In the next few blog posts, I'll be blogging some recipes and ideas for salads and salad dressings, focusing primarily on blending ingredients to make a great fresh and clean dressing. Summertime is here, in most places it is warm or hot, so I'll get some stuff that is really cool to use and you can make them in advance, and store it in the refrigerator for your near future cookout or in the house dinners.
So here we go folks, the first salad dressing we'll do is a Cucumber Garlic Cream Dressing. It is very easy to make, and sorry all you from scratch culinary artists, I'll cheat and use ready made items as well as some fresh herbs and spices, this is for the everyday cook that wants to be simple. Fact remains, most of you are working folks and pretty beat up by the time your motorcar gets into your garage.
2 Large Cucumber peeled and rough chopped 1 cup of heavy cream 1/2 cup of coconut milk 1/2 cup sour cream 1/4 cup mayonnaise 1/4 olive oil 1/4 vinegar 1/4 cup Dijon Mustard 1/2 cup of chopped garlic cloves 1/4 cup chopped round onion 1 tbsp. chopped parsley 1/4 tsp. thyme 1/4 tsp. corriander 1 tbsp. pepper corns 2 tbsp. sugar Salt and Pepper to taste
Place all of the ingredient into a strong food processor, and pulse, pulse it until it is just smooth, place this in an airtight container and refrigerate.
This dressing is good for any cold greens on a warm or hot day or evening, I like this over ice cold tomatoes and crisp bacon actually.
Cucumbers grows on vines and have many different varieties including the Indian Yellow that looks like a huge squash, cucumbers are very refreshing eaten alone and is actually good for bad breath and body order it has a cleaning effect.
Want some sports bar food for the next day? Great, because it'll take a day or overnight to marinated this dish, all you'll need is some beer ice cold, some cornstarch and some all purpose flour, salt and pepper, and some spices. And a pot with some vegetable oil and a burner of some kind.
6 large chicken thighs, no bone, skin on. 3/4 cup chili powder 1 tbsp. curry powder 2 tbsp. onion powder 1 tbsp. turmeric 1 cup Sriracha Hot Sauce 1/4 cup vinegar 1/4 olive oil 2 cloves garlic minced 1/2 cup lemon juice 3 tbsp. raw sugar 1 tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro *Add more lemon juice or some water to thin if needed
4 cups of all purpose flour
1/2 cup cornstarch 5 cups of all purpose flour Enough cold beer to make a semi thick batter Salt to taste
1. Mix all of the ingredients from the chili powder down to the cilantro in a non reactive bowl such as a glass or stainless steel one, then add in the 6 large chicken thighs, mix it well, rub in the marinade all over the meat and inside of the skins. Cover air tight with foil, and refrigerate overnight. 2. When ready to jam, place a pan of 4 cups all purpose flour and next to that your beer batter, make it as thick or thin as you want, I frankly like it on a medium thickness, some guys want that fucker thick, well when you make that batter too thick, it tends to not cook well, you'll have a brown outside, but the chicken won't cook well enough because the batter's too thick. 3. Heat up a pot of oil, enough to fry at least 2 at a time, make sure the oil is sizzling before you start your cooking. 4. Dip each thigh into the flour and dredge each piece very well, then dip it into the beer batter, and deep fry each piece until golden brown, and check the inside of the meat to see if it heated through. Take it out, and cut them into strips, and there you have it, some sports bar food.
TIP! MAKE SURE THAT WHATEVER BEER YOU USE IS ICE COLD, DO NOT USE WARM BEER, THE COLD BEER LENDS A NICE TEXTURE WHEN YOU HIT THE HOT OIL, AND ALSO BEWARE, THE HOT OIL CAN SPLATTER ON YOUR HANDS, ARMS, AND FACE, STEP BACK WHEN ENTERING CHICKEN THIGHS TO HOT POT OR WOK OR PAN OR WHATEVER THE FUCK YOU'RE USING.
OIL TEMPERATURE? GUYS I'M OLD SCHOOL, I SELDOM USE A FUCKING INSTANT READ THERMOMETER, IF MY DAD SAW ME USE THAT GIRLY SHIT, HE'D KICK MY FUCKING ASS! OKAY FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO NEED TO HAVE A GAUGE, THE OIL TEMPERATURE FOR DEEP FRYING SHOULD BE ABOUT 350 degrees F. OR WHEN YOU DROP A PIECE OF DOUGH INSIDE THE OIL IT STARTS TO BUBBLE, DUH!
THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS IS A TRADEMARKED MLB FRANCHISE, THE LOGO TO THE LEFT IS A COPYRIGHT IMAGE, I AM USING THIS IMAGE NOT TO MAKE PROFITS OFF OF THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS, I AM MERELY USING THIS LOGO AS MY FAVORITE TEAM IN SPORTS AND WANTING TO SHARE A STORY WITH MY READERS. THIS LOGO IS A COPYRIGHTED AND TRADEMARKED IMAGE BELONGING TO THE LOS ANGELES DODGERS ORGANIZATION AND IS PART OF MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA.from www.wikipedia.com
One of these days I keep telling myself and my close associates, I'm going to open up a restaurant dedicated to the Los Angeles Dodgers, of course it has to have beers and hot dogs, Dodger Dogs more like it, but I'll have to look into this because of the Trademarks and Copyrights, I gather there will be lots of stuff to look at, lots of legal advice is in the wings for this. But nonetheless, it would be cool, to own a restaurant that is just Dodgers, I mean all the waitstaff can be decked out in Dodgers uniforms, on certain days it is home games, so home uniforms will be worn. This concept is already in place in some cities with sports fans so I'm actually stealing a concept, but that would be nuts and really fun to be around, kind of makes you feel like a kid again.
I can dream all day about this stuff, menus with Dodgers logos on it, a sandwich named after Orel Hershiser, a mixed drink after Davey Lopes, I don't know email me some hints. But you get the picture right? Hmmm, and maybe some Asian dishes named after some of the Asian players they had, maybe a stir fry after Hiroki Kuroda.
The dream continues, flat screen monitors playing classic moments of Dodger games gone by, and have it on live sporting events too of course. Football season, all the games that those t.v. screens can handle, X Games? I love X Games, Poker Tournaments?, Surf Meets? Sure why not, but come baseball season, every Dodger game will be played on the main giant screen, win or lose, the Dodgers rule at my joint, and if any customer comes inside with something Dodgers on their person they get 15% off their meals.
I can dream and dream folks, but this concept is just a dream, the Scorpions had a song that sticks in my head, the lyrics goes, "Make it real not fantasy..." Okay I will one day when I stop procrastinating and start to jot down some kind of business plan and find investors. So if you are a Dodger fan, email me, contact me and let's share our dreams of the Dodgers winning another World Series soon! Win or lose I love the Dodgers, and of this writing we are only 1 game up on the Giants, what a first half of the 2012 season guys, and I just hope we lead the NL WEST at the all star break, and that Matt Kemp's hamstring will be healed when the second half starts, and we do make it to the playoffs, that would be very very nice. Call me immature, call me a kid, call me a dreamer, sorry I just love the Dodgers, and we gotta make it to the World Series, we just have to, 1988 was a long long time ago folks, much too long.
I got a lot of creations in my head that will blow you away for Dodger Foods, but because of legalities, who knows if I can really make this work, homework, homework, and lots of homework and networking. So one day, maybe Ron Sambrano's Dodgers Grill will be opened, wouldn't that be something?
On the way to OGG a.k.a. Kahului Airport Maui, a great Italian restaurant is about a mile from the main terminal, MARCO'S right on the corner of Hana Hwy. and Dairy Road, a very clean nice setting, the waitstaff is dressed neat, very professional.
My sister and her husband was on their way to the mainland for 2 weeks for their vacation of sights and food, and golf, lots of golf. So as a treat for being their chauffeur I got me an excellent creamy Garlic Chicken Pasta and before that I got a half size Greek Salad that was huge enough to feed 2 people, I do have to admit Marco's is a winner if you love Italian food. If you're near the airport you can't miss it, look for the green awnings, very close to Costco, K Mart, if you miss it, something's wrong go get your eyes checked out. The bar has sports on, so you sports nuts, you can't get bored.
You can dress up or go casual at Marco's. Business people, travelers, and locals sharing a story stop by there, it's nice for anyone and everyone. Entrees start in the mid teens to shallow twenties, very affordable, not a cheap place because the quality is excellent. But affordable for sure.
808-877-4446 444 Hana Hwy Kahului HI 96732 ADA ACCESSIBLE
Some of you make sandwiches way too dry, sorry, but I like a juicy sandwich, so how do you make a juicy sandwich? First the bread needs to be toasted with either butter, or olive oil, the bread needs some kind of fat, either sat fat or vegetable fat, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated, it makes for a tastier bun, and moist.
Then it has to have melted cheese (I hate cold sandwiches), lots of melted cheddar, or even mozzarella all gooey. The protein needs to be cooked just right, not dried up, if I'm cooking a steak sandwich, I'd use a good strip, cook it medium seasoned with salt and pepper, maybe some juicy tomatoes on there, and a good spoonful or two of homemade mayonnaise, or Best Foods, or if you want healthy use a Vegenaise (vegan mayo).
RON'S NEW YORKER
1 Hoagie Bun split in half, buttered and toasted on a nonstick pan 1 8 oz. Boneless New York Steak 1 tbsp. vegetable oil Salt and pepper
2 thick slices of cheddar cheese 2 slices of organic tomatoes 1 large kale leaf, no rib, split in half
Homemade Mayonnaise
1. Heat up stainless steel pan over medium high, add vegetable oil, salt and pepper steak, and cook steak for about 3 minutes each side, when cooking the last side, add on the cheese it should melt from heat of pan. 2. Spread mayonnaise on both sides of buttered bun, place tomatoes and kale on top, fold sandwich closed and eat!
HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE 4 large eggs 1 cup of canola oil or olive oil 2 tbsp. lemon juice 2 tbsp. vinegar dash of salt
In a food processor add the eggs, turn on low speed, slowly add in oil until it thickens, more oil if you need, add lemon juice and the vinegar, dash of salt, process a few more seconds.
I've worked for restaurant owners that were shady fuckers, they weren't in business to be the best at anything. The owners didn't give a shit about the place, it was running down hill. Okay, if you are going to be a restaurant owner, and here is more Capitalism 101, you do not want to take the profits or income from the and of the day to go buy your fucking mistress a new pair of fuck me heels, and your partners taking some cash to buy a new flat screen for the kids. The accounting of your business needs to be strict, in other simpler terms, your profits go back into the business, this is how some small businesses became giants. Mc Donald's grew until Ray Kroc took that to another level that we all know it now. In N Out Burgers started tiny, and in decades to follow are very huge and iconic. You do understand that in order to play, you gotta pay. And remember that it takes decades to become huge, well there's some flash in the pans, but there is an old saying that relates to the food industry and it comes from AC/DC that old Hard Rock Band, and there is a song with the lyrics, "It's a long way to the top, if you wanna rock and roll!" Rock artists are hard working, doing the same shit over and over, until they have a following, and then work even harder to gain more, and what's harder my friend? It's maintaining their fan base. Your customers are your fan base, you need to maintain them, and get more. But what's the fucking sense if you are taking profits and income and blowing it out your bloody ass?
Accounting needs to be taken care of seriously, put it this way, I got a buddy who is a salesperson selling food items to restaurants, he tells me, "Ron there's some lame business people here in this town, they have a long line of patrons, but...they don't pay their bills on time, or some are going under, how the hell is that when I see shit loads of people standing in line to eat at their place?" Hmmm, one word, accounting. They aren't seriously business minded, bring Donald Trump in there, he'd get rid of the owner, buy out their secret for that line of peeps out the door and turn that fucker around and believe me if Trump came in with his people and saw this potential? He'd weed out everyone, keep the recipes for the food, and get a strong profit building team of experts in there, and with his business savvy would possibly buy the building that the restaurant is in, and he'd become the head honcho. Get it? Why is Trump Trump and small pee ons just that? Trump knows business, and these ass wipes my friend talks about have no business knowledge or discipline.
1. Pay your bills to your purveyors, maintenance people, landlord, utilities etc. 2. Pay your employees, do it right, deduct all pertinent deductions, medical, social security, IRS, etc. If you aren't doing this, man you got problems mister/misses restaurateur. 3. You are your own thief by taking company money and splurging it on your whore girlfriend, did you know that? 4. Your partners are their own thieves by stealing from your restaurant, as far I'm concerned anyone stealing from a company is a lame sack of shit!
The Last Stand Coffee Co. seating optional. So you wanna be your own business person eh? Okay, and an eatery of some kind suits your fancy? Hmmm. You got what it takes you say, you got fucking thick skin do ya, and ya have the intestinal fortitude to handle business of any kind, you're able to negotiate your way out of trekking in Iran with an American flag draped around your neck? Alright then.
So first things first, what kind of eatery or dining experience are you going to offer, and where the hell are you going to put the darn thing? What's your finances really like? What kind of profits are you expecting? Well that all depends my friends on that old adage of Location, Location, and Location. Drill that word inside your head before you dump all that hard earned or well...not so hard earned money on your first dig. I know this one dude who said that when he was in college a long time ago, his female friend was getting a degree in law, but she already had a couple years studying business and finance, needless to say the lass was probably mind friendly on how to go about starting a business for in those classes they teach you about start ups, and how to go about raising capital, negotiations, profit margins and all that. Well at this one school he talked about, on the campus, there were no coffee shops or even a bloody kiosk. Imagine, going to school, bloody tired in the early morning and not having a latte or mocha to drink? Long story short, this woman decided to ask who was in charge of leases to businesses on the campus because there were lots of spaces on the land there that she thought that she could open a small coffee kiosk. She spoke to the people in charge of the campus, got a space negotiated for for cheap. She went out and bought an old kiosk, had a friend polish it up with her logo on it. Bought some coffee machines, and all the fresh beans she loved to use, and cups to go, and guess what? She was a hit.
1. She saw a need 2. She knew how to raise money 3. She negotiated 4. She got a used cart 5. She used the coffee beans that she enjoyed drinking 6. She learned how to make it professionally from all her times in coffee houses 7. She knew that because there were no competitors and the need for coffee was very high, almost any location where students parked their asses on campus was going to be successful, or a Yay location.
She became very successful selling coffee in a small location which was on campus, but for what it was, her cost was very low, and her profits very very good. You see this success story? There was a need, and she had no competitors, she was the first on the scene selling coffee on campus, she monopolized adding more kiosks and hiring employees, this you could say is Capitalism 101.
So my friends, where do you want to put yours? Let's say you want to sell only chili because you claim to be the best chili chef this side of the Great Wall of China. Okay then, where do you think the people are in your town that want or will want your chili? If you say the Northern part of town is where all the chili lovers are at because their incomes aren't that big, and most everyday people live in the Northern part of town, then it would be idiotic for you to even consider putting your chili counter in say, the South Eastern part of town where all the caviar eating stuffy people live...then again you never know, maybe those stuffy folks love a great bowl of poor man's chili, more marketing research from your people is a must, rule number one in Capitalism, never count out anything, do your market research. But let's call it a Yay, that all of your future wealth will derive from those blue collar Northern area people, your job is to go up there and search for a good location to stick your eatery.
This will take some time, possibly months or even a year or more it all depends on how badly you want something. The more sweat equity you put in, the faster your business will be up and running. Remember you are new to this game, you'll need time, and you will make mistakes along the way. Hire an attorney to oversee any contracts, if you have a buddy that's been or is a restaurant owner, buy him a round of golf and ask him to go with you on a scouting trip, to look at buildings and talk to real estate people. In the Bible in the book of Proverbs it begins with Wisdom. If you lack wisdom, find it, it comes in the form of people, good people are hard to find, so remember this word also, it is called Networking. As you get involved in business, network, network and network, this will help you bring in business, or associates that can help you realize greater profits. But be weary of people that want to rip you off.
Always protect yourselves, all recipes, or ideas for your business should be locked in a safe, even that stained piece of paper with Grandpa Joe's recipe for that braised beef chili from 1934, make copies of it, and seal it up, lock it up. When you talk to anyone about your business, I mean anyone, even if you are talking to a 12 year old skateboarder, before you talk about your business plans, have them sign a Non Disclosure form. This is a form that says that whoever you are talking to will not talk about your idea to anyone. Let's say that this 12 year old skater doesn't sign that form, and a year down the road, you still haven't gotten your chili counter up for whatever reason, but hey there's that 12 year old selling chili, and he's got your Grandpa Joe's chili selling like hot cakes, he ends up as chef of the year in your town, and the Food Network does a story on him, he finds investors and there he is in the near future at age 15 a multi-millionaire, donating money to the needy, and one of them needy peeps is...you! You get the pic? Yay or Nay? I hope it's Yay, and drill that in your head, besides Location, Location and Location. Remember these words in bold PROTECT YOUR FUCKING ASS!
What's for dinner? Filet Mignon? Rack of lamb with a wine sauce? Salmon with a lemon chive aioli? Fuck that! Gimme, gimme, I said gimme a Portuguese Sausage Dog! There's nothing like a slow cooked Spicy Port Dog with its juices coming out, and a steamed hot dog bun at the ready, and some tangy yellow mustard, mmm, now that's a simple man's dinner and I am just that, a simple man with simple things, I'm never complicated, as a matter of fact I can't stand anything complicated. My Android phone? Too complex, the phone key pad is just flat fucking glass, gimme a fucking break! Simple that's me, just keep it that way. Now back to the Portuguese Sausage Dog, in Hawaii we're all into this Charcuterie to the maximum! Okay Chicagoans and New Yorkers may delve into the other sausages like Italian or Polish or Brats or Wieners, well in Hawaii it really is all about the Portuguese Sausage. I am repeating myself WTF?
Okay, what I really like about a Port Sausage Dog is the flavor, like the one pictured is just perfect, it's not too salty, but has the right amount. It's spicy, but not too harsh, and it has the right fat content, how can I tell? Okay when that dog is roasting on them rollers, and the buggers start to pop and sizzle is when you know you got some fat in there, sorry vegan heads, but pork fat rules in terms of flavor. I mean can you get that out of a block of fucking tofu? I don't think so Jackson! Again, any good sausage or Charcuterie needs to have 100 % meat, and fat, no fucking beaks, or wishbones, or fucking bull nuts in the mix. No just good shoulder meat grounded up with some fat, and man the grind should be all YAY. And the seasonings needs to be all YAY as well.
Here are some of the ingredients that goes into a fine Port Sausage. Paprika, garlic, liquid smoke, salt, sugar, cayenne pepper, oregano, red wine, white pepper, black pepper. Of course the chefs at home also known as Mom, Grandma, Pops are the best at making these items. Sausage making is the best when home cooks do it. But there are awesome brands in Hawaii that make Portuguese Sausage and it'll save you time, just cook and eat. Here are some of the brands to look out for.
So you sit in a Starbucks with your friends Bob and Jim, talking about trying to become a business owner. The three of you are aware that the economy isn't all that right now, but you also watch business news shows, you follow what's happening on Wall Street Journal .Com, you realize that there are people right now as I write this blog that are actually raising capital to start a business. You also realize your friend Mike who's wife was always into clothing and fashion just opened up a fashion boutique across the highway. Hmm, we can do that, you guys are thinking, well not open up a clothing boutique but maybe...hmm, a sports bar or restaurant?
Of course a food and drink establishment, the three of you are food lovers, your wives loves cooking and wine, Bob is a big fan of Andrew Richman, you love to watch Rachel Ray, Jim read the In N Out Burger story why of course, a food establishment is what God has in store for you guys of course! Bingo!
Here is my tip for those of you thinking that owning a restaurant will be easy, and I'm telling you, if you can't stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen. Oh don't get me wrong, but just remember this, the food or restaurant business is a very very tough animal to tame, and if you haven't even worked in a pro kitchen, or haven't the slightest idea how to manage people? I would suggest you do not even put a penny of thought in investing in a food establishment. Here are some questions to ask yourself, and oh by the way the picture at the top is used cooking oil from a deep fryer, a friend of mine who is a front of the house manager had to clean the deep fryer because the cook didn't show up, he had to run back and forth to the front taking orders, and yep going in the back to plate up food and fast. First look at that fucking used oil, and imagine the fucker stinks as well. Remember I said can you handle people? I'd kill the bastard that called in sick on the most busiest of days. Hmmm.
Here's some questions you better ask yourself.
Can I work 100 days straight 24 hours a day? (When you own your restaurant buddy boy, it'll consume your ass!)
You know what FIFO means?
How about Par?
How to order when your dig is busy? (Dealing with your purveyors)
Are you good with negotiating?
Are you a thin skinned girly man?
Ready to be sued? Hmmm, it happens you know.
Know your employer and employee laws?
How to scout out a location for the food you're serving?
Hate sweating?
Will you flirt with your cute waitresses? (because the restaurant biz is where a lot of marriages fall apart buds)
Are you and the boys gonna drink your profits at the bar when it's closed?
How much can you trust your business associates?
How much do you know about business period can you tell me what it is all about?
Do you know who to screen your possible executive chef that will be in charge of creating your dishes?
Your surfer dude waiter, that's right that young stud dude has a thing for Rachel your sexy wife, and she loves his flirts, how do you handle that, are you the guy that thinks KILL, HOMICIDE, MURDER, MISSING WAITER?
Okay that's just a few fucking questions to ask yourself, if you are thinking of becoming a restaurateur.
d Part 2 of our show Lick em UP!, in Uncle Kawika's house, it was taped when the occupants were asleep. We cooked a Pork Loin and a Filipino Dessert Bibingka.
If for some reason you are without a grill this Summer, but you do own a stove with an oven, you can still make a killer rack of BBQ Baby Backs, pork that is.
Here's a simple recipe for you to make in your home.
4 racks of baby backs about 4 lbs. Let it rest at room temperature, and season it with the following rub mixture
1 cup of raw sugar 1/4 cup of salt 1/4 of pepper 1/4 cup of garlic powder 1/4 cup of onion powder 1 tbsp. of thyme
Mix all of the dry ingredients in a bowl.
Turn on your oven to 300 degrees F.
Line to baking sheets with foil, and spray some Pam. Have extra foil on hand for covering each sheet later.
Rub mixture over each rack of ribs. Place on lined baking sheet. When oven is ready, bake for one hour so it turns brown. And then remove from oven, and cover with foil, and continue to bake for another 2 hours, turning down the oven heat to 280 deg F. Remove from oven, uncover, and let it rest on cutting board.
Note: I like this reverse method, you see, some chefs will cover it first for the first hour and then uncover, I like the steaming effect when it is covered, it lends for a very tender and less dried baby back meal.
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Summertime is here, and cool foods are in, and I mean cool from the fridge. Here's a simple fruit salad. Go to your local Farmer's Market if you have one near by, if not your local supermarket will do just fine. These are the fruits that I like to use, you can substitute any of these for what ever you want.
FRUIT SALAD
2 lbs. of diced pineapple (fresh if you can get it) 1/2 pounds of grapes sliced in half 1 lb. of sliced bananas 1 lb. of Honeydew Melon diced 1 lb. of diced Watermelon 1/4 lb. of chopped Macadamia nuts
Toss all of these fruits in a bowl, and cover with plastic wrap and chill for a few hours.
CREME FRAICHE
1 cup of whole milk 2 tbsp. of vinegar Mix the whole milk and vinegar together, let sit for a few minutes until it curdles. This your Buttermilk.
Then add 2 tbsp. of this butter milk to 1 cup of heavy cream. Let it sit sightly covered until it thickens, and then refrigerate.
When ready to eat, place fruits in serving bowls with a spoonful of Creme Fraiche. Creme Fraiche is pronounced (crem fresh). It has a tangy sour flavor. Try it out, and if you can purchase Creme Fraiche all the better. Then you won't need to wait for the milk to curdle.
Here's a simple vegetarian meal, especially for kids this Summer, a fun meal, easy to make, and is vegetarian, we'll use some shredded cheddar cheese for this one.
INGREDIENTS
4-6 Pita pockets, warmed on a flat pan, lightly oiled
Vegetable oil for saute 1 clove garlic minced 8oz. mushrooms sliced 1 lb. off ground tofu 3 cups of diced tomatoes 1 can of garbanzo beans drained 1 package cheddar
1 large can tomato sauce unsalted 1/2 cup of sour cream 3/4 cup of Parmesan 1 tsp. thyme 1 tsp. chili powder 1 tsp. onion powder salt and pepper to taste
1. Heat up a large nonstick pan with sufficient vegetable oil for saute, heat up garlic for a few seconds, add in the mushrooms, saute until soft, and remove. 2. Add a little more oil if needed, saute the tofu until cooked through, then remove. 3. Cook the diced tomatoes and garbanzo beans until heated through, add in the rest of the ingredients one by one, then return the mushrooms and tofu to the pan and heat through. 4. Stuff the pita bread with filling, and some cheese.
There should be some left over for more pitas later.
Njoy the vegetarian eating.
Pita is originated from the Middle East, the main ingredients are flour and water. Armenia, Balkans, Greece, Turkey in origin.
Commercial pita pockets are sold with a slit or pocket for you to fill, some actually does not. If you find one that does not, simply put filling in the center and fold like a soft taco,it works just as well.
I'm going to cross simple style cooking with a twist into some gourmet. It consists of only some simple ingredients that you can purchase at your local Safeway or Albertson's or wherever you decide to traverse.
ITALIAN SAUSAGE WITH BELLS
1 lb. of Italian sausage (sliced), any brand or if you make it homemade all the better! 3 tbsp. of olive oil 2 cloves of minced garlic 1/4 tsp. of thyme 1/4 tsp. of basil
2 medium bell peppers, on yellow one green, and slice some 1/2 inch squares 1 small round onion rough chopped 1/2 cup shredded carrots
1 can of organic tomato sauce 8 fl oz. 1/2 cup of Cotes du Rhone or any red wine you'd drink
1. Heat up a stainless steel pan over medium high heat, heat up olive oil, add in garlic, stir for 20 to 30 seconds. 2. Add in the Italian sausage slices, and saute until the juices start to come out. 3. Add in the thyme and basil, give it a 2 minute cooking. 4. Add in the bell peppers, onions, and carrots and cook 1 minute. 5. Add in the tomato sauce and Cotes du Rhone and cook for 5 minutes covered.
Season with salt and pepper to taste, serve with rice or potatoes.
The Summertime is upon us, warm to hot Summer days, beaches and pools, kids, family, vay cays, it is all part of the Summertime and oh before I forget... food! Oh yes, grilling time is here, and for me, there's nothing better than having friends get together, sitting around a hot kiawe grill, cooking up tasty proteins. But in today's blog, I'll give you a killer hamburger recipe that I ripped off from a friend I met driving around in Kapalua. I wanted to get his picture with his wife, but he instructed me "Ron, do not put my picture or my wife's on the net, you can take the recipe, but no pics and no real names." Apparently my friends are in some witness protection program.
Okay let's call him Jim and Joan. Jim is a huge ass son of a bitch! His wife, blonde, and has a tattoo of a girl with a bikini top riding a Harley. Wo! Don't fuck with these two. Okay Jim gives me a recipe for a great Hamburger mix, but I tweaked it a little bit.
Heat up your *Kiawe grill. (Jim uses Mesquite)
5 lbs. of freshly ground Angus Chuck, has to be well marbled 1 lb. of hog fat or unseasoned raw bacon 1 cup onion powder 1/4 cup garlic powder 1/3 cup cayenne pepper 1/2 cup white pepper 3 cups of sour cream 1 cup minced chives 4 large eggs 2 cups of bread crumbs
Mix well, let sit in the fridge for one day, that's right, Jim is serious, let the flavors come together for 24 hours, and then form 1/4 pounders, and then grill them up, stick them in between buttered buns and eat!
But here's the simplistic trick says Jimmy.
"You get salt and pepper shaker, put 1/2 salt 1/2 black pepper in there mix it up very good. as the burgers start to cook on the grill, you sprinkle it on the patties, salt and pepper is simple and it makes the beef stand out, do not over cook them."
We sampled these, and it is totally moist. Though we did not use fresh ground Chuck, we got fatty Chuck, and some belly pork. You know, the fatter the content, the tastier the burgers, man the only thing I subbed was Jimmy used lots of hot sauce, I subbed with 1/3 cup of cayenne pepper.
Happy Eating my friends, and please share a foodie story.
Today it was another food video shoot, this time with my buddy Danny D Play Agdeppa behind the Sony Bloggie, we had to improvise, we had to borrow a friend's apartment so we had to keep it down a little, couldn't be our true selves, this is where post production comes in, lots of voice overs.
Danny is holding on to a dessert I made called Bibingka, it is a Filipino coconut flavored, buttery cake sort of thing, with eggs, and milk, and rice flour, and lots of sugar, kind of like a cakey custard. It is usually made with a pan lined with banana leaves, but we did not have any in stock, so we went without it. And then I made a roasted pork loin, with Italian herbs, garlic, salt and pepper with a wine reduction with broth. The loin was only 2 lbs., we used an oven at 350 deg f, with the Bibingka and the Loin in oven at the same time, the dessert took about 40 minutes, the Loin took about 50 minutes and we let it rest on the cutting board, perfect!
This video will be on You Tube type in CHEFBOYMAUI. and it will be on Akaku TV channel 52, on Maui. Title: Lick em UP Bibingka and Pork Loin
Tip: it's always good to get an instant read thermometer when roasting, I haven't roasted in a while, and my roasting senses was simply gone! Danny had to help me look at the loin to see if enough juices were coming out, we were lost, so we had to take it out on a gamble, so it wouldn't burn. We did not have a thermometer, I usually have one on me, but like always, every time you need something, it's not there. The wine we used was an inexpensive Merlot, and it did the job, we used some canned broth to help it through, reduced it to a nice syrup feel, finished it off with a table spoon of cold real unsalted butter to gloss its texture. Ooooo, sort of gourmet going on!
2 lbs. of pork loin can feed 2-4 people, just do not put too much salt on it. Italian herbs from Mc Cormick worked well, or you can get fresh herbs if you want. I find dried herbs works alright with roasts, where as fresh herbs is great for salads or finishing off soups and stews or even braises
The Bibingka, my favorite Filipino dessert, usually made by street vendors in the Philippines, during holidays, this is so popular in my neck of the woods, if anybody's aunty or gramma sends their Bibingka my way, I'm hoggin the whole pan man! Seriously, the coconut milk adds the flavor, though in the Philippines the chefs there use real fresh coconut milk, I had to use the canned variety, but it worked. And the pan is usually lined with banana leaves, well minus that, we went with good old Pam so it didn't stick to the foil baking dish. Happy eating.
FISHING TOURNAMENT A SUCCESS Maui County Council candidate Alan Fukuyama sponsored the 2nd Annual Big Brothers Big Sisters Fishing Contest on Saturday, June 2 at Maui Tropical Plantation.
"The event was a great success. It has grown from 19 participants to 35 participants this year. We are hoping to reach 50 next year. The Lions of Maui also held their fishing event for the sight and hearing impaired," said Fukuyama.
The grand prize went to 12 year old Kalena Kanai who caught a carp. She also won the most unusual catch and biggest catch. Although it was a contest, everyone won prizes donated by Maui Fishing Supply, Wayne Kobayashi, Christy Gusman, and Ruby's Diner.
"Teaching our keiki about the sport that I have enjoyed for many years is a passion of mine and an easy way to give back to our community. I hope more keiki will join in the fun next year."
The awards ceremony was preceded by some ono (delicious) Maui Cattle hamburgers grilled by Alan's team of chefs, getting smoked out by the kiawe burning wood.
Another video shoot of our show called South Side Cooking, today I did Hoagie Pizzas. Ready to expire hoagie rolls from the market, topped with a combination of tomato sauce, and crushed tomatoes, canned of course, and some Italian herbs. This video shoot was to show how to prepare ready made items for the family for the Summer Vay Cay.
Topped with Portuguese Sausage, onions, zucchini, green bells and of course mozzarella cheese, and then baked for 20 minutes at 400 degrees F. And today we filmed me using GLOVEN from my friend Nola Baldwin in Liverpool, England. These oven gloves are neat, very comfortable, and can withstand heat up to 480 F. I held the pan of hot pizzas straight from the oven for a while, it felt somewhat warm, but no blisters. If you were to use those old mits grammy used, you'd be hurrying to find a place to drop the hot pan, but the GLOVEN worked to perfection. I tried it a few times as a matter of fact, it is really good, excellent in fact.
I fed the pizzas to the crew and friends that stopped by the studio in Kihei, Maui, right smack at Cove Park. This studio courtesy of Peter King my Producer/Director is a nuts place to film. Looking out into blue Pacific, the Alalakeiki Channel, the paddle boarders, swimmer, beach goers just having a good time. The peeps finished off the simply made pizzas with glasses of Merlot.
Cucumbers grows on vines and have many different varieties including the Indian Yellow that looks like a huge squash, cucumbers are very refreshing eaten alone and is actually good for bad breath and body order it has a cleaning effect.
