Sloppy Joe Slider

This has been sitting in my draft for a long time but I made it last night with new photos so I thought I'd finally post it. But really, who doesn't like Sloppy Joe's?! It's the perfect balance of sweet and tangy rolled up in a bun. The combination of the sweet gherkins and the tangy pickled onions also helps enhance the flavor profile of this slider.

Ingredients:

3 lbs ground chuck

2 bell peppers (diced)

1 yellow or white onion (diced)

1 roma tomato (diced

1/8 cup pancetta (diced)

2-3 garlic gloves (minced)

4 cups ketchup

2 tablespoon yellow mustard

1/2 tablespoon black pepper

1 1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1/2 yellow or white onion (paper thin slices) for pickling 

3 tablespoon red wine vinegar

1/4 cup water

3-4 baby gherkins for garnish

12 whole wheat slider buns

Directions:

Start by rendering the pancetta in a large skillet until it's brown and crispy. Next add the diced onions, bell peppers and garlic. Cook until garlic is translucent. Then add the ground chuck and continue cooking for 8-10 minutes on high heat or until meat is cooked through. At this time you should also drain most of the liquid from the pan. Next add the mustard, ketchup, 1 tablespoon salt, pepper, and tomatoes. Reduce heat to a simmer and let it cook for another 30 minutes so that all the flavors will come together. Stir every 5 minutes to keep the bottom from burning.

To pickle the onions, add the red wine vinegar, the other 1/2 tablespoon of salt, sugar and water to a bowl and add the thinly sliced onions. Mix well and let it sit for 20 minutes and then drain the liquid.

There's nothing left but to layer your buns with the Sloppy Joe, pickled onions, and gherkins! Enjoy!

 



Cheese Grits on Grilled Portabello with Poached Egg

This dish was inspired by the cheese grits and grilled portabello dish from the Odd Duck Farm to Trailer. There were two dishes (the pulled pork with sauerkraut and this dish) that I thought about recreating from our tour but after hearing that I was making too many slow cooked barbecue types of meat as of late I decided to just make one dish.

To get started, instead of chopping the grilled portabello I decided to use it as a base for the grits. The portabello was season with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt, and freshly ground pepper. This was grilled for about 4 minutes on each side.

I've never made grits before so after looking up multiple recipes I chose to take combinations of those various recipes and develope my own. I heard Alton Brown say on one of his "Good Eats" show to stay away from the "quick" or "instant" grits because they have been chemically processed. So I took his advice and chose a stone ground medium course corn meal to make these grits. It's actually the same one he used on his show from Bob Red's Mill.

Once again I didn't have any milk on hand so I substituted it with heavy cream then added water and salt to cook the grits. Once cooked, the butter and the cheese was added to the grits along with a dash of freshly cracked black pepper.

This dish was topped off with a poached egg and Sriracha for a litte extra heat. Once the yolk was cracked on top of the grits it really brought this dish together. The fattiness of the yolk in combination with the creamy grits and the natural umami flavor of the mushroom came together really well. The little extra heat was just an added bonus to the palette, after all I am from Southeast Asia and a little heat always makes the dish a little better.

Ingredients:

2 large portabello mushroom
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 cup medium course stone ground corn meal
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup water
1/3 cup loosely packed shredded cheddar cheese
3 tablepspoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon Sriracha
2 quarts water
2 tablespoon white vinegar

Directions:

Start off by drizzling the olive oil on the portabello mushrooms. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt and pepper on the mushroom. Grill on high heat for about 4 minutes on each side. Remove the mushrooms from the grill and place aside.

For the grits, add the heavy cream, 1 1/2 cup of water and salt into a stock pot and bring to a boil. Now slowly whisk in the corn meal to ensure there are no lumps. Bring the heat down to a simmer and cook for another 20-25 minutes while whisking every 4-5 minutes. Once cooked, turn off the heat and add the butter and whisk until it has completely melted. Finally, whisk in the cheese slowly to incorporate it into the grits.

Bring 2 quarts water to a boil in a pot and add vinegar. Reduce heat to simmer and stir the water in a circular motion. Gently crack an egg and place it in the simmering water. Poach on simmer for about 3-4 minutes.

When you're ready to serve place the grits in the mushroom and top it off with the poached egg and a drizzle of Sriracha (or you can leave it out if you don't like heat). Sprinkle freshly cracked pepper and shredded cheddar cheese and serve.

Sweet and Savory Crepes

Caramelized Apple w/ Vanilla Ice Cream and Candied Walnuts



Chopped Beef Brisket w/ Barbecue Sauce

Making the actual crepes themselves were a lot easier than I thought it would be. The first time I attempted to make the crepes I actually succeeded in doing so (and let me tell you, whenever you're trying a new recipe or technique that's a rare thing). I even bought a new blue steel crepe pan that took me about an hour to season and prepare it to where the batter wouldn't stick to the pan. Sure I could have gone the easier route and bought a non-stick crepe pan, but where's the challenge and fun in that. During my practice session the crepes were made with flour, heavy cream, eggs, salt and sugar. The consistency was a little thicker than normal crepe but it would have been perfect for a sweet dessert crepe. The crepes tasted perfect and you could actually eat them without any filling, which I did, it had a slight sweetness to it but was also perfectly balance with the little salt I added.

On recreation day (the day I attempt to recreate the dishes I've reviewed), my get together of 2-3 people turned out to be an outright party of 11 or so people. Luckily, I bought a full size brisket and just enough apples to make dessert. To make the crepes more universal I decided to dilute the batter by adding 2 parts whole milk to 1 part heavy cream. This worked out perfectly, now the crepes were the perfect consistency for both the sweet and savory crepes.

For the sweet crepe, I decided to use Granny Smith apples (the green ones just in case you're wondering) instead of pears because the apples maintain a slight tartness to them when cooked. To add a little insurance policy on the tartness I added lemon zest and juice to the apples. Don't worry, I also added some sugar to help balance it out. I'm not a big fan of super sweet desserts. The apples were also seasoned with cinnamon and all spice.

I wanted to try something that might take this dish to a different level so I deep fried the crepe in canola oil. I filled the crepe and tied it with butcher twine to ensure that the filling would stay when frying. After letting it cooled a bit, it was topped off with powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream, and candied walnuts.

For the savory crepe I didn't do much to change what Crepes Mille presented. I seasoned the brisket with salt, pepper, cayenne, paprika, sugar, and garlic powder and added 2 cups of beef broth and cooked it in a pressure cooker for 90 minutes. The meat came out so tender it was hard to keep it together while taking it out of the pressure cooker. This made it easier to shred and chop to the perfect filling size. The barbecue sauce was an easy combination of sautéed onions and garlic with ketchup, Worcestershire sauce, brown sugar, honey, and black pepper. I also added a lot of the barbecue sauce to the inside of the crepes as my major complaint was that the crepe I had at Crepes Mille was too dry.

Ingredients:

Crepes Batter:

1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3 cups whole milk
3 cups all purpose flour
8 large eggs
3 teaspoons granulated sugar
1 teaspoons kosher salt

Apple Filling:

8 Granny Smith apples (peeled, cored, and cut into 1/4 inch slices)
1/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon all spice

Candied Walnuts:

1 cup walnuts crushed
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt

Brisket:

10-12 lbs brisket (slightly trimmed)
4 tablespoons ground black pepper
4 tablespoons garlic powder
4 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

Barbecue Sauce:

16 ounces ketchup (approximately 2 cups)
1/2 cup Worcestershire sauce
1 whole onion chopped (red, white, or yellow)
6-8 large garlic cloves (minced)
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon honey

Directions:

For the crepes batter whisk or blend the flour, milk, cream, eggs, salt and sugar. Make sure there are no lumps and chill in the refrigerator for at least 30 minutes. Heat up a crepe pan or non-stick pan on medium heat. With a ladle, slowly pour the batter in a circular motion and rotate your pan in a circular motion as well. You should have a nice thin layer of batter that's in a circular shape. Let this cook for 1-2 minutes or until the crepe releases itself from the pan. Next, flip the crepe on the opposite side and cook for an additional 30 seconds to a minute. Flip the crepe onto a plate and fill it with your favorite sweet or savory crepe.

I might have gotten a little bit ahead with the crepes as you'll want to have the fillings for the crepes ready well ahead of time.

For the apple filling, combine: the apples, flour, sugar, cinnamon, and all spice all in an oven safe casserole dish and mix well. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees and cook the apples covered with aluminum foil for 25 minutes. Remove and let cool.

For the savory filling rub black pepper, salt, garlic powder, cayenne pepper, paprika, and sugar on all sides of the brisket. You can slow cook this in the oven for 4-5 hours at 250 degrees or use the pressure cooker method. In order for me to fit the entire brisket into the pressure cooker I had to break down the brisket into small pieces. The cook the brisket on high pressure cooker for 90 minutes. When using the pressure cooker method, make sure you add some liquid, I chose to use about 2 cups of beef stock. Once the brisket is fork tender you can begin shredding or chopping the meat to your desired size.

The brisket alone can be served and enjoyed as is, but that doesn't mean you can't enhance the flavors with a little bit of sauce. To make this barbecue sauce add the oil to a stock pot on medium-high heat. Add the onions and saute until it is slightly translucent. Then add your garlic and continue stirring for 3-5 minutes. Next add your Worcestershire sauce and ketchup and mix well. Add the sugar, honey, and black pepper to taste. Continue cooking on simmer for at least 30 minutes so that the flavors meld together. Let it cool and add to blender and puree into a nice smooth sauce.

When filling your crepes you can fold the crepes in any way you like. You can fold all the corners in to make a square, roll it like a burrito or just simply fold it in half like an omelet. Though presentation is key to a nice looking dish, flavor is the most important part of the dish so make sure there's flavor in each element of your dish.

Hot and Crunchy Shrimp and Chicken with Avocado Cone

I believe that if you wanted to call something a cone it should be more than a gimmick. The cone should be more than just a paper snow cone cup; it should enhance the character of the dish itself.

So the first thing I decided to do differently was to deep fry the flour tortilla into a cone shape that could be utilized as a serving vessel itself. The cone was dusted with chili powder and paprika to help impart an extra level of spice and flavor.


Instead of making cole slaw and a spicy aioli, I combined the two elements and created a Sriracha aioli slaw. This consisted of shredded cabbage, carrots, and Sriracha ailoi.


I also did away with breading the avocado and deep frying it, I left it in its natural form to ensure that the rich and creamy flavor doesn't get masked.


The last element of this dish consists of using corn flakes as breading for the shrimp and chicken. I didn't change the use of the corn flakes but I did eliminate the sesame seeds and added roasted ancho chili flakes to add a touch of heat along with your basic salt, pepper, and sugar to help boost the flavor. The chicken and shrimp were marinated in salt, pepper, garlic, powder, cayenne pepper and paprika before being coated in the egg wash and battered.


Ingredients:


Large flour tortillas (10 inch diameter)
Canola oil (for deep frying)
1 chicken breast (halved and then cut into long strips)
12 shrimp (peeled)
1 cup corn flakes (processed and ground)
2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoon black pepper
2 teaspoon roasted ancho chili flakes
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2 teaspoon garlic powder
2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
3 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon chili powder
2 eggs (beaten)
1 cup shredded cabbage (loosely packed)
1/2 cup shredded carrot (loosely packed)
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 garlic cloves
1 - 2 teaspoon Sriracha hot sauce


Directions:


Start by making the slaw first so that the cabbage and carrots get a chance to absorb some flavor before the dish is assembled. Shred your cabbage and carrots and set aside in a large bowl. In a food processor add the 2 garlic cloves and begin processing. Next, add your mayonnaise and Sriracha and continue processing for about 10 - 15 seconds. Your aioli is now complete and should have an orange coloring. Add your aioli to the cabbage and carrots and mix well. Set this aside in your refrigerator until you're ready to assemble your cone.


The next step in creating this dish is to create the cone itself. Heat the canola oil in a deep pan to 350 degrees. Fold the tortilla so that the bottom portion is smaller than the top portion. This will create your cone shape. Now take some egg wash and brush it on the inside of the top part of the tortilla that overlaps. Gently squeeze this area so that the egg wash works as a glue to hold the tortilla together while frying. Place the side with the egg wash into the fryer first. This will seal the tortilla and ensure that it will not open during the frying process. Continue cooking this side for about 2-3 minutes and then rotate the cone and cook for another 2-3 minutes. Repeat until the entire cone has been evenly fried. Immediately after removing the cone from the fryer dust it with 1/2 - 1 teaspoon of chili powder and paprika. Set this aside on a towel to cool and drain.

Marinate the chicken and shrimp separately by adding the following to each: 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, 1/2 teaspoon black pepper, 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, 1/2 teaspoon and 1 teaspoon garlic powder. Mix well and let this rest for at least 10-15 minutes.

To create the breading, add the corn flakes to the food processor and blend until the grains are semi-fine (a few large chunks won't hurt either). Process enough corn flakes until you get about 1 full cup after processing. Add this to a deep dish along with 1 teaspoon kosher salt, 1 teaspoon black pepper, 2 teaspoons ancho chili flakes, and 1 teaspoon granulated sugar. Mix these ingredients well and set aside.

Now that you have everything ready, it's time to setup your breading and frying station. Start by dipping the proteins in the egg wash and then the breading and directly into the fryer. The shrimp should be done in less than a minute and then chicken takes anywhere from 2-3 minutes. Remove the fried proteins and set it on some paper towels to cool and drain.


To build this cone, I stuffed it with the Sriracha slaw first since this contains the sauce for the cone. Then the chicken strips and shrimps were stuffed on top of the slaw. Next, layer the avocado delicately on top of the proteins and add another layer of the slaw.


Click here to go back to the review of "The Mighty Cone"

Barbecue Pork Frito Pie

If you're from Texas then you're no stranger to Frito pies. The toppings that are placed on top of the Frito chips vary from: chili or leftover barbecue. It can be served in a bowl or plate but the norm is to have it served from the bag the of chips.

It's probably been over 10 years since I've had a Frito pie but a few weeks ago my friends and I stumbled upon a barbecue trailer on South Congress Avenue in Austin, TX that was serving barbecue Frito pie. This must have been our lucky day since our reason for being out and about was to attend the chili festival there. With so much people at the festival we decided to venture elsewhere for something to eat. Thanks to Bar-B-Que-T, my ten year drought of Frito pies have come to an end. I enjoyed it so much I made a variation of this dish for a Super Bowl party. I tried to stay true to the barbecue ways by slow cooking a five pound pork shoulder on the barbecue grill for five hours at about 250 degrees. The result was a beautiful dark brown bark on the outside while keeping it juicy on the inside.

Barbecue Pork Ingredients:

5 lbs Pork Shoulder

1 tablespoon kosher salt

1 tablespoon black pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

2 tablespoon garlic powder

1/4 cup dark brown sugar

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:

4 cups ketchup

1/2 cup Worcestershire's sauce

1 tablespoon black pepper

1/2 tablespoon kosher salt

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 can Bush's Grillin' Beans

1 yellow onion (diced)

5-6 garlic cloves minced

2 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon canola oil

Accompaniments:

Frito Lay Fritos

Cheddar cheese (grated)

Red/White onions (diced)

Jalapenos (fresh or pickled)

Barbecue Pork Directions:

Evenly distribute and rub in all of the dry spices listed above on the pork. Let this sit for about 20-30 minutes. The salt will draw out moisture and your rub will look more like a paste. Then continue adding any of the spices that did not stick initially to the pork. Set your grill to the lowest heat. If you're using charcoal leave one side of the grill free of charcoal and fire. You're going to be using the indirect heat cooking method on this pork so that it doesn't burn and turn into charcoal itself. Place the pork on the side of the grill that's not heated/charcoal free. Let this cook for one hour and then flip it on the other side. Continue flipping every hour for 5 hours. You know your pork is ready when it's fork tender and can be easily pulled. Once the roast has completed cooking, let it rest by covering it in foil on a plate for 30 minutes before cutting or pulling the meat. To prep for the Frito pie you can either use your hands and tear bite size chunks or use a knife and cut the meat into 1/2 inch cubes. I cut mine into bite size pieces.

Barbecue Sauce Directions:

Preheat a large stock pot or dutch oven on medium high heat and add oil. Next add the onions and the salt and let it sweat for 5-7 minutes or until translucent. Then add the garlic and stir it around for about 2 minutes to get some additional flavor out of it. You're now ready to add the ketchup, Worcestershire's sauce, black pepper, paprika, cayenne, and honey. Lower the heat to simmer and let this cook for and additional 30-40 minutes; continue stirring every 10 minutes to keep the bottom of the pan from burning. Now that your barbecue pork and sauce is ready, you'll now add the pork to the sauce and stir well. Add the beans and let this continue on simmer for another 30 minutes.

Your topping for your Frito pie is now ready! All you have to do now is put all the ingredients together. This is how I like to do it. Start off with the Frito chips, add the barbecue, add a little cheddar cheese, freshly chopped onions, and jalapenos. I have no idea how I would've been able to fit that all in the original Frito Lay's bag, but I guess that's why they invented bowls.

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Pork Tenderloin Roulade w/ Creamy Dill Sauce

I'm not quite sure what inspired me to make this dish. From my experience, I've realized that anything that's stuffed with anything is usually pretty good (i.e. sausages, kolaches, jalapenos, egg rolls, etc.). This pork tenderloin is encrusted with ground coriander seeds, salt, and pepper and stuffed with broccolini and Crimini mushrooms -why Crimini you ask? It was left over from the Sea Bass dish I posted earlier, no point in wasting food right?

If you've read any of my post that has any type of cream sauce, you'll notice that it's pretty much the same thing (heavy cream, butter, Parmesan cheese) but today I added freshly chopped dill. I didn't use garlic and shallots in this sauce as I really wanted to accentuate the dill in the sauce.

Ingredients:

1 pound pork tenderloin
1/2 pound broccollini (roughly chop the crowns and julienne the stems)
1 cup Crimini mushrooms (roughly chopped)
1 cup bread crumbs
1 cup heavy cream
3/4 stick unsalted butter
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese (grated)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
Several sprigs fresh dill (finely minced)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Directions:

For this dish, I suggest starting with the pork first as it'll take a while to prepare.

First, saute the broccollini and mushrooms in 1/4 stick of butter for about 5 minutes on medium heat. Add your bread crumbs and stir the mixture thoroughly. Once the ingredients have been mixed thoroughly, turn off the heat but keep the lid on the pan. There's no need to cook the vegetables all the way through since they'll be cooking again.

To make the roulade, you'll have to either unroll your pork tenderloin or butterfly it. Butterflying is easier and the meat will be a thicker cut. Unrolling it is prettier but the rolling process becomes very delicate because of the thinness of the meat. I butterflied mine so that the meat will retain moisture and in the end will be less dry - don't forget, we're working with a pretty lean piece of meat here. Once you've decided on your method, you'll get your vegetable mixture and spread it on top of the tenderloin. Carefully bring the ends together (or roll from end to end) and tie one end off with butcher's twine, continue tying the tenderloin until you've reached the other end. Once completed, using the dry rub of coriander seeds, salt, and pepper, season the surface of the tenderloin.

Add olive oil to a skillet on high heat. After the skillet is deemed super hot, add the tenderloin the the skillet so that it'll sear. Continue flipping the tenderloin until all sides are seared - it should take about 2-3 minutes per side. In an oven preheated to 350 degrees place the entire skillet (with the tenderloin) on the medium rack and cook for 18-23 minutes or until the internal temperature reads 165 degrees.

For the sauce, add heavy cream to a sauce pan on medium low heat. Add 1/2 stick of butter and grated Parmesan cheese. Stir until all ingredients have melted and add salt and pepper to taste. Finally, turn off the heat and add your dill and stir to incorporate the dill into the creamy sauce.

To plate, add the sauce on a plate and place a few cuts of the roulade (the roulade should've been cut on its bias to reveal the beautiful stuffing on the inside). For extra measure, drizzle a little sauce on top of the roulade as well.

Lemon Butter Chilean Sea Bass w/ Creamy Crimini Risotto

First, I would like to thank everyone for following my blog last year. I would also like to apologize for not updating it in over 2 months.

However, no need to fear - I'm still cooking but I just haven't had the time to post any blogs. 2011 is going to be a big year for Bistro 331, I've already moved into a new place with new appliances! So hopefully I can do bigger and better things.

Chilean Sea Bass has always been my favorite fish ever since I had my first taste at Eddie V's. Eddie V's serves theirs Hong Kong style steamed in soy sauce and ginger - I'll prepare a variation of that dish in one of my upcoming blogs. The way I've prepare it today is very simple; where you can do this technique with just about any white fish. The risotto I've paired with this dish, pairs perfectly. Personally, I think it enhances the creaminess of the fish itself.

Ingredients:

Chilean Sea Bass
1 1/2 stick unsalted butter
1/2 lemon (juice and zest)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/8 cup Arborio rice
3-4 cups chicken stock
1/2 cup Crimini mushrooms (chopped)
3-4 tablespoon heavy cream
Parsley (for garnish)
1/8 cup Parmesan cheese (grated and a few thin slices for garnish)

Directions:

You may want to start on your risotto first as it takes 15-20 minutes to prepare. To see how to prepare the risotto follow the link to a previous post.

Now onto the main event - the succulent Chilean Sea Bass. Dry rub your fish by sprinkling a little salt and pepper on all sides. Next, melt 1 stick of butter into the skillet that you will be using to cook the fish. Once the butter has melted, add the lemon juice and zest to the skillet. Place the fish on the skillet - do not try to flip it too soon or it'll break on you. With a metal spoon, take some of the butter from the skillet and begin bathing the top of the fish, you'll continue to do so until the fish is ready to be flipped. To test if your fish is ready to flip or not, take the spatula and gently try to lift the edge of the fish, if it lifts easily, it's ready to be flipped if it's still sticking to the pan then it's not quite ready yet. Depending on the thickness of the fish (this one was about 2 inches thick) you should cook each side for about 4-5 minutes. Once the fish has been cook, you'll want to drain some of the excess butter from the fish by holding the fish on a spatula for a minute or two over the skillet.

Once the fish has cooked, all you need to do now is plate your fish on top of the risotto that you prepared beforehand. Garnish with some fresh curly leaf parsley and a few strips of Parmesan cheese. This is one of my favorite dishes so I hope you'll give it a try.

Game Day Wings with a Creamy Sriracha Dip

With the World Series coming to an end last night,I thought it would be appropriate to put together a simple dish that reminds us all of bar food. Most of us are familiar with Buffalo wings served with either blue cheese or ranch dressing. While Buffalo wings are spiced with Tabasco sauce, these wings are spiced with freshly ground black pepper and Sriracha chili sauce. While 10 years ago, you could only find Sriracha at specialty Asian stores and restaurants, it is now probably the most common Asian condiment found in almost every store and restaurant around the country. The creamy dipping sauce I paired with the wings and carrots is also infused with Sriracha.

Ingredients:

2 pounds chicken wings
1/8 cup oyster sauce
1/8 cup hoisin sauce
3 tablespoon Sriracha (for the chicken)
1 teaspoon Sriracha (for the dip)
1 tablespoon black peppercorns (roughly crushed)
2 tablespoon garlic powder (for the chicken)
1 teaspoon garlic powder (for the dip)
1/4 cup heavy cream
Juice 1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt

Directions:

Marinate the wings with the oyster sauce, hoisin sauce, Sriracha, peppercorns. and garlic powder. Let this marinate for at least 2 hours (overnight is even better).

Deep-fry the wings in canola oil that has been preheated to 350 degrees for 17-20 minutes or until it is dark brown and the ends are crisp. Remove the wings from the oil and place on a sheet pan lined with paper towels to drain the oil and cool down.
For the dip, add the heavy cream and lemon juice to a mixing bowl. Lightly whisk the mixture until it beings to thicken. Add kosher salt and garlic powder and mix well. Finally, add the Sriracha and mix well or until the dip is a consistent pastel orange color. Garnish the dip with finely minced chives and serve along side the wings and veggies.

Remember that if you're planning to cook for game day or a party, preparing anything you can the night before such as marinating the chicken or cutting the vegetables will save you time in the kitchen and will make it a more enjoyable game you can actually watch.

Demi-Glace Pork Chop with a Napoleon of Egg, Mushroom, and Rice

I received a text shortly after lunch from a friend who asked "what's for dinner?". After just having lunch it's hard to think about dinner already but I replied back "what are you hungry for?". Her answer was either pork or chicken but said she would be happy with eggs and steamed rice. When I thought about making this dish I didn't think it was going to be very complicated but after starting on it, it took a lot more ingredients than I anticipated. What you see from left to right is: a napoleon of eggs cooked over easy, braised mushrooms, and steamed rice. The pork chop was seasoned with salt and pepper and seared before topping off with an apple demi-glace and baked in the oven. The "jus" on the right is the remaining liquid from the braised mushrooms.

Ingredients:

4 - 1 1/2 inch cut pork chops (bone in)
32 ounces or 4 cups beef stock
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 tablespoon all purpose flour
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 carrot (peeled and chopped)
1 leek (roughly chopped - white parts only)
1 green apple (diced)
1/2 tablespoon kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon black pepper
4-5 sprigs fresh thyme
2 bay leaves
4 eggs (cooked over easy)
10 button mushrooms (1/4 inch slices)
4 cups cooked Jasmin rice

Directions:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.

Season both sides of the pork chop with salt and pepper. Let this sit while creating your demi-glace.

To start the demi-glace add 16 ounces or 2 cups of beef stock to a stock pot on medium high heat. Wrap the green leafy part of the leak around the thyme and bay leaves and tie it up. Add this to the beef stock.

In a separate pan, add olive oil and turn the heat to medium high. Next, add the carrots, leeks and apples. Sauté this mixture until the leaks are caramelized. Then add the hot beef stock that was previously heated up. Cover and cook on medium heat for 25-30 minutes.

In another stock pot, add the butter and flour and create a roux. Next, using a fine mesh sieve, strain the liquid from the beef stock and vegetable mixture into the stock pot and whisk for about 4 minutes or until it starts to thicken a bit and should have the consistency of light gravy.

Time to sear the pork chops. On a hot grill pan or cast iron skillet, sear each side of the pork chop for about 3-4 minutes. Searing the pork chops will seal in the salt and pepper flavor. Place the pork chops in a casserole dish and top it off with the demi-glace. Place pork chops on the middle rack of the preheated oven and cook for 25-30 minutes or when the internal temperature has reached 165 degrees (If you don't have an instant read thermometer, you should go get one - this is a time where you don't want to guess if the meat is cooked or not and slicing into will release the internal juices.) Let this rest for at least 5 minutes before serving.

The prepare your braised mushrooms, add 16 ounces or 2 cups of beef stock to a stock pot on medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms, 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1 sprig of fresh thyme. Let this cook and reduce to half the amount of liquid you started with (or 1 cup). Separate the mushrooms and the "jus". You'll use the mushrooms for the napoleon and the "jus" to dip your pork chop into.

To create the napoleon I used a round ramekin and layered the bottom with the mushrooms and rice. Make sure you push down so that it is compact and tight, otherwise this may fall apart when removing from the ramekin. When plating, flip the ramekin upside down and give it a gentle tap and the contents should easily come out. Next, place the egg on top of the mushroom (I trimmed the egg whites around the yolk off with a round cutter).

This dish took about an hour and fifteen minutes from start to finish. Like I stated earlier, this may seem  complicated but it really isn't. It just has a lot of ingredients and components but your end result will be delicious.

Carolina Style Pulled Pork Sandwich

The previous job I had sent me to many places around the U.S. and the world. But I'll never forget my first project; I was on in North Carolina in the middle of Nowheres-ville and about the only highlight of that trip was the barbecue I sampled there. Different regions of the U.S. specialize in different types of barbecue; for example, Texas is known for brisket and North Carolina is known for pork. Since I still live in an apartment I couldn't smoke the pork shoulder but the dry rub still remains the same. The sauce I created was an apple cider barbecue sauce, much like the one I had in North Carolina. I also made spicy aioli coleslaw from the aioli leftover from yesterdays dinner.

Pulled Pork Ingredients:

1 1/2 - 2 pound pork shoulder
1 tablespoon kosher salt
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar
1 tablespoon dark brown sugar
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large shallot (roughly chopped)
4 garlic cloves (roughly chopped)
1 teaspoon all spice
1 cup water


Directions:

Mix all the dry ingredients, except for the all spice, together in a bowl. Then generously sprinkle the dry rub on the pork and pat down at the end to ensure the rub stays on. In a skillet, add the olive oil and turn the heat to high. You'll want to sear in the flavors by browning the entire pork. I used a pressure cooker to save some time in cooking the pork but you can use a roasting pan and an oven as well.

If you're using a pressure cooker, add the water, shallots, garlic, and all spice to the pot. Do the same if you're using a roasting pan. Before putting your pork in the pot or roasting pan you'll want to elevate it to keep it away from most of the liquid. I used a foldable stainless steamer basket for the pressure cooker. For the roasting pan, you can use the rack that comes with the roasting pan. Set you pressure cooker on high pressure and cook for 1 hour, in the roasting pan set your oven to 275 degrees and cook for 3-4 hours. I normally, cover the roasting pan when I cook in the oven to seal in the steam and create a little pressure to help the meat cook and tenderize a little faster. This will also keep it moist. After the the is cooked you can test to see if your meat is tender by pulling on it - if it pulls apart easily, then you're ready to remove it from the pressure cooker/oven and let it cool for at least 15 minutes. After it has cooled, use your hand to separate the meat into smaller edible pieces.

Barbecue Sauce Ingredients:

1/2 cup water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
3 tablespoon brown sugar
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 teaspoon olive oil
1 large tomato (diced)
1 large shallot (diced)

Directions:

In a sauce pan, add the olive oil and turn the heat to medium high. Add your shallots and cook for about 4 minutes or until it is translucent. Then add your brown sugar and let it melt but not caramelized. Add water immediately after all of the sugar dissolves. Next add your paprika, cayenne pepper, and tomatoes. Bring the heat down to simmer and let it cook for 10 minutes. Now add your apple cider vinegar, kosher salt, and black pepper. Let this simmer for another 10 minutes. With an immersion blender, begin blending your sauce in the sauce pan. If you don't have an immersion blender, transfer your sauce to a regular blender and blend until all the large ingredients have broken down.

To assemble your sandwich, take two pieces of bread and layer that with your pulled pork and add about 1-2 tablespoons of your barbecue sauce on top.

The coleslaw is very easy to make. Slice 1/4 head of cabbage into thin strips and add to a large bowl. Now take the aioli we created yesterday and add that to the cabbage. Toss thoroughly to coat all of the cabbage.

This dish is a little time consuming but very worth it. Especially if you have a lot of mouths to feed or you just want to have some food leftover for the next day.

Steamed Artichoke with Spicy Aioli Dip

Most of you are probably tired of seeing aioli postings however; But I'm not done showing how versatile and easy this dip is. By now, you get the idea that you can make endless combination of flavors with aioli. This dish is semi-inspired by the restaurant formerly known as  Houston's in Dallas. While they drizzle olive oil and grill their artichoke, steaming it is simpler and allows you to taste the artichoke for what it is. This aioli is spiced with cayenne pepper and paprika and is a perfect pairing with the sweet and earthy taste of the artichoke.

Ingredients:

1 large artichoke
1 tablespoon sea salt
2 cups water
1 large egg
3/4 cup canola oil
1/2 lemon
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon paprika

Directions:

Trim about 2-3 inches off the top of the artichoke to reveal all the layering. This is an important step, because as you steam the artichoke this will allow the artichoke to cook evenly and consistently. In a steamer, add water and sea salt and bring to a boil. Next place the artichoke top down so the steam can infuse into each layer. Steam for approximately 20 minutes or until the stem is tender. Remove from the water and let it cool for at least 5 minutes before peeling the leaves. When peeling the leaves you'll want to discard the first one or two outer layers and also the inner core that sits on top of the artichoke heart itself. In the picture above you'll notice the artichoke heart is filled with the aioli. I like to do it this way as you'll want to save the best for last.

For the aioli, you can choose to take the shortcut route and use mayonnaise (not miracle whip) and disregard the egg and oil but you'll want to use all the other ingredients listed. If you're making it from scratch, separate the whites and yolk from the egg (do not throw anything away, except the shell). Add the egg whites to a food processor and turn it to the lowest setting. Slowly drizzle half the oil until the mixture emulsifies. Next add kosher salt and the egg yolk, continue processing on lowest setting. While the food processor is still on add: garlic, lemon juice from half a lemon, cayenne pepper and paprika (these are the same ingredients you'll want to add to your store bought mayonnaise if you're taking the shortcut route).

As I stated earlier, I used the artichoke heart as a bowl to hold the aioli. To eat simply dip the artichoke leaves in the aioli and with your teeth you'll want to scrap the inside of the leaves. I was told last night that this can be very addicting. Hope you all enjoy!

Chicken Fried Chicken

Fried...need I say more. Everyone knows everything tastes better fried. Living in the south, you get an abundance of fried food. If you don't believe me, go to the State Fair of Texas and you'll find fried Twinkies, beer, and butter just to name a few. I've always loved chicken fried steak, but always stayed away from chicken fried chicken just because restaurants usually use chicken breast. So how do you make chicken fried chicken more enjoyable? Chicken thighs! That's your answer. The darker meat of the chicken contains more fat and therefore more flavor. I also made a cream and chicken stock gravy to top off the chicken fried chicken. The strips you see on top of the gravy are fried chicken skin I had leftover from the chicken thighs. I also paired this with leftovers from last night's dinner; snow pea casserole.

Ingredients:

2 chicken thighs (deboned and pounded flat, save the skin)
2 cups panko bread crumbs
1 large egg (beaten)
1 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
2 tablespoon all purpose flour

2 cups canola oil (for frying)

Directions:

The first thing you want to do is prep your chicken by deboning it and pounding it flat. To pound it flat, you'll need two pieces of plastic wrap - you will then place the chicken in between the two pieces of plastic wrap, with the smooth side of a meat tenderizer, pound the meat down and outward until it is about 1/8 to 1/4 inch thick. Set aside.

In a large bowl add the cream, garlic powder, 1 teaspoon kosher salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Place the chicken in the marinade and let it sit and marinade while you are prepping the other ingredients.

In another large bowl, add your egg and beat well. Add 1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix all ingredients well.

In a different bowl, add your panko breading, 1/2 teaspoon fine seal salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper. Mix well.

In a large skillet, add your oil and heat over medium high heat. Once the temperature hits 350° begin frying your chicken skin. Cook for 5 minutes or until cripsy, remove from pan and place on a paper towel to drain the excess oil. Once it cools slice it into thin strips.

Set up your dredging station by having the chicken mixture first, followed by the egg mixture, then the panko breading. Take your chicken and dip in the egg mixture and then the panko breading; to coat the chicken evenly. Gently place the chicken in your skillet and cook for about 5 minutes on each side or until golden brown and delicious (GBD). Remove and place on paper towel.

Once you're done cooking the chicken remove all of the oil from the skillet but leave any crumbs behind. Add 2 tablespoon of all purpose flour and begin mixing with a whisk. Add 1/2 tablespoon butter and continue mixing until all the butter had melted. Now add 1 1/2 cup of chicken stock and continue mixing until it is well incorporated and add 1 cup of heavy cream and continue whisking. Once the gravy thickens (about a minute or so) add 1 teaspoon kosher salt and pepper.

To finish, place the chicken fried chicken on a plate and top it off with the gravy and chicken skin strips.

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Snow Pea Casserole

It's fall and getting closer to Thanksgiving! This past weekend I was in Dallas discussing Thanksgiving plans with friends and family and hopefully our not so traditional holiday dinner will come to fruition. In the meantime, I've got some practicing to do since I came back home with 5 pounds of chili peppers and about a pound of snow peas and thought if you can make a casserole with green beans why not snow peas. The result came out a lot better than I thought; it was quite delicious!

Ingredients:

1 pound snow peas
1 large onion
3 garlic cloves (minced)
2 chicken thighs (deboned)
1 1/2 cup chicken broth
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 cup unsalted butter (1 stick)
2 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
Several cups canola oil for frying the onions
1 tablespoon olive oil to sauté the chicken

Directions:

Prep the snow peas by cutting the tips off both ends and discard. In a pot of boiling water add the coarse sea salt and blanch the snow peas for about a minute. Remove the snow peas with a slotted spoon and place in a bowl of ice water to stop the cooking process. Drain and set aside.

Prep the onions by slicing half the onions into thin rings and dice the remainder.

In a saucepan, add half a stick of butter on medium high heat when the butter has melted add the diced onions and garlic. Let the onions sweat for about 3-5 minutes or until it's translucent, then add 1/4 cup of the flour. Stir into a paste and slowly add the chicken broth, then add the cream while slowly stirring. Next, add  the kosher salt, Parmesan cheese, the remaining butter, and black pepper. Keep the saucepan on simmer while you prep the other ingredients.

You can keep it semi-vegetarian by leaving out the chicken but I think it adds the much needed protein to this dish, especially when it's the main course - like it is tonight. If you choose to use chicken, then simply cube the chicken and sauté in olive oil on medium high heat.

Most people would buy fried onions in a can, but that is unlike me to go the easy shortcut route; but feel free to do so if you choose. If you want to make fried onions from scratch it's an easy process. Add 1/4 cup of all purpose flour and the fine sea salt to a bowl for dredging. Separate the onions that you previously diced into rings and toss in the flour mixture. In a deep fryer set at 350 degrees add 1/4 of the battered onions and fry for about 3 minutes or GBD (golden brown & delicious). Remove and set on paper towel to drain the excess oil and continue this process until all of the onions have been fried.

To make the casserole: Add the snow peas and the chicken to the sauce and mix well. Place the mixture in a casserole dish or iron cast skillet and top it off with the fried onions. Place the dish in a preheated 350 degrees oven and cook for 20 or until it starts to boil.

If you're looking for an alternative to a green bean casserole this dish would make a great one. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

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Trio of Pizza Dough and Waffle Cut Parmesan Fries with Kaffir Lime Aioli

I'm heading Houston this weekend and still refuse to do any grocery shopping. I was going to just make pizza but that was too simple so I decided to utilize the pizza dough in 3 different ways. From left to right there's your standard margarita pizza with fresh tomatoes and basil, calzone stuff with mozzarella and pepperoni, and an open pizza roll stuffed with pineapples, mushrooms, basil, tomatoes, and tomato sauce. For an appetizer I made waffle cut fries topped with Parmesan cheese and fresh parsley.

Pizza dough ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon sea salt
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 tablespoon yeast
1 tablespoon olive oil
1/2 cup warm water

Directions:

Add yeast to warm water and let it rest for 5 minutes. Then add yeast and water mixture along with salt, sugar, and olive oil to flour. Knead dough well and let it rest for an hour.

Pizza sauce ingredients:

14 ounce San Marzano tomatoes

1 large shallot diced
2 garlic cloves diced
2 sprigs fresh basil
1/2 tablespoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

Add all ingredients to a sauce pan and cook on medium high heat. With an immersion blender blend mixture until it is all the same consistency. Set aside and keep on simmer until ready to use.

Margarita pizza ingredients:

1/3 of pizza dough

Pizza sauce

Roma tomatoes sliced

Fresh basil
Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Cut 1/3 of pizza dough, create a ball and begin rolling out the dough into a circular shape (you can make it as thin as you like it). Add pizza sauce with a ladle on top of the pizza in a circular motion. Then add your toppings, for this application simply add mozzarella cheese, tomatoes and basil. Bake for approximately 10 minutes at super high heat (500 plus degrees).

Calzone ingredients:

1/3 of the pizza dough

Pizza sauce

Pepperoni

Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Roll out pizza dough into a circle. On one half of the dough add, pizza sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Fold the empty side of the dough over the top of the filled side. With a fork seal the edges of the dough and brush with olive oil. Cook at 500 degrees for 10 minutes. Serve with a side of pizza sauce.

Open pizza roll ingredients:

1/3 pizza dough

Pizza sauce

Pineapples

Mushrooms

Basil

Mozzarella cheese

Directions:

This one is a little tricky. I was trying to find a way to roll the pizza dough into a cone shape and the only thing I could find was an empty tomato sauce can that I split in half and roll into a cone. Roll out the pizza dough and then cut it in half. Then wrap the dough around the metal cone and brush with olive oil. Cook in a 500 degree oven for 5 minutes. Retrieve the crust and let it cool down before pulling it off of the metal cone. Stuff crust with ingredients other than the pizza sauce and place in oven for another 3 minutes. Add pizza sauce into the roll prior to serving.

Waffle Cut Parmesan Fries:

1 russet potato

Grated Parmesan cheese
Parsley finely chopped
Canola oil

Directions:

Cut your potatoes with the waffle fry insert into a bowl of cold water. Heat oil to 375 degrees while drying potatoes on a towel; when oil is ready, cook potatoes for approximately 5 minutes. Immediately after you pull fries out of the oil add cheese and parsley and mix well.

Kaffir lime aioli ingredients:

1 cup mayonnaise (store bought or homemade)
7 large kaffir lime leaves (spine removed)
2 garlic cloves

Directions:

In a food processor add garlic and kaffir lime leaves. Blend to very fine consistency and add mayonnaise. Continue blending until all ingredients are incorporated.

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Lobster with Risotto and Lobster Bisque

I went to the market today to grab some water for the weekend guests and I just so happen to stumble upon a live lobster sale. That got my mind racing a million miles per hour. Should I or shouldn't I buy a lobster? Should I wait for my long delayed lobster battle? Well, if you see the picture posted above, you already know the answer. Now I was thinking, how can I fully utilize this lobster? I felt sorry for the little crustacean at first but there's no turning back now, it's already sitting on my cutting board (I also didn't want its sacrifice to go in vane). So off the tail goes and the rest of the body and claws went into a boiling pot of water to make some stock. I used the stock for the risotto and bisque (I consider this to be a trio of lobster dishes). The bisque also contains the meat from the knuckles and claws. I really wanted to use this lobster to its full potential. Hours later this is what the result was (I was also making some spicy beef noodle soup at the same time, for the weekend that's why it took a couple of hours).

Lobster stock ingredients:

10 cups of water
Lobster head
Lobster claws
1 tablespoon kosher salt

Directions:

Bring water to a boil and add all ingredients. Wait for at least 20-30 minutes before using the stock. Also always keep the stock hot.

Lobster bisque ingredients:

1 shallot minced
1 garlic clove minced
3 tablespoon unsalted butter
1 cup lobster stock
1 tablespoon flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon tomato paste
4 tablespoon heavy cream
Lobster claw and knuckle meat (chopped)

Directions:

Add butter, shallot, and garlic to a small stock pot on medium high heat. Add all other ingredients except for lobster meat and use an immersion blend to bring all the components together. Add lobster meat at the very end and keep on simmer until ready to serve.

Lobster stock risotto ingredients:

1/4 cup arborio rice
1 cup lobster stock (more or less until rice is cooked)
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3 tablespoon heavy cream
1 tablespoon grated Parmesan cheese
4-6 button mushrooms thinly sliced

Directions:

Add rice and 1/4 of lobster stock to a skillet on medium high heat. Continue cooking and stirring until stock is reduce by 75% then add another 1/4 of the lobster stock. Continue this process until rice is almost cooked completely. Then add cream, cheese, and mushrooms. Continue cooking and stirring until risotto thickens.

Lobster tail ingredients:

Lobster tail
Pinch of garlic powder
Pinch of paprika
Pinch of kosher salt
1/2 tablespoon butter
1 sprig fresh parsley minced

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375°. Cut a slit down the middle of the tail with shears. Pull the meat out and let it sit on top of the shell. Clean meat and shell under cold running water. Pat dry and sprinkle garlic powder, paprika, salt, and parsley on to of the tail. Place butter on top of the dry ingredients. Put lobster tail on baking sheet and bake for 12-15 minutes.

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Cheese Steak Sandwich

I initially started calling this a "Philly" cheese steak, but being from Dallas (home of America's team - Dallas Cowboys!) I didn't want to put "Philly" as a prefix for any of my dishes. Someone was disappointed that I didn't post anything yesterday and threatened me if I didn't post anything today (I'm sure you can make this dish, it's right up your alley). After a long day at the driving range I really didn't want to cook but I didn't want to disappoint the future editor of my blog (I also didn't want to eat fast food). I had to think about what ingredients this person would be comfortable with and it took a lot of thought but I decided I wanted something heavy and filling (there goes my diet) as well especially after a great session at the range. I had some bread leftover from having curry the other day and I also found a ribeye steak in the freezer, so why not a cheese steak.

Ingredients:

1 pound ribeye sliced paper thin
6 medium shiitake mushrooms (for that extra umami flavor, you can use regular button mushrooms too)
2 garlic cloves (minced)
1 onion sliced thin
2 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 medium size (6-8 inches) french bread/roll

Directions:

Saute onions in olive oil and add a pinch of salt and pepper on medium high heat. Cook until onions are translucent and caramelized. Set aside.

In a separate pan add canola oil and turn heat to high. Add beef, mushrooms, garlic, salt, pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook for about 3-5 minutes. Set aside.

Cheese sauce ingredients:

1 teaspoon flour
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
1/2 cup heavy cream (you can substitute whole milk)
1/4 cup grated pepper jack cheese
2 tablespoon Parmesan cheese
Pinch of salt
Pinch of pepper

Directions:

On low-medium heat, add butter and flour (mix well). Then add cream and continue stirring while adding a little bit of the pepper jack cheese, wait for the cheese to melt then continue adding more cheese. Continue this method with the Parmesan cheese. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Bringing it all together:

Toast your bread until it is crisp on the outside, then slice the bread in the middle (length wise) leaving the end attached. Add beef and mushroom mixture, add cheese sauce, add onions, then more cheese sauce. Serve with pickles or pepperoncinis.

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Parfait of Strawberries and Blackberries with Homemade Whipped Cream and Zabayon Sauce

Tonight was the first official night that Bistro 331 hosted a dinner party, I think I'm going to make this a ritual (attendees must be a follower of the blog). I personally would like to thank all my guests, especially the one that did the dishes, for coming over and hanging out. I prepared a 4 course meal that included spicy cucumber salad, tom yum soup with shrimp and scallops, pad kapow gai (basil chicken), and a parfait of strawberries and blackberries. Unfortunately I was so busy cooking and hosting that I was unable to photograph and therefore write any recipes down. However, if you're interested in any of these recipes feel free to write a comment or send me an email and I'll be more than happy to send you the recipes. Actually, I was fortunate enough to capture a photograph of our dessert and the recipe is pretty simple.

Parfait of strawberries and blackberries

Ingredients:

1 pint strawberries (cut into small 1/4 inch pieces)
1 pint blackberries
4 sprigs basil (finely chopped)
1 pint heavy cream (for whipped cream)
1/2 cup heavy cream (for zabayon)
4 egg yokes
3 tablespoon powdered sugar (for the whipped cream)
2 tablespoon powdered sugar (for the zabayon)

Directions:

Whipped cream -

Add heavy whipping cream to a large bowl, preferably stainless steel. Add 3 tablespoons (or more) confectionist/powdered sugar and whisk until stiff peaks are formed.

Zabayon -

Over a double boiler add egg yokes and 2 tablespoons (or more) confectionist/powdered sugar and whisk until mixture becomes frothy. Slowly add 1/2 cup of heavy cream and continue whisking over double boiler (never stop whisking otherwise you might end up with scramble eggs). Continue whisking entire mixture until it thickens (the mixture is ready when you can create ribbon drippings).

Creating the parfait -

You can layer the parfait anyway you like to. I like to add a layer of whipped cream or zabayon between the fruits. For the one picture above I started with strawberries, then I added the whipped cream (for easier application, use a piping bag or zip lock bag with the tip of one corner cut) then basil, and then a layer of blackberries. I continued this process until I got to the middle of the parfait, instead of adding whipped cream I added the zabayon instead (I tried not to use too much of this because it's really rich and a little heavy).

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Tomato Basil Soup and Black Truffle Buttered Grilled Cheese Sandwich

So I'm still trying to clean out my refrigerator and pantry before I go on vacation. That means the tomatoes have to go, the cream had to go and the bread has to go. The soup was inspired by La Madeleine and anytime you have any type of tomato soup you have to have a grilled cheese to dip it with.

Soup ingredients:

1 whole can of Cento Italian style whole tomatoes peeled
1 stick of unsalted butter
2 teaspoon kosher salt
3-4 sprigs fresh basil
1 cup chicken broth
Freshly cracked pepper

Directions:

In a sauce pan, add tomatoes and cook on medium high heat. Add chicken broth, salt and butter. With an immersion blender, blend all ingredients until tomatoes are no longer chunky. Roughly chop the basil and add to soup. Continue to blend again until basil is in very tiny pieces. Give it a taste and add salt as needed. Top off with freshly cracked black pepper before serving.

Grilled cheese ingredients:

4 slices Texas toast
2 slices sharp cheddar cheese
2 tablespoon black truffle butter melted (or regular unsalted butter)

Directions:

Brush butter on bread and place on sheet pan, add cheese and another slice of bread. Brush top of bread with more butter. Place sheet pan in a 475° oven and bake for about 5 minutes. Flip sandwich and cook for another 4 minutes. Slice sandwich diagonally and serve.

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