The Chefs Table at Home | Blogger

Danish Design - A Leader in Contemporary Style

2009-01-11T08:42:00.000-08:00

Over the holidays I received so many calls telling me how much people loved the Eva Solo and Stelton designed products that they received as gifts. So I decided to write a little bit about the history of Danish design and the companies that I carry on my site.

Both Eva Solo and Stelton are companies based in Denmark and are heavily influenced by local Danish designers. Stelton which was founded in 1960 was focused on bringing stainless steel hollow ware (i.e. platters, salad bowls, etc.) to the retail market. In conjunction with famous Danish architect Arne Jacobsen they formulated a plan for their first line of products. The now famous Cylinda-Line has transformed the functionality of tableware. Since its inception Stelton has grown their product line to five separate series of stainless steel and ABS plastic products. They now have over 20 designers on staff to represents once again one of the most innovative and front-running companies of its kind.

Please browse our site to view the full line of Stelton Designed products. As always feel free to contact us if you need more information on the Stelton line or any of our other lines of kitchen and dining accessories. Click on this link for Stelton.

Eva Solo was launched in 1997 as an offspring of a 60 year old Danish company. Eva Solo has a very distinct style that combines youth with experience. Eva Solo has developed to comprise a unique collection of award winning designs. Each product is created as the center of its own universe, and represents the ultimate combination of functionality and style.

Eva Solo has large variety of kitchen and dining accessories that will add a contemporary touch to your home. Please browse through the site to view the entire collection of Eva Solo. Just click on this link Eva Solo.

Sea Bass with Roasted Vegetables

2009-01-10T07:21:00.001-08:00

INGREDIENTS:

4 each 5-6 oz. Sea Bass Filets
12 oz. Cherry Tomatoes (sliced in ½)
8 oz. Snow Peas or Sugar Snap Peas (sliced on the bias)
1 Cup Red Onion (small dice)
8 oz. Shiitaki Mushrooms (thinly sliced)
2 Cups Balsamic Vinegar (reserve ½ cup for marinade)
2 Tbs. Garlic Cloves
1 oz. Thai or Traditional Basil Leaves (thinly sliced)
3 oz. Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper to taste

METHOD:

Start out a day ahead by roasting your tomatoes in 300° oven. Marinate the cherry tomatoes with the ½ cup of balsamic vinegar, ½ of the basil, garlic, 1 oz of the olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place the tomatoes on a parchment paper lined sheet tray and roast for 45minutes. You can store the tomatoes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.

You can also prepare the balsamic reduction ahead of time as well. Simply add the vinegar to a pot and allow it to reduce by 2/3. You should store the reduction at room temperature. This reduction has an extremely long shelf life. If you would like to make a larger batch for future uses just increase the original amount of vinegar and reduce by 2/3.

Preheat your oven to 400 - 425°. Make sure that you pat the Sea Bass filets with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Season both sides of the fish with S & P. Preheat a oven safe sauté pan with 2 oz. of olive oil. When the oil begins to smoke place the fish in the pan. DO NOT touch the fish for 4-5 minutes (this will help prevent the fish from sticking to the pan). Gently flip the fish over and immediately place the sauté pan into the oven. Allow the fish to cook for another 7-8 minutes.

While the fish is cooking sauté the onions, mushrooms and peas in 1 oz. of olive oil. At the very end add the cherry tomatoes and fresh basil. Season with S&P.

Herb Roasted Pork Tenderloin

2008-11-17T12:11:00.000-08:00

Roasted Pork Tenderloin w/ Brussel Sprouts and Apples &
Herb Jasmine Rice

Portion Size: Pork 4-5 ounces, 4 ounces vegetables, 3 ounces starch

INGREDIENTS:

4-5 ounces Pork Tenderloin
3 ounces Brussel Sprouts
1 each Apple (large dice)
1 ½ ounce Red Onion (large dice)
1 Tbs. Garlic (thinly sliced)
1 ½ ounces Cherry Tomatoes (cut in 1/2 )
3 ounces Jasmine Rice
2 ounce Fresh Basil
2 ounce Italian Parsley
2 ounce Fresh Thyme
1 each Lemon (zested)
1 tbs Dijon Mustard
2 Tbs. Olive Oil
1 Tbs. Balsamic Vinegar

METHOD:

Marinate the pork with ½ of the fresh herbs, mustard, and lemon zest. Allow the pork to marinade for a minimum of 1 hour (24 hours is ideal).

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

Preheat a sauté pan with 1 tbs. of olive oil, season the pork with s + p. Sear the pork on one side. After about 4-5 minutes flip the pork and place the pan in the oven. The pork should cook for a total time of 10-12 minutes depending on the size. Remove from the oven and allow the pork to rest.

In a small sauce pot place 6 ounces of water and the rice. Allow the water to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and allow the rice to cook for 8-10 minutes. You can check the rice fro consistency and add a touch more water if needed. Make sure the rice simmers.

Clean the brussel sprouts of any excess leaves and cut them into quarters lengthwise. Blanch the sprouts in boiling water for about 5 minutes or until tender. Once cooked place the sprouts into an ice bath to stop the cooking process. Preheat a sauté pan with 1 tbs. of oil and sauté the garlic and onions. Then add the apples until tender. Season each ingredient as you add them to the pan. Next you will add the tomatoes and sprouts and cook them with the balsamic vinegar.

Japanese Cutlery - Centuries in the Making

2008-10-24T08:22:00.000-07:00

People are always asking me what knives I use in the kitchen. As a professional chef for over a decade I have tried out all sorts of styles, sizes and materials of cutlery . I have used German manufactured knives, as well as French and Japanese knives. I have grown a fondness towards Japanese cutlery due to the fact that they have been making knives/swords for centuries and have pretty much perfected the art.

Japanese knives use only the highest quality materials to produce the sharpest and most durable knives available on the market today. I can talk about all the different manufacturers that create their own unique style of knives and the latest technology that go into each knife until you beg me to stop. I will not bore you with all the minute details. My point of all of this is that you need to understand the basics before you purchase your new knives.

The knives that I sell on my site (http://www.thechefstableathome.com/) were tested by me in a professional kitchen to ensure that I would be able to give my customers the information they needed to make their purchasing decision.

I might as well start out with the Rolls Royce of knives, the Haiku Pro Carbon knives. The Haiku Pro Carbon Knives (http://www.thechefstableathome.com/ProductList.aspx?hd=118) are incredibly sharp and durable, but also require the most attention for upkeep. Each Haiku Pro Carbon knife is handmade in the same traditon as Samurai swords were made centuries ago. The benefits of Carbon steel is that it creates an extremely hard and durable knife that keeps only the sharpest edge. Our Haiku Pro Carbon knives are given an anti rust treatment and then wrapped with an anti rust paper. The Pro Carbon knives will begin to rust if you don't take care of them after each use. Your Pro Carbon Knife will last you a lifetime if you take care of them you should never wash your Pro Carbon knives in the dishwasher to ensure the integrity of the blade. These knives make a great gift for those who appreciate the finer things in life or for the professional chef who needs (or wants) it all.

My choice of cutlery for the everyday chef and home cook is the Chroma Type 301(http://www.thechefstableathome.com/ProductList.aspx?hd=2) knife collection designed by F.A. Porsche ( yes the same guy who designed the cars). This collection is truly like the Porsche cars, with their perfect balance and a beautiful contemporary style. Produced from a single piece of Type 301 steel, this sleek design offers the user great control, balance and feel. Type 301 steel is considered one of the highest quality Japanese steels available. You will instantly fall in love with these knives. I highly recommend the Chroma Type 301 knives over the more well known Global knives. Chroma knives are better balanced and have a more ergonomic handle that leaves you with a more natural fit in your hand giving you more overall control of the knife.

If you are looking for a more traditional style Japanese knife then I would recommend the Haiku or Haiku Damascus knife collection (http://www.thechefstableathome.com/ProductList.aspx?hd=47). These knives are known for their simplistic design and overall function. The Honoki wood handles form to the users hand over extensive use which gives a true custom fit allowing for increased comfort and control. Haiku Damascus knives are 33 layers of stainless steel, only center layer acts as the cutting edge. The layers of the Haiku Damascus knives are repeatedly folded together with different types of stainless steel forge welding until you have 16 thin alternating layers. This allows for an exceptionally sharp edge.

Like I said before I could continue down this path for ever. There are a lot of choices to make when decide to buy a knife. I am here to answer all of your questions to provide the information you need to make the right choice.

Please check out the website (http://www.thechefstableathome.com/) or call me at 1-866-709-2433

Sesame Crusted Halibut w/ Citrus Israeli CousCous

2008-08-02T08:54:00.000-07:00

This recipe is very simple to prepare and makes a wonderful dish to serve for a dinner party or for your family. Feel free to use different seafoods like; scallops, salmon, tuna or shrimp.

As always checkout the website (www.TheChefsTableAtHome.com) for professional cookware and beautiful hand-made porcelain china from France.

Enjoy!

Sesame Crusted Halibut w/ Citrus Israeli Cous Cous
and Sauteed Baby Bok Choy

INGREDIENTS:

5 ounces Halibut Filet
1 Cup Israeli Cous Cous
4 ounces Baby Bok Choy (cut in ½ lengthwise)
1 ounce Red Pepper (small dice)
1 ounce Red Onion (small dice)
1 ounce Celery (small dice)
1 Cup Orange Juice
1 Tbs. Fresh Cilantro (washed and chopped)
1 Tbs. Italian Parsley (washed and chopped)
½ Tbs. Butter
1 Tbs. Black Sesame seeds
1 Tbs. White Sesame seeds

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.

Boil 1 quart of salted water and cook the couscous like you would cook pasta. It will take 5-6 minutes to cook the couscous. Once the couscous is tender strain into a colander.

Blanch the bok choy in salted boiling water. Cook for 3-4 minutes or until tender and then place in an ice bath.

Season the Halibut with salt and pepper and coat in the black and white sesame seeds. Preheat a sauté pan with 1 tbs. of olive oil and sear the fish on one side for 5 minutes. Flip the fish and place into the oven for another 6-7 minutes.

Preheat a sauté pan with 1 tbs of olive oil. Add the onions, peppers and celery and sauté until they become tender. Add the couscous, orange juice and butter. Cook until the orange juice has reduced by 2/3. Season with s & p and add the chopped herbs.

Heat the bok choy in a sauté pan with ½ tbs. of olive oil and season with S & P.

Baja Fish Taco with Mango Mojo Slaw

2008-07-20T08:52:00.000-07:00

Baja Fish Taco w/ Mango Mojo Slaw

INGREDIENTS:

12 oz. Tilapia
2 each Limes (Juiced)
1each Orange (juiced)
2 oz. Arugula
8 oz. Red Cabbage (Sliced)
6 oz. Napa Cabbage (Sliced)
2 oz. Red Onion (Sliced)
2 oz. Red Pepper (Sliced)
2 oz Mango (Sliced)
2 oz. Cilantro (Washed & Chopped)
2 oz. Parsley (Washed & Chopped)
1 oz. Jalapeno (Seeded and Chopped)
1tsp. Cumin Powder
2 tsp. Chili Powder
1 Tbs. Fat Free Sour Cream
2 ½ tbs. Olive Oil
4 each Flour Tortillas

METHOD:

Prepare the slaw no less than an hour before serving, you may even do it the night before.

In a large bowl place the cabbages, red onion, mango, red pepper, orange juice, lime juice, ½ tbs. of olive oil, 1ounce each of the parsley and cilantro and the chopped jalapeno (depending how spicy you want the slaw to be you can chop the jalapeno with the seeds). Mix the ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Cover and allow to sit in the refrigerator until you are ready to serve.

Marinate the Tilapia filets with 1 ounce of the parsley and cilantro, the juice of one lime, cumin, chili powder and olive oil. Allow the fish to marinate in the refrigerator for no more than 30 minutes.

In a non-stick sauté pan, add 1 tbs. of olive oil and allow the oil to heat up so the fish doesn’t stick to the pan. Remove the fish from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Place the fish in the pan and sauté for 5 minutes on either side. Once the fish is cooked remove it from the pan and break it up with a fork.

Heat up the tortilla and then add some of the arugula, red onion and then the fish. Place a dollop of the sour cream ontop. Use the slaw for your side dish you can eat 5 ounces of the slaw.

Grilled Watermelon and Herb Salad

2008-07-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

I went to the Farmer's Market this weekend just to see what was available. The farmer's market is a great way to find not only great produce and herbs but you can usually get great deals as well. As I was walking through I saw some beautiful seedless heirloom watermelons from Mississippi. I am a huge fan of watermelon and after seeing these my imagination just started going crazy with ideas. Sometimes the best way to create a dish is to go to your local market or grocery store and just walk around to see what is available, this will usually get the creative juices flowing.

My dish was coming together quite nicely. I had watermelon, local honey, mint, basil and watercress. At home I had some pine nuts and goat cheese. I was going to make a delicious grilled watermelon salad with a watercress and herb salad, fresh goat cheese and toasted pine nuts. The dressing is going to be a honey-balsamic vinaigrette. This salad is so easy to make and is wonderful to serve for an outdoor party or even in a family style preparation.

I would serve this salad with a Fume/Sauvignon Blanc or a even a Chardonnay. I hope you enjoy this recipe.

INGREDIENTS:

Yields: 4 servings

1 each - Seedless Watermelon

6 ounces - Goat Cheese

8 ounces - Watercress

1 ounce - Mint

1 ounce- Cilantro

1 ounce - Parsley

1 Tbs - Dijon Mustard

4 Tbs. - Honey

2 Tbs - Balsamic Vinegar

2 Cups - Grapeseed Oil

1 Cup - Pine Nuts (toasted)

Salt & Pepper

METHOD:

The first step is to make the vinaigrette. This can be done a day in advance and placed in the refrigerator until you are ready to plate the salad. First place the honey, balsamic vinegar and the Dijon mustard in a mixing bowl. Slowly whisk in the grapeseed oil to emulsify the vinaigrette. Season with salt and pepper.

Next prepare the watermelon for the grill. While you are preparing the watermelon you can go ahead and get the grill started (you want to make sure that the grill is extremely clean and hot). Alright, now for the watermelon. You can really do this however you like but for presentation purposes I like to cut the watermelon in 1/2" thick pieces and then cut out the center part with a ring mold. If you don't have a ring mold then just cut the slices into a square. Brush the watermelon slices with olive oil and season with salt and pepper on both sides. Place the watermelon onto the grill for about 1 minute and then flip onto the other side. Once the watermelon slices are done place them into the refrigerator to allow them to cool down.

Now you are ready to toast the pine nuts. Place the nuts into a cool saute pan and turn the heat to medium high. You want to continuously toss the nuts so that they don't burn. Once they are golden brown they can be removed from the heat and set aside.

Last but not least we are ready to prepare the watercress and herb salad. Clean the watercress of any excess stems and place into a bowl of cold water. Add the herbs to the watercress and wash away any excess dirt. Remove the herbs and cress from the bowl and allow them to dry on a paper towel. Once the greens have dried you can toss them with the vinaigrette (be sure to leave some of the vinaigrette to drizzle around the plate).

For plating you can really do it however you like. I like to place the watermelon slice in the middle of the plate with the greens placed right on top. Drizzle some of the extra vinaigrette onto the plate around the watermelon and the crumble the goat cheese and pine nuts.

Now you are ready to enjoy!

Recipe: Chilled Ginger Carrot Soup

2008-06-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

This recipe is one of my favorite summer time soups. It is great to serve for an outdoor dinner party with a nice Pinot Grigio or a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc. If you can find Whitehaven S.B. it will pair up beautifully due to the intense grapefruit flavor profile of the wine.

Ginger & Carrot Soup
Yields 6 servings

Vegetable Stock Ingredients:

3 each Carrots
3 each Stalks of Celery
1 each Apple
1 each Onion

Ingredients:
3 lbs Carrots (Peeled and cut into 1/4" pieces)
1 each Yellow onion (diced)
2 Quarts Vegetable stock
2 Cups Orange Juice
3 Tbs Grated Ginger
3 Tbs Lemongrass (Smashed and Chopped)
1 Each Kaffir Lime Leaf (if not available make without)
2 ounces Light Olive Oil
6 Each 16/20 Shrimp (Peeled and Deveined)

Method:

Start the vegetable stock by adding the carrots, celery, apple, onion into a pot. Fill the pot with 1 gallon of cold water and place it on the stove. Allow the stock to come to a boil and then reduce the heat to a simmer. Let the stock simmer for about 30 minutes. Strain immediately and set aside.

Blanch the shrimp in boiling water for 2 minutes or until they are firm. Rinse under cold water to stop the cooking process and cut the shrimp in half lengthwise. Hold the shrimp in the refrigerator until the soup is ready to be served.

To start the soup you need to peel and cut the carrots. Preheat the same pot that you used for the stock and add some olive oil. Add your diced onions and sauté with the ginger, lemongrass and kaffir lime leaf then add the carrots and cover the vegetables with the stock and orange juice. Bring it to a boil and turn it down slightly.

When the carrots are tender you will want to add them to a blender to puree. If necessary add some extra stock to thin it down. Season with salt and pepper. Allow the soup to cool. If you want you can prepare a day in advance.

Float 2 pieces of the shrimp on the soup and garnish with a cilantro sprig.

Enjoy!!

Please browse our website for beautiful bowls to serve this wonderful summer-time soup.

The Rise of Molecular Gastronomy

2008-06-19T09:54:00.000-07:00

What is molecular gastronomy? Wikipedia defines it as " a scientific discipline involving the study of physical and chemical processes that occur in cooking. It investigates the mechanisms behind the transformation of ingredients in cooking, attempts to explain them, and investigates the social, artistic and technical components of the ingredients."

When talking with chefs today about molecular gastronomy you will no doubt get a varied degree of opinions. Most "old school" chefs will probably tell you that it has no place in the traditional kitchen and that it is a fad that will mostly likely fade away with time. If you talk to the younger generations of chefs you will most likely get a reaction of instant excitement and enthusiasm about the new techniques and equipment that are used in molecular gastronomy. Equipment like liquid nitrogen or even a Class IV laser (the later not quite mainstream yet).

Most of the dishes prepared in molecular gastronomy are a result of a chemical reaction. Take spherification for example. Spherification is a process when you take a liquid and mix it with a natural substance called Algin (a natural product extracted from brown algae) and drop it into a Calcic bath (calcic is a calcium salt). The reaction creates a self contained sphere of the original liquid. Spherification is really one of the more simple processes of molecular gastronomy.

Ferran Adria (El Bulli Executive Chef) is the founding father of molecular gastronomy even though he considers himself as a deconstructivist, many chefs around the world look to him for inspiration and new techniques. Chef Adria after many years of research and cataloging his recipes decided to market and sell the very products he uses in his own laboratory/restaurant to create his masterpieces. The product line is called Texturas and are now available to the professional and home chef.

The Chef's Table at Home is excited to announce the sale of Texturas starting in the beginning of July. I encourage anybody who loves to cook and is interested in trying new techniques to try out some of the Texturas products. You don't need a laboratory or any special equipment to use Texturas. All you really need is imagination and the willingness to try new things.

In the coming months myself and a friend of mine who has been using the Texturas products in his restaurant will be producing some videos on this blog of new techniques and recipes that you can follow along with. Please send me any comments or suggestions on this subject. I would love to hear how many people are interested in molecular gastronomy.

Please feel free to visit my website (http://www.thechefstableathome.com/) or call our toll free number at 866-709-CHEF.

Recipe: Vegetable Stock

2008-06-11T10:29:00.000-07:00

I don't know about you but I always seem to have a ton of vegetable scraps left over after cooking. Instead of throwing them away you can turn those scraps into a delicious vegetable stock. I love making soups and sauces using the vegetable stock as a base. You can make a true vegetarian curry or a wonderful Ginger Carrot soup using the vegetable stock. Sometimes using chicken stock can completely change the flavor profile of the dish, so I will use certain vegetables to make the stock depending on the dish that I will make. For example, I would just make a stock out of onions and carrots scraps for the Ginger Carrot soup and maybe add some of the ginger scraps into the stock as well.

Vegetable stock is incredibly easy to make and can be frozen for future use. I will usually save my vegetable scraps and place them in the freezer until I have enough to produce at least a couple of gallons of stock.

All you need to do is take your vegetable scraps (make sure there aren't any rotten pieces) and place them in a large stock pot. Cover the vegetables with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and allow the stock to simmer for 30-45 minutes. Strain the stock through a chinois (fine mesh strainer) or you can use a coffee filter to remove all of the fine vegetable particles for a clearer stock.

If you are looking for a stockpot to buy you can find a great selection of Demeyere cookware on my site (http://www.thechefstableathome.com/). just follow the link below for the full selection of stockpots.

http://www.thechefstableathome.com/SearchResults.aspx?terms=stockpot

Bon Appetite

Chef's Tip - Cleaning Kiwi

2008-06-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

This is a little tip on removing the skin from the kiwi fruit that I have learned through my many years in a professional kitchen.

It isn't so hard to use a knife or a peeler to clean kiwi when you are only cleaning one, but when you have an entire case of kiwi to clean you are always looking for a quicker and more efficient way.

STEPS:

1. Remove both ends from the kiwi.
2. Take a spoon (a normal dessert spoon will be perfect) and insert it just under the skin of the fruit.
3. Slowly rotate the spoon around the entire fruit. Now you can slide the pulp of the kiwi from the skin. It keeps its perfect shape w/out any gouges or bruises from a peeler.

Enjoy this tip and make sure you check in for more updated recipes and tips from the chef at The Chef's Table At Home.com

Fire Roasted Pineapple Salsa

2008-05-18T10:58:00.000-07:00

Here is one of my favorite salsa recipes for the summer. It is extremely easy to make and has always been a huge favorite. Feel free to change up the amount of heat you use in this recipe to your own palette.

FIRE ROASTED PINEAPPLE SALSA

Yields 1 Quart

INGREDIENTS

6 each Roma Tomatoes

1 each Red Onion (skin removed slice in 1/2)

2 each Poblano Peppers

1 each Jalapeno Pepper

1 each Pineapple (rind and core removed, sliced)

2 each Limes (juiced)

2 Tbs. Honey

2 ounces Cilantro (washed and rough chopped)

2 ounces Basil (Thai if possible)

2 Tbs. Olive Oil

METHOD

Preheat Grill.

First wash all ingredients thoroughly. Then place the tomatoes, peppers, pineapple and onion in a bowl. Toss the vegetables with the olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

Place all of the ingredients onto the grill and allow them to char. This will give the salsa a more intense flavor with a hint of smokiness. The sugars in the pineapple will caramelize much quicker than the other ingredients, so make sure you keep an eye on it. Once you have a nice char place all of the ingredients into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. You want them to steam in there own juices.

Next you want to rough chop all of the vegetables except for the pineapple. The pineapple you want to rough dice and toss into the salsa after it has been chopped. Place all of the ingredients including the basil, cilantro, lime juice and honey into a food processor or blender and pulse until it is the consistency you desire. Place the salsa in a bowl and add your pineapple. Season with salt and pepper.

This recipe is great to use on grilled shrimp, chicken fajitas, grilled tilapia or even as a topper for salads.

Bon Appetite!!

Don't forget to checkout http://www.thechefstableathome.com/ for products to use with this recipe

Springtime Caprese Salad

2008-05-08T09:28:00.000-07:00

The Inspiration behind our Caprese Salad: A Perfect Sringtime Starter,

One day this week, at our restaurant, we received the best fresh mozzarella I have ever tasted. With a deep rich flavor and creamy texture, it was like no other mozzarella I had ever tasted. We received just a small sample and wanted the customers to be able to enjoy what a true, fresh mozzarella should taste like.

The chef and I decided with only five orders available we should make a simple dish to showcase the mozzarella and minimize the emphasis put on the other components of the dish. We looked around the kitchen for ingredients and found we had some beautiful heirloom tomatoes (a true heirloom is a cultivar that has been nurtured, selected, and handed down from one family member to another for many generations) that had just started to be harvested.

Our dish was starting to come together, Caprese salad. I love this salad because of its simplicity. A Caprese salad is a very classic dish from the Campania region of Italy. It usually consists of fresh mozzarella, plum tomatoes and fresh basil.

For our rendition of the Caprese salad, we used ingredients that are commonly found in Memphis. Believe it or not, Memphis has a culturally diverse population which offers a wide variety of ingredients. I frequently shop at our Vietnamese market which offers an incredible selection of Asian ingredients. We typically buy Thai Basil, kaffir lime leaves and many other varieties of herbs and vegetables to use at the restaurant.

The ingredients of our Caprese Salad consisted of the following: fresh mozzarella, heirloom tomatoes, baby arugula, Thai basil, Hawaiian Pink Sea Salt, Balsamic vinegar and fresh cracked black pepper.

This recipe is great to use as a platter for parties or an outdoor seated dinner for your family and friends. Enjoy the recipe and as always feel free to post comments.

Please log onto my website for a full selection of professional kitchen and dining accessories.

INGREDIENTS (Yields 4 portions)

3 each Heirloom Tomatoes (Roma Tomatoes will work just as well)
1 pound Fresh Mozzarella (Italian if possible)
3 ounces Thai or Fresh Basil (tear or leave whole)
12 ounces Baby Arugula
2 Cups Balsamic vinegar
1 Cup Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3 Tbs. Hawaiian Pink Sea Salt or Fleur de Sel
1 Tbs. Black pepper

Method;

The first thing you want to do is reduce 1.5 cups of balsamic vinegar. You want to reduce to a syrup consistency. Be very careful not to burn the vinegar. Once the vinegar is reduced place in the refrigerator and hold until service.

Wash the arugula to remove any sand and place in a colander to drain.

Next you will want to make the vinaigrette for the arugula salad. Place the .5 cup of balsamic vinegar in a mixing bowl and season with salt and pepper. Slowly whisk the olive oil with the vinegar and hold for service.

The best way to slice the mozzarella is to place the knife under really hot water to warm the blade. This will allow the knife to easily slice the cheese without tearing it. I would slice the mozzarella right before you want to plate up the dish. This will prevent the mozzarella from drying out. Slice the tomatoes and you are pretty much ready to plate.

Place a tomato on the plate then layer the mozzarella. Do this until you have 3 tomatoes and 2 pieces of mozzarella. Tear some of the basil and sprinkle on top of the tomatoes and cheese. In a bowl place the arugula and lightly toss with the vinaigrette. Place a small handful of the arugula in front of the Caprese. Take a spoon and drizzle the balsamic reduction onto the plate and sprinkle the sea salt and black pepper.

Bon Appetite!

2008-05-01T06:51:00.000-07:00

It was my second year at the Brooks Uncorked (Memphis, TN) event on Friday, April 11th. The wine tasting and auction is one of a five part annual event titled "The Art of Tasting." I scored the tickets through a good friend who works in wine sales.

As I entered, I stayed clear from the crowd around what I later found to be the Treana table. Neeedless to say, they ran out early. Treana is always a solid purchase, $35. It is usually a blend featuring Syrah. The other wines included the newer Matchbook products, I especially enjoyed their Syrah; it was rich, dark, and peppery. It is definitely worth the $25. I saw another favorite of mine, Cycles Syrah from the Central Coast. This Syrah is structured easy-drinking if you have not enjoyed this wine yet. No need for food here, just a similar love for Syrah. Please pick it up, the price is right at about $12. I love how bigger grape varietals still retain body when inexpensive, unlike a cheap and fruity Merlot maybe. I also went back to the Au Bon Climat table a few times. I ended up buying a couple of bottles. It helped that our local liquor store giant, Buster's, offered 15% off all bottles they carried. But going back to the fabulous Pinot Noirs, I purchased the 2006 Santa Barbera by the "layed back" Jim Clendenon. However, all of ABC's wines are exceptional. The subtle differences of each would be great to experience side-by-side one day, like a terroir tasting. Maybe then I could pick out a favorite. I also got to experience, for the first time, the Green Lion wines. The Cabernet was good, but the Merlot was the star being well balanced with tons of dark purple fruit and solid oak. Most interesting was the colorful artwork on the bottle itself. It was rumored that night and later confirmed that the same artist designed covers for two Beatles albums, Sgt. Pepper and Revolver. They must have a lot of hippies still left in California. But seriously, once you see the label you will notice the similarities. The other standout for me would be the Ghost Pines wines sold by my friend, so I am a little biased. Again I thought it was a case where this Napa Merlot outshined the Cabernet.

For the auction, all of the procedes went to support the Brooks Museum. Some friends we invited began bidding on various bottles and artwork that looked of interest; I jumped right in. We started off slow, just checking out the selection, but the rush quickly took hold of us. Soon we were all running around trying to get in our last bids and lost a Cabernet package in the last 5 seconds. Auctions are fun! We ended up winning the 1980 Sterling Napa Reserve Cabernet to be drank soon at the new East Memphis phenom Interim Restaurant which has great food and also has family ties to me.

Other fun notes include the whole roasted pigs. I will say that the food this year was better than what I remembered from last year. Although, if I do recall correctly, it was Wally Joe's first event at his new home, the Brushmark in the Brooks. Ironically, the eponymous restaurant he had to leave is the current site of the new Interim that I just referred too. All in all the experience was wonderful and exciting. I would suggest anyone go to more wine tastings, like the ones put on at Salsa next door to Great Wines. Gary Burhop does a great job and you can get on an email list updating you on wine dinners and small allocations; but I digress. In conclusion, wine is great, and definitely subjective, so never be afraid to drink more to find out what you like.

Julie Davis,
Memphis,Tn

Big Eye Tuna Recipe

2008-04-28T08:55:00.000-07:00

Summer is coming and I always look for recipes that are light to eat yet still very flavorful. I love this recipe because the flavors are really simple, yet you have the robust flavor of the soy and ginger glaze.

In this day and age people are very aware of the crisis going on with over fishing of certain species of fish. If you don't want to use bigeye or blue fin tuna there are several different fish I would recommend using for this recipe. The tuna can be substituted with albacore, cod, halibut or salmon.

This is a wonderful dish for a patio dinner or lunch. I recommend a nice Pinot Grigio or Chardonnay if you are using Salmon.

Bon Appetite!!!

Sesame Grilled Tuna with a Soy/Ginger Glaze

Ingredients:

Tuna 2 pounds
English Cucumbers 2 each
Red Onions 1 each
Soy Sauce 1 quart
Ginger ¼ cup
Blended Sesame Oil 2 cups
Sesame Seeds 4 Tbs
Oranges 2 each
Scallion ½ bunch
Garlic (chopped) 2 Tbs
Rice Wine Vinegar 1 cup

Method:

In a mixing bowl add the following; 1 cup of the sesame oil, ¼ cup of rice wine vinegar, 1 cup of soy sauce, 2 Tbs of grated ginger, 2 Tbs of sesame seeds and the peel of all the oranges. Mix these ingredients and marinate the tuna loins in it for 2-3 hours.

Slice the cucumbers in half lengthwise and remove the seeds. Then slice the cucumber in ¼ inch thick slices on a bias. Peel the red onion and cut it into quarters, and then slice the pieces very thin. Add these ingredients to a bowl and mix with the remaining sesame seeds, rice wine vinegar (leave 2 Tbs remaining for the glaze), sesame oil and 1 Tbs of grated ginger. Mix the cucumber salad and add 3 Tbs of sugar and then season with salt and pepper. Allow the salad to sit for a minimum of 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Sauté the ginger, scallion, and garlic in a saucepot until they become aromatic. Then add the soy sauce and 2 Tbs of rice wine vinegar. Allow the glaze to reduce until it becomes the consistency of syrup.

Remove the tuna from the marinade and season with salt and pepper. Place the tuna on a hot grill turning it 45 degrees to achieve diamond grill marks. Repeat this step on the other side. This will leave the tuna loin rare in the center, if you wish to cook the tuna more then you can cook it in a 350-degree oven. Brush the tuna with the glaze and then serve.

How I love those Mudbugs

2008-04-15T09:33:00.000-07:00

So it is spring time and in the south that means one thing to me, crawfish boils. This is one of my favorite times a year as a native from Louisiana. It actually has been way too long since I have done a crawfish boil, but this year my brother wanted to have a one for his birthday. Who am I to deny my brother his birthday wish? Crawfish boils are a great excuse to sit around with friends and family drinking beer, listening to great music and enjoying a truly seasonal delicacy.

There are three requirements for a crawfish boil, great weather, a ridiculous amount of beer and a huge appetite. It can be tricky this time of year to pick the right day for a boil especially in Memphis in April. You just never know what the weather is going to do. It can be 80 and sunny on Friday and 50 and rainy on Saturday. The die hard will work around the weather situation, especially if there is a lot of beer.

Beer is a necessity for a successful crawfish boil, without beer you truly will not get the full experience. Beer is vital to cooling down your lips that are on fire from the crawfish (if your lips aren’t burning then the crawfish isn’t spicy enough). Now everybody has there preference of which beer is there favorite, but my favorite is Abita (the official beer of New Orleans). Ultimately it doesn’t matter what kind of beer you drink as long as you drink beer.

Bring your appetite, between the crawfish, potatoes, corn, cornbread and beer you are going to need it. Everybody has there own way of eating crawfish, some like to peel and then eat, others like myself like to get a nice collection of tails before I eat them (it makes it seem like less work). If you are a novice at crawfish boils the one thing I recommend is sucking the heads. I know this sounds disgusting but this is really where all of the flavor and spice is. It really is not as bad as it sounds, even my wife who was completely against the idea tried it. Even though she will not admit it I think she enjoyed it.

Quote from Adam Sandler’s Waterboy;

“The only thing better than a crawfish dinner, is five crawfish dinners.”

Tips for a successful Crawfish Boil;

1. Make sure you purge the crawfish in salted water before cooking. This will get rid of all the impurities. Use a small kiddy pool or even a large bucket. Usually 5-10 minutes will be plenty of time.
2. Use 1 bottle of liquid boil or 2 bags of dry boil for every 5 pounds of crawfish.
3. Newspaper lined table (this will help in the cleanup process) and plenty of garbage bags for the shells.
4. A large outdoor propane burner and pot with a basket to remove the crawfish.
5. The best place to buy live crawfish is a seafood distributor. Call local restaurants for a list of fish purveyors in your area. You can buy them for half the price compared to retail outlets.
6. Buy about 5 pounds/person.
7. Good music, good beer and good friends!!!

Recipe for Crawfish:
Yields 30 pounds

30 Pounds Live Crawfish (place in a cooler)
5 each Lemons (cut in half)
5 heads Garlic (cut in half)
5 each Jalapenos (cut in half lengthwise)
6 each Bay Leaves
3 Tbs Black Peppercorns
5 pounds Red Bliss Potatoes (cut in half)
10 each Yellow Corn (cut into 2 inch pieces)
6 bottles Zatarans Liquid Crawfish Boil
1 each Tony’s Seasoning (large)
3 cups Kosher Salt

1. Place water, lemons, garlic, jalapenos, peppercorns, bay leaves, crawfish boil and 3 cups of Tony’s seasoning into the pot. Bring stock to a boil and allow to simmer for an hour.
2. Purge the crawfish in the salted water and then place them back in the cooler(s).
3. Cook the potatoes and corn in advance in the stock. This will allow you to add the potatoes and corn at the same time as the crawfish so they will all be done at the same time.
4. Now you are ready to cook the crawfish. Add about 5 pounds of crawfish to the basket with some of the potatoes and corn and allow them to cook for about 8-10 minutes. The crawfish will be a deep vibrant red.
5. Place the crawfish onto the newspaper lined table and sprinkle the crawfish with some of the reserved Tony’s seasoning.
6. ENJOY!!