Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Monday, August 10, 2009
Bleu Cheese Potato Gratin
yield: Makes 4 side-dish servings
active time: 10 min
total time: 40 min
Tender, rich, and browned on top, this easy potato gratin gets loads of flavor from a very minimal amount of blue cheese that is added at the last minute.
Ingredients
1 1/2 lb medium yellow-fleshed potatoes
1 cup heavy cream
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
1/3 cup crumbled blue cheese (1 oz)
Special equipment: an adjustable-blade slicer; a 10-inch heavy skillet with a flameproof handle
Preparation
Put oven rack in upper third of oven and preheat oven to 425°F.
Peel potatoes and slice 1/8 inch thick, then toss with cream, garlic, salt, and pepper in skillet. Cover with foil and roast until potatoes are very tender, about 25 minutes. Remove from oven and preheat broiler. Remove foil and sprinkle potatoes with cheese. Broil until top is browned, 2 to 3 minutes.
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
BEER FACTS AND TRIVIA
Anything popular develops a history of facts, trivia and folklore, and beer is no exception. Over the years beer has had many “firsts”, and has inspired an equal number of tall tales. So what is fact and what is fiction? Here’s a few nuggets from the vault on the history and trivia of beer:
*The first consumer protection law ever written was enacted over beer by Duke Wilhelm IV of Bavaria in 1516. It was a purity law limiting the ingredients of beer to barley, hops and water.
*Tegestology is what collecting beer mats is called.
Beer is the second most popular beverage in the world, coming in behind tea.
Pabst Beer is now called Pabst Blue Ribbon beer because it was the first beer to win a blue ribbon at the Chicago World’s Fair in 1893.
To get rid of the foam at the top of beer (the head), stick your fingers in it.
Monks brewing beer in the Middle Ages were allowed to drink five quarts of beer a day.
Bavaria still defines beer as a staple food.
To keep your beer glass or mug from sticking to your bar napkin, sprinkle a little salt on the napkin before you set your glass down.
The oldest known written recipe is for beer.
The Pilgrims landed at Plymouth Rock because of beer. They had planned to sail further south to a warm climate, but had run out of beer on the journey.
Anheuser-Busch is the largest brewery in the US.
The longest bar in the world is the 684 foot long New Bulldog in Rock Island, IL.
The powers that be at Guinness say that a pint of beer is lifted about ten times, and each time about 0.56 ml is lost in a beer drinker’s facial hair. That’s a lot of wasted beer!
As of 2001, 62% of Americans reported using a designated driver at least once.
Molson, Inc. is the oldest brewery in North America.
Franklin Delano Roosevelt (FDR) was elected in 1932 because of his promise to end Prohibition.
The first United States Marine Recruiting Station was in a bar.
The first brewery in America was built in Hoboken, NJ in 1642.
In 1935 the canned beer industry was revolutionized by a vinyl plastic liner developed for cans made out of tin.
The movie The Shawshank Redemption got their period beer containers wrong. The prisoners on the roof drank beer out of bottles in the 1930s, when beer was canned until many years later.
Tossing salted peanuts in a glass of beer makes the peanuts dance.
Samuel Adams Triple Bock is the strongest beer in the world with 17% alcohol by volume. The strength is achieved by using champagne yeast.
In Japan, beer is sold in vending machines, by street vendors and in the train stations.
Bourbon is the official alcohol of the United States, by an act of Congress. Many people have attempted to have that overturned in favor of beer instead throughout the years.
Many actors started out as bartenders: Sandra Bullock, Bruce Willis, Tom Arnold, Chevy Chase,
Kris Kristofferson and Bill Cosby are a few of these.
American beer is made mostly by rice, unlike the beers of other countries. This was invented to give American beer a lighter taste and tap into the market of women buyers.
Michelob was invented during a brewer’s strike in the 1930s from a recipe tossed together by the untrained workers left behind to run the brewery. It was so bad local taverns tossed their delivered barrels in the gutter until the streets ran with beer. When the strike was over, the brewery didn’t want to lose all that beer, no matter how bad, so they repackaged it and sold it as Michelob.
Beer is a source of B- complex vitamins.
If you collect beer bottles your are a labeorphilist.
The portable beer cooler was invented in Australia in the 1950s.
The ‘33’ on a bottle of Rolling Rock was originally a printer’s error. It refers to the 33 words in the original slogan. It has generated enough mystery over the years that the company left it in the label.
SCOTCH EGGS FOR ULEN
yield: Makes 4 Scotch eggs, serving 4
Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.
1 1/4 pounds bulk country-style or herbed sausage
1 teaspoon crumbled dried sage
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
4 hard-boiled large eggs
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 raw large eggs, beaten lightly
1 cup fresh bread crumbs
vegetable oil for deep-frying the eggs
PASTEL DE TRES LECHES
.
yield: Makes one 10x3-inch cake
Pastel de tres leches is a traditional Nicaraguan Celebration Cake usually reserved for the holiday season.
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
4 eggs, separated
1 1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup milkRum Milk Syrup
1 can evaporated milk (12 oz.)
1 can sweetened condensed milk (14 oz.)
1 can heavy cream (use empty can from condensed milk - 1 1/4 cups)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons dark spiced rum (Meyers or Captain Morgan will do), optionalMeringue
4 egg whites
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup waterCranberry Compote
2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup walnut halves (or pieces)
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup water
1/2 cup light brown sugar
4 cloves
1 cinnamon stick
1 tablespoon cornstarch (diluted in just enough cold water to make a slurry)
For Sponge Cake:
Pour batter into pan and bake for about 40 minutes or until the middle springs back when touched and edges pull slightly away from pan. Cool thoroughly on a wire rack.
For Rum Milk Syrup:
For Meringue:
When sugar reaches the soft ball stage on a candy thermometer, keep the egg whites mixing on slow speed, and steadily pour sugar into the side of the bowl (keeping it away from the whisk). Increase the speed to high, and whip until cool (5 minutes or less). Meringue should be smooth and shiny. Reserve.
While stirring rapidly, add the cornstarch slurry, and allow the mixture to boil rapidly for one minute. Remove from heat, and remove the spices. Cool thoroughly and reserve.
To Assemble:
Ranch-style Eggs with Refried Beans For Jennifer and Jodi
Serve this filling dish for breakfast, and you won't have to be concerned about what to make for lunch.
Yield: 4 servings
Prep Time: 25 mins
Cooking Time: 35 mins
Ingredients
3 tbsp lard or vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 vegetable stock cube, crumbled, or salt to taste
FOR THE SAUCE
4 small dried hot red pequin chiles
1/4 cup boiling water
1 1/2 lb (750 g) ripe tomatoes, peeled
1 onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
1 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp sugar
4 corn tortillas
6 tbsp vegetable oil
4 large eggs
1 avocado, pitted, peeled, and sliced
Directions
1. To make the beans, drain the beans, reserving some of the liquid from the can. Rinse the beans. Heat the lard in a frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook about 7 minutes, until the onion is golden. Increase the heat to medium high. In batches, add the beans and stir and mash them with a wooden spoon, adding some of the bean liquid, as needed, to make a coarse puree. Add the stock cube and reduce the heat to low. Cook, stirring often, until thick
2. To make the sauce, combine the chiles and boiling water in a small bowl and soak for 15 minutes. Drain, discarding the liquid. Purèe the tomatoes, chiles, onion, and garlic in a blender. Heat the oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the tomato mixture and cook, stirring frequently, about 5 minutes. Add the vinegar, tomato paste, cumin, oregano, and sugar and simmer over medium-low heat for 10 minutes.
3. To assemble, heat 4 tbsp of the oil in a frying pan over high heat until shimmering. Fry each tortilla for approximately 30 seconds on each side, until hot but not crisp. Transfer to paper towels. Add the remaining 2 tbsp oil to the pan. Add the eggs and fry according to your taste.
4. To serve, place each tortilla on a dinner plate and top with an egg. Spoon some of the tomato sauce over each, and garnish with the avocado slices and cilantro. Add a spoonful of the beans to each tortilla, and serve hot.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
BRASIED SHORT RIBS WITH HORSERADISH GREMOLATA (brasato al barolo)
Monday, August 3, 2009
CRISPY PORK BELLY WITH CONFIT OF GARLIC AND A HONEY GLAZE
"Pork belly is one of the tastiest joints of pork and the best thing ofall is it is one of the cheapest. It takes quite a while to cook but is very easy. Because of the high fat content, pork belly is rich and succulent and definitely something for special occasions"
FOR THE HONEY GLAZE
1 cup honey
1/4 cup dark soy sauce
1 tsp five-spice powder
1 tsp ground ginger
4 star anise
FOR THE CONFIT GARLIC
8 OZ duck fat
12 garlic cloves unpeeled
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves
1/4 cup evoo
2 carrots, diced
2 celery stalks, diced
white of 1/2 leek
2 garlic cloves,crushed
3 plum tomatoes, de-seeded, diced
1 cup white wine
5 cups chicken stock
2 1/2 - 3 1/2 pounds pork belly
2 tsp oilve oil
3 1/8 cups baby spinach
2 tbsp butter
2 fresh thyme sprigs
For the honey glaze:
Preheat oven to 275 degrees f/ 140 degrees c. Combine all the ingredients for the honey glaze in a small saucepan and cook over a low heat for 5-7 mnutes. Strain and reserve the star anise for the garnish.
For the garlic confit:
Heat the duck fat in a small saucepan over a low heat until it is hot to touch. Add the garlic, thyme and a bay leaves and cook over a very low heat for abut 15-20 minutes, or until the garlic is tender. Remove the pan from the heat, leave to cool and set aside until required.
Heat a large saucepan, add the olive oil and sweat the vegetables for 5 minutes. Add the wine and cook for a further 2 minutes. Add the chicken stock and herbs and bring to a simmer.
Place the pork belly in a large heavy based casserole dish and pour over he hot chicken stock and vegetables. Cover with a lid and cook in the hot oven for about 2-3 hours, or until pork is tender.
Once the port is ready, remove from the oven and place the port on a baking tray with antoehr tray on top and a weight (such as 2 cans of beans) to help weigh the pork down. Place in the refrigerator for about 3-4 horus, or preferably overnight.
Once the pork has been pressed, remove the trays and trim the pork into portions 6 inches long and about 2 inches wide.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees f, place the pork belly skin-side down in a non-stick cold frying pan with olive oil and begin to crisp the skin over a low-medium heat for about 1 minute spooning half of the honey glaze over the pork.
Transfer the port to the hot oven and color on all sides. Spoon over the rest of the honey glaze while keeping a close eye that the pork does not burn.
Meanwhile, cook the spinach in the butter for 1 minute and set aside.
Once the pork is colored and crispy remove from the oven, slice and transfer to a serving plate. Garnish with the eserved star anise and tyyme sprigs and serve with the garlic confit and spinach.
KING PRAWNS WITH CARAMELIZED ENDIVES AND ENDIVE FOAM
Saturday, August 1, 2009
Toro Tartare
Friday, July 31, 2009
HOW MUCH DIRT WILL YOU EAT IN YOUR LIFETIME?
The Food and Drug (bug) Administration allows certin amounts of dirt and other "foreign matter" to be present in foods; for instance, they allow one or more whle insects or fifty insect fragments, two or more rodant hairs, and one or more rodant excreta in every fifty grams of cornmeal. Three percent of canned peaches can be moldy or wormy. Twenty or more maggots are allowed in one hundred grams of canned mushrooms. This may sound disgusting, but bugs and worms won't hurt you and they are a good source of protein! Many of these beasties are killed durning processing. It's one thing to eat a dead worm you can't see but another to eat the live critter.
Braised Pork in a Rich Glaze
Thursday, July 30, 2009
LAST NIGHT
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Standing Rib Roast Recipes
These Standing Rib Roast are for My Friend Rodney look over the Three i posted here if there not what your looking for let me know and i'll find you some more.
http://find.myrecipes.com/recipes/recipefinder.dtyn?action=displayRecipe&recipe_id=521751
http://bbq.about.com/od/rubrecipes/r/bln0504a.htm
http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/foolproof-standing-rib-roast-recipe/index.html
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
FOX Broadcasting Company: Hell's Kitchen
Fascinating Facts About What We Eat and Drink
Fascinating Facts About What We Eat and Drink
Tru Blood blood orange drink inspired by HBO series in stores Sept
Monday, July 27, 2009
Tapenade-Stuffed Leg of Lamb
Serves 6
- 3 to 4 pounds bonless leg of lambboned out side
- 1/4 cup Tapenade
- 3 garlic cloves, sliced
- 2 Tbsp Chopped fresh rosemary leaves just
- fine sea salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F
Oil a roasting pan just large enough to hold the lamb.
Stuff the lamb spread the boned out side with tapenade then roll the lamb tightly. Tie it at 2" intervals with kitchen twine. With a small, sharp knife cut slits 2 to 3 inches apart in the top of the roast. Push the garlic slices into the slits. Sprinkle the roast all over with rosemary ,salt, and pepper.
Roast the lamb for about 1 hour 15 minutes. to check the doneness, insert your themometer into the thickest part of the meat. For med-rare the temp should be 140 degrees
let the meat rest for 30 min before serving
The Underground Orlando
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED
Oven-Roasted Turkey Breast With Leeks and Dried Fruit
4 Whole Leeks roots Trimed
2 Tbsp unsalted butter
2 Tbsp EVOO
Leaves from 2 freash thyme sprigs
Kosher salt and Fresh cracked black pepper
1 whole 5 to 6 pound Turkey on the bone
1/4 cup raisins
1/4 golden raisins
1/2 cup dried apricots, halved
Trim off most of the dark green parts of the leeks, leaving the white and just an inch or two of the light green parts. Cut the leeks almost in half lenghthwise, leaving the halves attached at the root end. Rinse under cool running water, separating the leaves gently to rinse out the sand that hides in there. Pat the leeks dry. heat 1 Tbsp each of butter and olive oil in a roasting pan over medium heat. Add leeks, sprinkle with thyme, salt, and pepper and cook about 10 minutes, turning every now and then, until the leeks are softened but not colored. Pull the leeks out of the pan and let them cool.
Meanwhile use a sharp, thin knife to cut down the lengh of the turkey breastbone. Then,holding the knife as flat as possible against tthe bone follow the shape of the carcass to cut one breast off the bone. Do the same for the second breast. Wrap one of the breast and refiigerate or freeze for another use. Butterfly the the remaining breast. Put it on a cutting board so that it lies vertically skin side down. get yourself a large knife. Cutting parallel to the cutting board, cut the breast almost in half, just stopping short of the outside edge. Open out the two halves as if you were opening a book. Now you've got a large piece of meat that will cook evenly and is this enough to roll.
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F
Sprinle the cut surface of the turkey with salt and pepper and lay the leeks vertically, side by side, on the left side. Scatter the dried fruit over the leeks. Now, starting with the left side, roll the turkey over the filling and into a cylinder. Tie in 4 places with kitchen twine season with salt and pepper.
Heat the remaining tablespoon of butter and olive oil in the same roasting pan over med-high heat. put the in the roasting pan and sear on all sides.Transfer the pan to the oven and roast for about 20 minutes untill your thermometer reads 160 degrees F remove from oven and allow it to rest for 5 to 10 minutes, cut crosswise into slices and serve
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Pan-fried sirloin with simple Chianti Butter sauce and olive oil Mash
Welcome
Chef Ed Hollingsworth