Herb Roasted Baby Potatoes

So, remember Saint Paddy's day a few weeks ago where I promised you those roasted potatoes?  Apparently some of you are a shake impatient, and can't wait so here you go.  Although I don't eat them much, I do love potatoes.  You can do any most anything with them.  They're kind of like a blank food canvas you can flavor however you want.  Of course the best things are the simplest.  This is actually a recipe I used to use for banquets I learned form a Frenchman (BLASPHEMY?!?!?!, No)  who cooked very simply and very cleanly.   This recipe will serve 6:

3/4 lb, small red potatoes

About as simple as delicious can get.

3/4 lb small yukon gold or white potatoes (either or)
1 tsp. chopped sage
1 tsp. chopped thyme
2 tbsp. chopped parsley
3 unpeeled garlic cloves
1 tbsp soft whole butter
Salt and pepper for seasoning
Olive oil for tossing

1.  Preheat your oven to 400, then quarter up those potatoes.  Leave them them in a bowl of water so they don't oxidize.

2.  when you're ready to cook the potatoes, strain them, then drop them over a towel and pat them dry.  Try to get as much water off of them as you can.

3.  In another bowl, combine the herbs, garlic cloves, potatoes, and some olive oil, and season with Salt and pepper.  Toss these well.  You want just enough oil to coat the potatoes.

4.  Lay your potatoes out on a cookie tray or sheet pan, lined with parchment paper or foil.  (You'll thank me later).  Set you oven timer for 10 minutes, and pop them 'tater's in the oven.

5.  After 10 minutes, toss the potatoes.  I use a heat proof rubber spatula and just rune them gently.  Now these go back in for 15 minutes.

6.  Turn them again and put back in for another 15 minutes.  After this 15 mintues, they shoudl be done.  If they're not?  No problem, but them back in. when they are ready, season with a little but more salt and pepper, and toss them whole butter into them.

Simple right?  This is one of my favorite recipes.  If you don't have the 45-60 minuets it takes to roast these, you can always cook them half way and the finish them the next day.  My favorite thing to do with this recipe is take those garlic cloves and squeeze the out over the potatoes.  It adds another flavor dimension to the garlicky int that's already permeated through the potatoes.

Happy Eating,

  The Doctor

Greek Style Lamb Shoulder Chops

Lamb and Easter go perfect together  but who wants that plain old leg all the time? There's plenty of other lamb cuts that are way underutilized AND that you can find for a great price at your local butcher.  My favorite of these cuts is the shoulder chop.  On most animals, the should is very tough, but not lamb.  It's tender flavorful meat that is great for grilling and broiling.  This is a variation on a recipe I used to use during one of my stints at a high class hotel in Philadelphia.  This roast lamb shoulder this recipe is based on was on every Easter buffet menu, and it was always the first item to go.  This recipe serves 4.

4 lamb shoulder chops

Who needs a rack whe you got htis flavorful cut?

3 cloves garlic, peeled
2 sprigs rosemary, leaves only
Juice andzest  of 1 lemon
1/2 c. plain greek yogurt
2 tbsp honey
Water as needed

WHAT!!!!!?????!?!?!?  Nothing else??  Nope.  Simple as can be.  I like to do the marinating a day before so the lamb gets even more tender than it already is

1.  Simply enough, take your lamb, honey, lemon juice, rosemary, and yogurt and stick it all in the blender.  Pulse until everything is smooth.  Some Greek yogurts can be pretty thick, so if you need to add a couple tablespoons of water to thin it out, go ahead.

2.  Drop you marinade into a ziplock bag and then add the meat.  Let this marinate for 8-24 hours.

3.  When your ready to cook, just turn on your broiler or grill and cook to medium rare (135 internal)

Even though this marinade is being used for lamb, it's great for anything.  I used it on chicken, fish, pork, and in burgers well.  I like to serve these chops with some nice fresh arugula dressed with just touch of Olive Oil and black pepper.  If you want some starch, a nice soft polenta is a perfect match.  (Oh wait, I guess you guys will want that recipe too)  Don't forget to subscribe, and leave comments below.  Yes, a basic polenta recipe is coming soon

Happy Eating,

The Doctor

Easter Fritatta

If there was any breakfast the defined my childhood is was this one.  I used to wake up before everyone in the house and sit for hours with my mouth watering, just waiting for the first egg to crack.  We only got this once a year on Easter, and it was the richest, most delicious egg dish you will ever sink a fork into.  This isn't a traditional Fritatta like most Americans think.  this is how a Fritata is done back in the home land in Avellino, Italy, right outside of Naples.  Avellino is right up near the Almafi Coast, so if you know your Italian foods, dairy is HUGE in this area.  So of course it’s going to get featured three times in one dish.  This recipe serves 6:  Oh, and make sure you have a non-stick pan that can go in an oven.  (That means no plastic handle)

1 dozen eggs

1/2 lb. Italian Sausage (loose if you can get it)

Plain, simple, good.  'nuff said

1 c. Ricotta cheese

1/4 lb. Fresh mozzarella, slices 1/4-1/3 inch thick

1 tsp. fresh chopped oregano or marjoram

2 tbsp. fresh Basil

2 tbsp. Parmesan cheese

1 tbsp. whole butter

1.  Start off your sausage in a non-stick skillet over medium heat.  I use a 13" skillet for this, but anything between 12” & 16” will work.  Brown your sausage, breaking it up as it cooks.

2.  While your sausage is browning, take you herbs, ricotta cheese, eggs, and Parmesan cheese and whisk them together in a bowl.  Hold these until your sausage s cooked.  You also might want to turn your oven up to 400 right now...just sayin'…you'll need it.

3.  At this point, your sausage should be nice and brown.  Leave it in the pan, add the butter and let it melt.  It’s ok if it’ brown’s a bit.

4.  Give your eggs one more stir for good measure to make sure everything is nice and even, and pour into the pan.  Let everything site on the heat for about 5 minutes.  Then lift the edges and get all of the liquid under the solids, like this:

  Don't be afraid to let these brown a little bit, we're not making an omelet here. This is something much more rustic.  A little bit of color on the eggs give the Fritatta its character.

5. Now is a good time to add half of your mozzarella so it gets all through.  it should look like this:

Partially cooked Fritatta, just adding the cheese

6.  After another couple of turns, add the rest over the top. The Fritatta should be almost done, with just a little liquid on the top.  Now it's time to pop it in the oven for 5-10 minutes, until it's done. 

7.  When you Fritatta is ready It’s time to slide it out onto a plate.  I like to let it rest for just a minute so it deflates.  Then you just get your spatula under it and push it out slowly, like so: 

  

Now just because this is an Easter tradition, does not mean you can't play with it.  You can use different types of sausages, cured meats,  and cheeses to develop your own flavors.  Do you have an herb garden and you're proud of what's in there?  GO FOR IT!!!!  Change out the herbs.  Roasted vegetables are also a good alternative to replace the meat if it's not your thing. I'll put together some more Fritatta recipes for you  when the summer comes and I get in some nice, local farm fresh produce.  If you have any requests for another Fritatta, leave it in the comments.

Happy Eating,

The Doctor.

Rosemary Mashed Sweet Potatoes and Caramelized Shallots

I love sweet potatoes,  but I hate it when people over sweeten them with sugar and coconut and put marshmallows over them.  For the love of all that is culinary, there is so much more you can do with these versatile tubers than just cover them up with sugar.  They're naturally sweet themselves, and are a nutritional powerhouse.  They have tons of vitamins and minerals, and much less carbohydrates than a regular potato.  If you happen to belong to a co-op, you're also about to start getting a ton of these because the winter is ending.  This recipe is a nice alternative to what people are used to and still manages to hold some familiar flavors.  This recipe servers 4.

How 'bout that for a side of sweets, eh?

2 large sweet potatoes (about 2 lbs)
2 large shallots, sliced thin
2 tbsp honey
2 tbsp butter, room temperature
Salt and Pepper to taste
2 tbsp sour cream or heavy cream
1 tbsp. rosemary, chopped
Olive oil for cooking
1 tbsp. sherry vinegar
1/4 sherry wine.



1.  First step, Heat that oven up to 350, and throw your sweet potatoes in until they're done.  How long???? Well, I can't answer that, because I don't know how big your sweet potatoes are.  Some take 40 minutes, some take a couple hours.  You want them to be soft is the key.  You can also do these a day ahead and just let them cool over night.  You can just give them a quick nuke when you want to heat th em up, make the puree (I'm getting' to it) then heat it up in a saute pan.

2.  When the sweet potatoes are done and cooled enough to handle, just peel the skin off.  This should be pretty easy.  At this point you can either choose to use a masher or a food processor.  If you want this super smooth (and you're showing off) use the food processor.

3.  Once you have everything smooth, or fully mashed add your butter, herbs, 1 tbsp. of the honey,  sour cream and salt and pepper.

NOW...we can leave this as is and serve it, or, we can take this to the next flavor level,  Guess what I'm doing?  Yes, we are doing caramelized shallots to level this up...so...

1.  Start a pan on medium low heat, add some oil, and add your shallots when you see the is hot.

2.  Season with some salt to pullout some moisture and stir or toss these every other minute or so until they look like this"

Caramelized shallots, before the honey, wine, and vinegar

You can add more oil if the pan gets too dry and they start to burn, they should have a slight sheen on them.

3.  At this point, add your honey and stir it through thoroughly.  Cook this for about a minute.

4.  Add your wine and vinegar and let them reduce all the way.  Your shallots are ready when they look like this.

So this might look a bit complicated to do all at once, but trust me it's not.  If you're  a little shy, you can do these at different times and just heat as needed.  You can also prepare these separately.  These go great with (of course) pork, roasted chicken, steaks, or a nice hearty, oily fish like Salmon or Tuna.  If you want any more serving recommendations, just ask.  Don't forgot to subscribe

Happy Eating,

-The Doctor

White Bean and Turnip Green Stew

Sorry Grandma, but I’m ripping another one out of your recipe book.  We’re twisting up the old school Escarole and Beans (or Schadole if your Grandparents were as Italian as mine) into something a bit newer and more flavorful.  Spring is coming and we need to get using some of those awesome vegetables that will be showing up at your local Farmer’s Market.  Around here we have a great variety of greens as well as ramps, scallions, and leeks, so I’m taking HUGE advantage of this, but you can take advantage of what grows around you.  I’ll throw some more ideas your way at the end.  This recipe makes about a gallon. 

Who want s bowl of this?  I do!!

1 bunch leeks, Trimmed and sliced thin (this means cut he dark green off, and use the light green, make sure you wash these very well)

1 medium bulb, fennel

4 cloves garlic, sliced thin

1 tbsp.  chopped fresh rosemary

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tsbp.  chopped fresh oregano or marjoram

1 bunch turnip greens, chopped

2 quarts chicken stock <insert link to stock recipe> or broth

1c. white wine

2 cans white cannellini beans drained (I cook my own, but just for simplicity’s sake)

1/2 lbs. country (or Virginia) ham, small diced.  (Salt Pork and Prosciutto work well too)

11.        So, first a quick fennel tutorial.  Split the fennel down the middle and cut the core out like so:

Then slice it about ¼ inch.  Like this:

      Now, get a nice heavy pot, and add about 2-3 tbsp. of olive oil.  Turn up the heat to about medium and add the garlic and ham.  Sweat this out until you can smell the garlic.

32. Add your leeks and fennel.  Let these sweat for about 10-15minutes, stirring every few minutes.  Now add you greens.   Let these go for about 5 minutes, stir every minute or so.

43.  Now add your wine and reduce by half.

54.  Add the herbs and chicken stock and let this simmer for about 30-45 minutes.

65. Since your beans are already cooked, we don’t’ want to make them mushy, so when your greens are nice and tender. Cut the heat and add the beans.  Now it’s time to pack this up into small Tupperware containers or eat (of course I prefer eating it)

For some people out there, the little bit of ham in there is enough meat, BUT NOT ME!!!!!   I like to serve this with pulled chicken, grilled turkey, or miniature meatballs. (like in the picture)  You can also feel free to substitute the leeks for ramps, if you’re in area where they grow.  I’ve also used kale, mustard greens, and other greens in place of the turnip greens.  This whole recipe started because I can't get get escarole where I live, but I have plenty of other wonderful local vegetable   As always, you've got questions, I've got answers, just leave them below.

Happy Eating,

-The Doctor

Corned Beef and Cabbage Salad with Mustard-Horseradish Dressing

I love St. Paddy's day (not Patty, that's an insult, Paddy is short for Padraig, the Saint's true name) the beer is green, the parties are good, but the corned beef and cabbage is just blah.  Not that it's not good, it's just the same thing over and over again every year.  This recipe is a bit lighter and less boiled than the heavy one pot meal traditionally served for St. Patrick, and it's a great alternative to the norm.  This makes enough for 4.  I have the tools and knives sharp enough to cut the cabbage real thin, but if you don't, no worries,  just buy the pre-packaged coleslaw kits, especially if your local grocer cuts them themselves like mine does. Another good alternative is to process all of the vegetables through a slicing attachment on you food processor if you have one.

2 bags Coleslaw mix or 1 medium head cabbage

Fancy conred beef and cabbage

1 small red onion, sliced thin

1 tsp chives, sliced thin

1 green bell pepper (Well, I'm not doing red for the Irish right?), thin julienne

1 lb corned beef (get your deli to slice it 1/4 inch thick)

2 tbsp. mayo

2 tbsp. cider vinegar

1 tbsp. sour cream

2 tbsp. Old Fashioned Whole Grain mustard or Creole Mustard (please don't use the yellow crap)

1 tbsp. prepared horseradish

1 tbsp. sugar

Salt and Pepper to taste

1.  Get a nice big mixing bowl and a whisk.  Whisk together your mustard, mayo, sugar, vinegar, and horseradish in the bowl.

2.  Add your onions and peppers next.  Stir them around and let them sit for about 5 minutes.  The sugar in the dressing is going to make the vegetables leech water, which is what we want.

3.  Add the cabbage, mix thoroughly with the dressing and season with salt and pepper.  Let this sit again for a few minutes.

4.  Take 1/4 of the sliced corned beef and julienne it.  Mix it through your salad.  Garnish with the chives.

5.  Now your ready to serve this.Take the salad out and put in on a platter, make sure to keep it nice and high.  I like to squeeze the salad a little bit to get the excess liquid off.  (Reserve it though, we'll use it in a minute).  Arrange your corned beef around the salad and drizzle just a little of that excess dressing you squeezed out on the salad. Garnish with the chives and you’re set. 

Yeah, I know, the picture doesn't look like what I describe, but you guys know by now My foods gotta look good too, not just my leisure suit. So where are the potatoes you're asking?  Well, you don't need them , but if you must, some roasted red potatoes are a nice change of pace.  I'll have a recipe up for that too, but in a nutshell, toss some small red potatoes with some oil, salt and pepper and roast them at 375 for about 45 minutes.   You got a question?  Just ask, and don't' forget to subscribe.

Happy Eating,

The Doctor.

Roast Pork Sandwich

When I say "Philly Sandwich" what do you think?  Probably Cheesesteak.  Well, you're right it's what that city is known for, but what you don't know, unless you're a native like me, is there's another sandwich native to that city, that put the Philly Cheesesteak in the dirt. It's the famous roast pork sandwich you can get at any place that serves up cheesesteaks, even Pat's and Gino's, although I should note that DiNic's is the current title holder for best sandwich in the city.  There are  a few different ways to do this sandwich.  Some places use broccolirabe and some use long hots (long spicy green chiles).  I'm using onions and long hots for this recipe.  This will make about 6 sandwiches, plus some for later. 

Sandwich Porn....

6 Italian style rolls, toasted

3 lb. pork butt

2 medium onion, cut in 1/2 inch slices

6-7 long hots, cut in 1/2 inch slices

Olive Oil for tossing

2 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp. chopped fresh rosemary

1/4 c. chopped fresh parsley

1 tbsp. garlic powder (GHASP!!!!!)  Trust me.

1/2 pound sliced aged provolone or parmesan cheese (the real stuff, not the crap in the can).

1.  Let me show you how to cut the onions and peppers.  You want them thick because you're going to roast them for a long time with that pork.  It might be smart to preheat your oven to 300 now too.  For the onions, cut the ends off, then peel it.  Go about 1/2 inch thick all the way down.  For the peppers, just lay down a half inch slice.  Take out the seeds if you want, but I'm leaving them in because i like it spicy.  

Cutting the peppers

Cutting the onions

2.  Toss your onions and pepper in a bowl with some salt and pepper, olive oil, garlic powder, and the herbs.  Lay them out in a deep roasting pan.  

3.  Lay your pork over your vegetables.  If it's a really thick butt, I like to cut it down into 1inch thick slices to cut down the cooking time.  Cover this well and let it roast for 2.5-3 hours.  You'll know the pork is ready because it will be falling apart.

4.  Before you do anything, DO NOT DRAIN THE JUICE!!!!!!!  Pull the pork in the roasting pan, so it stays with the juice and vegetables. 

PORK PORN!!!!!

5. When you're ready to eat, give the meat, onions, and peppers a good stir, grab a bun, lay some cheese on the bottom and spoon that beautiful meat mixture into the bun.  

6.  Devour

This is one of those recipes I actually won’t mess with much, because it's such a classic.  Every place has their own spin, but I usually keep with onions, pepper, and broccoli rape for my vegetables, and paremsan or provolone for my cheese.  The best thing about this recipe is you can make it a day ahead, let the meat sit in the juice overnight, and it's even better the next day.  As always, you got questions?  Leave 'em in the comments.

Happy Eating,

-The Doctor

Sprouts & Smoked Almonds

This one is for all of you out there who have been asking for something a bit lighter. I know, this blog is very meat centric. Well right now at least, but you gotta have something to eat with your meat, right? (Insert Epic Meal Time Hate here)  This was a side I came up with when I was in Atlanta, working at a steakhouse.  I used smoked peanuts originally, because, well, who doesn't eat peanuts in Georgia; it's one of their major crops for crying out loud.  Brussels Sprouts are a great winter vegetable. They don't get a great rap because they can be bitter, but I guarantee you this recipe can make any hater a fan. You can feel free to sub in your own choice of smoked nuts as well.  This recipe feeds 4.

You got some vegetables, you happy now?!?!?!

1.5 lbs. fresh Brussels Sprouts, halved

¼ c smoked almonds, chopped

1 tbsp. whole butter

1 tbsp. olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1.     Start by bringing a pot of salted water up to a boil and get a nice bowl of ice water.  How much salt itn eh water?  It should be as salty as chicken soup.  If you want a true measurement, use 1 tbsp. per 2 qts of water. 

2.     We're gonna blanch these sprouts.  When the water comes up to a boil drop in your sprouts.  Let them go for about a minute.  When they're tender, pull them out and drop them right in the ice water.  Let them sit until they’re cool, then drain them.  Just a note here, you can do this a day ahead of time if you like.

2.  When you're ready to start cooking, get your olive oil and butter into a nice hot skillet. (Let's say maybe medium high heat). When the butter starts to turn brown, add your sprouts and almonds.  Just warm them though, about 2 minutes total.  Toss them or stir them to keep them from burning.  Season with salt and pepper and you're done.

Can't get easier right?  I told you could substitute the nuts earlier, and you can also substitute green beans, savoy cabbage, and spinach for the sprouts, just to give you some imaginative ideas.  As always, drop a comment and follow the page.

Happy Eating,

 -The Doctor.

Balsamic Tomato and Herb Soup

Crazy winter this year, right?  It's hot and cold more than a Katy Perry song.  Well whether it's hot outside or cold outside, soup makes a great lunch and this recipe is great served hot or cold.  I used to actually use this recipe for an Italian style Gazpacho, then ran into a pinch one night and heated it up to use as a sauce over some Branzino.  The result became so popular I had to have that soup hot and cold all year long AND keep that Branzino on the menu.  Here's what you need for a gallon.

4 cloves garlic, peeled

NOT Campbells', with turkey croutons, and creme fraiche

1 medium white or yellow onion, sliced

2 tbsp. Olive Oil

1 tbsp. fresh rosemary leaves

1 tbsp. fresh thyme leaves

4 fresh sage leaves

1/4 c. Balsamic vinegar

1/4 tomato paste

1/4 c. White wine

2 28 oz. cans whole tomatoes

1 quart, chicken stock

1.  Just like any other soup we've done, we're going to get to Olive Oil started in a heavy bottom pot.  Turn the heat up to medium and add the onions, garlic and herbs. We're going to let these sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring every two or three.  Remember we don't want any color on these.

Sweatin' them onions

2. When the onions, garlic and herbs are ready, add your tomato paste.  Cook this down for about a minute, stirring constantly.  Then add your wine and vinegar.  These need to reduce down to almost dry like this:

3.  Now it's time to add your tomatoes and chicken stock.  Let this simmer for about 45 minutes on medium low heat.  After 45 minutes, it's time to puree the soup.  Here's a little trick, if you puree this hot, it's going to turn orange.  To keep the soup red you can either let it cool down before you puree it, or add 1/2 tsp. of baking soda to every blender full of soup you puree.  Cooking it for myself, I don't care what color it is, it just tastes good, but you know some people.  

Serving this hot or cold is great with some nice crusty bread (Like what soup isn't).  When I serve this hot, I'll usually add some macaroni, sausage, or chicken meat to this soup.  Believe it or not, this is great way to use up leftover turkey too, while adding some protein to this dish.  As for cold, I'll usually dice up some peppers and cucumbers and garnish it with some Greek yogurt.    As usual, don't be afraid to play with this a little bit.  Post you variations below in the comments.

Happy Eating

-The Doctor

Ropa Vieja

Anyone who can speak Spanish knows what this means.  Yup, "Old Clothes".  Ropa Vieja originated in the Canary Islands, but it's the national dish of Cuba.  It was originally just a stew made from leftovers, but almost every Hispanic country has developed it's own version.  This version here comes from a little old Cuban lady named Maritza, who was my cafeteria cook in Mexico.  This recipe was so good and became so popular with the hotel Executives we had to put it on our banquet menu, and finagle a fine dining version to keep on the restaurant menu in the hotel where I was working.  

Ropa "Not Ganghnam Style" Vieja

3 lbs. flank steak, or skirt steak

2 tbsp. whole butter

1/2 c. tomato paste

1 medium onion, split and julienne

1 each green and red bell pepper julienne

1 c. beef stock, or beer ( I like to use Negra Modelo for this)

3 cloves garlic, chopped

1/2 ketchup

1 14 oz. can diced tomatoes with chipotle (or whatever diced tomatoes you like)

1/2 c rough chopped cilantro

1/4 rough chopped Epazote

1.  Start by melting your butter in a heavy pot.  Add the onions, garlic and peppers and sweat down for about 5 minutes.  We're not going to sweat these all the way out, but just get them started.  They should look like this:

2.  After about 5 minutes, add your tomato paste and stir that around for just under a minute.  Add your beer and diced tomatoes.

3.  Let this come up to a simmer, then add your meat.  I leave the meat whole, but you don't have to if you don't want to.  Cover this and let it simmer for about an hour.

4.  When an hour is up, add your herbs and ketchup.  Cover again and simmer for another 90 minutes, or until the meat is falling apart.  

5.  When the meat is nice and tender, pull it out, and let it cool down until you can handle it.  Keep the sauce simmering and let it reduce a bit, about  1/4.  

6.  Shred the beef by hand and add back to the sauce.  Stir until everything is combined evenly and serve.

Traditionally, this is served with rice and black beans.  We always served it with tortillas as well, but I'm pretty sure that was because we had some really great tortillas in the part of Mexico I was in.  I've seen it served with fried ripe plantains (maduros) and crispy unripe plantain chips as well.  In the Canary Islands, they're still serving this with potatoes, so you can see how versatile this is.  You got questions?  I've got the answer,  just let me know in the comments.

Happy Eating

-The Doctor

Classic Turkey Meat Balls

Why turkey meatballs?  Well, ground turkey was on sale at the grocery store, so that's why.  Besides, it's something you can make with your fresh pasta recipe that I gave you earlier this week.  You can do this recipe with any meat you want.  Traditionally, Italians do meatballs with a mix of beef, pork, and veal, but I've used, chicken, lamb, and venison as well.  I've found this recipe to be the most versatile, but I'll also be putting up different style meatball recipes through the blog.  I like to make these in big batches and freeze them to keep on hand.  You never now when a party's going to break out around here.  This makes about 40 1 oz. meatballs.

3 lb Ground turkey ( or whatever meat you like)

2 eggs

1/3 c diced white bread, toasted

1/3 c milk

1/4 c. parmesan

1 tbsp. chopped fresh oregano

1 tbsp. chopped fresh thyme

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1.  The first step is to make a panada.  Toasting the bread removes more moisture allowing it to pick up more milk, and, therefore, more flavor.  Mix the diced bread and milk, and let it sit in the fridge for an hour.  

2.  After an hour, add the eggs, Parmesan and herbs to the panada and start smushing it all together with your hands.  (Yes, "smushing" is a word, look it up in the New Jersey Dictionary).  Make sure everything is mixed well, then go back into the fridge for another hour. 

3.  Now it's time to get all of this good stuff mixed together!!  Put the meat into a nice mixing bowl and mix in your panada by hand. Before you get all messy, season the meat with salt and pepper.  You can always go back and add more.  If you want to taste test these, all you need to do is heat up a pan with some oil, then fry up a small patty.  Don't be afraid to do this a few times until you get the seasoning right.  

4. When the mix is nice and homogeneous (big word right?), take a one ounce s ice cream/cookie scoop, and a bowl of warm water.  Dip the scoop in the warm water then scoop out 4 or five meatballs.  After that you'll see the meat start to stick to the scoop.   Just simply re-dip and clean.  Keep doing this until you've scooped all of the meat.

5.  Now get a saute pan hot with some oil.  When you see a slight bit of smoke in the pan, start searing your meat balls.  We're going to cook them all the way here, only because we're going to freeze them, and they're so small.  

So that's it, they're ready to freeze or serve.  If you want to make these bigger, go ahead,  just make sure you finish them off in the oven. These will keep in the freezer a good couple of months, if you wrap them correctly.  As always, if you have question, just ask below.

Happy Eating

-The Doctor

Back to the basics...Pasta Dough

"Here we go Doc, more simple stuff..."  YUP!!!!!  I'm giving you this recipe because I'm going to refer to it a lot.  We'll be doing some interesting lasagna's ravioli, agnolotti and other fun things with pasta that are just plain  better with fresh pasta. Besides, how much cooler would you look to your friends making this from scratch !?  The correct answer here is AWESOME!!!!  This is a generic pasta dough recipe I developed for AP flour.  I do prefer to use Semolina, but sometimes and in some parts of the country, it's just too hard to find (and this blog is all about making it easy).  I'm also going to give you two sets of instructions one for using a mixer, and the other by hand, so you can do whatever you like.  Here's what you need to make about a pound -

Finished dough, photo by randomcuisine.com

2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting 
1 teaspoon salt
3 large eggs, plus 1 for egg wash
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Cornmeal, semolina, or more flour for dusting

To make the pasta dough In an electric mixer: 

1. For the love of all that is culinary, please make sure you have a dough hook.

2. Combine the flour and salt. Turn on the mixer.

3. Add the eggs,1 at a time, and continue to mix.

4.  Drizzle in 1 tablespoons of the olive oil and continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball.

5. When you have a nice ball, stop the mixer, and take the ball out.  Sprinkle some flour on work surface, knead and fold the dough until elastic and smooth, this should take about 10 minutes. Then brush the surface with some more olive oil and wrap the dough in plastic wrap. Let this puppy rest in the fridge for about 30 minutes to allow the gluten to relax.

Alternatively if you don't have an electric mixer:

1. Combine the flour and salt on a flat work surface; shape into a mound and make a                  

 well in the center.

2. Add the eggs and 1 tablespoon of the olive oil to the well and lightly beat with a fork.

3. Gradually draw in the flour from the inside wall of the well in a circular motion. Use 1 hand for mixing and the other to protect the outer wall. Continue to incorporate all the flour until it forms a ball. 

4.  Repeat Step 5 form above (yeah, I'm that lazy, you got a problem wit' dat?)

OK, so the pasta part was easy right?  You're ready to do anything with this, and it's good to have in your little black cookbook. I'm lucky and have my own little electric pasta machine.  If you have a mixer, there's usually an attachment you can buy for rolling out pasta. If you don't have either, you can go Old Skool and use a rolling pin like Nonna used to do.  As always, if you have questions,  just ask below.

Happy Eating

-The Doctor



  

Dirty DC Half-Smoke Mac and Cheese

Yes, this is as awesome as it sounds. When your'e  in Washington D.C., and you go to a place like Ben's Chili Bowl, or any vendor on the street, you're not going to order a hotdog, you're going to get a half-smoke.  Sure, you can get a hot dog, but what's the point?  It's just not D.C.  You remember the old saying about "When in Rome..." right?  A half-smoke, for the un-initiated is a half beef, half pork smoked sausage that you can get anywhere in the city, and it's a specialty of world famous Ben's Chili Bowl in the city.  I got the idea for this dish from what we used to call "Ghetto 'Sketti" during my time as a banquet chef.  It was usually left over hot dogs, pasta, and cheese whiz from kid's menu banquets (Oh like you never stole some from the kids table) - I just simply replaced the hot dog with something much better.  This recipe will make about 1 serving for me, 4-6 for the normal human.

1/2 lb uncooked weight pasta of your choice (I used Gemelli for this recipe) cooked and cooled

Yeah...nothing to say here, just look...

1/4 c. Cheez Whiz (don't cringe, it's a Philly classic)
1/4 c. whole milk
2 tbsp Cajun seasoning
1/4 c. minced red onion
1 whole tomato, large diced, seeds rinsed
1 tsp. flour
1 tbsp whole butter
4 oz. GOOD American cheese (like the deli counter stuff, NOT the singles), cubed
1/2 sliced half smokes (if you can't find them use the Hillshire Farms smoked sausages, they're close enough)
1/4 c. shredded cheddar cheese

1. First things first, let's get the butter in a heavy bottom sauce pot, and preheat our oven to 350.  Let that butter melt a bit on high heat and add your sausages.  Cook these for  a minute of two, then add the Cajun seasoning, onions, and tomatoes.  Cook these down until the onions are translucent; if you need to add more butter, feel free, sometimes the Cajun seasoning can soak it up. We want just a little greasy goodness in the pot.

2.  When the onions are translucent, scoop out everything that's in the pot and pour out on a plate . Leave all of the grease/butter in the pot.  Add your flour and cook it, stirring constantly for about a minute.

3.  Now add your milk.  This is going to need to cook out for just a couple of minutes and get thick.  After about 5 minutes of simmering and stirring, add the American cheese and the Cheez Whiz.  Stir or whisk this until they melt.

4.  Now it gets good.  Add your sausage and veggies back to the pot, thenyou’re your pasta and mix evenly.  Transfer all of this to an oven safe dish and top with the shredded cheddar.

5.  Pop the whole thing in the oven until the cheddar melts, then serve. 

There's not much else to say about this.  It's simple and delicious.  As always feel free to experiment with other cheeses.  I know for a fact Blue Cheese, Gouda, and Mozzarella will really kick this off too. Dont' be afraid to try out other sausages and meats too.  Kielbasa, Andouille, and Tasso Ham all will work for this recipe too.

Happy Eating,

-The Doctor

Roasted Wings with Blue Cheese Tabasco butter

What another wing recipe???   Yup.  I can't have a football party with just one type of wing.  That's just plain wrong.  The technique we're using for the sauce here is a bit more advanced than what you've seen so far; but it's still a basic sauce, and a great technique to have in your arsenal.  We'll be doing a Buerre  Blanc, which literally mean White Butter which is wine with butter melted into it very slowly so it doesn't break.  It sounds complicated, but if you take your time, it comes out perfectly.  For 4 lbs. of wings you'll need:

New twist on classic flavors

1/2 c. white wine1/2 shallot, chopped

1/4 c. Heavy Cream

1 tbsp. hot sauce (Like Frank's Hot, Crystal, or Tabasco Buffalo.  These add a great pepper flavor)

2 tbsp. tabasco (more if you like it hottter)

4 oz. crumbled blue cheese

1/2 lb. butter, cut up into even pieces

1.  In a sauce pot, combine your shallots and wine.  Reduce them over medium high heat until the wine is almost dry like this:

Wine and shallots reduced to "dry" or "au sec"

2.  Add your cream and hot sauce and simmer for just 3-5 minutes.  You want them to reduce by about 1/4 or 1/3.  

3.  When this mixture has been reduced down, lower the heat and start adding your butter piece by piece.  Use a whisk to move the butter around.  Wait about 30 seconds between adding each piece of butter and don't stop whisking until all of the butter is melted.  

4.  When the butter is all melted, cut the flame and add the blue cheese.  Let it melt just a little by beating it up with your whisk, but not too much.  Add your Tabasco.  Put the sauce off the side somewhere warm.

Slowly whisking in your butter

For the wings:

1.  Pre-heat your oven to 450 or 500 hundred.  I say either or because some ovens can only go to 450, while some can hit 500.  Either is fine.  In some ovens a "Broil" may be more effective, so just make sure you know how your oven is calibrated

2.  Toss the wings in oil salt and pepper and spread out evenly on a baking tray like this:

Wings ready for the oven

3.  Place the wings on the lowest rack in the oven.  Let them go for about 20-25 minutes.  You should start to hear them sizzle.

4.  At this point turn them and finish them off on the other side, about another 20-25 minutes.  Drain off and SAVE and juice that may be in the pan. (Emergency chicken stock)

5.  When the wings are ready, grab a bowl and put a few in there.  Toss them in the sauce and get a good coat.  Repeat until all of the wings are coated, then serve.  I like to just sprinkle a bt more blue cheese on them and throw a couple dashes of Tabasco on top just for visual.

The cool part about this recipe is the sauce we're doing.  I’ll be putting up a more basic and traditional version of the recipe in a few weeks, but how nice is it to have your hot sauce and blue cheese in the same sauce?  About the wings, you can fry these or grill them too (grilling is my favorite).  Feel free to play with them as much as you like.

As always, if you have questions, leave them in the comments below.  

Happy Eating

-The Doctor

Texas-Style I.P.A chili with Roasted Corn

If you've ever been to Texas, you'll know they don't make their chili with ground meat.  It's blasphemy actually.  They use real hunks of chuck and round, and cook them low and slow until they break apart, kind of like a liquid barbecue.  This recipe breaks with tradition a bit because they only vegetable a Texan will allow in his chili is an "Unjin" or a "'Mater", but I haven't had a complaint yet.  I first had something like this in Dallas while I was on a layover on a trip to Mexico for the Mexican Disco Championships. Believe it or not, they wear masks for that too, not just pro wrestling (I dig it).  This recipe will make about 1 gallon of chili.

Proper chili action

4 lbs. chuck, round or sirloin, diced about 1/2 inch

1 onion, diced 1/2 inch
2 14 oz. cans diced tomatoes with chipotle

2 tbsp. chili powder.

1 tbsp. cumin

1 tbsp. garlic powder

1 bottle very hoppy I.P.A. beer (like Tupper's, Smutty Nose, or Long Hammer)

3 ears corn

1.  First thing to do is get the corn roasted.   Turn on your broiler, and rub down your ears of corn with some oil or butter.  Place them under the broiler, in a pan, for 3-5 minutes, then take them out and turn. They should look like this when you’re done.

2.  Let these cool and run a knife down the cob to remove the kernels.  Place these off to the side from now.

3.  Now we're going to sear the meat.  In a heavy pot or cast iron skillet drop in about 1-2 tbsp. of olive or vegetable oil, and turn the flame up high.    When you start to see just a hint of smoke, start dropping in the meat a few pieces at a time.  You don't want to add to much to the pan or else you'll just you'll just end up boiling the meat.  As pieces brown and caramelize, remove them and add more, until all of the meat is ready.

4.  Add the onions and let them cook for just a couple minutes.  We do want them to get some color, but we don't want too much.  After a couple of minutes, add the corn, then your spices.  Toast them up for just a minute.

5. When the spices are nice and toasty, add your beer and tomatoes.  If you're using a skillet, now would be the time to transfer to wither a pot or a slow cooker.

6.  When you're in a pot or slow cooker, add your meat and let this mixture simmer for about 2 1/2-3 hours.  At the end, season with salt and pepper to taste.      

This recipe takes long time, but it's very worth it.  Having the slow cooker helps tremendously because you can just do the Ron Popiel and "set it and forget it.”  I like to serve this up with some Gouda or Cheddar cheese on top and just a little bit of avocado.  It also goes great with cornbread, mixed into macaroni and cheese, or as a filling for a Sloppy Joe. As always, if you have questions, leave them in the comments.

Happy Eating

-The Doctor