Food Wishes Video Recipes

Curly “Q” Sausage – Get It Twisted

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Thu, 23 May 2013 21:53:42 PDT

Someone sent me a video link last summer, showing someone spiral cutting a hot dog. The wienercision was done by Blake Smith from Chow.com, and I remember wondering if this technique would work with parboiled Italian sausage.

Oh, it worked. It worked real good. By the way, I was going to provide a link to the aforementioned video, but Blake ended the demo by putting ketchup on his hot dog, so forget it. Okay, fine, since I did steal his technique, here you go.

Not only does this look very cool, the technique also provides a significantly greater amount of surface area, and when you’re talking about grilling meat, it’s all about the surface area. You could brush barbecue sauce on an un-helixed Italian sausage, but here you’re literally flavoring the sausage inside and out.

And if you're skeptical about how well barbecue sauce goes with Italian sausage, take it from someone who ate one; it’s a match made in backyard barbecue heaven. I’d like to wish all you a safe and very festive Memorial Day weekend, and I hope you “spring” these curly “Q” sausages on your guests. Enjoy!

Pan-Roasted Marble Potatoes – A Short Post About Little Potatoes from a Small Town

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Tue, 21 May 2013 21:35:07 PDT

You’ll have to excuse the smaller than usual blog post, but I just flew across country, and boy are my arms tired…sorry, not arms, I meant jokes.

Anyway, I’m back at my mom’s for a few weeks to help her out after some shoulder surgery, and despite a very late, turbulent, and sleepless flight, I had just enough energy left to post this marble potatoes video.

I generally try to stick with ingredients that can be found at any large grocery store, and I hope that’s the case here, but to be honest I really didn’t care, as these were just too damn cute not to film. If at all possible, I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients:

4 stripes bacon, sliced

1 pound marble potatoes

salt and pepper to taste

2 tsp chopped rosemary

1 tbsp rice vinegar, or any vinegar

Smoked Turkey & Spring Pea Fettuccine – A Pasta From My Salad Days

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Mon, 20 May 2013 09:09:32 PDT

This rich and creamy, smoked turkey and spring pea fettuccine recipe is inspired by a pasta I learned long ago, working at my first real chef job in San Francisco.

You may have heard me mention Ryan’s Café in the past, especially if you’ve tried our famous chicken Marsala, and it was at this same restaurant where I learned what I still consider one of the best pasta recipes ever.

As I mention in the video, the original was done with smoked chicken, but for whatever reason smoked turkey is much easier to find at the market. I blame the sandwich industry, but no worries, as the turkey is just as good. There’s just something very special about the way the creamy, slightly sweet, aromatic sauce pairs with the smoky meat. Which reminds me, this is also wonderful with leftover ham.

Regarding what many would consider the dangerously large quantities of cream, I’d like to take a moment to do some math. The recipe makes four appetizer size portions. There’s about 1 3/4 cups of cream used, which is roughly 350 calories worth of butter-fatty goodness per serving. To put that into perspective, those two small ladles of dressing you used during your last trip to the salad bar had about the same amount. So, long story short, relax.

Anyway, now that I’ve armed you with a comeback for when your (probably too thin) friend questions your copious cream usage, I hope you give this very simple, but extraordinarily delicious pasta recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 small or 2 large portions:

8 oz dry fettuccine noodles, boiled in salted water

For the sauce:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp minced garlic

1 tbsp minced shallot

1 3/4 cup heavy cream (about 34-36% fat)

6 oz smoked turkey, sliced

1/2 cup green peas, frozen or fresh shelled

2 tbsp minced fresh tarragon leaves

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

1 tsp lemon zest

Parmigiano-Reggiano to garnish

Memorial Day, Already?

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Sun, 19 May 2013 11:43:33 PDT

I can't believe it's almost Memorial Day weekend! Seems like just yesterday I was watching people shoveling snow and scraping ice. Of course, I live in California, and that was on the Weather Channel, but still, seems like yesterday. I blame my beloved Golden State Warriors for making the playoffs, and throwing off my seasonal clock.

Anyway, the upcoming long weekend is considered the official start of cookout season, and to celebrate I thought I'd repost this collection of grill-friendly recipes. By the way, in addition to looking and tasting great on their own, these dishes all have a proven track record of pairing well with cold beer. Enjoy!!

Santa Maria Tri-Tip	Grilled Lamb Chops

Grilled Pickled Veggies	Grilled Korean Short Ribs

Grilled Flank Steak	Grilled Lemon Chicken

Cornell Chicken	Grilled Barbecue Chicken

Grilled Pork Tenderloin	Grilled Asian Skirt Steak

Spicy Tarragon Grilled Chicken	Grilled Calabrian Chicken

Baked Goat Cheese “Caprese” – Hot and Not

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Thu, 16 May 2013 10:32:32 PDT

No salad will break your heart like the “Caprese.” It always sounds great; creamy mozzarella, fragrant basil, and sweet, juicy, vine-ripened tomatoes…what’s not to love? Well, false advertising for one. With very few exceptions, the tomatoes used on these Caprese salads are not sweet, juicy, ripe tomatoes; they’re the opposite.

They’re almost always your standard, conventionally produced, picked green and left to redden (not ripen) in the case, tomatoes. They’re mealy, flavorless, and completely undeserving of being paired with ingredients as perfect as mozzarella and basil.

While I’m invariably disappointed by the execution of this classic salad, I do love the combination of flavors, and by using cherry tomatoes, I thought it would translate perfectly for a baked goat cheese appetizer. Did it ever. When you take into consideration the taste, appearance, and ease of preparation, there’s a real chance this could become your new favorite summer appetizer.

By the way, as long as you are using high quality, oven safe ramekins, you can also do these on the backyard grill. Place a piece of foil on the grates, set down your ramekins, close the cover, and cook until the juices are bubbling, and the cheese is heated through.

I hope you give this delicious, and so not disappointing “Caprese” a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

8 oz log fresh goat cheese, cut into 4 equal pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp basil chiffonade

16 cherry tomatoes, halved

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne, to taste

*bake at 400 degrees F. for about 15 minutes

Next Up: Baked Goat Cheese

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Wed, 15 May 2013 19:27:41 PDT

Barbecue Shrimp – So Good, and So Not Barbecued

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Tue, 14 May 2013 15:16:52 PDT

No one’s really sure why this magnificent dish is called barbecue shrimp, but since it was invented in New Orleans, let’s just assume they had a great reason, and move on to more important issues, like making and eating a huge plate of these.

There are countless ways to make this dish, almost all containing copious amounts of butter, along with garlic, black pepper, and Worcestershire sauce. This is not something you’d serve to your friend with the bland palate. By the way, can’t believe you’re still friends with that bland palate dude.

Anyway, feel free to adjust and adapt to your heart’s content. My version is fairly light, which is kind of funny to say, since I call for half a stick of butter, but I’ve seen versions that were basically deep-fried in the stuff. So, you know, compared to that, this is like spa food.

As far as seasoning goes, be careful with the salt. The Worcestershire is pretty salty, so you may not want to add it all to the shrimp stock like I did. I used about 3 generous tablespoons, since I like mine pretty salty, but it’s probably safer to just add 1 or 2 tablespoons, and then taste/adjust later on.

Other than that, and finding some colossal shrimp (the bigger the better), this recipe is a breeze. It may not have anything to do with barbecue, but like its namesake, it’s incredibly delicious and another great culinary gift from the south. I hope you try some soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 1/2 to 2 pounds colossal shrimp

1 1/2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper, or to taste

1/4 tsp smoked paprika

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

1/8 tsp Old Bay seasoning, optional

4 tbsp cold butter, cut in cubes

6 cloves garlic, minced

1 tbsp minced fresh rosemary

1 1/2 cups shrimp stock (using reserved shells, sauteed in 1 tsp butter, and simmered with 2 cups stock or water for 20-30 min)
juice of 1 lemon
hot sauce to taste

2-3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce, or to taste

lots of white rice

Next Up: BBQ Shrimp

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Mon, 13 May 2013 09:44:51 PDT

Happy Mother’s Day!

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Sun, 12 May 2013 09:51:54 PDT

I want to wish all the moms out there a very happy Mother’s Day! I’m blessed to have two great moms in my life, my mother Pauline, and my mother-in-law Peggy. Both continue to be my biggest fans and supporters, and as I’ve said before, this blog wouldn’t exist without them.

To honor them, and everyone else out there who nurture and take care of others, I give you this inspired performance by future rock star, Teal Greene. While I chose this because of Teal’s heartfelt lyrics, I have to admit his wardrobe choices of baggy, long underwear, sunglasses, and San Francisco Giant’s cap sealed the deal. Enjoy!

Chilled Sugar Snap Pea Soup – Ain't Nuthin' But a "P" Thang, Baby!

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:22:27 PDT

I’ve never been a big cold soup fan. Where I’m from, cold soup gets sent back, but over the years I’ve grown to appreciate things like gazpacho, vichyssoise, and…that’s about it. Well, thanks to this gorgeous chilled sugar snap pea soup, my repertoire just expanded in a very delicious way.

Traditionally (from what I hear), chilled pea soups are made with English peas, but thanks to the very user-friendly sugar snap, not only is there no shelling involved here, but I think they impart an even sweeter flavor. Speaking of sweet flavor, you’re going to want to contrast that by garnishing with some sour cream or crème fraiche. If you can’t get or have that, then use a few drops of lemon juice or rice vinegar to balance the flavors.

As far as the mint goes though, I’d make every effort to obtain some, as I can’t imagine another herb pairing as well. Lastly, the Snoop Dogg reference in the title foreshadows a Snoop Dogg reference made during the garnishing portion of the video. For more information, ask your kids. I hope you give this lovely, spring soup a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 6 cups of soup:

1 tbsp olive oil

1 cup sliced leeks

4 cups chicken broth

salt, pepper, and cayenne to taste

1 pound sugar snap peas

2 mint leaves

crème fraiche or sour cream, and more fresh mint to garnish

View the complete recipe

You Can Count on Monte Cristo Benedict for Mother’s Day Brunch

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:49:54 PDT

I always get a ton of food wishes this time of year for creative brunch ideas, and I was thinking about doing some new type of eggs Benedict, when I happened to see a photo of a Monte Cristo sandwich. At first, it just made me want a Monte Cristo sandwich, but after that wore off, I started thinking about how I’d seen these topped with fried eggs before.

Long story short, I decided to simply make an open-faced version of the famous stuffed sandwich, and top it with poached eggs, and hopefully a new American brunch classic was born. Of course, I'll let you decide, but there was nothing I didn’t love about this plate of food. Okay, the salad was kind of phoned in, but the rest was awesome.

The base is a variation of our famous Restaurant Style French Toast recipe, which marries perfectly with the ham, cheddar and havarti. It was so tasty you really don’t even need the poached eggs. Actually, forget I said that. Do the eggs. If only so you can pop those yolks, and watch them run. Besides the eating, that has to be the best part.

I’ve also re-posted a poached eggs demo below, since poaching your eggs ahead of time is the only way to go, especially if you have a larger group. By the way, you can hold the Monte Cristo bases in a warm oven while you pull the rest of the meal together. I hope you give this new Benedict a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

For the batter:

2 large eggs

1/4 cup cream

1 tbsp sugar

pinch of salt
pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp allspice

4 thick slices of French bread
1 tbsp butter

8 slices ham

4 slices cheddar cheese

4 slices havarti cheese

8 poached eggs

chive to garnish

How to Poach Eggs

View the complete recipe

Lemon Bars for a Lasting Mother’s Day Impression

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Mon, 20 May 2013 12:47:27 PDT

Mother’s Day is coming up, and since so many of you brave souls will be attempting a celebratory brunch, I thought I’d post this much-requested lemon bars recipe, in case things don’t go as smoothly as anticipated.

Preparing brunch can be tricky anytime, let alone under mom’s watchful (aka “extremely concerned”) eyes. Can someone please get her a mimosa and walk her into the garden?

So, even if a few poached eggs break, or the toast gets a little too golden-black, no worries! If you finish the meal with these gorgeous, and absolutely impossible to mess-up lemon bars, she'll be as proud as she will be impressed. Our moms may have taught us the importance of a good first impression, but its America’s restaurateurs who discovered the importance of a delicious last impression. There's nothing like a well made pastry to make one forgive a tough steak.

Other than a baking dish, there’s no special equipment or techniques required. Both the shortbread base and the lemon custard take only minutes, and are simply hand-mixed in a bowl.

Basically, if you can move your arm in a circle, and effectively set a timer (there’s one on your phone), your lemon bars should look just as good as these (maybe better – see meringue note below). Anyway, whether you’re going to make these for Mother’s Day or not, I hope you give them a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 16 Small Lemon Bars:

For the shortbread crust:

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup room temp unsalted butter (1 stick)

1/4 cup powdered sugar

1/4 tsp vanilla

1/4 tsp salt

Bake crust at 350 degrees F. for 22 minutes

For the lemon layer:

2 large whole eggs

1 large egg yolk

1 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp grated lemon peel

Bake at 350 degrees F. for 25 minutes

Garnish with powdered sugar; or top with *meringue (the extra egg white whipped with 1 tablespoon of sugar) and brown with torch.

*My Meringue
If you decide to turn these into lemon meringue bars, do yourself a favor and actually measure the sugar. I couldn’t be bothered to check a recipe, so I only tossed in a teaspoon of sugar, and it should be closer to a tablespoon. The technique is the same; beat the extra white to the ribbon stage (where drips of white stay on the surface for a few seconds), and then add the sugar and continue whipping until you have nice, glossy peaks. My “by eye” batch worked fine, but it was a little too dry, and not quite sticky enough. Be advised.

View the complete recipe

Those Other Tortillas

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Sat, 04 May 2013 13:12:36 PDT

I know we've done flour tortillas on the blog, but I've not yet attempted the far more intimidating corn version. Why do they scare me so? I'm not sure, but it's a real problem. Anyway, one of these days I'll muster up the courage to give it a go, but in the meantime, here's a demo from my buddies at Allrecipes.com showing the basic method. Can it really be this easy? Enjoy!

Shrimp & Jalapeno Nachos for Cinco de Mayo or Cinco de Anytime

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Thu, 02 May 2013 20:59:53 PDT

These simple and addictive shrimp and jalapeno nachos are not only a nice alternative to more common versions, but a great reminder of how this iconic snack was actually intended to be served. Contrary to current fashion, nachos didn’t start out as a giant pile of chips drenched in ladles of florescent gold cheese sauce.

The earliest versions were made by simply broiling a single layer of cheese-topped chips, which were then garnished with jalapeno peppers – simple and elegant, with every chip genetically identical to the next. Over time we’ve added hundreds of toppings, as well as replaced the broiled (real) cheese with something that you can also use to grease an axel.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the aforementioned version just as much as the next guy wearing pajama jeans, but once in a while it’s good to revisit a simpler time in American snacking. If you’re planning to party, I wish you a fun and safe Cinco de Mayo, and hope you give these very tasty chips a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 Portions:

1 pound peeled and deveined shrimp (I used 50-60 per pounds size, which are ideal for this)

1 tbsp vegetable or olive oil

pinch of cayenne

1/4 tsp ground chipotle pepper

salt and pepper to taste

50-60 large tortilla chips, or as needed
2 jalapeno peppers, sliced very thin

about 3 1/2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack or cheddar cheese

avocado creama (1 avocado, 1 cup sour cream, and juice of 1 lemon or 2 limes; liquefied in a blender)

sliced cherry tomatoes and freshly chopped cilantro to garnish

A Spicy, Dicey, Mango Relish

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 16:47:02 PDT

I’m sure I’ve done at least 50 videos where I promise I’ll show a side dish or technique seen therein at a future date. Of course, I usually forget about it shortly thereafter, unless someone pokes me, but in the case of this spicy mango relish, I actually reminded myself.

I found myself in possession of some nice, fat shrimp, which I planned to spice up and sear simply (I promise to show that recipe at a future date). I was thinking of topping with some kind of fresh salsa, when I saw Michele had bought some mangoes for a lassi (I promise to show that recipe at a future date).

As luck would have it, the mangoes were sitting near a can of coconut milk, and I remembered the rice pudding video, and the diced mango technique I had so casually promised. The rest of the story is kind of anti-climatic.

This mango relish is wonderfully versatile and infinitely adaptable. It might be at its best simply enjoyed with tortilla chips, but a close second would be as I used it here, to dress some kind of spicy meat. It was crazy good on these shrimp. Promise me you will give it a try soon…or at a future date. Enjoy!

Ingredients for about 3/4 cup Mango Relish:

1 mango, prepped as shown

2 tsp chopped cilantro

2 tsp sambal chili sauce, or other type of fresh or jarred chilies

2 tsp rice wine vinegar

big pinch of salt

Please Note: everything here is “to taste.”

A Humbling Strawberry Rhubarb Reminder

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 10:01:13 PDT

I was checking Twitter mentions last week, and saw that a viewer by the name of

nguyen4 had posted a strawberry rhubarb pie photo on Instagram (left), and credited me for the recipe. At first, I thought they were mistaken, as I didn’t recognize the pie as one of my creations, but then I realized that was because they’d made it so much better looking than mine. I hate/love when that happens.

Anyway, once I got over this blow to my ego, I decided to repost this in case you missed it the first time, or just needed a little reminder as to what a fantastic spring pie this really is. Enjoy!

To read the original post and get the ingredient amounts, click here.

Strawberry Granita – So Forking Refreshing

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Fri, 26 Apr 2013 18:00:19 PDT

We never had air conditioning growing up, and the closest we’d get was a visit to the refrigerator. You’d open the door, and let the cool air wash over you, as you pretended to look for something to eat. Of course, after a few glorious minutes, mom would figure out what was going on, and yell to close the door. I wish I had known about this strawberry granita recipe back then.

You can make and serve this gorgeous granita any time, but it’s really best enjoyed during the summer months. Not only because it’s cold and delicious, but also because it forces you to stick your hot, sweaty face in the freezer four or five times to stir. It’s such a bracing and refreshing experience that I almost feel sorry for people that do have AC. Almost.

Besides a welcomed respite from the heat, this mandatory, periodical forking creates the dessert’s signature texture. By breaking up the ice crystals as the granita freezes, you’ll get what looks exactly like ground granite, which is where this sweet treat’s name actually comes from.

I know it’s still early spring, but strawberries are beautiful right now, so why not practice a few times before the serious heat waves hit? By the way, let me be the first one to say it to you this year…it’s not the heat, it’s the humidity. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 servings:
(Note: Yes, this will work with other fruit and berry purees)

2 pounds strawberries

1 cup water

1/3 to 1/2 cup white sugar (depending on sweetness of berries)
(Note: I've not tried other types of sweeteners)

1/4 tsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 tsp lemon juice

very small pinch of salt
*Note: freezing times will vary greatly depending on how cold, empty, large, etc., your freezer is. Just keep checking and forking!

Pita Bread – What’s in Your Pocket?

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:27:21 PDT

There are many baked products that you could make at home, but because of time, effort, and quality issues, probably shouldn’t. Fortunately, pita bread is not on that list. The dough is easy to make, and much like the flour tortillas we did, the taste and texture of the freshly made product is far superior to anything that comes with a twist tie.

The method is very straightforward, but I wanted to take a moment to talk about production. As you’ll see in the clip, after you roll the pita dough out, you’ll need to let it rest for 5 minutes before grilling. Since each one takes about 5-6 minutes in the pan, while one is cooking, you’ll want to roll the next, so it’s rested and ready to puff.

Speaking of “puff,” don’t be too upset if yours don’t go full balloon. Sometimes they all puff, sometimes some, and sometimes none. This is the way of the pita. But the good news is, even if they don’t fully puff, you should still get some sort of internal pocket with which to stuff. Even if you don’t, it’s okay…you’ll just call them “flatbread” instead! I hope you give these a try soon. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 8 pita breads:

For the sponge mix:

1 pkg dry active yeast (2 1/4 tsp)

1 cup warm water (about 90-100 degrees F.)

1 cup (4.5 oz by weight) all-purpose flour

Then:

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil

1 3/4 teaspoons salt

1 3/4 to 2 cups all-purpose flour, or until a soft, slightly sticky dough forms (about 8-9 oz by weight)

*Let rise about 2 hours, or until doubled in size. Form 8 small, round loaves, let rise 30 minutes. Roll out and let rest 5 minutes before grilling.

View the complete recipe

Meatless Meatballs! Celebrating the Magical Meatiness of Mushrooms on Earth Day

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Mon, 22 Apr 2013 13:43:52 PDT

I’ve wanted to turn our famous veggie burger recipe into a meatless meatballs recipe for a long time now, and figured there would be no more appropriate occasion than Earth Day to reveal the results. After all, as I joke about in the clip, eating mushrooms is about as close to literally consuming the earth as you can get.

Despite being completely free of meat, at least the animal kind, these “meatballs” were fantastic. Thanks to a thorough browning, the mushrooms provided more than enough savoriness, and the garlic, cheese, and parsley did the rest. As impressive as I thought the taste was, what really blew me away was how close the texture was to actual meatballs.

For me, the true test of any alternative meatless recipe is whether I would eat it again, based on taste and texture alone, and not just because it’s meatless. In this case, I would…many times over. No, I’m not giving up real meatballs, but for a delicious and vegetarian-friendly change of pace, these really were tremendous.

So, whether you're going to make these because you’re a vegetarian who has been searching for a meatless version, or you’re a hard-core meat eater who just can’t believe your ears and eyes, I hope you give these a try soon. Have a happy Earth Day, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 16 small meatballs:

(recipe can easily be doubled!)

1 pound white mushrooms, chopped into very small pieces

2 tbsp olive oil

pinch of salt to sauté mushrooms

1 tbsp butter
1/2 cup minced onions

4 minced garlic cloves

1/2 cup instant oatmeal

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

packed 1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

1 ounce by weight, Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, very finely grated on a microplane

(Note: it looks like a ton of cheese in the video, but it was only 1-oz. Because I used a microplane to grate it, it created a huge looking pile of cheese. It would be about 1/2 cup if you measure, but use weight for this ingredient!)

1 tsp salt

freshly ground black pepper and cayenne to taste
pinch of dried oregano

2 eggs

3 cups of your favorite pasta sauce.

*Let mixture sit overnight in fridge. Bake meatballs for 12-15 at 450 degrees F., then simmer in sauce for 30-60 minutes before serving.

Next Up: Meatless MeatBalls

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 10:36:30 PDT

Why She Cooks and Why She Films

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 09:59:18 PDT

I wanted to share this video by my pal, and super-talented video storyteller, Liza de Guia, featuring another dear friend, Jennifer Perillo, from In Jennie’s Kitchen. If you’re a regular on this blog, you know I’ve shared many of Liza’s gorgeous, entertaining videos before, and this one is no different. This video is part of Food Curated’s Why We Cook series, and it shows exactly why I’m such a big fan of both these talented women’s work.

I’ll let the video speak for itself, but I couldn’t agree more with Jennie’s thoughts on fear in the kitchen. By the way, Jennifer has recently published her first cookbook, Homemade with Love, and it’s getting rave reviews. I’ve not read it yet, but will be doing so very soon. If you’re interested in taking a look, you can check it out here. Special thanks to Liza for letting us share her work, and also to Jennie for being a continuing source of inspiration. I hope you enjoy this, and find it as moving as I did.

Celebrating National Garlic Day with Sopa de Ajo - Spanish Bread and Garlic Soup

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 20:51:33 PDT

As a very, very small percentage of you may know, tomorrow is National Garlic Day, and what better way to celebrate than with a big bowl of Spanish garlic soup? Sopa de Ajo is a wonderfully rustic bread soup, spiked with sliced garlic, paprika, and ham.

If that wasn’t enough to get your attention, it’s also topped with eggs poached in the fragrant, brick red broth. It’s like a steaming bowl of breakfast-for-dinner.

Like I say in the clip, there are as many ways to make this as families in Spain, but I really think toasting the bread is key. You’re basically replacing the flavorless water in the bread with olive oil and awesome soup.

Plus, having the olive oil baked into the cubes makes for a better texture in my opinion. Whether you make this tomorrow to celebrate a totally made-up holiday, or wait until you have some stale bread sitting around, I really hope you try this incredibly comforting Spanish soup. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

About 6 cups of cubed French or Italian bread

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil, plus more to drizzle on bread cubes

6-10 thinly sliced garlic cloves

2 oz ham diced

1-2 tsp paprika or to taste

6 cups chicken broth

4 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped Italian parsley

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

Tzatziki Sauce – Can You Say Delicious?

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:29:40 PDT

Whenever I do ethnic recipes like this Greek tzatziki sauce, I’ll usually go online and listen to an audio dictionary or some YouTube videos to verify the pronunciation. Of course, just listening to it doesn’t mean I’ll actually be able to pronounce it that way. A western New York accent is a strange and unpredictable thing, but at least I know how far off I am.

This time things were a little different. I must have listened to a half-dozen examples, and they all were fairly unique. Everything from how I say it, TA-ZEE-KEY, to something that sounded a lot like CHA-CHEE-KEE, which, by the way, is my new favorite way to say it. Just for fun, maybe you all can leave your best phonetic spelling of “Tzatziki” in the comments section, and we’ll see what the consensus is.

Unlike the pronunciation, one thing that everyone will agree on is that this garlicky yogurt sauce is truly of one of the world’s great condiments. This is quite literally delicious on anything savory, and with grilling season upon us, you’ll want this one in your regular rotation. I hope you give it a try soon. Enjoy!

Make about 3 cups of Tzatziki:

2 cups Greek yogurt

1 large cucumber, peeled, grated, tossed with 1/2 teaspoon of salt

4 cloves garlic, very finely minced

juice of half a lemon or vinegar to taste

3 tbsp chopped fresh dill and/or mint

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

View the complete recipe

A Friendly Pasta Primavera Reminder

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 22:48:29 PDT

This Pasta Primavera is one of my favorite spring recipes of all time, so I thought I'd post a little reminder just in case you have an opening in your meal plan this week. If you haven't yet, do yourself a favor and try this dish! It's truly one of life's simple, and very green, pleasures. Click here to read the original post, and get the ingredients. Enjoy!

Fisherman’s Pie – The Deadliest Casserole

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Fri, 17 May 2013 10:31:20 PDT

I’ve never been a huge fan of the fisherman reality shows like Wicked Tuna and Deadliest Catch. Seems like every situation that comes up, no matter how mundane, is made to look like a matter of life and death. Sure it’s relatively dangerous compared to selling shoes, but they’re mostly just fishing in crappy weather.

Riveting slip and falls notwithstanding, I think the real challenge in that environment would be trying to cook a decent meal. Imagine putting together this delicious, potato-crust-topped cod and spinach casserole in the galley of one of those boats. I actually get woozy thinking about it.

Luckily most of us have a nice steady oven at home in which to make this comforting dish happen, rogue wave free. Speaking of the oven, be sure to check your fish to see if it’s flaking before taking it out. Mine took about 40 minutes, but my sauce and potatoes were warm. If you make your components ahead and they cool down, or your fish is thicker, it may take a while longer to bake, so poke and peek. You can always fix the top, and thanks to the broiler, no one will be the wiser. I hope you give this a try soon. Enjoy!

For potato crust:

3 russet potatoes

3 tbsp butter

nutmeg, salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

1/2 cup milk

For the sauce:

3 tbsp butter

3 tbsp flour

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups cold milk

2 tsp lemon zest

salt to taste

For the rest:

1 tbsp butter to grease dish

salt, pepper, cayenne to taste

2 pounds boneless cod filets

12 oz washed baby spinach

juice of 1/2 lemon

fresh chives to garnish

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National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day!

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Fri, 12 Apr 2013 11:15:28 PDT

I heard that Friday is National Grilled Cheese Sandwich Day, and what better way to commemorate than by making this epic version of America's favorite sandwich? Hopefully most of you have seen and made this before, but just in case, here you go. Enjoy!

Oven “Grilled” Parsnips – Could These Replace French Fries?

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 21:37:05 PDT

No chance – but that doesn’t take anything away from this simple, delicious, and quite dip-able roasted parsnips recipe. As I mention in the video, I was inspired by some grilled parsnips that showed up as a side dish at a recent meal, and I wanted that same effect without having to go out to the backyard.

The combination of a very hot oven, the generous cooking time, and a pre-roast, lemon-olive oil soak gets you pretty close to grill marks country. Also, this method seems to mellow the root’s bold flavor, and while the outside remains pleasantly fibrous, the inside gets creamy and sweet.

One note about the use of lemon here: As anyone who has ever tried to cook raw green beans in a tomato sauce will tell you, an acidic cooking liquid can toughen the surface of a vegetable. I learned why in culinary school, but that was in 1984, and I’m kind of fuzzy on anything before the Clinton administration. I’m sure one of our resident scientists will chime in with a concise explanation.

Anyway, whether you’re looking for a new and exciting side dish, or something to dip into aioli besides potatoes, I hope you give this oven “grilled” parsnips recipe a try. Enjoy!

Ingredients for 6 servings:

2 pounds parsnips
juice of one lemon
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
*Aleppo pepper, to taste

*Aleppo pepper is my new favorite ground chili pepper! It’s a moderately hot and fruity pepper that’s said to have “cumin-like undertones,” as Wikipedia puts it. For more information, click here.

Cashew Chicken – Keeping it Not Real

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 21:21:36 PDT

Grilling season is rapidly approaching, and chances are good that at some point you’ll be faced with a few leftover grilled chicken breasts. Will you take the easy way out, and make chicken salad? Or, will you be brave and attempt something way more interesting, like this Cashew Chicken? Probably the chicken salad, but I decided to post this just in case.

Yes, I’m at it again, making food that’s not trying to be Asian, yet looks close enough to upset people anyway. I can’t do anything about that, and won't be dissuaded from using sweet, rich cashews, and a spicy, sweet and sour sauce to disappear some leftover, grilled chicken just because some people will get annoyed.

Sure, there are a hundred ways to make it “better” or more “authentic,” but on a weeknight after a long day at work, with your show coming on in 20 minutes, none of that matters. This isn't about what you think when you taste it; it’s about what you don’t think. And what you don’t think is, “this is leftover chicken.”

Having said all that, I would be shocked and amazed if you didn’t tweak this to your own personal tastes. It really is a versatile recipe, and one I hope you try soon. Now, get out there and grill too much chicken, and as always, enjoy!

Ingredients for 2 large portions:
2 tbsp vegetable oil

6-8 thin slices of fresh ginger root

1 hot red chili pepper, sliced

1/2 cup dry roasted cashews

2 cloves garlic, sliced

1 to 1 1/2 pound cooked chicken breast (about 2-3 breasts), cut into 1-inch cubes

For the sauce:

1/2 cup cold water or chicken broth, more as needed

1 tbsp cornstarch

1 tbsp ketchup

1 1/2 tbsp rice vinegar

1 tbsp soy sauce, more as needed

2 tsp sambal (hot ground chili sauce)

1 packed tbsp brown sugar

juice of one lemon

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Bunch of Asparagus Recipes

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Sun, 07 Apr 2013 19:08:04 PDT

An abundance of fresh asparagus is one of spring’s great gifts to the kitchen, and there's no shortage of tasty ways to prepare this versatile vegetable. Just be sure to not let your fear of overcooking get in the way of the sweet, tender spears you deserve.

Nobody wants grey and mushy, but undercooked asparagus is tough and bitter, so be sure to check as you go. Here are a few of my favorite ways to enjoy fresh asparagus. Simply click on the link in the caption to see the video, read the original post, and get the ingredients. Enjoy!

Cream of Asparagus Soup

Asparagus Pie

Roasted Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus

Roasted Asparagus with Fried Prosciutto and Poached Egg

Asparagus Souffle

Asparagus, Ham, and Ricotta Pizza

Homemade Ketchup Because You’re Crazy Like That

foodwishes@yahoo.com (Chef John) — Thu, 02 May 2013 09:58:32 PDT

I want to be very clear that I’m posting this copycat recipe for ketchup only because I’ve received countless food wishes for it, and not because I think it’s a great idea. It’s not even a good idea.

This tweet I posted yesterday sums things up nicely, “Making some homemade ketchup. Sure it costs more, and doesn't taste as good as store bought, but at least it takes a really long time to do.”

Of course, we’ve made lots of things that are generally better not homemade, like French fries and fried chicken, but this is much different. For most Americans, ketchup is one of our first taste memories, and if the flavor profile is even the slightest bit off, our brain computes this as “ketchup fail.”

Having said that, I’m very proud of how close this ketchup does come to those name brands in terms of taste, texture and color. I’ve never had a tomato paste-based ketchup that I liked, so I decided to cook down crushed tomatoes instead. This would require many hours of stirring on the stove, but by using the slow cooker, we take most of the labor out of the process. Sure it'll still take many hours to reduce down to a ketchup, but it will only require giving it a quick stir every hour or two.

As I joke about in the video (not really a joke), you’d have to be crazy to make your own ketchup, but despite my warnings, I know in my heart that many of you will give this a try nonetheless, and that makes me happy. Enjoy!

Ingredients to make 3 cups of Ketchup:

2 cans (28-oz) ground tomatoes (you can also used crushed, or just crush whole plum tomatoes)

2/3 cups white sugar

3/4 cup white distilled vinegar

1 teaspoon onion powder (not salt!)

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (not salt!)

1 3/4 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon celery salt

1/8 teaspoon mustard powder
1/4 tsp finely ground black pepper

1 whole clove

* Cook on the high setting in an uncovered slow cooker until the mixture is reduced by about half and very thick. By the way, my “high” setting isn’t very high, so it took like 10 hours, but don’t rely on a time. Simply cook until it looks like mine did before I strained it.

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