Crab Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Crab Stuffed Portabella Mushrooms

Ingredients:
4 portabella mushrooms with stems
1# can of Phillips crab meat (any kind will do)
1/3 cup mascarpone cheese
1/3 cup garlic butter or spread
1 cup white wine
1/2 cup diced roasted red peppers
1 TBSP chopped fresh basil
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1 cup bread crumbs (approx.)
4 slices smoked provolone cheese
Extra virgin olive oil
Salt
Black pepper

Procedures:
Remove the stems from the mushrooms. Dice the stems into 1/4 inch pieces and set aside. Remove the gills from the mushroom caps. Coat the mushroom caps with oil, place on a baking tray caps up and roast in a preheated 350 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

While caps are roasting heat 1 TBSP oil in a sautee pan and the diced mushroom stems and sautee, over medium high heat, for 3 minutes. Add the crab meat, roasted peppers, basil and parsley and sautee for 5 minutes. Add the white wine and let reduce by half. Add the mascrapone cheese and garlic butter and stir in as they melt. Remove from heat and stir in bread crumbs until the mixture is the cosistency of stuffing. Not too loose yet not too firm. Add salt and black pepper to taste.

When the caps are done remove from the oven. Flip the caps over and top with the stuffing mixture. Top with the provolone cheese and put back in the oven until the cheese melts.

Serve immediately.

Enjoy!!!

Smoked Salmon and Baby Greens Salad

Hello fatihful fans, it seems that I have been informed by the higher ups at this site that I have to fulfill my contactual obligations. This takes me away from my North Carolina mountain cabin I purchased with my salary. I only wish that were true, but I have decided that it's time I gave you all something new. So here goes.

Ingredients:
2- 6oz bags of Baby Greens or Spring mix with baby spinach
1# Smoked Salmon
2 Large red onions sliced into 1/4" rings
10 oz chopped walnuts
1/2 # crumbled feta cheese
2 TBS butter or margerine
1 TBS sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 TBS olive oil
1 bottle of rasberry vinegrette dressing

Procedures:
Melt the butter or margerine in the microwave. Add the cinnamon, sugar and cayenne pepper to the melted butter. Toss the almonds in the butter mixture, place on a cookie sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven for 15-20 minutes or until the sugar has candied onto the walnuts. In a saute pan heat up the olive oil on high heat. Add the onions and saute until they turn a caramel color (caramelized). Cool both the walnuts and onions down in the refridgerator after they are done.

Presentation:
Place the greens on a plate. Then top in the following order: caramelized onions, feta cheese, smoked salmon, candied walnuts and dressing.

Makes 5-6 descent sized salads.

ENJOY!!!

Cola cheeseburgers & Herbed Corn

Hello to all my fans. I know it's been quite a while since you've heard from me, and for that I'm sorry. It's been very interesting for me in the last year. My ex gave me my daughters in Sept. Yet still fought me for custody. I won when she didn't show to court. I'm sure she figured that I could finally prove the abandonment and drug use allegations I presented. I of course still had to pay child support until I legally had custody. So that made the holidays interesting. Then in Feb. she tried to kill her self again (unsuccessfully of course). I know before and I really know now that it is more expensive to have your children with you full time than it is to pay support. And of course I haven't seen dime from her. At least my kids are in a stable environment now, and we've been having fun.

The other good news was that I got promoted to General Manager. Wendy's is now working me toward my next promotion, which should come within a year.

I found out that my little Chevy Tracker convertible was not big enough for a family of 3 and went and got a Pontiac Aztek. That thing is a cool SUV. I just need to get a trailer hitch put on it. It is the one you can put a tent onto the back to go camping. It's $300 for that package so I'll probably pick it up around tax time.

Speaking of camping we went to Ichnetucknee Springs while on vacation. If you're ever in North Florida I highly suggest going there. It is a state park with a natural spring river running through it. You rent tubes, rafts, floats, etc. and float down it. It's very beautiful.

The rest of vacation was spent at Universal's Islands of Adventure. If you like theme parks, water rides and roller coasters I highly recommend it. It is my favorite park in Orlando. Beats Disney hands down.

Anyway, enough of my babbling now for the real reason you came here. Summer is almost over, at least for those of you who actually see leaves changing and snow. So here is a dinner of cookout combo I love to do on the grill.

Cola cheeseburgers

Ingredients:
1 egg
½ cup cola, divided (I don't recommend diet)
½ cup crushed saltines (about 15)
6 TBS French salad dressing
2 TBS grated parmesan cheese
¼ tsp salt
1-1/2 # ground beef
your choice of sliced cheese and hamburger buns

procedures:
In a bowl combine egg, ¼ cup cola, cracker crumbs, 2 TBS dressing , parmesan cheese and salt. In another bowl combine remaining cola and dressing. Shape beef mixture into six ¾" thick patties. Grill for 8-10 minutes turning and basting with cola/dressing mixture occasionally. Melt cheese on top and place on a bun.

Herbed corn

Ingredients:
½ cup softened butter
2 TBS minced fresh parsley
2 TBS minced fresh chives
2 tsp minced fresh thyme
½ tsp salt
¼ tsp cayenne pepper
8 ears of husked corn

procedures:
in a bowl combine all 1st six ingredients. Spread 1 TBS of mixture over each ear of corn. Wrap each ear of corn in heavy duty foil. Grill over medium heat for 10-15 minutes turning frequently.

As with any cookout items these go best with a good beer, or 2, or 12 pack, or case.

ENJOY!!!

Simple Scampi Pasta

Well, my hold out is over. I tried to renegotiate my contract when the web site got renewed. It didn't work out though. I figured that if I didn't report to camp I might get the 15 million a year for 7 years that I wanted. But finally I realized one thing. FJ.com is as broke as I am. So I'm going to display my talents in hopes that some other web site might pick me up next year in free agency. So here's a new yet easy recipe for you.

Simple Scampi Pasta

Ingredients:
1# linguine pasta
1 TBS. extra virgin olive oil
2 TBS. minced garlic
1# peeled and devained shrimp (size 21/25 to 30/35)
2 cups white wine
3 TBS. lemon juice
1/2# butter
1 TBS. chopped dried parsley
black pepper to taste

Procedures:
Cook the pasta according to the directions on the box. While the pasta is cooking heat the olive oil in a sauce pot on medium-high heat. Add the garlic and saute' for 2-3 minutes. Add the shrimp and saute' for 3-4 minutes. Add the white wine and lemon juice and reduce by 1/2. Break apart and slowly add butter to keep the sauce thick. Remove from heat and add the parsley and pepper. In a large pasta bowl toss pasta and scampi together.

ENJOY!

Caribbean Barbecued Pork

Hello to all of the faithful. I know you have been jonesing for a new recipe, but hey I've been busy finally having somewhat of a life. Just kidding. I do have more free time now that I work for a decent company that doesn't try to kill their employees. Like the one James works for. I'm just about fished out, and that takes a lot for me to get there (ask anyone who knows me about it). So now I've turned my attentions to you, oh loving fans. So I shall be posting a little more often. I've already blown the New Year's resolution all to hell, so don't quite look for one a week. I will try at least once a month if not a little more often though. This is one I just did for the Labor Day weekend.

Caribbean Barbecued Pork

Ingredients:
2 cups spiced rum (Captain Morgan preferably)
4 cups Cattleman's Gold BBQ sauce (or any mustard based BBQ sauce)
1 cup Jamacian Jerk seasoning
4# pork chops (or cube and skewer the same amount of pork loin)
Procedures:
Mix the rum, BBQ sauce and seasoning together. Marinate the pork in the sauce for 4 to 24 hours ( the longer it stays in the marinade the more flavor it picks up). Fire up the grill and cook away. Always generously brushing sauce on while the pork is cooking.

ENJOY!

Capellini de Pollo

Well it seems that James may have hit the big time with this site, and you better believe I'm going to jump on the bandwagon. Buy the frosted mug. It was never submitted for my approval, but I laughed my ass off when finally I saw it. I also noticed that it had been a while since I gave you a recipe. So here goes.

Capellini de Pollo

Ingredients:
1# capellini (angel hair) pasta
3 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
11/2# julienned chicken breast
1 TBSP minced garlic
1 cup white wine
2ea. 8oz cans of Swanson's chicken broth
2 cups quartered artichoke hearts
1 cup diced tomatoes
1/2 cup julienned sundried tomatoes
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup mascarpone cheese
1 cup parmesan cheese
1 TBSP chopped fresh parsley
1 TBSP chopped fresh basil
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper

Procedures:
Cook the pasta acoording to the directions on the box. In a sauce pot saute the chicken in the olive oil. When the chicken is almost fully cooked add the garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add the wine and reduce by half. Add the broth, artichokes and sundried tomatoes. Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add diced tomatoes, butter, cheeses, herbs, salt and pepper. simmer for 2 minutes. Toss together with the pasta and serve.

ENJOY!

Fried Ice Cream with Spiced Rum Caramel Sauce

Well, it has occurred to me that I'm the only slack ass to not update lately (even Hempered Chef updated before me. Holy Shit!!!). Not to give excuses, but I've been having a rollercoaster ride through life recently. Between the employment and child custody situations it's been really fun. NOT! But on the bright side I'm a) interviewing for a really great job (keep your fingers crossed I'll land it) and b) going to have a good shot at finally getting my daughters away from their bipolar diagnosed mother (if the fucked up state of Florida will actually listen to my 8 1/2 year old, who doesn't feel safe living with mommy anymore and wants to live with me). So I apologize for not keeping up on my promise of a recipe a week. But, Hey, here's a new one for you. It's a good one for entertaining during the summer months.

Fried Ice Cream with Spiced Rum Caramel Sauce

Ingredients:
1/2 gal. vanilla ice cream
1 bottle spiced rum
4 cups sugar
1 bag coconut flakes
1 quart heavy cream

Procedures:
Scoop the ice cream into 1 1/2 - 2" diameter balls. Refreeze the ice cream. It needs to be rock hard during every step. In a sauce pot combine the rum and sugar. On high heat reduce down until you have the consistency of pure maple syrup. Let cool to room temperature. Pour the coconut flakes into a mixing bowl. Dip each ice cream ball into the syrup and then the coconut, making sure that the entire ball is completely coated with each. Refreeze the coated ice cream balls. Return the syrup to the stove on high heat. Reduce by roughly 1/2 and slowly whisk in the heavy cream. Remove from the stove and let cool to room temperature. Preheat a fryolater containing new oil to 400 degrees. Fry the coated ice cream balls until the coconut turns golden brown. This should take roughly 10 seconds. Put the fried ice cream on a plate or bowl and serve with the spiced rum caramel.

ENJOY!

Wild Mushroom Soup

Well, it seems that I've broken my promise of a recipe a week. I my own defense though I have been busy. Mainly because I'm in between jobs yet again. If you ever think about going into the restaurant biz, only do so if it's going to be your own place. Most owners are lying cheap assholes. But anyway I digress. Here is another one of my now "famous" soups.

Wild Mushroom Soup

Ingredients:
1 TBS. vegetable oil
½# sliced button mushrooms
½# sliced portabello mushrooms
½# sliced shiitake mushrooms
1/8 cup minced garlic
cup Marsala wine
2 quarts
¼ # chicken base
2 tsp. salt
1 TBS. white pepper

Procedures:
In a sauce pot sauté the mushrooms and garlic for five minutes. Add the Marsala wine and reduce by half. Add the water, the beef base and seasonings. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

As you can see this is very similar to the French Onion Soup. One day I wanted an easy soup but need to get rid of some mushrooms before they went bad. I had just this next soup earlier in the week, so I didn't want to make it again. Remember soup of the day, not of the week. So because of this the Wild Mushroom Soup came to be.

Filet Mignon Oscar

So, all you lushes, did the suspense kill you? Or were you able to hold out until this week's tantalizing new recipe? Well here you go. Use this dish at a candle light dinner to impress your next date.

Filet Mignon Oscar

Ingredients:
2 ea. 6-8 oz filet mignons
1/2 cup crab meat
6 spears asparasgus
1/2 cup bernaise sauce
white wine

Procedures:
Cook the steaks to the desired temperature on a preheated grill. While the steaks are cooking bring some white wine to a boil in a sauce pot. Cook the asparasgus in the wine until al dente' ( firm, yet tender). Heat the crab meat in the microwave for approximately 30 seconds. When ready mound the crab meat on top of each steak. Then stand the asparasgus on the sides with the tips touching on the top. Last pour the bernaise sauce over the top.

When making this you can use any type of steak, filet mignon just works the best because it is the most tender. Also use real crab meat, jumpo lump works well. Don't use KRAB, that's just imitation crap that tastes like crap.

ENJOY!!!

Bernaise Sauce

Well, I just took the poll and saw that 14% of you wanted to see more recipes from me. Also, James just sent me an email of how popular this page is becoming. Who woulda thunk that my alcoholism (I mean, culinary skills) could generate a cult following. So here is my promise to my faithful: I will write a new recipe for this site every week. This way you get your fix, and I start to compile the recipes I need to do a cook book. Hey, did you think I wasn't going to try to find some way of capitalizing on this? So here is the newest recipe. You will need it for next weeks dish. I now have also added the element of suspense. Gotta love it.

Bernaise Sauce

Ingredients:
5 egg yolks
1/8 cup water
2 1/2 cups drawn butter
1/4 tsp. worchestshire sauce
pinch of cayenne pepper
pinch of salt
1/2 cup white wine
1/8 cup dried tarragon

Procedures:
First you must make the drawn butter. To do this melt some unsalted butter over low heat or in the microwave and let it separate with the fats sinking to the bottom. Then carefully remove to liquid to get the amount you need. Let the drawn butter cool slightly, you don't want it hot. Soak the dried tarragon in the white wine. Fill a sauce pot half way with water and bring to a boil. In a stainless steel mixing bowl combine the egg yolks and cold water lightly with a wire whisk. Put the mixing bowl over the sauce pot so that it doesn't touch the water but still gets heat from the steam. Constantly whisk the egg yolks keeping them remaining as a liquid. Do so until they start to thicken up, and you can see the bottom of the bowl in areas that you are whisking. Don't over cook the yolks! You don't want scrambled eggs! Remove from the heat and slowly add the drawn butter while constantly whisking. After adding all the butter add the remaining ingredients.

Reading this it sounds complicated, but this is a really simple thing to make. You just have to stay on top of it, and do everything at a consistent pace.

ENJOY!!!

Bourbon St. Shrimp Kabobs

Hello, drunkards!!! Now that Fat Tuesday is long past. And I've had time to recuperate from my Mardi Gras partying, I will now pass on a dish I made for the festivities.

Bourbon St. Shrimp Kabobs

Ingredients:
5# of peeled and devained shrimp (preferably size U-15)
4 pints cherry tomatoes
2# baby onions
2# okra
3 cups bourbon
3 cups vegetable oil
1/2 cup blackening seasoning
2 TBS. chopped fresh rosemary
10" long bamboo skewers

Procedures:
Soak the bamboo skewers in warm water. This will help to keep them from splintering. Skewer the shrimp, tomatoes, onions and okra alternately so that you have 3 shrimp and 1 of each vegetable on the skewer. In a baking dish long enough to hold the skewers combine the other ingredients to make a marinate. Marinate the kabobs for 2 hours. Grill until the shrimp turns opaque and the veggies are soft, but not falling apart.

Drink the rest of the bourbon and ENJOY!!!

Cheese Quesadillas

Hello to all the lushes out there. I've been craving Mexican food lately, so I made some quesadillas. I figured I'd pass on the recipe. They turned out great!

Cheese quesadillas
Ingredients:
1TBSP melted margarine
12" tortilla
½ cup cheddar/jack cheese mix
¼ cup diced tomatoes
¼ cup black olives
2 TBSP scallions
½ cup shredded lettuce
¼ cup jalapenos
1 tsp blackening seasoning

Procedures: Brush 1 side of the tortilla with the margarine. Place the tortilla margarine side down into a large saute' pan. Evenly cover the tortilla with all of the other ingredients. Cook the quesadillas until the margarine side is golden brown and the cheese is melted. Fold the quesadillas in half. Remove from the pan and cut into 4 equal size wedges.

Serve these with sour cream, Pico de Gallo, salsa, guacamole and of course BEER. I recomend either Corona or Dos Equis. If you know of another good Mexican beer then email me. I would give you my guacamole recipe, but that one is a prize winner and a personal secret( hey I can't give away all my good recipes).

ENJOY!

Rigatoni Ala Vodka

Hello Alcies! How was the latest A.A. meeting? You want to know about mine? I wish I could tell you. I'm not an alcoholic. Alcoholics have drinking problems. Not me. I drink. I get drunk. I fall down. Hey, no problem. On second thought maybe I do have a problem, 2 hands and only 1 mouth. Any way, after I finished morning the death of our dear buddy, Dave Thomas, I realized I still had some Absolut left. So here you go. Again you will have to make a recipe to make the final dish. Here it is:

Marinara
Ingredients:1/4 cup vegetable oil
1ea. diced yellow onions
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 qt. canned diced tomatoes in juice
1 qt. canned tomato sauce
1/4 cups tomato puree
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp black pepper

Procedures:
In a stockpot sauté' the onions in the vegetable oil until translucent. Add the garlic and render for 2 minutes. Add all the tomato products and simmer for 1 hour. Remove from the heat and add the herbs, salt and pepper.

Now the final dish:

Rigatoni ala Vodka
Ingredients: 1# rigatoni pasta
1 qt. marinara
2 cups heavy cream
1 cup Parmesan cheese
1/2 cup Aboslut ( or any other vodka)

Procedures: Cook the pasta until it is aldente' ( firm, yet tender). This takes between 8-10 mins. In another saucepot bring the marinara to a simmer. Add the heavy cream, cheese and vodka bringing the sauce back to a boil after adding each each ingredient and before adding the next. After the vodka is added simmer for 5 mins. When both the pasta and sauce are done toss together in a mixing bowl and serve hot.

ENJOY!!!

Frozen Siberian

Well hello to all fellow Wendy's fans. I too am in mourning over Dave's passing. Having gone to school with James, I too remember the days of " what can get get if we pool all our money" on the walk over to his house. I also remember the "liberated" Kaluha. It was just part of 2 cases that was liberated from a former employer of mine ( I won't go into anymore detail. Just in the case the statute of limitaions isn't up.) I will no pass on a non food recipe in honor of dear departed Dave. Dave you have given us all a lot of fond memories.

Ingredients:
1 Wendy's Frosty
Absolut Vodka
Kaluha

Procedures:
Dispatch between 1/3 to 1/2 of the Frosty( drink it, give it to some on else or do as we did just pour it out onto the sand at the beach). Add eqaul amounts of Absolut and Kaluha. Mix. It's that simple. And when Jonathan Patrick Dick comes to break up the party and asks what you are drinking respond, " just a Wendy's Frosty, Sir."

ENJOY!

Spicy Chicken Wrap with Texas Ranch Sauce and Pico de Gallo

Hello again to all my fellow drunkards! Sorry I've been away for a while. Things have been busy with the new restaurant. That and gearing up to open another in just a few short weeks. I've been worked like a dog. But on the bright side the company I work for just got the financing to open 10 more stores. They're planning on at least 5 in 2002. And I was told that as soon as store #3 is close to opening I offically get my position as Corporate Chef ( God, that'll look good on my resume'). What I'd like to do for you is to pass on 1 of the top sellers on our menu. First you have to make Pico de Gallo then a dressing for the item though so here are 3 recipes for you.

Pico de Gallo
Ingredients: 1 quart diced tomatoes (use previous day's diced tomatoes first)
1/2 cup diced yellow onions
2 TBSP diced jalapenos
2 TBSP minced garlic
2 TBSP chopped cilantro
3/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white pepper

Procedures: Combine all ingredients together in mixing bowl.

Texas ranch dressing
Ingredients: 2 cups ranch dressing
2 TBSP Pico de Gallo
2 TBSP Tabasco sauce

Procedures: Mix the ingredients together in a mixing bowl until well incorporated.

Spicy chicken wrap
Ingredients: 1 TBSP vegetable oil
6oz shredded raw chicken breast
1 TBSP Blackening seasoning
1 TBSP Cayenne Pepper
1 cup shredded lettuce
2 TBSP diced tomatoes
2 TBSP Texas Ranch dressing
12" tortilla

Procedures: Sprinkle the chicken with the seasonings and saute' in the oil until fully cooked. Put the lettuce in a strip across the middle of the tortilla, but not all the way out to the edges. Sprinkle the tomatoes on top of the lettuce. Pour the dressing on top. Put the cooked chicken ont top. Fold the ends of the tortilla over to cover the ends of the sandwich fixings strip. Roll the sandwich up neatly like a burrito.

ENJOY!

French Onion Soup

Hello to all the fans I've dissed lately. I'm truely sorry. My new job has me setting up a restaurant concept from scratch. All we had to start with was a name. We did all the menu and procedures from there. And in less than a month we open our first 2 with another 4 coming in the next 8 months. Fun, Oh, Fun!!!

I'd like to let "Pinky" know that I feel for you. I doesn't get better. I still question my sanity as to why I choose my career. I deal with quite a few morons every day, and get completely stressed out. But I keep coming back for more. Anyway, enough jaw flappin'. Y'all came for some grub. So here ya's go.'

Ingredients:
1 TBSP vegetable oil
2 1/2# yellow onions julienned ¼" thick
1/4 cup minced garlic
1 cup sherry
2 quarts + 1/2 cup water
1/4# beef base
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp white pepper
1/8 cup corn starch
french bread sliced 1/2" thick
sliced provolone cheese

Procedures:
Preheat your oven to broil. In a sauce pot saute' onions and garlic until onions are limp. Add the sherry and reduce by ½. Add 2 quarts of the water, the beef base, salt and pepper. Bring to a boil. Mix the corn starch with the remaining water and add to the soup. Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Toast the french bread slices to make croutons. Pour the soup into bowls and float a crouton in each one. Put slices of cheese on top of the crouton covering the entire bowl. Place the bowls in the oven until the cheese is melted and starting to brown on top.

ENJOY!

Butternut Squash Soup

Hello to all my fellow Americans(and our staunch allies)! I watched last night's speach by President Bush. If he does even half to 3/4 of what he said in the next 3 years then I will definitely be voting fore him in 2004. Anyway, I digress. The reason you all came here was for ideas for some eats. As tomorrow will be (offically) the first day of autumn, I'd like to share one of my favorite fall recipes with you.

Ingredients:
2 1/2# butternut squash
3 qt.+2 cups water
1/4# vegetable soup base
1/4# corn starch
2 cups heavy cream
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 TBSP nutmeg
1 TBSP salt
2 tsp white pepper

Procedures:
Remove the ends and seeds from the sqaush and cut int 1/2 inch strips. In a large pot bring 3 qts. of water and the sqaush to a boil. Continue to boil until the squash is mushy. Place the squash and water in a food processor and puree. Return the mixture to the pot and bring back to a boil. Mix the remaining water and corn starch together and add this mixture to the soup. Bring to a boil. Add the heavy cream and seasoning and reduce to simmer. Simmer for 5 minutes. Makes 1 gallon of soup.

ENJOY!

White Chocolate Macadamia Rum Cookies

Hello to all my fellow drunkards! I'm now gainful employed at the hell hole I once worked as a slave at, but hey it pays the bills until I can find a real job. I was able to recover some work I had done for them on my computer and lost due to a virus. So that makes up (all be it a little) for the fact that I now work 70-80 hours a week again. One was a cookie recipe that I will now pass on to you.

Ingredients:
1# butter
1# margarine
1 1/4# granulated sugar
1 1/4# brown sugar
1/8 cup white rum
8 eggs
2qt.+ 1cup all purpose flour
1/8 cup baking soda
1 TBSP table salt
2qt. white chocolate chunks
1qt. chopped macadamia nuts

Procedures:
Cream the butter, margarine, sugars and rum together in a mixer. Slowly cream in the eggs one at a time. Add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix until fully incorporated. Add the white chocolate and nuts and mix until fully incorporated. Place on a non-stick cookie sheet and bake in a 350-degree oven for 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool on a wire rack.

This is going to make a lot of dough. I cut back to 1/4 of the original recipe, which made 5 gallons of dough to use for an all you can eat lunch buffet. I don't know how many cookies you'll get. It will be a shit load though. My suggestion is to roll some of the dough up in waxed paper ( it should look similar to one of the Hempered Chef's joints.) and freeze it. That way when you want to make more you just cut it like Pillsbury cookies.

ENJOY!

Sausage Stuff

Hello, all! Greetings from the poor side of the tracks( At least for now. It looks like some opportunities maybe arising.) i will not ramble today, but will just jump right into the new recipe. The name will sound corny. I've never come up with an approriate one. Maybe you can help and email me some ideas.

Ingredients:
2# sausage- any kind will do but I prefer either hot Italian or Andouille
2 ea.quartered and sliced baking potatoes
2 ea. julienned green peppers
2 ea. julienned large yellow or spanish onions
1/2# sliced mushrooms
8 oz. sour cream
vegetable oil

Procedures:
In a large non-stick( and I emphasize the non-stick) pot sear of the sausage links. remove and finish cooking the sausage in either a 350 degree oven or the microwave. Pour a little bit of oil into the pot and saute' the potato slices and peppers until the peppers start to soften. Add the onions and mushrooms, and saute' until the mushrooms are softened. Slice the sausage and add back to the pot. Remove from the heat and add the sour cream.

ENJOY!

Roasted Garlic Wing Sauce

Well I've been having about as much fun as one man can possibly have. I get to sit at home from 9-5 and see if the phone rings. I've sent my resume' to about 25-30 different companies, and have heard from enough to count on 1 hand with fingers left over. And I've been unemployed for over a week. Sitting at home also means, outside of parentals that visit, I haven't dealt with anyone over the age of 7 in that same week (I go to have my daughters over for visitation. Don't get me wrong I love them, but I do need an adult conversation every once in a while).

And to top it off I crashed and burned yet again. It seems the only women I can get interested in me have been passed around more than a joint at a Dead concert. I get the same thing James does,"you're so nice I don't want to ruin our friendship." And people wonder why I drink. My life could easily take up at least a week's worth of Springer shows. Now that I'm done ranting I'll give you my new recipe. I hope you still have the last one you'll need it.

Ingredients:
2 cups Tabasco sauce
1 cup liquid margerine
1/2 cup roasted garlic puree
1/4 cup diced jalapenos

Procedures:
Easy enough, mix all the ingredients together. To make liquid margerine, if you can't find it at the store, take and 1 1/2 cups solid margerine and melt it slightly in the microwave. You don't want it to be thin and completely melted.

ENJOY!

Roasted Garlic Puree

Ah, July, that lovliest of months. James has nothing on my past month. It started on a high note, I closed on my 1st home. I then took vacation. Then things went down hill. Between furniture (I owned nothing thanks to a fun split from my ex 4 years ago) and just a little bit of paint and supplies I spent over a grand. Add that to the $7,500 it took just to get into my house ($5,900 of that thanks to a bad debt from aforementioned ex). Then 10 days after the closing I come to find out my roof leaks. More dough out the window. And then, just to cap it all off, I get fired. Which of course leaves me temporarily unemployed. They wanted to cut management labor, and I made $11,600 more than than average pay for my position. Yet, out of the blue mind you, I supposedly have poor job performance, which has never been brought up before. Sounds like bullshit to me, but I wanted out of the place anyway. I'm not political by nature, and there was just to much ass kissing going on there for my liking.

But anyway, enough of my rant. My next recipe is a nice one that can be used for a lot of things. Save it or remember it, because you will need it for the next recipe I give you.

Ingredients:
1 1/4# peeled garlic cloves
vegetable oil
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
salt and pepper

Procedures:
Place the garlic cloves in a cake pan. Pour enough vegetable oil over the garlic to cover it all. Cover with foil and roast in 350 degree oven for 1 1/2 hours. Remove from oven and let cool down slightly. Drain and reserve the oil. Place the roasted garlic and parmesan cheese into a food processor and puree. Slowly pour the reserved oil into the mixture while still leaving on the food processor. You will not need all of the oil. You want the mixture to become the consistency of peanut butter. Salt and pepper to taste. Save the remaining oil. It goes great with balsamic vinegar on salads.

ENJOY!

Myer's Rum Sauce

Hello again all you fellow alcoholics. I'm sorry it's been so long, but I had some work to do with the house I just bought. I just want to give Hempered Chef some big kudos. But I also want to set some things straight:

1st) There truly aren't any "original" recipes any more.
2nd) Everything that is considered "original" is, more or less, a variation of an existing recipe.
3rd) This is caused by creation. A good chef knows what tastes go well together and creates "new" dishes by making these variations

With that said here comes my most recent recipe to this site. It is not an "original", because I stole the idea from T.G.I. Fridays Jack Daniel's Sauce. I just made a variation of it for my own personal liking and use. It works great as a barbecue sauce or as a steak sauce or dipping sauce for chicken and shrimp.

Ingredients:

2 TBS. vegetable oil
1 cup finely diced shallots
1/2 bottle of Myer's Dark Rum (or any dark rum if you don't want to spend that much)
2 cups molasses
1 cup brown sugar
4 cups water
2 TBS. beef soup base
Arrow root

Procedures:

In a sauce pot heat the vegetable oil over medium heat, but do not burn it. Add the shallots and caramelize them. (Cook until they start to turn a brownish color, but not burnt). Add the rum. Bring to a boil and reduce by 1/2. Add the molasses, brown sugar, water and soup base. Again bring to a boil and reduce by 1/2. Slowly whisk in the arrow root until the mixture is the consistency of a barbecue sauce. Remove from heat and let cool.

ENJOY!

Honey Balsamic Burgundy Glaze

Hello to all searchers of "recipes to get you absolutely shit-faced"(let's see how many more hits that gives this site). For you regulars, sorry it's been so long. Buying a house is like anal sex, a pain in the ass( should provide more hits). I though it wouldn't be any harder than buying a car. Pick the one you want, get approved for the loan and move right in. NOT! Needless to say this should be one of the very few times in my life I go through this process. You need paperwork to substantiate your paperwork. Fun, oh, fun. But anyway, I have a new recipe for you. It's a nice sauce that works great for roasting, grilling or rotisserie of any type of meat.

ingredients:
3 cups Burgundy wine
2 cups balsamic vinegar
1 cup honey
1/2 cup corn starch

procedure:
Mix the burgundy wine, balsamic vinegar and honey together. Reserve 2 cups of the mixture to the side. In a sauce pot bring the rest of the mixture to a boil. Combine the corn starch with the reserved mixture to make what I like to call a "slurry". ( I was know as the Corn Starch King at my last job because I hated to go through the process of making a proper rue.) Add the "slurry" to the boiling mixture. Bring to a boil again. Reduce heat when boiling. Simmer until the glaze is the consistency of a barbeque sauce.

ENJOY!

Everglades Special

Sorry it's been so long folks. I've been house hunting, and I killed, I mean found, one. I'm finally going to be a home owner at the age of 30. Yes, I said 30. No snickering, Damn it! So celebrate with me and have a drink. Pour yourself one of these, it's what I'm having.

1oz. light rum
1oz. white creme de cacao
1oz. light cream
2 tsp. Kahlua
shake and serve over ice

I promise to have a food recipe sometime in the near future(maybe).

Beer Cheese Dip

IT"S THAT TIME OF THE YEAR AGAIN!!! Just like any where else in this great country, South Florida fishing goes into over drive from May through September. Thus you will not hear from me as often as before. Also it's vacation time, and God knows where I'll cast my line during this year's. Last year was out there in California on the American River for small steelhead trout. This year it's looking like West Virginia and the Potomac for either trout or smallmouth bass. For those of you who enjoy fishing I raise my glass and propose a toast. Here's to many tight lines and very few stories of that ones that got away, because, hey, they didn't! For the rest of you here's a great summer dish for either picnics or watching baseball games on TV.

ingredients:
2 TBSP butter
1 ea. julienned spanish onion
2ea. 12 oz beers
3 cups water
1 TBSP chicken soup base
2 cups shredded sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Arrow root

procedures:
In a sauce pot, saute' the julienned onion in the butter. Add the beer and reduce by 1/2. Add the water and chicken soup base and bring to a boil. Add the cheddar cheese, stirring frequently until it is melted. Reduce heat and add heavy cream. With a wire whisk stir the mixture and slowly add Arrow root until the mixture is almost as thick as a dip. Simmer for approximately 5 minutes to allow the Arrow root to thicken the dip even further.

The dip is best served hot, but can be enjoyed just as well cold.

ENJOY!

Cream Cheese Stuffed Pork Chops with Port Wine Apple Sauce

Seeing as the Hempered Chef and I have started a fruit trend I might as well keep it up. Personally I'm usually not known as fruity just plain nuts. Once again there is more than one recipe to make this dish.

Cream Cheese Stuffing

ingredients:
8 oz. cream cheese
2 TBSP chopped basil
2 TBSP chopped parsley
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/2 cup plain bread crumbs

procedures:
Mix all ingriedents together.

Port Wine Apple Sauce

ingredients:
3 ea. 8oz. cans of apples in syrup
1 cup brown sugar
1 TBSP cinnamon
1 bottle of Port wine

procedures:
In a sauce pot combine 1/2 the bottle of port wine, apples, brown sugar and cinnamon. Bring to and keep at a boil. Stir frequently to avoid burning on the bottom. You want to reduce the wine completely away. The apples need to turn to mush so that they can be mashed. If you need to keep adding wine until the apples are to that point. When they are remove from the heat and mash with a potato masher. Transfere to a bowl and cool in a refridgerator.

The final dish requires thick cut pork chops( about 1" is a good size). Butterfly the pork chops( cut a slice into them but not all the way through. When you do this and open them up it looks like a butterfly.) Stuff each pork chop with the cream cheese stuffing. Cook the pork chops any way you desire. I prefer pan searing them. When done plate up the pork chops and top with the apple sauce.

Chef's note:
A big misconception is that with pork being the other white meat it needs to be cooked until it is opaque all the way through. This is not true. Unlike chicken, pork can not make you sick if it is cooked to beef like temperatures. The only thing is pork has to be cooked to at least medium. Medium rare or rare can make you sick. Medium is the ideal temperature for pork. to get a medium pork product cook it until it no longer looks "raw" but is not completey opaque.

ENJOY!

Cajun Pizza

Not to sound ungrateful to the weather gods (south Florida is in a major drought situation with massive water restrictions right now), but why does it have to rain on my only day off? I'm a beach bum for christ's sake. I need sun or I'll shrivel up and die (just like one of Hempered Chef's canabus plants would). So what did I do you ask? Well like any beach bum does when it rains, had pizza and drinks.

The recipe for both the pizza and drink are the following ones. You'll need the New Orleans style barbecue sauce for the pizza

ingredients:

1 ea. pizza crust or dough (any kind will do)
1/2 cup New Orleans Style Barbecue Sauce
1 1/2 cups shredded Pepper Jack cheese
1 ea. julienned green pepper
1 ea. julienned spanish onion
1/4 lb. sliced mushrooms
1 lb. sliced andouille sausage

procedures:
Simple top the pizza crust/dough with the ingredients( sauce, cheese then toppings), and bake in 350 degree oven until thoroughly cooked.

Rum Runner

1 1/2 oz. light rum
1 1/2 oz. coconut rum
1 1/2 oz. dark rum
1 1/2 oz. banana liquer
1 1/2 oz. blackberry brandy
2 oz. lime juice
2 1/2 oz orange juice
2 1/2 oz. pineapple juice
dash of grenadine

Mix and serve on the rocks. Or for a frozen drink combine with ice in a blender.

Bananas Foster

I just talked to an old girlfriend who I haven't talked to or see in about 9 years. We had a good relationship. Things just happened, and we went our seperate ways. It was great to hear from her again, and it left me with a sort of happy/sweet feeling. So this next dish is dedicated to her and that feeling. It's a 2 recipe dish. You have to make them in the order that they're listed here.

1. Caramel sauce
ingredients:
3 cups granulated sugar
3 cups water
1 quart heavy whipping cream

procedures:
In a small pot combine sugar and water. Bring to a boil. Keep at a boil. When the mixture starts to change color watch it closely. It will burn if not. Once it goes just a hair darker then caramel colored slowly wisk in the heavy cream. Remove from stove, and let cool at room temperature.

Foster Sauce:
ingredients:
1 TBSP butter
4 ea. sliced bananas
1 cup dark rum
3 cups caramel sauce
1 cup chopped roasted walnuts

procedures:
In a pan saute' the sliced bananas in the butter until soft(not mushy). Add the rum and flambe'. Add the caramel and walnuts. remove from heat.

This dish consists of the foster sauce served over vanilla icecream. As soon as you remove the sauce from the stove poor it over the icecream and serve. You have to flambe' the rum in this one(sorry but the alcohol does change the flavor this time. Just finish the bottle to get buzzed.) To do so I suggest a long grill lighter if you don't have a gas stove.

ENJOY!

Tequila Lime Chicken

Ingredients:
1 ea. whole chicken (remove the entrail sack, that's the neck, gizzard and liver)
1/2 bottle Tequila
3 cups lime juice
1 bunch cilantro
1/2 cup fine diced habanero peppers
1 cup granulated garlic
1/4 cup kosher salt
1/4 cup ground black pepper
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses

Procedures:
This recipe is very simple. Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl large enough to marinate the chicken in. Marinate the chicken for 24 hours. turning every 4-6 hours if not completely covered by the marinade. After 24 hours remove the chicken and place to the side. In a sauce pot bring the liquid to a boil and reduce to the thickness of a syrup. This will make a glaze for the chicken. Grill the chicken for approximately 30 mins. Brushing periodically with the glaze.

Notes:
I have to credit James with the idea for this one. He has mentioned lime marinated foods he's done and it intrigued me. So I put a spin on it. The grilling time on your chicken will vary as to weight and amount of time it has been marinated. The alcohol in the tequila and citric acid in the lime juice start the cooking process. Basically it pickles the chicken at first. Always make sure any poultry is white all the way through before eating.

ENJOY!

Veal Rollatine in Marsala Sauce

A quick little piece of personal history: I worked for an Italian restaurant for 5 years before joining with my current gig. In that time I slaved 80 hours a week as an overglorified Line cook when I should have been managing as an Executive chef. When I left about 1/2 of the menu were ideas I either created or helped to create. I come to find out that almost a year later they came out with their "new" menu. Having a new chef they should have new dishes created by him, right? NOT! Of the 4 new menu items(and that was all for the new stuff) 3 were dishes I ran on a regular basis as specials. They couldn't get their own ideas. They just went and used mine. Needless to say I'm a little pissed. So as slight pay back I give you the recipe to their new "signature" dish, and a hell of a good one on my part( if I might say so).

Ingredients:

1# Veal hip- have your butcher cut this into 4ea. 4oz pieces for you
1/2# sliced mozzarella or asiago cheese
1/4# whole basil leaves
flour
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 cups sliced portabello mushrooms
2 cups Marsala wine
1 TBSP beef soup base
2 cups water
salt and pepper to taste

Procedures:
Light pound the veal with a meat mallet to 1/4" thickness. Lay the veal flat on you cutting board and layer with the cheese. Then layer with the basil leaves. Roll them up with the veal being the outer surface. Dredge the rollatines in the flour, coating them lightly. Preheat a saute' pan on medium heat. Add the olive oil and the rollatines. Sear until the surface is a nice golden brown. Add the portabellos and saute' 2 minutes. Add the Marsala wine and reduce by 1/2. Add the beef soup base and water. Reduce untill the sauce is almost to the consistency of a gravy, but not quite that thick. Season with the salt and pepper.

ENJOY!

New Orleans Style Barbacue Sauce

ingredients:
1ea. 12 oz. beer
3/4 cup white wine
Chef Paul Prodhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic to taste
2 TBSP garlic powder
3 TBSP butter
1/4 cup flour

procedures:
In a sauce pot combine the beer, wine, Blackening spices and garlic powder. Put on full heat, bring to a boil and reduce by half. Mix the butter and flour together in a bowl. When the liquid has reduced by half add the butter/ flour mixture. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes.

For those of you who have been reading these recipes I realized that I am use some cooking terms that I then don't explain. Like today's, reduce. To reduce a liquid means to do exactly that boil it so that you loss volume by evaporation. A reduction helps to not only help pull extra flavor out of the liquid but also to thicken anyhting you're making. This happens because the natural sugars in the liquid can't evaporate.

As for this recipe( as with most of mine) it is very simple. I just want to clarify a few things though:
1. I didn't list any brand or type of beer or wine. It doesn't matter what you use. When combined with the other ingredients the flavor is slightly noticable. But let's face it you're going to have to finish the other 11 beers and the rest of the bottle of wine. So don't use cheap stuff. Unless that's what you like to drink.
2. I list Chef Paul Prodhomme's Blackened Redfish Magic in the ingredients. That's my own choice. Use any kind of creole seasoning you like.
3. The amount of flour used can vary. If you want a thicker sauce use more flour. A thinner sauce use less. If you need to add more to thicken it up after you've already add the mixture do so will stirring with a wire whip to avoid flour balls from developing.

Feel free to experiment with any recipe you find. Experimentation is what seperates a Chef from a cook.

Personal note:
For those of you in California, I envy you. You have great wine and my favorite beer, Anchor Steam, readily available for this recipe. If you like my recipe feel free to send some as a little compensation.

Also my friend, The Hempered Chef, missed one other fun group of people that you get to work with here in Florida, Hatians. They speak creole as their language. One that 12 years later I still only know a few select words in(which I will not repeat).

Grilled Snapper w/ Warm Jamaican Fruit Salsa

Ingredients:
2 ea. Snapper fillets
1 ea. Orange
1ea. Mango
1/2 ea Pineapple
1 ea. Guava
3 ea. Kiwi
1/4 cup Captain Morgan Spiced Rum
1/2 cup Coconut milk or Coco Lopez
Salt & Pepper to taste

Procedures:
Clean all of your fruit(peel,seed, etc.), Dice into 1/4-3/8 inch pieces. Season the snapper fillets with the salt & pepper and place on your preheated grill. In a pan saute' the fruit for aproximately 3-5 minutes(you want some juice to start coming out but don't turn the fruit to mush). Add the rum, flambe', and let reduce by1/2. Add the coconut milk, reduce heat to a simmer, and reduce by 1/2. Top the finished snapper with the finished fruit salsa.

Chef's notes:
I prefer snapper for this recipe but, it will work with any white fish. I have successfully tried it with swordfish. Flaky fish works best though. Please don't use goldfish (tilapia). This is a very tasty dish that shouldn't be wasted on a cheap piece of fish. Flambe'ing the rum can omnly be done if you use a gas burner. It burns of the alcohol, and prevents intoxication. If you want to get a slight buzz ( that's all you'll get from 2 shots of rum) don't flambe'. You'll then retain the alcohol. I personally like to flambe' bcause it's neat to see the flames leap from the pan. In other words don't stand directly above the pan. Unless you don't want any eyebrows. My grill has a side burner which enables me to make the sauce right next to the fish and do the flambe'ing outdoors. Keeping the house safe from being burned down.

ENJOY! Email The Happy Hour Chef.