Razza con Peperoni e Finocchi Arrosti

I was talking to someone earlier today and told them I was going shopping for dinner. When they asked what I was cooking, I responded with "I honestly don't know. I will just look around till I get inspired." When the response I got was, "I guess that is the hard part about creating recipes for a blog, you know, trying to get inspired." I hung up and was left thinking...was that a challenge?

I headed to the store not really knowing what I was going to cook. All I did know was I was in the mood for some real food after the week I had been through. I can honestly say it did not take long after entering the store to decide what I wanted to cook though. I was taking a glance at the seafood counter, and while trying to decide between Chilean Sea Bass, Shrimp or Salmon, I saw it.

Ancho Rubbed Rib-eye with Cilantro "Blue-naise"

So, before we were so rudely interrupted by the Red Snapper, I was working on this recipe. I wanted to bring together some spice, blue cheese and the richness and lightness of a Bearnaise sauce. Figuring out the best way to bring these together was the tough part. I mean you can't just throw everything into the mix and see what happens. Most of the time you end up with something that is better suited for your dog, or at least your local group of ...umm...errr... "smokers" who don't really care what they are eating when the munchies are at that level where everything is the best thing they have ever eaten. I actually know one of those guys who enjoys telling me all about his latest creation of mixing together this box of hamburger helper with this box of tuna helper and telling me how I have to try it. I will stick to the Rib-eye. But I digress... By adding the ancho powder to the rub for the steak, I brought a little spice to this dish. Replacing the tarragon in the Bearnaise with cilantro and stirring in some young blue cheese melded the flavors nicely.

As for choosing a steak, if you are going to offer me my choice, I will take the Rib-eye. I personally don't feel the Fillet has the flavor or the texture that I want. A Rib-eye on the other hand, being marbled with fat, carries the flavors better and is a more moist cut of meat. That said, please feel free to use your favorite cut of meat for this recipe.

Bacon Wrapped Jerk Red Snapper

I had a recipe I wanted to post that I had been working on for several days. I even shopped and had it prepped. I had everything I needed, except for the time to put it together. But like it tends to do, fate stepped in and threw me a curve ball. I inherited a few cuts of Red Snapper while at work last night, and not one to let a good fish go bad, I set my prepared recipe aside for the moment and let inspiration take over.


Honestly, I tend to feel really bad having to throw away good food. Well that, and I like fish a lot. It is a close follower to Pork, The Pig is King. This was basically the thought process that led to this dish.

Shopping Choices.

We always tell our friends when we have a bad shopping experince, but it is not often enough that we tell them about a good one. So here you go.

I live in Houston, so that means I have a lot of choices of where to spend my money. When I decided to re-launch this blog with the intention on being an outlet for my recipes I knew the plating and presentation would be important. I shopped around and found what I was looking for at Sur La Table. So now whenever I am around City Centre (this is a new store, I used to visit a different one), I will stop in just to look around.

When I was working on the Sriracha wings, I knew a remekin was in order for the dressing. After I put the chicken in the oven I ran over to Sur La Table to pick a couple up. One of the great things about getting all of my plates for the blog there, is that I can compare actual items together before I buy them. I bought them and returned home in time to get the wings out of the oven. As I was pulling them out of the bag I noticed that the price marked was not the same as what was charged. So I sent them a quick email just to let them know, as we were only talking about a couple of dollars, I was not worried about taking them back to get a price adjustment or anything.  I instantly got an email back tell me to just give them a call and they would sort it out. I did and well it was taken care of in a matter of two minutes, no hassels or attitude.

I always liked Sur La Table to begin with, due mainly to selection and price. It is really nice to be able to go to a store and always get fast and curtous service, no sales clerks followng you around trying to sell you everything you dont want or need.

If you have not been there check it out, with the service I received this time, they have earned the spot of being my first stop when shopping for culinary items.

Tony

Sriracha Honey Wings with Cilantro Blue Cheese

Some of the best advice I was given about creating menus and recipes was "Stay true to who you are, your food will taste false." Keeping this in mine, I was really in the mood for some wings this week. So well I made wings. I decided to combine my standard recipe that I use, which peope love, with Sriracha which brings it own flavor profile to the table. I am very happy with the results, and it goes great with the Cilantro-Blue Cheese Dressing (that recipe is just previous to this one).

Cilantro-Blue Cheese Dressing

Cilantro-Blue Cheese Dressing


1 cup mayonnaise
1 Tbs minced garlic
½ cup Cilantro, chopped
½ cup sour cream
1 Tbs Lime Juice
1 Tbs Apple Cider Vinegar
¼ cup blue cheese, crumbled
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all items in mixing bowl. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour for flavors to meld.

Yield: 1.5 cups

Stuffed Pistachio Crusted Pork Loin

"At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us." - Albert Schweitzer

This is a quote in the front of one of my favorite books The Flavor Bible. It is really an amazing book to be able to cross refrence flavors when compling a dish. But I was stumped about exactly how I wanted to do this dish. I had a conversation with one of my favorite chef's who also happens to be my best friend. I trust her judgement and she brought the random thoughts into a cohesive dish.

I am truely a man of my word.

So someone has been stongly hinting that they want me to make them some pancakes. Since I cannot physically make them for her right now I have decided to give her the next best thing. VIRTUAL PANCAKES! No ordinary pancakes will do for her though, so I offer this.

Evelyn, here are your virtual Blueberry Pancakes with Gingered Maple syrup.

Blueberry Pancakes w/Gingered Maple syrup


Use fresh blueberries in this pancake recipe of you can. When cooked they will pop in your mouth releasing their flavor.

For syrup:
1 Cup Maple syrup
1 oz Ginger-root; fresh; cleaned and julienned

Pancakes:
2 eggs, separated
1 ½ cups sifted all-purpose flour
2 ¼ tsp baking powder
3 Tbs sugar
¾ tsp salt
1 cup milk
3 Tbs butter, melted
1 ½ tsp vanilla extract
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed

1 Place Maple syrup and ginger in med saucepan.

2 Heat over Med-high until it comes to a boil.

3 Promptly remove from heat and set aside.

4 In a small bowl, beat egg whites until stiff; set aside.

5 In a separate bowl, sift together flour, baking powder, sugar and salt.

6 Beat egg yolks in a medium mixing bowl; add milk, vanilla and melted butter.

7 Stir egg mixture into dry ingredients; mix until batter is smooth and stir in blueberries.

8 Fold in beaten egg whites.

9 Heat pan over medium-high heat. Grease with butter.

10 Ladle ¼ cup (2oz) of batter into hot pan.

11 Place small hand full of blueberries on pancake.

12 When bubbles form in top flip pancake.

13 Finish cooking on other side.

14 Serve with Gingered Maple syrup.
 
Enjoy