Kansas City Traveling Gourmet

New Theater has top notch theater and food

2009-11-15T19:48:00.000-06:00

New Theater has top notch theater and acting with food to match. There is not a bad seat in the house even near the top. The plays are excellent (Jamie Farr from Mash comes at least once a year) and with meals make a great deal. The meals vary but they are always above the regular fare from appetizers to entrees. One trip might be enough for most but it is all you eat until the grub is “no more”. But even myself 2.5 trips satisfied even my appetite. I can’t remember what I had (it was a couple years ago) but there is almost always various delectable versions of pasta , chicken, beef, fish, appetizers, sides (mash potatoes, rice etc) desserts. Usually 1 or 2 the entrees give a great choice. The food is never boring and either are the plays. I remember the chicken was absolutely delicious either roasted with a cream sauce.
It’s a great night for food and fun. I love the food, the plays and more.
Just wish we could go more.

(Have you tried New Theater? How you liked the food and plays?)

Spinach is the thing here : S a a g G o s h t ( B e e f i n F r a g r a n t S p i n a c h S a u c e )

2009-11-11T20:44:00.001-06:00

We love SAAG. Indian entree with spinach. Usually the chicken, lamb or in this case (ground) beef , has the spinach and ingredients ground up before the chicken, lamb , ground beef are eaten. However here are did not ground these up.
It came out more like a stew and we liked it. Flavors came out fine
Maybe next time I will puree.
rating 9.8/10

S a a g G o s h t ( B e e f i n F r a g r a n t S p i n a c h S a u c e )

R e c i p e B y : C l a s s i c I n d i a n C o o k i n g b y J u l i e S a h n i I S B N 0 - 6 8 8 - 0 3 7 2 1 - 6
S e r v i n g S i z e : 8 P r e p a r a t i o n T i m e : 0 : 0 0
C a t e g o r i e s : I n d i a n M e a t s

A m o u n t M e a s u r e I n g r e d i e n t - - P r e p a r a t i o n M e t h o d
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
3 c u p s c o o k e d s p i n a c h
6 t a b l e s p o o n s l i g h t v e g e t a b l e o i l
3 p o u n d s b o n e l e s s b e e f r o u n d o r l a m b - - c u t i n 1 1 / 2 3 p i e c e s
3 1 / 2 c u p s o n i o n s - - t h i n l y s l i c e d
1 1 / 2 t a b l e s p o o n s g a r l i c - - f i n e l y c h o p p e d
3 t a b l e s p o o n s f r e s h g i n g e r r o o t - - f i n e l y c h o p p e d
1 t a b l e s p o o n g r o u n d c u m i n
2 t a b l e s p o o n s g r o u n d c o r i a n d e r
1 t e a s p o o n t u r m e r i c
1 m e d i u m r i p e t o m a t o - - f i n e l y c h o p p e d
3 g r e e n c h i l e s - - m i n c e d
3 t a b l e s p o o n s p l a i n y o g u r t
1 c i n n a m o n s t i c k - - b r o k e n s m a l l p i e c e s
6 b l a c k ( o r 1 2 g r e e n ) c a r d a m o m p o d s
9 w h o l e c l o v e s
3 b a y l e a v e s - - c r u m b l e d
1 t a b l e s p o o n k o s h e r s a l t
4 t e a s p o o n s g a r a m m a s a l a
2 t a b l e s p o o n s l i g h t v e g e t a b l e o i l - - i f n e e d e d

S p i n a c h i s u s e d e x t e n s i v e l y i n I n d i a , w h e r e i t ' s i n e x p e n s i v e a n d a v a i l a b l e y e a r
r o u n d . B u t t h e m a i n
r e a s o n f o r i t s p r e v a l e n c e i n I n d i a n c o o k i n g i s t h a t i t c a n b e u t i l i z e d i n s o m a
n y m a r v e l o u s
w a y s - - f o r i n s t a n c e , a s a s a u c e . S p i n a c h i s a m i l d g r e e n . I f i t i s c o o k e d w i t h a
m e a t t h a t c o n t a i n s a l o t o f s p i c e s , i t s f l a v o r i s l i k e l y t o g e t l o s t , a n d i t s l o v e l y b r i g h t g r e e n
c o l o r w i t h i t . T o b e
s u r e t h a t t h e s p i n a c h w i l l h o l d i t s o w n i n t h i s d i s h , y o u m u s t c o o k i t s e p a r a t e
l y a n d f o l d i t i n t o t h e m e a t j u s t b e f o r e s e r v i n g .

T h i s b e a u t i f u l d i s h - - a n o t h e r v a r i a t i o n o f t h e M o g h u l r u l e r s ' f i n e c o o k i n g - - i s b a s e d o n t h e u s e
o f d i f f e r e n t g r e e n s . Y o u c a n s u b s t i t u t e k a l e , c o l l a r d , o r m u s t a r d g r e e n s , o r c o m b i n e a n y o f t h e s e
w i t h t h e s p i n a c h .

F i n e l y p u r e e t h e s p i n a c h , u s i n g a f o o d p r o c e s s o r o r e l e c t r i c b l e n d e r , o r m i n c e
i t w i t h a k n i f e o n a
c h o p p i n g b o a r d . S e t a s i d e .

P r e h e a t t h e o v e n t o 3 2 5 d e g r e e s F .

H e a t 2 t a b l e s p o o n s o f t h e o i l i n a l a r g e f r y i n g p a n o v e r h i g h h e a t u n t i l v e r y h o t . P a t t h e m e a t d r y
o n p a p e r t o w e l s ( o r i t w i l l n o t b r o w n ) , a n d a d d .
B r o w n t h e m e a t , t u r n i n g a n d t o s s i n g t h e p i e c e s ,
u n t i l n i c e l y s e a r e d o n a l l s i d e s . ( T h i s i s b e s t d o n e i n b a t c h e s s o t h a t t h e f r y i n g p a n i s n o t
o v e r c r o w d e d . A s e a c h b a t c h i s b r o w n e d , t r a n s f e r t o a h e a v y - b o t t o m e d c a s s e r o l e . )

A d d t h e r e m a i n i n g 4 t a b l e s p o o n s o f o i l t o t h e f r y i n g p a n , a n d a d d o n i o n s . R e d u c e h e a t t o
m e d i u m - h i g h , a n d f r y u n t i l t h e y t u r n c a r a m e l b r o w n ( a b o u t 2 5 m i n u t e s ) , s t i r r i n g
c o n s t a n t l y t o
p r e v e n t b u r n i n g . A d d g a r l i c a n d g i n g e r , a n d f r y f o r a n a d d i t i o n a l 2 m i n u t e s . A d d c u m i n , t o m a t o e s
a n d c h i l e s , a n d c o n t i n u e f r y i n g u n t i l t h e t o m a t o i s c o o k e d a n d t h e e n t i r e m i x t u r e i s t u r n e d i n t o a t h i c k p u l p y p a s t e ( a b o u t 3 m i n u t e s ) . A d d y o g u r t a n d i m m e d i a t e l y t u r n o f f t h e h e a t . W h e n s l i g h t l y
c o o l , p u r e e i n a n e l e c t r i c b l e n d e r o r f o o d p r o c e s s o r , a n d a d d t o t h e m e a t i n t h e c a s s e r o l e .

P l a c e a d o u b l e l a y e r o f c h e e s e c l o t h , a b o u t 6 i n c h e s s q u a r e , o n t h e w o r k s u r f a c e
. P u t c i n n a m o n , c a r d a m o m , c l o v e s , b a y l e a v e s i n t h e c e n t e r , b r i n g u p t h e f o u r c o r n e r s o f t h e c h
e e s e c l o t h t o w r a p t h e s p i c e s , a n d t i e t h e m t o f o r m a b a g . C r u s h t h e b a g s l i g h t l y w i t h a w o o d e n m a
l l e t o r a n y h e a v y t o o l t o b r e a k u p t h e s p i c e s . A d d t h e s p i c e b a g t o t h e c a s s e r o l e .

A d d 4 c u p s o f b o i l i n g w a t e r a l o n g w i t h t h e s a l t , a n d s t i r t o d i s t r i b u t e t h e m e a t i n t o t h e s a u c e .
P l a c e a p i e c e o f a l u m i n u m f o i l o n t o p o f t h e c a s s e r o l e , a n d c o v e r t i g h t l y w i t h
t h e l i d . B r i n g t h e c o n t e n t s t o a b o i l o n t o p o f t h e s t o v e .

P l a c e t h e c a s s e r o l e i n t h e m i d d l e l e v e l o f t h e o v e n f o r 2 1 / 2 h o u r s . O r a l t e r n a t i v e l y , i t m a y b e
c o o k e d o n t o p o f t h e s t o v e o v e r l o w h e a t f o r 2 - 2 1 / 2 h o u r s , o r u n t i l t h e m e a t i s f o r k t e n d e r .

R e m o v e t h e c a s s e r o l e f r o m t h e o v e n o r t u r n o f f t h e s t o v e , a n d t a k e o f f t h e l i d .
R e m o v e t h e s p i c e b a g , a n d s q u e e z e h a r d t o e x t r a c t a s m u c h j u i c e a s p o s s i b l e . D i s c a r d t h e b a g . A d
d t h e c o o k e d s p i n a c h a n d g a r a m m a s a l a , a n d b l e n d w e l l , b e i n g c a r e f u l n o t t o b r e a k t h e f r a g i l e m e a t p i e c e s . C o v e r t h e p o t , r e t u r n i t t o t h e o v e n o r s t o v e , a n d c o o k f o r 5 m i n u t e s m o r e . T u r n o f f t h e o v e n , a n d l e t t h e p o t r e m a i n u n d i s t u r b e d f o r a n a d d i t i o n a l 1 0 m i n u t e s . C h e c k f o r s a l t , a n d i f t h e s a u c e l a c k s a d e q u a t e g l a z e , s t i r i n a f e w t a b l e s p o o n s o f o i l . S e r v e .

N o t e : T h i s d i s h , j u s t l i k e a n o t h e r b r a i s e d d i s h ,
t a s t e s b e t t e r w i t h k e e p i n g . I t i s p a r t i c u l a r l y
g o o d i f m a d e a f e w h o u r s i n a d v a n c e , a n d a l l o w e d t o r e s t a t r o o m t e m p e r a t u r e b e
f o r e b e i n g r e h e a t e d
a n d s e r v e d . T h i s d i s h k e e p s w e l l i n t h e r e f r i g e r a t o r f o r u p t o 2 d a y s , a n d a l s o
f r e e z e s w e l l .
D e f r o s t t h o r o u g h l y b e f o r e r e h e a t i n g . T o r e h e a t , g e n t l y s i m m e r o v e r l o w h e a t u n t
i l w a r m e d t h r o u g h .
B e f o r e s e r v i n g , t a s t e f o r s a l t , a n d i f n e c e s s a r y , f o l d i

Dickey's Barbecue has tasty BBQ but watch how much they place on your entree

2009-11-07T19:21:00.003-06:00

I saw that this place was opening near the Costco and thought it might possibly be a good BBQ place to try. So I planned on coming out during its opening day (Nov. 7)on a balmy day. My plan was to try the BBQ brisket and see how it would fare. I selected the big "bunned" special priced sandwich and chose brisket. I love brisket and wanted it test it out against all that I have tried while judging on the bbq circuit . After seeing how much beef was put on my sandwich, (it looked quite small bit of meat- like a big half dollar), I was not pleased even for this "special". I asked the cutter “to put more meat on it “. I mean why start out a business and be stingy about the meat, which would be one of the signature entrees on the menu? He did so. He did ask if “I wanted the (BBQ) sauce? “(in these parts most want sauce on their meat but it was nice to ask anyway). I said “yes” and a tablespoon of sauce (not very thick) was ladled on to the top. I found it odd that a plain piece of white onion was on the meat (which I took off).
There were some people in the dining area but not as many as I expected. The menu is extensive: sides , kids meals, meat plates, sandwiches, make your combo, salads and takeouts. But I was taking mine "take out" (which I told them first when they asked). I was only going for the meat this time so I did not test the sides etc.
I should have asked for more sauce (on the side) as there was little “saucey taste” soaked into the meat. But it had a very good smokey flavor. So maybe “ little sauce” was a good idea (for once). The consistency was a little chewy but not "melt in your mouth". The sandwich bun had tiny yellow seeds and the bun had a real good consistency, not too dense. The meat was almost “all meat” with little fat or gristle so I was happy about that. So all in all, the BBQ was good but not the best I ever tasted. (Maybe it was laying around too long which is should have had some moist juice to keep it more moist?
I enjoyed the beef, flavor and sandwich. If and when I go back, I need to try the sauce , turkey and sides So try the beef ( pork etc) but make sure you notice how much of the beef comes with the meal. “Where’s the beef, pork or etc “ is important!

Post your feedback
How do you like your brisket? soft chewy or ?

Grilled Chicken Thighs: Kansas City BBQ

2009-11-05T18:46:00.000-06:00

I made a recipe like this from the Kansas City Star today. It used hoisin, soy and ketchup. I also used chicken legs instead of thighs (I did not have them) which were supposed to be better for this purpose. Bad mistake as I just did not think the recipe came out that good although my wife likes them. My take 7/10. This recipe below most likely is better and I will try it sometimes. You can try it now. Let me know what you think

http://hubpages.com/hub/Kansas-City-Grilled-Chicken-Thighs-A-Mini-BBQ

Making a Culinary comeback in New Orleans

2009-11-05T14:51:00.000-06:00

I have been to New Orleans several times for conferences, NASA educational training and eating! This nice article focuses on how life and culinary ways have helped revive New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. Featuring John Besh (finalist for Iron Chef American, restaurant owner in the City and more), other chefs, people, recipes and more.

http://www.kansascity.com/living/food/story/1545393.html

Indian food Forever is an extensive recipe finding website

2009-11-02T07:46:00.001-06:00

I am cooking more and more Indian food. Indian food Forever is an extensive recipe finding website. Very nice layout, extensive way to find recipes and more. Check it out.

This Indian website has recipes, a listing of Best recipe of the month and much more.

http://www.indianfoodforever.com/punjabi/hariyali-tikki.html

Battle Pheasant on Iron Chef America

2009-11-01T22:58:00.000-06:00

I’ve never eaten pheasant. However I learned about this bird and its preparations b watching the two chefs battled to show off the various ways pheasant could be prepared. It was quite an eye full seeing Battle Pheasant through Morrimoto vs Virant battle. Virant has his place in Chicago which is named Vie.

He is quite an accomplished chef
http://www.vierestaurant.com/chef.html

and focused on American cuisine with his menu
http://www.vierestaurant.com/menu.html

Morimito had dishes that included pheasant tenderloin, pheasant dumplings with tomato cream with wasabi, pheasant rice balls and soup and pheasant lettuce wraps.

Virant countered with smoked pheasant with blackberry; pheasant gnocchi; pheasant scotch eggs; pheasant roasted livers; pheasant consome and gremolata.

I thought the battle would be close. I picked Morimoto by +2. He won by +1 so I was within my range and on the winning side.

taste : Virant had 26 to 25 points
plating : Morrimoto had 13 to 11
originality: tied 13 to 13

Chicken Cacciatore 2 ways

2009-11-01T19:35:00.000-06:00

I always thought Chicken Cacciatore needed sauce. Not this (first) one! The second is more like what most people think.
The other one I found and tried that has good rating (9/10) is from Emeril Lagasse. It is blander then the first but still quite good.

The first dish I tried made roasted tomato sauce. I combined it with this recipe and it is amazing.My rating
9.9/10

This is one amazing dish!
Buy the book at Amazon.com low price. “ On Top of Spaghetti” and try the restaurant. Many different, out of the ordinary and superb recipes.
Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com)
Olathe, KS
Kansas City Traveling Gourmet blog
<http://cpmputergourmet.blogspot.com/>

let me know what you think!

Spaghetti and Summer Chicken Cacciatore
adapted from On Top of Spaghetti by Johanne Killen and George Germon (P.147-8) Al Forno

8 medium ripe tomatoes
8 chicken thighs (my option: or use 2-4 chicken breasts)
2 tblspn olive oil
2 oz pancetta (option I skipped this)
4 cups chopped yellow onions
3 cups chopped celery with leaves
1 jalapeno pepper finely minced
1/8 tspn red pepper flakes ( more if you want more heat)
1 or 2 tspn sea salt ( I used kosher salt)
1 sprig fresh rosemary (I used powder dried 1 tspn)
2 fresh bay leaves or 1 1 dried bay leave
1/4 cup coursely chopped fresh flat leaf parsley
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 lb spaghetti
4 tbls butter or margarine
2 cups mushrooms (optional
parmesan cheese ( I left this out)

(1) Boil water and and drop tomatoes into it for 30 seconds.
(2) Remove tomato to cutting board , cut in half and the take off the skin.
(3) scoop out pulp and strain the seeds out and discard them leaving pulp and juice.

option: I actually did not do this . I used one of their other recipes to roast the tomatoes for in oven after cutting them (I use halves cherry tomatoes in stead of big tomatoes). Roast for 20 minutes at 400 f. I then blended them until smooth.

(4) Heat olive oil in dutch oven (caste iron skillet) Add the chicken and saute brown over high heat. Turn and keep browning Transfer chicken to plate.

(5) (Optional) Cook Pancetta if desired until browned then set aside

(6) Stir the onions, celery, jalapeno, pepper flakes, 1/2 the salt, rosemary, bay leaves and parsely.

(7) add the pancetta if desired. Lower heat.

(8) Stir the mixture and scrap the browning bits from the chicken etc and keep stirring for 10 minutes. \

(9) add wine , raise the heat and cook unti the wine is evaporated.

(10) Return the chicken and juices that have collected on the plate into the dutch oven with the vegetables.

(11) Add those tomatoes and juices cover the oven/pot, Lower heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes.

(12) During last few minutes test and add more salt if needed.

(13) Remove bay leaf and rosemary spring (if fresh used) .

(14 ) Keep warm on low heat.

(15) Use butter and add with mushrooms and cooked.

(16) Cook spaghetti Al dente drain expect leaf a small amount of water in a cup (1/2 cup). This extra cooked water can be used to freshen the spaghetti if needed and unloosen strands of spahghetti that stick.

(17) Toss and combine the mushrooms to the vegetables mixture and chicken on to a plate.

(18) optional - add parmesan cheese.

(19) Left over vegetable sauce and spagehetti for leftovers, lunch dinner or snack. Great too!!

***

Chicken Cacciatore with Spaghetti

Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2005

Show: Emeril Live:
Ingredients

* 1 whole chicken, about 5 to 6 pounds, cut into 8 pieces
* 1 cup flour
* Creole seasoning, recipe follows
* 1 cup olive oil
* 2 cups chopped yellow onions
* Salt
* Crushed red pepper
* 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, cleaned, stemmed and sliced
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 1 cup dry white wine
* 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes, peeled and seeded
* 1 cup tomato sauce
* 2 cups chicken stock
* 1 bay leaf
* 4 sprigs fresh thyme
* 1/4 cup chiffonade basil
* 1/2 pound cooked fettuccine or spaghetti (tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper)
* 4 ounces grated Parmigiano-Reggiano
* 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley leaves

Directions

Season the chicken with Creole seasoning. Season the flour with Creole seasoning. Dredge the chicken in the seasoned flour, coating completely and shaking off the excess. In a large Dutch oven, over medium-high heat, add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken and brown for 3 to 4 minutes on each side. Remove the chicken and set aside.
Add the onions.
Season with salt and red pepper.
Saute for 2 minutes. Add the mushrooms and garlic.
Season with salt and red pepper.
Continue to saute for 2 minutes.
Stir in the wine, tomatoes, tomato sauce, and stock. Bring the mixture to a boil. Stir in the bay leaf, thyme and basil.
Add the chicken back to the mixture. Reduce the heat to medium and cover. Simmer for 1 hour or until tender. Mound the pasta in the center of each plate. Lay the chicken over the pasta.
Spoon the sauce over the chicken.
Garnish with cheese and parsley.
Emeril's ESSENCE Creole Seasoning (also referred to as Bayou Blast):

* 2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
* 2 tablespoons salt
* 2 tablespoons garlic powder
* 1 tablespoon black pepper
* 1 tablespoon onion powder
* 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
* 1 tablespoon dried oregano
* 1 tablespoon dried thyme

Combine all ingredients thoroughly.

**
I come from Providence, RI. A famous restaurant Al Forno is located close to the downtown area near my brother's furniture store. The husband and wife team, both from the Rhode Island School of Design, (they have been on Emeril Lagassi's show) inspired the wood fired pizza craze and made it popular. But they also have many other spectacular Italian inspired dishes.

I have been to Al Forno once but thought I could find some other recipes to try in a cookbook. Their fires book " Cucino Simpatica" has won rave reviews. Now their second one "On Top of Spaghetti" is out and after reading the reviews, I bought my first Italian cookbook after many years.

What I like about this book has recipes which are unusual, different that take Italian recipes to a different level. Also the introduction to each recipes that tells about how each recipe came to fruition.

Granite City varies it's menu

2009-10-31T20:43:00.002-05:00

Seems like the menu has broadened into different variations since I first came to Granite City in Olathe . Now there are themed entrees which include a more varies menu (prices ranging from $3.99 to $23.59).There are more varied cuisine in the areas of Oriental, Vegetarian, Cajun, Tex-Mex, sandwiches, kid's menu, , fish, specialty lunches , pasta, pork, beef within 9 appetizers, 8 salads, 5 burgers, flat breads (4), small plate (5), special brews (5 also says with meal compliments), Lunch (9) Sandwiches (11) , soups (8) , Luncheon (14) , Pastas (5), Signature selections (18), Kids Menu (6), desserts (6).
I was there for a presentation luncheon and actually got a little chilly in the small area (bring a sweater or jacket) until the place finally warmed up. I had tried one of their steaks before and it was awesome. This time I tried the chicken Caribbean. The chicken was moist but did not have a lot of tropical flavor. Perhaps the chef thought that by just placing a not so inspiring red onion melange on top (it was pretty disgusting) would make it tropical which is didn't. The steamed broccoli was awesome though (how many times have I ever said that?). We might come here sometime for happy hour sometime and try some of their pizzas and other possibilities with happy hour (have to pay once in a lifetime fee though of $10 unless you pay on Monday - then $5).I might try this but I wish the appetizer section and happy hour possibilities were better prices (many places have 1/2 priced instead of $2 off or something else).

Blanc Burgers in Kansas City is excellent for the price

2009-10-31T16:06:00.002-05:00

Hip burger joints that focus on pricey specialty burgers are the rage in Kansas City and elsewhere and are taking their place with the franchise places that are trying to push their angus beef burgers. Blanc however has pricier but better crafted burgers (usingh blend of tenderloin, ribeye and kansas city srip steak blended for higher price patties coming in a variety of 12 mouth watering varieties. There are salads and starters (5), sides for a la cart (4) , quick fix menu (burger of choice and salad or side), 12 varieties of burger (including beef, bison, pork, turkey, mahi mahi, lentil, portabella. There are also milkshakes. My wife got a classic (beef , cheddar, lettuce, tomato , red onion, grilled onion, mustard , ketchup, pickles on sesame seed bun.When I go I will get the Kobe Beef, Bison burger (sounds good -pepperjack cheese, peppadew pepper jam, butter lettuce, onion, tomato, and mayo), the inside out (it is really difficult to choose). She and her friends loved the fries too. It's definitely a good burger place for once in awhile, the price and what you get.

Another Heavy Hitter-Mexican restaurant in town in around KC

2009-10-27T15:48:00.002-05:00

There are quite a few Mexican restaurants in town. Apparently there is still more room. Olathe now is a little more crowded, to battle the other heavy hitters in town. This mini chain now has moved into the place across from Golden Corral taking the place of a Rib and Chicken joint that never did any business ( I felt so sorry for the owner).
Mexican Restaurant & Cantina
(913) 829-5749
Olathe
13415 Black Bob Road
Olathe, KS 66062
But now this mini chain Frontera , has moved now into that former restaurant and serves a full bar, catering, and has wifi. The place has a nice ambiance with a wide open feel to the place. I sampled the menu from the Overland Park one and my wife and I both liked the entree. Several chimichanga (which I love) options highlight the menu (pork, beef, steak, chicken, veggie) along with burritos, quesadillas, lunch sized meal options and more so I will have to come back here and try more items.
I don't usually like mini chains as the food can vary from each one and if you "hit the wrong one " you may not like it as much or as well. It will be interesting how this place, Mi Ranchito, Chapala, Jose Pepper duke it out now that there are 4 great Mexican places in town along with the other good ones in Olathe (that we have tried). Time will tell.

Best restaurants by gayot

2009-10-25T17:10:00.000-05:00

No matter how many times I see and read this website - I think it says GHAAY OTT. While they say it GHUY OT I don't believe it. Anyway there are nice reads and links.

Top restaurants in US. They are all over and no two nearby (Kansas City has Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue which we have been to several times (see below)

Fiorella's Jack Stack Barbecue in Kansas City offers first-rate crown prime short ribs of beef and one of the best barbecue sandwiches in town.
http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/best-kansascity-mo-barbecue_69kc.html

look at the rest (I have not been to anyone of these other

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/best-us-top10-barbecuerestaurants_10_01us.html

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/best.html

Sarasoto's Fat Sandy and more

2009-10-24T11:27:00.001-05:00

Man vs Food is a real "hoot of a program". Adam , the host, is not only funny he loves to eat and a lot. He always picked great 2 restaurants to try and then 1 for a great challenge. Here is a run down of season 2.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_v._Food_%28season_2%29

sarasota

The Fat Sandy: chicken fingers, mozzarella sticks, onion rings, two cheeseburgers, and fried potato wedges, slathered in macaroni and cheese. Says Adam Richman, "It's like moving a baby, you have to support the head." Then the Super Fat Daddy: six cheeseburgers, french fries, mozzarella sticks, chicken fingers, a pound of Philly steak, mushrooms, peppers, onions, and seventeen slices of cheese, with a layer of cheddar cheese sauce for good measure.

he lost
watch at
http://www.eatmedaily.com/2009/09/epic-sandwiches-at-munchies-420-cafe-in-sarasota-florida-from-man-v-food-video/

Tomatillo - love these tangy tomato like veggies and making chili like recipes

2009-10-23T12:16:00.000-05:00

I like tomatillos, those tangy green tomatoes. I am always trying to use them more. The recipe in the Kansas City Star gave me an opptunitty to try another great recipe- Beef with Beans and Tomatillos. Unlike the KC Star version, I did not blend the tomatillos, I just let them heat in crockpot I also found some other versions which I will try in future.
My version is here.

Beef with Beans and Tomatillos Crockpot Chili- Eric style
by Eric Flescher
modified from Kansas City Star recipe Beef with Beans and Tomatillos

You could easily use ground turkey to cut down the fat a bit. I just happened to have ground beef on hand. Also, use pinto beans ( or black beans or even refried beans).. You could substitute salsa verde green. I made my own version of this recipe but like a chili using the d ground beef.

* 1 pound ground beef (the KC Star used beef eye or round cut into small cubes)
* 4 spn Worcestershire sauce
* 3 or 4 hot pepper sauce
* 2 cloves garlic, minced ( I used regular minced garlic not dried)
2 medium tomatoes
8-9 medium or small tomatillos cut into wedges or small slices
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup chicken (or beef) broth or water
* 1 15 ounce can pinto
* 1/4 cup or 3 tbs fresh cilantro, chopped
1/4 tsp pepper

Brown the ground beef (or turkey) until no longer pink, then add the onion and garlic and red pepper. Cook for a few minutes until softened, then drain the excess fat. (Rinse the beans in a colander and save the can for the grease!)

Add the salt and pepper, the chicken or beef broth, the drained beans and the tomatillo salsa. Turn the heat up to a good high simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened. Sprinkle the cilantro in and stir.

Serve with warmed flour or corn tortillas or pita bread, sour cream, the grated cheese, and more salsa if you'd like.

***
Ground Beef, Tomatillo Sauce and Black Bean Burrito Recipe

beef and bean burrito mix
You could easily use ground turkey to cut down the fat a bit. I just happened to have ground beef on hand. Also, use pinto beans or black beans or even refried beans if you have a spare can laying about. Heck, you could probably even substitute red salsa for the tomatillo salsa, although we're partial to the salsa verde around here for stuff like this.

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 1 cup diced red pepper
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup chicken (or beef) broth
* 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained (or pinto)
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
* 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Brown the ground beef (or turkey) until no longer pink, then add the onion and garlic and red pepper. Cook for a few minutes until softened, then drain the excess fat. (Rinse the beans in a colander and save the can for the grease!)

Add the salt and pepper, the chicken or beef broth, the drained beans and the tomatillo salsa. Turn the heat up to a good high simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened. Sprinkle the cilantro in and stir.

Serve with warmed flour or corn tortillas, sour cream, the grated cheese, and more salsa if you'd like.

***
Ground Beef, Tomatillo Sauce and Black Bean Burrito Recipe

beef and bean burrito mixYou could easily use ground turkey to cut down the fat a bit. I just happened to have ground beef on hand. Also, use pinto beans or black beans or even refried beans if you have a spare can laying about. Heck, you could probably even substitute red salsa for the tomatillo salsa, although we're partial to the salsa verde around here for stuff like this.

* 1 pound ground beef
* 1/2 cup diced onion
* 1 cup diced red pepper
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1 cup chicken (or beef) broth
* 1 15 ounce can black beans, drained (or pinto)
* 1/4 cup fresh cilantro, chopped
* 2 cups shredded Monterey Jack cheese

Brown the ground beef (or turkey) until no longer pink, then add the onion and garlic and red pepper. Cook for a few minutes until softened, then drain the excess fat. (Rinse the beans in a colander and save the can for the grease!)

Add the salt and pepper, the chicken or beef broth, the drained beans and the tomatillo salsa. Turn the heat up to a good high simmer and cook, stirring, until thickened. Sprinkle the cilantro in and stir.

Serve with warmed flour or corn tortillas, sour cream, the grated cheese, and more salsa if you'd like.

*(**

Seared Beef Filets with Drunken Beans and Smoky Tomatillo Sauce

Active Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
Yield: Serves 4
The poetically named "drunken" beans are so called because they are cooked in beer, a recipe derived from northern Mexican cooking, where they are called "borracho" beans. It's the chipotle chiles that give the sauce its deliciously smoky quality. Tomatillos are common ingredients in southwestern cuisine, and they are widely available in cities around the country that have Hispanic or Caribbean populations. Tomatillos look like green tomatoes and belong to the same family, but they are more closely related to the Cape gooseberry, which also has a thin, papery, parchmentlike covering. The citrusy green apple flavor of tomatillos is transformed by blackening them, giving them robust, complex tones. If you use less water in the sauce to leave it thicker, you can make a great dipping salsa for chips.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
For Beans:
1 cup dried pinto beans, picked through, rinsed, and soaked overnight
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons finely diced onion
5 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1 pound roma tomatoes, diced
2/3 cup (I/2 bottle) dark beer, such as Negra Modelo
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
For Sauce:
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 large clove garlic, roasted
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
For Steaks:
4 filet mignon steaks, about 6 ounces each
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 corn tortillas
4 ounces queso fresco or other dry cheese such as Monterey Jack, grated
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish

Seared Beef Filets with Drunken Beans and Smoky Tomatillo Sauce Recipe at Cooking.com
DIRECTIONS
TO PREPARE BEANS: Drain and rinse the pintos and transfer to a saucepan. Add enough water to the saucepan to cover the beans by 1 or 2 inches. Bring the beans to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Cook at a low simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beans are just tender. Add more water as the beans cook to keep them covered. Drain the beans and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and serrano chiles, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, cooked beans, and beer. Season with salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until the liquid thickens. Keep warm and stir in the cilantro just before serving.

TO PREPARE SAUCE: Blacken the tomatillos under a broiler or over a gas flame, turning frequently; do not overblacken or they will become bitter. Coarsely chop the tomatillos, and place in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup of water, and puree until smooth. Add the chipotle chiles and cilantro, and pulse until smooth. Add a little more water to thin if necessary. Just before serving, transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat through.

TO PREPARE STEAKS: Season the filets with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan or skillet. Add the filets to the hot pan and sear over high heat for about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare or about 4 minutes per side for medium. Remove the filets from the pan and keep warm.

TO SERVE: Soften the tortillas by placing them in a shallow bowl of warm water for a few seconds. Place the tortillas, one by one, in the same pan used for cooking the filets and warm them over medium heat, turning once. Place 2 tortillas on each warm serving plate. Spoon the beans in the center of each tortilla and place the seared filets next to the beans. Spoon the sauce generously over the filets and sprinkle with the cheese. Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

Recipe reprinted by permission of Harper Collins. All rights reserved.
Date Added: 01/01/2008
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Yield: Serves 4
Calories: 769

Fat. Total: 29g

Fiber: 18g
Carbohydrates, Total: 72g

Sodium: 243mg

% Cal. from Fat: 34%
Cholesterol: 115mg

Protein: 54g

***

Seared Beef Filets with Drunken Beans and Smoky Tomatillo Sauce
Print Full

Active Time: 45 Minutes
Total Time: 1 Hour 35 Minutes
Yield: Serves 4
The poetically named "drunken" beans are so called because they are cooked in beer, a recipe derived from northern Mexican cooking, where they are called "borracho" beans. It's the chipotle chiles that give the sauce its deliciously smoky quality. Tomatillos are common ingredients in southwestern cuisine, and they are widely available in cities around the country that have Hispanic or Caribbean populations. Tomatillos look like green tomatoes and belong to the same family, but they are more closely related to the Cape gooseberry, which also has a thin, papery, parchmentlike covering. The citrusy green apple flavor of tomatillos is transformed by blackening them, giving them robust, complex tones. If you use less water in the sauce to leave it thicker, you can make a great dipping salsa for chips.
RECIPE INGREDIENTS
For Beans:
1 cup dried pinto beans, picked through, rinsed, and soaked overnight
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons finely diced onion
5 serrano chiles, seeded and minced
1 pound roma tomatoes, diced
2/3 cup (I/2 bottle) dark beer, such as Negra Modelo
2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro
For Sauce:
1 pound tomatillos, husked and rinsed
1 large clove garlic, roasted
Pinch of sugar
2 tablespoons canned chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro leaves
For Steaks:
4 filet mignon steaks, about 6 ounces each
2 tablespoons olive oil
8 corn tortillas
4 ounces queso fresco or other dry cheese such as Monterey Jack, grated
4 sprigs fresh cilantro, for garnish

Seared Beef Filets with Drunken Beans and Smoky Tomatillo Sauce Recipe at Cooking.com
DIRECTIONS
TO PREPARE BEANS: Drain and rinse the pintos and transfer to a saucepan. Add enough water to the saucepan to cover the beans by 1 or 2 inches. Bring the beans to a boil, then turn the heat to low. Cook at a low simmer for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours, until the beans are just tender. Add more water as the beans cook to keep them covered. Drain the beans and set aside.

Heat the oil in a large sauté pan. Add the onion and serrano chiles, and sauté over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until soft. Stir in the tomatoes, cooked beans, and beer. Season with salt and bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and cook the mixture for 10 to 15 minutes, until the liquid thickens. Keep warm and stir in the cilantro just before serving.

TO PREPARE SAUCE: Blacken the tomatillos under a broiler or over a gas flame, turning frequently; do not overblacken or they will become bitter. Coarsely chop the tomatillos, and place in a food processor or blender. Add the garlic, sugar, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 cup of water, and puree until smooth. Add the chipotle chiles and cilantro, and pulse until smooth. Add a little more water to thin if necessary. Just before serving, transfer the mixture to a saucepan and heat through.

TO PREPARE STEAKS: Season the filets with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a large, heavy sauté pan or skillet. Add the filets to the hot pan and sear over high heat for about 3 minutes per side for medium-rare or about 4 minutes per side for medium. Remove the filets from the pan and keep warm.

TO SERVE: Soften the tortillas by placing them in a shallow bowl of warm water for a few seconds. Place the tortillas, one by one, in the same pan used for cooking the filets and warm them over medium heat, turning once. Place 2 tortillas on each warm serving plate. Spoon the beans in the center of each tortilla and place the seared filets next to the beans. Spoon the sauce generously over the filets and sprinkle with the cheese. Garnish with the cilantro and serve immediately.

Recipe reprinted by permission of Harper Collins. All rights reserved.
Date Added: 01/01/2008
Nutrition Facts per Serving
Yield: Serves 4

***!

Tomatillo Chicken Chili with White Beans Recipe

Submitted by: Amy Powell, CDKitchen Cooking Columnist

recipe difficulty 3/5 Difficulty: 3 (1=easiest :: hardest=5)

Serves/Makes: 6

Ingredients:
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 3/4 pound ground chicken
1 white onion
3 cloves garlic
1 serrano chili
1 tablespoon cumin
1/2 tablespoon coriander
1 teaspoon salt
1 pound tomatillos
2 cans white beans
1 can (4 oz size) mild green chilies
1 cup chicken stock
1 cup chopped cilantro
Optional pumpkin seeds, sour cream, grated jack cheese
Turn this recipe into a puzzle! [click]

Directions:

Preheat large soup pot with vegetable oil over medium high heat. Add ground chicken when hot.

Meanwhile, dice onion and garlic. Remove seeds from Serrano chili and finely mince. Break chicken up with a wooden spoon every couple of minutes. After chicken has been cooking for about 5 minutes, add onion and continue to cook breaking up chicken and stirring every couple of minutes.

Remove husks from tomatillos and rinse to remove sticky coating. When chicken has been cooking with the onions for about 3 minutes, add garlic, Serrano, cumin, coriander, and salt. Continue cooking for another 2 minutes.

Roughly chop tomatillos, or cut into quarters if the tomatillos are small. Add tomatillos to meat. Place a lid on the pot and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Crain and rinse white beans. Drain chilies and finely chop. Chop cilantro. After tomatillos have been cooking for 10 minutes, add beans and green chilies along with chicken stock. Cover with lid and bring to a boil. Remove lid and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, for another 8 minutes until chili has thickened and liquid has reduced slightly.

Remove from heat and stir in cilantro if serving immediately. If not serving immediately, save cilantro and serve as a garnish on each bowl. Taste for seasoning and adjust with more salt if necessary. Top with optional pumpkin seeds, sour cream, or cheese and serve.

This recipe from CDKitchen for Tomatillo Chicken Chili with White Beans serves/makes 6
Print this recipe print this recipe

Recipe ID: 89700

CHINESE NOODLES WITH SESAME SAUCE

2009-10-21T21:36:00.003-05:00

I wanted to make a better dish for my wife ( compared to the one last nigh) when she got home. I made a recipe like this (below) which was from one of my cookbooks favorites (for variety) Hot & Spicy. She liked it! The only think I added was 1-2 tbls ponzo sauce. As it was good for me to.
9.7/10

CHINESE NOODLES WITH SESAME SAUCE
2 tbl sesame paste
7 tbsp. soy sauce
3 tbsp. sesame oil
I addeded 1 tbl honey
3 tbsp. peanut oil
3/4 tsp. sugar (did not use)
3 tbsp. rice vinegar
3 cloves crushed garlic
pinch 5 spice powder
1 lb. Chinese noodles
3 steak burgers grilled then chopped up to pieces

Mix together sauce ingredients. This may be stored in refrigerator for several weeks. Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain, rinse to cool. Toss with 1 tablespoon sesame or peanut oil to keep moist. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour. Sauce may be added to whole bowl or spooned onto individual servings. Mix together

New Best eating places for 2008

2009-10-21T20:12:00.001-05:00

Well here is the New Best eating places for 2008 that I found
http://www.gayot.com/best-restaurants/top10-newrestaurants.html

Reading about Eight Great Ways to Be a Great Restaurant Customer

2009-10-19T20:14:00.001-05:00

I am usually a good customer where we go. I usually don’t ask them to take a plate back unless something is really wrong. I found this article interesting.
Eight Great Ways to Be a Great Restaurant Customer
by Francis Lam
http://www.gourmet.com/food/2008/08/the-recipe-fricassee-hen-with-vadouvan

C a u l i f l o w e r i n a cast-i r o n pot is a winner

2009-10-19T19:14:00.005-05:00

You wouldn't think the lowly Cauliflower would shine in a recipe but in this one it does and more. The chef shows his masterpiece in this recipe and I did my best to make it.
I made the Vadouvan (Indian Spice Blend)seasoning package by myself instead of hunting it down in some Indian restaurants close by. It came out better then expected and even my wife liked it although not as much as I (see prefers the plain veg).
The seasoning with the vegetable is addictive and I kept eating the rest (with my hot dog meal) until I finished all of it after my wife took some bites.
The raw Cauliflower with the sauce is great. However if you prefer, steam the Cauliflower before eating. Better ?
I wonder what other dishes go with Vadouvan?

C a u l i f l o w e r i n a c a s t - i r o n p o t i s s e r v e d a t U b u n t u f o r $ 1 3 . T h i s r e c i p e m a k e s f o u r
r e s t a u r a n t s e r v i n g s .

C a u l i f l o w e r i n a c a s t - i r o n p o t
J e r e m y F o x , e x e c u t i v e c h e f o f U b u n t u

S e r v e s 4

I N G R E D I E N T S

" 2 h e a d s c a u l i f l o w e r
" 2 t a b l e s p o o n s e x t r a - v i r g i n o l i v e o i l
" 1 c u p w h o l e m i l k
" 1 / 4 p o u n d b u t t e r
" 2 t a b l e s p o o n s v a d o u v a n ( f r o m w w w . l e - s a n c t u a i r e . c o m )
right below this recipe
" 1 t e a s p o o n I t a l i a n p a r s l e y
" D a y - o l d b r e a d f o r t o a s t i n g
" F i n e s e a s a l t t o t a s t e

R e c i p e c o n t i n u e s b e l o w !ì a d v e r t i s e m e n t

D I R E C T I O N S

S t e a l T h i s R e c i p e Æ S t e p b y S t e p I n s t r u c t i o n s :
S l i c e t h e c a u l i f l o w e r a b o u t 1 / 8 o f a n i n c h t h i c k . S e a s o n 1 a n d º o f c a u l i f l o w e r w i t h o l i v e o i l a n d s e a s a l t t o t a s t e . R o a s t i n a 3 5 0 - d e g r e e o v e n u n t i l s l i g h t l y c h a r r e d a n d t e n d e r .

S t a r t t h e b u t t e r i n a c o l d s a u c e p o t a n d p l a c e o n m e d i u m h e a t . A l l o w t h e b u t t e r t o m e l t , b e c o m e f o a m y a n d t u r n g o l d e n b r o w n .
R e m o v e t h e b r o w n b u t t e r f r o m h e a t a n d a d d t h e v a d o u v a n .
L e t t h e v a d o u v a n a n d b u t t e r s i t f o r a n h o u r .

A d d a l l b u t 1 / 4 o f t h e r e m a i n i n g r a w c a u l i f l o w e r t o a s a u c e p o t .
A d d t h e m i l k a n d j u s t e n o u g h w a t e r t o c o v e r c a u l i f l o w e r .
A d d a t e a s p o o n o f s e a s a l t a n d c o o k o n
l o w - m e d i u m h e a t u n t i l c a u l i f l o w e r i s
c o m p l e t e l y s o f t .
P u r e e t h i s m i x t u r e a n d s t r a i n t h r o u g h a f i n e s i e v e .

S l i c e t h e d a y - o l d b r e a d a s t h i c k a s y o u w a n t a n d b r u s h l i g h t l y w i t h t h e v a d o u v a n b u t t e r .
B a k e i n a 3 5 0 - d e g r e e o v e n f o r a b o u t 5 - 6 m i n u t e s . ( A t t h i s t i m e c o r r e c t y o u r s e a s o n i n g o n t h e r o a s t e d a n d p u r e e d c a u l i f l o w e r . )

S e a s o n t h e r e m a i n i n g r a w c a u l i f l o w e r w i t h a
t o u c h o f t h e v a d o u v a n , p a r s l e y a n d s e a s a l t .

O n t o p , a d d t h e r a w c a u l i f l o w e r a n d t h e d i s h i s r e a d y t o s e r v e w i t h t h e t o a s t e d b r e a d .
T I P S

T o c r e a t e f o u r i n d i v i d u a l s e r v i n g s , h a v e 4 s m a l l s e r v i n g p o t s , s u c h a s m i n i c a s t - i r o n p o t s . L a y e r t h e r o a s t e d a n d p u r e e d c a u l i f l o w e r a n d t h e n t h e v a d o u v a n b u t t e r c o n t i n u o u s l y u n t i l t h e p o t i s f i l l e d
**

Vadouvan (Indian Spice Blend)
Makes about 3 cups

* Active time:45 min
* Start to finish:3 hr

September 2008
There are many versions of vadouvan, but we like the one that Grimes came up with, starting with a formula by chef Inaki Aizpitarte, of Le Chateaubriand, and roasting it for an exotic meatiness. Make one big batch and keep it in the freezer for weeks—we’re sure you’ll be tossing it into all kinds of dishes.

Learn the story behind this dish in our series The Recipe.
http://www.gourmet.com/food/2008/08/the-recipe-fricassee-hen-with-vadouvan

* 2 lb onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 lb shallots, halved
* 12 garlic cloves, peeled
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
* 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh curry leaves (optional)
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
* 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

*
Equipment:
an electric coffee/spice grinder or a mortar and pestle

*
Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle.
*
Pulse onions in 3 batches in a food processor until very coarsely chopped (there may be a few large pieces remaining), transferring to a bowl. Repeat with shallots, then garlic.
*
Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onions, shallots, and garlic (stir often) until golden and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
*
Grind fenugreek seeds in grinder or with mortar and pestle. Add to onion mixture along with remaining ingredients, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper and stir until combined.
*
Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined large 4-sided sheet pan and spread as thinly and evenly as possible. Bake, stirring occasionally with a skewer to separate onions, until well browned and barely moist, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Cooks’ notes:

* Vadouvan keeps in the refrigerator 1 month (cool before covering) or in the freezer 6 months.
* We’ve also got a web-exclusive recipe using the leftover

Chickpea Fries Recipe from great restaurant Ubuntu

2009-10-19T07:47:00.001-05:00

I've got to try these fries.
Chickpea Fries
Recipe created by Jeremy and Deanie Fox

Chickpea Fries
Photo: Coral von Zumwalt
Fries get reinvented with chickpea flour (the protein! the crunch!), and the dipping sauce is no ordinary side. Romesco, a zesty Spanish sauce, is a mixture of roasted red peppers, garlic, paprika, and more.

Try them also with "Carta da Musica" Flatbread with Arugula and Truffled Pecorino.

This recipe is from Ubuntu's Garden-Fresh Menu.

Ingredients:
Serves 4

* 2 1/2 cups chickpea flour , plus more for dusting
* 1 cup cornmeal
* 2 cloves garlic , finely grated
* 3 Tbsp. kosher salt , plus more to taste
* 1/4 cup chopped parsley
* 1 Tbsp. chopped rosemary
* Zest of 2 lemons
* Vegetable oil , for frying
* Romesco , for serving (for recipe, see Romesco sauce below)

In a stainless steel pot over high heat, combine chickpea flour, cornmeal, 7 cups of cold water, garlic, and salt. Whisk gently to prevent sticking on the bottom; over-whisking will cause the final product to "soufflé" and fall.

Once the mixture begins to thicken and bubble (after about 3 to 4 minutes), reduce heat to medium and switch to a rubber spatula. Add remaining ingredients except oil, stir to combine, and continue stirring to prevent sticking. When mixture pulls from the sides of the pot like a dough (after about 6 to 8 minutes), transfer it to a rimmed sheet pan lined with nonstick aluminum foil. Spread mixture out evenly, cover with a sheet of plastic wrap, and top with another sheet pan. Refrigerate for 4 hours until completely cold and set.

Carefully remove mixture from pan by gently lifting the bottom layer of aluminum foil onto a cutting board. Remove plastic wrap, then cut into "fries" about 3 inches long.

Heat oil in a large pot until it reaches 375° on a deep-fat thermometer. Toss fries lightly in additional cornmeal, and deep-fry them in small batches until crispy, about 3 minutes. Remove and set on paper towels. Sprinkle with kosher salt to taste and serve with romesco on the side.

More info on Jeremy Fox
http://www.foodandwine.com/bestnewchefs/?year=2008&chef=1722DBFF-ED7F-49A4-BF7541BECABC3F66

Grilled Figs with Burrata and Romesco Toast
Recipe created by Jeremy Fox

Grilled Figs with Burrata and Romesco Toast
Photo: Coral von Zumwalt
Crusty, romesco-smeared toast pairs well with grilled figs and ultra-creamy burrata cheese.

This recipe from Ubuntu's Garden-Fresh Menu yields enough romesco to also use as a dipping sauce for the Chickpea Fries, and if you are making the Roasted Pepper Consommé with Okra and Almonds, save the peppers to use here in preparing the romesco.

Ingredients:
Serves 4

* 1/2 cup toasted unsalted almonds
* 2 Tbsp. toasted hazelnuts
* 16 roasted red peppers
* 3 cloves garlic , peeled and finely grated
* 5 Tbsp. olive oil , plus more for grilling
* 2 tsp. smoked paprika
* 2 Tbsp. sherry vinegar
* 3/4 tsp. salt

Note: If you cannot find burrata, fresh mozzarella is also fine to use.

Prepare a gas grill or grill pan, then make romesco sauce: In a food processor, chop almonds and hazelnuts. Add peppers, garlic, and olive oil; process until combined. Mix in paprika, vinegar, and salt. Set aside.

Brush bread with olive oil and grill, flipping once, 2 to 3 minutes per side.
put sauce on

**

Pea Consommé with Mint

* Recipe by Jeremy Fox

Rate & Review
(23 people have added this recipe to their favorites.)

The Good News This delicate broth is full of vitamin C, thanks to the pea pods Jeremy Fox simmers. (Snow peas are just as delicious and easier to find.) He tops the consommé with shards of white chocolate because he likes the way it brings out the peas’ sweetness while adding only a little fat.
Pea Consommé with Mint

* Recipe by Jeremy Fox

(23 people have added this recipe to their favorites.)
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Pea Consommé with Mint

* Recipe by Jeremy Fox

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© Tina Rupp
Pea Consommé with Mint

* ACTIVE: 25 MIN
* TOTAL TIME: 2 HRS 25 MIN
* SERVINGS: 4

* Healthy
* Make-Ahead
* Vegetarian

Ingredients

1. 2 pounds English peas in the pod, peas shelled and pods reserved, or 1 pound snow peas plus one 9-ounce box frozen peas, thawed
2. 1 garlic clove, smashed
3. 1 medium shallot, thinly sliced
4. 1/3 cup small mint leaves
5. 1 quart water
6. 2 teaspoons Champagne vinegar
7. 2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice
8. Salt
9. 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
10. 2 tablespoons roasted macadamia nuts, chopped
11. 2 tablespoons chopped white chocolate
12. 1/2 cup pea shoots

Directions

1. In a 12-inch piece of cheesecloth, wrap the pea pods or snow peas with the garlic, shallot and 1 tablespoon of the mint leaves into a flat bundle; tie with kitchen twine. In a large saucepan, cover the bundle with the water and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook over very low heat for 2 hours.
2. Strain the consommé into a bowl, pressing on the bundle. Return the consommé to the saucepan. Add the peas, vinegar and lemon juice and season with salt. Cover and reheat gently. Ladle the consommé into bowls and drizzle with the olive oil. Garnish with the nuts, white chocolate, pea shoots and the remaining mint leaves; serve

Paradise India is heavenly

2009-10-17T23:07:00.004-05:00

We love Thai and Indian food and I have eaten at such places all over the US and in the Kansas City area. We ate here at the buffet when it first opened and instantly proclaimed it one really liked. Since then we brought a big group of my food club group and they loved it too. We’ve eaten at several Indian places in KC (Indian Palace, Kormu Sutru and others which have come and gone or still remain). This is one of our top three ( we don’t care for Rucci). These 3 are always great but this place offers a little more vegetarian and slightly different flavors then the other places we like to give a hint of difference.
The grilled meats are nicely done, the Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken have great flavor. The crunchy vegetable pakoras and naan bread , the goat dishes are nicely done and have the right flavors.
We skip the "salad bar," items. I skip the chai as it goes through me like a “sieve” but my wife and others like it along with mango lassi ( which I love and is fine). The orange hued tandoori chicken and nicely browned chickpea pakoras are always good as well as the biryani rice peppered lamb.
I love the condiments but even I don’t try the hot pickle relish made with mustard, chili, fenugreek and more because it has a nasty type of heat and taste for my liking. The dark tamarind brown black tangy lemony sauce is always good and I love it as well as the minty green and other condiments. That is what I like about this and other Asian buffets, you pick what you want to choose and explore along the way. What could be better.One time then had spinach lamb or chicken saag (which my wife loves) and she was in heaven even more.
The rice pudding always finishes off our meals and it is glorious and silky.
The wait staff is most hospitable and cordial and it has fine quiet atmosphere.

Free State Brewing Co= Good grub in this pub

2009-10-17T20:49:00.001-05:00

"

Good grub in this pub. Really likes it . We have been here several times. While I have never had beer here, I know the food is good. Everything is consistently good and nicely priced. Salads, entrees and interesting assortment of items make for a nice menu and good eats. It does however get real noisy and busy at night however.

Restuarant Finds : La Parilla

2009-10-17T17:22:00.003-05:00

I've been here for great Mexican and Latin entrees for several years. There is a variety of entrees and some keep changing. The drinks are also interesting too. Affordable and tasty and you are sure to find something different here for your pallette. These people also own Zen Zero which I like as well.

Indian Mughlai Recipes

2009-10-17T16:26:00.000-05:00

Mughlai Recipes

Mughlai Recipes are characterized by rich and creamy curry and have a distinct aroma and taste of whole and ground spices.

http://www.indobase.com/recipes/category/mughlai-recipes.php

also look at the other regional links on the same page at right (links)

Regional Cuisine
Punjabi Recipes
South Indian Recipes
Bengali Recipes
Awadhi Recipes
Goan Recipes
Mughlai Recipes
Rajasthani Recipes
Gujarati Recipes
Hyderabadi Recipes
Kashmiri Recipes

Fish Kebab Recipe
Fish Kebab is a very popular recipe. Learn how to make/prepare Fish Kabab by following this easy recipe.

Fish Kebab Recipe
Ingredients:
• 900 gms Fish
• 3/4 cup Lemon Juice
• 2 tsp Fresh Ginger (finely grated)
• 3 cloves Garlic (crushed)
• 1-1/2 tsp Salt
• 4 tsp Coriander Powder
• 1 tsp Garam Masala
• 1 tsp Chili Powder
• 1 cup Yoghurt
• 2 tbsp Plain flour
• 1 tbsp Cooking Oil
How to make Fish Kebab:
• Rinse fish with cold water and pat dry.
• Now cut into 1 inch cubes and set aside.
• Mix all the ingredients to make a marinade.
• Pour this into large freezer bag and add the fish cubes.
• Make sure fish is well covered by marinade.
• Place freezer bag in the refrigerator for two hours.
• Take away fish from marinade.
• Discard the marinade and assemble fish cubes.
• Spray the grill lightly with cooking oil and place the fish kebabs on the grill.
• Cook for about 4-6 minutes each side or until the fish flakes easily with a fork.
• Fish Kebab is ready to be served with hot rice.

Restaurant Finds : Boling's dim sum

2009-10-17T12:54:00.001-05:00

We came here to this small city chain restaurant for dim sum as my stepson wanted for us to try it. It was very crowded as dim sum here is popular on Sunday. We tried some of the dumplings and other dishes. While good I did not think anything was really outstanding in my mind. Dim Sum can get get pretty pricey though when each dish is added up. Next time I would rather focus on an entree and try them instead.

I took my wife here on our firs date- food is superb

2009-10-16T18:55:00.002-05:00

This place is special for us as it was the first place I took my wife after the Nelson Arts Gallery some 15 years ago. The food is consistently good and the atmosphere is busy but quiet enough to listen to each other. I love the lamb inside flaky phyllo crust but ever time we have come the food has been superb.

Restaurants I hope to try someday (RIHTTS) : not Wai Wai as it is part of the Thai place chain

2009-10-16T17:51:00.005-05:00

If this place is one of the "Thai place local chain" restaurants I most likely will not try it but we shall see.

Another new one I need to try for sure is this one which seems very new.
La Bodega, KC’s first authentic Spanish tapas bar, serves up one fantastic happy hour. I've peeked inside but have never been here though.
50 percent off tapas, sangria, wines by the glass, well drinks, draft beer and domestic bottles. More >>
From 2 to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, the restaurant offers half-price tapas and drink specials, including sangria by the pitcher or glass, wines by the glass, cervezas and premium well drinks. La Bodega also serves outside on its lovely sidewalk. Inside and out, the music is surprisingly good; one recent evening, we heard a mix that included Devo, Pet Shop Boys, Bowie, the Clash and the Cure.

* Best Of 2009: Best Happy Hour
* Best Of 2005: Best Martini
* Best Of 2005: Best Small Plates
* Best Of 2001: Best Tapas
The Tapas is great along with the best Mexican food in Kansas City I hear. Sangria seems good too.

Restaurants I hope to try someday (RIHTTS): One Bite Japanese Grill

2009-10-16T17:30:00.006-05:00

I don't know how we missed One Bite Japanese Grill rated by
The Pitch magazine Best of 2007. However many entrees and appetizers look so good.
It is a must for us in the near future and then I will write a full review

One Bite Japanese Grill
Overland Park
8602 W 133rd St
Overland Park, KS 66213
(913) 897-9388
www.onebitegrill.com

paper-thin fried carrot chips that arrive before every meal like tortilla chips at a Mexican restaurant. "It's kind of a neighborhood hangout — with dumplings,

okonomi-yaki, ordering it as an appetizer instead of an entrée.
The yaki like a "Japanese pizza," or a fried flapjack made from a light batter, with shredded cabbage and various other ingredients, all topped with a malty Worcestershire-style sauce, more creamy mayo sauce.
"Mix Special" combination of vegetables, meat and seafood is good to others say

yaki is good

Man Vs. Food possibilities for Kansas City

2009-10-15T21:48:00.005-05:00

This show is great. Great challenges, interesting foods and meals , restaurants and more. And the main man Adam Richie is funny, clever and has an "iron stomach" most of the time.

I was here with a friend after a movie visit. This place is very interesting with different kinds of grinders, pizza and more. Very funky sort of place with an interesting menu and lots to offer for lunch and dinner. I had a meatball grinder which was quite good.

Someday I will be back to try other parts of the menu. Maybe the insanely hot chicken wings ((Wimpy, Molten, or the absolutely insane "Death Sauce) on Wed Half-price Death Wings and $12 Bucket-O-Beer (domestics only). This also might make a good effort for Travel Channel's Man Vs. Food.

http://www.grinderspizza.com/index.php?/grinders/menu/

Grinders has lot's to offer much to offer at good prices

2009-10-15T21:34:00.005-05:00

I was here with a friend after a movie visit. This place is very interesting with different kinds of grinders, pizza and more. Very funky sort of place with an interesting menu and lots to offer for lunch and dinner. I had a meatball grinder which was quite good.
Someday I will be back to try other parts of the menu. Maybe the insanely hot chicken wings on Wed Half-price Death Wings and $12 Bucket-O-Beer (domestics only). This also might make a good effort for Travel Channel's Man Vs. Food.

http://www.grinderspizza.com/index.php?/grinders/menu/

Recipe Finds : Crispy Wonton and Salmon Napoleon with Parsley-Roasted Garlic Puree

2009-10-15T16:11:00.003-05:00

This recipe looked so good on Ming's show. But I thought I would get it out for others to try. If you try it before I do, let me know.

Crispy Wonton and Salmon Napoleon with Parsley-Roasted Garlic Puree

Episode 701: Wonton Wrapper/Parsley

Serves 4

Ingredients
All ingredients A-Z

6 heads garlic, roasted

1/2 cup picked parsley leaves, plus sprigs for garnish

1 tablespoon Wanjashan organic soy sauce

juice of 1 lime

1/8 cup extra virgin olive oil

1 8-ounce center cut piece of salmon, sliced into 1/2-inch strips (4x2)

8 whole wheat wonton skins, crisped up in a saute pan, (not a fryer) set aside

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Canola oil

Directions

With a mortar and pestle, blend the garlic and parsley with a pinch of salt until smooth. Mix in naturally brewed soy sauce, lime juice and whisk in extra virgin olive oil. Alternatively, in a food processor, pulse together garlic and parsley with pinch of salt until smooth, then blend in soy sauce, lime juice and olive oil. Season salmon with salt and pepper. In a saute pan on medium heat coated lightly with oil, sear salmon for 1 minute, keeping the middle rare. Plate by dolloping garlic puree in center of plate to anchor crispy wonton. Top wonton with 2 pieces of salmon, then dollop puree on salmon. Top with parsley leaves and a second crispy wonton. Build another layer repeating process. To finish, top wonton with puree and garnish with parsley leaves.

Recipe Finds : Parsley Wontons with Soy-Vinegar Sauce

2009-10-15T16:00:00.001-05:00

In this show I learned from Ming Tsai to crush the parsley. I will try this recipe soon. If you try i before me let me know,

Shrimp and Parsley Wontons with Soy-Vinegar Sauce

Episode 701: Wonton Wrapper/Parsley
Ingredients
All ingredients A-Z

1 pound small Contessa shrimp, prepped and rough chopped

1/2 cup minced parsley

Zest of 1 lemon

1 tablespoon sesame oil

1 egg

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

Thin whole wheat wonton wrappers

2 parts Wanjashan naturally brewed rice vinegar

1 part Wanjashan organic tamari

1 small finger ginger, peeled and julienned

2 tablespoons sliced scallions for garnish

Directions

In a large bowl, combine shrimp, parsley, lemon zest, sesame oil and egg. Season and combine well. Test flavor by sautéing small portion. Form wontons: Place 1 wonton skin on a flat work surface with corner nearest you. Place about 1/2 tablespoon filling in center of skin, fold the bottom half over the top half to create a triangle. Bring the left and right sides under the dumpling, pinch together to seal. Repeat with remaining skins and filling. Meanwhile, boil water in a stockpot; Add wontons and boil wontons until filling is cooked through, then remove and place in individual bowls, about 2 dumplings per bowl. Meanwhile, make sauce of naturally brewed rice vinegar, tamari, ginger and scallions. Ladle on top and serve

Restaurant Finds : Good noodle and dumbling fare

2009-10-15T15:38:00.002-05:00

My wife went here with her pals and really liked this place and the dumplings. She then brought back some of the different Chinese or Asian buffets if you have tried them). Supposedly Iron Chef Morimoto ate here one and it true (it was on their ads) then that just adds to the goodness of their dumplings. Can't say much as she was there one and I sampled those dumplings but I would give it try to find out more . You betcha!

Recipe Finds : Gnocchi (lumps)

2009-10-13T20:42:00.002-05:00

Gnocchi (lumps)

I don’t think I have ever eaten these doughy pasta forms. It said that these are French pasta made from potato from potatoes and flour. I tried then by letting them stew in potato soup and they were good. Someday I will make something fancier or use part of recipe and make it with fish , chicken or beef.

Gnocchi con Scampi ( Scampi & Gnocchi) - from Tessa Kiros' Italian cookbook venezia

* 9 to 10 scampi (langoustines, red-claw, or large shrimps) —you need about 5 1/2 ounces scampi meat
* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon cognac, or brandy
* 1 tablespoon cream
* 1 tablespoon chopped parsley

Tomato sauce

* 1/2 (14-ounce) can peeled tomatoes
* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 1/2 white onion, finely chopped
* 2 garlic cloves, chopped
* 1/4 cup white wine
* pinch of pepperoncino

Gnocchi

* 1 1/2 pounds (4 medium) russet potatoes, washed but unpeeled
* 1 cup all-purpose flour, less if possible

Method

First, clean the scampi. Peel, remove the heads, & devein. Cut up the flesh into 3 or 4 pieces. Rinse, pat dry with paper towels, & set aside.

To make the tomato sauce, put the tomatoes in a food processor & pulse until quite smooth. Heat the oil in a large skillet, & sauté the onion until it melts & is pale golden but well cooked. Add the garlic &, when you can smell it, add the wine & let it bubble up until it has evaporated & the onion is frying again. Then add the pulsed tomatoes, some salt & pepper, & pepperoncino, & simmer over low heat for about 15 minutes, or until you have a nice loose sauce, not too thick. Add the cream and bubble up for a moment. Keep warm while you make the gnocchi.

To make the gnocchi, cook the potatoes in their skins in boiling salted water until soft. Remove & drain. Cool a little, then peel. Pass the warm potato through a potato ricer. Mix in as much of your flour as necessary to make a very soft dough—the less flour you have to use, the better & softer your gnocchi will be. Cut off chunks of the mixture & gently roll out logs about 3/4 inch thick, without pressing down too hard. Cut into pieces about 1 inch long.

Meanwhile, melt the butter in a small saucepan over the highest heat until it starts fizzing. Add the scampi pieces & cook until they are golden on the bottom, all the liquid has evaporated, & the scampi are once again frying in the butter & there are some crusty bits here & there. Add a little salt, & when the scampi are golden in places & the flesh is bright white & soft, add the cognac & ignite the pan, standing back so that you don’t burn yourself. Add the scampi to the tomato sauce.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add half the gnocchi to the boiling water & cook until they bob up to the surface, then lift out with a slotted spoon. Add to the hot tomato sauce while you cook the second batch. Once the gnocchi have all been added to the tomato sauce, increase the heat to high & add about 4 tablespoons of the gnocchi cooking water to loosen things up a little. Fold everything together.

Allow the sauce to bubble away & toss the pan by flicking your wrist to coat everything rather than stabbing at the gnocchi with a spoon to mix together. Serve immediately into flat bowls or plates, with chopped parsley & a grinding of black pepper.

Serves 4 (abundantly) or 6 (scantily)

NOTE: "In Italy, we get potatoes that say on the bag they are perfect for gnocchi. If that doesn’t happen where you live, try to choose russet potatoes of a uniform size so that they will all cook to more or less the same softness at the same time." Tessa Kiros

Reprinted with permission from © Venezia Food & Dreams by Tessa Kiros, published by Andrews McMeel click for book review

FOODISTA more then a database

2009-10-13T18:45:00.002-05:00

FOODISTA= more like wikipedia then a database?

http://www.foodista.com/

Great site for all kinds of recipes

also
Explore Foods

* Bacon Grease
* Kielbasa
* Egg
* Semillon
* White Imperial Currants
* Corned Beef Brisket
* Quail
* Figs
* Beet Greens
* Pink Salmon

Photos More foods ...
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Explore Tools

Photos More tools ...
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Explore Techniques

Photos More techniques ...
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Explore Recipes

http://www.foodista.com/

Restaurants I hope to try someday (RIHTTS) : Thai places in Boston, NYC and Providence like Thaitation Thai Cuisine Boston

2009-10-09T19:03:00.006-05:00

Thai is my favorite cuisine. This is one I want to try if I get to Boston in the future.

More at

www.thaitation.com

It has a new name other then then the popular named #1 Brown Sugar Cafe and has just re-opened as Thaitation.

one of the reasons this review I found

http://thephoenix.com/Boston/Food/78504-THAIATION-THAI-CUISINE/

Restaurants I hope to try someday (RIHTTS) -Nobu NYC

2009-10-09T18:40:00.001-05:00

Someday I hope to go here Nobu NYC

this restaurant menu
http://www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/nobu/dinnerhot.html

this restaurant other urbanspoon blogger review
http://feistyfoodie.com/2009/02/10/nobu/

luncheon specialties
http://www.myriadrestaurantgroup.com/nobu/luncheon.html

Recipe Finds : Japanese' Umami special food tastes

2009-10-08T22:02:00.003-05:00

Umami namesake savory/brothy/meaty taste, discovered by the Japanese as an addendum to sweet, sour, bitter, and salty, and roughly translating as "delicious flavor",

more here

http://www.umamiinfo.com/what_exactly_is_umami?/

Now the recipe Search locater in this area allows you to find different umami related recipes by selecting several related ingredients. This is cool as I have never seen a “locator” like this for umami although I have found and tried some recipes eleswhere.

http://www.umamiinfo.com/recipes/

This is one recipe from this database I just found that is similar to a recipe that Ming Tsai offered on his TV showl.

Expert recipe - Nishime (simmered chicken and vegetables)

" Chef Tamura’s dish “nishime” (simmered chicken and vegetables) is in the style of a classic Japanese meal, loaded with umami and commonly cooked in Japanese homes. Nishime, also known as nimono, involves simmering – but not boiling or stewing – ingredients in dashi so the dashi flavour is absorbed. The dashi, a fundamental part of Japanese cooking, brings out the umami taste."

M r . M u r a t a C h e f K i y o m i M i k u n i ' s
E g o i s t s e a - b r e a m c o n s o m m È ,
E g o i s t s e a - b r e a m c o n s o m m È ,

C o m b i n i n g F r e n c h a n d J a p a n e s e c u i s i n e m a y s e e m a l i t t l e u n u s u a l , b u t J a p a n s h i g h l y r e g a r d e d K i y o m i M i k u n i h a s
s u c c e s s f u l l y c r a f t e d h i s o w n u n i q u e s t y l e d o i n g e x a c t l y
t h at .
O n e o f t h e m o s t f a m o u s c h e f s o f h i s h o m e l a n d , M i k u n i
u s es t h e J a p a n e s e s t o c k d a s h i , w i t h i t s k o m b u ( k e l p ) a n d
k a t s u o b u s h i ( b o n i t o f l a k e s ) f l a v o u r s , t o g i v e t h e u m a m i
t a s t e t o a t r a d i t i o n a l l y F r e n c h d i s h .

S e r v e s 1

I n g r e d i e n t s :

0 S o u p0
- 2 0 - 2 5 c m s e a - b r e a m , 5 , 6 t a i l s S e a - b r e a m s p a r e p a r t s ( f l e s h r e m a i n i n g o n s p i n e a n d h e a d )
- 3 / 4 l a r g e S l i c e d o n i o n
- o n e l a r g e C e l e r y ( s t a l k o n l y )
- o n e l a r g e C e l e r y ( s t a l k o n l y )
- 5 0 0 m l W h i t e w i n e
- 1 . 5 l i t r e s W a t e r
- a l i t t l e H e r b s ( c o r i a n d e r , b a y l e a f , I t a l i a n p a r s l e y , f e n n e l )
- 8 g k o m b u
- 1 0 g K a t s u o b u s h i
- a l i t t l e S h e r r y ( T i o P e p e )
- 1 E g g w h i t e

0 F i l l i n g0
- 5 s l i c e s S m a l l s e a - b r e a m s l i c e d i n t o p i e c e s
- 5 0 g C a v i a r
- 1 / 2 l e a f C a b b a g e
- a l i t t l e S a l t
- a l i t t l e C a y e n n e p e p p e r
- a l i t t l e R e d p e p p e r
- a l i t t l e F i n e s h e r b e s ( a m i x t u r e o f s h r e d d e d c h e r v i l a n d d i l l l e a v e s , a n d t h i n l y - c u t r i n g s o f g r e e n o n i o n )
- 1 S e a - s a l t e d w o l f b e r r y
- a s r e q u i r e d O l i v e o i l
- a s r e q u i r e d A v o c a d o o i l

M e t h o d :
1 . R i n s e t h e s p a r e p a r t s o f t h e s e a - b r e a m i n r u n n i n g w a t e r a n d r e m o v e a l l t h e b l o o d .
2 . A d d 1 ) t o t h e f i n e l y s l i c e d o n i o n a n d c e l e r y i n a p a n .
3 . A d d t h e w h i t e w i n e a n d w a t e r t o 2 ) s o t h a t t h e i n g r e d i e n t s a r e j u s t c o v e r e d . H e a t .
4 . B r i n g 3 ) t o b o i l a n d r e m o v e t h e s c u m . H e a t o n a l o w f l a m e , c o n t i n u i n g t o r e m o v e t h e s c u m , f o r 2 0 m i n u t e s .
5 . S t r a i n 4 ) w i t h a c l o t h .
6 . A l l o w 5 ) t o c o o l a n d t r a n s f e r i n t o t h e p a n . B e a t e g g w h i t e u n t i l i t i s t h i c k e n o u g h t o c l i n g t o b e a t e r a n d d r a w l i n e s i n . B l e n d t o g e t h e r w e l l w i t h t h e m i x o f c o r i a n d e r , b a y l e a f , I t a l i a n p a r s l e y a n d f e n n e l .
7 . H e a t 6 ) , s l o w l y s t i r r i n g w i t h a w o o d e n l a d l e s o t h a t i t t o u c h e s t h e b o t t o m o f p a n a n d p r e v e n t s s t i c k i n g .
8 . I n s e r t t h e r m o m e t e r . W h e n m i x r e a c h e s 8 4 ∞ C , s t o p s t i r r i n g w i t h l a d l e . T a k e c a r e n o t t o o v e r - b o i l .
9 . M a k e a h o l e i n t h e e g g w h i t e l a y e r t h a t h a s f l o a t e d t o t h e s u r f a c e o f 8 ) a n d h e a t o n a l o w f l a m e u n t i l t h e s o u p h a s b e e n c l a r i f i e d ( t h e m u r k i n e s s o f t h e l i q u i d d i s a p p e a r s a n d i t b e c o m e s c l e a r )
1 0 . W h e n t h e s e a b r e a m c o n s o m m È b e c o m e s c l e a r , s t r a i n s l o w l y t h r o u g h a c l o t h . P l a c e i n a b o w l i n s i d e a n o t h e r b o w l f i l l e d w i t h i c e a n d c o o l c o m p l e t e l y .
1 1 . A d d k o m b u t o 1 0 ) a n d h e a t f o r 2 0 m i n u t e s . R e m o v e t h e k o m b u a n d p u t t h e c o n s o m m È i n a p a n . J u s t b e f o r e i t b o i l s a d d i n t h e k a t s u o b u s h i . T a k e i m m e d i a t e l y f r o m t h e f l a m e a n d s t r a i n t h r o u g h a c l o t h .
1 2 . A p p l y o l i v e o i l i n t h i n l a y e r t o a s o u p d i s h a n d a r r a n g e s e a b r e a m s l i c e s i n r a d i a l f o r m a t i o n , f l a v o r i n g w i t h s a l t a n d c a y e n n e p e p p e r . I n t h e c e n t r e p l a c e c a b b a g e - w r a p p e d c a v i a r . P l a c e i n o v e n a n d h e a t g e n t l y .
1 3 . F r o m t h e t o p o f t h e s e a b r e a m o f 1 2 ) s p r i n k l e o n t h e f i n e s h e r b e s
1 4 . T o t h e c o n s o m m È o f 1 1 ) a d d a f e w d r o p s o f s h e r r y f o r a r o m a .
1 5 . P o u r t h e c o n s o m m È f r o m 1 4 ) i n t o t h e b o w l f r o m 1 3 ) . S p r i n k l e a v o c a d o o i l o n t h e c o n s o m m È .
1 6 . O n t h e t o p o f t h e c a b b a g e p a r c e l s i n t h e c e n t r e a d d t h e g r e e n o n i o n s p r o u t s c u t i n h a l f a n d t h e s e a s a l t e d w o l f b e r r y ( i d e a l l y w i t h S e l d e G u È r a n d e ) a s g a r n i s h .

Recipes from great chefs and their great cookbooks

2009-10-08T17:03:00.001-05:00

I have quite a few cookbooks,with tons of other recipes in 3 ring binders, more on internet bookmarked web area pages and many more in my cookbooks software that I have collected and are in my database.

Its a never ending process that I love. I will never catch up tasting all the dishes, although I try hard. But now a selection of recipes found from chefs recipes in books that you might want to get yourself. For now, I will peruse these recipes and try some. Look and find some yourself and if you try one before I do, let me know whether you liked it or not and other details.

Don't miss this great collection. I am sure you will find at least several outstanding recipes in this area.

http://www.thefoodpaper.com/recipes.html

great review of the latest TV culinary oriented programs

2009-10-08T16:17:00.003-05:00

I regularly watch Iron Chef America and other culinary shows to watch for interesting recipes, cooking ideas, using ingredients, restaurant ideas and more. Here is a great review of the latest TV culinary oriented programs for my and your review.

http://www.zagat.com/Blog/Detail.aspx?SNP=NBOB&SCID=42&BLGID=24004&zagatbuzzid=oct09week1

Recipe Finds: Chef Jeremy Fox, his Zulu named restaurant called Ubuntu

2009-10-07T13:45:00.012-05:00

I love waking up to Wednesday and Thursday mornings, and raiding the Kansas City recipes/ food/ chef/ restaurant review sections. Finding any one of these four for my cuisine oriented brain / mouth excitement is rare but it does happen. Finding all four in one posting is even more rare but when it does come I am overjoyed for several reasons. There is something refreshing for me in finding new and vibrant information from newspapers that is fresh and bold and gives me better insight into learning and using the internet for further means and getting my mind going as well. Today was one such day about Chef Jeremy Fox, his Zulu named restaurant called Ubuntu and much more.

This chef is fast becoming an Epicurean rock star for his creative vegetable entrees and dishes. Jeremy recently was named a “Best New Chef” 2008 by Food & Wine magazine and a “Rising Star” by the San Francisco Chronicle. Originally trained at the prestigious Johnson and Wales University in Charleston, S.C., he began working in his first kitchen at the five-star restaurant Anson in Charleston, SC.

It is interesting to note that meals here are more about “celebrating what comes from the gardens “( what shows up at the door and the relationships with Napa area farms)”. The chef and restaurant don’t just focus on offering a philosophy at Ubuntu of “no meat”. This intent also includes the focus even more inventive and creative and also why the article, the chef, the restaurant and the recipes intrigued me even more. Digging finally further, I found more about the name for the restaurant and the previous information made sense indeed.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ubuntu_(philosophy)

“Ubuntu is an ethic or humanist philosophy focusing on people's allegiances and relations with each other. The word has its origin in the Bantu languages of southern Africa. Ubuntu is seen as a classical African concept.[1] The Ubuntu operating system was named for this principle. “

http://www.ubuntunapa.com/media.html

It may be a long time or if I ever can if ever visit this place and the chef. What makes this article so engaging is all that article talks about. There is always more to find, research and find new recipes which I want to try myself and share on my blog. And this article, found more and more to find, research and try.

Here is more that I found about recipes, restaurant, special spices that made this reading an adventure in itself.

When I try these meals, spices etc, I will let you know. Meanwhile if you try the restaurant, the spice, the meals before I can, please let me know and I will give you full credit on the blog.

Enjoy more below :)
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27183606/ns/today_food_and_wine-today_food_recipe/

reviews by others of this place and recipes ( one I tried myself )below

http://www.herbivoracious.com/2009/07/ubuntu-restaurant-napa-ca-restaurant-review.html

http://www.foodnut.com/402/ubuntu-restaurant-review-napa/

http://foodsnobblog.wordpress.com/2009/04/12/ubuntu-napa/

http://singleguychef.blogspot.com/2008/09/dish-on-dining-ubuntu-restaurant-yoga.html

Ubuntu Napa
1140 Main Street
Napa, CA 94558
707.251.5656
httP://www.ubuntunapa.com

Ubuntu - great as reported
great other insights into much more (what others ate too)
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/647168

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/629014

In particular, the focus was how inventive vegetarian dishes can be with this chef. And how the articles are portrayed and what is expounded upon is fimanal. One in particular involved a special dish using cauliflower. However the dish was not shown but I found on the internet with the recipe and more.

And now for some of the great recipes. I had to do a little extra digging for this recipe which was proclaimed in the article but was not listed. Glad I did because I need to find a way to make it sometimes soon and report back what we think about this prodigious dish.

Garden-fresh cauliflower in cast iron
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27183606/ns/today_food_and_wine-today_food_recipe/

The dish also used a spice I had never heard of before which made such a recipe even more exciting. This recipe calls for “Vadouvan” , (http://www.vadouvan.com/ ), a French spice blend which is an interpretation of Indian curry ( find at www.le-sanctuaire.com).

However I found another source to make it myself that I also wanted to share with you all.

( I made this dish below and made the spice myself. I did not know what to think. I came out great. The spice sauce on the cauliflower is very addictive. You can be sure I will try it again and use the condiment on other foods.)

Vadouvan (Indian Spice Blend)
Makes about 3 cups

* Active time:45 min
* Start to finish:3 hr

September 2008
There are many versions of vadouvan, but we like the one that Grimes came up with, starting with a formula by chef Inaki Aizpitarte, of Le Chateaubriand, and roasting it for an exotic meatiness. Make one big batch and keep it in the freezer for weeks—we’re sure you’ll be tossing it into all kinds of dishes.

Learn the story behind this dish in our series The Recipe.
http://www.gourmet.com/food/2008/08/the-recipe-fricassee-hen-with-vadouvan

* 2 lb onions, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 lb shallots, halved
* 12 garlic cloves, peeled
* 1/4 cup vegetable oil
* 1 teaspoon fenugreek seeds
* 1 tablespoon thinly sliced fresh curry leaves (optional)
* 1 tablespoon ground cumin
* 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
* 1 teaspoon brown mustard seeds
* 3/4 teaspoon turmeric
* 1/2 teaspoon grated nutmeg
* 1/2 teaspoon hot red-pepper flakes
* 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

*
Equipment:
an electric coffee/spice grinder or a mortar and pestle

*
Preheat oven to 350ºF with rack in middle.
*
Pulse onions in 3 batches in a food processor until very coarsely chopped (there may be a few large pieces remaining), transferring to a bowl. Repeat with shallots, then garlic.
*
Heat oil in a deep 12-inch heavy nonstick skillet over high heat until it shimmers, then sauté onions, shallots, and garlic (stir often) until golden and browned in spots, 25 to 30 minutes.
*
Grind fenugreek seeds in grinder or with mortar and pestle. Add to onion mixture along with remaining ingredients, 1 Tbsp salt, and 1 tsp pepper and stir until combined.
*
Transfer to a parchment-paper-lined large 4-sided sheet pan and spread as thinly and evenly as possible. Bake, stirring occasionally with a skewer to separate onions, until well browned and barely moist, 1 to 1 1/4 hours.

Cooks’ notes:

* Vadouvan keeps in the refrigerator 1 month (cool before covering) or in the freezer 6 months.
* We’ve also got a web-exclusive recipe using the leftover

**

I did try this recipe by making the spice blend myself. This recipe took awhile to make but well worth it. The spice with the C a u l i f l o w e r was rather addictive. The only thing I might do is see if I can find the blend in an Indian store to see how good it was compared to my blend. I also would blanch the veg just slightly before dusting with the condiment.

C a u l i f l o w e r i n a c a s t - i r o n p o t i s s e r v e d a t U b u n t u f o r $ 1 3 . T h i s r e c i p e m a k e s f o u r r e s t a u r a n t s e r v i n g s .

C a u l i f l o w e r i n a c a s t - i r o n p o t
J e r e m y F o x , e x e c u t i v e c h e f o f U b u n t u

S e r v e s 4

I N G R E D I E N T S

" 2 h e a d s c a u l i f l o w e r
" 2 t a b l e s p o o n s e x t r a - v i r g i n o l i v e o i l
" 1 c u p w h o l e m i l k
" 1 / 4 p o u n d b u t t e r
" 2 t a b l e s p o o n s v a d o u v a n ( f r o m w w w . l e - s a n c t u a i r e . c o m )
" 1 t e a s p o o n I t a l i a n p a r s l e y
" D a y - o l d b r e a d f o r t o a s t i n g
" F i n e s e a s a l t t o t a s t e

R e c i p e c o n t i n u e s b e l o w !ì a d v e r t i s e m e n t

D I R E C T I O N S

S t e a l T h i s R e c i p e Æ S t e p b y S t e p I n s t r u c t i o n s :
S l i c e t h e c a u l i f l o w e r a b o u t 1 / 8 o f a n i n c h t h i c k . S e a s o n 1 a n d º o f c a u l i f l o w e r w i t h o l i v e o i l a n d s e a s a l t t o t a s t e . R o a s t i n a 3 5 0 - d e g r e e o v e n u n t i l s l i g h t l y c h a r r e d a n d t e n d e r .

S t a r t t h e b u t t e r i n a c o l d s a u c e p o t a n d p l a c e o n m e d i u m h e a t . A l l o w t h e b u t t e r t o m e l t , b e c o m e f o a m y a n d t u r n g o l d e n b r o w n . R e m o v e t h e b r o w n b u t t e r f r o m h e a t a n d a d d t h e v a d o u v a n . L e t t h e v a d o u v a n a n d b u t t e r s i t f o r a n h o u r .

A d d a l l b u t 1 / 4 o f t h e r e m a i n i n g r a w c a u l i f l o w e r t o a s a u c e p o t . A d d t h e m i l k a n d j u s t e n o u g h w a t e r t o c o v e r c a u l i f l o w e r . A d d a t e a s p o o n o f s e a s a l t a n d c o o k o n l o w - m e d i u m h e a t u n t i l c a u l i f l o w e r i s c o m p l e t e l y s o f t . P u r e e t h i s m i x t u r e a n d s t r a i n t h r o u g h a f i n e s i e v e .

S l i c e t h e d a y - o l d b r e a d a s t h i c k a s y o u w a n t a n d b r u s h l i g h t l y w i t h t h e v a d o u v a n b u t t e r . B a k e i n a 3 5 0 - d e g r e e o v e n f o r a b o u t 5 - 6 m i n u t e s . ( A t t h i s t i m e c o r r e c t y o u r s e a s o n i n g o n t h e r o a s t e d a n d p u r e e d c a u l i f l o w e r . )

S e a s o n t h e r e m a i n i n g r a w c a u l i f l o w e r w i t h a t o u c h o f t h e v a d o u v a n , p a r s l e y a n d s e a s a l t .

O n t o p , a d d t h e r a w c a u l i f l o w e r a n d t h e d i s h i s r e a d y t o s e r v e w i t h t h e t o a s t e d b r e a d .
T I P S

T o c r e a t e f o u r i n d i v i d u a l s e r v i n g s , h a v e 4 s m a l l s e r v i n g p o t s , s u c h a s m i n i c a s t - i r o n p o t s . L a y e r t h e r o a s t e d a n d p u r e e d c a u l i f l o w e r a n d t h e n t h e v a d o u v a n b u t t e r c o n t i n u o u s l y u n t i l t h e p o t i s f i l l e d .
**
also some of the entrees one day included these on the night menu and more recipes are below

april 29th

bites

castelvetrano olives marinated in CARROT TOP pesto (v)

marcona almonds LAVENDER sugar, sea salt (v)

chickpea fries with HERBS romesco sauce (v)

today’s dish

chilled “forager’s chowder” enriched with NETTLE ice (v)
WILD SORRELS, BORAGE condimento, MINER’S LETTUCE, etc…

our log-cultivated SHIITAKES, young RADISH, and nori coulis (v)
jus roti with akitabare sake, CHIVE BLOSSOM, and preserved lemon

three BROCCOLI salad: ‘violet queen’, ‘romanesco’, and ‘crown’ (v)
classic italian flavors in modern preparations…and miso

cool english peas and GOLD PEA SHOOTS in a consommé of the shells *
white chocolate, CHOCOLATE MINT, macadamia, PURPLE SNAPS

gargouillou of the ubuntu SPRING GARDEN (v)
today’s LEAVES, FLOWERS, ROOTS, and SHOOTS…hazelnut “soil”

roscoe’s asparagus in various forms, a “virtual” egg *
black trumpet and brioche terrine, BORDEAUX SPINACH, “bordelaise”

carta da musica, our crispy sardinian flatbread *
SYLVETTA ARUGULA with truffled pecorino and meyer lemon

rustic rancho gordo ‘yellow eye’ bean stew (v)
torn bread, ROSEMARY, chili and RED RUSSIAN KALE

‘PURPLE VIENNA’ KOHLRABI, in the philosophy of “nose to tail” (v)
braised SWISS CHARD with a puree of the STEMS, napa smith ale

CARROTS: whole roast ‘OXHEART’ and tiny raw ‘PURPLE HAZE’ (v)
north african spice with citrus, NASTURTIUMS, and caramel oil

homemade toasted WILD FENNEL bucatini (v)
long-cooked FAVAS in pepper “tears”, salsa maro of roast FAVA PODS

organic yellow corn grits from arbuckle infused with goat’s milk whey
caramelized WILD ONION BULBS, “62.5” egg, AGRETTI, GARLIC FLOWERS

strawberry pizza margherita with hand-pulled mozzarella *
three-day napa strawberry soffrito, first BASILS of the year, saba

mushroom pizza bianco with homemade goat’s milk ricotta *
royal trumpet confit with a puree of the trimmings, three THYMES

cauliflower in a cast iron pot
roast-puree-raw, our vadouvan, CILANTRO sprouts, brown butter toast

***

I found more recipes from the restaurant to share.

Slideshow: Dinner at Ubuntu, Napa, California | Vegetarian ...
Apr 15, 2009 ... Earlier this year, I made the trip up to Napa, CA, to visit Ubuntu, a restaurant that's garnered national acclaim for a new kind of ...
www.yumsugar.com/3035406

Ubuntu Recipes

Photographed by Caren Alpert
Marcona Almonds with Sea Salt and Lavender Sugar

Marcona Almonds with Sea Salt and Lavender Sugar

Ingredients

• 2 cups Marcona almonds
• 1 tsp. dried lavender
• 1 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. sea salt
• 2 tbsp. extra-virgin olive oil

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 300°F. Roast the almonds on a baking sheet until fragrant, 10 to 12 minutes.

2. Grind the lavender very fine in a coffee grinder, or with a mortar and pestle.

3. In a bowl, toss the almonds with the lavender, sugar, s

***
Ubuntu Recipes (continued)

Beets Roasted in Spiced Salt with Asian Pears and Whipped Blue Cheese

Beets Roasted in Spiced Salt with Asian Pears and Whipped Blue Cheese

Ingredients

Beets:
• 1 lb. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. each fennel seed, coriander, juniper berries
• 40 baby chioggia beets
• 4 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

Poached Pears:
• 2 cups white wine
• 4 cups water
• 2 cups sugar
• 3 star anise
• 12 black peppercorns
• 2 cloves
• Grating of nutmeg
• 1 lemon, zest removed in strips with a vegetable peeler, and juiced
• 5 Asian pears, peeled, halved, cored, and stored in a bowl of water acidulated with juice of 1 lemon
• 1⁄2 lb. blue cheese, at room temperature
• 2 tbsp. heavy cream
• 1⁄4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• Salt
• 25 leaves arugula

Directions

1. To roast the beets: Preheat the oven to 350 F. In a small bowl, mix the salt and spices. In a 9-by-13-inch baking dish or an ovenproof vessel with a lid, pack the beets in the spiced salt mixture. Cover with foil or the lid, and bake until beets are tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. While still warm but cool enough to handle, peel beets with a towel, rubbing off the skin, and transfer to a covered bowl to keep warm. Add 2 tablespoons of the vinegar, and toss. (Warm beets will absorb liquid better.) Halve or quarter beets, depending on size; set aside.

2. To poach the pears: In a nonreactive pot large enough to hold the pears, bring the wine to a boil, and cook until reduced by half. Reduce the heat so that the liquid barely simmers. Add the water, sugar, spices and lemon juice and zest, and cook until sugar dissolves. Add pears, setting a plate on top to keep them submerged, and simmer until they are tender, about 30 minutes. Remove pot from heat; allow pears to cool completely in poaching liquid.

3. In a bowl, whisk the blue cheese and cream until blended; set aside at room temperature.

4. To serve, purée two of the pears with just enough poaching liquid to blend; strain through fine sieve. Slice the remaining pears about 1⁄2 inch thick. Spread the pear purée over the bottom of a serving plate. Toss the beets in the remaining 2 tablespoons vinegar, the olive oil and a pinch of salt, and arrange evenly over purée. Spoon any beet vinaigrette over. Top with sliced pears and spoonfuls of whipped blue cheese. Garnish with arugula leaves. Serves 6.
***
Ubuntu Recipes (continued)

Cassoulet of Shell Beans and Farm Eggs with Smoked Tomato

Cassoulet of Shell Beans and Farm Eggs with Smoked Tomato

Ingredients

• 1⁄2 cup hickory chips
• 6 tomatoes, halved
• 1 onion, diced
• 1 carrot, diced
• 2 stalks celery, diced
• 1 lb. yellow eye beans, soaked overnight in refrigerator in water to cover, and drained*
• 2 quarts water
• Salt
• 1 lemon, zest stripped off with vegetable peeler, and juiced
• 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil, plus more for drizzling
• 12 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary
• 1 tsp. chili flakes
• 3 tbsp. tomato paste
• 1 small baguette (about 7 oz.) or other bread, torn into rough pieces
• 3 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
• 6 large eggs
*Yellow eye beans are available in specialty grocery stores or online at RanchoGordo.com

Directions

1. Arrange one oven rack in the bottom of a cold oven, and a second in the middle. Light the hickory chips in a cast-iron pan and place on the bottom rack. Put the tomatoes, onion, carrot and celery on a baking sheet and set on the middle rack. Close the oven door and let vegetables smoke for 1 hour. (Check the chips every now and then; you may need to relight them.)

2. Transfer the smoked onion, carrot and celery to a large pot; reserve the tomatoes. Add the beans and the water to pot, bring to a simmer, and cook over low heat, uncovered, until the beans are tender, about 45 minutes. Stir in 2 teaspoons salt and the lemon juice, reserving zest.

3. In 1⁄2 cup of olive oil, cook the garlic, rosemary, chili flakes and tomato paste in a sauté pan over medium-low heat until fragrant, 1 to 2 minutes. Scrape into the pot with the beans and stir.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Transfer the bean mixture to a large ovenproof serving pot. Scatter torn bread, parsley, lemon zest and reserved smoked tomatoes over to cover. Crack eggs on top, evenly dispersing them. Drizzle with olive oil and bake until eggs are cooked but yolks are still runny, about 10 minutes. Serves 6.
**

Ubuntu Recipes (continued)

Farro with Caramelized Baby Root Vegetables and Saba

Farro with Caramelized Baby Root Vegetables and Saba

Ingredients

• 2 lb. crimini mushrooms
• 1⁄2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, grated or minced
• 1 lb. farro
• 1⁄2 cup red wine
• Salt and pepper
• 24 baby carrots, peeled
• 24 baby turnips, peeled
• 24 baby radishes
• 18 Brussels sprouts, separated into leaves
• 1⁄4 cup saba*
*Saba is available in specialty stores and online at Cooking.com

Directions

1. Put mushrooms in a large pot with 1 quart of water. Bring to a simmer and cook over low heat, partially covered, 3 hours. Strain stock through cheesecloth into a bowl. When cool enough to handle, squeeze mushrooms to extract as much liquid as possible; discard mushrooms. Reserve mushroom stock.

2. In a nonreactive saucepan, heat 1⁄4 cup of the olive oil over low heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until translucent, 5 to 8 minutes. Raise heat to medium. Add the farro and cook, stirring often, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the wine and cook until evaporated, about 5 minutes. Add the reserved mushroom stock, bring to a simmer, and cook until farro is tender, 45 minutes to 1 hour. (Check the pan after about 30 minutes, and add 1⁄2 cup water if needed.)

3. Meanwhile, prepare a bowl of ice water. Bring about 3 quarts water to a boil with 2 teaspoons salt in a large saucepan. Add the carrots, turnips and radishes, return water to a boil, and cook 2 minutes. Strain, and transfer vegetables to ice water to chill.

4. To serve, warm farro over low heat. In a skillet, heat the remaining 1⁄4 cup olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the blanched vegetables, the Brussels sprouts leaves, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1⁄4 teaspoon pepper, and sauté until vegetables are warmed through. Add the saba, stir, and remove from the heat. Transfer farro to a large serving plate and spoon the vegetables over or around the grain. Serves 6.
**

Ubuntu Recipes (continued)

Honey-Roasted Figs with Brown-Butter Shortcake and Rosemary Cream

Ingredients

Rosemary Cream:
• 1 cup heavy cream
• 2 (4-inch) sprigs rosemary
• 2 tbsp. sugar

Brown-Butter Shortcakes:
• 1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tbsp. sugar
• 1 tbsp. baking powder
• 1⁄2 tsp. salt
• 3⁄4 cup buttermilk
• Heavy cream, for glazing
• Raw sugar, for sprinkling

Honey-Roasted Figs:
• 1 pint ripe figs, halved
• 1⁄4 cup honey
• 1 (4-inch) sprig rosemary
• Zest of 1 orange, stripped off with vegetable peeler
• Salt

Directions

1. To make the rosemary cream: Bring cream to a simmer in a small saucepan. Remove from heat, add rosemary, and set aside to steep for 30 minutes. Strain; chill for at least 3 hours. Transfer cream to bowl, or the bowl of a standing mixer, add sugar, and whisk or beat to soft peaks.

2. To make the shortcakes: Cook the butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat until it turns an amber color, about 5 minutes. (First you'll see brown specks appear; continue cooking until the liquid fat browns.) Pour into a shallow, flat-bottomed container and refrigerate until solid and very cold. (You'll have about 7 ounces brown butter.) Weigh out 4 ounces of the chilled butter (reserve remainder for another use) and cut into 1⁄2-inch cubes. Place flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in the bowl of a food processor. Add chilled butter cubes and pulse about 4 times, until the mixture resembles coarse meal. Add buttermilk and process just until dough comes together. Shape into a disk, wrap in plastic, and chill at least 30 minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 F. Butter a baking sheet. On a lightly floured work surface, roll dough 3⁄4 inch thick. Cut out six 2 1⁄2 inch rounds with a cookie cutter. Arrange shortcakes on baking sheet. Brush tops with cream and sprinkle with raw sugar. Bake until golden brown, about 15 minutes. Transfer to wire rack. Let stand at room temperature until ready to serve.

4. To make the figs: Lower oven heat to 275 F. Toss figs in a bowl with honey, rosemary, orange zest and a pinch of salt. Place them, cut side up, in a single layer in a shallow baking pan and bake, basting occasionally with juices, until figs are juicy but still have texture, 30 to 40 minutes.

5. To serve, place a shortcake on each of 6 serving plates and spoon some of the figs on top. Top with dollops of rosemary cream. Spoon any remaining juices from figs over the shortcakes and around the plates. Serves 6.
Page 5 of 6
**
U b u n t u R e c i p e s ( c o n t i n u e d )

C o n c o r d G r a p e a n d ≠ M a s c a r p o n e I c e C r e a m F l o a t s w i t h G i n g e r S o d a a n d C i t r u s

C o n c o r d G r a p e a n d ≠ M a s c a r p o n e I c e C r e a m F l o a t s w i t h G i n g e r S o d a a n d C i t r u s

I n g r e d i e n t s

M a s c a r p o n e I c e C r e a m :
" 3 c u p s m i l k
" 1 0 l a r g e e g g y o l k s
" 3 D 4 c u p s u g a r
" 8 o z . m a s c a r p o n e
" 1 D 2 c u p c r Ë m e f r a Ó c h e
" 1 t s p . p u r e v a n i l l a e x t r a c t
" S a l t

C o n c o r d G r a p e S o r b e t :
" 1 l b . C o n c o r d g r a p e s , s t e m m e d
" 1 D 2 c u p s u g a r
" 1 t s p . l e m o n j u i c e
" 1 D 2 t s p . C h a m p a g n e

O r a n g e G r a n i t e :
" J u i c e o f 8 o r a n g e s , s t r a i n e d ( a b o u t 2 c u p s )
" J u i c e o f 1 D 2 l e m o n
" 2 t b s p . s u g a r

G i n g e r S o d a :
" 1 D 2 c u p s u g a r
" 2 c u p s w a t e r
" 1 o r a n g e , z e s t s t r i p p e d o f f w i t h v e g e t a b l e p e e l e r , a n d j u i c e d
" 1 l e m o n , z e s t s t r i p p e d o f f w i t h v e g e t a b l e p e e l e r , a n d j u i c e d
" 1 l i m e , z e s t s t r i p p e d o f f w i t h v e g e t a b l e p e e l e r , a n d j u i c e d
" 2 t b s p . c h o p p e d g i n g e r
" 1 D 2 c u p s o d a w a t e r ( o p t i o n a l )
" 2 o r a n g e s , b r o k e n i n t o s e g m e n t s , f o r g a r n i s h
" 1 2 C o n c o r d g r a p e s , h a l v e d , a n d s e e d e d , f o r g a r n i s h

D i r e c t i o n s

1 . T o m a k e t h e i c e c r e a m : I n a s a u c e p a n , b r i n g t h e m i l k t o a s i m m e r . M e a n w h i l e , i n a h e a t p r o o f b o w l , w h i s k t h e e g g y o l k s w i t h t h e s u g a r . G r a d u a l l y p o u r a l i t t l e o f t h e h o t m i l k i n t o t h e b o w l w i t h t h e y o l k s , w h i s k i n g c o n s t a n t l y . W h i s k t h e e g g y o l k m i x t u r e b a c k i n t o t h e s a u c e p a n o f m i l k . S e t o v e r l o w h e a t a n d c o o k , s t i r r i n g c o n s t a n t l y , u n t i l t h e m i x t u r e t h i c k e n s e n o u g h t o c o a t t h e b a c k o f a s p o o n , a b o u t 8 m i n u t e s . R e m o v e f r o m h e a t a n d w h i s k i n t h e m a s c a r p o n e , c r Ë m e f r a Ó c h e , v a n i l l a a n d a p i n c h o f s a l t . S t r a i n i n t o a b o w l a n d c h i l l u n t i l c o l d , 2 t o 3 h o u r s . T r a n s f e r t o a n i c e c r e a m m a c h i n e , a n d f r e e z e a c c o r d i n g t o m a n u f a c t u r e r ' s i n s t r u c t i o n s .

2 . T o m a k e t h e s o r b e t : C o m b i n e a l l i n g r e d i e n t s i n b l e n d e r ; p u r È e . S t r a i n t h r o u g h a f i n e s t r a i n e r . T r a n s f e r t o a n i c e c r e a m m a k e r a n d f r e e z e a c c o r d i n g t o m a n u f a c t u r e r ' s i n s t r u c t i o n s .

3 . T o m a k e t h e g r a n i t e : I n a b o w l , s t i r t o g e t h e r o r a n g e a n d l e m o n j u i c e s , a n d s u g a r . P o u r i n t o a s h a l l o w d i s h a n d p l a c e i n f r e e z e r . W h e n c r y s t a l s b e g i n t o f o r m , s t i r w i t h a f o r k t o b r e a k u p c r y s t a l s ; r e t u r n d i s h t o f r e e z e r . C o n t i n u e i n t h i s w a y , s t i r r i n g e v e r y 2 0 t o 3 0 m i n u t e s , u n t i l m i x t u r e i s c o m p l e t e l y f r o z e n .

4 . T o m a k e t h e s o d a : I n a s a u c e p a n , b r i n g s u g a r a n d w a t e r t o a s i m m e r . A d d c i t r u s z e s t s a n d c h o p p e d g i n g e r . R e m o v e f r o m h e a t a n d s e t a s i d e t o i n f u s e 1 5 t o 2 0 m i n u t e s . S t r a i n t h r o u g h a f i n e s t r a i n e r , a n d c h i l l a t l e a s t 1 h o u r . A d d c i t r u s j u i c e s . L o a d i n t o s o d a s i p h o n , o r a d d s o d a w a t e r .

5 . T o s e r v e , l a y e r t h e m a s c a r p o n e i c e c r e a m , g r a p e s o r b e t a n d g i n g e r s o d a i n s i x p a r f a i t g l a s s e s . T o p e a c h w i t h a s p o o n f u l o f o r a n g e g r a n i t e . G a r n i s h e a c h w i t h 3 o r a n g e s e g m e n t s a n d 2 h a l v e d g r a p e s . S e r v e s 6 .
P a g e 6 o f 6

***
P i s t a c h i o - c r u s t e d g o a t c h e e s e s a l a d
H e a t h e r T e r h u n e , A t w o o d C a f È

6 r e s t a u r a n t s e r v i n g s

I N G R E D I E N T S

" 1 / 2 c u p f r e s h l e m o n j u i c e a n d z e s t o f o n e l e m o n
" 1 t e a s p o o n D i j o n m u s t a r d
" 1 / 4 t e a s p o o n h o n e y
" 1 s h a l l o t , f i n e l y c h o p p e d
" 1 / 2 c u p c a n o l a o i l
" 1 / 4 c u p o l i v e o i l
" S a l t a n d p e p p e r t o t a s t e
" 1 p o u n d m i x e d g r e e n s , o r y o u r f a v o r i t e s a l a d m i x
" 1 0 s m a l l r e d b e e t s
" 1 ( 6 - o u n c e ) l o g f r e s h g o a t c h e e s e
" 1 / 2 c u p f i n e l y c r u s h e d p i s t a c h i o n u t s , n o t t o a s t e d
" 1 / 4 c u p a l l - p u r p o s e f l o u r
" 1 e g g b e a t e n w i t h 2 t b s p w a t e r

R e c i p e c o n t i n u e s b e l o w !ì a d v e r t i s e m e n t

D I R E C T I O N S

H e a t t h e o v e n t o 4 0 0 d e g r e e s . P l a c e t h e b e e t s o n a p i e c e o f a l u m i n u m f o i l o n a b a k i n g s h e e t a n d m a k e a p o u c h o u t o f t h e f o i l , s e a l i n g i t t i g h t l y .

B a k e b e e t s f o r 4 0 m i n u t e s . R e m o v e f r o m o v e n a n d l e t b e e t s s t e a m f o r 1 0 m i n u t e s . O p e n t h e p o u c h a n d l e t t h e b e e t s c o o l s l i g h t l y . T h i s c a n b e d o n e a d a y i n a d v a n c e .

W h i s k t o g e t h e r l e m o n j u i c e , l e m o n z e s t , m u s t a r d , h o n e y a n d s h a l l o t i n a s m a l l b o w l . S l o w l y w h i s k i n t h e o i l s a n d s e a s o n w i t h s a l t a n d p e p p e r . S e t t h e v i n a i g r e t t e a s i d e .

A f t e r t h e b e e t s h a v e c o o l e d e n o u g h t o h a n d l e , r e m o v e a n d d i s c a r d t h e s k i n s a n d c u t i n t o b i t e - s i z e p i e c e s . M i x t h e b e e t s w i t h h a l f o f v i n a i g r e t t e , t h e n m i x t h e s a l a d g r e e n s w i t h t h e r e s t o f t h e v i n a i g r e t t e . T r a n s f e r g r e e n s t o p l a t e s a n d t o p w i t h b e e t s .

C u t g o a t c h e e s e l o g i n t o s i x p o r t i o n s a n d f o r m t h e g o a t c h e e s e i n t o d i s k s . U s i n g t h e b r e a d i n g p r o c e d u r e , d u s t g o a t c h e e s e d i s k s i n f l o u r . N e x t , d i p i n t h e b e a t e n e g g m i x t u r e , a n d t h e n r o l l i n p i s t a c h i o s . F o l l o w t h i s p r o c e s s w i t h a l l s i x g o a t c h e e s e d i s k s .

W h e n y o u a r e r e a d y t o s e r v e , h e a t 2 i n c h e s o f c a n o l a o i l i n a s m a l l s a u c e p a n . H e a t t h e o i l t o 3 5 0 d e g r e e s a n d d e e p - f r y t h e g o a t c h e e s e d i s c s u n t i l g o l d e n b r o w n .

S e r v e o n t o p o f t h e s a l a d m i x t u r e . T o g a r n i s h , a d d a f e w c h o p p e d p i s t a c h i o s a n d d r i z z l e w i t h m o r e
h o n e y .

First and last time here

2009-10-06T20:49:00.004-05:00

I do not think I have been to Domino's ever. Their pizzas do not excite me. However I was interested in their Sweet & Spicy Chicken Habanero sandwich which I took for takeout.

My wife thought part of the sandwich was okay. It was spicy sweet and had a little habanero kick to it. It was pretty small sized foot long compared to Quizno's and others sub places. It also curiously had two small mild jalapeno like chillies which I thought curious.

Based on this times go around, it will be my last. Sarpino's and Spin Pizza are much better and offer more in several ways for good prices.

Restaurant Finds : Portland

2009-09-29T09:10:00.004-05:00

One way for me to look for new recipes is exploring magazine articles like in Bon Appeptite magazine (of which I have had recipes published). I've been to Portland several years ago and it is a marvelous place with nice restaurants. The magazine had several restaurants in the article and notes some interested dishes and more. When I go back I will have to hunt these down.

Belgian pomme frites in paper cone with dipping sauces ( rosemary truffle ketchgup and tarragon anchovy mayo

Mexican and veg dishes

pita with beef and more with special condiment ajvar relish (tomatoes, eggplant, garlic, paprika ) and great meatballs (cufte) with garlicky white sauce.

Featured in Man vs Food

2009-09-25T20:13:00.002-05:00

Tony Luke's recently was hosted by the Travel Channel's Adam Richie. The test was to eat the whole 5 lb philly. Adam made it and has his photo on the hall of fame.

Marsala: Are the rating for this restaurant wrong?

2009-09-23T15:46:00.004-05:00

Are the rating for this restaurant in Overland Park wrong? Indian food is remarkable, flavorful and has many much to offer for everyone’s palate. Sampling Indian and Asian restaurants and fare in the Kansas City area and the US, has always been a passion. Good Indian food at restaurants is enjoyment as there are so many different tastes to savor.

My curiosity was piqued when my attention was raised about this place after it replaced a Hawaiian restaurant. I've known about this one since it opened. My friends tried it and liked the buffet but trying it still not been achieved. Why? Because despite the majority of people giving this restaurant a 72% rating ( currently) , the feedback by many is anything less then stellar. In fact most reviews rate quite poor to fair. To me , the actual words and feedback by people after eating is far more an indicator then the percentage. From the reviews, the food does seem to be INCONSTANT with the food, service or tastes. Other comments seem to in reflect this mode as well (check out all comments not top ones).

Because of these reviews posted by others , I feel I will not waste my money on this place. I won’t even "Bite the bullet because there are too many other Indian restaurants locally that I like that are consistent. I don’t have to wonder when I am going in “what am I in for - good or bad food, food service etc”. I am all for an adventure but this place seems to have many "roadblocks ". I don't want to waste my $$$$. So I will go elsewhere.

Chef Finds : Michel Richard and Citronelle in Washington DC

2009-09-22T18:12:00.002-05:00

Ming Tsai had Michel Richard for his guest on his show. What an impressive background.
Michel Richard has won many awards, including Outstanding Chef 2007, Outstanding Wine Service 2007, and Best New Restaurant 2008 for Michel Richard Citronelle by the James Beard Foundation. He made a very unusal dish with noodles and beets- Michel Richard's B e e t S o b a B o l o g n e s e (see below). Meanwhile read more about the chef's background and dishes. If I ever go to his restaurant I will have to the less costly lounge (see below).

“In 1977, Richard moved to Los Angeles and opened his first restaurant, specializing in French cuisine. The self-named Michel Richard became an instant success. Ten years later, he opened Citrus and began to fuse his French background with his California surroundings. Citrus was voted Best Restaurant in the United States by Traveler magazine in 1987. Citronelle, offering a menu similar to Citrus, opened a year later in Santa Barbara, and then added further locations in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Tokyo, and Georgetown. Richard considers the D.C. Michel Richard Citronelle, where he cooks full time, to be his flagship restaurant. “

Citronelle's tomato tart
sablefish marinated with sake, miso and mirin before hitting the broile
lobster "beluga" pasta, served in a caviar tin, underscores Richard's wit: The glossy "caviar" is pearl pasta stained black with squid ink and spread over thin-but-rich layers of brioche, lobster and poached egg with hollandaise.
Chateaubriand

$200 a head

others :
Abalone served sashimi style with a rich shallot emulsion; reconstructed oyster-and-clam chowder; sablefish with miso glaze; short ribs for two, the meat deboned and cooked sous-vide for 72 hours, then finished in a searing-hot pan and presented medium rare; loup de mer with black-truffle emulsion; candied apple with caramel ice cream; blueberry cheesecake; chocolate dégustation, a variation on a theme with four different desserts.

Citronelle Lounge— upstairs bar— less costly alternative to four-star dining, with some of Richard’s greatest hits, including his take on Chicken McNuggets and the justly famous 72-hour short ribs

http://www.delish.com/cooking-shows/famous-chefs/celebrity-chef-michel-richard
http://www.washingtonian.com/restaurantreviews/2103.html

M i c h e l R i c h a r d ' s B e e t S o b a B o l o g n e s e

S e r v e s 4
I n g r e d i e n t s
A l l i n g r e d i e n t s A - Z

1 s m a l l c a n b e e t s , p r o c e s s e d i n a f o o d p r o c e s s o r a n d s t r a i n e d
1 l b c o o k e d S o b a n o o d l e s
1 l b b u t t o n m u s h r o o m s
2 t a b l e s p o o n s c o r n s t a r c h
4 o z p a n c e t t a
2 t a b l e s p o o n s s w e e t b u t t e r
Ω y e l l o w o n i o n , d i c e d
4 g a r l i c c l o v e s , m i n c e d w i t h a m i c r o p l a n e
P i n c h n u t m e g
1 4 o z c a n t o m a t o p a s t e
Ω c u p c r e a m
1 t e a s p o o n m a d r a s c u r r y
1 t a b l e s p o o n o f s o y s a u c e
2 t a b l e s p o o n c h i v e s , c h o p p e d
4 t a b l e s p o o n p a r m e s a n c h e e s e , g r a t e d
S a l t & P e p p e r t o t a s t e

D i r e c t i o n s

W a s h a n d d r y t h e b u t t o n m u s h r o o m s . P l a c e t h e m i n a f o o d p r o c e s s o r . M i x t h e c o r n s t a r c h i n t o t h e m u s h r o o m s . P r o c e s s u n t i l i t s a c o a r s e p a s t e c o n s i s t e n c y .

C u t t h e p a n c e t t a i n t o l a r d o n s . S a u t e t h e p a n c e t t a w i t h t h e b u t t e r s l o w l y , u n t i l g o l d e n b r o w n . A d d t h e o n i o n t o t h e p o t , a n d c o o k u n t i l t r a n s l u c e n t . U s i n g a m i c r o p l a n e , m i n c e t h e g a r l i c d i r e c t l y i n t o t h e o n i o n a n d p a n c e t t a . A d d t h e m u s h r o o m m i x t u r e . A d d t h r e e t a b l e s p o o n s o f t h e b e e t n e c t a r . Y o u c a n k e e p t h e r e s t o f t h e b e e t s i n t h e f r e e z e r , t o u s e a n o t h e r t i m e . A d d t h e n u t m e g , t o m a t o p a s t e , c r e a m , c u r r y , a n d s o y s a u c e , a n d c o o k s l o w l y f o r 2 0 m i n u t e s . I t w i l l t h i c k e n l i k e a b o l o g n e s e . S e a s o n w i t h s a l t a n d P e p p e r .

A d d t h e c o o k e d s o b a n o o d l e s . S e r v e i n 4 p l a t e s , a n d s p r i n k l e w i t h p a r m e s a n c h e e s e a n d c h o p p e d c h i v e s .

B o n a p p È t i t !

Recipe finds : Short Ribs with Tagliatelle (Fettucine)

2009-09-21T19:23:00.003-05:00

Giada is not only gorgeous but she really makes some beautiful and tasty dishes. This dish sounded so good and it was as expected. 9.7/10.I liked the soft ribs in the tomato laden sauce. Paired nicely with the pasta. The only is I did not add the chocolate. You may if you like though
Short Ribs with Tagliatelle (Fettucine)

Giada De Laurentiis

Recipe courtesy Giada De Laurentiis

Show: Everyday ItalianEpisode: Sweet and Savory

Ingredients

* 3 tablespoons olive oil
* 2 ounces chopped pancetta (about 1/2 cup)
* 2 1/2 pounds short ribs
* Salt
* Freshly ground black pepper
* 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 medium onion, chopped
* 1 carrot, chopped
* 1/2 cup fresh parsley leaves
* 2 cloves garlic
* 1 (14-ounce) can tomatoes (whole or diced)
* 1 tablespoon tomato paste
* 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary leaves
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
* 1 bay leaf
* 2 1/2 cups beef broth
* 3/4 cup red wine
* 1 pound fresh or dried tagliatelle
* 4 to 6 teaspoons shaved bittersweet chocolate

Directions

Place the olive oil in a large heavy soup pot over medium heat. Cook the pancetta until golden and crisp, about 4 minutes. Meanwhile, season the short ribs with salt and pepper, and dredge in the flour. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pancetta from the pan and set aside. Add the short ribs to the pan and brown on all sides, about 7 minutes total.

Meanwhile, combine the onion, carrot, parsley and garlic in a food processor and blend until finely minced. Then add the tomatoes and tomato paste and pulse.

Once the short ribs are browned, carefully add the mixture from the food processor to the pot. Return the pancetta to the pot and stir. Add the rosemary, thyme, oregano, bay leaf, beef broth, and wine. Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer, covered, for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Remove the lid and simmer for another hour and a half, stirring occasionally. Remove the meat and bones from the pot. Discard the bones. Shred the meat and return it to the pot. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper, or to taste.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook until tender but still firm to the bite, stirring occasionally, about 8 to 10 minutes for dried pasta and 2 to 3 minutes for fresh. Drain the pasta, reserving 1 cup of the cooking liquid. Add the pasta to the pot and stir to combine. Add the reserved pasta liquid 1/4 cup at a time, if

needed, to moisten the pasta. Transfer to serving bowls, top each bowl with 1 teaspoon of chocolate shavings. Serve immediately.

Restaurant Finds: Wendy's

2009-09-21T15:25:00.003-05:00

I've been eating at Wendy's for years. The Frost's are the best and "to die for". Recently I ate one ($1) during the 40 anniversary specials. It was good as ever. I wanted to compare their $1 double cheese burger and how it fares with other burgers in the current burger wars.

I am sorry to saw that both small patties were quite dry. There was no real taste to them so I was a little disappointed. While it is only $1, I expected at least some burger flavor.

Restaurant Finds: Sarpino's superb pies and more

2009-09-21T10:40:00.003-05:00

A Sarpino's flyer came in the mail. Initially I thought " oh no, another startup or chain pizza joint with lousy pizza." I almost threw it away but instead too a peak inside the massive menu. I am glad I did for a variety of reasons.

This chain (originated in few other states) is starting up in Kansas and trying to make its "mark" among all the pizza joints around. It is on Quivira in a small niche of store on the northern side of the strip mall with the Jayhawk bookstore. There is limited seating and as I waited for our pie to bake, there was a brisk takeout of many pies. But back to the offerings.

The menu is massive which really piqued my interest. Difficult to choose from Gourmet Pizzas (16); Wings and Sides; Specialty pizzas (11); Create your own pizzas with 37 toppings; Pasta (4); Salads (4); Calzones (9); Sandwiches (7). What made it even better we were enticed by the nice coupons on the flyer.

It was a touch choice. One or two toppings pizza don't make it for us most of the time and so we targeted the Gourmet and Specialty pizzas. I chose the Tuscany (red pepper, grilled chicken, tomatoes, artichoke hearts, garlic, green peppers, green olives and their scrumptious Sarpino's cheese. My wife ordered the Mediterranean with olive oil, zucchini, eggplant, sun dried tomatoes, parmesan cheese, garlic, cilantro,and the Sarpino's cheese.

When we got home, we dug in. Both were brimming with every bite of excellent flavor, The crust was on the thick side which is what we prefer. We both agreed both were excellent and would be back to try pizzas and parts of the menu. We also agreed this was some of the best pizza we have ever tasted (another favorite is Neopolitan Spin Pizza).

I believe Sarpino's has our vote and I believe will be grabbing a share of the pizza chain market. Pizza Hut and the other chains just don't stack up!

Iron Chef America Battle : King Crab

2009-09-20T16:34:00.001-05:00

In Iron Chef Battle King Crab, Bobby Flay took on a NYC chef Freitag. I had a hunch that she would give him a run for his money. This was even more evident when the ingredient was King Crab which is so versatile. There King Crab Salad, a Chowder Bisque, a crab egg and ham with poblano cream and a crab stuffed veal chop by Freiteg. Bobby countered with crab and salmon cake and vinaigrette, crab with fried green tomato, crab with poached egg and hazelnut, king crab with red curry and lime and Crab Gumbo with okra.

I knew it was going to be close. I thought the judges like the tastes of Flay just a little more. I picked Flay by +3. He won by +1 so I was on the right side and close with m points.

Recipe Finds : Blueberry with salmon

2009-09-20T14:49:00.001-05:00

I found this first recipe Blueberry Balsamic Salmon and it did not come out as good as I thought it would with salmon patt. I rated it 8.7/10.
But I found a similar one on the food channel (see below) and perhaps it is better.

Blueberry Balsamic Salmon

Ingredients

1/2 cup frozen blueberries
2 tbsp. balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp. honey
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2 salmon steaks or fillets
(about 6 oz. each)
Oil, sea salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

Prep time: 10 minutes, Cook time: 20 minutes

Combine blueberries, vinegar, honey and lemon juice in a small saucepan and
bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer over very low heat for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, rinse salmon and pat dry. Brush lightly with oil and season with salt
and pepper. Grill for about 5 minutes per side over medium heat. When salmon is
cooked to your liking, remove from grill and drizzle with blueberry glaze.

Makes 2 servings.
***
Baked Salmon with Blackberry Ginger Glaze

Recipe courtesy Sunny Anderson, 2009

Show: Cooking for RealEpisode: The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly

Ingredients

* 1 cup water
* 12 ounces blackberries
* 1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and sliced into coins
* 1/2 lemon, juice
* 1/4 cup sugar
* 1 tablespoon olive oil
* 4 (8-ounce) skinless salmon fillets
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

In a small saucepot over medium-high heat, combine water, blackberries, ginger and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, reduce to a simmer and cook until berries break down, about 5 minutes. Remove from heat and strain into a bowl, using the back of a spoon to push blackberry pulp through. Return blackberry mixture to the sauce pot, add sugar and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer until reduced by half, about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally to avoid burning. Remove from heat and let cool.

Brush a baking sheet with olive oil and set fillets on top. Brush fillets with oil and season with salt and pepper. Once blackberry mixture is cool, brush over salmon fillets and bake for 4 minutes. Brush again with blackberry mixture. Turn oven to broil and broil another 3 minutes.
Rated: 5 stars out of 52 Reviews

Restuarnant Finds : Waldo Pizza: it's about I tried this place

2009-09-17T22:29:00.002-05:00

I heard this place was a long time favorite, had good pizza and has been around along time. I've never been here in my 20+ years in the KC area. In my search for the best pizzas, I thought why not sample many of its offerings during the lunch buffet. It is #1 pizza place in the area b Urbanspoon so that clinched.
Walking in the door I was seated immediately. Boxes and boxes were constantly going out for take outs. All sorts of people from businessman to families to couples kept streaming in all hour while I was there.
The salad bar was substantial with only one type of lettuce but man condiments (boiled egg, peas, etc) and dressings (except where was m beloved french to pair with the blue cheese). In short, I found all the pizzas good from the several I sampled from hamburger,s sausage (thick good), cheese (thick), tomato, olives and more (very good more like deep dish) and others. Also there was a real nice lasagna type dish made with not lasagna noodle but big bow ties. The very addictive desert apple pizza was superb , not too sweet and had a great crust too.
However I found several of pizzas were a little too salty for some reason. Not that bad to make me not eat them but definitely so that I felt the flavors were masked by extra salt. (Having been to China the previous summer, I can say I am an expert in too much salt ).
Waldo’s has specialty pizzas ( dozens of ingredients try), sandwiches, starters and even offers New Orleans Gumbo, beverages and beers and more on tap.
I do like this place but with the reservation about the salt. I am not sure if the saltiness is a one time thing. I probably think not though. People must just like it that way. However for my buck I would still go to my new favorite Sarpinos (on Quivira) and our other favorite Spin Neopolitan Pizza.

Recipe Finds : Spaghetti Bakes with either salmon or tuna

2009-09-15T22:19:00.002-05:00

I was in mood to make something different with Spaghetti that involved a casserole like with baking it. Here are two recipes. The second one is the original one. But I want to make with salmon and bake and see how it turned out.
It came out great and I like the way the parmesan melded on to the spaghetti. Easy to make . Try either one and let me know what you think.

rating 9.7/10
Salmon Spaghetti Bake
Ingredients :

7 oz Thin spaghetti
2 x Garlic cloves, chopped fine
1/4 cup Margarine or butter
3/4 cup Half-and-half
1 tsp Dried basil
1/4 tsp Oregano
9 1/4 oz Salmon, drained
1/2 cup Pimiento-stuff olives, slice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method :

* Cook spaghetti as directed on package; drain. Cook garlic in margarine in 2-quart saucepan until garlic is golden brown. Stir in half-and-half, basil and oregano. Heat to boiling. Stir in tuna, olives, and cheese. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour content into spaghetti and then pour into margarine greased casserole dish. Bake at 425 degree for 25 min.
::
Tuna Spaghetti with Garlic Breadcrumbs
Tuna Spaghetti
Servings [Reset]
Keys : Casseroles Fish Pasta
Ingredients :

7 oz Thin spaghetti
2 x Garlic cloves, chopped fine
1/4 cup Margarine or butter
3/4 cup Half-and-half
1 tsp Dried basil
1/4 tsp Oregano
9 1/4 oz Tuna, drained
1/2 cup Pimiento-stuff olives, slice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method :

* Cook spaghetti as directed on package; drain. Cook garlic in margarine in 2-quart saucepan until garlic is golden brown. Stir in half-and-half, basil and oregano. Heat to boiling. Stir in tuna, olives, and cheese. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour over hot spaghetti. Sprinkle with snipped parsley if desired. 5 servings: 375 calories per serving.

**
Tuna Spaghetti with Garlic Breadcrumbs
Tuna Spaghetti
Servings [Reset]
Keys : Casseroles Fish Pasta
Ingredients :

7 oz Thin spaghetti
2 x Garlic cloves, chopped fine
1/4 cup Margarine or butter
3/4 cup Half-and-half
1 tsp Dried basil
1/4 tsp Oregano
9 1/4 oz Tuna, drained
1/2 cup Pimiento-stuff olives, slice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method :

* Cook spaghetti as directed on package; drain. Cook garlic in margarine in 2-quart saucepan until garlic is golden brown. Stir in half-and-half, basil and oregano. Heat to boiling. Stir in tuna, olives, and cheese. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour over hot spaghetti. Sprinkle with snipped parsley if desired. 5 servings: 375 calories per serving.

**
Tuna Spaghetti with Garlic Breadcrumbs
Tuna Spaghetti
Servings [Reset]
Keys : Casseroles Fish Pasta
Ingredients :

7 oz Thin spaghetti
2 x Garlic cloves, chopped fine
1/4 cup Margarine or butter
3/4 cup Half-and-half
1 tsp Dried basil
1/4 tsp Oregano
9 1/4 oz Tuna, drained
1/2 cup Pimiento-stuff olives, slice
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method :

* Cook spaghetti as directed on package; drain. Cook garlic in margarine in 2-quart saucepan until garlic is golden brown. Stir in half-and-half, basil and oregano. Heat to boiling. Stir in tuna, olives, and cheese. Boil and stir 1 minute. Pour over hot spaghetti. Sprinkle with snipped parsley if desired. 5 servings: 375 calories per serving.

**

Iron Chef America : Battle Fennel

2009-09-13T21:20:00.003-05:00

Fennel is sort of vegetable, condiment and goes with a variety of dishes.I have tried is and it sort of has a liquorice taste and tastes like celery or bok choy. This was really demonstrated in this ICA battle between Batali and the restaurant Tru of Chicago and it's dynamic pair Trumain and Gand. Innovative salads, tuna cruda and more brought about interesting new dishes. This team is highly rated in Chicago and it looked to be close.

However Batali seemed a little more innovative. I picked Batali to win by +5 and he won by +8 beating the duo in taste by +7 and originality by +4. (duo won in plating by +3) .

Restaurant Finds :Spicy Apricot dijon Barbecue Sauce

2009-09-13T20:13:00.003-05:00

My wife many times like simple stuff without sauces. However when I was going to make grilled chicken for myself I wanted to find a sauce to pair with the chicken. I found this one in my computerized collection. It is tangy and like a BBQ sauce . I really like it and rated it 9.6/10. Enjoy.

PS I made the portions just for myself so just adjust accordingly
****

Spicy Apricot dijon Barbecue Sauce
Recipe Feedback:
By Derrick Riches, About.com
See More About:

* barbecue sauce recipes
* fruit based barbecue sauces

This is an excellent barbecue sauce for pork and chicken.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 2 hours
Ingredients:

* 2 pounds apricots, pitted and halved
* 3 large tomatoes, halved
* 3 cups brown sugar
* 2 cups cider vinegar
* 1/2 cup dry white wine
* 1 onion, chopped finely
* 3 cloves garlic, minced
* 2 tablespoons soy sauce
* 2 teaspoons hot sauce
* 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard

Preparation:
Place all ingredients in a large stockpot and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 1/2 to 2 hours. When sauce has reduced, strain through a sieve. Use immediately or store in an airtight container for up to 4 weeks.

Restaurant Finds :Hot Basil Thai Cuisine

2009-09-12T19:18:00.002-05:00

Thai is my favorite food cuisine. It’s variety, nuances, sweet sour and and other flavors, just make it so more interesting. The variety, freshness and differences then most ordinary Chinese fare make it different then the other Asian fare. Thai food can tempt your palate “ outside Chinese fare” and give you more appreciate for different foods and flavors. . I had seen this place before it opened and was hoping it would be thee Thai place locally that we would want to come back to, again and again. It is such a place. After we ate here, I can say that it is my favorite Thai restaurant because it is locally owned and not part of chain, it is close by, has reasonable prices. The varied menu has all types of entrees, appetizers, soups, salads and lunch and dinner entrees. This is a place for all those who love Thai and Asian food and want to get away from the "hum drum" regular Chinese fare. And don't think Thai food is very spicy as the meals can accomodate your tastes. The owners and wait staff are most gracious. Already does great take out business. Give this nice place a try! You will not be sorry.

Recipe Finds : Bizarre Food Puerto Rica

2009-08-30T18:56:00.001-05:00

Bizarre Food Puerto Rica had a munfungo recipe along he way which he host liked. I was on the island in 1998 during a jaunt out from the cruise ship that I was helping with during an eclipse cruise that year. Traveling around the island was real nice but the Chicken Mufungo that we had before heading back to the ship was truly memorable. I still have not found a good one like this but here are some basic other recipes that I found.

**

Mufungo Recipe

Submitted by meaganmeagan

Makes 4 servings

Puerto Riccan staple- most recipes are full of lard and butter or oil, but a few tweaks and its a healthy side dish

Ingredients
4 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups fat free beef stock or chicken stock
6 slices turkey bacon
1 red pepper, diced (optional)
2 tablespoon chopped garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, fresh, for garnish
1 1/2 tblsp olive oil
Directions

1. boil broth and place cut plantains in for about 10 minutes

2. remove plantains and mash

3. sautee bacon, red pepper, and garlic in olive oil

4. pour sautee pan over plaintains and mix everything together, mashing repeatedly

5. top with cilantro

Categories

Read more: http://caloriecount.about.com/mufungo-recipe-r189687#ixzz0PhpEssN0

**

Mufungo Recipe

Submitted by meaganmeagan

Makes 4 servings

Puerto Riccan staple- most recipes are full of lard and butter or oil, but a few tweaks and its a healthy side dish

Ingredients
4 green plantains, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch chunks
2 cups fat free beef stock or chicken stock
6 slices turkey bacon
1 red pepper, diced (optional)
2 tablespoon chopped garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/2 cup cilantro, fresh, for garnish
1 1/2 tblsp olive oil
Directions

1. boil broth and place cut plantains in for about 10 minutes

2. remove plantains and mash

3. sautee bacon, red pepper, and garlic in olive oil

4. pour sautee pan over plaintains and mix everything together, mashing repeatedly

5. top with cilantro

Next Food Network star: Melissa d'Arabian's recipe finds

2009-08-30T12:12:00.003-05:00

I tried out for the Next Food Network star TV series but did not make the cut. I'm too old, have not been to culinary school or one of another reasons. I've been on TV, in the newspaper, Bon Appetite magazine, on radio, for my recipes. I've had my (total eclipse) photo in Astronomy magazine and more of my exploits over the years, but also my teaching, traveling and science exploration in various parts of the world. I love to cook, eat, travel and try new and different recipes and more . I love looking for recipes all over, on TV, internet etc.

But in any case, I watch each year to see what happens and who wins and whether I disagree or agree with the final judgement.

Guy Fieri is a food rock star in so many way. I like his shows and his recipes. His personality is great too. This years contestants seems pretty good on the outside but upon inspection you could see that Melissa d'Arabian was the one to beat in so many ways. For her cooking expertise, her ability to roll with the punches, her presentations and outstanding showmanship and cooking amazing food (especially for semi final and final foods which were judged so far ahead of the semis and the final guy (who turned out to be such a joke).

But unlike the last few years, The Food Network judges disagreed and made poor choices knocking out the winner in the semis. She only got back because of fraudulent information by the one that judges wanted to go to the finals (I really don't know what the judges saw in him). That is why I did not have much faith in the judges.

I cheered and hope she would win because she was the best of the lot by far. It just happened that she did win. I mean it was not even close so maybe I have a little more faith in the judges this time. Or maybe it was just so clear cut it was the only decision. Who know. I'm just glad she won.

Her recipes are really a hit already judges upon all the comments and reviews by people going to her site on FN. I've made salmon cakes before but this one sounds even better because of the potato in it and other ingredients.

This one is a real different take off on salmon cakes. I have not made it yet but it sounds so good I just had to post it for you all. She has some other great recipes and as I try them and others, I will post them with my comments and ratings.

Until if you find good recipes that you like, log in as my friend and place your comments etc. Keep the posts positive or tell how you make the dish better. Found a good restaurant and dish , let me know too.

Salmon Cakes
Recipe courtesy Melissa d'Arabian

2 strips bacon, cooked until crispy, crumbled, bacon fat reserved
1/4 cup chopped onion
1 egg
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 lemon, zested
1 (14-ounce) can wild salmon, checked for large bones
1 baked or boiled russet potato, peeled, and fluffed with a fork
1/4 cup bread crumbs
2 tablespoons grated Parmesan
Freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup vegetable oil

Heat 1 tablespoon of the reserved bacon fat in a small saute pan over low heat. Add the onions and cook until translucent. Cool the onions for a bit.

Mix the bacon, onion, egg, mayonnaise, mustard, sugar, and lemon zest in a bowl. Add the salmon and potato, mixing gently after each addition. Form the mixture into 12 small patties. In a shallow dish, combine the bread crumbs, Parmesan, and pepper, to taste. Coat the patties in the bread crumb topping. Heat 1/4 cup of the oil in a large saute pan over medium heat, and cook the salmon cakes in batches until golden, about 3 to 4 minutes per side. Add more oil, as necessary. Arrange on a serving platter and serve.

Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Ease of preparation: easy

restaurant finds : The Best Food Ever Ate- Pizza

2009-08-29T22:17:00.000-05:00

I’ve been to Atlanta for conferences and visit a friend and once. I’ve been to Asian restaurants, Chinese and lunch places. Pizza is no one my list. There are 868 pizza places by count in the Atlanta area. We rarely go out for Pizza. Frankly I don’t know how all the pizza places stay in business. Apparently there are a lot of people people eating pizza all the time.

Our favorite special pizza place like Neopolitan Pizza in Olathe, KS and a few others in Missouri , Kansas City area is a real great place to go not only for pizzas but more. But this is our current favorite. To me it is the best so because of the ingredients, wood fired oven, crust and toppings. The eggplant one, with mozzarella cheese and sun dried tomato was awesome. I did not know they own the Bagel & Bagel and Einstein Bagel locally.Also check out their cool dessert gelatto.

Recently while stormchasing around Omaha, Nebraska this year (2009) , I hit Pizza Hut buffet for the good deal it was and it was not too bad along with another small chain in Omaha. But I am still working for better pizzas besides the one I make on my own ( I love to make Thai pizza and more).

But Big Pie in the Sky one is the #75 restaurant as voted in the area by Urbanspoon and #6 pizza place so it can’t be that bad. I noticed it on the food challenge in Man vs Food TV show. While I like to pig out, this would be even too much for me to down the 30 inch pie with someone. No one has even made it and I can see one. I am getting too old and selective to pig out even half this much and beside my wife would kill me.

But closer to where I grew up (Providence, RI), there are some in NYC (and other places perhaps depending on where I travel were recently featured in the new Food Channel TV show, The Best Food I ever ate, which is fast becoming one of my shows to find the best places to eat.

Ted Allen likes this place as his best. He loves the arguula and parmesan plus olive oil. He loves the thin crust.

But Duff Golman (Ace of Cakes) likes Gino’s East likes this Gino;s East. Sausage monster deep dish with tons of meat.

But Mark Summers disagrees on the best place. He finds his in of all place Philadelphia where there are over 2000 pizza joints. There are 4 of the Osterio places and he finds this the best one so I wondered why. It’s not in Urbanspoon’s top 10.

Marc Summers loves the Marguerite pizza . Basil, olive oil, wood burning over flavored , crispy , he just loves all the smells of it . He likes to eat the whole pie by himself!

I’ve been to Seattle and loved the thai, Asian (Wild Ginger restaurant) and others. But a Pizza town, Never thought of it. But there are over 800 and while this one is not in the top 10, over 800 people at this point rated it 80% favorable. So he must know what he is talking about. But which one does he like the best? Tyler Florence likes the Roasted Chanterels Truffle Cheese pizza at Serious Pie as hit favorite. It’s got mushrooms, sea salt, chewy sour dough bread like crust baked with Apple wood in its oven.

I have seen pizza with potato on it and have some recipes maybe even tried one or two creations myself in the last years. But now because this food network star in NYC and her restaurant Butter chooses this one a try, I might have to try it the next time I am in N NYC. But before that may come about I might have to use my new thin shaving mandolin to make one myself. But I have to search for what will make it special besides the pizza and recipes I already have to compare.

And just like, my wife or get a pizza craving once in awhile when the pizza song plays in our ears, Alex Guarnaschelli has to go to this place. But why this place. She never thought of a potato pizza but she says it is special. But why makes it her favorite? The lightness of the potatoes, the crust and more. So I must fine a good recipe and surprise it on my wife and see what she thinks.

And this is another different type pizza you normally see at the low cost pizza buffets. They are never bad but it would be interesting to find a real good recipe to try. Chocolate Pizza at Max Brenner in NYC might have the key ingredients before I get to NYC again.

Aaron Sanchez found this one in a serious chocolate place. Over 200 people love it (84%) and the Israeli chocolatier's first U.S. location as a chocolate-themed restaurant seems to be a hit. There is a lot and lot of chocolate going on here and I need to get to this place in the future. Some Urbanspoon mentioned the chocolate pizza, which was a soft sweet crust topped with melted milk chocolate and marshmallows. He likes the Belgian chocolate,pizza with layers on dough. It’s messy and sounds like a somores.

Meanwhile Red Salt pub in Atlanta has the best pizza . I would not think that with a pub but apparently this place has more going for it then standard boring pub food.

The Best Thing I ever ate? rabbit pasta dish I-Trulli-New-York

2009-08-24T20:48:00.001-05:00

On The Best I ever ate - fried food (Food Chanel) , Michael Palotkis, savours the special rabitt pasta ragu that he says is the best he knows of. I’ve never eaten rabbit, but if he likes it that much then it must be some awesome dish. Maybe I could eat rabbit someday but maybe there is a dish like this somewhere that does not use rabbit?

Recipe Finds : great Pad Thai throwdown from chef of Thai Basil restaurant in Virginia

2009-08-14T14:37:00.003-05:00

Thai is my favorite cuisine. I hunt for recipes where ever I travel, on the Internet and even from TV shows. One that I have eaten in Kansas City before and made myself is the famous Pad Thai recipe. I have used cookbooks, restaurant recipes and internet sites . Before Bobby Flay went to a Washington, DC suburb to do a battle with Phai Thai, he came to this restaurant in New York City to learn a little more about the cuisine.

While I have been to Virginia, I have not been to this Virginia restaurant yet. But in a way, I was recently as I saw the restaurant on Bobby Flay’s Throwdown contest battle TV show featuring Pad Thai. The chef Nongkran Daks, won the Throwdown by using recipe Kuay Tiaw Pad Thai. (This one along with Bobby Flay’s recipe are featured on this page- see below). Both are great .

Usually the recipes are featured too so the show is a bonus to my recipe collection and for you all. I like trying new “takes” on versions of dishes. Pad Thai, in general is is a very versatile dish and can be made vegetarian, with chicken , seafood, shrimp, beef or combinations. I have made vegetarian and chicken versions myself and also tasted them at several places in Kansas City including the deceased Thai 2000 (which I loved) and the current Bangkok Pavilion in Overland Park , KS.
I also found another recipe like one found at the restaurant, but I substituted chicken for pork. (see it below too).
If you have made a version you like or a place in Kansas City that has a good one that you have tried, let me know.

http://www.northernvirginiamag.com/restaurants/info/802/thai_basil/

Kuay Tiaw Pad Thai

http://www.gayot.com/restaurants/thai-basil-chantilly-va-20151_33vg9958.html

Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Pad Thai
•
Ingredients
• Recipe courtesy Nongkran Daks
• 4 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus extra as needed
• 1 teaspoon chopped garlic
• 1 tablespoon dried shrimp, optional
• 1/2 cup sliced pork
• 1/2 cup whole shrimp, shelled and deveined
• 1 tablespoon (shredded) preserved radish
• 1/4 pound medium-size dried rice noodles (soaked 60 minutes in cold water and drained)
• Water
• 5 tablespoons Pad Thai sauce, recipe follows
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 teaspoon ground hot chiles, or more to taste
• 2 tablespoons ground roasted peanuts
• 1/2 cup sliced garlic chives or green onion
• 2 cups bean sprouts, rinsed, plus more for garnish
• 1 wedge lime
Directions
Heat the oil in a wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry until golden brown. Add the meat and shrimp and keep stirring until the shrimp changes color. Remove the shrimp to prevent overcooking and set aside.
Add the noodles. They will stick together so stir fast and try to separate them. Add a little water, stirring a few times. Then add the Pad Thai sauce, and keep stirring until everything is thoroughly mixed. The noodles should appear soft and moist. Return the cooked shrimp to the wok.
Push the contents of the wok up around the sides to make room to fry the eggs. If the pan is very dry, add 1 more tablespoon of oil. Add the eggs and spread the noodles over the eggs to cover. When the eggs are cooked, stir the noodles until everything is well mixed-this should result in cooked bits of eggs, both whites and yolk, throughout the noodle mixture.
Add chiles, peanuts, garlic chives and bean sprouts. Mix well. Remove to a platter. Serve with raw bean spouts and a few drops of lime juice.
A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.

Pat Thai Sauce:
• 1 cup tamarind juice
• 1 cup palm sugar plus 3 tablespoons
• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup fish sauce
• 2 teaspoons salt
Mix all ingredients in a saucepan for about 60 minutes until it is well mixed and syrupy. Stir occasionally to prevent burning.
Cook's Note: If you want to double this recipe, DO NOT double the ingredi ents, for the bulk will be too much to work with. Rather, make the dish twice. If you plan to make this for company, cook noodles ahead of time and add bean sprouts and garlic chives when you heat it up. If it is an informal gathering, it is fun to let your guests cook their own noodles.
You can buy premixed tamarind concentrate or make your own tamarind juice. Buy a package of compressed tamarind pulp at any Asian market, cut off 3 tablespoons of paste and soak in 1 1/2 cups of warm water for 20 minutes. Squeeze out the pulp and discard; the remaining liquid is tamarind juice. Store any leftover juice or noodle sauce in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator or freezer.

**

Shrimp Pad Thai
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay
Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Pad Thai
Ingredients
Sauteed Shrimp with Tamarind-Thai Basil Glaze:
• 3 tablespoons tamarind pulp
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/4 cup fresh orange juice
• 3 tablespoon rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/4 cup fresh Thai basil leaves
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 1 pound shrimp (21-25) size, shelled and deveined
Pad Thai glaze:
• 12 ounces dried flat rice noodles (1/4-inch wide; sometimes called pad Thai or banh pho)
• 3 tablespoons tamarind (from a pliable block)
• 1 cup boiling water
• 1/2 cup light soy sauce
• 1/4 cup packed Muscavado light brown sugar
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce (recommended: Sriracha)
• 1 1/2 cups peanut or vegetable oil
• 4 large shallots, sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch thick slices
• 1 (14 to 16-ounce) package firm tofu, rinsed, patted dry and cut into 1-inch cubes
• 4 large eggs
• 1/4 teaspoons salt
• Freshly ground black pepper
• 1 tablespoon water
• 1 bunch scallions, green and pale green parts, cut into 2-inch pieces
• 4 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups bean sprouts (1/4 pound)
• Thai basil leaves
• Cilantro leaves
• 1/2 cup roasted peanuts, coarsely chopped
• Lime wedges
For the shrimp:
Directions
Place tamarind in a bowl, cover with the boiling water and let sit until softened. Press the pulp through a sieve into a bowl and discard seeds and solids.
Combine orange juice, tamarind pulp, vinegar, honey, basil and salt and pepper in a blender and blend until smooth. Strain the mixture through a mesh strainer. Return to the blender, with the motor running, slowly add 6 tablespoons of the oil and blend until emulsified.

:
Heat remaining 2 tablespoons of the oil in a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. Season shrimp on both sides with salt and pepper and add to the pan. Stir in the tamarind glaze, turn the shrimp over and continue cooking until shrimp is cooked through and glazed.
For the Pad Thai:
Soak noodles in a large bowl of warm water until softened but not overly soft, 25 to 30 minutes. Drain well in a colander and cover with a dampened paper towel.
Place the tamarind in a bowl and cover with the boiling water, let sit until soft, about 10 minutes. Force the mixture through a sieve (including the water) into a bowl, discarding seeds and fibers. Add soy sauce, brown sugar, and hot sauce to the tamarind, stirring until sugar has dissolved, set aside.
Heat the oil in a wok or a large saute pan over medium heat until hot, then fry half of the shallots over medium-low heat, stirring frequently, until golden brown, 8 to 12 minutes. Remove the shallots with a slotted spoon to a plate lined with paper towels.
Reheat shallot oil in wok over high heat until hot. Fry tofu in 1 layer, gently turning occasionally, until golden, 5 to 8 minutes. Transfer tofu to paper towels using a slotted spoon. Transfer the frying oil to a heatproof glass and reserve.
Lightly beat eggs with 1/4 teaspoon salt, pepper and a tablespoon of water. Heat 2 tablespoons of the shallot oil in a wok or saute pan over high heat until it shimmers. Add eggs and swirl to coat the side of the wok, then cook, stirring gently with a spatula, until cooked through. Break into chunks with spatula and transfer to a plate.
Heat wok over medium heat, add 6 tablespoons of the shallot oil, then swirl to coat side of wok. Stir-fry scallions, garlic, and remaining uncooked shallots until softened, about 1 minute.
Add noodles and stir-fry over medium for about 2 minutes. Add tofu, bean sprouts, and 1 1/2 cups sauce and simmer, turning noodles over to absorb sauce evenly, until noodles are tender, about 2 minutes. Stir in additional sauce, if desired, then stir in the eggs. Transfer to a large shallow serving dish and top with the shrimp, crispy shallots, Thai basil, cilantro and peanuts. Serve lime wedges on the side.

***
Khao Soi
http://www.simply-thai.com/thai-food-recipes-noodles-khao-soi.htm
Chiang Mai Curry Noodles
Ingredients
4 ounces rice noodles
1 tbs chopped garlic
1 tbs red curry paste
1/2 cup coconut milk
4 ounces ground pork
one cup chicken stock
1 tbs curry powder - pong gari
a pinch of turmeric powder
2 tbs fish sauce - nam pla
a pinch of palm sugar
a tsp lime juice

You will also need - for the Garnish
spring onions, sliced shallots and lime wedges

Method - noodles
1. Soak noodles in cool water for 15-30 minutes then drain for use.
2. Bring a pan of water to the boil, then place the noodles in a wire basket or strainer and dip the noodles in the water for a few seconds (no more)
3. drain them and transfer to the serving plate.

Method - Sauce
1. In a wok, heat the coconut milk
2. stir in the curry paste until the aroma is brought out and a thin film of oil separates out
3. add the garlic and stir fry for about 30 seconds
4. Add the remaining ingredients except the pork, and stir until the sauce thickens slightly.
5. Add the pork
6. continue to stir until the meat is cooked through.
7. Pour the sauce over the noodles.

***
Pad Kra Praw 1
1 tablespoon canola oil
1-2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger
8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1/2 large onion, sliced into strips
3 celery stalks, sliced
2 fresh red chiles, seeded and finely chopped
3/4 teaspoon chile paste (or to taste)
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
4-5 green onions, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves
1/2 cup whole cashew nuts
Stir together the fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Set aside.
Heat oil over high heat. Add garlic and ginger, stir once, then add chicken, celery, onions and fresh chiles. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until chicken is nearly cooked through.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in the chile paste and fish sauce mixture. Stir-fry another 2-3 minutes.
Quickly stir in the green onions, basil leaves and cashews. Serve immediately with plain short-grain rice.

**
Pad Kra Praw 2
1 1/2 cups ground chicken. - you would replace with tofu or asian eggplant-
1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon sweet soy sauce
3 1/2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 tablespoon chile paste
in soybean oil
1 1/2 cups sliced white onions
1/2 cup sliced green bell pepper
1 cup Thai basil leaves
1 teaspoon white pepper
Stir together the fish sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Set aside.
Heat oil over high heat. Add garlic and ginger, stir once, then add chicken, celery, onions and fresh chiles. Stir-fry 3-4 minutes or until chicken is nearly cooked through.
Reduce heat to medium and stir in the chile paste and fish sauce mixture. Stir-fry another 2-3 minutes.
Quickly stir in the green onions, basil leaves and cashews. Serve immediately with plain short-grain rice.
Posted by Dr. Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com) at 4:45 PM
Labels: Kansas City, Recipe Finds, Restaurant Recipe Finds, Thai, Throwdown with Bobby Flay

Traveling Abroad Food and more: Fantastic octopus

2009-08-04T12:19:00.007-05:00

I have traveled the world and recently returned from a two week trip in China. While I have been in Kansas City area for 28 years, I can't just write about Kansas City, its restaurants and food. Of course, they do tie and they part of what I write about but my blog is more for that about my experiences over the years , from all over the globe too.

Shanghai, China was my first foray into tasting the food in China two weeks ago at the start of tour to see several cities in China, the many sights, see the total solar eclipse. Another great possibility was eating some great and unusual food.

After taking a taxi and going to the huge Pearl Tower, we were hungry. We were on our own for the night so we started going down the street. There was not much here. I had heard that there were some good restaurants inside the hotels so I looked inside one the. We ducked into the Ocean

The waitresses were obliging. They did not speak English and we not much Chinese so we pointed and nodded to the menu, names and photos. They were confused that we did not order right away. The menu was extensive and we took our time.

As we looked through the impressive menu, I zoned in one what I did not want. A regular meal for my first time in China, had to be something engaging and memorable.. I wanted something really different other then the Chinese or Asian fare with beef, chicken or more.

The Octopus in Garlic stood out so I ordered while Jordan my friend ordered Salmon Sahimi.

I thought it would just be a little bowl. Instead it came out in a HUGE bowl of dozens of tiny 1-2 inch octopi stewed in many dozens of garlic pods (that looked at first like little potatotoes). I wish I could show you the picture but I had gone out without my pda which was charging and did not want a lug a camera through the streets as I was a little tired. The meal did not look like this bowl as the octopi were darker and more brittle tentacle like.

My meal cost 38 which technically cost in American about $6. That was truly amazing. I wish I had could have taken pictures of the decor, the aquariums in the fish tanks that people could actually choose their diner and more.

Each octopus was a nice succelent bite, a garlicky morsel that was slightly chewey to eat and was cooked perfected stewed with the garlic .

Unfortuntely I did not have my camera or pda with me so I could not take pictures of this impressive dish. So I big the wait staff goodbye. We put down tips but they would not take them.
We also said goodbye to the spiny lobster in the fish tank. Wish I had time to get back in the next day or two and should have but it did not work ot (instead we went with some other of the tour people to a much cheaper restaurant which cost about the same but was very unappealing in a dim sum fashion. Little did I know I would run into more Dip Sum type meals that were not as attractive, flavorful or tempted my taste buds as this starter meal.

See and try the recipes below and let me know if you try any of them.

PS want to learn more in future. Sign me up as friend in Urbanspoon (see below).

Dr. Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com),
Put this url on your blog, website and also sign me in as a friend on Urbanspoon.com
Kansas City Traveling Gourmet
http://tinyurl.com/kansascitytravelingourmet

**
Italian version

Octopus With Garlic - Polipi Veraci All'Aglio Recipe

Recipe Categories: Miscellaneous Recipes
Average Rating: (1 vote)
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients
2 Octopus (about 1 1/2 pounds
-each)
1/4 c Olive oil
5 Cloves garlic, crushed
1 Bay leaf
1/2 ts Cumin seeds
Salt
1 sm Green pepper, chopped
Rosemary leaves and parsley

Instructions

1. Cut out the eyes and mouth of the octopus. Remove the ink sac and internal bone. Cut off the tough points in the tentacles. Put each octopus on a board and beat them well to break the fibers and make the meat more tender. Wash them in running water until they are very white; do not dry but put them in an earthen- ware dish and season with oil, flavored with garlic, bay leaf and cumin seeds. Cover the dish tightly with a sheet of waxed paper or foil tied around the top with string. Put the dish over a very low heat between 1 and 2 hours, according to the size of the octopus. When they are tender, drain them, season with additional oil, salt, green pepper, rosemary leaves and parsley. Serve in a tureen.

From "Feast of Italy", translated from the Italian edition published by Arnoldo Mondadori Editore, 1973. Consulting Chef, Giorgio Gioco. Thomas Crowell, New York. ISBN 0-690-00059-6

It doesn't make reference to it in the text, but in the pictures of both these dishes, it shows one or two largish octopi garnished with reseattes of baby octopi tentacles. I imagine you'd do quite well using the 'baby' octopi like those I see sold around here in the supermarkets, or even with squid.

**t

Zamboanga Octopus
Category: Filipino Popular!
Author: Susan
Added On: 9/30/2005
Viewed: 4,271
Rating:Zamboanga Octopus has been rated 3.00 by 980 users (3.00) votes 980
Rate this recipe

1 kg. Octopus
3 tomatoes, 1 clove garlic, one onion, and bay leaf
3 tablespoons Cooking oil
1 cup Coconut milk
(optional four pieces chili)
Salt
Instructions
1. Wash octopus in water.
2. Place octopus in a covered kettle.
3. Place kettle on electric or gas stove and cook on high heat for 20 minutes. (The octopus will release water.)
4. Remove octopus from kettle and allow to cool down.
5. When cool, slice. Remove and throw away beak.
6. In a saucepan, heat 2 to 3 tablespoon cooking oil.
7. Sauté garlic, onions, and tomatoes.
8. Add sliced octopus.
9. Add a cup of coconut milk (gata).
10. When the coconut milk boils, season to taste and remove from fire.

(Alternate flavoring: flavor with a small piece of cinnamon stick - remove after cooking).

::
Cacciucco-Fish Stew

Recipe Courtesy of Emeril Lagasse

Show: Emeril LiveEpisode: Food of Tuscany

Ingredients

* 5 pounds assorted seafood, such as eel, squid, prawns, whiting,
* hake, red mullet, small octopus, John Dory, cuttlefish and crawfish
* 3/4 cup olive oil
* 2 cups onions, julienned
* 2 carrots, julienned
* 2 celery stalks, julienned
* 1/2 cup finely chopped parsley
* 2 tablespoons chopped garlic
* 2 hot chili peppers, stemmed and minced
* 2 bay leaves
* 2 sprigs of fresh thyme
* 2 cups red wine
* 4 cups peeled, seeded and chopped Roma tomatoes
* 6 cups light stock, fish or chicken
* Salt and pepper
* 12 slices French or Italian type bread

Directions

Clean the fish, remove their heads and put them aside. Cut the smaller fish into 3-inch pieces. Season the fish with salt and pepper. In a large pan, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the vegetables and saute for 2 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Add the parsley, garlic, peppers, bay leaves, thyme and fish heads. Continue to saute for about 3 to 4 minutes or until the fish heads have browned. Add the red wine and bring up to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and continue to cook until the wine has reduced by half, about 3 to 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes and stock. Bring the liquid up to a simmer and cook for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Discard the fish heads and bay leaves, set aside and keep hot. In a large saute pan, heat 1/4 cup of the olive oil. When the oil is hot, add the squid, cuttlefish and octopus and saute for about 10 minutes. Add the remaining fish and continue to saute for 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Heat a large saute pan, and add the remaining olive oil. When the oil is hot, pan-fry the bread for a couple of minutes on each side, or until golden. Fry the bread in batches. Line a large tureen bowl with the fried bread. Lay the fish on top of the fried bread. Pour the soup over the fish and garnish with parsley.

**

OCTOPUS STEW
http://www.indobase.com/recipes/details/octopus-stew.php
Recipe Type:
Non Veg.
Difficulty:
Average
Ingredients:
1 kg Octopus
6 Tomatoes
6 Onions
6 Large potatoes
8 Cloves of garlic
8 Olives
1 tbsp Capers
Olive oil for frying
Red wine
Few leaves of mint and marjoram
Pinch of thyme

Cooking Instructions:
Clean the octopus and remove the edible flesh.
Keep the flesh in a plastic bag and beat it.
Cut the flesh into pieces with a knife.
Rinse in salted water and drain.
Transfer the pieces to a pot.
Stew the pieces over a low flame for an hour. If the liquid is too dry, add little hot water.
Meanwhile, Peel and chop the onions. Chop the tomatoes also.
Fry the onions in olive oil till tender.
Add chopped tomatoes and crushed garlic.
When tomatoes become soft, add the chopped olives, capers and all herbs.
Raise the temperature of boiling stew and pour 1/4 bottle red wine.
Now reduce the flame and simmer slowly till the amount of liquid reduces considerably.
Serve the stew with boiled potatoes.

**

Next Food Network Star: Melissa d’Arabian wins The Next Food Network Star

2009-08-02T22:31:00.003-05:00

The Food Network judges did not flub it this time. I think there was a bias against Debbie and also that there was no way that the judges were going to let two women in the finals. Debbie was too one dimensional while the other two were more multifaceted.
Jeffrey really did not do well in the semis when judges said that his food was an "affront to Italian cooking". That was not good. The FN judges seemed to gloss over that as well as that Jeffrey only spend $350 when he had $1000 to spend.

Meanwhile Bob Tuschman had the audacity to say that Melissa's talk to the judges was too flowery evenwhile it brought tears to the crowd. Jeffrey, always said, over and over again, that he would not let us down and would have inspired meals. But he did let us down when he created unispired food from the many great chefs. In comparison Melissa create two pastry dishes that rivaled ( the judges said) any pastry by other chefs and the rest of the food was amazing. Now that was awesome.

In the end, possibly the three judges saw the same differences that I saw. Both their shows were good but this extra information before the finale possibly tipped the tide to Melissa. I am glad it is Melissa.
I look forward to seeing her shows
Tune in next Sunday at 12:30pm/11:30c for Melissa’s show, Ten Dollar Dinners with Melissa d’Arabian.

Recipe Finds : North Carolina Baked beans in Throwdown battle

2009-07-29T21:01:00.004-05:00

I journey to Black Mountain, North Carolina after journeying to Dakar, Senegal, Africa, and Asheville (where I was and tennis pro in the famous Grove Park Inn). I don't remember have North Carolina BBQ while in the state for three years. In the baby baked ribs Throwdown, Bobby was bested by a pit master who also had some killer baked beans. Here is the recipe. I have not made baked beans from scratch by myself but this one is one I will have to try.
Baked Beans

Recipe courtesy Ed Mitchell

Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: BBQ RIbs

Ingredients

* 1/2 pound bacon, minced
* 1 onion, diced
* 3 tablespoons minced garlic
* 2 tablespoons freshly minced ginger or 1 teaspoon ground ginger
* 1 green pepper, diced
* 1 teaspoon dry mustard
* 2 (16-ounce) cans kidney beans, undrained
* 1 (16-ounce) can pinto beans, undrained
* 1 (16-ounce) can black beans, undrained
* 1 cup Ed's BBQ Sauce
* 1/4 cup molasses
* 1/2 cup brown sugar
* 1 bottle beer
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

In a large saute pan, cook bacon over medium-low heat for 5 to 7 minutes. Add onions, garlic, ginger, and peppers and cook until soft. Add dry mustard and stir for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the beans, BBQ sauce, molasses, brown sugar, and beans. Stir and simmer on stove for 2 hours (or bake at 350 degrees F for 1 hour). Season with salt and pepper, to taste, and serve.

A viewer, who may not be a professional cook, provided this recipe. The Food Network Kitchens chefs have not tested this recipe and therefore, we cannot make representation as to the results.
Rated: 4 stars out of 55 Reviews
All About…

Next Food Network Star: I knew they would not have two women in the finals

2009-07-29T10:41:00.003-05:00

I correctly pointed out during the next to the last episode before the finale, that there was no way the the FN was going to going to have two women in the finals. And I was right.

The 3 judges completely disregarded the fact that Jeffrey completed botched the risotto recipe went completely for likability which all of them had. Apparently some of the judges comments did not tell the whole story. The Korean entry Debbie fell short but not sure why as here foods, entrees and presentation was better overall then Jeffrey. Once again the judges gave him another pass.

Melissa deserved to be in the finals as she has really shown here prowess. Her touching story of growing up and her mothers suicide brought tears to the chefs who tried her dishes. She consistently shows more while Debbie says the same things over and over again.

Jeffrey has been very uneven as of late but that was not counted. I want to see Melissa win but as we have seen before, the FN judges sometime and for some reason go another way because of likability and potential and not what is shown. And unlike many professions that is not the way it is.

Just got back from China and two weeks

2009-07-29T10:33:00.003-05:00

I am trying to catch up after coming in from China after a successful total solar eclipse videotaping and photographing as well great eats and touring in Shanghai, Beijing, Wuhan and Xian. I will be all the stories , the foods, meals, restaurants I frequented , hotel etc food and much more in the coming week along with photos and more.

Someone posted information about wanted to find information about bananas recipes and I will have to hunt them down and post.

My blog was also featured in a section in the Food section today as one of the top blogs in the Kansas City area.
Easy way now to get to his blog, the recipes, information and much more at

http://tinyurl.com/kansascitytravelingourmet

Dr. Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com), Kansas City Traveling Gourmet
http://tinyurl.com/kansascitytravelingourmet

Recipe Finds: Killer French toaste recipe

2009-07-10T19:04:00.004-05:00

Guy Fieri was a winner of the Food Network Star competition. He is quite good on all levels. He is entertaining, he always wears shorts, has a red car, has great recipes and runs a restaurant and is always on the Food Channel. Did I mention the funky hairdo, goatee beard?
I love French Toast and this is a killer one to try which I will after I get back from China! A lot of people can't find it so I am posting it here and now and if you make it before I do, post a comment.

He also has a new blog that I found out about.

http://guyfieri.blogspot.com/2009/07/guy-fieris-stuffed-french-toast.html

Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Guy Fieri's Stuffed French Toast
I received a lot of email requests to find the Stuffed French Toast recipe from Guy's Big Bite. The episode aired on June 21, 2009. The recipe is hard to find because it isn't labeled as french toast - it's called Fieri - 4. Since we're nigh on the Fourth of July holiday, consider adding blueberries! And you'll have a festive and patriotic-looking brunch.

I recall seeing on a Food Network holiday special that this is one of Hunter's (Guy's son) favorite breakfasts.

Guy Fieri's Stuffed French Toast
(a.k.a. Fieri - 4)

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups milk

2 eggs, beaten
1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 ounces cream cheese, room temperature
8 (2-inch) thick slices bread
2 bananas, very thinly sliced
1 cup strawberries, very thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter
1/4 cup powdered sugar
Maple syrup

Directions:

Combine milk, eggs, nutmeg, cinnamon and vanilla in a shallow bowl. Set aside.
For assembly, spread a thin layer of the cream cheese onto 1 side of the bread slices. Top half the slices with the fruit. Place another piece of bread on top, cream cheese side down, creating a sandwich.
Preheat a griddle to 350 degrees F. Lightly brush with the butter.
Give the milk mixture a quick stir, and dip the sandwiches into the batter, coating all sides.
Place on the griddle. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes per side, then turn on the edges and cook to brown evenly.
To serve, slice sandwiches in half on the diagonal and transfer to a serving platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with maple syrup.

Recipe Finds: Meatball battle in New York State with Bobby Flay

2009-07-08T20:47:00.005-05:00

www.maronicuisine.com

I am a fan of Cinzetti's in Overland Park, KS and their awesome, always excellent Italian amazing buffet. Some people don't think the stuff is Italian, not authentic or whatever. I disagree. I still thing there are many good items. I usually try it as tapas and take a little bit of everything but the calamaric, frittata, spedinini and soups and desserts are superb. However because we don't go out to eat Italian very often we might only hit this place one or twice a year. I mean there are so many other restaurants and I do like to cook at home. However I needed another possible recipe and I was thinking about meatballs sometime. Up comes, Bobby Flay's Throwdown in which he battles a family's 100 year meatball recipe in New York State. It was a tough battle but traditional, again, and this time the 100 year old recipe won out.

Look at both recipes and see what you think. I plan to try both of them.
**
Grandma Maronis Meatballs 100 Year Old Recipe

Recipe courtesy Mike Maroni

Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Meatballs

Ingredients

* 1 pound ground chuck
* 4 ounces dried bread crumbs
* 4 large eggs
* 4 ounces whole milk
* 6 ounces grated Romano
* 3 ounces grated Spanish onion
* 2 ounces finely diced fresh garlic
* 2 ounces finely chopped fresh Italian parsley leaves
* 2 ounces finely chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil cooking spray.

Mix all ingredients thoroughly in large bowl. If mixture seems a little loose add more bread crumbs.

Roll meatballs loosely about the size of a golf ball and place on baking sheet. Place into preheated oven for approximately 35 to 40 minutes. Enjoy!

**

Maroni Sauce

Recipe courtesy Mike Maroni

Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Meatballs

Ingredients

* 6 ounces good olive oil, not extra-virgin
* 12 cloves garlic, finely sliced
* 1 large or 2 medium Spanish onions, finely diced
* 2 (28-ounce) cans imported crushed tomatoes
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/2 teaspoon white or black pepper
* 1 large handful julienned fresh basil leaves

Directions

In a medium saucepan over medium heat, add oil. Once heated add the finely sliced garlic and onions to the pan. Cook over medium heat until soft and slightly brown. Next add the canned crushed tomatoes, salt and pepper and stir. Allow the sauce to come to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and add the julienned basil.

**

Bobby Flay
Spaghetti and Meatballs

Ingredients
For the Meatballs:

* 2 tablespoons, plus 1 cup pure olive oil
* 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 2 large eggs
* 1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
* 1/2 pound ground chuck
* 1/2 pound ground veal
* 1/2 pound ground pork butt
* 1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
* 1/4 cup dried bread crumbs (made from fresh white bread)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the Tomato Sauce:

* 1/4 cup pure olive oil
* 2 medium Spanish onions, finely chopped
* 4 to 6 cloves garlic, rubbed to paste
* 1 teaspoon red chili flakes
* 1/4 cup tablespoons tomato paste
* 4 (28-ounce) cans plum tomatoes and their juice, mashed up with a whisk
* 2 small Cubano peppers, whole, with some knife slits
* 16 sprigs fresh flat-leaf parsley
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 1 pound (number 8 or 9) spaghetti, cooked al dente
* 3 tablespoons freshly chopped basil leaves
* Wedge Parmigiano-Reggiano
* Fresh parsley sprigs, for garnish

For the meatballs:
Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons of the oil in a small saute pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook until soft, about 1 1/2 minutes.

Whisk together the eggs and parsley in a large bowl. Add the browned garlic, meats and cheese and gently mix together until combined. Begin adding bread crumbs 1 tablespoon at a time until the mixture just holds together. Season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Form the meat into 1 1/2-inch balls.

Heat the remaining 1 cup of oil in a large saute pan over high heat. Add the meatballs and fry until golden brown on all sides. Carefully remove to a baking sheet lined with paper towels.
For the Tomato Sauce:

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic and chili flakes and cook until the onion is soft. Add the tomato paste and cook for 30 seconds.

Stir in the tomatoes and let simmer, uncovered, for about 10 minutes. Add the peppers and parsley sprigs, season with salt and pepper, to taste, bring to a boil and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add the meatballs, reduce the heat to medium and continue cooking until the meatballs have cooked through and the sauce has thickened, about 30 minutes longer.

Drain the spaghetti and return to the pot. Add some of the sauce and toss to coat for about 30 seconds. Stir the chopped basil into the tomato sauce and ladle some of the sauce over the spaghetti and meatballs. Grate lots of Parmesan over the top and garnish with fresh parsley sprigs.

Latest Iron Chef America battle Bananas

2009-07-05T22:40:00.003-05:00

This battle offered up some nice recipes that gave me some ideas. Bananas were main items but also plaintain which I love and have made myself.
Bobby has plantain encrusted red snapper, banana red curry (this sounded sound good) and more . The challenger Sue Torres of Svneos (Mexican fusion fare) from NYC. She had dynamite platings , taco al pastor (never heard of it so I found a recipe and it is posted below), gorditta and plantain encrusted halibut and another carmelized bananas and more.
I thought the plating and food would do the trick. I picked Torres to win by +2 but sort of thought Flay would still win. He did. He beat Torres by +3 in taste (a surprise based on the feedback from the judges) , the plating was a Flay woon by +1 for originality which also surprised me.

Tacos al Pastor
Bon Appétit | May 2008
by Steven Raichlen
Bon Appétit
ingredients
1 large white onion, halved
1 pineapple, peeled, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch-thick rounds
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
1/4 cup distilled white vinegar
1/4 cup guajillo chile powder
3 garlic cloves, halved
2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
1 teaspoon dried oregano (preferably Mexican)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 large or 2 small chipotle chiles and 1 to 2 teaspoons adobo from canned chipotle chiles in adobo
1 2 1/2-to 3-pound boneless pork loin, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Corn tortillas
Smoky Two-Chile Salsa
Lime wedges

preparation
Coarsely chop 1 onion half. Coarsely chop 2 pineapple rounds, discarding core; cover and chill remaining pineapple. Place chopped onion and chopped pineapple in blender. Add orange juice and next 7 ingredients; puree marinade until smooth. Place pork in large resealable plastic bag. Add marinade and seal bag, releasing excess air. Turn to coat. Chill at least 4 hours and up to 1 day.
Prepare barbecue (medium-high heat). Grill remaining pineapple until warm and slightly charred, 4 to 6 minutes per side. Grill pork with some marinade still clinging until slightly charred and cooked through, 2 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer pineapple and pork to work surface; chop pineapple into 1/2-inch cubes, discarding cores. Chop pork. Transfer to platter; toss to combine.
Meanwhile, finely chop remaining onion half and place in medium bowl. Add cilantro; toss to combine. Grill tortillas until warm and slightly charred, about 10 seconds per side.
Serve pork-pineapple mixture with onion-cilantro relish, Smoky Two-Chile Salsa, and lime wedges.
Test-kitchen tip:
To make your own guajillo chile powder, finely grind about 6 large dried seeded guajillo chiles in a spice mill to yield about 1/4 cup powder.
add your own note

Recipe Finds : Bobby Flay's crabcakes in Maine battle

2009-07-05T22:34:00.003-05:00

I usually make salmon croquettes or salmon cakes or tuna cakes. I’ve eaten some crab cakes though.
Crabcakes were front and center at Bobby Flay’s throwdown that took place in Maine showcasing the cakes at The Lobster Dock in Booth Bay Harbor, Maine.

Texture
Flavor and
Crabiness

In a rare win, Bobby bested the owners and their Crab crabs. Here is the winning recipe. I might use a similar recipe and adapt it for tuna or salmon.

Sponsored by: Bobby Flay
Blue Corn Crab Cakes with Black Olive-Red Pepper Relish and Basil Vinaigrette

Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay

Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Crab Cakes

Ingredients

* 6 tablespoons olive oil
* 1 medium red onion, diced
* 2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
* 2 jalapenos, diced
* 1/4 cup prepared horseradish, drained
* 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
* 1/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream
* 2 pounds lump crabmeat, picked over
* 2 to 4 tablespoons instant flour (recommended: Wondra)
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper
* 2 cups blue cornmeal
* Black Olive-Roasted Red Pepper Relish, recipe follows
* Basil Vinaigrette, recipe follows

Directions

Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a medium saute pan over high heat. Add the onion, garlic and jalapenos and cook until soft. Remove from the heat and set aside to cool slightly.

In a mixing bowl, whisk together the horseradish, mustard, creme fraiche until combined. Stir in the onion mixture. Add the crabmeat and 2 tablespoons of the flour and gently fold to combine; season with salt and pepper. If the mixture appears too loose, add more flour, tablespoons at a time. Refrigerate, covered for at least 1 hour or up to 1 day.

Divide the chilled crab mixture into 8 patties about 1/2-inch thick. Dredge each cake in the corn chips or cornmeal and tap off excess.

Heat the remaining 4 tablespoons olive oil in a large nonstick saute pan over high heat and fry the cakes for about 3 minutes on each side, or until crusty and lightly browned. Place 2 crab cakes on a dinner plate and top each cake with a tablespoon of the relish and drizzle with the vinaigrette.

Black Olive-Roasted Red Pepper Relish:

* 2 roasted red peppers, peeled, seeded and diced
* 1/4 cup kalamata olives, pitted and chopped
* 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
* 3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 tablespoons basil chiffonade
* Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and season with salt and pepper. Let sit at room temperature for at least 30 minutes before serving.

Basil Vinaigrette:

* 1 cup chopped fresh basil leaves
* 1/4 cup mayonnaise
* 3 tablespoons white wine vinegar
* Water
* 2 teaspoons honey
* 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
* Kosher salt

Combine the basil, mayonnaise, vinegar and a little water in a blender and blend until smooth. Add the honey, olive oil and salt, to taste, and blend a few more seconds.

Wish List Recipe Finds: Breakfast in Louisville, Kentucky

2009-07-02T19:47:00.005-05:00

We don’t have time to do many grand breakfasts except for the weekend. I like to make eggs and different types of french toast and sometimes I even use recipes that I find. These recipes are ones that whole or in part , I will try.

These recipe,were featured in Breakfast Throwdown on the Food Network. The french onion rings and ham made the win.

Recipe courtesy Lynn's Paradise Cafe, Louisville Kentucky

Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Breakfast

Ingredients

* 1 tablespoon butter
* 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
* 8 ounces diced boneless country ham
* 1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
* 12 large eggs, whisked until well blended
* 4 ounces grated Jarlsberg cheese (recommended: Kenny's Country)
*
* Salt and pepper

Directions

Heat a nonstick 12-inch saute pan over medium heat. Add butter and oil and swirl around the pan until melted. Add the country ham and saute until it begins to brown, about 3 minutes. Turn heat to low. Stir in roasted red peppers and beaten eggs. After the eggs begin to set, stir slowly from edge to edge with a heat-resistant rubber spatula until large curds form. This will take 5 minutes or so. When eggs are still moist and slightly runny, fold in the grated cheese and season with salt and pepper.

Remove the pan from the heat and serve with fried green tomatoes
and buttermilk biscuits with sorghum butter.

**

bourbon Whipped cream French Toast

Ingredients
Batter:

* 6 eggs
* 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
* 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
* 1/8 teaspoon salt
* 1 1/4 cups milk
* 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

French Toast:

* 1 (16-ounce) loaf firm textured bread, preferably a baguette
* Canola oil, for frying
* Bourbon Vanilla Custard, recipe follows
* Chocolate syrup
* Kentucky Bourbon Whipped Cream, recipe follows
* 1 pint fresh sliced strawberries
* 1 cup toasted pecan halves

Directions

For the batter: Beat all batter ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl. Set aside.

For the French Toast: Slice the baguette into 18 thick slices. Soak the slices in the batter for about 3 minutes, turning to coat evenly on each side. Heat oil in a large saute pan over medium-high heat. Lift the bread from the batter and place it in the hot pan. Add only enough slices to fit easily in the pan. Saute on both sides until golden brown. Keep warm until all slices have been cooked.

Place 3 slices on each plate. Drizzle with warm Bourbon Vanilla Custard. Garnish with chocolate syrup and Kentucky Bourbon Whipped Cream. Top with sliced strawberries and toasted pecan halves. Serve immediately.
Bourbon Vanilla Custard:

2 cups half-and-half

1 cup heavy cream

4 large egg yolks

1/2 cup sugar

4 teaspoons cornstarch

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1/3 cup Kentucky bourbon

Heat half-and-half and whipping cream in a small saucepan over low heat, until the mixture begins to simmer. Remove from heat and set aside.

Whisk egg yolks, sugar and cornstarch in a stainless steel bowl for about 2 minutes or until the mixture thickens and lightens in color. Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture, whisking constantly. Return the custard to the saucepan and place over low heat. Stir constantly until the mixture reaches 170 degrees F. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla and bourbon. Serve immediately or hold over a hot water bath.

Yield: 3 1/2 cups
Kentucky Bourbon Whipped Cream:

2 cups heavy cream

3 tablespoons powdered sugar

3 tablespoons Kentucky bourbon

Whip cream in well chilled mixing bowl just until soft peaks form. Add powdered sugar and bourbon and whip just long enough to incorporate. Taste and adjust flavors. Chill until ready for use.

**
White Peach-Bourbon French Toast with White Peach-Pecan Maple Syrup
Ingredients

* 6 large eggs
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 2 cups whole milk
* 1/4 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup white peach puree
* 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
* 4 slices day old brioche, sliced 1/2-inch thick
* 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
* 4 tablespoons vegetable oil
* White Peach-Pecan Maple Syrup, recipe follows
* Mint sprigs, for garnish

Directions

Whisk together eggs, sugar and salt in a large bowl. Add the milk, cream and peach puree and vanilla and whisk until combined. Place brioche in a large baking dish, pour custard over and turn to coat. Let sit for 5 minutes.

Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over high heat. Add 4 slices of the soaked bread and cook until golden brown, flip over and continue cooking until golden brown on the second side. Place 1 slice of the French toast on a plate, ladle some of the peach syrup on top. Top with a second slice of toast and ladle more of the peaches on top. Garnish with a mint sprig.
White Peach-Pecan Maple Syrup:

1 cup pure maple syrup

4 ripe white peaches, peeled, pitted and cut into 1/8ths

1/4 cup coarsely chopped toasted pecans

1/2 cup bourbon, optional

Heat maple syrup over low heat in a medium saucepan. Add the peaches, pecans and bourbon and let simmer for 10 minutes.

My take on things : Food Network- Adam Gertler is next joke for the Food Network Star

2009-07-02T18:50:00.005-05:00

Guy Fieri is the real deal. This current crop of The Next Food Network stars are a real good crop . There are many that I think may win or have a shot. A couple years ago, that was not the case. The ultimate winner was actually bumped in the semis by a guy who claimed to be a war veteran, wasn't a great chef or cook and has just made it through all the rounds. Last year was a strange one indeed . Aaron McCargo won but did not seem until the last finale, whether he was going to get it down. And he is quite good. But somehow in that current crop, this joke of a guy ( and I don't mean it kindly), Aaron Gertler, made it near to the semi even though he could not cook, made terrible dishes and his performances were far from stellar. Now Food Network has put this joker on his own show and in some other places. I guess he "would work for food" and Food Network has doled out a new show for which is not deserving. Now the fan favorite, (from last year), Kelsey, the judges did not like her. But now she has her own series of shows. At least she can cook and is perky. Adam is just a complete joke. I wonder what comes next for FN.

Food Finds : Bananas and Banana Chutneys

2009-06-21T10:36:00.001-05:00

Bananas are supposed to be kept outside in the air. In Gourmet magazine, (7/2009), there was a small article about bananas. I know bananas don’t go in refrigerators. But do you know why? Their skin (not necessarily their fruit) breaks down and turns dark brown in 24 hours as the cold air damages the tissue peel . The tissue then release browning enzymes which actually work more slowly in the cold. So if the bananas are already ripe , you can then place them in the refrigerator.
Chutney recipes are akin to Mexican salsas. These condiments come with fruit, vegetable, and other foods of all types. One usual one is banana chutneys that I ran across while researching bananas. Give one or both of these a try with beef, chicken or fish.

www.africhef.com/Banana-Chutney-Recipe.html
B a n a n a C h u t n e y

B a n a n a s , i n c o m m o n w i t h m a n y o t h e r f r u i t s c a n b e u s e d f o r m a k i n g c h u t n e y .

T h i s S o u t h A f r i c a n r e c i p e f o r B a n a n a C h u t n e y i s e a s y t o p r e p a r e a n d t h e r e s u l t a n t c h u t n e y i s w e l l w o r t h t h e s l i g h t e f f o r t r e q u i r e d .

C H U T N E Y R E C I P E I N G R E D I E N T S

3 0 b a n a n a s
3 c u p s b r o w n v i n e g a r
2 c u p s b r o w n s u g a r
1 c u p s e e d l e s s r a i s i n s
2 r e d c h i l i e s
1 o n i o n ( m e d i u m )
2 t b s p g r o u n d g i n g e r
1 t b s p s a l t

T o m a k e t h e B A N A N A C H U T N E Y

P e e l t h e o n i o n a n d c h o p f i n e l y .
R e m o v e t h e s e e d s f r o m t h e c h i l i e s a n d c h o p f i n e l y .
P e e l a n d s l i c e t h e b a n a n a s , a b o u t º i n c h ( 1 / 2 c m ) r o u n d s .
C o m b i n e a l l t h e i n g r e d i e n t s a n d s i m m e r i n a s t a i n l e s s s t e e l o r e n a m e l s a u c e p a n f o r 2 h o u r s , u n t i l t h e m i x t u r e r e a c h e s t h e d e s i r e d c o n s i s t e n c y .
B o t t l e a n d s e a l w h i l s t t h e B a n a n a C h u t n e y m i x t u r e i s s t i l l h o t .

B a n a n a c h u t n e y h a s a n u n u s u a l f l a v o r a n d i s a g r e a t a c c o m p a n i m e n t f o r l i g h t c u r r i e s a n d b r e d i e s .
A l s o y o u c a n t r y i t a s a s p r e a d o n b u t t e r e d b r e a d , T h e u n u s u a l f l a v o r m a k e s t h i s a g r e a t t a s t e t r e a t

::
www.indianfoodforever.com/chutney/banana-chutney.html
BANANA CHUTNEY RECIPE

Ingredients:

6 Bananas (Kela), ripe
3/4 cup Vinegar (Sirka)
3 teaspoons Salt (Namak)
1/8 teaspoon of Cinnamon (Dalchini) powder
2 ground Cloves (Lavang)
2 big cardamoms (Elaichi Moti)
1/2 teaspoon Red chili pepper (Lal Mirchi)
1 1/2 cups of Sugar (Cheeni)
4 teaspoons Raisins (Kishmish)
4 teaspoons blanched Almond (Badam)

How to make banana chutney:

* Peel and chop bananas.
* Cook with vinegar to a pulp and then stir in sugar until it dissolves.
* Remove from the fire, raisins, almonds (slit into halves), salt, chili powder and ground spices.
* Cool, stir and pour into clean jars and cork tightly.
* Serve after 2 days.

Recipe Finds : Paellas is an awesome (rice ) dish no matter how you make it

2009-06-05T15:44:00.002-05:00

For me one of the reasons to make Paellas is to make an awesome rice dish that includes other tasty items. I usually make Chicken Paella (see my recipe below) but there are quite a few variations and different ways to make it and items to include or discard. I wanted to pickl up “some new tricks to make mine” and I got that wish when I saw Bobby Flay on TV had a Paella throwdown (6/3/2009) against Girard, the Paella man .

I’ve made my versions before . Since I have beef and parts of chicken and the “seed” has already been planted in my head, it is time to make paella. This one will not have mussels, squid or other ingredients so can it be any good. The classic ones include it mos of the time. .

I have eaten Paella in a Kansas City restaurant that is no longer around. It was very good and had that great crunchy tomato rice with saffron. Watching Bobby’s recipe, I thought I would combine his and several others I found. I need to make one with a little crunch great rice. I wanted mine to have more flavor, more crunch and be more “like the big boys”.

I consulted the the recipes below as well as some in my cookbook collection. These were Spanish (by Pepita Aris), The New World Spanish Table ( by Anya con Bremzen) and Spanish (Hilaire Walden).

It came out well. A little crunch, hint of saffron, good flavors with the olives giving it a little extra salty flavor. The rice imparted an extra flavor to the chicken.

Eric’s Paella
by Eric Flescher

4 pcs. Chicken Breast, thighs or legs, grilled or broiled

1 pinch Saffron in the broth

1 Cup vegetable broth or White Wine

1 Medium Onion (peeled & sliced)

i can 6 Tomatoes (chopped small) add the tomato water

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

3-4 Garlic Cloves sliced

2 Cups Rice (Short or Fancy Grain)- Aboria is the best for this)

2 Cups vegetable stock Chicken Stock or Fish Stock

1 Can Peas (drained)

Sprinkle meat pieces with salt. Grill (you can grill or roast yours) chicken

Heat oil on high in paella pan or large skillet. Add garlic and onion. Let get soft for 2 minutes or so.

Add the rice and constantly stir on high to carmelize the rice. Keep stiiring on high for seveal minutes.

Boil two cups of water and add vegetable, beef or chicken bouillon cube. Add a pinch of saffron and stir to make sure it dissolves in the broth.

Add two cups of the saffron broth and let it boil but turn down to low after all broth enters the pan.

Add I can of tomatoes with the tomato liquid and peas.

Add paprika. Add Chicken and put under the rice.

Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring all ingredients together.

Add salt to taste. At this point the stock should be very strong and tasty.

Rice should be cooked, but dry, almost crunchy.

Add to 300 F in oven for 15 minutes.

Take out of the oven let it rest/cool for 5 minutes.

Enjoy and eat.

**
Paella chicken and more
Recipe courtesy of Amalia Alban
Show: Calling All Cooks
Episode: Seafood Paella/Kosher Pasta
1 whole chicken, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds pork chops with bones
Salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds green beans
4 garlic cloves chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
8 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon saffron
1 1/2 cups lima beans
2 1/2 cups arborio rice
3/4 pounds bay scallops
1 pound shrimp
10 clams in shells
1/4 cup white wine
Chopped parsley

Cut chicken and pork into approximately 2-inch pieces, saving the bones. Sprinkle meat pieces with salt. Heat oil in paella pan or large skillet and saute pork, chicken, and bones until brown on all sides (10 to 15 minutes). It is helpful to count the bones now. Push meat and bones to the sides of pan. In the center, saute green beans, garlic, and tomato for approximately 3 minutes. Add paprika to vegetables in center of pan. Add water, bouillon cube, and saffron. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring all ingredients together. Add salt to taste. At this point the stock should be very strong and tasty. Discard the bones (remember the count). Add lima beans and cook 10 minutes more. Push everything to the sides of the pan, add arborio rice to the middle. Push rice under meats and vegetables so that all the rice is submerged in water. Add scallops. Place shrimp on top and cook at medium to high heat for 20 minutes, adding water if needed. Rice should be cooked, but dry, almost crunchy. Cover with a sheet of newspaper and let rest for 10 minutes. Steam clams in a 1/4 cup of white wine for about 3 to 5 minutes until open. Put clams in shells on top of paella. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve in the same pan.

The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.
**
**
Shellfish and Chicken Paella with Saffron Rice Chorizo and Green Peas
Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2008
Show: Throwdown with Bobby FlayEpisode: Paella
•
Lemon Aioli:
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more for seasoning
• *2 egg yolks
• 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon lemon zest
• 3/4 cup olive oil
• Freshly ground white pepper
Paella:
• 4 plum tomatoes, halved lengthwise
• 1 tablespoon honey
• 1/2 cup olive oil, divided
• Salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 10 cups chicken stock, divided
• Large pinch saffron
• 12 littleneck clams, scrubbed
• 1 (2 1/2-pound) whole chicken, cut in 8 pieces or 4 legs and 4 thighs (dark meat)
• 1/2 pound chorizo, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices
• 1/4 large onion, chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 2 cups Arborio (paella) rice
• 12 mussels, debearded and scrubbed
• 8 large shrimp, peeled and deveined, with tail on
• 8 baby octopus
• 4 baby squid, cleaned and sliced into rings, tentacles reserved, and/or 8 ounces cuttlefish pieces
• 1 cup fresh or frozen peas
• 2 cooked lobsters (1 1/2 pounds each), tails in the shell, split lengthwise, claw meat in the shell or out, as desired
• Freshly chopped flat-leaf parsley leaves, for garnish
• 1/2 cup Lemon Aioli
For the aioli:
Directions
Place the garlic, 1/2 teaspoon salt, egg yolks, lemon juice and zest in a food processor or blender and process until smooth. Slowly add the oil, drop by drop at first, until thickened. Season with salt and white pepper, to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.
For the paella:
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Place the tomatoes in a small baking dish and drizzle with the honey, 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, and salt and pepper, and roast until soft. Set aside.
Bring the chicken stock to a simmer in a medium saucepan and add a large pinch of saffron. Put about 1/2 cup of the stock in another saucepan, add the clams, and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook just until the clams open; remove the clams from the liquid and set aside, reserving the liquid.
Heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil in a very large skillet or paella pan over medium-high heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper and add to the heated pan. Cook until browned on all sides. Remove the chicken pieces to a plate. Add the chorizo, onion and garlic and saute until chorizo has browned and the onions are translucent.
Add the rice, about 7 1/2 cups of the chicken stock, the reserved clam liquid, and any juices from the chicken and bring to a simmer. Nestle the chicken in the rice and let cook, uncovered, until the rice is quite al dente, about 15 minutes. Adjust the heat as necessary to maintain a gentle simmer-the rice on the bottom of the pan should form a dark brown crispy crust by the end of the cooking time. If the stock is disappearing too quickly, just add a bit more of the remaining 2 cups.
Add the mussels, shrimp, octopus, squid, and/or cuttlefish, and peas. Cook until the shrimp are pink and the mussels open. Add the lobster, clams and roasted tomatoes and heat briefly. At this point, you should still be able to see liquid bubbling gently; it will settle when you turn off the heat. Fold in the parsley and lemon aioli and mix until combined, season with salt and pepper, to taste.
*RAW EGG WARNING
Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs. Due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.

**

***

Kosher Paella (15” Paella Pan)

4 pcs. Kosher Half Chicken Breast (cut small)

3-4 Envelopes Puro ground Saffron

1 Cup White Wine

1 Medium Onion (peeled & sliced)

1 Green Pepper (sliced) (Optional)

6 Tomatoes (chopped small)

1/4 Cup Olive Oil

Pimenton (paprika) Sprinkle on Chicken

3-4 Garlic Cloves sliced

2 Cups Rice (Short or Fancy Grain)

4 Cups Chicken Stock or Fish Stock

1 Can Peas (drained)

2 Pimentos (Roasted Red Peppers) (Sliced)

**
Paella chicken and more
Recipe courtesy of Amalia Alban
Show: Calling All Cooks
Episode: Seafood Paella/Kosher Pasta
1 whole chicken, cut into 2-inch pieces
2 1/2 pounds pork chops with bones
Salt
4 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 pounds green beans
4 garlic cloves chopped
2 small tomatoes, chopped
2 teaspoons paprika
8 cups water
1 chicken bouillon cube
1 teaspoon saffron
1 1/2 cups lima beans
2 1/2 cups arborio rice
3/4 pounds bay scallops
1 pound shrimp
10 clams in shells
1/4 cup white wine
Chopped parsley

Cut chicken and pork into approximately 2-inch pieces, saving the bones. Sprinkle meat pieces with salt. Heat oil in paella pan or large skillet and saute pork, chicken, and bones until brown on all sides (10 to 15 minutes). It is helpful to count the bones now. Push meat and bones to the sides of pan. In the center, saute green beans, garlic, and tomato for approximately 3 minutes. Add paprika to vegetables in center of pan. Add water, bouillon cube, and saffron. Cook on medium heat for about 20 minutes, stirring all ingredients together. Add salt to taste. At this point the stock should be very strong and tasty. Discard the bones (remember the count). Add lima beans and cook 10 minutes more. Push everything to the sides of the pan, add arborio rice to the middle. Push rice under meats and vegetables so that all the rice is submerged in water. Add scallops. Place shrimp on top and cook at medium to high heat for 20 minutes, adding water if needed. Rice should be cooked, but dry, almost crunchy. Cover with a sheet of newspaper and let rest for 10 minutes. Steam clams in a 1/4 cup of white wine for about 3 to 5 minutes until open. Put clams in shells on top of paella. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve in the same pan.

The recipes for this program, which were provided by contributors and guests who may not be professional chefs, have not been tested in the Food Network's kitchens. Therefore, the Food Network cannot attest to the accuracy of any of the recipes.
**

Isaiah's Vegetarian Paella
By: What's Cooking?
Mar 16, 2007

This kosher, vegan paella recipe owes its inspiration to Studentchef's "Vegetarian Paella" (Thank you, Studentchef!) This is a variation of that recipe that contains more traditional paella flavors and is made in such a way that creates a "socarrat", the crusty layer of browned, caramelized rice at the bottom of the pan which adds a certain je ne sais quois to paella. The wider your pan is, the thinner the layer of rice will be and the more flavorful, chewy socarrat you will be able to create. You can also try replacing some of the broth with a splash of white wine, and using marinated artichoke hearts in addition to the other vegetables.

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Ingredients

* 1 pinch saffron (approximately 1/2 tsp)
* 1 medium eggplant, cut into large chunks
* 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
* 1 yellow onion, chopped
* 5 garlic cloves, crushed
* 1 yellow pepper, finely chopped
* 1 red bell pepper, finely chopped
* 1 teaspoon dried cilantro
* 2 teaspoons sweet spanish paprika
* 1 cup arborio rice
* 3 1/2 cups vegetable broth
* 1 (15 ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1/2 teaspoon cayenne powder
* 1/2 teaspoon sea salt
* 1 teaspoon dried thyme
* fresh ground black pepper
* 1 cup mushroom, sliced
* 1 cup green beans, cut into thirds
* 1 (15 ounce) can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
* 1/4 cup pitted black olives, sliced
* 1 tablespoon fresh parsley, minced (optional)

Directions

1.
1
Cover saffron with 3 tablespoons of water in a small bowl and set aside. Sprinkle eggplant chunks with salt and allow to sit in a colander for 30 minutes. Rinse and drain the eggplant.
2.
2
Heat the olive oil in a wide, heavy pan. Saute the onion, garlic, cilantro, peppers and eggplant for 5 minutes. Sprinkle with paprika and toss. Then add rice, vegetable stock, tomatoes, saffron (along with the water it's been soaking in), salt, cayenne, thyme and generous amounts of freshly ground black pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Cook for 15 minutes, uncovered. Stir frequently.
3.
3
Add the mushrooms, green beans and chickpeas. Cook uncovered, stirring often, for another 15 minutes or until the rice has become tender but is still al dente, and the sauce has thickened. Additional broth, water or white wine may be added as needed during cooking to keep the rice moist.
4.
4
Turn the heat up to high for 5 minutes or until a browned, caramelized crust forms on the bottom side of the rice. Test for this crust by inserting a fork into the paella and checking for resistance at the bottom. Watch carefully to make sure the rice does not burn. Remove from heat and allow to sit for 5 minutes before garnishing with fresh parsley and olive slices. Serve hot.

Diners, Drive-In and Dives : Restaurant Finds

2009-06-05T11:54:00.002-05:00

More gems like jalapeno mac and cheese and texas red chili

http://phoenix.about.com/od/restreview/gr/lapiazzaalforno.htm

This one has velvety chicken pesto lasagna an d

claxton’s chicken fries where noted in in gourmet magazine

Recipe Finds : Gravlax: It is cold and it sounds gross how it is made but it is delicious

2009-06-03T08:03:00.002-05:00

Gravlax: It is cold and it sounds gross how it is made but it is delicious

I liked Disney World in Orland, FL but I loved Epcot Center. The best thing in Disney was the super roller coaster ride (forgot name) but I loved the country pavilions in Epcot. Spaceship Earth was neat and surround 360 degree movie in the China (I believe ) stands out.

While at Epcot Disney World years ago, I remember we ate in the Mexican pavilion , kidney pie in the English one and more. but this stood out.

Gravlax is dill cured cold salmon. But what I remember the most is eating at a wonderful buffet at what I thought was the Norwegian pavilion. However now that I think of it was the Le Cellerier restaurant in the Canada Showcase pavilion. It is still here but it is a steakhouse and has the buffet
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningdetail.cfm?Restaurant.ID=137

You can search all of the restaurants in the area at
http://www.wdwinfo.com/wdwinfo/dining/diningmain.cfm

Their signature dish is Canadian Cheddar Cheese Soup. However it is not in my cookbook. However the restaurant stood out because of the buffet which at that time was reasonably priced. All I remember the buffet looked great and it was. There were many tasty items and one was this entree.

In my collection is The Mickey Mouse cookbook. This book is a lot of fun and has many electic recipes from all over the world via the restaurants that popular the two entertainment parts Disney World and Epcot Center. The incredible recipes are published here to showcas the cooking of kitchens in Epcot and Disney World. One of them is gravlax.
Main ingredients are 4 lbs of salmon
2 tbl coarse salt
2 tbl white peppercorn ground
2 tbl sugar
.5 cup chopped fresh dill
additional dill if wanted

Combine and refrigerate for at least 24 hrs (turning 3 or 4 times).
Prepare into thin slices and use Mustard sauce
(french mustard, white vinegar, white pepper, Dijon mustard, sugar, vegeable oil, fresh dill)

But I also found another one.

http://scandinavianfood.about.com/od/cookingtechniques/ss/gravlaxhowto.htm

Extreme Eats: Artery clogging dangerous foods

2009-06-02T18:47:00.003-05:00

ABC had news about these artery clogging dangerous foods. There are many like these that many people don't know about or don't know how dangerous they are . I have also posted (left side of my blog) about the valuable books which everyone should get , Eat This Not That.

http://blogs.abcnews.com/theworldnewser/2009/06/extreme-eating-worst-deepfried-restaurant-dishes.html

Red Lobster Ultimate Fondue and Applebee’s Quesadilla Burger (a bacon cheeseburger stuffined into a quesadilla which packs 1,820 calories. Chili’s Big Moutgh Bites 4 mini bacon cheeseburgers

cheesecake factory fried macaroni and cheese 1,1570 calories and 69 grams of saturated fat.

more at

http://cspinet.org/new/200906021.html

Dr. Eric Flescher (dreric1kansas@aol.com), Kansas City Traveling Gourmet
http://cpmputergourmet.blogspot.com/

Recipe Finds: Gazpacho

2009-06-01T20:47:00.006-05:00

My wife had left for Chicago for a couple of weeks to visit family. So while she is away, I don’t play. A stormchase did not pan out today so I watched the French Open, did some errands, worked on cleaning my office and also shopping for food for dinner.

My plan was to make the Spanish soup called gazpacho which we love. If I opened a restaurant, gazpacho, in some form, would be on the menu. The reasons is its fresh, flavorful and makes a good meal no matter what you do.

I have made several different ones. However I had seen one of Anne Burrel, an American chef and instructor at the Institute of Culinary Education in New York City, on her new TV show. But I recognized her first as Burrell is best known as one of Iron Chef Mario Batali's sous chefs in the American television spin-off series Iron Chef America.. Her wispy great spiked hair is unmistakable. The show is a little quirky but she has some very good recipes and she knows her stuff.

She made this recipe and it looked a good one to try.

I found out more about her.

Never tried gazpacho? Well I have several times but this I am always on the lookout for new gazpacho recipes. This one is perfect for anytime but particularly summer as it fresh, cool and goes with so many meals. This one was a good accompaniment for my steak and backed potato.

But I added a little twist to this recipe. I used crushed tomato instead of real tomatoes and did not use tomato juice. This made it more chunky which I like but you can make it less chunky. Also I added a Serrano pepper and several minced jalapeno peppers. I liked the little extra kick. ( Don't want the little heat, skip it!).

My rating 9.6/10

I discovered there are different kinds of gazpacho which I will try this summer. Another ones below is an unusual one from Michelle Bernstein, a noted Miami chef that has Latin over tones. I have to try this one this summer too. If you get it to first , let me know.

More of her recipes: http://www.foodnetwork.com/anne-burrell/recipes/index.html

Gazpacho

Recipe courtesy Anne Burrell
Ingredients

* 8 slices white bread, crusts removed, bread broken into big chunks
* 2 pounds tomatoes, seeded
* 1 English cucumber, peeled
* 1 large white onion
* 1 green bell pepper, seeds and pith removed
* 2 garlic cloves, smashed
* Kosher salt
* High quality extra-virgin olive oil
* 2 to 3 tablespoons sherry vinegar
* 1/2 cup to 1 cup tomato juice, if needed

Directions

For the soup:

Soak the bread, in a medium bowl of water to soften, about 15 to 20 minutes. Squeeze out the excess water and place in a large bowl. Coarsely chop the tomatoes, 2/3 of the cucumber, 1/2 the onion, and 1/2 the pepper and add to the bread. Add the garlic, season with salt, and drizzle with olive oil. Mix to combine and let sit for about 20 to 30 minutes to allow the flavors to marry and to let the salt pull some moisture out of the tomatoes.

Meanwhile, for the garnish, dice the remaining cucumber, onion and green pepper into perfect 1/4-inch dice and reserve.

Working in batches, puree the tomato/bread mixture in a blender with the vinegar. Blend in tomato juice to loosen the mixture, if needed. Remove soup to a large bowl and stir in about 1/2 cup of high quality olive oil. Taste for salt and add more, if needed.

Chill. Serve cold garnished with the diced cucumber, pepper and onion. Drizzle with a little more olive oil, if desired.

How refreshing!

**
Bernstein's Almond, Grape and Cucumber Gazpacho
T h i s l i g h t s o u p f r o m C h e f M i c h e l l e B e r n s t e i n i s i d e a l o n a w a r m s u m m e r n i g h t a n d o n l y t a k e s m i n u t e s t o m a k e , a l l w i t h o u t u s i n g t h e s t o v e .

B y M i c h e l l e B e r n s t e i n
T e x t S i z e : A | A | A
S h a r e |
P r i n t
E m a i l

* D i g g
* R e d d i t
* D e l . i c i o . u s
* K a b o o d l e
* W h a t i s s h a r e ?

P h o t o C r e d i t I l l u s t r a t i o n b y M i c h a e l T o l a n d

M o r e f r o m D e l i s h

* M i c h e l l e B e r n s t e i n
* M i c h e l l e B e r n s t e i n ' s C r a b s w i t h F e t a , W a t e r m e l o n a n d A r u g u l a
* B o s t o n C h e f G a b r i e l B r e m e r ' s W h i t e G a z p a c h o
* H a z e l n u t T h y m e M a t c h s t i c k s
* G r e e n G a z p a c h o w i t h S h r i m p

R e c i p e c o u r t e s y o f C h e f M i c h e l l e B e r s t e i n .

I N G R E D I E N T S
1 Ω c u p S p a n i s h M a r c o n a a l m o n d s ( s a l t e d )
Ω t e a s p o o n f r e s h , p e e l e d g a r l i c
Ω t a b l e s p o o n p e e l e d s h a l l o t
2 c u p s c u c u m b e r s , ( E n g l i s h , i f a v a i l a b l e ) , p e e l e d a n d c h o p p e d
2 c u p s s e e d l e s s g r e e n g r a p e s
1 - t a b l e s p o o n f r e s h d i l l
1 Ω c u p s c o l d v e g e t a b l e b r o t h
Ω c u p e x c e l l e n t q u a l i t y e x t r a v i r g i n o l i v e o i l
1 - t a b l e s p o o n s h e r r y v i n e g a r
2 t a b l e s p o o n s d r y s h e r r y w i n e
S a l t a n d B l a c k p e p p e r , t o t a s t e

P R E P A R A T I O N

1 . I n a b l e n d e r , a d d t h e a l m o n d s , g a r l i c , s h a l l o t , c u c u m b e r , g r a p e s , d i l l a n d b r o t h a n d p u r e e u n t i l v e r y s m o o t h .

2 . W h i l e b l e n d e r i s r u n n i n g , a d d t h e v i n e g a r , s h e r r y w i n e , a n d d r i z z l e i n t h e o l i v e o i l .

3 . P l a c e f i n i s h e d s o u p i n t h e c o o l e r u n t i l c h i l l e d .

4 . S e r v e w i t h a g a r n i s h o f s l i c e d g r a p e s , c r u s h e d a l m o n d s a n d d i l l .

Culinary Combat : Battle Skirt steak NYC chef against Iron Chef America Morimoto

2009-05-31T21:40:00.003-05:00

Peekytoe crab with pineapple foam; pork belly with miso-butterscotch; Arctic char; sassafras cake with smoked vanilla ice cream; apple with cumin ice cream; chocolate with sesame ice cream. Those are the top hits for this restaurant. But in a Iron Chef America battle Skirt Steak pairing the chef of Tailor Soho, Sam Mason and Iron Chef American Fusion chef , Masaharu Morimoto. Here the battle raged on with Beef as the main course or part of the battle. It was spirited battle. Mason paired different ingredients with the entrees like grilled steak with creme brulee , cocoa fried skirt steak (I must find a recipe for his) and an unusual skirt steak ice cream (yes!).
Morimoto focused on variety of textures . One was steak tartare , egg and pear with mango, papaya and jalapeno (I’ve got to find a similar recipe) and more . He had a slight edge in variety I thought. As my custom, before the verdict, I choose the winner. But then how close was I. Usually close within 2 to 3 points and on the right side of the battle. My conclusion this time was quite good. My thoughts were Morimoto winning by +5. He won by +7 so I was right in “the ball park”.
Morimoto beat the challenger by +4 in taste.
With Plating, Morimoto won +3.
Originality, I was a little surprised was a draw 12 to 12.
So there you have it .

Here is more about the restaurant and the Iron Chef America too.

http://events.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/dining/reviews/21rest.html?em&ex=1195880400&en=2b34c2a95754f251&ei=5087%0A

More about Masaharu Morimoto .

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Masaharu_Morimoto

Recipe Finds : Cajun monkfish jambalaya

2009-05-31T19:34:00.005-05:00

You can cook Cajun in Kansas City or anywhere but you have to find the recipes first. I have many in my cookbooks , on my computer and been to New Orleans but way before Katrina hit . So cooking Cajun brings me a little closer now to New Orleans. But I saw this jambalaya recipe and wanted to find it. I swear AOl and other websites are making it more difficult to find the recipes and information that supposedly it is said on their pages. I saw a title for Deep south jambalaya with Monkfish but could not find it among all the clutter , the slide show features and more . Where was the recipe? Why do they do this? To keep you on the page longer to look at their ads, so they can get more money or tell their ad people how long they were on the pages so as to get more money. I don't have time for this foolishness. I am pretty good at "googling" and I found a recipe quickly. Here is one like. If you are kosher, don't like shellfish/ shrimp cut it out and make it. Monkfish is a very ugly fish but it is sure tasty. I love Cajun and Creole cooking and recipes (no they are not too spicy) and this one should be real good. If you try it before it email me along with your take on Cajun or Creole food. I will have to post my Acadian Pepper Chicken which was in the Kansas City Star awhile back and was published in several Bon Appetite books.

The spicy tomato flavour and aroma of this easy-going rice dish make it really appealing. Tender monkfish, juicy prawns and plenty of vegetables all combine to make a well-balanced, complete meal.

Ingredients

3 tbsp olive oil
1 large Spanish onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
½ head of celery, finely diced and leaves reserved for garnish
1 red pepper, deseeded and chopped
½ tsp chilli powder, or to taste
1 tsp ground cumin
225g long-grain rice
2 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme or 1 tsp dried
300g skinned monkfish fillet, cut into 4 pieces
8 peeled, raw tiger prawns, about 75g in total (optional)
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley
TO SERVE 1 lemon, cut lengthways into 4 wedges

Preparation method

Put the oil in a large, deep frying pan and heat gently. Add the onion, garlic, celery, red pepper, chilli and cumin. Cook, stirring often, for 10–12 minutes until softened. Add the rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes.
Drain the tomatoes in a sieve over a measuring jug or bowl. Reserve the juice, then add the tomatoes to the rice. Sprinkle over the thyme, stir well and reduce the heat a little.
Make up the tomato juice to 1 litre with boiling water, pour into the pan and stir well. Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover the pan with the lid slightly ajar, and simmer gently for 10 minutes.
Season the rice to taste, then place the pieces of monkfish on top. Continue cooking, partly covered as before, for 5 minutes. Stir the rice carefully and turn the monkfish over, then add the prawns. Partly cover the pan again and cook for a further 5 minutes or until the prawns have turned pink, the monkfish pieces are cooked, and the rice is tender. The dish should be moist, not dry.
Remove from the heat, cover tightly and leave for 5 minutes. Scatter the celery leaves and parsley over the top and serve with lemon wedges to squeeze over.

cook's tip

If you can't find raw tiger prawns, you can use cooked peeled prawns. Add them at the very end of cooking just to warm through, before you leave the dish to stand before serving.

Similar recipes

Nutrition

Calories 400kcal
Protein 22g
Fat 9g
saturates 1g
Carbohydrate 62g
sugars 12g
Fibre 4g
Sodium 189mg
Vegetables 360g

Related categorie

Restaurant Find : the President comes to NYC and Blue Hill

2009-05-31T18:34:00.003-05:00

A trip to New York City was my destination a week ago (as well as in March). While am still working on putting up the review, account and pics I wanted to post this interesting event On May 31, I saw on TV that President and his wife were in New York City too but not for a graduation like my son’s, but for a Broadway play and date not out. Instead of a burger joint, they hit this trendy romantic spot. This restaurant gets stellar reviews.

http://www.bluehillfarm.com/

The menu has a eclectic country and farm related entrees that reflect utilizing fresh produce from nearby. Interesting farm related vegan foods and much more . These range from $14-18, ICE SPINACH SOUP, PICKLED SHITAKE MUSHROOMS , MORELS, RAMPS AND PINE NUTS, GREENHOUSE GREENS AND HERBS, ROASTED AND CONFIT MUSHROOMS LETTUCE AND MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE, GRILLED ASPARAGUS
CURED IMMATURE EGGS, CURRIED ALMONDS AND STONE BARNS MÂCHÉ
SPRING VEGETABLE SALAD
MARINATED AND RAW VEGETABLES, PISTACHIOS AND STONE BARNS GREENS HOMEMADE RICOTTA CHEESE
SPANISH MACKEREL
STONE BARNS RED OAK LETTUCE, POACHED RHUBARB AND MARINATED FENNEL
STONE BARNS BORDEAUX SPINACH AND RAMP RAVIOLI
CRUSHED POTATOES AND SALAMI
MAINE CRABMEAT
STONE BARNS FOCEA LETTUCE, DANDELION GREENS AND PINE NUTS YOGURT SORBET

and entrees are 28-32

WRECKFISH
VEGETABLE PISTOU, FIDDLEHEAD FERNS AND RAMPS
WINTERED OVER' PARSNIPS AND ASPARAGUS PADDLEFISH ROE
HUDSON VALLEY CHICKEN (STYLE OF SPRING POT AU FEU)
GRASS FED LAMB
BRAISED LAMB BELLY, RAMPS AND STINGING NETTLES
CAULIFLOWER STEAK
GRASS FED LAMB
BRAISED LAMB BELLY, RAMPS AND STINGING NETTLES
CAULIFLOWER STEAK
ASPARAGUS, DRIED FRUIT AND ALMONDS

Recipe Finds: Using the vile Durian that the Bizarre Foods host won't eat

2009-05-27T17:12:00.006-05:00

Andrew Zimmerm hosts Travel Channel's Bizzare Food TV show. Many items that most find disgusting he likes and eats. However one he does not like is the durian, a stinky fruit. Here is a recipe in case you find it. I don't think I will but you can.

Durian Ice Cream

By Rhonda Parkinson, About.com

While durian is not native to China, both China and Hong Kong are major import markets for this distinctive looking fruit. The sweet flavor and thick texture of durian makes it perfect for ice cream. Use fresh durian if possible.

Ingredients:

4 to 6 segments fresh, frozen or canned durian, as needed to make 4 ounces durian paste
2 large egg yolks
3 tablespoons granulated sugar, or to taste
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
1 cup light cream
1 cup whole milk

Preparation:

Remove the seeds from the durian. Use an electric mixer to mix the flesh into a paste. Press the paste through a fine sieve. You should have 4 ounces durian paste at this point. (If not, use more durian). Chill the durian paste until ready to use.

In a medium bowl, whisk the eggs with the vanilla essence and sugar.

Bring the milk and cream to a near boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low. Pour in the egg mixture, stirring constantly to thicken. Take care not to let the mixture boil, or the milk will curdle (if you see bubbles forming at the edge of the saucepan, take it off the stove element).

Allow the custard to cool. Chill the custard in the freezer for 30 to 45 minutes, until it is just beginning to harden. Gradually stir in the durian paste, a tablespoon at a time.

Either continue freezing, stirring several times throughout, or finish the ice cream in an ice cream maker.

Robin's hair is lackluster but this recipe shines : Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Olives, Tuna and String Cheese

2009-05-26T10:47:00.008-05:00

There is just something I can't put my finger on. She is bright and she has some great recipes that shine. But here is so "dull and lackluster" I cringe. Still this recipe is a winner.

Robin Miller
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash with Tomatoes, Olives, Tuna and String Cheese

Recipe courtesy Robin Miller

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Ingredients

* 2 medium spaghetti squash, halved lengthwise
* 1 (14-ounce) can diced tomatoes
* 1/2 cup pimento-stuffed green olives, chopped
* 1 teaspoon dried oregano
* Salt and ground black pepper
* 2 tablespoons green olive brine (from the olive jar)
* 2 (6- *white tuna
* 1/4 cup chopped fresh basil leaves

Directions

Arrange the spaghetti squash halves in the bottom of a slow cooker.

In a medium bowl, combine the tomatoes, olives, oregano, and 1/2 teaspoon each of salt and black pepper. Spoon the mixture over the spaghetti squash. Pour the olive brine in the slow cooker. Cover and cook on LOW for 6 to 8 hours or on HIGH for 3 to 4 hours.

When ready to serve, using a fork, "loosen" the squash slightly, creating spaghetti-like strands. Spoon the tomato sauce over the squash, top each piece with some tuna, string cheese, and basil and serve.

Restaurant Finds: Impeccible, French, pricey but memorable

2009-05-19T23:08:00.002-05:00

Tatsu's is a prize winning restaurant, has a prominent chef and has been in place since 1982. So I was curious. Why the Urbanspoon ranking for this restauran did not have it listed in the top 100 restaurants in the area. Foodies have rated it on Urbanspoon at 96%. The French restaurants in the Kansas City area rated Tatsu's only #4. Apparently to acquire a better ranking more "bodies and reviews" are needed. Or is it a set of different factors?

Possibly more people don't know about this place, I wondered? I never knew it was here even though I have passed by the locality during my years, having come to Kansas in 1981. It is in Prairie Village but tucked around the corner on Roe Ave, hard to see. Many might not know it exists because you don't see it from the road. Another reason are the prices. I have never been here before as the prices are quite steep, usually "out of our league" only for special occasions. But as I quickly found out - you get what you pay for.

Another reason is French food is not my "forte". I had a meal in Boston once but not lately. I took 3 years of French in high school in Providence, RI, used the language in Africa haggling over prices (we were featured in Traavel & Leisure magazine!). I've even tried some French recipes. But that’s my affinity to France and French food. I thought it was all just "sauces". I don’t intend ever to be in Paris. There are too many places I want to go and see. Conjuring up French food is not my priority or for that matter eating it. But after the trip to this impeccable restaurant , I might have to change my mind after we went here after a KU graduation.

I did not know what to expect. I was very impressed with the layout of the restaurant and ambiance.The subdued tones of the rooms and lighting were to my liking. It was light enough the menu could be read, which was impressive in itself. It can be romantic. There are secluded spots in this restaurant that has been expanded. The tables were full as people chatted nicely while trying to decide what to order. My preference for selection is food that I don't normally eat or make at home (I love cook and try all types of recipes). If you are going to eat the "same stuff", why go out?

Something different, something that sings “satori (aha)” and something that I will remember, is what I search for. So I chose the Veal sweat breads instead of my second choice, the oxtails. Why ? Because the amiable waitress suggested it. And a good waitstaff person should know and have tried the meals. She made the right choice and so did I, for a memorable meal.

We munched on the crisp bread while talking and waiting for appetizers and soup. The Escargot de Bourgoune ($8.95), as many know, are the mollusc's (huge snails) braised with mushrooms and parsley butter. These were thinly sliced, were moist, meaty and savory with a subtle taste. Never had tasted these before and trying to "pin down" for something like this food is definitely a way to refine and exercise my palate. The cold vichychoise (potato soup) has a smooth, nice of the potatoes, taste. If it has leeks in the recipe, I could not detect it. The salads.

As part of my entree, I chose the excellent Goat Cheese salad with mixed greens, walnuts, strawberries, blueberries with a very thick raspberry vinaigrette ( I liked this and have to search for a recipe for this one !). I chose the Ris de Veau, veal sweet breads ($ 25.95) simmered in the special wine sauce. The sweetbreads were cooked perfectly and were impressively soft. Each "lobe" had a delicate taste that is unlike anything I have ever tasted in all my travels. I savoured every bite and did so "slowly". I had found a “satori “ food that I hoped to remember.

Others chose the roasted boneless duck with peppercorn cream sauce (that might have been my choice too but next time at $25.95) and fresh salmon with champagne sauce and lemon butter sauce ($22.95).

As for the dessert , the Grand Marnier Souffle, had to be ordered ahead of time. It was very impressive and light in its puffed shell, with grand Marnier liquor, served with a light cream and raspberry sauce. It was well received and I got a small bite of this airy dessert. I don’t usually try desserts, but I had my eye on the the Tatsu’s Delight. A triple layer of pasty with custard in between topped with Chantilly cream, shaved chocolate and fruit. It was impressive too.

Everyone enjoyed their impressive meals. The place was closing soon so we had to be bid adieu (say goodbye) . Until next time , I will have to try some French recipes and think about those oxtails or the duck. But menu here change so who knows? Bon chance (good luck ). When you come, you will be pleased and remember the place and the meals as we did. Coming here again is quite a possibility for us in the near future. That is a a better chance then my making it to Paris. I have too many other places I desire to experience. Until then, creating more French palate pleasers on my own is a definitely possibility. Changing your mind, refining your palate is what it is all about, perhaps.

Recipe Finds : Fat belly diet recipes to try

2009-05-19T20:56:00.002-05:00

I found these on AOL in their slide "let's make it this way to make more advertising dollars" show. I've posted them here for your use.
HUMMUS, OLIVE AND TOMATO
Spread 2 tbsp. hummus on each half of a toasted whole wheat English muffin. Top each half with 5 thinly sliced olives and a slice of tomato. Have 1 medium orange. Total calories: 362
MEDITERRANEAN SALAD
Toss 1/2 c chickpeas, rinsed and drained, with 1/2 c halved cherry tomatoes, 1 chopped cucumber, 10 large black olives, and 1 tbsp.. lemon juice. Serve with 1 toasted large whole wheat pita. Total calories: 398
WAFFLES FLORENTINE
Prepare 2 whole grain waffles and spread with 2 tbsp. black olive tapenade. Top with 1/2 c egg whites, scrambled in cooking spray, and 3/4 c spinach leaves. Have 1/2 c green or red grapes. Total calories: 393
ROAST BEEF SANDWICH
Toast 2 slices whole wheat bread and spread with 2 tbsp. green olive tapenade. Top with 3 oz. organic deli roast beef. Have 1 medium pear. Total calories: 400
GRAB & GO CHEESE & CRACKERS
Mix 1/2 c fat-free cottage cheese with 1 c chopped red bell pepper and 10 sliced large black olives. Serve with 6 small whole wheat crackers. Have 1 medium apple. Total calories: 378
SPANISH-STYLE EGGS
Fry 1 whole egg with 1 egg white in 1 tsp. olive oil. Place on top of 1/2 c salsa and 10 sliced large green olives. Eat with 6" whole wheat tortilla. Total calories: 383
ALMOND BUTTER WITH FRESH FRUIT SPREAD
1 slice whole wheat bread with 2 tbsp. almond butter. Eat with 1/2 c each sliced strawberries and sliced kiwifruit. Total calories: 350
MANGO WALNUT SALAD
Top 3 c spinach with 1/2 c chopped mango, 1/4 c sliced red bell pepper, 4 chopped baby carrots, 2 tbsp. walnuts, 2 tbsp. vinaigrette, and 1 tbsp. raisins. Eat with 1/2 large whole wheat pita. Total calories: 395
CHICKEN LETTUCE WRAPS
Spread 6 Bibb lettuce leaves with 2 tbsp. hummus and top with 3 oz. sliced grilled chicken and 2 tbsp. walnuts. Also have 1 c raspberries and 6 small whole wheat crackers. Total calories: 405
TAHINI TUNA PITA
Blend 3 oz. can chunk light tuna, drained, with 2 tbsp. tahini, 2 tbsp. chopped parsley, and finely shredded 1/2 small carrot. Stuff into 4" whole wheat pita. Total calories: 364
SUMMER TOMATO SALAD
Layer 1 c arugula with 2 sliced tomatoes, 2 oz. thinly sliced part-skim mozzarella, and 5 thin slices red onion. Dress with 2 tbsp. pine nuts; 1 tsp. olive oil; and balsamic vinegar, salt, and pepper to taste. Total calories: 391
AVOCADO TOMATO HERBED WRAP
Spread 1 whole wheat wrap with 2 Laughing Cow Light Garlic & Herb Wedges and fill with 1 sliced small tomato, 1/4 c sliced Hass avocado, whole basil leaves, and 1 tsp. balsamic vinaigrette. Total calories: 367
DIJON EGG SANDWICH
Scramble 1/2 c egg whites in cooking spray. Place on toasted whole wheat English muffin spread with 1 tbsp. Dijon mustard and top with 1 oz. reduced-fat Monterey Jack cheese and 1/4 c cubed Hass avocado. Total calories: 386
AVOCADO BRUSCHETTA
Spread 2 slices toasted whole wheat bread with 1/4 c sliced Hass avocado, mashed, and top with 2 sliced small tomatoes and salt and pepper to taste. Have 1 medium apple. Total calories: 374
CHEESY BEAN DIP
Mix 3/4 c rinsed and drained kidney beans, mashed, with 1/4 c diced onion, 1 tbsp. walnut oil, and 1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar. Sprinkle with 1/4 c shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese and microwave on medium until cheese is melted. Serve with 1 c sliced red bell pepper for dipping. Total calories: 389
SIMPLE SALMON SANDWICH
Mix 3 oz. canned boneless, skinless wild salmon, drained, with 1/4 c chopped red bell pepper, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Top with romaine lettuce leaves and serve on whole wheat roll. Total calories: 413
ITALIAN TUNA
Blend 3 oz. can chunk light tuna, drained, with 1/4 c chopped red onion, 2 tbsp. capers, 2 tbsp. lemon juice, and 1 tbsp. olive oil. Serve with 4 RyKrisp crackers. Total calories: 346
STRAWBERRY CHOCOLATE COTTAGE CHEESE Sprinkle 1 c fat-free cottage cheese with 1/4 c semisweet chocolate chips and 1/4 c sliced strawberries. Sprinkle with chopped mint leaves. Total calories: 379
BLUEBERRY WAFFLE
Top 1 frozen whole grain waffle, toasted, with 1/4 c semisweet chocolate chips and place in toaster oven or oven set to 350¬∞F to slightly melt chips. Top with 1/4 c blueberries and 2 oz. fat-free vanilla yogurt. Total calories: 350