TEST KITCHEN: PROJECT "LUK FUN"

Updating my test kitchen projects for my foodies out there, Project LUK FUN is my  TOP SECRET; CONFIDENTIAL; CLANDESTINE "I'll have to kill you if you know any of my information project from the Pentagon. Information concerning this project calls for stringent protocol from the top level down to the guy mopping up the test kitchen! Seriously. Nah just kidding. Anyhow I'm testing my Luk Fun noodles, and it is my friends a very tedious task. Noodle making is an art, to produce a perfect product sheet after sheet, roll after roll of these pliable, flexible and versatile rice flour noodles that works exceptionally well with any type of Asian stir fry is very popular in Hawaii, and in China Town in Honolulu it is prevalent. On Maui, Star Noodle has reinvented this noodle, creating awesome dishes. Well, I love this noodle and want to try and make it my own. NOPE I'M NOT TRYING TO JUMP ON ANONE'S BAND WAGON. I love this noodle since I was a young lad walking homeless in Beijing. Nah just kidding. But I love this noodle.

Photo above cut luk fun noodles for stir frying
These noodles can be made as thick or thin as you want, the batter is more of a slurry than a..batter. Just think of your pancake batter how thick it is to make a pancake, well imagine you add more liquid or milk to that batter and make it almost watery, well that's the consistency of luk fun batter or.. slurry. And it has to be steamed, with the right ratio of good quality white rice flour, and tapioca starch (flour), salt, sesame oil, and of course the right amount of water. You steam it in pans for a few minutes until it is somewhat glossy, and using a spatula just ply it off of the pan and let it cool. Thinner luk fun sheets are great to roll up like a crepe. You can fill it with finely minced cooked meats, chicken, veggies and what ever seasonings that suits your fancy. 

Photo above is a plain unfilled Luk Fun Roll 

Photo above is a Portuguese Sausage filled Luk Fun Roll

Photos above is Pork Luk Fun, ground pork and veggies stir fried together

The Chinese style of cooking to me is the most practical. Deep down my style suits this style of cooking, out of a wok, quick and simple, as opposed to some of the European types of cooking which I also love. However, out of a wok you can do a lot even searing a Wagyu ribeye and making a wine sauce. You can get gourmet with a wok. And the thing is most Asian style of cooking can be done out of a wok, Korean, Japanese, Thai, and one of my other favorite styles of cooking which is Filipino style suits the wok perfectly, soups can be made in it. But the Luk Fun noodle is my new obsession, and frying it up in a hot wok, these noodles soak up flavors really well. 

If you ever get a chance to visit China Town in Honolulu, or for that matter any China Town, I bet there's some food counter or stall, or cart selling these delicious noodles. And for you paranoid anti GMOers out there, nope the rice flour and tapioca flour I used did not have an Organic stamp on the package, but we been eating this for ages and I haven't died yet! Unless my next batch has Agent Orange in it, it's pretty safe.

Until next time have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

          

© 2014

MAINTAINING YOUR KITCHEN KNIVES

Knives are the tools we most use in our kitchens so we need to take proper care of them. But first, for those of you that need a few lessons on what knives to purchase, I'll go over some with you and then we'll get into maintaing them. And remember when ever you buy any knife, you want to hold it in your hand, and see if you like the feel. Such as the handle, the length of the blade as well as weight, to the way it looks. If you are a golfer you know what I'm talking about, you need to love the look of your knife first,if it doesn't look good? There's no chance you'll pick it up or oder it online.

CHEFS KINFE: This is your go to knife for slicing, chopping, mincing, in other words this is your main weapon. There are different styles of chef's knives, from stamped stainless steel, to forged stainless steel, from wooden handles, to rubber and other composite handles, it can get pretty confusing.

1. An 8" blade chef's knife is a good length for basic home kitchen use, a 10" even by professional chefs are a bit cumbersome, though longer blades is great for slicing through thick skinned pumpkins that are huge, or firm cheeses. A 6" blade is too short for general use, but works well as a veggie slicer or fruit knife, unless you're a true artist with food, don't waste time with buying one, I have one, but seldom ever use it.

2. A paring knife is a knife you'll use to peel carrots, or potatoes, or to use to cut out some smaller pieces out of an apple or the like, it really comes in handy when you misplace your vegetable peeler.

3. A 7" Fillet knife (also can be used as a boning knife), this knife is generally flexible and narrow with a pointed tip, it is used for removing meat from bones like chicken, fish etc.

4. A meat cleaver made for breaking through bones, like spare ribs, and short ribs. Some call it a hacker, generally on the heavy side. It does come in handy when you want to save money and buy meats with bone in. Butchers will charge more for the service and the packaging. 

5. A carving set with a fork, you'd probably use it during two dinners, one would be Thanksgiving, and the other Christmas when you got a rib roast or turkey to carve up. Don't spend an arm and a leg for this, Macy's or Walmart has good carving sets for a low price.

Below is the current prices for these knives I am talking about, as far as caring for your knives, keep them in a knife holder magnet attached to the wall, or in a wooden block, keep them out of reach of children, never point the knives at anyone, keep them sharp, clean them with warm anti bacterial soap when cutting or slicing raw or cooked meats. Some cooks will tell you "Don't use soap." I do, and I haven't had a problem yet, just rinse it well, and dry them immediately. Get some lessons on knives, watch Youtube videos on chefs handling knives, and good luck.

$34.56 Victorinox 8" Chef Knife from Amazon

$25.16 Victorinox 7" Fillet Knife from Amazon

$11.99 J.A. Henckels 3 pc. Paring Knife Set Amazon

$48.95 J.A. Henckels 6" Meat Cleaver Amazon

$20.16 J.A. Hencke's 8" Slicer & Fork Set Amazon

And you can purchase a sharpening rod from your local hardware store, just have the clerk demonstrate how to use it, it is a tool to maintain the edge of your knives. Your Chef's knife will need to be sharpened the most. Also once you can't get your knives sharp using the sharpening rod, you can call a professional knife sharpener to give a new edge to your blades, or you can learn from an expert on how to sharpen it yourself, you will need a sharpening stone to do this, and the technique is very important, inexperienced cooks ruin their blades by not taking lessons on sharpening their knives. 

In time you will learn how to slice, dice and chop efficiently, as well as to care for your knives. I've blogged on this subject many times, but it's always good to be updated on the basics of kitchen tools. And your knives are important to you as a home cook, without it you're like a cop without his pistol.

Until next time have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

     

© 2014

MAMA'S ONAGA (Red Snapper) SOUP PLANTATION STYLE

My mom made awesome meals, her dinners were just fantastic, my friends that stayed for dinner didn't want to go home. I mean there was this one time, a neighborhood kid was sitting in our garage one evening just smelling the food my mom was cooking, the kid was the neighborhood punk so my dad chased his ass out of the garage, he sprinted fast, but I could tell he wanted to eat. Poor kid, his mom was a shitty ass cook. :(

One of the soups my mom made was an Onaga soup, or Red Snapper. Now most chefs here on the island would cringe at the thought of making Onaga soup, because most of these chefs are full of shit! They are all culinary… "What? Mrs. Sambrano just wasted a good fish?" Well mom knew what the hell she was doing. If she were alive, she'd throw it down with Bobby the Shitfaced Flay.

Here's an Onaga Soup Recipe.

1 whole onaga, cleaned. about 3 lbs.KEEP HEAD
10 cups of water
1 cup apple cider vinegar
6 large tomatoes crushed
2 large onions diced
2 bay leaves
5 cloves garlic crushed
3 inch ginger chopped
Salt and Pepper

DIRECTIONS:

1. The fish should be sectioned in about 4 pieces head as well as the tail section. Keep this on the side until the water and veggies are boiling.

2. Bring the water, vinegar, crushed tomatoes, diced onions, bay leaves, garlic and ginger to a boil, then lower heat to simmer and cook for about 10-15 minutes.

3. Add in the fish pieces, and simmer the fish with the vegetable broth for about 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

NOTE: The Onaga is a very delicate fish, but mom would cook it just right, and the fish would still be intact. She would serve it in a large soup bowl with the eyes of the Onaga staring at you. But guess what? That soup was very good, the flavor wasn't too strong, and it didn't make the house smell like fish, the ginger and onions mitigated that aroma.

Until next time have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

             

© 2014

PORK ADOBO STIR FRY WITH VEGGIES

Left overs make great tasting wok stir fries, why? Leftovers are aged foods, and of course if it's aged too long we foodies call it spoiled! However a day old plate of pork adobo has so much flavors packed into each cubed chunks of pork, it makes an incredible wok stir fry, all you'll need to do is go to a local diner that serves pork adobo, and you don't have to eat it, just take it home and save it for your wok cooking the next evening.

Here's the recipe for 4, and it's just wonderful.

1 tbsp. cooking oil
1 tsp. minced garlic
1 lbs. of cooked pork adobo, saved in the refrigerator, let it sit at room temperature so that it cooks really fast in your wok.
1/2 cup of sliced onions
1/2 cup of sliced bell peppers any color will do
1/2 cup sliced white mushrooms

Sauce:
1/2 cup of shoyu
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 tsp. sugar

1 cup of chopped chives for garnish

Directions:

1. Over medium high heat, Swirl cooking oil on the bottom and sides of a 14" wok.
2. Add in 1/2 tsp. garlic, cook for a few seconds, then add in 1/2 of the pork adobo, just sear it and heat through and remove. Return wok to heat, bring wok to the initial temperature, add in a little more oil, the rest of the garlic, and the rest of the pork adobo, cook in the same manner and place it on the side with the other cooked half.
3. Add a little more cooking oil to wok, return to heat, and stir fry the veggies until half way cooked, add the mushrooms last. Add in the sauce, cook for a couple of minutes, add in the cooked pork adobo, heat through, plate it. Garnish with chives and serve with rice, fried rice or other salads.

NOTE: Most homes have pretty weak heat for wok cooking, so remember to cook your food in batches so that you'll get a good sear on the veggies and the meats. Chinese chefs have very high BTU wok burners that can stir fry 2 pounds of sliced meat and veggies in less time than doing it in batches. Wok cooking is all about high heat, so you have to adjust the amount of ingredients that goes into your home wok cooking.

Until next time have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

          

© 2014

CHOCOLATE DOBASH CAKE RECIPE

            ©

Cakes, what can I say? I mean…you're at a family dinner, more like a potluck that wasn't supposed to be. Example, we Hawaiians (peeps that live here), will invite other peeps for dinner, and we are the chefs, servers, and janitor crew, however here in Hawaii, if you invite people for dinner, friends or family, and you tell them, "Hey just show up, me and the wife are making prime rib, stir fried rice, baked mahi mahi, and salad. Just show up, we'll have lots of food, we got 3 huge ass rib roasts, and it's Wagyu."

It doesn't  matter what you tell them they won't listen, because there's a good chance whoever you're inviting will bring something, be it wine, beer, raw fish, maybe some other designer box of cookies, or drum roll please…CAKE! Although the host and hostess may have a dessert, it seems there's always a chosen few that always show up with decent cake. Decent cakes are the ones that they'll bake, or the ones that they buy at a nice bakery, or for that matter supermarket quality cakes are not too shabby at all. One time, I went to a dinner, I just picked up a bottle of Chard, but there were like seven people bringing pastries and cake.  It was a convention to get diabetes no pun intended.

Cake always hits the spot after a filling dinner, for me, my favorite cake is a chocolate dobash just loved it since I was a kid, my mom worked in a bakery called Nashiwa's and they had the best pastries and cakes. I love chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream, I'm a sucker for that stuff. Just love it, and the dobash has that nice sweet frosting on top.

Here's a simple recipe for Chocolate Dobash 

Cake:

• 3 large eggs, separate the yolks from the whites in separate bowls
• 1 3/4 cup. white sugar
• 1 1/2 cup. all purpose flour
• 1 tsp.  baking soda
• 1/2 tsp.  salt
• 1/2 c.unsweetened cocoa
• 1/2 c.vegetable oil
• 1 c. milk

Frosting:

• 1 1/2 cup. water
• 1 cup. sugar
• 1/2 tsp. salt
• 1/4 to 1/2 cup.butter
• 1/2 cup. unsweetened cocoa
• 3/8 cup. cornstarch 
• 1/2 cup. water
• 1 14 tsp. vanilla extract

Instructions to Bake: 

Preheat oven to 350 deg F. Butter 2 - 8" round pans. Gradually beat egg whites until frothy. Add 1/2 c.of sugar. Continue beating until stiff. In a mixing bowl; sift dry ingredients, and then add the oil and half of the milk. Beat until blended well. Add remaining milk and egg yolks. Beat until smooth. After that, fold in stiff egg whites, and divide the cake batter into prepared pans. Bake for 30-35 minutes. Cool and set aside.

Frosting: In a saucepan over medium heat; whisk the water, sugar, salt, butter and cocoa. Bring to a boil. In a mixing bowl mix the cornstarch and water. Then whisk into the cocoa mixture; stirring constantly until mixture thickens. Stir in vanilla.

Spread frosting quickly on top of the bottom cake, then top it with the other cake and pour the frosting over the entire cake while still hot; spread evenly with a spatula. Work quickly as the frosting will  lose its texture and get too stiff for you to spread it as it cools.

Until next time, have a great life and enjoy the cake.

Ron Sambrano

BACK TO BASICS PORK RIBS

Time to get back to basics, and let's talk about some good old home cooking utilizing pork ribs. Pork ribs? Hey man I'm confused, I see all kinds of shit out there in the meat section, and they label it "pork ribs" but I don't' see no bones, I see different looking stuff man.

Yeah junior I know, I know. So let's go over some things shall we? Ok, pay attention. Pork like beef, or cattle, is basically the same. Yes, they look different but I meant they are both quadrupeds, they walk on all fours, and generally the rib sections are pretty much tender, I said generally. Okay I'll go over some of the rib cuts of the pig right here, and I'll borrow some pics from Google which is what my blog is powered by, and I am making this statement, "I am not making money off of this blog post, just sharing with my foodies."

Below is two slabs of baby back ribs, it is sold anywhere from 8 to 13 bones, or rib bones. Younger hogs are generally the ones used for baby backs, weighing around the mid 200 pounds class. The baby backs are also called loin ribs, back ribs, they are from the top of the rib cage between the spine and the spare ribs, below the loin muscle. The appearance of these ribs looks like they are wide at one end and it becomes narrower towards the other end, this is attributed to the way the hog was designed naturally, look at a hog, the animal does look wider at the front of its body and narrower towards the end. The meat in-between the bones are not really tender, so slow cooking them is the way to go, or any method that creates steam. 

One way to cook these is to slather them with your favorite BBQ sauce, and place them on a hot grill creating a crust, then on to a lower heated grill and slow cooked for a couple of hours. Or just slather them with a rub, and using foil, wrap them up tight, and roast it in the oven for a couple of hours, the meat just falls off of the bones.

This tip can help you in the kitchen, pork baby back ribs are great cuts, my mom actually made soup with them, that's right, some culinary t.v. star may frown on that, but shit, she knew how to cook em up, the meat fell off of the bone, and the broth was awesome, because of the bones, it was great! So try them out, ask questions at the butcher shop, get to know the hog.

Until next time, have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

               

© 2014

THE IMPORTANCE OF MAKING A SALAD

                        

Salads sometimes aren't what we guys concentrate on, let's face it, it's the MLB Playoffs in a few weeks, NCCA Football is in full swing, and we can't forget the NFL Football schedule with everyone's Sundays is filled with cookouts or cookins. And just think, basketball season starts up in a couple of months too, so the men foodies are gonna be busy until the Final Four and the NBA Finals, of course any MMA on demand takes us dudes close to the grill or some pot right?

But let's get real, if we want to eat right a salad is something we need to focus on, a salad that's tasty and healthy, especially when there's others around, let's try and go the extra mile and not just man the grill, the wok, or stove.. let's try and be more well rounded.

Here's a simple salad that the men can make that's fairly easy, very basic that all you'll need is some greens, onions, cherry tomatoes, crispy bacon (yes you can have it), and some balsamic vinegar, honey, garlic, chives, olive oil, rosemary, thyme, and lemon juice.

SERVES 4-6

1 1/2 lbs. of romaine lettuce
1/2 lb. of kale
1 small sweet round onion
8 oz of sliced cherry tomatoes (stores sell them in plastic 8 oz containers) you slice em
1 lb. of apple wood smoked bacon

Dressing

2 cups of balsamic vinegar
1 cup of extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup or more of honey
5 crushed garlic cloves
1/2 cup of chopped chives
1/2 tsp of chopped rosemary
1/2 tsp of chopped thyme
Juice of 1 small lemon
Salt & Pepper to taste
* Place all ingredients in a blender of food processor and blend well, put it in a jar with lid and refrigerate for a few hours to get cold. Adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper or more honey for sweet etc.

1. Heat up your oven to 400 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with baking paper and spray nonstick on it, arrange the bacon on the sheet, and bake it for about 20 minutes or until the bacon gets crispy. Every oven works differently, keep an eye on it. When it's done, let it rest, and when cooked, chop it up into bits.

2. Cut the romaine and kale into bite size pieces, halve the onion and slice into thin strips. Put this and the sliced tomatoes and the bacon in a large mixing bowl, and toss well. Pour the entire bottle of dressing into the bowl and toss well, cover with foil and refrigerate until ready to serve.

THYME

ROSEMARY

CURLY KALE

ROMAINE LETTUCE

8 YEARS AGED BALSAMIC VINEGAR

(You can get inexpensive ones at the market)

Carry on my home chefs, and make your dishes rock with a salad that kicks ass!

Until next time, have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

            

© 2014

JAMIE'S DREAM SCHOOL, JAMIE OLIVER ON MEAT

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3EcF_dKHXHY

Another one of my favorite t.v. chefs, Jamie Oliver teaches his students the finer points on beef, and how he cooks a nice steak on the stovetop, watch and learn because I did. Very interesting video as his butcher friend talks about the different cuts from the cattle. Chef Oliver tells his students that there is no really best cut of beef because everyone's taste is different, which is true. Cooks can save money by purchasing the tougher cuts of beef and slow cook them instead of buying the finer cuts that take less time to cook but costs more. A very good video for any cook that's learning and wants to be a chef, or a great home cook. Enjoy this video.

Until next time

Ron Sambrano

© 2014

FILET OF BEEF WELLINGTON VIDEO CHEF GORDON RAMSAY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1orR1HGv0s

Here's a lesson from a master and celebrity chef that's one of my favorites, Chef Gordon Ramsay. Watch this video as he makes a simple Filet of Beef Wellington. It's always good to learn new chops, new tricks, new methods and techniques that can up your game as a cook in your home. Always remember, life is about learning and teaching. Let's learn from Chef Gordon, and then try it, and teach someone what we've learned. What a wonderful life eh?

Until next time have a great life

Ron Sambrano

               

© 2014

POKE PIZZA THE SIMPLE EASY WAY FOR SINGLES TO EAT IN

In Hawaii Poke (Poh keh), cubed pieces of raw fish, seasoned with usually an Asian blend of some sort, and eaten with rice is gaining popularity every day, every year by foodies that are discovering this awesome type of well, marinaded raw fish and bits of veggies. Sam Choy our local boy done good was a very popular television personality in the 90s and 2000s, his fame was attributed to frying poke in a wok. It's genius. People called him simple, nothing to write home about as a culinary artist, well bullshit, Sam Choy is one of my idols man! So I'll take a simple poke you can buy at your fish department in your supermarket, and make a pizza out of it. Below is the ingredients.

Preheat your oven to 350 deg. F

INGREDIENTS

1 lb. of ahi poke (any style)
1 loaf of french bread sliced 1/4" thick 
1 cup of mayonnaise
1/2 cup of sour cream
1/4 cup minced garlic
1/4 cup minced green onions
Garlic salt to taste
1 small package of shredded mozzarella cheese

DIRECTIONS

Take a large cookie sheet and spray some butter flavored non-stick spray. Arrange the pieces of sliced French bread. 

Mix the mayonnaise and sour cream in a mixing bowl, add in the garlic, green onions, and garlic salt, mix well. Spread a thin layer of this mixture over the French bread slices.

Place a tablespoon or so of ahi poke on each piece of bread, then top each with some mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle some more garlic salt if you think you need it.

Place baking sheet in oven on center shelf, bake for about 15 minutes or until the top is slightly brown, or whenever you feel it should be done, raw ahi is safe to eat.

Remove from oven, let sit for a minute or two, and eat.

Serve with an ice cold pale ale, or a nice white wine.

Until next time have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

             

© 2014

MEXICAN SOUP CHICKEN POBLANO CHOWDER CHEESY

Mexican Soup Time! For my foodies. Oh yeah, that's me on the left, I was making a dessert, so if you were wondering "Hey that ain't Mexican soup!" Well it's not, you win. No prize, you just win.

Soup of the day will be a Chicken Poblano Chowder Cheesy, it's fairly easy, with little fuss if anything, and for myself? I loves Mexican food, after all, we Filipinos share similarities in cooking from the Spanish side of the tracks. Hey my last name is Sambrano, you know how many times people tell me "Hola" I'm like, I'm not Mexican, but no problemo eh?

INGREDIENTS

3 poblano peppers
1/2 a stick of unsalted butter
1/4 of all-purpose flour
8 cups or so of low sodium chicken broth (canned or carton)
2 1/2 cups of diced cooked chicken meat, I like dark.
2 large cans of corn
2 large cans of black beans
3 cups of shredded Cheddar cheese
1 1/4 cup of shredded pepper jack cheese if you got it
2 1/2 tbsp. of ground cumin
1 1/2 tbsp. of garlic powder or onion powder
Salt and pepper to your liking
A few tortilla chips for garnishing

DIRECTIONS

1. Preheat the broiler, place rack about six inches from the flame or heat. Line a baking sheet with foil.

2. Cut the peppers in half lengthwise, remove stem, seeds and the entire inside. Place the peppers cut side down.

3. Cook under broiler until the skins get blackened, about four to five minutes. Place peppers in a plastic bag so it steams, then after 15 minutes or so, take em out, and peel off the skins and toss it. Then chop up the peppers.

4. As the peppers begin to cool, melt the butter in a pot over the stovetop flame at medium high heat, add in the flour, and stir until it becomes a golden brown color. Slowly add in the chicken broth into the flour mixture (roux). Simmer and stir for about ten minutes, until smooth.

5. Stir in the chopped peppers, chicken pieces, corn, black beans, Cheddar, and if you got it the pepper jack cheese. Season with cumin, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Continue to simmer until all the cheeses is melted, and the soup must be hot. Serve with some totilla chips.

Until next time have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

          

© 2014

THAI BEEF RECIPE

Thai Food anyone? Today I'll give you a Thai Beef Salad recipe, very simple to do, I swear you'll be the culinary genius your home once you're done. What makes Thai? Okay here's some Thai foodie knowledge for you, Thais love to utilize green onions, lemon grass, cilantro, chilies, fish sauce, limes…okay? Got it? All Righteeee Then!


INGREDIENTS

2 green onions chopped
1 lemon grass cut about an inch into pieces
3/4 cup or more of chopped fresh cilantro
1 cup of chopped fresh mint leaves
1 cup of lime juice (Fresh squeezed if you can)
1/2 cup of fish sauce (use the Filipino patis if you can't find a Thai brand)
1 tsp. sweet chili sauce
1/2 cup of brown sugar
1 1/2 pounds of beef flank steak trimmed of silver skin
1 1/2 pounds or so of lettuce leaves broken apart not chopped
1/2 a zucchini cubed
Handfull of cherry tomatoes

DIRECTIONS

1. In a large bowl, mix together the green onions, lemon grass, cilantro, mint leaves, lime juice, fish sauce, chili sauce and sugar until combined and the sugar is dissolved. If you want, try adding more sugar and/or fish sauce. Set aside.
2. Sear the flank steak over high heat on stainless steel pan for approximately 4-6 minutes on each side, until it is cooked about medium. Don't overcook the steak. Remove from heat and slice into thin strips across the grain so it won't be tough when eating. Add the meat and its juices to the sauce and refrigerate, tightly covered, for at least 3 hours.
3. Tear the lettuce into bite size pieces and place in a salad bowl. Arrange the zucchini on top of the lettuce, and then pour the meat and sauce over. Top with the cherry tomatoes and garnish with fresh cilantro leaves.

Enjoy until the next blog post have a great life!

Ron Sambrano

            

© 2014

COOKING BASICS Frying Eggs

Hello my friends, today is the 4th day of September 2014, and it's flying by pretty quickly, I'm thinking about Xmas already man! Got to save some bucks and fast!

Today I'll be talking about cooking basics, and today's item or ingredient will be the ever so popular and sometimes misunderstood egg. That's right the egg, it is a very delicate food, yet it has power, it has two components that can be used in the culinary profession, one is the egg whites, when whipped up it can be a fluffy product used in cakes and desserts. And the very rich yellowish yolk that is whipped up with infusion of fats like oil or butter to make mayonnaise and Hollandaise sauces. Well if you are a new foodie in the kitchen we won't overwhelm you with those culinary moves just yet, let's just stick with frying the egg.

First of all, all you really need as a rookie is an 8" non-stick fry pan, non-stick offers a non-stick surface so that you won't stick your eggs to the pan. A can of non-stick spray like PAM or an imitation will do, some vegetable oil, or butter- don't use margarine, use real unsalted butter.

Now the real way to crack an egg is to hold it with two hands, and gently tap the center of the egg on the side of a bowl, and open it separating it with your two hands slowly prying apart the egg so that the insides, the whites and yolk will slide into the bowl. 

If you break an egg with one hand, there's a good chance there will be pieces of shell falling into the pan, and we don't want that, I mean do you want pieces of shell in your eggs, in your omelets? I think not.

Once you have your eggs in the bowl, take your fry pan, spray some non-stick on it, and add about a tablespoon of vegetable oil inside, heat up the pan over medium high heat, and watch the oil in the pan, once it starts to bubble it is an indication that the egg is ready to be placed in the heated pan. This can take from a minute or two, depending how strong your burners work.

Place the two eggs in the pan, don't move it, when the egg whites turn from clear to white, it maybe time to flip it using a rubber spatula. If you want your yolks cooked more, let it sit about a minute or so longer. When you want to flip it, and it's all up to you, insert the spatula under the entire egg, and tilt the pan slightly, and using one motion flip it. If the egg breaks oh well, you tried. It takes practice, heck once you get really good, you'll be able to flip an egg without using a spatula like us pros.

PHOTO By www.whenlifegivesyoukudzu.com

But just practice and you'll get good at frying eggs.

Until next time have a great life

Ron Sambrano

           

© 2014