Sous Vide New York Striploin

This dish was simple and delicious.

It is a Sous Vide New York Striploin with organic baby fingerling potatoes, large Gulf shrimp, and balsamic marinaded cipollini onions. and paired with a flavorful 2003 African Shiraz.

Break down;

Steak- Sous Vide at 131.5० for 45 minutes.
             * 1 bay leaf, 1 lime leaf, basil infused olive oil

Cipollini onions- Mandolin sliced thin, 

Potatoes- oven roasted in duck fat for 45 minutes at 375०.
             *  biased sliced, sea salt, fresh cracked multicolored peppercorns, duck and
                bacon fat 

Shrimp-  Steamed for 3-4 minutes.
             *  peeled and cleaned with tail on, half cup orange juice, sea salt,
                Herbs De Provence, lemon infused olive oil  

Wine-  2003 ur•bāne.
             *  African Shiraz The very plush—nearly mushy—mouthfeel provides barely
                adequate support for the sound berry, herb, and earth notes. Some
                commendable leather and game accents even show. Could sing if it had more
                spine to hold it together.

 Compliments of the Chef De Cuisine

Herb and Spice Flavor Map

By definition, Herbs are the aromatic leaves of plants without woody stems that grow in temperate zones. Spices are seasonings obtained from the bark, buds, fruit or flower parts, roots, seeds or stems of various aromatic plants and trees.

I will use the word spices to indicate any substance, herb, spice, or vegetable used to flavor foods. There are a myriad of spices and a host of varieties. It is typically cost prohibitive to stock every conceivable type and variety of spice. For this reason, I have chosen to focus on those herbs, spices, and dried vegetables that are used the most and in a wide compliment of recipes as flavoring agents.

While I am happy to source more exotic and rare herbs and spices for the discriminating and wildly adventurous cook, I will only present here a full compliment of spices that will allow any cook to be adventurous and successful at a minimal cost.

A “master” herb or spice is one that is used more frequently in common recipes and is often considered to be a kitchen staple. The 10 master herbs and spices are designated with an *.

Allspice

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Dried Berries often used in ground form. It is not a mixture made up of all spices. People often think it smells and tastes like a mixture of cloves, cinnamon, and nutmeg. This spice tends to enhance the flavors of other herbs and spices used with it, especially when used with cinnamon and nutmeg.
• Geographic Information: Bermuda, Honduras, Jamaica, and Mexico are major suppliers.
• Uses: A versatile spice used with meats, veggies, and in sweet items. Allspice is often an ingredient in Jamaican jerk seasoning, in pickling spices, in spiced tea mixes, cakes, cookies, and pies. It is used to enhance soups, stews, and curries. It works well with apples, beets, cabbage, caramel, cardamom, cinnamon, cloves, coriander, game meats, ginger, juniper, mace, mustard, nuts, nutmeg, onions, pears, poultry, pork, pumpkin, root vegetables, seafood and yams.

Anise and Star Anise

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Two different spices both with licorice overtones. Anise comes in seed and ground forms while star anise is a cluster of tiny spokes that are most often used in ground form.
• Geographic Information: Spain and Mexico, China, Vietnam.
• Uses: Gives the distinctive taste to licorice candy. Often used in cakes, cookies, and breads, soups, and stews, syrups, cordials, and fruit preserves. . Pairs well with apples, beets, beef, caramel, carrots, chocolate, citrus, cinnamon, coconut, coriander, cranberry, fennel, figs, fish, game meats, garlic, peaches, pomegranates, pork, poultry, pumpkin, root vegetables, seafood, and is often used in tea.

Basil*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Many varieties are available. Sweet Basil is most often used. Leaves that are used whole, chopped, or ground. Imparts a sweet taste with a refreshing bouquet.
• Geographic Information: Grown primarily in the United States, France, and the Mediterranean region but is cultivated throughout the world and it is easy to grow your own. 
• Uses: A must for any tomato based sauce or dish. Basil is a staple in Italian and Greek ethnic cuisine. It enhances the flavor of beef, chicken, eggs, fish and seafood. Basil blends well with capers, chives, cilantro, garlic, marjoram, oregano, mint, onion, parsley, rosemary, thyme, and savory. It can be used alone or along with other spices to enhance the taste of pasta. Serve basil with artichokes, eggplant, green vegetables, mushrooms, olives, pizza, grains and some fruits. Sweet Basil is the best basil for pesto and tomato salads.

Bay leaf 

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Bay leaves are often used whole in Bouquet Garni or chopped or ground for use in other cooking. It is pungent and sharp at the same time and also both bitter /sweet. Flavor is at its peak when dried and best when used with other herbs and spices.
• Geographic Information: Originally from the Mediterranean and now grown in Europe and the Americas. It is easy to grow your own. It is prefers temperate climates that are not too cold or too hot.
• Uses: A staple in American kitchens, slow to release its flavor it is best used in soups, stews, sauces, marinades and foods that need to take time to settle for a while. The leaves also flavor classic French dishes such as bouillabaisse and bouillon. This herb is essential to French, Italian, and Greek cooking. A classic bouquet garni includes bay, thyme, parsley and rosemary. Most recipes will use a dried leaf crumbled or ground. It blends well with allspice, artichokes, beans, beef, game meats, garlic, grains, juniper, lentils, marjoram, mushrooms, nuts, oregano, parsley, potatoes, poultry, sage, savory, seafood, thyme and tomatoes. It is sometimes used as a compliment to add a note of spice to fruit compotes and puddings. It is always used with milk to prepare a béchamel sauce.

Caraway

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Generally used in seed form or as a ground spice. It imparts its unique taste to Rye Bread. Often thought of as tangy yet sweet.
• Geographic Information: Holland is the world's largest Caraway producer. It is also grown in Germany, Russia, Morocco, parts of Scandinavia, Canada, and the USA.
• Uses: It is favored by German cooks and often found in rye bread, sauerkraut, sausage, cheese, cabbage, and soups. It adds a unique tang to broccoli, apples, beets, cured meats, mushrooms, nuts, pork, poultry, root vegetables, potatoes, seafood and yeast breads. Blends well with coriander, dill, fennel, garlic, onions, oregano, parsley, and thyme.

Cardamom

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Ground seed of the ginger family. The seeds are between 1/4 and 1-inch long. Comes in regular (greenish white) and black varieties. Greenish White is preferred with a smoother taste. Has an intense, sweet flavor and a pungent aroma.
• Geographic Information: India, Guatemala, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea, and Ceylon
• Uses: Curry blends and breads, but the majority is used in Arabic countries as a flavoring for coffee. Most often used in sweet or savory dishes. Combines well with apples, bananas, beans, caramel, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, coriander, curry, dates, ginger, grains, nuts, paprika, pears, pepper (true), pumpkin, rice, saffron, sugar, squash, tea, turmeric, yams, and yeast breads.

Celery*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Both seeds and dried stalks are used It has a salty and slightly bitter flavor with an aroma a bit like parsley.
• Geographic Information: Most of the cultivated seed is grown in France and India
• Uses: In bread stuffing, casseroles, soups, stews, appetizers and as a garnish. Combines well with cabbage, cilantro, cucumber, cumin, fish, garlic, ginger, mustard, onion, parsley, pepper (capsicum and true) potatoes, poultry, rice, rosemary, sage, tomatoes, and thyme.

Chives

• Description/Taste and Aroma: A member of the lily family it has a mild onion flavor with faint taste of garlic.
• Geographic Information: Most of North America. Easy to grow and often grown as a window plant. California produces much of the commercial crop. Grown in many parts of the world.
• Uses: Fines herbs, a traditional French herb blend, as a garnish, in mashed potatoes, soups, scrambled eggs, stews. Works well with asparagus, basil, cheese, cilantro, dill, fennel, green vegetables, horseradish, mushrooms, olives, paprika, pasta, parsley, seafood, and tarragon. Often served with butter and sour cream.

Cilantro

• Description/Taste and Aroma: It is the leaf of the coriander plant. Some think it is similar to a mixture of citrus and parsley with a bite. People either love it or hate it. Some find it soap like others find it refreshing.
• Geographic Information: Most of North America. California produces much of the commercial crop. Staple in many Mexican dishes and grown in Mexico. Also grown in Mediterranean area.
• Uses: Most Mexican cooking. One of the first herbs to be used by humans it is used in a variety of Ethnic cuisines including Indian, Mediterranean, European, and Mexican. Great with avocados, beef, chilies, citrus foods, coconut, coriander, corn, cumin, curry, dates, fennel, figs, garlic, mint, onion, oregano, pepper (capsicum and true), poultry, sausage, seafood, and tomatoes. Better to add leaves at end of cooking as heat diminishes them.

Cinnamon

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Dried bark of various laurel trees. One of the more common trees from which Cinnamon is derived is the cassia and Chinese cassia is very robust in flavor. Americans grew up with the cassia version of cinnamon. Cinnamon sticks are made from long pieces of bark that are rolled, pressed, and dried. It is slightly bitter and sweet at the same time. It has an appealing smell and is often used as an air freshener or to disguise odors. The higher the level of volatile oils the more intense the flavor and smell. True Cinnamon has no volatile oils. Cassia varieties from 1 to around 5 percent volatile oils. Vietnamese cinnamons have around 5 to 7 percent volatile oils.
• Geographic Information: True Cinnamon is native to Sri Lanka. The Cassia Cinnamon used in North America is from the cassia tree which is grown in Vietnam, China, Indonesia, and Central America
• Uses: One of the most common baking spices. Mixes well with Nutmeg, Ginger, and Allspice. Used in cakes, cookies, and desserts throughout the world. Often used in savory chicken and lamb dishes, used to enhance fruit and to flavor cereal dishes. Stick Cinnamon is used in pickling and for flavoring hot beverages and as aromatic decoration at holiday celebrations. Combines well with apples, bananas, beans, caramel, cardamom, chilies, chocolate, cloves, coffee, coriander, cranberry, cumin, curry, dates, game meats, figs, grains, lamb, mace, peaches, pears, poultry, pumpkin, rice, sugar, squash, tangerines, tea, turmeric, vanilla, yams and yeast breads. One of the ingredients in 5-spice powder.

Cloves 

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Brown dried flower buds of an evergreen tree in the myrtle family it is strongly pungent and bittersweet.
• Geographic Information: Madagascar, Indonesia, Brazil, and Ceylon
• Uses: Spice cookies and cakes. Much of the world crop is used in Indonesia for Clove cigarettes. Combines well with allspice, apples, bay leaf, beets, cardamom, carrots, chocolate, cinnamon, citrus, coriander, curry, fennel, game meats, ginger, mace, nuts, nutmeg, peaches, pineapple, pork, pumpkin, root vegetables, sausages, vanilla and yams.

Coriander

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Both seed and ground forms are used. It is has a strong lemon scent and can impart a lemony or orange tang.
• Geographic Information: Morocco and Romania, Europe, India, and the USA
• Uses: Indian curries, gin, American cigarettes, and sausages. It is used in a specific type of bread, some stews, and new uses for this old world spice are being found in modern times. It should be crushed or ground prior to use. Combines well with allspice, apples, bananas, beans, chili, cilantro, cinnamon, citrus, cloves, cumin, cured meats, curry, game meats, fennel, fish, garlic, ginger, mace, mint, mushrooms, nutmeg, onion, parsley, pork, potatoes, poultry, and seafood.

Cumin

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Pale green oval seed from the parsley family. It has a distinctive, slightly bitter taste with tinge of heat or warmth left on the tongue. Also there is black cumin which is milder and sweeter.
• Geographic Information: Iran, India, Sicily and Malta but is easy to grow and adapts well to multiple climates. Does not produce seeds until the second year and is not a pretty garden plant.
• Uses: Mexican dishes such as chili. Robust stews and piquant sauces. Combines well with allspice, anise, avocados, bay leaf, beans, beef, cabbage, cardamom, cheese (hard), cilantro, cinnamon, citrus, coconut, coriander, cucumber, curry, fennel, fenugreek, garlic, ginger, grains, lamb, lentils, mace, onion, nutmeg, parsley, potatoes, poultry, rice, sausages, seafood, and tomatoes.

Dill

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Both seed and weed are used and both come from the same annual plant. The weed is best used prior to flowering. The seeds come from the flower head and are pungent imparting a scent that is a bit like caraway, but lighter. Can have hints of anise or lemon depending upon the variety used. Has a bit of warmth to it.
• Geographic Information: Native to southern Russia. United States and India for commercial uses but it is easy to grow and can be found in many countries.
• Uses: A common pickling spice. Often sprinkled on tomatoes, blended into tuna salad, enhances dips with rye bread. Often used in German, Russian, and Scandinavian dishes. Combines well with anise, basil, cabbage, capers, caraway, carrots, chives, coriander, cucumbers, cumin, eggs, fennel, garlic, ginger, horseradish, mint, mustard, oregano, onion, paprika, parsley, potatoes, seafood, tarragon, tomatoes, turmeric, veal, vinegar, and yeast bread. When cooking, add at end of the cooking as it looses flavor if over heated.

Fennel

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Several varieties and all have oval, green-yellowish brown dried fruit and are a member of the parsley family. It is reminiscent of anise but sweeter and less pungent.
• Common Fennel (Meim fanindum) often cultivated in kitchen gardens.
• Sweet Fennel (Famuulum dulcc) native of Italy and Portugal, smaller plant than the common fennel but the fruit is 5 times the size of the common fennel.
• Geographic Information: India and Egypt
• Uses: Fish seasoning, blackened seasonings, Italian sausages, Middle Eastern cooking, curry powder mixes. Combines well with anise, artichokes, basil, beans, cabbage, cheese, cilantro, cinnamon, cucumber, cumin, dill, eggplant, fenugreek, figs, fish, garlic, lemon balm, lentils, mint, olives, onion, oregano, parsley, pork, potatoes, rice, sausage, seafood, thyme, tomatoes and veal. One of the spices in 5-spice powder and garam masala.

Garlic*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: The dried root is a member of the lily family. The root bulb is used and comprised of sections called cloves that are protected by a layer of skin and held together by additional layers of skin. There are several varieties each having its own flavor.  Not all are used in cooking. Distinctive, pungent, warm, aromatic, sweet and spicy at the same time. Whole cloves, minced, granulated and powdered forms are commonly used.
• Geographic Information: Native to central Asia, grown throughout the world. California produces most of the cultivated crop. The most cultivated variety is Common garlic which is a hardy plant, known in the United States by the name of English garlic; it is a native of Sicily, capable of growing in almost any soil.
• Uses: A staple in almost every cuisine throughout the world.  It is a key ingredient in Italian, Mexican, and Chinese cooking. Used with every food group except desserts and sweets. It is also rarely used in beverages. Compliments almost everything but sweet spices and fruit.

Ginger

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Often dried and ground or "crystallized" with sugar. It is slightly hot and biting while also sweet, warm, and somewhat woody.
• Geographic Information: India, China and Jamaica. 3 species are found in the USA, but they are very different in properties than their Asian cousins. Their taste is however similar to those found in Asia. Australia has begun cultivating it now.
• Uses: Gingerbread, ginger ale, gingersnaps, fruit pies, savory dishes and Asian dishes. Combines well with allspice, anise, asparagus, bananas, basil, beef, carrots, chilies, chives, chocolate, cilantro, cinnamon, citrus, cloves, coconut, coriander, cranberry, cumin, curry, dates, fennel, figs, fish, garlic, nuts, nutmeg, onion, peaches, pears, pepper (capsicum and true) poultry, pumpkin, raisins, root vegetables, seafood, sugar, tea, turmeric, vanilla, veal, and yams. Enhances flavor in salt-free seasonings.

Mace 

• Description/Taste and Aroma: The nutmeg tree produces two spices, nutmeg and mace. Mace is the ground outer covering of the nutmeg seed. Its flavor and aroma are similar to nutmeg but mace has higher degree of pungency.
• Geographic Information: Warm climates throughout the world. Indonesia, Grenada, New Guinea, West Indies and like climates. Most comes from Banda Islands processed through Java and Sumatra.
• Uses: Primarily used in baking, it is the dominant flavor in doughnuts. It is often used in cakes, cookies, and in savory dishes like European soups and stews. Combines well with allspice, asparagus, beans, cabbage, carrots, cheese, cinnamon, cloves, coffee, cranberries, cumin, eggs, ginger, nutmeg, peaches, pumpkin, potatoes, sausage, sugar, vanilla, veal, and yams.

Marjoram

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Grayish-green leaf. Can be mistaken for oregano. There are at least 8 species, besides numerous varieties. The species most frequently cultivated are the common or pot marjorum (O. vulgare), sweet or summer marjoram (O. majorana), and winter marjoram (O. herachoticum.) sweet with an undertone of bitterness.
• Geographic Information: United States, France, Mediterranean
• Uses: A seasoning used in pasta blends, tomato dishes, vegetables, meat sauces, poultry seasonings, soups, and stews. Combines well with artichokes, basil, beans, beef, cheese, cinnamon, cumin, eggplant, fennel, garlic, mushrooms, onion, oregano, parsley, seafood, squash, thyme, and veal.

Mustard

• Description/Taste and Aroma: There are three types of mustards, all having yellow flowers and small round seeds.  Hot and spicy, powdered mustard has no aroma when dry, but when mixed with water it releases a hot aroma.
• Brown Mustard, Brassica juncea, more pungent and brighter flavor
• White Mustard, Brassica hirta, less pungent and more mellow in flavor. This is the mustard that is commonly called Yellow Mustard as the seeds are more yellow than white.
• Black Mustard, Brassica nigra, very strong and distinctive flavor used often in Southeast Asian and Indian cooking,
• Geographic Information: North Dakota is largest domestic producer, also found in Canada and England
• Uses: Indian dishes and a world of condiments. There are a myriad of prepared types to purchase including stone ground, salad, gourmet, Dijon, and wine varieties. Enhances meats, fish, fowl, sauces, and salad dressings. Often used in pickling or in boiling vegetables such as cabbage or sauerkraut. Combines well with beef, cabbage, capers, cheese, chilies, cured meats, fennel, game meats, garlic, honey, onion, poultry, root vegetables, sausage, seafood, vinegar /wine, and yeast breads. 

Nutmeg

• Description/Taste and Aroma: The nutmeg tree produces two spices, nutmeg and mace. Nutmeg is the brown seed of the evergreen tree native to the Molucca Islands. It is piquant yet sweet, similar to cinnamon but has more of a bite. Less intense than its sibling, mace.
• Geographic Information: Warm climates throughout the world. Indonesia, Grenada, New Guinea, West Indies and like climates. Most comes from Banda Islands processed through Java and Sumatra.
• Uses: Primarily used in baking, it is often found in cakes, cookies, and in savory dishes like European soups and stews, sausages, meats, soups, and preserves. Nutmeg is commonly added to eggnog. Combines well with allspice, asparagus, beans, cabbage, cardamom, carrots, cheese, cinnamon, cloves, coffee, coriander, cranberries, cumin, eggs, fish, ginger, lamb, mace, onion, peaches, pepper (true), pumpkin, potatoes, pumpkin, sausage, seafood chowders, , sugar, thyme, vanilla, veal, and yams.

 Onion* 

• Description/Taste and Aroma: The ever popular onion is a bulb of Allium cepa, of either the lily or the amaryllis family. A number of varieties exist each with a unique flavor and various colors. Intensely pungent with a sharp bite. Some varieties are almost sweet.
• Geographic Information: Worldwide
• Uses: Meats, vegetables, sauces, soups, stews, appetizers, eggs, sauces, relishes, breads. Compliments everything but sweet spices and fruit. 

Oregano*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Multiple varieties exist. Greek Oregano is a dried leaf that is uniquely pungent, highly aromatic and a mixture of sweet and savory. The Mexican variety is more intense and has a wilder flavor.
• Geographic Information: United States, France, Mediterranean, Mexico, Turkey
• Uses: Pasta seasoning blends, tomato dishes, vegetables, meat sauces, poultry seasonings, soups, and stews. A key ingredient in chili powders. Combines well with artichokes, basil, beans, beef, cheese, cinnamon, cumin, eggplant, fennel, garlic, marjoram, mushrooms, onion, parsley, pasta, poultry, seafood, squash, thyme, tomatoes, and veal.

 Paprika*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Comes from a mild red pepper in the Capsicum annum family. There are several varieties and some are hotter or sweeter than others but all have a slight heat to them and a strong red color.
• Geographic Information: Hungary, Spain, South America, and California.
• Uses: Main flavor in Hungarian cooking, including dishes such as Goulash and Chicken Paprikash. Often used with eggs, fish /shellfish, cheese, sausages, tomato dishes and in vegetable casseroles. Combines well with all meats, all vegetables, and can be used to spice fruit. Often used with allspice, beans, beef, caraway, cardamom, cheese (white preferred), garlic, ginger, legumes, oregano, parsley, pepper (other capsicum varieties and true pepper), pork, poultry, rosemary, saffron, thyme, turmeric and vegetables..

Parsley

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Several varieties exist with various tastes. Light, fresh, slightly sweet and slightly bitter taste.
• Geographic Information: California grows a large amount commercially. Often found in windowsill gardens and in home gardens as it is easy to grow.
• Uses: Curly parsley is often used as a garnish. Flat parsley, also called French or Italian parsley, is favored by chefs for cooking in soups and sauces, tuna salad, and eggs. It is often combined with other herbs and spices in prepared blends. Works well with artichokes, asparagus, basil, bay leaf, beans, beef, chives, dill, game meats, garlic, marjoram, mushrooms, grains, onion, oregano, pasta, potatoes, poultry, seafood, thyme, tomatoes, and yeast bread.

Pepper, Capsicum Chili and Bell versions*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Multiple varieties all from the nightshade family. Commonly called chili pepper, red pepper, or sweet pepper. Some are very hot while bell peppe have no heat to them at all. Chemicals in the fruit can produce a strong burning sensation in the mouth. Most have mild aromas but a few are very intensely pungent. Rated for hotness based on a scale devised by American chemist Wilbur Scoville in 1912 which measures the hotness or piquancy of a chili pepper, calculated on the amount of capsaicin it contains. The number of Scoville heat units (SHU) indicates the amount of capsaicin present and how hot the pepper is. Naga Jolokia is the hottest chili in the world with a rating of 1,040,000 SHU. Each year’s crop can vary so heat units shown on the scale are approximate for each type of pepper listed. Crushed Red versions can vary in hotness but most range in the 20,000 to 40,000 unit level.
• Geographic Information: Grown throughout the world. Major crops are produced in Central and South America and the West Indies. A majority are found in the Americas.
• Uses: Often combined with other herbs and spices in prepared blends. Each has a distinctive taste. Used with eggs, meats, cheese, vegetables, soups, sauces, pastas, breads. A main ingredient in Mexican, Hungarian, Italian and United States cuisine. Compliments all meats, all vegetables, and can be used to spice fruit.

Scoville Pepper Scale

• 855,000–1,050,000 Naga Jolokia (a.k.a. Ghost Pepper)
• 350,000–580,000 Red Savina Habanero
• 100,000–350,000 Habanero chili, Scotch Bonnet, Datil, Jamaican Hot, Piquin
• 50,000–100,000 Thai /Indian, Pequin, Dundicut, Sanaam, Tien Tsin
• 30,000–50,000 Cayenne, Tabasco, some Chipotle varieties, Arbol
• 10,000–23,000 Most Chipotle, Aleppo, Cascabel, CA Jalapeño
• 2,500–10,000 Jalapeño, NM Anaheim, Paprika (Hungarian wax pepper), Ancho, Guajillo
• 500–2,500 Anaheim, Poblano
• 100–500 Pimento, Pepperoncini
• 0 No heat, Bell (green, orange, red, and yellow)

Pepper, True version*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Multiple varieties exist.
• True Pepper is the dried berry of Piper nigrum. This is a vine indigenous to India and Asia. Pepper comes from the berries that are picked about nine months after flowering. (This is true pepper, and should not be confused with paprika, cayenne pepper, chili pepper, red pepper, and bell pepper, which are fruits from the capsicum family.)
• Black Pepper is the spiciest from unripened berries. It is sharp and pungent.
• White Pepper is from berries ripened on the vine then soaked to remove the outer hulls. It is hotter and more pungent than black.
• Green Peppercorns are immature berries freeze dried or packed in brine for preservation. Mildest in flavor.
• Red and Yellow Peppercorns are from fully ripened berries left on the vines to soak up the sun. Actual color is more of a yellow brown with a reddish tinge. Most are brined and sealed in jar as the ripe versions do not take to processing well. With the new ways of freeze-drying spices we have the ability to have true red and yellow peppercorn that are not brined.
• Rose or Pink Peppercorns are not really pepper, but are berries from a tree in Peru and are a dried fruit that are often mixed into gourmet peppercorn blends to give color and sweetness. Most often used with fish and poultry. Large quantities can cause stomach irritation so use sparingly.
• Geographic Information: India produces the bulk of the world’s pepper and it also is produced in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brazil
• Uses: It is often combined with other herbs and spices in prepared blends. It is a common table condiment and is used to season everything but sweet foods. It is used with eggs, meats, cheese, vegetables, soups, sauces, pastas, breads and is considered to be one of the most used spices. Compliments all meats, all vegetables, and can be used to spice fruit. Can be used whole, crushed, or ground.

Rosemary

• Description/Taste and Aroma: 1inch needle like leaves. It is highly aromatic and is a bit peppery and woodsy at the same time.
• Geographic Information: Rosemary is native to the Mediterranean and grown throughout that region. It is widely produced in the USA, France, Spain, and Portugal. It is easy to grow and is a often grown in herb gardens.
• Uses: A staple in Italian cooking, it is also used in breads, lamb, pork, chicken, and pasta dishes. Combines well with apples, asparagus, basil, beans, beef, cheese, citrus, cranberry, fennel, game meat, garlic, grains, mushrooms, marjoram, onion, oregano, parsley, pasta, potatoes, poultry, sausage, seafood, thyme, tomatoes, and yeast bread.

 Sage

• Description/Taste and Aroma: There is a velvety texture to its long grayish green leaves. There are many varieties each with a slightly different taste. Some find it to be warm and pungent. Dried leaves much more intense than fresh ones.
• Geographic Information: United States is a large producer of common sage, Mexico is known for its Mexican sage. Sage is known and grown throughout the world originating in the northern Mediterranean.
• Uses: Poultry, soups, stews, bread, rice, Italian blended spices, sausages, pork. Often paired with apples, bay leaf, beans, capers, caraway, celery, cheese, citrus, beef, game meats, garlic, ginger, marjoram, onions, paprika, parsley, poultry, rosemary, savory, seafood, thyme and tomatoes.

Salt*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Many culinary varieties, 3 of the most common are: iodized table salt, kosher salt, and sea salt. They come in fine grain, course, flake and even smoked and organic versions. There is a choice of iodized to prevent goiters from forming and non-iodized versions. All salts are salty. Sea salts have a wide range of subtle flavor differences based on what minerals are mixed in.
• Iodized Table Salt used as an additive after cooking and used during cooking too. Some people think the addition of iodine changes the taste. Dissolves easily in water.
• Kosher Salt has a coarser grind with large enough crystals to soak up meat juices. This is normally a flake salt.
• Sea Salt comes in a variety of versions with subtle taste differences. Mediterranean is considered one of the nicer flavors. Does not dissolve as easily as table salt. Has a bigger grain than table salt. Ranges from inexpensive to very expensive.
• Geographic Information Throughout the world from both sea and inland salt deposits. Mediterranean coastal areas provide many of the well known sea salts. Table salt is usually mined while sea salt comes from the sea and Kosher salt comes from both inland and sea sources.
• Uses All salts have the ability to preserve food and to add flavor universally to any food.
• Table Salt usually fine grained. Comes in iodized and non-iodized. Used as an additive after cooking. Used to add flavor during cooking with all kinds of food. It is a universal seasoning.
• Kosher Salt has a coarser grind with large enough crystals to soak up meat juices and therefore is used in the preparation of Kosher foods. This is a salt of choice by many chefs. It dissolves faster then table salt but is made of larger grains called flakes.
• Sea Salt comes in a variety of versions with a variety of subtle taste differences based on the minerals found with it. Mediterranean is considered one of the nicer flavors. Sea salt does not dissolve as easily as table salt. Has a bigger grain generally than table salt. Has widest range of pricing from inexpensive to very expensive. A chef’s choice.

Savory

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Comes in two culinary forms: Summer and Winter. Most savory is a blend of the two unless Summer or Winter is specified.
• Summer Savory clean, piney and peppery
• Winter Savory stronger more similar to rosemary
• Geographic Information: United States, Mediterranean, Central to Eastern Europe. Easy to grow, it is often found in herb gardens throughout the world.
• Uses:
• Summer Savory known as the bean herb in Germany. Often used with beans and legumes, lentils and green beans.. Poultry and vegetables and is often used in vegetable blends to flavor soups, stews, and sauces.
• Winter Savory game meats, red meats, pates and sausage
• Combinations: used with beans, poultry, soups, stews, sauces, sausages.

Sesame 

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Most commonly produced seed and comes in several varieties including yellowish-white, red, or black versions. Has a mild, somewhat nutty taste. Little to no aroma. .
• Geographic Information: India, Middle East, Africa, Indonesia
• Uses: Breads, Asian stir-fries, Chinese cooking, Middle Eastern cuisine, Italian breads and cookies, pasta, and as a garnish on vegetables. Combines well with beans, citrus, game meats, garlic, ginger, seafood, thyme, and yeast bread.  

Sugar

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Sweet crystalline substances such as, sucrose, lactose, and fructose. In food usage, sugar generally refers to sucrose, which comes from sugar cane and sugar beet plants. There are several types, white (processed), brown (less processed), powdered also called confectioners.
• Geographic Information: Brazil and Hawaii produce much of the world’s supply.
• Uses: A sweetening agent. Also adds texture to baked goods.
• White sugar called table sugar. Used in baking, to sweeten tea and coffee. Common sugar used in many recipes. Several grades with Caster’s sugar being a very fine grade.
• Brown /Brownulated sugar less refined, used in baking and spice cakes. Used to season ham and pork. Generally contains molasses which gives it its brown color. Brown sugar contains from 3.5% molasses (light) to 6.5% molasses (dark). Recipes that call for "brown sugar" generally mean light brown sugar.
• Powdered also called confectioner’s sugar. Used in baking, to decorate cakes and cookies and brownies, to make icing and frosting. It is a more refined version of white sugar and comes in degrees of fineness indicated by X. XXX, XXXX, and 10X are most often found in stores.

Tarragon*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: There are two distinct varieties, Russian native to Siberia and western Asia and a cultivated variety grown in France and Germany that is preferred for cooking. There is also a Mexican variety that is really a type of marigold and not true tarragon. Tarragon is a staple in French cooking. French variety is greener, glossier and more pungent. Most commercial Tarragon comes from dried leaves of the French Tarragon plant. It has a faint flavor similar to anise and basil. Russian variety has a slight bitterness to it and is not preferred for cooking.
• Geographic Information: Native to southern Russia and western Asia, primary producer is now France.
• Uses: Flavoring for vinegar, pickles, relishes, prepared mustards, and sauces, fish, meat, soups and stews, often used in tomato and egg dishes. Combines well with artichokes, basil, bay leaf, capers, carrots, chives, citrus, dill, eggs, garlic, green vegetables, mushrooms, onion, oregano, parsley, potatoes, poultry, seafood, thyme, tomatoes, and veal. It is able to enhance the properties of other herbs when used in moderation.

Thyme*

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Thyme leaves are generally dried then chopped or ground. It is minty, warm and peppery with a hint of cloves.
• Geographic Information: United States, France, Mediterranean, Spain, Portugal
• Uses: Seasoning blends for poultry and stuffing, fish, chowders, soups, sauces, lamb, veal, eggs, tomatoes. Combines well with artichokes, bananas, basil, bay leaf, beans, carrots, cheese, citrus, dill, garlic, mint, mushrooms, onion, oregano, parsley, potatoes, poultry, sage, and seafood.

Turmeric

• Description/Taste and Aroma: Marco Polo described Turmeric as "a vegetable with the properties of saffron, yet it is not really saffron." Sometimes called the poor man’s saffron. Gives pale food a yellow coloring and gives curry its distinctive yellowish color. It has a distinctive, pungent somewhat bitter taste with a slight orange - ginger undertone
• Geographic Information: India is the primary producer of Turmeric. It is also grown in China and Indonesia.
• Uses: Essential ingredient of curry powder, used extensively in Indian dishes and in Southeast Asian cooking. Often used to season eggs, spice up lentil and meat dishes, in mustard blends and relishes. Used as a less expensive alternative to saffron to provide color and flavor. Combines well with allspice, anise, beans, beef, carrots, chilies, chives, cilantro, citrus, cloves, coconut, coriander, cumin, curry, dates, fennel, figs, fish, garlic, ginger, nutmeg, onion, paprika, pepper (capsicum and true) poultry, rice, root vegetables, seafood, and veal.

Natural Berkshire Roasted pork loin with lemon and sage

This is a Natural Berkshire Roasted pork loin with lemon and sage.

 
Simple amazing dish..

Ingredients...

Pork loin with nice fat side for scoring
1 Lemon to zest
Fresh Sage
1 Garlic clove
Salt
Pepper
Olive oil
Cooking twine
Flat leaf Parsley


*NOTE* there are few amounts of how much to use because it is to your taste

Prep work...

Score the fat on back, slice into the center and press flat to stuff.

Zest the lemon,
Pull leaves off the sage stalk (see pic)
Chop 1/4 cup of flat leaf parsley leaves Finely slice one clove of garlic
Salt and pepper and olive oils the the ready

Lay loin with inside up and add zest, sage leaves (see pic) garlic and parsley and drizzle with olive oil.

Close the loin and make sure you stuff the inside ingredients back in if it tries to come out.

With the cooking twine tie the loin with the scored side up. Rub with olive oil sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Cook 400 for 45 min

Pull out the loin and set it on the cutting board to rest for at least 5 minutes. While its resting, garnish your plate.

Slice the loin into 1/2 inch slices and display on the plate, use the juices that were rendered from the loin cooking to pour around the it on the plate as a simple au jus.

Enjoy
Chef DeCuisine

Scored Loin

 

Sliced

Prep Work

Zest

Sage and Garlic

Olive Oil, Salt and Pepper

Tied and ready to go in the pan

Foil covered pan

400° for 45 min

Garnished plate

Loin done

Chef display

Table ready plate to serve your diner

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Pasta Mardi Gras

Pasta Mardi Gras

Ingredients:

2 cups cooked fettuccine
•1/4 pound butter
•1 1/3 tablespoon chopped garlic
•2 tablespoons chopped green onions
•1/4 cup sliced cremini mushrooms
•1/3 cup chopped tomatoes
•1/3 cup sliced andouille sausage
•1/3 cup shrimp peeled and devained
•1/3 cup crawfish tail meat
•1/3 oz dry white wine
•2/3 tablespoon lemon juice
•2/3 cup heavy whipping cream
•1/4 cup mixed bell peppers chopped (red green yellow)
•1/4 lb chipped cold butter
•2/3 tablespoons chopped parsley
•Salt and pepper to taste

The how to's:

In a 3 quart pot melt butter over medium high heat

Add green onions mushrooms and andouille sausage

Sauté 3 to 5 minutes add garlic and tomatoes and continue to sauté for three minutes

Add shrimp and crawfish and continue cooking for an additional two minutes

Deglaze the pan with white wine and lemon juice and cook until liquid is reduced by half

Add heavy whipping cream and, stirring constantly until cream is reduced and thick, a sauce like consistency about five minutes or so

Add diced bell peppers and chipped butter, 2 to 3 pats at a time, swirling pan constantly over burner

Continue to add butter until all is incorporated

Remove from heat, add parsley and salt-and-pepper to taste

Gently fold in your cooked fettuccine and serve

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"Agrumes embrassa dinde"...Simply amazing Citrus-kissed turkey

This dish came to me as I was seeking a good Chardonnay to relax with my feet up. It's super simple and amazingly flavorful!


Ingredients:

All can be found in your local grocery store if not already in your pantry.

1 turkey breast sliced 1 to 1/2 " thick

1/4 cup of grape seed oil (*1)

3 minced cloves of garlic (*2)

6 tbsp orange juice

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tsp Herbs de Provence

4 tbsp FRESH chopped rosemary


1/2 cup Chardonnay

1/4 cup heavy cream (*3)

1/2 tsp Yakima applewood smoked sea salt (*4)

Cooking process:

Pre heat oven at 350°

Place sliced turkey in a aluminum foil coated pan, 9X13" should suffice.


In a none stick sauce pan add oil, orange juice, lemon juice, Herbs de Provence and garlic heat over medium heat for 3-6 minutes then pour over turkey.

Sprinkle rosemary over oil coated turkey.

Place in 350° oven for 25 minutes until turkey is done.

Turn oven to broil for 10 minutes and bast turkey with liquid in pan until golden brown on top.

Remove from oven, place on a cutting board to rest and then slice on a bias.

Pour remaining liquid from pan back into sauce pan over medium hear and whisk in 1/4 cup of milk or heavy cream, Yakima applewood smoked sea salt and 1/2 cup Chardonnay, reduce by 1/3 to make a gravy.

Plating:

Pipe mashed potatoes onto center of plate, lay biased sliced turkey a top mashed potatoes and drizzle gravy over top. Add a vegetable of your choosing and a light buttery bread or pastry. I paired it with a crisp Pinot Grigio.

*1 you can use olive oil if you choose as a substitute

*2 use the minced garlic in the jar...same flavor, less prep time, plus for the money you spend for garlic cloves that will go bad before you use them all, the jar will last for months in the refrigerator.

*3 you can substitute the heavy cream for milk

*4 if you do not have the Yakima applewood smoked sea salt, mix a tsp of kosher salt and a dash of hickory liquid smoke and add to the sauce.



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Cajun Seafood Gumbo

Cold weather....warm meal! Cajun seafood gumbo..jumbo lump crab, shrimp, lobster, andouille sausage, sautéed chicken thighs, and a grouper filet! Served over white rice with a buttery, flaky croissant and with a crisp Chardonnay.. Cuddle weather comfortable! Compliments of the Chef.


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Cajun Chef's Baked Ziti

Ok! I'm back and I'm giving you the best laid plans for best Baked Ziti you can get because its fresh and home made!!

Cooking time: about 55 minutes depending on if you are using gas or electricity.

Ingredients
• 1 pound ziti (can sub with penne zita) pasta
• EVOO (extra virgin olive oil)
• 1 pound bulk Italian sausage or ground beef or pork
• 1 large onion, chopped ( I like to use Vidalia’s because of the sweetness)
• 3-4 garlic cloves, chopped (or use minced garlic in the jar, spice world is good)
• 1 Tbsp fresh rosemary, minced
• 1 Tbsp fresh basil, minced
• 1 Tbsp Italian seasoning
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• 1 teaspoon dried basil
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• T Tbsp Herbs De Province
The oregano, basil and thyme is your basic Italian seasoning like McCormick has 
• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 large jar of marinara sauce (about 32 ounces) or make your own see recipe below
• 1/2 pound of mozzarella cheese, grated
• 1 heaping cup of ricotta cheese
• 1 cup grated pecorino cheese, or you can use parmesan

Cooking method
Bring a large pot of water to a strong boil. Add about a tablespoon of sea salt for every 2 quarts of water. Add the pasta and boil, uncovered, until the pasta is al dente and drain. Toss with a little olive oil so the pasta does not stick together while you make the sauce.

Pour about a tablespoon of olive oil into a large sauté pan on medium-high to heat, when the oil is hot, add the bulk sausage or ground meat.

Don't crowd the pan, work in batches if needed, crowding the pan will give you uneven cooking areas. 

Break up any large chunks of sausage as it cooks. Brown well. Don't stir that often or it will be more difficult for the meat to brown. If you are using ground beef or pork instead of sausage, add a little kosher salt. When the meat is mostly browned, add the onions and stir well to combine.

Sauté everything until the onions are translucent and beginning to brown, usually about 4-5 minutes, depending on the cooking medium (gas or electric).

Add the garlic, rosemary and basil, Italian seasoning and red pepper flakes and stir to combine. Cook another minute or so, then add the marinara sauce and stir well. Bring to a simmer.

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Spread a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 9x13-inch casserole pan, then dot the surface with half the ricotta cheese. Ladle in some sauce with the pasta, mix it well and add the pasta into the casserole. Pour the rest of the sauce over the pasta, dot the remaining ricotta cheese over the pasta, and sprinkle on top both the mozzarella, pecorino cheese and herbs de province.

Bake in the oven until the top is nicely browned, about 20 minutes.

Marinara sauce
1 tablespoon good olive oil
1 cup chopped yellow onion
1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
1/2 cup good red wine, like a nice Chianti
1 (28-ounce) can crushed tomatoes, or plum tomatoes in puree, chopped
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions 
Heat the olive oil in a large (12-inch) skillet. Add the onion and sauté over medium heat until translucent, usually about 5 to 10 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for about a minute more. Add the wine and cook on high heat, scraping up all the brown bits in the pan, until almost all the liquid evaporates, about 3 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes, parsley, salt, and pepper. Cover, and simmer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes.

Instagram

Hello all,


It has been sometime since I have posted her and I truly apologize. I must explain that I think it was ambitious of me to do the 50 in 50 but I found that very few viewers understood what I was doing. Therefore I discontinued the concept but not the blog.


I have also created an Instagram account to display the dishes BUT will ONLY post the recipes for them on here so please check it out and follow.


To my followers I thank you and look forward to hearing from you on dishes you wish to see and questions you have on cooking them.


All my best
Chef De Cuisine


http://instagram.com/cajun_chef


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for Family and Friends

Ok people, I was talking to my niece on the phone yesterday and we were talking about simple dishes that look great and taste amazing and I though of my lowly lil blog that I have neglected.

As most know I don’t cook from written down recipes and its hard for me to sit and write out what I use in my dishes but I have did just that for this simple dish. Nikki…this is for you.

Steelhead Trout with Blistered Tomatoes

Ingredients:
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (actually works beautifully with this)
2 pints Cherry Tomatoes (the grape tomatoes work fine too)
1 clove of Chopped Garlic (use the minced garlic in the little jar ok, make it easy on yourself)
Sea Salt to taste
Cracked Pepper to taste
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Thyme
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Oregano
1 Tablespoon of Fresh Chopped Basil
¼ cup of Cilantro
Juice from ¼ of a Lime
2 - 6 to 8 Ounce Fillets of Steelhead Trout skin on (works very well with striped bass also)

Directions:
1. Pre-heat your sauté pan to a medium high heat.
2. Rub fillets with olive oil and season them with sea salt and cracked pepper.
3. Sear the Trout in Olive oil for about 2 minutes with the flesh side down.
4. Flip your Trout so the skin side is down and then add the cherry tomatoes to the pan to fill the areas around the fillets.
5. Cook for another 4-5 minutes.
6. While fish cooks take the cilantro and squeeze the fresh lime juice on it with salt and pepper to taste.
7. Remove fish and set aside on a plate.
8. Add the Thyme, Oregano, and chopped Basil to the tomatoes , stir gently and season with sea salt and cracked pepper.
9. Allow to cook for one minute.
10. Serve enough tomatoes to hold the fish on top of them, you can add cilantro salad either to the side or on top of the fillet
11. If you want to get really fancy make some cilantro rice (get with me on that recipe) and serve your fish on a bed of that and use the tomatoes as a garnish and profess your Kitchen Dominance! — with Nikki Thomas Jones.

Thank you!

I was asked again to resume my posting on the blog and I shall.

I was talking to a few male friends of mine who have no idea of how to cook! Strange I know right! Well I have decided to embark on a huge undertaking and continue the 50 in 50 AND throw in a section for Men in the Kitchen.
Now I know this will not be easy and will at times seem like a job more than a passionate labor of love LOL but I will preserver and press on.

I will get into a series of things such as;

Using soups as bases for sauces.

The ease of duplicating a meal you have at your favorite restaurant, at home.

The ease of cooking with your significant other and enjoying it!

The intricate balance of pairing wine with your dishes.

And a host of other subjects as well, so welcome back to those that have been her and waiting on me to get back on the horse, and welcome to those that just view the blog.


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Still cooking

It has been over week since I placed a recipe on the blog. It's not due to my desire to stop my blog, it is just that work has caused me to divert my focus temporarily. I will still be doing the 50 in 50 and will have another recipe up Monday, so get ready.

The passport will take us through 10 different regions of France and also give us a few recipes that every cook should have in their repertoire. These are the areas we will cover;

Burgundy, there are three recipe from this area, two from the Rhône Alps, one from Normandy and two from Toulouse.

We will hop from geographic locations in no particular order, as you can see when we pull two recipes from Languedoc, four from Provence two from Aveyron, one from Flander, two from Paris and two from Alsace, one we have already completed.

I will also provide you with seven sauce recipes. There are eight mother sauces that YOU MUST BE FAMILURE WITH!! These sauces can and will take a week each just so you truly understand them.

Some recipes will be ones that are from no particular region but are still French in nature, and need to be included in your repertoire, there will be fifteen of those.

For those that are following the blog please keep following, and those that are just viewing, click the link at the bottom and follow and leave comments. Join in and lets have fun in the kitchen. I will have more advice from farmers and sommelier's and awesome local Chefs that understand the passion of cooking and helping others to realize their culinary visions.

I have been offered the opportunity to apprentice under an awesome Chef. I will take it and work free of charge as I feel my payment is learning and benefiting under his tutelage. I encourage you all to seek out those elusive opportunities where you can pick up skills and enhance your outlook in the kitchen. And remember people Culinary Institutes are NOT the only place to acquire cooking skills. Think outside the box and go unconventional.

I will also continually cover spices over every week. I want you to understand the proper usage of spices in your dishes. Your dish does not have to be spicy when spices are utilized properly, unless that is your intent. Spices should accent your dish and add a certain flavor profile that is multi layered and enhances the main focal point of the dish.



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2-50 Carré De Cochon En Cocotte (Casseroled rack of pork)

Carré De Cochon En Cocotte (Casseroled rack of pork)
To all of you that got in the kitchen and experimented with me with the last dish I hope it opened up a new passion for you and you continue to follow along.

This week the dish will be Carré De Cochon En Cocotte, translated;
Carré De Cochon(Rack (ribs) or loin of pork ) En Cocotte ( A high sided cooking pot (casserole) with a lid).

The ingredients are

4 rib rack of pork ribs
4 onions, sliced
6 scallions, chopped
2 packages of frozen (locally grown if you can find them) English peas, thawed
1 lb fingerling potatoes
3 Granny Smith apples
2 cups of hard dry cider
1/3 stick unsalted butter
Sea salt and fresh cracked black pepper

There, you have all the things you will need to make this great dish, we will cook it on Friday.

Comment on substitutions if you cannot find or use certain things contained in the recipe.

For those that are following from the wine club, comments on what wine would be best paired with this dish is always welcomed.

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1-50, Alsace Coq Au Riesling

Welcome to the beginning of a beautiful 50 weeks of awesome food.

To start off our passport adventure, the opening dish we cooked was Coq Au Riesling from the Alsace region of France. It is beautiful, healthy, and super easy!

The mushrooms were added to but not substituted, I added button mushrooms just for a little more texture. You could sub them if you wanted to with something flavorful like a portobello or maybe even say a shiitake.

This dish could go either light, like I did it here or it could go rustic and you could make it more hardy and add lardons and other ingredients and plate it more along the lines of French comfort food.

For those that cooked this dish let me know your feed back on how it turned out and what you would change or add.

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Alsace~Coq Au Riesling

This will start off out the 50 in 50, Our passport through France. Our first dish will be Alsace~Coq Au Riesling, simply chicken in a white wine sauce.

Here is what you will need;

3 lbs Air chilled chicken thighs and or legs
(Using meat that is on the bone is ALWAYS more flavorful)
Sea salt and freshly ground pepper
(I ONLY use sea salt in my house period!! no iodine. You can use
multicolored pepper corns and they will give you more of a rounded
taste)
2 tbsp of duck fat
(You can order this on line and it can be frozen for months!!)
4 shallots, minced OR 1 small leek, sliced
(I personally like to use the shallots because the flavor is sweeter AND
they are easier to obtain)
1 clove of garlic, minced
(You can use the garlic in the jar thats already minced,it works just as well)
1 cup plus 2 Tbsp dry Riesling

1/2 cup chicken stock
(You can use boxed chicken stock for this because trying to make your own is pretty extensive)

3-4 cups of Texas oyster mushrooms, torn
(try your best to use these mushrooms because the flavor profile they
provide is necessary)

1/2 cup crème fraiche
(You can make this fairly easy. You will need 1 pint heavy cream, 2 tablespoons cultured buttermilk. Combine buttermilk and heavy cream in non-reactive container. Cover and allow to rest at room temperature until thickened to desired texture, about 12 hours. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks)

Chopped fresh parsley and tarragon for garnish

and we will serve this over buttered egg noodles that you can get from your local grocery store in a bag

First;
season the chicken with salt and pepper. Working in batches, brown the chicken on all sides in a sauté pan with the duck fat, setting them to the side on a plate. Add the shallots or your leek and garlic to the pan and cook for one minute; add the mushrooms and stir; deglaze with 2 tbsp of wine, place chicken back into the pan, add the rest of the wine and chicken stock; cover simmer for about 20-30 minutes turing once. Remove the chicken to a serving platter, boil the cooking liquid down to sauce consistency. Stir the crème fraiche. When hot, season to taste and pour over the chicken, sprinkle with the herbs and serve.

Now as you can see it is a fairly simple recipe. If there are questions or desires for substitutions let me know them.



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Le français 50 par 50” (French 50/50)

Ok people, I have been inundated with requests for recipes and tips on spices and a myriad of other things. Also my wife loves to be in the kitchen with me and learning different cooking techniques SO I discussed this with her and I will do a Passport to France, a “Le français 50 par 50” (French 50 by 50). That is 50 French recipes in 50 weeks.

I will post a recipe on a Monday and discuss it during the week, substitutions, ease of, preparation etc. and I will actually cook it on the following Friday and post pictures and highlights. For instance I will start with a classic French dish, Alsace~Coq au Reisling, which is chicken in a white wine sauce. Now note that I am not a classically trained French Chef and I can still perfect and tweak theses recipes to the point that you would not be able to tell much difference from my dinner table to that of a restaurant.

Here is the thing, I have my blog set to allowed anyone to comment but only those that are following will be given one on one interaction, so hit the “follow me” button at the bottom of the page so everyone can participate.  

Now I will open up and let you know that there are a few things that any cook should have in their arsenal and one of those things is duck fat!

Duck fat is a staple in my kitchen that imparts delicious flavor to any dish. Nutritionally similar to olive oil, it is low in saturated fat, with a good combination of poly and mono-saturated fats. In a lot of ways, duck fat is considered better than butter! Don’t tell any true southerners I said that!

Offering a rich, silky mouth feel that transforms whatever it touches, without an overpowering flavor of its own, duck fat is the darling secret of many chefs today. And the high smoke point means it can be cooked at very high temperatures without smoking or altering its flavor, which is good for a beginner learning to work with new and different things.

Partner duck fat with its natural ally: the potato. Nothing crisps potatoes quite like duck fat does, which is why frites in bistros are fried in a fragrant pot of duck fat. Try duck fat in place of oil in salad dressing, and for sautéing mushrooms and vegetables, where its light umami quality is noticeable. Try making a garlic confit, (ask and I will give you a recipe for it…super easy) a secret weapon in the kitchen--on potatoes, spread on a slice of thick country bread, or on a pizza. The duck fat mellows the punch of garlic

Unlike butter or olive oil, duck fat can be recycled. Duck fat stores in the freezer for a long time, which is why you should never be caught without it! Take it out an hour before cooking to soften, or use a hot spoon to scrape off a small amount. Stock up with a few tubs and watch your cooking repertoire be transformed by the magic of duck fat.

The other is a good variety of wine, not just to drink but to cook with.

How to Decide Which Wine to Use

Cooking with wine, like drinking wine can add another dimension to a recipe. Cultivating and enhancing flavors while accentuating textures are the main incentives for adding wines to recipes.

When deciding what kind of wine to cook with, many agree that your best bet is to cook with a wine that you would drink. Remember, it is only the alcohol that diminishes during the cooking process, NOT THE POOR QUALITY OR UNDESIRABLE FLAVOR. Wines designated as “cooking wines” tend to be cheap, salty and often incorporate additional spices or herbs. Bottom line - they will do little to enhance your recipe. You do not need to spend big bucks on a wine that you intend to cook with, save that for the wine you plan on serving and drinking with the meal itself. However, if you shoot for ultra cheap (less than $5) you will likely be disappointed in both the flavor and the overall contribution to your recipe, consider forgoing the wine addition altogether.

Using Wine as a Spice

Think of flavoring a recipe with wine in the same light as you would adding a spice. The flavors tend to mellow the longer you cook the wine in the dish and it is recommended that a young, strong red wine is allowed to cook for at least 45 minutes. The next question is typically “Should I use a red or a white wine?” Reds tend to bring color, clarity and a distinctly dry characteristic to the foods they flavor. White wines are known to bring an acidic quality with a bit of pucker power. Use reds for flavoring red sauces with red meat. For example, a bold red wine would be perfect for a meatball marina or stout stews with lots of heavy vegetables. Steer towards white wines if you are making cream sauces or emphasizing white meats or seafood. (Which is why a white is being used in the Alsace ~ Coq Au Riesling I will be preparing on next week)

Alcohol and the Cooking Process

Keep in mind that not all of the alcohol will evaporate from the cooking process. The concentration of residual alcohol that remains in your dish depends on the length of time and way in which it was cooked. For example, boiling a sauce for 25 minutes will remove considerably more alcohol than merely baking a dish for 15 minutes.

A Rule to Remember

Cooking with wine should be fun

If you are just starting out, keep it simple - try a young bold red (Zinfandel, Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon ) in your Aunt Baby's family spaghetti sauce recipe or a dash of Chardonnay in your Creamy Alfredo Chicken recipe. Experiment with using wines in recipes, it is not rocket science and shaking recipes up with a splash or two of wine will likely make your favorite recipe that much better!

You can find a good sommelier at most upscale specialty markets and believe me they LOVE to help and give advice with wine parings!

 Join in, follow and “Allez Cuisine” …. Start cooking!