If You Can't Take The Cheat, Then Get Out Of The Kitchen

It's OK to cheat once in a while. All chefs do it somewhere in their kitchen. It's unavoidable. There are somethings where a corner can be cut and customers usually won't even notice. Muffins and cookies are usually made from frozen batters. Pastries are made in pastry shops and shipped in. Salad dressings are tricky: some restaurants insist on making all dressings in-house while others couldn't be bothered.

It boils down to money. Is it cheaper to have one of the cooks make the dressing from scratch or just order the damn stuff? Like Caesar. Thousand Island. Balsamic. Whatever.

Soups and stocks is another gray area where it may be easier and more cost effective to simply purchase soups either in a can or in the form of powder. Consumme for example is a pain in the ass to make and if made improperly, it can go cloudy. Or you can buy the can and the product may even better than something made in-house.

This is a recipe from my mother-in-law. It is extremely easy because you mostly put together canned items. She makes this soup every Thanksgiving and it is always a hit with the family. Truth is that it is the item that we finish off first. I like it for it's ease and simplicity and it's usually one less thing I have to cook on Thanksgiving.

So this is a first: a recipe that is not my own at all. In fact, I would even make it a little bit differently but that's OK. It is probable that I may get grief for posting a recipe from my mother-in-law first and not from somebody else. So, without any further ado . . .


The Port Carling Thanksgiving Special

350 ml Canned Cream of Corn
700 ml Cream of Mushroom Soup
350ml 2% Milk
1 Spanish Onion, medium dice
2 Stalks of Celery, medium dice
1 Red Bell Pepper, medium dice
100g Mushrooms, sliced
250g Bacon, roughly diced
Pinch of Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a soup pot, on medium heat, saute bacon until most of the fat is rendered. Add onion, celery, pepper, mushroom and chili powder and cook for 2 minutes. Add milk, canned corn and canned mushroom and bring to a scald. Adjust to seasonings and let your spouse try it to confirm. Just this one time.

Makes 1.5 l.

Serves 8.

Variations: Naw. Why bother with this classic? I mean, you could add potatoes for some heartiness, or some canned clams for a nice twist, or perhaps even add Sage Oil for a garnish but . . . then you would be adding work. And for a recipe that designed to save on time and effort, it seems slightly incongruous to make work for yourself.

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Roll Out The Roller

Here is a recipe for the food enthusiast: home made pasta. I don't make this too often anymore because I find that it doesn't really have a good pay-off. You don't save much money, it requires work and patience and the final product, though may be good, isn't always better than something you can buy. Let's face it; purchasing dried pasta is cheap and, unless you have difficulty boiling water, cooking pasta is the simplest thing to do in the kitchen. Besides, you can purchase fresh pasta and many major grocers (though it is usually way overpriced).

Pasta is flour, eggs, salt and olive oil. That's it. No magic. No secret. No Strega Nona required to cook the pasta. Just some adventurousness, enthusiasm and curiosity.

I would make fresh pasta if I was interested in experimenting with a filling for ravioli or agnolotti; perhaps I would make it for canelloni or manicotti but other than that, I would have to be in the mood. Fresh tagliatelle is quite good but someone would have to request it for me to make it.

So there it is; my take on fresh pasta. If you've always wanted to use your pasta machine you got as a gift for your wedding, try this very simple recipe and impress your spouse this weekend.

One last paragraph on cooking pasta. When cooking dried pasta, use a tall pot, lots of water and enough salt in the water to give the water a slight (not overpowering) salty taste. With fresh pasta you can add a little oil to the water if you want; when cooking fresh pasta the starch from the pasta bleeds fairly easily. A little oil hinders the water reaching a rapid boil and prevents the starch from boiling over the sides of the pot.

Fresh Pasta

350 g All Purpose Flour
5 Eggs
10 ml Olive Oil
Pinch Of Salt

Make a mound with flour and create a well in the centre of the mound. Add all ingredients in to the well and stir with a fork. Once eggs are beaten, use hands to knead the dough. If flour is sticky, add more flour a little at a time. Knead thoroughly. Exercise your arms for fifteen more minutes then cover dough with plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes. Give arms a rest.

Now the tricky part. Rolling out the dough flat enough to cut and use. If you have a pasta roller, then it's easy. Use the machine following manufacturer's directions (sounds like a cop out, but it's not really, believe me) and cut into desired shapes. If you rolling out with a rolling pin, keep flouring your surface and flatten to desired thickness or until frustrated.

Makes 600 g.

Variation: So you've done it! You've made fresh pasta for your loved ones. I hope they appreciated the work you've put in it. Now, you've done it and you want to make it different to show how creative you are. Well, change the colour of the pasta with either spinach or red pepper puree and really impress your guests. I would be surprised if anybody were to actually try making this so I won't be expecting any comments. I would like to be proven wrong.

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Why Did The Chicken Cross the Road? To Catch A Tory

By popular demand, I have been asked to post a recipe that requires little time to prep and can be cooked in a slow cooker (or crock pot or whatever you call it). When I say "popular demand", I mean my sister-in-law who is a mother and likes to cook simple meals that has no dairy and can be enjoyed by her kids.

This is a "Hunter Style" recipe for the people who love their hearty comfort food. There are numerous ways to cook Chicken Chasseur (or Cacciatore) and it frequently involves what's left in the fridge or whatever herbs are grown in the backyard.

There are a few things that are required of course, and the technique is usually the same, but if you prefer shallots over red onion, yellow peppers over red, or cremini mushrooms over button, go ahead and use up whatever you have in the fridge.

You can use chicken legs or breasts, whatever you prefer. Personally, I prefer both so I typically purchase whole chickens and portion it myself and make a stock with the carcass and the trimmings from the vegetables. If you are like my wife and abhor the idea of touching dead, lifeless poultry, purchase just breasts and legs and you will ready to go.

"Hunter-Style" Braised Chicken

1 Whole Chicken, 1 kg, portioned into 8 or 2 Chicken Breats and 2 Chicken Thighs and 2 Drumsticks
1 Large Red Onion, finely diced
2 Cloves of Garlic, chopped
100 g Mushrooms, thinly sliced
150 ml Wine, red or white
125 g tomatoes, canned and crushed
200 ml chicken or vegetable stock
1 Red Pepper, medium diced
1 Green Zucchini, medium diced
2 Sprigs of Fresh Basil, thinly chiffonade
1 Sprig of Oregano, finely chopped
1 Sprig of Parsley, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

Season chickens with salt and pepper.

On medium high heat, brown all sides of the chicken portions. Remove from heat. Add a little oil and saute onion, pepper, mushroom for 1 minute. Add zucchini and garlic and cook for one minute. Deglaze with wine and reduce by half. Add crushed tomatoes and stock. Add salt and pepper.

Add chickens to pot and cover. If you are using a crock pot, use same method and cook for 45 minutes on low heat. If you are cooking in a stock pot, place into a preheated oven at 300 degrees and cook for half an hour.

Add fresh herbs and stir well. Adjust to seasonings. If the sauce is too thin, remove chicken and keep hot. Reduce the sauce on high heat until desired thickness.

Serves 4.

Variation: You can go nuts on this one. Serve this with pasta and it Chicken Cacciatore, serve it with rice, add some cream and it's Chicken Hongroise, omit the herbs and use paprika and sour cream and you have Chicken Paprika. Or go nuts and add some bacon, use red wine only and use up the pearl onions you've in your cupboard for the past year and wow your friends and family with Coq au Vin. Pretty easy and impressive stuff.

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The Monster Mash

Mash potatoes. I mean, it's the ultimate isn't it? They go with virtually every meal, it's pretty tough to screw up, you can make them in advance and everybody at any age loves it. No collection of recipes is complete without mashed potatoes. Make too much and it keeps pretty well until the next day. Or, fry it up and serve with eggs and bacon. Hey. It's famous for a reason.

I imagine most people and restaurants simply peel and boil their potatoes and whip with some milk, butter and season and there you have it. 1-2-3 easy as pie. However, there is an alternative.

When purchasing potatoes, ensure there is no green spots. And each type of potato is good for certain type of cooking. Potatoes are generally classified by the amount of starch it contains. New potatoes have high sugar, low starch. Good for salad and roasting. Not deep frying or mash. Mature potatoes like Yukon Gold or Russets have a high starch content and, hopefully, low sugar. Actually, sugar content often relies on the season and/or temperature. So, unless you have Shaman at your disposal, don't fret about sugar and moisture content.

One quick note: some of you may be familiar with Duchesses Potatoes. This is basically Mashed Potatoes with egg yolks. Egg yolks keeps the potatoes firmer and richer, so if you are making this recipe for Sheppard's Pie, adding an egg yolk will enable you to have better control of the potatoes when spreading over the ground meat.

Mashed Potatoes

8 Large Yukon Gold Potatoes, whole
200 ml 35% Whipping Cream
100 ml Butter, melted
2 Garlic Cloves, crushed
Salt and Pepper

Preheat oven at 350 degrees. Cook potatoes on a tray until cooked through. Approximately 1 hour, or longer if potatoes are particularly large.

Scald cream and add butter and garlic. Reduce heat and keep warm.

After potatoes are cooked, cut each one into half. Carefully using a spoon, scoop out the innards of the potatoes into a large bowl. Add cream and seasonings. Using a stand or hand mixer, whip potatoes until creamy and without lumps. Do not overwhip.

Serves 6.

Variation: Everyone has their own variation on mash. My personal favourites are adding roasted garlic and goat's cheese in the last minute. I'm not so sure if there is anything that beats it.

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Amuse Your Bouche

I haven't put any hors d'oeuvre yet. Not surprising since I don't make them too frequently. They're finicky, time consuming and often annoying. No wonder most banquet facilities order their hors d'oeuvre from outside sources.

However, many times for dinner parties or small events, I will provide some one bite wonders to entertain my guests' palettes. The term "Amuse Bouche" refers to giving the mouth a little fun before the real meal begins.

The one thing to remember is whenever making your hors d'oeurve, be sure you can platter them in advance so that you keep yourself out of "the shit." Also remember to make them one bite and allow your guests to hold onto the hors d'oeurve with their hands. Unless you have a personal vendetta with a few of your guests and you're dying to get some pomegranate juice on somebody new suit . . . . maybe your brother-in-law borrowed some money and never paid you back or something.

Possibilities are endless (however, I find that many recipes usually have either prosciutto or smoked salmon in it) but here is one cheap one that is a little different than the norm.

Cherry Tomatoes on A Pink Peppercorn Pancake

12 Cherry Tomatoes, halved
300 g All Purpose Flour
20 g Sugar
Pinch of Salt
10 g Baking Powder
2 Eggs, beaten
400 ml Milk, buttermilk preferably though not required
50 g Butter, melted
20g Pink Peppercorns, cracked soaked in milk

Preheat oven at 250 degrees. On a baking sheet, lay down parchment. In a bowl, toss tomatoes in a little oil and salt. Lay flat side down and lightly roast for 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool.

For pancakes, mix together dry ingredients. Mix together wet ingredients and pink peppercorns. Gently mix the wet to the dry. Do not over mix. Spoon small amounts of mix onto a non-stick pan or a griddle. Flip pancake and cook through. Lay flat to cool.

To serve, platter pancakes first, then add cherry tomatoes on top and serve at room temperature.

Makes 30 - 40 hors d'eourve.

Variation: If you feel like it you can add a garnish: something creamy would do the trick. A shaving from brie cheese or some other soft cheese would compliment the spicy pancake and acidic tomato extremely well.

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I've Got Your Cure Right Here

As you all know, you don't need heat to actually cook something. Curing and smoking foods is not only not new, it predates heat methods for many cultures. It is very easy to purchase smoked fish but you are usually stuck with stuff that you may or may not want. Besides, curing your own foods is so much more cost effective and it enables you to control the flavours you want to use.

I was catering a bachelorette party and I had very little money to use. I decided to salt cure my salmon and I discovered that I saved close to twenty dollars on my food cost.

Curing your own salmon sounds tricky but it isn't. All you need is your memory. And it really impresses people when you've actually gone and done it.


Tequila Scented Gravlox

1 kg Salmon Fillet, whole and skin on
120 g Rock Salt
120g Sugar
Pinch ofWhite Pepper
1 Sprig of Basil, coarsely chiffonade
50 ml Tequila
2 Bricks

Combine sugar, salt and pepper.

Using a glass or stainless steel pan (big enough to hold salmon fillet, 13 X 8), sprinkle a little of the mixture on the bottom. Lay salmon skin side down. Cover with half of mixture completely. Spread basil evenly on top of salmon and finish with the remainder of salt. Pour the tequila in the corner of the pan slowly to allow for even distribution.

Cover well with plastic wrap. Lay down bricks (please make sure bricks are clean) and cover with wrap once again. Refrigerate for 1 day.

Turn fillet over 24 hours later and cover well. Refrigerate for another day.

On the final day, drain any excess water and carefully remove all the remainder of the basil.

Using your sharpest knife, slice on the bias as thin as possible.

Approximately 30 slices.

Variation: You can now use your Gravlox for anything you want: wraps, canapes, open face sandwiches, in a salad, whatever. It will keep for up to two weeks so long as it well wrapped to prevent drying out.

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Chop! Chop!

Apples are great. However, they have a weakness: they are easily overpowered. When combining them with something else, they can get lost very easily. That is why apple sauce goes so well with pork chops: pork chops have very little flavour and the sweetness offsets the fattiness of the chop.

On the flip side, I've made Mulligatawny Soup (which apparently means "pepper-water") with grated apple to compliment the curry flavours. In the soup (which by the way is fantastic, if anyone wishes to know it, ask and I shall post it, if no requests then I won't bother) the flavour of the apples are lost if used too sparingly but the tartness adds a different dimension to the soup that is only noticeable when noted. Again, it is the building of flavours I've referred to in the past that I'm getting at.

This simple, simple, simple recipe is for the person who wants to make everything fresh but isn't complicated. Serve this with sweet potato mash or regular mash. Which, incidentally, was requested by my cousin to post because she swears I make the best mash she's ever had. Well, mash potatoes are as easy as it gets but maybe, just maybe, I know a trick about how to make mash potatoes better than average. Stay tuned.

One quick note on making apple sauce; I like using a food mill to puree the sauce. If you don't have one, you will have to peel the apples, remove seeds and quater them.

Grilled Pork Loin With Apple Sauce

8 Pork Chops, cut from the loin
2 Sprigs of Sage, finely chiffonade
Pinch of Paprika
Salt and Pepper to Taste
6 Apples, quatered
200 g Brown Sugar
Pinch of Cinnamon
100 g Unsalted Butter

Preheat BBQ or indoor grill pan. Marinate chops with sage and paprika in the fridge for ten minutes.

In a mid-sized sauce pan on medium high heat, throw in cinnamon, sugar and apples and cover. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add water if too dry. Cook thoroughly until apples are mushy. Using a food mill, throw in cooked mixture and puree.

In a small frying pan, melt butter until it starts turning a little brown (this is called a beurre noisette) and fold into the puree. Keep hot until served.

On grill, sear off loins. After 2 minutes, turn one quarter and let sear for another minute. Turn over and repeat. After searing, remove from direct heat and let cook for 6-8 minutes depending on thickness of the chop. The interior should reach be a little pink but not fleshy looking.

Serve with Apple Sauce.

Serves 4.

Variation: You can even try this with peameal bacon, or back or Canadian or whatever you want to call it, using the exact same method. Cooking time would be reduce simply because peameal takes no time to cook since it has already been cured.

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I've Always Preferred Squash Over Raquetball

Fall is upon us. At least here in the upper hemisphere. Cooking outdoors gets a little scarce when the temperature starts to drop in the temperate region so we can make the things we miss from last winter.

One of the most requested recipes is probably one of the easiest: Butternut Squash Soup. I find that people either love it or hate it. Some people love it because it is so smooth, creamy, hearty and comforting. I find others hate it because it is often made too sweet or with too many spices. There is a trick I like to use that people usually really love and are surprised that I've added this ingredient.

Truth be told, apples are a no brainer. It's tartness cuts down on the sweetness of the squash and further adds richness to the soup.

There are two ways to prep the soup: peel squash and cut into chunks and then roast (which is my preferred method) or cut squash in half, score flesh and remove seeds and then roast. Either way the final product will be the same. So it's up to you to decide how to roast the squash.

One might ask, why bother roasting the squash? Why not cook in the stock? A perfectly good and easy way to do it; if you like to serve orange water. However, roasting the squash adds colour, flavour from the caramelization of the sugars and the roasting of the spices.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple Purée

2 Medium Sized Butternut Squash, peeled and cut into chunks
1.5 l Stock (Chicken or Vegetable, check for recipe)
4 Tart Apples (Red Delicious, for example), peeled and quatered
1 Large White Onion, finely diced
3 Cloves of Garlic, peeled
Pinches of Cinnamon, Allspice and Clove
20 ml Maple Syrup
Salt and Pepper to Taste
10 ml 35% Whipping Cream for Garnish (optional)

Preheat oven at 400 degrees.

Peel squash and cut in half. Remove seeds with a spoon. Cut into chunks and place into a large bowl. Drizzle some olive oil and throw on spices and salt. Toss well and place in a baking sheet. Let roast for 10 minutes or until squash is a little brown.

In a large soup pot, saute onion, apple and garlic in some butter. Let cook for 2 minutes. Add stock and roasted squash and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium and cook squash through, 10 minutes. Using a stick or bar blender, puree the soup. If too thick, add stock to desired consistency.

Season with salt and pepper to taste. When serving, drizzle a little cream for garnish.

Serves 8.

A Humble Chef's Tip: If you whip 35% to stiff peaks, add rum or calvados to enhance the flavour of the apples and add some zing to the soup.

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Forget Salsa. Chicks Dig Meringue.

Sometimes at work things can be repetitive. Every once in a while I like to try something new and sometimes things work and sometimes they don't. It is useful that I don't have to pay for my experimenting as well.

In a previous post (the ratatoiulle recipe) I briefly explained what a confit is. Here is an example of a fruit confit where the fruit is usually saturated in acid.

A simple, cheap recipe that takes a minute (hopefully you have a stand mixer to help you along the way) and allows you to practice making a meringue.

There are three types of meringue typically: common, swiss and Italian. This recipe is best with Italian (beating the egg whites while adding a hot simple syrup) because it is more stable in humid temperatures but it takes extra time and practice. The common meringue works perfectly well.

Vanilla Scented Poached Meringue with a Balsamic Strawberry Confit

4 Egg Whites
350 g White Sugar
1 Dozen Ripe Strawberries, cut into 6
50 ml Balsamic Vinegar
50 ml Vanilla Extract

In a small sauce pan, bring about half a liter of water to a boil. Add vanilla and let simmer.

Sprinkle a little sugar at the base of a small bowl. Add egg whites on top and let whip with a hand mixer or stand mix. When egg whites double in volume, start adding remainder of sugar slowly. Approximately 8 - 10 minutes. Egg whites should reach stiff peaks and should be glossy and very sweet.

In a frying pan on med heat, drizzle canola oil and let get hot. Add strawberries and quickly saute. Add sugar and vinegar and whisk until dissolved. Turn off heat and let cool.

Using two spoons, scoop 1 tbs. into vanilla water and let poach for one minute. Turn over meringue and continue poaching for another minute. Remove and drain. Repeat until desired amount is reached.

To serve, spoon strawberry mix onto plate, then place one meringue. Repeat and finish with Mint Oil.

Serves 4.

Mint Oil

1 Bunch of Mint
15 ml Hazelnut Oil (or any form of peanut oil)
Dash of Sugar
Squeeze of Half a Lemon

In a blender, add all ingredients and blend thoroughly.

Chill.

A Humble Chef's Tip: When making an herb oil, you can blanch the herb in simmering water and chill in a ice bath. Actually, I recommend it if you are using a leafy herb like parsley or coriander. It won't affect the taste of the oil, but will make the oil a little greener. It will also cut the life span of the oil a little because it may turn brown faster.

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What Did The Oyster Say To The Clam When He Asked Her Out? Aww, Shucks.

Oysters are bivalves (a mollusk that have a pair of hinged shells) that has enjoyed a popular history. Those crazy early Italians (the ones from Rome I think) loved these things for their aphrodisiac qualities. Me too. On the other side of the world, early East Coast Canadians depended on them to get by with their awful winters. Good for bed and survival.

If you think a Chocolate Chip Cookie and Milk makes for a great marriage, well, oysters can have multiple spouses: lemons, limes, freshly grated horseradish, lemongrass, chilies, champagne or white wine (Muscadet particularly) and Worcestershire Sauce. Use it any way you like: in an appetizer, or on it's own, or in a stew, soup or pasta.


Shucking can be tricky. A thick cloth will do. Don't be nervous about it. Just try it. The knife (you have to buy one!) is inserted at the hinge and cranked into one direction. Pop it open and retain as much liquid (some chefs call it Liquor) as possible, severe the vein, top with your favorite garnish and voila! Just looking at these photos and writing about it makes my want to run to the market and grab a whack of them (I like Malpeques with Tobasco).

There are a whack of oyster recipes out there, but if you go through the trouble of buying them and shucking them, go ahead and take the plunge and try it raw.

However, for those who can't swallow it, Oysters Casino is a popular classic.If you are unfamiliar, the fresh oyster is shucked and broiled (cooked with radiant heat from above) garnished with butter, bacon, shallots, parsley and pimiento. Yum.

Or, something much easier is Angels On Horseback: wrap each oyster with a small piece of bacon secured with a toothpick. In a very hot oven, bake for 10 - 12 minutes or until bacon is crispy. That's it. Crowd Pleasing 101.

I often make a salsa to top the oyster with.

Ginger Tomato Relish

1 small piece of Ginger, finely grated
1 Roma Tomato, innards removed, finely diced
Drop of Sesame Oil (A drop! The stuff is strong)
Drop of Soy Sauce(A drop! The stuff is salty)
1/2 a Red Onion, finely diced
Small Bunch of Cilantro, finely chopped
1/2 Lime, juiced

6 Oysters, washed

Combine ingredients in a bowl and refrigerate for 1 hour. Mix again and adjust seasonings.

Shuck oysters and top with salsa.

Serve on ice immediately.

Variation: If shucking isn't your thing, you can steam the oysters in wine and add the leftover liquid to the salsa. Simply place in a soup pot, bring a splash of wine to a boil, cover and let cook until oysters open up. If they do not open, discard.

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What Kind Of A Guy Are You?

I couldn't help but notice I'm lacking a serious amount of entrees on my blog. Hell, I only have 15 recipes so far but only two true entrees (salmon on a plank and lamb shanks).

One of the most common cuts in the kitchen is the chicken breast. It is not particularly expensive but it isn't necessarily cheap either. And people seem to enjoy it even though it lacks flavour. Dark meat (thighs and legs) actually has more flavour but it isn't as appetizing as the breast. The trick is to make the breast flavourful and do something creative with it.

I always marinate my chicken breasts. It may be as simple as throwing some dried herbs on it s(h)meared with some olive oil, or perhaps you feel exotic and for once you want to use that tandoori sauce that's in the back of your fridge. Whatever it is, it'll make more flavour than just salt and pepper.

Butterflying is a technique where you slice the breast from the bottom (presentation side is the skin side up) to make the chicken look like a butterfly. It is easier shown than told but the best way for me to describe is cut into the chicken on a 15 degree angle to open side then turn the breast around and repeat. Open up the breast and if necessary use a mallet and pound out the chicken tenderly to make the breast flat and ready to be stuffed with your heart's desire.

Try using a Supreme: a chicken breast with skin and with wing bone. For classic presentation, you can "french" the wing bone: remove the meat to expose the bone. As it roasts, the bone darkens and acts as a garnish.

Prosciutto Wrapped Breast of Chicken Stuffed With Trio Of Roasted Peppers

4 Chicken Breasts, butterflied
8 Slices of Prosciutto
1 Red Bell Pepper
1 Yellow Bell Pepper
1 Orange Bell Pepper
Salt and Pepper to taste (black, in case you're wondering)

Preheat oven at 375 degrees Celsius.

Coat peppers with a drizzle of oil and season. Over open flame or on your Barbecue, blacken each side of the peppers. Place each pepper into a seal able plastic bag and allow peppers to steam through. After ten minutes, open bag and allow to cool slightly. Remove charred skin and clean off as much as possible. (It is optional to rinse under running cold water however some chefs will argue that some flavour is rinse off.) Cut peppers into 10 cm strips and place one of each colour inside chicken. Carefully wrap up chicken with peppers.

Lay out prosciutto and place breast face down in the middle of the slice. Wrap the breast having the prosciutto meet on the bottom.

Place breasts on a baking sheet and cook for 15 to 20 minutes.

Slice in half on a bias to present the trio of peppers.

Serve with risotto of choice and sauted yellow and green zucchini.

Serves 4.

Variation: if you would like to make a sauce, use the pan juices from the roasting process. Simply roughly up some vegetables (onion, carrot and celery) and cook breasts on top of the mirepoix (veg). Pour the jus into a sauce pan and bring it to a boil, drizzle a little maple syrup, season with salt and pepper and coat the breasts.

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Honey, What's an Eleven Letter Word For Vegetable Stew?

Some things are a classic for a reason: Creme Brulee, Caesar Salad, Carrot-Ginger Soup (Potage Crecy), Coquille-St.-Jacques to barely scratch the surface. Old recipes continue to enthrall taste buds because they are often so simple, so easy, so practical. For the professional kitchen, some staples continue to be staples because they are either in demand, or cheap to make, or able to utilize leftovers or all the above. Minestrone soup for example utilizes leftover pasta, leftover cooked beans, a few vegetables and some watered down tomato sauce. Make a batch for nothing and all of a sudden you're making dollars from pennies.

I really enjoy making Ratatouille because it is so simple, so cheap and so delicious (not because there's a Pixar Film with the same title). What makes Ratatouille so easy is that it is braised (remember that word?) in it's own juices rather than having a liquid added to it. Some cooks may call this a Confit: something that is cooked in it's own juices. However, strictly speaking, a Confit is something that is cooked with either acid (for vegetables), alcohol and sugar (for fruit, like a Confiture) or fat (for poultry, especially duck).

Not that this is vital information, but knowing the technique is useful and knowing allows you to build on your gastronomic repertoire. My style of cooking is simple: taking classical cuisine and throwing a modern twist to make it fresh. Rustic elegance.

Ratatouille

1 Green Zucchini, innards removed, cut in small cubes
1 Yellow Zucchini, innards removed, cut into small cubes
Half an Eggplant, cut into small cubes
1 Large Red Onion, fine dice
1 Red Bell Pepper, small cubes
1 Green Bell Pepper, small cubes
2 Cloves of Garlic
3 Tomatoes, roughly cut
1 Bunch of Basil, chiffonade
1 Bunch of Thyme, finely chopped
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large stock style pot, on medium heat, sweat onions in some olive oil. Add peppers and garlic; cook until vibrant. Add eggplant and zucchinis and stir until they decrease in size by one third. Add tomatoes and cover, stirring occasionally. Let cook for approximately 15 minutes. Add herbs and seasonings. Keep on low heat, covered until served.

Serves 6.

A Humble Chef's tip: Try soaking the cubed eggplant in a salt water solution for about 10 minutes before cooking. When draining, notice how dark the water is. The salt removes the bitter flavour and prevents the eggplant from going black.

Variation: If you have time, you can use the Ratatouille as a filling in Phyllo or Puff Pastry. Roll out the dough and drain the vegetables. Wrap it up and bake to directions. The leftover liquid can be reduced and thickened with a syrup or a puree of some sort and used as a sauce for the strudel.

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5 Minutes To Cook Dinner? No Prob!

Having tried a no carb diet for two weeks, my inspiration has been pretty geared towards salad and cold food with a twist. Since it is summer time, you can have some variety and not have to pay an arm and a leg for the ingredients. Besides, lighter fare is usually easier to make and digest. I love rich foods but in the summer, who wants to have cream sauces or rich desserts all the time? Well, maybe some crazy French people might.

This is a salad that I would never have thought of unless I was on a restrictive diet and forced to do some research. My co-dieter found a recipe that seemed simple enough but with a little variation we turned it into something that worked for us.

When cooking vegetables, keep it simple. Blanch in boiling salted water. That's it. Don't complicate it. Also, it is important to note that when blanching any green vegetable keep the lid off. This prevents acids from condensing and dripping back into the water. Unless you want your vegetables to look like the way your mother cooked them (perhaps you feel a sort of nostalgia towards shitty looking, mushy, over cooked veg), then by all means allow the chlorophyll to bleed and consume yuck. Or, you can simply bring water to a boil, add salt, cook your vegetable no more than 4 minutes and a enjoy crunchy, tasty salad.

My tone of voice may seem slightly sarcastic, however, if you grew up the way I did hating vegetables, then you may understand my annoyance.

Vegetable Salad

2 Broccoli Crowns, cut into florets
1/2 Head of Cauliflower, florets
About a Dozen Waxed Green Beans, washed and trimmed
50 g Pinenuts, toasted
50g Dried Cranberries
150 ml Ranch Dressing (Recipe follows if you are keen)
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large soup pot, bring water to a boil. Add salt and taste water; it should be a little salty but not overpowering. Have an ice bath ready to refresh the cooked vegetables. Start blanching with cauliflower, then beans and finish with broccoli. They should not take more than 4 minutes to cook through. After blanching, place vegetables in ice bath and chill through. Drain and pat dry.

Place them into a large bowl and garnish with pinenuts and cranberries. Drizzle dressing and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

Ranch Dressing

250ml Mayonnaise
400 ml Sour Cream
300 ml Buttermilk
40 ml Vinegar
20ml Lemon Juice
Pinch of Worcesteshire Sauce
Small Bunch of Chives, finely chopped
20 g Garlic Powder
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large bowl, whip all ingredients together until mixed well.

Chill overnight.

Makes about 1 Liter.

Variation: If you feel indulgent you can change the dressing to Chantilly Dressing. Since most vegetables are over 90% water, then feel free and treat yourself. 100ml Whipping Cream whipped and folded into 400 ml of Mayo, Tobasco, Worcesteshire 1 lemon sqeezed. Mmmm.

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You Don't Make Trends With Salad

Salad is easy. If you were to enter the cooking industry without any experience, you get thrown into the cold food. Take me for instance, my first day in the industry was working at the CN Tower restaurant making Caesar Salads up the wazoo. It was the summer of SARS and the 360 had a Table D'Hote menu that had a Caesar option. My first day I made over 200 Caesars in four hours. Fun times.

Anyways, the possibilities of salads are limitless. Whatever you like. Whatever you have. Throw it together have a blast. Typically in a salad, a Chef endeavours to throw in different flavours and textures that compliment each other.

Take Salad Nicoise for example: Boiled Potatoes, Green Beans, Black Olives, Hard Boiled Eggs, Tomato Wedges, Anchovy Fillets (others may use Tuna or Sardines) with Leaf Lettuce and a Red Wine Vinaigrette. Each element in the salad has a different texture and flavour and when you put them together you have a classic salad.

I make this salad often because it uses ingredients I tend to have in my cupboard. It has classic elements that when mixed properly, leaves you with a different bite every time you dig in.

I like using Mache for my salads when I can. Also known as corn salad, lamb's lettuce or, strangely enough, lamb's tongue. It has the shape of an ear lobe and has a hazelnut flavour.

A Humble Chef's Green Salad
500g Mache, washed and drained
2 Macintosh Apples, thinly sliced
50 g Walnuts, crushed
8 Cherry Tomatoes, quatered
75 g Goats Cheese, sliced into 6 wedges
1 Starfruit for garnish(optional), thinly sliced

For the Vinaigrette:
50 ml Hazelnut Oil
50 ml Olive Oil
50 ml Apple Cider Vinegar
20 ml Honey
Dollop of Dijon Mustard
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a large bowl, start with Mache. Arrange tomatoes around the outside. Sprinkle walnuts. In the center, place apples in a pile and top with cheese. Stand starfruit in cheese for height.

In a blender, mix honey and mustard and seasonings. Add vinegar and mix. On low speed slowly drizzle oils into blender until emulsified. Adjust to seasonings.

In the last minute before serving, drizzle vinaigrette on salad and serve immediately.

Serves 6.

A Humble Chef's Tip: Cutting Goat's Cheese can be messy and tricky. Try using waxed dental floss to make the cuts cleaner and more uniform.

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Chocolate Chaud-Froid

It has been a while hasn't it? I fear I may lose my readership. I will make it up by giving an absolutely flawless dessert that I frequently fall back on in case of emergencies: last minute dinner parties, pot luck events you forgot or a make-up dessert to make your significant other in case you forgot an important date.

It doesn't get much better than Chocolate Mousse with fresh berries. Use good quality chocolate for this one boys and girls, no regrets I guarantee. It is a recipe that I've combined from one a steakhouse and one I've found in a very reliable cookbook.

When whipping, you are trying to aerate whatever it is you are whipping. Try practicing whipping in a figure "8" rather than in circles around the bowl.

Chocolate Mousse with Flaming Berries
2 Egg Yolks
1 Egg White
20 ml Dark Rum
15 g Sugar
125 g Bittersweet Chocolate, coarsely choppped
10 g Unsalted Butter
200 ml Whipping Cream
200 g Mixed Berries, Raspberries, Blackberries, Blueberries
20 ml Vodka for Flambe

Over simmering water, melt chocolate with butter in a stainless steel bowl. Let cool slightly.

Over simmering water, combine yolks, rum and half the sugar in a stainless steel bowl and whisk vigorously for 8 minutes; eggs should double in volume. Add melted chocolate and continue to whip until completely combined. The chocolate will seize; meaning it will become more difficult to whip.

In a separate bowl, combine egg white and sugar and with a hand or stand mixer, whip until soft or medium peaks.

In yet another bowl, whip cream until peaks once again.

Add one half of whipped egg whites to chocolate and fold to incorporate. Repeat with remainder of egg whites. Finally add cream and fold until incorporated.

Refrigerate for at least 6 hours and spoon on dish.

In a very hot pan, sear berries for 20 seconds. Add vodka and when vodka gets hot, light liquid with a match. Quickly spoon onto plates and serve immediately.

Serves 4.

I like using mousse as a garnish for a flourless torte with the flaming berries. A sure fire hit.

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How Can You Have Any Pudding If You Can't Eat Your Meat?

I just finished work and played around with something and it seemed to impress most of the boys and girls at work so I'll write it down now before I forget it. Besides, it's been way too long since I last posted (my apologies to you all!). Here is yet another simple base recipe that I added a bit of a twist to and with good results. Bread Pudding is basically Baked French Toast: egg bread cooked with a custard. Pretty simple once you've done it.

I've done numerous variations on the theme: Butternut Squash Bread Pudding, Mushroom Bread Pudding, Lavender Bread Pudding. This one still uses the basic recipe so it is nearly foolproof.

Lemongrass-Ginger Bread Pudding

3 Stalks of Lemongrass, bruised
small piece of ginger, whole and peeled (approx. 15g)

.5 l 2% Milk
.5 l 35% Cream
8 Egg Yolks
2 Whole Eggs
100g Sugar
.25 l Maple Syrup
Splash of Vanilla Extract
1 large loaf of Egg Bread, crust removed, cut into squares

Preheat oven at 350 Celsius.

Liberally butter an 8 x 11 dish. Fill dish with cut bread and allow bread to go a little stale.

In a saucepan, heat milk, cream, vanilla, syrup with lemongrass and ginger and slowly bring to a scald. Reduce heat and let simmer for 10 minutes stirring occasionally to prevent burning.

In a bowl, combine sugar and eggs and whip vigorously to the "ribbon stage". Approximately 5 minutes.

Strain custard into a pitcher, slowly add custard to eggs while whisking to incorporate. Pour final custard to baking pan and allows for bread to soak up all the custard. Cover with tinfoil shiny side up.

Place baking sheet into a larger pan in the oven. Pour hot water in larger pan and bake for 45 - 55 min. To check pudding, stick a toothpick inside and it should come out cleanly. Refrigerate for 1 hr to let settle.

Serve with fresh berries and ice cream of choice.

Serves 10.

Variations: Ha! Name it. This can go anywhere.

This recipe should be made in advance so if you are entertaining, make this the day before and have it ready for serving. Almost too easy.

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Argentine Chimichurri Sauce

My wife wants to celebrate a friends birthday, and her recent engagement while they were on vacation in Argentina. She decided to throw a surprise party next Saturday, and invite 14 people to an Argentine Feast to recreate the memory of their engagement.

Argentine cuisine evolved distinctly from the rest of Latin American cuisine because of the heavy influence of Italian, Spanish, French and other European cuisines which makes the typical Argentine diet a variation on what is often called the Mediterranean diet.

Argentines are famous for their high protein diet, particularly beef. Grilled meat (parrilla) from the asado is a staple, with steak and beef ribs especially common. Chorizo (pork sausage), morcilla (blood sausage), chinchulines (chitterlings), mollejas (sweetbread), and other parts of the animal are enjoyed. In Patagonia, lamb and chivito — goat — are eaten more than beef. Whole lambs and goats can be seen on the asado. While Argentina has a large seacoast most of the fish caught is exported, and is not consumed there because of the abundance of beef, pork, and poultry.

South America is quickly gaining recognition for producing wines of exceptional quality that are still reasonably priced. Argentina and Chile have taken Old World grapes and found varieties uniquely suited to their particularly long growing seasons.

One up and coming variety is Malbec. Originally from the Bordeaux region where it is used primarily as a blending grape, Malbec is also the dominant grape of the famous black wines of Cahors in southwest France. But it truly thrives in the sunny, dry Argentine climate, producing fruity wines loaded with blackberry and black cherry flavors. Argentine Malbecs are similar in flavor to their European counterparts, but with softer, lusher structure, more like New World Merlot.

Lesser known is Carmenère, a variety once widely cultivated in Bordeaux and sometimes labeled Grande Vidure. In 1991 winemakers discovered that 40 percent of the vines in Chile that were believed to be Merlot were actually Carmenère. Stronger and spicier than Merlot and lower in acidity, this grape produces wines with soft tannins, rich color and aroma, and abundant flavor. Ever since Chile began actively marketing Carmenère in the mid-1990s, it has come to symbolize that nation, much as Shiraz has come to represent Australia.

The national sauce of Argentina is called Chimmichurri, and if you are going to have an Argentine Feast you will need lots of it on hand. This recipe comes from my friend David Holt, and it will make 3 cups which is about what we need for marinating, basting, and dipping.

The taste of Chimichurri is often described as dragging your steak through a garden.

Chimichurri Sauce

1/2 cup lightly packed fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup lightly packed fresh cilantro leaves
4 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup sherry wine vinegar, or to taste
3/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, or to taste
1/2 sweet onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons fresh oregano, chopped
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 teaspoon salt or to taste
Juice of 1 lemon ( I sometimes just use limes)
Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Argentinian Feast Menu

We are going to put together a menu from the following items. I will be sharing the recipes for everything throughout the week as we plan the dinner party.

Main Dishes

The Argentines love their organ meats, while Americans of this generation are a little bit squeamish when it comes to such things as sweetbreads. We are going to keep it simple by using Flank Steak which marinates well, and slices easily. We are also going to use some fresh sausages of various types.

The marinated game hens weigh about 1 pound each, and I have the butcher saw them in half. I marinate them the night before, grill them in the morning to get a nice char, then finish them in the oven stuffed with a mixture of chorizo, spinach, caramelized onion, corn, raisins, pine nuts, and a little bit of cornbread to hold it all together. You can use any type of game bird, but split game hens are easy to marinate, safe to stuff, easy to order, and make an elegant presentation.

For the seafood we try to find the freshest white fish available and grill it with a finish of capers, and marinated artichokes.

Chimichurri Flank Steak
Grilled Sausages Basted with Chimichurri sauce
Marinated Games Hens
Fresh Snapper or other white ocean fish

Side Dishes

Sides are simple in Argentina, and as you would guess corn plays a major role, but with an Italian twist. A polenta with Poblano chiles and cheese works well as a starch.

Salads are very simple in Argentina, and are a popular side to beef dishes. the Fresh Mozzarella, and sliced tomato harken back to the Italian influence.

Grilled Asparagus and Baby Squash
Polenta with Poblano Chile, and Cheese
Tomato's and Fresh Mozzarella
Tossed Green Salad

Assorted Miniature Emapanda's

Empanadas, or small meat pies are served all over the world. The Argentine version has Moorish influences that came over with Spanish settlers. Empananda's are easy to make if you purchase Goya wrappers at a Latin Market. If not just use pie dough and make your own. The meat recipe we will use is strictly Argentine with cumin, chorizo, and raisins, etc... . the others are just ones we thought up as we were going. We decided to make our own because the one's we found pre-made were pretty pedestrian.

Meat Empanadas
Bacon Empanadas
Seafood Empanadas

Assorted Miniature Tamales

Yes, they do have variations of Tamales all over South America. We cheated here by buying some from Williams Sonoma. They are excellent, individually wrapped in different colors. They are a great time saver if you can spare the $64 including shipping for three pounds of these puppies. Sure you can make them at home for a fraction, but why bother when you have so many other things going on before a big party?

Beef and California Chile Tamales
Chicken and Smoked Gouda Tamales
Pork with Green Chile Tamales
Blue Corn Green Chile and Jack Cheese Tamales

Charcuterie

Argentina like Spain is known for Jambon which is a dry cured ham which is very similar to Prociutto. We make it easy on ourselves and purchase sliced Italian specialty meats including prosciutto, garnished with cheese, olives, and large capers.

Ceviche Cocktails

Ceviche is a native dish of Peru, but it served all over Latin America, and the Caribbean. Ceviche consists of white fish cooked in lime juice with red onions and mild hot peppers.

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Pork Tenderloin with Michigan Cherry Sauce

I think it's Spring, at least that is what the calendar on the wall says despite the 4 inches of snow on the ground and winds raging between 30-40 mph today in Chicago.

This pork tenderloins recipe works well with fresh, or frozen cherries.

1 pork tenderloin, about 1 pound
½ to 1 teaspoon kosher salt
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup pitted Bing cherries (see note)
1 cup chicken broth
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into ½-inch bits

Cut the pork tenderloin into 6 pieces. Put the pieces, one at a time, between layers of plastic wrap and use a meat tenderizer or rolling pin to pound them into rounds about 4 inches across. Sprinkle the rounds with the salt and pepper.

Put the oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, and when the oil is hot, cook the pork, turning once, until the surface of each piece is golden brown, about 7 minutes altogether.

Use tongs or a fork to transfer the pork to a plate. Toss the cherries in the oil left behind in the pan. Pour the chicken broth and balsamic vinegar over the cherries and turn the heat to high.

When the broth has boiled down to about half its original volume and the cherries are tender, about 5 minutes, return the pork to the pan, along with any juices that have collected on the plate.

Reheat the pork in the sauce for a minute, then transfer it to serving plates. Swirl the butter into the pan juices and pour the sauce over the pork.

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Mini Taco Salads

We had Mexican Night on Sunday and everyone brought Mexican themed food. So we are going to continue on with that theme this week. Mini Taco Salads are a great appetizer that are easy to make ahead of time and keep in the freezer till needed.

Mini Taco Salads

Frozen Mini Pastry Shells
1 lb Ground Beef
Taco Seasoning
Small Can of Salsa
Water
Finely Diced Onion
Finely Diced Sweet Peppers
Shredded Lettuce
Sour Cream

Brown ground beef, and drain the grease. Season with Taco Seasoning, and brown a little more, add salsa and water, simmer for twenty minutes.

Finely dice the onions and sweet peppers, shred and dice the lettuce

Spoon taco meat into the shells, top with cheese, and bake in the oven for ten minutes at 350, or freeze for later use.

Take out of the oven, and top with the diced vegetables, a little sour cream, and serve. Never freeze the lettuce, peppers, and onions, always add them fresh when you are about to serve.

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Easy Chile Relleno's

Chiles Rellenos are made of Chile Poblano (Ancho) or Anaheim chiles, with skins removed, dipped in batter, stuffed with cheese, or meat, and covered with lightly spiced green, or red sauce. Blistering fresh chiles is one of the tricks of the Mexican food cooking, and it can be a major pain in the ass if you are making these in any type of quantity. You can however buy mild, whole, canned green chili's which makes putting these together a snap. You can find everything you need at any Super Mercado. I like to make this dish, and bring it to pot luck's, or dinner parties. They are easy to make and always a hit.

Easy Chile Rellenos

2 Large Cans Mild Whole Green Chili's
1 lb Chorizo Sausage
1 lb Grated Cheddar Jack Cheese
6 Eggs
Salt
Cayenne
1/4 cup Flour
1/8 cup Corn Meal
2 cans Salsa Verde

Cook the bulk chorizo until browned and crumbly. Blend with 1/2 the cheddar jack cheese and stuff into the peppers.

Seperate the yolks from the egg whites. Whip the egg whites with an electric mixer till peaks form. Beat the egg yolks with one tablespoon flour and salt. Mix the yolks into egg whites and stir until you have a thick paste.

Roll the chiles in 1/4 cup flour and dip each one in the egg batter. Coat evenly. Fry, seam side down on both sides until golden brown. Place on paper towels to drain.

Place the fried Chile Relleno's in a caserole pan, it's ok to stack if neccesary, and top with Salsa Verde, and the grated Cheddar Jack cheese. Heat in oven at 350 until cheese bubbles and serve.

Low Carb Variation

Substitute Low Carb Thickener for the flour in the egg batter. Substitute Soy Flour for the wheat flour and you cut out all the carbs.

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Grilled Flank Steak with Pesto

I like to marinate Flank Steak overnight before cooking with olive oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic, and either Red Wine Vinegar, or Balsamic. The Balsamic can be a little strong but is great when I am in the mood for it. Sometimes we roll, stuff, and grill it, other times we just grill it, and slice it on the bias, serve it with salad and grilled vegetables.

Flank Steak is incedibly simple, and it tastes great.

One Flank Steak
Red Wine Vinegar
Chopped Garlic
Olive Oil
Rosemary
Kosher Salt
Pepper

Marinate the Flank Steak overnight and grill on the BBQ till done to your liking. Flip only once, and once top with pesto. Slice on the bias, or against the grain.

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Northwest Oyster Stew

Oysters can be eaten half shelled, raw, smoked, boiled, baked, fried, roasted, stewed, canned, pickled, steamed, broiled (grilled) or used in a variety of drinks. Preparation can be as simple as opening the shell, while cooking can be as spare as adding butter and/or salt, or can be very elaborate.

Oyster Stew is a very simple dish to make, and in it's traditional form consisted of oysters, a little butter, salt, and pepper added to scalding milk. Our recipe is almost as simple, but we liven it up a little bit to make it interesting. It is truly more of a soup, than a stew since little cooking time, and no braising are involved.

It is traditionally served during the Winter months, especially during the holidays in the Midwest. Oysters were once shipped in by rail, in bushell baskets, on ice, and were an expensive luxury enjoyed during that time of year. Obviously the cold Winter temperatures aided in their shipment before the advent of refrigeration.

Oyster Stew

2 tablespoons butter
4 strips of diced bacon
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/2 cup finely chopped red bell pepper
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon Tabasco sauce
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning
2 dozen small Pacific Oysters, shucked, with their liquor
1 cup dry sherry
3 cups heavy cream
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher salt

In a large heavy saucepan, brown the bacon and set aside, heat the butter over medium-low heat. Add the celery, bell pepper, and onion; sauté until softened but not browned, about 3 to 5 minutes. Add the bacon, Worcestershire, Tabasco, Old Bay, Oysters with their liquor, sherry, and heavy cream. Serve with some oyster crackers, or sourdough bread.

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Cajun Chicken Stew

This isn't your average Chicken Stew because of the addition of the "Trinity", and Cajun seasonings. Chicken Stew can be boring to me, but the Cajun spices help it out.

Cajun Chicken Stew

1 chicken, about 4 pounds, cut up, or use parts
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 ribs celery, sliced
1 Red Bell Pepper chopped
1 large sweet or yellow onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/2 teaspoon Cajun seasoning
1 tbls Cajun Blackening Powder
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
6 cups chicken broth
2 carrots, sliced
3 to 4 medium potatoes, peeled, cut in cubes
1 cup pearl onions, peeled, or use frozen or canned, drained pearl onions
2 tablespoons butter
8 to 12 ounces andouille sausage
1/4 cup flour
kosher salt
freshly fround pepper

Wash chicken and cut up; pat dry and remove any excess fat. Season with a little olive oil and the Cajun Blackening Powder. Heat 1 tablespoon butter, and olive oil in a large stockpot or Dutch oven; add celery,onion, bell peppers, and chicken and brown chicken pieces slowly on all sides.

Cajun seasoning, and black pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer for 45 minutes. Remove chicken pieces and let cool slightly. Skim any visible fat from the broth. Meanwhile, add carrots, potatoes, and onions to the broth; cover and continue simmering.

Meanwhile, in a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons butter over medium-low heat; sauté the smoked sausage until browned. Stir in 1/4 cup flour until well blended with the fat. Add the sausage mixture to the simmering stew.

Remove chicken from the bones; chop and add to the stew. Bring the stew back to a simmer; cover and continue cooking until vegetables are tender and stew is thickened. Add salt and pepper, to taste.

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Beef Stew

Braising (from the French "braiser") is cooking with "moist heat," typically in a covered pot with a small amount of liquid which results in a particular flavor. Braising relies on heat, time, and moisture to successfully break down tough connective tissue and collagens in meat. It is an ideal way to cook tougher cuts. Stews, and Pot Roasts are both styles of braising.

Most braises follow the same basic steps. The meat or poultry is first browned in hot fat. Aromatic vegetables are sometimes then browned as well. A cooking liquid that often includes an acidic element, such as tomatoes or wine, is added to the pot, which is covered. The dish cooks in relatively low heat in or atop the stove until the meat is fork-tender. Often the cooking liquid is finished to create a sauce or gravy.

Beef Stew

1 1/4 pounds stew beef, cut into 1-inch pieces
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup flour
6 large garlic cloves, minced
6 cups beef stock
1 cup of Guinness beer
1 cup of red wine
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon sugar
1 tablespoon dried thyme
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 bay leaves
2 tablespoons (1/4 stick) butter
3 pounds russet potatoes, peeled and cut
1 large onion, chopped
2 cups peeled baby carrots
Kosher Salt
Ground Pepper
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

Heat olive oil in heavy large pot over medium-high heat. Season and flour the beef and then brown on all sides. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute. Add beef stock, Guinness, red wine, tomato paste, sugar, thyme, Worcestershire sauce and bay leaves. Stir to combine. Bring mixture to boil. Reduce heat to medium-low, then cover and simmer 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

While the meat and stock is simmering, melt butter in another large pot over medium heat. Add potatoes, onion and carrots. Sauté vegetables until golden, about 20 minutes.

Add vegetables to beef stew. Simmer uncovered until vegetables and beef are very tender, about 40 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Tilt pan and spoon off fat. Transfer stew to serving bowl. Sprinkle with parsley and serve.

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Beef Bourguignon

Beef Bourguignon is a retro dish that was very popular in the 50's, and 60's, in fact this recipe is based on one from Julia Child who helped make French Cuisine popular in this country.

Beef Bourguignon is a well-known, traditional French recipe. It is essentially a type of beef stew prepared with cubed beef stewed in red wine (preferably an assertive, full-bodied wine such as Burgundy), generally flavoured with garlic, onions, carrots, bacon, a bouquet garni, and garnished with pearl onions and mushrooms.

Blanching the Bacon to remove the smoke flavor is traditional, but sometimes I don't do it because I like the smoky flavor of the bacon even though it isn't technically correct for the dish.

Beef Bourguignon

6 oz of blanched bacon
2 to 3 Tbsp cooking oil
4 lbs trimmed beef chuck, cut into 2-inch cubes
Salt and
freshly ground pepper
2 cups sliced onions
1 cup sliced carrots
1 bottle of red wine
2 cups beef stock or canned beef broth
1 cup chopped tomatoes, fresh or canned
1 medium herb bouquet (tie 8 parsley sprigs, 1 large bay leaf, 1 tsp dried thyme, 2 whole cloves or allspice berries, and 3 large cloves of smashed garlic together in cheesecloth)

Beurre manié for the sauce: 3 Tbsp flour blended to a pasted with 2 Tbsp butter

24 small brown-braised white onions
3 cups sautéed quartered mushrooms

Blanch the bacon to remove its smoky taste. Drop bacon slices into 2 quarts of cold water, bring to a boil, and simmer 6 to 8 minutes. Drain, rinse in cold water, and dry on paper towels.

In a large frying pan, sauté the blanched bacon to brown slightly in a little oil; set them aside and add later to simmer with the beef, using the rendered fat in browning. Brown the chunks of beef on all sides in the bacon fat and oil, season with salt and pepper, and turn them into a heavy casserole pan. Add the bacon to the casserole pan as well.

Remove all but a little fat from the frying pan, add the sliced vegetables and brown them, and add to the meat. Deglaze the pan with wine, pouring it into the casserole along with enough stock to almost cover the meat. Stir in the tomatoes and add the herb bouquet. Bring to a simmer, cover, and simmer slowly on the lowest heat possible, either on the stove or in a preheated 325 degree oven, until the meat is tender. Check at about 40 minutes.

Remove all solids from the sauce (except the beef) by draining through a colander set over a saucepan. Return the beef to the casserole. Press juices out of the residue into the cooking liquid, then degrease and boil down the liquid to 3 cups. Off heat, whisk in the beurre manié, then simmer for 2 minutes as the sauce thickens lightly. Correct seasoning and pour over the meat, folding in the onions and mushrooms. To serve, bring to a simmer, basting meat and vegetables with the sauce for several minutes until hot throughout.

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Shall We Dance or Walk the Plank?

Salsas are very handy, easy, healthy and economical. They can be served on fish, as a dip, garnish for a salad, on bread or eaten on its own. There is usually no cooking involved and allows you to parctice knife skills.

I must stress the importance of a sharp knife. Do not try and use a dull knife and make the excuse of being afraid of using a sharp knife because you don't want to cut yourself. Statistically
speaking, most people cut themselves with a dull knife because they are putting extra force and thus causing mishaps to happen.

This is a base recipe and following is one of many variations. Use the following salsa as a garnish for your next BBQ where you serve some grilled fish. This is yummy stuff! If you have never used a cedar plank on your BBQ before, follow the instructions on the package. I usually buy mine at hardware stores or major grocers. However, last time I checked, water has no flavour. So instead of a flavourless liquid, soak your planks in something that has some zing.

Tomato Salsa
4 Ripe Tomatoes, quatered, seeded, cut into small squares
1 Small Red Onion, finely diced (brunoise)
Drizzle of Olive Oil
1 Lime, squeezed
1 Bunch of Cilantro, finely chopped and dried
5 Drops of Tobasco
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a small bowl combine all ingredients and let marinate over 1 hour. Serve with tortilla chips and sour cream.

Serves 4.

Vodka Flavoured Salmon with a Pineapple Salsa
1 Side Salmon
200 ml Vodka
1 Pineapple, cut in small squares
Half of 1 Red Pepper, brunoise
Half of 1 Red Onion, brunoise
Half of 1 Green Pepper, brunoise
1 Bunch of Cilantro, finely chopped
1 Lime, juiced
Dash of Paprika and Chili Powder
Salt and Pepper to taste

Soak planks as per instructions. Remove planks and save vodka.

In a saute pan on high heat, drizzle some oil. Sear the pineapple and constantly stir. Add paprika and chili powder. When pineapple is caramelized, deglaze with vodka and reduce to one third. Remove from heat and let cool. In a bowl, combine pineapple, vodka, onion, pepper, cilantro, lime juice and seasonings. Let marinate in fridge for 1 hour.

Preheat BBQ. Place seasoned salmon on planks and put into BBQ. Cook approximately
for 10 minues. Salmon should be firm on all sides. Remove from planks and serve hot with salsa garnish.

Serves 6.


Serve this with a simple rice. There is plenty of colours and flavours here so there is no need to bombard this dish with any fancy starch.

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Country Captain Chicken

While living in the South I came across this recipe for an unusual curried chicken dish. It is pretty unique to the Southeast, so if you haven't lived down there for an exteneded time you probably have never come across it.

The chicken is browned and then stewed in a sauce of tomatoes, "The Trinity", garlic, and curry powder. At the end, golden raisins are added. The dish is served over rice sprinkled with toasted almonds. As with all chicken recipes in the South, Country Captain Chicken varies with the cook. Some prefer it with just boneless breast meat, while others like the whole fryer cut up into pieces. One thing is always certain about this dish; it is perfumed and spiced with curry.

This delicious dish, known throughout Georgia, dates to the early 1800s. It is thought that this dish was brought to Georgia by a British sea captain who had been stationed in Bengali, India and shared the recipe with some friends in the port city of Savannah, Georgia. Savannah was then a major shipping port for the spice trade. The dish was named for the officers in India called “Country Captains.”

Country Captain Chicken

1 Broiler Chicken cut into parts
1/2 cup flour
4 slices chopped bacon
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
3/4 cup celery chopped
1/2 large red bell pepper chopped
1/2 large green pepper chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (28-ounce) can plum or Roma tomatoes, crushed
1 tablespoon curry powder or to taste
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 rounded tablespoon sweet paprika
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup toasted sliced almonds

Preheat oven to 325 . In a shallow dish, combine flour, salt, and pepper. Roll chicken pieces in flour mixture to coat all sides. In a large nonstick frying pan over medium heat, brown the bacon, and remove once brown. Add chicken pieces and cook 5 minutes per side or until light brown.

Transfer chicken to an oven-proof dish and keep warm in the oven; reserving drippings in frying pan.

Reduce heat to medium low. To the pan drippings, add onion, bell pepper, and garlic; cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until onions are transparent. Add tomatoes, curry powder, salt, pepper, and thyme; cover pan and simmer gently an additional 15 minutes. Add the browned chicken and golden raisins; cover and simmer another 20 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is tender.

I like serving this with some Mango Chutney, on the side with some Rice.

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Italian Pot Roast

Pot Roast is right near the top of the list when it comes to comfort food, and it is really pretty easy to make. Pot Roast is a braised beef dish. Pot Roast is typically made by browning a roast-sized piece of beef (taken from the tougher chuck cut) to induce a Maillard reaction, then slow-cooking in an acidulated liquid in a covered dish. What you get is a very succulent, and tender cut of meat.

I have found that Gallo Hearty Burgundy does a great job as a cooking wine in braising dishes requiring a full bodied red wine. You can use whatever you like, but at around 6 bucks a bottle you don't mind dumping it in a stew, or roast. I don't mind sipping it either while cooking. A little bit for the stew, and a little bit for me, a little bit for the stew.... .

Italian Pot Roast

4 pound Beef Chuck Roast
Kosher salt
Ground black pepper
3 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 large onion, sliced
2 carrots, peeled, thinly sliced
2 ribs celery, thinly sliced
5 cloves garlic, smashed
1/4 all-purpose flour
1/2 cup red wine
1 (15-ounce) can chopped tomatoes,
2 cups beef broth
1 tablespoon Italian Spice Blend
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 bay leaves
1/3 cup coarsely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon red wine vinegar


Heat oven to 350 degrees.

Heat a large Dutch oven, with a lid, over medium-high heat. Season the meat generously with salt, pepper, Italian Spice and flour. Add the oil to the pot, lay the meat in the pan and sear on both sides until brown, about 10 minutes. Transfer the meat to a plate. Pour off most of the fat but leave a little for the vegetables.

Add the onion, carrots, celery, and garlic to the pan, and cook until vegetables are tender, about 8 minutes. Add the remaining flour, and with a wooden spoon scrape up any browned bits that cling to the bottom of the pot Add wine and tomatoes and cook until liquid has thickened, about 5 minutes more. Add broth, thyme, and bay leaves, bring to a boil. Return the roast to the pot, cover, place in the oven and cook about 2 1/2 hours. Remove the lid and continue to cook, uncovered until tender about 1 hour more. You can also add any vegetables you want to roast and serve with it at this time.

Low Carb Variation

Very simple, just leave out the flour, increase the seasoning while browning the meat so it crusts up well. Add ThickenThin not/Starch thickener which works like cornstarch instead of the flour before you put it in the oven. Roast up some squash, or cauliflower and avoid the starch.

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Seafood Gumbo

High on the list of favorites of Cajun cooking are the soups called gumbos. Gumbo exemplifies the influence of African and Native American food cultures on Cajun cuisine. The word originally meant okra, which is a word brought to the region from Western Africa. Okra, which is a principal ingredients of many gumbo recipes, is used as a thickening agent and for its distinct vegetable flavor.

A filé gumbo is thickened with sassafras leaves, a practice borrowed from the Choctaw Indians. The backbone of a gumbo is a dark roux, which is made of flour, toasted until well browned, in fat, or oil, not butter as with the French. The classic gumbo is made with chicken and the Cajun sausage called andouille, but the ingredients all depend on what is available at the moment.

Cajun cuisine originates from the French-speaking Acadian or "Cajun" immigrants in the Acadiana region of Louisiana. It is what could be called a rustic cuisine — locally available ingredients predominate, and preparation is simple. An authentic Cajun meal is usually a three-pot affair, with one pot dedicated to the main dish, one dedicated to steamed rice, skillet cornbread, or some other grain dish, and the third containing whatever vegetable is plentiful or available.

The aromatic vegetables bell pepper, onion, and celery are called by some chefs the holy trinity of Cajun cuisine. Finely diced and combined in cooking, the method is similar to the use of the mire poix in traditional French cuisine — which blends finely diced onion, celery, and carrot. Characteristic seasonings include parsley, bay leaf, "onion tops" or scallions, and dried cayenne pepper. The overall feel of the cuisine is more Mediterranean than North American.

Cajun cuisine developed out of necessity. The Acadian refugees, farmers rendered destitute by the British expulsion, had to learn to live off the land and adapted their French rustic cuisine to local ingredients such as rice, crawfish, and sugar cane.

Cajun Dark Roux

The Acadians inherited the roux from the French. However, unlike the French, it is made with oil or bacon fat and more lately olive oil, and never butter, and it is used as a flavoring, especially in gumbo and etoufée. Preparation of a dark roux is probably the most involved or complicated procedure in Cajun cuisine, involving heating fat and flour very carefully, constantly stirring for about 15-45 minutes (depending on the color of the desired product), until the mixture has darkened in color and developed a nutty flavor. A burnt roux renders a dish unpalatable. The scent of a good roux is so strong that even after leaving one's house the smell of roux is still embedded in one's clothes until they are washed. The scent is so strong and recognizable that others are able to tell if one is making a roux, and often infer that one is making a gumbo.

Ragin Cajun Gumbo

This recipe makes a big batch, but it easily scales down for smaller portions. Some people like Okra, some don't, so if you omit the Okra, or cut back on it, just add more vegetables of your choice, and some File powder so it thickens correctly.

The Stock

4 quarts Chicken Stock
4 Quarts Shellfish Stock
8 ounces onions, chopped
4 ounces celery with tops, chopped
4 ounces carrots, chopped
2 heads garlic, cut in half horizontally

Sachet d'épices

In a small cheesecloth bag or tea ball, place:

1 teaspoon or so black peppercorns, cracked
A few parsley stems
1 bayleaf
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried tarragon leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves
1/2 teaspoon dried basil leaves

The Roux

1-1/4 cups flour
1 cup oil

All the rest

2 cut up chickens
1-1/2 pounds sliced andouille sausage
4 pounds shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 pound can of Blue Crab Meat
2 pounds okra, sliced
3 onions, chopped
1 bunch green onions with tops, chopped
2 bell peppers, chopped
5 ribs celery, chopped
5 Cloves of minced garlic
3 bay leaves
1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped
Creole seasoning to taste
Salt to taste
Tabasco, or to taste.

Simmer the stock with the vegetables, and the Sachet d'épices for a couple hours to let the flavors meld. The longer it simmers the more character the stock develops,

Sprinkle the chicken pieces with Creole seasoning and brown in the oven. Slice the sausage and brown.

Sauté the onions, green onions, bell pepper and celery add them to the roux, then mix into the stock.

Add the Chicken and Andouille.

Add the bay leaves and Creole seasoning to taste and stir. Bring to a boil and immediately reduce to a simmer; let simmer for about 45 minutes. Keep tasting and adjusting seasonings as needed.

Add the okra and cook another 30 minutes or so then add the shrimp. Give it another 6-8 minutes or so, until the shrimp are just done, turning pink. Be very careful not to overcook the shrimp; adding the shrimp should be the very last step. (Okra acts as a thickener, if omitted make sure to add some File Gumbo Seasoning.)

If there is any fat on the surface of the gumbo, try to skim off as much of it as possible

Low Carb Gumbo Alternative

This dish is anything but low carb because of the flour roux, and rice, but serving it over spaghetti squash rather than rice is a great low carb substitute.

When creating low-carb versions of your favorite dishes, you won't be happy unless the texture and thickness is close to what you expect. For example, with gravy - do you want it watery or do you want a nice thick gravy? If you can't have starch what do you do for thickening?

I came across this stuff while dieting to use as a substitute for flour, and cornstarch, it is called ThickenThin not/Starch thickener which works like cornstarch. It's easier than using starch. Just dump it in the Gumbo instead of the roux, and stir it in. It has more thickening power than flour so use half as much. Add a 1/4 cup of olive oil to make up for the oil that was omitted in the making of the roux. The product isn't a soy derivative, it is made up of various vegetable gums.

This product works great, but you will miss the nutty taste that is created with the traditional roux, but it allows you to cook with one cup less oil, no carbs from the flour, and when you are low carb dieting you will swear it is very close to the original.

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Spicy Southern Fried Chicken

The best Fried Chicken I have ever had at a restaurant was at Ezell's, which is a little hole in the wall in Seattle. Seattle isn't exactly a Soul Food capital, but Oprah Winfrey who also lives in Chicago is a big fan of Ezell's, and actually has it flown in on occasion when she gets the craving for Fried Chicken, and isn't watching her diet.

Fried Chicken is a very simple food, and it is easy to prepare, but it isn't exactly easy to make great Fried Chicken. Here are a few key's.

The first key to great Fried Chicken is marinating it in Buttermilk 12 hours, or more before cooking. If you like tender juicy chicken there is no substitute for doing it this way. I like my Chicken spicy, moist, tender, savory, and crunchy. This particular recipe achieves those goals every time.

The second key is those elusive, eleven herbs and spices. You will find a recipe for a Fried Chicken Seasoning mix below you can make up ahead of time. I am pretty sure you will like it much better than the legendary KFC recipe which is now just a shadow of the way Colonel Sanders' used to do it fifty years ago. He fried it in a pressure cooker which sealed the juices in, and most importantly cooked the chicken faster which is important in a restaurant.

The next key is putting together a dry batter mix that gives the chicken plenty of texture, and sticks to the chicken without falling off. We double dip our chicken using Buttermilk on the first dip, and Egg Wash on the second. If the recipe is too spicy for you just omit, or limit the Red Pepper Sauce.

The final key is cooking it correctly. Traditionally in the South most families have a large, deep, covered, black, cast iron pan from Lodge Cookware that has been in the family for a generation, or two, or in larger quantities it is simply deep fried outdoors. Whichever way you do it you want to make sure the oil is heated to 375 degrees which seals the chicken, and prevents it from becoming greasy,

Spicy Southern Fried Chicken

Soak the Chicken Overnight

2 1/2 pounds Frying Chicken
Buttermilk
1/2 cup Hot Sauce (optional)

Spicy Chicken Egg Wash

3 eggs
1/3 cup water
1 cup hot red pepper sauce (optional)

Fried Chicken Breading Mix

1 cup self-rising Flour
1/2 cup Corn Meal
1/2 cup Cracker Meal
1/2 cup Potato Buds
Fried Chicken Seasoning
Peanut, or Vegetable oil for frying

Fried Chicken Seasoning

2 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon onion salt
1 teaspoon celery salt
1 teaspoon rubbed sage
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground oregano
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 teaspoon basil leaves, crushed
1 teaspoon marjoram leaves, crushed finely
1 teaspoon thyme

Mix the buttermilk and the hot sauce, marinate the chicken overnight.

In a medium size bowl, beat the eggs with the water. Add enough hot sauce so the egg mixture is bright orange.

In another bowl, combine the Flour, Corn Meal, Cracker Meal, Potato Buds, and Fried Chicken Seasoning to make the breading mix.

Season the wet chicken with the Fried Chicken Seasoning. Dip the wet buttermilk soaked Chicken in the seasoned breading mixture, then dip the seasoned chicken in the egg, and then coat well again in the breading mixture.

Heat the oil to 375 degrees F in a deep pot, or fryer. Do not fill the pot, or fryer more than 1/2 full with oil.

Fry the chicken in the oil until brown and crisp. Dark meat takes longer then white meat. It should take dark meat about 13 to 14 minutes, white meat around 8 to 10 minutes. Fry the first couple of pieces, white, and dark, one at a time, and sample to make sure it is cooked long enough.

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"It Tastes Like Mushy Rice!"

Going with the theme of building flavours and recipes, the next stage is exploring different types of food to expirement with. For chefs, most (not all) dishes consists of a starch, veg, protein and sauce. Of course there are many exceptions but generally speaking this is usually the case. While proteins and veg are nearly limitless in possibilities starch often poses a problem: it can get very repetitive. Rice, potatoes, pasta. That's often it. Of course there are many alternatives like cous cous, quinoa, wild rice (which has no starch), yams (in the same family as potatoes) or whatever obsure shit you can find. Nevertheless, potatoes, pasta and rice are usualy the popular picks for chefs to have on their menu. It's being creative with those starches that can be challenging.

Risotto is a good alternative. This italian rice is relatively easy, cheap and most people like it - except my brother who always tells me "It tastes like mushy rice." There are different types of rice but arborio is usually the most common. There are some standards to making risotto and then after that, well there are whole cookbooks dedicated to risotto.

The three things critical to risotto are: the rice must be sauted, cooked slowly with a hot liquid, cheese must be added near the end to thicken the sauce and butter to taste for the glaze. The cooking liquid is often chicken broth but can be anything from veg. stock, cucumber juice, beet juice, duck stock, tomato broth, whatever. Parmaggiano cheese the preferred choice but not the required one: asaigo, grano padano, queso manchego to name a few alternatives.

My recipe spawned by accident (many of them do). I had leftover sage in my garden, leftover pears in my fridge, leftover turkey stock in my freezer. I can spend all day talking about risotto but that's enough chit chat. Here's my recipe.

Risotto with Rum Poached Pears and Prosciutto

150 g Arborio Rice
1 l Turkey or Chicken Stock, hot
1 Small Red Onion, fine brunoise
2 Ripe Pears, cut into 6 segments
6 Slices Prosciutto, jullienne
250 ml Rum
150 g Parmaggiano-Reggianno Cheese, grated
80 ml Butter, melted
5 Sprigs of Sage, chiffonade (save some for garnish)

In a small sauce pan, bring rum to a slight boil. Poach pears until cooked through, about three - four minutes. Remove pears from rum and keep warm.

In a large saute pan, melt 20 ml butter until frothy. Sweat onion until translucent. Add rice and stir constantly. Cook for about two minutes until rice becomes translucent. Deglaze with rum and stir until reduced by half. Add ladle of stock and stir until reduced by half. Repeat until stock has run out (approx. 20 minutes). If risotto is still hard, add boiling water and stir to cook through.

Add prosciutto and heat through. Add sage, cheese and 50ml butter and stir. The rice should be firm and sticky.

In a frying pan, use leftover butter to caramelize the pears and heat through. When serving, place pears on top for garnish with sprig of sage.

Serves 6.

Risotto itself can be simply a base that you can add anything to in the last minute to make your dish unique. Try mine as a variation with your turkey dinner.

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Stuffed Giant Tiger Prawns

Prawns are one of those things that freeze well when processed correctly. The best frozen prawns are caught, and processed within 15 minutes of catching. Giant Prawns are fun to play with because they are getting almost Lobster sized at this point. You can get them as large as 6-9 per pound, but you need to call around.

Stuffed prawns are easy to put together as long as you have a Prawn large enough to stuff. I wouldn't go any smaller that 14 prawns to one pound.

Prawns are very versatile and easy to prepare in only a few minutes. Make sure you don't overcook the Crustacean because there is nothing worse than a rubbery Prawn.

Prawns are produced all over the world in fresh, and salt water. Over half of the Prawns eaten today are produced in farms overseas. I prefer the wild Mexican Prawns, and they do grow to a quite a large size. The largest prawns I have ever seen come from off the coast in Chile.

Stuffed Giant Tiger Prawns with Basil Cream Sauce

12 Giant Tiger Prawns (9-1, peeled, deveined and butterflied)
12 oz. Dungeness Crab, or Blue Crab meat (flaked)
1 each red, yellow, and green Bell peppers (finely diced)
1 rib celery (finely diced)
2 Tbs. scallions (sliced thin)
2 Tbs. olive oil
1 cup fresh sourdough bread crumbs
2 whole eggs (beaten)
1 lemon (zested and juiced)
1 Tbs. fresh garlic (chopped fine)
1 Tbs. fresh basil (minced)
1 Tbs. Dijon mustard
Kosher salt & milled pepper to taste
Tabasco sauce (to taste, several shakes recommended)
6 slices of bacon (cut in half)

In olive oil, sauté peppers, celery, and scallions to soften (no more than a minute). Remove from heat and add bread crumbs and crab meat, mixing well. In a mixing bowl, beat eggs and add remaining ingredients (except bacon slices). Mix thoroughly. Add crab mixture and mix well. Taste and adjust seasoning.

Heat oven to 400° F. On a cookie sheet, divide and shape stuffing into twelve walnut-sized portions. Press one portion into each butterflied prawn and wrap with bacon slice, finishing with the seam side down. Bake for eight to ten minutes until bacon is starting to crisp.

Basil Cream Sauce

2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1/2 cup diced onions
1/4 cup white wine
1/2 quart heavy cream
1 teaspoon chicken base
3 tablespoons Pesto,
1 teaspoon Roux

Heat butter and olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, add garlic and onion and cook until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add white wine and reduce by half. Add heavy cream and chicken base and reduce by half again. Add pesto and roux, bring to a simmer and heat until slightly thickened, about 2 to 3 minutes.

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Beef Stroganoff

I have always love Beef Stroganoff, and there is a place near Chicago by O'Hare Airport that does it for you right at tableside called Le Cave.

The place looks like it is straight out of a Sinatra movie, and he has actually been there a number of times when he was roaming the earth. The interior is designed to look like a cave, and it really does, sort of like eating in a French Wine Cellar. They do a lot of things well there, but they are known for there Stroganoff.

Beef Stroganoff, in its modern form, is dish of strips of beef filet with a mushroom, onion, dijon, and sour cream sauce. It is usually served over rice, or noodles. If you are on a low carb diet there are plenty of good lo carb pasta's out there.

The dish comes from Russia, but was adopted by the French, and became the rage in the 1950's when it was prepared tableside in continental restaurants.

Beef Stroganoff

1 lb Fillet of Beef
1 1/2 medium Onions
1 clove crushed Garlic
1 clove chopped Shallot
4 oz sliced Mushrooms
1 oz Butter
1/4 cup Beef broth
1/8 Pint Sour Cream
Dijon Mustard
Tomato Paste
Worcestershire Sauce
Cognac, Brandy, or Sherry
Salt
Black Pepper

Slice the Filet into thin medallions. Slice the Onions thinly. Cut the stems off the Mushrooms and also slice thinly. Over a low heat melt half the Butter (with a tad of Olive Oil) in a Frying Pan and add the Onions. Move around regularly until they are translucent. It is important that they do not burn. Add the sliced Mushrooms and toss around for a minute or so until they are soft and coated with the juices.

Spoon out the Onions, and Mushrooms into a dish.

Add the remaining Butter to the Frying Pan and allow it to get very hot - so that it froths. Drop in the Beef medallions and fry briskly on all sides. The Beef really needs only to be browned and not over-cooked in the middle. A couple of minutes at the most, and finish by deglazing the pan with the cognac, or sherry.

Tip the Onions and Mushrooms back into the Frying Pan. Season well with Salt & Pepper. Add Beef Broth, Tomato Paste, Dijon, the Sour Cream, and cook at the same heat for another minute so that the Cream reduces to a syrupy consistency.

Garnish with chopped scallions, and serve with pasta, or rice.

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Like Playing With LEGO

Cooking is building flavours. If you can grasp the concept then sky's the limit. This recipe is so simple, that I'm almost embarrassed to include it. However, I have been asked to add this side veggie dish by someone who enjoyed this dish and also because it is the perfect example of building flavours for a recipe.

This is such a simple recipe, I guarantee you will make this again and again. And I am willing to bet you will add the things you have leftover in your fridge until you have made your own signature side dish.

Maple Glazed Carrots
4 Carrots, Batonnet (or a bag of baby carrots to make life easy)
1 Medium Red Onion, Fine Brunoise (dice)
1 Orange, Squeezed
40 ml White Wine or Vegetable Stock or Water
40 ml Maple Syrup
1 Lemon, Squeezed
Pinch of Ginger Powder
Dab of Butter for Saute
Salt and Pepper to Taste

In a saute pan on medium heat, melt butter until frothy. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add ginger powder and carrots and cook for one minute. Deglaze with orange juice, wine and maple syrup. Bring to boil and cover and turn off heat. After five minutes, remove carrots and reduce stock until syrup. Add carrots back to glaze. Just before serving, add lemon juice and salt and pepper.

Serves 4.

Variations are too numerous to give. However, add anything from pineapple juice to lime juice to tequila to sesame oil to vanilla extract . . . whatever. Feel free to be adventerous with this simply because it is so simple!


When you are making this dish, try tasting the carrots as you go and notice how much they change in flavours. Ask your inner chef what can make this different and appealling to you. Add the ingredients one at a time if you like (the juice, wine, maple syrup, etc.) and concentrate how much flavours blend together.

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