Famous

 

My aunt described this dish to me as the famous chicken. The illustrious and all-consumed chicken (besides vegetarians). It's like that event or holiday that you can always remember going to because they make sure to always prepare that famous something. There's an annual First Pitch Dinner my baseball team holds at the Marriott and I know we all look forward to it because of the unlimited Caesar salad, penne vodka, steak and mashed taters. Whether its meatballs or lobster linguine or corn on the cob, a smile is on everyone's face with the pure enjoyment of food. 

And so it leads me into my aunt's famous rice with meat and chicken. It's a classic Middle-Eastern dish with simple flavors that never disappoint. 

The ingredients I used to make this dish are: salt, pepper, butter, olive oil, lemon, all spice, 7-spice mix, cinnamon, pine nuts, whole chicken, ground beef, and white rice. 

Start by preheating your oven to 420 degrees. 

Then, take out 2 whole chickens and place them in a sheet. Rub allspice and 7-spice mix onto the chicken so it is evenly distributed. Throw on some salt and pepper as well. Finally, squeeze adequate lemon juice and drizzle olive oil onto the chicken and around the pan. Place that into your preheated oven and let it cook. It should take around 45 minutes. Keep an eye on it!

Next, grab 2 pounds of chopped ground beef and season it with the same things: allspice, 7-spice mix, salt and pepper. Place it in a pan that's already sizzling with butter and cook until the meat is brown and tender. Drizzle in some lemon, too, it tastes great. Drain the meat in a colander and let it sit until you need it again. 

In another pot, get water boiling and put in enough rice for about 8 people. That will take about 15 minutes to cook through. Make sure to continually mix so nothing sticks to the pan. Drizzle in some lemon, too, it tastes great. 

When the chicken is done cooking, take it out of the oven (use mitts!) and place the pan on a safe surface. With a sharp knife and large fork, begin to pull the chicken meat off the bone. It should rip off easily, the smells should be great and the meat should look juicy.

Now that all three components of the dish are complete, throw them all into one large pan. Mix it all around and drizzle some more lemon atop and some more spices too.

As you can tell, it's a simple dish in terms of ingredients. 

One last thing… warm up pine nuts in a pan (no butter, no nothing) for about five minutes until they're a nice golden-brown. When that done, throw them in. A perfect addition, you'll see. 

All this makes for an amazing dish that some would call, famous. I hope you enjoy!

 

 

Una salsa picante

Probably seen as an appetizer on any restaurant menu, the meal we'll make tonight is a collaboration of classic Mexican and pub dining. It's a simple few chops away from a delicious and playful delight. 

We'll be making nachos. And to go with those nachos, we'll have salsa and ground beef. It's the delectable party favor on the side table that guests can't bring themselves away from. Here's how to make it:

The ingredients I used for the salsa are: salt, pepper, tomato, red and sweet onion, jalapeño and Scotch Bonnet peppers, lemon, lime, and cilantro.

First: prepare. You'll need a cutting board, a mixing bowl or plate, a grater, and a sharp knife. 

Start by cutting up 4 tomatoes. To be neat, cut the tomato into compartments of sorts, and scoop out the seeds and excess juices. Then, carefully dice into tiny pieces. When your done with each section, throw it into the bowl.

Next, rip the skin off of 1 red and 1 sweet onion. Then, chop the sides off and begin to slice in one direction. When it's all fallen apart, cut them again in the opposite direction to make equally tiny pieces. Throw it into the bowl.

Then, grab 2 jalapeño and 2 Scotch Bonnet peppers. Slice then from the bottom to the top (I actually only used about half of each). As that is now chopped, chop again, making very small pieces. Add these into the bowl. 

Now, grab 1 lime and 1 lemon. Roll them on the table while pressing lightly to stimulate the flavors. Chop both in half. Then, grate a half of each the lemon and lime skin into the bowl; this is a perfect zing to add into your salsa. Next, squeeze those same halves so the juice jumps right in as well. 

Lastly, take your cilantro and chop off the leaves. Continue to chop at them until they're a modest size. Also, take the middle of the stem and slice off about a quarter-inch worth (this adds a little more crunch to the salsa). 

And that's everything that goes into the salsa. Simply season generously and mix it all around. Then let it sit in the fridge while you cook the rest of the meal. 

Next up are the chips and meat. It's quite straight forward and shouldn't take more than 10 minutes. 

I put pepperjack and cheddar cheese on the chips, and I seasoned the chopped meat with salt, pepper, and lime juice. 

Season your chopped meat evenly and throw it onto a heated pan with butter. Let it cook through while mixing it and chopping it throughout. The key is to have the smallest chunks of meat possible. 

I also added some lime juice to match the meal, but that can be left to your discretion. When it's fully cooked, take it off the heat and throw it into a strainer to take out the excess liquids.

At the same time, shave copious amounts of pepperjack and cheddar cheese onto a bed of chips and throw it under the broiler. In 45 seconds or so, you should have nachos.

And that's all folks! You've created an amazingly vibrant salsa alongside cheesy chips and ground beef. It's the perfect warmup to an entree, or, the perfect late night meal for a college student.

I hope this recipe works wonders for you too!

Spaghetti and Meatballs

A few months ago I wrote an article that got into adding my own flavor to a Wikipedia page. I had chosen to stay on the topic of food, of course, and I went to the page of my favorite food show: Diners, Drive-ins and Dives. I had seen the page and realized there were no sections speaking about celebrity guest appearances on the show; so, I decided to do my own research and add most, if not all, of the celebrities who had been on the show. 

What I wrote back then is still on the page, so, clearly, people agree and appreciate my addition. But now it's time to cook something from the show. And more specifically, I'm going to cook spaghetti and meatballs, the same thing that Adam Sandler, Chris Rock and Kevin James cooked. They were cooking newbies and it was a fun atmosphere, host and chef Guy Fieri guided them through the preparations while they added the most unappetizing, random ingredients to their meatballs. Potato chips, gummy worms and mustard seeds were a few. 

But I'd like to make a delicious meal. One that is entirely from scratch- even the sauce. So here it goes, my first attempt at spaghetti and meatballs. What can go wrong?

The ingredients I used in this dish were: salt, pepper, milk, egg, Parmesan cheese, breadcrumb, garlic, onion, shallot, parsley, basil, raisin, spaghetti, and mixed ground beef, lamb, and pork. 

Alright, as per usual, you need to prepare a lot of pots and pans, bowls, forks, knives etc. This is the most laborious meal we've made so far. 

The sauce is going to take the longest time to cook and so, get started on that first. Have about 15 ripe tomatoes ready to be thrown into a boiling pot of water. You can throw them in individually or in small groups. Have the tomatoes in the water for about 30 seconds, then take them out and drop them into a large bowl filled with ice water. Finish the boiling process before beginning to peel your tomatoes. When all of the tomatoes are in the ice water, take each out and, with your hands, simply tear the skin off (it should come off rather easily). When you are done peeling, you have to cut each tomato in halves or quarters, and then, take out the rough insides. This, overall, is a 15 minute process if you're working alone. To finish, throw all of your tomatoes into a pot at medium heat. With time, the tomatoes will break down. Add seasoning at your own discretion, and add a few drops of red wine vinegar, olive oil or lemon juice, too. An hour or so in you can add some chopped shallot or onion, too, for texture and flavor. Mix throughout!

Next, it's time to create our very own meatballs. It's quite the fun process, actually. In a small bowl, combine about 1 cup of milk and 1 cup of breadcrumbs. Let that sit.

Chop up 1/4 onion and 1/4 shallot. Also, slice about 15 raisins into scraps.

Next, crack an egg into a large bowl with 1 tsp. of salt, 2 tsp. of pepper, 3/4 cup of Parmesan cheese and 1/2 cup of parsley. Whisk that until it is mixed nicely.

Then, incorporate the meat into the mixture. With your hands, squish and squash it all together. Lastly, blend in the soggy breadcrumbs and also, the onion, shallots and raisins. Continue to meld until you feel it's ready to become meatballs.

To construct a meatball, grab a small handful from the glob of mixed ingredients that will roll out to about 3/4 of an inch diameter. Roll the meaty mixture gently in the palm of your hands until the outside is smooth. 

Rack each one onto a sheet pan (covered with PAM); they don't have to be too separated. My mixture came out to about 30 meatballs. 

Throw the pan into the broiling oven. Keep an eye on them the whole time because they can be easily overcooked. 

In the meantime, you can prepare your spaghetti! It's as simple as throwing it in a boiling pot of water for about 10 minutes. 

When everything is ready you should have a delicious sauce that is as fresh the garden itself, meatballs that are succulent and tasteful, and a spaghetti that coils around your fork like a vine to a tree. 

Hopefully the three components to your dish come out around the same time so you can enjoy it hot. Enjoy!

The Far East, courtesy of Chef Ramsay

Do you remember the show Hells’ Kitchen? It aired on Fox and featured world-renowned chef Gordon Ramsay as he would go around bashing people’s attempts at cooking. The show was entertaining because of Ramsay’s rage, rather than the food being prepared. I never enjoyed watching it, and, because of my laid-back personality, I was never particularly fond of Ramsay either.

But recently that has changed. Ramsay has an expansive YouTube channel where he posts videos of himself cooking elaborate yet easy-to-make dishes. He is not temperamental as I once perceived, but rather, he creates a gentle atmosphere where learning and fun are combined in the kitchen.

So, here’s to looking at you, Chef Ramsay. The dish I made tonight is a culmination of a few tricks I learned after watching your videos.

Here are a few cooking tips that Chef Ramsay preaches:

•   There's always something more to learn in the kitchen, whether it's ingredients or techniques.
•   If the meat doesn't sizzle when you put it on the pan, take it off. 
•   It is so dangerous working in the kitchen with a blunt knife; working with a sharp knife is 10 times quicker, more efficient
•   For a whole head of garlic, crush and shake in a bowl to take off all the skin, leaving only cloves
•   To get seeds out of chili pepper, hold it upright and rub in between your hands, tap it and continue to rub again. Then cut the top off and dump the seeds right out. 

Anyway, tonight I had the pleasure of cooking for a good friend, Mr. Jack Loftus. He’s a man with keen erudition and a palate open to all flavors. While cooking for Jack, I made sure to keep reminding him of how much longer it would take and, of course, how sorry I’d be if it didn’t turn out good. To this, Jack would reply, “Yonah, I don’t care, it’s free.” Now that’s my kind of customer. You can check out what Jack is up to over here: http://jdloftus.blogspot.com/

So what did I cook? Well, it is an Asian-influenced dish of ground beef and pork alongside white rice noodles. ‘Twas packed with flavor that flocks could smell for miles.
 

The ingredients I used were: olive oil, salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, lime, serrano, poblano and long hot peppers, scallion, sesame seed oil, fish sauce, brown sugar, white rice noodles and ground beef and pork.

Start by, of course, preparing.  If there is one thing I did differently tonight, I did not specifically measure out any ingredients. I'm at a point in my cooking career where I can tell how much flavor to add to chopped meat. It's basically a staple of easy cooking, so I've been cooking chili a little while. 

Chop up ginger; this is interesting because it's basically a piece of wood. Skim off the skin and make sure to practice #knifesafety. Continue to cut your garlic, pepper and scallions. 

Now, season your meat with salt and pepper and throw it in a pan filled with a tbsp. of olive oil. Cook it until it's well-cooked. Make sure to chop and mix continually so the beef is very fine. Then, take it out and use a filter to take out any liquid, then let it sit. 

Grab your noodles and, instead of throwing them into a boiling pot like you would regularly do, pour boiling water atop the noodles in a large bowl - make sure to have the noodles entirely covered. Let that sit for about 10 minutes, mixing time and time again. When you take the noodles out and drain, pour some olive oil on top to keep it from sticking together. 

In what should be a quick process, drizzle a dollop of sesame seed oil and olive oil into a hot pan. When it heats up, throw in your garlic, ginger and peppers. Next, add in brown sugar to caramelize the spices. Not too long after, grab your meat and dump it back into the pan. After a minute or so add in fish sauce, lime juice, and grate lime zest too. Lastly, add in your chopped scallions for flavor and crunch. Take the dish off the stove no more than 30 seconds later. 

I tried to prepare the meal in a way that finished together at the same time, I hope it works out for you too. I also put some fish sauce on the noodles because, as you'll see, they don't have much flavor. 

But, the ground beef had a wealth of contrasting flavors. The spices were very hot, but when the ginger and lime's tanginess come around, your mouth isn't too bothered. 

A very good meal, I must say; you could make it too!