Showing posts with label of. Show all posts
Showing posts with label of. Show all posts
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Nice Rack of Lamb A Classic Roast Rack of Lamb with Dijon Gratin
I know times are tough, but if you can somehow scrape together enough money for a couple racks of lamb, youll have yourselves a very merry holiday roast. Rack of lamb isnt cheap, but when compared with other special occasion items like prime rib, tenderloin, duck, goose, etc., its about the same price, and you have almost no waste.If you can swing buying local lamb, more power to you, but for most of us, trimmed rack of lamb will be coming from Australia or New Zealand. The good news is the meat is usually excellent quality, and very consistently sized.
This means you can achieve a nice medium-rare doneness relying mainly on time, and not feel. There is something terrifying to the average home cook when forced to poke meat to tell if its done or not.
The recipe here is a classic fancy hotel presentation; the rack is roasted, topped with Dijon mustard and breadcrumb crust. Since the lamb is "Frenched," which means the fat between the rib bones is trimmed out, this is a very easy to crave roast, as you just cut between the bones and serve. Enjoy!
* Please help support free video recipes, and visit my new sponsor, MOZO Shoes. Find out why chefs (like me) are buzzing about their great shoes!Click here for ingredients and recipe transcript.
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
Tour of Ireland Part II Galway
Following our eating and drinking binge in Dublin, Kyle and I headed to the other side of the country to Galway for some real Irish countryside sightseeing. But first! My drink of choice for the duration of the trip:
Ive always counted myself as a non-whiskey drinker, but after our stuffed dead cat tour of the Jameson distellery, Im happy to report I downed at least 28 Jameson and Gingers over the remainder of the trip. After a two and a half hour drive across Ireland, you need roughly 7 drinks to calm your nerves. Thats just a quick guess, though.
I was excited about Galway since everyone I spoke to about our trip raved about it as their favorite spot. When we checked into our hotel, I realized EVERYONE LIED ABOUT HOW FUN IT WAS!!
Just kidding!!! Kind of. See, Kyle and I had this awesome trip planned by an agency at all 5 star hotels (many with world class golf courses, but since Kyle and I dont golf and also the weather was totally shitty, what did it matter anyway??), and having just left a gorgeous Four Seasons, I had high hopes for the Glenlo Abbey. Let me count the ways in which said hopes were dashed:
1.) There was no valet. Yes, Im being snobby, but like I said--FIVE STARS! Why should we have to park our own car, in the rain, at a place thats supposed to be known for its service?
2.) The lobby looked like a 7-11. It was cluttered with old furniture and magazines and they sold cigarettes behind the check-in desk. I am not kidding:
3.) The shower door was only half-existent. I dont know if this is some kind of Irish thing (although in fairness, we didnt see it anywhere else), but the accordion style shower "door" only unfolded halfway, ensuring a deadly pool of water would collect in JUST the spot you would inevitably step into upon completion of your shower.
4.) The lighting throughout the hotel was dismal, at best. I probably looked more drag queen-y than usual since I had no appropriate lighting with which to apply my make-up. It felt like something out of The Shining or Amityville Horror. I mean, the fact that Kyle and I even lived to tell the tale is a straight up miracle.
Look, Im not just trying to bitch here. Okay, well, maybe a little. Im just telling you this so you dont stay there. Plus, the hotel was about 5 miles outside of the city center which meant any time we wanted to get dinner or go to a bar, we had to hop in a cab. If I were to do it over, Id rather stay in the G hotel, located in the city center, replete with pink decor and designed by English hat/fascinator-maker to the stars, Philip Treacy. That said, we did see a lot of gorgeous things and meet a lot of fun people.
Our first full day in Galway, we decided to explore the grounds of the hotel and then head out toward Connemara Park to see the sights.
Heres where I told Kyle to "touch" the top of our hotel (and yes, it doesnt look that bad from the outside, but I was just too upset to take pictures of the inside. I just.couldnt.do.it.):
There I am, strolling the grounds mid-twirl, as Im wont to do. P to the S, it was hella cold and incredibly windy thanks to the remnants of our East Coast hurricane barreling through the country. We braved the elements though and headed toward Connemara Park. We never actually got to the park though because we kept stopping to take in the scenery. It was, in a word, incroyable! (Thats incredible for you non-French speakers).
Literally, these views are just on the side of the road, awaiting your awe and amazement. Just be careful about pulling over, as there are no shoulders to speak of on the country roads.
I think what really struck Kyle and me most was how diverse the land was on the west coast. One minute youd be driving alongside mountains and rivers, and the next, youd be waiting for a sheep to cross the road. I wish there was a punchline to follow that.
I dont know if yall realize this, but seeing a herd of sheep on the side of the road was LITERALLY at the top of my list of things to see in Ireland. I need more hobbies.
At this point, I got scared the sheep would attack me and hustled my ass back into our hatcback rental. I can TELL when a wild animal is giving me the death stare. Its like, an instinct. An animal instinct. ZING!
Eventually, we made our way to Kylemore Abbey and Gardens. Basically, some rich people in the 1800s built this place to live and then they died and now its a nunnery. NUTSHELL.
That night (incidentally, being our last), we went for dinner in the city center of Galway. The food was pretty good, but I was most taken with the pitcher of water with mint and fresh orange slices.
The pear tart was pretty delicious too.
We wrapped up the night (and the early hours of the morning) at a college bar with a pretty awesome cover band. And even though they refused to take any of my Lady Gaga requests, we did meet a few Americans who introduced us to this undeniably Irish mixer:
Fruice: Its juice, kind of.
Were off to Adare (outside of Limmerick) next!!
40 Cloves of Garlic Chicken
40 CLOVES OF GARLIC CHICKEN
Carrabbas Copycat Recipe
Serves 6-8
40 cloves of garlic, unpeeled
1 large, chicken, cut into pieces
1/2 cup white wine or apple juice or chicken stock
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
fresh thyme (or 1 teaspoon dried thyme)
fresh sage, chopped finely (or 1/2 teaspoon dried sage)
fresh parsley, chopped finely
4 small bay leaves
1 teaspoon herb salt & some freshly ground pepper
Scatter garlic cloves over the bottom of a casserole dish. You can use a flat dish if you want more crispy skin, or a deep dish if you want softer, juicier chicken. Place chicken pieces over the garlic, skin side up. Sprinkle the chicken with wine, juice or stock, oil, seasonings and herbs. Cover the dish tightly with foil (and a lid if it has one) so no steam can escape. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 1/2 hours. Remove lid and foil, and return to the oven to brown for another 15 minutes. Discard bay leaves.
Notes: Carrabbas serves this dish with roasted potatoes so you may add large chunks of red potatoes to the pan of chicken while it bakes.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Perfect recipe for cooler days beef and pork Stuffed Cabbage of rolls
As we head in the automatically enjoy the delicious food I think autumn, but not on hot days make conjures up. Its just something about 100 + degree days, which makes you want to make quick meals. But the cooler days arrived, I love brings I my cooler (note you I not say call, cool or cold) days see recipe This cabbage rolls are one of them. The combination of beef and pork make rolling the special. Try comfort soon for a real old fashion meal.
RIND-AND PORK STUFFED CABBAGE ROLLS
1 medium to large head of cabbage
1 lb lean beef
1 lb. lean ground pork
3/4 Cup rice, uncooked
2 small onions or 1 medium onion, chopped
Salt to taste
Pepper to the taste
1 El dill
1/2 Pint sour cream
3 TBSP flour
1 small can tomato paste
1 Teaspoon salt
2 TBSP sugar *.
Remove the core of the cabbage; Place the cabbage in a large saucepan with boiling water. Parboil Kohl, the leaves out one at a time can Shell to you. Place the leaves on a paper towel or clean towel to drain.
Mix the minced beef, ground pork, rice, onions, salt and pepper. Placing some of the mixture on each of the enough the leaves leaving Savoy cabbage, herb leaf, it rolls over the mixture, cover mode; secure with toothpicks.
Place the cabbage rolls in a large pan and boiling water. Add the dill to the water and bring the water back to the boil. Cook roles for 1 hour. Remove roles from the pan with a skimmer. Stir sour cream, flour, tomato paste, 1 TEASPOON salt and sugar in a medium-sized bowl together. So is this mixture in the Pan, from which you removed the cabbage rolls. After the mixture in is well mixed, add the cabbage for about 10 minutes to the Pan and heat rolled back.
Diabetics can enjoy this recipe by replacing sugar with 2 tablespoons SPLENDA Granular.
Enjoy!
Visit her blog at http://grandmasvintagerecipes.for more of Lindas old fashion recipe collection
Visit for more of their recipes and diabetic information http://diabeticenjoyingfood.squarespace.com
Monday, March 31, 2014
The “Fava of Love” Salad starring Fava Fav!
If you don’t watch VH1, or have never heard of Flavor Flav, then today’s post headline isn’t funny. Come to think of it, even if you do know what I’m referring to, it still may not be that funny. Anyway, today’s post’s title is a take-off on the wildly popular VH1 reality show “The Flavor of Love” starring Flavor Flav. While I’m a huge Public Enemy fan, I’ve never been able to watch more than a few seconds of Flava’s television show. The cringe factor is off the charts for me. It’s right up there with Nancy Grace and Jerry Springer. I’m a Chef, not a TV critic, but how anyone can watch that show is beyond my comprehension. To be clear, I’m not judging you negatively if you are a fan of the show, hey, I was crushed when they cancelled Pirate Master! I’m just saying I can’t watch it, I don’t get it, and I think it may be the worse TV show ever made. OK, back to the fava beans!
This salad is so delicious, so refreshing, so satisfying, and so easy, that you must try it. Yesterday, I showed you how to prep your fava beans for a recipe. Today I show you why all that work was so worthwhile. One key to this very simple combination is letting it chill in the fridge for a few hours to marry all the flavors. You can substitute parsley or basil for the mint, but I beg you to try it with the mint, which is just amazing with these flavors. There is something about the taste of fava beans that the mint really brings out like no other herb. Enjoy, or as I’m sure Flava Flav would say if he tasted this, “Yeah Boyeeeee!”
14 oz jar of butter beans, rinsed and well drained
1 1/2 cup prepped fava beans (see previous demo!)
1/2 cup diced roasted red pepper
2 tbl chopped fresh mint
1 clove garlic
1/2 to 1 lemon
4 tbl olive oil
salt and pepper to taste (this salad will be “flat” if you don’t salt it sufficiently, I used about a teaspoon at least)
*red pepper flakes are also a nice addition if you want more heat.
Sunday, March 30, 2014
Dish of the Month Cooking the Recipes of Nigel Slater October Round Up
Ill be back with the linky for Novembers Dish of the Month on Friday - get your thinking caps on and join us cooking and baking the recipes of Nigel Slater.
Monday, March 24, 2014
Shepherds Pie the Opposite of Bakers Lamb Chops
Ive never been a shepherd, but I have done a fair amount of mentoring. As hungry as that made me, I can only imagine the appetite a shepherd must build up after a long day of chasing sheep (not to mention how sleepy they must get when they have to do inventory). So, its no wonder this incredibly comforting casserole called shepherds pie was named in their honor.Fair warning; this video recipe is another entry in the Kraft cooking video challenge, and is dripping with enough product placement to make Will Smith cringe. Notwithstanding my s
hameless attempt to win some corporate cash (Im doing it for all the Nicos out there), this really is a good recipe with its combination of ease, frugality, and homey goodness.Shepherds pie recipes are traditionally done with lamb, but are great with any ground meat - turkey and beef being the most popular modern versions. Give this great casserole a try, and watch everyone flock to the table. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 lb lean ground beef
3 tbsp flour
3/4 cup beef broth or stock
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
3 tbsp ketchup (or Kraft red pepper dressing!)
4 cups frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrot, corn), thawed and drained well
1 1/4 lb gold or red potatoes, cut into large chunks
3 cloves garlic, peeled, halved
3/4 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Thursday, March 20, 2014
And the Winner for Best Home Chef in a Series is… Food Wishes! smattering of polite applause
We did it! Im proud to announce that Ive returned from Hollywood, Tasty Awards trophy in hand! It was a very long, short two-day trip, so Im going to keep this brief. I cant thank you all enough for taking the time to vote.Every single time Ive asked for support with a contest or award, you faithful foodwishers come through like champs. Its one of the oldest clichés in the business, but its so true, without the audience, there is no show.
I met some amazing new people, and got to visit some dear old friends. Speaking of friends, I have to give a big shout out to my buddy Sara (aka Average Betty), who won the 2010 Home Chef award, and was nominated in more categories this year than any other show. Unfortunately, she was robbed, but it was an impressive showing nonetheless.
Los Angeles was a lot of fun, but Im excited to be back and cooking in chilly, not-quite-as-glamorous San Francisco. Thanks again, and stay tuned for a bunch of new videos airing soon!
Saturday, March 15, 2014
Creamed Spinach – King of the Steakhouse Side Dishes
While in Vegas, I had a marvelous steak lunch at the Strip House, located in the Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino. Along with the beautifully aged steaks, we enjoyed two stellar sides.
One was a potato dish called Potatoes Romanoff, which Executive Chef John Schenk says he learned from his mother back in Buffalo, NY. Ive posted the written recipe for Potatoes Romanoff on my American Foods site, in case you want to give it a go.
The other was my favorite non-potato steakhouse side dish, creamed spinach. Since creamed spinach is one of the side dishes I have to do for the cookbook, and since I haven’t had a new video up in a while, I decided to film this recipe while its creamy deliciousness was still fresh in my mind.
There is only one real secret to great creamed spinach…you have to really squeeze out all the water after you wilt it. If you do, the buttery béchamel sauce coats the spinach to form a thick, satisfying pile of greens that you can almost stand a fork up in. If you don’t, you will be amazed at how the water from the spinach turns your thick, tasty sauce into a pool of pale green disappointment.Creamed spinach is an easy recipe, but it used to require quite a commitment to make, since washing and picking spinach is tedious and really no fun at all. Nowadays, big bags of pre-washed, baby spinach are common at the supermarket, which makes this recipe a snap. Enjoy!
Ingredients:
1 stick butter
24 ounces baby spinach
1/2 onion, finely diced
1 whole clove
4 cloves garlic, very finely minced
1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 cups milk
salt and pepper, to taste
large pinch of freshly ground nutmeg
Sunday, March 2, 2014
Cream of Mushroom Soup
This homemade cream of mushroom soup is a quick and simple soup which can prepared in 10 mins, its rich and creamy texture makes everyone to fall in love with it....
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| Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup |
Ingredients
White button mushrooms( thickly sliced)- 1 packet
White pepper powder- required
Nutmeg powder- few pinches
Cream- 1/4 cup
Salt to taste
Butter- 2 tbsp
Ingredients for white sauce( Basic white sauce recipe)
Butter- 4 tbsp
All purpose flour/ Maida- 4 tbsp
Milk- 3 cups( at room temperature)
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| Cream Of Mushroom Soup |
Method
In a heavy bottom sauce pan heat 4 tbsp butter.
When butter starts melting add flour and fry flour for few secs on medium heat( make sure the flour is not burned).
When flour smell rises start adding milk slowly and whisk continuously until smooth and semi thick sauce is formed. Remove pan from heat and set aside.
In another sauce pan heat 2 tbsp butter, when butter starts melting add the sliced mushrooms and sauté for few secs and set aside.
Now add the sautéed mushroom to the prepared white sauce, season with nutmeg powder, white pepper powder and salt. Return pan to heat and adjust soup thickness by adding cream and more milk, check the seasoning.
When soup starts to boil, transfer hot soup to bowls and serve.
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| Mushroom Soup |
Friday, February 28, 2014
The Strata of Monte Cristo
I had all these ingredients that needed using up so I came up with this brilliant idea... googled it and as usual discovered that half the world has been there ahead of me. Oh well. A good idea is a good idea. All the great flavour of the traditional Monte Cristo sandwich, easier to deal with as a savory bread pudding, or strata. Not really any quicker to make, I suspect, but much less fiddly especially if you are serving more than one or two people.
Actually, a Monte Cristo sandwich is often served with raspberry jam. I didnt have any, or I would have tried it. I suspect it would be a good idea to heat it first. You can use any reasonable sandwich bread, white or whole wheat. I used a sourdough rye, actually. Hm... next up, how about a Reuben strata?
6 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
10 to 12 slices slightly stale sandwich bread
2 tablespoons butter
200 grams (1/2 pound) sliced ham
250 grams (generoud 1/2 pound) sliced or grated cheese
- gruyere, gouda, cheddar or havarti
Whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl with the milk, salt, pepper and mustard. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Use the butter to butter the bread on one side of each slice. Cover the bottom of an 8" x 11" baking dish with a single layer of the bread, butter side down. You can trim the crusts or leave them on, as you like. This should use half the bread.
Ladle about 1/3 of the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread in the pan. Cover it with an even layer of the ham, and about half of the sliced or grated cheese. Top with another layer of the buttered bread; butter side up this time. Ladle the remainder of the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the top evenly with the remainder of the cheese.
Let the strata rest for about 10 minutes before it goes into the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for another 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Read More..
Actually, a Monte Cristo sandwich is often served with raspberry jam. I didnt have any, or I would have tried it. I suspect it would be a good idea to heat it first. You can use any reasonable sandwich bread, white or whole wheat. I used a sourdough rye, actually. Hm... next up, how about a Reuben strata?
6 servings
1 hour 30 minutes - 30 minutes prep time
4 large eggs
2 cups milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
fresh black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
10 to 12 slices slightly stale sandwich bread
2 tablespoons butter
200 grams (1/2 pound) sliced ham
250 grams (generoud 1/2 pound) sliced or grated cheese
- gruyere, gouda, cheddar or havarti
Whisk the eggs in a medium mixing bowl with the milk, salt, pepper and mustard. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
Use the butter to butter the bread on one side of each slice. Cover the bottom of an 8" x 11" baking dish with a single layer of the bread, butter side down. You can trim the crusts or leave them on, as you like. This should use half the bread.
Ladle about 1/3 of the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread in the pan. Cover it with an even layer of the ham, and about half of the sliced or grated cheese. Top with another layer of the buttered bread; butter side up this time. Ladle the remainder of the egg and milk mixture evenly over the bread. Cover the top evenly with the remainder of the cheese.
Let the strata rest for about 10 minutes before it goes into the oven. Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, until lightly browned on top. Remove it from the oven and let it rest for another 5 to 10 minutes before serving.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
A Photo essay of Flavours of the World at Park Plaza Hotel
The world famous dish from Spain - Paella
Paneer Mirch Ka Shoal from the Indian grills counter which also has the subji aur badam ka sheek, matar ki tikki and Mysore Bonda | Fresh vegetables for grilling | Chicken satays being grilled
Chicken sausages and grilled marinated chicken breast | Vegetarian kababs/ starters plate
The Laksa counter with beautiful, fresh ingredients for soups and stir frys
A variety of Chinese mushrooms - edible, yes! I asked them if they could make me something from that, but it was for decoration purposes, it seems :)
Visually appealing salad arrangements - Beetroot with artichoke, roasted pumpkin with carrot and garlic, homemade chicken roulade, lamb roulade
More Salads
Arabic style biryani
The wide main course spread comprising of Thai curries, stuffed zucchini, mashed potatoes, Kadi pakodi ( I loved this), Gujarati khichdi, Dal Kabuli
The regions covered in the Flavours of the World buffet are the North Western Frontier Province, Rest of India, Far East, South & North America, Mediterranean region in the form of interactive chef stations, grills and hot buffet stations. Apart from this there is a range of desserts to choose from. Theres a huge variety to suit every foodies likes. Only, dont try to sample them all! This event is on on Saturday evenings until April 2013, so if you are in Bangalore, do make it a point to check out the flavours of the world festival and dont blame me if you come back thoroughly stuffed :)
Venue: Mélange,
Park Plaza Bengaluru,
90-4 Marathahalli, Outer Ring Road, Bangalore
Time: Every Saturday. 7:00 PM – 11:30 PM
Until: April 2013
Price: INR 999 plus taxes
With select alcoholic beverages: INR 1499 plus taxes
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