East Harlem and Mofongo

I recently went to NYC on business and was staying in East Harlem with a friend.  Let me say this:  you will never experience a place quite like East Harlem anywhere else on earth.

Across the street from my friend's studio was a Cuchifritos Restaurant.  Cuchifritos, which I learned, is a type of Puerto Rican cuisine comprised of fried foods made principally of pork.  However, that's not the real story here.  The real story was the Mofongo I ate there.

I had heard of Mofongo before thanks to Guy Fieri on Triple D but had never come across it in real life.  The only way I can describe this dish is that it's a carb-soaked, heart-stopping fat attack on a plate; and - it's delicious.

Smashed green plantains, garlic, spices, and pork rinds... and you have Mofongo.  Try it as soon as you can and make sure you're at least a month away from you next cholesterol check-in with your doctor.

The power of grill mates and pork tenderlon

Grill mates are amazing inventions.  God bless the man or woman who invented them.  Pork tenderloin is another miracle of the grill.  The more I cook the more I realize just how picky i can be.

The thing about grill mates is that you can combine them to make your own spice rub,

For me, I like the following combinations:

Spicy+ sweet

Smokey+ sweet

Tangy+ sweet

Spicy+ smokey

The combinations are endless.  But don't limit yourself by using only one pack when grilling.  Experiment!

Also give pork tenderloin a try.  I know everyone thinks steaks are the stars of the grill, but trust me, you might be surprised to find that pork tenderloin is your new favorite grilling meat.

My Mushroom Mishap

So occassionally, I screw up in the kitchen.  This weekend was no exception. 

Mission: make Mushroom Salad

Mission Status: Reassigned

I was half-way through making my Mushroom Salad when I realized the I didn't have Red Wine Vinegar like I thought; the vinegar in the cabinet was actually Balsamic Vinegar. I know I know - not the end of the world... however, it was in that moment I poured Honey into the mushrooms instead of the olive oil I meant to reach for - that's what I get for not having only what I needed infront of me (btw, in magical chef-land, they call that mise en place - literally "putting in place")

The great thing about Olive Oil is it won't ruin most cooking too terribly if you mess up - Honey.... that's another story.

So, I made a quick pivot and twist - Mushrooms aren't cheap and I wasn't about to throw out 2 lbs of it!

I decided to do Marinated Mushrooms instead.  There are four ingredients that I find I have routinely combined in different pairings to make dressings, marinades, and sauces throughout the years: Garlic, Balsamic Vinegar, Mustard, and Honey.  It sounds odd.  But it works!

Incidentally, these are all very good things to have on hand if you are trying to lose weight.

So, I'll share my (rather imprecise) recipe for the marinade with you:

2 cups Balsamic Vinegar
2 tbsp (tablespoons) Garlic (less if you find it offensive)
1/4 cup of Mustard (use any you like, though if you use honey mustard, don't add any honey later on)
1-2 tbsp of Honey
Salt and Pepper to taste

*hint, to make it a proper vinaigrette, just add a bit of oil

Whisk it all together in a bowl with a fork.

That's how I like it.  If you find balsamic vinegar too strong a flavor for you, add more honey or mustard (depending on what mustard you choose)

Play around with it. Marinades and vinaigrettes are a great place for beginners to play around and experiment in the kitchen.

See the video below if Vinaigrettes are more your speed.





Simple Surprises

I was at the grocery store today.  I thought I'd share some pictures with you.  Kudos if you can guess what they are:

I'm going to try and incorporate both these into my next recipe posting!

Umami: The 5th Basic Flavor

Watch this video to learn about my favorite of the 5 basic tastes - Umami.  Given the soft spot in my heart for savoriness, this is right up my alley.  Hope you enjoy.

Hot Chicken Salad

I'm not 100% sure if it's a southern thing, but I love casseroles  They're so easy - little clean-up, little fuss.  Above is a picture of my hot chicken salad at the messiest point.

This recipe below comes from www.deepsouthdish.com .  It's their "Hot Chicken Salad Casserole" recipe and I swear by it.  I've also included some edits in red that are short cuts I take to make it easier.  Interesting story - hot chicken salad was the what I ate on my first birthday and has been a favorite of mine ever since.
 
Recipe:

Ingredients

• 1 cup of mayonnaise
• 1 can of cream of chicken soup
• 1 cup of shredded cheddar cheese
• 1/2 teaspoon of lemon pepper (Trader Joe's has a Lemon Pepper Mill that is phenomenal)
• Pinch of dried thyme and rosemary, crushed
• 4 cups of diced cooked chicken
• 4 eggs, boiled and chopped, optional (you can buy these already boiled at the grocery store)
• 1/2 cup of minced celery*
• 1/3 cup of finely minced onion*
• 1 green onion, sliced
• 1/2 cup of sliced almonds
• Topping (below)

* you can buy these already minced in shrink wrap or container at most grocery stores such as Giant, Whole Foods, and Trader Joe's.

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. In a bowl combine the mayonnaise and soup; blend well. Stir in the cheddar cheese, lemon pepper, thyme and rosemary. Add the chicken, eggs, celery, onion, green onion and almonds; mix. Taste and adjust seasonings, adding salt only as needed, then transfer to prepared baking dish. Bake 20 minutes until hot and bubbly. Remove from oven, add topping, and bake an additional 5 minutes. Can also add toppings at the beginning cooking time if desired.

I hope you enjoy this recipe!

BCS Cornbread and Cheddar Japaleno Cornbread

Hi All,

I'm not much of a baker.  So when I share something I have to bake, trust me, it's going to be easy.

I'm going to share two types of cornbread with you today:  BCS (Bacon, Cheddar, Scallion) Cornbread and Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread.

I use Martha White's Buttermilk Cornbread Mix, but you can use whatever mix you like.  See, I just made the baking portion of this so easy for you.

Follow the instructions on the back for cornbread. 

For the BCS Cornbread, mince the scallion and follow the instructions on the package for mixing. Then, stir all the shredded cheddar cheese and other ingredients into the mix.  For the bacon, I used the real bacon crumbles for salad that you can buy in almost any grocery store (hint, don't use facon). The ingredients are light enough that they will be suspended in the mix so don't worry about it sinking to the bottom.

For Jalapeno Cheddar Cornbread, I used shredded cheddar cheese and jalapenos from a jar.  Follow the same steps you did the for BCS Cornbread.

Jalapeno on left, BCS on right; watch out, the jalapeno is extra
spicy when it's hot.

Cheers.

Ian