Calamari Salad

This wonderful dish was based off of a recipe from one of my back issues of gourmet magazine. It originally was for a Baby Octopus Salad. So the translation to calamari was in my mind inconsequential. The most important thing to remember is to avoid over cooking the squid. We are not looking for a salad of rubber bands here.  The premise is simple squid tossed with a dressing and lightly marinated.

So onward to the recipe then;
For the Dressing combine the following ingredients and set aside to allow the flavors to incorporate:
1tbl Lemon Extra Virgin Olive Oil (Vom Fass)
2tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1clv Garlic minced
2sprigs fresh oregano
2sprigs fresh thyme
(Strip the leaves from the herbs and chop finely)
1tsp Hawaiian Black Sea Salt
1tsp Waldburg Balsam Honey Vinegar

While the dressing is resting in a 2qt pot combine the following ingredients
2 Bay Leaves
1tsp dried savory
1/2tsp dill seed
1tbl kosher salt
2tbl orange or lemon juice
3-4cups water
Place over high heat and bring to a boil. While you are waiting you should make sure that your squid is tentacles only and that they have been thawed(if necessary), washed, and the beaks removed.

Once the mixture reaches a full rolling boil wait two minutes then remove from the heat and immediately add 1 1/2cups of squid tentacles at room temperature. Wait 15 seconds and then pour the squid into a colander and rinse with cold water. After a quick lite rinse transfer them to the prepared dressing and stir well. Place this covered on the counter and stir occasionally (every 5-10 minutes) the squid is ready to serve after 15-20 minutes.

Welcome to the surface of the moon....... Care for some Pizza?

Purple pizza No seriously Purple pizza. Not my fault really she made me. Well that's my story anyway. But this really is a good time to post this recipe. Being as it was made recently ie in the last weekish. And it is a modification of the crust from the Lamb en Croute. I would cut and paste the recipe but that would seem to be a tad bit redundant so instead I recommend just substituting 1/3rd of the chickpea flour with purple rice flour.


Now the baking on this does take a twist. In that you want to spread it out into a round on well greased  parchment paper and bake first at 450f until it looks like the surface of the moon. Then, and this is the step I forgot (DOH!!) turn the heat down to 300f and bake until totally dry, about 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and allow to cool to room temperature before topping.

But now the interesting part the purple sauce!!! This is so simple and yet the flavors will floor you. Start with 1cup red wine reduce it over medium high heat until you have 1/4cup then remove from the heat and work in 1/2cup fresh goat cheese and black pepper to taste.

I know I didn't format that out nice but when it is only two ingredients I don't really think of it as a recipe. So after you spread our fine purple sauce on the surface of the moon, you can then top it ny way you like. So in keeping with the purple theme.....

Temporary segway here when I was younger every thing I made was green. You can ask my parents, green paint, green mud, green cake, green ... So odd how now it is purple.... but I'm sure the next thing I post will not be purple.

Ok so back to the pizza. Eggplant!! the perfect purple vegetable. Oven roasted of course, peeled and seeded. Which by the way allowed for interesting comparisons to filleting fish. It was kind of like skinning sardines. Hold at one end , bring the blade of the knife though the flesh to the skin turn the blade horizontal and pull back on the skin. I will demo this at some point. Now lay your fine fillet of roast eggplant on the pizza. Add some shaved parm and cook until lightly browned.

Purple Rice Pancakes aka Alien Brain Fritters

Ok so yes you really do eat this purple alien with an afro.

Inspired by me previous success with chickpea crepes I decided to delve into the purple world. I mean play with rice, Thai Purple rice that is. Grind up a little bit and you can turn a gluten free treat into purple neat.

Now before I get into the recipe that I know you are all dying for let me say this, I am aware that my pan was too hot and had too much oil. These are things that I could correct next time. But.....Those conditions are what gave me these really cool shapes. And isn't the point of food that it should look cool?

Ok So the recipe; (as best as I can remember it from last week)

Alien Brain Fritters

1tbl Cashew Flour

2tbl Purple Rice Flour

3/4c Chickpea Flour

2ea eggs

2tbl Olive Oil

3tbl Agave Nectar

1c Scalded Milk

1/4tsp Baking Soda

Combine the flours, agave nectar,  and olive oil. Whisk in the milk while still hot. Allow the mixture to cool then whisk in eggs. Let the batter rest for about ten minutes. Stir gently and incorporate the baking soda. Cook like pancakes. These are very fun looking. Also they taste like cute crunchy purple donuts. Very Yum.

So now that you have put these cute purple things on a plate what ever should you do with them? Try topping them with; Scrambled Eggs with Yam and Lotus Root, or a wonderful Coconut Milk Chutney. Both of these recipes will show up but the end result was tasty too!!

Purple Polenta Eater.....

So here is the deal I get in the car after a hard days work to go and plan out some crazy cooking. Well my craziness is mostly done (see terrine). But anyway here is what I am told “we have some curried chicken fat for you”. Now this might not sound appetizing to some but my this is just the adventuresome thing I like to hear. It fires up the brain and gets you cooking on all gears (which can be a greasy mess but is fun anywhoo) So point being I need to think of what to do with this and well chicken Curry and corn all start with “C” and chicken tamales are good and blue cornmeal is gluten free fun, and I have been dying to play with polenta recently So there for here you go;

Curry Chicken Purple Polenta

1cup blue cornmeal
~3cups chicken stock
3tbl curried chicken fat
1/3 butter
1 dried chili
1/4cup chevre
optional ingredients;
    1/2tsp – 1tbl curry powder
    1/2ea – 1ea minced hot pepper
    2tbl peanut butter

Quick easy and spicy too!!! To start gently roast the cornmeal in a sautee pan until lightly aromatic. Similar smell to popcorn. Add chicken fat and ground dried chili, stir to coat the cornmeal. Slowly add the chicken stock (preferably warmed, but room temp will do). Stir and add, stir and add, repeat ad nausium per risotto. Once you have achieved a cream of wheat looking mush that is faintly purple in color you are almost there. Remove from the heat stir in the chevre in thumbnail size chunks. Spread the polenta into what ever clean dish you have available and refrigerate.

This was served shilled the next day a very fine treat much more tasty than the Epic Fail Terrine. We simple sliced as though it were a pie and enjoyed. A good lemon saffron yogurt sauce would be a fine accompaniment. Now my  thoughts though are always to improve upon what I have made so therefore the adjustments that I would make to this are;

Instead of curried chicken fat use a heavily curried vegetable stock. ( I know this defeats the whole original premise but that as just a starting point as all original premises are)

Add another tablespoon of butter.

Increase the Goat cheese to 1/2cup.

And as for serving, take on the second day cut into one inch cubes wrap with blanched leek leaves and flash fry.

Photo Credit; Lindsay Christians

Scratch that... Mustard?

The most under rated and generally poor quality condiment in the American pantry. Mustard you know that funny yellow colored stuff that is like ummm welll gross? So how about we do something easy for once? Mustard from scratch is easy simple and tastetastic.

Basic Recipe to build from:

4pts Mustard Powder

3pts Liquid

But now let us work from there two variations to enliven your palette.

Mustard Numero Uno;

'Orange' Mustard

5tbl Yellow Mustard Powder

3tbl Crushed Brown Mustard

1tsp Sumac Berries

3tbl Agave Nectar

1tbl Orange Juice

As needed Cold Water

Combine all ingredients, store refrigerated overnight.

Numero Dous:

Spanish Mustard;

Here I really wanted a spicy fun and red mustard. Something to pretend to play the part of Rouille for my Terrine.... Hense;

1tsp Brown Mustard Seed

1 1/3tbl Crushed Brown Mustard

1 1/3tbl Oriental Mustard Power

5tbl Yellow Mustard Power

1tbl Hungarian Paprika

2tbl Smoked Paprika

3tbl Vinagre Viejo de Montilla

As needed cold water

Combine all ingredients, store refrigerated overnight.

These mustards were brilliantly hot. The flavors matured overnight and were great all over a fine Flax Seed Foccocia. Others will follow. Thoughts are running wild of herbal mustards, Absinthe Mustard, fig mustard... I don't know where to go.....

Deconstructed Bouillabaisse Inspired Terrine

This is an idea that come to me once when I was thinking of saffron. So what if ou take this wonderful soup pull in all apart slam it back together and do it in a way that is fun and interesting. Interesting, interesting is this fine recipe I found once diggin through cook books from the decade that killed cuisine (1950's). It was for Stain Glass Jello. Vso the idea has thusly been formed. I will now separate bouillabaisse by color, gelatinize it and reform in a smooth herbaceous cream.So this recipe is really four parts plus part five for assembly. Let us look at the word inspired, so for this inspiration I

Part one – Green

Ok so this is the least traditional part of the terrine. I choose to make it with a pesto like consistancy.

• 1/4c spinach
• 3ribs celery
• 3ea Green onions
• 1/3ea roasted green bell pepper (I used a jalapeno for spice, a poblano would be interesting too though)
• 3tbl Absinthe
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1pkt gelatin

Blanch and shock the green things. Puree with the absinthe. Would like to try this again in the future replacing the spinach with a combination of blanched fresh herb, savory, basil, etc. Next time may use a herb infused white wine redux to loosen the mixture and allow straining for a smoother texture.

Part two – Red

• 2/3cup crushed tomatoes
• 1ea medium tomato
• 5 deviend 16-20 shrimp
• 4oz misc mollusks
• 1/4cup Ruby Port
• 1ea very small chili mortia
• 1ea chili guajillo
• 2tbl Hungarian paprika
• 4tbl Spanish smoked paprika
• 3shakes Tabasco sauce
• 1pkt Gelatin

Sautee shrimp in olive oil until the shells turn and the smell aromatic. Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree. Return to a skillet and cook stirring often to prevent scorching. After 10-15 minutes strain mixture to remove remaining shell, and pepper pieces. Place in a small pot and reduce to apx 1cup. Chill 1/4cup of the mixture and use to bloom gelatin. Combine with hot mixture and chill.

Part three – yellow

• 2cup chicken stock
• 1pinch saffron
• 1tbl turmeric powder
• 1tsp anatto
• 1med carrot small dice
• 1pkt gelatin

Bloom gelatin in 1oz tequila + 3oz cold chicken stock. Reduce to 3/4cup, strain, combine, chill. Note I did not puree the carrots into this mixture. Will consider for next time using parsnips and doubling the saffron. Then a puree would be more appropriate.

Part Four – White

• 5cloves garlic
• 1/2ea medium onion
• 2bay leaves
• 1tbl thyme
• 1tbl oregano
• 2tsp fennel seed
• 3cup cream
• 1/4cup milk
• 1/4cup half and half
• 3tbl firm fleshed white colored fish
• ~1/2cup cream
• 1pkt gelatin

Puree onion, garlic, milk, half and half, and fish, add to a pot with remaining ingredients. Reduce by half. Bloom gelatin in cold cream. Strain and add reduced cream mixture. Add additional cold cream to bring to 2cups of liquid.

Assemblage;

Remove your chilled an gelatinized colors from the cooler. Cut into roughly 1” cubes. In your larger container pour a thin layer of the white cream mixture chill for 3-5minutes. Add one third of your cubes of various colors. Pour in enough white mix at no more than 90f to cover the cubes. Chill for 5-7minutes. Add another third of the cubes again cover with white mixture. Chill 3-5 minutes. Then add the last third of cubes and all remaining cream mix. Chill overnight.

To serve dust with paprika, or mount with penguins!!

Ok so here is the post tasting problem. There was enough flavor in there for four terrines. So please add 3 cups of water and 2.75pkts of gelatine to the Red, Green, and Yellow. And multiple the fluids and gelatin in the white by four.

Dinner on Sunday Night

So the day was steady and bleek at work. Instead of visions of sugar plums dancing I had visions of plates of savory crepes. Something about lemongrass and creamy sauces has been stuck in my head for days now. So I sent a little txt birdy off to my favorite kitchen owner. And back they came with a message of Yum.................. So here goes;


Emily was so very kind to find a pair of pretty crepe recipes for me for inspiration while I was at work. Though when I looked them over they seemed more crape then crepe. Who lets people post these things. (man am I going to hear it for that). Any way they did give me a good ratio for oil to liquid and liquid to flour. I just adjusted from cold water and/or creme fraiche to Milk and egg. And here we go then;

Chick Pea Crepes
1ea egg
2ea egg yolk
3tbl Olive oil
1/2c milk

1cup Sifted Chick Pea Flour

Vigorously whisk together liquid ingredients. Incorporate flour 1/4cup at a time. Set batter aside until fillings are ready. To cook pour batter into a very hot skillet. Should take about a minute on the first side (until you see bubbles 1/2 way towards the center) then flip and ten seconds on the second side. Note that since these are gluten free they do not roll as nicely as most crepes. I will have to modify for rollability. Will try increasing eggs and using steamed rice flour......

Lemon Grass Sauce
2 egg whites
1tbl lemon grass puree
2 strips cucumber peel
1/2c yogurt
salt, pepper

Place all ingredients except yogurt into a food processor set on high and run until frothy. Add yogurt and puree until smooth. Store chilled.

Cucumber filling
1ea Leek
1ea Cucumber
1/4c White Wine
1/2tsp Poppy Seeds
1/4tsp Salt
Dice the leeks. Peel seed and medium dice the cucumber. Sautee the leeks in a hot skillet until they begin to caramelize. Add cucumbers, poppy seeds and salt. Allow to cook for 2-3 minutes. Add the wine and reduce while stirring. Should take 4-5 minutes on medium high. Reserve warm.

Now that that is all done we shall plate. Layers of crepe, Lemongrass sauce, then Strained Cucumber filling. Repeat. Then eat. Yum Yum.

Turduchen pt2

So now that I have kept ou all in susspence over the week end let us contine with the feast that was Turduchen. The "bird" was in the oven. The stuffing was prepared, the green bean bake waiting to go. What was left? Well we still needed potatoes, gravy, and something with chanterelles.

So we took the stock that was gentle rolling and bubbling just simmering away. And with it I began to play. Two pots a ladel and a way to go. I slowly reduced the stock from just over one gallon that had simmered for 3 hours now to how much? 3 cups. But what to do with my remaining carcai and such? I dug through the flake mash of remaining poultry. For there was gold in the bottom of that pot. I had tossed in the magic little package that they include with all those birds. I found it and into the blender it goes, giblets, hearts, and livers with a cup of reduced stock. This mix was pureed then added back to the gravy pot. (Use caution when pureeing hot liquids!!).So with three cups of three bird stock I thickened it up with a little brown roux. (1.5tbl of butter and 2 tbl of flour simmered to gether in a pan until it drys browns and smells like toasty hazelnuts.) Now our gravy was almost done it sat aside to warm, the finall ingredients was the fond from the turduchen pan deglazed with plum wine.


Ok back to the turduchen, three beers and 4 and a half hours later out she comes. Out and to the counter tented with foil. Internal temp 155. And into the oven goes the stuffing and green bean bake. The pan is deglazed and add to the gravy. Which is heavily whisked and brought to a boil. This leaves but two dishes to go. The potatoes had been boiled (how dissapointing) but they were soft nonetheless, add potato masher, elbow grease, half stick of butter, a cup of heave cream and a half cup of sour cream ( Maybe next year, yogurt & cream cheese.....) Salt pepper done. Creamy and fluffy and no one knows how I did it.... Oh wait except I just told everyone.

Turduchen still reasting, side dishes still baking at 375f. ten minutes to kill.... Sautee pan three sliced of minced bacon medium high heat. Washed and chopped kale, 4oz cleaned chanterelles, three tablespoons of red wine vinegar.(<-----shameless plug for my work) Render bacon add kale and vinegar, cover for 5 min and reduce heat to med-low, turn heat to high uncover add chanterelles salt pepper and cook and toss until au sec. Allright everything is done now: Serve and enjoy, as always comments or questions welcome.

Happy Turkey Day!! Part 1

Welcome to the Turduchen!

So here is the menu for our feast this fine turkey day;

• Turduchen
• Mashed Potatoes
• Three Bird Gravy
• Apple Stuffing
• Green Bean Bake
• Chanterelles Sauteed with Kale & Bacon

My Bi-Annual Thanksgiving treat. What is this "turduchen' of which you speak you may be asking. Well a Turduchen is a turkey stuffed with a duck stuffed with a chicken. So I woke up at the crack of 9am (heheheh) and began my days work with three birds and five pounds of homemade sausage. The method to the madness was simple. I would de-bone all three birds (yup thats right me a2.5in pairing knife, a 5.75in utility knife and some kitchen sheers. The four of us were going to extract the bone from these fowl beasts.) Working one at a time I managed to gt them done in just under an hour. Really that is too long, but I was out of practice so....

But what should I do with all of those bones? I mean I can't waste the the carcai <--- that would be the plural of carcass. So out comes the brew pot (15gal, stainless steel) and in go the fowl bones, and an onion or two, half a bottle of inexpensive red wine, a cup of other alcohol, a few trimmings from vegetables used later in this post, a gallon of water and simmer away. The stock will be used for the gravy, yum yum. But back to the bird at hand. So we lay out the new boneless floppy turkey pack a good 2.5# of sausage over the meat. Then we lay the duck down and cover him with ohhh about 1.75# of sausage. Next we plop the good old chicken in the middle run the remaining sausage, and add a special treat two whole heads of garlic. Now we will magically fold this bird in half ( a good long handled spoon helps with this) and lace it right up.Now we put the whole wonderful 22# meatball into a 300f oven for ohhh say how about 5hrs or until we get an internal temp of 155f. Then we remove the bird tent with foil and let rest for 30 minutes before serving. In the meantime we have five hours to kill.....

Goose Island Matilda anyone? (Review on this later this week).

So on we go to starting a fine apple stuffing. I look at the recipe and you know what? All it is going to make is hard crunchy funny tasting bread cubes garnish with apples. This will not do. So I just tweek it...a little bit... And viola the following appears;

Apple Stuffing (makes one 13x9x2 pan)

• 1 loaf bread, cut in 1" cubes
• 1 can evaporated milk
• 6 eggs
• 1t salt
• 1t pepper
• 2t thyme
• 1/2t fenugreek
• 1/2t galangal
• 1c chicken stock
• 1ea parsnip, diced
• 1ea carrot, diced
• 1ea leek, diced
• 1ea red onion, medium, diced
• 2ribs celery, diced
• 4ea apples, medium, cored, large dice
• 2slices bacon, minced
• 1/2c Italian flatleaf parsley, chopped, loosely packed

Whisk together the liquids and spices. Pour over cubed bread press the bread into the mixture and place in the fridge until the rest of the ingredients are ready. Heat oil over medium high heat then add you vegetables and sautee until aromatic. Remove them from the pan add bacon and a little more oil. Cook the bacon strring occasionally until it begins to render. Then add apples. Cook the apples for 2-3 minutes before stirring. (You may have to do these in batches). Combine the Vegetables, the apples, and the bread mixture. Place into a 13x9x2 cake pan and compress until it fits. Allow to rest for 30min up to over night. Cook at 350f until firm to the touch, should take about 35-40 minutes.

Alright then we have the stuffing made, we have the bird in the oven what is next? A quick little green bean casserole. Let us start with an awful recipe from Campbell's ... Ugh everything out of cans and just dump together... Ok new version sautee one and a half pounds of mushrooms with one tsp of fish sauce. Add a cup of chicken stock, and a pint of heavy cream. Reduce by one third. Take some wonderful fresh green beans (1.5#) wash and cut them into 1-2 lengths. Pat lightly dry and toss with three tbl of flour. Pour the soup over the top and sprinkle with fried onions. This will bake up wonderfully in the oven at 350f, 20minutes covered, 20 minutes uncovered. The green beans will be warm flavorful and crisp. The soup thick and clingy.


OK there is part one. You will Just have to wait for the rest of the recipes until later. Oh darn ...