Pork And Noodles In Two Parts”.
As I’ve explained in part one, “Crisp Yi Mein Noodle Pillow With Fiery Chile Pork” was not planned to exist in its final form, but I was glad it came about, because it was truly a beautiful, delicious dish I would not want to have missed.
It just goes to show that great food can be had by using simple leftovers, as long as one adds a bit of creativity and lot’s of love 🙂
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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P.S.
I like some of my chili dishes’ heat level to the point when the first few bites actually almost hurt, only to then morph into bliss full near-numbness and delightful tingling of the taste bud’s.
If you are less hard-core in the spice-department, adjust the heat level of this dish (or any other) by adding less chili paste.
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Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

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Preparation :
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: VERY slowly saute 0.5 lb yi mein noodles in 2 tblsp peanut oil without stirring until bottom is golden and crisp, turn, saute the other side until golden and crisp

: meanwhile, saute 1 lb of chopped pork leftovers with one large, diced onion in 1 tblsp peanut oil until onion and pork start to caramelize

: add 1/2 cut pok stock, chicken stock or water, 2 tblsp hoisin sauce, 2 tblsp soy sauce, 1 tblsp garlic paste, 1 tblsp grated ginger, 2 tblsp chopped cilantro, 4 tblsp ( !!! or to taste !!! ) chili paste, kosher salt to taste, 1 tsp sugar

: simmer for 2 minutes, check/adjust seasoning

: place the noodle pillow on a serving platter, top with the pork, sprinkle with more chopped cilantro

: Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

: Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

: Crisp Chinese Noodle Pillow With Chile Pork

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Potato And Onion Pierogi With Grape Tomatoes And Cracked Black Pepper In Beurre Noisette

: PEPPER JACK STUFFED PIEROGIES WITH CHICHARRONES CORN RADISH And PEAS

: Potato And Onion Pierogi In Brown Butter

: PIEROGI WITH ONIONS, SALAMI AND PEAS

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Pierogi or Vareniki are half circular dumplings of unleavened dough, stuffed (singularly or in various combinations) with mashed potatoes, cheese, farmer’s cheese, bryndza, cabbage, sauerkraut, meat, mushrooms, or other ingredients depending on the cook’s personal preferences. Dessert versions of the dumpling can be stuffed with a fresh fruit filling, such as cherry, strawberry, raspberry, blueberry, peach, or apple; stoned prunes are sometimes used.
Mashed potatoes mixed with farmer’s cheese and fried onions is a popular filling in Poland and Ukraine. In Poland this variety is called Ruskie pierogi. A popular filling for pierogi in Canada is mashed potatoes mixed with grated cheddar cheese .
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Bon Appétit ! Life is Good !
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Click here for more info on Pierogi, Vareniki and Pelmeni
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Click here for Beurre Noisette
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P.S.
If the tiny black spots in the butter bother you, strain the beurre noisette after browning through a cheese cloth, then saute the veggies and the pierogies.
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Ingredients :

Potato / Cheese Filling
2 oz soft butter
medium small diced onion, sauteed
2 oz greek yoghurt
2 cups cold mashed potatoes
2 oz grated pepper jack cheese
salt & pepper to taste
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Pierogi Dough
3 large egg
6 oz sour cream or greek yoghurt
3 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tablespoon baking powder
salt to taste

Method :

Saute onion in butter until translucent.
Stir into the mashed potatoes, add grated cheese and yogurt,
season with salt and cayenne pepper, mix well.To make the dough, beat together the eggs and sour cream until smooth.
Sift together the flour, salt, and baking powder; stir into the sour cream mixture,
mix well and knead the dough on a lightly floured surface until firm and smooth.
Divide the dough in half, then roll out one half to 1/8 inch thickness.
Cut into 3 inch rounds using a cutter or drinking glass.Place a small spoonful of the mashed potato filling into the center of each round.
Moisten the edges with water, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal.
Repeat procedure with the remaining dough and filling.Cook in boiling saltwater until dough is done, about 4 to 5 minutes,
depending on the thickest part of the dough. Remove with a slotted spoon, drain.
Saute in butter, duck fat, chicken or pork schmaltz to your liking – soft without color, lightly browned or browned and crisp.
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