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 hog's leg. It is the portion of the leg that is neither part of the ham proper nor the foot or ankle, but rather the extreme shank end of the leg bone and the associated skin, fat, tendons, and muscle. This piece is generally comprised of too much skin and gristle to be palatable on its own, so it is largely used to be cooked with greens and other vegetables in order to give them additional flavor (generally that of pork fat and smoke), although the meat from particularly meaty hocks may be removed and served.�

If you�re new to soup making, this is a great one to start with since it�s almost impossible to screw up! It�s also very affordable. A little bit of lentils and ham hock goes a long way, and you can feed a very large group for just a few dollars.

Ingredients:

2 cups dry lentils
2 cups diced onions
1 cup diced celery
1 cup diced carrots
1 bay leaf
1 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp cayenne
1 quart chicken stock
1 quart beef broth
salt to taste
fresh parsley

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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 with the Braised Short Ribs and it was sublime! Because of its subtle aromatic character this is the perfect partner to any rich meat dish.

This is one of those vegetable that you didn�t even know they had at your super market� but they do! It�s over by the turnips and rutabagas. They do very in size, but try to make the proportions in this dish about 50% potato to 50% celery root. The small splash of cream I added is optional of course, but the butter is a must!

You know that I�m always telling you to use high-quality whole spices when possible, and the fresh nutmeg I grate on top of this earthy blend really makes the dish. Get some whole nutmeg, and a spice grinder, and see what the big deal is all about.

Ingredients:

1 large celery root
2 russet potatoes
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cream or milk
fresh nutmeg
salt and pepper to taste

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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. By the way, there�s nothing I hate more than Chefs arguing terms and names� �That�s NOT a Confit, it�s a Compote!!� or �That�s not a marinade you idiot, it�s a wet rub!� �Every professional chef or cook reading this knows exactly what I�m talking about. You�ve heard my rule before; if you make it, you get to name it! For example, my Salmon Mango Bango, ridiculous name, but no one can do a damn thing about it.

So, I�m using the term �Salsa Verde� the way it�s used around Northern California. It�s a very generic term for any fresh green sauce, usually starring some type of herb, but also can be made with spinach, arugula, etc. If you are a regular to this site you�ll see me do many versions of salsa verde, especially when the weather gets a bit warmer. (to combat Christmas shopping stress I want you all to close your eyes and for one minute picture a warm, sunny meadow, lush with fresh herbs) ahhhh, that�s better.

This is a great sauce to experiment with by switching out the nuts, herbs and oils used. Hopefully you saw the Piquillo Pepper video, which this sauce was amazing on. I also had the left-overs on a piece of seared salmon which was sublime.

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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 aficionados (actually there is a third group that we really can�t discuss here). The �natural high� that you hear athletes talk about is a result of these endorphins. Today�s clip is in honor of the second group.

Most fans of spicy foods know exactly what I�m talking about, that post-meal euphoria that makes it worth every tear and bead of sweat. If you�ve never experienced these feelings, today�s recipe is a great one for you to try. By controlling the amount of red curry paste you add, you can tailor this to your own threshold of pain. I used 2 full teaspoons of this explosive paste. But, you can start slow, and add a bit more each time you make it until you reach that perfect, beautiful, burning bliss.

The only exotic ingredient would be the fresh lemongrass. I�ve found most large grocery stores do carry it, but if not, you can substitute a few tablespoons of lemon zest, or even some lemon verbena.

IIngredients:
2 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 10)
12 oz white mushrooms
1 red onion
3 tbl fish sauce
1/2 bunch cilantro
2 limes
2 14-oz cans coconut milk
2 tsp red curry paste (you�ve been warned)
4 clove garlic
4 inch piece ginger
3 stalks lemongrass (or lemon zest)
1 tbl vegetable oil

1 quart chicken stock

note: traditionally this soup is served with a side plate of sliced jalapenos, cilantro leaves, and lime wedges

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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 message.

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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 Gratin!

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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 at a particular restaurant, they would often say, "they dont use any of those formulas you taught us, the Chef just guesses at the amounts to order." They would tell me that new dishes were put on the menu without a complete food cost analysis first. They would tell me how there were no controls regarding postioning. Some Chefs, I was told didn't even know how to use an Excel spreadsheet to help with all this basic kitchen math!

Thankfully, any establishements that hired my students at least had one employee that knew how to breakdown these crucial numbers to find more profit.

So, I would say the simplest and fastest way to make more money is to improve your basic kitchen math and purchasing methods. I can help you do this. I have many spreadsheets and calculators already built and ready to punch in your numbers to see if we can improve things.

If you are located in the SF/Bay Area, I can consult in person. If not, this can also be done via the website. For a free consultation, send me an email and we'll set up a meeting.

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