Recipe Chirmol Revisited !!

Wow!! In a short time the new yew will be upon us as well as the start of a personally new year for me, this past year has been as "the blink of an eye" with so much to be grateful for. As we use our past for the stepping stone of our futures I never want to forget what those stones are made of or the energies that are with in them. It is refreshing that I will be starting this new year without any unfinished business or baggage, just as I say this I am certain the new year will bring about something I have been working to do for many many years now as a chef and with this will bring many many new recipes and thoughts.
It has been requested for me to re post Recipe Chirmol which I will gladly do. Just about every country has there version of a sauce or salsa such as Chirmol which derives from Guatemala, it is interesting to research the cuisine of the different districts Guatemala is made up of just as it is to research France, Italy or another country. Every district or state within a country has there own language or dialect as well as cuisine like in France the food in Paris is loaded with Butter and Cream, go south and it is herbs and pan juices, you got the idea so onto this simple sauce or salsa.

8 Roma Tomatoes( roasted or grilled)
2 large white Onion(roasted or grilled
4 Anaheim or Pasila Peppers(roasted or grilled)
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup chopped garlic
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

It is important to use the charred skins of the roasted tomato, onion and peppers. In a food processor or blender combine all the ingredients and blend until semi smooth, season with salt and pepper and that is it, simple to the meaning of the word as is much of South American Cuisine as well as fresh and full of flavor. This sauce or salsa is great with everything from eggs to fish and can be served room temp or heated up.
Enjoy and get ready as we launch into the New Year with a BIG SURPRISE!!

Bring the meal together, Dried Fruits and Herbs!!

The concept of bring the meal together doesn't refer to plating it up or presenting it on the table or buffet but rather tying the flavors together to compliment one another. This can be as simple as one ingredient in one dish. Herbs are a dominating factor for the marriage of a meal but there is a little known trick I stumbled across many years ago when I was working in New Mexico at the Hilton's Pinion Grill in Santa Fe. I had access to the best herbs in the country from Abaque New Mexico, the mushrooms where the size of a dinner plate and you could taste the red earth in just about everything grown there, the herbs were as if they came from the valley of the giants, big and so packed with flavor I am reliving in my mind the aromas and taste, the problem was availability due to seasons like winter when most herbs go dormit in the snow and freeze. The menu would change with the season as would the concept of my execution of the menu. To spare you a 1000 word dissertation what I found was that dried fruits would often be the denominator to what would tie the whole meal together, fruits such as apricots, cherries, cranberries, mango you got the point. Most often just a hint of one of these fruits in one of the dishes on a plate such as the starch or veggie was the link that did it.
There is no recipe in this posting just a trick of the trade and the nudge to use your imagination. Just as I relived my time in New Mexico years ago I carry valuable information with me from my past, just the same I am not stuck there, I have moved forward with great understanding an openness to change. I have banked away so much information since that time and experienced things beyond my wildest dreams. My love and passion for the Culinary Arts is and will always be one of change much like our relationships, as I grow they will grow sometimes with profound change and understanding, what a gift to know I will never stop growing or becoming stuck with the same old grind everyday in my kitchens.
Since there have been so many readings to the Award Winning French Onion Soup recipe post(over 1000) I will be back with another soup recipe that will knock your socks off or at the very least raise and eyebrow or two.
It is very cold out there this morning so stay warm and as always be safe!!!!

Gnocchi Beurre Noisette and something Sicilia!!

Beurre noisette or brown butter adds so much nut like goodness to so many simple recipes and is often over looked. I use brown butter in many recipes, I say brown, not burnt. There is a fine line of heat control to attain the perfect beurre noisette, the best brown butter is in my opinion from European style  butter due to the higher milk solids and cream in the butter itself. Enough on the butter part of it and onto one of my favorite holiday dishes.
Much or many dishes we create around the holidays are comfort style foods, eats that make us feel good. This dish is a great side with roasted meats, game or fowl such as duck which was on the menu last night.
Allow me to introduce Whole Wheat Gnocchi Beurre Noisette. I will skip the Gnocchi and jump right to the butter and final fare.
If you don't want to make homemade Gnocchi there are many excellent quality Gnocchi out there, try to find one that is whole wheat due to the wholesomeness of these little gems of goodness.
In a saute pan over med- high heat place 2 tablespoons of whole butter and allow to melt, once the butter is melted kick up the heat and allow the butter to turn brown but not burnt.Turn off the heat and add 2 cups boiled gnocchi, toss then add 1 tablespoon fresh chopped garlic, 1/4 cup fresh chopped Italian Parsley and 1/4 cup dried cranberries or cherries, turn the heat back on to med-high and let the magical flavors cook there way to a sweet garlicky wholesome dish that is over the top simple. I served this right next to a big spoonful of Chutney with roasted duck and a glass of Epicuro which comes from the Nero D'Avola grape in the Sicilla region of Italy.
This wine brings on a full load of intence flavors of berries, cherries and spices that warm the palette and compliment the gaminess of the duck and the whole wheat of the Gnocchi Beurre Noisette and leave you wanting just one more bite.
I am so blessed to have my family, friends and health. This past year and most certainly past couple of months has been very inspirational for me as I now await the kick off of the new year to begin a new journey in my culinary career that is beyond exciting for me.

Recipe for Inspiration and Thank You!!

I get a BIG KICK out of checking the stats on this blog, it amazes me who reads my posts. Over 10 countries on a regular basis, I have made new acquaintances in 7 of these countries via email. Allow me to brag a bit, just yesterday in the past 24 hours sum 183 readers which is now the motivating factor for me to do this.
I say THANK YOU and ask you the readers of this blog to share with me some of your recipes via email. As a Chef there is no greater gift other than receiving a recipe from another especially from someone in another country or here at home in the USA. I encourage any and all of you that read this blog to create a blog of your own if you have not done so yet, it can be about anything my just so happens to be about what I am passionate about and my chosen career as a chef.
In any case get inspired by something and find the passion with in, one never knows where it might take them!!!!
I will be back with some inspirational recipes so stay tuned!!!

Chutney Recipe, Simple and Versatile !!!!

I have been a bit pre-occupied so here is a simple Chutney recipe that goes with just about anything. First check out the recipe for Orange Sauce in my previous post, you will be using this as the base for this recipe but will need to add a few things, here it is................

1 cup sliced pears ( I like Asian)
1 cup granny smith apples (med dice)
1/2 cup sliced mango
1/2 cup dried apricots
1 tablespoon ground cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
2 cups orange sauce
1 cup water
1/4 balsamic vinegar

In a deep sauce pan first saute all the fruit and spices in a teaspoon of olive oil just until the fruits begin to sweat and become soft, then carefully add all the liquid, bring to boil, cover and reduce to simmer for about 20 min or until all the liquid has reduced to syrup like consistency, that is it, This can be served at room temp or heated up. As I said before and will say again my recipes are base recipes, use your imagination and add some of your own ideas to create something special you can call your own.
This time of the year I always take a little trip inside, kind of a personal inventory of things past. It only takes a few minutes to see the truth of an entire lifetime to the point of our present state of being. With Christmas only five days away, be safe in all your travels as I found the other night there are allot of in a hurry crazies out there.

Orange Sauce and an Odd Lot!!!!

Before I go into the Chutney thing there is something about a glass of Odd Lot 2007 Cabernet that when accompanied with roasted duck with orange sauce that is better than what I can not mention on this blog or at very least in combination with. WOW!!!!!
Odd Lot wines refere to a specific limited quantity that will not reoccur again, trust me when I say  they are something special with depths of complex structure and over the top fragrant, oaky from the barrel all the way to the cork. I believe this is why a 2007 Odd Lot Cab brings it on with Duck Ala Orange.
Now the Roasted Duck I need not give more instruction on cooking again, so I will jump to the Orange Sauce that just so happens to be the base for one of the future Chutneys I will share but first Sauce Orange.

2 cups Orange Juice
1/4 cup Cognac(brandy may be substituted)
1/4 cup Grand Mariner(or quality orange liqueur)
1 teaspoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon Cinnamon
1 teaspoon Balsamic Vinegar
pinch white pepper
2 tablespoons butter

In a sauce pan combine all the liquid ingredients, bring to boil and reduce to simmer for 3-5 mins, add coriander and Cinnamon, reduce on simmer for an additional 3-5 mins. I do not generally like to use any thickening agents such as corn starch or rue so reducing time may vary. Reduce the sauce until syrup like consistency then gently stir in the butter, that is it. Pour small amount over the bird of choice the last 10 mins of roasting. I say bird of choice because this will do just fine with chicken, quail, goose or any bird one would enjoy eating. Some may add sugar to this sauce but no need, it is sweet enough. As always with my recipes I encourage you to do a little of your own thing with, create it to be your own. After all recipes really are only guild lines and suggestions.
Chutney will be up next so until then stay warm and safe!!!!

Cutlery of Choice!!!!

With Christmas upon us I was asked by a friend what would be a all around good quality piece of cutlery she could present her husband with for Christmas.
I have used just about every name in cutlery over the years, from Vitronix to Global, Wusthof to Chicago from one end of the price scale to the other. For many years now Global had won over the extension of my hands until recently.
MIYABI is now the name that works with me both at home and at work. For an 8" Chefs Knife retail is somewhere in the neighborhood of $200.00_$250.00, if you are stuck buying retail.(gratefully I am not). MIYABI knives are hand made in Japan just as Global are but seem to hold there edge much better, for me are extremely comfortable in my hand  and have perfect balance.
Some might say $200.00 for a knife???????? My reply is a knife lasts forever with proper care.

I will return with a wonderful winter chutney a bit later........................................................