Salsa

yield: 8 x 500ml jars

1/2 Bushel Plum Tomatoes
2 large white onions, diced
3 green peppers, diced
3 chipotle peppers with adobo sauce

1Tbsp garlic powder
2Tbsp kosher salt

1 1/2 cups of white vinegar

1. Wash tomatoes in vinegar water with a fresh scrubby
2. Blanch tomatoes for 2 minutes in boiling water, then cool in ice water
3. Halve and Crush the tomatoes over the food mill, setting the meaty flesh aside.  Mill the seedy skin part.
4. Reduce the milled liquids.  
5. Chop the tomato flesh.
6. Simmer all ingredients in a huge pot. for 1 hour.  
7. Scoop off and reserve excess liquid*, to get desired texture
8. Pack into hot jars, keeping 1/4 Inch headroom, and Process for 15 minutes

*The extra liquid is an incredibly rich tomato broth that cannot be wasted!

Sous Vide Pork Ribs

These came our really great, other than being too salty.  Next time I would cut the salt in half.  I used Diamond Kosher Salt).

2 Racks of Back Ribs

For the Spice Rub:

1/3 cup paprika

1/3 cup dark brown sugar

1/4 cup kosher salt (cut this in half?)

2 tablespoons whole yellow mustard seed

1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

2 tablespoons granulated garlic powder

1. Remove silver skin from the bony side of the ribs:  Use a table knife to get under the silver skin between any 2 ribs, then peel it off the rest (it holds together well).  
2. Dry rub in the bag for 12 hours at 165F. 
3. Chill in ice water
4. Refrigerate until ready to finish
5. Reheat on the grill with only half the burners on for 10 minutes.  No need to dry before grilling.
6. Finish with some cider vinegar brushed over the ribs, all burners on low for 5-10 minutes until you get a barque.

Lemon Fennel Ice Cream

YIELD:  Makes about 1 quart

INGREDIENTS

1 2/3 cups heavy cream
2 teaspoons fennel seeds, crushed
1 large lemon - zest only
1 cup whole milk
3/4 cup sugar, divided
4 large egg yolks

PREPARATION

Bring cream and fennel seeds just to a simmer in a small heavy saucepan, add the lemon zest, then cover and let steep about 30 minutes.

Whisk together yolks and remaining 1/4 cup sugar in a large bowl.

Bring milk, 1/2 cup sugar, and a pinch of salt to a simmer in a heavy medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring.

Add milk mixture in a slow stream, whisking. Strain fennel cream through fine-mesh sieve into the milk-egg mix, pressing on solids.

Heat mixture on a bain marie and cook, stirring continuously with a wooden spoon, until mixture coats back of spoon and registers 175°F on an instant-read thermometer (do not let boil).

Strain custard through a fine-mesh sieve into a metal bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and chill overnight.

Churn in ice cream maker for 15 minutes.  Transfer to an airtight container and put in freezer to harden, about 2 hours.

Pad Thai

Pad Thai

200g Rice Noodles (3 to 5 mm vermicelli)

1/3 Cup Vegetable Oil

1 Chicken Breast, sliced thin on angle

1 tsp minced shallot

5 Large Shrimps, shelled, de-veined, and butterflied

3/4 Cup Pad Thai Sauce (recipe below)

2 Tbsp Oyster Sauce

1/4 Cup Tofu, cut to 1cm cubes

2 Eggs

1/2 Cup Bean Sprouts

4 Chives, cut to 2" lengths

2 Tbsp Dried Shrimps (ground into powder)

1/4 Cup Unsalted Peanuts, toasted and chopped coarsely

Garnishes:  Lime wedge, chile powder, sugar

1)  Soak the rice noodles in room temperature water for at least 3 hours

2)  Head the oil in a wok or large pan.  Add chicken and fry until cooked.  

3)  Add shallot and shrimps and continue to cook 1-2 minutes until pink.

4)  Add the Pad Thai sauce, oyster sauce, and tofu.  Let simmer a few minutes, removing the shrimps when cooked.

5)  Add the noodles and cook until noodles are soft and shiny.

6)  Push noodles to one side.  Crack the eggs into the pan, and break the yolks.  Cover with the noodles.  When eggs are cooked, turn off the heat.

7)  Add bean sprouts, chives, and dried shrimp  Mix well.

8)  Top with peanuts. Garnish plate with lime wedge, chile powder, and sugar. 

Pad Thai Sauce

1/2 Cup Tamarind Paste*

1/2 Cup Water

125g Palm Sugar

2 Tbsp Fish Sauce

1)  Bring tamarind paste, water, and sugar to a boil over medium heat.

2)  Add fish sauce, and simmer for 2 minutes.

*To make tamarind paste, use a ratio of 1 lb seedless tamarind paste to 1 L water.  Bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes.  Put through a mesh strainer.

Pistachio Homage

This is a double-layered pistachio confection:  Pistachio Gianduja and Pistachio Marzipan.

The recipe is from Greweling's Chocolates and Confections, combined with my own notes.

Pistachio Gianduja*:

250 g Pistachios
100 g Pistachios (for topping the chocolates later)

200 g Confectioners' Sugar, sifted

300 g Dark Chocolate (melted and cooled to 30C)

1)  Toast all of the pistachios.  

2)  In a food processor, grind 250g of the pistachios with 1/2 of the icing sugar to as fine a consistency as possible, releasing their oil.

3)  Add the melted chocolate and remaining confectioners' sugar, and process only until combined (or mix by hand).

4)  Table the mixture (cooling to 27C or below) and temper.

5)  Pour into frame, and allow to set

*Pronounced jeeon-doo-ya

Pistachio Marzipan:

125 g Almonds
125 g Pistachios
195 g Sugar
65 g Glucose Syrup
70 g Water

1)  Plunge the almonds and pistachios into boiling water.  Return to a boil.  Cover, remove from heat, and allow to soak for 5 minutes.  Drain the nuts.
2)  Coarsely grind the nuts in a food processor.
3)  Combine the sugar, glucose syrup, and water in a small pot.  Cook to 120C.  [Stir constantly until it boils, but then do not stir at all.]
4)  Pour the hot syrup over the chopped nuts in a stainless-steel bowl.  Mix together lightly.
5)  Pour the syrup-coated nuts onto an oiled marble slab.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
6)  Grind half of the batch at a time in a food processor until it reaches the desired fine consistency.  (This may take 10 minutes or more.)  If the marzipan separates during the grinding process, add a small quantity of liquid such as spirit, almond extract, or boiled syrup to restore the emulsion.
7)  Combine the ground batches of marzipan.  Allow to cool to room temperature, and spread evenly over the gianduja.  Let cool as much as possible for easier cutting.

Chocolates:

1)  Remove the jianduja/ marzipan stackup from the frame.
2)  Cut into small rectangles, about 1/2" x 1".
3)  Temper 600g of dark chocolate.
4)  Dip the pieces, and top with a toasted pistachio.

Coconut Custard with Fried Shallots

This is a really simple and delicious dessert.  The fried shallots offer an interesting contrast, though I could do without them.

Ingredients:

• 3 Duck Eggs (or 6 chicken eggs)
• 1/4 Cup Rice Flour
• 1 1/2 Cups Palm or Brown Sugar
• 1 L Coconut Milk

• 1/8 Cup Fried Shallots (see below)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F with convection

1. Beat the eggs in a large bowl.  
2. Whisk in the rice flour and sugar, 1/3 at a time.
3. Whisk the coconut milk 1/3 at a time.  Combine well.
4. Strain the batter through a mesh strainer.
5. Pour mixture into a baking pan or ramekins, 2/3 full.
6. Bake until dark golden brown, about 10 minutes for ramekins or 15 minutes for baking pan.
7. Sprinkle fried shallots on top.  Serve warm or chilled.

Deep Fried Shallots:

1. Julienne 1 large shallot
2. Heat vegetable oil on medium, to 325F, and salt the oil.
3. Fry the shallots, stirring constantly and watching carefully.  When golden, remove immediately with a slotted spoon and spread onto paper towel.

Thai Green Curry Chicken

This is the best green curry chicken that I've ever made, and the recipe comes from GBC's Thai Cooking Class.

We made the green curry paste from scratch - a bit of an ordeal and requires some special ingredients,  One definite advantage of making the paste is that you can control the heat.

Green Curry Paste

Ingredients:

• 1 tsp Ground Coriander
• 1/4 to 1/2 tsp Ground Cumin
• 1 tsp White Peppercorns

• 1 pc Lemongrass, tender parts sliced
• 4 cloves Garlic
• 1 1/2 tsp Cilantro Root*
• 1 tsp Galangal, chopped*
• 2 Tbsp Shallots, chopped
• 1 to 6 Green Thai Chiles ("Bird's Eye Chiles")*
• 1 Green Spur Chile*
• 1 Tbsp Kaffir lime zest
• 1 tsp Salt

• 1 1/2 tsp Shrimp Paste (alt: Miso Paste)

Directions:

1)  Lightly toast the Coriander, Cumin, and Peppercorns in a pan for 1 minute.  Transfer to a mortar and pestle and grind to a fine powder.  Set aside.

2)  Pound the Lemongrass in the mortar and pestle.

3)  Add the Garlic, Cilantro Root, Galangal, Shallots, Thai and Spur Chiles, Lime Zest, and Salt and pound to a paste.

4)  Mix in the Shrimp Paste.
5)  Mix in the spices from Step 1.

*Notes:

1)  "Cilantro Root" is the root and first 2 inches of the cilantro stem.  Break off each piece of step to check that there is no sand/ grit trapped inside.  

2)  Galangal is a root that looks like ginger and is available in Asian supermarkets.

3)  Chiles - use as many chiles as you want.  The spur chile is there for substance and colour, and the Thai chiles add heat.  Cutting out the seeds and veins will reduce the heat.

4)  Colour - Green Curry gets its name from the chiles that are used.  To get the very green colour that's typical in restaurants, you can add green food colouring, kale juice, or a bit of kale leaf.

Green Curry Chicken:

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups Coconut Milk - boxed AROY D brand recommended
• Green Curry Paste (1 recipe, or about 4 Tbsp)
• 6 to 8 Boneless Chicken Thighs, cut into 6's (skin on)
• 1 Cup Eggplant, cut in 3/4" chunks (round Thai eggplants recommended)

• 1 Tbsp Palm or Brown Sugar
• 1 Tbsp Fish Sauce

• 1 Cup Thai Basil Leaves

• 2 Kaffir Lime Leaves

1)  Use the fat from the coconut milk to fry the curry paste, 1 to 2 minutes.

2)  Add the chicken and cook 1-2 minutes.

3)  Add the eggplant and cook 1 minute.

4)  Add the coconut milk and cook 1 to 2 minutes until chicken and eggplant is cooked

5)  Add sugar and fish sauce to taste, being cautious that the fish sauce is salty.

6)  Add the basil, and mix thoroughly into the curry to wilt.  (This will also prevent the basil from turning brown.)

7)  Add the kaffir lime leaves:  roll them in your finger, then pull out the stem.  

Mom`s Chocolate Chip Oatmeal Cookies

These are the chocolate chip cookies I grew up with, and they're always irresistibly good.

• 1 Cup Butter and/or Margarine (half and half works well)
• 1 1/4 Cups Brown Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 tsp Vanilla Extract
• 1 1/4 Cup Flour
• 1 tsp Baking Soda
• 1/2 tsp Salt
• 1/2 tsp Cinnamon
• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 1/2 Cup chocolate Chips

In the mixer, with paddle, whip together Butter and Brown Sugar until well combined.

Add the Eggs, one at a time, and Vanilla.  Mix until well combined and creamed.

Add the Flour, Baking Soda, Salt, and Cinnamon and mix briefly until uniform.  

Add the Rolled Oats, and mix until just combined.

Add the chocolate chips and mix until just combined.  

Scoop cookies onto baking sheet, press flat, and bake at 350F for 10 to 14 minutes.  Cool on pan for 5 minutes.  Remove, and let cool on wire rack.  

Watermelon Salad

Sweet, salty, and refreshing.  This is an incredible summer salad, when the watermelon is sweet and crisp.  Though quantities are specified, it's really just a guideline - adjust to your tastes/ needs.

Ingredients
• 1/4 cup thinly sliced red onion (optional)
• 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice
• 1 cup crumbled feta cheese
• 1/2 cup fresh mint leaves torn
• 1/4 cup fresh basil leaves torn
• 2 tablespoons good quality olive oil
• 1/2 cup pitted Kalamata black olives
• 3 pounds seedless watermelon cut into bite sized pieces
• 1 pinch Freshly ground black pepper to taste

Directions
1. Cut watermelon into bite sized pieces and place in a large bowl.
2. Tear the fresh mint and basil and add to the bowl of melon and add the red onion, fresh
lime juice and olive oil.
3. Toss the salad gently and add the crumbled feta and black olives. Finish the salad with a
good turn of black pepper.

Hazelnut Marzipan Chocolates

This is a slightly modified recipe from 'Chocolates and Confections' by Peter Greweling.  As far as chocolate confections go, this is middle-of-the-road:  slightly challenging, and somewhat time consuming.  The resulting chocolates are tasty, but not in-your-face.  The flavors unravel as you chew, and thereafter. 

Marzipan:
215 g Blanched Almonds
215 g Blanched Hazelnuts
340 g Sugar
110 g Glucose Syrup
120 g Water

1)  Plunge the almonds into boiling water.  Return to a boil.  Cover, remove from heat, and allow to soak for 5 minutes.  Drain the nuts.
2)  Coarsely grind the nuts in a food processor.
3)  Combine the sugar, glucose syrup, and water.  Cook to 115C.  [Stir constantly until it boils, but then do not stir at all.]
4)  Pour the hot syrup over the chopped nuts in a stainless-steel bowl.  Mix together lightly.
5)  Pour the syrup-coated nuts onto an oiled marble slab.  Allow to cool to room temperature.
6)  Grind half of the batch at a time in a food processor until it reaches the desired fine consistency.  (This may take 10 minutes or more.)  If the marzipan separates during the grinding process, add a small quantity of liquid such as spirit or boiled syrup, to restore the emulsion. [I added almond extract and a pinch of salt during the grinding process.]
7)  Combine the ground batches of marzipan.  Allow to cool to room temperature, roll, and use as desired.  (Marzipan may be made up days in advance if desired.) [At this point, I placed the marzipan into a parchment-lined 8" x 8" x 2" pan and flattened it out with my knuckles.]

Chocolates:

300 g Dark Chocolate, melted and tempered
80 to 100 Hazelnuts, toasted
800 g Milk Chocolate, melted and tempered

8)  Coat the marzipan with the 300 g of tempered dark chocolate.
9)  Before the chocolate layer sets, quickly place the toasted hazelnuts on top, in a grid.
10)  When the chocolate is partially set, cut the slab into squares.
11)  Coat the squares in the tempered milk chocolate.