Fried Scrapple

Five Dollar Stomach Ache

2011-01-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

Trust me. It is not worth it to go cheap when it comes to eating. I ate a 5 dollar meal at Taco Bell for lunch today and can easily say I want nothing else to eat the rest of the day. The stuff was nasty. Not good on the stomach. I think my New Year's resolution is not eat any more Fast Food. CRAP!

Molcajetes

2010-04-30T18:04:00.000-07:00

So freakin amazing- Molcajetes

No recipe here since I devoured it at the restaurant!..... Sorry BLUE!
Sent from my Blackberry- so expect typos

Dinner on the rocks

2009-07-09T19:31:00.000-07:00

So Tuesday night I went to Dinner at this great place up in Dover at the Dover Downs a restaurant called Michele's. On the Menu was a steak (Filet Mignon) that you cook over a LAVA STONE! I had to get it. I had to try it. So I ordered it. It was amazing. The nice thing is; when you cook over a stone there are no oils or butters so it is quite healthy. When the meat is brought out it is raw and I had to cook it myself, which only took a few minute because the rock was blazing hot. I think I might have to order some ROCKS!!!!

Here is an explanation of how the cooking is done....

"The stones, which are volcanic, are heated either in oven or on a gas hob.
The stones retain there heat for forty five minutes after removal. The stones are loaded from the oven onto stoneware plates, which have been specially designed to withstand the intense heat. To serve, ingredients are placed directly onto the hot stones, which cooks and seals without the use of oils or fats, locking in the nutrients and juices.
After use your they should still be handled with care using oven gloves as they will remain hot for over an hour. The best way to clean them is to place in a sink with warm water and leave for around 30mins, by which time you should be able to wipe the surface clean." - Lave Stone for Cooking

Wasabi Tuna!

2009-07-09T19:10:00.000-07:00

Peppered Tuna Skewers with Wasabi Mayonnaise

I love spicy hot foods. I grabbed this recipe from Epicurious.com and love it. Beware that the wasabi sauce that is made in this recipe is smoking hot, very spicy, use very little it has tons of punch. It is easy to make and does not take a lot of time. I would recommend making the wasabi sauce a few hours before to let it set and the flavor will come out even better. I served this with bean sprouts instead watercress, next time I'd like to try it with the watercress. Tuna steak when cooked well is the most amazing fish. I could almost eat it like regular steak!

yield: Makes 28
Pretty, sophisticated, and easy to eat.
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Ingredients

* 2 tablespoons wasabi powder (horseradish powder)*
* 1 1/2 tablespoons water
* 1/2 cup mayonnaise

* 1 pound fresh tuna steaks, cut into 3/4-inch cubes
* 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce

* 28 large slices pickled ginger*
* 28 8-inch wooden skewers

* 1 bunch watercress
* 1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
* 1 tablespoon vegetable oil

Preparation

Mix 2 tablespoons wasabi powder and 1 1/2 tablespoons water in small bowl to blend. Whisk in 1/2 cup mayonnaise. Cover wasabi mayonnaise and refrigerate at least 30 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

Combine tuna and soy sauce in medium bowl; toss to coat. Marinate tuna 30 minutes at room temperature, stirring occasionally.

Meanwhile, thread 1 ginger slice onto each skewer 2 inches from tip.

Line platter with watercress. Place bowl of wasabi mayonnaise on platter. Drain tuna; pat dry. Return to medium bowl. Sprinkle with pepper; toss to coat. Heat oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Add tuna and sear until browned on all sides but still pink inside, about 2 minutes total. Thread 1 tuna cube onto each prepared skewer next to ginger. Arrange skewers on platter and serve.

*Available at Japanese markets and specialty foods stores and in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets.

Little Mexico on Delmarva....

2009-06-13T15:54:00.000-07:00

Having lived a few years in Texas and loving the great plates that come out of Mexico I can't help but search out good authentic Mexican food on Delmarva. Not an easy thing to do. What many think is good Mexican food is actually good American-Mexican food. No need to fear. I found a place to go....
GEORGETOWN, DELAWARE
That is right. What I call little Mexico on the Eastern Shore. It is in this small town where you can find some great little Mexican places to eat. My favorite is called (no surprise here) Little Mexico. They have amazing enchiladas, tacos and even steak dishes. I tried their smothered enchiladas and was very pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was. so next time you are in Delaware check it out... Oh and don't forget to ask for the Horchata... to drink!

213 My favorite fine dining experience on Delmarva

2009-06-13T15:17:00.000-07:00

It was my 6th year anniversary and so I had to find a great place to take the little lady, 213 was the first place that came to mind. I had the chance to eat here once previously during a dinner program for work and have been dying to return ever since. we were not disappointed, at all.
The meal, the service and the atmosphere was absolutely first class. Denise convince me to dress up before going out and I am glad I did. This is an upscale place where one should be dressed in a dress shirt and slacks at the very least. The meal began with a Carrot Curry Sipping Soup. Nice idea with the sipping of the soup. It had a subtle curry taste and really started the meal off with a kick. We drank water all night to not take away from the tastes of any of the dishes. Second course came and I had ordered a Tuna Tower. it was the best tuna dish I have ever tasted. It had bean sprouts on top, capers inside and seaweed on the bottom. My favorite part of the dish was the side of Wasabi sauce, which was mild and perfectly seasoned. I was in heaven. I would go back just for that dish. While eating the appetizers we were also treated to some Rye bread with oil and pepper to dip it in. The bread was not a strong rye but very tasty.
Then came something that surprised us both.... Orange Sorbet. Yes. As a Palette Cleanser. That was a nice touch.
My main course was a Center Cut American Bison Steak with Julienne Carrots, spinach, a potatoes shaped as mushrooms. It was all covered in a Black Truffle sauce. It was perfectly cooked. So gooood. We finished the meal off with a Chocolate Souffle and a Creme Brulee. The Brulee was a bit creamy for my tastes. It had more milk taste then a rich egg custard taste. The chocolate souffle was excellent. 5 stars in all. It does take time we were there for almost three hours.

FIVE GUYS

2009-05-16T11:59:00.000-07:00

Finally a burger joint on Delmarva worthy of my business and worthy to be posted on my blog. Too bad the closest one is in either Rehoboth or Lewes, Delaware. What is interesting about this place is that they put up signs telling you where their French Fries are from. When I went there on Friday the fries were from Rexburg, Idaho (yes the same town I went to college in my freshman year!). If you like fries cooked in Peanut oil this is the place to go, they are amazing.
But who goes to a burger place for fries... not I.
The burgers are fresh (never frozen meat), huge and Delicious. I usually get mine with some lettuce, bacon, cheese and BBQ sauce. So good. They have great service as well. The guy that helped up was giving out Salt Water Taffy! While you wait you nibble on peanuts. A great place to eat and check out. Did I mention the burgers were amazing? Best place in Delmarva by far.

Mother's Day Special..... French Toast Panini with grilled Bananas....

2009-05-11T18:48:00.000-07:00

Alright, warning these puppies are rich! Lots of flavor. Intense, probably better for a brunch than an early morning treat. But I loved them and so did my wife, Denise. They are tricky to make. I would suggest not letting the bread soak as long as the recipe states. I let it soak for 10 minutes and the bread had to be scooped out. This is a perfect treat for impressing guests when they come over or for making that special one feel even more special. So goooooood! Next time I want to try fresh strawberries instead of bananas... Also this does not need much syrup at all... if any. I would use my mother's hot homemade syrup.

Ingredients

* 6 large eggs
* 1 cup whole milk
* 1/2 cup heavy cream
* 1/4 cup fresh orange juice (from about 1 medium orange)
* 2 tablespoons vanilla extract
* 2 tablespoons cognac (optional)
* 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
* 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
* Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
* Salt
* 8 slices Texas toast or other thick white bread
* 3 large ripe bananas
* 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
* 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
* Confectioners' sugar, for garnish
* Pure maple syrup, for garnish

Directions

Whisk together the eggs, milk, cream, orange juice, vanilla, cognac, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg and a pinch of salt in a bowl.

Place the bread in 2 shallow baking dishes in a single layer. Pour the egg mixture over the bread; let soak for 10 minutes.

While the bread is soaking, preheat a grill to medium. Place a flat cast-iron skillet on the grill. Brush the bananas with the melted butter; cook in the skillet until they are browned on all sides and beginning to release their juices, about 3 minutes. Use a spatula to transfer the bananas to a plate, then wipe the skillet clean with a paper towel. When the bananas are cool enough to handle, cut into 1/2-inch-thick slices.

Remove a piece of bread from the egg mixture, allowing the excess to drip off. Place on a cutting board, top with four or five banana slices, then cover with another piece of bread. Brush the skillet on the grill lightly with vegetable oil. Add the sandwich to the pan; place a grill press or heavy pan over the sandwich to weigh it down. Cook until the bread is nicely toasted and golden, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip, press and cook on the other side until golden. Keep warm; repeat with the remaining bread and bananas, adding more oil as needed. Transfer the panini to plates and slice in half diagonally; top with confectioners' sugar and plenty of maple syrup.

Crepes for breakfast

2009-02-19T20:26:00.000-08:00

So today I had a study day for work. Yeah really I had to spend the entire day reading 8 different books of a new product I have to sell. Well before all that happened I decided since I am home I might as well make some breakfast. So I pulled out a recipe that I tried at my French Cuisine class... For Crepes. This recipe is very easy to make and easy to impress friend and family.
Most people when they think of crepes they think of the sweet crepes with nutella or fruits like the ones pictured above... and those are the ones I like the most as well. However, I also enjoy a hearty crepe. So in addition to the one above I also made one with Swiss cheese and Turkey. They can be quite addictive. Three key things to remember...
* You don't flip Crepes... they aren't pancakes...
** The batter should be spread in the pan as thin as possible
*** Use lots of PAM

Taken from www.allrecipes.com

French Crepes: submitted by CYBERCHEF

INGREDIENTS (Nutrition)

* 1 cup all-purpose flour
* 1 teaspoon white sugar
* 1/4 teaspoon salt
* 3 eggs
* 2 cups milk
* 2 tablespoons butter, melted

1. Sift together flour, sugar and salt; set aside. In a large bowl, beat eggs and milk together with an electric mixer. Beat in flour mixture until smooth; stir in melted butter.
2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 2 tablespoons for each crepe. Tip and rotate pan to spread batter as thinly as possible. Brown on both sides and serve hot.

Steak and French bread with Cheddar and Tomato Fondue

2009-02-18T08:28:00.000-08:00

So we spent President's day scarfing some Steaks and French bread with Cheddar and Tomato Fondue. It was pretty good. I would recommend putting on less of the rub than what stated below. To me it was a little too spicy, but still had a great flavor with lots of punch. I am sure Bobby Flay makes it much better than I did. The cheese and tomato fondue is amazing with a meal but is also great to have as a snack during a football game or late at night watching LOST. Yes, amazing little snack. Try you will love it. Throw it on some toasted French BREAD!!!!

Spice-Crusted New York Strip Steaks
from Bobby Flay's Mesa Grill Cookbook

- serves 4 -
Ingredients

2 tablespoons ancho chile powder
1 tablespoon Spanish paprika
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 1/2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons chile de arbol
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
4 (12-ounce) New York strip steaks
2 tablespoons canola oil
Procedure

1. To make the spice rub, combine the ancho powder, paprika, coriander, dry mustard, oregano, cumin, chile de arbol, 1 tablespoon salt and 1 tablespoon pepper in a small bowl.

2. Preheat a grill to medium-high or preheat a grill pan over medium-high heat. Brush both sides of the steaks with the oil and season with salt and pepper. Rub one side of each steak with about 2 tablespoons of the spice mixture.

3. Grill the steaks, rub side down, until lightly charred and a crust has formed, 3 to 4 minutes. Flip over the steaks and continue grilling for 5 to 6 minutes more for medium rare; the steaks will be bright pink in the middle.
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Cheddar and Tomato Fondu: From Food Network

2/3 cup finely chopped drained canned tomatoes

2 garlic cloves, lightly crushed

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

3 tablespoons dry white wine

1 tablespoon cornstarch

12 ounces Cheddar, coarsely grated (3 cups)

Accompaniment: cubes of French bread

Cook tomatoes and garlic in butter in a 4-quart heavy saucepan over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until most of liquid is evaporated, about 5 minutes. Stir together wine and cornstarch in a small bowl, then stir into tomatoes and simmer gently, stirring, 1 minute. Discard garlic. Add Cheddar by handfuls, stirring until completely melted. Serve in a fondue pot set over a flame.

Mexican Tacos

2009-02-15T13:47:00.001-08:00

Tacos are good, but Mexican Tacos are amazing. What is the difference? Well I must say it begins with the tortilla. The Mexican tacos we made today were made with corn tortillas that were slightly fried in oil. We poured just a little oil in a frying pan and had at it. We then added some taco seasoned ground beef, some tomatoes, onions, cilantro (can not forget that!), a pinch of lime juice, a little green salsa and a bunch of either queso fresco or how I like it with a little bit of shredded cheddar.
What would a Mexican taco be without a Coke? Not much of a meal at all if you ask me. Nothing makes you feel more like you are traveling through Mexico than a cold coke and a taco heaping with onions and cilantro. One thing I would like to try it to use carne asado instead of ground beef. If anyone has some good Carne Adsado recipes send them my way.

We have become so addicted to these tacos we end up eating them all the time for dinner, lunch a late night snacks... As can be seen from the plates in the pictures we had already eaten a fe before picture time.

Valentine Dinner... It had to be good.

2009-02-14T14:37:00.000-08:00

Happy Valentine's day....
So I had to come up with some great dish for this evening to impress the wife. Luckily for me I was given as a Valentine's gift Chef Gordon Ramsey's Book Healthy Appetite. I found an amazing recipe...
Stuffed Chicken Breasts wrapped in sage and prosciutto
It took a lot longer to cook the chicken in the oven that is stated in the recipe, but it was well worth the wait. I added a long grain rice side dish and a sring salad with a balsamic dressing. The sage leaves were difficult to find where I live so I ended up using a sage powder instead and it ended up working fine. This is a filling dish and one with a unique flavor considering the punch the sage it. I really like how the prosciutto (Parma Ham) stiucks to the chicken when it cooks.

Image via Wikipedia

Serves: 4
Prep time: 10 mins (plus 1-2hrs chilling time)
Cooking time: 20 mins

4 large chicken breasts, about 170-200g
8 sage leaves
5 heaped tbsp ricotta
Sea salt and black pepper
8 Parma ham slices
1½tsp olive oil
Handful of thyme sprigs

1. Cut a deep slit along one side of each chicken breast, without slicing right through, then open it out like a book. On a clean chopping board, finely chop 4 sage leaves, then mix into the ricotta and season with salt and pepper to taste.
2. Lay two Parma ham slices on the board, overlapping them slightly. Put a sage leaf in the middle and lay an open chicken breast on top. Spoon a quarter of the ricotta mixture onto the middle of the chicken, then fold the sides together again, to enclose the filling. Now wrap the Parma ham slices around the stuffed chicken breast. Wrap in cling film. Repeat with the rest of the chicken breasts and chill for 1-2hrs to firm up slightly.
3. Heat the oven to 180°C /Gas 4 and place a roasting pan in the oven to heat up. Heat a heavy-based frying pan and add the olive oil. When hot, fry the Parma-wrapped chicken, in batches if necessary, for 2 mins on each side until browned. Lay a few thyme sprigs on each chicken breast, then place in the hot roasting pan. Cook in the oven for 12-15 mins, depending on size, or until the meat feels just firm when lightly pressed.
4. Rest the chicken, covered with foil, in a warm place for 5-10 mins. Slice each stuffed breast thickly on the diagonal and arrange on warm plates. Serve with steamed greens and light mashed potatoes or a zesty couscous.

This recipe is taken from Gordon Ramsay's Healthy Appetite

Irish Potato Soup

2009-02-14T13:45:00.000-08:00

So my wife said we had some Leeks in the fridge that had to be used ASAP. so I started thinking what might be tasty using Leeks. I remember traveling through Ireland and England and having some pretty amazing soups with Leeks in them. I am normally not a huge fan of onions, Leeks, Chives or anything from the Onion family.
Here is an interesting fact about Leeks:
"The leek is one of the national emblems of Wales, whose citizens wear it - or the daffodil - on St. David's Day. According to one legend, King Cadwaladr of Gwynedd ordered his soldiers to identify themselves by wearing the vegetable on their helmets in an ancient battle against the Saxons that took place in a leek field. This story may have been made up by the English poet Michael Drayton, but it is known that the leek has been a symbol of Wales for a long time; Shakespeare, for example, refers to the custom of wearing a leek as an "ancient tradition" in Henry V. In the play, Henry tells Fluellen that he is wearing a leek "for I am Welsh, you know, good countryman". The 1985 and 1990 British One Pound coins bear the design of a leek in a coronet, representing Wales." -Wikipedia
So I used the following recipe: (from www.myrecipes.com)

Ingredients

* 1/2 cup unsalted butter
* 1 medium onion, thinly sliced
* 3 leeks, sliced
* 3 large baking potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 3 (14 1/2-ounce) cans chicken broth
* 1 teaspoon salt
* 1/4 teaspoon pepper
* Toppings: shredded Cheddar cheese, crumbled cooked bacon, chopped fresh chives

Preparation

Melt butter in a large saucepan over low heat; stir in onion and leek. Cover and cook 20 minutes. Stir in potato; cover and cook 15 minutes. Stir in broth, salt, and pepper; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer 30 minutes or until potato is tender. Remove from heat, and cool slightly.

Process soup in batches in a blender until smooth, stopping to scrape down sides; return to saucepan, and cook over medium heat until thoroughly heated. Serve with desired toppings.

It turned out pretty amazing. I actually had more Leeks than it called for and less potatoes. Not by choice. I actually ran out of Potatoes. In the end I add Bacon and cheddar cheese as toppings. If I was to do this again I would serve it with a toasted baguette or as a side dish to a chicken dish.