Bouillabaisse

Oh hell naw... You don't even know about this yummy concoction. I can't say how happy I am about this dish. I'm jumping out of my pants excited! You MUST make this!

For dippin':
12 to 16 (1/2-inch-thick) baguette slices
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 garlic clove, halved

For soup
1 (1- to 1 1/4 -lb) live lobster
2 large tomatoes, peeled and coarsely chopped
1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 lb boiling potatoes
1/3 cup finely chopped fennel fronds (sometimes called anise)
1 Turkish or 1/2 California bay leaf
1/4 teaspoon crumbled saffron threads
1 1/2 tablespoons coarse sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
9 cups white fish stock (or store-bought)
1 pound white fish fillets (such as monkfish, turbot, red snapper, striped bass, porgy, grouper, and/or cod), cut into 2-inch pieces
1 pound cockles or small hard-shelled clams, scrubbed
1 pound cultivated mussels, scrubbed and any beards removed
1/2 pound large shrimp in shells

Preparation:

Make croutons:
Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 250°F.

Arrange bread slices in 1 layer in a shallow baking pan and brush both sides with oil. Bake until crisp, about 30 minutes. Rub 1 side of each toast with a cut side of garlic.

Make soup:
Plunge lobster headfirst into a 6- to 8-quart pot of boiling water, then cook, covered, 2 minutes from time lobster enters water. Transfer lobster with tongs to a colander and let stand until cool enough to handle. Discard hot water in pot. Put lobster in a shallow baking pan. Twist off claws with knuckles from body, then crack claws with a mallet or rolling pin and separate claws from knuckles. Halve body and tail lengthwise through shell with kitchen shears, then cut crosswise through shell into 2-inch pieces. Reserve lobster juices that accumulate in baking pan.

Cook tomatoes, onion, and garlic in oil in cleaned 6- to 8-quart pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until onion is softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Meanwhile, peel potatoes and cut into 1/2-inch cubes. Stir potatoes into tomatoes with fennel fronds, bay leaf, saffron, sea salt, and pepper. Add stock and bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, covered, until potatoes are almost tender, 8 to 10 minutes.

Add thicker pieces of fish and cockles to soup and simmer, covered, 2 minutes. Stir in mussels, shrimp, lobster, including juices, and remaining fish and simmer, covered, until they are just cooked through and mussels open wide, about 5 minutes.

Arrange 2 croutons in each of 6 to 8 deep soup bowls. Carefully transfer fish and shellfish from soup to croutons with a slotted spoon, then ladle some broth with vegetables over seafood.

Oyster Sauce Chicken with Bok Choy

Fresh Direct sent me two big containers of bok choy on accident. I turned my lemon into a bangin' chicken dish. Oddly enough, the sauce smelled like it would be super strong but came out tasting mild and my sous chef described it like a "brown gravy". I've never made this before. I hope that's how it's supposed to taste! Either way, it was yummy!

What you need:

2 boneless and skinless chicken breasts, cut into 2-inch cubes
Pinch salt
Freshly ground pepper
1 tablespoon cornstarch

SAUCE:
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
1 tablespoon black bean sauce with garlic

STIR-FRY:
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tsp Mirin
6 baby bok choy, white parts cut into 1-inch pieces leaving green parts whole


DIRECTIONS
For the chicken: In a large bowl, sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Add the cornstarch and toss to coat.

For the sauce: In another smaller bowl, combine the stock, cornstarch, oyster sauce, soy sauce and black bean sauce. Mix well and set aside.

For the stir-fry: Heat a wok over high heat and, when the wok starts to smoke, add the oil. Add the chicken, let settle for 1 minute, and then stir-fry for 3 minutes more. As the chicken starts to turn opaque, add the Mirin and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Stir in the reserved sauce and bring to a boil. Add the bok choy stalks and cook for 1 minute. Then stir in the bok choy leaves and cook for another minute. Remove from the heat. Transfer to a serving dish, serve immediately.

Mio Tio's

 Another Queens pick! Came here on Xmas Eve with my good friends, Doug and Shawn, and I had the filet mignon. Yes, it came with lettuce and tomato garnish. Yes, my salad dressing was in a plastic pouch (spied in the background). Let me explain. This place is nicer than a diner but not quite there when it comes to nice restaurant. I mean, it's clean. The staff is friendly. They have filet mignon. But they also have soccer playing on a wide screen and burger toppings as garnishes. If you're not snobby you'll realize after your first bite - hey, they cooked my steak exactly medium rare. Good job guys. And then after you swallow it you'll think - man, this is a $20 filet mignon. This would cost me $40 in the city. And then each bite thereafter becomes more and more sweet. 

This is mayonnaise salad. Kidding. It's potato salad. Russian potato salad to be exact. It's really uh, mayonnaisey. But all the guys woofed it down. I took a bite that was less mayonnaisey and it was good. The reviews on Yelp said they were famous for this and the chimichurri sauce on a skirt steak. My sous chef got the half skirt steak. Good thing. The half was as big as his plate! And the chimichurri sauce was authentic. I would definitely come back.

Healthy Cream of Asparagus and Carrot Soup

I looooove soup. This one was so super tasty (thanks to my NEW hand blender). AND it was good for you! How about that? It's not everyday you get a creamy soup that's good for you. Merry Christmas!

Ingredients
3 cups (1/2-inch) sliced asparagus (about 1 pound)
3 carrots, peeled and diced
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3/4 teaspoon fresh thyme, divided
1 bay leaf
1 garlic clove, crushed
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
2 cups 1% low-fat milk
Dash of ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons butter
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon grated lemon rind 

Preparation
Combine asparagus, carrot, broth, 1/2 teaspoon thyme, bay leaf, and garlic in a large saucepan over medium-high heat; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Place asparagus mixture in a blender; process until smooth.
Place flour in pan. Gradually add the milk, stirring with a whisk until blended. Add puréed asparagus and ground nutmeg; stir to combine. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, and stir in 1/4 teaspoon thyme, butter, salt, and lemon rind.

Nutritional Information: Calories: 117, Fat: 3.5g. Word.

Grilled Lamb Chops

This is how the Williams's did Xmas this year. Lamb chops with a little sauteed string bean and roasted red potato with rosemary and garlic. Mmm Mmm Mmm....

Ingredients
8 (4-ounce) lamb chops
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 tablespoon finely chopped rosemary leaves
1 lemon, halved
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Preheat a hot grill and the oven to 400 degrees F.
Rub the chops with oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon, salt, and pepper. Place on the grill and cook for 4 minutes on each side. Put on a baking sheet and finish in the oven, about 5 minutes, or until desired doneness.

Diablo Chicken Wings

You can never have too many chicken wing recipes! My sous chef loves to make up a random sauce with everything but the kitchen sink. Make this recipe the next time you have a football Sunday!

Serves 2 - 3. For bigger portions, double the recipe.

Ingredients:
1.5 pounds chicken wings

1 cup flour

salt and pepper to taste

1 cup vegetable oil

Sauce for the wings:
1/4 cup honey
1 tbsp garlic minced
3 tbsp yellow mustard

1 tbsp Grey Poupon
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Sriracha

1 tablespoon Worcestershire Sauce
2 teaspoons chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp red wine vinegar

Preparation:

Mix all ingredients for the sauce in a large bowl and set aside. Heat oil over medium heat in a frying pan. Pat wings dry with paper towel. In a bowl, combine flour with salt and pepper. Toss in wings. Shake off excess flour then place wings into the hot oil carefully. Cook for 10 minutes then turn and cook an additional 10 minutes. Skin on wings should be crispy and golden brown, if not - cook another 5 to 10 minutes. Remove from frying pan and set on paper towels to remove excess oil. Add wings to the bowl of wing sauce. Toss and coat till all pieces have sauce. Remove wings from bowl and serve with celery and blue cheese. These wings are spicy so the blue cheese will be recommended!

Steamed Crab Legs

We are having our fair share of crab legs this holiday season! We spent the other day with friends and ended the evening with yummy crab legs. Crab is so delicious and totally worth it.

Ingredients:
4 lb frozen crab legs
4 cups water
1/2 lemon, quartered and squeezed
2 to 3 bay leaves
1 tbsp Old Bay
1 1/2 sticks butter

Directions:
Preheat oven to 450. In a large aluminum baking dish (like the kind you cook a turkey in) or in a giant roasting pan add 4 cups water. Add 2 to 3 bay leaves and lemon. Add your crab legs one by one and then gently sprinkle with a hint of Old Bay. Cover in foil. Cook for 35 to 40 minutes. (For 2 lbs of crab legs you can cook for about 20 minutes). 1 pound is about 2 to 3 clusters. Serve with melted butter. Enjoy!!!

Baked Havana-style Eggs

This is a great way to get your daily serving of vegetables. I had mine with a V8 so I'm really upping the ante. The eggs came out great with the veggies cooked in them and the cream cheese made it creamy and fluffy. I loved that I added the smoked ham - it gave it more of a rounded profile. I didn't feel too weighed down after eating this and the protein from the ham and eggs should keep me going till dinner (which is good 'cause I've got a whole day to spend in the city today - lots of walking!) I would recommend this for your next weekend brunch meal. 

Ingredients
1/2 medium green bell pepper, finely chopped
1 small Spanish onion, finely chopped

3 baby bok choy
1/2 cup canned, drained no salt added diced tomatoes
4 eggs
2 Tbsp. milk

6 oz Garden Vegetable Light Cream Cheese
1 Tbsp. butter
2 Tbsp. crumbled queso fresco cheese
1 Tbsp. finely chopped fresh parsley (optional)

~8 slices smoked ham (I used Oscar Mayer)
1/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350°. Lightly spray 1-quart round casserole with nonstick cooking spray; set aside.

Melt butter in 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and cook green pepper and onion, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes or until starting to soften. While your pepper and onion are cooking chop ends off bok choy and finely dice. Only use 1/2 green stems. Add to pepper and onion mixture. Cook 1 more minute. Add tomatoes and cook 5 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Turn into prepared casserole.

Beat eggs, milk and pepper with wire whisk. Add cream cheese. Whisk well. Add egg mixture to casserole. Bake 25 minutes or until eggs are thoroughly cooked. While eggs are baking place ham in frying pan and cook for about 5 minutes on low heat. Try to let it crisp up as much as you can. Transfer to cutting board and roughly chop. Place 1/2 portion of the ham on plate. Serve a slice of the baked eggs on top. Sprinkle with queso fresco and parsley.

Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits

 When you're looking for the perfect side dish to a big plate of steamed seafood, you can always fall back on a yummy biscuit. For starters, you don't need silverware (which is helpful when you're eating with your hands anyway). These gems can be found at your neighborhood Red Lobster but thanks to the interwebs, you can make them yourself. They are cheesy and buttery and just the right amount of spice. Go get on it! 

You'll need:
2 cups Bisquick
2/3 cup milk
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon Old Bay Seasoning

Directions:
Heat oven to 425. Combine Bisquick with 4 Tablespoons butter using a pastry cutter or a large fork. Add milk, and cheddar cheese. Stir together. Spoon onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes.

In a small sauce pan combine 2 Tablespoons butter, garlic powder and old bay seasoning. Heat until butter is melted. Spoon butter mixture over hot biscuits. Eat em' up! They are YUMMY!

Duck and Foie Gras Meatballs with Truffle Sea Salt

A friend of mine challenged me to a meatball competition. Are you serious? I will spare no expense to win. I googled "most decadent dishes" and found an article that featured the duck foie gras meatballs from A Voce in Columbus Circle in NYC. Boom. I knew what I was making.

Ingredients
2 skinless boneless duck breasts
4 oz foie gras
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1 tablespoon fresh parsley, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh oregano, finely chopped
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped
1/2 teaspoon truffle sea salt, plus more for sprinkling
freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tablespoons olive oil for the pan

Instructions

 Combine duck breasts and fois gras in a food processor and pulse to a fine mince. 

 Move to a work bowl and add remaining ingredients. 

Shape meatballs of approximately 1 inch size.

Heat olive oil over medium heat in a large non-stick skillet. Place meatballs in pan and cook until slightly browned on all sides and cooked through. Remove to a plate lined with paper towels to catch any excess oil and sprinkle with a bit more salt.

Serve warm or at room temperature. In this instance, they are served with cherry tomatoes.

Arugula and Endive Salad

Went to a dinner party the other night. My responsibility was to bring a salad. I brought a good one.

Ingredients:
1 container baby arugula
2 endive, chopped
1 granny smith apple, diced
1/2 cup sliced roasted almonds
1/4 c dried cranberries

Dressing:
EVOO
Aged balsamic vinegar

Add it all together. Dress. Serve.

Vegetarian Chili

Came home from a long day of traveling to my wonderful sous chef and a bowl of warm chili. This was tasty - not too spicy either.


Ingredients
1 package Morning Star crumbles
1/2 can tomato paste (or 1 small can)

1 can tomato sauce (plain or spanish style)

1/2 Italian pepper (diced)

1/2 can kidney beans (or 1 small can)

1/2 can black beans (or 1 small can)
1/2 large onion, diced
1 garlic clove, diced

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tsp paprika

1/2 bottled beer

1 tbsp butter

salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Sauteed onion and garlic and peppers in butter for 5 minutes or until onion is cooked. Add crumbles. Then add beans and sauce and add herbs. Cook for 10 minutes. Slowly add beer. Pour some in every 5 minutes until done. Let simmer on low for an hour. (Note: my sous chef used the small Goya cans and he simmered his for 3 hours). Serve with sour cream.

K-Pop

Had brunch the other day that turned into a dinner party (those are the BEST kind!!!). Anyways, I ordered dinner snacks for everyone from K-Pop. I ordered six steamed pork dumplings, Pancake with kimchi, bibimbap: Mixed vegetables with rice and an egg on top and curry sauce over rice. Freaking delicious. I will definitely order from them again.

Feta Onion Stuffed Tomatoes

Beautiful. Isn't it? I made these gems as appetizers. I love how cute they look and how delightful they taste. Make them for your next party.

Ingredients:

1 pint grape tomatoes

1 c feta cheese

1/4 large red onion diced

1 tbsp olive oil

Directions:

I cut the top off the tomato and then carefully scooped out the inside. I mixed the feta, oil, and onion in a mixer until it resembled some kind of pink mousse. I scooped the mousse into each tomato shell (notice it ends up looking white and not pink). I topped them all with a mico leaf of cilantro. The result: a savory and creamy bite sized treat.

Bacon Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Muffins

Ok - so you can MAKE the corn bread mix by yourself, but why? Just buy Jiffy and spice it up.

Ingredients:

2 boxes Jiffy Corn Bread mix
3/4 shredded sharp cheddar cheese
6 center-cut bacon slices, cooked, drained, and crumbled
2 jalapeño pepper, seeded and minced
2 large eggs

2/3c milk

Directions:

Cook the bacon till it's nice and crispy and set aside. Mix the Jiffy mix according to box. I let mine sit for awhile all mixed up. It started to rise in the bowl after 20 minutes. I roasted 2 peppers then diced 'em up and added them to the batter. Add bacon. Make sure to crumble that ish. Grate cheddar on top of each muffin then bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes.

Slutty Brownies

I have seen this recipe floating around lately and decided to make them tonight. I wanted to use my Star Wars cake pan so I layered my ingredients backwards. It didn't work out. BUT - they still tasted good!

What you'll need:
1 Package of Chocolate Chip Cookie Mix
1 Package of Fudge Brownie Mix
1 Package of Oreos
2 Eggs
Vegetable Oil
1 Stick of Butter


MAKE IT:

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees after gathering your ingredients. Spray and/or line a baking dish. I used a square 9" pan. Follow the instructions on your cookie mix. Add all your ingredients in a bowl and mix like crazy until you get delicious cookie dough consistency. (Taste if you must.) Scoop your cookie dough into the pan and then use your hands and get messy while you spread it evenly across the bottom of the pan. Bust open your package of Oreos and cover your cookie dough layer with them. Follow the instructions on your brownie mix. Again, add all the ingredients in a bowl and mix like crazy until the batter is nice and smooth. Pour brownie batter over your Oreo and cookie dough layers. Bake for 30 - 35 minutes to reach wonderful slutty brownie perfection!

Osso Buco

 I was watching Boardwalk Empire last week when one of the characters said excitedly, "Tonight is Osso Buco night!" and it made me want to make it. I invited friends over for dinner, went to Ottamanelli's Butcher Shop in the morning and bought 4 lbs of veal shank and the rest is history...

INGREDIENTS
1/4 pound pancetta, diced 1/4 inch cubes (do not substitute bacon)
2-1/2 to 3 pounds veal shanks (4 to 6 pieces 2-3 inches thick)
1/2 cup diced carrot (1/4 inch cubes)
1/2 cup diced celery (1/4 inch cubes)
1 medium onion, diced 1/4 inch pieces
2 Tbsp (about 4 cloves) chopped garlic
3-4 sprigs fresh thyme (or 1 tsp. dried)
1 cup dry red wine
1-2 cups chicken or veal stock
Flour for dusting the meat before browning
Salt and Pepper

Gremolata:
2 Tbsp Minced flat (Italian) parsley
1 Tbsp grated lemon zest
2 cloves garlic, crushed and minced

MAKE IT:

Preheat oven to 325°F.

Heat a dutch oven on the stove top over medium heat for about five minutes. Add pancetta to pan, cook, stirring occasionally. When the pancetta is crispy and most of the fat has rendered (about 5 minutes of cooking), remove the pancetta to a plate covered with some paper towel and set aside. If necessary, drain off all but two tablespoons of the fat from the pan.

Season the veal shank well with salt and pepper. Dredge the veal shanks through some flour, shake off any excess, and add the meat to the hot fat in the pan. Increase the heat to medium high and cook the meat on each side until well browned (about 5 minutes per side). Remove the shanks to a plate, set aside.

Add the onions, carrots, and celery to the dutch oven. Cook the onion mixture, stirring frequently, until the onions are translucent (about five minutes) and toss in the garlic and thyme. Continue cooking until the vegetables just begin to brown (about 10 minutes).

Add the shanks and the pancetta back to the pan. Pour in the wine, and then add enough stock to come a little more than half way up the side of the shanks. Bring to a simmer. Cover the pan and put it in the oven to cook until the meat is tender, about an hour to an hour and a half.

Combine the gremolata ingredients, place in a separate small serving dish.

Serve on top of risotto, mashed potatoes, or polenta. Sprinkle with gremolata.

Mesa Grill

We went to Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill the other night. We've been here before, but OH WELL. Curtis had the pork tenderloin. I tasted his dish and it was great. The portion was a nice size and the meat was smoky and cooked to perfection. He loved it.

I had the special - Arctic Char with mussels. It was in a thick tomato based broth - so yummy. We also had the southwestern fries (obsessed!). Unfortunately  I didn't take these two pictures. I found them off the interwebs since mine didn't come out well....see what I mean below...

 This picture is hard to see (sorry). Again. Mesa Grill was fantastic. I would recommend for a nice occasion for sure.

Simple Tuna Melt

Momma was talking about tuna melts the other day so I decided to make one for dinner. The pickles were the best part. Mmm...pickles...

Ingredients
1 (6 ounce) can tuna, drained and flaked
2 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 pinch salt
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
2 slices whole wheat bread
2 teaspoons chopped dill pickle
1/4 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese

Directions
Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Place bread slices in the oven to toast while it preheats, and while you make the tuna salad.
In a small bowl, mix together the tuna, mayonnaise, salt, balsamic vinegar, mustard and dill pickle until well blended. Remove bread from the oven, and pile the tuna mixture onto one slice. Sprinkle cheese over the other slice of bread.
Bake for 7 minutes in the preheated oven, or until cheese is melted and tuna is heated through. Place the cheese side of the sandwich on top of the tuna side. Cut in half and serve immediately.

Note: I used one slice of Smart Beat cheese (which is fake cheese) instead of the shredded cheddar.

Next Day Turkey Soup

We don't eat a lot of leftovers in my house. I can pull over round 2 of Thanksgiving but then that's about it. Since I don't want to be wasteful, I'm usually finding ways to reinvent my leftovers. This is a BEYOND simple soup. It's classic and reminds me of winter days at grandma's house. Plus, it's a low calorie alternative to another round of Thanksgiving.

Ingredients
4 cups chicken broth
2 cups vegetable broth
1 small onion, diced
1 c carrots, chopped
1 c celery, chopped
2 c mini potatoes, cut in half
3 cups turkey meat, diced
1 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 cups (or whatever you've got) leftover cooked Thanksgiving side vegetables (Brussels sprouts, green beans, lima beans, etc.)

Directions
In a large soup pot, heat garlic and onion in the olive oil. Allow to brown slightly and add carrots, and celery. Sweat over medium-low heat until softened, about 7 or 8 minutes. Add chicken and vegetable broth. (I used canned chicken stock and vegetable bouillon -- it came out tasting wonderful!) Add the turkey and the potatoes and cook about 10 minutes. Dice the leftover vegetables (here Brussels sprouts and green beans). When simmering, add Brussels sprouts and green beans to the soup. Bring it back up to a simmer. Taste your soup. I did NOT add any salt to mine - it was perfect, but taste yours and add salt if needed. Turn the heat off and cover. Allow to sit and steam for 5 to 7 minutes. Let simmer for 5 more minutes and serve.

Curry Cauliflower Squash Soup

I decided last minute to make a soup for Thanksgiving. This was so easy to whip up and tasted delicious too! It also made me realize that I want a hand blender for Christmas. Pleeeease Santa? :)

Ingredients

1 small yellow squash
1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
2 cups chicken stock
1 small yellow onion, diced
3 cloves fresh garlic, minced
1-1/2 teaspoons curry powder
3 tablespoons butter
1 or 2 dashes of cayenne pepper
1 cup heavy cream
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F.
In a large stock pot, heat the butter and sauté the onions over low-to-medium heat until they’re translucent. Add the garlic, curry powder, and salt and pepper to the onion.
Add the squash and cauliflower into the pot along with the stock, and simmer for about 20 minutes.
Puree the squash and cauliflower (along with the liquid) in batches in a blender. Return to pot and add the heavy cream. Simmer on low for 10 minutes. Transfer the soup to bowls and serve.

Cajun-Injected Spicy Turkey

Bird bird bird. The bird's the word. I made my bird a little different this year. I found this recipe online and went for it. I had a really hard time finding some of these ingredients in the normal grocery stores. I would recommend you go to Whole Foods for the creole seasoning and the liquid crab boil.

Ingredients
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon concentrated liquid crab and shrimp boil (recommended: Zatarian's)
1/4 cup apple cider
3/4 cup honey
1 (12-ounce) bottle beer
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon ground allspice
1/2 cup Creole seasoning
1/4 teaspoon cayenne
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup finely minced garlic
1 (10 to 12-pound) turkey, rinsed well inside and out, patted dry
4 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper
1 to 2 cups chicken broth, as needed for bottom of roasting pan

Directions
Make the marinade by combining the Worcestershire sauce, crab boil, apple cider, honey, beer, salt, allspice, Creole seasoning, cayenne, olive oil, and minced garlic in a blender and process until very smooth, about 5 minutes.

Fill a large syringe* and inject turkey in the breast and thigh area, as well as the back, wings, and legs, with at least 2/3 of the marinade. You will have to fill the syringe numerous times.

Preheat the oven to 420 degrees F and line a large roasting pan with aluminum foil.

Season the injected turkey well both inside and out with the kosher salt and black pepper. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan lined with aluminum foil and pour the remaining marinade all over the turkey. Bake the turkey uncovered for 30 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees F, add 1 cup of the chicken broth to the roasting pan, and continue to bake the turkey until golden brown and an instant-read thermometer inserted into the deepest part between the thigh and the leg registers 165 degrees F. (If the turkey begins to brown too much, tent loosely with aluminum foil until it is done. Also, add more broth as necessary to keep the bottom of the roasting pan from burning.)

When the turkey is done, remove it from the oven and set aside to rest at least 20 minutes before carving.

* Large syringes designed especially for injecting turkeys may be purchased at many grocery stores in the spice / marinade / seasoning sections; many folks inject turkeys before frying them.

Happy Turkey Day, everyone!

Mac 'n Cheese with Bacon

What can be better than macaroni with cheese? 

 Macaroni with cheese and BACON! I made this as a side dish for Thanksgiving tomorrow. Since my bird is hogging the oven all day, I thought I'd get this out of the way. And yes, I TASTE TESTED IT! haha It will do folks. IT.WILL.DO.

Ingredients:
1 lb. macaroni pasta
10 slices bacon (preferably thick-cut slab bacon), cooked and cut into 1/2-inch pieces
4 c. milk, 2% or whole
6 Tbls. butter
6 Tbls. all-purpose flour
Bay leaf
Pinch cayenne pepper
Salt and black pepper
2 c. sharp cheddar cheese
1 1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1 c. bread crumbs


Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Bring a large pot of salted water to boil. Meanwhile, make cheese sauce by heating milk in a saucepan over medium heat until hot, but not boiling. Pour into a pitcher (if you have a heatproof one) or a large Pyrex measuring cup and keep it standing by. Note: This prevents a lumpy sauce.

Grate cheddar and parmesan onto two separate plates.

 Now, put butter in a saucepan and melt over low heat. Add flour, turn up heat and stir with a wooden spoon to make a roux. Keep stirring for minute or two while it sizzles and turns slightly brown. 

Pour about a quarter of the milk into the roux and stir. Gradually add rest of milk whisking gently until it is all mixed in.

 Add bay leaf, a pinch of salt, pinch of cayenne, and freshly ground pepper. Bring to boil then turn down to low. Let simmer for about 5 minutes.

 Add grated cheddar and cooked bacon to the sauce and stir.

 Meanwhile, cook pasta in lightly salted boiling water for about 2 minutes less than time on package. Drain in colander over sink. Add pasta to cheese sauce and stir to combine. Grease a large casserole dish or a cast-iron skillet with butter or olive oil. Add macaroni and cheese to dish.

Sprinkle with grated parmesan and bread crumbs. Bake for about 15 minutes, then move to under the broiler to brown the top. Perfection! 

Ottomanelli's

 You know if a butcher shop opens up a hamburger joint, it's gonna be good. That is exactly what happened here. This burger joint opened up in January (right across the street from my house). This is a junior (one 4 oz patty). Most people order the double (8 oz). You can get any toppings - all free. I got lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, and a pickle. Soooo good.

 Another highlight: the Belgian fries. Super crispy on the outside, soft on the inside. Salty perfection. Oh and with WHITE TRUFFLE SAUCE for dipping??? YES! PLEASE!!!

Brasserie Les Halles

 OK. This restaurant is the home base for Anthony Bourdain. He worked here for 20 years as a line cook. There are two locations in the city - my team took me to the John Street location since it was close to my office. This was my farewell lunch...and do my boys sure know how to treat a lady! Bill had the salmon for lunch. I tasted the dish and it was very delicious. 

 Kris and I split a few dishes. We decided that we could not go wrong with mussels and ordered the version with curry, wine and cream. SHUT UP!! Stupid good.

We also split a ginger marinated steak salad. The steak was on the bottom and it was medium rare, just the way I like it. The salad was dressed and piled on top. If I came back here, I wouldn't get the salad again. While it was good, it couldn't compare to the mussels. 

 Oh - the mussels came with fries! Love dipping my papas fritas in that curry broth!!!

Lastly, because we are gluttonous and outrageous, we ordered the truffle mac and cheese. SHUT UP!!!   It had bits of black truffle in the mac and cheese. I wanted to go swimming in it, it was that good! Best farewell lunch EVER!!!!!!