Chicken Mole (Mexico)

     My grandmother always had a wonderfully racist statement.  "If it is Hispanic and requires the entire contents of your pantry, then it is probably Mexican."  One of the best examples of what she was talking about is in Chicken Mole.
      When going into the pot, the mass list of ingredients seems like a hodge podge.  Raisins, almonds, chicken stock, chocolate, chicken, anise, chili peppers; they all seem like the ingredients to a really weird cake more than a Hispanic entree.  But then when the sauce is at a rolling boil the flavors just meld and the taste is just out of this world. 
      When I make a chicken mole I tend to make enough to feed a crowd, mostly due to fact that once made,the chicken can be shredded and placed in warm tortillas and be served as enchiladas on a later date.

Chicken Mole

10 chicken breast, boneless skinless

4 cloves garlic, finely  chopped

3 medium tomatoes, peeled seeded and finely chopped

3 jalapeno peppers, seeded and finely chopped

2 medium onions, coarsely chopped

1/2 cup raisins

1/4 cup ground almonds

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons sesame seeds

1 teaspoon anise seeds

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cloves

1/2 teaspoon coriander

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

3 1/2 cups chicken stock

1 square unsweetened chocolate

2 tablespoons olive oil

In a blender or food processor combine the garlic, tomatoes, peppers, onions, raisins, almonds, chili powder, sesame and anise seeds, salt, cinnamon, cloves, coriander and pepper.  Process until the mixture forms a paste.

In a large saucepan combine the paste and 3 cups of chicken stock and mix well.  Place over high heat until boiling then reduce and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, until smooth.  Stir in chocolate until it melts.  Set aside

In a large skillet heat oil, and add the chicken cook for about 10 minutes or until chicken has browned place the cooked chicken in the mole mixture.  Add the remaining stock to the sauce.  Cover and cook for 30 minutes on a low simmer or until the chicken is no longer pink.

Remove the chicken to a large casserole.  Pour the sauce over the chicken and place in a 325* oven and bake 25 to 35 minutes or until heated through.

Serve immediately.



Creme Brulee (France)

      Now lets be honest, there is a hierarchy when it comes to the culinary world.  You know it, I know it, everybody knows.  And this hierarchy is positively overloaded with dishes that are primarily French, and at the top of the top rests what the culinary world has dubbed time and time again as the king of all desserts... Creme Brulee.
      Although intimidating at first, this dessert is actually really simple in nature.  The dish is a mixture of eggs and sugar which has been mixed with heated cream.  The intimidating part is the caramelized sugar bruleed over the cooked custard giving it the signature golden brown color.
     Now when I first started catering I always had clients who would request the dish, but unfortunately the cost was something that I could never get around.  Then it hit me like a five pound bag of sugar to the cranium.  Canape spoons are oven safe and can actually stand up to the heat of a kitchen torch; that and they give you a portion which is small enough that you can give up your guilt for indulging your taste buds.

Creme Brulee Canapes

1 vanilla bean

2 1/4 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup sugar, plus extra for the topping

6 egg yolks

Split the vanilla  bean in half lengthwise scape the seed into a medium sized saucepan.  Chop the been into little pieces and add that to the pan with the cream.  Bring the contents of the pan to boiling, then reduce the heat and allow to simmer on low for five minutes.

In a large bowl combine the sugar and egg yolks (see Note 1*) mix until well blended.  Slowly pour the hot cream into the egg mixture whisking constantly while doing so. Continue to whisk after all of the cream has been added to the eggs for 2 minutes. Pass the egg mixture through a fine strainer and discard the vanilla bean pieces before continuing. 

At this time you can either divide the mixture between 30 wide mouth canape spoons or 8 ramekins.  Place the intended dishes into a shallow roasting tray.  Pour boiling water into the roasting half way up the sides of the dishes.  Place in a 325* oven and bake for 35-40 minutes just until the custard has set. 

Remove the custard from the oven and top each dish with a just enough reserved sugar so make a light layer.  Using a torch heat the sugar until it turns golden brown (see Note 2*).

Makes 30 canapes or 8 normal sized servings.

**Note 1: be sure to use a heat proof bowl when combing the eggs and cream, otherwise you could possibly end up with scrambled eggs.

**Note 2: If you do not have a torch you can still create the caramelized sugar topping with the broiler of your oven, however be weary as the broiler will turn the topping black very quickly.

     

Asparagus (Multi-National)

      Whether white, green or even purple asparagus is always a great choice for those trying to stay health minded.  The name of this easily grown vegetable comes from the Persian word 'Asporog' which literally means shoot; shoot being the ideal word as they literally shoot up in all manner of soils.
      Of course the down side to this vegetable is that you will notice a certain odor when in a very private part of your home.  But, as your Doctor will support, the eating of asparagus does assist you in passing and preventing kidney stones so it's great trade off.
      Now there is about a thousand ways to cook asparagus; fry them, boil them, stick them in a soup you really can't miss.  My favorite way to cook is to drizzle them with olive oil, give a quick season and broil before serving with a sprinkling of Parmesan cheese.  It's a great side dish and a real hit with the kids, especially when you let them eat the shoots with their fingers rather than a fork. 

Parmesan Asparagus

2 pounds asparagus

1/4 cup olive oil

1 teaspoon sea salt

2 teaspoons black pepper

1/2 cup Parmigiano Regiano

After cleaning the asparagus snap off about the first half inch off of the end of the shoot (usually if you give just a bit of bend on the end it will snap right where it needs).  Drizzle the 1/4 cup of olive oil season with salt and pepper. 

Place the shoots in a single layer into a shallow baking dish.  Place in a 325* oven and bake for 10 minutes of until the the shoots become tender.  Sprinkle the Parmesan on top of the asparagus and continue to cook for another 5 minutes or until the cheese has melted and turned golden brown.  Serve immediately.

Serves 4



Panna Cotta (Italy)

      In the culinary world, the language barrier is definitely a plus rather than a minus.  For instance, if a menu were to read 'Cooked Cream' you probably wouldn't give it a second glance.  But when people read the words Panna Cotta they find the dish irresistible. 
      The original recipe for this Italian dessert required that you use the gelatinous properties of fish bones to solidify the cream.  Luckily, this is no longer required with the invention of powder gelatin and powder gelatin.
      Recently Panna Cotta has reemerged onto the culinary scene, being infused with different flavors and paired with a variety of wines.  Like a pudding, Panna Cotta will absorb what ever flavors you put into it, so the possibilities are limitless.  The only advise I would give you is that the best Panna Cottas are a balanced mixture of sweet and sour.
      My recipe for Panna Cotta is a bit uncharacteristic.  There is no special ingredient with more then five syllables that can only be purchased in a specialty food store No special technique that can only be mastered after very diligent practice.  The recipe uses grapes some good wine and well... a lot of love.

Wine Country Panna Cotta

2 tablespoon cold water

2 teaspoons powdered gelatin, unflavored

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1/2 cup low fat milk

1/4 cup sugar

1/2 cup red wine (preferably a Merlot)

1 pound red grapes, plus 1/4 cup for garnish.

1/4 cup sugar



In a small bowl sprinkle the gelatin over the cold water.  Set aside for about five minutes until softened.  In a medium sized saucepan bring the cream, milk and sugar.  Bring the mixture a a boil over high heat, decrease the heat to medium and continue to boil for another minute, stirring constantly so that the mixture does not boil over.  Remove the mixture from the heat and whisk in in the gelatin until well dissolved. 

Pour the mixture into six separate 5-ounce ramekins and chill in the refrigerator for at least 3 hours, or overnight..

In a small saucepan heat the wine to boiling.  Reduce the wine until you have about 1/4 of a cup of wine.  Place the grapes and sugar in the saucepan and continue to cook over medium heat.  Cook until the grapes begin to soften and fall apart, this should take about 40 minutes.

Process the grape mixture in a food processor, strain through a fine mesh sieve to remove the seeds and skin.  Return to the pan and heat until the mixture coats the back of the spoon. 

Using a knife, loosen the Panna Cotta from the ramekin by running the knife around the edges.  Dip the molds into boiling water to loosen further.  Pour a portion of the sauce onto the plate place the molds onto the plate so that it releases onto the plate.  Halve the other quarter cup of grapes and place on top of the Panna Cotta's and drizzle the remaing over the grapes.  Serve immediately.


Serves 6

Crab Rangoon (Chinese Fusion)

      Sorry to break it to you, but the Chinese food which you get delivered about once a week is in no way authentic Asian cuisine.  Case in point, Crab Rangoon.  Sweet crab meat mixes with cream cheese and onions and is stuffed into wonton wrappers and deep fried until it is golden brown and all kinds of delicious. But cream cheese was never actually adopted by Asian cuisine. Cream cheese traveled from the middle east and went West, where it was used in an appetizer at the San Fransisco restaurant 'Trader Vic's' which they so dubbed Crab Pillows.
      When asked, the owner said the dish was Polynesian in origin.  It then took the Luau scene by storm where the name changed to meet the feel of the 1960's dinner party scene.  Thus the dish was dubbed 'Rangoon Crab Alla Jack' and later changed to the shorter Crab Rangoon which we know today.
      Despite the little deception, the dish itself is a wonderful finger food, especially when you need to feed a large crowd without breaking the bank.  A few notes for this recipe: DO NOT use imitation crab, if you do not want to get fresh crab meat then go canned, I don't know how you can imitate a crab but I shudder to think; use the smaller size wonton wrappers as it tends to feed more; and serve with a sauce for dipping (plum, sweet and sour, and duck sauces are great for this).

     

Crab Rangoon

16 ounces lump crab meat, cartilage removed

2 packages (8 ounces each) cream cheese

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon soy sauce

2 scallions (about 1/4 cup) minced
2 tablespoons garlic, minced

1 package (12 ounces) small wonton wrappers.
1/4 cup water
6 cups Canola oil.

In a large bowl mix together the crab and cream cheese (I find a fork is the best for this).  Fold in the Worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, scallions and garlic.

Spoon tablespoon fulls of the crab mixture into the center of the wonton wrappers. Brush the edges of the wrappers with the water and fold in the edges around the filling (this does not have to be uniform, just needs to seal in the filling).

In a large skillet heat the oil to 160* place the Rangoon into the hot oil and cook until golden brown, about 2 minutes.  Remove the cooked Rangoon from the oil and place on a paper towel lined plate to drain.  Serve warm.

Makes about 40 Rangoon's.

Gazpacho (Spain)

     Now I can't speak for every member, but, in my family the way we know summer has arrived is when tomatoes start making it onto the dinner table.  When it becomes unbearably hot outside we cut up a few beefsteak tomatoes which are sprinkled with a bit of salt. 
     Obviously the farmers of Spain had the same liking towards the American import, seeing as they devoted a soup to the tomato known as Gazpacho.
      If you have read any of my previous posts, you probably will have been exposed to the fact that many other countries lay claim to dishes which they did not originate.  Gazpacho is no different, many Mediterranean countries (Italy, Greece, and many North African countries) have "Borrowed" the dish and forgotten to return it. 
      I had gone for years making the traditional red gazpacho.  Then, I was introduced to elusive summer favorite of yellow tomatoes.  A very good friend of mine placed yellow cherry tomatoes into a salad to give it some summer color.  Upon seeing this I ran to the farmers market and bought about five cartons of yellow tomatoes.
     After some kitchen abortions I finally invented a recipe that would become a staple in my kitchen.  My Golden Gazpacho says good by to the traditional red and celebrates the yellow without loosing that great tomato flavor.  For an easy garnish, I usually place a halved red cherry tomato in the center of the bowl, which welcomes my more cautious diners in with something familiar.
    

Gold Gazpacho

4 pounds (about 6 large) yellow tomatoes

1 large yellow pepper

3 large garlic cloves.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large cucumber, peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped

6 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste.

3 small cherry tomatoes, halved (optional)

On a large baking sheet place the tomatoes, peppers, and garlic drizzle with the tablespoon of olive oil.  Place the oven to the broiler setting and place the vegetable in the oven to broil just until the juices begin to run and the skin chars. 

Remove the vegetables from the pan and allow to cool slightly before continuing.  Remove the skin and seeds from the pepper and tomatoes by running under cool water, then chop the tomatoes and peppers to about 1/4 inch pieces.  Mince the roasted garlic. 

In a large food processor, combine the tomatoes, peppers, garlic, cucumber, vinegar, and oil (If you are using a blender you will probably have to make the soup in 3 batches and combine later).  Puree the ingredients and season with salt and pepper.  Pour into a container and chill the soup for at least 1 hour. 

Pour the soup into six separate bowls and garnish with the the tomato halves.  Serve immediately

Serves 6



Watermelon (International)

      Many of the worlds edible vegetation has had a long history of travel.  Coconuts started in the Caribbean and then moved west until it reached Asia.  Kiwi's were originally named Chinese Gooseberries until they made their way to New Zealand where they were given a new name and became one of the chief exports of Greece.  And then there is Watermelon.
      Watermelon was originally a fruit strictly grown in Africa.  But as it migrated from the north to the southern 'Horn of Africa'  it took the old shipping routes to England and France where it quickly to the hop across the pond into the America's, where it is now consumed more so than in any other part of the world.
       I love water melon for it's extremely unique flavor.  It has a juice that is at times overwhelmingly sweet, but a tart finish.  Now you don't need a lot of additives to make a watermelon dish.  In fact I have the rule that when cooking with water melon you should have 6 ingredients or less.  Other wise, you'll lose that great flavor.
       When the heat of the Cleveland summer gets just a bit uncomfortable, my friends and I head to the shores of Lake Erie to cool off and have some fun.  Naturally we have a cook out, and for an easy dessert, I make my Mint and Watermelon salad.  If you want something that is extra simple but full of flavor, then this is the dish for you. 

(Now I know that I said I usually serve this by itself.  But this time I served it with my buttermilk ice cream, my worst critic [also known as my little brother] could not get enough of it.)

Mint and Watermelon Salad

1 Watermelon (About 5 to 6 pounds), chopped into 1/2 inch cubes. *See Note

1/4 cup mint, cut into thin slices

3 tablespoon lime juice

2 teaspoons salt

In a large bowl mix together the watermelon and mint.  Drizzle the lime juice over the water melon.  sprinkle with salt and give a quick toss.  Serve chilled.

Serves 8-10

*If you are wondering what to do with your left over watermelon rinds then I would suggest trying my Watermelon Baby Backs which use only the the left over portion of the rind which most of us throw out.  If interested then please read my blog on baby back ribs.