WHITE SAUCE!!!

Over the weekend I’ve made a great personal discovery. I found out what the white sauce is on the chicken over rice platters I wrote about earlier! While this may not seem like anything special (to anyone), it haunted me for years. Now I can share it with everyone else. Hopefully, people who had the same addiction I had will be able to make this on their own and enjoy street meat any day of the week.

“White sauce”

½ cup of plain whole milk yogurt
3 tablespoons tahini paste (ground sesame seeds)
Juice from ½ lemon
Salt and pepper to taste
Water

Mix yogurt, tahini paste, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Mix in water to get a consistency that can be squeeze out of a typical restaurant-supply condiment bottle. Pour this over sautéed chicken thighs and rice cooked with sazon, and you’ll half-assed see what the craze is all about, nothing beats the original. I’m very curious to see if people will love this sauce as much as I do, so if you happen upon this recipe please respond back with your findings.

The super-bowl is getting closer and closer. And there is no better way to celebrate the biggest game of the year, than to eat until you fall into a coma and hopefully never wake up. The go-to plan for most super bowl parties is: buy a large variety of chips, various dips, pizza, wings, and maybe a 6 foot sub. While these are all very convenient and generally satisfying options, why not change things up a bit for the big game? Setting up a hot dog or chili bar is an easy and fun way to feed your guests with actual food. Just by cooking up a large number of hotdogs and keeping them warm beside a variety of toppings, such as chili, sliced jalapenos, melted cheese, diced onions, and of course the basics (ketchup, mustard, relish, sauerkraut, etc) you can keep your guests happy for the entire game. No fuss, no muss!

If you’re looking to feed an army of sports fans and make your house smell like heaven, cook up a large pot of chili. Here is a great chili recipe that is simple to make:


Ingredients
1 (14.5 ounce) can stewed tomatoes, chopped
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste
1 onion, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/4 cup white wine
Crushed red pepper flakes (flakes get hotter when cooked, use accordingly)
1/4 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red bell pepper
1/3 cup steak sauce
5 slices bacon
1 1/2 pounds ground beef
1 package chili seasoning mix
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 (15 ounce) can kidney beans, drained
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions
In a pot over medium-low heat, combine tomatoes, tomato paste, onion, celery, wine, pepper flakes, bell peppers and steak sauce.
While mixture is simmering, cook bacon until crisp and drain.
Cook beef in bacon drippings until brown; drain.
Stir chili seasoning into ground beef.
Stir seasoned beef, cumin and bacon into tomato mixture.
Continue to simmer until well blended and add beans and parsley then serve.
You can make a whole batch of corn bread or biscuits to serve alongside the chili or you can serve with the typical crackers, tortilla chips, and bread. These are just 2 simple ideas for your super bowl party, the point is to be creative and not follow the chip and dip trend. By differentiating yourself, you can be sure your friends and family won’t forget game day at your house.

Comfort Food, Public-Access Style

On PBS.org there was a great piece on comfort food, those great dishes that take us all to a better place. It gave the opinions of a variety of chefs and food critics. Some chefs included David Machado, chef and owner of Lauro Kitchen in Portland, OR. He lists his favorite comfort food as Portuguese chicken and rice, this is similar to the Spanish arroz con pollo (you can find a recipe for arroz con pollo on this site). Lynne Rosseto Kaspar, host of “The Splendid Table” lists pasta and tomato sauce as her favorite comfort food saying “When time is short but dear friends must be fed with joy and not pressure, I make pasta with tomato sauce” Those words make a simple pasta and tomato sauce sound all the more better. All of the chefs and writers listed, had great entries, but it was the recipe submitted by John Pence, of “Cooking with Caprial and John” for beef stew and polenta that gave me a warm, fuzzy feeling inside.

Beef Stew with Polenta
Serves 4
2 pounds beef stew meat
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
4 cups beef or vegetable stock
1 medium onion
3 potatoes, diced
2 carrots, diced
4 cloves, chopped
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
2 shallots, chopped
2/3 cup finely ground polenta
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme, or 1/2 tablespoon dried
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
Springs of thyme, for garnish

Trim the excess fat from the stew meat. In a large stockpot over high temperature, heat the olive oil until smoking hot. Add the beef and brown well on all sides, about 2 minutes per side. Add the flour and cook for about 2 minutes. Briskly stir in the 4 cups beef stock thoroughly. Add the onion, potatoes, carrots, and garlic and cook over low heat for 45 minutes to 1 hour, or until the beef is tender.
About 10 minutes before the beef has finished cooking, prepare the polenta. In a heavy saucepan over high heat, bring the 2 cups vegetable stock and shallots to a boil. Whisk in the polenta slowly so that no lumps form. Season with salt and pepper to taste, Cook the polenta about 3 minutes, or until it becomes very thick. Stir it well to avoid scorching the bottom. Remove the pan from the heat, cover, and set aside.
When the stew has finished cooking, add the thyme, 1 teaspoon pepper, and salt to taste.
Divide the polenta among 4 bowls and ladle the stew on top. Serve immediately, garnished with sprigs of fresh thyme.

Here is the link for the great story by Marina Gordon and Brad Smith

http://www.pbs.org/opb/meaningoffood/food_and_life/comfort_foods/

Bad case of calorie counting

News is out today that NYC fast food joints may be required to post calories of their products in clear view of consumers. This isn’t the first time the city wanted to impress the health risks of greasy fast foods to the public. In September of last year, a motion was struck down by a federal judge, adding that it would be more acceptable if it included more restaurants that fast food. Any restaurant that operates at least 15 locations would be subject to the new regulation which would kick in March 31st if passed. New York City also passed a bill that banned trans-fat cooking oils in restaurants last year, in a effort to curb obesity and unhealthy eating choices. I appreciate the efforts made to convince the general public to eat healthier, but to what extent are lawmakers willing to go? A new descriptive menu for all the fast food places in NYC is going to cost restaurants thousands of dollars. This cost to them is a terrible disadvantage in an already saturated market. Furthermore, the further the government is to what I put in my mouth the better. The hopes of putting the calorie count on menus are that people will actually get to see how bad this food really is. I can agree that a majority of people don’t know how many calories a Big Mac or a Whopper has. But I’m positive that everyone who eats these products acknowledges they are bad for you. Show me a group of people who say a daily regimen of McDonald’s Quarter Pounder value meals are a healthy food option, or that a diet rich in cheesy gordita crunches are the key to long life, and I will back any calorie counting bill out there. My point is this; every person capable of speech knows this kind of food is unhealthy. You don’t have to shove the information down the people’s throat (no pun intended), I mean give us a little credit. It all comes down to; let people eat what they want to eat. Stop trying to scare people out of eating a burger or fries and give us enough rope to hang ourselves……enough rope to fit around our super sized necks.

Arroz Con Pollo

ARROZ CON POLLO

1 broiler-fryer chicken, cut in half
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 c. uncooked long grain rice
1 c. chopped onion
1 red pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. basil
4 c. chicken broth, warmed
1/4-1/8 tsp. measure ground saffron
1/2 tsp. turmeric
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
2 c. chopped fresh tomatoes
1/2 tsp. peppercorns, ground
1 c. peas

In large Dutch oven, place olive oil and heat to medium high temperature. Add chicken and cook, turning, about 10 minutes or until brown on all sides. Remove chicken to warm tray. Add rice, onion, peppers, and garlic to oil in pan; stir fry about 5 minutes. Sprinkle with 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and basil. Add chicken broth, stir; then add saffron, turmeric, bay leaf and lime juice.

Bring to boil and add tomatoes. Arrange chicken on top and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 teaspoon of the salt and ground peppercorns. Cover, reduce heat to low and continue cooking about 20 minutes. Add peas and continue to cook, covered about 20 minutes longer until rice is done. Fluff with a fork and done.

Food Network is therapy

Thanks to the great Dr. King, I have off from work today. That means, all day Food Network and maybe a cooking project. To me, the Food Network is like a therapist that I don't have to pay each time I see it. Watching food get prepared, calms my nerves, slows down life, and takes me to a better place. Is it wrong to feel that way about food being cooked by the likes of the beautiful yet talented Giada Delaurentis? or the masterful Rutgers graduate, Mario Batalli? These two are just a few of the talented people on Food Network like Alton Brown, Bobby Flay, Robert Irvine, Tyler Florence, and Wolfgang Puck(when he was on it). Admittedly, there are some Food Network personalities that are way too tedious to watch. I think everyone knows who I'm talking about. That's right! Oprah's annoying little pet, Rachael Ray! Now I know, there are plenty of blogs and websites both laud and put down Rachael Ray, and I can understand how she can be popular with a large amount of people, but here are my problems with Mrs. Ray. She is mindless, she is a smiling puppet of anyone willing to pull the strings, and her cuisine is much too trite and (this may sound ridiculous) is missing love and attention. That's right I said love and attention. It just seems that in 30 minutes anyone can throw together 3 or 4 of agiven can in their pantry add a protein or a pasta and have a Rachael Ray quality meal! Now I don't hate everything she makes, it's hard for me to not like steak. But I think she should stick to travel and talk shows. I love reading blogs where people debate Rachael Ray, So I hope people post a comment on this. I have more opinions on other Food Network stars, but I'm gonna make some arroz con pollo, so I'll save them for another time.

Football Fixings

Big blue and the Packers, in sub-zero weather, today at 6 eastern. Even though I don't follow football, or any other sports for that matter, the gastronomic possibilities are endless. Buffalo wings, chili, goulash, and various types of dips don't even scratch the surface of what home gourmets serve up for the game, big or otherwise. There are few events during the year, aside from holidays, that call for serious entertaining like sports events. Ravenous sports fans tossin back can after can of beer and plate after plate of hearty sports food. Today, I'll include some rib sticking favorites served in green bay to warm the sports fan's soul on freezing Wisconson evenings, and some East coast specialities that can satisfy the most staunch big blue fan. Enjoy!

Pork Hocks with Sauerkraut and Potatoes
Vegetable oil to barely cover bottom of pot
2 large cans (27 ounces each) sauerkraut
Salt and pepper to taste
6 to 8 medium potatoes
1 Stick of butter

In large pot over medium heat, brown meat in oil. When meat is browned, add sauerkraut, salt and pepper. Fill one sauerkraut can with water and add to meat. Cook covered over low heat until meat falls off the bones, 1 to 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally. Remove bones. Quarter potatoes and place in pot. Add butter. Cover and cook until potatoes are soft, about 45 minutes, stirring occasionally. This will provide 6 servin

Baked artichoke dip

1 box frozen spinach thawed and squeezed dry (or 1 cup chopped spinach)
1 14 oz can quartered artichoke hearts, chopped
1 cup mayonnaise
1/4 package cream cheese, softened
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/8 cup dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated
1/8 tsp pepper

Preheat oven to 400°. Combine all of the above ingredients and place in baking dish. Bake for approximately 15-20 minutes and serve with crackers or crusty bread.

Savory Chicken

24 chicken wing
1/3 melted cup margarine
1 minced small garlic
1/2 cup Dijon mustard
1/3 cup white wine
salt
pepper
1 1/2 cup dry bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Arrange the chicken wings on a large cookie sheet. Brush the melted margarine onto each wing. In a small bowl mix the minced garlic, mustard, and white wine well. Brush onto the chicken wings. Salt and pepper to taste. Sprinkle the bread crumbs over the top. Bake for 45-55 minutes or until the chicken is cooked in the middle. If the chicken is browning too quickly, cover with foil.

Armenian Chicken Pilaf

1 3 lb. chicken, cut into serving pieces

Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste

1 tbsp. butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 lg. onions, finely chopped

3/4 tsp. mixed spices or 1/2 tsp. cinnamon and 1/4 tsp. allspice

4 lg. ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and finely chopped

2 tbsp. tomato paste

1 c. cold water

1 c. boiling chicken broth, more if needed

1 c. uncooked long-grain white rice

Season chicken with salt and pepper. In a skillet, heat the butter and oil over moderate heat. Saute chicken until brown on all sides. Transfer to a plate and set aside. Add the onion to the skillet and saute until lightly browned, stirring frequently. Add spices. Stir in the tomatoes, tomato paste, water, and salt and pepper and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the skillet and baste with the sauce. Reduce the heat to low, cover and simmer, basting occasionally, about 30 minutes or until the chicken is tender, adding a little water if necessary. Taste for seasoning. Stir in the chicken broth and the rice and arrange the pieces of chicken over the mixture. Cover and simmer undisturbed about 25 minutes or until the rice is tender and the liquid in the pan has been absorbed.

Cloverfield may induce nausea!

I watched the movie Cloverfield last night with some friends. After months of no information and loads of speculation on the internet I was excited to see how this movie would all pan out. Good show, very exciting at parts, but watching that hand held camera move and shake got me sick 15 minutes into the movie. Anyway, it was worth it. There was one scene where they were running down a street I thought to be near Grand Central and, believe it or not, it brought back a great food memory. I used to work in the city and would always get this chicken over rice at this hugely popular street cart. It was simple enough: yellow rice, chicken, lettuce, tomato, double hot sauce, and double white sauce. That's right white sauce! I didn't know what it was, but if I didn't have it, I'd go nuts. Watching that scene of them running from sure death, reminded me of myself running for chicken platters before my 30 minute lunch period was up. I always wondered what that creamy sauce was, and while I was looking around different food sites, I came across a fan site for one of the street carts serving this magnificiant platter.Truly gourmet street food! http://53rdand6th.com/

So, my friends, if you happen to work in NYC, and see this page, please, do us all a favor. Find out what the hell that white sauce is!!!

Spam it ain't.

Nothing can breed new excitement into a food lover’s life like the US approval of a coveted food product. The Iberico ham, long considered a delicacy in the world of pork products the world over, has been approved for sale in the US. If you are not familiar with this ham here is the rundown. The ham comes from the black hoofed pigs found in Spain, whose main diet consists of acorns from cork trees. The top of the line meat is called, Iberico Jamon Bellota. The pigs are given free reign over protected oak forests where they feed upon acorns and other wild plants. For 2 years they roam the forests as normal “wild” pigs would, this is much more time than any domestic is given. The exercise and natural diet combines to create a meat with a rich nutty flavor and tender texture. The meat is then salt cured for 2 to 4 years in the sweet mountain air of Spain. It usually comes in three types, in order of grade:

- Jamon Iberico de bellota
o These are the above mentioned free range pigs, the highest quality

- Jamon Iberico de recebo
o These are pastured pigs that are fed a combination of the acorns and grains.

- Jamon Iberico de pienso
o These are not fed acorns and only grain. They are also only cured for 24 months

One of the benefits that come from top quality Iberico ham is that it contains mono-unsaturated fats, similar to the good cholesterol in extra virgin olive oil. Anyone in their right meat loving mind would want to get their hands on this stuff immediately! Unfortunately, the cost at around $90/lb may prevent some people from enjoying this gem of Spanish cuisine. I personally have never tried it but am definitely thinking about getting some form of it regardless of grade just for the hell of it. If anyone has ever tried it and knows more about it, I’d love to hear your comments!

Hi Everyone!

Since childhood, most of my greatest pleasures were derived from food. I always enjoyed helping out in the kitchen, having people over for dinner, and the holidays were always a time for indulgence in food and fun. Everyone can share these experiences and can appreciate the correlation between cooking and family and friends, or food and great memories.

I’ve always had an interest in food and the preparation of food. This interest has definitely left me in a worse shape than I should be, but let it never be said that I didn’t enjoy myself. People find it funny that the only real TV I watch is the Food Network and I talk about chefs as people would rock stars. It’s this interest that made want to start a website dedicated to what I consider my hobby. I’d like to meet and talk to others who have the same passion as I do.

While planning everything out (for the blog), I made a list of things I wanted to accomplish with it, and here it is:

- Discuss ideas and concepts in cooking, food, and entertaining in a forum environment.
- Put up recipes that span various genres and utilizing a variety of ingredients.
- Writing up cooking 101 articles for people who want to get into cooking but don’t necessarily know how.
- Write up reviews for products and manufacturers and solicit reviews from people who own them.
- Write up experiences in entertaining, horror stories, lessons learned, Etc. And solicit those same stories from others.
- Discuss favorite restaurants, cooking shows, and chefs
- And (hopefully) much more!


I hope you are able to enjoy what this lowly blog has to offer. I hope you can learn new ideas to share with your family and friends, and most importantly have a good time with all the information.