Xmas Chocolate Cake ???????

I made these cakes as Christmas gifts to my church members using my Chocolate Moist Cake recipe.



The words were done with Royal Icing (I think they're called that, I got the recipe from snooping around a book fair when I was 15).



Baked them in round foil pans




And I didn't have enough pans, so I baked them in mini loaf pans, and wrapped the sides to hide the ugliness.

I asked my sister in law to pass to them on Sunday, as I can't make it to church that day.
And on Christmas day, which was 2 days later, I recieved lotsa good comments and people asking for the recipe. They said it was really moist and nice.

The Chocolate Moist Cake recipe is my first entry, do check it out, not by looking, but by trying it out yourself.

I got the recipe from http://www.bestmoistchocolatecakerecipe.com/, and did some minor modifications to it.


Royal icing recipe: (according to me..haha)

454 gm icing sugar
1 egg white
juice from 1 lemon

Mix them all together and ta-da.. start piping.

It will not harden much, due to the acidity of the lemon juice. If you want it to really harden up, replace the lemon juice with 3 tbsp water.

Read More

Recipe Index

Homecooking

Rice, Noodles, Pasta and Potatoes Recipes

Filling main courses or side dishes of carbohydrate sources

?

? Poultry Recipes

Chicken, Duck, Quail and other birds


 

 Seafood Recipes

Fish, Prawn/Shrimp, Squid/Cuttlefish/Calamari, Molluscs/shellfish, Crab

Pork Recipes

Non-Halal for non-Muslims

Beef, Mutton and Other Meats

Iron rich red meat

Vegetable Recipes

Cooked or salads

Tofu and Eggs Recipes

Perfect side dishes

Soups

Quick soups, Chinese double boiled or International recipes

Homebaking

Cakes

Baked, non baked, cheesecake, filled cakes, flourless, chiffon cakes.. all sorts!

Pastry and Cookies

Tarts, cookies, biscuits, Scones, puffs, pies....

Dessert

Ice Cream, Mousse, Jellies, Puddings, Baked or Chilled :)

Bread and Buns

Loaves, Sandwiches, Sweet Buns, Chinese steamed buns

Sweets and Snacks

Kuih, Candies, Savoury Snacks, Tid-bits, Pancakes

Beverage

Refreshing, herbal or general beverage

Read More

Pan Fried Oyster Sauce Chicken ?????

This is one of the easiest chicken recipe, done in less than 10 minutes, prep and cooking!

This happened many years ago. I was at my cousin's place. Her house mate's friend was cooking in the kitchen. And she taught me this recipe. "Ah Goh" Thanks for teaching me this, easy and tasty.



Very Very easy and tasty.

Pan Fried Oyster Sauce Chicken Recipe

Ingredients:

1/2 bulb garlic (chopped finely)
2 chicken thighs (cut small)
3 tbsp oyster sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee)

2 tbsp oil (if skinless thighs, add more oil)



Method.

1. Heat wok, add oil.
2. Put in garlic and stir until it's fragrant but not golden.
3. Put in chicken pieces and stir it so that the garlic won't be at the bottom.
4. Allow the chicken to fry for a while before turning them.
5. Fry and turn chicken few times and put in oyster sauce. Fry for another minute and dish up.


Cooking time: 5 minutes!!!




Dished up onto a butter plate, they're cut about 6-8 pcs per thigh.

The garlic taste superb!!! Crunchy and fragrant in the chicken oil.

Read More

Ma Tai Sar with Tong Yuen (water chestnut dessert with dumplings) ?????

I don't know why it's called Ma Tai Sar, cos 'sar' means sand... but the water chestnuts are not chopped until they're fine like sand..

Normally I'll make it without the tong yuen, but after trying it at a wedding luncheon in Taiping, I found it to be quite nice.

Ma Tai Sar with Tong Yuen (water chestnut dessert with dumplings)

Ingredients:

8 cups water

3 pandan leaves (shredded and knotted)

1 cup water chestnuts (about 8-10, peeled and chopped finely)

250 gm rock sugar(or 1 cup sugar)

3/4 cup corn starch (easier to buy than water chestnut starch)
1 cup water

1 egg (beaten)

1 package of frozen tong yuen (black sesame fillings or whichever u may prefer)

Method:
1. Boil 8 cups water with the pandan for 10 minutes or until u can smell the fragrance in the living room..
2. Take out the pandan leaves (if not, the water chestnuts will be hiding in the leaves).
3. Put in the water chestnuts and rock sugar.
4. Boil for another 10 minutes.
5. Mix 1 cup water with corn starch. Pour in and stir well.
6. Bring to a boil and drizzle in the egg while stirring continuously.
7. Turn off the fire and serve with cooked sesame dumplings (cooked according to packaging).

Nice for the Chinese Winter Festival (Goh Tung)..

**

You can roughly get 10 rice bowls of this dessert. I always put my tong sui into small containers per portion and put in the fridge. This way, it's more convenient when one wants to have some, without having to ladle it out.

Read More

Claypot Chicken Rice w/o the claypot ????

My hometown is famous for Claypot Chicken Rice. Mom used to tapau this when she�s not cooking. A big pot of it would feed the whole family bao bao. But I never like it with sausages and salted fish. Prefer the plain chicken version.

How many of us do have a claypot of home? Good for u if u have one, but I don�t. So, I make this w/o the pot. It may not have the claypot smell, but it does taste similar (not the same cos I put mushrooms). I like to cook this one pot dish. My friends have seconds when I do this for them.

Very easy and delicious!!

Claypot Chicken Rice Recipe

Recipe for 2.

(A) 1 bowl of uncooked rice(washed)
1 bowl of water (adjust to preference and type of rice)

(B) 2 chicken drumsticks cut into small pieces(or which ever part u like)
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp dark soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 tbsp sugar
� tsp salt
Dash of white pepper powder
2 tbsp ginger juice( if u�re lazy, just julienne 1 inch of ginger)
1 tbsp corn starch

(C) 5 black mushrooms (sliced and squeezed dry)

(D) 3 tbsp light soy sauce (or how salty u want it to be)
1 tbsp dark soy sauce (some brands are darker, some lighter)
2 tbsp oil ,fried with one pip of garlic and 1bulb of shallot
� tsp sesame oil
� cup green onion(cut finely)

1. Mix (B) all together and marinade for at least an hour ( I do it overnight to save time)
2. Mix in the mushrooms to marinade for another 10 mins at least.
3. Cook the rice til it�s � cooked through. (you may steam the rice or use rice cooker(water almost dry))
4. Put in the marinated chicken and mushroom. Arrange it nicely and try to make sure the chicken don�t overlap each other.

When everything is cooked, take it of the fire (if u�re using rice cooker,the light is off)
6. Put in (D) and mix it all up. If it�s not salty enough, add more soy sauce according to personal taste.


7. Dish up and serve with some blanched veggie to make the meal nutritionally more balanced, eg: Sawi or Lettuce or Taugeh.

Tip: When I prepare the garlic shallot oil, I make some for my veggie too. Then using the same wok, w/o washing, put in water, boil and blanch the veggie.

Read More

Native American Christmas Recipes

American Indian Cold Christmas Cake Recipe
1 lb pecans or walnuts, chopped
1 lb shredded moist coconut
1 lb raisins
1 lb vanilla wafers
1 regular can sweetened condensed milk


Combine dry ingredients well. Pour in sweetened condensed milk and
work through with hands so that dry ingredients are thoroughly
saturated. Press into spring foam pan. Refrigerate for 2 days. My
Cherokee ancestors used hazelnuts, dates and thick goats milk, then
wrapped the cake in watertight leaves bound with vine and placed in
cold running stream for several days. This is delicious and easy.
Yield: 4 servings

Mom's Christmas Sausage Coffee Cake
1 lb bulk sausage
2 tablespoon chopped parsley
1/2 cup chopped onions
2 cup bisquick
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup grated swiss cheese
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 egg beaten
1 egg yolk
1/4 teaspoon tabasco
1 tablespoon water
1 1/2 teaspoon salt

Brown sausage and onions; drain. Add next 6 ingredients. Make batter
of Bisquick, milk and mayonnaise. Spread half of batter in 9 x 9 x 2-
inch greased pan. Pour in sausage mixture, then spread remaining
batter on top. Mix egg yolk and water and brush top. Bake at 400
degrees for 25 to 30 minutes or until cake leaves edges of pan. Cool
5 minutes before cutting into 3-inch squares. This recipe doubles
easily in a 9 x 13-inch pan. Enjoy!!
From: "Manyfeathers1"
Yield: 4 servings

Kolab Christmas Salad
1/2 cup cider vinegar
7 tablespoons olive oil
1 jalapeno chili, seeded, minced
1 teaspoon white sage dried, crumbled
6 prickly pears ripe, sliced
1 head red leaf lettuce or boston lettuce
3 avocados, peeled, pitted, sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
1 small red onion, thinly sliced, rings separated

Combine vinegar, jalapeno and white sage in small bowl. Gradually whisk in oil. Season with salt and pepper. (Can be
made 1 day ahead. Cover and let stand at room temperature.)
Peel and cut lengthwise the pears then slice crosswise into half rounds.Line platter with lettuce. Arrange pear slices in center of
platter, overlapping slices. (Can be made 4 hours ahead. Cover and
chill.) Arrange avocado slices around pear slices, overlapping slices.
Top with nuts. Arrange onions over all. Drizzle dressing over.

Holiday Rump Roast
4 lb venison rump roast
1/2 teaspoon sage or several sprigs fresh sage
1 teaspoon juniper berries crushed fine
1 clove garlic, slivered
1/2 cup cooking oil
salt
pepper

Cut slits in top of roast and insert sliver of garlic and sage in the pockets. Rub the roast with cooking oil that has in it the juniper berries, salt and pepper and let sit at room temperature for 1 hour. Place the roast in a baking dish. Roast in a preheated 450 degree (F) oven for 15 minutes. Lower heat to 350 degrees and roast for 1 hour 15 minutes. If using a meat thermometer, the internal temperature should be 155 degrees for medium rare. For a larger roast, cook for about 18 minutes per pound at the 350 degree temperature. Allow roast to rest 10 minutes before carving. Serve with fresh cranberry sauce.
Yield: 5 servings

Native Holiday Cake
1 cup flour
1 cup corn flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1 tsp ginger
pinch of salt
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup maple sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/4 cups pumpkin puree
1 apple, peeled, finely chopped
1 cup cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 cup pecans, coarsely chopped
maple syrup icing
1/4 cup plus 2 tbs confectioners sugar
2 1/2 tbs maple syrup

Heat oven to 350 degrees.* Butter a bundt pan. Whisk first 7 ingredients in a bowl to blend. Beat butter and sugars in a bowl until light and fluffy. Add eggs, beat well. Beat in vanilla, pumpkin and apple. Add flour mixture, beat until blended. Stir in cranberries and pecans. Scrape into pan. Bake 70 min. or until done. Cool in pan 10 min. before inverting. ICING---Stir
confectioners sugar and maple syrup in a bowl until icing runs off tip of the spoon, adding more syrup if needed. Put cake on wax paper, drizzle with icing. SPRINKLE WITH COARSELY CHOPPED PECANS, LET ICING SET.
Yield: makes 12 servin

(Chickasaw) Pumpkin Cookies
1/2 cup shortening
1 1/2 cup cooked pumpkin
2 1/2 cup flour, less 2 tsp
4 teaspoon baking powder
1 cup raisin or dates
1 cup chopped nuts
1 teaspoon lemon extract
1 1/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon

Cream shortening and sugar. Add eggs, pumpkin and spices. Blend well. Sift dry ingredients together and add to pumpkin mixture. Blend until smooth. Stir in raisins, nuts and flavoring. Drop by teaspoons onto greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 15 minutes.
Yield: approximately 3

Pueblo Feast Pinion Cookies
2/3 cup plus 1/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup lard or vegetable shortening
1 egg
2 cups unbleached flour, sifted
4 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp anise seed
1/3 cup milk
1/2 cup pinon nuts (pignoli),; chopped
1 tsp ground cinnamon

The Pueblo Indians give much attention to food, especially on Feast Days, when they must feed their families, a circle of friends and even casual visitors. Field parties for planting or harvesting, kiva parties, a Kachina or Corn Dance, an initiation or wedding, the pueblo's Saint's Day - all require elaborate food preparation. In the Pueblo world, the households of men engaged in any ceremonial activity are the busiest, and at the conclusion of the feast, leftovers are distributed and carried home. Pueblo hospitality is identified, as everywhere, with food; under no circumstances may one refuse food or, asking for it, be refused. To a caller from the vicinity, watermelon, pinon, or peaches will be offered, and it is proper to eat before announcing the reason for the visit. For visitors from far away, whenever they arrive, a regular meal will be served. To be stingy with food is unacceptable. Visitors on Feast Days might be offered these special cookies, but we doubt there are ever any leftovers to be carried home. Preheat oven to 350. In a mixing bowl, cream 2/3 cup sugar and lard. Add egg and blend thoroughly. Stir in flour, baking powder, vanilla, and anise seed, blending thoroughly. Gradually add milk until a stiff dough is formed. Mix in the pinon nuts. Roll dough out on a lightly floured board to 1/2-inch thickness. Cut into 2-inch cookies with cookie cutter. Sprinkle tops with mixture of the remaining sugar and cinnamon. Bake cookies on a well-greased baking sheet for about 15 minutes, or until golden. Cool on a rack.

Read More

Moist Chocolate Cake ?????

I love Chocolate Moist Cake. Ate one made by a friend years ago that used corn oil, and I fell in love with it. And I lost contact with that friend. So, after searching few years online for a recipe that can create a similiar taste, I found one.

Source: http://www.bestmoistchocolatecakerecipe.com/

Moist Chocolate Cake Recipe

2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
3/4 cups cocoa powder
2 tsp baking soda
2 large eggs
1 tsp salt
1 cup buttermilk (I substituted with soured milk =1 tbsp lime/lemon juice +250ml milk, make sure they curdle)1 cup corn oil
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water

1. Preheat Oven to 160C (the original recipe called for 150C)
2. Line a 9 X 13 inch baking dish
3. Place all ingredients into a mixing bowl
4. Mix at medium speed until all ingredients are smooth
5. Pour into the baking dish.
6. Bake for 1 hour.

Read More

Cactus and Pinenut Salad with Cranberry Vinaigrette

1/4 cup fresh or frozen cranberries, thawed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon chopped red onion
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 cup vegetable oil
10 cups mixed baby greens
1 cup nopales, thinly sliced
1/2 cup pine nuts, toasted

Puree cranberries in processor until smooth. Add vinegar, onion, sugar and mustard and process until well blended. With processor running, gradually add oil and process until well blended. Transfer to medium bowl. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill. Bring to room temperature and whisk before using.) Combine greens and nopales in large bowl. Toss with enough dressing to coat. Sprinkle with pine nuts. Serve, passing remaining dressing separately.

Contributor: Burning Tree Native Grill

Yield: serves 6.

Read More

Cheesy Fry Bread

1 pound loaf frozen bread dough, thawed
3 tbsp. butter or margarine, softened
2 tbsp. finely chopped ramp or leek
2 to 3 tsp. chili powder
1/2 t. dried white sage
1/2 t. garlic powder
1 c. shredded cheddar cheese

With its pretty color and cheesy topping, this buttery bread is delicious with soups.

Pat dough onto the bottom and up the sides of a greased 14-inch pizza pan or 15x10-inch baking pan, forming a crust. Spread with butter. Sprinkle with onion, paprika, oregano and garlic powder. Prick the crust several times with a fork; sprinkle with cheese.

Cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes. Bake at 375 for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Contributor: Burning Tree Native Grill

Yield: 8 servings

Read More

Chicken and Ramps with Sweet Potatoes

2 tbsp olive oil
2 tsp chopped fresh sage
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tsp grated lemon rind
2 tsp chili powder
4 boneless, skinless, chicken breasts
salt and freshly ground pepper
2 sweet potatoes cut into 1 inch cubes
4 ramps or 2 leeks, white and light green part only, sliced
1 cup chicken stock
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Preheat oven to 400F

Combine 1 tbsp olive oil, sasge, mustard, lemon rind, and chili.
Reserve 1 tbsp of mixture, and brush the rest over the chicken
breasts. Season with salt and pepper.

Heat remaining 1 tbsp oil in a large oven proof skillet over medium
heat. Add chicken breasts, and cook 2 minutes per side or until browned.
Remove from skillet and toss in sweet potatoes. Saute for 1 minute, add
ramps or leeks and saute for 2 minutes. Add stock, reserved mustard mixture
and balsamic vinegar and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, return chicken
breasts to skillet and place over vegetables. Cover skillet.

Place in oven and bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until chicken juices run
clear. Slice chicken breasts and serve over vegetables. Drizzle over the
pan liquid.

Contributor: Burning Tree Native Grill

Yield: serves 4.

Read More

Deviled Buffalo Burgers

1 pound ground buffalo
1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon ketchup
2 teaspoons hot pepper sauce
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce (optional)
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
5 soft sandwich rolls

1. In a bowl, mix all ingredients, except sandwich rolls, together. Form
into 5 patties and place on the unheated rack of a broiler pan (or in a
preheated skillet on the range-top).
2. Broil 3 to 4 inches from the heat for 12 to 15 minutes until internal
temperature reaches 160�F.
3. Serve patties in soft sandwich rolls.

Contributor: Nancy Snee, North Canton, Ohio

Yield: makes 5 patties

Read More

Acorn Hominy Bread

2 cups hominy; drained
2 tbl sorghum syrup
2 tbl oil
milk; to make loose paste
1/2 cup masa
1/2 cup hominy paste
1/2 cup acorn flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1 pc egg
1 tbl sorghum syrup
1 tbl oil
1/2 tsp pumpkin spice
1 tbl gluten flour
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup dried cranberries

1. Blend first four (4) ingredients in a blender set at puree until a
smmoth loose paste is accomlished.

2. Mix the remaing ingredients with 1/2 cup of the homony paste and beat
with about 50 to 70 strokes adding more milk if to tight.

Devide into 3x5 oiled (spray) pans bake at preheated oven 375 F for 30
minutes or a tooth pick comes out clean.

Serve with vanilla ice cream drizzle with a huckleberry or blueberry sauce.

Contributor: Burning Tree Native Grill

Yield: 1 small loaf

Read More

On the Road to Las Vegas � What happens there definitely won�t stay there

I thought I would post a quick update for all of you waiting patiently for a new recipe clip. I�ve leaving Giants Spring training with a record of 2-1, and everything I�d heard about spring baseball in the desert turned out to be true; beautiful sunny weather, small ballparks where you�re right on top of the players, cold beer, hot dogs, and lots of well-oiled bare skin. Other than that it wasn�t that great. I don�t like to post without photos so here is a couple from the old ball park. The first is a culinary student from Scottsdale cooking Bratwurst, and the second a Chicago Cubs fan who I assume likes to eat Bratwurst.

I can now admit it; this was not just a vacation. I actually had a bit of business to take care of, which went very well. It looks like I�ll be doing some work as private chef for several of the SF Giants this season. Before you ask who, let me say that similar to doctors and mob lawyers, private Chefs� clients expect a certain level of confidentiality, so I�m not saying who.

I�m headed to Las Vegas for an overnight stay, and then back to San Francisco on Wednesday. I hope to post Wednesday evening and then get back on the �new post every day� schedule you�ve hopefully grown accustom. Again, I thank you for your patience and I can�t wait to get back to the City and start cooking for you all. I have lots of requests to do and during these long drives I�ve been brainstorming some crazy new ideas. Well, we must be getting close; I just saw an �All You Can Eat� billboard�wish me luck!

Read More

Cactus League Here I Come!

Chef John (as I write about myself in the third person) will be taking a small vacation to Arizona to take in some spring training baseball. So if you don't see any new posts for a few days, and/or I don't reply to your comments or emails, I apologize in advance.

Every spring, for about 20 years, I�ve tried to figure out a way to get down to the San Francisco Giant�s Cactus league spring training. Until this year I was 0 for 20. The streak is over! Thanks to a confluence of good luck, good timing, and great in-laws, I�m headed down there for a few days of sun and fun.

Now, since the Giants haven�t won the World Series since I�ve been in San Francisco, and since I�ve never been to Spring Training, I can�t help but think there may be some connection. The way I figure, since I�m going to be down there this year, helping them get ready, they should win it all (beating the Yankees in 7). You heard it here first.

By the way, I�ll try to post a few items from the road. There must be some desert Internet caf�s somewhere. Stay tuned and�Go Giants!

Read More

Chicken Marsala a la Ryan�s Cafe

Certain dishes have a special place in my heart and this is one of them. The first real restaurant job I had in San Francisco was at a small place called Ryan�s Caf�. It was run by a husband and wife team, Michael and Lenore Ryan. They were true �foodies� before that term had even been coined. This Chicken Marsala dish was the most popular dish on the menu and the first one that I was taught. I had cooked with wine a few times at culinary school, but this was the first time that it had really hit me what magic could be created by adding the right wine to certain ingredients. Every time I make this dish, I fondly remember that 23 years old cook (with full head of hair), so thirsty for knowledge, just drinking it all in, both literally and figuratively.

Marsala wine originates from the Italian city of Marsala, which is in Sicily. It is similar to the more commonly know Spanish Sherry, and like Sherry is a wonderful wine to cook with. It has a complex, slightly sweet flavor that makes it the perfect choice for this great chicken and mushroom dish I�m demonstrating today. Be careful when buying your bottle of Marsala. You don�t need anything too expensive, but make sure it�s just regular Marsala wine, and not �Sweet Marsala� which is a desert wine and too sweet for this dish. This same recipe can also be made the with Sherry or Madeira wine with very nice results.


Ingredients:
2 boneless chicken breasts, skin on
1 shallot minced
2 tbl fresh parsley
3 tbl butter
2 tbl olive oil
1 tbl flour
5 white mushrooms, sliced
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup Marsala wine
1 tsp salt (to taste)
1/2 tsp pepper

Read More

Braised Lamb and Eggplant Cous Cous � Easy, exotic, and a great case for gender bias!

Today�s post is perfect for the person that�s afraid to try anything that seems exotic because they think it�s going to be hard to prepare. Cous Cous has to be one of the easiest things on the planet to make. Can you boil stock and pour it into a bowl of Cous Cous? Then this dish is for you. This was a hard demo to edit down to a reasonable length, so I did go pretty fast with some of the steps and I thought I better give some additional info to help you follow along. So, I�ve put a few steps along with the usual ingredient list.

Cous Cous is a tiny, granular type of pasta that is as delicious, as it is simple to prepare. Usually considered Moroccan, this is also a staple in Algeria, Tunisia and Libya. The amazing thing about couscous is how fast it �cooks,� and how versatile it is. As long as you have some type of flavorful stock to prepare the Cous Cous, the meats and vegetables can be varied in countless ways.

Regarding the gender bias reference in headline; it has been claimed that female eggplants have more seeds than male eggplants. Those tiny white/grey seeds are what give eggplant it�s slightly bitter flavor, so Chefs are said to favor the male eggplants. Anyway, I show you how to �sex� an eggplant, and we also test the male vs. female theory. Wow, I feel like that �Myth Buster� guy. Enjoy the clip!



4 cups couscous
1 quart chicken stock
2 pounds lamb shoulder chops
2 eggplants
1/2 onion
1/2 cup diced tomato or sauce
3 cloves garlic
1 tsp black pepper
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp dried Herb de Provence (or Italian herb mix)
1/4 cup olive oil
4 oz feta cheese (optional)
fresh herbs to garnish (mint, parsley, etc.)

Steps:
* Season lamb with half the salt and pepper, brown well on both sides in a bit of olive oil in Dutch oven, remove and set aside.
* Add onion, rest of salt and pepper, saut� for 5 minutes.
* Add eggplant and saut� for 5 minutes.
* Add tomato, garlic, red pepper flakes, cinnamon, cumin, Herb de Provence, saut� for 5 minutes.
* Add stock and lamb, bring to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 2 hours.
* Remove lamb.
* Strain braising liquid from eggplant and reserve (you should have about 4 1/2 cups).
* Remove meat from bones and add to eggplant mixture, keep warm.
* Bring reserved stock to boil and pour over �oiled� Cous Cous (see clip)
* Cover tightly for 5 minutes, fluff and serve as shown in clip.

Read More

Sage and Sherry Creamed Mushrooms on Griddled Blue Corn

1 pound wild mushrooms
1 pound morrels
4 cups heavy cream
2 Tbsp. chopped fresh sage
2 Tbsp. dry sherry
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 1/2 cups blue corn meal
water

Cook the corn meal to a thick mush adding salt to taste.
Oil a 9-by-2-by-13-inch glass baking dish. Pour the corn meal mush into the dish to cover the bottom evenly, about 1 inch thick. Cool completely in dish before cutting. It's best if chilled overnight.

Put the mushrooms in a stainless steel pan large enough to hold all the mushrooms and the cream. Pour the cream over the mushrooms and bring to a boil. Add the morrel mushrooms. Bring to a boil again. Reduce the heat so the mixture is simmering. Cook for 45 minutes to 1 hour until the cream is slightly thickened. Stir often during the boiling and simmering to keep from scorching.

Add the sage and sherry and cook for 10 minutes more, stirring often. Salt and pepper to taste. Keep warm.

Cut the corn meal mush into 8 squares, then into 16 triangles. Carefully remove from dish to waxed paper. Heat a griddle or skillet (non-stick works well) on medium heat. Rub both sides of the triangles with olive oil. Carefully place the triangles on griddle or skillet. Brown well on each side.

Serve on eight small plates, two triangles on each. Spoon some of the creamed mushrooms on each and garnish with whole sage leaf. You can also serve this on a platter for a buffet.

The leftover creamed mushrooms will keep up to one week in the refrigerator. It is also good on chicken, fish, toasted crusty French bread - or be creative.

Makes 8 starter servings

Read More

Chocolate Lava Cake � Is this the World�s most delicious mistake?

Legend has it that this dessert was the result of a major catering disaster. The dessert for this particular event was to be individual chocolate cakes, but someone took them out of the ovens to soon and the centers where not cooked enough and still liquefied. Well, there was no time to take them off the plates and cook them more, so the Chef simply had his wait staff introduce the dessert as Chocolate �Lava� Cake! Brilliant! Now, whether this is true or not, I don�t know for sure, but it totally sounds like something a Chef would do. If you have a better story email it to me and I�ll start using it.

Regardless of how it was born, it sure is good. I used very dark chocolate, but you can use semi-sweet or milk chocolate if you prefer. If you�ve watch my clips regularly you know I�m not big on measuring ingredients, BUT when you�re doing baked desserts you really do need to be accurate. So measure carefully. By the way, this was a view request and the photo he sent me (pictured above with the fruit) had no copyright info with it. I did use it in the clip and hopefully no one gets too upset. If you did happen to take this photo, and are upset I�m using it without permission, please email me and I will credit you. Enjoy!

Welcome new visitors! Click here for the home page and over 200 more video recipes.

Ingredients
2 extra large eggs
1 extra large egg yolk
5 tbl butter
3 tbl sugar
3.5 oz. dark chocolate (this is one standard chocolate bar)
3 tbl flour
2 tsp cocoa powder
*Bake at 425 F, in water bath for 15 mins.

Read More

Eggs Benedicts � The last 2 episodes to make this brunch classic!

Hopefully you watched the hollandaise demo we just posted, and you are ready to fearlessly finish this delicious egg dish! So, the sauce is done, now you need to poach the eggs and finish the plate. In this first clip, I show the basic restaurant technique for poaching eggs. Due to the high-volume of a brunch service, it is almost impossible to poach eggs �to order.� They are poached ahead of time and held in cold water until final plating, when they are re-heated in simmering water for a few minutes. This method also works great at home for smaller batches as you�ll see. Once you�ve poached your eggs and have them in cold water you are free to set up the rest of the plate and all you then have to do is reheat them as I�ll show you. Ok, here we go with the poaching clip. Immediately following is the final plating and some cruel teasing on my part.


Now that we have our eggs ready we can plate this beauty up. Now, as you�ll hear me say in the clip, I didn�t waste time filming how to toast an English muffin and fry up a couple pieces of Canadian bacon. If you need help with those techniques you can email me and I�ll make fun of you in private. VERY IMPORTANT: make sure you are using a warm plate! Since the sauce is just warm, not piping hot, and the eggs are also just warm, it is CRUCIAL that the plate is warm, as well as making sure the English muffin and Canadian bacon are hot. If you need some potatoes to serve with this dish, please check out our Homefries demo. Enjoy!

Read More

Hollandaise 101 � Can a sauce really sense fear?

Re-run alert! Yes, viewers to my old blog may have seen this clip before, but it�s such a key sauce to master, I wanted to have it on this new blog. This sauce can be used on many other things besides eggs; like grilled asparagus and poached salmon. But, since the most common use is on the famous Eggs Benedict, I will also demo how to poach eggs (secret restaurant method) and how to finish the final dish. Stay tuned for that. Now, let�s get our Hollandaise on.

I�m going to show you a new and terrifying method for making this classic Sauce. I don�t use a double-boiler, but rather cook the egg yolks directly over a low flame. I find it faster, easier, and with less chance of under-cooking the yolks. (Warning, you may scramble a few before you get it, but once you get the feel you�ll never do them over water again!) Please note, it�s hard to see on the video, the bowl is never actually touching the flame, but a few inches above.

You�ll hear me say in the clip that this is the way to control the heat in the eggs. Most importantly, be brave! Like bees and dogs, a Hollandaise can sense fear. If you are afraid it�s going to �break� or separate, then it will. I believe this so deeply I had the slogan printed on T-shirts, which coincidently, I�m selling on the site! Hey, I think this is the first clip that actually features one of my products. Did I just �sell out?� If you are interested in getting one of these shirts just click on the picture and you'll be whisked away (pun intended) to my CafePress online shop. Anyway, good luck with the Hollandaise, and let me know how it came out. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 stick of unsalted butter
2 egg yolks
1/2 lemon
salt to taste
cayenne or tabasco sauce to taste

Read More

Perfect Mashed Potatoes � Breaking the Cycle of Generational Potato Dysfunction

Well, I just posted a meatloaf clip so I thought I would re-post this mashed potato demo. Every day, all across the country, people sit down to plates of lumpy, watery, sticky, gluey, pasty mashed potatoes. This demo will hopefully show you the proper techniques to turn out perfect mashed potatoes every time; always light, fluffy and lump-free.

It�s not hard, but it does require breaking some bad, old habits you may have. Making mashed potatoes is one of those comfort foods that you probably learned from your mother. If she used waxy red potatoes, then that�s what you use. If she mixed them for 20 minutes and ended up with something resembling wallpaper paste, then that�s what you do. Well, it�s time to face a harsh reality�your mom may not have known what the hell she was doing. There, I said it. Now, if you mom�s mashers came out great and she taught you well, fantastic! But if you do suffer from this generational potato dysfunction, then watch and learn. As they say, it�s never too late to have a happy childhood (mashed potato-wise at least).

I suggest NOT using a non-stick pot for these, as I will be using a metal wire-style potato masher.

Ingredients:
Serves 4
3 large Russet potatoes
1/2 stick butter
1/2 cup milk
salt and pepper to taste

Read More

Classic �All American� Meatloaf

This recipe is a version that Alton Brown did on Good Eats. I�ve added a few extra ingredients, like mushrooms, which I believe helps make a very moist meatloaf. Do I feel bad stealing Alton�s recipe? No, because he stole it from someone, who stole it from someone, and so on and so on. I've tried many recipes and this is my favorite for flavor, texture and it's just plain easy to make.

I believe this is the first demo I make you dust off your food processor for. I know they are a pain to drag out and clean, but they are crucial to this recipe! The real secret to this method is the veggie puree we add to the meat and bread crumbs. Not only do these aromatic vegetables add tons of flavor, more importantly they add moisture to the mix. Most �bad� meatloaves are nothing more than giant baked hamburgers.

Another important tip is to use a digital meat thermometer to check for an internal temp of 155� F. This will produce the best final product. The times I give can be very tricky since all ovens are different and you may not have shaped yours exactly the same as mine. When you go by internal temps you take the guess work out of it.

Stay tuned, as I will show you my mushroom sauce recipe that I garnished this beautiful loaf of meat with. In fact, it just stopped raining here in Northern California, so there should be a nice selection of wild mushrooms to use. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
2 1/2 pounds ground chuck (80% lean)
1 carrot
1 rib celery
1/2 onion
1/2 red bell pepper
4 white mushrooms
3 cloves garlic
1 cup plain bread crumbs
1 egg
1 tbl Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp dried Italian herbs
2 tbl olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp olive oil

Glaze:
2 tbl brown sugar
2 tbl ketchup
2 tbl Dijon mustard
hot sauce to taste

Read More

�See-through� Herb and Potato Crisps � Worst Demo Ever?

Of all the things I�ve demonstrated on this site, without a doubt, this will be the one that the fewest viewers try. Why? Well, basically we�re going to spend 45 minutes, risk slicing off our finger tips, and when we�re finished we are going to have (if everything goes perfectly) about 10 translucent potato chips with leaves of herbs embedded inside. So why bother? I�m not sure. Just watch the demo and it may make sense. For the hardcore foodie, this may actually be interesting, for the rest of you, not so much.

If done properly (which will probably take you 4 or 5 times) this does make for a very cool garnish. And, for the select few that actually make and serve these, you may get one of your guests to ask, �Oh my God! How did you get the herbs inside that potato chip?!? This is the culinary equivalent of the old ship in the bottle mystery. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
fresh herb leaves (Italian parsley, oregano, tarragon, etc)
1 large russet potato
2 tbl olive oil
salt to taste (after cooked)

Read More

Tuna �Tataki� Provencal � The difference between fusion and confusion

�Fusion� cuisine is nothing new. For many years Chefs have been combining aspects from different cuisines to create new and exciting combinations. That Chipolte aioli mayo spread you had on that meatloaf sandwich last week is just one example. When done correctly this �Fusion� cuisine can result in some amazing dishes. Unfortunately, in many cases, these combinations are forced and contrived and just don�t work. When that happens you have what Chefs jokingly call �Confusion� cuisine.

The dish I�m doing today, I hope, is an example of fusion cuisine done right. I�m using a classic Provencal combination of fresh tuna served over a very flavorful Blood Orange Tapenade Citronette. The style I�m using to prepare the tuna is classic Japanese sashimi technique called �Tataki.� This is my favorite way to eat tuna at my local Sushi Bar. They take the freshest tuna possible, give it a quick sear on all sides, slice it thin, and serve it with the traditional sushi garnishes; soy, wasabi, pickled ginger, etc.

I thought this �Tataki� method of cooking would be perfect to use with this delicious tapenade. I was right! It was amazing and incredibly easy. Bye the way, if you are afraid to try sushi (eeewwww, raw fish!) this is a great way to get over your fears. As I say in the clip, this is much closer in taste and texture to a rare piece of beef tenderloin than any fish you�ve had. I hope you can find some fresh tuna and give this a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4-5 oz. Sushi or Sashimi grade Ahi tuna
1/2 tsp fennel seeds
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp black pepper
1 tsp salt
2 tbl olive oil
serve with our Blood Orange Tapenade Citronette

Read More

Blood Orange Tapenade Citronette � Cheating and proud of it!

Sometimes you just have to cheat. I was planning to serve a beautiful seared Ahi tuna loin. I wanted to slice it and serve it on an olive Tapenade. This is a classic combination in the Mediterranean, but I had one problem, I didn�t have the hour it was going to take to shop for, and mince the 12 ingredients that go into my Tapenade recipe. Lucky, I live near a Trader Joes (a CostPlus World Market, or Whole Foods would have also worked), so I went in and bought a jar of prepared green olive Tapenade. Before it went into the basket I carefully checked the ingredients� nothing but vegetables and spices! It was incredibly close to the one I make from scratch, and so I decided to use it guilt-free.

When I got home a quick taste-test confirmed my belief I had made a great decision. It tasted great and I was ready to move on to the tuna. So the point is, if you�re going to �cheat� and use prepared foods, make sure they�re high-quality and all natural. Now, this Tapenade would have made a great accompaniment for my seared tuna all by itself, but I decided to dress it up with some blood orange juice and olive oil as you�ll see in this demo. Bye the way, this mixture is fantastic on almost anything from grilled fish to roasted vegetables. It�s low-carb (as in almost no-carb) and since a small amount goes a long way, it�s also fairly low-cal.

4 tbl green olive Tapenade
1 small blood orange (or half a regular juice orange)
2 tbl olive oil
salt to taste
cayenne to taste

Read More

Homemade Homefries � Deliciously Redundant!

There are many reasons to go out for breakfast or brunch on the weekend. Maybe it�s a break from the daily routine, maybe it�s the Mimosas (when else can you start drinking before noon and feel good about it), or maybe it�s the Homefries. Let�s face it, those crusty, crunchy, hot-off-the-grill potatoes that come with your omelet are a pretty good reason alone to venture out.

Very few of us can duplicate those at home. When most of us try to make Homefries, we just don�t get the same results. They look the same; they�re golden-brown and cooked all the way through, but they just don�t have that beautiful crusty/crispy texture. In this demo you�ll see why. The key is pre-cooking the potatoes in water first, and then frying. By the way, this is my mom�s very basic recipe, and you can of course dress it up with diced peppers, mushrooms, onions, etc.

2 large russet potatoes
3 tbl olive oil
1 tsp salt (or to taste)
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1-3 cloves garlic
1 tbl cold butter

Read More