A pirate has to have some swords! Being a chef, so much time is spent with a knife in you hand, they become very special to you. Even giving them names is common in a professional kitchen, Bettie, Rita, Ginger, Mary Ann, Excalibur (of course), Morimoto, Mr. Green Jeans, Meaty, Big John, and Lil Buddy, are a few that I have used over the years. Make sure your knife is comfortable in your hand; make sure you are comfortable using it, and PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE!
“Chefs do not invent cooking, they simply say flavors clearly. All great chefs give the diner the same thing: flavors they have always known and yearned for and an excitement on the plate, but seldom come upon in the flutter, noise, and careless nature of life. Just as we’ve been walking into dining rooms since we left the fire and entered the hut, and yet people can go a lifetime without entering one with magic.”
I read this somewhere about 4-5 (or more) years ago, and it has been floating around in my head ever since. This is what the true essence of cooking and being a chef is all about. How much better could it be said?
Is it gluttony to have Kobe beef two nights in a row? Or is it just bad for my ticker?
Easy
A spice blend from the book I am working on. Take the time to make this spice mix. The aroma will take you on a voyage to the Caribbean.
MARTINIQUE
Use with roast chicken, scallops, yellowfin tuna, or wahoo. Mango salsa would be a great compliment.
Galley Pantry
1 nutmeg, grated
3T dried ginger
3/4t white peppercorns, ground
½t vanilla seeds (or dried pods, ground)
1T toasted sesame seeds, ground
1T sea salt
Combine all ingredients and stow in a mason jar. Use within one week.
Here is my all time favorite dipping sauce for steamed local oysters, it's the best
HORSERADISH TABASCO BUTTER
Also use wiTh steamed or fried clams or boiled shrimp
4T unsalted butter, softened
2T drained horseradish
1T green Tabasco
1/4T lemon zest
1T lemon juice
1/4 t smoked paprika
sea sat
Whisk all ingredients together and serve. Enjoy.
Vote for your favorite chefs at Star News Online. There are some very talented chefs involved, show your support!
Here is a link for some recipes I did for the Junior League and Wrightsville Beach Magazine.Enjoy.
Red Wine Glaze
1 bottle of good red wine
6 peppercorns
3 tablespoons of honey
2 tablespoons of room temperature butter
Combine red wine, peppercorns, and honey. Slowly simmer until the sauce becomes syrupy (about 1/4 cup). Keep warm and strain out peppercorns. Slowly whisk in butter and keep warm until ready to use
New Potatoes with Brown Butter and Cider Vinegar
6 cups new or fingerling potatoes, par boiled (like you would for potato salad)
3 tablespoons of butter
4 tablespoons of cider vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
4 tablespoons chopped fresh chives
Heat butter on medium and cook until lightly browned and begins to smell nutty. In small dish, combine sugar and vinegar, microwave for 45 seconds (or until sugar dissolves). Heat potatoes in butter and add vinegar mixture. Garnish with chopped chives.
Salt Roasted Beets
3 pounds assorted medium beets, unpeeled
Enough kosher salt to bury beets
Preheat oven to 350. Bake for an hour and a half. Remove from salt and peel. Drizzle with olive oil and quince vinegar. Don't add salt to finished dish, just pepper
