Video of the Day: Fruit Detox - Recovering from the Holidays

Beginning January 2nd (January 1st is Mom's Seafood Extravaganza) I'm going to do some kind of pseudo fruit-veggie detox deal for 30 day.  I already know I won't be perfect but this is my way of making an effort to change my eating habits and making a change or 2 in my life. We'll see how it goes. I'm going to take it one day at a time. I'm not going to call this a New Year's resolution...more like another attempt at a new me...

Two More Holidays To Go!

I love this time of year...WITH A CAPITAL LOVE! Still left to go is my my brother's birthday on December 30th, New Year's Eve, and New Year's Day! The menus aren't that extensive, but still I have some work left today! EEEKKKK!!!  I'M EXPLODING WITH EXCITEMENT OVER HERE! Ok...ok...ok...here's how the rest of the year breaks down:

Big Bro's Birthday

Oh wait...we're going out to dinner...so I think I'll serve as sou chef on a carrot cake with a coconut cream cheese icing. Link coming as soon as My Loaves of Love posts the recipe!

New Year's Eve 

I've haven't gotten my assignment yet. I might just show up with whatever I feel like making. Mini Quiche Johannes?  I'll think about something.

New Year's Day

Mom's Seafood Extravaganza has been a tradition for the last 21 years now...wow time flies! We've always been a garlic crab loving family, but a restaurant called Crab House use to sell it by the bucket at a reasonable price. So every year we'd build a New Year's celebration around my Mom's crab...DEE-LISH! Crab House is long gone, no one sells garlic crabs at a reasonable price, but the Seafood Extravaganza marches on!  Our table will be filled with the following DEE-LISH dishes:

1.  Baked Curry Coconut Shrimp - Now, I've got to slip the curry and cayenne pepper in without mom knowing or else she won't touch it. No matter how little I put in, the shrimp are too hot, but if I tell her none was put in, then they taste just perfect. I'm testing an orange marmalade sauce as a dipping sauce. We'll see if it gets to the table.

2.  Du Riz a JonJon a Pois France - Translated into English from Haitian Kreyol, this is mushroom rice with peas. Now, Pois France is not the same as peas but my mother says she's never seen it sold in America. Green peas is the closest thing to Pois France Mom has seen in the US. Recipe on the way...

3.  Stewed Snow Crab Legs - DEEEEEE-LISHHHH!!! Mom makes a sauce tomate that is to die for for these crabs. We can't find reasonable garlic crabs, so we get these instead. I'll have to beg Mom for the recipe and swear all of you to secrecy! :-D

4.  Oven Fried Fish - This is a relatively new addition to our menu but oh so DEE-LISH! This is a Rachel Ray / Mommy Foster rejooj! This breading and cooking technique is great for any type of flacky fish.  We're going to do fish sticks and nuggets soon. OH! I'm making a homemade tartar sauce to go along with this! YAY!!! :-)

5.  Potatoes au Gratin - Heavy Cream...Cheese...Potatoes...need we say more???? Recipe on the way...

Video of the Day: Ideas for Your Christmas Leftovers

Christmas leftovers, as plentiful as Thanksgiving leftovers...what to do what to do?  ENJOY some of these ideas! :-D

Video of the Day: How to Season A Cast Iron Pan

I have a fear of owning cast iron cookware because the seasoning process is a bit, i dunno...I mean, who seasons cookware as opposed to food. Then I can't just use soap to clean it? Well, in 2012, I'm going to take that 1st step and buy a cast iron griddle! I'm so excited! ENJOY this video!

UPDATE 12/26/2011: My uncle and his wife got me a cast iron griddle for Christmas!!!  WHOOOOO-HOOOO!!!  I'm jumpin in feet first and I'm gonna season up this bad boy before I put it use! YAY!!!!

Video of the Day: Making Mayonnaise

I've always heard that mayo is just emulsified eggs and oil. I looked at my jar of mayo, and I see a few more things than just eggs and oil.  Try this technique for making homemade mayo and tell me what you think! ENJOY this video!

Sassy Sauces and Seasonings: Giblet Gravy

Ingredients

turkey liver and neck from giblet bag, discard the rest
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 stalk celery, diced
1/2 yellow onion, divided ad diced
4 cloves of garlic, divided
3 cups water
2 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 cup half and half
5 cups of strained turkey drippings (3 cans chicken stock)
3 sprigs of thyme

Directions

1.  In a stock pot, simmer the neck and liver from the giblet bag (discard the other gizzard parts), salt, pepper, celery, 1/4 onion, and 2 garlic cloves in water for 15 to 20 minutes.

2.  Cut the neck into 4 or 5 pieces, and set the neck aside.

3.  In a food processor combine the celery, onion, garlic, and liver. Pulse into a smooth puree. Use some of the cooking broth as necessary to eliminate as much of the lumps as possible, and set aside the puree.

4.  Fill a stock pot with the strained turkey drippings, half and half, 1/4 onion, thyme, and 2 cloves of garlic, and lightly boil the mixture.  When heated through strain the herbs out of the mixture and set aside.

5.  In a large saute pan melt the butter.  Slowly whisk in the flour, creating a roux and cooking the raw flour taste out of the roux.

6.  Slowly whisk in the milk-broth mixture into the roux, 1 ladle at a time, until all of the liquid is fully incorporated into the roux.  Vigorously whisk the mixture while adding the liquid.

7. Whisk the the puree into the pan and heat through. Add the neck pieces to the sauce, and let the gravy simmer on low for about 5 minutes. 

8.  Strain the gravy and place back on the stove on low heat.  Add the neck pieces back into the gravy but remember to not allow the pieces into the serving dish. Adjust seasoning as necessary.  Continue to simmer on low until ready to serve.

Sensational Sides: Cornbread Dressing

Ingredients

6 Jumbo Cornbread Muffins, cubed
8 slices Italian bread, toasted and cubed
1 sleeve saltine crackers, crushed
2 sticks unsalted butter, divided
A handful fresh sage leaves, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Caramelized Onion
1 green pepper, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
3 links sweet turkey sausage, casings removed
1 egg
2-1/2 cups half and half
2-1/2 cups turkey drippings (or 1 can chicken stock)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.  Spray a 9 by 11-inch baking dish with butter flavored cooking spray and set aside.

Crush one sleeve of saltine crackers.

Chop and crumble 6 Jumbo Cornbread Muffins.

Arrange 8 slices of Italian Bread on a baking sheet and toast in the oven.

In a large bowl, combine cubed cornbread muffins, toasted wheat bread cubes, and crushed saltine crackers.  Mix together and set aside.

Melt 1 stick of butter in a large skillet over medium heat and let it bubble until the milk solids start to turn golden.

Add the garlic and sage leaves and briefly fry until beginning to crisp, about 30 seconds. Do not allow garlic to brown and burn.  Pour the sage butter mixture over the cornbread mix and stir to completely combine.

Melt the second stick of butter in the same large skillet over medium heat. Add the green pepper, and celery, and cook, stirring, for about 10 minutes.

Add the turkey sausage to the pan and brown in the butter saute mix.

When the turkey is completely cooked, remove from the heat and pour over the cornbread mixture.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the egg, half and half, and turkey drippings.  Pour the liquid mixture a tablespoon at a time, gently folding, until cornbread mixture is evenly moistened but not soggy.

Stir in Caramelized Onion.

This is what the texture that I prefer looks like. Keep adding liquid until the mixture is your desired texture about 1/2 up at a time.

Pour the dressing into a 9 by 11-inch baking dish.

Bake in the preheated oven until the top is golden brown in color and the dressing is set in the middle, about 30 minutes.

Video of the Day: Christmas Desserts

There's always room for dessert! There will be quite a few, but my cousin at My Loaves of Love will definitely come with some DEE-LISH sweet treats! I'm so excited! ENJOY this video! :-)

Video of the Day: How to Roast Garlic

I love garlic! I love roasted garlic soooo much more!  The sweet smooth roasted flavor is great in almost any savory dish! Garlic, generally, is one of my favorite ingredients to add in any savory dish. Even dishes that don't necessarily call for it get a hit of garlic anyway!

Today's video is a short basic clip on how to roast garlic. Funny enough, while looking for garlic clips I began chatting with a fellow foodie about her roasted garlic technique. She roasts a bunch at a time, uses what she needs for her dish today, and puts the unused roasted whole bulb of garlic in a zip lock and freezes it for when she needs it later! Now, when I have conversations like that I fee like I'm having a *UH DUH* moment, instead of an *AH HA* moment!I hope you enjoy this clip!

Sensational Sides: Veggie Pasta Salad

Ingredients

1-16 ounce package tri-colored pasta, cooked al dente
1 cucumber, seeded and peeled
1 stalks celery, diced
2 cups frozen green peas, defrosted

Dressing:
1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise (I prefer the Olive Oil flavored)
1/2 low fat sour cream
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
2 tablespoon Dijon Mustard
2 tablespoon Vidalia Onion Vinagrette
1/4 cup half and half
Salt and Pepper to taste


Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil.

Add pasta and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente.

 Rinse the pasta under cold water until cool and drain.

While the pasta is cooking prepare the veggies. You can add any variety that wets your whistle, but these veggies moved me when I was in the supermarket the day I put this together:  

Dice the celery as small as you like. 

With a spoon scoop the seeds out of a peeled cucumber.

Diced the cucumber into small bite size pieces.

Run hot water over the peas to defrost.

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing.  Adjust the salt and sugar until you have just the right balance of sweet and savory.  

Add veggies to the dressing, and stir to combine.

Add the chilled pasta to the dressing-veggie mix.

Adjust the seasoning again as necessary.

Chill several hours before serving.  If the pasta is not creamy enough for you, then whisk up a quick batch of the dressing ingredients using about 1/4 of the ingredients, adjust the seasoning again and serve! ENJOY!

NOW, LET'S GET COOKING!

Sensational Sides: Momma's Potato Salad

Ingredients

5 pounds Yukon Potato
3 smashed whole cloves of garlic
Salt for boiling water

Onion Saute:
1/2 yellow onion
3 tablespoons of unsalted butter
2 tablespoons zesty Italian dressing

Dressing:
1/2 cup low fat mayonnaise (I prefer the Olive Oil flavored)
1/2 low fat sour cream
2 tablespoons granulated sugar
Salt and Pepper to taste

Directions

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add the smashed whole garlic and potato to the pot to cook for 20 minutes or until the potatoes are fork tender.  Drain and discard the garlic.

While potato is boil continue with the rest of the directions.

Melt the butter to a saute pan. Add the olive oil to prevent the butter from browning quickly. Add the onion and zesty Italian dressing to the butter and saute until the onions are translucent.

In a large bowl, whisk together all of the ingredients for the dressing.

Add the potato to the dressing.  Add the saute while still warm to the bowl as well.  Stir until thoroughly combined, breaking up the potato while stirring.

Adjust the salt and sugar until you have just the right balance of sweet and savory. 

IMHO, this dish is best if served warm or at room temperature, but I guess you can serve it cold.

Video of the Day: Christmas Main Dishes

I love Christmas! This year, my family is not hosting dinner, but we are bringing a delicious turkey and sides dishes to add to a feast for 20 Caribbean folks!  I think someone's also bringing a ham...I'm being measured for my feedbag as we speak, and I'll be ready to eat like a pig for Christmas! Is that what the holidays are all about? Plus, if I didn't do this what would be on my New Year's Resolution?

Innywho...still not sure what the show stopper of your Christmas dinner will be? This video may give you a few more ideas...ENJOY this video!  :-)

Video of the Day: 5 Christmas Side Dishes

Still kicking around side dish ideas for Christmas dinner? What about these 5 tasty sides? ENJOY this video! :-)

Video of the Day: Vegan Holiday Meal Ideas

I'm not a vegan...far from it, but you may have some vegan or gluten free eaters stopping by for a plate. Make sure tasty options are available for them, too. These are so tasty it will make you rethink your meat eating ways, if only for a plate or two! ENJOY this video! :-)

Extraordinary Entree: Quiche Johanne

*  This recipe makes 2 pies

Ingredients

Caramelized Onion
1 sweet onion, caramelized
1 tablespoon butter
2 tablespoons Olive Oil
1 tablespoon brown sugar
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

Other Filling Ingredients
12 oz package Swiss or Italian blend cheese
10 oz package frozen spinach, thawed
10 oz package cooked ham or honey maple ham from the deli, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon Olive Oil

Custard
6 medium eggs
8 oz half and half
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/ teaspoon nutmeg
2 (9 inch) unbaked deep dish pie crust

Directions

Before starting drop the package of spinach in hot water and change the water every 30 minutes or so.

Caramelized Onions
1.  Thinly slice the onion.
2.  Add butter and 1 tablespoon of Olive Oil to a saute pan. Just before the oil begins crackling lower the heat to medium low and add sliced onion to the oil. Toss until all of the onions are coated.
3. Leave uncovered for the 1st 20 minutes. Stir  onions every 10 minutes to prevent burning. Cover after 20 minutes. At minute 30 add more oil if needed to prevent the onions from frying. Lowed heat to low. At minute 40 add 1 tablespoon of brown sugar and stir, then cover. At minute 50 de-glaze the pan with balsamic vinegar and stir. Cover and cook for another 10 minutes, 60 minutes in total. Do not clean the pan.

Meat Filling
1. Turn the heat up to medium.
2. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the saute pan used to caramelize the onions.
3. Pan should still be hot so immediately add minced garlic cloves to the pan and saute. Do not allow garlic to burn.
4.  Add Ham or meat of choice. Bacon and diced sausage tastes great, too! Cook through stirring constantly. When cooked through, set aside.

Preheat Oven to 400 degrees F.

Custard
1.  Add 6 eggs to a bowl and just break the yolk for now.
2.  Add Half and Half and mustard.
3.  Add all of the spices.
4.  Lightly beat the custard so all are combined.

2 Pie Crusts
1.  Layer One: Caramelized Onions
2.  Layer Two: Cheese
3.  Layer 3: Thawed or fresh chopped spinach
4.  Layer 4:  Ham (or meat of choice)
5.  Layer 5:  Cheese again
6.  Layer 6:  Ladle Custard over the top

Place the quiches on a baking tray for ease of handling. Bake for 40 minutes or until custard is firm when tested with a knife. Cooking times may vary depending on your oven.

Video of the Day: Making Béarnaise Sauce

I'm not ready to totally obsess over sauces and dips just yet. There are quite a few other dishes I want to make before I start going sauce and dip crazy, but I'm getting there...You know, they look so easy to make, but one wrong move, a little too much butter, not enough time reducing, or a wrong balance of something or other, and you have a mess on your plate instead of a DEE-LISH accompaniment to a DEE-LISH plate. ENJOY this video! :-)

The Christmas Season Is Upon Us!

I'm pretty sure we're going to my Uncle Mac's house for dinner, and I'm responsible for a couple sides.  Between my mother and I we're bring 4 sides to feed 20 people...I'm a bit worried...but we'll get it all done, and it will be less tiresome than Thanksgiving!

1.  Quiche Johanne - 4 of these will grace the table. Mom suggested I do one without spinach, but I think it would be too egg-like. The spinach adds body to the dish and takes it out of the brunch realm and into dinner.  The spinach-less option will be a game day decision.

2.  Banan Peze - Some may recognize this side dish as tostones in the Latin cuisine.  Our group will consist of a a Haitian-Trinidadian-Puerto Rican mix at the table, and fried plantains exist in all of our cuisines.  UPDATE: 12/07/2011 - We did a test run tonight and decided the fried plantains, enough for 20, really is too much work...so we've cut it from the menu!

3.  Momma's Potato Salad - My Mother's potato salad gets RAVE reviews! It's a perfect balance between the salt and the sweet! OMG! I've taken her dressing...and have done nothing to it. No rejoojing required!

4.  Veggie Pasta Salad - I made this dish for the first time last year for my Mother's birthday party, and she absolutely went ga-ga over it! I made it again and again ever since.  This will be the first time I've made so much at one time, so I'm a bit nervous...I tend to get nervous very easily over my cooking! HEEHEE... UPDATE: 12/14/2011 - The pasta salad is out but...

5.  Cornbread Dressing - IS ON! My brother is bringing a turkey and this will be a great accompaniment to that turkey! I'm considering Giblet Gravy, but I'm going to let that be a game time decision.

So there's ya have it...not much to do, but still want everyone to enjoy every morsel! I'm excited to get the cooking started and to add the step-by-step pics for everyone!

Video of the Day: Chef Beau MacMillan

You know...in this season's Iron Chef competition everyone is so good it seems like they've left too early...I was so sad to see Chef Bear eliminated.

Video of the Day: Cooking Technique - Mise en Place

Mise en place is French for  "put in place" or "put in order." This cooking technique seems like a no brainer, but I can't tell you how many times I've begun cooking,  go for a short hunt for my missing ingredients, and when I return to the stove I see that I've burned my beloved garlic...or the oil is black...ARGH!  ENJOY this lil video! :-)

Video of the Day: How to Slice Garlic

More on my "How to Play With Garlic Series..."  Slicing is just another technique. Bottom line is, you don't want the garlic to burn or else your food will be bitter. You don't want big ugly chunks or else you risk an unpleasant bite. So slice, mince, crush, roast your garlic with love...saute with care. :-)

Video of the Day: The Art of Plating

We eat with our eyes. If the food is appetizing, then that will go along way in having the eater enjoy what's on the plate you serve. You know, this plating business is one of the reasons why taking up photography is on my 40 Before 40 list...I want the food that I present to you on this blog to be as beautiful as it tastes when I served it up! Plating matters...ENJOY this video! :-)

Video of the Day: Making Hollandaise Sauce

I must confess...I've never made a hollandaise sauce. There are supposedly "easy" ways to make, but still I'm intimidated. In life I guess one must find a way to get over their fears or be a victim to that fear...For now, I'll just keep pushing this down on my "to-make" list...ENJOY!

Video of the Day: Interview with Chef Irvine

Oh...though you've left us already on Iron Chef, Super Chef, you are still a super star in my book! :-)

Video of the Day: How to Make Banan Peze or Tostones

Whether you call this side dish fried plantains, banan peze, or tostones, it's still all DEE-LISH!  Enjoy this video! :-)

Video of the Day: How to Mince Garlic

MMMMMMM...GARLIC!!! The smaller you mince it the quicker they cook and burn. Sometimes, if you just want to infuse the flavor of garlic in the your butter or oil, once you smash and peel you can just drop that in your oil.  Remove the whole smashed garlic before you get cooking. A bite of that sucker will be very pungent and unappetizing! I think the garlic flavor is more mild when used this way.

On the other hand, if you're looking for a bolder garlic flavor use this mincing technique to get nice small pieces that will basically melt away in the cooking process. Don't let these burn those or else your dish will have a bitter aftertaste. ENJOY this video!

I hope these videos are helpful!  If you have any special requests, then let me know. I'd love to hear from you! :-)

ROFLMAO! Definition of Calories...

Video of the Day: Sofriot

I'm Haitian-American but my Uncle married into a Trinidadian family, and they've adopted us like we were their own. Many of my non-Haitian Caribbean cooking techniques are Trinidadian in origin because of my Uncle's in-laws. A recipe I use in MOST of my cooking even though it's not listed in the ingredient list is Green Grind Seasoning, and this seasoning is straight out of their arsenal. Their may be a Haitian equivalent, but my mom has never told me about it.

In Latin cooking an equivalent seems to be sofrito. Check out this video and tell me what you think!  ENJOY!