James Walsh Food And Movie Diary

Couscous Leftovers

2012-02-12T00:11:00.000-08:00

Last night leftovers with the addition of Chicken, Garbonzo Beans and Preserved Lemon. Turned out to be a completely different dish.

Lamb Meatballs / Vegetables / Couscous

2012-02-10T23:49:00.000-08:00

Breakfast For Dinner

2012-02-05T22:51:00.000-08:00

Moroccan Lamb Stew / Jalapeno Polenta

2012-02-02T00:35:00.000-08:00

Corned Beef / Root Vegetables / Cabbage / Yukon Mash

2012-02-01T21:06:00.000-08:00

Nuttin' like it !.

Linguinne / Turmeric Cauliflower / Anchovies

2012-01-29T12:54:00.000-08:00

Chicken Breast / Lemon / Black Olives

2012-01-28T02:53:00.000-08:00

Lamb Tajine With Preserved Lemons

2012-01-27T20:46:00.000-08:00

Clear Beef And White Bean Stew

2012-01-21T01:04:00.000-08:00

Hot Sausage And Lentils / Braised Carrots, Potatoes And Mushrooms

2012-01-14T23:14:00.000-08:00

Spaghetti With Meat Sauce

2012-01-14T23:13:00.000-08:00

Meatball And Egg Tagine

2012-01-13T04:12:00.000-08:00

If you do nothing else, learn how to make this wonderful dish.

Chicken/ Linguica / Savoy Cabbage Soup

2012-01-07T03:04:00.000-08:00

2012-01-06T17:11:00.000-08:00

Oriental Meatball Soup

2012-01-06T17:04:00.000-08:00

Paul Bocuse

2012-01-05T03:24:00.000-08:00

Do Not Try This At Home

2011-12-21T23:56:00.000-08:00

Steak and eggs with onions and mushrooms. A maaaaaan's breakfast. Delish really. Loved it.

Swedish Meatballs Part Deux

2011-12-20T20:00:00.000-08:00

These were much better. I added some pork to the mix and served them on fresh linguinni which seemed to go better than rice. I also had all the spices this time which made a big difference.

Home Made Swedish Meatballs/ Mushrooom Sauce/ Rice Pilaf

2011-12-18T19:58:00.000-08:00

Herb Interview

2011-12-17T23:02:00.000-08:00

This is an interview on one of the Public Television stations in California. It is a little flat and not very inspiring but I had a good time all the same.

Meridien Hotel Nice France 1974.

2011-12-14T21:56:00.000-08:00

This was the opening crew of the Meridien Hotel in Nice on the Cote D'Azur in the south of France. The first photos are of the crew including the Executive Sous Chef Monsieur Febway in one of the local restaurants. The second lot of photos are of the hotel after opening with the Executive Chef Maurice Brazier front and center. It was a great time looking back on it now.

The music is a theme on someone turning fifty years of age and I put it on purposely because most of these kids are now in their fifties and sixties. I am still in touch with my good friend Bernard after all these years.l

Chicken Fennel Tajine

2011-12-14T11:18:00.000-08:00

Noel Cunningham / Strings / Denver Colorado

2011-12-11T18:33:00.000-08:00

More photos of this event will be added later. These were taken at the Bocuse even in Strings and include Robert Fedorko who is the Chef at The Grand Geneva Resort. As soon as I find the photos I will post them.

A friend of mine passed away the other day.

He is most certainly in heaven and heaven is a nicer place for his being there. We are a sadder place because of his departure. He is probably organising dinners for the less fortunate people up there. Less fortunate people in heaven must be a rare thing but if there are any , he will certainly find them.

When I was an apprentice in the Gresham Hotel in Dublin in the early sixties there was a young and dynamic sous chef by the name of Dessie Cunningham. All of us kids loved him because he had lot of ideas and we were able to relate to him more as a big brother figure than as a father figure like the older chef and sous chefs.

I don't know what happened to Desssie but he didn't stay very long at the hotel. I think the older chef did not like him and he was eased out. I remember the chef embarrassing him one day in front of the staff so I knew something was going on between them. We were so low on the totem pole that we were mere observers to events.

I left for London a couple of years later and worked in various hotels and then decided I needed to go to college so I enrolled in Westminster Technical College in London for the culinary and hotel program. These courses were required and carried a lot of weight in the business. I was very lucky to get in and get such a wonderful professional education in that great city.

The day I started at the school ( another story ) I noticed this sheepish looking fellow who was around my own age among my fellow pupils, he seemed very shy, very eager to please and very nervous. I was a little nervous myself to say the least but seeing someone more nervous than I was made me braver. ( This was the charming effect Noel had on people ) This was a completely new experience and I didn't know what to expect. Nobody wants to look like a fool on their first day. We were both a little older than the average student in the class and we had a lot more practical experience than the others given that they were just starting in the industry and we had a few years experience under our belts.

This sheepish looking fellow with the downcast eyes and humble demeanour had a thick Dublin accent, so after a few sidelong glances and general summing up we naturally started talking. It turned out that his name was Noel Cunningham. The name didn't ring a bell right away but over the next few conversations I discovered that he was my old sous chef Dessie Cunningham's son. Who knew ?

We became good friends over the next few months. Noel was married and I was single so we didn't socialize a lot after school. His wife had recently given birth to twin girls who are now beautiful adults. The pay in London in the hotel industry was not very high in the sixties and the hours were very long so this added to his worries. I can still see him sitting in front of the electric fire in the flat in London wringing his hands. He had that little brother quality that made you feel protective of him and at the same time in awe of his unassuming personality. As a counter to that he had an amazing amount of focus and determination. He was a wonderful cook and cooking was his life.

He had that enviable quality of making people feel good about themselves and really listening to what was being said by the person he was talking to.

He was kind hearted and would do anything to help those in need. I remember one day he told me that he had loaned one of the dishwashers in the Savoy a pound note. The dishwasher was Irish and straight out of George Orwell's depiction of life in hotels as a dish washer in Paris. I asked him why he had lent him the money given that he didn't have any money himself; he replied, " Well he's one of our own ". A pound note in those days was a princely sum and would buy many a pint of Guinness or a nice flower power shirt on Carnaby Street but these things were far from Noel's mind. He never saw the pound note again but he shrugged it off.

The axiom ' he would give you the shirt off his back' was coined for Noel Cunningham and I can easily imagine him doing just that.

Shortly after I left London for Germany I lost contact with Noel but I knew he had moved to the United States and was working in Los Angeles. The US was the furthest thing from my mind at that time. There were far more exciting places in the underdeveloped world and the food world in the USA was not as developed then as it is now.

Twenty years later I found myself in the Four Seasons Hotel in Seattle and the 'phone rang in my office: it was Noel welcoming me to the US. I was surprised and delighted to hear his voice. He had opened and owned a very successful restaurant in Denver, Colorado and was doing very well. A few years later he came to visit me at my hotel in Palm Springs and I saw him again over the next few years. .

He had found great happiness in his second marriage to Tammy.

He rang me in the nineties and asked me to come to Denver to help him translate and cook for a dinner for Paul Bocuse at his restaurant. I did so and the dinner was a great success. The next day there was a luncheon for all the chefs in the city at one of the major hotels in Denver in honor of Bocuse. This was a very prestigious lunch and was attended by all the leading restaurant movers and shakers in Denver.

On the way into the lunch Bocuse said to me " Let's us French sit together ". I naturally told Noel to join 'us French' at the table. After lunch Noel came to me and told me how proud he was to sit at Bocuse's table. He thanked me for the invitation.

This was the essence of Noel; he would never assume that he would be invited even though the dinner was held in his very successful restaurant and he had a very prominent place on the Denver food scene. This was both his charm and his strength.

He was a gentle and caring man and that very rare thing- a true friend.

Noel Cunningham committed suicide last Thursday afternoon in Denver Colorado. He was just sixty two years of age.

Russian Borscht In The Making

2011-12-11T13:55:00.000-08:00

One of the great soups !

BORSCHT (BEETROOT
SOUP) - serves 4
Ingredients
3 medium beetroot, trimmed
and scrubbed
1 Tbsp olive oil plus extra for roasting the beets
a few sprigs of fresh thyme
1 medium onion, chopped
1 stick celery, chopped
1 medium potato, diced
1 large carrot, grated (reserve a little for the garnish)
750ml beef stock
2 Tbsp red wine vinegar
1 tsp sugar
sour cream or plain yoghurt to garnish
salt and black pepper to taste
Method
Pre-heat the oven to 180C.
Rub the beets and thyme sprigs all over with olive oil and roast in the middle
of the oven for about 90 minutes or until the beets are soft when pierced with
a sharp knife. Allow the beeets to cool, then peel and cube.
In a large saucepan, heat
the olive oil, then add the onion, celery, potato and carrot and sauté for 4-5
minutes until they begin to soften, then
add the beet cubes, reserving a few for garnish. Add the stock and allow to
simmer for 45 mins, stirring occasionally, until all the vegetables have
softened and the potato cubes can be crushed with a fork.
Remove the saucepan from
the heat. If it is too thick,
add a little more stock or hot water. Return to the heat and add the vinegar
and sugar, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add the reserved cubes of beetroot
and heat through. Test for seasoning and add salt and pepper to taste.
Ladle into bowls and top
each with a generous spoon of sour cream/yohgurt and a sprinkling of grated
carrot. Serve immediately with crusty bread.

Beef And Carrot Stew / Parsnip Yukon Mash

2011-11-28T02:19:00.000-08:00

Lamb Meatballs / Peppers And Onions / Tomato Sauce / Couscous

2011-11-19T03:28:00.000-08:00

Beef Stew / Sweet Potato Jalapeno Mash

2011-11-17T23:39:00.000-08:00

Vietnamese Chicken Vegetable And Noodle Soup

2011-11-17T03:16:00.000-08:00

This was a great meal. I found this on one of the blogs I subscribe too. The only difficult part is making the stock but once it is made it is easy going. It is flavorful, filling and a delight to eat. Once the stock is made you can freeze it in portions and then use it as you wish. Getting the vegetables and, in this case , the chicken ready is easy. You can also use pork, shrimp, or any kind of fish for this dish so it has endless possibilities. Follow the link for the recipe and don't be intimidated by the instructions. Once you break them down they are easy.

This is a very good blog by the way.

http://essexeating.blogspot.com/2011/09/pho-veggie-vietnamese-goodness.html

Navy Bean, Butternut Squash And Okra Soup

2011-11-16T03:15:00.000-08:00

If you learn nothing else in life, learn how to make a good soup. There's atin' and drinkin' on it.

This is a variation on a soup I found on an excellent blog.

For the original recipe go to this link.

http://acookinglifeblog.blogspot.com/2011/10/butternut-squash-kale-white-bean-soup.html

Baked Salmon / Ratatouille / Parslied Yukons

2011-11-15T00:00:00.000-08:00

Breakfast For Dinner

2011-11-13T02:08:00.000-08:00

Chicken And Cauliflower Curry

2011-11-11T03:58:00.000-08:00

Tex Mex Chicken

2011-11-08T13:59:00.000-08:00

Chicken, Chorizo And Peppadew Potjiekos

2011-11-03T20:15:00.000-07:00

Made this tonight. It was great Go to his bog for recipe.

http://www.cooksister.com/

Fantastic Beef Stir Fry

2011-10-29T00:44:00.000-07:00

Braised Lambshank / Parsnip Mash

2011-10-28T01:07:00.000-07:00

Cafe Royal London England Circa 1960's

2011-10-24T22:13:00.000-07:00

Swordfish Tajine

2011-10-23T23:37:00.000-07:00

Grilled Chicken Liver Bacon App / Pork Loin Chop On Yukons And Peppers

2011-10-23T13:00:00.000-07:00

Char Grilled Pork Chop / Braised Root Vegetables / Spanish Rice

2011-10-17T22:48:00.000-07:00

Braised Beef And Carrots / Steamed Rice / Mashed Yukons

2011-10-17T00:31:00.000-07:00

True Cod / Leek And Onion / Sweet Potato Casserole

2011-10-15T03:53:00.000-07:00

Teryaki Salmon / Ginger Rice / Grilled Tomatoes / Crimini Mushrooms

2011-10-13T00:48:00.000-07:00

New York Steak / French Beans / Sweet Potato Casserole

2011-10-11T00:31:00.000-07:00

Plain, simple, boring but delicious.

Breaded Cod Smothered In Capers, Limes And Tomato

2011-10-10T00:52:00.000-07:00

Teryaki Chicken / Almond Broccoli / Jasmine Rice

2011-10-09T01:42:00.000-07:00

The B&D rice cooker is fantastic. It not only cooks the rice to perfection but keeps it warm until you are ready with the remainder of the meal. I recommend you buy one. It saves space and labour. This is just a small one cup but it is perfect and the only way I will be cooking rice in the future except for Paellas and Risottos.

Baked Atlantic Salmon / Garlic Cream

2011-10-07T00:21:00.000-07:00

Hungarian Goulash

2011-10-06T03:17:00.000-07:00

The weather is changing and this is my favorite cold weather stew.

Now There's A Soup For You !

2011-10-04T05:03:00.000-07:00

This is the real idea of an autumn/winter soup. Bacon, ham hock, beans, corn, tomatoes, cabbage, acorn squash. Just make it up as you go along and you end up with a clean 'fridge.

Dungeness Crab Squash Risotto

2011-10-04T02:04:00.000-07:00

Sausage , Bacon And Vegetable Casserole

2011-10-02T03:10:00.000-07:00

Grilled Swordfish / Ratatouille / Mashed Yukons

2011-09-30T14:29:00.000-07:00

Linguinne / Salmon Belly / Mushrooms

2011-09-26T01:29:00.000-07:00

Poached King Salmon / Parslied Yukon Potatoes

2011-09-25T01:02:00.000-07:00

Breaded Pork Chop/ Stroganoff Sauce/ Linguinne / Tomato And Cilantro

2011-09-22T06:08:00.000-07:00

Xinxim De Galinha

2011-09-13T00:47:00.000-07:00

I make this brazilian dish quite often and there is a post with the recipe on this blog if you do a search. This was the best one I've made so far because I finally found the dried shrimp that the recipe calls for.

Hunan Pork

2011-09-09T03:52:00.000-07:00

1/2 pound of boneless pork meat

2 tsp corn starch

6 tbsp soy sauce - divided

2 cloves of garlic - minced and divided

3/4 cup water

crushed pepper flakes

3 tsp vegetable oil - divided

3 cups of bite sized broccoli florets

2 cups red bell pepper chunks

3 cups green bell pepper chunks

2 medium tomatoes

Hot cooked rice

Cut pork across grain into thin slices, then into strips. Combine 2tsp each cornstarch and soy sauce with 1/2 of the garlic in a small bowl,m stir in the pork. Let stand 30 mins. Meanwhile , combine water, 1 tbspn cornstarch remaining soy sauce and and red pepper. Set aside. Heat 1 tbsp oil in hot wok or large skillet over high heat. Add pork and stir fry 2 minutes: remove. Heat remaining 2 tspn of oil in the same pan and over a med high heat add the vegetables and the remaining garlic. Stir in the tomatoes allow to heat then stir in cornstarch to thicken. Cook gently and then serve over rice.

Turkish Stuffed Peppers

2011-09-08T04:07:00.000-07:00

Stir Fry On The Barbeque

2011-09-03T22:59:00.000-07:00

Grilled Pork Chip / Red Cabbage / Scalloped Potatoes

2011-08-31T00:51:00.000-07:00

Yogurt And Lemon Marinated Chicken Shish Kebab / Baked Eggplant/ Ratatouille ( Turkish Cuisine)

2011-08-27T04:14:00.000-07:00

Chinese Steamed Pork Buns (aka Dim Sum)

2011-08-25T23:19:00.000-07:00

Yum Yum! Great with a nice light beer.

Chinese Chicken And Wonton Soup

2011-08-21T03:09:00.000-07:00

Veal Scallopini / Boulangere Potatoes

2011-08-19T05:05:00.000-07:00

No stove, no fridge. Soldier on!

Corned Beef Reuben / Potato Wedges

2011-08-18T02:31:00.000-07:00

Pork Strips / Sweet Peppers / Black Olives

2011-08-18T02:24:00.000-07:00

Beef Stroganoff / Basil Rice / Sour Cream / On The BBQ

2011-08-14T01:04:00.000-07:00

Charred Carne Assada / Cilantro Rice / Broiled Herbed Tomatoes

2011-08-13T04:28:00.000-07:00

Spring Rolls

2011-08-11T01:23:00.000-07:00

So good I made them again.

Vegetarian Spring Rolls In Rice Wrappers

2011-08-10T00:40:00.000-07:00

So simple and so delicious. Very filling too.

Turkish Kofte /Lentils/ Stuffed Tomatoes

2011-08-08T23:31:00.000-07:00

Another Turkish adaptation.

Kofte is a typical middle eastern dish and not indiginous to Turkey. The use it in some form or another in most of the middle eastern countures. It is simply ground beef or lamb mixed with chopped onions, garlic, parsley and spices such as turmeric, cumin etc. It is then rolled and put on skewers and grilled. Very tasty.

Marinated Chicken Thighs / Eggplant Puree / Grilled Spicy Tomatoes

2011-08-07T22:32:00.000-07:00

This is another adaptation of a dish from my new Turkish Cookbooks all the way from Turkey. Will post the recipe later.

Eggplant With Peppers, Onions And Marinated Chicken

2011-08-06T02:20:00.000-07:00

My friend Daniel just visited Turkey and he brought me back a couple of Turkish cookbooks. This was one of the dishes in the book.

You will need:

1 eggplant

1 zucchini

3 roma tomatoes

1 onion

Plenty of chopped garlic

Thyme

Bay leaf

Olive oil

Red and Green Sweet peppers

I chicken breast

cumin to taste.

I can roma tomatoes

Score the eggplants and bake in a medium oven till soft and tender. Leave aside to cool when cooked.

Cut chicken breast in strips and coat with cumin, olive oil and chopped garlic leave in fridge to marinate for an hour or so.

Chop up all the vegetables into largish pieces as for ratatouille. Proceed to cook as for ratatouille by sauteing the vegetables in hot olive oil, adding the garlic and bay leaf and thyme. Finally add the canned tomatoes and let the whole thing stew until vegetables are tender. Allow to cool slightly and correct seasoning.

Saute the chicken in a hot pan and leave aside to cool.

Assembly:

Scoop out the flesh from the eggplants and keep the skins. Chop up the flesh and add it to the ratatouille. half fill the eggplant shells with this mix and halfway through add the chicken. Top it all off with the rest of the ratatouille.

Heat in oven and serve.

You can add cheese to this dish. You can add black olives or breadcrumbs. It really is quite good on it's own.

Things To Do On An 18 Inch BBQ

2011-08-02T01:56:00.000-07:00

Minestrone On The BBQ

Ham And Cheddar Sandwich / French Fries

Oriental Shish Kabob / Spanish Rice

Sirloin Steak With Lime And Herb Compound Butter / Lyonnaise Potatoes

Chicken In Spicy Tomato Sauce / Sweet Peppers Onions And Potatoes

Baked Chicken Wrapped In Bacon

Pork Chop / Anchovy Butter/ Potatoes And Peppers

No stove or range for the past week or so. I had to improvise on my little BBQ. Here are some of the items I rustled up.

The compound butters are a great thing. As you can see they are just butters softened and mixed, in the case of the anchovy butter, with anchovies, lemon, chopped shallots, salt and pepper and lots of chopped parsley. You then roll it out in plastic wrap in a tubular form and freeze it. When you want to use it you cut off a few slices and put it on top of whatever you are serving. It slowly melts and gives the item that extra flavor. No mess and great flavor. It will keep for a long time in the freezer.

Paul Bocuse On The Cover Of Newsweek

2011-08-02T01:55:00.000-07:00

Claridges Hotel Menu

2011-07-29T14:18:00.000-07:00

A menu from the 1970's from Claridges Hotel in London.

Beef And Pepper Shish Kabob / Roasted Potatoes / Greek Salad

2011-07-18T02:45:00.000-07:00

Stove still out. Will be getting a replacement in the next few days. In the meantime everything is either cold or cooked on a small barbeque. Not too bad really but not quite ' cuisine'.

Cold Cuts / Baked Potato / Caesar Salad

2011-07-15T00:58:00.000-07:00

Range still not working so cold supper again tonight but it was very good.

Frozen Stouffer Lasagna / Fresh Caesar Salad

2011-07-14T02:13:00.000-07:00

The stove burnt out so I had to get micrwave food. I have always loved Stouffers Lasagna. It would be hard to make it as good as this.

Texas Chili

2011-07-13T02:26:00.000-07:00

6 strips of bacon

2 lbs chuck beef cut into small cubes
2 cans kidney beans strained
1 can tomatoes cut up
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 cup of each finely chopped
onion, celery, carrots, green bell pepper
4 large cloves of chopped garlic ( to taste )
chopped parsley
bay leaf
2 tablespoons of chili powder ( to taste )
A little paprika
salt and pepper

Saute the beef in a very hotpan and add the bacon cut in strips
add the chopped vegetables and allow to cook till all the flavors are released.
Add a drop of white vinegar and burn it off
add the tomato paste and cook well stirring with a wooden spoon till a deep color is reached
add the bay leaf, garlic, canned tomatoes, and chili powder and let this cook for a minute or two
cover with stock or water and slow cook for a an hour or so until meat is tender.
A slow cooker is very good for this dish
serve with chopped onions and tomatoes with some sour cream.
usually served with rice.

Brian Tracy Show Seattle Washington 1986

2011-07-05T07:54:00.000-07:00

A show from the 80's with Brian Tracy. He was one of the most gracious and generous television hosts and a great fellow as you will see.

Cobb Salad

2011-07-01T01:54:00.000-07:00

6 slices of bacon

3 eggs

1 head of romaine lettuce or field greens

3 cups of chopped cooked white chicken meat

( I normally slow poach a chicken breast for this salad )

2 tomatoes, seeded and chopped

3/4 cup of blue cheese , crumbled

1 avocado, peeled , pitted and diced

3 green onions, chopped

Greek olives

Method

Cook eggs until hard boiled

place bacon in a large, deep skillet, cook over medium heat til crispy

Wash and Shred or chop lettuce and place in bowl

add all ingredients and mix lightly with a Dijon vinaigrette or dressing of your choice

Dress in bowls or deep soup plates and serve with garlic croutons and a chilled glass of white wine.

This should serve 4-5 people

This is one of my favorite salads. All the ingredients go really well together and the blue cheese really finishes it off.

Steak And Mushroom Sandwich / Onion Rings / Stuffed Tomatoes

2011-06-30T11:58:00.000-07:00

Leftovers!

Steak And Onions / Stuffed Braised Vegetables

2011-06-30T11:53:00.000-07:00

Shrimp Salmon And Mushroom Curry / Fresh Mango Chutney / Lemon Cilantro Rice

2011-06-27T03:24:00.000-07:00

Barbequed Pork Chop / Boiler Onions In Tarragon Cream

2011-06-25T01:46:00.000-07:00

Big Fish Fry With Fresh Tartar Sauce

2011-06-21T00:23:00.001-07:00

Spiced Up Coddle

2011-06-19T03:17:00.000-07:00

Camas Room Oregon

2011-06-13T21:06:00.001-07:00

News Review Roseburg November 4th 1997

As I Was Saying.......

2011-06-06T04:37:00.000-07:00

Veal Escalope / Capers And Lemon/ Eggplant Parmesan

2011-06-03T01:03:00.000-07:00

Accolades From Los Angeles And Washington

2011-06-02T00:56:00.000-07:00

Carne Assada Sandwich / Horseradish Cheddar Cheese / Sweet Potato Fries

2011-06-01T01:23:00.000-07:00

Carne Assada/ Black Beans/ Tomato Rice

2011-05-29T03:03:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite dishes. A marinated finely slided piece of rump steak served with black beans that have cooked for six hours and some rice. This is the quiet national dish of Brazil and of many south American countries in some form or another. There is a little story about my love for this and I will try to set it out in the next few day. In the meantime, get some carne assada, some beans and some rice along with a little salad and some beer and enjoy life.

Shrimp Etouffee

2011-05-27T23:20:00.000-07:00

I don't often do New Orleans Cuisine and I have been meaning to do some for quite a while. This dish was exceptional and it will become part of the repertoire. It is a great dish for buffets and dinners with a lot people to a great extent it can be prepared in advance. It was just delicious. I will try to get the recipe down here soon but there are plenty of recipes on the Internet for these kinds of dishes.

6 tablespoons unsalted butter

1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 cups chopped onions
2 cups chopped green bell peppers
2 cups chopped celery
2 tablespoons minced garlic
1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
2 bay leaves
2 teaspoons salt
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 quart fish stock or water
2 cups of white wine
3 pounds medium shrimp (21 to 25 count per pound), peeled and deveined
1/4 cup chopped parsley leaves
Steamed white rice, for serving
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion tops, for garnish
I jalapeno chopped
Directions

Melt the butter in a large dutch oven and set over medium heat. Add the flour and stir continuously to make a roux. Stir the roux over medium heat until the color peanut butter, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the onions, bell peppers, celery, and garlic to roux, and cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Add the tomatoes to the pot and season with the bay leaves, salt, cayenne. Cook the tomatoes for 2 to 3 minutes and then add the shrimp stock and the wine.

Bring the mixture to a boil, and reduce to a simmer. Cook the etouffee, stirring occasionally, for 45 minutes or until fully cooked. Season the shrimp and add them to the pot, stirring to evenly distribute. Cook the shrimp for 5 to 7 minutes, or until they are cooked through. Add the chopped parsley to the pot and stir to combine.

Serve immediately over steamed white rice and garnish with sliced green onion tops.

A little lemon is also good with this dish. Be sure to cook the roux thoroughly or you will taste the flour.
The gist of this recipe is that you make a roux and cook it out. You add the vegetables and the the liquid and garlic etc. You cook them out and then add the liquid, correct the seasoning and the consistency add the rest of the ingredients and let simmer till cooked. Correct the seasoning , add the chopped parsley and serve. Simple.

Savory Sausage Rolls

2011-05-27T03:06:00.000-07:00

Savory Sausage Rolls
This is really just a guide line. You can put anything you want into this mix.

You will need:
Chopped onions
Chopped bell pepper

Chopped elery
Chopped garlic

Herb of your choice. Sage or thyme is good.
A little oil

Chopped jalapenos
Sausage meat of your choice.

One egg

A sheet of puff pastry

Sweat the onions, celery in the oil till translucent

Add a dash of vinegar to take away the sweetness

Add the herb and the chopped garlic and a handful of chopped parsley

Chill this mix and add it to the sausage meat season and mix well.

Beat up an egg and add some to the sausage mix. Keep the rest to brush the pastry

Allow mix to rest in the fridge for 30 mins while you are preparing the pastry

Thaw the pastry and roll it out.

Brush one side with the egg wash and put the sausage meat mix down the center

Make into one long roll

Score this roll along the top and wash with the egg.

Cut into approx. 2” lengths and place on baking tray that has been previously slightly oiled.

Start in a hot oven. And when rolls start to brown turn the oven down and finish the cooking.

Cover with foil if necessary so that the pastry does not get too dark.

When cooked remove from oven and allow to cool.

Great with a small salad and a glass of beer.

Braised Onions

2011-05-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

Odds ' N ' Ends

2011-05-26T01:33:00.000-07:00

Dinner over the past few days.

Top is penne pasta with spinach stalks and mushrooms. This was finished with a bolognese sauce but I forgot to take the final photo with the sauce. It was excellent.
In the middle is an Italian sausage brochette with spanish rice.
On the bottom is a type of New England boiled dinner

Escalope Of Veal / Sauteed Spinach / Cauliflower Roasted With Walnuts

2011-05-15T23:07:00.001-07:00