I have had 30 years as a professional culinarian..
from line cook to executive Chef for a 4 star restaurants in Houston, Dallas, Las Vegas, Chicago, San Diego, NY and Parts of New england and a few places off the CONUS
I have cooked too many styles and too many main courses to list here, but from buffalo steaks to bugs..I have prepped and served them.
Additionaly, I have been a Director and Vice President of food and beverage for hotel management companies in my most recent years in the industry..

I currently am sort of retired but have been an active consultant to hotels, restaurants and casinos across the USA east coast to west cost for the last 10 years,
I will still consult on occasional basis.

in addition I have done and been a serious survivalist for nearly as many years and have prepped to survive up to having a very nice place off the grid
ETA I Lost my off the grid place to Brigands and fire in Dec of 07 and starting anew with a new place.

I posted this after reading so many posts where people had questions that in truth were scary in a bad health risk way..
so..maybe some of you have questions I can help with..or this will never get a decent responce....
thought I would give it a try and share my knowledge and experience...

yeah,,,and your sigline makes me all warm and fuzzy....

My daughter just got a job as a cook in a casino(Oklahoma), what do you suggest buying for knives for a young sprout like her.

cool, care to share which one? understand OPSEC if not..I like video poker and go to my local on in Grant,,, but the indian native American casinos like to keep too much of my money, slots are looser in Vegas and La.

I did a a couple of writings here about knives..there are several good quality on the market, buy the best you can afford. the higher end Dexter line is a good starter line, under $40 a knife generally. the ones with Micarta handles are best, wood second, plastic is fine, safe and good grip texture
Henkels, Forchner, Sabitiar all are good quality and have a "beginners" line. there are several FINE Japanese lines that are rather expensive, I like AL Mar, but for someone new to the business, I wouldn't spend that kind of money as yet..

I prefer Asian styles, a Chinese cleaver set with a wide and narrow blade are good starters,,keeping in mind Chinese cleavers are like french knives for slicing and chopping, NOT Like
American/European cleavers that are for breaking joints..
SCORE the knives with identifying marks, even have it done professionally with an engraver..knives in a big kitchen grow legs every time they are left alone for even a moment.
I made slashes in certain places on mine that made them mine, and still had several stolen over 30 years. Others, had initials burned into the handles, notches across the back of the blade etc...

a good Chinese cleaver, 10 to 12" slicer,  8" french, 6" rigid boning, a 3" parer , a 12" steel and bayonet or roasting fork is a good starter set for someone..Forks are a "third hand" to many chefs
practice, they are used for EVERYTHING
Tell her I said to break a leg and bleed proudly!
CHEF

It is in extreme NE of state. We use Henkels and Wustoff at home, so will probably go that way, thanks for telling which ones/size to buy.  She did 2 years at a votech and learned what she already knew from home.  I told what you said and she said she only seems to burn herself. Lolz

Speaking of knives, I've been drooling over this:




Chef what do you think of the Ken Onion series from Shun?


ETA:

Zhukov could you please post the recipe for the ham asparagus casserole?  It looks awesome.

BURNS= ICE LOTS of ICE, no butter, not grease no other home recipes, commercial sprays or other nonsense,,ICE takes the fire from a burn,,trust me..I have seen blister disappear in a few hours that would send most to a hospital just from getting immediately into an ice bath..

hope she does well, has some fun and enjoys the life...

CHEF

looks impressive, have NOT seen them, next time I am in the "city" I will try to stop and see them at Williams-Sonama,

I really don't shop much any more and not always on top of new and improved,,especially since buying my place in the country and retiring.
I have seen Onions other works in recent years, can only assume his culinary line will be top shelf as well
I am still a die hard Al Mar fan, from carry knives to the culinary line, though I know Al is long gone, his name meant a lot than as today..

thank you, I will try to remember to post my opinion, gonna be a month or so before I go to Dallas again..
CHEF

I will say it is a shame I was unaware of this thread, only to hopefully distract from the shame that I was unaware of this entire particular forum.

I look forward to reading through and seeing what I can attempt to emulate

_MaH

Welcome, look around, have a good time. Feel free to ask questions..I answer pretty much daily...

but
remember to wipe your shoes when you come in and mind your P's and Q's
Thank for coming by.
CHEF

thank you,,the schmand would probably be Mascarpone cheese? or thinking more a ricotta?,
the recipe is similar to what my mother called au Gratin Potato, she didn't use asparagus as an ingrediant ham and onions..
she made it with heavy cream, cottage cheese, eggs to bind it together a bit more readily
Her British people, probably stole the recipe from the Germans anyways.

I enjoy cooking, but as much as I enjoy that I enjoy a good wine, beer, cocktail, or other spirited drink - on its own, yes, but I love being able to pair them with food.

Perhaps, if I had to denigrate the prestige of such occupations, I'd liken my interests as being more in line with that of a Sommelier than a Chef.  My friends have complimented me many times before on my wine pairings and the cocktails I make, but I'm still not entirely convinced I have the knowledge and ability that I would like to possess in this area.

Maybe it is best for me to start from square one - just to make sure that I understand the basics as I should.  Where or how would you recommend I go about learning more along these lines?  I suppose it would be more in the way of a hobby than a profession.

_MaH

Thanks for all the help so far Chef, but got another one for you.

My family loves chicken wings.  Every time we fry them using our fryer
and basket, they stick together.  Even the fries and tater tots do when we
fry em.  Is there a way to keep them from sticking?

Thank you sir.

you are welcome,,,

first thing is temp, sounds like your temp may be too low
second is, if temp is OK, add the items one by one, quicky, by getting as close to the oil as possible, gently laying the food into the oil NEVER just drop in.
lastly, if you are cooking breaded items from room temp, that at times is the cause as well..with your tots and frys are you cooking from a frozen state, that is best and by design...

Chef

Hello Chef,

Sorry I've been AWOL.  I've been reading the thread in fits and starts, but traveling a lot for work, so less time to spend on the forum, and no time to cook really.

I just got back from a trip which pretty much sucked EXCEPT that we got five-course dinners each night, which was nice.  At one of these I had a strawberry bisque as an appetizer.  

OMG  It was good enough to be dessert.

In the center of a rather large, shallow bowl was a small column of chopped strawberries and something green (chopped fairly small)––all kind of pressed together and formed into said column (about the size of a half-dollar) so it was the center of attention.  The bisque was then poured around it from a pitcher as part of the presentation.

So it's strawberry season here, and I'm wondering if you have good tips, ideas and/or recipes for strawberry bisque?  

thanks,

kitties

HI Kitties, glad to see you back for a bit..Someone has to be on their death bed or have a really full check book to get me to travel anymore I think,,it is no fun any longer. Of course IF I were working, that would be another story. Matter of fact, I have a free ticket to anywhere CONUS I am sitting on, that I must use by September..and have NO WHERE I want to go...

Strawberries,   a quick story,,I was once given a job with a 30% increase in pay...because my strawberry soup made an grown man tear up!!!
I worked for him for 3 years, anytime I needed to get something outside the budget so to speak, I made some strawberry soup, sent it to his office with one of the prettier wait units, and followed
down 10min after her return worked about 90% of the time..


Strawberry Soup is a  mixture of pureed strawberries, sugar, yogurt, and cream.
Most of the strawberry soup recipes you find in cookbooks contain some type of wine.  I started making this for my sunday brunch's at one of the better known "botique" hotels in Dallas, where I was Chef for a couple of years, and we had LOTS OF KIDS on Sunday mornings, so I did not use wine, and kids nearly drank the stuff when we served it... You can adjust the creaminess of the soup by using whole cream instead of milk and sour cream/creme fraiche instead of yogurt, I prefer the yogurt and it is a more classic flavor.
If you like add a squeeze or two of fresh lime juice which adds a more tangy flavor. You can also take extra strawberries, cut them into bite sized pieces, and add them to the soup for more texture.
It is better to make this soup several hours in advance so it has sufficient time to chill but wait till serving time to garnish with the whipped cream or toss in your strawberry confit for garnish


Strawberry Soup: Wash and cut the strawberries and place in your food processor.  Process until the strawberries are pureed.  Add the sugar, yogurt, milk, and lime juice and process until combined.  Adjust the ingredients as necessary. If not serving immediately, cover and refrigerate.

Ladle the strawberry soup into dessert bowls and garnish with a dollop of whipped cream.

Makes 4 servings.


Strawberry Soup:

1 pound fresh strawberries

1/4 - 1/2 cup granulated white sugar, or to taste

1/4 - 1/2 cup plain yogurt, sour cream, or creme fraiche, or to taste

1/2 - 1 cup milk or cream, or to taste

1 - 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice, or to taste (optional)

Garnish:

a dollop of Softly Whipped Cream and a dusting of chopped mint, or lemon basil, chocolate basil, or COCOA POWDER...


strawberry tower

the use of PVC Pipe is what generally gives that little tower of berries its perfect shape, a bit of sugar, gelatin powder and chopped mint or mild flavored basil's may have been the green bits, tossed together, packed into and pushed through the tubing, then held in a refer till service time....or even done on spot for line production. a practiced hand can turn out hundreds of these in their sleep..

my Soup..the man I made cry was a German by birth, spent several years in Brazil, LEGALLY came to the USA in his late 40's as work bought him here, and he never looked back once he got here, a great and proud American on the day he passed away..Bernie, was a Jew,,a German Jew, well into his 60's when I met him,,a survivor of the camps, Buchenwald, Serial number on left forearm to prove it..he and one of his 4 sisters escaped the camp , joined the resistance, "killed LOTS OF NAZI"S"..and some how ended up in Brazil..he lost the rest of his family to the camps..

my StrawwwBerry ZOOP,,made him remember his Mother...in the summers, she made him strawberry soup as a boy and mine was so close to her's he said he smelled edelweiss and saw her smile nearly every time he ate it..

thank uou, a grand idea, I will do a quick write up on some strawberry ideas, recipes etc later today...and post it here!
off for my 3mi morning stumble and amble!!
CHEF

the majority of restaurants, at least the saner ones, butterfly chicken breasts to get even cooking time and consistent cooking temperatures and lastly a consistent appearance, I do it at home all the time..grilling, rolling, saute'ing all are easier and more consistently cooked..to cook thick ones also has a tendency to leave dry, overcooked meat on the outer edges and medium rare centers...risky and wasteful and unpleasant to the palate..

thank you!

CHEF

.

Kitties asked about strawberries, so...here's and answer..

Strawberries

Summer is upon us and one of the beautiful and available everywhere in America is Fresh Strawberries, nothing like a fresh berry and grape fruit salad on the Fourth..
Combining strawberries slices with fresh blueberries and white grapes with a bit of anisette, sprinkling of sugar and a few hours in the refer just before service
Or a strawberry shortcake with fresh sponge and hand beaten whipped cream or sweetened and whipped crèame’ fraiche..

Strawberry shortcake..

Ingredients
·3 cups all-purpose flour
·1/4 cup white sugar
·4 teaspoons baking powder
·3/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
·1 cup butter
·2/3 cup heavy cream
·1 egg, beaten
·3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
·3 tablespoons white sugar
Directions
1.Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2.In a large bowl, mix flour, 1/4 cup sugar, baking powder and cream of tartar. Cut in butter with pastry blender or two knives. Stir in cream and egg. Turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead 2 minutes. Press into a half-inch thick sheet. Cut into squares. Place on baking sheets.
3.Bake in preheated oven 20 minutes, or until golden. Sprinkle 3 tablespoons sugar over sliced berries.
4.Let shortcakes cool before splitting and filling with sugared berries.





Strawberry Vinaigrette
Excellent over a fresh Mache salad or even on early spinach..
Ingredients
·1 cup olive oil
·1/2 pint fresh strawberries, halved
·2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
·1/2 teaspoon salt
·1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
·1/4 teaspoon dried tarragon
·1/4 teaspoon white sugar
Directions
1.In a blender or food processor, mix olive oil, strawberries, balsamic vinegar, salt, pepper, tarragon and sugar. Blend until smooth.
Keeping ins the salad idea a bit,,
A wonderful
Spinach and strawberry curry salad

Ingredients
·6 cups fresh spinach, torn into bite-size pieces
·1 cup thickly sliced strawberries
·1 cup blueberries, trimmed
·1 small red onion, thinly sliced
·1/2 cup chopped pecans
·
·Non-Fat Curry Dressing:
·2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
·2 tablespoons rice vinegar
·4 teaspoons honey
·1 teaspoon curry powder
·2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
·1 pinch Salt and pepper to taste
Directions
1.Wash and dry spinach. Whip together dressing ingredients. Add to spinach and toss lightly. Add berries, onion and pecans. Toss lightly and serve.

Finish with a refreshing smoothie,,(I hate that word)
Ingredients
·1 kiwi, sliced
·1 banana, peeled and chopped
·1/2 cup blueberries
·1 cup strawberries
·1 cup ice cubes
·1/2 cup orange juice
·8 ounce yogurt, or milk or ½ and ½ SPLURGE!
Directions
1.In a blender, blend the kiwi, banana, blueberries, strawberries, ice, orange juice, and yogurt until smooth.

One of my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE DESSERTS as a kid and still today,..sans the cake,,
Damn diets…not to be trifled with..
ENGLISH TRIFLE
Ingredients
·2 (8 or 9 inch) white cake layers, baked and cooled
·2 pints fresh strawberries
·1/4 cup white sugar
·1 pint fresh blueberries
·2 bananas
·1/4 cup orange juice
·1 (3.5 ounce) package instant vanilla pudding mix
·2 cups milk
·1 cup heavy whipping cream
·1/4 cup blanched slivered almonds
·12 maraschino cherries
Directions
1.Slice strawberries and sprinkle them with sugar. Cut the bananas into slices and toss with orange juice. Combine pudding mix with milk and mix until smooth. Cut the cake into 1 inch cubes.
2.Use half of the cake cubes to line the bottom of a large glass bowl. Layer half of the strawberries followed by half of the blueberries, and then half of the bananas. Spread half of the pudding over the fruit. Repeat layers in the same order.
3.In a medium bowl, whip the cream to stiff peaks and spread over top of trifle. Garnish with maraschino cherries and slivered almond
And Im old but I can still JAM Dammit..
Ingredients
·2 cups chopped strawberries
·1 cup sweet red wine
·1 1/2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger root
·1 cup packed brown sugar
·1 (3 inch) cinnamon stick
·1 green chile pepper
·1 pinch red pepper flakes
·2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
·1 teaspoon salt
Directions
1.Soak the strawberries in red wine for 10 minutes, then transfer to a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat. As soon as it starts to boil, add the ginger, brown sugar, cinnamon stick, chile pepper, red pepper flakes, apple cider vinegar and salt. Boil over medium heat, stirring every 10 minutes, until the preserve thickens.
2.Remove the chile pepper and cinnamon stick from the preserves. Ladle into clean 1/2 pint jars, wipe rims with a clean cloth or paper towel, and seal with new lids. Store in the refrigerator.


There are thousands of ideas for uses of fresh berries, red, blue, purple, green many colors and flavors nearly all compatible…even fresh barely ripe berries, with minced scallions, sugar and tossed with a bit of cider vinegar as an aside for squab, quail, or dove

As always PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD
CHEF

Thanks Chef!  And what terrific stories!

And what a cool person to have known.  Someone who understands the value of freedom and how easily it can be tossed away.

This is a good question because I was going to ask about the chemical, taste, and aesthetic reasonings behind meat/fruit combinations.  I LOVE those combos, but don't necessarily know how to improvise.

kitties

OH, Chef, as a follow up, if you WERE putting wine in the Strawberry Bisque, what kind would you use? Some sort of gentle white like a Riesling, or something more dry like a Sauvignon Blanc?  I thought I might experiment since strawberries are so plentiful right now.   It's a good year for berries here.  They're sweet this year.  I assume the sugar adjustments in the recipe would be made to accomodate sweetness of berries?

kitties

Chef, I have mastered a basic Burre Blanc, but would like to take that further. I'd like to try it with some heat, like serrano, Red...etc.....advice?

Also, I have NOT mastered a traditional Hollandaise. I had it nailed, then the sauce broke. OMG. I did it again, REALLY fast, and the sauce was bland. Well...it was lemony, REALLY lemony...but totally lacked "kick." Thankfully, I made sure my 20 guests were well refreshed with Mimosas and Bloody mary's... disaster kind of averted.

I'm pretty good with kitchen know how, can you offer any tips to make hollendaise easy, simple...and well seasoned?

Any thoughts on a burre blanc "kick" would be fun too!

~D

more than happy to help, but first tell me what your putting in your burre blanc and hollandaise..I think you are leaving out the pepper, I prefer Tabasco sauce, some folks use white pepper, the classic recipe calls for, I do not like it, on anything....?
breaking hollandaise is easy..wrong temp, too much beating, not enough, wrong amount of butter, a bit of butter solids getting into it or even a bit of soapy water, not fully rinced from the bowl...doesn't take much, but, if held at the proper temp, properly made, it will last several hours.

so, clean bowl,
Pure clarified butter,
Moderate Steam heat on the bottom at a constant temp!! very important, temp changes will effect end results.
constant whipping for smoothly cooked and whipped yolks, and a third hand, pouring in the butter was you whip constantly
too much or too little butter will effect the end product,,again, practice makes perfect..
I have made quick hollandaise in a blender and it comes out OK but takes a practiced hand and your clarified needs to be just the right temp to cook the eggs as you blend the butter
and seems to break easier, hand whipped is the best

Once the Hollandaise is made, you can meld it with just about anything as well, ad some pureed cranberry to it, pureed sorano', generally about 1/3 or 1/4 pureed other to 2/3 to 3/4 hollandaise, adjust tastes accordingly
Hollandaise is one of the 5 basic mother sauces and is the foundation for many derivatives created by adding or changing ingredients.
 
The most common derivative is Sauce Béarnaise. It can be produced by replacing the acidifying agent (vinegar reduction or lemon juice) in a preparation with a strained reduction of vinegar, shallots, fresh chervil, fresh tarragon and crushed peppercorns  Alternatively, the flavorings may be added to a standard Hollandaise.

Béarnaise and its children are often used on steak or other "assertive" grilled meats and fish.
Sauce Choron is a variation of béarnaise without tarragon or chervil, plus added tomato purée
Sauce Foyot (a.k.a. Valois) is béarnaise with meat glaze (Glace de Viande) added
Sauce Colbert is Sauce Foyot with the addition of reduced white wine.  
Sauce Paloise is a version of béarnaise with mint substituted for tarragon.
Sauce au Vin Blanc (for fish) is produced by adding a reduction of white wine and fish stock to hollandaise.
Sauce Bavaroise is hollandaise with added cream, horseradish, and thyme.
Sauce Crème Fleurette is hollandaise with crème fraîche added.
Sauce Dijon, also known as Sauce Moutarde or Sauce Girondine, is hollandaise with Dijon mustard.
Sauce Maltaise is hollandaise to which blanched orange zest and the juice of blood orange is added.
Sauce Mousseline, also known as Sauce Chantilly, is produced by folding whipped cream into hollandaise
Sauce Noisette is a hollandaise variation made with browned butter (beurre noisette)

Hollandaise Sauce
Ingredients

   * 1 1/3 cup of butter
   * 2 egg yolks
   * 2 tbsp of cold water
   * 1 tbsp of lemon juice
   * 1 tsp of salt
   * pinch of cayenne pepper

Method

  1. Melt the butter in a medium-sized saucepan over a low heat.
  2. Once the butter has melted, remove the pan from the heat and set aside.
  3. Taking a spoon, skim off the foam from the surface of the melted butter and discard.
  4. Transfer the rest of the butter to a warmed pouring jug and set aside.
  5. Pour 2 inches of water into a saucepan and heat so that the water is gently simmering but not boiling.
  6. In a glass bowl, whisk the egg yolks with the water until frothy.
  7. Place the bowl over the pan of simmering water and continue to whisk the egg yolks for several minutes until they have thickened.
  8. Remove the bowl from the heat and continue to whisk the eggs for a further minute, in order for the eggs to cool down.
  9. Place the bowl with the eggs back into the saucepan but remove the saucepan from the heat.
 10. Very slowly, pour the melted butter into the egg yolk mixture, making sure that you continuously whisk the eggs whilst doing so.
 11. Whisk in the remaining ingredients until they have thoroughly blended together and the sauce is as thick as you require.
 12. Check the seasoning and then serve immediately or keep warm over a bowl of hot water for up to 30 minutes.


Burre Blanc,,
here is a modernized version of the classic butter sauce, it is rumored that when originated, it was by accident, the chef forgot the egg yolk...
basic beurre blanc, has nearly endless variations –– herbs, fruit juices or purées, soy, chiles ... your imagination is the only limit just blend in the desired ingredients and jump forward.

I do recommend you use real shallots in this recipe, not green onions or scallions. You can substitute onions if necessary, but they have a sharper flavor; use sweet onions if you have to substitute.

This recipe doubles or triples well, also.

   * 2 tablespoons shallots, finely minced
   * 1/4 cup white wine or dry vermouth
   * 1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice or white wine vinegar
   * 4 ounces unsalted butter, cut into pieces
   * Salt to taste
   * Tabasco or white pepper.

In a non-aluminum saucepan, combine shallots with the wine. Reduce a glace (until syrupy). Add the lemon juice or vinegar and reduce a glace. Remove from heat and add one chunk of butter, stirring with a whisk to blend. Slowly add all the pieces of butter until well combined. This technique is called monter au beurre, to finish, or "mount" a sauce with butter. If you need to return the sauce to the heat to incorporate all the butter, do it over very low heat, or the sauce will break.

Strain the sauce through a fine mesh strainer and serve immediately, or hold in a double boiled over barely simmering water, or in a Thermos.

YIELD: about 3/4 cup

be brave! play with it, as you already know, it aint rocket science...and though I might not play with a $15 a pound tenderloin,,I will play with the pennies of cost for the sauces to accompany it...

I would use a chardnonny, even a pinot,,they are sweet enough to give your soup a bit of zest..though not over powering enough to loose the flavor of the berries, a good
Riesling may be a bit too sweet but, doable
do not sugar your soup until you have done the whole combo. the berries at times and the wine can be enough to bring out the flavor you want, and may well need only 1/2 the sugar if any at all..

let  me know how it comes out!!

CHEF.

Zuk and Kittie..

I will get back here, place saver..just think Cuban, Jamaican and Caribbean foods, chicken, pork, shrimp, snapper, sole, combined with pineapple, guava, coconut and pomegranate or even Pomeranian for that matter...

I'll be back!


wow,,ok, Zuk..I understand your an engineer,,and German...and well,,LOOSEN UP DUDE!!! it's food, not the Russian Front
Kittie,,chemical? as in break down by different acids found in fruits? or the Palatable mixtures of some over or beyond others??

Fruit goes very well with nearly all our base foods, fruit is very much a part of our food chain and actually needed in achieving a balanced diet and a more harmonious outcome so to speak..
if you dont beleive me, stop sticking that slice of lush red tomato on your cheese burger....or Avocado on your fajita's

the afore mentioned blueberry and onion relish, with cider viniger and grilled wild birds, HMMM HMMM HMMM!!

a strawberry and rhubarb puree with a grilled black and blue steak,,just,,Yum!

peach salsa on grilled pork tenderloin
sole with nectarine

you guys are missing out on a whole foodie experience

Fruit on foods "hit" the foodie world in the early 1990's, my blueberry and onion relish was created in 1985 for a bunch of drunk millionaire rednecks in a  hunting camp..and went from there..

Pineapple sauce for grilled or roasted pork

Ingredients

   * 1 (8 ounce) can pineapple chunks, reserve juice
   * 1 tablespoon cornstarch
   * 2/3 cup tomato-based chili sauce
   * 1/3 cup raisins
   * 1 tablespoon brown sugar
   * 1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
   * 4 pork chops
   * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Directions

  1. In medium bowl, blend reserved pineapple juice with cornstarch; stir in pineapple, chili sauce, raisins, sugar and cinnamon and set aside.
  2. In large skillet lightly brown chops in oil and drain. Pour pineapple mixture over chops. Cover and simmer 15 minutes or until por


Salmon with blueberry and grapes salad
Ingredients:

   * 1 cup blueberries
   * 1/2 cup grapes
   * 1-1/2 cups baby spinach
   * 1/2 cup raspberries
   * 1/4 cup raspberry vinaigrette
   * 4 salmon fillets
   * 1 tablespoon olive oil
   * 1 tablespoon lemon juice

Preparation:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F. In medium bowl, combine blueberries, grapes, raspberries, and spinach. Drizzle with vinaigrette, toss gently, and set aside.

Place salmon on baking pan and sprinkle with olive oil and lemon juice. Bake for 10-15 minutes or until fish flakes when tested with fork. Place salmon on serving plate and top with the salad. Serve immediately. Serves 4

Curried peach Pork chops

Ingredients

   * 1/2 cup sliced syrup-packed peaches, drained, syrup reserved
   * 3 tablespoons peach jam
   * 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
   * 2 teaspoons curry powder
   * 1 teaspoon honey
   * 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
   * 4 boneless pork chops
   * 2 green onions, chopped
   * 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Directions

  1. In a bowl, mix the reserved peach syrup, peach jam, Dijon mustard, curry powder, and honey.
  2. Heat the vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the pork chops 8 minutes, or to desired doneness.
  3. Mix the green onions into the skillet, and cook 1 minute, until tender. Spoon the syrup mixture and peaches over the pork chops. Continue cooking until heated through. Sprinkle with cilantro to serve.


Flank steak with Nectarines
Ingredients:

   * 1-1/2 pound beef flank steak
   * 1/4 cup beef broth
   * 1/4 cup honey
   * 3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
   * 3 tablespoons soy sauce
   * 2 tablespoons brown sugar
   * 1 Tbsp. grated fresh ginger root
   * 2 cloves garlic, minced
   * 1/4 cup minced onion
   * 1/8 tsp. crushed red pepper flakes
   * 4 nectarines, cut in half

Preparation:
Cut the beef in a crisscross pattern 1/2" apart and 1/8" deep on both sides of the steak. Place beef in a zip lock heavy duty plastic bag. Combine beef broth, honey, vinegar, soy sauce, brown sugar, ginger, garlic, onion, and red pepper flakes in small bowl and mix. Pour this marinade over beef and seal bag. Place bag in glass baking dish to catch any leaks. Refrigerate for 6-24 hours.

When ready to grill, heat coals. Remove beef from marinade and reserve marinade. Grill beef 4-5" from medium heat for 12-15 minutes until medium (10-12 minutes for medium-rare), brushing twice with marinade. Add nectarines to grill for last 6 minutes of grill time, turning once and brushing with marinade. Discard leftover marinade. Cut beef across grain to serve and serve with nectarines. 4 serving

Salmon and fruit salsa
Ingredients:

   * 1/2 cup non alcoholic margarita mix
   * 3 Tbsp. lime juice
   * 1 clove minced garlic
   * 2 lb. salmon fillet, cut into 6 pieces
   * 1 cup chopped fresh pineapple
   * 1 cup chopped strawberries
   * 1 cup chopped cantaloupe
   * 1 small jalapeno chili, seeded and minced
   * 1/3 cup finely chopped red onion
   * 2 Tbsp. chopped cilantro
   * 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

Preparation:
Pour margarita mix, lime juice and garlic over salmon in glass dish. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.

While salmon is marinating, combine pineapple, strawberries, jalapeno (if using), red onion, cilantro and lime juice and refrigerate. Keep salsa separate from salmon until salmon is fully cooked.

When ready to eat, heat coals. Remove salmon from marinade and discard marinade. Grill salmon, skin side down, 4-6" from medium coals for 10-20 minutes, until salmon flakes easily with a fork. Serve grilled salmon with fruit salsa. Serves 6

Veal Scalopini with Lemon sauce

Ingredients

   * 8 (2 ounce) pieces veal scaloppini
   * 1 egg, beaten
   * 1 1/2 cups Italian bread crumbs
   * 1/4 cup olive oil
   * 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
   * 1/4 cup white wine
   * 1 tablespoon cornstarch
   * 1 (15 ounce) can chicken broth
   * 1/4 teaspoon garlic pepper
   * 1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper
   * 1 cup heavy cream

Directions

  1. Dip veal into the beaten egg, then press into the bread crumbs. Gently shake off excess, and set aside.
  2. Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add breaded scaloppini, and cook until golden brown on both sides, and no longer pink on the inside, about 4 minutes per side. Remove to a paper towel lined plate, and keep warm.
  3. Pour in lemon juice and white wine. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. Boil for 1 minute. Dissolve the cornstarch in about 2 tablespoons of chicken broth, and set aside. Pour the remaining chicken broth into the skillet, season with garlic pepper and lemon pepper, and bring to a boil. Once the sauce is boiling, stir in the dissolved cornstarch, and cook until thickened and clear, about 1 minute. Remove the sauce from the heat, then whisk in heavy cream. Place the veal on a serving platter, and pour sauce overtop to serve.

to name a few..

again
it is summer time, PLAY WITH YOUR FOOD..especially before the prices go up!!!
CHEF

I found no such recipe in the index, or in the last ten pages of this thread... tell me I'm missing something...

Otherwise I demand the recipe asap...

All kidding aside, that sounds outstandingly delicious and I'd love to give it a try.

well, that one is sort of a proprietary recipe of Chefs .45 Ranch.....
but,,


it is pretty easy and you have 99% of the ingredients already..
blueberries, minced vidalia onions, a small bit of cider vinegar, small amount chopped mint, sugar,,,tossed..set 12 hours minimum..serve as an aside.
sure you can figure out the unit of measure...

Got it, thanks!!!

YES, both of these, though you've covered some of it here.  I LOVE the mixtures I've had, but it's not instinctive, because my cooking training came from my mom, who never did these things––not even ham with pineapple, so I didn't grow up with any of it and am having to learn it by choice.  I've never had a berry mixture on steak like that, but I think I will have to try that immediately.  Sirloins in the fridge right now.

And as you're talking about the inclusion of fruit, if you ever decide to do a primer on how to combine foods (any foods, not just fruit) for courses, say how to match appetizers with entrees etc etc, I would love to hear that.  For instance, I would not have done Strawberry bisque as a starter,, cuz it seemed so dessert-like to me and the whole "sweet is for the end of the meal" thing would have stopped me,  but the chef on my trip did so and of course it was fabulous.  (I think I had lobster that night though I can't remember for certain––maybe it was steak.)    Good chefs seem to have a sixth sense about combining courses that make up a really fantastic whole meal experience.  I'm sure part of it is years of doing it,  trial and error, and just being a skilled culinary artist, but I thought there might be some tricks or rules of thumb you could share about building meals.

Not that I serve appetizers as a rule, but the knowledge of how to put stuff together would be good to have..  

Need to think on this a bit

CHEF

Chef,

Wanted to say thanks.  My 7 year old daughter and I made your lemon bars today and not only did we have fun making them but everyone agreed they were fantastic.

Check out his Carne Asada recipe in the index also, it was excellent.

ok, gave some thought to what your asking, how your asking it...and

I can only say,,,the solution is no

Combining foods comes through talentand guessing and playing with what you have at hand and imagining what it is going to taste like as the end result
..I have trashed hundreds of ideas, gallons and gallons of soups and sauces, pounds of food stuffs that were sub par, or didn't come out how expected,,or a combination in small quantities didn't transpose into larger quantities with a whole lot of experimentation in between

Invented recipes are attempts to come out with a finished product that is pleasing to the eye, the nose and finally the palate.
as you say, you were not bought up to think fruit sauce with beef or a sour sauce on strawberries yet, when experienced it was generally pleasant a shocking suprise..
those are bought about by simple thinking, playing, trying uncommon ingredients OR under duress as it was all we had to eat.
YOU would not steam ma-hi ma-hi in coconut leaves as coconut palms don't grow in Kentucky..and that particular fish being pretty damn ugly, a kentuckian may decide to throw it back as "trash fish" or as mentioned way earlier in the thread, imagine OGG'ge and his rock found in the ocean,,containing the lowly unappealing, gray slimy oyster...

???
chef.

so, if in a forum, public or private, where things are hands on, and we have bushels and baskets of ingrediants to pick and choose from, or even the challenge of the mysterey basket..I could show you what we have, can, try to combine into good quality edibles..but to try to do that here,,I can only say, I am unable to do that..

thank you!!
always appreciate feedback,,,

guess they were soo good, you ate the pictures as well?




CHEF

Chef, hope all is well with you.
I planted some Ichibod eggplant this year, although I am not an eggplant fan.
Hve any recommendations as to the proper way to prepare them, that a non eggplant eater will like?

Thanks Brother and be safe.

rustee

ETA: WOW 76 pages, this needs to be tacked...

Not a question, more of a comment.

Just bought a pasta maker.

Best damn kitchen purchase ever.

Pepper-linguine and meatballs tonight

_MaH

wow only 76 pages,,damn feel like a complete loser now....

well, we have tacked it,,it gets forgotten, like many things tacked to a wall, just collects dust..
I aint goin out that way dammit,,spurs on and .45's firin!!!





good question and truthfully not a lot I can help you with to change your "taste" preferences of egg plant, other than say you're missing out!!!!
I Like eggplant quite a bit,,Parmesan especially, or Pizzas or bake with pasta ala lasagna or Ziti and consider it a great vegetarian supplement for center of plate of a good Italian meal..

ziti with eggplant

Ingredients

   * 2 tablespoons olive oil
   * 1 eggplant, peeled and cut into 1/2-inch cubes
   * 1 (28 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
   * 2 tablespoons minced fresh basil
   * ground black pepper to taste
   * 1 1/4 teaspoons white sugar (optional)
   * 1 (7 ounce) jar roasted red pepper, drained and cut into strips
   * 1 (16 ounce) package dry ziti pasta
   *  
   * 3 pita bread rounds
   * 2 tablespoons butter
   * 1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese or to taste
   * sweet paprika to taste
   * salt and pepper to taste

Directions

  1. Heat the olive oil in a skillet over medium heat, and cook the eggplant about 10 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, basil, pepper, and sugar. Simmer, stirring occasionally, 45 minutes. Mix the roasted red peppers into the skillet with the eggplant mixture. Continue cooking until eggplant is the consistency of the rest of the sauce.
  2. Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Place ziti pasta in the pot, cook 9 to 11 minutes, until al dente, and drain. Serve the eggplant and tomato sauce over the cooked ziti.
  3. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Open pitas and evenly spread insides with butter. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese and season with paprika, salt and pepper. I like to make a light sprinkling of paprika across each piece. Heat pitas in the preheated oven until golden brown, about 6 minutes. Use to scoop up eggplant sauce, or eat separately.

eggplant pizza( the eggplant round can be used for burger presentation, Parmesan presentation, think of it as any chicken breast saute' or lightly fried and sub the Veggie)

Ingredients

   * 2 eggs
   * 1 cup all-purpose flour
   * 1/2 teaspoon salt
   * 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
   * 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
   * 1 large eggplant, sliced into 1/2 inch rounds
   * 1/4 cup vegetable oil
   * 1 (14 ounce) can pizza sauce or (preferably home made)
   * 1 1/2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Preheat an oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. Beat the eggs in a bowl. Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and oregano in a 1 gallon resealable plastic bag. Dip each eggplant slice in the egg, then drop the eggplant in the flour mixture one at a time, shaking the bag to coat the eggplant.
  3. Heat the vegetable oil in a large, deep skillet over medium heat. Place the eggplant slices in the skillet to cook, turning occasionally, until evenly browned. Drain the eggplant slices on a paper towel-lined plate. Arrange the eggplant in one layer on a baking sheet. Spoon enough pizza sauce to cover each eggplant slice. Top each eggplant with mozzarella cheese.
  4. Bake in the preheated oven until the mozzarella cheese is melted, 5 to 10 minutes.


egg plant croquette or "patty"

Ingredients

   * 2 medium eggplants, peeled and cubed
   * 1 cup mozzarella or swiss or provolone.
   * 1 cup Italian seasoned bread crumbs
   * 2 eggs, beaten
   * 2 tablespoons dried parsley
   * 2 tablespoons chopped onion
   * 1 clove garlic, minced
   * 1 cup vegetable oil
   * 1 teaspoon salt
   * 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Directions

  1. Place eggplant in a microwave safe bowl and microwave on medium-high 3 minutes. Turn eggplant over and microwave another 2 minutes. The eggplant should be tender, cook another 2 minutes if the eggplants are not tender. Drain any liquid from the eggplants and mash.
  2. Combine cheese, bread crumbs, eggs, parsley, onion, garlic and salt with the mashed eggplant. Mix well.
  3. Shape the eggplant mixture into patties. Heat oil in a large skillet. Drop eggplant patties one at a time into skillet. Fry each side of the patties until golden brown, approximately 5 minutes on each side. Patties can be frozen before frying and cooked later.


eggplant en' casserole

Ingredients

   * 1 medium eggplant, peeled
   * 2 teaspoons salt
   * 3/4 cup dry bread crumbs
   * 3 teaspoons garlic salt
   * 1/2 teaspoon pepper
   * 3 eggs
   * 3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
   * 1 large green pepper, chopped
   * 1 medium onion, chopped
   * 1/2 pound fresh mushrooms, sliced
   * 2 (14.5 ounce) cans stewed tomatoes
   * 1 (6 ounce) package sliced mozzarella cheese

Directions

  1. Cut eggplant into 1/4-in.-thick slices. Place in a colander over a plate; sprinkle with salt. Let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse under cold water and pat dry with paper towels.
  2. In a shallow bowl, combine the bread crumbs, garlic salt and pepper. In another shallow bowl, beat eggs. Dip eggplant into eggs, then coat with crumb mixture.
  3. In a large skillet, cook eggplant in 2 tablespoons oil for 2 minutes on each side or until lightly browned. Transfer to an ungreased 13-in. x 9-in. x 2-in. baking dish. In the same skillet, saute the green pepper, onion and mushrooms in remaining oil for 5 minutes or until pepper and onion are crisp-tender. Sprinkle over eggplant. Top with tomatoes.
  4. Bake, uncovered, at 350 degrees F for 25 minutes. Uncover; place cheese slices over the top. Bake 25-30 minutes longer or until cheese is lightly browned.

hope that helps a bit..

reheating those little egg plant slices, breaded and fried, topped with a fresh garden tomato slice, some nice swiss, in your toaster oven enough to melt cheese,,,hmmm simple summer lunch

CHEF

yes, they are fun to play with, and what you can throw into your pasta can be both pleasant and surprising...
CHEF

FYI for readers of this thread: The Chef's Index is compiled through page 65.  Way down at the bottom of the index are page-by-page summaries of subsequent recipes.

Chef, you may not have noticed that you started the year 2010 at the top of page 66, merely ten pages of awesome ago!  Thanks for all the Goodness!

we dont spend much time on wine and beer here, too much constantly changing and as I dont drink any longer and no longer running Night Clubs or fine dining establishments I don't pay attention... not keeping up and old knowledge in new trends is a bit useless,,though I still know a bit..and was one HELL of a "GinMill" man in my prime..could bury the majority of my bartenders in a rush even as far as my last job a few years back.

for wine, Southby's wine encyclopedia is a good start.. take a weekend and visit a few winery's speak to the guys that do it for a living. dont know where you are on Colorado, but Denver has several fine wine establishments, wine brokers, chat up the Food and Beverage director of one of the major hotels, Grand Hyatt, the Brown, the Hotel Monoca or Inverness, and they will generally lead you to the right people to learn from. Get with one of the brokers reps in your area, ask to pick their brain over a lunch or two,,wine sales people are suckers for free food, IF I recall Platinum is a major player in Denver, but its been a long time..

thanks and welcome again.tell your friends, we enjoy being busy here...

you know, I'm running a 1600 or less calorie a day diet,,,and you have to take me to Mac and cheese with Gruyere????that will be in my head whilst I nosh a turkey sandwich on sugar free bread with sides of celery, pickles and mustard


BAD FORM BAD FORM!!!