Tuesday, May 19th Recipe

Orzo is commonly mistaken as rice, but it is actually made of semolina flour. The name orzo means "barley" and refers to the rice shaped pasta.

ORZO PASTA SALAD

INGREDIENTS

1 (16 oz) package of orzo

10 Kalamata olives, pitted and sliced

1 celery stalk, small diced

1 red pepper, small diced

1 bunch basil, chopped

1 bunch parsley, chopped

Lemon juice, as needed

Red wine vinegar, as needed

Olive oil, as needed

Salt and pepper, as needed

1. Cook the pasta as directed on the box, substitute chicken or vegetable stock instead of water for more flavor
2. Combine lemon juice, vinegar, olive oil and salt and pepper in a bowl to create a vinaigrette. Season to your liking.
3. Once the pasta is cooked, drain it and toss in all vegetables and herbs
4. Toss with the vinaigrette and taste for seasoning

To add even more flavor, you can toast the orzo before cooking it. To do this, preheat your oven to 350 degrees and spread the orzo on a sheet pan. Toast in the oven for about 5 minutes or until the orzo turns a nice golden brown color. Let it cool before you add any liquid to it!

The Spice of Weight Loss

I recently came across a couple of articles that talked about using spices to help with weight loss. After reading the articles, I thought to myself, wow that's pretty much common sense. I had really never thought of it that way before. The gist of the articles was that by substituting spices for fat and sugar, you will lose weight. Obviously there is more to losing weight than just cutting fat and sugar intake. Cardiovascular exercise and calorie intake along with weight training are also big parts of the formula. Since I want to focus of food on this blog, I will stick with talking about spices and the benefits of using the in cooking.

The trick cooking is making food taste great. Why does food at a restaurant always seem to taste better than what we make at home? Is it the atmosphere, the fact that we don't have to put in the effort to cook it? Or is it the ingredients that are being used? Having working in numerous restaurants, I can tell you that the ingredients used are different from what the home cook uses. The amount of butter and cream used in restaurants is amazing. Why, because fat tastes good and allows you to achieve certain mouth feels and textures in food. So let's get back to the spice argument. How can you make food taste good without using butter and cream or other fats? Spices are one great trick in doing this. Peppers, ginger, mustard seeds, turmeric, cinnamon, chili powder, cumin and many other spices add intense flavor to cooking. Not only are they good substitutes for fats, but they also are beneficial in other ways. Certain spices can help speed up your metabolism. I read that less than 1 teaspoon of dry mustard can increase your metabolism by 25% for three hours. Have you ever noticed that when eating spicy foods you break into a sweat? That's the spices at work increasing your metabolism.

Another benefit of spices is that they have been proven to be an important part of the brain's mechanism of regulating appetite. Aromatic foods send a signal to the satiety part of the brain, this part of the brain tells the body that it's had enough. The more aromatic the food, the stronger the signal to the brain to stop eating.

I am going to try to work more spices into my cooking and I encourage you to do the same. Not only to increase the flavor of food, but also because of the benefits that spices bring to the table!

Monday, May 4th Recipe

Like I mentioned a little while back, I am really trying to eat healthier lately. It is not an easy task to create healthy food that still has lots of flavor. I think the trick is to cut out all processed food and really add different fresh flavors and ingredients. In this recipe, I have taken the classic mayonnaise based cole slaw and lightened it up.

Healthy Cole Slaw

Ingredients

1 head green cabbage, shredded

1 tomato, finely chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

1 jalapeno, finely minced

1 bunch cilantro, finely chiffonaded

4 limes, juiced

Extra virgin olive oil, as needed

Salt, as needed

Pepper, as needed

1. This one is simple, most of the prep time lies in the knife work
2. Combine all the ingredients together in a large bowl
3. Lightly salt the mixture, this will cause the vegetables to release some liquid which will serve as the sauce
4. Adjust the consistency with the oil, and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper

I made this just last night and combined it with some blackened shrimp for shrimp tacos. You can give it an Asian taste but subbing sesame oil for the extra virgin olive. Also adding grated ginger, toasted sesame seeds and rice wine vinegar. The Asian slaw would go great in spring rolls!

You can easily switch red cabbage for the green, or use a combination of both.

Another bonus of this dish, it is super cheap to make. Cabbage is one of the cheapest vegetables in the market!

Monday, April 27th Recipe

Just like Buffalo New York is synonymous with Buffalo wings, Broome County New York is known for its speedie or spiedie marinade. The original idea for spiedie was brought by Italian Immigrants to the Southern Tier of New York State in the early 1920s. The specific origin of the spiedie is disputed. Two men – Agostino "Augie" Iacovelli and Peter Sharak – are credited with the creation of the spiedie. Iacovelli from Endicott, New York, began serving spiedie sandwiches in 1939 when he opened, Augie's, his first restaurant. He emigrated from Abruzzo, Italy (Civitella Casanova) at the age of 25 in 1923. His son Guido continued in the spiedie business into the 1990s, owning as many as 26 restaurants at the peak of his career. Sharak is also supposed to have invented spiedies. Apparently, patrons of Sharkey's Bar and Grill were served lamb straight from the grill on its metal skewer with slices of bread. Sharkey's promotes itself as the birthplace of the sandwich in television commercials across the greater Binghamton area. Though the issue is disputed, Sharkey's began serving spiedies in 1947, which makes Iacovelli more likely to have invented the dish first. The term "spiedie" comes from the Italian "spiedo," meaning "spit." Traditionally the early Broome County spiedie was made only from spring lamb, but currently, most commercial restaurants prepare spiedie using chicken or pork. The "chicken category" was added to the Spiedie Fest cook-off in 1987, and quickly became the most popular meat choice. The regional dish in Abruzzo, Italy, most closely resembling spiedie, uses goat meat. Another regional dish from Sicily, "zúzzu,", consists of a gelatinous sausage made from the cartilage of pork and beef meat that is usually served cut into cubes. Iacovelli's marinade, which he called "Zuzu," originally was made simply from wine vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic and mint. Italian spices, olive oil and minced onion were added later as regional tastes and the choice of meat began to vary. One of the restaurants most famous for spiedies today, Lupo's Char-Pit, was established in 1967 by John, Sam, and Bart Lupo, in Endwell, New York. In 1975, Rob Salamida began bottling spiedie sauce for sale. His company now produces and sells Salamida's State Fair Spiedie Sauce from a 15,000 square foot facility in Johnson City, New York, and states that it has sold over 2 million bottles." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiedie

Chicken Speedie

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1" cubed

2 cup oil

1 cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup sugar

1 onion

8 cloves garlic

1 t salt

1 t black pepper

1 ½ t marjoram

1 ½ t basil

1 ½ t thyme

1 ½ t oregano

1. Place all ingredients in a blender except the chicken
2. Puree the ingredients for a couple of minutes
3. In a large container, place the chicken and pour marinade over. Place a lid on the container and shake to completely cover the chicken
4. Refrigerate over night
5. Taking long metal skewers, thread the pieces of chicken on
6. Heat your grill to high and grill the chicken, trying to get a nice char on the outside
7. Eat as a sandwich or as a main with grilled vegetables

Monday, April 20th Recipe

With the weather changing, and summer coming, I decided I would post a recipe for lighter fare. The cous cous salad recipe I am posting can be eaten as a light lunch or as a side for dinner. It can be served chilled or at room temperature!

Cous Cous Salad

Ingredients

2 cups Israeli cous cous

4 cups chicken stock

2 carrots, peeled, small diced and blanched

2 tomatoes, skin and seeded removed, small dice

2 scallions, finely sliced

1 red onion, sliced and pickled *see note below

Olive oil, as needed

Salt, as needed

Pepper, as needed

1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a sauce pan
2. Put the cous cous in a large bowl
3. When the chicken stock comes to a bowl, pour it over the cous cous
4. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes
5. Remove the plastic wrap and fluff with a fork
6. Place the bowl in the refrigerator till it is chilled
7. When the cous cous is chilled, add in carrot, tomato, scallion, and pickled red onion
8. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle enough olive oil till the desired consistency is reached. You don't want the cous cous salad to be to dry!

Pickling

Ingredients

1 cup champagne vinegar

½ cup water

¼ cup pickling spices

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Pour the mixture over the onions and let the mixture come to room temperature.
3. You can either refrigerate the onions or use them at this time.

Putting Together a Cheese Board

I love cheese and I love wine. I find that both carry the same traits to me. Each are a bit tough to approach, making you work and research what you are eating or drinking. What I mean is that both wine and cheese carry a sort of elitist air to them. You have to continue to try different types and varieties to see which ones you like. Over the years, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite cheeses. These are the ones that I know without a doubt that if I see on a menu I will order. Nowadays artisanal cheese shops are popping up everywhere. Even most super markets have stepped up their cheese departments. Continue to try new cheeses, and if you haven't tried the ones on this list, then give them a shot!

Roaring 40's Blue

King Island, home to the eponymous dairy, is located just south of Melbourne, Australia. On this pollution-free land, cows graze upon a variety of grasses, supplemented by the occasional meal of sea kelp washed ashore during the powerful storms known as "the roaring forties." The island's cow's pasteurized milk is used to make this creamy, superbly fruity, nutty blue. Rindless, it is covered with blue-purple wax.

Brillat- Savarin

Brillat-Savarin is made from pasteurized cow's milk, enriched with cream. It is a soft-white cheese of round shape with a thick, velvety, white crust. It has a light downy white rind and the cheese cuts like butter. Brillat-Savarin has a really milky aroma with light lemon sour tones. The adage for this cheese is 'the younger the better.' If allowed to mature for too long, the rind darkens and the paste becomes unpleasantly oily. Brillat-Savarin is a decadent triple cream gourmet cheese that is one of the richest cheeses.

Explorateur Triple Cream

Explorateur, the aristocrat of triple-cream cheeses was invented in 1958 at the time the rocket Explorer was in the news. The French dairy which invented the cheese decided on a topical name and a picture of the rocket still appears on the wrapping. Explorateur was one of the first cheeses to be created after the triple-cream classification was defined as a cheese with a butterfat content of 75 percent or more. This is achieved by adding a great deal of cream to the milk before coagulation. The cheese is produced in small discs with a light, downy white rind. The deep ivory paste is very soft and creamy. The flavor is very rich and mild, deepening a little with maturity.

Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog

Our signature offering, Humboldt Fog^® is an elegant, soft, surface ripened cheese. The texture is creamy and luscious with a subtle tangy flavor. Each handcrafted wheel features a ribbon of edible vegetable ash along its center and a coating of ash under its exterior to give it a distinctive, cake-like appearance. An American Original!

Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor

The classic flavor of truffle meets the velvety perfection of ripened goat milk cheese. Earthy, elegant, and sophisticated, it's sure to make even the most distinguished taste buds shake!

Morbier

Morbier is an aromatic and surprisingly mild French cow's milk AOC cheese defined by the dark vein of vegetable ash streaking through it middle. Today, the ash is purely decorative, a nod to the method by which Morbier was once produced in Franche-Comté. Traditionally, the evening's fresh curds were sprinkled with ash to prevent the formation of a rind overnight. The next morning, new curds were laid upon the thin layer of ash to finish off the wheel. The wheel was then washed and rubbed by hand, forming a rind to protect the rich, creamy interior and create a delectably stinky aroma. Morbier, which is aged for at least 60 days, pleasantly confounds expectations. Contrary to its smell, Morbier has a mild taste and leaves a wonderful, nutty aftertaste.

Valdeon

Valdeón is a rich, creamy, intensely-flavored cow and goat's milk blue cheese, saltier than Stilton and tamer than Cabrales. The Valdeón wheels are wrapped in Sycamore leaves, which contribute to their distinctive appearance and complex flavor.

Monday, April 13th Recipe

It's Monday and that means recipe time. Sunday was a relaxing day, celebrating Easter and watching the Master's. Most people have found memories of Easter and what they eat. While not on the same level as Thanksgiving for me, Easter does mean some traditions and a set menu year after year. Hands down, the number one item on most people's Easter table is ham. I decided to do a prime rib roast. Don't ask me why, I think I was craving the richness of the beef. The roast turned out great, it was everything I expected and more. I think the dish that stole the show though was my potato gratin. I took a simple recipe and put my twist on it, trying to infuse more flavor. Here is the resulting recipe….. Reader beware, not for those on diets!

Potato Gratin

Ingredients

3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, small diced

1 head garlic, minced

1 bunch thyme, fresh

1 head garlic, cut in half

1 pint heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

Salt, as needed

Pepper, as needed

1. Peel the potatoes, slice them very thin. I used my mandolin to achieve a consistent product. Keep the sliced potatoes in a bowl of water to keep them from oxidizing.
2. In a sauté pan, sweat the onion and garlic until translucent and soft. Adding a pinch of salt will help the sweating process by drawing out the water in the onion. Set aside.
3. In a sauce pot, combine heavy cream, the halved head of garlic and the fresh thyme. Bring to a simmer and the remove from heat. Let the mixture steep together to infuse the cream with the thyme and garlic flavor. After the mixture has steeped for 25 minutes, strain out the thyme and garlic.
4. Butter the inside of a glass baking dish. Drain the sliced potatoes. Start by placing a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of the onion and garlic mixture on top of the potatoes. Spread out evenly. Pour some of the thyme infused heavy cream mixture over the top.
5. Repeat step 4, put down another layer of potatoes, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and top with heavy cream.
6. Continue the layering process until you have either run out of potatoes, or you reach the top of the baking dish.
7. Gently push down the layers to compact.
8. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half. It is a smart idea to put the baking dish on a flat sheet try, this will catch any of the heavy cream that bubbles out of the baking dish.