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...

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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...

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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,...

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I Have a Request!

As you can imagine, I get a lot of requests. I love the interaction with my viewers, and I try as often as possible to satisfy these culinary whims. But, it's not easy. So, if you've made a request and I haven't gotten to it, please don't take it personally (except for Pete, who wanted a classic Italian Lasagne with no cheese, meat products, wheat or salt. He also said he wasn't crazy about tomato sauce, but "use it if you have too"). As you can...

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Dijon Pan Jus

Sorry to keep you waiting! Here is the sauce clip as promised. This technique is so crucial since it allows for a very fast and elegant sauce anytime you've roasted meat in a pan. All it requires is the "fond" (refer to clip for definition), some type of liquid, and a small chuck of cold butter. At the end of the clip I explain my thought process regarding the exact ingredients to use, but the technique is ALWAYS the same; deglaze, reduce, finish...

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Classic Beef Pot Roast with Winter Vegetables

We went �lean� on Fat Tuesday? Yes, it�s Fat Tuesday, but instead of rich and decadent, today�s clip is lean and clean; a classic beef pot roast, slowly braised with aromatic winter veggies. As I say in the clip, this dish �makes itself.� A nice hunk of chuck, a few seasonings, some veggies and a few hours is all it takes to make something so satisfying and heart warming.Most of these recipes have you flour the meat first, and then sear it, but I...

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Pan-Roasted Halibut Cheeks with Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette

I was originally going to use scallops for this dish, but when I looked at the fish case at the market and saw fresh halibut cheeks, my menu changed quickly! If you can find halibut cheeks you HAVE to try them. If your market carries regular halibut fillet or steaks, ask the fish person to get you some cheeks. Frozen are fine and they can probably do a special order for you. These are actually sweet, succulent pockets of meat found in the cheeks...

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Italian Meatballs � Let�s get rolling!

While the ingredient list may look a bit long, home-made meatballs are a very easy to make, and since we skip the very messy step of pan-frying these before they hit the sauce, it becomes downright simple. Here I use a standard 1/2 beef, 1/2 pork mixture. Some recipes use 1/3 beef, veal, and pork, which is also nice, yet more expensive. These days you can find all sorts of lean to fat ratios for ground beef. Most stores sell 90% lean, 10% fat, but...

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Homemade Pizza in 3 Acts

Made properly, pizza at home can be just as good, and probably better, than the stuff you have delivered. Except for the pizza pan you�ll see later, I tried not use any special equipment, like pizza stones, or exotic ingredients you would have a hard time finding. Act 1: The Pizza Dough (Pay attention or you�ll get pizza D�oh!)In clip one I make a very simple standard pizza dough. It�s amazing how intimidated people are when it comes to making any...

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Crispy Skin Salmon on Warm Potato Mushroom Salad with Cherry Tomato Citronette

This dish shows off the importance of contrasting textures and temperatures when assembling a dish. The hot, crisp skinned salmon tops a warm, soft, earthy mushroom and potato salad; both are surrounded by a cool, tangy tomato citronette (vinaigrette made with citrus instead of vinegar). You�ll be amazed how delicious the skin of the salmon gets when cooked this crisp! It also has a high concentration of the healthy oils that salmon is renowned for.NOTE:...

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Spicy Mediterranean Chicken with Sausage Stuffed Cherry Peppers

A culinary tour of the Mediterranean! Succulent Chicken thighs, artichoke hearts, olive, pepperoncini, and sausage stuffed cherry peppers! WARNING: This is an intense food experience, not for the bland palettes of the world.As I mention in the clip, if you want this dish to be less spicy and intense, drain the pepperoncini before adding. This is great on top of rice or pasta. By the way, I got the inspiration for this dish from my Uncle Bill, who...

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White Bean and Aromatic Vegetable Ragout

A great all-purpose bean dish that pairs well with so many things, especially when the weather turns cold. We served this under lamb shanks (click here to watch that clip), grilled chicken, or even a nice piece of fish. If you want to cook dried white beans from scratch go ahead, but I find the imported Italian white beans work wonderfully, and so much faster.Ingredients:2 Jars White Beans (12 oz. each) Cannellini, or White Navy Beans1 Onion2 Carrots2...

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Slow Roasted Lamb Shanks with Garlic and Rosemary

This is simply the easiest and most flavorful way to enjoy lamb. This cut of lamb is also the most affordable, which makes it a great choice for entertaining. Moist, fragrant and falling off the bone, this recipe should be a regular in your fall/winter dinner repertoire. We served this over a wonderful ragout of white beans and aromatic vegetables. You can also see that clip, as it makes a great base to any slow-roasted meat.PLEASE NOTE: You should...

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Pumpkin Brulee

This is a great seasonal twist on the restaurant classic, and also a really great reason to use a blow torch! We recently had a request for a pumpkin flan. While we love to satisfy our viewers every culinary whim, sometimes we just can�t do it. The problem with a pumpkin flan is that the starchy, slightly grainy texture of the pumpkin puree would ruin the smooth, silky mouth-feel which is what makes a flan, a flan. You would basically be left with...

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The Citronette � Why do they call it �Lemon Vinaigrette?�

Remember that post I did recently where I said how stupid it is for Chefs to argue over terms and names for dishes? Well, forget all that! Now, just to be clear, what I really meant is to argue whether something is a relish or a salsa, is basically a waste of time. You know my rule�if you made it, you get to name it. But, when something is just plain wrong, I have to draw the line.I was at a restaurant recently and one of the salads came with a �lemon...

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Boneless Pork Loin Chops with Shallots and Apple Cider Reduction

Here�s a delicious, and easy, pork chop dish that only takes about 20 minutes start to finish. By the way, a "chop" usually refers to something that has a bone still attached. The problem with center cut pork chop with the bone is that by the time you cook the meat next to the bone to a safe tempreture, the meat away from the bone is dry. So, I prefer the boneless "chop" for this dish. You have to be careful though, without the bone, this cut is...

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Duck Confit Part 2: Crisp and Sauce

In part one of this lesson, we prepped and roasted the duck. In this second part you�ll see how we finish this dish. You�ll also learn how to do a simple fruit-based pan sauce that�s a winner with any type of game. It�s simply equal parts berry jam, vinegar and water. You�ll be amazed how this basic 3-part formula comes together to create such a delicious and versatile sau...

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Duck Confit Part 1: Prep and Roast

Duck Confit is one of the World�s great culinary experiences. �Confit� is an ancient French technique of cooking and preserving meat in its own fat. What makes this so irresistible is the combination of the soft, succulent, fragrant meat encased in the impossibly crispy and crunchy skin. Traditionally this takes days to make. The duck legs are rubbed with salt and herbs and pressed overnight. Then the legs are covered with gallons of rendered duck...

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Classic Sole �Dore�

If you are afraid to cook fish, this is this demo for you! This has to be the easiest �gourmet� method for fish I�ve ever seen. This will work for any thin, flaky white fish fillets, but Sole is the traditional choice.We topped the fish with is a simple lemon, caper butter sauce. I will also demo this on the site and you would be well-served to learn this classic and versatile sau...

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Cream of Cauliflower with Fried Oysters and Chervil � A warm take on a cold �French Laundry� classic

For those of you that don�t already now, the French Laundry is a small gourmet restaurant located in Yountville, CA, in the Napa Valley. It�s considered by many the finest restaurant in the country and the Chef/owner, Thomas Keller, is consider by many the country�s top Chef.I�ve had the pleasure of eating there twice, and for a hardcore foodie it�s about as good as it gets. Chef Keller does a 9-course fixed price (think down payment on a small car)...

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Pastafazool � Italian Soul Food at its Best!

The dish we are making today is really called �Pasta e fagioli,� �pasta and beans.� But, is (mis)pronounced and (mis)spelled by most Italian-Americans (me being one) as "Pastafazoo.� As I mention in the clip, if there is ever a Soul Food Olympics, this simple and hearty Italian meal of beans and macaroni should be that country�s entry! There are so many different kinds, ranging from very soup-like to thicker stew-like versions. Some have meat, some...

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Calabrese Lollipops � Antipasto on a stick!

This is an extremely easy and fun appetizer perfect for a cocktail party or wine tasting event. In fact, this item was created for a wine and food pairing at the fabulous Frick Winery in Sonoma, CA. Bill Frick produces some amazingly delicious wine, and it�s always a pleasure to pair food with (and very easy, since everything tastes great with them).As you can see from the ingredients below, you can do multiple variations this by switching the meats,...

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Portuguese Kale and Sausage Soup

This is a wonderful and easy soup that will really hit the spot on a chilly fall night. You can use any spicy sausage in this, but the Portuguese Linguisa is traditional. Here I used a Spanish Chorizo, which was very nice.As I mention in the clip, be careful not to add too much potato. This is mainly a Kale soup flavored with the spicy sausage. The potato is only there to slightly thicken, and give the soup its silky texture.I stole this recipe...

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Secret Underwater Pomegranate Trick

This is a short, but hopefully useful demo for how to remove all those pomegranate kernels without a big mess. These are great on fall/winter salads, soups, and desser...

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Crusty Herb Potato Wedges

Simple and delicious. The key is tossing the spices with the potatoes and oil in a bowl and then on to the pan. The silicon mat we are baking on is a very nice thing to have in your kitchen. These are baked for 15 min at 425 degree F. and then turned over and cooked for another 15 min., or until nice and crusty.Ingredients:2 Russet Potatoes1 Tbl Dried Herb Blend, Like Herb De ProvanceOlive OilPaprikaSalt and Pep...

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Thai-style Beef Stew �Snow Flurries and Red Curries

Well, it�s not quite snowing here in San Francisco, but it�s COLD!! It's winter and that means it's stew season. Chucks of meats, slowly simmered in a flavorful broth for hours, enjoyed while gazing out a frosty window. This version of a classic Thai red curry will certainly do the trick.This is what I always order when I can�t decide what to get at my local Thai restaurant. I love the way the potatoes soak up the spicy broth, and the slight crunch...

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Wholly Guacamole?

Today�s clip was inspired by a recent lawsuit brought by Brenda Lifsey against Kraft Foods, regarding the company�s guacamole dip.�It just didn't taste avocadoey," said Brenda Lifsey, who bought the dip to use for a party she was throwing. �I looked at the ingredients and found there was almost no avocado in it.� Apparently the Kraft product has lots of ingredients, but less than 2 percent avocado! As Jay Z might say, �it�s got 99 ingredients, and...

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Steak au Poivre �Pepper Steak�

This clip was already been posted on the site when we first started, but since there is a good chance many of our newer viewers have not seen it, I decided to re-run it today. It�s probably the dish I�ve gotten the most emails about and also lots of comments on YouTube. It�s very simple, and makes for a fantastic �special occasion� dinner.We�ve streamlined this steakhouse classic to work for the home chef. If you can find veal stock, or even demi-glace,...

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Garlic Ginger Bok Choy � Cheap, Easy and Fun to Say!

Bok Choy is becoming very easy to find in grocery stores these days as the trend to eat green veggies continues to grow (for good reason). This is great vegetable for many reasons; it�s cheap, it takes about 3 minutes to cook, it has a beautiful subtle sweet flavor, and of course it�s packed with nutritional goodness. As you�ll see, the best tip for great Bok Choy is how to trim the tops and bottoms separately so they both can cook perfectly.One...

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Brodo di Manzo with Tortellini and Greens � Shank you very much!

The soul of this dish is an incredibly rich, and deeply flavored, beef broth or �brodo.� This is accomplished by slowly simmering a beef shank for a long time, a really long time - like 4 hours, so if you�re in a hurry, this dish is not for you. But, if you want to enjoy a bowl of something that will warm you to the bone (or shank) then give this extremely simple soup a try.As you�ll see in the clip the first part of the dish is making the dark and...

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Zen and the Art of Chicken Teriyaki � A Kitchen Koan

When I first got to San Francisco, having come from a very small town in Western New York, it was like arriving on another planet. I was fascinated by the amazing variety of foods and cultures, and began exploring them all. Growing up, my family and I had made the occasional trip to the local Americanized Chinese restaurant which was always an exotic treat, but now I was getting the real stuff; Thai, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Japanese, I couldn�t...

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Braised Beef Short Ribs with Chocolate and Cinnamon ...Free your mind, and your cuisine will follow

To many, the thought of adding chocolate and cinnamon to a savory dish like braised beef short ribs, would just seem too strange. I remember the first time I had Chicken Mole in San Francisco�s Mission district, it was so rich and delicious, and when I was told the sauce was actually made with dark chocolate and dried chilies, it took a while to process. It forced me to change how I thought about food, and how ingredients are �supposed� to be used....

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Crunchy Asian Slaw � low fat, low carb, high flavor!

This slaw is fast to make, and very versatile as a base for almost any grilled meat or fish. Also, this dish is easily customized by adding any number of your favorite Asian ingredients. Try and find the daikon sprouts I used, as they will add a unique and peppery touch. Make sure you watch the Salmon Mango Bango recipe that we used to top this slaw. It is a really nice combo!The Japanese vegetable slicer I used on the carrots is a great gadget...

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Lentil Soup with Braised Ham Hock

This was a viewer request from a while ago for an easy lentil soup recipe. The key ingredient for my version is the smoked, and amazingly delicious, �ham hock.� For those of you not familiar with this piece of pork, here�s what Wikipedia, had to say (It�s Friday and I was feeling too lazy to actually explain what a hock was myself). From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia: �A ham "hock" is the end of a smoked ham where the foot was attached to the...

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Celery Root and Potato Puree � How can a vegetable this ugly taste so good?

In today�s clip you�ll see a delicious low-carb way to trick out your standard mashed potatoes. By using half celery root, we�ll not only save a bunch of carbs, but more importantly we�ll create something very delicious and unique. Celery root, also known as Celeriac, is not the root of the common celery plant that you used to garnish your last Bloody Mary, but a special variety cultivated for it extra large and flavorful taproot. We served this...

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Almond and Parsley �Salsa Verde� � It�s easy being green!

As you watch me make this delicious and versatile condiment, you might be thinking to yourself, wait a minute, that�s a pesto. Well, it basically is. The reason I�m calling it a �salsa verde� and not a pesto, is because whenever you say �pesto� people instantly think of the traditional (and DONE TO DEATH) version with the pinenuts and basil. Now, I have no problem with a nice, properly made pesto. But, I was in the mood for something completely different....

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Spicy Chicken Thai Soup � Exploring the boundaries between culinary pleasure and pain

I almost called this �Cream of Endorphin-releasing� soup, but it didn�t quite have the same ring to it. Endorphins are those mysterious pain-relieving, pleasure-giving chemicals released by your brain when the body comes under some type of trauma. While intended as a support mechanism when the body is seriously injured, two groups of people have figured out how to intentionally induce the release of these precious substances; athletes and spicy-food...

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Contact Us

Do you have a question? Do you want us to explain the popularity of Rachael Ray? Do you have a recipe you would like demonstrated? Drop us a line and let us know how we can help you. By the way, we do get quite a few requests, so if you don't see your recipe don't take it personally! We'll get to it evenutally (or not). Thanks!Click here to send us your brief, yet brilliant messa...

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The "Ultimate" Roast Chicken

This dish will really get �under your skin!� The secret to this amazing roast chicken is the �compound butter� that we will put under the chicken skin. The butter will actually flavor the bird from the inside and create a delicious and crisp-skinned roast chicken.Try with Easy Potato Grat...

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Do you wish your restaurant made more money?

Ok, so that's a pretty obvious question. Of course you do. But, how? If you've read my profile, you know that I taught at the California Culinary Academy for almost five years. Most of that time I taught a class in Kitchen and Purchasing Math. It focused on food cost calculations, portioning math, and many other foodservice related formulas.The thing I found most surprising was when I would speak to a former student about how their job was going...

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Piquillo Peppers stuffed with Orange and Cumin Scented Goat Cheese - Welcome to the Wonderful World of �Tapas!�

I LOVE tapas! Here is the Wikipedia definition: Tapas (pronunciation: TAH-pas) are a variety of Spanish appetizers, such as mixed olives, cheeses, or an elaborate creation like battered and fried baby squid. In Spain, tapas are usually given for free to accompany a drink before dinner. In the United States and the United Kingdom, tapas have evolved into an entire cuisine where patrons order many different small Spanish dishes and combine them for...

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Food Wishes Cooking Classes � 2 Great Ways to Learn to Cook!

In-Home Cooking Classes and Culinary Guidance with Chef John (In the Flesh)While I�m still trying to launch a video-based, online cooking academy (see details below), I am also starting to offer in-home, personalized culinary instruction for those of you that live in the San Francisco Bay Area. If you are interested in having me come to your home to teach you to cook personally, just click on this link, send me an email with what you want to learn...

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Fabulous Fashions for Foodies! Buy a shirt and help support our free video recipe clips!

I love doing free video recipe clips, but you don't have to be an economics major to see the fatal flaw in my business model � the clips are free.So, I came up with this great idea to make a few dollars to support my site, so I can continue to provide these free cooking lessons. I decided to design and market (through CafePress) amusing T-shirts and other fashionable items that would appeal to foodies far and wide.Now I have another problem... the...

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