Tag Archives: French

Man Can Cook!!

Posted on by

Tom a cookin'By now you know that this Man Can Cook . . . does yours??

I have engaged in an informal study of sorts. You see, I like to cook. I’m pretty good at preparing some things and still experimenting with others. But it’s fun. Whether the dish turns out successfully or as a ‘recipe in progress’ really does not matter too much to me. It is the process and experience of cooking that I like.  So why would I not want to share this experience with my date? No reason comes readily to mind.

I asked my friend Jeffery what he thought about cooking for a date, he is a very good cook and one of the nicest men I have ever met. His reply summed it up nicely, “Cooking for a date in your home doesn’t have to be sexual, but it is intimate.”  He is spot on. Roasted PumpkinThe process of preparing food for another person, going to all that effort just for them, is very intimate. It also shows how much you care about them.  The general consensus of opinion is that, “It makes me feel pampered.” And why wouldn’t you want to pamper someone you care about? (FYI: That was a rhetorical question.) Again, no reason comes to mind.

I asked my New York, electronic Pen Pal Melani Robinson if she liked it when her dates cooked for her. Melani writes a blog 1 Year of Online Dating at 50 where she explores online dating with equal measures of bravery and vulnerability.  She wrote back to me and I quote, “I’ve never dated a man who could cook for me, but I’m still hopeful. A guy who knows his way around the kitchen is a big turn on–delicious food is very sexy. Cooking together? Fantastic!”

So fellas . . . What’s Up!!

I am extra lucky in that my paramour Suzanne Griffin of Cooking by the Bay is a fantastic cook.  When we get together sparks fly!!  “What do you mean it has too much lime in it?!”  Well, not always like that.  But honestly, cooking with her is one of my favorite-st things to do. We chop up recipes, hash out techniques, and both of us know how to ‘stir the pot’ as it were.  It is so much fun.Suzanne Griffin

So guys, here’s the thing and it ain’t hard.

  1. Clean your house.  And I mean CLEAN it.  Dust, wash, scrub if you have to, air it out and buy one or two (no more!) scented candles.  I suggest cinnamon.
  2. Clean yourself . . . shower, bathe . . . whatever and wear clean clothes.  Pick out what you are going to wear a week ahead of time.  Take your clothes to the cleaners so your shirt is clean and pressed.
  3. Read my blog! There are a few great recipes in here.  Think ahead about the meal you want to prepare. If you have time, PRACTICE making the main dish.  (Look, you have to eat anyway.) If you get stuck, drop me a note. I’ll un-stick you.
  4. Be ready when your date arrives.  Kitchen clean, items prepped in the refrigerator, wine glasses polished and wine chilled if not red.

Wine Glasses

I like to cook in front of my date but you may feel better/safer having many things prepared ahead of time.

Cooking is an intimate, kind gesture to make for a friend, new or long-time. Go ahead  . . . pamper someone . . . make their day.  They just might make yours!! ;)

Eat Well and Smile Often!!

 

tj

 

p.s. Be kind for everyone’s life is hard – Plato

Fishy Fish . . . Got Milk??

Posted on by

Orange - Ginger SnapperI had a great weekend spending time with my brothers and sisters, something we rarely get to do together. We laughed, we drank and we reminisced . . . but most of all we ate.  My brother and his lovely new bride started us off with Saturday breakfast of French toast casserole, frittata and fresh orange juice while my little sister nailed Huevos Rancheros for Sunday’s breakfast. One of my older sisters made fabulous dinner reservations at a local little Italian eatery which left Saturday lunch for me.  Now those of you with siblings understand the rivalry and competition that occurs, especially, when adult children get together. This left me little room to prepare a so-so meal.

With a busy work week, a lovely visit with a high school friend and a long drive to Arnold ahead of me I didn’t have time to go to my favorite little fish monger where the fish is fresh and the selections amazing.  Instead I was left to shop at the local supermarket and the only “Fresh” option available to me was Red Snapper.  (I probably do not need to point out that I placed the term Fresh in quotes, meaning of course . . .) So here I was with this great recipe for Orange Cilantro Marinated Snapper with an Onion, Zucchini and Yellow Squash salad and my snapper was not very snappy.

What to do?

Got milk??Fish on the Grill

Time to pull a rabbit out of my hat. Now technically the fish I bought was fresh only because it hadn’t been frozen but unfortunately it had not been stored correctly in the butcher’s cooler leaving it slightly ripe.  Thankfully I paid attention in culinary school and a little hand-me-down from my French Cuisine chef Brian Mattingly came in handy. “If your fish is a day or two old, soak it in whole milk.”  So along with my 3 pounds of fish I purchased a quart of whole milk.  After rinsing and de-boning the fillets I laid them in a Pyrex dish and covered them with the cold milk. Plastic wrap over the top and the dish went in to the refrigerator for an hour.  Fingers crossed I set to the marinade.

Snapper Marinade

1 bunch    Cilantro, leaves only – no stems
4               Red Jalapenos, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp.      Ginger, peeled and chopped
2 cups      Orange Juice

Place the first three ingredients in a blender and and start them blending on low. Pour the OJ into the blender in a thin stream just until all the ingredients begin to chop evenly. Blend for about 30 seconds then slowly add the remaining OJ. Reserve.

1 Hour Later – Time to check the fish.

Out of the fridge I uncover my dish and pour off the milk and voila, no more fishy fish. Thank you Chef Mattingly!
I let the fillets drip dry for about a minute, rinsed out the dish then poured a bit of marinade into the dish, laid in the fillets, covered then back in the fridge for another hour.

With the snapper soaking up all that Orange-Ginger goodness I set about making the Squash Onion salad. I thinly sliced the zucchini and yellow squash on a mandolin then cut them int thin julienne strips. Next I Lyonnaised an onion. (This is a style of onion slice that gives julienne thin threads.) A bit of olive oil in a saute pan and in go the onions. After they begin to soften I added the julienne of squash cooking them al dente. After seasoning with salt and pepper I set them aside to cool while I made the salad dressing.

Orange Ginger Salad Dressing

1/2 bunch   Cilantro, leaves only – no stems
4                 Red Jalapenos, seeded and chopped
3 tbsp.       Ginger, peeled and chopped
1/4 cup       Orange Juice concentrate
1 cup          Olive Oil

Place the first 4 ingredients in a blender and blend for about 1 minute. Slowly drizzle in the olive oil until fully incorporated.

Time for lunch!

I fired up the grill and set to cooking.  Delicate fish will often stick to the grill so I use aluminum foil pans with a bit of olive oil.  The grill adds a lovely smokey flavor that the oven just will not give.

Plating

A bit of Romaine lettuce on the plate, toss the onion squash salad with the dressing and place on the lettuce.  Next the Grilled Snapper and a garnish of avocado and Voila!  (Trust me, my reputation was saved.) Even my sister who does not like fish liked this dish.

All in all it was a great weekend with family.  I hope you have many like this as well.

 

Eat Well and Smile Often!!

tj

p.s. The whole fish in milk thing . . . just another version of surf and turf.

Fish on the Grill

The Perfect Food?? – Twice Baked Potatoes!!

Posted on by

Twiced Baked PotoatoMy mother, rest her soul, was a lovely, giving woman generous with her time, love and affection.  She could burn water.  Did it! Saw her!  Boiled that pan dry.

I remember one holiday dinner  as a young man when I offered to help in the kitchen. She asked me to please cook the green beans.  Of course, says I and troddled off to the freezer I did. Fresh and local were not watchwords of the 70’s.  A box of frozen green beans in hand, I prepared a pan of boiling water and placed the frozen brick gently amongst the bubbles. After a few minutes the block had thawed and the green beans were heated through and through.  “Mom, I think the green beans are done.” Their pale green pallor being a dead giveaway. “Let’s give them a few more minutes just to be sure.” came the loving, generous reply.  My career path was set that day – Learn to cook – by people who know how to cook.

Now please don’t think of me as an uncharitable son. I loved my mother mightily and miss her to this day.  I have a great many reasons to thank her and my father.  One of those reasons is Twice Baked Potatoes!!

As a family we would often have regular baked potatoes.  They were easy for mom to make, just through them in the oven for and hour and put some margarine, salt and pepper on the table.  Feeding five rambunctious little monsters was no mean feat but my mother pulled it off every night.  One night in particular I noticed that the baked potatoes looked a little different.   As soon as the blessing was said I tucked right in and was pleasantly surprised.  If mothers receive validation for the efforts in the kitchen, from the praise of the family, my mother got free parking for a year that night. “Twice baked potatoes, Tom, that’s what they are.”  Yummmitty, yum yum.  All filled with cheese and bacon bits and  . . .  YUM!!

In honor and memory of my loving mother I share with you my approach at:

Twice Baked Potatoes

2  each       Large Russet Potatoes, bake at 350F for 1 hour

1/2 cup      Small Onion, diced and tossed into a saute’ pan with a little olive oil
3  each      Cloves of Garlic, smashed and minced – toss into saute’ with onions
1/2 cup      Diced Prosciutto – toss into saute’
1/4 cup      Dried Figs, diced – toss into saute’

Cook over medium heat for about 5 minutes then deglaze with

1/2 cup     Dry white wine

Reduce about 1 minute then add

1/2 cup      Sour Cream

Grate and add

1/2 cup      Manchego cheese – add to mix
1/4 cup      Parmesan cheese – add to mix

Cook for 1 minute then remove from heat

Salt and pepper as desired

When potatoes are done baking remove from oven and set a side to cool.  When cool split open tops and remove the flesh into a bowl. Reserve the skins intact. Add the contents of the saute’ pan to bowl and mix.  Spoon mixture into reserved potato skins and bake at 350 until brown on top – about 15 minutes.

Serve hot!!

Eat well and Smile Often,

tj

 

p.s. I believe that was the night I uttered those now infamous words, “Food is my habitat!”

p.p.s. Well it is!!

 

 

 

 

 

Golden Pepper Jelly!!

Posted on by

Golden Pepper JellyI love me some pepper jelly.

One of the very best things about having your own backyard garden is the overabundance of fresh produce.  When those little plant guys start to pop they just go crazy. Even last year with low yields it was bucket after bucket of – small – but tremendously flavorful produce. I had tomatoes galore, some eggplant, more than a few spaghetti squash and peppers, lot of peppers.  There were green bells and red bells and yellow bells and many, many, many of those spicy little serranos. (I actually took a bite out of a fresh one, right off the vine. One word: Tears!)

These were not tears of pain, but ones of joy . . . and pride, of a parental nature.  My life has been one lived in the pursuit of wanderlust.  I have enjoyed many careers, traveled to distant lands doing many things.  My experiences range from mushing sled dogs in the Yukon to spending 10 weeks cooking on Easter Island to traveling Europe by – very small – car with my best friend.  I’ve worked with amazing people from around the world and have learned that I only need enough for food, shelter and a pint at the pub with friends.  One joy and adventure I have not had is in becoming a parent.  I see many of my old high school classmates sharing stories of amazing children, many of whom are now graduating from college. Wow!! I’m not that old!!

While I have chosen not to have children I still recognize that desire to protect, to nurture and to share with the world the pride I have in my offspring.  So I garden. And when the garden bears fruit . . . I can.  Yes I can. That is to say, I preserve.

Cans!

I take my little pride and joys and stuff them into jars.  All boiled and pickled and put up when they are just right and ripe. I slap a label on them, show them off to my friends and enjoy their goodness into the cold winter months of my old age.  Such good thoughtful children they are.  Never forgetting a birthday or Father’s Day.  Always there when I need a little pick me up, never complaining and always at their best.  Hmmm . . .

Pepper Jelly

4 yellow, orange or red bell peppers, finely chopped (about 3 cups)
5  large red serrano peppers, seeded, finely chopped (about 1/2 cup)
1  cup cider vinegar
1  pkg. SURE-JELL Fruit Pectin
5  cups sugar, measured into separate bowl (See tip below.)

In a large pot place canning cars, opening up and lids and cover completely with water.  Jars must be full of water. Place on stove over medium heat and bring to a slow boil. Boil for about a minute then turn off heat leaving jars in the hot water.

Place all the peppers in a blender with 1/2 of the cider vinegar and blend to a rough puree.  Pour peppers in to a 6 – 8 qt spot, add , pectin and remaining vinegar and bring to a slow boil then add sugar. Return to a boil and skim foam as needed.   Cook for  5 minutes then reduce heat to a slow simmer.Turn off heat when starting to fill jars.

Turn off heat to jars and lids but leave them in the hot water.  Dip a clean ladle in the hot water and let sit for 30 seconds.  Remove one jar at a time from the water and place on a baking sheet on the counter.  With the clean sanitized ladle, scoop the very hot pepper jelly into the very hot jar to within 1/2″ of the lip of the jar.  Remove a lid from the boiling water with tongs and seal the jar immediately.  Repeat until all the jelly is put up.

Eat Well and Smile Often!!

tj

p.s. My hat is off to all the parents out there who have given so much of themselves tot he lives of their children.  And to my old friends, I invite you over for some freshly roasted coffee, a slice of freshly baked bread smeared with Golden Pepper Jelly in my garden.  And if you stay long enough I’ll break out the whiskey and you can tell me the real story about parenting!!