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• Fish and Chips
• Private: Shimp Jambalaya
• Double Chocolate Bread Pudding
• My Dressing
• Corn Souffle
• Mechado
• Filipino Beef Steak
• Sour Cream Coffee Cake
• Lunch outing to Benihanna
• A taste of Latin America
• MMmm yummy…  Pepper Crab
• Garlic Festival Visit
• Peach Cobbler with Homemade Peach Ice Cream
• Pan Fried Pork Chops
• Hot Wings

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Serves 4

3 pounds russet potatoes (about 4 large potatoes), peeled, ends and sides squared off, and cut lengthwise into 1/2 inch by 1/2-inch fries (see illustrations below)
3 quarts peanut oil (or canola oil), plus 1/4 additional cup
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/8 teaspoon ground black pepper
Table salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 1/2 pounds 1-inch-thick cod fillet (or other thick white fish, such as hake or haddock) cut into eight 3-ounce pieces
1 1/2 cups beer (12 ounces), cold

1. Place cut fries in large microwaveable bowl, toss with 1/4 cup oil, and cover with plastic wrap. Microwave on high power until potatoes are partially translucent and pliable but still offer some resistance when pierced with tip of paring knife, 6 to 8 minutes, tossing them with rubber spatula halfway through cooking time. Carefully pull back plastic wrap from side farthest from you and drain potatoes into large mesh strainer set over sink. Rinse well under cold running water. Spread potatoes onto kitchen towels and pat dry. Let rest until room temperature, at least 10 minutes and up to 1 hour.

2. While fries cool, whisk flour, cornstarch, cayenne, paprika, pepper, and 2 teaspoons salt in large mixing bowl; transfer 3/4 cup of mixture to rimmed baking sheet. Add baking powder to bowl and whisk to combine.

3. In heavy-bottomed Dutch oven, heat 2 quarts oil over medium heat to 350 degrees. Add fries to hot oil and increase heat to high. Fry, stirring with mesh spider or slotted metal spoon, until potatoes turn light golden and just begin to brown at corners, 6 to 8 minutes. Transfer fries to thick paper bag or paper towels to drain.

4. Reduce heat to medium-high, add remaining quart of oil, and heat oil to 375 degrees. Meanwhile, thoroughly dry fish with paper towels and dredge each piece in flour mixture on baking sheet; transfer pieces to wire rack, shaking off excess flour. Add 1 1/4 cups beer to flour mixture in mixing bowl and stir until mixture is just combined (batter will be lumpy). Add remaining beer as needed, 1 tablespoon at a time, whisking after each addition, until batter falls from whisk in thin, steady stream and leaves faint trail across surface of batter. Using tongs, dip 1 piece fish in batter and let excess run off, shaking gently. Place battered fish back onto baking sheet with flour mixture and turn to coat both sides. Repeat with remaining fish, keeping pieces in single layer on baking sheet.

5. When oil reaches 375 degrees, increase heat to high and add battered fish to oil with tongs, gently shaking off excess flour. Fry, stirring occasionally, until golden brown, 7 to 8 minutes. Transfer fish to thick paper bag or paper towels to drain. Allow oil to return to 375 degrees.

6. Add all fries back to oil and fry until golden brown and crisp, 3 to 5 minutes. Transfer to fresh paper bag or paper towels to drain. Season fries with salt to taste and serve immediately with fish.

I got this recipe from one of those Page a Day calendars that I got from my sister in law. This looked yummy, so I wanted to try it out. I'll let you know how it is once I finally try it.

Some old-fashioned jambalaya recipes start with a pound each of pork, ham, and sausage, and finish with shrimp. lf you want to add good ham and sausage, do so at the beginning, along with the onions I suggest a total of a pound or so.

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced onions
2 cups diced bell pepper, preferably red or yellow
Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
4 cups chicken, beef, vegetable, or shrimp stock or water
2 tablespoons minced garlic
½ teaspoon cayenne, or to taste
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves, several sprigs fresh thyme, or 1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cups peeled, seeded, and chopped tomatoes (canned are fine; drain first)
2 cups long-grain rice
2 pounds shrimp, peeled (and deveined, if you like) and cut into pieces if very large
Minced fresh parsley or cilantro leaves for garnish

Place the olive oil in a medium-to-Iarge casserole and turn the heat to medium,high. Add the onions and bell pepper, sprinkle with salt and pepper, and cook, stirring occasionally, until the onion softens and just begins to brown, about 10 minutes. Warm the stock in a small saucepan over medium heat.

Stir in the garlic, cayenne, and thyme, and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the tomatoes and turn the heat to medium-high. Cook, stirring, for 5 minutes, or until the tomatoes begin to break up.

Stir in the rice, then the stock. Bring to a boil, turn the heat to medium, and cook, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until the rice is tender and the liquid just about absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes.

Add the shrimp and stir. Cook 2 or 3 minutes, then raise the heat if necessary to cook off the remaining liquid. Garnish and serve.

I recently had the chocolate bread pudding at Ralph Brennan's Jazz Kitchen and totally fell in love with it. I found this recipe on the net and am hoping that it closely recplicates what I had for dessert. I'll eventually make it and update what I think of it.

Serves 4

Bread Pudding
14 oz heavy cream
8 oz semi sweet chocolate
1 egg
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon of vanilla
3 oz milk
1/16 cup chocolate pieces
3 cups of day old French bread cut into pieces

Crust:
4 tablespoons of granulated sugar
1 oz chocolate ganach
1 oz white chocolate ganach

Step One: Bring cream, milk, and 1/4 cup of sugar to a simmer. Add this to the semi sweet chocolate to melt the chocolate then combine above mixture to eggs, whisking in a little at a time.

Step Two: Combine above mixture with cubed bread then fold in your chocolate pieces then place in baking pan. Top with sugar and bake 250 degrees for approximately 1 hour.

2 packages jimmy dean sausage with sage
1 onion, chopped
1 1/2 cups celery, chopped
1/2 bunch parsley, chopped
1 pound chopped mushrooms
1 cup butter, melted
2 cups turkey stock
2 packages Mrs Cubbisons Dressing
salt and pepper, to taste

1. Brown sausage and drain. Mix together sausage, onion, celery and parsley in large bowl. Add dressing and butter. Add stock until stuffing is quite moist. May need to add more stock. Add salt and pepper to taste.

2. Put into 13×9-inch glass or metal dish or stuff in turkey. Pat firm into dish. Bake at 350F for 1 hour.

1 Box Jiffy Corn Muffin Mix — (8 oz)
8 oz sour cream
2 eggs
1 can cream corn
2 tbs sugar — (2 to 3)
1/2 cup butter or margarine

Melt butter in bottom of 8in square baking pan. Mix all other ingredients together in a bowl and spoon into pan. The butter will surround the batter. Bake at 375 for 45-50 min. The top will start to crack slightly and the sides will start to brown.

This is one of my favorite filipino dishes. This is my Aunt Dolly's recipe, and I think I almost have it close to tasting like hers. When I first asked for the recipe, she kind of joked, well you put this in then you put that in. So I finally sat down with her and she showed me how she makes it. After taking down notes while cooking, this is what the recipe turned out to be. It is best served with white rice. This makes about 8 -10 servings.

***UPDATE: I recently tried using trip tip instead of brisket and i loved the results. It more tender and moist. Not to mention, a shorter cooking time. I did like that at my local Costco they carried Tri Tip already cut into about strips, which made preparation easier. Additionally, my potatoes kept disintegrating into the sauce. I did want some of the natural potatoe starch to thicken the sauce, but I didn't want to lose the whole potatoe. So I started to cut it into bigger chunks and it solved the problem. ***

5 pounds beef brisket, flat cut (USDA Choice is preferable), cut along grain in 1″ strips, then cut across grain in 1/2 " pieces (OR Tri Tip)
1 medium onion, chopped
6 tablespoons dried minced onions
1 medium tomato, cut in 1/2 lengthwise, then sliced
2 bay leaves, whole
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 (16oz) cans tomato sauce
4 medium potatoes, cut into 1/2″ chunks
juice from 1/2 a lemon
pepper, to taste

1. Put ingredients in order into a pot. Cook on medium-high heat, until boiling.

2. Reduce heat to medium-low to medium. Cook until meat is tender, stirring every 15 min. Potatoes will melt into the sauce and thicken it. If sauce is not tastey enough, add a little more soy sauce.

This is on of the more simpler Filipino dishes to make. Its also one of my favorites. There's a version of this that my aunt makes that uses pork instead of steak that is really good. I will post that later. I like to make this with top sirloin, but it could probably made with like flap steak or top round.

Filipino Beef Steak
Serves 6

2 lbs top sirloin, cut into 1/4″ slices
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/2 cup lemon juice
pepper, to taste
2 medium onions, sliced into 1/4″ slices
2 cloves garlic
2 tsp oil

Mix soy sauce, lemon juice, garlic, pepper and sliced steak in bowl. Let marinate in refrigerator for 15-30 minutes.

Heat oil in 12″ saute pan over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onions and cook until just getting tender and edges start to brown. Remove from pan onto separate plate.

Fry beef in small batches until cooked and remove them into separate serving bowl. Once all beef is cooked, pour remaining sauce into pan and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add onions and toss to coat. Cook until onions are soft. Pour over beef. Serve with rice.

This recipe came from a co-worker. She made it once for a potluck or maybe it was a breakfast treat. Since then we (or at least I) look forward to when she'll bring it again. But since I liked it so much, I had asked her for a copy of the recipe. I've made it several times for other friends and my family. Least to say, everyone has loved it. And I get constant requests for me to make it. As a matter of fact, I'm going to make it today and finally decided to record the recipe here so I'm not constantly checking all my email addresses remembering which one I put it on so I could access the recipe remotely. Now to the good part……

Sour Cream Coffee Cake
Serving Size : 12

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 eggs
1 cup sour cream
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
dash salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Cream together butter and 1 cup sugar. Beat in eggs until well blended. Stir in sour cream.

Sift together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Stir dry ingredients into butter mixture and beat until smooth.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup sugar with cinnamon, nutmeg and the nuts.

Pour about a third of the batter into a well greased bundt pan, sprinkle with a third of the nut mixture.

Add another third of the batter and another third of the nut mixture.

Then layer the remaining batter and the remaining nut mixture. With a spatula, swish lightly through top of cake so dry mixture becomes mixed into cake.

Bake at 350 degrees 40-45 minutes. Let cool 15 minutes in pan, then remove to cool completely on wire rack.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

**Per Serving (excluding unknown items): 326 Calories; 16g Fat (42.5% calories from fat); 5g Protein; 43g Carbohydrate; 1g Dietary Fiber; 65mg Cholesterol; 246mg Sodium. Exchanges: 1 Grain(Starch); 1/2 Lean Meat; 0 Non-Fat Milk; 3 Fat; 1 1/2 Other Carbohydrates.

** Nutritional information was calculated by my recipe program, Mastercook Deluxe v.8

I always enjoy the experience when I go to Benhinna's. I especially like the fried rice and am always amazed that the food stays on the griddle. Because if I did it, the food would be everywhere BUT on the griddle.

While in Miami, I had a chance to sample some Nicaraguan food. And it was very yummy. I especially liked the sweet plantains.

Remnants of the pepper crab that we ordered at Jumbo Restaurant. I had this yummy pepper crab during my business trip to Singapore. The restaurant was situated right by the river, so eating outside was quite comfortable during the evening hours. On a suggestion we went here and enjoyed the pepper crab and the chili crab. I liked them both alot, but the pepper crab was better by a hair.

If you love garlic this is a great place to go. Here's a great description of what its like. Click here to view the blog.

Peach season is here and we were lucky to get a small batch of sweet, juicy peaches. In some ways I'm happy this year wasn't a 'bumper crop' because I've been too busy to can, bake, jam, and anything else you can think of to do with peaches. Although I think a few people at work are probably wondering what happened to my peaches, because a few years ago the tree exploded with peaches and we had hard time using and giving away the peaches. Since the peaches were bigger this year than normal and quite juicey, I decided to make some peach cobbler today. I have a fairly easy recipe that doesn't require you to roll out biscuit dough. I think the hardest part of the cobbler recipe is peeling and slicing the peaches because I was getting peach juice everywhere .

I also decided that I wanted to try and make some peach ice cream. My ice cream machine is a fairly new purchase (1 year old, but I only use it during the summer) and I didn't have the opportunity to make peach ice cream last year. One of the reasons I wanted to start making my own ice cream was so I could control what goes into it. Over the past few years, I've become lactose intolerant and by making my own ice cream, I can create it lactose reduced. I can't make it completely lactose free because I still like to use heavy cream in it (it makes for a smoother end result). I've also noticed that if I use certain brands of organic whole milk, I have an easier time digesting it. I prefer to use just pasteurized heavy cream (i've only been able to find this at Trader Joe's) istead of the ultra-pasteurized you normally find at the neighborhood supermarket. I've actually noticed a consistancy difference between the two. I think by using just the pasteurized heavy cream, you end of with a smoother ice cream that is more along the lines of a premium brand of ice cream.

Peach Ice Cream
1 1/2 cups peeled and diced ripe peaches
3 tbs fresh lemon juice
1 cup sugar, divided in 1/2
1 cup whole milk
2 cups heavy cream (preferably not the ultra pasteurized)
1 ts vanilla extract

In a small bowl combine the diced peaches, lemon juice and 1/2 cup of the sugar. Stir gently and allow the peaches to macerate in the juice for 2 hours.

In a medium bowl, combine remaining sugar and milk. Whisk to combine until sugar is dissolved. Stir in heavy cream, vanilla and any juice that has accumulated in the peaches. Freeze in ice cream maker, following manufacturer's directions. Add diced peaches during the last 5 minutes of freezing in ice cream maker.

Easy Peach Cobbler
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup flour
2 cups sugar
3 tsp baking powder
1 pinch salt
1 cup milk
5 cups peeled peaches, sliced thin (6 to 7 medium peaches)
1 tb fresh lemon juice
dash cinnamon and/or nutmeg (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees
Pour melted butter into a 13×9 in baking pan. (I prefer to use glass like pyrex)

In a medium bowl combine flour, 1 cup of sugar, baking powder and salt. Stir to combine. Add milk and stir until just combined. Pour over melted butter but DO NOT stir them together.

In a saucepan combine peaches, 1 cup sugar and lemon juice. Heat over high heat and bring just to a simmer. Pour all over the batter but DO NOT stir them together. Sprinkle with cinnamon and/or nutmeg.

Bake in oven 35 - 45 minute or until golden brown. Serve warm with ice cream or it can be served cold.

This is just a quick little dish I made today. I wanted something relatively simple, but tasty. All I did was lightly season some boneless pork loin chops with some Garlic Award Mix. Then I pan fried it in just a little bit of oil. I made the sauce in the same pan, taking advantage of the fond that developed while I was cooking the pork chops.

If you've been read some of my other recipes, there has a been a trend of the all-purpose seasoning that I use. I really like the Garlic Award Mix, its an excellent blend of spices and garlic (one of my favorite spices). Any other season blend can be used (e.g. Mrs. Dash, Montreals Steak or Chicken seasoning, or make your own etc).

Brine
1/2 cup kosher sault
1/4 cup sugar
2 quarts water

Pork Chops
6 1/2″ pork loin chops
Garlic Award Mix
2 tb oil

Sauce
1 shallot, minced
1 clove garlic, minced
2 ts worcestershire sauce
1/4 cup vermouth
1 tb lemon juice
2 tb butter

Mix salt & sugar in 2 quarts of water until dissolved. Place pork chops in brine to soak and place in refrigerator for 30 minutes. Drain and lightly rinse the pork chops. Pat the pork chops dry with paper towels. Lightly sprinkle the garlic award mix on both sides of the pork chops.

In a 8″ skillet heat oil over medium high heat. Reduce heat to medium and cook pork chops in 2 batches. Cook on each side for 3 minutes. Place cooked chops on a warm plate, tented with foil, while cooking the 2nd batch.

Once all the pork chops are cooked, remove pan from heat and saute the shallots for 15 seconds, scraping the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Add garlic and cook (off heat), for another 5-10 seconds. Put pan back on the burner at medium low heat and add the vermouth worcestershire sauce. Stirring over medium low heat, bring just to a slight simmer, about 2-3 minutes. Add juice that has collected in the bottom of the plate where the chops have been resting, bring back up to a slight simmer. Add lemon juice and butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Stir until well combined.

Serve sauce on the side.

One of my favorite appetizers are buffalo hot wings. This is a simple hot wing recipe. For healthier wings, they can be baked in the oven at 350 degrees for about 45-60 minutes. If you bake them, spray the pan with cooking spray (like Pam) to prevent sticking. I also lightly spray the wings with the cooking spray to promote a crispier skin. For a spicier sauce, add a few dashes of tobasco.

1 dozen chicken wings
1/2 cup Frank's hot sauce
4 tablespoons butter

Deep fry wings in oil heated to 375 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

In a bowl in the microwave, melt butter with the hot sauce. Stir.

Toss the wings in the sauce.