It’s been awhile since I posted last. Work has been keeping me very busy and I have just been too tired to write at the end of the night. That doesn’t mean I haven’t been cooking. I have, but I just haven’t gotten around to posting any of the recipes yet, so the posts over the next week should kind of catch me up….I hope.

I’ve kind of been on a Caribbean kick the last week or so and the other day I can across some really nice looking plantains at my local grocery store. My wife loves plantain chips so I decided that I would whip up a batch of tostones for her to try. Like plantain chips, tostones are fried, but they tend to be thicker and often are just a bit soft in the center. Personally, I prefer tostones over plantain chips any time.

You will find lots of recipes that say that the plantains must be completely green to make authentic tostones. That may be the case, but I’ve found that I prefer a hint of sweetness in my tostones so I look for plantains that are just a few days from being fully ripe.

Tostones are very easy to make but they do require a double frying, something you see often in Caribbean cooking, especially in Cuban cuisine. First peel the plantains. This can be somewhat difficult if your plantains are still very green as the skin wants to adhere to the flesh. Once peeled slice the plantains into 1 1/2 -2″ chunks. Deep fry these chunks in 300°F vegetable oil for about 3-4 minutes.

They will be lightly browned and have started to soften. Drain on paper towel and allow to cool.

Once cool, place each plantain chunk between 2 pieces of plastic wrap and gently smash them. To do this I usually use a small saute pan. Don’t slam the pan down, on top of the plantains, like you are tenderizing meat, or you will smash it into oblivion. I just place the pan on top and press down to flatten them.

Once the plantains have all been flattened, return them to the deep fryer set at about 350°F and fry until golden brown and crispy around the edges, about 4-5 minutes. Don’t overcrowd your pan. I usually do 3-4 at a time. Remove, drain on paper towel and sprinkle with salt.

I usually serve these with a traditional mojo sauce (a citrusy, garlicky sauce native to Cuba). This simple sauce takes about 5 minutes to make and is a great accompaniment to the tostones.

Mojo Sauce
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/3 cup lime juice**
1/3 cup orange juice**
6 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 tsp. ground cumin

Gently heat the olive oil until warm. Combine the remaining ingredients in a small bowl. Add to the olive oil, bring to a boil and cook for 3 minutes. Remove from heat and cool. This sauce is best served the same day as it is made, though it can be stored for up to a week in the fridge.

**Note: Traditionally, the juice of the sour orange would be used, but they are difficult to find here in the middle of Wisconsin. If you can find them then replace both the lime and orange juice with an equal amount of juice from the sour oranges.

Related posts:

1. Rhubarb Refreshments
2. Lime Marmalade
3. Grilled Shrimp Ceviche

Here is wishing everyone a very happy and safe 4th of July!! I hope your day is full of fun and great food! Unfortunately, I have to work so I won’t be able to participate in any of the festivities. The joys of working a job that is 365 days a year. I can’t complain too much though as I do get most holidays off.

Here’s a simple little recipe that I thought I’d share with you all, especially if you have kids. Kids love popsicles, but younger kids often seem to wear almost as much as they eat, at least that is the case with my daughter. This recipe, I pulled off of the internet ages ago (can’t remember where) solves this problem. Using jello in the mix keeps these popsicles from melting all over little hands. Enjoy!

Dripless Popsicles

1 package Jello, fruit flavored, small package
1 package Koolaid
2/3 cup Water, boiling
2 cups Water, cold
1 cup Sugar

Combine jello, koolaid, sugar and hot water and mix until dissolved. Add cold water and pour into popsicle molds. Freeze overnight.

Related posts:

1. Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays!!!
2. Hot Smoked Salmon
3. Eggnog Pie

Once again life seems to have gotten in the way of blogging. I was gone the better part of last week for 3 days of training, for work and while I wasn’t able to get online and blog, let alone cook, it was a good time and very informative. An added plus was 3 nights of having a bed to myself!! No dogs hogging the space, no wife trying to pile up the covers on top of me, and no kid trying to sneak into bed then taking up 3/4′s of it by sleeping perpendicular to the way one is supposed to sleep. Sorry honey, I missed you, but it was glorious having a bed to myself!!!

Then, after I got back, my brother’s wife went into labor. After a long weekend in the hospital she finally gave birth to a beautiful little girl. We are so happy for them and my daughter is thrilled to have a little cousin. So thrilled, in fact, that when we went to see them, in the hospital, she was very disappointed that the baby wasn’t coming back home with us!

Needless to say, the last few weeks have been pretty busy, but that doesn’t excuse my lack of writing, so I will try to get back to something more regular, once again.

With summertime upon us, I often find myself sipping on Margaritas and other tropical, adult beverages. And of course, when sipping numerous adult beverages, it is inevitable that the munchies set in. One of my favorite ways to curb that appetite is tortilla chips and guacamole.

Guacamole is so easy to make I don’t know why anyone buys that heinous stuff that comes prepackaged. It is always so tart due to all the citric acid they have to use to keep it green, and it seems to have the consistency of baby food. It doesn’t even come close to the “real thing.” Good guacamole should be chunky, with a good citrus zip from lime juice, but it still should be well balanced and all the flavors should come through individually.

This is the recipe I use that has wowed friends, family and restaurant guests for years.

Guacamole

4 avocados
1/2 medium onion
2 medium tomatoes
1-2 jalapenos*
1/4 bunch cilantro, leaves only
1-1 1/2 limes
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
salt
pepper

Finally dice the onion. Core the tomato and cut in half width wise. Gently squeeze the tomato to remove all the seeds and watery pulp, then finely dice. Seed and mince the jalapenos. Finally chop the cilantro. Cut the lime in half and squeeze the juice of 1 half into a bowl. Combine with the rest of the chopped ingredients. Cut the avocados in half and remove the pit. The easiest and cleanest way to dice an avocado is to leave the flesh in the skin and cut it in the skin. To do this, make 4 slices, the length of the avocado, through the flesh just until the knife encounters the skin. Turn the avocado 90 degrees and repeat.

Now just take a spoon, slip it just under the skin and scoop out the flesh into the bowl. Add the cumin, a little salt and pepper, and mix just until everything comes together and the avocado is just starting to break up, holding it all together. Taste the guacamole and adjust the seasoning and add more lime juice, if necessary. You need enough lime juice to help keep the guacamole from oxidizing and turning brown and to help elevate all the flavors, but the lime juice shouldn’t overpower the other flavors.

To store the guacamole, place a piece of plastic wrap directly on the guacamole and push it down to remove as much air as possible. This will help to slow down the oxidization process by limiting the amount of air that comes into contact with it.

*If you like your guacamole with more kick don’t add more jalapeno or the pepper flavor will overpower. Instead choose a hotter pepper such as a Serrano, or use jalapenos and add a bit of ground cayenne to bump up the heat.

Related posts:

1. Grilled Shrimp Ceviche
2. Grilled Vegetable Salsa
3. Grilled Apricots with Honey

I don’t make salmon often since my wife can’t stand it, but when I got my new smoker I knew I had to do a batch of hot smoked salmon, as it is one of my favorite things in the world. I also really like the more traditional cured/cold smoked salmon that often accompanies bagels, but hot smoked salmon just can’t be beat, in my opinion.

As luck would have it, as I was shopping, last weekend, for things to try out in my new smoker, I came across some wild sockeye salmon at my local grocery store. Despite its having been previously frozen (not necessarily a bad thing when it comes to hot smoking salmon), the fish looked great and I knew immediately that I would have to buy a side and smoke it.

Unlike cured/cold smoked salmon, that takes days to make, hot smoked salmon can be done in a single day, and is a rather simple process. One thing to remember though is this salmon is not fully cured to the point of preservation so it should be kept under refrigeration when done and should be eated within a week.

The brine for this recipe is pretty straight forward. Feel free to add any other flavorings that you feel would go well with salmon. Replace the brown sugar with maple syrup, cane syrup or even plain white sugar. Add coriander and/or various other spices and herbs such as tarragon or dill.

I slightly overcooked my salmon as you will be able to see in one of the photos, but because the wild salmon I used had such a high fat content it still came out nice and moist.

Hot Smoked Salmon

1/2 gallon cold water
3/4 cup kosher salt
1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp. freshly cracked pepper

1 side wild caught salmon (use a smaller fish, 1-2 pounds for this recipe. Any larger and you might need to increase the brine)
freshly cracked black pepper

Combine 2 cups of water, the salt, sugar and pepper in a pot and bring to a boil to dissolve the salt and sugar. Once dissolved stir this into the remaining cold water. Make sure the temperature of the brine is 40°F or lower. Pour into a large pan, big enought to accommodate the side of samon. Weigh down the salmon to ensure it is fully submerged. Brine for 1 hour per inch of thickness of the fish, with a minimum of 1 hour brining.

Once brined removed from liquid and quickly rinse off under cold, running water. Place on an oiled rack, skin side down and gently dry the surface. At this time you can add addtional seasonings such as spices or herbs. I chose to add freshly cracked black pepper. Place in front of a fan and allow to dry for about 1 1/2 – 2 hours, or until the surface is dry and slightly tacky. This is called the pellicle and it is a layer of proteins that will help protect from too much moisture loss during smoking. It also creates the ideal surface for smoke to stick to, and, in instances where smoking is used as a preservation method it also helps to keep the fat from rising to the surface and spoiling. For us, it is the first 2 reasons, for forming the pellicle, that matter.

Once dried place the salmon in the cold smoker. By starting in a cold smoker you run less of a risk of drying out your salmon and will achieve a better flavor. Start your smoker, and if possible set it for 160°F. Once your smoker reaches this temperature, which should take about 20-30 minutes, start monitoring the internal temperature of you salmon and pull it when it hits between 155-160°F

I allowed the temperature of my salmon to get away from me (sorry got caught up in a TV show!), and it cooked a little too far. The white you see on the surface of the fish is protein that is being squeezed out of the fish. This usually results in a dry product, but I caught it just in time, barely, and it turned out fine. Monitor the temperature of your salmon to make sure this doesn’t happen. This can also happen if you are smoking your fish at too high of a temperature so monitor the temperature of your smoker.

From start to finish this project took me approximately 4 hours, with only about 30 minutes worth of actual work, so this can easily be accomplished in an afternoon. Of course, if you don’t have a smoker you can still create great tasting hot smoked salmon on your covered grill, using just enough charcoal to maintain that 160°F temperature.

Related posts:

1. First Day with Smoker
2. Halibut with Fennel and Grapefruit
3. My New Toy

One of the things I remember most about living in NYC were the pretzel carts that dotted the corners throughout Greenwich Village. Sure I remember the hot dog carts, but to be honest, I’m more of a fan of Chicago dogs than New York dogs (sorry NYC!). But I loved those pretzel carts, serving up hot, soft pretzels drizzled with American style, yellow mustard, none of that dijon or whole grain stuff!!! My mouth is watering just thinking about them. But my love of pretzels goes much farther back to when I was a little kid. In fact, I don’t remember a time when I didn’t love pretzels, from the rock hard sourdough pretzels of the Pennsylvania dutch to those warm, soft festival treats.

As a kid, I had even attempted to make soft pretzels a time or two. They were good, but not great, and, at the time, they seemed to be an awful lot of work. It’s amazing how perception changes as you grow older. Yesterday, I thought I’d surprise my wife with a batch of freshly baked pretzels when she arrived home from work, and I couldn’t believe how easy it was to make them. It is even a breeze to form them, something I remember as being so difficult as to be almost impossible!

Since I hadn’t made pretzels in many, many years (more than I want to remember!) I had to do a little research. While most recipes had a relatively consistent set of ingredients, I found large variances in the boiling stage (the most important stage of pretzel making) ranging from a quick dip of 5 seconds to 1 minute on each side. In the end, I did what I always do, taking what I believed to be the best ideas from many recipes and created my own. I opted not to brush the boiled pretzels with eggwash before baking, but if you want a shinier crust than I achieved you might want to add that step, brushing the pretzels before sprinkling with salt.

While you can, sometimes, find “pretzel” salt, don’t bother. Because it is a specialty salt you will pay a premium for it compared to kosher salt, which works quite well.

Finally, in commercial production of pretzels, they are often boiled in a lye solution. Lye is rather caustic stuff and can easily cause severe burns if you get some on you. Stay away from the stuff. Instead most people (me included) use baking soda to raise the ph of the boiling water to give a mildly alkaline solution. Purist say they can taste the difference, but it is very minor, and believe me, it is not worth the risk of an alkaline burn.

Soft Pretzels
makes 6

1 tsp. yeast
1 Tbsp. brown sugar
2 1/2-3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp. iodized salt
1 cup milk, warmed to 100-110°F
kosher salt

1/4 cup baking soda
4 cups water

Mix together the yeast and the sugar. Add the warm milk and allow the yeast to activate. Add 2 1/2 cups flour and the iodized salt and mix. Knead for 5-7 minutes, adding more flour, if necessary, to form a soft, but not sticky dough. Place dough in a greased bowl, cover with a damp towel and allow to rise until doubled, about 1 hour. Preheat oven to 425°F. Degas the dough, divide into 6 portions and roll into 6 strands.

Allow to rest for 5 minutes, then one by one stretch to 18″ and form into pretzels. To form: create a loop with the bottom closest to you and cross the ends.

Fold the ends back down over the loop, extending the ends just slightly.

For for a more professional look you can give the ends a half twist before bring them back down.

Press the ends down lightly to secure but don’t mash the pretzel. Meanwhile bring the water and baking soda to a boil in large pot. The water should be 2-3″ deep. If not, add more water and baking soda, keeping the ratio of 1/4 cup baking soda for every 4 cups of water. Let the water come to a gentle, not rolling boil. One at a time, place the pretzels in the water, cook for 20 seconds, flip and cook for 20 seconds longer. Remove from water, allow to drain, then place on a greased cookie sheet. Repeat with all the pretzels. Allow each pretzel to dry for about 1 minute then sprinkle liberally with kosher salt. The pretzel should be moist and tacky, but if it is too wet the salt will just melt. Bake the pretzels for approximately 10-13 minutes or until a deep golden brown. Remove from oven, place on a cooling rack and allow to cool for a few minutes before tasting.

To rewarm pretzels, place in a brown paper bag. Sprinkle the bag generously with water and heat in a 350°F oven. Whatever you do, don’t rewarm them in the microwave, it will just make them tough and chewy!!!

Related posts:

1. White Bread-An Every Day Loaf
2. Gingerbread House Part I
3. Cinnamon Swirl Peach Cobbler

Out of the blue the other day, I got a craving for Falafels. I haven’t had one in years, but I suddenly had a craving for them. I really like Falafels, but it’s not something that comes to mind often, unless I bump into someone selling them, and, here in the middle of Wisconsin, that doesn’t happen too often. I guess I am too much of a carnivore. I need to start rethinking this whole ultimate carnivore thing a little bit. I really need to start eating a little healthier a little more regularly. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll never give up the “good stuff.” Let’s face it, I like steak, bacon, burgers, pepperoni, and sausage way too much to ever give all that stuff up, but at age 40, and considerably overweight, maybe I should think about adding some healthier stuff to my diet.

Don’t worry, I’m not about to turn this into a health food blog, but I imagine you will start seeing a few more healthy options added to the mix. But there will always be room for bacon and butter in my blogs. I have friends who have given up all the “good” foods for the sake of health and they are miserable. I don’t understand the thought process of giving up all the things that you love just to add a few more years on to your life so that you can spend those years avoiding the things that you love. On the other hand, I know many vegetarians that are very happy with the diet and lifestyle they have chosen. More power to them, but I’m not one of them, though if I can find more foods like Falafels, I would be happy eating vegetarian more often. In fact, this past Friday, as I went to bed I realized that I had gone through the whole day meatless. To many of you that may not be a big deal, but to me, I was amazed that I had gone the whole day without eating an ounce of meat. Lunch was vegetarian lasagna and dinner was Falafels. What amazed me wasn’t so much that I went the whole day without eating meat as much as I was amazed that at no point during that day did I crave meat. Yes, sad, I know. Man, I got to change my diet!!!

Falafels

1 cup chickpeas (garbanzo beans), dried,not canned
1/2 onion, small, peeled and diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 1/2 tsp. cumin, ground
1/2 tsp. coriander, ground
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/2 cup cilantro, leaves only, no stem
salt
pepper
vegetable oil for frying (the deviant in me says use lard, but I will try to refrain )

Soak the chick peas in 2-3 cups of water for 12 hours. Place in a food processor pulse until the chickpeas are roughly chopped. Add the onion, garlic and spices. Process until everything is incorporated. Add the cilantro and continue to process until mixture turns greenish, is finely ground, and holds together when formed into a ball.

Season with salt and pepper. Allow to rest for 30 minutes. Meanwhile heat 2 inches of lard….I mean vegetable oil to 350°F, in large pot. Divide the mixture into 15 balls. They will be about the size of a walunt. Once formed into balls, flatten slightly. Add 4-6 balls to the oil and fry until dark brown on the outside and cooked all the way through.

They should take about 5-7 minutes to cook through. Drain on paper towel, and season with salt while still hot. Allow to cool just briefly. Meanwhile stuff a pita pocket with lettuce, diced tomato, and chopped cucumber (optional), place 3 Falafels on top and drizzle with Tahini Sauce (recipe) below.

Tahini Sauce

1/2 cup tahini paste
1 clove garlic, finely minced
1/2 lemon, juiced
water
salt

Combine the tahini paste, garlic and lemon juice. Stir well then add enough water to thin out into a thin sauce. Season with salt.

Related posts:

1. Vegetable Tagine
2. The BLT-A Case for Food Snobbery
3. Runzas

This past weekend I took the daughter to Indiana to see my parents. This gave my folks a chance to see their granddaughter, but more importantly, it gave my wife a much needed weekend without the kid. Our daughter is almost 3 1/2 years old and my wife has not had more than a 24 hour break from her. It was about time. I could see it in her eyes. She was way overdue for a weekend alone. So I packed up the car and the kid and I road tripped to Indiana.

Like most grandparents, my parents had plenty of activities planned for the weekend. To my delight, one of them was “Sugar Camp Days” at Bendix Woods County Park. Sugar Camp Days is a weekend affair, where the public can see the maple syrup making process from beginning to end. I grew up in Vermont and my family had many friends who supplemented their income by sugaring, so for me it was a chance to reminisce about those days and a chance to introduce my daughter to the whole concept.

Of course what was presented was a disneyesque version of the process but I found it very enjoyable and there was a lot of information presented so that someone unfamiliar with the making of maple syrup, would understand where their syrup comes from and just why it is so expensive. My daughter, being 3 years old, couldn’t have cared less about the whole thing, and only found joy in playing on the playground, at the park, but my parents and I had a very enjoyable morning, watching the sugaring process and trying some of the maple products being sold.

The highlight of the day though, at least for me was watching them make Maple Kettle Corn over an open fire. I love kettle corn as it is, and the idea of adding maple had never crossed my mind, but sounded wonderful. Of course it tasted fantastic; sweet with just a hint of maple, offset by a subtle saltiness and a slight smokiness, coming from the fact that it was being cooked over an open fire.

Maple Kettle Corn
This recipe is an adaptation of the recipe they use at Bendix Woods as theirs makes quite a large amount. Doing this on the stove top, you lose that wonderful smokiness that comes from cooking over an open fire, but it is still a great treat!

1/4 cup popcorn, uncooked
2 tsp. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. sugar, granulated
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
salt

Heat a stove top popcorn popper over medium high heat. Add oil, allow to heat for 30 seconds then add the popcorn, sugar and maple syrup. Cover with lid and stir constantly so that sugar doesn’t burn. Cook until all sounds of popping stop and immediately remove from heat to keep from burning. Pour into a large bowl and season with salt. Allow to cool a couple of minutes before eating so as to not burn yourself.

Related posts:

1. Apple Pancakes with Maple-Cider Sauce
2. Super Bowl Munchies Part II Asian Popcorn Mix
3. Corn & Bacon Relish

The Super Bowl is only hours away. By now you probably have the chili cooking, made the final beer run, and are contemplating what else needs to be done before the gang gets there to watch the game. You’re probably also rethinking the beer situation and trying to decide if you should pick up another case or not.

Well, if you have just a few minutes, I have another great addition to your Super Bowl bash. This popcorn snack is the perfect Super Bowl snack. Light, and not overly greasy, a good thing with all else you have planned to eat, this snack is also a great match with beer. The Wasabi Peas give it just a hint of a spicy kick, but also makes this mix rather addictive.

Asian Popcorn Mix

12-14 cups popcorn, popped
1 cup chow mein noodles
1 cup wasabi peas (can be found in many supermarkets asian (Japanese) section)
1/2 Tbsp. soy sauce
1/2 Tbsp. sesame oil
3 Tbsp. butter, melted
1/4 tsp. granulated garlic
1/4 tsp. ground ginger

Preheat oven to 275F. Combine the popcorn, chow mein noodles and wasabi peas in large bowl. Mix together the remaining ingredients and pour over popcorn mixture. Stir well to coat and then spread out on 2 cookies sheets. Bake for 15 minutes, remove from oven and allow to cool completely.

Related posts:

1. Super Bowl Munchies – Buffalo Chicken Dip
2. Pumpkin Seeds Three Ways
3. Sugar Camp Days