The First Kiss... Chicken Marsala

It's never as good as the first time. I think that might be true if you are a guy, but for girls I'm sure there are plenty of stories to dispute that notion. As a guy, you feel lucky just to be in it in the first place. It's something that you've dreamed about for quite some time. You've probably bragged about it, lied about it and asked questions about it at least since grade school. As a girl, you've probably done just the opposite. Breathe and get your collectively dirty minds out of the gutter. I'm talking about your first kiss and all that it means...

Chicken Marsala W/ Lemon Caper Noodles 

On the menu today: Chicken Marsala & Lemon-Caper Noodles

A first kiss is a lot like making your first gourmet meal. You know, that meal that's meant to impress, to show your suitor that you're not the same run of the mill, ne'er do well that takes his or her date to Mc'Donald's for the first date. You are the sophisticated type that will go above and beyond the call of duty to please that -----. (You fill it in.) It's slow, methodical and lingering... It's the type that hangs around in a good way for days to come. The type that has you daydreaming on a Sunday at church as the choir sings... This is the real deal.

Chicken Marsala

• Skinless Chicken Breast (4 each cut in half lengthwise) 
• A.P. Flour (1 cup) 
• Sliced Crimini Mushrooms (8 oz.) 
• Julienned Shallots (1/2 cup)
• Marsala Wine (3/4 cup) 
• Chicken Stock (1/2 cup) 
• Butter (2 Tbs) 
• Vegetable Oil (1/4 cup) 
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 
• Parsley (1/3 cup) 

Start off by cutting the chicken breast in half lengthwise before dredging in the flour and seasoning with salt and pepper. Next add the oil to a frying pan to heat before cooking the floured chicken in it to brown slightly. Once flipped and repeated remove from the pan and set aside for later use. Remove the oil from the pan and cook the mushrooms until golden before adding the shallots to cook for and additional five minutes. Now add the Marsala and allow to cook for about a minute before adding the chicken stock and allowing to bring to a boil. Reduce heat and add the chicken to the pot and cook until thickened (about 3 minutes). Taste, add salt & pepper and a bit more Marsala to your liking.

Lemon-Caper Noodles

Lemon Caper Noodles 

• Thin Spaghetti Noodles (1/2 box) 
• Spinach (8 oz) 
• Garlic (1 tsp) 
• Lemon Juice (1 Tbs) 
• Lemon Zest (1 tsp) 
• Capers (1/2 cup)
• Butter (1 Tbs)
• Olive Oil (1 Tbs) 
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 

Cook the pasta in accordance with the directions on the box. Drain and place in a bowl adding the olive oil to keep from sticking. Next sauté the spinach by first adding garlic to a heated pan with capers and butter before adding the spinach. Salt and pepper to taste before adding to the pasta and squeezing fresh lemon juice to the mixture and stirring to incorporate. Garnish with grated lemon zest. 

To plate add the pasta first before placing the chicken and sauce to top to serve. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley. 

A Remedy For The Ups & Downs Of Indian Summer... Seafarers Stew

In DC, Fall is a season that I absolutely love. The weather starts to gradually change along with the color of the folliage and folks start to layer up on clothes as the weather shifts back and fourth between a slightly cool summer evening to a downright cold next morning. This year Fall in DC has been topsy-turvy, I woke up the other day to a 27 degree morning just about as unprepared as I could possibly be. It was six a.m. as I headed to the car dressed in shorts and a teeshirt with no jacket. After all, the day before it was 82 degrees. Needless to say I quickly did an about face, threw on my Uggs and a slid on a weather appropriate Patagonia jacket. Oh, and about the shorts; I kept them on because I liked the way they looked with the boots. LOL

Seafarers Stew 

On the menu today: Seafarers Stew

A hearty bowl of soup is always a great idea, it just seems to cure all that ails you. Stew is even better to me, it sticks to your bones. While Seafarers or Seafood stew, like Bouillabaisse or Cioppino is as luxurious a stew as you can find anywhere; it's origins come from fisherman villages all over the world and was once seen as a stew for commoners... Like most things once deemed common, once the word is out the world comes running and often times re-names your shit and gussy's it the hell up to claim it for their own. Think roasted pig feet, turned braised trotters bought for $1 each foot and sold at a fancy restaurant for $35. Think fried thymus, turned sweetbreads bought for under $3 per pound and sold at your local 4-5 star spot for $45 a plate. Think Pabst Blue Ribbon turned PBR sold for 50 cent per can and sold at the new beer garden, run by hipsters  for a whopping $7 during their happy hour. Some shit is just funny in a not so good way... 

Scallops & Salmon

Seafood Stew

• Salmon filet (8 oz) 
• Scallops (8-12 each) 
• *Optional* Shrimp (12-15 each)
• *Optional* Mussels (12-15 each) 
• *Optional* Little Neck Clams (8-12 each)
• Chardonnay (4 oz) 
• Heavy Cream (1/2 cup) 
• Fish or Vegetable Stock (32 oz) 
• Tomatoes (2 large)
• Canned Diced Tomatoes (10 oz can)
• Garlic (1 clove)
• Olive Oil (1 Tbs)
• Shallots (2 Tbs)
• Basil (2 Tbs)
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 
• Parsley (2 Tbs) 

Start off by dicing the tomatoes and mincing the garlic, shallots and herbs and adding them to a heated soup pot with the olive oil. Next add the canned tomatoes and the stock and cook for 45 minutes on low. While this is cooking, in a separate pot add the heavy cream and cook until it's reduced by half before adding the chardonnay and allowing to thicken again. Add all of the seafood to tomato soup pot and cook until done (if using clams add them first as they will take longer to open up, add the mussels next and then the rest of the seafood and cook until done.) Finally, add the thickened cream and wine mixture and taste to adjust seasoning. Serve in a deep bowl with warm, crusty bread and garnish with fresh chopped parsley and basil... 

Marky Had A Little Lamb... Kabobs & Burgers, that is.

The other day I was talking to a friend about ground lamb, he said it was a bit too gamy for his taste. My first reaction was, "that's too bad for you." but the cook in me decided to offer him a sample of lamb prepared two different ways. One way was to fall on tradition by making kabobs and the other by making a burger.

Lamb Kabobs

Lamb Burger On Pita

On the menu today: Lamb Two Ways

If gaminess is an issue for you, one way to combat the issue is to add spices and herbs to help "mask" said gaminess. The thing about the herbs that I added for the two dishes is that somehow they enhance the flavor if you love the taste of of lamb while at the same time help to mask the gaminess if you do not.

When I think lamb, I think mint, oregano, rosemary, garlic, fresh veggies and yogurt. In short I think The Mediterranean or Greece...

Lamb Kabobs

• Ground Lamb (1. 5 Lbs) 
• Green Onions (4 each) 
• Fresh Rosemary (3 Tbs) 
• Fresh Oregano (3 Tbs)
• Fresh Mint (4 Tbs)
• Garlic (4 cloves)
• Season Salt (2 Tbs)  
• Cumin (1 Tbs)
• Turmeric (2 Tbs)
• Yellow Mustard (3 Tbs)
• Salt & Pepper (liberally) 

Seasoned Ground Lamb

Start off by mincing all of the herbs and adding all of the ingredients to the lamb to season. Refrigerate for an hour before forming the kabobs by forming them around previously soaked wooden skewers. Reserve the rest for the burgers. For best results cook on a wood-fired or BBQ grill, the can also be oven baked, pan fried or deep fried until done.

Serve with grilled pita bread fresh red onions, cucumbers, roma tomatoes, feta cheese marinated in olive oil and red wine vinegar.

Vinegar Soaked Potatoes

For the potatoes, use small Yukon golds and cut in half before marinating in olive oil, red wine vinegar, salt, pepper, rosemary and oregano for an hour. Bake flat side down in an oven for 30 or so minutes @ 425 degrees. Once done place in a bowl, taste and add a splash or two of vinegar and season as needed.

Toasted Turmeric Yogurt Sauce

Turmeric Yogurt Sauce

• Plain Greek Yogurt (2 Cups)
• Garlic (1 Tbs)
• Turmeric (1 Tbs)
• Cucumbers (1 each) 
• Lemon Juice (1 tsp)
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 

Start off by toasting the turmeric by heating in a pan, add olive oil and garlic to cook for 1 minute. Add the yogurt and stir to incorporate. Remove from heat and place in refrigerator to cool. Meanwhile, seed the cucumber and dice before adding to the sauce along with the lemon juice. Finally add the salt and pepper to taste and enjoy.

The Platter Set Up

With the reserved mixture form the burgers and grill until cooked to your desired temperature. Plate by adding the burger as seen below to the pita bread and fresh, marinated veggies. Below I added a yogurt-aioli sauce and the turmeric as a condiment. Adding fries and is a no brainer while the herb salt is the kicker.

Burger on Pita

    Herb Salt 

• Kosher Salt (1 Cup) 
• Rosemary (2 Tbs)
• Oregano (1 Tbs)
• Mint (2 Tbs)

Mince the fresh herbs and add them to the salt to incorporate. Refrigerate to maintain freshness and prevent spoilage.


Fried Capers & Chick Peas 

• Canned Chick Peas (As Much As Needed)
• Bottled Capers (As Much As Needed)

 Deep fry until crispy, about 1 minutes. Drain and serve.

 

Deep Fried Chick Peas & Capers 

Fries with Herb-ed Salt

Herb-ed Salt

Cleaning the Cupboard With Flair... Sweet & Spicy Chicken, Salted Potatoes & Medi-Style Cucumber Salad

Certain times require a bit more imagination than others. Have you ever looked in the refrigerator and seen only things that don't seem to match? If so just think outside the box and see what you can come up with. It's best to think of a theme, such as Italian, French, Soul Food or Mediterranean and then pick out the things that would seem to fit in that box. Trust me, you'll be fine as long as you like the things that you are picking out...

On the menu today: Mediterranean Sweet & Spicy Chicken, Salted Potatoes...  

Salted Potatoes

Salted Parsley Potatoes

• Red Potatoes (small to med 2 pp) 
• Olive Oil (to coat)
• Salt & Pepper (1 tsp) 
• Parsley (2 Tbs) 

Start out by washing the potatoes then brush them with oil and seasoning liberally before placing in an oven preheated to 380 for 45 minutes to an hour. Cover with freshly minced parsley right before serving. 

Couscous

Couscous 

• Couscous (1 cup)
• Water (1 cup)
• Salt (TT) 
• Olive Oil (1/4 cup) 
• Lemon Juice (1 Tbs) 
• Parsley (garnish) 

Start out by bringing 2 cups of water to a boil. Next place the couscous in a bowl that can be covered before adding 1 cup of the boiled water to the couscous and allowing to sit, covered for 5-7 minutes. Add the olive oil and lemon juice together next then add to the couscous to fluff. Add salt to taste (TT). 

Med Style Cuke Salad

Mediterranean Style Cucumber Salad

• Cucumber (1 each)
• Tomato (1-2 large) 
• Celery (3 stalks ) 
• Onion (1 each)
• Capers (2 Tbs) 
• Olive Oil (3 Tbs)
• Dijon Mustard (1 Tbs)
• Mayo (1/4 cup)
• Caper Juice (2 Tbs)
• Red Wine Vinegar (1/4 cup) 
• White Vinegar (1/8 cup) 
• Sugar (2 Tbs)
• Ginger (1 Tbs) 
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 
• Parsley (garnish) 

Start by cutting the cucumbers in fourths, dicing the tomatoes, Julienne-ing the onions and celery and placing in a salad bowl. Add the capers to the mixture before mixing the other ingredient together and dressing the vegetable mixture. Add salt and pepper to taste (TT).

Sweet & Spicy Chicken

Sweet & Spicy Chicken 

• Chicken Drumstick or Thighs (2 pp)
• Garlic (2 Tbs)
• Olive Oil (1/4 cup) 
• Shredded Carrots (1 cup) 
• Red Grapes (2 cups halved) 
• Sweet Onion (1 each) 
• Celery (3 stalks each) 
• Curry (1 Tbs) 
• Turmeric (2 Tbs) 
• Salt & Pepper (1 Tbs) 
• Chicken stock (1/4 cup) 

Start off by mincing the garlic and adding to the olive oil. Coat the chicken and add the carrots, julienned onions, julienned celery, halved grapes, curry, turmeric, salt and pepper.  Allow this to marinade the chicken for at least an hour. (see below)

Marinaded Chicken

Place in an oven preheated to 400 degrees for 30 minutes before cover and continuing for an additional 10 minutes. Place the oven on broil to allow the chicken to brown before service. Remove the chicken and place in a dish as seen below. Next add 1/4 cup of chicken stock to the pan with the vegetables and a bit more turmeric and curry. Add this mixture to the chicken before serving...

Straight out of the oven w/o veggie mixture. 

Finished Product

Burger & Fries with a couple of twists Poutine & Clubhouse Burger 2 Ways...

There's always tradition, but sometimes that's not the best thing. I love a good burger and fries, but sometimes I need the comfort of the burger and the sophistication of a little something more. Enter poutine, a Canadian staple. Poutine is nothing more than crispy fries, gravy and cheese curd, but it is absolutely divine in its simplicity. I won't bother to bore you with the details, instead I'll direct you to Montreal or Toronto to have you try it for yourself.


On the menu today: Poutine & Clubhouse Burger Two Ways

Poutine

French Fry Ingredients

• Russet or Kennebec Potatoes (1 PP) 
• Vegetable Oil (Deep Fryer)
• Cheese Curd (1/2 cup)
• Deep Fryer 
• Cheese Curd (3/4 cup)

Process

Start off by cutting the potatoes into batons, soaking in cold water and then oil blanching them.(*Oil blanching- Deep frying raw potatoes for two minutes and then placing them in the freezer for at least 20 minutes. This process makes a crispier french fry.) Keep frozen for later use.

*Take the cheese curd out of the fridge early to allow it to reach room temp, it helps to melt the curd in the hot, crispy fries during the toss...

Once the gravy is ready, cook the fries by deep frying until extra crispy (remember that these fries are going to get tons of gravy and a healthy dose of cheese curd so they need to stand up both in order to stay crisp and not become overly mushy. I normally cooking mine for 5-8 minutes to insure a nice crunch (even under water LOL)...

Rosemary Gravy Ingredients

• Beef Stock (32 oz)
• Flour (1/2 cup)
• Butter (1/4 cup) 
• Mushrooms (8-9 each) 
• Garlic (1 Tbs)
• Red Wine (1/4 cup)
• Fresh Rosemary (2 stalks)
• Salt & Pepper (TT)

Process

Start the gravy by cutting the mushrooms into slices & mincing the garlic and rosemary. Make the roux by adding the butter to a pan and heating to melt, add the flour and stir to make a paste. Allow this mixture to cook for about 3 minutes on medium or allow to brown slightly. Remove from heat and reserve for later usage. Next, add the oil and mushrooms to a heated sauce-pot to slightly brown before adding the garlic and 3/4 of the herbs, cooking for 1-2 more minutes. De-glaze pan with red wine and reduce to half before adding the beef stock. Reduce to 3/4 before adding the roux (1 Tbs at a time while boiling until the sauce reaches the desired consistency (nappe- meaning it should coat the back of a spoon.) Now taste and add salt and pepper to adjust to your liking.

Finally, dress the cooked fries with salt, fresh minced rosemary and (room temp) cheese curd, by placing in an over-sized bowl for the toss. Plate by adding to a bowl or plate, adding the gravy, more cheese curd and minced rosemary for garnish as seen below. Serve immediately. This is normally a meal by itself but I added a burger just because I wanted one.

Mozz Stuffed

Cheddar Grilled Bacon & Arugula on the side

Clubhouse Burger (2 ways) Ingredients 

• Ground beef (1 lbs) 
• Pullman Bread 
• Extra sharp, smoked cheddar cheese (2 cups) 
• Cheese curd (1/4 cup) 
• Arugula (4 oz) 
• Applewood smoked bacon (2 each per burger) 
• Fried egg (optional) 
• Butter (2 Tbs) 
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 

Process

Start of by seasoning the ground beef liberally with salt and pepper then making the patties, be sure to make them somewhat flat (for the bread). If you are making the cheese curd stuffed ones, simply tuck a few pieces of the cheese curd into the center of the meat and cover with more meat. Set aside for later use. Next fry the bacon in a pan until it's crispy then remove for later use (reserve 2 Tbs of bacon grease for later. If you are using an egg simply fry it in the bacon grease and set it aside for later use. Next cook the burger to your desired temp adding the cheese for the smoked cheddar burger and set aside. Finally place the bread into the heated pan with the reserved bacon grease and cook until lightly toasted. Plate as seen below by adding the arugula and bacon on top of the burger, adding the burger to the bread and cutting for service. * If you are adding the egg, be sure to add it to the burger on top of the bacon and arugula. Add ketchup and mustard if needed...

Incredible Last Minute Meals...Red Beans & Rice With Spiced Cornbread

So the other day I had one of those moments. You know, one of those moments when you think you have more time on your hands than you actually do. I had company coming over and I planned on making some food for all of us to enjoy during the visit, but as fortune would have it, I simply ran out of time. I thought they were coming at noon (which normally means 1 or 2pm) but in this case it actually meant 11:45 am. Luckily I had enough laying around the house to make a quick, but memorable meal for us...

On the menu today: Red Beans & Rice w/ Spiced Cornbread

There's a trick to doctoring canned products, I call it layering flavors by adding texture to the ingredients that you are cooking with. Here's an example; adding a crust to the meat that you are placing in your canned red beans. Something as simple as this 3 minute trick completely changes the nature and outcome of the dish. It's simple, it's easy and it's time saving.

This is a recipe that is both fail-proof and easy to make if you are pressed for time. Is it better to make the beans fresh rather than using the canned beans, you might ask? I'd have to say yes it is, but I can also tell you that by layering the flavors of what you are cooking, you will be hard pressed to know the difference in flavor yourself, let alone any of your guest.

Red Beans & Rice Ingredients

• Light Kidney Beans (1- 26oz can)
• Dark Kidney Beans (1-26 oz can)
• Diced Tomatoes (1-8oz can)
• Minced Garlic (2 Tbs)
• Sweet Onion (1 each)
• Sweet Bell Pepper (2 each)
• Kielbasa Sausage (1 each)
• Andouille Sausage (1 each)
• Bay Leaf (3-5) 
• Fresh Thyme (3 twigs)
• Cayenne Pepper (dash) 
• Salt & Pepper (TT) 
• Green Onions (as garnish) 
• Chicken Stock (32 oz) 

Process

Start off by slicing both types of sausage into coins and sauteing until a slight crust forms before taking them out of the soup pot and placing them to the side for later use. Now add the diced onions to the same pot and allow to brown slightly before adding the diced bell peppers and finally the garlic. Next add the diced tomatoes and both cans of beans (1 drained) to the pot before returning the sausage and adding the bay leaves, thyme and cayenne pepper. Add the chicken stock and allow to cook for 1 to 2 hours on medium. Once cooked, taste and then add salt and pepper to taste (TT). When plating add a healthy portion of cooked rice to a bowl and pour the beans over them. Finally, add the green onion as a garnish...

Spiced Cornbread

Spiced Cornbread Ingredients

• Krusteaz Cornbread Mix (1 box) 
• Bacon (3 slices) 
• Cheddar Cheese (1 cup) 
• Jalapeno (3 each) 
• Jalapeno Juice (1/2 cup) 

Process

Start off by mixing the cornbread as directed by the instructions on the box. Next, dice the bacon and allow it to render until crisp before reserving both the bacon and the grease for later use. Dice the jalapenos and add them to the cornbread mixture along with the jalapeno juice. Finally, add 3/4 of the cheese and the bacon to the mixture and bake as directed (be sure to add the bacon grease to the baking dish). Once the cornbread is set (about 3 minutes before it's done cooking) add the remainder of the cheese to the top of the cornbread.

Do you really need a recipe for rice??? I'll just add this, replace the water with vegetable or chicken stock for your rice preparation.

El Jefe... Fried Calamari Two Ways...

The other day I watched the movie Chef and it made me think about my boy Dontaye Ball. A few years back we worked together at Google and have remained friends since that time. Unfortunately, we both moved on and haven't worked together since. Damn we used to burn...

In the movie Jon Favreau, the chef basically works for an owner that doesn't allow him to cook with his heart, choosing instead to keep the same old favorites that he thinks his customers want. Problem is most chefs cook with passion, that sometimes requires thinking outside of the box and taking risks. In the end, the Chef decides that he will open a food truck and cook with his heart, the result, a happy chef equals better relationships with those people that matter most in the first place. Here's the connection to my man Dontaye; when we were burning we were learning. There were jokes, laughs, fights, misunderstandings and a lot of other things that happened daily, but the one thing that was consistent was great fucking food and a challenging, learning and family environment. Cooking is fun, painful, tedious, beautiful, tiring, frustrating and rewarding. When you find a kindred spirit with food however, I'd say that cooking is probably a life altering series of lessons that can be applied to the rest of your life. My man Dontaye is one of the most talented chefs that I know. Never fearful, always bull headed but ever learning and inspiring, even to a brother that 3,400 miles away. Dontaye, it's time we opened a food truck together and toured the states dude. You know what it is. Love you brother...

On the Menu Today: Fried Calamari Two Ways

Traditional

Vietnamese Style

Cut into rings

Fried Calamari Ingredients

• Whole Calamari Cleaned (2 pp) 
• Lemon Juice (1 lemon)
• Lime Juice (1/2 lime) 
• Thai Chili Peppers (7-10 each)
• Garlic (3 cloves) 
• Soy Sauce (2 Tbs)
• Beer (1/2 cup) 
• Olive Oil (2 Tbs) 

Onion Strings

• Sweet Onions (1-2 each) 
• Milk (2 cups) 
• Garlic Powder (2 Tbs)
• Lemon Juice (1/4 cup) 

Directions  

Slice the onions thinly with a mandolin or a knife. Add the garlic, milk and lemon juice to a bowl large enough to hold the onions and marinate for 15 minutes to an hour. Drain and coat the onions as seen below before frying in the deep fryer in the same fashion as the calamari. This will go by mucg quicker than the calamari so be sure to pay close attention.

Marinade

 Flour Mixture

• Flour (1 cup) 
• Old Bay (2 Tbs)
• Lemon Pepper (1 tsp) 

Floured Calamari & Onion Strings

Cocktail Sauce Ingredients 

• Ketchup (2 cups)
• Horseradish (3 Tbs)
• Worcestershire Sauce (2 Tbs) 
• Lemon Juice (1 Tbs)
• Old Bay (1 tsp)
• Dill Weed (2 tsp)
• Tabasco Sauce (1 Tbs) 

Directions

Add all ingredients together and stir.

Fried Calamari Directions

As seen above, start off by taking the cleaned (skinned) calamari and cutting it into rings. Dice the chilies, mince the garlic and add the other ingredient together to make the marinade. Marinate the calamari for 15 minutes to 2 hours. Drain the calamari and add to the flour mixture to coat before deep frying in a fryer preheated to 350 degrees. Plate as desired and add chopped green onions.

Calamari & Onion Strings With Cocktail Sauce

Vietnamese Style Calamari Ingredients

• Mae Ploy Sauce (2 cups)
• Lime Juice (1 each) 
• Thai Chilies (4-7 each)
• Green Onions (3-5 each) 
• Sesame Seeds (1 pinch for garnish)
• Lime Zest (1 each for sauce and garnish)

Directions 

Chop the onions and thai chilies and add them to a sauce pot along with lime juice, zest and sweet chili sauce. Heat and toss the fried calamari into the sauce to coat. It's best if you slightly overcook the fried calamari first so that it remains somewhat crunchy as you eat. Plate as seen below and garnish with sesame seeds, green onions and lime zest. Eat immediately.

Glazing Sauce

Glaze

Vietnamese Style Calamari