Fascinating listing of new cookbooks

This is a nice listing of 10 books that you might want to put on your gifting or gift list.

http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/wheretobuygourmetfoods/tp/bestcookbooks2008.htm?nl=1

10 Hot Restaurants in Kansas City, MO

10 Hot Restaurants in Kansas City, MO

http://cityguides.msn.com/citylife/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4968264

Rating Guide

40 Sardines
Rating: 15/20
11942 Roe Ave.
Overland Park, KS
66209
913-451-1040
Naysayers weren't so sure that 40 Sardines, restaurateur-executive chef Debbie Gold's stylish New American restaurant, would make it in suburbia. They were wrong. With a menu that changes weekly and makes great use of local, seasonal produce, the restaurant isn't just a destination spot in a strip mall---it has helped define the local dining scene. You may find seared ahi with wasabi butter and a sushi rice cake, and tomato-braised short ribs with stuffed Vidalia onions and tangy barbecue glaze. Gold has kept her 20 for $20 vino selection, but added some site-specific entries, including one dedicated to wines grown on Spring Mountain in Napa Valley. And the children's menu isn't just the same old choices of burgers and dogs: it includes homemade macaroni and cheese and grilled salmon.

Swizzle Martini & Wine Bistro
Rating: 15/20
7100 Wornall Rd.
Kansas City, MO
64114
816-361-3333
Swizzle Martini & Wine Bistro is a first for Kansas City native Ryan Torpey. Although he attended culinary school in Oregon and worked in some of Kansas City's notable restaurants---including Le Fou Frog---this is the first kitchen he calls his own. Many of his dishes reflect the time he spent with Linda Duerr at Frondizi's, a regional Italian eatery. At first bite, his food seems rustic; another bite and diners will find that meats are properly cooked and served with velvety sauces with just the right balance of fat and acid. Sautéed wild mushrooms and goat cheese are enveloped in puff pastry and served with a Marsala cream sauce. Pan-roasted chicken is accompanied by mashed potatoes with a touch of horseradish and moistened with a heady wild mushroom sauce. Scallop and goat cheese ravioli actually are whisper-thin slices of quick-fried potato, layered with seared scallops. The wine list is rich with uncommon and good-value wines, including a Codesa de Leganza Crianza. But don’t overlook the cocktails either: the Swizzle Bourbon number, topped with ginger ale and garnished with an orange slice, is a delight.

Bluestem
Rating: 14/20
900 Westport Rd.
Kansas City, MO
64111
816-561-1101
Chefs and owners Colby and Megan Garrelts deliver a big city dining experience in Kansas City with a progressive American menu, new varieties of desserts, and a select wine list.

La Cucina di Mamma
Rating: 14/20
6227 Brookside Blvd.
Kansas City, MO
64113
816-444-1138
Jake Imperiale's 24-seat neighborhood haunt in Brookside is adjacent to Bella Napoli, his Italian grocery and deli. With his partner, Giorgio Antongirolami, and chef, Gama Coronado, he crafts some of the finest, simplest Italian fare in town. Rice balls are stuffed with ground beef, peas and cheese and fried until crunchy and golden. Insalata rustica is a salad of fava beans, red and yellow bell peppers, roasted fennel and bacon dressed in olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Lasagna consists of a half-dozen layers of noodles with zucchini, ham and hard-boiled egg. Pizza-lovers will swoon over the Neapolitan-style pies, made from imported flour, tomatoes and cheese. The Pugliese version is fashioned from tomato sauce, caramelized onions, fresh mozzarella and hot pepper oil. And if it is Thursday, gnocchi is on the menu as a daily special. Among the options: butternut squash, tomato-basil and mushroom.

Le Fou Frog
Rating: 14/20
400 E. 5th St.
Kansas City, MO
64106
816-474-6060
Frenchman Mano Rafael and his Kansas City-born wife, Barbara, opened Le Fou Frog, bringing evocative upscale French cuisine to the very unglamorous industrial zone in the River Market. The low-key exterior camouflages the magic that happens within. Go early and you'll nearly have the place to yourself. As the evening progresses, the rooms fill, the bar crowd thickens and the noise level rises. It's the sound of folks feasting on some of the best food in Kansas City. You can't miss if you try any of Rafael's traditional dishes, including the steak au poivre served with pommes frites, the steamed mussels in white wine cream sauce, the brandade (a silken purée of salt cod and potatoes), and the seared foie gras. Keep plenty of bread on hand, too, to soak up the decadent wine and cream sauce with the mussels. Rafael has a penchant for exotic meats, so don't be surprised to find elk, guinea hen, ostrich and wild boar paired with some equally exotic sauces. The wine list is comprehensive and the bar a great place to sip a cocktail. Finish up your evening with a fine cappuccino or a chilled Muscat. On Sunday nights, you'll be treated to live music, with lots of restaurant industry diners in attendance. Half-priced Thursday and Friday happy hour makes the Frog an ideal launching pad for the weekends.

Starker's Reserve
Rating: 14/20
201 W. 47th St.
Kansas City, MO
64112
816-753-3565
Born in rural Kansas on a cattle and wheat ranch, executive chef John McClure has traveled far and wide and come back home. Trained at the Culinary Institute of America in New York, McClure spent two years working in New Orleans under Frank Brigsten and with Michael Smith and Debbie Gold at The American Restaurant and 40 Sardines. His ever-changing menu, which brims with local goods, from Kansas beef to Ozark-area-grown mushrooms, is an amalgam of all those experiences. Feast on seared foie gras with hot beignets and almond and orange relish; he also knows how to do fish, whether he's putting a fine crust on pan-seared halibut or fashioning lump crab cakes. For dessert, ask for Cleo's snickerdoodles, fresh-baked from his grandmother's recipe. One of the most romantic dining spots in Kansas City, Starker’s boasts an exceptional wine list and white-gloved service ratchets up the dining pleasure even more.

Trezo Mare
Rating: 14/20
4105 N. Mulberry Dr.
Kansas City, MO
64116
816-505-3200
Trezo Mare is a slang translation meaning treasures of the sea. In executive chef Michael Peterson's gifted hands, those treasures translate into a trove of lovely appetizers and entrées, served raw, wood-grilled, steamed, fried and roasted. Many dishes are meant to be shared. We like the harissa-rubbed salmon served on skewers over curry-glazed mushrooms, and the fruit de mer tagine---a volcano-shaped dish is delivered to the table with flames spewing from the cone. When the waitstaff lifts the conical-shaped lid, the aroma of seafood, garlic, rosemary and thyme perfumes the air. Side dishes are just as seductive and include crab bisque with rich caramel, coffee and butterscotch notes, and feather-light truffle oil and Fontina gnocchi. The wine and cocktail list go beyond the standard buttery Chardonnays and cosmopolitans. Try the Spanish Burgans Albarino and the Don Juan cocktail made with Corazon Blanco and Pama pomegranate liqueur to start.

The Gaf
Rating: 13/20
7122 Wornall Rd.
Kansas City, MO
64114
816-333-1321
Molly and Ray Dunlea and her brother, James O'Brien, kept the menu simple and family-friendly when they bought the former Romanelli's Grill space. They renamed it The Gaf, a County Cork term for a beloved meeting place for friends and family. The food is a blend of old-world and new-world (think fish ‘n’ chips, chicken potpie, lamb shank, Buffalo wings and hamburgers). Most everything is made in-house, including a blue cheese dressing with Cashel blue and apple crumble served à la mode. We also like the hand-breaded tenderloin topped with homemade onion rings, applewood-smoked bacon, Irish farmhouse cheddar, fried eggs, Jameson whiskey barbecue sauce, lettuce and tomato. If you need reviving after a pint too many, try the Irish Gut Bomb, a Gaf original.

JP Wine Bar & Coffee Shop
Rating: 13/20
1526 Walnut St.
Kansas City, MO
64108
816-842-2660
With names like Cali’s Valley, Bulls on Parade, Get Sideways and Like Butta, customers fall under the spell of co-owner-manager Ryan Maybee’s wine flights. He makes them seasonal---as in World Cup Whites---or silly, as in Air-Port (three ports from Portugal, one from France), but they are always as educational as they are entertaining. He does the same for cheese flights, from Benelux Dairy featuring Chimay Trappiste ala Biere, Wynedale and extra-aged Goudas to Local Flavor with Maytag Blue, Carr Valley Mobay and Vella special select dry Monterey Jack. And then there are lunch deals, small plates, indulgences (try the champagne float), wine cocktails and lots of fine scotches, which can be ordered in flights. Maybee plays hosts to a wine club, whose members get their own wine storage locker and a bottle tucked inside each month.

Aixois
Rating: 12/20
301 E. 55th St.
Kansas City, MO
64113
816-333-3305
Just as Megan and Emmanuel Langlade's family has grown, so too has their neighborhood bistro, with more seating indoors and out and a 50-seat private dining room. They've kept the same traditional dishes---three variations of mussels, crêpes and quiche and steak frites---but added ruby trout meunière, seafood gratinée and cassoulet every weekend. On Monday nights, there are budget-friendly, three-course fixed meals that include an entrée, soup or salad and dessert. For breakfast, look for fresh Belgian waffles.

here is some interesting info about wines , beers and pairings

here is some interesting info about wines , beers and pairings.
Eric

http://www.foodandwine.com/articles/beer-vs-wine-pairings


Welcome to Food & Wine!


Beer vs. Wine Pairings

Inspired by the book He Said Beer, She Said Wine, F&W invited authors Sam Calagione, the founder of Delaware’s Dogfish Head brewery, and Marnie Old, a wine educator, to a taste-off. The challenge: Who could come up with the superior pairing for the recipes here?
By Kristin Donnelly Nick Fauchald

* = Good pairing
** = Very good pairing
*** = Spectacular pairing
Great Beer

Guinness Stout
Guinness’s dark, roasty flavors match the smoky eggplant but don’t overwhelm it. **
Grilling Recipe


Open-Face Grilled Eggplant Sandwiches
Delicious Wine

2000 La Rioja Alta Viña Alberdi Rioja Reserva
The elegant Rioja isn’t too heavy for this vegetarian dish. *

Great Beer

Allagash White
The beer’s fruity spice is delicious with the sweet scallops and slightly spicy salad. **
Grilling Recipe


Grilled Scallops with Mexican Corn Salad
Delicious Wine

2006 Alma Rosa Chardonnay
Oak gives Chardonnay flavors similar to those that grilling gives the scallops and corn here. ***

Great Beer

Brooklyn Brewery Brooklyn Brown Ale
The toasty flavors are great with the cheeseburger’s char. ***
Grilling Recipe


Beef-And-Lamb Burgers With Cheddar
Delicious Wine

2006 Viña Cobos El Felino Malbec
The earthy Malbec works well with the lamb in this burger, and the fat mellows the tannins. *

Great Beer

Chimay Red
This low-alcohol apricot-flavored ale complements the steak’s spicy, fruity glaze. **
Grilling Recipe

Flank Steak With Tamarind Glaze
Delicious Wine

2004 Rosemount Show Reserve GSM
An intensely fruity wine is spectacular with the bright, fruity glaze. ***

Great Beer

Alpine Beer Company Pure Hoppiness
Sweet meats like chicken are wonderful with hoppy beers. **
Grilling Recipe


Buttermilk Chicken With Crispy Cornflakes
Delicious Wine

2006 Mary Elke Pinot Noir
Pinot Noir is a good call for simply prepared chicken—it has silky fruit and not too much tannin. *

Great Beer

Westmalle Tripel
The creamy, complex Belgian Trappist ale is outstanding with the sweet-spiced sauce. ***
Grilling Recipe

Moroccan-Spiced Lamb With Date Barbecue Sauce
Delicious Wine

2006 Concha y Toro Marqués de Casa Concha Cabernet Sauvignon
The spiced sauce brings out this wine’s ripe fruit. **

Great Beer

Schneider Aventinus
The light clove flavor of this wheat beer is so good with the vinegary mustard sauce. **
Grilling Recipe

Cider-Brined Double-Cut Pork Chops
Delicious Wine

2007 Alkoomi Riesling
The lean, sharp acidity of the Riesling pumps up the flavors of the mustard sauce. ***

Great Beer

Victory Prima Pils
Yeasty pilsners are great with anything on bread and especially refreshing with hot dogs. ***
Grilling Recipe

Hot Dogs With Grilled Coleslaw
Delicious Wine

2006 Georges Duboeuf Domaine des Rosiers Moulin-à-Vent Beaujolais
This friendly wine’s vibrant fruit is ideal with hot dogs.

Great Beer

Dogfish Head Palo Panto Parron
The beer’s roasty sweetness really works with the ratatouille. *
Grilling Recipe

Halibut With Grilled Ratatouille
Delicious Wine

2006 Brandal Albariño
The tangy ratatouille makes this bright white wine taste even more complex. **


Sam and Marnie, along with F&W editors, rated these recipe pairings.
This article originally appeared in June, 2008.

Hi roller dining -$420 PER PERSON

Las Vegas gets its first 3 star Michelin Guide coverage in Joel Robuchon's MGM Grande restaurant called "perfection on a plate" to draw some of the worlds discerning (I have to learn to use this word more) diners. Dinner including wine costs a paltry $420 PER PERSON. Only one of 58 worldwide, this restaurant just serves 50 diners a night. He comes from France but he says the American chefs are the best. He also says " everyone is sick of McDonalds". (Newsweek, 11/26/2007, p. 16)

Sticky Buns were hot in Cambridge, Mass eatery during this throw down

Sticky Buns were hot in Cambridge, Mass eatery during this throw down and for that matter every morning. I watched Bobby Flay battle Joanne Chang at her Cambridge bakery on 12/23/2007 during a throw down TV episode.
But it was very interesting to first read about her graduation from Harvard U in applied mathematics and then she went culinary working. Since I do a lot of cooking and was fortunate to work on 3 astronomy education projects at Harvard during the 1980's and 1990's, I was interested to know more.
I looked up and found more information about this Harvard grad.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/48622/five_questions_for_joanne_chang.html

This sticky buns battle features her recipe against his recipe (see below). And who won?
Joanne won with her better texture, fluffiness, light silky while Bobby's had cinammon, almonds and orange glaze.

Hey now I know how to make them so I might even try them like the recipes below. Then hopefully my wife will say "nice buns, hon".
**
Joanne Chang's Sticky Buns Recipe courtesy Joanne Chang
See this recipe on air Sunday Dec. 23 at 1:00 AM ET/PT.

Show: Throwdown with Bobby Flay
Episode: Sticky Buns

1 recipe Brioche dough, recipe follows
2 cups brown sugar
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 cup pecans, toasted and chopped
Goo, recipe follows
On a floured work surface, roll out the brioche dough into a rectangle that is approximately 1/4-inch thick. Combine the brown sugar, cinnamon, and pecans and sprinkle evenly on the brioche. Roll up the brioche jelly roll-style and slice the roll into buns about 1-inch thick. Spread the Goo on the bottom of a roasting pan and place buns evenly spaced in the pan. Cover and allow to rise for 2 to 3 hours in a warm place.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place buns in the oven and bake until golden brown, about 45 minutes. Let cool for 10 minutes and then invert onto a serving platter.
Serve with Cafe au Lait.
Brioche Dough:
2 1/2 cups high-gluten flour
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1-ounce yeast
1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup ice water
5 eggs
11 ounces butter, softened
In a large bowl of a stand mixer, combine all the ingredients, except the butter and beat on low with dough hook for 10 minutes.
Add the softened butter and knead for another 20 minutes until dough slaps on the side of the bowl.
Place in a container and cover well.
Proof in refrigerator for at least 6 hours.
Shape, cover, proof for several hours at warm room temperature.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Egg wash and bake in preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes, until golden brown.
Goo:
1/2 pound butter
15 ounces brown sugar
5 ounces honey
1/2 cup cream
1/2 cup water
In a saucepan over medium heat, melt together the butter and brown sugar. Remove from heat, let cool, and whisk in the honey, cream, and water. Set aside.

**
Sticky Buns Recipe courtesy Bobby Flay, 2007
See this recipe on air Sunday Dec. 23 at 1:00 AM ET/PT.

Show: Throwdown with Bobby Flay

Episode: Sticky Buns

Softened butter, for bowls and baking pan
For the glaze:
1 cup light muscavado sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/3 cup honey
1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1 orange, finely grated zest
1 cup sliced almonds, lightly toasted
For the dough:
1 package yeast
1 cup warm milk (about 110 degrees F)
1/4 cup plus a pinch granulated sugar, divided
1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 large egg yolk
2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 cup sugar
3/4 teaspoon salt
For the filling:
8 tablespoons softened butter
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
Butter a 9 by 13-inch baking pan.
For the glaze:
Combine sugar, butter, honey, orange juice and zest in a saucepan and bring to a boil; boil until slightly thickened. Pour the glaze into the prepared pan, and scatter the nuts over the top.
For the dough:
Sprinkle yeast over warm milk with a pinch of the granulated sugar; set aside until foamy, about 5 minutes. Melt 1/4 cup butter and whisk into yeast with vanilla and egg yolk.
Whisk flour, 1/4 cup sugar, and salt in a large bowl. Stir in yeast mixture to make a sticky dough. Knead dough on floured work surface until soft and elastic, 6 to 8 minutes (Dough will be soft and elastic, but not terribly sticky). Shape into a ball, brush with a little melted butter. Place in bowl, cover and let rise until doubled, about 1 hour.
Knead dough; re-form into ball. Return to the bowl. Cover with buttered plastic wrap, refrigerate for 4 hours.
For the filling:
Roll dough into 10 by 18-inch rectangle with a long edge facing you. Spread soft butter over the surface. Whisk 1/3 cup sugar and cinnamon together, scatter over butter. Roll into a long tight cylinder; pinch long edge to seal. Cut into 1 1/2-inch rolls with string or dental floss. Evenly space rolls in pan. Cover, let rise at room temperature until doubled, about 1 1/2 hours.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Bake until golden, 30 to 35 minutes. Rest at room temperature 10 minutes, unmold, and serve warm.

Try Edamame (green soy beans)

Edamame are fun to eat and easy to prepare . Steam and then suck out the little peas. But try with some spicy salt.

Spiced Edamame

2 teaspoons kosher salt ( I thought that this was too much salt to I added 1 tspn)
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 (1-pound) bag frozen edamame, in the pod


Heat the salt, chili powder, and pepper flakes in a small dry skillet over medium heat, stirring until hot and aromatic, about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and crumble in the oregano.

Boil the edamame pods in salted water until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain in a colander and pat dry. Toss the edamame pods with the chili-salt and serve warm.

What is fusion cooking anyway?

Ming Tsai is a a great chef who lives in Massachusetts and has a restaurant called Blue Ginger. What is interesting is a he has a engineering degree from Yale U.. Then he went to culinary school and then got business degree. Wow! He has been on food channel and now his own shows. He does a lot of fusion cooking.
"Fusion cuisine combines elements of various culinary traditions whilst not fitting specifically into any. The term generally refers to the innovations in many contemporary restaurant cuisines since the 1970s.
Success of this type of restaurants depends on diversity of cultures in their clientele. For that reason, they are welcome in places like California."

But its also over in Massachusetts here in Kansas and other places too.
Try it

http://chinesefood.about.com/od/fusionrecipes/Fusion_Recipes_with_a_Chinese_Influence.htm

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipes/hungrymind/fusion.html

http://www.starportfoods.com/asian_recipesvegetarianrecipes.htm

Jellyfish troubles and eating them

I have seen jellyfish but never eaten one. But here is information about a jellyfish invasion and throws in information how they are cooked and eaten.
I saw and videotaped poisonous Box jellyfish in Capetown, S.Africa aquarium and other places but never this size as related in this article. This kind is pesky in its own way.

Invasion of Jellyfish Envelops Japan In Ocean of Slime
The Wall Street Journal ^ | November 27, 2007 | By Sebastian Moffett
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931506/posts
Nice picture here
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/01/0119_060119_jellyfish.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nomura's_jellyfish


Invasion of Jellyfish Envelops Japan In Ocean of Slime
Skip to comments. Invasion of Jellyfish Envelops Japan In Ocean of Slime · The Wall Street Journal ^ | November 27, 2007 | By Sebastian Moffett ...
www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1931506/posts
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2006/08/060818-jellyfish-spain.html

It's BBQ time

I come from nearby Kansas City. We have some of the best BBQ and restaurants in the world. I prefer Beef and Brisket. I am a certified BBQ by the Kansas City BBQ society which means I have taken a class and learned how to make and judge bbq.

I have been judging for about 6 years. It is nice to meet nice people, eat some good BBQ, let others know what I think about the BBQ that we have to judge. I also get to take home what I have left. We eat and munch on it for the rest of the week!!! Then another judging and it comes all over again on until September.

I can't believe the time, sweat effort, money and time people use to try to get the best BBQ. Amazing.

Kansas City-style Baby Back Ribs with Onion Rings and Boiled Corn
Recipe courtesy Emeril Lagasse, 2006





2 full slabs baby back ribs, about 1 1/2 pounds each, cut in 1/2
1/4 cup Kansas City-style Rib Rub, recipe follows
2 tablespoons hickory wood chips for stovetop smoker
1 cup Kansas City-style Barbecue Sauce, recipe follows
3 to 4 ears sweet corn, in husk
3 tablespoons salted butter
3 cups rice flour
1 to 1 1/2 cups cold seltzer water
2 teaspoons salt
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Essence, recipe follows
2 large Vidalia onions, or other sweet onions such as Oso Sweet, Walla Walla, or Maui, peeled and sliced into 1/2-inch rings
6 cups vegetable oil, for frying

Ribs:
Season each slab of the ribs evenly on both sides with the Kansas City-style Rib Rub and refrigerate for up to 2 hours.

Remove ribs from the refrigerator and prepare a stovetop smoker with 2 tablespoons of hickory wood chips. Cover with the drip tray, followed by the rack, and lay the seasoned ribs on top of the rack. Set the smoker over a medium-high heat with the lid partially closed. Once the smoker begins to smoke, close the lid completely and reduce the heat to medium. Smoke the ribs for 30 minutes, remove, set on a sheet pan and brush on the meaty sides with the barbecue sauce. Wrap with aluminum foil, place the sheet pan in the oven, and bake until the ribs are tender, about 1 hour. Serve with the corn and onion rings.

Corn:
Preheat a grill to medium-high. Brush husks with oil and place on grill. Grill until husks are lightly charred and corn is cooked through, about 20 minutes, but cooking time varies based on grills. Remove husk before serving, top with butter, and season with salt and pepper.

Onion Rings:
Combine the rice flour, seltzer water, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl, and whisk to form a smooth paste. Combine the flour with the Essence in a shallow bowl. Toss the largest, outer rings in the seasoned flour, and dredge in the batter, shaking to remove any excess. (Save the remaining, smaller onion rings for another use.)

Heat the oil in a large, deep pot or electric fryer to 350 degrees F. Carefully add the onion rings to the hot oil, and cook, turning occasionally to prevent the pieces from sticking together, until golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Drain on paper towels and season with salt and pepper, to taste.

Emeril live on TV had this recipe for BBQ
it can be used with any type of meat.

Kansas City-style Rib Rub:
1/3 cup light brown sugar
1/3 cup sugar
1/4 cup paprika
2 tablespoons Essence, recipe follows
6 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons onion powder
1 tablespoon garlic salt
1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1/2 teaspoon poultry seasoning
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Combine all the ingredients in a medium bowl, and stir to combine. Be sure to crumble any lumps that may form with the sugar or spices. Use for meats and seafood to be grilled, as well as for making the barbecue sauce. Any unused rub may be stored in an airtight container and kept in a cool, dry place for up to 6 weeks.

Yield: about 2 cups

Kansas City-style Barbecue Sauce:
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup small diced onion
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cups ketchup
1/2 cup molasses
1 tablespoon Kansas City-style Rib Rub
1 tablespoon hot sauce
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon mustard powder
1 teaspoon liquid smoke

Set a 1-quart saucepan over medium-high heat and add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic. Sweat the onions, stirring occasionally, until translucent, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vinegar and cook until reduced by half, about 1 minute. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer and cook for 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Sauce may be made up to 3 weeks in advance and refrigerated in a non-reactive airtight container.

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.

Yield: 2/3 cup

Recipe from "New New Orleans Cooking", by Emeril Lagasse and Jessie Tirsch, published by William Morrow, 1993.

Other Recipes from this Episode

book Latin Flavors on the Grill

I've already got too many cookbooks, recipes and more. But when I wondered inside Half-price book store and things were even more on sale I took a look. Any I found a real treasure in Douglas Rodriquez book
Latin Flavors on the Grill

At $8.00 it was an even better steel.

What sold me on getting it after I looked it over was the comments from Nina Zagat of the Zagat Guides fame. She says (on the cover) "that the author is the most important Latin chef in the restaurant world.
Wow. And looking into the contents I think she is right.

The book is full of beef, chicken, Latin flavors and recipes that I want to try (as if I don't have hundreds already lined up.)

More about in the future

Is this what they call fusion cusine?

Is this what they call fusion cusine?
No
Fusion cuisine uses different foods with different other foods or different types of foods.
Here is what wikipedia says.

Fusion cuisine - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Fusion cuisine combines elements of various culinary traditions while not fitting specifically into any. The term generally refers to the innovations in ...
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fusion_cuisine

try this for more

Asian and Chinese Fusion Recipes - Asian Ingredients and Chinese ...

Protein-rich tofu takes the place of pasta in this fusion recipe mixing Italian and Asian flavors. Lettuce Wraps - Asian Cuisine ...
chinesefood.about.com/od/fusionrecipes/Fusion_Recipes_with_a_Chinese_Influence.htm

here are a sample of fusion
recipes

Peking Chicken Pizza Recipe courtesy Rachael Ray
Show: 30 Minute Meals
Episode: 30-Minute Fusion
Note: put a pot of water on to boil for pasta, then prepare recipes in order listed below.

1/2 pound thin cut (cutlets) boneless, skinless chicken breast
Extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Grill seasoning blend (recommended: Montreal Seasoning by McCormick) or salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cornmeal or all-purpose flour
1 package store bought pizza dough (you are making 1 12-inch pie)
2 to 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
3 tablespoons plum sauce or Peking Duck Sauce
3 tablespoons barbecue sauce, any variety or brand
2 cups shredded Monterey Jack, available on dairy aisle
2 scallions, chopped in 1-inch pieces on an angle
1/4 red bell pepper, chopped
Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.
Heat a grill pan over high heat. Drizzle oil over chicken cutlets and season with grill seasoning blend or salt and pepper. Grill chicken 3 or 4 minutes on each side. Slice chicken into very thin strips.
Sprinkle a pizza pan or baking stone with cornmeal or flour. Press dough into a pizza shell, working all the way to edges of the pan. Sprinkle the edges of your dough with sesame seeds. Cover the pie with 3 tablespoons each plum sauce or duck sauce and barbecue sauce. Cover pie with cheese. Top with sliced chicken and scallions and red pepper. Bake 12 to 15 minutes, until crisp and cheese is bubbly. Cut into 8 slices.

Ital-Cal Asian Caesar Salad Recipe courtesy Rachel Ray

A California-Style, Chinese influenced Caesar salad -- the recipe is easier to understand than its title. Really, it is. 2 hearts romaine, chopped 1 ripe avocado 1 lemon, halved 3/4 red bell pepper, remaining from above recipe for pizza, seeded and thinly sliced 2 cups fresh spouts, snow pea spouts or bean spouts, your choice Fried Chinese noodles: 1 cup thin fried noodles or 2 cups wide fried noodles 1 large clove garlic, minced 1/2 teaspoon wasabi paste 1 teaspoon Dijon mustard 1 tablespoon white wine vinegar or rice wine vinegar 1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil Arrange the romaine on a large serving platter. Halve avocado, cutting around the pit. Pop out pit and scoop the flesh out of skin with a large spoon. Slice avocado and sprinkle with juice of 1/2 lemon. Cover the lettuce with a generous layer of sprouts. Top sprouts with avocado, chopped pepper, fried noodles. Juice the remaining 1/2 lemon sitting cut side up. The juice will spill over the sides of the lemon and the seeds will remain in the lemon. Combine with the minced garlic, wasabi, mustard, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce. Whisk in oil in a slow stream. Drizzle dressing back and forth over the entire salad -- do not toss. Serve.

Ferran Adrià is considered by many to be the greatest chef in the world and his restaurant, El Bulli,

I have never heard of him but this is interesting. Read on

Ferran Adrià is considered by many to be the greatest chef in the world and his restaurant, El Bulli, to be the greatest restaurant in the world. Located in Roses, Spain, El Bulli is a holy mecca for food lovers. The 35-course taster's menu is a grand experience of tastes, textures, and wonder. An architect of molecular gastronomy, Adrià's creations are designed to surprise and enchant his guests

If you go, plan on making restaurants months in advance. El Bulli serves only dinner, has less than 50 seats, and only makes one sitting. They are also closed from October to March. Of the approximately 2,000 bookings every year, they receive over 400,000 applications. Expect to pay about $150 per person, not including wine.

To make reservations:
http://gourmetfood.about.com/od/chefbiographi2/ig/The-Food-of-El-Bulli/index.htm

Is this gourmet? BEST COFFEE MADE FROM

BEST COFFEE MADE FROM MONKEY POO; CRAPPUCCINO
DAILY STAR

Wed Nov 21 2001 10:22:30 ET
Coffee drinkers are going bananas over a brew that's made of
MONKEY DUNG.

Brits are flooding exclusive US stockists with orders for the brew, called
Kopi Luwak, made from berries that have passed through the digestive
system of Indonesian monkeys. Unlucky coffee plantation staff have to
search through the dung to gather the bizarre "harvest" of coffee berries,
which are said to emerge virtually intact.
Experts reckon the monkey business gives the drink a unique "earthy"
taste, which has made it the most expensive and sought-after coffee in the
world.
It is in such short supply - just 500 lb of it is harvested a year - that
it is virtually impossible to get hold of in Britain and has only limited
availability in the States and Japan.
Experts say the brew first came to light hundreds of years ago, when
explorers sampled it on the Indonesian isles of Java, Sumatra and
Sulawesi.
The monkey - known as the Palm Toddy Cat - lives on a diet of alcoholic
tree sap and coffee berries.
US-based food and drink critic Chris Rubin said:
"Whether it's because the intestinal juices give some special flavour or
because it eats only perfectly ripe berries, the Toddy Cat's droppings
produce what many say is the world's finest coffee."
Some exclusive US outlets sell Kopi Luwak for around a FIVER a cup.
US Coffee supplier Mark Mountanos has snapped up 110 lb of the beans.
He said: "We've had interest from all over the world because it is very
hard to get hold of."
US coffee shop owner Richard Karno ordered a pound from Mark's firm - but
only after he convinced him it wasn't a joke.
He said: "It's the best coffee I've ever tasted. It smells musty, but it
roasts up real nice