Veal chops with Proscuitto and Preserved Lemon Buerre Blanc

Here is the centerpiece of my next cooking class at Kitchen Conservatory, next Tuesday. I am crazy for preserved lemons these days. Soon I'll write a post about them They provide such a mellow lemon nuance to things.

4 fourteen ounce veal chops

4 large slices of proscuitto

sea salt and freshly ground pepper

1 clove of garlic, crushed

2 tablespoons of olive oil

Rub the chops with the crushed garlic, and season with the sea salt and pepper.

Wrap the chop with the proscuitto and press firmly so that it adheres to the chop.

In a saute pan, heat the oil over a medium hot flame. Place the proscuitto side down and saute for 3 to 4 minutes-lower the heat if necessary. The proscuitto caramelises and forms a deliciously salty crust. Turn the chop and continue cooking until desired donenes-another 3 to 4 minutes for medium rare. Serve with preserver lemon buerre blanc.

Preserved Lemon Buerre Blanc

2 Tablespoons of minced shallot

1 cup white wine

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

12 Tablespoons of chilled butter, cut into cubes

2 Tablespoons of chopped preserved lemon peel

salt and pepper to taste

Combine the shallots, white wine, and lemon juice in a saute pan over high heat and reduce to 2 tablespoons. Turn off the heat and begin adding the butter cubes one at a time, continually shaking and swirling the pan until the butter is incorporated and makes a rich creamy sauce. Add the preserved lemon peel and season with salt and pepper. Can be stored in a thermos for a short time, but does not hold well.

Chocolate Pear Upsidedown Cake

For the bottom of the pan:

1/2 cup of butter

3/4 cup brown sugar

4 pears, peeled, cored, quartered, and poached in syrup. Optional to reserve 1/2 pear and cut into a fan for the center of the cake.

In a heavy 10" iron skillet, melt the butter, add the brown sugar and make caramel. Add the poached pears and simmer over low heat for 2 to 3 minutes until the caramel is bubbly and syrupy. Arrange the pears in a circular pattern with the fan in the center. Ladle out and reserve 1/4 cup of the caramel.

For the cake batter:

1 cup boiling water

1/2 cup unsweetened Dutch process cocoa

1 1/3 cup all purpose flour

1 teapsoon of baking soda

1/4 teaspoon of baking powder

1/4 teaspoon of salt

1/2 cup butter

1 cup 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon of vanilla extract

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Pour boiling water over the cocoa in a mixing bowl and stir until smooth, cool before using.

Sift together the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt-set aside

Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, beat in the eggs one at a time, add the vanilla.

Alternately add the cocoa and flour mixture to the batter.

Spread the batter over the pears in the skillet and bake 30 to 45 minutes until done.

Let the cake cool a couple of minutes befor unmolding.

Brush the top with the reserved caramel, serve with whipped cream.

Carved Pumpkins

The kids carved pumpkins again this year. Some of the pictures didn't turn out, but here is Carlie fixing her "Big Mac". Cody's "pumpkin dungeon", Angie's Sarah Pailin-I think it really does look like Sarah, and Rick's McCain Pailin. I think we have alot of young Republicans working for us.

Tortilla Soup and Shrimp and Avocado Salad

I roasted a turkey last week, so I had this carcass and left over turkey meat waiting in the freezer and I decided to use my tortilla soup recipe (usually I make it with chicken) with the turkey. It turned out delicious. It was a rich broth with the perfect balance of spicy hot peppers-I used bird's eye instead of the jalapeno because I had them growning outside-tart fresh lime juice, and the pungence of cilantro. All cooked together with some tomatoes, corn, celery, and onion. The garnishes were crisp fried flour tortillas, lime wedges, and queso fresco. Very comforting on chilly night.

Since it was my day off I wanted to make it a bit more special than a soup supper, so I made a crab and avocado salad to eat with crackers and poured myself a glass of prosecco. I purchased some "Annie's Natural" salad dressing (papaya poppyseed) to dress the avocado-sort of disappointing, lime juice, olive oil, salt, and pepper would have been much better.

More Classes

Earlier this week I taught at the Dierberg's School of Cooking. Dierberg's is a local grocery chain, with really terrific produce and meats. In several of their stores they also have a demonstration kitchen, and I teach in several of them when my restaurant schedule permits. They really are a nice facility with a beautiful lay-out and centerpiece visibility. This week I presented my Argentinean steak Chimichurri, shrimp empanadas, arugula, avocado, and papaya salad, and lime tequila tarts. Here is the chimichurri recipe.

1/4 cup minced garlic

1/4 cup minced shallot

1 cup chopped frsh parsley

1/4 cup chopped fresh oregano

1/2 cup chopped fresh mint

1 teaspoon of salt

1/2 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon of red pepper flakes

1 cup of olive oil (extra virgin)

1/4 cup of red wine vinegar

1/4 cup of fresh lemon juice

1 small carrot, grated

Pulse all of the ingredients, except the carrot, in a food processor. The sauce should not be pureed, but should remain chunky. Fold in the carrot. Spoon the sauce over grilled steaks.

Stuffed Breast of Veal

I found this small breast of veal in the freezer at Schnuck's last week. It was an unusual cut to find without special ordering it. Veal breast can be tough and fatty, but after a long braise they can also turn into a luscious and tender vittle. I stuffed it with traditional Thanksgiving style bread stuffing and braised it with some stock and wine. Along side I put in some turnips and carrots. I flavored it with some rosemary and popped it into a 300 degree oven for about 2 1/2 hours. It was very tasty and welcome with the change in temperature and weather this week.

Sea Scallops with Succotash

Corn and shellfish have this ability to amplify one another's charms. This time of year the corn hereabouts is so plentiful good that it's hard to eat anything else-either simply boiled or grilled-but eventually corn ennui sets in and I must begin tweaking it. Adding shellfish is an easy trick-shrimp. crab, lobster, and here scallops. Succotash is one of those dishes I gew up with, my mom made it often with corn and lima beans, I love it to this day! Here I scraped the corn from 3 ears and combined it with fresh fava beans, sauteed it with some garlic, onion, and peppers, and used it as a base for huge plump sea scallops which had been briefly grilled and spritzed with some fresh lime juice.

Fresh corn-scraped from 3 large ears of fresh corn

2 cups of fresh shelled, and blanched fava beans

1 clove of garlic, minced

1/4 cup diced red pepper

1/4 cup diced sweet onion

salt and pepper to your liking

sliced scallions for garnish

2 tablespoon of butter

Melt the butter in a saute pan and saute the peppers, onion, and garlic for one minute, add the corn and fava beans and continue to saute

Add 1/2 cup water, and continue to cook until the water is evaporated and the beans are soft

Season with the salt and pepper

Top with the scallions and grilled scallops

For the scallops:

Allow 2 U10 scallops per person (U10 refers to the size and indicates that there are under 10 scallops of this size in one pound)

Brush the scallops on each side with a olive oil, and grill briefly on each side. Sprinkle with salt as they grill, and squeeze fresh lime juice on them once they are removed from the grill

Serve on the succotash

Sweet Corn Grits with Shrimp

I spend most of my Sunday mornings watching the political shows on tv and making breakfast. Grits are often on the menu, and these grits with a spicy shrimp gravy are delicious. It has a Spanish influence, with the sherry, smoked paprika, and chorizo. Spanish Chorizo is different from the Mexican Chorizo. It is a cured smoked hard sausage. It adds a smoldering depth of flavor.

For the grits:

Corn scraped from the cob of one large ear of sweet corn

2 cups milk

6 tablespoons of grits

pinch of slat

1/4 cup shredded cheese (whatever you like, Jack, parmesan, cheddar, etc)

Bring the milk, corn, and salt to the boiling point

Whisk in the grits, and continue to cook and whisk until the grits are tender, smooth, and creamy-4 to 5 minutes

Keep the grits warm until the shrimp are ready

For the shrimp:

2 tablespoons butter

1/4 teaspoon of Spanish smoked paprika

1/4 cup julienned peppers (red, green)

4 ounces of Spanish Chorizo, Julienned (Spanish Chorizo is not the same as Mexican Chorizo)

2 cloves of garlic, minced

1/2 pound of shrimp, peeled, deveined, and rough chopped

1/4 cup dry sherry

Briefly saute the paprika in the butter

Add the vegetables and the chorizo and continue to saute until the vegetables are softened, but with a little bite left in them

Add the shrimp and sherry and cook just until the sherry bubbles and the shrimp are cooked through

Serve over the grits

Fennel Confit

The latest issue of Gourmet is themed Paris. One of the articles is about a restaurant named Le Baratin, owned by an Argentinean woman chef, Raquel Carena. I am enamored with Chef Carena's menu, one dish is photographed and includes the recipe. I rarely follow someone else's recipes, but this one just seemed perfect-and so it is.

Fenouil Confit Aux Amandes, Raisins Secs, et Safran

1 pound fresh fennel, sliced lengthwise

1/2 cup almonds (the recipes specifies Marcona if you can find them-I used what was in the pantry)

1/4 cup evo

10 cloved of garlic, finely chopped

1/4 cup raisins, I used golden because that's what was in the pantry

2 teaspoons of whole coriander seeds

zest and juice of one orange

pinch of saffron

chopped cilantro

Saute the fennel and garlic in the evo until crisp tender, about 5 minutes.

Add the zest, juice, raisins, saffron, and coriander, contiue to sautee two more minutes.

Serve at room temperature, stirring in the cilantro just before serving.

Peach Salad

The local peaches are spectacular this year. They are huge and juicy. I made this savory salad with them. I sliced the peaches and placed them on arugula, then I topped the peaches with spoonfuls of St Andre triple creme cheese and dressed the salad with lime dressing.

Lime dressing

1/2 cup fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon of honey

1/4 cup diced red onion

salt and pepper to your liking

chopped fresh parsley and chives

3/4 cup walnut oil

Combine all of the ingredients in a glass jar and shake well.

Tenderloin with Roasted Garlic Parmesan Butter

Roast a couple heads of garlic by drizzling them with olive oil and wrapping tightly in foil. Roast in a 350 degree oven for about 1/2 hour. The cloves of garlic become soft and sweet. When the heads of garlic are roasted, gently squeeze the cloves out of the skins, being careful to try and keep the cloves whole. Stew the roasted and peeled cloves of garlic in 1 cup of butter for about 5 minutes over very low heat.

Grill your steaks to desired doneness and spoon the garlic butter with a few cloves of garlic over the steaks and spoon some freshly grated parmesan over the top. Really simple and delicious. Needless to say this garlic butter is delicious on all sorts of other dishes such as steamed green beans or asparagus or fish fillets. I probably wouldn't use the parmesan cheese on any fish preparations.

Happy Birthday Julia Child

Julia was born August 15, 1912. Lisa at Champaign Taste hosts an annual tribute to Julia. All the bloggers contribute and her influence and importance is hard to underestimate. I chose to showcase chicken crepes with hollandaise. We make these almost every Wednesday for dinner special, and they are always well received. At first they seem sort of old-fashioned and frumpy, but they are actually sort of homey and a bit elegant at the same time. I should also tell you that Wednesdays we discount every wine on the list by $10. The chicken and rich hollandaise sauce really call for wine I think. The recipes for her crepes and hollandaise appear in Mastering the Art volume 1. I didn't use a recipe for the filling just sauteed some chicken breast with some diced onion and fresh spinach.

Visit Lisa's blog to see all the tributes to Julia.

Watermelon Granita

Granitas are so easy to assemble, and are so refreshing this time of year. Here is a recipe that I am using in a class I'm teaching tomorrow at the Kitchen Conservatory. Kitchen Conservatory is such a beautiful facility with a kitchen that is so easy to demonstrate in. I always enjoy teaching there.

1/2 cup water

1 cup sugar

juice of two limes

6 cups of cubed watermelon

1/4 cup vodka

Make a syrup of the water and sugar-let cool

Puree the watermelon, mix with the syrup, lime juice, and vodka

Place the mixture in a flat container to freeze

Stir the granita with a fork as it freezes

Fluff the granita with a fork before serving

Jerked Tenderloin with Mango Salsa

This Jamaican dry rub of spices is usually used on chicken and pork, but it works wonderfully with beef. I used a combination of cayenne and pepper flakes, the traditional pepper is Habanero, but I couldn't find them this week and they would probably be too hot to sell at the restaurant anyway. There is a long list of ingredients, but it makes for such a complex smokey, sweet, and spicy flavor. And it is especially good with something cool next to it such as mango and avocado salsa. I added some yam frites to the plate. Again fried plantains would be a more traditional side, but the yam frites are more appealing to my palate.

Jerk Seasoning

1 tablespoon of allspice

1 teaspoon of cinnamon, ground

1/2 teaspoon of nutmeg, ground

1/4 teaspoon of cloves, ground

1 tablespoon of dried thyme

1 teaspoon of cayenne

2 tablespoons of dried red pepper flakes

1 tablespoon of smoked paprika

1/4 cup brown sugar

2 tablespoon of minced garlic

2 tablespoons of minced fresh ginger

Mix all of the ingredients

Lightly coat the tenderloin with the rub, and grill over medium low heat. You need a slow smoldering cooking process to bring out all the spices. Grill 20 to 25 minutes, the steak should remain medium rare if your fire is at a low enough temperature.

Firecracker Shrimp for Independence Day

Since fireworks are such a big part of today's celebration, I thought that this particular dish seemed appropriate. They are actually an asian dish and named becaused they resemble firecrackers. Since fireworks were also invented in China, I think firecracker shrimp can be just as American as fireworks on the Fourth of July. These shrimp are quite simple to put together and are really tasty with the three dipping sauces-strawberry, apricot, and wasabi. The part that takes the most time is making the three dipping sauces. At the restaurant I have these three sauces on hand all the time for different menu items, so it was pretty easy.

1 package egg roll wrappers, cut on the bias to create triangles of pastry.

50 shrimp, peeled and deveined with the tail still on.

1/2 cup sweet Thai chili sauce

1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger

1 tablespoon of minced garlic

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 tablespoon cornstarch

Combine the shrimp with the chili sauce, ginger, garlic, soy, and cornstarch, and let marinate at least 1/2 hour or up to two hours.

Drain and dry the shrimp before proceeding. Nik the shrimp a couple of times on the inside curl-do not cut too deeply-just enough to prevent the shrimp from curling.

Roll the shrimp up in the won ton wrapper, sealing the edges with a slurry of water and corn starch.

Deep fry until golden and serve with dipping sauces.

Blackberry Rhubarb Pie

Cook Sister! is hosting a blogging event "Waiter there's something in my berries" which has prompted me to make this pie. You often see strawberry rhubarb pie, but not so much the blackberry rhubarb combination. To my eyes the colors are more complimentary to each other. The pie juices run a gorgeous shade of magenta with streaks of aubergine. I usually make pie dough with half butter and half lard, but since lard isn't one of the staples I keep on hand reugulaly, I tried a new recipe with butter and shortening-I did not like the results, so I won't be giving the recipe. Also, since I didn't like the way the pastry looked on the pastry board I decided to top the pie with a crumble topping instead of lattice pastry.

You will need 1 prepared pie shell.

For the filing:

5 cups sliced rhubarb

sugar

3 tablespoons of cornstarch

zest of one orange

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 cups blackberries

Combine the rhubarb, cornstarch, and sugar;let sit 1/2 hour to draw the juices.

In a heavy bottomed pan, over very low heat "melt" the rhubarb, stirring often until the rhubarb is softened-about five minutes-cool before proceeding.

Stir in the orange zest and cinnamon, and carefully fold in the blackberries, being careful not to smash the berries.

Pour into prepared pie shell, and top with crumble topping (recipe follows). Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 15 minutes, turn the heat down to 350 and bake another 45 minutes or until the filling is bubbling and thick and the crumbs are browned.

For the topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup flour

1/2 cup rolled oats

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

pinch of salt

1/3 cup of butter

Combine the brown sugar, flour, oats, cinnamon, and salt. Cut in the butter and mix until the mixture resembles coarse cornmeal. This makes enough for two pies or one large crumble, you can freeze any extra.

Cajun Sugar Mignons


Lisa, the marvelous writer who created Champaign Taste is hosting a blogging event titled "Novel Cuisine". It requires writing a blog post about a piece of literature and some culinary fantasy inspired by said piece of literature. I'm usually too busy to participate in these events, but this one just seemed to write itself.


I came upon this steak idea one day while surfing the net and rereading "Evangeline, a Tale of Acadie" by Henry Wadsworth. I think I first read the poem in high school and it created a curiosity about the Acadians that remains fascinating to me to this day. This epic poem tells the tale of Evangeline Bellefontaine and her betrothed Gabriel Le Jeunesse set against the backdrop of the British expulsion of the Acadians from Nova Scotia.

I think the poem remains relevant today with its themes of religious and ethnic intolerance (The British against the French Catholic) and the fact that religious cults have been around for along time-the Acadians were an isolated and unpopular sect of the Catholice church.


The poem is a bit melodramatic for current tastes in literature, but the prose is so compelling, the language so gorgeous, and the topic so current (thinking of the State of Texas raiding the LDS enclave in Texas) that it really does make it relevant.


"All was ended now, the hope, and the fear, and the sorrow,
All the aching of heart,the restless, unsatisfied longing,

All the dull, deep pain, and the constant anguish of patience!

And, as she pressed once more the lifeless head to her bosom,

Meekly she bowed her own and murmured, Father, I thank Thee!"

Wadsworth kept Evangeline in the Northeast, but the largest group of Acadians migrated to Lousiana, where they became the Cajuns. The Lousiana Cajuns claim the Evangeline tale as part of their own culture and struggle for freedom.

All this is a rather long introduction to Cajun Sugar Mignons, a recipe I came upon while visiting A Cajun Homepage which is written by Andrew Guidroz II in Opelouses, Lousiana. Everyone knows the Cajuns are famous for their cooking, but you'll have to visit Andrew's site to get his whole story. I basically used Andrew's recipe combined with my own steak seasoning.

Cajun Sugar Mignons

2 Tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of sugar

2 tablespoons of steak seasonings (I make my own)

4 eight ounce fillet mignon steaks

2 tablespoons of vegetable oil

Brush the tops and bottoms of the steaks with the olive oil and sprinkle with the steak seasoning and sugar.

Heat a black iron skillet with the vegetable oil until it almost smokes, place the steaks in the hot skillet and turn the heat down slightly.

After 4 minutes flip the steaks and continue to cook another 4 minutes for a beautiful rare steak.

It makes a beautiful, black crunchy crust with a juicy interior. I served it with another cajun favorite "Maque Chou", which is an early example of fusion cooking with Native American and Cajun combinations.

So I recommend you pick up a couple of steaks, grab a copy of Evangeline, open a bottle of wine and contemplate the tragedies of yesteryear, the tragedies of today as articulated through the art of Henry Wadsworth.

Wasabi Pea and Potato Crusted Salmon with Sushi Garnishes

The folks at Marx Foods are sponsoring a salmon recipe contest to win some fresh salmon over the summer. Visist them to see some amazing salmon recipes or enter your own and join the fun.

Over the years I've collected several tasty salmon recipes, but I chose this one because it is so simple, and has alot of eye appeal. The flavors are vibrant and intense, I just love it. I hope the judges at Marx agree and send me some of their outstanding salmon.

1/2 cup of wasabi peas

1/2 cup instant potato flakes

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

4 eight ounce salmon fillets

4 tablespoons of olive oil

For Garnish:soy sauce, wasabi paste, pickled ginger, and Viet Namese fish sauce.

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.

Coarsely grind the peas in a processor-leave chunky.

Mix the ground peas, potato flakes, and salt.

Brush the tops of the fish with two tablespoon of the oil, and press the pea mixture into the surface.

Place the fillets on a non-stick baking sheet, and drizzle them with the two remaining tablespoons of oil, and bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes for medium rare.

Serve with sushi garnishes:pickled ginger, soy sauce, wasabi paste, and Viet Namese fish sauce.

First Tomatoes of the Season

I got these tomatoes from one of my local farmer suppliers. They came from Southern Illinois. They were pretty tasty, but not as good as the local ones will be in a few days. I simply sliced them and squeezed lemon juice on them with a couple tablespoons of fruity olive oil. I scattered sea salt, freshly ground pepper, fresh parsley and oregano with some crumbled feta across the tomato salad.

I also made a Spanish potato tortilla, which is a simple openfaced omlet. I caramelised some onions with leftover fingerling potatoes from last night. When the vegetables were crusty and brown I poured 4 lightly beaten eggs over them. As the eggs set, lift the edges gently and let the raw eggs run to the sides until the entire tortilla is set. I sprinkled some fresh chives on top and slipped it onto a serving platter.

Startini

I read about this cocktail in a recent New York Times article, and I enjoyed the story, so I gave the recipe to our bartender Crystal, and she made one for me, then we used it as a drink special last weekend. It is served in the Star Lounge in the Hotel Chelsea in NYC. The Chelsea is famous for the celebs who resided there-Edie Sedgewick and Jimi Hendrix to name two. When I was a student living in NYC and studying at the New School's restaurant program I couldn't really afford places like the Chelsea, so I would just have to fantasize about what it would be like to rub shoulders with the jet set. But we don't have to fantasize about the Startini, because we have the recipe and can make our own. And it is delicious.

1 1/2 part Vodka

1 part Cointreau

1/2 part Creme de Peche (we used peach schnapps)

1 part sour mix

splash of cranberry juice

Combine all ingredients over ice in a cocktail shaker.

Shake and strain into a martini glass

Garnish with a slice of Starfruit

Jicama Orange Salad with Cilantro

This salad is so refreshing. Jicama is crunchy and slightly sweet. It also sort of absorbs flavors easily. And the orange/cilantro flavor combination is one of those perfect tastes like tomato/basil, just not as well known. I dressed the salad with some lemon juice, sea salt, and olive oil.

It was perfect along side some shrimp tacos, unfortunately those photos didn't turn out.

Grilled Eggplant Salad

I really enjoy cooking with eggplant. It is a vegetable that can facilitate and absorb many flavors. Everyone knows the American Italian dish "Eggplant Parmesan" when it pairs beautifully with tomato and cheese. It is also beautiful in stir fry with sesame and ginger. The French pair it with squash, peppers, and tomato for Ratatouille. The Middle East has Baba Ganoush where eggplant is blended with tahini and lemon. So you can see its versatility. So you can begin to see why I find eggplant so irresistable.

I'm not sure the provenance of this salad, alot Greek I suppose. The greeks widespread combination of lemon and oregano is always refreshing, plus sour pungent feta cheese.

1 medium eggplant, sliced, salted, rinsed and drained

2 tablespoons chopped fresh oregano

2 tablespoons chopped fresh mint

1 cloved of garlic, minced

1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3/4 cup fruity olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 cup crumbled Feta cheese

Brush the eggplant slices with some of the oil and grill over hot coals until the flesh begins to soften, but not mushy

Combine the oregano, mint, garlic, lemon juice, salt, pepper, and the remaining oil to create a "lemonette".

Toss the eggplant slices, while still warm from the grill, with the lemonette.

To serve, top the eggplant salad with crumbled Feta cheese and more chopped fresh herbs.

Maple Glazed Grilled Quail

I love cooking little birds. They are so festive. I prepared these quail for a weekend special last weekend. I used a partially boned quail-the breast is deboned, but the wing, leg, and thigh, bones are intact for a nicer presentation. Often I will stuff them and serve them with a sauce, but for these, I marinated and grilled them and served them with a maple vinaigrette.

Marinade

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons of maple sugar (substitute brown if maple is unavailable)

2 tablespoons soy sauce

1/4 cup sherry wine

2 tablespoons minced scallions

Marinate the birds for at least 1/2 hour before grilling

Vinaigrette

1/4 cup maple syrup

2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1 tablespoon minced shallot

salt to taste (optional)

freshly ground black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

minced scallion for garnish

Combine the first five ingredients and let the flavors marry for a couple of hours, whisk in the oil.

Grill the quail over medium hot coals for about 4 minutes per side-they cook pretty quickly.

Spoon a little vinaigrette over the birds and sprinkle with minced scallion to serve.

Orange Roughy en Croute

On Saturday night I had one of the cooks make some fish fillets in pastry. This was one of the first times this cook had worked with puff pastry. He had a great time with them, carving decorations into the pastry and all. He plans on atending culinary school this fall, so I plan to keep giving him some challenging tasks this summer. We served the fish with ginger hallandaise.

New Super Food Combinations

I was reading about some of the super foods, and blueberries and oatmeal were both mentioned. I combined them in a couple ways this week. First a blueberry oatmeal pancakes. I pulled a recipe off the web and served them with maple syrup. They made a delicious and tender pancake. I can't find the recipe I used for them now, but there are alot of recipes out there for them. Second was putting fresh blueberries in oatmeal cookies-I used the recipe from the top of the oatmeal box lid. They turned out really well too.

Soft shell crab and egg for breakfast

Soft shell crab season is just beginning-so how could I resist a big box of them suggested by the fish house? Over Friday and Saturday night we sold the entire case except one. Since they perish pretty quickly, I had no choice but to bring it home and eat it for Sunday morning breakfast.

At the restaurant I served the crabs dusted with seasoned flour and fried with creole hollandaise sauce, which is a combination of hollandaise and creole sauces.

At home I used the same hollandaise only added a layer of fingerling potato and zuchinni hash topped with a fried egg topped with the crab.

I will include pictures of the crab before he died, one of the crab at the restaurant and the crab for breakfast. I will spare you all the details of dispatching the crabs and cleaning them-it was pretty gruesome and my macho staff refused to do it, which is ok because it was one of those days I felt like killing someone anyway and way better the crab than those I was angry at.

I got the idea for the creole hollandaise at the New Orleans Cuisine blog at neworleanscuisine.blogspot.com

Tenderloin Caprese

It's a cold Spring, but I am working on Summer dishes anyway. I know this salad will be marvelous when the tomatoes are ripe, but for now I bought a store bought tomato labeled "Ugly Ripe"-it is apparently an heirloon variety of tomato. It tasted a little better than the tennis balls that pass for tomatoes in the store right now, but not much. Sometimes I have to cook things out of season in order to have the menus and recipes thought out well enough to implement new dishes when the ingredients comes into season.

Ingredients

1 eight ounce fillet mignon steak

1 ball of fresh mozzarella cheese

1 large tomato

salad greens

fresh Basil for garnish

Balsamic vinaigrette

Directions

In a hot skillet sear the steak and cook briefly, about 4 minutes on each side, the steak will still be rare.

Let the steaks rest for at least ten minutes while assembling the salad ingredients.

Cut the cheese into 6 slices.

Cut the tomato into 6 slices.

Cut the steak into 6 slices.

Line two dinner plates with salad greens, place alternating slices of tomato, cheese, and steak accross the salad greens.

Garnish the salad with fresh basil, and drizzle with balsamic vinaigrette.

Rhubarb Strawberry Muffins Formerly Known as Touch of Spring

I found the original recipe for these at the "Taste of Home" web page where they are titled "Touch of Spring". The muffins turned out very nicely, however I had to tweak the recipe a bit by adding orange zest, orange juice, orange flower water, and sanding sugar as well as changing some of the directions. They are delightful and will be part of my Mother's Day bread basket.

Rhubarb Strawberry Muffins

2 cups of all purpose flour

3/4 cup sliced rhubarb

1/2 cup sliced strawberries

3/4 cup sugar-divided


1 tablespoon baking powder


1/2 teaspoon salt


1 egg


3/4 cup milk


zest and juice of 1 orange


1 tablespoon orange flower water





topping


12 strawberry slices


12 rhubarb slices


2 tablespoons sanding sugar

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

In one bowl, combine the flour and baking powder. In another bowl beat the eggs with 1/2 cup sugar, salt, milk, oil, zest, juice, and orange flower water. Toss the rhubarb and strawberry slices with 1/4 cup sugar. Combine the flour mixture, the egg mixture, and fruit and mix until moistened. Fill greased or paper lined muffin tins 3/4 full, top each muffin with a slice of strawberry and rhubarb, sprinkle with the sanding sugar and bake at 375 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes. Cool slightly before serving.

Rosemary Red Eye Gravy

Red eye gravy wasn't something I remember growing up with-I don't think my mom ever made it. I first encountered it here in St Louis when I was cooking at the Richard Perry Restaurant. So that is how I learned it. It is traditionally a quick pan sauce made with strong coffee, usually served with ham steak. After some reading I discovered some cooks make red eye gravy with beef steaks. It seemed worth trying. I also added some Rosemary to the mix which seems untraditional but adds an interesting twist.

I first made a dry rub of finely ground coffee-I had some Starbucks dark roast in the freezer so I used that-and added some brown sugar, salt, and pepper.

for four 14 ounce steaks-rib eye, strip, or 8 ounce tenderloins

1/4 cup finely ground coffee

1/4 cup brown sugar

Freshly ground pepper

2 Tablespoons sea salt

I rubbed the mixture into the steaks and let them sit for 1/2 hour

I got out my favorite Griswold iron skillet and got it pretty hot and seared the steaks-lots of smoke. I removed the steaks to finish cooking in the oven.

While the steaks finished in the oven, I made the red eye gravy. Add brown sugar to the hot skillet and let it melt and caramelize slightly-this takes place almost instantly as the pan is so hot. Deglaze the pan with a bit of red wine, I then added a couple sprigs of fresh Rosemary-then add strongly brewed coffee. Scrape up all the drippings and let the mixture bubble a couple minutes. It makes a very thin but flavorful sauce similar to a jus.

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup red wine

1 1/2 cup strongly brewed black coffee

2 sprigs of fresh Rosemary

Pour the gravy over the steaks and serve with spoon bread on the side.

Back to Barramundi

I ordered in more Barramundi. It is such a delicious fish, similar to sea bass but a little denser. Very mild sweet flavor and it is a sustainable fish unlike the sea bass. I was going to prepare Florence Fabricant's recipe printed in the New York Times this past week. She brushed the fillet (she used Halibut, but I figured it would work well with Barramundi as well) with molasses and seared it and served it with mushrooms. She created the recipe to pair with some Pinot Noirs they were reviewing. The dish did not work for me, so I reverted to my old stand by of grilling served with ginger vinaigrette plus some wasabi and pickled ginger. The asertive vinaigrette is mellowed with sesame oil and really brings out the sweetness of the fish.

Second Platinum Chef Competition

Last year a group of eight Monroe County high schools formed a conference for culinary competition. This year, the group grew to 10 schools. Some of the schools don't even have a culinary program, but only an after school club, where they cook with and learn from an advisor.

I was asked to be one of the judges again this year

It is so much fun to observe these kids. Teams consist of 5 members and two dish washers. They are judged on several levels, including sanitary and safety, knife skills, creative use of ingredients, presentation, teamwork, and taste. Outstanding individuals are recognised as well.

Ten schools was a bit daunting to get through. In the end the judges (there were five of us) were all pressed for time in analysizing all the different categories. I also had less time to take photos.

The competition took place on the gym floor, where 10 individual staging kitchens were set up. So the equipment wasn't the best, but the kids really made the best of what they had. The bleachers were full of students and family members observing and taking pictures.

One of the smaller schools without the formal culinary program won. Their passion for what they were doing showed and won them the trophy.