CHEF SAMBRANO Food Articles Video Recipes

Saturday, December 28, 2013

A LOOK AT SIMPLE BRAISING

Braising Is The Bomb!
Ask any foodie about braising, and they'll no doubt tell you that braising is one of the most awesome of cooking methods. Braising a piece of chewy pork shoulder in wine and herbs…you can not beat that, the pork becomes a melt in the mouth treat, and the sauce that is rendered during the cooking process becomes a meal with two contrasting textures, dry moist, and wet liquid.

Braising is very simple, its done with love in many a grandma's house for sure. Those days when family came together to eat, grandma's braised pork ribs, with her pan gravy made from the drippings. Her mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered rolls, corn, salad, it was a true blessing to eat that way.

Other nationalities have utilized braising techniques, by a learned course or frankly by accident. I've known friends who aren't cooks, but decided to fry up some chicken, and when it was golden, turned to each other and said, "Yeah man, add the beer to the pan!" and then the chicken was golden and moist, with some crispness, but the beer did lend a sauce that was delicious, these by accident chefs discovered what we all knew already as braising. "Wow man, this shit tastes great!"

My thinking on cooking is this, keep it simple. You really don't need to do much for a piece of quality meat, be it a steak, pork chop, or fish. A good quality protein has its original flavor characteristics that too much herbs or spices can actually ruin a dish.

So let's go over some things for you beginner foodies shall we? It's easy.

Let's braise a 5 pound pork butt or as some call it a pork shoulder. And this cut of meat is rather on the chewy side. If you were to just dry roast it, you'd probably need to slice it thin for your diners to enjoy. However if you purchase quality pork like naturally grown Duroc pork or Kurobuta pork, most of the cuts are buttery smooth and tender. 

Directions:

1. Take your pork butt, and set it at room temperature. Season all around it with Kosher salt and some white pepper. Rub it in to the meat, and if there's some fat all the better.
2. Now simply turn on your oven to 450 degrees F. When it's preheated, it's time to place that pork butt in the center of your oven. If you are using a convection oven, turn it down to 425 degrees F.
3. Place the pork in to a roasting pan (stainless steel), do not use a non stick pan, it is harder to produce a sauce with it.
4. When ready, put the pan in the oven, and roast it for 30 minutes, it should get slightly brown.
5. Carefully remove the roast, and add in about 3 cups of beef broth and 3 cups of red wine, also add in some chopped round onions, about 1 small round onion, and about 1/2 a whole garlic by removing the cloves and just smashing it, place this in the liquid. 
6. Cover the pan with foil, or the cover that came with the pan, and place it back in the oven, and cook it for 2 hours, turning down the heat to 325 degrees or 300 degrees F. on a convection oven.
7. Remove from oven, let it rest for a few minutes uncovered.
8. Remove the pork butt from the pan carefully on to the cutting board, cover with foil.
9. Place pan back on to the stove top burners, and heat up over medium high heat, reduce the sauce about by 1/3, taste it, add more salt if needed. (If it's dried up, add more broth), and when it is ready remove from stove, and add in about 2 tablespoons of cold butter, and using a whisk, whisk it in to the sauce, the butter adds body and gloss to the sauce.
10. Slice the pork into nice slices about 1/4 inch each, plate and drizzle some sauce over slices.

Note: You can also season the pork butt with thyme and rosemary as well, I like it straight up salt and pepper, I find the other herbs robs the flavor of the pork, that's just my take.

Good luck on your braising, and remember that we are only human and that we'll make mistakes, just think of this as a learning thing and you'll get better as time goes on.

Photo from Google Images

Copyright 2013






Monday, December 16, 2013

copyright 2013  ®

DA FOODIE BOODIES website
coming soon


EXECUTIVE PRODUCER Ron Sambrano

C0-PROCUER Sascha Bauml

ASSISTANT Susan Welck

Food Videos, Chef Ron Sambrano and his misfits have fun in the kitchen and cooks up all kinds of comfort foods for you. Also Hawaiian Master Chefs, Mixology, and more.

Stay Tuned for more information on the World's Future Best Foodie Site!!!!


Thursday, December 5, 2013

FILIPINO DESSERTS ARE PART OF THE LOCAL FOOD CULTURE

FILIPINO DESSERTS Local Food Culture
Filipino foods are so part of our Hawaiian food culture, and the desserts found at a Filipino party is sweet, sugary, cakey, chewy, melts in the mouth…or not. The Filipinos use a lot of coconut based ingredients, and bananas, sweet rice, and rice flours, and butter, lots of it.

If you go to a Filipino backyard party, you'll find some of these desserts, and I am warning you, even before you finish making your plate for dinner, grab a few desserts because it is fact, the women, the older ones especially will hog them all and make the so-called (take home plate) much too early. I swear, I've been to parties where the dessert table is filled with tasty morsels, huge pies and cakes. And when I'm done mauling my dinner I head to the desserts and what?!!! My favorites are gone? No Way!…. Way! gone!

Bibingka sweet, buttery with hints of coconuts
Bibingka in a round form with banana leaves on bottom,
my favorite Filipino dessert made from sweet rice,
or mocha rice flour, with sweet coconut milk, sugar
butter, it's the ultimate treat.
Bud Bud (Bood Bood), sweet rice, coconut flavoring, 
wrapped and roasted in banana leaves, another of
my favorites growing up, I can nail 4 of these with
hot chocolate!
The time it takes to make these, it does take lots of hard
work and love. Total comfort foods!
This stuff reminds me of the old Filipino women and men hanging
out and conversing by the kitchen or outdoor grill, speaking my
language that I can't understand, am I a sad Filipino or what? I can't speak
the language, but I am learning.
Cascaron (Kahs kah rone) mochi rice desserts, sticky
gewie, sweet! Love these at the fiestas, weddings,
anniversary parties.
These Cascarons are not skewered but sweet for sure!

These are my favorite Filipino sweets, desserts, or snacks. If you love other ethnic desserts like Mexican Churros, you'll love Bibingka, Bud Bud, and Cascarons. The coconutty flavors with sweet rice and sugar makes these treats popular with everyone.

And since it's almost Christmas, let me say this "Maligayang Pasko." or Merry Christmas.

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Saturday, November 30, 2013

MIXOLOGY 101 VIDEO SHOOT w. Barbara Cobey n DA FOODIE BOODIES

Barbara Cobey Mixology 101 
Da Foodie Boodies
®

Barbara Cobey prepares her garnishes

Barbara Cobey sets up for her video shoot for Da Foodie Boodies Mixolgoy 101 segment. She arrived on Hawaiian time, which is a few minutes past 10 am, no worries, it's all good. I get on the cell, my LG G2, she answers her phone and tells me she's right around the corner. And in minutes, here she is in a sporty Mercedes coup, 2 door, sexy car, sexy lady, she's ready to kick it. I help her with all of her mixology equipment and ingredients. Inside, Sascha Bauml and Susan Welck are getting ready with our two ladies as guests to sit at the table during the shoot, and possibly learn something about mixology. Julie and Andrea are waiting.

Once inside, the girls start to talk, in awe of all of the bottles of spirit, tasty liqueurs, and all of that sweet fruits and citrus, like strawberries, black berries, cherries, lemons, limes, and oranges. Once Barbara starts slicing, the studio is filled with fruits in the air. Good stuff.

Barbara takes her mixology profession seriously, her movements at the demo table was flawless, impeccable, she's smooth as butter or silk, take your pick. She's to mixology like what Oprah is to talk shows, well…I hope that makes a point. You get the picture.

Julie and Andrea start to ask questions non stop, "What can I do with that? How can I substitute this? Wow, you set that orange peel on fire!" It was interesting, as each pretty mixed drink was demonstrated, and Julie and Andrea shared each glass to sample, slowly they both started to loosen up. Hey we have something here! This is a new thing, it's interesting, it's a happening segment.

"I had no idea all of this was going to take place," said Julie. "This is awesome, I learned some cool drinks today." Andrea was more vocal, "I love it… I love these drinks, hey do you have any tequila?" Sorry Andrea, should have brought your own Cuervo Gold.

Barbara ran through a few drinks, very simple stuff, but it's the way she did all of those drinks, shaken or stirred, nothing was blended. Blenders are for amateurs. Ha ha.

Some of the drinks she demonstrated were

Siren's Song- Bombay Sapphire, Hypnotic, Fresh Lemon Juice, Simple Syrup.

Mojito- Mint Leaves, Simple Syrup, Fresh Lime Juice, Rum, Ice

Manhattan- VO, Sweet Vermouth, Ice.

Brandied Cherries- Sweet Cherries Pitted, Sugar, Fresh Lemon Juice, Cinnamon, Fresh Grated Nutmeg, Vanilla Extract, Brandy, Water.

Pele's Pyre- Vodka, Dark Cream De Cacao, Godiva Dark, Chile Syrup, Ice.

Chile Syrup- Boiling Water, Powdered Cayenne Pepper, Sugar.

Kir Royale- Chamagne, Creme De Casis, Lemon Spiral Garnish.

Kir Imperial- Champagne, Chambord, Fresh Blackberry for Garnish.

Smash- Spirit, Fresh Lemon Sour, Bitters, Ice.

Stay tuned for the video to be uploaded on to Youtube and Da Foodie Boodies website, as well as on Akaku TV on Maui.

Barbara Cobey
Copyright 2013 Da Foodie Boodies




Tuesday, November 26, 2013

THE COMBO PLATE LUNCH

The Combo Plate Lunch.
Whenever a patron walks up to a plate lunch counter and asks the pretty girl working there, "Can I get a beef and seafood combo?" What he's asking for is possibly any meat or beef entree with another entree that's a shrimp, scallops, lobster, clam, squid or fish. And Hawaii's plate lunch culture keeps on banging in the bucks!

As plate lunches have evolved from very simple ones, with 2 scoops of rice, 1 scoop of macaroni salad, and the meats or fish. Don't be surprised if you see more upscale plate lunch presentations as culinary trained chefs start to delve in plate lunches. It's common to see mahi mahi sautéed with a wine and cream sauce with capers, or some succulent Duroc pork chops with a teriyaki glaze, and a gourmet looking bean salad in lieu of my favorite mayonnaise based mac salad.

Combos are perfect for those that want different flavors and textures. If you feel like eating pork and beef you can get it. If you want seafood and chicken, you can get it, the combos offers the plate luncher another option. I've ordered a loco moco combo once with chicken katsu, the girl looked at me funny because a loco moco is a totally filling meal, I got charged a little extra but that's okay, as long as it's good…locals don't complain.
This plate comes with a large scoop of rice instead of 2
chicken kalua combo
Another plate with chicken and kalua
Korean BBQ style comob
Meat Jun Kalbi Beef
Kalua & Katsu combo w. Brown Rice

Savory, umami, sweet and sour, the flavors from Hawaii's Plate Lunch Culture makes it one of a kind. The large chain restaurants that were created in Hawaii can be found in many places outside of Hawaii. L&L, is one restaurant that is franchised and going global. Plate lunches are becoming mainstream, there's even high end restaurants serving some plate lunch style entrees, and rightfully so, because it's simple and if done right very delicious or ono. The easy cooking, one pot meals like beef stew, or beef curry, or pork adobo. Roasted chicken Chinese style, if there's no duck is good. The ethnic styles are so inviting, the smells, aromas that fill the air when you drive or walk up to a very good quality counter, and sometimes the grungiest of dives are the ones to eat at, for some reason those are the ones with the good food. Weird, strange but it is true. The old buildings with mom and pop written all over it, the faded Coke signs, the hours of operations are 6 am to 3 pm, closed on Sundays so the pops can go fishing, yes those are the places to go and eat..though fading away. If you see a long line of people standing in line in the warm Hawaiian sun, the trash cans look slimy, the screen windows loose, the food must be good.
copyright 2013






Friday, November 22, 2013

A FILIPINO INFLUENCE W. FRIENDS ON MAUI, THE TOP CULINARY BUSINESS STARS

It Is The Cuisine That's On The Rise
One day a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure to be in the company of Chef Mark Ellman, a friend that has visions unlike anyone so far on the island of Maui, who has a team behind him to make food, great food and people come together.

"Sheldon's going to bring local and Filipino style foods to Wailea," said Mark. "Stay tuned." What Mark's team actually did was bank on something very unique. Think major league baseball. You have a great pitcher that's young, and a local talent. He plays in a city with a great organization, and wins a World Series. And after that win, he is a free agent and pitches for a cross town team, and becomes the center piece of that organization. Okay, I'll get to the this right now.
Me and Mark at his house one day eating and talking shop

Sheldon Simeon was the executive chef at Star Noodle, a company that's a branch of  the Old Lahaina Luau. And any businessman worth his salt knows that Michael Moore and company created a mega multimillion dollar business with the Old Lahaina Luau, along with restaurants Aloha Mixed Plate and Leoda's. Sheldon was that winning pitcher. He put himself on the map being one of the finalists on Top Chef Seattle on Bravo.

Now Sheldon puts on a new logo, his very own brand with the backing of a genius in local business, Mark Ellman. "It's great Ron, it's totally great, being a part of this… I can't put this into words, everything Mark touches man…it turns to gold," said Sheldon on our recent video shoot in Mala Wailea. "I'm so excited."

One day I had dinner with Mark and his lovely wife Judy, and Mark cooked us some great pasta, and a no flour torte. At the dinner, we talked, "I'll travel to get ideas Ron," Mark says. He leaves the table, wipes his mouth with a napkin, "You want another beer Ron?" of course I can't say no. Judy hands me a cold bottle of beer, and Mark and I head to his large flat screen computer, where he starts to show me what he looks at when it comes to food. And he searches and searches, like a madman looking for that pot of gold. "There's a lot of stuff out there, lots."

Well that dinner made sense in what he was talking about because seemingly, and in reality really, he got what he was waiting for, a chance to show off a cuisine that's on the rise, that's very popular around the globe, just not in your face like Japanese sushi joints, or Indian curry houses, most Filipino joints are hole in the walls, and quite frankly, the foods are less presentable because it's all mushy braises really…and I'm Filipino so I know. But when Sheldon was on national television, things took a turn for the better. It put Michael Moore's team on the map, and of course now Sheldon's in Mark's camp, and they are ready to hit the culinary trails blazing! I mean Blazing with a capital B. Mark sent me this link, and go check it out, Mark's team pulls no punches, when they are ready to launch, they launch, and in some way, they're like, "Here we are, you didn't think it huh? But look what we are doing!!! Try, just try to top that!" Mark's team flat out succeeds, and I don' think this concept will fail. 

The New Restaurant is called MIGRANT http://migrantmaui.com/

Chef Sheldon being miked up for his video shoot in Mala at Wailea, associate producer Sascha Bauml does the work.
Chef Sheldon has a sense of humor, WWE Culinary, hey if you ain't got Tude, stay at home junior, this is the big leagues, only the strong survive. Great sense of humor.
The ingredients for Chef Sheldon's Pancit Canton a Filipino noodle dish, think Chinese chow mein, it's hinted by patis (fish sauce). If you love Vietnamese and Thai foods and haven't delved into Filipino food at all, you need to trek to Migrant opening soon.
Blurred by action, Chef is ready to slice up high quality pork for his Classic Pork Adobo and his more fancy style of Pork Adobo.
As Chef sliced, he was telling me, "Ron I'm beat man, only 2 hours sleep last night, I had to do the fund raiser for the typhoon victims in the Philippines, I am tired."
But Chef's a warrior, a trooper, he has a family, with another one on the way. Personally, some chefs would call it off, make some excuse like "Sorry can't do it, I feel sick." But Chef Sheldon is an all-pro.
Chef plating his classic Pork Adobo in a bowl with local style white sticky rice and tomatoes.
The bowl presentation is simple, that's how we Filipinos eat, simple.
 
However, this piece of tender pork makes a fancy fine dine Pork Adobo,
 "It's a different take on pork adobo for the restaurant."

Now for those of you who are not Filipino, adobo be it chicken or pork, is a main dish on many a family table for dinner or lunch. The tangy sauce infused with the natural juices of the meats make it a simple and a delicious meal. And if Italians love pastas, Filipinos love noodles as well, and we love pancit. Chef Sheldon made his, and he actually blew my mind, he made his almost to the T as how my father made his. All of the ingredients and the way he sautéed all of the proteins up, and adding broth, and letting the noodles soak up all the sauce it was a dish I haven't had for a long time. You see, the more you mess with foods, the less appealing it is. Now I've seen Mark Ellman cook at his home, and it's just simple with love put into it, and Sheldon does it the same way. It's going to be a major league success mark my words.

Chef letting me taste the adobo sauce, as we say here in Hawaii
"Da Buggaz ONO!"
Simple Pancit Canton, sorry Sheldon I shook the bowl, all the protein went to the bottom, but man it was ONO! 

So to all of you foodies that want some great local style foods with a Filipino twist, Mark Ellman and Company, with Chef Sheldon will put this type of cuisine on the map. It will be something talked about for some time to come.

"What makes this gig even more special is working with great people that care from the top down, with Shep Gordon and Mark, it's just totally awesome!"
-Chef Sheldon Simeon

copyright 2013










Friday, November 15, 2013

PLATE LUNCH SERIES FALL 2013 #22 KAKAAKO KITCHEN

KAKAAKO KITCHEN 
1200 Ala Moana Blvd.
Honolulu, HI 96814
808-596-7488
www.kakaakokitchen.com

Casual
Not too expensive at all
Local Foods
Credit Cards OK
Good For Groups
Take Out OK
No Reservations
Open M-Sunday.

All you foodies out there that want to eat local food head to Kakaako Kitchen on Oahu, and thanks to all the help Yelp Foodies out there for all the nice pics.

WARNING I AM NOT USING ANY OF THESE PICTURES TO MAKE A PROFIT.
The Beef Stew & Mahi Plate
Like I always say, if you are hungry, and want something good
locals in Hawaii know what to combine baby! Beef and Mahi
Oooo what a combo. I could have a double portion but
I don't want to come across like some hog.
Katsu Curry
YAY! Look at this baby, a nice golden Chicken Katsu Curry
a dish worth savoring, this must be a mini, where the hell is the
macaroni salad? Maybe a kids menu one?
No matter, I'd devour this thing in seconds!!!!
CRISP CHICKEN W. SWEET CHILI SAUCE
Okay this guy ordered a plate with greens instead
of macaroni salad, I'll run with that, we all
need some cruciferous, but hey there's nothing 
like macaroni and creamy mayonnaise man!
GARLIC CHICKEN PLATE
Garlic Chicken Plate for the garlic lovers out there, I love
garlic, nothing bad to say about it, unless it does give
you bad breath.
FRIED CHICKEN W. BACON GRAVY
Oh big time Yay Yay! You love fatty stuff?
Man this is fat heaven, fried chicken with bacon gravy,
and look upper right hand corner, macaroni salad!
FURUKAKE TEMPURA CATFISH
Catfish? Well at least the head's off and no whiskers to deal
with, but when it's battered with tempura batter with furukake
deep fried, man, I'll give it as many thumbs up as I can..and
that's only 2, why? I only got two thumbs dude!
SPINACH CALAMARI SALAD
I love squid. Nuff said!
And I also love Eva Mendes in Training Day, nice _____!
Local Breakfast
This is a nicely done plate of eggs with sausage, nice.
Loco Moco!
I love the cooked eggs, nothing pretty, over medium
and looking good. Man you can cut that hamburger
steak with a fork, that brown gravy is totally good looking!
Sex? or Food? Tough question here. Hmmm.
Ono (Wahoo) Fish
Now I love Wahoo a.k.a. Ono in Hawaiian waters, but
c'mon guys, what's with the veggies? Gimmee some rice
and creamy macaroni salad.. we locals need that
mayonnaise fix we can only get with mac salad!
JUST A GREAT LOOKING PLATE LUNCH
Mmmm, mmmm. MMMMMM!!!!
NUFF SAID!
KALBI & TERI CHICKEN PLATE
C'mon!!!! Okay, let me take a deep breath..what
is all this healthy eating all about? Kalbi Ribs, and Teri Chicken
but no Macaroni Salad?…..I'm I'm beside myself!!!
Lilikoi Cheesecake
You have to end your meal with dessert Junior, are you some 
weirdo? Huh? What right minded kid will eat all that 
ono food, and not eat dessert?

Alright, if you want what locals in Hawaii eat, go to Kakaako KItchen when you're in Honolulu, right on Ala Moana Blvd. Heading to Waikiki? it's on the way, now leave me ALONE!!!!! I GOTTA WORK TOMORROW STOP BUGGIN ME!!!!
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