Not food but still awesome

Okay, so as most of you know and even some don't. I've been trying to learn Spanish for a while. With my future plans and with where I live, Spanish would be a VERY good thing to have a handle on. So I've been working through some books and such but, I found and have been using a very great site called SpanishDict. It's a dictionary/translator so you can get quick accurate translations of phrases or words. Also, it has a great video/interactive learning suite that really helps in learning the language. Y'all should check it out. Whether you're just looking for one word here or there or if you're an avid linguist and want to learn Spanish or just want to brush up. It's a great place.

Stuffed Potatoes?

While I was in Peru I got to try many different things. Some, like grilled tripe from a street vendor, many people wouldn't try if their life depended on it. Others, like the boiled stream fish from the jungle, looked safe but, they weren't...

My most favorite thing I had the pleasure of eating I enjoyed, much to my chagrin, the very last day I was there. It was "Papas Rellenas" or stuffed potatoes. These little potato shaped fried delights were, to say the least, every bit as good as they look, smell, and sound.

8.9 OZ Ground beef

2.2 lb potatoes

2 red onions

16 cloves Garlic

1/4c aji panca (mild chile paste)

1/8c raisins

1/8c slices olives

lemon juice, salt, peppers/chile, onion, parsley

Boil your potatoes and mash them up.
Heat a large saute pan with a little bit of oil on medium high heat. Brown your garlic and onions then add the meat and cook till brown. Add the chile paste, raisins, and olives. Set aside.

Portion out the potato into balls about 1.5 - 2 inches wide. Gently flatten a ball in your hands, making a disk. Place a bit of the meat mixture in a line into the center of the potato disk. Wrap the sides of the potato around the meat core, pressing it together. Roll it gently in your hands to make a football shape. Repeat with the rest of the potato.

Dredge the potato footballs in beaten eggs then flour. Heat a wok 1/3 filled with veg oil or a fryer on medium high heat. Quickly fry the coated footballs and remove them to a tray or rack with paper towel to soak up excess oil.

While these are cooling slightly, Make the onion sauce. Feather slice an onion and mix in a bowl with the sliced peppers, chopped parsley, and lemon juice. Let this sit for a few minutes before serving.

Serve warm with the onion sauce on the side.

Cook to live; Live to cook; Glory to God in all,
Chef D.

Long time no Taste

Hey y'all, please forgive me for not posting in a long time. Summer semester has been... wow fast and furious. But praise the Lord, I passed with all A's again! Diner 5:2 is still looking for clients so be spreading the word. I should have a bit more free time this fall but we'll see.

Cook to live; Live to cook; Glory to God in all,
Chef. D

Stay Puffed!!

Basic Marshmallow

16 oz Sugar

4 oz Corn Syrup

6 oz Water

5 oz Egg Whites

3 tbl Gelatin

In a saucepan bring the sugar, syrup, and water to a boil. Let boil till 265F. While coming to temperature, mix whites almost to soft peaks and bloom the gelatin in 1/2C water.

Once sugar is to temp, slowly pour it into the egg whites making sure not to let the whisk take it away. Immediately melt the gelatin quickly and add it to the mixture.

From here you can add whatever flavors you want.

Turn the mixture out into a baking sheet lined with cling film and powdered sugar. Set aside for at least 3 hours preferably 24.

Dust with more powdered sugar and cut as desire

Pretty cut and dry today.

Cook to live; Live to cook; Glory to God in all,
Chef. D

Gazpacho

So summer is upon us. Hot as all get out. It's also tomato season. If you plant them at all or get to the store, they are ever where. What to do with them though? Well I think I've got a quick dish to use up some of that pesky fruit and cool you down at the same time.

1 med Cucumber, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 med Green Bell Pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 small Onion, chopped
1/3 C Parsley leaves
2 1/2 lb Tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped
1 C Tomato juice (just keep the seeds and juice from inside the tomatoes you just chopped)
3 Tbs Red Wine Vinegar
3 Tbs Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves, minced
2 tsp Salt
(something to make it hot, Jalapeño, hot sauce, etc:optional)

Basically you'll just throw the green things in a blender and mince them up. Add the onion then the tomato solids. Slowly add the liquids, garlic, and parsley. You do this so they all combine properly.

Pour this out into a bowl or just stick the blender bowl in the fridge and chill it for 1-2 hours. Serve in chilled bowls.

Top with whatever you'd like but I like it with a drop of sour cream and some crunched chips.

Cook to live; Live to cook; Glory to God in all,
Chef. D

School days

Wow... I can't believe I haven't put much on here recently. School and work and work and school. Speaking of school. 4.0 GPA and on the deans list! Woot! Getting ready to start my summer semester. So wish me luck.

Cook to live; Live to cook; Gory to God in all,
Chef D.

Better late than never

Happy Mothers Day! Yay! So for this Mothers Day I made my mom Fruti di Mare. Fruit of the Sea for all of you non-Italian speaking people. Basically it is Fetuccini (But you can use what ever pasta "floats your boat"), topped with a medley of clams, squid, fish, and shrimp cooked in white wine and sherry, then finished off with a touch of heavy cream. Garlic and shallots go in at the beginning and slices tomatoes go in near the end. Add some hand butter or Buer Mein to thicken it up. This is just butter and flour mixed together then chilled.

Well I know it's not in the usual format but this is such a simple dish that you can't hardly mess it up.

Cook to live; Live to cook; Glory to God in all,
Chef D.