Chabernet

Another Glass of Chabernet

Yellow Chili Paste

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Chile Amarillo Molido con Aceite   YELLOW CHILI PASTE To make about 2/3 cup 24 fresh yellow guero chilies, each about 3 to 4 inches long, or substitute other fresh, mild, yellow chilies like Hungarian Wax 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar 1 tablespoon salt In a heavy 4- to 5-quart saucepan, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Drop in the chilies and boil, uncovered, for 5 minutes, then drain them thoroughly and run cold water over them. Split the chilies in half and remove the seeds. Combine the chilies, oil, vinegar and salt in the jar of a blender, and blend them at high speed until the mixture is reduced to a smooth, thick puree. (To make the sauce by hand, Read more [...]

Red Chili Paste

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Aji Molido con Aceite RED CHILI PASTE   To make about 2 cups 1 cup tightly packed dried hontaka chilies 2 cups boiling water 6 tablespoons olive oil 1/2 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1/4 teaspoon salt 1 cup boiling beef or chicken stock, fresh or canned, or boiling water Break the dried chilies in half and brush out the seeds. Place the chilies in a bowl, pour 2 cups of boiling water over them, and let them soak for 2 hours. Drain the chilies and discard the soaking water Combine the chilies, oil, garlic, salt and boiling stock or water in the jar of a blender and puree at high speed for 1 minute, or until the mixture is reduced to a smooth puree. Scrape into a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. (To Read more [...]

Salsa Guasacaca

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SPICY AVOCADO SAUCE To make about 11/2 cups of sauce 1 small ripe tomato 1 large ripe avocado 1/4 cup olive oil 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar 1/2 teaspoon red chili paste or very finely chopped, seeded, fresh hot chili 1 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons finely diced green pepper 1 cold hard-cooked egg, finely chopped 1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh coriander ( cilantro)   This is a favorite of Venezuela.   Cut out the stem of the tomato, then slice the tomato in half cross- wise. Squeeze each half gently to extract the seeds and juices, discard them, and chop the tomato into 1/4-inch dice. Cut the Read more [...]

Ceviche

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FISH MARINATED IN LIME AND LEMON JUICE   Peruvian Version To serve 6 1 cup fresh lime juice 1 cup fresh lemon juice 4 dried hontaka chilies, seeded and pulverized with a mortar and pestle 2 red onions, sliced 1/8 inch thick and separated into rings 1/4 teaspoon finely chopped garlic 1 teaspoon salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 pounds grey sole fillets cut into 1- inch pieces, or substitute any other firm white delicately flavored fish 3 large sweet potatoes.-unpeeled 4 ears fresh corn, shucked and cut crosswise into 1 1/2-inch rounds 2 heads Boston or romaine lettuce, washed, separated into leaves, and chilled 2 fresh hot red chilies, washed, split, seeded, deribbed and cut lengthwise Read more [...]

Oxtail Stew

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Do you know that phrase, "lip smacking good"? This Oxtail Stew recipe transforms the humblest ingredients into a lip smacking good meal. The science behind all that smacking of lips, is the slow cooking of all the connective tissue and gristle until it turns into gelatin. The cooked gelatin actually coats your lips and tongue - hence the expression. Here is our recipe for Oxtail Stew:     OXTAIL STEW RECIPE YIELD: 06 Servings PREP: 30 mins COOK: 3 hrs 0 min READY IN: 3 hrs 30 mins Slow cooked Oxtail Stew, browned on the stove and then braised in the oven. INGREDIENTS 3 pounds Oxtails cut into 2 1/2 inch pieces 1 Teaspoon Kosher Salt 1 1/4 Teaspoon Black Pepper Freshly Ground 1/2 Cup Flour All Purpose 1/4 Read more [...]

Drinking With The Botanist

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I have written before about how much I enjoyed reading The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart and experimenting with her cocktail concoctions.     Our most recent experiment was to replicate the outstanding Mai Tai served at The House Without a Key at the Halekulani Hotel in Waikiki. The secret, as I learned from Amy Stewart, is the addition of Orgeat syrup. It took us a few trips to the local liquor stores, but we managed to procure the syrup. The experiment was a huge success, and we ought to know since we've had the real deal many times at the amazing Halekulani.   Ingredients: - 1/3 – Ounce Orgeat Syrup – 1/3 Ounce Orange Curaçao – 1/3-Ounce Rock Candy Syrup – 3/4-Ounce Bacardi Gold Rum – Read more [...]

Wood-Fired Pizza

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I stumbled upon a blogger who questions whether Wood-Fired Pizza is inherently any better than the more typical baked product. In our experience (which is mostly in Italy), the thin-crust perfect pizza is almost always wood-fired. Here are a some shining examples from the USA. The Diavolo, which is topped with tomato sauce, sopresatta, roasted peppers, crushed red pepper flakes, and mozzarella. Connies Pizza has a unique pie-like top crust Spinach with Browned Onions, Roasted Peppers, Kalamata Olives and Feta Cheese Flying in First Class on a major airline The anchovy pizza at City House, Nashville Keep it simple with the margherita (San Marzano tomatoes, buffalo mozzarella, extra-virgin olive oil ,fresh basil, Read more [...]

Food Network Tipping Point

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I  was just commenting to Mrs Chabernet that Food Network appears to have been hijacked by Guy Fieri who ordered them to run all his episodes back-to-back. Lo and behold, Salon Magazine has just published a story titled "How one man destroyed the Food Network: Guy Fieri has made culinary TV into a viewer’s hell" Could this signal a tipping point for the highly successful Food Network and now every cooking show will be Triple-D'd? This reminds me of the Shoe Store theory in the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: an economic theory that draws a correlation between the level of economic (and emotional) depression of a society and the number of shoe shops the society has. The theory is summarized as such: as a society sinks into depression, Read more [...]

Sourdough Baguettes

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Inspired by Julia Child. From my Sourdough Bread Recipe with Sourdough Starter.

Mamani Gin and Tonic

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  I am reading a clever new book titled The Drunken Botanist by Amy Stewart and just fell in love with her recipe for an outrageous G&T; Enjoy!         1.5 oz gin 2-3 fresh jalapeño slices (or, if you prefer, a milder pepper), seeds removed 2-3 sprigs cilantro or basil 2-3 chunks cucumber 1 chunk celery stalk 4 oz high-quality tonic water (Fever Tree or Q Tonic) 1-2 cherry tomatoes, along with a basil or cilantro leaf, on a pick for garnish Ice   Fill a mason jar, Collins glass, or short tumbler with ice.  In between the ice cubes, layer in a slice or two of pepper, a sprig of cilantro or basil, and a cherry tomato. In a cocktail shaker, combine the first Read more [...]