31 not just your Recipes

butter, wild mushroom, sliced, sweet onion, thinly sliced, honey mustard , sweet russian, creamed horseradish (optional), balsamic vinegar, white, sea salt, coarse, black pepper, freshly ground, sirloin steak (cooked to your preference, thinly sliced), lemon juice, fresh squeezed, tomatoes , sweet chocolate (or other sweet variety, thinly sliced), ripe avocado, thinly sliced (optional), salt, black pepper, ground, mayonnaise (or miracle whip), italian rolls or 2 bread

olive oil, onions, chopped, garlic, minced, lean ground beef, beef steak, in 1 1/2 inch cubes, diced tomatoes , with juices, dark beer (not a sweet beer), strong brewed coffee (espresso preferred), tomato paste, beef broth, brown sugar, chili powder, cumin seed, unsweetened cocoa powder, dried oregano, ground cayenne pepper, ground coriander, salt, kidney beans, fresh hot jalapenos or 4 other chili peppers, chopped fine (with or without seeds to your taste)

any liquid can be reduced just by heating it - but why would you want to do that, answer comes back to two of our old friends, flavor and consistency (texture)., by reducing any flavored liquid you intensify its flavor and at the same time thicken it. you can continue this process until what you have left is a syrup if it contains sugar, or a sauce if it does not., this is 1 of the most important tools in the kitchen , believe it or not, because a great sauce can rescue an indifferent meal., literally any liquid can be reduced ., a few uses, wine is frequently used in cooking , both as a marinade and as an addition to sauces for meat., there are some problems with it though, 1 of which is that you need a really good wine and quite a lot of it to produce a reasonable sauce for, say, six people., on the other hand , if you use pure grape juice and reduce it to a syrup, that syrup, added to any sauce (or gravy if you prefer) will lift it into the realms of gourmet ., more , you don tsp have to make your reduction on the night you prepare your meal. you can reduce a liter of grape juice at any time to the consistency and flavor you want; then just store it in the fridge., you can do the same thing with any fruit juice - prune is sensational - and store it until needed. just about all of them will do things for ice cream, pies or tarts that will have your guests demanding the recipe, pork with apple sauce use a carton of fresh apple juice from the supermarket and reduce it. and if you want a real sensation add in a glass of apple brandy during the reduction process., are you getting an idea of how simple this is, take any carton of fresh stock straight of the shelf and reduce it. you will transform it into something even the manufacturer won tsp recognize. but beware, you need to start out with good quality in the first place, because when you reduce a liquid you intensify all the flavors, and not just the good ones., if it s salty to start with, for example, it will be salty beyond belief by the time you ve reduced it even by half. so if you are going to use a supermarket stock, make sure it s an extremely good 1., believe me when i tell you that stock cubes should not be used for reduction sauces., thickeners, because you will be tasting as you go (won tsp you ), you may find that you get the flavor you want before the desired consistency is reached., a couple of hints right now for your sauces., sweet ones can be thickened successfully without loss of color by adding in liquid glucose early on in the reduction process. surprisingly, this will add little in the way of sweetness and produces a beautiful velvety sauce when whisked., if you get it wrong and add too much, no problem. stir in a little extra water to thin it., reduction pans, reductions need to happen rapidly in serving to preserve flavors. and the greater the surface area of the liquid the faster the water will evaporate., however you may want to whisk something into the sauce while its cooking - such as butter or olive oil for example - and for that i find a small wok is best; 1 with a handle., a wok is less likely to reduce so fast that the sauce is burnt while your back is turned. but try both methods and see which you prefer. you may even end up using something totally different., no magic to this. whatever works for you, that s what you should use, in this and everything else to do with cooking., just bear in mind that what you re after is speed and ease of use. as well as a great tasting result, of course. :>), keeping, if they should dry out , simply add a little water and heat through., sauces containing meat juices of any kind must be frozen if you re going to keep them, and should be brought to boiling point before being used again. there is no need to thaw them out to do this, in fact it s better not to. simply drop the frozen cubes into a saucepan, melt them over a gentle heat, and then bring swiftly to the boil., why do you do this to avoid food poisoning, that s why. you are making sure that any bugs introduced into the sauce during the preparation process are killed off., worry , this will not be because of anything you have done wrong (i hope!), but because bacteria are part of our everyday lives and they exist in every kitchen, however clean., in fact your food , and especially your meat, is crawling with wildlife that you will never see. don tsp worry about them. careful handling and simple precautions will ensure that these miniature monsters can never multiply enough to harm either you or your guests.

leek, white and part of the green sliced thinly, garlic, diced, butter, butter for ing the baking dish, french bread, cubed into 1 cubes (depending on the size of your loaf, you may or may not need the entire loaf - you need enough to cover the bottom on the baking dish, and a layer on the top), cubed smoked ham (i prefer the saltiness of smoked ham over the sweet taste of honey or brown sugar ham - if you don tsp have leftover ham to use, just ask the deli person to slice a 1 thick piece of smoked ham for you), grated gruyere cheese (swiss cheese will do, but gruyere is worth the splurge!), half-and-half or whole milk, eggs, salt, garlic salt, pepper, al: a very light drizzle of hollandaise sauce over each slice is a nice addition, too. if you put the sauce in a separate gravy server , your guests can have the choice of adding it or noti m a big fan of hollandaise, so of course i never pass it up

tomatoes quartered, diced tomatoes, sweet onion quartered, juice of 1 large lime, chopped cilantro, salt, any brand jar diced jalapenos (not the liquid just the peppers) or 1 - 2 fresh seeded jalapenos finely chopped (your choice), heaping tbsp of ortega salsa verde with tomatillos or (use your own salsa verde)

extra large egg (egg white only), cornstarch, soy sauce, boneless skinless chicken, cut in 1-inch bite size pieces (i use a mix of thighs and breasts), sesame oil (to saute the chicken), peanut oil , to saute the chicken (vegetable or canola oil will work fine, do not use olive oil), unsalted whole cashews, peanut oil (vegetable or canola oil will work fine, do not use olive oil), soy sauce, chicken broth, sherry wine (do not use cooking sherry or cream sherry, just use a cook dry sherry), sugar, red pepper, very very thin sliced in 1-2-inch pieces, diced scallion, white and green parts, crushed red pepper flakes, rice (use your favorite, i serve about 1 cup per person, you can make more if you like ), water chestnuts, cut in thin strips

chicken (any type just stay around $3.00 per package.), uncooked white rice , not instant rice ($0.99 per box), cream of mushroom soup ($0.50 at wal-mart ), paprika (or just use your favorite all season spice), black pepper, water, green beans ($0.50 at wal-mart )

eggplants (about 3), cut crosswise into 1/3-inch-thick rounds, salt, tomatoes, olive oil, garlic cloves, finely chopped, fresh basil leaves , torn in half, black pepper, dried hot red pepper flakes, all-purpose flour, eggs, panko (japanese bread crumbs), grated parmigiano-reggiano (2/3 cup), chilled fresh mozzarella (not unsalted), thinly sliced, your liking ) of shredded italian cheese (i like the ones with mixed provolone, asiago, parmesan and mozzarella) to use in addition to the cheeses listed above. sometimes i just like to up the cheese quotient, especially on top, where it gets all puffy, chewy and a bit browned around the edges., but it will taste perfect without the additonal cheese....

gone are the days where the bride and groom share a slice of a 3, 4, or 5 tier wedding cake. nowadays some people are opting for a more simple cake solution, yet they still want the elegance that a large tiered cake offers. enter on stage the simple yet elegant cupcake., versatile cupcakes are standing along side and, in some cases, replacing larger cakes these days. below are some helpful hints if you want to use cupcakes for the main cake at your wedding., tip #1 : arrangement, how you arrange your cupcakes is as important if not more important than the taste. everyone wants a breathtaking wedding cake at their reception so arranging your cupcakes to give this appearance is very necessary., my personal favorite way of arranging my cupcakes is to stack 4 or 5 boxes on top of each other to form a tree of sorts. i choose boxes that are approximately 4 to 5 inches high. i like 24 inch square boxes then 18 inches square then 12 inches then 6 inches square. this gives me a cupcake ledge of 3 inches when the boxes are stacked., decorate your boxes as you wish. beautiful paper wrapped around the boxes then a ribbon all the way around is a great decorating combination ., your wedding cake cupcakes can then be placed on the ledges and on top of the boxes for a beautiful arrangement for your wedding., arrangement idea for your wedding cupcakes is to place cupcakes underneath raised cake platters. larger cakes or more cupcakes can be placed on top of the platters., how your cupcakes taste and even how many different flavors you offer are both very important to the overall success of your wedding cupcakes. i think 1 of the best reasons to have wedding cupcakes instead of a large wedding cake would be that you can have many different kinds of cakes. not everyone prefers the same type of cake and frosting so having 2 or 3 different types of cake flavors would be ideal., three of my favorite flavors are vanilla , chocolate, and lemon cupcakes. these are a great combination for any special occasion that you may choose to serve cupcakes. you can either serve all of the different flavors in the same cups with the same decoration or you can use different cups and/or different decorations for each cake flavor you choose., skimp on the ingredients for your wedding cupcakes. fresh cupcakes made from your favorite cupcake recipes are always the best choice. boxed cake mixes just won tsp cut i for special occasion cupcakes. the same goes for frosting. make your frosting instead of buying it prepackaged from a grocery store. if you don tsp feel confident making your own, you could always buy some freshly made frosting from a local bakery., presentation is everything when dealing with weddings. you should make sure your cupcakes are just the right size so they are absolutely gorgeous when presented. the entire purpose of serving cupcakes at a wedding is to give your guests a small taste of a wonderful dessert. small is the key word here. you don tsp want cupcakes that are larger than an actual teacup. if they are, then they should be called mini cakes and not cupcakes., also, it would cost you a fortune to bake mini cakes for each of your guests. the right size cupcake will offer just the right amount of cake for each person attending and will also likely save you money., be careful not to err on the side of your cupcakes being too small. if your cupcakes are too small, you may run out of cupcakes before you guests sweet teeth are satisfied. you also run the risk of having too much frosting on a small cupcake which could ruin the overall taste of your wedding cupcakes., i ve found that the perfect size cupcakes are baked in 1/2 cup wells that i fill approximately 1/2 to 2/3 full of cupcake batter. make sure you carefully measure the cupcake batter each time you fill a well. this will make sure that your cupcakes come out of the oven all the same size., i hope that these tips will help you produce the most beautiful wedding cupcakes that anyone has ever seen! good luck

dry creamettes macaroni rings, cooked, drained and cooled, rotisserie chicken (or your own leftover chicken meat), cut into bite size pieces, stalks celery, sliced thinly, hard-boiled eggs, peeled and diced, miracle whip salad dressing (this is 1 recipe that mayonaisse just doesn tsp work as well as miracle whip, sugar, salt and pepper, to your taste (i like to add 1/4 tsp mccormick s montreal chicken spice), prepared yellow mustard (not a spicy mustard - just plain old yellow mustard), green or red seedless grapes , if desired

olive oil, divided, pesto sauce , purchased (or your homemade), bread, cubed small (or torn, use up your stale white or whole wheat, french, just not sweet bread), white onion, small dice, zucchini, sliced 1/4 inch, corn , cut fresh off cobs or 2 cups frozen, sweet red pepper, diced, garlic clove, minced, mozzarella cheese, shredded

soft cream cheese, sour cream, mayonnaise, ketchup, worcestershire sauce, prepared horseradish, hot sauce, garlic powder, paprika, onion, grated very fine , like a paste and save all the juice too

butter softened to room temperature, butter flavored shortening, granulated sugar, eggs, whole milk, baking powder, salt, orange extract, cake flour, granulated sugar, cream of tartar, salt, water, egg whites at room temperature, coconut extract, fresh coconut

olive oil, salt , to taste, whole black peppercorn, fresh garlic (don tsp be shy), bay leaves, anise seed, dried herbs, tomato paste, tomato puree, sugar, ground coriander, cinnamon bark, paprika , per 500 g meat and add more if using lots of veg, chopped onions (don tsp be shy), green pepper, sliced (not too small), meat (boned or deboned your choice(i have never used pork but would work) or 1/2-1 kg chicken (boned or deboned your choice(i have never used pork but would work), potatoes, chopped into quarters (not too small), mushrooms, vegetables , depending on your personal wish (examples of veggie are ( patti pans, cauliflower, broccoli, peas, corn or just frozen mixed veggies), gem squash, rice , at own discretion

cake mix (pick whatever type you want!), butter, eggs, quick-cooking oats (not instant ), any desired flavoring, : (1 cup total just mix and match how you d like), chocolate chips (white , milk, semisweet, chunks etc), baking chips (peanut butter, butterscotch, etc), candy , pieces (m&ms, reeses, heath, etc), chopped nuts, dried fruit , pieces, sweetened flaked coconut

risotto with sausage and cranberry beans, make risotto , you absolutely must use a specific type of rice called arborio rice (carnaroli and vialone nano are also used, some say superior, but are more difficult to find). these types of rice release starch when stirred in a liquid; it is this process which makes risotto, otherwise you just have a starchy mess of mush. these types of rice are identified by their fat round grains and pearly appearance. they can be used to make other sorts of rice dishes, such as pilaf, but other types of rice cannot be used for risotto. arborio is no longer that much of a specialty product; it can be found in most large, well-stocked grocery stores in the italian section. or sometimes, misguidedly, in the asian section., okay , so now we have the rice. you will also need some good, low-salt stock or broth - it should be low-salt not for health reasons, but because a good deal of it will evaporate, leaving its salt behind, and i like to have more control over the salt in a dish. it can be homemade, but i m not going to be a snob about it because, in truth, we go through gallons of store-bought stock in this household and i don tsp see that changing anytime soon. furthermore, risotto is actually a dish which can be whipped up out of thin air when it seems as though you have nothing to eat, as long as you have butter, rice, stock, maybe a few herbs, and some leftover parmesan. i like the kind of stock purchased in tetrapak cartons, because they are resealable and can be put in the fridge and used as needed. if you really want to use homemade but you don tsp have time to make stock or don tsp like the aroma of roasting bones in your house (i don tsp blame you), you can buy really great stock at north market poultry and game - it is expensive, but can be diluted with a 2- or 3-to-1 ratio of water to stock, so it stretches. my general guideline is to plan on 1/4 cup dry rice per person, and about 4 cups of stock to 1 cup of rice. of course, this isn tsp exact and will vary depending on your elevation and the phases of the moon, but it s a good place to start. i usually just use 4 cups of stock and then dilute with water or wine (or sometimes beer, if that s all i have) if i feel i m going to run out., well, we have rice and stock covered, now we just need our setup: place the stock in a saucepan on your rear burner, bring to a simmer, and leave it there with a 6-8 oz ladle in, and place a large, wide saute pan (must be really large, plan that your rice will at least quadruple in size) or dutch oven on the burner in front. get out your favorite wooden spoon and flex your stirring arm., nice thing about using sausage is it s so full of flavor you can leave out the usual onion/garlic/shallot/celery nonsense if you re tired and don tsp feel like chopping. furthermore, sausage goes from the freezer to the pan without suffering too much. okay, let s go, risotto with sausage and cranberry beans - serves 4, links italian sausage , or 1 lb bulk (or hot, or a combination - definitely with some fennel), casings removed, cooked cranberry beans or 1 can white beans, drained, arborio rice, beef , chicken or vegetable stock, butter, freshly, finely grated parmesan cheese , plus more for garnish, an oz) flat-leaf parsley, chopped finely, lemon juice , or juice from 1/2 lemon, salt and black pepper to taste, red pepper flakes to taste, optional, good balsamic vinegar , optional

i fell in love with this recipe. i love anything tomato based. this is like tomato sauce and chunks of all your favorite fish. you add whatever fish you like. and get a huge loaf of crusty bread and butter! i basically modify this recipe to my own sauce, so can you add what fish you like. just a great great recipe! you can make this your own! everyone thinks this is italian it is not. chip in . chip in as a call heard on the world famous fisherman s wharf in it s early heyday before world war ii. this was a call for san francisco s mainly italian immigrant fisherman coming home with their catch of pacific seafood to donate a small portion of their catch for a communal fish stew prepared on the docks. anything would do. a few clams, mussels. adding some red snapper, a crab or two, some scallops some halibut or flounder, anything to add to the fragrant stew that would soon be served to the club of san francisco fisherman who would talk about the days catch and dunk san francisco sour dough bread into the rich broth. eventually the broken english cries of chip in turned into chip-in-o . hence the name cioppino . this is a rich seafood stew with not much care as to how it was assembled. this consisted of throwing the days catch into a big pot and pouring sauce into the pot with the shellfish and chunks of what fish was available. let all these flavors enhance each other for awhile and you have the most flavorful and messy to eat stew that ever was., turns around the pan in a slow stream ) extra-virgin olive oil, crushed red pepper flakes, flat fillets of anchovies, drained, garlic, crushed, bay leaf, fresh or dried, celery ribs, chopped, onion, chopped, good quality dry white wine ( i am sure even beer works), chicken stock, chunky style crushed tomatoes, fresh thyme, leaves removed (about 1 tbsp), handful flat-leaf parsley, chopped, cod, cut into 2-inch chunks, salt and pepper, shrimp , ask for deveined easy-peel or peel and devein, sea scallops, raw mussels , scrubbed, a loaf of fresh , crusty bread, for mopping up!! or 2 loaves depending on quanity and people eating this.

tilapia fillets (8-9 fillets, each 1 cut in half ), egg whites, rolled oats (not quick , just regular rolled oats), flax seed meal (or add whole flax seeds, they will grind up), garlic powder, onion powder, celery seed, turmeric, sea salt, dried parsley, pepper (to your taste ), spritz oil (optional)